《Levia Codex》


 Prologue: RL

    A loner, an outsider, a scab, and a stranger. That was how everyone at his high school thought of him. He knew it. And they knew it. Eugene embraced, rather than dismissed, the misnomers. He considered himself different, unique, apart from the herd. Reveling in loneliness, in being different, in everything about himself being displayed as strange and mysterious. The other students couldn¡¯t see who he really was, or what he was, and so labelled him an undesirable, a delinquent-a scab on the skin of high school society. They were all afraid of him, or of what he represented: the constant stranger.


    Eugene had taken it upon himself to accept the role, painting his face white and black with costume makeup he¡¯d found tucked away in the corner of the local drug mart. The black trench coat he wore at all times-including while he slept-was a hand-me-down from his father¡¯s closet and so was a little too wide in the shoulders, but thankfully didn¡¯t drag on the ground. He had recently bleached his hair nearly white, in preparation for hair-dye he couldn¡¯t yet afford.


    He had been saving every penny for a far more important item-a game. Thee Game. He could hardly think of anything else. It was his obsession, a game that went beyond all other games, above them. He worked all last summer, mowing lawns, raking leaves, cleaning gutters, just about anything he could do to scrounge up the necessary funds. And he had done it. Six months ago, he contributed three thousand dollars to the crowd funding project and finally the game was being released, tonight, exclusively to those contributors who donated the full amount. A multi-million dollar project launched by a group of university geniuses, whose company went from zero to superhero overnight, and Eugene had been a part of making it happen. He only owed his mom a little more money, before he was out of the red, and then he could dye his hair any colour he wanted too. The prospect was nearly enough to force out a smile.


    Eugene stood in front of his bathroom mirror, applying the final touches on his black eyeliner, before going to the kitchen to grab something for breakfast. The small two bedroom apartment always felt empty, despite being cluttered with half empty moving boxes, and furniture that was meant for a much larger space. Eugene and his mom had lived in the city for almost a year. Yet, they hadn¡¯t really unpacked. His mom travelled for work, and rarely came home these days, but she sent him money for food and whatever else . . .


    It was better this way. Every time his mom looked at him, Eugene could see the pain behind her eyes. He reminded her too much of dad. She was still young, too young when she got pregnant, and definitely too young to be a widow with a kid. And years later, now that he was a teenager, she still couldn¡¯t handle it, or maybe running away was how she handled it. Eugene understood. He was her burden, the anchor that pulled her down and held her back from her own dreams. Anyway . . . It was easier when she was gone, to deal with everything-preferable even.


    After pouring lumpy milk on his cereal, he tossed the whole thing, bowl and all, in the trash. ¡®What does it matter, anyway?¡¯ Eugene tugged on the chrome chain that connected his wallet to his trenchy, and cracked open the Velcro. He had enough money left to pick up something to eat from the gas station, and maybe a drink tonight, and then that was it. No more money for a week. He checked the freezer before leaving for school, pocketing one of the frozen burritos that were all that was left of his sustenance for the month.


    The walk to school gave him time to think about his classes for the day: math, science, career planning . . . Not that he cared much about any of his classes. Thinking about them took his mind away from the other parts of school, the harder parts. He rubbed his hand over his heart, where he kept the mail delivery ticket, in the inside pocket of his trenchy. A tracking update on his phone indicated the game would be ready for pickup after school. He only had to survive one more school day and he¡¯d finally have it.


    ¡°My own. My precious . . .¡±


    ***


    School was about what he¡¯d expected. It was hard, not the educational parts, just everything else. If he thought about it too much, it would only make him angry, and sad, and scared. So he didn¡¯t think about it. It was over for now, and with his new game at the post office, he wouldn¡¯t even bother going to school for the next few days. If his mom asked, he¡¯d just tell her he¡¯d been sick or something . . . It wasn¡¯t like she was around to care anyway.


    Two tiny bells rung as he opened the door. ¡°Wassup?¡± Eugene asked


    ¡°Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?¡± replied the elderly gentleman who ran the tiny post office.


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    ¡°Oh come on, Charlie. You know why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ere at the postal service are¡¯ere to serve,¡± said Charlie, who bent down behind the counter and popped back up bearing a large rectangular package, wrapped in brown paper and riddled with clever stamps.


    Eugene reached for his treasure chest-


    ¡°Can I see some ID?¡± piped Charlie, pulling the box back a nugget.


    ¡°Charlie, you know who I am.¡±


    ¡°Just teasing you, Eugene. No need to get riled. Ere ye go. What¡¯s so important-like, you been round near on every day anyhow?¡±


    The question nearly missed the excited Eugene, who was already scrambling toward the door with his saving grace tucked under his arm. ¡°It¡¯s freedom Charlie. It¡¯s my freedom,¡± he answered in sudden goodbye.


    ¡°Nice boy that. Nice boy . . .¡± Charlie shrugged, picking up his newspaper from its hiding place under the counter. ¡°In my day, make-up was fer girls. Boy¡¯s gonna be queer as a three dollar bill. Ha, good for¡¯im.¡±


    Eugene dropped to his knees in the living room, worshipping the cardboard box, giving it a holy place upon the coffee table, pushing a heap of junk and garbage on the floor in the process, before tearing the brown paper wrapping apart with his fingernails, and then his teeth. Agonisingly, he was forced to search for a knife in the messy kitchen to thwart the dreaded packing tape. The two bedroom apartment he shared with his absentee mother wasn¡¯t much to look at, but it was home. A home with no clean knives. So he used a dirty one.


    ¡°O-oh yeah,¡± he exclaimed with a grin. Atop his open treasure chest lay a plastic covered motorcycle helmet gleaning with the black shine of newness. Styrofoam pebbles flew in all directions as he emptied the box¡¯s contents, a sized wet-suit with plastic parts all over it, a half hundred cables of varying colours, and a stack of manuals in twelve languages, none of which appeared to be his language.


    The VR-01 was the world''s first advanced home virtual reality simulator. It promised not only perfect digital visual quality, but also the capacity to tap into the user''s nervous system, stimulating and simulating every feeling imaginable through electrodes that ran throughout the VR suit. Eugene was among the first owners, having purchased and registered for early access. Normally, he¡¯d never have been able to afford a VR-01. They were going to sell for the price of a new car on the website, once the bugs were worked out. But he¡¯d been lucky, or savvy. Eugene was among the first donors to sponsor the VR-01 through the crowd funding site, and as such, his suit had only cost him months of work and months of the ¡®food and stuff¡¯ allowance his mom left for him. And after a full three months of eating nothing but ramen noodles-not even burritos, it was his.


    Eugene tugged off the plastic wrappers and sticky films attached to the helmet, plunking it onto his head. It was pitch black, and the dark visor portion didn¡¯t open or close. A mouthpiece, attached to the inside of the helmet, pressed against his cheek, and it took a minute of struggling to get the thing in his mouth. It tasted like metal and plastic. ¡°So worth it,¡± he garbled.


    He ripped off the sensory deprevator, and reverently cleared a place for it on the garbage ridden coffee table. Stepping forward, he shrugged off his trench coat, letting it fall to the floor like discarded armour. It would have looked extremely cool in the centre of an urban battlefield surrounded by enemies and fans, and not alone in a tiny apartment surrounded by garbage. He snapped up the users manual like drawing Excalibur from the stone. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this.¡±


    The number of disclaimers and useless, cover their own asses, safety nonsense was insurmountable, and so he skipped to the good stuff. Which, thankfully, unfolded into a map of quick start directions, filled with tab A¡¯s, slot B¡¯s and manageable steps. The first of which let him know that ¡®commando¡¯ was the only way to wear the black suit, which itself was lined with dozens of wires and clusters of connections. It had been a hot day, and his black trench-coat wasn¡¯t exactly meant for t-shirt weather. Eugene stunk, could practically feel the grime under his black t-shirt. There was no way he was befouling his new prize.


    He practically sprinted into the bathroom, tearing off his sweaty clothes. Every second he wasted was one more second he had to wait. He hardly even glanced at the horizontal scars tallied down his left arm, the remnant of a sharp knife and a bad night. Lately he couldn¡¯t stop looking at them, running his hands across those familiar thoughts . . .


    But today was different.


    Today, he was escaping to a whole new world.

 Chapter 1

    A tingling sensation like an electric current flowed through his body. The helmet kicked into gear and Eugene saw a grassy clearing surrounded by an orchard of blossoming cherry trees. Pink petals fell around him as slow rain. He reached out to grab hold, only to find that he had had no arms, nor any physical body at all.


    A grey status window appeared in thin air [Synchronizing 1%] followed by a series of vertical loading dashes that were beginning to light up. Eugene''s body materialized from the top down as the tiny electrical current sparked into tiny painful pinches from head to toe. It stung, but was over in a few seconds [Synchronization Complete].


    He stood naked in the forest. It was almost a bad dream. He really wished the developers would have come up with a digital towel or something.


    ¡°Welcome to Levia Online,¡± a soothing female voice announced. The voice came directly from the status window. So Levia Online was the name of the game; the details on the VR-01 mmorpg were kept a complete secret, other than to say that it was a fantasy setting.


    Eugene quickly covered up his private parts, and then tried to hide the scars on his arm, which he found had disappeared. Somehow that made him feel a little better, despite the possibility someone was watching him, bare naked. The game was amazing. He could touch. He could hear. He could see. And even the cherry blossoms smelled like flower petals, whether they smelled like cherry blossoms or not, Eugene had no clue, but it was still impressive.


    ¡°You have entered the character creation zone. Here you are able to select the components and customizations for your ideal character.¡±


    A duplicate of Eugene appeared in the space in front of him. It wasn¡¯t the ¡®real¡¯ Eugene. It was as if the game had copied him, except without all of the flaws. It was his own face that stared back at him (amongst other things) but he was now more handsome, more uniform, flawless. Apparently his image wasn¡¯t shy, because it stood perfectly still with its arms at its sides.


    ¡°I¡¯m alone here,¡± Eugene realized, though he couldn¡¯t stop himself from hiding his junk. A series of status windows appeared around his double; at the same time another grey one popped up in front of him [Help Tutorial #1]. The grey window followed him around when he moved, while the rest stayed in place around his clone. He reached out and touched the Help status. It was like touching a glass panel, not a digital image, but a solid floating object. The tutorial panel opened with a bunch of information for noobs, along with the typical, ¡®hide tutorials¡¯ check box at the bottom. Which Eugene checked off right away. As cool as this was, he was tired of being naked, and tired of waiting. He wanted to play.


    One of the status windows surrounding his double had some clothing options, and he was happy to find that, once applied, not only his clone, but he himself was suddenly wearing the selected attire. It didn¡¯t matter what he wore, at this point, but he did find that although all of the choices fit perfectly, some were itchy, and others were too constricting. Eugene just picked the most comfortable clothes he could find quickly and scrolled their color settings to black, not even bothering to look through the pattern options.


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    The [Lineage] window was the one he went to first. Apparently lineage was the fancy way Levia Online tried to say races, which was fine since he didn¡¯t care what the developers called them, so long as the stat bonuses and special abilities were good.


    As Eugene moved about flipping through the windows, he was amazed at how real everything felt. This game was going to change the world. People could do anything in this virtual environment, create their own personal utopias, fulfill their wildest fantasies, or just play really cool rpgs. And through crowdfunding he¡¯d managed to be a part of all that, and that was sort of cool, sort of really cool. It was so good, it even let him forget . . . other things . . . for a while.


    [Minotaur], flip. [Human], fast flip. [Shadow Elf], linger then flip. [Halfling], flip. For an indie game there were a ton of races. Eugene may not have known exactly what form Levia Online was going to take, but it didn¡¯t really matter. He always played the same character anyway, the ganking rogue. The invisibility he hated and longed for in real life was ironically his favourite place to be in-game. Solo, hidden in the shadows, ready to pounce on his unsuspecting victims, or just listen in on the secret conversations of his supposed allies. There was something badass about being a rogue. That¡¯s how he always played, solo and like a badass. He traded guilds like he upgraded equipment, often and for the better, knowing that none would last longer than the next raid, or the next piece of gear.


    In moments, Eugene had his character ready to go, [Shadow Elf Rogue]. He pressed the apply button and his physical form morphed to be the same as his double. His face retained most of its normal look, with changes to his skin tone, height, weight and hair (still white). A red bordered status window with flashing lights popped, [WARNING: only one character may be created in Levia Online, do you wish to continue?] [YES] or [NO].


    This was Eugene¡¯s character, the same character he always played. The same escape he always found in MMO¡¯s. So why was he hesitating? He stared at the dark features and black clothes he¡¯d selected. He had adjusted his body size to be as small as possible in hopes of shrinking his hit box, the typical area other players had to hit in order for normal games to record damage. This was the body he was going to spend hours playing and let¡¯s face it, probably days and months too. And for the first time, in a long time, Eugene changed his mind. [NO], he selected. This time was going to be different; he was going to be different. It was time for a change.

 Chapter 2

    [YES].


    The transport was instantaneous, yet his body tingled from the top down as pixels fitted themselves into place, forming his digital physical form. The square stone platform he started on was surrounded on each side by a set of steps, almost like a miniature ziggurat. A dirt road led off from its base, probably in the direction of the starting town. All around him, Eugene saw rolling hills covered in tall grass, as if ocean waves had been frozen and painted green. The air smelled sweet, and crisp, but while there was light and warmth, there was no sun. He squeezed his hand closed, amazed by the sheer amazingness of the experience so far. "Amazing."


    Bonk.


    Something smashed into him from behind, and he crashed down the steps in gruesome fashion. Wincing pain stabbed into him. His health bar ticked downward with each jolt, until one final blow landed him at the bottom of the ziggurat, flat on his back.


    His attacker was furry and straddling atop his head. Its red and white stripes pressed against his face. It shrieked with a piercing scream. ¡°Pervert!¡±


    Uh what?


    Another blow rattled against his skull, but this one didn¡¯t seem to impact his life bar. Standing over him was a girl with orange cat ears protruding from her head, a monocle over her left eye and a furry tale rubbing against his cheek. Eugene moved her tail from where it was tickling him.


    ¡°Ahh! Don¡¯t touch it, it feels like you¡¯re touching my-Pervert!¡± She bonked him on the top of his head again with both fists.


    ¡°Stop it. You¡¯re the one who hit me.¡±


    ¡°No I- It wasn¡¯t my fault. The game just put me there, right behind you, and Daphne was so close that she could smell a boy, and then . . .¡±


    Eugene stood up, dusting himself off, which remarkably needed to be done. You¡¯d think someone would have swept off the start point. And who was this cat girl calling a pervert?


    A name glowed in blue over her head, [Daphne]. She was obviously a Kiten (so close to kitten, they should have just called them that and saved gamers the trouble of an obvious nickname) with an orange fur tail that matched her short hair, and offset the white whiskers tattooed on her face. Her anime style over-large eyes looked nearly alien when rendered to this perfect level of detail, but somehow she was still cute, maybe even a little extra cute. The starting outfit she chose didn¡¯t look practical for adventuring, being a spotless white summer dress with matching knee high heeled boots with silver toggles. It was no wonder she fell, wearing those heels.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± was all Eugene could manage. He had opted for green digs, instead of his usual black all purpose wear. Somehow, the new uniform made his skin crawl. Eugene dismissed the whole encounter and began his walk down the dirt road, leaving Daphne in the dust.


    ¡°Umm, excuse me, Mr. Edge.¡±


    Crap.


    The old Eugene would have kept walking, but his new character, [Edge], was supposed to be different. He reluctantly turned around, not really knowing what to say or do.


    ¡°My friend said she¡¯d meet me at the starting point, but we logged in at the same time and she¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°The starting points are set to random.¡±


    ¡°What? Then how are we supposed to play together?¡±


    This was fast becoming a case of the noobs. It was bad enough just dealing with people, and a girl people even, but noobs were a different breed-one that teased Eugene¡¯s instinct to gank. He breathed a heavy sigh. ¡°Do you have her on your friends list?¡±


    ¡°My what?¡±


    Oh god, kill me now.


    Edge tapped his menu icon and searched for the social tab, not having actually tried to use his menu before now, but this kind of thing tended to be the same in every MMO. Except this one. There was no search tab, only a list of players previously met, along with the date and time you¡¯d met them. He selected [Daphne], but only a single option was available, [Add as Friend]. Edge quickly skimmed through the rest of the options and menus, looking for something that apparently didn¡¯t exist, the chat and message functions. Why did he have to choose now to become social? In a game perfectly suited for soloists.


    ¡°There¡¯s no message system. You¡¯ll have to meet your friend in-game before you add them.¡±


    ¡°But how do I find her?¡± Daphne looked genuinely distraught by the chain of events.


    ¡°Uhh, just log off and call her?¡± Edge suggested, snarkily.


    Daphne flushed red. ¡°I knew that!¡± she yelled. ¡°And umm. . .¡± She dug the toe of her boot into the ground, ¡°thanks, Edge.¡±


    It was Eugene¡¯s turn to blush. Cute girls weren¡¯t supposed to talk to him. No one was supposed to talk to him. ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°Only, how do I log off?¡±

 Chapter 3

    [You have discovered: Baldor¡¯s Loft]


    [You have gained 75 EXP]


    Baldor¡¯s Loft was less of a starting town, and more an inn with a shop, a simple square building with red clay shingles and arched windows situated in a valley between two large hills with a gravel road running down the center. A bulky man with scruffy grey hair stood behind a long bar, cleaning glasses with a rag. In yellow floating above his head, a sign read, [Baldor]. A few generic NPCs (non-player-characters), dressed as farmers, sat at a table together sipping from empty cups. Edge saw no other players, other than Daphne, who quietly followed him inside, having finally given up on her crying.


    Edge marched up to the bar. ¡°Baldor.¡±


    ¡°Howdy stranger, what brings you to Baldor¡¯s Loft?¡± His voice sounded human enough, but it was obviously a recording. How else could an NPC talk?


    ¡°Baldor, how do I log off?¡± Eugene never thought he¡¯d hear himself ask that question. But this was serious. He¡¯d gone through every menu option, repeatedly, and hadn¡¯t found any means to logout of Levia Online. At one point, he¡¯d even stood around the ziggurat looking for an exit, uttering all sorts of random voice commands. Embarrassing! None of which worked, except to make an already flustered Daphne enter into hysterics.


    ¡°Howdy stranger, what brings you to Baldor¡¯s Loft?¡±


    ¡°Why does he keep saying that?¡± Daphne asked.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever played an RPG? It¡¯s common in lots of games for the NPCs to repeat the same stuff.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I knew that . . . ¡±


    How did a newbie come across a rare and expensive crowdfunding project? Even Eugene had to admit, the long-shot VR-01 project was mostly for hardcore gamer otakus. For the first time, Eugene wondered what class Daphne had chosen. Her starting clothes really weren¡¯t meant to offer any clues.


    ¡°Baldor, I¡¯m new here.¡± If this was a starting town, there had to be some kind of simple command to make the main NPC cough up information or a quest or something.


    ¡°Is there something old Baldor can do for you?¡± A window popped up in front of a nearby bar stool. Apparently, all the innkeeper was good for was food and rooms.


    It occurred to him that maybe renting a room was equivalent to logging out, after all, the developers couldn¡¯t expect people to actually sleep in their game.


    ¡°A room for you and your girl huh? You sure you can afford it?¡±


    [A room for the night: 5R]


    What was an R, anyway?


    [Confirm] [Cancel] [Not Enough Money]


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    Maybe he¡¯d underestimated the NPCs.


    ¡°I¡¯m not his girl!¡± Daphne blurted, turning red.


    Edge tapped the [Not Enough Money] option. His inventory was completely empty.


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s too bad, stranger. Let it never be said Baldor turned away a man in need. Would you mind giving me a hand?¡±


    A big golden icon appeared over Baldor¡¯s head, [F].


    ¡°Can you see that?¡±


    ¡°See what?¡±


    Apparently quest unlocks were hidden from other players. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hand, Baldor.¡±


    [New Quest Accepted]


    Another window popped with the heading, [Codex]. It had various tabs, but was opened to one labelled [Quest]. There was only one item in the tab, [Baldor¡¯s Revenge]. But when he tried to select it, it just said ¡®the quest details are hidden.¡¯


    ¡°Follow me, stranger.¡± Baldor walked out a backdoor.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Edge wanted to answer, but Eugene was getting sick of all the stupid questions, so he ignored her, and followed Baldor. They crossed through a fenced vegetable garden with neat rows of sprouting crops, before climbing the tiny hill behind the loft. ¡°See that there pond. Geckos have been raiding my garden, and stealing all my hard work. You take care of them geckos and I¡¯ll let you stay the night, and give you a meal to boot.¡±


    [Quest Updated]


    ¡°I thought you said this place would help us log off,¡± Daphne complained.


    Here he was, trying to be a stand-up guy when he could have left her (or ganked her), and now she was already criticizing him. ¡°Yeah, about that . . . maybe this¡¯ll work and we can rent a room for the night and wake up back home.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound very sure.¡±


    Edge didn¡¯t want to tell Daphne that this could be more than a system bug. Everyone in the gaming world had heard of the legendary ¡®death game¡¯. It was a myth, a fantasy meant for comic books, or television. Yet here they were, trapped in virtual reality. Wait. He shouldn¡¯t get ahead of himself. They hadn¡¯t been in the game for very long. This could all be some kind of mistake, like they both missed something really obvious in the menu. Even as the thoughts raced in his head, Eugene knew better; his luck never fell that way.


    Eugene thought of his unconscious form laying on the living room floor. No one was home to miss him.


    (Author Note: So many short chapters! Who wrote this nonsense? lul Don''t worry, it''s a bit slow to start, but is so much fun as it builds)

 Chapter 4

    Eugene fled to this game to forget the real world. But his thoughts always went back to his sad, pitiful, reality. Daphne stood beside him, glaring up with her too wide Kiten face. She was waiting for him to do something. He wished she would just go away. He scanned the horizon, where Baldor stood as a statue pointing, probably waiting for some acknowledgement.


    Waist high green lizards darted through the long grass around the outskirts of the pond. They ran on two legs, dragging their tails behind them, with movement speed that was surprisingly fast, as you¡¯d expect from a real animal predator. If this was going to be the difficulty of [F] level quests then Levia Online was clearly set to highest difficulty.


    ¡°Hello, Earth to Edge. What are you staring at?¡±


    ¡°Geckos.¡±


    ¡°Eek!¡± Daphne screamed, hiding behind his arm.


    Edge froze; this girl was touching him. ¡°We won¡¯t aggro them from here. It¡¯s perfectly safe.¡± He wasn¡¯t trying to be comforting. He just wanted her to let him go.


    Daphne drew back from where she¡¯d buried her face into his armpit. She went from embarrassed to angry faster than a gecko. ¡°Pervert!¡± She double punched him in the back.


    Eugene was used to being hit. He didn¡¯t like it, not even a little, but Daphne wasn¡¯t capable of hitting him very hard, and he knew she was afraid. He knew exactly what it was like to be afraid, to let the fear get the better of you, to be a loser. Did all girls act this way when they got scared? Edge opted for silence . . . awkward silence.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do? Do we have to kill those things so we can get a room?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Give me a sec.¡± The codex still wasn¡¯t giving him any details. It was almost as if you actually had to listen to the NPC quest givers. In a virtual reality that sounded logical. And annoying. ¡°What¡¯s your class?¡±


    ¡°Daphne is-I mean, I¡¯m a bard. I¡¯m supposed to be able to play music and be charming. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°Human Adventurer. Charm is an ability that stuns, confuses or weakens mobs, by the way. It doesn¡¯t make you charming,¡± he stated flatly.


    ¡°Bakka.¡± Daphne droned, marching toward the pond, leaving him alone with Baldor.


    Eugene was really starting to regret the change from damage dealer to . . . He wasn¡¯t even really sure what an adventurer¡¯s strong suit was. The class was a hodge podge of pretty much everything, which was either going to make him versatile and powerful, or terrible. And the generic human lineage wasn¡¯t particularly strong in any area either. In fact, pretty much every other race was more powerful, had better special abilities, and higher stats. Even noob Daphne¡¯s Kiten was super agile, with high charisma stats and access to sprinting and climbing abilities.


    Edge used the alone time to comb through his equipment list, which was nil. He didn¡¯t even start with a weapon. It was like the game was asking him to get killed. He doubted Daphne¡¯s was any better, but he¡¯d need to ask when she got back, if she came back. ¡°If she comes back,¡± he said, realizing he was an idiot. If this was a death game, then he might have bullied the girl into committing suicide. Eugene could live with a lot of hurt, but not that. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± he whispered to himself.


    Daphne screamed. Edge ran faster. He crested the last rise before reaching the pond area. She was being chased by no less than three geckos, and every time she screamed, she pulled another of the nearby mobs. Probably one of her bard abilities triggered by her voice. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Edge rubbed his ears. Or maybe she was just loud.


    ¡°Daphne! Over here.¡± He waved his arm coaxing her in his direction. It was a good thing Kitens had a high movement speed. She charged toward the sound of his voice-with her eyes closed?


    ¡°Edge, Edge, Edge, Edge. Kill it, Kill it, Kill it, Kill it!¡±


    ¡°Stop yelling you¡¯re pulling more of them.¡±


    Daphne peeked over her shoulder. She¡¯d rounded up half a dozen geckos in her mania. The sight must have triggered an instinctual reaction, because suddenly she surged forward with her Kiten ability, [Dash].


    ¡°Wow, she¡¯s really fast.¡± And she was headed right for him at mach speeds. Eugene spun, and ran like hell. They reached the tiny wooden gate into Baldor¡¯s garden at record pace. Daphne was covered in sweat, and was panting hard. Edge had nowhere near her speed, but apparently his stamina was better, because he hardly felt tired at all.


    ¡°That was close, huh?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go off on your own.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think you can give me orders? You¡¯re not the boss of me. We don¡¯t even know each other.¡±


    She was right. It¡¯s not like they were friends or anything. Eugene didn¡¯t know how to make friends, wasn¡¯t even sure he wanted one . . . But . . . Edge would want one, Eugene concluded. Edge wasn¡¯t the solo type.


    [Friend Request Sent]


    Daphne stared at the invisible popup and then right at him. He looked away, not able to meet her stare.


    Was she going to reject him, like everyone else?


    [Friend Request Accepted] [Daphne has been added to the group]


    The moment she accepted, all at once, he could see her life and health status in a little floating bubble that followed his head movements, so it would always be within his vision. He could also see her menu window, which she had left open too. Edge hesitantly put his hand out, for a shake.


    Daphne grabbed his hand and pulled him close, giving him a peck on the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t go thinking that there is anything going on. That was-that was just because you saved me.¡±


    ¡°Not sure I did,¡± he said, gravely, riveted on the  lounge of geckos that sprinted down from the hill, whipping through the grass.


    ¡°Either mobs in Levia don¡¯t have a radius, or Baldor¡¯s Loft is within the Geckos area. We might be able to hold them off one at a time in front of the gate. Do you think you can use your abilities and back me up as a support, Daphne? Uh, Daphne?¡± She was gone. The garden gate was open and so was Baldor¡¯s backdoor. ¡°Plan B,¡± he told himself.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Edge took position just behind the gate. The first Gecko charged at his position. It lunged forward biting him in the leg, dealing five percent damage in one hit. More than that, it hurt, probably not as much as it would in real life, but just as much as each of those scars on his arm had. Edge slammed his fist into the Gecko¡¯s lizard face. [You have learned Unarmed Combat]. Even after hitting the creature, no status window popped for the mob. He couldn¡¯t tell how much he damaged it for, or even if he damaged it at all.


    As more Geckos arrived, they piled in behind the first, blocked by the fence and narrow opening. There was more than enough room for two or three to attack him at once, but they just waited their turns yapping and snapping their jaws at the air. ¡°This is just a game,¡± he repeated as he desperately swung his fists.


    [Your Unarmed Combat skill has increased: 2]


    Edge was brought down to half health before he even managed to defeat the first gecko.


    [You have gained 5 EXP]


    Five, really? Getting to [Level 2] needed five thousand experience points or to put it in real terms, one thousand geckos. The next gecko took the first¡¯s spot, and immediately lunged at him. This time Edge was ready, and pulled his leg back as fast as he could.


    [You have learned Dodge]


    ¡°What are you doing? Run away Edge. I¡¯ll close the door behind you.¡±


    Edge was sick of running, sick of hiding in the shadows every time things got a little tough. His green life bar turned orange when it ducked below thirty percent. The second gecko fell to his punch. It felt good to hit something, to feel the pain and to throw it back in their faces. But four remained. He¡¯d never be able to beat four . . . maybe one more if his dodge and unarmed combat skills kept increasing. They were both at three points, and didn¡¯t seem to be rising as quickly anymore.


    The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout


    Down came the rain and washed the spider out


    Edge¡¯s life points began to rise into the green.


    Out came the sun and dried up all the rain


    And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.


    Half the geckos were down and he was up to forty percent life. ¡°Daphne, don¡¯t stop singing, it¡¯s healing me.¡±


    ¡°The bard tutorial said that I can only sing a healing song every two minutes.¡±


    Why did he have to check that damn box?


    ¡°Do you have other songs?¡±


    ¡°Umm, yes.¡±


    His health was back down into the orange.


    ¡°Sing, Sing, Sing!¡±


    Bum ba da bum, bum ba da dum.


    His life points weren¡¯t climbing, but all of the geckos, even the ones outside the fence, began to wince every ten beats or thereabouts. Two more geckos went down, and his health fell below 15%, turning his bar the dreaded red. What if this was a death game? Did Daphne know how close he might be to the end? This gecko crumbled after only three punches. One left. His health bar dipped below five percent.


    ¡°Edge, switch with me!¡±


    ¡°Okay, go.¡± They swapped places, but weren¡¯t nearly coordinated enough to do so properly. The last gecko rushed passed and into the garden. Immediately, it broke off combat and bolted into the rows of giant green topped sprouts. Edge wasn¡¯t going to complain about this good fortune. The gecko started tugging on one of the greens.


    ¡°We need to stop it, before it gets that carrot!¡± Piped Daphne, who dashed toward the thief. How did she know it was a carrot?


    Daphne swung her fist at it, missing. The act must have triggered aggro, because the lizard stopped tugging on the carrot and bit her on the thigh. She screamed and reflexively punched it with both arms at the same time. A popup window appeared by her side, [You have learned Double Punch].


    Edge wasn¡¯t sure how much damage her new skill had done, but a part of him felt for the gecko. It didn¡¯t look like Daphne was handling being bitten very well. Despite his low health, Edge leaped over the nearest row of greens, getting behind the gecko. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t turn around and bite him, or he probably would have died right there in the garden. He squeezed his fist taking aim as best he could. The creature was small and quick, and this time it was free to move around. He hesitated, until he saw the creature crouching, readying a second lunging bite at his new friend. With a yelp, he swung as well as he could manage. The creature fell to the ground in a lump much like the rest.


    Two seconds later, the bodies turned grey and little coloured flags appeared above them. A flag for the one in the carrot patch, and one more for those in the vicinity of the gate. Red numbers on the flags ticked down from [15]. Eugene quickly touched the flag in front of him and its cloth became a glass menu pane shaped like an open backpack. In the top corner was a thumbnail of the defeated monster with X¡¯s over its eyes. Inside the backpack he saw a few green crystals, which Edge gladly scooped up by tentatively reaching into the image. His hand passed into the glass pane without resistance. He smirked. Looting was always the best part.


    Daphne knelt between the rows, head in her hands, weeping-again. She sure cried a lot.


    ¡°It hurts. Even one bite hurts so much. How do you stand it, Edge? I¡¯ve never been so scared in my life. I don¡¯t want to play this game anymore . . . Let me out.¡± She screamed into the sky, ¡°let me out!¡±


    Edge wanted to say something profound, something to take the sadness away. But it never went away, Eugene knew, not really. He saw the second loot timer tick down to five seconds. Edge put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a squeeze, trying not to rush too quickly to the decaying flag.

 Chapter 5

    He woke up in a single room on the second floor of [Baldor¡¯s Loft]. A scratchy woolen blanket had kept him up half the night. As good of an excuse as any for sobbing into his pillow, like a coward. He couldn¡¯t sleep, not a wink. His mind kept going back to the real world, to the bullies at school, to his mom, to his loneliness, to his failings . . . and now, even Levia had failed him. It wasn¡¯t an escape from reality. The VR-01 was a prison. He thought about dying. Would it hurt less here, than in the real world?


    The room was furnished with a nightstand, and a hooded candle holder, and that was about it. He hadn¡¯t known what he was expecting, but a part of him was simply relieved when he found the loft¡¯s bathroom had a flush toilet. He sent a somber thank you to the developers of this death game. He didn¡¯t need any more problems.


    A banging against the door made him pull his single flat pillow over his ears. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I wake up in my own bed, where I belong,¡± he grumbled. And then he realized, ¡®I don¡¯t belong there.¡¯ He never really had.


    ¡°Edge, are you alright in there? The door is locked,¡± said a muffled Daphne.


    Was Edge all right? Eugene wasn¡¯t, not at all, but Edge was . . . yeah.


    He opened the door. Daphne checked him out, lingering on his almost naked body. He was wearing black boxer shorts, the only piece of clothing he¡¯d left rogue.


    ¡°Breakfast-is-ready,¡± she blurted in one word, before rushing down the hall.


    At least he wasn¡¯t the only one with issues.


    Killing six geckos had been enough to turn in the quest with Baldor, but Daphne demanded that they do the quest again, after seeing only a single bed. As it turned out, the quest wasn¡¯t a repeatable, but Daphne hadn¡¯t completed it yet, so she was able to add it to her codex. The second outing went more smoothly. Now that Daphne had gotten used to her role, she let him pull one mob at a time and they hammered away at it until it was dead. It took a surprisingly long time to defeat the six mobs they needed for the quest. It felt good to be doing something, accomplishing something, aiming for something.


    Afterward, they ate a vegetable stew Baldor gifted as part of the quest, and turned in for the night. It was awkward saying goodnight, since neither Daphne nor he knew whether or not they would see each other again . . .


