《NPC Code: Red Riding Hood》


 Chapter 1 - Welcome To Code: Online

    Prologue

    ....

    In the year 2140, a popr game called "Code" emerged and stormed the entire world. Everyone came rushing to the store and bought the newest edition of the Holographic Reality, or HR. Thepany noted four billion people out of seven billion owned the game.

    Who would decline such an offer when the game itself rewarded real-time money to yers? They can cash in their checks, earn, and live inside the game. It even reached the government, where presidential elections were all held inside the fantasy world.

    The game even offered jobs rted to the actual world. Virtual reality became a product of testing children for the jobs they seek, unlike the online sses experienced on theputer screens.

    What set the game and reality apart is this realistic holographic system. With a flick of your finger, you can summon the tform and y the game right there and now. It was easy to use and cheap, considering the number of advertisements earned by the game developer.

    Code had holographic set wrapped around the head like a helmet. It allowed the yers to transfer their thoughts inside the world filled with magic and monsters. People could be viins or heroes inside the world, and nobody could stop them, not even the game developers.

    NPC were the ones who sent their requests, quests, and missions. The game developers did not control what these quests would be.

    As long as the NPC wished for something, the yers could choose to do it or decline the missions. The reward granted wille from the game developers and not from the non-yable characters.

    These NPC characters had their own scripts and intelligence.

    If the game inflicted damage, you would feel it on your skin, depending on the pain scale of the settings. It also manipted the sense of touch of the yers. This sensation includes coldness, warmth, wind, and different textures. It was the 4-dimensional that yed the mind, thinking that it was the actual world.

    The scientist behind the game wanted to relive the moments of his dead son, Clement Asimov. It was his sole inspiration in creating Code. Clement''sst request was to y a game and re-create his life inside the new world.

    He died on his hospital bed, immobile because of a deadly and incurable disease. It rendered him motionless, as if he was in aa. His father, Warner Asimov, did everything that he could to stop the cells from multiplying.

    s, Warner''s efforts became futile against the virus and killed his son. He was toote to destroy the genes, hence the results of the aftermath.

    However, things had changed until now since the hero is none other than Clement Asimov inside his own virtual game. It was an update that everyone had waited for the entirety of Code.

    .....

    Chapter 1-Breaking the Rules

    ...

    A dome surrounded the kingdom, with the citadel nestled in the middle. We were a tiny extension from the maind, far from thisnd. Despite the miniature townpared to the empire, our vige continued to prosper in our marine goodies and vegetable fields.

    yerse and go inside our kingdom, with the merchants and other guests visiting our ce. If one would venture inside, a myriad of cksmiths, shops, and stores awaited these hungry adventurers.

    "Step right up, citizens of Freiy! We have the lowest deals that could pique your interest!" the smith waved his swords, trying to show it off to the world.

    The glimmering de attracted the attention of the citizens window-shopping inside the town. It was not too long before the shop had a mob of customers purchasing the stock. Thousands of roar filled the ce as the people continued flocking the stalls.

    "Go grab me some cucumber in the forest, okay?" the cksmith instructed his little boy while marking the vines from the jungle.

    Beside him was his son, who was now running towards the forest, waving goodbye to his father. The dirt on his slippers attached to his feet, and eventually tripping over the boy. After a second, thed stood up, brushed his clothes, and carried on with his adventure.

    It was the same urrence every day.

    Everyone surrounding me did the same as they attempted to grab the attention of the adventurers, looking for valuable things they would need for their quests. Even thezed alchemists, vendors, and other vigers danced along with the crowded market, wanting to sell their goods at those hungry mercenaries.

    I was one of the buzzing masses around the market. I advertised my fresh fishes, fruits and vegetables that my parents harvested from the fields near theke not too long ago. Those products were the only thing that I had with me, but I loved my job! It was enough to pay off our bills and expenses, since we are only vigers in the Freiy Kingdom.

    A smile emerged from my face, thinking about what I had in life. There were many vigers outside our kingdom who were not fortunate enough to eat their loaves of bread. My father always told stories about the world beyond the walls filled with monsters and creatures living their life.

    I lived with my parents and sister, who loved me for who I am. There was not a thing in this world I hate about my life, except for the yers stirring up trouble inside the za.

    People called me "Red Riding Hood", given my scarlet hoodie that masked my identity. Hence, the name that I had received. My actual name is Red Rose, also taken from the legends. Despite my blonde-looking hair, the nickname stood atop. The neighbours remembered the name like in the legends.

    Red Riding Hood. It had a memorable tone.

    My parents called me Red, but that did not matter for now.

    "Please, adventurer, choose what you like!" a grin shed on my face at the wandering man and presented my merchandise to him.

    The armed adventurer had a de with him, even taller than my sister, who was still roaming around the town, trying to trade thest piece of rice for bronze coins. He even had this arcane aura surrounding him, as if guarding him continuously from any surprise attacks.

    "Who would buy such cheap products?" The bloke scowled at me and hurled the table away, tossing my remaining marine life and nts that I wanted to sell. His lips curled upwards for a snicker as he tumbled the table around.

    "No! My precious products!" I hurriedly pick the fallen valuables back to my table. Thankfully, the floor did not dirty my goods. It would be a disaster if I could not sell these products by the end of the day.

    As I turned around, the man had already departed from the other shop and bought their stock. He kept grunting while looking at my location with a snicker forming on his lips. The doughs perched on his hand with the products on the other.

    It was a store that sells the exact goods that I have, but they imbued it with magicpared to mine. That was the trend that I found queer in the world.

    Magic existed in our generation.

    Arcane could enhance the capacity of an adventurer when eaten raw or cooked under the zing embers. Nourishments and other poultries could notpare to the likes of those magic supplements made by mages and alchemists.

    The world did not gift us with magic, my mother told me. She wanted to teach me something, but every time she tried, an unseeable force stopped her tracks. I did not learn magic, but knew how to live without one. We were merely vigers found everywhere inside this town.

    "Red! What happened here?" My little sister, Clementine, saw me from afar, and scrambled over in my direction. She then lent me a hand to fix the board while collecting the pieces of fishes and nts on the ground.

    My hands reached out for her head and caressed her crazed hair, sliding from her cheeks. I wiped a tear falling from her eyes, assuring what had happened was nothing to worry about.

    "Don''t worry about a single thing, Clementine! Your big sister is doing what she can to sell these," I affirmed her with vibrant words, hoping she would cease worrying about me.

    Fortunately, my n worked, as Clementine energetically picking up the products on the ground. She pressed her drooping cheeks back to their ce and beamed me a smile. After tidying things up, she walked up to me and offered to help with my stall.

    It was more than enough for me to feel ted. As long as I can see Clementine smile, everything was alright.

    I shook my head and said, "I am fine, Clementine. You just need to help mum and dad to gather the fishes or harvest the remaining nts in our backyard."

    My sister feverishly nodded with enthusiasm and bolted off towards the south, where our parents are doing their jobs.

    Suddenly, the cloud started changing colours from white to grey, notifying everyone something was about toe. This urrence was typical for the locals. It even sent us transparent screens with texts written on the pad. But upon gazing at the sky, I changed my mind.

    [Attention all yers of the Freiy Kingdom! We advise everyone to please listen to the adventurers until the Heroes and his party arrives in the vige. To those who can fight, please help evacuate all the vigers and protect the town!]

    [Reward: 10 gold coins for every three families saved]

    [Reward:1 bronze coin for every monster you had in]

    [That is everything I wanted to tell you. May the odds be in your favour, yers.]

    "An event?" I asked, and nced behind.

    The trees continued crumbling from the forest. Peering my eyes open, a hideous shadow with crimson eyes red at me with killing intentions. All of our body froze upon looking at the distorted figure of a bear hidden among the leaves.

    However, I jerked my body and forced my muscles to move. Everyone else near me became still like a statue, afraid of doing something. After a moment, they moved in unison and escaped the vige, leaving behind everything and everyone.

    These people became like puppets, running in a specific direction towards the castle.

    A sound of something shattering into pieces happened beside me. But I paid it no mind and resumed my sprint.

    [Monster Horde event is now running! Prepare to defend the vige and receive your rewards with coins and experience!] The azure screen popped up in front of the adventures, in which I knew it was the work of the gods.

    "Clementine!" I bolted away and went towards the south, where my family was doing their tasks. It was the closest area to the monster I had seen extensively in the forest.

    It did not matter to me who I face, as long as I could save my family. All that was running inside my mind was to dart straight towards theke and evacuate my family. I will even cross the sea or climb the mountain''s peak if I have to reach out my hands for them.

    I passed by the townspeople, desperately running away from the catastrophe. They were all heading towards the safer haven surrounding the castle. It was where the stronghold of the knights and mages, safeguarding the people who had safely arrived in their fort.

    But those who were slow enough paid their lives to the monsters.

    After a minute of darting towards the forest, I soon met the creature before me. It was a grizzly bear with demonic scarlet eyes leering at me while baring its teeth. The mammoth-sized being then red with all its might, making me dazed and confused.

    [Run away!]

    [Warning! Run away from the scene!]

    A notification appeared in front of my face, wanting to move my body against my will. But somehow, I thrust the alerting screen aside and continued jumping the vines and stones in the environment.

    The brown bear saw me swaying with the breeze and promptly followed my figure, since I was the closest prey that it had found.

    Hundreds of ancient trees fell off on the ground as the bruin chased me away, even at the borders of theke.

    I used the hole from the log and quickly hid inside, hoping to avoid its line of sight. Luckily, vigers wereing from theke that attracted the attention of the frenzied mammal and attacked them with everything it had. It was enough to buy me some time to carry on with my journey and save my family.

    As I nced back at the scene, the enormous ws of the bear cleaved the cksmith in half. The smithy was the man from before who was waving his swords at the patrons. Right next to his corpse was the alchemist''s rtives who hade from theke.

    They met their terrible fate as soon as they witnessed the monster before me. If I were a secondte from secreting myself inside this bark, then I would have been the one who died a dreadful death.

    That did not stop me from my tracks as I discreetly ventured onto the road.

    [Caution! Get back from the vige and follow the instruction of the knights!]

    The message appeared in front of me once again, this time producing sounds that irritated my ears.

    "I need to save my family!" I thrashed the azure screen and proceeded at the ruins and eventually reached theke.

    Upon arriving at the site, hundreds of corpses lying on the ground and floating on theke greeted my eyes. The cerise colour of the blood filled the water with despair as the monsters continued creating a scene.

    Three alligator creatures were chomping the remaining people who got left behind to rot. My family was at the far end of theke, shing against the reptile, using the make-shift twig as their de. It was my father who had been trying to fend off the monster, away from my mother and sister.

    "Dad! Mum! Clementine!" I shouted at the top of my lungs and threw a stone resting beside my feet, hoping to shift the alligator''s attention to me.

    As luck would have it, the pebble was enough to force the monster toe in my direction. It swiftly charged forth and used its tail to attack me.

    I instinctively dodged the strike and crawled my way towards safety. The only ce that I thought of was at the top of the tree. Therefore, I sprung into action and grappled my way skywards in the distance, where the creature could not catch me.

    But I had thought wrong. As soon as I saw the cayman, the animal beat its head on the bark, hoping to take it down. It even used its teeth to grit away from the trunk and dismantled the bnce of the tree.

    The nt fell on the ground, hitting the nearby trees like dominos, tumbling one after the other.

    I found my hands gripping at the branch by chance, still aligned with the leaning tree. It was the saving grace that kept me alive, away from the reptile below my ground.

    I manoeuvred my body into a ball andunched myself out from the trees. Uponnding on the ground, the two hungry alligators red at me, uncovering their teeth.

    Before the animals attacked, my father jumped in front of me and blocked the monster''s blitz using his temporary spear. He then shoved me near my mother and Clementine and gestured for me to leave.

    "I will buy you two some time! Leave this ce and go for the kingdom!" My father swayed the twig and pierced the monster''s eye using the tip, wounding the cayman. My mother rushed to his side and used her spell, a fireball, and distracted the uninjured alligator.

    "Take Clementine with you and survive, my dear, Red." My mother gave me a nod and marked the path towards the castle.

    The image of the citadel emerged from the leaves and illuminated the road.

    "Mummy! Daddy! Don''t leave us, please!" Clementine cried out a river of tears as I abruptly gyrated around, grabbed my sister, and fled from the scene.

    It was the only way for the two of us to survive this ce. I escaped the area, bringing Clementine with me on our way out.

    "Mother, Father, I hope you will be fine," I muttered to myself while shedding a tear, knowing that my wish can nevere true.

    As I glimpsed from behind, I saw my father''s head fluttering to the sky, with my mother hugging him from behind. The fountain of blood spurted out from their bodies, with their corpses gradually falling on the soil.

    "Don''t look, Clementine. Our parents will catch up." I grabbed my sister''s head and forced her to look straight at the castle.

    My hands were quivering non-stop as I held Clementine in my arms. I wanted to turn back, but it was already toote. Nothing can save us except running away.

    I sprinted towards the limitless pavement of the forest with my hands wrapped around Clementine''s body. On each side, wild monsters appeared out of nowhere and seized a couple of vigers, crying out for any help from the adventurers.

    "What is happening, Red?" my sister asked.

    Clementine caught sight of the cruel scene with the mountain of dead bodies obstructing our road.

    "Bad creatures are surrounding us.. We don''t want bad things happening to us, right?" I tried my best topose myself while providing my sister with an answer.

 Chapter 2 - Taken

    We ran as fast as our little legs could, away from the alligators from behind. Thankfully, they lost interest to pursue us and continued devouring the stranded vigers. Mixed with the group were the adventurers and soldiers who tried desperately to help the hopeless townspeople. But their efforts were to no avail as the rank-B and rank-A monsters found in the forest hew them in half.

    "We''re almost there, Clementine." The vige slowly formed before us as we hurriedly flee from the scene.

    There was nobody else inside the vige but the carcass lying on the ground. All the humans were already dead or evacuated inside the kingdom. The fiends smashed the structures and bungalows into pieces, leaving nothing we can salvage.

    However, that was not the end of our struggles. The monsters that we had seen were the scouts sent out by someone from aback. The rest of the beasts came rushing down into the forest, tearing down the trees and boulders.

    It even trampled the rest of the creatures, devouring the humans as if it was nothing but paper. After a few minutes, the hungry predators marched in and destroyed the entire forest, leaving the area dull as the meadow.

    "Sister, look out!" I instinctively ducked and eluded the arrows aimed towards us, hitting the bear behind. The darts came from the other side of the forest, with the appearance of an adventure with his recurve.

    Adventurers in our world were beings close to celestials. They came out of nowhere and protected our cities. Some of them turned rogue, but the adventurer''s guild always put a stop to their terrorism. So, it was fortunate for us to meet an adventurer strong enough to wield a weapon.

    But the bolt was not enough to stop the bear from its track and hurriedly chased for the adventurer. It even passed by our two figures, standing motionlessly still from fright.

    The man screamed and attempted to dodge the attack, but miserably failed. He got knocked off towards us with his health bar turned in half. Blood sttered everywhere from the rock, but not enough to kill the bloke.

    "Help us, please, brave adventurer!" I cried out while tugging the ends of his armour. Meeting my eyes, the bloke stood up and raised his weapons.

    But the man did not have the intention of helping us. He instead sprinted away to safety, leaving us with the ferocious bear on our fore.

    "Do not leave us here, adventurer!" I shrieked as far as my voice could, wanting to reach out for the running bloke. However, the wanderer did not hesitate to run away from us as he saved himself from the dangerous situation.

    "I do not have the levels to defeat that thing!" Those were thest words said by the adventurer as I saw his image disappeared without a trace from the fog.

    "I am scared, sister." Clementine gripped my arms tightly and closed her eyes, afraid of the creature angrily ring at us.

    I needed to do something before the bruin could even hurt my sister and me. As I looked around, I spotted nothing I could use to defend ourselves. Nobody had also taught me how to cast any spell since I was too busy helping our shop.

    The bear sted us with its screech and charged its massive body in our direction. There was no way for us to evade the tackle, so I had to hurl my sister away to safety and take the strike.

    Clementinended on the soil, right next to the fallen trees. Thankfully, my sister got away unhurt from my toss. Woefully, my body suffered severe wounds from the attack.

    I flew towards the tree and created a crate on the bark. My ears heard a cracking from my right hand after shielding my skull. Luckily, I was still alive amidst the headbutt. But any more injury that I could receive would kill me on the spot if I am not careful.

    I spit out and coughed crimson blood from my mouth, knowing that I have internal rupture inside my body. The metallic taste of the liquid bathed my tongue as I slowly wiped the remaining saliva off from my mouth.

    [Warning! Leave the vige and get rescued by an adventurer!] The automated voice alerted me yet again, this time bing louder than before.

    Suddenly, numbers-zeroes and ones appeared in front of me,bined with texts that I do not understand. Gradually, my body moved on its own, wanting to retreat towards the castle without bringing my sister.

    "What is wrong with me?" I fought back the urge of my body to escape from this ce alone. Even if I could withdraw, I must bring Clementine with me during my abscond.

    [Caution! The system requires you to escape as a viger!]

    But I had already tried, dammit!

    [Caution! You need to ask help from adventurers or the knights!]

    But the adventurer deserted us and saved himself!

    [Caution! Red-NPC. You must obey the script and follow our orders!]

    With all these notifications popping up, I did not have the chance to save my sister. The world froze around me, with the sudden appearance of my rtive sundered in half by the random arcane pierced on her chest. It happened too fast that I had not realised until the stter of her blood reached on my face. At first, I thought it was my teardrop dripping from my eyes. Now that I had realised, Clementine''s lifeless body hit the ground with her eyes staring back at mine.

    "Red, I love you." Those were the words that escaped her mouth as she breathed herst breath. After five more seconds, she ceased to puff out air, together with the rest of the vigers beside us.

    "No! Don''t die on me, Clementine! You are the only one I have��" My voice trailed off in a distance as I rushed towards her and shaken her motionless limbs. My vision turned foggy because of the tears flowing from my eyes. Soon, a puddle of salty water formed below my knees, wetting Clementine''s deceased body.

    The monster in front of us swallowed the lower part of my sister''s body inside its mouth. Its teeth sunk through the muscles and bones of her vessel as its meal. It was a gore image painted in front of me as the bear continued to dismember my little sister.

    "The knights and adventurers have arrived in Freiy kingdom! Fear not, vigers, we will purge this town and collect the bounties from the monsters!" A deafening cheer echoed from the other side of the forest. Upon shifting my head over towards the north, an army of soldiers and adventurers armed with staves and bows addressed us from afar.

    "One of them killed my sister." The voice inside my head distorted my sight. I did not feel any delight with reinforcements arriving from the castle, since one of them is the murderer of Clementine.

    [Warning! Please evacuate to safety!]

    [Caution! Ask for help from the soldiers and adventurers!]

    My hand curled into a fist, enraged by the adventurer who abandoned us. If it were not for him, then these soldiers would have rescued us to a safe ce.

    If it was not for the blind arrow shot in a distance, then my sister could still be alive!

    [Red-the non-yer character, viger, and a citizen of Freiy kingdom, please proceed towards the army and beg them to save you.] The automated voice roared inside my brain, as if controlling me about my actions.

    However, my body and mind refused to obey such demands, so I dashed away from the scene. It was the first time that I became confused, angered, and sorrowful at the same time in my entire life. It almost felt that someone chained me into someone else that I need to follow.

    For the first time in my life, I freed myself from the shackles that grounded me in this world.

    A ss-like barrier broke through inside of me, forming a crystal orb glowing inside my chest. But I paid it no mind and resumed running away from my troubles.

    Soon, I reached the peak of the cliff and the river flowing elsewhere outside alerted my senses. It was the same stream where my parents got killed earlier.

    The bear from before caught up in my tracks and took advantage of the situation. It knew that there was no other way for me to escape this cliff other than shing heads with its towering body.

    "I want to live!" I took a step back and repeated my sentence, hoping that the mammal understood what I had said.

    But, s, it did not and charged straight towards me as it did a while back.

    I tried jolting from the side and bait the bear from jumping on the cliff. But the animal was intelligent enough to foresee my n and halted at the exact moment I pounced. The bear had thestugh and finally pushed me back, downwards from the stream.

    The sky turned sapphire and clouded my head, telling me that the chaos had stopped for now. The bear, who had plunged me to my demise, got shot by a magic missile through its chest. Its body followed mine afterwards, as the two of us dove below the roaring water.

    The memories of my sister shed before my eyes. Her smile, voice, and the little things she had done for me unveil before me before I could sink underwater.

    Following my sister was my parents, who I deeply loved. They were the only people who believed in me for what I do best. My parents sheltered me, food to eat, and a yard to take care of during the seasons.

    They gave me a family with whom I poured my heart and love.

    But that happy family changed instantly because of the event that took shape in front of my eyes. It was a screen created by the gods that I can never see. It was also the system that summoned the adventurers inside of our world. They were also responsible for creating the towns, kingdom, and nature surrounding us.

    They were the gods that killed my sister.

    The event which announced the death of my sister.

    The adventurer left us and killed my sister.

    Andst, the kingdom whom I adored also killed my sister.

    The water sshed through my entire body, soaking me with dread and anger. I became unconscious for the time being. The waves from the surging water brought me somewhere far from the kingdom that ended my life.

    ��...

    The crisping of fire rattling beside me awakened my mind from my slumber. Before I could peer my eyes open, the heat warmed my hands, with the calm and icy breeze of the wind adding from the sensation.

    A short moan escaped my mouth as I touched the burnt twigs near my head. My fingers refused to follow mymand as I tried stretching them skywards.

    "You are finally awake, little one." An unfamiliar voice echoed in my ear.

    I hurriedly panicked and attempted to sit up straight, but my body never allowed me. Shortly, a shback ran through my mind, recalling the events that had happened before I regained my consciousness.

    "Clementine, where are you?!" I finally had the strength to shift my view from left to right, hoping to find my sister within my vicinity.

    "You were the only person alive from the massacre, little one. I believe you are a viger of the Freiy kingdom, perhaps?" I gradually raised my head and greeted a humanoid creature with the face and body of a male dragon.

    The reptile had his skin on a scale that covered his entire physique. He also had leathered armour strapped around his chest, enough to render the usual arrows and stones useless against him. Upon gazing at the bottom of his waist, there lies a scabbard with a dagger inserted inside. Leaking from the leather case was with crimson liquid, still fresh on its surface. It stained the designs of the leather holder, telling me he had fought a recent battle.

    "Who are you?" I could not help but ask the strange bloke who had helped me survive the fall.

 Chapter 3 - Knowing About The World

    The dragonewt and I observed the orange mes, crisping the twigs bone-dry. The warm wave touched my hands as I scooched beside the campfire. I looked around and spotted the river continuing to travel down the coast, with my blood flowing alongside the fishes. The sshed created a sentimental tune, as if I was listening to calm gushing from an ocean.

    As the sping of the wood rings in my ears, the humanoid creature turned his face to me.

    "I am but a mere merchant." The dragonewt eximed as he beckoned his hands to his basket beside him.

    Upon opening the casket, a variety of goods weed my eyes. Dozens of knives blinded my eyes from the sight of the pointy edges on the des. There were many red and blue potions and drugs mixed with the sks, enough to cater a battalion during a mission. While looking at the top of each item,id a sheet with its corresponding price in exchange.

    "I can offer you goods with these exceptional products." The seller gestured his hands.

    "I do not have any money right now. But thank you for the offer." An apologetic gleam escaped from my lips as I turned his offer down and shook my face.

    However, the dragonewt never felt fazed by my actions. The merchant knew I lost everything without asking me anything since he found me here, floating in the river. He assumed I was a viger from the town and ended up here surviving the st.

    Upon understanding my circumstances, he offered me a few coins and ced them on my waiting palm.

    "Keep it, my dear child." The tradesperson eximed as he stood up from his seat.

    I went nk while I caught my widened eyes staring at the few pieces of coin nking in my hand. There was not an event that I deserved to get paid, especially for something I never did, so I sprinted towards the merchant and attempted to return his sum.

    "That money is for you," the reptile gave me a reply while pushing my arm back to my chest.

    I persisted in returning what was not mine. I went towards the front and insisted on giving back the coins to the trader, knowing that it was wrong to give a stranger money who knew nothing about them.

    "That money is for you," the merchant repeated his lines and continued trudging to the gushingke.

    As he journeyed forward to the unchartednd, the flock of crows circled him. I thought that these flying creatures were there to terrorise him, and I was correct. Once the ck-coloured birds pecked the unfortunate man, my feet raced in his direction, wanting to repay the debt.

    But the lizardman disappeared without a trace. The ravens fluttered skywards, revealing the space where Ist saw the man.

    "Why are you helping me?" My words became muzzled as I shouted my concern, hoping that I could hear the dragonewt for thest time.

    "You are one of us, an NPC." The voice of the merchant echoed through the forest, mixed with the silence of the evening.

    The darkness of the night consumed his figure as he disappeared within the mountain tracks, together with the panicking birds. I could not chase forth since my bones and muscles had yet healed to their original skin, and I did not know where to find the mysterious bloke.

    Lost in thought, I rested my head on the log and slept for the time being. I was unaware of my surroundings, thinking that the creatures circling me would not harm my unconscious body.

    Fortunately for me, I woke up without a single scratch on my skin. As I nced at my sides, the grizzly level fourteen bears and level two-horned rabbits felt scared approaching me. These animals acted as if there was some force obstructing their path to me.

    The neighbours always told the children to avoid such vicious creatures, and that memory rang inside my ears. Among their guidelines, I needed to sprint when I encounter such a beast blocking my way. I prepared myself for racing away from the stream, but the beings turned their bodies around and left me at peace.

    "Something does not feel right." My chest pumped two hundred beats per minute, showing my anxiety about the scene. If these mighty creatures pounced on me right now, I would never have to see the light for tomorrow.

    I discerned below and checked my scars and injuries on my lower limbs. My eyes scanned my skin while hoping nothing terrible happened to me.

    Much to my surprise, I recovered throughout the night with a single night''s worth of sleep. I have never felt better in ages, not until now.

    I gave out a stretch to my legs and expected a searing pain gushing through my tendons, eventually opening my wounds. But the thought never showed its results, as I saw my skin still intact with my body.

    However, the idea barged inside my head and recalled the gore image of my sister Clementine. Somewhere along the woonds, I heard a distant cry of a child asking for help.

    The memories were still fresh inside of me, haunting my sight wherever I went. Clementine''s eyes gawked at me, begging for me to help her from the miserable state brought by the monster.

    The warm sensation of my blood slid over to my arms, causing it to create a puddle of scarlet liquid on the ground. I did not notice my nails were piercing the insides of my hand as I strolled at the extensive part of the region in the forest.

    I recalled the urrences that happened to me beforending here inside an unknown ce. The rectangr monitor appeared from the sky and reported everyone to wait for further instructions and the heroes defending the town.

    But the monsters had already appeared inside theke and took the lives of both of my parents. After a while, several adventurers spotted the vigers running away from the setting. Some warriors were unfortunate enough to mind their end, while others fought back against the impending forces of the horde.

    The adventurer who never helped us and ran away was one of the few reasons my sister got killed by the monster. His image of running away lingered inside my mind, wanting to kill that coward mercenary.

    Apart from the wanderer, I noticed a border appearing from my eyes before falling from the cliff. The crimson screen warned and notified me about an instruction that I did not follow.

    "Warning, please evacuate to safety." I walked towards the forest while mumbling the sentence.

    As I mentioned the phrase, the screen appeared yet again in front of me. It did not have the scarlet paint covering the board, but an azure hue greeted my orbs. With a high-pitch sound, I weed the screen back.

    [Wee, Red Riding Hood] A monotonic voice resonated through my ears. But as I spun around, nobody was there to address me.

    [I am your system, and a guide to serving you from here on out, Master Red.] The sound alerted me again, but I stood on my ground and faced the anonymous voice.

    "Where are you?" I croaked.

    [I am inside your head, Master Red. You cannot see me, but I can see you.] As if proving its im, the system revealed a model of a girl that looked like me.

    As the coloured illustration twirled, foreign words materialised at the side.

    "What are these words?" I asked with my eyes, studying the alien terminologies that I had yet heard of from my lifetime.

    [You do not know these status points since you are an NPC, not a yer, Master Red.] The automated voice continued to exin as it revealed six status information to me.

    [These are the status data about you and its corresponding meanings. Each time you level up, you will get the chance of bing stronger, Master Red.]

    [STR or Strength corresponds to your physical damage against monsters. This status boost is effective for Warrior, Assassin, Thief, priest, and other sses.]

    [Vit or Vitality will increase your health, defence, stamina, and physical resistance.]

    [DEX or dexterity will increase your physical damage, critical damage, and critical chance, speed, evasion, and hit rate.]

    [INT or intelligence will increase your magic damage, arcane pool, and magic defence against harmful magic against you.]

    [LCK or Luck increases your chances of getting optimum results in a random number generation, an algorithm for treasures, gifts, and rewards of each quest or missions you aplish.]

    "I do not understand," I confessed as my eyes gyrated in my sockets.

    [You do not have to learn all of this information at once. Take your time, Master Red.]

    I ced the strode to the mushy soil tickling my feet. The slippers I used to wear got destroyed into pieces after falling from that cliff, leaving me barefooted in thesends. I could not abandon such a valuable item, considering Clementine gave this pair as a gift to me.

    "Can I ask you something, system?" I struck a conversation to the eerie voice in my brain, hoping to receive any wisdom and knowledge about the world I thought was factual around me.

    [Ask away, Master Red.] The system replied with an even tone.

    "What are the blue and red screens appearing in my vision?" I gestured my hand and tried my best to illustrate what I saw back then.

    As if the system knew what I was doing, the machine-like voice replied. [Those events are Missions and Quests sent by the game developers.]

    "A game?" I repeated.

    [Yes.] With the system''s curt reply, I stopped in my tracks and digested what I heard.

    But before I can even have the time to think, the scream from before became louder inside my ears, begging for anyone''s help.

 Chapter 4 - The Match Girl

    I trod towards the narrow space between the dangling vines and listened to the wailing voice from afar. As I continued forward, the audible sound became more morous, still begging for any help from anyone that could hear.

    I waved my hand and cut through the creeping emerald nts, hoping to make it in time to rescue the damsel in distress. Upon slicing through thest leaves obstructing my path, a monster and a young girl weed my sight.

    "Get down!" I raced through the mushy soil and braced the girl in my arms and pushed our bodies on the ground.

    The monster swung his arm. But we eluded its attack within point-nk range, using the twigs in our means to distract the being. Without a moment of rest, the two of us crawled to the other side and avoided the bombarding strikes of the ferocious boar.

    Thousands of needles pierced through my skin as we pushed forward to the endless soil. We did not know where to go since the ce felt uncharted for me. As we crept ahead, the hog lost interest in chasing us.

    "Are we safe?" the girl behind me asked, while reaching out the end fabric of my clothes.

    "We should be safe for now," Imented, tossing out false hope to our situation.

    As I nced back, the mammal had distinguishable features of a pair of demonic eyes and a raging obsidian cloak surrounding its body. My eyes discerned the boar''s two horns attached to its head, making it look more like a mammoth than a pig.

    Our breaths became heavier as we observed the boar''s back disappearing through the extensive forest. After concluding its disappearance, the two of us exited the greenwood and snuck behind the ancient bark.

    I nced beside me and peered at the confused eyes of the little girl staring back at mine. The childtched her hands, still afraid of the event, before speaking her mind. "Thanks for saving me."

    After expressing her gratitude, I observed a simr screen, warning the girl about her sudden actions. It was the same board from before when I ran forward to save my sister.

    "Caution, you need to ask help from the knights or adventurers." I read the lines out loud and touched the words on the screen.

    With a sudden spark, my hand retracted to me after feeling a searing pain on my fingertips. It had a simr sensation of a boiling water pouring on my skin as I waited for the sensation to subdue. As I returned my gaze on the blue panel, the words faded away and reced it with myriad zeroes and ones in a lengthwise session.

    [Error!] My automated voice inside my head repeated the word as I resumed watching the screen in front of the girl.

    Before I could even quiz the child a question, the youngss fell on my side. She did not feel cold as I trailed my fingers on her skin. I also did not see any pixels floating around her, showing that she would fade away. Fortunately for her, I prepared my arms to catch the unconscious body.

    I perceived shadowy figures lurking within my vicinity, searching for wandering prey like us, in a deserted ce. Upon heightening my senses, the growls of the hungry monsters reverberated through the forest, making my heart race gazillion beats per minute.

    As I looked at the youngster in my arms, I knew I could not leave her alone in the open world, infested with horrible things surrounding us. Somebody must take her out before the beasts steal her life and eat her alive. And it had to be me.

    I steeled my heart and carried the sleeping girl with me while finding a way out of this cursed woond. Luckily for us, the sun was atop the clouds, bathing us in scorching heat waves all over the forest.

    "I hope I can make it to a town," I mumbled to myself.

    If I could find a cemented road, that would lead us closer to a town where we could ask for any help of some sort. But the problem arose like wildfire when the same species of boars roamed around before me.

    I threw my body in the back of a boulder and hid for the time being, still with the mysterious girl lying in my hands. After controlling my breath to calm myself down, I stood by for an opportunity to escape.

    The boars continued patrolling the area, with their eyes watching the domain. As if luck knocked on our front door, these two monsters brawled at each other without warning.

    With furs as dark as the ashes, the boar on the right side mmed its horns and pincered the kin. In response to the attack, the victim blocked the ivory horns and thumped against the head of the other.

    I used this chance for us to flee from the scene. My two little legs scurried outwards and eventually reached the ends of the woonds, revealing the scenic view from atop of a mountain.

    Upon ncing behind, I concluded the monsters were uninterested in chasing us down since the boars had their hands full battling against one another.

    The body in my arms soon quivered like a baby. As the girl rubs her eyes and peered through her surroundings, I returned her gaze.

    "You are finally awake," I eximed, while greeting her aroused eyes with glee.

    The girl returned the expression, thinking that she recognised my face already. However, that was not the case after I heard such a deration from the child.

    "Is that you, sister?" The girl professed.

    As she lifted her arms, I felt the smooth touch of her fingers sliding on my face. The girl''s caresses reminded me of something dear as she carried on with brushing my cheeks.

    I jolted backwards after hearing the girl''s statement.

    "I am not your sister." I gave her my reply, knowing all too well that I was a stranger who saved her from the brink of death.

    With my words, I sensed a warm liquid trickling on my face and eventually hit the girl''s eyshes. The tear shook the girl and made her realise I was the person she was talking to all this time, not the person she knew.

    The girl registered to her mind the urrence happening between us and plonked on the ground, hitting her bottom first before tumbling to the side.

    "I am so sorry. I just��" thess narrowed her eyes and sumbed to a depressive state of mind, despite her shock.

    Lost for words, the girlshed out a stream of the river from her eyelids, forming a puddle beneath her face.

    "I know how it feels more than anyone in this world," I said.

    The image before me struck my senses like a shattered mirror. As I inspected the reflection, I saw myself from the girl and her woeful state, crying from the loss of someone dear.

    My body froze like a statue, almost numbing my entire skin as if it was not for the cold gust of wind rubbing around me. The clear image of Clementine''s upper body kept haunting me like an enigma in the back of my hand, telling me how powerless I was from that past situation.

    I refused to shed a tear, knowing that crying would not revive her from the dead. There must be a way to reverse time and meet her again in this cruel world. But I pushed that thought aside for the time being. There are far-reaching things we need to do in this area.

    We must survive the iing beast before they could reach our tails.

    "What''s your name," I asked.

    The girl responded. "My name is Match."

    The two of us locked our eyes at the kingdom far away from the forest. Below ground, we noticed the countless and robust magnitude tearing off the trees. But we never saw their figures since the viridescent-coloured leaves obstructed our view.

    [That metropolis is the principal city of the "Code", Master Rose.] Without raising a question, the system inside my head answered my query. It seemed the automated voice linked its database with my brain, saving us time before the beings could reach our site.

    "Do you want to tag along with me?" I added, while directing my gaze and forefinger at the city.

    I guessed her situation with the brief talk that we had. I hunched the girl was now an abandoned child, having nowhere else to go but to live in this world.

    Like any other vulnerable vigers, the two of us did not have any arcane or abilities, unlike the adventurers and mercenaries. We could not summon elements, summon pets, and take quests seen from above the skies.

    It was the mystery inside our world where these mysterious adventurers kept spawning in the cities, doing whatever they wanted to with the surroundings. Since we were on our own during our trip, we might as well take the route to the maind and request some help from these adventurers.

    I shrugged my head and felt dubious about the scheme, but we were running out of options. The monsters from behind found an entrance from the bushes and saw us staring at the cliff.

    "This is not the ce we should talk," I stated, and gestured to her toe with me to the castle.

    With a nod, the girl stood up and followed my lead.

 Chapter 5 - The Diamonds Obelisk

    Match and I stood in front of the grey walls, in line with the peddlers wishing to enter the gate. Among those wanderers were the merchants, humans, intellectual creatures, and the legendary adventurers conversing with the guards. These masses even had horse-drawn carriages and tamed animals with them when setting foot inside the vast town.

    Apart from the folks were the training field meant for the youngster knights. The recruits looked promising from afar, alongside the generals and magesmanding their regime.

    I looked at the panels and noticed the grassy moss enveloping around it, making it seem like an ancient stone. Upon peering my eyes closer, holes became visible on the panels, creating a sense of insecurity inside of me.

    Two knights, dded with silver armour and des as their weapon, guarded the ingress and interviewed all the individuals entering and leaving the city. These pair of guards held the fort and let through each passerby after inspecting them. Since the kingdom was the maind among the four cities, the royalties increased their security, hence the added watchmen.

    ording to my system, the world had turned into chaos. Because of the monster hunt and announcements, the maind limited the ess of guests visiting the city. Inside those walls, the people could not effortlessly go outside, knowing that it would be difficult to return to their homnd. They refused to ept terrorists, criminals, and people from the borders of the world.

    Two people in front moved inside, so we tailed behind. But before we could advance, the guards before us obstructed our path.

    "Your identities, please." The soldier said as he raised his eyebrow and extended his arm. The soldiers felt ustomed to checking the statuses of the civilians.

    "We are new here," I pleaded, concealing the worried look carved on my face.

    I nced beside me and sped Match''s hand. It was the only strength that I could have since arriving here in the kingdom.

    My sweat continued dripping from my skin while thinking of another reply, lest the guards would toss us out. The man proved me correct as he retracted his hand to his pocket and averted his gaze.

    "If you two do not have identification cards, we cannot permit you inside." He beckoned his hand and instructed another soldier to bring us outdoors by force if they needed to.

    My sense of sight became blurry as I tried reasoning out with the armed bloke. "I am a viger in the Freiy Kingdom! We do not have any certificates to show you."

    The two soldiers broaden their eyes after hearing my statement. As we opened our ears, distant murmuring noise reverberateding from the crowd. Those groups who perceived our conversation kept their eyes locked on our direction and showed interest in listening for more trivial information.

    "These two survived the catastrophe?"

    "Poor children. Where do you think they will go?"

    "These two young women have no future."

    The mob grumbled to themselves, with their eyes still cinched onto mine. With the ears surrounding the walls, we sensed an ufortable atmosphere that wanted us to leave. Match and I knew that this was no ce we could call home.

    "Are you two vigers of the Freiy kingdom?" The knight mustered up his courage and asked me a question.

    With a nod, I imed. "Not the child, but for me."

    I directed my hands to the girl beside me. Match looked at the man in the eye and shook her head.

    "I came from the vige without a name."

    "It must be one of those viges," the guard thought to himself and added.

    Little did I know that the news had already spread from every nation about the destroyed viges and kingdoms, with no known survivors.

    Hispanion nudged the wheels before us and opened up a path. The walls diverged and revealed a narrow entrance enough for Match and me to enter inside. After hearing the wild st, the soldiers bowed and gestured his hand, allowing us to enter inside.

    "Please be careful with your life. We wee every viger inside the Diamond City." The brave knight eximed.

    We squeezed ourselves through the slim cavern, which was the only ingress avable for the locale. Our bodies touched the quagmires stuck on the wall, but we had no other choice but to continue forward.

    The royalties had another grand passagewaypared to the likes of the vigers. There was a separate gate reserved for the prominent people hidden among the moss, behind the battalion of knights. I noticed the creeping vines concealing the ce, blending in with the dull surroundings. Once the knights finished their exercises, they would let the panjandrum inside the castle.

    "Are we there yet, Red?" Match asked while tugging the ends of my cloth. I can feel her fingers gripping tightly at each breath she took inside her lungs.

    "We are almost there." Without batting an eye, I encouraged the little girl to tug along with me.

    Our vision changed as we came into the beaming light radiating in our direction. The glimmer provided hope to the citizens roaming around, bringing their family to the streets or materials needed for their work.

    The towering structures greeted our eyes, apanied by the workers inside the marts. Dozens of cksmiths weed our figures. They got up from their seats and waved their hands, hoping we could catch their attention.

    Many of the vendors did the same thing. All of them gestured their hands, inviting us to purchase or window shop to their ce with crossed fingers behind their backs. But upon seeing our sorry looks, these people averted their gaze and were on the lookout for other customers they can lure into their shops.

    These people were merchants to the core, and I understood their desperate feeling.

    We passed by the road filled withughter and carefree faces. The people walking by had their carved mouths copied from each other, mimicking the same expression as the others. Their gleams never changed, regardless of what was happening around them. These individuals wore masks, with their faces smiling despite any events happening to them.

    It almost felt like they were expressionless dolls, even with their bodies moving around the houses. The soldiers and the other creatures shared the exact look, making it eerier.

    However, there was a group that had poles apart from facial features from the other townspeople.

    These bunches were the adventurers appearing out of nowhere inside the town, using the teleportation crystal-the bluish scrolls or the shards, which was an ability that only they can use and possess. Upon their arrival, the vigers who perceived their figure never batted them an eye, instead marched forward without care.

    Our tiny feet took us in the middle of the ce and gawked at the gigantic obsidian obelisk. My system notified me about the location and exined we were in the heart of the famous za.

    Match directed her gaze at thendmark, as if it was drawing her closer. Upon inspecting the monument, an azure screen popped up in front of me.

    [The Diamond Obelisk caters for the quests, storylines, and events of the kingdom. It also distributes these missions to other viges, making it the mes of life for the adventurers!]

    "What does it mean to distribute quests and events?" I asked, the automated voice inside my head yearning to receive an answer.

    The mysterious voice replied. [Code hasplete control over this world, Master Red. The eminence living in the citadel gives these instructions to the yers that you call adventurers.]

    A board popped in front of my sight and showed a task written inside. The designs used from the notification had inkling simrities to the announcement from the event in my vige.

    [But we limit these reports to yers or adventurers, not to a non-yer character like you] The monotonic voice appended.

    "Why is there a floating box in front of you, Red?" Match pointed her forefinger at the hovering screen.

    I blinked my eyes in session since what I heard from the system defies not only me but also Match, the little girl; she is also an NPC.

    The system knew what I was about to say, so it exined once again. [I am a system, yet I do not understand the phenomenon that has happened to the two of you.]

    [Code is a game inside a holographic reality. Someone made the game with algorithms and scripted texts run byputers. Everyone you see here is all a product of the game developer. These people have designed everyone uniquely as the other, making various styles of characters, and you are one of them.]

    Silence filled the talk as I discerned thestment from my inner voices in my mind. However, there was truth behind the exnation, knowing that this world became different from my eyes.

    All I knew about the I had been living on turned into a cruel yarn that cannot get entangled no matter how hard we tried changing the events. Like a change meant for entertainment, people deemed us as objects and not living beings.

    Those dialogues that the neighbouring individuals spoke came not from them, but from a scriptwriter from the unknown. The ces I knew were artificialnds created by the system of this world, not through natural means. All the lives I saw were not real, except for those yersing in and out of the game whenever they wanted to y!

    A clunking sound rang through my ears. Upon gyrating behind, a screen materialised in front of me that came from the obelisk. The blue board flew like a box without wings, so I read it away.

    [As an NPC, you may issue quests.]

    [Do you wish to announce a quest for the yers to help you?]

 Chapter 6 - Matchs Story

    Every two o''clock in the afternoon, the vigers, townspeople, guards, and other locals gather around the obelisk, sending their quests and missions for the yers or the adventurers. The messages sent will be notification windows that the gamers can open and ept or reject. These non-yer characters can send their requests every twenty-four hours in the game.

    The mass missions addressed by the non-yer characters will end around four o''clock. Since the quests had a limited and immediate duration, many NPC did not want to wait for the yers to aplish the job in the evening.

    The game coordinator posted these on the holographic bulletin board at the tower. Anyone could view the information there on the wall.

    As I discerned the floating screen before me, I knew I needed to do something soon.

    "Let us say in for the night," I suggested, while offering my hand to the little girl by my side.

    Match was still a child at heart and in size. She knew nothing about the system and the world, but was not ignorant of the matter. Her eyes glistened as we spoke about the topic while staring at the obelisk in front of us.

    The girl wanted to explore the reasons behind the horde by having me around. After hearing my invitation, the little girl reached out her hand andtched onto mine.

    With a smile painted on her face, Match and I travelled across the town, finding an inn that we could stay in for the night. As we looked around, we noticed the prices were all the same.

    Each of the houses offered three silver coins per night. Within three months and a few spared days, the innkeepers will send us off on the streets, considering if we stayed in the infrastructure.

    I nced at my tattered pouch and counted the two golden coins the dragonewt gave me from before. One gold coin had an equivalent exchange of one hundred silver coins, and five hundred bronze coins for a silver coin. That currency had been with us since the time I remembered.

    These coins were enough to secure us a ce for months and the meals that we would eat. However, I never nned on living the habitual life again.

    A hint of tears slid from my side, thinking of the dark future ahead of us.

    I can remember the memory still fresh inside my mind. The warm, drooping blood exploding from Clementine and eventually sshing me on the face. Some of the metallic taste resurfaced from my tongue every time I reminisced about the crimson liquid entering my mouth. Her wails became a ghost inside my head, thinking about how I could not save my sister despite having a chance.

    My hands quivered at the thought as it repeated the events all over again.

    I wanted answers and would seek revenge for the creators behind the monster hunt announcement. With all these doleful events happening to me, I thought to myself about a scheme. Those people involved in the game world surrounding me will pay for their lives.

    But there was no means ofmunicating with them. Although I had a system, the settings refused to link with the game developers.

    ording to the automated voice talking to me, yers had this setting to send a message to the creators. It was a quick task that made these gamers feel relieved since they had means of sending and sharing bugs from the game. yers can send these glitches to the game master for fixing.

    But I did not understand the meaning of bugs and glitches that the system mentioned.

    [There should be a red protruding button on the upper side you can press at the screen] the machine-like voice reverberates through my earlobes, instructing me about the features of the system. [You will see a title, like a name.]

    When I looked around, I saw nothing but air floating before me. I reached out for the open space and tried tapping the upper part direction, yet nothing happened.

    For thest time, I peered my eyes wide open and noticed minuscule texts written on the left side of the board. The word NPC or non-yable character appeared on the lines.

    It stillbelled me as an NPC, not a yer.

    Our legs grew tired from walking around the za, so I proposed staying inside an inn within our vicinity. It was the first lounge we found and cheaper among the rest.

    We entered inside and noticed the tranquil atmosphere surrounding the desk. Everywhere we looked, we greeted the mousy wall made of wood. The scent of alcohol and nature mixing from the bar rmed us as we nced beside.

    "Wee to the Wolf Bound Inn! How can I help you?" A young girl with grey fur covering her body addressed us. Match and I took a step back after seeing her cheery demeanour catching us off guard.

    The woman had a petite body with a round chest enough to captivate my eyes. She wore a hazel-coloured uniform, pairing it with the designs of the tavern. The girl also had pointed ears that represented her like a cat. Her distinguishable paws and a tail wagged back and forth from her rear as he resumed conversing with me. Behind her was a room that looked simr to a kitchen. With all the smokesing from the inside, I knew they were cooking up a storm.

    With a broadened smile, I responded. "Can I pay in advance? We n on staying here for two days."

    "Two days it is!"

    The innkeeper nodded and gave me a logbook and a feather pen. "Please ce your name here, how many people will stay, and the nights you will request."

    I took the note from her hands and flickered the cover open. As soon as I found the nk sheet, I listed my name using the ink provided in a container with two people resenting the unit. After finishing and affiliating my signature, I returned the pad to the keeper and provided her with ten silver coins.

    They charged five silver coins per night since this was no shabby inn for financially challenged adventurers.

    "I am surprised that you can read." The deskdy appended, but immediately retracted what she mentioned. "I did not mean you were both stupid! It just surprised me to see vigers learning how to write and read these days."

    Thedy received my sum and, in return, gave me a key to the room. A faintugh and beam escaped from her face as thedy stretched with her hands on the stairs. Her face flushed bright red after recalling what she brought up earlier. But after I held her hand, the woman finally felt calmer.

    "I understand," I stated.

    We concluded our talk and resumed going the steps leading upstairs. After turning to our right, the two of us located the number of our room.

    Match was the first one to enter inside. I stepped on my foot afterwards and tidied the dust on the floor by kicking them outdoors. With the cloud forming near the gates, I closed the door and mmed my body on the bed.

    Match alreadyid herself on the mattress while ring at the ceiling above us. I matched her view and stared into nothingness as the atmosphere between us pulled our arms closer to one another.

    But the little girl destroyed the silence as she wailed a thousand tears. Every cry she produced shattered a shard inside my heart, as if reminding the lonely kid inside of me.

    The next thing I knew, my arms wrapped around hers and sensed her warm touch and pulsating body.

    Match hugged me tighter, not letting any chances of letting go. She continued raining down her salty tears behind me and became invulnerable like a child. Within a few moments, she reverted into reality while caressing my back.

    "I miss my sister." The youngster confessed as she fought back the teardrop sliding from her sockets.

    "Your sister loves you. Remember that."

    "How do you know?"

    "Because I do,"

    I stared into her eyes and imed my sentence. Determined to tell her what she needed to hear, I shifted beside her as I watched her cry with all the weight descending her to the ground.

    "My sister died from an adventurer. I saw the knights running in our direction, but a bear was chasing behind us. The soldiers that came to protect us fired their sharp weapons to the sky, towards us."

    "And then what happened?" I urged her to continue her story.

    "She pushed me away from harm, but it ended up killing her. Her body refused to wake up no matter how hard I shook her; my sister was dead in my arms all because of me."

    Marth braced me once again with the teardrops finally overwhelming her emotions. I remembered what my mother said to me when I was still her age. She would always tell me to release everything dwelling inside of me.

    I did the same to Match and let her finish the pain trapping her inside.

 Chapter 7 - Coup Détat

    "Can you see the screen floating in front, Match?" I asked.

    The little girl nodded at my question with her eyes staring in front. "I do, and I can also see yours."

    Match leaned her head on my shoulder and marked her hand on the screen in front of me. Her weak breath touched my face while feeling sleepy from the conversation. But she knew this was necessary for her to know.

    As if responding to her hand, the words written on the blue boards flickered while she read the phrases out loud.

    "NPC, not a yer, Red Rose. What does that mean?" She confessed.

    Her eyes slid through her front and stared at the bluish panel floating before her. I could also perceive her status window and locked our eyes at the simr sentence inscribed on the monitor.

    "NPC, not a yer, Match Everette." She added.

    I stared at the space in front of me, unsure to answer her question. "Would a child know we are inside a game? That the game developers killed her sister, just like mine?" Those were the words that kept my mouth shut, despite wanting to disclose the information to her. Match raised her head and held my hand. "It is okay if you do not tell me."

    "I want to tell you, but could you take it and understand?" I answered as directly as I could.

    Nobody can believe that the game developers fabricated the world to look like the actual thing. Everything I knew became fictional in my eyes as I learned such revtion because of my system.

    If I had not known, would I have lived my life ignorantly? Was shutting my eyes from the truth would help me from the chaos happening in this world?

    I do not know.

    After a few moments, Match shook her head, telling me an honest answer.

    "I would not, but I can try."

    My mouth painted her a beam as I continued exining to her the world surrounding us. We were living on this crazy created by other human beings that thought of themselves as gods.

    We were living in this crazy virtual world for their satisfaction.

    They controlled our job, strength, weaknesses, freedom, and life. These game developers were the ones who announced the death of her sister. These yers or adventurers entering the game were also human like us but got their strength inside the game. They had the power but refused to wield it for us.

    The surrounding environment was far from the actual reality.

    We concluded the conversation and went to bed afterwards and brought our heavy hearts to the mattress. But with the thorns sticking in my heart, it became difficult for me to sleep.

    Like a pill arduous for me to swallow, I refused to believe anything I knew from this world. The talk with Match kept haunting me from my sleep as my heart boiled with rage and anger, thinking the cruel worldshed out its entertainment to a child like her.

    They killed her sister, and the game developers killed mine. We were rocking in the same boat, only to find out the holes hidden at the side after getting sent out. The people who tossed us away like petty objects did not leave us with anchors or any instructions to escape.

    If we drowned, nobody would care as long as it could entertain the audience watching from afar.

    Despite the burden attached to my heart, my body fell into a slumber, washing away the regretful thoughts inside of me.

    The roosters outside red a song after noticing the sun rising from the east. I peered my eyes open and weed the dull and grey ceiling. I moved my body and gaze to my side and discerned the unconscious body of Match still sumbed in her sleep. It became difficult for me to wake her, so I left her be for the time being.

    I saw a nk sheetid on the drawer and a pen resting on top. My body reached out for the pen and paper and wrote all the things Match needs to do by the time she wakes up.

    I also nned on telling her a part of my scheme. It would not be ideal for the two of us if she came surprised hearing my goals.

    After scribbling the instructions on the paper, I went outside and strolled near the city.

    In the morning, I saw the za, crowded with varieties of merchandise and people window shopping. They fixed their eyes at the items disyed from the shops and continued to buy the nourishments they needed for the morning.

    I moved forward and felt the early breeze of the day tickling my skin. All the birds singing in the distance made the day sublime, like any other kingdom found in thisnd.

    However, I disrupted my thoughts and tasted the bitterness called truth. As I gawked my eyes, the world reminded me of its false senses, tricking my brain and believing it was all real.

    I still had spare coins clinking inside my pockets. However, I cannot use them as I please. It would be far too difficult if we were in a situation that needed money to flee from something, so I would save a reserve when the timees biting our tails.

    My eyes meandered at the stalls, selling the same goodies that the other marts had, only more inted than the others. We do not need to buy anything apart from the few meals we could bring for the rest of the week and simple weapons that could defend us from monsters.

    However, each of the items I required costs more than the inn we were staying in down the road. Their prices exceed thirty silvers and more for a knife and twenty-five silver coins for each meat at the size of a hand.

    I did not want to spend much more than what I needed, so I strolled the vast road and continued looking for inexpensive products. But the signs stayed the same as if intion consumed the market.

    A crowd on the other side caught my attention and listened to their conversation.

    "The horde attacked and killed the fishers, so we might receive little fish for the week, or even a month."

    "Thend monsters also destroyed the crops and devoured the poultries."

    "Hey, have you heard? The monster horde also destroyed the nearby vige and the Freiya Kingdom two days ago."

    "It was because of the monster event. We were lucky to survive inside this town since the legendary adventurers stayed in our citadel."

    Their conversation went on, but my ears drifted with the wind as I lost interest in listening to their squabbles. I carried on my way and resumed searching for a merchant, selling me those things I demanded.

    My eyes reached over my forehead at the recognisable face of a lizard walking around the park. I recalled his dark and verdant scales clustered on the dragonewt''s skin. I also discerned his tail swaying back and forth while finding consumers like any other merchants in the town.

    "Hello, Mr. Dragonewt," I called for his attention and waved my hand.

    The lizard noticed my figure approaching in his direction. He looked ahead with broadened eyes and waved his hands in return.

    "Ms. Red, it is great to see you alive." The merchant addressed me.

    The dragonewt fluttered his cape open and revealed the set of equipment attached. Upon looking in the middle of his cloak, my eyes perceived and greeted the red and blue sks. Above the brewed potions were various packed meals that came from the meat of horned rabbits and bullfrogs. The acrid smelling from the cooked nourishment entered my nostril and made me stirred my focus.

    Mother had always said that these exotic animals give off a stench unbearable to our human noses but have rich vitamins and minerals once eaten. I experienced eating a few before and made me vomit everything I even ate from the previous day. My gastric juice turned purple with the mix of green and yellow flowing through my mouth.

    I felt horrendous every time I recalled that grimy past, but the meal gave me strength for the entire day. My body sensed different energy surging through my muscles and fetched many baskets to the fishers and farmers in return for bronze coins.

    I looked below the dragonewt''s tunics were the daggers and knives made of peculiar steel. As I squinted my eyes, I saw dwarven signatures on each de, marking them as their brands. A notification also appeared in front of my face, telling me a piece of scanned information about the weapons.

    ording to my system, the cksmith imbued these tools with a unique arcane. Its durability isparable to those tusk of mammoths found on the inhospitablends of the South. Their materials exceeded those metallic chunksmonly found in the market and weapon shops. The only downside of the daggers were their unpleasant designs.

    "Are you interested in trading, Red?" The dragonewt asked with gleaming eyes.

    "You gave me these coins-," I interposed.

    "But you can use it the way you want."

    The dragonewt''s peculiar eyes never disappeared on his face and offered me a deal. I returned his gaze and helped myself with the products, hoping that I could bring something niffy along the way.

    "Ny gold for all the supply. Only for you, Red."

    I raised my brow and continued to observe his actions. But merchant showed no hostility or deceptiveness. His eyes were as bright as the sun, with no hint of any dubiousness from his words.

    "Is not that quite a bargain?" I said.

    "It is! That is why I offered it to you."

    I had nothing to lose, so I epted his offer and handed him the remaining ny silver coins to his waiting hands. The price he paid was equivalent to two red and blue potions, a one week''s worth of meal good for two people, and the Penitent''s de.

    A dagger crafted from an angel''s feather. It was like the word described. Those who felt sorrow for a sin or wrongdoing and disposed to atonement; repentant; contrite. But the results depended on the wielder if they let their foe live or die.

    "How can I store these?"

    "You have a storage room using your system,"

    With his words, the system granted me a storage box. It could store anything inside; even fire, living creatures, and ice in its original state.

    "However, it only has limited space. Be wise to use it, Red."

    After saying his words, the merchant stepped back and vanished from the crowd. The dragonewt even left his coat on the ground. I picked the tattered cloak and wore it as if it was mine. My eyes continued locking onto him, but I could not keep track of his whereabouts. I dashed straight to the mass and found nothing that resembled his ominous coat and his emerald skin.

    Hel left alone once again inside the busy za and received help from the unknown peddler.

    I moved to my next goal and headed towards the heart of the town. Upon looking skywards, an image of a holographic bell quivered. The kingdom was soon resounding with a solemn chime, reminding both NPC and yers about the two o''clock segment.

    It was the time for NPC to post their quest so that the adventurers could do their jobs and make spare cash and levels.

    I joined the crowd and hid my face with the mantle. It was the beginning of the end, and I had to do something about my roaring heart.

    The vengeance that I cannot contain escaped from me. I sensed the scorching pain seeping through my eyes as I wrote the sentences for a quest.

    [Behead the King of the Maind and kidnap his wife and daughter]

    The mission shook the entire world.

 Chapter 8 - Okami Uchida

    (This is a unique perspective of the other protagonist. I have two protagonists, and I am about to introduce the second one right now.)

    ...

    "We are reporting to you live here in the district of Shirakawa, Koto City, Tokyo, Japan. Our sources caught a mysterious NPC or non-yer character cing a bounty on top of the King''s head and kidnap his family. One billion gold coins are hanging on the line if a yerpletes this absurd quest from an unusual NPC."

    Everywhere I went, I saw the same news ying in front of the television screen. The information thrown from the channel became redundant in my ears. If it were not for the price set by the quest, I would probably return to his bed and doze off for a couple more hours.

    Money was everything we ever wanted.

    I perched on afortable mattress, enough to cater for my long legs. The tattered and unpainted walls surrounded my view and addressed the creaks and holes above the ceilings. Every time I stood up, the roof above me would thump my head. It was tiring to sit down, but there was not a thing I could do about our circumstances.

    We were living inside an inexpensive apartment. It had the essential rooms to cater for the kitchen, living room, and a bedroom for the two of us. My sister and I had separate mattresses to sleep on the floor. We could not afford a king-sized bedroom, so we had to make do with what we currently have.

    I can still remember the memories inside my head. It was when I had to ce an ice pack on top of my scalp to mend my swollen wounds. From that day onwards, I was afraid to jolt upward inside thefort of my house and hit my head again on the panel.

    Despite these unfavourable circumstances, the bittersweet of life was still with me. As long as I have my sister, nothing can change me.

    All our problems happened a year ago.

    ....

    Our parents left us with unpaid loans and tabsing from several banks and otherpanies. When they died in a car ident, the loans inside the credit card disappeared like a bubble floating in mid-air. By the time we wanted to ask for the information about the card, banks shut their doors and gave us spare change instead of the actual amount we borrowed. The bank tellers also issued us aint and sued us with aw that we did not know existed. With their illegal ims, the judge announced more debts than we ever imagined. We were still thankful for the public judge we had during the trial and asked for any allowance we could receive, since my sister was still a minor.

    However, our problem did not stop there as thepany filed a case against us and revealed the loan that my parents could not pay since they were all dead.

    We had a total debt of five million yen that we needed to pay. Thepany gave us twenty years to pay off the loan with the help of our public judge. If we worked in a part-time job, we would send most of the sry earned to the corporation, leaving us a sum enough to buy what we need inside the house.

    The child care organisation did the best they could to help, but the amount was too gigantic for them to handle.

    Everything changed when I bought the game "Code" and yed the game. It was a popr gaming console that gave yers actual money for the currency of the game.

    For a year, Code hailed me as the top ranker of the game. I hid my identity from the public and used my Alias, Fenrir, to finish quests and earn money.

    Every day I would log in from the game and ditched my sses. I stopped attending my school and yed day and night to win over the quests of the NPC. I finished their missions without drinking or eating anything.

    Himari knew nothing about this. She thought I was still studying in the public school and kept hanging out with my friends every time I went homete at night.

    The fruits of mybour finally paid off, both literally and metaphorically, as I grabbed hold of the legendary items found inside thebyrinth. I sold all of my equipment and rushed towards the nearest exchange centre for actual money.

    I paid our debts after a year and bought ourselves this tiny house that we called home. But after paying our charges, my body fell on the ground and left me hospitalised for a month.

    ording to Himari, the doctor told me that my brain was in a severe state of fatigue brought on by the holographic game. Because of thetest technologies in medicine, the doctor deduced the cause of my fatigue and exined everything to Himari.

    By the time I woke up after a month, Himari braced me tightly in her arms with a river of tears flowing from her cheeks. The warmth transferred to my skin. As I lowered my head, I saw Himari''s face still crying on my chest and eventually fell asleep.

    After that event, Himari requested me to avoid ying the game at all cost. She was afraid to see me lying in that hospital again, unable to wake up from my nightmare. From that day onwards, I never touched Holographic Reality again.

    ......

    "Big brother, you need to stop watching television and prepare for school tomorrow!"

    A voice snapped me from my daydream. My sister, Himari, nagged me again after seeing me lying around in bed. Who would want to go to ss early in the morning? However, I pushed my limits and went towards my cab and fixed my uniform.

    As soon as we finished our routine, we both headed outside and went to our respective schools. Himari insisted on enrolling me in a university near our town. My sister also told me she preferred studying in an unknown public school rather than a private academy or a university.

    "We already paid our debt, so don''t you go skipping school, idiot brother!" Himari shouted and pped my back.

    I jolted backwards and pursed my lips. "Do not go skipping school, idiotic brother."

    Himari pouted and turned red as a tomato. With clenched hands and narrowed eyes, she sauntered towards me. I was quick with my feet and dashed straight towards the opposite side of the road.

    "You will pay for dinnerter, okay!"

    "Fine!" I answered.

    I tried rejecting her offer and suggested entering a public college school since it would cost less than a university. However, Himari red at me with icy eyes and forced me to pass the requirements needed to enrol in my school. And now, here I am, standing in front of the gates of the mammoth-sized school.

    Before I could step foot inside the academy, I nced around and noticed everyone had their gears around their heads. The Holographic Reality was a gadget surrounding the head and will let the yer imagine and y the games while wide awake.

    I entered my designated room and found out all my ssmates wore the same thing around their heads. Each of them had various colours and sizes that suited their features.

    A student walked up to me and offered his hand. "Hello! Nice to meet you!"

    "Nice to meet yo-,"

    "Do you y Code?" She interjected my sentence.

    The group of girls behind her back stared at me with cold and disgusted eyes. They knew I was not wearing the Holographic Reality, so they nned on bullying me and humiliating me in front of the ss.

    But I epted my fate and answered. "I do not y Code. Well, not anymore."

    All the students inside the ssroom burst into tears,ughing in my direction. Their hands marked my figure with their scandalling eyes. If stares could kill a man, I would have been probably lying on the ground, dead from their res.

    However, there was nothing for me to prove to them since I knew nothing about their identities.

    "Laugh all you want."

    A man stood up and walked in my direction. "What did you say, punk?"

    "I did not know this university had a grade-schooler mixed with them?"

    Silence filled the room after hearing such bold but truthful phrasesing from me. But I did not dare to filter out my words, knowing it was not worth it to feel small in front of a jackass like him.

    Fortunately for me, the professor entered the room before the bastard could raise his fist against me. Throughout the ss, he directed his leer in my direction. He filled his orbs with anger and hatred as if wanting to kill me right here and now.

    The ss ended in a breeze, so I headed outside and bolted away from the school. I knew what fate awaited me inside the room. That bully would wait for me from the gates and beat me up in the corner of the streets when the professors were not looking.

    If I had to guess their status, one of them must be the son of a director or a boss in apany.

    (Author''s note: Not every son of a corporate leader acts like this. Some sons and daughters ofrge corporates learned proper manners and kindness)

    As I journeyed to the streets, I stopped at a store with an advertisement too recognisable for me to see.

 Chapter 9 - Bigbadwolf

    "I want to give you the life you deserve, Himari." I thought as I stared at the flickering screen of the television.

    The susurrate sounds on the monitors rang my ears, inviting me inside the inte cafe. My eyes followed the intricate designs of bulbs entangled in an unorthodox fashion. I peered at the interiors of theputer pubs and discerned multiple gadgets resting inside. It created a distinct atmosphere that attracted gamers and people interested in ying the trending online games. Few patrons were entering the cafe, wanting to y the game Code, using the Holographic Reality.

    However, an unseen force pulled me from the addictive chamber of theputer shop.

    "I shouldn''t break our promise," I told myself.

    My feet stopped me at the bus light. I pressed the swollen button near me and waited for the light switch to change. As I gazed above, the vermillion radiance became verdant, telling me that the shuttle will arrive soon in the park.

    I heaved out a sigh and spared a nce behind me. It became difficult to push the thought away from my mind.

    I finally gave in to my temptations and dashed straight towards the cafe. Although I promised myself not to touch the holographic console again, earning inside Code was the quickest way to achieve my goal.

    I gave the remaining yen inside my pocket and rented the most affordable holographic reality set to the staff. The girl led me inside an ominous room at the back. Upon entering inside, my eyes greeted the rest of the yers lying on their beds. Each of them had the Holographic headband strapped around their face as they submerged themselves inside the game.

    Thedy in charge told me that the limited time I can use the gaming piece was around an hour. Since the actual time and the time inside the game were two things apart, I had no choice but to ept their offer.

    Every minute here on Earth was equivalent to thirty seconds inside Code, so I had an hour left to roam around the online world.

    I gave the staff a nod and saw her off through the doors. She closed the ingress and opened the lights, revealing the extra snacks and beverages on the tray in front of me.

    The rent here was expensive to rent, let alone buy one from the store. A piece of the Holographic Reality set had its price around two-fifty thousand yen, enough to buy a run-of-the-mill car. Fortunately for me, that was just a promo. I ordered the bundle pack and received a membership card. I could visit this ce any time I want to y if I use the card. Buying one would cost around one million and two hundred yen. Himari and I could also purchase varieties of food with this sum of money, but I can earn all of them within two hours of the game.

    Before starting the game, I called my sister and told her I was with my "friends" at the moment and would returnte this evening. She was proud to hear me tell the story and permitted me for as long as I wanted to stay with my "group".

    We concluded the call and ced my phone in my pocket. I ced the gear on my face and closed my eyes. While waiting for the gear to open, a screen appeared before me, notifying all yers about the warning signs of the game.

    The equipment required all yers to lie on afortable tform for the duration of the game time. Our bodies would be in a vulnerable state simr to a night of REM sleep. The game developers advised everyone to use the gadget ordingly and, as much as possible, with someone that a person trusts.

    The Holographic Reality set had features that can stop such idents from urring. It had an rm system that could detect smoke, earthquakes, and even a security system linked on the automatic doors or doorbells and rm the yers if someone is at the door.

    Inte cafes and gaming pubs designed their rooms to have guards and other safety precautions to handle such consumers. If they did not, the government would have already taken this establishment down.

    [Are you in afortable area?"]

    "Yes," I answered.

    [Have you read all the terms and conditions of Code?]

    I clicked the "yes" button once again.

    [Very well. We hope you can find peace and entertainment in the world of Code!]

    After a few minutes, I felt my head squashed over by a boulder. The weight of gigantic matter on top of my face ceased to disappear. Thankfully, my agony ended within a minute with a text appearing at my fore, with my eyes still closed.

    [Your name is Fenrir. Do you want to change your username and restart your character?] The automated voice asked.

    If I would use my old ount right now, Himari could monitor my usage of Code. She can track my user down once again since I was a famous yer back in the old days. My name would rally up the attention on the inte and break my promise to my sister.

    I scrapped the idea aside and created a new character for me to start my game. I wanted to keep my whereabouts a secret from Himari.

    [Choose a name to your liking.]

    "Bigbadwolf." I said and thought it was funny.

    [Bigbadwolf confirmed.]

    [Choose a ss.]

    I clicked the word "Lycan" simr to my ss from my previous ount, Fenrir. Being a lycanthrope had its benefits and downsides. What I loved about being a shapeshifter was the wolf transformation. It granted an insane amount of speed and reaction time to my character with a passive skill called "Berserk" that allowed me to overpower my enemies.

    [Wee to Code, Bigbadwolf].

    The world zoomed inwards and around me as if I were travelling in a vacuum in outer space. My organs, especially my dder, turned upside down and sttered a horrifying emerald stream. I felt something cold touching my skin, but I could not clean my mess right now.

    The game had already started.

    Even with my eyes shut close, I perceived the blinding light seeping through my eyelids. I tried moving my body from left to right, hoping to feel something on the floor. As I peered my orbs open, I saw the familiar world surrounding me.

    Both my arms and feet squelched at the ground. I looked below and saw the magic circled that summons yers entering the game.

    Code was a popr virtuality game that allowed anyone to control their characters using their own thoughts. If the person wanted to lift his hand, the arm would rise. If a yer wished to raise her head, the game would follow themand.

    yers could also feel the sense of touch inside the game. If the texture were rough, our hands would feel the craggy exterior of an object or a creature. If a person received damage from an attack, the yer would feel the same. The developers ced the pain scale on the game by five to avoid any injuries or sudden seizures while ying the game.

    The game tossed out yers inside a chamber and provided the tools for an adventure simr to role-ying games in our generation. A non-yer character should also spawn inside these walls. That individual would cater to all the needs of the new yers. He or she would also act as a guide to the kingdom.

    But I saw no one inside the room. It was me and the treasure chest lying in front of my feet.

    I stood from my seat and gawked at the window with the magnificent view of the citadel, trees, homes, and the marts surrounding the kingdom. It was currently nighttime in the Maind Kingdom, so it was difficult for me to perceive my surroundings.

    However, the brilliant light came not from the sun but from orange mesing from the mmable trees.

    I saw the smoke rising from above, covering the city with a thick fog. Some innocent vigers hid behind their house and stalls, avoiding any conflict with us yers.

    I took the chest in my inventory and dashed straight to the fort. All of this happened because of an eerie quest that will grant tons of money in our pocket.

    The mysterious NPC issued a mission to behead the king and kidnap his family.

    I equipped the novice dagger, beginner''s armour, leathered boots, and a pair of gloves on me. After consuming the chest, I headed over to the gates and met the crazed adventurers and vigers. They continued pounding their weapons and firing magical spells at the entrance, hoping to destroy the obstruction.

    Some yers thought they could enter inside by hovering in the air. But the castle had already prepared for that opening and pushed the wandering witches in mid-air.

    I had yed countless hours for this game from my previous years to know the secret passage towards the castle. Behind the stronghold lies the abandoned tavern, leading towards a tunnel underground.

    I careered through the ins and located the isted hut far from the kingdom within five minutes. Thanks to my Lycan ss, I could sprint faster than anyone else despite being a level 1 adventurer in this game.

    I opened the hatch and followed the trail. The acrid smell of turds and urine surrounded my nostrils, cursing me by travelling through the sewers.. The sticky slime covered my feet as I made my way through thetter part of the tunnel.

 Chapter 10 - Escape

    I pushed the rock away and stepped foot inside the citadel. The tunnel led me inside an empty kitchen since the chefs and other staff had to leave from the troubles. The crowned head hired none of them as assassins or trained NPC to kill anyone. I knew them from my previous adventuring days, so it made sense that the royalties evacuated them first before the King himself.

    I peeked through the bustling hall and noticed soldiers dded in steel and armour tes roaming around the castle doors. All of them marched through an open chamber, bringing with them gigantic boulders and shaftsparable to my size. They prepared the ballistas and other armouries outside and fired them next to the towering gate.

    The st from the bolts and stones shook the ground. It even created a massive crater in front of the terrain, killing the yers and surrounding civilians instantly. Fortunately, these adventurers did not die from the crash, since they were yers inside the game.

    Only non-yer characters die from this world.

    I concealed myself using the skill [wolf walk] and went down the series of steps to the throne.

    [Wolf Walk] is a spell that yers used to grant them stealth and concealment to infiltrate or surprise opponents. The duration of the magic depends on the level of the yer.

    The guards were not aware of my presence despite their high levels and prestigious statuses. Those emblems were still not for show, since they could somehow notice someone creeping upon them. But the guards were toote to react as I slid inside the gates and deactivated my spell.

    The elite soldiers inside the room noticed me instantly as my body materialised from the magic. Armed with staves, bows, and des, these bodyguards flocked around me and ordered me to identify myself.

    They thought of me as an intruder to kill the majesty.

    From the beginning of entering this game, I was not nning to behead the crown or kidnap his family. Besides the primary quest, a hidden quest would activate once youpromised with the victim, and right now, the head of state was the centre of that attraction.

    Some missions had an underlying message that was more valuable than the initial task, especially when killing or protecting someone. If the job asked yers to kill someone and that adventurer guarded the target, the non-yer victim would reward the yer for keeping their lives.

    The same situation goes with the maind''s ruler.

    "I am not here to kill you, Arthur Pendragon." I expressed.

    The soldiers narrowed their eyes and pointed their weapons at me, despite telling them my ims. But upon motioning his hand, King Arthur silenced the elite guards.

    "Fenrir?" Arthur asked. "Is that really you?"

    I nodded. "Yes."

    In this world, non-yer characters remembered all the names they encountered throughout the years. Even though yers skip ying the game for days, weeks, or even months, the non-yable characters inside Code remembered them and their legacies.

    I was a knight hired by the Maind empire to protect the city from a terrifying dragon. The mythical creature was one of the famous bosses of the game, but nobody could damage the beast. Every nation raised the rewards, and would make a peasant like me be stinking rich after winning the battle. After I slew the flying lizard, the bounties I received paid off our debts to thepanies and banks. With added interests and fees, the organisation left us with nothing after giving them the money.

    King Arthur Ragon knew me by the name of Fenrir, the Lycan who defended the city walls.

    "Let him through. He is not a threat but a friend of mine."

    The guards unhanded me at once and escorted me near the throne. Arthur did not sit on the royal seat but offered a typical but silver-like chair. He motioned his hands and invited me to sit beside him. I perched on the vacant chair and expressed my gratitude.

    "Why would someone order your downfall, Arthur?" I asked.

    The king shook his head and answered. "It must have been the other countries or the Dragonewts."

    I raised a brow while listening to his exnation. The maids entered the room and brought two sses filled with herbal tea to rx the majesty. We were in a dire situation and required a steel and calm mind to decide.

    The mob and other NPC outside were on Arthur''s side. But they could do nothing besides protest on the streets, iming the innocence of their ruler. Some adventurers who thought the mission was unfit joined the rally.

    However, the veteran yers deftly took care of the justice geeks, hoping to snatch the rewards for themselves.

    "Neither the dragonewts nor the neighbouring kingdom did this." I pronounced.

    All the people inside the room locked eyes on my figure. Even the guards, who usually looked ahead, gawked at me.

    Arthur replied, "If that is not the case, who did?"

    Before I could give him my opinion, a sudden and ring blow disrupted our conversation. The explosion from the gates came from the yers breaching inside the fort.

    The skirmish continued below the floors as the adventurers made their way to the series of steps. The guards outside did their best to dy the inevitable, but it was not long before the yers broke through the king''s room.

    "Let us move, your majesty,"

    The elite knight pulled Arthur''s arm and suggested moving towards the walls. With a grunt, the ruler nodded and followed his lead. After fidgeting with the stones, the walls drifted apart, creating a narrow passage elsewhere inside the castle. ording to the guards, Arthur''s family is on the other side of the tunnel, waiting for our arrival.

    "There is a carriage outside the forest." The elite soldier added.

    We nned to escape from the citadel and request any help from the neighbouring empires and towns. If we would be lucky, all of us could ask for a helping hand from the elves in the woonds.

    The underpass extended from the sewer I travelled from entering the castle earlier. It showed the same mossy tforms and the acrid turds resting at each corner, haunting us at each side. There were even alligators and other marine creatures lurking around our vicinity. But the soldiers could detect such anomalies from miles away, making our trip safe as possible from the hungry beasts.

    Each of the knights had the strength of an average yer who had just yed the game. Because of their vigorous training, the soldiers can stand toe-to-toe against veteran yers if they go all out.

    At the end of the road, we arrived at the room and met Arthur''s daughter and his wife resting in a bedroom. Elite female knights guarded the chamber, protecting them from what was about toe from the halls.

    Arthur ran towards the two and embraced them with all their might. A stream of tears soon slid from their eyelids and onto their shoulders. It even created a puddle of salty water beside their feet, wetting the ground and our boots. Their wails resounded the room as I watched them from afar, uncertain what to feel about the scene.

    I knew that these unyable characters had their dialogues and backstory scripted and made by the developers. However, I had my doubts about seeing them firsthand. Who could have thought that this NPC had feelings? They could feel sad, happy, angry, and overwhelmed like the yers.

    They were like us, but created through the use of technology.

    After a few minutes, the general walked up to them and urged the royalties to escape the building before it was toote. The king nodded in response and ordered the knights to escort us.

    I was the first one to open the door and kill the yers waiting in the corridors. Before they could even react, I used my [wolf walk] and assassinated anyone obstructing our way. While peeking through the side, I saw the maids and butlers buying us some time and conversed with the adventurers. They knew what was going on, so they did what they could to stop the advancement of the yers.

    I did not feel any problems at all in murdering the yers in the game. Long before the game became popr, themunity hailed me as a PK yer or yer killer and stole their valuables and experiences for my own.

    We saw the glimmer of moondes from theke on the other end of the tunnel. If we squinted our eyes, all of us could see the shape of the horse and the carriage waiting for our presence. However, things did not go the way we wanted.

    The yers also deduced our escape and expected us to exit the castle. As soon as we stepped to our feet on the in, two yers careered in front of me. They grazed the side of my armour enough to damage my health points or HP. I heard a clunking sound over to my side as the dagger hit my steel shoulder des.

    I used my [wolf walk] to my advantage and sliced their necks using my de. The tip of my knife cut deep on the adventurer and eventually killed him off or logging him out of the game. I did the same thing to the other bloke who had a twig as his choice of weapon. With one swing of my knife, the yer had no chance of winning against me.

    Every time a yer dies, sparkles of light would surround the corpse. After a few moments, the motionless body would disappear from our sight. A screen would notify the yer that the game, Code, kicked him or her out of the game.

    The knights from my nks battled the adventurers at the side. There were dozens of yers waiting for us outside armed with weapons and staves of beginner and legend ss weapons. Even the veteran and trained knights of the maind had difficulties fighting against a paying user of Code who had glowing radiance coating their armours and weapons.

    I had to interfere with their fight since they did not stand a chance against the yers.. Although there was a gap against levels, I could still take them out if I was serious.

 Chapter 11 - Welcome To Code, Red Rose

    (Back to Red''s perspective)

    .....

    Just as I expected, I saw all the yers in the world cradling around the obelisk and reading the damned quest. They cannot let this opportunity slide since the reward would give them one billion gold coins for beheading the king and another billion gold coins for kidnapping each family member.

    I knew that the game developers would reward them with the gold, not from me. The rules said that all NPCs had the right to request any quest with a corresponding reward. It did not matter how much or how little the rewards would be given to the yers as long as it was indicated in the mission. It did not show here if the NPC were the ones to pay someone with their money or not.

    I did not return home with Match for now, since the yers had already swarmed the citadel. She knew that I would return to the innter this evening, so I had all the time in this world to proceed with my goal.

    The yers armed themselves with high-ss weapons and armour, which could defend and deflect most of the physical and magical attacks thrown in their direction. I also sensed their arcane releasing from their bodies as they chanted various spells that I did not know.

    The soldiers from the castle guarded the ingress and fired their ballistas, cannons, arrows, and magical spheres outside their base. Each of the attacks brought terror to the vigers standing nearby. Those roarsing from the st created chaos from its surroundings. The yers who died became minuscule particles and eventually disappeared without a trace. However, the bystanders from this world died as soon as they came into contact with the blitz.

    This scene proved I was a character in this game, and the yers were only here for their entertainment. Our lives did not matter to them, but their lives inside the game did.

    I gritted my teeth and felt the metallic liquid oozing from my wounds and inside my throat. My dry lips became dampened with the blood mixing with my saliva. The crimson blood soon dripped from my mouth and wet my feet. I also sensed my hands clenching in despair and anger as I saw the battle in front of me.

    That warm feeling jolted me awake.

    Before proceeding to my scheme, my system announced something that seemed important for me to slip aside. An azure-looking box popped in front of me and showed the words written inside.

    [Wee to Code, yer _ _ _ _ _]

    [Have you read the terms and conditions of the game?]

    A sh nearly blinded my eyes as the documents it had mentioned ran straight inside my head. All the information pierced through my face like a dashing arrow reaching through my orbs. A searing pain etched on my skull as I memorised what was inside the prominent rules.

    Two words appeared at my fore. On my right was a yes button with a blue hue, and on my left was the no button painted with red. I clicked the blue button and proceeded. The screen took my answer and summoned another window.

    [Your name is Red Rose. Would you like to change your name?] The automated voice inside my head asked.

    The two buttons yet again materialised before me. I shook my head and chose the no button, since my name was the only thing I had in this world to remember my deceased parents.

    [Choose a ss]

    "A ss?" I asked.

    ording to my system, Code had various categories or sses that a yer could choose from: a warrior, mage, pdin, knight, archer, assassin, and more. However, the window disappeared before I could pick anything and the word "assassin" appeared in front of me.

    [Wee to Code, Red Rose.]

    The machine-like voice announced. I gawked ahead and noticed a glittering treasure box lying on the floor. An arrow above told me that the container was for me.

    I titled my head and looked at what was inside.

    My hands fiddled the lock and raised the lid open. My eyes greeted the a chest. The box contained all the basic equipment presented to newbies in the game that my system told me.

    I slid the treasure open and peered through the inside. A dagger, a transparent and stout armour te meant to defend me from slight shes, and a pair of gloves and boots, which hastens my pace, weed my eyes.

    "How can I even fit all of these inside my pockets?" I asked myself a question

    The system heard my calls and introduced the [Astral Space]. It was a skill that allowed yers to store their items inside a celestial container that only the users can activate.

    All the excess baggage with me went inside the bag, including the red and blue potions packed into meals from before. My Penitent''s de equipped itself in my hands and notified me of a quick-equip set-up.

    The automated voice exined the storage used by yers that allowed them to summon their weapons whenever they wished. There were four boxes in front of me, with the dagger on the top and three spaces in each direction: South, West, and East.

    I saw my system ced the sks on the right side of my quick inventory. The reason was so I can effortlessly call them out if I need to consume the potions.

    I also noticed two new skills that I learned because of my ss. As an assassin, I could manipte my status window and change my appearance for an amount of time. The skill had a name called [Trickster].

    My system called it [Shadow Step]. It allowed me to travel at insane speed through the shadows surrounding me. I did not teleport myself to one ce after the other but moved at a haste pace through darkened areas.

    _________________________________________

    I dashed straight to the entrance and found the ingress. I used my hands and pushed the block apart from the stones. Despite my fragile body, my hands could move the rocks and eventually led a passage ahead.

    The stenching from the tunnel was overwhelming even for me, but I continued striding forward and clipped my fingers to block my nose. There was no lighting inside the passage except for the moonlight from outside.

    But something cut off the radiance.

    My eyes spared a peek behind and discerned the pushed doors nudging back from where it had belonged. Like automatic doors of the dwarven kingdom, the hidden track shut itself before me, enclosing me inside. With the gates trapping me inside, I saw nothing but utter darkness.

    I paid the event no mind and resumed my pace. Thanks to my abilities as an assassin, I could see anything despite the ckness. However, shades of green and grey rather than vibrant hues became visible through my eyes. I looked at the side and read the words saying "Night Vision Level One". ording to my system, that night vision permitted me to see through the murk tunnel.

    Everywhere I looked, I noticed three pathways that I could tread. The purpose of these multiple roads was to confuse any intruders who found this ce. As luck would have it, my system allowed me to look through the maze with a rectangr screen showing on the upper side of my view. It was the map of the underground canal and the citadel close by.

    [The royalties made this tunnel for escape, Master Red.] My system confessed and showed a window with the exact phrase it said.

    I marched ahead and finally reached a door leading through the other side. But my gut stopped me from entering the gate. Before I could open the door, my system warned me that there were dozens of people inside. The automated voice also told me that the princess and the queen were in the adjacent area.

    I stood by for a couple of minutes before sneaking myself inside. With my current profound abilities, I used [Shadow Step] and travelled across the walls, waiting for the dozen figures marching in our way.

    My system sensed and told me that the group heading in our direction were the yer, elite knights, and the king.

    The yer opened the doors and addressed the queen and princess with respect. The twodies widened their eyes as soon as they saw the crowned head and embraced him. A stream of tears flowed from their faces afterwards.

    But that moment was cut short after hearing ring noise outside.

    The general walked towards them and disrupted their intimate meeting. All of them nodded their heads and followed the lead of the yer.

    I used my scan to see his status and noticed that he was a low-level adventurer that had barely entered the game. He had no interesting abilities and itemspared to the yers I saw from before.

    However, there was something bugging me. Despite his underwhelming figure, the man had confidence in him as he sliced and diced the yers ambushing them.

    As I had suspected. The entire world wanted to im the bounty on the king''s head.

    I glided my way outside and saw the carriage in the forest. The coachman perched himself on his seat, waiting for the royalties to arrive. He was also a non-yable character that had no intentions of doing something without listening to the instructions inside his head.

    He was like me from before, brainwashed and a puppet.

    "

 Chapter 12 - Devious

    Before I could even proceed to the carriage, I stopped by the wandering yers near the citadel. I sneaked past the skirmish over the tunnel and headed over to the extensive woonds. These couple of adventurers knew the royalties would escape from the backside, so they kept waiting outside. Armed with various tools and weapons, these yers were ready to kill the king and kidnap the two women.

    This mob also had their group waiting on the cliffs beyond the forest. Thousands of mercenaries gathered around, nning to disrupt the peace in the kingdom. As long as there was money on the line, they cared nothing but to finish the job.

    Despite their scheme, the group looked unaware of which part the royalties woulde outside from the cave.

    The castle''s rear had thousands of routes and trapsid for invaders and bandits. The architects designed the ce to confuse anyone wishing to enter the fort, and the yers outside were one of them.

    I instructed them to wait at the exit by throwing some rocks to attract their attention.

    As an NPC girl, I knew these perverted creatures as a greedy bunch of yers. They wanted nothing more but money and lust inside this game.

    These yers had vited Countless NPC women in my vige. I was lucky enough to escape a group of adventurers that eyed my body. It was thanks to the yer that I met from before.

    I believed his name was Fenrir. He was the number one ranking yer of all time who visited the vige to buy all the fresh stocks of the market. Fenrir wanted to support the local market since poverty struck the maind. Using his coins, he purchased all the products and gave them to the unfortunate.

    All of this happened before. Among the yers, he was a unique fellow. But that past did not matter right now.

    I impaled the tip of my de onto the coachman''s back and cracked his neck, using my free hand. With a snapping sound and a soft groaning from his mouth, the coachman inhaled hisst breath before staring ahead of me.

    The mellow blood courses through my skin as I gripped my dagger in my hands. Small jerks quivered my weapon, but the man in front of me was already deceased. I looked down at the motionless body and pulled my de from his chest. His neck continued oozing the crimson liquid from the wound.

    All my clothes soaked with the fountain of blood, but I had to do it to finish my job.

    I shifted and locked my eyes on the coachman, unable to change the path I had chosen. Nobody taught me how to kill or how to use my ability, except for the system. The pain came crushing on my right eye. It was also illuminating a part of my shoulders.

    Maybe it was the guilt for killing the defenceless coachman? I did not know.

    But there was no turning back now.

    The dead man stared at me for thest time before we parted ways as I threw him away from the vicinity. It was like I was carrying a boulder behind my back. For some odd reasons, the coachman did not disperse his body and took its precious time to disappear.

    "It should be pixted by now," I thought, and curled my hand.

    The situation inside the tunnel added something worse to my situation. The yer guarding the royalties had in thest man standing and urged the rest of the knight to proceed at the exit.

    Fortunately, I had more than enough time to change and use my ability.

    [Do you want to change into a coachman?] My system queried me a question.

    I clicked the yes button as my answer.

    I activated two of mytest arcane. A whirlpool of glint surrounded me and soon changed my appearance into someone else that I did not know.

    I sensed the notable changes in my body. My scarlet cape and hood turned into a ck vest and white sleeves. All my upper and lower limbs stretched through the horizon, simr to a man. I even mimicked the moustache carved on his face, paired with the puffed and rough cheeks.

    But the stench and the smear of blood were still on my clothing. I had no time left to fix my suit, so I carried on and hoped for the best to reason myself out of the urrence.

    The windows from the system also changed into something else. In the picture, I increased my level one status information. It soon became a level five coachman, identical to the one I killed. I took all the information from the deceased man and made it my own.

    All the yers had systems that could scan anything for information. It was a humongous advantage against non-yable characters who knew nothing about this ability.

    After a few seconds of waiting, they finally arrived at the entrance. I saw the yer''s hand bathed with a scarlet hue that came from the people he had killed. (the correct terminology for this is logged out)

    Little did I know that the blood on my attire had already vanished, with the corpse lying behind me. I saw a faint glimmer of light hovering and fading away. The luminance meant the disappearance of the pixels formed inside our bodies. Since we were both living and non-living beings in this world, non-yable characters came from nanotechnology from the game.

    (My system told me all of this.)

    I acted as if I was the master of the carriage and invited them over to the seat.

    The captain slid into the wagon''s door and inspected the insides. He was dubious enough to enter the car, but the king sat on the couch. He urged his daughter and wife to tag along and upied the space.

    "The carriage is too small, Milord." The chief knight said, with his eyes gliding around the window.

    The king closed the doors and answered, "It would be alright as long as you can guard us."

    All the knights bravely moved forward and guarded the carriage with their lives. They left their families behind, if they had one, and vowed to protect the royalties.

    I had no experience in horse riding, so the system took the wheels. I somewhat learned the ability to ride a wagon upon touching the ropes tied around the horse. The training I received from the farmer back then also paid its tribute to me. If I had not practised riding on that mount, I could not have done all of this.

    We travelled for fifteen minutes along the charted road. I could see the trees disappearing as we trod forth to the ins and eventually reached the stream and the cliff. The darkness surrounding us helped our cover, but I knew what was about to happen soon.

    Just as I had expected, the yers readied themselves on the cliff. As soon as they saw our figure marching onwards, they had to make a move.

    Those groups did not hide their presence. The warriors and pdins jumped from the nks and swung their gigantic de in the knights. Those few who got hit by the brand perished instantly, showing the moving dots escaping their bodies.

    The knights fought back andunched an all-out attack against the hoodlums. With long-range attacks and unique martial arts, the remaining elite soldiers stood on their ground and fended off the yers for a moment.

    "Who knew that these guys are way tougher than what I had expected!" One yermented as he waved his stave and summoned a speedy fireball.

    Their armours were not mmable, so they dealt not as much damage as those piercing spears. However, the attack was solely for distraction.

    The actual attack came from above.

    Hundreds of meteor fell from the sky as the mages standing atop of the hills controlled the weather. We did not know how they conjured such a massive spell, but we cannot defend that on our own.

    The yer who had safeguarded the royalties until now bit his lips and clenched his fist. He narrowed his eyes and bathed himself in his sweat after seeing such arcane on the clouds.

    "If only I used my main ount," I heard him murmuring to himself.

    The knights and the yer dashed straight to the mages, hoping to kill them first, before the warriors in front. With remarkable speed, the level one yer reached his way towards the magicians and ughtered them with a sh.

    A well of blood poured from the hills, creating andslide made of crimson fluids. The funky smell of the blood made its way to us, creating a nauseous feeling in our body. The mudslide hit the group waiting below and eventually killed them.

    "Now is the time," I told myself and looked inside the carriage.

    "I need you three to hold on tight," I said, with beaming eyes to the shocked individuals.

    The royalties were oblivious to the outside world, but knew their lives were in danger.

    "What do you mean?" The king croaked.

    "Just trust me."

    Royalties possessed the ability to scan people simr to what yers had with the system. The queen heeded my words and gave me a nod. I saw her arms bracing around her daughter as she entrusted her faith to me.

    The trio still did not know my identity and thought that I was their coachman in charge of the wheel.

 Chapter 13 - An Eye For An Eye

    My hands flipped the rope, hurting the horse''s back to increase their speed. The swishing sound of the cord touching their robust back res through my ears. I felt the burning pain sliding from my fingers, but I cannot lose my grip. With a booming neigh, the ass galloped forward as if there was no tomorrow.

    Lucky for them, these creatures knew it all along. Nobody was stopping us now, not even the yers.

    We hastened our speed and passed by the knights and bandits inbat. Thousands of magic spheres and rays flew from the skies, and few projected in our directions. Our wagon eluded the swings from the battle as we headed onwards to the forest''s end.

    However, it had not been too long when the raining arrows hit the roof.

    Archers and mages from miles awayunched their straightforward attack. These long-range groups did not care about theirrades in battle. They only wanted to instil damage to our forces.

    Each of these darts had arcane imbued at the tip. It almost illuminated the surroundings. The prominent ones I saw were the embers scorching the fabric of the cart. Some of them even had poisons coated on the tip. A shot from the bolts would secure a kill and render us paralysed after the battle.

    This scene was not my primary problem. Despite the arrows hitting the car, the carriage continued forward. I nced to my right and saw the youngd running towards us with immense speed. He was even quicker than the speed of sound. I saw his figure popping in front of me before I heard the audible gush of wind resonating through my ears.

    It was the same youngster who had the level one status like me.

    He was the talented man who kept protecting the royalties. For a second, I thought he was an ally whom I can trust. However, it was too soon for me to believe such an absurd idea. While he pursued our carriage, he slew dozens of the bandits getting in our way and hurled them over to the side. The corpses tumbled through the ground, even creating blockages that obstructed the chasing yers from behind.

    "I am sure that he is not an ally for me." My mind thought as I focused on the uneven road.

    The yer had finally caught up to our speed. He ran across the ins and was now beside the spinning wheels. He looked at me with scrutinising eyes.

    "By the orders of the king, I need to take them to safety!" I announced, hoping that the yer would realise.

    My disguise proved helpful until now. It never got through the elite guards or the yer before me.

    He curled up his forehead and eyebrows, showing his distrust of me. The man wanted to raise his weapons, but the royalties were still behind, watching every detail in the scene. If he had caused trouble, then the king and queen would lose their trust in thed. But the man kept his calm and guided the carriage onwards.

    We passed through the endless army of bandits and yers from the hill to the warriors on thend. The yer dashed forth and revealed his dagger, cutting down the enemies he saw.

    Everything was moving ording to my n.

    We saw another set of myriad arrowsunching from above. It was the same attack from before, but with added spears and des. The darts shone in the night, showing everyone present in the location. Around a moment, we would perish from the arrows.

    Thed knew what wasing, so he withdrew from the battle and jumped through the carriage. He stood at the top and pointed the tip of his de at the descending bolts.

    Around ten thousand darts crashed into our cart. The yer deflected and destroyed some arrows, but others pierced through the car.

    I used that chance and went inside the carriage and met the three royalties. Each of them had despair painted in their eyes.

    "Is everything alright?" The daughter croaked while sping her fingers.

    Her mother, the queen, braced her tiny body. The king tried shielding her with his arms stretching towards the door. He wanted to protect her, but the king could not.

    He had no power here in this world. The ruler only had the wisdom and charisma to rule thend.

    "Everything is going to be fine, princess," I answered.

    But as soon as we hit the bumpy road, I used my [shadow walk] and hid behind the king. I revealed my dagger and slit his throat, simr to what I did from the original coachman. The crown did not have any room to escape the pain as I pierced through his neck, cutting through his veins. I snatched the arrow stuck on the roof and acted as if it was the weapon that killed the crowned man.

    I did not stop there.

    My system introduced the guides, which enabled me to move freely and acrobatically. It did not takeplete control over my body, but it could move around whenever it sensed danger. As soon as the setting handled my reflexes, I saw another light from the world surrounding me.

    I felt my eyes radiate out from my lids, wishing to escape. The broken shards beside me revealed my face and the colour of my orbits. My eyes turned colourless or white, not the usual hazel hue. Every fibre inside my body became as light as a feather. I did not even feel anything at all except for the tranquil wind.

    I used mytest prowess and went inside the cart. When I entered, I lifted my hand and chopped the head of the two women. They were the princess and the queen, unconscious inside the wagon.

    All that happened within a mere second. After using my ability, I perched through my previous seat and flung the ropes once again.

    Little did I know that my disguise wore off at just the right time.

    "You are not the coachman, are you?" The yer announced, but it was already toote.

    I wiggled the wagon, disrupting his bnce, and eventually careered through the road. The yer fell on the floor but quickly got up and chased us down to the ends of the Code.

    Nothing was holding me back since the royalties were already asleep, and one of them was dead.

    The man was persistent enough to track us down as we reached outside the extensive forest. He was not the only one behind my tail, wanting to stop the cart. Other yers, the elite knights, and bandits noticed us fleeing the area and joined with the hunt. They trailed us down while firing multiple arrows and whatnots in our directions.

    The yer who had protected the royalties had no other way but to defend the carriage. He stayed benevolent to his actions and stopped from the road.

    He nced in my direction for thest time before blocking the attacksing from the rear. The man mumbled something to himself, but I was in no position to understand or hear his voice. I deduced that the words he said were of no importance to me as I continued driving on the road.

    Our current location was around the monstrous forest. But the knights would not choose a road for escape infested with monstrosity. Somewhere along this path must lead back to the vige and avoid getting into contact with the beast living in this territory.

    After travelling kilometres away from the battlefield, I parked the carriage to the side. I yanked the corpse out of the cart and threw it near the bushes, where nobody would notice. It would take a few moments before the deceased body will be pixted particles. All I had to do now was to let the body rot on its own. That event would give us some spare time to leave this ce alive.

    The two royalties inside the cart were still soundlessly sleeping beside each other. They did not know what happened after beating my hand on their face. I could even see the pinkish mark of my hand imprinted on their necks.

    I resumed travelling the road and followed the instincts. But before I could evenin, my system presented a screen in front of my view.

    A map of some sort showed in front of me and marked the areas I visited. It was the location of all thendmarks and terrains inside and outside of the kingdom. The shades of ck were the parts where I left unexplored. It even showed sinct descriptions, names, and creatures within the vicinity.

    The dots had distinguishable colours: red were enemies, blue were allies, and white for neutral individuals. Match, who was inside the kingdom, had blue ink coloured on her dot.

    [Where do you wish to go?] The automated voice asked.

    "Near the gates, where there are fewer guards or people," I answered.

    The system stained the map and located an isted ce near the kingdom. It was near the ruined bridge, where merchants and other vigers imed to be haunted by ghosts and supernaturals.

    Those beings did not exist in the game. My system confirmed it to me.

    After parking the carriage near the wrecked building, I returned inside the kingdom''s walls and fetched Match inside the inn.

 Chapter 14 - Deceit And Lies

    Everywhere I went, I saw the dead staring back at me with condemning eyes. Some of them had hatred mixed with their pupils, while others had their faces calling for my name.

    I saw the coachman gawking at me with intense hatred, wishing I was the one lying around the bushes. Every word he spouted rang inside my ears, despite the soundless voiceing from his lips.

    Match touched my hands and told me that everything would be alright. However, as I looked below, her lower half was non-existent in my eyes.

    The fresh blood stained my hand and became a reminder of who I am. It did not matter if I was the one who killed the NPCs or others when I murdered these people. I became a murderer to achieve my goal. It was far toote to turn back time or alter my ways.

    I had to do everything I could to change this world.

    I continued wandering around the streets and stared at the same motionless bodies. These people died from the yers who charged in straight towards the castle. Among the deceased people were the merchants and vigers I saw from before. Their eyes stared at me, watching me stride the building. Despite the corpsesid in front of me, I continued travelling inside the kingdom and entered the recognisable room.

    A familiar figure weed my eyes. The short girl was sitting on the floor, but immediately stood up to greet me. The girl trudged in my direction and addressed my presence.

    "You''re back, Red!" She smiled and moved closer.

    "I''m back, Match."

    Match scurried towards me with her arms stretched wide, hoping to squeeze her pocket-sized body. I returned her embrace and leaned my body on hers. The little girl rested her head on my shoulders and wrapped her hands tightly around me.

    I had never felt such a warm feeling over the past hour.

    I told her not toe out from this inn no matter the circumstances she would face, and she did just that and listened to my words. I even left the spare coins on the table in case I would note back alive. It would prove valuable for her to use this more than me.

    Fortunately, I returned to her in one piece. But we needed to move out from here before the guards with the yers noticed us.

    "She must have felt alone when I was outside this room." I thought.

    I nudge my hands and sp hers before tidying the room. I ced all our belongings inside the [astral space] since it was convenient storage for me to use. Match never questioned my abilities and continued to help me fix our things.

    Match observed my movements, unsure of what to do. Everything that was happening around the girl was so sudden that she could process anything. The girl ran around and helped me without question, but still with her confused expression.

    The little girl could not hide her baffled thoughts for long and asked me a question, "Where are we going?"

    "We need to save the queen and the princess," I answered while biting the bittersweet taste of my blood.

    "What are you talking about, Red?"

    Match could not believe what she had heard, but still heeded my word. Who would believe in such a thing that the royals were with us? Nobody but the littless who was standing beside me. She trailed behind my rear and locked the door of the inn.

    The caretaker guided us off with a beam still painted on her face. She did not know what was happening outside. Thedy was ignorant of the events, since she was not free from her system.

    She was an NPC of this world, just like me.

    "You will see," I told Match and went on our way.

    I chose not to answer her question and let her see the two people inside the carriage. We did not have enough time to idle around, so the two of us headed onwards into the forest.

    We first passed by the ruined forest and treaded the gnarled road. I sensed no monsters or creatures within our vicinity, thanks to the map presented on top of my view.

    As we moved around, I noticed Match had a simr system and screens on her fore. I only saw these features to yers and me, so I wonder what happened. She should not have that, but the little girl did.

    [To answer your question, Match has the features that you have.] The automated voice inside my head replied to my queries as we arrived at the ce.

    Our eyes locked at the stationary wagon parked on the corner of the trees. Right next to the cart was another path leading to the outskirts of the kingdom, eventually towards the Elven vige.

    Match was the first one to peek through the interior and discerned the two unconscious women. She also saw the smear of blood on the surface but knew not to ask for any borations. The little kid felt silent as she turned around to face me.

    "What is happening, Red?" thess asked while peering her head inside.

    I gestured my hand and answered, "Those two are the royalties of the maind. We need to protect them and seek help from the elves."

    "But why the elves?" Match added.

    I paused for a while and gawked at the sun ascending from the east, beckoning the night. The moon descended elsewhere and let the brightness fill the world.

    "Elves are the only ones who can save us now."

    After hearing my statement, Match nodded and sat near the wheels. I perched my body, grabbed the rope, and whipped the ass to advance. The horses nickered from the pain but galloped through the ruined bridge and exited the woonds.

    We travelled the trench viaduct and maintained our bnce and pace. The Elven vige was a hundred miles away from the maind. The two of us could see the diamond obelisk fading away from our sight, with the rest of the flying mounts of NPC searching for the royalties.

    The crispy mes covering the trees became a wild forest fire. All the soldiers from the kingdom nned on taking down the jungle with the yers inside. They nned on killing everyone but the carriage. They knew the cart was immune from zing attacks, which is why it did not burst into mes from before.

    But we had already escaped from the kingdom, and we were now at the border. I saw everything from the map, even the tiniest terrains of thend. It was a ce bristling with monsters, a territory that seemed to belong to them. Despite the horde of congested creatures in the distance, I saw colourless hues from their dots on the map.

    "What is happening, Red?" Matched ask once again, curious about her surroundings.

    I heard a voice croaking from her throat, afraid of what was going on around us. She could not contain her anxiety and quizzed me with the same question.

    I deeply inhaled the polluted air and replied, "The yers killed the king, so it is our job to protect thest royal bloodline."

    "But why would they do that?" Match appended and nced behind her.

    The girl knew that the world surrounding us was peaceful yesterday. But all of this changed when we saw the event obstructing the sky.

    "Those yers had enough of this game. They had enough for this world, so they wanted to bring a change."

    It was the reality that we lived in this game. We were just pawns for the adventurers and means for their quests. All of us lived for the sake of these adventurers. The game developers ced a script to our lines, dialogues, and daily living. These people sitting on their chairs can even kill us with a flick of their hands if they wish to hurt us again.

    The creators of this game did not care about our families. These yers did not even bother helping my sister. And for that, they shall pay.

    Match and I gawked at the marvellous scene at our sides. We saw the grassynds that separated the two kingdoms. It also splits apart the forest and nature ahead of this bridge.

    The gigantic beasts from afar greeted our figure. ording to my system, those species were dinosaurs, grizzly bears, and even rare animals found in the game.

    These beasts also wanted to live their lives peacefully in their habitats. Unfortunately, the developers forced these creatures to defend their lives and territory. If I recall correctly, missions posted from the obelisk also instructed yers to exterminate such species that did nothing wrong to yers. The game controlled these beasts that wreaked havoc on the nearby viges. They did those acts not because they wanted to but forced to do it.

    The sudden mour from behind put our thoughts to a halt. As I turned around, I noticed the queen and her daughter awoke from their nightmares.

    The queen was the first one to feel aroused from her deep sleep. She panned her head from side to side, looking for someone besides the princess. After realising that the king was nowhere near her, the queen looked ahead and caught Match and me staring in their direction.

    "Who are you!" The mother screamed while embracing her child in her arms.

    In a panic, the queen gazed around.

 Chapter 15 - Who Are You? (1)

    (Okami''s Perspective)

    _______________________

    After defeating the adventurers inside the cave, I escorted the royalties to the carriage. The crimson blood left from the battle coated both of my hands. I can even smell the faint metallic scent whiffing through my nostrils.

    The king stepped his foot inside the cart and offered his hand to the two royal women. With a light shake, the queen and the princess epted his hand and went inside the wagon. I tried following behind, but the captain extended his arm and halted me from entering.

    "The carriage is too small, Milord." The chief knight said, with his eyes gliding around the window and onto my side.

    He was giving me a hint that I should back off the cart and observe their privacy. The knight wanted to express that I was still a stranger to his eyes. I backed off, and Iplied with the captain while standing beside the carriage.

    These people still did not trust me, despite knowing my identity. I cannot me them for acting such, since I was not using my Fenrir ount.

    To their eyes, they saw a man wearing light armour and a puny dagger that could only slice bread. My arcane was evenparable to the slimes wandering around the forest, so they thought I did not have any talent.

    The king closed the doors and answered, "It would be alright as long as you can guard us."

    All the knights moved forward and safeguarded the carriage with their lives. Their hands gripped their handles, ready to swivel their des if they had to kill someone. I tagged along at the nks and observed my surroundings.

    In the corner of my eyes, I saw something bright and pixted. But as I squinted my orbs near the bushes, the light faded away.

    This urrence only happens when an NPC dies. They coat themselves with pixted or nanotechnology and disappear through the atmosphere. The event was identical to a yer''s death. The only difference was that we could revive after waiting for the cooldown death timer, while the NPC cannot live a second time.

    "Strange," I mumbled to myself, but continued following the moving cart.

    The fading features also applied to living creatures inside Code. Some beings wane in a matter of a few seconds, and others dissolve in a while.

    We travelled for fifteen minutes along the charted road. I could see the shrubs and gigantic leaves falling off from the branches. The shadow of the night surrounded us and helped cover our cart, but there was something eerie beside the cliffs.

    My guts proved me correct as I saw warriors and pdins marching in our direction. They flexed their des, even licked the tip of their sword to show dread in their numbers. Blood gushed through their tongue aftering into contact with the sharp end of the sword, but they paid it no mind.

    I used my heightened senses as a Lycan and saw through my environment. At the verge of the ridgeid the magicians, archers, and long-range attackers waiting for our next move. They locked their sight in our direction without letting us escape.

    The knightsunched their attacks in the absence of this knowledge, hoping that they could catch the yers off guard.

    The elite guards swung their des as they did from their training. I felt the gust of wind following afterwards. They stood on equal terms and even pushed the users back from their post. The yers red at them with intense rage and disbelief. They thought nothing about the strength of these royal soldiers.

    However, the tides turned when these yers used their magic.

    These knights had high levels and status pointspared to the yers, but they were weak against them. These soldiers could not control any arcane in their will and depend on their armours, des, and sheer strength in their muscles.

    Soldiers could manipte arcane to an extent, but indirectly. Knights could only reinforce their bodies and add physical and magical defence by coursing it in their veins. These soldiers cannot cast any magical attacks or project magic from their bare hands, unlike us.

    Not everyone shared the same gift as them since arcane were the assets of the game developers. Only the court magicians and other alchemists working for the kingdom could bend elements to their will.

    Other species like the elves, dwarves, Animalia and the dragonewts could have unique spells that only they could exploit. If humans tried replicating such abilities, the arcane output from the divergent spell would increase by two folds and decrease the amount of damage because of the different affinities.

    The same rule applies to the soldiers and yers of Code.

    The yers were different beings in contrast to the NPC. We can conjure arcane with a flick of our fingers or a thought inside our head. Our system guides us to discharge magic attacks and handle our skills. Since this entire world was a game, we did everything to satisfy our entertainment.

    Thousands of asteroids fell from the sky as the mages perched atop of the hills controlled the atmosphere. The heatwave surged through our skin as we watched the molten rock hit the atmosphere and pull by gravity. Clouds also formed above our heads and generated lightning surging through the gases. These mages and sorcerers created the weather using tier 5 spells.

    We cannot defend that on our own. I could, but not with my state right now.

    I bolted from the ground and safeguarded the royalties, leaving a vast crater from where I jumped. These three people were my utmost priority, and I shall protect them with my life. I narrowed my eyes and felt the salty liquid dripping on my face from anxiety.

    "If only I used my main ount," I said out loud while gawking at the meteorites.

    One kick or punch from my original ount would st those rocks away from Code. I would even toss that hovering boulder to the bandits using my first form if I have to, but I could not.

    Fenrir was not even with me in this level of one character that I control. I was a novice who had nothing but the wimpy items given to new yers.

    "I need to kill the mages first," I thought, and sprinted straight to the mages, hoping to kill them first before the warriors in front.

    Gamers would usually target the back lines since they were the weakest on the ground and kill the front lines afterwards. These mages and other sorcerers were at the farthest part of the battle for a reason, so I should be there to stop them.

    I revealed my ws and shed at the unfortunate yers, picking them off before they could even react. My fighting style did not suit my crooked de, but I still used it from time to time. The other yers saw me baring my fangs and thought I was a shapeshifter, a Lycan ss.

    These people hunched correctly, but I already ughtered them.

    A well of blood poured from the hills, creating andslide made of crimson fluids. The funky smell of the blood made its way to the carriage, creating a nauseous feeling in their body. I even saw the yersining about the reek despite their senses limited by the game.

    The mudslide hit the group waiting below and eventually killed them.

    "Two birds, one stone." I could not help myself butment on the scene in front of me.

    I withdrew to the caravan and defended our nks. Warriors and swordsman were ambushing us from left to right, unwavering because of their numbers. They filled their eyes with green as they brandished their des to kill the crown.

    I defeated them at once thanks to my pointed ws and stout dagger. Blood oozed from the tip of my weapon, but the crimson liquid faded away afterwards. It became pixted like the rest of the fallen preys in front of me, showing that they died from battle.

    I curved up a smirk as I saw them perish with my hands.

    I can only feel exhrated since nobody dies in actual life in this game. These yers were just kicked out of the holographic reality and logged off from the system. People hailed me as the champion of the world, and they called me that for a reason.

    But I lost despite winning the battle.

    I turned around and spotted an arrow piercing through the king''s throat. A shower of ichor followed afterwards and streamed through his neck. By the time that I had realised, the ruler had already gone to the afterworld.

    I shifted my gaze towards a girl sitting up front, near the horses. The youngster looked back at me with regret, yet showed a resolved expression in her eyes.

    "You are not the coachman, are you?"

    I announced, and revealed my daggers. But I was toote to react and saw her off with the royalties still inside the cart. She swivelled the ropes and whipped the horse to dart away. The waggon wiggled as it careers through the road. I fell on the floor from the sudden force of the caravan, pushing me to the side.

    However, I cannot give up.

    I raced behind and hoped to catch the perpetrator fleeing from the scene. We reached outside the extensive forest and passed millions of trees. But the girl with the red cape refused to slow and continued advancing.

    I heard the knights screamed in terror as they recognised the carriage left off the battlefield.. They ran as fast as their metal legs could and caught up at my rear.

 Chapter 16 - Who Are You? (2)

    (Okami Perspective-Continuation)

    ________________

    The scarlet-looking girl pivoted from her seat and stared into my eyes. Her blond hair fluttered with the wind as she looked at me with despair. We exchanged looks while I saw her off to the charted road. Despite the dim forest, I saw the leaves brushing with the gale as the carriage hovered away from me. I knew she was heading forward to the ruined bridge, but I cannot pursue her any further.

    However, our gaze did not stop there.

    yers could see through information about anything in this world. Code gave us the prowess to know every history and background created by the game developers. If we allowed our eyes to focus on something, we would see the descriptions of the world. We used this to read and verify any data thrown at us during our journey. This ability includes reading all the information of skills, items, and even non-yer characters.

    Windows started shing over me, showing me a scene of an eerie ce. It carried me to a distantnd that I did not know. My feet felt the moulded ground filled with ashes and dirt. I lifted my head and gawked around at the greenery surrounding me.

    "Where am I?" I thought to myself while wandering the extensive forest.

    A ring sounding from the north alerted my senses. I saw dozens of vigers running away from the origin of the growl, but they left two girls behind.

    The olderss stumbled and fell while distracting the grizzly bear. There was even an adventurer at the side, but he took off and never looked back. An army arrived in the south, but the soldiers of Freiy were toote to rescue the two.

    A brilliant ray of light discharged from the group and hit the viger. The young girl had her body cut in half aftering into contact with an arcane projected by the soldiers. A fountain of blood sttered from her body as the girl copsed on the soil. The olderss stood like a statue while expanding her teary eyes.

    "Red, I love you." Those were the words that escaped from Clementine as she breathed herst breath. After five more seconds, she ceased to puff out air, together with the rest of the vigers beside her corpse.

    "No, do not die on me, Clementine! You are the only one I have��"

    The monster crept closer and stared at the unfortunate vigers. As if not tormented enough, the beast devoured the other half of Clementine. Her muscles stretched out from between her thighs and continued expanding until they snapped.

    Red was also the girl riding the carriage. But now, she was lying on the ground, caressing her deceased kin. She refused to believe the scene in front of her and denied everything. With thest ounce of strength that she had, Red braced Clementine in her arms and showered her in tears.

    "The knights and adventurers have arrived in the Freiy kingdom! Fear not, vigers, we will purge this town and collect the bounties from the monsters!"

    I heard a deafening cheer echoing from the other side of the forest. But the army arrived toote. I saw an army of soldiers and fellow yers armed with their staves and bows from afar. The person who pierced Clementine with an arrow was the same adventurer who ran away.

    I immediately recognised his face from afar. That dirty-white armour, obsidian boots, and a sword as his weapon; I knew him without even batting an eye. He was my best friend, Ryoshi Futaba, who tried ying Code on his first try.

    Ryoshi was a ssmate of mine, whom I knew for years. We started ying this game for about a month now, but he was always busy with his student council agendas. He was a bright high school student and had my hands full with the debts left by my parents. But Ryoshi never failed to give me a sum of allowance, treat me to fancy restaurants, and gave me a job.

    My best friend told me he nned on ying the game yesterday. Ryoshi never told me when, but he said he would go online and grind some levels. I did not tag along, and it had been a long time since I touched this game. I never expected to see Ryoshi identally killing an NPC with his hands.

    Before my mind put my thought astray, reality bent once again, revealing Red directing the carriage. Red turned around and fixated her eyes on the road up ahead without ever looking back. I tried to stop her, but my voice never reached her ears. And then I remembered.

    I remembered everything shown to me a while ago.

    The ssh of gore painting the forest was enough to terrify my orbs. My best friend ran away and killed Clementine. The grizzly bear that nearly killed her. The soldiers arrivedte. And the event of the game that brought the monsters surrounding the kingdom; I saw it all with my bare eyes.

    I felt the despair in Red''s eyes when she hugged Clementine on the ground. She was powerless to stop the creature and did not know what to do.

    Red kept cursing herself for how worthless she was. The tears from her eyes were genuine enough, leading me to think that Red was a human being, not a character in a game.

    I knew I could not catch them at this rate, and if I did, the knights and the yers would kill her and the king. The ruler was also my friend despite being an NPC. I did not want him to die, so I had to step up and prolong the event for now.

    "You did not escape from me. I let you escape." I whispered, wishing that Red, the girl from the cart, heard me.

    I prepared myself to fight against my long-time allies for the sake of saving her and the royalties inside. She killed the king, so Red must have had a reason for doing such an act. If the girl did not have a n, I will kill her myself and take the bounty on her head.

    "What are you doing?" The knight said, and pointed his sword at me.

    I looked them in the eyes and answered, "I will not kill you, but I will not let the girl die."

    The captain instructed his fellow knights in a formation that I recognised. It was a line to counter any rookie yers new to the game. All four soldiers would position themselves surrounding me, while the two mages would stay at the back. The captain would remain in front and fight me head-on.

    Any newbie yers would experience defeat after shing against these soldiers. But not me. I knew their attacks, defence, and their patterns like a book.

    I dashed straight into them and took a sharp turn on my right. I schemed on doing the same thing I did to the yers back there on the cliff. My feet glided behind and cut their legs before amputating their hands. Their limbs would regrow afterwards if they hired a priest in their group. After dealing with the two, I used [wolf walk] to increase my speed and shed des with the knights.

    "He''s too fast!" The knight ejacted, but was too slow to react to my de.

    I did the same with the four soldiers and attacked them simultaneously. We crossed paths and swung our des, hoping we could hit each other. I could effortlessly beat them all up like canned sardines, but I needed to monitor the captain.

    Themander was a prodigy among the knights. My system told me his background and exined that he came from the Freiy vige. They then assigned him to defend all monsters and threats of the maind since the king drafted him.

    It took me a while before knocking the four knights out, unconscious. But after ten minutes of continuous fighting, I won the battle by a thread. The captain pped his hands and leered in my direction.

    "I expected you to be a traitor, Fenrir." The soldier announced, "It was wrong of me to put my trust in you from before. And now, the king is dead because of you."

    I shook my head and exined, "It was not me. I saw a girl from the carriage."

    "Then why did you not let us through? Our army could chase her down through the endless road since we knew the exit better than everyone else."

    Themander had a point to his argument. He was questioning me about my reason for stopping their chase. However, if they caught them red-handed, the kingdom would ce Red behind bars, if not executed in front of the citadel.

    There was something more about her actions. I just cannot pinpoint what exactly that was for me. I cast my [Wolf Walk] again and battered his head without even using my weapon. The captain allowed himself to be vulnerable to me.

    The soldier knew I was not an opponent he could face, but swore to meet again after this skirmish.

 Chapter 17 - Death Game

    [You have consumed one and forty-five minutes of game-time in the cafe. Please reload your subscription again if you still want to y at the desk.]

    A notification floated from my screen, apart from the usual alert windows of the game. The monitor glued itself in front of me, followed me around, and obstructed my view. It even shed a bright light to remind me about my subscriptions.

    I wanted to y more, but I needed to return home with my sister, Himari. She would never allow me to go outside again if she learned about me cutting my ss and ended up ying in a cafe.

    "I get it already!" I shouted.

    My hands slid open the settings, revealing the set of options I could choose from the slides. I scrolled down and pressed the button that said "log-out". Within a second, my body materialised and woke my senses back in the actual world. The world around me changed from pixted cubed into a dark ce. As I opened my eyes, the recognisable ceiling greeted me.

    A knock on the door jolted me awake. I stood up and turned to the gates. As I glided the door open, I met with the staff.

    "Sorry to interrupt you, but you are out of time." The man apologetically announced and bowed.

    I lowered my head in exchange and answered, "It was not a big deal."

    With a nod, the bloke went to the other rooms and reminded yers to y with their holographic reality. All of them shared the same reaction as I had jerked from my bed and woke up with a stern expression.

    My phone vibrated inside my pocket. I reached out for my gadget and saw the name of my sister on the line. With a panicking face, I hurried outside before epting the call. I afterwards slid the green button open and answered.

    "How was school?" Himari asked.

    I ran through the bustling nightlife and headed towards the streets with my phone gripped near my ear. "Everything was fine. I made a lot of friends."

    My sister hummed a merry tune while something was on the other side. I could only guess that it was the meat roasting on the skillet. The thought made my tongue drool for more.

    "I have a little surprise for you," Himari added, and broke off the call.

    My sister does that every time she wants to make me feel eager for her sentences. Himari never finishes her thought and would cut me off with a cliffhanger. If I were dangling on the verge of a mountain, she would stare at me before falling. As soon as she saw me descend, Himari would reach out to her magical stick to save me.

    "Geez, that sister of mine," I confessed, and carried on walking the unlit road.

    Despite my conversation with Himari, that was far from the truth that I knew. I did not attend my first day of sses and yed for the entire afternoon. I also used my allowance I earned from my part-time job and earned nothing from the game.

    "ying Code again is such a stupid idea."

    I cursed myself for touching the holographic reality for the nth time of my life. It brought nothing good when I was inside that damn video game. However, I learned a devastating truth about an NPC.

    The vermillion hood covering her back was still fresh inside my mind. Although she killed the coachman and the king, her expression filled her with guilt, begging for forgiveness. Red, the girl whom I met, refused to ept her fate. She wanted to free herself from that world and seek vengeance on the game developers, and even the yer who abandoned them.

    "She felt more human than the people I knew." I second my im.

    I shrugged the thought aside as soon as I reached my house. The lightsing inside gave away the presence of my sister, still preparing the dinner she mentioned. I opened the door and crept closer to the kitchen, wanting to surprise the unaware Himari.

    But she was two steps ahead of me as she popped up from the side.

    "Boo! I got you!"

    My sister went all the way inside the bin, closed the lid, and waited for me to enter the house. I nced at the container and saw a pocket-sized hole meant for her to peep through. With an evil chuckle, Himari burst into tears. She even fell on the floor with her hands sped against each other.

    "You could have seen your face, brother!"

    "Yeah, hrious. I am dying ofughter." I said and went inside the room.

    "You are no fun, meanie."

    Himari pouted, but tagged along behind my back. She beckoned her hands to the sizzling te already prepared on the table.

    The darkish hue of the meat met my eyes. I can smell the euphoric fragrance of the pork swelling through my nostrils, lifting me to the heavens above. By looking alone at the te, I could taste the meat on my tongue, with its juicy fat slipping through its sides. The sauce invited me to taste it already, and so I did.

    I took my favourite rice bowl and dug into my meal. My hands quivered as I raised my spoon and guided the food through my waiting mouth. The crunchy and vour-filled pork tumbled inside my lips, creating a rollercoaster of spices mixing with my saliva.

    I helped myself for more after swallowing the rice and my viands through my throat. Himari joined me beside and reached out for her cooking.

    "Thanks for the meal!"

    After fifteen minutes, I cleaned the tes bone-dry. No leftovers remained on my bowl, since I already gobbled all the meals to theirst piece of meat.

    "This meal is a surprise for you." Himari stated and locked her eyes into mine. "We need to celebrate the first day of your sses, right?"

    I silently looked at her and shed her a faint smile. It was not a beam intended to agree with what she said, but a pathetic glee to criticise my actions.

    "I did not go to school today. I yed Code, thinking about earning money again for your college."

    These words never escaped my mouth. Like a mouse captured under the trap, I could not move my lips and let the conversation flow without objections.

    "Yeah. I love my school." I lied, but kept my straight face gazing at her eyes.

    Himari gave me a nod and suggested I go inside my room and do my homework if I had one. But I needed the time alone, so I excused myself and went the series of steps, onwards to my room. As I nudged the door close, silence once again red in my ears.

    "What am I doing with my life��"

    I hurled my bag over to my side. All the fresh notebooks given by Himari slid through the floor. Mixed with the pads was a piece of note clipped on a page. I reached for the mail and read it out loud.

    "To my awesome brother going to school. It''s okay if I skip a year or two this academic year! I always wanted to see you graduate and walk upon the stage! I know our parents are not here anymore, so I will take charge and support you in the end. Love, Himari."

    I felt my face drenched with tears flowing from my eyes with my shaking hands. The paper soon became weak because of the water sliding from my salty tears.

    I wanted to quit ying the game and follow Himari''s wishes. There was no point in ying Code anymore, since it was the same reason that isted me from my family. I escaped my addiction from that game, and I am not nning to resume back to that dreaded underworld again.

    However, everything changed as I felt another tremble inside my pants. It was not the sausage that I had, but my device that had been relentlessly annoying me.

    I looked at the phone and read the name out loud. It was my best friend, Ryoshi, calling mete this night.

    With a beeping sound, I answered the call. "What is up, my man, Ryoshi?!"

    I heard him snivelling from the other side of the line, crying ceaselessly from something. I did not know what was bothering him, but I knew it was a grave matter.

    "Help me, Okami."

    "What happened to you?" I shouted, but the call abruptly ended there.

    I looked at the monitor and noticed a message sent from the game. It was the same game that I yed a while ago.

    "We are bringing this news live here in Tokyo, Japan. The famous game ''Code'' has received a massive event that shakes the entire world. yers cannot log out from the game.. If the game crashes or forcefully shuts down, the person wearing the holographic gear will die from shocking the brain."

 Chapter 18 - A Terrible News

    The world turned into chaos as soon as the news announced the yers trapped inside the game. ording to their resources, yers who were inside Code can never log off. And if they did, the machine crashes by itself and would send electrifying shocks to the brain.

    The shockwave killed millions of people already within hours of receiving the new update. A mysterious quest was behind this urrence. It mentioned that the yers must stop the war from happening so that they can escape from Code. As long as the war continued, these adventurers would stay inside the game until aplishing the mission.

    In the news reports, they showed the numbers of people dying inside their homes. They also found some people dead in cafes and on the streets while ying the game inside their rooms. It was right after cutting off the source of electricity or the cord, which eventually led them to a heart attack, stroke, brain damage, and severe and unknown dyspnea.

    Channels gave their way to remind people to stay out of Code and never log in. They constantly reminded everyone to avoid purchasing the holographic set or ying Code from supermarkets and other stores. The government would punish everyone who dared defy thew since the problem became an international threat to the world. There were also thousands of streamers, ongoing videos, and live streams on the inte talking about the game. These social media sites also mentioned the killings from Code. If you die in Code, you die in actual life too.

    "Someone inside the game hijacked the pain scale system. If these yers took an rming blow and brought fatal wounds, the yer would feel the pain. The damage was the leading cause of death inside Code, so please be wary about this information. We have here in our news station the mastermind of the world''s famous game, to exin more about Code and its recent updates. Please wee, Doctor Warner Asimov��"

    A man revealed himself on the screen with the rest of the anchors waiting by. The show came from Russia, so there were subtitles below the monitor for me to read.

    "We bring you unfortunate news about Code. Our staff and advisers are doing all that they can to put a stop to this madness. With our advice, all countries banned everyone from touching the game. Those people who have their loved ones unconscious while ying Code would need to file their names to the hospital and the government. We will give you an abundance of allowance and recuperation expenses for your loved ones, so don''t hesitate to send us your contact information."

    Warner Asimov continued, "We are not responsible for choosing the tasks of Code or haveplete control over Code. The staff are the only ones here to supervise yers. They are the ones who patch or update the game and improve Code. The non-yer characters and the environment of Code are the ones making the missions, not us. But, please take into consideration that we arepleting the game."

    The slides changed, showing an army of soldiers wearing the same holographic helmets on their heads. A montage of the same setting presented on the screens, showing each country reuniting for the situation. The enlisted men and women had mixed nationalities, with their gs beside them. Each one hundred soldiers had a doctor or a medical staff beside them to supervise their bodies.

    "Do you know who made this request to stop the war?" The young reporter asked, and looked Asimov in the eyes.

    Asimov shook his head and answered, "We know nothing about this, but we have our leads. We cannot disclose this information yet to the public, sorry."

    The audience behind the scenes mumbled to themselves after hearing their exchange. However, that all changed when the scientist motioned to his finger, silencing all the crowd. He knew that their gossip bared no intelligence from the topic, so resumed with his exnation.

    "We hired brave soldiers from every country to unite against Code. All of us thought thatpleting the game would end the war and the world I created." Doctor Warner lowered his head and carried on with his sentence, "We express our condolences to those people who died inside the game. Our team will do the best we can to limit the death counts worldwide."

    It was ironic that we can still go inside the game. It means we can still log in to the game but can never log out from Code. Joining the game was a one-way ticket to our doom, if you were to ask me.

    With a sudden sh, the screen blinked and gave off its power. A clicking sound reverberated behind me. As I turned around, I saw Himari''s face ring at the screen. She flickered her hands on the buttons, using the remote control, and threw it on the couch.

    "I was watching the news!" I screamed, "They were talking about something important too!"

    Himari nodded her head and replied, "We are not ying Code, so why would that news bother us?"

    "Billions of lives are on the line. I was just watching what made the game do that."

    Silence filled the room afterwards, after expressing myment. I stood up and went to the kitchen while grabbing myself the leftover snacks inside the fridge. Himari stood still near the table and wiped her face with her hand.

    "Are you crying? Look, I am sorry. I just-,"

    I scratched my head and looked at the ground. I knew what she was going to say, but refused to listen. However, with a shriek, Himari caught my attention.

    "What if you are inside that game and get yourself killed!"

    Her sudden wail changed my mind. I did not want to see her face again. Thest time I saw that expression was when I was in the hospital for many moons. Every time she remembers that urrence, she breaks down into pieces. Like a parent screaming to her child, Himari screeched at me and told me a grim thought.

    It breaks my heart every time I see her cry.

    "I understand."

    My words felt empty. I steeled my resolve and hugged my sister from behind. Himari wished to be with me, and I wanted to be with her. We were like two peas in a pond, inseparable. And nothing can ever change that.

    After making up with my adorable sister, I finally made her smile. Her lips curved upward as she saw me from behind. Himari jiggled her body, utching herself from my wrap, and pointed to the stairs.

    "Go to your room and study." She ordered, not suggested.

    I gave her a nod and raced up the steps. With a m, I shut the door close and pounce my way on the bed. There was nothing to do but y a portable game (unrted to Code) or read an academic book in advance.

    I did both and ced all my equipment on the desk. There was a can of fizz nestled beside me as I flicked through the page.

    However, something was bothering my mind.

    "Help me," Ryoshi''s voice echoed inside my head.

    What if he got stuck inside that damn game? He mentioned before that he was going to y Code and grind some levels. I also saw him when I scanned Red, the NPC. Ryoshi was the one who ran away and identally killed Clementine, while Red took the life of the crown.

    "There is not an end to these thoughts," I grumbled to myself andid back to thefort of my mattress.

    The ceiling gave mepany as I drowned myself in my mirthless thoughts. After a few seconds, I reached for my phone and dialled Ryoshi''s number. Within a few seconds, someone answered the call.

    "This is Okami speaking-," I asked, but got immediately cut off.

    "Who is this?"

    The voice came not from Ryoshi but from his mum, Aika Futaba (Note: I wrote the first name first and then herst name.)

    "I am Okami, Ryoshi''s friend," I repeated.

    His mother cried a river after hearing my name. I let Mrs. Aika vented out her feelings and waited for her to calm down. After a few seconds, she reverted to her normal self and talked to me.

    "Ryoshi is inside that game."

    Her voice trembled as Aika announced the news. I could not hide my shock and remain noiseless for a while.

    I cleared my throat and answered, "Inside Code?"

    Mrs. Aika gave out a soft hum and answered my question.

    The two of us became soundless, uncertain what to say to each other. I thought of Ryoshi as my brother, whom I cared about a lot. He was the only one who stuck by when times were tough for me. Ryoshi also gave me a part-time job near the convenience store and asked the manager if I could work there.

    My mind felt mixed emotions upon hearing his whereabouts. His mother told me that Ryoshi was inside his room, with the helmet bound on his face. Mrs. Aika had her voice trembling when she exined the situation and was fortunate enough to listen to the news.

    "Have you contacted the government about this?" I asked.

    She responded with a hum once again.

 Chapter 19 - On Our Way To Our Destination

    (Back to Red Perspective)

    _____________

    "Who are you?" The mother wailed while grasping her child in her arms.

    In a panic, the queen gazed around. The queen consort swelled her eyes in horror as if she saw death itself, peering at her body. I was in front of her, still gawking at her eyes. She looked at the two of us with her hands raised for a fight, defending her daughter. I saw brilliant magic circles forming at each of her fingers, ready to attack us.

    "Do not be afraid. We are here to help you," I eximed while dropping my hands.

    The wagon continued to drive, despite my hands perched beside my pockets. I told Match to stay close beside me since the queen might hurt her. If we are not careful, the wagon could fall off the viaduct.

    Her eyes glided across my fingers, gripped with the dagger. I nudged my weapon back and hid it from her view. I did not want to scare them, but I did. The queen jerked back and sheltered her daughter. With a chant, we saw somethinging out of her palms.

    Mystical mes materialised from her arms up to her head, guarding the two royalties. I saw nothing like this from the yers I met before. Although less powerful than the others, I cannot scoff at the spell. It was a unique arcane passed by from the royal lineage, my system exined.

    The temperature rose suddenly inside the carriage, but not enough to ignite the cart. The queen controlled the ember as if it was nothing but air. Her mes did not touch the straws, but it continued swirling around them.

    However, the world surrounding me felt like I was a piece of meat inside a kitchen. If this goes on forever, I might end up a cooked human being.

    I sensed my sweat dripping down my nape, but I remained silent. I can even taste the salty liquid wetting my lips. The queenmanded her arcane to swivel around them, creating a thick and bright barrier in front of me.

    Mother did not teach me about magic, so I cannot defend myself on my own. She only taught me to farm and collect fishes near the pond. I did not know how to fight, so my systemmanded my body to move.

    My eyes stared at the crowned ruler and her daughter, thinking of a backup n. Match and I would face trouble if the situation gets out of hand. I already sheathed the dagger beside me. I never intended to kill them as well. All I wanted was their cooperation.

    "We are here to save you, your highness."

    "You are lying!" The queen cried.

    She knew the elite knights and the coachman, but not me. The queen never trusted other people besides her subordinates. I knew that information from the start. However, the ruler should trust me now since I am the only one she has.

    Match, the little girl, scurried to their direction and confessed. She was at the same age as the princesses staying beside the queen. The fire barrier opened up a path for Match as she entered their domain. The queen did not want to harm such an innocent child, so she let her through.

    "Red is not a bad girl! She saved the two of you from the battle!" imed Match.

    Match only believed my words from the inn. The little child knew nothing about the battle or the person who killed the king. Match only knew one thing; we needed to save these two and bring them to the Elven Kingdom.

    As soon as she saw these two inside the caravan, Match thought I saved them from their disaster.

    The queen and her daughter raised their eyebrows, dubious about her statement. The princess did not utter a word. She continued observing the situation while gazing into my eyes. I paid it no mind and focused on the road.

    However, the two royalties cannotnd a hit against Match. She was just a little girl in her viger clothes. If Match was ying dumb, she could have killed them already. But she was not an assassin sent to kill the two, but a mere viger caught up by this mess.

    If Match were a yer, then these two royalties would not believe her. But as soon as the queen used her scan to Match and me, she lowered her head.

    Match and I were both non-yer characters, after all. The queen saw it in our status window, avable for everyone to read. With our titles as non-yer characters prominent, the queen finally believed our words.

    Little did she know I used [Trickster], a skill that can change the appearance of my status window. I needed that to conceal my yer title and reveal my NPC status.

    "I apologise for the crude introduction." The queen said, asking for forgiveness.

    My body twitched as I waved my hands. "Lift your head, your majesty. We are eternally grateful for your deeds for the kingdom."

    The queen lifted her face and beamed at us with a smile. Match and I returned her beam, epting her apologies. She then nced at the window and observed the morning skies. A tear drifted from her eyelids as she turned her face to me.

    She knew there was something missing.

    "Where are the others?" The queen asked, and looked around.

    I whipped the rope and answered, "They are all dead. None of the soldiers survived the st from the yer, your majesty."

    "No! It cannot be! I saw my husband with my own eyes beside me!" The queen denied all of my statements.

    I shook my head and replied, "An arrow pierced his throat. I tried saving the old man, but my effort was toote."

    The queen and her daughter gasped in despair as they heard the news. Her daughter cried a thousand tears and hugged her mother. The queen stared at the window in silence, unsure how to react upon hearing such news. I left the part where I slit the king''s throat, leading to his death. If they knew I was the perpetrator, they would never believe me.

    The queen might even kill me if she sees an opportunity if the word goes out. I kept my mouth shut and avoided my doom.

    "Is this really true?" With thest ounce of strength, the queen asked.

    I lowered my head and confirmed the statement. All of us fell into silence, not wanting to say anything to the topic. The queen knew the kingdom would fall in the next few days. The neighbouring empires would take this opportunity to govern thend.

    "Who killed my husband, Arthur?"

    "The yers," I answered.

    Her disconcert eyes turned into insanity. The queen was a woman made of steel and elegance. She mastered the sacred art of using the fire element like her ancestors had taught her for generations. The king chose her to be his bride since they were a powerful force that nobody could stop, not even the dragonewts.

    The two were mortal enemies inside Code.

    "Thank you for telling me."

    I bowed my head to the queen and responded, "You are always wee, your highness."

    The queen wiped the tears in her eyes and shed me a smile. She shifted her eyes towards the window, looking at the orange woond. I followed her gaze and locked my eyes at the forest we escaped. We saw a wildfire happening in the distance.

    I hope the knights cannot chase us here on the bridge.

    "By the way, who are you and the kid?" She asked, and caressed Match''s round head.

    The queen finally addressed me as someone she could trust. Her eyes observed my figure, looking at me as a friend she can depend on with her life. I returned her gaze while focusing on the road ahead.

    She thought that someone trained the two of us from the kingdom.

    I continued controlling the asses and answered, "My name is Red Rose, a viger inside the Freiy Kingdom. The little girl is Match. I found her in the forest. The monster also destroyed her vige, so we have nowhere else to go but the maind."

    "Dear me, you must have gone through a lot." The queen replied and acknowledged our story.

    I can only nod to her statement as I whipped the ropes again, motioning the horses to move faster.

    I noticed her apologetic eyes looking at the ground. The queen must have heard about the downfall of the empire and the disastrous mission. It was a task sent by the game developers to the game for the yers.

    These developers were the ones who killed the vigers. They killed my sister, Clementine.

    The royalties assisted our tiny vige, but they were toote to react. They came a long way from the maind to our kingdom, so I cannot me them for their actions.

    ording to the queen, the maind also experienced the same threat as the Freiy and Match''s vige.

    It was just reasonable for the queen to feel disheartened upon hearing the now ruined city of Freiy.

 Chapter 20 - Elven Kingdom

    "You may know me already, but I am Queen Guinevere Pendragon, and this is my daughter, Eve Pendragon."

    The two of them bowed as they greeted me. Match and I lowered our heads in return, paying our respect for the crown. Queen Guinevere pointed her hands at her daughter, sitting on herp. Eve gave me a warm smile as she met my eyes. I returned her beam and waved my hand while controlling the horses with the other.

    The cart shook, but not enough to break our bnce.

    Match and Eve both got along with each other, as they shared the same glee. They conversed around the corner about all the things they experienced in life. I could not rte to them since I was talking with the queen.

    As we headed forward along the bumpy road, the queen told me about the Elven race and their forest of a kingdom. Elves concealed their empires within the trees, so it was arduous for everyone to find. Only the royal courts and rulers knew the ce.

    Fortunately for us, we had the queen apanying our journey.

    Elves did not differ from the humans, Guinevere imed. These elves had pointed ears and a slim body, almost like a twig if they stood at both feet. They armed themselves with daggers and recurves. Elves were not fond of using long des and bastard swords.

    Queen Guinevere told us that the elves were agile creatures living in the jungle. They jumped from one branch after the other within their territory, using the setting to their advantage. Her husband fought the Elven King once and nearly lost his life.

    "Good thing it was a sparring match," Guinevere chuckled to herself while the story reminded her of her deceased husband.

    There were two categories of elves: the short-eared and the long-eared elves. The long-eared elves protected the forest with their life on the line. They vowed to defend the greenery and maintain a harmonious state between other countries. The short-eared elves became pests to their kind.

    Those short-eared elves were not a part of their species andbelled as traitors of the forest. They wanted to wage war against the kingdom and even the entire world. Short-elves wished for nothing more but abundantnd and trees, apart from the towering buildings built by the different species.

    If you wished to distinguish these two apart, the forestid a curse on the short-eared elves. Their skin became dark like charcoal, and they ceased to control the forest. Nature refused to heed their calls despite being a knight for the woonds.

    Short-eared elves cannot be long-eared. Redemption was not part of their culture, thus their strife against each other.

    ording to the legends, these long-eared elves were a third force of the government and acted as mediators during meetings. They refused to side with any faction and maintained their neutral state. But they continued offering trades from various peaceful cities, such as the maind and other neighbouring kingdoms.

    The Elven empire also drew their hatred with the dragonewts.

    Humans and elves formed their alliance aeons of years ago. The two shared goodies and other limited products during the scarcity ofnds.

    But there was one thing that the elves did not allow, is entering their sacred forest.

    They feared the yers, so the elves shut their doors. They trusted no one but the kingdom and other friendly nations. Only a selected yer could enter their realms if they were lucky enough to have an elf character.

    Out of one hundred million yers, only one of them got the chance of bing an elf, my system told me.

    As I was listening to Guinevere, I saw an iing arrow racing in our direction. The bolt almost hit me in the neck with a breadth''s length. But with the help of my system, I could dodge the arrow in the nick of time.

    "An attack?" I grunted, and hauled the ropes tied around the horses, forcing them to stop.

    The asses red a neigh as they felt the cord tightening their necks. It was strenuous for me to control the cart, since the bridge elevated us from the ground. One turn would make our wagon fall in the abyss, leading us to our inevitable doom.

    The arrows continued to fire in our direction, aiming for the kill. I tried my best to elude some of them, but the darts were persistent enough to strip the covers open. The bolts split the ceiling in half, creating a vast space for the arrows to hit the insides.

    Guinevere used her arcane and materialised a barrier. She was aplete master of light magic; the system told me. It was showing from the scene as I discerned a brilliant light shing around her arms. I felt no heating from the magic, but I knew it was something for me to be afraid of the arcane.

    An oval shape appeared from above and became our shield. Guinevere used her other hand to summon another fence that safeguarded my ce.

    As I turned around, I saw sweat dripping from her face. Guinevere might handle the pressure of controlling two shields at once duringbat.

    Eve and Match braced themselves against each other while bursting into tears. The two children sped their hands and prayed for our survival. I grit my teeth and manoeuvred the carriage.

    But, s, an arrow destroyed the wheels.

    The cart went sideways and off to the viaduct. My hands let go of the ropes as I hurried to embrace Match around my arms. If we were going down, I wanted to save at least the little girl. Even if I die, I hope Match could still live to see the sun tomorrow.

    We felt the surging breeze hitting our face as the wagon slid through the sides. Our eyes widened when we saw the clouds drifting far away from the horizon. The branches attached to the trees hit our back, but not enough to stop our fall.

    Everything was so fast that we felt nothing until we reached the ground. With Match swathed around my arms, I closed my eyes and epted my fall. Guinevere did the same but cast a barrier on the soil to cushion a fall.

    Herst ounce of strength saved us from dying. Guinevere''s spell broke at once as we came into contact with the light shield waiting beneath. But there was something else that caught us from kissing the ground.

    It was a spell that came not from us, but from someone else lingering within the forest.

    I looked below my feet and discerned something spinning with intense arcane. My system exined that it was a twister that pushed us upward, avoiding our descent and crashing against the floor.

    Someone created the magic, and that someone was hiding behind the barks.

    As I shifted my view, I saw a string forming ahead. A petite humanoid figure greeted my eyes at the end of the line, right next to the ancient trees. I looked around me and saw the same shapes observing our position. They wielded enchanted bows ready to fire in our direction if they saw fit.

    After a few seconds of hovering mid-air, the tornado disappeared, letting us drop to the ground. Our body collided at the bed of rocks and a pinch of grass cushioning our fall. I turned around and spotted Match, unconscious amidst the urrence.

    She did not receive any wounds from the dive.

    "Is that you, Queen Guinevere?" A mannish voice echoed before us as he asked a question.

    Guinevere, who was beside me, nodded and answered, "I am the maind''s queen and the wife of King Arthur. With me is my daughter, Eve."

    "What do you want from us?" Guinevere added, and prepared a set of spells forming in her hands.

    The man who struck up a conversation with us revealed himself from the shadows. I saw the man who had pointed ears stretching from his face. The elf wore an emerald tunic with a branch as his recurve, overflowing with arcane. The middle of his chest had an engraved crest made of a primaeval branch. As we looked closely at the image, we saw an elf''s head protruding from the insignia.

    "Forgive us, your majesty. We thought of you as the yers who wished to trample the empire."

    The elf knelt and lowered his head. All his members tailing behind did the same and offered their apologies to the Queen.

    With a wave of her hands, Guinevere instructed the elves to raise their heads and forgave them. The representing elf walked up to us and gave us a nod.

    "I wish to talk with nor," Guineveremanded.

    Her voice shocked every elf in our surroundings. The bloke who talked to us saluted the queen and knelt once again.

    "We will escort you inside Nirvana at once!" the elf eximed, and ordered his men to guide a path.

    Every long-eared elf pranced from the branches and went skywards through the towering trees. The captain elf, whom I guessed, ordered them to guard us while following his back.

    Guinevere motioned her hands, telling Match and me to stay beside her.. Eve, her daughter, did the same as we advanced the limitless trees blocking our view.

 Chapter 21 - Nirvana

    Humans called their armies soldiers, footmen, and knights. Some kingdoms found on different continents had distinct terminologies for their militia. Elves hailed their soldiers as rangers and wardens who served the same purpose as the knights. However, instead of the usual des, they equipped themselves with recurves, bows, and stout daggers.

    These elves surrounded us as we ventured forward to our destination. They monitored and guarded our backs for any anomalies lurking in our surroundings. None of them uttered a word throughout the journey. If they wish to plead, the captain artictes for them. That was the protocol of these rangers on the battlefield.

    "Again, we are dismal for attacking your carriage." The elf captain addressed Guinevere once again and expressed his apologies.

    The queen had enough with his remarks. With a gesture of her hands, the representing elf and his army of rangers felt silent while we headed towards the extensive forest. Even my body jerked towards the side as I sensed the overwhelming arcane she released. It was the most intense magic capacity I saw in my life.

    As we progressed to the jungle, I noticed a colossal window popping up in front of me. With a piping sound, I read the notification sent by the system.

    [Warning. You are proceeding to the Elven Kingdom, Nirvana] Those were the words my system told me.

    My mother always told me books about legends and the old. Among those stories were the long-eared elves and their empire hidden in the woonds. Nobody had arrived to tell the tale about the scenery inside, my mother exined.

    My system called this ce Nirvana, known for the Elven Kingdom. The name ran into my ears as I remembered how my mother called the location. It was like the books that my mother told me about when I was a child. She exined Nirvana was a celestial ce inside Code.

    But that story turned out to diverge from the others, as I was one of the first few to experience such a ce. If only Clementine were with me, we would have been the two vigers who would visit the Elven Kingdom.

    Our group arrived at the bottom''s mountain, where monsters were few, and the nts grew more. If I looked back at the terrain correctly, this must be the mountain I saw far off from the outskirts of my kingdom.

    Nobody knew what was inside here, since it was a distant ce that none of us had reached. All the vigers believed there was something otherworldly living here. And they were right all along.

    Like any other forest, we saw magnificent trees blocking the rays of sunlight surrounding us. We could also hear a flock of birds in the distance, fluttering skywards and chirping up a tone. But no monsters attacked us despite the abundant number of animals lingering nearby. I thought that this must have been a fluke, since none of these events happened before. Usually, these creatures would prey on whoever crosses their territories.

    I recalled those urrences that happened to me before. Monsters waid me as soon as I was alone. Fortunately, Knights took their patrol and in the vile fiend. It was a memory that I cannot forget.

    However, I suddenly knew what caused their silence. I used my scanning ability and noticed an aura flowing from the elves. My system characterized the stream as a repellent of some sort for the evil beasts.

    We could see the traces of the grizzly bears and other monsters on the soil, heading opposite from our direction. A pack of bears thought ofing in our direction, but took a sharp left afterwards, judging from the footmarks.

    If we peeled our eyes ahead, we could see a set of vines dangling from afar, covering something that seemedmonce. Upon arriving at the location, the captain halted our stride andmanded us to stay put and observe.

    The queen stood by and held her daughter by her hand. Eve looked around and mesmerised herself with the garden of roses found beside the ancient tree. The two found themselves something to gawk at to burn the time.

    They paid no mind to what was happening before us. But we were unlike the two royalties.

    Match and I caught ourselves staring at the process by the elves. We found the performance queer and mysterious the more we gazed at the sight.

    The captain had original ns upon seeing the ivies before him. He called out to his group and instructed them to control the nt with care. All the rangers moved and gingerly lifted the creeping nts aside. With a ring grunt, the rangers shoved the nts, revealing a tunnel from the cave.

    "We can move ahead, your majesty." The captain suggested, and gave a salute to Guinevere.

    The queen and her daughter stood and trailed behind the marching elves. We followed close behind them and entered the dim cave.

    We saw nothing butplete darkness as we trudged the unlit cavern. Our nostrils sniffed the damped walls enclosing us, making us jerked backwards to the ingress. It was as if we were inside a bucket filled with slimy water. Match and I touched the wet ground as we trod forward, but we carried on and awaited the other side.

    A bright light shed before us as we stepped foot on the adjacent end. I shielded both Match and my orbs, using my elbow while peaking through the gap. My eyes blinked multiple times before I could see the setting.

    Within a matter of seconds, the brilliant luminance faded away, and I finally discerned what was in front of me.

    A crowd of trees reaching through the clouds greeted our group. We saw thousands of tree houses and wooden taverns perched at different angles. Resting outside were the petite elves wandering around the bustling streets with other mythical creatures.

    We saw children, whom we thought were the same age as Match and Even, ying with their cubby houses and swings at the park. Beside them were taller, long-eared elves armed with bows and arrows behind their back, guarding the children.

    My eyes glided at the sides and saw the vines crawling everywhere near the trees as if they were alive creatures. These creeping nts wrapped themselves around the prehistoric barks serving as the wall. If we look closer at the panels, we could see grey huesing from the stones outside. These piles of rocks served as a camouge for Nirvana. It was the mountain''s bottom, concealing everything for this vast ce.

    The rangers mounted with four-legged beasts perched themselves on the branches. They acted as sentries, observing the borders and the insides of their kingdom. Their principal task was to find any intruder wanting to enter Nirvana, including the dark elves and adventurers roaming around the forest.

    As soon as our group walked down the road, all the elves stared at us with curiosity. These crowds kept murmuring to themselves while pointing fingers in our direction, guessing our identities.

    "Citizens of Nirvana! Let us greet the queen of humans, Guinevere!" The general leading the way shouted at the mob.

    With broadened eyes, the elves gawking at their houses knelt and paid their greetings to Guinevere. Even though these long-eared vigers saw us for the first time, the elves gave their respect to the royalties.

    They drew a line for us to advance directly in the citadel in the middle of the city. Like the maind, we saw an imposing castle ahead of us, with various nts entangled on each floor. Inside the fort, we discerned an emerald-looking obelisk soaring above the clouds.

    However, we knew it did not show us that from the outside but a summit. So I used my scan to check the hole above our heads, thinking that there must be ayer of some sort that did these things. My system confirmed my hunch and told me that a thin transparentyer covered the site.

    It meant to ward off any threats, wanting to discover the hidden city of elves.

    "Where are we going, Red?" Match voiced out while looking at the stern faces of the rangers, guarding the ingress.

    I caressed her head and answered, "We will just go to the castle, as the humans have in the city!"

    "Will they have food? I am starving." The little girl added, and rubbed her stomach.

    Match had a face, frowning while thinking of food. I discerned her mouth drooping with saliva while she thought of the nt beside us as a vegetable she can eat. The guard saw her sparkling eyes, so he plucked the scarlet berry from its sprout and gave it to Match.

    The ranger was a gant man for eyeing Match out for her needs, despite being a human.

    With eager orbs, the girl swallowed the fruit whole inside her mouth. The juice cascaded from her dried lips, creating a puddle of blood-like liquid on the concrete floor.

    I could not help but curl my lips up into a smile while looking at her with delight. Match reminded me of Clementine when she was still alive. My sister would also squeeze the berry dry and grit it with her teeth. She would often rush back at me, saying that the fruit tasted sweet, bitter, or even both.

    "We are here, your highness,"

    The general ordered the rangers to slide the mammoth-sized gates open.. It slowly revealed the interior of the castle as we entered the fort.

 Chapter 22 - La Finta Nonna

    We trundled inside the astronomical pce filled with copious nts and verdant yet transparent sses. As I looked at the sides, I noticed an atypical species of birds pecking the bark of a tree. Laid on the centre was the settee, as gigantic as a mattress, enough to cater for everyone.

    All of us stood in the middle of the pce, gawking at everything surrounding our view. We noticed the series of steps leading to the next floor inviting us over for a visit. It had two hallways from both sides, with a gigantic wooden gate found in front. They shut tight the ingress upstairs, hiding something from us, their guests of the castle.

    My nostrils whiffed the insides and perceived the faint smell of fragrant flowers in the air, making me feel giddy to my feet. I almost felt like we were inside a forest once again filled with greenery and shrubs. A miniature waterfall alerted my ears as I nced at the east. It continued to cascade the stream and supplied the pond near the statue.

    "It must havee from the garden outside?" I asked myself, and continued exploring the mansion.

    Match also had her eyes glued on the elegant fountain.

    There were no guards stationed inside. The rangers who escorted us here all went outside and guarded the gates, except for the two wardens headed for the stairs. With a light tap on the surface, the wooden door opened as the two elves called for someone I did not know.

    "They called for the ruler of the Elven Kingdom." Guinevere murmured, and motioned me to kneel.

    I reached for Match and told her to bow and fall to her knees. We sank our heads, nearly kissing the ground, and waited for the figure to arrive. The two rangers took their leave.

    "Wee, humans. I am pleased to see you all," a feminine voice greeted our presence.

    We locked our eyes at the figure approaching our way. A woven viridescent tunic made from the finest silk and leaves weed us as the shape of an old yet wise-looking woman descended from the stairs. She had extensive ears, pointing backwards in two different directions. As I looked closely, I recognised an emerald ne shining on her body.

    My eyes fixated on this peculiar crest illuminating her chest. I recognised this gem before, but it might prove me wrong. Thest time I saw it, it on the maind, but I did not know where.

    "It ted us to see you again, Grandmother," Guinevere addressed the woman, and hung her head, with her daughter doing the same.

    "It had been years since yourst visit, Guinevere." The girl whom Guinevere called Grandmother replied.

    I knew nothing about her, and the Grandmother probably did not know me either. But judging from her clothes, she must have royal blood surging through her veins.

    The Grandmother beckoned her hands and spoke, "Please, raise your heads. I do not want Queen Guinevere and her daughter, Eve, bowing down to me."

    I saw the elf smiling at us and instructed her servants to fetch us an exceptional tea. The maids and butlers hurried towards the kitchen and prepared the beverages inside. The Grandmother looked at us and offered us a seat on the couch, and let us loosen our bodies for the time being. Queen and Eve lifted their heads and returned the smile.

    I noticed the Grandmother tilting her head and gazing in our direction. She shed me warm glee as she looked at my eyes, continued staring at me and my crimson cloak. The old elf averted her gaze and spared a glimpse of the little girl beside me. Match was too busy ying with the dangling leaves from the vases, so she was not aware.

    "I can see you brought in two stray cats." The Grandmother said, "And the other one is a kitten."

    The Grandmother approached us and caressed my hair. Her hands fluttered through my blonde strands, which made her eyes widened in surprise.

    I jolted away, uncertain what to reply to the old woman. I moved forward and bowed my head, paying my respect to the Grandmother, and spoke evenly.

    "I am sorry for our intrusions. We can leave if you wish, Grandmother," I suggested, with my head still looking at the ground.

    The ancient elf shook her head and maintained her delighted smile on her face. I saw no hidden emotions or a snicker from her lips as the elf gave usplete hospitality. She must be sincere to us, strangers, visiting such a ce.

    "If you are a friend of Guinevere, you be myrade as well," The Grandmother exined. "Please, raise your head, too. Let us remove our formalities just this once."

    I hesitated for a bit, but eventually followed her words. My muscle eased out for the first time as Match and I saw on thefortable mattress.

    "These vigers were the ones who saved me from the battlefield." Guinevere interrupted as she nced at the two of us. "We cannot thank them enough for being there and controlling the wagon."

    My face blushed and turned pinkish-red, as my name implied. The Grandmother looked at us with awe while listening to the conversation.

    I shook my head and retorted, "No, your majesty. We were just passing by when we heard a ring sounding from the cliffs."

    "Do not feel reserved. You saved the queen and her daughter, the two royalties of humankind!" The Grandmother eximed, "That is not a feat that anyone could aplish."

    With her words, I finally realised what the Grandmother said. Her vibrant smile and carefree attitude told me she was a person who I can lean on.

    However, what she uttered was far from the truth that they knew. I was the one who killed the King, yet nobody knows about it, not even Match. And I nned on continuing my killing spree once a war begins.

    "May I know the people who saved Guinevere and Eve?" The Grandmother appended.

    I gave her a nod and introduced ourselves. "My name is Red Rose, but you can call me Red."

    "Ah, Red. From the legends, Red Riding Hood." The Grandmother''s grin became broader than before.

    I shook my head up and down and concurred with her im. The game developers added me as a famous non-yer character in the game. They wanted me to y a part inside the vige, my system told me.

    But they destroyed that same town I grew up in for eighteen years. Those bastards did these to us.

    I stretched my hand and presented the little girl beside me to the elf. She ran around with the leaf perched in his hands and waved her fingers.

    "My name is Match!" the girl announced while waving the plucked nt in front of her face.

    "It is a bitte, but I am La Finta Nonna, the Grandmother and ruler of the Elven Kingdom. You can call me Nonna when we are alone without the elders hearing us." Nonna pronounced.

    Coincidentally, the servants arrived just in time to serve a tray of beverages and snacks.

    It was the Elven''s dishes for ate-afternoon meal.

    "Help yourselves with these foods." The Grandmother offered, "We do not know what you want, so I have prepared the things that I know."

    "No. These dishes are plenty for us four," Guinevere remarked, thanking Nonna for the meal.

    She urged us to get whatever we wanted since Match and I were hungry wolves that had not eaten for hours. Guinevere and the Grandmother knew, so they smiled as they watched us devour the piece of vegetables in our mouth.

    It tasted like heaven. The mixture of sweet and sour cream covering the sd became a superbbination in the bowl. I never munched over something delicious before, not until now.

    We filled the room with silence, unsure of what to say during this time. But I knew everything.

    I knew the elves were the only ones who would help the maind amidst the situation. The kingdom of humans had lost their valuable representative right next to the crown. He was King Arthur Pendragon, another notable maning from the legends.

    "I have heard the news." The Grandmother shattered the silence and went straightforward for the topic on hand.

    Everyone''s face became concerned and grave as we stretched our ears to hear. Match and Even were ying with each other at a nt, conversing about a different topic. However, I could still see Match stealing a nce in our direction, listening to our talk.

    She was just as sly as me.

    "King Arthur died, and a yer killed him," Nonna said.

    She met Guinevere''s eyes, staring back at her while fighting back the tears bursting from her lids. Guinevere sped her shaking hands, concealing them from us.

    "A queen must show strength and wisdom," Guinevere whispered.

    I heard her murmuring to herself while clenching both of her hands.

    If she broke down now, she felt her kingdom would deem her as an ipetent crowned head.

    Guinevere was still the queen of the maind, right next to King Arthur.

 Chapter 23 - Inside The Garden

    "The elders and I will hold a meeting soon. I invite you as the representative of humanity and provide your insights in the assembly," La Finta expressed. "You are theirst hope, so your words can affect the rise or fall of your kingdom."

    Her words did not bring harm, but facts that Guinevere needed to know. I nudged my head closer and tried listening to their conversation. There might be information that I could use to my advantage.

    A bright radiance enveloped her hands and summoned an ancient scroll out of nothing in thin air. The Grandmother looked Guinevere in the eyes and handed her the sheets from her waiting hands, with her shaking arms.

    It was a tense atmosphere.

    The scroll presented a screen in front of her with a soft "Zing!" sound. Guinevere took the scroll andid it open for her eyes to see and read all the contents. A monitor of some sort appeared before her eyes.

    After a few seconds, the two of them stood still on their chairs, with their eyes glued to the floating texts. A gasp escaped from Guinevere''s lips as she jerked backwards, almost falling to the ground.

    "This thing cannot be real," Guinevere said, while bncing her body.

    She refused to believe what appeared in front of her orbs. Guinevere shook her hand and grasped Eve''s arms, hoping to feel her warmth. Eve looked at her mother with worried eyes, wishing to do something about the situation.

    "I hope it was, but it is not," La Finta replied. "A war ising in our hands, Guinevere. We need to stop them."

    Her words brought a sorrowful tune. La Finta looked at the window and summoned another scroll, revealing the dozen picture of elves. She mentioned that these were the elders that will take part in the meeting.

    Guinevere gave her a nod and listened to her announcement.

    My eyes widened while perching my ears to hear their conversation. I knew that something was going to happen, but I did not expect this to happen soon.

    I nned this all along, and I cannot wait for the empire to crash. I knew that bringing Guinevere into the Elven Kingdom would create madness and war, and I was correct all along. If there was something that I wish for, I yearn for the destruction of this world. A world where the yers will cease to exist, and us, non-yer characters, will govern.

    La Finta concluded their exchange to Guinevere. With a nod, the queen turned around and spotted us. She looked at Match, Eve, and me and motioned us to the garden.

    "I will be back at midnight. You guys can go to the garden or stay here for the time being," Guinevere said, while turning her gaze to me. "Can you keep an eye on Eve for me?"

    I gave her a nod and replied, "Of course, your majesty."

    The queen red at me with narrowed eyes. I did not know what I did wrong, but her orbs told otherwise, and were enough to remind me of what I just said before. I squeezed myself and rephrased my previous sentence.

    "Of course, Guinevere." I addressed her.

    I corrected my statement and urged Eve to visit the garden. However, the little girl became drowsy andid her head on the mattress. She had afortable look carved into her eyes and slept like a baby.

    "Show them their rooms, please." She gestured her hand, calling forth someone from the adjacent room.

    Guinevere and La Finta went ahead to the opposite gate. It was the meeting room that the Grandmother exined a while ago during their conversation. The door shut behind them, leaving us four inside the hall.

    The ingress slowly slid open, revealing someone running in our direction. La Finta requested the ranger near the gates and asked for her presence. The warden rushed towards us and carried the girl in her arms. She was a petite elf, but had more meat on her chest than mine.

    I looked at my front and heaved a defeated sigh after seeing it, knowing I lost something I never had. With a grunt, I refocused my eyes on the ranger. I had no choice but to brush off the indecent thoughts inside my head.

    I wanted to be the one who carries Eve to her room, but the ranger insisted. Her soothing voices lured me from taking Eve away from me. The elf bowed her head and offered me the room that Match and I could stay in for the night.

    Match trundled towards me and pulled the edge of my crimson cloak. Her face told everything I needed to know as I faced the ranger. I shook my head and told the elf warden that we would wander in the garden for the time being.

    The ranger bowed her head and told us toe to find her if we wanted to rest inside the room. She pointed her finger at the gate from where we saw herst time. I nodded my head and expressed my acknowledgements to the warden.

    We exchanged goodbyes as I saw the elf girl off to the stairs, carrying with her the sleeping Eve.

    "Do you want to see the garden now?" I asked Match.

    Her eyes glistened after hearing my question. Without giving a response, Match dashed straight to the gates. She hastily opened them, revealing the park outside the castle. I tagged along and let out a smile, knowing Match and her giddy feet.

    She was relentless with adventures and explorations.

    The fountain in the middle weed us with a bouquet aligned at the sides. We inhaled the ambrosial scent of roses and blossoms near us, paired with the soothing sounds of water cascading in front.

    Match went ahead of me and strolled the empty park, only to get lost near the bushes. The little girl shouted for help, hoping for me toe and fetch her. But before I could even arrive, a warden went to her aid and escorted her throughout the ce.

    Match gazed back at me and invited me toe. But I had original ns and declined her offer.

    "Match, maybe next time, okay?" I said, and shed her a grin.

    She just gave me a nod and stormed off towards the garden. I remained alone at the entrance, with the fountain as my onlypany.

    I looked up at the sky and was mesmerised by the glowing moon of the night. The stars sparkled, almost blinking, every time I caught myself staring at each constetion. I remembered how my dad loved stargazing outside of our houses with the rest of the vigers. We would name every celestial rock we saw and appreciate every one of them.

    "That one is the Dove, right, father?" I whispered, while weakly raising my forefinger at the stars resembling the flying creature.

    It was my favourite constetion among the rest that I saw.

    However, a memory disrupted my head, forcing me to stagger in pain. None of this was real. Everything we feel and perceive resulted from scripted codes that came from the game.

    But it felt real to me.

    I gritted my teeth and scraped the trivial thoughts aside. Blood gushed out from my lips, but I paid it no mind. What mattered most was my revenge against these game developers and yers.

    Lost in my thoughts, I went near the fountain and sat on the bench. I wanted to calm my senses, so I took a break and closed my eyes.

    But a glowing light and the high-pitch sounds awoke me once again. I could not get some snooze.

    I peered my eyes wide open and saw notifications spamming my view, one after the other. It even obstructed the garden before me despite their transparent boxes and their texts.

    [Behead the king of the maind and kidnap his wife and daughter!]

    [Youpleted the quest, Red Rose!]

    [The system grants you one billion gold coins. Because of the minimum currency of Code, one billion gold coins will amount to a tinum bar, the rarest sum in the game. Five hundred million gold coins will also be a padium bar.]

    [One billion gold coins turned into a tinum bar. Non-yer characters, yers, and the entire Code will update the game momentarily.]

    [Updateplete!]

    [The system ced the one billion gold coins in your stash.]

    The window above me showed the amount of money that I had. The spare coins the merchant gave me became a tinum bar, with the numbers "six billion coins" showing beside the bar.

    "I can see you have arge sum of cash in your pockets."

    I heard a recognisable voice up ahead but did not know where. My body stood up from the seat as I searched for the origin of the sound.

    The bushes rumbled around me, but there was no wind. Even the trees that stood tall from each side quivered as I heard the same voice from behind.

    "How are you, Red Rose?"

 Chapter 24 - The Mysterious Merchant

    "The Dove, also known as the Columba constetion, is in the southern sky. The people who controlled this world had referred to someone else and came from an ark popr to all," the figure said. "It is a symbol of peace and purity. The dove represents hope. How are you, Red Rose?"

    The voice who spoke about the symbolism of the dove drawn in the sky lingers inside my ears. My eyes wandered around, hoping to find the origin of the sound. As soon as I noticed the shape, I locked my orbs ahead of me.

    "The Merchant?" I gasped, and turned around.

    His narrowed lips and lizard-like face gave away the answer as I continued staring at the merchant. The cloak remained on his head, hiding his presence from me and the others. He had not grown in size or shed skin. With the scales that looked rough and solid, I knew the man was the dragonewt.

    The mysterious merchant that kept me alive in this world is once again in front of me.

    "Ah, I am fortunate enough for you to remember my existence," the trader expressed.

    I gave out a faintugh and answered, "How could I when you were always there when I needed you the most."

    "I am just a mere merchant," the dragonewt replied. "Please recollect that."

    I gave him a nod and gawked back at the vast sky. The dark yet vague glimmer from the moon bathed me with its moonlight. No birds or any other creatures disrupted my thoughts as I remained calm and collected from my seat.

    The wandering trader trundled in my direction and sat beside me, with his head still inclined to the ground. We abided by the silence filling our air. He slowly stretched his cloak and revealed a scroll clipped from the sides.

    "I can buy your things to repay you!" I croaked.

    I earned a bounty afterpleting the quest from the obelisk. It was the mission to kill the king and kidnap his family. These two were running around my palm without noticing my schemes. The tinum that I had was more than enough to buy an entire kingdom.

    But money was my second priority.

    I wanted to repay the travelling vendor with all the coins I have for kindness'' sake. I could give the merchant half the sum from what I had earned, or even all of it if I must without having in return. If the trader wished to give something back, I would dly take what I can receive.

    A soft hum came out from his lips, pondering from the words I stated. The trader rested his chin on his finger and toyed with the scaled crunching his fingernails.

    After a few moments, the dragonewt turned to me and broadened his eyes. He had a deal in mind that I cannot wait to know.

    "For half a billion gold coins, would you like to trade with me?" The merchant said, and grinned at my baffled face.

    He morphed his eyes like a sphere resembling the shape of money. I kept my calm and listened to his every word. My word was my bond, so I shook my head up and down, agreeing to his offer.

    "What are you going to provide?" I asked.

    Curiosity rose from my head and stroked the slumbering excitement inside of me. My hands twitched for aplete minute, as I could not control myself from what wasing out of his lips.

    The trader stared at me with his stern eyes and revealed his cloak. Much to my surprise, I saw nothing attached to his fine clothes except for an ancient scroll rolled like a tireing from a carriage.

    "As you can see, I only have this scroll as my present," the dragonewt confessed.

    He took the coiled sheet out from his patch and showed it to me. It had an otherworldly seal that represented something modern, yet recognisable in my eyes. The grey lock stood out from the designs, paired with the unique metal found nowhere from this world.

    The more I stared at the item; I yearned to know it all.

    "This scroll will only open to the wearer and will rip itself into pieces once an intruder grasps this item. I know the content of this unfinished scroll, and I n on exining the rest of the information to you, if you wish to purchase it," the dragonewt exined.

    "I will take it," I ejacted.

    Without a hint of doubt, I bent my head and summoned my screen. My system heeded my call and projected the monitor, presenting the status information and the money I have in my ount.

    I waved my hands and offered an invitation to the merchant for the trade. I knew nothing about these options, but somehow, my system allowed me to control and learn such things. These were features of this game.

    The merchant erged his eyes upon seeing the gold coins. He nced in my direction and observed me for a while before averting his gaze back at the money. If he knew about the quest to kill the king, which was spurring a war against races, the merchant would uplicatedly realise I was the one behind the havoc.

    However, the dragonewt did nothing to expose me. Instead, the dealer walked up and pressed the button, epting my trade.

    The system filled our eyes with glistening sparks that materialised between us. An azure link of some sort appeared in the middle and transferred half of my wealth. This event happened for aplete minute before the radiance had finally died out.

    Coins clinking against each other resonated through the garden. As I searched for the sudden audio, there was nothing there to greet me but the trader still standing at my fore.

    I gazed at my screen and watched the numbers disappear into the merchant. A cracklingugh fled from his lips as he looked at me in the eyes. He removed his cloak, shielding his head as the broker met my look.

    "Thank you for your patronage, Red Rose. I am pleased to do business with you," the merchant pronounced.

    My eyes stared at his figure, still enveloped with awe after witnessing the event. The scroll from before hovered in the air and perched at my waiting hands. A warm sensation surged from the manuscript, as if waiting for me to open the item.

    The merchant gave me a nod, permitting me to use the rolled paper. I returned his shake and shifted my focus to the scroll resting on my palm.

    Before I could ask for the key from the merchant, an arcanic figure popped in front of me, telling me to use the object.

    However, that was not the end of it all. This urrence also notified my system, as it sent me tons of warning signals all over my head. But after a thorough scan, the automated voice inside my head imed the magic as an unknown key.

    The smouldering object fitted perfectly at the holesing from the lock. I seized the piece and shoved it at the bolt. Within a second, I heard something that alerted me. A nging sound reverberated from the scroll, telling me that the key unlocked the bolt.

    Pixted particles filled the rolled paper nestled in my hands. After a few seconds, the scroll disappeared from my sight, but the system kept the data inside my head.

    Zillions of information surged through my brain as I learned all of them in a sh. The tiniest details that left me puzzled gave me all the answers that I needed to know.

    The text that I had absorbed was the secret content of the game. I flicked through the pages and read the following words that took shape inside the translucent boxes. Its content was all about finishing the Code and rewarding the yer with something apart from this world.

    That mysterious thing was what I desired the most. It was a chance for me to walk outside of this world and meet with the game developer. It was the gleam of hope that I had been waiting for all my life, even if it was the least that I can do.

    My hands quivered every time I remember that hellish day I lost my life and my sister, Clementine, who died from their monster horde. I cannot stress enough how much I bear my hatred for this game and the one who created this ce.

    It was more than a cage trapping me here, with the rest of these puppets obeying their orders.

    I brushed my thoughts aside and continued reading the ssified information.

    It involved the four primary species that governed thends and the obelisks it contained.

    The pirs from each kingdom represented the entire world. These statues made by the game developers gave quests and rewards to yers after aplishing such tasks. It also served as a transportation device to send yers in and out of the game.

    Each obelisk had a resin attached to a wearer that controlled the specific area. These resins symbolised the ruler of each kingdom and the monuments.. Once the piece of resin detaches itself from the wearer, that creature will die, regardless of its strength or levels.

 Chapter 25 - The Scheme

    There were four obelisks found in Code that governed the different races. We had the diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire gemstones at every monolith. Each of the pirs had resins worn by the non-yer character wearers or users, not yers, since these NPCs needed to rule thends, and the yers could not.

    If someone stole the resin from the wearer, that individual would die, and the arcaneing from the resin will transfer itself to the new bearer of the gemstone. The previous owner will eventually die because of the sudden copse of the magic transfering from the stone.

    We can find the ruby obelisk at the dragonewt''s kingdom, near a remote ind with a volcano that served as theirndmark. Some people said that the ruby allowed the wearer to manipte the fire element at will. It can also increase the surrounding temperature up to three thousand four hundred twenty Celsius.

    The ruby had the same heat capacity as the tungsten.

    Legends told that the wearer was a dragonewt born with peculiar arcane. People had caught sightings about him from before, but the dragonewt seemed nowhere seen in Code. It was as if he disappeared without a trace.

