No More

Chapter 40: Punishment

One Week Later

"Alright, you are officially a participant in this weeks Tournament." Said a cheery receptionist, a middle-aged woman with trimmed glasses, giving Gill a smile as she entered his name.

"Thanks." Said Gill with a nervous smile, watching his name appear in one of the many blank slots above the receptionist. "I just hope I can keep the winning streak going."

"Well, you're part of the Ocelots," said the receptionist. "Even if you're entering solo, you'll give the crowd a good show."

"Next!" she shouted, causing Gill to move out of the very long line of people who are eager to enter the Tournament. But most of them are eager to beat the snot out of Gill.

It's mostly the Ocelots fault since he, Aiden, and Maya are always arrogant winners and never miss an opportunity to brag about it.

So it's no surprise that most of them are glaring at Gill. Even more of them glared when the receptionist declared that there is no more room for participant for the Tournament. Telling them to try and enter earlier next week.

Walking pass many angry groans, Gill walked back to his home in the City, not even surprised that Jess is sitting on his couch. He removed Maya's and Lukas's Mana signature from the security system, and yet she still got inside!

He looked at the person he hate the most, but too scared to do anything. She's wearing her casual cloths: a white, red-sleeved shirt with a pair of overalls over it.

But she only has one arm again, discarding the right limb she cut off of Maya. On her left hand, she has her disturbing ring of white parasites that have been braded onto her pinky finger, and the new one on her ring finger.

It's a ring made out of barbed wire that has a rectangular slab on it as the gem. But it has the number 666 carved on it in jagged writing.

[Hell Ring: Despair]

A ring crafted by the demon Maura. The numbers on this accessory will count down until it reaches zero, as this ring will passively increase all illusion skills by 20%. When the time runs out, it will trap the victim, and make them experience an illusion of their worst nightmare. However wearing this ring reduces total Mana Capacity by 10%.

"So, you decided to take my offer." Jess stated as a fact.

"It's not like I have a choice anymore..." grumbled Gill. "You took everything from me."

"No, I didn't." replied Jess. "When are you going to stop blaming me for problems in your life?"

"When you're out of it!" shouted Gill. "Ever since we ran into you-!"

SMACK!

Jess appeared in front of him in a second, and before he could react, she slapped him across the face. "Don't play the blame game anymore, Gill." She warned. "It won't do you any good. Especially for your sister."

His eyes widen as he's lying on the floor, his faced bruised. "You wouldn't-!"

"Oh, I would." Said Jess. "I'm only doing this because I feel that if I loan you my new inventions, and if you win, I'll reward you like I did with Lukas."

"Loan?" asked Gill, getting up off the floor as Jess pulled a chest out of her Inventory.

"You really think I would do something, for an arrogant idiot like you, if I didn't get something out of it?" scolded Jess. "You are nothing more than a test subject, nothing more and nothing less."

She placed the chest down. "Use these items, win the Tournament solo." She said sternly as she walked passed him. "If you want to refuse my offer, then quit the Tournament."

But when Gill turned around to see her, she is already gone.

...

...

Gill looked at the items in the chest, closed it, and sat on it as he let out a depressed sigh. 'How did things get like this?' Gill silently asked. 'Aiden is in jail, Maya is dead, Lukas quit, and now it's just me and Ana.'

At Aiden's trial a week ago, he was convicted of child abduction, and violating the restraining order Jesse and Lisa has against him.

It didn't help that a grieving Lisa and an angry Jesse testified against him along with the rest of Jesse's friends. Even though Aiden gave some insight of the possibility that Jess and her, newly discovered, red-hair accomplice did it; his word wasn't creditable enough to disprove the physical evidence against him.

So now he has to find away to get enough valuable items to bail Aiden out of Jail, after he serves the very long, and minimal, amount of time in jail, which is exactly 10 nether stars...that is this week's Tournament prize.

On one hand, he can give Jess the prize, and learn potion skills from her. He'll save enough valuable items since he won't be spending it on medicine since he can make it for his sister.

Eventually save up enough to bail Aiden out, but the problem here is that Aiden will still spend time in jail! Not to mention his creditability will be ruined, and no one will hire him for employment!

He'll have to resort to dangerous adventuring to get materials. But since the war is going on, and there are others with mining spells, it's going to be difficult and frustrating.

On the other hand, he can use it to bail out his innocent friend. But then he'll be double-crossing Jess, and she's mad at him enough as it is!

Gill just shook his head in humor. He's forgetting that none of this matters unless he actually wins the Tournament.

But the question remains. What will he do if he actually wins?

After making sure that everything is locked, and checking up on Ana, he then walked to the kitchen and tapped one of the tiles three times. It retracted into the ground, revealing a ladder that went underground.

He grabbed the chest that Jess gave him, and climbed down the ladder. When he did, he ended up inside a huge, underground room, with a large metal table in the center with glowstone on the ceiling for illumination.

Gill can clearly see the six people that surrounded the table. Jesse, Lisa, Axel, Olivia, Petra, and Reuben gave him a questioning look as he placed the chest on the table.

He smirked at them. "It worked."

To be continued!

Sorry for not updating in a while. Life = "Ugh!" *flips a table*

Also, new followers! PsychoticReader69, MintedFloofiness, Rambo_Rooster, and LukasseFangurl!

For you four, here's an imaginary $500 dollar bill! [500]

Why, it's because this story reached 500 votes! Seriously, if it wasn't for the comments of people's reactions and the positive feedback, i don't think i would have continued!

So yeah, thanks! Also, i have been working on that RWBY/Gamer fic i mentioned a while back, and i will publish it soon, it's just that i'm trying to work some things out.