    Daphne seemed rather chipper this morning though, considering they weren¡¯t able to log out. It was a bit annoying. Shouldn¡¯t she be devastated, like he was? Edge finished getting dressed and made his way downstairs. A breakfast of carrots and gecko eggs sat on a metal plate on the bar next to a Daphne, who¡¯d started on her own breakfast without him. Baldor stood in the same spot he stood in yesterday, cleaning the same glass.


    ¡°Baldor,¡± said Edge, taking a seat in front of his breakfast.


    ¡°Howdy Edge, what can I do for you today?¡±


    ¡°What can you tell me about these green crystals, and this item?¡± Yesterday¡¯s loot flags had yielded him a few more crystals and a small tooth.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t crystals, they¡¯re emeralds. I will give you one ruby and three emeralds for that [Tiny Fang].¡±


    ¡°Those crystals must be money,¡± said an awed Daphne.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°And we got so many yesterday. We¡¯re rich,¡± smiled Daphne from ear to ear.


    ¡°I doubt it. Baldor, how much for a room?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be five rubies partner.¡± [A room for the night: 5R] [Yes] [Cancel]


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Maybe later, Baldor. Now, how many emeralds for a ruby?¡±


    ¡°I will give you one ruby for one hundred five emeralds.¡±


    ¡°One, oh, five, that¡¯s a weird number, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Daphne.


    ¡°Well, I think the real exchange rate is one to one hundred, but as a broker Baldor keeps some for the exchange. Or at least I hope so. If not, money is going to be a pain to figure out.¡±


    ¡°But if you''re right, won¡¯t we need to kill like . . . lots of geckos to get enough money just for a room?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the drop rates. If we get a [Tiny Fang] every ten or so geckos, then we¡¯d be able to make enough money farming to get rooms again tonight.¡±


    Awkward silence.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t getting out of here are we?¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ he thought. Instead he said, ¡°for all we know the developers are working on a fix right now.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    Of course not. Eugene didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her the truth. These sorts of mistakes don¡¯t just happen. There had to be some kind of plan. This was all part of someone¡¯s twisted and deranged scheme. And until they knew for sure what was going on, they couldn¡¯t afford to take chances with their lives.


    ¡°Baldor, where¡¯s the nearest town?¡± asked Daphne. Edge was surprised by the question, not only because it was a good one, but because it meant that Daphne had found her own resolve. She was amazing in a way. Eugene wasn¡¯t entirely sure he even wanted to keep trying.


    ¡°Follow the road and it¡¯ll take you to straight to Cobbletown. But be careful, the rumour is that bandits have been seen near the Cobbletown crossroads.¡±


    An [E] popped up above Baldor¡¯s head. They could both see it. Apparently, once two people were friends, they¡¯d automatically be put into a party when in proximity of one another.


    ¡°Ooo, a quest. This one¡¯s mine,¡± she said cheerfully.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Edge, holding down Daphne before she could hop over the bar.


    ¡°You got the quest first last time,¡± she complained.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯re ready for this yet.¡± What was the point?


    ¡°You said we need to be higher level to get home. And quests give tons of E, X, P. That¡¯s what you said.¡±


    He didn¡¯t remember saying that, but he would have said anything yesterday to make her stop crying. She did that a lot. Not that she didn¡¯t have a good reason, but Daphne was a bit of a cry baby. She was probably a middle schooler in real life, which made her like a little sister, or a lost child compared with him. Especially in this world, where gaming knowledge was so important, and she was so ignorant. Somehow, her vulnerability became a reason for him to keep moving forward. It was one thing to throw away his own life, it was entirely different to leave another person behind. Especially such a pathetic person.


    ¡°We should grind geckos for today, and maybe tomorrow. We¡¯ll pump our skills up, and at the same time we¡¯ll have a place to rest. We might be able to save up some crystals to get better equipment too. And if the developers are trying to get us out of here, I think we should give them a few days to try. Don¡¯t you?¡± And if they weren¡¯t, at least they wouldn¡¯t be wasting their time sitting at the inn. At least he wouldn¡¯t be left alone.


    Daphne slouched over her breakfast, obviously deep in thought. After a moment she spoke, ¡°Edge.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°Good bye Baldor! I¡¯ll miss you-oo!¡± shouted Daphne musically as they left Baldor¡¯s Loft for another day of training. Daphne had pressed Edge into agreeing to scout the road to Cobbletown, perhaps even travel there, if it was safe.


    ¡°You know he¡¯s an NPC, right? He doesn¡¯t have any feelings.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°The writing above his head is yellow; only NPC names are in yellow.¡± Noobs . . .


    ¡°No, I meant, how do you know he doesn¡¯t have any feelings.¡±


    Edge stopped in his tracks. Daphne was right. But he had enough on his mind without trying to decide if NPC¡¯s were real persons or just good artificial intelligence, or if there was a difference between the two. ¡°Hey, wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Slow poke.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it, this gear is actually heavy.¡± He¡¯d purchased a few necessary items from Baldor, including a round wooden shield for himself. They didn¡¯t have enough crystals for a real weapon, yet.


    ¡°Get stronger.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Well your arms are too skinny. Men are supposed to have big arms.¡±


    ¡°Girls are supposed to have big-¡±


    She punched him in the solar plexus, double style. ¡°Pervert.¡±


    Edge was just glad that he¡¯d been the only one training unarmed combat, or that could have done damage.


    Level one in Levia Online was beginning to look a lot harder than any first level in any game should ever be. [5000 EXP] was the equivalent of killing a thousand geckos, and despite their low health, geckos still packed a punch. Combine that with long respawns and the longer timers on all of Daphne¡¯s bardic abilities . . . After two full days of training, and one or two close calls, they were only halfway to level two. The best experience they¡¯d gotten so far was the [250 EXP] Baldor gave them for the quest turn-in on the first day. The only solace was that Edge¡¯s dodge and unarmed combat had reached ten skill points, while Daphne¡¯s singing had increased to eleven. It didn¡¯t sound like much, but he could feel the difference while fighting the geckos-truly, he was bitten less often.


    Baldor didn¡¯t have much in his stock of items for sale, but Edge bought a camping kit with two bedrolls, some dried travelling rations, and the round wooden shield. The latter was banded with metal and had leather straps to fit on his arm. As it turned out, weapons were expensive. It would have taken at least a week of grinding geckos to afford a starting dagger. In any case, Daphne was eager to leave, and he didn¡¯t see how he could talk her out of it, not even for a few days.


    Armed with a fresh new [E] rank quest, [Crossroad Bandits], Edge checked his codex. The quest offered no new information, but he noticed that by finishing [Baldor¡¯s Revenge], the codex now had a detailed account of both his and Daphne¡¯s roles during the quest. For Eugene, it seemed like the codex was more of journal than a real quest tracker, which made it useless. Two thumbs down.


    They made their way down the dirt road without any trouble. The grassy hills surrounded them for as far as the eye could see, and a cool wind blew steadily across the land. Eugene told Daphne she should keep singing while they walked, pumping her skills, and since the timers we a bit long, she had plenty of rest between bouts of music. Plus, although the nursery rhymes and beats were a bit tiresome, they were also conveniently distracting. He¡¯d never been on a walk alone with a girl before. Daphne had a nice voice too, sweetly light.


    ¡°Edge, have a look at this.¡± Daphne had received a popup. [Observation: Behind a nearby hilltop, a small plume of smoke rises]. Then another, [Your Observation skill has increased: 6]


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    ¡°When did you raise your observation skill?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It might be a starting bonus for Bards or Kiten.¡± Eugene couldn¡¯t remember. He looked across the horizon, and found it for himself. [You have learned Observation] ¡°It¡¯s not too far away. We should check it out.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous, don¡¯t we want to make it to the town quickly.¡±


    ¡®So we can go home,¡¯ Edge read on her face. This was a challenge. Normally, roads were mostly safe in MMO¡¯s, but they had already learned that mobs didn¡¯t have ranges like in normal games. It was possible that if they came across something too powerful, it could chase them down and they¡¯d be slaughtered, dead. On the other hand, it was almost guaranteed that they¡¯d run into bandits at the crossroads-neither of them had the skills to sneak passed-and if they weren¡¯t ready to face them, still dead. It came down to odds. In all likelihood, humanoid mobs would be more powerful than low level monsters. He didn¡¯t know that for sure. He couldn¡¯t. But it made sense.


    ¡°We should still look.¡±


    Daphne wanted to object, but she never said anything.


    The pair crept up the hillside crouched as low in the tall grass as was possible. [You have learned Hide] Wow, that was a useful skill, and easy to train too. Eugene wished he¡¯d thought of it before. Unfortunately, the skill list in his menu was filled with question marks. Human Adventurers didn¡¯t start with anything; even in-game he was pathetic.


    Edge heard voices coming from the other side of the hill. He paused and held out his hand to stop Daphne. He skewed his head slightly, trying to listen.


    Daphne¡¯s cat ears glared forward, as she scowled at him. ¡°Hand,¡± she mouthed without making a noise.


    He¡¯d unintentionally placed his hand on her chest. ¡®She¡¯s squishy,¡¯ he thought before quickly retracting. Was he trying to get killed? He¡¯d forgotten entirely about listening to the voices. It was too quiet for him to hear properly anyhow. Edge very slowly dropped onto his stomach. Daphne gave him a weird look, rolled her eyes and then followed suit. They crawled to the apex, well hidden by the tall grass; he prayed.


    ¡°Two thousand greens, fifty-five reds,¡± said a scratchy male voice. ¡°Not bad. What about the wagons?¡±


    ¡°We let them go . . . like always,¡± replied a female voice.


    ¡°Good. I heard one of the drivers took an arrow in the chest.¡±


    ¡°They needed a little incentive,¡± she sneered.


    ¡°He lived, Cassandra. If he had died it would be your head on display.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going soft Raylor. That uniform must be too tight. Maybe you should let me peel it off you.¡±


    Daphne turned red.


    ¡°I¡¯m married. You know that.¡±


    ¡°That just makes it more fun. I promise you¡¯ll never forget me.¡±


    ¡°Good-bye, Cassandra. And no more incidents.¡±


    Another popup with bronze trim appeared in front of the pair of eavesdroppers. [Rank D Quest: A Traitor Within] [Accept] [Decline]


    Edge gently touched the accept button, and Daphne concurred. They waited in silence. A feminine figure in a grass green hooded cape made her way back onto the road. She carried a long thin sword at her hip and a small crossbow hung from a strap on her belt. It was hard to tell if she was a human, but her skin tight leather armour left little for the imagination. The pair froze in perfect stillness even after the figure disappeared beyond a bend in the road.


    Daphne double punch slammed him on the top of the head.


    ¡°Hey what was that for?¡±


    ¡°Harrumph,¡± was the only reply he got.

 Chapter 7

    Eugene¡¯s luck was awful. He had walked for hours only to learn exactly what he already suspected, the bandits outgunned them many fold. Cassandra the bandit, wore armour and had a weapon, and was almost definitely a higher level than them. They were outmatched. It was as simple as that. Worse yet, it wasn¡¯t more than an hour since they¡¯d decided to turn back to Baldor¡¯s Loft before it had started to rain. It might have been game mechanics, or it might be that Levia had no sun or moon to speak of, but a dark gloom fell upon the land. The sheet lightning and occasional accompanying thunder clap wasn¡¯t helping his mood. His noob clothes soaked up every drop of rain, and Daphne¡¯s white outfit became downright transparent. Edge wiped the water from his nose, hoping it wasn¡¯t blood.


    Upon entering Baldor¡¯s, there was a distinct change to the loft. It was filled with NPC¡¯s drinking booze and conversing quietly amongst themselves.


    ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t Edge, and Daphne. How are your travels?¡±


    NPC¡¯s clearly couldn¡¯t keep track of time, or at least Baldor couldn¡¯t, which was sort of endearing given the circumstances. They couldn¡¯t make it in the world of Levia for even one day on their own, but Baldor didn¡¯t care. He was just an NPC.


    ¡°Levia is a pretty hard game isn¡¯t it, Baldor,¡± said Daphne, sensing Edge¡¯s frame of mind. Baldor didn¡¯t respond, but Daphne didn¡¯t mind. She preferred quiet men.


    ¡°Listen Baldor, can I get a room for the night and some supper?¡± asked Edge. He immediately handed over the room key to Daphne. ¡°You might want to change.¡±


    She looked at herself, just realizing now that her clothes were completely see-through. Edge made ready for the attack, bracing and wincing, but it never came. He opened one eye, and Daphne was already halfway up the stairs.


    ¡°O-O-oo, you Pervert!¡± She yelled back at him.


    He was just glad she didn¡¯t hit him. A room full of NPC¡¯s wouldn¡¯t care if you screamed your brains out, or ran around naked. Though, he wasn¡¯t going to put it to the test. Edge scanned his item menu. They didn¡¯t have enough rubies left for two rooms and meals. He¡¯d already planned on giving Daphne the room, and finding a quiet spot in the common room. He was going to test how picky Baldor was about late night visitors sleeping in the bar. Hopefully, Edge could at least nap in a corner or something. It was taking longer than he thought to dry out, so he ordered the cheapest meal he could from Baldor, while still leaving enough crystals for Daphne.


    ¡°Is your girlfriend mad at you?¡±


    Edge nearly jumped from his barstool. A tall High Elven woman with pale white skin and long pointed ears stood behind him. She was dressed in a royal blue corset with black trim and long matching pants that fit like jeans, tucked into solid black leather hiking boots. And most importantly, the name above her head floated in blue, [Sakura].


    ¡°You¡¯re a player.¡±


    ¡°So are you,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m Edge.¡±


    ¡°I know, it says so right above your head.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t met another player before.¡± Baldor slid a bowl of watery carrot stew in front of him.


    ¡°What about your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend, and I-uh-besides Daphne I mean.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m not very good at chit-chat, so I¡¯ll skip right to the point. Can either of you log off?¡±


    ¡°No, you?¡±


    She shook her head, taking the seat next to his. He didn¡¯t know what to say. It didn¡¯t help that he had a tall pink haired beauty next to him. Her chest was level with his nose. [Your Observation skill has increased: 2] [Sakura is staring at your bowl] He took a harder look at Sakura¡¯s clothing. Although her outfit was dry, she was also dusty and travel worn. Her stomach chose that moment to make a loud rumbling noise. [Sakura looks hungry] [Your observation skill has increased: 3]


    ¡°Eat this,¡± he offered, sliding his untouched bowl along the bar. She didn¡¯t refuse, and he could tell she was holding herself back with each bite, so as not to shovel the food into her mouth. How long could a player go without eating? In the real world, had their bodies been brought to hospitals by now to be treated as comatose? Or was his body dying on the living room floor, alone with no one even missing him?


    Edge sat quietly while she finished his meal. He had just enough funds left over for one more, but that one was reserved for the girl upstairs.


    Sakura let out loud rolling belch, not very elf-like. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. You must think I¡¯m such a pig. I haven¡¯t eaten anything since I got stuck here.¡±


    ¡°Are you still hungry?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all actually. Isn¡¯t that strange? Do you think it¡¯s the game¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± It couldn¡¯t be a mistake that he only got hungry at meal times. Likely everyone''s stomachs had some sort of hunger timer.


    ¡°Do you know how to leave?¡± she asked, seriously.


    Eugene wanted to point at the door on the other side of the room, but he knew what she really meant. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a real fountain of information. Did I do something to upset you? I¡¯ll pay you back for the food, but I don¡¯t have anything I can give you.¡± She hugged herself tightly, ashamed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Everyone should have something to eat.


    ¡°I have to pay you back, somehow. What if I join your party, you and your-umm  . . . What was her name again?¡±


    ¡°Daphne.¡±


    ¡°You and Daphne. I¡¯ll join your party. I¡¯m a sorceress, and I¡¯m a good DPS. Or I was, in other games, and I can-¡± She was talking too fast.


    ¡°Sakura,¡± Edge stopped the her torrent. ¡°You¡¯re trapped here, just like us. It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re new. So am I. So is everyone. It¡¯s okay that you don¡¯t know how to do things. I was a game addict, and I¡¯m still having a hard time. You are the only other player we¡¯ve met, and you need help. We all do.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s okay then. You¡¯ll help me?¡±


    Edge gave her his most serious stare, and single long nod. Was this all it took to save someone? Why was it then that no one had ever tried to save him?


    Sakura wrapped her arms around his head and squeezed. His head was buried into her rather large cleavage.


    ¡°Thank you, Edge. Thank you so much.¡±


    He felt the impact of two tiny fists against his back, knocking him off his stool and over the bar.


    ¡°Pervert!¡± Daphne yelled.

 Chapter 8

    It didn¡¯t take long to get everything sorted out with Daphne, who was actually really glad to have another friend on her list, and another girl to talk to. Eugene wasn¡¯t bad with girls; he was bad with people in general. Even amongst the crowd of NPCs in the bar, he wished he could just disappear. He ran his hand through his white spiky hair. As odd as it might look on a normal person, this was almost the same color he had in real life. He¡¯d meant to dye it once he had the money, but in-game, now . . . it was a reminder of who he was, or used to be, or whatever. As he watched the girls talking and smiling at the bar, supposedly getting Sakura setup with the free night at the inn quest, he couldn¡¯t help but think about how much he preferred this death game to RL.


    ¡°Edge. Baldor says it¡¯s going to keep raining for three days straight . . .¡± Daphne actually sounded mad at him, as if he was the one who made it rain.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough money for rooms,¡± he confessed. Daphne ignored him.


    ¡° . . . And Sakura says her quest is funny.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The quest in my codex is not [Baldor¡¯s Revenge]. It¡¯s [By the Dozen],¡± Sakura corrected.


    ¡°Any quest info?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it just says-¡±


    ¡°The quest details are hidden,¡± finished Edge.


    ¡°Yeah, how did you-have they all been like that?¡± Sakura catches on fast.


    ¡°So far.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the codex is more of a diary, and less of a quest reference,¡± she added.


    ¡°See Edge, aren¡¯t you glad we added Sakura to the group. Her intelligence is probably twice as high as yours.¡±


    Thanks Daphne. And he knew about the codex already . . . it just wasn¡¯t worth bringing up the fact that he already knew.


    ¡°So where do we steal the gecko eggs?¡± he asked with perverse pleasure.


    Daphne¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You cheated. You must have used your observation skill or something to spy on us.¡± She covered up her chest, protecting herself from a peeper.


    Or something. He had gecko eggs three days in a row for breakfast, and the quest mentioned an item ¡®by the dozen.¡¯ It didn¡¯t take a scientist to connect the two. (It took a gamer.)


    ¡°Baldor wouldn¡¯t tell us,¡± Sakura said. Apparently it was her turn to be mad at him for no reason.


    ¡°I guess that means we have to brave the storm,¡± he said. Of course it did. He was hungry and damp, unarmed and tired. Maybe he¡¯d use the last of their emeralds to buy a snack.


    ¡°You mean, you made me get changed for nothing?¡± accused Daphne.


    It hadn¡¯t seemed like she needed any convincing at the time.


    ¡°Baldor, do you sell raincoats?¡± Sakura asked.


    Apparently, girl friends cost money. He mourned the loss of his potential snack, and grieved as he handed over the last of the emerald crystals.


    Edge had planned on another quick gecko grind. He should have known better. The change in weather had altered the spawns. This world was more than dynamic, it was a feat of genius-brutal, despicable genius. During the rainy season the pond was twice its previous size, and the patrolling lizards twice their original number. Added to that were four more Geckos spawned around each of five large grass and twig nests, which had been placed randomly around the circumference of the pond.


    Edge pulled the first Gecko by throwing a rock, [You have learned Throw], but it missed wildly. With Daphne and Sakura watching him, it was an absurdly embarrassing attempt. Fortunately, there were an abundance of small rocks amongst the grasses, and eventually he hit one of the fleet lizards. Immediately, he retreated back to where Daphne and Sakura had prepared their surprise. As he ran, the creature¡¯s movement speed didn¡¯t seem affected by the slick mud, whereas his own was clearly reduced. Given enough time he¡¯d be overrun. But he didn¡¯t plan on giving it the enough time.


    Sakura, the [High Elf Sorceress] waved her hands through the rain. Runic symbols appeared on floating bracelets of light around her forearms. Daphne¡¯s voice sang out clearly above the storm, in the last of her three songs, which she had forgotten to mention, and acted as a party buff, if you were in close proximity to her. Sakura¡¯s timing was perfect. She completed her long chant, just as the Gecko entered into range of her spell. A ball of fire erupted from between her arms, darting straight at the green scaled lizard. Steam from the rain shrunk her spell¡¯s effectiveness as it plummeted toward her target. But apparently Sorceresses were no joke, because the gecko and surrounding grass exploded into a sudden shock of fire. The target area was incinerated, to be replaced with a circle of dry brown dirt from the centre of which sprung a single flag over a gecko sized shadow of black ash.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    [You have gained 6 EXP]


    ¡®Really, now the game decided to give them a party experience bonus?¡¯ Eugene thought. Edge turned around and looted the corpse before its timer ran out. Fifteen seconds was way too short. Daphne and Sakura celebrated their first victory together with splashing high fives. They both looked cute in their yellow hooded ponchos. His stomach grumbled. They only had enough crystals for two, so he was wet, and starving.


    Daphne¡¯s smile was beaming. ¡°This is going to be easy! Let¡¯s do it again. Go get us more gecko¡¯s, butler Edge.¡±


    When had he become their servant? Ever the pessimist, Eugene already had his own suspicions.


    ¡°Oh not yet, I¡¯m not ready,¡± Sakura pleaded.


    ¡°What? I thought your cooldowns were shorter than mine.¡±


    ¡°I only have one cooldown, because I only have one spell, [Firebomb]. But it takes almost all of my mana to cast, and the casting time is twenty-five seconds. I could cast them repeatedly if I had enough mana, but I have to wait for my mana bar to fill.¡±


    ¡°How long until your mana regenerates?¡± Edge wondered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. A while.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so we have an AoE fire spell with a long cooldown. We have a group healing song, a DoT song, and a buff song. Plus, I¡¯m playing tank and with my shield, dodge and throw abilities, I can pull and hold off mobs.¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± said Sakura.


    ¡°This is going to be great,¡± grinned Daphne. She¡¯d been really upbeat ever since Sakura joined the party.


    ¡°You see the problem don¡¯t you?¡± asked Edge.


    ¡°We are squishy,¡± answered Sakura.


    Daphne stared at Sakura¡¯s chest while unconsciously touching her own.


    Edge cut off Daphne before she had a chance to scream pervert. ¡°Exactly, you both have low hit points,¡± he explained, with an extra glance at Daphne, ¡°so if I miss a mob, or we pull too many, then . . .¡±


    Daphne¡¯s hands darted back to her sides.


    ¡°Then we die,¡± finished Sakura.


    ¡°Won¡¯t we go back to the start point?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you said, Edge?¡±


    He definitely hinted that a return to the start point was a possibility. But it was a white lie.


    ¡°Have either of you died since you logged on?¡± questioned a suddenly serious Sakura.


    A round of No¡¯s.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can dismiss the possibility that if we die here, we might die in the real world.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Daphne was shocked.


    Edge stood silently, looking guilty.


    Daphne double punched him, which rocked him back on his feet. He must have failed a balance check, because he slipped in the mud, landing on his butt. She then proceeded to hammer against his chest like beating a drum. ¡°You stupid jerk. You knew. You knew this whole time, and you stood in front and let your life points get so low.¡± Tears ran down her face, partly hidden by the rain. ¡°Did you want to die and leave me alone?¡± she screamed.


    Her final question hit him harder than any of her punches. There was a grain of truth in it that reached deep down inside. Four days ago, alone, at home in his living room, dreading the idea of another school day, a part of him wanted it to be over, begged for it to end. ¡®The world would be better off without me,¡¯ he¡¯d thought. But now . . .


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it to leave you,¡± he said, honestly. ¡°I did it to save you.¡± And that was the real truth, despite the dark pieces.


    Daphne wrapped her arms around his middle, and buried her head against his chest. ¡°I won¡¯t let your health get that low again,¡± she promised.


    Sakura, not wanting to be left out and feeling the weight of the bonds shared, knelt on the ground behind him. She joined in the hug, sandwiching Edge between them. Her large softness pressed against his back, and Edge¡¯s face turned scarlet. The moment lasted a long time, and no one really wanted it to end. It was a comfort they¡¯d been missing up until now. Their situation was one that was hard to accept, and harder to live. Every moment a lifetime. But as all things, the time of comfort ended. And it became a bit awkward, and more than a little slimy.


    ¡°We don¡¯t really know if we¡¯ll be gone forever when we die. We could just respawn somewhere,¡± Edge stated.


    Daphne punched him the chest again. ¡°You have to wreck everything, don¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 9

    They farmed geckos with precision, undeterred by the unending rain. First, one at a time, until Sakura got used to using her spells, and then in multiples of twos and threes. When he timed it right, Edge could herd them close together so that Sakura could blast all of them at once with her [Firebomb]. It was risky for Edge as he was as much running from a firebomb as he was from geckos, which could pose a problem in future skirmishes. Luckily, so far Sakura had good aim. The scenario where she couldn¡¯t use her spell properly, and he had to face two or three mobs at once . . . He and Daphne might be able to handle the geckos on their own, but it would be a close thing.


    The constant level of danger made increasing his throw skill that much more important to the group. While Sakura¡¯s mana recovered, he and Daphne would take on the lizards one at a time. So far, the system he devised worked almost perfectly. They even managed to clear out an entire gecko nest in one go. It was a great surprise to find that the nest held exactly one dozen eggs.


    At some point, gloomy day had become night, but it was hardly dark. The game was meant to be played at night too, it seemed. There was enough moonlight, even without a moon, to easily see by. They had stayed out hunting much longer than he intended. The dark rain clouds rumbled with the occasional burst of thunder, though he saw no sign of lightning.


    Edge revelled in their successful hunt, panting and dripping a mix of sweat and water. His clothes were long since soaked through, and he was splattered with mud from a dozen falls. There was something about the exertion of the life and death game that left him feeling satisfied. He was fast approaching [Level 2]. It was so close, he could almost taste it. A few [Tiny Fang]¡¯s had dropped as well. ¡°Ke, ke, ke.¡± They earned more crystals tonight than they had in the two previous days combined. For the first time in a long time, he felt genuinely good. ¡°You both look tired.¡± Why was it only his job that required so much running and mud? Both girls were still pristinely yellow in their rain coats, and dry besides.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, Mr. eyebags,¡± retorted Daphne, missing the sarcasm.


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    ¡°I will continue for as long as you need me,¡± stated Sakura.


    Why was Daphne scowling? ¡°Let¡¯s do it again. There¡¯s only one nest left anyway,¡± offered Edge.


    ¡°Okay, my [Firebomb] is up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready too,¡± Daphne blurted, not wanting to lose to Sakura.


    After a short rest, Edge circled the final nest at a steady jog, setting the distance before loosing a barrage of stones. The geckos charged at him, but he stoically finished a lap around them, grouping the geckos close together. His agility and speed had both risen one point, since the start of their hunting, which meant that he was now a little faster than the geckos, even passing through the long slippery grass. More importantly, it meant that it was possible to raise your stats with repeated actions and training. He may even try to do some push ups before going to bed tonight. The geckos snarled at him with their rows of pointed teeth, and Edge smiled right back at them like a lunatic. A loud thunderclap snapped Edge out of his childishness. When did he start to forget that his life was on the line?


    The four nest guardians all shared the same fate as their predecessors, when a [Firebomb] exploded between them, erupting in a fiery radius and culminating in a tiny mushroom cloud. That was the last of them.


    ¡°La la la,¡± Daphne sang out the old Final Fantasy victory tune, while posing with her hands splayed out in opposing directions. Eugene was a little surprised she knew the song.


    ¡°Another dozen eggs here,¡± waved Sakura, as the last nest faded from existence.


    [Your Observation has increased: 7]


    The pond boiled with bubbles, rippling in the rain.


    ¡°Run!¡± Edge warned without the slightest hesitation.


    Sakura spun to face the disturbance, bouncing backwards on her toes in panic. She turned to sprint away with her hands pushing aside the tall reeds near the pond¡¯s shore, as an enormous green lizard marched out of the unknown depths. It was a hulking beast on four legs, only slightly resembling the smaller lizards.


    Above its head floated a red banner, [Gecko King].

 Chapter 10

    (Author Note: Since a certain someone commented, I give you more! MORE!)


    Daphne was in shock, staring at the giant lizard baring down on her. Edge shook her out of it. ¡°Run Daphne. Don¡¯t stop!¡± he yelled, straight into her starstruck face. She nodded dumbly at him, and fled across the wet field.


    Sakura was a sorceress; her speed and agility weren¡¯t high enough to outpace the slow Gecko King. ¡®Keep running,¡¯ she told herself. ¡®Don¡¯t think about what¡¯s behind you.¡¯ She scrambled up the nearest hillside, slipping and sliding in the muddied grass, certain that if she looked back the Gecko King would be there to eat her.


    Edge picked up a rock, weighing it in his hand. Sakura sprinted right by him trying to grab at his shoulder to pull him along with her. He stepped to the side, easily dodging the agility deficient sorceress, instead slowly jogging toward the huge charging beast. His life wasn¡¯t worth much anyway. At least, this way someone might remember him. He let loose the stone in his hand, and it hit the Gecko King in one of its massive frog-like eyeballs. All he had to do was buy time enough for the girls to escape. Pivoting, he changed directions in a slippery flash. The Gecko King stampeded through the vacated space, still tracking Sakura. Edge unleashed a full double fisted machine gun of tiny pebbles before he got a reaction from the giant gecko.


    The Gecko King was abnormally slow to turn, but once it was again facing Edge its speed increased. Apparently, the Gecko King could only sprint in a straight line. It was indeed a low level boss. Anyway, Edge was faster. Now, it was time to test his maximum range theory. If he could make it far enough away from the spawn point, perhaps the boss would reset. Edge didn¡¯t get very far before the Gecko King stopped its pursuit, slowly revolving and reversing its enormous elongated body.


    ¡°That was easy.¡± Wait. It wasn¡¯t aiming back toward the pond. It was on a straight course for Baldor¡¯s Loft. ¡°I had to say it.¡± Eugene chastised himself, catching his breath before chasing after the pseudo dinosaur. He tried chucking another half dozen rocks at the Gecko King¡¯s back, to no avail. ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m right here! You big green lizard,¡± he taunted. His efforts weren¡¯t generating enough aggro. He¡¯d really need to work on better taunts. Maybe, bigger rocks.


    You¡¯d think, since Edge was the only attacker, he should have all of the aggro, regardless of the minor damage dealt by his pebbles. That could mean one of a few things. Either this was a pre-generated confrontation, and the Gecko King was programmed to play out a scene at Baldor¡¯s Loft . . . or boss aggro was different than normal monster aggro . . . or someone else was adding aggro . . . by the dozen. And then it hit him, ¡°The eggs! How can I be so stupid?¡± Sakura was carrying all of the looted eggs, and she ran back to the loft with Daphne. The Gecko King was targeting the player who stole its eggs. That was the reason it kept charging after Sakura as soon as it appeared, not only because she was closest. The Gecko King was an event spawn. It was meant to target the robbers who stole its eggs.


    His friends were in trouble, and a minute ago he¡¯d been lamenting about dying as a hero. Eugene was no hero. If that big gecko had been a little faster, or he a little slower, Edge would have died for nothing. It still would have turned around and stomped his friends. Eugene rested his hands on his knees, panting from the chase. Could he let it end here? Would he give up? What difference could a guy like him make anyway, against a boss like that? A boss . . . This was a game. Eugene wasn¡¯t good for much. He wasn¡¯t talented in anything. But . . . he could play video games. He could win video games. A lot of things in his life beat him down, but in-game, he was the one who dealt the deathblows. In MMOs, he was the predator.


    Edge turned on the jets, metaphorically, as [Adventurer]s didn¡¯t start with any special abilities, which seemed like a big rip-off. He had to make it to Baldor¡¯s Loft before the [Gecko King]. He had to warn them, give them a chance to escape, no matter what.


    Sakura glanced at the empty glasses hanging behind the bar, as they vibrated from the nearby impact. It was too late. Edge¡¯s plan didn¡¯t work. Daphne was screaming across the bar, pleading with the NPC innkeeper for help. Not a particularly efficient use of her time, as far as Sakura was concerned, but it wasn¡¯t like she had any better ideas herself. She could run, go out the front door, and keep going. It was the only plan that made sense. The loft began to rumble in earnest as the inevitable approached. The NPC¡¯s sitting in the common room ignored the earth shaking disturbance, but Daphne turned to her with those giant worried eyes. It was obvious that Daphne cared for Edge. Sakura was scared for him too, she realized. Good guys were hard to find, but heroes were rare as diamonds. ¡°Let¡¯s go out the front,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°What about Edge?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine. But we won¡¯t be if we stay here, and Baldor¡¯s Loft could be in danger as well.¡± Didn¡¯t Daphne realize that if the monster switched targets then Edge was already gone?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sakura, you go,¡± Daphne said, using her dash ability to jump to the opposite side of the loft, near the backdoor. ¡°I have to help, Edge.¡± Daphne squeezed the raindrops from her eyes and sprung outside into Baldor¡¯s garden.


    Only this afternoon, Sakura¡¯s hunger and thirst had been enough to drive her to desperation. She didn¡¯t know if it was possible to die of thirst in Levia Online, only that every second she went without either food or water was strikingly painful. None of the farmers, nor Baldor himself would help her, regardless of how sincerely she begged for any form of sustenance. After all, they were only computer programs. It was Edge who finally helped her. He hadn¡¯t even given her a chance to ask. She owed him something for his kindness, for their kindness, in taking her under their wing. Whatever fate was in store for her in this death game, she wouldn¡¯t face it alone again. ¡°I¡¯ll face it next to him,¡± she pledged, next to the man who¡¯d rescued her from dying alone with his kindness, and didn¡¯t even realize it.