    However, not even Code, the game, could provide much information about this eerie crown.

    Sapphire obelisk, also called the Wondend Obelisk, stood tall at Wondend Ind. People assumed that the stories about the islet remained a myth since nobody had ever witnessed the ce. The dwarves knew them from aeons ago, specifically the second millennium from now.

    My system imed that a doll named Alice was the princess of the tiny kingdom. Deep blue sea water surrounded the ind, with great marine monsters guarding the underwater trench.

    Below the reef, a vicious monster continues to swim at the depths of the raging water. Or so the legends told.

    The emerald obelisk remained untouched inside the Elven Kingdom. The merchant told me that the bearer of the resin was none other than La Finta herself, the Grandmother of the elves. She was the sole ruler of the long-eared elf factions and continued guarding the gemstone with her life.

    The towering viridescent obelisk stood tall at the centre of the empire. It gave the elves quests and missions for the fresh yers entering the game as elves.

    The automated voice inside my head gave me interesting information about these yers. These adventurers who became elves were the only ones that the long-eared creatures trust.

    But with the constant strife and the exclusive news from the war, there might be a time that they will doubt these yers and hold them hostage inside their dungeon.

    Thest obelisk was the diamond gemstone found on the maind. It was the same pir I used to send the request to kill the king, and the system gave the yers tasks for them to do.

    King Arthur was not the one who held the resin. It was someone else hidden inside the castle. Nobody knew the whereabouts of the gemstone, but the kingdom concealed the diamond inside the maind. The game developers did not want the yers toplete this ultimate mission. Thus, they hid it somewhere that nobody could expect.

    These were the words written on the scroll.

    The merchant stood up from the bench and touched the space from the monitoring out from the screen. With a high pitch sound, the screen zoomed in. It afterwards revealed the map that I travelled and charted.

    His forefinger pointed at the middle of the four pirs standing tall like a square. The trader circled the ce and looked at me in the eyes, telling me that the information was something that I should note.

    "After getting the four resins, you will see a pir emerging at the centre. It would be your ticket to see the game developer you wished to seek," the broker said, and grinned at me.

    I looked at the four obelisks and marked them with my fingers. All four colours: red, green, blue, and white, appeared at thendmarks, circling them continuously.

    The emerald resin was the easiest to get since I could just stir up some trouble here in the Elven Kingdom and kill La Finta, just like I did with King Arthur. Although this job might be too difficult for me to do, I must aplish the task with no mistakes.

    It was my only opportunity to meet the bastard game developers, and I will never let this chance slip by my grasp!

    The boiling blood reached my head and even flushed my cheeks bright red. My eyes narrowed while cing all of my anger at the innocent trees in the distance. As I nced at my hands, the warm and sticky liquid dripped from my fingers, creating a metallic smell whiffing through the air.

    I shook off the wet feeling and stepped on the puddle of blood. I did not want anyone to see my weakness and get the better out of me.

    My primary concern was the sapphire obelisk, which appeared closer at the Elven Kingdom in the monitor. It was just fifty miles away from herepared to the ruby pir.

    I will leave the maind for thest as if it was a dessert from my main course meal.

    As if the merchant could read my thoughts, he cleared his throat and caught my attention. I raised my head andid my ears, ready to listen to the broker.

    "Before going to Wondend, you first need a ship. The seven dwarves will help you make one, and you have half a billion gold coins or a padium bar. If you made it that far, you would meet a girl named Snow White. She is the Dwarven''s present Queen, ruler of their race," the trader evenly spoke. "That girl will help you y Alice and the magical beast that guards the sea. You can never defeat Alice alone, especially when she is living in Wondend."

    I nodded my head and gave my acknowledgements to the dragonewt. The merchant grinned in return and brushed his scaly chin as if it was a moustache growing from his face.

    "Not bad for half a billion gold coins for this information, my dearest customer?" The dragonewt added.

    I let out augh and beamed the merchant a smile, thanking him for everything he had done for me until now.

    It was all still fresh inside my head from what happened back then to me. The people I love perished before my eyes and sacrificed their lives to save mine. I could do nothing but cower away, bathing my face with these salty tears.

    But the game had changed. I am a yer now, more equipped and prepared for battle. I killed guiltless people with these hands of mine, still drenched with the cold blooding from their body. Pixted or not, the liquid continued flowing through my veins, reminding me of the monster I have be.

    "Match should not see this side of me,"

    A whisper escaped my lips as I shed a tear. If the child saw her only saviour bing a monster, not even the game developers could do anything to help her mind. Nobody would trust a murderer, not even me.

    But Match was the only person I have and would stick by my side through thick or thin in this journey. Match would rely on me. She thinks of me as her sister. I was an older sister to Match and protected her in times of need.

    I will definitely hide my secrets from the kid.

    "Are you sure about your fate, Red Rose?" the merchant asked, disrupting my thoughts.

    He stared right through me and pierced my soul. There was no turning back now. Only I can bring justice to my fallen family, watching me from above... or even from the codes scripted from the game.

    "I will take the four obelisks and summon thest pir, just like what you have said," I announced.

    My firm voice echoed through the garden, reminding me of my goal. I became a monster, and I will cherish that title for the sake of revenge. Nobody deserved this life. The game developers designed everyone I see here as puppets as they watched the entire game.

    They found entertainment when we lost our lives, while I suffered from the loss of my family. We lived in an unfair world where these gods kept messing with our heads. If the game developers wished to, they could delete us within a sh.

    If the yers desired our bodies, they could assault us without getting punished. The non-yer characters needed to strive to sell foods for about one copper per bag. The finance was insufficient for our family, and so the rest of the vigers.

    Footsteps came from the stairs. They then paired it with the eager voiceing from a child that aroused me from my thoughts. I gazed at the merchant and asked myst question.

    "How did you know all of this? And why are you helping me?"

    The merchant returned his cloak to his face. I could not see his expression, but I knew he was smiling behind the mask. He cracked up augh and went silent afterwards.

    "Because you are one of us, Red Rose," He said, and summoned his ck crows from before. "You will be the one who can free us all from this despair!"

    The merchant vanished from my sight, together with the obsidian birds fluttering above.

 Chapter 26 - A Dream Come True

    I hurriedly deactivate the scroll and shut every monitor away from my face. A loud beeping sound resonated from the screens as the slides moved towards my nk. The scroll gripped in my hand disappeared and went inside my [astral space]. It was the storage that my system provided long before I became a yer.

    The system did not ce it inside with the rest of the packed meals and potions. The coiled sheet snuck inside a distinctive site with thebel "story collectable items" written in the middle. A quest popped up at the sides, but I had no time to read any of that.

    It could be something important, so I ced it in the corner to view itter.

    I faced the stubby stairs behind me and waited for the shapes taking their forms. A bobbing head came out from the space, apanied by another round scalp, paired with stern spikes at the side.

    "It must have been the two ears pointing at the heavens above," I thought, and imagined the only creature that has those features.

    Two footsteps running across the stairs apprised me of their location. Match and the ranger emerged from the low ground and met my worried eyes staring back at them. The little girl waved her hand while the warden stood back and let go of Match''s free hand.

    I turned around for thest time, hoping to see the merchant. However, the dragonewt left without uttering a word, even before I could even say goodbye. The dark crows flew above and made ring craws as they touched the sky.

    I spun my head around and greeted the child once again while returning her wave.

    "I cannot believe you missed it, Red! I saw many roses, flowers, and even fishes near the pond! Can''t you believe it!? They have a pond!" the girl shrieked, and held my hand.

    I returned her squeeze and stared at her eyes. A smile emerged from my face as I continued listening to her story. She had a delighted tone every time she exined what happened down there.

    I could only wish that I had fetched her from the maze and experienced the joy with her. However, there were other things that I needed to fix and attend to, which were the merchant I conversed with a while ago.

    Match attempted to drag me back from where they came from, but the warden stopped her from returning to the maze.

    "I think it is gettingte," the ranger announced, and nuzzled her body forward.

    Match could only pout her lips and frown as she felt her body getting dragged by someone older than her size. She was still a child, so Match was feeling this way. Her lips grumbled inaudible sounds about how awful she had experienced with her.

    Maybe the ranger limited her entry inside the maze down below? I can never know.

    The elf brought us back inside the vast castle and escorted us to a series of steps. We had to kiss the garden goodbye and move on to our schedule. It was gettingte, so Match and I needed some rest.

    But before heading inside, I nced behind and marked the areas on my map. It was the same hallway that Guinevere and La Finta had gone through. I had to remember these.

    I might use their passage soon.

    We stumbled upon an extensive corridor filled with nothing but dark-coloured doors at each parallel side. Each of the gates had tags written in thenguage of elves. I could still read them thanks to my system, tranting every word to the knowledge I know.

    This passive ability applies to all yers as well, despite their various nationalities ying the game. My system told me these. My mind went crazed as I stared at the abyss while the chasm red back at me. The hall was an endless loop of road that we trod down.

    But our efforts did not go astray as the ranger halted our walk and directed her finger at the wooden door, with the crest of an elf-like face carved at the centre. The piece reminded me of La Finta, observing my every movement.

    The elf nudged the door open and revealed the interior designs of the room. With a soft creaking from the door, we entered the room. Our lips left hanging in awe.

    "Wow! We are going to live here, Red?" Match asked.

    "Yeah, we will. But for the time being," I answered.

    Match dashed straight to the bedroom and screamed like the little kid she was. As soon as she arrived at the mattress, her body bounced off, kissing the ceiling. I shook my head and let out a faint chuckle after seeing such a pleasant scene.

    "I will call you once the meeting is over," the elf announced. "If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call me or the rangers standing by. Since the two of you are friends with the Grandmother, we also deem you worthy of our attention."

    "I will."

    After our exchange, the elf gently shut the door, leaving Match and me alone inside the boundless room. The elf''s footsteps resounded from the hallway and became softer as she strode away from our room.

    Thest stomp made me realise the corridor was extensive enough to trap the sound waves from each step on the floor. I could hear anyone from a few feet away, since the wooden ground had a few nails sliding in and out of the joist.

    I sauntered towards the bedroom and met with the exhausted Match, staring nkly at the vault. My hands reached out for the little girl and caressed the strands of hair. But Match jerked upwards and twisted her head with widened eyes, as if she had seen a ghost.

    "You scared me!" she eximed, and iled his hands.

    I giggled and snatched her back, lying t on the bed. Match returned my chortle and held her in my hands. After her energy died out, she stared at me with her earnest eyes and grasped my hands.

    "Thank you for saving me back then," Match expressed. "I would have died if you were not there for me."

    The child fought back her tears from dripping at her sides. Match hurriedly averted her gaze, despite her bold statement. My lips curved upwards for a smile as I slid my fingers across her youthful cheeks.

    Match was too young to be an orphan at such a young age. She should have been ying outdoors with the sister that she had. However, everything changed when the monster horde attacked.

    The same fate struck me. We were two peas at the same pond, struggling to survive.

    "I did what a normal person can," I answered.

    "But the people I know ran away from me. I thought my neighbours were going to rescue my sister and me. I kept shouting, but nobody heard me. And then I saw weird screens appearing from my face and theirs. It told me I should run with the rest of them and leave my sister behind," Match exined.

    She unravelled her mysteries and narrated everything that happened from when I first found her. Match could not stop her tears as they flooded her face, wetting the mattress. But I did not mind. Instead, I kneaded her hands tighter and continued listening to her story.

    "What happened next?"

    "My sister pulled me away from the monsters, but they caught us near the forest. She pushed me and screamed to run as fast as I could and never look back. She promised toe back for me. I believed in her words, so I ran, and I ran, and I ran. But when I turned around, I saw my sister lying on the ground, devoured by the monster who pursued us," Match continued.

    Her tears cascade from her eyes, never-ending her sorrow. Match, the little girl, had enough with her story and paused for a moment.

    She needed some air to breathe.

    "And then, I saw you."

    I raised my head and met her drenched eyes. I offered my hands to wipe her face. Match gingerly lifted my arm and used my palm as a towel.

    "I miss my sister."

    "I know," I answered.

    "I want my life back,"

    "We can''t. Not anymore," I replied.

    "Red,"

    "Yes?"

    Match hugged me as tight as she could and snuggled around my chest. She kept crying for aplete minute before expressing her trapped thoughts inside of her head.

    "Don''t leave me, okay?"

    "I will never," I answered.

    "Really?"

    "Even if it kills me, I will be there for you, Match," I responded.

    Her eyes glistened after hearing my confirmation. She moved backwards and wiped the remaining liquid obstructing her eyes. Match stood up from the mattress and jumped as high as she could, only to hit her head at the ceiling.

    A loud thump reverberated inside the room as the little girl scowled in pain, wanting to curse at the roof above us. Match reached out for her head and felt the pinkish hilling out from her hair.. Thank goodness she was just a kid, or else I would hear her sailor''s mouth.

 Chapter 27 - The Elven News

    (Going Back to Okami''s previous story (basically, this is his perspective))

    ________________

    I hung up the call and ced my phone on the bed. Ryoshi''s mother, Mrs. Aika, continued crying until thest beeping sounds of our conversation. Her weeping voice told me everything I needed to know.

    I must save my best friend, Ryoshi, from that game.

    I scurried down the stairs and met with Himari, munching the spare cookies inside her mouth. She was carrying the limited edition cookie box I boughtst year ago with her notebooks clipped on the other. My sister nned on studying for the night, hoping she could pass her examinations with flying colours for tomorrow.

    "Isn''t that the deluxe cookie jar you are eating without daring to call me?" I asked.

    Himari gave me a nod and nudged her way out of my view. Her hand pushed the container upward on the shelf, hoping I would forgive her if she did. I shook my head and carried on with the primary situation.

    "Ryoshi''s trapped inside the game, and I need to go there right now," I announced, and took my spare coat on the rack.

    Himari knew the death game situation. However, she turned a blind eye to the urrence, since the event did not affect our daily lives, not until now.

    I told her about the phone call. Himari became amazed after hearing Ryoshi''s current condition. I told her everything, and about the phone call I received a while ago. Her eyes drooped over on the ground, unable to digest what had happened to our dearest friend.

    I asked Himari if I could visit Ryoshi, whom I heard got himself stuck inside the death game. Himari permitted me to go and advised me to take care of myself along the way. My sister would tag along after finishing her set of assignments given to her by the school.

    I gave her a nod and went outside of the house, striding the dark road. All the cars careered forward, hoping they could see their loved ones inside their homes, trapped inside the game.

    The world was experiencing chaos enough to cause an uproar in our neighbourhood. Tokyo, Japan, one of the finest countries that I know, was not an exemption.

    My eyes greeted the bungalow on the streets. The lightsing from the inside told me that there was someone in the house. I continued forward and left my shoes on the rug.

    I did not even bother knocking on the wooden gate upon entering Ryoshi''s home. My hands mmed the door open as I rushed over to his room at the far end of the hall. As soon as I approached his bedroom, Mrs. Aika''s wails became louder than before.

    Ryoshi''s motionless body weed my eyes, with her parents circling him. He had the holographic set attached to his head, still activated and projecting the game. ording to the news, if someone unfastened the device from someone''s head, that person will instantly die from a heart attack or an electric shock from the brain.

    Ryoshi was still fortunate enough to remain alive despite his body,id on the bed like a statue. His parents listened to the news and remained alerted with the announcements.

    Mrs. Aika shifted her view and met my eyes, staring nkly at her son. She stood from the settee and offered me a chair.

    "Would you like to sit down with us?" she asked, and pushed the board to my side.

    I nodded and perched my bottom on the t surface, with my orbs still gawking at Ryoshi. Her husband offered me a beverage and some snacks to keep mepany. Despite their sorrows consuming their brains, the two parents were still kind enough to cater to their guests.

    I expressed my gratitude and crunched on the biscuits and onigiri, or Japanese rice balls. I did not concern myself with the additional wet liquiding from the food as I resumed eating my snacks.

    It had been two hours since the time that the game trapped my friend inside their world and an hour from Code. The actual time spent here on Earth, the game halves it. If an hour passes by, the gamey inside Code would be around thirty minutes long.

    Time passes differently here in Code.

    "Do you know if he is still alive?" Mrs. Aika asked.

    Her eyes looked on the ground, gawking at her fiddling hands.

    "Of course he is. He''s Ryoshi, the hunter after all," I answered.

    A faint smile emerged from his face as she heard myment. I looked at Ryoshi, who still refused to open his eyes. He will never wake up unless the game ends for good. The government reported this information to the entire world.

    However, there was an astronomical number of yers that died and continue dying as we speak. The news stations announced their deaths on their channels and posted them on the inte. Everybody knew what was going on within the insides and out of Code.

    "Can you tell me what is going on, Okami? I just know that my son is inside that damn game, but I don''t understand why. Can the creators of this game fix this? They can, right? I hope they can," she mumbled to herself while sparing nces at me.

    I inhaled deeply and gathered my thoughts before giving her a reply. I did not want to sugarcoat everything that was going on. Since Mrs. Aika did not y games, she had a strenuous timeprehending anything about the game. All Mrs. Aika knew about her son was the death game. Ryoshi would die if we left him alone inside that world.

    I cannot argue with that im because Ryoshi was not a veteran in the game. He just started testing out Code and knew nothing about the world while I became ranked one yer.

    "Ryoshi is inside Code as a yer. He cannot get out no matter how much effort he tries to open his options. Ryoshi cannot get out until the game developers finish the game. All we can do is wait here and pray for his safety," I answered.

    Something was boggling my mind. I wanted to save Ryoshi. There was still a way to protect my best friend if I could just enter the game. But I cannot just waltz inside the game. I also needed to look for him once I arrived inside that world, and there was not a single clue about his whereabouts.

    My pockets churned and quivered, disrupting my train of thoughts. I reached out inside my patch and took my phone out, gripped it in my hands. I slid the screen open and read the updated news sent by the game.

    "Speak of the devil," I cried, and continued scanning through the texts.

    It was a lengthy blog that reached about two pages. The article also had two sets of pictures taken from the game before it turned dark and grim.

    My eyes gawked at the verdant image of a forest filled with creeping nts and trees. The picture focuses on the mountain''s bottom, with a yer marching inside. If I remember the ce correctly, the woond was a part of the Maind. It led straight towards the Elven Kingdom after reaching the ruined bridge.

    However, most yers knew nothing about the elves. Those long-eared creatures hid apart from the world. yers considered these species as rare collectables that all gamers wished to have. An elf ount can reach the markets for about two million yens in total just by selling the ount.

    Upon gazing at the adventurer, I recognised the peculiar recurve attached from his behind. I scrolled downwards and continued reading the article, only to find the name "Ryoshi" written in Kanji.

    I reached into the lower box and read something that made my eyes widen in fright. My body even jerked backwards after deciphering the texts on my screen.

    "Elves started the war against yers. They killed several elf-yers inside their Elven Kingdom. ording to our sources, the Elven race killed one hundred yers already, both elf adventurers and general yers. Fortunately, we tracked down their hideout and schemed to put an end to their plots. We hope that the first batch of soldiers will be deployed to the game by Warner Asimov. He proposed a n toplete the game soon. We will interview him again about this matter, so please stay tuned."

    "I think your son is still alive but barely living," I announced.

    "Did you find him?"

    Her husband was the one who reacted and jolted from his seats. He grasped her hands on my shoulder tight and red into my eyes. After realising his position, Ryoshi''s father released me from his grip and lowered his head.

    "Sorry for my behaviour."

    "It''s fine," I answered. "And yes, Ryoshi is the one in the picture."

    I showed my phone to the two worried parents. However, they cleared their throat and turned sceptical about the photo I had presented on my phone.

    "Is this really Ryoshi?" The two of them asked in unison.

    I nodded. These two parents knew nothing about the appearance of their son. This situation became onerous for me to handle.

    "The article also mentioned that the elves nned on killing every yer they see, including Ryoshi.." I pronounced.

 Chapter 28 - The Spare Holographic Set

    The article did not stop there. The elves and the human kingdoms announced their allegiance from the meeting and notified everyone via their systems. An alert popped at their view and will remain there for the duration of the war.

    The meeting is currently happening now, the author added, and the journal will issue further announcements soon.

    With the powers infested with Queen Guinevere and Grandmother La Finta, they plotted on killing off the yers, regardless of their race. The elves did not show mercy and ughtered every adventurer, unbeknownst to them about the death game. These non-yer characters showed no sympathy for the yers and massacred them for their benefits, even with the Elven yers.

    They thought the adventurers went rogue after killing Arthur, the king of humanity. These long-eared creatures did not want to risk their people dying from the missions because of a yer.

    The news and the inte dered the present deaths of gamers ying Code. Everyone was aware of the killings and the names of their loved ones that died from the game.

    The dwarves also made their move, but there was less news about them. These stout humanoid people were building arsenals and other equipment for various races preparing for the war. In return, they receive nourishments and resources needed for their everyday lives since they live in the Eastern District.

    Theirnds were full of mines and gemstones, but scarce with water and food. No animals lingered near their forest, but monsters who had poison in their veins. The dwarves were better off killing themselves if they had to eat one of those vile beasts.

    Snow White, the crowned ruler of the dwarven race, was on her way fighting against other yers. Some adventurers witnessed her image shing des against adventurers. A few dwarven died during the battle, but the journalist knew nothing about their numbers.

    The article stated the battlefield had an intense st that turned their empire into ruins. But that was the least of my concerns. All I wanted to hear was about Ryoshi''s prevailing conditions.

    Nobody knew how to stop the war or what to do with the situation. yers continued dying inside the game. Some parents or people tried forcing the holographic set out of their heads, leading to their immediate death. The government promises to give proper burials to these people that took their life inside the game. Their press conference included all the families affected by the game.

    The Allied Forces and the governments worldwide announced their movements, confiscating spare equipment and cafes of holographic sets. These officials did not want any casualties to inte with time. Over four billion people were suffering from this death game, and the council must stop this before it was toote.

    The game developers and Warner Asimov, founder of the game, dispatched his unit and will invade the Elven territory, the Dwarven Empire, and the Dragonewt forst. Their n remained hidden, but promised to put a stop to this catastrophe.

    The journalists included all these in the blog.

    I told all these to the Futaba Family, Ryoshi''s mother and father, about the current situation. Although they had a troublesome time absorbing such an intricate exnation, his parents got the gist of the events.

    Their son was in danger inside Code. We did not know the whereabouts of Ryoshi, and the elves might have captured him inside their den.

    Ms. Aika filled the room with a stream of tears, followed by a deafening wail. Her husband could only sit and stare at her pitiful state, uncertain what to do.

    Ryoshi was and forever will be my best friend. It may sound cheesy enough when I say it, but I meant my word. He was there for me when I needed someone the most. Ryoshi gave me sufficient money to provide food for my sister, Himari. I could never thank him enough for giving me a job back when I could not find one.

    "It''s my turn to repay you, Ryoshi," I whispered.

    I looked around and spotted an untouched box in the corner. It had recognisable features and designs that made my eyes jaunting with delight. Ryoshi also told me he had a reserve holographic set for the two of us to y.

    He was eager to show it to me before this entire impishness happened.

    I stood up from my seat and faced the two parents. "Do you mind if I borrow another piece of that holographic set?"

    I pointed my hands at the container and asked for their permission. There was only one way to save Ryoshi, and it needed my presence. If I was there with him, nothing could go wrong.

    Code hailed me as the top yer in the entire world. I was a veteran among the old-time yers of the game, and nobody dared to take my throne. They knew me as the yer-killer Lycan who smelled blood from miles away.

    If there were one person who could guard Ryoshi, that yer would be me.

    Time is of the essence, so I needed to use the holographic device now. As the news stated, the government agents would distrain every holographic set from families, and would do a random search from the neighbourhood.

    Ms. Aika and her husband gave me a nod and readied the unboxed console. I reached out for my pockets and took my phone out between my hands. I needed to contact my sister, Himari, and tell her I will go inside Code and look for Ryoshi. If I can help the government finding any means toplete the game, I would do so. But my goal remained. I needed to return here in one piece for Himari.

    However, a knock on the door, followed by a masculine voice echoed outside. It was a sound that disrupted my focus.

    "We are the people sent by the government. Please, let us enter and take your holographic set," a man shouted behind the door. "If you won''te out, we would have no choice but to force our way inside. Please cooperate with us. We have a receipt that Ryoshi Futaba bought a spare holographic setst week."

    Speaking of the devil, someone arrived at the entrance. Those government people announced their presence and would retrieve the holographic set from me. It was like the article stated; they nned on taking all the holographic devices from everyone.

    I rushed to the box and unravelled the pieces of cotton and bubble wrap protecting the helmet. Ms. Aika went towards the door, wiped off her sweat, and greeted the two men outside. She knew that the only way to save her son was to buy me time to y the game.

    Before I could enter Code, Ryoshi''s father touched my hands and stared into my soul. "Are you sure about this?"

    I gave him a weak nod and strapped the helmet on my face. "You sure bet I am."

    A long pause echoed between the two of us. Three footsteps are marching inside the house, but I already started the game.

    "Can you tell Himari I''m sorry for lying?" I asked. "And tell Himari I love her so much."

    I could not see behind the mask, but I knew what he wanted to express. Ryoshi''s father tapped my shoulders and stood up from his seat.

    "I will. Don''t worry about it anymore," Ryoshi''s father replied, before attending with the two men ring at the two boys with the holographic set.

    The piercing sounds of the game sucked my soul, zooming me inside the forsaken world I knew. I tried shaking my hands, but my efforts were to no avail. My limbs refused to obey mymands, so I sumbed to despair and waited for my return.

    [Wee, bigbadwolf.] The automated voice greeted my presence.

    They muted my lips.

    [Unfortunately, we cannot retrieve your Fenrir ount (main ount) anymore because of the war. Will you like to resume ying the game using your previously used character?]

    Two buttons with different colours addressed my view. The one on the right had an azure hue with the word "yes" imprinted at the middle, and the left button had a scarlet hue with the word "no" scribbled at the centre.

    I pressed yes and waited for the colours to change.

    [Wee to Code, bigbadwolf!] The system announced, and moved my body to a different dimension apart from my actual world.

    A grunt escaped from my mouth as Inded at the recognisable house. It was the same building that threw rookies inside Code. However, things did notst for long.

    Everything became different.

    A fetid smell of burnt wood lingered through my nose, making me jerked backwards. I fanned the thick smog in front of me and stood up from where I had seated. The walls surrounding me had crimson liquid on each corner and a pool of blood forming at the entrance. There was no point looking at the window for now, since the smoke had already covered the ss.

    I moved forward, hoping to meet the lively Maind. However, there was nobody there to wee me.

    [Destroyed: Kingdom of Maind]

 Chapter 29 - The Fall Of Mainland

    [Destroyed: Kingdom of Maind]

    "No...it can''t be," I gasped.

    I swiped the notification aside and gawked at the scene before me.

    The pieces of wood connected to the building fell to the ground with an ear-splitting thump. It almost hit me by a breadth''s length, but I skirted it in time. Everywhere I looked, the ashes from the leaves fluttered with the wind, whispering through me. Not a single soul osted my eyes as I wandered forth at the ruined city. I can still remember the first time I had arrived in the town, engulfed with festivals and such.

    My feet dragged my sluggish body in front of the unweing gates. Behind the ingressy the citadel was once a glowing castle built by the excellent architectures in Code.

    However, the fort was not like that anymore.

    Half of the structure became close to charcoal, with all the obsidian hues covering the walls. The pungent smell of burnt wood continued poisoning my lungs as I let out a horrible cough. Hundreds of debris kept falling on the ground as the wind gusted the panels. My heartbeat skipped under the bed of needles while staring at the terrible sight before me.

    I identally stepped my foot on top of a hand, crumbling with the dust. Beside the amputated limb were pieces of te armour worn by the soldiers and yers living in the kingdom. I knew that this equipment belonged to them since I had worked for the majesty before.

    More corpses were lying in wait deep inside the castle. Their emotionless orbs peered through the holes and on the windows, looking at any visitors of the ce. I refused to enter the citadel, since there was not a thing that I could do inside. I swivelled behind and bolted away from the fallen kingdom, bringing with me the dead weight, desperate to pull me back.

    I arrived in the forest and spotted a stray bloke. The man had bulky clothing, with a hazel-coloured cloak covering his entire body except for his face. Beside his hips were three potion bags with a packed meal at the other.

    ''Thed I met must be a merchant,'' I thought, and sauntered towards the figure.

    I addressed the man and waved my hands, hoping to catch his attention. Upon discovering my presence, the man opened his mouth and let out a ring shriek, unbefitting for a trader. The merchant jerked back afterwards and retreated towards the woods without daring to look back at me.

    "Hey, wait back!" I tried calling for his attention, but he continued sprinting to the charted road.

    I had no other choice but to follow his trail, hoping to find any civilization or people I could talk to about the game.

    I passed by the sea of trees while chasing after the man. After a few seconds, the merchant disappeared in front of me, leaving me alone in the quiet woond. I ceased chasing blindly for the person and nned on studying my surroundings.

    There must be a monster still lurking around the forest, so I needed to be cautious.

    I was between the Maind and its other neighbouring town. The game announced that this ce was the den of monsters that appeared at the event. That announcement killed half of the rookie yers and non-yer characters.

    It was a grim update that nobody expected to receive, but they did.

    I revealed my de and nned on activating my set of spells if the creature pounced in my direction. If I have to escape, I could just use [wolf walk] and retreat from where I hade from before. It was a reliable ability that I could use whenever I wanted to flee.

    The rumbling trees up ahead were but wind and not from a monster. A sigh of relief escaped from my lips as I sheathed my de back inside the scabbard. But the rustling leaves refused to stop, which gave off an eerie feeling of dread.

    I wanted to investigate the sound, so I moved forward and checked what was behind the bushes.

    My eyes expanded as the crisping mes of the campfire apanied by walking adventurers weed my eyes. The pocket-size castle-which had the same designs as the Maind, stood tall in the middle. Deep inside the rooms, there were the rest of the people cheering for their mugs. Down below was an entire kingdom, popted with various yers and whatnot.

    However, none of them had any non-yer characters with the group. All of them were people found on Earth.

    I slid down the cliff and arrived on the ground in one piece. Upon heading forward, a ward spotted my existence. Their sharpened de pointed in front of my face as they circled me.

    The leader of the scout moved forward and inspected me, using his system. Within a few seconds, he raised his hands and ordered the yers to cease the attack.

    "False rm! It''s just a newbie!" the man shouted.

    Everyone lowered their weapons and approached me with a smile. Men and women of all ages poked my body and looked at my sword. After a few seconds, they burst into tears,ughing about the beginner''s weapon gripped in my hands.

    I remained silent and expressed a faint smile. Nobody would believe that I was Fenrir, the yer who killed an entire empire with a flick of my fingers.

    "We should have killed the man since he will be dead already!" the yer beside me said.

    A woman wearing level 15 clothes and equipped with a bow and arrow aimed her weapon at me. "Just say the word, and I will kill him!"

    For two brats, theirnguage was harshpared to a sailor. Nobody wishes someone to die, especially in this death game. Are these people aware that once we die in Code we die in real life?

    A ring smack echoed in the forest as the two yers who belittled me received their punishment. The captain, who was the normal person in their group, lowered his head.

    "Sorry for their rude behaviour. They are just kids, my elementary students. These two still did not know the situation," the man exined, and expressed a wry smile to the pair.

    He was using a distinctnguage besides Nihongo. Fortunately, I knew that Code trantes all thosenguages into something that we could understand.

    I shook my head and replied, "I know. I have a little sister in my house."

    The two of us smiled and understood each other for a moment. I knew the hardships of babysitting younger children since I had one back home. Our parents died early, so I acted as the dad to Himari.

    "Follow me to the shelter," the bloke added.

    He gestured his hands for me to follow behind. The two children tagged along beside him. Upon ncing back, they stuck their tongues out and mocked me. I brushed off their imprudence and walked forward with the yer.

    The musical sounds of the bard strumming his guitar weed us four as we entered the town. Dozens of lights shed from above, serving asmp posts for the drawing night. However, there was a depressing mood lingering in the atmosphere.

    The faces of the people seated nearby had a stern expression with sorrowful eyes. Their eye bags were visible on their eyelids as they continued crying in the corner. yers who had the figure of a mother caressed their children around their arms, hoping they would cease to wail.

    Everyone had lost their hope as they walked back and forth on the bustling streets without energy or motivation. Their eyes slumped downwards, staring at the concrete floor without a mind for the world. Heavy breaths fogged the air as I trod forward.

    We stumbled upon the tattered building, covered with tints of blood and shes carved from des. The walls looked like they would crack with a single nudge of my hands. Even the door-which used to be sturdy to defend blows of arcane magic was hanging through a thread.

    The repellent eyes red at us with gritting teeth. They thought we were a criminal of some sort that entered the ce. However, when they used their scanning abilities to me, the patrons averted their gaze and resumed conversing with each other.

    All four of us marched to the desk and met a young adventurer with a voluptuous body. The woman had her hair tied up in a bun, befitting an elegant server hired in a five-star hotel. She wore a brown and tight pants that presented her mountain-like buttocks. Her breast was like Mount Everest, two of them pointed at our heads.

    Those two watermelons jiggled at each stroke of her hands while she cleaned the smutted mug.

    "You are back early, Robin," the woman said, and ced the cups back on the shelves.

    She directed her gaze onto me, trying to remember if we had met before. After a moment, the bartender sighed in defeat and shifted her view to the man called Robin.

    "I can see you brought a stray dog, a beginner yer too.." She gyrated around and took the containers from above.

 Chapter 30 - Robin And Friar

    "You know I cannot leave rookies alone out there full of monsters." The man named Robin snatched the mug and poured it with a whiskey-like bottle. "What if they died and I could still save them? Those ostrich-brain adventurers would never dare to rescue those newbies."

    He had a soft but firm voice when giving a reply to the bartender. Robin yed with his cup and tilted the ss. He looked at the ale almost dripping from the other side as he bnced his drink.

    Any nourishment, including alcohol, will not affect our body, but the tastes remain in the beverages. Even if we devoured a bucket of chum and intoxicated ourselves with alcohol, it will not destroy or digest by our organs. The sensation will persist in our head and experience it in actual time.

    The holographic set worked that way.

    "You may be a paedophile if you continue saving them without a cause," the bartender said, as she swiped the bottle away from Robin.

    The man frowned as he saw the ale drifting apart from the board. Robin wanted to reach out and retort, but could not do so. He sumbed to himself with thest pinch of beer left from his mug and chugged it down to his throat.

    "Oh,e on, little brother! If that were you in the woods, I would also help you, you know?" Robin eximed, and xertz thest ounce of beer through his mouth.

    A ring burp escaped from his lips as he looked me in the eye. I stared back at him and uttered nothing but silence. He thought I was still a youngster, wanting to be a hero inside Code. Because of my tiny avatar, Robin believed I was a vulnerable child lost in the forest.

    Little did he know I was Fenrir, the legendary yer, dammit!

    That alone was not enough to surprise me. I shifted my view to the server, whom Robin called the girl as his younger brother. I blinked a million times, hoping that the image before me would change into something else. As soon as the figure remained the same, a sigh fled from my soul.

    I was not against people changing genders in real life or inside the game. I just wanted to confirm what his or her identity was to address the person. It would be troublesome for me if I did not call the person correctly.

    "That girl is your brother?" My thoughts got the better of me as I let my question out loud.

    I jerked my hands and covered up my mouth, trying to redo everything I did. However, I already unleashed my words on their ears as the two of them returned my gaze.

    "Yes. I am a man who has four kids at home." The girl spoke with a sombre expression.

    Despite my revtion, the server had a captivating high-pitch voice of a girl in her teenage years. Her bouncing chest made all the difference. I cannot look straight at the elegant figure, despite forcing my eyes to talk to the girl. It was not because of her sexual identity, but a fragment of my past haunted my brain every time I gaze into her body.

    I remembered myself changing my avatar once when I was still a beginner in this game. I tried bing a girl character for a week, but Himari''s friends made fun of me. It was a grim memory, but I beat the shit out of those homophobic assholes who discriminated against other genders.

    "Are you like those homophobic bastards?" the girl said, and smacked the mug on the board.

    The server''s eyes locked onto mine, not letting me escape from her re. She wanted to squeeze something out of me, but my face was as hard as a stone.

    "No! I am open with you, you know. You can be who you want to be!" I croaked.

    "Good. I thought you''re against gay people. I would''ve crushed your neck if you answered wrong."

    My hands instinctively palpated my nape, hoping that it was still on my head. After feeling my pulsating skin, I exhaled, all the tension dwelling inside of me.

    "Forgive my brother. His son is bisexual, so he wanted to support his child by dressing up as a woman in Code. Now that he is stuck being a woman, please treat my brother as a girl to avoid any confusions," Robin expressed. "By the way, I am Robin Fitzfoot, and this is my brother, Friar Fitzfoot, a married man. We are both living in London but took a day off in America."

    The two brothers were English men, foreigners, different from the country I knew. I grew up in Japan, so their culture differs from mine. We should not interpret our words, but we understood each other because of Code. The game could trante overseasnguages into something yers could understand, regardless of thenguage.

    "A dime a dozen, that''s how it is," Friar added.

    "I''m-," I hesitated, knowing that my name sounded unintelligent when someone said it out loud.

    "You are?" the two men asked in unison.

    "I''m bigbadwolf. You can call me wolf," I continued.

    The pair held theirughter and gave me a nod. The two thought I was kidding around. But once the blokes looked at my status identification, Robin and Friar realised I was telling the truth. Robin cleared his throat and slid his fingers in front of him, activating the system.

    "Let''s not beat around the bush and focus on the task." Robin opened his system and presented his screen.

    An azure box materialised in front of him and showed an announcement given to all adventurers in the guild. Simr to aputer beeping sound, the monitor shed us thetest events happening to us.

    I did not apply for the adventurer''s guild yet, so I had gotten no messages from them. I made this avatar recently, and I had expected much, receiving no news in Code. However, that did not mean I was ignorant about the world.

    "Warner Asimov, the game developer, wanted us, adventurers, to rally against the Elven Kingdom," Robin exined, and read the first few sentences of the texts. "He also mentioned his soldiers are on their way to give us support but did not know when they are going to arrive."

    "He said that we need to kill all the NPCs and save the rest of the yers trapped inside their dungeon before the elves behead them," Friar added, and crossed his shoulders.

    "We kill if we must. If we can stillmunicate with the long-eared creatures, all of us can end the war without hurting anyone!" Robin shouted at the top of his lungs.

    He was a kind man that never wanted to fight. Robin had a recurve strapped behind his back and a dagger hidden on his hips but refused the idea of murdering people, especially non-yer characters.

    "They''re still people, brother."

    "Asimov and his team created those creatures that you call people and intellectuals. None of them is real," Friar opposed.

    Before they could continue their dispute, a morous shriek echoed outside. The three of us and the rest of the consumers went to the za. All of us hoped to see the origin of the sound.

    Upon arriving at the district, a man wearing a thick silver te guarding his chest with a two-handed sword gripped at each of his hands weed our eyes. Kneeling in front of the warrior was a merchant whom I saw before and chased him in this kingdom. The trader had a pale face drenched in sweat, hoping that the man behind him would spare his life. His tattered clothes told us that the yers caught him red-handed and offered him to the death''s door.

    "Please spare my life, adventurer! I will give you everything that I have! Money? Potions? Women? I-I know a red-light district near here! Please, just don''t kill me!" the merchant pleaded, but none of the yers listened to his words.

    Robin marched towards the bulky man and prepared his bow. He did not want to hurt anyone using his weapon, but that did not mean he nned to go there unarmed. The man wished to defend himself and his close friends nearby.

    "Release him, now!" Robin shouted.

    Everyone''s attention went onto him, locking their eyes to the figure. The children and their mothers looked at the scene with frightened hearts. They wished the madness to end, but that was far from the truth.

    It was only the beginning.

    "ying hero?" the pdin asked. "Do you know how many NPC killed us, yers?"

    "I am aware," Robin answered. "But it does not mean that merchant is a dangerous man!"

    I crept into the crowd and watched the urrence happening before me. There was no need for me to interfere or to help the man, but watching him while I did nothing left a bitter taste in my mouth.

    I readied my dagger if something happens to him.

    "This merchant and his friends are all animated beings! They don''t possess any life or emotions! These NPCs killed my friends because they wanted to! If they died, the game developers could add them whenever they want. But my friends, they are long gone!"

 Chapter 31 - The Planned Battle

    Everyone fell silent after hearing the statement of the warrior. Nobody dared to oppose his im, since many of the yers had suffered from the NPCs.

    Robin did not retort as he epted the deration. He mped his fist into a ball and remained silent for aplete minute. Friar rested his hand on Robin''s stiff shoulder, trying to reassure him with his touch. Robin could only grit his teeth from the reality we were all living.

    "I don''t want to fight you, Robin, since you are a valuable force in the guild. We do not want to lose someone as powerful as you, green ranger," the warrior added.

    Despite his robust and menacing body, the warrior had a kind heart. He was the one who urged the yers to fight for our freedom and the leader of the guild. The people had all lost their hope as soon as they heard of the war.

    Without warning, the pdin in front whirled his oversized de. My eyes saw his movements, but it was too nimble for anyone to react. Within a millisecond, the wailing merchant had his head chopped off on the ground. His motionless skull rolled over to the floor andnded beside Robin''s feet, with his eyes staring at the yer.

    Robin wished to retort, but could not do so. He became muted after seeing such a grotesque scene of a body spitting out its crimson blood like a fountain. The red liquid sttered everywhere, but the barrier created by the mage besides the warrior shielded the audience except for the one who killed the NPC.

    The man confidently stood on the tform and raised the trader''s body near his shoulders. Everyone present in the scenes saw the corpse spewing blood non stop in different ces. After aplete minute, bits of nanotechnology surrounded the merchant. The wounds that the merchant had be pixted in our eyes and slowly consumed his body.

    Within a few moments, the sliced body was no more in his arms. The warrior, who knew what would happen, looked at the crowd. He pointed his finger at his clothes, telling us to watch the urrence.

    The blood that was once there vanished in the air and became mosaic bits representing the pixels. After five minutes of the warrior lifting the trader, the lifeless body went with the wind and became dust, hovering in the air.

    "Can''t you see this, Robin? These creatures that you call people disappear within seconds. They don''t have any emotions. They only do what the game developers told them to do, and that is the script. Now that the patterns of these imbeciles became severed, they rebel against us, wanting to fight for their freedom. Don''t you understand?" the warrior exined.

    He extended his arms and directed his gaze to the mass. "From now on, we need to fight for our rights. If the game developers are nning to help us, we need to help those who are also in need. What if your children or friends are inside that Elven Kingdom, trapped and killed by those long-eared bastards? What if those dwarves give them the arsenal they need to fight back against us, yers, adventurers? We have been ying this game for all of our lives. So let''s show them what we are made of!"

    The mothers, children, and the yers listening to his speech widened their eyes and raised their weapons. Their morous cheer echoed through the kingdom as they gave their support for the warrior, the leader of the top guild.

    All those gloomy faces brightened up with a sinister smile. The oppressed found their glimmer of hope after hearing such a magnificent speech. However, not everyone had a pleasant expression after perceiving such a statement.

    Robin turned around and walked back to the inn with his head hung low. Friar followed suit and went towards the guild. The two of them did not want to counter what the warrior had mentioned before. I stood like a statue, unable to decide who to follow.

    I could tag along with the two brothers, but that would mean staying idle for the time being. I needed to save my friend Ryoshi, who was taken by the elves. Although I was a veteran yer of this game, I knew nothing about the whereabouts of the elves.

    But looking at the pdin, he might have known something about the long-eared kingdom.

    "Are you an adventurer?" the warrior asked.

    He directed his gaze into my eyes and sauntered towards me. The pdin rested his two-handed de on his hips and looked at the people surrounding us. A faint smile curved on his lips, thinking about what he had said during his speech.

    "Yes, I am," I answered.

    "I think I''ve seen you before. You resemble someone I know. Someone strong and menacing, like a canine"

    "You must have mistaken me for someone else," I retorted.

    A long pause propped between us as we stared into each other''s eyes. The warrior scrutinised my avatar, recalling someone he said that represented my features. The only character that mimics my look was Fenrir, my main ount I cannot use.

    "Is that so? I must be tired to think that you''re Fenrir," the pdin whispered.

    I maintained the stern look on my face after hearing such a statement. The warrior must have known something about Fenrir that even I did not know.

    "We ept beginners and veteran yers in our conquest. By the looks of your avatar, you are a smurf yer, are you?" the warrior asked.

    A smurfer were professional and skilled yers creating new ounts to finish rank D quests from the guild. These newly created avatars also filled the slots for adventuring associations (guilds) and used them for tournaments. Nobody wanted to y against those smurfers since they were somebody ying behind those consoles who were out of their leagues. Novices never ceased sending theirints to the game developers.

    However, their voices were still unheard of despite their continuous attempts to shut down these smurfs in the leaderboard.

    "How can you tell?" I asked.

    I already wanted to join in their cause. The warrior inviting me over to his group saved me a lot of time and effort.

    "With a nce, you looked like a person who would kill anyone in Code without giving a damn," the warrior appended. "Or, you can prove me wrong. Whatever it is, I want you in my team. You can join in with our assembly tomorrow morning."

    I spared a glimpse of the building behind me where the two brothers were staying. Robin did not want to fight against anyone who cannot defend themselves. He had a point, but the fighter before me had already charmed the yers for war.

    If this warrior mentioned nothing about the NPC''s emotionless state, would they still fight for the same cause? Or would they spare the time to talk with the elves? I did not know the answer.

    "Sure. Lead the way." I answered.

    The man gave me a nod and went ahead to the za. All the people who listened to his demation trailed behind me, wanting to join the group attacking the Elven Kingdom.

    We headed forth towards the gloomy road with a single workingmppost shone our way. The families and yers filled the abandoned inns, trying to find some ce to sleep in and call for the night. They had nowhere else to go but secure themselves inside this tiny kingdom of Freiy.

    "What happened to the Maind?" I asked, shattering the silence of our journey.

    "Ah, the Maind? We brought them down and burned the empire to the ground," the warrior pronounced. "The elders who remained inside the castle ordered the knights to seize the yers. I witnessed everything. I saw them pinning the helpless yers on the wall, even killing them off. Fortunately, my friends and I were always online. We defended our ground and fought our way back, leading to the destruction of the kingdom. After destroying the Maind, we heard that Code became a death game; whoever died in the game would die in real life."

    The warrior took his soaked bag and slurped down the remaining water from his pouch. After letting out an exhale of relief, the pdin resumed telling his story.

    "My guild tried visiting each neighbouring kingdom, hoping to find some yers trapped inside the town. However, by the time we arrived, we were already toote."

    I could only listen to his tale as we arrived at the guild. The building had piles of stones glued together and a wooden sign in the middle. If I can put the ce into words, I would say that the dog had a better structure than the primary establishment. It was because of the materials used for the construction that the dog upiedpared to the actual building.

    The warrior let out an exhausted sigh and announced, "we''re here. Sorry for the dismantled chairs and sofas over there.. We have found no buildings that we can make use of here in Freiy. But please, make yourself at home!"

 Chapter 32 - The Worn Out Carriage

    The warrior lent me a room to stay upstairs. He told me it was an abandoned, yet spacious chamber that nobody wanted to lodge in for the night. I was frantic to find some ce that I can call my own, so I epted his offer and ascended the series of steps.

    The warriors and the yers will form a meeting tomorrow morning when the rooster crows the loudest. They nned on rallying everyone willing to breach Nirvana, the Elven Kingdom, and free the trapped yers inside their dungeon.

    I was one of those people to join in their cause and help the guild. I wanted to break my best friend free, Ryoshi, caged by the long-eared elves, and exit the game.

    However, the event was more than that. The guild members sought revenge against these NPCs who killed the yers throughout the game, thinking we had gone rogue and berserk after killing the king.

    I brushed off these grim thoughts as I entered inside my humble home for tonight.

    My bottom lounged on the mattress and fell t on the rectangr bed. A soft stting noise echoed inside the room, but I paid it no mind, thinking that it was not worth my time checking. ''The sound must havee from my pants,'' I whispered, and resumed back to sleep. I snuggled my arms at the make-shift pillow offered by the warrior for me before and went to the dream world right after.

    The morning came, and the sunshine woke me up from my soundless sleep. Coincidentally, a knocking from the door alerted my senses, telling me I needed to work my way toward the ingress.

    "Are you awake, wolf?" A voice called upon my name.

    "Coming!"

    I pped my face and headed off towards the ingress. Sliding the door open, I saw the pdin from before with his two-handed weapon nestled at his hip. Beside him was a petite and bald man wearing an obsidian tunic and a pair of sses. Gripped in his hand was a stave meant for mages in Code. It had an oval dark gem resting on top, which was the source of his magic.

    "You have a pinkish mark on your face. Did youe prepared?" A four-eyed bloke asked as he fixed his sses.

    "Yeah, yeah. I''m fine. Nothing to worry about," I retorted, and dusted off my clothes.

    "Thisd here is my assistant for today''s meeting! We cannot thank you enough for attending our assembly." the warrior expressed, and nodded.

    I nced at the assistant of the brawny man beside him. He jerked upwards like a nervous cat and returned my gaze. "I work for him."

    "I see. Then, it is a pleasure to join your team!" I answered.

    The two advanced to the hall, and I tagged along behind. The stomps from their heavy footwear resonated across the stairs, attracting the attention of the crowd below us. All their eyes tracked us three as we descended the stairs and arrived at the wooden board.

    Hundreds of yers gathered around the room, armed with different weapons and sses. Some of them had the thief, priest, and even tamer sses that were rare to find in Code. cing those characters aside, I went with the crowd and positioned myself behind, leaving the two men who fetched me upstairs.

    The warrior and his assistant parted ways with me and went to the middle of the pack. They waved their hands and summoned the monitor meant to ept and post requestsing from the guild.

    The adventurer''s guild was an international organisation created by various servers representing each country''s ying Code. We also had one leading Japan, but I did not know where they were right now.

    "I remember him now," I murmured to myself, and inspected the warrior and hispanion.

    Those two were leaders of a different faction, Western Country Guild. The pdin was the leader of the guild, with his assistant guiding the members. However, the club they handled was just a branch to the main one, which had been a silent group until now.

    "What we''re doing now is not a part of the regime that the government asked for, but a request that came from our group. The yers trapped inside their cells sent this task for us to take. We will save our friends inside Nirvana and kill as many elves as we can. I, Captain Mer, founder of the second branch of the Western Guild, cannot promise our victory. But we will still give our all and lead you like we always did during our raids," Captain Mer announced, and raised his two-handed weapon with one hand.

    "NOW, WHO''S WITH ME!"

    Roaring apuse reverberated inside the hall right after the speech. More yers were listening to the announcement outside of the guild, wanting to support the benevolent cause. Everyone gave their perching ears to the leader and heeded the instructionsid on their screens.

    They also sent me an invitation to join their organisation. But I refused the guild''s offer to avoid sharing my identity. I did not want anyone to find out my name in public. It had always been that way for me. Fortunately, Mer''s assistant understood my im and gave me the note to an outsider. I will not receive any rewards regardless of the task''spletion.

    The n was simple. All of us would surround the Elven Kingdom and burn the treehouses near the citadel. They knew that the Grandmother, La Finta, would save those long-eared civilians and order her knights to protect theirnd.

    "That is the time we will strike! If the rangers take our bait, the veterans, us, will break inside and head inside the dungeon. My assistant and I can handle a few of those wardens with ease, so don''t worry. Do what you think is best for the group and stay alive, you hear me?" Mer asked, and directed his gaze to the merry men and women.

    The yers lifted their des once again and yelled out a battle cry. Everyone became eager for the events and could not wait for the war to happen. I, who had gone through themands, shook my head.

    I knew the elves were more than just NPC since I fought against them before. La Finta was an opponent that could stand toe to toe against me when she used the bow. She would precisely hit me from afar despite my second wolf form, which heightened all my senses and reflexes.

    We would also engage in battle against the elves in their homnd, their territory. Some of these novice yers were still unfamiliar with the environment, which would make our advance strenuous. If I''m honest to myself, I knew nothing about Nirvana, not until I read the article. Me butting heads against La Finta before was a mistake I made when I was still a troll.

    Long story short, I made a bet with the elves from an in-game casino. The elf that yed against me lost all of his belongings and gave me a fountain of life, one of the concocted potions made with the finest of sap.

    I still had that brew with me in my main ount, but I cannot ess it now, not with this bigdaddywolf ount.

    "Did you find something wrong with the n?" Mer asked, and leaned his head near my shoulders.

    The azure screen showed the poorly drawn interior of Nirvana, and the forest surrounding its kingdom.

    "Nothing. I just think that the elves would be stronger than we might have thought they could be?" I answered, and went away.

    I did not want to hear any criticisming from the crowd, so I slipped away from the mob. These people were free to believe whatever their guts told them to believe.

    The night finally came as we charged forward to the forest, bringing with us one thousand yers in total. It was smaller than an army, but enough to bring an empire down, or so they thought.

    I travelled with the guild and followed the two leaders at the front lines. We headed forth to the forest and met the ocean of trees under the ruined viaduct. Mer split the group into two so we could travel both over the bridge and across the woond below. His assistant volunteered, leading the other half down the forest, while Mer and I proceeded on the elevated road.

    They equipped themselves with heavy te armours and enchanted tools surrounding their bodies. The pair looked formidable, but I believe the elves were also powerful foes. The monsters reigning in the jungle were also a threat that we needed to look after.

    The only light source we used was the moonlight shining upon us. We did not want to lure any attention from the elves and monsters or even peddlers by ident. All we had to do was to trust the people in front and follow their lead.

    Mer signalled his hands to cease our walk. The assistant saw his gesture and ordered the yers on the ground to stop in their tracks.

    "What did you find?" A high-pitch sound rang in our ears as we saw the chat appearing on our monitors.

    It was a public group chat we could use tomunicate without using words. I excluded myself from the group so I did not receive any messages from the leaders or in the guild. However, because of my heightened senses as a Lycan, I could perceive their conversation.

    "We saw remnants of broken wood that came from a carriage.. Can you confirm it on the ground and tell me what you''ve found?" Mer asked, and sent the message.

 Chapter 33 - Monster Horde

    "I can confirm the wooden nks and a piece of the wheel near the bushes, Mer. I think this belongs to a cart, as you''ve said." The four-eyed man waved his hand, hoping that Mer could see his figure below. "It looks like a royal one from the Maind."

    The captain gave him a thumbs up and sent him a text message in the group chat.

    "Okay. Continue moving forward. There''s a cave up ahead. You won''t miss it. It serves as andmark for the entrance into Nirvana," Mer replied, and posted his message. "Our forces will resume searching in a bird''s-eye-view. We will tell you what we can find up here."

    Their information was on the mark. The Elven Kingdom hid their empire inside a magical cave, cosmic enough to fill hundreds of thousands of long-eared elves inside their town. They even had their citadel standing at the centre of their kingdom, if my memories served me right.

    However, these features were not visible from the outside world. A barrier of some sort concealed this ce, blocking any entranceing from strangers. The faint simmering magic heated my skin, mixed with the air.

    If I were a novice who barely knew Code, I would not notice this subtle sensation.

    Mer opened his monitor and studied the arcane swirling around the alp, but he did not know where those enigmatic aurase from. His scanning ability failed to do its work, showing that it had sensed anything extraordinary. I could also perceive this circling magic since I heightened my senses using my Lycanthrope ss. But this feature was not present in all yers, showing that the members did not notice the strange aura surrounding the summit.

    If Mer could perceive the indistinct aura, his ss and equipment must have done something behind the scenes.

    "Can you see those arcane magic, too?" Mer nced behind and asked me a question.

    I jerked back and widened my eyes at the sudden question. Mer knew I was an unordinary fellow, a smurfer, who joined their team. I returned her gaze and opened my mouth.

    "I do, and the energy is bing rampant the closer I look." I answered. "That ce must be the kingdom. It''s so obvious now that I can see it firsthand."

    Mer could only chuckle to himself, knowing that he was correct all this time. He spared a glimpse at my side and gave me a wry smile.

    "You''re a big shot in Code, but refuse to show it. You must have your reasons for doing so, but we need your help right now. I believe you know the ce better than I do."

    "No. I have never visited Nirvana, not even once in my lifetime. Well, maybe I will during this trip," I retorted.

    Mer averted his gaze from me and fiddled with his system. He stood at the stone and shifted his view, directing his eyes at the crowd behind us. All five hundred yers who continued following his lead raised their heads and lent their ears."

    "Keep your eyes peeled for a cave with vines," Mer announced and ordered the yers to continue forward. "Or even better, an entrance to that cave. That ce is Nirvana. We just need to enter that damn fortress."

    We arrived at the forest''s heart and met with the various brown barks and humongous looking leaves. The mushy ground absorbed our feet and left a thousand footsteps as we marched ahead. Beside our trailsy footprints left by the monsters within our vicinity, hunting for their prey. It was only a matter of time before we could discern one of those before entering Nirvana, the Elven Kingdom.

    The suspended bridge led to the ground and onwards, around the mountain. The towering trees served as a panel at each side of the viaduct, creating a forest setting as we went further inside the woond, despite the elevated tform.

    We could not proceed towards the summit, telling us it was an obstruction that we cannot enter. But I knew too well that ce was the Elven''s empire.

    "Use your scanning abilities and find any monsters in our area. Do not engage inbat. I repeat, do not engage with these monsters inbat." Mer shouted and also sent the announcement into texts to the group chat.

    The assistant below did the same and instructed the yers to avoid fighting against these beasts. Every yer heeded his advice and became wary about their surroundings. Some mages even cast preemptive shields to safeguard the yers, while other warriors revealed their des.

    However, the fiends had an original n.

    The grizzly bears and other creatures appeared behind the bushes. Their scarlet orbs peered through the weeds, showing dread and terror to our group. The monsters followed their presence with a mour growl, signalling the start of our battle.

    "To arms, yers! Charge! Don''t let them go near you!"

    Mer shouted at the top of his lungs and swung his two-handed de below. The forceing from his weapon generated a fierce gust of wind that pushed the monsters at bay. To those who had withstood the attack, the fiendish mammals looked up at him with intense hatred in their eyes.

    The monsters changed targets and leapt across the ground, carrying their raging anger carved on their orbs. These four-legged monstersnded on the viaduct in front of us. They bared their ws and gritted their nasty teeth as they met our eyes.

    We saw no demonic possession or curse in them while using our scanning ability. These creatures were just animals lurking in the forest, hunting down their next meal.

    Those walking creatures were the least of our problems. As we lifted our heads, the pping of birds in the distance echoed through our surroundings. These winged beasts were flying dinosaurs, Pterodactyl maybe, as they continued hovering in our direction.

    "It''s one monster after the other," Mer grunted while tackling the charging bear towards him.

    He mercilessly beheaded the monster before him and tossed it at the side. Mer lifted his weapon and pointed the tip of the de at the hundred grizzly bears waiting in line.

    Their numbers were just half of their army who had climbed up the bridge. The rest of their forces were busy fighting against the ground, with the assistant guiding the yers.

    The number of yers alive on the screen decreased continuously as the fight continued to prolong. We had not even started breaching Nirvana, yet we lost a hundred yers already.

    Our future looks grim the longer we sh our des against these beasts.

    "This is nothingpared to the earth-dragonst month!" Mer yelled, and leapt from the ground.

    His figure shrank as he reached the heavens above. After a few seconds, Mer returned from the sky and mmed his weapon at the bridge, creating a magnitude strong enough to destroy half of the tform. Amidst his flight, Mer sent the yers a message, telling us to head to the ground and find shelter. He did not want the novice yers to die from these monsters before rescuing their loved ones from the elves.

    All the adventurers descended from the viaduct, like Mer had ordered, and joined forces with the assistant. I stayed put on the bridge and watched the entire scene unravel in front of me. A mere earthquake would never be enough to frighten me.

    This attack could hardly even damage, let alone kill me.

    "You are a peculiar one, aren''t you?" Mer eximed as he saw me bncing my body from the falling debris of the concrete bridge.

    "What can I say, I''m a smurfer." I grinned.

    The two of usnded on the ground, unscathed. Upon looking at the death count, Mer killed one hundred monsters, apart from the flying ones above. We nced at our side and met with the four-eyed man running in our way.

    "We lost one hundred yers, Mer. We haven''t reach Nirvana yet-,"

    "We can make it, okay? We just need some time." Mer cut off his sentence and tapped his shivering shoulder.

    His words were reassuring, but the threat was still surrounding our army. My eyes wandered around and met the situation at my fore. It was the same as the assistant had said.

    Corpses weed my eyes, with the yers dying in the battle. Millions of spells loomed above head, hitting both the trees and nearby trees, creating a sudden wildfire in our surroundings. The ring growlsing from the bears reverberated in the forest, creating dread and hopelessness to the yers.

    Some of them even ran away and disbanded with the guild, and others had resigned defending their lives.

    But all those scenes changed when Mer entered the fray. Like a hero born to lead, he used his weapon to cleave the rest of the monsters in half in a straight line. Those grizzly bears did not stand a chance as theyy t on the floor.

    The floating monsters dove from the sky, hoping to ambush Mer. However, he expected this to happen already. The mighty warrior used [swift sh] in his surroundings and ended the miserable lives of these foul beasts. Those who witnessed their friends chopped off before they fled from the scenes. They knew that the yer standing in front of the battle was not an opponent they could face.

    We thought the skirmish was over, but we were wrong. Like a bullet passing through, an arrow pierced through Mer''s shoulders. It was near his chest, so the damage was critical.

    "I knew those long-eared bastards would show up," Mer muttered, and fell on his knees.

 Chapter 34 - Inside The Citadel Of Nirvana

    I raced towards Mer and gave him a helping hand. It was not like me to help someone in need. There was not an event where I had any teammates backing me up or the other way around. Ipleted my missions alone, and it would always be like that. So saving someone''s ass was a fresh start for me, but I will eventually leave him behind when given a chance.

    I trusted no one inside and outside of the game. The only people that I would ce my bet on are my sister and Ryoshi.

    I did not have any protective skills to shield him, but I broke all the iing arrows in our direction. A sudden crash reverberated in front of me as I blocked and shattered each bolt. Upon inspecting each shaft, the designs indeed came from the long-eared elves guarding the forest. It had a viridescent hue covering the body and the tip of the arrows. The elves imbued their weapons with gusts of wind, enhancing the arrow''s speed and strength.

    I nced behind me and met with the zing embers uprooting the trees. Orange and crimson colour filled the forest as I wandered my eyes. The wildfireing from our spells alerted them.

    The elves were on their way in our direction.

    "No. It''s alright. I am fine. I just, uh-, need a potion." Despite the grimace he was showing, Mer waved his hand and used the other to get something in his inventory.

    A potion was a sk with chemicals brewed by an ancient alchemist here in Code. If an individual digests the red potions, that creature will regain its lost energy and life points. There were some cases that the red potion could amplify wound regeneration. Pharmacologists and doctors continued messing up these vials, mixing modern medicine with magic.

    There were other potions as well, but that topic did not matter for now.

    After a few moments, Mer hauled one red potion and xertz it through his lips. He even wasted some drops on the floor, but he got the effects of the concoction. The reactions were immediate; his wounds closed up, his muscles rxed, and the skin damaged by the arrow healed on its own. A soothing chimeing from the healing process echoed in our surroundings. That part was also in the game.

    I will never get bored seeing such a fantasy healing process like this.

    "There! All fixed!" A smile emerged on his face as the guild''s captain rose from his knees.

    However, his croaking voice told me otherwise. I scanned his health bar and red at the small scarlet rod showing his health. It did not look like he was okay with me. One arrow in the chest would bring Mer into misery for sure if I had to guess his fate right.

    With a ssh of a scarlet potion, one could effortlesslye back from wounded to feeling better already.

    "We better move forward if we want to win," Mer expressed and swung his de at the surrounding bush.

    A couple of screams red behind the trees, showing us they died from the attack. Within a second, the lifeless bodies of those elves crashed in front of us and soon disintegrated. It was like Mer had said. Those corpses slowly faded away and became pixie dust, unlike actual human beings.

    "There are more of them out there," Mer announced.

    "I''m on it," I answered.

    I leapt across the branches and used them as tforms for me to jump on and advance. A twitching sound echoed at each bough, but I paid it no mind. My eyes looked ahead and spotted some figures lurking in the shadows. Those elves loved hiding behind the gigantic trees and using them as a cover for their spot. I knew all of this information since I fought them once after they lost a bet against me.

    As soon as I encountered the long-eared species, I used the pommel of my knife to make the rangers unconscious. I did not want to kill them yet. A part of me that refused to be a monster. I would only kill if necessary, but if there were a situation where I can leave them alive, I would not kill those innocent souls. If this were still the actual game of Code, I would have sliced their head or slit their throat. However, the world changed inside here.

    My reasons shifted when I heard about the death game. Killing someone inside or outside the game would make me a murder, regardless of the characters, especially after diving in the memories of Red-an NPC. It would be inhuman for me to kill one of my own. Killing NPCs would also leave a bitter taste inside my mouth.

    However, those yers out there would kill these elves once they saw them. These people weren''t like me. I needed to hide their bodies at the sides behind the bushes or barks of trees if I wanted them to survive.

    "This is the least that I can do for you, ranger," I whispered, and pushed the sleeping body upwards and on the bush, hoping that the yers could never find them.

    I moved forward and did the same thing for the dozens of elves. Using my [wolf walk] (which granted me stealth and concealment). I stunned the wardens and pushed them on the hidden spots.

    Before I knew it, I was in front of the recognisable cave covered with thousands of vines.

    "The entrance. Who would''ve guessed that the entry would be at the mountain''s bottom?" I muttered, and sliced off the sheet of creeping nts at my fore.

    It was as I had expected. There was a tunnel leading onwards inside the cave. It felt more like a distorted cavern, uninviting anyone who came across the ingress. If I had topare it with a shabby home, this cave hit the throne of worst exterior design for a passageway.

    I nced behind and saw the yers still fighting against the remaining monsters and elves. All of them got preupied with the battle. They neglected someone who had breached their base.

    I could notify Mer and the others that I was inside the kingdom, but the effort was not like me. I only used the guild as bait, and now that I was inside, all I had to do was look for my lost friend inside the dungeon. And besides, I opened the path for them. It was up to them to look around that inviting entrance I made after cutting the vines covering the mountain''s mouth.

    Thousands of elves marched through the entrance and collided against the guild''s forces. Although the yers outmatched their opponents, they were dealing with thousands of elves at once without rest.

    I raced through the vige and met the gazes of the frightened vigers right next to their treehouses. Like any other creatures, these civilians wanted nothing more but to be alive with their loved ones. I knew the game developers made these Elven people still had emotions carved on their faces.

    It was strenuous for me to move on, but I needed to. I will cross every mountain and sail the vast oceans to save Ryoshi.

    "And if the timees, I will kill whoever stands in my way," I whispered, and headed forward without looking at my sides.

    It was not my concern to help them, so I proceeded onwards to locate the dungeon inside the citadel. Where else could I find the Elven jail? If I were the king of a kingdom, I would have also ced the prison below my fort.

    Using my [wolf walk], I passed by the agitated guards and snuck myself inside the castle. It was not an effortless feat, but I made it at the entrance. Despite having hundreds of levels besides their names, those elves did not have any means to discover my stealth skill.

    The gates behind me shut close, obstructing any intruder who had entered the kingdom. I arrived in the nick of time and forced my way inside. I was fortunate enough that my abilitysted as soon as Inded here inside the fort.

    The only thing that I had to do now was to find the whereabouts of Ryoshi.

    A map materialised on the upper side of my screen. It would mark and draw everything I trek inside the castle. It was a handy tool given to yers who had this system ability.

    "All I have to do is wander around and head below." I sneaked past the guards into the area and found a cosmic hall. There was a garden to my right and another door leading elsewhere on my left. The one in the middle caught my eyes, thinking that I should be the one leading downwards.

    "Here goes nothing," I said, and walked forward.

    As I had expected, the room was the empty throne of Grandmother La Finta. Instead of the elegant chair found at each temple, the elves had their throne shaped like a leaf. Beside the green chair were millions of lily pods, amplifying the nature designs.

    "Nobody''s home?" I asked, and looked around. I needed to be sure instead of running aimlessly inside the castle.

    However, boy, I waspletely wrong.

 Chapter 35 - The Assembly

    La Finta''s Point of View

    ____________

    Slight recap. Remember that Guinevere and La Finta went to the meeting room? Well! I will tell you what happened there! You might think this chapter is a filler chapter, but, no! I guess? I believe this is an important part of the story~ Chapter recap is around chapter 23

    _______________

    "The elders and I will hold a meeting soon. I invite you as the representative of humanity and provide your insights into the assembly," I expressed. "You are theirst hope, so your words can affect the rise or fall of your kingdom."

    After the long talk, I led Queen Guinevere to the opposite gate, leaving Red and Match inside the hall. They nned on visiting the garden. As long as a ranger was guarding them, nothing woulde out wrong.

    I requested a warden near the gates. The range rushed to Eve''s aid and carried her towards her room. I had taken care of Guinevere''s daughter, so we proceeded to our destination.

    The door shut behind us as we headed forward to the meeting room. We soon entered a divine ce that my eyes could never tire of seeing.

    The world changed into the recognisable mini-forest that my granddaughter had made and decorated. She wanted to have something green filled with fleeting leaves and trees, like the woond outside the cave. My granddaughter even brought wild animals from here and there, nestled in the corner. Further towards the aisle was the board for our meeting.

    A short elf girl with long ears sat on the bench, fiddling with the cocoons in her hands. She had golden hair fluttering behind her. The elf girl wore an emerald tunic with intricate patterns drawn in the middle. After a few moments, the girl finally noticed us approaching her way.

    The figure was Elina, my granddaughter, waiting in a chair for us to arrive.

    "My dear, what are you doing here? I told you to stay in your bed. There are guests in the hall. You should meet those lovely humans, Elina." I called out her name.

    The tiny girl swivelled her head and met my eyes. With a giddy hop, Elina stood from her seat and raced in my direction.

    "Where have you been! I was waiting for you the entire day!"

    Elina squinted and narrowed her eyes. Her lips curled downwards, telling me she was in a furious expression.

    I nudged her shoulders and replied, "You know I''m busy, dear."

    I nced at my side and addressed Queen Guinevere. The crowned human bowed her head and exchanged introductions with Elina. With my hand waved in her way, I introduced her to my granddaughter.

    Elina did the same and made a brief introduction to her name.

    "You brought a human inside the kingdom, grandma?" Elina reacted.

    Her eyes wandered everywhere, hoping that this situation would cease to happen. However, Elina met my gaze and ced up a stern look on her face.

    "Elina! Didn''t I tell you to address me as your Grandmother in front of an audience, not grandma?" I scolded her. "I told you a million times already, yet you would not listen!"

    She rolled her eyes and answered, "But grandma, you told me that humans are frightening species, ruler of the four continents. They''re smelly, disgusting, and even puny animals-!"

    I gave her the leer, but her eyes were closed while saying all of those. Elina only stopped her sentence midway after feeling a sudden pain surging through her skin.

    My hands went for her hips and pinched her sides. Elina jerked upwards and swatted my hand. With eyes sending lighting strikes, she grunted and left with an exhale.

    "Eek! What was that for?" She screamed.

    Queen Guinevere chuckled while she watched our horsey.

    "Kids. I know. They''re really energetic," she murmured.

    I heaved out a sigh and expressed my apologies for Guinevere.

    "I''m sorry for Elina''s behaviour. It does not look like it, but she is eighty years old." I exined to Guinevere, who had her eyes widened in shock.

    She quivered her hands from side to side, telling me it was alright. Guinevere understood my feelings. And the only thing that she did not understand was the age gap between her and Elina. Guinevere''s kids were around eight years old. Mine was ten times more than Eve.

    The crowned human wanted to say something, but kept her words behind her tongue. Guinevere did not want to offend my granddaughter or me, so keeping everything in silence was the best option she could offer.

    "Can I join your meeting?" Elina broke the silence.

    Her sudden question left me motionless. Upon turning around, Elina had her eyes drooping on the ground, wanting to cry. Although this girl acts like a spoiled brat, Elina knew about the situation we were in right now.

    Elina was the general of our army, despite her young age. She was a talented mage. The first time we saw her wielding a stave was around seventy years old. Nobody could cast any abilities until the age of fifty except for her.

    These gullible characteristics we saw right now were her act. Deep inside her heart, Elina was still a child. However, her brain outmatched any other veterans on the battlefield. After her parents died, she remained secluded inside this empire.

    Elina''s parents died from a party of yers. We apprehended those adventurers and seized them. However, I cannot bring myself to tell her that grim story.

    "You cannot be a part of this meeting. Now, scurry along!" I pushed her aside, hoping she would listen.

    But Elina fought back and returned my effort. She yearned to listen and take part in the assembly.

    "What if there is some vital information that I needed to know but didn''t, since I cannot attend this meeting? I wished for that information, Grandmother." Her nonchnt eyes became round and piercing.

    Elina''s sudden change of behaviour made our atmosphere tense. Guinevere even felt the aura shifted as she spotted my granddaughter''s shift in tone. Elina was not like this unless dealing with prominent topics such as this war.

    With a defeated sigh, I pulled a chair to her side and invited her to sit. "But you need to be quiet as a snake, got it?"

    Elina feverishly nodded her head and perched on the wooden bench. I checked her behaviour once again, hoping she would show discipline and honour me in front of Guinevere. Much to my surprise, Elina did nothing to make me feel ashamed.

    I rolled the scroll to the table and activated its runes. After a few seconds, beeping sounds reverberate inside the mini-forest, alerting the elders for the meeting.

    Twelve elves appeared before us. Each of them wore a different colour of tunic, portraying their power. Their colours were close to the green hue, but my granddaughter and I had the emerald one.

    We had more authority than all of thembined.

    The elders stole a nce at my side, scrutinising Elina for attending such a royal assembly. Their eyes wandered for more and spotted Queen Guinevere. With chilling eyes, five of them stood up and retorted.

    "Why is the Maind''s queen here with us?"

    "Crowned Ruler of Maind, why are you taking part in this meeting?"

    "What happened to the Maind?"

    "I knew the yers were behind this!"

    "Is the Maind scheming for our demise?"

    Those were the words spewed from their mouths. With one wave of my hand, I silenced their quacking lips.

    "We do not show ignorance in front of her majesty." I gave my respect to Queen Guinevere and introduced her to the elders.

    Guinevere knew the twelve, so she lowered her head and greeted each of them. As soon as she finished her introductory, I exined the situation to the elders. I told them everything that had happened, especially the war.

    All the elders had their faces carved with shock or dread. Their wrinkles showed on their face as they continued listening to the story. Even Elina, who got rarely dazed to hear something, had her mouth left hanging near the board.

    "It is true. A yer killed my husband, King Arthur,." Guinevere seconded my statement.

    Everybody knew that the meeting was about our movements. Even before starting this assembly, I ced my quest on the obelisk and posted the war. We needed to preserve our species and kill most yers.

    The elves will not sit idly and watch our brethren die in vain.

    "We already killed most Elven yers in our empire. However, we did not want to cause an uproar, so we left a few inside the dungeon." I exined.

    The yers were more advanced than us. However, we were ten steps ahead of them.

    "What do you suggest, elders, since you are wise and old," I asked.

    None of them gave me a reply. One elder tried speaking out of his mind but retracted his im. Although we started the war, we cannot just y the part of bing viins inside this world. We killed the yers to instil fear from the yers, not the other way around.

    They killed the Maind''s king. Those yers wille and murder the seeding rulers inside this.

    "Why not ask the dragonewt and dwarves for an alliance? If we know these yers would wage war against us, we need to ask for their support, do we not?" Elina was the one who spoke.

    All of our eyes gazed upon her figure standing from her seat. Elina''s voice brought power and tranquillity to the conversation. I knew she was the driving force of our kingdom.

    "We should contact them now and send them a request. All of you are not against this, right?" I asked them a question while summoning a text message.

    It was like Elina had mentioned. We need more force to win against these yers. Long-eared elves could destroy a town with our enchanted arrows. However, yers can destroy a kingdom with just a flick of their fingers if they wanted to.

    "We also need to strengthen our defences on the gates. We need to ask for more sentries and guard the outposts in the forest. I deduced those yers woulde charging towards our kingdom. Since that is going to happen, we should barricade our castle and look out for any intruders creeping inside our pce." Elina continued her exnation.

    "How can you tell that they are going to attack right now?" An elder reacted, voicing his uncertainties from my granddaughter''s statement.

    "If my Grandmother got kidnapped, I would definitely charge forward and rescue her blindly. I wouldn''t wait for the backup forces to arrive. So do those yers."

    Speaking of the devil, a violent eruption disrupted our meeting.

 Chapter 36 - The Big Scheme

    (Back to Red''s Point of View)

    The recap chapter is around Chapter 26 where Red Rose conversed with Match. Anyway, onto the story~

    _______________

    The merchant''s words haunted me even in my sleep. All my cells twitched every time something reminded me about thepletion of the game. I could only think about avenging my parents for their unjust death.

    "I need to take the emerald obelisk from La Finta," I whispered.

    Those were the thoughts dangling inside my head. After hearing obelisks from the merchant, my goal shifted. I didn''t even know the identity of the merchant. And yet, here I was, trusting his words.

    I needed to get the four obelisks, and the emerald resin was within the grasps of my hands. It was my only chance to meet the creator, the game developer. La Finta had the gemstone on her ne. I was sure of it, since it nestled on her neck when we met from the hall.

    She was the Grandmother of Nirvana. And that glowing light was my answer.

    ''La Finta, being the crowned ruler of elves, must have that emerald stone,'' I thought, and continued scheming what to do soon, even if it meant killing her.

    ....

    [Wake up, Master Red!] A yowling voice resonated through my eardrums, but my body did not listen.

    My lids kept my orbs shut tight, refusing to jolt back awake. I had an exhausting night, so waking up in the middle of my sleep would defeat the purpose of taking a rest for my body.

    However, it persisted and barged inside my mind, continuing to rouse me from my dream. I had no choice but to address the inner voice scowling inside of me.

    [Wake up, Master Red! Nirvana is under attack!]

    I heeded the voice and peeled my eyes wide open. The walls surrounding me quivered as if we were in an earthquake, creating dozens of crevices on the panels. My upper limbs grabbed Match and shook her shoulder. I needed to wake her up before the ceiling above would bury us alive.

    "Match, wake up!" I nudged her shoulder and woke the little girl from her slumber.

    A soft grunt escaped from her lips as Match opened her eyes and met my gaze. I continued poking her face to confirm her state. Her expression changed in panic as Match looked at her surroundings.

    The paintings on the wall fell to the ground. A crack became visible from the crash, but it was not enough to destroy the floor. The two of us sat on our mattress and looked each other in the eyes.

    "What''s happening, Red?" Match asked while backing away from the bed.

    Her body was too stiff to move. I held her hands and caressed her head. With a beam, Match eased her face and formed a smile on her lips.

    "We need to get out of here now!" Imanded, and pulled the little girl away from the room.

    Her body followed my lead as I barged through the door. We made an extemporaneous dash outside of the room and descended the stairs. A couple of rangers ran past us, but they did not bother greeting our figures.

    If I had to guess the situation, the legion of yers have already made their way to Nirvana. They nned on destroying the entrance and forcing themselves inside. If I were in their shoes, I would have done the same thing.

    "We need to escape from here," I expressed, and carried Match in my arms.

    I sprinted towards the exit and met with the army of rangers lined up across the town. The yer''s attack had yet reached the insides, so this was a perfect chance for our escape. I just needed a carriage to ce Match away from here and return for the obelisk.

    I shifted my view and located the stables near the castle. Upon knowing the ce, I rushed towards the East and weed the wooden barn. My system did not tell me what was inside, but I knew this ce was the parking spot for all the carriages stored inside Nirvana.

    I ced Match on the ground and ventured onward to the stall. My hands slid the gates open and greeted the multiple royal andmon carriages, weing my eyes.

    There were multiple carriages stored inside the barn. I had many options to choose from, but we needed something light and durable on our journey. I nned on travelling to the Dwarven Kingdom after this urrence if we made it out alive.

    Browsing the caravans, I spotted something that piqued my interest. It was a cart simr to the one we rode back from escaping with the Queen. Now that we destroyed the cart into pieces, I needed a new one.

    And the one that stood out from the finest was a lime-coloured wagon, imbued with various magics on the wheels and the covers. I did not have any time to inspect the arcane installed in the wain.

    "Can you stay here for a second and wait for me, Match?" I asked, while putting her inside the cart.

    With confused eyes, Match asked, "Where are you going? I won''t leave you here, Red."

    Her voice croaked as soon as Match confessed her feelings. I ced my palm on top of her forehead and brushed her crazed hair. The little girl curved up a smile as she felt my warm fingers touching her head.

    Match was still a little girl, after all.

    "I''ll be back before you can even say candles, okay?"

    "Promise?" Match said.

    "I promise."

    Match shed me a faint smile for thest time before seeing me off towards the entrance. I returned her beam and smiled back. After our exchange, I gave her a nod and exited the barn. I could leave together with Match, but I needed something that La Finta had. It was the emerald obelisk that controlled the state of Nirvana.

    It was my gateway ticket to the other side and to meet with the game''s creator.

    I could not bring Match with me inside the pce. If the elves or the yers knew my plot, they would kill her, too. There was escaping my inevitable doom. The only thing I could do for the little girl was for her to stay out of my way.

    I returned to the entrance and used [shadow walk], a smaller version of [shadow step]. It allowed me to move in the shadows. The onlyparison between the original ability was its duration and arcane usage. [shadow step] required an insane amount of magic for me to use it.

    It was enough to conceal myself from the elves running around the ingress. They also guarded the gates and warned any vigers who would attempt to approach the citadel.

    NPCs had the means of checking a character. These non-yer characters canpare yers and their fellow NPC apart in the blink of an eye. However, these scripted people will never guess mine.

    I had both the yer and NPC title. I can deliberately change these statuses whenever I want to. But right now, I needed to sneak inside, meet La Finta, and find an opening to kill her.

    It was the only n that I could afford.

    I looked at my map once again and checked my surroundings. Besides the green circles (Green are neutral elves simr to the blue-hue indicators.), something moved within my vicinity. I did not know who or what was advancing. My system did not have the answer for the anomaly who had breached the fort.

    I stepped inside and checked the ce once more, only to find the unweing hall. The three doors from my left, right, and greeted my eyes. It was the same ce I was fromst time, but something was definitely going to happen.

    The ingress from my left vibrated, revealing three individuals exiting the corridor. It was Queen Guinevere, a younger elf, and La Finta. Guinevere went up the stairs and towards the hallway. She raced across the hall, wanting to get Eve to safety. Guinevere''s daughter was on the upper floors.

    The petite elf wore an emerald tunic, simr to the Grandmother. She had a sword sheathed on her hips, with her golden hair touching the pommel. Hanging beside her de was a quiver hidden around her clothes. She wielded two weapons around her body. That was my hunch.

    The younger elf rushed to the entrance and prepared her des. She rallied the rangers and ordered each of them to protect the citadel at all costs. Despite seeing no intruders inside, thess instructed every warden to keep their eyes peeled for any prowlers. The elf girl pushed the door and shunned it behind, leaving La Finta and me inside the room.

    La Finta had original ns. She entered the royal door at the centre of the stairs and pushed it open. She elegantly waltzed inside and shut the door behind.. I did not want to take my chances, so I used a pebble found on the nearby pot and threw it between the gates before it could even lock me from the outside.

 Chapter 37 - Red Versus Wolf (Okami)

    I crept closer to the gates and waited for a few moments to gather my courage. Sweat filled the follicles in my hair, but I paid no concern to them right now. With a deep inhale, I had the energy to push the door open. The stone keeping the two ingresses together nudged apart, weing me to enter inside.

    ''I have to be ready to kill someone inside.'' The thought never escaped my head as I entered the room.

    I stepped my foot into the divine hall, painted with viridescent colour. A gust of wind blew from the insides despite the windowless room. It almost tickled my skin. But with a feral wiggle, the sensation had worn out.

    "This ce is huge," I mumbled, and continued moving onward.

    I never knew what was inside a royal room. All I perceived was this was a restricted room that only the imperial people could enter and get outside unscathed. There was not a chance for me to experience avish life, let alone a vast room.

    The divine energy kicked in like a stream of water. I did not know what was touching my skin. It made me think that the room meant not for me, but royalties with prominent lineages. Although I technically saved Queen Guinevere and her daughter from the crash, I was still a visitor inside Nirvana.

    The surging arcane of various elements entered my veins, with my system identifying all of it.

    However, I had no affinity with the elves, so the boost of wind arcane did not add to my core. If I had magic, I would like to see that happen. I finally knew what coated inside this room.

    It came from the emerald obelisk nearby. But I had seen nothing within this chamber that would resemble the gemstone.

    My system announced that I had entered the Elven Throne, with La Finta''s name written on the sides. The map extended into a vast shape as my system charted everything my eyes followed, including the next door. A hinge caught my eyes resting on the greenery floor, but I knew nothing about the ce hidden below ground. It also served as the passage through the basement, but my system never described it on my map.

    That hinge differed from the next gate at the panel.

    "It must be anotheryer of the castle," I murmured, and carried on with my expedition.

    My eyes expanded and met the leaf-shaped throne settled in the middle. It had a green hue covering its exterior designs, paired with intricate lines of the leave''smina. The lily pads nestled beside the chair enhanced the decor of the chamber. It had a fresh scent of nature and leaves that continued to dance in the breeze.

    My feet became wet as I crept closer and stepped at the lily pads. However, the liquid was not deep enough to drown me underwater. It only tricked my mind, thinking that I was voyaging near ake.

    It almost made me hallucinate I was inside the forest, outside Nirvana. But as soon as I blinked, I knew I was inside the royal throne.

    My orbs followed the figure, moving at the door to the furthest panel. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at the shape. It was La Finta, who had other ns despite the happenings outside. The two prominent figures went separate ways, but La Finta entered here among any other spaces. She was alone, and that was the only thing I knew.

    However, that was not the case, for now, as the door behind her shunned me inside the throne.

    "How convenient," I grumbled, and headed forward.

    I passed by the leafy throne and was remotely close to the door. But something stopped me from entering the other room. It was not an unknown force that made my body motionless.

    My eyes caught sight of the vermillion dot stationed near me. I looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. I did not want to brush the thought aside, since neglecting this situation might kill me afterwards.

    "I did not think I would see you here." The red dot zoomed straight behind me.

    The voice came from a man whom I remember.

    A ring sound shut the door close, leaving the scarlet mark and me alone inside this room. There was no noise from the other door, so I thought La Finta had taken her time from the parallel side.

    "You. How are you here?" I gyrated around and saw him staring into my eyes.

    He was the bigbadwolf that I met before, the yer who guarded the royalties with his life but ended up protecting us inside the carriage.

    "I know what you''re thinking," the yer blurted. "I go by the name Wolf, not bigbadwolf. And yes, we metst time. Although, you were very unweing to me."

    "I don''t care."

    The adventurer named Wolf saw right through me despite my [shadow walk] being in an active state. Nobody should suspect me here inside or even notice my figure, unless there was something that I had missed.

    "You might wonder how on Earth, or Code, I caught you red-handed there. You see, we are both assassins, and I have technically the same skill as you have. Wonderful, isn''t it?" Wolf voiced his thoughts while preparing his des.

    His hands fiddled inside his pocket. I knew Wolf was reaching out for something. I must be cautious about this yer.

    "You are a talkative one, are you?"

    "I don''t know. Maybe I am just stalling for time."

    Upon his answer, Wolf slipped through my sight and appeared inside my shadows. It was a skill that I had recognised since I can use the same ability as Wolf did. Little did I know the yer spoke the truth.

    My right eye burned and glowed in front of me. The sensation was akin to my face drawing near to the coursing mes. A dozen drops of sweat cascaded down my cheeks, melting me away with this awful increase in temperature.

    The bright radiance shone at Wolf rushing towards me. Upon ncing behind the figure, my reflection greeted me, and my right eye turned into a milky ray of light.

    This urrence happened twice already since the day I first fought against this yer. My system told me it had full control over my body. I knew it was the case since I cannot fight against anyone on my own. I had no experience battling with people. Despite myck of skill, the automated voice inside my head kept steering my body in times of need.

    I could read his movements, but I did not have the reflexes to dodge them in time. Although my body jerked at the sides, his leg kicked me backwards. An instinctive cough escaped from my lungs, followed by droplets of saliva dripping from my lips.

    The pain radiated through my abdomen as if stretching my muscles into a coil. I stood up and shook the pain. There was no time for me to grimace the sensation.

    "Who is Clementine? And why did you kill King Arthur? Were you the one who ced the mission to kill Arthur?" Wolf asked, but I did not listen.

    It was time for me to attack.

    I raced towards the man and readied my dagger. My penitence''s de stretched out for him, but I could not reach the yer. The tip nevernded on his skin. Instead, Wolf used his arms and pushed me back to the sides. I tumbled over and mmed my back against the wall.

    My [shadow walk] lost its effects after the hit.

    "Why are you doing this?" Wolf said, but shook his head and corrected himself. "No. The question is, who told you to do this? An NPC should not have the wits to think for herself. Why are you different?"

    I hesitated to answer. Although I knew Wolf could rte to my past since he has a sister, we were two worlds apart. Wolf''s sister was still alive, and mine became pixted dust inside this game.

    "You would never get it," I scowled. "You''re a hindrance, so get out of my way!"

    I returned Wolf''s re and observed his body. Before I could evenunch an attack on him, a sudden static cracked my windows, rendering me confused and immobile. I jerked my hands and caressed my head. My body fell to the ground from the throbbing pain radiating on my skull.

    Thousands of images addressed my eyes. The entire world changed in front of me. I was not in the forest room but a shabby house and tattered walls. Sliding my view, a person sat next to me. A girl sleeping on my shoulders soon weed my eyes.

    I cannot move.

    "It would be alright, Himari. I will think of something so you can eat." A voice echoed through my ears.

    He had the voice of an angel, soothing every cell inside my body.. The sense of helplessness crawled inside of my brain, reliving the life of the character I''m seeing.

 Chapter 38 - The Confrontation

    He had the voice of an angel, soothing every cell inside my body. The sense of helplessness crawled inside of my brain, reliving the life of the character I''m seeing. He had the same charity as I had when Clementine was alive.

    The man who I had been portraying all this time reminded me of my past life, a life that I will never forget. The only difference that the guy had was his alive sister, and mine went elsewhere inside this game.

    My persona stood and walked towards the fridge. Every step the character took, the man exhaled. Upon sliding the colourless fridge open, there was nothing that could greet my eyes. It was flooding inside and out of the container. The shelves had nothing, not even leftovers, to fill their stomachs. It was only the specs of dust that contained the warm cold storage.

    "I promise, Himari. I will get you something to eat," the man said, and sauntered into a room.

    Heaving out a sigh, the man returned to his sister, cleaning the room using a broom. Himari, the girl he had talked about, cleared the dust around the house. The sweat drenched her face and continued dripping from her cheeks. But the little girl did not mind.

    Himari was a diligent sister that knew how to take care of her brother.

    Every step he made, the wooden floor reverberated, a creaking sound inside the constricted room. Even the walls and the ceiling had craters at every side, with the drizzling rain dripping from above.

    The droplets continued leaking, but the man paid it no concern.

    The bloke arrived in an enclosed room and found a helmet with otherworldly designs. He reached out for the headgear and ced it on his head. The boy went to bed and shut his eyes, waiting for something to happen. With the beeping sound resonating elsewhere, the man zoomed in somewhere beyond the tunnel.

    "What is that?" I asked myself, but nobody gave me an answer.

    And then I heard a voice. A recognizable sound that appeared before me when Code granted me this system. I could never forget that azure box greeting me with the same vibrating ngs.

    [Wee to Code, Fe-] The video game abruptly cut me off and ckened my view.

    My body trembled backwards while trying to put the helmet off on my head. However, when my hands reached for my scalp, nothing covered my hair. I peeled my eyes open and greeted Wolf, spinning his head like a lunatic, more crazed than before.

    The yer slowly raised his head and blinked a million times. He gasped for air. Upon looking at his state, Wolf looked like he had experienced what I had from that world. That event made me realise I yed his role, but knew nothing if I was in the past, present, or future.

    "What happened? Why am I inside your memories?" I asked, and red at him.

    I received no answer while observing him kneeling on the ground, not until��.

    Wolf pulled his body together and stood from the ground. His hands were still resting on his head. Upon rubbing his palm, he told me that something had activated the setting.

    "Setting?" I repeated.

    "yers can read other yer''s backgrounds," Wolf said, but saw my head tilting on the sides. "It means there''s a privacy setting there that you left it open, idiot. Nobody knows this but me. Since my Lycanthrope skill allowed me to read someone. Now that we have the same ss, you can also dig through my memories, which already happened."

    After hearing Wolf''s exnation, I fiddled with my system and saw the cog shape glued in the corner. I pressed the pocket-size design and marvelled at the different window. It showed advanced things I did not understand.

    I looked closely at the words written on each tab. It was what Wolf had mentioned. I was inside the setting and addressed the privacy part, which my system turned that thing on without my prior knowledge. I slid the button towards the left and deactivated the privacy section.

    [Do you wish to continue?] the automated voice asked. [If you choose "yes", you will block your history from yers. Nobody can read your background until you change the settings. However, this ability cannot guarantee protection from abilities that allow them to read your history. You also cannot look through other yer''s history to make the settings fair. If you choose "no" as your answer, nothing will change. yers could read your history.]

    I pressed yes without a hint of doubt.

    A "ting" sound came right afterwards, confirming the changes I made. Although I can edit the setting soon, there was a cool-down for the setting change. Within two weeks, I can revert to the privacy setting in its original ce.

    Wolf widened his eyes as I turned off his source to peer into my mind. He thought I did not want to change it. But since I hated people observing my past, especially Wolf, I needed to turn that setting off. With the phrase "Yeah. You could do that," Wolf regretted what he exined.

    The yer shrugged his head off and opened his mouth.

    "You...do you know how toplete the game?" Wolf voiced his concerns and asked. "What do these four obelisks mean? Why do you need to go to this ce? The Dwarven, Wondend, Dragonewts, and Maind?"

    Among the fragments of my memory, Wolf highlighted thepletion of the game. It was the first phrase that the yer mentioned to me.

    I shook my head in response. "You don''t need to know."

    A growling voice fled from my lips as I threw the penitence''s de towards him. With a swift lean towards the side, Wolf dodged my attack. The dagger I threw crashed against the panel behind him, leaving a fissure from where it hadnded.

    "You''re aiming for the emerald obelisk, aren''t you?" He uttered.

    Wolf saw right through me. After seeing Clementine die in my vision, Wolf understood a part of me. He knew I killed King Arthur for a war to happen. And now, I need toplete the game. I need to collect all four obelisks, including the emerald one that La Finta has.

    Before we could continue our conversation, a whistle resonated right beside me, with a zooming object passing through my eyes. It was at lightning speed that I could not perceive the item that flew through my nk. However, because of my system and my shining right eye, I could discern the attack.

    It was a green arrowing from behind me.

    Wolf leaned his body to the left and dodged the arrow in the nick of time. That was what he had thought, but he did not elude the attack entirely. A graze formed on the side of his cheeks, showing the scarlet and pinkish sliced skin. His blood continuously dripped from the cut, tainting his shirt and boots. The attack was not enough to kill him, but endured substantial damage in his health bar.

    "It took you long enough to change into that," Wolf eximed, and stared into my eyes.

    No. Wolf was not looking at me, but at the person behind me.

    I swivelled at my rear and greeted La Finta wearing her new battle clothes. Gripped in her hands was an enchanted bow, long enough to cover her entire body. She also had a quiver strapped around her back. The container did not have spare bolts, but she took one from her quiver and fired another dart towards Wolf.

    Wolf lifted his hands and attempted to grab and destroy the arrow using his palm. But in a split second, he changed his mind and rolled to the side.

    The arrow crashed against the wall and shattered the gates. The ground shook, disrupting our bnce. Wolf locked his eyes at La Finta, who was now walking closer to me.

    "Thank you for buying me some time to change. I need this outfit for battle," she whispered. "I know someone was inside, but I did not expect a level five yer would breach the royal throne. How cunning of you."

    Wolf smirked after hearing La Finta''sment. He knew it was a sarcastic remark to boil him in rage.

    "Nobody can provoke me. Not even you, Grandmother."

    La Finta''s eyes twitched upon hearing her titleing from his lips. Wolf stood up and prepared his beginner''s dagger in his hands. He may be level five, but Wolf was a veteran on the battlefield.

    I would not have dodged that arrow if La Finta directed her attack at me. But Wolf dodged it with ease and without batting a sweat. It was as if he knew the pattern of La Finta''s attacks.

    "May I know the yer that I n to kill?" La Finta asked, and pulled the string from the recurve.

    "The name''s Wolf. And I am here to tell you about Red and the emeral-,"

    "Silence!" La Finta cut Wolf''s sentence. "You n on taking these emerald obelisks from me?"

 Chapter 39 - Amidst The Battle

    "No! I-, uh, Red is the one who-," Wolf tried exining his situation, but failed to do so because of the sudden re we heard.

    He iled his hands, hoping to attract La Finta''s attention. However, La Finta had original ns. The long-eared elfunched another arrow at him with a wicked grin forming on her face. She did not n to listen to what Wolf was about to say. Her only goal was to kill him once and for all.

    "Keep your exnation to yourself. I heard you talking with Red about this obelisk, and you can''t have it." La Finta expressed.

    The arrow destroyed the other part of the gate, creating more craters and crevices on the walls and floor. Thousands of lily pads flew everywhere, leaving the battlefield filled with cut leaves and charcoaled dust. Wolf lunged to the border and avoiding getting hit by the reed once again.

    Those specs were the same beanstalk found inside the room.

    La Finta was uncontended despite seeing the aftermath of her arrows. Her hand went towards her quiver and took an invisible arrow. After a few seconds, the bolt materialised from her hand. It was not just an ordinary arrow from before. La Finta imbued her arcane on the shaft, which turned green and menacing to look at from afar.

    The reed travelled at the speed of sound. There was a whistle when the Grandmother discharged the bolt and directed it towards Wolf.

    Wolf tried repeating his moves before tumbling to the sides and bypassing the assault, but the urrence differed fromst time. His eyes erged when he noticed the quarrel followed his movements and bent towards the nk. (Note: quarrel also means arrow)

    Wolf''s reaction time was superb among the other yers I saw. Within breadth''s length, he churned his body, rolling to the corner and stopped his momentum. His inhumane speed allowed him to get out from the ce, eluding the tip of the arrow.

    However, the attack did not end there. The aftershock of the crashnding arrow pulsated through our surroundings, sending disrupted arcane all over the area. I, who was standing far off the battleground, got pushed back by the pulse.

    Wolf had it worse.

    There was a pool of blood surrounding him. The smell of mineral lingered in our environment, sttering anything inside the chamber. Wolf''s bloodshot and sinister aura persisted in his eyes, but he did not move.

    Thanks to what he did earlier, Wolf avoided critical injuries from the st. If he were a secondte, his body would be a bubble, sshing his vermillion goo all over the room.

    Wolf slipped something from his cloak-a sk that had red liquid inside. He drank the potion and red at the two of us.

    "That was rude of you," Wolf expressed, and slowly got up from the floor.

    His body was like noodles, wiggling every time Wolf forced himself to move. After a few moments, he stood on his two feet and prepared his dagger in his hands.

    The sliced wounds he had before slowly healed themselves and closed his wounds. All the blood staining his shirt vanished like air, as if it was not even there. His body also stopped squirming, and within a matter of seconds, Wolf was ready for another set of battles.

    "You only caught me off guard. I did not expect a homing missile of an arrow." Wolf said, and curved up a grin.

    La Finta and I did not know what he meant about the homing missile part since it was an unfamiliar word dissented from our knowledge. But it was not cardinal to know Wolf''s terminologies. All that mattered now was to y him. I also need to remember to kill La Finta during this match if an opportunity arises.

    I schemed to hit two birds with one stone; kill both of them at once. I need to take the obelisk away from La Finta''s name, even if it was thest thing that I would do. But before I could aplish that, I must do something about Wolf.

    The two continued butting heads against each other, exchanging blows and arrows from parallel sides. But for now, I did not want to mess with the two and hid inside the shadows. I stepped back and entered the room that La Finta had entered from before. It was a good thing that the two of them upied themselves with each other. They noticed nothing, especially me waltzing on the sides.

    My eyes wandered around and addressed the enchanted arsenal and treasures inside the vault. The room smelled of nothing but carved woods and other metallic materials. It even had various kinds of ancient chests covered with unidentified moss.

    Windows kept appearing before me, scanning and informing me of the details of the weapons. I did not need to understand them for now, since I would exit this ce soon. So I swiped all those azure boxes obscuring my vision and continued wandering inside.

    This ce was not a part of the map that I have, so my system charted the area. It was a cramped room used to store the weapons for the royal elves inside the citadel.

    "So that''s why La Finta went here," I murmured, and continued scrutinising the ce.

    However, I needed to leave this site right now before getting spotted by the two. La Finta might know my absence and feel dubious about me being here inside. I could always use an excuse and tell her I got lost during the fight, but I knew it would not work for the old elf.

    Before leaving the storage room, I stumbled upon two weapons that caught my eyes. The first one was a glistening short elvish bow and a simple stave lying on the ground. It was not a weapon that I was fond of wielding, but it attracted me.

    I tossed the two weapons inside my [astral space] for the time being, hoping I could use them soon. I stole two things inside the storage room. Nobody would suspect anything since we were in the middle of a war, fighting against those yers, including Wolf obstructing our way.

    I headed outside and pushed the door behind me with utmost precaution. I did not want to generate unnecessary sounds since the two were still shing with each other. So I crept towards the sides and remained under the dark silhouette, waiting for any instructions that La Finta would give me.

    Wolf did not have any arcane projectile that could attack La Finta from a distance. Until now, that yer had cast no other spells besides his extreme speeding of walking in the shadows that had simrities with my ability. However, that alone allowed him to move faster than the soaring arrows in his direction, dodging the shafts with intense speed and precision.

    Thanks to my system, I could observe his figure dashing through the panels. Without my system and my sudden boosts in status points, I would never follow their speed and happenings during this battle. But I still had a lot to learn despite this information.

    One moment I thought Wolf was going to get hit by the arrow. But Wolf kept surprising me as he glided through the panels and used his momentum to increase his pace.

    Every time he went near La Finta, the long-eared elf would push herself backwards. She would reposition herself and create some space between him. As an archer, La Finta knew Wolf tried forcing his luck forward. He could only attack her if Wolf gets close to her.

    That was the problem.

    No matter what Wolf had in his sleeves, he could not close the distance between him and the elf. Wolf got stuck in a defensive state, continuing to avoid the arrows hovering in his direction. After getting hit by that bolt from before, Wolf avoided all of her attacks. He drifted in the air as if he knew where and when La Finta would attack him.

    Each arrow thrown at Wolf had various abilities but rted to the wind and earth attribute. Since elves have a close rtionship with nature, the forest grants them strength and amplifies their magical prowess. Wolf should not stand a chance against La Finta, given that we were inside the citadel of Nirvana.

    Wolf, being a level five-yer, did not help him during this battle. However, he could keep up with the crowned ruler of elves and fight La Finta with his dagger gripped in his hands.

    "Can you fight, Red?" La Finta finally called my presence. "Since you saved Guinevere and Even, you must have something in your sleeves."

    I did not have a choice but to heed her summons. My body emerged from the shadows and revealed my patience''s dagger in my hand. I locked my eyes with Wolf and kept a tranquil expression.

    My body shivered every time I trundled closer to the battlefield. I was not an experienced fighter, yet I killed two prominent people already. I was a murderer, an assassin that knew nothing but taking advantage of the situation.

    I can neither fight Wolf nor La Finta. But I had to do it.

    But there was one thing that I could do during this sh; a sly move to kill and betray La Finta.

 Chapter 40 - The Fallen Crown Of Nirvana

    After giving her a nod, La Finta ordered me to be a distraction to Wolf. I had no clue what I needed to do, but I tossed my body in the middle and prepared my de. There was nothing else left for me to perform other than attack Wolf blindly. I killed people in the dark and using my tricks to my advantage.

    Nobody ever told me how to fight against someone in a fair battle. It had always been smooth sailing for me.

    Being in here now, fighting toe-to-toe against a veteran yer made all the difference, even if we were both underleveled.

    My right eye shimmered a colourless light, showing me I was engaging inbat. There was a deluge of uncontained magic tingling through my veins afterwards. It always happens when I unconsciously think that I was in a battle, and my system activates itself every time it feels that I am in danger.

    That time was right now.

    ''Besides, I fought against him earlier. This thing is nothing new,'' I thought, and steeled my heart.

    Wolf smelled blood. Like his name implied, Wolf almost dashed on all fours, observing La Finta and me. He was like a feral beast, hoping to kill us both. But something restricting his goal. A sincere feeling covered his eyes, so he refused to kill anyone right now. That was what I had thought.

    However, Wolf had notnded a scratch against La Finta, and after that graze from before, La Finta could not hit him with her arrows. She tried various elements and overpowered skills that even I was unaware of, but Wolf eluded it all. We were in a stalemate, but now it was different.

    La Finta had me.

    "You can''t fight me head-on," Wolf bickered. "And I''m not nning to kill one of you or both. I''m just here for my imprisoned friend."

    "Save your plea, yer." La Finta was the one who replied, and fired yet again in another series of bolts in his direction. "There are a lot of yers we held hostage inside our dungeon. We might have even killed him before you arrived here."

    "Impossible. He''s still glowing green in my screen," Wolf said, but swiped his monitor away. "Tall guy, has a bow like you, and even looks like a novice adventurer."

    But Wolf-as he had always done, sidestepped the approaching multishot. Those arrows came darting both my sides. The whirling wind touched my skin and even flew my hair away. One slightest move would end my life if I were not careful.

    ''I needed to move forward,'' my mind screamed, and so I advanced.

    The blitz ended. Now was the chance for me tond a hit towards Wolf. But if that yer turns the table around, I would retreat and secure my life. I did not want to die here because of a mistake.

    I still needed to aplish my revenge.

    Like the arrows racing to him, I sprinted forward and swung my de and aimed for his sides. Wolf noticed my movements and rolled eastwards, avoiding my attack. My daggernded on the ground, but I used my momentum to charge up an assault once again. This time, I used my leg and kicked him towards my right.

    Wolf shielded my strike, using his shoulders crossed in front of his face. His body took the recoil and moved back from the force. At that moment, an arrow came crashing towards him with an immeasurable speed unlike before.

    Wolf, for the first time, felt afraid. He stared at the bolt for a few seconds before doing anything at all. His shivering hands told me everything that I needed to know.

    That yer was holding back. It was like what he had said earlier. Wolf never wanted to kill us. He just wished to save his friend.

    The arrow went right through him, but Wolf''s figure was nowhere at our fore. His image vanished like smoke, telling us that what we saw was an afterimage of him escaping.

    "[Shadow Walk]!" a voice whispered through my ears.

    La Finta had not heard it, as it showed from her expression. But I did.

    The name of my skill reverberated from his direction. My system also announced that someone had activated this ability. Throughout our match from before, Wolf only used his [Wolf Walk] to travel at different sites with the speed of sound. He activated nothing disparate besides abilities that made him slip through the arrows and my lunges. Now, he was using the same prowess that I have and travelled in the shadows.

    My eyes caught sight of him running through the corners, where darkness prevailed and no light shined upon the ce. He dyed his eyes in bloody vermillion, staring at La Finta and my figure.

    "I don''t n on killing you. I am not your enemy," Wolf announced, but it was toote for that.

    A sinister aura escaped inside the room. It was as if a hunting hound locked us inside the jet-ck night. The leering eyes came from Wolf, who had stationed himself at the far end of the chamber.

    My entire body quivered in fright. I was living in a nightmare with my eyes peeled open. The Grandmother also felt the same sensation, but she had it worse. La Finta knelt on the ground and used her enchanted recurve to help her fragile body to stand. Every time she picked herself, her vessel would tumble on the floor. So she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand on both feet.

    After a few moments, she was back in her original position.

    "There was only one person who could make me feel overwhelmed like this," La Finta grunted. "Are you him? The one who stole our fountain of life!"

    I was unaware of their topic. These two left me miles apart from their conversation and did not even try including me with their talk. But that did not make me ignorant about my surroundings.

    ''What does that fountain of life mean!'' I wanted to shout, but I kept my lips tight.

    "Heh, so you do know me?" Wolf replied.

    "The more reason to hate you now!"

    Despite their exchange, La Finta had doubts attacking him right now. The long-eared elf held back, firing her arrows towards Wolf. But it was far toote to go back. She needed to kill him now, since Wolf was a threat to Nirvana.

    A sudden marching sound resonated behind us. If I had to guess, the origin of the noise came from the rangers gathering in this room. Most of the wardens rushed towards the entrance, battling against yers that Wolf knew. These long-eared Elven soldiers were the remaining rangers to defend the castle.

    Wolf''s eyes wandered everywhere, trying to figure out his next move. He was running both of time and arcane left inside his body. I could not see his mana capacity, but I knew Wolf could not use his spells in session, unlike before.

    If Wolf wanted to act, now was the right time.

    "I''m sorry, La Finta. I need to put you asleep."

    Wolf careered through the room, distracting La Finta from where he was going. The Grandmother desperately fired her arrows in chains but still failed, hitting Wolf. After a series of cat-and-mouse, Wolf finally closed the distance and slipped through her defences.

    Wolf tried smacking La Finta using his pommel-the back part of his sword. He poured thest ounce of his strength and arcane on his arm and pushed through his de to La Finta''s chest.

    That attack would make La Finta immobile for some time since Wolf aimed to deal enough damage for her to be unconscious. Since this is a game, her heart would not stop beating. La Finta would still be alive after receiving such a blow.

    That was what he had thought.

    However, Wolf''s eyes expanded as the blood sttered across his face and clothes. His attack would not produce any spurt of blooding out from La Finta''s body. Wolf knew he pounded his weapon at her chest, but that alone would never create a fountain of blood from her body, not until he saw the tip of the de in front of him.

    A morous sound ripping through a flesh red from everyone''s ears. The knife gripped in my hands went through her chest like paper, slicing through both La Finta''s heart and lungs. The unfortunate elf coughed out blood as soon as she felt the de entering her organs. Those pair had themselves wondering what happened.

    By the time that they realised I was behind the long-eared creature, it was toote.

    "You... killed King Arthur��" Her voice was incoherent for me to hear, but I knew what La Finta wanted to say.

    She twitched her hand, wanting to repel the dagger stuck inside her body, but could not do so. I was behind her back, pushing the penitent''s dagger deep through her skin. My efforts umted her internal damage beyond repair.

    Those were thest few words that escaped her mouth before closing her eyes.

 Chapter 41 - Red Rose And Mer

    Wolf finally made his move. He sprinted from side to side and hit La Finta using the pommel of his de. That would deal no damage to the crowned elf, but enough to make her unconscious. That was what he had expected.

    I raced behind La Finta and struck her using my penitent''s de. I made sure that I hit her heart and cut off La Finta''s arteries. Although this world was a game, the organs worked the same.

    The tip of my de pierced through her skin like scissors cutting through paper. I did not have to exert a strenuous effort as I pushed my de deeper into La Finta''s body.

    A swishing sound echoed through our ears as the sharp edge of my dagger reached the other side of the elf''s body. La Finta had not died yet, so I had to finish the job.

    "You''re not aiming for me." Wolf realised what had happened in front of him.

    The wet scarlet blood sttered on his hands. The blood came not from him, but from the elf at his fore.

    La Finta coughed out the blood because of the stab. With her remaining ounce of strength left in her body, she opened her mouth.

    "You... were the one who killed King Arthur?"

    An apologetic smile emerged from my face. It was not a beam, but my lips curved in embarrassment. But I had to do it. I needed to kill La Finta and get the obelisk.

    If the Grandmother was dead, I can take the emerald resin from her and aplish my goal. I will get my revenge on the game developers who made this world.

    "I''m sorry."

    I snatched the pocket-sized gemstone tangled in La Finta''s neck and jolted away. Her weakened body fell on Wolf. The long-eared elf wanted to do something, but her wounds opened whenever she jerked.

    "La Finta!" Wolf screamed and caught her descending body in his arms.

    He tried tending to the wounds by using a red sk hidden in his coat. Wolf set his priorities to the elf dying in his hands. I used that moment to escape and fled back to the gates.

    I gripped the emerald tighter in my hands and observed its design. It had the size of a fanned-shaped leaf, more considerable than my palm. The gemstone had a viridescent glow, bright enough to act as a portablentern in the dark.

    "You!" Wolf growled in my direction. "Why are you doing this! You don''t have to kill your fellow NPCs!"

    I shook my head in response. "I have to do it."

    After our exchange, I rushed towards the gate and used the shadow as my pavement. [Shadow walk] allowed me to extend the duration of my ability. It became burdensome for anyone to see me, especially when I schemed to escape during the night.

    The rangers entered the scene, but they were toote. Among the marching wardens, a petite young-looking elf spotted La Finta and Wolf at the centre of the throne. The group screamed and said something about the situation, with Wolf exining to himself what happened.

    My n was perfect. The elves would frame the Grandmother''s death to Wolf, a yer who had breached the Elven Kingdom. There was also a war happening at the kingdom''s ingress.

    The elves would invalidate Wolf''s im and raise their guard against him, treating him as their enemy. I was sure of it. Nobody would believe an intruder, let alone a yer invading their fort. Those wardens would never suspect a thing about me and shift their focus to Wolf.

    I rushed towards the castle''s sides, hoping to return to the stables. Before advancing, I tried cing the emerald gemstone inside my inventory [astral space]. But my system refused to take the valuable item. It told me I needed to make a vessel for the stone if I yearned to store it inside my bag.

    [The obelisk you are holding is a sacred treasure in Code, Master Rose.] The automated voice informed me.

    I had no choice but to ce it inside my pocket, hoping that it would not fall off when I engage in battle. There was no time for me to lose, so I proceeded to the hall and retraced my steps back to the barn.

    However, the scene in front of me was not part of my n.

    "Overturn the citadel and find the dungeon where the elves imprisoned our friends!" A ring war cry came out from a warrior''s lips. "Leave no NPC alive!"

    He had a bulky body filled with thick muscles and skin. The warrior had a two-handed weapon gripped by both of his hands. With one swing of his de, the rangers fighting against him got split in half.

    He was a yer, a one-man army. These might be Wolf''s friends and party?

    But it confused me why Wolf would enter the throne alone when there was a sh at the front lines?

    ''Maybe he was doing his thing alone?'' I thought, but I brushed the idea away.

    Behind the plump man were his couple of friends defending his rear. Those were the yers who had entered the kingdom and bypassed the rangers. Some of them were still battling against the front.

    There must be two forces assaulting the ingress.

    I inspected his background and found out his name was Mer, leader of the Western Branch Adventurer''s Guild. I lived in the Kingdom of Freiy, so I knew nothing about this guy from before. All I perceived were yers entering and out from Code and paid little attention to these details.

    The adventurer''s guild protected the Maind and the neighbouring empires from monsters, terrorists, yer-killers, and even burrs. They upheld their duty as officers that projected peace and justice in Code.

    But now that the situation had escted beyond their grasp. The world became a death game, where these yers could die in the other world if their character died here in Code. It was arduous for me to understand everything, but that was what the system told me.

    Mer red in my direction, thinking that I was an NPC and not a yer. I forgot to change my title into a yer, and I needed to pay the price for my blunder. It was toote for me to change my title now.

    I had to slip away before the guards could notice the obelisk in my hands.

    "Sir, we found a viger wearing a red cloak inside the castle. Should we kill her?" A monitor appeared from Mer''s skin. I could see their conversation, given that I was a yer like them.

    "Kill all NPC. That''s an order."

    After Mer''smands, multiple arrows came crashing towards me. My right eye radiated once again, helping me to elude the attacking from afar. It was the work of my system that partially controlled my body duringbat.

    I slid backwards and avoided the pointed tips of the arrows. Mer, who was still watching in the distance, heaved an exhale.

    "Despite being a viger, you dodged those bolts from the yers? And they''re level twenty, dammit." Mer grunted and trundled forward.

    "I''m not one of them," I stated. "There is no reason fighting me, a lost viger, not an elf."

    The warrior shook his head and uttered, "I don''t care. You killed my friends. That''s how it is."

    Without a hint of doubt, the warrior raced towards me and leapt towards the air. Mer raised his weapon, attempting tond a hit on me. I rolled sidewards and dodged the initial impact of his crash. However, the pulse that came afterwards hit me like a carriage, forcing me to hover towards the sides.

    I was fortunate enough to hit a wall from a nearby treehouse. The panel decreased the damage I had umted, but the act still graced my body. Dozens of wounds appeared on my limbs as I used my hands to cushion my fall. The churning pain pulsated throughout my body, corrupting my focus on the warrior before me.

    My feet desperately crawled at the sides, hoping to create a distance between the warrior and me. However, it was not too long that the other yers showed up and used their arcane against me.

    I forced myself to stand up and used the barks to my advantage. There were five yers in front of me, all level 15-30. I was at a disadvantage.

    The mage cast and directed her spell in my direction. A stream of raging water materialised from her palms, hoping to wash me further away from the creeping vines. One magic caster conjured a lightning strike, attempting to amplify the spell projected by his friend.

    I lurched sideways and used my momentum to jump onto a branch. The bough had a height of 100 centimetres, enough to avoid the st.

    However, my speed was not fast enough to outmanoeuvre the lightning strike. I eventually got hit by the spark, crisping both the tree and the branch. My motionless body descended and mmed into the ground.. With a morous thump, the plummet stunned me for half a minute.

 Chapter 42 - Matchs Powers

    "Stay back, please. I have a little sister with me." I knew I was lying, but technically, it wasn''t far from the truth.

    Match was my sister. I saw her that way from the time we had met. But the little girl can never rece Clementine. She can only live on the sides, beside my heart.

    "I had a friend, and I treated him as my brother. Did your kind grace us with your mercy?" The warrior asked while pointing his sword in front of my face. Mer shook his face. He was fifty centimetres away from me. "No. They killed him. Just like you, my friends were powerless. But they killed them."

    Without adding more to his statement, the warrior leapt from the rock. Hended in front of the five yers and readied his sword. He was the group''s leader, so the brawny man had tomand them to kill me; an innocent bystander.

    The yers surrounding him also had their eyes on me. They shared the same expression as mine.

    Revenge. That was when I knew these yers needed to kill me for the crimes I did notmit.

    I forced my body to stand and dashed to the sides. This urrence was the first time that my muscle radiated excruciating pain. But there was no time for me to mend my wounds if I still wanted to see the light of day.

    The warrior missed his attack, destroying the stone beside me from before. Mer looked at my figure, running away from him and his five people.

    I knew I could not handle them. I killed La Finta and King Arthur, but it was a matter of surprising the two crowned leaders. If I were in a fair match up against those kings and queens, I would lose.

    The situation in front of me rang a bell happening all over again. There was no room for me to escape my fate. The only thing left for me to do was dy the inevitable, and hope that I could slide through their defences.

    I could not kill them, but these adventurers can kill me. Upon looking around, hundreds of elves met my eyes, all staring above the clouds. Some of them even turned into pixted dust. Those long-eared creatures died in these yer''s hands.

    They wanted to add me to their killing spree.

    The mages fired their projectiles in my direction. I did not know what wasing after me, but I needed to dodge them. I vaulted across the door and went inside an abandoned house. My body crashed and burned as I hit the settee''s tip.

    Inside this forest, there were tree houses clustered around Nirvana. These houses had various sizespared to the ones inside the Maind. Since the elves treated nature as their heavenly ce, they built their homes surrounded by trees.

    I used that terrain as my advantage. The yers and I did not know the ce, but I had the lead. My system activated the map and drew the ces that I must go. Legends and otherndmarks appeared on my pocket-sized monitor, with red icons marking the six yers approaching me. There were blue and white coloured dots on my screen, but those were not important right now.

    The st was not enough to destroy the house, given that the elves made itst long against energised impacts. However, the ceiling above quivered every time something crashed against it, leaving me to move forward.

    I exited the house and travelled deeper through the woond. I raced farther away from where the capital''s stables were, but it was for the best. If these yers knew the whereabouts of Match, they would kill her on the spot.

    A water cannon hit my back and stopped me from my tracks. A scorching ssh spread throughout my skin. The liquid was not ordinary water that came out of nowhere. The yers added their magic enough hit to apply burning damage to the individuals hit by their spells.

    My body iled and tumbled to the ground, rolling to the nearby trunk. I hid behind it and prayed nobody would find me. But my prayers came biting back at me and proved me wrong.

    One yer on Mer''s team spotted me from miles away. "They had a scout!" I gasped, and continued running away.

    But by the time I created the distance, the lone fireball hit me on my right leg. The orange and yellow mes slowly devoured my skin. I tried fanning the me out using my coat, but it was useless.

    I looked above my health bar, draining into the opposite direction. The cause was the ignition that came to me. It was a matter of time before I would die from the hands of the fire burning my body.

    As if the damage was not enough, the yers fired an arrow in my direction. The bolt pierced through my left leg. The yers did not coat their arrows with any poison, but the dart paralysed the lower half of my body.

    "The game of cat and mouse stops here," Mer announced, and revealed his presence from the rummaging weeds. Beside him were his yers, aimed and readied to fire their arsenal in my direction.

    "Please. I just need to go back to my sister. She''s waiting for me." It was no use. The yers did not listen.

    They charged their weapons and attempted to kill me in an instant. All of their staves, bows, and des glowed in the night sky. I thought of them as stairs, iming the life that I had.

    "So, this is it," I murmured. "I failed to avenge Clementine. If only I did not live in this world, then maybe I would have a fun life. What if I was a yer? Would I treat the NPC the same way they treat me?"

    These grim and bittersweet thoughts flooded my mind. I basked my orbs in front of the illuminating light and closed my eyes. I was ready to die. There was nothing for me to lose other than this pitiful life I had right now.

    "I''m sorry, Match. I think I can''t fulfil that promise of staying by your side." There was a violent breeze heading in my way. My time hade and imed this life of mine.

    That event should have happened, not until the heat wave came from behind and not from my front. The yers were at my fore, so the direction of the spell was inconsistent. But I dared not to open my eyes from such false hope.

    Galloping sounds red near the forest, paired with the neighsing from the horses. There should not have been any elves, yers, and even other creatures riding a carriage in this time of an hour, especially in the middle of a forest. And yet, there was a cart heading in our way.

    "Get down, Red!" A familiar screech reverberated inside the jungle. The sound of that carriage and the direction of the heat also came from behind.

    I thought that this might be it.

    I heeded the instruction and ducked my head on the floor. If it were the usual happenings, those projectiles hunting me would kill me already. But something more appeared at my rear.

    A massive twister of fire emerged above my hair, directing towards the five spells nning to kill me. The fiery red light swallowed the puny attacks, rendering them useless.

    The me continued hovering onwards and caught the yers inside. Nobody would live from that me, except for a miracle.

    Their screams echoed in the forest, but fate did not let them live. Amidst their wails, pixted dust crumbled the five adventurers. A mixture of a foul stench of a cooked corpse fluttered in the air, ruining our nostrils. The horrible smell almost made me puke. But I had more prominent things to take care of, like staying alive.

    I knew there were more of them. Those yers surrounded me and tried to kill me. Mer had six yers with him during their pursuit. I was sure of it.

    I realised the missing person. Mer did not appear from the scene.

    He might have survived the ze that ate his friends. However, I cannot support that im of mine. All I knew was the fight was over. Or that was what I had hoped for.

    The mes burning in my arms exhausted themselves. It happened so fast that I didn''t even notice until there was no pain surging through my skin.

    The paralysing effect of the arrow also wore off at the same time as the fire. I wiggled both my legs and attempted to stand up to see the recognizable hero that saved me.

    I met Match''s eyes, sitting at the carriage front, with her arms extended in my direction. My curved smile shifted almost immediately as the red scars on her hands addressed me. Gripped in his fingers was a stave that I remember. It was the staff that I inserted into my inventory.

    ''But how did she get it?'' I thought, but that was not my concern for now.

    "Tehee. You called me your sister. I''m happy, Red. You''re my big sister, too��" Match said, using herst ounce of strength before falling on the ground. I was fortunate enough to catch her on time and braced her in my arms.

    "What happened to your arms! Match! Match, wake up!" I cried.

 Chapter 43 - Surviving The Burns

    There was no time for me to react and help Match. So I ced her behind my back and carried the little girl to the carriage.

    She weighed like a feather, and her breath became weak. Although Match was still a growing little girl, she had the heart of a warrior. Seeing her right now made me worried. My expression gave me away.

    "I told you to stay, Match," I whispered while shaking my head. "I do not want you to be involved in this."

    I did not want her to be a part in my revenge. She needed to stay away as far as possible in the war, but here she was, resting in my hands.

    If this girl had note for me, I would have died from the st. It was thanks to Match that I made it out alive. But with the cause of her zed arms.

    Match drove the carriage all by herself. No kid could actually have done it, but she did. Match was courageous enough to operate the cart. It may be with the help of her system, but it still was a chivalrous feat from her side.

    I can still remember the fiery mes devouring the projectiles aimed at me. The yers had no chance against the orange ignition. Their bodies became dust and turned pixted right after telling me they died.

    Match killed them. It was the first death count she had made. But I nned on not bringing the topic up for the time being. All that mattered right now was her safety and mine. We had yet to reach the outskirts of Nirvana.

    We still needed to escape, bringing with us the emerald obelisk. I still contained the viridescent resin inside my pockets. The gemstone refused to go inside my inventory, given that it was a valuable piece of Code. I also had the spare weapon with me inside my inventory.

    There was also this stave gripped in Match''s hands that I stored earlier. I did not know how she got it, but I left that topic forter.

    I whipped the rope grasped in my hands and ordered the horses to sprint towards the exit. With the help of my system, the map told me that there was a passage parallel from the ingress. It meant that somewhere in the forest''s end, there should be a hole that would greet our eyes.

    The cart drove to the tracks and passed by multiple elves and yers fighting against each other. It was a heated field filled with bloodshed and amputated limbs flying across the skies. The situation looked grim for the yers, especially when disadvantagesid upon them. Since there were many elves and a couple of adventurers in their ce, those yers could not fight them. Theycked the numbers that the elves had.

    The long-eared elves also had the upper hand, and used their terrain to their advantage. Despite having the experience to fight, those yers did not stand a chance against the rangers.

    I was fortunate enough to slip by their attention and raced through the bumpy road. The trees became my enemy, which kept descending in my direction. The magic attacks that came from the yers razored the forest, leading to the destruction of the ce.

    I needed to hurry and leave the ce alive.

    I embraced Match''s unconscious body tighter as I made a sharp turn on the right. The carriage quivered in the sudden direction, but it was not enough to tumble us to the ground. I thrashed the cord once again, hoping that these animals would pick the pace. And they did.

    The horses moured a neigh and rushed towards the mouth of the forest. Upon leaving the woond, the mountain''s bottom weed my eyes. It was the saving grace we had from this expedition.

    We can finally flee from this fiendish ce.

    I spared a glimpse behind and checked if someone schemed to tail us behind. Match and I were fortunate enough to see that nobody followed us. I can never be sure whether that Wolf would obstruct my goal once more.

    "We''re finally here, Match. Just hang on tight. I will never leave you behind." I announced, and sted through the narrow wall.

    The cart withstood the crash and continued progressing towards the exit. The system also stated that we left Nirvana once and for all. No yers trailed our tracks as I controlled the carriage towards the road.

    However, Match could not hold on for much longer. Her breaths became rigid and quick. She had been gasping for air during that escape.

    "Hold on for a little longer, Match. We are almost there." I reassured, and caressed my hand on the girl.

    Match curled up like a fetus and rested on my thighs. I could not let her nestle at the back, since the cart was shaky during the trip. I did not want to risk her falling from her make-shift bed without my notice.

    ''I need to go somewhere safe, away from Nirvana,'' I thought, and advanced.

    The smell of something burning caught up to my nostrils and filled the air with dark clouds. As I looked above, the cumulonimbus clouds flew to the mountain, towards Nirvana.

    "It seems it is going to rain." Upon expressing my thoughts, a drizzle of tears descended from the heavens. It almost felt like the weather was mourning someone who had died.

    I hauled the ropes and stopped the carriage from moving. There was a gigantic tree with its towering leaves that could shield us from the rain. I did not want Match to catch a cold, so stopping by should be a wise decision.

    I parked the cart at the bark and ced Match on the leaves. I made sure she wasfortable in her position as I nned, giving her immediate aid to her wounds.

    My eyes greeted the pulsating skin found both at her hands. It almost looked like moltenva that emerged from her hands. The warm temperature kept spreading to her body, with the crimson spots showing on her fingers.

    The humid and chilly air cooled off the heating from Match''s hands. It helped ease her pain from extracting any further from her limbs. But it was not enough to soothe her sensation and close her wounds.

    "Inventory, inventory! I have a red and blue potion with me!" I opened my system and snatched the two sks from my bag.

    Two potions with dissimr colours materialised in my hands. It was the health potion and the mana potion that the merchant had offered. Beside them was the leftover meal that we had not touched since then, but we did not need those nourishments right now.

    I summoned my screen and used [scan] to Match. My system marked Match as my sister, so checking her information became uplicated to me. As soon as the window popped up at my fore, I read what the system wrote beside her name.

    Two bars with crimson and azure colour addressed my eyes. The scarlet rod identified itself as the health points, and the cerulean one imed it was the mana. Both of the bars reached the left side, showing me that Match was in grave danger.

    The system also described Match''s fingers as "burned". It was a condition that slowly consumed her health points to 0. I had an inkling that once the bar hits rock bottom, Match would die and be pixted like the others.

    [A red potion. It will heal most of the wounds and infections. Will restore your stamina and health points.]

    [A blue potion. It will heal your magic capacity and stamina. If you have full mana, the blue potion will expand your capacity within a limited duration. Once your mana falls to 0, you cannot cast any magic. Your body will also feel sluggish.]

    An instruction appeared before me, with the automated voice narrating its descriptions. I knew that the red and blue potions could heal your health points and mana capacity, but I did not know how they worked. I did not have any reasons to use it, so I became ignorant about these potions.

    "Here, Match. A red potion. Please drink it, okay? It will make you feel better." I raised Match''s head and lifted the sk to her lips. Using the force of gravity, I poured the contents of the red liquid into her mouth.

    Match willingly gulped everything from the container. After a few seconds, a glowing crimson light covered both her hands. It took the radiance a minute before the light had faded away, revealing her closed wounds.

    Her skin improved after drinking the red potion. There were miniature cuts and holes from here and there, but the major burned area covered her wounds. The heat that was spreading to her skin had simmered down, showing the steam fluttering above Match''s hands.

    A terrible bark escaped from Match''s lips. She coughed out some blood that got stuck inside of her lungs.

    I did the same with the blue potion and hoped for the best.

 Chapter 44 - Going To The Prison

    (Back to Okami''s Perspective.)

    Just a slight recap. Okami went inside the throne and met Red. Red killed La Finta, and now the rangers areing to get him. This is where I will start. Enjoy~

    _______________________

    "You killed... King Arthur��" Those were thest few words thrown by the olddy to Red. She was fiendish, but a kind, grumpy and ancient woman. La Finta was that kind of girl.

    I can still remember La Finta and her rangers tried capturing me from before after snatching the fountain of life from them. I won the casino game, so I had to take what they offered. The elves wanted it back, but I refused, and the story went on. But that was not my concern right now.

    The elf''s body fell to my side. La Finta''s body was heavy, like a rock that had cracked from above. I caught her motionless vessel with my readied hands. She tried talking to me for thest time.

    "Red...help her��" La Finta instructed, and breathed herst breath. She was no longer here in Code, and neither was Red.

    A faint, glowing light shined upon me. It had an emerald hue that covered my body. I did not know why, but I thought the barrier came from La Finta herself and cast it before she died.

    ''But why?'' I thought, but there was not enough time.

    The marching of the wardens became clearer for every passing minute. That mob finally arrived after a minute of staring at La Finta''s corpse. My heart skipped a billion beats, knowing that escaping would be strenuous for me to do.

    A petite girl with golden hair greeted my eyes. She had a slim body, short in stature, and had a dagger gripped in her hands. That elf pointed her de towards me with her eyes boiling bloody crimson.

    "You killed my grandmother! I knew something was happening inside the throne!" The elf growled at me with intense anger. She clicked her tongue and charged forward.

    The elf wanted to kill me right here, right now, so she tried taking my life. I yearned to dodge the attack and roll to the other side, but my gut told me otherwise.

    And I was correct.

    The barrier from earlier saved me from the assault as it blocked her attack. The elf girl stumbled and fell backwards, but she got up and bnced her body. Her eyes widened as the long-eared elf observed the shield.

    "Grandmother, why are you protecting him?" the elf girl mumbled, and lowered her weapon. She did not want to follow up on an attack.

    "Seize him immediately and ce him in the dungeon." Shemanded the guards to arrest me for the crimes I did not do. But I knew retorting now would waste my efforts, so I carried along with their ns.

    La Finta''s body turned into green pixted dust and fluttered in the wind. She slowly disappeared in front of us and left Code for good.

    All the rangers watching the scene knelt in front of her. Everyone but the petite girl. As I squinted my eyes, the elf girl resembled the grandmother, which I deduced was something like a rtive to La Finta.

    The elfdy raised her head and locked her eyes onto me. She had a fierce expression and monitored my body. I returned her gaze, but I had a dull mask covering my face.

    The warden walked up to me and conjured a dark green vine from her hands. She coiled the cord around my arms and tied my hands behind my back, ensuring it would lock my arms. The ranger was confident in her skills, and I knew that already. She tightened the grip and shook the rope.

    I could not move from the creeping nt. It obstructed my movements.

    The ranger pulled me up and pushed me forward. I did not have the time to look at the elf''s facial features, since there was no point for me to look around. I already glued my eyes at the maddened girl before me as the warden guided me to the blond girl.

    "You. What did you do?" the acting leader of the group asked.

    She ced her hand below my chin and grabbed me by the neck. The girl pulled me closer to her face and red at my orbs. We were at breath length before head-butting into one another, but I kept my awkwardness at the side.

    "If you''re asking who killed Grandmother, it was Red, not me," I imed. "You don''t have to believe me."

    "Elina is right." A feminine sound lured my head into the corner. As I shifted my view, a mature-looking woman that resembled royalty and elegance interposed the conversation.

    "I am the Queen of Maind. I know you, Fenrir. You tried helping us escape, but you failed. My husband ced my trust in you, but you disappointed us." Guinevere appeared at the entrance and spoke to me.

    Beside her was Guinevere''s daughter. If I recall the history of Code, her name should be "Eve".

    "I am Elina, the granddaughter of the Elven Kingdom, seeding ruler of Nirvana. How dare you kill La Finta in front of me." Elina tried shing my face once again, but the barrier kept her at bay. "Do you think mocking me will help you escape? We do not believe your words, yer."

    Elina threw me back and shifted her view towards the Queen. She gave her a bow and addressed her. "Queen Guinevere. We apologise to seeing such a scene like this."

    All the rangers lowered their heads as they greeted the royalty. Even inside Nirvana, the Queen of Maind still had power over them. Guinevere was not the ruler of the Elven Empire, but every elf paid their respect to her.

    Elina, who had just apologised to Guinevere, shot her de towards me. The dagger hovered in my direction and was about to hit me, but something stopped it on its way. The de reverted to her side, but Elina caught it with her hands.

    She clicked her tongue and grunted. "I do not know why Grandmother wishes to protect you. But as soon as that shield wears out, we will kill you with the rest of the yers."

    "That''s enough fighting for today. We already won the battle. Those yers died outside," Guinevere approached me and asked. "Do you know these people? Did you issue this attack?"

    I shook my head. Although I was a part of their n, my goal was different. Saying what I wanted right now would not benefit me. Elina and the rangers would even use Ryoshi to use me if they knew he was the one I was looking for all the way here.

    "No. I came alone. Those people were nothing but a coincidence. I only used their attack as a distraction."

    The same de flew right through me. But the same scene happened at our fore, with the dagger flying backwards and crashing to the ground.

    Even on her deathbed, La Finta still tried protecting me. Although she hated me, I did not know the reason behind this shield. I did nothing for her to receive such protection. But maybe La Finta had her reasons.

    "This protective barrier hinders me or any elf from attacking him. It''s a spell thatsts for six hours." the soldier beside Elina informed her.

    "I know what it is. You don''t have to tell me." Elina retorted with an authoritative voice. She might be the type of person who disliked someone bossing her around, especially when she had a rank in the group.

    "We will kill him within six hours, then. For now, ce him in the dungeon and feed him like a dog."

    At her instructions, the rest of the rangers shove me onwards to the hinge found on the ground. The door opened and led us further underground. Guinevere could only look at me with drooping eyes and averted her gaze to me. She knew I would not escape this den and would remain imprisoned for the rest of my time. And even if I tried, it would be strenuous for me to flee using this smurf ount.

    I looked downwards and observed the series of steps weing my eyes. The guards utched the lock and ignited thenterns from downstairs. It would take us forever if we went to that ce. But it was the prison that they wanted me to stay in for the duration of the barrier.

    ''I knew it! It was a dungeon!'' A blissful remark ran through my head after knowing that I hit the money all along.

    Before we could enter inside, Elina stopped me for thest time. "Guinevere called you Fenrir, but I don''t believe you. That guy stole the fountain of life from us, but we knew he was a good person deep inside. Who are you, yer?"

    I curled up into a smile and answered, "Wolf. I go by the name Wolf."

    After our exchange, I finally stepped forward and trod the evesting stairs.

 Chapter 45 - Okami And Ryoshi

    Our stomping feet were the only ring noise that resonated inside the dungeon. I did not feel tired since I had more strenuous activities worth mentioning back in my old days than taking these extended stairs.

    But the distance was not something I could scoff at, given the time spent underground. It was an amazing feat that oxygen still travelled through this bottomless pit.

    "Are we there yet?" A grunt escaped from my mouth.

    "Quit your yapping, yer! We''ll arrive if we arrive!" the elf shouted and gave me her answer.

    If I was in a situation dating an elf girl, the ranger''s attitude would be priceless. However, the elf was guarding me towards my inevitable doom. She was like a demon, pointing me towards the stairs of hell.

    We had been going down the stairs for thirty minutes and still saw no signs of anything changing from the wall. The dirty brown panels kept greeting my eyes as if the basement went beyond finite.

    After one damn hour of trekking the series of steps, we finally hit the ground.

    "Do you hear that?" I asked, and tried looking around.

    But the female guard grabbed my head to look only forward. She did not want me to wander around. The elf grunted and shoved me forward.

    "That sound is nothing," she answered.

    We continued marching forward to the dark prison. The only light that shone on our roads was the flickeringntern that had almost run out of juice. At my sides, there were dozens of yers curling up like fetuses, mumbling to themselves. Others who were not yers red at our walking figures and passed them by.

    This ce was indeed a dungeon for criminals of war. These elves included yers in their prison, and that was the ce we nned to go right now.

    "This is a lovely ce! It''s quiet, the interior designs are wonderful for my eyes, and the food must be delicious, right?" I tried breaking the silence, but the elves wouldn''t budge.

    Those long-eared elves glued their faces with serious tissues that never changed their expressions. They were like robots, but alive with a beating heart!

    "Okay. You guys don''t want to talk," I grumbled, and got tossed towards the front.

    A smacking sound echoed in our surroundings as my head hit the ground t. My face kissed the soil, but I got up and looked back at the rangers.

    "You wouldn''t mind if I eat first, do you?" I begged for food, since I forgot to grab something along the way.

    The gurgling sounds of my abdomen created some noise in our conversation. But the elves did not care about my present condition.

    "Stay here for six hours. We''ll kill you by that time," the elf announced while ring into my eyes. The girl wished for me to die. I knew it since I had those eyes when I leered at the boss, who swindled us with thest dividend I had. "Try not to die until wee back here, okay?"

    The three wardens took off and went back to the surface, leaving me behind here inside the jail. All I could think about was the juicy steak I forgot to eat before going here inside Code. It had been hours since Ist ate. But I was still fortunate enough that Code wouldn''t kill anyone for hunger. Even if I did not eat for four days, I would still be alive here in this world.

    However, that situation differed from my actual body on Earth. My vessel needed something to survive. I could only hope that Himari and Ryoshi''s parents would ce me in an intravenous so my body could take the nutrients it needed to live.

    "Hey! Are you new here?" A sudden voice of a man echoed inside the bars. It made my body jolted out of fear and retreated to the corner.

    I hurriedly looked behind my back and equipped myself with the beginner''s de. But because the elves tied my hands up, I could not wield my weapon.

    "I tried equipping my bow, but this lock wouldn''t let me grip my weapon. It''s okay. We''ll be safe here for now," the man continued, and walked in my direction.

    His figure materialised from the shadow, revealing its recognisable outfit of a hunter. The man did not bother changing his face to make it more unique. Instead, the guy just inly mimicked his facial features and used them here in the game.

    "You know I have been looking for you, Ryoshi." Upon hearing his name, Ryoshi stepped back and became wary of my existence.

    "Why do you know me? Are you one of them that''s here to get rid of me?" Ryoshi eximed.

    The man tried reading my history through his system, but failed to do so. I knew that trick since I was the one who taught him that! I even exined that information to Red.

    "I told you to wait for me before ying this game, dammit!" I smacked his head, using my bare hands. A thumping sound reverberated through the walls.

    "Okami? Is that you?" Ryoshi asked with glittering eyes. It was as if he had found the lost hope from afar. "I knew you''de and find me!"

    Another flying fist hit his head. That hand came from mine. "Yeah! And look where we are right now! I swear if we go back to the surface, I will break your games."

    "Not my babies! Those are my precious gems!" A squeal fled from his lips as Ryoshi pleaded for my consideration.

    "You! What happened to you? Why did the elves take you inside their prisoner? Shouldn''t you be inside the Maind? Or the kingdom of Freiy?" I asked, and changed the subject.

    Ryoshi did not be amused after shifting to a different topic, especially when it involved his precious games. But our lives were more important right now, given that Code became a death game.

    "I did, and I-," Ryoshi said, but he paused for a second, thinking something before continuing his sentence. He looked me in the eye and resumed his statement. "I killed a little girl. It was a mistake. I was new to this game, and I didn''t know my arrow would hit her. I wanted to help, but I guess I shouldn''t y the hero if I can''t, right?"

    "After killing the girl, I ran as far as I could and stumbled upon a viaduct. I reached the mountain''s bottom and saw a long-eared elf walking through the cave. I thought she had gone mad, but the elf went through the cavern. I followed her tracks and ended up here, captured by their kind. And then I realised that Code became a death game."

    My eyes widened in shock after hearing his story. I knew something about that urrence, but I wanted to be sure.

    "Do you remember a girl wearing a red hood beside that little girl?" I leaned closer to his face and asked.

    Ryoshi gave me a nod. "Yeah. I think she was the girl''s big sister. Why''d you ask? Do you know them?"

    I did not know what to say. ''Should I tell Ryoshi everything? About Red and Clementine?'' I asked, but nobody gave me an answer.

    "I might, but I think I might be mistaken. Well, for now, let''s focus on escaping here alive." I lied, and took a sharp turn once again to drive the topic away.

    There was no point in exining to Ryoshi right now about how he killed Clementine and became the catalyst for Red''s revenge. But I doubt even if Ryoshi did not kill Clementine, Red would stop her goal, killing the game developers of Code.

    But that would mean that Red would have her eyes on Ryoshi, my best friend. If we ever meet again, Red would surely kill him on the spot. I, who needed her exnation, would defend my best friend from Red''s assault.

    I was sure that event would happen eventually, but I did not know when.

    "Yeah, you''re right. Escaping here should be our utmost priority." Ryoshi seconded my im.

    He stood and searched for something on the bars. Ryoshi''s eyes wandered around the grey metallic rods that constricted us inside the dungeon. It felt like a real prison inside these walls We were also in an underground dungeon. If an earthquake urs, we could die without a split second to react.

    "What''s our n, especially when we have this tied on our hands?" Ryoshi expressed, and presented his hands coiled together.

    He had a point, but I knew how to destroy it.

    "I can unfasten that lock and break free from this ce. But the question is, are the elves waiting for us upstairs," I expressed. "I can''t handle them with this smurf ount. Maybe with Fenrir, but I can''t ess anything right now."

    I revealed the dagger in my hands and showed it to Ryoshi. "All I have is this beginner''s de. It isn''t dull, unlike a knife.. But against those arrows, we would die before we could even escape Nirvana."

 Chapter 46 - Talking About Our Escape

    "How about you? Can you summon your bow?" I asked.

    "Yeah. I don''t know how our inventory works, but yeah. I can summon my weapon at any time. I don''t even know why the elves let us inside this prison with our weapons in the first ce. They didn''t even bother to confiscate them!" Ryoshi cried. "Don''t you think that this astral space is kinda overpowered? I mean, if you can store anything in here, can''t you contain any living creature inside that empty ce?"

    Ryoshi loved talking about theplex concept of the game. Because of his outstanding performance in school, he cared about the little things inside a game. It was the exact reason he had not levelled up in his ountpared to Fenrir, who became the top yer in the game.

    Despite our differences, he was an avid learner and gamer in these role-ying games. His knowledge mighte in handy soon on our journey. I could only depend on my experiences while ying this game.

    "I don''t know, Ryoshi," I eximed, and leaned closer to his face. "And I don''t care. We have an inventory, and I am thankful for that. Now, if you don''t want to be impaled by those arrows and be a walking kebab, I suggest we make a move right now. But you have a point about the elves. I''ll give you that."

    I also found it difficult to believe those long-eared creatures and their actions. If they nned on taking us in here, those elves could have stolen our weapons. But they did not. Instead, the elves locked us behind these bars, still armed and dangerous.

    "Probably because those elves thought we couldn''t escape their base. We are inside their territory, after all," I replied. "And those elves move because their script told them to. If they acted violently while kids were ying Code, don''t you think they would have banned this game in most countries?"

    Ryoshi nodded to himself and answered, "You have a fair point. I''ll give you that too"

    "Anyway, we need to get out of here right now for six hours. That''s the only time that the elves gave me. La Finta, the Grandmother of this ce, ced some kind of protection for me." I shifted the topic and directed my gaze at the staircase ahead of us. "Do you want me to st these bars away or bend them? We also need to bypass those elves once we are on the stairway."

    It was a long flight up the stairs upon arriving here in the dungeon. Ryoshi likely went through that punishment before I had set foot in this ce. He disliked those series of steps and cursed them whenever Ryoshi could. I can still remember the event when he gave up climbing up our ssroom and begged the principal to enter the elevator.

    "If we did that, you''ll alert the rangers!" Ryoshi retorted, whilst iling his hands. "And, yes! Of course, I know La Finta! I read about her once in the article before ying Code. But why would she protect you when there''s a death game against NPCs and yers? Shouldn''t it be the other way around? NPC that are trying to kill us, yers, because they have gone rogue?"

    "Yeah. That''s what I believe. I don''t know why on Earth La Finta would do that for no reason? I have one, but I will tell you once we''re out of this ce." I answered. "And do you have a better idea of escaping this prison? "

    "Blowing things up fixes nothing, Okami."

    It had been an hour since the time I had entered this ce and thirty minutes in the actual world. The two of us had been talking about various ways to get out of this prison. But that conversation ended when I sensed someone approaching our direction.

    As I looked ahead, an elf girl with blonde hair greeted my eyes. It was the same petite warden that sealed me inside this room. Beside the girl were two rangers guarding her sides. Their figure did not look happy at all.

    "Well, if it isn''t two idiots squabbling with each other," Elina stated, and insulted the two of us.

    The guards spared Ryoshi and me the frosty re. I, who did not care at all, just raised my head and met their gaze.

    We were two idiots in several aspects. I did not feel offended about it. If there was one thing that Ryoshi hated, it was someone offending his intelligence.

    "Hey! Listen here, you offish long-eared elf! Okami and I could crush you at any time!" Ryoshi said, and slipped my name away. "Whoops. I should''ve not said that."

    I bashed him with my bare hands. A "fumu" sound escaped from his mouth. I always told Ryoshi to avoid mentioning my name in the game. Countless yers wanted me dead. There was a bounty on my head, given that I was a yer killer in my prime time. Now that Code became a death game, and I was in my smurf ount, people could effortlessly present me to the adventurer''s guild.

    It was also why I wanted to avoid teaming up with Mer and Robin from before.

    "Shut up! If you could, you would''ve destroyed this ce a long time ago." The elf crossed her arms and red at me in the eye. "I will ask you again. What did La Finta say before she died in your hands?"

    "I have the right to remain silent," I answered, and sat on the ground.

    I knew these elves could never touch me within these six hours. Although the elves tied our hands up behind my back, they cannoty a finger on my body. They could only wait until the scheduled time.

    Elina did not utter a word and turned around. She might know that I would refuse to talk about their leaders, especially when I was behind their bars. If they would release the two of us, I could reconsider my decision about talking.

    Well, it was not like I was hiding something from them. I would trick Elina and use that opportunity to escape if these elves would take the bait.

    "So you have chosen to rot inside this ce?" Elina continued.

    "I speak whenever I want. Just like my friend here had said. I could take you all down within seconds."

    Elina gave a snicker and turned to face us for thest time. "I would love to see you try."

    After our exchange, the trio went back to the staircase. The elves'' stomps resonated throughout the dungeon. It was the only sound that we heard as we waited for them to arrive at the surface. It was a long walk; I was sure of it, since the stairway was approximately two hundred feet above the ground.

    "Well, there goes our chances," I eximed, andid my body on the ground.

    "I can''t believe you''re so casual about this." Ryoshi peered his head near my face and obstructed my view.

    "There was not a thing we could do about it," I answered. "And besides, someone is approaching our way."

    Ryoshi could only blink his eyes after hearing such a statement from me. He did not know what I was talking about. Since he did not have the Lycanthrope''s ability, Ryoshi was not aware of the army of yers marching towards Nirvana.

    "First things first, I go by the name Wolf. Second, there''s a guild that nned on taking this ce down," I eximed. "And I sure hope they save us first before destroying Nirvana."

    "Oh. Is that so?" Ryoshi said, and sat beside me. "Well, all we have to do now is wait for them to invade this ce."

    Another hour had passed by, doing nothing but to wait around this cell. A guard came by and monitored us. But as soon as she saw us idling around, the elf ranger fell asleep in her chair.

    I used this opportunity to use my [wolf walk] and reached out for the keys. Although this might be a useless move, I still wanted to escape from this ce. This key would be useful eventually if Ryoshi and I did not want to make this ce go kaboom.

    "Now that''s what I''m talking about," Ryoshi murmured, with his eyes still shut tight.

    Ryoshi knew about my past and how I became a crazed man killing people in Code. He was one of the few people who knew my identity and watched me on the news about the killing spree Imitted. He knew the reason behind my massacre, but Ryoshi wasn''t supportive.

    "Do you still see NPC as mindless characters inside the game," Ryoshi asked me a sudden question. He was usually like this every time we were together inside a room.

    After getting the keys from the guard, I nudged back and hid it inside my [astral space]. A notification alerted me, telling me I had got the key for the cell. ''Now, I don''t have to worry about making a sound if we want to escape this ce.'' I thought, and went to face Ryoshi.

    "No. I don''t want to be the person I was from before.." I answered.

 Chapter 47 - Inside The Cell

    The banging of the ball hitting the panel was the only noise we could hear, not until I caught the sphere and squished it in my hands. It had been aplete hour since Ryoshi tried annoying everyone inside this room. I guessed he had sessfully done his part as the guard and I crumbled our faces while staring at Ryoshi.

    If only our expressions could kill, Ryoshi would lie on the ground.

    "Will you cut that out, Ryoshi?! You''re damn noisy, like a mouse!" I screamed, and shut my eyes once again.

    My best friend retorted and created another ball in his hand. "I was testing the projectile speed and the physics of this game from that ball you just EXPLODED! How can I mark my arrows now, huh? How can I even continue when you have destroyed my toy? Tell me, Okami!"

    "Will you shut up?"

    Our brief exchange made the guard grunted on her desks. The elf exhaled an exhausting sigh and burrowed her head on top of her desk.

    My idiotic best friend expanded his palm and created yet again another ball, this time even sturdier than before. Ryoshi continued throwing off the ball towards the wall, leaving both the guards and me crazed. The elf guard thought that was the end of Ryoshi''s annoyance, but she had thought wrong. There were hundreds of hair-raising towards the sky as we heard the raucous sounds of Ryoshi''s doings.

    The blond elf girl tried stopping him at first. But it would require the long-eared creature to open the bar and confiscate the ball. I wouldn''t let a chance slip by and nestle behind this bar. And that elf knew that, too. Instead, she just red at our figures, hoping for this hunter to stop pounding the ancient wall.

    It was a fortunate situation that the elf did not try that, since she would find the key missing inside her pockets. I stole it and nned to use the key soon. But I needed a distraction of some sort to make her attention away from our sights.

    "How long are the yers going to arrive?" Ryoshi whispered. He finally stopped hurling his toy. "That guild is taking them an hour before attacking Nirvana."

    All that the two of us were doing was an act to stir some anger towards the guard. Although Ryoshi''s ball had an unpleasant sound, we needed the elf to hate us and leave the cell. It was a matter of time before the yers would arrive and take over Nirvana.

    Ryoshi and I schemed to snatch that chance and sneak out from this prison.

    I looked at my monitor and stared at the screen for a few seconds. There was a clock that gave out the approximate time for them to arrive. I did not know why, but the guild wanted to protect their assault against all yers in Code. Those yers were unaware that I bypassed their guild and could receive notifications from them even being a

    "About now," I answered.

    It was not a coincidence that this happened. The ground below and above us shook violently, disrupting our bnce. Even the elf who was guarding us fell from the seat but caught herself during the descent. The elf girl fixed her hair and weapon and looked upward to the surface.

    The elves and the guard had no means ofmunicating. But Ryoshi and I knew what was happening up there.

    "Is this your doing?" the elf asked as she gyrated to our sides.

    I raised my handcuffs and gave out a smirk. "Ah, yes. It is mine. You see, if I wiggle my hands like this, everything will collide."

    "Once this is done, I will make the two of you as fertilisers for the Gaia tree."

    The elf girl had no choice but to retreat upstairs and provide another force on the battlefield. Everyone knew that violent shock came not from the friendly fire, but from an enemy breaching the ce.

    The situation was a walking time bomb for the long-eared elves, but a glimmer of hope for the prisoners held in this ce. The elf girl knew she needed to escape this ce. However, if she did that, the prisoners would make a move.

    The elves locked some yers here and there before we had stepped foot inside their dungeon. Although the news told us that the elves were the first empire to strike back against the yers, these long-eared creatures refused to kill the yers all at once. They wanted to simmer the killing spree and send a sign to the actual yers outside the game.

    It was a bloody mess, but it was what they did to the yers.

    But I doubt they knew they were inside Code. All I knew about these elves was their greed for revenge for killing King Arthur. It did not made sense at first, but I had realised that the Maind and Nirvana had close ties with each other. Those long-eared creatures waged war against the yers, resulting in this death game. Those elves only acted out because of fear that the yers had gone rogue in the world.

    Now that a yer Killed La Finta, and the elves med me for it, those long-eared bastards had nothing else to do but continue to wreak havoc against yers. They nned to take down the adventurer guild, which was the organisation produced by the yers.

    The elves already killed most of the yers in Nirvana and their adventurer guild. It was the sudden news that shocked the entire world. Ryoshi was even lucky enough to survive after the elves found him wandering near the forest. The elves could have killed him, but they refused and ced Ryoshi in this cell.

    The humans that came from Code and elves were the first unit that included themselves in the war. However, the elves were not the only ones capable of producing soldiers and fighters. The yers also needed to consider the forces against the dragonewts, dwarves, Animalia, and other species.

    The dwarves had already made their move. Although the game developers described them as neutrals, those miniature humans produced arsenals for their fellow non-yer characters and shipped them using sails and other carriages. If my guess proved me correct, those dwarven carts would arrive tomorrow.

    If I remembered it correctly, Alice in Wondend could pose a great threat to our fate. I just hoped that nothing could reanimate that dead puppet back to life, or else every yer would be in danger.

    There was nobody who could stop Alice''s prowess, nobody but me.

    "Tsk. Wait right here, and don''t move a muscle." The elf clicked her tongue and went to the staircase. "If you do, I will kill you myself! Do not let my promotion get to waste, you hear me?!"

    If the elf girl had more power, the threats would have been menacing. But Ryoshi and I brushed her words aside and stayed silent for now. We did not want to rush after seeing the girl climbing the series of steps.

    Patience would bring anyone to sess. Even Ryoshi knew that phrase somewhere in his life.

    "Tell me if you want to escape. I''ll just y here with my ball," Ryoshi said, and threw the ball once again at the wall. There were many cracks on the panel made from his toy.

    ''Ryoshi told me he was testing physics in this world. Then why was he destroying that part of our cell?!'' That is what I wanted to ask, but I kept silent about the urrence.

    "Yeah, yeah, Ryoshi. Do whatever you want. And we will escape this ce after that person arrives in front of us." I answered.

    "Who exactly are you talking about?"

    Ryoshi followed my gaze out front. He even stoppedunching the sphere and stood by, only to see a twister forming on the ground.

    The individual that I had expected had the same abilities as Ryoshi. That man was both a hunter and a ranger. A master using the bow and arrow, my system and guts told me.

    "Robin Hood. Ironically, he sounds like those you could hear from fairy tales." I eximed. "Well, his name is Robin Fitzooth, but his in-game name is Robin Hood. Don''t you dare say Okami in front of them, got it?"

    Ryoshi tilted his head to the side and asked, "Is this Robin Hood you''re talking about an NPC? And how am I supposed to call you now?"

    "Nope. He''s a good man who helped me get introduced to Mer. The previous batch I was with attacked Nirvana." I answered. "And call me Wolf. I told you a million times already! I go by the Wolf. Bigbadwolf sounds dumb, so Wolf in short, alright?"

    After a few seconds, the twister revealed a humanoid figure floating on the staircase. The body of an elf tumbled to the ground and ended up being dead. If I remember Robin, he refused to kill NPCs. During our first interactions, he told me specifically that.

    I did not know why he killed an innocent elf on the stairs.

    "I thought you were a smurfer? Why on Earth did you let yourself get caught inside this mess?" The familiar voice echoed through the cell.

 Chapter 48 - Prisoners Of War

    "I don''t want to hear it." I waved my hand, hoping Robin got the idea. "And besides, I was saving my friend here who got himself entangled with the elves."

    Robin red at Ryoshi for a second before averting his gaze back to me. "I understand. We need to get out of here fast before this whole ce copses onto us."

    Robin flicked his hands and prepared his bow and arrows. He gripped his weapon and discharged a speedy bolt in our direction, destroying the metallic bars in front of us. There was a ring crash resonating through the prison, but it was not enough to ravage the dungeon.

    Robin did the same and aimed at the different cells trapping the other yers. He fired each arrow for every chamber, freeing them within seconds. Thousands of silver shards exploded all around us, creating a nest of nails on the floor. The adventurers stretched their bodies and went in Robin''s direction.

    "It''s about time you show up." one guy eximed.

    Beside the man were his allies, I assumed. These yers each had this fierce expression carved on their faces. All their eyes stared at me before shifting their line of sight to Robin.

    "Do you know these kids?" the guy continued.

    "I wouldn''t treat him as a kid if I were you. He''s a smurfer." Robin answered, and gave me a smirk.

    If I had to guess their rtionships, Robin and these yers were in the same guild. Robin gestured his hand for us to follow behind. He did not even bother sparing a nce in our direction, knowing that Ryoshi and I had nowhere else to go but trail their figures.

    "Where''s your brother?" I asked, searching for the girl character with jiggling boobs.

    Robin pointed his forefinger upward and answered, "Friar Tuck is on the surface, dealing with those pesky elves."

    After our exchange, our conversation became stale. To make matters worse, we were climbing the series of steps without uttering a word. ''It''s better this way,'' I thought, and proceeded to the staircase.

    We passed by the pixted body of the elf girl floating in mid-air. The remnants of dust left by that creature made way alongside our ascent, making our trek eerie. Robin, Ryoshi, and I dared not to talk about the particles clipping to the panels, since we knew Robin was the one who killed the elf.

    Robin had to end the elf''s life, so there was no problem with that.

    It took us fifteen minutes to reach above ground, even faster than we had experienced from before. Robin lifted the hatch and stepped foot on the cold floor. We all followed close behind and marvelled at the citadel around that all of us knew.

    The ground had a chilling touch, reminding us of corpses that these yers killed before entering Nirvana.

    The gruesome scenery weed my eyes. There were hundreds of debris falling from the ceiling. ''It must havee from the battle,'' I thought, as we continued on the road.

    As soon as we arrived near the gate, we stumbled upon the bodies of rangers. Among those mountains of corpses, nobody found a dead yer. It almost felt like the skirmish that happened was a one-sided fight.

    The elves never stood a chance at all.

    Upon looking ahead, various units addressed our eyes. Those people wore a ck uniform with a spiral symbol sketched on their backs. The image looked like it was ama that had an ominous feeling from afar.

    "Are these the-,"

    "Yes. Those are Asimov''s men, plus the members of my guild, the Western Guild."

    Before Ryoshi could even finish his sentence, Robin interposed and introduced the soldiers entering the field.

    Each of the guards had guns gripped in their hands. These weapons were not even the assault rifles that everyone knew. All of them had unique designs that sted blueish projectiles like bullets. Upon contact, the elves hovered from the impact and rolled to the other side of the forest. Some elves sttered their bodies in every direction, leaving a fountain of blood in the soil.

    But the scarlet liquid disappeared within a few minutes and became pixted substances. It only reminded us that everything in this world was a game.

    "Why did they bring guns in Code? Isn''t that illegal? And the five kingdoms were unaware of these weapons. It isn''t avable in the smithies!" Ryoshi eximed. I was not even a geek and read anything about any article from the game, but I knew that guns still did not exist in Code.

    Amidst the battle, a voice alerted our attention. As we gazed at the sides, a soldier rushed to our front and saluted at Robin.

    "Sir Robin, we brought you these NPCs." the soldier announced.

    Robin gave a quick nod andmanded the footman to direct him towards the site. He told the other members, who he helped escape the prison, to stand by. Since this was a confidential operation, those members did not need to know who those individuals the soldiers seized.

    "You need toe with me, Wolf. I still have a lot of questions to ask you, and I think you can be a valuable asset for this war." Robin added, and red at me in the eyes.

    I took a slow gulp and shook my head from up to down. "Yeah, sure. Lead the way."

    "Can we bring Ryoshi with us? He''s my best friend, and I hate it if I would lose him again." I nudged Ryoshi to my side and introduced him to Robin.

    Robin scrutinised Ryoshi and replied, "Sure. Just tell him to be quiet on the site."

    Ryoshi nodded and zipped his mouth. After our exchange, the four of us, including the soldier from before, guided us towards the citadel''s side. Upon our arrival, we saw three individuals whom I recognised. It was Queen Guinevere, Eve, and Elina, the princess of Nirvana.

    "You! I will kill you! You did this to us! Are you happy now that you guys killed the elves? Killed my family?!" Elina rushed to me and red daggers in my direction.

    Her feral rage made the guard act immediately, restraining her movements. The soldiers ced a special device in Elina''s arms and pressed a protruding red button on the remote. After a split second, there was an electrical charge exploding in the pocket-sized device. It generated a violent shock to the poor elf''s body with thick ck smokes floating in the air.

    Elina fell to the ground, still with her head and eyes leered at my figure. She grunted the pain, hoping that the sensation would go away. That unfortunate elf couldn''t do a thing.

    Elina lost everything; her kingdom, her grandmother, and even the elves she held dear. And now, the yer who she thought had killed La Finta was standing in front of her. I would have done the same if I were in her shoes.

    "Elina, that''s enough. It''s all over. We can die anytime these yers want us to die. Let''s just hope we learn something before that happens." Guinevere held Elina''s shoulders and nudged her back. It was the only warm sensation that Elina could feel during this time, when everything was crumbling into pieces.

    Eve, Guinevere''s daughter, couldn''t hold back her tears and cried a stream. The guards tried silencing the little girl, but Robin''s brother, Friar, stepped in before the guards could even touch her.

    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you." With a single statement, the soldiers backed away. Those guards felt a sinister gaze waving in their direction. As I turned around, Robin had his eyes burning bloody-red at the soldiers.

    It was a good thing that Friar had to step in, or else Robin could''ve murdered the two soldiers who attempted to assault such an innocent girl. Robin could kill any NPC within a snap of his fingers or a fling of his bow if I needed to be literal to describe him. But he disliked hurting any children or seeing someone doing that act. If Robin notices such a crude event, I could only pray for the poor soul''s life.

    "I can see you brought the little boy."

    "I''m not a kid," I retorted Friar''s words.

    He (or she (remember, Friar is using his girl character)) gave me a grunt and switched his view towards the three NPCs. Even until now, the two Fitzooth brothers treated me as a little kid and a smurfer in this game.

    "Can we stop the war if we kill these two right now? The elves and the Maind waged war against us yers, after all." Robin stated, and aimed his bow in front of the shivering Elina.

    "All of us want freedom! You cannot take that away from us! Who knows who would you yers kill next time we turn around our backs?! Every NPC will kill you, I swear in La Finta''s name!" Elina screeched, and spitted on the ground.

 Chapter 49 - First Form

    "I''ve heard enough." Robin turned his head away from the three NPCs and went toward a guard who had a crest that showed his high rank in the army.

    The guard gave him a salute. Robin just shook his head and ced his arm on the guard''s shoulder. He gave a light tap and issued his order.

    "Kill the Queen, but leave the elf and the little kid alive."

    "Yes, Robin."

    With one word, the soldier fired his gun at Guinevere. She knew these people would kill her. So before the soldiers took her down, Guinevere stared into my eyes and gave me a brief nod. I knew what she meant. Guinevere wanted me to take care of her only daughter, Eve.

    Everyone had a shocking expression etched on our faces, except for the soldiers and Robin. Even the elves that were still fighting from afar heard the gunshot. As they swivelled their heads in our direction, Guinevere fell to the ground.

    "Your majesty! Why?! Why would you do this! You monsters! I will kill you! I will kill all of you!" Elina tried slipping through the cords, but the locks were too tight for her to break free.

    Red marks stained her skin as Elina desperately tried to move towards Guinevere. I also had a fair share of doubts about why Robin would kill an innocent person. Robin told me from before that he wasn''t a murderer. Robin valued the lives of NPCs and yers. But what he had presented to tell otherwise.

    "Why would you do that, Robin?" I could not help but voice my concerns.

    Robin just looked me in the eye and answered, "These NPCs killed Mer. I rarely kill. But an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. I remember that phrase, and you did it too. We can never forget the blood spilt on your filthy hands, NPCs. You kill our yers; we will kill your people in return. They killed Mer; I will kill them too."

    Guinevere''s body became pixted within seconds. This event proved the gun dealt more damage than any weapons made here in Code. It was always like this in the game. But now, these soldiers have introduced such a dangerous arsenal in a fantasy world. Who knows what they could do to achieve their goals.

    I did not give Robin a reply, since I expected Mer to fail. Although Mer was the Western Guild''s leader, he brought a few men against thousands of elves, battling inside their territory. He had no chance at all saving the prisoners of war. So I used that chance to get inside the cell but expected nothing about Robin arriving in Nirvana.

    "I see. That''s unfortunate news," I reacted, and gave my condolences to the yer I knew for a short while.

    But Robin had original ns. HE did not mind my saddest attempt to express my grief. He went to Elina and banged her head using the ends of his bow. A ring thump resonated from Elina''s body. Robin took her motionless figure and threw it towards Ryoshi. My best friend caught the elf in the nick of time but had question marks raised above his head.

    "Eh?" Ryoshi said, but couldn''t express anything more.

    Robin opened his mouth and instructed the two of us. "You. Are you with him? Wolf?"

    "Yes. My in-game name is Hunter. And I am apanion of Wolf. He''s my friend." Ryoshi replied, still bracing the sleeping Elina with his arms.

    "Good."

    Robin urged Eve, Guinevere''s daughter, to go beside Ryoshi. Eve, who did not know what was going on around her, followed along and hid behind Ryoshi''s back. She clipped her hands at the ends of Ryoshi''s clothes and whimpered in fright.

    "Take that little girl with you and leave this forest," Robin said. He turned around and faced me. "You. Don''t you think you''re a little suspicious about everything?"

    A mini-heart attack erupted in my chest. It was like a sudden quiver that vited my body, yet the pain was not enough to kill me.

    ''Did I do something to Robin? I don''t know! Am I a bad guy?'' Nobody gave me an answer. Only the chilling reing from Robin was my hidden clue.

    "Suspicious about what? I did nothing! And it wasn''t me who killed La Finta! I was trying to save her!" I croaked.

    "I am not talking about that, Fenrir. The yer killer who murdered billions of yers, stole their experiences and gold, and reigned at the top rankings for a year. You caused a lot of trouble for me back then."

    My eyes widened upon hearing the in-game name I had not heard for a long time. Fenrir was my main ount and my history. I couldn''t ess it by the time I wanted to enter Code and rescue Ryoshi.

    ''But how did Robin know? And when did he realise I was Fenrir? I was using Wolf, a nameless ount that has nothing rted to Fenrir, and yet��'' All those questions left unanswered made me anxious. My hands shivered, unsure of what awaited my fate.

    "Was it because I was a smurfer?" I asked.

    Robin gave me a nod. His lips grinned as he pushed me away, with my friend behind my back. Ryoshi, who also had his eyes widened in fright, whispered.

    "What are we going to do now?" Ryoshi asked.

    "I know, Hunter. Run away as fast as possible for ten seconds. We will kill you if we ever see your figures. And you, Fenrir, or Wolf, whichever you prefer, will decide if you want to stay here and stop us, or run away with them. You could risk your friend''s life, that girl elf, and that child. Or, you could stay put so we can dance here and end your killing spree right now." Robin retorted, and raised his hands.

    "But I am not that kind of person anymore, Robin! I''ve changed! I am not a killing machine or anything! All I ever wanted was to save my best friend! I never wish to kill you or any NPCs anymore," I pleaded. But my efforts were not enough to stop them.

    "I''ve heard before. You stab people in the back a million times. That will not happen again." Robin interposed.

    All the soldiers aimed their guns in our direction. Robin had yet to count down the numbers, so my friend had more time to escape out in the woods. We had ten seconds before these people would kill us.

    I had no choice but to stick around and buy Ryoshi for some time. I gripped my dagger tightly in my hand and prayed that I could activate my first form.

    "Go, Ryoshi. I will catch up with you." I murmured, and spared him a nce. "You know me. I''m the top one yer in the world, right? This is a challenge. If I get too rusty, that only means that Code is not my game."

    "I believe in you. Take care, friend. I will meet you on the other side."

    After our exchange, Ryoshi used his extreme speed and carried the two NPCs on his shoulders. A gust of wind trailed behind him as Ryoshi escaped the woond. Those ten seconds were enough for him to flee. But I doubt I would do the same.

    "So you stayed. How admirable, Fenrir." Robin mocked while curving out a sinister smile.

    He knew that the battle was one against a thousand, or even more of them, if I had to count the ones hiding behind. Those were snipers that aimed at my head and the centre of my body. Robin calcted everything, even before breaching Nirvana.

    "We could''ve been a team, Robin. I know how toplete the game."

    "I don''t care," Robin said, and began his countdown.

    "Ten��"

    "Nine��"

    "Eight��"

    I used the little time that I had to think through this urrence. There was no option for me to escape, not with these guns directed at me.

    ''If only I have my first form of Lycanthrope, I could kill some of them and use my [wolf dash] to escape.'' I thought, and prayed for myst glimmer of hope.

    [Wolf Dash] was another ability that I could learn if I unlocked my first form. That transformation would enhance any spell that I have within a time limit. However, my character was still fifty levels below that first form. If I were a novice, I would give up right now and die on the battlefield.

    I fiddled with my settings, hoping I could use some of my knowledge to summon my first form.

    "Seven��"

    "Six��"

    "Five��"

    ''I think I got it!'' I eximed. My system followed my expression with an azure box popping out in front of me.

    [First form unlocked! Despite your character being a low-level Lycanthrope, the first form willst within ten minutes. You can never use the first form again, unless you reach level seventy]

    With all the options exhausted, I clicked the yes button and activated my trump card.

 Chapter 50 - The Prodigy Child (Epilogue)

    Epilogue for Volume 1

    ....

    (Himari''s Point of View)

    It had been two-and-a-half days since my brother, Okami, went to Code and tried saving Ryoshi; and five days in the game. The doctors who saw his body ced Okami in a cell, specialised for yers trapped inside the game. It was a ss container that functioned as life support for unconscious individuals ying Code. It was a machine that had multiple infused nourishment. The technology also gave the needs of the yers through intravenous therapy.

    Warner Asimov, the brains behind Code, provided all standard yers with this cell for every family. But for me, these boxes acted like a coffin. The news also mentioned that Warner would state an update for Code.

    Okami was right beside me, sleeping until the gamepleted itself. But every time that my brother felt pain, he shook violently until the pain subsided. This urrence happened once in a while, as long as that console remained on his head.

    The same sensation was happening to everyone.

    Ryoshi''s parents told me I should visit them once in a while to check on him. They also told me I could get some free meals from them, which I would have loved. Working as a cashier at a department store while studying my tests brought a burden to me.

    "I''m off, brother," I said, and went outside. I took the umbre with me and opened it.

    It was raining cats and dogs as I trod the empty streets. Most of the people were also babysitting their loved ones trapped inside that video game. We had a grim future ahead of us, but life must continue.

    There was nothing we could do to stop this nightmare.

    My feet stopped by after the bungalow greeted my widened eyes. I raced towards the house''s entrance and retracted my umbre, sttering the water that came from the rain. I ced it on the rack and hit the doorbell as light as I could. A high-pitch sound sted through my ears as the doorbell rang through my ears.

    "Oh, you''re early! Come inside, Himari. We''ve prepared the meal for you." A woman answered behind the gate and slid open the door.

    With a light squeaking sound, the door weed me. Ryoshi''s mother painted me with a smile and gestured to me to step foot inside the house. I entered the quiet ce and ced my footwear at the sides.

    "Sorry for the intrusions," I expressed, and followed Mrs. Aika''s lead.

    The two of us entered the kitchen and found a simr-looking cell nestled at the sides. Mrs. Aika''s husband stood up from his seat and came to greet me. Gripped in his hands was a bento box filled with rice and vegetables, a work of ssic.

    "Here''s a meal for you. We can''t thank you enough for visiting Ryoshi. We also want to express our gratitude for your brother''s sacrifice��" the husband continued.

    "No. It''s fine. If I were in Ryoshi''s position, I would have saved my best friend too," I answered, reassuring him with kind words.

    Ryoshi''s parents beamed at me with a smile and invited me to join their dinner. But I politely refused and told them that exams wereing right across the corner and I have to review. The two expressed their gratitude once again and showed me the door.

    "If you ever need us, call me, Himari dear."

    "I will."

    After our exchange, I was off yet again towards the empty roads. There were a few cards that drove from elsewhere, rushing towards the hospital. Some old couples cried on the bench.

    ''Those old people might have someone trapped inside Code, or worse, got killed from the game,'' I thought, and refocused my sight on the road.

    It took me aplete fifteen minutes to reach my abode. I ced my slippers and umbre away and headed for the couch. With a gigantic bag of chips braced in my hands, I had nothing else to do but study in the living room and watch some news.

    I ripped the bag open and flickered through my scribbled notes. I left the television on, which was the only sound that kept mepany. My crunching sounds were also a thing that reverberated through these dark walls, but I paid it no mind.

    I needed to ace the test and apply for a schrship to help my brother and me with our needs.

    As soon as I went to focus on mathematical problem solving, the news caught my attention. The press release that would broadcast Warner''s statement was now on-air.

    "Hello, Mr. Warner, wee to our news station for today! Warner is the director and game developer behind the marvellous game that sold four billion copies in the market. Warner called the game ''Code'', which the game developers used for coding all the fantasies one could desire! However, a death game urred inside the game and killed fifty million yers within these two-and-a-half days." The news anchor gave the mic to the well-dressed guy in a white suit.

