Welcome, Player

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Before Blood Floods

-chapter twenty-nine-
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"You're beautifully feral," mahinang sambit niya habang nakatitig sa'kin. "So exquisite that I can't commit your death."

Greene's Apartment, Central Metropolis, Earth • 2071 ⁠—

TULALA AKO habang pinapanood ang isang cartoon show. The holographic television which showed the movie played in front. River was washing the dishes inside the kitchen, kahit na siya ang nagluto. Well, it was what he reaped for playing a game he can't win. I rule the rock-paper-scissor game after all.

The upper part of our door beeped in red light. It was informing us of a person outside our home. Kumunot ang noo ko at tiningnan iyon. We don't have visitors. I wasn't expecting one. And I don't want to get up so I just stared at it.

"Ev, open the door!" sigaw ni River mula sa kusina. "That's Ru!"

I didn't budge. "I don't want to. That's your visitor."

Pinagpatuloy ko ang panonood kahit nagiging agresibo na ang paginform ng house system tungkol sa tao sa labas. Narinig ko ang bayolenteng singhal ni River mula sa kusina. I quietly chuckled.

"He has ice cream."

Mabilis akong tumayo dahil doon. With just a few steps, I arrived by the door and opened it. Irusu looked so done with us. Parang alam niya din kung anong nangyari dahil walang-tugon niyang ibinigay ang ice-cream na nagpasaya sa'kin. Ngunit agad na nawala ang ngiti ko nang makita ang flavor.

"Strawberry?" tumango si Irusu. "Strawberry na naman? Wala na bang ibang flavor at strawberry ang ice cream natin for one week?!"

"Ask your brother." sagot niya sa'kin.

"Bakit? Si Google ba siya na alam ang lahat at kada tanong ko sa'yo sinasagot mo 'ask your brother'?"

"Dahil siya naman ang rason sa mga reklamo mo," tumingin siya kay River na kakalabas lang sa kusina. "Why is she so agitated this early in the morning?"

River took a cup of ice cream and slumped on the couch next to mine. "Ano pa ba? E'di dahil sa nangyari noong huling laban niya."

"Oh. At least you fought 'til the end." Irusu's attempt at consoling me.

Umirap ako at umakyat sa taas dala ang ice cream. I was already forgetting the fight pero pinaalala pa nila. It was disappointing, well for me. Nakaya kong makipagsayawan sa kanila, even with bad bruises. But that stupid time limit got in the way. At dahil ako na lang sa guild namin ang nakakalaban, it was considered a defeat.

I remembered Halcyon trying to comfort me after the game. Which I questioned. Hindi ko talaga alam kung bakit lumapit iyon at nagtanong sa'kin kung okay lang ako. I just lost a fight and two of my members are injured, including me, paano 'yon magiging okay? It was like he was asking the obvious. At hindi ko naman siya kaibigan para magtanong sa'kin ng gano'n.

That guy is really weird.

[Town Central, City of Gaia—]

I opened the guild tab. Online silang lahat pero hindi ko alam kung saan. This is the problem without having a guild base. Maglalaro kayo ng tagu-taguan sa loob ng syudad.

I opted to make a guild call. Mabilis naman nila iyong sinagot at nag-ingay ang paligid ko dahil sa kanila.

"-not heavy? That looks bigger than you."

"It's... not..."

"May pagkain po ba kayo?"

"Why can I hear their voices, rakista? Anong nangyayari?"