    Edge watched Daphne burst out the backdoor and sprint along the garden path, leaping over the short picket fence. The Gecko King wasn¡¯t far behind him. ¡°Daphne! Get the gecko eggs from Sakura and bring them to me!¡±


    Daphne skidded to a halt, reversing her direction and leapt back over the fence, a wide smile plastered on her face. She dashed toward the door, she¡¯d left open.


    What was she smiling about? ¡®Girls are weird,¡¯ he thought.


    Sakura and Daphne collided full-tilt in the doorway. For some reason the pair of girls were wrestling on the ground. Daphne sat on top of Sakura¡¯s chest with her tail caught in the front of Sakura¡¯s corset. Sakura was trying desperately to unhook it from between her breasts.


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    ¡°No no, don¡¯t t-t-touch me there,¡± Daphne squirmed.


    ¡°Stop fooling around you two! Hurry up and give Daphne all your eggs,¡± he yelled. The Gecko King was already catching up, and Edge was barely hanging on. The run had used too much of his stamina. His body didn¡¯t want to move another inch.


    Sakura transferred all four dozen eggs from her inventory into Daphne¡¯s, handfuls at a time. Edge veered out of the lumbering Gecko King¡¯s path, but he wasn¡¯t quick enough this time.  The green lizard pursed its large ruby red lips, and a stream of high pressure water squirted from its mouth. Edge raised his shield in front of his face, bracing it with both hands. The water pushed him backwards across the wet field, and he tumbled head over heels, slamming his back against the white picket fence. His health bar had dropped to [50%] in one hit.


    ¡°Edge!¡± screamed Daphne. She raced to his side, using [Dash] repeatedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close, it¡¯s dangerous,¡± he warned.


    ¡®For her supposed hero, Edge could be pretty dumb sometimes,¡¯ thought Daphne. Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to go anywhere near the boss. Instead, she sung her healing song and helped Edge get back on his feet, dashing them both out of the path of another water beam. The boss slowly rotated itself in her direction.


    ¡°Okay eggs,¡± he said. His life points were climbing fast thanks to Daphne¡¯s song. He stashed the eggs in his inventory, breaking a few in the process. If that didn¡¯t get him some aggro, he didn¡¯t know what would. ¡°Thanks. Now go get Sakura and meet me at the pond. I have an idea.¡±


    Daphne gave him a worried look with a thumbs up, and kept on singing until the end, dashing them in a circle around the boss. Edge broke free of her unrelenting grip, and ran up the hill toward the pond. ¡®His idea better not be as dumb as the last one,¡± she thought.


    Edge threw another rock at the Gecko King, which bounced off its forehead. ¡°Over here, you big dumb lizard.¡± Yes, his taunts were getting better. He lured the Gecko King away from Baldor¡¯s Loft, a voice in the back of his head, praying for enough stamina to keep going. He ran right passed the pond and kept on running until he put some distance between himself and the boss. When he thought he was far enough, he practically collapsed in the mud from exhaustion. The mud actually felt nice against his cheek. ¡°This isn¡¯t me giving up. This is all part of my master plan,¡± he told himself, while he sat up, desperately catching his breath. Sitting made your stamina recover faster, he hoped. It wasn¡¯t like there was a stamina bar. ¡°I wish there was a stamina bar.¡± These developers were really cruel.


    Sakura and Daphne hustled toward the pond, but there was no trace of either Edge or the boss. ¡°Where did he go?¡± asked Daphne. Sakura merely pointed at a distant hilltop in reply. A mud man scampered down the hill, a moment later followed by a giant gecko.


    ¡°Hi guys,¡± he said, nonchalantly, though extremely winded.


    ¡°Sorry we took so long. My movement speed is terrible,¡± apologized Sakura. ¡°Now what is your plan?¡± The ground was already shaking from the quickly advancing boss.


    ¡°We are going to kite it. It¡¯ll be perfect. These eggs generate aggro so-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll blast it with a [Firebomb], and run away with Daphne¡¯s [Dash] until aggro returns to you. But we don¡¯t know how many life points it has, or if it will spawn minions or get increased speed or attack power or special abilities when it reaches low health,¡± said Sakura, astutely. She wasn¡¯t a noob, she was a gamer. And she could talk really fast when she had to.


    ¡°Okay, if it spawns minions . . . then Daphne you¡¯ll have to use your DoT and gather them all up and then run around the boss with them until they die,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Me?¡± Daphne asked, surprised. ¡°Okay Edge, I¡¯ll do it,¡± she added resolutely, after taking a moment to think about it.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re up to this? You look like you¡¯re about to collapse,¡± mentioned an extremely worrisome Sakura.


    ¡°Well . . . I¡¯m all out of rocks. But I think I¡¯ve found something better,¡± he said with a sly grin, holding up a fist sized gecko egg.


    The plan was working. Sakura¡¯s [Firebomb]s were definitely having an effect on the Gecko King. Even when a dozen of the eggs in Edge¡¯s inventory burst out all around him and spawned Geckos, he managed to fight his way out of the trap, and keep running before big daddy lizard caught up to him.


    ¡®Big daddy lizard.¡¯ He needed to write that down for next time.


    Had their group been a traditional party with a traditional strategy, they would have been in real trouble. As it was however, they were anything but traditional; they were desperate.


    It took hours of back and forth chasing for them to defeat the Gecko King. After one of Sakura¡¯s mighty firebombs, the boss would chase after her, until Edge had thrown a dozen rocks, or one egg, and then he¡¯d take aggro back again. It was this gamer patented back and forth attack strategy that was known throughout all MMOs as kiting. When even Edge became too exhausted to continue, Daphne took over the egg tossing to give him a short rest. Luckily the egg spawn was a one time occurrence during the boss fight. He was tempted to crush every single egg after the first time it happened, but resisted do to the lack of readily available rocks to throw.


    The Gecko King finally fell. Its huge body collapsed into the muddy ground it had trampled into a pig sty. The body turned a statue grey, and a beautiful golden boss flag appeared. It had a [30] second timer instead of fifteen.


    [50 EXP]


    For beating the boss? So unfair! Eugene silently cursed the developers.


    A popup appeared in front of each of them [Secret Quest Rank E: Defeat the Gecko King Completed] [You have gained 2000 EXP]


    ¡®I take it all back,¡¯ he thought. It was almost enough to forgive the whole death game thing. ¡®Not.¡¯


    [You have gained a level: 2]


    Worth it.


    An overeager Daphne looted every item from the boss, while Edge decided that this exact spot in the mud was the perfect place to fall down, splashing onto his back. He¡¯d gained one more point of speed, one more point of agility and two more points of stamina during the lengthy boss fight. It was a miracle he survived. Rain cascaded down his face, and he opened his mouth for a quick drink. He hadn¡¯t ever worked so hard or pushed himself so far in his entire life. His real life body wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle it; he was weak. But it was all over now. Taking a break seemed the right idea, just letting it finally end.

 Chapter 11

    Edge woke up to a thunderclap. He was flat on his back in his bed at Baldor¡¯s. All the muscles in his entire body ached, which hadn''t happened since entering the game. The [Endurance] stat must have a real limit then. If he would have run out of stamina mid-encounter . . . but he didn¡¯t. It was almost like his bad luck had decided to take a rain cheque, which was a miracle by itself. He had no memory of getting back to his room. It felt so hot, he was burning up, and when he tried to move, it was like he was pinned down by-


    An orange tail flicked him on one side of his face, and a pair of Kiten ears tickled his neck. A squishy squirming pink flower nuzzled into his opposite shoulder; soft parts were rubbing against his arm. Was he dreaming? Eugene tried squeezing his eyes closed. It wasn¡¯t a dream. How did he end up like this, and where were his clothes?


    Edge tried to slide his way down and out from the tangle of warm bodies.


    ¡°Aah! Pervert, Pervert, Pervert!¡± Daphne hit him three times, with double punches.


    But at least he was free. He jumped out of the bed into the middle of the tiny room. He was only wearing his rogue shorts, but at least he still had those. ¡°Why are you hitting me, this is my room,¡± he blurted in his defense, just now remembering he didn¡¯t rent a room.


    Daphne looked guilty, while Sakura had a sly smile on her lips.


    ¡°It was her idea,¡± pointed Daphne.


    ¡°I thought that since I had a free room, we could share and save our rubies.¡±


    ¡°And . . . and I won¡¯t lose to those big melons!¡± blurted Daphne. ¡°Plus this way we saved more crystals too,¡± she added hastily.


    Edge spun around closing his eyes, as he realized both of his roommates were in their underwear. ¡°P-put on some clothes.¡±


    Daphne, suddenly aware of her near nudity, covered her red and white striped panties with her hands, and the rest with her fluffy tail.


    ¡°A little late, he¡¯s already seen everything,¡± Sakura chuckled, showing no sign of bashfulness.


    Daphne blushed pink, scrambling to retrieve her dress from her inventory. She stared at the muscles on Edge¡¯s naked back. ¡°Y-you, you put on your clothes too!¡± Edge turned back around reaching for where his clothes were folded on the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡± Daphne screamed, quickly changing her mind.


    Edge snatched up his clothes anyway and whizzed out into the hallway. Being in a party with two girls was really dangerous. He speedily dressed, and slowly made his way downstairs, wincing and recovering his dignity; his whole body still ached. As he expected, the bar was packed with the same folk he saw here last evening. As Baldor promised, the rain continued without stopping. Whether they liked it or not, Baldor¡¯s loft was home for the time being.


    And that¡¯s when it hit him. He had gained a level!


    In seconds Eugene had a half dozen menu screens open, searching for his new skills, abilities, stat points, anything. His life and mana points had increased, but-


    ¡°What is up with this game?¡± he demanded in frustration.


    ¡°Whatcha doin?¡± asked a now fully clothed Daphne.


    ¡°Trying to figure out why we didn¡¯t get any new abilities or stat points for leveling.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t? It said that my songs were more powerful now, and I have a new one. My stats each went up too.¡±


    ¡°What? Let me see,¡± he commanded irritably. ¡°This is totally unfair,¡± he declared again.


    ¡°Most men are happy on the mornings they wake up next to two beautiful women,¡± joined Sakura.


    When had she become so bold?


    ¡°Edge is mad because his stats didn¡¯t go up,¡± explained Daphne.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t? Are you sure you gained a level?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± He checked anyway, to be sure. ¡°See? And we need [25,000 EXP] for level 3,¡± he moped.


    ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer, huh? I thought you were a warrior,¡± Sakura mentioned. How did she not know his class? ¡°That explains it then,¡± she said, as if it that explained it.


    ¡°What do you know about adventurers that I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Probably nothing, but I read through each of the classes before I chose my Sorceress.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me, I¡¯m not responsible. You were the one who picked [Adventurer].¡±


    Sakura was right of course.


    ¡°Just get to the good part, Saki. What¡¯s wrong with Edge?¡±


    Eugene considered whether Daphne was asking out of concern, or to be spiteful.


    ¡°Well, the [Adventurer] class description was quite vague wasn¡¯t it. All of the other classes had reasonably good descriptions of their capabilities and main attributes. A few, like Sorceress, even had you choose specializations. That¡¯s how I became a [Fire Specialist].¡±


    ¡°Yeah . . .¡± said Eugene. This was all his fault, again. Why did he have to choose now to try something new. Half the reason he picked [Adventurer] in the first place was because he couldn¡¯t obsess over the statistics, or plan a perfect build, or predict the outcome of his character. It all sounded so good at the time.


    ¡°The way I see it, doesn¡¯t that make the Adventurer class the one with the most potential?¡± said Sakura.


    ¡°¡±Yeah Edge, and you¡¯re good with combat strategies and you¡¯re our leader,¡± chirped Daphne.


    He was?


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of a reason that every class would necessarily level in the same manner. Perhaps you just need to find a trainer, or something,¡± Sakura suggested.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he replied. This was the first time anyone had tried to cheer him up. Usually, people just pushed him down. So this was what it was like to have friends. And it¡¯s true that leveling wasn¡¯t the only way to get stronger in Levia. You could train your stats with exercise, or raise your skills with repetition. So far, every skill he¡¯d tested had worked. Perhaps there was more to the [Adventurer] class than he thought.


    The girls had been acting so strange, almost like they''d forgotten that they were trapped in a death game. ¡°So what dropped on the Gecko King?¡± he asked, trying to change the subject. He didn''t want to think about it either.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t tell me,¡± said Sakura, pointedly.


    ¡°We should all be here to open it,¡± affirmed Daphne.


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    Did she think this was Christmas? ¡°Open what?¡± obliged Edge.


    Daphne withdrew a small wooden chest from her inventory, placing it on the bar. It hardly looked remarkable.


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°No, there were these too.¡± Daphne lined the wooden bar with an assortment of items. From left to right, she placed a blue potion, a rolled up scroll, a bulging pouch, the chest, and lastly a giant two handed sword. She just about fell over pulling out the gleaming silver blade from her inventory. It was a foot wide and taller than Edge¡¯s avatar.


    If that wasn¡¯t their rare drop . . . He¡¯d eat his hat. Though he didn¡¯t wear one. He noticed Daphne¡¯s monocle had disappeared too. Perhaps it was decorative.


    ¡°Any way to identify the potion?¡± asked Edge.


    Sakura popped open the cork, smelled the substance, then dipped her pinky finger. She slowly licked off the blue liquid. A popup window appeared, but Edge couldn¡¯t read it from where he was sitting.


    ¡°It¡¯s a [Water Breathing Potion]. It tastes like grape juice, and I now have alchemy as a skill.¡±


    ¡°Really let me try,¡± Daphne said, dipping her finger. ¡°Oo, it¡¯s good.¡± A popup window appeared for her as well.  ¡°It says I can¡¯t use the alchemy skill.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m next.¡± [You have learned Alchemy] ¡°It worked.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± she emphasized, ¡°it¡¯s just the two of us,¡± finished Sakura with odd inflection, placing her hand over his.


    Daphne looked about ready to burst, for some reason. Eugene was never going to understand girls. He retracted his hand. ¡°How about the scroll? You¡¯d think that it would be a magic thing.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t break the seal.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± demanded Daphne. ¡°Too weak?¡± Daphne struggled to open the scroll, going blue in the face with effort.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably for another class then,¡± said Edge.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Edge,¡± taunted Sakura.


    ¡°Oo, you jerk. Don¡¯t defend her!¡±


    Defend who? ¡°Uh, we can always sell it, once we get to a town. Baldor might even buy it.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to Cobbletown then?¡± asked Daphne, distracted by the possibility.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll train here for a little longer. No reason to take any chances, and now that we know how to beat the Gecko King . . .¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯ll spawn again?¡± Sakura questioned with raised pink elvish eyebrows.


    ¡°Only one way to find out, right?¡±


    The pouch was filled with emeralds, and a handful of rubies, which would go a long way to helping pay for THREE rooms and supplies. Edge set Sakura to counting all the crystals they had, since she seemed to be good with math. A pair of round eye glasses appeared on Sakura¡¯s head as she counted.


    Meanwhile, Daphne was smiling and clapping her hands at the last two items on the bar. ¡°Can I be the one to open it?¡± Edge shrugged, which Daphne took as immediate consent. She flipped open the box. Inside, laying on a bed of red velvet, was a small oddly curved knife with a sharp hook on the back of the blade. It had a wooden handle, and appeared otherwise plain in every way.


    ¡°What is this? Where is the diamond necklace? or the cute tiara?¡± challenged Daphne.


    It was Edge¡¯s turn to raise his eyebrows. For some reason, Daphne had her heart set on weird items. ¡°This is something far more valuable than jewelry,¡± offered Edge.


    Daphne looked skeptical. ¡°What is it?¡± she pouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s a skinning knife.¡±


    ¡°Eww.¡± She retreated from the box.


    ¡°A gathering skill,¡± said Sakura, reverently lifting the knife from the velvet. Her glasses sparkled. ¡°It¡¯s perfect for us. Crafting is the heart of every good MMO.¡±


    Edge smiled, giving a nod. Sakura was definitely a crafting otaku.


    Daphne plucked the knife from Sakura¡¯s open palms. ¡°If it¡¯s so good, I wanna have it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think our first crafting tool should go to a newbie-¡± started Sakura.


    ¡°Sakura, it doesn¡¯t really matter who uses it, does it?¡± Edge pleaded, not liking how tightly Daphne was clutching the blade. ¡°So long as we keep sharing and working together,¡± he continued placatingly, ¡°plus leather armour is probably pretty good for a Bard, right? If it¡¯s too hard, we might just sell the mats for crystals anyway.¡± Please don¡¯t stab anyone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a new bee,¡± Daphne interjected. ¡°I¡¯ve played other games. I usually just follow my friend around, and she does most of the . . . you know, stupid stuff.¡± Daphne¡¯s cute cat ears slouched downward, looking hurt.


    Sakura softened at Daphne¡¯s reaction, a great deal more than Edge had expected. The pair hugged and left the bar to go talk in private, leaving him alone with the last item on the table. Girls were strange, but this two-handed sword was something straight out of a JRPG, too big for reality, and too cool for mere words.


    But. It always seemed like there was a but for Eugene. Or maybe that he was the but. His character wasn¡¯t some cool solo rogue who needed the baddest DPS weapon he could get his hands on. Not anymore. He was an [Adventurer] in a party that already had damage in the form of a sorceress, and already had a well rounded support, slash semi-healer. Edge did not need an awesome sword like this one, no matter how well balanced it felt in his hands. He sighed, forcing himself to ask the all important question. ¡°Baldor, how many crystals would you give me for this sword?¡±


    ¡°Two sapphires and nine rubies is a fair price for such a weapon.¡±


    ¡°How much for a sapphire?¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll give you a good price on, one sapphire. It will be one hundred five rubies.¡±


    A ruby is worth a one hundred emeralds, and a sapphire is one hundred rubies. So that meant this sword was worth over two hundred rubies, or twenty thousand emeralds. A satisfied whistle echoed in the bar, and the girls momentarily gave him strange looks, which he ignored. Most of the equipment Baldor had for sale had a price of less than ten rubies. This sword could buy them each a room in Baldor¡¯s Loft for . . . The math made his brain hurt. Where was Sakura when he needed her? ¡°Baldor,¡± he choked. ¡°I¡¯d like to sell you this sword.¡± Quickly, before he changed his mind.

 Chapter 12

    Two weeks had past since their training at Baldor¡¯s Loft began in earnest, a regimen of combat, skill grinding, and team building. The trio could now efficiently, and with familiar ease, clear out the nearby gecko pond, defeating the Gecko King by lunch. Although, they found that the dinosaur only spawned during the three day rainy season.


    At some point, the routine had become almost enjoyable. It gave Eugene something to look forward to, to plan for another day. It was a simple thing, but somehow important.


    Training consisted of almost anything Edge could think up. They crawled along on their stomachs through the tall grass to raise their hide skills. Thankfully, laundry was a timed function of the inventory, and not a real chore. During his alone time, Edge did exercises to build up his strength, and threw stones at targets. Otherwise, he competed in foot races with the dashing Daphne. The races weren¡¯t about winning, a good thing too, because he always lost. Sakura joined them a few times; he tried to encourage her to raise her speed, but she disliked losing to Daphne even more than he did for some reason.


    Daphne sang constantly, like a broken record, until even she was getting tired of hearing herself. On the bright side, she was relieved when the use of her skinning knife was simply a matter of stabbing a corpse flag, and not any actual dead bodies. Her inventory was piling up with large stacks of [Gecko Hide]. And though Baldor wouldn¡¯t buy them, and so far they had found no way to use them, it was still fulfilling for her to contribute to the group. It didn¡¯t hurt that Sakura looked entirely jealous every time Daphne brought out her skinning knife.


    Sakura spent her personal training time studying books she had purchased from Baldor. The innkeeper had a quaint bookshelf in a corner by the fireplace that he described as a library. Though most of Baldor¡¯s books were trashy filler stories, a few offered at least some insight into Levia Online, be that predominantly its fictional history. More notably, the act of reading was pumping up her intelligence, which was going to make her fire spells even more deadly, and hopefully give her some extra mana. She really had only two things she did for the party, throw [Firebomb]s and financial accounting, the latter she knew well enough before ever coming to Levia. For Sakura, getting out of this game and back to her family was the most critical thing in the world, and this training might be putting them one step closer to home. She had to remind herself of that, every five minutes or so, and every time she saw the naive Daphne.


    Even by clearing out every single mob near Baldor¡¯s Loft, no one in the group gained another level, not even close. Gecko¡¯s only gave them [2 EXP] each since they reached level two, and the boss experience had been drastically nerfed as well. Even the item drops had become little more than vendor trash trinkets. It wasn¡¯t like the mobs had become suddenly weak either. Without Sakura and Daphne, Edge would be training here for the rest of his life. Levia was incredibly unfair. It was almost as if the developers wanted you to die.


    Edge had managed to think of a few more useful skills like camping and cooking to train, and hopefully make life away from Baldor¡¯s survivable. Plus, it led to picnics in the sun, usually inside one of Sakura¡¯s [Firebomb] craters, which were becoming more common in the area than tall grass. Edge sat in one such dry dusty dirt hole, unwrapping a sandwich he¡¯d made from supplies he¡¯d bought from Baldor. It cost more to buy ingredients than to buy lunch, but that was a familiar part of training skills in any game. Even if it didn¡¯t make any sense.


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    ¡°How long are we going to train for?¡± accused Daphne, who opted to sit in the grass. Her white dress didn¡¯t agree with dirt. She simply refused to wear any of the more reasonable, responsible, and useful clothes offered to her. Something about brown and orange not going together . . . Edge didn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°Until we¡¯re stronger,¡± he answered. It was the same answer he always gave whenever asked.


    ¡°You always say that,¡± mentioned Sakura.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Daphne swallowed, and slowly methodically spoke, ¡°I agree with Sakura.¡± She might have pulled a muscle from the effort it took to speak those four words.


    Eugene tried the silent treatment, since he really had no other options. People weren¡¯t easy for him.


    ¡°It will take another twenty four days to reach level three,¡± added Sakura, pointedly.


    Edge grunted. What difference would a few weeks be? It wasn¡¯t like there was a big red door with an exit sign in Levia. Chances were, they¡¯d die here sooner or later. Eugene would rather wait for later. An epiphany that even surprised him. He didn¡¯t hate this life. He¡¯d known worse, anyway . . . ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get home?¡± questioned Daphne. ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll be stuck here forever.¡±


    Would that be so bad? Sakura must have read something on his face.


    ¡°We should leave tomorrow, for Cobbletown,¡± she declared. ¡°We won¡¯t know what to do, until we know what¡¯s going on,¡± the wise elf stated, practically.


    Daphne turned to Eugene with that look of excitement behind her eyes. Eugene wondered, what would it be like to always feel like that, like there was something to live for, a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? It was the type of naivety that made him want to puke. Yet, Daphne wasn¡¯t so bad. It didn¡¯t really hurt when she hit him.


    He shrugged in reply, ¡°kay, kay.¡± Maybe it was time to move on.


    Unfortunately, Edge¡¯s plan for the sleeping arrangements was voted down from night one. As it turned out, he was only allowed to be the leader of the group when Sakura and Daphne both agreed it was okay. The threesome shared a single room on the second floor of the loft, but Edge made it clear to them that they would have to sleep on the bed and he would sleep on the floor. The only reason he even agreed to the arrangement was because Daphne and Sakura threatened to make him sleep outside. Life had gotten a lot harder since Sakura was put in charge of their crystals!


    But why did he have to wake up like this every morning?


    As usual, at some point during the night, Daphne and Sakura had crawled into his bedroll. A furry tail rubbed against his face and Daphne was making an odd purring noise while holding his arm in a death lock. Of course, on the opposite side he was being engulfed by the tall Sakura, who¡¯d somehow managed to entangle his other arm and both legs with her long lean limbs, while simultaneously twisting his head awkwardly between her breasts, a wad of pink hair poking him in the eye. A short time ago, the scene would have struck him as absurdly wrong, and entirely embarrassing. Now however, he¡¯d gotten used to being treated like the girls least favourite teddy bear. But that didn¡¯t mean he had to like it! After all, his restless nights ended with the same alarm clock every morning, a double punch ¡®Pervert!¡¯ combo attack!


    Whatever can be said about his past or his future, the time he spent making his first friends, training for their sake, and learning to care for each other . . . These were the first moments that shaped his destiny.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°He looks so somber,¡± said Sakura, watching Edge sitting alone at the bar.


    ¡°No. He looks cool. The strong silent type.¡±


    ¡°Do you think his hair is really that colour?¡±


    ¡°No way. Its gotta be a game thingy. How else would it stay spiky like that even in the rain.¡±


    Sakura acknowledged Daphne¡¯s pointed examination with a slight raising of her thin pink eyebrows.


    ¡°This is our day off. You think he¡¯d want to do something fun,¡± spouted Daphne, ¡°Like another picnic.¡±


    ¡°Do you think, maybe, in real life . . . he¡¯s an old man?¡± It would explain the white hair too.


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Daphne exclaimed too loudly, drawing the attention of a few NPC¡¯s and a glance from Edge. She crouched down in her chair. ¡°You really think so? He doesn¡¯t seem . . . too old.¡± But now that Sakura mentioned it, he did treat her like a little girl.


    ¡°I think I like older men,¡± said Sakura, surprising herself.


    ¡°Is he gonna sit there all day and drink tea?¡± Daphne scratched her cat ears. The furry parts of her avatar itched all the time.


    ¡°We should do something.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A vacation!¡±


    Really?


    Edge sneezed into his teacup. Great. The world was plotting against him. He drank from the sullied cup anyway. It was only digital snot and not real snot, he reasoned. Sakura had given him an allowance of three green crystals, which was only enough money to buy a single cup of hot water. She was so stingy. Arguing with her was out of the question. It just wasn¡¯t in his nature to socialize. He could always go farm a few geckos if he wanted more crystals, but he was determined to enjoy his day off. ¡°I won¡¯t move from this chair no matter what,¡± he whispered, resolutely. Pushing himself hard during training had helped his main stats rise one more point, but in return he was continuously sore. Hurting all of the time was why he wanted to escape into this game in the first place.


    ¡°Are you talking to yourself?¡± asked Sakura. When had this dynamic duo snuck up on him?


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered honestly. It wasn¡¯t like he was hiding the fact. Eugene had long ago forgotten to care about what others thought of him.


    Daphne stood a foot shorter than Sakura, with an athletic frame and her typical white sundress, offsetting tufts of orange fur, a fluffy tail, and matching white whiskers tattooed on her face. Her orange ears were currently curled backward in a strange manner he¡¯d never seen before. She held her knees tightly together, and clutched her hands over her thighs, batting her eyelashes.


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    Beside her, Sakura wore her usual tight blue outfit that left little to the imagination, and offered up a lot more. She always held herself tall and straight. It occurred to him that she could be a noble or something in real life. Normal people didn¡¯t stand like that all the time. Edge slouched on his stool to prove his case. Sakura elbowed Daphne. He hoped these two weren¡¯t fighting again.


    ¡°Edge,¡± Daphne began one word at a time. ¡°Will. You. Take. Me. On. A. A. A. PICNIC!¡± She ended up yelling with her eyes scrunched closed.


    Eugene sighed. What was she doing with her face? It did look cute, he supposed. Sakura elbowed Daphne again, a bit harder this time. Edge was afraid he¡¯d see her health bar decrease.


    ¡°Oh, and Sakura wants to come too,¡± Daphne added, haphazardly.


    ¡®Baldor, save me,¡¯ he begged with his heart. Was it just his eyes playing tricks, or did Baldor suddenly get farther away? ¡°Fine,¡± he said, after a long pause. So much for his one day off.


    ¡°What are you drinking?¡± Sakura made an unpleasant face at the cup filled with hot water, and a handful of grass and carrot leaves.


    He¡¯d added the last in hopes of making his own green tea. One point in alchemy had to be good for something. Honestly, it was disgusting. But he¡¯d spent his precious three green crystals on this drink, and he wasn¡¯t letting it go to waste. ¡°Green Tea,¡± he answered, pretending it had a luxurious foreign taste.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a carrot juice,¡± cheered Daphne.


    ¡°A green tea for me as well, Baldor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be ten emeralds for the lovely ladies.¡±


    ¡°Oh no problem. It¡¯s important that we treat ourselves on our holidays,¡± smiled Sakura.


    Daphne nodded the affirmative.


    Edge silently sipped his swamp brew, but his eyebrow screamed out in righteous fury!


    (Author Note: so short! You guys need another! I''ll work on it for tonight)

 Chapter 14

    The narrow dirt road wound through the grassy hills, almost begging someone to set up an ambush. It was the second of four sunny days in the grasslands. Edge, Daphne and Sakura were well on their way to Cobbletown, though they had yet to reach the infamous crossroads. All three had agreed shortly after their departure to abandon the easy path, opting to walk over the hills, and through vales, rather than be caught unaware on the road by Cassandra or her bandits. Eugene had to admit, after days of climbing up and down, and up and down endlessly, the easy road was a growing temptation. More so since they had yet to see any actual bandits.


    On their dull green journey, they ran across an unremarkable farmstead made up of a house, a barn and single farmer living with his small family, which after some coaxing offered up an [F] rank quest that wasn¡¯t worth much [EXP], but rewarded them with a home cooked meal-that wasn¡¯t gecko eggs and carrots-and a place to rest off of their feet and off of the ground. It was a repeatable quest, so Edge marked the farm¡¯s location in his memory in case they ever decided to go back to Baldor¡¯s Loft.


    The time spent travelling had somewhat unraveled their previous ignorant attitude. Eugene could see that behind Daphne''s fake smile, and Sakura''s empty teasing was a real fear of the wilderness surrounding them. There was nothing to be done about it, except to keep moving forward. This time, the danger they faced wasn''t a lack of supplies, or monsters. It was a crisis of the spirit, the one kind of pain Eugene had never handled well.


    The very next day, they passed an empty wagon. Its driver, a farmer named Orglathe, which was typical of a bad NPC name generator, having delivered her goods to Cobbletown the day prior, was returning home. Although the NPC was void of quests, or any information about where ¡®home¡¯ was located, and wasn¡¯t a merchant type either, it was still good to know that their journey might almost be complete. Which begged the question, ¡®where were these infamous crossroads?¡¯


    Daphne reached the top of the latest hill first; her movement speed was still by far the best in the party. She jumped, spinning in the air, her hands thrust into the sky above her head, her heels slapping against her bottom, and her tail jumping with excitement. ¡°We made it!¡±


    Sakura ran the rest of the way up the hill too, followed by Edge, who would have felt stupid walking alone in the back. The view was incredible, hitting him like a double punch to the heart.


    Cobbletown wasn¡¯t just the next backwater village, as the name suggested. It was a city unto itself. Surrounded by semi-circular walls, constructed with massive round stones stacked one atop the other, the gaps filled with an uncountable number of smaller similar stonework. Square towers rose from the city¡¯s center, as if modern skyscrapers had suddenly become medieval castles of stone and colourful mosaic stained glass. Two enormous wooden gates, built as if someone simply cut down the largest trees they could find and lashed them together, stood guard against the city¡¯s Northern and Western walls. The road they¡¯d been following led to the closest Southern gate, and another could be seen at least half a mile away.


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    But none of this was the truly awe inspiring component that sent Eugene into a daze. The very sky itself stopped as if cut by a knife along the height of some invisible horizon, a curtain of stars fell down like the backdrop of a night sky behind the city. Edge stood, literally, at the end of the world. Everything beyond was the void of space and distant twinkling suns. Cobbletown was a city at the very end of the world, a place of eternal starlit night, and everlasting day.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t on a planet. We¡¯re on an island floating in space,¡± remarked Edge.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± said Sakura. ¡°Actually, the entire world of Levia is an island lifted above the great miasma,¡± she corrected.


    ¡°Is that something you read in your books? Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± Daphne asked, flabbergasted.


    ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t know exactly what it meant, or if it matters to our purpose,¡± she answered. ¡°Does it make any difference if the world is round or if it¡¯s flat, to those without the ability to effect such truths?¡± she asked, rhetorically, as a scholar caught amidst a moment trapped in the numinous.


    ¡°Uh yeah it matters. Look, just look.¡± said Daphne, emphatically. ¡°This really isn¡¯t the real world. It¡¯s a place where everything is different.¡± She looked down at her outstretched fingers, where her fingernails were more like claws, and flicked her tail over top of them. ¡°Am I a monster here, or some kind of alien? Everyone else looks so normal compared to me. I look like a big-eyed alien.¡±


    ¡°No you don¡¯t,¡± said Sakura, at the same time Edge muttered, ¡°maybe a little.¡±


    ¡°A really normal looking alien,¡± he corrected, desperately.


    ¡°I knew it . . . you like Sakura.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± said Edge. It was cool headed Sakura¡¯s turn to look shaken. There really was no winning for him. ¡°You¡¯re both my friends-¡± he started, a little shaken himself. He breathed deeply, while slowly building up his courage. Edge stared out over the grand spectacle that awaited them. ¡°You¡¯re my first real friends,¡± he confessed. ¡°I never had any . . . in the real world, I mean. I never had even one friend. I know this isn¡¯t the real world, and in a way . . . I think we are all aliens here. But I think- No, I know that our friendship is real. And it goes way beyond what shape the world is, or what we look like, or whatever. We are surviving here together, and we are friends because, because, because . . .¡± He couldn¡¯t finish; he didn¡¯t really know why. ¡®Because without you I¡¯d be . . .¡¯ He left the statement deep down inside, unsaid. Some things are too hard to share.


    Daphne wrapped her hands around his back in a hug, and Sakura joined in as well. Where had all these feelings come from? Even in a game, it seemed like revelations of the universe held some great sway over human emotions, as if their own individually tiny worlds had suddenly gotten larger, and they needed somehow to cope with the newly found space.


    ¡°Edge,¡± said Daphne, breaking through the moment. ¡°If there weren¡¯t any bandits, why did you make us do all that training?¡±


    (Author Note: And so ends the great ball of fluff. Be ready for the goods tmrw. Big Juicy plot filled goodness)

 Chapter 15

    Two guards stood on either side of the wide open gate, both human NPC¡¯s wearing long chainmail tunics and coifs, covered by red and gold cloth adornments. One of them had a quest flag above his head, [F].