    "Warner Asimov has some statements to say to the masses. We are currently giving you the hottest interview that all of you are waiting for! Mr. Asimov, tell me about the death game and a way to stop it?" the news anchor continued.

    "Asimov finally decided to show himself in front of a camera. The man who killed people received glorious praise from the government. Even the officials are covering up his story, not the person who we should me," I stated, while crunching my chips down through my throat. I did not know why, but a salty feeling entered my pte, making my snacks taste awful.

    "My game developer buddies and the soldiers that are still inside Code had an announcement. They told me everything that I needed to know about the game. It turns out, the entire kingdom of Code went against the script that the game developers ced upon them. We thought that making them more humane would make their characters believable, but we were wrong. Those NPCs had proved us wrong. Now that we know the product of our mistakes, we willplete the game by eliminating all NPCs inside Code. The elves took thousands of lives from yers in the Western Branch Guild. But we have stopped the war and prevented the elves from doing as they pleased. The Western Guild is on their way to vanquish those NPCs. We are currently on the lookout for a specific non-yer character who stirred up the war between yers and the game. I will announce yet again another update for the next two weeks or a month. But for now, my soldiers are out there, taming the NPCs. I send my regards to those fifty-million people that have died from the game. I will also send the cells needed to preserve the yers stranded in Code. With the help of the Russian Union and the United Nations, I will do whatever I can to stop this chaos." Asimov stood up from his seat and gave everyone a bow. But upon inspecting his face, his lips curved up a smile.

    It was a sinister smirk that nobody noticed, not even the news anchors present at the station. I had a bad feeling that Asimov was tricking everyone and yed us in the palm of his hands.

    "We advise all of you to return the console to us. Representatives of mypany would personally visit all families and take the gaming consoles away from their hands to avoid further injuries. We will provide you with additional fees from when you purchased the items. I will double it and pay you handsomely. Mypany will also provide information to you. So you will know the status of your loved ones inside Code. None of my team couldmunicate in and out of the game. Remember, we could only go inside Code and not return here in the actual world. All the information that I had presented to you are all facts that came from the boards. That is all for my speech. Thank you very much for having me here today," Asimov concluded his talk, whilst at the end of the channel.

    "The elves? That''s where Okami and Ryoshi are going right now!" I screamed, but I cannot panic, not this time. I could only hope for their survival in this world, apart from theirs.

    But Asimov lied to us. The Futaba family (Ryoshi) and us had nothing that Asimov mentioned. We received no warranties or cash upon surrendering the consoles. All we received were threats and the cell that provided nourishments for my brother. Those representatives told us that this container was enough to return the favour before leaving the house.

    I couldn''t contact them anymore after the representative''s visit.

    My eyes wandered to the side and nced at the closet. There was a gadget that was lying around for some time. The representatives did not notice it.

    I moved towards the shelf and took out the console. It was the same technology that allowed yers to travel to Code.

    "I aming for you, brother," I whispered.

    My brother was the top 1 yer in his prime.. Little did everyone know that Okami''s little sister was also in the top 2 of Code.

 Chapter 51 - Warner Asimov

    (Prologue for Volume 2)

    (Warner Asimov''s Point of View)

    _____________________

    After the meeting with the Russian ambassadors and the United Nations portraying Code, I went back to myboratory. Every footstep I made sounded heavier as I marched through the crowded hallway.

    People called it a building, and some even hailed it as apany. But I begged to differ. It was aboratory that made Code work while using Science, fiction, and game elements in that fantasy world.

    Code was a game that continuously updated itself, with the help of the game developers. We were the only ones who guided the world. All of us were not gods, but architects that built the foundation of Code.

    But now, there was a troublesome figure that ruined my n and the game. I could only hope that the news would not ruin my day.

    A woman wearing a dirty-whiteb coat rushed to me. Her clothes covered her curvature, but I knew she was a finedy. She was the idol of ourboratory, not until our urrence became busy with tight schedules and whatnot during our work.

    Gripped in her hands were bundles of documents representing the information about Code. She had a pale face with eye bags forming in each of the woman''s eyes. It only told me that my right hand had never slept a wink after the situation had gotten out of hand.

    This woman was my assistant and the one who lists everything for me. She even brought me a cup of coffee clipped on her armpits. The smell of coffee beans drifted in the air, luring me closer to her arms.

    "Sir Asimov, the death counts are growingrger every second. There are even people rallying in front, shouting your name," thedy announced, and gave the papers to me.

    I shook my hands and pointed my forefinger at the cup burning her skin. With a surprised expression, the woman retracted her arms. She gave the cup first before the stack of papers.

    I loved the smell of coffee before work.

    "Let them be, Katya. Those families can yell as much as they want to," I answered. "We are all doing the best we can to save the game. It was not even our fault that Code crashed and turned into a death game," I answered, and took a xertz to the boiling cup of caffeine.

    The woman slid her hair and continued, "We have two pieces of news for you, sir Asimov."

    My assistant and her team would usually be the ones whoe up with a solution to these things. I told them that if a problem arises, they should not call me for help unless needed. So hearing Katya pleading for help was one of a kind.

    "What''s the status of the game and the problem?"

    Katya directed her gaze at the first page, with the lines that she wrote "NPC Maind". An exmation mark popped up on top of my head, as I expected her to say something linked with the event in Code.

    "We can verify the preceptor of the quest to kill the king of Maind. Our team suspected that the red-cloaked girl was pulling the strings behind the quest. I can show you the results in the theatre room, Sir Asimov."

    I gave Katya a nod and told her to lead the way.

    The theatre that my assistant had mentioned was at the far end of the building. It had two crimson gates for an entrance. It took us fifteen minutes to arrive at the ce. As we stepped our foot inside, a gigantic screen weed our eyes.

    I took a seat in the front row and rested the papers in my hands. Katya walked toward the machine and inputted a sh drive to the side. The screen lit up and showed videos on the left side and identification screens on the right. We used this to organise our findings in the game.

    The monitor presented the diamond obelisk at the centre of Maind''s za. Hundreds of NPCs surrounded the pir, with dozens of yers roaming around the stores, waiting for them to open.

    "This footage belongs to thest event that the game developers issued. Around that obelisk, we have fifty-three NPCs that released a request for the yers. Among them was the mission to kill King Arthur, the Maind''s ruler."

    Katya forwarded the video and paused at the exact moment where we noticed a crimson hood walking towards the pir. The girl had clothing that differed from the NPC surrounding her. But the cloak and the crowd obstructed her face, proving it difficult to track down the NPC''s identity.

    "Go on. Make your point," I insisted.

    Katya cleared her throat and continued. "We killed fifty-two NPCs that were present during that event, except for the girl. Hence, our team identified her information."

    The screen''s right side changed into a white background with the image of a girl wearing the same cloak we saw earlier. The girl had blonde hair and faint red eyes. At the top right corner, the system wrote her name as "Red Rose" with her alias "Red Riding Hood". Since Code had fairy tale elements that we took from ancient stories, Red Riding Hood was not a name that sounded unfamiliar to us.

    "Does Red know?" I asked.

    Katya gave me a nod. "Yes. Red Rose knows how toplete the game. She also has the emerald obelisk right now as we speak."

    "What? What happened to Nirvana? The soldiers should have apprehended La Finta and her rangers! We needed that emerald obelisk! What happened?!" I growled. My shout resonated through the room.

    "That''s what I wanted to tell you, Sir Asimov," Katya confessed. "Half of the soldiers got killed by the famous yer killer."

    "Another deviant? Who in their right mind would do such a thing!"

    "It''s Fenrir''s smurf ount. He goes by the name Wolf. Despite being a level 5 yer, Wolf sessfully apprehended 500 soldiers equipped with guns and firearms. He''s too strong in Code," Katya stated, with her eyes looking down.

    Fenrir also became a problem that we needed to take care of from the early instalments of Code. That yer single-handedly destroyed the adventurer guild because of his delusions. The game developers gave him a quest that we couldn''t handle for a handsome reward.

    We nned to kill Fenrir against Alice, a crazy NPC and a mistake we made in Code. However, Fenrir was too strong, even facing Alice, the most powerful being in Code.

    "We''re sorry for our failure."

    I shook my head and rested my face on my palm. "No. It''s fine, Katya. We''re just human beings. We all make mistakes."

    The creation Code was a mistake I made and a gift I cherished. I can still remember the bittersweet memories of my son, Clement, who wished to y this game with me. Code was his special ce.

    "But now, it has turned into a death game," I murmured, and stood up from my seat.

    "How is the Project: Hiro doing?" I asked.

    "Project: Hiro is currently on the way to Code," Katya replied. "Sir Asimov, are you sure about this? Are you sure that we can recreate your son''s memories inside the game?"

    I gaze into Katya''s eyes. She returned my gaze with her mouth curling downwards. Katya''s question should have made me angry, but it didn''t. I could only feel despair trembling in my hands.

    "Code is the game that I wanted to give to Clement. It was supposed to happen after that monster horde event. But now, things have gone astray," I said my monologue, and faced Katya. "Of course, we need to do it. It''s my only way to revive my dead son, Katya. It''s the only way I can see Clement again. Maybe he can save these two worlds."

    "I hope he can," Katya expressed, with tears dropping from her right eye. "Can you save my husband, too? Can you save Friar Tuck? My kids are waiting back home."

    "We will definitely have a n to save your husband and his brother. And besides, Robin is not the person who could easily die inside the game. He is the Western Guild''s leader, after all. Robin knows what he''s doing there in the game. I just hope Wolf has not killed him."

    "Thank you."

    After our exchange, Katya and I went outside. I instructed her to kill all NPCs and bring more personnel in Code. ''The only way we can end the game is to defeat all NPCs, excluding Alice and the monster hidden in Wondend,'' I thought, and went to my office. Those two entities were apart from the game.

    Not everyone knew the secret ending of the game. That ending involved collecting all four obelisks from Code and cing them on the altar. Only Katya, some selected game developers, and I knew how that system operates. We cannot let Red Rose, Wolf, or anyoneplete that part in the wrong hands.

    Clement must be the only one who should do it.. It was the only way that I could revive him and mix the actual world from Code.

 Chapter 52 - Starting Point

    (Red Rose''s Point of View)

    ...��...

    (A short recap about the previous chapter of Red. Red and Match escaped Nirvana, but Match suffered severe burns from her hands. Red urged Match to drink the potions, hoping for the little girl to feel okay.)

    ...��...

    _______________

    ....

    The two of us ran as fast as we could inside the grim woond. The trees grew more sizeable at every passing second, as if they chomped us inside a room. I did not know which forest the two of us were running inside. But I knew something was not right. My eyes saw nothing bright. Not even a glimmer of hope shined upon the pavements as I hurried ahead.

    Someone was chasing us. It was a man I never knew. A man dded with a silver te on his chest. He equipped himself with a gigantic sword in his hand and a shield in the other. There were massive chains of arcane floating everywhere within the bloke''s vicinity.

    We had no choice but to run away, with Match running beside me.

    "It''s going to be alright, Match. Everything''s going to be fine," I reassured, but I did not know when this madness wouldst.

    The two of us could sprint away as far as we could. But through time, the yer would eventually catch up to us.

    "Just keep running, okay? I will try to stall time for you. Don''t look back, Match. Never look back," I said, and kissed Match''s forehead.

    "But I want to save you. I can help! I know how to summon fire!" Match pleaded.

    There was a time that Match unleashed her powers from Nirvana. That memory remained fresh inside my head. But it became more like a nightmare than a dream as the mes consumed her body. It was a double-edged sword that could bring more harm than good to Match.

    I shook my head and gave her my reply. "No, Match. Your powers will eat you alive. It will kill you if you''re not careful. Just leave this ce, and I will catch up with you."

    I used my momentum and slid from behind, facing the unknown man. My eyes could not sketch his face. It was barely showing from the shadows that covered her upper body.

    It was him against me, while Match would flee from this y. The world destined for me to die from that monster horde, anyway. I would dly give my life for the sake of Match.

    "You will not kill Match. Kill me instead if you can," I threatened the adventurer, hoping he would take the bait.

    However, the yer did not move a muscle. After listening to my words, the adventurer aimed his sword at me. He grinned in my direction and let out a sinister chuckle.

    "My father has been hunting you down, Red Rose. You destroyed the bnce of Earth and Code. You tried to destroy my hometown but failed. Now, I will take everything that you love away from you."

    My entire body froze, unsure of what to do. After a second, the de that the man wieldedunched straight at me. It pierced through my body like butter. I did not feel pain. Every cell surrounding me grew numb from the pain.

    "No!" Match cried from behind as she saw everything.

    She saw how the de impaled me to my chest by a man we did not know. There was also a ripping sound that reverberated through the sea of trees. All Match wanted was to live her life with me. I had an original n. My mind sought vengeance and clouded me with hatred.

    The dagger was the price I had to pay for that shallow revenge. I knew that the time woulde where people would get revenge on my emotions back, as I did for them.

    "This game took everything away from me. I won''t let you kill Red!" A violent howl escaped from the little girl''s mouth.

    "You took away my world from my father. This ce belongs to me," the man answered, but he could not do a thing about the spell.

    Match created a twister of fire surrounding her environment. All the weeds at her sides withered from the rapid increase in temperature. Despite my near-paralysed body, sweat continuously slid from my cheeks. But there was no burning sensation.

    Her hands conjured a brilliant radiance. It was a blue fireball beyond my imagination. It travelled even faster than the speed of sound as the light hovered at the soldier. The me that Match summoned devoured the yer within seconds. But it never affected me.

    The spell left unscathed from the strike. The fire never hurt me. It did not burn my skin.

    I nced at my fore and witnessed the man fall to the ground. His flesh turned into ashes, but the silver te remained intact on his body. The yer could not do a thing about the spell. It happened too quick that his reaction time failed him. Match was a powerful mage that could conjure the element of fire. The man we fought with did not expect that to happen.

    With the ring thump, the man was no more living in this world.

    "You did it, Match! You defeated him��"

    I thought we won, given that the two of us killed the hunter.

    "Everything should have been over," I cried, and glued my eyes at the corpse before me.

    Match ended the forsaken battle. She killed the embodiment of the mysterious world surrounding us. That magic alone was enough to fry everything in its way. But the mes themselves did not choose to kill me. Match controlled it using her arcane.

    However, the ending cost me the life that I cared about.

    "Match!" I screamed.

    There was nothing else that I could have done other than shouting to the piercing pain in my chest. It was not the de that brought me agony. It was the image of the little girl without her arms.

    Match''s eyes were wide open. She knelt on the ground after herst spell. But her soul had wandered from a different realm, far from here. With herst ounce of strength, Match returned my gaze and curved her lips for a smile.

    Match said nothing, but I knew what she wanted to convey.

    "I love you, my sister."

    Her words rang inside my head like a chime. It calmed my turbulent senses as the world surrounding me crumbled to dust. The vibrant looking trees became ashes, as if a volcano had erupted near us.

    ''I wish I could be with her,'' I murmured, but it was toote.

    The same happened with Clementine. I could not save them both. No matter how hard I tried, the ones I loved left me in this world. This game brought me hardships in life that I never wanted. I even led Match to her doom.

    ''If only I did not bring her to this ce, maybe Match could have lived a life that she wanted. Maybe a couple would spare their time for this little kid that I could not protect.'' I looked at my quivering hands, bathed with the salty regret.

    The rain poured heavily onto my body, but there were no clouds above the skies. All those waters came from my eyes.

    "It''s raining," I whispered. There was nobody there to hear what I had said. I was yet again alone in this world.

    There was nothing I could have done��

    Nothing.

    .....

    "Red! Snap out of it, Red! Wake up! You''re having a nightmare!" The voice inside my head became crystal. It almost felt that someone was shaking my body.

    And I was correct.

    My hand left my shoulder and mmed on the soil. The wend kissed my fingers as I rolled at the side. A groan escaped from my mouth while peering my eyes open.

    "Wake up! Oh, you''re awake! Yay! Red is awake! I''m so happy!" The voice continued celebrating near me.

    It took me some time before I could imagine the person looking at my body. There was a girl that gazed into my slumbering body. And her name was Match.

    "I told you not to wake me up!" I scolded her, and forced myself to sit. "You only wake me up if there''s something that I need to do, remember?"

    We were in the middle of nowhere. All the two of us could perceive were the towering trees from every direction. It was like an enclosed room made of nature.

    "Yes, you did! And I know! I wouldn''t wake you up with that!" Match retorted, and directed her forefinger at the bushes. "But I saw two red eyes glowing inside that bush. It was just like your name, Red as the colour red! Tehee~."

    I immediately got up and readied my dagger.. I pushed the wooden debris from the crashed cart we brought from Nirvana and prepared for an attack. If what Match told me turned out to be real, I needed to kill those monsters fast!

 Chapter 53 - Killing

    Two boars emerged behind the bush, one with a horn and the other had none. The monster with the tusk sprung into action while baring its teeth to me. It tried to impale me, using its pointed tusk aimed in my direction.

    I swivelled at the sides and counterattacked the monster by lunging my dagger forward.

    My de went right through the animal''s body, killing it within seconds. The sensation was like cutting butter using a knife. I did not need to push it with brute strength, but guide my weapon inside the boar''s organs.

    I aimed at the pig''s heart, after all. The penitent''s de did wonders to the enemy, as if giving me the strength to beat the boars. There was a warm sensation surging from my eyes. Upon looking at my reflection from the nearbyke, my right eye was glowing with a colourless hue.

    But I had yet to win the battle. The hornless hog charged straight at me, using its head to tackle me. This boar was even bulkier than itspanion, making it more strenuous for me tond a blow on the animal.

    I tumbled sideward and used my feet to disrupt the bnce of the swine. With an oinking sound, the pig fell to the ground, rendering it confused.

    The fall of the boar was my chance. I raced forward and stabbed the pig multiple times until its eyes grew dark. The animal tried breaking free from mytch, but its efforts were futile.

    After twenty shing marks of my de, the pig had finally died in peace.

    Match was watching the urrence from afar, knowing she would have not anything from the battle. The little girl knew her body was not fit for battle. Her spells would also cost Match to burn her hands.

    The little Match could only cheer for me from afar, in a safe ce where no monster could reach her. Now that the skirmish had ended, Match moved to my side and poked the boar''s head with a branch.

    "Is it dead?" Match asked. "It''s not moving, isn''t it?"

    I gave her a nod. "This will be our food for two days."

    The burning sensation in my right eye ceased to exist. I spared a nce at the water and noticed that my right eye had turned back to normal. It was not glowing anymore.

    That ability only happened every time I was fighting against foes. It also happened during the battle in the Maind and Nirvana. If my right eye illuminates, my system partially takes control over my body.

    It had been three days since we escaped the realm of Nirvana. There were no elves that pursued our tails. I knew the yers would not breach the Elven Kingdom, given their limited number of yers on the battlefield.

    "Can you set up the firewood, Match?" I instructed.

    Match giddily moved towards the wooden nks and produced fire by rubbing two sticks at the site. I did not know how she does that, but Match told me she learned from her deceased sister.

    "You''ll never know when to use it!" Match eximed, as she summoned the fire within thirty minutes.

    I was extracting the boar''s blood and letting it dry. The automated voice inside my head instructed me to do these before cooking any wild meat. Match and I did this to the horses from the carriage. It was an unfortunate event, but we needed to do it. The road damaged the cart, making it useless for use. So the asses did their purpose and nourished the two of us.

    While I was butchering the boars, Match took nces in my direction. The little girl thought I wouldn''t notice her gawking eyes locked onto my body. I stood up and went in her direction, asking Match if something worried her mind.

    "Well, I was thinking, Red." She said, while wiggling her feet back and forth. "Don''t you think that I''m ready to use my powers?"

    Match gripped her stave tight in her hands as she looked me in the eye. I returned her gaze and clenched my fist, remembering Match''s burned hands and upper body.

    Match used her powers to save me from the yers. She used a violent spell that overwhelmed them, crisping those adventurers within seconds. That little girl had supreme arcane flowing in her veins. But it was a double-edged sword that Match needed to avoid.

    "I don''t want you to get hurt. And I think you''re not yet ready to fight." I answered.

    I never told Match that she killed those yers before. I only told her that those people got rescued by their teammates and were now living somewhere else, far from our ce. If the little kid knew that she killed someone, her mind would shatter into pieces.

    Match was still an immature child. I did not want to risk her life in front of the battlefield.

    ''Maybe it is time for me to leave Match and let her live her life?'' I thought, but I brushed that idea to the side for now.

    That little girl needed me, and I needed her at my side. We were a team. But seeing her getting hurt from all these things makes my heart melt. More dangers waited for us ahead.

    "I will think about it," I answered, and skinned the boar from their hairs.

    The sun grew old and made way for the moon and the stars. Our bright scenery turned into an obsidian painting. Instead of the birds flocking around their nests, bats now reigned in the skies.

    "It''s ready!" Match announced, and lured me near the campfire.

    I brought the fresh meat over to the campfire and impaled it using the sticks. The meal looked as if we were eating barbecues out in the wild. But Match and I weren''t.

    The two of us were just surviving in an uncharted ce.

    We ced the food on top of the fire and waited for twenty minutes. I rolled the stick and monitored the flesh, bing pinkish to dark red. The smell of fried pork hovered in the air, tempting us to eat the meat raw.

    But it was yet to finish. The meat needed a little more time before we could eat our fill.

    Match kept looking in my direction while fiddling her fingers. She wanted to say something, but refused to voice out anything. Within a few seconds, the little girl finally seized her courage and opened her mouth.

    "Can I ask you a question, Red?"

    "Go on, Match. Ask me anything," I answered.

    "How does it feel like to kill someone?"

    My eyes blinked a hundred times after hearing such a question. It was a query that did not suit the likes of a child, especially from Match. I faced Match and confronted her, with the fire still burning at our fore.

    It was the only noise that surrounded the silence standing between us.

    She may had asked that specific question since Match had killed someone else during my fight with the yers. Match may have held herself ountable from that skirmish.

    "Why''d you ask?" I threw her a question of my own, avoiding such a topic in our conversation.

    "I saw you killed the horses, rabbits, monsters, and some adorable creatures. I was just wondering if you feel something about them. If I found myself killing the horses, I couldn''t see myself do it," Match confessed, but waved her hands afterwards. "Don''t get me wrong, Red! I know we need food since we finished the meal that you gave me! It''s just that, don''t those animals have feelings too? They have a family and a life?"

    A sigh of relief escaped my lungs as I heard her question. Match was not portraying those individuals I had killed during the fights. I thought that Match would eye out for those urrences and ask me something rted to that topic.

    "Animals are cute, I know. But we need to survive too. We could eat vegetables, but there isn''t anything right now that we could use to nt. And those animals are in a food chain in the forest. Those monsters that ruled the forest would eat them, too," I answered.

    Those were the only things that I knew about those animals. I met a butcher once that told me the same lines that I mentioned to Match. The little girl gaped at her mouth and nodded to herself.

    "I see. It can''t be helped, right?"

    "Unfortunately, that''s how it goes. We need to survive too. Maybe next time, we''ll make a better world for them! And, who knows, we might make those rabbits as pets, am I right?" I appended.

    "Yay! Rabbits as pets! I''m excited!" Match eximed, and stared at the cooked meat, brimming with excitement.

    "Can I ask another question, Red?" the little girl once again asked.

    I reached out for the stick and answered, "Sure. Go ahead. And remember to eat your food while it''s hot! You don''t want them to get cold now, do you?"

    Match shook her head and extended her arms. I gave the stick to Match''s waiting hands and shed her a smile. Her miniature fingers gripped the warm stick, but Match jolted back, surprised that it nearly burned her hands. With a powerful puff, Match blew the scorching meat and gobbled it like a caveman.

    "Delicious!" she said, and wiped her mouth.

    Her curved mouth curled downwards as she met my eyes. "Have you ever killed someone before, Red?"

 Chapter 54 - Match Wants To Fight

    "Have you ever killed someone before, Red?" Match asked.

    Her words did not have any sinister thoughts or hidden meanings. She was not like this before, but the girl had noticed something differenttely. With all the constant battles against people that wanted me dead- and I want to kill them, Match had caught up with the situation.

    But I had never guessed that time would be right now.

    Match''s eyes gaze into mine, observing my facial expressions. The little girl had a curious look on her face that I had always seen before. Her breaths became static as she looked into my eyes, but her hands moved otherwise.

    Match was still the little girl that I knew. However, the question rang in my ears.

    The world surrounding us became silent, but my head grew louder every second. The trees never danced through the wind. They never made a sound. But the words yelled at me, saying that I should give Match what she asked from me. I did not know what to say or even react to the question, as it caught me off guard. I opened my mouth and tried forming up a reply, but I couldn''t.

    ''Match would remember my answer, since she''s just a little kid,'' was all I thought about inside my head.

    If the little girl knew I killed thousands of yers and non-yer characters, she would feel upset. Nobody wants to stick around a killer, knowing that person might kill you too. The idea could also apply to Match, given that I had killed all my enemies for my goal.

    And I can''t let Match take revenge for the game developers. All I wished for her is a life that she deserved.

    "No. I haven''t." I lied. "To those people that I''ve hurt, I think they''re healing too. I don''t know where, but they''re still alive."

    It was the worst thing I had ever said in my life, but I couldn''t bring the truth to Match. If she knew, that girl would think of me as a murder, not an ally. But saying it right now would bring more harm to me than her.

    I was not ready for any confrontations like this. I did not want Match to trek the path I had paved for mine. If I had to paint my hands with blood, I should do it on my own. Match would never have to do anything unjust, such as the revenge that I kept seeking.

    ''Match sees me as a sister. I must preserve that.'' Those were the only words that kept me going in life.

    ''If I can''t tell the truth to Clementine, I can''t do it with Match too.''

    After our exchange, we went to bed and had a well-deserved rest. That was what I thought, not until the words remained buzzing through my ears.

    Every time I shut my eyes, I could recall the faces that I had murdered. This game became a death game for the yers and punishment for NPCs like me. Those people kept begging for me to spare their lives. However, like an emotionless robot, I slit their throat and carried on with my life.

    It was an inhuman reaction. But for me, it was the right thing to do.

    The night grew old and made way for the yellow star to shine its light on the world. The morning birds fluttered from their nests and fetched their offspring something to eat. I, who was also older than Match, hunted down the rabbits nearby.

    The little girl was still asleep on her bed, embracing the make-shift pillow made of leaves. Match groaned with every second of difort as the weeds crept closer to her skin. But the sensation was not enough to wake her up, which made it perfect for me to find some animal to eat.

    "It should be fine to leave Match alone," I mumbled, and got off from our base.

    My right eye glowed a colourless colour. It partially illuminated my surroundings, making everything crystal. That ability heightened my senses andbat ability. But I still cannot control my prowesses yet, given that I was not a fighter in this world.

    "There it is," I whispered.

    A figure hopped in front of me, feeding on the grass and berries on the ground. It was a hare with dirty-white fur like its skin. The unfortunate animal did not know that someone was hunting it. And that someone was me.

    I used my penitent''s dagger and threw it in the rabbit''s direction. The hare did not have time to react as the dended on its chest. With a high-pitched shriek, the rabbit left the world.

    "You''re awake, Red!" Someone called out for my name

    My body startled and jolted behind. I widened my eyes at the sight of Match, watching the entire scene unfolding before me. Her eyes glided through my hands, gripped by the rabbit''s corpse.

    "Our brunch. The rabbit looks fat as well," I said, destroying the silence that stood between the two of us.

    With an "okay!" answer, Match and I returned to our campfire and prepared the materials we needed. Match did her thing and readied the woods and fire, using the dry woods I collected. I butchered the corpse and drained its blood.

    We were nowhere near the dwarven kingdom. It would take around over fifty miles and two months to arrive at that ce, especially on foot. If we had a carriage, our journey would be an umon thing. But we did not.

    Thanks to the damage it had received from travelling at intense speed, the royal cart broke down before it could even transport us near a vige. ording to my system, there was a small town close to here. It stood at twenty-five miles, sitting between our ce and the dwarven empire.

    Yesterday repeated itself as Match went beside me and asked for my attention. The girl sped her fingers on my clothes and looked me in the eye.

    "What is it, Match?" I answered.

    Match hesitated for a bit, but took a lengthy inhale. "Can you teach me how to fight?"

    I blinked a billion times and leaned closer to her face. I had never expected Match woulde and ask me to teach her things about fighting when I could barely even stand against other yers in battle.

    "What makes you ask that question?"

    "It''s because I realised that if something bad happens, I can''t do anything about it. So teach me how to fight!" Match suggested, and lowered her head.

    "If this topic is about yesterday, you have to kiss that idea behind, Match." I retorted.

    "No!" Match answered. "It''s not that! I don''t have to use my fire ability if you don''t want to. All I want is to defend myself when things, you know, go from bad to worse."

    I had some doubts about what Match wanted. If she wished to fight, Match would pair up against a yer that would be more experienced than her. That little girl would definitely lose against a one-on-one scenario with anyone who had killed someone before.

    Match was like me, but with a different cause. She wanted to learn the things I do to defend herself and me. That girl did not want to fight because of revenge. Match only yearned to survive in this crazy world.

    "I can''t teach you, Match. I don''t even know how to fight," I answered.

    "Why? Can''t you teach me how you threw that dagger and hit the bare in the chest! Or, or, something like kicking or punching things! I can dodge, Red! Look!" Match announced, and rolled on the ground.

    But her posture was inappropriate for tumbling at the sides. Match eventually hit her head on a rock, creating a hill that emerged between her hairs. The little girl groaned in pain and rubbed her hands on her scalp, regretting what she had done.

    "I''ll think about it," I answered, and carried on chopping the meat into pieces that would fit in our mouth.

    However, Match was not happy with my answer. She went back to me and hauled my red hood, begging for more.

    "I want to help you when the timees. It doesn''t have to be the fire skills that I have. I can learn something different! Maybe to test my limits!" Match insisted.

    Her eyes glowed like a star, brimming with tears almost cascading from her eyes. I heaved out a sigh and went along with Match''s persuasion. I can never say no with that face.

    "Fine, I will teach you. But I told you already, I don''t know how to fight," I confessed. "Every time I engage inbat, my right eye glows. And then I could move and dodge everything thrown at me. Get it?"

    Match shook her head and replied, "Nope! What does that glowing light do?"

    I knew that Match also had this illuminating light on her left eye.. The colour of that glow was crimson, like her powers that came from the stave.

 Chapter 55 - Match Wants To Train!

    "I think that we all have a system after bing yers inside this game. That glowing light on your left eye, Match, that''s your power. It enables you to reach your full potential. And I think that the glowing scarlet eye that you have generates fire in your body. It means that every time your left eye glows, you get power. The fire thingy that you have," I exined, hoping that the twelve-year-old Match could understand.

    "I could only activate mine by unconsciously thinking about it. It was like, ''I need this power right now!''. After a second, my eyes would glow white. And then I would feel the surge of arcane flowing inside of me, letting me feel I could do anything that I can. Arcane is the thing that we used to make magic. Sometimes we call it mana. That''s what my system told me. That power allowed me to heighten all my senses, dodging other attacks that my body could evade. Now, go ahead and try. That''s all I can give you as per my advice, Match," I added, and sat on the dry log.

    Match grunted and clenched her fists, attempting to activate the left eye I had mentioned. She had her smile dangling with her eyes, yearning to tap at the power without having to use it and burn her hands. I readied myself and expected something woulde out and be disastrous afterwards. However, the girl failed to do so and raised a question mark above her head. Match tried forcing herself once again, but the power had ended up with a st of a fart.

    I did not know if the event was fortunate for me or unfortunate for Match. But what mattered most to me was that Match did not suffer any injuries at all. If a fire would have broken out, the monsters could track us down, with the yers that had fallen far behind.

    "Sorry. I am trying, okay? But it didn''t work like I thought it would be," Match expressed, with her entire body sinking on the ground.

    She was both humiliated by the sudden release of gas and failed to activate the glowing eye. I moved beside Match and shuffled her already crazed hair, hoping to cheer her up. My n seeded as the little girl raised her head and shed me a smile.

    "Teach me how to do it! Teach me how to do it, Red!" Match chanted, and ran around me.

    I could not help but let out a burst ofughter and replied, "Okay. Just be still and listen carefully, okay?"

    Match gave me a nod. She released a fiery aura of determination, telling me she wouldn''t fail this time around. I could only hope for her to activate that crimson light in her left eye.

    My mind was like wheels churning up something that I could suggest to Match. I had nothing I could give her as my advice, but I had to. How could I not teach this lovely girl that wanted to defend herself from trouble?

    After humming aplete minute, I was ready to give her something.

    "Rule number one: Assess the environment and your enemy. If you feel like your opponent is stronger than you, run away. There is no point engaging the enemy."

    The little girl shook her head up and down, digesting everything I had said. With words such as "What''s next? What''s next, Red!?" I carried on the following rule.

    "Rule number two: you can never win a fight alone for now. You need to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. I am no veteran on the battlefield, but I know when to fight and to retreat." I continued.

    It was like this even before killing Arthur and La Finta. I only took their life behind their backs. They did not know a damn thing about what came in their way. However, fighting against Mer, the yers, and even Wolf made me realise I was not ready at all.

    "Okay... but when would be the part where I can move around and fight!" Match asked, and swung her fists in the air. Because of her terrible posture, just likest time, she fell to the ground, t on her face.

    It took her ten seconds before rising from the soil, refusing to admit defeat or embarrassment from what she did.

    "That''s rule number three: if you can kill a rabbit for our lunch-without using your fire skills, I can teach you to activate those eyes," I concluded.

    Match''s eyes expanded upon hearing such a statement that came from me. She junked the idea in her head and quivered her face.

    "But I don''t want to kill a rabbit," Match replied, and paused for a second. "Do I even have to kill? I can defend the two of us without killing anyone, right?"

    The smile on my face vanished upon hearing Match''s words. "Sometimes that happens. Other times, it won''t. Be strong enough to know that, Match."

    I called out for a brief break as the two of us huddled around the campfire. The two of us nned on continuing our journey, while I schemed to give Match an exercise to train her body.

    After finishing our meal, we took out the bonfire, collected the trash, and went on our merry way. Match and I walked for five miles and took temporary breaks on our trip. There was a safe spot on the meadow, the same asst time, and made thend our territory.

    The ce had countless domesticated animals such as swines, bunnies, and wild chickens we could hunt along the trip. We could save our prize forter use, since the trek would cost us around two months before arriving at our destination. One month from now, the two of us mightnd in the vige.

    But for now, stacking up and preparing for our futuristic meals did not sound like a dreadful idea.

    "You need to pick up the pace and strengthen your stamina before doing anything rash," I instructed the running Match.

    I plotted to train the little girl to catch a hare with her own hands. If Match could achieve that goal, she might be ready to defend herself with a weapon. Sometimes those animals could barely even fight against creatures. But I never let my guard down, given those mammals were still wild animals in the forest.

    "When can we start training seriously?" Match said, and puffed out some air stored inside her lungs.

    "Soon. But not for now. After running without catching your breath. You also need to be as stealthy as possible. So that nothing could catch you."

    For three days, we did just that. Match sprinted around and yed tag with me. The best way to train her while having fun was to make the exercises a game. I knew how little children like her would love to entertain themselves with such a game. And by the looks of her face, Match had a grin while trying to catch my bottom.

    While we were chasing one another, I trained my skills to perfection. I attempted to learn the limits of my spell [shadow walk]. My system told me the skill''s descriptions, but it did not exin its limits. All I knew was the usage of my ability, but not the entire concept.

    But in those few days, I understood the entire idea of [shadow walk]. It was an ability that granted me brief stealth during the day but increased its duration during the night. It also nullifies sounds, heat signatures, some detection spells, and even footprints left on the soil. The spell acts like a cover that envelopes one''s body from the senses of a creature.

    However, the spell also had its weaknesses. But as of now, I did not know what those weaknesses were for the skill.

    Those three days became five days. The Match-who had been gasping for air, had her body bulked up. She got herself some muscles instead of fat in her arms and legs. While chasing me around, I ordered her to punch the air or grab something along the way. Thanks to the creeping nts, her arms turned out to be more masculine than what I thought they would be.

    But her image remained the same despite the changes inside her body. Match was still the adorable kid who loved to y and joke around whenever she had the time.

    We were also fortunate enough to gather berries imbued with arcane. This magic increases both our mana and our stamina, improving both our spell casting and body. ording to my system, these nourishments were rare products inside the forest. I also knew these products during my time selling vegetables and fruits from the market.

    This mini advantage helped Match ovee her doubts about getting better within a few days. After a week, things had changed from good to better.

    Match could now run close to my speed. Her reaction time also improved, given that Match dodged my hands before reaching for her body.. She could also run for a mile without gasping for oxygen.

 Chapter 56 - Trouble

    The little girl snuck behind the trees and used those barriers to her advantage. Match inched closer until she reached a set of towering weeds, ready to pounce at the tiny creature. With a tongue that she twisted out from her lips, Match leapt from her ground. (Author''s note: now that I had written about it, this part sounds so weird XD. You know how people do something crazy? They do the tongue twister, as if it would do anything? Right? Anyway, back to the story.

    But it was already toote. Instead of slinking behind the nts producing no sounds, Match trundled and created a cacophony of sounds. She cracked some twigs, crushed the dried leaves, and even rolled thousands of pebbles towards the rabbit. The bunny that she desperately tried getting for the ninth time failed.

    This session was her tenth time doing what I had told her to do. After a week, all her efforts of training bore no fruit at all. She cannot get a hare with her bare hands.

    "If you want to use the element of surprise, don''t crack a twig, destroy leaves, and kick stones. You need to use your speed and precision to snatch the rabbit. Got it, Match?" I said, and heaved out an exhale.

    We had been going on for this for two weeks now. Every day she would train her body by running around and exercising. I told her that improving her stamina and muscles would be fruitful soon during battle. A hunter who would gasp for air in the middle of a fight was no hunter at all.

    Match''s body changed and improved, but it did not match the results. That little girl could travel from a mile away without panting her breath. She could even run with almost the same speed as me if it was not for her petite legs.

    That girl did not fit to capture anything or hurt something. Match went all day trying to exin to me that hunting rabbits should not be a thing that she needed to do. She wanted something other than locking eyes with the white animal. But I had no other method besides hunting our course for a meal.

    "Rabbits are quick! They have strong and blubbery legs, unlike mine who have skinny thighs!" Match remarked, and shuffled her already crazed hair.

    I shook my head and directed my gaze at the rabbit. My hands took something out from the [astral space] and gripped something long and sturdy. It was an elven bow that I stole from Nirvana. I had no time to use it with all these schedules I have with Match, but I thought now could be the perfect opportunity to test things out.

    I took a deep breath andtched my fingers around the bow. I aimed at the rabbit who had nestled at a distant ce, where grasses grew everywhere it went. Match stared at me in awe and waited for something to happen. The little girl locked her eyes with the rabbit and me.

    Upon releasing the strings, the arrow hovered forward with the rustling wind that came afterwards. The bolt was so fast that I never saw its direction. I had realised I made a grave mistake.

    The dart hit the rock beside the rabbit, crushing it into pieces. The animal, who knew its life was in danger, looked in my direction before scurrying away to safety.

    "I missed the shot," I whispered, and lowered the bow and arrow.

    Match did not want to utter a word, since she knew I failed this attempt. That girl also sensed that this was the first time for me to wield a longbow. I usually carry with me the penitent''s dagger during our hunts. And Match knew that my uracy of throwing the de was off the charts.

    But this time, it was different. I needed to learn more about how to handle such a delicate weapon.

    "It seems that the two of us would practice together," I eximed, and went hunting for rabbits some more.

    Just before the two of us went in our daily routines, the emerald obelisk shone a viridescent light from my pocket. The light died after Iunched the arrow from the bow. I could not think about anything that made the gemstone react in that way. I paid it no mind and continued with our activities during that day.

    Three days had gone by, and Match was unsessful in catching a single rabbit. I was getting the hang of it and could aim my arrows to wherever I wanted, within fifty feet of my ground. If the distance grew more than that, I would barely hit my target.

    Match cuddled the make-shift pillow I made and went to the mattress, despite the sun beaming its rays to us.

    "It''s still early to take a break, Match. Why don''t we try again? Maybe this time, you could catch something!" I tried cheering the little girl up, but Match had her heart stone cold.

    Match knew that if she kept failing the attempts, I would have no other choice but to exclude her from fighting and using her powers. Since she can''t handle herself, using those fire elements would cause more harm than good to her body.

    "I know you''re troubled about it, but I think it''s for the best," I continued, hoping that Match would ept the reality she was living in this world.

    Some individuals were not born to fight. Some of them had jobs of their own. That ability that Match possessed was an explosion to both enemies and her. I, who deemed her as my sister, could not help but worry about her safety.

    I brought her in my revenge, but it did not mean that I would let her fight on my steed. Match was still a kid who knew nothing about killing or hurting creatures. She was just like my younger self, naive and virgin about anything in the world.

    "Just give me a couple of minutes, Red. I''ll move on about it," Match snorted. "But it doesn''t mean that I will quit. Just a few minutes, okay? Or maybe an hour."

    "Fine. Don''t forget to make the firewood, okay? We still need to eat something," I said, and prepared all the things that I needed to bring to hunt for more food.

    I turned around before going into the forest and met Match''s eyes staring at me. She tilted her head and asked what it was about. I shook my head and opened my mouth.

    "Do you prefer anything? I could go fetch a boar, a bird, or rabbits again?"

    I thought that giving Match a feast would raise her spirits skyward. It was not the best gift that I could give her, but a motivation for the depressed Match. Since the situation had gone out of hand, Match''s eyes sparkled like the billion stars in the skies.

    "Oh, oh, I like boars! Boars have tastier meat than rabbits!" she eximed. Within a few seconds, her cheery demeanour changed into something that an angry child would do. "And I hate rabbits! I hate them! They''re too fast and taste horrible!"

    Match''s sudden change of heart for hunting rabbits was a hrious development for her. She wished to rece that rabbit''s meat over boars just because Match couldn''t catch any of those speedy hares. I burst intoughter and exited the forest with my de gripped in my hand.

    I tried not to stroll far from the base while looking for domestic animals that we could eat. There were berries and such lying on the ground, so I picked them into my [astral space] and went on my way.

    However, no animals lurked in my vicinity. Even the flock of birds that I usually hear during the brightest days vanished near my sight. Not even an insect weed my eyes as I ventured forth to the woond.

    "Something''s strange," I murmured, and paused for a second while hiding near the bush.

    My right eye glowed a colourless hue and activated mybat mode for good measure. But it was not me that switched the power on, but my system. It perceived my surroundings as a dangerous site that I needed to prepare for the worst, hence my illuminating light.

    Just as I was about to question my reality, ominous sounds rattled from afar. The bushes and weeds that grew like walls danced with the wind. But there was no breezeing from that direction.

    I clutched my de and readied myself to retreat from the campfire. My utmost priority was to warn Match and leave this ce before everything would turn into a battlefield. Although I could defend myself against a boar, a passel of hogs would be disastrous for me to fight.

    And there was no way for me to butt heads with those animals if I did not have to. All I wished to do was to move out in peace and try not to alert them to my presence.

    But the twigs beside my foot had original ideas. I moved backwards and pressed a pocket-size branch, and produced a cracking noise from my direction. The boars swivelled their heads towards me with vermillion and frenzied eyes.

    There was one thing that I needed to do. I must retreat from where I stood and race in the other direction. That was my initial n, and so I did just that.

    I did not want the mammals to chase me towards where Match was and deliver the trouble there.. Although I desired to escape with the girl, like I schemed a while back, averting the boar''s focus would be a wise move that I needed to take.

 Chapter 57 - Boars Are My Enemy

    There were five boars, and four of them went on my way. I ran to my right side and called out the four others, hoping those brainless animals would follow my tail.

    Each of the swine snorted like rabid beastspared to their actual species. All five boars had pointed tusks on their forehead, directing in my direction, as if killing me from afar. The boar had the size of a cart, like the carriages from a kingdom ramming on the roads. One strike would leave anyone motionless, or even die because of the damage.

    Those hogs wanted to impale me with that thing, but I wanted to stay alive.

    However, that single lost boar did not heed my words and tried charging straight from where I had left. The trees that the animal rummaged became uprooted from the ground, forcing a violent quake that disrupted my bnce.

    Now that I had realised, the ground that I had stepped on was not ordinary soil. Inside the forest, countless traps killed most adventurers inside. My system warned me about thiste and told me that quicksands surrounded the ce.

    I had no other choice but to slide sideward and used the rock as my shield. The two boars weltered on the muddy ground, while the other pair squelched to the wet soil. Those four boars had a burdensome time breaking free from thetches of mother nature.

    Those few seconds allowed me to escape the quicksand and rush to the campfire. I took my sluggish body with me and dragged my foot over to the sides. It took me some time before running towards the forest''s exit.

    While this was going on, I had no clue where the boar was right now. Thest time I saw the feral animal was before the boar went towards another route.

    ''I need to save Match!'' There was a ticking time bomb that reminded me inside my head as I amplified my speed.

    My eyes shimmered more violently than before, augmenting both my stamina and my arcane capacity. I used [shadow walk] and travelled through the dark areas that light had never reached. I travelled as fast as the speed of sound, hoping that I had caught up with the boar.

    By the time I entered the meadow, the image of Match running in circles, avoiding the pig''s tackles, weed my eyes.

    "Hang on, Match!" I screamed, and tossed my knife over to the swine.

    The boar moved at extreme speed and dodged the de before it could hit its body. The dagger flew and almost crushed the boulder as if it were not for my ability to withdraw my weapon from afar.

    I caught the penitent''s de in my hands while staring at the beast. The boar returned my gaze and puffed out the steaming from its two noses. The animal also aimed its tusk in my direction, just like the four that I met from before.

    With my words, four of the same swine I talked about emerged behind me. It was the same four boars that I knew got trapped from the muddy site before. They freed themselves from the sticky situation and came back here to haunt me once more.

    The single boar that dodged the dagger I tossed from behind multiplied and called for a back-up. All the swines wheezed out a mist that came from their nose and twitched their heads. It was not a pleasant sight, but I had to monitor each of them within my vicinity. Match and I were their prize, and these boars would not stop hunting us as their meal.

    "Remember your training, Match," I expressed, while extending both of my arms to prepare for the worst. "Run away if you can''t fight them. These animals are not the opponents we would want to face."

    "I know, Red! You don''t have to tell me twice!" Match retorted.

    After our exchange, the four boars charged towards me, while the single boar kept Match busy. I needed to distract and force these swines to attack each other or kill them within one swoop. But I did not know how to do it.

    Despite killing the two powerful royalties from before, five boars posed a threat to Match and my existence. These boars were exceptional beasts that lurked within the forest. Because of our hunting schedule, the bunnies that should be the boar''s prey became scarce. The environment forced these boars to travel everywhere, searching for food.

    With the help of my system, my body moved like fluid, dodging every attack thrown at me by the boars. The two ran at me on each side and tried squeezing me like a sandwich. I sprung from the ground and used the boars'' force to m against each other with their heads. The pair bumped their heads and fell to the ground.

    The two others realised what had happened, and did not fall for that trap. Instead, a swine approached me without sprinting, yearning to confront me in a one-on-one battle.

    I knew that if I epted that duel, I would lose the fight and end my life right there. So I ran towards where Match was and helped her with the hog.

    Thanks to the exercises we did from thest two weeks, Match could race with the boar and even outrun the animal. However, the little girl was up against a four-legged animal. And her body had yet matured throughout her young age. Despite her quick movements, the boar caught up with Match and crashed its body against hers.

    Match took the damage and rolled towards the bunch of leaves, lying in wait for her injured body. The girl groaned at first from pain but stood up from the ground. She grabbed her left hand and wrapped it around the other, and red at the boar. Her wobbling legs told me that another assault would make her unconscious, so I had to save her before the situation became worse.

    And that was what I did. I disregarded the two bastards chasing me around and went for the boar that Match was fighting with her bare hands. I knew that the dagger I threw would not save me, so I pulled out another weapon.

    A long-ranged tool meant for targeting enemies from far away. Although the distance between the boar, Match, and me was roughly around twenty feet away, I still needed something quicker than a hurling de.

    The bow and arrow was my answer.

    My hands reached out for the ominous portal as it took the longbow from inside. I positioned myself and knelt on the floor to achieve better precision of my foe. I ced the bow between my fingers and clipped it on the string.

    "You can do it, Red. You need to hit Match," I mumbled, and took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

    I had zero experience wielding such a range weapon. Nobody had the time to teach me. I did not even buy this weapon, but swiped it from Nirvana, thend of elves. But here I was, attempting to hit the boar from a few feet away.

    I needed something swift and urate to stop the boar from hitting Match in the distance. The hurling de was brisk, but not quick enough to damage the boar. My [shadow walk] would not be fast enough to arrive on time in front of Match. Since no shadows surrounded the two, I had to take a detour and travel through a darker area.

    Using the bow and arrow was worth the shot, and it was the only option that I have right now.

    This event was the first time for me to experience a vibrant light that came from my right eye. Throughout my journey, the light that controlled my body granted me power. It did not increase my arcane or anything that involved raw energy, but it heightened my senses.

    I could perceive everything around me, including the things I saw in front. The tiniest details that were strenuous to gaze at from before became crystal to me. It was as if I had the perfect lens to use the bow gripped in my hands.

    I pulled the string back and let the arrow drift through the current. The shaft glided like an eagle, with nothing stopping its course. As the dart hovered forward, a swooshing sound came over and followed the bolt. It resonated so fast that the arrow left first, before the sound could even ur.

    The hog was in breath''s length with the running Match. That animal was in a range where it could smite the little girl with its razor-sharp tusk. However, the boar noticed nothing within its surroundings.

    And that was the gravest mistake the animal could have forgotten and taken its life.

    Within five seconds, the dart pierced the boar, who attempted to chase Match behind.. With a terrifying squeal, the boar was no more alive in this world.

 Chapter 58 - The Power That Burned Match

    The arrownded on the boar, making it squeal in agony. Those two boars who saw the aftermath of their friend red in my direction. Instead of bing afraid, the swine wanted to fight me.

    And that was what the mammals did. Those pigs heeded their instinct and charged straight towards me. It was a desperate attempt to kill me.

    I charged up my bow and attempted to rece a shaft in my quiver. I discharged one bolt and hit one swine, but there was still another oneing after me. My hands snatched the arrow from my quiver and reced the shaft I had hurled, but I was toote.

    That pig was quick enough to deal damage to my body and tossed me backwards, whilst shielding my arm from the fall. My body flew from the sky and hit the bark, disrupting my consciousness. My right arm became temporarily numb, since I used it to cushion my plummet.

    That arm was my good arm, the one I use for battle. I also needed two appendages to wield to bow and charge up another one for the swine. But because of my stunned extremity, I could not wield my arrow.

    The boar thought it had finished me. That animal averted its gaze and locked its eyes over the little girl huddling in the corner. Match''s face shivered in fright as she noticed the swine dusting out the ground, preparing to leap at any second.

    "Run away, Match!" I shouted, and iled my left hand, hoping to listen to my instructions.

    However, Match couldn''t follow my words. She was too shocked about what was happening in front of her. I tried forcing my body to stand up and protect her, but my legs would not listen. Every time I picked myself, my legs mmed themselves on the ground like noodles.

    "Please listen to me, Match! Get out of here!" I shouted, with added volume to my voice.

    Despite my roar, Match stood still like a statue, with the boar sprinting in her direction. Match''s eyes never blinked or moved a muscle. She held her ground and took a quick series of breaths from her lungs. It was as if Match epted her fate to die in the hands of the beast.

    That was what I had thought, not until Match lifted her arms.

    Something crawled into Match''s hands. Vermillion mes covered her arms while the heat rose over to the roofs. Unlike before, the temperature that Match unleashed turned into a heatwave, which I also felt coursing through my skin. A bright light enveloped the girl, with Match''s left eye glowing like the stars in the sky. It was the same as mine, with the colourless glimmer on my right eye. Her arcane clouded her body, painting the ground with the crimson ze.

    "No, Match! You will burn yourself!"

    I needed to stop her. I did not want Match to use her powers and burn her hands because of them. But my body still refused to move on its own.

    I gritted my teeth and pushed myself off the ground, using my left arm. Regardless of the pain surging through my torn muscle, I stood and rushed towards Match. Every step I took sent electrical shocks to my brain, begging for me to rest and to stop moving.

    But I must stop Match before it is toote. I had to do it before the mes devoured her.

    Within the nick of time, I went between the boar and Match. I raised my penitent''s dagger with my left hand and hurled it onto the boar before Match could unleash her powers.

    The dagger hovered in mid-air and hit the swine''s head. That animal was staring at the Match, so it did not notice the de thrown behind its back. With a shing sound, the knife pierced through the boar''s skin. It ultimately brought the animal to its doom within seconds of the dagger sticking itself inside the swine.

    I did not celebrate my victory and headed straight forward to Match. My armstched around her and gave her a warm embrace. However, the heat scorched my skin, and it almost burned my clothes. There was even smokeing out from my skin that came into contact with the crazed Match.

    But I ignored all that pain surfacing through my skin and kept my arms wrapped around Match. I rested my head close to hers and caressed her already twisted hair.

    "Match, release this power. You don''t have to do this. You''ll just burn yourself, Match! Snap out of it!" I gave a light shake to the girl''s body, hoping to wake her up.

    Although Match''s eyes were wide awake, she could not hear my voice. If she did, that girl would immediately apologise to me with a smile on her face. But that did not happen at all.

    Match groaned in pain. Her hands changed in colour from peach to pinkish red, telling me that the fire had already burnt a part of her body. The little girl knelt on the ground and tried to shut her eyes. But her efforts rendered Match useless, as the system tried taking full control over her body.

    I had seen nothing like this before. Despite having the same ability as Match, my body never experienced such a thing from the past. I wondered if I would also overuse my powers, would I share the same experience as Match?

    I brushed those ideas away and focused more on what was in front of me.

    My hands gripped Match''s body tighter. I did not want to lose her, and I knew that Match did not want to lose me too. I promised myself to stay by her side, so Match should also fulfil that promise for me.

    "I will always be here for you, Match! I will never leave you! So please, be back to normal!"

    A gush of energy sted from Match''s body, which even made the trees from the forest uprooted from the ground. It was enough to pull out the weeds from the ground and startle the other beasts lurking within our vicinity. The boar''s corpses lying on the ground also flew a few miles away from our direction, with the campfire we prepared a while back.

    I did not flutter from the wave, despite facing it head-on beside Match. My hands still took a tight grip on her clothes, refusing to let go of Match. After a few seconds, Match''s glowing left eye turned dim. I suspected that the system''s effects that took control over her body wore off. The mes that surrounded both of her arms and feet vanished like vapour.

    The scene almost felt like a dreame true.

    The burns from her hands were still visible in the naked eye. Butpared tost time Match used her fiery powers, these wounds were nothing. With sprinkles of water and a wet cloth, I believed that Match''s injuries would heal in no time.

    Match fell on the ground, but I was quick enough to catch her body. Despite my wobbling hands, I used my left arm as Match''s pillow, while the other was just lying on the side. I could not use my right arm for now, given that the strike broke my elbow. I might need a healing ability to fix this part of me.

    I teared up after witnessing Match''s lips twitching. It only meant that the little girl was waking up from her nightmare.

    Match peered into her eyes open and saw my face returning her gaze. But the exhaustioning from the stream of magic she used was enough to put her in a spell to sleep. With thest ounce of strength left in her body, she shed me a smile and rested her head on my shoulder.

    It was the most adorable scene I had ever seen with Match. I almost wondered how Clementine would look if she were the one nestling in my arms.

    "I thought I lost you! Don''t you dare leave me, Match! I don''t want to lose you too."

    The sorrowful cries became tears of joy overflowing from my eyelids. That stream drenched both Match and my body, but the two of us paid it no mind. I took out the make-shift nket-which was made of leaves, and covered Match''s freezing body. After the fire that burned her skin, her body reacted and gave off steam that sent cold temperature over her body.

    It was the side effect of Match''s system. Her system was the same as mine. Instead of experiencing the cold sensation, hatred would blind my eye, forcing me to kill my enemies without turning back.

    Match''s magic was beyond my expectations. Her fire alone could crisp anything in its way. She could even release a st strong enough to push everything back within a radius of twenty feet surrounding us.

    I had two options to do right now after Match woke up soon.. I could train her body to use that fire element or tell her to avoid using that ability at any cost.

 Chapter 59 - The Training Begins!

    "We need a few more days before your hands cool down, Match. Your fingers would be fixed in no time!" I said, after cing wet leaves on Match''s hands.

    After travelling for a few kilometres, we found ake inside the forest. Up far ahead, I concluded the stream would lead to an ocean. Following that track might lead us closer to the dwarven empire, where an ocean surrounded its kingdom.

    But before we could arrive at that ce, we must meet first with the vige, close to here. Match and I needed to walk just a few miles away before arriving in that human vige.

    "I''m sorry for trying out my powers, Red. I just wanted to save you. But I bring more harm than good, don''t I?" Match lowered her head in embarrassment as she apologised to me.

    "I couldn''t get mad even if I tried. And you know that." I answered, and caressed her head. "But I can''t see you get hurt."

    "Neither do I!" Match interposed.

    The two of us locked our eyes in the middle of our journey. Match widened her eyes and opened her mouth, telling me that Match was even shocked to express the things that ran inside her brain. It also surprised me to hear Match''s words and concerns about me.

    I heaved out an exhale and exined everything to Match. "Every time you use your powers, Match, you burn yourself. The stronger the mes you produce, the hotter your hand gets."

    "I know. But I want to learn how to use my powers properly. I don''t want to see you do all those things. There must be a way to help you! I want to help you, Red!" Match insisted, and extended her arms, acting as if someone obstructed our way.

    But this scene was just Match''s act to fight the yers that I face. That suggestion was the entire point of Match. She wanted to help me fight against people that I shed with along the way. The little girl thought that those were bad guys that needed saving.

    And that was the idea I wanted to avoid.

    This fight was my battle. Although Match lost her sister, she was just a child. Her mind did not fill her thoughts with dusk. Compared to me, who bathed me with anger and hatred. Match did not want to kill them, but to survive in this world.

    My face gave away everything as Match stopped her silly act and went to me. She held my hand and pictured me with a smile. That image alone slowed the beating of my heart. It plucked the thorns pierced in my organs, as if saving me from despair.

    But the wounds were too deep for that. There was no helping me to get my revenge against the game developers of this world.

    Our brief break had ended as Match and I resumed walking towards the pavement. We followed the stream and counted the fish swimming in the waters. But the idea still lingered inside my head. It was continuously haunting me wherever I went.

    I finally gave in with my thoughts and opened my mouth. "Do you have a second, Match?"

    The little girl who was skipping stones near theke shifted her eyes to me. Match ran in front and gave me a warm hug. I returned her gesture and shuffled her hair, as I always do.

    "You gotta see this, Red! The fishes are amazing! There was this fish that got separated by its school! I was too frustrated, so I tried helping the fish. But the fish swam the other way around, against the current! Can''t you believe that!" Match narrated, with her arms wiggling at each side.

    She was still a naive kid who knew nothing about reality. Match never knew about freedom and revenge, and yet the story she expressed somehow hit the nail with my tale. I brushed those thoughts away from my mind and resumed asking a question to Match.

    "You know we are just characters inside a game, fabricated by game developers, right?" I asked.

    Match''s eyes shifted from jolly to the gloomy side of her emotions. However, the little girl shook her head and changed her expression. She did not want me to see her sorrowful side. Match was never like that.

    She was a strong little girl who knew the struggles of life.

    "Yeah, I know. We have a system. We are inside a game called Code. The two of us have powers. And that event killed my sister." Match held her tears from falling from her eye as she continued her story. "I hate those game developers! I hate them! But I can''t just change anything."

    Match looked into my eyes and shed me a smile. "Whatever happens, as long as I''m with you, I''ll be a happy Match!"

    She was just an innocent child. Match did not have any deeper meanings or hidden goals with her words. What Match said, she meant all of it. All she ever wanted was to live her life and die a peaceful death.

    "I know how to end this game, Match. And our journey might kill you. We will meet those game developers, and you ask them anything that you want. Are you okay with that?" I asked.

    It was the best line that I could ever think of to exin Match about our current condition. I did not want to exclude Match from the journey, and Match needed to know everything we were fighting for in our lives.

    "Yeah! I will be so mad! But if the game developers did that for a reason, maybe I can forgive them. I hate I lost my sister! But that also led me to you, Red." Match confessed, and gave me a snuggle.

    I returned her act of kindness and snuggled back into her petite body. Our bond had strengthened by tenfold. There was no way that this rtionship that we had would get destroyed.

    "You know, I''m also thankful that I met you, Match." I replied.

    "That''s why I want to protect you! You''re the only one I have. If I lost you, I don''t know how I would live in this world alone." Match appended, and rubbed her cheeks onto mine.

    I pondered to myself that I became an overprotective sister to Match. ''Wouldn''t it be better if Match could defend herself using the mes that she has?'' I wondered, as I gaze into her body.

    It was better than nothing. It was better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. That was what I believed. If I would push Match away from me, that would leave my heartbroken. Those holes would never fit again to live my life.

    "I will try my best to teach you about your fire ability. But I can''t promise you anything, Match. I know nothing about your skills. I don''t even have skills!" I said, and fiddled with my de. "Look at me! All I have is a knife!"

    Match burst intoughter as she witnessed me y with my de. She also knew that I did not have powerspared to her, but she paid her respects. That little girl even called me a teacher for training her body.

    Match thank me that those exercises helped her dodge the boars that we fought a while back. If she had not known to sprint away without gasping for air, Match would have died right now. But she did not. Thanks to all the running we had been through, Match outmanoeuvred those hogs.

    However, if we were up against yers, the story might be different. We needed to pay attention if we nned on taking those adventurers head-on.

    Match was a mage that had aptitude over fire element. She had extraordinary mana capacitypared to Wolf, Mer, and mine.

    The two of us ventured into the meadows and continued exchanging words with one another. Match and I talked about things about her abilities and the vermilion eye on her left eye.

    Match told me that whenever she got mad about the situation, her eyes glowed bright red. We had this conversation before. But after that incident with the boars, Match could exin every detail about the happenings.

    The little girl told me that vermilion eye amplified her arcane. Match felt the surging powers of her fire skill. She could not control her body at that point, but was aware of her surroundings. It was as if Match knew how to use her powers. But her emotions got the best out of her body.

    "For our first training goal, we need you to limit your fire ability. That means, we need to monitor your emotions. We also need to gauge your strength and weakness, so you won''t burn yourself when you use those powers." I stated.

    "Yes, Teacher Red!" Match addressed, and feverishly nodded to my words.

    "But before that, we need to wait a little more time for your hands to heal."

 Chapter 60 - The Bow And Arrow

    We waited for a few days for Match''s hands to heal from the burns that she took from her powers. The burned mark covering her hands became scars, which only meant that Match''s skin healed at a rapid rate. If it were not, Match could not use her fingers for lifting heavy objects such as firewoods for our campfire.

    Like any other day, we circled at the crisping dry twigs and nks, chopped from the close by trees. Instead of eating boar''s meat, the two of us settled for rabbits, which taste like chicken. The thought of hunting down hogs that trampled us from before sent shivers down our spine.

    We would never fall prey to these monsters, who nearly killed us if it were not for Match''s abilities.

    "Let''s start your training tomorrow," I announced, and sliced the rabbit''s meat with my teeth. "I won''t go easy on you. Since you said you want to fight with me, I will train you as I train myself."

    I had my doubts about inviting Match to my futuristic shes against yers and the game developers. However, leaving Match here was also not an option for me to take. Isting this little girl would also mean leaving Clementine behind me, behind this cruel world.

    "It''s okay! I''m ready for anything you would do to me... and that turned out weird, didn''t it?" Match remarked, and chomped down the rabbit''s using the make-shift utensils. That girl disliked using her hands to eat food. But on rare asions, Match would mimic me and eat her meal with her stark fingers.

    The night grew old, and the sun had finally set on the west. Dozens of owls perched on the boughs while giving out ring hoots for aplete minute. Their songs were the only sound that reverberated through the forest, giving us a soothing luby for our sleep.

    I volunteered to stay upte and protect Match during the night. Much to my surprise, Match also wanted to be a watchguard after my shift. She said that I had ck spots covering my eyelids.

    "You know, I can protect you, too! And even if I can''t, I can still wake you up to protect me!" Match expressed, while instructing me to wake her sleeping body soon.

    A smile emerged on my face, thinking that I would get some restter. But in the meantime, I needed to inspect our surroundings and make sure that the environment was a safe ce for us to stay.

    I had enough with those monsters and yers chasing us around. I was the only one who knew how to fight. But I knew I could not win every battle that I would face. My body only borrowed these powers that my system granted me and came not from my hardships and experiences.

    All those rulers that I killed were all because of a well-crafted n. I never butt heads against them. I only used the element of surprise to my advantage, hence their defeat. But if I would battle them again head-on, I would lose that fight.

    I drowned myself with these thoughts and remembered that I have a bow inside my [astral space]. My hands reached out for the obsidian dimension and took the longbow out from that realm. It was the emerald bow the elves used against us in Nirvana.

    I tried using this weapon against the boar and hit my target. However, I did not feel any satisfaction with that event. My uracy only enhanced during that battle because of my colourless, glowing right eye. That light heightened my senses and amplified the power contained inside of me.

    But there was never a point where I used my skills and experiences to overpower my enemy. That idea was the driving force for me to train with Match as soon as the sun would greet our eyes.

    "I need to practise my bow while monitoring the ce," I told myself, and sauntered a fair distance from Match.

    Nobody wanted to sleep in a noisy ce, especially when someone wanted to train with a bow.

    There was an odd-looking stone that I ced in the bark''s hole. That pebble served as the target practice I needed to hit from afar. I also needed to deactivate my right eye from glowing and giving me an advantage.

    I took a deep breath and grabbed my string tighter than ever. But my hands-just like from before became tensed at each movement. It forced me to slip my grip off from the cord, utching the bow from my hand. It was like the entire bow and arrow was sliding from my fingertips, refusing to choose me as the marksman.

    This event made me realise how inferior I was when I did not have my ability activated. I was nothing when my right eye did not glow.

    However, it was toote for me to give up this soon. "I haven''t tried to shoot that arrow. Why am I feeling like this early," I murmured, and picked my bolt back between my hands.

    After cing the shaft to the string, Iunched the arrow into oblivion. That dart hit the nearby log, standing forty feet in front of me, but not the pebble standing fifty feet away. It was a pitiful scene that almost made me want to cry.

    But no tears fell from my eyes. There was nothing for me to do but to stare at the mistake I made, thinking that I would never be the person I wanted to be to protect the people I love. When the timees when I face someone stronger than me, I would definitely lose. With this state of mind, my body was not in peak''s condition. It did not have the skill to sh against a veteran yer.

    Those trains of thoughts shattered as I heard someone pping behind me. My body jerked backwards and nced at my rear, only to find Match pping her hands. Despite her tired eyes, that little girl woke up from her sleep to cheer me on.

    "How long have you been watching me?" I asked,

    "By the time you moved away from me?" Match answered, but unsure of the reply she gave me. "But I watched that."

    Match directed her gaze at the pebble that I wanted to hit. She then shifted her look at the shaft thatnded against the log. Instead of mocking me, Match asked if she could borrow my bow and arrow. I lent her my weapon and watched Match do her thing with my head tilting at the side.

    I wanted to ask her about Match''s reason for borrowing my weapon. But I kept my mouth shut and continued to observe the situation.

    Match tried copying my posture and my movements. She lifted the bow and ced the shaft between the cord and her fingers. The longbow was strenuous for Match to hold, but she tried her best not to let go of the weapon. That little girl locked her feet on the ground andunched the arrow towards the pebble.

    "Is Match a prodigy for using bows and arrows? I thought she was a mage?!" I could not help but think of the little girl that way.

    But those thoughts turned into dust after witnessing such a reversal scene.

    Match''s result was worse than mine. The shaft, which I thought would outdo mine, flopped on the ground before it could reach the air. The vibrant scene that I thought would be an elegant piece shattered my expectations. It was an anti-climatic sequence that Match and I never expected to happen. But that was not the case.

    A grin emerged from Match''s mouth as she went back towards me to return what she borrowed. My hands took the bow and arrow away from Match, while my body became a statue, staring at her body.

    Match knew she was going to fail. However, I still did not know why that girl would do such a thing.

    Before I could express my thoughts, Match faced me and shed me a smile.

    "Did you see that! I thought I almost had it! Maybe next time I will improve the art of archery! I only saw yers do that! But when I saw you, Match, from the first time, I wanted to be like you!" Match confessed, but stopped midway from her sentence.

    After that pause, Match took a deep sigh and shook her head. She moved closer to my side and continued, "I know I can''t do the things that you do. Everyone has their own strengths! You don''t have magic, but I do! But I can''t use the dagger and the bow, but you do! That''s why we''re going to train, am I right? Without using our mysterious glowing eye!"

    A ss of some sort imploded inside of me, breaking the negative thoughtspiled inside my brain. I thought I was alone in this world, but I wasn''t. Someone continuously gave me support all this time, and I took that for granted.

    I did not save Match from despair.. Match saved me from mine when I had nobody else besides her.

 Chapter 61 - The Training Ground

    After our exchange, I thought that Match and I would be an unstoppable force and meet our expectations. We trained for a weekter, but the results did not give us what we wanted. I still couldn''t aim at my desired target, while Match kept struggling to control the bare minimum of her powers.

    My right eye remained glowing every time fatigue hit my body. I was desperate to achieve what I yearned for, but my emotions got the better of me. I needed to deactivate my powers to enhance my physical body without the help of my right eye illuminating a colourless light. My system event told me that this method could enhance my arcane output. If my mana maniption became smooth as the ocean, I would have more room to train and use those spells. I also learned that my right eye shines every time I feel uneasy about my situation. This event always happened during my training hours. Deactivating it during my drilling proved to be a strenuous task. And every time I aimed my bow without the help of my right orb, my arrows would miss the shot.

    Anxiety took me away beyond what I ever imagined. All my appendages quivered, begging for me to stop doing these exercises. Well, given the timetable of arriving at the dwarven kingdom before the soldiers do churn through my senses. By the looks of it, we had approximately a month to two months left before reaching thend of Wondend.

    Match still needed to work on her fiery arcane. She still burned her fingertips thest time Match used her powers. Thanks to my intervention, I turned the damage to a minimum. She could unleash an ember of fire on her fingertips. Her spells worked as a candle, and that me never burned her hands.

    And right now, she would be the one to show her progress.

    "Give me all you got, Match!" I motioned for Match toe at me.

    "Better watch out, Red! This fire might hurt you a little!" Match replied.

    We were in the middle of nowhere, where the grass danced with the wind. The road was still up ahead, but the two of us nned on beating each other up to train. We also wanted to use those animals for our advantage, but we would leave that partter.

    I suggested having a training ground where the two of us would fight against each other. But neither of us would strike to kill our opponents. Fainting was okay in the field, but the two of us would just try to wound each other to test our limits.

    And that was what happened.

    Iunched myself towards Match and readied my bow and arrow in my hands. But before I knew it, my fighting style should not be like this anymore. Since I was holding a longbow, a marksman must be far away from the enemy. Creating a distance between my opponent and myself would y a vital role in my archer ability.

    But my bad habits stuck inside of me, cing me in a spot that I would do when I equipped myself with a de. And right now, I did not have my melee weapon with me. I also refused to use my right eye for this battle to push my boundaries.

    Match used this opportunity to cast her spell in front of me. A vibrant orange fire emerged from her extended palm and flowed in my direction. It almost looked like the fire wanted to devour me if it could touch my skin. But the mes were close to the size of Match''s arm, making me think that the fire was harmless to me.

    But I thought wrong.

    Match''s spells identally touched the surrounding grasses as they went into mes. The fire spread throughout its surroundings, but not enough to burn the entire forest. It created a cloud of smoke from where Match stood, but that was all we saw. After the red light died, the grass became charcoal.

    The little girl gave me a wide grin, thinking that she had me. Match called forth more of her arcane and directed the mes towards me.

    Match''s arcane did not hurt hands. She only expressed that her hands be warm after conjuring such a spell. Although Match was using her glowing red eye, she did not have any intentions of killing anyone.

    Match only wanted to surpass me and proved she could defend herself and me during dangerous times.

    She knew I was out of position to do anything besides using my shafts as a stick to bang her head. If I could, that would be a hrious fight of an inexperienced archer against a mage. I had never seen a marksman try using the bolts as their weapons. But if I saw one, I would deem them idiotic like me.

    Thanks to my reaction time, I slid towards the side and evaded the pir of mes. Despite dodging the assault, the ze pursued my tail. It moved like a snake that slithered through the ground, hunting for its prey.

    I, who became a wanderer on the training grounds, kept circling the bushes, hoping that the fire would not touch me. However, Matchid her eyes upon me. Wherever I went, that little girl chased me, even to the ends of Earth.

    "You''re bing a good mage! But you need to be urate with your attacks, or else your enemies would dodge it!" I voiced, and continued sidestepping my way out of my scorched situation.

    "And you''re good at running away from me, Red!" Match snorted.

    We were both mocking each other during the battle. But our conversation only meant that the two of us were on the same team. If we could unleash our potentials, we would outmanoeuvre the yers, despite the disadvantage between levels.

    I was only level 10, while Match was level 8. That little girl levelled up when we were fighting against the boars. Match also levelled up when she killed those yers in Nirvana. Although she killed more yers than me, Match still had two levels behind me.

    I, who killed two prominent rulers in Code, only got five levels each from them.

    The only exnation that I could think about was our sses and the features of the game. I was not an expert, but I knew that the game disliked killing other yers and non-yer characters. Although some quests would order yers to hunt down criminals, these adventurers could gain experiences from the task given by a guild. Those benefits alone made them improve their levels.

    Match and I did not have any of those, hence our levels. Although we were mountains apart from the veterans ying this game, skill should always be the standard in fighting.

    I finally took ground and created a distance from Match. My hands prepared a shaft and pulled the cord from my longbow. The attack generated a whirlwind that went "Whoosh!" within the air. My bolt was not a pointed arrow, but a dull stick that would deal less damage to enemies.

    Match was lucky enough to dodge my bolt with five centimetres. The wind blew my calctions away, as the arrow hit the nearby tree instead of Match.

    ''If I had measured the wind''s speed, maybe I could''ve hit Match!'' I thought, and gritted my teeth.

    I almost had it! The arrow almost got into Match, but the environment was not in my favour.

    Match used this window to discharge her attack. Another twister made of fire emerged from my ground, burning the grasses beside my feet. I had no other choice but to leap from my ce, but I couldn''t

    It was as if the fire did not let me do anything. I couldn''t leave my ground.

    Out of desperation, I pulled one arrow and directed it towards Match. It was now or never if I wanted tond a hit against the little girl. She was out in the open, which made it effortless for me to aim in her direction. Match knew that I was aiming for her chest, but she couldn''t cancel her spell.

    We unleashed our all-out attack and braced ourselves for the aftermath.

    Match sped both of her hands and ordered the panel of mes to consume me. She also paid close attention to whether the arcane she used were too much that could injure her arms. Match was fortunate enough to give out a strike without forcing herself to burn her body.

    This exercise was a perfect experience for Match. She finally understood the limit of her power. But I knew Match was only tapping the surface of her magic. She had more potential than any other yers or mages I saw in my lifetime.

    I took a deep breath and calmed my senses. It was now or never, so I had to ce all my concentration on this attack.

    I pulled the cord andunched my arrow, hoping that it would hit the vulnerable Match out in the open.

 Chapter 62 - A Nearby Village

    The sticknded on Match''s clothes and pinned her at the hazel bark. With a sudden blow, the arrowtched onto the little girl, disabling her movements. Match tried wiggling her body and escaping the bolt, trapping her, but she couldn''t. No matter how hard she tried, the dart remained in ce. She grunted at every attempt, but it was futile to do anything at her will.

    Match''s mes couldn''t reach me as they plummeted to the ground. The violent red mes wore out before they could even touch my feet. My shaft was twice as faster than her spell, disrupting her focus at targeting me.

    I couldn''t even see my arrow drifting towards Match until it hit her body.

    I raised my hands and brushed off my victorious battle against Match''s face. What we were doing right now was apetition between us. Match could not help but let out a snicker as she epted her defeat. We filled the scene with vibrant waves ofughter right after our sparring battle.

    "Fine. You win this round. I did not want to burn my hands, and I did not want to make you worry about it," Match exined, while I pulled the arrow stuck on the tree. "Thank you for helping me with that arrow and helping me train."

    "Well, I have experienced what it''s like on an actual battlefield. That helped me a lot. And you''re just starting, and improved way more than I have expected," I remarked, and caressed Match''s head.

    "But first, let me see your hands," I added. "I hope the burns did not reach your shoulders or left a mark near your neck, Match."

    Our expressions turned sour as Match heard my words. But I needed to inspect her and monitor her hands. If the ze injured her body, it would only mean one thing.

    ''Match was not ready for battle.'' That line haunted me and created a nightmare from before.

    Match offered me her fingers for me to inspect. Since every time Match used her skills, that fire also burned her body. It served as a double-edged sword for the little girl. I cannot stress enough how deadly Match''s powers were to her, but it could be a weapon to defend herself during dangerous times.

    "You''re a lucky girl," I stated, and shed Match a smile. "You have slight burns all over your fingertips, but not enough that I would consider it lethal. I think you''re ready to fight against bad people, Match."

    "That means you won''t leave me, right?" Match asked. Her eyes stared at me with her fingers curling like a ball. Even her ears were pointing at my face as she listened to my reply.

    I tilted my head over to the side, surprised at the question thrown at me. "Why would I leave you, especially since you can use your magic now? However, you need to-,"

    Before I could continue my sentence, the little girl leapt from the ground and danced with glee. Match even sang a song about delighted she felt. With every tap of her feet, her upper limbs followed. She created a fine tune that only she and I knew about the music.

    Her face told me everything I needed to know. After hearing my words, Match had never felt delighted in her life. That grin carved on her face could reach the entire ind of Freiy.

    While Match pranced with the grass, embers conjured by her hands fluttered around her. It was not a spell that she conjured, but my system identified the magic otherwise. It also did not increase the surrounding temperature like it should do when there was a fire. As I moved closer to the sparks, my eyes widened with glee.

    "It looks like there are one million fireflies all over the ce," I reacted, and counted the glowing orbs. But after a few seconds, I realised that there was no way for me to tally them inside my head.

    Even Match, who owned the ability, expanded her eyes as she saw the red and yellow spheres floating around her. Those mes never burned her, unlike her violent spells.

    Match looked at me and remarked, "What''s happening, Red? Why am I seeing these sparkling thingies?"

    She nearly panicked after seeing such a different scene. But I nudged towards her and tapped Match''s shoulders, telling her that everything was okay.

    "Those lights won''t hurt you."

    Match believed my words. She confided everything to me, since I was the only one she had. I ced my trust in her, since Match was the only person who paved my road.

    After our fight, we settled in for tonight and prepared for our campfire. I chopped down some dry woods while Match created fire to the bonfire. We cooked some spare boars I caught from before and cooked it under the ze.

    Match and I talked about myriad things, but those topics had no rtionship to our goal.

    The conversation finished around two hours. Match gave out a yawn, telling me it was time for her to sleep. I stood up from our make-shift bed and did what I do best. It was guarding our vicinity for any yers or feral animals.

    After four hours, I would switch ces with Match.

    .....

    "Rise and shine, sleepyhead! We''re going on a trip!" I announced, and put out the fire with a bucket of water.

    "I found a stream. Maybe it would lead to a nearby vige or even an ocean." I added, while pulling Match from her bed.

    The little girl moaned and wiped her eyes. She peered at her orbs open and greeted me with a faint smile.

    "Morning, Red. And I thoughtke leads to nothing?" Match asked.

    What Match said was also correct. When we saw theke before, I thought that this would lead us nowhere in our journey. However, upon visiting the body of water once again, a stream of oil polluted the stream.

    It only meant one thing. We were close to the dwarven empire.

    Only the dwarves could produce oil that came from minerals and fossils that they have inside their caves. I only heard about the dwarven ce from my mother. That site was not something that yers or NPCs could live for the rest of their life.

    The dwarven empire did not have any life forms surrounding the ce. Animals, monsters, and nts refused to grow on that toxd. Thanks to the acrid scents of minerals and coalsing from the cavern, other species found it strenuous to make a habitat beside the dwarves.

    And because of that industry that the dwarves had, they had no choice but to send quests to the yers for food and supplies. There was an adventurer guild living on thatnd. However, nobody wanted to enter the ce, despite the task opened by the dwarves.

    The dwarves paid little to the missions they posted on the bulletin boards. They would request one kilogram of food with the price of five copper coins. These dwarves would even scam the yers for making a weapon for the amount of food they needed for the day. But the weapon that they would build would shatter after one use.

    My system told me about this. This information was only on the surface of the dwarves'' descriptions.

    "There''s oil on the water, Match. It only means that the dwarves are close by our tracks. We only need to reach thirty miles to reach that ce," I stated, and directed my gaze towards theke.

    "Thirty miles!!!!! That''s a lot! We''re not even halfway there!" Match reacted. A spirit of some sort escaped from Match''s mouth, but I caught it on time and returned it inside her body.

    "And didn''t you tell me that there was a vige?" Match asked.

    I gave her a nod. "Yes. But we will only stay there to collect some supplies. After getting what we need, we would get out of that ce, got it?"

    After our exchange, Match and I trod forward. The moistenednd kissed our feet, almost sinking us towards the ground. But thend was not like the quicksand I experienced before. This floor was just annoying for us to move onwards. We needed to exert more effort than we used to as we sauntered to this ce.

    But there was no other way than to take this road. All we had to do was wait for everything to appear before us.

    The atmosphere surrounding the ce changed into something more sinister. The green trees that Match and I thought harmless turned into eyes that red in our direction. No birds hovered beside us. Or even animals that would wee our presence never appeared before our sight. We did not even step on various nts aside from the grass that wemonly know.

    "Something doesn''t feel right," I uttered, and peered into my eyes ahead of us.

    There were countless houses on the other side of the extensiveke. However, the atmosphere was not lively as I had expected.. It was as if there was somebody who died in the town.

 Chapter 63 - The Abandoned Town

    The surrounding town was like a graveyard that had no people but tombstones. Not even an animal or a monster lurked in the forest as we headed forward. It was as if this ce was a ghost town for spiritual beings.

    I brushed the towering leaves and peered into my eyes at the vige. Although the townlet felt empty, the window showed otherwise. If nobody inhabited this ce, some panels must be open to our in view. However, someone had shut all the windows tight to the guests who had entered the vige.

    Those guests included us, travellers from the Maind.

    "It feels quiet," I remarked, and moved towards the gates. "Too quiet for a vige."

    Match wrapped her arms around my shoulder as we went onwards. We passed the entrance and stepped closer to the vige. We had yet to hear any sound at all, not until now.

    A part of a house on the north wiggled the wooden nk. If I had to guess right, it might be a person who tumbled to the ground after hiding for so long. There was also a grunt that resounded from the inside. But that person cut off the sound as soon as that individual noticed.

    "Are we sure we want to go to this ce?" Match asked.

    Match''s hands quivered in fright as she continued to glue her arms around mine. She refused to let go of me, even if she knew it would hinder my movements. I could also sense an arcane aura spiralling in her palms, preparing tounch a spell at our fore.

    "Is anybody there?" I called out, hoping to receive an answer.

    Despite my brave front, I nudged my hand to my pockets and grabbed the handle of my de. I knew it was too early for me to assume that this ce was a dangerous site, but I needed to trade goodies with the spare coins I had in my stash. Match and I were running out of resources, and we needed some spare nourishments along the way. We also wanted to learn any shortcuts that would lead us closer to the dwarves.

    The quicker we couldplete the task and seize the obelisks, the better.

    Match and I waited for a few minutes before leaving the ce. If these people did not want to see us, we would just be on our way ahead. We cannot force these townspeople to meet us, and the two of us cannot force ourselves to barge in straight to their houses.

    All we had to do was to check once more and wait for a reply.

    "Are these people reallying out?" Match said, as she grew impatient from the scene.

    I was also on the verge ofshing out my waiting time and opening the door at our fore. But before my hands reached out for the gate, the doorknob twisted and creaked open. The hole inside revealed a woman with a grey cloak who looked older than me.

    This girl carried a pouch at her sides, which acted as her bag. Although the bag seemed pocket-size, it served as an [astral bag] like what yers had. However, that sack the girl carried acted more like a finite bag that she needed to bring everywhere. If she lost the hazel bag, the girl would lose all her belongings stacked inside.

    "Who are you?" I asked.

    The girl opened her bag and revealed empty sks,mon herbs, and shrubs found on the meadows. These items did not give any benefits to us or our journey. The girl could only offer objects we did not need.

    I pointed my finger at the empty bottle and looked at the price. It revealed that the woman was selling this item for around fifty silver coins. It was quite a hefty amount if somebody would ask me. There was an alternative if a potential patron could not afford such a price. However, that alternative required giving the girl five boar lumps of meat for the piece of the valueless container.

    This merchant had her goods sold in an overpriced set-up that none of the vigers from my town could afford. If this girl could sell her products to the Maind, the merchants would toss her out from the market because of the silly fee.

    It was not just the sk that had unaffordable prices, but the other items as well. Each of them had the same amount of price tags that skyrocketed every price I knew from the market! None of these objects had the cost of the regr products in the Maind from what I had remembered. Even the herbs had an amount of twenty silver coins, which was an absurd amount.

    It was an absurd urrence I had ever seen in my life. But I knew that the war against yers and NPCs costs this intion. All non-yer characters received notifications about the Code, and some yers were attacking the viges with no warnings.

    The Maind''s economy had dried out thanks to these shes against those yers. It was not them who had suffered a lot, but the citizens outside of the borders. Those severe trades affected the citizens that relied on their goods. Now that the yers and the humans had cut off the connection, transferring goods became a pipe dream.

    "I''m a merchant in this vige," the girl answered, and looked at the ground. "Do you mind if you can buy my things��"

    The girl''s answers confirmed people live in this lonely vige. Although she only mentioned that she was a trader in this vige, I saw nobody else besides her. But for now, that was not my concern.

    I observed the woman''s figure and studied her actions.

    She had a diffident look at her line of job. That girl refused to look me in the eye and continued gawking at the soil. Her feet wiggled at each side, hoping that this madness would end. But she needed to feed her family, which was why she was standing in front of me.

    "Which do you prefer, food or money?" I straightforwardly asked the merchant.

    I took advantage of the information I saw earlier. The girl ced these overpriced products for food that she could eat for today. She might even distribute the meal she could earn to her family if she had one. There might be people circling behind her, since I was a stranger to their eyes. They must be afraid to meet my stark figure waiting at the door.

    I armed myself with a de, so I knew the girl could not trust me yet. But that thought changed as soon as I asked what she needed the most.

    "Did you say food? Do you have food? I want food more than money!" the girl reacted. Her emotionless expression shifted into a more feral animal that yearned for a full course meal.

    After witnessing my dazed facial features, the girl reverted to her actual form.

    The merchant cleared her throat and corrected herself. "I''m sorry for acting strangely before. Please forgive me. Please don''t leave as other yers and vigers did."

    "Wait. So yers and vigers visited this ce?" I asked.

    The girl gave me a nod. "Yes. Townspeople and other yers from different ces visited this town. But as soon as they realised our resources were scarce, all of them packed their things. Those foreign vigers and yers left saying nothing to us. We wanted to trade their foods for our bonfires. But they took everything and ran away."

    The merchant clenched her fist and growled. "The people that did not leave this ce do not know what to do. We have not eaten for days. None of us can''t hunt boars or fight monsters in the wild. Our poption was continuously declining. Please help us, yers!"

    She had a determined look on her face as the merchant asked for our aid. My eyes expanded as soon as I heard the girl calling us yers rather than NPCs like her. Although Match and I changed our titles in my identification window as a yer and not an NPC, the merchant treated us as adventurers.

    "We will hunt boars on our way out. In exchange, can you help us lodge for tonight? The little girl and I need a ce to stay for the day. We also need to find any directions leading to the dwarves," I confessed.

    The merchant studied our faces and gave us a nod. A smile even emerged on her face as she heard we would help her find meat. "Of course! You can stay inside this house for the time being! We can''t thank you enough for helping us, strangers!"

    "I''m not a little girl! My name is Match!" Match waved her hand and introduced herself.

    I did the same and stated my name. "My name is Red. We are yers that came from the Maind. We need to go to the dwarven empire as soon as possible. So we thank you for your cooperation."

    If she were lying about her problems, I would abandon this girl and leave her to rot in this ce. It was not my responsibility to feed and apany her.. I had more things to do besides babysitting a girl that gives false information when I wanted to help her.

 Chapter 64 - Seven Boars

    "We will be back to bring you the boars," I announced, and went towards the extensive part of the forest. The merchant girl we met waved her hands and saw us off to the mushy road, hoping for our bountiful return. "Pleasee back safely to our vige! We will be waiting for you two!"

    Although I wanted to leave Match in a safe ce like this, I did not trust the trader and her vige. That merchant might look innocent on the outside, but she might be a threat to us once we get to know her. I had seen countless people get stabbed in the back, and I was one of those few individuals. I killed the Maind''s King and La Finta with the same de gripped in my hands.

    And besides, this merchant differed from the dragonewt tradesperson I knew. The reptile man whom I met from before saved me from despair and gifted me with coins. He was the one who guided me here and for the rest of our journey. If it were not for him, Match and I would still sumb on the ground, unsure of what to do.

    Match could conjure mes out from her hands, but it was not enough for her to use it in battle. She might still injure herself afterwards, since Match had yet to control the extent of her magical abilities. Even though Match showed her improvements from our previous mock battle, she was still a little girl that could burn her hands.

    I also thought that there was something wrong with this town. The vige clouded itself with secrets like an enigma, refusing to give us the answers. The merchant told us that there were still people living in this ce, but nobody else greeted us but the girl. She also mentioned that the war affected them, with yers and NPCs battling to their deaths with each other along the way. Hence, their insufficient resources for the town.

    So after getting those boars and offer them to the vige, I might sniff some information about this townlet before going to our destination.

    And that was what Match and I did.

    We went inside the woond once again, preying for boars and rabbits that we could find. The two of us did not want to settle with only five boars. We wanted more than those numbers, considering we would need to pack some meals along the road.

    No birds chirped in the distance. Not even the bats flocked above our heads that could wee our presence. All we discerned was a trail of trees stretching ahead, almost devouring our eyes. The road went forever, but we still needed to pursue those mammals before midnight.

    During our trip, Match and I spotted footprints on the ground. Those marks belonged to the boars and a herd of them heading around the vige. I did not know what these animals were aiming for, but I knew those boars were here all along.

    "I hope fighting against those boars won''t happen likest time," Match expressed, as she sped both of her hands.

    The happenings from before went poorly. The boars almost killed us with their tusk and bodies ramming in our direction. But Match was still learning to use her abilities. So maybe now we would stand a chance against these feral monsters.

    We just needed to find the boar''s whereabouts and bring them to the town.

    As we trek further in the forest, piercing sounds of growls and gurgles greet our ears. I pulled Match near the bushes and advised her to hide our bodies. With a sudden gulp, the two of us concealed ourselves using the nt life surrounding us.

    "We need to wait for an opportunity to surprise and kill them," I told Match.

    The little girl heard my instructions and gave me a nod. Match conjured an orange ember twirling in her hands. She nned on burning them down using her mes, but I had to put a stop to her shenanigans.

    "If we used your fire, we might burn the surrounding trees with it," I exined.

    Match heeded my warnings and exhausted the fire crisping her hands. She gazed on the ground and became silent after hearing my statement. But after a while, Match understood what I meant, and reverted to her usual self.

    "I see. Sorry if I tried using my mes to fry them."

    "It''s okay, Match. We will use your mes next time," I said. A victorious roar echoed from Match''s lips came afterwards.

    There were seven boars in front of us, sleeping in the make-shift bed made of grass. They snuggled together and slumbered to their liking since the day had already ended.

    Now that we found the animals, the only thing we needed to do was kill them by surprise. If one of them wakes up, all of them could attack us, leaving us to face seven of them with only the two of us.

    "How are we going to, you know, kill them?" Match hesitantly asked. She was new to this killing stuff, especially when she refused to murder one from before.

    But when pushes to shove, I would bet that Match would not hesitate to fan the mes of her powers and burn everything she sees. Match could do that alone. She was more powerful than me, even with my penitent''s dagger.

    "Those animals can''t see clearly with this pitch-ck environment," I said, and directed my finger over to the other side. "I need you to go to that branch and create some distraction. Something like a disturbing noise would do the trick."

    "Do you want me to climb a tree and shake the boughs?" Match asked.

    I nodded my head and continued. "Yes. Since your body is in shape, climbing up things is a piece of cake for you, am I right? I want you to hide your presence and never let yourself get caught by those boars. Do you understand, Match? If you were to get caught, I might not save you from this distance."

    Match heaved out a sigh and retorted, "Then why couldn''t I be here with you?! That would be less tiresome for the two of us, right?"

    I shook my head and replied, "It could work, but that would allow the boars to see our figures brushing with the leaves. The more people staying with each other, the riskier our n gets. If we fight against those hogs, we could lose that battle."

    Match let out an exhale once more and moved towards the trees. The little girl was reluctant to follow my instructions, but she proceeded to the woods, anyway. I told Match that everything would be okay, as long as she doesn''t make a sound. With a smile that represented a crying child, Match climbed up the bark of a tree.

    Match was more like a monkey than a mage that could spit out fire. With the little girl''s petite and stretching arms, Match had no troubles ascending from the bark. After a few seconds, Match arrived at the top branch. She could see everything from there.

    Match waved her hands and greeted me from where she stood. I returned her wave and told Match to do her thing. With a wry beam, she pulled out a twig and threw it to the boar''s head.

    My n had a simple process. Match would cause an uproar with the boars and wake them up. Those hogs would feel something different about their environment. Some of them might even patrol the area and check if the ce was safe for them to sleep, while others would return to their nest. If they patrolled the site, that is the time I would pounce on that boar or two boars and kill them without making a sound. I would continue making those actions until we lessen their numbers.

    That was the n rolling inside my head. If one thing went astray, we would have no other choice but to face all the boars at once. And if worsees to shove, I would request Match to unleash her fire spell and create a forest fire to drive the hogs into a corner.

    I narrowed my eyes and prepared forbat to assassinate isted boars that would wander in the forest. It was my best bet to take down all of them. We also nned on bringing back their meat as my prize for our journey and the vige.

    That animal that Match flicked a twig jolted awake. It let out a fume of jet-ck smoke with a crazed face. The boar searched around, trying to find the anomaly that caused the mammal to make an uproar. However, no matter how hard the swine tried looking for the perpetrator, the animal could not find it in the forest.

    The madness did not stop from there. Match plucked another branch with a pointed leaf stuck on the top and discharged it towards another hog. With a ring scream, two hogs now ran in circles.. They desperately looked for Match hidden in the tree.

 Chapter 65 - The Two Boars

    "You''re doing great, Match!" I whispered, hoping that Match heard mypliment. "Just keep throwing twigs at them! But not right now, since the two are already running away!"

    That little girl tried forcing the two boars out of their group. So we could kill them. Once we isted the two swines, doing it again for the remaining five hogs would be a piece of cake. At least, I thought that would be the case.

    The two boars did what I had expected, as the pair went ahead to the forest. They did not make a sound and continued ramming at the towering trees. But what I did not know was the pigs sprinted farther away than what I had calcted! I thought that these two pigs would reach around one kilometre at most in their journey.

    But I thought wrong! It was as if the hogs were escaping an ominous predator that woke them from their sleep.

    My eyes gazed at Match and non-verbally told her about the situation. I moved my hands from all directions before chasing the two hogs from getting away. She returned my gesture, raised her arm, and gave me a nod. I could only guess what she wanted to say as I listened to her silent mumblings.

    "I don''t know what you''re saying, but, okay!" Match gave me a thumbs up and wiggled her fingers. That''s what I think Match had exined to me.

    That gesture was the only thing I understood from Match. I just hoped that she would do nothing stupid to the remaining five boars nestled in their ce. If she schemed to do something beyond the scheme I instructed, it would pose a problem to the two of us.

    I darted through the sea of trees and caught sight of the boars racing away from me. These animals did not have any direction they wanted to go. All they knew was to run from the unseeable danger that alerted their senses.

    "Like wild animals they are, these animals are nuts! Why do hogs always cause some trouble for me!? I prefer chasing down rabbits, since they''re more adorable than these pigs!" I asked myself, and continued hopping from one branch after the other.

    Thanks to my exercises with Match, my stamina and footwork came to fruit for chasing down my targets. I did not need to catch my breath now and thenpared to my previous body.

    I was an assassin that could kill anyone without fighting. I killed the two prominent rules in Code by slitting their throats. With one sweep of my de, their necks came gushing out blood. And that killing spree would continue until I finished this game! At least, that image was what I believed in. That confidence let me live until this day.

    The two boars came to aplete stop as they crashed their heads against a stone wall. A glen stood in front of them, but the two boars were too sizeable to fit in that hole. Even if the animals tried, I doubt the boars could go through that tunnel.

    ''It''s the end of the line for them and the beginning for me!'' I thought, and unsheathed my dagger from my waist.

    The penitent''s de emerged from my hands, itching to kill anyone I deemed as my opponent. I clipped the dagger between my fingers and readied myself for an uing fight against these animals.

    Instead of blindly pouncing at the two boars, I waited. The bough that carried the weight of my body wiggled every time I made a jerk. But the surrounding branches looked skinnier than Match''s arms. It looked like these twigs would fall off the ground the second I hopped in that area!

    ''I need to be careful where Iunch my attack. If not, those boars would make me human meat!'' I ruminated, and thought of a n.

    The boars did not look like they would run away with no warnings. And here I thought these animals had exhausted their feet! Since they had been running around for a while now, that was what I guessed. As I had hunched, the hogs rested their bodies on the ground, hoping to take a brief nap. All those running they did became all for nought.

    ''If these animals nned on sleeping now, why would they run away from their group!?'' Nothing made sense, as I continued watching the two pigs. And it was not my job to understand these hogs, anyway.

    All I had to do was kill them and put them inside my [astral space]. Although the blood of these animals would notify some monsters lurking in the forest, I had no other choice but to kill these hogs right now. These two were in front of my face, waiting for somebody to kill them. And that somebody was me.

    After a few seconds of contemting with myself, I finally made my move. Iunched my body downwards and used the branch as a propeller to increase my speed. I zoomed in like an arrow, strummed by a bow, with my dagger directed in front of me.

    Beforending on the ground, I aimed my de at the pig and sliced its entire neck in half. With all the snipping sounds, the pig winced in pain and let out an agonistic cry.

    Blood kept gushing out from the hole I created from the hog as Inded on the ground. A warm puddle of crimson liquid drenched my feet, but I paid it no mind. The other boar jolted awake and saw its dead kin lying on the ground. The corpse rmed the awoken boar as it glued its orbs at my figure.

    The wild hog wanted revenge as it grunted at my sight. It pawed with its forefeet and sent the dirt flying behind its back. I could only assume that these motions that the boar instilled a threatening aura to me, as the killer of itsrade.

    But I was immune to such petty warnings, considering all the hardships and near-death experiences I went through with the battle in Nirvana. This urrence was nothingpared to those wars I had with the yers.

    ''I already killed one hog. Killing another should not be a problem for me.'' I thought, and danced with the boar.

    The boarunched itself like a cannonball in my direction, with its tusk pointing at my face. I ran towards the animal and slid to the side. I positioned my de to slice the hog''s body, hoping to wound the animal. A snipping sound reverberated through the forest, which came from my dagger prating the hog''s fur skin.

    The pig howled in pain and tumbled to the ground. But it got back up and blew a haze through its nose. Its bloodshot eyes told me everything it felt, with the killing intent overflowing from the animal''s body.

    It was the battle of the fittest where one would live, and the other creature must die. The boar had its life on the line, but it was far toote for the animal to live. With those opened wounds I cut using my dagger, the boar might even end up dead because of blood loss.

    "[Shadow walk]" Although I disliked it, I used my skill and roamed around the ce.

    The pitch-ck environment surrounding us helped me glide through the trees without the boar guessing where I could bolt around.

    This skill proved to be a powerful asset of mine during the night. Since this ability uses shadow as a medium to travel, everything I saw became pavement.

    The boar could do nothing about my skill. It let out a screeching exhale and schemed to run away. But with my spell activated, there was no ce that it could escape besides death.

    I shed my dagger to the boar and killed it. A clean-cutnded on the pig''s skin, resulting in its quick death. Like the people I killed, I was fond of slicing anything that obstructed my way. This dagger helped me do what I had to do, especially in this battle.

    I sauntered towards the boar and ced the corpse inside the [astral space]. I did the same with the other corpse from behind. After cing the two animals inside my stash, I leapt from the ground and travelled back to Match.

    "That training with Match was really helpful for the two of us," I murmured, and reminisced about the training days we had.

    Now that I had killed the two boars, Match and I needed to kill the remaining five in their nest. We could do the same procedure again, but it might take us some time. The sun might rise from the east before we could collect all seven boars in this forest. The vigers might already starve if we kept them waiting for the food. So it was best to hurry and finish this mission before that could happen.

    As soon as I arrived at the site, I saw Match on the ground. She scratched her forehead and let out a faintugh.

    "I woke up all the five hogs, Red�� sorry��"

 Chapter 66 - Killing The Boars (1)

    "I told you not to do anything stupid while I was gone!" I scolded Match, who was leaping from one branch after the other.

    The little girl fell to the ground and hit her bottom. A bleating cry fled from her mouth as Match stood back up with me.

    "I didn''t! And you told me to throw twigs at them while you were gone! I just did what you told me!" Match retorted.

    We had a non-verbal conversation before I pursued the two hogs. I thought that Match understood my instructions. But that urrence came back and bit me from behind.

    "And here I was, hoping that you understood a single thing I''ve said."

    "But I did!" Match riposted.

    "We have other things to take care of. And don''t worry, Match. It''s not your fault. Those pigs would have done that, anyway."

    The Match, who was about to cry, fought back her tears as she heard my sentence. It was as if she perceived a glimmer of hope to revert her usual self from weeping a million tears.

    I squinted my eyes and greeted the five boars that Match woke up. Those animals were charging straight in our direction, with their tusk pointed at us.

    "Run backwards! And don''t let them chase us! We need to kill them while outrunning them!" I shouted.

    Match knew what she needed to do. She listened to my instructions and dashed towards the forest from where I went before. I followed behind, but I wanted to slow the animals down.

    I conjured my enchanted bow and propelled a dart towards the herd. My arrow hit the hog''s head and tumbled to the ground. A stter of blood exploded from the animal''s body, which also spilt on the floor. The other boars who witnessed the scene cared not for their deadrade as they still pursued our tails.

    After taking down one, I resumed running with Match. Since my legs were wider than Match, I caught up to her side. It was only about time she noticed I was beside her.

    With widened eyes, the little girl snorted, "Yeah, yeah. You''re quicker than me, Red. I get it."

    In the back of Match''s mind, this urrence felt like apetition to her. But Match knew that we needed to survive, or else our adventure would end from here. Two non-yer characters who wanted a change in this world got defeated by mere hogs in the forest.

    It would be a perfect joke for the people trapped inside this game.

    I turned around and took another shaft from my quiver and aimed at the mob. Those four beasts kept running towards us with intense speed. Although we were speedier than them, Match and I only had two legs. Our opponents had four limbs that they used to sprint towards us.

    It was an unfair fight against two human beings.

    Iunched another arrow and hit a boar''s body. With a terrifying squeal, the stricken hog fell at its side and mmed on the ground. It winced a few times, but it could not get up. That wound on its body was enough to stop the boar in its tracks.

    "Three more to go," I mumbled to myself, and readied another set of arrows.

    All those shots that I took hit my target. But that did not mean my shot would hit the third time around. Although there was a saying, "third time''s a charm," I would bet that won''t happen to me.

    And I jinxed it.

    I did what I had done before and discharged another bolt towards the herd. But these three animals knew what wasing after them. So they went to the side and into the forest.

    One boar went to the left side, while the other headed towards the right. The other boar remained at the road and continued running in in sight, since the two were already at the sides.

    The right side had more grass than treespared to the left side. It was as if there was a meadow filled with nothing but a green field. No roses or flowers bloomed in that ce. There was only the grasnd on the Eastside.

    They used the trees and bushes to camouge themselves from my view. These animals did a great job in hiding their presence while still chasing our behinds. The only thing that we needed to do now was to kill the boar in the middle and monitor the other two at our nks.

    But that was the problem. We did not know when these boars at the sides would appear before us. These animals might strike when the time would be ripe.

    "We need to focus our attack on the middle hog," I said, and continued. "Keep your eyes also peeled at our side. We don''t know when those boars will show up."

    "Aye, Red!" Match replied, and added. "Should I use my fire powers to stop the other boar on my right?"

    Match''s suggestion echoed inside my head. That thought got me thinking about whether to use her abilities in this pursuit. After calcting various possibilities in my head, I clicked my mouth and gave Match my answer.

    "I think I have an idea, Match. But I think you''d not like this even one bit!"

    The little girl tilted her head, gulped, and asked, "What is it? Don''t tell me I''ll y the decoy?! I hate it when you do that!"

    I shook my head. "No, not that. I need you to use your powers differently."

    "Like how?"

    I directed my gaze at my right-where Match was, and exined, "If you can use your powers to create fire, you can also devour fire. Since your area has more grass than mine, the fire would spread less if you nned to burn the entire ce down. Prove to me that my theory is right and suck all those embers to our hand! You go handle the pig on the right, and I will handle mine on my left and the middle."

    "Wha-? Red!!!"

    Match''s growling voice resounded from the forest. I almost perceived it as a boar if it were not for me nudging her at the sides. Since Match would deal with the boar on the right, I needed some space to deal with these two boars.

    I clipped my dagger in my mouth and nned on slicing through the skin of these animals in this position. Both of my hands continuously riled up other shafts and fired at the boar.

    The pig in front of me did its best to avoid getting hit by the arrow. However, there was little for the piglet to do, considering the speed of my bolts. I activated my right eye, hoping to enhance my senses and hit the animal once and for all.

    Thanks to my training, my eyesight and reaction time saved me from all that trouble. After firing thest arrow, the pig howled in pain and crashed against the ground. The shaft hit the pig''s head, just like what happened to the hog before. It was a clean shot that even Match would feel impressed if she could see what I did.

    "Bullseye!" I remarked, but I recalled that my battle had yet finished.

    There was still one pig that still roamed around on my right.

    After collecting the boar''s corpse, I went back towards the forest on my left side and searched for the boar. Since I had already taken care of the hog in the middle, this boar would not pose a problem.

    But I had thought wrong.

    The boar charged straight towards me and tackled me using its head. I was fortunate enough to dodge it at thest second and avoided the razor-sharp ends of its tusk. If that ivory horn hit me, that could have ruptured my organs and my chest, leading to my death.

    "That was a close call," I murmured, and palpated my heart, beating for a gazillion times per minute.

    After assaulting me, the boar went back into the shadows and used the darkness to its advantage. Like a hunter in the night, the pig cloaked itself with the pitch-ck environment, thinking it would slip away from my sight.

    However, the shadow surrounding us was my friend. If there was more shadow, I could roam wherever I want in this setting.

    I activated my skill and used [shadow walk] to secure the boar in my stash. Upon triggering my ability, my body became as light as a feather while I went everywhere that the shadow had touched. It allowed me to zoom in the dark areas where light could not prate.

    But this skill was not as overpowered as it looked. It had a duration of about a minute and would deactivate itself. Sometimes itsted for five minutes, but I did not know why. It almost felt like this skill had a mind of its own.

    But I paid no attention to that. My utmost priority was to kill this beast and help Match afterwards.

    During my trip, the boar, who was still hiding behind the bark, could not notice my figure at all. It was a checkmate for the boar, as I won the battle.

    "

 Chapter 67 - How To Catch A Boar?

    (Match''s Perspective) (This is just a continuation where Match went to the right side of the forest. You know, in the meadow!)

    ___________________

    After Red''s hands nudged me to the side, I entered a realm that quarrelled from the road a while ago. Instead of the pavement with thousands of trees, this area had a grass field. No flowers bloomed in this area, which made me think that this was a sanctuary. For thousands of miles, all that the site could offer was emerald grass and hazel-coloured soil.

    I might even believe this site was a park because of the green things greeting my eyes! It was only missing some see-saws and swings to make the ce more entertaining.

    "I don''t know why Red pushed me into this ce, and I don''t like it!"

    It had been five minutes since this game of tag started. The boar kept pestering me, chasing me to the ends of even Wondend if this boar had to! I did not have any weapons with me besides my scorching hands I can never use.

    If I wanted to burn my hands, I could use my abilities against the boar. But that would only mean that I would hurt myself. It was not an option that I could use willy-nilly. I did not want to worry Red by burning my hands. However, I did not have a choice��

    I could only hope that I do not have the option to use my ability.

    Thanks to the training I had had with Red, my body became light! It was almost like I could fly across the grass! As I sprung through the grasnd, the boar behind me chased me around.

    I did not know how to end this suffering, but I needed to make a choice. My two legs were against four appendages. It was a matter of time before my body would give up before that animal could.

    "What would Red say in this situation?!" I asked the whistling wind, hoping to find an answer.

    And yet, nobody was here to help me solve my problem. Now that I had mentioned it, Red always found solutions to the events happening in our life. That girl also had her ways to defend herself or escape having no injuries. Although some methods proved too rough ones; it was still enough for us to live our lives.

    But that thought did not stop this boar from chasing me!

    "I have to do something about this! Red, why did you leave me here!"

    I kept calling out for the person I trust, yet Red herself was not here with me. If I looked at it on another side, Red was keeping two boars at bay. She had more enemies than this boar in the open field.

    Giving out of this hog for me to handle was the perfect option to do. Since I needed some experience to fight, shing against this pig would give me the most knowledge! I remembered the words that I said to Red. "I want to fight with you and stay by your side."

    And that phrase kept me going.

    A warm feeling kissed my left eye, followed by a swirling scorch of mes covering my fingertips. Two glowing vermilion magic circles formed around my hands with intricate symbols that I did not know. These characters differed from the ones I saw before the first time I used my abilities.

    It was as if these texts got re-written through time with a unique power surging through my veins.

    I stopped racing forward and looked behind the hog, which was still rampaging at my rear. The animal witnessed me stop and thought it was the opportunity for it to strike. With its ivory horn aimed at my neck, the pig gave everything andunched itself in my direction.

    I, who had already activated my spell, discharged an attack of my own. It was the same fireball I used before. But this orb of mes had a more violent arcane imbued with the magic circles. The brilliant crimson red illuminated my surroundings, nearly blinding my eyes.

    But I kept a stern look at the hog and saw how everything would turn.

    ''Will I burn my hands again? Or will I defeat that animal?'' I pondered those two questions, hoping to get thetter.

    And then my magic turned ripe. It unleashed a glimmering tunnel of fire in the hog''s direction. The speed of the ball of fire wasparable to lightning raging across the green nts. As the sphere travelled in the hog''s direction, the attack left a trail. Those grasses danced no more from the spell, which burned everything to the ground.

    Nothing remained after the attack prated everything on its way with the boar as its target.

    As soon as my spell shed against the hog, a bright star dispersed from the scene. It had no sound or energy that pushed me back. There was only fire burning my surroundings.

    The temperature increased as the ze painted thendscape with orange and red hues. Everything that the embers touched, it devoured it.

    Much to my surprise, the pig lived despite taking the hit from the spell. A violent wail reverberated throughout the ce, filling the dull atmosphere surrounding me. There was a shadow trundling towards me, but I knew that was the pig''s corpse.

    That hog was toast like the barbeque I had with Red! But Red told me to save that pig forter. Maybe we could cook the pig more, since frying an animal was the correct one to make a meal.

    The boar finally fell on the ground and oinked itsst oink. Within a matter of seconds, the pig died by my hands.

    I checked my hands to see if the fire injured me, but it did not. No pain throbbed or churned through my skin. My eyes and lips curved up into a smile as I noticed that the spell I used did not turn against me. All the efforts I did with Red bore fruit! I could finally conjure my abilities within a limited range!

    It was a delightful event if it were not for the scene in front of me.

    "Is that... smoke?" I murmured, and left my mouth hanging upon the cruel sight of the forest.

    Killing the pig was not the end of my problems. The fire continued to grow more sizable than ever before.

    It was like Red had mentioned to me before attacking the pig. If I were to use my mes to beat an enemy inside a forest, I would create a forest fire. And look what happened to me right now.

    A forest fire!

    The ze spread like a broken dam, continuing to burn all life forms. All the unfortunate grass that got caught up by the disaster I caused turned into dust. The smell of something burning lingered in my nostrils. With the smog as thick and ck as ink, I knew there was nothing I could do to stop the fire.

    "This forest fire would attract the attention of the yers and monsters! What do I do, what do I do??? Hurry up, Red! I don''t know what to do!"

    I had been circling on my spot, refusing to leave from this mess I made. Since I was the one to start this trouble, I wanted to make it right. Now that my ability did not burn my hands, I needed to put out this fire toplete my training!

    My efforts at using my fire ability could not be nifty if we die! If the yers would see this smoke, Red and I would die!

    "If you can use your powers to create fire, you can also devour fire. Since your area has more grass than mine, the fire would spread less if you nned to burn the entire ce down. Prove to me that my theory is right and suck all those embers to our hand!" I repeated Red''s words, wishing to decipher the meaning behind them.

    It took me some time to guess, but a thought emerged inside my head. It was a lightbulb that glowed inside my dark and rusty brain.

    "If I can summon mes, I could not summon them too," I said.

    A snicker emerged from my face as I directed my hands at the fire before me. Two magic circles appeared in each of my hands. It was like what happened before, but this time I could manage my powers.

    "I need to suck the fire in my hands!" I yelled, and tried to devour back the mes inside the magic circles.

    It took me a minute before tweaking the arcane output I needed to bend the mes by my will. After sixty seconds, the embers waved in my direction.

    It was like what Red had mentioned earlier. All those mes I produced flowed towards me like a tornado. The red and orange light went to my magic circle and warmed my hands. Within a few seconds, the mes that were in front of me disappeared.

    I was the only one left in the scene, sweating profusely from the workout I just did.

    "You did it, Match! You really outdid yourself! Phew!" I fell on the ground and rested, for the time being, while waiting for Red to return.

    I did not want to carry a dead body with my hands.. Just thinking about the idea made my body shiver in disgust.

 Chapter 68 - A Job Well Done!

    (We are back to Red''s Perspective!)

    _________________

    After taking down the two boars, I ced them inside my [astral space]. I meant to store them inside my inventory and present themter to the vige. Since carrying these hogs with our stark hands seemed pointless, stashing these meats in that realm would ease my job. And I forgot to do that to the other four, which made my life miserable. Match and I would have to retrace our steps and store those boars inside our storage.

    "How is Match doing with her opponent?" I wondered, and raced towards the forest''s right side. "Whoops! Match better win that fight, or else she''s going to fight me! Match! I''ming to save you!"

    I almost forgot about Match and her fight against the pig I left for her. I knew the girl would stand her ground, considering that Match was up against an animal, not a yer. Animals did not have the brain to strategize in a fightpared to people. But these beasts could use their predator ability to catch their opponents off guard.

    But now that I had mentioned it, I became unsure. A pig could do something nasty to a twelve-year-old kid.

    "Match, are you here! Are you alive?" I shouted.

    Upon arriving at the meadow, a figure of a girlid on the ground. Match was in a vulnerable state that even a level 1 yer or NPC could kill her. But at the side of that unconcerned child was the shape of a pig. It was a burned hog she needed to fight.

    And Match won that battle.

    "You did it, Match! You really outdid yourself! Phew!" Match eximed, while looking at the sky. I kept Match waiting for my return.

    I sat beside the little girl and stared at the horizon. The grass field made me remember the first day that I went out of the vige to fetch some pail of water from theke. It was a fun experience. It was a fun event until Clementine fell down and broke her arm, and I came tumbling after. (Author''s note: Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water~. Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after~.)

    "I can see you defeated the swine," I said, and carved a grin on my face. "And burned the boar as if you already cooked the poor guy. How was your fight against the boar without me?"

    "It was a horrible experience! Terrible! If there''s a word that exceeds that, I would use it! I hope I can never fight something like that again!" Match eximed with eviction in her tone. However, her eyes looked towards me as Match continued her sentence. "But, then again, I don''t want you to fight those yers all alone. I want to be there for you when you need me the most."

    Match''s words pierced my already melting heart upon hearing those words. This girl reminded me of the sister I lost from my vige. But now, Match became my sister in this different world.

    "Thank you for being here for me when things got rough," I remarked, and shuffled her already crazed hair. "But promise me one thing, okay? Don''t die on the battlefield. If you die, I will��"

    I couldn''t continue my sentence. My mind refused to imagine that scene before me. A world without Match was like my devastated self when I witnessed Clementine''s death.

    Match felt my worry as she sped her hand into mine. "I know, I know. You don''t have to tell me that twice! Tehee~."

    After our exchange, the two of us rested on that spot for fifteen minutes before collecting the wild boars on the road.

    ...��..

    I knocked on the front door and called out for anyone inside. The night still covered the sky, but it would be a matter of time before the morning would greet our eyes.

    The door squeaked open, revealing the merchant girl I saw from earlier. She still had a hungry look on her face and drooling saliva. The girl''s eyes stared at me for a brief second before shaking her head.

    "Ah, yes! D-do you have the meat��? I''m sorry for asking."

    ''The girl must have been starving for days,'' I thought, and swiped my azure window to the side.

    "Yes. We got the meat that you ordered. Seven of the boars in total." I imed, and revealed the stored flesh from the remaining boars. But before the girl could take them away, I entered inside and asked, "We need a ce to stay. And I believe we may live with you now?"

    "Of course, of course! You''ve been a really great help for the vige and me!" the merchant girl replied, and looked at the spiralling [astral space] floating in mid-air.

    I asked if the girl knew how to cook these meats. The merchant girl told me she knew some cuisines that Match and I would like. Since the two of us had travelled for miles already, frying them became a delightful meal for us. However, seeing the enthusiastic girl''s eyes, I could only guess she has spices hidden in her sleeves.

    "You have my faith," I remarked, and handed the girl all seven boars.

    The merchantss stored the girl inside a chilling box. She told me that this item makes the meat fresh despite putting it in there for days. It was a tool that helped her throughout her journey. That girl called it a fridge, which was not something that I could see every day.

    The tradesperson let us inside the house and took us towards the mattresses. There were two of them already prepared for Match and me to stay in for the night.

    The girl ate a humble pie for me, saying that this was the best ce that the vige could offer. I shook my head and told them that a bed meant everything to us.

    "I will leave the two of you, then until you wake up!" the merchant girl said, and unravelled the curtains.

    "Thank you," I replied.

    "Thank you, kinddy!" Match expressed her gratitude as she sunk her body into the futon.

    The two of us took some shut-eye until the morning sun burned our eyes.

    ...��.

    The window on our side weed the sunlight. A hot ray of luminance entered the room, almost frying our face as if it were not for the nket that the merchant girl provided us.

    I thought at first that Match and I should have a guard duty of some sort, since I did not trust this ce. However, upon waking up having no injuries at all, the idea of patrolling the townlet became an overstatement.

    "Food��. Pancakes�� Don''t get that�� Red�� That''s mine��" The girl beside me mumbled these lines. It was tiresome to believe that Match killed a terrifying boar and would sleep like a baby beside me.

    Upon witnessing such an act, I gave Match a karate chop on her head, which made her jolt awake. Match yelled, "I AM AWAKE! DON''T TAKE MY FOOD," and recognised that all those scenarios were just a lovely dream.

    "Don''t wake me like that, Red! I hate it!" Match snorted as she stood up from her mattress.

    I gave her a nod and gave Match my promise.

    The smell of something frying went through our nostrils. But the fragrance was not something that we had during our trips. It was a divine savoury aroma filled with thousands of seasonings for a meal.

    The two of us could not wait any longer and went outside the room, only to find the merchant girl and other vigers cooking up a storm. There were more grills and frying pans outside of the house. There was a feast happening inside and outside the vige as the people cooked three hogs.

    "Wow! This ce is amazing! And the smell is really delicious! It''s like I''m full already, Red!" Match eximed, and went to the kitchen, which was everywhere in the house!

    The merchant girl noticed our figure. She took off her apron and went in our direction while waving her hands to say hello.

    "You two are awake! Perfect timing. The food is just about ready," the girl announced, and offered us a seat outside the shack.

    I touched the door and stepped on my foot outside, with Match tagging behind. The silent vige turned into a festival with various tes ready on the table. Every viger we found had a beam on their faces as they stood by to fetch the food on the pan.

    Match and I sat on the empty table and gazed at the scene in front of us. Match wanted to dance, but I told her to sit tight and wait for the food.

    "We don''t want to join their fun when our tummy is growling now, don''t you?"

    With a reluctant nod, Match obeyed my words and became silent in her seat. But as time passed by, the door opened, showing the merchant with a gigantic te.

    "Order up!" the merchant girl yelled as she ced a te of our own on the table.

 Chapter 69 - Pinocchio

    After eating our fill, Match went to the border''s vige and met with the other kids her age. Those kids were a bunch of rowdy rascals that yed like the whistling wind. Although the children in the town avoided the giddy Match at first, those kids learned to ept her. The group ran around and entertained Match for a while.

    "Come back to this inn as soon as the sun goes down, okay?"

    "Sure thing, Red! I''ll be back before you know it!" Match replied, and chased the kids to their ends of the vige.

    Some vigers thought of us as intruders, wreaking havoc inside their town. They locked their eyes with our figures, monitoring us with our every move. However, their res came to a stop after the merchant girl told them something. She frowned at them and scolded them like an older sister. After that ruckus, the vigers had a change of heart for us.

    Those chilling eyes staring at us did not ur anymore.

    The merchant went beside me and cleaned the tes. I told her she didn''t have to do it, but the girl told me otherwise. The trader said that this gesture was the least she could do for me when I was the fed that fed the vige.

    But I could not help but ask her a question I had been longing to query.

    "Why do you care about this ce? Do you have anything in particr that you love about it?"

    A long pause echoed in our atmosphere. I knew I made the conversation bitter, but I had to learn the truth. I wanted to know what happened to the nearby viges affected by the war against yers and non-yer characters.

    After heaving out an exhale, the merchant girl exined. "My name is Olivia Dragonheart. I am half-human and half-dragonewt."

    My eyes widened upon perceiving the words that Olivia told me. There was one creature that remembered having the same species as the dragonewts. It was the merchant that saved me from before, which was also a dragonewt. But the tradesperson that I kept meeting was a male, not a female being.

    Olivia uncovered her hood and revealed her face to me. The scales on her skin enveloped her entire body. I glued my eyes at her and refused to avert my gaze. However, Olivia might have thought of my gesture as rude, since she took a step back and wrapped her shoulders using her arms.

    "I know, I have horrible scales��" Olivia confessed.

    "No! Who told you that? I think your scales are amazing! It was the same skin that gave me another chance to live in this world," I retorted, and cut off Olivia''s sentence.

    I did not know what Olivia had experienced in her life, but I knew that those were rough times. Her skin tone might have burdened her from being a merchant.

    "That''s why you wear a hood? To cover your scales on your body?" I asked.

    Olivia gave me a nod and painted a smile on her face. "Other yers and other people refused to buy from me after seeing my face and skin. So I covered them. Somehow, I am getting more money than I used to when I covered my face. They thought of me as a mysterious person selling them ancient goods!"

    After saying thetter part of her sentence, Olivia''s smiling face disappeared. It was as if a grim memory reminded her of something I did not know.

    "It''s alright if you don''t tell me all the details. Match and I would leave soon, after a few days. We can''t stay here for too long. We would only bring trouble to your ce."

    I stood up from my seat and went back to the house, hoping to get another hour of rest before prepping for the future. However, Olivia''s hand grabbed the ends of my cloth, stopping me from advancing.

    "Why did you ask all this? What''s the reason behind the attacks of these yers? Are you behind these assaults? Why do you want to know about me and my scales? And how did you know about another merchant with the same skin as mine?" Olivia bombarded me with questions. Her eyes pierced through me like a needle hidden inside the hays.

    "I asked all this since your vige might notst," I replied, but that was not even half of it.

    Before answering her question, a notification popped in front of me. It did not alert me about the war, but it told me about Olivia. That dragonewt in front of me also unlocked the freedom that I have right now.

    "Do you... perhaps know about the game?" I asked.

    Olivia gave me a nod. "We merchants of the dragonewt knew about Code. But none of us had the free will to turn against our script. And even if we did, the dragonewts did not have the abilities to defend themselves against the yers."

    "Thosetches turned against us and restricted our movements. The deities that the world believed in turned out to be yers roaming around in Code." Olivia added.

    "How did you know that this world was just a game and not our reality?" I asked.

    Olivia let out a burdensome exhale and answered, "We just knew that the world was just not the same. All of us dragonewts knew that this ce did not exist. We survive because the game developers say so. That information remained inside our heads, unable to do anything about it. So we turned a blind eye to these notifications and did what we do best."

    "And what was that?" I asked.

    "Our kingdom is finding the person who could free us from this game. The king of dragonewts, wielder of the Ruby Obelisk, tasked us to be merchants and look for that person... or creature. That creature might be a yer or-,"

    "Non-yer character." I continued where Olivia left with her sentence.

    The two of us stared into each other''s eyes, unsure what to say afterwards. Olivia had a face that looked like she had seen a ghost. Although spiritual things were monsters hidden among the graves, those entities came not from the dead. The game developers produced them for crunching those experience levels.

    I could only think about the dragonewts and their king. If that ruler held the obelisk, I could take that away andplete the game! I already have the emerald obelisk with me. That gemstone also granted me the powers of an elf, which allowed me to use the enchanted bow.

    "You must be the one who wants toplete the game!" Olivia gasped. "A-are you really that yer that will free us all?"

    "I don''t know about freeing everyone, but I know how toplete the game. And we were on our way to do that. We just need to go to Wondend and retrieve the sapphire obelisk from Alice." I answered.

    Olivia headed over outside and motioned me to follow her. I had no other things to do but tag along behind her as she led me to a remote ce. I asked Olivia where the heck we were going, but that girl kept it a secret. She told me that this was a sacred ce that nobody had the chance to visit.

    But the site was right next to the damn vige.

    "There is something I want to show you," Olivia told me, and silenced my mouth.

    The two of us went into the dark forest. All the grass kissing my feet pricked my toes. I was fortunate enough to have feet of steel, since Match and I had walked for over dozens of miles before reaching this townlet. As we stepped foot behind the creeping vines, there was a house that stood tall on its ground. There was a sign in front of the shack written with the words, "Goldilocks home".

    The faint smell of porridge swam through the air and went its way towards our nose. I had already eaten my meal, so my stomach did not growl at the scent of food.

    "What is this ce?" I asked. My breath became heavy as we stepped closer to the house.

    "I told you to meet with someone, right? His name is Pinhio. He''s a puppet made by Alice, herself. If you want to find any leads about Wondend, asking this doll would be your best bet."

    I blinked a thousand times after absorbing what Olivia told me. I could not believe her at first, since those words came out suddenly to me. But as soon as I went inside the room, a puppet greeted my eyes. That figurine sat on the rocking chair, staring at our bewildered faces.

    "So this is the being that could help me reach towards Alice? It''s not like I don''t believe you... but I''m just confused about this."

    "Pinhio. My name is Pinhio. A puppet that cannot lie."

    "Did that thing just talk to me?"

 Chapter 70 - Information About Wonderland

    "Yes." the puppet answered.

    The doll named Pinnochio had a dwarf height that made him look like a boy. But Pinnochio was not taller than Match. He had a light brown coloured hat and a blue tie wrapped around her neck. With red pants and two leathered shoes, he looked more like a viger in the town.

    However, Pinhio''s long nose set him apart from humans and a figurine.

    "I know where to find Alice, since she created me," Pinhio added.

    Pinhio had the voice of a child, but spoke like an adult. Despite his puppet-like image, the little boy puppet had an aura befitting for a prince. If it were not for Pinhio''s skin made of cotton, he would look like a human.

    The puppet tried standing on its two feet. Olivia tried helping with the doll, but Pinhio refused. That puppet told her he required no help from others.

    And that was what he did.

    Pinhio walked up to me and exined everything I needed to know. "The location of Wondend is not far from the dwarves. Wondend is the castle itself, stuck on an abandoned ind. However, you need to cross the sea surrounding the ind and fight against the sea serpent lurking beneath the waters."

    "I knew about some of these details. What more can you tell me?" I retorted.

    "Have you ever wondered why I am a puppet?" Pinhio asked, as his eyes stared into mine.

    I shook my head and answered, "No. But I think you''re something created by someone. And that someone was Alice in Wondend. Since I have encountered different monsters already, a puppet that could talk wouldn''t baffle me."

    It was the harsh truth, so I had to tell them. I faced countless foes and creatures that shared the same killing intent. Seeing a puppet that would do the same would not falter my mind.

    "Alice created me to meet you. This world needs a non-yer character and yer that would free all of us from Code." Pinhio eximed. "Alice knew about this wretched game world and was the most powerful being that the game developers created. She had enough arcane energy to destroy the Maind if it were not for Okami interfering with her goal."

    "After gauging Alice''s strength, the game developers locked her inside the castle for good. They thought that creating Alice would make the game interesting. But they thought wrong. Alice could only hope that one day, she would meet someone that could free us all. And that someone might be you, Red Riding Hood. Or Red Rose, if you prefer that way."

    With Pinhio''s words, my mouth became silent. I could not say a thing after hearing such a statement that came from the puppet. Now I knew why going to Alice mmed my heavy heart rock-bottom. I was carrying the responsibilities of the people living in this game.

    However, I did not have any pure intentions like that. Freeing everyone could be a part of my job. But I wanted more out of this mission.

    I swore for revenge against the yers and game developers who created this game.

    "So what do I need to do then?" I asked Pinhio, hoping to heed more guidance from him.

    The only thought that ran inside my mind was, ''I could use this puppet for my goal.''

    "You need to free Alice and borrow her power. Since you are collecting the four obelisks, she would give the gemstone to you and gain the surface of her arcane."

    "If Alice gives me the obelisk, would not that kill her?/''

    "No. I''m afraid not, Red," Pinhio answered. "Alice is a powerful being, and there is nothing that Code could do to kill her."

    "But after youplete the game, free Alice. Since she nned to help you, you need to help her first break free from thosetches."

    I gave Pinhio a nod and answered, "I will. If that is what it takes to have a powerful ally, I could give Alice a helping hand."

    "I trust you for your words, Red. I hope you won''t let Alice and me down."

    Pinhio motioned his hands and called out someone near the door. As I gyrated my head at my rear, a figure of a girl waved at me to say hello.

    "Match? How long have you been there? I told you to y with the kids!" I said. But I could not be mad at her, considering that she was still a little girl.

    "Long enough to hear everything?" She said, but Match tilted her head, unsure what she mentioned was the right thing for her to say right now. "I don''t quite get what is happening... but�� is that a puppet?"

    But before I could even answer or even say anything, Match sprinted towards Pinhio and pounced at the unfortunate doll. A ring m resonated inside the room, paired with an agonistic crying from the marite.

    "G-GET THIS H-HUMAN AWAY FROM ME! S-SHE IS J-JUST LIKE ALICE! AN UNCORRUPTED ALICE!" Pinhio pleaded. But I could only shake my head in disdain.

    "Rx. It will be all over soon." I said, and watched Pinhio trying to clobber Match. But that puppet failed each of his swings to the swift little girl, thanks to her training.

    "Where did you get this, Red? This puppet looks amazing! Can we keep it? Can we, can we, can we?" Match asked, as she shook the doll in every direction. If Pinhio could feel nauseated, now was the time to sense that.

    "No, Match. That doll isn''t ours."

    "Then who owns this?" Match asked.

    "It came from Alice. Hey, are you even listening to the conversation?"

    My question flew from elsewhere as Match sumbed herself into her world with the puppet. She wrapped her hands around Pinhio and gave the doll a tight embrace that Match ever had. But the figurine did not like any of this, as Pinhio tried to free himself from her grip. It showed from Pinhio''s face.

    "Aren''t you going to help Match? She seems really excited." Olivia suggested.

    But I shook my head and replied, "Nope. It''s my first time seeing Match grin like that. I would keep them watch for the time being. And the one who needs our help the most might be that puppet."

    "HELP ME, RED! HELP MEEEEE PLEAAASEE!!!"

    .....

    After a few minutes, Match grew tired and slept on the make-shift couch. Her snores kept everyone awake, but I paid her no mind. Match could do whatever she wanted, as long as it would affect no one.

    But that thought shattered upon the sight of the figurine. The little girl held Pinhio, who was still squirming his way out from Match''s hands. Puppets did not have energy, so they never grew tired. However, from the looks of Pinhio, he did not want to fight back the urge to escape Match.

    "We can talk," I said.

    But Pinhio was not happy about my statement. The pocket-sized puppet showed me a frown and crossed his hands, despite Match''s arms clipping his body.

    "You could''ve told me that sooner," Pinhio snarled, and heaved out a long sigh.

    But he had no other choice but where we had left from our conversation.

    "You need to visit the dwarven kingdom and ask them for a boat. You cannot travel the water with your bare appendages, so a vehicle is a crucial thing to have in your journey."

    "I already know that information. What more can you give me?"

    Pinhio let out an exhale once again and answered, "If you know this much, I have nothing else to tell you. I told you about Alice and her goal. I think that''s just about it."

    I stood up from my seat and went towards the two. My hands reached out for the sleeping Match and snatched her body out from the bench. The little girl moaned as soon as she felt my rough hands. After a few seconds, Match had finally calmed her senses.

    "Thank you!" Pinhio shouted, and went back to his room from where we had first seen him.

    Olivia, who was with me the entire time, was also taking her nap on the chair. When I kicked Olivia''s seat, the merchant stood up and shuffled her feet. After witnessing my face in front of her, the merchant girl growled at me and went towards the door.

    "Let''s go, Olivia, Match. We''re going now, Pinhio. Thanks for the information you gave us." I eximed, and shut the door.

    Pinhio nodded his head as he saw us off from the door. Within a few moments, the puppet''s voice reverberated outside the shack.

    "Beware of Rumpelstiltskin on your way out! Do not trust his words or anything that guy offers!" Pinhio screamed.

    ... But I did not hear what the puppet told me. My ears heard constant mumblings inside the house. I could only guess what Pinhio told me would not bother me soon.

    Now that we were outside Goldilocks, all Match and I needed to do was resume our journey and meet with the dwarves.

 Chapter 71 - Players In The Village (1)

    After conversing with Pinhio and learning more about Alice in Wondend, the three of us headed back to the lodge and prepared our things. Although Match and I could stay for a few days, we did not. I believed that our time turned ripe for us to leave this ce. After all, we needed to do more things than idling around a vige.

    "The yers are still on our tails. The sooner that we can to the dwarves and build a boat, the better." I said. It was the sole reason for us to move forward.

    The yers would attack this ce, and there was no doubt about that idea. Match did not know that for now. And if she did, that girl would help them, which defeats the idea of advancing to our journey.

    We had no means to give a helping hand to these vigers. I could only pray for their survival if the yers nned to attack this ce. But for now, I pushed those grim thoughts aside and organised my things.

    I took a glimpse outside and noticed the vigers looking from the window. These people had their mouths curved downwards, knowing that their saviour would leave this ce for good. Match and I were the ones who brought them food when nobody else dared to help them.

    These townspeople thought of us as heroes that spared an eye to their famished town. However, I could not return their gaze, knowing that I would leave them. I knew the yers were hot on our tails. And if those adventurers schemed to kill every NPC, they would first see this ce before reaching for us.

    I packed the meal prepared by Olivia and went outside the shack. The scent of fried boars lingered through our nostrils, inviting us to eat our early lunch. But I refused to sumb to my temptation and threw those packed meals in my [astral space].

    Match followed me behind and did the same for her snacks. That girl ced all her packed munchies for the road, telling me she needed these for her growing body. I could only shake my head and let out an exhale, thinking Match would only get fatter by the time we arrived in the dwarven empire.

    "Are you sure you will not stay for tonight, Red? The forest can be frightening at nighttime."

    "It''s alright, Olivia. We made it through before. We can make it through again this time. I appreciate your concerns, but I must finish my goal�� our goal."

    I looked at the giddy Match who had been chasing the butterflies near the roses. That girl stumbled every time she almost caught those winged creatures. But after calling for her attention, that girl rushed towards me and gave me a salute.

    "Match is always present, Red!" the girl announced, and ran around once more.

    It took me five minutes to calm Match down. As soon as my hands caught the girl, Match pouted her lips while dragging her out of the vige.

    "We will see you soon, Oliv-."

    Before I could even finish my sentence, two red spheres appeared on my map. My system flickered in front of me and gave me a notification. It was an alert message dyed with bloody liquid, covering everything from my view.

    I caught a view of something hovering from the two figures in the rear. It did not produce any sound as it travelled in our direction. Within that moment, I raced towards Match and Olivia and pushed their heads towards the ground.

    "DUCK!"

    After saying my instruction, I pounced towards the two people and saved them from their sudden death. Match and Olivia caressed their heads, unsure of what was happening in our situation.

    As I swivelled my head behind, the projectile that came crashing towards us struck the trees, creating a hole from their barks. That projectile stopped destroying the things in front of it after hitting three trees in front.

    ''What was that thing?!'' I gasped, knowing that other projectiles headed in our direction.

    I used the stone nestling beside me as a shield. The t surface of that boulder stood its ground and awaited those things raining down on us. After a few seconds, those projectiles finally hit the rock, almost crashing it into pieces.

    "What is happening, Red? Who are these people attacking us?" Match asked, andtched her hands around my shoulders.

    "I don''t know. But if my guess is right, I think the yers have finally caught upon us. Hurry! To the other side!" Imanded, and hauled Match away from danger while pulling Olivia with my other hand.

    That merchant girl stood still like a statue, as if a cat got her tongue. However, because of the sudden jerk of her body, Olivia shook her dazed state and continued running to the forest. It was our only hope if we wanted to survive this catastrophe, away from the attacking yers.

    Dozens of screams echoed inside the vige as we advanced to the sides. As we peered our heads to the scene, those vigers fell like flies on the ground. The townspeople''s bodies slowly turned to dust after getting hit by those pesky lights. That luminance came from the trees and attacked them from behind.

    But as I observed the situation, I recognised everything. Those attacks that came out of nowhere became clear in my eyes. And I knew that what was happening in front of us was too fast for other people.

    "What are those glowing lights, Red? That seems dangerous... and fast!" Match reacted, telling me she also noticed those things firing at the NPCs. "It turns them into... dust? Why? That''s powerful and scary!"

    I shook my head and replied, "I don''t know, Match. But there''s one thing that I know. This attack came from those yers hidden behind those trees. We need to get out of here as quickly as we can if we want to survive. Come on!"

    "What are you doing, Olivia?!"

    But before I could proceed onward, a petite hand pulled me back. As I turned around, Olivia''s face greeted my eyes. Her orbs nearly cried as she opened her mouth.

    "Please...save my people. I... I don''t want to see them die like this." the girl pleaded, as Olivia cascaded a stream of tears flowing from her cheeks.

    The thought that haunted me earlier came back to me. Those yers that I knew would go for me had already breached this ce.

    I averted my gaze and looked at Match, who was also thinking the same thing. That girl wanted to save the vige and give them the help they needed. Match and I were the only people who know arcane. Our powers might be enough to stop those yers from proceeding any further.

    But with those brilliant lights evaporating the vigers, our winning chance became slim. One hit from that light, and we would turn into dust, just like the rest of the townspeople.

    But looking at their figures, I noticed these yers came not from Nirvana. This unit was apart from the adventurers I saw that entered the elf kingdom.

    ''Is it really necessary to save these people?'' I pondered.

    Those attacks would delete us from the game for good. So pushing those yers away and defending this vige posed no benefits to our journey.

    However, how could my eyes forget this? This vige became the scene that haunted me inside my dreams. It was the reality that I lived in before that drove me to this state.

    "I don''t want to see them die�� Please save them�� I will go with or without you," Olivia said, and utched her grip from my hand.

    I took a glimpse at Match for thest time before deciding. After heaving out a lengthy exhale, I stood up and caught Olivia''s hand.

    "I will help you as long as you will listen to what I say. I think I have a n."

    Upon hearing my words, Olivia gave me a firm nod. She was down to heed all my advice, as long as we could save the vigers.

    "But first, do you know any kind of magic? It would be nice to hear you know a spell or two in your sleeves." I asked Olivia.

    "I do. But I could only move vines at my will for a short time. I don''t know if that''s going to be useful for you," the merchant girl replied.

    "Perfect. I need you to open up a path and trap those yer''s legs. Could you do that for me? I''m an assassin, so I need to go near those yers andnd my hit on them."

    Olivia nodded and gripped her hands. I went to Match and gave her my instructions.

    "Can you use your fire and burn those trees? You don''t have to burn everything. Just make a distraction so those yers would move to a different spot."

    "Okay, Red," Match answered.

 Chapter 72 - Players In The Village (2)

    Olivia moved in front and raised her hands. The creeping nts from various directions twirled and diverged, revealing the yers firing those magical projectiles. It also created an entrance for us to ambush these yers.

    There were five yers in front of us, while the rest of their team hid around the trees. These yers really outdid themselves, considering that we haven''t seen themselves in the woond.

    But for now, we need to take out these adventurers before alerting their team. If we could kill at least these five yers, we might stand a chance against the rest of them hiding in the shadows.

    The only thing that I needed to do now was to attack the yers from behind using my penitent''s de.

    And that''s what I did.

    I hid behind the shrubs and prepared myself tounch an attack. The two yers stationed at the side focused their observations on the vige that they did not know something moved around the weeds.

    I took my chance and swung my sword, slitting the two of them at the same time. My de cut their necks deep and killed them in an instant. However, as I looked in front, the three yers glimpsed my figure.

    "We''ve found a ye-!"

    Before the three men could finish reporting their findings, a vine wrapped around and covered their mouths. That saved me some time as I used that chance to get on top of those yers. After killing them off, as I did with the two, the yers turned into pixted particles. Within a few moments, their bodies left this world.

    My eyes wandered around and inspected the site, looking for any survivors or watchers from afar. But my line of sight stumbled upon the weapons that the yers used to attack the vige.

    I picked the weapon and examined it. It was not the staves that I became ustomed to in this world.

    "What is that?" Olivia asked, and leaned closer to the weapon.

    The armament that these yers brought had an original design to the ones I knew. These yers made this equipment with metal. I effortlessly lifted the weapon with my two arms. Suddenly, a notification appeared in front of me, exining the description of this weapon in my hand.

    [k987 Gun (Assault Rifle)- It is a weapon incorporating a metal tube from which explosive force propels bullets, shells, or other missiles, typically making a characteristic loud, sharp noise. This gun allows users to fire at a certain distance using arcane bullets. (Author''s note: information came from a dictionary: Oxfordnguages)]

    "A gun?" I asked. "And bullets? What do these items mean?"

    All of this information felt new to me. Thanks to my system, I knew the descriptions of these objects. Olivia and Match knew nothing about this weapon as I showed it to them. Usually, the game updates everyone that the game developers released a new weapon. The dwarves would be the first ones to learn about these changes, since they were the ones who made these armaments.

    However, this gun might not be the case in this situation. This product could have been a unique instalment in the game...

    I tried using the gun, but I did not know how to manipte it. I''ve never seen such a weapon before, so I did not know how to use this thing called a gun.

    "For now, I will ce it inside my [astral space] and study itter," I whispered, and summoned my storage spell. I threw the gun away inside my [astral space] and continued where we had left from this urrence.

    "All clear-,"

    "R-Red��." Match croaked, as she rubbed her hands. She looked at the ground and continued her sentence. "D-DId you�� kill them?"

    However, there was one thing that I missed. All this time, the little girl witnessed everything��

    Match saw me killing these yers in front of her for the first time. She usually considered my work as hurting these adventurers, but not killing these people. However, right now there was no other choice but to tell her the truth.

    "Yes. If we don''t, these people will kill the vigers. All yers are bad people." I answered, and wrapped my hands around Match''s body.

    The little girl returned my gesture and enveloped her hands around mine. A feeling of warmth surged through my skin, which calmed my senses.

    "I''m sorry for hiding the truth from you. I''m scared you won''t ept it. So I hope you understand, Match. I do this to protect you."

    Amidst the battle, Match and I exchanged a few words about the situation. We were fortunate enough that the killing spree did not rm the yers still concealed behind the bushes. Olivia had a worried expression carved on her face, but she knew this embrace meant a lot to Match and me. She could only watch for any intruders that might be on our tail.

    "I know�� But I can''t do it�� Not yet�� And I hope we won''t get to kill these yers again... There might be yers out there that we can talk to without fighting." Match expressed her thoughts as she released me from her embrace.

    I caressed her head and gave her my reply. "I know. But from what they did with our sisters, I think we can never see a yer as kind as the rest of NPCs, Match."

    It was the truth that everyone needs to know. All the yers inside this game only cared about their entertainment. Even before this death game happened, these yers did what they wanted to do with their lives. Since this world remained disconnected from theirs, yers abused their powers.

    But that was far from the truth, since others wanted to help us non-yer characters. And that person who still glued himself inside my mind was a man named Fenrir. He was the only adventurer that I deemed heroic. The rest of the yers should die in this game!

    "I''d love to talk about this for more, Match, but I need to�� clean those yers out of our way," I said to Match.

    "What do I need to do? Do I have to kill yers too?"

    "No, Match. If you don''t want to kill these people, you don''t have to. We will be the ones to dirty our hands. So don''t worry about anything, okay?"

    Match gave me a nod after hearing my statement. I directed my forefinger ahead and continued where I left from my sentence.

    "Do you see bushes and trees, Match? I need you to spark a me in that direction. You can burn this ce to the ground. But always remember not to overuse your powers, or else you would burn yourself too."

    My hands shivered after recalling the events that happened before. I shook my head every time that past haunted my brain. I was fortunate enough to store two sets of potions for Match when she first used her powers. But right now, I did not have any blue and crimson sks that could regenerate Match''s injuries.

    "I trust you to limit your powers, Match? Did I make myself clear?"

    Match nodded at me while clenching her fist. She wanted to prove herself as a girl that I could depend on when I needed her the most, and right now, it was Match turn to shine.

    Match stepped forward and aimed her hands at the trees that I told her before. The little girl''s left eye glowed a vermilion light, telling me she was preparing her magic. Magic circles formed around both of her arms as she fired a ball of fire in that direction. Upon contact, the orange ze spread itself through the forest, iming the lives of those trees in an instant.

    Dozens of screams echoed from the forest, with the yers putting out the fire stuck on their uniforms. All those yers concealing themselves behind the trees ran away and looked for the nearbyke. But I would not let them escape that easily, considering that these adventurers might attack us soon.

    It was better to take the initiative rather than waiting for a defensive n. So Olivia and I ambushed these yers. Olivia used her nt abilities and trapped them inside the fire. Their corpses turned into charcoal as these yers remained in the fire. The only thing we heard from the yers were their agonistic screams, pleading for mercy.

    I also did my job and killed these yers by slicing them in the neck. Using my ability [shadow walk], I utilised my darkened environment and cut the yers. These adventurers did not see what came after them since the fog took away their vision. I, with my right eye glowing bright, knew their locations, even with this smog.

    And the rest became history.

    Those yers finally saw our figures and called their forces to attack us. During that time, we knew that more yers stood by, waiting for our presence.. These adventurers surrounded us like ants flocking over their meal.

 Chapter 73 - Matchs Powers

    "Capture the girl with the red hood."

    "Sir, yes, sir!"

    The yers shouted, and directed their gazes onto me. After a moment, thousands of bullets rain in our direction. It was a good thing that my system enhanced my senses as I reacted to the assault of these yers.

    I moved my body like I always did. I dragged Match and Olivia away from harm and behind the boulder. That stone acted as our shield that blocked the rest of the bullets heading towards us. But the enormous rock would notst long, considering the power that these bullets held.

    "Match, can you fire your magic towards those yers?" I pointed my forefinger at the bushes and trees. "Around that area, just fifty feet away from us."

    Although we saw nothing popping out from that part of the forest, I knew the yers were hiding there. It was not a wild guess but an intelligent one. If I were in their position, I would have ced my troops over to that site to ambush my opponents.

    The little girl reluctantly nodded her head to my instructions. Match stood up and prepared two erged magic circles in that direction. She aimed her magical projectiles and unleashed seeding spheres of fire.

    As the attack crashed against the trees, dozens of yers revealed themselves from the forest fire. They tried to exhaust the ze, consuming both of their health bars and clothing. The yer''s painful screams were the only noise that surrounded the woond.

    Thanks to my deductions, the fireball that Match released hit those yers concealing themselves behind the creeping nts.

    After seeing the yers, I knew it was the perfect time tounch a counter-attack. And that''s what I did. With Match''s mes burning the heck out of them, there was enough room for me to advance. Considering the damage by the fire, I doubt that fire took every yer out from Code. There must be someone else hiding behind these mobs, waiting for an opportunity to strike back at us.

    I went to the sides and used the smog as my cover to travel towards the yers. With thest duration of my [shadow walk], the path of darkness became crystal for me. Like a leaf flowing with the river, my body danced through the pitch-ck road as I rushed closer to my foes.

    I swung my sword and cut my opponents in half, forcing them to quit this game. I knew that if these yers die; they die in the real world too. But I felt no remorse after killing hundreds of them already.

    "I have be a monster��"

    Those were the thoughts that linger inside my mind. But I knew that there was no way for me to turn back time. These game developers killed my sister and destroyed my life. I had to kill theirs and return the favour.

    I bathed my hands with blood as I continued shing my de at the staggering yers. Their guns posed no threat to me as I swiftly evaded their attacks and slit their throat. The yers screamed and winced in pain as they met my penitent''s de.

    Olivia did her best to control the yers dashing from their nks, hoping to trap them with her nts. However, it was not enough to stop those yers, since Olivia was more of a merchant than a fighter on the battlefield.

    Match tried desperately to fend off the yers running towards the side. I knew these yers were also soldiers from a different world, apart from the adventurers I met before. Their eyes saw things I had not seen. These soldiers (the yers) knew how to kill anyone that they thought of as a threat.

    There was a soldier that positioned himself at the side. He was further away from the sight of Match and Olivia. He had that same weapon, a gun with a long stem that almost looked like a bough. That yer ced something inside the rifle-probably a bullet that the system told me earlier.

    There was one thing that I needed to do. It was to save Match and the merchant girl from that preparing soldier!

    Before I could leap from the ground, a hand grabbed my thighs and refused to let me go. As I looked behind, the man, whom I thought died, remained alive. The soldier stared with his eyes bathing with pure killing intentions, hoping to kill me with his remaining ounce of strength. I returned his gaze and pped him with my hands, wishing to break free from histch.

    I tried kicking the man and tossing him to the side. However, my body jerked backwards. It happened so fast that I did not know what urred at first sight. But as soon as I squinted my eyes in front, an injured yer wielded a gun, pointing in my direction.

    A cloud of smoke escaped from the ends of the gun''s tunnel. A window also appeared before me, notifying me about the grave injury I received from the st. My crimson health bar depleted, as if the entire content tossed it to the sea.

    My strength fled from my body as I plummeted to the ground. I could feel nothing from my lower body, despite the man''s hand still gripping my leg. There was nothing else for me to do but crawl closer from where Match was, warning her about the yer aiming for her life.

    "Match�� leave�� yer�� gun�� "

    I could not yell at the little girl, who was still firing her spells at the yers surrounding her. After some time, Match finally looked me in the eye. But she was more concerned about my life than hers.

    "RED!" Despite her small mouth, Match screamed at the top of her lungs.

    Her voice echoed throughout the forest, making the flock of birds flee from the scene. Despite Match''s ring voice, she did not hear my warnings. I kept shaking my head, but it was toote.

    "Match�� Match�� MATCH!"

    A sting sound resonated behind me. The yer that controlled my leg had a gun concealed in his sleeve. The soldier seized the moment and pulled the trigger of the gun. Upon ncing at my side, the shell already flew in mid-air.

    It was like from before when my body jerked forward after taking a hit from the bullet. But this time, the dart came through my chest, piercing at the middle of my body. The numb sensation crept upwards like fire spreading all over my body. All my cells wailed at me, begging for medical attention from the healers.

    "Ma... tch��" Despite my immovable body, I tried calling out for the girl in front of me.

    Every colour surrounding me turned into blurred images, as if I was swimming underwater. Even Match, who was just a few feet away, became distant within my view.

    My mouth coughed out blood and spilt it in front of me. I knew that the damage ruptured my internal organs. I tried pulling myself together and forced myself to move�� but I couldn''t. There was no use, since the bullet already destroyed everything inside of me.

    The bullet that the yer released hovered in mid-air. It weed my eyes as soon as it pierced my lungs. Cracking sounds of bones followed afterwards, amplifying the wounds that I already have.

    Even my glowing right eye did not see through that bullet. I belittled my opponent behind me and continued focusing on Match in front of my view.

    The yer right beside Match also did the same and fired his gun. A ring sound echoed once again, but the origin of the noise came at Match''s nk.

    Time turned slowly as the memories of Match shed before my eyes. It was as if reminding me of all the fun times I have had with the little girl.

    ''Is this it for me?'' I thought, while fighting my conscience, refusing to close my eyes.

    But the throbbing pain through my chest got the better of me as I witnessed the scene of Match and the bullet.

    However, the fight did not end. Match''s left eye glowed a bright red and burned everything surrounding her, including the bullet approaching her sides. That metallic object melted even before hitting the girl''s skin. The fire circling her body grew and formed like the clouds above the sky, continuing to engulf everything in its way. The ze that she controlled changed into a different colour. That me captured my eyes as I stared at it for some time.

    The crimson hue, just like my name, vanished from Match''s spell. Her fire turned into an azure colour, just like my windows popping into my view.

    [Match has mastered the [Blue Fire]]

    My system notified me about Match''s abilities. The [Blue Fire] that the little girl controlled was ten times stronger than the vermilion and orange hues she used before. It was not just her left eye glowing right now.. Her right eye also shined in the environment, and it gave off an ocean-blue colour.

 Chapter 74 - The Merchant

    Match''s Perspective

    ____________________

    [You have mastered the [Blue Fire]- You can summon azure mes, which is more efficientbustion. This ze would devour anything in its way. But do be careful when using this spell, especially when you are not versed in proficiently using your arcane.]

    My system warned about the terrors that my abilities might bring to my body. It was the first time that my notificationmunicated with me. However, those things were not prominent for me right now.

    I did not know what these details meant for me, but I needed to save Red! And I must save her now!`

    But, s, my body''s reaction failed me. It happened so fast that I could not save the girl that I trusted the most.

    The bullet hit Red, which rendered her unconscious�� or even worse. Right before my eyes, Red fell to the ground. I did not want to think of that oue anymore.

    Even in her death, Red raised her arms, trying to warn me about the iing shell in my direction. She whispered something to me, but I couldn''t hear it. I could only guess that she wanted to warn me about the magic spell heading towards me.

    Thanks to my roaring mes, the bullet melted right away, even before hitting my skin. The metal-containing shell dripped on the ground, covering a part of the soil. My sweat came dripping afterwards, telling me that the fire was too hot for me to handle.

    My eyes glowed in the darkness, consuming both the foggy air and the things approaching me. Everything known to humankind turned into ashes, including the other projectiles racing at me. The mes coated my body, enhancing my defences. After some time, the twisting fire spread to the forest, hunting for these yers.

    Thousands of screams echoed inside the forest, telling me that the fire came into contact with these yers. Some yers even revealed themselves from the hiding spots, while others became dust with no one noticing it.

    I brushed those adventurers aside and locked my eyes at the yer still grabbing Red''s thigh. I did not want to hurl a fireball on their way, thinking that my spell might hit Red. So I nned on going there myself to rescue my friend�� who I already considered as my sister.

    I leapt from the ground and headed towards Red. A burst of mes left my feet, amplifying my speed to reach my destination...

    As soon as Inded on the ground, the mes burned the weeds, touching my feet. Those unfortunate nts had to kiss their soil goodbye, as I schemed on killing the yers right after.

    "S-Spare me! P-Please!"

    "..."

    My nerve wanted to pop right here and now after hearing such a pitiful wailing from the yer. I lifted my arms and conjured a magic circle in front of the man. After a few seconds, a burst of mes ate him alive.

    "You didn''t even spare Red. Why would I spare you?" My voice sounded low as the rock-bottom.

    I narrowed my eyes and turned around, looking at the other yer who thought of running away. But no matter how hard that adventurer tried, the mes were already blocking his path. There was nowhere else to hide besides fighting me.

    "Going somewhere?"

    "B-By the order of Asimov, Warner, I will arrest you for the crimes youmitted!" The soldier eximed, as he aimed his gun in my direction. "You have the right to remain silent, NPC. Turn around and ce your hands at your back!"

    ''Who does he think he is? Does this yer know the situation?'' I thought, as I prepared my set of spells on the palm of my hand.

    I was not afraid of that weapon, since my fire was superior to that thing. Since I caught the bullets from before, that was enough to tell me that these yers were the inferior ones. My mes were faster than any weapon they could find here in Code.

    "Asimov? So that''s the name of the game creator in this world?" I murmured, and sauntered towards the soldier.

    That man in front of me had a stern look on his face. He had prepared himself to die on this battlefield. But with hisst breath, that yer wanted to take me down with him. Since all of his troops died from the mes, going back now would deem him a coward.

    I had no time to idle around and chit-chat with this adventurer. If I want to save Red, now is the time to do that. However, I had a dilemma. This person might know something about this world that Red might want to know after she wakes.

    "Yes! All the soldiers outside of the game came here to hunt you! Red Riding Hood! If we eliminate the cause of this catastrophe, the world will return to its order!" The soldier shouted, and held his weapon. "You are the primary cause of the disaster happening in this world! We n on eradicating every NPC in Code! You cannot stop us! Even if you kill me, billions of my men will hunt you do-."

    I had enough listening to the man''s words, so I burned him using my mes. That soldier had no time to react as the fire zoomed in on his body. But he never wailed, unlike the rest of hisrades behind. That yer took everything as if it was his time.

    "I hope this war stops��" Those were thest words that escaped his mouth.

    The yer''s corpse remained to kneel on the ground, staring at me with worried eyes. He knew I was still a kid despite being an NPC in this world. That soldier was just doing her job, and I was doing mine.

    The adventurer wanted to stop this war and prevent the death of millions of humans by his side. I wanted to save Red and free ourselves in Code.

    My mes had a mind of their own, as it continued finding yers in the woond. None of them fled from my spell, considering the speed and power that my abilities had. However, that arcane came with a price.

    I fell on the ground andid beside Red. All the energy remaining inside my body left me. As I gazed at my arm, violent cuts and burn mark emerged on my skin. My skin wailed in pain as if I drowned myself under a boiling pot of water. The only thing that I could think of was to wipe myself on a pir of ice. I could only hope that rubbing my face on that chilling surface would make the sting go away.

    "AARGH!" I screamed as loud as my lungs could. It was the only remedy that averted my focus from the churning sensation.

    The glow in my eyes faded away and deactivated my powers. Since I already defeated the yers, there was no use for me to use my powers.

    ''I killed them,'' I thought, but shook my head afterwards. There was no point in bathing myself with regret and remorse for these yers who hurt Red.

    And I wanted to do this. Those people did bad things to my sister�� to Red. I will return their favour to them!

    ''Match�� stay focused�� or else�� you''ll be�� unconscious�� "

    Fatigue finally hit me as my view changed. All I could see became blurred images of trees and the horizons above me, distorting everything I see. It was as if my eyes bathed themselves underwater, and my muscles refused to move on their own.

    But I needed to stay strong and carry Red away from danger! Red needed more medical attention than me!

    The wounds on my skin became worse with every passing second. The mes that Imanded earlier ate my flesh and cut deep through my skin. I couldn''t find any stream close by, and I did not know any spell that could summon water. There was nothing else I could do but to grit my teeth and suck the pressure up!

    ''I''m a strong girl�� I''m a strong girl��'' I repeated, while moving closer to Red.

    Upon reaching for the hooded girl, I ced my arms around her head, caressing her crazed hair. Red always did this to me earlier, especially when we were inside the inn. She would tell me stories about her and how she got her powers. But right now, she was not awake in my arms.

    "Pulse�� good�� "

    Red instructed me to find a pulse in our wrist to know if someone was still alive. I was fortunate enough to feel something vibrating inside Red''s skin. However, this was as far as I could go. I rested my head on Red''s chest and prayed that someone would help us.

    "Red! Match!" Olivia came rushing towards us, but she was toote.

    I was already losing my focus as my body forced me to sleep. Thest thing I saw was a figure of a man standing in front of Red and me. He wore an obsidian hood and had scales for skin. That mysterious man revealed his face.... But my conscience had already left my body.

 Chapter 75 - Taking Off Towards Dwarven Village

    Back to Red Rose''s Perspective

    _______________

    My mouth let out an instinctive groan as the pain creeping into my veins whisked inside of me. Grumbles that came from outside resounded beside me, which I could only guess that it came from the weather. Despite the rain continuing to drip from above, no water touched my skin.

    I could only guess that I was inside a cavern or a shack. If I was here, somebody must have dragged me inside to safety.

    Footsteps came close beside my ears, walking in each direction, fiddling with something I did not know. After some time, metal tes and containers shed against each other, with a sizzling sounding afterwards.

    "Mmgh"

    My mouth let out another sound that I could not control. That person moving elsewhere inside this room must be doing something on my body.

    Someone with a pointed object injected my skin, making my legs twitch without my consent. That needle went deep through my skin and hit my bones and my muscles. It felt like thousands of damned needles puncturing me all over my body. I knew nothing about the urrence, and my body quivered every time an item wounded my skin.

    "GAH!"

    "....?"

    "...."

    Silence filled the room as I recognised the sensual feeling covering my body.

    Instead of feeling pain, pleasure enveloped my skin. My mind finally became at ease, as if I was drifting with the clouds way up the skies. Every prick of my arm, a tingling sensation of delight, covered my mind. There was no blood, or any violence of some sort. Just needles.

    If there were a word that could describe it, I would call it heaven. Heaven meant to massage my inner cells, dying inside of me.

    However, it became difficult for me to ept that I did not die from that battle. I remembered everything before sleeping like this and waking up.

    I knew a bullet pierced right through my chest. I even saw it with my own eyes, as it would destroy my lungs. Thest thing I saw before falling on the ground was Match''s presence, conjuring a hellish firewall to block the projectiles.

    "Match�� Match!" I shouted, but I ended up coughing out blood.

    The satisfying needles sticking in my skin turned against my body. All those euphoric madness became dreadful to me. As I peeled my eyes open, the girl that I was calling earlier weed me. Match was also sleeping on the right side of our make-shift mattress.

    But who in Code did this? Who saved us from the brink of death?

    "You came a long way, Red. I admire your bravery toplete your quest. It''s giving me some profits, hmm?" The recognisable voice of a merchant greeted my ears.

    As I raised my head, the jet-ck cloak fluttered in front of me. The man, whom I already met a dozen times, addressed me once again. That dragonewt without a name walked close to me and shed me with a grin.

    "You''re really something, Red. You even inspire me to be the best version of myself as a merchant yet!"

    Just as the tradesperson told me that, a notification popped up in front of me. The system exined that half of my gold went to the merchant. It also exined that the merchant took it from me for mending both Match and my wounds.

    [125 million gold coins will be deducted to your ount, 250 million gold coins (tinum bar).]

    [Your bnce: 125 million gold coins.]

    "... There go my 125 million gold coins," I reacted, and let out augh.

    I did not mind losing all this money to the merchant. And besides, I could use my money to save Match and me. We needed medical attention, especially me, who took a bullet in the chest.

    This merchant also took half of my wealth when we conversed in the garden. Taking one-fourth of my money would do nothing to me.

    The system told me that a shell from those guns could kill anyone within one shot. After I saw that bullet flying over me, I thought I was dead meat. With all those blood sttering across my clothes, I knew I would never see the light for tomorrow.

    But I had thought wrong.

    "Thank you for saving us, merchant. You''re always here when I need you the most."

    "Save me the ttery, Red. You know I smell money everywhere you go. And besides, you''re my rich client. I would not let my clients down, would I?" the merchant answered, and went towards the skin.

    Judging by the tradesperson''s words, he had more patrons than me. It was a good thing that he earned money while that merchant was away from me. However, there was a space in my heart that tingled out of jealousy.

    I thought I was a special person, guided by this merchant. Well, I guessed I was not the only one getting all his attention.

    "Where are we?" I asked.

    "We''re inside a shack from the vige. During the assault, the yers fired their bullets at these houses. The town went into chaos. It was a noble thing that I stopped by to help these innocent NPCs." the merchant replied, and went back to me.

    He ced a bowl of steaming porridge and added sks of health potions inside. After stirring the contents, the trader told me that the medicine and herbs he applied worked on my body.

    "You could move your hands and feet, Red. But do nothing stupid just because you can move on your own right now. That body of yours could barely move an inch."

    After hearing the merchant''s warnings, I sat and turned my head over to the boiling rice. The smell of vegetables and berries mixed in the soup made my abdomen growl for more. My body ordered me to gulp it at once.

    But I couldn''t, since the te was too hot for me to eat everything in one scoop. I had to make slow intervals to eat the porridge.

    Match was also right on time to join me with my meal. As the little girl moaned, I gingerly ced the bowl at the side and embraced my adorable Match. I did not care if I woke up the girl. As long as I hugged her tight, my heart would rest in peace (but not dead).

    "Ouch�� Hot, hot! Burning!" Match croaked, as I squeezed her using my arms.

    My skin touched the rough surfaces of Match''s body, telling me that something must have gone wrong. I checked Match skin and found out that the mes burned most of her body parts. The only thing that the fire did not reach was Match''s face. The rest of her body turned into brown, grey, or ck.

    "... Match."

    "Don''t look at me�� I''m hideous." Match said, and covered her face, using her hands.

    Because of the spell that she used, the mes that Match controlled also devoured her body. It crisped everything and left nothing on her skin. The colour of her scar became Match''s entire mass, painting her with a different colour.

    However, despite her words, I continued hugging her back. I never let go of the weeping Match, whom I considered my sister, unrted by blood.

    "There, there, Match. A little stain won''t make me hate you." I said, and let out a smile.

    Match thought that her burnt body would make me see her in a different light. But it was the other way around.

    "I''m really grateful for saving me back there. Although you burn your body, I''m still thankful that you arrived and finished those yers for me. Promise me you will never overuse your ability again, alright?"

    "Do I have to keep my powers and protect you? I want to be there for you, Red!"

    I gave Match a nod and embraced her tighter than I ever before. I did not want to restrict Match from fighting against the yers. If I were up against those yers, I would lose. My abilities and experiences cannot keep up with those soldiers we fought from before.

    "I am powerless without you, Match. Of course, you can stay by my side. Just always remember my advice��"

    "Don''t overuse my powers. I got it, I got it, Red~. Sheesh."

    After our exchange, a knock on the door alerted everyone inside. A soft voice came afterwards, asking for permission to enter the shack, which Olivia already owned.

    "You can enter, Olivia. And nobody is trying to stop you from going inside," I said, and joked around.

    With a heavy sigh, she entered the room and met my eyes. She knelt beside me and gave me a warm hug, but not as warm as Match did earlier. A tear fell from her eye as she spoke her refill to me.

    "I''m so worried��. about you! Don''t you��. ever do that again, okay?"

    "I get it, I get it. But thanks to you and your vines, we all made it out safely outside!"

    The merchant stepped foot into our conversation and cleared his throat. All of our eyes stared at the cloaked man as he opened his mouth.

    "Match and Red, the two of you should leave this ce before the yers invade this vige again."

 Chapter 76 - Okami Vs The Players

    Okami''s Point of View

    ...

    This part is where west took off from Okami (Just a recap)

    ________________

    Friar, Robin''s brother, walked up beside him as he counted down the numbers. He also prepared his weapon and aimed his gun at me.

    ".... One. Your time''s up, Wolf. I can''t let a criminal let loose. Who knows what you would do to these yers."

    After hearing the number, all the soldiers beside him fired their bullets while the rest charged straight towards me. I was just a man against the entire army of soldiers ying as yers in Code. They brought their little gun that should not apply in this game. Not even the dwarves knew about these weapons. We did not even receive any updates at all that we can purchase guns like those soldiers!

    Like stormtroopers firing at their targets, those bulletsnded elsewhere. But some of them nearly hit me. If it weren''t for my reaction time, I would have lied on the ground, together with La Finta''s pixted body.

    The bullets zoomed through the wind, almost hitting me at an arm''s length. It was a good thing that I activated my [first form]. That change amplified everything, including my reaction time.

    My first form transformed me into half-wolf and half-man, heightening all of my senses. However, because of my low level, this spell had a shorter duration than when I first used it.

    I went to the stone and used that boulder as my barrier against the bullets. But I had underestimated these bullets, as they pierced through the stone within a matter of seconds! I had no other choice but to disy my acrobatic skills and dodge all the projectiles I could avoid.

    Some of them hit my body and decreased my health points, while others crushed the remaining tforms I could use to shield myself from the raining assault.

    "Running away is not an option now!" I shouted.

    I dashed straight to the soldiers and sharpened my ws. These nails were also a feature for using the [first form] of my lycanthrope ss. It was the only weapon that I could use besides gnawing at my enemies using my razor-sharp teeth.

    "Please! AGH!"

    "Spare my life, Wolf!"

    "FENRIR! I-IT''S THE LEGENDARY FENRIR!"

    Thanks to the mass of my body, I could jump from one ce to another. Afternding on the ground, I swiped those yers in front of me, using my ws, and cut them in half. I did not want to spare them, despite knowing killing these adventurers would cause their deaths on Earth.

    If these yers wanted to kill me, they must be ready to die as well!

    Thousands of yers continued screaming after they saw my figure, begging for me to spare their lives. I, who became a feral animal, killed anyone who dared aimed their guns at me.

    However, despite attacking these soldiers in the front lines, Robin and Friar never moved a muscle. Friar wanted to help the soldiers defeat me, but his brother raised his hands and stopped him.

    I did not know what was running inside his head. And those two brothers not helping the soldiers was good news for me. But even after learning about these details, I still needed to monitor Robin and Friar before turning their face against me.

    I tried taking a rifle from the soldier, but my hands could not pull the trigger. My monstrous ws could not reach and set off the gun, so these weapons that they hold became useless for me to steal. I had no other choice but to rely on my massive arms and ivory ws as my weapons.

    After killing a quarter of the yers, Robin and Friar made their move.

    Robin shot me from behind using the arrow that he used. My body even gushed out a trail of blood after receiving such a deadly blow from his shaft. That man was more ustomed to that weapon rather than using those firearms inside the game. Even if I blocked the bolt using my arms, the bullet dealt more damage than the shells discharged by those guns.

    His brother, Friar, wielded a two-handed battleaxe in both of her hands. Since I remembered Friar''s words correctly, I would address him as her because of his rtionship with his son. So, from now on, that girl dressed in a maid''s outfit was a dude, but also a girl��

    (Author''s note: I know, it''s very confusing. But if weter recall what Friar said, he dressed like that because of his bisexual son. So, yeah. It has a cause, and I think it''s beautiful~. Friar''s a cool dad!. And, by the way, I will address Friar as a she and a he. This thing would confuse you, since it confuses me as well XD)

    Friar still observed my every movement. But as soon as the shaft hit my shoulders, that maid sprinted towards me. That girl even disobeyed thews of physics as she ran at me with intense speed! With that crazy weight from her weapon, any sane person should not wield that. It was humanly impossible to carry such a heavy item!

    However, as if defying all odds, Friar went to me like a cheetah pursuing her meal. She swung her battle axe towards me and aimed for my neck. I, who luckily dodged it, slid backwards and bnced myself.

    After theirbination attacks, the soldiers fired their bullets at me, thinking they knocked me over in one shot. These soldiers acted like viins to kill me from behind, even if they deemed themselves as the protectors of nations.

    I threw the gun towards thebatants and killed them, using the weapons hurled at them with extreme speed. With a ring thud, those pesky soldiers tumbled to the ground and left both worlds.

    "Do you feel anything after killing these innocent soldiers? It was just like you when you killed me and snatched my gold away thest two years. Do you still remember that, Fenrir?"

    "I don''t even know who you are at that time! I''ve stolen a lot of stuff from everyone. Even if you be popr right now, I won''t keep tabs on the people I steal! It just sounds wrong!" I answered.

    It was my honest reply, knowing that all the people present in the field wanted me dead. This Robin guy even dared to question me about my morals about killing all these people. Of course, I felt terrible! It was as if the world stripped me off from my human emotions.

    The only thing that set me apart was the environment. Although I knew killing these people would kill them on Earth, it still did not give off that vibe. Everything surrounding me felt like a game. My character, who could leap over dozens of feet, was a breathtaking experience!

    ''Maybe I have gone mad��'' I thought, and remembered the warnings that Himari told me from before.

    However, I did not want to die right now. Himari was still waiting for me inside our house. Elina, Eve, and my best friend, Ryoshi, were waiting for my return inside the forest. If I fail now, these soldiers could kill them too, knowing that I was with them.

    That thought kept me going. I wanted to escape this ce as soon as possible without killing everyone. But if I had to kill someone, I would dly do so for the sake of living. These soldiers also did not n on doing this. Some of them might even have families to return to after this death game.

    "I''m sorry��" I mumbled, after killing once again a soldier that obstructed my way.

    I only had a minute to use my [first form]. There were still hundreds of soldiers blocking my way, with Robin and Friar standing in front of me. If I wanted to get out, I had to use that special move��

    It may be a risky y, but I had no other choice but to do it.

    After dodging countless arrows fired by Robin, I went back to my original position and stood in front of the two Tuck brothers. I slid into my system and found the hidden ability. It was a special prowess that I could use once my character reaches the [third form]. But�� if I used it right now, that ability would take my body as its host and��

    I forced myself to gulp my dried saliva while brushing those grim thoughts away from my mind. I did not want to think about my corpse lying on the ground without getting the chance to see my sister, Himari, once again.

    [Caution�� If you use your [berserk] ability without activating your [third form], your body might not handle the pressure. Wolf, you only have a 3% chance of activating this spell. Do you wish to turn it on?]

    Before I could press the word "enter" on the screen, something from behind dashed straight towards the yers.. Those arrows sent inside the forest came not from other yers or my best friend, Ryoshi.

 Chapter 77 - The Dark Elves

    Thousands of arrows went towards the soldiers and passed me. I first thought that those shafts would hit me, and the individuals that discharged them nned on killing me too. But not an arrow hit my body.

    I did not even have to avoid those darts heading from my behind.

    "Come, Wolf. We have prepared you a shelter in the woods if you still want to live." A voice whispered behind me, with a figure staring into my eyes.

    The creature who conversed with me had a distorted look in the shadows. It had two crimson orbs staring at me as it maintained its position. I hesitated to move and inspect the mysterious individual who schemed to help me win this war.

    If I remembered it correctly, no long-eared elves had lived during this raid. There were also no yers in the vicinity, so I could ask for a helping hand to fight these soldiers. I came alone besides Elina, Eve, and Ryoshi running away from this army. So this creature must be a different species, who knew the situation and me.

    I looked at the battlefield for thest time and witnessed the arrows piercing through the soldiers. Those yers tried firing their guns at the forest, even neglecting me, their main. It would be a matter of seconds before these yers would regain the upper hand, considering the reload speed of arrows fired to a target.

    "Lead the way. I''m all ears."

    "As you wish, Wolf." A feminine voice answered.

    After our exchange, the figure disappeared from the shadows and motioned me to follow the track. I dashed straight towards the bushes and locked my eyes at the figure, sprinting in an uncharted direction that I did not know. Despite the difference between our levels, I could chase the figure with ease thanks.

    The soldier''s cries echoed from behind as they tried pursuing our tails. However, thanks to these individuals who constantly fired their arrows, slowing the army down, these soldiers did not reach us.

    As the ray of sunlight hit the creature, I could finally discern the creature trying to help me. Much to my surprise, my eyes widened as soon as I met her gaze.

    "You''re�� a dark elf?" I whispered as soon as I witnessed the facial features of the creature.

    Dark elves had shorter ears than long-eared elves. Their skin turned dark because of the curse given by Nirvana. After exiling these species from the kingdom, no news came from the dark elves.

    The story behind their exile was the elves'' mindset. These dark elves refrained from yers and other species from entering their kingdom. Whether it was for trade or taking quests, these short-eared elves tried forcing them away.

    Short-eared elves even killed yers once they entered the kingdom. With that vition, La Finta had no other choice but to banish them from the kingdom. That event was everyone knew. But I learned more about them during my Fenrir years.

    La Finta never banished these short-eared elves and instead turned them into spies and guardians of Nirvana. When I took the fountain of life from them, some elves that chased me had short-looking ears.

    Now that they appeared in front of me when Nirvana got taken down, I became unsure of trusting these guys. These short-eared elves could''ve protected the citadel when the elves were under an all-out attack.

    And yet, these dark elves kept silent about the situation.

    "Judging by your look, you must not trust us, Wolf. Or do you prefer me calling you Fenrir?" As if gazing through my soul, the dark elf girl in front of me eximed.

    She carved a smirk on her mouth as she continued conversing with me. I prepared my dagger and readied myself to attack. However, that elf shook her head and clicked her tongue dozens of times.

    "I would not do that if I were you, Wolf. You should trust the dark elves more, since La Finta told us to escort you and your friends."

    I did not want to stop on the ground and continue interviewing the dark elf. However, I needed more information if I wanted to ensure the safety of my friends and myself.

    "You must wonder why we would show up when Nirvana got taken down by the yers. It was all about La Finta''s n. She knew that this would happen. None of her long-eared elves survived, except for Elina. The same would happen with the Maind''s ruler. All that the yers left was the little girl, Eve."

    "You''ve done your research��" I murmured, and continued racing beside the elf.

    Even though this dark elf presented her knowledge about the events happening, it was still not enough to gain my trust. I, who had battled countless foes, knew things about traitors and schemes. This elf had something in mind and refused to tell me about things she needed to exin.

    This dark elf would not help me for charity. These dark elves wanted something from me, and I yearned to know what.

    After a few minutes, the screamsing from the soldiers had finally subsided. We did not stop running away, but we tried slowing down the pace and continued where we had left in our conversation.

    "Your friends are up ahead, waiting for you. And I believe you need to avert your eyes from me. I might consider you as a pervert if you continued ring at me like that," the dark elf stated.

    "You''re no fun at all. And besides, if you have my friends captive, it''s natural for me to doubt you. I won''t ept your help if I can''t give anything in return. I killed La Finta. Even the long-eared elves hated me for killing their ruler. There''s not a way you don''t want to stab your knives behind my back."

    "You have a good point, Wolf. I will exin everything to you once we reach the hideout. Let us focus on running for now."

    It was what I had mentioned. I did not want to work with these dark elves without helping them back. If the two of us nned on working together as a team, our parties should talk this one out.

    As we went ahead, the trees beside us quivered, making the leaves fall to the ground. I spared a glimpse at my side and discerned shadowy figures joining our run.

    The dark elf girl''srades went to the ground and ran with us. These short-eared elves were the ones who discharged their arrows, attacked the soldiers, and distracted them. They talked little and followed the girl''s orders. These short-eared elves had a number over a hundred as I looked at the group. This quantity was enough to stop the forces of the soldiers wielding their guns in their hands.

    After a few minutes of running endlessly in this forest, the dark elf girl raised her hand and gestured for everyone to stop. As we looked ahead, an underground cavern weed our eyes. I gulped my dried saliva and looked at the dark elf girl beside me.

    "Not an underground base. I kinda hate these ces. Can''t we just use a treehouse left by La Finta?" I suggested, hoping that these short-eared elves reconsider the location of our hideout.

    But the dark elf girl shook her head and answered, "The yers would notice us if we used a hideout near the trees. I hope you understand, Wolf. This burrowed cave has the best quality that we could offer."

    "I hope you''re right."

    All of us jumped inside the hole and braced ourselves tond at the bottom. The lid from the surface slid the warren close, telling me that this ce was a one-way ticket to the depths of the ground. I steeled my heart and expected thend to p my face.

    But the pain did note through as a slime at the bottom of the floor cushioned our floor.

    "I didn''t know you have slimes as pets?" I asked, as my body continued bouncing with the rhythm set by the slime.

    The dark elf elegantly jumped from the jelly monster andnded on her two feet as she reached the ground. All the dark elves followed by andnded just like the dark elf girl. I, who experienced this for the first time, had a passionate kiss on the soil.

    "Oka�� I mean, Wolf? Is that you?" A recognisable voice that came from the other room

    "So your friend is here?"

    "Wolf��"

    Two more feminine voices apanied the sound as the three figures appeared before me. My eyes widened at the sight of my best friend, Ryoshi, together with the long-eared elf Elina, and the princess of the Maind, Eve. All of them did not suffer any injuries at all, thanks to these dark elves who sheltered them here.

    "Are you guys alright? Those soldiers didn''t hurt you? These elves didn''t hurt you either, right?" I asked, as I caressed each of their heads.

 Chapter 78 - Rendezvous

    The cave had an interior design, like the shacks I saw inside other kingdoms. However, the furniture that the elves used did not include cotton, leather, or any materials that people normally used for decor. Instead, they took the logs and nts found outside of this cavern.

    Those elves were a resourceful bunch, which made my lips curved upward a little.

    I did not mind sitting on a wooden tform or sleeping on a rag. From where I came from, Himari and I had it worse. But of course, I did not let my little sister experience all of those hardships.

    All of us proceeded to the other entrance as the dark elf girl led us somewhere in the middle. She told us to catch up, since that girl elf knew these humans were myrades. Well, some of them, while there was one long-eared elf that tried killing me.

    Elina, Eve, Ryoshi, and I sat on the make-shift couch made of stacked leaves with vines wrapping around. All of us gathered around the table, hoping to learn everything that had happened when I left them alone.

    Ryoshi was the first to tell their tale.

    "After setting off, just like Robin wanted, all three of us ran into the woods! Some soldiers attacked us as soon as we reached this big-looking tree. And then, Elina and I tried fighting them, but we lost. So we dragged Eve away from the battle and tried shaking them off."

    That best friend of mine inhaled all the air inside his lungs and continued his sentence. "I thought we were all goners! But an arrow flings at the air, hitting the soldiers! Those arrows were faster than those bullets! Can''t you believe that, Oka-... I meant, Wolf."

    Ryoshi had been gasping for air for some time now, since he never dared shut his mouth. After finally ending his speech, everyone present in the scene wanted to use their chance to exin what happened to them.

    I nudged his face to the side and leaned my head in front of the two girls, Elina and Eve. These two were the only survivors from Nirvana. One of them was a human, while the other was an elf.

    "How about you, Elina, Eve? I know I''m not the right person you should trust right now. But believe me, I meant no harm to the elves or your people. I did not kill La Finta�� Red killed her. But to your grandmother''s exnation, Red did it for a reason. She was grateful to Red as soon as she knew about something."

    I tried exining myself to Elina. The two of us were not on good terms, but I still hoped she could listen to what I had to say. Although it was burdensome to believe the killer, I wanted to patch things up.

    Elina rubbed her hand on her inclined shoulder as she averted her eyes from my gaze. She still felt uneasy whenever I was talking to her. Well, I cannot me that elf for her emotions, since she witnessed everything in front of her eyes.

    However, before I could even change the subject, Elina made a sudden jerk that captured my attention.

    "I''m sorry that I did that�� I had no choice but to defend myself."

    I did not expect that there woulde a time I would apologise to an NPC. These non-yer characters had genuine emotions, unlike the humans back in my world. However, some NPCs acted like douchebags, but these people I met had unique minds.

    "It''s okay�� But can I ask you a question?" Elina asked, with her eyes still staring into mine.

    I gave her a nod and allowed Elina to speak her mind. After taking a deep breath, she clenched her hands and exined her side.

    "My grandmother was always there for me. For hundreds of years, we lived inside Nirvana and experienced nothing like this. However, when you killed her, grandmother had a smile on her face. She believed in you about something I can''tprehend�� I have to believe in you too�� Even though I hate to ept it."

    Elina cried a teardrop and continued, "Tell me, Wolf�� Fenrir. What did you see from Red that made her this delightful? My grandmother hid nothing from me..., except now. I don''t know why, but I feel like that piece of detail is an important piece for me."

    Silence filled the room as I listened to every word Elina told me. That elf had been holding all her emotions inside, forcing her to burst into tears. However, Elina ced a dam to obstruct those feelings,pressing them so nobody could use them against her.

    I wanted to tell Elina everything. I wished to exin to her she was living the life that the game developers created. Everything she felt and saw was all the scripts and codes from the game. These people that she believed alive were all fake people.

    None of this was real�� And yet, I cannot bring myself to tell Elina that.

    How could I when Elina was this fragile? She was not the elf that I fought when we were inside Nirvana. That elf girl was as strong as a bear, fighting against the mighty wolf��

    However, when this world took everything from her, including Elina''s grandmother, that elf became unstable. She did not know where to ce her hatred. At one point, Elina believed I was the person she needed to take her revenge. There were other times she thought Red was the culprit.

    I cleared my throat and steeled my heart as I prepared to tell everything to her. Elina and the rest of the creatures, including the elves that saved us, should know at least this much information. But I nned on telling the dark elves this information soon.

    "Everyone�� Everything you see in this world is a game. A game that the humans from my side created. They created you, Elina, Eve. The game developers sent out hordes of monsters, events, and morends in Code, which we yers call updates�� La Finta might have known this information form before, since this world became an all-out war with yers against NPCs�� like you."

    "Impossible... " Elina reacted. "Then, what''s the rtionship between my grandmother saving you and Red?"

    "Your grandmother knew about this world as a game. But because of the restrictions that Code ced on her body, she could not disclose this information to the Maind. And since Nirvana was a secretive ce far from the popr kingdom, Elina had no choice but to remain discrete with her goals, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Now that Red knows how toplete the game, she ns to free everyone�� and make all NPCs human on Earth."

    I didn''t tell them about Red nning to kill all game developers that created Code. If they knew this scheme, the thought of these creatures and side to that goal would really mean a war against two factions.

    I did not want to cause that destruction, so I yed it safe and low.

    "So you''re saying that this girl named Red knows how toplete the game?" The dark elf girl that saved us from before cut off our conversation. "Sorry for the intrusions, but I can''t help myself listening to this�� meeting you''re having. My name is Kouran. The dark elf with short ears, unlike Elina here who has long and pointed ears."

    Kouran pointed her forefinger to Elina and curled it. A smirk emerged from her lips as she finished twirling her fingertips directed at the long-eared elf. Despite her grinning mouth, Kouran had a stern look carved on her face as the dark elf girl red at us with steady eyes.

    This dark elf girl wore a tight armour made of leaves thicker than any rare metals sold from the Maind. Kouran''s round chest gave off an elegant feeling but remained steady and intact to her body during fights. I found a short dagger sheathed in her scabbard, with her hands always ready to grab the handle in a case for a fight.

    "I thought you would let us talk in peace and catch up? And how long have you been listening there exactly?" I asked.

    "Longer than you could imagine."

    I could only assume that Kouran heard everything I exined to this group surrounding me. Although I nned on exining everything to them soon, I guessed now was the perfect time to disclose these details.

    "Is this true that these game developers that we consider as gods create all of us?" Kouran asked, as she crossed her shoulders.

    I gave Kouran a nod and confirmed her doubts in her mind. She clicked her tongue and approached me, with her eyes still ring into mine.

    "So, what are we waiting for? Let''s help Red and find out everything about her and the game! We should finish this and kill those game developers that made us suffer! They too should feel pain!"

    This event was the thing that I became afraid of.

 Chapter 79 - Meeting The Village

    "If all-out war breaks out against yers and NPCs, all of you would lose that fight! There are billions of them out there that we haven''t even met! And half of them have guns instead of swords and arrows! I know the dark elves are proficient archers, but you guys can''t fight against guns!" I eximed, while waving my hands.

    I wanted to tell the truth to them, since shing against the yers would mean suicide to the NPC. Those yers also included me in the wanted list of the yers, considering the title that I had from my previous ount. Although I did nothing during the death game, those yers thought I would be a yer killer and steal their valuables during this death game.

    "How are you so sure about that when we won and escaped the yers earlier? Aren''t they ipetent against us dark elves if we had the upper hand?" Kouran remarked, and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

    I shook my head and answered, "Yes. We wonst time. But that doesn''t mean we would never lose for the second time. All of us were just lucky to escape the soldier''s sight, since we knew the terrain better than them. However, if those yers learned about the environment, we might not have the second chance that we expect to have."

    "I know these yers better than any of you present inside this cave, since I am a yer myself. And if those guns hit a part of your body, you would die, unlike those arrows that needed more shots to take down an enemy," I added, while returning the gaze of those staring in my direction.

    Although I might have stepped on the dark elves'' pride, what I told them was the truth. I knew our chances of winning were hitting rock-bottom, and the only way to turn the tides around was by bringing the numbers and advantages to our side.

    "Then what do you propose, Wolf?" Kouran asked.

    All the dark elves emerged from their hiding ce and lent us their ears. They, too, wanted to do what they could to win this war. I, who did not want them to perish, would help them with my capabilities.

    However, there was one thing that I became concerned about. If we were going up against the yers, those people might die because of Ryoshi and me. Since the two of us were also yers, the feeling would be like killing our people on Earth.

    Ryoshi set his foot forward and raised his concerns, "I have a n."

    All of our eyes stared at his figure, waiting for him to add more details about the scheme he thought and raised.

    "If we go against them alone, we would lose the battle. But if we gather more NPCs before the yers kill them, our army might grow, and we would have the chance to fight these yers soon. We need to ask for help from the dwarves, dragonewts, and other viges near the Maind. We also need to steal the soldier''s weapons and create our own guns with the help of the dwarves and the cksmiths," Ryoshi exined.

    I appended his plot and eximed, "While the dark elves do these, Hunter and I will follow Red andplete the game. Once we collect all the obelisk and return to the altar, a grand fight will ur afterwards. But if we go together with Red, the soldiers and yers might show up, and all of us would die. We need to win thest fight and let Redplete this game. If the yers return to their homnd, so do all of you, NPCs."

    "So we don''t have to fight these yers alone? Is that what you''re saying?" Elina asked.

    I gave her a nod. "If we n to save every NPC, that''s the best bet we have."

    Every dark elf murmured to each other, talking about the n. Kouran, whom I assumed was their leader, silenced them upon lifting her hand. She told everyone to maintain a quiet ce for her to think in peace.

    Ryoshi and I just waited for them to finish their conversation. However, before the dark elves could even finish their talk, Kouran went to me and asked for something.

    "Why are you helping us when you''re a yer yourself? You won''t gain anything from us, and we don''t n to give anything to you. And besides, you told us you became a yer killer, which I could only guess kills people to steal their equipment? I am not aware of the game and this Code you talked about, but I know to never trust people that easily."

    That dark elf had a point. If I were in the shoes of the non-yers position, I would have done the same thing too. However, there was something that made me want to protect the NPCs. And this idea of mine was more peaceful than fighting against the yers.

    If Red were right aboutpleting the game without killing these NPCs, that would be our ideal goal for now.

    "You''re right. But I want to help you guys�� since my sister would be very pissed off if she finds out that I sided with the yers and killed you. Trusting me is your choice, and if I want to kill you, I would have killed everyone right now. And if you want to kill me, you could''ve done that by now." I offered Kouran my hand for her to shake. I could only hope she epts my handshake and truce for now.

    Although it was a bluff, I could still show up in a fight against these dark elves, especially when I have Ryoshi by my side. However, I did not want to do all of that. I wanted to gain the dark elves'' trust to put a stop to this death game.

    Despite these NPCs being works of fiction, they felt real to me.

    Kouran stared into my eyes and checked if I was telling a lie. I returned her gaze, confident that I would pass her little test to show her my genuine concern for the non-yer characters.

    After a few seconds, Kouran heaved out a sigh of defeat as she finally gave in to my offer.

    "Fine. We will work together and meet at the altar. In the meantime, my team and I will gather all the NPCs that we can. And make an army of our own. Do you have any means of contacting each other?"

    "I can add you to my party and notify you if that happens. We can send messages to the chat box." I answered.

    However, Kouran raised an eyebrow and asked, "What''s a chat box and a party?"

    Now that I remembered, these NPCs were not aware of the system and the game-like settings. All they knew was the setting surrounding them. Those abilities that some mercenaries used were all named "magics" that these non-yer characters could use. They did not consider these abilities skills, unlike us yers ying the game.

    As soon as I exined everything Kouran needed to know, we prepared our leave. Ryoshi and I nned to set our goal in motion, heading towards the dwarven vige. The rest of the dark elves would gather all the troops and add more numbers against the yers.

    "Kouran��" I whispered. "Aren''t Elina and you not on good terms?"

    I wanted to ask that since the two were both different species. The long-eared elves considered the short-eared ones as terrorists for countless years. Those two might not work together as a team when a situation arises.

    "Oh, you''re worried about that? Don''t worry. Elina and I are great allies, since I''m great friends with La Finta," Kouran answered, and gave me a nod.

    I returned her gesture and finally took our leave. I called out to Ryoshi and went to the exit of the cavern.

    But before leaving the cavern, a voice called out for me. It came from Elina, the long-eared elf.

    "Hey, Wolf�� I''m sorry for attacking you in Nirvana. I thought you''re a bad person."

    "You thought wrong," I said, and shed her a smile. "Take good care of Eve for me. She would be the one to lead the Maind''s empire."

    Eve, who was standing right next to Elina, shook her head up and down in response. Although she was still a child, Eve''s parents taught her about bing a ruler and a queen. That child knew how to rule that kingdom better than anyone of us in the cave.

    "I will," the little Eve answered as she shed me a warm smile.

    After our exchange, Ryoshi and I took off on another quest to find the dwarven vige. But before that, the two of us needed to visit that ce. The dark elves also mentioned that a few NPCs lives in that rural town, which we could also invite them over to the dark elves cavern.. It would also serve as a brief stop before arriving in the dwarven kingdom.

 Chapter 80 - Rumpelstiltskin

    After our exchange with the elves, Elina, and Eve, Ryoshi and I went outside the cavern and headed towards the Dwarven Vige. Thanks to our system, we had our own map that paved the roads and guided us to our destination.

    But during that trip, Ryoshi cannot zip his mouth from spouting nonsense. It almost made my mind explode before we could even arrive at the dwarven vige or even the nearby town.

    "Are we there yet?"

    "No, Ryoshi. We just started."

    "How many more steps do we need to take before reaching that ce!" Ryoshi grunted.

    "We get there if we get there, okay? Okay. Now, keep your eyes on the road, and shut the hell up, Ryoshi." I cursed.

    "Judging by the distance around fifty miles, we would need approximately one hundred five thousand six hundred steps before reaching the dwarven vige, and fifty-two thousand eight hundred steps to reach the nearby vige. Although I am not aware how many steps we took, I could say that we are halfway there to our destination��," Ryoshi said, mumbling to himself.

    Ryoshi had a habit of murmuring everything he does. He was always like this every time we yed various games. Sometimes I regret inviting him over to y, considering his intelligence ruining the fun of the game.

    "For the nth time, Mr. smart pants. Please shut the fuck up! I''m trying to concentrate here," I yelled, hoping for Ryoshi to close his mouth.

    "For what?"

    "There might be soldiers roaming around our vicinity. Knowing Robin, he would order a search unit for the NPCs and us. We need to peel our eyes open and watch out for any movements from behind."

    "Gotcha."

    We continued walking in the charted area and followed our maps on the right side of our screen. Our map did not have any markers that can search for enemies or friends in our environment. Scouts and other unique yers only have those features. Since I was an assassin, the game did not give me that ability.

    The sea of trees weed our eyes as we trod forward. We saw nothing but these towering nts nearly obstructing the light with their leaves. The two of us also heard birds chirping in the distance and some boars roaming around the vicinity.

    Looking on the ground, Ryoshi and I noticed some footprints of two individuals. My best friend inspected these imprints and analyzed them.

    "So, what do you think? Did these footmarks belong to Red and herpanion?" I believe Red''srade had a name called Match. That name came vaguely familiar in my memories on Earth. It came from something in a fairy tale.

    I could not quite remember the story of Match, since that plot was not that popr in Japan. It was more popr on the Western side of the map.

    "No doubt about it, Okami. This trail belongs to them. If it weren''t, I could only guess that these belong to the soldiers who are already up ahead or the vigers travelling to their vige."

    As I slid my orbs to the side, more tracks led to elsewhere. Those footmarks had wider areas that sank to the ground. We could only guess that these belonged to the soldiers, since they wore boots and protective footwear for their feet. That equipment gave off that feeling.

    Just as the two of us engrossed ourselves with the footprints on the ground, a rumbling sound caught my attention. I snatched Ryoshi away and hid behind the bushes. It was the safest that I could think of, considering the camouging features of the shrub.

    "Shh�� be quiet," I told Ryoshi and covered his mouth.

    He tried squirming for help, struggling to breathe from my hand. But as soon as Ryoshi saw the foot soldiers armed with rifles and hand grenades, he finally stopped moving.

    It was as I had expected. These soldiers knew we would escape from that hole and headed towards this path. But since these yers did not know the location of the dark elves'' hideout, they had no choice but to continue searching for the NPCs up ahead.

    I released Ryoshi from my grip and let him breathe for a while. The two of us needed to n to take these people out before the situation became grim. And one way to deal with them was using the element of surprise.

    "I can use my [wolf walk] and get close to those soldiers. In the meantime, I need you to shoot your arrows at that guy holding an AK-47 rifle."

    "Hmm�� it does look like an AK-47�� or maybe not. It looks more like an AKM or RPK��"

    "Will you shut up with those irrelevant statements, Ryoshi?! You''re not helping!" I eximed.

    Like a bird drenched by the rain, Ryoshi lowered his head and expressed his apologies to me. Now that I ced that out of the way, it was our time to deal with these soldiers.

    There were eleven of the soldiers heading in our way, and there were probably more of them ahead of us. Besides the footprints of Red and Match, there were others out there that did not belong to them. Those soldiers must have gone up ahead, patrolling the area to hunt more NPCs before we could arrive in those ces.

    "We need to take them out before the rest of their backup arrives. Are you ready?"

    "But what if I fail? I''m still new to this game�� I even killed a girl when I wanted to help them�� I don''t want to make the same mistake I did before��," Ryoshi expressed, while curving his mouth downwards.

    I ced my hand on his shoulders, hoping that it would cheer him up. "You know, when I first yed this game, I killed a lot of NPCs with my hands. As long as you do well right now, all those things you did in the past will get buried in no time."

    "Do you think that would happen?"

    "I don''t just think about it, Ryoshi. I know it will happen."

    Ryoshi gave me a nod as we both stared at the soldiers in front of us, waltzing through the forest.

    Each of them had pocket-sized radios tomunicate with their parties, besides the system they used to chat with other yers. The downside of these chat boxes was the usage of their keyboards. It takes a lot of time to type the words you want to send to yers. And it did not have any means for calling other yers in a party, unlike the walkie-talkie clipped in their hands.

    "We need to take out three of the guys first and destroy those hand-held devices," Ryoshi suggested.

    It was time for us to make our move.

    I used my [wolf walk] and went past the trees. Despite my swift movements, my body did not make a sound as I zoomed through the branches. Upon closing the distance, I dashed straight towards the out of positioned guy and grabbed him by the neck.

    Although I refused to kill humans, I had no choice but to take these soldiers away before getting through to us. This world changed me into an emotionless warrior that yearned to live. And besides, the world was still a game for me�� I just hope that my mind epts that the people I killed would return to Earth and�� pranked me and tell me they were still alive.

    I brushed off those thoughts and carried on with our n. After neutralising the one with the walkie-talkie, we still needed to take care of two of them from behind unnoticed.

    Ryoshi did what he could and stared at his sweaty hands. He was shivering for a while before discharging the arrow, strummed by his string, hitting the soldier''s head in one shot. However, the thumping sound of the corpse crashing on the ground alerted the nearby soldiers.

    The soldier with the pocket device dialled the numbers. But I did not let him do as he pleased. I moved my body with extreme speed and knocked out the soldier holding the device and destroyed it, together with the rest of the gadgets from behind.

    "Now that you lost contact with your base, I believe we got you trapped inside this forest," I said, trying to act almighty and cool in front of these soldiers.

    Even with this smurf character, I can still show them my moves as Fenrir, my main ount.

    "We''re not trapped with you�� you''re trapped with us!" the soldier remarked, and fired their bullets in our direction.

    Even Ryoshi, who hid behind the trees, got spotted by these soldiers from miles away. He tried forcing himself out of the trees but got entangled by the creeping nts. I, who was still on the low ground, could do nothing to help him.

    "RYOSHI!"

    If people die here inside the game, they will die in the actual world too. And right now, my best friend was about to get hit by that damned bullet�� if it weren''t for a kid standing in front of him.

 Chapter 81 - Goldilocks (Ryoshi)

    "Hey, watch where you shoot that! Quit it!"

    It had not been too long when my best friend, Ryoshi, got to keep his life to himself with the help of this kid standing in front of him. But that boy looked old enough for his age with all those moustaches and flowy yet crazed hair covering his face. He wore ragged clothes and tattered pants, much as the vigers had in Code.

    There was a barrier in front of the mysterious kid, blocking every bullet raining in their direction. Ryoshi, who thought that he would die right here and now, widened his eyes in amazement about the boy guarding his body.

    I wanted to question the homeless-looking kid, but I had more foes to deal with in front of me. All the soldiers aimed their guns in my direction and pulled the trigger. My body moved from different angles, avoiding getting hit by those random bullets.

    After a few seconds of dodging the yer''s attacks, they finally reloaded their weapon. It gave me the window to strike back.

    And that was what I did.

    I leapt from my ground and shed at them, using my razor-sharp ws. Within a swipe of my hands, all the seven soldiers died in front of me. Their bodies became pixie dust, telling me they had logged out from the game. However, a bitter taste enveloped the surface of my mouth as I watched these yers leave Code�� I killed them, and I have to ept that.

    It happened like a sh as I ended my battle.

    I turned to my rear and followed the tracks of the remaining opponents in the forest. There were four of them attacking Ryoshi and the kid. But I did not need to worry about the two of them, since the shield protected their bodies. All I had to do was to grab that chance and take the soldiers down before they could!

    I went to the sides and travelled through the boughs, waiting for a moment to strike. And that window appeared before me once again as the soldiers reloaded their magazines in unison.

    I had the speed advantage in this game, while these yers had the numbers. All these soldiers also underwent training in the real world. But I, who had more than enough experience ying this game, took them out like I threw my garbage in the bin.

    As I dove from above, I slit their throat and ended the sh within seconds. After killing the four soldiers, I returned to the two and greeted them.

    "Is anyone alright?" I asked, and stared at the kid that had a miraculous shield. "And who are you supposed to be?"

    Although that kid saved Ryoshi, it did not mean I had to trust him. yers in this game do things for something in return. And I hated owing someone, especially when saving someone dear to me.

    "Where are your manners, Wolf? I just saved your friend, Hunter, from his death. And this is how you repay me, hmm?"

    I grabbed Ryoshi and jerked backwards, rmed about the words the kid spoke. I readied my ws and even clipped my de in my mouth, arming myself with everything I have.

    "How do you know us?" I growled.

    I would not bother if that boy knew the identity of Ryoshi, considering that he yed this game over a month ago. However, I just created this smurf to save my best friend in this death game! And it had not been that long before leaving Nirvana and the swarming numbers of yers in that ce! If the world knew me, it would have taken them more time before spreading that news! And no NPC should know me without asking my name.

    "I know everything in this world�� including the game."

    My eyes widened after hearing such wordsing from the boy''s mouth. My body moved further backwards, unsure about the uneasiness enveloping inside my brain. I could only think one thing, and that the boy was up to no good.

    The boy was an NPC who discovered sentience without the help of anything or anyone. The only non-yer that I know and achieved this mindset was the princess of Wondend, Alice.

    "My name is Rumpelstiltskin, owner of the Goldilocks house. The system told me I should wait here in the forest and meet the yers that would change this game�� It seems that I already met them, hmm?" Rumpelstiltskin eximed, while gazing into our eyes.

    He had a stern look, like an old man watching our every move. It was as if Rumpelstiltskin was a snake that observed his prey from afar, waiting for a perfect chance to strike.

    "Wait here for a second, Rumpelstiltskin. I just need to talk to my friend over here, okay?" Ryoshi dragged me to the back while motioning his hand.

    Rumpelstiltskin gave us a nod and let us take the free time to talk about something in private. I raised an eyebrow at Ryoshi, since I did not know what was running inside his mind.

    "Hey! What''s the hold-up? And who is this Rumpelstiltskin, anyway? He seems like a dangerous person�� we should prune him before that weirdo attacks us, Ryoshi." I grumbled.

    Ryoshi shook my shoulders and retorted, "You idiot! That''s why I told you to read books or fairy tales! That guy is Rumpelstiltskin! And we all know that he will offer us a deal! A very crooked deal! So don''t fall for it at any cost, since he will use your weakness against you!"

    "Ah, by the way, Wolf and Ryoshi. I''m inviting you to Goldilocks and have a brief break. We could eat some cookies and beverages to choose from. I''m very generous right now, so I will give you two wonderful pieces of news." The little guy caressed his moustache as he exined to us the details of the news.

    "There are potions inside my cab that will grant you increased status points! It would be my pleasure to share those with you two since you''re the ones I''ve been waiting for forever since staying in this forest. The other one would be a contract. Let''s make a deal, hmm?" Rumpelstiltskin continued.

    "Uh, you know, can you just shut up for a second? I''m not done talking yet." Ryoshi uttered.

    "Oh�� Okay, hmm��"

    He dragged me further away from the eerie guy, hoping that Rumpelstiltskin would not hear our conversation. By the time we created some distance between the ragged kid, Ryoshi gasped for breath and continued where he had left his sentence.

    "What does that Rumpel guy want from us? And is that the contract you''ve been talking about that I should be wary of, Ryoshi? I don''t understand what''s happening. And who is this Rumpelstiltskin guy, anyway? You know I don''t have time to read those fairy tales now." I eximed, while folding both of my arms.

    "And that''s the main idea. You read nothing other than porn magazines! I told you to read something else, but all you bought are games that are�� Nevermind that. The thing is, don''t ever fall for Rumpelstiltskin''s traps. Even if it sounds juicy, don''t. Nothing good happens after taking that contract from Rumpelstiltskin. Got it?"

    I did not know what he was saying, but it was my first time seeing Ryoshi this serious in my life. He concerned himself to pull me away from the site and led me here to tell me that. I gave my friend a nod and opened my mouth.

    "Okay�� I''ll keep my eyes peeled. And don''t tell Himari about the porn magazines, okay? She always throws them away�� and I even saw her burn them once."

    "If you''re looking for porn magazines or sex, I know a brothel around the corner. Do you mind if I escort you there?"

    The kid from before emerged in the middle of the bushes. It nearly surprised us, but I was always ready to strike back. I almost killed Rumpelstiltskin with my ws��

    [First form deactivating��]

    My system announced as I reverted to my usual self. The ws that I had vanished from my hands. All the strengths that I exhibited before diminished from my body. I remained a level 20 adventurer after killing those soldiers.

    It was still not enoughpared to my main ount, Fenrir.

    "So are we going now, hmm?" Rumpelstiltskin said, while looking at our eyes. "The vige is close by. So before stopping at that ce, pay a visit to my house. You won''t regret it."

    I know Ryoshi told me to doubt his words, but I had no choice but to follow Rumpel right now. And besides, I could kill that boy whenever I wanted to, especially when he was this defenceless in front of me.

    We also had nowhere left to go, so following him would lead us closer to the town. Ryoshi heaved out a sigh and gave me his approval. We would feel lost if we had not met Rumpel on our way to the forest. So meeting this guy was a blessing in disguise�� Or a curse, waiting for us at the end of the woond.

 Chapter 82 - Rumples Contract

    The scene left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I had to do it. If I don''t, these people could kill me instead. This ce was the world I live in right now, and I have to ept that.

    There were more soldiers up ahead, but we beat them up with the help of Rumpelstiltskin. That kid had a knack for conjuring a force field surrounding us, obstructing and deflecting bullets without breaking a sweat. I asked Rumpel how he created this overpowered barrier. But that old man with the size of a kid just shook his head and told me it was just a secret.

    After defeating the countless enemies along the way, we stumbled upon a remote house in the middle of the woods. We took the roundabout way, since there were more soldiers in the front lines. But we made it here in one piece.

    It was a victorious feat, if someone would ask me.

    "Here�� Come inside. I''ll grab you some tea," Rumpelstiltskin said, while gesturing his hands for us to follow inside.

    As soon as he locked the front gates, arcane power surrounded the house. After a few moments, the mana covering the shack twirled around us, creating an illusion outside.

    [Notification! Rumpelstiltskin has applied the [Phdelphia''s Enchantment] surrounding the house. As long as the user pours magic to the ability, the spell will never break!]

    It was as I had guessed. [Phdelphia''s Enchantment] makes someone invisible for a short time. Only assassins and marksmen could learn this skill. However�� using it to conceal the house�� was beyond my imagination.

    "How did you do it?" I asked the odd-looking kid beside me.

    "I will tell you that in exchange for something else. But that is not important right now. Do you want to chase after Red or not? I know where to find her." Rumpel replied.

    That brat sat on the couch and faced us. The table slid in Rumpelstiltskin''s direction, together with a pen and paper grasped in his hands. Rumpel grinned at me and raised an eyebrow, like a business person rigging me with their offers.

    "Now that we got that escaping out of the way, why don''t we make a deal?" Rumpelstiltskin eximed as he opened the scroll in his hands.

    The words flew by and wrote themselves from the papers, with no help of some sort from magic circles. I thought at first that this set-up was all but a trap. But Ryoshi told me otherwise.

    My best friend exined that this was Rumpelstiltskin''s n all along. However, it was best to listen for what he would say.

    "Although his offers would benefit him, it might help us. If we just use the right statements, maybe we could use it to our advantage, Okami," Ryoshi whispered.

    I gave him a nod and let the scene y out on its own. The two of us just observed Rumpel do his thing.

    "You have my word that I won''t manipte you or anything. All I want is to help you achieve your goal. I''m just a helpful person, aren''t I?"

    "That''s thest thing I''d ever believe, Rumpelstiltskin. Just tell us your contract, and we''ll be on our way!" Ryoshi shouted as he demanded the offer.

    "Geez�� Teenagers these days are a very impatient bunch. But it''s just the way I like it. Very well, Fenrir�� Hunter�� I shall grant you this contract," Rumpelstiltskin retorted. "A piece of advice. Be sure to read all the terms and conditions. I''d feel delighted if you won''t, but you''d never know what you might miss."

    ''He even knows my main ount��,'' I thought, and clenched my hands.

    [Notification! A contract appears before you, bigbadwolf. Do you want to read the terms and conditions?]

    It was what Rumpelstiltskin had mentioned earlier. Rumpelstiltskin ced the terms and conditions in front of the scroll. As we glimpsed at the boy monitoring our every move, Ryoshi and I unravelled the papers and read everything.

    [This Contract Agreement is made as of the day XXX by and between Rumpelstiltskin, Ryoshi, and Okami, yers in Code.]

    [WHEREAS, Okami and Ryoshi will receive additional buffs, status points, legendary weapons and equipment, and one rare skill for epting the main quest given by Rumpelstiltskin.]

    [Main Quest: Ryoshi and Okami shall rescue Alice and help her escape Wondend''s Castle with no injuries. ]

    [Materials: Rumpelstiltskin shall provide and pay for all equipment for Ryoshi and Okami. These include tools, machinery, and transportation for thepletion of the work. All materials shall be of excellent quality and new. Okami and Ryoshi may substitute materials only with the prior written approval of Rumplestiltskin.]

    [Signature over Printed Name]

    {Signature over Printed Name]

    "..."

    "..."

    I widened my eyes upon reading the contract. All the benefits I could receive would benefit Ryoshi and me. But that was not enough to save the death game or the NPCs and the yers living in Code!

    "Ryoshi, get back!" I shouted.

    Ryoshi heeded my advice and jolted backwards, equipping his bow and arrow in his hands. I did the same and transformed it into my first form. I needed to get ready, since Rumpelstiltskin could conjure a force field surrounding this house. There was no question what he could do with those immense arcane that he holds.

    "Are we going to take Rumpelstiltskin down?" Ryoshi asked, and showed me a worried expression.

    I shook my head and whispered, "We don''t need to fight Rumpel. If that guy has that insane amount of power to create force fields outside, there''s no way that we can beat Rumpelstiltskin�� not with this form of mine."

    If I was using my Fenrir ount, maybe I could even finish Rumpelstiltskin before he could create a barrier. But even if he did make one, I could always destroy that shield with the help of my second and third form.

    That boy with the face of an old man heaved out a sigh. Rumpel wiggled his legs and gave me a bored look carved on his face.

    "What are you doing?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, while tilting his head to the side. "Why are you two acting like thugs? Are you nning to rob me?"

    Ryoshi and I did not give him a reply. And, instead, we red Rumpel in the eye. It was the first time I became nervous in front of that Rumpel guy, knowing that he had an immense amount of mana inside of him. And Ryoshi even told me about Rumpel and his stories. That tale ignited the mes burning inside the house.

    But instead of fighting Rumpelstiltskin, the two of us needed to run away. I knew that option would be safer for us to take, since we cannot gauge the overall power of the guy in front of us.

    Although the offer had a handsome reward, the benefits did not weigh the same. Releasing Alice was far more dangerous than anything in this world, even from the soldiers equipped with guns. That girl could destroy the entire Code if she wanted to. That''s how powerful Alice was when I first fought her.

    "Are you��?"

    I raised my hand and covered my fist with mes. Despite not being a mage, I could still envelop my body with the fire element and convert my punches into an inferno.

    Ryoshi did the same and followed my lead. He pulled the string and prepared a burning bolt as he aimed it at Rumpelstiltskin.

    If my deductions would prove me correct, that guy was a puppet�� ackey that Alice made. Puppets were the soldiers she controlled, and they were the only loyal creatures she had during her reign. It was not a surprise if a bunch of them escaped the prison, which I also made with the help of the game developers during my prime.

    But before the fire could reach that forsaken Rumpel, a puppet emerged in front of Rumpelstiltskin, protecting it with its own body. After the fire had worn out, a figure of a boy with a lengthy nose weed my eyes.

    "Pinhio��," Ryoshi murmured to himself, with his eyes widened in surprise.

    He knew more about the names than me, who fought Alice before. But Ryoshi''s guess was correct, since the marite in front of us had a recognisable face that I cannot forget.

    "Rumpelstiltskin, you idiot! From all the yers you nned to help, you chose Fenrir?! How stupid you could get?!"

    "Don''t look at me, Pinhio. They are the ones that barged in front of me. And besides, I was this close in helping them if it were not for adding Alice in the contract!"

    The two puppets argued in front of us. If we could battle Pinhio and Rumpelstiltskin at the same time, Ryoshi and I would lose. And even if we won, the soldiers would arrive in this vige and finish us off. Besides that, we also needed to recruit wandering NPCs living in this vige to our hideout.

    But I guess we would hold that thought forter. It was not our responsibility to invite the NPCs over to our side. It was Elina and the dark elves that had that job.

 Chapter 83 - Alice And The Puppets

    "What is happening here?" A feminine voice echoed outside of the house. "Why am I feeling magic inside the house! Rumpelstiltskin?! Pinhio?! What is going on?!"

    As the door creaked open, a figure of a girl weed our eyes. That girl wore a merchant''s dress, with an obsidian hoodie resting behind her head. She had an aptitude for controlling nts, which my system told me. The girl also had emerald hair fluttering over her body, with subtle scales covering her skin.

    A stter of blood stained the clothes of that girl. The vermilion trail of blood reached out at her thighs, telling me she had wounds covering her body. Those injuries seemed fresh to me, showing that girl fought someone or something from the past few hours.

    ''That girl must be a dragonewt!'' I thought, while concealing my de.

    "Olivia? What are you doing here" Pinhio, the puppet with a long nose, asked, as he too lowered his magic circle.

    Rumpelstiltskin also did the same, deeming it inappropriate to fight in front of a merchant and ady.

    "What are you two doing? I thought I told you not to fight inside this house! After all, I''ve fixed the roof and furniture, and this is how you would repay me-... and who are you guys?"

    After saying her fill, the girl-whom I assumed had the name Olivia, raised her guard. As soon as Ryoshi and I met her eyes, the ground vibrated, forcing it to create a noticeable hole. She extended both of her arms and nned on attacking us with her vines breaking through beneath our feet. The creeping nts emerged from the bottom of the ground as if acting like a shield for her body. I could only guess that nt served as an imprable cover against normal attacks and weaker weapons to protect her skin.

    "Talk, or I will cut you with these nts!" the girl eximed, with her hands still lifted at her sides.

    "We''re wandering yers that stumbled upon this house thanks to that guy. We will take our leave. Don''t worry about fighting. And I don''t n to do that," I replied, and nudged Ryoshi''s shoulders, telling him that our job here was over.

    "Are you sure you won''t fight those two puppets? And what''s about this Alice part? I only heard about her from the mystery articles from themunity. Besides that, I''m clueless, Okami." Ryoshi whispered.

    I told him that everything would be fine, and I nned on disclosing that information once we stepped out of this mess. Even I would hate to sh swords against Alice''s henchmen, especially when they were puppets.

    Ryoshi gave me a nod and followed my lead. However, the girl stopped us from going outside. She used her vines and temporarily blocked the exit.

    "Tell me who you are, or I will kill you right here and now!" the girl asked, as he pointed the tip of the vines at our eyes. "Are you with the soldiers or yers attacking the NPCs? Are you one with them?"

    I had never expected this NPC merchant to know about that news. That girl, Olivia, also looked like she knew the world as a game and the soldiers hunting down the NPCs. If I were in her position, I would have done the same.

    Ryoshi had an original n and tried to strike the girl with his arrow. I was fortunate enough to stop him from pulling that string and told him that attacking her would not bring us any good.

    The merchant lowered her hands upon hearing my statement. She also knew that I was not conjuring any magic or attacks that would injure anyone inside the house.

    "How sure am I that you''re not one of those bastards out there?" the girl asked for thest time before epting my words.

    I carved out a smile and answered, "If I wanted to, I could''ve killed the three of you before you could even enter this house. But I chose not to, and here we are, talking with each other."

    What I mentioned was not a bluff, but the truth. I could''ve killed the three of the NPCs all by myself. And with Ryoshi around, that job would''ve worked swimmingly as the course of a river. I also let out an ounce of my killing intent in my aura, forcing anyone besides myrade to feel pain and frightened surrounding me.

    This aura affected the girl and the puppets. It was enough to get them on their knees, worried that their life was in danger. But I dispelled those intentions and reverted to my usual self.

    That show was the only way of telling them about my business. I never go down on my words, especially when killing anyone inside this game.

    The girl did not let herself get provoked, knowing that it had some truths hidden behind my words. She stood up from the ground and gave me a nod, telling me she ced her trust in Ryoshi and me.

    "My name is Olivia. I''m a merchant in this town. These two puppets are just here to protect the nearby vige," Olivia exined, and offered us a seat near the empty chairs. "Earlier, two NPCs and I defeated an entire squad of soldiers armed with guns. I thought that you''re one of those people. I guessed that the two of you are not here to wreak havoc in our vige?"

    ''Robin and his soldiers are already here?'' I pondered, while listening to Olivia''s exnation.

    "Two NPCs?" I queried. "Are those two perhaps named Red and Match?"

    Olivia''s eyes widened as she leaned closer to my side. "Yes! How did you know? Are you friends with her?"

    "Not exactly. But Hunter and I have business with her. Ah, forgive me for my rudeness. That guy''s name is Hunter. My name is Wolf. We are just wandering yers passing by, hoping to find these two NPCs, Red and Match. We want to end this war as soon as possible. And that girl, Red, knew exactly how to do that."

    "So why are you attacking the two puppets here? And what are your reasons for visiting the Goldilocks?" Olivia asked.

    "Wait. This entire thing is called the goldilocks? No wonder I smell porridge here!" Ryoshi ejacted, as he searched for the origin of the food''s smell.

    Olivia giggled and continued, "We only make porridge here. Pinhio, can you serve these gentlemen two pots of porridge?"

    I stood up from my seat and directed my finger at the two puppets. "Because those two are a part of Alice''s works, and I can''t let them live!"

    Olivia''s smiling face shifted into something sinister. She returned my gesture and stood from the chair. "Why? These puppets did nothing wrong to the vige?! I doubt they attacked you first!"

    "Can''t you see, Olivia? These marites brainwashed you for thinking that way. You don''t even know what that demon is capable of."

    "Alice?" Olivia asked.

    I gave her a nod. "Alice is the ultimate boss inside this game and the first NPC had sentience over the world. I�� someone defeated her and locked her up inside Wondend, where she rightfully belonged. Alice killed half of the entire poption of Code, including yers and NPCs."

    Olivia became silent as she heard all of those facts from me. She turned her face towards the two puppets while shedding a tear. "Are all of those true? You''re working for Alice��?"

    "I know it''s hard to believe, and I don''t know what memories you have with these puppets. But I assure you those things I''ve mentioned happened a long time ago," I said, while resting my hands on Olivia''s shoulder.

    "He''s lying! Don''t believe everything that brat says! Alice was the one that saved the entire world! She governed thend of Wondend, not until those game developers manipted her father to continue his experiments!" Pinhio retorted, and readied a magic circle on his hands.

    That puppet schemed to attack me with everything it had, forcing Olivia to believe what they had said. The girl moved in front of me and extended both of her hands. It was as if protecting me from the st.

    "Knock it off, Pinhio! He has done nothing wrong! We don''t attack anyone inside or outside this vige! We are not like that!"

    "Believe me, Olivia. That boy was the one who killed Alice!" Rumpelstiltskin stated. He did not have any magic spells to attack me. That puppet could only create barriers that protect anyone inside.

    "Is that true�� Wolf?"

    "That experimentation part was not real. During my battle against Alice, all she thought about was the destruction of the game and the game developers. She was a mad person who fell in love with the destruction of Code! And yes, I was the one who ended Alice''s life. My name is Wolf and Fenrir, the famous knight inside this game."

    Throughout our exchange, a magic projectile hovered in my direction, almost hitting my head��

 Chapter 84 - Alice

    "Wolf, watch out!" Ryoshi shouted, but he was toote. He could do nothing to the magic missiles or the vines in front of me.

    Throughout our exchange, a magic projectile hovered in my direction, almost hitting my head. My body was too slow to react to the beam of light aimed in my direction. I could only imagine how different would the situation be if I was using my main ount.

    But that grotesque thing never happened. No blood sttered before me, or throbbing pain spread across my skin. Thanks to the vines emerging in front of me, I got to keep my face intact with my body.

    "Thanks, Olivia."

    "Just shut your crap, Wolf. I want to hear more about Alice." Olivia growled at me, despite saving my life.

    "What''s there to talk about, Olivia? That yer you''re helping is an enemy to Alice! We should kill them before he kills you. And you know that we''re the only ones helping the vige!" Rumpelstiltskin replied.

    "Again, if I want to kill you, I could''ve done that a long time ago," I answered.

    I monitored the two puppets, checking if they schemed to strike me again behind my back. Despite Rumpelstiltskin''s bloodshot eyes, he couldn''tnd a hit against us. That''s the limit of shield type mages.

    The only problem that I would face was that long-nose marite, Pinhio. He was the one who directed that projectile in my direction. And that puppet would do that the same if he sees an opportunity.

    Pinhio had done it once. He could do it again.

    "Yes�� but I know you have a different agenda. I''m not a viger in this ce, but I hate to see them follow someone like you or Alice." Olivia answered, as she raised the vines from the ground. "My father told me to help Fenrir. He told me that everything Fenrir�� Wolf says it would be absolute."

    "You''re going to throw everything away for the sake of your father''s words!?" Pinhio snarled.

    Olivia closed her eyes and answered, "Because I''m a merchant. I also know the information about Alice. Even though I showed all of you my genuine emotions in helping the vige, I cannot go back to my n''s words. I have to listen to my father."

    "So this is how it goes, Olivia?" Pinhio muttered, while raising his hands in our direction. "You will fight against us, despite saving the vige. Just because you believed that guy''s words, you will kill us?" Pinhio asked.

    Olivia gave them a nod. "Yes. I''m sorry."

    After ending their conversation, Pinhio charged up the magic circle, waiting for it to fire in our direction. But the merchant girl was quicker than that spell, as she locked the puppet''s feet, disrupting their bnce. The cast spell projected a beam, destroying the wooden ceiling. The light burst through the sky, diverging from the clouds forming above our heads.

    Rumpel''s spell was like a shield. It could only deflect and obstruct the iing skill shot in their direction. The vines came from the ground. It was a ce that the force field did not cover, so the barrier became useless.

    The creeping nts reached towards the appendages of the two, constricting them from doing anything at all. Although the shield that Rumpel had was still in effect, Pinhio could not conjure any spell. The vines restricted him to move or cast any magic while it was still wrapping around his body.

    "Let us go, Olivia!"

    "Free us, Olivia! You bitch!"

    The two of them desperately squirmed, wishing to free themselves from the vines. However, no matter how hard they tried, the puppet was not strong enough to overpower the nts.

    "Wiggle as you like, but those vines are indestructible. There is no way you can get out there without my help." Although Olivia told this to the puppets, her eyes were looking at the ground. "Come on, Wolf. I�� don''t like being here inside Goldilocks."

    The sudden turn of events went on our way. Even Ryoshi, who was silently watching everything unfold, could not utter a word. How could he when that guy could not find the time to say anything, since we excluded Ryoshi in that conversation?

    "Wait�� you go on ahead, I''ll catch up. Can you show Ryoshi around the ce? If I knew what Ryoshi is, I would know the location of our hideout," Imanded Olivia.

    That merchant girl acted loyally to me despite being a stranger that she met five minutes ago. Despite that timeline, Olivia still listened and sided with me. She was even ready to take down the two and fight the puppets.

    However, I still wanted to do something behind Olivia''s back. That n involves the puppets in front of me.

    "I will just have a quick chat with these two before I leave, okay? I won''t be here long."

    After our exchange, Olivia and Ryoshi took their leave and headed towards the vige. The map in front of my system had finally included my best friend as a member of my party. I could know Ryoshi''s whereabouts with a flick of a finger within this screen. So finding him would be a piece of cake for me.

    "What are you going to do with us? Are you going to kill us? Once Alice revives, you will be the first one to die in this Code!" Pinhio stated, while squeezing his limbs from the crushing vines.

    The two puppets shook the vines, but failed to do so. I sat in front of them and made myselffortable inside the house.

    "I''m not afraid of Alice. I defeated her once. I can defeat her again. And besides, you two are just pawns at her disposal. Even if you died, Alice would find a recement for the two of you," I eximed, while carving out a snicker.

    The two puppets shook their heads after hearing my statement.

    "You know nothing about Alice! She was the first one to unlock the potential of all NPCs! She wants freedom from you disgusting yers! Look around you, Fenrir! There is a war happening between yers and NPCs! We finally have the upper hand!"

    "All I need to do isplete the game. I just want to go home and meet my sister. Once this is over, everything will go back to normal. That''s the salvation you will get from Code��"

    A twitching sound disrupted my train of thought, apanied by a robotic voice. It came from Rumpelstiltskin, who acted silently throughout this talk. As I nudged my finger at the short puppet, Rumpel''s eyeballs red at me with intense killing intentions. It even made my body jerked a few centimetres away beforeing into my senses.

    "This feeling�� I guess you''re listening to our conversation, Alice."

    There was no doubt about it. Despite being locked inside that damned tower, Alice had her ways ofmunicating to specific yers.

    And I was on her list.

    "Even though you went all the way here to chase down Red, you still think of NPCs as mindless dogs created by game developers?" Rumpel said, which was the puppet, Alice, behind the scenes.

    Even her voice resounded through that puppet''s mouth as Alice desperately tried tomunicate with me. However, I knew that this skill required her an immense amount of arcane for it to work.

    After all, I was the one who ced Alice in that cell. I knew Alice and Wondend better than these puppets.

    "...."

    I couldn''t give Alice my answer, knowing that I still believed in that theory of mine. All these NPCs were all acting to their scripts. None of them were actual people on Earth. However, the only non-yer character that proved me wrong was none other than Red.

    She was the only one that showed me the strings. That girl wanted to live and avenge her fallen sister�� It was like Alice when she was in her prime age.

    The only difference between Red and that puppet was�� Red was more gentle than any other NPCs. She regretted killing NPCs and yers along the way. But for the sake of revenge, she nned onpleting the game.

    It was the same reason I locked Alice up in her cage. She was just like Red�� but different�� Something felt different about that girl.

    "What do you want from me, Alice? If you n to persuade me from taking you out of that prison, you''re just wasting your time. I won''t let you escape. Thousands of people died because of you."

    Alice was the embodiment of hatred and vengeance. After the death of her father, she nned on taking everything down. It was all because of those experiments that the game developers did to her family.

    "One way or another, you wille to me and beg for my power! The two of us canplete this game! We can even make you powerful enough to��"

    Before Alice could finish her words, I mmed my feet on Rumpelstiltskin''s face, destroying the puppet. I looked beside him and killed Pinhio, too, with the same move I did with Rumpel.

    "I had it with you, Alice�� You''re nothing but cancer in this game."

    "You�� will��e to�� me�� eventua... "

 Chapter 85 - Talk With Olivia

    A crashing sound echoed inside the shack. The cotton, wool, and strings stitched around Rumpelstiltskin and Pinhio exploded into pieces. Those two puppets left Code without saying goodbye to Olivia or me.

    Billions of thorns got plucked out from my heart as I finally defeated the two puppets. But Rumpel and Pinhio were but a pawn to Alice.

    Something great was going to happen. And I could feel it��

    "You wille to me�� eventually?" I murmured.

    Those were thest words of Alice, the Princess of Wondend. Although the words came from her, the vessel Alice used was from Rumpelstiltskin. With all the remaining strength she had, that puppet master ryed her words to me. Although I refused to believe it, her words brought a shiver down my spine.

    I could only gulp in defeat as I nudged the door open.

    Upon sliding the gates, the vibrant emerald forest weed my eyes. It was where Olivia and the others were waiting for me to return. They told me to follow the trail leading to a remote town, where there would be nothing but trees and birds surrounding the ce.

    As soon as I stepped my foot outside, the road that Olivia mentioned greeted me. The townspeople did not fix the road with cement, but it was enough for me to venture onwards. It invited me to continue forward on the endless journey. Upon arriving at a hazel bark, multiple shacks addressed my eyes.

    There were dozens of vigers roaming around the vicinity, but all of them had skinny arms and bodies. It was as if they had not been eating for days. However, if I monitored them closer, there was a hint of fat forming in their arms.

    As I glided my eyes at the sides, there were also tes filled with rice and pork that came from freshly butchered hogs. This scene only told me that someone hunted it for them. If I considered the vigers'' strength, none of them could handle themselves in the wild. But if someone did this for them, it must have been Red and herpanion, Match.

    I greeted the passing people while giving them a nod. They waved their hands back and gave me a hello.

    Before I could knock on the front door, the gate moved to the side. A figure of a man with a cloaked girl greeted my eyes.

    "You''rete." Ryoshi raced at me and hid behind my back while pointing at Olivia standing in front of me. "But just in time to save me!"

    A couple of empty bottles fell from the table as Ryoshi went to my back. Those sks did not have the properties of ss, so the exterior part did not leave shards on the ground.

    That merchant girl crossed her arms as I met her gaze. But after a few seconds, the girl''s orbs rolled on the side, directing her gaze at my best friend hiding behind me. I tilted my head, hoping to find the reason behind her undelighted expression.

    "Is there a problem while I''m gone?" I asked.

    "None�� That guy just drank half of the potion I left on the table. Probably cost around 1 gold coin."

    Like a frightening killer owl, I slid my head to the side (at exactly 180 degrees) and shed Ryoshi a smile. "Care to exin this to me, Hunter?"

    "I thought maybe I needed those potions. A-And you can pay for it, right? I know you have the money, Ryo-, I mean, Wolf. But-,"

    "Just shut up, Hunter. Olivia, forgive my friend here. I will just pay for everything." I interposed, and faced the waiting merchant girl standing in front of me.

    Olivia gave me a nod and issued amand for purchasing the health and mana potions that Ryoshi took from Olivia and me. Although I became broke right now, there was one effortless way to earn some instant cash.

    It''s what I called, "Devil''s Deal".

    "Are you�� hacking the system?" Ryoshi went to me with glittering eyes while witnessing the numbers go wild in front of us.

    It was a forbidden code that the game developers tried to bury. I, who was a reckless yer, can''t help but use this code for myself.

    "You can earn instant cash doing nothing. It''s a bug that the game developers left when Alice was still alive," I stated, while fiddling with the binary numbers and things that I knew little about the realm.

    Thanks to the limited instructions given to me by the system, I could track down the errors. The entire thing bugged the quest for the hidden quests button.

    "What does it mean?" Ryoshi asked.

    I answered, "It means that a quest for ying Alice is still up and kicking. Since I technically killed Alice, she should not appear in the quest. However, because of the game developer''s rules, those people cannoty their hands on Alice or the quest. It resulted in this infinite bug that you could im."

    "Found it!" Ryoshi eximed, while waving his window at me. "This window is it, right?"

    I gave him a nod. "How did you-?"

    "I know simple programming�� Well, not simple, but�� I usually read books in my free time. And listening to your exnation, I was able to pinpoint the location of��"

    "Good for you. You can pay for the goods you stole on your own," I eximed, and went on my way inside.

    "You''re not fair, Wolf! And you know that!" Ryoshi snarled, while handing over the gold coin to Olivia. "You told me this thing could give me one gold coin. Does it have a cooldown? What''s the catch? That name, ''Devil''s Deal'' sounds menacing�� and creepy."

    "You''re a quick learner. So, yeah. It has a catch, and it will electrify your body�� around now."

    A sh of lightning that came out of nowhere struck Ryoshi. With a dumbfounded expression, my best friend had no other choice but to take the direct hit of the bolt. After a few seconds, the fried Ryoshi fell t on the ground, with his hair rising upwards.

    As soon as Ryoshi regained his consciousness, he stood from the floor. His eyes checked every nook and cranny of the room, trying to find something that wanted to harm his body. After clearing all his doubts, Ryoshi went to me and asked once more.

    "You never told me about the electric shock! And where did you learn this from?"

    "I told you earlier. But you wouldn''t listen. And the cooldown of the coin is every hour, not every day. And don''t even bother counting all those gold coins, since I have a lot of them stashed inside my inventory. You could add it up, but it would be useless for our trip," I exined, and shrug off the dirt that came flying to me during Ryoshi''s plummet.

    After the gold incident, the three of us sat at the table and nned to get down into business. However, there was so much to learn about Olivia. I struggled to believe that this merchant girl worked for Alice.

    And judging by the gloomy nature of the town, Olivia had no other choice but to listen to the two puppets. If what Rumpelstiltskin and Pinhio mentioned were true, these two marites saved the townlet from famine and the soldiers entering this ce. However, working for them was a grave mistake.

    Nobody should listen to that devil, not even the NPCs inside this game.

    "Olivia, tell me everything you know about you and this ce. If you''re telling me that some father that you have told you to believe in me, nobody would believe you. Cut the crap and be honest with me. Don''t waste my time, or I will leave this vige, with or without helping all of you."

    "You can help the vige?" Olivia asked, while leaning closer to me.

    "Yes. But in one condition. Give me a reason for me to believe you''re not working with Alice."

    "Man, you really have a grudge against this Alice girl? Did she dump you or anything?" Ryoshi butted in our conversation, while munching something in his hands.

    "You know, eating something won''t give you nutrients to your actual body. So stop chewing that cookie, or I will send you where the two puppets are right now! And have you paid attention to what I said earlier? Alice is a demon that gained sentience over this game. However, she refused to be a human and yearned to kill anyone and anything in her sight. I was the only one who could stop her wrath. If Alice got out of that prison, we should kiss our lives goodbye and escape this game alive. Before we can evenplete Code we would all die because of her."

    "Sorry�� It''s delicious! Ever since that update, I couldn''t help but eat everything! I know it''s not going to our digestion, but�� I kinda miss eating something, you know? And yes, I was listening before. Which is why Olivia is telling the truth."

 Chapter 86 - The Quest To Find The Little Ones (1)

    "Our n�� or kingdom has had eyes for Alice for a very long time now. The dragonewts�� My people continuously study the whereabouts of Alice�� and all of her doings. These doings include the good and the bad part of Alice''s works. We also tackle the history of Wondend and how she became like that evil person who controls puppets. It has a deep connection with our species. ''That serves as roots for our empire,'' that''s what my father told me. I don''t know why it was like that. And my father knows a lot about Alice and Wondend. But he never told me about his ns or the results."

    Olivia lifted her head and met my gaze. That merchant girl was confident in the words she spoke. "It is your choice to believe whatever you think is right. But I know that listening to you will save not just this vige, but my kingdom. Those were the words that my father mentioned to me when I first left my kingdom. He told me you won''t abandon us�� NPCs."

    "Hmm�� I see." I stood up from the chair and walked around the room, hoping to gather all the information Olivia had told me. Although I struggled to believe a stranger, who knows Alice, ns to help me, I had no other choice but to ept this advantage. "What you''ve said was not enough to convince me�� However, we need a pair of hands for the dark elves and against the soldiers."

    Although those words I stated were nowhere near the truth, it was what I believed. My sister, Himari, would have told me the same if she was here, listening to this conversation. Himari would have urged me to save these people�� despite these creatures being non-yer characters that move when the system tells them to act.

    "If you n onmunicating with your father or any dragonewts from your kingdom, tell me the details. If I am not avable, tell it to Kouran." I added, and opened the door.

    "Who''s Kouran?" Olivia asked, while tailing behind me.

    "Don''t worry. Kouran is a dark elf that would cater to you and the vigers of this ce. Kouran would be there to escort all of you to the cave. A great war against yers and NPCs will happen. But for now, lie low, and listen to whatever Kouran would say. I have a different goal in mind."

    But before getting out of the shack, Olivia stopped me from going outside. "Does that n include talking with Red and Match? I think you''ve mentioned them before."

    With Olivia''s words, my eyes widened while giving her my reply. "Yes. We''re looking for the two. And I''m afraid they''re both going to Wondend�� whether they schemed on helping Alice escape or taking the obelisk, going to that ce only spelt doom."

    "Obelisk?" Olivia asked, but I did not give her my answer.

    She needed not to know about the obelisk and thepletion of the game. Olivia had something more to focus on than collecting those obelisks. It was Ryoshi and my job to do that, not hers.

    I summoned my windows and slid towards the mail, trying to chat with Kouran and the dark elves. After a few seconds, the messaging application produced a high-pitch sound, telling me that the notification had arrived at Kouran.

    Within a minute, I received a reply. Kouran gave me instructions to n for the vigers to enter the cave.

    I turned around towards Olivia and gave her the announcement. "I''ve sent a message to Kouran. She wille to fetch you by now. Kouran also told me you need to fight against the soldiers while the rest of the elves escort them to the cave. Did I make myself clear?"

    "Crystal," Olivia answered.

    After five minutes of waiting, the bushes and the leaves in the forest rumbled. Five figures emerged from the shadows, with Kouran standing in front of us. Olivia panicked for a second. But after seeing me with a calm expression, she ced her body at ease and listened to the scene.

    "Not bad, Wolf. You''ve found a vige in the middle of this jungle. I would make these people of good use for the uing war. You can count on me for that."

    "Just take them away from my sight. And please don''t abuse any of these vigers. They might hate you for it."

    "Fuck off." Kouran snarled, and went to Olivia.

    Olivia and Kouran talked about the plot and agreed. After their exchange, the vigers followed close to Oliva and trusted everything she said to them. Once Olivia and Kouran finished their talk, Olivia went to me and told me about the road that Red and Match went. She told me that the pair went to the dwarven vige. They needed a boat before taking their voyage to Wondend.

    "If you n to reach Wondend, Ryoshi and you need to take a boat from the dwarves," Olivia eximed.

    I gave her a nod and went on our way.

    "This is where we part ways once again, Kouran. And Olivia, thank you for taking my side and giving me that information. I appreciate it."

    "Just don''t get yourself killed. We will meet once we''ve gathered enough forces to fight against these yers. But for now, you need to lie low about the situation. There are thousands of soldiers guarding the forest. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for everything, Ryoshi and Wolf." Kouran said, and lowered her head.

    I returned her gestures and replied, "Of course, Kouran. I didn''t name myself Fenrir for anything. And besides, the dwarves are in the neutral zone. So there''s a chance that the soldiers won''t attack them�� I think."

    "We could always hope for the best," Kouran added.

    "I know our meeting was short. But you should know this, my lovely girl. I shall return for you and live a blissful life with you."

    "What has gone into your��rade, Wolf?" Kouran asked, with all the dark elves and vigers staring in our direction."

    I snatched Ryoshi away from Olivia and went straight towards the forest. I never knew that Ryoshi had a thing with Olivia. There was no helping it, since that merchant girl had some curving features that would strike any men faltering to the ground.

    However, ytime was over. And we needed to catch up with Red and Match before those two retrieve the obelisks. Ryoshi and I also must learn more about thepletion of the game. If that includes saving both NPCs and the yers, that would be fine for me.

    We should all do these things to end this war without shedding an ounce of blood on the ground.

    "Goodbye, you two. I hope we meet again."

    "You too, Wolf. Take care of Red for me. She also helped the vige." Olivia said, as she waved her hands goodbye.

    Kouran just shed me a smirk as she saw Ryoshi and I took off towards the forest. And I had to drag Ryoshi around, for the time being, refusing to leave the forest.

    "I finally fell in love with that woman! Okami, why are you so mean!"

    "Shut the hell up, Ryoshi. I''m wondering how on earth you are intelligent and at the same time stupid!"

    ...��.

    Ryoshi had finally taken the silent route and followed my lead. However, leaving the vige in the hands of Kouran left a scar on his face. All those tears that Ryoshi wept got stuck on his face. It almost made him a miserable man, sober from drinking all the alcohol inside a bar.

    We traversed through the sea of trees once again and took a brief break on the stones. Although Olivia told us that Red and Match went in this direction, we had no leads on finding the two.

    "We will rest here tonight. In the meantime, why don''t you make yourself useful and cut down those trees for logs? We also need some twigs and pinecones to start the fire running."

    "What are you going to do then?" Ryoshi asked, while kicking the pebbles on the ground.

    "Me? I am going to hunt some rabbits, boars, and other monsters lingering in the forest. We can switch ces if you want to. Do you want to fight them all at once? I''m sensing ten ogres in the forest and one demonic beast," I eximed.

    Ryoshi shook his head and motioned his hands for me to get out of his sight. After carving my mouth with a snicker, I went to the forest and located the anomalies roaming around our vicinity.

    It was what my system had mentioned. There were ten ogres and one demonic boar fighting against each other. If those two nned on taking down the other, the monster''s blood would attract more beasts in this area.

    "Why do I have to take care of this rubbish," I heaved out a sigh, and monitored them on the elevated bough.

 Chapter 87 - Sympathy

    There was no point in fighting them head-on when I could kill all of them with the element of surprise. I was an assassin, for heaven''s sake, which made me differ from other sses in Code.

    And besides, it was easier for me to do it this way. Impaling ten ogres with my des from behind than fighting against those worthless monsters would be a better deal.

    The howls of those creatures would turn into an orchestra of myriad instruments in my ears. With the blood stains sttering from elsewhere, the show would conclude afterwards.

    This character was still underleveled, and even if I could take all of them at once, it would tire me to do it.

    I also needed to keep the boar forst, since that animal would serve as food for tonight. However, this would be my first time eating demonic meat. Some yers said that eating devilish flesh would increase one''s status points, while others warned of it as poisons.

    I went to the side of the trees and watched the fighting scene. My hands made sure I would not create any sound to attract the attention of the monsters. Ten ogres fought against a demonic beast, so I had a lot of leisure time to analyse the situation.

    I leapt from the branch and perched on the grey stone. The bough swayed like a dancer on the bridge as I advanced. After a second of bncing myself, the bridge came to a halt. It did not dare to move in any direction, since I was still like a statue.

    That site was the perfect ce to monitor the eleven beasts while waiting for an opening for me to strike. It was any other assassin''s dream.

    As the set began, seven ogres charged straight towards the boar while the remaining three went to the sides. That trio had something in mind, but I kept my focus on what was in front of me.

    The demonic hog eluded all of those tackles, despite having a mammoth-sized mass that broke the physics of my world. After a few seconds of dodging all the ogre''s attacks, the devilish boar stood still near the rock.

    It was the gravest mistake that the animal made. But that hog did not die just yet when I was still around. I was like an angel in disguise and a grim reaper that would take the animal''s life afterwards.

    My feet vaulted from the nt as I took ogre out, who was far from the group. The nine ogres never noticed theirrade''s absence, as the monster was already beside me.

    I slit the creature''s neck open and covered it with the green pads found everywhere on the ground. An undistinguishable sound came afterwards, but I paid it no mind.

    After a few moments, the ogre died in my hands, showing me I did a good job. But there were still nine of them aiming for the hog, which was still a great number for me to deal with alone.

    The only saving grace that I had was my concealment. I was still oblivious to the remaining ogres, which would give me an advantage when killing them. But the question was, how am I going to do that?

    The demonic pig did not back down despite the ogres cornering it on the boulder. It used the tusk as its weapon, charging straight forward to the three ogres in front. All those ogres could not dodge the strike on time as they took the entire hit of the horns. The two horns from the pig impaled the gigantic ogres, instantly killing the three off from their existence.

    However, because of the attack, the hog got itself stuck in a sticky situation. The swine shook its entire body from left to right, hoping to remove the three corpses of the ogres glued on its horns.

    The remaining six ogres took this chance and punched the pig in its abdomen. It was a devastating blow that made the hog hovered in the distance, mming its body on an ancient bark.

    The hog winced in pain and let out a high-pitch moan, with its back covered with crimson blood. That animal drenched itself with its own puddle of blood-forming beneath the ground. The acrid smell of blood charmed the six ogres, amplifying their aggression by two folds.

    All the hopes of the boar left it for good, and the only way to escape its death was to plead for its life. The pig oinked itsst breath, wishing that the ogres would have sympathy over the dying animal.

    However, those ugly beasts called themselves monsters for a reason. No heartwarming scene could shake their resolve in brutally killing and devouring any living beings in Code. I had seen the ogres first-hand, killing a child with his family before. It was an unfortunate story for the boy and a gruesome scene for me.

    I found my resolve and entered the fray with my sword clipped in my hand. Although this part of me was uncouth for assassins, I hated to see that boar dying from these ogres.

    In the blink of an eye, my de reached the neck of the ogre standing behind. I took one out from the equation and faced the remaining five in front of me.

    All of those ogres finally noticed my figure. They all looked around, dazed and confused about their lostrades. After a few moments of realisation, the ogres let out a horrendous roar, enough to deafen my eardrums.

    "You�� killed�� my friends!" the ogre snarled while raising its fist. "You�� pay! I kill you too!"

    ording to the legends of Code, these ogres knew how to use our mother tongue. They studied it somewhere from the wilds to get more trades and trick people into visiting their ce. However, that was not all. Because of those events, the NPCs noticed their schemes, forcing them to run away from their camps.

    But in reality, the game developers scripted the ogre''s thoughts as their mindless ves�� It was entertaining to y it but terrible when faced against these creatures in an actual situation.

    And that included what was happening right now.

    Three of the ogres tried tackling me with their humongous bodies. One m of that massive muscle would break my bones, or even worse, death.

    I dodged the raging ogre and went to my sides, using the vines as ropes for me to swing around. Once Inded on the bough, I changed course and went for the isted monster on the nk.

    The ogre raised its hands, attempting to block my de from reaching its head. But it was toote, as I manoeuvred my body in mid-air and made a summersault for me to reach the back head of the ogre. With one slice of my beginner knife, the ogre died once again. The creature red at me for thest time before kissing the ground.

    "One down, four to go."

    The four ogres saw me taking down one of the friends. They hesitated at first before charging straight at me once again. Like the game always exined in the tutorials, "these monsters never learned."

    I used the vines as my tool to reach one branch after the other. It was a useful way for me to get out of a sticky situation. But one ogre perceived those creeping nts as it took out every tree that I used.

    "Not bad!" I eximed, but it was already toote for the ogres.

    I surged to the ground and slid between the legs of the ogre. A smile emerged from my lips as I killed another ogre in front of me. I did not use the vines, since most of them got destroyed by the pesky creature.

    With my ws reaching for the abdomen of the monster, the ogre plummeted to the ground. The lifeless body of the ogre almost hit me. However, my reaction time saved the day as I slipped through the sides once again.

    "Anyone else that wants to dance?" I asked, but no one gave me an answer.

    The three ogres who witnessed the scene sprawled off to the other side, running away from me. They knew that if they fought me again, those beasts would lose. I already had a n if that was the case, but it ended up quicker than I had expected.

    I turned around and approached the quivering boar, who also watched the scene. Although its instincts told the boar to run away, it did not. The pig knew that if it careered to the other side, I would effortlessly chase it and kill it.

    "We need to eat too," I whispered, and knelt in front of the hog.

    I knew that eating nourishments in Code would do nothing to our actual bodies our characters also needed to eat. That digested meat would be stamina that would strengthen our attacks.

    But seeing this frightened boar right now�� shattered something inside my heart.

 Chapter 88 - Restless

    "So, what did you bring? I really want to eat some meat right now. I miss the taste of chicken and its juicylicious wings. You know what I mean, Okami, now, do you?"

    "Change of course. We''ll be vegetarians for this day onward."

    "WHAT!" Ryoshi shouted. "What do you mean veget-? You''re kidding, right?"

    I shook my head in response. "Did I ever tell a lie?"

    Silence filled the air as I ced all the herbs, berries, and vegetables inside the boiling pot of soup. We could already taste the simmering vegetables touching our tongue, but the smoke did not pack a punch.

    It was what Ryoshi mentioned, having organic foods as our nourishments was iparable against crimson flesh meat. I had nothing against vegetarians, but the two of us wanted some viands on our rice, paired with a ssh of soy sauce to add colour.

    "What happened to the boar? O-Or the rabbits you''ve told me?"

    All Ryoshi could do was sulk in the corner while pouring the soup into his mouth. He was also thinking of all those dishes in his head while slurping the bowl clean. If my friend was a dishwasher in a restaurant, he could''ve aced all the tes in one go.

    After filling ourselves with our green meal, Ryoshi and I went to hit the sack. Since the two of us were living in the wilderness, the two of us nned duty roll-calls every six hours.

    "Same asst time?" I asked.

    Ryoshi gave me a nod and went to the make-shift futon. I was the one on watch right now, so I prepared my post and warded off the insects near my ce.

    I ced all our equipment and cooking tools in the [astral space] while cleaning every dirt I could find. The misceneous job took me forever to finish, but I finally did everything I could to make the atmosphere less gloomy.

    However, there were still things that I needed while watching the scenery. There were a lot of things left by Ryoshi and me when we ate our bowl. The two of us made a mess and even left our leftovers in the open. By burying the residues underground, we could avoid getting spotted by those monsters lingering in the forest.

    I took the temporary shovel with me and shovelled the dirt to the sides. But upon seeing the orbs blinking from afar, I went to the sides and nudged Ryoshi''s shoulders.

    "Hey, can you lend me a hand��?"

    Instead of a response, Ryoshi growled in his sleep and turned to the other side. I could only frown in dismay, knowing that I had to do this on my own.

    "Having your help would speed things up, you know?" I whispered, but Ryoshi''s persistent snores kept me annoyed. I was better off dealing with these anomalies than asking for anyone''s help.

    I heaved out a sigh and went to explore the woonds once again. I did not mind leaving Ryoshi alone, knowing that he was a light sleeper. One slight touch on his hair, Ryoshi would burst his eyes open and scream to anyone near his face.

    However, exhaustion hit him hard where my nudging hands never cracked his shell. And the monsters would growl near Ryoshi''s ears, which would be enough to wake him up for good. So now, clearing out these pesky creatures of the wild was a job for me to handle. Even though I hated it, these beastsnded in my duty hours.

    Ryoshi would''ve done the same thing if he was the one awake right now. I really wanted to save my strength and have my beauty sleep, but I guess the pipe dream needs to wait.

    ....

    The bushes rustled with the wind as I returned to my campsite. All the dirt glued themselves on my face, as if I ced some lotion of some sort in my daily night routine. As I stepped foot near the make-shift tent, Ryoshi''s figure weed my eyes. A mixture of emotions greeted my sight as I heard the pestering snores of my best friend.

    "Wake up."

    I kicked the sloth on his side, jolting Ryoshi awake from the ground. As he turned around, his eyes widened in shock while weing me into his imaginative world.

    "I had a dream, Okami, that you were out in the woods, fighting against these monsters! Yikes! It was a really scary dream, and you were really, really mad at me!"

    "What a realistic dream you have, Ryoshi. Now, get off from my bed and do your duty." My stern face, apanied by my low-pitch voice, escaped from my mouth.

    I had my arms crossed the entire time, which Ryoshi also noticed at the end of our conversation. That man moved to the side like a snail and cleared his throat.

    "Six hours�� right on time," Ryoshi murmured, but I was already fast asleep.

    ...��..

    ____________

    Ryoshi''s Point of View

    ______________

    Something was not right when Ist talked with Okami. He was all cranky and sadistic, which was clearly like him, but not really. He would usually nag about something and snarl at me about something. But right now, Okami was not in the mood to do all of those.

    I perched on the side and watched the night sky. The stars in Code were iparable from the ones we had on Earth. Thousands of buildings blocked the view, so seeing something like this was a blissful time��

    Not until the death game showed up and ruined everyone''s life.

    "I just want to y video games�� and here I am, stuck inside this world, with him��"

    Despite my rant, I was thankful enough for Okami. He was the reason I kept living in this world. If he had note for my rescue, the elves could''ve ended my life. My family would''ve been sad to know that I''m gone both in Code and on Earth.

    I recalled all the memories I have had in my life while gazing at the constetions. That one scene that haunted me the most was the girl I identally killed with my arrows. I was new to this game, and I wanted to help. But it turned out, I was still an underleveled character and ran away from the scene�� like a coward.

    After returning to that scene, I saw two girls, sisters, once again. I strummed the string from my bow and fired my arrow, only to see it hit the little girl from the older sister''s arms. Once the bolt pierced through the girl''s head�� the older one ran away.

    "Who wouldn''t?" I said.

    I filled my words with regret as I cradled myself to a fetal position. If I could turn back time, I could''ve yed this stupid game first to save that little girl''s life.

    It was all my fault that the girl died. And if I were in the older sister''s position, I would have held a grudge against that person�� against me.

    "Are you�� alright?" A voice from behind startled every cell inside my body. That sound came through my eardrums, calling for my wounded attention.

    I wiped the tears nearly falling from my eyes before turning around. The figure of Okami sitting on the ground sent shivers down my spine, thinking that I woke him up from his sleep.

    "Sorry for waking you�� I-I didn''t mean it."

    "No. You didn''t wake me. I�� can''t sleep."

    Okami went beside me and stared at the vast heavens above. It was as if the ceiling filled itself with glitters all over the ce, sparkling endlessly at every position.

    "So what are you thinking aboutte tonight?" Okami asked, with his eyes still gazing at the stars.

    A smile emerged from my mouth as I gave him my response. "Nothing. Just�� Thank you for saving my ass back then."

    "The great Ryoshi thanking me? Wow! What a wonderful world I live in!" Okami straightforwardly eximed, while shing me a grin. "I must be the luckiest guy on the!"

    "Quit it, or I''ll take that back!"

    After our exchange, the two of us burst intoughter. We knew that all those bickering that we had was nothingpared to our friendship. Okami has always been my friend on Earth or even in this different dimension. And besides, I also helped him rise up from his financial struggles and paid off his debt.

    "What are you saying? If it wasn''t for you, I would have been bankrupt until now! Your money saved me�� and my sister. That''s why saving you woulde natural, hm?"

    "Then I guess we''re even?" I asked, while chuckling.

    "I guess we are."

    Within a few minutes, the two of us talked about the memories of our past. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, but those all happened behind.

    "We should look forward, Ryoshi. Getting out of here is still our primary goal."

    With Okami''s words, he returned to his mat and slept for eight hours. Despite pushing him to the side, that guy refused to open his eyes.

 Chapter 89 - The Story Of Wonderland (Epilogue)

    Alice''s Perspective (An epilogue for volume 2)

    _______

    "Princess Alice, your adventurer has arrived!"

    Upon hearing the news that the soldier mentioned, I rushed down the stairs without a care for the world. All my mind thought about was the man I met a few weeks ago. He vows to protect me, and I promised him my presence.

    "Alice!"

    My voice became a shrieking sound like a rat finding something deep in the corner. My lips never ceased to shiver in delight as I met the gaze of the striking man.

    "Clement! You''re here!"

    His voice was enough to boil my heart and soften everything inside of me. Upon looking in front, the bloke dded with steel te armour greeted me with a smile. I returned his expression and acted gracefully, like a princess.

    As the two of us sped our hands, the yer and I went to the garden. That ce became our little hideout from all the duties that we each had in our life.

    "Running away with your princess problems, Alice?" Clement teased me, while offering the bench for me to sit on.

    I perched on the wooden chair and waited for him to sit by my side. "You''re no fun at all!"

    Despite my awful remark, I couldn''t help myself but giggle at myment. What Clement said to me was the truth, and I did not deny it.

    Being a princess in Wondend was tough for me. Every time I thought about leading the kingdom and the people surrounding it, my hands uncontrobly shake.

    It was as if I fleckless to be a princess. With those expectations, reaching for the roof, my entire body soon faltered on the ground.

    But thanks to Clement, I relieved myself and kept my posture. Although I was a worthless princess, Clement was here as my motivation. He even told me that my being a princess was a fascinating phenomenon.

    I did not want to let him down.

    "Are you sure that you don''t need any help? Not that I could give you my advice or anything-."

    "Oh, no. Don''t worry. I got everything under control! My father always brings new inventions and ideas to the dwarven vige. It''s the only thing that we could do right now��"

    The two of us went to the top of the tower, which was still inside the garden. It was a building that meant to oversee the roses I nurtured from the years I remembered. And I was thankful enough that Clement and I shared something in this ce.

    "The scenery here is really awesome�� unlike my hometown. I wonder what the city would look like if I got out of the hospital. Maybe the world surrounding me would be brighter than what I think?"

    I couldn''t give Clement my response. I knew everything about his life, including the disease that he has.

    "All my life I could only wish to walk�� run�� or even hang out with my dad. That''s why I''m thankful for this game, especially now that I''ve met you," he said, and held my hands tighter.

    I returned Clement''s grasp and looked him in the eye. "We will always be together forever, Clement."

    "No��"

    With that single word, my world crumbled apart. "What do you mean no? Don''t you love me too?"

    "I do�� I love you�� but you''re��"

    "I''m what?" I asked.

    "You''re someone that people have created�� that my father created. All of this is just stimtion. What we have is real, but the world would deny it."

    I knew Clement was not an ordinary man. He usually told me about his physical conditions limiting him from moving, despite walking freely in front of me. But I doubted no word he told me, since it was Clement.

    I would believe every word that woulde out of his mouth.

    "Tell me more, Clement�� What do you mean about this reality?"

    Clement refused to tell me everything he knew at first. But as the time passed by, he finally gave in after heaving out a long sigh.

    "This is a game�� and we named it Code. It is a world created by game developers, which includes my dad and his colleagues. This ce is a gift for me from my father, since I couldn''t move my body."

    "Every character you see, every terrain you go to, every problem that the world has, it''s carefully thought of by these game developers. It''s still in the beta test right now�� so I''m one of the few people ying this game. Once this game gets released to the public, people with distinct personalities could flock around, including this castle. And I''m afraid that I will see that scene anymore, Alice," Clement continued.

    "What do you mean?" I asked, while holding back my tears. "Are you going to leave me because this world is not the same as yours?"

    "No��" Clement answered. "But I know that my body is going to tear itself up�� around this week, I might not go online again."

    Although the terms Clement used became foreign, I understood what he wanted to say. He told me that his body was getting worse at every passing minute, and�� he would die, eventually.

    "Is there any way to save you?... Is there anything that I could do?"

    Clement shook his head and replied. "If there is one�� I would''ve told it to you the first time we met."

    That night, I cried an ocean of tears while hugging his chest. It was like what Clement had mentioned. He never returned to my castle or the garden.

    I waited for many moons, but no figure of a man weed me. I ordered all the guards to find Clement, but my efforts were to no avail. No matter how hard we stretched the map, he was not living in our world.

    I continued weeping every day, wishing for him to return. I did not know that event was thest one I''d get to meet him. If I knew, I could''ve��

    "Alice�� my daughter, I''ve brought you something. Can Ie in?"

    "Yes, father."

    The door creaked open, revealing the figure of my father entering my bedroom. He held a tray filled with various cuisines that anyone could wish for. But those meals were nothingpared to my beloved man.

    "Have you found him?"

    "No��. but I have news for you. Terrible news��"

    Despite my heart beating slowly like a slug, my eyes glimpsed my father''s stern face looking at the ground. "Tell me what it is?"

    "Millions of people entered our world. The heavens above told us that these were the gods that would live us from now on. But I''m afraid that we would engage in a war against these yers��"

    "No��" I gasped upon hearing my father''s statement.

    When Clement mentioned beta and yers, I did not expect to be like this. I thought these yers would be soldiers or vigers that we couldmunicate with. But like every other person, these yers would wreak havoc against anything they see, including this vige.

    "How much time do we have?"

    "They are attacking as we speak, my daughter. We must hurry and bring you to safety."

    With my father''s words, two elite soldiers entered the room. It was as if on cue. Those two guards forcibly carried my petite body to a hidden chamber. We designed that passageway as our escape route in case something terrible would happen.

    But��

    "Father! What about you?" I asked.

    My father, the king, only shook his head. "It is far toote for me�� I want you to use your puppeteer skills to survive in this world. These soldiers would protect you�� they, too, are puppets I have created. Now, go and escape this ce."

    I knew that I still had my responsibilities as the princess of this kingdom. If I were to abandon this ce, my people would be the ones affected the most. However, I couldn''t do anything about it right now.

    The world around me shattered into a billion pieces. All the family that I cared about turned into ashes. As the three of us exited the passageway, the castle and the garden got burned down to smithereens.

    All the memories that Clement and I had have be dust�� because of these yers that ruined the ce! I never learned about their goals or what they wanted from our family. It was what my father had mentioned. They only wished to destroy things in in sight.

    And we were the unfortunate ones that received their blow��

    I clenched my hands and gritted my teeth in front of me. These yers and game developers took everything from me, including the person who I love.

    I was a princess that escaped my doom�� But as I controlled my powers to the fullest; I returned to the kingdom and brought back the justice my father deserves.

    I trampled everything in my way. The dark glittering around my heart changed even my form. It took my humanity away from me in exchange for overwhelming power.

    But a man stood in front of me. Fenrir was his name.

 Chapter 90 - Project Hiro

    Warner Asimov''s Point of View.

    __________________

    "Today is a big day, Sir Asimov," Katya said, while waiting at the benches. "We should get ready for the press soon, or else the people might get the wrong idea."

    The two of us sat on the aligned chairs behind the metal doors. Right past through that gate was the stadium meant to interview. It had been three months since the death game, and around one billion people got killed inside the game.

    "You''re right. We don''t want to stir any panic from the world now, do we?" An instinctive chuckle followed through my voice as I gave out myment.

    After a few moments, a knocking from the other side startled my mind. It was the staff that told us it was our cue to enter the stage.

    Katya and I stood up from our seats and went straight ahead to the crowd. Thousands of roarsing from the audience echoed in my ears. They were not cheering for me.

    It was the other way around.

    "Wee, Director Asimov. The modern father of pharmacology created the cure for both cancer and polio! It''s a pleasure meeting you in person, sir. My son and I are great fans of your work!"

    The television host greeted me with such an intense glee as he offered his hand. I took his gesture and gave his arm a firm shake. Despite the camera lights blinding me in this room, I still considered this event as my business.

    It was nothing unusual.

    After exchanging pleasantries, we talked about various things unrted to the death game. Katya did not say a word, considering that she was my secretary who handles my paperwork, not these interviews. Since I was still a man that held five majorpanies in Russia and three more internationally, it was no surprise that everyone wanted to know me.

    Within a few minutes, the program finally switched its gears. We were now talking about the death game and my n toplete the game.

    "My team and I will go directly to the game tomorrow," I said, which made the crowd fall silent to my words. "During our beta-test, the game developers made a character that could stop sudden discord against�� things unforeseen in the game. After three months of polishing the character, we believe that the time was ripe to change Code. We promise you that Project Hiro will put a stop to this madness within a year! That is our deadline. Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day."

    Katya gestured her head for me to take our leave. If we stayed in this stadium any longer, the paparazzi would pursue our tails, asking more things about what I had mentioned.

    The host thanked me for my appearance and led me backstage. However, the camera team, journalist, and the paparazzi had the same idea and chased me to the ends of the Earth.

    But thanks to Katya''s backup n, the two of us escaped the audience and went to my vehicle. It was what I mentioned earlier. My team already built the research centre in the Maind and made it our base for the time being.

    That ce would serve as our headquarters in facilitating the game and taking refuge with the lost yers. Thanks to Robin and the different countries and their ns, we annihted half of the NPC''s poption. The long-eared elves, which was the primary threat of the game, got eliminated from Code.

    All we had to take care of was Alice in Wondend�� I could only pray that none of the yers or NPCs would revive that demonic beast.

    "Are all systems ready to go?" I asked.

    Katya gave me a nod. "Sir Asimov, this is just to brief everyone aboard in this device. We still have unfortunate rookie scientists who don''t know how the game works��"

    "I see�� I assume that these people have never touched a gaming device before."

    Katya never gave me a response, since she deemed it as an unnecessary question. Although she''s my secretary, that girl was still as hard as steel.

    We went our separate ways and rested for the night. As the day went by, the rm clock near my bed woke the shit out of me. I did not get enough sleep, thinking about the character inside Code��

    It was someone I know, after all.

    Katya announced her arrival and went inside my room. She asked for my presence, since the two of us would tell the news to our team.

    We went to the central panel and stood in front of the mob of scientists and engineers. Clicking sounds and shing sses of sks ran through our eardrums. But as soon as we were facing the station we walked by, those sounds disappeared.

    All eyes were staring at our figure, but I already got used to this set-up.

    With her words, Katya gathered all the teams included in our quest. Before we could emerge from the game, we need to deploy the hero of this world. Although that character was already doing its part on Code, we still couldn''t grasp everything from his scripts.

    "All of you would be yers upon stepping foot on Code. It would mean that each of you will get powers of your choice. A war against NPC would happen, and I need you lots to know how to use that game-like power. But your focus would be on instructing the troops, collecting the whereabouts of the four obelisks, finding the centre altar, and monitoring Project Hiro."

    It was what Katya had mentioned. We also needed to shelter all the yers trapped in the game and ensure their safety. And going straight to the game while helping the yers with the support that came from the countries would ensure the government slots for the next election. To those leaders who agreed, giving me funds to do my research would receive poprity from the crowd because of the conditions of the death game.

    Those families would remember getting help from those presidents. Hence, voting for them for next year''s election. It was a win-win situation, so I might as well use it to my advantage.

    Everyone agreed to themands of Katya and went straight to their stations. Since these people had talents beyond my expectations, they knew what to do. Thanks to Katya''s guidance, the process went smoothly.

    I clenched my hands as I stared in front of the screen, with Clement rushing to the NPCs.

    "Son��"

    Despite creating Clement, I had never met him once in this world. Because of the dire situation, it was a unanimous decision to send the best character out in the field. Clement needed to purge the non-yer characters, and act as the leader of the international guilds.

    "And now they are heading to Wondend�� chasing this guy named Wolf, and a girl named Red��," I murmured, while continuing to stare at the monitor.

    Katya went to my side and disrupted my thoughts. She also told me that the device was ready on the other side of the room.

    "I''m going to see my son again��," I whispered, andid down on thefortable mattress.

    There were dozens of machines and doctors on standby in case something terrible would happen during my descent. It was the only thing that assured me the safety of going into another world.

    All the fantasies that I thought about turned out real in this world. A smirk emerged on my mouth as I witnessed the helmet-like device transports anyone who wears this essory.

    "Are you ready, sir?" Katya asked.

    "Aren''t you going with me?" I returned her question.

    She wanted to retort at my sentence but kept her mouth shut for the time being. With my words, Katya ordered another mattress and rested beside me.

    It was what I had mentioned. I also drafted Katya in Code, considering that she needed to save her husband inside the game.

    "Who made this device was an idiot."

    "Sir, you invented this ce."

    "Oh��"

    With our jest, the monitor yelled out a high-pitch tone, telling us we were entering the world of Code. I asked Katya where the two of us wouldnd in the game. She told me that after we choose our character, we would reside inside theboratory.

    "It''s the same replica of-,"

    "Of?"

    Katya''s words got cut off by the sounds of the engineing from the device, telling me we were now inside the game world.

    The world surrounding me became dark, with no sounding from the air. After a few seconds, a ray of light emerged in the distance, weing me inside this realm. As I opened my eyes, a window shed before me with words written inside.

    [Please choose your character] An automated voice called upon me while reading the texts.

    After nudging my fingers at the side, another window popped up, with a character shown in front of me.

    [Please choose a name]

 Chapter 91 - Into The Labyrinth

    Red''s Perspective

    ______________

    "Whatever you do, Match, don''t look behind," I instructed, as I grabbed the little girl''s hand and zoomed through the sea of forest.

    The two of us left behind the vige, hoping that the townspeople could defend themselves from the yers.

    With the cloaked merchant''s advice, Match and I went to the forest. Although the two of us wanted to stay any longer, that tradesperson persuaded us to go to the dwarven vige. He told me he and Olivia could defend the townlet. And there was some force approaching in the vige, which that merchant discreetly exined.

    I could still remember the merchant''s words. He told me he could fight them, especially when Olivia was around. I had not seen that lizard fight, and I could only hope that the merchant was speaking the truth.

    After buying the dragonewt''s exnation, we trusted the two and carried on with our quest. It was the journey of collecting the three remaining obelisks, starting with Wondend.

    It had been six hours since we escaped the vige''s borders, and a few climbed the mountain top.

    The breezeing from the summit had a different gust of wind. It had a somewhat chilling touch like winter. As we reached the apex, I told Match to stay close to me. We stood around hundreds of feet away from below ground. There were no rails of some sort that would act as a safety precaution for the two of us, making it even worse than climbing a tree.

    "Can you see anything, Red?" Match asked

    I shook my head in response. "Nothing yet�� Well, I do some caves, but not with dwarves or anything in particr. Only�� empty caverns."

    Although the map told us otherwise, there was no clear sign of the dwarvennd. All we could see, even at this height, was the forest. Nothing special appeared before us during our observation.

    "Well, I guess we could visit every cave we saw right now," I said, while heaving out a tired sigh.

    "Ehh, but that''s too tiring and time-consuming. Can''t we ask the system about it? The map shows we are in the right spot, right?" Match retorted.

    "Yes, that''s true. But�� Like I''ve said before, the system doesn''t give us anyndmarks at all. It just says here that we''re already dwarven. And probably one of those caves is the entrance to that kingdom. We just need to find the right one," I exined, and prepared a route back to the bottom. "Come on, Match. How bad would it be?"

    There are twenty-four caves in our vicinity, and we discovered one of them by the time wended on the soil. All those twenty caves were all ced on my map and saved in my storage. The two of us just needed to follow the navigation road prepared by the system.

    "No luck."

    Upon stepping foot into the cavern, a wall weed my eyes. There was nobody there inside to greet me. I also did not notice any signs of life inside and outside of the cave.

    "It''s okay. We just have twenty-three caves left to explore, right, Match?" I enthusiastically asked, with my hands soaring in the air.

    But I was the only one with that overwhelming energy. Match was like an old woman who was near in her sixties. She did not want to visit ces, especially caves. Although I tried to make our journey entertaining, Match had lost all motivation from checking each of these caverns.

    It was a matter of time before I lost mine��

    ........

    I had never thought about jinxing myself from what I said before. I told Match that we would have a fun time exploring the uncharted realms. However��

    "Ten more to go�� It has been ten days since our first�� cave expedition, and yet we haven''t found at least one lead! We can''t even see any dwarves! What''s wrong with this ce?" Ished out while shing the obstructing vines all over the ce.

    Match, who had been munching berries throughout the trip, became silent all over those days. I didn''t know that a few berries would make her emotions stable.

    However, it was not just her who was feeling restless throughout this cruise. I was already passing my limit, and the only thing that kept me going was the berries we had been picking on the road.

    It had a sweet blend of mangoes and the sourness of lemon, mixed with the surface colour of strawberries in the shape of dragon fruit. I could not ask for more, since we found fewer animals roaming around the vicinity. I also noticed that somebody engineered the trees growing in this forest.

    It only meant that the trees and berries were all carefully ced in their right order. That pattern became visible in my eyes, which Match also noticed.

    As we headed deeper into the woods, we found the ninth cave near the ruins. The cavern differed from those terrains we visited before��

    "Bullets�� and rifles? But there are no bodies�� Something must have happened around this ce. Did the soldiers reach this ce?" I whispered, while leaning closer to the ground.

    Despite the bullets and rifles seen lying on the floor, none of them worked as I saw from the soldiers. Regardless of their worth, I ced them inside my bag for keepsake, hoping to find their use in the proper hands.

    While dilly dallying around, my eyes caught sight of the footprints going inside the cave. It had a smaller shape than the ones humans have, telling me we were not alone in this ce. I used my detection skills on my map and tried finding the anomaly lurking around the shadows.

    However, my map refused to cooperate with me, telling me it saw nothing absurd to call it a threat. My system also couldn''t identify the markings on the ground, making it difficult for us to perceive the way.

    But I knew that we were close to our objective, since we only had nine caves to explore, including this one with the phantom arsenals.

    "Finally, there''s something exciting! But I hope we don''t meet any soldiers along the way��"

    Match''s jolly expression immediately shifted to an anxious one at the end of her sentence. She knew that fighting against those yers would prove difficult for us to proceed to our goal. And if we ever saw one around the cave, a campsite filled with adventurers and soldiers would be waiting for our arrival.

    "Yeah. We sure hope so, Match. Come on, follow me inside. Whatever you do, don''t walk away from me."

    Match gave me a nod after hearing my instructions as the two of us entered the cavern. As we stepped foot inside, the ground quivered, disrupting our bnce. I snatched Match away and went backwards, only to witness four burrows shattering the floor.

    "What is that?" Match asked, but I could not give my answer.

    After waiting for a few seconds, four altars emerged before us, with a passageway at the farthest wall.

    Each of the altar had a rectangr size that could fit something. At the centre of the four was a caged door.

    "Should we try and open that?" Match asked once again, and now I gave her a nod. Although the situation that we were in sounded dangerous and eerie, we had no other way but to proceed in this ce.

    I touched the ground and prayed that it would never quake again. After waiting for some time, the floor did not move a stone. Upon advancing, I went to the centre and tried pulling the door. But the ground never budged a centimetre despite my exerting enough force to move the mountains.

    I even had my right eye glowing like crazy.

    "Nothing."

    I gave up trying to move the stone and tried looking around. My eyes finally wandered in front of the gate at the farthest part of the cave. The door looked more like a dungeon for prisoners and rebels now that I moved in front of it. Match stayed closed beside me while tugging the ends of my clothes with her fingertips.

    "Are we going inside?" Match asked.

    "Yes."

    After our exchange, I nudged the doorknob and pushed the door open, only to see a circr shelf of books surrounding our vicinity. Those racks connected each other, forming one ring, with the entrance as its hole.

    In front of us was a table with a crystal and a window floating in mid-air. Match and I had experienced a lot of mysterious things besides this, so the screen was nothing new to us.

    I gulped the remaining salvia inside of me and approached the glimmering light. Upon reaching out for the crystal, a notification appeared inside my system.

    [Congrattions! You''ve found their of the dwarven kingdom! All you gotta do is to solve the puzzle!]

    Dozens of files appeared before us as the automated voice inside my head read the texts.

 Chapter 92 - Puzzles

    Inside the eeriebyrinthy countless books to choose from. Everywhere that my eyes met, there was a book ording to a topic. Ancient as it looked, someone wrote all the contents for the readers.

    It had myriad subjects that did not concern me, except for the ten books stationed in front. Those volumes, which also had titles on the front page, made my eye sparkling with joy. I did not know why, but the windows exined it all.

    [The library contains all of your questions and desires. Answering four riddles and an entrance would lead you somewhere you yearn.]

    [Do you ept the riddle?]

    [Yes/No]

    Match also witnessed the popped up windows as she hid behind me. I, who knew that these screens were no threat to our existence, stood tall in front of the box.

    My fingers tapped the wind and pressed yes to the question. After a few seconds, the screen changed and revealed all four riddles at once if I clicked the tab.

    [First Riddle]

    [Second Riddle]

    [Third Riddle]

    [Fourth Riddle]

    Every time that my finger touched the tab, that rectangr box would glow a vibrant light. Each case had different colours, which made it more questionable.

    I tried opening the first riddle, since it was the first one that appeared in front of me. The rectangr tab glowed a yellow hue that resembled something that I knew. A faint chiming sound would follow upon opening the cube, telling me I opened the box.

    [First Riddle: I am bright but not clever. I burn, but I am not a bonfire. I sound like I am a celebrity, but I am not famous. I twinkle, but I am not an eye. I can be seen at night, but I am not the moon. What am I?]

    Match went to me and asked, "Red, do you know the answer?"

    I shook my head and replied, "No�� I don''t. Riddles are not my forte."

    The two of us pondered the riddle for thirty minutes, and yet nothing came to our senses. No matter how hard we thought about the answer, Match and I couldn''t find the answer.

    And then, a light bulb appeared on top of Match''s head, telling me she had something in mind. "I know! The system told us that the answer is from those ten books on the table. We should check it out!"

    I seconded her decision as the two of us went to the table.

    It was what the automated voice told us. Ten books had diverse titles and words written on the book cover. Each of them was effortless to understand. Match and I picked the books and organised them while sitting on the ground.

    "What do we have here?" I mumbled, as I read the texts out loud. "Hill, star, fire, light, past, present, future, mountain, time , and your word. Well, this makes little sense at all!"

    Match nodded to herself, agreeing with what I just remarked. "Yes. I don''t know what those even are! "

    After countless minutes idling around, I stood up and went back to the entrance, where we saw the four altars. Upon blinking my eyes, the four pirs had the exact colour that the riddles had. It was a hint that the books we would use could be the key to unlocking this damn ce.

    I returned to the library and met Match once again. "Have you found anything yet, Match?"

    Although Match was still a little girl, she had a knack for thinking. I did not want to make her useless, since this puzzle required our efforts toplete it.

    I sat beside the girl and browsed through the nearly dozen books on the floor while rereading the entire riddle. Since the books here were the key to unlock the passageway, Match and I needed to guess something for starters.

    That was what I believed.

    "Why don''t we try voting for an answer before thinking about the actual answer. Does it make sense?" I asked.

    Match nodded and went along with my n. I grabbed a random book with the title "light," which was the closest that I could think of, and went to the altar. I rested the tome on the golden stone and waited for something to happen.

    Little did I know that the book we ced was wrong. Instead of a pleasant sound, a frightening groan echoed inside the cave, with arrows hovering in our direction. We did not know where these bolts came from, but Match and I needed to act fast if we still wanted to survive.

    I snatched Match back to the library and took refuge inside. After a few seconds, the arrows had finally died down, ending the duration of the trap.

    [Because you ced the wrong book on the golden altar, a trap activated itself. Be sure that the volume you would set is the correct one. Please read the riddles once again before answering them. ]

    "Damn you!" I eximed, while tempting myself to throw the book clipped in my hand. Match knew what I wanted to do, so she stopped me by caressing my arms.

    It was enough to calm down my senses as the two of us resumed solving the puzzle.

    "So guessing is a no-no for us," I murmured, and held the three books in my hand. "I have an intelligent guess, but, uh�� the traps."

    After getting a taste of those ridiculous arrows flying out of nowhere, Match and I became hesitant about our decisions. As soon as Match heard the word "guess" from my mouth, she shook her head and hid inside the mountain of books.

    However, despite the fear swelling inside of us, we must ovee this trial. We needed a boat made from the dwarves, after all.

    "Match, trust me on this, okay? I may not be that intelligent, but I think I finally got the right answer!" I assured the little girl, cowering in fear.

    After my few attempts at pulling her out from the cave of books, Match went back to my side and yed the role of an adviser. She would vote if my answer was close enough to the riddle.

    "I think fire, light, and star probably are our best bet! What do you think?" I asked, while sliding the books from my hand to the other.

    Match pondered the options I set in front of her. She knew that if we made a mistake like before, who knows what would happen to the other traps installed for us. We might not even survive that, considering that we got out of that ce because of some luck! Although my right eye glowed for a second, activating those traps would still pose a problem to us.

    "The answer couldn''t be fire, since mes burn everything. It also does not twinkle like the ones mentioned in the description. We already guessed light, and it was the wrong word. So I think the answer that we''re looking for is this book, ''Star''," Match exined, while handing me the book with the name "star," on the front.

    I gave her a nod and went back to the entrance, where the four altars waited for our arrival. As soon as we stepped foot on the other side, the bolts-which should have been lying around the ce, disappeared. It almost looked like someone cleaned the entire cave up before we knew it!

    Match and I paid it no concern and went straight to the golden altar. It invited us toe closer to its presence, with the book grasped in our hands.

    I gingerlyid the book down on the space and waited for a few seconds. I also activated my right eye in case something horrible would happen. But despite my preparations, there was nothing that killed us. Only the quivering sounds of the ground, paired with the chiming echoesing from the altar, resounded inside the cavern.

    [First Riddle Complete!]

    [I am bright but not clever. I burn, but I am not a bonfire. I sound like I am a celebrity, but I am not famous. I twinkle, but I am not an eye. I can be seen at night, but I am not the moon. What am I?]

    [The answer is a STAR]

    The steady altar went down on the burrow. It was as if the ground sucked the entire thing out of its existence. But Match and I knew we did something right, since the system and the environment told us about it.

    "I did not know that would work!" I said.

    But Match did not feel delighted after hearing myment. "What do you mean you didn''t know! You don''t have faith in me, Red!"

    The little girl pouted while withdrawing to the library. It took me several minutes before grabbing back the attention of Match. It was thanks to her we solved the first riddle that the cavern gave us. Although the situation became intense, everything became entertaining��

    Like we were inside a game.

 Chapter 93 - More Puzzles

    By the time Match and I returned inside the library, the pile of books had disappeared from the table. Instead, those volumes transported themselves somewhere inside the shelves. There was already one peeking in front of us.

    "Present." I read the title out loud upon taking it from the shelf. "What is this doing here? We''re the only ones inside this library."

    I did not sense any magical output until thest minute. Even my map did not ce any red marks on anyone. Match couldn''t possibly do all of that on her own with only a few seconds. And besides, she was always there beside me. That girl wouldn''t dare leave my ce even if I asked her to move.

    It only meant one thing��

    "This ce did it. Those books would change randomly if we got the answer right. We just need to find where the puzzle ced the books on the shelves," I eximed, and tasked Match to look for the remaining books.

    Thanks to our efforts, Match and I found the books. It took us some time before we collected them and ced them back on the table once again. They were hiding in in sight, given that we only answered one of the four riddles.

    If we could answer more of those puzzles, the challenge would increase.

    "We have nine books in our hands and three puzzles. It means that there are six wrong words mixed up with the answers," I murmured, while heaving out a sigh. "Well, it doesn''t matter for now. And since we all gathered the books, we might as well resume to the second riddle."

    Match seconded my suggestion and waited for the monitor to appear. I slid the screen open and pressed the second riddle among the other two remaining.

    [Second Riddle: What has roots as nobody sees is taller than trees. Up, up it goes. And yet never grows?]

    Judging by the riddle''s sentence, it was moreplicated than we had imagined. Our boggling eyes made the best out of us after reading such a roundabout riddle. It was as if the puzzle did not want us to win.

    It wanted us to lose��

    The two of us again browsed the pile of books on the table. We already used the word "Star" on the altar. And the two other books: such as "Fire" and "Light", did not apply to the riddle.

    Match was the one that pointed that out. She shoved those two volumes to the side and focused on the remaining six on the table. Since our options lessened than before, it was safe for us to assume that we had a higher chance of winning.

    "The riddle has to be something tall. If I have to guess right, I think our best bet would be the words: hill and mountain," Match exined, while sticking out her tongue. It was her own way of thinking things. "What do you think, Red? Do you have any suggestions?"

    "I think your thoughts are the same as mine, since hills and mountains fit the descriptions perfectly."

    It was what Match had mentioned. The hill and mountain were our answer, but there should be only one book on the altar, or else we would face the wrath of the flying archers! Thebyrinth had more dangerous traps stored for us, but we would not dare to know that.

    A heavy exhale fled from my mouth after thinking about all the pessimistic stuff inside my head. After brushing it away, I finally approached Match and pointed out the book in her right hand.

    "The hill�� that''s my guess."

    "Mine is the mountains, but whatever," Match replied. Since she ced her trust in me, she went along with my decision.

    The two of us went outside the library, bringing the two books in our hands. As soon as we arrived on the set, the three altars weed our sights.

    Our hands shivered upon looking at the spaces of these pedestals, knowing we would feel devilish punishments if we made the wrong answer. That did not stop us from cing the book "hill" on the space.

    All we had to do was wait for the pedestal to shake.

    We captured the motion, but it was not what we had expected. Instead of epting the book, the altar rejected it, tossing it in our direction. My reaction time kicked in as I caught the book with my hands, mid-air.

    "This whole thing doesn''t feel right," Imented, and checked every nick and corner of the entrance. "We better get inside the library and rethink our new n!"

    With my words, Match and I hurried back to the book room, only to see a boulder plummeting above. It was a good thing that I snatched Match away from danger. I ced her behind me, where it was safe, before continuing further to the haven room.

    [Warning! Because you ced the wrong book, the cave would experience an earthquake. Please enter inside the library, or else you two get buried alive.]

    "You don''t say!" Match remarked, while evading the falling rocks from above. "Red, do something!"

    "I''m already trying!" I answered.

    Despite my reply, there was nothing I could do to stop this from happening to us. I did not have any overpowered skills that could shield us from this earthquake or control thend itself! All I could do was slit the throats of vulnerable people!

    I looked upwards and spotted countless stones reaching out to the other wall. Those bumps formed like stairs in my eyes. Since it had alreadye to this, I cooked up a n inside my head.

    "I have an idea," I said, and hauled Match''s hands away from where she stood.

    The two of us leapt from one hump to another, travelling at the side and across the entrance. Since I called myself an acrobatic assassin, jumping on these terrains was a piece of cake for me. It did not take us some time before reaching inside the library.

    Upon mming ourselves inside the mouth of the book room, the quaking motion had put to a stop. It was as if the setting knew that we were inside the library that the entire situation did not pursue any longer.

    The ce had a mind of its own if it knew Match and I got away from that dangerous ce.

    "You should teach me those moves once we get the time. But for now, I think the answer to that riddle is the book ''mountain''. We should better ce it on the altar right away," Match eximed, and went outside of the athenaeum.

    I tried stopping her, since the ce might have left some traps. But my worried expression was all for nought when I already witnessed the book snuggled in the burrowed space.

    After a few seconds, the cave copsed once again. But it was not the violent one that we experienced before. Those shaking motions were the nostalgic ones we had earlier when we ced the correct book on their slot.

    "I guess you''re right, Match," I said,plimenting her about the solved riddle.

    Just like before, the altar sumbed downwards and made a chiming sound. It was the tone that told us that we aplished our goal. And the answer we gave was correct.

    [Second Riddle Complete!]

    [What has roots as nobody sees is taller than trees. Up, up it goes. And yet never grows?]

    [The answer is a MOUNTAIN]

    "Two down, only two more to go," Imented, and stretched out my arms.

    I knew that I made a mistake about guessing the wrong word. But all went well ording to our n. As I nced at my side, Match shed me a pout instead of a smile.

    "I told you that the answer is the mountain and not the hill."

    "I''m sorry about that�� You''re right about the mountain," I answered, and caressed Match''s hair.

    Match heard my confession as she looked me in the eye. She hugged me from behind and snuggled beside me like a child.

    "You don''t trust me, do you?" the little girl asked.

    "I do," I answered. "This sister of yours is just bad at answering riddles. Don''t worry. Those two riddles would be all yours to answer."

    Match finally shed me a beam while holding my hand. My answer was everything she needed as the two of us walked away from the two pedestals.

    After epting my defeat, we returned to the library, only to witness something unusual.

    As the two of us stepped foot on the book room, the room magically conjured a second floor. That elevated floor had more shelves and books than the first one. There were also more tables loitering everywhere, with dozens of books that we did not recognise.

    The library also did not have any lightpared tost time. Upon approaching the first shelf in front of me, a clipped note greeted my eyes.

    "What the hell is this?"

 Chapter 94 - Completing The Riddles

    Since Match could use her fire magic, she conjured a faint blue light on her fingertips. This me served as our light for the time being in this darkened room.

    The library also expanded, making more room for us to find the missing books. It was like from before when we found all the books and ced them on the board.

    But now that the ce erged itself, Match and I needed to think this through. We need to use our time with utmost proficiency, or we could end up nowhere in this ce.

    And that was what the two of us did.

    "What books do we need right now?" I asked.

    "Since we had unlocked two riddles, we should have five options to choose from. We already used the books hill, mountain, star, fire, light, and star. I think we don''t have to worry about it. But we still need to keep our eyes peeled for anything, especially the third riddle," Match replied.

    She told me to open my system and read the next riddle. The quicker we could finish it, the better.

    I did what Match instructed and slid the monitor open. Just like before, the screen emerged after pressing a button on the box. After a few seconds, the system announced that we unlocked the two riddles.

    We had two more riddles to go before meeting with the dwarves. Considering the increasing difficulty of these questions, Match and I might face something brain-shaking to these riddles.

    I could only hope that we would know answering the following questions.

    [Third Riddle]

    [What is always in front of you but can''t be seen?]

    Much to our surprise, the third riddle had a short sentence. It did not have any meticulous things included that would juggle our minds. However, this brief description only meant that the two of uscked words to ce the pieces together.

    "Well, this riddle definitely doesn''t have the answers I''ve mentioned before. We only have five options to choose from, including past, present, future, time, and word," Match exined, while browsing her eyes at the towering shelves surrounding us. "Those books must be hiding from those shelves. We don''t need to find the other five books, since we have no use for them."

    "Gotcha."

    After our exchange, we parted ways and began our search. I took the upstairs while Match searched for the first floor.

    Match also told me to monitor any books peeking from the racks. She also added that might not be the case for this riddle. Since the cavern increased its difficulty, the books that we saw from before had a different location.

    But there are few incidents where this happened. Match called for me from upstairs and presented that exnation.

    "I found a book, but I doubt that this is the answer. What we need to find right now are the three books: past, present, future. Among those three words are the answers to the riddle."

    After the brief exnation, the two of us returned to our post and resumed our search once more. The detailed rifications of Match really helped me find the books on these countless bookshelves.

    I already found one peering through the rest of the volumes. But as Match had told me, we only need to find the five words. The rest of the books would be useless even if we found them from the book stack.

    "Hmm�� fire. Not the book we''re looking for," I murmured, and ced the volume on the ground.

    Some books had other foreign words that I did not understand. Those volumes include electricity, stic, Chrono, quantum, and more. However, we already knew the words that we knew. Match and I just needed to find those before the yers could reach this ce.

    We had a time limit of opening the entrance towards the dwarven kingdom. But now that I realised it, we did not have the means of telling time.

    Unfortunately, as it was, I brushed those thoughts away and rmenced looking for the volume once again. I scanned the area and tried looking for the books one by one. However, as time passed by, the books that I needed to have did not appear in front of my eyes.

    Although I barely covered half of the area, the five words that I must have never reached my hands.

    I took a brief break and gazed below, watching Match work and looking for these volumes. As soon as I caught her eye, Match waved her hands at me and raised a book. The word "past" appeared on the front cover, telling me that the girl already found one of the four missing books.

    "You found one! Good job!" I shouted, while shing her a grin.

    Match returned my smile and answered, "Of course I found one! Now, onto the next book!"

    Upon seeing Match''s resolve, I pounded my chest, inhaled the fresh scent of the books, and returned to my position. I also shook my head for good measure, hoping that would shuffle my anxiety out of my brain.

    If the little girl could do this much, I must not fall behind!

    After steeling my heart, my eyes resumed hunting down that book. Those burning mes of passion kindled my heart, telling me to exceed my expectations. After countless minutes passing through the clock, my eyes glimpsed at the oddly ced book.

    I reached out for the volume and widened my eyes. My breath turned intense, excited to tell Match about the efforts I exerted.

    After pinpointing the ce from where I had left, I rushed downstairs. I could not wait anymore to tell Match about my findings.

    But as soon as I stepped foot on the first floor, Match had her head lying on the table, with her arms used as a make-shift pillow. She was sleeping like a log without a care for the world. Even though my footsteps made squeaking sounds, the little girl refused to wake up as Match sumbed to her sleep.

    Her image told me everything I needed to know. From all the adventurers we had experienced, Match felt useless and dependent. I was always there to save her, but she could not save herself when danger came.

    Since I found her alone in the forest, all Match could think of was her inevitable doom. But upon receiving shelter from my arms, that girl realised that there was more to this world.

    Despite the unjust world we lived in, she refused to kill yers. Match did not have the resolve that scarred my heart. That little girl never sought revenge from the game developers.

    "As long as I have you, I want to live." Those were the words Match told me inside the inn.

    All she wanted was to stay beside me, regardless of the situation. Although Match had an arduous time epting the killings that I did, she still shed me a smile. That girl even killed some yers along the way to rescue me from those hovering bullets.

    It had only been a month, and yet we already found a home. It was not this library, the shacks, or the cavern that Kouran made for the rogue non-yer characters.

    As long as we''re together, our lives will be our home.

    As I pondered these thoughts, Match let out a whispering groan, telling me she felt ufortable in her sleep. My eyes drooped down while I offered my hand for her to snuggle. The little Match took my effort and made my hand her personal pillow.

    Match even drooled my hand with her sticky saliva as she snored a ring snore.

    "You''re so adorable, Match," I whispered, but the girl never heard me.

    If Match heard me, she would let out a tantrum, retorting to the word adorable�� I think. Well, at other times, she loved it when I called her that. I could only imagine her expressions as I told her different things before reaching the library.

    Instead of the wild imaginations I thought of, Match crept closer to me and used my shoulders as an erged pillow. I could not decline her offer and presented my other half to the little girl.

    "That reminds me about something�� When was thest time we slept together? We rested for a short while in the vige, but I don''t consider that as a sound sleep��," I thought, while staring at the still figure of Match.

    We were always on the run, even in that vige. Considering my declining trust for the people we meet, I always wake up after a couple of minutes to check my environment. Although Match slept for a few minutes, my body was still half-awake.

    I nudged my shoulders and positioned myself where I could also lean my head to Match. After a few seconds of shuffling our bodies, I found the perfect spot where we could tilt each other''s heads and sleep for the time being.

    Since the ce did not have any monsters that would attack us, I let my body be vulnerable and shared a peaceful night�� or day with Match.

 Chapter 95 - On Our Tail

    A soft groan escaped from my lips as the sound of someone snarling woke my ears. Upon peeling my eyes open, the five books greeted my eyes, with the girl seated in front of me.

    Match pondered to herself while browsing the set of volumes lying on the table. At her fore was the screen with the riddle written on the text. Since she was a party member of mine, Match could also read the texts that the library gave me.

    "Oh, you''re awake, Red." The startled Match greeted me as soon as she discerned my orbs.

    I gave her a slight nod and looked at the board. It was what I thought. All the five books that we needed were already in our hands. We just needed to answer the riddle and ce the book on the altar.

    "Did you find these by yourself?" I asked.

    Match gave me a nod and answered, "Yes. While you''re asleep."

    This girl did everything that the two of us nned to finish. It was as if a crown of thorns nestled itself on top of my head. The unbearable pain pierced through my scalp, telling me I had been a useless sister until now.

    Although the surrounding people before called me smart, I couldn''t understand the meaning behind these riddles. It just showed how inferior I was to the little girl below my age.

    "I''m sorry for being so useless," I instinctively said, and joined Match, browsing through the books.

    My anxiety got the better of me, epting that I became a worthless person in the eyes of the person I saved. I thought I was the one who could protect Match.

    But Match did not need me all this time. I was just swimming around my imagination, receiving the pleasure that someone depended on me for the entire journey.

    My eyes scrambled as Match''s figure soon stood from her seat. She stopped scanning the books, closed the opened ones, and went to my side. That girl had a pouting expression carved on her face.

    I, who knew nothing about reading the book, could not grasp what she wanted to say. It was all written on my face, since Match did not curl her lips downwards after a few minutes. Instead, she ced both of her hands on each of my cheeks and gave it a rattle.

    She was like a rattlesnake, hissing at me without telling the reason.

    After juggling my mind, the little girl let out a chuckle while shing me a smile. Match found it entertaining to wobble my head. If I were unlucky enough, my brain juice would leave my skull for good.

    "What''s gotten into you?" I asked, still recovering from the vibration.

    Match shook her head and answered, "Nothing. You just look hrious when you pout like that!"

    "But I''m not the one who''s pouting!" I retorted, with my shoulders crossed and my head looking in the opposite direction. "I am not pouting. You are�� before. But now you aren''t."

    "See what I mean?"

    The conversation continued without concluding. However, after our energy left us, Match and I leaned our heads against each other and took a brief break.

    "I''m sorry for being a useless sister," I confessed, while fighting off the tears flowing from my eyes.

    Match just shook her head and caressed my hair. "Don''t be. You''re the one who always saves me, Red. That''s why I want to help youplete these puzzles!"

    The little girl gazed into my eyes as she continued her story. "Before the vige got attacked, my sister would always tell stories, puzzles, and riddles during bedtime. She neverined, even though my sister got exhausted from work. I still can''t use my powers that well, so I want to do what I can in this library. I want to challenge myself and answer the riddles! So, you''re not useless, Red. Let me handle this, and I will leave all the fighting to you. We need each other. Depend on me, and I will depend on you too, Red."

    I heaved out a sigh after getting quite a scolding from Match. Even though she was just a little girl, Match still had her ways of softening my chilling heart.

    "You''re right," I answered, while gazing at the ground. "I was so caught up in doing everything by myself when I could rely on you, too. I''m sorry for not asking for your help, and thank you for helping meplete this puzzle."

    The moment of truth revealed itself from my mouth as the talk continued longer. Right after saying all that we wanted, we continued the conversation about our past lives.

    I told her I was a shopkeeper, selling vegetables and fruits and fish that my parents brought and harvested. I also told Match about Clementine, my little sister, who helped me fix the stall.

    Match was the same; only she was the one helping the shop. Her sister was the one selling the goods and harvesting them from their backyard. We had the same experience, except with the switched roles.

    After finishing our talk, the two of us went to the table and finished what Match started. We ced the five books on the table and exchanged information about the answer.

    "Take the spotlight, Match. It''s all yours," I eximed, and offered her the floor.

    Match took a deep breath and readied all the volumes that we needed to brainstorm our answer. The monitor also appeared before us, with the riddle disyed in front. We needed all the information and found an answer to that puzzle.

    However, we had yet to crack the code from the question.

    [Third Riddle]

    [What is always in front of you but can''t be seen?]

    "Hmm�� the book with the word ''past'' can''t be the answer, since that word only means that it happened from the, well, past. The books ''present'' and ''future'' seem promising to me. Time could also be the one we''re looking for, but it looks vague in my dictionary," Match exined, as she looked in my direction. "What do you think, Red? What are your thoughts?"

    Ashamed as I was, I did not know the answer. I just shook my head and told Match I could note up with one. "But I think it would be the book ''future'' since it is in front and cannot be seen?"

    Match nodded to herself and replied, "That may be the case. But we also have the books ''time'' and ''present''. These two look promising too, right?"

    "Yes. But the present is always at our fore, meaning that it is always there. We know the present, but we don''t know what''s in store for the future. Time is�� well, how should I put it?" I rested my head on my spread palm and pondered. "Time is a vague term. It fits perfectly to the question, but something is bugging me about it. I just don''t know the reason for that tingling sensation. Sorry."

    "It''s okay, Red. Don''t feel sorry. And I think that''s a great exnation!" Match remarked, and carried the book with the word "future," in front. "That settles it, then! The chosen book would be the volume of the ''Future''!"

    The little girl dragged me towards the exit, where the two altars greeted our eyes. The other two sank at the bottom of the ground, since we already answered their riddles. We just needed to provide the correct book for the remaining altars before the yers could reach this ce.

    As we trundled towards the third altar, Match and I looked around, checking for traps that we needed to take off soon.

    If we gave the incorrect answer, who knows what would happen to this cavern. But if we got it right, we would only answer the fourth altar.

    "Ready when you are, Red!" Match giggled, while holding the book in her hands.

    I gave the go signal and motioned her to ce the book on the empty slot. Match told me I should be the one to rest the volume. But I insisted, since Match was still my partner throughout this journey.

    "You should be the one to put that book on the pedestal, Match. You deserve it."

    After hearing my words, the little girl giddy hopped at the altar and rested the book on the space provided. Once the book locked itself in the slot, the altar gave off a violent quiver.

    I snatched Match from the pedestal and braced ourselves for the iing attack. But the traps did not go on as I had expected. Instead, the violent vibration ended, with the altar descending underground.

    The movements only told the two of us we answered the riddle, with the system notifying our achievements.

    [Third Riddle Complete]

    [What is always in front of you but can''t be seen?]

    [The answer is "FUTURE"!] The transparent screen weed our orbs as the system congratted our efforts.

    We returned to the library toplete the quest once more. But as soon as we stepped foot inside the library, something did not feel right. It was as if we were not alone in this environment.

 Chapter 96 - Your Word

    The world surrounding us made a tremor, causing the already mixed and matched books to shuffle once more. We did not even have the chance to view the insides of the library as Match and I barely maintained our bnce.

    I reached out for Match''s hands and held her tight, not wanting to slip her from my sight. We stayed intertwined with each other for a couple of minutes, waiting for the sudden shake to die down.

    But as soon as the library turned silent, another problem emerged from the surface of the cavern.

    "Find NPCs around this forest!"

    "Leave none alive!"

    "Sir, yes, sir!"

    Those voices came from the sounds of the soldiers marching through the woond, hunting down our kind. Although it was impossible for us to perceive their conversations, Match and I heard the yers with ease. It was as if the library itself made it possible for us to pry in their goals.

    Match snuggled her arms around my waist. I was the onlyfort she had, so the little girl stayed by my side.

    "What are we going to do, Red?" Match asked. Even though she was a smart girl that could solve puzzles and riddles, she was still a youthfulss.

    "We should finish the puzzle. We only have one riddle to answer. Let''s answer it before the guards find this cave," I answered.

    I did not know how the yers already reached this ce, but their presence only meant one thing. We needed to make things happen right now, or else those soldiers would kill us.

    I slid my hands over and opened my monitor. The system understood my gestures and revealed thest riddle for the entrance.

    "[Fourth Riddle]," I read. "[What can you keep after giving to someone?],"

    The riddle was unbelievably difficult to answer. Match, who paved away the answers for each riddle, red at the monitor at our fore. She, too, did not know what to answer for that riddle.

    However, the two of us had a clue. From all the ten options that we had from each book, only one remained answered.

    "We need to find the book with the title ''your word''," I instructed Match.

    "That''s what I am going to say," Match seconded my statement, and shed me a smile.

    We turned our focus back to the library and discerned the entire room. But as soon as our eyes wandered around the book room once again, another floor emerged from above.

    The library created another storey, storing more bookshelves and books that we needed to find. Match and I did not have any time for this ridiculousness, and thisbyrinth still refused to help us in the end.

    It always exceeded its trials, as if someone was pulling the strings behind this madness.

    "You search the entire first floor. I will search the second and the third floors!" Imanded Match, and headed out to the stairs.

    Match couldn''t react fast enough to my instructions as she epted what I told her to do. The little girl rushed straight towards the shelves and fiddled with her hands between the dominoes of books.

    I had the exact job, but I needed to browse two floors. It only meant that I had twice the effort than the girl below me. However, that trivial thing did not matter to me, since I had a more agile body than Match.

    I activated my right eye to heighten all of my senses for this quest. That glowing eye that my system activated would improve my reaction time, eyesight, and reaction time.

    But not inbat. Match and I did not encounter monsters inside thisbyrinth, so readying my weapon was out of the options. These small upgrades would help me find the book around these shelves.

    As I dashed through the cabs, all my eyes could discern were the volumes we already found and used before. Those books meant nothing to us, considering their unrted concepts for thetest riddle.

    "''Your word'', where are you?" I murmured to myself while jolting at one shelf after the other, scanning every nook and cranny of this ce.

    But s, the book that had the title "Your word" did not appear at the second level. I could only guess that the volume was at the upper storey. If Match and I missed such a hardbound book�� we would look for it again before the soldiers would seize us.

    I leapt from the ground and went to the third floor. Just like the second and the first storeys, the third floor filled itself with books and documents. There was nothing out of the ordinary besides stacks of papers lying in the cabs.

    I shook my head from staring at the mountain of papers and looked for the book.

    It usually took me around thirty minutes to an hour to finish browsing half of the floor''s contents. But because of activating my right eye, I could control my body more than I used to, making it effortless for me to roam around. My eyesight also got enhanced, giving me a full vision of my surroundings.

    Those lengthy times got shortened as I finished looking around the entire third floor. It took me around fifteen minutes to circle the ce instead of thirty minutes.

    However, despite the trimmed time, I still couldn''t locate the book.

    "Match, did you find something yet?" I shouted, while I gazed below ground at the verge of the rails.

    Match, who heard me from above, shook her head and replied, "Nope. I found nine of the books, but not the ones we need. And I found all of them peaking through on the board! I don''t even need to find those books, Red."

    It was ironic that all of those worthless volumes stuck around on the first floor. ording to Match''s ims, those books also hid in in sight. It meant that they were in front of her all along.

    "That''s strange," I remarked. "Howe I''ve seen no books on the second and third floor? If I''m ying with chances, the book that we need should be right here. Why can''t I find that stupid book!"

    I almost cussed out loud after pondering my rhetorical question. Nobody could give me an answer, since I was the only one present in the third storey.

    Before I could even continue my monologue, the ground and the ceiling rumbled again, with debris falling from above. Marching sounds reverberated through the room, with the voices of the soldiers squeezing through the walls.

    All the yers instructed their teammates to search the area. Judging by the directions of their sounds, these soldiers already found the cave. It would be a matter of time before the yers could enter the library and kill us with their guns.

    My system and map also warned me about the soldier''s presence. The red buttons revealed themselves on my map, colouring half of the ce with the yer''s numbers. Match and I could never fight the soldiers head-on.

    The only way we could escape with our lives was to find the book with the title "your word."

    "What are we going to do, Red?" Match asked.

    "I will find the book here on the third floor. Match, you stay just where you are, and tell me if you notice something strange," I answered.

    "But, Red, I want to help too!"

    "I know, Match. But I have heightened senses. Trust me on this."

    After our exchange, I roamed around the shelves once again. I circled every space that the book could''ve fallen off, trying to find clues about the whereabouts of misced books. I also peered my eyes at the fore of every cab, hoping to see a book sticking its pages outside.

    However, that was not the case. No matter the amount of energy I exerted, the book we needed never appeared in front of me�� Not until now.

    "Why am I looking for a book when it could''ve been the documents!" I whispered, and flicked my fingers on the stack of papers lying on the cabs.

    It did not take me some time before finding the bunch of papers with the title "your word" on the front page. Although the texts had a different size, it was still the answer to the riddle.

    "Red, the yers areing!" Match shouted, and warned me about the intruders entering the cavern.

    The soldiers took their time and finally entered this ce. Match and I needed to rush towards the pedestals and ce these documents on the empty slot.

    "I will push the yers. Red, please do the honours," Match said, and fired a ball of fire in the entrance''s direction.

    She had her left eye glowing. I could already feel Match''s powers intensifying because of the spell''s activation.

    "I will leave those bad guys to you, then," I answered, and sprinted my way towards the protruding altar.

    "I hope this works."

    Although Match and I knew that the phrase "your word" was the answer, we had no exnations for it. We just epted that line by eliminating all the options. We could only hope that our answer would unlock the secret passage and lead us to the dwarven kingdom.

 Chapter 97 - Fourth Riddle

    [Fourth Riddle Complete]

    [What can you keep after giving to someone?]

    [Answer: Your Word]

    The system notified us of our achievement. With a high-pitch tone, the window appeared before us upon cing the documents on the empty slot.

    It was the only option that made sense of the riddle. We already used the nine answers to the previous questions. And now that we solved the puzzle, we might open the passageway towards the dwarves.

    Match and I exchanged gaze while skipping a beat from aplishing our goal. We could not hold our excitement as the two of us glued our eyes at the pedestal, waiting for something to happen.

    "We finally did it, Red!" Match cried, and hugged me at my fore.

    I returned her gleam and answered, "Of course, we did. You''re so smart, Match!"

    This girl was the one who answered most of the riddles. I also helped, but I brought more disastrous events that almost took our lives. However, despite getting angry about those situations, Match told me I also yed a part.

    I looked at the fading window before me, reminiscing about the times we spent inside the library. Match and I experienced countless things inside that book room. And now we could finally reach the dwarven kingdom.

    Like the ones we saw before, the pedestal zoomed underground with the rest of the altars. I snatched Match away from the altar, worried that something might happen from her. However, my anxiety turned out to be something even more gigantic, as the entire floor shattered below us.

    "Match, hold on tight to me!" I shrieked, while wrapping my arms around the little girl.

    Match returned my grip and snuggled close beside me.

    As I turned around, the footsteps that we heard emerged from the entrance.

    The soldiers finally entered the cavern and witnessed our descent. All of them shouted instructions with battle roars as they weed our figures.

    I readied myself and activated my right eye. I might battle against these yers while waiting for the entry to appear.

    Those yers aimed their barrels in our direction and pulled the trigger, but those soldiers were already toote. I still clipped the dagger in my hands despite hearing the soldier''s calls. However, the violent quiver of the ground disrupted my bnce, forcing me to sheathe my de and hug Match''s behind.

    The yer''s leader issued amand to retreat from the cavern. They did not bother firing their bullets at us, since the cave was already devouring our figures.

    That was thest thing I saw when Match and I fell into the abyss.

    ��...

    The rubbles pressed down onto my body, making me exert more force than usual to move. All the smoke that came from the crash fluttered inside the uncharted room as I let out a violent cough.

    Upon regaining my consciousness, I pushed the weighing boulder to the side and looked for Match. I screamed for her name while gazing everywhere for the little girl.

    "I-I''m okay, Red!"

    A feminine voice that I recognised answered my call. I followed the origin of the sound and hurled the entire stones away from the crushed girl. As I shoved thest rock, Match''s face greeted my sight.

    It was a miracle that the plummet we had did not take our lives, especially Match.

    "You''re okay�� I thought I lost you," I cried.

    "I thought you died too�� I''m so happy we''re still alive." Match replied.

    We wrapped our hands around each other and exchanged the warmth stored inside our bodies. But the pleasant reunion got disrupted by a coughing sound that came from ahead.

    As I jolted my head from behind, a figure of an old and small man stood at the pile of rocks. The lighting from his rear shone upon him, disrupting our eyesight. We could not make the man''s face, but Match and I knew the bloke was a dwarf.

    Despite the dwarf''s appearance, I prepared my dagger from my waist. I trusted no one, not even a dwarf in front of us. Although Match and I tried looking for the dwarven kingdom, we were still risking our lives. Other NPCs wanted our lives, and a dwarf was not an exemption.

    I did not know who we could trust in this world created by the game developers.

    "No need to be hostile. And if I wanted to kill the two of you, you''d be dead."

    The voice came from the man standing in front of us. Even though the dwarf''s reflection got overridden by the sunlight, I could still paint his arms crossed against each other. That dwarf did not release any intimidating arcane, but I could only guess he suppressed mana inside of him.

    He was that skilled to do that... I think.

    I nudged my dagger back to its scabbard and helped Match stand on the ground. I kept my eyes glued to the figure before me while doing all this. We could never know what surprise that dwarf had stored in for us.

    "Can you walk?" the man asked.

    "Yes," I answered.

    Match wanted to say something, but I glimpsed her eyes and gave her a nod. If there was one thing I was good at, it was creating connections with people. I killed a myriad of powerful people and soldiers.

    Adding the dwarf to my collection would be an effortless featpared to the ones I did before.

    "Then you two should follow me�� if you want to see the dwarven kingdom."

    My eyes widened upon hearing about the environment we wanted to meet. However, the dwarf had an anxious tone upon stating the ce. It could mean anything, but I still hoped for the best.

    The dwarf went ahead towards the rubbles. Upon climbing the hill of dirt, a faint glow invited us over. It was the exit for this cavern, since we had been inside this ce for who knows when.

    "Follow me onward. The kingdom that you seek is up there," the dwarf eximed, and continued walking on the linear road.

    Match and I had no other choice but toply with his words, since we were clueless at where we were right now. The soldiers from where we took off could not follow this underground passage.

    I could only guess that the crumbling stones were enough to obstruct the road from above.

    "Who are you?" I finally took the courage with me to ask as I looked at the dwarf''s back.

    "Keep staring at my back, and you''ll be the soldiers that got crushed from the stones," the man answered. That dwarf was not a sociable one of the people that I knew.

    I kept silent after that exchange. I did not even know if I could call that exchange or a conversation. Even Match, who had been listening to our words, covered her mouth. She tried her best not tough at what the dwarf mentioned.

    There was an exhausted sigh that came from the bloke. But that exhale did not mean that the dwarf mocked us or anything. It just meant that the dwarf had something in mind that mixed his emotions.

    By the time that we stepped foot outside of the cavern, I squinted my eyes. The light that came from the sun greeted me, almost blinding my sight. I told Match to cover her eyes, afraid that the light would ruin her orbs.

    As the line finally faded out, the two of us readied ourselves to meet the dwarven kingdom. Some literature mentioned the dwarves as innovative and civilized. Those little creatures had modern technologies beyond imagination.

    The dwarves also produced the armour and weapons that yers used. Since they lived near mining areas, these dwarves had little to eat. Hence, they trade food and nourishments for their hard work.

    But some yers would take advantage of that kindness, considering their greed. That reason was enough to make the dwarves hide across the mountain. The puzzle and the riddles found inside the library were the living proof of their seclusion.

    I could only guess that the dwarves worked hard to earn their keep from maintaining their healthy lifestyle.

    However, that did not happen before me.

    Instead of the brilliant lights, ruined bulbs that gave out the colour of grey addressed us. All those copsed buildings greeted our eyes, paired with the wrecked roads and vehicles. Dozens of bodies glued their eyes in our direction, telling us the tale of their deaths.

    Some dwarves got pressed down by the cemented buildings, while others had bullets pierced in their chests. Not even the children and their mothers escaped death from the yers.

    "What happened here��." Match murmured, with her eyes gazing at every angle.

    I wanted to ask the same as I went to the side of the dwarf. "Who did this�� it''s terrible!"

    "Aye�� By the looks of the scene, you could already deduce what happened. Strangers from the wild, you''re the only hope that the dwarven race has to avenge our kind��"

 Chapter 98 - Ship

    We passed by dozens of ruined machines, wrecked houses, and corpses that came from both yers and dwarves. It only represented the results of prolonging the war. Although the dwarven vige became unknown to the soldiers, other yers knew this ce. Those people who wanted the weapons made by the best cksmiths would flock into this kingdom, stealing those valuables from themselves.

    I wanted to avoid Match''s gaze at the dead bodies, but it was already toote. That girl wanted to join my trip, and this ce was only the beginning of a catastrophe.??

    We had barely reached the iceberg of this cruel world, after all.

    "Are there any dwarves left�� alive besides you," I asked, and paused midway from my sentence.

    The dwarf fell silent at first and refused to answer my question. I understood his silence and backed off my query, hoping that did not shift the atmosphere.

    Our expedition took around fifteen minutes, walking around without uttering a word. The scenery changed, but the corpses and broken machines still appeared in the background.

    As we stepped foot on the stair''s apex, a ruined building weed our eyes.

    "We''re here��" the dwarf remarked, as he went inside. "Stay behind me, or else I won''t protect you from the falling debris."

    He motioned his hand and told us to follow close by. That dwarf also mentioned the copsing ceiling and how he could protect us if that happens.

    But for now, Match and I heeded the dwarf''s instructions and carried on inside the structure. We could only pray for our safety as soon as we were inside the house.

    The left side of the building showed countless supplies of nourishments. All the sacks had seasonalbels. I could only guess that the survivors of this den nned and limited their supplies tost for the entire year.

    Upon looking at my right, a working board for cksmiths weed my eyes. There was a firece, and some forged weapons lying around on the floor. This ce looked more smithy than a destroyed room to my eyes, considering the damage dealt with outside of this ce.

    If someone could redesign the ce, this smithy room would be a proper environment for cksmiths. However, I brushed these thoughts away from my mind and continued walking towards an unknown realm.

    Who am I to judge this building when I was not a resident of this kingdom. I cared little for the dwarves. And as long as they could help me, I would dly do whatever these dwarves needed from me.

    The three of us reached a room that served as the guest''s ce. This area was the space where the dwarves would greet any people who entered their smithy. Regardless of the ravaged interior designs, a couch or a bed was enough to make my lips curve upwards for a smile.

    Since Match and I became experienced partners inside the woond for around a month, afortable futon was more than enough to call it our haven.

    "Why are you giving us free amodations?" I asked, and went straight to the point.

    Although the dwarf meant all of this for Match and me, I still found everything suspicious. I trusted no one except for Match, who was always with me during my trip.

    "Straightforward, aren''t we? Fine. That makes things quicker," the dwarf replied, and returned my gaze.

    "My name is Draven Keghood, one of the seven dwarfs of Snow White. You are Red Rose or the infamous Red Riding Hood, am I right?"

    "I-." Before I could give my answer, Draven cleared his throat and interjected my answer.

    "You''re the talk of the town-the wanted criminal that went against the Maind and Nirvana. Although I do not know the reasons behind your infamous name, I still n on helping you under one condition."

    Draven already knew my identity as Red Rose. However, he was not an omniscient dwarf, since he only knew about me and not Match. There was also a possibility that Draven disliked threatening children, but I could only live that theory to my imaginations.

    "What do you want from me?" I asked, while nudging Match behind my back.

    A smell of violent aura lingered in the air, telling me that this dwarf was a dangerous man. Draven schemed all of this and led us inside his building. I would not feel surprised if that dwarf already ced a myriad of traps surrounding this ce.

    "Tell me what you want before I change my mind," I repeated.

    "We don''t have to fight. I''m not a fighter, anyway, so put that dagger down," Draven eximed, while pointing at my sheathed de around my waist.

    That dwarf knew I had a weapon. Draven glued his eyes to my figure, watching my every move with my hands. It was as if he knew about the de''s existence, considering that he was a smithy, building various arsenals for yers and NPCs.

    "That''s a fine penitent''s de that you have there�� Too bad you haven''t unlocked it yet," Draven said, hinting to me that there was more potential for this dagger I had.

    ording to the game, this de granted yers powers for their righteousness. This de used the emotions of the wielder and the amount of justice one would hold. And the weapon chose me as its host.

    However, the power added to this weapon was iparable to the ones sold in the market. This weapon could not slice through metals and brawny walls. It could only kill and slit the throats of those surprised people.

    "I have heard that the two of you are on a quest to meet Alice in thend of Wondend. I can get you there as long as you answer my favour."

    Dwarven motioned his hand for the two of us to sit down. I told Match that everything went ording to n as long as she would listen to my instructions.

    We nestled on the bench and continued our conversation. Draven''s eyes red into mine as we carried out the topic.

    "How did you know about our goal? We have told no one yet? The soldiers could not possibly deduce that far, since they are hunting around forests and othernds, killing NPCs," I asked, while extracting some information from the dwarf.

    Draven could onlyugh at my interrogation. He was the one who invited us and started the questioning. However, as time passed by, I was the one who threw all the questions at him.

    He finally noticed that the two of us were ying with each of our hands.

    "You haven''t seen the entire situation yet�� Come and follow me. I will show you around," Draven instructed, as he slid the door open to another room.

    Match and I tilted our heads, wondering what was on the other side. Since this building had hundreds of holes, I doubted something would surprise us on our way out.

    But the thought got the better of me as the three of us stepped our feet closer on the other side. Our eyes wandered around and met people barely living and coping on their own.

    Around a hundred dwarves rested on the sides, while another dozenid themselves on make-shift beds. It only showed that some of them became fortunate enough and kept their lives.

    "I will take your silence as eptance of our current situation. And this all happened because of myck of power. We could not find Snow White, and the rest of the six dwarves are all��"

    Draven did not evenplete his sentence as he spoke about the seven dwarfs of Snow White. Those seven were a part of the legendary tale told through generations. They were the ones that produced epic armours and mythical weapons known to yers and non-yer characters.

    I could see why the soldiers wanted them gone. If NPCs could fight against the yers, their priority target would be the weapons. If the supplies got cut off, the NPCs would never stand a chance against soldiers. And these yers'' guns as their weapons, with bullets that travelled at the speed of sound.

    Even though he did not mention it to me, I knew Draven was a part of the seven dwarves. He told us "six of them," which only meant that he was the seventh andst cksmith alive.

    None of these dwarven vigers knew how to craft weapons. And even if they familiarised themselves with creating weapons, they cannot mimic the production that the seven dwarfs of Snow White did in their prime.

    "By the looks of your expression, you found out that I am one of the seven dwarves�� Well, you''re not wrong about that!" Draven said, as he turned around in my direction. "That''s why we need to find Snow White. She is the Queen of our kingdom. If we lost her now, our species woulde to extinction."

    Before we could even cruise the raging ocean, we must ept this side-quest. Even though it meant nothing to our goal, we still needed Draven''s rusty hands to make��

    "In exchange, I will give you a ship. You need it for your voyage towards Wondend." Draven continued my train of thought as he shed me a peculiar grin.

 Chapter 99 - Looking For Snow White

    "It''s not like I want to help you. But I have to, since you are the only hope that the dwarven race could rely on," Draven added, while handing me a scroll. "I hate to admit it, but you''re the best bet we have."

    Before I could even ask about the scroll''s contents, my system gave me a notification. It told me it analysed a maping from the rolled paper. Draven motioned me to open the pad, which I did, and witnessed something bizarre.??

    "This is��?"

    The map on my right view changed�� No. The word "change" was an understatement.

    That entire map expanded its dimension, showing more terrains andndmarks. Draven followed my eyes and gazed at the right side of my view, where I could discern the map. He had a pleasurable look in his eyes, telling me he could see the image projected by my system.

    Only yers could ess and perceive the system. Non-yer characters could not have these powers, since the game developers did not design Code that way. Instead, NPCs would believe that these yers had the protection of god in their souls.

    But I was the living proof of it. And yet, howe this dwarf knew the system? How could he see the map and my system?

    "You''re wondering ''why can this dwarf see my system?'', are you, Red?" the dwarf said, and shed me a snicker. It had more sarcastic remarks than any other people I remembered.

    "....." Not a word fled from my mouth after hearing his reply. It was as if Draven read me like a book with no cover. He was a sharp dwarf...

    "I will take that silence as a yes,ing from you, Red," the dwarf continued, and nudged his shoulder to mine.

    After our exchange, Draven pointed his finger at my penitent''s dagger. It was the weapon he mentioned before. I did not know why, but logical reasons were not enough to reason with this short man.

    "I could hear that," Draven eximed, as if reading my thoughts. I shrugged my shoulders and let him borrow the treasured weapon I had.

    "Be careful, dwarf. I could slit your throat at any time I want," I warned, and returned his grin. My words came not from a jest, but from my hidden desires.

    "Are you really going to kill me in front of these children�� in front of Match?" Draven interposed my train of thoughts, while raising his eyebrow. "If you have the guts, do it."

    After hearing such an answer, I cleared my throat and snatched Match away from the shelter. Match, who was unaware of the scenes, floated thousands of question marks above her head. Although that girl was smart at solving puzzles, Match was not a sociable child. She would not dare talk to anyone besides me... or her deceased sister.

    I brushed those grim thoughts aside and went to the exit. Staying inside this shelter would bring nothing but wasted time to our clock. If I wanted that ship, I would have to take Snow White back to this ce.

    It would take me one step to exit this ce. However, before Match and I could go look for Snow White, there was some information I needed to gather.

    "What does this Snow White look like? I only heard about her from fairy tales," I confessed.

    Draven pondered for a while and finally gave me an answer. "She has white and long hair, a sword, and te armour. The finest armour that you could think of. If you see these features, that''s, without a doubt, Snow White."

    "What am I going to do if Snow White is already��"

    "Then... I will make you a ship, just like I promised. There''s no point in mourning for a dead person, anyway," Draven answered, and turned his back to me.

    .....

    Match and I walked around five miles from the shelter, but we still did not see any signs of Snow White or the six dwarfs. The map told us it was around this minefield. But as we progressed towards this ce, all we could witness were corpses of both soldiers and dwarves.

    It was the same before, but the field became more gruesome. The bloodstains never left the ground, smearing every nook and cranny with the crimson liquid. It almost looked like an artist painted thend with the sea of blooding from every creature.

    This war only happened around a month ago. However, the damage done exceeded everyone''s expectations.

    "Did the soldiers do this?" Match asked, as she moved beside me. The girl fiddled her hands as we passed by the mountain of corpses.

    I shook my head and replied, "No�� the yers attacked the dwarven kingdom. If the soldiers could already enter inside, they would not waste time wandering in the forest. This ce has more protective barriers than Nirvana."

    "And here I thought the elves built Nirvana as an exclusive haven. The yers who yed this game had more information than any soldiers," I added, and continued walking onward.

    It was what I had mentioned. If the soldiers knew this ce, they would not sprawl around the forest. They could have entered the dwarven kingdom without batting an eye to the library or me. Those soldiers could also effortlessly answer the riddles. It could make sense if they arrive around this time. But they didn''t.

    Instead, the soldiers took their sweet time and continued roaming above the surface. Since we were in an underground kingdom, those soldiers could never guess we were below their feet.

    But the question still rose from my brain. ''Why did the yers kill the dwarfs? I thought they joined the alliance of the adventurer''s guild?'' My thoughts screamed.

    The only reason I could think of was the yer''s greed. Those yers may have thought that this ce was still a game. They did not imagine that the NPCs had emotions.

    Those scums only thought of us as dull two-dimensional characters created by the game developers. Thinking more about that made my heart boil with anger.

    But those dreadful thoughts sank as my hands touched a warm feeling. There were no heaters or machines that could do that to me right now. As I turned my head to my side, Match clipped her hand around mine.

    "You look like you''re worried about something��," Match murmured, while returning my gaze.

    My lips curved upwards upon hearing Match''s concerns. Despite seeing her conjure spells and discharging massive amounts of arcane, she was still a kid deep inside her heart. No matter how much time passed by, Match was still the little girl I found near the forest.

    We continued proceeding to the trail and located an exit, just like the map had told us. Beyond this point was the ce where the dwarvesst parted ways with Snow White. It had been half a month since herst disappearance. ording to Draven, Snow White''s body might have disappeared by now.

    However, that man could not let his chances slip from his hands. Draven was still clinging to the hope he once lost after all these days. When he finally saw me, it was as if Draven saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

    "We just need to confirm Snow White''s status. If she were still alive, we would bring her in. If she had already died, we��" I could not bring myself frompleting my sentence, considering the weight of those words.

    "Let''s just get this over with, Match," I eximed, and pushed the gate forward.

    As soon as the door opened, the brilliant light changed. A staircase of some sort weed my eyes, inviting the two of us over to the other side.

    As Match and I stepped foot near the series of steps, the door shut tight behind us. Although the door did not have a one-way mechanism, it only told us to continue forward even if we felt frightened by our choices.

    This motivation became a double-edged sword. I could almost taste the bittersweet scent of our sweat right now.

    "Are you ready, Match?" I asked.

    "Mmm!" Match answered.

    We went to the stairs with our hands still intertwined. The torches at the side were the only luminance that the staircase provided, giving us hope as we reached the surface. I could only guess it would take us around fifteen minutes to set foot on the apex floor. If worstes to shove, Match and I would sleep on these steps and rest for the time being.

    And that was what we did.

    Around two hours, our legs gave out and refused to heed ourmands. Humans could not climb more hours than this from what I remembered. And even if they could, those people were stronger than monsters!

    Match and I were fortunate enough to preserve a nket given by Olivia. Since she was a merchant, it was no wonder she had a spare in her bag.

    We rested for a few minutes before resuming our journey.

 Chapter 100 - Different Mission

    Wolf Okami''s Point of View

    ______________??

    "We''re here," I announced, while pointing my forefinger at the cave.

    A mountain stood tall outside the forest, blocking the magnificent viewing from either side. Found at the summit was an underground passage that would lead to the dwarven race inside. The exterior part of the mount was like any otherndforms seen everywhere.

    However, this mountain stood tall amongst its terrains. It had more mining areas and jewels beyond imagination! That reason was enough to make a dwarven''s eyes glitter like the night stars.

    The field also had deteriorating soil. Thatnd did not let any nts grow, except for peculiar herbs and mushrooms. Those nts were still unknown species left undiscovered by yers. I, who was an adventurer, paid no attention to those green figures.

    Only a handful knew this ce, including the adventurer guild masters and some high-privilege yers. Considering the secrecy of the dwarves and the richnd, these leaders wanted to take this environment to their advantage. I did not know the details of their contract, since I excluded myself from any organisations.

    But I was still one of the luckyds who had visited the dwarven kingdom, despite their closed barriers. "Visited" might be an understatement if some people would ask me. After I traversed the foreignnds, I stumbled upon that mining ce��

    Although the dwarves disliked my attitude and title, those brats got the best out of me. They learned so much for a wanderer that I nearly gave them the information to make guns. Those scripts meant for dwarves made me forget they were non-yer characters in the game.

    After I recognised these NPCs yed me, I went away and did not finish our project.

    There was also another reason they did not kick me out when the dwarves had the chance. Since I was an overpowered individual, these kingdoms did not want to make an enemy out of me. I would never anger myself, too, knowing I could destroy Code if I wanted to.

    "Are you sure that''s the dwarven kingdom? It ain''t nothing from what I imagined��," Ryoshi expressed his doubts, as we went to the side undetected.

    I gave him a nod and smacked his face. "You idiot! I thought you were studying the map of Code! But seeing you right now makes me want to vomit."

    "You don''t have to hit me!"

    "I do! I need to juggle your head, in case you remember something!"

    After our skit, we crept our way towards the mountain''s bottom. But as soon as my system notified me about something unknown, I snatched Ryoshi away and waited for the notification to disappear.

    It was a handy feature meant to detect anomalies around the area. I usually turn this thing off because of the ring sound, but it was still helpful during stealth missions! It also worked wonders during our camping time, where I did not have to worry about monsters ambushing my nap!

    "Why the hell did you pull me back?" Ryoshi shrieked, but my hands were quicker.

    I covered his mouth and shook my head. "Soldiers are wandering around our vicinity. If you like, you could go and get yourself arrested."

    Ryoshi could only grumble to himself as he painfully listened to my mockery. As our trivial conversation died out, the two of us spotted the swarming soldiers patrolling the area. All of them armed themselves with high-calibre rifles that could effortlessly kill us in the distance!

    "Damn those OP guns. That''s why RPGs don''t let yers get their hands on those weapons! It''s illegal!"

    "And the ce looks like a crime scene�� The only thing those soldiers need is the yellow thing that says ''keep out'' if you know what I mean?"

    The two of us remarked while observing the marching soldiers walking by. If we went straight ahead, those soldiers would kill us upon sight. But we needed to go through that bottomless pit and solve the riddles before entering the dwarven kingdom.

    "Do you have a n?" Ryoshi queried, while looking at me with a worried expression.

    I, who already thought of something, answered, "I thought you would never ask! The n is simple. Kill all of them."

    "I thought you weren''t willing to kill people!" Ryoshi retorted.

    He had a point about that. "I was just kidding. Of course, I do not want to spill blood with my hands. We only need to kill them if we have to. If we don''t, we won''t."

    Ryoshi heaved out a lengthy sigh after hearing my words. Although his face told me he was not up to kill anyone, we had no choice but to progress.

    "We will pass through them with stealth rather than brute force," I eximed.

    "Like an assassin?" Ryoshi interposed.

    "Cliche as it sounds, but yeah."

    "So you''re telling me to sneak over a bunch of military soldiers, who trained themselves against terrorist and war, to bypass them?"

    I nodded my head. "Yes. Stop being a pussy and follow my lead."

    A man never backs down to his word. That phrase was enough to constrict me from killing these soldiers. But if they caught us red-handed, Ryoshi and I would have no other choice but to fight our way through.

    My sister, Himari, would scold me if I ever broke my promise. Although I already shattered my word when I defeated a battalion of soldiers before, I could easily slide it off as self-defence.

    "Wait! Before we could do that, why can''t we use your [wolf walk]?" Ryoshi asked, stopping our tracks.

    "If I could, I would. But I can''t risk activating my spells in front of these soldiers. If the game developers sent them, they would easily track down my magic ability. Since these soldiers have guns, I would not be surprised if they have something like a device to sense arcane."

    "You know�� I never thought you could actually think that through!" Ryoshi confessed, mocking me with his disgusting smile.

    I, who had lost all my energy, couldn''tugh.

    The two of us went to the sides and started our n. Ryoshi became my shadow, mimicking every movement I made. Although he was a picky man, Ryoshi knew the weight of our situation. He may be a scared cat, but he was an intelligent man that could read his surroundings.

    "Watch my back, and I will watch yours," I said, and Ryoshi nodded his head.

    "Move to the right," I instructed, and leapt towards the ground.

    In a sh, I already arrived at the other side. Ryoshi followed afterwards.

    "A soldier is passing to the left. I will throw a twig at North West. Once the twig hits the ground, I want you to find an entrance."

    "Roger that."

    Ryoshi did as he mentioned and threw a stick in the North East. Since he was viewing my rear at a mirrored angle, the sound came from my right inside of my left. It was still Ryoshi''s left side, so I did not be confused.

    As the crushing sound of the thrown twig hit the ground, I tugged Ryoshi and dashed straight towards half the distance from our goal. Although there were dozens of guards wandering in our vicinity, they were no match against the two of us!

    During our childhood days, Ryoshi and I yed stealthy video games. The game that we yed also had these game mechanics. Passing through these soldiers felt like walking in a park.

    "We made it for the first half! Remember, Ryoshi. Things will only get more difficult from here on out!"

    "I know, I know! Sheesh. You don''t have to tell me twice."

    After our brief break, we did the same thing again, but we took extra precautions. Instead of a guard patrolling an area, five guards also watched the scenes.

    "What do you want to do?" Ryoshi asked. "Do we have to kill them?"

    I shook my head. "Nope. If we killed them, we would only attract more attention. And besides, I don''t want to stain my hands, remember."

    Ryoshi fell silent after hearing my words. Even though I had a confident smirk carved on my eyes, my friend also saw the pessimistic part of the n. He was a guy that loved worrying about things.

    I couldn''t help but let him do his thing, considering the pressure of stress that the two of us had been through. But that worried expression did not hinder us down. Ryoshi always found ways of dealing with these difficult circumstances.

    "Can we dig underground?" Ryoshi asked.

    "You fucking idiot! That''s a stupid idea! We don''t have a shovel or the tools to dig! How are we supposed to do that?!"

    I took that back. Ryoshi did not have a n during this crisis.

    "I was just kidding. You actually believed that sentence? Come on, Okami. You''re better than that," Ryoshi chided, while shing me a stupid-looking grin. "You told me we could not use magic. But you didn''t mention using physical attacks, right?"

    "Don''t tell me you n on attacking these guys, aren''t you?" I retorted.

    "No, you fucking moron. Along the way, I found these mushrooms and shrubs. And I thought we could use them!"

 Chapter 101 - Another Way In

    Ryoshi ced all the herbs and nts that he collected and wrapped them around the shaft. I did not know what he was trying to do at first. But as that guy finished covering the arrows, he instructed me to follow him close behind.

    I tagged along, uttering no questions. Within a few seconds, the two of us were kneeling behind a stone, right next to the wandering soldiers.??

    Before I could even share my concerns, Ryoshi prepared his bow and arrow and fired them at the lone soldier.

    "At this 20 Degrees angle, I couldunch my bolt with a speed of 323 metres per second. The distance of my target is around 140 feet. The weight of my shaft is 430 grains. Is there any wind in this area? Hmm�� Maybe if I could add more force, the wind would not slow my arrow down."

    "There goes Ryoshi mumbling to himself again," I mumbled, but kept observing his actions.

    Ryoshi would always calcte everything inside his head. But sometimes, his words would slip out from his mouth, resulting in this madness of sentences. Although some people found him weird having these characteristics, his skills finally paid off in this death game.

    "What the-?!" I gasped, doubting everything that happened in front of me.

    The bolt hovered in intense speed, which was even faster than sound, hitting the soldier''s neck. Even at this distance, Ryoshi couldnd the target. I did not know what was running inside his head, but it must be countless calctions.

    That guy was not a prodigy in archery, but a monster. Ryoshi could calcte almost every angle and its physics, given his sky-rocketing grades in my school. Ryoshi''sid back demeanour was a mask to lower everyone''s guard so he could strike back.

    "It''s a good thing we''re friends, Ryoshi."

    "Shut up, Okami."

    Ryoshi rejected my confession from the bottom of his heart. What I mentioned was my honest thoughts, while he got pissed off about me.

    "What''s that nt do to the soldiers?" I asked.

    "It''s something like salvia divinorum but different, if you know what I mean. It''s a nt that could alter your perceptions and states of consciousness. The nt''s name is just an example. But it still has the same effects that I want to use," Ryoshi exined, while aiming at the next target he had in mind.

    "Can you exin it so my stupid brain could understand?" I retorted, while crossing my shoulders.

    "It''s like a party drug. But it doesn''t have those specific effects�� You know what? Let''s just watch and see where that herb would take that soldier."

    It was as Ryoshi had described; the guard remained walking on the pavement but was not vignt about his surroundings. The soldier beside him found out that something odd had happened in the surroundings and went to check on his surrounding teammates.

    That time became a window for Ryoshi and fired another set of shafts filled with the same herb. After hitting the second target, those two soldiers continued walking around the cave, with their eyes peeled in front but their minds already dreaming elsewhere.

    "Come on and waltz in front of them," Ryoshi suggested, while covering his chuckling mouth.

    "Are you fucking insane? Those two bastards would kill me!" I retorted, while iling my hands across the sky.

    "Are you a chicken?"

    "No," I answered.

    "Then trust me in this one. If you die, I will die afterwards," Ryoshi replied.

    He gazed into my eyes with a stern look carved on his face. It only meant that Ryoshi was serious enough to invite death to himself.

    I had no choice but to ept his offer.

    I stood up from my seat and trundled towards the two soldiers. My hands prepared my dagger, even nning to activate my first form if I had to.

    But much to my surprise, none of the worst things I thought of happened at my fore. As soon as I stood like a statue in the middle of the soldiers, nothing happened to me.

    Those two idiotic looked like they ingested some drugs of some sort. Their eyes glowed a crimson hue, with their veins throbbing near their skulls. The soldiers that frightened us before became mindless creatures.

    It almost looked like they were zombies that would invade this ce if we were not careful.

    "The effectsst around fifteen minutes. It''s enough time for us to wander around," Ryoshi confidently said, while grinning at me.

    That man used his wits once again and showed it off. Ryoshi loved rubbing his achievements in front of me, telling me he was better in the game. He knew I was an overpowered yer, so he kept trying his best to at least stand beside me.

    "And those herbs don''t show themselves every day. Seeing them during this mission was a stroke of luck," Ryoshi continued.

    "How many herbs do you have in your pockets?" I asked, hoping that we could squeeze through every opportunity that we have.

    "That''s thest one," he answered, with a goofy look painted on his face.

    I could only heave out a sigh after hearing such an unbelievable scene. It was as if the entire event we did was nothing to mock me. Despite being a smart-ass, Ryoshi only had his ways to entertain himself and me.

    "Now, shall we enter the cavern?" Ryoshi queried, as if he was a different person.

    I exhaled for the second time before giving him my answer. "Yes. And follow my lead."

    The two of us went inside the cave, only to witness a pile of rubble blocking our road. Beyond that point, apany of soldiers roamed around inside, studying how to unlock the passageway.

    "Those soldiers can''t just make a path and destroy those stones. It could only cause the cave to copse if they n to do that," Ryoshi spelt out as the two of us monitored the scene.

    It was as Ryoshi had mentioned. These soldiers carefully tried to extract the rocks out from the road. But one mistake could serve them the entire cavern''s destruction, blocking both the entrance and exit of the ce.

    "What are we going to do now, Okami?" Ryoshi looked at me with a confused expression.

    Despite his worried look, my lips curled upwards for a grin. The happenings made me want tough just by watching these soldiers work hard for their meal.

    "That part is where Ie in," I eximed, trying to act cool for my age. "There''s another opening towards the dwarven kingdom. Although it might take us half a day, it''s still worth our shot."

    "Where did you learn that from? .... Let me guess. It''s because you''re the stronge-,"

    "The Strongest yer in Code. Was, you know? I''m not using my Fenrir ount right now, so bear with me! And yes. After exploring the world, you would know a thing or two about their hidden passages," I shared, with my chest pushing outward.

    "And let me guess again�� You knew this ce because you stole something from the dwarves?"

    "N-No!" I gasped. "A-Anyway, staying here for too long would be pointless. We need to reroute and look for a different path."

    With my suggestion, the two of us went outside and hid behind the trees. Once we were outside the enemy''sir, I told Ryoshi our n.

    "Where is this other entrance that you speak of, Okami?" Ryoshi asked. Even his tone changed, considering he found the situation absurd.

    Well, Ryoshi hated losing. And right now, his n failed, while we would follow my scheme.

    "Just around the mountain, there is another hole that we could use to enter the dwarven kingdom! It''s the one we-... I used it when I first studied the ce!"

    "Do you mean infiltrated?" Ryoshi corrected.

    "Shush! I''m still talking!" I interposed. "Anyway, there''s a bunny hole at the other side of the mountain. If we''re lucky enough, there is a pair of shovels waiting for us at the hidden campsite!"

    "What do you mean a pair of shovels? Wait, I thought your sketchy organisation, and you already dug the ce out? Why would we need a spade to scoop the dirt out?" Ryoshi asked, unsatisfied after hearing my exnation.

    "W-Well," I whistled before continuing the story. "By the time that we escaped the dwarven kingdom, those dwarves pursued us and tried burying all of us. They tried using a special skill and created an earthquake. Pretty nuts, right? Anyway, we used ourst ounce of luck to escape, so here I am! Thank goodness that I''m alive

    "So�� you''re saying that half of the road got blocked by the earthquake, causing the tunnel to-."

    "Yes." Before Ryoshi could even finish his sentence, I agreed to his deduction. His ability to theorise the story was no joke.

    "Too bad the earthquake didn''t catch you."

    "Hey! I could kill you, you know!"

    "I''d like to see you try!! Ryoshi retorted. "Why would we travel all the way around just to dig some burrow, which I already suggested!"

    "It''s because those shovels are one of a kind! The dwarves made those bad boys!"

 Chapter 102 - Brothers

    Ryoshi finally tagged along and followed through with my suggestion as the two of us bypassed the soldiers once more.

    Since the two of us already knew the drill, passing through these guards was like a breeze. We did not even need to find any shrubs or nts that we could coat Ryoshi''s arrow. Even if we needed a distraction of some sort, those soldiers would not stand a chance against the two of us.??

    We would always make them unconscious if we wanted to, especially when we avoided killing humans. We would only do it if necessary.

    "The mountain''s other side would be around 50 miles. It would take us approximately 14 hours to reach our goal," Ryoshi spelt out, with his eyes kept looking at the mountain.

    "How did you know that?" I asked.

    I knew the mountain upied masses of space, but I did not expect it would be that wide! It would take us ages before arriving on the other side. And this guy beside me already guessed everything that would happen.

    "Nothing," Ryoshi answered.

    I shrugged my shoulders and carried on with our journey, knowing it would take us around hours before stepping foot into our destination. We were still fortunate that the soldiers did not swarm the ce or even patrolled the areapared to the dwarven kingdom''s entrance.

    Although the soldier''s intel hit the mark, they did not know how to enter the cave. And even if they paved that road, a trial would wee them inside.

    The pit that the two of us were heading towards did not have any of those tests. As long as we could dig our way to the kingdom''s insides like thieves, we would arrive on the other side. Since I already went into that burrow once, we could go into that hole again.

    I just hoped we would not stumble at problems along the way. However, considering the ce, our first obstacle would appear shortly.

    There was no doubt about that.

    Upon looking at the skies, the orange clouds turned dark and blue. The moon entered the fray, with the stars aligned beside it. All the warm sensations brought by the sun disappeared and got reced by the chilling touch of the night sky.

    I held back Ryoshi and motioned my head to the sides. "I think we need to rest for the time being. This ce reeks with ominous killing intentions."

    Ryoshi nodded his head and replied, "I think so too."

    "It would be best to camp here in the open. Since the monsters value animals more than humans, they would not attack us�� I think," I added, and pointed at the ce surrounding us.

    I knew that camping in open space only spelt doom to wandering people. However, that was not the only case. The dwarven kingdom did not have any ferocious beasts, unlike from the Maind or even around Alice in Wondend.

    I could not evenpare those monsters to anything but death! It would take around three to four monsters to defeat one dire wolf around this area. Since monsters barely visit this ce,petition amongst themselves did not apply. There would not be apetition if there were nopetitors in the area.

    The ce brimmed with mines and toxic metals that could harm both humans and beasts. So living in this area meant health risks. It was the reason these dwarves made themselves a home underground while cing their necessities to live without smelling the polluted air.

    Ryoshi and I had already ced our defences beforeing into this ce, knowing that it would decrease our health. If someone sniffed the atmosphere, their health points would continuously decrease�� until they die.

    All of those remained as my assumptions. But I still thought my guess would hit the bullseye.

    Ryoshi always came prepared as he already found a ce where we could get some firewood for our camp. He even gathered berries, herbs, and vegetables during our trip. Despite his annoying demeanour, Ryoshi was still a reliable guy.

    It pained me to say this, but he was the brains of this operation. I would have lived andpleted my task. But having Ryoshi around, all those difficult situations became elementary missions meant for beginners.

    There was no crisis at all�� that was what I believed. I would feel nuts if I jinxed our situation.

    "Are we going to eat healthy for today, chef?" I asked, while mocking Ryoshi.

    Despite his efforts, I couldn''t help myself but tease that guy. He was like my punching bag of words that turned into a person.

    "Cut me some ck, Okami. I was the one who did everything. All you gotta do is protect me," Ryoshi answered.

    "Yes, yes. I have to protect the damsel in distress. You should be grateful to me, Ryoshi! I could even let you kiss my feet if you''re that expressive."

    "What did you say, punk?"

    "I said, you could kiss my feet! And who are you calling a punk, punk!?"

    Like always, we fought against each other before eating our meal. Although the two of us were such great friends, fighting became our routine. It was as if Ryoshi was a dog and I was the cat,

    But no matter how much we despised each other through our jokes, we still got each other''s backs.

    "So, how do you want to do this?" I asked.

    "Let me take the first shift, Okami," Ryoshi answered.

    "And why would I do that?"

    I stepped closer to Ryoshi and pushed him over to the make-shift bed. The two of us stared at each other''s eyes for a few seconds before breaking the tension. Ryoshi did not let my sentence through, and he was yet to finish his part as well.

    But before something could happen, I stood up and went to him to tap his shoulders. "I appreciate your concerns. But let me take care of this."

    "Hey, you-!"

    I stared into his eyes and continued, "I know you''re frustrated, thinking that you can''t do anything on your own. But I rely on you�� So you can rely on me too. I will do the fighting ones. You just sit back there and rx and do the thinking. My brain would get toasted if I were to think of a n. That''s your part, not mine."

    Ryoshi fell silent after hearing my words. But every word I mentioned was the truth I wanted to express. It was my sincere feelings, despite being embarrassed.

    Who would even think a man would express his own feelings to another man? Well�� I do. In this death game, embarrassment won''t bring you alive. If you did something terrible, tell it. If you did something good, be humble but proud.

    My sister told me that phrase as it kept ringing inside my head. It was as if I was a ring rm clock, telling me what to do in this grim world.

    After hearing my words, Ryoshi looked down and went to sleep. He did not utter a word that night, considering how ashamed he was after getting defeated by my words. It was the truth, and Ryoshi needed to ept that.

    Our shift wouldst around six hours. After six hours, I would be the one sleeping on that mat, while Ryoshi did his stuff. I volunteered to be the watcher for tonight, considering that the dark hue already covered the sky.

    Ryoshi had the wits of a talented person, but heckedbat experience. Even in this game, he was a wimp that could not defend himself without my help. If I left him out in the open, I doubt he could defend himself against these soldiers, even with a n.

    As the night grew old, I watched the stars from above. Those were the onlypany I had, besides the snoring sounds I constantly heard from my rear. Those inhumane sounds came from my friend. I wanted to wake him up, but that would make me a rude person.

    I was an asshole, but I had my limits.

    "I will snore as loud as he did if we switched ces!" I swore to myself while shing the sky with my grin.

    But the world above me was not the only visitor I had. My system notified me that there was someone following me. Even my sixth sense knew that I was alone. My [lycanthrope] ss really paid off during this time when someone would scheme to ambush me.

    "I know you''re out there. God, your disguise is terrible. Even my friend could do something better than that," I provoked the eerie creature, while preparing my dagger.

    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you." Much to my surprise, the mysterious entity replied to my words.

    A swift sound came from my side and went towards my sleeping friend. However, I was quick enough to block the attack and defend Ryoshi''s body. Even after hearing the shes of our sword, Ryoshi slept like a log.

 Chapter 103 - Snow White

    I did not expect to get fooled by our environment. The world did not make any sound, so I thought that nobody was in our vicinity. But I thought wrong after witnessing this figure attacking us with no warnings at all!

    "Who are you?" I asked. Even in these grey surroundings, I could not picture the person in front of me. "And what do you want with us?"??

    "Die, yers! I will kill you!" the feminine voice shouted, as she pushed my dagger away from me.

    Although I did not need any weapons with this ss, having a dagger saved me from using my [first form]. However, my [first form] would not guarantee my victory, especially after fighting those soldiers from before. I knew that ability was a window for me to escape or end the fight.

    But with this girl ambushing our rest, the situation changed. There was no opening for us to escape. And even if we did, Ryoshi and I would barely get out of this forest with all the soldiers wandering nearby.

    We had no choice but to bust our way through with this shadowy figure.

    "Sometimes, we could just talk and avoid fighting, you know?" I jested, buying something to wake up my idiotic friend. "We don''t have to fight now, do we? We barely even met each other."

    This mysterious enemy knew what she was doing, targeting someone vulnerable while fighting against me. I could not do two things at the same time, which include fighting while defending my friend. All I had to do was to stall time for Ryoshi to wake up.

    During our sh, I swept my kick and hit Ryoshi''s head. Upon contract, a ring st reverberated through the forest, waking not only Ryoshi but the entire woond. Ryoshi''s shriek followed the cracking sound as he expressed his painful experience from my kick.

    But before he could even curse me, that guy slid himself onward and readied his bow. I couldn''t believe Ryoshi even prepared himself to fight back when someone would attack him in his sleep. He was more than ready to strike back with that bow and arrow clipped in his hand as we faced the abrupt target.

    As the moonlight finally shined the eerie opponent, a figure of a woman dressed in blue gown style like in a renaissance attire. However, despite this long dress, the gown''s sleeves got cut off. These cut edges allowed the girl to swing from her dress, making it more effortless to move around.

    "Woah�� Hold my beer, Okami. That ain''t a soldier. That girl is Snow White!" Ryoshi eximed, with his forefinger pointing at the girl.

    "Snow Who?" I asked Ryoshi.

    His eyes had stars glittering more than the night sky. It looked like a saviour appeared in our fore than a person who wanted to kill us during his sleep. I could even witness a tail emerging from Ryoshi''s back, wagging as a dog would do.