    ¡°Good afternoon, travelers, and welcome to Cobbletown,¡± one said as they approached.


    Edge held his arms out, as a motion to stop.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Sakura, the hints of a [Firebomb] spell on her lips.


    ¡°Everyone take a step backward.¡± They complied, tensing on the verge of attack, ready to challenge any immediate danger.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Edge took a step back as well, and then another step forward.


    ¡°Good afternoon, travelers, and welcome to Cobbletown,¡± the Guard repeated when Edge re-entered the proximity.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to know some things never change.¡±


    Daphne reached up and slapped him on the back of the head. ¡°Bakka.¡±


    Sakura just breathed a heavy sigh of relief, followed by shooting him a scowl.


    ¡°Totally worth it,¡± he said, with a diabolical grin.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be three emeralds each,¡± announced the guard.


    ¡°What for?!¡± whined Daphne.


    ¡°Three emeralds is the toll for entering Cobbletown¡¯s South Gate,¡± the guard replied, with all the motivation of an automated response.


    A window with three options popped up for everyone in the party: [Pay the toll: 3 emeralds] [Don¡¯t Pay] and [Work Something Out].


    Being three shrewd misers, they all selected the third option without even glancing at eachother.


    ¡°Well, strictly speaking, me and Gari here have a duty to guard against undesirables entering our fair town, but maybe we can overlook a passing stranger like yourself. If that passing stranger happened to stop by the Watering Hole, and ask the owner, Lady Mondae, to bestow some of her kindness on a pair of fine wanting defenders.¡± [Accept] [Decline]


    ¡°Might as well save a few pennies and get some experience,¡± suggested Edge.


    ¡°We might bolster our reputation in the area or with a faction as well,¡± added Sakura.


    Daphne squirmed. ¡°Is it just me, or does this quest sound . . . you know. . .¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know,¡± teased Sakura. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us, oh worldly bard, what it sounds like?¡±


    ¡°Sakura, you¡¯re just-¡± Daphne¡¯s cheeks reddened. If it was Edge doing the teasing, then she most definitely would have punched him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go. I¡¯d like to find someplace to stay, maybe the Watering Hole is an inn,¡± said Edge. ¡°I¡¯d like to eat something that isn¡¯t a plate of gecko eggs or carrots.¡±


    There was no argument with that suggestion at least.


    Cobbletown was not as big on the inside, not nearly the towering monstrous buildings you¡¯d find in a modern city. The streets were bustling with activity, NPC¡¯s dressed in plain colours talked quietly with one another, or marched on some unknown errand, probably along predetermined routes or simply in circles. The narrow brick roads were barely wide enough for a wagon to pass, yet the intimacy of the tight fitting buildings made the city look both immense and cozy. Most of the squarish buildings were over two stories high, covered in grey plaster and signs. Few of the towers came close to the height of the massive external walls, but those that did rose as beacons of mosaic glass. Like most dense cities, the sheer number of buildings and roads made the urbania a maze for newcomers.


    If only the developers had given them a map function. They did have a sort of radar-like mini-map, but it nearly always read as blank, unless it was pointing out something so obvious that the function itself was irrelevant. This is the kind of thing that happens when you don¡¯t launch a good beta. Eugene was the only one of the group to leave that particular display window open, and even he was considering giving up on it, despite the fact that he could attach it to the inside of his shield, so it really wasn¡¯t taking up any unnecessary room.


    ¡°I never took you for a country bumpkin, Edge,¡± teased Daphne. ¡°Next time we should let Sakura take the lead.¡±


    They were lost, which was not his fault . . . he didn¡¯t make all of the streets look the same. The developers! They were the ones to blame.


    ¡°We should ask for directions,¡± stated Sakura without malice.


    Edge grunted.


    ¡°Men are stupid,¡± said Daphne, maliciously poking out her scratchy cat tongue.


    He had been grunting in approval, damnit. This sort of thing never happened when he was a rogue. Eugene felt the familiar tug of constant invisibility. Oh, the good old days, when he didn¡¯t have two girls following him around, commenting on every decision he made . . .


    The entrance to the Watering Hole was a crooked sign hung over a narrow declining staircase between two otherwise nondescript buildings. The twilight of Cobbletown shadowed the hole, giving the group wary pause. ¡°This is it,¡± said Sakura. She had a way of stating and ignoring the obvious at the same time. Just because they found the place was not a good enough reason to actually go inside.


    ¡°If you¡¯re scared, I¡¯ll hold your hand,¡± offered Daphne, without a hint of accusation.


    He wasn¡¯t scared. He was cautious. A veritable outbreak of perfectly reasonable cautiousness. But he was not scared. And he would prove it. He would go down there, and he would not be scared. Any second now, he would go straight down there . . .


    Sakura nonchalantly moseyed down the steps. The second she opened the door, a torrent of loud rock music spewed from the crack, followed by the smells of tobacco, and a cloud of warm air.


    This didn¡¯t seem like a place for decent folk. Eugene had never been inside a bar before, as he was still under the legal drinking age. Was this a good idea? He stood at the top of the steps, thinking too much. It wasn¡¯t like he really knew all that many decent people anyway. In fact, this hole in the ground suited his mood perfectly. It was broken, and alternative, with music so loud he wouldn¡¯t need to talk to anyone. He made his way down the steps with newly kindled fortitude. But what he found inside, shocked him to the core.


    Three quarters of the names hovering in the air about the room were blue, players names. A band, who played on a stage in the far corner, were all NPC¡¯s, along with a pair of waitresses gliding too and fro, and a few bartenders behind a massive semi circular counter. But the patrons were one hundred percent players. Perhaps, three dozen players!


    The music suddenly cut out, and those who were only a moment ago reveling paused to stare at the newcomers. The room was silent and still, except for the knocking of mugs being set down on tables, and the squeak of unsettling chair legs scraping on the floor.


    ¡°Your kind isn¡¯t welcome here,¡± said [Taurus], an enormous minotaur dressed in blood red noob clothes, but standing three hands taller and two wider than anyone else in the room. Although the character creation system had made him monstrous, his face still held the components of a human being. It was odd, given the imminent threat the man bore, that Eugene would feel pity for the player who chose to be so . . . different. He knew exactly what it was like to embrace the role of the ¡®constant stranger,¡¯ to stand out as alone even amongst a crowd.


    But Taurus was acting like a bully, and Eugene hated bullies. ¡°Says who?¡± Edge challenged, with a cold tone that promised retribution. It was this attitude that had both made him a great assassin rogue, and also got him beaten up at school.


    ¡°Says us.¡± A dozen players stood up from their wooden chairs, none of them had weapons. They were dressed like complete newbies, without either weapons or armor, as far as Edge could tell. But it wouldn¡¯t take much more than half a dozen abilities going off at once to do them serious damage, or maybe one of these people had an ability as powerful as [Firebomb]. Even if they had the assurance of a higher skill level and a gear advantage . . .


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Daphne?¡± called a female voice from the crowd.


    ¡°Betha-¡±


    ¡°Shh. Don¡¯t say it! My name here is Belladonna Nightshade, [Ranger] extraordinaire.¡± It was another Kiten, except this woman couldn¡¯t be confused with a tame house cat. She was a panther, with charcoal skin, dangerous yellow eyes, and wide hips that ended in a sleek black tail. She raced at Daphne, wrapping her up in a big hug that lifted the little Kiten right off the ground.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so cute!¡± Belladonna kissed Daphne on the lips, a long sensual kiss, with tongue.


    Edge¡¯s jaw went slack. Sakura went bug eyed. ¡°Edge, this is my, err, friend that I was talking about,¡± said a blushing Daphne.


    ¡°You know these people, Bell?¡± asked a half stunned Taurus.


    ¡°Yeah, Bull, they¡¯re okay,¡± Belladonna vouched.


    ¡°They¡¯re your responsibility then. I had nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah.¡±


    The music started up again and everyone seemed to go back to their business.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sakura, Daphne¡¯s companion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Edge. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be getting too friendly. I only said you guys were okay, because Daphne was with you. Don¡¯t screw this up for me.¡±


    ¡°Screw what up?¡± inquired Sakura.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know, do you.¡± Belladonna stated.


    ¡°Betha- Bell, what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Daphne.


    Belladonna whispered into Daphne¡¯s ear, and she nodded along. The music was too loud for Edge to eavesdrop. He should have trained the [Listen] skill!


    Belladonna led the group into a back room that wasn¡¯t much more than a private open space with a single table and chairs. The music was muffled somewhat, and the smoke seemed to dissipate entirely upon crossing the threshold.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem Bethany? These are my friends.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Belladonna here, love. Not all of us use our own names for our character names.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I wasn¡¯t supposed to, it only said [Name] on the screen.¡±


    ¡°Sheesh, Daphne. You never change,¡± Belladonna placed her hand on her forehead in a mock wince. ¡°That¡¯s why I love you.¡±


    Daphne turned the deepest tone of scarlet she¡¯d been so far. ¡°We are just friends, Bell.¡±


    ¡°Good friends,¡± replied Belladonna, giving Sakura a strange stare.


    ¡°So what¡¯s this all about anyway. Why would the minotaur and his pals have a problem with us? Have there been any murders?¡± Edge demanded.


    ¡°Murders? No, though I suppose that depends on your definition of murder. Obviously, you guys have figured out this is more than a game.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we know little else,¡± said Sakura.


    ¡°I can tell. But you have upgraded equipment, so that means you must be Gambits.¡±


    ¡°Gambits?¡± Edge asked. Whatever it meant, Belladonna said it with scorn in her voice.


    ¡°Players that believe winning the game is the only way to leave Levia,¡± she explained. ¡°We call them Gambits because they gamble away people''s lives to become stronger.¡±


    ¡°So . . . when you die, you don¡¯t respawn . . .¡± Edge said the words, somehow knowing for certain made a difference. ¡°But are you dead for sure? You might just log off or something.¡±


    ¡°Nobody knows, but there aren¡¯t all that many willing to put it to the test. All we know is that when your life points reach zero, you¡¯re a tombstone.¡±


    ¡°So we need to beat the game to go home?¡± Daphne asked, a little downtrodden.


    ¡°No,¡± said Belladonna. ¡°The game developers are going to fix the problem, and then we¡¯ll be able to log out.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± asked Edge.


    ¡°Well, this is isn¡¯t some minor issue. In the real world, there must be hundreds of computer techs trying to figure this out. As long as we survive, it¡¯s only a matter of time before we¡¯re rescued,¡± she said, as if she¡¯d rehearsed the script.


    Belladonna could be right, the Gambits could be right, but one thing was clear to Eugene: both groups believed in a way out of Levia. They were polar opposites fighting for the same optimistic dream, in their own separate ways. So why were they at odds? And where did Edge, Sakura, and Daphne fit into this mixture? What should they do? Become Gambits, or stay put and try to play it safe. Or split apart. Belladonna must have read something on Edge¡¯s face.


    ¡°I can probably talk to [Gryphon], he¡¯s kind of like the leader here, get you guys settled. There¡¯s a food dispensary down the street that will give you a bowl of soup everyday. It¡¯s not a quest or anything. It¡¯s just to feed the poor, we think. It tastes like salt water, but it¡¯s enough so you won¡¯t go hungry.¡±


    ¡°Is there a repeatable quest to get a room?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, but these meeting rooms are free, so we just sleep here. It¡¯s getting more crowded, but there¡¯s enough room for everyone who¡¯s made it to the Watering Hole.¡±


    Sakura grimaced. ¡°I wonder how many people didn¡¯t make it?¡±


    ¡°Well . . . each starting point began with five players . . .¡±


    ¡°Five? We only had three!¡± said Daphne.


    ¡°It started as the two of us, and became three, but it¡¯s possible there were more,¡± reasoned Edge. ¡°They could have finished their characters faster than us, and left before we even arrived.¡±


    ¡°Or they could have been killed,¡± said Sakura. ¡°I went searching for some low level mobs as soon as I got into the game. That¡¯s how I got lost. I might have died out there, if I hadn¡¯t found the road again . . .¡±


    Or worse, she might have died to the first mob she found. No one wanted to say it, but Levia Online was truly unfair; its difficulty was set to maximum hell. Eugene didn¡¯t want to think about how many players were lost, before ever reaching their own equivalent of Baldor¡¯s Loft.


    ¡°Without Edge, I¡¯d be gone too,¡± said Daphne. ¡°We are stronger together.¡±


    Daphne had a way of making complex issues into simple truths. He wished he could do that. Edge felt like he needed to say something. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Gambits are right, or if you¡¯re right. I saw the players in the next room, the look in their eyes . . .¡± What was it? ¡°They are afraid, waiting for a rescue that might never come. I don¡¯t think we should risk people''s lives trying to beat the game. But I don¡¯t think staying here is the answer, either. I think . . . I think we should keep looking. Maybe, there is an answer out there somewhere. Just because we don¡¯t know how to get out of Levia, doesn¡¯t mean that there isn¡¯t a way.¡± It was true, but it was also a lie. A lie they needed to hear, and a lie that he desperately wanted to believe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, Edge,¡± said Daphne. ¡°I want to go home, and I don¡¯t like the music here.¡±


    Really, the music?


    ¡°You¡¯ll need someone who can translate magic texts, and a lap to lay your head on at night,¡± pitched Sakura.


    Really, her lap?


    ¡°Daphne, you can¡¯t be serious. You need to stay with me. You can¡¯t go with these people,¡± pleaded Belladonna, a touch angrily.


    ¡°Bell, you don¡¯t understand. Edge is my hero.¡±


    Really, he was a hero?


    ¡°A hero huh?¡± Belladonna weighed him up and down, eyes afire with sudden contempt and a deeper loathing that made him feel small. He¡¯d almost forgotten what it was like to be looked at like that. Almost. ¡°I can¡¯t convince you otherwise?¡±


    Daphne shook her head, pinching her eyes closed and scrunching her face.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m coming with you,¡± announced Bell with a bright smile, like it was the easiest decision in the world.


    Daphne burst into smiles of her own, leaping and latching onto Belladonna in joyous celebration, followed by an hour long bout of non-stop rendition, telling the story of their previous adventures. In which, Daphne made Edge sound like some kind of super hero, though he mostly just threw rocks that didn¡¯t do any damage, or probably very little, and punched the occasional gecko in the nose . . . sometimes even before they bit him!

 Chapter 16

    ¡°I logged in to find a full group . . .¡± Belladonna began hesitantly, a story forcing itself out. ¡°None of us knew each other, since the whole random start point thing. We sort of said ¡®hi¡¯, you know. VR isn¡¯t like a computer or console game. You can¡¯t really just pretend you don¡¯t notice someone here. They are right there, staring you in the face, right? We didn¡¯t really talk. There was a path that led to a rest stop, like an inn. I¡¯m not sure what the others did, but I thought if I could get to the starting town that maybe I¡¯d find Daphne.¡±


    Belladonna turned to Daphne with a serious face. ¡°It was my idea to spend the extra money we earned to buy into this game. Most of the bad ideas are mine.¡± She paused to watch Daphne¡¯s response to this ¡®almost an apology, but not quite.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t want to play Beth-err, sorry, I keep doing that, I mean Belladonna. It¡¯s just that the courses I¡¯m taking at the university are already so expensive. Now I won¡¯t have any money for other things.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what course are you taking?¡± asked Sakura, seemingly unsurprised.


    ¡°I want to be a music teacher,¡± said Daphne. ¡°I give private lessons to high school students and some younger kids too. But I don¡¯t have any real credentials, not ones that¡¯ll let me teach at a school, anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really great! and you¡¯re such a good singer,¡± admonished Sakura. ¡°You are so talented, I¡¯m just finishing my second year in business, and it''s all math.¡± She sounded rather disgusted with the prospect of math.


    ¡°School¡¯s for losers anyway, right Edge?¡± offered Bell.


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± he said.


    ¡°A real talker you found here, Daphne.¡±


    ¡°Shh, he¡¯s strong and silent. Don¡¯t change him.¡±


    The ladies giggled at his expense. All of these cute girls were old enough to go to college, and he was still a lowly high school student. They were planning their futures, while he was barely managing to survive his bullies. How could he have believed that Daphne was a middle schooler? He felt like such an idiot. The girls chatted away, while he sat there, wondering if he¡¯d ever mentioned his age to anyone, deathly afraid that if they knew he was a just a high school kid, then . . . Would they reject him, like everyone else in his former life?


    ¡°So Edge, what about you? What do you do in the real world?¡± prodded Sakura.


    There was no way he was going to tell them, but he didn¡¯t want to lie either. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°I bet he¡¯s a NEET,¡± laughed Belladonna, who knew him for less than an hour, but wasn¡¯t that far from the truth.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not!¡± retorted Daphne. ¡°He¡¯s a game otaku, with a messy bedroom, who only eats cup ramen, and who needs a wife to take care of him,¡± said Daphne with some resolution.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s a salaryman. One who works hard everyday in an office filled with people who dress exactly the same, and who secretly plays online games every chance he can get.¡±


    Somehow all of the girls¡¯ weird ideas were still better than the truth.


    ¡°Tell us Edge. Don¡¯t be so cold,¡± prodded Belladonna.


    ¡°. . . not telling.¡±


    ¡°See. He¡¯s mysterious too,¡± Daphne added to the list of her hero¡¯s qualities.


    Edge had just about enough of the catching-up. ¡°We should find another inn, someplace less crowded . . .¡± He wondered what he should call the people outside, who were waiting for a miracle that might never come? ¡°. . . with less players,¡± he finished.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many places you can stay for free. The guards won¡¯t let you sleep in the streets. They escort you outside the gates, if they catch you, and unless you have emeralds, they won¡¯t let you back in. There¡¯s a camp of Gambits outside the North Gate that recruit players that way.¡± Belladonna said the last as if there were no worse fate.


    Funny, Edge hadn¡¯t seen a camp of players outside either gate. But how much of that might rely upon his observation skill. He really needed to find a better way to raise it higher. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be free, we have crystals,¡± he explained.


    They each completed the gate guard¡¯s quest simply by chatting with the owner of the Watering Hole, Lady Mondae, and agreeing to return to the guards with a package labelled [Free Lunch]. The trip was much quicker with Belladonna as guide. She seemed to know the city well enough, although Edge and Sakura were often struggling to keep up with the pair of fast moving Kiten.


    ¡°Okay boss, where to next?¡± asked Belladonna.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s something important we need to do before we go any farther,¡± said Edge. ¡°I know this might be a little sudden, but you¡¯re Daphne¡¯s . . . friend.¡± Or girlfriend, or whatever. How was he supposed to know about their relationship status? ¡°And that makes you one of us. A member of our group, I mean. That is, if you want to join?¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The black jungle panther actually looked contemplative. ¡°Of course I do. Where Daphne goes, I go,¡± she replied resolutely, accompanying the declaration with a threatening glare.


    Edge sent Belladonna a friend request, followed by the rest. ¡°Welcome to the group,¡± he said, offering his hand out for a shake.


    Daphne hugged him instead. ¡°In this group, we don¡¯t shake hands. We give hugs!¡±


    Without warning he had three college girls wrapping their arms around him, a soft female fragrance choking his mental capacity. He¡¯d never been so nervous in all his life.


    Belladonna laughed out loud. ¡°Daphne, he isn¡¯t only a neet gaming otaku salaryman. He¡¯s a virgin, too,¡± she teased. As the hug broke up, Belladonna gave him a peck on the lips. ¡°I¡¯ve just stolen his first kiss.¡± She put her fists on her hips and barked, ¡°Muhaha!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s mine!¡± Daphne kissed Belladonna on the lips. ¡°I got it, I got it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it works like a game of ¡®got your nose,¡¯ Daphne,¡± said Sakura. ¡°And that¡¯s not his first kiss. I stole it, that first night at Baldor¡¯s Loft, while he was sleeping.¡±


    ¡°What!? Ch-Ch-Cheating! That¡¯s not fair!¡± Daphne exclaimed. ¡°Is that true Edge?¡±


    How would he know? He was asleep.


    ¡°You big cheater,¡± Daphne pouted, supplying him with a double punch to the ribs. ¡°Pervert,¡± she added, out of habit, but with a sad look.


    ...


    Cobbletown Market was a large circular space with a fountain in its center, surrounded by tall buildings covered in stained glass mosaics of fruits and vegetables, swords and shields, needles and threads, and a host of other mercantile portrayals. Unlike many games, where vendors stand around outside, next to unchanging cart graphics, Cobbletown Market was a strip mall wrapping around a central courtyard. More than a dozen shops made up the bottom floors of the buildings, all of which had enormously large clear glass panes. The girls traipsed the perimeter, window shopping with sparkles in their eyes.


    ¡®A steel shield,¡¯ Edge spotted, beside an assortment of armours.


    Daphne eyeballed a series of cute outfits through another shop¡¯s window.


    ¡°I come here sometimes to look at all the nice gear,¡± laughed Belladonna. ¡°But it¡¯s sort of a tease, a fantasy that won¡¯t come true. I know how stupid that sounds, considering where we are.¡±


    ¡°This goes without saying,¡± started Edge, ¡°but we need to be very careful with how we spend our crystals. It may not seem like it, but every single one we¡¯ve earned could help save our lives, if we spend them right.¡±


    ¡°Everything here is so expensive. How many crystals do you have anyway?¡± asked Bell.


    Everyone turned their attention to Sakura, who¡¯d become their banker.


    ¡°Enough,¡± she said, vaguely, as a pair of spectacles appeared on her face.


    Where do they come from!?


    ¡°So, as a ranger, what sort of weapons can you use? and what kind of abilities do you have? We are going to need to plan a new strategy,¡± Edge stated, rubbing his chin.


    ¡°I specialized in archery, and it gave me an [Arrow Stun] ability, but I can¡¯t use any other weapons now, because I specialized.¡±


    ¡°So far, every advantage in Levia comes attached to an equally brutal disadvantage,¡± Sakura noted. ¡°I only have one spell.¡±


    ¡°That just means being in a well composed group is really important,¡± Edge said. He didn¡¯t know what they were complaining about, at least they had an ability. He was the one who should be complaining here.


    ¡°Are we a good team, then?¡± Daphne asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± answered Edge, honestly. ¡°We don¡¯t really have a full healer, or a full tank, but we do have a lot of dps, and our mobility is getting better.¡±


    ¡°We should find a tank to be our last party member,¡± said Belladonna.


    It was hard to argue with that logic, but as a group of three level two¡¯s and a level one, did they really even know their own abilities well enough to start recruiting?


    ¡°We need a bow, and probably a large number of arrows,¡± announced Sakura. ¡°But I think we should find a shop that sells trade tools first. And Edge, you should really start thinking about the type of weapon you want to use. I¡¯m not sure throwing rocks is to our tactical advantage.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose they sell bigger rocks?¡± he half joked. It was a serious problem, though. The weapon he chose could end up being of vital importance to the party, and choosing the wrong one could hurt the group immensely.


    ¡°He throws rocks?¡± Belladonna whispered to Daphne.


    ¡°It¡¯s cute,¡± replied Daphne.


    Edge¡¯s eyebrow twitched before he sneezed. He really needed to pick a weapon.

 Chapter 17

    The weapon shop was laid out as a jewelry store or museum, with all kinds of different armaments stored under glass casings with copper name plates pinned to their redwood bases. If you touched the plates, a status window appeared with the weapon¡¯s description along with its price. He guessed that in a shop this large, it didn¡¯t make any sense to wait in line for a digital vendor, despite the fact that they were the only players in the shop. Perhaps the developers were expecting more from the players, or more survivors. Thousands had been part of the crowd funding. In fact, considering the size of the city, they hardly saw any other players at all. The ones they did see were mostly still in their noob clothes, and ran away at first sight. Their reaction spoke largely to the rumours of forceful recruiting by Gambits, but they¡¯d yet to see any members of that group either.


    The prices in the market were steep, and the only really affordable items were basic gear. Sakura and Belladonna had gone straight to the tools shop. It was the first time in a while he and Daphne had been alone together, and it was somehow much more awkward than it once was, back when it was just the two of them at Baldor¡¯s Loft.


    ¡°So what are you going to buy?¡± Daphne asked, while they wandered around the second floor of the unique armory.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s so much to choose from. It¡¯s like an impossible decision.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    Daphne stood by an open table, fiddling with a knife nearly the length of a short sword, while Edge slowly made his way around the outside of the room. He was searching for the perfect weapon for himself, instead stumbling upon the perfect weapon for Daphne, if she could play it. The ivory harp was strung with golden threads, but where your average harp was made for music, this one was made for battle. The ivory frame bent as a recurve bow with a harp set in its center. Its outermost string was silver wire meant for nocking an arrow against. The bow had little for garnish beyond the strings, overall it was a sleek and deadly bardic missile weapon. Though how a player could play music, while they simultaneously aimed and shot was another dilemma.


    [Hunter¡¯s Harp] He tapped the copper label, and cringed at the price tag. They could afford it, but it would cost them about half of their accumulated stash, if Sakura hadn¡¯t spent it already. They had agreed it would be better to leave town penniless and well equipped, rather than rich and vulnerable, but half of their money on one weapon seemed especially excessive to Edge.


    ¡°Daphne, over here.¡±


    She walked over to the tall display case. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Can you play it?¡±


    ¡°A nineteen string harp, of course, with a little practice. But I¡¯m not sure I can shoot a bow and arrow.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a look at your weapon proficiencies again,¡± suggested Edge. The pair stood close to one another, looking over Daphne¡¯s character menu. An enormous painful tugging on his ear pulled him away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand so close,¡± ordered an angry Belladonna.


    ¡°Ouch, that really hurt,¡± said Daphne, rubbing her ear. ¡°And Edge smells good.¡±


    He was not responding to that.


    ¡°Did you find a weapon?¡± Sakura asked Edge.


    ¡°Sort of, just not for me,¡± he replied, pointing at the display case.


    Sakura whistled. ¡°This would add one more to our DPS, and boost all of Daphne¡¯s songs.¡±


    ¡°We hope. The description doesn¡¯t actually say she¡¯ll get a bonus.¡±


    ¡°A risk then.¡±


    ¡°Is it worth it?¡± Edge asked the group, in all seriousness.


    ¡°I bought a leather worker¡¯s kit, an herbalist''s guide, a mining pick, and a lumberjack axe, so we have all our bases covered for gathering,¡± she replied. ¡°There were far more crafting and gathering tools than I would have imagined,¡± she added the last with a sparkle of joy behind her calculating elvish eyes. ¡°Belladonna already found a simple bow, quiver and ammo downstairs. If we bought this item for Daphne, most of our funds would be depleted. Certainly not enough leftover for armour upgrades.¡±


    ¡°Ooo a leather worker''s kit. Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie,¡± said a wide eyed Daphne. She tinkered with the kit, and her stash of Gecko hides. ¡°Bell, why not?¡± She pouted at the popup window. [You can¡¯t learn this skill].


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re maxed out on trade skills,¡± Belladonna replied.


    ¡°But I only have my skinning knife!¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Edge grunted.


    ¡°Oh yes, that might troublesome,¡± acknowledged Sakura.


    ¡°What is? Why won¡¯t anybody tell me anything,¡± exclaimed Daphne.


    ¡°We are both alchemists,¡± answered Sakura.


    ¡°What from just tasting that one potion that time?¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Edge repeated, distastefully. ¡°If Daphne can¡¯t use it, we might not be able to either. I took cooking and camping after all, one of those could easily be a trade skill. Pass it over and I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°No-don¡¯t,¡± Belladonna blurted. ¡°If Daphne has skinning, then I should be the leather worker.¡±


    Edge wasn¡¯t exactly sure what this was about.


    ¡°I concur,¡± agreed Sakura. ¡°Archers are much more efficient at farming wild game. Your skills would match your classes better.¡± That actually made sense to Edge. Sakura¡¯s sensibility was a blessing on their little group.


    ¡°Edge . . . Edge should be my partner,¡± Daphne announced, rather coyly, strumming her fingers together mischievously.


    ¡°No, Belladonna is right. Her class suits leather working a lot more than mine,¡± Edge concluded, handing the kit over to Belladonna.


    It was almost like Belladonna was actually blushing, but her dark skin and long bangs made it much harder to know for sure.  ¡°Thanks,¡± was all she said, however, all the while twirling her braided ponytail. Why did Edge feel like even her shyness was just a tease?


    ¡°I¡¯m taking the Herbalism skill,¡± said Sakura. ¡°That way I can keep track of the ingredients I gather, and make sure to have enough to raise both of our alchemy skills, together.¡±


    ¡°But I wanna do alchemy,¡± wined Daphne.


    ¡°Really? I never thought that you might like working right next to Edge as his intimate crafting partner,¡± tormented Sakura. ¡°He and I will probably have to stay up late at night together in his room to . . . raise our skills.¡±


    Daphne became thoughtful over this new important piece of information. ¡°It¡¯s . . . it¡¯s not fair!¡± she exploded.


    Eugene marveled at Sakura¡¯s ability to manipulate, wondering if he too fell victim to her particular charms. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we should both do alchemy,¡± he said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to focus on raising one person¡¯s skill to max. Pots are a distinct advantage in combat for most games, but low level players tend not to have, use, or make them-¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t normally need them at early levels,¡± Belladonna finished.


    ¡°But in Levia . . .¡± Edge added. It didn¡¯t need to be said. In Levia they needed every advantage they could get, especially if their gathering skill could make them for free, or at least cheaper. ¡°We need to get an alchemy kit as well.¡±


    ¡°How did you forget an alchemy kit?¡± challenged Daphne.


    ¡°About that,¡± Sakura hesitated. ¡°It costs seventy-five rubies.¡±


    ¡°So much money!¡± Daphne pouted.


    ¡°Just enough, actually,¡± formulated Sakura.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how rich you guys are,¡± sighed Belladonna. ¡°No one at the Watering Hole ever had a ruby.¡±


    [Your observation skill has increased: 22]


    ¡°Good afternoon, Raylor. What business does the Captain of the Guard have with a humble merchant such as myself?¡± asked the weapons vendor from behind the counter downstairs.


    ¡°You know why I¡¯m here,¡± rebuked Raylor. The Captain of Cobbletown¡¯s guard stood two hands taller than the average man. He was a beefy sort, clean shaven with short cropped black hair that fell over his pale forehead in a greasy mess.


    The merchant fidgeted behind the counter. ¡°I¡¯m not paying. I already pay my taxes and, and, and that should be enough,¡± he stuttered.


    ¡°Your shipment arrived on time, unmolested.¡± Raylor let the statement sink-in.


    ¡°You defenders are the real bandits,¡± he complained, but pulled out a heavy pouch from under the counter and slid it over to the guard captain.


    The captain pushed it back to the merchant.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s all there, I promise,¡± the merchant stammered in panic.


    ¡°I know it is. The town guard wishes to purchase a shipment of longswords and additional ammunition. Place the order.¡± Raylor began walking out of the store, then paused, ¡°at your standard rates, of course.¡±


    [C Rank Quest: Guarded Extortionists] It only popped up for Daphne and Edge.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± questioned Belladonna.


    ¡°Should we accept, Edge. This quest line is getting really interesting. I wanna see what happens,¡± Daphne grinned.


    ¡°It¡¯s [C] rank, that has to be way above our level . . . I¡¯m afraid that if we keep taking quests we can¡¯t finish, our codex could get full,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said a surprised Bell, ¡°quest rank doesn¡¯t have anything to do with difficulty. It¡¯s about rarity. Someone told me they dropped an emerald in a wishing well and found a [D] rank once . . .¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s rarity and not difficulty . . . then we should accept. But what I can¡¯t figure out is if rare quests actually give better rewards or not,¡± Edge complained.


    ¡°The codex keeps track of all the quests you finish, and the number of quests completed in each rank is on the sidebar, see,¡± said Belladonna.


    He already knew that, but why was the real question. ¡°It could be the way out, you know. Maybe we need to finish enough quests of every rank before we can logout.¡± The problem with the codex was that it didn¡¯t display any of the ranks, until you actually found or completed a quest in one. So there was no way to know how many ranks were going to be listed.


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Daphne asked.


    He couldn¡¯t say yes and be certain, so Edge didn¡¯t say anything at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s one possibility,¡± Sakura answered for him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just buy what we need and go. We should see if we can¡¯t scout a place to farm mobs. I don¡¯t suppose you know of an area with low level monsters?¡± he asked Belladonna.


    ¡°I¡¯m not on speaking terms with any Gambits,¡± she said grudgingly, ¡°if that¡¯s what you¡¯re getting at, but I know an entrance to the Cobbletown sewers that they use. I heard there are oozes and giant rats down there, and that a lot of recruits have gone down, and some of them don¡¯t come back . . .¡±


    ¡°Okay, bandits or sewers?¡± Edge asked the party. It was too much to ask for the girls to volunteer for sewer duty, but the bandits were the bigger threat as far as Edge was concerned. They needed to raise their new weapon abilities, and Belladonna was still level one. No one wanted to make the decision, and when he suggested the sewers, a group wide cringe was the response, so they put it off. Why wouldn¡¯t they just listen to him for once?


    ¡°Ooo, there is an ice cream shop,¡± drooled Daphne, who was still partly enamoured with her new [Hunter¡¯s Harp]. ¡°Edge, you need to buy me ice cream.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can get fat here?¡± wondered Sakura.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± replied Edge. ¡°It just wouldn¡¯t make any sense to alter character avatars after every meal.¡± Apparently, that was the right answer, because Daphne was dragging him by the arm into the shop. After purchasing both an Alchemy kit and the harp, their funds had been all but depleted. In the end, he was still relying on his wooden shield and a pouch full of rocks.


    Each member of the group purchased one of the many different flavours of ice cream, which fortunately for Edge was relatively cheap. Sakura was doling out an allowance to each group member, and he could only frown at the meager handful of crystals that was his portion. Why was she always so cheap with him? Was it so that he would have to go beg her for more?!