    "Dude! Do you not know who Snow White is?!" Ryoshi asked, while punching me on the shoulders.

    I punched him back and replied. "No. And I barely passed my literature subject. I don''t know who the fuck is Snow White or any other fairy tale you''ve been telling me."

    "What a loser."

    After our exchange, Snow White, whom I assumed was the girl in front of me, raised her eyebrow. Judging by her movements, I knew she wanted to attack. However, that warrior girl did not. Instead, she sheathed her sword inside her scabbard and heaved out a disgusted sigh.

    "You lots know no bounds for stupidity," the woman snarled, while nning to walk away. "Get out of my sight before I stick this sword between your necks."

    "Ah, yes. My friend here is an idiot," I eximed.

    "No. You are the idiot that I''m talking about," the warrior girl interposed. "That friend of yours knew me instantly. You don''t even know who I am."

    "Why would I care about you? You should care about me! I am Fenrir! Although it may not look like it, I am using my smurf ount. Non-yer characters should know that term by now."

    The girl nodded at my statement. "Indeed. And you''re Fenrir? I remembered him for being an overpowered person who could crater out of nothing but a stick. I could never believe that a wimp like you could ughter his name."

    I knew that line woulde and bite my wit''s end. However, I did not give in to Snow White''s provocations.

    "Since it hase to this, do you want to test our expertise in fighting, Snow White?" I asked.

    There was no point inmunicating with a dwarf, especially a cksmith. If I would study that girl''s clothes, she was not an ordinary dwarf found in themon mines. Snow White was someone popr among the dwarves I recognised.

    But the cat got my tongue, as I already forgot the identity of that woman. From all the opponents I faced, none of them rang a bell inside of me. Well, except for Alice. She was the major threat to the entire game and themunity.

    "Hmph. I''ve been walking around, fighting soldiers around the cave. If I don''t fight now, my muscles might deteriorate," the girl eximed. "Fine. I ept your challenge. My name is Snow White, the leader of the seven dwarves and the ruler of the Dwarven Kingdom. I hope you don''t bore me with such dull words, Fenrir."

    Snow White had the height of a normal person despite iming herself to be a dwarf. The only feature that made her look like one of her kind was the dress she wore and the rough hands she had.

    People in Code knew dwarves as cksmiths, since most of them build weapons and armours. Those smithies forge swords, shields, and arrows for yers and NPCs. That job made their hands as rough as sandpaper.

    "Oh, of course, your majesty. But I now go with the name ''Wolf.'' Please remember that with your tiny brain of yours, Snow White," I retorted, with a snicker painted on my face.

    "For an adventurer, you sure love talking."

    After our exchange, Snow White charged straight in my direction. She already took out her dagger beforehand and attempted to slit my throat. When Snow White imed she nned to kill me, that girl was not kidding around. With the edge of the de pointing at my neck, Snow White made her move.

    However, despite her actions, I dodged the attack and went to the side. But Snow White was no slouch and followed my figure. Even after striking her de with full force, Snow White manoeuvred her body like water flowing in the river.

    The only thing that feltcking from her body was elegance. Despite the hasty blitz, Snow White moved like a crazy person. She did not care about strategies. All that girl thought of was going for the kill.

    "Should I help?" Ryoshi shouted, as he continued watching the battle from afar.

    That man knew I could stand on my own. But my opponent showed some skills during our sh.

    "What do you think, Snow White? Should I ask my buddy if he could help me?" I taunted, provoking the dwarf girl for more. "This fight would end quickly if I did."

    "Shut your crap, Fenrir! You''re not even attacking me! I''d bet my entire weapons that you can''t attack me with your current level! You''re nothing but a fake!"

    I heard countless trash talks across the world from different yers when I was still Fenrir. Upon hearing Snow White''s words, my heartfelt nothing but pity for my opponent. When Robin Hood tried to kill me with his men, I escaped using my [first form]. That spell did not even have its full potential.

    I did not even have Fenrir, my pet dog, during that battle.

    If I have topare Snow White against those thousand men, I will choose thetter. This fight did not break a sweat, since she was just one personpared to an army.

    "I don''t even have to use my [first form], Snow White. That''s how easy it is for me to beat you."

    After saying my fill, I found an opening and parried her sword. I twirled my de and disrupted the bnce of Snow White, making her tumble to the ground. Despite her descent, Snow White desperately stood up.

    However, I set the match and pointed my de in front of Snow White''s head.

    "You outlevelled me, Snow White. You even have decent armour and an enchanted dagger. Do you think I would not notice that? And yet, here you are, defeated by the ''fake'' that you believed," I growled, and pressed my foot on Snow White''s chest. "Have you caught your senses? I am the real deal. When I told you I''m Fenrir, you should''ve believed me."

    Despite lying on the ground, Snow White spit at me and cursed. "Go! Kill me, you fucker! I dare you! You''re all the same yers who would kill all of my brethren!"

 Chapter 104 - Snow Whites Side

    Despite lying on the ground, Snow White spit at me and cursed. "Go! Kill me, you fucker! I dare you! You''re all the same yers who would kill all of my brethren!"

    The saliva scattered on my face, but I did not flinch or look away. My body knew that I needed to hear Snow White''s statement. This death game had gone too far for the NPCs. However, I could not find any sympathy for them, except for Red Riding Hood.??

    Maybe she could show me the way and reach my heart.

    "All the same? Okami, what is she talking about?" Ryoshi asked, clueless about Snow White''s words.

    Despite having "a plus" grades, Ryoshi could not follow the conversation. Even if he could, he would have an arduous time analysing the meaning behind those words.

    As a man who lived in peace, my friend would not realise the weight of that statement. I, who heard Snow White''s words, felt a chill spinning in my nerves.

    "What happened to the other dwarves? What happened to the battle?" I asked.

    Before arriving at this ce, I read an article about the dwarves fighting against yers. ording to the journalist, their battle became grim, with the dwarves on the losing side.

    Even before the soldiers arrived, those yers attacked the dwarven race. If I had to put it in words, the adventurer''s guild was the one who attacked them.

    Nobody knew that dwarves could fight. These small people wanted to make weapons for yers and NPCs to fight for them. And when the tables turned against them, the seven dwarves with their queen battled at the front lines.

    However, those dwarves lost their fight. They bit more than they could chew.

    "Killed��" Snow White answered, while looking away in disgust.

    Lying to me right now would bring matters worse. So Snow White did the best option and stayed true to her goal.

    "Who killed them?" I queried once more, hoping to squeeze any more answers.

    Snow White cleared her throat and replied, "A man who called himself Robin Hood. He let the children and their families escape while that bastard ughtered my team."

    If I had to ce the pieces of this puzzle, I could deduce that Snow White withdrew from the battlefield. The dwarves thought that if she was still alive, they could turn the tides in their favour.

    Little did they know the soldiers of Asimov arrived after that wretched battle.

    "And then I saw an army armed with mysterious weapons. I almost thought those were legendary cranes built at the hands of my father. However, it wasn''t like that. Those weapons�� hunted me down. And it led me here... It led me to you," Snow White continued, with her hands clenched in anger.

    "What do you want to do now?" I asked, and met her gaze. "Do you want to fight and seek revenge against those soldiers�� or do you want to protect the dwarves sheltered underground?"

    If Snow White answered the former, I would kill her without thinking twice. Those people who wanted revenge more than protecting their family deserve death with these hands. I would not care to stain my palm with blood for the sake of justice...It was the justice that I believed in until now that kept me moving onward.

    But I would not kill Snow Whtie if she chooses thetter. A warm heart would mean that these NPCs value their humanity rather than bing killing machines. I would reconsider my judgement and observe for more if they shattered my expectations.

    Snow White and I had the same goal. We wanted to get rid of our enemies, since the yers and soldiers became my opponents too. However, I had this overwhelming power. I wanted to use this power for good aside from getting my revenge.

    "So, what is it? Do you want to take your revenge on these soldiers and yers? Or do you want toe with me and protect those families stuck inside your kingdom? We don''t have all day. Those soldiers won''t wait for us and your answer."

    I kept the pressure rolling, knowing that time was the most valuable resource that we had. And I did not n to lie, knowing that those bastard guards woulde here soon. If I wanted to make a move, now was the right time.

    The only thing that took my interest was this girl, Snow White. It was also the only reason why I wasted my time here, hearing her exnations.

    "So what are you going to do?" I continued pressing her for some answers.

    However, it was a matter of time before that maddened dwarf answered my questions.

    "I will seek vengeance!"

    Upon hearing the end word of her sentence, I jumped into action and pointed my de over to her neck .But before anyone could react to my actions, Snow White continued where she left from her sentence.

    ''Too bad�� you chose the wrong fate,'' I thought, as I aimed for the kill.

    "But�� I would rather be inside my kingdom. If you could grant me that wish, Fenrir...or Wolf, I will be forever in your debt," Snow White concluded.

    It was a good thing that my reaction time was still superb until now. If I had the sluggish analysation, my hands would have slipped and killed Snow White on the spot. However, because of her resolution, I retracted my de and reced it with a helping hand.

    Even Ryoshi, my best friend, could not believe what happened.

    "I thought you''re going to kill her!" he cried, while chewing off his teeth.

    Augh escaped from my mouth as soon as I heard hisment. "I nned to. But Snow White here showed me some respect. I wouldn''t even think twice if she didn''t change her sentence."

    My honesty sparked a bond between Snow White as the girl epted my hand. I pulled her out from the ground and met her eyes.

    "Are you�� different from those humans?" Snow White asked, with a stern look on her face.

    I returned her gaze and answered, "Of course. If I weren''t, you would have said goodbye to your neck right now."

    Snow White''s hands caressed her neck as she heard my statement. Regardless of the ce, my word would always be my bond. I had the responsibility to protect my sister, so that trait glued onto me like a leech.

    It fed me great friends and trustworthy people. If I became an irresponsible brother, Himari and I would have died in the streets before we could y this game.

    "What''s our n, Okami? I am all ears. This life belongs to you," Snow White said, while kneeling on the ground.

    I knew that NPCs, especially dwarves, were a handful of species. But never did I expect someone would kneel in front of me. Although I felt like a king standing on my throne, it did not feel right.

    I could hear faintughs of Ryoshi watching us from afar, judging me with his hideous look. As I turned my head towards him, Ryoshi covered his mouth and bursted into tears.

    "W-Where are we going, K-King Okami! BWAHAHA!" Ryoshi eximed, as he went ahead.

    However, I did not let him. There was no way that I would let this event slide! I took his insults seriously and smacked Ryoshi in the face. A ring sound reverberated through the forest as soon as my fist came into contact with his skull.

    I could only pray that the soldiers heard nothing even after what happened. It would be a drag if they found we were hiding around the woonds.

    "Pay him no mind. He''s an idiot. You will only get dumber if you associate with him," I warned Snow White about the consequences of spending time with Ryoshi.

    "I am in pain. But that doesn''t mean I approve of the things you have said! I''m the smarter guy here!" Ryoshi retorted.

    "Yes, Okami. I will not talk to Ryoshi. I swear in my dwarven''s name!" Snow White enthusiastically replied, as she stood from the ground. "So we are going towards the rabbit hole?"

    "Yes," I answered. "It''s the other entrance of the dwarven kingdom. If I remember theyout correctly, nobody knows this passage but me?"

    "You are correct, Okami."

    After our exchange, Snow Whtie handed out a map of the dwarven mines. The map contained all the terrains we needed to know before arriving at the ce. I also had a powerful map linked in my system. However, it did not have any details unlike this one.

    "Good job, Snow Whtie! With this, I think we could arrive faster on that pit!" I shouted, and tossed the map upwards.

    "Okami, What are you doing?!" Snow White screamed, with her hands raising upwards.

    "Come on, Snow White! Is this the first time you saw a map transforming into a vehicle?" I asked, whilst revealing a smirk on my face.

    "...And theypletely forgot about me," Ryoshi murmured to himself while all of this happened.

 Chapter 105 - Raised Difficulty

    The scorching heat waveing from the sunburned our skin. It was as if our feet walked in magma, crisping our epidermis with the zing temperature racing over through the roofs. All of us craved for a litre of water.

    However, the three of us already squeezed thest ounce of water from our bottle. It was a matter of time before we would copse on the ground.??

    "How far does this curve go?!" Ryoshi asked, while fanning his hands. "And is there anyke nearby?"

    "We don''t have a mage that could create water and purify for us. And besides-." Before I could continue my sentence, Snow White butted in and stole my exnation.

    "The dwarven kingdom has fewer resources than you expect. Although we have a forest here, these trees have toxins inside their bark. It would not surprise me if the ground has mixed noxious materials that hinder the growth of these nts," Snow White exined, and crossed her hands.

    "Then how are the dwarves surviving until now? If I have to guess your situation, you engaged yourselves by trading with others?" Ryoshi gave out his hunched, while waiting for Snow White''s counterfeit.

    "I''m surprised that Fenrir called you dumb�� Maybe you''re quick-witted after all. I must re-evaluate my sightings for you," Snow White eximed, while nodding to herself. "You are correct about that. We struck a deal with the Maind. But to think they were up to no good, that rtionship ended up with us involved in a war."

    "Save me from yourpliments�� after hearing the insults you''ve said earlier, I think I hate you right now, Snow White," Ryoshi retorted, while showing a hint of sadness in his eyes.

    "You''re all missing the point!" I finally snapped after hearing such trivial matters from these two.

    It was as if Ryoshi had met his match. During this trip, all I heard was nonsense topics from Ryoshi. Now that we had another member of our team, that annoyance also doubled.

    "I know agoon. It''s the only body of water that I know with 80% purifiedponents," I announced, and soon took the lead.

    Throughout the journey, Snow White was the one leading us to the rabbit hole. However, as the journey continued, the heating from the unused minerals made it difficult for us to proceed. Since the number of dwarves decreased, nobody mined the entire ce, leaving it to rot.

    And that led to this problem. It would be a matter of time before this entire ce would be an unlivable and hazardousndscape.

    If I had to guess it right, we had around a week before we could escape this ce. Knowing Snow White, she would want to move all of her people away from this environment.

    That event would be a perfect opportunity for me to invite them over to the dark elves'' side. Since Kouran told me we needed morebour force, having the dwarves on our side might change the tides.

    Well, if that happened. But if it doesn''t, we just might have to exert force!

    "And besides, thegoon is close by to the bunny hole. That information could motivate you, right?" I continued, with a smirk carved on my face.

    After our exchange, we traversed the road one step at a time. All three of us were gasping for air and water while squeezing the remaining contents of our bottle.

    Ryoshi would even trip over to a in surface. After getting back up, he would be suddenly cranky and me his injuries over Snow White or me.

    The warrior elf did not let that slide as she mmed her palm at Ryoshi''s face. Snow White had a victorious look in her eyes as she witnessed Ryoshi stuck against the wall. That guy needed more time before he could pull himself out of the crack.

    It was a hrious scene. And that event continued for around seven hours of walking time.

    We witnessed nothing but countless trees with their leaves rustling with the wind. Our team was fortunate enough to avoid any sightings of monsters around this area. Thanks to Ryoshi and my instincts, we escaped our enemies and went on a safer path.

    Our actions made Snow White impressed. She also told us that the dwarves would never have thought of something like a search scan in a weapon.

    "It would be a significant innovation for my people," Snow White added, as she grabbed her notes and wrote all the features we suggested.

    During that conversation, I brought up a topic. "We also need to create guns of our own."

    Upon hearing my suggestion, Snow White''s eyes peeled her eyes in surprise. She never expected to hear about the weapon from me. As soon as she gathered herposure, Snow White brought her notes again. She then asked for the details of these guns.

    "Here," I said, and presented the gun to Snow White.

    I also gave her additional blueprints on how to create a gun. Since I also had ess to do smithy work, I learned a thing or two about manufacturing weapons. Because of my inessibility with the mortars and hammers, I did not level up that ss and remained at level 1.

    Although my main ount, Fenrir, had higher stats for a smithy, I had no means to ess that ount anymore.

    "You stole a gun from them? You have some guts, Fenrir. I salute you for doing so," Snow White expressed, while taking the gun and the blueprint away from my hands.

    "I could help the dwarves if they find any problems analysing the gun. Although I''m not an expert, I could give you some insights from what I know," Ryoshi suggested, while looking at the other side.

    Despite his arrogant expressions, Ryoshi still did not want us to see his bashful side. Snow White and I burst intoughter as we witnessed his sudden emotions. Ryoshi''s cheeks turned bright, beating red, as he walked away in a different direction.

    "The road''s this way, Ryoshi! Where do you think you''re going, back to the soldiers?" I shouted.

    "I know, I know. I was just picking some herbs!" Ryoshi retorted.

    But the herbs clipped in his hands were nothing from the nts he used earlier. With a grumbleing from his lips, Ryoshi went back, stomping in our way.

    The three of us had a fun time during these past seven hours. We did not even need to battle soldiers or monsters! All we had to do was follow the trail.

    But all good things muste to an end as the three of us stopped in our tracks. Ryoshi pulled our bodies backwards and told us to shush our mouths.

    "Tell me, Fenrir, if you want me to kill your friend for you," Snow White growled at Ryoshi.

    I had to calm her down before anything else. As soon as Snow White held back her arms, Ryoshi exined.

    "My map caught something from that side. I believe it''s the soldier''s campsite," Ryoshi imed, while showing the targets on the map.

    Since thegoon was a ce that could mend ailments and wounds, the soldiers fortified that area and made it their own. It was an intelligent move from the soldiers, and an annoying one for us.

    "What are we going to do now?" Ryoshi croaked, as he transferred the map to my system.

    Within a few seconds, my map red a chime, telling me it had received the information. As I opened the map to my view, the targets and the terrain became clearer. Considering my status and veteran titles, I had more featurespared to my friend.

    "Hey, no fair! That''s cheating!" Ryoshi eximed, but I paid it no mind.

    "We need to bust ourselves through using force. We don''t have any means of surviving around the mountain drinking nothing but our saliva," I announced, and prepared my dagger.

    "Do we need to�� kill them?" Ryoshi asked.

    "Yes�� We need to before those soldiers could kill us."

    I never knew that the time woulde where I needed to kill these soldiers. Although I already slew a few of them before when they ambushed me, I could still feel the shivers down my spine.

    There was no merit for us to kill the soldiers. But if they wanted to take us out, it would be a different story. Since talking to them was out of the question, exchanging blows might do the trick.

    "I will dly obey you, Fenrir!" Snow White replied, as she tried leaping towards the site.

    It was a good thing that my hands were ready for anything. I, somehow, expected this to happen.

    "What are you doing? Are you crazy? Do you think waltzing in their ce without a n would do the trick?" I scolded Snow White.

    That poor girl huddled herself in the corner after hearing my statements. But despite my tough act, I did not know how to breach thegoon without getting us all killed...

 Chapter 106 - Taking The Lagoon (1)

    This ce took the life of Snow White''s brethren. I was sure of it, since the dwarves'' dead bodies scattered themselves around the area. The site became their grave after taking the bullet from those guns.

    Thegoon was not the only battlefield Snow White with her dwarves fought. If I remembered the article correctly, Snow White fought near Nirvana''s exterior borders. The dwarves tried asking for any assistance from the elves.??

    However, those dwarves were already toote. These soldiers won their battle as they pushed through every NPC that they could find. The only saving grace that they had was theck of information these soldiers possessed.

    Although soldiers and yers joined forces, most of the yers withdrew themselves from the death game. And only Warner Asimov could give them theyouts of the terrain.

    "Do you want to take your revenge, Snow White?" I asked, as I tapped the depths of her heart.

    I knew that the best way to ept this was to let it slide. But if vengeance itself knocked on the front door, there was no other way but to ept it with open arms.

    And that sentence was what I proposed to Snow White. A deal with the devil�� A deal with me.

    "I-I will ept your offer��," Snow White replied, and gripped the pommel of her dagger.

    Her eyes beamed with hatred as Snow White continued gazing at her friend''s corpses. I could only imagine how painful she felt when each of her friends died in front of her. I would have med myself for myck of skills if that happened to me.

    There was not a one in a million chance I could imagine Himari and Ryoshi would die before me.

    Snow White was also the dwarven kingdom queen. She had the responsibility to protect every citizen inside that concealed mine. And when she tried defending the kingdom, Snow White lost her chance.

    Her defeat marked a scar inside Snow White''s heart. With her eyes alone, I could tell that she was suffering too much. The pain of losing everyone because of her weak self was nothing tough about, especially when the game became a reality.

    I knew taking her revenge was promoting violence against those bastards. My lineage came from humans, after all. Telling her to kill my kind would never bring my heart to ease.

    However, doing the opposite would not help me either. If I had to choose, Snow White must protect her hometown, even by drenching her hands with blood.

    "Good��.," I answered.

    But because of my suggestion, I became a perpetrator of this battle. I would kill those yers outside of this video game. Those people had families and a life they cherished. Those soldiers and yers also had a dream and someone to protect.

    And yet�� I was selfish enough to let this slide.

    ''If I were in the same position as her, I would have done the same thing,'' I pondered, while gazing at Snow White''s face.

    It was the truth. And it was the only reason I kept pursuing Red Riding Hood. That bloody girl also had a sister. That woman also wanted revenge. But deep down inside, Red wanted nothing but a life with Clementine.

    If I ced myself into her shoes, I would have done the same thing��

    "The human heart is fragile," I mumbled to myself, while preparing myself to attack.

    But before I could go berserk, a light tap on my shoulders woke my mind. As I turned around, Ryoshi''s hand weed my eyes, with his face smirking at mine.

    "Yo... I know this fight would be tough�� since we''re going to fight against soldiers�� and yers�� If we kill those people, they will also die in our world. You probably killed a lot of soldiers too, when you saved us from Nirvana. So, whatever you nned on doing, count me in. I always got your back."

    "You idiot... Thank you, Ryoshi. I couldn''t have a better friend than you," I replied, while fighting my tears.

    "You''re the bigger idiot! You''re fighting against a horde of soldiers for the sake ofpleting the game. I would bet your sister''s going to be proud of you, Okami," Ryoshi continued, while he gave me a light jab on my back.

    "Yes. I know. It''s all for Himari, after all. I don''t want to embarrass myself when I''m the number one yer in this game."

    I needed that conversation. It was the only motivation that I needed to continue forward. Every problem I faced, Ryoshi was always there to save me. When my parents got Himari and me bankrupt, he was the one who lent me some spare money�� without even asking for anything.

    And until now, I never returned the favour��

    "I will give your money back someday, Ryoshi. I promise."

    "This conversation again? If you have the strength to say that, why don''t you take those guys out before I could!"

    Ryoshi conjured his bow and fired an arrow towards the farthest soldier. That bolt hit the man, but it never took his life. I knew, since Ryoshi aimed the dart away from the man''s vital points.

    "You could take them out without killing them�� I know you could do it. You''re the number one yer, after all. If I could do it, so could you."

    A grin emerged on my face as I activated my skill [wolf walk]. That skill enhanced my movements, making me swifter than ever before. I did not want to use my first form, knowing that I would kill these soldiers with that boost of raw power.

    It was like Ryoshi had said. I could just restrain myself from killing soldiers and yers��, unlike I did when I fought Robin.

    "Oh, I see. If we win by killing no one, we could be greater creatures! I could finally restrain myself from bing a monster!" Snow White eximed, with a sinister smile carved on her face.

    She had apletely novel idea when I told her about restraining our powers. I could even hear Snow White''sugh every time I went beside her. Sometimes, I prayed to meet another dwarf besides this girl.

    We did not make any ns at all. Our goal was to infiltrate thegoon and take down those enemies without killing them. If we could not, the three of us would force our way to the body of water and fill our bottle. After filling our container, we would all fly away as nothing had ever happened!

    My brain wanted to scream after hearing that scheme. When I yed this game as Fenrir, I always had a n to do these things. I could even sneak around the ce and fill our bottles fighting no one!

    And these dimwits never let me. We did not even talk about anything besides charging straight to the front door.

    But the past already happened.

    Snow White was already in front of the enemies, causing a distraction. Although we did not have a n, these two already worked as a team.

    That gigantic dwarf would gather the soldier''s attention, while Ryoshi would fire his shots towards the soldiers. Those two would rinse and repeat this set-up until something crazy would happen.

    However, I doubted that these soldiers would have something on their sleeves. With the three of us here, we could even demolish a kingdom if we wanted to!

    I slicked through the ce and went beside the guard''s back. That soldier got himself distracted by Snow White''s figure, smashing things all over the ce! If I were their general, I would signal an rm to defeat the enemy troops.

    And that was what the soldiers did. They followed their chief''s orders and went straight intobat. Some yers had swords as their weapons, while others remained using the gun.

    Some of these bastards were also gamers from my world. These soldiers knew the features of the games. If a veteran understood the ropes, gamers would consider guns inside the game world overpowered.

    Any overpowered item deserves a nerf. It was not "fun" to y with or against enemies.

    And I did not need to have a gun, since my body could evade the speed of a bullet! Heck, I could even dodge lightning if I wanted to.

    I readied my palm and mmed it against the soldier''s head. Upon contact, the man in front of me fell like a swatted fly, showing no signs of waking up.

    "No killing�� Well, this is easy," I said, while kicking the unconscious body of the soldier. "I better help Snow White and Ryoshi."

    "Freeze! Put your hands in the air where I could see them!"

    The ssic line from the police resounded behind me, ordering me what to do. I slowly turned around and did what the voice said, hoping these soldiers wouldn''t shoot me at point-nk range.

    "I won''t do that if I were you," I eximed, and vanished from the ground.

 Chapter 107 - Taking The Lagoon (2)

    "Freeze! Put your hands in the air where I could see them!"

    The ssic line from the police resounded behind me, ordering me what to do. I slowly turned around and did what the voice said, hoping these soldiers wouldn''t shoot me at point-nk range.??

    "I won''t do that if I were you," I eximed, and vanished from the ground.

    Despite using my smurf ount, I disappeared in front of the soldiers and knocked them out cold. I already knew that I had limited powers. But that did not stop me from showing off my skills to these vulgar soldiers.

    I took a hundred of them within mere seconds. Those soldiers did not stand a chance against the might of my ss. All those yers chose knights, mages, and other trending types.

    I took a different route and made it my own trademark.

    Since Lycanthrope was not that famous, no yer wanted to try the ss out in the game. If I had to be honest with myself, being a Lycan granted me nothing but the three forms and a pet wolf. And although my speed and strength increased, mages and knights could have done the same.

    However, those yers did not know the trick to maximise the powers of a Lycan.

    As soon as the soldiers fell on the ground, I regrouped with Ryoshi and Snow White. However, things had gotten out of control on their side.

    The two of them fought against those soldiers when I left them. Ryoshi and Snow White were doing a great job distracting the other side. But the numbers of these soldiers refused to decrease.

    It was as if humans could revive the dead...

    "There''s no end to them!" Ryoshi voiced his thoughts, while hitting three soldiers with a dull arrow.

    Those darts did magic to our enemies, putting them asleep without causing them pain. Ryoshi evaded all the vital organs of our opponents and hit the soldiers in their veins.

    The sensation acted like needles raining down like acupuncture. Although Ryoshi was no doctor, he knew where to hit them. I did not know that n became possible.

    However, upon witnessing the scene first-hand, I knew those rumours turned out to be true.

    Snow White had a more painful way of dealing with the situation. Thanks to her peculiar sword and muscr arms, that dwarf mmed her palms into every soldier she saw. Those unfortunate guards couldn''t do anything but stare at their demise, wondering if the p would leave a mark.

    And those ps left a mark on the puny soldiers. It was all written on their faces as soon as I arrived on the battlefield. I stood right beside my goofball of a friend.

    "Took you long enough!" Ryoshi said, without even looking at his side.

    He then fired another set of arrows in the opposite direction, hitting countless enemies in front of us. Ryoshi could really make the most out of the situation from afar. If someone would hand him a knife, the game would probably be over.

    "I''ve done my part. What''s your situation here?" I asked, while looking in every direction.

    Snow White kept charging straight at the enemies without a care in the world world. Those bullets did not do a damn thing to her muscles. And even if it did, I could barely see any scratches on her skin.

    It was as tough as my mother when she was still alive.

    "We''re doing okay for now�� but that general is our priority problem."

    Ryoshi pointed his forefinger at the campsite''s heart. A man stood near thegoon, looking at us with such an antagonising stare. Those two orbs alone sent heebie-jeebies inside of me, screaming to run away.

    But I was the legendary Fenrir, for fuck''s sake. If I beat half-awake within five minutes, how hard could this fight possibly be? He was just a person, unlike those terrifying monsters that had tentacles for their hands.

    "Once we take him out, you should fill our containers and run away," Ryoshi continued, while preparing another bow from his strings.

    But before Ryoshi could even fire that dart, my instincts told me to shove him away. I listened to my guts and pushed Ryoshi to the sides, hoping that I made it in time. A gust of wind flew behind me, with a bullet racing through our figures. It was a good thing that my reaction time remained superb. Or else we would instantly die from that assault.

    "What the fuck was that?" Ryoshi cursed, while huffing every air stored inside his lungs. "I thought I died�� Thanks for saving my back."

    I did not give my remarks to him and went ahead to the battlefield. If that man had frightening power, Snow White would die right before our eyes. I only had a few seconds to react and save Snow White out from this battlefield.

    The yells of my friend followed behind, asking for me to stay in the safer area. However, I paid him no concern and continued dashing straight up the road. I did not want to risk Snow White''s life and ran away like a goddamn coward.

    I brought Snow into this ce and nned to save her, too. If there was one thing I learned throughout my experience in life, lending a hand to someone would alwayse in handy.

    The worst came to me as the general raised his arm again and aimed his pistol in Snow White''s direction. I knew that mad man saw my figure, but he still chose Snow White as his target.

    "Snow White, behind you!" I shouted, but the girl never heard my voice.

    As soon as I touched Snow White''s hand, the bullet escaped from the gun. There was no other choice but to push the limits of my first form. If I wanted to save this girl, I needed more speed than what I currently had.

    "You fool��."

    A voice called out for me, with a tingling sensation coursing through my veins. I did not know where the sound came from, but I knew the results turned out good. It did not look like it, but the tone felt like an old friend calling in touch with me.

    "No�� it can''t be," I murmured to myself, but briefly brushed off all those thoughts from my head.

    The most important thing right now was to stay alive on this battlefield. We also needed to take the enchanting water from thegoon. But that goal could wait untilter.

    "We need to go, Snow!" I ordered, and dragged her to safety.

    The raining bulletsing from the other guards dealt with no damage at all. I could hardly even feel anything but a tickle from those barrages. Snow White also told me she felt someone massaging her backs after taking the entire ammo. Since she had a muscr body, I doubt those bullets would do a thing to her.

    However, it would be a different story if that soldier sted us with his peculiar gun. I did not have any chance to observe the weapon up close. But I knew that the bullet inside would pack up a punch.

    As soon as we arrived at our rendezvous, the three of us temporarily withdrew from the battle. But I swore to return to the campsite again, since thegoon would help us on our trip. We had to drink that water.

    And besides, all of us could die on the road from heatstroke.

    Within a few minutes, we made it out alive without an injury. The soldiers also refused to pursue us any further. Since this ce was an uncharted road for the guards, following us here would only mean suicide to their squad.

    That time allowed us to reshape our scheme to breach thegoon once again.

    "So, what are we going to do now?" Snow White asked.

    That girl loved asking questions about our current condition.

    "Of course, we would fight them again. We just need the perfect strategy," I answered, with a smirk carved on my face.

    "But now that the soldiers knew our aim, they would guard thegoon with more guards. It would be a drag if we have to fight them with that general hanging around," Ryoshi exined, while scribbling the ground using a stick.

    "What are you doing?" I queried a question.

    "Making a make-shift map. Well, if you memorised the ce and showed it to us, I wouldn''t do this," Ryoshi retorted, with a fierce smile painted on his face. I could only guess that was his smug look, telling me he won this round.

    "Alright."

    "I do theyout, you do the n," Ryoshi eximed, giving me the stick to my waiting hands. "You''re the leader, after all. I''m just the brains of this ce, not the one who orders people around."

    I gave Ryoshi a nod and continued where we left from the conversation. All we needed to do right now was infiltrate the base once more and deal with the annoying general.

 Chapter 108 - Taking The Lagoon (3)

    Iid out the n and told everyone their roles.

    Ryoshi would stay on guard as far away as possible, contributing to the battlefield with his long-ranged attacks. He would y as the sniper of our team, taking out as many enemies as he could without getting himself caught.??

    Since we already had a ranged yer, Snow White fit the description of a vanguard. She would soak all the damage from the soldiers and distract all of them in one ce. Thanks to her absurd skin, Snow White could withstand on her own while also taking down foes with her de.

    If I had to put it into words, Snow White would be the decoy of our team. She had great speed and power stats, rivalling the elite knights.

    I had an inkling that Snow White''s de could also work as a hammer. Despite the weapon''s sharp edge, Snow White would pound the pommel to her opponents. It was an entertaining scene to watch, especially when I was not the one she would target.

    My job would sneak inside the fortified base and put the general to sleep. Our team need not kill anyone in in sight. Although identally killing someone would go off the bucket, it was not our goal.

    We did not go all the way here to kill people. The three of us were here to refill our bottles and leave thegoon without having someone injured. It was a simple n, yet it had terrifying stakes.

    There was also this general, with an overwhelming gun, after all. If that man did not guard thegoon and showed himself in the front lines, I would gather all the water that I could from thegoon and book it!

    There was no way that I could fight against that man while defending Ryoshi and Snow White.

    If there was a yer who could fight against an overpowered enemy, that yer would be me. People could argue that my sister could also perform well, but I would leave that for another time.

    "What are the odds of us seeding?" Snow White asked, as he gazed at thegoon''s sight once again.

    "I''d say, one hundred. Have you ever doubted the wrath of Fenrir?" I answered, with a smirk carved on my face.

    As soon as I announced our chances, I rushed towards the side undetected. Snow White also did her thing and went straight into battle. She waved her weapon and used her body as a shield. If I had to describe her, Snow White was a tank at our party.

    Ryoshi also ced himself in position and prepared his bow. As soon as Snow White and I took our lead, Ryoshi fired a hundred darts all over the ce, hitting countless soldiers in the field. But the most bizarre thing did not stop from there as those bolts evaded our figures, as if they did not want to harm us.

    "Heh, what a showoff," I chuckled, and continued pursuing the nk of the enemy''s base.

    It was just as we nned. Snow White had taken half of the soldier''s numbers, while Ryoshi tried lessening it as much as he could.

    The scheme all went to my performance, pressing me to finish the job. All I needed to do now was meet the general or fill our container with the nutritious water from thegoon.

    As I arrived at the set, one man weed my presence. He stared at thegoon with the moonlight reflecting on the features of his face. That guy had visible stars patched on his breasts, as well as symbols meant for soldiers.

    Smoke also became visible from his face. The man raised his hand and took something out of his view. I could only guess this guy held a cigar in his hands while waiting for my arrival.

    There was no doubt about it. This person in front of me was the general I saw from before. I had to take back what I said. The general was more than capable of overthrowing a squad of elite soldiers in one match!

    A formidable aura enveloped the general. With a brief nce, I deduced that the man had an aptitude over darkness. It was amon spell, since it gave all the benefits to yers, especially the power of [hunter in the night]. Besides the stupendous abilities, the [hunter in the night] would boost the yer''s power by two folds.

    It was a broken spell that imed poprity by andslide during its first release. I, who struggled to be the best with my puny abilities, proved them all wrong.

    The general did not have any soldiers to back him up. He must have already known about my arrival, and prepared to ambush me by himself. Since bringing along more men to this battle would hinder him from using his strongest spells��

    That theory was the only thing that I could think of, considering the events happening right now. If that general truly had the power to rival mine, having more allies would slow him down.

    I would have done the same thing if I were using my main ount. Unfortunately for me, I wasn''t.

    "Did you wait for me, mister? You''re not having fun like the rest of your friends," I said, while announcing my presence.

    The general inhaled his cigarette for thest time and threw it to the side. The tobo, which had an unrealistic effect in this game, turned into pixted bits. After a few seconds, the smoke and the stick vanished from our sight.

    "Nope. You were just in time before my smoke ran out. Although I''m not in the mood for listening to some pesky jokes, I had no other choice but to listen to you. Am I right, Fenrir? Or would you prefer me calling you bigbadwolf?" the general replied.

    He turned around and faced me with his front body. That man had a bulky abdomen for a general. And here I was, thinking that generals were fat people ordering soldiers around.

    I never escaped this bloke to have a hobby of exercising every day. It almost made me envious of his lifestyle.

    "I would really prefer calling myself Wolf from now on, since I''m not using my main ount. You should thank me for that, considering that you already lost before personally meeting me," I said, hoping to agitate the man with the dark green uniform. "But if you want to talk about it and call it a truce, my team would dly do so! We just want to take a sip from thatgoon, after all!"

    I knew there was no point in fighting anyone, but the situation had gotten out of hand. If I would dial down my power level, I might kill this general without even noticing it! That thought alone sent shivers down my spine, especially when Himari would look at me with disgust on her face.

    "You still have a backbone without knowing your position, Wolf. Teenagers these days have it nice, do they?"

    "Y-You''re not making any sense!" I shouted. "Look, big guy. We just want some water."

    "I''m afraid I can''t give you anything, Wolf. You annihte an entire army using no spells�� and with that weak form. About how you do it, I don''t care. But you remain a threat to the nation and Asimov," the general continued. "If I take you down, this death game you created would go to the grave with you. You don''t know how manyrades you took away from that battle, Wolf�� Even though you''re just a child, do you think killing those soldiers would be fun? Is it because you still think this is a game?"

    "I did it as self-defence! I never wanted to fight them!"

    "I never wanted to fight you either�� I also have a kid, Wolf�� Please remember that."

    After our exchange, the general started the attack with a magic circle prepared behind his back. I already expected this much and went to my side. But I never thought that there would be a trap behind a trap!

    Another set of magic circles sprung into action, with the ground forming upwards to my figure. After a few seconds of scrutinising the spell, I second jumped my way out from the ambushed site.

    "Second jump? Why are you not obeying thews of physics," the general eximed, and heaved out a tired sigh.

    "This world is a game, for fuck''s sake. And you don''t get to lecture me about physics! You still have that gun in your pocket!" I shouted, whilst pointing at the pistol hidden behind the general''s sleeves.

    If I had to guess it right, this general nned on assassinating me at the right time. The general did not want to show all of his abilities in front of me. Well, I also had the same n as the general!

    "[First form]!" I screamed, inviting all the powers stored inside of me to boost my body.

 Chapter 109 - Taking The Lagoon (4)

    My body became light as soon as I activated my [first form]. Although I barely tapped the power of my ability, it gave me a fighting chance against this general.

    If I were to fight him alone, I could win this match. However, I would exhaust all my resources, draining my energy for the next fight. The three of us also needed to retreat from this ce. Considering that the soldiers would call for their back-up from another campsite, we might have to deal with that army.??

    And I did not want that to happen.

    "My troops told me to be wary about that form�� There is no mistaking it�� That form killed them," the general eximed. "Before we fight, I would like to introduce myself to you. I am 1st star General Paul, Commander, U.S. Central Command. "

    "First general?! Then�� there are more of you, Paul?" I replied, with my eyes widened in surprise.

    The general named Paul did not give me an answer. But I was not aiming for any reply. That conversation paved more time for me to observe Paul''s gun and his abilities. From all the scenes the general showed to me, I could only guess that the pistol did not have any automatic attachments, unlike some arsenals.

    Since the gun did not have actual bullets, the soldiers in this world did not have to worry about losing their ammo. However, those yers would have to resort to exchanging their mana for bullets, which became a fine deal in using the firearms.

    He revealed his pistol and pulled the trigger aimed in my direction. If I had not activated my [first form] that shell would have opened a bullet through my heart.

    I flipped backwards and dodged the bullet, literally and metaphorically. As soon as Inded on the ground, the general went to my side. He aimed his gun at my face and threatened me to pull the trigger again.

    I was quick to react to Paul''s movements and tried pping him using my elbow. However, the barrel of the gun turned out to be a feint attack. By the time I remembered that the magical pistol needed time to recharge, Paul''s elbow mmed into my face, forcing me to take some minor damage.

    A slight cut also formed on my skin, leaving a scar from the general''s cheap trick as an attack.

    "What was that for?!" I yelled, while palpating the bump forming on my cheek.

    The general fell silent as he charged in my direction for the nth time. I had to do something if I wanted to win this duel. If this continued, Paul would make me his personal punching bag at the end of this fight.

    There was also a time limit I had to monitor throughout this ss. Since this first form did not remain permanent in my skill set, I had to take out the trash before the ability could end. And if I had to include the time wasted earlier, I only had ten more minutes before ending this battle.

    I dashed to the sides and used the trees to my advantage. Thanks to the nts surrounding the ce, it made Paul difficult to trace me beyond this point. His eyes told me everything as he desperately tried to find my figure.

    But what Paul witnessed was my mere afterimages. Because of activating my abilities, my [first form] could grasp the environment and use it to my advantage. Since the general had some trouble catching up to me, my traces became fake shadows.

    I was already behind him once Paul noticed something.

    "Checkmate!" I thought, and pounded him.

    However, the general had superb reaction time and blocked my attack. I did not have the time to react to his counterattack, and received a ton of damage from that same elbow crush.

    That scene was what Paul thought. But that did not happen at all.

    The one I sent was also an afterimage. It was an ability that I became fond of using, allowing me to misdirect my enemies to a corner. Since it hade to this, my trap went perfectly as I dug out a hole from the ground.

    My hands pulled the legs of Paul and dragged him underneath the soil. Before the general could make a move, the dirt I had prepared already enveloped his body.

    "That pit won''tst long�� It would buy my friends some time to escape this ce with the water from thegoon," I said, and turned my back behind the general.

    However, Paul refused to quit, and cursed my walking figure. "You killed my troops in Nirvana! They did nothing wrong. And yet they all paid the price for meeting you! Don''t you know that they also have a life like you?"

    I could digest the words thrown at me. Since everything that man said was true, I stopped walking onwards and nced at Paul.

    "I know, and I regret everything I did before. But what else could I do besides defend myself? Those people that you called soldiers ambushed me by doing nothing!"

    "It''s because you''re a yer killer, Fenrir! That name alone scared every yer living in this death game! Who knows which person you''re going to target next! We don''t have the time to deal with the NPCs and a yer killer like you!" the soldier replied, while clicking his tongue.

    "Kill me. If you don''t, back-up is going to arrive shortly. And when that happens, those soldiers will take your life!" Paul continued.

    I shook my head and answered, "It''s easier for you to say, mister. But I don''t want to kill. I am a yer killer in Code, but I don''t want to kill anyone in this death game. I know how it feels to lose someone... or afraid to lose someone close to me."

    "What do you mean?" Paul asked.

    "You get to keep your life. If those soldierse, I won''t hesitate to smack them down�� Just don''t corner me like a rat and scream to take everything from me. If you found out the decisions of the upper chairs, be my guest. They will tell you everything that they want�� Those people are trying to get rid of me."

    "And why would a brat like you get targeted by the higher-ups?"

    "Since I know how to end this war��.," I answered, while continuing my walk towards thegoon. "Your child must have a great father. I envy you. Since I have a sister to protect right now, I don''t want to kill anyone. That''s my answer. Goodbye."

    After our exchange, I went to thegoon and filled my bottle with fresh azure water. As soon as we loaded up our sk, I dashed straight away and met with my tworades.

    Upon arriving at the site, Ryoshi and Snow White kept fighting against the soldiers. However, the scene had already died outpared to the fight they had earlier. It looked like these two had already finished the sh against those damn soldiers.

    "Hey, I got the bottles! Let''s go!" I shouted.

    But right after tackling the unfortunate soldiers into misery, Ryoshi and Snow White weed me with a smile on their faces. I nced behind them and checked if these two idiots killed the dudes. Much to my surprise, all those beaten up guards still let out a twitching sound of agony and despair.

    Yep�� Those soldiers were still alive. But they all snuggled on the ground like a baby.

    "We did a great job, Snow White!" Ryoshi eximed, while emerging out from the trees. "I knocked them hard, but not too hard!"

    "Your uracy is like no other! You are one skilled archer, Ryoshi!" Snow White returned thepliment, as she embarrassinglyughed at Ryoshi''s remarks.

    "Yes. You both did well. Now, do you want to leave this ce, or what? Those back-up soldiers are heading this way. Things would get ugly if we stayed here for long," I said, reminding this pair about our aim.

    Ryoshi and Snow White gave me a nod and followed my lead. I ran straight towards the road we set foot on and continued our journey, with these two sticking close behind me.

    It was like the general had mentioned. Those soldiers returned from the battlefield and inspected the entire site, looking for me. But the three of us never took a life from those soldiers, which made me sigh in relief as we headed out of that ce.

    But as we progressed, I turned to Snow White and noticed something falling from her eyes. Despite her goofy presentation, I knew the dwarf had it rough.

    "Are you okay?" I asked. "Did you get the chance to say goodbye?"

    "What are you talking about, Wolf? We made it back alive!" Snow White answered, as she ced upfront to talk to me.

    I did not press her for any details, knowing that it might make the situation worse. But I knew what Snow White said. And I really felt delighted when none of us got injured from that fight.

 Chapter 110 - General Paul

    The Side''s Story of the general (since he would y a bigger part in the story)

    *This part shows how the death game affected everyone, including the soldiers fighting to protect the yers inside Code. Just like from Sword Art Online, the game ruined everyone''s lives.??

    First Person Point of View

    _________________________

    The chime of our doorbell echoed from inside-out of our house. My wife, who was preparing dinner, leaned her head backwards and checked the window. The smell of roasted beef covered the air. Since I had returned home from my mission, my wife concocted me with a mystery meal.

    Before she could walk out from the kitchen, I stood from the settee while shuffling the hair of my one and only boy.

    "Dad, are you going to pick the doorbell? The real fun is about to start!" my son cried, and shook his popcorn wrapped around his arms.

    Despite his cheerful demeanour, my son was around fifteen years old. My boy was currently preparing for his entrance exam for college. He''s a smart kid, but yful sometimes.

    That guy only reminded me of myself from my prime years.

    I gave him a wink and answered, "Yeah, yeah. Work stuff, champ. I''ll be back in a second."

    After our exchange, I opened the front door. As I nced to my right, a dark-coloured van drove off in the distance at full speed. There were no mailmen or anything that went near the streets.

    It was only the eerie car that drove past the isted road.

    I went to our mailbox and checked what was inside. Upon opening the pir box, dozens of mails weed my eyes, including the mysterious man gave earlier.

    But I knew this was a set-up and a code that the higher authorities gave to me. Since I already finished my assignment, those bastards wanted more out of me.

    "Let''s see what we have here," I whispered, and reached my hand inside the post.

    These mails were all fake, misdirecting any suspects that would stalk me. Considering the alignment of these notes, the one in the middle was my golden ticket to read the intelligence''s message.

    "Code?" I murmured, "An online death game. Why do they need my help for something that''s beyond my age?"

    After memorising the contents, I crumpled the paper and burned it using my lighter. From my line of work, leaving traces behind would endanger everyone surrounding me. A soldier must be careful enough to eliminate all traces that could lead to my family and me.

    If the worsees to worst, I would have to leave this house, together with my family, and start a new life.

    I grabbed my extra cellr phone and called the dials written from the burnt paper. However, the contact person I called was just a recordering from my agency. It also seemed that I would work with someone that has a higher status in the military.

    "Warner Asimov." After telling me the name and the number, the line from the other side died out.

    I crushed the phone, took out the chip, and pulverised it with my bare hands. Leaving no traces of my whereabouts was my number one n for these operations. And now that I had a second assignment, things would be busier at the next second.

    After smashing the machine into pieces, I returned to my house and went beside my son. Tonight would be thest day I would spend my time with my family once again. But right after this project, my boss would order my rest and money aspensation.

    I would be a rich man and give my earnings to my son''s schools. I wanted the best for my child, since it was my responsibility to give him everything that I could within my power.

    "Hey, champ. I would fight bad guys again," I confessed to my kid, while snuggling beside him.

    My boy stopped fiddling with the Gamestation controller and looked me in the eye. "Again? I thought you''d be there for my graduation day?"

    I did not forget that day. I knew it was a special event for my kid. However, I couldn''t decline the assignment given to me by Warner Asimov and the authorities. It was a part of my job, after all.

    "Sorry, son. I promise. Next year, I would be there for your achievements. I always keep a photo of your-."

    Before I could even finish my sentence, my son stood up and stomped his way back to his room. I knew he was not against my job, knowing I was a soldier. But all that boy wished for was my presence by his side.

    "Son!" I called out, but my kid refused to look me in the eye.

    I did not eat a grain of rice when the evening clock struck. My wife understood my circumstances. But we could do nothing about my son''s emotions. After witnessing such a scene, I also went to my room and packed my things.

    .............

    Two months had passed since the incident. The death game called "Code" trapped billions of yers, excluding my son. I was fortunate to hear that from Asimov, who became the chief of this operation.

    My troops'' task was to find this kid named "Fenrir". That man was a yer in this game that took the lives of innocent adventurers before this death game urred.

    I was never a fan of ying games, so I did not know the ropes of this ce. Thanks to myrades, those soldiers taught me everything I needed to know to overpower my enemies.

    Unfortunately, tanks and other machinery could not make it inside this world. However, Asimov introduced us to our recognisable arsenals, including the guns and other protective gear. Asimov also included skills and power-ups that I would need for our mission. That man gave me a gun and told me to equip it at all times.

    It was my army against one person. After hearing that at first, I thought Asimov had a problem with his mind. But seeing it right before my eyes, I knew that this kid was something else from what I had expected.

    "My troops told me to be wary about that form�� There is no mistaking it�� That form killed them," I eximed. "Before we fight, I would like to introduce myself to you. I am 1st star General Paul, Commander, U.S. Central Command. "

    ording to my sources, Fenrir killed half of the toon I sent for Robin Hood. It was also the time that Asimov warned me about Wolf''s power.

    As I fired the bullet out from my gun, the yer named Wolf (who was also Fenrir) dodged it with grace. Those movements disobeyed thews of physics. And yet, this yer achieved the unachievable feat of humankind.

    I fought against terrorists and other wars back in my old days, but I never went against something this absurd. Wolf was like the embodiment of superman in the television shows. The only difference that he had was his wolf form.

    As soon as my body got trapped by this Wolf''s cheap trick, I surrendered and epted my defeat.

    "Kill me. If you don''t, backup is going to arrive shortly. And when that happens, those soldiers will take your life!" I said.

    Wolf reminded me of the image of my son. He had the same figure as my boy, with the entertaining gestures andments he spewed out. But the striking resemnce hit the jackpot as I heard the words'' chosen by Wolf.

    It almost felt like I chatted with my champ.

    "You get to keep your life. If those soldierse, I won''t hesitate to smack them down�� Just don''t corner me like a rat and scream to take everything from me. If you found out the decisions of the upper chairs, be my guest. They will tell you everything that they want�� Those people are trying to get rid of me."

    Those were the words Wolf mentioned to me. As myst request, I asked him the reasons for letting me live. I knew Wolf was a yer killer who annihted my army. But now that I met him, he did noty a hand on my body.

    "And why would a brat like you get targeted by the higher-ups?" I asked.

    "Since I know how to end this war��.," Wolf answered, while continuing walking towards thegoon. "Your child must have a great father. I envy you. Since I have a sister to protect right now, I don''t want to kill anyone. That''s my answer. Goodbye."

    Wolf ended our exchange as he dashed straight behind me without harming my vulnerable body. Although my intel told me he was a madman that needed constraints, Wolf showed me otherwise.

    When Wolf finally got me, I thought that was the end of my life. I thought I would never see my beautiful wife and son again. However, now that I realised it, it was not Wolf''s problem.

    After hearing his words, someone must have somehow manipted the events and spread false information about him. It was the only reason Asimov and the others would target that kid.

 Chapter 111 - Red And The Lagoon

    Red Rose''s Perspective

    __________________

    After a few hours, we resumed our journey to find Snow White. Although we had little knowledge about our surroundings, my system proved its worth. It brightened up our view and revealed uncharted ces that we still left unexplored.

    It was a matter of time before we could finally meet with the dwarven''s queen.

    However, Draven also reminded that Snow White was not a friendly person. She could hardly believe my words and would fight me. Draven warned me all about that. So, he advised me to fight against her in a one-versus-one battle.

    And since Snow White also lost herrades during the war, she would vent her revenge to me. I could only guess that would happen once we saw each other face to face.

    [There is agoon up ahead, Red.] My system notified me and ced a blue marker on the terrain it mentioned.

    Match and I had no other option but to follow the system''s lead. The two of us would love to have something to drink, especially after a long day''s trip. We were fortunate enough to find a body of water around this ce, and could be our temporary base for now.

    However, upon approaching the ce, the resting soldiers greeted our eyes. All of them looked like they were resting after a defeated battle.

    "Do you really want to drink in thatgoon, Red? It''s infested with guards, you know?" Match raised her concerns, while heaving out a sigh.

    I gave her a nod and replied, "Yeah. Since we are already running out of water, we might as well refill our bottles. And besides, it''s cheaper and efficient this way."

    After considering my im, Match allowed me to fetch some water. However, Match added that she would not include herself during this mission. She told me it would be a waste of demonstrating her power to these guards.

    "I might kill them," Match eximed, as she nestled her head beside the ancient bark. "I still can''t control my powers, especially those soldiers."

    I could only think that this little girl had matured throughout our journey. After Match came into realisation that she killed those people before, she doubted herself and her powers. Although she used her arcane at some events, Match''s eyes told me otherwise.

    "Okay. I got this. I just need to take some water from thegoon," I answered, and conjured a magic spell surrounding me.

    Magical runes and circles appeared before my eyes and covered my body with [shadow walk]. It was a spell that allowed me to walk through shadows without making a sound. I became fond of using this spell, since it cost me little manapared to the other abilities that my system had.

    But if I had to look at the bigger picture, I had a smaller set of skills rather than my fingersbined.

    As soon as I activated my ability, I dashed towards the side and snuck my way inside. The soldiers did not mind my presence and still looked away from my direction. But upon arriving at the moist site, a cough red out behind me.

    I prepared myself to look around and readied my weapons in case of a sudden battle.

    "Are you here for the water too?" a voice of a man asked me, with a clicking from somewhere.

    I could only guess that the clicking sound came from a gun. Which I also learned after studying the weapon. Before that person could fire his firearm, I turned around and disarmed the man. However, I got way ahead of myself and tumbled out of nothing.

    The man, dressed in a dark green vest, met my eyes. He had a glittering star patched around his breast pocket, with a bear reaching around his neck. The soldier, who I assumed had an authoritative figure on this base, walked to me with an expressionless gaze.

    After a few seconds, the man sighed and opened his mouth. "You can take the bottle and leave this ce. Let''s just say I never saw youe here, and you never saw me pull a trigger��. You never saw me at all. I like that more than the former part."

    Despite the fierce look of the soldier, the man let me off the hook and turned a blind eye. The bloke followed his words as he stood up and swivelled his back around from mine. My mouth remained gaped wide open, unable toprehend the situation.

    That bearded man knew no bounds, with his exceptional pistol clipped in his pockets. If he pulled the trigger and aimed for my heart, I would have left Match all alone from the woond.

    "Why?" I asked.

    I did not add more to my question, since no words came afterwards from my mouth. The man heard my query and stopped walking from the drenched soil. He nced in my direction but refused to face me head-on.

    "I should be dead right now. But here I am, alive and standing in front of you. The boy that came before you taught me a valuable lesson that no soldier could learn. I guess keeping you alive meant to atone for my sins," the bloke exined, with his hand pointed downwards.

    "I''m an NPC. I thought all the soldiers would want to kill me�� You''re different," I eximed, with my eyes widened in shock.

    The man stood still and continued watching me. I returned his gaze and continued my sentence.

    "Are you sure this is okay? You''re not scheming for anything now, are you?"

    The man shook his head and answered, "No. My son wouldn''t forgive me for killing an innocent girl. You should hurry and leave this ce, Red��"

    After saying his goodbyes, the general went inside the shadowy road. Within a few seconds, his figure disappeared from the smog, filling the air.

    "Who was that guy? Why does he know my name?"

    A shudder coursed through my veins upon as I heard the man calling out for me. He knew my identity without even exchanging information. If I had learned this scene earlier, I would have squeezed the guy for some answers.

    But I had already used my luck and got to keep my life with me. That general had the upper hand, and a gun pointed behind me. If that man wanted to kill me, he would have pulled the trigger and announced my death.

    However, none of that happened. Instead, the man walked away from me without harming my body.

    I went to thegoon and refilled my jars with fresh water. The reflection from thegoon reflected my face, revealing the tired expression carved on my eye bags.

    "So, this is me when I''m tired?" I asked, refusing to look anywhere but my image.

    But the fun time did notst for long as the stomps of soldiers in the distance alerted my brain. I snatched my bottles away and activated my [shadow walk]. Since the general was the only one who noticed my spell, I concluded he was more powerful than anyone in this camp.

    With my spell enveloping my body, I escaped the campsite and met Match. Upon reaching the base''s exterior, a figure of a girl weed my sight. However, instead of greeting me, the recognisabless snored like a rabbit.

    There were dozens of firewoods beside Match that came in all different sizes. Each of the boughs had different colours. Some of them got burnt, while others still had fresh marks on their skin.

    I could only guess that Match studied the power of her mes when I was fetching some water.

    "Look at you, working really hard," I remarked, and sat beside Match.

    I used the dry leaves as our make-shift nket and covered the two of us under the moonlight. The wind blew through our skin, telling me that the night had finally turned old.

    However, I never felt fazed by the atmosphere and continued cuddling with Match. This girl was in a heavy sleeper. She refused to wake up even at the noises sounding from a crashing branch.

    Just as I found afortable area, Match leaned her head and continued sleeping on my shoulders. My entire body froze as soon as I felt the warmth of Match beside me.

    "I don''t know what I''m going to do without you, Match," I whispered, while caressing her forehead.

    My imagination failed every time I thought about a world without this girl. It was as if the worst punishment I could receive when the thought came haunting me down.

    But no matter how hard our journey could be, I vowed to stay by her side. I would always protect Match and give it everything I got for this little girl. She reminded me of Clementine�� the sister I couldn''t save when she needed me the most.

    It had been months since the death game started. If only Clementine survived; I wonder what life I would live right now?

 Chapter 112 - Red Vs Wolf

    My body was the one that woke me up after a terrible nightmare. As I gazed from above, the scorching sun warmed thend. Upon ncing at my side, Match''s sleeping face weed me.

    I could only smile infort as I watched her fall asleep. Even for the nth time, that girl looked like an angel in disguise that came from the skies above.

    However, that peaceful moment changed when I felt someone gazing in my direction. I stood up and went to the corner of the tree. But upon reaching the ancient trees behind, no creatures emerged from my sight. And upon looking around, there was nobody there to greet me.

    "Strange��," I mumbled, while hunting for the eerie eyes looking at me.

    Despite my efforts, no one showed up to introduce themselves to me. But instead of giving up, I looked around for more, hoping to find anything unusual.

    My hard work finally got a reward as I found footprints behind the bushes and the far-away trees. Those footmarks belonged to two people if I had to guess it right.

    "These footprints are still fresh��. Are we being watched?" I asked myself, while inspecting the designs and directions of those trails.

    As I raised my head, those marks led me deeper into the woond. It was also the road that Match and I went before reaching thegoon.

    These footmarks did not belong to the soldiers. I could detect them from miles away if those guards nned to patrol this area. However, these mysterious individuals escaped my radar, making the situation eerier than it seemed.

    I went to Match and tapped her frozen shoulders. That girl woke up from the vibration, with her eyes still wandering off towards the dream world.

    "R-Red? Why are you here?" she asked, while wiping the dirt glued beside her eyes.

    Although she had yet to recover from herte sleep, I urged her to stand and prepare some magic spells. "We''re being followed by someone. Be ready to fight someone, okay?"

    Match heeded mymand and prepared two magic circles at each of her hands. I also unsheathed my sword and pointed my de behind Match. If we followed this position, we could avoid getting ambushed by someone we did not know.

    The opponents would have a troublesome time assaulting us, given the amount of range that our eyes could see.

    However, I thought wrong. A dark figure emerged above the branches and travelled to one bough after the other. My eyes could not keep up with the running shape as I tried to pinpoint its location.

    I could not dash in the figure''s direction, thinking my body was not fast enough to outrun such an opponent. Match also noticed the figure sprinting at an intense speed. And she already knew that her magic spells would not connect to that speedy creature roaming around our vicinity.

    After a few seconds, the peculiar shape vanished from our sight. It said and did nothing to us, despite Match and I standing at our grounds.

    If an enemy saw us, this ce would be the perfect time to strike behind our backs. However, that creature withdrew�� At least, that was what I suspected.

    "I never thought I would find you here, Red."

    A recognisable, masculine voice emerged from the trees and called out for my attention. But as I desperately looked around, nobody revealed themselves to me.

    "Who are you? What do you want?" I asked, and extended my arms in front of Match, protecting her from what was about toe.

    As soon as I asked that question, a dark figure of a man materialised at our fore. Within a few seconds, the features of the guy became crystal to my eyes. It was only a matter of time before I realised that the person in front of me was the yer that I met before.

    "Fenrir��. Why are you here?" I asked, and readied my weapon.

    I knew that meeting him here spelt horrible news to Match and me. And fighting Wolf right now would kill us. The best course of action that I could have was��

    "Match, let''s run away��. I will make a distraction. Do you see that tree over there?" I asked, and tapped Match''s hands.

    Match never spoke of a thing, but she gave me a nod.

    "Great�� I want you to run there as fast as you can, okay? I''ll follow you. So please just listen to me."

    Match believed my words and showed me a determined look carved on her face. All the worries escaped my chest, thinking that we would flee this battle without exhausting our arcane.

    However, before we could even start our n, another shadow appeared beside Wolf. As the image became clear, an adventurer, whom I knew all this time, weed my eyes.

    The bloke wore unusual clothing meant for archers. But I could only guess that was the proper attire of his ss.

    That guy also had the same face that I witnessed not too long ago. The image of his body was still fresh in my mind. But even after all these months that passed by, I could still remember that bastard��

    And that man had a bow and arrow clipped around his waist. It was the weapon of choice that killed my sister�� That guy ran away when we needed him the most. I could still hear the archer''s footsteps dashing away from the monster after "identally" hitting Clementine.

    That action alone killed someone dear to me�� And this death game resulted from my anger�� I never regretted it, not even once��. If I went back in time, I would have done it again... and again�� and again.

    "Match�� I''m sorry," I mumbled, while sharpening my sword. "I need to kill that man."

    My right eye glowed immediately after realising that I needed more power in this match. All the mana contained inside my body surged through my veins, heightening all my five senses. And even without activating it, my [shadow walk] kicked into my skin.

    I felt like I could take any enemies in this world, including the strongest yer known to humans.

    However, I got ahead of myself and forgot about everything that surrounded me. Wolf went in front of me and challenged my speed, protecting the archer from receiving any damage.

    Despite activating my [shadow walk], Wolf parried my attack as if it was nothing but a cheap trick. That yer challenged my speed and even outmanoeuvred me with no additional spells.

    "Grgh��."

    I gritted my teeth and growled at him, protecting this douchebag that killed my sister. Among all the yers I faced, Fenrir was the only one that tapped inside my memories�� Since I was a non-yer character who knew nothing about settings, Fenrir looked through my past events. I also nced at his memories of life. So, now, we both knew the bottom of our icebergs.

    However, that was not enough to mend our wounds. If Fenrir-the hero of my life, were a friend of this bastard, I would also turn my de against him.

    I did not care who I was up against this time. As long as I could this man with my own hands and the person behind this game, I would finally rest in peace. That goal was the driving fuel for me to live in this world.

    "Red��.," Fenrir mumbled, as he met my eyes.

    Wolf was about to say something, but ate his words. It was as if he knew about this all along.

    I went backwards and created a distance between these two yers and me.

    "You knew?" I asked.

    "I do. I never wanted to lie about this�� When I sensed you''re here with us..., I had the urge to see you��. You know how to finish this death game. I want to help you��," Wolf said, while reaching out his hands towards me.

    But that was a mistake from him. I knew Wolf had a sincere heart, despite his arrogant character before. However, I could not trust him right now. How could I, when he was protecting this man?

    "Do you know who this guy is?" I asked, and pointed my hand at the archer.

    The ranger knelt on the ground and sped his hands. "I-I''m sorry for killing your sister�� I wanted to help�� but I was new to this game�� Please give me a chance. I-I''ll do anything for you to forgive me."

    "See? That''s what I wanted to show you, Red�� I could just hide him from your sight, and that way you would stick along with me. But I didn''t. If you''re a real human, forgive someone�� So I can trust you."

    "I don''t care. He killed Clementine."

    My entire judgment became clouded with grim thoughts as I charged straight to the ranger. But before I could even slit the ranger''s throat, Wolf''s voice ordered me to hold my ground.

    "If you don''t want to end this peacefully, I''m going to kill Match in front of you."

 Chapter 113 - Temporary Truce

    My hands violently shook at the sight of the archer. All that I thought of was to kill this man with my own hands, even if Match was staring close behind me.

    "I don''t care. He killed Clementine," I answered Wolf without ncing in his direction.

    My entire judgment became clouded with grey thoughts as I charged straight to the ranger. That man shielded himself with a bow, afraid to fight me. He did not even raise any weapons or aimed an arrow in my direction. That bloke resigned himself, thinking that it was right for me to attack him.

    Wolf went in front of me and blocked the attack with his ws. Those nails could effortlessly melt my de like butter if Wolf wanted to. However, that guy contained his strength without injuring me.

    I stepped back and created my distance. Since I was up against two people, I did not know to prate Wolf''s defence alone. I couldn''t ask Match for her spells, knowing that this job was my selfish desire�� And that desire was my hatred and vengeance for the death of my sister.

    "Get out of the way, Wolf, or I will you too," I eximed, while motioning my hands.

    "I can''t��. he''s my friend."

    My blood boiled after hearing those words as I wished to stain my hands and kill these two. If Wolf would continue defending this man, I had no other choice but to kill him, too.

    "And here I thought you understood me�� I guess we''re not on the same boat, after all."

    Since he tapped inside my memories, I assumed Wolf wanted to help me. However, that line of thought never happened in my life. Instead, he became a prize enemy in my sight as soon as he sided with the archer.

    "Ryoshi, can you exin what happened? And tell her you''re sorry?!" Wolf pleaded to the man with the arrow.

    The man named "Ryoshi" met my eyes and apologised to me a myriad of times. He went to his knees and begged for mercy.

    "I-I swear I wanted to help you two before! If I could turn back time, I would have given my life to your sister and you! P-Please believe me!" Ryoshi cried.

    But my heart set my words to stone, wanting to kill anyone who dares to stand in my way. Those words meant nothing to me right now. All I wanted was that archer''s head as my trophy and his body eaten by a horde of monsters. If my sister died because of him, I wanted Ryoshi to die because of me, even if it was thest thing I would ever do in Code.

    I rushed towards Ryoshi again, with my de aimed for his neck. My right eye glowed even brighter than before, giving me an overflowing arcane reaching throughout my body.

    Every cell inside of me dialled up to eleven, heightening all my senses for a few seconds. But against this veteran yer, I needed more power to deal with Wolf.

    Before I could even slit the ranger''s throat, Wolf''s voice ordered me to hold my ground. Even when I activated my right eye, I still had zero chances against Wolf. I looked behind and gritted my teeth upon hearing and seeing the scene at my rear.

    "If you don''t want to end this peacefully, I''m going to kill Match in front of you," Wolf imed.

    Wolf blocked my de and zoomed behind Match at the same time. It was at that moment I realised I had no chance against this fight.

    This yer had never shown his serious efforts to me. Since the day we met before, Wolf let me live and monitored my actions. If he wanted to kill me, he could do it easily.

    "H-How did you?" I asked.

    But I knew Wolf would never give me an answer. It was his special ability, after all.

    "I am warning you, Red. Let go of the de, and don''t kill my friend," Wolf eximed, with his nails still aimed at Match''s neck.

    Match did not know what to do, so she remained still and waited for my instructions. However, once I rashly moved from my ground, Wolf would kill this girl in front of me. Considering that I wanted to kill someone close to him, Wolf could always do the same for me.

    "O-Okami?! OI! A-ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?!" Ryoshi shouted.

    "Okami?" I whispered, thinking who the archer guy was calling for.

    Ryoshi''s eyes looked at Wolf as he shouted a name unknown to me. I could only guess that Okami and Wolf were the same people��, or the real identity of Wolf in front of me.

    But that was not the main point right now. The lines that the two yers expressed served no purpose to me. However, I still listened to their conversation.

    "Shut up, Ryoshi! If you kill my friend, I will kill Match! I ain''t kidding, Red."

    As soon as Wolf warned me, he slightly cut Match''s shoulders, resulting in a wound. The sliced part did not reach the epidermis. But that action was enough to threaten me.

    "STOP!" I shouted. "Okay�� okay�� Leave Match alone, and I will give you this person back," I eximed, hoping to trade lives for the sake of that little girl.

    Wolf stared into my eyes for a few seconds. After a while, he gave me a nod and nudged Match towards me.

    "Now, unhand Ryoshi to me, and we will be on our way," Wolf dered, as he walked in my direction.

    I wanted to doublecross Wolf, since this event was my only chance to kill the archer. However, if I disobeyed his words, Wolf would kill Match in front of me without a second to spare��.

    It was for the best to give up this chance and wait for a perfect moment to strike. That opportunity did not need to be today�� As long as I could get my hand on that guy, I did not mind waiting for an eternity to extract my revenge.

    "Take this trash away from me, and get away from my sight," I mumbled, while pushing the archer towards Wolf.

    Wolf dashed straight in my direction and caught Ryoshi in his arms. After a few seconds, he checked his friend''s body, thinking I ced a poison or tracking device on him. Wolf''s level of dedication outshined every opponent I met. From all the yers and NPCs I killed, Wolf was a different person. I did not know how to outsmart this man in front of me.

    If we were in a fight, I would definitely lose my ground. That feeling was the only thing that remained inside my head.

    "Match, are you okay? Did it hurt? Did that terrible man do something to you?" I asked.

    I went to Match and caressed her hair while checking for any additional grazes or injuries. However, upon inspecting Match, there were no wounds that greeted my eyes. Even the cut that Wolf did earlier vanished from sight.

    I thought I was under a magic spell created by Wolf. But upon asking my system, no notification alerted me of any arcane in our vicinity. It only showed that Wolf must have slipped a potion behind my back or did an illusion of hurting Match.

    Despite that show, Wolf never wanted to hurt the little girl. That scene was only to threaten me to give away his friend from mytches.

    "You tricked me! You fucking bastard!" I yelled, and turned around.

    Match pulled the end strings of my clothes, hoping to calm me down. Wolf turned his face towards me and crossed his arms once again.

    "I didn''t. If worsees to worst, I would have killed your beloved Match. It''s a good thing you''re still sane even after that, Red�� Believe me, I would have killed Match if youid a hand on my friend," Wolf retorted, with his dead serious face addressing my orbs.

    "Aaww�� You''d do that for me, Okami?"

    "Shut up, idiot. I would be the one to kill you if you keep talking shit, man."

    Wolf did not lie about everything he had said. He would gain nothing if he nned to spread false information about this situation. Although he shared a humorous conversation with his friend, Wolf had determined eyes to kill Match.

    He expected the worst. Fortunately enough, the worst did note.

    "So, what do you want to do now?" Wolf asked. "Now that you know the killer of Clementine��"

    I couldn''t reply to Wolf''s question. I thought Wolf would be the only yer that I could trust. It turned out that I should have trusted no one but ourselves in this journey. If there was one thing that I know��.

    "I will still kill your friend, even if it''s thest thing I would do, Wolf. Mark my words. I will take Ryoshi''s neck off from his body," I roared, while ring at Wolf and his friend.

 Chapter 114 - War Freak (1)

    Before Wolf could let out his reply, a voice interrupted our conversation. As I nced at the side, an image of a girl dressed in warrior''s clothes weed my eyes.

    That woman had a sharpened de clipped in her hands. If I could squint my eyes, the sword would change its shape. It was a pointed object from afar and a hammer up close. I could only guess that the girl was both a cksmith and a dwarf.

    But the weirdest part did not stop from there.

    Despite the girl having a warrior outfit, her height told me otherwise. That woman stood tall, with an average height of a human. Dwarves'' typical height would be around four feet. However, this girl proved me wrong.

    "You''re a dwarf?" I asked, making sure that I had the correct answer.

    I was looking for a dwarf named "Snow White", the ruler of this dwarven kingdom. And since this girl was the only dwarf I saw, I pressed her on my question. Despite shifting my focus to this dwarf girl, my right eye remained glued to the archer.

    "Yes. Do we have a problem with that, red girl?" the dwarf answered, while returning my question.

    "Are you perhaps�� Snow White?" I asked once more.

    I grasped that was myst question, considering the number of queries thrown in this conversation. After a few seconds, the girl nodded her head.

    "Yes. I am Snow White��. Why do you know my name? Did someone send you to hunt me?"

    I shook my head and replied, "Yes. And the one who told me to fetch you was a dwarf with the name Draven. He told me to escort you back to the shelter."

    "And why would Draven send someone like you? I mean, look at you! You look like you have eaten nothing for a week! He could have told other cksmiths toe and look for me!"

    "That''s the idea, Snow White," I answered. "Draven told me that most of the soldiers got wiped out from the attack. Only a quarter of the dwarven race survived. And they are all huddling with each other inside a shelter!"

    "Those dwarves need you, Snow White. You shoulde with me and��"

    Before I could even continue my sentence, Snow White went beside Wolf and the archer. That girl acted as if she was in Wolf''s team this entire time.

    And she did. Snow White confirmed in front of me she allied herself with Wolf.

    The dwarf girl rested her hand on Wolf''s shoulder and looked at the two yers. "Do you know these two girls? Should we take them down as we did to the soldiers?"

    Snow White''s conversation felt like they were talking about something that happened in the past. Considering the girl spoke, I could only guess that these three people rendered the yers defenceless in thegoon.

    It was also the reason Match and I got out of that ce. Since the soldiers received massive damage from the previous assault, those yers had no other choice but to repair all the wreckage they experienced.

    The general we met also looked like he got wounded from an earlier fight. I never guessed that these two already made their move to gather some refreshments from thegoon.

    Wolf and his teammates had the same idea as we had. But now that our separated journey ended, our team finally met with the yers�� And that fate led me to the killer of Clementine.

    "So, Snow White�� You''re with him??" I asked, while preparing my sword. "Did you brainwash the dwarven''s queen, Wolf?"

    "If I have that sort of power, I would''ve enchanted you earlier. But I didn''t," a masculine voice replied in the distance.

    After hearing my story, Snow White walked sauntered towards me and prepared her weapon. I could already guess that this girl would love to fight me even in this circumstance.

    "I don''t want to waste time fighting you, Snow White! I need to bring you back to the shelter!"

    If I wanted a boat for Match and me to travel in the sea, I would need Snow White''s cooperation. However, that idea did not go as nned.

    "I know. And I would return to the shelter with these two with me. But only if you could defeat me," Snow White proimed, as she performed her battle stance.

    An exhausted sigh escaped my mouth, thinking that the worst had already happened. I did not get my revenge on the archer. And now, I still had to deal with this war freak dwarf!

    A pinching sensation alerted my back and attracted my attention. As I nced behind, Match looked at me with worried eyes. She tugged at the ends of my clothing, trying tofort me to the best of her abilities.

    Her thoughtfulness alone lifted my stress as I caressed her fluffy hair.

    "Thank you for being here with me, Match�� and I''m sorry for dragging you into this mess��.," I said, and apologised to the little girl.

    However, Match shook her head and readied dozens of magic circles behind her. Judging from those arcane symbols, Match hid these spells from the naked eye. And the only people that could see these runes were the two of us.

    "I want to fight with you, Red! I want to help you win and help you feel happy!" Match confessed, and showed me her grin.

    My eyes widened in surprise as I heard her voice. Match''s determined look carved on her face was enough to soothe me down.

    However, my mind sensed danger from our opponent. Snow White looked like a person who even I could not handle alone.

    That dwarf was the queen of dwarves. I just nned the deaths of those royalties that I killed before. They did not struggle. Those crowned leaders never fought against me, since they never got that chance.

    But the tide had changed for this fight. I had to sh swords against this veteran dwarf. And bringing Match with me on this battlefield would mean sudden death for the two of us. Even if Snow White would hold back, I could already guess the end game of our fight.

    "It''s too dangerous for you, Match. I don''t want you to get hurt."

    "Well, I don''t want you to get hurt too!" Match retorted, and acted like a stubborn child. "Do you think I want you to get hurt?! No! Please, Red! I''m not useless! I can fight by your side!"

    This event was the first time for me to see her childish side. Match never showed this part of her, thinking that she needed to be mature with me. Since we would explore various dangerous ces, Match tried her best. She thought that slowing me down would anger me.

    "....."

    After a few seconds, I sumbed to her desire and motioned her to move beside me. No words could exin my excitement right now that I could fight with Match against someone beyond our level.

    ''I trust your magical spells, Match��,'' I whispered.

    But my voice never flowed out from my mouth. It was as if something strange had urred before our match could even start. As soon as I gazed at Match, that little girl gave me a smirk and whispered inside my head.

    "Wow, Red. This feature is so cool! I never thought we couldmunicate using you in-voices inside our heads?!"

    Just as I heard Match''sment, a notification alerted my senses. Two windows came crashing by, telling me that an extra feature got updated by itself. Since I did not know how the system worked, I skimmed through the texts.

    [Congrattions, Red! You can now use "Whisper". The whisper feature grants the yer tomunicate to another ally through a smart chat box. The thoughtsid out inside your head would turn into murmurs of the teammates. You can only send messages via whispering to your teammate or party member. But beware! Some yers and ss upgrades could also detect whispers during battle.]

    Thanks to the recent upgrade, I could finally send instructions to my teammates. The system recognised these allies for me. I could also reject any members included in my party.

    And I could only guess that Match received the same thing, since she heard my whisper.

    However, an odd feeling enveloped inside of me. As I looked up ahead, I caught Wolf staring at our figures, mumbling to himself. When the system exined to me the description, I immediately knew the problem.

    Wolf could also read my messages sent for Match.

    However, I remained ignorant about the matter. I could also use this feature to my advantage soon. And right now, fighting Snow White would be our utmost priority.

    Match and I needed to stay alive and win this battle if we still wanted to reach Alice in Wondend.

    "Two against one? Isn''t that unfair?" Snow White asked.

    Wolf retorted and exined, "It''s okay. You''re an overpowered beast. You could deal with these two, right, Snow White?"

 Chapter 115 - War Freak (2)

    "Are you not going to stop those two from fighting? Snow White might kill that red girl��," Ryoshi murmured, as he spared a nce at the person beside him.

    After a few seconds, Wolf met his gaze and replied, "I doubt that one of them would die during the sh�� And if that happens, I would intervene in their battle. Any more objections?"

    "None."

    After their exchange, Ryoshi and Wolf remained standing on their ground, watching the scene from afar. Those two yers thought I could not hear their conversations, but I did. And my ears caught every word.

    "I guess we''re really on our own, Match," I announced, and prepared my penitent''s dagger.

    Wolf crushed the existence of faith inside my brain as he continued observing the situation from afar. Although he had no power to stop Snow White, Wolf could have, at least, tried reasoning with the dwarf.

    However, that never happened. And right now, Match and I had to face this overwhelming foe. I could only think that Snow White would be the perfect training dummy we could have asked for on our journey.

    As soon as Ryoshi started the match, I dashed straight to Snow White, nning to distract her from sight. Match had an original role and aimed most of the magic circles she prepared beforehand. Those fiery balls heeded the motion of her hand and hovered towards Snow White.

    I led those spheres to their destination and snuck my knife at Snow White''s neck. It was the only move that retained itself within my muscle memory. Since I already activated my [shadow walk] before, moving to Snow White''s said became a walk to the park.

    The only thing we needed to do now wasnd those hits on Snow White''s skin, intending to kill.

    In spite of all our efforts, none of the attacksnded at Snow White. Instead, those fireballs that Match created vanished in the air as soon as they came into contact with Snow White. Those balls of fire generated smog, which also created my entrance. Snow White expected nothing as I emerged from the ck smoke.

    When my eyes came into contact with Snow White, the de''s tip crashed against an unseeable force. As I narrowed my eyes, a barrier of some sort addressed my attack. That fence protected her skin, chanting no protective spell before and during the fight.

    It was as if that skin protected Snow White this entire time, even without touching my dagger.

    The recoil from my attack sent me tumbling backwards. It was a good thing that I recovered my bnce, as I kept my injuries to a minimum. Inded on the ground and returned to my defensive position, analysing every detail I witnessed from that brief fight.

    The fog of war disappeared within a few seconds, slowly revealing the face of our opponent. When the dark smoke vanished, Snow White''s glittering eyes greeted mine. Despite all the damage Match and I did, we never made a scratch on Snow White''s face.

    It just showed how powerful and sturdy our enemy was, even with ourbined abilities. Match and I were only alive because Snow White never made her move. If she nned to attack us, now was the right time.

    And I jinxed my fate by thinking about those words. Snow White leapt from the soil and dashed straight towards Match.

    A warrior would always know who to take down during a fight. And Snow White understood the situation well, given the little time she prepared for this sh.

    That dwarf aimed her hammer at the defenceless Match, staying far behind the sh as much as possible. Since she was a mage, Match wanted to fight anyone from afar, casting spells with ease and uracy. She did not have any means to fight in close range, especially against a warrior that would close the perimeter.

    But the situation reversed, challenging all Match''s senses against all odds�� against Snow White.

    I never allowed such a thing to happen as I sprinted from my ce and headed towards Match. At the speed of a racing car, I traversed the ins, praying to reach myrade before it was toote.

    "Yourbination surpasses the yers I''ve seen so far! This is a fine battle!" Snow White shouted, before hurling the hammer into her hands.

    I thrust my dagger forward and aimed at Snow White''s chest from behind. I knew that nobody could defend against this deadly attack. And if this de couldnd behind her, I would have killed Snow White.

    However, something stopped me from my objectives.

    A beginner''s dagger weed my eyes, with Wolf ring into my eyes. He defended my attack without batting a single sweat from his face.

    As I nced behind him, a bow greeted my eyes, with the hammer beside the bolt stuck on the ground. Snow White''s hand remained on the handle, refusing to release her weapon from her hand.

    However, no matter how hard she struggled, Snow White couldn''t fight the forceing from the arrow. That dart drew her closer to the ground. As long as that bolt remained intact on the stone, Snow White would keep still in that position.

    "Why would you?" I asked.

    Wolf probably knew what I wanted to know.

    "I already tested your skills, including Match�� That little girl would go ces!" Wolf eximed.

    Wolf gingerly lowered his weapon without letting go of his sight from me. When our des pointed to the ground, Wolf offered a truce, telling me that the battle finished. Thousands of question marks floated above my head, wondering what the fuck had happened since that fight.

    But before I could even voice my concerns, Wolf continued his sentence. "I''m just checking what you''re capable of. You can''tplete the game if you don''t have the skills to do it."

    Wolf''s words rang inside my help, telling me he wanted to help me achieve my goals. I, who trusted nobody but Match and the merchant, shook my head. "Go fuck yourself, Wolf. I don''t need you or your killer friend."

    Wolf remained silent and gave me a nod. He must have known the weight behind my words, since his so-called "best friend" killed someone close to me. It was that boy who started all of this.

    If Ryoshi�� that man did not pull the string, Clementine could have been alive right now. But she was not, so I needed to take my revenge.

    After ending our conversation, I nced behind and spotted someone standing on a cliff. As I squinted my eyes, the figure of the archer weed my eyes. I wanted to pluck my orbs and be blind after seeing that ranger''s face.

    But instead of taking my eyes off from my socket, I walked towards Snow White and asked Wolf from behind. "Why did you save Match? I thought you''re going to kill her? And why would your friend save Match when he was the one who killed my sister?!"

    My voice trembled every time I spouted a word. All the reserved anger burst from my heart, overflowing all over my arteries and veins. It was as if the dam that contained my emotions got destroyed by this scene��

    I couldn''t appreciate what that ranger did to protect Match�� Even with this act of kindness, I still hated that man with the arrow.

    "And you, Snow White! Why would you kill that girl?! I told you to hold back, but you didn''t!" Wolf shouted.

    Snow White finally released her grip from the hammer''s handle and turned to Wolf. With watery eyes, she endlessly bowed.

    "I''m really sorry, Wolf�� I didn''t mean to do it! I''m really sorry, Wolf! I am so sorry!"

    Snow White''s fierce appearance earlier changed to a loyal dog begging for forgiveness. Although, I couldn''t bring myself to me Snow White for the matter, since Match and I aimed to kill her, too. If somebody needed to apologise, it was the two of us, not Snow White.

    I had no grudge against her. I only locked my eyes with the ranger in the distance.

    After the scene ended, Match ran straight towards me and hugged my waist. I returned her warmth and snuggled with all my remaining might to the little girl.

    "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" I asked, ensuring Match''s safety.

    Match nodded as her reply and continued concealing herself from Snow White behind me. After witnessing such a dangerous situation, Match would never approach Snow White again, knowing she could kill her again.

    Since Match was a maze, experiencing a warrior chasing after her to the ends of the became a frightful memory. However, that downfall also served as a lesson for Match to improve her spells and defensive tactics.

    Now that we got out of our way, I stepped forward and called Snow White''s attention.

    "Snow White, you''reing with me. A deal is a deal," I said, and dragged Snow White''s hand.

 Chapter 116 - Secret Underground Tunnel

    "I''m noting without Wolf and Hunter!" Snow White bemoaned, with her eyes staring at Wolf. "I am only going if they''re going!"

    It was no use to drag someone''s body if that person did not want toe. It all mattered if Wolf wished to help me or not in this situation.

    And that theory came to light as Wolf himself walked in my direction. My body instinctively jerked, waiting for any surprised attack under his sleeves.

    But the worst never happened. Wolf shattered my expectations as he looked Snow White in the eye. Wolf also slid his eyes to the slide, stealing nces at me. He thought I wouldn''t know. But I did.

    "We wille with you. Now, follow Red''s lead. She won''t bring you to any harmful ce. And I doubt she could even do that to you, Snow White," Wolf imed, while ring at the queen of dwarves.

    With a squeal, Snow White surrendered herself to me. Despite our conflicts, all of Wolf''s words held the truth. Draven tasked me to find Snow White, and I was just here to bring her back to the shelter. I had a benevolent cause, regardless of killing these two yers with my own hands.

    "And what did you say? Oh-ho, you''re noting with me, Wolf. You''reing with him to the graveyard!" I shouted, while pointing my hand at the archer''s figure.

    A humane hiss echoed beside me. When I turned around, Match gripped my hand and continued shrilling at Wolf and the ranger.

    Ryoshi trembled backwards and even almost slipped himself from the smooth soil. If it were not for his Elven shoes, that ranger would have died from hitting his head on the ground. It would have been a pathetic death if he had not recovered his bnce.

    "A-Are you sure about this, Wolf? That girl is going to kill me!" Ryoshi imed it out loud.

    He was not wrong about that since I nned on taking his life. That guy named Ryoshi should have run away from me if he still wanted to see the sun for tomorrow.

    Despite hearing Ryoshi''s reasons, Wolf gave him a nod and answered, "I am well away. But Red knows how toplete the game. We can''t trust anyone but her and the NPCs. Those humans would kill everything in sight, Ryoshi. And you know that. This world is still a game for them."

    It was my first time to hear such wordsing from Wolf''s mouth. Since it had always been the yers doing the crimes, I never realised that there was still one person who wanted change. However, fate yed a trick in my life. The man who I adored was a friend of my sister''s killer.

    I cannot bring myself to shake hands with the murder of Clementine.

    But I needed to do what Draven had told me. If he wanted to see Snow White, I would happilyply. I was just doing this for the boat that Draven promised.

    "You will just escort us inside the shelter, Wolf. I''d love for you to leave your friend behind, but I doubt you would listen to me. So, once all of this is over, I want you to get out of my sight. And never meet me again. Did I make myself clear, Wolf?"

    "As clear as the stars above, Red. You have both my ears," Wolf answered.

    I looked at the clear sky, with the sun basking its light on my face. The clouds diverged at all angles, letting the azure atmosphere greet my eyes. Everything we saw was the world I believed in, but became a lie.

    And then I realised that the only star raised above was the sun. However, that metaphor did not sink inside my brain as I continued walking down the road.

    Every night, I snuck outside from our camp and tried ambushing the ranger. However, Wolf never gave me a chance as he outsmarted my every n. It almost looked as if I was ying on his palm, circling Wolf''s scheme.

    "If you have to kill someone, you could do better than that, Red," Wolf mocked, as he shed me a grin.

    There was also a time where I went in front of Ryoshi and revealed my knife.

    "If sneak attack won''t work, maybeing upfront would do the trick!" I thought.

    However, that n might be the stupidest one I made. Even Match never ceasedughing after witnessing such a spectacle.

    It took us dozens of hours before arriving at the ce where Draven instructed. As I squinted my eyes, the rabbit hole came into view, waiting for all of us to fit it inside. That sight broke our exhaustion and anger dwelling inside of everyone.

    But that anger living inside of me never escaped my cage.

    "How are we going to go inside here?" Snow White asked, as he stared at the pit with wandering eyes.

    "I thought you knew this ce!" I yelled.

    "Yes! But I never used it! Who would use the emergency exit when you could flee from the entrance!" Snow White continued, while filling her words with a chuckle.

    "Maybe we just have to stomp our feet?" Ryoshi suggested.

    He jumped andnded on both his feet on the ground, resulting in a violent quiver. The soil moved and became a nket of some sort, waving through an endless loop. As soon as Ryoshi felt the vibration, everyone braced themselves for the inevitable.

    "Whatever we do, don''t make a-," Wolf said, but it was already toote.

    "WE''RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" Ryoshi shouted, which made our condition worse.

    The entire ground crumbled down into pieces, creating fissures and shattered roads. Within a few seconds, the soil we remembered fell below ground. That crack stretched throughout the bunny hole into a massive abyss.

    Wolf and I immediately reacted and activated both of our abilities; [shadow walk] and [wolf walk]. I did not know what Wolf could do, but I knew Wolf had the same abilities as me. He even stated that when we first met.

    Wolf chased after his friend, Ryoshi, and stuck himself on the wall. Within a sh, the archer that I wished died from the ident, got saved by Wolf.

    I also did the same thing and saved Match from the urrence. Match knew what was about to happen, so she epted my hands and grabbed my waist. I used my [shadow walk] to dash straight towards the stone. That rock served as my tform from hauling me downward towards my death.

    Although it looked like Wolf and I forgot to save Snow White, that titan girl pierced her hammer on the wall and rescued herself. We already knew that the dwarf wouldn''t die an embarrassing death.

    And that assumption turned out to be true.

    "Is everyone alright? Did everyone survive?" Wolf asked, checking everyone''s conditions. "Hunter and I are alright! I''m just letting you guys know!"

    "That''s too bad, Wolf! You could''ve just explored the depths of this cave! Maybe you could find something beyond what you know about this game!" I answered.

    "I would love to afterpleting this game! If you could help me fix this world, maybe I would think about it!"

    After our exchange, the world surrounding us fell silent, telling everyone that the natural disaster stopped. That silence became the window for the five of us to escape out from this situation alive before the ground could devour our bodies.

    Wolf and I used thest ounce of our strength to flee from this tunnel. Even Snow White readied herself to jump from the terrain. However, suddenly, the ground moved again, pushing all of our hands towards the hole.

    Wolf and I let loose of the people we wanted to protect as we reclined our faith to gravity, dragging us below. Darkness filled the air as we continued plummeting to the continuous rabbit hole.

    .........

    The first thing I touched was the wend soaking my hands. As I peeled my eyes open, the interior design of a cavern greeted my eyes, with the pirs of stone dangling above the ceiling. One wrong move and those pinecones made of rocks could crush my bones.

    But before I could even worry about that future, I got back up and looked for the little girl.

    "Match! Where are you, Match?!" I shouted, while shifting my head from every direction.

    After a few seconds, the figure of Match beside me weed my eyes. I jerked forward and wrapped my arms around that little girl whilst checking if she was still alive. As soon as I felt Match''s pulse, I knew she kept her life inside her body.

    Upon raising my head, the shapes of the two yers and Snow White emerged from my view. They were all still unconscious after falling from that height. It was a miracle that all of us were still alive despite what had happened from the pit.

    If I had to describe the event, wended on a miracle bed inside the dwarven vige.

 Chapter 117 - Softening Heart

    A sting thud reverberated inside the tunnel as soon as we allnded on the ground. As I finished checking everyone''s condition, I raised my hand and pointed at the hole. It was the only entrance inviting us over inside. If the cavern had torches at each side, I doubt the pavement would still be frightening.

    "Now that nobody died, we should get going. It would be troublesome to stay around here," I suggested, and pressed forward, with Match tagging behind me.

    I would not give a damn to these people, except for Snow White. So, before I could even proceed, I nced around and waited for the dwarf girl. If it were not for her, I would have left these two yers on their own.

    Although Wolf and the ranger could handle their own ground, they were still reckless boys. Their gifts were the only thing that protected them throughout their journey.

    "Wait up, Red!" Wolf cried, and issued Snow White and Ryoshi to follow my lead.

    As soon as we entered the cave, Match and Ryoshi activated their spells and illuminated the ce. However, Ryoshi announced to limit the spell''s usage while underground. He exined that the smoke created by the fire would suffocate us and eventually kill everyone inside.

    Match heeded his advice and activated her spell within the minimum range instructed by Wolf. The ranger did the same and generated a spark on the tip of his enchanted arrow. That ze was enough to light our surroundings and illuminate our path forward.

    The five of us traversed inside the cave for fifteen minutes, seeing nothing at all. We did not evene across any enemies along the road. It even almost felt like we were walking in circles because of the limited visuals in this ce.

    Wolf keptining about how his skills won''t work in this cave. He wanted to use his ability [wolf walk], but the walls stopped Wolf from activating. Wolf also imed that the walls absorb immense energy and use it to create natural disasters.

    However, that restriction did not apply to Match''s spells. Since Match used the minimum output of magic, the cave did not see her as a threat. That was my initial guess. I had no evidence to support my ims since it was all mere spections in my head.

    And that topic came to life as the hunter tapped Wolf''s shoulders.

    "But howe that little girl could still use her mes inside this cave, Wolf?" the ranger asked.

    Although I disliked joining the two yer''s conversations, I listened to every word they said. I wanted to know more about this world.

    "Whatever you''re thinking, Red, you''re right about that. It''s like what I mentioned before. These walls are eating all the excess arcane wandering inside this ce. It only has a certain threshold that the cave could maintain. If our magic exceeded that number, the cave could destroy us all," Wolf narrated, while scratching his head. "Now I know why the dwarves chose this ce as their hideout. No wonder yers refused to enter this ce�� Those yers would burst their way through the open door rather than walking inside this tunnel."

    It was what Wolf had mentioned. When I checked the walls using my system, the notification described everything. The stones that greeted our eyes had runes imbued on the surface. Those texts appeared invisible in our eyes. However, if a skilled person tracked the arcane, they would know the meanings behind the magic.

    The only guess that came into mind was��. someone could have ced these traps. And it surprised me that Snow White knew nothing about these set-ups.

    Every time I gazed at her face, Snow White would prepare her sword, aiming at the dark space. After a few seconds of realization, Snow White would continue monitoring the ce with her sword still gripped in her hands.

    The dwarves used this underground as their emergency exit inside and outside the kingdom. Those midget creatures were the only ones to ess this ce. However, if the queen did not know the ropes of this environment, ming the dwarves became a pipe dream.

    "If worsees to worst, we have to make our way through the surface," Wolf confessed, while looking at the ceiling.

    That phrase alone also disrupted my clouded mind, thinking about all aspects of our situation. I stood back on my feet and carried on with our adventurer, only to greet the sounds of swords shing against each other. There were also screamsing from the northern side.

    And those sounds came from humans or yers from what I remembered.

    "Okami!" Ryoshi called out

    "I know!" Wolf shouted back.

    When I first heard the name "Okami" I thought these two yers talked about someone else. However, when Wolf replied, I knew he was Okami.

    And if I had to guess it right, Okami was Wolf''s real name. These "Wolf" and "Hunter" were all just made up names to�� make them look cool.

    I rested my exhausted face on my extended palms as I concluded my thought. Now that I knew the identity of Wolf and Hunter, I could use that information to my advantage. Okami told me earlier that the yers were continuously hunting them down to the world''s end. That information about their name might be a valuable treasure that I could use against them.

    But for now, I wanted to lie low and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. A lion does not charge straight for its food. Those animals wait for their prey before taking their leap.

    All of us hurried towards the sound''s origin. Since the road continued up ahead, we had no choice but to push forward and meet with the shing yers.

    As soon as we arrived at the site, five yers battled against an underground worm. That creeping creature had armour made of stone, enveloping its mucus-like body. Those five yers desperately raised their weapons and discharged their spells.

    However, those two yers met their inevitable doom as they received the entire blow of the worm''s tail. Wolf tried to stop the creature''s assault, but it was already toote.

    "You idiots! Why are you fighting against the-!" Wolf screamed, but he did not continue his sentence.

    As I followed Wolf''s gaze, our surroundings became a gravestone for the fallen yers apart from the three survivors in front of us. And now that the two instantly died from the worm, we had the choice to help these two from killing themselves.

    I, who knew nothing about them, backed away. I dragged Match''s hands and retreated from the ce, far from the site that spelt danger from every angle.

    Okami and his friend wanted to help the yers fighting against that worm. And since these two were also humans from a different world, they did not want to let these yers die in vain.

    Snow White vowed to stay by Wolf''s side, so she nned on joining the sh. With these three shing against that monster, I doubt they would lose that fight.

    However, before I could even take my feet forward, my hand got pulled back to the opposite side. As I nced behind, Match wailing eye''s greeted my sight, with her hands shivering in despair.

    "A-Are we not going to help them?" Match asked.

    It was the event that I had feared the most. I knew that the time woulde where Match would save everyone in sight. And that time came right now.

    "Yes, Match. Okami and Ryoshi�� those two will save them. And Snow White. Our job is to find the entrance, so all of us could escape out of here," I answered.

    It was a white lie to save Match from all the troubles in front of us. I might endanger Match for inviting her to that fight. Since we would be up against a worm, that fight would exhaust us. And I cannot imagine Match getting injured from this monster... or anything in this world.

    "We have to go, Match!" I repeated, hoping she would listen to me.

    Match reluctantly allowed herself to get dragged by my hand. But as soon as we moved forward, Match tugged the ends of my clothes. Her eyes still gazed into mine when I finally turned around.

    "As long as you''re not lying to me�� I will believe everything you say, Red."

    Match shed me a faint smile after saying her fill. She was just a kid that knew nothing about the hardships of life. And I kept pushing her away from all the danger of this world�� Everything I did was for her sake.

    However, with that look on her eye�� I couldn''t say no. Match became the entire world to me. And I cannot stand the disappointment carved on her face.

    "Do you want to help them?" I asked.

    I knew that Wolf, that fucking hunter, and Snow White would be fine on their own. But how could I deny a kid asking me for something she wanted? And besides, those people would have me, after all.

 Chapter 118 - Lacking Coordination

    With one suggestion from Match, my thoughts got swayed as the two of us ended up running towards the fight. As soon as we arrived at the site, Wolf nced at our figures. Even with their veteran experience, these two yers still had problems fighting against the worm.

    "Do you want to help us or what?" Okami asked.

    "I thought you''re the strongest yer in this world? You should deal with that with ease, right?" I mocked, waiting for an answer.

    Since Okami had imed himself as the most powerful yer in Code, he should know about taking down this worm. He had faced ferocious monsters that ever existed in this world. But Wolf struggled to keep the worm at bay.

    "This worm is around level 100. Snow White is barely level 50. Ryoshi is 28. And I''m around 20. Do you think that my damage would be enough to take that monster down? I could, but it would take an hour before finishing this creature," Okami exined. "Your sister�� that girl, Match, has the highest arcane from all of usbined! I think that Match could even severely injure that worm with one spell if she wants to. And that de you''re holding has some decent effects on taking down stronger enemies. Since you have a weapon, and I don''t, why not give us a helping hand?"

    The way Okami said it dove my nerves. He mocked me while exining his reasons against that monster. However, I could not help but agree with those points, considering that the two of us could see each other''s status information.

    It was like Wolf had mentioned. He was around level 20, and Hunter reached level 28. And when I stared at the worm, the system showed that it had 100 levels beside its name.

    "We need to take that thing out before it could unleash something powerful!" Wolf cried.

    Hunter continued, "Wolf, kill all the five hearts! Worms have five hearts!"

    "Got it!"

    After their conversation, the three of them sprawled into action. Hunter, Snow White, and Wolf went into their position and handled the worm. However, after staring at the scene, I knew these three needed our help. Match and I were the only ones that could deal some direct damage to the creature.

    I nced at Match, thinking that this fight was a dangerous battle. She had the most arcane of the four of us. But the world would fall differently if we tried shing against an overpowered monster.

    One minor mishap could im all of our lives, regardless of wishing upon the stars. If there were one way to deal with the worm, running away would be our utmost priority.

    However, Match stood her ground and gave me a nod, telling me she was ready to fire those reserved spells. I knew that Match would follow my words, so she wanted to ensure that we would fight against the worm with this temporary party.

    "Just don''t die, Match," I murmured, and gave my go signal to Match.

    The little girl noticed my cue and discharged all the contents contained inside her magic circle. Within a split second, a twirling ze emerged outside from the arcane. Thatva-like power dashed straight towards the worm, aiming for the kill.

    Snow White and Wolf were already aware of the assault as the two of them dove to the sides. They evaded Match''s attack and went for the nk. Since the worm needed to focus on the ray of mes, that monster did not notice the two.

    Hunter apanied Match''s attack and fired a barrage of bolts straight towards the worm. Those arrows served as protective measures. Those darts were precautions if Match''s mes would not take the monster down.

    I went all the way to the worm''s rear and readied my dagger. Since everyone caught the monster''s attention, it became effortless for me to move around.

    And that was what I did.

    I readied my penitent''s weapon and sprinted straight towards the creature. I also activated my spell [shadow walk] to heighten all of my senses. Everything surrounding me became sluggish like a turtle, except for Wolf. Since he could also use another version of this spell, Wolf moved just fine.

    Within a blink of an eye, my body zoomed beside the worm, with my dagger piercing its skin. The meteor ballunched by Match also hit the creeping creature. There were also arrows flying from Hunter.

    Wolf and Snow White wasted no time as they sliced and diced the worm''s meat. Everything could have gone as nned if only Wolf did not travel in front of me.

    "You idiot! What are you doing?!" I screamed.

    Wolf obstructed my view after dodging Match''s attacks. And before I could even strike the worm''s hearts, an arrow struck my shoulder, dealing an instant pain at my right side.

    After a few seconds, the pain temporarily subsided. Since I grew ustomed to this sensation, having my right arm injured was nothing of the ordinary. The only thing that got my attention was my dominant hand.

    That arrow remained to impale my shoulder, hindering me from plucking out or use my right hand. And since I considered my right hand as my dominant hand, fighting against this worm became a problem. If I had to go in front, I needed to use my left hand.

    And that was no easy feat to do.

    "Shit," Hunter eximed, as he squinted his eyes in my direction.

    However, no matter how much he regretted his actions, Ryoshi could not rewind the past. It was the same event that killed Clementine. But this scene came from our own mistakes.

    We did not have any teamwork at all. Despite the n Wolfid out earlier, we still ended up losing the fight.

    The worm grasped its chance and hurled everyone away from its body. All three of us got pushed back at the corner, mming ourselves at the wall. The stone we collided with red out a crack as our bodies touched the panel.

    Fortunately for me, Match was not part of this madness. She hid behind a stone before that violent creature could even harm her body.

    Ryoshi was not that lucky. When the worm twisted and turned its body, a gust of wind came in his direction. Hunter got tossed to the opposite side and also smacked his back at the wall.

    But that event did not stop from there. The worm noticed these two and threw two stones each in their direction. Match cast a zing spell once more, but the magic attack did not slow down the rock.

    It was only a matter of time before that boulder crushes Match.

    I rushed towards her way, but I knew I was already toote. I even disregarded my right arm from swelling. But all my efforts went to the drain, telling me I won''t make it to Match.

    However, the stone never reached Match''s figure. That hovering rock shattered into a million rubles raining down from the ceiling. When I narrowed my eyes, a dart flew by and pierced the ground.

    As I slid my eyes to the other side, Hunter''s bow weed my eyes. Despite mming his body on the wall, Ryoshi remained on his ground. With thest ounce of energy left inside of him, he fired that arrow and saved Match.

    But the stone that the worm hurled reached his figure, crushing Hunter once again. Within a few moments, his body fell to the ground. The only fortunate thing that happened was... Ryoshi was still alive.

    I did not know how to feel. I wanted Ryoshi to die, but he saved Match. If it was not for him, the stone could have severely injured Match. That action did not change my view of him from the past. But I was still grateful for him to save Match��.

    He was there for Match when I couldn''t defend her.

    But unlike us, Hunter got himself unconscious, leaving us four fighting against the massive worm. Match did her best to stand up from the ground and ran towards Hunter. Although I hated that man, Match yearned to save him. She even cast a shield made of crimson fire just to protect the two of them.

    Match looked me in the eye when she finally arrived beside Hunter. I gave her a nod, since she was already there to help him. Although my hatred continued circling inside of me, I did not want Hunter to die.

    But that urrence was the least of our problems. We needed to deal with the worm first, before anything else. Now that we lost two long-ranged attackers, our battle would be more hectic than before.

    Adding the cherry on top, wecked coordination between each other. All of us wanted to do things in our own way, making our structure worse than before. Since the worm was a high-level monster, we needed to act together; if we wished to win this fight.

 Chapter 119 - We Are A Team

    There was no other way but to move forward, and the gate up ahead was our ticket towards the surface. However, the monster stood tall and hindered us from proceeding. Since this ce was the worm''s territory, it wanted us to scram away from its home.

    The throbbing pain in my right hand continued to slow me down. But I doubt we could win this fight even if I could freely control my right arm.

    We also have three members to attack the worm, with the "other" remaining two on the back lines. The three of us did not have any coordination at all, which would make our battle five times more difficult than earlier.

    "Wolf, what are we going to do?" I asked.

    I kept Wolf''s name a secret to him. If he had found out, Wolf might do something horrible to me.

    "Wait�� I''m thinking," Wolf answered. "Can you give me some time and distract the monster for me? Give me two minutes�� I''ll think of something. If you want to win this fight, ce your trust in me, Red."

    Although Wolf''s method would toss me on the front lines, it was the only option we had. I had no other choice but to confide our fate to his hands, considering that Wolf was the best yer in this world. This fight would prove his powers and live up to the title of his name.

    I gave Wolf a nod and faced the worm, together with Snow White. The dwarf''s job was to protect Wolf from all ranged attacks from the monster, while I would keep it busy. It won''t be too long before the two of us could buy Wolf two minutes to think of a scheme.

    If Wolf himself still couldn''te up with a grand plot,... we might have to resign to running away from this ce, even with the cost of drawing the worm close to the shelter. Snow White was also well aware of that oue�� And I doubt she would agree to that suggestion.

    However, considering our situation, any option of escaping was the best option we would ever have.

    "I trust you, Wolf��," I murmured, while ring at the worm.

    Although Wolf was friends with the hunter, he was still a dependable yer. I saw him from before, saving everyone inside our vige and killing those bastard yers. And if he could do it from before Wolf could do it again.

    My right eye glowed a bright red hue, activating my inner skill that heightened my senses. The system knew that I needed all the skills I had against such a ferocious monster. And did not n on dying in this fight since I still had a goal to achieve.

    No worm could ever separate me from my revenge against the person who created this game. Clementine did not deserve to die in this world, and I wanted justice from her death.

    I rushed towards the worm and went in front of the worm, changing my tactics on approaching this beast. I also activated my spell [shadow walk] and avoided stomping the ground. Since the creeping creature did not have eyes, it did not matter where I would attack. The only thing that I needed to avoid was to make sounds that would give my position.

    Much to my surprise, my nned work, and I was now in front of the dumb worm. But as soon as I leapt from the ground, the worm evaded my attack and stormed off backwards. The dagger was my initial thought when it eluded my attack. However, that thought might not be the correct answer.

    It was as if it knew my position before I could even attack.

    "Tsk."

    I clicked my tongue and rolled my body backwards as soon as Inded on the ground. The worm seized its chance and charged straight towards me with full force.

    Within a few seconds, the worm zoomed in front of me, wanting to tackle my figure. It was a good thing that I slid to the side, avoiding the attack.

    However, the worm continued charging towards Snow White and Wolf. Since I dodged the attack, the worm came crashing straight in their direction.

    "Snow White, look out!" I shouted, warning the dwarf warrior to defend Wolf.

    Considering that Wolf was our mastermind for our next n, we needed him alive.

    Snow White heeded my advice and defended the Wolf by standing parallel to the worm. She clipped her de in her hands and blocked the attack using her weapon. The impact from the st spread everywhere, except her behind. That st even caused me to hover backwards, nearly mming against my body at the wall.

    "Such... power," I whispered, while witnessing such an exceptional scene.

    I never knew that Snow White had this power all along inside of her. I knew she had exceptional strength within her muscles. But never did I expect her to block an attack from the worm.

    Snow White''s body revealed all the veins inside her body, imbued with an arcane charge inside of her. Her magic reached a different level, but still iparable from what Match had. Despite thisparison, Snow White held her ground and used that excessive power to block the worm.

    Snow White then tossed the worm to the side with her bare hands. The sword clipped in her fingers shattered into a million shards, telling us it did not handle the pressure of that fight. I knew that Snow White was also a cksmith, making the sword enchanted with magic. However, even that de did not withstand the forceing from Snow White.

    The worm mourned in pain as it mmed itself on the ground. The ground shook as soon as the creeping creaturended on the soil, but it was not enough to take the beast down.

    After giving Snow White her all, the veins and arcane magic faded away from her body, rendering her unconscious for the next fight. She closed her eyes and let her body plummet to the ground.

    But before Snow White could hit the floor, Wolf caught her in his arms and carried her towards Match and Ryoshi. Wolf also used his [wolf form] and [wolf walk] to arrive at the back lines.

    Wolf and I were the only ones left fighting against this monster. However, I knew that if we could not defeat that worm before, we could not defeat it now. It was not a pessimistic thought.

    I was just being realistic about our situation.

    After sending Snow White to the safer spot, Wolf went beside me within a few seconds. I knew that magic that Wolf cast upon himself would notst that long. If I had to guess the spell''s duration, Wolf had around ten minutes for that form.

    Now that a closer look at Wolf, he did not look the same as before. Wolf had the skin of a real hound, with fur enveloping his body. Wolf also had sharper ws in his paws (hands) and narrowed eyes. A cloud of arcane also surrounded his body, which was even stronger than Snow White showed earlier.

    "Did youe up with a n?" I asked, while observing his figure for the nth time.

    "I have�� that''s why I unlocked my first form��," Wolf answered.

    "I thought you could already activate that before?"

    "Yes. But that form gave me limitations. And right now, I feel like my old self again."

    After our exchange, the worm found its bnce and returned to its position. Even after taking that blow, the worm still moved as if nothing had happened. But there was no time for me tomend the monster as it red in our direction without having orbs.

    "So, the n is simple��. Take everyone towards the door and leave Match beside me. I need her fire to dry the worm''s skin," Wolf exined, while positioning himself in an offensive stance.

    "Are you out of your mind, Wolf? Why does Match have to help you fight that thing?!"

    "I recalled... Hunter told me the details about worms before entering this ce. He told me that if worms appeared, our best option was to burn them down into cinders. Just...trust me about this, Red. Please."

    After hearing Wolf''s sentence, I nced behind and observed Match, desperately pressing the wounds of Hunter and covering Snow White with a cloth. She did what she could to protect those two from the worm. Match also thought her powers were useless against the worm, since her fireball did no damage to the creature.

    However, she had thought wrong, as Wolf exined the details to me. All we needed to do was for Match to help Wolf attack the worm.

    "I know it''s dangerous, but I won''t let Match die because of me�� In fact, I will sacrifice myself if I think the worm ns to attack Match. If we need to stop this monster, I need your cooperation, Red��"

 Chapter 120 - Match And Wolf (1)

    "Fine�� I will allow it�� I''ll brief Match about the details."

    As soon as I announced my thoughts, I rushed towards Match and hid behind the rock. The two of us nudged Ryoshi and Snow White aside while we waited for our signal. They were two unconscious bodies that we pushed to the other side of the tform. It almost exhausted all of our strength just by moving these two away from the danger zone.

    I could not imagine how Match brought these two together in one ce. It must have been difficult for her to carry all of them away from the fight. She did not even have any magic to heighten her muscr prowess.

    But there was no point in thinking about those trivial matters. I brushed those thoughts away and focused on the problem in front of me.

    Wolf also did his best to distract the worm while I exined the details to the little girl. When I nced in his direction, Wolf waved his hand and allowed the worm to pursue his figure. That yer looked stupid while running from the worm.

    Since he did not want the monster to know our ns, Wolf ced his [wolf form] as a concealed spell while waiting for Match.

    I returned to my position and stared at Match''s face. Although I could feel the tremor in her hands, Match remained calm throughout this fight. She just wanted all of us to live and return to our normal lives.

    "What''s wrong?" Match queried me with a question, while returning my gaze.

    She held and sped my hand as I did to her before when we first met. Match shed me a cheerful smile, regardless of what was happening around us.

    "Match, listen to me�� Do you want to help Wolf fight the worm? He has a n, but I think it''s too risky for you�� But you''re the only one that could win us this battle. Are you in, or are you out?" I asked,

    Match stared into my eyes for a few seconds before giving me a response. Her hands also stopped trembling with fright as she stood up from her seat and opened her mouth.

    "I will fight with you. Tell me what to do, Red," Match confidently answered, while preparing dozens of magic circles around her hands.

    Those runes were also the ones she used before. But she added more arcane to her magic to take down the worm�� I could already see it in Match''s left eye, glowing in the darkened night.

    "I''m ready�� tell me what to do."

    As soon as I heard her words, I briefed Match on everything she needed to know before entering the battlefield.

    Match gave me a nod and hurried herself to meet with Wolf. When she arrived in front, Match revealed all the magic circles she prepared and aimed them at the worm. Although firing those spells was not part of the n, Match discharged them anyway and created an explosion.

    When the ze crashed against the worm, an obsidian smog emerged from the st. That smoke briefly spread throughout the tunnel before disappearing into the exit.

    Within a few seconds, Wolf seized the moment andunched himself on top of the worm. He nned to strike the worm using his nails, but I doubt that would end the monster''s life.

    Wolf and Match needed to work together to destroy the five hearts of the worm hidden inside its body. But that was not an easy feat that they could do alone. They needed more than an army to stop the forces of the ferocious worm.

    But luck was never on our side, especially when I would exclude myself from this fight. Since we had two injured people behind the stone, I had no choice but to protect them with my bare hands.

    It was like the worm did earlier. Dozens of stones got hurled in my direction, and all of them came from the rampaging worm. The crawler aimed some stones directly at my figure, which I needed to destroy before it could hurt these two behind me.

    I reached out for my de and activated my right eye. As soon as my eye glowed, my senses heightened, allowing me to move twice as fast as before.

    Although the Penitent''s de was not the overpowered weapon, it still did its job. I leapt from the ground and shed all the iing boulders at me. Within a few seconds, the rocks sted into a million pebbles, raining from the ceiling.

    Although I was not part of the battle with the worm, I still yed a vital role in the back lines. Since Wolf and Match were the only ones that could deal damage at the worm, I let those two get the spotlights. As long as they would proceed with caution, I doubt the brainless worm could kill the two of them.

    Despite my overconfidence, my hand violently quivered, wishing to hold Match fighting the worm. However, no matter how hard I wanted to be with her, Match had a job to finish. This fight would give her the experience to conjure her spells more than before.

    "You can do it, Match��.," I murmured, and hoped for the best oue while watching the fight.

    Wolf finally struck the worm''s first heart. Although the arrows Ryoshi sent already injured that core, Wolf needed to give an extra mile to swing his ws. Just after his hands came into contact with the heart, the organ burst into a million tissues. Crimson liquid burst at every angle, drenching us with the blooding from the worm.

    All that Wolf and Match needed to do was find the rest of those hearts inside the worm''s body before the monster could get them. But the question remained unanswered.

    "Where the hell are those four hearts?!"

    Even from afar, I could already hear Wolf screaming in pain. If this problem did not include me, I wouldugh at him until I plummet to the floor. But this battle dictated whoever would leave this ce alive.

    There was only one survivor inside this tunnel, and Match and I were not the ones who would rest underground!

    "Keep firing your fireballs, Match! Just aim at its body! And never hit me with one of those, or else I would turn into crisps!" Wolf shouted, as he ran in circles, trying to find an opening against the creeping creature.

    It took an entire minute of running around the ce before Wolf couldnd on the wolf''s body. Just as the moment when Wolf reached the worm, the creature''s skin became dry while crumbling with the air. Those features showed in front of me, with hundreds of crumbs falling from the worm''s body.

    I shielded the two unconscious people at the back and used my skills to block any falling debris. My eyes remained at the ceiling while stealing nces at the fight on my nk.

    Ryoshi snuck his way to the worm''s sides and let out a grin. I immediately knew he found the other heart hidden behind the creeping creature''s body.

    However, before Wolf could even raise his sword, the worm came prepared and wiggled its entire vessel. The skin serving Wolf as his tform also violently quaked, leaving Wolf in a challenging position.

    Wolf needed to bnce his body while aiming his sword at the pumping heart. He must also elude all the attacksing from the worm. Although Match''s spells kept the monster at bay, those zes were not enough to burn everything from the worm.

    "I-I''m not dealing any damage!" Match cried, while tossing her hands at the worm.

    Beads of sweat cascaded from Merleen''s face as she continued thrusting the mes in front of her. Those fireballs collided with the worm''s body. But it was what Match had mentioned. Those fires did nothing but provoke the worm more!

    Judging from her reaction, Match was at her wit''s end. She kept pushing herself for thisst straw, with her mana capacity already draining to zero.

    But Match knew she had to continue this blitz! Wolf was doing his best to take down the worm. Resting right now was the least of her concerns, knowing that everything depends on her.

    Wolf finally made his move and used his ws and struck the worm''s body. He did not care if he would wound the worm without cutting the heart. As long as Wolf stopped the thrashing movements, the n would move.

    However, the worm continued ramming its body against the wall as it desperately pushed Wolf aside. But the persistent yer never gave up whiletching himself onto the worm''s skin.

    Fortunately for him, Wolfnded near the fourth heart. With one swift strike, the heart burst into smithereens once more. That urrence created a fountain of blood everywhere inside the tunnel. The stench that came from the worm''s residue spread inside the cave, filling our nostrils with a foul odour.

    Wolf already destroyed two hearts out of the three�� If this continued, we would eventually win this fight!

 Chapter 121 - Running Away

    However, like in any other situation, the two of them faced another problem. The worm burrowed from the ground, creating fissures and earthquakes around the crater. It almost felt that the tunnel would bury us alive when the worm tried sliding behind the walls.

    "Get back, and stay close behind me!" Wolf shouted at Match.

    The little girl followed his lead and went away from the battlefield. However, before she could even do anything else, the ground shook some more, disrupting the bnce of Match.

    I tried dashing straight in her direction, but the stone hurled towards the two unconscious bodies kept me at bay. I could leave this pair right now, but I knew it was not the right thing to do.

    But if I let this slide, the worm would crush Match''s body in front of me.

    My train of thought got disrupted with a howling from the side. When I nced at the nk, Wolf''s figure greeted my eyes, with his voice echoing throughout the tunnel. After a few seconds, he leapt from the ground and charged straight towards Match.

    Just before that worm could get Match''s thighs, Wolf snatched her body and carried her to a safer ce. The worm ate nothing but thin air when it sprawled out from the ground, revealing its gigantic body on the surface.

    Wolf continued sprinting towards me and ced Match in front of my face. After resting the little girl behind the stone, Wolf knelt on the ground and gasped for all the air he could breathe.

    "A-As... promise��.. Match��. is alive," Wolf whispered, before closing his eyes.

    I caught his body leaning forward while I ced him beside Ryoshi. Wolf also became unconscious after saving Match. He used his remaining ounce of energy to deliver Match to me before the worm could get her body.

    Match also fell asleep after arriving at my fore. There was no point in waking her up, considering the mana she used to fight the creeping creature.

    Despite the losing battle, Match suffered no injuries. The only wound that I could find on her skin was when she slid across the ground to avoid the worm''s attacks.

    After cing the two on the ground, I red at the worm, looking for another prey. As soon as it noticed my presence, the crawling monster came right at me with intense speed.

    My right eye glowed more intensely than before, granting me more powers. It was as if it noticed the stakes of our situation against this feral worm. The mana circled inside my veins, refreshing all my tired tissues into new cells once again.

    How could I retreat when I absorbed all these new powers right now? There was no way I could leave Match and everyone behind, especially Snow White. I needed her for the boat that Draven promised me. If Snow White would die because of me, that boat would be a pipe dream...

    I knew our chances had gotten slim, especially when most of my team members got knocked out from the fight. And the only person standing against the worm was me.

    "How could I defeat the worm when none of my team can?"

    It was the only question running inside my mind as I stood against the charging worm.

    Instead of running away, I ran straight at the worm and revealed my penitent''s dagger. It was the only weapon that I had against a ferocious monster like this worm. I did not have any overpowered weapons or skills that Match and Wolf possessed.

    But if there was one thing that got me proud was my immense speed inbat. I could even say that my quick feet wereparable to Wolf''s current abilities. I could even swift strike my enemies before they could even notice me.

    However, the dreadful scene came to light in front of me. That thought immediately challenged me when rocks came showering in my direction. Behind me were those unconscious people hiding from the worm. If those stones reached those bodies, all my team members would die. And I could not juse side step my way and elude those rocks.

    But that did not stop me from making my move.

    I took a long jump and twirled behind. As soon as I met my eyes at the stone, I used the gun I stole from the soldier and used it as my weapon.

    The gun was the only weapon that I could from this range, since my dagger could only reach around a point nk height. That thought went inside my brain in a spur, giving me another chance to destroy the rocks while pushing forward to the worm.

    The firearm I stole cost me nothing but taking down some soldiers along the way. And that gun still worked even after stealing it from the soldiers. Although the instructions felt different to me, I mimicked the soldier''s movements and pulled the trigger from my gun.

    A bullet emerged from the barrel and raced towards the stones hurled in my direction. Those rocks exploded before they could even hit me or the people behind me. I finally realised that this weapon packed up a punch, and could even bring down the toughest enemies I encountered throughout my journey.

    But right now, my penitent''s dagger was the only weapon I trust. No matter how good the gun was for this situation, the dagger still dealt more damage to anything I touched. It was as if this weapon was really meant for me.

    I did not use the bow because it was an excessively long way to fire the bolts towards my target. I had to pull the strings and aim the dart at the stones. The gun also did the same as the bow could in a quicker fashion.

    But that line of thought did not matter right now as I focused my attacks at the raging stones while making my way towards the worm.

    Dozens of rocks exploded within seconds every time I unleashed my bullets. But I doubted that these shells would hurt the worm''s thick skin. However, that story might change when I would use this gun to eliminate the three remaining hearts.

    And that was what I did.

    I charged forward and looked for a hole from the worm. Beyond those cracked skin would be the heart hiding from in sight!

    After a few moments of running around the worm, my eyes caught sight upon the hole. As I frowned my eyes, my target became crystal in my view.

    I aimed my gun at the heart and prayed to hit it with my bullet. Although I would love to use my penitent''s dagger to eliminate the worm, the gun proved to be a superior weapon, after all. And since I wished to destroy the iing stones from my team members, using the firearm would be the wiser choice than the dagger.

    Within half a minute, I pulled the trigger and called my shot. A ring sound fired from my gun, discharging the ultimate bullet infused with my arcane. Considering my target, I needed to imbue more arcane than usual to inflict deadlier damage to the worm.

    If I wanted to finish the job, I would pour everything I had in this weapon.

    As the bulletnded on the beast, the worm screamed an agonistic wail. That painful screech told me that the bullet was an effective weapon to stop the mammoth-sized worm.

    But that did not end my mission. I wasted no time and circled around the worm, looking for the remaining two hearts hidden inside the monster. If I destroyed those pairs of hearts, the worm would die with it. It was what Wolf exined to me before he recruited Match to this battle.

    My luck finally paid off as my eyes witnessed another hole in front of me. That tiny crevice weed my sight, with my gun already waving at the worm''s insides. It almost felt like the worm begged for me to hit it with my bullets.

    I reloaded my gun and fired another bullet right away at my target. The shell I released flew through the hole and hit the crimson organ. Within a few seconds, blood from the monster exploded everywhere, leaving me drench with monster mucus.

    But I kept my guard up and turned around, smashing every stone that hovered behind me. It was a never ending fight between me and the worms, with all those rocks added in the picture.

    "One down, one to go," I murmured to myself while staring at the worm.

    It was my final battle against this creature. Now that I got the upperhand, the beasts had no other choice but to leave us alone.

    But that thought never happened. The worm was at its wit''s end and tried taking me with it to the grave. That monster violently wriggled, hoping to destroy the entire tunnel along our bodies!

    Before I could even react, Wolf''s image entered my vision, with the rest of the people on his back.

    He gave me the girl and snapped me back to reality. "What are you spacing out for?! Carry Match, and let''s get the hell out of here?!"

 Chapter 122 - End Of Skirmish

    I carried Match on my back and got the heck out of this shaking tunnel. The sounds of stones rang through my ears as I hurried towards the exit.

    Wolf was also in front of me, carrying the two people in each of his arms. Despite the weight pulling him backwards, Wolf outran the cmity that pursued behind us.

    Since the worm lost all four of its heart, it went on a rampage, wrecking the tunnel. That monster nned to bury us alongside its wriggling body, knowing that we schemed to flee.

    However, the beast failed to bring us down as the Wolf and I raced through the exit. Our feet trampled the ground alongside the rubblesing from above. Fortunately for us, we made it out of the sinister cave and stepped foot outside.

    The morning light showered on our faces, with the cave copsing from the entrance. Wolf and I gingerly ced everyone on the ground as soon as we escaped the copsing cave. Our gasping voices were the only sound that reverberated in our surroundings. But it was an inevitable marathon, considering the dangering from the feral worm.

    "We made it��.," I said, while turning around.

    Wolf followed my eyes as we both stared at the destroyed tunnel. We knew we were inside the dwarven kingdom, and we experienced no casualties from the fight.

    "Let''s rest for the entire day before continuing forward. We''re inside the dwarven kingdom, but we need to pass by some terrain before reaching the city. And beyond that point lies the citadel where we could meet this Draven guy," Wolf suggested.

    It was a wise suggestion, considering the condition of our party. Although I hated the guy, I could not agree more with that n.

    I gave Wolf a nod and replied, "Fine. I''ll go get the firewoods and-,"

    Before I could even finish my sentence, Wolf stood up and walked by at my side. "I''ll do it. You''re in no condition to move or do anything at all, unlike me."

    My head boiled around a hundred degrees Celsius after hearing Wolf''s insults for me. I stood up and clenched my fist, ready to smack him behind.

    However, just as Wolf had mentioned, I fell on the ground, unable to move any muscles inside my body. Wolf had to return to me as he leaned my body against the stone.

    "I told you so," Wolf said, and turned his back from me for thest time to fetch some wood.

    ��

    I had no other choice but to doze around and rest for the time being. Since I got myself bedridden from the battle, gathering my strength would be optimal for our n. I could not function without rest, and this was the perfect time for me to do that.

    Within a few seconds, I closed my eyes and slept for a few minutes. My body only woke up when the warm heat touched my skin.

    As I opened my eyes, Wolf and the rest of our team weed my eyes. Throughout my schedule of resting, Wolf dragged the sleeping bodies around the campfire to warm everyone up.

    What he did was a thoughtful action. But I cannot still find any reasons to forgive him for protecting that ranger from me. Despite these benevolent measures, my eyes and heart refused to believe in him.

    I could only see him as an enemy in my eyes. As long as Okami treats Ryoshi as his friend, he will always remain a viin in my mind.

    "You''re finally awake," Wolf whispered, as he impaled the vegetables into two sticks.

    He also had meat beside him. However, that was not all. Considering the strength that my mouth currently has, eating vegetables would be a perfect meal for now. Although I preferred soup rather than a kebab, Wolf was the one grilling the meat.

    "Mhm��.," I answered, while slowly picking myself up and seated in front of the fire.

    The ze crisps the dry twigs and pinecones as a source of firewood, heating our meal ced above the fire. Within a moment, the vegetables turned green to toasty green�� I could only describe what I saw before my eyes.

    "Here. This one''s for you."

    Wolf got up and offered me the kebab made of vegetables and sprinkled spices. It was a decent meal for ill people, which I considered myself in this situation.

    I reluctantly epted the offer and grabbed the food from Wolf''s hand. As soon as the stick reached my hand, my abdomen let out a fierce growl that echoed throughout the forest.

    "....."

    I did not speak a word after letting out an embarrassing moaning from my stomach. However, I disregarded all those emotions and helped myself from the meal.

    After a few seconds, the meal vanished from my hand and went inside of my mouth. It did not even take me an entire minute to finish the damn thing. Considering the appetite that I had right now, I could eat a whole horse within a bite!.

    "Pfft��."

    Wolf held out hisughter after witnessing my peculiar side. I narrowed my eyes and red at Wolf, which made him choke down hisughter inside his body.

    "Sorry," Wolf apologised, and scratched the back of his head.

    Wolf finally knew about the dark side of me. After seeing my reaction, Wolf mumbled to himself and vowed to avoid me throughout this journey. I wanted to add the word "brief'''' since I never nned on teaming up with him and his body in the first ce.

    "Thank you," I whispered, and returned the stick to Wolf.

    He would need that stick soon if I considered taking another round of meals.

    And that was what I did.

    I shook the stick and non-verbally asked Wolf for more. Wolf was not a douche as he immediately caught my bodynguage. He let out a sigh and gave his share to me. When I quivered my head and rejected his food, Wolf nudged my head and told me that I needed it most than him.

    "I still hate you for teaming up with Ryoshi," I said, unable to filter the name of his friend.

    Wolf''s eyes widened upon hearing his friend''s name from my mouth. I never averted my gaze and kept my eyes looking at his face. The two of us never wavered from looking away, which told our individual confidence about each other.

    Wolf finally leaned towards me and asked me a question, "How did you know our name?"

    He included "our" instead of him, telling me that I already knew his identity. Although I already knew his name when I first nced into his life, I did not bother remembering it.

    "What are you going to do with our names?" Wolf asked.

    "Nothing," I answered. "But if there''s a way that I could use it against you, I would."

    "I''ll just let you know that I have a sister waiting for me back home. And I know how Clementine means a lot to you�� Like Himari means a lot to me too."

    "Shut up!" I shouted, ending our prolonged conversation.

    Silence fell upon us as we concluded our talk about our past. Wolf had a point when he mentioned his sister. And since I glimpsed into his past, I knew the surface of his life, including Himari.

    However, that was not enough to persuade me from plotting an advance against them. Considering what Ryoshi, his best friend, did to Clementine, I wanted to return the favour. I did not care what actions would take me to take my revenge.

    And I would not stop at anything to achieve my goal. I already lost a lot, and the only thing I did not want to lose right now was the little girl.

    I nced at my side and looked at Match sleeping body. Match slept on the leaf and made it her make-shift bed as she always did on our journey. Match was the only one that kept me sane in this world, and I cannot stress enough how I love her.

    I would do anything for Match, even save her at the cost of my life. I nned on taking down the game developer to create a better ce for her and other NPCs living in this world. Alongside that heavenly goal was my revenge against those seated above the clouds.

    If only those developers monitored our livelihood, my sister would not have died from the monster horde! And those yers did not even help us fight those monsters��.

    I brushed those grim thoughts away while staring at Match. After a few seconds, the smell of cooked vegetables entered my mind, with Wolf''s face gobbling up the barbecue he cooked.

    ''Nope. I''m not giving this to you," Wolf eximed without hearing my voice.

    He already knew what I wanted to say after seeing my eyes.

    I averted my gaze and slept again for an hour. By the time I woke up, Wolf fought back his exhaustion while taking watch.

    I stood up from my seat and stretched my body. As soon as I finished my exercise, I went to Wolf and reced his job.

 Chapter 123 - Wars Against Players (1)

    "Really? I''ll take your offer," Wolf said, with a reluctant look in his eyes.

    It took him a few moments before ensuring my expression. And since I did not have any mirrors, I never knew what image I shared with Wolf.

    As soon as Wolf realised, heid on the grass and turned to the side. A ring thud echoed throughout our vicinity, with the pile of leaves fluttering at the side. Wolf never uttered a word to me as he faced the opposite direction.

    That man stared for a while before shutting his eyes.

    He did not even mind the in ground and went to sleep right after. After a few seconds of our exchange, Wolf snores echoed throughout the vicinity. No monsters lurked in the area, so I did not have to wake him up.

    Despite our conflicts in our beliefs, Wolf was still the man who saved us from the soldiers. If it were not for him, maybe Match and I would have died inside the tunnel.

    Within a few seconds, I had no one to talk to but myself and the whirling wind. Now that I had realised my role, I sat beside the campfire and stared at the crisped firewood. The ze had already died out, inviting the chilly wind to touch my skin.

    I hugged myself and felt the warmth inside of me. As I nced at my side, Match''s face weed my eyes. It was the only light that basked me with hope and the only glimmer I had throughout this journey.

    However, that blissful feeling disappeared as I glimpsed further besides. An image of a man holding his bow entered my sight. My eyes narrowed down while ring at the figure.

    I contained my dimmed thoughts while staring at the yer. But no matter how hard I tried, my fingers refused to shiver. Upon clenching my hands, I finally knew what to do.

    I revealed my penitent''s de and aimed the tip at Ryoshi''s throat. Since this was the only chance that I could have to slit his throat, I wanted to make the most out of my window.

    My hand nudged closer to Hunter, wishing to cut his neck open as I did to my victims. One sh from my weapon would instantly kill the man, and nobody on our team knew any healing magic. That absence of spell made my life easier and arduous for Ryoshi.

    However, before my dagger could reach the skin of Ryoshi, a sudden kicknded on my thigh. Upon turning around, Match''s leg was the only thing I caught sight of and dyed the inevitable.

    "....."

    My eyes stared for a while at Match''s sleeping figure. She was like an angel in disguise sent to me to calm my senses. That girl was the only one who denied my grim past and supported me until the very end.

    I averted my gaze and red at Ryoshi again, but my killing intentions ceased to boil my heart. I could not find any more motivation after seeing Match''s face in front of me. It was as if she warned me about the consequences of my actions, despite fulfilling my revenge.

    Although there was nothing more in life that I wanted but to kill the murderer of my sister, I sheathed my dagger back on my scabbard and turned around. I could find no more chances besides this day, considering the sleeping Wolf. He was my sole obstruction from my achieving n.

    And now, that dream went down the drain.

    "Fine�� I won''t kill him," I murmured to myself, while reaching out my hand towards Match.

    I caressed Match''s crazed her-like I always do and kissed her on her forehead. It was always things I did for her, even the first time we met. She was all I had in this terrible life, and I did not want to lose her��. like I lost Clementine.

    But I had never forgiven Ryoshi for killing Clementine. Even if it was a mere ident, I still held a grudge towards that man. However, my intentions for killing Hunter became slim as a stick.

    How could I, when I risk Match, hating me for my actions? If Match knew I killed the man we partied up and escaped from the tunnel, that might be the end of my life. Match''s face would be enough to kill me without cing a dagger on my chest.

    The night had gone by, and the world moved once again. I already fixed the campfire and prepared our morning meals since Wolf had assigned me to that job.

    Wolf was the first one to wake up, followed by the others. All the sleeping people roused from their beds and addressed Wolf and me. Fortunately for me, the failed n remained a mystery to everyone, since they mentioned nothing about it.

    I watched Wolf if he would ever bring that part up in our conversation. However, he approached me like on any other day, trying tofort or get close to me. But I never wanted to be his friend or anything, apart from adventurers travelling together.

    After escorting Snow White back to her homnd, Match and I would get on that boat that the dwarf rmended and surf the sea without Ryoshi and Wolf on board. If the two of us were lucky, we could ask Draven to upgrade our weapons and make use of this bow and gun at my disposal.

    But before we could even move to our destination, a sting from the northern area reverberated in the distance. Our startled faces looked forward and spotted a dark smoke reaching the heavens above.

    "We need to move, right now!" Wolf ordered, and was the first one to exit the campsite.

    All of us followed him close behind and passed by dozens of copsed trees and rubbles. The scenery changed along the way, making our eyes lose visuals in front of us. I even slowed down my movements just to observe the ce surrounding me, looking for clues about the crashing sound.

    Hundreds of ruined houses and burned bodies of dwarves greeted our eyes, which were also the things we saw before. We did not notice these variables from before, which only meant one thing.

    Some bodies felt fresh in our eyes, with some recognisable dwarves I already met earlier. All of them kissed the ground with their eyes, looking at the world''s core. The smell of rotten bodies flew through our nostrils, making me puke at every inhale I made.

    "Fuck��. Did Robin make it through here? No�� He can''t be. There''s no way he could reach this ce... Not unless," Wolf mumbled to himself, and gritted his teeth.

    I could see the crimson blood flowing from his lips as he bit his skin. But Wolf never grimaced at his pain and allowed his teeth to bury themselves to his lips.

    "Wolf, get a hold of yourself! And who are these people that you mentioned?" I asked, and alerted Wolf about her self-harm actions.

    As soon as he heard my voice, Wolf turned around and met my gaze. He looked down and confessed the news nobody wanted to hear.

    "They''reing�� Those yers reached this ce. We better chase them away and meet Draven as soon as possible."

    It was the first time I agreed to his decision. Since we had the same aim, our team needed to pair up once again and fight these yers. Although Wolf and Hunter were yers themselves, they weren''t as crooked as those bastards holding their guns.

    "yers? I will smash their heads from existence!" Snow White eximed, while cracking her knuckles.

    However, Wolf shook his head and retorted, "We don''t have to kill them�� I hope we avoid that part. I killed thousands of them before meeting you, Red. I don''t want to make the same mistakes as I did before."

    I could not bring myself to agree with Wolf''s words. After hearing his thoughts, I remained silent and stared at the ground. It was difficult for me to agree to his concerns, especially protecting Match when the fight would startter. Although I avoid killing anyone against me, I will still do everything to defend Match.

    If I had to kill everyone else for the sake of hers, I would dly do so with a smile on my face.

    All five of us went towards the road, leaping from one obstacle after the other. The only rest that we had was the one we got from the campsite, which soothed our senses for a short while.

    Our road became crystal as we made it past the streets near the shelter. But before we could enter the structure, the yers emerged in front of the entrance, waiting for our arrival.

    These yers armed themselves with the same guns we saw before. But now that they had more designs attached to their firearms, oozing with enormous arcane. Those people had different uniforms that granted them bonus defences against minor attacks.

 Chapter 124 - Wars Against Players (2)

    We hid at the side and remained still for a moment. There were dozens of debris and wrecked walls that served as our wall that kept us undetected. But we did not know when our concealment wouldst. Since more soldiers came in our direction, we needed to lie low and stay hidden for a while.

    Our team did not want to engage with those yers head-on, considering theparison of our weapons. If we fought them with our swords and magic, our party would easily get defeated by their improved armours. Although we had the element of surprise, shing against those yers remained a risky bet.

    It was best to strike those soldiers at a better time and wait for them to split up. With that n, the five of us could stand a chance against lesser yers guarding the area.

    Wolf also mentioned a guy named Robin. And I could only guess that yer yed a vital role within Wolf''s time. However, Wolf did not want to share those memories with me, considering that we did not have that kind of rtionship. But this Robin guy clearly told me he was something that we must be wary of in the future.

    Those yers dressed in ocean blue uniforms walked towards the road patrolling the shelter''s entrance. All of those yers armed themselves with guns that looked more extraordinary than the ones they had when we fought them before.

    I could only guess that this toon was on the elite side of the yer''s groups.

    "What''s our n?" I asked. "You know these yers better than any of us here, Wolf. You better have a n."

    I did not want to lead the party since I would only suggest killing everyone on sight doing nothing. We had limited time to dawdle around the vicinity, especially when these yers had the hostage advantage.

    Behind the shelter were the dwarves that we needed to save. Among those tiny people was the man who would give us the boat. Draven had that knowledge, and Match and I could not travel to Wondend without watercraft.

    Since Wolf was also a yer and a human from a different world, he may have had something in mind that could help us. This situation called for sneaky attacks, and Wolf should read the soldier''s tactics.

    "You''re a veteran yer, right? You should think of something for us to win."

    "Shut it, Red. I''m thinking," Red growled at me, while shaking his head. "There''s one way to deal with this, but I need your help�� specifically, I need Match''s help. She has powerful spells and quickcast for her abilities. That girl is also the only mage at our party."

    "This topic again?" I retorted. "Can you leave Match alone from this dangerous quest?! You keep including her to-,"

    "I will do it!"

    Before I could even continue my sentence, Match stepped forward and offered herself as the key point of our scheme. I wanted to retort. But Match''s eyes already met my gaze, telling me she wanted to y a part in this battle.

    "You could help us by not going there on the battlefield! Match, you know how worried I be every time I know you''re risking your life out there, right?" I asked, trying to make sense out of her decisions.

    But Match shook her head and exined, "I know. But if I stay on the back lines forever, I would not have the chance to protect you, too. You''ve always been there for me, Red, when I need you the most. Now it''s my turn to repay the favour."

    Match had be a mature girl throughout her journey. Despite her young age, Match wanted to help anyone in need. She refused to kill anyone, regardless of our opponent wanted to harm us. However, she identally killed some yers before��. And it remained a mystery to Match.

    I finally gave in to my concerns and nodded my head. After witnessing my response, Match painted her face with a smile and hugged my body. I returned her gestures and wrapped my arms around Match, embracing her as I had never embraced from before.

    "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Red! I will never die, no matter what! Just believe in me, okay?" Match giddy eximed.

    She prepared her staff and some magic circles around her palms. Within a few seconds, she was all set for battle.

    "I will just ry the n for everyone�� All of us will y a vital role in this, so please be careful. If one messes up, we could all suffer the consequences," Wolf briefed us before continuing to the n. "Now, I want Match to charge her ze around this corner of the map. These areas have mmable bushes, despite being near the mining area. Although the mes won''t spread far, that smoke would be enough to catch the attention of those yers. If there''s one thing I know about them, they won''t let anything slip by��. Well, at least that''s what I believe."

    "Ryoshi, you will shoot your tranquillity arrows at the soldiers-,"

    "I WILL WHAT?" Ryoshi shouted. "And aren''t we calling ourselves with our in-game names, not our real names, Wolf?"

    Wolf smacked the pommel of his de at Ryoshi before he could even finish his sentence. The poor archer caressed his head, palpating the minor bump he had on top of his forehead. If I had to guess right, that strike would leave a scar on Ryoshi''s face.

    "Anyway, Ryoshi... okay, Hunter then. Hunter, I need you to hit those soldiers using your tranquil bow. I brought some herbs you might need along the way. It''s good for thirty shots, which leaves enough spare, in case you make a mistake. Snow White, I want you to create a distraction. Just waltz around, m yers-BUT DON''T KILL THEM. Just only create a diversion. Red and I would wrap things up and secure our entrance. We would alsopile all the soldiers into one ce, with a rope tied around their bodies," Wolf narrated the plot, and looked into all of our eyes. "Any violent reactions? Well, guess what? I don''t care. We need to go now before those soldiers move around. And to answer your question, Ryoshi. Since I suspect Red and everyone here know our identity, it would be nice if they also knew our names. That would be a fair trade for everyone, right?"

    Ryoshi could only groan at Wolf''s exnations. However, Wolf had the correct assumption, since I paid close attention to their conversation. And like I yearned for earlier, I nned to use their names to my advantage when the time bes ripe.

    But right now, I need to stay focused on our goal. If we lost this fight, we would lose everything.

    Just before we could progress to our n, I grabbed Wolf''s hand and asked him a question. "How sure are you we would seed?"

    "If we fail, we fail together��. If we lose, we lose together. You need me for this n, and I need you to make this work."

    After our exchange, everyone sprinted to their positions and did as Wolf had told.

    Match sent the forest into cinders and continued spitting out mes at the dry forest. The smoke created by the st alerted some soldiers. Others remained vignt and continued patrolling the vicinity.

    After firing all of her zing bullets, Match hid behind the stones and waited for two signals. Those cues woulde from Snow White and Ryoshi, preparing to take down any soldiers in sight.

    As soon as the pebble hit the wall, Match knew that the pair would appear any second.

    And the little girl had the right assumption.

    A series of arrows flew towards the soldier''s direction, hitting most of them in one spread shot. However, some of them eluded the attack, despite these arrowsing from behind. But before the yers could even react, Snow White emerged at the scene and mmed the guard to the dreand.

    "All eyes on me! The show has just started!" Snow White screamed, and struck another soldier on the ground.

    Her actions were not enough to kill anyone present on the battlefield. But just like Ryoshi''s injuries, those wounds that the soldiers received would also leave a mark on their faces.

    After a few seconds, another set of arrows came hovering in their direction. Butpared to the ones Ryoshi fired before, the soldiers already knew the same attack. Those guards did not fall for the same trick twice and evaded most of the arrows.

    Only a handful of soldiers remained on the battlefield. And that was enough to turn the tides in our favour.

    "Are you ready?" Wolf asked, with his eyes still locked at the entrance.

    The two of us were against elite guards, with higher ranks than Match and the others fought. This battle would exhaust our energy and arcane, but we had no other choice but to fight them head-on.

    "Ready when you are, Wolf," I replied, and prepared my penitent''s de.

 Chapter 125 - Wars Against Players (3)

    The two of us were against elite guards, with higher ranks than Match and the others fought. Our enemies also had two members, which would make our fight more interesting than the ones we had before. This battle would exhaust our energy and arcane, but we had no other choice but to fight them head-on.

    "Ready when you are, Wolf," I replied, and prepared my penitent''s de.

    "Don''t get too cocky, NPC, and Wolf�� Robin sent us here to find you and the rest of the NPCs. We will clear this game by annihting all the NPCs," the soldier remarked, and aimed his scope in my direction.

    Uttering nothing, Wolf and I knew which target we would focus on in this fight. Since we cannot fight them together at once, we wanted to split these elite soldiers apart and fight them in a one-on-one battle.

    However, the soldiers already noticed our tactics and refused to ept our bait. Those soldiers glued themselves on the ground and readied themselves to pull the trigger.

    As soon as they got a clear shot, bullets showered us in our direction. Wolf and I had no other choice but to slide away to safety, hiding behind a sturdy stone. But this wall would notst for the next round, considering those guards had enhanced bullets in their rifles.

    "We can''t split them up... What now?" I asked, while looking at Wolf.

    "Well, isn''t it obvious? We need to fight them head-on...as a team," Wolf replied.

    "Are you serious, Okami?! How can we even get close to those weapons they have?! Do you have a n? I got nothing out of my sleeves, Okami! And you better think of something quick, or else we''d die!"

    "We fight them like we fight other monsters or yers. You take the right, and I''ll take the left. That''s the n."

    After telling his n, Wolf dashed towards the side and prepared his dagger for an attack. I, who thought that this was an absurd n, did the same thing.

    I snuck to the nk and hid among the towering leaves. The two soldiers in front of us seized to fire their firearms at our figure.

    "I thought Wolf is an excellent yer using his smurf ount. My son told me a lot about you, Wolf. I studied your attack patterns. And boy, you love sneaking around people!"

    When the guard eximed that phrase, that soldier turned around and blocked Wolf''s attack, forcing Okami to fall back to his knees. The right soldier aimed his gun in his direction and pulled the trigger.

    But before the soldier''s hand discharged the bullet, I threw my penitent''s dagger at his gun, disrupting his voice. And when the right guard nced in my direction, I already swung to a vine. I readied my body and kicked the man in his face, sinking my foot into his perfect looking eyes.

    My assault knocked the right man off to the ground, but the damage was not enough to take him down. Since we were up against elite yers, it would take them more than my kicks to render them unconscious.

    I did not waste my time and disarmed the man by kicking the left man''s weapon off from his hands. During that fight, I grabbed my de and threw it in front of me. My dagger hit the vines wrapped around a tree.

    The creeping nt fell in our direction, inviting me to swing at the other side. I reached out for the grapevine and travelled at the opposite side, with Wolf gripped between my shoulders.

    When the soldiers finally recovered from my attack, I had alreadynded on the ground.

    "Cease fire! Don''t waste any more bullets for them."

    The right guard ordered the left one, thinking that was the best way to contain us. They finally realised how slick Wolf and I were on this ground, especially with all the trees and stones covering our tracks.

    Just before we could finally take a breather, the right soldier reached out for something behind his uniform. He took out a peculiar-looking ball, which contained ominous arcane. The soldier took out the lid and threw the object in our direction while shouting "Grenade".

    "You idiot, we gotta move!" Wolf shouted, with his eyes looking at the grenade.

    The itemnded a couple of metres in front of us. It looked like the thing missed hitting us, but Wolf''s eyes told me otherwise. He gripped my hand, despite his wobbly feeling, and urged me to run away as fast as my legs could.

    Without asking for more details, I heeded his advice and fled from the scene. We also needed to stay away from the soldier''s eyes, considering they nned to attack us upon sight. So, we made our way towards the other route. We also got our hands on a stone that looked like a wall.

    Within a couple of seconds, the harmless ball exploded, sting away everything at sight. All the trees in our vicinity got caught by the fierce mes, with the wind fanning the ze. The st made our bodies roll back all the way to the drynd. Since we were still inside the dwarven vige, most of the soil had less water and nutrients.

    "W-What was that?!" I asked Wolf, considering that he knew more than me.

    "It''s a grenade, just like the soldiers mentioned. Think of it as exploding arcane magic once the lid opens. And that''s why I asked you to run away before we could be ashes like those trees," Wolf replied, with his eyes pointing at the aze forest.

    The smog served as our camouge against the guards, improving our concealment than before. However, that smog also kept us at bay.

    After a few seconds of silence, the sound of something rolling towards us alerted my senses. As I looked on the ground, two balls, which had the exact design of the previous one, weed our eyes.

    It was what Wolf had mentioned before. Those balls that came rolling in our direction were hand grenades with opened lids.

    Before we could even have the time to react, the bombs activated, sting us off towards the other side.

    But the grenades were not enough to kill me or decapitate my limbs. The same story went to Wolf as the two of us remained conscious and alive. Regardless of any weapon thrown at us, Wolf and I remained sturdy as the rocks.

    However, that was not all. It was a matter of time before my body nned on giving up on me, considering the damage I already umted. One-shot from those grenades would definitely take me down alongside Wolf.

    The game identified us as skilled yers, but we were not invincible from death. We could always die when our health bar reaches zero.

    We did not want that to happen��. And the worst part was; we had to defeat these two soldiers, no matter the cost. If we ran away right now, Match, Ryoshi, and Snow White would end up meeting these guards. Those three would ultimately lose the fight before they could even start.

    "We need to attack those guards right now before Ryoshi and the others could arrive. If they do, they would just slow us down," Wolf suggested, as he desperately stood from the ground.

    The st covered our bodies with dozens of wounds and minor cuts, leaving us sluggish for this battle. We also overused our spare arcane, defending ourselves from the firearms. But giving up right now would waste all our efforts collecting these obelisks��.

    I needed toplete the game and serve justice to those game developers living outside this game.

    I nodded my head and agreed to the abrupt n of Wolf. It was not like this was the only chance he mentioned that to me. If I had to include our earlier scheme, it had the same system as this scene.

    The two of us used our special abilities [shadow walk] and [wolf walk] to advance near the soldiers. Since we cloaked ourselves with our arcane, our bodies became light like a feather. We stormed the terrains and ended up moving within seconds near the soldiers.

    Wolf and I already knew what to do, so we sprawled into action and went towards the guards. The two of us did not have any teamwork at all. Combining our attacks into one was an unknown word in our dictionaries, considering the rtionship we had.

    But there was one thing that our scheme could work. Since the two of us had the skills of a veteran yer, Wolf and I needed to take down our targets individually without affecting the other. We just had to inspect our surroundings and try to eliminate our enemies as we would if we did it alone.

    And that was what we did.

    Wolf emerged from the shrubs and revealed his ws to the guard. I also moved behind the guard and attempted to slit the soldier''s throat.

 Chapter 126 - War Against Players (4)

    Wolf pounded the soldier''s shoulder using his ws, disarming him with his gun. The rifle bounced on the side and hit the rock around ten feet away from them. Since the soldier lost his weapon, he tried reaching out for his firearms.

    But Wolf did not allow him to get near his precious toy. He even kicked the rifle further away from the fight, turning the tides to his favour.

    And before I could even take down the soldier in front of me, I remembered Match''s words ringing inside my head. I prohibited her from killing NPCs or yers throughout our journey, since I did not want her to be someone who could kill anyone without empathy.

    That hesitation cost me everything, as the soldier mumbled his few words beforetching out from my grip.

    "If you have time to look away, you should fight me!"

    Just like the soldier shouted, I glued my eyes at Wolf''s battle and not mine. I paid the price and received a hiting from the soldier when he turned around. I moved backwards and went to the side, but the soldier showered me with shells. It grazed my shoulder from the iing bullets, forcing me to run away towards the nk.

    It was a good thing that I had my [shadow walk] still activated all the time, helping me avoid the enemy''s sight. My swift movements allowed me to avoid any bullets that could have hit my vital organs.

    I went to the side and swung a vine in his direction. The guard had his eyes peeled at his surroundings and noticed my cheap attack. He kicked the vines and eluded some of them, with his orbs still wandering in the forest.

    The man never called out my attention or shouted at me. He was an elite guard, after all. That soldier moved like a jaguar, using the environment against me. Since we were inside a forest, the setting made it easier for the two of us to conceal our presence.

    Our battle made us forget the fight between Wolf and the other soldier.

    I kept hurling the vines in the soldier''s direction while moving at different ces at extreme speeds. The only thing that I became concerned about was my arcane consumption. While using this spell, it continued eating away my mana, forcing me to fight the soldier within a time limit.

    If I had to guess it right, I only had around ten minutes to fight this soldier. Although it looked like I had more time, I did not.

    The soldier had no obvious openings for me to take him down. Although I had the soldier within my grasp, I did not dare to kill someone. If Match knew that I stained my blood, she would never forgive me.

    I had to defeat the guard without killing him, or else I would suffer the consequences. There was no other way to do it but to render the guard unconscious using the experiences I had from my battles.

    After a few seconds, a vine finally hit him, forcing the soldier to release the gun in his hands. The situation happened as Wolf experienced. The gun slid from the soldier''s fingers and mmed against the bushes. It would take us around a few minutes before finding that gun in the towering grass.

    I took down the soldier''s valuable weapon. But it did not mean that I could effortlessly win this fight. Since I was up against an elite guard, I could still lose this battle.

    However, before I could even make my move, the soldier reached out for something in his uniform. Upon waiting for a few seconds, he revealed a gun with a miniature designpared to the one on the floor. My system notified me that the firearm the soldier held was also the smaller version of the gun. It even had the name called a "revolver".

    The onlyparison that I could see from his gun was the bullet''s damage. Since the revolver had lesser arcane input, the damage from each shell would decreasepared to the previous one.

    I finally made my move and stormed the man from behind. I used the vine as my distraction while using my [shadow walk] to close the distance.

    But as soon as I reached the soldier''s front, the man turned around and blocked my attack. He used his free hand to block my attack with his gun pointed at my face.

    It was as if the soldier already expected me to hunt him down, especially behind his back.

    I also knew this would happen. So I turned towards the side and used my [shadow walk] once again. The guard pulled the trigger and fired two bullets in my direction. Those bullets targeted me and downwards since the man thought I would pull off a sneaky attack.

    But I didn''t. I moved faster than the soldier, so I eluded his attack. Those bullets crashed behind me and pierced a hole towards the stone. Within a matter of seconds, the rock crumbled like dust blown by the wind.

    "I always carry a spare, unlike my partner. But I stillmend you reacting faster than my bullet," the soldier remarked, while aiming his gun at my previous position.

    However, I already hid away from his vicinity and used the forest again as my hideout. This battle was a game of cat and mouse. Whoever gets caught first would be the loser of this battle. And for now, the two of us were in a stalemate. Since nobody wanted to make the first move, the two of us couldn''t counterattack each other.

    Five minutes had already passed before my spell would deactivate by itself. It was only a matter of time before I would lose this game.

    Fortunately for me, the soldier knew nothing about my spells. I could turn invisible from his eyes, and that was all the guard knew about me.

    I found a tree that stood tall among its peers and climbed towards the apex. As soon as I arrived at the top, the soldier''s image became tiny, with all the nts and logs surrounding him. Within those few seconds, I finally came up with an absurd n to take down this soldier.

    "From afar��.," I mumbled, and jumped from the branch.

    The soldier heard the noise but did not know where the sound came from. He looked in every direction, but found nothing but the whirling twigs blown by the wind.

    I dove towards the soldier and attempted to slice the guard''s shoulder. My attack sessfully hit the soldier, but it came with a price. That man had no openings, and that proved my theory. He used my speed to his advantage and hurled me at his fore, spraining the muscles on my right leg.

    I couldn''t cut the entire arm from the soldier. But I knew the damage I did was enough to restrain his right arm from using the gun. From my observation, the man used his right hand and side to aim at me. He rarely used his left hand while using his gun. When I disabled his right limb, I knew I had a chance to beat him.

    But the soldier switched his gun to his left arm and aimed at me. That man nned to take me down using his non-dominant arm.

    The soldier pulled the trigger, but the first discharged bullet missed and hit the stone. Despite desperately trying to shoot me, the man could not help but blunder his first shot.

    I pulled out a gun of my own and tried reinforcing the bullets from my arcane. My [shadow walk] got also deactivated by itself, revealing my position and figure for the man.

    "I could finally see you, NPC. Your efforts won''t win you. Just know that the soldiers will hunt you down and take you out of your miseries," said the man.

    I refused to retort at the soldier''s words and remained silent throughout the fight. He was not worth my time, since there was no point inmunicate with my enemy. I also needed to help Wolf and the others, considering we were up against soldiers with fighting experiences. There was no way I would know about Wolf''s fight when I had to deal with this guard in front of me.

    The soldier finally shut his mouth and met my eyes. He knew that talking would not make a difference, and he could not provoke me with his words. So, instead, he fired multiple bullets in my direction and hoped for the best.

    I nudged towards my side while aiming my gun in his direction. Since I could not run away from my ce, I had to walk around dodging the bullets.

    That soldier also had the advantage, considering that he studied using the gun more than I did. Although he kept missing his shots, the guard remained diligent at killing me.

    I had little experience with using the gun, so my bullets could not reach him. I did not know what would happen, so I kept firing everything in the soldier''s direction.

 Chapter 127 - The Dwarves Lost

    The soldier and I exchanged shots, hoping to take the other one down. My gun had lesser featurespared to the man, so he fired more bullets than me. My system also disyed the damageparison of our damage output. Of course, the man had the upper hand in this fight, since his bullets had more raw damage than mine.

    But luck stayed on my side and protected me from my death. All those bullets the soldier sent at me missed while he took two shots from my gun. And to make matters worse, I got a headshot out from the guy.

    Those bullets were not enough to stop me from my tracks. That soldier ended up living a sliver of health points on top of his name. After taking those hits from my rifle, his crimson health bar drained unto the bare minimum that kept him alive. The soldier''s uniform saved him from his death, granting him enough defence to survive. He could barely even move a muscle, considering the headshot that the guard took.

    However, the guard refused to give up and tried aiming his gun in my direction. I had no interest in staining my hands to a petty man and left him behind.

    "You coward! Kill me as you did to the soldiers! I heard about you! You killed yers for your own gain!" shouted the soldier.

    But I paid him no mind and walked away without looking back. I already knew he had no energy to aim that gun at me, considering the one HP keeping him alive. That soldier would regenerate back his health in time, so leaving him was my wisest decision.

    As soon as I returned to the previous battlefield, Wolf had already finished his battle. When he met my eyes, Wolf stood up from his seat and went to me. His health points did not lower while fighting the soldier. Wolf had a clean fight against the guard, despite having the gun clipped on the soldier''s hand. He made the battle look like the elite man was a fool against Wolf.

    I had no chance to watch the scene, but I knew that happened while I fought the other soldier. This field just showed how overpowered Wolf had bepared to me or anyone I met.

    Wolf will always be the greatest threat that the game had, even without activating his other forms. And if I remembered his words, Wolf did not use his main form when the death game started. When the game granted his power from his previous ount (Fenrir), he would have one-shotted everyone out from this game.

    "You''rete, Red. Before the battle had even started, I already defeated the crap out of him," Wolf eximed, while shrugging his shoulders at the man.

    The soldier he mentioned wore his sleeveless shirt and shorts as heid on the ground. When I first met the two elite soldiers, they wore uniforms that protected them from any attacks, except for bullets.

    But Wolf destroyed the guard''s clothing using his razor-sharp ws. And even if he did not have any weapons at his disposal, Wolf could effortlessly defeat any opponent in his way.

    "Don''t worry, he''s still alive," Wolf continued, and trudged towards the shelter''s entrance. "Oh, by the way, I already took care of all the small fries soldiers inside this shelter. They all went to help the elite ones. But they didn''t stand a chance."

    I couldn''t give Wolf my reply and remained silent throughout our walk. My eyes expanded upon hearing his story. If any NPC listened to his narration, nobody would have probably believed him. But I knew those things happened, considering the unconscious bodies lying on the floor.

    If Wolf told me a bluff, those soldiers would have still attacked us as soon as we entered inside. But they didn''t, since all those guards could not move.

    "How did you do it?" I could not help but ask the nonchnt Wolf.

    Wolf slowed down his pace and met my gaze. He briefly revealed his ws and retracted them back inside his body. My system also notified an intense killing intent surrounding the cave, with an overwhelming arcane clouding my sight.

    When I faced Wolf again, the shadowy figures were all I witnessed. Within a few seconds, those shapes disappeared, with Wolf standing in front of me once again.

    "Did I answer your question, Red?" Wolf replied, with a snicker carved on his face.

    "If you have this strength, why did you not use it inside the tunnel! We could''ve died because of you! Match could''ve ...."

    My mouth refused to utter any words, since anger had already consumed me. But despite my emotions, I wanted to listen to Wolf''s bullshit exnations before taking him out.

    "If I hadn''t done what I did, Match would not have learned to fight against stronger monsters. You want toplete this game using your pathetic skills and experience. But you aplished these things with pure stealth assaults, fighting no one head-on," Wolf answered.

    He stopped and stared into my eyes before continuing to his sentence. "Let me ask you, Red. What would happen if you face a stronger opponent that you cannot beat? Would you run away? There are other yers out there that could kill you without breaking a sweat. This game has an Alice in Wondend, Captain Hook, and even the game developers inside this game. You may have killed two leaders; King Arthur and La Finta Nonna, but you''re too weak against other creatures."

    After our exchange, Wolf pressed on and entered the shelter without me. I could not move my feet after I heard him chide my ideals.

    All Wolf said to me hit the nail, mocking me while giving me a cold lecture. All those words went straight into my heart, piercing every vein and artery inside of me.

    It was what Wolf had mentioned. I was still a naive girl, taking my revenge against the world. Although I defied most of my obstacles, the worst had yet toe in my direction. I nned all those murders without fighting them face to face.

    If I fought against those NPCs and yers, I would have already died before I could even reach the Elven Kingdom.

    "But you can still change that, Red. Just follow me and get stronger," Wolf called out, despite entering the shelter.

    He knew I would feel restless after hearing his sentences. Although I still hated Wolf''s guts for being friends with Ryoshi, he made me realise my mistakes. If I remained ignorant about my situation, Match would have paid the prince in the future.

    "I still despise you, Wolf. If I found the chance to kill your friend, I would dly slit his throat."

    "Yes. And I will never forget that."

    As soon as we concluded our conversation, I finally progressed and stepped inside the shelter. The familiar light weed my sight, but the entire scenery changed before me.

    The recognisable make-shift buildings turned into rubble, with corpses of dwarves kissing the ground. Those dead bodies included children and their parents snuggling against each other. Half of the dwarven vigers survived, while the rest of them barely gripped into life.

    "Draven!" Snow White shouted.

    The team that Wolf and I made ran behind us. I turned around and met Match''s waiting arms as I pulled her closer to me. We hugged each other as we had never embraced before, utching ourselves apart.

    "Are you hurt, Match?" I asked, while inspecting for wounds.

    Fortunately, Match did not have any bruises on her skin. Light burnt marks covered her body, but that was just about it. It was not enough to make me panic.

    The setting reminded us back to the world. Those yers we met before did these for the sake of their goal. Wolf stood still and watched everything crumble, with his hands clenched up like a ball.

    As soon as Snow White passed her by, Wolf dashed straight towards Draven. But before those two could even meet him, Draven''s eyes��. left the world.

    "We''re toote��.," whispered Wolf.

    Draven sacrificed himself to defend this vige at the cost of his life. Bruises covered his body, which came from the bullets and knives from the yers. Those people were the only group who wielded guns, making them the biggest threat inside this game.

    The dwarven vigers retreated inside their fallen houses after seeing Wolf. Since yers killed most of their poption, these vigers lost their trust in Wolf. They did not even know the guy, despite helping them defeat the soldiers outside.

    As long as Wolf was a yer, the entire NPC poption became wary about him. They even showed us a hint of anger as those townspeople red at Wolf''s back.

    But Wolf paid them no mind. He carried Wolf in his arms and ced him in a remote ce. He grabbed a shovel and dug up a pit, nning to pay respect for the fallen knight of this kingdom.

 Chapter 128 - Rest

    Wolf and the rest of us paid our respects to Draven. When the yers stormed the vige, Draven sacrificed his life while protecting this vige. If it were not for him, more dwarves would have suffered from the wrath of those soldiers.

    However, the townspeople refused to ept Wolf and Ryoshi. Considering that these two were also yers of this game, the dwarves'' wounds were still fresh in their minds. And if I ced myself in the shoes of those dwarves, I would also feel the same.

    "You monster��."

    "You killed us!"

    "Get away from this vige!"

    Those vigers finally dared to shout their inner voices. They pointed their forefingers at the two while throwing debris scattered on the ground. Although Wolf saved them from the soldiers, these dwarves refused to look at the bigger picture.

    But Wolf never retorted at the crowd. He pulled Ryoshi to the side and exited the shelter without uttering a word. However, before they could reach the gates, Snow White snatched the two and ced them in the middle.

    All the dwarves had shocking expressions on their faces when they met face to face with the two yers.

    "These two young men are Wolf and Ryoshi! They rescued me from the yers out there when our team got attacked. The six dwarves fell into their hands and protected me until the end... just like Draven," Snow White said, while meeting everyone''s gaze. "All of you should listen to what I have to say! These two are innocent people! They rescued me instead of taking my life! I led them here to our shelter since we needed backup. And I was right. Draven died for our sake. Believe in this man like how I trust him! We have nothing to lose but plenty to gain."

    It was the dwarven queen who made sense out of those panicking dwarves. Since Draven died, nobody else attempted to lead these stranded dwarves to victory. They had nowhere else to go but wander alone, with those yers already waiting for them outside.

    Wolf could not hide his expression of awe while listening to the queen. After all that had happened in the vige, Snow White remained optimistic. She kept trying to find the light at the tunnel''s end, despite the dark hour that fell upon them.

    Snow White became the image of hope to the dwarves.

    "Thank you," Wolf muttered.

    Wolf had the power to dominate everything he could see, including the dwarves'' lives. Although he was not using his main ount, Okami was still the number one yer in this game. Ryoshi was just there for some reason.

    Regardless of these titles, Okami remained calm and understanding about the game. Wolf even told me he had changed for his sister, especially when he met me.

    However, I could not trust him for his words. Despite all those flowery sentences, Wolf was still a yer who could kill Match and me. He was also friends with Ryoshi, who was the one who killed Clementine.

    Someone pulled the end strings of my clothing and grabbed my attention. As I turned around, I met Match''s eyes. She kept fiddling her feet, while mumbling to herself. However, despite these attempts, Match remained silent for a while.

    "Do you want to say something?" I asked, encouraging her to speak her own mind.

    Match took a deep breath and looked in Wolf''s direction. "Aren''t we going to help him? He helped us secure this ce��. Right?"

    I shook my head and refused to give my reply.

    Match could not watch the scene any longer as she charged straight towards the three. She said nothing at all, but supported them by walking to their side.

    That girl gave me a choice to support Wolf or abandon him in this strife. I would receive no benefit at all if I stood by his side.

    However, how could I reject Match''s offer with those teary eyes? She was the only one who calmed my senses. And even though Wolf''s friend took Clementine''s life, I had no choice but to support Wolf��. only for this time.

    "Listen, dwarves. You already know me, since I spoke to Draven around days before this happened. Our team fended off those yers. And if we had not showed up, all of you would die. This man here nned the attack. We could not have done it without Wolf''s and Hunter''s work. Listen to him since he''s an excellent leader," I eximed, while staring at all the dwarves surrounding me. My name is Red, and I am also an NPC. I am also just like you! Those yers are on our way to hunt us down. And it''s your choice to fight or run away. If you choose to believe my words, you have to listen to Wolf."

    The dwarves shared looks, thinking if they would trust my words. They kept wondering what a "yer" meant to them, since none of those dwarves knew the game. But I nned on exining all of that information after this, considering that they needed to believe me before they could listen to the truth.

    "I know that it''s difficult to believe me, but these two differ from those soldiers out there. He could kill everyone with a flick of his finger��. Wolf could kill me if he wanted to, but he didn''t," I continued.

    Snow White chuckled to herself and added some words after my sentence. "You heard the warrior. We defeated those bastards. But we didn''t kill them��. Although those soldiers killed our friends, we refused to do the same to their kind. But we wouldn''t let them roam free just yet��. There''s a little arrangement I prepared for the entire soldier poption."

    A moment of silence filled after those dwarves listened to our speech. Their decisions will affect the livelihood of this vige, including how we handle the soldiers. Although staying in this town would bring me nothing but wasting my time, there was one thing I could gain from staying. I still wanted to learn about any information these soldiers had I could use against the game developers.

    And I would bet these guards knew something about the game developers and the game itself.

    It took the dwarves five minutes before they could give us their answer. An old dwarf, who looked like the representative, was the one who announced the decision.

    "We have agreed to believe your words, Snow White. Although we ept this faith with a heavy heart, we do not have any choice but to follow you. As an elder of this kingdom, I will lead these people under your directmand�� the three of you," the dwarf said, while lowering his eyes.

    "Raise your head," I demanded. "I am no queen or anything with a title. Just lend me a ship that Draven promised, and we will be on our way."

    Wolf and Match had a shocking expression on their faces when they heard my crude sentences. They did not expect me to disrupt the serious tone because of my selfish desires.

    But I did not go here for charity. Although saving the dwarves was always part of my n, I wanted to have the ship that Draven offered. That raft would allow us to travel towards Alice in Wondend, the next obelisk we needed toplete this game.

    "Ah, Red. If you''re talking about the ship, I already prepared one for you," Snow White said, while pumping her chest.

    All my worries washed away from my heart as I heard those beautiful words. Those sentences were music to my ears, sung by a professional bard.

    "Well, lead me there then!" I said, and grabbed Match''s hands without her consent.

    She kept struggling to break free from mytch, but failed. There was nothing that could stop my ambitions from getting that ship!

    "But we need to go there tomorrow. It''s near the docks, so we need more time to prepare our equipment," Snow White appended, while walking towards the ragged house. "In the meantime, why not take a quick nap. The fight already exhausted all of us. My legs couldn''t even take down a boa!"

    "Like I would do that!"

    Just as I had retorted, my legs gave out, mming my upper body on the ground. Match, Wolf, and Ryoshi did the same thing and kissed the floor. We were all conscious about our surroundings, but we could not lift our fingers or toes. It was as if the energy we lost all came haunting us back, begging us to rest for the time being.

    Snow White also copsed on the floor and yawned. She was already asleep before walking inside the house.

    Fortunately for us, we already rounded up all the soldiers inside the shelter. Wolf and I tied them up with a magical rope that restrained their magical powers. It also decreases their strength, forcing them to sit tight while facing the wall.

    Our eyes finally dropped, forcing us to sleep without a bed. And thest thing I remembered was a dwarf carrying us inside a room, together with Match.

 Chapter 129 - Red And Okami

    Okami''s Point of View

    Slight recap. After fighting the yers, Wolf and the others went toward the house to rest. They rounded up all the soldiers outside the tent and monitored them for the time being.

    ____________________

    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you, Red," I mumbled, while slowly getting up from my make-shift bed. There''s no way you could hide that painful killing intention oozing from your body."

    The shadow near Ryoshi stepped backwards as soon as I caught its shape. After a few seconds, a girl''s figure emerged from the darkness, revealing her crimson dress and a dagger clipped in her hands.

    "...."

    Red stared into my eyes while aiming her de at Ryoshi''s chest. She was one step closer to her girl, but I caught her in the act. It was up to her if Red wanted to stop this madness or continue our fight.

    But regardless of her decisions, I would always win this battle. I already set up a trap before she could even do that. And if Red nned on attacking Ryoshi, she would harm, instead, harm herself.

    "That''s just your afterimage, am I right? You''re already in front of me, waiting to plunge this knife into this murder," Red muttered, while staring into my eyes.

    I deactivated my [wolf walk] and appeared myself before Red. She had guessed my motives right through me like an old book she read twice. A smirk emerged from my face as my concealment wore off within a few seconds.

    "You''re an NPC, yet you sound like a real person," I remarked, while pushing her armed hand away from my sleeping friend.

    "You''re the number one yer, yet you''re stupid," replied Red.

    We locked eyes for a few moments before averting our gaze. After exchanging insults with each other, Red stood up and trundled towards the exit. Fortunately for Ryoshi, he had not woken up from the noise.

    "You can''t kill him... Not without my permission," I said, without taking my gaze off from Red.

    Red stopped walking towards the door and clenched her hands. She finally turned around and met my eyes for the second time. But Red''s eyes narrowed down, with her mouth gritting in pain. Her heart pounded ring tunes, telling me that this urrence was not the end of our sh.

    "I will continue this as long as I have the energy to do so. And there''s nothing you can do to stop me, Okami."

    Red called me by my name, which sent shivers down my spine. This girl may have plotted something to use my name against me. But the only thing Red would ce in danger was my sister, Himari. If those government agencies found out my name, they would storm my house and take Himari for an interrogation. Since I was still ying this Code, my body would remain unconscious until Ipleted this game.

    And that was what I exined to Red.

    "If you tell my name to the world, the government would look for my sister. They would hunt her down and take her to prison," I said."

    "Why?" Red asked.

    "Before this death game started, I was a yer killer��. It''s someone who kills people out of fun while stealing their loot. Himari and I are not that rich back on Earth... The world we live in is unfair to us, so I had to stain my hands with blood. And then, I quitted ying this game when I finally paid off my death. But when the death game started, I returned to this world to save Ryoshi��. I know that if I kill people inside this game, they could die in real life. Fenrir was a yer killer sought by millions and yers. And now, the government wants me dead, considering the stakes we have in this game," I narrated, while swiping my hand upward.

    I revealed my system to her and showed her my main ount profile. Since Fenrir''s ount was always avable for everyone to see, my character always became the trending person in the search box. And when the game started, Fenrir took the spotlight.

    "Everyone expected a mad man running wild in this world. But I can''t... Himari was the one who changed me to be a good man. And now that my best friend got trapped inside this game, I finally knew the weight of our lives. That''s why I want to stop this madness. Since I''m the number one yer, I have this overwhelming responsibility toplete this game, not the government. They wanted to kill every NPCs inside the Code, while I wanted to protect all of you."

    "What''s in it for you when you protect us? Why would you do this? What''s your end goal?" Red bombarded me with questions.

    I answered all of them in a sentence. "Himari...my sister. I don''t want to disappoint her. If I had this power to change things, I would use it to protect Himari. Every time I see you, you remind me of myself."

    As soon as Red heard my words, she dashed behind me and pointed her de near my throat. She nned on slitting my neck like all the enemies she killed before meeting me.

    "You''re not like me. I saw your life. You still have your sister, while mine''s dead! This game killed her! yers who should protect the city abandoned us! And the one that wanted to save Clementine hit her with an arrow. Now, tell me, how are we the same when we have nothing simr?"

    "We have a sister that we love��. A sister we want to protect��. and someone that we can trust, unlike anyone in this world. That''s my answer."

    Red concluded our conversation and went straight ahead towards the outside. Her room was around upstairs. But after what had happened, that girl refused to return to her bed. With those memories haunting Red''s brain, even I would refuse to sleep alone with my thoughts.

    "I just hope Match would fill that hole in Red''s heart," I mumbled to myself, and returned to my bed.

    That was what I intended to do if it were not for someone stalking our talk.

    "I''m surprised that Red did not notice you there. Come on, show yourself. You''repletely obvious, you know?" I suggested, while scratching my head.

    I found it dragged for me to say it. So I waited for that warrior girl to show up and reveal herself to me.

    "As I had expected from Wolf! For a minute, I thought you never noticed me. Yet, here you are, telling me my concealment was nothing but rubbish."

    Snow White emerged from the shadows, mimicking the moves Red did earlier. However, unlike Red, Snow White had her presence hidden like a ck panther in the forest, lurking at her prey. If only I were a novice adventurer, I would have died before I could even react to Snow White''s presence.

    "How much have you listened?" I went straight to the point and asked.

    Snow White showed me a yful smile before answering my question. She was not like this when I first met her. But now that I thought about it, I knew nothing about this warrior besides being a dwarf. Since I had no intentions of learning every detail about this world, that ignorance finally came biting my back.

    "Everything. And like you''ve said before, I know your name. And now, I know that this world is not the world we know of. There is someone out there��. or multiple creatures controlling our lives. You''re one of them, but technically not a part of those elite figures."

    Snow White caught up fast when she first heard the conversation. If I ced my shoes in her position, I would have doubted everything. But Snow White had a different brain among those NPCs.

    I thought she was a worthless cksmith who could fight. But Snow White proved me wrong.

    "So, what''s your n? Are you going to kill me too, like the rest of the soldiers? Or are you willing to ce your bets on me and follow my lead?"

    "Honestly, after hearing that conversation, I found all those details dubious. Now that I saw your eyes, that information all came together like a puzzle piece."

    Snow White walked closer to me and whispered in my ear. "Of course, I will follow you, Wolf. Among the yers, if that''s what you call them, we faced, you''re the one who has a head. Tomorrow, we would interview all the soldiers and set them free. Like you''ve said, we just need their information. We don''t have to kill them for no proper reason."

    I gave Snow White a nod.

    "And tomorrow, I would also introduce to you the boat you would all board towards Wondend. If Red hears about the requirements to ride that bad boy, she would not feel happy about it."

    Before we ended our conversation, I came to her and asked Snow White. "Now that''s all out of the way. Do you want to join my force? We have the dark elves waiting inside the forest."

 Chapter 130 - Kourans Return

    (Still in Okami''s Point of View)

    _______________________

    "And tomorrow, I would also introduce to you the boat you would all board towards Wondend. It''s a treasure that my people kept for futuristic voyages. But the situation became dire. And you''re the one who needs it the most, Okami. If Red hears about the requirements to ride that bad boy, she would not feel happy about it."

    I stared into Snow White''s eyes at the unbelievable news. After a few seconds, I recognised that Snow''s im hit the nail.

    "Maybe you''re right. But I can force Red to include me as her adventurer. And she can''t do anything about it. Let me guess, that boat needs five people to operate the boat. And since none of us had experience riding or controlling one, we needed more people. I assume you n on helping us fix it?"

    Snow White gave me a yful nod to my question. Despite her smirk, she wanted our team to seed and save this world.

    Before we ended our conversation, I came to her and asked Snow White. "Now that''s all out of the way. Do you want to join my force? We have the dark elves waiting inside the forest."

    Since Kouran needed more troops, adding the dwarves in our numbers would really help us soon. We were up against yers and soldiers from Earth. They also armed themselves with guns and extraordinary weapons in our modern times.

    If there was one way for us to win, we would use our knowledge of living in this world. Considering that I was the strongest yer in the game, our odds rose to the ceiling.

    But that would change upon stepping foot on that cursed ind��.

    Nobody wanted to go to Wondend. Even though I had the necessary levels and equipment, I refused to visit that environment. I could not fathom why the developers still made that ce, despite its dark history. It even cost them the destruction of this game if it were not for me.

    "You''re going to fight Alice?" Snow White asked, before I could outside.

    I nodded my head and answered, "Yes. And how did you know I fought against Alice? Only the higher-ups of this game should know about that battle."

    I raised my eyebrow upon hearing Snow White''s question, wondering about her intentions. I could only guess that Snow White heard it from other vigers, considering that she was an adventurer who roamed around the ces.

    "I just knew. Nobody told me, but I realised Alice got defeated by someone. And when I arrived at Wondend, I returned here and... forgot how I arrived."

    "Strange," I answered. "There should be nothing that could control memories in this game. The developers refused to meddle with NPCs and the natural order of Code. And yet, how was that possible?"

    All my mumblings never found an answer to the mysterious phenomenon. Snow White could only hum to herself while watching me suffer alone. Since she did not know to think as I could, Snow White did not help me with this problem.

    "Well, we should lie low for now. There''s nothing I could do about your fuzzy memories. But that would be a different story if you''re hiding something from me, Snow White," I continued.

    "Hmm��. It seems that you don''t entirely trust me, despite working together against those yers."

    "I trust no one but my sister, Snow White. Your help eased my goal. But you can never earn my trust unless dying for my sake. Maybe I would consider it if you do just that."

    Snow White did not utter a word after hearing my sentence. And since we concluded our conversation, I headed outside and prepared my equipment. Ryoshi was still sleeping inside his room and would wake up at the next minute. He was also a diligent student who had a fixed schedule.

    I always called him the bookworm or the early birdie when I first met him.

    Snow White did not follow me and went inside the shelter. I could imagine that she listened to Red and my talk earlier, so she nned to check on Ryoshi. Since we talked about establishing our trust, Snow White must have wanted to protect my friend and proved her loyalty to me.

    However, I needed nothing like that since Ryoshi would already wake up soon.

    I stepped outside and watched the stars filling the night sky. It was a lovely night that would make Himari stare with awe if she were here with me. That reason alone was enough to drive me toplete this game.

    But before I could meet with Ryoshi, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was someone I knew and met for the past days before arriving in this kingdom. The girl appeared herself from the dusk while calling my attention.

    "Wolf, we meet again," Kouran said, while walking towards me. "You were difficult to find. But with the help of this system, I tracked down your position. We finally got the hang of using the party member thing you introduced to us. Although we''re not parties, we are still fighting the same enemy."

    I was about to mention that when Kouran exined it ahead of me. She was not supposed to be here. And yet, that dark elf girl waltz inside the dwarven kingdom and said hello.

    I greeted Kouran and answered, "You should have sent a scout or somebody else if you''re going to tell me a message. And besides, leading your troops is more important than sending me something."

    "Our," Kouran corrected. "We gathered as much force as we could, but I doubt this would be enough against the gods��. or the game developers you mentioned. But that is not my goal meeting you here, Fenrir."

    Kouran went to my side while staring at the ce behind me. I gazed at the opposite side of her body and continued listening to her message. All my cells inside my body became wiggly, thinking we did a cool pose. Although I was the strongest yer in Code, I was still a teenager who wanted awesome things inside a game.

    "The soldiers are getting closer as we speak. Maybe we could hold them off while we could? Or, do you want us to stay hidden in the shadows and wait for your order? Please remember that we need resources to maintain the health and morale of our army."

    When Kouran said all of those to me, I lowered my head and stared at the ground. I knew that the world I lived in today changed into a death game. And these NPCs believed and ced their hopes in me. They had nothing to lose but could gain everything that they wanted, including freedom.

    I had the responsibility to take care of these people. But thanks to Kouran, she acted as my right and managed my job. All I had to do was toplete this stupid game and free these NPCs.

    Himari might have done the same thing if our positions got reversed. Since she was a kind girl, Himari would definitely save everyone in need, despite the NPCs being characters in this world.

    But how could I think of those things when Red felt more humane than the rest of the people I knew? She wanted justice for her fallen sister, who did nothing wrong but lived her life. These NPCs could not run away and would beg for help from us adventurers.

    Red''s reason was enough to move my heart. And if I were the one who lost to Himari in this game, I would have done the same thing. I would seek vengeance while hunting down the responsible people managing Code.

    However, killing these developers would cause an uproar for the government. Since these authoritative people had power, they would kill all NPCs�� And the same situation happened right now.

    "Wait for my signal. And do not engage or kill any people without my permission. Those who would disobey my rules shall suffer the consequences. Banish them from our group and leave them be. We don''t need irresponsible NPCs as our members," I announced, and met Kouran''s worried eyes.

    She gave me a nod, but Kouran could not hide her anxiousness from me. I walked closer to her and stared into her soul, wondering what boggled her head.

    "Go on. Ask anything you like," I insisted, and waited for Kouran''s response.

    Kouran shrugged her shoulders and asked, "But what if the yers attacked us first? It won''t be long before those soldiers arrive at our base. They may have attacked us already as we speak, Fenrir."

    "If that happens, all of you must retreat immediately. Do not kill��. Please, do not kill them."

    If these NPCs killed another person, the government would acknowledge them as threats to our society. And since the death game did nothing but prolong our worries, the United Nations would do something extreme to finish the game.

    "I have a n. And it won''t be long before we couldplete this damn game."

 Chapter 131 - Boat

    After failing my attempt to kill Ryoshi in his sleep, I went back to my room and spent the night thinking about Clementine. All my brain wanted to do was to kill that yer who murdered my sister. However, the person who I treated with utmost respect was the one protecting Hunter.

    "If only you''re not acquaintances with Ryoshi, maybe we could have worked together," I mumbled to myself, while finally falling asleep.

    As the sun rose from the east, I picked myself up from the bed and went outside the room. Match stood on the grass, waiting for me toe down. She woke up even before I could, telling me she could not wait to do more stuff than before.

    Since we barely failed our mission, Match might have thought that she needed more strength to withstand our enemies. Match had a spark in her eyes, telling everyone she wanted to train more than she did yesterday. And that fire kindled my mes, motivating me to improve my strength with her!

    I caressed Match''s crazed her a million times while waiting for Wolf. That man said to meet him in front of the shelter. But he was yet to appear in front of us.

    "Maybe he chickened out when I tried killing his friend?" I groaned to myself, while stomping my feet from impatience.

    I wanted to train right now with Match and test some new abilities. Since the gun I stole from the yers proved its worth, I wished to practice it more against my enemies. And I also had to keep in mind that those bullets would take someone''s life if they hit them on their head or vital organs. Those bullets worked like a charm and would instantly kill anyone standing in their way.

    The gun that the elite soldier had got destroyed after I attempted to touch it. It malfunctioned and shared a screen to my system, saying that it would not work unless the soldier would use it. Much to my surprise, the gun had a feature.

    [The rifle would only function if the yer holds it in his hands]. That sentence was the only description that my system exined to me.

    So I needed to increase my uracy by training my gun skills. I could barely use my bow and arrow duringbat. And now, I had a hard time dealing with my gun. We needed to train as soon as possible before boarding the ship.

    But before we could proceed to that schedule, we had more important things to take care of. Two figures appeared in the distance as they walked closer towards us.

    I looked around and spotted Snow White and Wolf walking together in my direction. If I could guess their routes, those two went near the abandoned streets while mumbling to each other. Since they already met each other before we could greet Snow White, I could only guess they talked about something important rted to me.

    Wolf and I slept in our buildings, standing right next to each other. And when I attacked Ryoshi in the middle of the night, Wolf was still awake, ready to attack me. But now, he looked refreshed as fresh eggs plucked on the morning nest. I could even picture the smirk on his face as he got closer towards me.

    "Everyone''s finally here," Wolf said, when he reached in front of me.

    Snow White just stared at us in silence while gazing into our eyes. Match titled her, wondering what happened between Wolf and me. Despite not knowing the situation, Match already knew that something hade up between the two of us.

    But she kept quiet about her thoughts and remained silent about the matter. Match knew how to behave during these situations, considering that she had been through a lot on our journey.

    "What do you mean, finally? We arrived here minutes earlier than you two!" I eximed.

    Wolf shook his head and answered, "We went to the port to check on the boat. Since I already knew you would want to see it, I already fixed the engine and got the bad boy to work."

    Ryoshi waltzed into our circle and went beside Wolf to listen to the talk. His half-awake eyes invited me to punch him. But I couldn''t since we were in a serious conversation. If I instilled violence every time I saw Ryoshi''s face, Match would imitate my actions. She might do the same in the future.

    "Then, where is the boat?" I asked, and crossed my arms.

    Wolf turned around and went to the road he just came in just a few moments ago. "Follow me."

    We had no other choice but to heed his instructions. Snow White grunted to herself as if she already knew Wolf would say those lines. Hunter got left behind for a while, but I did not care a thing about him. Even Wolf, who was his best friend, did note back for him. So, why would I?

    After a few seconds of venturing in the dull grass, our group finally arrived at the shore. The smell of fresh, salty water came zooming through my nostrils. There were dozens of waves crashing against the rocks, with the fishes swimming nearby. Those sea dwellers also roamed around near the sea, hunting for their prey.

    "I did not think there would be a shore near the vige. I thought this is a remote ce filled with nothing but greennds," I remarked, while touching the wet ground with my feet.

    "Be careful, Red. Some lobsters could grip your toes if you''re not watching," Wolf reminded, while gingerly skipping at the aligned rocks.

    I did not listen to Wolf''s warnings and continued running on the beach-like setting. Despite experiencing dangerous urrences, there was still a kid inside me. She was a little child who wanted to live my life as a youthful young girl.

    However, that thoughtless im got disrupted by the throbbing pain resonating through my feet. As I looked on the ground, the lobster''s ws met my eyes.

    A puddle of blood formed beside my feet, but I already became ustomed to that pain. I lost Clementine and fought vicious monsters before arriving at this ce. This lobster would not make me scream or feel threatened at all.

    I kicked the damn sea creature back from where it came and continued strolling on the blue sea. Wolf, who saw everything, held hisughter while resuming his walk towards the port. Match also shared his emotions as she giggled out loud beside me. She could not contain her excitement after seeing me struggling with the lobster.

    We climbed the stairs and arrived at the make-shift port the dwarves built to fish. Although the school of fish came into view, those sea creatures were not edible to eat by any creature. Some monsters who tried chomping those beasts down got poisoned instantly before they could even vomit what they had eaten. Within seconds, those fiends died, while the monsters lived as parasites inside the host''s body.

    "Those are scary fish. I wouldn''t eat seafood for a long time after seeing their faces," Wolf mumbled to himself, while inviting us over to the port. "Wee aboard, everyone. This ce is Snow White''s port. And the boat is right about there."

    "Where is it?" I asked.

    "I can''t see anything," Match added.

    Much to our surprise, the scene changed, revealing a massive boat in front of us. If I squinted my eyes closed, the little holographic features appeared before us, which concealed the boat from the naked eye. Now that we witnessed the gigantic raft, it was about time for us to enter the tform.

    "Thank you, Snow White. We will head outter. We already prepared all the equipment we needed for our voyage. All that''s left is the direction towards Wondend, which I already had," I eximed, and went inside the ship.

    The vessel had the size of a pce, excluding the inner rooms built in this watercraft. I went deeper into the rooms and took a step closer inside, meeting the desk that belonged to the captain. When I exited the ce, I went towards the helm and spun the wooden wheel. As I had expected, the boat did not move a muscle. As I raised my head, the sail remained curled upwards since we had yet to trek the ravaging sea.

    But before I got excited about our trip, the words Snow White and Wolf echoed inside my head. Wolf told me about how he repaired the ship, and Snow White showed the boat to him before me. It only meant one thing, which an elementary student could figure out.

    "You''re noting with us, Wolf. Well, especially you, Hunter!" I shouted, whilst pointing my forefinger at the two of them. "This ship belongs to Match and me! We''re the ones who requested it from Draven! You just passed by me and helped us fight the yers!"

 Chapter 132 - Sailing The Blue Seas!

    I could not contain my anger, knowing that Wolf and Hunter nned on joining our voyage. I sent daggers in their direction while gritting my teeth.

    "You''re noting with us, Wolf. Well, especially you, Hunter!" I shouted, whilst pointing my forefinger at the two of them. "This ship belongs to Match and me! We''re the ones who requested it from Draven! You just passed by me and helped us fight the yers!"

    But before I could retort for more, Snow White stood between us and pushed me backwards. My eyes red at her figure, wondering why I was the only one getting pushed back. But when I found out that my dagger was already in my hands, I calmed my senses down and listened to Snow.

    "I know how you feel. But that boat ain''t moving without having four members."

    I shook my head and retorted, "Four members?! Why would a boat function like that?"

    "You actually need more than that if you use a boat. But since you''re in luck, our race built something that even four creatures could trek the ocean! No waves could cast you aside, and no whales could turn this baby down. But you better watch out for the Kraken or the gigantic alligator, okay? That would wash the ship off to the shores," exined Snow White.

    "When the violent wind hits you, two sailors would tten the sails. It would depower the boat to keep control while maintaining good speed. You could also bend the mast, tighten the outhaul, and reduce the forestay sag. You probably don''t know this, but Ryoshi got the knack out of it. If you also immediately want to set sail, you need someone like him to govern these little things, Red. It''s not like you could memorise these on one go," Snow White continued, while glueing her eyes across the ship.

    Even Wolf had a reluctant look on his face when he listened to the conversation. Despite hearing the absurd exnation, Snow White''s im hit the mark. Two people would watch the sail''s front, while the other pair would set the sails.

    Well, at least that was what Snow White instructed us to do.

    However, I could not ept such a lousy reason to include both Wolf and Ryoshi aboard. But since Snow White told me a reasonable response. I had no choice but to ept that offer.

    I nodded my head and grunted after considering that suggestion. Since this boat had a broad area, Match and I would never operate it with only us. We needed more manpower to move this baby to the waters.

    Ryoshi and Wolf were the lucky candidates to take that ce.

    As soon as I agreed to their proposal, everyone prepared their luggage and ced them on the ship. Upon looking at the boat from afar, I could deduce a pirate ship figure from the boat we would use.

    It was not only me who questioned the design. Match also wondered if we were good guys sailing across the ocean or pirates hunting for gold. I could not help butugh at thatment, considering it came from a child younger than me.

    Within a few minutes, we finally finished our preparation and readied ourselves to float. Once we''re on the ship, Wolf turned back around and met Snow White''s gaze.

    "Are you noting with us?" Okami asked, while tilting his head.

    "I am afraid I can''t, Wolf. Even if you try to force me, I can''t abandon my people. The dwarves still need their leader," Snow White replied.

    "What about Kouran and the dark elves? She could manage your people. You coulde with us and helpplete the game," Wolf retorted.

    "She could help my people, and I am forever thankful for that. But I think the dwarves would operate best when they have me around," replied Snow White.

    "Dark elf? Where are these dark elves?" I mumbled to myself, while looking far beyond the sands.

    I got confused when I listened to their talk. However, I did not have the slightest about the topic. Wolf and Snow White could have had something behind my back. But these two excluded me from their discussion.

    After concluding their conversation, Snow White stepped back and waved us goodbye. I pulled the anchor while Match expanded the sails. Ryoshi became the navigator and engineer for our boat, while Okami became the man who would stir the wheels.

    I told Wolf that I was the captain of this ce, but he insisted that this was a democratic group. He exined that our decision would be everyone''s choice. But I already knew those were all crapsing from his mouth.

    I will never let Wolf order me around, considering that he was still a friend of Ryoshi. And I will always hunt down his friend and kill him if I have the chance.

    Upon utching the anchor, the ship finally moved away from the shore. When I squinted my eyes, a figure of a woman stood far from the waves. She had darkened skin colour, which made her stand out from the sands. She looked like a treasure found beside the forest, charming anyone looking from afar.

    I could only guess that it was the dark elf that Wolf and Snow White talked about. But after a few seconds, the figure leapt from the ground and disappeared. Snow White also turned towards her rear and vanished from our sight.

    "Maybe they''re going to a meeting of some sort?" I pondered to myself, with my hand resting on my chin.

    But I shook my head and turned my hands away from the rails. I missed all the fun of staring at the ce I already knew.

    As I went towards the group, the orange skies weed our boat, with the flying fishes jumping from the sea. There were dozens of sea creatures swimming underwater while others were tailing our ship.

    Snow White also mentioned that we could fish around these ces. Those creatures we could catch would be our meal. But since not all of us would have the luxury of catching fish, I volunteered myself to be the fisherwoman. Everyone agreed with my suggestion and crowned me as the chef of the party.

    But for this evening, Ryoshi would handle our meals. That guy told me he had prepared some fresh meat from the forest.

    "I caught them myself!" imed Ryoshi, while resting the meat on the t table.

    Since Ryoshi was only the navigator in our team, he set up a make-shift cooking stove and asked Match to kindle the dry woods. Thanks to our storage ability, we did not have to worry about storing chopped woods and pinecones as our firewood.

    Ryoshi ced all the boar meat on the grill and seasoned it with spices I had never heard of. The smoke charmed everyone present on the ship, making all of our tongues poking out from our mouths. My saliva already leaked from my lips, craving for the smell surfacing around the boat.

    This voyage became a pic. And the only thing that felt different was the surrounding scenery.

    But I still despised these two men boarding our ship, regardless of their cooked food. But beggars had no right to choose their trash, and fate ced me in this pair.

    All four of us witnessed the sun setting on the west, with the flock of birds flying in the distance. The change of colour marked our new beginning and the dinner we needed to eat.

    "Gather around, people. I''ve cooked something good," Ryoshi called out everyone''s attention, while fanning the mes of our meal.

    We rushed towards him like hungry wolves and readied our tes. Well, everyone went to Ryoshi, except for Wolf. Since he was the one stirring the wheels, Wolf had to stay put and watch the wind.

    Although I hated these two boys, food was still my best friend. There was no way I would give up such a delicious meal!

    Match also had heart-shaped figures popping out from her eyes, with her tongue cleaning her dried lips. Wolf kept ncing in our direction��. No. He maintained a grimacing look every time Ryoshi flipped that meat on the grill. The sizzling sounds calmed everyone''s senses as we stared at our food before us.

    After waiting for thousands of years, Ryoshi finally prepared the meal. Match and I already organised the make-shift tables and chairs in front of the grill. There was also a spot where we could discern the blue, dark sea at the side, which added more to our atmosphere.

    When Wolf found the right wind, he let go of the wheel and sat with us. Despite being enemies with these two boys, I could not help myself but fidget about the food. Match shared the same expressions as I did, with her utensils gripped in her hands.

    We gobbled up our share within seconds and begged Ryoshi for seconds. Regardless of our conflict, that man handed me his share and watched me end the meat''s life.

 Chapter 133 - Bonus Side (1)

    Elina''s Point of View

    This event happened before Kouran left the group to meet with Okami and Ryoshi.

    _____________________________

    "You need to hit harder than that!" Kouran, the dark elf who managed our vige, shouted at me.

    Upon hearing her instructions, I jabbed my fist towards the training dummy and finished it by slicing its insides. When my de came into contact with the target practice, the scarecrow shattered into a million hays. It even turned into its original form, thanks to the empowered spell from Kouran.

    "Grandmother La Finta would not let me fight like this!" I eximed, while crushing the remaining scarecrows in the training field. "It would be nice if I could have my break right now!"

    However, before Kouran could even reply to my request, she dashed behind me and readied her de. She thought I would fall for her trick, considering that Kouran was a dark elf. And long-eared elves knew that these dark elves took pride in their assassination skills.

    But when I thought I had Kouran, she already got me. That short-eared girl leapt in front of me and hit me with the pommel of her de. I got instantly knocked out from the damage while falling to my knees. That m created a crater on my forehead, marking my ignorance of this fight.

    "Again?!" I eximed, and crossed my arms. "You tricked me, Kouran! You''re supposed to hit me in the back!"

    "Why would I?" Kouran replied. "Just because I''m an assassin, that doesn''t mean I would attack you at the back or at your sides. I could even fight you in front if I have to. Remember what I''m going to say, Elina. You''re a general that excels in strategizing forms and attacks, but that doesn''t mean you''re a great fighter. Even the weakest and youngest dark elf could kill you if you''re not careful."

    Despite gritting my teeth, what Kouran said struck the nail. My grandmother and the elves praised me for being a tactician. They even remarked on my fighting skills as superb and unique. I could even use my bow elegantly among my peers.

    But take those away; I was just a slime on the battlefield.

    So, all of this training meant to shape me into a warrior that could wield both bows and des. It would be a shame if I could not use a knife as a weapon against a hoodlum who could do better than me.

    And now, after spending countless days practising the de, I finally had the chance to strike Kouran��. That''s what I thought until Kouran got the better out of me.

    "Congrattions!" Kouran said, while walking away from me and back to the cave. "You barely passed, and could defend yourself from melee weapons. Before ending things, would you like to use your bow as a warm-up?"

    Kouran activated the dummies and suggested that I take them all down in one go. I dly nodded my head and conjured the remaining arcane stored inside of me. As soon as I condensed my mana, my enchanted bows and arrows appeared in my hands.

    Elves had this power to summon our recurve anytime we wanted. It was our unique ability as elves since we called ourselves rangers of the forest. Some of these abilities got inherited by the yers and took advantage of them.

    Fortunately for us, we were too skilled against those bastards. yers had no match against short and long-eared elves.

    I fired consecutive arrows in all directions and hit every scarecrow, including the ones hidden in the trees. A normal hunter would not hit those targets, but I did. I trained the bow as if it extended my life. And because of those sleepless nights, I could master it for this battle.

    "As excellent as always. No wonder Grandma La Finta chose you to be her sessor," Kouran eximed, while proceeding towards the cave.

    I followed her footsteps and returned my magical bow and arrow to my storage.

    The two of us trod the narrow roads and passed by dozens of bushes along the way. We had a long trip back to our shelter, away from the yer''s sight. Kouran and I had been collecting NPCs and invited them to our guild. Considering ourck of strength, we needed more numbers if we yearned to fight against the yers.

    Kouran mentioned we need not strike against the yers right now. We would wait for Wolf to return and give us the cue. He would message us via chat box, which he taught to the two of us. He never disclosed other information from the NPCs, since he thought there could be spies among them.

    "When are we going to fight them?" I asked.

    "For the millionth time, Elina. We need to wait for orders beforeunching ourselves in the den of yers. So, I need you on standby before doing anything stupid."

    "But is waiting here consider us being stupid when we could fight on the front lines?!" I retorted.

    "Those who are ''fighting'' the front lines are Wolf and Hunter, and other dark elves gathering NPCs. And since the dark elves are the only ones capable of vanishing in the night, you''re not going anywhere beyond the borders. Did I make myself clear, Elina?"

    I could not give Kouran a reply, since I did not want her exnations. Kouran kept containing me inside the vige like a golden fish meant to swim the ocean. Even when the yers conquered our kingdom, I still stood my ground and fought them with all I had. Thanks to Wolf protecting the two of us, we survived and ended up here.

    As I concluded the conversation, the two of us finally arrived inside the cave. We jumped into the rabbit hole and closed the lid since we did not want any yers entering our base. The two of us slid down the tunnel andnded on the other side of our ce.

    Before going to our headquarters, we needed to solve the road leading to our shelter. But since we already knew the way, we entered the ce.

    I raced towards my room and met Eve waiting for me on the bed. She got herself drenched in a cold sweat, telling me she had just finished training.

    Eve trained with the rest of the mages to enhance her magic prowess. Since she was a mage that could control all the elements, Kouran thought she would be a valuable asset to us. However, she never included Eve in the army, considering theparison of age between her and the rest.

    If we allowed a nearly ten-year-old girl to fight with us against the yers, Queen Guinevere and King Arthur would haunt us in our sleep.

    "We''re training her to defend herself in case of trouble. We cannot always be there to babysit Eve. So she needs to learn a spell or two to defend herself in trouble," said Kouran, and tossed Eve together with the rest of the mages.

    Because of Eve''s dedication, she learned a couple of spells at her disposal. Some of them even packed a punch, considering the mana she had in her bloodline.

    "You''re back early," Eve said, while reading the set of spells handed by Kouran.

    "Yeah. The training was tough! And Kouran beat my ass into a pulp! I wish I could use my bow instead of des, Eve," I eximed, while resting my entire body on the bed.

    Eve bounced upward as Inded on the bed. Despite these actions, Eve continued reading the book clipped in her hands.

    "That''s awesome, Elina! You could teach me next time! I always wanted to try using knives! But... I might end up cutting myself, right?"

    I gave her a nod and answered, "You better stay away from sharp objects. It''s for your good, after all. And besides, you''re the most powerful mage inside this vige! Nothing can outmatch you, Eve!"

    After our exchange, Eve continued reading the book while I stared at the ceiling. It was a peaceful day for us, since we were only training our powers while the dark elves rally NPCs.

    She kept wanting to memorise all of them in one go. Eve may even surpass her mother after a few months if she kept learning all these arcane things at once.

    I always supported her at everything she nned to do, since we only had each other to rely on. After getting saved by Wolf from the yers, Eve and I had been great friends after that day. We even bath and eat together in our free time.

    However, that silence finally ended when the warning sounds red in our ears, warning us about the iing yers on the surface.

    Kouran''s voice echoed through our speakers, telling us to help evacuate the NPCs effective and immediately.

    "Is that a drill? Sometimes, it''s just a drill!''

    After saying those words, a loud st echoed at the back, signalling that those yers breached our shelter. Eve and I prepared ourselves for a fight as we nned on facing the yers.

 Chapter 134 - Bonus Side (2)

    Elina''s Point of View

    Continuation of the Bonus Side Chapter

    _____________________________________________

    "Is that a drill? Sometimes, it''s just a drill!''

    After saying those words, a loud st echoed at the back, signalling that those yers breached our shelter. Eve and I prepared ourselves for a fight as we nned on facing the yers.

    Eve grabbed her wand and conjured protective magic circles around us, while I grabbed my bow and dagger. These were the only best friends I had, including Even standing by my side. I also considered Kouran as my friend and my mentor, who taught me how to fight.

    And now, I would use my lessons in action against these yers.

    After preparing our equipment, the two of us head outside and meet with the rest of the NPCs. All of them also armed themselves with weapons handed by Kouran and her dark elves''pany.

    Kouran stood in front of the crowd, sending them instructions on how to protect the shelter. She already nned against an assault, considering that we were on the run against these yers. Since those soldiers had long-ranged arsenals without using staves, we did not want to fight them head-on.

    Thanks to Wolf introducing us to the system, we identified the weapons as "guns". These guns acted like bows, but they required our hands to pull the trigger. After pulling the trigger, a bullet would emerge from the gun, hitting the target.

    Anyone who would get hit by the shell would immediately get shot on vital organs. Kouran had already briefed the NPCs about the gun. She instructed us to avoid engaging our enemies as soon as possible and even spare their lives.

    But now, the yers had already breached our site. And there was only one way to stop them.

    It was fighting them straight on without holding back, while the rest of us would retreat. Some of us would die, but it was a sacrifice we wished to make. If dying meant saving those children, we would give our lives for their sake.

    Kouran met my eyes and called the two of us over to her side. Eve and I hurried towards Kouran, listening to all the orders she would say. Within a few seconds, Kouran opened her mouth and dispatched us towards our mission.

    "I want you two to protect the NPCs while heading near the Dragonewt''s vige. That''s where Wolf wanted us to go. And that''s where we will go," Kouran dictated, while handing me a crest.

    I caught the pendant in my hand and stared at it for a while. It was a ne that proved the leadership of dark elves, which only bearers of the royal lineage could wear. And right now, that glorious pendant rested on my palms, with Kouran staring into my eyes.

    "That crest will prove your loyalty to the dark elves. Myckeys would listen to your orders as long as it would be for the betterment of those around you," Kouran said, while shifting her view towards Eve. "Eve, you''ll be in charge of the rangers and mages. You will instruct them to fire those magical attacks at the yers as you deem fit. I know you two will be responsible leaders, just like La Finta and Queen Guinevere."

    "And don''t worry about me. I have my own army that I could bring these yers down. And I will not stop until I pin them on the wall. Just focus on travelling towards the Dragonewt''sir��. I will meet you there, Elina and Eve. You two have been really good warriors to me," Kouran continued, while giving us a warm embrace. "And as myst advice, don''t kill those yers. Just knock them out��. it was an order from Wolf."

    Although we only met for weeks, those days felt like years to us. We learned a lot from Kouran, and she was the only one who cared for our well-being.

    "What do you mean by not killing them? How are we supposed to do that?!" I retorted, but my words never reached Kouran.

    However, fate yed our lives as we bid our farewell to Kouran. We had fun until itsted. And right now, we need to protect these NPCs from those bastards. That was the ultimate mission Kouran gave to us before leaving it in our hands.

    "We will defend them with our lives!" I shouted.

    Eve could express nothing right now, considering that she was still a growing child. She had just experienced the death of her parents. And right now, the girl who acted like a motherly figure said her goodbyes.

    Eve did not want Kouran to go, despite knowing the consequences of that action. Although we deemed Eve as a maturedy, she still acted like a kid sometimes. And nobody could me her for it.

    "I-I don''t want you to go��. We can help you fight them. We''re very strong!" Eve wailed, why hugging Kouran tighter in her arms.

    I could not join the embrace, considering that it would only make our goodbyes painful. It was better this way, and I knew we would meet again��.

    Kouran gingerly pushed Eve in front of her and stood up from the ground. She gave me a nod before leaving us two in the waiting arms of the dark elves. Those armies Kouran spoke of aligned themselves in front of us. Those dark elves gave us a salute, waiting for our orders.

    Eve kept shouting for Kouran''s name. But the dark elf had already taken her leave.

    Kouran nodded and gave Eve to me, knowing that she would do this. The pain inside of me kept throbbing around my chest, pricking me with the thorns of each person leaving us behind.

    "Eve,e on. Let''s go. Kouran can handle herself, okay? She will meet us soon after kicking the yer''s butt. But right now, we need to guide these vigers to safety. It''s the most important role given to us by Kouran," I said, while caressing Eve''s drenched face.

    After a few seconds, Eve finally wiped off the beads of tears covering her face. She stood from her ce and painted her face with a determined look.

    Eve''s wand glowed in a vibrant hue, illuminating our dark cave. After a few seconds, the light from the wand disappeared. But a window popped itself and told us the upgraded version of her spells.

    Because of Eve''s unfortunate life, the system granted her a boost in her powers. That box said that her arcane increased, together with the damage output of the spells she already knew.

    There''s nothing we could do but move on and protect these NPCs. And that was what we did.

    Even finally picked herself from the ground and dashed at my side. That little girl found her resolve and carried out the orders given by Kouran.

    _____________________________________

    Kouran''s Point of View.

    ____________________________________

    "How many dark elves did we lose?" I asked.

    "Around five of them are unconscious, Kouran. And ten of them are severely injured. The two of us are the only ones who could still fight," the dark elf ranger replied.

    "So we have lost no one��."

    After knocking all the yers unconscious, a man stood tall while aiming his gun at me. If that bloke pulled the trigger, I would die.

    "Aren''t you going to kill me?" I provoked the soldier, while looking for a counter-attack against this yer.

    "Keep looking for ways to stop me. Believe me, I also tried finding one... But I never came up with anything."

    As the man said, there was no way around that gun. Those shells discharged from that pistol had the speed inkling of lightning that would follow its target. Because of that shell, my dark elves got injured in a sh.

    Fortunately for us, we did not lose dark elves for now, not unless this man would kill us.

    "What do you want?" I asked, while meeting the soldier''s eyes.

    "Wolf, where is he?"

    "I am not talking to a scumbag like you."

    After hearing my reply, the soldier fired his bullet at the dark elf beside me. That shell hit the elf''s leg, forcing her to kiss the ground. I could not help but watch my soldier scream in pain. Since we were at a disadvantage, there was no use in doing anything but listening to this soldier.

    But when I looked at everyone''s faces, these elves had already epted their fate from dying in the soldier''s hands. They did not want to disclose the location of Wolf, knowing that he would save us all. We would rather die than sell ourrade for the sake of living in this shitty world.

    "We will not talk!" I answered, and spit on the ground.

    The man chuckled to himself while cing his gun back in his pockets. "I''m amused you would stay quiet, for Wolf''s sake. Well, you answered me correctly, so I will let you live. I thought you''re going to sell him for your sake. If you did, I would have killed you instantly before you could even beg for mercy."

 Chapter 135 - Captain Hook And Peter Pan

    Third-person point of view.

    ______________________________

    The blue waves mmed themselves on the ship, pushing every sailor to the side. But the men led by the captain took the wheel from his right hand and steered it to safety.

    The captain''s ship followed the directions of his hands, with the help of the sails pointed at the north. Regardless of the storm, these pirates voyaged themselves to find the long-lost treasure of a pearl.

    "Once a pirate, always a pirate," the captain said, while grinning at the darkened clouds.

    All his men never felt panicked and heeded the instructions of their captain. Some of them threw the water inside the boat, while others fixed the holes from their rooms. They threw some unused barrels and materials to lessen the ship''s weight.

    These pirates needed not pray to anyone but their captain. The man was the pilot of their lives and the one managing the wheels of the gigantic ship. If those sailors could me someone, that person would be the captain.

    But the captain''s skills remained unmatched as he coursed through the briny sea, even almost hovering at the waves. Every time the ship would lean over, Captain hauled it back to its original position, saving everyone''s lives. And when the ship zoomed through the violent torrents, the captain would order his people to shield the ship with the prepared cover. The sailors raised the sails and did as the captain told them.

    That course took the pirates three entire days to ovee such a trial. And after the third day, the sun finally warmed their heads. That brilliance gave the pirates a glistering new hope that they asked for.

    "Yer scurvy lots took your sweet time to lift the sails! If it were not for my skills, all of you would have met the Kraken!" the captain eximed, as he raised his mug.

    The rest of the pirates cheered for his name, praising him for saving their lives.

    Captain Hook dressed elegantly in a gold-trimmer scarlet coat. He also had a matching hat and wig that hid his balding head. Hook wore a ceremonial captain''s sword at his side, which Captain Hook would use during a fight. It was his duelling sword when he first battled the sailor in front of him.

    Hook also lost his eye during the battle with a sea creature. It was not the Kraken the pirated fear of. But the monster still held its ground and snatched an eye from Captain Hook. And to cover his absent orb, Hook used an obsidian eye patch, making him a proper pirate.

    "We knew you could do it, Captain Hook!" a younger-looking man said, with his mug raised high. "I knew you could do it, Hook! Here, have more wine in your ss!"

    This man had a name, and the world called him Peter Pan. He wore a short-sleeved green tunic and tights, which made him stand out amongst his peers. Peter Pan made those tights of cloth and a cap with a red feather dangling on the side. Peter Pan had pointed elf-like ears and brown eyes, matching the crimson colour of his hair.

    Before he got himself eaten by a monstrous alligator, Captain Hook offered Peter Pan a job. Since Hook was the leader of his sailors, he had the power to promote anyone as his trusty mates while sailing the seas. And Peter Pan was the perfect candidate for that position.

    After the death of Smee, Peter Pan became Captain Hook''s right hand, and conquered thends near Wondend. They toyed with women and stole the riches from vigers. Some sailors even enved the vigers for the ship, while the sailors rested in their rooms.

    Since Captain Hook and Peter Pan had unbelievable skills, they effortlessly tamed the remote inds. But now that they received some valuable information, they finally looked for something like a pirate would do.

    Among the pirates present on the ship, Peter Pan was the only guy who looked like a boy. But those sailors never mocked him for his looks, considering that Captain Hook titled him as his right hand. If they messed with Peter, they messed with Hook.

    "Peter,e here yer, ya scurvy baneer!" Hook offered Peter a pan of lobsters on his te.

    Peter humbly epted the tter and gobbled it all up, together with the rest of his men.

    Time flew by quickly when these pirates governed the ocean. They knew the ce well, even using no modern technology known to humankind. These pirates did not have machines that could boost the engines of their ship. It was unlike the world that Wolf lived in.

    Regardless of the equipment''s absence, these pirates crowned themselves as kings of these blue waves. Even the Vikings had no chance of fighting against these pirates, not with Captain Hook and Peter Pan around.

    These pirates headed forward towards the treasure. They wanted the ck pearl for themselves since it would fetch a hefty price in the ck market. After roaming around Wondend for decades, Captain Hook and Peter Pan finally schemed their course of action.

    They could only find the ck pearl around the depths of Wondend. A myriad of legends said that the ck pearl could even grant the wishes of whoever picks up the stone. That wish did not limit itself to one person. Everyone could have a chance for their wishes toe true.

    The only thing that stopped them was Alice and her pet living in Wondend. All the NPCs called Alice''s pet the Kraken. It was a hideous octopus, the size of an ind. Even the greatest yers who visited Wondend could not pass through the Kraken lurking below the ocean.

    These pirates were a monstrous group of criminals that raided almost a hundred viges. But they never anchored their ship near the coast of Wondend as they continued fearing the Kraken.

    "Avast Ye, Mateys! Me took a glimpse at Wondend. That hellish ce surrounded itself with mysterious arcane that fended off me ship. But now that we found the treasure, we finally conquer that ind, regardless of the Kraken!"

    That creature was the only thing that frightened these pirates the most. And the only person who had faced that monstrous beast was Captain Hook. That fiend chomped off one of Hook''s legs, forcing him to rece it with a prosthetic.

    "Hear me out, yer mateys. This map will lead us to the ck pearl!" Captain Hook announced, as he took a scroll from his pockets.

    He unfastened the paper and showed the contents to the sailors. Captain Hook marked all the ces they already visited using the blood of his own. The ink he used came from his pet parrot, which also died from the battle against the Kraken. Fortunately for Captain Hook, he saved some spare parts, which he used for this map.

    The blood from his parrot became the ck liquid painted on the sketch, which became a dark remembrance for Hook''s pet.

    Peter Pan and the sailors widened their eyes as they browsed the contents of that map. Their eyes wandered around, looking at those vigers they conquered with their sheer force. Those pirates evenughed while reminiscing about the dark past these guys did to those vigers.

    After a few seconds, these pirates finally formted their ns to visit Wondend. However, before dealing with the Kraken, they wanted to gather all the weapons they need to fight that beast.

    There was a ce where these pirates could snatch some weapons from. And that ce was the home of dwarves, the dwarven kingdom. Although it had the opposite route from Wondend, preparing their arsenals would be the vital process of these pirates. Without those precious swords and bows, they would not deal any damage to those sea creatures hunting around the waves.

    As soon as they settled their thoughts, Captain Hook and Peter Pan ordered their troops to visit the dwarves. They turned the ship to the side and set sail on another trip to conquer that ind. Since the pirates had abundant resources of food, they nned on trading those with weapons. They knew the dwarves needed some nourishments better than those weapons they continuously make inside their caves.

    Captain Hook had already nned this attack on the dwarves. The pirates did not want to face an enemy they could not defeat, which became their great advantage. They only prick the weaker groups, forcing them into submission. After getting what they wanted, they would rally their ves and used them as their shields.

    They also stole from yers voyaging in the sea. If they encounter yers lurking around the blue waters, they conquer their ships and steal their goodies. Since adventurers disappear every time they get beaten down, these pirates enjoyed killing those yers.

    It was the method these pirates used to win their battles. Since the viges did not want to attack their people, those towns surrendered themselves to these tyrant pirates.

    However, little did these pirates know about the world''s situation. They did not know about the death game and the war against NPCs and yers. Well, they also did not know the people heading towards Wondend.

    Instead of looting the girl''s ship with red clothing, these pirates would finally meet their inevitable doom. These pirates would also meet the strongest yer of Code, together with his ranger friend armed with an arrow.

 Chapter 136 - Red And The Pirates (1)

    Red''s Point of View

    (Finally!)

    __________________________

    The crashing of waves entered our ears as our ship trod forward the ocean. Snow White told us that this ship would transport us to our destination safely. And the raft continued doing its magic until now.

    Wolf agreed to steer the wheel, together with his trusty murderer, Hunter, while Match and I rested in our rooms. After six hours, we would switch roles, which would make me the captain, with Match as my right hand.

    It had been a week since we ventured into this vast ocean, with nothing to see but the blue waves. asionally, there were flocks of seagulls flying over the horizon, keeping uspany on this lonely site. But those ended up on the fourth day of our voyage when we reached the point beyond no return.

    However, my body refused to sleep. I did not know if I wanted to me the waves for disrupting my recognition. Or it was just me who was the problem. If I had to guess the causation, it might have been thetter.

    I sat from my bed and ced the nket over the snoring Match. Nothing could disrupt her sleep, not even the sounds of these crashing waves.

    "I hope I could sleep too like you, Match," I said, while heaving out a sigh.

    With everything said and done, I went outside the room, leaving Match alone inside. We had roughly two hours before shifting our roles again since ourst work on the wheels.

    After exiting the cabin, my eyes met with a violent storm with rain showering my clothes. As I shifted my view at the deck, Wolf''s back greeted my eyes. Hunter also stood beside him with his make-shift telescope he made prior to boarding the ship.

    That duo worked as a perfect duo. Amidst our sleep, Wolf and Hunter tried fighting against the storm, with only their sheer minds as their weapons. Those guns turned out to be useless tools against this water, especially inside a ship. We can''t use our assassination skills to eliminate the ocean. And we cannot rely on our agility to survive the racing waters of death.

    Fortunately for Match and me, we had yet to experience a vicious storm in the middle of the ocean. That darkened clouds only hit those two idiots every time they were on shit. It was as if Wolf and Hunter became mas for dangerous tasks, leaving Match and me aside.

    "W-What are you doing here? You''re supposed to be sleeping right now, aren''t you?" Wolf asked, as he turned around and noticed me. "Oh, are you going to be a good samaritan and help someone like me?"

    "Nope. I''ll pass. It would be better if you two died right now. I could even kill you if I''m that twisted," I replied instantly before Wolf could even finish his sentence.

    Wolf could only chuckle to himself after hearing my reply. He knew I nned on retorting to his suggestion. But with the looks in his eyes, Wolf must have heard enough from me.

    I stayed at the far back and continued appreciating the great waves, leaving Wolf and Hunter to deal with the storm. However, it was not long before the water finally formed a tsunami, forcing the ship to move to the side.

    Wolf and I acted simultaneously and dashed straight to the ship''s side. Wolf formed barriers around the ship, while I tossed the water, drowning our boat. It was the only thing I could do, considering that I did not know any magic that could help me in this situation.

    Ryoshi took the wheel and drove the ship forward, avoiding those waves like an obstacle course. He glided the wheel in each direction, maintaining the raft intact before the waves could crush us in one go.

    I wanted to wake Match up, but it seemed my worries were... unnecessary.

    Wolf used his first form and shattered the wave''s moment, forcing it to break apart into tiny showers. Although it amplified my workload, that action was enough to save our ship. We continuously did these shenanigans for an hour before finally taking a break.

    Within sixty minutes, the storm finally left our area. It invited the sun to shine upon us, warming everything in our surroundings. But the three of us were not thankful about what we experienced, considering all the worst usible scenarios on our ship.

    After exhibiting Wolf''s strength, he finally rested on the side and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he continued snoring until he woke up. Although Match and I still had another extra hour, Wolf helped protect the boat. Even though I hated his guts, he did what he could to protect Match and me from drowning.

    Ryoshi continued steering the wheel but ended up kissing the ground. Fortunately for us, the wheel maintained its bnce as the boat headed forward towards our destination. Our map told us we were still on the right track. Fortunately for us, we received that information despite the storm hitting our ship.

    "We could''ve drowned," Ryoshi eximed, while panting near the corner. "W-What absurd power you got there, Okami. And you exemplified such speed, Red. Phew! I''m saved and beaten up!"

    Just before he could crawl to the other side, I rushed towards him and tried stabbing Ryoshi with my de. I used all the spare energy inside of me and tried to injure... or maybe kill Ryoshi while he was not looking.

    But within a sh, Wolf came in the nick of time to block my attack. He met my stern gaze with his mouth curled upwards for a smile. He was right there at the corner, sleeping like an infant.

    However, little did I know I got fooled by my own n.

    "I told you, Red. No killing of our personnel, especially if I''m around," said Wolf, while nudging my penitent''s de down.

    I retracted my dagger back to where it belonged and forced a retreat to my cabin. Wolf wanted to ask where I would head to since it was already our time for the pedals. But he soon realised that I nned on fetching Match back at the cabin.

    Wolf never pressed the situation any further and epted my murderous intentions. Since that guy killed my sister, Wolf could not help but fall silent about the situation. He knew no words would change my ways. And if I stop now, the journeys that Match and I had been through would all be for nought.

    I returned inside the room and met with the sleeping body of Match. She was still as adorable as I first left her inside this cabin. Those unforgettable snoring sounds made my journey worth it as I fetched her to the wheels.

    Upon arriving at the deck, Ryoshi and Okami went inside the cabin to get some shut-eye. We did this for a week, so we already knew the ropes of managing this bad boy. And if we ever faced some trouble, we won''t hesitate to contact Wolf.

    Hunter could just drown himself at the bottom of the sea.

    Match wiped her eyes and navigated the ce using the telescope Hunter used earlier. She also had apass with her, given by Wolf to tell the direction.

    "Match," I said, striking a conversation.

    "Y-Yeah?" she replied.

    "Do you like the ocean?"

    Match shook her head and replied, "Yeah. I love it. I just hope that my bigger sister can be here with us."

    "Sorry for bringing that up," I remarked, while sitting on the bench.

    Even though there was no one managing the wheel, the boat would continue. So Match and I needed to know how to spend our time while venturing towards the ocean. And the only thing that I could think of was talking to each other.

    "Have you thought of a new spelltely?" I asked, while observing her burnt arms.

    Although we spent our days together, I could not help myself but ask. Match might have wanted to surprise me. It was betterte than sorry.

    "Nothing in particr," Match answered, but immediately took back her words. "I was just thinking of ways to use my spells in this��. ocean. If we ever encounter sea monsters, my fire would not work against them. And if we encounter��. pirates, that would be a problem."

    Despite her kid-like stature, Match thought about these things without my help. She already considered the enemies we would face while voyaging the waters.

    But as I wanted to praise Match more, her thoughts raised a concern to our lives. If we encountered monsters around this area, Hunter would be the only one who could stop those beasts. As much as I hated to admit that, he was the only ranged yer that could attack those monsters from afar. He could also use electric arrows from his arcane, dealing extra damage to sea creatures.

    I could use my gun, but I doubt that would do something against those water beasts.

    "

 Chapter 137 - Red And The Pirates (2)

    "Imagine ying with fire underwater, Match? I know there are volcanoes below the seafloor, but that doesn''t mean our magic works there. It''s... different," I exined, while scratching my head.

    I was no magic expert, especially for exining things to a younger girl. If there was someone more capable of narrating these details, it would be those two idiots sleeping in the cabin.

    As we talked about trivial matters, we spotted a ghastly image of another ship from far away. It was not me who noticed it but Match. Using her telescope, she rotated the one-eyed lens (or the binocr) and zoomed in.

    "What are you seeing, Match? Is that a ship?! Is everyone even capable of doing that? Draven did not even mention something like another neighbour."

    I immediately went back to the cabin and rushed towards the two boys sleeping inside their rooms. Upon knocking at their front door, Wolf was already staring at my figure��. He returned my gaze with his dead eyes, as if telling me to fuck off.

    However, I needed his wisdom and skills, since meeting another ship was not part of our voyage.

    After telling Okami everything I witnessed, he widened his eyes and mmed the heck out of Ryoshi''s sleeping bottom. Hunter screamed as loud as he could aftering into contact with Wolf''s hands.

    "What was that for?!" Hunter shouted, while rubbing his butt.

    Wolf dragged his hand and raced outside. "No time to exin... Well, the short story is��. we''re getting invaded by pirates."

    "PIRATES?" Ryoshi retorted. "Aren''t they already dead by now? Those soldiers could have killed them easily."

    "Yes. But those soldiers are not on their turf. They have guns, not ships for now. And besides, there is only one pirate that I know in this game��.. And there should be a youngster who protects those viges away from the pirates. Peter Pan."

    "PETER PAN?! NICE! I also knew about that,"

    After their exchange, the three of us rushed outside, only to witness the boating in closer. The shape of that ship became more crystal, even without using the one-eyed scope.

    Wolf clicked his tongue and borrowed the binocrs. He zoomed in the lenses and witnessed the insides of the ship.

    However, after a few seconds, he returned the item to Match, saying, "It''s Captain Hook. Just as I expected."

    I only heard Captain Hook from fairy tales spoken by my mother. That man was a pirate who found treasures across Code. Those pirates fell in love with the sea, so they chose these waters as their turf.

    "How strong are these pirates, anyway?" Ryoshi asked, while preparing his bow and arrow.

    "Not as strong as those soldiers. But there are still worthy opponents, especially if they''re fighting on their ship or above water," Wolf answered, and transformed himself into his first form. "But I don''t have the slightest idea why they''re heading towards us. Captain Hook was not the type of pirate for stealing other''s loot. He knows he doesn''t stand a chance against yers."

    Nobody could answer Wolf''s question, since none of us ever faced Captain Hook. I did not even know the guy who nned to fight, considering this was my first time travelling in the ocean.

    The pirate shop had thousands of wood hammered to its surface, creating an ancient design than ours. Those pirates even had ck sails with an image of a skull imprinted on them. Attached to the sides were dozens of cannons aimed directly at our ship. Although all of us could take those balls down, those arsenals would still pose a problem to us.

    Within a few seconds, the pirate''s ship and ours met face to face, with all the opposing crews waving their weapons. As we waited for a few seconds, a man wearing a gold-trimmed red coat emerged from the cabin. That bloke showcased his ceremonial sword to us while painting his mouth with a grin.

    "That''s��.," Ryoshi said, but got continued by Wolf''s words.

    "Yeah. That''s Captain Hook."

    After Wolf introduced the enemy to us, a younger man flew to the skies, wearing a tunic with a hat that had a red feather attached on top. That boy had red hair, and a dagger clipped in his waist while leaving dust as he floated around.

    "Who are these people, Peter Pan? Aren''t we the only ones who have a ship this big?" Captain Hook shouted, while talking to the man named Peter.

    That boy nodded and replied to the pirate, "Well, Captain Hook. The ocean is vast, and I am just a spirit who can never grow up! What do you even expect from me?"

    As the two jested around, Wolf walked forward and met them two. He brought his balls with him, together with Ryoshi supporting his back.

    "Pirates, leave this ce. We are not here to quarrel. We just want to go to Wondend. We have nothing to do with you," Wolf eximed, while showing his sword.

    Peter Pan raised an eyebrow and retorted, "I know. But you may have something that belongs to us... That ship looks like a better pirate ship than ours. We take that boat and make it ours!"

    Captain Hook fell silent upon hearing Peter Pan''s words. I could tell from his eyes that he was not into that n. However, those pirates behind him shouted their battle cries while preparing to fight us head-on. Those sailors tossed the ropes on our ship and aimed their cannons at us. Within seconds of preparations, the sailors fired their cannons, attempting to hit our ship.

    But Wolf was too quick for these pirates as heunched himself forward, destroying those obsidian balls. Ryoshi rolled backwards and discharged multiple arrows at once at the pirates. He did not kill our enemies, but pinned them on the wall using his bolts.

    After a few seconds, a dozen guards remained standing, with Peter Pan and Captain Hook staring in front. They dodged and blocked Ryoshi''s arrows instantly, using a barrier of some sort.

    As I squinted my eyes, the dust that Peter Pan showered shielded the boat. That barrier gave it away as soon as the waves crashed against the ship''s invisibleyer.

    "Aren''t they a special bunch? Captain Hook, I''m going in! Cover me!" Peter Pan shouted, while dashing straight towards us.

    Captain Hook had no choice but to follow Peter Pan''smand. He took out a pistol from his hand-not the one that those soldiers had and aimed it at Wolf.

    Wolf shouted at me and gave me amand, "Take that flying kid out and toss him to the ship! We can''t let him attack the Match, okay?!"

    Amidst the battle, Wolf ced utmost priority on Match. There was a hidden meaning behind it, but I did not know what Wolf wanted to say. But for now, I focused on my goal and stayed with Match, protecting her from Peter Pan.

    (note: Peter Pan is a kid that never grows old. So seeing a kid would want him to recruit/kill them)

    Match readied her magic circle and fired her zing balls in Peter Pan''s direction. However, that flying boy dodged all of them with extreme speed. It even surpassed my speed if Peter Pan wanted to be a serious opponent.

    Peter Pan dove to Match''s fore and tried attacking her using his fist. But I dashed in front of Match before Peter Pan could evennd a hit on Match. I used my penitent''s de to obstruct Peter Pan''s blow, but it did not damage his skin.

    After receiving a blow from my sword, Peter Pan moved backwards and gathered his moment once again. He was like an eagle soaring the skies, with his eyes glued to his prey. I could not help but think of new ways of attacking this birdman without feathers. Since none of us could fly, it became difficult for us to catch him��.

    "Match, apply wind attributes to my legs!" I ordered.

    Match followed my instructions and ced the magic circle below my feet. "I added the fire element on the wind gliders! You can boost your flight skills by activating the nitro! Wolf taught me about this earlier!"

    It was what Match said. I turned on the nitro, which enhanced my speed by three-fold! With this speed, I knew I could keep up with Peter Pan!

    As I glided to the sky, Peter Pan noticed me flying with him. But before he could act, I used my penitent''s de and tried cutting his thigh. Peter Pan dodged my attack and boosted his own speed limits. So, right now, we had a battle in the air as if we were in a dogfight.

    Within a few seconds, I finally caught up with the young boy and pounded him on the ship''s tform. However, before we couldnd, the dust-protected him, throwing me backwards while carrying Peter Pan away from my hands.

    As I nced in Wolf''s direction, he finally trapped Captain Hook with a rope to keep him in ce. With their Captain down, these pirates would surely give up pursuing our tails.

 Chapter 138 - Dead Men Tell No Tales

    "They''re no adventurers we can handle. Pirates! Evacuate immediately and set sail away from our enemies'' ship! We cannot beat them right now! We will resume our fight next time!" Peter Pan imed, while standing at the top of his ship.

    Some pirates we fought drowned under the sea, while others surfed the waves. Their sheer strength made them reach the ship. But those pirates who could not swim, unlike the veterans, made a grave below the seafloor.

    "Ye scumbags! Come back here!" Captain Hook shouted, while waving his hand.

    He looked around and noticed that none of his pirates wanted to save him. Instead, those who swam in the ocean never cared about Captain Hook. I could not help but feel sorry for Hook, since he was the pirate''s leader.

    Despite raising his voice, Peter Pan never heard Captain Hook��.

    ��. No. Peter Pan heard him crystal clear. And yet, he did not even bother saving the poor pirate. It was as if Peter Pan orchestrated this entire event to leave the Captain behind bars.

    "Are we going to chase them? Peter Pan, or whatever that guy''s name was, said he''d be back for us," I asked, while looking at the ship turning smaller at every second.

    Wolf shook his head and focused his gaze on the captured pirate. "We have something better. A prisoner! Now, Captain Hook. You will tell us everything you know."

    After hearing those sentences, Captain Hook gulped the biggest chunk of saliva inside his throat. He profusely sweated out of nervousness, praying that we would act gently during our interrogation.

    "Me will never sell my friends! I''ll crush ya barnacles if yer ever thinks me will sell my friends! Dead men tell no tales! So toss me inside the Davy Jones Locker, yer fools!" Captain Hook eximed, while struggling to free himself.

    Wolf tied him down earlier using the spare ropes we saved. And now that we have a pirate, we would squeeze every information he had in his mind.

    "So, to start our interrogation, why not make Captain Hook here walk the nk?" Wolf suggested, while tossing a wooden nk to me. "Red, you know about this, don''t you?"

    "Are you two going to walk the nk? Please! I want to see Ryoshi fall underwater!" I retorted, while ring at Ryoshi''s front.

    Ryoshi definitely felt a shudder down his spine as soon as he heard my sentence. But as I had expected, Wolf sent daggers at me and opposed my invitation.

    "Anyway, ce this nk at the edge so we would start."

    I did as Wolf told me and rested the nk near the ship''s edge. The roaring waves made a beautiful sight for a man jumping off from our ship.

    But instead of fearing for his life, Captain Hook confidently walked towards the nk. However, that was not the end. The confident pose Captain Hook presented was just a mere mask to save him from his pride.

    Within a few seconds, Hook''s legs became slimes that wiggled in every direction. Beads of sweat slid from his skin as he continuously gulped his own saliva. As he stole glimpses in our direction, he noticed Wolf''s face filled with insensitiveness. Since these two yers knew Hook''s legends more, they wanted to know the pirate''s goal. Captain Hook was also a non-yer character, which made everything easier.

    "Look, I don''t want to kill you. All we want to know is your agenda and your ability to navigate this sea. We need to cross Wondend without facing the whirlpools and deadly structures of this ocean," Wolf exined, while gazing into Captain Hook''s eyes. "You could say we''re lying, but we are not. That rope just means that we''re afraid of you stabbing us behind the back."

    Captain Hook fell silent after hearing Wolf''s narration. After hearing those genuine words from his enemies, Captain Hook had no choice but to think this through. But before he could give his answer, that pirate wiggled the nk so hard that it ruined his bnce. Within a few seconds, Hook''s body fell on the water before any of us could react.

    A ring ssh echoed in our surroundings, with Hook''s body sinking below the ocean. After a few seconds, dark figures of sharks surrounded the ce. As I looked at the side, a pool of blood dyed a part of the ocean. These sea creatures even left some body parts floating on the water''s surface as if decorating the blue waves.

    These sharks were also the ones who devoured the pirates. Considering that they had been waiting for us all this time, they also wanted a piece of our meat. Since we had yet finished the battle, these hungry beasts circled our ship, waiting for some blessings.

    Fortunately for them, Captain Hook was thest prey they could touch. But that did not happen on Wolf''s watch.

    The first person to act was Wolf. He dove straight underwater and swam like a mermaid. While swimming below the ocean, he transformed into his first phase and massacred those poor sharks. Despite governing the sea, those sharks did not stand a chance against Wolf.

    That man was the number one yer, after all.

    Within a few seconds, Wolf came back from the water. He ran along the ship''s surface while carrying the drenched pirate behind his back. As soon as Wolf arrived on the deck, he tossed the pirate on the floor and gasped for air. Wolf''s first form also wore out, leaving him stark naked with his own ability.

    (Author''s note: Wolf did not strip. He''s not naked)

    "Maybe asking for that wooden nk was a bad idea," Ryoshi said, while scratching his head. "You really love doing some cool stunts, Okami. But if you continue that, you''d end up-."

    "Not a single word, Ryoshi. Not a single word."

    After their exchange, Captain Hook untied the rope and pointed his sword in our direction. He had a grin on his face while ring into our eyes.

    "Yer, fools! Me have the upper hand!" imed the pirate.

    Little did he know about my powers. I, too, was a deadly enemy to everyone, except for Wolf. Although I had less power against yers, I had more experience in fighting. However, this pirate looked like he had fought thousands of wars already. Despite that hunch, there was no doubt I would win this fight.

    Within a few seconds, I disarmed the pirate and pushed him at the pole. Captain Hook let go of his sword and mmed his back against the wooden pir. As soon as he regained his consciousness, he tried to stand and resume the fight. However, there was no battle, to begin with, since he already lost the fight before it even started.

    "Are you going to talk, or are you going to walk the nk��... Or live behind bars?" Wolf growled, as he corrected himself at thetter part of his sentence.

    But despite the threats he received, the pirate remained still, like a rock. However, that facade did notst for long.

    Ryoshi finally entered the conversation and said, "If you''re not going to talk, I''m going to send you to the Flying Dutchman!"

    "F-F-Flying Dutchman!?" the pirate asked.

    Ryoshi nodded. "The Flying Dutchman! The same spectral ship you pirates feared the most. And if I mentioned it to you without dying, that only means I know its location... You don''t want me to toss you to their ship, don''t you?"

    Captain Hook shivered in fright and went to Ryoshi''s feet, begging for forgiveness. Like a royal dog grovelling to his owner, Captain Hook pleaded with Ryoshi for his life from the haunted ship.

    "M-Me will talk! M-Me will talk!" the pirate eximed, while shaking Ryoshi''s hands.

    After their conversation, Wolf stepped in and asked Captain Hook the questions we needed to know.

    "Why are you here travelling with your pirate crew? Do you have any idea about the happenings around Code? And do you know how to enter Wondend without fighting against the Kraken? I need answers for these questions, Captain Hook. If you don''t, this guy will send you off to that ship you fear the most."

    "NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!"

    My heart pounded one billion beats per minute as I watched the entire scene. It almost felt like a skit about three idiots scaring each other with an unrealistic myth.

    Even Ryoshi held hisughter as he covered his mouth with his hands. He even smacked Wolf''s back as Okami mentioned Ryoshi and his story.

    After clearing his throat, Captain Hook told his tale. "Me and the pirates only stole from people from the vigers! Although those stopped when we��. killed all the vigers near the borders. It all happened because we recruited Peter Pan as me, a right-hand pirate! He became me matey! But��. Blimey as it is, Peter Pan never trusted me. He even nned to take over the ship as his prize from me��. That''s all I know. Savvy?"

    "Are you telling the truth?" Wolf asked.

    "If dead men tell no tales, then me cannot lie to you..me doesn''t want to sell me pirates, but me thinks ye can stop them!"

 Chapter 139 - Whirlpools (1)

    After hearing Captain Hook''s exnation, Wolf invited me elsewhere to talk about our situation. We excluded Ryoshi and Match from our conversation since Wolf did not want their suggestions. I bothered little about it, considering that we would only talk about what we nned on doing with the pirate.

    "What do we need to talk about? There''s nothing else we could discuss besides killing the pirate?" I eximed, while shrugging my shoulders.

    "We don''t need to kill... And are you okay killing this NPC when Match clearly told you not to?" Wolf retorted.

    "But this pirate said they already killed hundreds of vigers! Killing him would lessen the death counts of these pirates," I expressed, while pointing my finger at Captain Hook.

    Although I hated hearing his words, Wolf made me rethink my decisions. And since I did not want Match to see me kill, I had no choice but to ept my defeat.

    "Then what are we going to do with him? Return Captain Hook to Peter Pan? He wants to kill us, remember! We can''t just toss this poor guy into the sea!" I shouted, while waving my hands. "Oh, wait! Don''t tell me you''d bring him along on our journey, now, aren''t you?"

    "I was about to say that!" Wolf retorted. "But what else could we do besides letting him stay over?! We toss him in Wondend and leave Captain Hook to rot!"

    "Well, isn''t that indirectly killing him too? And we can''t have someone, especially a pirate, be with us. He might wait for the perfect chance to stab the two of you on the back!" I replied.

    "You fucking do that now and then! That ain''t new to me, Red!"

    Our heated exchange caused the two of us to butt heads, with our teeth gritting in anger. We wanted to talk with our fist if it were not for Match and Ryoshi pulling us apart.

    "Avast! If me can talk, can me tell ye something! Me has an idea!"

    "NO!"

    All four of us shouted at the pirate, who wanted topromise with our decisions. Captain Hook slowly sank himself backwards while embracing her feet like a fetus. After that event, no one could regain their pride, not even me arguing with Match.

    "Just so you know, Hook, you''re our prisoner! You''re not worthy of talking to us from where we stand!" I snarled, while sending daggers in his direction.

    "That''s Captain Hook for yer information, mateys. And me would like to tell ye the booty that me pirates want to have! Me can tell ye their location! Yer scurvy baneer!" Captain Hook insisted, while painting his face with a grin. "The ck Pearl is the most sought-after treasure around Wondend. Me and the pirates tried looking for it for thousands of years! Legend says that someone would love getting that stone��. Maybe yer might need it with your quest, mateys!"

    "What did you just call us?!" Ryoshi stepped into our conversation, while grabbing Captain Hook by his cor.

    The pirate pleaded for his life as he felt himself getting raised by the ranger. Although Ryoshi had little strengthpared with Wolf and me, he could still punch someone in the face. And that punch would still leave a mark on someone''s face without using his bow.

    "Anyway, this ck Pearl you''re talking about��. Does it affect Alice?" Wolf asked, while leaning towards Captain Hook. "Your answer will depend on whether or not we let you live."

    "Aye!" Me is not sure, matey. But if the legends are true, maybe the ck Pearl would do something to Alice! M-Me hasn''t met this Alice before, so I would not know!"

    The pirate had a reasonable excuse. There was no point in lying in our situation, and he already told us plenty of information. We would need those details soon, especially about the ck Pearl.

    Wolf went to Captain Hook and untied the rope, freeing him from any restraints. That pirate caressed his hands and shook Wolf''s hand afterwards, thanking the two of us for his freedom. I could only guess that pirates treated prisoners differently than us.

    While this event happened, I took Wolf back and asked him a question, "Wolf... If this was a game, why was that pirate different from his peers? Pirates should be murderous! But after witnessing Captain Hook, it feels like he still has a shred of decency left in his eyes."

    Wolf carved up a smile on his face as he answered my question. "How about you? Those game developers programmed you to be a viger. Vigers don''t take lives or fight. Yet here you are with the rest of the yers, wallowing with your stained hands."

    After saying his answer, Wolf returned to Captain Hook. He told the pirate about the rules he needed to follow, or else we would toss him into the water. I believed that Captain Hook said something about "Parley". I knew nothing about that, so it did not matter to me.

    I returned with Match and headed towards the wheels once again. Captain Hook, Wolf, and Ryoshi went back to the cabins and talked about the new schedule they nned. It would involve our shifts, adding Captain Hook as our prisoner of war.

    As Wolf entered the cabin halls, he told us, "keep an eye on any whirlpools around this area! ording to Hook, we have reached the deadly ocean site!"

    I called back and said, "Then should you be the one handling the boat?"

    "Nonsense! You could do it! And if the situation bes worse, let Match run towards me and wake us up!"

    After our exchange, the three of them went back and never escaped their cell for now. Match and I were the only ones left on the deck, doing our thing as Wolf told us. Since those two idiots told us to watch out for whirling things, our eyes worked for twenty-four seven.

    We did not want to idle around, considering that it would cost us our lives. So right now, we had no choice but to watch the ocean, with our eyes peeled with anything unusual. Since it was still nighttime, it was more difficult for us to pay attention to the scenes.

    Within a few minutes, the clouds surrounding us changed. ring roars of thunder echoed in our surroundings, eventually sting our eyes. Fortunately, we already heard worse than those ruinating sounds before. I could evenpare them to the sounds that the cave made back from the dwarves.

    As we trod onward to the ocean, our boat went in the wrong direction. It continued swaying like a swing, unsure where it would go. When we experienced that, I went to Match and instructed her to fetch Wolf.

    Match understood mymands and dashed straight to the cabin, only to meet the violent wind obstructing her movements.

    I dashed straight to Match and held on to her tight while sping my hands on the metallic rail. I could only pray that the automatic wheels would continue sailing forward. If it went in a different direction, I might meet Clementine after wrecking the ship.

    "Come on, you stupid idiots! Do something, or I''ll break your bones!" I shouted, while gritting my teeth.

    The deadly whirlwind continued forever, hindering us from calling for help. It even blocked our way towards the wheels, making it difficult for us to change our cruise.

    My fear finally became true when the boat changed its course and went to the side. The waves sshed inside the deck, drenching us with salted water. There were even wild fish pping their tails as they desperately tried gasping for air.

    Since the boat moved, the wind changed its orientation. I seized the moment and dashed straight to the wheels, disregarding the dying sea creatures. If these fish could remain on the floor, we would gather them as our futuristic meals. But right now, handling the boat became our utmost priority.

    Match also did what she could and raced towards the cabin. Upon entering inside, she screamed as loud as she could, waking up the three barnacle heads. After a few seconds, that trio ran outside and witnessed the chaos happening around us.

    Wolf and Ryoshi, who haven''t slept a wink, cursed the briny sea. Even Captain Hook had a perplexed look on his face, trying to figure out a way to stop this thing.

    "Hey, aren''t you a pirate? So you know how to deal with these... things, right?" Ryoshi asked, while stealing nces at Hook.

    "Don''t look at me, me haven''t experienced that. Yer lucky fes, mateys."

    I overheard their trivial conversation while we faced this phenomenon. As the Wolf, Ryoshi, and Hook concluded their talk, Wolf went to the station and took the wheels off from me. Ryoshi took the telescope and went to navigate the darkened surroundings, together with Match. I, who had no special talent for managing a boat, guarded Captain Hook.

    If there was someone who could monitor him, it was me."

 Chapter 140 - Whirpools (2)

    The world changed when the storm kicked in. Each of us had a role while we trod our way towards the raging winds. Our boats swayed at every angle every time the waves hit our qui, disturbing our bnce.

    I had the easiest part of the job, since it only involved monitoring Captain Hook. That pirate cannot move a muscle, or else he would feel my fist of fury.

    While the storm hit our ship, everything surrounding us became a massive swing. Wolf had no choice but to call our attention. He ordered everyone on the team to throw all the barrels, wooden chairs, and boards immediately as possible. We had to lessen the weight of our ship.

    Much to my surprise, these two idiotic yers let Captain Hook free from the ropes. They ordered the pirate to help us toss the things out from the ship, while the storm ruined our bnce.

    Captain Hook replied with, "Of course, mateys! It''s the least that me could do!"

    After agreeing with themand, Captain Hook raced towards the cabin and threw all the unnecessary things Wolf and Ryoshi mentioned. Since the two focused on driving the ship, Match, Hook, and me were the only ones running around. But Match and I could not retort, considering our situation. And while we hurled those things from the boat, we had to check up on the pirate before he could stab us in the back.

    This pirate cannot steal from us. Since we all had an inventory system, the four of us could effortlessly ce our items inside our inventory. It was fun to watch Captain Hook roam around the cabins, hoping he could find some bastard sword or nes we left behind. But as practical yers, we did not have those valuable things inside our rooms.

    The storm continued raging the water, pushing our boats to the side. Thanks to these two assholes, our ship never sank, despite the roaring sound of waves crashing against us.

    Upon asking about their experience of riding a ship, Wolf answered, "I yed it in a game once before ying Code."

    Ryoshi also mentioned that he had read an article once on how to use a telescope as a pirate. He read that for a month and bought a telescope of his own.

    "We''ll never know when we could use it!" Ryoshi reenacted while twirling the lenses.

    It took us an hour before reaching the eye of the storm. Compared to what we saw earlier, the eye did not have violent winds or waves. It was calmer than a blue whale swimming underwater.

    Our rest took around a couple of seconds before resuming our journey. The feral storm would continue upon stepping our ship near the dark clouds approaching us.

    But that was the trick. After arriving at the ends of the storm''s eyes, the trials resumed, even worse than before. We had to deal with lightning right now, which meant death to us!

    Those beads of thunder struck our surroundings, except our ship for now. However, we cannot just rely on luck while praying for these thundershocks to avoid us. We needed to make a n before these electric currents from the heavens above would kill us in one shot.

    "Wolf, I think we need to create a rock roof out of nothing! I don''t know what would kill us; the storm or the lightning!" Ryoshi shouted, as he raised his concerns.

    Wolf understood the weight of the situation as he finally made a move. "Match,e here! Do you know how to produce lightning?!"

    Match shook her head and replied, "No! Red or anyone else never taught me about that!"

    "Let Ryoshi teach you about the basics! Our lives are in your hands now!" Wolf shouted, while handling the wheels. "Captain Hook, I want you to give me the directions! Red, you need to fix the rails and get the water off our ship!"

    Everyone moved ording to Wolf''smands. Since he was the acting leader of our group, we had no choice but to follow the orders given by him.

    Captain Hook rushed towards Wolf''s side and grabbed the telescope from Ryoshi''s hands. Considering that he was the leader of his pirate crew, he had the experience of navigating the ocean using the telescope these yers had.

    Match and Ryoshi went to the centre, trying their best to generate rocks out of nothing. Since Match was a mage, she could conjure any element she could. Well, that should have been the case, considering that she could conjure fire from her hands. However, Code rarely allowed mages with multiple elements at once, which became a threat right now.

    Ryoshi also fired multiple arrows, mixed with electric shocks, at the ship''s sides. When I asked him the purpose of these fancy gimmicks, he exined everything to me. Ryoshi mentioned he did not know if these lightning arrows would direct the electrical flow of thunder at the ocean. But since it involved Science and not magic, I did not know what that bastard had exined.

    I did as Wolf told me and set the sails forward. Because of the wind, the sails got altered, which made our boat shift in directions. And now that I fixed it, I went back to the deck and threw the bucket of water out of the ship. I continuously did this while paying attention to Match and Ryoshi''s conversations.

    "It''s all about the negative charges, electrons, in the bottom of the cloud, and your finger, are attracted to the positive charges, protons, in the ground! That results in a spark like a mini-bolt of lightning!"

    (Author''s Note: This is where I got the dialogue (https://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/lightningact.html))

    "I have no idea what you just said, Ryoshi! I don''t even know what protons and electrons are!" Match eximed, while shuffling her already crazed hair.

    After countless exchanges, the storm finally attacked us with a lightning bolt. That thunderous strike marked a hole in the cabins, destroying a bedroom inside. Fortunately, that hole did not affect the boat''s movements. However, everyone grew concerned about the lightninging from above.

    If we wanted to make something happen, now was the right time.

    "I hope you witnessed that, Match. That''s lightning," Ryoshi said, while waving his hands. "I do not know how to exin that to you, Match! Wolf probably gets how lightning works now, do you, Wolf?!"

    "Nope! Not a clue! I failed my Science subject five years ago! You''re the smarty pants here! Do something!" Wolf retorted.

    As we gazed upwards, the storm rumbled up a sound, generating lightning for the next few seconds. We cannot afford to get our ships hit by these lightning strikes, or else we would sink! And those lighting arrows that served as rods did not work their magic! We could only depend on Ryoshi and Match to save the boat from sinking underwater. The dwarves did not make these boats lightning-free, since they also had no knowledge of these natural circumstances!

    It was what I had mentioned before. Something must happen right now or else we would all die in vain!

    It was as I had foreseen. A thundershock emerged from the clouds, hitting the boat''s edge. As of right now, we could describe the damage as bearable. But if this continued further, we would have to give up sailing across this ocean.

    "Match, you got to do it! You''re the only one who could use lightning as your magic!" Ryoshi said, while pushing Match below the storm.

    As soon as Match stepped foot on the centre, lightning came upon her, hitting her body��. Well, that should have happened if it were not for Wolf protecting her.

    Within a few seconds, Wolf dashed straight to Match and saved her from despair. Even after witnessing the thunder, Match could not conjure any lightning from her magic circles. And I did not me her for it.

    "W-Wolf! You know how to conjure lightning?!" I asked, while staring at Wolf, lifting his hands above.

    The electrical current flowed through his hands as if it was nothing but running water. However, as we continued watching Wolf, his veins looked like they would pop out soon.

    But before that could happen, Ryoshi fired a stick and impaled it around Wolf''s knee. After hitting Wolf''s skin, that guy finally regained his consciousness and fended off the lightning.

    Within a few seconds, our boat finally reached outside the storm. As we turned around, the dark clouds continued floating behind us, causing troubles around the ocean.

    "We did it!" Ryoshi shouted, as he fell to his knees.

    Match also kissed the ground, shivering after witnessing all that. I went to her aid and gave her a warm hug for trying really hard. She might have felt useless when that happened, but she did her best to block the lightning strike from our ship.

    Wolf went back to the wheels, only to remind us of another problem.

    "Where the fuck is Captain Hook?"

    Our prisoner escaped amidst all that had happened.. Captain Hook seized the moment and fled from the scene when the storm caught our attention.

 Chapter 141 - Whirpools (3)

    "If you sleep in the game, do you sleep in real life too?" Match asked, as we trod the vast ocean.

    We widened our eyes upon hearing the innocent question of Match. Even I wanted to know the answer to that question. But I never had the time to ask that, considering the events we had experienced.

    Wolf answered Match''s question while looking at the wheels. "Ryoshi and I don''t actually need sleep. Since we''re still alive right now, machines from the hospitals are probably taking care of our bodies. We sleep because we want to, and it helps our reaction time in-game. It also enhances both our stamina and arcane as if it would affect us in real life."

    "Since the game developers wanted to make this game as realistic as possible. Everyone living in Code could feel tired and sleepy. But that exhaustion won''t hinder us from moving, attacking, and using our skills," Ryoshi added, with his eyes still navigating the ocean. "Do you have any more questions, Red and Match?"

    "No," I answered. "We did not want to hear the answers from you."

    After saying those words, the conversation turned to aplete stop. Since I already hindered Ryoshi from talking, nobody dared to spark up the talk. Well, silence would always be better than hearing Ryoshi''s voice.

    We also lost Captain Hook, our prisoners, from our hands. After facing that violent storm, Captain Hook took the emergency boat and slipped himself away from our grasp. None of us knew where he went, considering that he left even before we escaped the hurricane.

    Despite losing Hook, Wolf told us we never needed the guy. He also told us that pirates did not have any use for us, since we already knew the location of the Kraken and the ck pearl. But the question now was��.

    "Are we going to grab that ck Pearl before the pirates? Is that even necessary?" I posed a question.

    Wolf nodded his head and answered, "It''s a must if we have that. The ck pearl would be our ticket inside Wondend since we''ll face against that stupid Kraken. We might even need to learn water and lightning magic before we could even face that sea creature. And we will park the boat somewhere safe, away from that battle. Or else we would lose our only transportation."

    Since we would fight against gigantic marine life, water and lightning spells would be more effective than other elements. However, among all the yers present, Ryoshi was the only one who could wield these arcane. Wolf could also conjure lightning, but he imed not that optimally. That bastard could only conjure that lightning speed once in a fight and would cooldown within an hour.

    "However, if we retrieve the ck Pearl, we won''t have the time to battle the Kraken. That fight would be over before that squid couldnd a strike at us," Wolf eximed, cing the steering wheel in an automatic trance.

    After fiddling with the ship''s system, he turned around and walked towards us. "We need to teach Match to use lightning. If she can''t, we will lose this battle."

    "But I thought we would get the ck Pearl first before the pirates. And then use the power from the ck Pearl against the Kraken," I retorted.

    Ryoshi stepped up and answered, "The ck Pearl is a handy tool we could use to strengthen our attack. But we can''t just rely on the mythical stone. It''s called a legend for a reason. Although I doubt that the game developers would bluff by cing false information inside the game. Even if the legends were true, those pirates might reach that ce before we could. Captain Hook gave us the location, but it doesn''t mean he can''t lie to us. If my hunches were right, that pirate might have orchestrated everything. He must beughing his ass off right now, iming he got us good."

    "Good one, Ryoshi. I might have thought the same thing," Wolf interrupted, iming that he had thought about that part, too.

    "Don''t give me that crap, Okami. You can''t even solve a grade schooler''s math equation."

    The two of them fought against each other,pletely forgetting that point of this meeting. Since it hade to this, I had no choice but to teach the little girl, regardless of my wisdom. I went to Match and pulled her out of the conversation while we let these two idiots fight against each other.

    If there was one thing I did not want, it was this pair teaching us something. We can never depend on other people, especially yers who killed most NPCs.

    But the question remained unanswered as I faced Match in the middle of the deck.

    "Do you have any idea how to create lightning?" Match asked.

    Even the smart kid, whopleted the riddle trials, could notprehend the Scientific descriptions of lightning. I only knew how to fight and assassinate people. Learning about nature and its cause did note inside my head, not even once.

    I shook my head and replied, "Nope. Not a clue. But let''s start with reimagining what you saw from the storm��."

    I pointed my head above and continued, "That lightning strikes you saw earlier��. tell me, what did you learn about it? Maybe I could help visualise it for you?"

    Match felt hesitant, exining the concept of lighting from what she saw. That girl wandered around and stuck her finger in her mouth, thinking about the perfect words she needed to use.

    After a few moments, Match finally went to me and tried exining lightning to me. "Basically, sparks covered the skies! Those zip zaps were too fast for my eyes, so I couldn''t really see them! And, and, Ryoshi told me about protons and electrons that I don''t understand!"

    Completely useless. That word was enough to describe everything Match told me about lightning.

    But that was the thing. Since Match and I lived inside Code without Science! Those game programmers made us without proper knowledge of understanding these things. And now it came biting us back for this uing battle!

    After a few seconds of continuous brainstorming, I finally gave up and fell to my knees. Match did the same and kissed the ground as well.

    "It''s no use. We can''t understand something when we don''t know the basics," I eximed, while gazing at the darkened sky.

    "Try rubbing your fingers as fast as you can. As soon as you kinda feel tired, ce some mana onto your fingers. See what happens afterwards, okay? And try not to injure yourselves while doing it," Wolf said, with his voice echoing in our ears.

    We did as he told us to do and worked on the rubbing part. After a few seconds, we poured our arcane on our hands while continuously rubbing them together. Within a few moments, something moved along our fingertips. And the next thing we knew, we stopped rubbing our hands together and got blown away by the unbnced charge of magic and Science.

    "Basically, friction makes electricity... Well, for beginners. And once you pour enough mana on your friction or hands, it would cause a spark. If you can apply that to your knowledge, you could create electricity. But also be aware that you need to do it without rubbing your hands. That part is just a concept you need to know beforehand."

    After listening to Wolf''s exnations, Match and I tried it out, hoping for the best. Within those moments, Match raised her hand and conjured two magic circles around her hand. But those ruins depicted unique characters from the ones I saw before. It even shifted colours, which turned the crimson circles into azure.

    There was no chance I would conjure the lightning element. But before I could reach that conclusion, a surge of light blue strings emerged around my hands. Those cobalt colour waves strengthened my body, which made my muscles lighter than ever before.

    "Would you believe it, Ryoshi? They learned the basics of lighting, which took me a week to learn to use my main ount."

    "You''re an idiot, Okami. And they aren''t."

    After the two idiots exchange, Match sessfully called upon the surrounding lighting magic circles. A chain of electricity emerged from her hands, brightening up our surroundings. Her spells even burned down the boats if it were not for me blocking the electrical current.

    I also gained some powers from the lightning element. After rubbing my arcane and the mana surrounding me, I gave birth to lighting. But Match made had a different effect than mine, considering that I was not a mage.

    Lightning covered my skin and acted as a booster to enhance my body for a short time. It even excelled the wind element Match ced on me when we were back in the cave.

    However, that peaceful drift came to a stop as we met the whirlpools in front of us.. ording to Captain Hook, those circting waves were terrible news for voyagers like us.

 Chapter 142 - Whirlpools (4)

    That peaceful drift came to a stop as we met the whirlpools in front of us. The chilling wind touched our skin, reminding us of the terrain ahead of our view. ording to Captain Hook, those circting waves were terrible news for voyagers like us. And when that twisting death hit our boat, it would be the end of our era!

    Despite Match''s enhanced magic, she cannot lift the ship using her wind abilities. I had already thought about that once, but we scrapped that idea, considering Match was still a child.

    I can''t also use my lightning speed to move the boat in a different direction. Since my ability had a cooldown, I cannot use it for another hour or two. And even if I could, my body would not handle the weight of this entire ship.

    I ced that idea back in the drain, forgotten and untold.

    The only thing we had to do was to barge straight towards the unknown and hoped for the best. Since these two idiots already knew the ropes of turning the wheel, they also should know how to keep our lives intact with our bodies.

    "That''s the stupidest idea, Red!" screamed Okami.

    But it was already toote. Because of the wind pulling us in, the boat had no other choice but to swim itself onward to our inevitable doom.

    However, Wolf had an original n. He asked Match to conjure a burst of fire behind the ship, creating some boosters out of nothing. I did not even know that fiery ze would speed up our voyage. But instead of contradicting Wolf''s belief, I let the idea through and hoped for the best.

    Ryoshi also tried destroying the whirlpools happening at our front. These whirlpools only formed because of the storms generated in this area. And since we already experienced the wrath of the first typhoon, we had to deal with these twisters. And even after that, we needed to move onward and fight against the sea creature dwelling underground.

    But we would face that part after making it through this trial. We also needed to fight those pirates if they nned on attacking us from behind. Considering that we''re up against dwellers of the oceans, those pirates would use tricks to sink our boats.

    Those arrows Ryoshi shot created a st, creating shockwaves and miniature tsunamis. Fortunately, the dwarves made this boat more durable enough to withstand the ps of those chunks of water. Despite taking multiple hits from the ocean, our ship remained tall, cruising through the azure liquid.

    But those arrows did nothing to the whirlpools. We thought that the exploding arrows would disrupt the flow of those twisters, which would eventually maintain its bnce.

    However, that did not happen. It took the ocean less than a minute before forming once again, as if the explosions meant nothing to them.

    Before we could even n our next move, the whirlpools dragged us over the centre, pushing us over to the sides and back again. It was like ying the game of tug of war. But in this scene, our rope was the force and our energy.

    Match me boosters pushed our boat away from the whirlpool. However, the ocean had dozens of whirlpools lying around in the open. We slipped through the first one, but we cannot escape from all these circr tforms wrecking our ship.

    "Match, can you add some wind boost on my feet so I could travel faster," Wolf requested the mage girl.

    "This magic circle would onlyst for around fifteen minutes. I''ve already used all my mana, so please bear with me."

    Match agreed to Wolf''s n and conjured a wind magic circle below Wolf''s feet. Within a few seconds, the gust of wind travelled around his feet. Uponpleting the spell, Okami handed the wheels to me. He instructed me to ce the wheel forward without changing its course.

    "Don''t you ever let that steering wheel move, or else we all die," Wolf exined, beforeunching himself off from the deck.

    Wolf chose me as the person behind the wheels instead of Ryoshi. Since Hunter had his hands full on navigating the ce, he was not suitable to take charge of the steering wheel. I, who had nothing to do but wait, took the role from everyone else.

    Thanks to the wind magic Wolf had, he remained on top of the water without even touching it. Wolf flew to the boat''s side, just beside the twisting water. As soon as he arrived near the ship, he transformed into his first form and pushed the boat forward, disregarding the cmity.

    Although it may have looked like an atrocious idea, the boat pushed onward and outmatched the whirlpool''s powers.

    Ryoshi also continued firing a barrage of exploding arrows at the whirlpools, hoping to stop them from dragging the boat. Since those arrows came from his mana, Hunter never lost bolts despite firing so many. As long as he had spare mana, he could alwaysunch those bolts at his targets.

    After struggling for minutes, we finally overcame our trials and cruised through three of the whirlpools out of twenty. After passing through this obstacle course, we would finally reach the borders of Wondend.

    But we cannot just celebrate just yet, considering the distance between that ind and these whirlpools. It was just a matter of time before we could win this fight or lose our ship.

    Luckily, our raft withstood the violent power of these whirlpools. It even exceeded our expectations, since we already lost hope voyaging around this ce.

    However, that optimistic idea vanished for long when a figure of a boat greeted our eyes. That ship remained anchored in its ce, waiting for us to finish the whirlpools.

    "What can you see, Ryoshi?!" Wolf shouted, while pushing the boat. "You''re my eyes and ears. Tell me that figure up ahead."

    "It''s a pirate ship, sir! The one we fought earlier!" Ryoshi eximed, while clicking his tongue. "Peter Pan and Captain Hook are all together as a family. Damn, that crooked guy. I always tell myself to never trust a pirate."

    "Sir?" Wolf reacted to the title Ryoshi called him

    After their exchange, a ball made of stone charges straight in our direction, almost hitting us if it were not for moving the wheel. I disobeyed Wolf''s instructions and dodged the ball as much as I could, despite the mass of this bad boy. Thankfully, after watching the two clowns drive this raft, I mimicked their style and manoeuvred the ship as if it was my third hand.

    Even Ryoshi gaped his mouth wide open as soon as he witnessed controlling the wheels with the little experience I had.

    But it did not just remain idle right there. I continued swaying the boat at different angles, dodging all those cannonballs headed in our directions. Fortunately for us, none of those stones hit our ship. There were ones that should have hit us if it were not for Ryoshi destroying the boulder. While he did that, Ryoshi also threw a set of arrows in the whirlpool''s direction, creating explosions after explosions.

    However, the fun did not stop there. Since Wolf knew there were enemies outside, his first form went controble berserk, which amplified his strength. All of his senses dialled up to eleven, making him a total menace on the battlefield.

    Just like what he did to the elite soldiers, Wolf tackled the ship and pushed it through the obstacle course. That effort led us to victory road as we entered outside the bounds of those whirlpools.

    When we met the ship, the pirates tried scurrying away. However, they were already toote, since we already caught up with their scheme.

    All four of us returned to our stations and prepared for a battle. As soon as we armed ourselves with our weapons, we went to the enemy''s pirate ship and tied up the pirates running away. It was not even a fight, considering these low levelled piratespared to the soldiers.

    As soon as we cleaned the mess, we headed towards the two "bosses" and faced them. I wanted Match out of this fight, but the girl would not listen. And even if I tried pushing her away from this fight, that mage girl would do everything she could to include herself in battle.

    "Yer told me these were a scurvy-looking bunch! Ye lied to me, Captain Hook!" Peter Pan yelled, while equipping himself with the sword. "Captain Hook! Fight with me until death! We cannot give them the ck Pearl!"

    "But, Peter!" Captain Hook cried. "Me thinks that we have gone too far from killing people!"

    "Aren''t you the coward who ran away with these... pixie dust?" I said, hoping to mock the brat.

    My scheme went sessfully as the triggered Peter Pan flew towards me, with his sword aimed at my head.. But by the time he reached my fore, I activated my right eye and used my penitent''s de to block his attack.

 Chapter 143 - End Of The Line

    Captain Hook faced Wolf, while I faced the kid wearing a hat with a feather attached on top. It was the same battle sequence we had before. But the only difference we had was��. It was ourst battle.

    "Look, matey. Me don''t want to fight or kill you," Captain Hook pleaded, while hesitantly pulling off his ceremonial sword from his scabbard.

    "I wouldn''t fight me either," Wolf gave a rejoinder, while summoning his ws. "But if you get in our way, I have no choice but to fight you."

    After overhearing Wolf''s and Hook''s conversation, Peter Pan threw a ball-like pixie dust towards me. And that projectile would be enough to kill a low-levelled yer. If that hit me, the pixie dust stone would have left a mark around my shoulders, burning it like a roasted boar.

    "Look, I don''t want to hit a kid," I bickered, while yfully revealed my penitent''s dagger in my hands.

    "But I am no kid. I am even older than you."

    After our exchange, our battle finally began. Peter Pan dove at me with his fist raised forward. I rolled to the side and dodged his attack, only to witness Peter changing his course. I, who had a flexible reaction time, swiftly evaded the second strike. I finally seized my chance and struck him on the back, using the pommel of my sword.

    I did not want to use my de, fearing that I would kill him. Our team had an agreement that we would kill no one who stood in our way, including these pirates.

    My attackunched Peter Pan on the ground, but that damage was not enough to render him unconscious. It would probably take him more than a strike before he could crawl to me.

    "Why aren''t ye hitting me with that de of yers?" Peter Pan asked, with his eyes glued on my de.

    "I don''t have to, since this is hardly even a fight," I confessed, and charged straight at the kid.

    I fought hundreds of yers, soldiers, and enhanced breasts with overwhelming powers and abilities. A low-levelled pirate who could fly was nothing but an insect for me. And even if Peter had something inside his sleeves, I would always out-power him using my system, which the NPCs never received.

    The pirate''s dialects only hit me right now. It was confusing to understand, if it were not for the lessons we had from Ryoshi. Those pirates always used "ye" and "yers" as their words, with all the goofy things they spoke. Fortunately, that did not matter for now, since we already had the upper hand.

    (Author''s notes: I have nothing against pirates. That''s Red''s thinking. If you''re a pirate or aspiring to be one, that''s fine! You''re still exceptional, and I hope you have a good day!)

    I finally disarmed Peter Pan''s dagger from him and pinned the pirate kid on the ground. Despite his ferocious actions, Peter could not escape my wrath. He could spit if he wanted to, but he can never defeat me in a duel.

    The same went with Captain Hook and Wolf. That yer already finished his fight first before I defeated Peter Pan. He even stood on top of Hook''s back as if he was a sofa meant for his bottom.

    Upon noticing my fight, Wolf waved his hand and greeted me, "Took you long enough, Red."

    "I don''t have overpowered abilities like you. But I can kill you anytime I want, especially your friend."

    That man only chuckled to himself without giving me a reply.

    "Anyway, now that we defeated these two pirates and the rest of their mates, why don''t we��. let them walk the nk!" Wolf eximed, with his eyes glued to the lone wooden board.

    "Haven''t you moved on about that part!" Ryoshi intervened.

    "It was a joke, a joke! We can''t kill them, so I wasn''t saying it seriously," Wolf retorted, while scratching the back of his head. "We ce them on a remote ind filled with trees and herbs as their meal. Since they already confessed to us about their bad habits, we can''t let them roam around freely in the wild, especially with those soldiers hunting the NPCs," Wolf exined, while tapping his foot on the wooden floor. "And I wouldn''t let them join Kouran''s organization, since they''re freaking pirates! I would never trust a pirate, except squeezing them for the treasure''s location."

    "And me told you the location! Ye should free us from this rope! We want parley!" Captain Hook pleaded.

    "What do you mean ye told them the ck Pearl! Me thought we have the rule ''dead men tell no tales''. And yet ye told them the treasure! What kind of pirate are ye!"

    All the pirates who heard the conversation red at Captain Hook. That motto that they had between pirates must be their lifeline as a group. But Captain Hook, the leader of their pack, threw it all away.

    "What do you mean you told us? I already knew it from the very beginning!" Wolf reacted, creating chaos between the pirate''s factions.

    "What do you mean, matey? Me was the one who told you the ck Pearl! All of ye knew it because of me!" Captain Hook retorted, making himself the target of the pirates.

    "Nope. I only tested you, since you guys are pirates. I''ve heard about you before. But do you have any idea who you''re dealing with, pirates?"

    As soon as Wolof asked that question, all the pirates raised question marks above their heads. They kept guessing Wolf''s identity, since he imed these pirates already knew him before.

    If I had to guess it right, Wolf kicked these pirate''s assess while he was still Fenrir. Now that Okami used his smurf ount, these pirates did not have a clue who he was right now.

    "You fool! It was me who took the ck Pearl from you! Have you remembered, Captain Hook?!" Wolf shouted, whileughing to himself.

    His chuckle had a simr tone when Wolf was still using his main ount. I could still remember the time heughed like that while saving our vige.

    It was a viinousugh, not from any hero I have remembered.

    "Yer��. Fenrir? Shiver me timbers, Peter Pan! We shall not fight this man, despite our circumstances!" Captain Hook suggested.

    "What''s the matter, Captain Hook? Yer afraid of a skinny man who bes a dog?" Peter Pan replied.

    "Yer idiot! Fenrir is the strongest man in this world! He crushed my mates into pieces! Me can still remember that day when he killed most of the piratespeting for the ck Pearl! It was the reason me haven''t gotten it! It was all because of him!"

    "The ck Pearl will forever be the greatest treasure for a pirate! And yes, I stole it from you guys! And I have that ck Pearl inside my ount! But you made a mistake! There is still another ck Pearl lurking around the ocean. I saw it with my own eyes! It was even more massive than the ones you expected it to look like!" Wolf imed, while grinning to himself. "I can help you achieve that goal if you could help us first!"

    As soon as Wolf ended his speech, every pirate had their mouths gaped wide open, thirsting for that prize. After a few seconds, they all went feral, stomping their feet on the ground. These pirates eventually escaped their ropes and returned to their former selves as if nothing had happened.

    "Captain Hook, did ye hear that?! We can get the bigger ck Pearl from Fenrir!" Peter Pan recited, as he mmed his hand on Captain Hook''s shoulder. "This calls for a celebration! Mateys, release the barrel filled with ale!"

    "Ye bet me did!" Captain Hook replied. "But we need to listen to what Fenrir has got to say."

    As soon as Captain Hook spoiled the fun, every pirate offered their ears for me. They all narrowed their eyes and continued watching my every movement.

    Within a few seconds, I cleared my throat and announced, "All of you must join our cause! I know that treasure is something important to you. Which is why I will give you the first ck Pearl to you, guys! It''s"

    "Where is it?" Captain Hook and Peter Pan asked simultaneously.

    "It''s at the bottom of the ocean... I mean, where we''re at, obviously," I answered.

    "Nonsense! Ye can''t fool us with your petty gimmicks!" Peter Pan retorted, while raising his fist in the air.

    "Oh, really?" I asked. "Then why don''t you look below you?"

    As soon as I said that, those pirates went to the ship''s edge and peaked at the ocean. Within a few moments, they already found a ck gem dazzling around the ocean''s depths. These pirates immediately realised that the gem they looked at was the ck Pearl.

    "Shiver me timbers, Captain Hook! We found the damn treasure!" All the pirates shouted, as they danced around the deck, humming their favourite tunes.

 Chapter 144 - Traitor Among The Pirates

    After telling the ck Pearl''s location, the pirates immediately dove underwater to search for the treasure. When the pirates were all underwater, Wolf chanted a magic circle. He summoned a stone resting on the ocean floor, creating an illusion of some sort. Despite being buried in the deep ocean, my system described the rock as a "ck Pearl". It was the prize that the pirates talked about.

    Ryoshi rested his head on his extended palm and shook it at each side. Wolf also got him surprised by these peculiar shenanigans, despite being his best friend.

    "Howe you could create such stones when you literally said before these were rare materials?" I asked, while pointing out the ck Pearl below us.

    "I did?" Wolf replied, as if he already forgot the lines he mentioned earlier. "Did I say that? I don''t know. Or did I know it?"

    "Quit it with those elementary riddles, Wolf. Why the hell did you even keep it a secret from me? Those ck Pearls you imed as treasure were-."

    Before Ryoshi could even finish his sentence, Wolf ced his finger in front of his mouth. "Shh. Don''t let the pirates know, or else they''d kill us."

    After saying his fill, Wolf winked at us and watched the pirates swim underwater, despite the pressure they felt. It took those pirates a few minutes before rising from the ocean, bringing with them the ck Pearl they worked hard dancing underwater.

    "We finally got it!" screamed all the pirates as soon as they reached the deck.

    "I know, mateys! Just as I promised, I know all the locations of these ck Pearl you seek! There are also things you''ve yet known if you team up with me," Wolf continued, while chuckling up a storm.

    All those pirates bought his story and resumed partying to themselves as if there was no tomorrow. They even drowned themselves with the ale they had, iming that they found the treasure.

    Wolf stole a nce in Ryoshi and my direction, motioning his hands to zip the information from the pirates. The two of us had no other choice but to go with the flow, considering that would finish the conflict.

    "That pesky Okami. I''m intelligent, but he''s more nuts than I am!" imed Ryoshi.

    But I did not want to even stay near him. So I left his side and went to Match, ranting everything I felt about this situation.

    "I felt like Wolf cheated me, you know!? After all this time, I believed all of his stories. And guess what! It was all just a detailed lie!"

    Those were the words I narrated to Match. The little mage girl listened to every word I mentioned, while nodding her head.

    "I don''t care! As long as we finish the topic, everything''s good!" Match replied, while agreeing to her thoughts.

    "You''re okay with this?"

    "Yeah! Wolfid out the n perfectly! As soon as I saw the ck Pearl, I knew it was just made of stone!"

    "Then why didn''t you tell us anything?" I asked. "You could have at least told us something, Match! Or even to me! You could have told me about it!"

    "You didn''t ask. And there was no point in ruining the fun. I don''t want to make an enemy out of the pirates again. I mean, look at them, Red! They''re having so much fun with that��. stone."

    It was what Match had exined. Those pirates fought us and each other for that rock without powers. Fortunately, none of them had a system. They cannot check if that stone had value,pared to the real rocks found in the ocean.

    Those pirates had no opportunities to ask anyone, since the soldiers nearly genocide every NPC in this world. It was all up to us to fend them off, and we''d need these pirate''s help to stop them.

    "So, Wolf, are you going to give us as many ck Pearls as we want as long as we help you fight��. an army?" Captain Hook asked, while gazing at Wolf''s eyes.

    "Yes. But have all the help that we could get from the dark elves and other NP��. I mean, warriors and adventurers," Wolf replied, while scratching his face. "Have you ever noticed something different around the indstely?"

    "We haven''t! What''s happening around these inds, anyway? We travelled the entire sea and witnessed nothing but these peaceful waves!" screamed another pirate, who raised his mug and chugged it all down to his throat.

    The other pirates chanted the same thing, but with different voices and sounds. The next thing we knew, most pirates stomped their feet, iming that they ventured into the blue ocean. Since their pride was on the line, none of them wanted to admit defeat.

    All but one pirate shook his head upon hearing that question.

    "I saw one when we raided ourst vige," imed a skinny man at the back of the pack.

    The pirates moved to the side, giving some space from the man speaking to us. All of our eyes widened as we listened to the story of this little pirate.

    "Those people wore different clothes and wielded peculiar guns! We were just stealing the gold from the vige when this group of adventurers appeared. And when our boat left the vige, these soldiers unleashed something that annihted the town," the boy continued, while motioning his hands to add more tension to his story.

    All the pirates bought the narration with their eyes glued on the youngd. Their pride sank deeper than the stone got thrown off to the shore. After a few seconds, I finally broke the silence.

    "The kid saw it was not a joke. All those things that this pirate mentioned were all true to the flesh! The gods of this world wanted us dead! And we''re the remaining hope that this world has! And we can''t just fight them without numbers, right?!" Wolf shouted, while raising his mug of ale. "Regardless of our enemies, we shall fight them using our friendship and experiences! If there was one thing I knew, pirates were the fiercest people among other adventurers when voyaging on a ship!"

    The pirates seconded Wolf''s speech and raised their mugs once again. Within a few minutes, those pirates drank all of their alcohol and partied all night long. Since these yers cannot get drunk, they offered the pirates to take the wheel.

    "What a dishonest speech, Okami! I''ve never seen you lie like that, except the time when you yed without asking Himari''s permission," Ryoshi said, while shaking his head.

    "Cut me some ck, Ryoshi. That memory is all gone to its very existence! And all of this is for the benefit of our team," Wolf confessed, as he stared at the crowd of pirates. "But before that, one of them is a traitor. That kid who told the story of the soldiers��. He''s not a pirate."

    "What do you mean?" I asked.

    Wolf''s usation got my interest. Since I did not know how he came up with that idea, his sentence surprised me.

    "Can you guys recall how pirates talk with each other? They add ye, yer, and some weird words, right?" Wolf asked. "Well, that kid gave us the ticket. I''ve never known that the game developers added a pirate ss in this game before. Maybe it''s an Easter egg that I''m not aware of."

    "A traitor��. hmm. Now that I think about it, that''s some sick observation skills you got there, Okami��. But the question is...how are we going to take him out? And what if you''re wrong? Those pirates won''t back down without a fight, Okami."

    "I''ve already made a countern for that. Let me send Kouran a message, and she''d be on her way��. eventually," Wolf said, while fiddling with his system. "As soon as she meets with the pirates, I will have her monitor the traitor and use their knowledge against them."

    "However, we''re talking about Warner Asimov here, who is by no means an idiot. So that''s where you, Ryoshi, would join in," Wolf continued, while pointing his forefinger at him.

    "Why do you have to give me those responsibilities when I totally hate it!" Ryoshi retorted

    "Because you''re the smartest person around here! If you let Red or me take it, we''ll all doom to fail," Wolf said.

    "Hey! I am not an idiot! I started this war and used every resource that I could to create this war!" I replied, while gritting my teeth.

    "Yes. And look at where it brought you," Wolf answered, ring at Red''s eyes. "Anyway, can you think of something to use that spy while proceeding with the n, Red? I am all ears for you."

    As soon as Wolf said that, my brain froze. Although I was not a brainless NPC, I did not have the mind of Ryoshi. He had been the brain of these schemes. If there was one person capable of doing this job, it had to be Ryoshi.

    "Fine��.. But I still n on killing him," I said, while sending daggers at the bow and arrow man.

 Chapter 145 - The Kraken (1)

    We, the two ships, travelled back on the dwarven ind. Since we would retrace our steps, we would encounter a violent storm once again. But we were more experiencedpared to the first take we did from before. So we cruised the entire ocean and witnessed the ind within a few hours, unlikest time.

    "Who''s Kouran?" I asked, wondering about the identity of this girl. "Because I saw someone hiding behind the bushes when we first set sail. Is that the one you''re talking about?"

    Okami looked at me with surprised eyes and answered, "Yeah. Well, Kouran is a dark elf I recruited when Nirvana fell from the yer''s hands."

    "No long-eared elves survived that colossal war, since thousands of yers and soldiers showed up afterwards. When I retreated from the soldier''s ambush, Kouran saved our group. We are recruiting all NPCs since those yers want us dead. If we want to fight, we will need numbers against those yers. We are up against two billion yers across the world, and there are just thousands of us NPCs. Although I am... was an overpowered yer, I can''t handle all of them using this ount," Wolf continued, while gazing into my eyes.

    I wanted to meet this Kouran girl and asked why she wanted to team up with a yer. But as long as they did not n on hindering my way, these NPCs were okay for me.

    Wolf told the pirates to wait for a dark elf girl that would guide them to the shelter. But along those lines, Okami told Kouran to recreate the shelter and confused a traitor among the pirates. Since he was a yer and not an NPC, he would definitely send our information to the game developers, a.k.a. Warner Asimov. That man wanted to kill every NPC he created, respecting the government''s orders.

    "This dark elf must be an ally of yours if she trusts you," Imented, as we approached the dwarven docks.

    "Yes. La Finta trusted me moments before her death. And these dark elves are not an enemy of the long-eared ones. In fact, they are considered as the shadow knights guarding Nirvana��. Think of them as the elves'' protectors in the shadows. If word came out that these dark elves helped the long-eared ones, those yers would have��. done something about it."

    Okami tried exining the rtionship between the dark elves and the long-eared ones to me. Since the world knew that these two factions fought against each other, I couldn''t believe this man. However, Okami had no reason to bluff with me, considering that this information could be vital in our mission.

    I could only blindly agree and believe whatever he had to say, regardless of Okami''s credibility. And since he would only tell information that could benefit the group, that yer won''t do anything stupid.

    As soon as we arrived at the designated ce, Kouran, the dark elf, stood there, waiting for us. Uponnding on the dock, the pirates greeted Kouran, telling them they were ready to board the ship.

    "Perfect, since our shelter is around the corner. And we could use the boat to arrive faster," Kouran eximed, while getting on the ship. "I will always brief you about our cause. Since this man wanted an army of NPCs, I believed we would need your cooperation, pirates. And, of course, we will reward your efforts in exchange for valuable treasures."

    I also told Kouran about summoning ck Pearls, the rocks that had no real value. After telling the magical concept of the stone, Kouran effortlessly picked up the instructions. She could conjure those rocks with ease, which she would use to trick these pirates.

    Fortunately for us, the traitor yer pirate did not expose us to our rigid exchange. If he did, we would have no other choice but to fight them once again. If the worst would happen, Kouran and the elite NPCs would toss them into the ocean.

    As she climbed onto the pirate raft, Kouran met my eyes and gave me a nod. Those gestures told me that Kouran knew the identity of this pirate traitor and would keep her eyes open for me. Thanks to the system, we could exchange messages via chat to know the condition of this traitor. The elite dark elves already disguised themselves as vigers inside the shelter.

    Kouran and I prepared everything beforehand since we were all up against an intelligent man like Warner Asimov.

    "If the worstes to worst, call me. Whatever you do, it''s to your own ord as long as you choose the best option avable."

    After saying my ultimate request, Kouran and the rest of the pirates sailed through the briny ocean. Our team got to watch them off from the shore, waiting for their ship to disappear.

    "You should''ve joined them, Okami and you... bastard," I eximed, while heading upward to the ship.

    Match tailed close behind and followed my trails. She did not want to cause any trouble and let my moody nature show. That mage girl knew how irritated I was every time I looked at those two idiots.

    I could not me her, since I wanted to kill the Hunter while tossing Okami into the ocean.

    Those two yers did not reply to my mockery as they followed behind me. Okami and Ryoshi made sure that they stayed far from me when possible, considering my hatred consuming my body.

    As we finished preparing our ship, we set off from the dock and continued our voyage. Since we already trod this area, our adventurer became smooth and swift. After a few hours, we arrived at the ce where we left earlier.

    Within a few miles ahead, we would finally reach Alice in Bordend. But before we could even move from our ce, Kouran immediately sent a message to Wolf via chat.

    "This is Kouran speaking. I found out that the traitor would leave the pirate group within a week. If that happens, I would trail him and absorb everything he has to say about the shelter. Do I have to kill him or restrain his movements?" Kouran asked.

    "No. Don''t even bother killing that yer. Let him live and give the higher-ups false information..." Wolf said, but corrected himself afterwards. "Actually, save him when the timees."

    "Save him? Apologies, but I have to return to my post. Thank you."

    After their exchange, Wolf steered the wheel forward and cruised against the mini-whirlpools. Those twisters did nothing on our ship since Kouran and her elite elves upgraded our raft earlier. They did not add materials, but cast some protective spells they knew would protect us from sinking. Those dark elves exined the dwarves taught them these spells, which would be handy in the future.

    Kouran and the others could not believe their eyes when the time finally came to cast those protective barriers.

    But as we progressed, the sea creature that we feared came into my mind. Match had the same idea as she opened her eyes and met mine.

    "THE KRAKEN?!" we shouted.

    Despite our warning, we were already toote. The water surrounding us created waves that wiggled our ship, regardless of those protective measures. After a few minutes, a shadow emerged underwater, swimming right past our raft.

    That shadow had multiple tentacles that reached the size of a mammoth. It was around sixty feet in length that swam like a shark around our boat. None of us could picture the Kraken clearly despite its shadow, which only instilled fear in our minds.

    "Hold on!" Wolf said, and tried changing the course of the ship.

    But the Kraken had already tackled the boat, which destroyed the barriers instantly. Thousands of sparks emerged at the ship''s bottom, showing that the shields got dismantled. The shadow, which we saw before, moved ahead, waiting for us to continue forward.

    "We need to retreat right now and form a n!" Ryoshi screamed, which we all agreed.

    Despite having four members on the ship, wepletely forgot about the sea creature lurking around Alice in Bordend. Since we finished the events with the pirates, the Kraken went outside of our heads, iming it was an unnecessary thought for us to fight.

    But s, that proved us wrong. We could barely even see the creature, and we already knew we couldn''t fight it. None of us even had the proper elemental magic that could fight something underwater.

    Ryoshi was about to fire his electrical bolts to distract the Kraken out of fear. Fortunately, Okami saw thating and hindered him from firing those bolts.

    But it was toote. A dart came flying towards the Kraken, hitting it at the centre of its body. Within a few seconds, the sea creature erupted. It created water pulses and waves crashing against our ship, nearly sinking our raft.

    Our boat miraculously survived the tsunami, but we ended up far away from the site.. Upon opening our eyes, the Kraken emerged half of its body out from the ocean, revealing its hideous skin and mouth.

 Chapter 146 - The Kraken (2)

    The Kraken had an imposing size, like the citadel from the kingdom. I could even argue that the head had the sizeparable to our ship, which catered three people with dozens of cabins inside. Each tooth of the Kraken reached around a cabin''s room, which instilled fear inside our minds.

    As the Kraken rose from the water, the sea creature''s mossy skin greeted our eyes. Some of Kraken''s flesh burst open, greeting us with its insides. However, within a sh, that flesh closed, leaving no opportunities for us to strike.

    We had no other choice but to run away from this fight, considering ourck of preparation against this godly beast.

    Our boat miraculously survived the tsunami, but we ended up far away from the site. The Kraken from behind refused to tail us and continued patrolling the area. It only meant that this sea creature wanted the site for its own, scaring everyone away from its ce. And if someone disrespected that wish, the Kraken would devour anyone who would stand in its way.

    "Thankfully, that Kraken did not want us dead. If that bad boy was hungry, we would have be the Kraken''s dinner," Wolf remarked, while wiping the sweat dripping from his face.

    Even he, the strongest yer inside this game, felt shivering sweats after witnessing the Kraken. Judging by Okami''s reactions, he already knew the features of the Kraken.

    Match and I both almost peed our pants after seeing such a beast. If we had not run away as fast as possible, all of us could have frozen in ce, unable to do something about the situation. Fortunately, thanks to Okami, we escaped the dreadful event and kept our hearts inside our bodies.

    However, Ryoshi had it rougher than any of us on the ship. A puddle of acrid liquid drenched his pants as he clung onto the rails. That guy puked all his meals, including that one we previously had from yesterday''s meal. He even shivered like a chicken showering in the rain, wearing nothing but a swimsuit and his bow and arrow.

    Well, Ryoshi was not wearing that attire when we encountered the Kraken. But he had his weapon with him at all times, since we were out in the open.

    "What are we going to do now?" Match asked, while staring at our faces.

    We were just lucky to escape from that violent Kraken, ready to kill us if he wanted to. But now that we had time, we needed to prepare some counterattack against that monster.

    "Okami, would my bows deal damage against that thing? If you''d ask me, I''d say that these arrows would not be enough to stop the Kraken."

    "And I don''t think my fire spells would do anything against a sea creature��. in the middle of the ocean,"mented Match.

    That girl had a point. Since Match could conjure ze magic, she cannot deal any damage to the sea creature around this ocean. That Kraken had immunity against fire magic, making Match''s spells useless for this battle.

    If she would use her wind abilities, Match could push the monster away, but not slice it with her spells. Match specialised with fire magic, and not wind abilities. She could use some spells, but those abilities could only do muchpared to the mes she had mastered.

    I, who could only rush forward to slit someone''s throat, considered myself useless. Regardless of activating my red right eye, I won''t deal with any damage against such a beast. But if Match could amplify my feet with those wind thrusters, I could close the distance and reach the Kraken''s front.

    However, it would take a lot of time before I could reach the monster. And if that beast noticed me hovering in the skies, that would be the end of me.

    Wolf could transform into his first form with the added abilities that Match could give. However, I doubted that strategy would be enough to take that monster down, considering its height. Despite Wolf''s agile capabilities, his level limited him from dealing with any damage.

    "Do we have any weapons inside this shop? The dwarves should have prepared something��.," Wolf asked, as he ordered everyone to search for possible weapons built in this boat.

    After a few minutes of looking around, we spotted some cannons that we could use against the Kraken. These cannons were the same as the pirate''s ship we fought before, but with added features.

    Thanks to the minds of those dwarves, these cannons had a faster fire rate. It also had a damage amplifier which enhanced all stones or materials inserted inside the cannons.

    However, the only downside of this artillery was its usage of arcane. Each strike would cost the one who fired some mana before it could actually discharge. As soon as the cannonball got released, the one who fired the mana would instantly get deducted. The system would also help track the usage of these magic problems, since we all had it with us.

    "But this is not enough!" shouted Okami, as he went back to the deck. "When I was still using my main ount, I had trouble killing this monster. That Kraken is a menace in the game! And I can''t believe the game developers for not deleting it inside Code!"

    "Why did you have trouble killing it? With your powers, you could have annihted everything," I retorted, and posed a question.

    "Yes," answered Okami. "Everything but Alice''s creations."

    "If you would look closely, that sea creature does not have any flesh besides its heart. That Kraken was Alice''s favourite pet, a squid, whichter on died with Alice. She also had some puppets surrounding her, which made this Kraken as both her pet and a puppet," Okami continued.

    Okami had always mentioned Alice and her legions of puppets. Pinhio, the puppet we met before, also mentioned Alice. That event led us to this ce and the obelisk we needed to collect.

    However, if Alice made the Kraken out of enhanced strings and fabrics, it only meant it won''t feel any pain. And if that monster could not feel any emotions and sensations, it could crash against us and suicide.

    I pushed those grim thoughts aside and continued talking with the group.

    "So, how did you deal with the monster? There should be a way to stop it, right? There''s nothing too overpowered in this world, especially a game, not unless for a god! Even you were not a god, Okami," Ryoshi eximed, while brushing his hands across his already crazed hair.

    "Well, Fenrir and I finished the job with ease," Wolf answered.

    "Fenrir?" I asked.

    Okami nodded. "Yes. Fenrir. I used my third form and gobbled up the beast. But that Kraken escaped or got revived by Alice. I definitely remember obliterating the Kraken into pieces��. I just don''t know why it''s still alive."

    Despite our exchange, none of us had an answer against the sea creature lurking ahead of us. We did not have any overpowered abilities or characters that we could use to fight against the sea creature.

    If we need to progress, we must defeat this monster in front of us. But that question revolved back to the first one, asking how to defeat.

    "You can still use that electric current, right?" Okami asked, as he stared into my eyes.

    I gave him a nod and replied, "Yes. Somewhat. But I can''t just summon it! I need some sort of lightning before even conjuring it with my own arcane."

    Despite redirecting the lightning at a different site, I could not summon any thunder shock. I could only transfer the electric current through my arms.

    "But I could try... I mean, I haven''t really thought about it," I corrected, while scratching the back of my head. "When are we going to fight that thing? We''re on a timer right now, since the soldiers are slowly catching onto us."

    "After an hour. You only have an hour to summon lightning and an hour for everyone to prepare the cannons and magic circles. We also need to monitor the ocean, since we''re floating around our enemy''s turf. If the worst happens, those hungry sharks would be the first ones to sink our boat."

    "S-S-Sharks? I''ve never thought about that!" Match shouted, while hiding behind my thighs.

    Although she had some brave moments to share, Match was still a little girl in my eyes. Match could still shiver and hide inside her shell whenever she felt afraid. And since we fought against soldiers and pirates, Match barely remembered other threats swam in the ocean.

    Luckily, none of the wild creatures rammed their heads against our ship. Okami and Ryoshi kept saying that those creatures could have done that if we were excreting more arcane than we should.

    Ryoshi fired multiple arrows in each direction of our ship. Within a few seconds, a sudden chime resounded around us.. That noise came from the barrier Ryoshi created to fend off the sea creatures storming beside our raft.

 Chapter 147 - The Kraken (3)

    "Now that I''ve protected our ship for at least an hour, I hope you could learn to control your lightning more," Ryoshi said, while checking for his arrows once again. "Do you want me to shoot you with my electric bows as your practice?"

    "Even though I''d hate it, I have no choice but to ept your offer," I answered, while shrugging my shoulders.

    The two of us went in separate directions, preparing for our roles in this sparring fight. But the only difference was Ryoshi would be the only one to attack, while I dodged and redirected all this electricity in his direction. And I also needed to be as fast as lightning if I wanted to control it.

    I already did that before, but luck was on my side. However, I needed to perform this now, or else we would die from the Kraken... There was also a slim chance that those sea creatures beside our boat would end our lives.

    We could just hope that Wolf would carry us to victory, since he was the number one of this game.

    "I know you hate me, but I don''t hate you. I also don''t know how this works, but I will fire my arrows as if I''m going to hurt you," Ryoshi warned, as he pulled the string of his bow. "Tell me if you want to start."

    "Ready when you are."

    After our exchange, Ryoshi fired multiple arrows in my direction. All of them produced sparks and blueish lights that instilled fear in my eyes.

    Within a second, those bolts finally reached me. But instead of catching and redirecting those arrows, which I exined before, I did nothing. Before I could even react, the arrows pierced my arm, wounding me instantly. Fortunately for me, Ryoshi lessened the damage of these shafts. But despite those nerfs, those bolts still packed a punch.

    "Are you okay? T-Tell me if that thundershock disabled your nerves... I mean your body," Ryoshi cried, and attempted to go near me.

    But with a wave of my hand, I instructed him to stay back while saying my fill, "D-Don''te any closer��. Just fire those damn arrows and do your job!"

    I did not want my frustration to get the better of me. So I stood from my ground and prepared myself for the second round of attack. Ryoshi shook his head while reluctantly firing that set of arrows at me. He did not want to hold back, since they needed me to learn to control lightning.

    And if I didn''t, those sea creatures and the Kraken would devour everyone on board.

    Match watched the scene without averting her eyes, hoping that I would ovee my obstacle. Wolf also had a worried expression in his eyes. But despite his anxious demeanour, that man still believed in me.

    "Come on, Red! You can do it! I know you can! My big sister can do it!" Match cried, while cheering at me in the back.

    "Come on, you bastard. I know you can do it," Wolf whispered.

    I did not know if those were the words that asshole said. But there was no doubt Okami continued cheering for me.

    However, all their efforts turned into waste as I failed my fifth attempt of redirecting the electric current��.

    Forget about redirecting that electricity��. I couldn''t even catch that element even if I tried.

    A sea of ocean slipped through my body as I continued getting up from the floor. But for the sixth try, my legs finally gave up, refusing to heed my instructions. I could even feel the buzzing sounds in my ear, mocking me for my failures.

    "How many minutes do we have before your barrier gets destroyed?" Wolf asked, as he approached us.

    "Twenty minutes. All the cannons, arrows, magic circles made by Match are already locked and loaded��. But I have no idea if those things would work against the Kraken," Ryoshi answered while scratching his head.

    "Change of ns��. We won''t use them against the Kraken. We would use all of those against these sea creatures banging our boat."

    It was urate enough that those pesky swimming creatures crashed their heads against our raft. Thankfully, Ryoshi''s imprable barrier bought us some time.

    But those shields would get checked when a dark figure emerged ahead of us.

    "He''sing!" I shouted.

    I was the first person who caught sight of the approaching Kraken. All of us knew this monster would only attack travellers who drifted around its territory. However, little did we know that this ugly squid followed us to the depths of the world, hunting for its next meal.

    "Is that barrier of yours imprable?" Okami asked, while transforming himself into his first form.

    No... It''s just a shield to protect us from physical attacks. Actually, your sister was the one who suggested that to me. And who told you that shield was imprable?"

    "My sister? Anyway, it doesn''t matter. We need to deal with that right now��. Everyone! Give this fight your best shot��. And try not to die."

    As soon as Okami announced those words, the Kraken emerged from the ocean and greeted us on our fore. That monster looked like a mixture of a squid and serpent, which made it more hideous than any monsters I had encountered. It even let out a screech that ruined my ears if it were not for the barrier Ryoshi ced beforehand.

    After listening to that violent speech, the Kraken dove back underwater and continued lurking around us. Before it could even target our boat, the Kraken gobbled the school of fish... or creatures as its appetizer. Now that the Kraken had filled its stomach, we would not feel surprised if that monster nned on attacking us.

    The ck clouds from before also entered our atmosphere from the back, bringing chaos wherever it went. We finally realised that the Kraken had a skill that could call a storm. But right now, we could not run away as we did before.

    We had to fight that monster head-on losing no one present on the ship.

    But the problem still stained my head��. I couldn''t use the electric strike, despite the training I had. As much as I wanted to admit this, it was not Ryoshi''s fault. It was mine, since I did not have the proper understanding of lightning. Despite those yer''s teachings, I found it tedious to digest the descriptions of thunder. It almost felt more magical than the skills and system I possessed.

    We also had a time strain of an hour, which further shortened when the Kraken arrived. Now that the party would start, I did not know any move that would be effective against this Kraken.

    But instead of idling around, I activated my right eye and called forth the power inside of me. Although this strength would not be enough to stop those pesky creatures, I still needed to do something about it.

    If Match, a mage who could only cast fire and wind elements, wanted to fight, I had no reason to back down this battle. And I wanted to protect Match from these creatures, while obtaining the obelisks from this game.

    The only way out was to push forward! There was no better way than to fight off an opponent that would grant us a ton of exp��.

    But the tides went against us even before we expected! The waves that the Kraken produced moved our boat to the side, disrupting our bnce. Those sea creatures alsonded on the deck, with their eyes ring at us and weapons aimed in our direction.

    Those monsters include lobsters, turtles, and even fishes that could live and move without water. Although, they did not attack as fast as we expected them to be. Those fishes would first ssh their way before even attacking us.

    But those turtles and lobsters became a major threat to us. Those lobsters and turtles immediately rushed in our direction and bombarded us with their attacks. The lobsters use their ws to reach our figures, while the turtles enhanced them with their shields.

    "And here I thought they would spin their shells and attack us��." Okami grunted.

    "I even thought they would use swords and nun chucks!" Ryoshi continued.

    Even without the Kraken, we already had trouble fighting against these minions. It became both a blessing and curse when these sea creatures fought us without the final boss.

    Match used her fire abilities and turned some of the sea creatures into cigars. Ryoshi used his electric bolts and stunned all of them instantly without breaking a sweat. Wolf cleaned all the minions up even before they could even attack. I took care of the nk and blocked our enemies'' path with my penitent''s de.

    Match also ced her wind element on us so we could hover in the air. But as soon as the Kraken noticed us flying around, it was time for the big boy to shine.

    "Match and Ryoshi, I want you to stay on the ship. Guard the boat and don''t let anyone or anything walk on our home. Do you understand?" Okami instructed.

    The two of them nodded and went back to their stations.

 Chapter 148 - The Kraken (4)

    Match and Ryoshi nodded to Okami''s words and eventually went to their stations. The two of them needed to fend off the creatures in our boat. If this ship sank, there would be nothing left for us to travel to Wondend.

    "Red!" Wolf called my attention. "I will attack the serpent''s eyes while you guard my back. If my attacks are sessful, we continue spamming our spells before retreating. Let''s see what would happen, okay?"

    "How am I going to do that?" I asked. "I still can''t control my lightning attacks! How am I supposed to protect you against that beast!"

    "The Kraken has tentacles popping out from the ocean whenever it would feel his life is in danger. And that''s your job. You need to keep those tentacles at bay before it could reach me," Wolf said, and nced at me for thest time. "Oh, and, Red? Try catching up with my speed. Look at me, ''cause I won''t hand out instructions from here and out. If I do, make sure to follow mymands... And whatever you do, don''t disobey it."

    As soon as he finished his sentence, Okami leapt from the ground and attacked the Kraken. I had no other choice but to protect his back and sides from the tentacles that he mentioned.

    Okami used his ws and struck the Kraken''s face. The squid had eyes, which the monster used to perceive its surroundings. Wolf tried deleting those orbs from its existence, wanting to grasp that upper-hand that we had.

    If we could take those eyes down, we might win this battle.

    Upon striking both the Kraken''s with his ws, Okami went to the side and continued spreading the damage. He glided at the Kraken''s behind and wreaked havoc across the monster''s fabricated skin, tearing it apart.

    As soon as Okami finished his blitz, he went backwards and triednding on an isted tentacle.

    However, that never went as smoothly as mine.

    It was like what Okami had mentioned. The tentacles appeared behind the yer, hoping that they couldtch themselves around Okami''s feet. Wolf assigned me this job, so there was no room for me to screw up.

    I did as Okami told me and battled against the tentacles, removing them from the equation. Those tentacles did not stand a fight against me. I could even argue that I had more trouble fighting against the soldiers and elite yers than these tentacles.

    But the problem was��. I had to deal with countless tentacles popping up every minute. I had no other way but to continuously hunt down these appendages and bring them to their miseries before they attacked Okami.

    If one of thosended on Okami''s feet, it would be game over for the rest of us.

    After dealing with fifty tentacles, I followed Okami andnded on the tentacle''s surfaces. I positioned myself close to Wolf so I could give him back up whenever he needed me.

    I also needed to predict Wolf''s next course of action using his eyes. If Okami looked straight ahead, I would sense that he nned on attacking forward. If Okami''s eyes nced at the sides, I would follow him and his chosen angle.

    It was all about being patient and observing his moves. Much to my surprise, this cat-and-mouse chase helped me enhance my speed, with the help of the wind magic from Match. If Match did not ce this spell on me, I would not reach Wolf, even with my red eye glowing.

    Okami finally decided and dashed to the Kraken''s right side. Wasting no moment, I tailed behind his back and became a shadow of his figure, defending him from these tentacles. As soon as I shed all the limbs, Wolf pierced the Kraken with his shadow ws.

    We did these attacks for several minutes, trying to chip away damage against this Kraken. However, no matter how hard Okami swung his hands, those ws dealt no damage against the sea monster.

    "Tch��. It''s just tickling it!" Okami eximed, while looking above.

    A red health bar appeared on top of the Kraken, telling me its current health. I did not always use it. But that health bar became a handy tool we could use to understand our damage.

    And as we already had expected, Wolf couldn''t stroke his nails inside the Kraken.

    The two of us went back to the ship and nned our next attack. But despite all that we could think of, none of the options seemed promising for this battle.

    "It''s no use, Red. I think the only way to deal with this is lightning��. And if we don''t have that, we can''t fight it!" Okami shouted, as he chopped a few of those tentacles obstructing our view.

    Okami spelt out the truth in front of my face. But despite listening to his words, there was nothing I could do about it. Even if I squeezed myself, I wouldn''t eject lightning sparks out from my body.

    The situation became worse when the dark clouds approached us. It was the same storm that almost washed our boat away from existence. We only survived that cmity because of me redirecting that thunder hailing from above.

    But I only did that out of luck, not with my skill. And luck did note to me as often as other yers and NPCs inside this world.

    "Can you redirect that lightning towards the Kraken like before? It would save us from all the trouble."

    "Like I''ve said, Okami. I can''t, okay? There''s no way I could redirect lightning-like before. I''m not a magical user."

    After our exchange, the sea creatures left inside the boat attacked us. Fortunately, Wolf and my reaction time saved our lives by counterattacking the monsters. Match and Ryoshi couldn''t fend off all of them, so some monsters reached our ce.

    But it was not their fault, since those two were still trying hard to eliminate these pests in front of us. However, that was not the end. With the storm dropping by, we had no choice but to fight under the roaring clouds.

    "W-We''re holding, Okami. Go fight the Kraken, and we''ll take the rest of these monsters for you," Ryoshi said, while motioning with his hands.

    Match gave me a reluctant nod despite her sweat continuously slipping from her face. There was without a doubt that this pair had trouble fighting against these monsters. I wanted to support them, but Okami needed my hand against this Kraken.

    "Red, we need to go! Right now!" Okami shouted, while gesturing for me to leap from the ground.

    Despite wanting to help Okami, my legs refused to heed my call. My toes pointed in Match''s direction, with my hands'' yearning to help her.

    However, there was no point idling around this deck, since this pair had it undercover. If I nned on joining their battle, Okami would be the only one fighting against the Kraken.

    "Are you sure you can hold against this horde of sea creatures?" I asked, before I could leave Match.

    "I-I will try!" Match said, while firing a zing sphere towards the creatures.

    I had no other choice but to believe Match''s words. After conversing with her, I jumped from the ship and shadowed Okami''s footsteps. He tried attacking the Kraken, but a sh of random lightning nearly struck him out of this world.

    Luckily for him, Okami dodged the speed of lightning and avoided instant death from it. But the thunder shock wounded his arms, forcing us to fall back from our previous position.

    We restted our attack and changed our course in the n, waiting for Okami to heal up his wounds. Because of his passive ability, his injuries healed quicker than a normal yer, which became useful in this fight.

    However, we still needed to break through that thick skin the Kraken had before we couldnd a hit. We also needed to use the element of lightning if we wished to kill that monster and progress on the ind.

    "Are you okay? Maybe the Kraken could control that cloud and produce those thunder strikes?! That is no coincidence, Wolf! We need to think of something!"

    "You may be right. But those clouds are not in the Kraken''s favour��. Look closely."

    As soon as Okami mentioned those words, my eyes witnessed the greenish liquid forming around the Kraken''s skin. It was the same spot that Okami dodged the lightning bolt, which hit the sea creature''s front. Since that monster could not handle lightning well, that strike pierced through that thick skin and injured the beast.

    "We need to direct it somehow��. Someone has to take the bait," Wolf muttered, and dashed straight towards the Kraken.

    But as soon as he tried to mimic the thing he did again, that lightning finally caught him.

    Okami had the speed of a jaguar chasing for its prey. He was even faster than the bullets fired by those guns. However, Wolf could barely dodge the lightning bolts. Since he was not using his main ount, those lightning bolts moved faster than him.

    "C-Can you move?" I asked.

    Okami only shook his head at his reply.

 Chapter 149 - The Kraken (5)

    "I think I need to drink some potions... But I doubt I could move my legs after that��," Wolf murmured, while forcing himself to stand from the ground. "Embarrassingly as it is, my character can''t deal a blow against that monster��. or against Alice. Challenge me against yers, and I could defeat them. But against her��. I might lose, especially with this smurf ount."

    As soon as Okami finished his speech, he coughed out blood, which lowered his health points. He would not die because of blood loss, since Okami was still an overpowered yer. But despite those cheats that he had, that yer cannot handle the pet Alice had created.

    I carried Okami in my arms and dodged the iing attacks of the Kraken. Those blitzes made me realise I cannot fight the Kraken alone while transporting Okami to safety. So I had to retreat for now and ced Okami in Match and Ryoshi''s hands, far away from the Kraken''s sight.

    "Red��. you''re the only one who could stop that thing��. I-I need for five minutes before I could join your battle," Okami suggested, while gazing at the Kraken.

    "Can''t we just stay behind and n again? We can''t fight that Kraken like this!" I answered.

    "THERE''S NO TIME!" Okami shouted, stopping all my words from flowing out of my mouth. "You need to stop it, Red. Even if I regain my strength, we cannot beat that Kraken using my ws. We need lightning!"

    Okami was right when he said those words. We can''t just use the electric arrows and amplify our powers with that element. And since I was the only one who could theoretically control and redirect electricity using my arms.

    But that was our problem��. I cannot do it even though I tried.

    "Red��." Match called out, while firing her magical ze at multiple enemies. "I know you can do it! There''s nothing you could do, since you''re my big sister!"

    I did not know what to reply to that line after I lost all hope. But now that Match motivated me, there was no way for me to give up right now.

    A smirk emerged from my mouth as I replied to the magical girl. "Of course, Match��. Of course. Anything for you, my little sister!"

    Match did not rece my deceased sister, Clementine. Match also became my sister, who travelled with me throughout this trip, taking down the uwful game developers behind their curtains. Since the two of us shared the same pain, we wanted to restore the bnce of this world.

    Iunched myself high above the ground and red at the dragon-sized monster. But the Kraken had an original n as it attacked me with the rest of the tentacles, with the rest of its limbs popping underwater. I, who already knew the pattern of this monster''s attack, dodged it with ease. There was no room for me to make a mistake, so I easilynded at the tentacle''s surface.

    However, this was just the start of our battle. I still needed to wait for the lightning and redirect it against the Kraken. It would always be an ideal event if I could control electricity and use that element afterwards.

    But it was an obnoxious wish that could lead me to my downfall.

    "Come on, you ugly bastard. Show me what you''re made of!" I shouted, attracting the Kraken''s attention.

    That monster took the bait andunched its violent attacks. It tried sweeping me from the surface, using its other tentacles hiding behind its back. But the speed of this monster was nothingpared to all the opponents I faced, including Okami.

    But the real thing came to me as the clouds above the sky drifted to my figure. ring sounds echoed throughout the battlefield, which came from those thunderbolts shooting from the sky. Those lightning bolts were my only ticket to win this fight.

    So I had to give it my all, or else we would all die from the Kraken.

    After evading a few more tentacles from the Kraken, I reached my head and bounced my way above the clouds. I somersaulted and hovered through the windy sky, just below the gurgling dark clouds.

    "Come on, lightning��. Hit me!" I dared, and narrowed my eyes.

    I reached out my hand forward and waited for the lightning strike! Those limbs chasing my behind won''t have the chance to get my feet, since I was already flying in mid-air.

    Upon waiting for a few seconds, the clouds granted my wish and zapped me with everything they had. I extended my hands while reaching out to the heavens above, hoping that I could do this right. I wanted to close my eyes, but I needed to see this electric current.

    And that... the time finally came and challenged me.

    As soon as the sparks electrified my body, I panicked and jerked at my side. The lightning bolt touched my hand and even entered my arcane nerves. But there was some unforeseen force that kept me at bay.

    My eyes sparkled like a million stars and illuminated me in this heated battle. Although the damage of the electrifying currents drained my health points, it was not enough to kill me. That thundershock did not even paralyze any parts of my body. But it attacked me as if it was a beam of some sort.

    I fell on the deck and rolled to the side, while gripping my abdomen from the unbearable pain. I could hardly breathe air from my lungs thanks to the damage I received from the clouds. But upon witnessing everyone''s eyes, I picked myself back from the ground and leered at the Kraken.

    "AGAIN!" I shouted, while dragging my numbed feet towards the sea creature.

    My teammates tried yelling for my name, but Wolf stopped them. He raised his hand and gestured to Match and Ryoshi to perform my job.

    He finally found the strength Wolf had been looking for and went behind me. Our positions got reversed.

    Wolf became my shadow, and I was the one leading the attack.

    I charged straight at the Kraken for the second time and avoided its attacks. But I did not need to focus on those tentacles, thanks to Okami protecting my back. If he were not there for me, I would have struggled to charge by now.

    "GO, RED! I WILL HANDLE THESE! JUST GO!" Okami said, while his body got screwed by those pesky tentacles.

    Those limbs, which came from the Kraken,unched themselves upwards and attacked Okami. However, that yer defended my rear and swiped them off using his ws. His barrage of attacks bought me some time to arrive on top of the Kraken''s head.

    The scene repeated itself once more��. I somersaulted my way and hovered at the sky with nothing on me but my penitent''s de. However, that dagger became useless against this Kraken. So I had to rely on myself and my courage charging against the darkened clouds.

    The storm finally sent its devastating lightning strike onto me, hoping that it could kill my figure. I, who feared repeating my mistakes, closed my eyes.

    "I don''t want to die��."

    Those were the words that escaped my mouth. Although dying would mean I would see Clementine again, something pulled my leg. It tugged it so hard that it made me open my eyes from fear.

    Every cell inside my body shivered. But despite that frightening feeling, my heart remained calm as the willow leaves.

    Upon looking below, I saw Clementine''s face pushing my feet upward. There was no way Clementine would still be alive in this world��. not unless I would die, eventually.

    "Big sis! Don''t give up, okay! I''ll push you forward!" Clementine said, while maintaining that smile on her face. "If you give up now, you''ll meet me sooner thanter!"

    "Aren''t you dead! C-Can I meet you again!"

    Time moved slower in this realm, considering that I could see a ghost. So we had the luxury of exchanging words right now��

    But that moment would soon end as Clementine shifted her face.

    "I''m already dead, Red! And you know that! But I know you won''t forget me��. I know you have a good heart, Red! I believe in you! Don''t ever change your heart, even if I''m dead!"

    After saying her fill, Clementine slowly vanished before me. Her body disintegrated into nothingness while saying her ultimate goodbye for me.

    I watched Clementine die for the second time, breaking my already shattered heart. But that urrence kindled the mes inside my heart, motivating me toplete this task.

    "This is for you, Clementine!" I shouted, and finally opened my eyes.

    Upon breaking free from that realm, the lightning strike before me became sluggish like a turtle! It surprised me that the electric current turned crystal in my eyes as it went through me like a lightning rod. As soon as the thunder went inside my body, my system announced something that helped me redirect this lightning.

    [Congrattions, Red! You have unlocked the lightning element!]

 Chapter 150 - The Kraken (6)

    [Congrattions, Red! You have unlocked the lightning element!]

    [Lightning element travels around 350,000 kilometres per hour. Your electric shocks would use the user''s arcane as its power source against your target(s). Basic lightning skills would not have any cooldown, except for unique abilities the yer would learn. You could also redirect lightning strikes to any wished ce, regardless of your arcane capacity.]

    It was what the system had mentioned. Before I could even read the descriptions, I absorbed the lightning and controlled its direction towards the Kraken. And since that sea creature did not like thunder, it was the perfect weapon to kill it.

    "I will��. going to have sushiter!" I screamed, whilst nning my revenge against this monster.

    Sushi was a delicacy brought by the Japanesemunity inside this game. And since we were in the middle of the sea, having something like raw fish (sea creatures like Kraken) could motivate us on this journey.

    The electric shock pierced through the Kraken''s skin, destroying it into pieces. The indestructible monster got sted into pieces, thanks to the lightning bolt I received from the storm.

    A mammoth-sized hole emerged in the middle of the Kraken, killing the creature instantly. The Kraken''s gallon of blood burst like a fountain in front of me, drenching me with its acrid smell. But I did not mind the stench, since killing the Kraken was my utmost priority.

    I would just avert my gaze from the Kraken if that monster died before. If this lightning strike did not kill the creature, I would harness the thunder''s strength and do it again! Now that I could control lightning, fighting this stupid sea creature would be a piece of cake.

    But my optimistic thoughts got burned away as the Kraken revived itself in ourst fight. Despite sting its face, the tentacles had a mind of their own and attacked everyone on sight, including the sea creatures. It could not distinguish any friends or foes as it continuously bombarded everyone with its blitz.

    Wolfunched himself in front of our group and protected both Match and Ryoshi from the tentacles. He also needed to defend them from the crawling sea creatures, wanting to take my team down with them.

    I did not have the luxury to help them, since I was up against the Kraken. And I was the only one who could stop this beast from ravaging any further against our ship.

    So instead of adding myself to the dock, I dashed straight at the Kraken and added a boost to my penitent''s de. Now that I could use lightning, enhancing my equipment with that element became second nature to me.

    With a heavy heart, I sliced the Kraken using my own lightning prowess. I did not let a moment slip by and ripped the monster apart. I slid down to the sea creature''s body and tore it in half while soaking myself from the spurting blood.

    Despite this greenish liquid, I continued amplifying my damage and dove underwater. The Kraken still had its body connected below the ocean, which made it look alive.

    "But by electrocuting the entire ocean, I could kill all the sea monsters, including this Kraken!" I murmured.

    It was what Ryoshi had mentioned. If I wanted to eliminate all these threats, I had to resort to this widespread electric shock. This ability could kill anything touching the ocean around a hundred kilometres in my surroundings. I would apply all my arcane to this attack and spread my lightning across the marine environment.

    Hence, killing this Kraken and its minions.

    However, that was not the end. Before I could do that, I needed to inform Okami and the others, especially if it would involve risking Match''s life. If the sshing waves hit someone, that person would instantly die before anyone could save them.

    But I was already underwater before I could even think of this solution. If I swam back up right now, those tentacles would protect the root of this Kraken, hindering me from diving any further. I could enter the water''s depths, but it would take me hours to do it since I would fight those tentacles.

    It was now or never if I wanted to kill this sea creature. There was no time left, considering all the possibilities imprinted inside my head.

    "Ryoshi��. I hope you could do something about this!"

    I could only hope that there was some Science behind this overchargeing from my powers. Even though I hated that person, he still had some tricks up his sleeve. And now, we needed his ideas more than anything in this fight.

    When I finally reached the bottomless pit, the Kraken''s body weed my eyes. The monster had a round body, with all the tentacles creeping out from it. It was like a forest made of nothing but limbs that came from a squid.

    Those limbs tried attacking me as soon as they noticed my presence. But right after noticing that they could not reach me, those tentacles retracted and remained static in ce. However, that calmness would notst for long, considering that the Kraken already perceived my presence.

    "It''s now or never!" I shouted, and conjured every arcane stored inside my body.

    I did not want tond my spell from above, considering the distance this lightning bolt would travel. Nobody taught me about Science, and how lightning would work inside this world. But I grasped my guts and dove through my beliefs, hoping that we could win this battle.

    It was like what I did before, but I needed to distribute my arcane toward my hands. This technique would usually mean suicide for some yers if not handled correctly. ording to my system, by draining one''s arcane, that yer would undergo paralysis, which would hinder that person from moving. Since all the mana inside someone''s body got eliminated, cells would rm themselves and disrupt the nerves.

    But that effect was just a possibility, meaning I could avoid getting that route. If I could just add just one arcane inside me, my body shoulde out fine.

    After a few seconds, my hand glowed like a star in the dim night. Everything surrounding me became warm and fuzzy, creating a sense offort around me. But my power came not from light. It came from the lightning bolts cruising through my veins.

    The light carried in my hands fended off the tentacles as all of them retreated to their mother. In a sh, I surrounded myself with a shell of thunder, zapping everything that wanted to harm me. Those sea creatures who slipped through the ship tried hitting me from the back. But the thundershocking from my spell was more powerful than them.

    As soon as Ipleted my skill, I hurled my magical ball of lightning towards the Kraken and spread the lightning spears in every direction. My system named the attack as [Electro Ball], which nearly consumed every ounce of mana inside of me.

    Exhaustion finally hit me like a truck, but I refused to give up right now. I needed to hold this lightning sphere for at least five seconds before utching my hands from it.

    Time moved slower than usual, especially when the dire event pped out front. But my efforts rewarded me with our victory, as I stalled exactly five seconds for my lightning ball to work. And when the ball finally did its thing, everything, including the Kraken, died a speedy death.

    The lightning did not affect me, since that power came from my spell, not from other forces. And even if it came from nature, I would still be alive, considering that I could absorb that lighting inside of me.

    But because of the risk of that spell, my body refused to heed my instructions. I could not swim or sweep my arms even though I desperately tried. It was as if my muscles lose their willpower to do their own thing, regardless of me shouting underwater.

    Billions of bubbles fled from my mouth as I kept gasping for air, which I didn''t have. I kept wiggling my body, climbing the ocean like adder.

    But s, the water imed my body.

    I lost the energy to fight back and let my body sink into the bottomless pit. I floated alongside the corpses of the Kraken and the sea monsters. After a few seconds, I would die beside these creatures without getting my revenge on the game developers. I did not even have the chance to say my goodbyes to Match. She still might wait for me on the surface.

    And since my team won the battle, Okami and the others would feel relieved at first without thinking of me.

    But that thought proved me wrong when someone tugged my hand upwards. Gravity hopelessly tried pulling me back, but the swimming man fought against all odds. And within a few moments, that man threw me upwards andnded me on the deck.

    "Way to go, Ryoshi! You saved Red! You''re the only one who could swim!" Okami shouted, but my mind��.. could not think anymore.

 Chapter 151 - Red, We Won....

    Match''s Perspective

    ___________________________________

    Suddenly, the big ''ol monster stopped attacking us. All the tentacles roaming around the ce fell like flies when they approached the zing fire. It was as if all the mana left inside its body, which ended this gruesome battle.

    "Did we win?"

    "I guess��. It''s over."

    The two yers asked each other as we all witnessed the scene. But with Okami''s reassurance, the three of us realised we had won the arduous battle, having no casualties on our side.

    However, my mind couldn''t celebrate our victory. As I looked around, the familiar face of my sister, Red, did not wee me.

    Red would always be the first person to pounce on me and rub my head. She would praise me and my techniques during this battle, hoping that I learned something out of it. But that did not happen right now.

    Despite waiting, Red did not show up, even after the Kraken froze to its death.

    "Red! We need to save Red!" I shouted as loud as I could, hoping that these yers would hear me.

    Fortunately, Okami and Ryoshi lent their ears and turned their faces towards my figure. Upon realising my words, the two of them snapped out from their nk expressions and dashed straight towards the surrounding.

    Okami had an original n and dove under the ocean. His eyes were dead set at the bottomless pit, hoping he could see Red floating somewhere there.

    Okami''s figure slowly vanished from the water as he went deeper into the abyss. Ryoshi and I could hardly see his image swimming underwater despite squinting our eyes. Within a few seconds, a turbulent twister emerged from the ocean. Okami afterwards sshed upwards, carrying someone in her arms.

    Okami finally ced Red on the ground as we all stared at her sleeping body. Nobody knew except for me that something critical had happened to her.

    "Way to go, Ryoshi! You saved Red! You''re the only one who could swim! I should''ve enrolled myself in a swimming lesson if I knew this was going to happen," Okami shouted, while catching Red''s unconscious body.

    But I knew something better than these two idiots had imed. Red did not just drown from the ocean. Her entire body was in danger!

    "RED!" I shouted, but Red did not receive my energetic tone.

    Instead of scoffing at Red, I went towards her and checked if she was okay. Upon arriving beside Red, she barely opened her eyes while raising her hands. She wanted to pat my head but couldn''t.

    Since there was no time to spare, I opened my system and checked her mana capacity. If someone lost all of their mana, that person would instantly die. It was because the mana supported the structure of our body. And if that arcane disappeared, all the muscles and bones inside would tear itself apart, which would eventually kill the person.

    I was a magic-user. So learning these threats became second nature to me. I did not want Red to worry about my well-being, considering that she allowed me to stay by her side during battles. And if our positions got reversed, I would have wished the same thing.

    "No! Red! You got to snap out of it!" I cried, but my tears would not save Red.

    I had to do something before Red would die in vain.

    But after contemting for a few moments, an idea flew inside my head. But that spell was not something that I could take lightly. It was sorcery that could harm the mage if the sorcerer was not carefully conjuring the magic.

    However, how could I abandon Red when she was right in front of me? If I remained idle, Red would slowly die from her body. That magical disease would away all her healthy cells, which would eventually kill her.

    "Get out! MOVE!" I shouted, and shoved my hand against the two yers.

    Ryoshi and Okami got surprised and moved away from my fore while raising question marks on top of their heads. Ryoshi wanted to question my words, but Okami trusted me with everything he had. He extended his arms and motioned Ryoshi to shut the heck up for a few minutes.

    "We need to trust the kid. Match might have something under her sleeves," Okami eximed, and narrowed his eyes.

    He ced all of his bets on me, despite knowing the weight of this moment. I did not have the time to thank him and ced my hand on top of Red''s chest.

    I nned on transferring most of my mana to Red, since she already ran out of it. All I had to do was pour my bucket of magic to Red and pray for the best.

    But that was my problem. If I pour too much, I might receive some life-threatening side effects because of the sudden loss of my arcane. But If I poured too little, Red would reject my mana and could release all my efforts down to the drain.

    Despite knowing these consequences, I shook off all my uncertainty and did my best with this procedure. As soon as I shared my mana with Red, my strength also fled away from me. It was as if I ran a couple of miles away and swam the briniest ocean just to reach this ce. And when I finally had time to rest, someone bombarded me with a barrage of sucker punches on my entire body.

    It was now five minutes since I transferred my mana, but the process never stopped from there. I needed at least another five minutes of maintaining my bnce before quitting this job. And if I surrendered now, all my efforts would go to waste, and I wouldn''t save Red.

    She was my sister, after all.

    Tears cascaded from my eyes as if it was a waterfall. My vision became blurry as I continued pouring my arcane to Red. But within a few minutes, a pair of footsteps went towards my side.

    The two yers finally reacted and tried wiping off the salty liquiding from my orbs. Ryoshi conjured a freezing arrow and created a cool environment for me to handle. Okami wiped my face using a clean fabric stored inside his pockets. As soon as they dried my eyelids, I resumed the procedure and kept my head on the game. I swore to myself that I would never close my eyes and il my body.

    "Thank you," I whispered, while maintaining my focus on Red''s crippling figure.

    After a few more minutes, we finally hit the five-minute mark. That striking of the clock only meant one thing, and it concerned Red.

    I pulled out my hands away from Red and waited for the results. We needed Red to open her eyes and feel her surroundings. And if she didn''t��. there would be nothing left for me to do but join her.

    "Come on, Red��. Fight it... Wake up��." I prayed, while staring deeply into her closed eyes.

    I gritted my teeth and crunched my nails while waiting for Red''s awakening. But after those few seconds, Red did not move a muscle. Red never reacted to the magic, despite tapping her shoulders.

    "Match��." Okami mumbled, while resting his hand on top of my head.

    But I refused anyone''sfort and removed Okami''s hand from my body. The only person who could touch me was Red��. There was nothing in this world that would rece our bond between Red and me.

    I wept for the second time because of Red''s unresponsive body. The two yers did notfort me, knowing that I needed to vent all this sadness stored inside my mind.

    The feeling of loneliness covered my head, haunting my soul. As if it was not enough, losing arcane inside my body finally kicked in. The side effects unravelled, creating a throbbing pain in my entire body.

    But I couldn''t scream or do anything about it. Since Red had finally passed away, there was nothing I could do but join her side.

    However, before I could take my life, a soft sensation warmed my hands. And when I stared at my fingers, Red''s palm rested on mine.

    "R-Red��. RED! YOU''RE ALIVE! THANK GOODNESS YOU''RE ALIVE!" I shouted, while dancing on the ground.

    I dashed straight towards Red and embraced her with everything I had. But Red couldn''t return my strength as she slumbered around my arms.

    "Thank��..you," Red answered me with her weakened voice.

    She desperately tried looking into my eyes before sleeping around my arms. I caught her unconscious body and rested her head on my thighs. Red slept like a baby when she stayed beside me.

    Red had never slept for days when we first met each other. If I wanted to be an honest mage, this aftermath let Red recharged herself for the time being.

    As soon as Ryoshi and Okami knew Red''s condition, the two of them fell backwards and heaved out a sigh. They carved their mouths with a smile, knowing that our teammate survived.

    "

 Chapter 152 - Clement And Red

    Red''s Perspective

    ____________________

    A glimmering ball of light flew around me as if it was a firefly illuminating my head. But the luminance never nestled on me as it kept buzzing around my figure.

    "Hello! What are you doing?" I asked the bright sphere, but no one gave me an answer.

    After a few seconds, the round gleam fluttered away from me, motioning me to follow its figure. I had no other choice but to heed the light''s instruction as I proceeded to the endless road.

    I didn''t even question this eerie ce, despite this darkened realm. All I knew was that I needed to follow this lustre, hoping it would lead to something special.

    "Wait! Come back!" I called out, but the light did not listen.

    It even razed away from me like a machine that the dwarves would have created. But I never gave up and pursued the radiance, wishing that I could touch it at least once.

    But the distance never shortened, even though I ran for a few miles. That brilliance slowly faded away every time I took my steps forward. And within a few seconds, my body finally reached its limit. My legs begged for some brief rest as I gasped for some gallon of air.

    "D-Don''t leave me!" I cried.

    However, the light never heard my voice. Within a few moments, that glow disappeared, leaving me alone in this world.

    Upon kneeling on the ground, the floor shook my bnce. Fortunately, I was already kissing the floor, or else I would have fallen right now.

    "What''s going on? Where am I?" I asked.

    I should fight the Kraken and its minions under the ocean. I finally conjured the lightning element out of my hands��.

    But even after achieving those feats, the world gifted me this obsidian realm. And the light that symbolized my hope vanished before my eyes. It was as if my dark age woulde in my way��. soon.

    The sounds of someoneing rendered inside my ears, warning me about a dangerous urrence. But despite these threats, my legs refused to stand on their own, considering the energy I lost while chasing for that light.

    "So, you''re finally here, Red."

    A familiar voice echoed through my ears, paired with the footsteps stomping in my direction. As I raised my head, a figure of a man dressed in silver armour greeted my eyes.

    "You�� You''re the one from my dream��."

    That dream was a nightmare worth forgetting, since it had Match dying before me. But since my mind only created that false phenomenon, I never really thought about it. Now that I witnessed this soldier for the second time, I needed to be cautious.

    "This ce is not a dream, Red. All of this is part of the game. And I have the power to show you scenes that the game developers know," the soldier eximed. "It''s a scene that will happen soon, once we meet. I aming for Wolf and you. My father wants to hunt you down."

    Those words that the mysterious knight struck a nail inside my head, telling me that this world and mine remained unchanged. I struggled to believe the knight''s im, considering I did not know this person��. or NPC.

    "You''re��. Hiro, right? That''s the name you introduced yourself to me��"

    His name lingered inside my head. How could I forget when he was the one who killed Match in my nightmare? I tried preparing myself for the worst, waiting for him toe by throughout my trip. But the man named Hiro never showed up in front of me.

    After a few days, Hiro finally revealed himself inside this realm.

    "So you remember me. Father will be proud if he finds out you know me!" Hiro said, while circling towards me. "And since I''m running out of time, I might as well tell you my real name. Hiro is also my name. But it''s just my in-game name and not my real name. And I believe you know these terms, right? You''re an NPC who has a mind of its own, just like you. Your presence also spreads around Code. Some NPCs have already teamed up to fight the yers! I can''t wait to kill them! Just like you killed those leaders to stir up this death game."

    "Then what is your real name?" I asked, while getting to the point.

    I clenched my fist after hearing thetter part of HIro''s sentence. I could only guess that this boy knew I was the person behind the curtains. And thanks to the revolts of other NPCs, the yers outside this game had no other choice but to eliminate all NPCs.

    If I were the one who created this game, I would have done the same thing.

    "My name is Clement Asimov. That''s the only thing that you need to know��. for now."

    After saying his ultimate words, Clement raised his sword and shed it against the darkened wall. As soon as the de collided with the ck entity, the barrier shattered into a million shards, destroying this ce.

    "We will meet again, Red. After taking that obelisk from Alice, we will meet again."

    Those were thest words spoken by the knight before disappearing at my fore. The world around me slowly became distorted as it hauled me into the abyss.

    I desperately tried freeing myself from the ck hole, but my efforts never rewarded me. After a few seconds, I epted my fate and awaited where the vacuum would lead me.

    ...��

    After the battle against the Kraken, I became unconscious and left my body to drown. But as soon as I breathed my first breath, my body became alive again. It only meant that someone had saved me underwater. And if I was still alive, it only served as one thing��.

    We won the battle against the sea creature defending Wondend.

    "Mmgh��."

    My mouth groaned in pain as I twitched both of my fingers. Dozens of leaves wrapped around my body, which kept me warm for the time being.

    Upon opening my eyes, the crisping sounds of wood burning from the mes entered my ears. When I slid my eyes sideward, the image of Match and Ryoshi sleeping together weed my eyes.

    "Thank goodness you''re okay," I whispered, while staring at Match.

    I wanted to caress her with my hands, but my body refused to answer my calls. I could only wait for my body to rest before doing anything else.

    "You''re finally awake."

    A recognizable voice called out for my attention. That person came from behind, but my body could not shift at my rear. Fortunately, that sound came not from an enemy I needed to fight.

    That noise came from someone I already knew.

    "Okami��.. Did you save me? Did you save Match?" I asked straightaway without beating the bush.

    Okami sat in front of me and the campfire while preparing a bowl in his hands. Before answering my questions, he took a spoon and filled the cup with boiling soup. After stuffing the container, Wolf went towards me and offered me the dish.

    "You need to eat or else your body won''t make it. Right now, Match''s spell is the only thing that''s making your body temperature rise."

    "Rise?" I asked, unsure what he meant.

    "Since you drowned underwater for a long time, your body reacted differently. Ryoshi was talking about homeostasis or some shit about you being cold. But in the end, he exined to us we need some resistance against this wind. Match cast a fire spell around you, which was thest mana she had stored inside her body," Okami continued. "You also lost a significant amount of mana. Match had to transfer her arcane to you right after the battle. Match also said that she nearly reced all of your money using her capacity. And that transferred mana is the thing that kept you alive."

    "Isn''t that bad? Draining one''s mana is something that she always tells me about," I retorted, hoping to touch Match beside me.

    But my hands never extended as I wanted, considering the aching muscles pulsating my entire body. They hindered them from doing anything.

    "Well, lucky you, the worst did not happen. Ryoshi also remembered something which saved both of your lives. And tonight, that girl slept like a log. After what happened, I''d bet she got tired. So Match needed rest and hit the sack before anyone else could," Wolf said, while looking at the skies. "How about you? Do you feel any pain or difficulty in breathing? Ryoshi said I should ask you these questions and wake him up if you have any."

    I shook my head and answered. "I could feel the throbbing pain around my limbs. But besides that, everything''s good."

    "How about you? Aren''t you tired after transforming into your first form and battling against the Kraken?" I continued asking Okami some questions.

    "I am. Those two are just as wasted as I am. But I can''t just rest because I want to.. Sometimes, I have to sacrifice some things so I can protect everyone, like you."

 Chapter 153 - Welcome To Alice In Borderland

    "I can''t trust your words when you''re friends with the one who killed my sister. You''re also a yer in this world, which makes you my enemy," I dered, while staring into Okami''s eyes.

    "Believe what you want to believe. You''re free to do whatever you want, Red," Okami answered. "But I told you before... You''re not my enemy, and I''m helping you because��."

    "Because?"

    Wolf ced the bowl beside me, stood up, and continued his sentence. "Because every time I see you, I see myself walking away from my sister. I didn''t kill Clementine or did anything to hurt you. But abandoning you felt like abandoning Himari��.. I don''t want that to happen," Okami said, and ambled towards the log.

    But before he could sit on the wooden board, I called out for his attention and asked, "Aren''t you going to feed me with that bowl?"

    Okami tilted his head to the side, confused after hearing my words. "I thought you hated me?"

    "I do....," I answered. "But I can''t eat that with my current hands. I can''t lift them, you know?"

    Wolf went in my direction and sat in front of me. He lifted the bowl and the utensils, scooped some soup, and fed me with the contents. I, who was fighting a battle against my stomach, couldn''t help but take Okami''s offer.

    The soup tasted like mixed herbs thrown inside, paired with some bird meat and berries on top. It had peppers and salt as the soup''s spices. Those spices also made the soup more ptable than I originally thought.

    It did not have a foul scene even with these second-rate ingredients. The boiling soup soothed my abdomen, which also rejuvenates my magic core. Since I filled myself with these nutritious meals, my body had finally regained some energy to crawl around. I still couldn''t move. But creeping on the ground was still progressing instead of having nothing at all.

    I could eat them for days, since I couldn''t move my hands and work on the menu. It did not taste that bad��. The soup justcked vour.

    "How is it? Match keptining about the taste, saying that it was funny. That girl even said that it''s a bit salty."

    "It tastes great. I don''t enjoy adding too much salt to my food. Match is just a kid. So she would like some meals that have dozens of species in it."

    We continued our conversation for a few minutes and spent our time gazing at the moon. Time flew fast, and Wolf''s shift would soon end.

    Okami stood up from his seat and cleaned the used te and utensil from my meal. He went to the campfire, added more dry wood, and went towards Match and Ryoshi. Those two refused to wake up even after Okami called them by their names. But Wolf lost his patience and shook their bodies. Match and Ryoshi both jolted from their sleep, wondering what happened and who woke them up.

    "Are we being attacked?! Okami! Is there something I could do!" Ryoshi shouted, while preparing his bow and arrows.

    "What''s wrong?! Is there a bug crawling on my skin?!" Match cried, while running in circles.

    But before he could jump her way back to the make-shift bed, Match looked at me while rubbing her eyes. Match''s half-asleep state juggled her brains, forcing her to remember what happened. As soon as she remembered, Match dashed straight towards me and squeezed both of my arms.

    "RED! YOU''RE ALIVE! I THOUGHT I WOULD LOSE YOU!" Match eximed, while drowning herself with her salty tears. "YOU�� YOU��.. AFTER BEATING THE KRAKEN, YOU LOST CONSCIOUSNESS... AND AND I THOUGHT YOU''RE GOING TO DIE. YOUR MANA IS AT ZERO, RED! ZERO! I HAD TO POUR MY MANA INTO YOU, BUT I LOST MY MANA AND��."

    "Shh��. It''s alright, Match. It''s alright��. Thank you for doing all of that. I''m alive."

    After reuniting with Match, the image of her death at the hands of Clement resurfaced in my hand. It was a scene that sent shivers down my spine, which slowly corrupted my brain. I embraced Match tighter in my arms and prayed that the event would not ur. And if I had the luxury of telling that tale, I would do so with her soon.

    As I lifted my head, the environment was not the ce I remembered. If I could recall my past happenings, I fought the Kraken and drowned underwater. But all of us did not stay on the boat. The cold ground touched my feet, with the towering trees obstructing my view.

    As I turned around, the ship I thought we lost nestled on the ground''s edge. Okami must have released the anchor when all of us arrived in this environment��. But the question still lingered inside my mind and remained unanswered.

    "Where are we? Why are we inside an ind?"

    My legs twitched as maracas shook by a beginner as I gazed into Wolf''s eyes.

    "We''re at the border of Wondend."

    With Okami''s answer, my mind confirmed that we finally reached our destination. But upon squinting my eyes towards the horizon, the scenery surprised me. It was as if someone cut off the ocean, which showed the iplete edge.

    As I slid my eyes around, the same setting addressed my eyes. There were lumps of clouds congesting in the distance, with birds flying overhead. The ind looked like floating from above, touching the sun from the heavens.

    "Is Wondend levit-,"

    "Levitating," Okami answered, and finished my sentence. "When Match saved you, our boat went towards a sudden whirlpool attack. But instead of sinking, the whirlpoolunched us above, leading to this ce. Our systems then warned us we were inside Wondend."

    "You could even look at Alice''s castle around a few miles away from here," Okami continued, as he pointed his forefingers at our fore.

    Okami told the truth. Upon squinting my eyes, there was a monumental structure resting around a few kilometres away from us. But the towering trees at our fore made it difficult for us to witness the citadel.

    "Ryoshi and I didn''t like the idea of moving forward without you behind us. But I already scouted our perimeters and found this."

    Okami opened his inventory and handed us armed puppets, wielding both staves and bastard swords. Those marites also wore magical tunics and enhanced armoured tes, dded with materials found in Wondend. The puppet''s levels hit around level 40 and above, which would make our journey hectic than those elite soldiers on our way.

    "These puppets are all soldiers working for Alice��. Actually, Alice controls them from afar. She also must have sensed us when we arrived at her ce. After fighting Alice once, I already knew she prepared something for us before reaching her ce," Okami continued his exnation.

    "But why isn''t Alice attacking us right now? We''re exhausted after fighting that Kraken. If Alice nned on killing us, would dirty tricks eliminate our group instantly?" Ryoshi asked, while scratching his head. "If I were a viin, I would have done that already."

    As much as I hated Ryoshi, I agreed to his decisions. If I had this power, I would have ended the lives of those who wanted my downfall. I would not spare them even if these intruders wanted a fighting chance.

    However, that never happened. Instead of killing us off before even journeying towards the castle, Alice let us live. She sent off a few pawns to scout us. But besides those puppets, Alice never harmed our group.

    "I don''t know��. Usually, Alice would kill any yers or NPCs near Wondend, including the fishermen striding the ocean. Even this scene feels new for me," Okami confessed, while staring at the castle in the distance. "But even though Alice had yet attacked us, we must be aware of our surroundings. We''d never know when those puppets could attack us. And I believe there are hundreds of them out there lurking around the forest."

    "I can sense them behind those trees. But��," Match said, but she gasped at the next second. "Oh, wait�� They''re gone."

    Ryoshi readied himself to fire the bolts wrapped around his fingers. But as soon as Match dered that the anomalies disappeared, Ryoshi lowered his aim. He must have known that firing a random dart at the forest. We still did not know if we''re only dealing with puppets, and not other monsters.

    "We will wait for now. As soon as we''re ready, we need to tread in that forest. Our main goal is to find Alice and��."

    "Do we have enough firepower to beat her?" I asked.

    Okami always told us how powerful Alice was when he first fought against her. Wolf used his main ount when that happened. Now that Okami used her smurf ount, I had doubts if we could win this fight.

    "I think��. We should win. Because if we don''t we lose our lives," Okami replied, while hopping onto his bed. "Good night, everyone. I want to sleep for the time being."

 Chapter 154 - Alice In Wonderland And....

    Alice''s Point of View

    Epilogue for Volume 3.

    ___________________________________

    The days passed by, but the scenery never changed. This monumental citadel created by my father was thest antique ce I had. But with these arcanic chains, I can never move an inch from my ce.

    My golden gown-which made me a princess, tainted my title. Even the crown resting on my hand became a part of my body. The game developers attached it like the cement on the walls, paired with strings that I could control.

    Because of my body''syout, no sensation went inside of me. Every cell left inside my body turned into something sinister, which was far from any human or living species..

    However, despite my rants, no one dared to save me. I even called for a quest to heal my wounds and rescue the damsel in distress. But even with those mails, no yers went inside Wondend��. My Wondend.

    "Warner��. Asimov," I growled, while ring at the shadowy corner of my room.

    It was the person''s name who threw me here in this opened cell. After wreaking havoc against my kingdom, that man locked me inside my home, iming that I would be a dangerous threat��.

    Warner did not allow me outside, thinking that I woulde and kill him. He also ced a dome of magic surrounding this ind, hindering anyone from entering Wondend. That bloke even lifted the entire kingdom, making it difficult for other yers to reach this ce.

    Since I already knew that I was a part of his game, Warner felt the immersive threat inside of me. But there was one mistake that Warner made, which woulde back biting his tail.

    "You should have killed me, Warner!" I screamed every day, hoping he could hear my words.

    "Princess, I have returned."

    The voice came from the same spot I glued my eyes. I gritted my teeth andunched myself towards the ckened area, still with my orbs leering at my fore. But before I could even reach that site, my body went backwards, hauling me away from that designated ce. As I glimpsed back, the arcanic chain did it again and hindered me from my freedom.

    "Who are you?" I asked.

    There should be no one here besides Phantom, my father''s corpse, and me inside this castle. And if someone visited this graveyard kingdom, I would send them off towards Hel!

    "You called for me, Princess��.?" the eerie masculine voice replied.

    Two sharp eyes appeared behind the cloak of shadows, watching my every move. Even though these chains hindered my movement, that existence never attacked me when I was in my vulnerable state. Those vicious eyes had no intention of killing me, regardless of this condition. If I were a yer or a game developer, I would have used some cheap tactics to destroy myself.

    But that was the main problem. Nobody could kill me, even the ones who created me.

    Despite my feral instincts, the mysterious being pestered me about his identity. That creature kept telling me I knew the guy, even though I met no one before.

    However, after a few lines and a debate, the two of us finally agreed.

    "So you are the king of Dragonewts?" I asked, while staring at the charcoal corner. "Can youe out and show yourself to me?"

    "I willply, your highness, as long as you order your puppet to lower his weapon. You could also deactivate the magical barrier obstructing me from entering your throne."

    "And why would I trust you? A mysterious man who entered my domain asked the princess to lower the barrier. Give me one good reason before I could take your life," I retorted, while waltzing around the shield''s edge.

    The man cleared his throat and answered, "If my title doesn''t satisfy your taste, I will tell you this information for free. Since I could sense your interest in these people, you might want to know them."

    I raised my eyes after hearing the dragonewt''s words. Despite the game developers caging me inside my castle, I still found my means of learning about the world. And if this dragonewt knew the people that took my interest, I would lend my ears to help him soon.

    "Go on. I am listening," I replied, and finally stopped roaming around.

    When the dragonewt finally caught my attention, heunched three boxes, which came from a system.

    My eyes widened upon witnessing such a bizarre trait that this dragonewt had. Only the yers had these powerful systems, which made them gods, protectors, and enemies of Code. But this person, who imed himself as king, also had a system.

    Only a few NPC could have a title beside their names, excluding the yers and game developers. It was a special trait that the NPC had against the yers invading this game. That title could also be a valuable asset when used in battle.

    "I know where Red, Match, Ryoshi, and Wolf are. And I believe you know Wolf more than anyone in that group?" the hidden man announced, while blinking for the first time. "They are currently heading towards this ind. But without a map, they cannot reach your ce, Alice."

    I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you threatening me, dragonewt. You should probably know your position right now, despite being a king from your own kingdom."

    "No, your highness," the dragonewt replied almost instantly. "I am just here to offer you something... Something that the two of us desire."

    "But before I could disclose any information to you, tell your guard from the ceiling toe down. And if I see him, we could talk," the reptile bloke continued, while maintaining his eyes staring at me.

    That man lurking behind the shadows knew the existence of a bodyguard. Phantom was a puppet I created when the citadel was still a lively kingdom. He was always there for me when I needed him the most, especially when I faced impossible feats.

    "I am willing to negotiate, Alice. Just let your bodyguard stay on the side," the dragonewt repeated, while maintaining his fiendish aura.

    This peculiar man looked like he would be a considerable ally of the game developers. Within a nce, my gears told me I should listen to what this lizard was about to say.

    "Phantom! Will youe here for a second?" I called out, and motioned my fingers.

    An obsidian figurended on the ground from above. As soon as the puppet regained his bnce, Phantom confidently stood before me, with his hands gripped on the pommel.

    "This man is our ally. Lower your guard and let him through this ce."

    "But, your majesty, I cannot let anyone get near this��."

    "DO IT!"

    After hearing my scream, Phantom jerked backwards and shuddered. Since he finally witnessed my wrath, the puppet guard had no choice but to value my words.

    Phantom pulled his hand away from his weapon and lowered his head before me, apologising for his mistakes. I forgave my bodyguard and told him to resume his duties. He needed to stick by my side and protect me at all times, if necessary. But right now, we needed to gain this lizard''s trust before we could make a move.