    ¡°It¡¯s purr-fect,¡± Daphne hummed into her strawberry ice cream. ¡°Every shopping date should include ice cream,¡± she said as a matter of fact, rubbing her cheek into Edge¡¯s shoulder as she kept his arm in a lock. At least with an inventory, their window shopping adventure didn¡¯t have him weighed down with shopping bags.


    ¡°It is quite good,¡± agreed Sakura, who was latched onto his other arm. Though somehow he ended up just as encumbered. How was he supposed to eat his ice cream without arms?


    Belladonna walked sheepishly beside Daphne sampling her cone.


    ¡°Date.¡± The word fell off Eugene¡¯s lips like a foreign language. Somehow this weird stroll around the plaza had become his first date. But he wasn¡¯t even sure who he was on a date with. ¡°S-sorry about this, Belladonna. They can be a little-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± she stopped him short. ¡°It¡¯s only ice cream. It¡¯s not like we are taking your virginity,¡± she added, brusquely. ¡°Yet,¡± she barked a roar of laughter.


    Neither Sakura, nor Daphne gainsaid her remark.


    Edge paled.


    College girls were just-


    They were really-


    He just wanted to-


    It was like being caught in a trap with a lion, a panther, and a pink elf. Gecko Kings, bandit bosses, oozes, and giant rats, suddenly became minor threats in comparison. Edge was faced up against three amorous college girls. And he was petrified.

 Chapter 18

    Sewers are typically dank, dark, smelly places and the Cobbletown sewers were no different. Except these were created for players to hunt, rather than effluent to flow, for which they were all equally grateful. The tunnels had tall arching brick ceilings, occasionally lit by steel grates allowing light in from above. Circular mesh drains extruded from the walls on either side at regular locations, dripping water onto the ground. This entire place must fill with water during the rainy days, something for Edge to keep in mind if this was to become a regular farming ground. Each tunnel was connected by more perpendicular tunnels, and most ended with a tubular metal ladder connected to a solid stone wall that reached up to covered manhole exits. It would take weeks to check all the manholes and map all of their locations. Edge had a hunch that at least one of them would lead into a building of importance for a quest of some kind. It was common sense for a gamer.


    When two giant rats appeared from around a nearby corner, the team went into action with a practiced grace.


    Daphne plucked at her harp, while singing a damage buff for the party and nocking an arrow. Musical talent, combined with practice, allowed her to multitask in a fashion that bordered on genius.


    Sakura waited patiently. Her powerful spell [Firebomb] was not needed against only two giant rats, but she had to be ready for any surprises.


    Belladonna Nightshade, [Ranger], was fast becoming the best DPS in the group. The moment Daphne¡¯s buff came into effect, she loosed an arrow into each of the rats. It wasn¡¯t enough damage to defeat them, but her ability [Arrow Stun] stuck both rats in place, ready to receive a second barrage. The only downsides to her potent specialized ability, was its mana cost and relatively short duration. Two stun arrows were all they were going to get, until she had a chance to recover after the battle.


    Edge stood out in front of the group, wielding only his round wooden shield. He rested on one knee propping the shield on the ground. It only made sense to keep low, when two first day archers were shotgunning arrows behind you. The truth was that he still had no effective weapon at all. The situation had gone far beyond what was reasonable. He knew that no amount of stones were going to draw aggro back from the three ladies behind him. At the moment, his role in the party had become a portable wall. A second wave of arrows flew over his shoulder, both hitting their marks. Daphne and Belladonna were getting better with each barrage. He wondered how much relied upon their increasing skill points, and how much on their own natural talents.


    The stun effect ended and the brown bristly rats scurried toward the group. Edge chose one, meeting it head on. Its eyes were blood red, and its long maw was armed with two sets of razor sharp teeth. He bounced his shield off its face, blocking its path. He retreated two quick steps, readying a second shield blow. The giant rat pushed itself forward and to his left, lunging its teeth at his midsection. He couldn¡¯t move fast enough to avoid the attack, so he retaliated, punching the rat on the side of the head, while pulling his shield in tight to his body for protection. In that split second, he interposed his shield, and the giant rat¡¯s attack struck harmlessly against its cheap wooden planks. The momentum of the creature¡¯s thrust knocked him backward onto his seat. The giant rat charged at him, and there was no way he could block it while sitting; his shield was too big and awkward. Those teeth were coming to rip his throat out. He panicked, but his body moved as if by an inner power, instinct. He punched outward with the metallic brim of his shield, and it struck the giant rat in its hairy neck. He threw a second blow with his other fist in a combo that slammed the giant rat¡¯s head into the stone floor.


    A flag appeared above the mob¡¯s corpse. Edge fell backward to lay against the cold stone, panting. The girls were giggling in a semi-circle behind him, looting the other rat, which they must have brought down with a third volley.


    ¡°Are you done yet?¡± asked Belladonna.


    ¡°I taught him that,¡± said Daphne who punched a one two combo into the air. ¡°Good job, Edge. You were really cool.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to loot it,¡± nagged Sakura. ¡°And Daph-¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. Skinning knife, skinning knife.¡±


    Women. Didn¡¯t they know that he was just fighting for his life? A little help would have been nice. They were pretty amazing, though. Who would have guessed that their group would get this strong so fast? It felt like he was falling behind. Was he the party¡¯s anchor, the weight that would sink the group, just like in real life? These were not unfamiliar feelings for Eugene, and a big part of him wanted to wallow in them. But Edge wouldn¡¯t let him. He put away the thoughts of his mom, and school, and other things that crept in whenever he began to think too much, or feel too much. By now his body was probably in a hospital somewhere attached to a bunch of IV¡¯s. Would there be anyone to visit him?


    This world was a game. And when it came to gaming, grinding, leveling, questing, Eugene was better than good, he was the best. He just needed . . . to become stronger, to forget about the problems and come up with solutions. Why the heck had he hesitated in choosing a weapon for so long? This was life and death! And unlike the real world, there were no human limitations here. What had been impossible at home, he could accomplish now. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he whispered to himself, staring at the ceiling. ¡°I want to get stronger.¡± He took another look at the girls, each working hard in their own way. ¡°I need to be the strongest,¡± he promised. He even threw a couple more punches with the brim of his shield. The attack seemed to do pretty decent damage, for now it would have to do.


    The rats were more difficult than geckos, but their trip into the sewer gave them some decent [EXP]. The drops were poor, only a few emeralds per mob. It was clear that giant rats were better for experience farming than for money farming. In a city this big, it was going to be hard to find the right quests that might give them a boost to one or both. They¡¯d need to ask around anyway, Edge supposed.


    They climbed the ladder out of the sewer, Sakura headed up first. Edge tried to go second, and was met with a double punch from Daphne. ¡°Pervert!¡±


    ¡°What was that for? I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± At first, he found the girls antics to be a little amusing. These sort of interactions had been so new to him. But now . . .


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    ¡°You were gonna look,¡± Daphne accused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Edge can look if he wants,¡± said Sakura, from up above.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to look at anything!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m next, and Bell¡¯s gonna keep an eye on you, so no peeking.¡±


    Belladonna shrugged her shoulders, and nodded. ¡°Both eyes,¡± she purred.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to look,¡± he shouted upward. ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± he complained to Belladonna.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to understand why they both like you,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m next . . .¡± she whispered provocatively into his ear as she passed by, ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you look.¡±


    Edge swallowed. It didn¡¯t matter if it was okay. He still wasn¡¯t going to look. Absolutely not.


    They found another more respectable inn not too far away from the Watering Hole. It was a three story structure with a slanted red tile roof, and narrow glass windows on the upper floors. The main floor was half open to the outside, and steam erupted from behind a tall fence that encompassed half the structure, and more. This wasn¡¯t an ordinary inn, it was a Japanese onsen (a hot springs inn)!


    Edge paid for his own room tonight with crystals he''d held back from today''s farming, and kept the key locked away in his inventory, where light fingers couldn¡¯t get at it. He was suddenly glad that none of the girls were rogues.


    The inn¡¯s kitchen offered private dining, and so they ordered off a menu with real choices, in a real dining room for a change. Mostly, their conversation focused on Levia, different tactics they might use in combat, and where they should go next. Eugene remained silent for most of the meal. He noticed that, for some reason, no one wanted to talk about home. It was particularly awkward because some part of him wanted to talk, to share. What would they think of their leader then? A bullied high school kid with mommy issues. A coward who thought about committing suicide. A useless depressed little boy with nothing to offer.


    ¡°Good night,¡± he said, halfway through the meal. The real world was becoming a taboo to share only when necessary. Edge made a hasty retreat, heading upstairs and bolting his door closed behind him. Was it selfish of him, that he hoped they would charge upstairs and confront him, comfort him? None of them did, of course. How would they know who he really was inside? As much as he was fond of his new friends, he needed to get away. It was a close call today, a brush with death. Yet everyone ignored it as if it was perfectly natural. Was this what their life was going to become, one brush with death after another until . . . He ran into the washroom and vomited into the toilet. It was disgusting and sickening, but he felt better when it passed.


    Eugene took off his shirt and examined himself in the stand mirror. The avatar wasn¡¯t unpleasant to look at, certainly better than his real world form. He flexed his arm in the mirror, and squeezed his muscles. Even here, even with this improved body . . . it wasn¡¯t strong enough. Though, whether or not his avatar would or could change in appearance was a lot less important than the tiny numbered statistics in his character profile.


    The fights today had taught him a hard lesson about the direction he was going with his character. If the [Adventurer] class didn¡¯t have special abilities-then somehow, it had to have something that balanced it with the rest of the classes. So far the only real clue had been his lack of restrictions. There was no weapon he couldn¡¯t wield, no armour that he couldn¡¯t wear, no skill had been denied to him-so far. And unlike the others, his stats weren¡¯t increasing with levels. But they did rise with effort, with using skills, with training.


    Edge took out a book he¡¯d borrowed from Sakura and laid it on the floor. He cracked the spine open to the first page and dropped into a push-up position. If he was going to raise his stats, he might as well do two at once. He pushed himself until he was on the verge of collapse. Sweat dripped onto the bound parchment under him, and he was having trouble reading the words. He wouldn¡¯t stop. There was no way he was going to let this game beat him. He¡¯d made real friends here, and they were going to follow him into danger. This wasn¡¯t about his own survival. Eugene stopped caring about his own survival a long time ago. It wasn¡¯t really true, he realized. Fear made him care. When his arms and chest could take no more punishment, he switched to squats, and propped the book up on the dresser. His life had a purpose now. Those grating girls didn¡¯t need someone like Eugene as their leader. They needed a hero. They needed Edge. Eugene was weak, pathetic, a loser. But he didn¡¯t have to be Eugene anymore . . .


    A knocking interrupted his exercise. He unbolted the door, and swung it wide. Belladonna stood in the doorway. Not the person he expected.


    ¡°Edge.¡±


    ¡°Belladonna.¡±


    ¡°Working hard I see. Daphne was wondering if something was wrong with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± he asked, pulling his shirt back on.


    ¡°If this is about what I said before . . .¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± What did she say, about what?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. We don¡¯t know each other that well. I shouldn¡¯t have teased you like I did.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re intimidated by us, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Yes, didn¡¯t sound like a very good answer. ¡°I¡¯m the leader. It¡¯s a lot of responsibility,¡± he said instead. ¡°I¡¯m not really used to being . . . you know.¡±


    ¡°The person in charge.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. It doesn¡¯t really feel like I¡¯m in charge of anything though.¡±


    ¡°I heard that¡¯s a sign you¡¯re doing it right,¡± she smiled. ¡°You know the others will follow your lead, but I just wanted you to know, I will too.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked, truly desperate to know the answer.


    ¡°Because you have the heart of a hero, whether you realize it or not,¡± she responded. ¡°And you¡¯re cute. Sort of innocent, you know? It''s easy to trust a person like you.¡± Belladonna patted him on the cheek and left, not bothering to close the door. ¡°You should relax, try the hot springs. They might do you some good,¡± she shouted from down the hall.

 Chapter 19

    Green foliage sat atop rocky outcroppings bordering the steamy open bath. A large rock formation protruded above the water near the center of the hot spring, and a doubly tall wooden fence separated the men¡¯s bath from the women''s.


    Edge sat on a rock with his back to the fence trying to soak away his earlier efforts. He hoped the bath would grant him some kind of bonus experience tomorrow, or at least special recovery today. There was no way to tell; a special status window would have been too much to ask for. Reflecting on how often he blamed or praised the developers for various aspects of the game that was now his life . . . In a sense, the developers were like the government, except with god-like powers. If Levia was a democracy, he would have voted for a special status window, he reasoned.


    A boyish chuckle echoed through the steam filled bath. Edge wasn¡¯t alone on the men¡¯s side of the onsen. [Your Observation skill has increased: 26]


    A man in flower patterned swimming trunks stood upon a tall rock behind him, peering through a small hole in the fence. What Edge had mistaken for a boyish chuckle was actually the creepy call of the infamous onsen pervert.


    ¡°Hey! Come down from there,¡± Edge demanded.


    The lanky man, with pale skin and black hair tied back into a ponytail, jumped in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± he said, taking a breath. ¡°I thought you were a defender. You¡¯re not, are you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good. You gave me quite a fright there.¡±


    The pervert hadn¡¯t seen frightening yet. ¡°If you don¡¯t get down from there right now, I¡¯ll call the defenders.¡± Edge had no idea how to go about doing that, but he doubted this NPC would know the difference. The yellow name above the pervert¡¯s head was a [???], which meant this was probably part of some sort of quest.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± the pervert said. ¡°Come see for yourself.¡±


    Ugh. What harm could it do? Edge climbed up onto the rock, dripping water from his black rogue shorts.


    ¡°See, it¡¯s completely harmless.¡±


    Edge peeked through the small hole. Daphne, Sakura, and Belladonna were enjoying a relaxing bath. None of them had purchased real swimsuits. Daphne¡¯s white and red striped comfortable undergarments matched the dress she usually wore. She really had more curves than he¡¯d thought. Meanwhile, Sakura seemed to be bursting from her pink matching ensemble. The developers had made the elvish avatars a bit panoramic. It would have been sexist, but the male elves were equally endowed with superhuman physiques, so it was only mildly inappropriate instead. Belladonna¡¯s outfit was more of a shock. Her red lacy thong and matching bra were tiny and nearly transparent. Set against her dark skin, the outfit made her look downright risque. Despite both being Kiten, there were vast differences between the short adorable lioness and the voluptuous panther. Sakura was in a league all her own.


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    ¡°You¡¯re a pervert,¡± Edge stated. ¡°I¡¯m telling the owner.¡±


    The man laughed at him. ¡°I have one word for you,¡¯ he said, ¡°accomplice.¡±


    ¡°You tricked me.¡±


    ¡°Well, you weren¡¯t all that difficult to trick. I think you wanted to peek.¡±


    This guy was really making Edge wish he¡¯d kept that giant two handed sword. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you,¡± Edge said, putting his hand on the pervert¡¯s chest, and pushing him into the spring.


    The man emerged, spitting water from his mouth, ¡°you hit me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hit you. I pushed you.¡±


    A whistle blew somewhere outside the compound. The stranger sighed at hearing the noise, ¡°looks like it¡¯s time to go.¡± He abruptly ran from the pool, hopping barefoot over the far exterior fence.


    A group of Cobbletown defenders in heavy chainmail armour clanked through the inn and into the pool area.


    ¡°You there, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± their leader called.


    ¡°I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a peeping tom, sir. That there behind him is a hole into the women¡¯s bath.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know that, Corporal?¡± The leader chastised.


    The man appeared decidedly guilty.


    ¡°Nevermind. We have bigger fish to fry tonight. You there man, have you seen any suspicious characters lurking hereabouts?¡±


    This was almost guaranteed to come back and haunt him, but . . . ¡°No, sir, just me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your lucky night, closet pervert. I don¡¯t have the time to deal with you now. But if I catch you in the act again, you¡¯ll find yourself in shackles.¡±


    ¡° I wasn¡¯t . . .¡± It wasn¡¯t worth trying to explain to an NPC, so he couldn¡¯t be bothered to try. Edge nodded, and the defenders quickly vacated the premises.


    ¡°What was all that about?¡± said a voice through the hole in the fence.


    A startled Edge saw Belladonna¡¯s yellow Kiten eye peeping through the hole. ¡°Nothing,¡± he tried, noncommittally.


    ¡°Did you enjoy the view?¡± she teased. ¡°If you wanted to see us naked, all you had to do was ask.¡±


    Edge turned beet red.


    The fence shook violently, and Daphne screamed, ¡°P-pervert, Edge!¡±


    ¡°Did you want a turn, Sakura? The view is quite revealing,¡± Belladonna asked.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m next,¡± Daphne blurted. ¡°It¡¯s only fair if he sees, I should see too.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re always black,¡± Sakura noted.


    ¡°What are?¡± Asked Belladonna.


    ¡°Edge¡¯s man panties,¡± replied Daphne.


    He didn¡¯t wear panties! They were his rogue shorts, very manly adventuring essential rogue shorts . . .

 Chapter 20

    [You have gained a level]


    The group spent most of their time over the next month cloistered under Cobbletown, farming giant rats and green oozes. No boss had yet to appear, which was fine by them. The furs they looted from the rodents were piling up in their inventory, and Belladonna had crafted her first item, [Gecko Leather Boots]. Although she made multiple pairs, only Edge would wear them. Amongst the rest of the party, Belladonna included, fashion triumphed over upgrades . . .


    -noobs.


    Two months, that¡¯s how long they¡¯d been trapped inside Levia Online, and no hint of the purpose of the game had surfaced. Edge sat on a bench overlooking the end of the world. It was noon, but the starscape was more vast than a dozen real skies. The universe of Levia was not infinite, as one expects from the real world. It had a bottom. Beneath the continent of Levia, a plane of miasma, possibly hundreds or more miles down, churned as the storms of Jupiter. The pinks, purples, blues and reds, blurred into one another as paint on an artist¡¯s palette, and extended as far as the eye could see. It was almost like looking out over the ocean from the peak of a cliff.


    A stone dock extended out into the empty void. He¡¯d heard rumours at the Watering Hole about players jumping off, desperately clinging to the chance that disappearing might send them back home. Not exactly an easy way out. He contemplated jumping, wondering how far he would fall, wondering if it would hurt. At one time he might have jumped, but now he didn¡¯t want to, not right now anyway. Edge finished his sandwich, tossing the wrapper over the side of the floating continent. It was time to get back to work.


    The party had become a well oiled machine, built on hard work, and producing results. Thanks to his private training sessions, he was holding his own even without special abilities, or even a weapon. Perhaps, unarmed combat was worth it after all. He could sunder a giant rat with one hit from the brim of his battered shield.


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    Edge caught up to the girls, who¡¯d decided to spend some of their hard earned bounty at a local cake shop. Not surprisingly, they¡¯d done the same thing for lunch everyday since the shop¡¯s discovery.


    ¡°Chocolate raspberry,¡± said Bell.


    ¡°Angel food with vanilla mousse,¡± said Daphne.


    ¡°Tiramisu,¡± added Sakura.


    A stack of empty plates sat at the center of the table between the girls. Just how much cake did they eat?


    ¡°Almost done?¡± asked Edge, with a hint of sass.


    None of the girls looked pleased by his interruption.


    ¡°This could be our last meal,¡± argued Daphne.


    Edge raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°Look Edge, Sakura said that our E, X, P, has gone down a lot since we levelled. Also,  Bell said that you¡¯d probably drag us somewhere new and dangerous soon, so we thought . . .¡± Daphne let her explanation die, as she noticed the other two glaring at her. ¡°What? That¡¯s what you said,¡± she defended.


    Sakura and Belladonna both kept silent, slowly shoveling spoonfuls of cake.


    ¡°You¡¯ll both be glad to hear, you¡¯re right,¡± said Edge. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we test out those crossroads bandits outside the North Gate.¡± He held back a ¡®before you get fat,¡¯ comment. Since it was rude, technically incorrect, and because he didn¡¯t want to be tossed off the end of that dock. ¡°I¡¯ll be at the North Gate, when you¡¯re finished,¡± he said dryly, making his escape before they strangled him with the bill.


    ¡°Is it me, or is Edge getting cheekier?¡± asked Sakura.


    ¡°I like a man who can take charge,¡± offered Belladonna. ¡°Just not of me.¡±


    ¡°He has nice cheeks,¡± said Daphne, obliviously.

 Chapter 21

    (Author Note: Perhaps at some point I¡¯ll get a map drawn, as I find the descriptions lacking, even if it isn¡¯t very important)


    Cobbletown was carved into three unique districts. The Southern district was home to establishments like the Watering Hole, and was where the group slept, farmed and ate cake. The Northern district appeared much like Southern, except that the defenders garrison, the lord¡¯s keep, and a few other administrative buildings took up much of its downtown. Splitting the two districts through the middle was a long strip of tall structures, containing shops and commercial buildings, known as the merchant district.


    Edge hadn¡¯t spent much time in the Northern District, mostly because rumour said that¡¯s where the Gambits had set up their operations. There was something about the Gambits, whom he had never met in person, that made them particularly scary. Anyone who was willing to sacrifice other people for the sake of a game, even in a death game, had to have something dangerously wrong with their thinking.


    The Northern Gate was a replica of the Western, including the pair of gate guards standing outside on either side of the passage. Edge leaned against a nearby stone wall, waiting for his group to arrive. Two full parties of five Gambits walked passed solemnly, without so much as looking at him. In both groups, only one player wore any armor, but each person carried a basic weapon that ranged from small wooden bows, to daggers and swords. The serious expressions on their faces showed both fear and bravery. If these shaky kneed guys were taking on bandits, then perhaps he was wrong about the crossroads being their next hunting grounds.


    Daphne observed Edge hiding against a nearby building. ¡°Are we practicing hiding today?¡±


    Edge was startled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t hiding, I was waiting.¡±


    ¡°The two aren¡¯t mutually exclusive,¡± noted Sakura, as Edge¡¯s avatar fluttered out of near invisibility. ¡°Are you certain you¡¯re not a rogue?¡± Edge actually looked a bit disturbed by her comment.


    He was sure.


    ¡°This is exciting, I haven¡¯t left the city since I got here,¡± said Belladonna.


    Edge wanted to say something cheerful, but the moods of the passing Gambits must have been contagious. ¡°There are bandits through those gates,¡± he said.  ¡°I¡¯ve seen two full parties of Gambits go out, since I got here. There are probably more,¡± he added with warning tones.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Edge. I¡¯ll protect you,¡± said Daphne.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid; he was just trying to convey the seriousness of the situation.


    ¡°We all will,¡± said Sakura, giving a special stare to Belladonna.


    ¡®Someone should place a signpost,¡¯ thought Edge, after half an hour of trekking down the road without finding any bandits. The familiar green rolling hills and bright sunlight were a pleasant change from Cobbletown¡¯s grey twilight. He hadn¡¯t realized how much he missed the great blue sky, and the rich earthy colours, even the smell of fresh grass.


    Daphne received a popup window. ¡°I can hear sounds of combat from up ahead,¡± she conveyed. ¡°That way,¡± she added, pointing beyond the nearest bend in the winding road.


    ¡°Okay, people, we¡¯re going in,¡± stated Edge. ¡°Everyone stay behind me, and we¡¯ll do a count before we proc any abilities.¡± He adjusted the round wooden shield on his arm, abandoning the road to climb the grassy hill between them and the sounds of battle.


    A scream echoed over the hilltop. Edge told himself not to rush, but he couldn¡¯t help it. It didn¡¯t matter if the scream came from a player or an NPC, it was still the sound of a person in pain or peril, and it triggered a hasty responsiveness.


    Nothing could have prepared them for the scene unfolding in the valley below. A pair of merchant wagons were stopped along the roadway. Two dozen caravan guards in blue tunics, wielding swords and shields, spread out around the wagons, protecting their charges. Half a dozen bandits in green and brown leathers were assaulting the nearest wagon, peppering the defenders with crossbow bolts, while a full group of Gambits engaged those guards defending the second farther wagon.


    Edge spotted the sultry Cassandra, holding a crossbow and flourishing her green cloak.


    ¡°Get down, hide,¡± Edge ordered, dropping into the tall grass. Belladonna was late in following the order. He¡¯d forgotten that she never trained her hiding with them. Hopefully being a ranger would give her a bonus of some kind.


    ¡°The Gambits are working with the bandits,¡± said Daphne, angrily.


    ¡°Why not?¡± retorted Edge. ¡°They are all mobs.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just wrong. We are supposed to be the good guys,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Geckos, giant rats, merchants, guards. It doesn¡¯t matter. They are all digital fakes made from data. They¡¯re not real,¡± said Edge, harshly.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it right,¡± said Daphne.


    ¡°I think . . . Edge is right,¡± said Belladonna. It was extremely unusual for her to disagree with Daphne, on anything. ¡°Real people are the only thing that matters.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re jumping to conclusions,¡± chastised Sakura. ¡°These bandits could be like robin hood and his merry men. Anyone who¡¯s taken the time to speak with an NPC inside Cobbletown knows that the Lord of Cobbletown is not well liked.¡±


    That was true, thought Edge.


    ¡°Are we going to help the bandits then?¡± asked Daphne.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we should interfere,¡± said Edge. ¡°Let¡¯s just watch for now, and see if they lead us back to a quest turn-in.¡±


    No one had any objections to his plan, thankfully.


    Four of the Gambits were still wearing their noob clothes, but seemed to be holding their own against the caravan guards. They used abilities whenever their cooldowns reset, which was good, except that they were missing out on opportunities to chain their skills as a group.


    The fifth Gambit was obviously the leader, or at least had better equipment than the others. The Gambit leader wore a large wooden barrel as a chest piece, with holes in the sides for his arms, and a hollow bottom for his leather clad legs. Atop his head was a metal bucket, with a visor cut into it, to see through. He employed a large two handed sword as his weapon, which made Edge a little jealous. His ability was creating a halo of light around his allies, though what it was doing was impossible to know-even if Edge had access to their health and mana bars. He silently cursed the gods (developers).


    The battle was decidedly one-sided, the bandits and Gambits quickly eliminating the caravan guards on the far side, and working their way to the front.


    A loud horn sounded in the distance, echoing through the valley. Cassandra actually grinned at the disturbance, twirling a single finger in the air above her head. The bandits recognized the signal, stopped their bombardment, and faded one by one, hiding or disappearing.


    The Gambits were spooked, clearly not prepared for the turn of events. Some of the group started to run, while the leader tried to rally them to finish off the last of the merchant guards. One of the Gambits swung an unruly mace, faltered mid-swing stumbling to the ground and winking from existence as a guard¡¯s sword pierced his chest. He dissolved in an instant, replaced by a grey tombstone.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Someone had died. It was the first time Eugene had ever witnessed a death, in Levia or otherwise. It was one thing hearing about people not making it, or Gambits and their recruits risking themselves. It was quite another to see it for himself. How cruel and pointless. Some part of the quest had changed unexpectedly, and already it cost a life. And here he was, waiting, hiding, and watching people die.


    Edge sprinted down the hill, quitting his cover. Caravan guards or bandits, none of them compared to the lives of real people. He shield bashed the back of the first guard he came upon, knocking it to the ground. Pandemonium rained down upon a neighboring cluster of guards, as a firebomb exploded in the center of their formation, three flags were all that remained. Sakura, the fire sorceress, was not to be trifled with.


    Edge was too late. The last of the Gambit followers who stayed behind with Bucket Head was cut down by a guard. The gruesome bloody visage of the elf, only lasted a fraction of a second before being replaced by grey stone. It wasn¡¯t an image Eugene was soon to forget. But he couldn¡¯t stop now. There was one more survivor, and Bucket Head was being pressed hard by the two remaining caravan guards, who swung their long swords in tandem like tireless robots.


    Edge plunged into the fray, using his patented shield punch maneuver to smash the nearest guard in the back of the head. It felt good when it connected, almost like a sneak attack.


    Bucket Head fell to the ground, and like a round turtle, was having trouble standing up. The last guard raised his sword to deal a final coup de grace.


    Edge couldn¡¯t interpose himself in time, the angles were no good. And even a tackle might not stop the guard¡¯s attack. Desperately, he jumped through the air shield first crashing into his target, the wooden barrel itself. It burst from the impact into splinters of shattered plank, sending Bucket Head sprawling across the grass, and away from danger.


    Edge heaved a sigh of relief that he hadn¡¯t dealt Bucket Head enough damage to kill him. Two arrows sprung upon the last guard¡¯s back and it was vanquished.


    A second horn call, much closer now, rang out. On the opposite side of the valley, a contingent of Cobbletown defenders appeared in a stretched line upon the horizon. Their leader raised his sword into the air, and his men charged down the hillside.


    ¡°Bollux,¡± said Edge, in overt dismay, cursing into the dirt road.


    Edge picked himself up, as fast as his speed would allow. Keeping a close eye on the charging soldiers, he reached out a hand to the nearby barrel-less Bucket Head. His hand was touching something squishy.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re touching!¡± yelled an angry feminine voice.


    Edge shockingly retracted his arm. A buxom blonde human woman now lay where he was sure Bucket Head was a split second ago. In an outfit of dark rouge noob pants, and only a strip of cloth around her chest, she was surrounded by scraps of what remained of her once glorious barrel armor. ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± he said. ¡°Take my hand.¡±


    Waiting on their cooldowns to unleash havoc amongst the oncoming defenders, the three girls didn¡¯t even look phased by the oncoming rush of metal clad soldiers. They really should have looked afraid. There were way too many to fight, Edge realized. ¡°Run!¡± he yelled at his group of fools. They looked at each other, and nodded consent, retreating back up the hill. Was every order he gave going to be discussed in committee before it was followed?


    The barrel-less blonde was staring at the defenders barreling down on them.


    ¡°Hurry, snap out of it,¡± he commanded, again reaching out a hand. She took it this time.


    They met up with Sakura, the slowest, halfway up the hill. ¡°Healing song,¡± he called to Daphne up ahead. Though only Bucket Head had taken damage, not knowing her life points, he didn¡¯t want to risk losing her. But would the song work on someone who wasn¡¯t a party member?


    A third horn echoed out over the valley. But this one came from the top of the hill they were climbing. Their escape route had been cut off, and they were undoubtedly surrounded.


    Belladonna nocked an arrow, and Daphne followed suit.


    ¡°No,¡± Edge commanded. They were trapped and outnumbered with no way to know how powerful a Cobbletown defender would be. It was possible their group wouldn¡¯t even be a match for one of them. Sometimes town guards were created at max level, to keep the peace.


    ¡°What are we supposed to do, die on our knees?¡± asked an irritable Belladonna.


    ¡°We¡¯re running out of time,¡± said Sakura, stating the perfectly clear.


    ¡°Edge, what should we do?¡± Daphne asked.


    He was the leader. The lives of the women around him were relying on him being able to make the right decision. ¡°We surrender,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°What?!¡± coughed Belladonna.


    ¡°Look, they are the good guys, right? If we surrender, they might leave us alone,¡± he explained, quickly. ¡°Put your weapons in your inventory, and put up your hands. Don¡¯t do anything, and definitely don¡¯t attack them.¡±


    The battle cries died down as the footmen reached the wagons. A rider in the red and gold colours of Cobbletown, trod around his men to stop just in front of the five surrendered combatants.


    Raylor, Captain of the Guard, was an oily, brutish looking sort of man. He dismounted from his horse with the ease of experience vaunted by men who¡¯d ridden to battle on war trained steeds. ¡°Look at what we have here boys, bandits.¡±


    The men jeered, throwing taunts.


    ¡°We¡¯re not bandits,¡± said Edge. ¡°But we surrender,¡± he added, just to make it perfectly clear. Raylor was wrapped up somehow in a scheme with Cassandra and the bandits. Edge only hoped that whatever corruption was afoot, it hadn¡¯t gone so far as to make Raylor capable of indiscriminate killings.


    Raylor paused to consider his position, which worried Edge a great deal. NPC¡¯s were supposed to be computer programs, digital robots. If the artificial intelligence in Levia was advanced enough to create a fully interactive AI, then . . . well . . . hardest difficulty had just been upgraded to uber nightmare.


    ¡°Chain them in irons,¡± ordered Raylor. Once the shackles on their hands and feet were secure, the guard captain announced, ¡°In Cobbletown, bandits get to choose between the executioner¡¯s axe, and the noose.¡± His men roared a cheer at his bravado.


    (Last one for today guys! So many rl things to catch up on!)

 Chapter 22

    (I''m back way earlier than expected, so have another one! It''s a good size too)


    Edge swallowed. The plan worked, in that they were still alive and not tombstones. He marched at the back of the chain gang. Bucket Head was in front of him, and then Belladonna, Daphne, and Sakura at the head. Daphne was crying. It had been quite a while since one of his decisions had made her cry. Belladonna shot him more than one displeased scowl. Apparently she¡¯d rather have died in a blaze of glory-sheesh, everyone was a critic. Talking was prohibited, or she probably would have chewed him out, the was one advantage to being a prisoner. Although, the march back to Cobbletown had given him plenty of time to doubt this plan, and mull over their fates. Axe, or noose . . . maybe he should have just jumped after all.


    A crowd gathered in the Northern District in front of the bleak grey prison, a boxy structure with no windows and a single gated entrance. It was particularly dreary as it was adjacent to the opulent Lord¡¯s Keep, which was practically built completely of mosaic coloured glass twisted into spires atop gilded stone. Fruits and vegetables were being thrown at them as they walked passed. The crowd cheered when Sakura stumbled to the ground, bringing Daphne with her. Belladonna helped them to their feet, but the crowd continued to jeer.