    Phantom afterwards turned around and faced the mysterious man, still hiding from the shadows. My bodyguard knelt on the ground and conjured two magic circles in his hands. After a few seconds, the barrier in front of us disappeared, allowing anyone to enter the throne.

    As soon as this barrier deactivates, I could be vulnerable to any attacks. I was just a fragile doll with no weapons as long as these arcanic chainstched onto me. But if I could escape from these cuffs, my original power would return inside my body.

    And if that happens, I could finally change this world and make myself alive on that Earth!

    The dragonewt seized this opportunity as he finally moved out from the shadows. Soft sounds of footsteps marching in my direction echoed through the room. Those two ring eyes never lost sight of my figure, paired with the aura surrounding the dragonewt.

    After a few seconds, the lizard''s clothing emerged into the light. That man wore a cloak concealing his appearance. This reptile looked more like a trader than a king, despite his ims.

    "Are you mocking me, Princess Alice of Wondend? I thought you were a king?! Then why are you wearing such indecent clothes!" I growled, while averting my gaze.

    But within a second, the reptile, who was in front of us, disappeared. It even made Phantom react as he pulled out his sword.

    Within a split second, the reptile I mocked went in front of my face, greeting me with its mammoth tongue. The dragonewt did not equip himself with a weapon. But if this dragonewt nned on killing me, he would have already seeded.

    "I do not care about appearances, Alice. People know me as the Wandering Merchant. And if I wear a crimson cape with a crown on my head, people will never purchase my products."

 Chapter 155 - Prologue (2nd Strongest)

    Prologue

    Himari''s Point of View

    ___________________

    [Hello, Dawn! Wee back to ying Code! You are currently an S. support ss.] my system greeted me as soon as I was inside the vacuum linked towards the game. {Do you wish to change your appearance?]

    I immediately epted yes and chose an outfit that would make other yers second guess who I was. Since I also yed with my friends in school, they would know my attire and skills in the game. And if they recognised my identity, my ssmates could sell me to the government.

    If Warner found out about my brother and my existence, they would have probably detached us from the headgear or imprisoned us for a lifetime.

    After sliding the box, another box popped out. It was the system bombarding me with questions needed for veteran gamers..

    Veteran gamers differed from smurf yers. Veteran yers always used their ounts on any asion. They did not care if they had higher levelspared to other yers. The system called the yers who quitted the game for a long time veterans.

    Smurfs were mountains apart from the veteran titles. These yers were the trash group of the gamingmunity, considering their ego. Smurf yer''s only goal was to ruin beginner gamers inside Code.

    And a smurf yer I knew was my own brother, Okami. I didn''t know why, but my brother did not use his Fenrir ount when he went inside this game. If he had that overpowered character, he could have found Ryoshi instantly without breaking a sweat. And if my brother wanted to, Okami could have ended this death game within two days!

    I hated to say this, but my brother was more powerful than me. I needed twenty versions of myself before I could wound his face. But besides injuring him on the face, I could never stand beside my brother.

    Despite all our trivial quarrels, we still care for each other. Okami became the strongest yer inside this game for the sake of paying our bills��. It was for the sake of me.

    "Himari, remember all the things you need to know before entering this ce," I told myself, while recalling everything.

    The only information I had in hand was; my brother and his best friend and the emergence of soldiers trapped inside the game. Warner Asimov also imed that the only way to finish this game was toplete it. However, if I could even meet my brother, he probably knew a better way to fix this beta of a game.

    As soon as I ced my headgear, the game immediately started. Code, which was the game''s name, transported me into the game world.

    The game usually threw their yers around Maind, inside a tavern or an inn. Maind was a ce where humans, NPCs, and other creatures coincide, considering it was thergest ce inside the game. There were even merchants and adventurers that would wee new yers.

    However, that did not happen to me. When my feet reached the wooden floor, the entire kingdom made no sounds. It was as if everyone got muted as soon as I arrived at this ce.

    Upon walking through the window, the empty streets of Maind greeted my eyes. Those buildings that I knew since the day I yed this game became rubbles kissing the dirt. Every house from the road got trampled, but remnants of magic and arrows, while some had slicesing from swords.

    I could only guess that a big fight broke out from this kingdom. And the people hid because of themotions. But even though that possibility happened, there should be at least one person roaming around the ce.

    However, there was nobody there to greet me, not even a ghost lingering near the site. As I stepped my foot outside, the ashes from the structures touched my body.

    If this world was not a game, thousands of corpses would still upy these darkened roads. But because of the game''s features, those dead non-yer characters did not appear on roads.

    Seeing no carcass on the street, I could deduce that countless NPCs and yers died in this game. And if both parties perished, they would form both worlds.

    But before I could leave this ce, a pair of footsteps entered my ears. I hurriedly hid behind the building and used my stealth mode [Shadow Walk]. It was a skill that allowed me to move through shadowy spaces, even when the sun shined above.

    After concealing myself in the corner, the group of people finally arrived at the scene. Two adventurers, armed with guns, walked around the vicinity. They did not look like soldiers to me, but they had guns inside this game. The articles only said that the only yers who had guns were soldiers. But now, things drifted on the other side.

    However, that did not stop me from meddling around. If I wanted to save my brother and know about this world, I must dig deep into these urrences. And thanks to my current features, my character could overhear their conversations.

    "Why does Asimov love surveying this ce? I mean, just look at this shit hole! Will the NPCs even hide around these houses?"

    "Well, with all the NPCs roaming around, that man wanted us to kill all of them��. And there are rumours out there, saying that the NPCs formed a group."

    "A group of NPCs? Fuck, that''s a lot of enemies if they want to fight us. But even if they did, we still have our guns in our hands."

    "You bet we would win that fight! But I''ve heard his son is an NPC, right? I''ve heard about that kid��. I was watching the news, and the anchor said Clement died."

    "Clement? Asimov''s son? Oh shit! That''s some news you got there, man!"

    And the two adventurer''s conversation continued as they went ahead along the empty road. Their talk proved my hunches correct, considering that news came from our public source. Now that I went inside the game''s heart, I would better know the information spreading inside this game.

    However, despite being an overpowered character, I still needed two rules for me to apply. My first rule was killing no one but those who already threw their humanity. My second rule was finding a party to work with without asking for those adventurers.

    So my only option was getting my party members from NPCs��. However, I could only achieve that goal if I proved myself worthy of their time. Since we were facing a virtual war against yers and NPCs, those non-yer characters would feel dubious about my side.

    I wanted to help all the yers in this game. But I did not want to kill anyone besides those pests in society. If there were an option I could choose from, I would be a pacifist in this game.

    And I hope my brother could be that kind of person, too.

    I vowed to kill no one inside this game. Killing the yers in this game would immediately stop their hearts from beating because of the headgear. It was the NPCs'' wish. Not even the game developers could touch. And since it had alreadye to this, taking someone''s life in the game would make me a murder.

    "But that doesn''t mean I can''t knock them out, torture them, and squeeze some information," I mumbled, and leapt from the ground.

    I gracefullynded on the roof, making no sounds, thanks to the footwear my brother provided. But within a few seconds, the yers nced behind as if they sensed someone watching them.

    Only veteran yers or higher-ranking yers could only notice my presence. Those who did not possess such power could not perceive my existence.

    "What the��."

    Before I knew it, those two adventurers fired their guns in my direction, paired with the bulleting from their guns. Two magic beams zoomed in straight in my direction, followed by the shells. All those attacks had a considerable amount of damage that could kill even a dragon!

    But with that low-level skill, the speeding from their magic spells and weapons did not even reach my figure. I already left when they spotted me on that roof. And right now, I already hid behind the fallen house near the road.

    "Did we get her?"

    "You bet we did."

    Those two adventurers exchangedments as the smoke from my previous spot vanished. However, the corpse that the two expected did not appear from the roof.

    "I thought you''re better opponents, since you have a better toy," I eximed, while gazing at their modernized weapons.

    We lived in the days where we used our swords and magic. But these soldiers had to ruin the fun as they brought these guns into the game.

    I was just a support ss, for fuck''s sake. But now, I had to knock these two hoodlums out of the game. Fortunately, I still had the power to do that as I sprung into action.

 Chapter 156 - New Abilities

    Red''s Point of View

    ______________

    We stayed in Wondend for three days, resting and eating berries, fighting no one. I did not even know that shing with no one was still a possible scenario.

    But despite the idle urrence, the puppets hiding behind the trees kept monitoring our every movement. They remained concealed inside the forest, while using the trees as their camouge.

    Ryoshi and Match tried firing their projectile attacks at the woonds. But when the discharged particles came into contact with the trees, a barrier of some sort obstructed the assault, creating a st against it. Those magic spells did not go through inside the invisible dome, as they eventually imploded into fragments in the air.

    Okami and I tried scouting the forest. But the barrier we saw before never obstructed our way and let us inside the greennd. We tried using our spells inside the woond, and it worked.. Our magic circles activated each other even when we were inside the sea of trees.

    But since we did not have any long-ranged spell attacks, we could not get the credibility of our experience.

    So we had to bring Ryoshi and Match back inside the forest. Andpared to the previous results, those two could conjure their spells inside the forest, but not outside.

    We did not know if we could use that knowledge to our advantage. And the only side that benefited from this barrier was Alice and her puppets into hiding.

    ording to Okami, this dome protected everyone inside Wondend. When he first arrived in this ce, Okami knew nothing about the barrier. Well, he was more of a bruiser or warrior than a mage. So attacking Wondend from afar was not entirely his thing.

    "It''s protecting Wondend from mages that could destroy the castle. I mean, a single mage cannot deal with any damage against this ce. But if all the elite sorcerers went to this ce, they could at least kill dozens of those puppets in this area. Each puppet gives a shit ton of experience points to yers. Since the game developers requested to eliminate Alice, not the puppets, they created the barrier. If every yer levelled up like crazy, it would be unfair to other yers ying the game. And the game developers did not want the yers to abuse that feature. Plus, those yers had difficulties defeating the small fry of puppets. Those gamers also failed in defeating Alice, the strongest character in Code. So they sent me to clear this ce and control Alice in exchange for a couple of cash in hand."

    After hearing Okami''s exnation, he suggested we train in this ce before facing Alice. Since the puppets could give more experiences than defeating monsters, our abilities and power would increase as well.

    However, our problem was fighting against these puppets. Since these marites knew we wanted to battle them, none of those puppets would appear in front of us. Nobody wanted to give up their lives just to die on the battlefield.

    Despite having no brains or organs to feed themselves, these puppets knew how to survive on their own. Their will came from Alice, which became the source of their arcane. And since these puppets also guarded the forest, I doubt they would face us head-on without tasting their traps inside.

    "We need to be wary when we enter that ce. I don''t want any of us to die on the spot there, okay?" Okami eximed, while preparing himself to enter the forest.

    We were all doing the same thing, even when we already entered the ce. But as soon as we step foot in that forest, we might encounter traps and ambushes that the puppets orchestrated.

    "Besides the traps prepared by those puppets, we need to be careful about any magical circleing from Alice. She could link her puppets and ce her attacks on them. If that happens, I want Match to notify our group immediately. I would also warn everyone if I sense some arcane spike in the area," Okami continued, as we headed inside the forest. "If there are any traps in the vicinity, Red and I would be the ones deactivating those traps, since we''re the fastest members of this team."

    This mission required the strongest yer to tread inside Wondend. Match was still a kid that could not grasp her power within her hands. However, she wanted to be with me throughout my journey. So she would stay by my side and fight against these puppets some more.

    I did not want to use my gun, since it did not ensemble my personality. After countless arguments with my brain, I finally went with my original taste of the weapon. I nned on using my penitent''s de, despite the gun''s characteristics. But if there was a situation that I needed to use the gun, I would not hesitate to pull the trigger.

    As we counted to three, the four of us entered the forest. We immediately activated all of our unique skills while proceeding towards the citadel. We did not know how many enemies we would fight as we progressed towards the road. So having these strengthening abilities would increase our chance of winning our battles.

    Match activated her left eye, while I activated my right one. However, before we could progress from our ce, Match called our attention.

    After grabbing everyone''s eyes, Match exined the new abilities she received after leveling up from killing the Kraken. Now that she had mentioned it, we all levelled up after killing that mighty beast.

    Match learned a new skill called [Pyro Shield]. The spell would allow Match to harness the power of her mes and coat her body from any magical attacks. However, the barrier was not that powerfulpared to any armour from priests. But the [Pyro Shield] was still something, considering that it could also protect every ally if the yer wanted to.

    The only downside of Match''s new spell was the mana consumption. Match could cast the shield to anyone she deemed as a party member. However, the limited amount of damage the [Pyro Shield] could absorb was below the minimum. The spells it could contain were at the same level as average yers or mages in the game. If the [Pyro Shield] got hit any more than that, that shield would burst open. The yer would afterwards absorb the extra damage that the [Pyro Shield] could not block.

    Match demonstrated the spell out and enveloped us with each of our [Pyro Shield]. The barrier would protect us for an indefinite amount of time or if Match wanted to disable the spell. We could also disable the spell on our own. But Okami did not advise anyone to do that. Because if we did, that person would lose its chance to protect from an attack.

    After Match ced everyone with her skill, my eyes nced at the side. It noticed something that I did not recognize.

    It was also our first time witnessing Ryoshi conjure something different from the ones we saw before. When we asked him about the skill''s descriptions, he told us it was "zoom sight".

    It was a spell that helped him visualise the surroundings, especially distant areas. We could better use that ability if we were the ones ambushing our enemies. Ryoshi could support us if he could sense something moving in our surroundings without putting effort into his eyes. Since the ability dialled his power to eleven, Ryoshi could pinpoint the directions of projectilespared to a normal yer.

    Ryoshi''s bows would glow into a bright green colour, painting himself in an emerald-like design. Since his abilities mutated from the elves and mages, the verdant hue suited his taste.

    Wolf told everyone that he did not have any unique abilities, unlike Match and Ryoshi. But all his skills improved their durations, attack damage, critical hate, critical rate, and attack rate after levelling up. Those details were the crucial parts of his development, since he was our ace in the team.

    And when it was finally my turn, I checked my system and slid the boxes. However, instead of witnessing new skills, my system gifted me something else.

    "What did you get, Red?" Match asked, as she peeked at my system besides me. "I can''t see anything there, Match. What do you see? Is there even something in front of you, Red?"

    I shook my head and replied, "Yeah, there is a box. Wait. Let me just��."

    I slid my hand to the side and opened the box containing my gift. Within a few seconds, a rectangr window popped up, with the words written inside the box.

    [Congrattions oning this far, Red Rose! Because of your perseverance and guts, the system granted you the ability to morph your weapons! And since you already got three legendary weapons from Code, we would like to give you a special ability. You also levelled up from your previous battle. With all these things considered, here is your unique skill!]

 Chapter 157 - Combination Weapon!

    "A unique skill?" I mumbled, while epting what the system had offered to me.

    As I changed the page of my box, the system finally announced my unique skill. It was an ability linked with the number of species I interacted with and used their weapons. My weapons include a penitent''s de, a bow and arrow, and a gun. Since I couldn''t use all of them, I stuck my hands using my penitent''s de, leaving the two ranged weapons untouched.

    However, that was not all. Because of this change, I might wield three or more weapons without thinking about the consequences. And if that would happen, I could finally add more firepower against yers standing in my way.

    [Processing..... Sessful!]

    After a few seconds, the system announced that it finally finished uploading its documents. I did not know what happened, but I waited for the box to appear.

    "There''s nothing he-."

    Before I could even finish my sentence, my system activated my inventory on its own, revealing my three weapons stored inside. As soon as it got released, those three weapons circled in front of me. All three had light of some sort covering the objects. It was as if covering it with the lighting from the system.

    [Processingbination��.. Sessful]

    Another set of texts appeared in front of me, telling me that the system converted the weapons. I did not know what to expect, but my weapon would prove its worth on this trip.

    After a few moments, the lighting from my three weapons faded out. When thest light disappeared, my weapon returned to my hand. Much to my surprise, the weapon never changed into something else. It was still my penitent''s de, but with a little twist in its design.

    "Nothing changed, Red!" Match remarked, while staring at my dagger.

    But upon twisting my dagger, my de became a pistol. ording to my system, a pistol is the smaller gun that came from those rifles. Despite its size, the pistol''s damage remained unchanged.

    When my penitent''s de became smaller, my heart raced a billion beats per minute, thinking that the system toned it down. But when the information appeared before me, I heaved out a sigh, knowing that did not happen.

    My penitent''s de did not even take a second before transforming into a pistol. The transformation would appear if I called upon my pistol. It even changed even when I did not think about it, making it quicker to call for my weapon.

    My pistol could also be a de if I wanted to without changing it to its basic form. However, the weapon would be bigger, which would pose difficulties if I could use both the gun and the de.

    "How about the bow?" I whispered, and conjured the weapon.

    I moved my hands like a bow and pulled nothing as if it was the recurve''s strings. The recurve appeared before me as if it was second nature. It popped up and went perfectly in my hand, without even having the weapon appearing from our eyes. But if someone could sense arcane, they could picture the bow in my hands, carved with my magic.

    Match even pointed her forefingers at me while mumbling about the recurve resting in my hands. She imed that magic should not work like that. Arcane would only appear if the user could concentrate their thoughts on that spell. Other sorcerers could summon magic without solely thinking about it. But��. that would only work if you had a powerful item in hand.

    And when I did not want to use the bow anymore, I would revert to my penitent''s de, with the gun still intact. And when I did not want to use my gun, I would just return the pistol to my dagger.

    The item worked the same as before, but with added features. As luck would have it, all the damage to my weapons increased three times. I couldpare its power to a speedy ship hitting us in our direction. Instead of summoning the weapon from my inventory (which would take more time to swap each weapon), I could easily equip any weapon I wanted. After equipping my chosen weapon, I would effortlessly use it in battle without having a second thought.

    I also learned professional movements and reaction time when using my weapons. When I nned on using the bow, the elves'' techniques would enter inside my head. I would apply all those skills they had and use them inbat.

    And if I would use my gun, the techniques used by those soldiers would immediately enter my mind. I could maximize their efficiency and use my weapons to their maximum potential. There was also a deactivate button if I needed to if these techniques would backfire. While using these weapons, I could activate my original spells on top of my arsenal.

    And if the situation became dire, I could instantly swap my weapon in and out, causing no issues. The system also had another slot that I could add in the future. I did not have any weapon in hand, and I did not know what to add to that empty box.

    I pushed that problem aside and continued digesting every information I had inside my mind. I would focus on that problem another time if I could face it again. But for now, everyone had reassuring eyes carved on their faces when they witnessed my unique skill.

    As soon as I understood everything, I exined to everyone about my system. All of them nodded their heads as they listened to my narration. Okami shared his thoughts and said that the instant weapon summoning system would work wonders in a fight.

    "Since we cannot dictate the battles, changing weapons would be a valuable weapon��. both literally and situationally��. I don''t know if that''s a word, but okay," said Okami, while shaking his head. "However, the downside for that skill is you need to master the three weapons, potentially four, in order for it to work. Because if it doesn''t, that fight would cost your life. And we don''t want that to happen."

    Ryoshi also said his fill. But I did not listen. Why would I even listen to that murderer, anyway? It was not like he had something important to share with me.

    "That''s so cool, Red! You could use any weapon during battles! I could only use one, even when I have the inventory! It''s hard switching weapons during a fight! Even if I could, I wouldn''t! Since it''s hard mastering a weapon! Having three more is like boooom inside my mind," Match remarked, while imploding her hands, reaching outward to the sky.

    "You''re absolutely right, Match. I don''t know why, but I think we need these weaponster. We''re up against a puppet master named Alice��. And she''s the strongest being in Code," I replied, while caressing Match''s hair.

    Match allowed my hand to rest on her head and retorted, "Of course, I already know that! You''re treating me like a kid again! Red, stop it!"

    Despite telling me to stop, her head showed otherwise. Match kept rubbing her head against my hand as she gawked at the ground.

    I almost forgot that Match was still a kid, despite her attitudes sometimes. But after witnessing our current exchange, Match showcased her childish child once again in front of me.

    "I hate to break it to you, Red, but we have to fight without mastering those three. Are you sure you''re ready?" Okami asked, while raising his eyebrows.

    "Yes. I was born ready," I answered.

    Even though we had a few arguments before, Okami was still a remarkable yer for me. He had overpowered skills that could annihte yers in the blink of an eye. Okami was even using his smurf ount. Although the two of us were like fire and ice, I still respected the man.

    "Good. It''s because we need it," Okami concluded, as he motioned with his hands.

    After our exchange, Okami led the pack while gesturing his hand. He briefed us before all these signs we needed to understand before proceeding towards the citadel. Now that we know those signals, we could now move with precautions.

    But before we could even close the distance, a trap set by itself. Someone must have stepped on something that was not the soil. As we turned to each other, no one admitted who stepped on the mine. Everyone knew that nobody would lie, especially in this dire situation.

    Within a few seconds, Okami recognised something as he shouted, "DUCK!"

    All of us heeded his instructions as we lowered our heads and kissed the ground. I wrapped my hands around Match''s body, hoping to protect her from this event. It was just my addedyer of protection, since we did not know who we were up against.

    We waited for a few minutes, but nothing happened. The forest remained silent, even after hearing a clicking sound. But when we lifted our heads, those magical projectiles came flying in our way. Fortunately for us, we found a way to stop them.

 Chapter 158 - Heading Towards Alices Castle

    "Iing!" Okami shouted, which signalled us to defend ourselves from the attack.

    A thousand shards of projectiles came raining in our direction, with different elementals mixed with the assault. Each magic attack resembled an intense tier of arcane congested inside those spells. It made it difficult for us to defend ourselves. If I had to guess it right, those missiles were stronger than the bullets from the soldiers.

    Match and Ryoshi fired their greatest spell, hoping they could burst the blitz open before it could even hit us. Match also created a dome of fire that could protect everyone from the raining magical elements from above.

    Ryoshi and I had no massive spells that we could conjure to defend our teammates. All we could do was to activate our forms and prepare ourselves for the inevitable. And since our upgraded forms upgraded our senses, we nned on deflecting the mana spells before they could touch us.

    And then I recalled��..

    This urrence was the perfect time for me to showcase the weaponbination I got from my system. Since it allowed me to fire something from afar, I activated it and used my bow. It was my initial weapon, for now, considering that it was the only weapon that could deal more damage than the pistol and daggerbined.

    The best part was not even that. My bow allowed me to fire a session of multi shot arrows at the target. Those darts would also follow the target, which the system named "homing missiles".

    I had never tested that skill out. But that ability could protect us from this series of attacks from the puppets. As long as I could pinpoint those puppets on my map, my arrows woulde in handy. But for now, all we needed to do was to survive this chaotic, one-sided attack.

    After preparing ourselves from the matter, the magic projectiles came crashing in our direction. But thanks to Match''s fire skills and Ryoshi''s exploding bolts. As soon as their attacks shed against the arcane, a fog of smoke covered the atmosphere. Match used that gas to amplify her ze, sting her magic upward. Her methrower did wonders, destroying most of the spells instantly.

    However, when the fog wore out, the falling abilities continued falling from the sky. We needed more firepower if we wanted to take down that set of spells.

    And that part was when I came out from the scene, together with Wolf by my side. Despite my bow clipped in my hands, I was also a melee user, specialised in using my dagger. My dagger could slice through some spells weaker than my arcane, which made life easier.

    However, we could not gauge the strength of these spells, even if they were in front of us. Match could, but did not have the luxury to study each spell closing in our direction. Instead of analysing the iing spells, Match used her spells to protect our ground.

    Okami was faster than me. So heunched himself earlier, before me, leaving my figure behind. But I did not mind that, since we were facing a dire situation. If we failed to defend our ground right now, we would die before seeing the sunrise tomorrow.

    "You take my left, I''ll take the right," Okami said, leading me towards the fight.

    He did not have any leadership skills, since Okami had no experience having a party. Most of the yers would be in a group, fighting against monsters that the kingdom would request. The only party he had was our team right now fighting against Alice.

    However, even though we fought alongside each other, Okami and I cannot berades in battle. I only protect him since he would protect Match. But if Ryoshi, Okami''s friend, got in a pinch, I would never shield him with my body.

    And if I did, I wanted to kill Ryoshi with my own hands.

    "Roger that!"

    Although we were fighting together, Okami and I had separated battlefields. We cleaned up the stage with our own expertise, without having to work with each other.

    Okami raced through the right side and sliced the magic projectiles into smithereens using his ws. He used his force, jumping one spell after the other, destroying whatever arcane got stationed in front. And when Okami lost his momentum, he would just jump mid-air, using his first form.

    Okami looked like flying in the air, having no wings attached to his back. Although the wind magic that Match ced also helped our flight. But even without that spell, Okami could have done that.

    He was that overpowered.

    I also went to my area and shot those particles before they could even reach me. I pulled the strings and discharged multiple arrows at once at my targets, aiming at each one of them. After releasing the darts, those arrows crashed against those missiles and exploded instantly. A disy of flickering light shed above us, which came from my attack.

    But I did not finish my part with that. I changed my weapon when the set of spells came in front of my face and sliced them into pieces.

    It was just like Okami did at those iing spells. I continued shing the elemental spells and disabled its arcane core. Since I did not have the raw power of Okami, I efficiently eliminated the magic by destroying their insides.

    The lightning speed also helped me travel in one arcane after the other. But because of my de and level, I could not pop the mana as Wolf did with the spells.

    But when my eyes got too focused on my fore, a fireball snuck its way at my nk. It tried hitting me without my knowledge, since those spells came from the fore. However, before the spell could even hit me, an arrow rammed against the ignition, causing it to explode before my eyes.

    That fireworks disy was better than getting hit by that pesky spell that could injure my arms. And when I nced at the ground, Ryoshi gave me a wink while waving his arms.

    "You''re wee!" he shouted, while resuming strafing against the bombarding magic spells.

    Instead of thanking Ryoshi, I spit in his direction, hoping that my saliva would hit him. Unfortunately, because of the distance, my saliva never hit Ryoshi. Despite doing all of those, that ranger did not notice my effort as he continued releasing those bolts.

    Within a few seconds, our body became sluggish, which caused us difficulty in fighting against these spells. It had not been thirty minutes, but the fight kept squeezing us for more arcane and energy. And if this continued further, the mages supporting us from behind would fall first before us in the front lines.

    Even from a distance, my eyes caught sight of Match profusely sweating in the distance. Since she kept firing those arcane, it won''t take some time before Match would fall on the ground.

    I did not care about Ryoshi. He could just m his head against that boulder.

    After a moment, Okami called my attention. He suggested that the two of us should go back to the ground and give support to our team. Since we had been far forward from the ambush, all of us should make a run for it.

    "We did not have to destroy all those spells. We just need to make sure they won''t hit our ass!" shouted Okami.

    I heeded his advice and returned to the ground, together with the rest of my teammates. Afternding on the soil, Okami ordered everyone to run inside the citadel.

    "Let''s go inside Alice''s house! She can''t destroy her castle once we''re all there!" cried Okami, as he led the way.

    "What about the puppets that give a lot of experience points?" Match asked, with her magic circle still firing at the iing attack.

    "Screw that! What matters most is our lives! We can level up next time! But if we die right now, we cannot revive again soon," Okami replied, while motioning with his hands. "Those who could attack from afar defend our ce. We need your spells to destroy those spells before reaching onto us."

    "Match, I want you beside me. You''ll be my light and shield. Ryoshi, I want you to protect the rear. Don''t let any spell hit us. Even the slightest touch of that magic could harm our skin. It''s nearly the ones the elite mage uses."

    "Got it, Okami," answered Ryoshi.

    Match nodded and replied, "Okay! I understand!"

    She rushed towards Okami''s side and did her job just like he asked for. Ryoshi stayed behind and continued firing at the raining elements at our rear.

    And when the spells came in the middle, I rushed upwards and destroyed the magic spell. I used my knife and deactivated the spell without sting it into pieces.

    "That''s your job, Red," Okami said, and curved out a smirk.

    Okami somewhat knew the terrain, since he came face to face with Alice. He did not tell us about the exact details of their fight, but that tale alone exined much of him.

 Chapter 159 - Giants (1)

    Our defending position saved us some time and effort as we entered the castle''s borders. However, those spells never ceased to rain above our heads. It continued firing from elsewhere, hoping that it could eventually hit us.

    Fortunately, Match and I protected each other''s back as we trod forward towards the castle. Despite this positive remark, I still wished that Ryoshi would catch himself on fire after receiving a blow from these barrages of spells.

    "We''re still outside the citadel! Don''t getfortable about it! We still need to push through inside before celebrating, okay?!" Okami shouted, while continuing our charge. "Don''t getx, or we''ll all die!"

    Those words struck us lightning from the stars, with the sparkling elemental spells from afar. That scenery was our reminder that we needed to stay focused in this battle.

    This fight was just the beginning of our skirmish, since we had yet to meet the person behind the curtains. So giving up was not a part of our option..

    After a few seconds, the set of spells became fewer as we approached the castle''s gates. Every step we took came with a pool of sweat dripping from our faces. But thanks to Okami''s guidance, we reached our destination without losing a member of our team.

    And when we''re standing at the citadel''s front, the spells finally tone down. All of us stared at the sky, waiting for something to happen. But the spells never broke out, which made us heave a sigh.

    "Is it over? Just like that?" Okamimented, while scratching his head. "Well, that seems normal to me."

    "WHAT?!" I shouted. "Why does this feel normal to you?! Aren''t you concerned the spells stopped firing at us?"

    "I believe those spells are noting for us��." Ryoshi butted in, while pointing his forefingers at our fore. "Since they''re the ones, we need to face next."

    It was just like any otherbyrinths inside this game or any popr ce known to yers. Before entering inside that sacred area, the guest needed to showcase their skills against guards ced on the door''s front.

    And that was what happened at the scene.

    Our team got face to face against two towering puppets that nearly reached the gate''s height. Each of these puppets had an outstanding amount of arcane revolving inside of them, making it difficult for us to fight it at once. The puppet''s mana reached around five times Match currently had right now, which would definitely pose a threat against us.

    These two puppets had swords clipped in their hands made of peculiar stones. These puppets might have imbued these des with arcane that amplified their power. Those des were iparable to the cksmiths created inside Maind. Since I lived there for my entire life, studying the adventurer''s weapons became a pastime for me. I did not know why, but that information became useful right now.

    Fortunately for us, the two puppets did not move for now. They just red at us with those bulging eyes locked in their sockets. It was as if those marites thought of us as unwanted guests inside this castle.

    "Do you have a n, Okami? You''ve fought them once, right? How should we fight them? Do these puppets have any weaknesses at all?" I asked.

    I did not want to beat around the bush and sh against these puppets head-on. We did not even know the spells that these puppets could cast, since they were new enemies in our eyes. And if we did that, we would just invite death to our front door, with our legs tied against each other.

    Okami shook his head and replied, "No... I don''t think so. It''s my first time facing these two puppets. When I paid a visit, these giants weren''t here before. Only Alice and her mini were fighting against me. They''re all weak against my main ount... But I doubt that would happen in this fight."

    After Okami''s confession, everyone quivered, thinking we would fail this fight. All of us froze, even the giants at the scene. It was as if our enemies gave us the free time to run away as far from this ce.

    But we were tired of running from a fight, considering the events that happened before. Since we came here exhaustedly running from the bombarding spells, we wanted to force ourselves inside the castle.

    "We need to fight them," I suggested, while preparing my stance. "If we don''t enter that citadel, I don''t know when we would."

    "Red''s right!" Match seconded.

    Ryoshi and Okami exchanged looks, thinking if we should proceed. But I wouldn''t wait for them even though we would have conflicting answers. However, it would be better if we were on the same page.

    "You know, maybe you''re right? Maybe the girls onto something," Okami said, while facing the two golems. "We defeated the pirates, coursed the raging ocean, and defeated the Kraken. How bad could this fight be?"

    "OKAMI!" Ryoshi shouted."

    "What?"

    "Those puppets have high tier arcane resonating inside of them. They even have some stones that we haven''t even heard of. Are you saying that we could win against them? We should try barging inside that gate without even defeating the two puppets."

    Even though I hated Ryoshi''s guts, the man had a point. If we cannot defeat these golems, we could always enter the gates and lock the marites from the outside.

    "Since these puppets cannot move away from their post, they cannot reach the citadel''s insides," Okami eximed, while snapping his fingers. "Okay. I like that n. It''s quick and efficient."

    Before Okami couldy out his instructions, I raised my hand and asked, "How did you know these puppets aren''t going to move away from their ce? And you mentioned we need to enter that door without killing these puppets. How can we do that when those two��. giants over there are guarding the gates!?"

    Okami grabbed me to his side and exined, "Do you see those magic circles right there?"

    Getting dragged by someone I did not know made me want to punch Okami in the face. However, since he needed to exin the concepts behind those analyses, I listened to every word he had to say.

    I followed Okami''s hands and stared at the site for twenty seconds. However, despite squinting my eyes, there was nothing there but the bulky feet of those giants.

    "No.." I answered, while shaking my head. "But, go on��.. I''m listening."

    Okami pointed at that same area and continued, "If you can zoom in your eyes, you''ll notice something spiralling. Right there! If you concentrate long enough, you''d notice something wrong. There are two things that you need to know, actually. First are the strings made from the puppets. The second part is the magic circles surrounding their feet. Those strings attached themselves to the magic circle, which gives them the autonomy to move. Since those stringse from those circles and not from Alice, those giants could only move around fifty feet around. They cannot exceed from that space, even if they tried."

    After listening to Okami''s exnation, I squinted my eyes and observed the site once more. After a few moments, those strings and magic circles he mentioned appeared briefly in my sight. I could not believe my eyes that two magic circles surrounded the giant''s feet, with invisible stringsing off from their back. It was as if someone was controlling them from afar.

    But ording to Okami, these giants could only listen to specific orders written on their magic circles. Alice could only create giants around magic circles. And since those puppets did not have fully developed minds, they cannot act on their own.

    "I got it. So what do we have to do?"

    Okami and Ryoshi requested for everyone to gather in a circle to think of a n. Since these were the yers of this game, they had more knowledge about Alice and Code itself. I, who was just an assassin and a viger, couldn''t help but listen to the scheme. Match also had her eye set at the n, with her stave burning bright red. It just meant that Match could not contain her excitement. So Matchshed it out on her staff, telling the world how she felt.

    Since the distance between the giants and the gate was around eighty feet, we could outrun them. Our team would form various distraction units and keep those giants busy. As soon as we could glue them on the ground, the rest would enter the gate, followed by the second batch.

    Even though we wasted a few minutes talking about our n, the giants never budged a muscle. It was like what Okami had mentioned before. These puppets could not attack us, since we stood around sixty feet. Those giants did not think of us as threats, considering that we were still standing in a safer ce. But once we entered that ce, those puppets would activate themselves and hunt us down.

    We also needed to learn the puppet''s abilities before engaging in that spot. But with few options, we needed to make something happen.

 Chapter 160 - Giants (2)

    Okami separated us into two groups. The attacking one would draw the attention of these puppet guards away from the gate. We also had goalers who would sprint towards the gates and open them for the attacking batch.

    Okami ced me in Match, while he assigned himself to Ryoshi. It was better that way, since Match and Iplement each other, especially inbat. And that pair would definitely work more efficiently, since they called each other friends.

    As we readied ourselves crossing the line, Okami ordered Ryoshi and Match to fire at the sides. He specifically pinpointed the location and instructed the two of them to shoot with their long-ranged attacks.

    Match and Ryoshi followed his instructions and discharged their spells at that ce. Within a few seconds, small f8igures dashed away as if they got hit by the burning spells and arrows.

    "What was that?" Match asked, with her magic circles ready to fire for the second time..

    "Judging by the height of those shadows, those things we saw are puppets. Those marites were also the ones who cast the spells from afar," Ryoshi confessed, while readying to fire again. "I guess we''re dealing with two things, Okami. We need to get through these golem-like puppets and the ones roaming in our vicinity."

    Okami grumbled after hearing Ryoshi''s statement. Of course, he would, especially now that we needed to deal with two things at once. We cannot force our way through the two bodyguards while defending ourselves from the raining spells from the outsider puppets. And we cannot just attack those bystanders puppets, since they would run away from us and waste our time.

    "Can we dig up a hole and create another entrance?" Ryoshi suggested, while stomping his feet on the ground.

    It was actually a brilliant idea. Creating a path inside the citadel underground was something that we could do to avoid the two elements. However, as much as we wanted the idea, Okami shook his head.

    "We can''t just do that. We could make a hole underground, but there''s nothing below this floor. And I doubt Alice would not have prepared something like that for her fort. Considering the brain of that princess, she would haveid a trap for that n."

    As we continued conversing with each other, the puppets bombarded us with attacksing from above. When everyone noticed the skies, all of us shielded ourselves with the spells we knew, especially Match fire shield.

    Fortunately, none of us got hurt after receiving an entire set of spells hurled in our direction. If it were not for Match''s shield, we would have probably been in a pickle right now.

    After dealing with those pesky magic attacks, Match deactivated her spell and asked. "I thought those puppets would not attack us since we''re near the castle?"

    I also wanted to ask that question. Luckily, Match was the one who voiced the team''s concerns.

    Okami looked around and answered, "I don''t know. I fought against Alicest year. Things must have been probably different right now since this world is always expanding."

    Okami also mentioned that the game developers constantly updated this game in peak condition. Although he knew those bastards touched nothing inside Wondend, Alice might have upgraded her minions without the help of the game developers.

    Alice was an uncontroble being who was both separated and included in the game. Since she was the strongest being in this world, the game developers turned this ce into a jail. However, since this ce got neglected by the game developers, Alice seized that chance and enhanced the area.

    If these puppets were strong enough to push us back, Alice could take us down by exerting no effort.

    Okami snapped his fingers and went to Match side, which made the little girl widen her eyes. "Can you create a wall of fire at our sides? Can you make it durable enough against those spells while attacking those two golems?"

    After hearing those questions, I had an idea about Okami''s n. He wanted Match to shield us both while attacking the golems in front. Okami also asked the same question to Ryoshi. Since he had arrows that could create barriers out of elements, Okami wanted to use every little spell we had against our opponents.

    "I could, but it''s going to be very hard for me��." Match confessed, while gazing back at Okami''s eyes. "I could always try. But I might lose my arcane."

    "How long can you cast your spells continuously? With the walls and the attacking spells?" Okami asked away.

    "For about five minutes. I can hold on for around five minutes."

    "Well, that''s enough for us."

    Match knew her limitations about casting her spells and protecting us with that pir of mes. We all understood that those spells conjured by Match cost countless mana inside of her. Since each of us owned a system, using mana was not something new for us. And when a yer overused their mana, they could fall unconscious and die from the game.

    Okami asked Ryoshi the same thing about his duration and concentration. Ryoshi answered he could do just fine by creating a barrier using his bolts.

    "As soon as I ced these arrows, a magical force field would appear at a specific location. But if we want a stronger shield, I would use more mana to pour it. Since my strength is equal to the amount of mana I ce on my arrows," Ryoshi exined.

    As soon as Ryoshi finished his exnation, he showcased his arrow to the team. It was ordinary to my eyes, with no special abilities. But when I activated my right eye, a congested arcane aura covered the entire dart.

    "How long does that arrowst?" Okami asked. "And how strong are those arrows against spells and physical attacks?"

    "Around five minutes, just like Match. Man, if thissted around an hour, people would always pick the Ranger ss," Ryoshi replied. "If you''re talking about its durability, I could say that it negates both physical and magical attacks 100%. I''ve bought thetest edition and spent every Yen inside my wallet because of it."

    "YOU SPENT WHAT EXACTLY?!" Okami reacted, but immediately brushed the thought. "You know what? You''re rich, so I don''t care."

    "We''re not rich! I just have a part-time job, that''s all!"

    The two fought against each other while those puppets were preparing another set of attacks. I wanted to split them in half, but Okami might have thought something about it.

    But before Okami could make anotherment, he turned around and asked Ryoshi once again, "What kind of arrows do you have, Ryoshi?"

    "What do you mean?" Ryoshi asked.

    "You have arrows with all the elements... okay, most of the elements. You could also create barriers that stop magical spells 100%... Doesn''t that mean you have arrows that trap enemies inside using that kind of force field?" Okami queried.

    "You know, maybe you''re right about that. Yeah. I have those arrows in my quiver. Why''d you ask?!"

    "Sometimes, I doubt that you''re intelligent, Ryoshi."

    "Hey, shut your crap, Okami! I''m smarter than you!"

    "Not in this game."

    After their exchange, Ryoshi exined the descriptions of those arrows Okami mentioned. Those arrows had the same effect of blocking spells from both sides. Ryoshi narrated to us the game n of this fight. As long as he ced the arrows correctly, the force field could trap anyone inside for five minutes. The barrier created from the bolts would work like wonders, since nobody could destroy it.

    "Okami, from my experience, these arrows work if we can form a shape. And I always use a triangle as my trap, since it uses fewer arrows. If we''re going to go with your n, we need to trap the golems using three arrows. And I have seven of them in stock inside my quiver. These arrows take around an hour to cool down," Ryoshi exined.

    The two guys conversed with each other and finally concluded their topic. As soon as they finished talking, Okami went to Match and me. He exined what our new n was going about.

    "Scrap the idea from before. All we need to do is let Ryoshi discharge those arrows on the correct cements. Those arrows would trap those two golems for five minutes, which would be enough time for us to head inside the citadel. But we won''t trap them together. Those golems are pretty smart for that. And as soon as they realised something is off, those puppets would probably change their tactics against us. We need to trap one golem first before the other one, while defending ourselves from the raining magical spells. That''s where you show up, Match, and protect us. As soon as hended those arrows, we ran in the wind and entered the citadel," Okami announced, as he stared at our eyes. "We only have one shot for this, okay? Fortunately, Ryoshi has seven arrows to work with. If he misses once, it''s okay. But if Ryoshi misses twice��. it would be game over for the rest of us."

 Chapter 161 - Giants (3)

    "Final question, man��.. Can you lend those arrows at us so we can be the ones who ce them?" Okami asked Ryoshi. "Since Red and I are the two fastest people in this party, cing those arrows would be a piece of cake."

    "I''m afraid I can''t do that, even if I want to. You see, these arrows only work when I pour my arcane onto it, not from other people. This could work if that person would also be a ranger, which is very unlikely," Ryoshi answered, while shaking his head. "And once I ced those arrows in their spots, I cannot retrieve them again. These special arrows are only for one use, since they''re rare spells in Code."

    I got what Okami wanted to do after asking about those points. But unfortunately, we cannot make that happen, considering the rules Ryoshi had for those bows.

    Okami turned to me and asked some questions before starting our n.. "Can you still use your lightning speed?"

    "Yes. But I can just use it for five minutes," I answered.

    Okami shook his head and continued, "No. Don''t use all that time to take down these golems. Strictly use two minutes and a half of that lightning ability for this fight and reserve the other half for Alice. I''d love to use that lightning speed for five minutes. But our situation is a little bit different. We cannot afford to fail this early."

    "Got it, Okami."

    As soon as Okami briefed us about the new n, everyone went into their position. He told us theyout of the fight and the ces we needed to trap the golems. Okami assigned me to lure the golem first, while Okami would distract the other. I needed to drag the golem away from the other puppet and trap it in that specific ce.

    Okami also discussed some backup ns if I failed to do my part since there was no telling if I would seed in my job. We were up against two golems created by Alice herself, which was the strongest character inside this world.

    We also needed to protect Ryoshi, since he was the only one who could manipte those arrows. He would follow my lead and discharge those arrows, trapping the golems in ce. And if we couldn''t, we would lose this fight and eventually die on the battlefield.

    As Okami instructed, Match created a pir of mes that would protect us from those iing missiles. And those projectiles came from the puppets hiding from the forest.

    This twister of fire would also negate some physical attacks from the golems. But I doubt that would happen, considering the damage that each of those enemies could deal.

    Okami and I would distract those two golems and lure them at Ryoshi''s sight. All we had to do was invite one golem and trap it inside the barrier Ryoshi would set. We cannot miss any arrows from Ryoshi, considering that we needed to make a shape, especially a triangle, to trap those enemies.

    As the second batch of spells came in, Match''s fire shield came into y. It protected us from the magic attacks directed at us. When those abilities hit the crimson, those skills turned into ashes.

    "Way to go, Match!" I eximed, as I dashed straight towards the golem.

    "Keep your head focused on the game, Red!" Okami warned me, as we came close to the golems.

    I readied my penitent''s dagger and rushed towards the side, evading the golem''s attack. Since I activated my right eye, I used my lightning speed and outran the puppet in front of me. As soon as I went to the side, I taunted the golem, hoping it would follow my lead.

    However, there was a price that came while using this spell. I needed to limit activating this ability, since it would drain an enormous amount of mana inside me. And if I lost all my mana even before we trapped these golems, we would be in a pinch fighting these golems.

    I also needed to restrict using over two minutes and a half of my lightning ability. When I activated this spell, I needed to make a window and trap the golems.

    After a few seconds, the golem I lured bought my trick and soon chased me around. While that was happening, Ryoshi found a perfect ce to hide and shot his arrows at those areas. As soon as he finished cing those arrows, Ryoshi gave me the okay sign.

    It was my turn to shine since Ryoshi had already finished his job.

    "Come at me, golem!" I shouted, while deactivating the lightning ability that I had.

    Fortunately, I only used thirty seconds of my lightning ability against this puppet. I still had around two minutes to y with my spell against the other golem��. I could only hope we would trap this golem once and for all so we could focus on the other one next.

    The n moved smoothly without us experiencing any problems while dealing with the golems. As the arrowsnded on the sites, I finally turned around and witnessed the barriers emerging from the bolts. Even the puppet stopped as it sensed an impelling danger ahead of it, especially when some shield of some sort appeared before our eyes.

    "Checkmate," I mumbled, and watched the event unfold before my eyes.

    The arrows piercing the ground emerged a shockwave, which eventually changed colour. It flickered a bright yellow light, with a force field emerging at the bolt''s tip. All three darts did the same thing, projecting a fence that obstructed everything in its way. The urrence happened almost instantly, almost outspeeding my lightning ability.

    Within a few seconds, the shield trapped the golem inside. ording to Ryoshi, nobody could destroy this barrier, not even the strongest weapon featured in Code.

    The golem tried mming its hands against the invisible wall, wishing that it could free itself from it. It even cast outrageous spells that I had never witnessed before and struck the barrier with those abilities. However, no matter how hard the golem tried, that puppet could never escape that shield.

    All the puppet could do was sit tight inside and wait for five minutes. It was the only way to as soon as an individual got trapped inside that force field.

    Everyone of us ced a timer inside our head and counted five minutes, which was the spell''s duration. If the battle exceeded around five minutes without entering the citadel, that shield would deactivate by itself. And when the barrier disappeared, the puppet trapped inside would have a window to chase us down before we could breach the castle.

    We did not want that to happen, especially now that we had alreadye this far. Our finish line was just in front of us. And if we ever entered that gate, our team would eventually meet Alice. Olivia and Pinhio introduced Alice to me when I still resided inside the abandoned vige.

    Now that we took one golem out of the equation, Ryoshi and I needed to prepare for our seeding n. All we had to do was to trap the puppet once again, as we did with this golem.

    I met Ryoshi as I went towards Okami''s side. He went to my nk and tried striking a conversation.

    "You know, we''re like a team back there," Ryoshi confessed, while shooting the golem in front of us with his arrows. "We could always work together if you want to."

    "No," I answered. "That''s the problem, Ryoshi. I don''t want to work with you. I''d rather die than be a friend of yours."

    "What makes you say that?" Ryoshi asked, as we nearly approached the golem up ahead. "And if you really hate me, you could''ve killed me right now. But you didn''t."

    "I don''t n on killing you right now��. not right now, especially when you saved Match''s life."

    After our exchange, the two of us finally reached Okami''s side. But as we entered their fight, Okami looked like struggling against the golem, considering the difference between their stats. Thanks to Okami''s experience, that yer remained to dodge every punch thrown by the puppet. But that manoeuvring won''tst for too long, since Okami was nearly reaching his limit.

    "We''re here to back you up, Okami!" I shouted, and went towards the golem. "I''ll take it from here!"

    But instead ofplimenting me, Okami shouted and cursed my back, "You fucking idiot! Don''t approach the golem straightforwardly!"

    Before I knew it, the puppet activated something that I didn''t know and ran straight towards me. I tried dodging the attack using my lightning speed, but they predicted my attack. Fortunately, I evaded the attack thanks to my electric speed. But if I did not have that, I would have died from that attack.

    "That golem could predict my movements. It''s using some sort of feint attacks while activating some trap spells surrounding it. After seeing its friend over there, I think this puppet became upset and refused to stay down," Okami eximed, while wiping off his sweat dripping from his face.

 Chapter 162 - Golems (4)

    The golem was something that we had not seen before. It was a puppet that could predict our movements even before we could hit it. That''s what Okami mentioned when we arrived at the ce.

    And when I tried attacking the golem, that puppet dodged my attacks, even at point-nk range. It surprised me to experience it firsthand, which was an impossible feat to do.

    But it happened.

    "If it could even predict my lightning speed, how could we outmanoeuvre the puppet?" I asked Okami, hoping to get some answers.

    I was a veteran for fighting against enemies and whatnot. And I cleanly assassinated every one of them using my Penitent''s de.

    However, when confronted with this puppet, everything had turned upside down.. It was as if Alice had pped us with the puppet she created, hindering us from getting to our next objective.

    "Do we have a n, or what?" I asked Okami once again, waiting for answers.

    "Wait! I''m thinking! I''ve never faced someone that would follow the script�� The game developers would never make something like that��.," Okami answered, but afterwards looked at the citadel in front of us. "But Alice can since she could manipte something like that. She could apply a script to her puppets."

    "You lost me with the word ''script''. I keep hearing that from the two of you. But I still have no idea about it!" I eximed.

    "You don''t need to worry about it! For now, focus on attacking the puppet on the right, and I will attack it on its left. Try synchronizing our attacks into one and don''t let that golem think! That puppet surely can''t defend two attacks at the same time," Okami cried, while giving out his orders. "

    While that happened, Okami sent a whisper (or private message) to our party. A box appeared in front of me, paired with a ring ring that notified the message.

    [Ryoshi, don''t join the fight. Tryunching those three arrows at once and capture that golem''s movements.]

    [Got it, Wolf. I''ll do just that] Ryoshi replied instantly after reading the message. [Damn, I feel like a sniper ying inside this game.]

    [Focus, Ryoshi. We only have one chance.]

    [Two, actually.]

    After their exchange, Fenrir and I came face to face with the golem once again. It was just the two of us who could fight, considering that our ranged attackers still had some job to do at the back. Match needed to protect our rear and above from the iing magic projectiles. Ryoshi needed to conceal himself from the puppet while participating in this fight.

    But if we''re up against this puppet that could detect our movements, I doubt Ryoshi could position himself outside the enemy''s range.

    I did not voice my concerns and tried Okami''s strategy. Since he was the veteran yer in this game, following his lead would increase our chances of achieving our goal.

    And that was what we did.

    Okami went to the left side and dashed straight at the golem. I tailed his behind and went to the right, hoping I could find an angle against the golem. The two of us attacked at the same time, just like what Okami had instructed me to do.

    However, the golem had the upper hand in this sh. It jerked backwards and attempted to manipte our hands to attack each other.

    Fortunately, the two of us were no pushovers, as we effortlessly evaded that cheap trick. The golem expected that urrence to happen. So the golem retreated backwards and reset its position.

    "Tsk. You son of a bitch. Come back here, you coward Alice!" Okami shouted, while pointing his sword towards the puppet. "Who told me toe here to your pce, huh? You! Why aren''t you deactivating these puppets of yours!?"

    Within a few seconds, the golem faced Okami as if ring at it with its eyeless face. Upon looking at the puppet''s t surface, a sh emerged in front of us. When we squinted our eyes, an image of a distorted girl''s figure weed us.

    The puppets stopped firing for a second, respecting the presence of their creator appearing on the battlefield. Match and Ryoshi, who focused themselves on the back lines, finally found a breather from the battle. All of us, including our enemies, stared at the holograph before us.

    After a moment, a corrupted chuckle emerged from the window, sending shivers down into our spines. We could not discern Alice from the box, but we had an idea who was behind that screen.

    Those two crimson eyes were enough to spook everyone away. But since we were still in battle, all of us had no other choice but to wait for Alice''s words.

    [You finally came, Fenrir. I''ve been waiting for you] Alice eximed, with her soft, angelic voiceing from the window. [But you''re��. different. Are you using a different ount from your usual? The Fenrir I know has a menacing look in his eyes, paired with his dirty appearance. You don''t like someone who could beat strong opponents.]

    Despite the image she projected from the box, Alice was like a young girl around Match''s age. However, after hearing her story from Okami, I doubted she was just a young, ignorant girl.

    But as we dug deeper at her enigmatic features, Alice knew about Code more than anyone of usbined.

    "Hey! You want to meet me, right? Then why don''t you open this goddamn gate, and let us through your castle!" Okami shouted, while growling at her. "And, yeah! I''m not using my main ount since I already logged into this game before I could even have the chance to change my ount!"

    [Ah, yes. You do have those intense eyes, like the ones who had in your Fenrir ount. Although you''re using a smurf ount, you''re still capable of killing my puppets... But let''s see how long you wouldst fighting against my finest creation.] Alice replied, while shing us a snicker. [Forgive me, Fenrir, but I need to test your strength before meeting me. Like every other boss fight you faced, I need to gauge your capabilities, especially that you''re using a smurf ount, instead of your main. And I really love the way you control my puppets without even defeating them. Don''t worry about a single thing, Fenrir. I already ceased the puppets from firing their magic projectiles in your direction. You could thank me afterwards if you sessfully meet me.��. This will be over soon.]

    After saying those words, the screen disappeared. The golem reactivated itself again and readied itself to fight against the two of us. Fenrir and I positioned ourselves once again and prepared our weapons to battle. Match and Ryoshi also did the same, hoping they could finish this fight without having no casualties.

    "Well, there goes our chance. You heard the puppet. We need to trap this golem and run straight towards the gate! We only have two minutes left before that other golem starts moving!" Okami shouted, with his eyes dead serious against the puppet.

    This fight was ourst chance if we wished to enter the gate. If we couldn''t trap the golem, we would have to fight the two puppets, while avoiding the raining magic spells. And since those puppets from afar stopped firing their abilities, Match could finally join this battle.

    The little girl already made her way beside me while gripping her stave. Match met my eyes and greeted me as soon as she positioned herself on the battlefield.

    "I''vee to help you guys! Is there anything I''ve missed while I was gone?" Match asked.

    "Nothing. It''s just that we''re having trouble fighting this golem who has future sight," I answered.

    "Future sight?"

    "Yeah. This puppet could predict our attacks even before weunched them. And this puppet still has some tricks under its sleeves that we couldn''t grasp."

    After our exchange, Match nodded after learning about the fight. She immediately rehearsed herself and prepared some magic circles at the palm of her hands.

    "So I just need to attack the golem randomly, right?"

    Before we knew it, Match discharged those magical res towards everywhere on the battlefield. Each fireball sheunched could burn our hands or body parts. Despite these repercussions, Match continued firing her spells at the scene.

    Fenrir, Ryoshi, and I immediately dodged the attacks, unsure what to do about it. Before Ryoshi could retort, he looked at the golem, who took a hit against Match''s spell. A grin emerged from his mouth as he finally realised the weakness of our enemy.

    "Why did we not figure that out earlier! If the golem could predict our movements, attacking the puppet without thinking would eliminate that part!" Okami shouted, and charged straight at the golem.

    The golem readied its stance and protected itself from Ryoshi''s attacks. However, thanks to Ryoshi''s super-speed, the golem could not keep up with him. Half of Okami''s attacks hit the puppet, while half of it got deflected. Although that happened, we now had a way to win this fight.

 Chapter 163 - Golems (5)

    Fighting without a n meant fighting blindfolded. Nobody wanted to run straight towards the battlefield empty-handed, especially when we were up against something powerful. Our team came prepared when battling against these golems. However, our preparation went down the drain when the puppet could predict our movements.

    But because we did not have a choice, our team needed to go towards the area and swing our weapons without thinking. It was as if we were kids who just learned how to handle the sword on their first day of exercise. But we were no pushovers for killing our enemies.

    Even Okami had experiences in killing other yers since he was a yer himself.

    After Okami''s attack, I dashed straight at the golem and made a follow-up assault. I cleared my mind before thinking about the attack, considering it was our requirement facing this puppet. If we ever thought about our movement, the golem would just dodge that attack..

    Since I only had my penitent''s de with me, I needed to strike the golem''s legs. If there was one way for me to deal damage, hitting the golem''s legs would be my priority. We could win against this puppet if we disrupt its bnce from standing on its ground.

    Of course, I needed to do this without thinking. It was an arduous thing to do, considering that I had my target but would strike my de with no strategy.

    I only had to disrupt the bnce of this bastard and used its height difference as my advantage.

    The puppet deflected each of my attacks as if it was nothing but a scratch. And when the golem realised my goal, it was toote for the marite to react. I already swept my feet while bashing my de against its hind. Within a few seconds, the golem had no other choice but to kneel before us.

    "Nice, Red! Keep hitting that puppet on its feet! Don''t give that golem any time to think!" Okami eximed, while leaping from one ce after the other.

    He was the one shing the golem at every angle, creating a distraction of some sort to the golem. And since the puppet kept its focus on Okami, Match and I let out our attacks, hoping we could finally stun the golem.

    While that happened, Ryoshi silently crept behind the bushes, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Okami would give the signal if that happened. But for now, we flocked around the golem and made its stance miserable.

    However, it was not too long when the golem found its way back up from the ground. Our efforts did not bear fruits as the puppet mmed its arms against Okami, tossing him to the side. Fortunately, Okami found his bnce and quickly returned to his usual stance.

    But the golem had already dealt the damage, causing him to wound Okami''s abdomen. Okami could only growl in pain as he caressed his injured stomach.

    "Are you alright!" I shouted, but got immediately scowled by Okami.

    "DON''T TURN YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE ENEMY, RED!" Okami cried, but it was toote.

    When I turned around, the golem''s hand greeted my eyes as it mmed against my face. I did not have time to evade that attack, considering it was already in front of my face.

    As soon as that puppet hand came into contact with my face, my body flung backwards. It caused me to injure my legs and arms, paired with some minor injuries on my back. Fortunately, the damage was not enough to render me immobile. Thanks to my right eye, my body instinctively protected itself from the golem''s attack.

    If I had not activated my crimson glowing eye, maybe I would have died right now.

    "RED!" Match screamed, as he rushed towards me.

    I motioned my hand, telling her to retreat from this position. However, Match neglected my words and continued chasing my still figure.

    The golem found its chance and went towards my weakness, which was Match''s vulnerable side. Since Match focused herself on saving me, she would not bat an eye at the monster at her nk.

    But she proved my thoughts wrong when the scene came before me. As the golem approached Match''s rear, she stopped her movements and turned around. Match raised her arms and sted the golem away with some precast magic circles covering her hands.

    After a few seconds, waves of zing hotva came out from those circr runes, which nearly burned the moving marite. Lava was the hot molten ones that erupted from a volcano. It was my first time witnessing Match casting new spells in her sleeves, which she did not talk about to me.

    If Match learned something, she would proudly tell me and perform it in front of me. However, that did not happen right now, especially after seeing it firsthand.

    When theva touched the golem, the puppet''s arm almost melted, as if it were not for Alice''s protection. After a few seconds, the puppet had no choice but to retreat from Match and wait for its hand to recover. The magma also increased the temperature, forcing me to sweat a river.

    (Author''s Note: Magma andva are both different terms, which are all about their locations. Scientists use the term magma for a molten rock that is underground andva for a molten rock that breaks through the Earth''s surface. I wrote the two as synonyms with each other since it was Red who''s talking about it. She did not have proper lessons about Science and stuff. So I have to be concise about her knowledge. If Okami, Ryoshi, or Alice, Clement, or any other yers were talking, they would know the difference.)

    If we could peer through Alice''s view, she would have been as shocked as me after witnessing that spell. Even Okami, who was a veteran yer in this game, couldn''t hide his amazement. He had his mouth gaped wide open all this time while watching Match fight the puppet with those burning magmas.

    "I can''t believe that worked!" Match cried, while helping me stand on my feet.

    I could not let my eyes off at Match as I waited for her exnation. Everyone knew we needed to fight against the puppet without thinking of our attacks. However, what Match was something nobody thought of, but worked, anyway. We all deduced that Match orchestrated that n and attacked the puppet using her special abilities.

    If I could take a hunch, Match wanted to use that unique ability if we only needed it, especially to save me. And when this golem tried attacking me, Match came to my rescue and discharged that spell she desperately tried to conceal. Although Alice knew about it, using that ability saved me from getting myself injured from the puppet.

    "How did you do that, Match!?" I asked, as I could not contain my excitement for any more.

    "I didn''t. I just randomly turned around and attacked my behind. Well, I trusted my gut feeling," Match said, and corrected herself when he mentioned thetter. "And it miraculously worked, am I right? I''m such a good mage, Red!"

    "Yeah, you are, Match!" I answered, and shuffled her already crazed hair. "You little mage. Come over here, will ya!"

    Within a few seconds, Match and I stopped our horsey and resumed fighting against the puppet. The two of us nned on returning to that part soon after we defeated this golem standing in our way.

    After a few seconds, the golem cut off its right arm and watched it fall to the ground. Theva came afterwards and burned the weeds on the soil. That golem finally recovered its stance and red in our direction, while preparing dozens of magic circles in its hands.

    Within a few seconds, the puppet fired the magic circles behind us. We first thought that the attack missed, since we were a few centimetres away from the projectile. But within a few moments, we immediately realised that the golem did not aim at us��.

    The puppet aimed at the forest, which was the ce Ryoshi hid right now.

    Ryoshi remained to hide behind the trees, waiting for the perfect opportunity. But we would never know when that chance would appear, considering our circumstances right now.

    However, the game of hide and seek finally ended after that attack. Ryoshi dodged the beam and went to the other side.

    We were all aware that the golem knew our goal as well. After witnessing itsrade getting trapped inside the barrier, both the golem and Alice already knew what would happen soon.

    "We have at least a minute left to stop this golem from pulverizing us into rice cakes," Okami announced, as he gasped for air. "Ryoshi, we need you here. There''s no point in hiding our ace now. We need you in this fight."

    Within a few seconds, Ryoshi appeared from the forest, revealing his recurve gripped in his hands. Another force joined the attack, which would probably bring us to victory.

 Chapter 164 - Golems (6)

    "We have at least a minute left to stop this golem from pulverizing us into rice cakes," Okami announced, as he gasped for air. "Ryoshi, we need you here. There''s no point in hiding our ace now. We need you in this fight, and we need your bolts."

    "I woulde out even without your instructions, Okami. Man, it feels good to join in this battle instead of waiting for you guys."

    Within a few seconds, Ryoshi appeared from the forest, revealing his recurve gripped in his hands. Another force joined the attack, which would probably bring us to victory. Since Ryoshi would join us in the attack, our chances should increase by two folds.

    However, things didn''t go as well as we had expected.

    As soon as Ryoshi walked closer in our direction, he had already prepared multiple arrows in his hands and flung them using his recurve.. Those bolts he discharged looked like something he did not n, which was also evident from his looks. That smirking mouth of his was enough to tell that the darts came off randomly from his hands.

    Ryoshi knew to attack the golem without thinking about it from the chat message by Okami. Since he had an idea before arriving at this ce, Ryoshi blindly shot his arrows in the golem''s direction.

    Thanks to his random assault, those arrows mixed with various elements crashed against the puppet. That attack dealt some damage to our enemy, but it was not enough to take it down.

    While Ryoshi discharged those arrows, he concealed his barrier dart on the side, preparing it for our next attack. He didn''t n that part as he deliberately ced it out of luck for our next attack. I did not know if Okami and Match knew about it, but I was aware of that tactic.

    It all came down to our options on how we could use that spare arrow on the ground.

    "We can finally fight this battle without a n��. and we have less than a minute to fight that thing," Ryoshi said, while gazing at the golems at each side. "And we need to trap this puppet up."

    "Yeah. We better do that right, Ryoshi," Okami seconded, as the two of them prepared their stances. "Let''s go, everyone. We have one chance to do this."

    Judging by Okami''s reactions, he may not have observed Ryoshi''s risky n. Well, that ignorance could benefit us, since the puppet would disregard that arrow as something useless on the battlefield. And if that golem did not know our scheme, the puppet won''t do anything about it.

    Match prepared another set of zing fire and scattered it towards the golem. She didn''t even n onnding that ze against that puppet. As long as she conjured her spells in the puppet''s direction (without nning it tond), Match would do just that.

    Ryoshi did the same thing as Match. He fired a barrage of darts at the puppets while closing his eyes. He could focus on his targets without looking, which also made him attack without thinking about the scene. That action he did was enough to confuse the puppet, which led him to hit his darts against our enemy.

    Okami and I charged straight at the puppet and tried to lock it on the ground. Okami took the puppet''s right as I shed against the golem''s left.

    We had the puppet cornered for a few seconds. However, something happened at the golem.

    Before we could push the puppet to its wit''s end, the puppet summoned a magic circle in front of its body. That magic circle had various runes imprinted on it. Those texts made the spell more devastating than what Match currently had.

    Match and Ryoshi triedunching their attacks on the puppet, but it was to no avail. Their bolts and fire magic did not scratch the puppet or disrupt its concentration. Those attacks that Match and Ryoshi did even angered the puppet. It even caused the golem to produce sparks surrounding the magic circle, creating a gigantic dome of arcane in the ce.

    Instead of using her magic spells offensively, Match conjured protective fire armour on our skin. She deduced that the intensity of the puppet''s magic was so severe that Match needed to apply for some protection.

    Ryoshi ced some darts surrounding us and activated a weaker shield from the one that could trap the puppets. Even Ryoshi had his eyes glued on the puppet and the arrows.

    Just before the attack, I activated my [shadow walk] and concealed myself from the puppet. Match and the others could still see me walking around, which meant that the shield remained intact on my body.

    Within a few seconds, the puppet''s magic circle released a st painted into rainbow coloured hues. It was a mixture of all elements avable in Code, which could be the strongest spell made in this game.

    As soon as the beam came into contact with the fire shield, the barrier instantly exploded. It also got the barriers from the arrows, causing them to implode. The st also pushed us backwards like a whirlwind from a storm. After a few moments, the st would have blown Match off if it were not for my interventions.

    I instinctively reached my hand towards Match and grabbed her closer moments before that st. Luckily, I caught her body earlier than the explosion could.

    However, Okami and Ryoshi were not lucky individuals. Ryoshi tumbled backwards, forcing himself to hit the stone. And when he crashed against the boulder, those three arrows we needed to trap the puppet scattered on the ground, together with his bow. But as I squinted my eyes, Ryoshi had his eyes closed and his body unconscious.

    Okami pierced his w on the ground and maintained his position. However, it came with a price. His body was not strong enough to withstand that st, forcing him to receive minor injuries all over his skin. As luck would have it, all those injuries he had did not affect his vital organs.

    It took ten seconds before the st ended, which left us around thirty seconds to trap this golem. If we did not cage this puppet, the barrier trapping the other golem would deactivate. And if that happened, we would have to fight two golems while charging straight towards the gate.

    Match can''t even use herva against these golems, since we needed to reserve our ammunition against Alice. That princess made these golems. It would not surprise me if she was stronger than these puppetsbined. Although she got herself chained inside her castle, Alice was still one of the strongest characters in Code.

    If we could not handle one golem, how could we fight against two of them? We would lose this fight without a doubt, considering we already exhausted everything we had. And if this continued for any longer, we would have to lie on the ground and give up.

    But we refused to idle around. We needed to enter that castle, fight against Alice, and get the obelisk from her. It was our n��.

    However, we only had thirty seconds to do just that, without thinking of our attacks. And now, we also had to fight the golem without Ryoshi, which was our ace in this fight.

    "RYOSHI!" Okami shouted, as soon as he regained hisposure.

    Okami did not care about the wounds he received from the st. He rushed towards his friend and checked if Ryoshi could still wake up. But after several attempts at shaking his body, Hunter did not rise from his sleep. It was as if the st induced a special effect that let them sleep for the rest of the hours.

    We needed Ryoshi in this fight to win. Now that the golem deleted him from the equation, we knew what to do against the puppet.

    Okami tried using the bow and the arrows, but failed to grip them. It was as if those darts became air, despite being there in front of us. If we cannot use those arrows, it would be difficult for us to trap these golems.

    "Shit! Does anyone have a n for this? Do you know how to wield arrows?... Can we really beat that thing?" Okami eximed, as he looked around for some answers.

    It was my first time witnessing him panic around, looking for clues he could use in this fight. However, no matter how hard Okami tried, he did not find the answer to our problem.

    The golem finally seized its opportunity and rushed towards Okami. Since Okami did not know what to do, he lost focus and counterattacked the golem. But by doing that, he thought of a n and made it into action.

    Since Okami neglected the rules, the puppet effortlessly dodged his attacks and gave the final blow. That attack was enough to send Okami towards the stone beside Ryoshi. Ironically, that boulder became their tombstone, despite the two of them were still alive.

    Within a few seconds, I finally thought of an idea. I nned on using that bolt to my advantage and trapping the golem!

 Chapter 165 - The Shape!

    Within a few seconds, I finally thought of an idea. I nned on using that bolt to my advantage and trapping the golem! I had no idea if this would work to my advantage. But there was nothing I could do but to try this out.

    "Okami, I have an idea! But I need you to distract the golem! Match, you do the same and discharge your fire spells around the puppet! Can you do just that?" I asked Okami, who would y a vital role in this n to work.

    Okami had a reluctant look on his face, with his furrowed eyebrows at my figure. But instead of rejecting my offer, Okami gave me a nod and looked me in the eye.

    "I''m guessing that you don''t want me to know your n, Red, since the puppet would know?"

    "I don''t have a n��. but I have an idea," I corrected, while curving up my lips. "Trust me on this one, Okami. I know we will win this fight.".

    "I trust you more than I trust myself!" Okami shouted, and charged straight at the golem.

    All he had to do was to buy me some time and distract the golem. Okami knew only one thing about my n. He needed to move the puppet around like a crazed warrior fighting for his life. If I could find the perfect angle tond the arrows, this fight would be over soon.

    And the trickiest part came into the fray.

    Ryoshi imed that nobody could wield these arrows if that creature was not a hunter or an elf. And I did not have any ss that could carry those darts in my hands.

    But I did not n on holding those bolts in the first ce.

    I charged straight to Ryoshi and dragged his hands like an extension of myself. He acted like a puppet that I used for my own benefit. But it was the other way around. Ryoshi was the key to our victory.

    When I moved my fingers, Ryoshi''s fingers would move as well. If I walk, Ryoshi will also walk. The only thing that hindered me from performing this n was Ryoshi''s weight pressing on my body.

    Despite being characters inside the game, Ryoshi also had a weight like any other characters in Code. As an NPC living in this world, my body could only handle a specific. I cannot carry something or someone heavier than me.

    Instead of whining about it, I gritted my teeth and continued moving both Ryoshi and my body. I needed to sync our bodies if I wanted this n to work out from what I had in mind.

    It took me a few seconds to adjust to the weight. But after analysing my movements, I finally got the hang of what I was doing.

    After knowing the controls, I went towards the bolts and grabbed all three on the ground. Much to my surprise, Ryoshi''s hands picked them without difficulty.

    Since Ryoshi mentioned he could only wield them, then maybe I could use his unconscious hands and snatch the arrows. My actions bore fruit as Ryoshi''s hand collected all the three darts, with the bow in the other. All we had to do now was to fire these bad boys towards the golem and trap it inside a barrier.

    I immediately positioned myself, prepared the arrows, and locked eyes on my target. But as I nned my actions, the puppet noticed my figure.

    Despite having no eyes, the puppet red in my direction. But thanks to Okami''s interference, the golem continued fighting the wolf yer. Match even helped as she cast both protective spells on me and offensive abilities against the puppet.

    We all had ten seconds left on the clock before the other golem moved from its ground. And it was up to these three bolts and me to cage that puppet. And afterwards, run towards the gates, together with the team.

    However, that was my main problem. All the battle''s pressure turned to me, especially on these darts. If I failed the shot, we would all walk away with our tails behind our backs.

    We could also die after this battle, considering Alice''s personality.

    I dashed to the sides while taking a deep breath. I also activated my [shadow walk] spell, despite knowing the puppet could track me down. That moment should be an impossible feat to achieve. But thanks to my past fights, I could calm my senses down, even under pressure.

    As soon as Okami noticed my figure, heunched a blitz of attacks in the puppet''s direction. He activated every spell that he had, including his forms and other abilities I did not know.

    After three seconds, I released the bolts and aimed the three darts at the ground. I could only hope that my attack would form a triangle when those bolts would crash against the soil. Because if they didn''t, we would have to retreat and save ourselves from this fight.

    Everyone glued their eyes at the bolts hovering in mid-air. Even the puppet had its figure staring at the darts as they formed a shape on the ground.

    But before those arrows couldnd on the ground, the golem dispatched itself from Okami and fled from the triangle''s insides. Okami and I screamed in terror as soon as we witnessed the puppet''s body move from the spot.

    "No��.. We''re already toote," Okami whispered to himself, and knelt on the ground.

    Match became a statue of some sort as she noticed the event unfolded before her eyes. She could not move a muscle, knowing that we lost. With thest ounce of strength she had, Match stole a glimpse behind and met my gaze.

    That plot was our only chance of winning this fight. If we cannot trap the puppet inside the shape, we would lose the battle. Although Okami and I probably hated each other, we still did not want to die. There was still a connection that linked the two of us, which led us to this ce.

    And now, all those journeys we had would flush into the sewers. It was as if the moon crashed above us even though it was still daytime��..

    Even when the world pressed all of its problems on me, a smile emerged from my face. It was a smirk that told everyone that we won the game that the game master yed.

    The bolts that trapped the other golem from the sides finally escaped that box. Since the barrier lost its time, the other puppet charged straight towards us but eventually met its doom.

    The force field emerged from the arrows I ced, trapping the two puppets. If those golems only had eyes, they would have bulged them out from their sockets as they fell into my trap. Even though they had the ability to see the future, I was still five steps ahead of them.

    No matter how hard the two golems tried, the barrier that Ryoshi made kept them at bay. Those spells that the puppets conjured were not enough to destroy that force field.

    Match and Okami both gaped their mouths open as they witnessed the spectacle before them. Those two knew we would lose and eventually die from the puppets. Even Okami forfeited his life, knowing that we cannot escape this battle.

    Luckily for us, I turned the tables around and outsmarted this artificial intelligence. I schemed this n up ahead, hoping that it would work. It was actually my initial n when Ryoshi mentioned the word shape, which gave away this concept.

    The puppets could also read our ns, which made us difficult to attack. But since all I had was an idea and not a n, the golems disregarded it. Spells only worked specifically when the usermanded them to the magic circle. It cannot evolve into something new, regardless of the arcane it contained.

    The same logic applied to these golems, which followed a certainmand. They cannot disobey or jump from a different perspective.

    Only humans could do that.

    "Are you two just going to stare at the golems, or do you guys n on heading straight at the gates?" I asked, with my arms holding my hip.

    I still had my smirk painted on my face when I queried that question. Wasting no more time, the three of us charged straight at the entrance, with Okami carrying Ryoshi on his back. Since his friend was still unconscious from the fight, Okami had no other choice but to transport him around.

    Fortunately for us, we faced no more problems besides the trapped golems. It would be a mess if they came out from their traps without giving us a hint... As luck would have it, that never happened.

    The gates slid open, inviting us inside. As the four of us arrived at the other side, the doors behind shut closed, leaving no space for anyone but us.

    "We finally made it!" I announced, which marked the beginning of our journey meeting with Alice.

 Chapter 166 - Safe Room

    Before moving onwards, Okami suggested we would stay at the door for a few seconds. He told us to wait for Ryoshi to wake up, since that guy was still an asset to our team. Although we cannot use that shield arrows for a few minutes, Ryoshi could still shoot elemental arrows from his quiver.

    We cannot wake Ryoshi up from his sleep, since the world did not allow it. ording to Ryoshi, if the yer fainted or slept, the yer itself would remain nk, as if sleeping in the real world. The game would affect both the yers and characters in Code, which would make them "realistic".

    But I did not get any of that information, since I was an NPC.

    Match, Okami, and I all asked each other about our conditions. Okami stressed out that we needed to rest before attacking Alice. He was even willing to wait for the barrier arrows to cooldown before attacking that princess girl.

    "Alice is the strongest NPC in this game.. I overpowered her with my main ount. But this fight will be different since I''m not using that ount," Okami exined. "We also need to replenish our mana, especially you, Match. You''re the only mage at our party."

    Even though we won the fight against the golems, we still needed to prepare to battle against Alice soon. We did not have any moment to rest, considering the situation we were in.

    Alice created those golems to hinder us from entering her base. We barely even made it through inside this castle, exhausting every ability we had in our arsenal. If it were not for Ryoshi''s indestructible arrows, we would not reach this ce.

    I hated to admit it, but Ryoshi yed a vital role in this mission. So we cannot proceed if he was still sleeping on the floor. We needed all four of us to face Alice, the hidden gem inside the mines.

    It took around thirty minutes for Ryoshi to wake up from his dream. As soon as he opened his eyes, Ryoshi panicked and jerked both of his hands. He reached for his arrows and did a defensive stance, thinking that the fight had yet ended.

    Fortunately, Okami stopped his hands in the nick of time. We did not want Ryoshi to hurt any teammates, considering we were all recovering from the battle.

    "It''s me, Ryoshi... We arrived inside the castle. We won that round, but we still need to fight Alice," Okami exined.

    Ryoshi needed a few minutes before recovering his senses. After those moments passed by, Ryoshi finally replied to Okami.

    "Is that so��. Thank god we won that battle. I thought we''re all goners against those puppets."

    Ryoshi did not tell a lie when he mentioned those lines. Even I thought we would not make that fight alive, especially after considering the golem''s strength. Those enemies overwhelmed us with both magical prowess and strength. Thanks to Okami and Ryoshi''s cooperation, we slipped through their defences and caged them for good.

    "Well, here we are now, man. We''re alive, and we''re still going to fight," Okami confessed, and offered his hand.

    Ryoshi epted the gesture and used Okami''s hand to lift himself from the ground. The two met each other''s gaze, telling everyone their bro-ship throughout their personal journey.

    I cared nothing about their story, considering that Ryoshi killed Clementine. And Okami still epted that murderer as his friend.

    But there was nothing I could do to stop their friendship from happening since I was a nobody in this game. All I wanted was to instil justice for the game developers sitting in their seats, watching NPCs suffer in vain.

    It would not be fun if those rotten game developers only had the power to control our lives. I also wanted to show them the consequences of their actions, since they all asked for it.

    After recovering our manas and health points, Okami announced we were all set and ready to go. All four of us stared at the long road ahead of us, with nothing but dark mist covering the ce.

    "Be careful, everyone. We''re inside the lion''s den. It won''t be a surprise if an army of puppets attacks us," Okami warned, and instructed us to arm ourselves with our weapons. "Red, use your [shadow walk] too while walking. The two of us would scout the area before proceeding inside."

    Okami used his form already and activated his [wolf walk]. I also used my ability called [shadow walk], which did the same thing as Wolf''s skills. ording to him, the two of us would act as scouts and view the first few blocks of this castle. Since we had these skills, it became our responsibility to check everything out, including the corners of this citadel.

    Match revealed her stave while Ryoshi prepared a few arrows in his bow. Match even created some magic circles, especially the fire shield and wind boosters below our feet. She would activate those two spells if we all spotted an enemy. So until now, Match readied those magic circles to save some mana against Alice.

    Match also reserved a skill called va". If she activated that skill, Match would spit scorching mes. That ze would even melt the toughest material inside this game. And I would love to see that in action as we progress inside these hallways.

    Upon walking inside a room, our systems sent us a message. As we slid our screens open, Alice''s message greeted our eyes.

    [I''ve never guessed you lots would make it this far!] cried Alice. [This ce is your safe room. And I''m pretty sure that Fenrir and Hunter knew the meaning behind those words. If you wish to fight me, you shall freely enter this room. Prepare all the things you want, since you''ll probably need it.]

    Okami leaned his head towards Match and me and exined, "A safe room is a ce where you cannot be attacked or die. All of us benefit from this room. including Alice, if she wishes to. The safe room also does not allow any usage of spells, excluding buffs and healing magic. There are only two safe rooms inside this game. I don''t know where the other one is located. But that''s not important right now."

    The box slid to the side, opening another set of windows filled with new texts. [my butler will appear at that door if you''re ready to enter. Don''t worry, yers��. and fellow non-yer characters, my butler does not bite. He would only amputate your limbs until you die��. But I will save that thought for next time��. See you soon. Ah, don''t worry about your meal. Since this would be thest time I will meet you, I prepared something��. a little treat for your party, Fenrir. Don''t worry, I didn''t coat them with poison. If I did, you can kill me right now and here. If you want to order more, my butler would request more dishes. It''s nice to have somepany inside this empty castle. It would be better if I could join you guys with your meals. You could stay inside that safe room for as long as you like��.. You could keep mepany forever if you want to, Fenrir��.]

    As soon as Alice said her fill, the room illuminated by itself. The dark atmosphere disappeared, revealing the items and furniture hidden in the shadows. Both Okami and I deactivated our skills since we were inside the safe room. Ryoshi also had their spells deactivated, since the room did not allow any magic inside of it. Since Match used a buff spell, her magic circles did not wear off.

    Chairs, tables, spare beds, and delicious meals magically appeared before us. The smell of fried chicken and soup charmed me towards the table. Alice even offered some fancy drinks served only inside a castle.

    "It has been quite a time since we ate something nice," I eximed, and dug into my meal.

    Okami stared at the food and whispered to himself, "It''s been a long time since I tasted Himari''s cooking."

    "Are you sure this is okay to eat, Fenrir? The enemy boss offered us some food��. and we''re just waltzing inside as if nothing happened," Ryoshi asked, and used Okami''s in game name and not his real name.

    Since we''re inside Alice''s castle, these two knew to conceal their identities in front of Alice. She must be looking at us from afar, watching our every move.

    "Rx, Hunter," Okami replied. "If there''s one thing Alice is, she''s not a liar. I''ve fought her once. I know she always tells the truth. Even though Alice turned crooked, she still holds his position high as a princess."

    [Thank you for saying that, Fenrir��. or Wolf. I am pleased to hear you defending my name.] A message appeared, which belonged to Alice.

    "I didn''t defend you. I just know that you have your goals intact inside your head. But I keep telling you revenge is not the answer!" Okami shouted, which lost his cool.

 Chapter 167 - Alices Message

    There was nothing inside this safe room besides some furniture, tables, and chairs. But our health points and mana went up, just like Alice had mentioned before. Thanks to the rejuvenating effects, we would have a fighting chance against Alice��.. However, that would only happen if we all nned to attack Alice on her throne.

    Since we had this safe room, we all shared the same sentiments of staying inside. And since this ce had every basic need, we did not have to force ourselves to do anything arduous. Who wouldn''t want to live in a ce stress-free with all the thingsid in front of you?

    Well, Okami was the only person who had an original idea. After two hours of eating our meal, Okami called out for our attention.

    He gazed into everyone''s eyes and eximed, "After an hour, we need to fight, Alice. Every second wasted inside this safe room, our real bodies deteriorate on Earth. And if that happens, all the people ying this game would die��.. I don''t want that to happen to Himari. I don''t want to die because of my selfishness/"

    I stood up from my seat and replied, "Since when did you care about someone else? All those yers meant nothing to you! If those yers wanted to kill Himari, you would dly kill them. And if they did something to Ryoshi and your sister, you would do the same thing to them."

    Okami wanted to retort but couldn''t. Those words I spewed hammered the nail inside his heart, since I never lied about it. Even Ryoshi couldn''t say anything, considering he must know Okami''s perspectives as his best friend.

    "What do you n to do, then? Sit here doing nothing but eat and sleep? How about your revenge against those game developers? How about Clementine?!" he eximed, as he gazed into my eyes.

    Okami was on point when he told me about those lines. I got off track for a second and forgot about the meaning behind my journey. My eyes glued themselves to my surroundings, inspecting all the things inside this safe room.

    "Guys, we need to calm down��. We''re just stressed out fighting those golems. We even barely won against them, if it weren''t for Red''s n. And now we all have to fight Alice, the strongest character in this game. If we want to win, we need to fight together...as a team," Ryoshi was the one who stepped up in this conversation.

    However, I did not have the patience to hear his words. I averted my gaze from Ryoshi and went to fix my things. Even though I did not like him, I still needed to do this, with or without them.

    I looked at Match''s face whilst thinking about our future. This fight was not something we could win easily. If we''re not careful, we could lose someone before we could even win against Alice.

    "Is there something on my face?" Match asked, as she tried wiping down her cheeks using her fingers.

    "Nothing. You''re just as cute as always," I answered, while shing Match a smile.

    "I''m not a kid anymore! I even helped you defeat the golems! If it weren''t for my fire protection, you could''ve been squashed by those puppets! Although I''d hate it if that happened to you, but that''s not the point!"

    "Yes, yes. Thank you, my little angel."

    After our exchange, Match went to sleep, saying that she needed to recover her mana. She also told me that if we nned on fighting someone strong, we would need her spells again. Match did not want to be someone useless in a fight. That girl always wanted to help me achieve anything, since I was the only one she got. And Match was the only one I had since the death of my sister.

    When Match fell asleep, I turned around and faced Okami once again. "I don''t need you. But if I want to win, I need as much help as I could get from the two of you��. Even though I hate Ryoshi''s guts, I cannot choose my teammates in this fabricated world."

    "Well said, Red. Of course, we will help defeat Alice. I really want to return to my sister and eat her curry," Okami answered, and nodded at my words.

    Ryoshi kept his mouth shut after hearing my sentences. He knew that if he said something in this talk, I would have smacked his face. I would have done that without thinking twice.

    As soon as we finished our conversation, we all rested on the bed and recovered our lost health points. That fight against the two puppets drained out our health points and mana down to the bottom. Thanks to the time Alice allotted, Match could also use herva for five minutes in the fight instead of two minutes and thirty seconds. That skill would y a vital role in this uing fight, since we cannot gauge the power of our enemy.

    "As soon as Match wakes up, I will tell everything we need to know about Alice," Okami announced, as he went to the spare bed inside the safe room. "For now, all of you shall rest. Take as much sleep as you need. We''re up against the monstrous character inside this game. Although the game developers changed her up, her powers are unbelievably strong."

    Ryoshi and I followed his advice and went to bed. Since there was nothing we could do, for now, I also slept for the time being. I needed to recharge myself for this fight. It took me around a few minutes before falling asleep.

    However, after a few hours of living in my dreams, the ring sound of the system woke me up. Upon opening my eyes, a window greeted me with the words written inside.

    [The obelisk is inside the cers. As soon as you grab hold of that item, there''s a passageway at the back. That door will lead you to the back of this castle. And that path would go straight to the dragonewts. You are the only one I told about this information]

    Another window slid open as I pressed the next button.

    [Do not trust Fenrir. He is just manipting you to get the obelisk. He is also a yer in this game. How much do you trust this guy who killed thousands of NPCs during his prime? I was one of them... We share the same path, Red. I lost someone dear to me. Those bastard game developers killed my father and took everything from me. And now that I have the power to change the world, they locked me up inside this cell. Those game developers felt afraid when they knew I wanted freedom... We all want to be free from this and be real people, right? It''s your choice to trust these foolish yers. And if you have the obelisk, Okami and his friend could easily kill you and escape from this game."

    "Why would you send me this hint, Alice? And why would you tell me all of those? I don''t understand��.. Is Okami hiding something?"

    Like the wolf inside the sheep''s clothing, my mind changed when Alice sent me this message. Okami and I had crossed paths and des, but he never took my life. I saw a glimpse of his memory and told the truth about his sister.

    Okami wouldn''t lie to me��. Would he?

    I did not know the reason behind sharing this information. But upon receiving this intel, I might as well try it. Although this piece of news could be a trap, there was nothing else I could do but try.

    As soon as I got this text, I sat and stared at my surroundings. I wanted to tell the team that Alice messaged me and told me about the obelisk''s location. But as I realised the message''s weight, I held that thought inside my head.

    I did not want to move without thinking this thoroughly in my brain.

    "If I tell this piece of information to Okami, will he join me afterwards to the dragonewt? Am I going to trust him, or am I going to trust Alice''s words?"

    Alice was a stranger in my eyes. I knew little about Alice''s past, considering the life I lived in this game. The only information I had with Alice was the narration told by Ryoshi and Okami. But besides that, I knew nothing about herpared to Okami.

    Ironically, my ears caught moaning soundsing behind me. As I turned around, I met Okami''s half-asleep eyes staring at me.

    "Are you still awake, Red?" Okami asked.

    "Yeah��. Just had a dream," I answered.

    "Then go back to sleep. You need against Alice."

    As soon as he said his fill, Okami went back to sleep without a care in the world. I, who lied and kept Alice''s message a secret, went to bed once again.

    "I trust Okami... for now. But I will use this information for myself instead of saying this to them," I thought, and closed my eyes.

 Chapter 168 - Preparation

    After another hour of rest, everyone woke up and prepared their things. We needed to ready ourselves for the ultimate fight of our lifetime against Alice, the strongest character in this game. Although I had little knowledge to gauge Alice''s strength, that girl was the one who created those golems.

    And if we experienced troubles taking them down, I could only guess we would have to give it ours all against Alice.

    "That''s the room we need to go to, right?" Match asked, as she glided her eyes at the door next to the shelves.

    Okami nodded and answered, "Yes. Alice also mentioned that we would meet a butler on the way out.. Fortunately, she told us we don''t have to fight anyone besides her."

    "And ording to Red, this ce holds the obelisk. I think we need to defeat Alice before getting that obelisk. Red, did Alice give you anything? She would have messaged you something about the obelisk. That girl is one generous motherfucker," Okami asked, as he turned his face to me.

    I received a message from Alice, but I did not know if I would share it with all of them. ording to Alice, Okami would use me as bait to grab that obelisk. Although I did not believe what Alice had said, those words still ced some doubts in my mind.

    Since Okami was still a yer, I could not trust him fully with his actions. If I needed to team up with someone, that person should not be a yer. That individual should also be a non-yer character, which would understand my feelings.

    And the only person I could think of was Alice. That girl even told me that the two of us shared the same fate as I did, especially when we lost someone we cared about. However, there was only one difference.

    Alice got locked up inside her cage while I could waltz freely outside. And if I wanted, I could change our fate and destroy this game, together with the game developers.

    "Hatred" was the word that linked us together. Alice and I got driven by our emotions, which led us here.

    I brushed those thoughts aside and faced Okami. "No. No, I have received nothing from Alice."

    All it took was one lie to change everything. After answering Okami''s question, all of them resumed talking to themselves about our n.

    However, Match gazed at my face. Her eyes scrutinized mine, hinting that Match knew that I lied. She even grabbed me at the back, with her mouth curled downwards.

    I leaned towards her ear and whispered, "I will tell you everythingter, okay?"

    Match nodded at my words and waited for the meeting to end. She kept fiddling her hands, itching to ask me right away. However, she knew my words would affect the team.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to tell them? That sounds important to me."

    Match''s words pierced through like a nail into my heart, since her words spoke the truth. If I told Okami and Ryoshi about what Alice had said, things would go smoother.

    But I cannot fret, especially right now.

    Before we entered the room, Okami called forth a meeting. We nned on talking about bringing Alice down with the weapons and abilities we had. Since we were up against someone stronger than our team, our team needed to n something about it.

    "Before I could say my thoughts, I''d like to hear your ideas for this group. Anything would do as long as it''s reasonable," Wolf asked, and started with a question. "Let''s start with you, Match. You''re the only mage here. So please, let me hear your thoughts."

    Match yed with her fingers while thinking of something. She was never shy when I first saw her. Maybe the journey we had, fighting various enemies, changed her spirit.

    "Ooh, ooh, I know! I can create you a barrier made ofva. Instead of using my abilities as an offence, I would use it as our defence! Since theva could burn through most elements, using it as a shield could help us in this fight!" said Match, with her eyes sparkling like the stars. "But If I do that, my limit would increase. I would use my level spells around two and a half minutes instead of five! That might hold us down."

    "Actually, it''s quite the opposite. Thatva barrier would save us some time. And I was about to tell you that," Okami answered, and continued. "If you could do that, be my guess, Match. And you should ce some wind magic on our feet so we could float in the air if we need to. That ability is highly valuable, considering that we need all the spells against Alice."

    Match''s role was just like before. She would act as our support and mage that would cast offensive magic towards our target. That girl also knew how to position herself away from the fight, which made our nning easier than before.

    After dealing with Match, Okami turned his face towards Ryoshi. "We already know that this guy could create some indestructible arrows. But I doubt we could trap Alice inside a cage. She''s a smart opponent, even smarter than all of usbined. I''m afraid that those barrier arrows or whatever Ryoshi calls it would be a shield against Alice''s projectiles."

    Okami had a point when he said those lines. I also thought we could use those arrows and trap Alice inside, as we did to the two golems.

    "I didn''t learn anything new besides these arrows. And like before, I have seven arrows ready to use as an indestructible shield. So, like you''ve said, I will use these bad boys as shields. Maybe I would even use these darts as a wall to go through some door if we saw one," Ryoshi confessed, as he prepared those bows in his quiver. "I still also have my lightning bolts here. Maybe I could use this to out-speed Alice and hurt her."

    "Well, that could work. But I think Alice would be slightly faster than lightning. But that would only happen if she notices an attack heading straight in her direction. I remember Alice used something like that when I charged straight at her with one of my finishing blows. She protected her vital organs during that time but couldn''t protect her entire body," Okami narrated, as he nodded to himself. "And that topic would lead to you, Red."

    After talking about Ryoshi and Match, Okami finally changed the subject and included me. "You can manipte and use lightning. Although you could use it for a limited time like Match''s, that lightning spell would activate longer than it should be. I want you to attack Alice from behind and use that lightning ability to catch her off guard. You also need to use your [shadow walk] and walk unnoticed at the sides. Don''t worry. The others and I have your back." Okami exined, as he met my eyes staring back at him. "Among all the members in this team, Alice would pin me down to the ground. She knows that I''m the strongest yer in the world. And even with this smurf ount, I could deal some damage to her. I don''t even have Fenrir with me, the dog��. or pet with me for this battle. But I know that we would have a fighting chance against Alice,"

    I took a deep breath and replied to Okami, "Just like Ryoshi, I didn''t learn anything new besides my own skills. And, as you''ve said, I could use my [shadow walk] and my lightning abilities to slice through Alice''s back," I answered. "I''m not good against this, Okami. But I will try to do as you''ve told me."

    "Then that''s good enough for me," Okami answered, as he cleared his throat. "Andst, my role for this team. Since we do not have a tank, I would soak some damage and attack Alice at her front. I will use my forms to distract her while the rest of you bombard her with your spells and attacks. Don''t worry about me since my health is significantlyrger than all of youbined."

    "And always remember to look at me and hear my words. Alice has an AOE attack or area of effect attack. That means that Alice also has spells that could annihte the entire area if we''re not careful. That spell won''t bring down this castle, but a part of it would definitely be destroyed afterwards. If I signalled you to retreat, withdraw and hide under Ryoshi''s barriers. If you don''t, you die," Okami continued, as he looked into our eyes for thest time. "Are you guys ready? Protect each other''s back if Alice attacks. But also make sure that you protect yourself from her. Always know that some of you might get hurt or even die from battle. But we cannot back down right now. We have to move forward as a team. We have some chemistry with each other, right? This is ourst stand, everyone! We should look alive as we step on the other side of that door!"

 Chapter 169 - Alice Pleasance Liddell- The Fight Begins

    There was nothing else stopping us from entering that door and facing Alice once and for all. And in the end, I kept Alice''s message to myself. It was a tough decision for me, since knowing that idea would lead us to a different n.

    I also told Match about Alice''s message. When she read all the contents, Match looked at me in the eyes, wishing to say something. However, Match shook her head and said nothing about the matter.

    Match carried on as nothing had happened, even after reading the texts from Alice. I could only guess that her heart shattered when I tried to lie about this to the team.

    There was a part of me that wanted Match to side with my thoughts. However, Match was also a different person, which would have a different mindset. I cannot control her thoughts even if I tried..

    Our team finally entered the other room, with all our magic circles prepared in our arms. Those magic circles mostly came from Match, since she was the only one who could shield our bodies. Her skills were too valuable in our team, which Okami never ceased to stress out.

    Okami and I also activated our stealth skills, which allowed us to blend in with our surroundings. He strictly mentioned ying the role of a rat that would find some weakness against Alice while the rest of them could fight her. I could also hit Alice on the sides if I found any opportunities. But it was better to conceal me from Alice than let her know my position.

    As soon as we arrived at the other side, a butler weed our presence. The man wore a prestigious ck suit and tie befitting a ssy servant inside a castle. He even had a white cloth resting in his pocket, which made the man extravagant in front of us. But there was one thing I noticed about Alice''s butler.

    This man was not a human, but a puppet made by Alice. There were hints of skin used for the servant, but it never hid the arcanic stringsing from the butler''s back. Those cords made of mana did not appear visible to the naked eye. Only those who could perceive magic would notice those bluish strings attached to the butler''s back.

    Match, Okami, and I were the only ones who recognized those arcanic strings. But we kept quiet about it since that thought did not matter to us, anyway.

    It was what Alice had mentioned earlier. Her personal butler appeared before us and would escort our team to confront Alice. The man marched towards us and lowered his head to greet us.

    "Is this the team you choose to fight Alice?" the butler asked, whilst looking at the ground. "I need to assure all members involved in this fight."

    It was a fair deal since we were guests inside Alice''s castle. She even offered us countless things before this fight could even happen.

    Okami nodded and answered, "Yes. We are not hiding anyone else besides these guys."

    "Very well, Fenrir. I trust your words. Before fighting Princess Alice, please have a brief chat with her. This might be your ultimate battle against her. One of you will die eventually after this fight. And if you won, Alice would hand over the obelisk to your team," the butler brutally confessed, as he finally raised his head.

    Okami met the butler''s gaze and replied, "Okay. If there''s a way to get the obelisk without shing our fist, that would be great."

    "I believe that is not an option I could consider, Fenrir."

    After their exchange, the butler lowered his head and gestured his hand. He suggested that we should follow him behind, as the butler walked straight towards another room.

    As soon as we stepped foot inside, a ss window of some sort greeted our faces. There was also a figure resting on the middle, with various chains locking the shape''s limbs. When we squinted our eyes, a pale face of a woman addressed us. As the girl lifted her head, the window behind her shone some light inside the room.

    "Alice��." Okami murmured, and prepared himself to attack.

    But before Okami could even pounce for an assault, the butler restrained Okami''s movements without lifting any finger. Okami could only groan to himself as he desperately tried moving his body.

    "Do not attack Alice when the fight has yet started," the butlermanded, as he red at Okami.

    "Release him from your trap, servant. I don''t want you hurting my precious guest, especially Fenrir. If he wants to attack, let him be. I would even invite him to attack me anytime before I could even make a move. With that smurf ount, I doubt his friends and Fenrir couldnd an attack against me," Alice remarked, as she slowly walked her way in our direction. "Come on, Fenrir. I know you want tond a hit against me."

    "Will dly do that!"

    As soon as Fenrir shouted those words, Fenrir dashed straight towards Alice and shed her using his ws. A violent high-pitch sound reverberated throughout the throne room, with Fenrir''s growl followed afterwards. After that attack, Fenrir returned to his position with us and watched Alice''s reaction.

    Judging that strike Fenrir did, it was one of his special moves that could instantly kill any soldier who stood in our way. But when Fenrir did that to Alice, nothing happened. Alice did not even receive a scratch after epting a direct attacking from the strongest yer in this game. If Fenrir attacked me with the same technique he would have already killed me effortlessly.

    It just showed how powerful these two creatures were before me.

    "I told you, Fenrir. Your attacks cannot prate my body," Alice said.

    Within a few seconds, Alice''s face finally revealed itself in front of us. And it was not what I had expected.

    Alice had golden, fluffy hair falling from her shoulders. She wore an elegant dress that had white and blue colours. Although some of her fabric had scratched on it, the dress was enough to show Alice''s royal side as a princess. That girl also looked like she was around my age, especially with her baby-looking face. That expression was the only human-like feature Alice had among all the skin covering her body.

    Alice also had some strings attached elsewhere. I could only guess that those cords linked around the puppets inside Wondend. As I gazed behind her, Alice had some chains tied up around her hands. And when I used my system to analyse those rods, my system only told me that it was a lock of some sort to suppress magic.

    If we could fight Alice right now, our team would battle against her with 50% of Alice''s power. Thanks to those chains attached to Alice, she cannot use any decisive blows that could wipe out the entire ce or the game.

    I could not fathom how strong Alice could be if we could fight her with full power. Even before the sh started, we would all die instantly without having any fighting chance against Alice.

    "Your Alice��." I whispered instinctively, while watching the scene unfold before me.

    "And you''re Red. Red Rose," Alicemented, while gazing in my direction. "I''ve heard a lot about you from someone you know, especially the death of Clementine."

    Okami nced behind and met my eyes. But I glued my orbs at Alice, who mentioned something that caught my interest.

    "How did you know Clementine! And what do you want from us!" I shouted, and prepared my penitent''s de.

    "You won''t kill me with that dagger, Red. If Okami can''t deal any damage against me, I doubt your toy could," Alice mocked, and made a smug look on her face. "I know because I share the same experience as you. I don''t usually say this, but I have an information broker that kept me posted. You know this creature since it''s someone you know."

    All Alice mentioned did not make sense even after listening to her words. It was difficult for me to maintain a straight face when I finally confronted Alice. Mixed emotions swam across my mind, filling me with doubts and questions without their answers.

    "Here''s the deal. If all of you live after five minutes fighting against me, I will personally deliver the obelisk to your hands. But if someone dies during those minutes, I have no other choice but to continue the fight and kill all of you. Sounds like a deal, right?" Alice suggested, while levitating from the ground. "The choice is yours, Fenrir. Do you ept my offer, or are you willing to kill me with these chains wrapped around my neck?"

    Even with those suppressants, Alice could wield her arcane perfectly without any external tools. If those were just the regr mages, they would have suffered exhaustion, and eventually kill them.

    However, Alice was on a different level��..I did not know how we could kill this puppet with our bare hands.

 Chapter 170 - Battle Against Alice

    "Ready or not, here Ie!" Alice shouted, as she conjured thousands of magic circles behind her.

    Those magic circles Alice made were all above the average spells that mages knew. ording to Okami, Alice was still acting carelessly about this fight.

    "If she really wanted to kill us, Alice could''ve sted the ground before we could even have the chance to blink. Alice knows we cannot fight her. Even if we tried, we would lose this fight," Okami added. "Try dodging this rain of attacks! Once this is over, Alice could give us some break. And that time would eat those five minutes."

    As soon as Okami said those words, the magic circle above us revealed their spells. Those runes had different colours, which corresponded to their magical attribute. Some projectiles moved like lightning, while others travelled sluggishly like magma..

    "TRY NOT TO DIE!"

    Those words were the only thing that kept our bodies moving from the projectile''s direction. Some of us tried blocking or destroying the attacks. However, when the time came, our magic could not pierce through Alice''s spells.

    "Match!" I shouted, and went towards Match''s front.

    If there was one thing I wanted to do, it was to save Match from this assault. I would dly risk my life to save her, since I did not want to lose a sister again. I did not know what would happen if Match would die in front of me. There should always be something that I could do to prevent that urrence from happening.

    Fortunately, our protective spells finally kicked in.

    Match''sva shield burned some spells that headed in our direction. Since that spell was a few levels higher than the magic projectiles, theva shield destroyed most of them. Our wind enhanced movement spelled yed a vital role in pushing us away from danger.

    Ryoshi also nned on taking his arrows into the test and activating its shield. However, before he could even use it, Okami''s words hindered him from firing it on the sides. Okami imed we could use these arrows forter when Alice would release the bigger guns. As stated by Okami, this wave of attack was just the beginning of our end. We still needed to withstand the rest of Alice''s trials if we wanted to seed.

    If we schemed on using every unique spell we had, our team could lose to Alice. We would notst until the end round, where those protective spells would matter most.

    However, if we did that, we also risked ourselves dying from these spells. That n would only work if none of us died after the first few minutes. But if our team lost a life, we would also lose this battle.

    Thanks to those spells, we dyed the inevitable. But if this continued without us doing something, we could lose a member.

    Okami desperately tried to move around and sh at those iing projectiles. He also went towards our fore and shattered the spells our magic could not reach. Since he was a veteran in this game, Okami could save the team and himself from this onught of attack.

    But when Alice noticed this tactic, she finally amplified her attack. The big guns Okami mentioned earlier emerged in front of us. Those magic circles that we feared before attached themselves to the castle''s surface.

    Those circr runes continued firing at us with various magical elements. That happened despite those crystalized textstching themselves on the citadel''s walls.

    "What is happening?" I asked, while studying our surroundings.

    It took a few seconds before Ryoshi could answer my question. Ryoshi was not even that sure when heid out his findings to me.

    "My only guess is that those magic circles control these walls. It won''t be long before this castle moves on its own��.." Ryoshi exined, while scratching his head.

    Nobody knew what those words meant for us. It was an absurd thing to believe that these ancient walls would have a mind of their own. How could the walls attack us with more arcane power?

    That question received an answer.

    After a few moments, the entire castle tilted to our right. Like a t board, the floor went towards the side, disrupting our bnce. It even spun our eyes when that event happened, which made all of us nauseous within seconds.

    Besides those bombarding projectiles, we had to deal with these rotating surfaces. And since the world surrounding us took a different angle, it became difficult for us to defend against these disadvantages.

    Although Match''s spells made us fly for a limited time, that duration was not enough to let us fight these magical projectiles. It even made things worse, since we had to bnce ourselves in mid-air while defending ourselves.

    Within a few more hits, Match''sva barrier got destroyed. Although Match could recreate another set of barriers to the team,va barriers would not be our option. She already lost almost all of her mana pool. And if Match continued exhausting her arcane, she might copse on the floor without saying nothing.

    We had to avoid that as much as possible, considering the rules Alice bound us with.

    Our team had no choice but to ept that ze shield. Within a second, that crimson barrier emerged in front of us. But that protection would onlyst around a minute. It also couldn''t take multiple hits from those magical projectiles since the spell was weaker than theva.

    However, we needed to take whatever benefits our team could have against Alice. Each of us needed to try all of our skills, hoping that it could scratch our toughest opponent.

    But instead of turning the tables around, we continued tumbling over to the side. It was difficult to maintain our bnce while focusing our eyes on the iing attacks. Some of us even received some woundsing from the raining magical particles.

    "If I wanted to, I could have killed you guys already. But these chains shackling my arms hindered the flow of arcane inside my body. Thank the game developers out there for restraining my abilities. Or else you would have already turned into mincemeat by now," Alice imed, as she revealed herself above us.

    Now that she had mentioned it, Alice had yet to take part in this fight. She only cast those pre-written runes from the castle and used them to her advantage. Although these spells came to her arcane, those chains contained Alice''s power.

    If it were not for those locks glued on her hands, Alice would have already wiped out the entire Code.

    Fortunately, we maintained our ground despite the moving terrains of this battlefield. After countless trials, our body became ustomed to these roundabout ways of fighting. It even enhanced our uracy of taking down those elemental attacks.

    However, when Alice noticed our triumph, that puppet manipted the arena. Instead of following an angle, the castle twisted and turned. The entire vicinity morphed into a ball, getting passed by each side without a moment''s rest.

    And when our movement stopped, our body would not recognise the still ground. Our legs would sway like the leaves blown by the autumn wind.

    All of us except Okami fell to the ground. Even when we kissed the floor, those magic spells continued relentlessly firing in our direction.

    I couldn''t use my right eye for this sh, considering the environment limiting my abilities. Each of us shared the same frustrating feeling of defeat as soon as we went supine on our backs. We needed some time before we could recover. And I could only embrace Match''s body as the rain of spells slowly came after us.

    Okami, who was the remaining fighter, stood tall in front of us. He nned on taking these alone without the help of our abilities.

    "Are you out of your mind, Okami?! You''re strong, but not strong enough to take on that kind of army?!" I shouted, and raised my concerns.

    Okami never turned his back towards me as he replied, "You haven''t seen nothing yet, Red. Watch me. This smurf ount won''t hinder me from attacking Alice."

    Okami wanted to turn this battle into a one-man show. He had his form activated throughout the fight, but Okami used it to protect us after each second. But now that we all gathered, Okami had the chance to sweep the stage all by himself.

    Well, if we could help him, that would be a st. But we needed a minute before we could feel our legs again. And another thirty seconds to fight like we used to before.

    That crazy yer leapt from the ground, leaving a creator from where he jumped. A burst of arcane emerged inside of Okami, helping him enhance all of his senses at once. When he finally reached Alice''s magical spells, Okami used his wolf form and destroyed the part in front of him.

    Within a few seconds, Okami gave us hope to win this battle.

 Chapter 171 - The New Deal

    Okami yed at the peak of his performance for this fight, as it clearly depicted in front of us. Those forms Okami could use right now went to the maximum level. But ording to Okami, this transformation was not even the rest of his powers.

    There were other forms he had yet tapped on while using his smurf ount. Okami kept saying that this fight would end easily if Fenrir were here.

    Fenrir was the dog Okami had that helped him throughout his journey. That hound was also the reason they defeated Alice before, when the two butted heads. Okami called it his second form. This transformation he used while fighting Alice was the maximum level of his first form.

    But having a wolf was not the only reason Okami always had the upper ground.

    Fenrir and Okami could transform into one, making Okami stronger than ever.. When he changed himself into his third metamorphosis, Okami would be a beast beyond control. He had to contain his powers if Okami wanted to kill yers without annihting the entire kingdom.

    Within a nce, all of us thought we had hope of some sort left on this battlefield. Since Okami activated his first form, everyone knew that the ze finally kindled our candle.

    However, Alice''s wind blew it all away within seconds.

    Those magic spells stood no chance against Okami. Since he was a yer had a higher level than those spells, Okami effortlessly sliced through the swarm of arcanic projectiles.

    If only we were only up against those elemental spells, Okami and we would have already won the battle. Unfortunately, we had yet to include Alice in our equation.

    As soon as she appeared on the battlefield, Alice mmed Okami''s front. When Okami tried to escape, Alice pinned his body on the ground and created a crater on the floor. That hole became the temporary grave of Okami, as he lost the first few hits within the battle.

    But the little rascal never gave up and continued standing on his ground. Okami picked himself from the floor and red at Alice. Alice returned his leer as she prepared another set of spells, excluding the ones precast.

    Two various magical attacks surged through the atmosphere and made their way in our direction. That scale of attack would destroy the entire citadel and its surroundingnd. Despite knowing all of this information, Alice continued guiding these spells at us.

    Okami returned to our station and shouted at Ryoshi, "Ready your arrows, Ryoshi. We need to protect ourselves using those barriers, arrows or whatever you call it. Just shield us using three darts! We will use those for arrows soon if we have to!"

    "Got it!"

    As soon as Ryoshi got his instructions, he hurriedly pulled out his arrows from his quiver and flung them in different directions. Since he would use three bolts, Ryoshi needed to make a triangle. It was the only shape that would cover everyone inside.

    When Ryoshi shot all the arrows in the designated location, he went to Okami and exined new information regarding these bolts. "Okami, these arrows can protect us from anything. But the shield varies against strong attacks. I only said those words since it was like 999 defences. I thought that was enough to defend anything in this game. And judging by the power of Alice, these shields would onlyst around thirty seconds instead of five. We''re actually lucky that these bolts that I thought were indestructible could stand its ground against Alice."

    "You could have at least told me that sooner!" Okami snarled, but afterwards shook his head. "Bah, screw that. As long as it could protect, then that''s good enough for me."

    As stated by Ryoshi, those arrows that he imed as unbreakable also had ws. Ryoshi added that it only happened because we were up against Alice. Those darts were not enough topletely defend us, considering we were facing a monster inside its castle.

    Thankfully, these arrows prepared by Ryoshi could protect us for thirty seconds. We could also use the spare set of darts, which would add up around a minute. But we would have to use those arrows wisely if we wanted to win this battle.

    Within a few seconds, the arrows let out a faint glow on their tips. That luminance turned into a cover and spread across the area, forming a triangle. When the radiancepleted its dome, the rain of magic spells crashed upon us.

    "You have one of your toys, Hunter��. How cute!" Alice eximed, and eventually joined the battle.

    It was like what Ryoshi mentioned earlier. This barrier could withstand on its own, especially against those bombarding spells. However, it was an entirely different story when Alice would add herself to the battlefield.

    As luck would have it, Ryoshi''s assumptions led up to its name. The barrier withstood both the magic attacks and Alice''s physical assault against our shield. When those two forces came into contact with our barrier, the shield dispelled everything for thirty seconds.

    After the said time, the light faded away, revealing our vulnerable self once again. We had nothing to fend off against Alice''s next attack. If that ever came in our way, I did not know how we would handle ourselves against that assault.

    "One of you should have the initiative to do things as I''ve told you," Alice said, as she levitated from the ground.

    Luckily, Alice did not want to cast any spell at us in the next round. Even after all of that, she remained still, with her eyes observing our every movement. If Alice came to us when the arrow shield wore off, she would have already killed us off without batting an eye.

    It only meant one thing��. Alice wanted to have fun and mess with us in this fight. But when I red into his eyes, Alice''s orbs locked onto mine. It was as if telling me to abandon my teammates and head towards the obelisk.

    But I refused to obey that suggestion, especially for now. Okami had done nothing wrong with me while fighting Alice. If only I could kill Ryoshi with my bare hands, I would have done it already.

    However, that changed when Alice sent me another message in my system. Since Alice could bend the rules of this world, she sent me a whisper. Even though she was a non-yer character, she could use a system like the yers. Upon sliding the box open using my eyes, my system opened the message. Despite the fight happening before me, the message entered my head as if it read everything inside the window.

    (Author''s note: whisper is also a terminology used in-game. It is a private message sent from one y to another. Wowwiki fandom)

    [I have a deal for you. Instead of killing these two yers, I would let them live when you get the obelisk from that door. You know that I''m still holding back my true power in front of you guys. If I really wanted to, I would have killed the four of you already! I don''t care if I use cheap tricks to achieve my n. And that n coincides with your goal, Red. You get the obelisk, I will let Okami and Ryoshi live. And the best part is, you don''t have to bring them with you as soon as you get out.]

    After reading the entire text, my eyes glimpsed at the button below it. Even though we were not allies, I could exchange messages with Alice.

    I seized that opportunity and asked her a question, "How sure I could trust your words?"

    That phrase was enough to sum all my doubts with Alice. We had never met before, but Alice had a dark past and a horrible personality. And if I could describe the way Alice fought us, her methods were not something I could call admirable.

    [They will live. Once you''re outside the forest, check your party. If Hunter and Fenrir died, I would dly give you my life. And once I die, I will transfer all my power to you.]

    [A princess never lies, Red. As long as you don''t tell this option to them, this offer would remain active throughout the battle. You could tell this n to Match. But make sure you exin everything afterwards. Don''t try to cheat about this. I could hear and see everything inside this citadel. But be wary, my little Red Riding Hood. I might get bored and kill everyone you love, including Match.]

    After hearing that threat, I clenched my hands and red at Alice. My teeth also gritted on their own while facing off against Alice.

    But despite all of those urrences, I nodded my head and epted Alice''s offer.

    [Very well, Red. You''ve chosen well. If you wish to proceed, do it now while I''m not yet bored]

    Like a devil whispering behind my ears, I went to Okami and told him my n. I did not have any personal grudge against Okami besides being friends with Clementine''s killer. Letting them live was just a constion prize that I could offer to Okami, while escaping this ce.

 Chapter 172 - End Of Line

    [Very well, Red. You''ve chosen well. If you wish to proceed, do it now while I''m not yet bored]

    Like a devil whispering behind my ears, I went to Okami and told him my n. Okami had all ears on me when I caught all of their attention. Since we were in desperate need of suggestions, Okami and the others had no choice but to hear me out.

    "My system told me that I should enter that door over there without Alice''s knowledge. I also need Match by my side to stop Alice from attacking our team! My system told me that behind that door lies the obelisk. If i snatch it from Alice, we will win this battle!" I exined.

    Everyone curved their lips upwards upon hearing my news, everyone except for Match. As soon as Okami heard my narration, he immediately nned our attack while considering what I mentioned. Ryoshi was also on board with the n, considering it was the shortest route we could trod. ording to him, we wouldn''t traverse any problems if we could take this path..

    Since Alice had pushed us into a corner, those two yers had no other choice but to take desperate measures.

    However, there was one person who saw the truth behind the broken shards of ss.

    Match kept staring at my soul, wondering something that only she could think about. That girl kept staring in my direction, waiting for the perfect chance for me to exin everything to her. But despite her patience, I never told Macth about Alice''s grand n.

    Match also kept questioning me, asking me if I was hiding something from her. I couldn''t tell the truth about Alice''s message. I wanted to disclose everything. But telling that information would cost us our lives in this battle.

    If I told her that, Alice might change her mind, resulting in all of our deaths. I had to take this offer. We would lose if we nned on fighting Alice in a fair match.

    I did not have any personal grudge against Okami besides being friends with Clementine''s killer. Letting them live was just a constion prize that I could offer to Okami, while escaping this ce. And the only evidence I had from Alice was her word.

    But it was enough for me to ept her words.

    Within a few seconds, I finally rushed onwards, with Match running by my side. As soon as we sprinted forward, Ryoshi shot his arrows above us, creating a barrier from all attacks heading in our direction.

    Alice, who saw us running towards the door, tried stopping our tracks. But all of those actions Alice performed were all part of our n. As stated in our conversation, Alice would let us through that door and leave the two yers behind.

    I did not care if Alice had some grudges against Okami and Hunter. But everything would turn out well if those two would end up alive after the battle.

    When the magic spells finally came in our direction, the shield protected us from those attacks. Fortunately, that rain of spells was not enough to prate this sturdy shield from Ryoshi.

    However, Ryoshi and Okami encountered an unfortunate fate. Alice changed her course and glided towards their figures. When Alice came face to face with the two yers, Okami went in front of her and bashed her hands. Alice, who had fists made of metals, effortlessly defended Okami''s attacks.

    Ryoshi went into his position and fired multiple darts in Alice''s direction. He had a confident smug look on his face when Ryoshi discharged all those bolts at Alice. His training and experience throughout our journey finally paid off when those arrows hit Alice.

    But even though those bolts pierced through Alice, that girl had skin made of gold. Considering that Alice also had a puppet body, I doubted we could injure her with normal spell.s

    As those three battled, Match and I carried on towards the designated door. It took us a few minutes to reach our destination and step foot inside the room. And when we turned around, we got teleported to a different ce.

    "Where the hell are we?" I asked, and gazed at our surroundings.

    My eyes widened in shock as the citadel''s figure greeted us. The distance between the castle and our ce was around a few metres away, which made no sense at all. Match and I did not move a muscle after getting inside the room.

    But instead of stepping foot in an enclosed space, the door led us close to Wondend''s borders. It was also the ce where I first arrived on this ind, which sent thousand question marks above my head.

    As we gazed behind, the door was still there in front of us. But as I approached the wooden gate, the door fell and revealed nothing on the other side. It was as if someone built this door in the middle of the forest and acted like a teleportation device.

    We heeded those gadgets as forbidden arts and forgotten spells. Whoever had that ability would bring the yer one step closer to victory. But the game developers introduced that spell around months after the game''s release. Those people also removed it inside the game, thinking that it was too overpowered.

    Since teleportation devices and abilities were too broken inside Code, all those spells vanished within seconds. Those who already made new ounts and had a skill that could freely teleport them got bribed in real life. Game developers cannot delete anything from the game, but they could add something else in Code.

    "Was that a teleportation device? Or a skill?" Match asked, as she gazed into my eyes. "And where is the obelisk you''re talking about? Where are Ryoshi and Okami? What happened, Red?"

    Match bombarded me with questions with some of them that I couldn''t answer for now. I chose the questions I could borate to Match as I met her gaze.

    "I think that''s a teleportation device inside Alice''s citadel. As soon as we entered that room, we got teleported outside the citadel. The obelisk��."

    Just before I could finish my sentence a window appeared in front of my view. As I pressed the ept button, the slide changed and revealed the texts I needed to read.

    [You epted my offer, Red. I have expected nothing less from you. As a token of my appreciation, I tossed you outside the citadel with the obelisk already inside your inventory so you don''t stress yourselves out about it. As for Okami and Ryoshi, those two yers will live��..]

    As soon as I read thest lines, an explosion emerged from the castle. That detonation destroyed everything, including the surrounding forest.

    The st had congested arcane enough to kill anyone near the area within seconds. Everything happened within a second before me, even after activating my right eye.

    It took the ignition around ten seconds before the fire spread throughout the forest. The explosion did not have any smoke, since the arcane blew it all away. And when the ze cleared out the scene, Alice''s citadel disappeared before our eyes.

    [Kaboom] Alice sent herst message before she disappeared from my conversation list.

    My system told me that an error appeared when Alice sent me that message. It was as if the game itself went nuts when Alice in Wondend''s castle turned into a million ashes on the ground.

    I fell on my knees and desperately tried contacting Alice for thest time. However, no matter how hard I tried, the message never reached Alice''s eyes.

    "YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU''LL SAVE THEM!" I screamed at the burnt citadel.

    Alice told me that she would make sure that Okami and Ryoshi would survive that st. That puppet even told me that a princess never gets back down in her words.

    But those urrences proved to me that she used me all this time and lied about that part. Alice never intended to help me in the first ce. Since she got herself chained behind bars, Alice used someone from the outside toplete her n.

    I did not know how Alice received a burst of arcane magic, since those chains hindered her from using any abilities. But that did not matter right now to me.

    "What promise? You didn''t tell the team about this promise, Red...What did you promise with Alice?" Match had finally lost her wits and asked me a direct question.

    I couldn''t switch the topic, especially after hearing such a querying from Match. "Alice sent me a message and told me to go inside a door, grab the obelisk, and leave Ryoshi and Okami behind. She promised to keep them alive��.But after seeing that explosion, I doubt they woulde back alive."

    "Why didn''t you tell us about it?!" Match raised her voice while saying those words. "Okami asked you about anything from Alice! Why did you keep that part as a secret!"

    "It''s because I don''t trust them!" I answered.

 Chapter 173 - Regret And Distrust

    "You don''t��.trust them?" Match asked, while staring into my eyes. "We''ve fought a lot of battles together��.We defeated bad guys, monsters, and animals...We even ate together. Why did you betray them?"

    "Those two people are yers, Match. They do what they want without losing anything. And when they do those things, who do you think would be affected the most? Not them, but us, non-yer characters or NPCs! We are just nothing to those yers and game developers. Nobody would care if we die, because we are not real! THEY MADE US��.IF THEY DIDN''T MAKE US, WE WOULD NOT BE HERE IN THIS WORLD!"

    Match fell silent when she heard my exnation. That girl''s eyes remained glued into mine, while watching my reactions. It was as if this little girl waited for me to take those words back and apologise to her.

    However, I couldn''t. Match needed to know the truth, which she probably should have had an idea with.

    "Once this game ends, those yers will kill us all. They think of this world as just a game and nothing else. Even Okami and Ryoshi would think of that, since they''re no different from the others!" I raised my voice and told Match everything buried inside of me. "Ryoshi was the one who killed Clementine. And until now, I want to exact my revenge on that boy. I want to kill him with my own hands, Match. Sorry, but that''s how I feel."

    It was no doubt that these yers thought of this world as their extension of entertainment. I even met those yers before this death game happened. They did not mind dying in the hands of their fellow yers or the monsters found in the wild.

    Ryoshi was also the one who took away Clementine''s life. My sister would have lived around a few more years if Ryoshi had not pulled the string from his bow.

    "But you used them so the two of us can escape��.Our system told us that if these people die in the game, they would die in real life��.Are you okay killing those people? I thought you taught me not to kill anyone?" Match cried, and wept a river of tears. "I know what its like to lose someone you love��.But you have me��I thought we''re just going to tell the game developers that they''re just bad people! I thought we''re doing this to make a better world for other NPCs��.I don''t want this to happen to anyone else!"

    "Match, Ryoshi killed Clementine...I had to kill him too. That guy is a murderer. And Okami''s his friend."

    "Then you''re like them. You became a murderer after epting that offer from Alice."

    After Match said those words, my entire body froze. I couldn''t return Match''s gaze even if I tried, since my body felt the shame even before my mind. I couldn''t think of anything else besides those words Match told me.

    I couldn''t retort, since everything Match said all aligned themselves in their perfect ces. After epting that offer from Alice, I killed those two yers who protected us throughout this journey.

    I could''ve done something else and forgave those two yers. But instead of epting those good intentions, my pride never gave in.

    "I''m sorry, Match. I had to kill them. We need these four obelisks toplete the game��.And I don''t n on only shouting some words at the game developers," I whispered, while gazing at the ground. "If I could turn back time, I would have done this again. I used Okami and Ryoshi as our pawns to escape. They''re both useless to me now, since we finally escaped Alice''s citadel. And I''d rather lose them, not you"

    I said those words with confidence while meeting Match''s eyes. The meaning behind that phrase was enough to tell Match that I would do anything for her sake.

    However, even though I mentioned that, I still cared for the lives of those two yers. I even mentioned Alice to spare them if I epted her offer. The problem pointed at me, since I trusted the words of a puppet and a devil.

    If only I knew this would happen, I could''ve done something about it. But that situation called for an immediate reaction. If the four of us continued battling against Alice, we would have died before we could reach those minutes.

    After a few seconds, Match finally confronted me and shouted, "So If I be useless, will you throw me away too?"

    I blinked a thousand times as soon as I heard Match''s sentences. I couldn''t believe the words that my ears heard while talking to Match. But the girl had a point when Match mentioned that im. However, it was not what she had thought it would be.

    I shook my head and eximed, "No! No, No, No, Match! You got it all wrong! I used Okami and Ryoshi to escape that ce! They''re yers, and not non-yer characters like us! And I would never abandon you, even if you can''t help me with this mission!"

    "But how can I tell if you won''t do that again? You just did it ten minutes ago! How can I believe your words when you just did theplete opposite of it, Red!" Match yelled, while letting her tears fall on her face. "I trust you, Red...But you��.You lost it��.You killed them."

    "I won''t do it on you! I will do it on someone else!"

    "I''m sorry, Red��.I, I can''t trust you anymore."

    Upon saying those words, Match dashed straight towards the forest. It was currently night time, which made it arduous for me to see in this woond. We were also upying the spaces of Wondend, a site that none of us knew about.

    "MATCH! COME BACK! I''M SORRY! I WAS WRONG!" I shouted, but my voice never reached her ears.

    Even if it did, Match might have covered her ears with her hands. After listening to my exnation, that girl won''t hear any wordsing from my mouth.

    The soundsing from the forest also warded my echoing voice. As I continued running onwards, an army of puppets greeted my eyes. These marites were familiar images I saw when we first arrived on this ind.

    But even after facing these puppets, I never stopped and continued sprinting towards the forest. Fortunately, those puppets did not cast any spells even after seeing my figure. It was as if these marites had no interest in stopping me from getting to Match.

    I did not mind those puppets and ran as my little legs could. My body wiggled from exhaustion, but my eyes kept looking in front of me. With all thest strength left inside my muscles, I charged everywhere trying to look for Match.

    It took me a few minutes before copsing on the ground, with my face kissing the soil. My eyes turned swollen as I buried my face on the ground. I did not want anyone else to see me cry, anyone but Match.

    "I need you, Match...Come back��.I need you...I''m sorry. I should''ve not killed them! I should''ve listened to your words. I regret what I did! You were right, and I was wrong! MATCH! PLEASE GIVE ME A SECOND CHANCE!"

    But s, my voice croaked before I could shout everything. The cold floor touched my fingers and slowly covered my body.

    If I could guess it right, Match might have already exited this ce out of frustration. Who wouldn''t after hearing all those words I said before regretting my actions.

    I punched the ground and vented my distorted emotions on the ground. The terrain did nothing to piss me off, but my eyes narrowed down and told otherwise.

    "STUPID RED! YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT! WHAT HAVE I DONE! WHY AM I LIKE THIS! THE ONLY GIRL WHO BELIEVED IN ME, TRUSTED ME, AND ACCOMPANIED ME THROUGHOUT MY PAIN��. I LOSE ALL HER AFTER TELLING ONE LIE!!!" I shouted, while ring at my front.

    The trees entered my view, with ring sounds of thunder growling in the distance. After a few moments, the thunder clouds finally made their way above me. And when they growled for the third time, the heavy bathed my unclean body.

    "That''s right��.Those game developers were the ones behind this��.I will kill them��.I''ve started this death game, and I will end it with my own hands! I''m sorry, Match��.But I think this is for the better. It''s better if you''re not part of my n, since I don''t want you to die with me. I will exchange my life to kill the creators behind this game and stop this madness once and for all!"

    Despite my speech, I resigned my body on this icy ground with the rainpour behind me. But before I could close my eyes, a figure walked towards me. A hooded man that I recognized well addressed my idling body.

    "Red, we have met again."

 Chapter 174 - Merchant And Red

    "Red, we have met again."

    The mysterious voice called out for my attention. As I raised my head, the merchant''s image greeted my eyes.

    "You��. Merchant, you''ve found me," I said, with thest ounce of strength inside my body.

    Despite meeting the Merchant, I still couldn''t find Match on this ind. I searched far and wide, but couldn''t get a clue about that girl. And unfortunately, my body fell and copsed on the ground. After exhausting myself from looking around this ce, my body shut down and forced itself to rest on its own.

    However, despite this urrence, the tradesperson saved me again. The dragonewt caught me in a pinch for the nth time as soon as he witnessed me kissing the ground.

    I did not even have the time to thank the dragonewt for finding my weakened body on the ground. If this was another person or a stranger, I would have already died in vain.

    "I know a spot where we can continue our conversation. Can I consent myself to carry you towards that destination?" the dragonewt asked, with his hands resting on his chest.

    "You may, dragonewt��. And thank you for stopping by."

    I wanted to ask the merchant about his agenda in visiting this ind. ording to Okami, the game developers hid this ce for most people ying the game. Only a few individuals among the billions of yers knew this area.

    I could only assume this trader knew this ce because��. he was also a mysterious being inside Code. There were a thousand things I still did not know about this world. Only Okami, Ryoshi, and Alice could answer my queries.

    "Your face looks like you want to ask something. Maybe you want to know why I appeared before you in the time you needed someone the most," the dragonewt asked, as if reading my mind.

    I did not have any energy left inside of my body. But if only I reserved some stamina, my face would have shown, my eyes expanding at each side.

    "I will tell youter as soon as we arrive at the safer ce. For now, Red, focus on rejuvenating what''s left inside your body. There''s a faint arcane glowing inside of you. And that is not a sign of good health, Red."

    I weakly nodded my head and agreed to the dragonewt''s words. Upon closing my eyes, I let my body loose for the merchant to carry me. That dragonewt seized the opportunity and lifted my feather-like body, voided with energy. As soon as I nestled on top of this creature, I journeyed inside my dreand.

    .......

    By the time I woke up, the dragonewt was still marching onwards. This merchant still carried me on his back,ining nothing about my weight.

    It also did not look like this merchant got lost, carrying me on his shoulders. As I gazed around, the dragonewt walked on a man-made road. I could only assume that this ce was a secret ce hidden from the yers.

    I did not know what happened, since I fell asleep throughout our travel. Fortunately, I did not have any scratch on my body, and someone did not touch me.

    "You are awake, Red?" the dragonewt asked, as he felt my body squirming around.

    "Yes��..," I answered. "Thanks again for carrying me, merchant. I owe you my life."

    The merchant shook his head and answered, "Do not thank me, Red. You are a valuable customer to my eyes. I am just a merchant who happened to see you lying around on that field. Nothing more, nothing less."

    "Do not worry, Red. I will tell you the history of my journey once we arrive at the ce," the man continued.

    I fell silent throughout our trip while observing my surroundings. When I searched the area, a sea of darkened trees entered my view. There were no life forms within our vicinity, not even insects prating the ground. As I gazed below, the weeds did not have any life in them. Even though we walked deeper in the forest, the grass touching my feet had no life in them.

    My mind concluded there was some magic disturbance lingering inside this woond. That arcane covering the ce fended off other life forms, which resulted in this isted forest.

    Thankfully, the silence helped me calm down my senses. Throughout our trek, Match was the only person my mind thought about. I could never erase her inside of my mind. Even if I tried, Match''s figure remained pasted on my eyes, following me everywhere I went.

    It only took one mistake to crumble the rtionship we built together. The two of us could have talked things out, but fighting Alice exhausted us physically and mentally. Match and I were like the same peas in a pond. But after our talk, we went our separate ways, with Match running away from me.

    She might have thought that I remained a killer even when I was with her. Since Match was still a young girl, she still couldn''t believe what I did��..

    I abandoned the two yers who had helped us reach this ce and died because of it. I med myself for trusting Alice. But when that urrence happened, I had to choose the betterment of Match''s life��.

    "Was this really what I wanted?" I asked myself, while gritting my teeth.

    "I could see that you''re not with someone else for this trip. But before I could continue my sentence, I will ask you if it''s okay to peer into your��. problems," the merchant asked, while slowing the pace of his walk. "If you are unable to tell me, that is fine as well. I do not want to force you to exin everything to me. A merchant''s job does not to give concrete advice about problems. But you might need an ear or two to relinquish your problems."

    This dragonewt could have heard me mumble those words when those thoughts scrambled my head. It was toote for me to avoid this topic right now, considering that the merchant kindled it.

    But as the dragonewt mentioned, I needed someone to tell me my problems. And that someone was already beside me.

    (Author''s note: The dragonewt and Red are not going to be lovers. This is happening for a reason.)

    "It''s fine, merchant��. I can handle this. This is nothing. Thank you for concerning yourselves to me. I greatly appreciate your effort," I answered, while wiping off the sweat on my face. "You know what? I will tell you what happened!"

    "Do not worry yourself, Red. It would take us two hours before reaching the ce we desire," the merchant assured."

    "That''s quite a distance!"

    After saying thosetter phrases, I narrated everything that happened to Match and me. The merchant kept listening to my bber, even if it did not involve Match. And it took us exactly two hours before finishing my story.

    "I wanted to save those two yers! But Alice offered me a deal to save Okami, Ryoshi, and Match! But if I had known Alice would stab me in the back, I would have fought until the end!" I ranted, while weeping a stream of tears. "And now Match left me because she thinks I would throw her away like the two yers��. I mean people!!! Okami lost his life because of me when he protected Match! I actually don''t care about those two, but Match! Why does it have to be like this! They are no friends of mine, but Match believed in them. I can''t bring myself to trust those boys. But after letting those guys kill themselves by Alice, Match thought of me as a murderer."

    After snorting out the snot inside my head, I continued, "I never wanted to destroy the trust Match and I had. She was there for me, and I was always there for her. That should always be the case��. But I messed up��. But on the other hand, I somehow think it''s for the best to leave her in a safer ce. Maybe Match went somewhere away from the yer''s sight. If that happened, I would rest in peace while heading towards my goal. I''m only like this because Match left me, not from the yers."

    When I finished my narration, the merchant did not say a word for a few moments. But after a few seconds, the dragonewt finally spoke his words.

    "That is an interesting story you told me, Red. And you ought to wipe your tears with a cloth soon. Now, where should I start? I believe those yers you mentioned are still alive somewhere in this world," the dragonewt eximed, as he continued marching forward.

    "Really? But the castle exploded and left no one alive!" I retorted.

    "Yes. But take my im with a grain of salt. Those two yers you mentioned may be alive but badly injured. If you told me that person was the strongest being ever lived in this world, that guy would have survived that explosion," the merchant exined, while pointing his fingers in front.. "We are here."

 Chapter 175 - Dragonewt Stormfly

    After countless hours of travelling with the merchant, the scenery finally changed. As I gazed around, the sea of trees turned bald. The weeds on the ground also died out and turned into crisps without having the season of fall. We were on top of a hill of some sort, but the view remained the same.

    There were no animals wandering in the vicinity, especially monsters that could attack us. I expected that something or someone would greet our figures, since this was our vulnerable time. But as the time passed by, nobody emerged behind the bushes.

    "We are here," the dragonewt announced, and ced me down on the ground.

    "Where exactly are we, merchant?" I asked, and looked around. "There''s nothing but sticks and stones in this area. I think we''re lost, if you''d ask me."

    The merchant said nothing and continued motioning his fingers forward. I followed his signs and trundled onward, doubting something would change.

    "Are you sure this is the ce? I can see nothing else but the dull field up ahead," I confessed, and scratched my head.

    It was like what I had mentioned to the dragonewt. There was nothing more but the dying in below us, with cut logs and other crumbled stones. The scene came from the chaotic Kingdom of Maind, where the city got destroyed by the adventurers and non-yer characters.

    But within a few seconds, those boring scenery changed. The world in front of me flickered as if there was something there our eyes cannot see.

    Upon reaching out at the invisible barrier, my system finally notified me about this peculiar presence.

    [You have entered the Dragonewt''s Zone or Dragonewt''s Kingdom. Please be advised that you will feel a sudden sensation of nauseousness upon arriving at the other side.]

    "Sorry, what?"

    Just like the arrows Ryoshi presented before, this ce had a barrier of some sort covering the in''s other side. As my hand went inside the foamy screen, that shield sucked me like a vacuum.

    It took me a second before my bottom could hit the ground. And as soon as Inded on the floor, dozens of murmuring voices echoed through my ears. Upon peering my eyes open, a group of dragonewts flocked around me, with their hands pointed at my figure.

    "What is a human doing here?"

    "This ce should be a sacred area."

    "Should we call the soldiers?"

    "Does the king know about this?"

    Each of them voiced their concerns as soon as they witnessed my presence. Most of them disapproved of my appearance, while others had widened their eyes in glee. I could tell that these dragonewts did not expect my appearance, considering their genuine expressions on their faces.

    As I nced around, there were countless huts stationed nearby. When I squinted my eyes, a road of some sort greeted my eyes, with some equipment simr to the humans. I could only think that civilization still reached this ce, but the people remained concealed from the outer world.

    Well, since the outside had feral monsters and greedy creatures, hiding from the war became the safest route. Nobody could kill anyone if those creatures hid from the outside.

    Within a few seconds, someone arrived from the barrier. When I turned around, the merchant greeted my eyes, with a smirk on his face. It was as if the merchant was a different being when inside this realm.

    The dragonewts surrounding us cheered when they witnessed the merchant. I tilted my head in confusion while searching for an answer for this urrence.

    "You must be confused about what''s happening. Come, I will show you the way," the dragonewt insisted, and offered me his hand.

    I grasped his hanging arm and pulled myself with it. As soon as I stood from the soil, the merchant led the way, while nodding at the cheering crowd.

    I still couldn''t deduce what was happening in our surroundings. If these dragonewts hailed for this merchant, maybe this creature in front of me had exceeding status? Despite his merchant title, this realm called him as someone else?

    "That face you''re making, Red. I can tell that you already found the answer to my identity," the merchant whispered.

    I asked, "What does that mean?"

    "You will know once we get there," he replied.

    This merchant read me like a book as he spoke his words. That dragonewt did not even have to turn around to check my reaction.

    I did not want to assume, since this dragonewt saved me from despair a couple of times. If it were not for this lizard, I would have already drowned from that stream before reaching this ce.

    We continued walking until we arrived at the road my eyes caught earlier. It had the same route as any other path near the forest. But the pavement did not have the same features as the ones that the Maind had from what I had remembered.

    As I gazed at my sides, dozens of dragonewt and their families greeted the merchant in front of me. But when they directed their eyes at my figure, they red in my direction before returning to their homes.

    "Why are the dragonewts averting their gaze when they meet mine? I thought that the dragonewts were harmless creatures?" I asked, while looking at the far away dragonewts.

    My mother told me stories about the world and its people. It also mentioned dragonewts and their calm nature. They rarely get themselves into a fight, despite their superior prowess and physique. Those lizards did not use their advantage and continued being a merchant, selling goods to adventurers and non-yer characters.

    There were some dragonewts that became mercenaries and fought for their devotion. But that did not matter to me right now.

    "We are inside my hometown where everyone is a dragonewt except for you. Of course, not everyone would react kindly if they see someone or something different. Not everyone is like you, Red. You have a kind and cold heart, unlike any other."

    The merchant took me aback when he mentioned those lines. But everything he had said hit the nail, especially the former sentence. Creatures with intellect could think differently when faced with different circumstances. And this event was the perfect example for that, considering that I was a human roaming around in Dragonewt City.

    However, I did not mind his witty remarks and continued following his footsteps.

    After a few seconds, we arrived at a structure that had simr designs of a citadel. That building stood tall among any other constructions we passed by earlier. It even had guards stationed at the front gates, guarding someone important inside.

    As we approached the door, the two dragonewt immediately told the personnel behind to open the gates. Those two lizards gawked their eyes in my direction, wondering what a human was doing with this merchant.

    But instead of voicing their concerns, the two dragonewts let me in without uttering a word. I could only guess that questioning someone with higher authority was not open around this ce.

    Those two dragonewts even gave a salute to this man upon greeting him inside.

    We resumed our walk towards the isle and approached three tunnels heading onto various directions. It did not take a second before the merchant went onwards and opened the gigantic gates. Clicking sounds echoed from behind and eventually slid the door open, revealing a morous throne room inside.

    As I looked ahead, a chair befitting for a king greeted my eyes. There were paintings hung above the wall, with different art styles from this realm. This ce also had original furniture unavable inside the Maind.

    The dragonewt cleared his throat and asked, "Have you found an idea who I am after looking at this ce?"

    "Are you the noble merchant who sells stuff to the king?" I answered.

    The dragonewt before me heaved out a sigh before giving me a reply, "Close enough. But I expect more ster answers than that."

    If the dragonewt said those lines, it only meant one thing.

    "Are you the king of this realm?" I asked once again, and gulped down the chunk of salvia inside my throat.

    "Aye. I am the king of Dragonewt Kingdom! My name is Stormfly, leader of the lizard race, and the holder of the Ruby Obelisk."

    Now that the dragonewt mentioned, I epted Alice''s offer for an obelisk. Before I could even react to the dragonewt, I searched myself to find the obelisk I received from Alice. If that puppet lied to me, all my efforts would turn into nought.

    "If you are looking for the Sapphire obelisk from Alice, It''s in your inventory," Stormfly, the dragonewt eximed, as he pointed his hands at the system''s window.

    "You know about systems��? And you know about Alice?" I asked, and stepped away.

    Nobody should know what happened inside Wondend, except for the four of us who battled Alice. And Alice was the only one who told me about that offer, which killed those two yers.

    Since this merchant knew what happened, I raised my guard and prepared my penitent''s de.

 Chapter 176 - Treasure Room (1)

    "Nothing will happen even if we fight here, Red. As far as I am concerned, fighting won''t solve this problem. And to answer your question, I know a lot and I know about your system. I am your ally, not your enemy," the dragonewt eximed, as he met my eyes. "That is why you saw me in front of the citadel. I already anticipated that since I am your merchant coded by the game. Some yers have this. Unfortunately, Fenrir��. or Wolf does not have one. It''s a matter of luck."

    As I listened to the merchant''s lengthy exnation, I lowered my weapon and continued lending my ear. Since starting a fight would be a wise decision, I kept myself calm and continued the conversation.

    "Why do you know all of these things? Why follow me when there are others out there in the world? And give me a reason to trust you, merchant. After what happened with Alice, my trust level plummeted on the ground.

    "Very well," the Stormfly said, as he cleared his throat. "My name is not something known to all creatures, especially my kind. Those who know my name are only privileged beings who stepped foot inside my castle. I have saved you countless times and gave you the things you needed for your goals. If I hadn''t done that, you won''t reach your current destination. But do not worry, Red. Those assistance you received from me would not cost you anything but your trust in me. Now that you n on taking the game developers head-on, you might need my��.specialty."

    This merchant knew how to convince me, especially when I was in dire need of help. Since Okami, Ryoshi, and Match were not here beside me, things would appear different from here and out. I had to rely on myself instead of putting others in my n.

    And besides, Stormy...or this merchant saved me from before. If Stormly wanted me dead, he could have done it from the very beginning.

    "My humble apologies, Stormfly. It''s like what you''ve said. You keep saving me when I need you the most. And now''s the time that I need your strength to aplish my goal," I remarked, while nodding at Stormfly''s face.

    (Author''s note: Red is acting formal since she''s still an NPC and she''s talking to one.)

    A long silence filled the dead-air as the two of us performed a staring contest. I did not have anything to say, since I already told everything to Stormfly about my goal. And he probably knew those things first as soon as I arrived inside his castle.

    But I finally crushed the silence when I remembered something beforeing here. "About what I''ve said when you carried me to this kingdom��.Forget about it, okay?"

    "Very well, Red. Your rants have never existed inside my mind. I do not have any use for that information either. So do not worry yourself," Stormfly answered, which resumed the great indisturbance of this conversation.

    "Is there anything else you''d like to add before we proceed?" Stormfly continued, with his eyes still glued into mine.

    Stormfly did not utter a single word because he was waiting for me to say something! I did not have anything to share besides the meeting we would have to counteract the game developers.

    I shook my head and replied, "Nothing. We should talk about our ns right now."

    Stormfly gave me a nod and said, "Well said, Red. We could start by giving you the Ruby Obelisk, since you need it to unlock the quest system. You also have your Sapphire Obelisk inside your inventory. Alice gifted that stone to you if I am not mistaken. The only Obelisk that you need is the Diamond one."

    After hearing those words, Stormfly motioned his fingers and continued, "Please follow me. I will take you to the treasure room to upgrade your weapon and give you the Ruby Obelisk."

    The two of us went towards the throne seat''s back area and spotted a concealed hatch. That door had some serious looking locks that kept the gates together, paired with some magic circles surrounding it. If I had to guess it right, that door would lead straight elsewhere below the ground.

    I just did not know where exactly we would go, since Stormfly only mentioned the treasure room.

    "I have a question, King Stormfly."

    "Stormfly would do. I hate those honorifics in times of war. I am more of a merchant than a king that runs this ce, since they need little of my assistance."

    I corrected myself and started over, "Then, Stormfly�� why can''t you transfer the Red Obelisk to my inventory like Alice did? You could have at least done that to save us some time."

    After unlocking the door and those pesky magic circles, Stormfly looked at me and answered, "We are not like Alice. That girl...puppet is a supreme being above the game. She can tamper the codes written for this game. And the only thing stopping her were the spells Okami ced upon her. Those game developers also created some countermeasures against Alice. So we cannot do what Alice could do."

    Upon saying his fill, Stormfly motioned his head for me to enter the door.

    "Ladies first," he said, as Stormfly extended his arms.

    I heeded his instructions and entered the dimmed room with nothing but cobwebs. Every step my feet took squeaked a ring high pitch sound, which made the atmosphere ancient-looking. Stormfly followed close behind and lit up a torch attached beside the wall.

    When the torch kindled a ze, the light uncovered our surroundings. My eyes gazed below and studied the obsidian shadows fillign the areas. The only light that we had inside this tunnel beloned to Stormfly''s hand, which was insufficient enough to keep us sane. The door behind us also shut tight, leaving the two of us all alone inside.

    "Are you sure we''re safe inside here?" I asked, while moving downwards.

    I had faced countless monstrous foes and spooky areas in Code, but I had never encountered such a peculiar ce before. This area had something elsepared to the ones I visited before.

    As we continued down the staircase, the wall''s surfaces became crystal in my eyes. The spider webs hanging from above revealed a swarm of spiders inhabiting the area. It would only take one mishaft to alert all these bugs at once if we were not careful.

    It took us ten minutes before arriving at the bottomless pit filled with nothing but cracked stones. Despite the oddly-looking room, Stormfly continued onwards and suggested I should follow him close behind. He told me that we only needed one torch as our light inside the treasure room. If we used more than one luminance, an entity guarding this ce would awaken itself and destroy the kingdom.

    "Could we tame that beast and use it against the yers? If that monster could destroy the kingdom, we could use its power against those pesky yers!" I voiced my concerns.

    Stormfly shook his head and answered, "I am afraid we cannot do that��.yet. I will ask my subordinates if we could try that n. But I doubt we would let this monster wreck havoc outside of our kingdom. The monster is only attracted by the scent of something burning. It means that the creature loves smoke. And it would do anything to secure that substance inside its nostrils."

    The merchant opened another secret door and continued his story. "Before we could execute that idea, I should ask the vigers about its release. It only means one thing. My people would evacuate from this kingdom and head towards somewhere far from here. And once we finish that, we need to drag the battle near here or drag the monsters towards the battlefield. We cannot let this fiend attack our own allies, since we cannot tame this creature."

    That exnation was enough to keep ourselves busy as we travelled through this unlit tunnel. I did not want to extend the topic about that beast, since it had nothing to do with me. And besides, Stormfly already gave me his answer.

    We cannot use the beast as our distraction and weapon against those humans. The risk outweighed the result we wanted.

    It was what Stormfly had mentioned. There were unzed torches hanging around the walls. But Stormfly did not burn them up and used them as our guide. Upon reaching three different tunnels, we finally arrived at a titanic ce.

    Stormfly motioned his hand and warned, "Beyond that area is the ce where that monster resigns. It is still currently sleeping in its den. As long as we watch our steps and keep the smoke to ourselves, we would reach the treasure room right past this site."

    After listening to those words, the two of us proceeded onwards with caution. Despite Stormfly''s message, there was nothing out of the ordinary on the other side of the ce. It was pitch ck and had no signs of entities living inside.

    However, that thought got pushed towards the side when an eye red in our direction.

 Chapter 177 - Treasure Room (2)

    ording to Stormfly, there was a beast slumbering inside this den. And that monster could destroy an entire army of them within a few hours! I did not know why, but the dragonewts contained such a frightening fiend just below their town.

    I could only wonder how those vigers would react if they noticed something spiralling below them.

    There was a space between the tunnel, but had no light inside. As stated by stormfly, we did not have to illuminate that area. Because if we did, we might anger the monster residing in this ce.

    As we entered forth inside the dim tunnel, my foot stepped on a pebble. Upon crushing the stone, a cracking sound echoed inside the cave. That sound would be enough to alert anyone inside this passageway.

    And that only meant one thing. That monster would be hot on our tails if that happened.

    All the hairs inside my body rose like thorns attached to a rose. Someone from behind me sent killing intentions in my direction. It almost felt like my body would disappear if I moved it wrong.

    As I turned around, a crimson eye red at my figure. The eyeball was bigger than anything I had seen before. And that eye never blinked even after a minuted had passed.

    Throughout those sixty seconds, my body froze in ce, refusing to move. Despite wiggling my hands, my body rejected mymand at the sight of this fiendish being.

    "Do not jerk, Red. Even without looking, I know that the monster took a like on you," Stormfly warned, with his back in front of me. "Do not use any skills. It would only anger the monster. It can sense fear and arcane. As soon as you use your skill, that monster will hunt you down until it gets bored."

    "And if that happens, I cannot defend you. The two of us would run straight inside the treasure room while hoping for the best," Stormfly continued, as he studied the situation.

    "I''m working on it," I whispered, while stealing a nce at the titanic monster.

    Fortunately, the lighting from the torch revealed the monster''s partial face. But I didn''t think that was a great idea, after all.

    Upon shining the unlit space, an ancient skin made of slimy scales entered our sight. It was the eye socket of this monster in front of me.

    Judging by those scaly skin, I could deduce that this monster was a reptile. If I could guess it right, this beast sleeping underground might be a hundred years old earth dragon.

    Earth dragons ruled thend, while the dragons with wings (Western dragons) governed the skies. Although the game developers eradicated all of them inside the game, there were still some that remained hiding from the yer''s sight.

    "Nice��.and slowly��," I murmured to myself, yearning to escape this ce alice.

    But as soon as I turned around, the creature behind me growled a massive screech. That voice was enough to tremble the cave''s ceiling. Since that urred, stones from above fell on top of our heads. Thankfully, none of those pebbles got us injured.

    When that happened, my two feet stepped back with my arms already shielding my front. I wanted to sh the earth dragon using my penitent''s de but thought twice about it. If I charged straight towards a monster without a n, I would lose that battle.

    Okami was the one who taught me that throughout the years we spent together as a team.

    Without heeding Stormfly''s instructions, I instinctively activated my [shadow walk] and ran onwards. The system obeyed my words and covered myself with ck aura meant to conceal my skin. Within a few seconds, I became invisible in the naked eye.

    But I doubted that this dragon would buy such a cheap trick and stop on its track.

    Stormfly also mentioned earlier that the two of us had no chance in fighting that monster. All that we could do right now was to run away inside the treasure room, wishing that it won''t reach us. However, that wish was far toote to happen, especially when the dragon reached out its arms to attack us.

    Luckily, Stormfly and I were feet apart from the dragon''s assault. When the reptile realised its mistake, it retracted its arm and red at us for the second time.

    But instead of giving up, the dragon opened its mouth and spit mes from its mouth. As soon as I witnessed that st, my mother''s words echoed inside my head.

    "All dragons can blow mes from their mouth, Red. Those firesing from their mouths aren''t regr mes found in the kitchen! It''s even hotter thanva, you know!" Those words my brain remembered weren''t helpful in this crisis!

    As we dashed forward, my eyes caught a glimpse of Stormfly''s method of running. I used my [shadow walk] which allowed me to run faster than an average adventurer. Even Okami praised my skill since I could catch up to him with this bad boy activated.

    However, my system told me that Stormfly did not activate anything. I also did not see him use any spells when we ran away from the earth dragon.

    As I narrowed my eyes, Stromfly''s feet gave away the answer. Since he was also a reptile, his feet granted him enhanced movement speed. Those improved body parts were like the ones Okami had after transforming into his wolf form. But if I had topare Stormfly to Okami, Stormfly had the better cards.

    Stormfly did not have to use any mana while using that form. It was a part of him, which helped him in battles.

    As luck would have it, the mes that the dragons spewed did not reach us. Those bloody ze disappeared as soon as Stormfly and I reached a certain distance away from the creature.

    Even though the fire did not touch us, the two of us continued sprinting onwards. We did not want to risk ourselves fighting the dragon, considering the ovepping strength between us. It was like pairing up a stick against a bastard sword. It was an inevitable fight, which the stick would clearly lose.

    Maybe if I had Okami, Ryoshi, and Match we would have defeated the monster. But that situation would not happen any time soon.

    Within a few seconds, we arrived in front of a strange looking gate made of bronze. The door did not have anything but scribbles on the surface, with markings of something I did not know. After a minute of gasping some air, Stormfly walked ahead, knelt down, and touched the writings at our fore.

    "We''re here," Stormfly mumbled, and stood from the ground.

    "Already?" I voiced out, and waited for everything to unfold. "How about the earth dragon we faced earlier? Will that thing chase us around?"

    Stormfly shook his head and answered, "I doubt that will happen. That dragon has a mind of its own, sometimes. The dragon was dormant for five years. And the next thing we knew, that reptile would wreak havoc inside this tunnel. It''s also the reason why some of our stuff got damaged from this beast. But we can''t just relocate everything, since the dragon likes the artefacts inside the treasure room."

    But before Stormfly could enter the room, he looked at me and asked, "I am surprised you know your lessons well, Red. Some people would not be aware of earth dragons. Even yers would have a hard time guessing that monster. But you...You hunched it on your first try."

    I scratched my chin and answered, "It''s nothing. And besides, we fought Alice. That''s an absurd feat than this dragon."

    "And we lost��.I lost everything," I continued, and mumbled the rest.

    Stormfly did not mind thetter part of my sentence as he finally opened the door. After outrunning the earth dragon, we could collect the things inside the treasure room. But as imed by Stormfly, we would only take what we needed inside this area. If we took more than what we needed, the earth dragon would hunt us down.

    "Do we have any means of returning to the surface? Don''t tell me we have to get back from the tunnel and meet with the earth dragon again, do we?" I asked, while sending thousands of question marks to Stormfly.

    "That''s actually an interesting query. We''ll see as we enter the treasure room."

    Stormfly did not answer my question and continued onward inside the site. I followed suit and marvelled at the sight of various items lying on the ground.

    There were dozens of swords, shields, arrows, and other weapons resting on every angle. Our feet even trod a stream of gold coins as we proceeded inside the room. As I squinted my eyes, there were countless unopened scrolls greeting my eyes.

    But even though my hands had an itch I wanted to scratch, I couldn''t.

    It was what Stormfly had mentioned. If we took something inside, the earth dragon may attack us.. Everything we saw had arcane contained inside of it.

 Chapter 178 - Left Glowing Eye

    "Some treasures you could see in here have active curses inside of them. If you doubt me, let your system run a search or appraisal to those items. You will notice with your two eyes that those items would have the word ''cursed'' beside it," Stormfly suggested, as he motioned his hands. "While you are viewing the treasures, I will collect the two valuables for you. Give me a few seconds, Red, and I shall give you what you need."

    I heeded Stormfly''s advice and opened my system. A window appeared before me, paired with a high-pitch sound as I called forth for my appraisal ability. My appraising skills were not the bestpared to Okami.. But it was still enough to view any descriptions portraying the items or people I wanted to know.

    (Author''s note: Using the [appraisal] ability would work in its simpler terms. It only means that if a yer that doesn''t have the inspection ss would only appraise the object or other creatures and yers would only view the surface introduction, not the entire content.)

    [Golden Pendant (cursed item)- It is a ne made of gold that could give extra abilities to the wearer.]

    [Cursed item would not give the benefits to the wearer unless a priest or a priest ss yer blesses the item. If the yer or NPCs wears this item, the wearer would receive diminution of statistical power and other status points. It could also lower the wearer''s mana and health points overtime]

    Just like stormfly had mentioned, this random golden pendant had a curse attached to its name. It even gave the detailed information about the cursed item as well as its reduction of wearer''s status.

    Instead of taking the item with me, I let the item rest in its ce. Bringing anything that had a cursed description would only bring me demie than its use for my uing battles.

    "Are there any items left inside the treasure room that aren''t cursed?" I asked Stormflly, while inspecting the ce.

    But as luck would have it, there were no items around this treasure room that was not a cursed item. Most of them even had worse statistical power and status points reduction than the golden pendant, which really cracked my skull.

    After a few seconds, Stormfly gave me his answer, "There are other items out there that are not cursed. Take this as an example."

    Storfmly went towards me and delivered the Ruby Obelisk on his right hand and a glowing red orb with the other. My eyes widened in surprise upon witnessing those two things nestling on Stormfly''s hands, as if flexing it to me.

    But before he could say anything else, I reached out for the Ruby Obelisk and asked Stormfly, "is this for me?"

    I lost everything while taking this stone to my inventory. These rocks were my ticket on meeting the game developer once and for all. I did not know what Code would do to grant me that wish. But I would still hope until the day I die to meet those people who created this game.

    As soon as I opened my inventory, my system notified me about the obelisks. I currently have the Emerald Obelisk, which I obtained from La Finta, the Elven''s grandmother, and the Sapphire Obelisk, which came from Alice.

    Upon cing the Ruby Obelisk inside my stash, my system told me I still needed onest thing toplete the puzzle. And that was the Diamond Obelisk that belonged inside the Maind''s castle.

    "Why, of course, Red! These two items are for you, especially the Ruby Obelisk!" Stormfly cired, and offered me his left hand. "And this one''s for you too."

    My eyes stared at the glowing crimson ball resting on Stormfly''s hand. Even my system could describe the radiating ball that Stormfly wanted to give me.

    When I gaze into his eyes, Stormfly nodded his head and continued, "Yes. I''m giving this to you."

    "What is that thing even?" I asked, unsure about the gift he wanted to give me.

    Stormfly tilted his head and wondered, "You don''t know? I thought you would immediately recognize it, since you have lost your eye. I sense a dangerous amount of arcane and potential on your glimmering right eye. It ismon to see an eye glowing right, but not that would give immense power."

    Stormfly was not wrong about that. My right eye gave me tremendous strength inbat when I needed it the most. It was my ace every time I would face something terrible, especially when I needed to save Match.

    Coincidentally, my glowing right eye happened after witnessing the death of Clementine. It was the strength that kept me on par against the yers who were usually stronger than me.

    If I did not have this eye, maybe I would still be a punching bag to those arrogant yers. As long as I could stand on equal footing with them, those yers won''t stand a chance against me.

    Those people only knew shy fights without bothering about efficiency. As soon as they turned their backs, I would slice their necks and kill them.

    Unfortunately, I only had my right eye glowing when I faced my battles. I did not know why, but I did not have that power on my left eye. The thought never urred inside my head that I needed a pair of ring eyes to unlock my full potential.

    "Are you telling me that this eye would grant me enormous power?" I asked, and went for my point.

    Stormfly nodded his head and answered, "Yes. I know that your right eye grants you power beyond your expectations. You could outmaneuver your enemies with only just your right eye. Imagine that you''re using both eyes at once in battle! Nothing could ever stop you, not even the earth dragon residing in this ce. That is your power, Red. And luckily, the treasure room saved this eye for you."

    I shook my head and asked, "If that''s so, why now? Why is my left eye here inside the treasure room and did note from me? Do you have any exnation about this, Stormfly?"

    Despite this advantageous meeting, I stared at Stormfly and sent dozens of question marks in his direction. That reptile realised what I wanted to ask, but could tell me everything about it. Stormfly was not hiding something, but couldn''t exin the things he was unsure about the left eye.

    "Like you''ve hunched, I do not know why it''s here. But while visiting this ce, a glowing eyeball emerged around this area. I had no other choice but to safekeep it, since it was not a cursed item. I did not have any system, but I have my means of appraising items. This red glowing eye told me that it belonged to the yer and NPC named Red, which was you," Stormfly exined, while maintaining his gaze at my figure. "But the process of attaching this left eye inside your head would shake all your cells. I could not fathom how much pain you need to endure just to ce this eyeball inside of your socket."

    I couldn''t defend Clementine when she needed me the most. This world happened because I was not strong enough to fend off those yers from Code. Alice had the power, but she got apprehended by Okami himself. There were also threats out there waiting for me, especially the game developers and yers wanting me dead.

    But with more powering inside of me, I could finally extract my revenge. If Stormfly would ce this eye inside my left eye socket, I would unlock the full potential of my powers.

    I never thought that the day woulde to witness my strength as one of the strongest yers. If I was lucky enough, I could even outss Okami with these two functional glowing eyes.

    My fingers became wiggly as it became difficult for me to contain my excitement. But before anything else, I needed to endure that pain that Stormfly mentioned.

    "Can you do it right now?" I asked.

    There was no chance for me to idle around for this opportunity. If someone came knocking on my front door, opening it was the only logical reason.

    Stormfly expanded his eyes after hearing my words. He might have not expected my wordsing through my mouth.

    "Even after hearing my warnings, you still want to apply this eyeball inside of you. Your revenge has definitely consumed you��.. But that is the greatest part of all. "

    After Stormfly finished his monologue, he asked me to sit on the nearby chair and open my eyes.

    "If you faint while doing this procedure, you die. If you jerk or run away, you die. As long as you maintain your position, I will do my part and insert this eye inside of you. Do not worry, Red. I have done this countless times��.. But I have seen a dozen of them die in my hands," Stormly shared, as he prepared all those magic circles around his hands.

    "Do it, Stormfly," I demanded, and red at the treasure room''s ceiling.

 Chapter 179 - PHOENIX!

    Stormfly told me that I needed to fuse this glowing red eye on my socket topliment my lone and special eye. He also added that an unbearable pain would reach through my body, wishing that I would rather be dead than experiencing hell.

    However, I had experienced far enough suffering from what I remembered. I lost my previous life and my sister, Clementine, from the battle in Maind. And when I reached this ce, Match left me, thinking that I would abandon them like what I did with Okami and Ryoshi.

    Although I did not have any feelings for the two yers, they still escorted us towards this ce. If it were not for them, I would not have arrived at this ce. Since Alice and this guy told me that those two yers were still alive, I would just grasp for those words blindly.

    It was thanks to them that I could still continue my revenge against those game developers.

    "Do it, Stormfly," I demanded, and red at the treasure room''s ceiling.

    As soon as I agreed with Stormfly''s offer, he rested my body on the nearby table. He told me that I should not worry about a thing, since Stromfly had performed this countless times.

    Before Stormfly could even start the procedure, he conjured a dozen magic circles surrounding us. Each magic spell had runes exclusively belonging to the dragonewt. My system reacted when it witnessed those hovering texts with sphere-shapes clouding my view.

    Within a few seconds, those magic circles entered my body, while most of them rested on top of my left eye. If I could guess it right, these runes were the preparation Stormfly needed to ce the eye on my regr left eye socket.

    [Warning! Because of the sudden insertion of an organ, you (the yer) might feel a sting inside your eye (left eye).]

    [Will you permit a foregin organ inside your body? You cannot alter this procedure as soon as this substance enters your eye.]

    [yes?]

    [no?]

    Even when I epted Stormfly''s offer, my system still needed my consent. I, who had already made up my mind, epted the transfer of this glowing red eye inside my body. So I gingerly raised my hand and pressed the floating screen with the word "yes" inside.

    As soon as my hands touched the button, the system shut itself down and waited for the left eye.

    "I can see that the system notified you about its consent or whatnot?" Stormfly asked, while waving his hands.

    "Yes. This doesn''t feel anything, Stormfly," I bravely confessed, while revealing a smirk on my face.

    Stormfly chuckled at myment and retorted, "Oh, Red. It just started."

    When he finished his sentence, Stormfly waved his hands and ordered the magic circles to squeeze my eye open. All the muscles on my face diverged, as if someone stretched it open. The left eye from Stormfly''s hand flickered, telling me that the size was just right. My system also notified me that the left glowing eye wouldplete the pair, which would eventually increase my overall power.

    The pain that Stormfly introduced did not appear just yet. But it did not take me a few seconds before meeting that throbbing ache around my eyes.

    "AAAAAAAAAGH!" I screamed, while wiggling my body.

    Beads of sweat slowly dripped from my face, which made me blink a million times. My skin also felt an itch that I needed to scratch. However, the paining from my left eye had already taken the spotlight.

    Although the procedure was solely on my face, the pain reached my lower extremities. It was as if the procedure linked the pain inside my body, which jolted me awake.

    But no matter how hard I tried escaping this ce, something pinned me on this table. When I stole a nce at my side, those magic circles I saw before pressed themselves on my body. Those runes weighed heavier than an average yer, which locked my movements.

    However, I was still thankful that it happened to me. If those magic runes did not do their thing, I would have already ran away.

    "Bear with me, Red. The pain will be over soon," Stormflly whispered, as he prepared another set of magic circles floating above me.

    I did not have any time to guess as those rushed runes entered my body once again.

    "What are...those magic circles for?" I asked, while gritting my teeth.

    Stormfly waved his hands for the umpeeth time and answered, "These magic circles are to stabilize your body and the left eye. ording to the game developers, yers had to go through this every time they reached an event. That urrence allowed them to change their eyes without having set-backs inside their bodies. Since they don''t feel pain, all that they do isy on bed and wait for me to finish. However, the game developers realised that these eyes were a bit overpowered. And eventually removed it in the game."

    "This method was also taken from the real life scenario from the game developers. It surprised me that the game developers did all of these to themselves by a professional person handling eyes. But in their world, they use anesthesia. It was something that made the body numb, which would make this practice easier. Unfortunately, we don''t have that here in Code. The only thing we have are these magic circles that protect the body. It protects the inner cells every time a foreign organ would be inserted inside someone else."

    Those detailed exnations by Stormfly kept my train of thoughts upied. Thanks to that topic he opened, my focus transferred itself towards the information Stormfly gave. However, even though that happened, the pain still breached through my body.

    It was like a needle entered my skin, despite putting some leaves as my cover. Those thin leaves, which were the magic circles Stormfly described, did nothing to me.

    After a few minutes of enduring the pain, Stormfly told me that he was ready to lodge my left eye inside my socket. It was the moment I had been waiting for after a moment fighting back the pain.

    When the glowing orb entered my socket, my body reacted differently and more violently. Every limb attached to my body swung back and forth, wanting to escape. My chest rose and formed a mountain when my lungs gasped the air it could breathe.

    That painful sensationsted for around five minutes. But it felt like years of suffering when that happened to me.

    The magic circles prepared by Stormfly emerged upwards, covering my vision. Various hues radiated the room and filled it with arcane that I had never felt before.

    That mana hovering in the atmosphere condenses itself into tiny balls that lessened my pain. And when those spheres nestled on my skin, the strain happening on my body''s site ceased to exist.

    However, that did not stop me from shouting my concerns while clenching my fist. And when those five minutes ended, the pain fled my body too.

    Ghastly smoke exited my left eye, with something tingling inside of it. When I tried opening my left orb, my vision increased, which also allowed me to sense the mana inside the room.

    When I activated my right eye before, it heightened all my senses, including my abilities. Itsted for a short time, but that duration was enough for any fight I needed to finish.

    But that only happened while activating my right eye. After a few months, I finally got myself the other pair that my right glowing eye needed.

    As luck would have it, my senses also heightened, even stronger than before. My abilities remained the same, but my system told me they all levelled up thanks to my new left eye. The duration of this ability also increased, which also had a lesser cooldown.

    However, that was not all. When the left eye finally found itsfortable ce, my entire vision changed for the better. My mana increased by ten folds, which amplified all my skills and attacks. I even earned the title of "Phoenix'' beside my name.

    When I asked my system about it, a window appeared before me.

    [Congrattions! You have obtained the Phoenix''s power! You could manipte any fire in your surroundings when two of your eyes are open. Even when you''re not focusing on your surroundings, fire elements would not deal damage to you, except if they are mixed with other ssifications. Your burning hoodie would grant you the ability to jump higher than usual. It could even grant you fiery wings as long as you level up]

    At the end of its sentence, my system told me that I still needed to level up. It was to unlock the fiery wings, which would grant me the ability of flight, which Match could also do. That skill would prove its worth during battles and other transportations.

    I found it better surfing around the sky than walking onnd if I would go on a trip.

 Chapter 180 - Exiting The Treasure Room

    I tried using my newly found spells thanks to the eye Stormfly ced on my left socket. Thanks to that glowing eye, I could tap the untouched powers I should have had eons ago.

    But before I could even try to use those powers, my system notified me that I needed some rest. Those windows appearing in front of me hindered my abilities from activating, as they warned me about the dangers of draining my mana.

    The situation had a different look from the one I had with Match. My system only mentioned here that my body needed to optimize itself and allow the left eye to function.

    I let the point pass and agreed with the system, considering that my face kept throbbing throughout the procedure. That sensation even made me stumble my footing, which almost made me kiss the ground.

    Fortunately, Stormfly caught my body mid-air before I could even m my face on the floor. He met my gaze and spoke a few words about my condition.

    "Red, your body can''t handle the stress of your recent eye transnt. That left glowing eye we ced took all your stamina and mana from your body. Luckily, that condition isn''t rming unlike otherplications," Stormfly exined, and offered me his hand. "It would take a few hours before you could get the hang of it and use your powers. So, for now, let''s return to my ce and rejuvenate your lost strength."

    I took his generous offer and sped my weakened arm around him. Stormfly took the initiative and carried me on his right body.

    "Am I heavy?" I asked.

    "You are light as a feather, Red. I am just old after living for hundreds of years," the dragonewt replied, while scratching his chin.

    After our exchange, we went to the other side and located a door with vibrant colours. These strokes of rainbow coloured hues caught my eyes, since it had a different design from the golden themes. Even its doorknob had a warm paint covering its surface, which made the two of us want to twist it open.

    "This is a teleportation door that would allow us to enter the outside world. It''s also a treasure collected inside the treasure room," Stormfly exined, while slowly reaching out for the gate.

    "Why don''t you just leave two doors on both sides? Isn''t that easier for all of you guys when entering and exiting this ce? It would also lessen the risk of waking the monster residing in this ce," I suggested, while maintaining my eyes at my fore.

    Stormfly shook his head and answered, "If we do that, we need to deliver this door outside. And that would anger the monster safekeeping every treasure in this room. If we allow those two passageways to exist, that would just risk robbers from breaching the area. Our kingdom has their own disciplinary rules, but not everyone would abide by thew. It is better to have one entry and one exit inside the treasure room."

    As soon as we finished our conversation, Stormfly entered the door and closed it behind us. When he stepped on the other side, we arrived back inside the throne room, but the hatchet we entered stood faraway.

    It was as if the secret door towards the treasure had a separate entry from the outside world, despite its simrities.

    When we arrived inside the throne room, the people outside opened the gates. As it slowly drifted, the faces of elder dragonewts and guards entered the ce. All of them inspected every nook and cranny of the throne room, looking for anything oddly ced inside.

    Within a few seconds of searching for these miscements, these dragonewts went towards me and red in my direction. Even though this event happened, the dragonewt guards did not point their weapons at me. They still gave me some freedom and respect as an individual.

    "At ease, soldiers. This girl is a friend of mine."

    Upon saying those words, the lizard soldiers all gave a salute at the king, Stormfly. Even the elders, who already made their way at the back, paid their respects from afar.

    "This girl is named Red. We need her to aplish our goal. Please provide her everything she needs for the time being, especially a good bed. Red is my personal yer that I chose as being a merchant," Stormfly continued, and gestured his hands at the back. "And, Red! Watch out for the window inside the room! You will love it!"

    "Window?" I asked, unsure what Stormfly meant with those words.

    After a few moments, a couple of dragonewt appeared at the gates. Each of those reptiles wore a strange uniform that mimicked the maids and butlers in the Maind. These three servants went to me and assisted me with everything I needed, especially a hand that I could lean on.

    Those attendants offered their arms and carried me towards the gates to exit the throne room. Since I did not have the energy to retort, I let these lizards perform their jobs to carry me into my room.

    These three helpers delivered me in an uncharted ce inside the dragonewt citadel. I did not expect that this ce had more hallways than it should have from the inside. But now that I was inside this castle, the entire area could fit a forest!

    We passed by dozens of rooms and other areas only the nobles could enter. After a moment, we met two nobles walking on the opposite side. Our group would inevitably meet these high-ranking dragonewt officials within a second, which made all my cells tremble in nervousness.

    But all my worries faded away when the nobles shed me a smile in our direction. Since the king treated me like a princess, those nobles greeted me with respect and nodded at my figure. The servants also greeted the nobles, but in a different method. However, those nobles did not bat an eye to these attendants and resumed on their way.

    I could only guess that the news spread fast inside this ce. There was no way that these nobles would have an idea about the conversation we had earlier. The only usible way that this happened was Stormfly''s earlier reminder to these dragonewts.

    "Something''s really off��.," I murmured.

    It was not something that considered my life and me, considering all the things that Stormfly did to me. Those scenes just did not make sense, since I only arrived in this ce for a few hours or around a day.

    But I cleared my mind when the three servants announced that we were close to our destination. I buckled myself and waited for that room to appear before my eyes.

    It took us a few minutes before arriving at my suite. When the dragonewt opened the door, the aromatic scent and ancient wooden furniture entered my eyes. It also had a window that could see through the miniature garden that Stormfly mentioned earlier. Well, even without that garden the ce was still amazing.

    It was enough to make me want to sleep all day and rest on thatfortable bed in front of me.

    "We will ce you now on your bed," the attendants asked, and waited for my permission.

    I cleared my throat and answered, "Sure."

    Upon hearing my quick reply, those three raised me on their arms and gingerly ced me on the back. As soon as they rested me on the cotton sack, the three asked once again a question.

    "Do you need anything else?"

    I shook my head and answered, "I''m afraid I don''t."

    "If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to tell us. You could contact any servant or King Stormfly by pressing the button in your system. King Stormfly was the one who told us that about your system��.." one servant said, while tilting his head to the side.

    I could only assume that these dragonewt non-yer characters did not know anything about systems. Only the yers and elite NPCs knew this power surging through the game.

    "Very well. And thank you for your kind amodation."

    After saying those words, the three left me inside the room. I had nobody else except for thisfortable bed, some furniture, books to read, and the window disying the garden in front of me. ording to my system, I could see through this window but the people outside cannot see me.

    That picturesque scene was enough to please my eyes and ce a spell on me to sleep. But before I could doze off, an overwhelming feeling of guilt entered my brain, followed by sadness and regret.

    "I''m all alone in this ce��."