    ¡°Bandit scum,¡± ¡°hang¡¯em high,¡± ¡°three cheers for Raylor, bandit slayer,¡± the mob, yelled. ¡°Hip-hip hurray.¡±


    ¡°Fair people of Cobbletown, these are but a small number of the bandits at large in our most peace loving and excellent shire. Although we have thwarted these ruffians today, I fear for the morrow. For our lordship, in his wisdom, has forbade me from rallying the guard to defeat the bandit threat once and for all.¡± A rally of boo¡¯s followed Raylor¡¯s speech. ¡°His lordship fears that Cobbletown¡¯s own gentle citizenry may become most uncouth if left without the supervision of the guard.¡± Another round of boo¡¯s and catcalls cursing the Lord of Cobbletown. ¡°Worry not, noble subjects. Even with my hands bound much as these bandits before you, I will never spurn my duties to protect you, and to deal blows to those bandit scum who steal food from your plates, and crystals from your pockets.¡±


    The cheers could still be heard from inside the jail, as they were marched through a portcullis and courtyard manned with armed prison guards who bore long bladed halberds, each reminiscent of the executioner¡¯s axe. The prison was a dank dungeon, and the cells stank of cheese. NPC inmates filled the row of cells, as the group traipsed onward down a long hallway. A narrow spiral staircase led them underground to a second lower level. A short hallway split the level in two, on either side were large empty jail cells. The girls were placed in the right cell, and Edge in the left. The prison warden removed their shackles through the bars, once his prisoners were secured in their cells, and climbed back up the stairs, a round ring of keys jingling against his hip.


    Daphne¡¯s tears subsided once she was smothered in cuddles from her friends.


    ¡°What now fearless leader?¡± asked Belladonna.


    ¡°How should I know,¡± he wallowed.


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be an exit,¡± said Sakura.


    Even Daphne raised her eyebrows at Sakura¡¯s barefaced observation. Duh?


    Bucket Head remained silent.


    ¡°We have all of our equipment,¡± mentioned Edge. ¡°Not that it¡¯ll do any good.¡±


    ¡°We could shoot the jailer,¡± said Belladonna Nightshade.


    ¡°And take his keys,¡± added Sakura.


    Then somehow make a daring escape through the contingent of guards on our way out. Become wanted fugitives trying to find a way out of Cobbletown with its enormously high walls and only two exits.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not,¡± said Edge.


    ¡°You have a better idea?¡± goaded Belladonna.


    Edge wasn¡¯t in the mood for in-fighting. This sort of a argument, almost never solved anything. Especially when he was almost certain to lose. This was his fault, and their fault for trusting him.


    The cells were large rectangular rooms with an open barred wall facing the hallway. A stone partition at the end of each cell led to a tiny private washroom. A dank jail with a private bathroom . . . this was a game. Light from a series of hanging braziers in the hall, kept the cells from being either too bright or too dark.


    His three companions schemed in the next cell. Belladonna offering up wild ideas, and slim chances, while Sakura solidified or rejected her proposals. Daphne mostly asked questions and clung at the hope of escape. Edge and Bucket Head each found corners in which to slump.


    Time past slowly in the barren cells. Edge had half a mind to continue his private training, just so as not to waste the rest of the evening. But if they were really forced into a daring escape, he wanted to have his stamina full.


    The chatter died down after their planning exhausted. Daphne handed out [Rat Fur Pelts] to be used as mattresses and blankets. Everyone settled in without fuss, but the quiet was no recipe for sleep. Edge saw the reflection of open Kiten eyes shining in the dim light. This could very well be their last night on . . . in Levia.


    It began as a gentle hum, barely audible. The soothing tones of Daphne¡¯s voice, put the weary listeners at ease. It wasn¡¯t a special ability, nor anything created by the game. Daphne sung from her heart, a lullaby her mother used to sing. When she started on the lyrics, Edge was already hypnotized. Her music allayed his fears, and subdued his doubts. It was a song that was a bedtime story. It took him to another place, in another world, and replaced his cares with a pleasant fable, and a happy ending. It suited him rather well.


    He woke to the clattering of metal bars, as his cell door jarred open. The warden and three guards stood just outside.


    ¡°On your feet, prisoner,¡± ordered the warden, [Lt. Wan].


    ¡°What for?¡± asked Edge. Not the brightest of questions, but he was asleep only a second ago.


    ¡°You¡¯re the leader, are you not? I¡¯ve got orders to bring you before the Lord of Cobbletown, for sentencing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we get a trial?¡± barked Daphne.


    ¡°The Lord will decide your punishment, after he speaks with your leader.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not my leader,¡± said Bucket Head.


    ¡°Fine. Anyone else have a problem with this white hair being the leader?¡±


    None of them did, which Edge would have thought touching, if not for the tremendous pressure cooker it put him in.


    ¡°Take her too,¡± Lt. Wan said. ¡°Take a moment to freshen up, if you like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Edge, blandly.


    ¡°Suit yourself, but this might be your only chance to impress the Lord.¡±


    Great, another NPC with AI so good it made him feel stupid. Edge just grunted, and complied, taking a moment in the washroom to tidy himself. He wished he¡¯d listened to the girls fashion advice now, instead of keeping solely to the comfortable, and practical green outfit he always wore.


    He and Bucket Head strode into a foyer of elegance, where gilded stonework met plaster, wood, and tapestry in such a way one had to admire both the exuberance of the art, and the reflection of Cobbletown as a whole.


    Bucket Head had changed into a bright red dress, covered by a mantle of narrow white fabric with a golden sun stitched on the chest. The symbol on her tabard, meant absolutely nothing, as far as Edge knew, but it gave him some clue as to her class. Such tabards were generally part of the priest¡¯s costume. However, there was no priest class in Levia. There was only the [Vicar], a battle cleric. Bucket Head was likely one of those. Edge, still in his basic greens, felt decidedly under dressed in comparison. If this turned out to be a costume contest, he was going to be the loser.


    Lt. Wan removed their shackles, and a [Cobald] butler in traditional black and white, ushered the two prisoners into the Lord¡¯s throne room. Cobald were dog people; this one had brown short fur and long droopy ears that hung down over his lapel, excessive flaps of skin that covered his eyes like a natural blindfold, and a long maw with a dark button nose. A half dozen armoured knights stood on either side of a long red carpet that led up to an ornately carved wooden throne.


    Sitting on the throne was the Lord of Cobbletown, decked out in full regalia of white frills and gold lace. The Lord was a thin man, younger than Edge would have thought, who wore his long black hair tied up in a ponytail. The Lord¡¯s eyes widened to twice their size as he saw both Edge, and the stunning buxom blonde at his side. Edge¡¯s eyes responded in kind, as he recognized the man on the throne. It was the onsen pervert!


    The lord pervert sat on the corner of his throne, staring deep into Edge, searching him for something. ¡°How do you do it?¡± he asked, finally, after drawing out the silence.


    What was Edge supposed to say? He knew what the lord pervert was asking, and he hadn¡¯t really come up with an answer himself. Fortunately, Bucket Head didn¡¯t understand that the lord of perverts presided over them, and so answered his question in another context.


    ¡°We are from another world, your majesty,¡± she said. ¡°To us, this world is only a game, and the merchants and the bandits are not real.¡±


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    Edge felt a bit sorry for Bucket Head. This sort of approach tended to backfire. In order to beat the game, you had to play it, not try to change the rules.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that some players accept quests from the bandits, but only because those quests are easier and more rewarding than others. No one gets hurt. No one real,¡± she explained.


    The Lord hopped down from his throne and took Bucket Head¡¯s hand in his own. ¡°Would the most exquisite of ladies be so kind as to tell me her name.¡±


    ¡°My name in Levia is Claire Brightblade, but my real name is Julia Thompson, and this man is Eugene Smith, but they call him Edge.¡±


    How did she know his real name?!


    ¡°A most beautiful name, for a most beautiful woman,¡± he replied. ¡°Thank you for a most riveting tale. Guards!¡± He called. ¡°Please escort this fine young lady back to her previous residence.¡±


    ¡°No, wait. You have to believe me. I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± she declared, desperately. Claire was swiftly escorted out of the throne room.


    The lord pervert waved her goodbye under an umbrella of placating flatteries. ¡°Of course you are.¡± ¡°I believe you, I do.¡± ¡°So beautiful.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t going the way Edge thought it would. He¡¯d half expected to be measured for his noose by now.


    The Lord clapped his hands twice. ¡°Leave us,¡± he said.


    ¡°But my lordship, this man is a bandit and criminal. We cannot leave you alone with him,¡± pleaded the butler.


    ¡°Away with you,¡± the Lord ordered again, and everyone in the throne room filed out, without further protest.


    A curious thing happened then; a large [S] appeared over the lord¡¯s head, a quest icon. An [S] rank quest icon.


    The lord grabbed Edge by the front of his shirt, pulling him close. ¡°How do you do it? Where do you find all these beauties?¡±


    ¡°Err . . .¡± replied Edge, flabbergasted. ¡°They sort of find me.¡±


    ¡°Of course they do. You¡¯re so lucky. You get to be the daring and handsome bandit. A splendid mixture of sexy rebel and free spirit, surrounded by cute girls. While I get stuck here in this place, listening to old men babble on about economics and the price of bread.¡±


    The lord nuzzled his head into Edge¡¯s shoulder in a gesture of false despair. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone . . .¡± Edge consoled.


    ¡°Really? Can I have one of yours? Why does one man need four dazzling beauties, anyway? Surely you can spare one.¡±


    ¡°Uh, women aren¡¯t objects-¡± he began, deciding to soften his tone for fear of beheading. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not up to me. They aren¡¯t mine. They¡¯re just my friends.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like a bandit to not share his plunder.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not- I¡¯m not a bandit!¡± Edge barked.


    ¡°Of course you are. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here. You and your cuties slew a host of caravan guards, did you not?¡±


    ¡°We did, but it¡¯s not what you think. I was saving Bucket Head- I mean, Claire. We weren¡¯t raiding the merchants.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? And yet you chose to save a bandit, rather than protect loyal subjects on my highway.¡±


    That was true. He couldn¡¯t really argue with it. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What happened to your excuses? Is that the best defense you can raise?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t defend what I did. I did it to try and save lives,¡± he said.


    ¡°So heroic, so noble. Is this your secret?¡± the pervert whined. ¡°If only I could wander about the countryside saving damsels in distress, and claim all those succulent kisses.¡± The Lord made a series of kissy noises, plunking back down into his throne.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you? You¡¯re the lord here, right. You can do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re so naive. The people hate me. The bandits hate me. The merchants hate me. It takes half of Raylor¡¯s guardsman just to keep me alive. I wish my father was still with us, he¡¯d know what to do.¡±


    Raylor, huh. All of those bandit quests, and all of those encounters with Raylor had somehow led him here. Was it purely luck that he¡¯d stumbled upon this plot and found an [S] rank quest? Or was the game pushing him? It didn¡¯t matter. His friends lives were at stake. He had to find a way to bring up Raylor¡¯s treachery, and convince the lord not to execute them.


    ¡°So which will it be, Edge, the noose or the axe?¡± The lord asked, obviously grieved.


    ¡°Neither, my lord. I¡¯m more valuable to you alive.¡±


    ¡°How is that? Can you find me a girlfriend?¡± The pervert perked up.


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m not sure about that. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s your fault that people hate you. They just don¡¯t know the real you.¡± That sounded cheesier out loud than in his head. ¡°And I think some of, at least one, of your advisors is plotting against you.¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s that stuck up hound of a butler isn¡¯t it. Did you know he lets the keep¡¯s maids wear pants? Here I am with the perfect opportunity to peek at a host of cute girls in maids uniforms with short black skirts and little white aprons, and he has them in pants. It¡¯s treason is what it is.¡±


    Now that they had privacy, the lord was not even trying to hide his perversion.  ¡°No, my lord. I think the butler is okay. I mean, I don¡¯t really know your butler.¡±


    ¡°Do you know any of the maids? Perhaps you could find one who¡¯d wear a skirt for me?¡±


    ¡°No, none of them either.¡± He really needed to get this pervert back on track. ¡°The traitor is Raylor.¡± Edge didn¡¯t know how else to put it, so he just let it out.


    ¡°Raylor? That¡¯s nonsense. Raylor is the bravest man in the shire, and the captain of my guard. The people love him.¡±


    ¡°I heard him speaking with a bandit named Cassandra, and taking crystals from her as a bribe. Also, I witnessed him extorting crystals from a local merchant in exchange for protection for cargo. And even yesterday when they marched us to the jail, he spoke to the crowd and was spreading ugly rumours about you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Why ever would he do these things you say?¡±


    Edge had no clue as to the motivations of Raylor. ¡°Maybe he wants something, like money, or power?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s quite well off, he¡¯s the most well paid man in my service, and there¡¯s no individual with as much influence as Raylor. Except for me, of course.¡±


    Of course, thought Edge. Raylor wanted to be lord. But then, why not just disappear this pervert and be done with it? ¡°If something were to happen to you, err. You know, like you died. Who would take your place?¡±


    ¡°Not Raylor, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re suggesting. My fourth cousin, the Emperor of the Eastern Provinces would scour the family tree, and find some buck toothed inbred to take my place.¡±


    Okay. So that¡¯s why the pervert¡¯s still sitting on the throne. ¡°Has there ever been a case where a lord was replaced by his Guard Captain?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think so. There are only two ways to become a lord, to inherit with the emperor''s blessing, or to be raised into the nobility as a reward. But, usually that only happens after a war.¡±


    A picture was beginning to take shape. Whether the outcome of this internal Cobbletown struggle left Raylor in power, or this pervert . . . Here was an opportunity to save his friends. ¡°My lord, I believe there is a plot against you. Now, maybe Raylor is being manipulated by someone else.¡± Edge didn¡¯t believe it for a second. ¡°Or perhaps there is a big misunderstanding. I can¡¯t say. But neither can you. If you spare the lives of me and my friends, I swear to you, we will solve this mystery, and perhaps save your life.¡± Edge wasn¡¯t much for long winded explanations, and soft talk. He only hoped that his cheesy delivery didn¡¯t sabotage his attempt to convince the lord.


    [Cobbletown Accomplice], [Accept] or [Decline].


    Edge quickly tapped the accept button before it disappeared.


    ¡°Very well. It appears that we are made accomplices one more time. You and your three friends are free to go. But you must report to me any evidence of foul play immediately. It has to be real evidence, no ¡®you heards,¡¯ or ¡®you thinks.¡¯ If I want the Emperor¡¯s support, I can¡¯t call on his aide without proper cause.¡±


    So the lord did have a trump card. One that might even make Raylor hesitate. The Lord of Cobbletown could call on the Emperor for help . . . under the right circumstances.


    ¡°What about Bucket-Claire-what will happen to Claire?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a bandit. Bandits get the noose or the axe.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a bandit. She¡¯s my companion as well.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t accept you as her leader. She chose to represent herself.¡±


    ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding.¡± Think Edge, think. ¡°She didn¡¯t accept me as her leader . . . because . . . we are co-leaders, of the same group.¡± He prayed he hadn¡¯t just thrown their lives back into fire.


    The lord processed this new information with a slight mischievous grin. ¡°Very clever. You have opened an avenue for me to choose her fate,¡± even his voice seemed to change.


    What did he mean? Wasn¡¯t it always up to him; he was the lord after all.


    ¡°Of course, she is free to go as well, and with my heartfelt thanks, Edge.¡± The lord seemed truly sincere, which made it more difficult to dislike him.

 Chapter 23

    Free air tasted sweeter than it had at any other time in his life, even if it was digital air. Edge wasn¡¯t given any time to enjoy it, however. The mob of disgruntled peasants which camped constantly outside Cobbletown¡¯s administrative structures, tossed a volley of tomatoes at them. Many  were cat calling the lord a bandit lover, or a traitor. Edge blocked the oncoming red storm with his shield, and the party fled at top speed, leaving the agitators far behind them.


    ¡°Why does it always have to be me?¡± Daphne wined. A tomato had smacked her right in the forehead, covering her face in red goo.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the only one who can make it look cute,¡± said Belladonna.


    ¡°It¡¯s not cute,¡± argued Daphne.


    ¡°You look like a tomato,¡± stated Edge.


    The others burst into laughter, and Daphne¡¯s anger turned tantrum.


    ¡°And why did we have to bring her?¡± she demanded, pointing at Claire.


    ¡°She needed help,¡± replied Edge, as if that explained everything and anything.


    ¡°Why do you always help girls with big melons,¡± she hollered. ¡°C-cup is all you need!¡±


    Claire turned as red as Daphne, suddenly finding a reason to look at her feet, an awkwardly shy pose with her head tucked between her shoulders.


    ¡°She¡¯s cuter than me too, just look!¡± Daphne continued, waving her angry finger. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you. You pervert Edge.¡± She didn¡¯t even bother to double punch him before dashing away with super Kiten speed.


    Belladonna shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll get her,¡± she said, before executing a similar series of dash abilities.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault,¡± Claire offered in apology.


    Edge sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Claire. It¡¯s been a rough couple of days,¡± said Sakura, soothingly. An awkward, standing in the middle of the street with nothing to say, moment ensued.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go then,¡± said Claire.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Edge, not really knowing what to say. He¡¯d gotten used to girls just clinging onto the group. The party needed one more to be complete, and they had stumbled upon a tanky healer . . . As well somehow, this girl knew his real name. Maybe she was in contact with the outside world, or had information on a new skill. ¡°You¡¯re a [Vicar], right?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Educated guess, seemed a bit of a smart ass answer, so he just shrugged. ¡°Look, we need one more for our group . . .¡± he rolled off, rather awkwardly.


    ¡°A [Vicar] would make an excellent fifth addition,¡± Sakura said, approvingly. ¡°Edge desperately needs someone to support him in melee. It¡¯s an awfully dangerous role to play on your own.¡± The ever manipulative Sakura gave Claire a meaningful glance.


    ¡°Ah, yeah, what she said,¡± added Edge, without picking up on the nuance.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I owe you for . . . for everything you did. But . . .¡± Claire hesitated. ¡°I won¡¯t let you tie me up with ropes, or wear strange outfits for you! It¡¯s too much!¡± she said, too loudly! The ears of nearby NPC¡¯s seemed to grow larger.


    What? Where did these weird girls keep coming from? Even Sakura went cross-eyed at the unexplainable outburst.


    ¡°I want a fair share of the loot too, I won¡¯t help you if I¡¯m nothing but your . . . your slave,¡± she finished in a creepy tone, her eyes cast in darkness.


    ¡°Uh, we don¡¯t really split loot in our group. If you want something, you just get it. Sakura¡¯s our banker.¡±


    ¡°Financiere, actually,¡± she said, adjusting her glasses. When did she start wearing those again? ¡°You can keep track of your own finances if you wish, but your share won¡¯t include items farmed with a gathering skill.¡±


    ¡°Gathering skill?¡± questioned Claire.


    Sakura¡¯s glasses sparkled with affirmative action. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it. Come along,¡± she said, taking Claire under her wing. ¡°We¡¯ll withdraw to our hideout, and we¡¯re sure to rejoin the others there too.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your hideout?¡± asked Claire.


    Edge didn¡¯t need to ask. He just followed behind obediently as Sakura led them back to the cake shop.


    . . .


    Daphne didn¡¯t really run very far. She stopped as soon as she passed the first corner, and turned to watch and see if Edge would chase after her. He really should have, then she wouldn¡¯t have to be quite so mad at him. Bell appeared right next to her, finishing a dash.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± she asked.


    Daphne peeked around the corner at the three remainders. What were they talking about over there? ¡°I¡¯m testing his commitment,¡± she said, with determination.


    ¡°You''re causing trouble, is what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t lose to those cow chests.¡±


    ¡°I thought C-cup was big enough?¡±


    ¡°It is. It¡¯s just . . .¡± She pointed at Sakura and Claire, ¡°those are cheating. It¡¯s probably all virtual hocus pocus.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you like this in a long time, Daph,¡± Sakura said, a touch jealous. ¡°I notice you haven¡¯t confessed to him yet.¡±


    ¡°Confess, confess my love for that little midget. Why should I?¡± She crossed her arms over her chest, squeezing her slight cleavage together, and mumbling something about cup size.


    ¡°He¡¯s not short, by any means. I actually like his height. It¡¯s neither too short nor too tall.¡±


    ¡°A man isn¡¯t a bowl of porridge. You don¡¯t even like men,¡± said Daphne, a little more harshly than she¡¯d intended.


    ¡°Edge . . .¡± she tilted her head to the side, as she peered at him down the road ¡°. . . is an exception.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair! I saw him first.¡±


    ¡°We both know that¡¯s not how it works.¡±


    ¡°We do?¡± Daphne said, a sly smile on her lips.


    Bell¡¯s serious face broke into a fit of laughter. ¡°No one else can make me laugh like that,¡± she said as the giggles subsided. It was easy for people to think of Daphne as simple, but she was far more complicated than anyone knew. ¡°That¡¯s why I love you.¡±


    Daphne looked decidedly guilty, ¡°You know that ¡®us¡¯ is over . . .¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Bell made a wicked, far away, smile. ¡°Not over, just . . . not what we were.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I thought you said you liked Edge now, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I like you both.¡±


    Daphne knew Bethany well enough to know that she might be a [Ranger] in Levia, but she was a fierce hunter in real life too. A tiny part of Daphne liked being hunted by her, in that way. Even if it wasn¡¯t meant to be, it was still . . . something.


    ¡°They¡¯re leaving,¡± said Bell.


    ¡°What? Together! Where is he taking them?¡± Her cat ears perked forward.


    ¡°I think Sakura¡¯s in the lead.¡±


    ¡°Sa-ku-ra . . .¡± Daphne said, maliciously. ¡°I bet she¡¯s going on a date. Whenever Sakura leads, she always takes him on dates,¡± she added accusingly.


    ¡°She takes us too,¡± mentioned Bell.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her fool you. Sakura¡¯s our greatest rival,¡± said Daphne, making a fist in the air in front of her. ¡°I won¡¯t lose to pink melons.¡±


    ¡°Claire¡¯s are bigger,¡± fueled Bell.


    ¡°But Sakura¡¯s melons are smarter. She has a secret weapon . . . corset. It pushes over here, and pulls over there. The secret weapon of perkiness.¡±


    Bell nodded an acknowledgment, at her oddly competitive bestie. Daphne could be pretty weird when she got like this.


    ¡°Have no fear, Bethany,¡± said Daphne, who took up a wide stance, arcing her outthrust finger across the sky. ¡°Daphne has a secret weapon too. Unstoppable man-catcher ability number three, [Super Cute Schoolgirl Outfit].¡±


    Daphne produced a traditional school girl outfit from her inventory. When had she bought that?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work,¡± suggested Bell.


    ¡°Why not, it¡¯s super cute on me,¡± Daphne protested.


    Bell gave her the pity eyebrows. ¡°Yes, but Edge doesn¡¯t seem to be affected by those sorts of things. He¡¯s . . . different than most men.¡±


    Daphne¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You really do like him!¡±


    Bell flinched in discomfort. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, where did they go?¡± cussed Daphne. She was distracted for a few seconds and Edge had gotten away.


    Bell shrugged.


    ¡°We need to catch them, before Sakura takes his once in a lifetime virginity.¡±


    Belladonna wondered how Daphne was able to create such elaborate fantasies, let alone believe them-or follow through with the trouble they would inevitably cause. No sane person would follow Daphne¡¯s lead. ¡°They went that way,¡± said Bell, with a crazy glimmer in her eye. But despite the insanity, being with Daphne was, if sometimes not wise, always entertaining.


    Edge sipped his sweet java brew, while Sakura and Claire sampled half the menu at the cake shop. It was surprisingly pleasant. Usually Daphne and Sakura were rowdy enough to shake the table, and somehow even though Belladonna tended to be quieter, it always seemed liked she was gently encouraging the earthquake.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious, Sakura. Thank you for treating me,¡± said the bashful Claire.


    ¡°We¡¯re well within our cake budget, I assure you. And you¡¯re now a valuable member of team Edge, so it¡¯s important to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°Team Edge?¡± she wondered, glancing at their silent leader.


    ¡°First I¡¯ve heard of it,¡± replied Edge, the cake budget and the team name, not that he was surprised by either. Oddly enough, being leader seemed to take away any power he had to make decisions for this particular group.


    ¡°I like it. It¡¯s very sharp.¡±


    Sakura laughed, even if Claire¡¯s joke was terrible.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you having any cake?¡± Claire inquired of her new leader.


    ¡°Not interested.¡±


    ¡°Edge doesn¡¯t like to have fun,¡± said Sakura.


    He did too. It was just harder for him to figure out how.


    ¡°Oh come now, you must have at least one taste. Try a bite of mine. This one¡¯s red velvet.¡± Claire held out her fork, offering to feed Edge.


    Why not? He was fun. Edge opened his mouth to receive the sweet treat.


    A rumble came from under the white table cloth. Daphne popped up between Edge¡¯s legs, ¡°Noo!¡± she bellowed, clamping her kiten mouth around the fork, stealing away the delicate cake. ¡°Indirect kiss, blocked,¡± she announced, with her mouth full.


    ¡°That only means you were the one to steal an indirect kiss from Claire,¡± said Belladonna, who had appeared in the chair beside him. Kiten ranger¡¯s could hide really well, maybe she¡¯d been training in secret too.


    Daphne blushed red. Then realized she¡¯d landed herself, sitting in Edge¡¯s lap. It was so warm, and she was so close to him, all lovey dovey like. ¡°Pervert,¡± she exploded with nervous sexual energy, double punching him on the top of the head. The maneuver sent people and the table flying sideways. Cake rained down from the sky.


    Edge quietly stood up from where he was knocked to the ground, brushing off his pant legs. Sakura and Claire were side by side on their knees covered in sticky white icing. Daphne and Belladonna had somehow ended up entangled on the ground, Daphne¡¯s white and red striped panties had a teddy bear on the back, and his tea cup hung from the end of her tail. He sighed to himself, before turning around and walking away. He kept walking disappearing down the street. He heard the teacup fall and smash on the ground.


    ¡°Teddy Bear,¡± stated Claire in shock. Her jaw went slack, and she covered one hand over each eye.


    The statement sent Daphne into a panic. ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡± she screamed.


    ¡°Stop moving Daphne,¡± said Belladonna. ¡°My tails caught in your-¡± A loud moan escaped her lips as Daphne struggled to escape.


    A row of angry cake shop employees in white aprons stood nearby with their arms crossed over their chests, filled with dire ire.


    Sakura used her index finger to scrape some icing from between her cleavage, licking it away. ¡°It sounds strange, but you get used to this after a while,¡± she told Claire, and perhaps herself.

 Chapter 24

    Edge slothed his way down the steps of the inn. Mornings were not his favourite. The girls sat on the floor around a low dining table in the onsen¡¯s great room. Breakfast was forthcoming, he hoped.


    ¡°So, as I understand it, we save rubies by sharing a room. But then why does Edge get his own room?¡± Claire asked.


    Oh no, not this again. This conversation was heading in a direction that might get him stuck sharing a room. Images of sleepless nights wrapped in soft suffocating bodies sent a digital chill down his spine.


    ¡°. . . and why is it okay to spend money on cake, yet we can¡¯t afford a room for each of us?¡± Claire complained. She makes a good point. Please listen to her, Edge begged internally. Half their earnings seemed reserved for the cake fund these days.


    ¡°Edge gets his own room so that his precious virginity is protected,¡± declared Daphne, with her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Are you Edge¡¯s little sister, Daphne?¡± inquired Claire, honestly.


    The girls broke out into fits of laughter, except Daphne, who was in a state of stunned frustration.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Morning ladies,¡± greeted Edge. ¡°I see the excitement is starting early today.¡±


    Claire suddenly took a scolding tone. ¡°Edge, when I agreed to join your group, I thought you were all high level Gambits trying seriously to beat this game. But from what I¡¯ve seen so far, all you do is play around, wastefully. I won¡¯t be in a group who acts like this.¡±


    A tiny smirk caught at the corners of Edge¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°We¡¯re not Gambits,¡± reproached Belladonna.


    ¡°So this is a group of Glitches then?¡± Glitches, he hadn¡¯t heard that terminology before. It made a sort of painful sense. Bugs in the system, players who wouldn¡¯t play.


    ¡°What did you call us?¡± Belladonna¡¯s temper flared into life.


    ¡°Bell, that¡¯s enough,¡± said Edge in a tempo he usually reserved for battle.


    ¡°We¡¯re not Glitches, and we¡¯re not Gambits either,¡± said Edge, truly. ¡°There¡¯s no proof that winning the game will get us out of here, nor is there evidence that someone is trying to save us. But, if there is a way out . . . we¡¯ll work together to find it.¡±


    ¡°Together, with just the four of you?¡± snorted a skeptical Claire. ¡°The Gambits have over a hundred members now. They¡¯re saving every emerald to make it farther in the game. They have a whole army of people aiming for the same goal.¡±


    Edge recalled the bloodied face of an elven gambit, who was now nothing but a tombstone in a field. The Gambit leaders didn¡¯t have enough crystals to waste on armour for that guy, or the others who¡¯d died for their cause. ¡°What about those people who died . . .¡± said Edge. ¡°Would you sacrifice their lives so that you can get home sooner?¡±


    The remark hurt Claire. ¡°That¡¯s not what we-it¡¯s not like that. Everyone volunteers for training. No one is supposed to . . .¡±


    ¡°Training? By fighting without the right equipment, or the right teamwork.¡±


    ¡°We were all level two,¡± she protested.


    ¡°Listen to yourself. Level two. This is Levia Online. It¡¯s not about level here. Every mob is three times tougher than any online game I¡¯ve ever played. Even around the starting point, the mobs are tough enough to kill you. I keep thinking to myself, thousands of people gave money to the crowdfunding for this game. Even if there are fifty cities like Cobbletown, how many players survived to get to this point, do you think? How many tombstones are out there somewhere, in some remote place we¡¯ll never find, forgotten. Never even given a fair chance. Every person who¡¯s made it this far is important. Their lives aren¡¯t something that should be put at risk for nothing!¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Then what were you doing at the crossroads in the first place? Going to kill bandits? Did you know that one bandit is two times harder than a caravan guard, and for the same experience?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know that. One of their group¡¯s big weaknesses is a lack of information from other players, especially the Gambits, who they¡¯d been trying to avoid. But . . . he needed to make Claire understand the difference between them and the Gambits.


    ¡°Sakura,¡± he began, his eyes in a deadlock with Claire¡¯s, ¡°we chance upon a group of a dozen bandits. They see us, and there is no avenue for escape.¡±


    ¡°I check the distance, and then get into position to cast a [firebomb].¡± Sakura was too quick.


    ¡°Daphne.¡± Edge called the roll.


    ¡°I check everyone¡¯s life points, then I get into position in front of Sakura, but so that she¡¯s within range of my songs. If we¡¯re full health, I start my damage buff right away, and I wait to shoot at the nearest target, or your orders.¡±


    ¡°Belladonna.¡±


    ¡°I take position beside Daphne, and I use my stun arrow on either the closest target, or the highest threat mob. We know the bandits have archers too, so if Sakura¡¯s firebomb doesn¡¯t get them all, I make sure that the rest are stunned or down.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± asked Edge, of the group.


    ¡°Prepare for kiting,¡± said Sakura, announcing her role.


    ¡°Healing, dashing, and kiting,¡± added Daphne.


    ¡°I keep up damage, and use dash to encircle the mobs, and stun any reinforcements,¡± added Belladonna.


    ¡°And I retreat for heals, kiting, and to group the mobs for Sakura¡¯s next spell.¡± Edge finished. Did Claire see the difference between using a strategy to find easy mobs, and using tactics in order to defeat an enemy, no matter their strength, or what surprises they throw at you. It didn¡¯t hurt that their party¡¯s DPS was already absurdly high.


    ¡°Would you win?¡± Claire asked the group.


    Edge didn¡¯t want to answer; there was no real way to know for sure.


    ¡°Flawless victory,¡± quoted Daphne in a scary voice.


    ¡°We¡¯re lucky if we even get to shoot at the mobs after one of those firebombs goes off,¡± said Belladonna.


    Sakura¡¯s glasses reappeared on her face just in time for her to adjust them, with a glimmer. ¡°I calculate our odds at [95%] success. The other [5%] of the time Edge dies saving a new girl.¡±


    Claire stood up to talk with Edge, face to face. ¡°You¡¯re not like I expected you to be,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re all talk, but you . . . you make me want to find out,¡± she said, reaching her hand out to seal their arrangement.


    ¡°Yay, our group is full!¡± Daphne cheered, leaping onto Claire¡¯s back. She whispered into Claire¡¯s ear menacingly, ¡°he¡¯s mine, moo-moo-chan. Hands off.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± said Sakura. ¡°Now please sign this membership contract,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Special Team Edge initiation ritual number two, [Melon Torture],¡± announced Daphne from her place on Claire¡¯s back. She then proceeded to squeeze, rub push and pull Claire¡¯s boobs all at once.


    ¡°Pervert,¡± stated Belladonna, knocking Daphne off of Claire with a punch on the top of the head. So that¡¯s where Daphne learned to do that! Though, by the dazed look on Daphne¡¯s face as Belladonna dragged her across the tatami mats and out of the dining room, Daphne still had a lot to learn.


    Edge heard a splash as someone was tossed into the hot spring. He wondered when breakfast was coming . . .

 Chapter 25

    The sewers had become like a second home, even during the rainy season, which still occurred like clockwork. As such, plodding through the ankle deep water had become a part of their normal routine. If there was one thing they could all agree on, it was that in Levia, the comfort of routine was as important as the hope of finding a way home. Eugene had become used to this routine. It was one . . . he could live with.


    ¡°The sewers, but they¡¯re a newbie zone. You don¡¯t need to hold back for me,¡± said Claire seriously. ¡°Can¡¯t we train somewhere . . . that isn¡¯t a dark fetish dungeon with whips and chains!¡± she blurted the latter with her eyes tightly shut.


    Unfortunately, Claire wasn¡¯t quite so optimistic about their journey into the dank dark tunnels. But it made too much sense to test out her abilities and new role in the group with a familiar riskless campaign into known territory. Edge explained, ¡°it¡¯s only so that we can test out some of our tactics in real combat. Having a plan is one thing-¡±


    ¡°Executing it is another,¡± said Belladonna, Daphne and Sakura together. Maybe he¡¯d been using that phrase a bit too often. Or his leadership was finally getting through to them! Edge took a moment to revel in this temporary delusion.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s wet down here, but do we have to wear these?¡± Daphne asked, referring, not for the first time, to the green gecko skin boots everyone in the party was currently wearing.