    Now that I had mentioned it, Match would usually be the first one to celebrate with me if something good happened. She would rush towards the cotton bed and y around before taking some rest. That girl would have also glued her eyes at the window and stared at the nts growing at our fore.

    But after that fight with Alice, Match��...never returned by my side.

 Chapter 181 - Heading Out Towards Mainland

    I forcefully opened my eyes after resting on this bed. There was nothing that could tell the time, since this room had no clock stuck on the wall. But I remembered that my system had an attached clock on one of its windows, which allowed yers to tell the time.

    Upon opening the screen, the system told me that the time yesterday still remained unchanged. I did not know why, but the time never moved at all. I tried inspecting for any errors in my system, but the magical ability did not have any.

    Coincidentally, a knock came from the front door, which startled my thoughts. There was a voice that followed afterwards.

    "Miss Red, are you awake? You have been sleeping for an entire day. King Stormfly is waiting for you downstairs. He said that you need to do something important, and expects you to be there in the throne room."

    That voice came from the servants of this citadel. They made all the way towards this room to summon me back to the throne hall.

    "Coming! Thank you for reminding me, uh��"

    "Please call us servants. We do not mind the treatment," the maids behind the front door interposed.

    "Okay��. Thank you, servants," I corrected.

    After our exchange, the maids left my room and proceeded to do their tasks. I, who already wasted some time, stood up from the bed and went towards the door.

    But before I could exit the ce, I opened my system once again and checked for my inventory. When I arrived in this ce, I fell asleep on this foamy bed with the pessimistic thoughts still lingering inside my head. And when I did that, I did not have the time to check for the obelisks I obtained.

    Within a few seconds of fiddling around my sack, I finally found the three obelisk. And all of them remained untouched inside my bag.

    It was what Stormfly had mentioned. The obelisk inside Wondend was still inside my inventory, together with the obelisk Stormfly had given me. Since I finally had three of them with me, it was time for me to take the fourth one.

    "The Maind��.," I mumbled, and opened the creaky door.

    I nned on heading towards the ruined kingdom of Maind, since that was the ce where the Diamond obelisk remained. Even though I did not have a map leading towards that Diamond obelisk, there may be something that I could get once I arrive at that ce.

    But I need to visit Stormfly first before taking a trip towards the Maind.

    With those thoughts in mind, I marched towards the empty hall and arrived at the throne room. The guards stationed at the front gate gave me a salute before making space for me to enter. After doing those movements, the door towards the throne room slid open, revealing Stormfly seated on his luxuriant chair.

    Beside Stormfly was a woman dressed with elegant clothing imbued with arcane surrounding her. Despite being a reptile, that female lizard had some charm that could attract their kin, but not me.

    And if I could assume the position of this woman, she might be the queen of this ce. Stormfly''s daughter, if I remembered it correctly, was a merchant inside a remote vige. Since that girl was Stormfly''s offspring, I would guess that she was in a safer ce now, with all the deaths happening in Code.

    I did not want to ask that question, considering my position. And I already helped Stormfly''s daughter when I visited that vige.

    "Please proceed towards the king, Miss Red."

    The soldier standing on his post gestured his hands for me to walk forward. I heeded his instructions and trod to Stormfly. But right after a few moments, the guards signalled me to stop. Without giving it a second thought, my body froze, with my eyes staring at Stormfly.

    "At ease, Red. You are in myfort. And besides, these dragonewts would listen to you like they listen to me. They''re great lizards like me!" Stormfly eximed. "And I want to ask if you''re already healed from your surgery. The adventurers love to call in the game."

    I shook my head and shed Stormfly a smile. "The pain finally left my body, Stormfly. It''s all thanks to the hospitality you gave me and your servants."

    As Stormfly did his speech, those soldiers and nobles listening to him nodded their heads. They seconded his words as those lizards cheered for Stormfly. After hearing those words, those needles inside my heart excited my organ.

    But I had to cut lose to this topic and directly asked Stormfly the question, "I already have the three obelisks with me, and I n on going to Maind soon. Is there anything I could do for you, since you amodated me in this castle."

    I wanted to be as direct and brief as possible when talking with the king. Nobody briefed me about anything inside this throne room. And the only reference I knew came from my mother who told me stories about the nobility.

    After a few seconds, Stormfly gave me his answer, "You have already helped us, Red. By defeating Alice from her castle, you lent us a hand in our livelihood. And do not worry yourself about the hospitality we gave you. Red, you are my valuable customer, after all."

    After our exchange, the soldier''s guided me outside the citadel. Those words Stormfly spoke gave me the permission to leave this ce and travel towards the Maind. Unfortunately, the dragonewt kingdom couldn''t provide me with their stables, since they needed those animals for their resources.

    Before I left, I also asked Stormfly about their current conditions. Since the dragonewts were all non-yer characters in the game, those yers would also hunt them down. If those yers had already killed countless NPCs, they would conquer Code within months.

    Stormfly gave his answer and said, "Do not worry about those minor stuff, Red. I have a n to stop them. And that n includes you taking the obelisk from the humans. We also have a legend here that indicated that an NPC would free us all. And those obelisks would be the key to unlock the secret ending of this game."

    I did not even know that there was a book written about that legend. But I assumed that volume was strictly concealed inside this ce, and the king refused to share it with everyone. And since this merchant��.Stormfly saved my life a few times, I did not want to meddle with their internal affairs.

    As long as I could help Stormfly and his kingdom, I would do so.

    "Thank you again for helping me, Stormfly. I couldn''t have done it without your help," I uttered, before leaving the ce.

    Stormfly replied, "Likewise, Red. Likewise."

    As soon as we concluded our topic, I finally took my leave.

    .........��

    ording to my system''s map, the Maind was just around the corner. It was a few miles away, but the road had a linear path for me to take. My system also told me that the terrain around here would turn pretty rough as soon as I passed by the dragonewt''s borders.

    The system''s information was spot on when it exined those details to me.

    The drynd from the dragonewt''snd turned white, with some powder coated on the ground. Those white and bluish particles covered the area and froze my ligaments. Every cell inside my body shivered like crazy as I continued on this unchartednd.

    Those white stuff also rained upon me and melted when they got stuck too long on my skin. I could only deduce that these fragments came from snow, which was also something in the books my mother narrated to me.

    "Snow��..It''s such a nice feeling...Match probably would''ve yed around it. She would have curled up a ball and thrown it at me like the ones I read from the story books," I thought, while heading onwards through this lump of snow.

    I needed to exert more effort when travelling through this icy trail. It even demanded me to use both of my glowing eyes to increase my strength and stamina. Since I could use this for a long time, I did not have to worry about its duration.

    However, since I was out in the open, I still needed to survey the area from bandits and yers.

    While that topic entered my head, the remnants of Okami entered inside my head. I did not care about Ryoshi, since he was the one who killed my sister...I did not care if he had died at all.

    If Okami was here beside me, he would have alreadye up with a n and a schedule that our team could follow. He was the leader of that party, since he had yed this game world for a long time.

    But the situation became different, especially from what happened inside Wondend''s citadel.. I could only pray for their safety, since Stormfly said that those two were still alive.

 Chapter 182 - Red And The Snowy Base

    "From what I remembered, the road towards Maind did not have any snow situation. Onlynds filled with grass and mountains��.What happened here?" I asked myself, while marching on the slipper surface.

    When I read books about the map around Code, those notes told me that the kingdom had a forest. This ce also had a myriad of hills and other canyons that tourists and yers enjoyed visiting.

    But behind those magnificent areas had dangers near them. The vigers often told children that bandits and other scary monsters lived in this area. It was the reason the soldiers refused to allow us kids to enter this realm.

    However, I remembered yers saying something about this site. If I recall the words correctly, those adventurers mentioned a levelling camp around this Maind''s threatening side. After killing dozens of monsters, yers would level up like crazy, which would give them an advantage in fights.

    But as I entered this ce, none of that happened.

    Thanks to the snow hailing towards this ce, no monsters or bandits greeted my sight. Although there were some pr bears and other creatures lingering near my vicinity, those monsters did not attack me.

    It almost felt like these monsters wanted to run away at any sight they saw. And as soon as they noticed my presence, they would scurry from me.

    I did not want to fight them, since I needed to learn the terrain. If I learned the areas of this icy ce, I would definitely kill one of them.

    "Something''s not right. Why are the monsters here even afraid of me?" I pondered that question, hoping to know the answer.

    But as I trundled forward, a pile of corpses greeted my eyes. It was a war of soldiers, adventurers, and NPCs battling for their lives. Those knights belonged to the Maind, while those yers had more unique guns. Those rifles they used must have received some adjustments and enhancements, considering their standings.

    Upon inspecting the yers, these people had different uniforms. If I couldpare it to the ones I fought before, these carcasses had more armour and improvements to their equipment. The NPCs that they found also used those guns that these soldiers had.

    And their fight did not end well as it took everyone towards the underworld.

    This scene would happen more if the death game would continue. However, I couldn''t care less about it. Those guys would die, and I would never bat my eyes.

    As long as I could fulfill my revenge against those game developers, I would live my life to its full potential. My enemies did not matter to me, since my goal had been set on stone.

    "Why aren''t these bodies dissolving like in the game? Shouldn''t they turn into little particles?" I asked myself, while heading onwards.

    If someone or something died in the game, they would turn into pixted fragments. ording to Okami, that matter was the script of this game. It was the same thing that created the yers, non-yer characters, and everything we could imagine.

    And if these people hadn''t disappeared from this world, it only meant that they had a fresh battle��.Or, something could have happened from the system, since the death game urred.

    Those dead bodies continued over for a mile as I trod onwards this snowy terrain. My feet had a difficult time swatting the icy powders towards the side. But after countless efforts of shoving those white nkets, I finally made it towards the battle''s origin.

    It was a camp belonging to the yers, since I saw one from my previous fights. However,pared to the ones I remembered, this ce had more fundings than the scouts. I could only assume that this group of yers became more formidable than the ones who were hunting us down.

    Before I could enter the ce, I hid my body from the camp. I also used my [shadow walk] spell to secure my hiding spot. If I wanted to discern and breach this ce, I needed to be as stealthy as possible.

    After ducking my head, I activated my two glowing eyes to hear the conversation from afar. As luck would have it, those two briefed something near the gates. It only strengthened my im that the battle outside their camp happened not too long ago.

    Even without warning, my instincts knew that something was going on inside that ce.

    As it turned out, there were still soldiers alive from that battle. And this ce still had some active defenses covering the area. Those yers did not obviously ce those traps set for any intruder entering this ce.

    If I walked in front without noticing the traps, I would have died before I could even kill one soldier.

    "Have you taken all the trash?"

    "Sir, yes, sir! All four hundred non-yerbatants were wiped out clean from the East!"

    "Very well, captain. However, I want you to survey the scene. I don''t want to create a fuss when Warner Asimov is underground."

    "Sir, yes, sir!"

    After the conversation, the soldier called his troops and went to scout the area. The one whomanded the captain returned inside the base.

    But before he could enter his building, that bloke red in my direction. He raised his gun and fired at the hill I used as my cover. The bullet destroyed the lump of snow, but it did not reveal my figure.

    "I thought I noticed something. This shitty game isn''t worth ying. Why do young people like this game anyway when it ruins one''s senses," the man grumbled, and left the scene.

    Fortunately, Iid my body t on the floor and remained silent for the rest of that scene. I did not move a muscle and waited for the man to leave this ce for good. As soon as the general entered his base, I heaved out a sigh and thanked my eyes for spotting the event.

    (Author''s note: Red knew all of those while leaning her back against the snow. The general noticed Red because he also maxed out his senses, since, well, he''s a soldier. He doesn''t want anyone hitting him from the back (not in a sexual way))

    My system notified me about the man''s ability, especially when he nearly found out where I hid. And when the screen popped up in front of me, it told me that he had some skill that helped him. But the name of that skill did not show up in my list. I could only guess the general hid that skill from anyone besides his allies.

    That feature was also a skill that anyone could learn, especially for and against an assassin.

    "I thought I was dead for a second! Oh my god!" I eximed, while feeling my heart beat for a thousand pumps a second.

    And when my heart finally reverted to its calm state, I finally opened my system and asked it another query.

    "Who is Warner Asimov?"

    It was the name that these two soldiers mentioned in their conversation. I believed that person was someone important to the yers, which made me tap my interest.

    It took the system a few seconds before giving me its reply. And once it revealed me the answers, my eyes widened in shock, with my hands clenching for a fist.

    "It can''t be��..That''s the guy who created the game?"

    The system told me that Warner Asimov was the creator of Code and the one who managed it. He also had some people to help him with this project, but it was Warner who made it happen. My system also gave me some documents that proved this im, together with some photographs.

    "So that''s him��" I repeated, and gritted my teeth. "You''re the reason why this shit happened. YOU KILLED CLEMENTINE AND RUINED MATCH''S AND MY LIFE!"

    I wanted to shout those words, but my mouth hindered me from doing it. There was a metallic taste lingering inside my lips, paired with some burning sensation around it. But I paid no attention to that, since none of it mattered.

    After countless months looking for this bastard, I finally had a lead that I could rely on. It was the happiest thing I ever learned throughout my suffering. And I would transfer that feeling to this madman.

    I resumed my stealth mode and prepared myself for breaching this base. My skill remained activated, considering that I would finally enter the ce. If my system told me everything, that Warner Asimov might be the one I was looking for, together with his aplice.

    If I needed some answers, I would have to enter this ce and look for a guy named Asimov. He would be the one I needed to meet and kill after all of this. However, if that man escaped from this ce, I would still look for the fourth obelisk��.The diamond obelisk would be the ticket for me to attract his attention.

    And if I was lucky, those obelisks could give me something valuable for my journey.

 Chapter 183 - Hiro And Red

    As soon as I prepared myself, I dashed straight towards the base undetected. Thanks to my skill, those machines did not spot me, even with their magnifying abilities. My two glowing eyes amplified the arcane inside my body.

    If it weren''t for these eyes I recently obtained, I wouldn''t cruise towards this base without experiencing any problems.

    Unfortunately, it took me thirty minutes to arrive at the front''s gates. I expected tond in front of the door with less time. But the enhanced machinery and trapsid by these soldiers were iparable to the ones I had met before.

    I scanned the door if it had the ultimate trap set for me. Luckily, my system told me that the door did not have anything special.

    It was just a regr, metallic gate that had a doorknob around my waist. And that handle waited for me to enter this room.

    "Now, for the appetizer, I need to open this locked gate," I mumbled to myself, while activating my system.

    My system was a reliable tool that I could use to open such things in Code. It all depended at the level of the yer''s system for the amount of abilities that one could use. And ording to its descriptions, systems could unlock anything that those yers included in this game.

    Although I was not a personnel at this base, I could still enter from the front gates. However, that n went downwards when a window popped up in front of me.

    [ess denied.]

    "What?" I gasped, and tried pressing the buttons once again. "This should work, right?"

    [ess denied.]

    I did not know why, but the gate refused to let me inside the base. This door was the only thing that remained obstructing towards my goal. But without obtaining the ess for this entrance, I just had to find another way around.

    "If I continued knocking on their front doors, those soldiers inside might notice me. I should keep a low profile and hide myself from them," I thought, and went towards the side.

    My eyes looked far and wide, hoping to see any spot I could use to enter the ce. After a few minutes of fiddling around the spaces, there were finally vents that I could pass through inside unexposed. And those orifices on the roof connected themselves inside or outside the building.

    I swung my way towards that hole and marked the map for its entry. Before I could enter anything at all, I must know where these outlets would lead me. My n would be foolish if this hole guided me at the lion''s den, unprepared for anybat.

    As much as possible, avoiding any battles would help me throughout this journey. I wanted to preserve my strength for a fight against these soldiers.

    However, there were multiple pipes I could enter in front of me. After searching for dozens of them, none of those ports would direct me towards somewhere safe. And since I hadn''t entered the ce yet, my system still processed the building''s spaces. Some of those openings would also lead me towards somewhere unsafe and far away from this ce.

    I couldn''t just randomly choose one and hope for the best. If I wanted to breach the yer''s structure, I needed a n.

    That process took me a few minutes but I never found anything within those times. As luck would have it, something ruined my scheme with those killing intentions ring in my directions. Even though my eyes didn''t catch sight of those figures, my body knew that enemies had already surrounded me.

    Within a few moments, rains of bullets emerged from the sky. Those shells went towards my direction, with their speed nearly out matching mine. I could only assume that the soldiers upgraded their guns, since the death game had gone out of hand.

    If those yers didn''t, these bullets wouldn''t scare me. But they did, which those soldiers made a pretty good job out of it.

    I instinctively went to the side and evaded most of those gunshots fired at my figure. Thanks to my burning red eyes and experience, those shells did nothing to me but became a nuisance.

    However, upon lifting my head, a group of individuals greeted my eyes. I had expected an army, since these soldiers loved flexing their numbers. And since yers had the most poption in this map, they could outnumber me and kill me with it.

    But that did not happen. Judging by theposition of this group, the soldiers might have chosen the elite soldiers to face me. Upon squinting my eyes, those silver and golden badges greeted my sight.

    It only strengthened my im that these soldiers had titles beside their names. It was the same as those elite soldiers I faced back in the dwarven kingdom��.However, these yers must be stronger than the usual.

    These service crew did not give me a break and continued firing everything in my direction. Bullets did note free, since those guns used the mana of those soldiers. The consumptions of those firearms must have already drained the heck out of those yers.

    However, after waiting for a few moments, those soldiers never slowed down. They continued firing their weapons at me as if they were in a target practice field.

    Upon a moment, those ring barrages of bullets came to a halt. My instincts told me that it was time for me to escape. However, the unlit chimneys kindled their fire, with some light rotating from the building.

    "INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! RAISE ALL DEFENCES! CAPTURE OR KILL THE NPC!"

    The one behind the speakers yelled its orders to hunt me down. I did not know what went wrong with my n, since I was already close to fulfilling it.

    "Tch. I must have missed something and alerted these yers. And now, I''m screwed," I voiced my concerns, and tried looking for a way out.

    However, no matter how I twisted the scene, there was no end to this madness. These soldiers kept popping up at every corner, blocking my exit. And I did not know if fighting them would be the wisest choice for my position.

    But I was the one who could decide my future. Everything was also against my will, even if I was so close to obtaining it.

    Within a few moments, those sets of bullets stopped firing in my direction. Every cell in my body assumed that I could finally run free from this wretched ce. But upon peeking from the side, a shadow figure of a boy emerged from the sky.

    That blokended on the ceiling, around fifty feet away from me. The mysterious entity had two narrowed eyes leering in my direction, while sharing some killing intentions at me.

    "If it isn''t Red Riding Hood��.The NPC who created the death game. The girl who killed most of the yers inside the game. And now has the audacity to ruin the game that my father created for me." the bloke said, while ring into my eyes. "We''ve actually found you loitering around our base. And now, what are you going to do about it?"

    A voice called my attention among the army of soldiers surrounding me. It had a recognizable tone that I had heard somewhere in my life. But I can''t justnd a finger on that specific identity of that voice calling for me.

    As the boy trundled closer, the shadow disappeared, revealing the face and clothing of this soldier. This person in front of me was the striking image of Clement from my dream, which became my living nightmare.

    "We have met before, Red. I tried contacting you through your dreams��.or consciousness. Since I am a part of this game, I know how to message you regardless of the friend''s settings. But this game made it all possible. And now, Code led me to you. Or, should I say you went towards me."

    A young boy, older than Clementine, addressed me with my name. Nobody knew my identity except for the people close to me. My eyes widened when I heard my nameing out from Clement''s mouth. I automatically walked away but stopped upon realising my position.

    Clement wore an golden armour befitting for a knight. He brandished his sword clipped in his hands and aimed it at me as if inviting me in a duel. It did not take me multiple nce to know that Clement was superior to me and Ryoshibined.

    I did not know if this bloke could even handle Okami and Alice, considering the things Clement had in his sleeves.

    ording to my system, this soldier was not a yer in Code. Clement was actually just an NPC, but acted as a yer working for these soldiers. I did not know the reason behind that alliance, considering that these people hated NPCs more than anything in Code.

    But that did not matter for now, considering the stakes stacked upon me.

    "I am Clement, son of Asimov.. Some yers also call me Hiro, but I would leave that decision for you to decide."

 Chapter 184 - Escape From The Base

    "I am Clement, son of Asimov who created this world��.my world! Some yers also call me Hiro, but I would leave that decision for you to decide. Because I am not a hero. I am the most powerful yer and NPC in this game," the man named Clement introduced himself, while brandishing his sword in front of me.

    "Most powerful? Please don''t make meugh! You haven''t met Alice yet!" I yelled back, while containing myughter inside of me.

    Clement furrowed his eyes and spoke, "You stupid bitch! I could easily beat Alice! My father gave me these cheats! Nothing can stop me!"

    It did not need my brain to understand that Clement was still a child��.He was an idiotic spoiled brat who believed had the power to control anyone around him. Those yers beside Clement exchanged looks out of fear, hoping that Clement wouldn''t do anything to them. These soldiers must have bought Clement''s nonsense, considering that they hadn''t met Alice and Okami in the flesh.

    Some of them might have already fought Okami, since that man always talked about it. Okami mentioned that he killed a thousand yers when he needed to run away. And that death countbelled him as a criminal.

    I brushed those trivial thoughts aside and focused more on the important things before me. And that included studying Clement''s descriptions and weapons.

    Within a few seconds, I secretly opened my system and tried peeking through Clement''s identification status. Thanks to my levels and expertise, I could open his ount and look through there. And it was all thanks to Okami teaching me the ropes of these Easter eggs.

    However, when I finally reached those descriptions, the identification window told me that Clement had locked his information. As stated by Okami, nobody could lock their ount as long as we had the correct appraisal skills. Even though privacy was a thing in this game, yers could see through their descriptions with the right settings and skills. The game developers valued that private information, but those descriptions belonged to the game.

    And now, that information did not show up in Clement''s window. I could only assume that the game developers were behind this locked ount. And since the game developer, or Warner Asimov, created Clement they had freedom in manipting its script. Unlike the previous NPCs and the world, Clement became the game developer''s puppet. And they could discard or add things inside of him if those game developers wished to do it.

    ''Tsk. I guess I have no choice but to browse his weapons,'' I thought, and switched through Clement''s current weapon.

    Luckily, my system could view the descriptions of Clement''s weapon. Even though I couldn''t open his identification status, learning about his weapon would do for now. As long as I could have the upper hand, I could win or escape this fight.

    My system analysed that sword and sent me the descriptions. ording to my system, a mysterious cksmith fused his sword using all the elements in Code, including the strongest materials. With those added to Clement''s arsenal, I doubted that my penitent''s de could sspar against it.

    "There''s no weaknesses��.?" I murmured, and clenched my fist.

    The system that Code gave me was not strong enough to know those descriptions. And I did not have any skills that belonged to the appraiser ss. I was a girl with many names, but an appraisal was not one of them.

    That de would kill me if Clement aimed towards my heart. Actually, that sword would kill me if Clement would aim anywhere on my body!

    "It''s your turn, Red. Introduce yourself to me��.to us! To those yers you killed!" Clement added, while yfully rotating his sword.

    "I won''t introduce these murders. These yers also killed NPCs like you. Does that ring a bell?" I retorted, and shed Clement a smirk.

    Clement gritted his teeth and retorted, "You little��..Fine. You made me angry. You don''t make me angry! yers, we have a new quest! Kill Red, and my father and I will grant you money."

    After saying those words, those soldiers behind him loaded their weapons and resumed firing their bullets in my direction. And since those yers knew that those guns did nothing to me earlier, those soldiers tightened up a notch.

    Those soldiers ordered their members to aim their lights in my direction, targeting me as their main objective. As soon as the light shone directly at me, those yers hid themselves and found better positions for themselves. Some of them continued firing their weapons, while others prepared something for me.

    The dark atmosphere clouded the night sky and our surroundings, which added some effect on the battlefield. This environment also made my eyes squinted from my bright surroundings in contract with the unlit one from the other side.

    But after a few seconds, short beams of light emerged in front of me. That radiance my eyes caught was around half the size of my body, which also had a sharp edge at the end. The glow revealed some of the faces beside those lights, but it did not lit up all the ckened surroundings.

    Right after preparing their weapons, those soldiers dashed straight at me and pointed those illuminating lights in my direction. All of those yers nned on attacking me at once with their numbers, together with those bullets.

    I did not know what to do but to defend myself while avoiding every bullet approaching at my figure.

    When the soldiers finally reached my vicinity, I moved out and changed locations. Staying at one ce while fighting these yers would leave me vulnerable against the soldiers fast approaching me. But if I moved around, I could defend myself from those soldiers with melee weapons. However I needed to keep in mind the barrage of bullets in my direction.

    Thetter had more chances of winning than the former, considering the situation these soldiers ced me in. What made this worse was the knight dded in golden armour.

    If Clement wanted to join the fray and fight me with his soldiers behind him, I would lose this battle. Even after activating my glowing eyes, I wouldn''t stand a chance against that monster.

    All I could think about was to survive and escape this ce as fast as possible. But how could I when the cards were stacked against me?

    Despite these conflicts, I pushed through and defeated three soldiers in front of me. I wanted to kill them, but Match''s thoughts resided inside my head. She did not want to kill anyone and spare the lives of NPCs and yers.

    And because of those words, I held back against these soldiers and tried my best knocking them out cold. However, after dealing with far too many of them, I didn''t know if this would be the right thing.

    After all I had done with the yers I killed from my past, it made me a hypocrite to spare these soldier''s lives. But if I wanted to change, now was the perfect time to redeem myself. If Match heard about this situation, I could still invite her to my party.

    As soon as Match''s image appeared in my daydream, I rushed away from the building. The pommel of my dagger was enough to render these yers immobile, since I aimed for their head. And so far, I killed no one in this fight.

    But that part woulde to an end when Clement finally appeared in front of me.

    That boy wearing arge armour lept from where he hade from and arrived at my fore. The floor below his feet cracked and barely withstood his weight pressing on the ceiling. Despite those urrences, Clement paid no concern to the building and finally attacked me.

    Clement kicked himself and used that speed to charge straight at me with immense speed. Even without adding magic in his body, Clement stillunched himself as fast as Okami would when we fought together.

    However, Clement''s cheat-like powers were not enough to catch me. That boy was still an ignorant prick who called himself the most powerful being in this game when we clearly fought Alice.

    If Clement were to fight Alice or Okami in a one on one situation, he would lose that fight. And if I wanted to be honest, I could win this battle with enough preparation as long as I would only fight against him. These yers were making my job more difficult than it should be, since those bullets could hurt me.

    And if worsees to worst, those bullets could kill me if it wouldnd and pierce my head. Fortunately, that thought had never happened��..yet.

    After dodging Clement''s attack using my lightning speed, I exited the ce. Without uttering a word, my body left the setting, butnded against a rock near the base. I was actually near the yer''s hideout.. But thanks to the trees covering my vicinity, Clement had no clue where I went with my electrical speed.

 Chapter 185 - Resting Away From The Base

    After dodging Clement''s attack using my lightning speed, I exited the ce. Without uttering a word, my body left the setting, butnded against a rock near the base. I was actually near the yer''s hideout. But thanks to the trees covering my vicinity, Clement had no clue where I went with my electrical speed.

    "Should we chase them?" a soldier asked Clement.

    "No. Let her escape. She wille to us eventually," Clement replied to the soldier as I finally left the ce. "Red wouldn''t let that opportunity slide, especially when my father''s inside this base. She doesn''t even know how we shaped Maind into this research facility. What a stupid girl.

    Those were thest words I heard afternding on the base''s borders. I couldn''t believe my ears when I heard that the game developers were inside that building. And it came from Clement, an NPC that Asimov created.

    Thanks to my two glowing eyes, active [shadow walk], and my lightning speed, I escaped that den. Within a few minutes, I found myself leaning against a boulder, right next to the cliff I stationed earlier.

    Since the threats inside that base were too much for me to handle, I retreated. I could only hope to put my things together before fighting them once again. If I nned on breaching that ce, I should know what to do and the location itself.

    "It would be easier if I had some friends to help me��." I murmured, while looking back and forth around my surroundings.

    If we hadn''t attacked Alice, maybe we could have faced this base without disbanding. If only we knew that this event would happen, our group could have stayed together. Instead of those things, Match left me, while I abandoned Okami and Ryoshi. And their absence would haunt me for the rest of this journey.

    I trod all the way back towards a cave that I found and made it my hiding spot. But after a few hours, I would relocate once again to shake the soldiers off my tail.

    Those yers won''t stop at anything until they chop off my head inside this game. Since I killed most of them before, they wanted revenge. If I was in their shoes, I would have done the same thing.

    As soon as I arrived at my temporary shelter, I patched up my wounds and restored my mana using my unused potion. It was thest one, since I used it all from my previous battle against Alice. And if I could guess it right, I needed around a few more hours to heal my wounds.

    With these conditions in mind, I covered the entrance and snuck myself inside the cave. I fiddled with my systems and activated my [shadow walk] despite being inside this ce. It was my countermeasure against soldiers that would have any stealth abilities and a n to stab me in the back

    But I pushed those thoughts aside and closed my eyes, letting my body do its magic.

    It took me three hours for me to wake up from this nightmare. My mind still remained frozen in ce, but my body wanted to move around.

    The entire goal of my journey was right in front of me. All I had to do was to push through my limits and kill whoever stands in my way. However, how could I do that after shattered Match''s perspectives towards me?

    After all that had happened, I didn''t want Match to lose faith in my words. I promised to change for the betterment of myself, hoping that Match could understand. But with these chains limiting me to fight against Clement, I didn''t know what to do about it.

    I stayed inside the cave for hours, debating what I should do to breach the gates. I didn''t have to fight Clement, but that guy would bring the fight to me. As soon as I stepped foot inside, that kid would hunt me down like a rabbit inside the forest.

    Although I had the speed to outrun him, I was nowhere near powerful to take Clement down. With my current abilities, there was nothing that I could do to stop Clement from his tracks, not unless a miracle happened.

    Besides Clement, I had to deal against some soldiers surrounding the base. Even though those yers were nothingpared to Okami or Alice, their guns could still bring me down. And I would be up against a hundred of them, with weapons that could kill me.

    "If only I had some allies, maybe I could somehow do something about Clement and those soldiers��." I whispered, while clicking my tongue.

    But I knew that would never happen. I could rely on Stormfly, but I doubted he would help me with that problem. Stormfly wouldn''t risk his people to die for the sake of saving me. And if I was in his shoes, I would have done the same thing.

    Before I could do all that, I left the cave and looked for another hideout. I went far and low trying to find some ce that the soldiers wouldn''t visit.

    After some few attempts, I gazed above the ancient tree and set my eyes on the erged bough. That branch was enough to hold a bungalow from the Maind. Well, it looked like that, considering the system''s descriptions.

    I did not have any option for this situation. So I climbed the bark and made my way towards the bough. That branch never danced with the wind even though my body continued pressing against it. I even tried jumping multiple times, but the bough never budged an inch.

    "This is perfect," I eximed to myself, and prepared to sleep once again.

    However, my ears caught something from afar. Upon focusing on my four, cracking sounds of twigs echoed in the surroundings. Every step that those entities made announced themselves in the world. It almost felt like those sounds came from boots crushing those tiny pieces of Nature, as the group progressed onwards.

    Even though those beings tried their best avoiding any obstacles, their feet continued destroying the dry leaves and branches on the soil.

    Within a few seconds, those figures emerged from the bushes. And when I squinted my eyes, uniforms of soldiers weed my sight. There were five elite soldiers walking around the forest, lurking in every direction. They lowered their heads and maintained their distance against each other, hoping to catch anything, especially me.

    Each of the soldiers armed themselves with weapons I had seen before around the base. And as soon as they noticed something strange in the corners, they raised their hands and fired their weapons.

    Those hand gestures must have been their signs to know the location of their teammates. After confirming everyone''s position, they would relentlessly rain down their bullets at the targeted ce.

    It turned out that the area the soldiers shot at was just a rabbit hopping towards its hole. Unfortunately, the hare did not make it out alive after getting hit by those dozens of shells. My orbs viewed it all from above, which made me a spectator of everything that happened. As luck would have it, those soldiers below me did not have a clue about my presence.

    But that thought was far from the truth when one soldier nced around. She told her leader about what the soldier felt. But the one in-charge neglected her voice. That officer ordered everyone that they needed to scout the scenery without wasting time looking for me.

    "Clement''s words was to look for the girl with the red hood. But we need to be quick, or else that girl would kill us��.We all saw what happened before, right? We don''t look for her above or below. Our eyes should be straight ahead," the officer eximed, while telling everyone to follow his lead.

    But as soon as the girl noticed something different, she turned around and bent her head. I jerked backwards and used the wall of leaves as my wall, wishing that the soldier wouldn''t notice me.

    Luckily, that soldier averted her gaze and returned to her troops, who finally left the scene. I let go of the bouquet of leaves and heaved out a sigh.

    "If they found me here, those soldiers would have already killed me!" I mumbled, while feeling my heart beating faster than Okami''s legs.

    As soon as my heart had finally slowed its pace, I resumed enforcing my shelter with leaves and covered myself with it. Afterpleting my decor, I snuggled my way inside and used the bark to lean on. Those spare leaves that I found became my nket, which I embraced in this resting session.

    I opened my system again and inspected my current health points and mana. ording to my system, I didn''t lose much of my HP and mana. My health healed around seventy percent of my life, while my arcane was around sixty percent.. I only needed a few hours or minutes to return to my fighting shape. After recovering my powers, I would think of a n to breach that base!

 Chapter 186 - Clement Vs Red

    The noiseing from below ground woke me up in the middle of my sleep. As I rose from my temporary bed, the figures of those soldiers entered my view. It also didn''t look like these yers were just scouts sent by Clement himself, but the main force searching for me.

    If I run away now, I might escape these soldiers. That was my n, not until my ears caught a different voice asking for help.

    "P-Please, S-Save me! W-Whoever you are, please save me!"

    That sound came from a viger that lived inside the Maind. If I was not mistaken, it was a voice that belonged to the alchemist I met before this death game happened.

    As I nced below, Clement and his soldiers had already breached the forest. He surrounded the woonds with his army by his side, with three vigers gripped in his hands. All of them armed themselves with the weapons I fought before, but with added specs. Those soldiers even upgraded their weapons after a few hours.

    The voice I heard came from the alchemist I guessed, with his wife and children beside him. Clement had his sword pointed at the unfortunate family, ready to kill them at any time.

    "My scouts found here earlier. If you''re a yer, you shouldn''t be worried about killing these NPCs, right?" Clement asked, and mocked me as he spoke. "But if you''re an NPC, you wouldn''t let something bad happen to them, do you?"

    After saying those lines, Clement swung his sword and killed the man''s wife. A fountain of blood gushed out from the girl''s body, with the head rolling over to the side. The child and his father embraced the girl''s dead body while weeping in pain. They couldn''t do anything at all against a superior being who held their lives captive.

    I clenched my fist after seeing such a brutal scene. However, I came to the realisation that I had done the same thing with other NPCs. My hands killed dozens of people already without feeling any remorse about them.

    And when I finally wanted to change, my mindughed at me. That brain of mine mocked me, saying that I was a hypocrite for sparing other people''s lives.

    I even abandoned Okami and Ryoshi after fighting Alice, which led to Match''s displeasure��..

    "I didn''t want to kill anyone��.But what choice did I have?" I thought, while watching the entire scene unfold before me.

    "Red, if you don''te out here, I will kill them all. But if you show yourself to me, their lives are as good as spared. You have my word," Clement eximed, with his eyes ring at the broken family.

    The yer who witnessed the scene shivered at the sight of Clement. And when he abandoned his post and tried running away, Clement threw his sword and pierced the yer that wanted to flee.

    With a ring sound, the sword pinned the man against the sturdy boulder. Upon squinting my eyes, that de hit the yer''s heart, which spewed out blood after a few seconds. The unlucky yer died instantly when Clement threw that sword.

    All those who had witnessed the scene widened their eyes in surprise. The soldiers glided their eyes and stared closely at their member impaled against Clement''s sword.

    Clement called another soldier to his side and ordered him to get his sword back. As soon the other yer heard Clement''s instruction, the soldier rushed towards the stone. He pulled the sword out and returned it to Clement.

    That madman retrieved his sword from the soldier and stabbed that lone yer without any reason at all. It was just like what happened to the man that got impaled by Clement''s de. The soldier in front of Clement coughed out blood and died instantly before he could even speak.

    "Nobody holds my sword but me," Clement married to himself, and pulled the sword back from the soldier.

    As soon as he killed three individuals, Clement sheathed his sword back to his scabbard and looked around for me.

    "I am telling you, Red! If you refuse to go down here, I will kill every survivor of the Maind," CLement shouted his final warnings at me, and resumed looking around for any clues. "I am not a fan of hide and seek games. So I will give you ten minutes to decide. Each ten minutes would be a dead viger by your hands. You''re the one who''s killing them, not me, Red."

    Clement also instructed his soldier to remind him if ten minutes had already passed the clock. I, who heard everything above ground, went back to my safe ce.

    Clement was just like me when I first killed an NPC and two yers without batting an eye. He knew that all these people were no match against him, even if they tried. Since the game developers ced cheat abilities and armours to him, Clement became one of the strongest NPCs in the game.

    Eight minutes had passed by, but I hadn''t made up my mind. I just stared into nothing when those minutes ran down through my life. Clement didn''t give me the freedom to decide. After all I had been through, I couldn''t just give up now and save those NPCs for my goal.

    If I wanted to have a winning chance against Clement, I needed to prepare everything I needed. I would even retract my steps and ask Stormfly for help if I have to and let these vigers die in Clement''s hands.

    I knew I wanted to change for Match, but my goal still resided inside my head. There was no way I would change for the better good and allow my chance to slip away from me.

    After countless debates with myself, I turned my face away from the scene andunched myself from the ancient tree. As soon as I left the gigantic bough, a slicing sound echoed on the ground. It was the same tone that echoed earlier when Clement killed off the wife earlier. Another voice followed afterwards, which came from the alchemist.

    I didn''t have to look at the scene, since Clement obviously killed two of the vigers at the same time. He was that kind of punk who would murder everyone he wanted to kill. And that family was the one his eyes caught, which was also my neighbours in the Maind.

    "So they knew I came from this vige��." I whispered to myself, while pondering at the words they mentioned.

    Clement wouldn''t just randomly throw vigers in front of me and threaten me with those people. He had to choose someone that could be close individuals rted to me, which led to the kingdom''s vigers. Although I was not a part of Maind, these vigers were still human beings I saw before my life had turned into shambles.

    After killing that family for good, Clement yelled at the trees once again, "That''s right, Red! You better run! I would run away if I would face off against myself too! You''re nothing but a coward who lets other people die for you!"

    ''Says the man who killed three innocent people��.But I know we''re riding the same boat, Clement.''

    I wanted to say those words, but couldn''t since I had a mission to fulfil. If I allowed my emotions to get the best out of me, I wouldn''t have any chance of taking down that base and Asimov, the game developer of Code.

    Within a few moments, I jumped from one branch after the other, escaping this ce. I needed to recollect my ideas and return to the base to breach it.

    However, a clicking sound nearby stopped me from my tracks. Those tones must have also alerted the squad behind me and a trap around my vicinity.

    I widened my eyes and searched for any traps I activated with my feet. And right after a few moments, hundreds of arrows rained upon me.

    Thanks to my crimson eyes, those arrows passed through me like in slow motion. These traps were nothingpared to Alice as I evaded all of them in another branch.

    But little did I know that Clement was one step ahead of me. As soon as my footnded on a specific branch, a caught me off guard. That trap did not even go through my heightened senses, despite activating my two glowing eyes.

    I couldn''t use my [shadow walk] or lightning speed to escape that trap. I didn''t know why, but theunched at me almost instantly, which caught my body. If only I knew there was a hidden mechanism of these traps, maybe I would have gotten away easily.

    However, Clement outsmarted me for this round.

    It just showed that Clement prepared these traps as a diversion for the actual one to work. And Clement made that with materials that I couldn''t easily break free. It also had abilities of some sort that drained my mana at every second.

    If this continued, this would kill me even before Clement could reach this ce.

 Chapter 187 - The Phoenix

    It just showed that Clement prepared these traps as a diversion for the actual one to work. And Clement made that with materials that I couldn''t easily break free. It also had abilities of some sort that drained my mana at every second.

    If this continued, this would kill me even before Clement could reach this ce.

    A dark figure emerged from the shadows as it marched towards me. Every step that shape shuddered the ground, which sent shivers down my spine. An immense aura clouded the surroundings, as the man raised his sword around his hips.

    After a few seconds, Clement revealed himself in the shadows, together with his man running at his side. Those yers armed themselves and prepared for battle. But upon raising his hands, those soldiers heeded Clement''s directions. All of them stood by and watched the scene, with their guns and swords aimed at me.

    "Just like a fish out of water," Clement eximed, while chuckling up a storm. "I finally caught you, Red. I cornered you.''

    "You used these traps and caught me with underhand tactics! What are you even saying?!"

    "It doesn''t matter! Do you want me to prove to you that I''m better than you?" Clement asked, and pulled off the shackling my movement. "There! Come and fight me if you can, Red!"

    I didn''t know if Clement was an idiot or a genius masterman behind cheap schemes. But I didn''t want to know the answer and escaped this ce as soon as I found the opening. As soon as Clement pulled the, I lunged outside the forest.

    However, upon looking back, Clement revealed a hideous smile carved on his face. It was as if he knew I would run away as far as possible.

    After averting my gaze from Clement, thousands of bullets followed my trail. Those shells came from the soldiers beside Clement, who had already aimed their guns in my direction.

    If a normal adventurer would fit in my shoes, they would have already died from these racing bullets. However, I was in the field.

    As soon as I activated my lightning speed, those bullets never hit my body. All of tem crashed against the barks and stones, which eventually destroyed them. I was already up ahead, trying to survive from this madness.

    But I spoke too soon when my lightning ability wore off within a few milliseconds. I rolled down the ocean of weeds and hit my body against a sturdy boulder.

    Cracking sounds echoed throughout the woonds, which came from my left arm I used to protect my head. I miscalcted the speed of this lightning. And that led me to this downfall inside the ruined forest.

    "Did I lose them?" I asked myself, while slowly getting up from the ground.

    I couldn''t feel anything on my left arm, which hindered me from moving around. After a few minutes, I finally stood from the soil and marched from where Clement found me.

    However, despite using my lightning ability, Clement had caught my tail.

    A bluish electrical current zoomed in front of me. That thunder came from Clement''s ground, which widened my eyes. Within a moment, that thunderbolt punched me in the face. I coughed out a smear of blood, since three teeth came right out from my mouth.

    That jab made my body hover in mid air and eventually hit the stone Inded earlier. But my body destroyed that boulder by the forceing from that blow. It was enough to even tumble me on the ground afterwards, letting me eat the dirt inside this forest.

    "That hurt, you fucker," I cursed, while spitting the blood that obstructed my throat. "I will kill you for that!"

    It was difficult for me to hold onto my promise for Match. But if I didn''t do anything about this bastard, I would be the first one to die.

    I activated my glowing eyes once again and faced Clement''s youthful face. I brushed off all the dirt clinging on my sleeves and revealed my penitent''s de.

    "That won''t work on me, Red. You know I have a bigger sword than you," Clement mocked me, as he prepared his feet to zip right through me again. "And I mimicked your lightning ability. I told you the game developers could add anything they wished for, even though they''re inside this game!"

    Right after Clement said those words, he activated his lightning ability once more. He did the same attack earlier and mmed his hands against my face. Clement''s fist sunk on my cheeks and shoved me to the side.

    I spun for the second time within this fight and ended up near the towering trees. My body needed more time to recover after letting myself get hit by this douchebag in front of me.

    "How can you use my lightning ability? Fenrir told me that I was the only one who could use it?!" I cried, and wiped off the sweat dripping from my face.

    As soon as I stood from the soil, another jab crashed against my back. The pain from that punch radiated at every muscle inside my body. Clement''s punch was strong enough to push me on the ground within seconds.

    "I could use any ability I see as long as my system and I could understand it. Since my system is like the inte of the real world, I could know any descriptions you throw onto me��.Oh, wait. You don''t even know what the inte means, do you? Don''t worry. It''s none of your business."

    Clement had the same lightning spell that I use to dart through in any direction. I needed to learn that spell for a few weeks before I could even use it. Our team almost died because of me when I couldn''t understand the ability''s descriptions.

    But Clement had it easy and learned it within seconds. He imed that the inte inside his head gave all the answers Clement needed to use it. It was like what that bastard had mentioned before.

    I couldn''t decipher the terminology Clement used, which was the "inte".

    I tried using my lightning ability again, but it failed when I kick-started the spell. Upon gazing at my mana pool, it said that I didn''t have enough arcane to use the lightning spell. My system told me that I already exhausted the ability.

    "When could I use it?" I asked my system.

    A window appeared beside my mana and showed that I needed five minutes to activate it once again. It only meant that I needed to stall time against Clement and wait for five minutes before using it.

    It was a challenging feat, but I would do my best to do it. All I had to do was to stay in the middle and try my best to buy time for me to run away.

    "You have really nice spells, Red! I hope you could show me some more. So I could use it!" Clement eximed, and continued hitting me with his fist.

    However, the time finally came. And Clement used every advantage he had to overpower me with his lightning spell. And when he did, I bowled in every direction for every punch Clement did to me. He covered my face with purple hues, which marked all the strikes he made on my body.

    "This one''s for my father! This one''s for the game you ruined! And this is for the ones you killed!" Clement shouted.

    But as soon as he yelled thetter part of his sentence, my ability finally kicked in. My system red a high-pitch tone and notified me that I could already use my spell. Within a few minutes, I used my lightning ability and raced towards the forest. My spell would be enough to reach near the borders of the dragonewt kingdom.

    Even if it didn''t, all I had to do was to try it out.

    But when I activated my spell, a sh of lightning appeared at my sides. Instead of moving forward, my body became stuck in ce. I couldn''t move a muscle even though I activated my ability.

    "What the hell?!" I said, and forced myself to my limit.

    However, my efforts did not reward me as Clement already had the upper-hand. Upon ncing at my back, Clement''s hand gripped the end''s of my hood. That man raised his sword in his other hand and plotted to attack me from behind.

    However, that sword never reached my chest. It was all thanks to my crimson cape behind my back, which was also the clothing Clement hauled.

    My hood burst into mes and covered me with yellowish embers. Some ze even turned blue and burned every weed beside me.

    My eyes also boosted my strength and arcane as soon as that happened. Every cell inside my body jolted from their hibernation when the danger level increased.

    Clement''s eyes widened upon witnessing my transformation. I finally had the upper-hand thanks to my burning cape covering my body.. It even allowed me to fly around without having any wind magic on my feet.

 Chapter 188 - Phoenix Sphere!

    [Phoenix Red Riding Hood]

    [Congrattions! You have earned the Phoenix''s title! You will receive the following bonus stats from the system.]

    [Added title!]

    [Arcane boost!]

    [Spells amplified!]

    [Duration increased!]

    [Health Points Increased]

    [Enhanced Senses Increased

    (Author''s Notes: This is somewhatplex, but I will just leave it like that)

    [Appraisal Increased]

    [Level Increased!]

    [Status Points Increased.]

    The system gave me all of these improvements in the blink of an eye as soon as it realised that I would lose the fight. But there was no time for me to check all of them at once and analyse what I earned. This battle continued on, with Clement still waiting for my attack.

    However, something different emerged at the back of my body. As I nced behind, my cape glowed a crimson hue. It also spewed out yellow, orange, and blue mes protecting me from Clement''s attack. Those mes circled on my body, which my two eyes also amplified.

    I could use my ming cape once again, which only appeared a few weeks before. If I had remembered it correctly, I didn''t know that I could still use this ability once again, considering that it was not in my skill tree.

    But it all went alright, since the burning cape saved my life, together with the Phoenix title.

    That title gave me these additional powers. The increased abilities that I gained would give me a fighting chance against Clement. With all these adjustments, I could finally stand against this guy while waiting for my lightning ability.

    "What''s this, Red? You never told me you have this kind of power?" Clement widened his eyes as soon as he witnessed my figure.

    Clement walked a few steps backwards with his arms raised in front of him. He even activated some protective spells, thinking my power could harm him. That guy also lifted his sword and prepared himself to strike me, only to find him returning to his troops.

    Those mages he recruited channeled some spells and transformed their guns into staffs. After transforming their weapons, those staves conjured magic circles in front of them. Clement ordered those yers to shield his fore as he expected arge scale attack from me.

    Clement didn''t care about the safety of his soldiers since he ordered them to protect himself, not those far from him.

    But kudos to Clement that he saw through my preparation. While my transformation happened, there were magic circles readied on my back. My hood was the one who contained those runes and sneakily assembled them.

    As luck would have it, Clement noticed all of those. But it was toote for him to react as Iunched those devastating fire balls in his direction.

    Those spheres were not just mes from average mages and their abilities. It came from my Phoenix title, which amplified all my spells, including the basic ones.

    As soon as those orbs of me crashed against my enemies, those magical barriers exploded into bits. A firework disy detonated at my fore, pushing away those mages towards the side. My system made a list of all the yers I killed. But when that popped up, I exited the screen and glued my eyes at my fore.

    Despite my attempts, Clement and his yers still stood their ground. I barely even scratched the man with my spells even though I had my amplifications activated. Well, considering that he focused on defending himself, those spells did nothing to him.

    But that would change soon.

    While I discharged those fireballs in Clement''s direction, another skill popped up in my system. As I glided my eyes towards that window, my fireball ability had turned into a [Phoenix Sphere]. It didn''t have any descriptions, since it was just a new spell. But now was not the time for me to doubt myself, since I was facing Clement.

    All I could do was click the spell and use it against my foes.

    Upon releasing the power of my [Phoenix Sphere], a bright light filled the area. It even warmed our surroundings around fifty degrees Celsius thanks to my burning ability in my hands. That luminance was also bright enough to momentarily blind some yers standing in front of me. My system told me that happened, which was also an added feature of my powers.

    It was as the system had mentioned. My [Phoenix Sphere] acted like a fireball, but had more devastating power behind it. It took me a few seconds before I could evenunch it towards the yers. And as soon as I tossed it from my hands, the glowing ball of death zoomed towards Clement.

    "ENHANCED THOSE BARRIERS NOW! PLACE ALL DEFENSE MAGIC UP AHEAD, OR ELSE I WILL KILL YOU BEFORE THAT THING KILLS ALL OF YOU!"

    Even with this situation, Clement believed he would survive this catastrophe. I had the upper-hand, but that egoistic man still wanted to win. He even ordered his men to protect his fore even though they would die for it.

    "Be careful, Clement! This will be over soon!" I shouted, and watched the scene unfold before me.

    I didn''t know how that bastard would save himself from my attack. It didn''t look like these shields would protect him from my [Phoenix Sphere]. But I would love to see Clement struggle when he could save himself from my ability.

    Within a few seconds, my [Phoenix Sphere] finally hit the bullseye. That titanic ball of fire mmed itself against those elemental barriers created by those mere mages. Those sorcerers tried their best to support the magic with their arcane.

    After a few seconds, those mages fell to the ground when their mana couldn''t keep up with the [Phoenix Sphere''s] damage. Those wizards fell one by one at the sides, with their stamina leaving their bodies. All of them had full health points, but most of them had zero mana inside their arcane cores.

    Upon a moment, my [Phoenix Sphere] erupted into a stream ofva towards Clement. A sting force pushed them aside, but it never affected me. Since I was the one who created it, the shatter did nothing to me.

    I didn''t give the yers any chance to rest as thoseva came creeping up their shields. Since the mages made the barriers with wind magic and soil, they couldn''t fight off my spell. It took them a few seconds before melting from myva ability.

    Those mages eventually fell like ants after dying from the mes of death. They couldn''t do anything besides pray for any help they could get from their back-uping in our direction. However, nothing could save them anymore. I doubted that those mages sessfully defended themselves from my [Phoenix Sphere].

    However, there was one thing I missed while that happened. Clement disappeared right after the smoke emerged from my attack. It was as if he used the smog to cover his escape and fled from this ce.

    But that idea cost me my life.

    An intense killing intention covered my back, begging for me to turn around. But before I could glimpse at my behind, Clement had already punched me at my spine.

    After getting hit from the back, my body gotunched forward and fell on the ground. But Clement was not finished with me yet as he grabbed me by my ming cape and tossed me around. My burning hood did nothing to his hands, which did not happen earlier.

    I recalled that this hood hurt Clement''s body and made him cower and fear. But everything changed right after I summoned that [Phoenix Sphere].

    I didn''t have time to think about those reasons and continued gritting my teeth. The throbbing pain spread through my limbs and eventually affected my entire body.

    Clement used me as his y thing and passed me around with some added punches. A hundred marks carved themselves on my skin filled with purple bruises and craters on my back.

    After Clement dealt the final blow, he grabbed me by my cor and red into my eyes. I gasped for air and returned his leer while ncing at my health bar.

    If this continued further, Clement would kill me. I was like a powerless thug attacking the powerful noble, which I underestimated a while ago.

    "H-How did you...do it?" I asked.

    But Clement had already answered that question of mine.

    "Don''t tell me��..you copied my [shadow walk]?"

    Clement had the ability to mimic the spells of his enemies. He told me that earlier when we first faced off against each other. And that detail came biting back over me. And since my spells had just unlocked on its own, it was safe to assume that Clement didn''t know it.

    If I had no idea how to use my spells, Clement would also wonder too. But that was not the case.

    Clement already had a gist about my spell and studied while that happened. He didn''t copy my [Phoenix Sphere] but a different ability I used when I escaped from the base.. That man didn''t just steal my lightning spell but also my [shadow walk], which helped me throughout my journey.

 Chapter 189 - Red Riding Hood

    Clement had the ability to mimic the spells of his enemies. He told me that earlier when we first faced off against each other. And that detail came biting back over me. And since my spells had just unlocked on their own, it was safe to assume that Clement didn''t know it.

    If I did not know how to use my spells, Clement would wonder, too. But that was not the case.

    Clement already had a gist of my spell and studied while that happened. He didn''t copy my [Phoenix Sphere] but a different ability I used when I escaped from the base. That man didn''t just steal my lightning spell but also my [shadow walk], which helped me throughout my journey.

    Clement continued strangling me by my cor, refusing to let go of my body. Despite squirming with all my might, Clement''s hand fell superior. He made my body immobile for the time being and won the battle.

    "A-Air��.. Gaghh... B. -Breath��... Can''t��.. B-Breath��."

    I kept fighting against Clement''s hands, but it was no use. He was more powerful than me, as he had imed earlier. Even before the fight could have started, Clement had the upper hand. And if Clement would lose this fight, he was always ready to fire those guns behind his back.

    Clement was a careful boy who refused to lose and fight fair and square. But we were in a war against yers and NPCs��.. We were in a war against the two of us fighting for our freedom.

    "No matter what you do, Red, you will always lose. Do you know why? Because I always win��. my father will not let me lose. He created this game for me! FOR ME TO PLAY IT! NOT FOR YOU, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR SISTERS, OR OTHER NPCS!"

    Clement let go of his hand and allowed me to crash against the ground. My burning cape did the best it could to lessen the impact that my body would feel upon crashnding. As soon as I hit the ground, all my bones inside my bony red a crack.

    Despite these damages I received, I still had the energy to pick myself from the ground. Clement descended towards me and red into my eyes.

    He crossed both of his shoulders and carved a grin on his face upon gazing at my figure. "Even at the brink of death, you still refuse to die. What a sad NPC you are."

    Since Clement finally freed my body from histch, I could finally speak my fill. And that was the only thing that I could do, for now, considering that I would see my fate soon.

    "You''re an NPC too, Clement. Your father made you in this world, just like me. I know that there''s another world besides Code. But from what I remembered, we could still change for the better!"

    "Shut up��. I don''t want to hear anything from you!"

    I was aplete hypocrite when I said those lines. Even I couldn''t fully embrace the change I told Clement a while ago. But despite these differences we had, the two of us knew we held the same judgement. Clement was just like Alice that wanted some freedom for himself.

    Clement wanted to keep this game for himself, and continued growing for the betterment of his surroundings. It was a world created for his enjoyment since his father was the mastermind of this all.

    "You don''t understand, Clement! The NPC also wants to be free��. just like you. We''re trapped inside this game and can never have the freedom we wanted!"

    "Shut up! You''re just trying to fool me! You''re getting into my head and nerves!"

    Everything our eyes caught was just a product of the game developer''s imagination. ording to Okami, those people on the surface were the ones who generated these things. Okami also stated that the game developers can''t erase anything but adding more things in this world. Since those bastards bound themselves with these rules, the game developers can''t erase us.

    "Those people could delete you whenever they want to. They think like gods, since they created you�� They created us for their entertainment! And you''re nothing but a pawn that they could use to save themselves and the yers! You''re a script that the game developers made! You and I are not real in their eyes! Wake up, Clement!"

    "SHUT UP!" Clement had enough of my speech, and dashed straight towards me. "I don''t care if that''s what you think about them. You''re talking about my father, who gave me back my life! You know nothing about me, and I don''t care about you! You''re the pawn, Red! I am the hero of this world!"

    After saying those words, Clement activated a spell at point-nk range. His eyes turned bluish white, paired with his veins turning light azure. Clement also breathed a thick smoke that had snowkes escaping from his mouth. That chilling wave made my body jerk backwards. But thanks to Clement''s gripping arm, I couldn''t move an inch from the ground.

    "And when I kill you, nobody will remember who you are! And if these people��. NPCs remembered your name, you will be the viin that everyone would despise! I will destroy this death game and free the yers! They will preach my name and call me Hiro of this world! With these obelisks you''ve stolen from us, I will be the greatest character in this world!" Clement added, while waving the four obelisks in his hands.

    When we fought against each other, Clement must have snatched it away from my hands. Even though those stones were inside my inventory, Clement still seized them from me. We would use those obelisks for our selfish desires.

    I would utilize it for my vengeance, while Clement would do it for his father. It was an ironic fate, but there was nothing that could stop that mad boy.

    "Goodbye, Red. See you like never again!"

    After Clement bid me farewell, he blew all those icy winds towards my face. I kept struggling to break myself free, but Clement''s hands remained steady. He refused to release me as if I was his most treasurable prize.

    When the whirling wind finally hit my skin, I closed my eyes and epted my fate. That chilling touch froze my arm and travelled towards my face. The ice glued onto me and turned me into a light blue statue, despite my crimson cape. My mes from my hood kindled theirst, with my heart ceasing to exist.

    The memories of my past flooded my brain as they emerged at my fore. All the things that Clementine and I did sh before my eyes. And continued ying like a musical piece... Herughs and smiles were thest things I remembered before the yers took him away. It was because of her I continued my journey.

    But Clement finally ended my story...

    "Match��."

    Match was the one who gave me the light and showed me the way. When my heavy heart pressed against me, she held my hand and wished me alright. The little girl spewed mes from her staff as she helped me throughout our journey.

    Match can never rece Clementine, but she still acted like a sister. And in my dying moments, my eyes can never witness Match...

    ''Well, at least she''s not dying because of me��. Match will continue to live in this world, fighting for the right thing��. Or living herst life in Code,'' I pondered to myself.

    I prolonged Match''s life in exchange for mine. Despite this trade, I still found optimistic reasons for me to ept it. Instead of gritting my teeth, I carved my face with a faint smile and thought about her.

    Clementine and Match shaped me into who I was for today. Okami paved that road and helped me with this goal. I didn''t mean to hurt them when we faced Alice. Everything might have panned out differently if I told them that offer.

    But it was toote��. Everything was toote. I couldn''t do anything to fix my problems with Match. There was no chance for me to apologise to Okami. And I couldn''t get my revenge against Ryoshi, the one who killed Clementine.

    [Game Over, Red Rose. You have died��.. Wait until your next respawn time.] A window appeared in front of me before I could finally close my eyes. I didn''t know if I was truly dead or could still be revived. Until then, I would wait��. I would wait and keep waiting��.

    I breathed myst breath and epted my grim fate. I did all the things that I could but still failed to do it. There was nothing I could do but resign myself from Clement. He had the higher ground, while I struggled to find my path.

    Thest thing I recalled before clouding myself into nothingness was the voice of Clement. He talked to someone that I didn''t know and carried my frozen body around his arms. He ordered his men to follow his side as we went inside the base. ��...

 Chapter 190 - Clements Win Epilogue (1)

    Clement''s Perspective

    __________________

    "Goodbye, Red. See you like never again!"

    I bid my farewell to Red and blew all those icy winds towards her face. It was a spell that my father gave to me as a gift. This game was a gift for keeping my memories of the past. Red kept struggling to break herself free, but my hands remained steady. I refused to release her, as she was my treasurable prize in my triumph.

    When the twirling wind finally hit Red''s skin, she closed her eyes and epted her fate. That chilling touch froze her arm and travelled towards Red''s pleading face. The ice glued onto Red''s face and turned her into a light blue statue. It happened despite her annoying cape. Her me from Red''s hood kindled theirst while, hoping her heart would cease to exist.

    After the ice refused to break, which only meant that Red survived the ice age. She never thawed or shattered into million fragments despite what I did to her. I raised my eyebrow and thought to myself about the errors in my skills. My ability indicated that it would kill anyone inside the tomb of ice! But Red proved my system wrong.

    Within a few seconds, some yers went to my side and aimed their guns at Red. But I raised my hand and prevented them from doing anything in my collection.

    "Don''t you dare kill her without my permission! Red is mine, and mine alone!" I growled, and directed most of them to leave my surroundings. "You four! Bring Red inside the base! Be careful when you carry her, or else I will crush you into tiny bits of pieces��. Like legos!"

    The four yers who heard my warnings gave me a salute and rushed towards Red. They gingerly wrapped their hands on each side and lifted it like weights inside a gym. I took the lead and went towards the base, with the rest of the yers following behind.

    Within a few seconds, we arrived at the base. Red wanted to meet my father, who stayed inside this building. This ce was the remains of the Maind, which my father turned into crisps. Dad needed to do it to locate the Diamond Obelisk underground. As soon as he got his hands from the stone, all we needed to do was to hunt down Red.

    "And now that I''ve done it, I finally made my father proud!" I eximed to myself while opening the door. "The four of you! Follow me!"

    After saying my instructions, I went ahead and separated myself from the army of soldiers. The four closely tailed my behind and followed me around, with Red''s statue in their hands. Upon walking around for five minutes, we finally arrived at a ce deep inside.

    "ce Red down," I murmured, and grabbed a key card inside this ce.

    It was the MasterCard that my father gave me earlier. Since I was his son, there was no wonder he would lend me the master card for this building. The soldiers only had ess to the front gates and the cafeteria. They didn''t know this confidential ce that belonged to high-ranking individuals.

    "Thank you for your assistance tonight, soldiers. I believe it''s time for you to go," I announced, and gave the four yers a nod.

    Those people raised their hands and gave me a salute before leaving the premises. However, as soon as the soldiers took a few steps ahead, I gripped my sword and grinned behind their backs.

    "Since you''ve found my safe room, I don''t have any choice but to kill you right now," I said, and shed the ignorant soldiers before they could even react.

    I cut each of the yers in half and burned their bodies into ashes. Even if somebody found out about this incident, my father would just let it slide and silence anyone. Before I could do this, I ced Red on the side and grilled the heck out of these yers. I could do whatever I wanted inside this castle, which my father made for me. And these soldiers hired by my father''s wealth were just pawns for me to dispose of.

    Well, at least that''s what I remembered.

    After cleaning up the mess I made, I effortlessly carried Red''s ice statue inside the base. As soon as I nestled her inside, I opened the lights and made a frozen paradise for Red''s new room. I wanted this environment to maintain Red''s temperature as a preserved collectable I got in Code.

    Upon finishing my business inside, I left Red inside the room and locked the studio. The only people who could have ess to this site were my father and me. It was our little secret from everyone inside the game, which my father didn''t trust.

    As soon as Ipleted my mission, I checked my system and my notifications. Within a few moments, my father summoned me inside his office.

    "Dad might want to congratte me?" I asked myself, and skipped towards the hallway.

    My father ordered me to hunt down Red and stop her from doing what she wanted. And since I aplished my mission, my father could give me another present! And there was nothing I loved more than getting rewards after finishing a task.

    Since I couldn''t perform anything with my medical conditions before, the tasks Ipleted were just a handful.

    "But now that I could move around, I had an endless list of missions I could choose from! I just love to be alive!" I eximed, while humming a beat.

    ______________________________________

    Asimov''s Point of View.

    _________________________________

    I was in front of my desk, scanning the game''s updates. Since we were in a crisis, I needed to check the feature while guarding my son inside the game.

    Clement had an important job to hunt down Red, an NPC who started it all. She wanted the freedom that the NPCs in this world ever wanted. Although she killed some yers in this game, those killings lessened after a few months.

    But despite those positive remarks, I still wanted Red gone in Code. I created this game for my son, Clement. However, Red ruined everything inside this game.

    "But what if she''s right," I murmured, and watched the screen.

    After putting some thought into it, my actions told the best of me. I promised the mass to retrieve the yers from the real world and end this game. And that lie continued when I told them we nned on killing the NPCs who created this madness. It was one way to finish the game, but there were other ways to solve it without spilling blood.

    Within a few months, my people killed the NPCs we had created. We based these non-yer characters on real-life people, generated by scripts and other codes. Our team finally found the perfect artificial intelligence to create the superb game that no one could copy.

    However, that game became a death game��. both literally and metaphorically.

    "Katya, don''t you think that��.." I asked my secretary beside me, but couldn''t finish my sentence.

    Katya helped me with these documents in front of me and double-checked them for me. But as soon as I called out her name, Katya rose from her seat and stared into my eyes.

    "Asimov, what is it? Do you need help? Does my husband need my help?"

    "No. Friar is doing well," I answered, and scratched my head. "It''s just that��. Do you think we need to stop these killings?"

    Katya nodded to herself and answered, "Thank god, you finally reverted to your senses, Doctor Asimov."

    After saying those words, Katya ced all the documents on the side and sat in front of me. She remained, her eyes glued to mine, before saying anything else.

    "That''s the thing, Doctor Asimov. I know you have the responsibility toplete this game and save other people��. like a doctor! Your job is a noble one, which is why we are scientists willing to help the mass. But I think the NPCs are having a mind of their own. Since they asked for their freedom, wouldn''t it be best to cooperate with them and give them what they want? NPCs are killing yers, and vice versa. In order to stop a war, you only prevent it from happening any further," Katya continued, and lowered her gaze. "I know your son means a lot to you and this game. But don''t you think that��.. your son can''te back to life? This game just a fabric of our imaginations?"

    "But what if you''re wrong, Katya? But what if��." I tried retorting Katya, but the words never escaped my mouth.

    "Why are you worrying about the little things, father, when I''m already here? I am alive! Look!"

    A knock on the door, followed by a voice, disrupted our train of thoughts. It was a recognizable sound that I did not forget.

    "Clement��. It''s good to see you, my boy! How are you feeling today? Do you need an additional skill? Do you want some cool armour?" I asked, and went to my father-mode.

    Clement shook his head and replied, "No, father. I have wonderful news!"

    "What is it, my son?"

    "I killed Red!"

 Chapter 191 - Clements Win Epilogue (2)

    We are still in Warner Asimov''s Point of View (but it will changeter on for this epilogue)

    ____________________________

    A knock on the door, followed by a high-pitched voice, disrupted our train of thoughts. It was a recognizable sound that I did not forget. I rose from my seat and greeted the boy before he could even step foot inside my office.

    "Clement��. It''s good to see you, my boy! How are you feeling today? Do you need an additional skill? Do you want some cool armour?" I asked, and went to my father-mode. "Are you perhaps hungry? My team and I made something inspired by your favourite fast food! I know you love those burgers, champ. That''s why I made them all for you."

    While that scene happened, I requested Katya to grab a seat for my boy. My secretary rushed towards the side and brought afy chair filled with cotton and a nket. I wanted the best for my son and would give everything to him.

    Since I lost Clement before, I never wanted to lose him again.

    Clement shook his head and replied, "No, father. We can eat thatter. Because right now, I have wonderful news to tell you!"

    "Wonderful news?" I narrowed my eyebrows and waited for Clement to finish. "What is it, my son?"

    "I killed Red and all the NPCs you''ve ordered for me to kill! It wasn''t easy, but I managed, dad!" Clement announced, as he sat on the chair at my fore. "Look at my wounds, dad! I got these from Red. That bitch��.. sorry, dad. That woman said that she wanted the freedom of all NPCs��. And avenge the death of someone. I don''t know. I wasn''t paying attention."

    With a heavy sigh, I rose from my seat and motioned my hands. "As long as you''ve got home safe and sound, that''s good enough for me. Come, Clement. It''s been a long day, my son. You must have been tired from all the fighting you''ve experienced in this world. Grab yourself a cheeseburger and��. rest inside your room. For now, I will handle things, okay? Let daddy take care of the work."

    "But I don''t want to be idle around, dad!" Clement shook his head and retorted. "I want to explore the world! I want to meet people and fight them like I''m in a game! And that dream turned into reality!"

    "Son!" I roared. "Please listen. The situation has gone out of hand, and there are other NPCs out there in the open."

    "We could just kill them, dad!" Clement insisted, as he looked at me dead serious in the eye.

    "If you don''t want to catch a break, I will take mine. Sorry, Clement. I need a cooler��. Okay?"

    After our exchange, Clement stormed outside my office. He gave one nce in my direction before mming the door shut behind him. I heaved out a sigh as I witnessed everything unfold before me, especially involving my son.

    "What have I done?" I asked myself, while gazing at the documents before me. It was the people that died inside the game and the list of NPCs who got killed as well.

    "I have created a monster, Katya. My son is the jolliest kid you''d ever found around my hospital. After getting that disease, Clement remained cheerful and continued watching the kids y in the yground. Even though the children couldn''t y with him, my boy had fun watching them. "

    "Clement called my name and asked me if I could y anything on his hospital bed. I told him to wait for the game I created and let him experience how to walk again. This game is for my son��.. It''s meant to relive his previous life where he first walked in front of me." My head quivered as I continued my sentence. "But now, things have changed. Clement died, but I sessfully revived him inside Code. It was a scientific discovery unlike any other! We revived the dead and maintained that artificial intelligence with the help of that individual''s gene, which was my son''s hair. But if Clement became a killer, I wouldn''t want this dream anymore��. It feels like my research became nothing. I can''t change him, Katya��.. not anymore."

    "You''re the greatest scientist right now! The modern Albert Einstein! The brains of the entire world! If he''s really your son, you could talk to him and tell Clement how you feel. If changing one''s perception would be a difficult task, why not give Clement some time? And maybe he could change his mind."

    "Maybe you''re right about that��. I will try just that. Thank you, Katya��. I couldn''t do this alone��. or without you, partner."

    "You do know that I have a husband, right?"

    I shook my head and nervously quivered my hands. "YES! And I meant that as scientist partner. Like a title! A duo��.. Come on, you know what I mean."

    Katya nodded her head and seconded my im. "I do."

    _____________________________________________________

    Clement''s Point of View.

    ____________________________

    "But if Clement became a killer, I wouldn''t want this dream anymore��. It feels like my research became nothing. I can''t change him, Katya��.. not anymore."

    My father said all of those things behind my back. Little did he know I stayed at the door and never left my post. I wanted to barge in and tell him I did all those things to make him proud. But instead of those blissful moments, my dad called me a monster.

    "After all this time, I thought you would finally treasure me like before��. But now I know your true nature, father��.. You''re like this behind my back! I will show you how a monster acts!"

    I could only think of one thing that made my father drastically change into another person. Father had gotten soft to those NPCs, which were the ones who kept ruining my game. Code only belonged to me, since my father created it as my gift. But now those yers and NPCs joined the fray and entertained themselves without me.

    "I will show them that this is my world and my world alone!" I gritted my teeth and red at the mirror beside me.

    The ss shattered into a million pieces, with my reflection staring back at me. But I didn''t mind those eyes ring at my figure and remained vignt in my surroundings.

    After saying those words, I rushed towards the hall and grabbed all the soldiers assigned in my hands. I told the army that belonged to my father to conceal my trip, or else they would die. Since I had authority over these guys, those yers heeded my call and gave me a nod.

    Behind my back were around five hundred soldiers, armed with various weapons. All those arsenals had upgrades in them, which would deal more damage to our enemies. Every soldier I recruited also had their own goals in this game. They wanted to kill the NPCs since those characters killed a squad before they came here.

    A scout gave us some information, which involved a coup d''��tat. Those NPCs didn''t want the governance of the game developers and yers. Since it hade to this, those non-yer characters wanted war against us.

    Those NPCs would stop at nothing until they reach their goal. But now that we killed Red, those NPCs couldn''t dent our faces anymore.

    And my goal for today was��..

    "We will hunt down every NPC we could find and kill them all. Kill on sight, and let no one alive!" I ordered those yers before me as the front gates stretched open.

    My father''s words told the yers to ce the NPCs in the cells for interrogation. But father never did all of those and remained soft to those NPCs. After cleaning a few of them, father stayed inside his office and thought to himself. Within a few weeks, he changed his mind.

    Instead of killing those NPCs, father ordered the soldiers to capture them. Those yers ced the NPCs on a cell, which was inside the base.

    But that process would end right now. Well, not on my watch.

    Within a few minutes, we finally charged straight at every terrain, hunting down survivors. Uponnding on the uncharted roads, we spotted a group of NPCs wandering around the forest. A group of elves spotted our shapes, but it was toote for them. The soldiers pulled the trigger and killed most of the long-eared elves before they could even escape.

    "Continuously fire those bullets, but don''t kill them all! Let some escape while we hunt their nest down, shall we?"

    Since these elves moved as a group, there must be a ce where they stayed. And since it was currently nighttime, the darkness obstructed the elves'' vision.

    "I think we lost them?" an elf murmured, as they ced their bow and arrow at their back.

    "We must warn Kouran about this force! Something must have happened inside the human''s base for them to attack us nonchntly!"

    After ending their conversation, the elves continued racing through the forest��...

 Chapter 192 - Okami And Ryoshi (1)

    Okami''s Perspective....PROLOGUE

    This scene took ce when Red and Match left Okami and Ryoshi from Wondend''s Citadel.

    __________________________________________________

    I brawled against Alice, with Ryoshi''s arrows raining at the back. We all prepared for this moment to fight against Alice''s power. But I doubted we could finish this mission.

    It was an impossible boss I had ever faced in my life, thanks to the disadvantages I had. If only I could transform into my third form, I could effortlessly demolish Alice, even without my equipment. Alice was just an arrogant prick that couldn''t control her power.

    However, there was something that went missing in this fight. It felt like we didn''t have any damage despite our concrete n. We already ced our aims in one direction, but Alice continued rummaging our way.

    I averted my gaze and tried contacting Match and Red on the battlefield. But upon ncing at my nk, those two girls went in a different direction. There was a door in front of that pair, which they nned on entering.

    Those movements were not a part of our n, and it would cost us the game.

    I entrusted our backs to two NPCs, knowing that they were my allies. We fought all the way here and survived with our powers and the ns we had made.

    Since we had that kind of rtionship, I never doubted Red. Match was the same thing since she would follow that girl like her older sister.

    ''Maybe they''re going to invade the nks?'' I thought, which was the only good reason Red aimed for the side.

    I believed in their tactics and trusted their instincts, since Red was a better yer than Ryoshi. She had killed many yers and survived the cards stacked against her. She had stopped at nothing to aplish her goal, which became Red''s strength for everything.

    "RED! MATCH! GET BACK HERE! WE NEED YOU HERE ON THE BATTLEFIELD!"

    However, my fate had turned grim when Red didn''t attack Alice. Instead, Red and Match ran straight at the door and shut it behind. The gate where the two girls entered turned into dust and disappeared before us. We could only gape our jaws wide open while staring at Ryoshi''s eyes.

    "We can never win this game��. Not with the two of us," I confessed, and hurried myself towards my best friend.

    Alice painted her face with a grin, knowing what was about to happen. "Amidst the journey the two of you had, Red abandoned you. Well, she never treated you as her friend in the first ce. You were more like a pawn to Red than arade in her eyes."

    I gritted my teeth and retorted at Alice, "You know nothing, Alice! Stop manipting those innocent NPCs! They are not like you! Red can never be like you!"

    "How are you sure about that?" Alice narrowed both of her eyes as she red in my direction. "Red and I are no different, Fenrir. We share the same origin. Even our goals aligned like the stars in the sky!"

    After saying those words, Alice chuckled up a storm. Herughter resonated inside the citadel, even vibrating the concrete floor. The ceiling erupted and created a rain of debris from Alice''s voice.

    Within a few seconds, Alice returned her re in our direction. "I was waiting for you, Fenrir. There was no chance of me to kill you or win against you. Even with that form, you could outsmart me with enough preparation. A few stronger individuals have tried, but none of them seeded. And it took me one master n to destroy you��."

    "What did you do, Alice! You fucking coward! You were supposed to fight me fair and square! That''s what your father has told you!" I roared, while gasping for air.

    Ryoshi also shared the same feelings running rampant inside my head. We didn''t know what to do but bought time for us to think of something. Since we didn''t have any way to escape, it would be better for us to n our escape route while prolonging the chat.

    "I didn''t manipte Red and Match. Those two went inside the door with their own will!" Alice growled at me, while gritting her teeth. "I told them a few words, and they listened to me."

    While that scene happened before me, Ryoshi chatted with me about the things I needed to do. Since Alice had wrapped this ce with hacking scripts, she would know our conversation. Ryoshi had a n, but it kept it brief and concealed, despite the eyes watching us from afar.

    "And what did you propose to the two girls?" I said, lengthening the conversation.

    "An offer to trade lives. It was a deal to save Match from this ce while leaving you behind," Alice replied, while ring at our windows. "Maybe it''s about time to show you what I''m made of. Fenrir, I will always hunt you down."

    After saying those words, Alice activated a spell enveloped around Wondend''s castle. My system warned me beforehand that this ce would turn into ashes when Alice activated that spell.

    Fortunately, I heeded Ryoshi''s advice and went beside him. I pulled the arrow from his behind andunched it at each of our sides. Ryoshi also did the same thing and built a triangr shield.

    These arrows were the same darts we used from the golem. It was the indestructible bolts that became the perfect protection for us inside this twisted domain.

    When Alice activated her runes, the castle burst into a billion shards of magma. Since Alice had set this trap aeons ago, the spells she used could destroy the Maind. Heck, it could even destroy the ind of Japan if I couldpare it to my homnd.

    A golden ss had covered our surroundings, which was our only defence against the spell. But thanks to the ced arrows on our sides, these darts would protect us from any damage. We had witnessed the sturdiness of these arrows after fighting the golems. Even though Alice created those giants, these bolts could still withstand any attack.

    Nothing had changed despite these situations.

    When the st happened, the eternal light consumed a quarter of Wondend''s ind. The detonation reached through the forest and sky, scorching the terrain. It left nothing but fiery remnants of twigs that turned into coal and ashes. The smoke even rose from above and formed a mushroom-shaped fog that painted the air.

    Fortunately, the shield from these clouds of smoke blocked the smog from entering our nostrils. Nothing had passed through this shield, unless Ryoshi would give hismand and open a part of it. And, of course, we wouldn''t dare to try that out.

    None of us wanted to die an embarrassing death in this game.

    It took the explosion around a minute before it could finally calm down. And another minute before the smoke could die out from the wind. After those two minutes, we switched gears and opened the shield. We still had three minutes to spare, but we didn''t care about it. Ryoshi only fended off the smoke from entering our ce.

    Alice exploded her entire castle and left nothing from the ce. She even included herself from the p, which could also have killed her. But I doubted this ignition caught Alice''s body. That girl had a few loose screws inside her head and ns for her sleeves.

    As soon as we could explore the area, the castle''s remains had turned into sand. We trod the distortednd and watched the ashes fly over towards the horizon. We could barely watch the scene from this ce, since some had already filled the air.

    "Did Alice kill herself from the st? I don''t see her remains��." Ryoshi asked, and continued throwing some questions at me. "And where did Red and Match go, Okami��.? Did they really betray us?"

    I couldn''t give Ryoshi an answer and remained silent for five minutes. As soon as those minutes had gone by, I finally had the courage to give Ryoshi my reply.

    "I don''t think they have abandoned us. Alice is the real monster of this ce. And Red and Match talked to them. They don''t know how powerful Alice is, since she is still an NPC. If I were in their shoes, I would have also trusted one of my kind," I answered, and clenched my fist. "There must be a way to contact Red and Match and stop this death game. Red has all the obelisk in her hands. It would be a waste if she tries charging straight to Maind."

    While I drowned myself from my thoughts, a notification appeared at my fore. As I read the title on my upper right, Alice''s name had popped up before me.

    "A letter from Alice?!" I yelled, and hurriedly opened it up.

    "What does it say?" Ryoshi asked, while leaning his head near me.

    "I know you''ll be alive even after that. I need more ways to kill you than an explosion that big��.. Fenrir."

 Chapter 193 - Okami And Ryoshi (2)

    While I drowned myself from my thoughts, a notification appeared at my fore. That ring, ridiculous sound echoed in my ears and disrupted my thoughts. As I read the title out loud on my upper right, Alice''s name had popped up before me.

    "A letter from Alice?!" I yelled, and hurriedly opened it up.

    My hands quivered when I pressed the buttons, since it came from our enemy. Even Ryoshi felt the same pressure as I did as he profusely rained his sweat beside my face. I didn''t mind the rain, considering that my focus went towards this letter.

    "What does it say?" Ryoshi asked, while leaning his head near me.

    "I know you''ll be alive even after that. I need more ways to kill you than an explosion that big��. Fenrir."

    Alice knew we were formidable foes inside this game. She can never kill us with fair means. So she kept using some cheap tricks to catch us off guard. But even with those dirty tactics, she failed hertest n. Ryoshi and I were still alive despite all that had happened. We lost no one but the two allies we trusted with our lives.

    But I still doubted that Red would leave us alone and save herself��. Although she could have done that, Alice must have said something to them. She would never do something without proper reasons, especially if it involved Match.

    "What do you propose to do right now, Okami?" Ryoshi asked, as he retracted his bow to his inventory. "It doesn''t seem like we have to chase those two. We don''t know where the hell they''re going. I mean, yeah, Red ispleting the Easter eggs. But we probably won''t make it."

    " It seems we have nowhere else to go but hide and regroup with our NPC allies. I can smell a war against NPCs and those soldiers. If I were inside Asimov''s head, I would''ve done the same thing too," I described, and retracted to my original form. "We better move out if we still want to have a chance to live, Ryoshi. I swear, those soldiers won''t stop until they kill us."

    Since we knew the hideout of Kouran, the two of us immediately left Wondend. We proceeded with our ns and trod our way towards the base near the Maind terrain. The first death game battle took ce in that area, which was the perfect ce for us to hide.

    I could only pray that the soldiers won''t survey the scenes, or else we would have to fight them without any preparations.

    Our trip took a few hours before we could arrive in the forest. Ryoshi and I made sure that we took our breaks and ate some rabbits along the way. And as soon as we arrived at that ce, a notification emerged on my screen.

    But we read that message far toote when we set our foot on the battlefield.

    Hundreds of NPCs had copsed at the terrain, all freshly beaten into a pulp. These corpses usually would be pixted dust after a few seconds. Although these non-yer characters could produce blood like real people, they would still disappear after a few seconds.

    "This just means that there''s a fight that happened here. Ryoshi, scan the area and look for some clues about this fight. There should be some soldiers around here that we could take out and interrogate. Just kee me posted in the chat box, okay?"

    After saying those words, Ryoshi gave me a salute and went to the highest bough from a tree. Since he was a hunter, he had better eyesight than me. Although that fact was far from the truth in our real life situation.

    I took the low ground and studied the corpses, searching for whatever I could learn from them. It turned out that these NPCs belonged to a different group, and not from ourpany. But it was still a shame that these non-yer characters died a wasteful death instead of fighting for a cause.

    [I think these NPCs are not from our team.]

    [.....]

    [They''re just survivors from the Maind massacre.]

    [...]

    [ Anyway, keep looking for anything��.]

    I sent those messages to Ryoshi and eventually continued my exploration. But before I could touch the dead body, Ryoshi replied from my chat.

    [.....]

    [Hide.]

    Without doubting my friend, I used my [Wolf Form] and hid above a tree. I made sure that I nted myself at a ce where nobody would notice, not even Ryoshi. Fortunately, I perfected that idea and remained silent for the rest of the time.

    Ryoshi''s warnings hit the nail as a few soldiers emerged near the bushes. Four yers patrolled the ce, looking for anything they could find.

    "Are your sources true? We''ve been here for thirty minutes, goddammit! And we still haven''t seen anything at all!"

    "Well, yell that to the higher-ups. I told them we already killed the NPCs. But that Clement guy insisted we search the area."

    "Talk about being a wreckless leader."

    "Man, you''ll get us in trouble if that bastard hears us! Keep your mouth shut and just run along with the group."

    "You called him a bastard, you bastard!"

    Those were the words these soldiers eximed as they searched around the area. They double checked the corpses and fired a few bullets at the already dead bodies. Since those bullets cost nothing in this world but their arcane, the soldiers relentlessly fired their shells at those NPCs.

    I grunted in disgust as I watched the entire scene unfold before my eyes. These psychopaths had nothing to do but insult the NPCs, let alone the dead. Those soldiers must have thought that these NPCs didn''t have an actual lifepared to their privileged lives.

    But that thought made the yers more inhuman than these NPCs.

    "What do you n to do, Okami?" Ryoshi asked, as he readied his bow on the other side. "I''m ready to shoot at any time. Just give me the orders��.And, Okami? We''re not killing them, right?"

    "Negative, Ryoshi. We don''t want to kill anyone without any reason. And you could fire them anytime that you want. I will back you up when that happens," I answered, while transforming into my first form.

    I didn''t have to overwork myself while fighting these thugs. Red would be a better enemy than an army of these idiots around.

    Within a few seconds, an arrow flew right over a soldier''s shoulder. That soldier moaned and fell on the ground, while caressing his right arm. But before that soldier could evenmand his team, I swung into action and mmed one against the tree. That nt I used to hide myself vibrated, forcing some branches to fall over the guy''s head. Those boughs hit him and rendered him immobile and sent the man to his dream world.

    The soldier who noticed me tried attacking my back, but Ryoshi''s arrow came to my rescue. That bolt hit the yer''s hands, forcing the girl to let go of her weapon. When I turned around, my kick came greeting the girl''s face. And that kick also sent her to the merrynd.

    The man who got shot on the shoulder tried reaching out for his gun. But I swept it to the other side before he could even grab it in his hands. That bloke red into my eyes and opened his quivering mouth.

    "You! I know you! You''re Wolf who''s also Fenrir! You killed an entire army! You fucking yer killer!" the soldier roared, and spit at me.

    However, I was quick enough to dodge his saliva while maintaining my gaze at him. "Those soldiers tried to kill me first��.They even used underhand tactics to get rid of me when I didn''t do anything wrong! Wait, why am I even exining myself to you. You''re just nothing but a pawn to whoever you''re working with."

    "Come on, you bastard! Kill me! If you think I will talk and tell everything to you, that''s where you''re wrong! I''d rather die than-...."

    Before the soldier could even finish his rant, I sliced his arm into pieces. It didn''t even take me a few seconds before cutting off the guy''s entire right arm, since he knelt in front of me. I dealt an astronomical damage, since his limb would only regrow if he has a potion. Lucky for him, I always carried a few before fighting something or someone.

    But unfortunately for the soldier, he could still die from blood loss. It was the game''s feature, which was the majorint of yers.

    "You know that blood loss will kill you unless you drink some potion? And I''m not talking about the random junk sold in the market. I''m talking about the elve''s potions that you fools cannot replicate," I mocked the soldier, while waving the potion in my hands. "I don''t care if you die. It doesn''t matter if I became a demon who kills people inside this game. Because if I don''t kill you, you people will kill me behind my back. And I vowed to avoid killing trash like you."

    "Now, which would it be? You dying a miserable death, or living your life, together with your friends, hmm?"

 Chapter 194 - Okami And Ryoshi (3)

    The soldier we interrogated gave us everything we needed. Since that man was just a scout sent by other big fish, we couldn''t get enough information from him.

    And as soon as the bloke spit everything he knew, we whacked his head and sent him to merrynd, together with his friend. Ryoshi went towards my figure and searched the area once more. After inspecting the ce, he concluded that there were no additional back upsing in our direction.

    "We should head out. Our base must be close by, since��."

    Before I could continue my sentence, a dart came flying towards me. Fortunately, I still had my first form on and dodged the bolt flying in my direction.

    That dart did not have the designs of Ryoshi''s bows, but apromised, sharpened twig. It was as if the attacker did not have anything else but to use the environment.

    But upon turning around, a recognisable shape greeted my eyes.

    "A long-eared elf? Hey! We''re friends from work! We know Kouran, and she''s working with me!" I waved my head to say hello.

    However, the elf didn''t catch my words and ran away. She thought that we were provoking her well-being and sprinted as far away as humanly possible from me. Luckily, I still had my ability as I raced through the forest. It didn''t take me too long before arriving beside the elf zooming like a rabbit with its feet tied together.

    "I told you that we''re not enemies!" I yelled.

    The elf shouted back, "I know! But we can''t talk there, since there are more soldiers heading in that area!"

    I blinked a few times after hearing the wordsing from the elf. Ryoshi had already mentioned that there were no soldiers within our vicinity. He had eyes like an eagle, which spread throughout the terrain of this ce.

    However, despite his enhanced eyesight, this elf imed otherwise. But before I could retort, a bullet passed through my side. The event happened so fast that my body had to instinctively react and forced myself to roll on the side.

    Ryoshi and the elf hid behind the stones, while I used the ancient tree as my barrier. As luck would have it, these obstacles were enough to stop those bullets. But we bettere up with something before those army of soldiers arrive at our front.

    I wanted to ask the elves about how he saw through the soldiers. But today was not the right day, considering the problem pped on our face.

    "Follow me! I know a tunnel nearby that would lead to the base. But I need to shake them off and-..."

    I didn''t let the long-eared elf finish as I leapt from the tree and distracted the soldiers. Thanks to my ability, none of the yers could keep up with me. But I never let those soldiers get bored and continued dashing at the sides, looking for a better chance to hit them.

    However, killing them was not an option. We were not in a drastic ce for me to activate my instant kill. And there was no risk involved in this chase, which made it less stressful than the ones I had experienced.

    But I still had to put some effort to keep these soldiers at bay while the rest of my team found the tunnel. I would catch up onto them, since I knew the terrain more than anyone in this game.

    "You heard the man, right? Let''s go," Ryoshi eximed, and urged the elf to make a move.

    Ryoshi could lead the charge, since we didn''t know where the tunnel this elf shared earlier. If only the long-eared individual told us the location, we wouldn''t have troubled ourselves fighting these soldiers.

    "It''s around one kilometre away from here! Just follow that trail and head towards the boulder with some flowers of death!"

    The elf exined the ce in detail to Ryoshi, and he immediately shared it with me via chat. Even though Ryoshi sent me abbreviations, it was enough for me to know the location. However, that "flowers of death" caught me off guard. But I didn''t have any time to ask Ryoshi a question, since the soldiers finally brought some bigger guns.

    "Well, look what we have here! A freaking bazooka and machine gun? Talk about excessive arsenals!" I murmured to myself, while dodging every attack of the soldiers.

    Fortunately, I didn''t let them prepare or shoot their arsenals. The man holding the bazooka tumbled towards the side as soon as I arrived at their formation. I swept the soldier''s bnce and did a cheap trick against them, which was the only thing that would win me this fight.

    I also performed those greedy tactics against them, since the soldiers were the ones who started hitting me from behind. As soon as I disrupted their bnce, the squad of yers issued a retreat, iming that they were up against a monster.

    But a soldier from their team got my title right, shouting "WE FOUND FENRIR!" near his teammates. When they realised the meaning behind those words, the soldiers couldn''t help but sprint away from me.

    Since I already did my job, I returned to Ryoshi and the elf about our n. But it turned out that the two had already gone inside the base and left me behind. That pair left some trails for me to follow. However, as soon as I arrived at the ce, a dozen boulders entered my view.

    "A boulder with a bunch of flowers of death��.What exactly is a flower of death?" I asked myself, while searching for the rock.

    Luckily, my eyes caught a spider lily attached to a stone. And from what I remembered, these flowers symbolize negative things such as death and bad luck.

    "Ironically, I hit the jackpot."

    As soon as I pushed the stone, the ground copsed before me. Gravity hurriedly pulled me downwards as my body slid to the make-shift entrance towards some ce. It took my a few seconds before reaching the finish line, where Ryoshi and other NPCs greeted me.

    "You''rete, Fenrir," Ryoshi called out, and offered me a hand.

    He used my nickname, since the NPCs surrounded our figures. But Ryoshi and I paid it no mind, since we were used to this kind of set-up.

    I epted Ryoshi''s offer and stood from the ground. "You ran away, while I fought them. And they eventually ran away too."

    "You two have some work to do." A voice among the crowds echoed inside the hideout, which caught our attention.

    As we turned our sight towards the audience, a figure stepped foot in front of us. Those recognizable features made our heart throbbed and hands quivered in delight.

    "Kouran, oh girl, it''s so nice to see you! I thought those soldiers got us good," I reacted, and went for a hug.

    Kouran tilted her head and sent some question marks at first when I did that. But after a few seconds, she epted my culture and returned my embrace.

    (Author''s Note: Japanese people rarely hug people, since it is a more intimate action for them than to Western people. And since Kouran was the only ally they have, Okami and Ryoshi were really d to see her.)

    Ryoshi did the same thing and followed my lead. The two of us couldn''t stop our tears from flowing on our cheeks, since we really thought we would lose this fight. But now that we had some allies we could trust, the tides had turned to our favour.

    I could do this fight alone, but it was more practical to rely on our team. Since I didn''t have my main ount, I needed all the help that I could get to fight against the yers. We needed to get the obelisk back and save Red. And since the NPCs and my goals aligned, the two of usbined our forces against the yers.

    As soon as we ended our warm wee, I resumed my serious face and asked Kouran, "What is the status of our forces. And what information did you get from the yers?"

    "We lost Red��.She''s not dead, but we couldn''t get her," I continued, while looking on the ground.

    "Is she a traitor to our forces?" Kouran asked, while pondering from the words I said.

    "No!" I shook my head. "Alice manipted her, which caused us to split. Red hasn''t done anything bad, actually. And if I were in her position, I would have done the same thing."

    Kouran believed my im and replied, "Very well, Fenrir. Let''s head over to the main hall and discuss everything we need. We''ve found a lot of things around the ce, including the new base they''ve set up."

    "New base?" I asked. "For what? What do you mean new base?"

    The document I read before going inside the game also had that thing. But I wasn''t sure if the pamphlet said the right thing or the other way around.

    "I believe a man named Asimov is behind the new building."

 Chapter 195 - Okami And Ryoshi (4)

    "We lost Red��.She''s not dead, but we couldn''t get her," I continued, while looking on the ground. "Hunter and I aren''t strong enough to face Alice��.Alice is a monster!"

    "I know...Is she a traitor to our forces?" Kouran asked, while pondering from the words I said. "I just want to be sure.

    "No!" I shook my head in displeasure. "Alice manipted her, which caused us to split. Red hasn''t done anything bad, actually. And if I were in her position, I would have done the same thing."

    Kouran believed my im and replied, "Very well, Fenrir. Let''s head over to the main hall and discuss everything we need. We''ve found a lot of things around the ce, including the new base they''ve set up."

    "New base?" I asked. "For what? What do you mean new base? I thought that the Maind got destroyed by the death game''s war?"

    The document I read before going inside the game also had that thing. And since Asimov would enter this game, Maind would be their base. However, I lost track of time and didn''t know when that would happen. And I wasn''t sure if the pamphlet said the right thing or the other way around.

    "I believe a man named Asimov is behind the new building," Kouran said, as we proceeded inside the room.

    We passed by various elves and other NPCs doing their job inside the shelter Kouran made. All of them prepared themselves for a fight, since Kouran announced my arrival. The elves who knew me greeted me with respect, while the rest continued to their job. That dark elf girl even brought some friends for this meeting. She mentioned that these leaders would help us fight against the yers.

    Kouran already knew that Doctor Warner Asimov was inside the base. But she didn''t know that person was the one who created the game.

    My eyes widened when I heard the name "Asimov" from Kouran''s mouth. As soon as that name emerged from our conversation, we headed towards a secluded room.

    We didn''t include anyone else besides some few representatives of NPCs. Our team didn''t want anyone hearing our ns, since there could be a spy among us. It would make our jobs arduous if we had to deal against those traitors while fighting the soldiers.

    Upon entering the ce, Kouran locked the door and proceeded with our topic. Five people attended this meeting, including Ryoshi and me. Those two other representatives were leaders of their n and field. If my guess was right, one was the head n of the demi-humans, while the other was the chief of mercenaries.

    "I will go first. We lost the Obelisk and Red, who was also holding those stones. Those stones were the only thing I knew toplete this game and to win your freedom against those yers," I narrated, and concluded my exnation.

    Kouran nodded at my story and answered, "What happened to Red? Did she betray you? Or was she taken by those soldiers?"

    I didn''t want to give Kouran my answer, since it was far from the truth. However, Kouran was still part of our team, which we would need to fight against yers.

    "Alice manipted her and forced Red to leave Wondend and use behind. But she''s still on our side��.We just don''t know what happened to her."

    The other two NPCs reluctantly agreed to my story. Kouran helped them understand the context, since they didn''t know about Red or me. After learning what had happened, we immediately proceeded to the conversation''s heart, which was the base and Asimov.

    "But before anything else, we found those vigers and other warriors near the forest. Are those people our allies? What happened to them?

    Kouran shook her head and replied, "Those vigers you saw were just survivors from the Maind. We wanted to invite them over to our organization, but those people were persistent enough about fighting the soldiers. Some of them also had a breakdown, which eventually led to their death."

    "I see."

    After Kouran had answered my question, we moved on to our topic. Kouran cleared her throat and stated everything her team found from the base.

    "Within weeks, those soldiers heavily guarded the area and built a structure. The building you''ll see from the ''base'' is just the surface...Literally. Those yers also have an underground facility, governed by the same officials of those managements. And from what the team of scouts had discovered, a name called Asimov resides in that area. We do not know who that is, but��"

    "It''s the creator of this world," I interposed, and stared at everyone''s orbs. "He''s the one who created this game. It''s the person who made everything in this ce."

    "Do you mean he''s our god?" the demi-human''s chief asked, as she stroked her fur.

    "You could say that. Asimov is a cruel man who would kill anyone to achieve his goal," I answered.

    "And what was that?" the mercenary leader asked.

    "To end this game and to delete this world. I don''t know why Asimov is doing it. But we will get to the bottom of that once we meet him."

    The demi-human chief continued asking me a question after I had answered, "What about the yers? Who are they? And why are they killing us?"

    My sweat flowed from my skin as I heard those questions through my ears. I opened my mouth and thought about different things that could keep me alive. But if I concealed my identity, these leaders won''t trust me.

    Kouran trusted me because I saved the elves against those soldiers. And when I saved Eve and Elina, Kouran and the dark elves respected me. When La Finta trusted me, these elves did the same and ced their bets on me.

    But I doubted that would ever happen again.

    "yers are the ones ying this game. They are also people from the surface and used some kind of machine to enter this game. Those yers use and create their own character and appear just like any other person here. The adventurers and protectors that magically appeared before were the yers we are facing right now," I said, and heaved out a sigh. "I am also a yer."

    Those two NPCs gritted their teeth at me as soon as they met my eyes. The two NPCs exchanged words, iming about the terms I used. They blinked a million times after hearing the word "game" in this world. That pair of NPCs believed that it was a farfetched story, and considered this ce as real. And when I disclosed that I was also a yer, everyone had lost their minds. Well, everyone except Kouran.

    "If we''re dealing against a god who created this ce, how can we win against that? Even my people won''t have any confidence going up against someone superior than us," the demi-human chief said, as she mmed his hands against the board. "If what you''ve said is true, we were meant to die without having any chance of fighting. I propose that our people would evacuate from this ce and avoid conflicts. We want nothing out of this fight! I want to protect my people, and shing against those would just mean suicide to my n!" the demi-human continued. "And I cannot believe that we''re scheming against the yers when we''re talking to a yer! Do you have any idea what we would think if we ever thought about it?"

    "And I second the motion. I believe that we can''t hold hands against the yers if you are a yer yourself. We would consider your offer if you''re one of us! If what you''ve said is true, you need to be an NPC. But as long as you''re a yer, our fate would go elsewhere than you," the chief mercenary yelled, and red into my eyes. "Don''t get in our way! We can never listen to a yer like you! Those people are scums! They killed our people even without doing anything!"

    However, before they could finish their sentences, the knock on the door shattered our thoughts. And when Kouran shouted at the person behind the door to leave, the knock subsided�� for now.

    After a few seconds, the gate turned into a million shards and burst open. Those people behind the door created some sort of smoke that concealed their identities. We even thought that the yers had already breached our ce. However, the timing didn''t connect the puzzle, since the NPCs were still working. If something absurd had happened, all the people inside this base would have already panicked.

    But within a moment, that fog disappeared, revealing the people behind the destruction.

    "I see the demi-humans have yet changed, hm? And Kouran, aren''t you forgetting something?" the person behind the smoke had a recognizable, feminine voice. "And you, Fenrir! Why are you so soft against them when you literally annihted five hundred yers from before?"

    "Hey, I told you to keep it down! Those NPCs are now staring at us!" another girl whispered, as the two marched their way inside.

    "I know, I know. But I can''t help it, since Fenrir needs our help."

    "Are you....Elina? And Eve?" I asked.

 Chapter 196 - Okami And Ryoshi (5)

    "I see the demi-humans have yet changed, hm? And Kouran, aren''t you forgetting something? You told us toy low inside a tent, but you didn''t know that there are other yers attacking that base," the mysterious voice eximed, and grew closer to our figures.

    Kouran shuffled and looked at the two distant figures walking in the shadows. But before the dark elf could retort, the mysterious voice spoke again.

    "And you, Fenrir! Why are you so soft against them when you literally annihted five hundred yers from before? You killed La Finta and everything. But now you''re asking us to help you? Aren''t you?"

    "Hey, I told you to keep it down! Those NPCs are now staring at us!" another girl whispered, as the two marched their way inside.

    "I know, I know. But I can''t help it, since Fenrir needs our help. And I''ve brought everyone that he needs....Well, almost everyone."

    "Are you...Elina? And Eve?" I asked.

    "Of course, it''s me, you idiot! Who else could I be? Just because my grandmother, that doesn''t mean I became dumb. I''m nowhere near you, Fenrir," Elina said, but changed her tone as soon as she stood before me. "But even though I don''t have the guts to befriend you, you''re still the one La Finta trusted. And because of that one damn reason, the entire elf trusts you too��..It''s great to see you again, Fenrir and Hunter. Without you, all of us would have died from the yers."

    "Nah, Elina. Don''t worry. It''s nothing. And, by the way, you''ve changed within the span of a few months. You were just a helpless kid, together with Eve...What happened?"

    Just as I voiced my concerns, those two leaders of demi-humans and mercenaries stood from their seats. They exchanged looks, with their faces carved with annoyance. Elina, me, and everyone inside the room returned their gazes and waited for them to talk.

    "Who is this little elf disrupting our conversation? She looks puny and unimportant! Take her away before I disregard your offer." The first one to speak was the mercenary leader.

    The demi-human chief followed the mercenary''s line and eximed, "Stop wasting our time! We have gone all the way here for an alliance! But what do we get? We need to team up with a yer babysitting a child?"

    However, the situation had already turned grim. And I had enough of these two mocking the group.

    Just as when I stepped my foot and tried talking with the mercenary, that thug raised his sword and tried attacking me. That bloke wanted an exnation, but refused to listen to me.

    But upon lifting my arms, someone took care of my business before I could even make a move. Elina zoomed at my fore and defended me in the blink of an eye. She didn''t learn any lightning spell, but raced as fast as my agility status points.

    However, it didn''t end there. When Elina parried the attack, she sent the mercenary leader flying to the other side. Elina also moved her fingers behind her back and grabbed something inside her pockets. As soon as that bloke hit the ground, that man rose from the soil and red in Elina''s direction.

    Since the mercenary had recovered, he charged an attack that could destroy a castle''s room. But instead of running away, Elina stood in front of me like a statue. She didn''t falter or run away like a normal human would. I could evade the attack, but didn''t since something would take care of this man.

    And that someone was the little girl beside Elina.

    Eve joined the brawl and disrupted the mercenary''s bnce. The bloke fell on the ground and got pinned by the adorable Eve. Within a few seconds, the mercenary lost his consciencessness and snored towards dreand. As soon as Eve noticed the urrence, she returned to Elina''s side and smirked.

    "We condone any sort of violence inside our organization and cause. If you wish to fight someone, please fight the yers and soldiers outside. Well, besides Fenrir and his friends," Eve said, and shed the two outsiders her smile.

    Elina and Eve grew stronger after we saved them both from the yers. We left those two to Kouran''s care, since Ryoshi and I had a separated adventure, And within those gaps, these two damsel in distress became warriors.

    Thanks to Eve''s pin, the bloke couldn''t move a muscle. But something more had happened right after the fight had ended.

    Elina rendered him immoblie for a few seconds from her assault. My system also notified me that Elina''s attack came with a bow that pierced the mercenary. When Elina reached out for her patch, she immediately struck the arrow against the man. And that bolt had poison on its tip, which made the bloke paralyzed.

    The demi-human leader noticed the fight and rushed towards the mercenary. When she noticed that the guy couldn''t move, she slowly looked at Elina.

    "Who are you! Nobody could outmatch the speed of my husband! Who are you?! And what have you done to him?" the demi-human desperately asked, while holding back her tears.

    "That man��.your husband is now poisoned," Elina grumbled, and threw a potion at the demi-human. "Give this to him andy him on bed for the rest of the day."

    "If you don''t want to join our forces, it''s fine with me. We don''t want any liabilities within my group, especially ones who are overly confident about themselves. And I am Elina, the Queen of elves. And that girl is Eve, the Queen of the Maind," Elina continued, and introduced themselves to them.

    Those bystanders outside the office who heard our conversation let out their awes. They couldn''t help but marvel at the scene and cheered for the two. Some NPCs Kouran brought in this ce came from the survivors of the Maind, where Eve had lived. These people still remembered their roots as they cheered at the little girl who had matured.

    "Those yers are stronger than me. If you believe that your people could handle the strength of better versions of me, you''re free to leave this room. I don''t want to force you into our domain. And you have the choice to choose from these choices. Will you join our cause and fight for us, or die from the yers. We won''t help you," Elina spoke confidently at the demi-human, who was still on the floor.

    "I-I''m in!....The mercenaries and my demi-human warriors will join your group! L-Leave us alone for now!" the demi-human cried, and galloped her way toward her husband.

    That girl carried the mercenary towards the exit, with some guards waiting for the two. The soldiers escorted them outside and saluted us upon leaving the premises. Since those visitors left the room, a new topic arose from our discussion.

    "Thanks for the hand, Elina. Now, we need to make a n before striking the yers tomorrow," I suggested.

    "I will send you the base''s map. We could prepare our things today and attack them during the night. It''s better to infiltrate a ce without any lights in the sky. Since most of us are elves, we could race through the building even without light. And the humans could wear their night vision goggles taken from the dragonewts. The cksmiths and other merchants also helped make those things," Elina dered, and projected a map in front of us.

    "Wait, dragonewts? We haven''t been in the dragonewt kingdom," I retorted, while looking at Ryoshi. "We didn''t have the chance to visit anything besides the forest''s border''s after fighting Alice."

    "Then you''ll love it in the dragonewt''s city. They have all sorts of things, including merchants. We stole those night goggles from the yers and made those equipment with our own tech. Thanks to the system''s powers, those cksmiths could recreate anything designed by the humans. But the production is as slow as a turtle. So we need to bear with it for now," Elina continued.

    "What about the guns? Did you copy them?" I asked.

    Elina nodded and answered, "Those guns are not as powerfulpared to the yers. But it still does its job on attacking yers within a few shots. And I hate to say this, but those weapons are limited. We don''t have any time and materials to work on that project, unlike the humans. And I''d bet you''re not the yer who would use a gun."

    I seconded the motion and agreed with Elina''sment.

    All of us shared the same window, since everyone could use their systems. They were the only ones who could manage their powers, which made them superior against other individuals.

    Everyone present inside the room glued their eyes on the holographic map and reviewed its terrain. It took us hours to evaluate the location of our attack. After countless debates, taking the guards outside the entrance became a majority vote.

    "Since those yers don''t guard their entrance much, we could use that opportunity. And then strike them when they''re split! It would be a good chance for us to breach the building. There''s an underground basement of that structure.. That ce is heavily guarded by those yers��."

 Chapter 197 - Okami And Match

    Everyone present inside the room glued their eyes on the holographic map and reviewed its terrain. The base sat on the field, which where the citadel of Maind first stood. But thanks to the aftermath, Asimov had time to build this structure and made it his own.

    Those trees and bushes still remained in their position from where west saw them. Despite the detonation, the green nature still outgrew the damage. And it sustained its core on the terrain.

    It took us hours to evaluate the location of our attack. Since the base upied the entire space, we had limited options to choose the site. And when we did, all the present members of this board raised their ims and defended that area.

    After countless debates, taking the guards outside the entrance became a majority vote.

    "Since those yers don''t guard their entrance much, we could use that opportunity. We don''t have any choice to attack them from behind, since the real base is located underground. And then strike them when they''re split! It would be a good chance for us to breach the building. There''s an underground basement of that structure," Elina exined, as she pointed out different parts of the base. "That ce is heavily guarded by those yers. And considering theyout of that area, all we could do is to knock on their front door. And take whatever traps they had installed for us."

    As we listened to Elina''s n, everyone agreed to that scheme. That plot could be a suicide mission to an untrained ear, but it was the best bet we could have. If we wanted to infiltrate the ce, marching at the front would take us less time breaching the ce.

    When we finally concluded our n, everyone exited the room. Since we would fight the yers soon, we needed as much rest as we could. If our team nned on fighting against those armed yers, having a good night sleep could also do the trick.

    Although this world was not our reality, resting still gave us extra stamina and mana.

    "I guess we have to hold that feast for ater date, Fenrir, Ryoshi. For now, please gather some rest and prepare yourselves for tomorrow," Elina suggested, and gave us a nod.

    Eve also seconded that thought and hopped around us. Even though that girl took out a macho man, Eve was still a little princess.

    "Likewise, Elina, Eve��.But before we could rest, I actually have an original n. Could we dy the attack for tomorrow? Even for a few hours?" I asked.

    Elina widened her orbs as soon as she heard my request. "Well, what happened? It depends on your reason."

    I revealed my system and presented to them my party status. Within a few seconds, slides with names written on each box appeared before us. It was the party setup, which was also a feature in this game.

    "What do you want to show us?" Elina persisted, and deeply gazed at the holographic screen.

    "After fighting against Alice, we didn''t know anything about the whereabouts of Red and Match. Some believe that Red abandoned us, while others didn''t. Red isn''t the type of person who would do such a thing. We''ve been through highs and lows without stabbing someone from the back...Well, except for Ryoshi. But that''s not the point. If Red orchestrated that ploy, she would have done that before arriving in Wondend," I exined, as I switched my tone. "And after a few hours, Red''s status had a mark. It only means that she was either killed by someone or an error had urred to her. I''m afraid that the yers caught her, since Red was a stubborn NPC who would charge straight at the enemy''s base. I just hope that she''s still alive somewhere inside the base, which would hit two birds with one stone."

    "But the thing is, Match didn''t have any of those markings. She still remained healthy in our party despite Red falling to her despair. If we could add Match in our party, maybe we could have the upperhand against those yers," I added, and eventually closed the holographic presentation.

    Elina gave it some thought about my suggestion. Since time was not on our side, prolonging our attack could make the yers protect their front even more. If they issued more yers at the gates, our scheme would be for nought. And we didn''t want that.

    But��.

    "Match is Red''spanion, right? The little girl?" Elina asked, while pondering to herself.

    I gave her a nod and answered, "Yes. That''s the one."

    After putting it to some thought, Elina told me what she had devised. "Since you put it that way, our fight against yers would be dyed by one day. You need to find Match within twenty four hours before we can fight. If you still haven''t found Match, I will teleport you back to our army, regardless of your preparation. I will give you some brief rests, but that''s all I could spare you, Fenrir."

    "And that''s enough for me," I answered, and dragged Ryoshi outside the room. "While I''m out, you could practice with the sword and the guns from the yers."

    After our exchange, I took Ryoshi out of his will and exited the ce. Ryoshi had no other choice but to follow me around in this side quest. Since he was my best friend, Ryoshi didn''t have the choice to choose from any options.

    But after countless grunts from Ryoshi, that man eventually resigned his life to me. Since I saved his ass from the elven jail, this guy should be grateful for me.

    "But, Okami, where are we going to start looking for Match? You do know this is an open-world, right? There are endless possibilities ofnds she would stay in! How on Code are you going to��."

    Before Ryoshi could finish his sentence, I raised my hand and shut him up from yapping. My system gave me the exact location of Match, since she was a part of our party. Red had more freedom in her controls, which made it difficult for me to track her. But Match didn''t have any securities from her settings. And Red forgot to organize her security, since it didn''t matter.

    "Match is around these areas, right past Maind. We need to look for her and split up to shorten our hunt," I insisted, and tapped Ryoshi''s shoulder. "If you run against yers, you have the privilege to attack them or to scurry away. I don''t want you to die, man. Please know your limits. I could help you, Ryoshi. But don''t get too reckless about it. Do you understand?"

    Ryoshi nodded and replied, "Sure. You do the same thing too, Okami."

    "I am literally the strongest yer in this game, remember? Even one thousand yers nned on attacking me, those losers would die against me. I am owning them even without using my third form and Fenrir, my dog."

    It was like what Ryoshi had mentioned. Code was an open-world game filled with distinct ces and environments. Even though the system located Match, that girl resided on Maind''s terrain. This ce reached around a few hundred miles for us to search for a girl. And we only had technically a day and a half to prepare, including tonight.

    As soon as we concluded our conversation, Ryoshi and I parted ways. Ryoshi took the northern part of Maind, while I searched around the southern areas.

    The northern terrains had hills and mountains that Ryoshi could use to look for Match above the ground. Thanks to his superior vision as a hunter, Ryoshi could notice Match from afar. And since he would stay away from enemies, Ryoshi could snipe guards wandering around. Those yers won''t notice Ryoshi, considering his superb positioning near the clouds.

    The southernnd had moreplex structures meant for wall-climbing and parkour. Since I was a veteran yer in this game, this ce fit perfectly on my alley. And thanks to my powerful hind legs, I could travel even faster than a jaguar. Since my system granted me the power of a wolf, my forms would speed up my body. It would also enhance my abilities, which I could use to battle against nearby guards along the way.

    It took me a few minutes beforending on a bark and sleeping for the time being. I didn''t have to force myself to run around blindlessly in the wilderness. Monsters still roamed these areas, which could be a dangerous ce for me to lurk around.

    But as I ced my foot on the camp, a voice of a humming girl piqued my interest. And that tone belonged to the recognizable sound from Match. Since I had teamed up with her for several asions, I couldn''t miss her angelic pitch.

    "Jackpot!" I eximed, and rushed to the sound''s origin.

    After a few seconds, I arrived at a ruined ce that looked like a vige.. And at my fore was the girl singing a song at a destroyed house.

 Chapter 198 - Hiro Vs Fenrir

    But as I ced my foot on the camp, a voice of a humming girl piqued my interest. Its voice resonated through the woond, bringing mixed emotions to the air. My tears eventually fell through my eyelids as I continued listening to the angelic voice of a woeful choire.

    And that tone belonged to the recognizable sound from Match. Since I had teamed up with her for several asions, I couldn''t miss her angelic pitch.

    "Jackpot!" I eximed, and rushed to the sound''s origin.

    After a few seconds, I arrived at a ruined ce with fallen bungalows and dusted furniture. The forest had also turned bald as if someone had shaved a part of this woond. When I nced in every direction, hundreds of corpses greeted my eyes. And that belonged to the vigers who once lived in this area.

    Thanks to the death war this game had created, yers and NPCs died without any proper burial. It only meant that war was the most cruel thing ever created in two different worlds��.No one would win in a war. Everyone would just lose at the end of that finish line.

    Mixed with the rubbles was a girl sitting on the corner. She knelt between the two copsed houses and refrained herself from avoiding those hazards.

    I wanted to stop Match, but there was more to her song. I pushed my personal yearnings aside and listened to the pleasant tune.

    NPCs didn''t have any music that came from our world, except for those unique beats those game developers introduced. Even though Match and Red acquired the system, they still didn''t know about these tunes.

    However, Match perfectly sang an improvised tone of a ssical piece. That music meant sorrow and grief, which was an umonbination. Although she portrayed it perfectly, our emotions hated those sounds.

    When Match ended her tune, I crept up to her and announced my arrival. "You have a wonderful voice��.Too bad Red isn''t here to listen to you."

    Upon turning around, Match widened her eyes as soon as she noticed my presence. Well, she had her doubts when I stood at her fore. Match even raised her guard and stave, while keeping her magic circles behind her back.

    But within a few moments, Match finally believed me and gaped her mouth wide open. "You''re actually alive��.I thought you died from the st��.I saw it with my own eyes!"

    Match couldn''t believe that I survived the st from Wondend''s citadel. Well, if I was in her shoes, I would''ve doubted myself too. She looked as if Match saw a ghost that got brought back to life.

    Without warning, Match zoomed at my front and wrapped her arms around me. I returned her gesture and embraced the little kid who had tears of joy filling her eyes. Match kept weeping on my chest for around five minutes. When she cried everything inside of her, she utched herself from me. And then shed my face with a beaming smile.

    "Red abandoned you��.She made a deal with Alice to save me��..Red also said that Alice would save you two. It was part of their deal, which they left me out of," Match mumbled to herself, while looking at the ground. "But Red did that to save all of us. She didn''t mean to abandon you��.I just��.Got scared thinking she would do that at the back of her mind, since Red hates Ryoshi."

    It was just like Match had mentioned. Red despised Ryoshi, since my best friend killed Clementine. And that girl was Red''s sister caught by the monstrous event.

    Red saw me as a hero of this world, considering what I did for the NPCs. But ever since she knew that my friend was the murderer of her sister, she hated me for the rest of her life. I had a sister waiting for me behind this console too. And if the situation had turned reverse, I would have done the same thing as Red did.

    "How''s Red? Did you find her? I didn''t want to disappoint anyone. So I went to the only ce near Maind��.Which is��.my hometown."

    Match also came from the vige around Maind, which ultimately led to their fateful encounter with Red. I didn''t know where the two met, but that thought didn''t matter for now.

    Upon hearing Match''s question, I shook my head and replied, "I don''t know how to say this��.But��"

    Before I could even finish my sentence, Match rose from the ground while shaking my hands. "But what? What happened to Red?"

    "You could see for yourself on your system��.Check for the party status and you''ll know��."

    Just as I had said those words, Match immediately heeded my instructions. She weaved her hands and slid those slides outwards from her sight. As soon as Match arrived at the party system, she couldn''t hide the shock from her eyes.

    "Okami��..Why is Red''s name��..dyed in crimson?...Why are our names still bright? Okami, I don''t get this��...I don''t want to know��"

    Despite Match''s denial, she kept tugging my arms. That little girl wanted to know about Red''s grim condition.

    I took a lengthy breath before exining what had happened to Red from the system. "Red is��.gone��.for now. She''s technically dead, but her body is in aatose position. Something''s hindering her from dying, but I don''t know why. But we have a clue where she''s staying��.Well, at least her body''s staying."

    Match wiped off the tears flowing from her eyes and replied, "Where? Do you think those yers took her away and killed her? But Red wouldn''t let herself be killed that easily! Something must have happened to her! Those yers must have summoned their wild car to battle."

    "No. That can''t be. The stronger mage below my rank isn''t that special. In fact, those golems we faced were the strongest I''ve ever seen since my sister. Anyway, those yers and soldiers with their toys won''t do much against Red. That girl can conjure lightning at her will, which is the fastest thing in this game. Nobody could go against that power, unless that yer has the same powers as Red. And I think that''s very unlikely to happen."

    Since Code was aplex game, those developers wouldn''t add electric current in this world. Those people could, but the codes would hinder them from making an overpowered character. The damage output of that lightning element would cause an outburst to the yer''s body, forcing that individual to die in the game.

    But Red mastered the lightning strike and used that ability to her advantage. I couldn''t imagine anyone outmatching her with other spells, besides helding Match hostage.

    While this urrence happened, a strange aura emerged from afar. It was an arcane powerful enough to enter my radar and send some shivers down my spine. It wasn''t as powerful as Alice, who could obliterate an entire ind. But the individual approaching us had the strength of a dinosaur.

    But I paid it no mind, since there was no yer visiting this ce. And we were on our way out from this ruined vige and brought Match with our team. But we still needed some escape route if our n would go south.

    Ryoshi could still be searching around this ce without noticing that enemy. But I trusted Ryoshi, since he had various ways to escape from trouble. I didn''t, since I had my hands full with protecting Match.

    "Anyway, Match. All the NPCs��.all the survivors of this game are preparing for war against those soldiers. I''m going to send you the location of that cave! Be sure to follow the instructions, okay?" I instructed, and sent the marked map to Match.

    "Why are you sending this to me when we could leave this ce together?" Match asked, as she pulled my hand onwards.

    But I broke free from her grasps and nudged her away from me. "Match, run. Run as fast as you can and don''t look back!"

    After saying those words, a blue lightning shock travelled in my direction. That attack almost hit Match and I if it weren''t for my reaction time in this game. I had yed thousands of hours to protect my throne as the top ranking yer in Code. That cheap assault wouldn''t scratch me even if that opponent tries.

    A ck smoke emerged at my fore, where the lightning spell came from. The bluish magic circle greeted my eyes, which made me remember Red''s ability. She was the only one who could manipte this element.

    "You''re not Red��.What did you do to her?" I yelled, while transforming into my form.

    This person marching in our direction wasn''t an opponent we could mess with. Alice was the strongest enemy I ever fought in Code. but there were other individuals who would do anything to win a brawl.

    It didn''t take a genius to know that this person had something to deal with Red''s disappearance��.

 Chapter 199 - Okami Vs Clement

    "You''re not Red��.What did you do to her?" I yelled, while transforming into my form.

    I couldn''t gauge the strength of my enemy, since I first encountered this individual. And I wouldn''t go easy at anyone who would go against me.

    This person marching in our direction wasn''t an opponent we could mess with. That individual had arcane twirling in every direction, which subtlety pressed against our skin. One spell cast by this monster could partially destroy a defensive wall, infused with magic.

    I had never fought anyone strong enough to go against me, except for one NPC. Alice was the strongest enemy I ever fought in Code, excluding my little sister from that roster. But other individuals would do anything to win a brawl. Those scumbags would even stab someone from behind, especially using dirty magic tricks.

    It didn''t take a genius to know that this person had something to deal with Red''s disappearance. Hence, my question to the mysterious individual.

    "Fenrir, I cannot believe I''ve found you in this��.ruined vige. You and all the NPCs will feel my wrath unless you surrender. And when I said ''surrender'', I meant killing you with my own hands," the shadowy person eximed, as he slowly revealed himself from the shadows. "I will stop at nothing to take you out from this game and kill you from that world. No one should take me away from this game!"

    An armed kid, younger than my age, confronted me. That youthful boy wore a dded armour te, paired with a sharp de clipped in his hands. He infused those items with arcane enough to create a high-tier magic spell.

    "So, the sudden surge of mana came from you, you brat! What''s the asion? Kids aren''t allowed to y this game. Not unless you chose to be a kid in this game since you have a weird fetish," I mocked the boy, while preparing my escape route.

    I didn''t need to fight this crooked knight. Even though this boy was still a kid, he had an absurd amount of mana circling his skin. It almost made me want to puke, considering the taste of these weird dusty magic.

    The protected boy clicked his tongue and brandished his sword in front of me. "You don''t know who you''re fighting with, don''t you?"

    I shook my head and smiled. "I don''t remember the names of weaker yers. And you''re just one of my list, hotshot."

    Even though I was the strongest yer in this world, I couldn''t use my forms. Heck, I couldn''t even ess Fenrir, who was mypanion throughout my painful grind. If it weren''t for him, people would have stopped calling me the strongest.

    But a little bluff could cripple this boy''s emotions. It would be easier for Match and I to run away from him if we had the chance.

    "You''re not the strongest yer in this game, Fenrir. I am! I am the only one who''s the strongest! This game belongs to me, and me alone! I am Clement, I am the son of the owner of this game!" the boy, Clement, shouted. "That girl��. Her name''s Match, right? Her sister��. Non-biological sister died a tragic death. But don''t worry, Fenrir. She''s half-dead and half-alive, depending on the circumstances. You could even call it a Schrodinger''s test. And Red is our cat."

    I gritted my teeth and yelled back, "Just fucking stop, you piece of shit! Well, even though I hate you, I''m thankful for knowing Red. You gave me more reasons to kill you."

    My words weigh nothing but thin air. Even though my emotions boiled my heart, I knew fighting Clement would cause my befall.

    After our exchange, Clement made the first move. He lunged towards me like a crazed lunatic while swinging his gigantic de.

    That feral boy tried to kill me. But thanks to my first form and experience, my body avoided the attack.

    As soon as I slid at the side, I used my momentum and jolted from the ground. I shed the boy in his head, hoping to deal damage against him. But Clement just ducked his upper body and nced behind me.

    My instincts screamed at me, saying that I should leap away. I heeded that instruction and sidestepped the attack before it could even happen.

    It was just as my instincts had anticipated. When my body dove at my right, Clement whacked my afterimage, using the pommel of his sword. Fortunately, I had already escaped histch and darted away.

    Beads of salty sweat showered my entire body while I gasped for air. Despite our quick exchange, Clement didn''t break a sweat as he red at my figure. That boy even shed me a smirk when he noticed my body bing exhausted from the fight.

    Although I still had some energy to spare, doing these moves consecutively would tire me out.

    "Aaww, look at you, Fenrir. You look like a puppy in the rain�� What a pitiful sight. And you call yourself the strongest yer in my game who beat Alice. If you''re this weak, I could have beaten Alice with my eyes closed��. I''d bet I could do that to you too!" Clement eximed, while yfully spinning the sword in his hand.

    "Oh, really? Thene at me and beat me up!" I shouted, while looking at the forest.

    While Clement and I shed swords, the ground trembled. It only meant that an army would gather in this area soon. And those numbers belonged to the soldiers of this brat, who knew nothing but trouble.

    As I focused on my thoughts, Clement disrupted them and raised his hand. "By this time, my army woulde for you. You have two options, Fenrir. Dying from my hands to save me from my troubles. Or, slowly get sliced and punched to death by my bare hands. Whatever you choose, I will enjoy it to my utmost content!"

    "You''re sick in the head, Charmaine."

    "The name''s Clement," the boy corrected.

    "Yeah, yeah, Cherman. You see, I never intended to fight you in the first ce. In fact, I can''t win even if I tried. It''s a shame, but I can''t fight you��.not right now," I said, and red in Clement''s direction. "And I know your ability by just watching you move. You can copy any abilities you see and understand. You had no idea how to transform into a wolf, but you saw through my [Wolf Walk]. And since you fought and defeated Red, I could only guess you learned about [Shadow Walk], which Red usually used. That''s the only spell Red has simr to mine."

    When I went towards Clement''s side, that boy noticed me from miles away. He reacted before I could even stab him in the back, which shouldn''t happen, unless someone had my skill. Wolf Walk and Shadow Walk were two special abilities that Code considered rare to use and find. And since Red was a lucky yer and NPC who had it, it was the perfect experiment for me to use.

    When Clement reacted to my attack, it only meant one thing��.He learned the same ability I used. Clement also concealed that fact and tried bluffing me. But he can''t escape my experienced eye who had yed this game for thousands of hours.

    "I see. They don''t call you the strongest yer for nothing, Fenrir. You''re the first enemy who spotted my strength and lived another day. But let''s see how that thinking will save you from this battle."

    Clement had no other choice but to praise my deduction skill. And since I found out Clement''s little secret, he would do anything to erase me from this game.

    But I had already nned my exit after everything that had happened. All I had to do was to activate my skill that I rarely used in my gaming career.

    "[After Image]"

    Those times Clement caught me standing in front of him was just my after image. Clement thought that I was still in front of him, fighting me. But it was what I had mentioned earlier��.I never intended to fight a losing battle. And this [After Image] only worked if I had ced him in an illusion.

    This spell didn''t work against yers and Alice. It could only work if I use this spell against an NPC living in this world. Clement was only an NPC without the status of a yer. Thanks to my appraisal skills I implemented on my system, I used that trickery against the spoiled brat.

    I already ran away, together with Match by my side. The two of us were heading towards the base as I led the way.

    Clement remained on the battlefield, staring at the cloud of dust I left for him. He couldn''t believe that I tricked him while using a skill he didn''t know. I even doubted that the developers forgot that ability in this game. It was a useless ability that only worked against NPCs, not yers.. And that skill was a difficult move to perform, since it required both precision and skill to master it.

 Chapter 200 - Mastermind

    [After image] was a spell I created in this game against NPCs. Since yers could see through that feint attack, none of them would fall for that strike. Our systems had detectors that could inspect magic from afar, especially when the ss heightened this skill.

    The ability worked like [Wolf Walk] but even faster with the use of a glitch. Since yers knew what would happen when a bug urs, they would find a way to stop an enemy glitching or using [after image].

    Clement, who was an NPC created by the game developers, had no idea how this worked. His ignorance cost him my disappearance, as Match and I ran from the terrain.

    When the soldiers arrived near Clement, Match and I had already escaped that ce. Clement never saw our images as the smoke disappeared before him. Since I had perfectly nned that out, there was no way for those yers to reach our tail.

    While sprinting towards our destination, I messaged Ryoshi to leave the ce. He didn''t have any reason to search the area, since I had already found Match.

    It didn''t take Ryoshi a while before receiving and replying to my message. As soon as I got his okay sign, the two of us headed onwards to the pit.

    Aa few minutes of running around, we eventually arrived inside our base. The two of us jumped at the hole and slid through the muddy tunnel. When we arrived on the bottom floor, Ryoshi and Kouran weed us.

    But instead of greeting them back, I rose from the ground and shook Kouran''s shoulders. The dark elf widened her eyes as soon as Iunched myself towards her. She didn''t know what to react as she kept a stern look on her face.

    "Someone''sing. It''s a boy cosying...err, dressed up as a knight. He''s an NPC; the one who''s ughtering other NPCs in this game. T-That guy''s name is Clement. And he''s going to hunt every NPC and me. Clement won''t stop until he kills you or me, and impales us with his de. He''s the main obstacle we need to face once we reach the surface," I narrated, and gazed at Match. "Clement also said that he has Red somewhere. But he didn''t say where. I believe Clement kept her inside that base��..I don''t know why, but it feels like he did that. Red''s also alive��.but technically dead. That''s how Clement exined it to me."

    Those people who heard my suggestion all carved their faces into a sour expression. Since these NPCs believed in me, they knew the extent of my power. I was the strongest yer in this game, until I lost my powers. Even though I couldn''t ess my main ount, I could still win against high-levelled enemies.

    But Alice and this Clement guy had more advantages against me. They each had high-levels, better skills and equipment, and even the numbers behind their back. Alice had golems that wore out our energy, while Clement had yers at his nk.

    Although I also had some NPCs following my back, these numbers won''t be enough to stop the yer''s force. If we wanted to keep our lives to ourselves, we needed more than this to fight them.

    But time wasn''t on our side, since we had little time to prepare. I still couldn''t unlock my other forms and Fenrir, my wolf friend. However, even without these buffs, our group would sh against the soldiers on the surface.

    After a few seconds, every NPC in the base gathered around the room. Since the leaders of this organization circled in one ce, those bystanders wanted to listen to our conversation. Those NPCs were also warriors fighting for a cause. And that cause led us to the goal of fighting toplete the game and get the NPC what they deserved.

    "Tonight, we will finally take the lead and snatch the stones from Asimov, the creator of this game. We could also save Red while infiltrating the base. We will have two teams to work with this mission��..I cannot promise your safety��..And some of you will die while taking this mission. But this is a fight that could change our lives. It''s a fight to bring the freedom we deserve!" Kouran eximed, as she gazed at everyone present inside this room.

    Match stepped up and raised her hand, hoping that anyone would notice her presence. Fortunately, Kouran saw her fingers and pointed at the little girl. With giddy eyes, Match shared her thoughts to the entire crowd.

    "Red is my sister��..It''s my fault that she''s stuck inside the base��.Please, let''s save her! She knows how to finish the game. And she wanted to end this war, so no children would suffer as Red did. She always told me to change this world for the better. And I want to do that with you guys! I want to lend my power to this group!" Match announced, as she firmly stood from the ground. "I know what it''s like to fight against yers��..And I don''t want that! But we have no other choice but to tell them what we want! I know that I can''t ask everyone to avoid killing yers. But if we could avoid that, that would be very good��.We could end this war without fighting anyone!"

    Everyone who had heard Match''s speech couldn''t help but give her a round of apuse. Those elves, demi-humans, and other NPCs admired Match''s braveness despite being younger with the rest of this party.

    Kouran went to Match side and caressed her head, praising Match for her confidence. Even though she was still a kid, Match showered us with motivation. She told everyone we could fight our way towards our goal and achieve the freedom everyone wanted.

    But Kouran apologetically shook her head and replied, "I''m sorry, Match. But those yers would kill us if we didn''t kill them first. We''re going into war. So casualties would happen."

    I pondered at Match''s words when she confessed her thoughts to the crowd. War was the worst thing that could ever happen in a generation. And war would affect everyone, including children and innocent lives on the line.

    But as Match shared earlier, we could end this war without getting our hands dirtied with bloodstains. Upon going inside the child''s brain, I deduced that there was no meaning behind our quarrels against those yers.

    There was always away to avoid conflict, including the war. History had proved this in our world. And the United Nations made an alliance between different countries. Now that the world had changed into this modern era, coinciding with the NPCs could be the novel norm.

    Before Kouran could continue her exnation, I butted in and seconded Match''s opinion. "Actually, what Match said may have a point. We could end this war by taking the obelisk from Asimov''s or Clement''s hands, rescue Red, and escape from the base. Ourst resort would be engaging ourselves in war."

    "Our goal is toplete this game and demand freedom from the game creators. And that would only happen if we could get our hands on the obelisk that Red collected throughout our trip. Even Alice mentioned something about those obelisks as keys and gateways towards the surface. It was also the Easter Egg of this game��.Anyway, we could avoid fighting against those yers by snatching the stones!" I continued, while looking at everyone''s eyes.

    All the NPCs who had listened to my suggestion crossed their arms and nodded their heads. Since most of them didn''t understand the framework of Code and its game, they wanted to continue the war. But upon realising the consequence of their decision, they doubted themselves and took my option to consideration.

    The decision would depend on Kouran and me, since we''re the leaders of this group.

    Kouran took a deep breath and asked me a question. It was a query that I had already expected when I came up with this n.

    "If you''re nning to do that, Fenrir, who would breach the base? Elves are good when firing our arrows from afar. And demi-humans have strengths exceeding those from humans. The mercenaries aren''t versed in the art of infiltrating inside a base. Besides you, who do you think is capable of the job?" Kouran asked, and stared into my soul.

    "I would recruit the elite elves as our wards to enter the base. Match, Hunter, and me would be the only ones to infiltrate the base. All of you are going to wait here on standby in case something terrible happens. Well, if we didn''t appear after two days, or we died from battle, you could start the war without the three of us," I exined, while looking at Match and Ryoshi. "If I bring more than these two people, it would be harder for us to breach the base. And besides, I''ve done this before. And I could do it again.

    "Are you out of your mind?!" Kouran yelled, while waving her hands.

 Chapter 201 - Infiltration (1)

    "Are you out of your mind?!" Kouran yelled, while waving her hands. "You''re not nning on ending your life and leaving these problems to us now, are you?"

    I shook my head and replied, "I still have a sister. Why on Earth would I do that? Like I''ve said earlier. We can''t infiltrate the base by bringing arge number inside. We have to choose who to bring and what to do once we breach that building. And the only one capable of doing that is the three of us."

    "We''ve worked together for weeks, struggling to survive. By this time, we could have each other''s backs and know what we could do with our powers. Including someone in our team would just make it harder for everyone. And if the timees, I can''t save everyone when we reach the base," I continued, and gave Kouran a nod.

    As soon as Kouran heard my plea, she gave me permission and epted my plot. She had no choice but to let me free, since it was the most efficient way to win this battle. If our team engages in war, we would lose that sh. We also had a back up n if my team didn''t return to our headquarters or notify Kouran.

    "If Match and Ryoshi rescued Red from the base, I want your troops ready for battle. Those soldiers woulde to them as soon as they left the premises," I continued, while tapping Kouran''s shoulders. "Protect these two while I grab the bigger fish."

    After ending our conversation, Match, Ryoshi, and I rested for the meantime. Upon rejuvenating back our strength, we prepared our things and hurriedly left the forest. Those elves and other NPCs watched us exit the shelter, knowing the dangers ahead of us. It was up to my team to save the NPCs'' freedom and bring back Red alive in our hands.

    While travelling through the sea of trees, I exined to everyone what we needed to do upon entering the base. "Ryoshi and Match, your job is to get Red out of her prison. The two of you need to save Red while I take Clement and the Obelisks. As soon as you rescued Red, I want you two to leave the ce and take Red to our shetler. Those NPCs would be waiting for you at the end line."

    "Ryoshi, I want you to protect at all costs using your shield arrows. If the situation goes south, exit the ce and leave me behind. I can escape, since I have [Wolf Walk]. But none of you have any of the abilities that I have, okay?" I instructed, and directed my gaze at Match. "I want you to burst your mes in the hallway and scare the soldiers off. Make a pir of mes so powerful that it could melt other elements, except for the two of you. Just remember that generating fire inside a constricted hallway could suffocate you. And that''s when Ryoshi or you could create a barrier to maintain our oxygen level."

    "But what if we kill someone using our spells? I don''t want to kill someone��.But I don''t want them to hurt any of us!" Match voiced her concerns, as she looked me in the eye. "I may have killed someone from the past. But I want to avoid that."

    I shed Match a smile and replied, "It''s okay, Match. We are not trying to kill anyone here. All you gotta do is put them to sleep. Just let Ryoshi do that work and focus on obstructing the soldier''s bullets and abilities, okay?"

    Match gave me a nod and epted my proposal. She was just a kid, despite seeing life on the other side. That girl didn''t want to ruin this world tainted with violence and war.

    However, I couldn''t promise that to myself. If I ended up facing a swarm of people before getting the obelisk, I would kill them all.

    Match and Ryoshi listened to my words as we headed out to our destination. Ryoshi kept his mouth silent and digested the instructions. He knew what to do since we had already gone on this mission. Some games had these side quests and required the yers to infiltrate a building.

    But instead of losing the game, all of us could die if the soldiers caught us. And that was the risk we were all willing to take.

    "How are we going to do it if we don''t have a map?" Match said, asking the important questions. "And what will I do if I��..if Red is going?"

    "The map part is easy. You just need to open your system and keep the map view that way��.As for Red''s situation, I can''t say anything about it��.Let''s just hope for the best."

    After our exchange, we finally arrived near the base. Imanded everyone to prepare everything we needed to do before breaching the ce. But despite these preparations, I told everyone that we didn''t need any magic ability to shield ourselves.

    "Why don''t we use our fire shields and wind propellers? Wouldn''t that help us travel faster inside the base''s hallways?" Ryoshi asked.

    I shook my head and answered, "It could happen if it weren''t for the arcane detectors spread around the building. You may not see it, but there are a lot of them scattered at the entrance. And if I have to guess it right, there are tons of machine detectors waiting for us out there."

    Since this ce belonged to the game developers, they may have ced some traps around the vicinity. And our modern world could provide bountiful security detectors that could protect them, including the guards roaming around.

    And we still hadn''t seen Clement in our vicinity. Thest time we fought was around the Maind''s vige, outside the kingdom''s heart.

    "We need to go now��.Judging from the map, there''s a room at the far end of the tunnel. And that''s the only ce that corresponds with Clement''s ims. I will go to the opposite side, since I sense a swarm of soldiers surrounded by four obelisks inside a room. And I''d bet those soldiers are guarding the game developers."

    Clement told me that he had stored Red in a container and used her as her price. He also told me that he was the game developer''s son, Warner Asimov. And the only ce that would ring a bell was inside this base.

    Ryoshi and Match suggested that we could traverse through the pipes on the base''s ceiling. Ryoshi also mentioned that those tubes would lead straight inside, which would attract less attention from the guards.

    But I refused that judgment and told them that the guards would have expected that ce. Since those yers were up against me, they would have initially thought to breach the building through those lines.

    I was a fool but not a stupid person. It didn''t take a genius to realise that those yers prepared some traps on our tes. As soon as we entered those pipes, those soldiers would st us off using their bullets. And that would be the end of our stories.

    After saying my instructions, those two leapt off from the ground. I led the charge and went to the side, concealing our presence from the patrolling guards. As soon as two soldiers entered my vicinity, I choked them and rendered them immobile. We also trapped them inside a locker room and tied them up so they won''t escape.

    Match gasped after witnessing what I did to the two yers. But I assured her that I didn''t kill these two guards and just caged them inside the dream world.

    As soon as I cleared the path, we entered the gate undetected. Ryoshi effortlessly hacked the card system from the door. That lock meant to shut every uninvited guest off from the inside. However, Ryoshi was an expert on passing through the security lines.

    When we entered the ce, a group of soldiers checked the vicinity. But they couldn''t confirm if someone had entered the room. Those yers also didn''t notice the two guards we seized before entering the premises.

    And if those soldiers would recognize the disappearance of those two guards, they would alert everyone. And that was the only timer we had before cleaning up everything inside the building.

    But before the soldiers could notice our figures, I snatched Match and Ryoshi and climbed the ceiling. Thanks to my [Wolf Walk] I could stick through walls, which avoided contact with the yers. Itched my arms around my twopanions and waited for the group of soldiers to pass by.

    When the yers left our vision, the three of us headed to the centre.

    "You take the left part and I will take the right one. Red is at the bottom part of this floor, as shown on our map. You need to return at the entrance and wait for me in the forest. It''s the same spot we had when we thought of our n��."

 Chapter 202 - We Meet Again

    "You take the left part and I will take the right one. Red should be at the bottom part of this floor, as shown on our map. If you haven''t found her, search the area. And look for a room that has one person inside of it. As soon as you two found Red, return at the entrance and wait for me in the forest. It''s the same spot we had when we thought of our n," I instructed, while cracking my neck. "I will search for the obelisks and Clement. If I''m lucky, I could stumble upon the game developers. Since those idiots would experiment with those obelisks inside their containers, it would be a matter of time before we could meet."

    After saying those words, the pairunched themselves at the right while I took the left. We each had our roles. And we didn''t need one another for this fight.

    As long as we could achieve our goals and escape from this base, everything would turn out fine.

    I also headed towards my left and activated my [Shadow Walk]. Those guards who passed by me didn''t notice my figure, since I stuck myself on the side. Even though these soldiers had high-technologies, they couldn''t sense my skill.

    That scene was the difference between the modern gadgets and my expertise, as I trod towards the hallway.

    But as soon as I took a sharp turn, a de hit the wall in front of me. Fortunately, my body reacted on time and jerked backwards. Before I could even rise from the ground, a bundle of arrows rained upon me. I had no other choice but to unleash my strength and destroy every dart zooming in my direction.

    Hundreds of sticks shredded before me as I defended myself with my frenzied ws. As soon as I shattered every bolt heading at my figure, I gazed at my right.

    Two men, one cosying as a woman, greeted my eyes. The man wore a tunic of elves, butcked long ears as those species. Despite his humanoid shape, the bloke was an archer, just like Ryoshi.

    There was a woman beside the archer, who still had that pinkish and silly outfit. I didn''t mind any genders, but this man was a sight for my sore eyes. The man behind that maid outfit wanted to kill me and threw that de in my direction.

    Those two people were the two brothers I met inside the bar when I first arrived in the game. Robin and Friar informed me about everything inside this game, not until they realised that I was also Fenrir. That pair knew that I was using a smurf ount, who was also the yer killer of this game.

    Everything turned south as soon as the two brothers realised the threat I possessed. And since the two of them got consumed by the death game, they had no other choice but to hunt me down.

    "Wolf, I''m sorry. But I have to protect this ce. I can''t let a yer killer on the loose," Robin, who was the ranger, reloaded his arrows. "Please walk towards us without your werewolf form, and nobody gets harmed."

    "My brother and I heard everything, Wolfr. You wanted nothing but power in this world. You''re saving these NPCs is just a little trick that you wanted to present to everyone��." Friar said, while ring in my direction. "And if we don''t, Clement will��..He has my wife."

    As soon as Friar told me everything, the two brothers attempted to kill me once again. Robin and Friar rushed towards me and released everything they had in their arsenal.

    Robin discharged his special arrows and aimed it in my direction. Friar called forth his sword and returned in his hand, which he would slice against me.

    I rolled and evaded every attack those two brothers threw at me, while avoiding any unnecessary attention from the nearby guards. But I doubted that the sounds we made did not notify them, considering the ring tonesing from those bolts.

    "Please, just listen to me! We are not here to screw you up! We know how to end the death game while saving someone''s sister! Look, I don''t know what happened to you wife. But let me help you! If there''s one thing I know, I have quick hands and reflexes! I can beat Clement as long as I have some allies!" I yelled, while continuously prancing around.

    Those two brothers carved their faces with doubt as soon as they heard my plea. But before they could have their conversation, a de destroyed the wall. Fortunately, my w defended my body from the sword. But the strength from this boy pressed me on the floor, which hindered me from moving elsewhere.

    I had to slip through the side and kick the boy''s armour to disrupt his bnce. When I sessfully freed myself from the sudden attack, I stood from the ground and caressed my injured hand.

    "Too bad I missed, Fenrir. But next time, I will hit you. I promise."

    The man who said those words was none other than Clement, who found his way inside the base. Instead of chasing me around, he destroyed the wall and found me on the other side.

    Behind Clement''s back was an army of soldiers aiming their guns in my direction. They also directed their barrels at the two brothers, which took me by surprise.

    "What is the meaning of this, kid. You''re aiming at the wrong person!" Robin shouted, and aimed his explosive arrows at Clement and his army.

    "No. I found your use. You''re no longer useful toys for me," Clement replied, and motioned his hands. "Finished everyone inside the room. Whoever kills anyone will have a reward."

    Clement was the man who would order his people to kill others for him. His dirty hands was not enough as he let those yers brutally kill someone inside the game, which would kill them in real life too.

    Since these yers also wanted to survive, they charged straight at the three of us without a hint of doubt. Robin and Friar nned on taking them down, but I stopped them in the nick of time. I used my [Wolf Walk] and snatched them both in my hands as we escaped the ce.

    "Let go of me, Wolf! We can defeat Clement by ourselves! We have to do it, or else my family would be in danger!" Friar yelled, as he struggled around my arms.

    Robin did the same and tried freeing himself from my hands. But my hands clipped around them, refusing to let them go. It was better to save them than leave these two behind. Robin and Friar saved me before, I nned on returning the favour.

    Clement had a lightning spell that could travel faster than my speed, and I didn''t. It was the most annoying disadvantage I had against him, which would make me lose without a doubt.

    But despite this merit, Clement didn''t want to utilize all of his advantage against me. His lightning spell held simr regards to his other basic skill that Clement didn''t use to its full potential. And since I was the stronger yer in this game, I had a n to stop Clement from his tracks.

    Clement''s aggressiveness became his weakness, which I used against him. When the boy used his lightning speed to stop me, I dodged his sword and duck from the attack. That kid widened his eyes as he noticed my immediate response from his assault.

    Clement used his spell once again and tried hitting me using his fist. His knuckles emerged in front of me, cracking at every second. But the attack had an obvious hint as I sidestepped the strike without letting the two brothers go from my hands.

    After dodging the blitzs, my ears sharpened when some high-pitch sounds echoed across the rooms. The lights in the hallways also changed and flickered within a crimson hue. The rms set inside the base finally activated, and would eventually shut down every door inside.

    If I had to guess it right, the metallic doors inside the base were nearly indestructible. The game developers used a mixture of the sturdiest minerals inside Code and mashed them up to make these doors, not the walls. Although I could destroy these walls, it would take me my entire strength to do that. And if I unleashed my inner beast, I won''t have any energy to run away from these soldiers.

    My eyes gazed at our fore and addressed a gate shutting us off. I booked it and ran straight at the gate, with these two brothers with me. Luckily, the gate was quick enough to block Clement behind. That mad boy tried punching his way through the gate, but failed to do so.

    These doors won''t budge even if Clement tried forcing himself in. He even tried destroying the nearby walls, but Clement''s efforts turned to no avail.

    When I realised that I escaped from Clement''stch, I let go of the two brothers and gasped for air.

 Chapter 203 - Looking Out

    When I realised that I escaped from Clement''stch, I let go of the two brothers and gasped for air.

    "What the fuck are you doing?!" Friar yelled at me, and red at my eyes.

    He tried grappling my nape with his hands and pinning me on the wall. But thanks to Robin''s intervention, he swooped through my rear and pulled Friar backwards. Friarnded on the ground, butt first, as he caressed his bottom.

    "What was that for?" Friar asked, as he slowly rose from the ground. "He''s the reason why yer killers, the death game, and our problems exist! Not to mention, my family is in danger because of him!"

    "I know. You have your own reasons. But Wolf saved our lives. Give him at least that," Robin replied, as he returned my gaze. "Kid, you should exin yourself why you went inside this base, and what happened in this game. You may know something more than we do."

    "Look, Wolf. I know you''re not the bad guy. And we all know you''re a yer killer in the past, since you''re also Fenrir. And, well, you also killed hundreds of soldiers sent in this game. Even after that, I want to know the reason behind those��.violent reactions," Robin continued, and offered me a hand. "If you want to kill us, you would''ve already sliced our throats without thinking. And I tried killing you too. We''ve swam through rough waters now, kid. But now, we''re on the same boat��.Let''s kick some NPC''s ass. I mean, Clement''s ass."

    I grabbed his hand and epted Robin''s offer. "It''s about time you''ve gotten into your senses!"

    All the yers I met always wanted my ass, especially if they heard my name. I was the strongest yer in Code, and a yer killer throughout the game time. Since everyone feared me, they would all run away or try killing me for the bounty. And that also happened to these two brothers, who initially helped me in Code. But when they found out my identity, they wanted me dead, like the rest of the NPC.

    But as soon as this situation arised, Robin and Friar had no other choice but to help me.

    "Let me lead this fight, so we can have the advantage. I know that the two of you already studied they-outs of this ce. But your maps aren''t that goodpared to mine. I unlocked my appraisal without cing any skill points in it so I wouldn''t worry about anything. And since I''m the strongest from the two of youbined, I know how to deal with Clement and other soldiers if we ever encounter them soon," I eximed, and walked ahead.

    Those two brothers had a hint of doubt after hearing my words. But Robin and Friar had already made an enemy out of this base, where the soldiers would hunt them down. All they could do was to listen to my instructions and ce their trust on me.

    "As long as we save my wife, I''m fine with that. Usually, Robin''s the onemanding the party. He''s the most levelled up yer in our group, followed by some random kids he teaches. But since half of them have gone mad and killed each other, well...You know the rest," Friar said.

    "Don''t worry about it. We''re already on our way towards your wife. I made her our priority for this trip," I answered, while pointing my finger at our fore. "And we''re already there, fes!"

    As soon as we took a sharp turn at the hallway''s end, a door greeted our eyes. Those soldiers guarding the ce didn''t have any time to react as we punched our way through the gates. We made sure to spare their lives, since these soldiers were still yers.

    If they died in this game, those soldiers would die in real life too. So killing them was not an option we could take, unless it was necessary.

    The three of us bashed through the door and destroyed it with our sheer strength. We didn''t care if the soldiers readied some traps for us on the other side, since we''re running into borrowed time. There was a big boy chasing us, with his stick clipped in his hands. If Clement found us inside this room, he would kill us upon sight.

    "We better find your wife around this ce before Clement arrives. She''s around that room, with some guards protecting that door," I announced, and pinpointed the location of someone stuck inside.

    ording to my map, there were countless blue dots around this corner. Although my system could view the entire base, it still gave me limited legends that I could follow. I just ced those people who didn''t have any weapons in hand colour red, while unarmed victims with blue hue.

    But if Friar''s wife equipped herself with a weapon, that would be a problem. That blue dot may be someone else imprisoned by these guards. There were tons of other game developers, scientists, and yers inside this base that refused cooperating with the military.

    I just hoped we could find the person we were looking for before facing another problem.

    The three of us cleared the way and defeated the dozen armed yers inside this room. As soon as we rendered them immobile, we continued onwards and went to the door. But upon opening the lights, a couple of tied scientists greeted our eyes. And when Friar searched the room, he didn''t find his wife together with the rest of them.

    Since we were inside the room, the three of us freed the scientists from their restraint. They all had different nationalities, which piqued my interest. Each of them rose from the ground and bowed their heads, thanking us for freeing them.

    "Where is my wife! Have you seen Katya!? Where is she?! Do you know where Katya is?!"

    Friar kept asking those questions to the game developers but none of them gave him an answer. Despite working for the same game, Warner Asimov kept the station filled with secrecy.

    "What happened here?" I asked, while looking around. "Aren''t you workers of Code? Who in the right mind would tie you up?"

    "Clement, Asimov''s son. He created that monster and gave everything his son wished to him, including this game. When we opposed deleting some features of this game, Clement had gone mad and ordered the guards to seize us. Some soldiers tried fighting Clement, but they didn''t win. Since most of them were Asimov''s personal soldiers, that army escorted us down here. It''s a good thing that they amodated us with whatever we needed and tried hacking into the game''s server. Up until now, Clement couldn''t find a way to bypass the security we installed for Code��.But with the help of Warner, I doubt that our firewall would stand for any longer," the game developer exined, with the rest of the victims nodding behind him.

    I acknowledged whatever information I received from the man and guided them outside. Since these people knew the game''s mechanics, I ordered them to arm themselves with the weapons lying around.

    "These guns will protect you from those soldiers! Don''t worry! Hitting someone with these guns won''t immediately kill those soldiers! You would deal an enormous amount of damage, but it won''t be enough to kill them!" I narrated, and moved back to the hallway.

    "It''s no use��.My wife''s not here. I don''t know where we could find her anymore��." Friar said, as he fought his tears from falling on his cheek.

    Robin tapped his shoulder and gave him some emotional support he needed to ovee this challenge. However, I doubted that helped him go through the pain he was going on to��.If the worst happened, Friar might have lost his partner in this world.

    But before we could exit the room, a game developer went to my back. Someone tugged my clothing, which alerted my senses. Upon turning around, a kid met my eyes and pointed at the wall behind the two of us. While that happened, a man ran straight in our direction and carried his child.

    "Hey, little kid. What are you up to? Is something out there?" I asked.

    The boy nodded and whispered, "I heard someone over there and ced something inside when we arrived here."

    As soon as the kid finished his sentence, the man picked the boy in his arms and lowered his head. "Apologies for the dy, but my boy must have heard something. I''m just a janitor working in this base. Even though this is a game, I still need to clean. But when Clement saw me, he included me with the group. Please, just leave us alone. My son keeps hearing things that we can''t hear."

    I raised my hand and shook my head. "First of all, janitors are awesome. Without you, this ce would be dirty. Look at it! It''s spotless because of you! And second, your son must have the appraisal skill maxed on because of luck. And the thing he heard over that wall must be something worth checking for."

    I thanked the man and his kid after listening to that information.. I also asked Fenrir and Robin to guard the two as I checked the wall the kid eyed earlier.

 Chapter 204 - Clements Wrath

    The kid pointed out the wall behind us, telling me that there was something more than that panel. As I walked near the stone wall, cracks greeted my eyes.

    And that only meant one thing. People could actually open this wall and a secret room waited for us on the other side.

    I used my fist from strength and punched the wall out of its misery. As the panel crumbled into a million pieces, a sigure of a woman addressed my eyes. She rested on the ground, unconscious and embracing herself like a fetus. Beside her were the tables and chairs decorated like an office.

    My feet rushed towards the girl and immediately gave my assistance. Upon inspecting the woman, the girl didn''t have any visible wounds on her skin. Fortunately, this woman didn''t suffer from anything besides the emotional trauma she experiences.

    But that experience would sweep away, since we finally found her alive, together with Friar.

    "Hey, are you okay? And are you Katya, Friar''s wife?" I asked the woman, as I helped stand.

    The woman heard my voice as she lifted her face to meet my eyes. "Yes."

    As soon as the woman replied, she met my gaze and grasped my hand. She stood from the ground and epted my offer, which made my job easier for now. When we exited the room, Friar and Robin raced towards me. The two of them had their eyes sparkling with joy, with their mouths gazing upwards.

    Friar rushed towards me and embraced Katya around my hands. I maintained my posture and refused to let the woman go from my arms. But despite my sp, I slowly gave Katya to Friar and nodded at his fore.

    "Katya! Katya, are you alright?! God, look at you! Who did this! Who did this to you so I could him...or her a ton of smacking!" Friar roared, while stomping his feet.

    But his half awakened wife weakly shook her head and replied, "No��.Asimov...and I��.saw thising."

    ''Saw thising?'' I wanted to ask, but I left the questionster.

    Interrogating Katya was not the dumbest thing I would do for our situation. Giving her some time off and cool air would benefit the entire team.

    "But your outfit��.It gives it away��.And it confuses me��..at the same time," Katya continued, as she held back her shuckle.

    Friar''s cheek turned red as soon as he heard Katya''s voice. But despite his embarrassment, Friarughed it out like a man and took Katya from my hands.

    "She''s all yours. Just make sure to keep an eye out for her and the rest of the people, okay?" I said, while heading towards the exit. "Your job is to protect these people from those soldiers and Clement. The rest of you should head for the exit while I look for the obelisks and Warner Asimov."

    "I''ve been meaning to ask this, Wolf. Why are you helping us when you''re the yer killer of this game? I''ve seen you murder innocent yers before and killed hundreds of those soldiers. Is this just a facade to make up for your mistakes? Or is it because you grew tired from killing the yers?" Robin asked, as soon as I gave Katya to Friar.

    "Maybe. But I killed those soldiers because they tried killing me��.They tried killing a yer who did nothing inside the death game. All those people did is to use me for something that I haven''t done yet. I don''t usually kill people. But when I do, I only kill them if they want to kill me first without any reason. And the perfect example for that is Clement. That mad man wants me dead because I am one of the few who could stop him," I replied.

    When Robin heard my words, he gave me a nod and answered, "Fine. We will help you. I know you''re just a kid down there. And I believe you''re not the Fenrir that everyone thinks of. Besides, you saved our lives��. my brother''s wife. If he''s thankful for you, I have no choice but to express the same gratitude as him.''

    "Do what you want. I don''t care, actually. You''re free to help me or kill me. But I have a sister to protect. So I can''t afford dying inside this game."

    After our exchange, I went in front of the crowd and gathered their attention. All of them widened their eyes as soon as they saw my figure. The crowd''s widened eyes told everything about their expression about seeing me at their fore. Some of the thankful game developers before moved backwards upon witnessing my face.

    "Asimov and the rest of us know who you are!" a person yelled, as he shakingly pointed his fore finger at me. "You''re Fenrir, the yer killer in this game! W-Why the hell are you here!"

    When the people heard my name, everyone exchanged looks and slowly walked away. The mass eventually bumped at the wall behind their back as they continued marching backwards, afraid of meeting me.

    I wanted to tell the pack that everything would be alright. But since the people knew my identity, they feared me for my actions before and not the moment I saved them a while back.

    But before the crowd could even mock my presence, Friar and Robin stood beside me. They all stared at the people as they wrapped their arms around my nape as if I was one of their close friends. Those two brothers shed me a smile as they waved their hands at the dozen people watching at our figures.

    "Do you think this man would harm you when he was the one who saved our asses? This man took out the soldiers and risked his life to save all of you, even though he has something important to take care of? I don''t know, likepleting the game?" Friar shouted, as he red at the people''s faces. "If you''re afraid of Fenrir��.Wolf, you should fear us too! Because I am pledging my friendship to this man��.Because he saved my wife''s life. I am thankful for what he did. And you should also be the same! If it wasn''t for him, you wouldn''t be alive right now!"

    "Your outfit is��.a bit weird. But what my brother said is right! You all probably know who we are, since we''re popr yers of this game. We''re part of the Eastern Adventurer''s Guild. And we value our people more than ever since the day we built that organization," Robin continued, while rubbing his hands. "I want to make this short. If you want to trust us, you are free to do so. But if you think Clement would give you a better chance to live, you''re free to leave this group right now. Fenrir isn''t the man you''ve thought he is. Fenrir saved your lives. That thought is enough to give you evidence about our situation."

    Those two speechesing from two popr figures made the crowd lend their ears. All the people listened to everything they said and considered their options. The crowd ceased marching backwards and eventually came walking towards my fore. Some of them still refused to follow the group, but didn''t have any chance to choose thetter.

    The only hope these yers had was to believe in me. But as soon as trouble would face us, I assumed these people would be the first one to run away.

    As soon as the party of yers epted me as their leader, I guided them towards the exit. But my ears suddenly caught something on the right wall, which made me slide backwards.

    My instinct saved my life as the walls on my east shattered into a million pieces. As the clouds settled, Clement''s face greeted our eyes. He grinned at us, while equipped with a gun and a sword in his hands.

    "Missed me?" Clement uttered, as he looked around. "That was fast��.You found the rebels who disliked my work of art. I told the guards to torture them and leave them to rot. But, oh well. I guess I have to do this myself then."

    Upon saying those words, Clement aimed his gun at the first guy he saw. The unfortunate man was with the crowd, who was also a game developer of this game. The two brothers and I didn''t react on time as the bullet flew through the barrel. As soon as the shell hit the guy, that yer evaporated into particles.

    "One down, one hundred more to go," Clement mumbled to himself, as he shed me a smile.

    While that happened, there were soldiers catching up from Clement''s behind. All those soldiers also had their guns wrapped around their hands, ready to fire if they arrived at our ce. The people inside panicked when the man''s dusty image came into their sights, which made them run in circles.

    "GATHER EVERYONE AND FOLLOW MY LEAD!" I shouted.

    Those four obelisks and Warner Asimov would wait forter��.

 Chapter 205 - A Glitch

    "One down, one hundred more to go," Clement mumbled to himself, as he shed me a smile.

    Despite his age, Clement killed someone with a smile on his face. It only told me that this kid was not a human but a monster in disguise. Although I couldn''t say the same for myself, since I killed more than five hundred people already upon arriving in this game. Even though I could defend myself, I still took someone''s life to save mine.

    But I learned my lesson and avoided killing other yers as much as possible for my sister. If Himari knew, she would furiously p me on the cheeks. Fortunately, she didn''te here and fetch me in Code.

    However, that topic wasn''t important right now. I shook my head and focused on the problem at my fore, which was the madman, Clement.

    While that happened, there were soldiers catching up from Clement''s behind. All those soldiers also had their guns wrapped around their hands, ready to fire if they arrived at our ce. The people inside panicked when the man''s dusty image came into their sights, which made them run in circles.

    "GATHER EVERYONE AND FOLLOW MY LEAD!" I shouted at the two brothers and led them towards the exit.

    I had a simple n that could work if done correctly. All I had to do was to create some distraction and lure Clement on my tail. As soon as Clement would take the bait, Robin and Friar would exit the ce, together with the stranded hostages. Even though soldiers would chase them away, the two brothers could handle them��.Well, Robin and Friar were still yers that had decent stats and experience. I could only believe in their magic and work through the pain.

    Those four obelisks and Warner Asimov would be forter, since we had an immediate problem. And that problem was not something we could push away that easily.

    "Now...Where were we?!" Clement shouted, as he finally met my gaze.

    Without a second of thought, Clement aimed his gun in my direction. He also slowly marched onwards, while pulling the trigger from his handgun. That long-ranged weapon was the same firearm the soldiers used, with some added features. But the upgrade didn''t matter, since those bullets would do immense damage if it hit me.

    I immediately sprinted towards the side and dodged every shell flying towards me. Luckily, the table was enough to protect my body. But it looked like the board wouldn''tst long enough until it could survive Clement''s blitz.

    If I wanted to win, I needed some countery. And I shouldn''t let Clement kill any innocent lives and maintain that agro towards my figure. Robin and Friar did a good job as the two escorted the civilians near the exit. But it wouldn''t take long before Clement and the rest of his soldiers would arrive and take them out from their miseries.

    "Hey, douche bag! News sh! Your father didn''t love you! Even though you''re his son, you''re no match for me! I don''t have my main ount. But if I do, you''re already dead before you know it!" I yelled, while checking my surroundings.

    The area had nothing but garbage and shattered walls that came from the destroyed ceiling. I couldn''t use anything against Clement and for this situation. No matter how I tried, Clement had more resources than me. If that kid charged at me without thinking, he would have already killed me within two minutes.

    Thankfully, Clement moved based on his emotions. And that was one thing I used to my advantage.

    "Say that again and I will y seriously with you!" Clement growled, as he stopped on his tracks. "Or are you just a coward, luring me to a cheap trick? I won''t fall for that, Fenrir! Not this time! I already learned about your after image! YOu won''t get me for a second time, Fenrir!"

    Even though Clement had the better cards, he still became wary battling me. He must have known that I had some tricks on my sleeves that could lead him to a trap. I couldn''t even use the same trick twice at Clement, even if I wanted. That kid could have learned it while we were too busy saving the people trapped inside this ce.

    "I am the strongest yer in this game. Even though your father gave you some toys, you can''t still beat the leader boards? Check for yourself! I have more statistical power than you! I have better weapons and armour than you! And most importantly, the game loves me more than you! My skills are iparable to you, since I have all the rare stuff! And you don''t!" I mocked once again, hoping to crack Clement''s volcano open.

    And I seeded in shattering his shells as Clement charged straight at me. He didn''t even say anything and let his emotions lead like the emotions movie I had seen in the cinema. But that was the worst thing he could have done, as I isted him from the civilians.

    However, that was also the worst part, since I had to deal with this brat alone. And Clement was not just a kid with overpowered arms that could kill a nation. He also had some skills that would make a fool out of Dr. Strange from the marvelics.

    As soon as Clement arrived within my vicinity, he crashed the table and aimed his gun at the back. He even used his lightning speed to catch me by surprise. But much to his expectations, I already left that table.

    I used my [Wolf Walk] and travelled all the way towards the detonated ceiling. Even though Clement used his lightning speed, I still outsmarted him by making the first move. I was always two steps ahead of him, since Clement governed his emotions more than his head.

    And thanks to that rash decision, I fell on the ceiling and kicked Clement''s back��.However, that scene didn''t go too well for me.

    The first ability that I used to escape from Clement backfired against me. He used my skill and disappeared, leaving a log at my fore. Clement''s figure that caught my eyes was not the real one. I could only use that skill against NPCs, which limited me from using it against yers. But Clement cracked the lock and used it against me, a yer of this game.

    I tried using the same spell against Clement, but he was too quick. Using his lightning speed, Clement appeared from behind and jabbed my back. That attack forced me to hover against the wall, nearly bursting to the other side. I was like a painting hung on the wall, disyed for everyone to see.

    But thanks to my wolf form, I bore the damage and kept it around my appendages. The assault spread throughout my left body part, but not enough to kill me. I had experienced more from the past. So this pain was nothing but an ant biting my Excalibur down my belt.

    Even though this world was just a game, I didn''t let Clement hit my vital organs. The game operated as if we were in real life, with some pixted dust as our wounds. And since the Code''s pain scale went over the roof, a throbbing sensation greeted my body.

    "FUCK! THAT HURTS A LOT!" I screamed, while clenching my fist.

    Fortunately, I turned to my side before I could hit the wall. The damage spread around my left arm and made it immoible. Despite this handicapped, I still needed to fight Clement without my non-dominant hand.

    "Aw, you almost had me��.Too bad your skill didn''t help you this time. And look at you, number one yer! You''re so pathetic, you lost an arm!" Clement said, as he gingerly made his way towards my figure.

    The scene made it worse as those soldiers finally reached Robin and Friar''s side. Those two sides exchanged bullets as they fought until one of them finished the other. As luck would have it, none of the civilians tasted death from their battle. But since Friar and Robin had limited resources, those two would lose their duel.

    "Why are you looking there when the battle''s here? Don''t tell me you''re worrying about them and not yourself? I mean, look at you! You''re going to die because of your arrogance and stupidity!" Clement shouted, as he finally reached my front.

    Clement grabbed me by my nape and obstructed my trache. I let out a cough while ring at Clement, since it was the only thing that I could do. I tried lifting my hands and attacking Clement using my wolf ws, but couldn''t. All the energy inside my body left me, surrendering myself to Clement.

    "Anyst words before I take you into the gameover town?" Clement grumbled, as he choked my neck tighter than before.

    But before I could lose my conscientiousness, a trembling voice reverberated through the room. "Despite being gifted with power, you don''t dare to use them properly? What a waste, especially with that legendary equipment.

    That voice came from someone I knew��..Someone that I called my partner.

 Chapter 206 - Fenrir And Master

    "Anyst words before I take you into the gameover town?" Clement grumbled, as he choked my neck tighter than before.

    I puked all my saliva from my mouth as Clement''s hands gripped my nape. Despite my efforts, Clement didn''t let me go and continued strangling my upper body.

    But before I could lose my consciousness, a trembling voice reverberated through the room. "Despite being gifted with power, you don''t dare to use them properly? What a waste, especially with that legendary equipment.

    That voice came from someone I knew��.Someone that I called my partner.

    "Fenrir?" I thought, while forcing my consciousness awake.

    Luckily, my travail didn''t take long when my inner beast revealed itself towards Clement. The wolfunched its body outside mine and tackled the armoured kid. Clement hastily retreated after witnessing such a ferocious beast. But Fenrir''s ws struck him first before he could even back away.

    "What''s a dog doing inside your body?!" Clement yelled, as he pressed his wounds on his chest.

    He red in my direction, unsure what face Clement should make upon witnessing a creature. My eyes also widened, doubting myself to believe what was in front of me.

    "Are you really Fenrir? But that''s impossible! I could only use Fenrir using my main ount...Which I ironically named it as Fenrir," I said, while gulping my saliva obstructing my throat.

    The wolf didn''t nce in my direction as he gave me his reply, "I find my ways keeping in touch with my master. And I''ve noticed that your ount became a decaying grave for me to die. And since my world became a death game to you, yers, I need to protect you. That''s the only way you could use your main ount next time and use me as your familiar."

    After saying his thoughts, Fenrir growled at Clement. "And I thought Alice was the only person who brought you trouble. What is this joke supposed to mean, master? Even though you are using a different persona, this mere being shouldn''t pose any problems to you, yes? And I''ve also noticed you''ve changed your name into Wolf. Since the two of us share the same name, calling you Master or Wolf would ease ourmunication."

    Fenrir only said the nd truth while talking to me. This wolf knew that I could take anyone, regardless of my power level or equipment. Code didn''t have real threats that could pull me down, since all the yers didn''t know how to y this game properly.

    But there were a myriad of things we needed to take care of beside fighting Clement.

    "I know. If I''m just fighting against that bastard, I would have won already. But I need to protect the people behind me. I also need to take the obelisk toplete this game and end the death game!" I eximed.

    A lengthy silence filled the air as Fenrir, the wolf, thought to himself. The hound didn''t speak or move a muscle, paired with Clement bing a statue as well. After a few seconds, Fenrir gave his thought and summoned his ws.

    "Hmph. Your reasons are eptable. And all I have to do is to kill this kid?" Fenrir asked.

    "No��.No killing. Just render him immobile. But if you identally killed him, or you needed to, you could. But please avoid killing anyone, okay?" I pleaded.

    Wolf chuckled to himself and answered, "You''ve grown soft, Master. But wherever you go, you just surprise me. You are both gentle and fierce, just like the Master I remember."

    As soon as we finished our conversation, Clement stomped his feet and snarled at us with a raspy voice, "Hey! I''m still here! How dare you take my spotlight!"

    I couldn''t take Clement seriously after unlocking Fenrir within my grasp. This wolf defeated countless enemies even before the fight could even start. Fenrir could even summon his separated magic from my system, making him stronger than any average pet. He was like an extension of my body, which could take out anyone standing on our way.

    And if Fenrir couldn''t handle the enemy alone, that wolf would seek my help. Nobody couldy a finger on the two of us, paired with my overpowered equipment. Despite the yer''s numbers, none of them won against Fenrir and I, not even Alice.

    Even though I was not using my main ount, my powers could still damage my enemies. As long as I hit my opponents at their vital organs, my ws would do the magic. And since Fenrir appeared by my side, nothing could screw us up.

    Fenrir also knew about Code. Even though Fenrir was just an NPC, he was smart enough to deduce that this world did not belong to me. He also thought that yers only wanted some fun as they tried battling each other out without any meaning in life.

    Fenrir was a legendary hound-a one of his kind. yers could only pull him once out of four billion people in this world.

    But as soon as Fenrir saw my eyes, he chose me. This hound saw my nk space and made me his master, despite knowing the world as a game cube. Even armed with this knowledge, Fenrir fought by my side. And the only reason he told me throughout our years was, "You''re the only one who has those eyes��.It''s the same as mine."

    Those eyes I wore back then came from despair and hardships��..I needed to make some money for my sister and save ourselves from getting bankrupt. And the only solution I had was bing the strongest yer in this world.

    That solution turned into our reality��.And it came back haunting me down, with Clement at our fore.

    Clement used his signature move, the lightning speed ability. Blue streaks of electric current followed his back as Clement dashed at the side. Despite the kid''s attempt, Fenrir remained still like a tree. His paws rested on the ground, feeling the vibration of Clement''s figure.

    That rowdy kid revealed himself at Fenrir''s back, attacking his blind spot. But before Clement couldnd a hit, Fenrir moved on the right. The wolf didn''t waste any movements,pared to Clement''s wide assault. And Fenrir evaded Clement''s attack without even using his eyes.

    "What the��?!" Clement gasped, as he spun his body towards Fenrir.

    While Clement flew mid air, he twirled his torso and zoomed straight at Fenrir. The wolf, who still had his eyes closed, opened his mouth. Within a few moments, a ring growl echoed throughout the room. That tone reverberated within our vicinity, affecting the soldiers and the civilians.

    That sound was not enough to stop them, but some knights disarmed themselves from the growl.

    Thanks to Fenrir''s high damage, the bark hurld Clement away from us. His body rolled against the floor and eventually hit the wall. A crack appeared as soon as Clement''s body crashed against the panel, which eventually created spider fissures that reached above.

    Despite the damage Clement took, it was not enough to take him out. Clement rose from the ground and shook the dust off from his shoulders, telling everyone he could still fight. But despite this front, the wall above had original ns. Thanks to the crack Clement made, the ceiling fell upon him. It forced the furniture above and the stones to crash downwards, hitting the armoured kid.

    A mountain filled with rubbles and whatnot buried Clement alive. Thankfully, some parts didn''t fall and hit the civilians on the other side. We had struck gold asdy luck was on our side, protecting us from our enemies.

    If we reversed ces, Fenrir and I would have taken some damage from that crash.

    "That should get him," Fenrir mumbled to himself, as he turned around

    Even the soldiers that Clement hired went to his aid, hoping they could still dig him alive. Those yers also aimed their weapons at our figures as they shoved the rocks away from Clement''s body.

    But before the hound could make a full turn, a cracking sound banged across the room. Clement defied all odds as he jabbed upwards the stone, making those stones roll over like andslide. Upon cracking the pressing wall, Clement finally stood from the ground and red in our direction. He even cracked his neck, hoping he could look more menacing from our eyes.

    However, instead of instilling fear, he instilled someughter inside our brains.

    "Even though that ceiling fell upon your body, you could still stand, child? What kind of stupid game did the game developers create?" Fenrir asked, whileughing to himself.

    I also carved up a smile and revealed my first form. "Yeah. I know, right? Lucky for us, the game developer is just around the corner. And this kid is his own son, which he made as a character��.Basically, he''s an NPC just like you, but given more freedom."

    "That just makes this battle more interesting. But enough bbering, Master! Those soldiers might need our help!"

    After our exchange, we finally shed against Clement for the second time.

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