    ¡°They¡¯re waterproof,¡± said Sakura, practically.


    ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with them?¡± challenged Belladonna, their creator.


    ¡°They¡¯re ugly,¡± said Edge, with brutal honesty.


    ¡°But you¡¯re always wearing them!¡± protested Daphne.


    ¡°I like them,¡± said Edge. ¡°They might be the only player made gear in the game.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really amazing, Belladonna,¡± praised Claire. ¡°I¡¯ll keep wearing them too.¡±


    She¡¯s not supposed to be nice, thought Daphne. Claire was supposed to be her evil home wrecking rival. ¡°It¡¯s not how they look. They feel slimy inside,¡± said Daphne.


    ¡°Wear socks,¡± said Sakura, the pragmatist. ¡°You¡¯re sure these things are dead?¡± added Sakura, moping.


    ¡°If they come to life, I bet we could sell them for tonnes of crystals. You know, if everyone else wasn¡¯t so poor,¡± said Belladonna.


    ¡°Some of the Gambits have money,¡± sparked Claire. ¡°New members have to give two thirds of their quest crystals to the higher ups. Until they¡¯re level two, then it¡¯s only half.¡±


    Edge tried doing the math, while Sakura¡¯s eyes bulged behind her glasses.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad way to fund a project,¡± concluded Sakura. ¡°But it would take a great deal of discipline to ensure no one cheated.¡±


    They came across an abundance of rats and slimes while in the sewers, and they actually had to ask Sakura and Belladonna to hold their fire, just so Claire had a chance to show her stuff.


    Claire swung her large two-handed blade as a great axe, chopping down her opponents. It was obvious however that she hadn¡¯t practiced any dodge maneuvers. Her former barrel armour had protected her from injury from basic attacks, but it had left a weakness in her combat skills.


    The rest of the party was by its nature, and through training, quite agile. The ability to dash and run were ingrained into their previous tactics. It was clear that Claire relied heavily on her physical power, and on her healing spell [Light Heal], which ironically cast a temporary halo of light around a character that slowly regenerated their life points. The vicar class was part healer, part damage dealer, but more specifically melee DPS, an off-tank, and that meant Claire would be constantly at risk of aggroing mobs at close range, and receiving damage.


    Edge wasn¡¯t expecting Claire to be able to hit so hard, or to take so much of the aggro. It was preventing him from using his block and run tactics, and the back rowers couldn¡¯t attack either without the risk of hitting Claire. But was this really Claire¡¯s fault? It was Eugene¡¯s job to be the main tank. But he wasn¡¯t a meat shield; he didn¡¯t have the life points for that. Still, he needed control of the aggro, or the ability to slow enemies down, or something. It wasn¡¯t Claire¡¯s fault. She was just the tipping point that showed his true ineffectiveness as a mobile tank. He could offer up some tactics to reduce this weakness. Perhaps, ask Claire to attack less often, and retreat between attacks, like he did . . . Eugene¡¯s gamer alarm bells sounded in his head. He knew one of the most important factors in an effective party was time allowances. How fast could you kill a dangerous mob? Could you reduce its health fast enough that it couldn¡¯t use a major ability multiple times? Their party had high damage, and now a decent healer, but if they couldn''t control the aggro, they would die.


    Claire cut down her third and final rat with relative ease. She had a large gash on her arm where one of the brown vermin had bitten her. She said the words for her heal spell and the wound closed itself in short order. ¡°I need armour,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Edge. I can¡¯t handle getting hurt all the time.¡± Who told her he got hurt all the time?


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.¡°Yeah, armour will be our next priority for you. What¡¯s your sword skill at?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean my two-handed skill?¡±


    ¡°Wait, let me see that.¡±


    Claire obediently turned the panel toward him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t use the sword skill. You can use any two-handed weapon and it¡¯ll raise the skill in the same way,¡± he said, completely astonished.


    ¡°Yeah, but when I use a sword I get the [Slash] ability, and when it¡¯s a hammer it¡¯s the [Smash] ability,¡± she said, casually.


    It was so unfair. Not only did she get awesome abilities, but they changed with her preferences. Edge smiled, while internally cursing the developers. ¡°That¡¯s. Just. Great,¡± he managed to say with a straight face.


    ¡°I told you this would be too easy,¡± Claire said.


    Sakura frowned at the remark. Everyone else in the group looked uncomfortable.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± noticed Claire.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me fire any shots,¡± said Daphne. ¡°And you took damage. You went below sixty percent for a second.¡±


    ¡°But I healed myself, and killed all the rats,¡± Claire defended.


    ¡°Edge hasn¡¯t taken any damage down here since forever,¡± said Daphne.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you did bad, Claire. It¡¯s just that you didn¡¯t think about how to use us,¡± said Belladonna.


    Sakura gave Edge a level knowing stare. She knew it wasn¡¯t only Claire¡¯s blunder. Edge was to blame as well. He didn¡¯t hand out any better orders, and he didn¡¯t manage to get aggro back from Claire.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Edge tried. ¡°This is my fault too. We just have to come up with something better.¡± No one, not even Sakura, had any immediate suggestions.


    ¡°This is a real problem, Edge,¡± whispered Sakura, privately. ¡°Now you have no choice, but to buy a weapon. As soon as we¡¯re done here, we¡¯ll go to the shop." Sakura actually sounded angry. "You know, when you put your life at risk, you''re endangering the rest of us too. That''s what it means to be part of a team.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get through it,¡± he replied, without any idea how. She was right. The softly spoken reprimand hit him right where it hurt, in his false justifications.


    Using the less efficient hit and run tactics took effect with the desired results. The slimes and rats never stood a chance against this group in the first place. Everyone except Claire was level three, with no hope of getting to level four any time soon. The experience gap seemed to get impossibly larger with each level. The grinding was going to take months, unless they could find better mobs. Even then, he didn¡¯t get his hopes up.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Daphne, pointing at a metal bar that extended from the back wall at the end of the tunnel.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lever,¡± stated Sakura.


    ¡°What do you think it does?¡± she asked, dangerously curious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it,¡± said Edge, urgently.


    ¡°He¡¯s right Daph. Let¡¯s just leave it alone,¡± Belladonna suggested.


    ¡°Perhaps they are right, Daphne. We should keep to the beaten path,¡± said Claire.


    ¡°It is tempting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sakura poked.


    ¡°This is Levia. It¡¯s probably a horribly unfair trap,¡± pouted Edge.


    ¡°Not everything in Levia is b-bad,¡± shouted Daphne. ¡°Some things . . . some things are meant to be!¡± she blurted, looking at Edge. The party suddenly went silent, and Daphne began to turn a beet shade of red. That wasn¡¯t a confession, was it? Did she just confess to him?


    Everyone was watching her, even Edge was staring . . . right . . . into . . . her . . . eyes. Daphne panicked, throwing the switch. Something behind the wall clicked and the sound of stone grinding on stone shook the tunnel like an earthquake. Stunned, everyone braced themselves, scanning for catastrophe. Then it stopped. Nothing happened.


    ¡°That was so reckless,¡± said Belladonna, giving Daphne a little hug. ¡°I thought the ceiling was going to collapse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it didn¡¯t,¡± said Claire. ¡°Perhaps it opened up a secret room somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± said Daphne somberly, too embarrassed to explain.


    ¡°No harm done,¡± said Sakura, mischievously. She¡¯d used the opportunity to cling against Edge¡¯s arm. Sakura sensed immediate nearby danger.


    Daphne, Belladonna, and even Claire had evil angry looks on their faces. Each face said the same thing, ¡®why didn¡¯t I think of doing that,¡¯ and ¡®you are dead meat elf girl.¡¯


    Belladonna saw a chance, and grabbed at Edge¡¯s other arm. ¡°Oh, I am so scared, and so glad that we are okay,¡± she said robotically, with the world¡¯s worst voice acting. She pressed herself up against Edge, rubbing his chest.


    Sakura wasn¡¯t going to roll over and play dead. She pressed her chest into Edge¡¯s arm, and grabbed his butt cheek in her palm. Two could play at this game.


    Edge didn¡¯t even flinch. A popup window had sprung up in front of his face.


    [Observation: You can hear the sound of running water in the distance and it¡¯s getting louder]


    ¡°What is that? Do you guys hear that?¡± announced Claire.


    Edge swallowed. ¡°Run.¡± He said the single word with finality and desperation.

 Chapter 26

    They started sprinting back down the sewer tunnel as a giant wave of water crashed around a corner behind them. Edge stayed behind the group to encourage them onward, but he knew it was too late. They weren¡¯t going to be able to outrun the tsunami chasing after them.


    The wave hit with tremendous force, lifting them off the ground and pressing them forward, encompassing them and surpassing them in it¡¯s flow. The water rebounded as it hit the far wall, and the concussion of waves ricocheted them down a perpendicular tunnel.


    Popup windows were appearing in front of the entire party, as each desperately learned their early ranks in the swimming skill. Edge pushed himself to the surface, counting his comrades and watching their health bars. All were accounted for, although he could see only Belladonna ahead of him. She was much farther ahead than he would have imagined, the water was pulling them apart, which made little sense to him.


    The flow rebounded off the next dead end. The backlash washed over him sucking him downward, smashing him shield first against the next tunnel. A sharp pain radiated down his arm and into his stomach. When he again surfaced, even Belladonna was nowhere to be seen. [Observation: You see . . .] He didn¡¯t bother reading the popup, he saw her dark hand protruding from the water ahead, clawing desperately into the air. And then it disappeared.


    ¡°Bella-¡± he called, before the water seemed to disappear underneath him. He was falling. Edge tucked his arms into his sides and pointed his feet together. He held his breath, plunging down into the unknown depths below. The pressure from the waterfall above pushed him downward, even as he struggled against it, frantic for next breath of air. He couldn¡¯t move his shield arm, the pressure and pain were too much even for him to bare. The light grew dimmer as he was pressed down farther under.


    Hands grabbed his shirt and abruptly he was being yanked through the water at speed. Edge and Belladonna skidded across a beach, as her [Dash] expired over the sand. She was pressed up against his chest, and they were both drenched and exhausted. Edge¡¯s round shield had been dragging him to the bottom even as he panicked under the powerful waterfall.


    Belladonna had gone back for him, and used her dash to drag him out from its grasp. She was just glad it worked. Despite the chill water, she could feel his warmth through their wet clothing. ¡°I guess I get to be the hero today,¡± she said to him.


    Edge laughed, chuckling water from his mouth in a disgusting cough.


    Maybe part of why she liked him, was because of how imperfect he was, for a hero. She touched the back of her hand to his cheek. It had been easy to steal a kiss from him on their first meeting, but now it became harder. ¡®Because I care?¡¯ she asked herself. Did she?


    ¡°Do you two need a minute?¡± asked Sakura. ¡°I¡¯m fine with watching,¡± she teased, water dripping from her clothes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± Daphne yelled. ¡°Did you find them?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re over here, being lovey dovey.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± screamed Daphne with a [Dash] of her own.


    Belladonna was already standing up when Daphne arrived. Edge was content to gargle more water onto the underground beach. Daphne gave them both an evil suspicious glare.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Claire?¡± Edge asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± replied Claire, who¡¯d been standing nearby the whole time. ¡°I . . . I wasn¡¯t watching lewd things!¡± she erupted.


    ¡°You¡¯re all okay,¡± Edge smiled, resting his cheek on the sand.


    ¡°Edge . . . Edge,¡± Daphne called. Edge was lying too still. She brought up the party window, and Edge¡¯s health was slipping below [10%], and falling. ¡°Edge!¡± she yelled, running to his side and falling to her knees. The others rushed to the rescue as well.


    Belladonna flipped Edge onto his back. His shield was broken in half, and a large splinter of wood had pierced his stomach, blood had soaked into the front of his green tunic.


    Sakura took charge, as the others still processed what they were seeing. ¡°Daphne, sing,¡± she ordered. Daphne returned the order with a stunned expression.


    ¡°Right,¡± she recovered. Her voice crackled as she sung itsy bitsy spider, her recovery song, in its newest version, which was much slower and therefore had a longer duration and more healing time.


    ¡°Oh,¡± startled Claire, who began her healing chant.


    ¡°Stop Claire!¡± commanded Sakura.


    Claire paused part way through her chant. ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°No, save it for after we pull out the shield fragment. If removing it damages him, we don¡¯t want to wait for a cooldown.¡±


    Daphne¡¯s song was only slowing the bleeding. Edge¡¯s health was still decreasing, if by fractions.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± asked a truly concerned Belladonna. ¡°Do you want me to pull it out?¡±


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    ¡°No, not yet. Can you . . .¡± Sakura organized her thoughts, quickly putting pressure on Edge¡¯s wound. ¡° . . . make a fire, Bell. And lay down some furs for blankets, Claire. Both of you, move fast. Daphne . . . we¡¯re going to need your skinning knife.¡±


    Belladonna nodded and used her camping skill and pieces of Edge¡¯s broken shield to start a small fire on the beach. Her own stomach was covered in Edge¡¯s blood. That idiot only cared about saving the rest of them, and as it turned out, he couldn¡¯t even save himself.


    Sakura plunged the skinning knife into the tiny fire. Everyone gaped at the process. They all knew what was going to happen. It sent a shudder down her back. Would this even work? This was a game where a healing potion or a spell or . . .


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Belladonna. ¡°It should be me. He was trying to save me.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, let us proceed,¡± said Sakura. ¡°We pull it out when Claire is halfway through her chant. And then . . .¡± She could barely look at the hot knife, let alone say it aloud. Sakura grabbed the end of the shield fragment, offering a final consolatory glance at each of her friends. ¡°Hold him down.¡±


    Edge screamed in agony. No one was prepared for that scream. His life points dipped down to near zero even with Claire¡¯s [Light Heal]. Daphne¡¯s song ended, and all they could do was watch and hold their breath. And hope that his life points didn¡¯t drop even one more tick, while they awaited their cooldowns, kneeling in the sand around their hero.


    Daphne cried, and Claire joined her in silent sputtering. Sakura and Belladonna were both too shocked for tears. ¡°There has to be something else we can do,¡± said Belladonna, pleadingly.


    Sakura wished that there were. ¡®If only,¡¯ was becoming a repetitive theme in her mind¡¯s eye.


    An eternity passed until the cooldowns reset. Amongst the girls one thing became perfectly clear while they sat together, awaiting his fate. They loved Edge, in their own ways perhaps, but Edge meant something more, to each and every one of them. Whether they were rivals, or new friends, or old friends, the dying man lying between them was a bridge over their differences, and a precious bond they all shared.


    Claire chanted her spell as soon as she was able, and Daphne struggled to keep her tune while distress streamed down her face.


    Edge gasped into wakefulness as Claire¡¯s heal spell took effect. The cauterized wound closed as her light passed over it. Edge¡¯s skin which had turned a morbid pale white, ripened to its usual gentle tan. He panted heavily, sitting up and leaning back on his hands.


    The girls were staring at him. Daphne had been crying again, and even Claire had the puffy eyed symptoms. ¡°You four look terrible.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± replied Belladonna with a hint of a sly grin.


    Sakura smiled. ¡°How do you feel-¡±


    Daphne latched herself onto his chest. ¡°He feels good,¡± she said through another stream of tears.


    Claire silently wrapped herself around the pair.


    A giant useless flab of meat pressed against the back of Daphne¡¯s head. Her eyes secretly quirked from genuine relief to suppressed anger. How dare she wreck her and Edge¡¯s perfect moment with those giant cheating melons. Edge had a soft smile on his lips when she looked up at him. Was he smiling at her, or was he peeking at the cow behind her?


    Sakura and Belladonna joined in the hug, pressing themselves all around Daphne¡¯s head.


    ¡®Was it just her, or was Edge smiling a little more now,¡¯ Daphne wondered. Every time she was getting a little closer to Edge, all of these dairy cows had to show up and spoil it. Daphne attempted a strategic retreat to end this melon patch, but they squeezed her in place like moist airbags. A mischievous grin erupted on Belladonna¡¯s face, and Daphne could feel a warm hand playing with her tail. The situation was dire. Daphne activated secret special ability number two, her anti-pervert defense system.


    ¡°Pervert!¡± followed by double punching Edge in the stomach. The blast wave from her epic move knocked everyone backwards.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked a stunned Claire. ¡°We just got him back, are you trying to kill him?¡± she asked seriously.


    ¡®Why are they all looking at me like that,¡¯ Daphne asked herself. He¡¯d be okay. He was Edge.


    Edge was knocked down, and now he lay with his head in Sakura¡¯s lap. She ran her fingers through his hair, and a hand across his chest. Was that blood dripping from her nose? It was probably Edge¡¯s.


    ¡®Nooo!¡¯ Daphne screamed, internally. How did her eternal feminine rival Sakura make things turn out like this every time. Belladonna and Claire were disentangling themselves from some perverted panty revealing position too. Daphne¡¯s head moved mechanically to stare directly at Edge. ¡°Bakka,¡± she stated absolutely.

 Chapter 27

    The waterfall fell from a circular drain in the shadowy ceiling. They were trapped inside an enormous circular cistern as big as a sports arena. The small sandy island in the center was surrounded by dark waters, and lit from all sides by more of the sewer system¡¯s standard hanging lamps. Protruding from the ground in the center of the beach island was a large cast iron circular pipe, covered with steel grating.


    ¡°There¡¯s no obvious exit,¡± said Sakura, stating the obvious.


    ¡°So we are stuck here,¡± said Daphne, plopping down into the sand with a huff.


    ¡°Could we not try to climb back up through the waterfall?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°Good luck trying,¡± said a snide Belladonna.


    ¡°Well there has to be a way,¡± said Claire. ¡°It would be unfair otherwise.¡±


    Edge cringed inside. Levia was an unfair world. Of all people, he thought Claire would understand that the best. After all, she was the one who witnessed her team die around her.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just sit around,¡± said Daphne, sitting around.


    Edge grunted, meaninglessly.


    ¡°Good idea, Edge,¡± said Sakura. ¡°We should search the entire area again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know!¡± announced Daphne, jumping to her feet and putting her hands on her hips. ¡°It¡¯s time for Team Edge¡¯s amazing beach adventure!¡± She made a peace sign, and tilted her head while winking. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking forever. Please can¡¯t we take a little break?¡± She made her cutest pleading face to the group.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a swim suit,¡± said Claire.


    ¡°None of us do,¡± said Belladonna. ¡°We don¡¯t really need them. It¡¯s only us and Edge, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Is this what they call ¡®skinship?¡¯¡± Sakura teased.


    Edge tried not to listen. Being in a party full of cute girls was surprisingly difficult. Though their initial search had yielded nothing, still they could at least do some training for a bit. Then take up the search again after lunch . . .


    ¡°I-I-I have extras!¡± panicked Daphne. ¡°No-no-no nudity!¡± Daphne had bought a variety of swimsuits for her special costume abilities, which she hadn¡¯t yet found a use for. She opened her inventory and each of the girls made a selection. Daphne chose the cutest, the blue one piece school swim team uniform, before any of the others tried to steal it.


    The yellow bikini Sakura chose was far too small for her, but the choice was rather cunning. She wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone, and her exotic elf body was one of her greatest weapons. Her tactics were perfect, and she smiled behind her glimmering eye glasses.


    Claire spilled out of Daphne¡¯s white one piece, but it was the least lewd of the choices left to her, and she could always wear a t-shirt over top. She wasn¡¯t like the rest. She wasn¡¯t doing this to impress Eugene. He wasn¡¯t her hero. Not at all. That delinquent couldn¡¯t be. Absolutely not. No way. She blushed.


    Belladonna went with the black bikini. Thankfully, she was closest in size to Daphne, and there was even a hole to poke her tail through. Plus by choosing the black, she and Edge would be a matching set. Claire and Sakura weren¡¯t really her type, but she could appreciate beauty when she saw it. It didn¡¯t hurt that Daphne was filled with her usual spunk, a flaming passion that spread into Belladonna like wildfire.


    Edge tried to relax. He really tried. But this wasn¡¯t actually the beach, was it? They were trapped in an underground sewer, where although they didn¡¯t seem to be in any immediate danger . . . ¡®How close did I come to dead?¡¯ he asked himself. The girls faces had told him everything he needed to know. And like magic, he was supposed to just go back to normal, like nothing even happened? ¡®How do they do it?¡¯ He truly wondered. These weren¡¯t your ordinary girls. They were so incredible. Edge watched them playing in the water. Daphne and Belladonna turned a gecko skin into a makeshift volleyball, and they were having a water polo match.


    ¡°Team Kiten vs. Team Melons,¡± Daphne declared to her audience of one.


    ¡°I love watermelon,¡± said Claire, in complete innocence.


    ¡°Yes, we love watermelons, don¡¯t we Edge?¡± Sakura teased, wrapping an arm around Claire¡¯s waist.


    ¡®Please, don¡¯t bring me into this,¡¯ he begged with a glare at Sakura.


    ¡°The winner gets a kiss from Edge!¡± Daphne blurted.


    ¡°Done,¡± said Sakura.


    ¡°Sounds interesting,¡± purred Belladonna.


    ¡°A kiss,¡± said Claire awestruck, touching her lips as the idea melted in her brain. ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± She was cut off by the evil aura radiating from Sakura and Daphne, lightning sparked between the pair; any objections to this perfect plan were going to fail.  ¡°Maybe, one kiss . . .¡± She looked at Edge, ¡°. . . would be okay.¡± She poked her index fingers together, and turned her beet red face away shyly.


    Whenever all four of the girls were in agreement on anything, Edge knew he was in for trouble. But it was sort of fun too. Fun . . .


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Claire. This is going to be easy,¡± said Sakura. She was lined up against Daphne to start the game, and the taller Sakura was at a clear advantage.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried. If we are going to play, we might as well win.¡± Claire dunked the inflated gecko ball under the water, and it jumped upwards in between Daphne and Sakura, beginning the game.


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    Daphne flexed her muscles, ¡°we¡¯ll see about that.¡± She used a patented Kiten dash to jump up into the air at lightning speeds, snatching the green ball from Sakura¡¯s grasp. She tossed it backward, toward an already moving Belladonna.


    ¡°Too easy,¡± said Bell. Claire had barely recovered from the opening toss, and Belladonna was already beside the goal. She tossed the gecko through the posts with ranger accuracy.


    ¡°One point Team Kiten,¡± said Daphne, exchanging high fives with Bell. Sakura was whispering something into Claire¡¯s ear, and Claire¡¯s eyes bulged with joy as she nodded at whatever Sakura was scheming.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t underestimate them,¡± reminded Bell.


    Daphne nodded at the remark. The game was only just beginning.


    Claire waded in front of her team¡¯s goal, ready to block incoming Gecko attacks.


    Daphne won the next toss up too. The Kiten dash ability was extremely OP. But for some reason, Sakura looked rather pleased, as if everything was going according to one of her evil plans. What was Sakura thinking?


    In Edge¡¯s estimation, it wasn¡¯t looking good for Team Melons. The Kitens maintained complete control of the ball, though Claire was doing an able job blocking Belladonna¡¯s shots. This was turning into a shooting gallery . . . He only hoped they were training their swimming skills during this vacation. They might need a better swim skill to get out of here. It was impossible for him to forget where they were, not just in a sewer, but in Levia. Was this what it was like to be normal? To have friends?


    Sakura¡¯s full-defense strategy seemed to be paying off. Daphne was already growing frustrated, and signs of Team Kiten¡¯s low stamina were becoming increasingly noticeable. It was time to activate part two of her plan. ¡°It must be true what they say about cats and water,¡± Sakura taunted.


    ¡°I am not a stray cat without a bell collar. I¡¯m a cute Kiten,¡± Daphne replied, frustrated.


    Edge raised his eyebrows. Was this what they call psychological warfare?


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Daphne. We¡¯re still winning,¡± said Belladonna, unaffected by Sakura¡¯s trickery.


    ¡°Yes Daphne. Just do whatever Belladonna tells you,¡± Sakura goaded. ¡°Let her score all the goals, and you can go for a nice swim. I¡¯m sure Edge will see how useful you really are.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say such things,¡± Claire scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s just a little girl.¡±


    Little girl, little girl, little girl . . . The words reverberated in Daphne¡¯s head. Her ears twitched in cold anger. ¡°Bell . . . Give me the ball,¡± she said, coldly.


    ¡°Daphne, I don¡¯t think we should-¡±


    ¡°Ball. Give. Me.¡±


    Belladonna shrugged and passed over the green gecko. She sent an extra glare at Sakura for taking it this far. It was only a game. There was no reason to get Daphne all fired up like this . . . though, it was cute to see the angry, wet, one piece Daphne splashing around and making a fuss. The game was Daphne¡¯s idea anyhow, perhaps she deserved it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll beat you Melon brains! Take this: Daphne¡¯s spectacular super awesome new move, [Mega Spike].¡± She tossed the ball high into the air. Dashing upwards she raised both fists above her head, and sent them crashing down into the shocked green gecko ball.


    Wasn¡¯t that the same double-punch she always used?


    The missile spun wildly toward the goal. Claire covered her face with crossed elbows to protect herself. The ball ricocheted of her chest, skimming over the water back toward the Kiten goal. ¡°Owie!¡± Claire shrieked.


    ¡°No, stop it,¡± called Daphne. Belladonna was already dashing toward the goal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Sakura. Her [Firebomb] was already on its way, steaming under the water. It exploded, blasting a tidal wave in all directions.


    Edge watched the wave push the gecko through the goal posts. There was no time for celebration. The wave didn¡¯t stop there. It grew, launching Belladonna, the closest to the detonation, across the lake. It hit Daphne and Sakura at roughly the same time, setting them both on a collision course for the beach. Claire pinched her nose and closed her eyes, dunking herself under the water in expectation of the inevitable.


    The wave broke upon the beach, and the rivals washed up in front of Edge¡¯s feet. ¡°Game over,¡± he said. The pair were both too dazed to argue. A loud fart noise gurgled.


    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting,¡± Belladonna told him.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± defended Edge.


    ¡°Ladies don¡¯t pass gas in the open,¡± backed up Claire, wringing out her hair as she waded out of the water.


    He was under attack, and the girls looked perfectly happy using him as the scapegoat.


    A second noise rumbled. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it wasn¡¯t me,¡± he told them flatly. The girls stared back toward him. ¡°It-¡±


    ¡°Edge,¡± interrupted Sakura. ¡°We believe you.¡± She touched him on the shoulder and pointed behind him, where all the girls eyes were locked.

 Chapter 28

    Oozing lime green slime pushed itself through the grating of the large cylindrical pipe, spilling over the side. This couldn¡¯t be good. A monstrous translucent glob of goo rose up out of the cast iron, forming a giant jelly creature with a single giant round eye buried in its center. Above its head hung a red floating sign, [Slime King]. Definitely not good.


    Edge didn¡¯t have his shield. Funny the things you miss when you¡¯re standing in your rogue shorts in front of a boss monster in a room with no exit.


    ¡°I¡¯m on cooldown,¡± said Sakura, the jeopardy apparent in her awestruck voice.


    Belladonna retrieved her bow from her inventory, and slung her quiver over her bare shoulder. She loosed a [Stun Arrow] as fast as possible. The Slime King paused for a fraction of the time her stun normally lasted.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± announced Sakura.


    ¡°Should I sing?¡± asked Daphne.


    What was he supposed to say? They weren¡¯t ready for this, not now, perhaps not ever.


    [Slash], Claire leaped into the air, coming down hard with her two handed sword, slicing a significant gash into the jelly¡¯s mass. ¡°Snap out of it, Edge. We need you.¡±


    That¡¯s right . . . It didn¡¯t matter how impossible it was . . . If he was going to die, then he was going to die fighting. Eugene promised himself that much at least. ¡°Sakura, Daphne, retreat and get ready for a [Firebomb]. Belladonna, save your [Stun Arrow]¡¯s. If it looks like it¡¯s about to use a big ability, then disturb it with a stun.¡± He hoped that the stun ability worked as a proper boss counter. ¡°Claire, you¡¯re with me.¡±


    Team Edge went into action. Sakura and Daphne retreated, wading until the water was nearly knee high, as far as they dared go and still maintain some of their mobility. Edge charged to the front with Claire. Belladonna stood between the duos, already loosing arrows into the Slime King. Each arrow embedded itself into the jelly, but it hardly seemed like they were having any effect.


    ¡°Claire keep hitting it,¡± Edge ordered. He had a handful of rocks and was tossing them at record pace. They were having even less effect than the arrows. Claire, however, was already covered in a thick layer of slime, each [Slash] adding to the gooey mess. He was just glad that it wasn¡¯t acidic, or poison. Green monsters almost always had negative effects in video games.


    The Slime King¡¯s giant eyeball shifted from one target to the next, marking everyone in the party. Five long tentacle like arms sprouted from its sides, one extending toward each of them. The Kiten both dashed away from the attacks, while Claire sliced off the tentacle attacking her at its base. As soon as it was severed from the main body, it turned into liquid slime splashing down on to the sand.


    Edge wasn¡¯t so lucky. He tried to dodge, but the tentacle wrapped itself around his waist, lifting him into the sky. He punched at the jelly, but his bludgeoning fists bounced off the squishy substance. ¡°Bell, try the eye. Shoot it in the eye!¡±


    ¡°Edge.¡± Claire swung her sword down upon the tentacle, and easily cleaved it off.


    He braced himself for the thunk as he fell prostrate onto the sandy beach.


    Sakura wasn¡¯t quick enough either. A tentacle reached out across the water, ensnaring her in its slimy grip. Her cooldown was ready, but she hesitated in using it. Claire was hacking away at the remaining tentacles still pursuing the Kitens around the island. Sakura¡¯s own tentacle, unaccosted, was slowly retracting toward the monster¡¯s body. She wasn¡¯t taking any damage from the attack, which worried her more than it should. Was this not the boss¡¯s only special move? Was there more? The Slime King¡¯s eye began another darting pattern, locking on to each party member in turn. ¡°Watch out!¡± she warned. ¡°Incoming.¡±


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    Belladonna loosed another arrow toward the giant eye. Her aim was perfect, but the arrow embedded itself into the jelly without ever reaching the buried eyeball. ¡°It¡¯s not working,¡± she called, as a new set of tentacles sprouted from where the old ones had been severed. Claire¡¯s speed was her weakness, and she had only been fast enough to detach four out of the five tentacles on the first pass.


    It wasn¡¯t until Belladonna¡¯s was cleaved that she had time to shoot even one arrow. She had no choice but to concentrate on dodging.


    ¡°Daphne, buff me,¡± said Sakura. It wasn¡¯t like anyone had any better ideas, and she was still hovering slowly toward the creature. Edge just nodded, as he sprinted away from the newborn tentacle chasing him.


    Daphne sang, and ran, and dashed, and dodged and plucked the strings of her harp. It was a lot harder than it looked; she had to concentrate on everything around her, while keeping in range of Sakura. One song. She only needed to last for one song.


    It was clear that what Daphne lacked in some faculties, she more than made up for in raw artistic talent!


    Sakura cast her [Firebomb] at the body of the creature, as near as she could to both the eyeball and the new throng of sprouting tentacles.


    Belladonna dashed across the body of the creature, if she was fast enough she could put her tentacle in range of the detonation. It was worth the risk.


    The [Firebomb] exploded in a cloud of smoke and steam with the heavy stink of boiling ooze filling the cistern. For a moment, they were blind to the fight, blinded with the gaseous fog, blinded by hope.


    Sakura crashed into the beach, and for the first time ever, took damage to her life bar. She heard, more than felt, a crack when she landed. She screamed; the pain snapping in her nerves, like her arm was broken, which it probably was.


    Claire hurried toward Sakura¡¯s cry, already casting a [Light Heal]. Sakura¡¯s health bar had dropped fifty percent in one hit. But the healing spell immediately brought her back to full. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Claire worried, wrapping the kneeling Sakura in a hug.


    ¡°I guess sorceresses don¡¯t have very many life points,¡± she reported seriously. The pain was there and then it was gone, as if it never even happened, as if it didn¡¯t even matter. ¡°Thank you,¡± she thanked Claire wholeheartedly, for taking away the pain.


    ¡°Is it over? Did we win?¡± asked Belladonna from somewhere in the fog.


    Edge grunted. You never ask that question. It was just plain bad luck.


    (The next one is . . . big, in a lot of ways)

 Chapter 29

    The steamy fog cleared. The Slime King stared back at them with its solitary eyeball. It looked no worse for having taken a [Firebomb] head-on.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± said Claire.


    ¡°It¡¯s completely fine,¡± stated Sakura, obviously.


    Edge knew it was bad luck.


    ¡°Daphne!¡± Belladonna shrieked.


    The [Firebomb] missed a single tentacles. Daphne tried to call out for help, but no one heard her through the fog? Not even when the Slime King pulled her inside of its main mass. The jelly surrounded her with the consistency of thick water. She held her breath, looking out at her friends, at Edge . . . She could see his lips moving, probably handing out orders, probably trying to save her. He was surprisingly handsome when he had that serious look on his face. She wondered what colour his hair really was, in real life . . .


    ¡°Claire, I¡¯ll boost you. Slice a hole as close as you can get to that eye.¡± Edge wrapped his fingers together, putting every ounce of strength into saber tossing Claire into the air behind him as she stepped on his hands and was subsequently launched. It was high enough. Claire [Slash]ed with all her considerable might, ripping into the slime. ¡°Bell. Fire!¡± he ordered.


    The arrow spun through the air toward the oozing gash. Belladonna watched it in slow motion, but all she could see was Daphne struggling inside, releasing her final breath as green bubbles in the translucent slime. Her arrow was right on target. She couldn¡¯t have fired a better shot. She put everything she had into that shot. Everything. The arrow sliced into the jelly, piercing the gap and penetrating the ooze. It stopped short, within a hair''s breadth from stabbing the eye.


    Edge stared into the cat eyes of the orange Kiten. It didn¡¯t matter that Daphne looked less than human. The fear in her eyes was completely human, completely real. There was no time left for a second try, nothing left for him to do. But to watch her die.


    The universe paused. It was as if he was trapped in his own body. He couldn¡¯t move, and nothing moved around him. A tingling sensation began in his toes, travelling up his legs, and through his torso. Was this it then?


    He was in a cherry orchard. The tingling sensation from the teleport was still fading. Cherry blossoms fell from the sky like slow rain. This was the character creation area. Did he die then? Was this where you went to die in Levia?


    A humongous widescreen popup window appeared floating in the air in front of him. A line flashed across the screen like an old television set. The blurry scene of a courtroom panned across the window. The people in the room were silently staring back at him.


    ¡°Eugene Smith,¡± said the Judge, seated behind his podium.


    They could see him. People from the outside world could see him. He didn¡¯t even care that he was only wearing his rogue shorts. Did this mean that dying wasn¡¯t the end after all. A spark of hope for Daphne ignited in his chest. ¡°Uh, hey,¡± he said, without knowing what to say.


    ¡°Can you see and hear us?¡± asked the Judge.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Edge saw his mom sitting behind a long table, next to a man in a fancy suit. His eyes lit up. ¡°Mom,¡± he said. Their relationship hadn¡¯t been perfect, but she was his mom. She suddenly burst into tears, burying her face into a handkerchief. The silence in the courtroom was drastically uncomfortable.


    ¡°Eugene,¡± began the judge, solemnly, ¡°we need to ask you some questions, son. Some may be quite difficult. Do you feel up to answering them?¡±


    He was half naked, slime coated and had sand stuck in unpleasant crevices, but he didn¡¯t see why not. Something was wrong, he knew. The mood was too morbid . . . He nodded, thoughtfully.


    ¡°What is the last thing you remember before entering the game?¡±


    ¡°Um, I was in the living room, at home.¡±


    ¡°Good. What were you doing, exactly?¡±


    ¡°I was trying on the VR-01,¡± Eugene replied, impatiently. ¡°Look, are you guys trying to get us out of here? Have you found a way to bring us home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, my son. Please bare with me, for just a few more questions.¡±


    Was there no way out then? Daphne was still frozen, dying inside the Slime King . . .


    ¡°Do you know the woman in the navy blouse?¡± The judge pointed at his mom.


    ¡°Of course I do, that¡¯s my mom.¡± What was going on here?


    ¡°What about your memory, do you remember your childhood?¡±


    Was the VR-01 malfunctioning, turning people into vegetables? ¡°Yes, I can remember everything fine. I mean, as well as I¡¯ve always been able to.¡±


    The judge nodded as though that was the answer he expected. ¡°Very well. That will be all for now.¡±


    ¡°Wait. We need help. People are dying, help us, please-¡± A red [MUTE] icon appeared in the lower left hand corner of the viewscreen. They couldn¡¯t hear him.


    ¡°It is this court¡¯s judgement that all digital rights to humanized databanks shall be retained by the owners, from which the copies were made. Ownership of the databanks is non-transferable, except in the cases of special circumstances listed in section 103, subsection C. Obviously, any future use of these databanks requires the consent of their owners. Previous contractual arrangements are void, and must now follow the guidelines set out in section 22 and section 24 of the Human Data Act. I hereby order that the Levia Codex project be suspended, until such a time as it again complies with the act.¡± His gavel came down hard, and the packed courtroom began to empty with hushed conversation.


    ¡°Hello, can anyone hear me?¡± The screen flickered and went dark. What did he just witness? Levia suspended . . . It was gibberish.


    A few minutes passed before the screen flickered back to life, and a camera was being adjusted by a man in a lab coat, who stepped aside to reveal a rectangular table. His mother and the man in the suit sat on one side, while a larger balding business man sat opposite them.


    ¡°Testing, testing. Can you hear us?¡± said the male voice attached to the lab coat.


    ¡°Yes, I can,¡± he replied. Mom was wearing a different colour dress, and her hair had changed.


    ¡°Eugene, I love you,¡± shouted Mom, through the screen. Eugene winced at the volume.


    ¡°I love you too, Mom,¡± he said at a more reasonable level, and with a hint of embarrassment.


    ¡°I think we should get the hard part over with Susan,¡± said the Lawyer next to her. Mom nodded gravely. The Lawyer took charge. ¡°Eugene, I¡¯m Dave, your mother¡¯s attorney. And this gentleman is Mr. Brawvi, the CEO of VR-01. I don¡¯t know how to tell you this, but it¡¯s hard news, so brace yourself. You are not Eugene Smith.¡±


    What?


    ¡°The VR-01 was never a virtual reality simulator meant to interact with the human brain. I¡¯m told that such technology is vastly beyond us, likely impossible all together. Thanks to some clever verbiage,¡± Dave glanced at Mr. Brawvi, ¡°the VR-01 corporation misrepresented their product. It was never meant to allow Eugene Smith to play a game; it was made to copy Eugene¡¯s brain patterns, exactly, and to then input that pattern into a digital environment . . .¡±


    So . . . he wasn¡¯t the real Eugene. He was some kind of copy? And the courtroom proceedings were what, deciding his fate, their fates, somehow?


    ¡°You might be wondering, why you, and none of the other Levians have been called upon to testify, or to commune with us . . .¡± Dave tried not to look at Mom, though she was clearly upset by the monologue. ¡°Eugene Smith, tragically, took his own life, shortly after the VR-01 proved to be non-functional. He didn¡¯t know the device¡¯s true function. No one did at first . . .¡±


    Edge went to that dark place inside. He reached for those old feelings, touching the absent scars across his arm. He killed himself? What was he supposed to say . . . this was worse than anything imaginable. He wasn¡¯t even a real person. He was some kind of computer program. A fake. He had gotten better. He had friends now, people he trusted . . . He didn¡¯t want to die anymore. He was better. Levia was his second chance, a chance to change. Edge stood in front of the screen without words to say. No wonder his Mom was so sad, and so confused. He had done this to her. He was still hurting her, still holding her back.


    ¡°Perhaps, we should get down to business,¡± offered the impatient Mr. Brawvi.


    ¡°I think we should give Susan a moment in private with her . . . with Eugene, before we begin, don¡¯t you think Mr. Brawvi.¡±


    Mr. Brawvi tapped his finger on the glass table, obviously contemplating his options. ¡°Five minutes,¡± he stated, getting up from the table, and motioning at the off camera lab coat to accompany him out.


    Dave the lawyer closed the door on his way out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Susan. We¡¯ll get you two more time later.¡±


    ¡°Eugene, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Mom started, already crying into a handkerchief.


    What was she so sorry for? He was the one who . . . She blamed herself, he realized. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Mom.¡±


    ¡°I should have been home more. I should have been there to take care of you.¡±


    He wanted that. It would have made a difference, maybe. But how did he tell her that it still didn¡¯t make it her fault. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not over. I¡¯m not . . . gone. It was me. I was in a bad place. It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Should he tell her about the bullies at school, or the knife marks on his arms, or the constant stranger he¡¯d let himself become? She kept on crying, and it didn¡¯t look like she had plans to stop. This was how they were going to spend their five minutes. In Levia, he learned that even if you only have five minutes left that you can make the most of it. You can still change the way things were going to turn out. ¡°I . . .¡± He started, not really sure what he was saying or planning to say ¡°. . . I made friends, Mom. A whole group of weird girls.¡± Mom seemed to stop blubbering. Maybe all his practice on Daphne had helped make him better at cheering people up.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°I know. Everyone knows,¡± she half chuckled, dabbing at her cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re so brave, Eugene. When I saw you on the television, I thought I was hallucinating. That I¡¯d gone over the edge. But I was so happy to see you . . .¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? I was on TV?¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right. I forget that no one has told you anything. The VR-01, that¡¯s what it¡¯s used for now. It¡¯s reality TV in a whole different universe. Levia Codex is like Survivor with magic and monsters. And you¡¯re the star, Eugene. Edge is the biggest star ever. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±


    Mom was actually smiling now. But all Edge could think about was, ¡°I¡¯m on TV.¡± If he had a chair in his orchard, he would have fell into it. Wait a second. Did that mean that there were invisible cameras following him around . . . all the time?


    Levia had always been the prison, the torture chamber, and now it was also the ancient Roman gladiatorial arena. His pain and his fear had become someone else¡¯s, everyone else¡¯s, entertainment. People had died. Or . . . their data had been deleted, or maybe they were just saved somewhere like an inbox. It was wrong. The whole thing. It was completely wrong.


    ¡°Are you okay, sweetie?¡±


    ¡°Mom. What happens to me if-¡±


    ¡°Nothing, Eugene. Not anymore. The law has changed, thanks to you. Now they can¡¯t delete you without my permission. They turned off Levia, for now.¡±


    ¡°But not for much longer, I expect,¡± said the CEO, returning early.


    ¡°Sorry Susan,¡± was all the lawyer had to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dave. Let¡¯s get this over and done with-¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s. We are willing to offer you this more than generous contract.¡± The document in question was thicker than a light novel. But the number on the cover had seven zeros behind it.


    ¡°We want Eugene safe, and able to communicate with Susan,¡± demanded the lawyer.


    ¡°A copy of the data can be made for Susan¡¯s personal use, and activated whenever she desires through our server.¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want a copy. I want him, my son, the real one.¡±


    ¡°In fact, I¡¯m going to recommend that no copies be made of any of the participants,¡± said Dave.


    ¡°Not all of them are as concerned about the data as you are. We¡¯ve already negotiated their contracts. Some find the idea of deletion completely acceptable, even preferable. So far, we have made it a hard rule to delete those characters who are defeated in Levia Codex. It is part of the game experience, and it makes for better television. Now, in this case, we are willing to make an exception, if you agree to undertake certain conditions.¡±


    ¡°What conditions? Edge is the star of VR-01, and Susan owns the rights to him,¡± Dave reminded the CEO, who winced at the remark.


    He was a thing, Edge realized. It was like slavery. Or was he an A.I. and would it make a difference if he was? It still felt like slavery somehow, even if he was a machine. He was suddenly aware of the NPC¡¯s he¡¯d come across, of their own predicaments, of their own lives. Were they people once too? Could VR-01 program them, or reprogram them? He vowed to be a little nicer to any NPC¡¯s he came across in the future, just in case.


    ¡°First, Edge must continue to participate in Levia. The finale of season one is literal minutes of footage away from being done, and we want it to end properly. Obviously, he won¡¯t be allowed to tell anyone in the game what¡¯s really happening. His complete discretion will be required.¡±


    The finale. He was fighting it right now, he realized. Everything that was happening in the cistern was only on hold, and they wanted to finish it. They wanted to see him watch Daphne die. ¡°I won¡¯t do it,¡± he interrupted.


    ¡°What?¡± exclaimed, Mr. Brawvi. ¡°You most certainly will.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t watch her die. I don¡¯t want to see anyone else die.¡±


    ¡°I thought this might be an issue. Derek, bring them in.¡±


    Four almost familiar girls walked into the boardroom. The dark skinned Belladonna, was even taller than in Levia. She wore a revealing tank top and blue jeans, in the sort of style Belladonna liked. She had no Kiten ears or tattooed whiskers . . . and their faces, all of their faces were nearly the same, but a little different, not quite so perfect. Sakura was skinnier even than her elvish counterpart, and wore thick coke bottle corrective lenses, and had a mop of long straight black hair. Claire was as busty in real life as she was in Levia, maybe even more so, but she was far more rounded in other areas as well, and had much shorter blonde hair. She wore a sweatshirt that had the name of his high school plastered on the front. So she knew him from school then. No wonder she thought of him, like she did. She knew the old Eugene, the one who was a delinquent, the one who¡¯d killed himself. Except for the anime eyes, Daphne was exactly the same. It was like she¡¯d chosen Kiten and then had forgotten to change any of the custom character settings, even her natural hair colour was nearly orange. There she was, perfectly fine. She wasn¡¯t drowning inside green slime. She wasn¡¯t about to die. At least . . . not this Daphne.


    ¡°This is so unreal,¡± said Sakura.


    ¡°Our hero!¡± laughed a sarcastic Belladonna. She got like that sometimes, Edge knew, when she was uncomfortable.


    Claire didn¡¯t even say hello. She looked angry.


    But Daphne . . . ¡°Hi, Edge. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± he managed to squeak.


    ¡°As you can see, Edge, the girls are perfectly safe. The people you interact with in the game are only copies. Just data saved on a computer.¡±


    ¡°Just like me.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re an exception. You¡¯re irreplaceable.¡± Mr. Brawvi, regretted the statement as soon as it left his lips. It was not good bargaining practice to let your adversary know how much you valued the item in question.


    ¡°I think . . .¡± said Daphne, ¡°. . . that they are real too. I mean, not real people, but real, like ghosts.¡±


    Even Edge had to raise an eyebrow at that one. Though, it made sense somehow. ¡°I won¡¯t do it unless you save Daphne, and the rest. No one should die- or be deleted- or whatever for this game show.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± said Claire. ¡°I wish they would just kill me off so I don¡¯t have to be a part of this embarrassment. I¡¯m only here for the money.¡± This person wasn¡¯t acting like the other Claire at all. Eugene was in a perfect position, however, to understand how much Levia can change a person. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t the only one who changed for the better, thanks to their time in Levia.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Derek, the man in the lab coat, ¡°but I think I can help.¡±


    Edge recognized him at once when he stepped in front of the camera. His face was identical, even the hair was the same. It was the perverted Lord of Cobbletown, in the flesh.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t met. I¡¯m Derek, the lead developer of Levia Online. I¡¯ll be the one altering it so that in the event you¡¯re defeated, your data will be saved, instead of deleted. Now that the law has changed, what happens to data in the system isn¡¯t up to me or anyone at VR-01 to decide. It¡¯s up to your mom, and these young ladies. But I wonder if you haven¡¯t noticed that by telling you all this, you¡¯re in an excellent position to help keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s too late. Daphne¡¯s already-¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough spoilers, Eugene.¡± interrupted the CEO.


    ¡°About that, you might want to try . . .¡± Derek whispered the rest into the microphone at the case of the camera. Edge¡¯s eyes lit up at the suggestion. It could work. In fact, if this was the guy who programmed Levia, then it was almost certainly going to work.


    ¡°What about the rest of the conditions,¡± continued Dave, who wouldn¡¯t be sidetracked.


    ¡°Mostly trivial details of the contract, renewal options, marketing campaigns and the like. But there is one thing we require which is quite sensitive. Girls, I thank you for coming.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± said Belladonna. ¡°We came all the way here for that?¡±


    ¡°Thank god,¡± said Claire, making a hasty exit.


    ¡°Bye, Edge,¡± said Sakura.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± repeated Daphne. ¡°And, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The door closed behind them. What was she sorry for? that he died?


    ¡°Good, now the final component.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± said lawyer Dave.


    ¡°Eugene must choose one of the girls during the finale. It seems like they all have some measure of interest in him. His usual indifference has helped build his popularity, but we want season two to go deeper into the characters relationships. We have no preference for who he chooses, so long as it occurs immediately.¡±


    Edge choked on his tongue. Of all the things the CEO was going to say, he didn¡¯t expect that. He stared at his mom and Dave, looking for help.


    ¡°What do you mean choose a girl?¡± His mom defended. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine for him to keep them as just his friends.¡± Thank you, Mom. ¡°If things go further, it should happen naturally. I doubt they¡¯re as smitten as you think,¡± she added.


    It was at that point he realized that his Mom was going to be watching his relationships develop on TV. It was a nightmare. Choose a girl? How could he even stand to look at them anymore? What if he said or did . . . His first kiss had been on TV in front of everyone, along with all those embarrassing moments . . .


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to marry the girl, just speed things along a bit. Polls show the audience is growing impatient, even considering he¡¯s a high school virgin.¡±


    A nightmare. A total nightmare.


    (Big)

 Chapter 30

    Author note: Congratulations, if you''re reading this, the world of Levia has a different meaning to you now. I suspect few, if any, saw this coming, but those with keen insights or deductive reasoning might see a slightly different story unfold in the earlier chapters ;)


    The more serious parts of this work are inspired by an old Buddhist story, which I thought held a sort of relevance to how we avid readers interpret virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and the human soul.


    The story is roughly laid out as follows, perhaps altered by time or otherwise:


    A flag blew in the wind above a temple on a mountain. The temple monks argued. One said, "It is the flag that moves." Another said, "It is the wind that moves." Another said, "It is the earth that moves." Finally the wisest of the monks approached this problem and said, "It is not the flag, nor the wind, nor the earth that moves. It is the heart that moves."


    As such, I hope that your perceptions of this story were moved, despite its flag still blowing in the wind.


    In completion of this caveat, I''ll be brief. Suicide and depression are no joke. Many endure this type of mental and spiritual illness, and each have their own way to move forward. No one needs suffer alone, nor in silence, and there is always a way to forge ahead. If you''re a person who has depression, talk to someone, and things will get better.


    The serious stuff aside, there are a lot more comic antics, and lighthearted dialogue coming your way shortly. And now that the party and setting has been somewhat too thoroughly introduced in Volume 1, we can slowly start to shift gears in revealing a deeper side to their personalities, while expanding on the mmo technical stuff we all enjoy too. Thanks for reading, and please enjoy the remaining few chapters of Volume 1!


    _______________


    The tingling sensation that echoed his earlier teleport, also returned him to his previous frozen position. This was it. This was his chance to save his friends, real or not.


    All at once the world began to move. ¡°Daphne! Drink your [Water Breathing Potion]!¡± The rest of the girls heard him and repeated Derek¡¯s idea, pleading for Daphne to hear them.


    Daphne stopped struggling and opened her inventory. She had already swallowed the green slime, and her head spun with the beginnings of oxygen deprivation. She rifled through countless gecko skins and giant rat pelts in search of one of the first items they ever acquired, way back in Baldor¡¯s Loft. She put the blue flask to her lips, unsure of how to drink a potion under water. She had already released her last breath, and choked on slime in her airway, desperate for another breath. She swallowed as much slime as potion as she sucked down the blue tonic. The effect was immediate. She began to cough up green slime, which had magically been replaced by air. In fact, even with her mouth open, none of the slime was able to pass inside her mouth or nose. She gasped in the precious air, which was now the same as breathing normally.


    It worked. Daphne was safe. The Slime King¡¯s great eye locked on to his targets once again, sprouting four more tentacles. Now was their chance. All they had to do was beat the Slime King before the water breathing potion expired. ¡°Claire, free Bell, and attack.¡± Edge ran as far away from the tentacle chasing him as was possible. Sakura followed beside him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fast enough,¡± said Sakura, as a tentacle hoisted her into the air.


    Edge ducked as the other tentacle swooped in from the side trying to grab him. His dodge skill was the best in the group. But even as he stood back up a second tentacle grabbed his left ankle, dragging him upside down into the sky.


    The Slime King¡¯s cooldown was shrinking. There were two tentacles for each player now. Claire and Belladonna were too busy fighting to stay free to even think about coordinating another attack. ¡°Sakura,¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°I¡¯m still on cooldown,¡± she stated, simply, and shockingly.


    He tried to fight his way free of the tentacle, but it was a useless struggle, not only because he couldn¡¯t do an upside down sit up, but because the epic boss battle was already over.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Daphne wanted Edge to save her, but sometimes a girl just had to save herself. She swam up toward the big gross eyeball. The gooey slime was ten times harder to swim through than water, and it felt like rubber pressing against her skin, but whenever she moved an inch higher, she knew she was an inch closer to saving herself. The eyeball wasn¡¯t even looking at her when she swam behind it. This must be what Edge called a sneak attack, or a gank. He said some geeky things sometimes. She closed her fists and drew them back into haymakers, slamming them against the back of the soft eye, [Double Punch]. It was the same skill she used against the first mob she¡¯d ever attacked. It was the skill she only pretended to use against Edge, when he was being a pervert. And now it was the skill that saved her life. The eyeball shot out of the gap created by Claire¡¯s previous massive strike, bouncing along the beach and rolling to a stop, covered in sand.


    Both Claire and Belladonna were caught by the excessive sprouting tentacles. Everyone was captured now. And despite losing its eye, the Slime King continued to fight-dirty. Claire was the closest to the beast and therefore the next to be pulled inside. Edge tossed rocks at the eyeball, his arm like a machine gun. The Slime King wrapped a tentacle around his throwing arm, halting his barrage. At the same time it ripped away Belladonna¡¯s bow, and stole the arrows from her quiver, crushing them in a tight squeeze. They were fortunate the Slime King wasn¡¯t programmed to squeeze them, or this skirmish would already be lost.


    ¡°Claire, free me!¡± called Belladonna.


    Claire was fending off the tentacles attempting to disarm her, while trying to [Slash] herself free. ¡°I can¡¯t. There¡¯s too many.¡±


    Edge could see the whole battle unfolding. Their last chance was slipping by. ¡°Do it, Claire. Free her, no matter what!¡±


    For Claire, she had a choice. She could cut herself free at the last possible second before being drowned in the goo. Or she could cut Belladonna free. These people, this group she¡¯d joined . . . She wasn¡¯t sure yet if she even wanted to be a part of it. Wherever they went, trouble and chaos and danger pursued them. And it was mostly their own fault, as far as she could tell. But these were also the same people that saved her life. The ones that somehow had done more and better and smarter than any Gambit she¡¯d met. When it came to survival, she learned the hard way that she couldn¡¯t do everything alone. Even a person, a delinquent, like Eugene had done better than her in Levia. Somehow, he¡¯d become a hero. Maybe, even to her, though she was hard pressed to admit it. Claire closed her eyes and [Slash]ed with everything she had left, before she held her final breath and passed into the body of the green Slime King.


    Belladonna crashed to the sandy beach, breaking her fall with forward momentum and a gymnastic somersault. She hadn¡¯t a single weapon left to fight with, but she never needed more than one shot to pierce her opponent, and she never missed. Bell grasped the gooey arrow half buried in the sand; it was her missed shot that had been expelled along with the eyeball. Some might consider what she was about to do cheating. In Levia, the game was always cheating them anyway. It was her turn for some payback. She held out the arrow gripped tightly in both hands, pointing it at the natural bullseye, dead center. And she triggered her Kiten [Dash] ability.


    The arrow buried itself deep in the center of the giant eye, and it popped like a balloon, sending white gobs of gunk in all directions. The Slime King shook like a bowl full of jelly, before melting into a pool of slime, most of which flooded down the grated iron drain.


    Edge watched Daphne and Claire fall hard against the metal grate, and he was already running to check on them. They did it. They won. The finale was over.


    [Observation: The slime is moving].


    Nothing was ever that easy in Levia.

 Chapter 31

    Around Daphne¡¯s unmoving form, the remnants of the slime pooled itself together into a dozen smaller mobs, similar to the oozes they faced in the upper sewers. He didn¡¯t have time to carry both Daphne and Claire out unscathed. But maybe he didn¡¯t have to. After all, he had plenty of rocks.


    Claire picked herself up, coughing up lungs filled with green slime that tasted oddly like lime jello. The slimes surrounded her without room for escape. Her sword was nowhere to be found. She must have dropped it, somewhere. Daphne¡¯s unmoving form lay nearby just as surrounded, and even more vulnerable. A rock splashed into the slime closest to Claire, before it could slap her with its two tiny tentacle arms.


    Edge hit the mobs closest to Daphne and Claire first, grabbing their aggro. He quickly turned tail in the opposite direction, aggroing any mob that came anywhere near his friends. He threw rocks! He didn¡¯t stop. Until he had them all.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± said Sakura. Her health bar was down into the red from the fall. Even one blow from a Slime would be enough to . . . She couldn¡¯t think like that. Her [Firebomb] was ready, and Edge was already circling the slimes, gathering them into a deathtrap. She didn¡¯t have Daphne¡¯s buff to strengthen her spell. She hoped she alone would be enough.


    ¡°Fire!¡± ordered Edge. With a dozen mobs, there was no way he could kite them all into a group small enough for a single firebomb. Actually, there was one way. Sakura¡¯s spell was already hurtling through the air when Edge turned back and sprinted toward the focal point. He dodged through the line of slimes he¡¯d created, only to stand his ground in the epicenter. The slimes turned on him, immediately surrounding him, preventing his escape. Levia was hard. Being a hero was harder.


    The detonation was as devastating as always, maybe more so. Sakura looked on helplessly at the destruction she¡¯d wrought. Edge had sacrificed himself for them, not a single slime survived the blast. ¡°The fool,¡± she quivered. Belladonna was beside her now, still holding on to her last weapon, the messy arrow.


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    ¡°The hero,¡± Belladonna said, gravely.


    ¡°Why did you do it?¡± asked Edge. He was on his knees, holding Daphne in his arms. She¡¯d saved him at the last possible moment, and they both narrowly escaped the explosion. But he had so many life points, and she so few. The [Firebomb] knocked her down to zero health.


    ¡°Kiten dash, O, P,¡± she gasped, reaching out and touching her hand against his cheek. ¡°I win.¡± She closed her eyes. He kissed her then, as best he could. He¡¯d never kissed a girl before, not really. Tears fell from his eyes, and for the first time in a long time, he let himself cry. He held her tightly, promising himself he¡¯d never let her go. A glowing light surrounded Daphne¡¯s body. Please don¡¯t take her away. It was Daphne who¡¯d saved him, who¡¯d helped him change from . . . to what he was now. He didn¡¯t want to die anymore, but he would have traded his life in a second for hers. He wasn¡¯t even being a hero, he realized. He would have survived the blast, since the developers had just promised to keep him alive. Was Daphne made that same promise, did she have a contract too?


    Claire stood behind them, scared that her spell was too late.


    The light around Daphne¡¯s form grew brighter, and her health climbed up slowly tick by tick, and then rapidly to thirty percent. Daphne slowly blinked open her eyes. ¡°Did it go in? Did we stop it? Did we win?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Our match, the gecko ball . . .¡± she explained, tiredly.


    It did, though he was the only one to see it. That made it a tie game, or course. Not technically a win for Team Kiten. But he didn¡¯t say any of that. No one needed to know. Edge kissed her again as thoroughly and as deeply as he felt. And it was much better when she kissed him back. When it was over, they stared into each other¡¯s eyes. He really didn¡¯t know what to say. But the words escaped his lips before he could stop himself.


    ¡°You taste like lime jello.¡±

 Chapter 32

    ¡°The cake shop must own half of Cobbletown by now,¡± said Edge. Even he¡¯d been shoveling sweets like a ravenous Slime King.


    ¡°I think we should go back to the sewers and farm the boss on the rainy days,¡± he explained, for the hundredth time.


    ¡°No,¡± said Sakura.


    ¡°Nope,¡± added Claire.


    ¡°Never!¡± barked Daphne.


    Belladonna just scowled at him.


    They¡¯d taken a vow never to enter the sewers again. ¡°But it would be easy this time. No swimsuits. Armour, instead. Then we can buy a bunch of water breathing pots.¡± He had it all planned out. The Slime King had some serious weaknesses if you knew how to exploit them.


    The girls didn¡¯t budge. It might have been the trauma of the battle, or the memory of the screaming match that took place afterward. Pent up frustrations and countless mistakes built up to a point where no member of the group could keep them bottled. Words were said. Bad words. Also, good words. It was safe to say that what was said in the sewer, deserved to stay there.


    ¡°But the loot,¡± he tried. Someone in the real world had been very mindful with the loot drops.


    Edge had received a metal kite shield, wide at the top and narrowing to a pointed tip. Built to be worn sideways, as opposed to up and down, the tip of the shield was a sharp blade, perfect for his punching shield style. It wasn¡¯t the weapon he wanted, but it was better than nothing. Unfortunately, he now knew that from experience. The audience was probably getting sick of him running around aimlessly, barking orders and throwing rocks. Belladonna received a metal longbow with a quiver full of steel arrows. No unique items dropped for Daphne, which some might argue as karma, while Sakura looted a dark blue wizard¡¯s hat that raised her intelligence, and somehow matched her outfit perfectly. Exactly how much of their experiences in Levia were being manipulated from behind the scenes?


    For Edge, it was sorely tempting to try to lead the group into a quiet life. The girls certainly wanted a vacation, maybe even to join the Glitches for a while and just take it easy . . . But it occurred to him that the cameras were always watching. Life here wasn¡¯t about escape any longer; he couldn¡¯t see an avenue for escape for any of them. Looming overhead was the possibility of a worse fate awaiting his friends. What would happen if they refused to play this game? What would happen if the show began to fail? Would the real Claire, or others, change their minds and decide to have their alternate digital selves deleted.


    The court¡¯s decision seemed like a sort of victory when he first thought about it, wresting complete control away from the VR-01 company, and maybe it was a win in some ways. But the consequences also meant that control over the people here was in the hands of individuals that may not always consider their copies to be people. Was he even a real person? Or was he already dead? It was confusing, and it meant that . . . that he still had to try to keep them safe.


    They were trapped in a death game. In the real world Levia had only one victim, but here. In this world. The only world Edge and his group would ever know. The bodies were piling up. And now the threats weren¡¯t only monsters inside the game, they were outside too.


    ¡°No,¡± they all rescinded again.


    So much for being leader. The sewers would have bought them more time to level, more time to play it safe. Perhaps, keep the audience interested.


    "Just eat your cake, Edge," said Sakura.


    She''d been extra gruff since they made their escape from the cistern, via a handy ladder that descended from the ceiling and lead to the fountain in market square. It was easier to play a death game when you thought you were winning. For Sakura, that dream had died screaming.


    "Here Edge, you can have a bite of mine," offered Daphne, hovering her fork toward him.  Even Edge wasn¡¯t gullible enough to take the bait. Every girl at the table stared daggers at the pair. Daphne not only ignored the stares, she actually looked quite pleased by them.


    Edge sensed the danger of a trap. Plucking an empty plate from the table, he blocked the incoming fork with this makeshift round shield.


    Daphne wouldn''t give up that easily. Her fork darted left, right, up and down, stabbing at his near perfect defense. The clang of cutlery against china rang throughout the cake shop. It wasn¡¯t working. Edge was too strong. She''d have to use that. Her next super secret special ability. Who would have guessed she''d be forced into a corner so soon?


    Edge predicted Daphne¡¯s next move. She could be extremely transparent about certain things. But that didn''t mean he''d be able to stop it. It was at times like these, he wished he could throw rocks.


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    A second caked fork appeared in Daphne¡¯s off hand. "Super special move number twenty eight, [Double Indirect Kiss]." The forks darted from either side, splitting Edge¡¯s defense in twine.


    It was too late. There was nothing he could do.


    Claire appeared at his side, wielding her mighty butter knife. She slashed at the fork on the left, knocking it aside, sending the cake spiraling to the ground.


    Edge shifted his plate to the right just in time to block the second attack, splashing more cake across the restaurant floor.


    ¡®There''s more where that came from,¡¯ thought Daphne, turning to the table to reload. Sakura sat in her chair with a knowing grin. The elf was smothered in cake and icing across her front, as she licked up the last remaining bite. The floor around her was covered in mess, but not a single crumb remained in what had been Daphne¡¯s ammo depot.


    Daphne only had one last daring scheme in her playbook. She wouldn¡¯t let this chance slip by. Closing her eyes she darted lips first at Edge. Super desperate last chance move number one, [Direct Kiss]. Warm lips met her own, and they shared a long intimate kiss that curled her toes, and would surely drive the others into fits of jealousy. Daphne smirked as she backed away from those lips, ready to gloat over her cunning victory. When she opened her eyes, Belladonna stared back at her with a sultry smirk of her own. Edge sat behind Bell, his face like a stone.


    Victory had been ripped from Daphne¡¯s grasp. Her rivals were formidable.


    Edge leaned passed Belladonna and kissed Daphne on the cheek. It wasn¡¯t because he loved her, though he did. He loved all of his friends. It was for an entirely different reason. Although she didn¡¯t know it, Daphne had given him a gift. Levia, the world he faced was truly an unfair torturous hell. And he discovered reality to be equally harsh. He might be a digital zombie, and his friends just copies of the originals . . . But to him, these were the real people. The real living people. They had thoughts, and feelings, and desires. They could get sad, or excited or like Daphne, simply be crazy.


    It didn¡¯t matter that Cobbletown was ruled by a perverted game developer, or that the captain of guard was working with the bandit leader. He had an [S] rank quest, and even that was small potatoes compared to the truth of what they faced. Just as in everyday life, there was no way to predict what the future would hold. But Edge wouldn¡¯t ever take his own life. He had a purpose now, greater than himself. It was one that made him angrier and happier than any game. One that drove him harder than any obsession. He had friends that he loved. Whatever dangers they were to face, or pains, each moment they could be together was a precious gift beyond compare. He couldn¡¯t control the future or fate. But he could live in the present. Because he was still alive. Eugene might be dead, but Edge lived on. He was eating cake.


    Daphne touched her skin where Edge¡¯s lips had fallen. Her face warmed, and blushed. The others didn¡¯t look at all jealous; she checked. It didn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d won anything. It was like Edge cheated somehow. This wasn¡¯t how they played the game. And he had such a cute stupid look on his face. Edge always looked off these days, like he carried an invisible weight. ¡°Did I win?¡± she sincerely asked.


    Everyone broke into fits of senseless laughter, and Sakura hurled a chunk of cake that Daphne and Belladonna dodged. It splattered Edge right in the forehead. Sakura looked appalled, until he threw some back at her, starting a cake war. When had they become a family?


    The Kitchen staff stood in a row before the giant mess, with cake pans as helmets, and various kitchen utensils as readied weapons.


    Team Edge stood poised, layered in multi coloured cake and icing. They were alive, and they were living.


    ¡°Totally worth it,¡± said Edge. He might even call it, fun. And he didn¡¯t even care who was watching.


    ____________


    And that concludes Volume One. With little to no editing nor proofreading, it was a bumpy ride, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. That being said, the series will continue with volume two. You will see changes in style as I adapt the story as a web novel, and polish it to something I''ll be happier with. I''m treating Volume One as an unpublished prequel, so the story can be read beginning from Volume Two. I''ll treat everything in volume one as canon, but thanks to some great comments from you guys, I''m adapting to something slightly more mainstream.