CHAPTER 117: A WEEK LATER

A week had past and I had nothing to show for it, while just the other day, Hailie had performed violin to some guests who were visiting the mansion that I didn’t want to see, because I’m a filthy leech after all.

I was treading through the howling winds of the mountain pass, the air breezing through was sharp enough to sting my eyes, colder than the edge of my scythe’s blade.

As I walked with nothing in sight for what felt like hours already, following behind me was the merchant from my latest escape quest, I pondered aimlessly when thinking about the top 50 people that already made their appearance in the VR world.

#1 – Unnamed Monarch

#2 – Architect of Hope

#3 – The Primordial Sins (CJS69Real)

#4 – Ministry of Agony

#5 – The Method Actor

#6 – He Who Burned $20M

#7 – God of Racism

#8 – Capitalistic Devil

#9 – The Roots of Bloodshed (GimsenTheDwarf)

#10 – Shield of Mankind

#11 – The Encyclopedia

#12 – Souls Gamer (Lady_Valerie)

#13 – The Greatest Player

#14 – The Occultist

#15 – Bouncing Boy

#16 – Second To One

footnote: Ex-Omnitetris Leader, now New Destiny leader... I remember his PC username but decided not to list him yet considering we haven’t officially met.

#17 – Time Lord

#18 – Potion Anarchist

#19 – Pumpshot Pimp

#20 – Heavy Loudmouth (Eolga)

#21 – Caster o Cass

#22 – Diety of Lust

#23 – Silent War Criminal

#24 – 42 Supports In One

#25 – Guide Master

#26 – Father Of The Forge

#27 – Stars’ Nomad

#28 – Pyromaniac

#29 – Nuclear Scientist

#30 – Slips Into Gold

#31 – The Cat Is Out There

#32 – God Spearman

#33 – One True Pope

#34 – Absolute Assassin

#35 – Chrome Dome Home

#36 – Celestial Composer

#37 – Barbaristic Barbaric Barbarian

#38 – Melon Lord

#39 – Unstoppable Farmer

#40 – Limit Breaker

#41 – THE Spellcaster

#42 – Last Man Standing

#43 – The King’s Consort

#44 – Minimalistic Shooter

#45 – Giantess (Ann)

#46 – Destiny Bound Handler

#47 – Leech

#48 – Egg Benedict

#49 – Pride Of Lions (J97)

#50 – Left Half Of A Winner

Yet still, for the life of me, I couldn’t put my finger on who the fuck Tanya was, because, hello, she has a fucking Top 50 Early Access pod?

Right now, the most prominent theory is #43 - The King’s Consort, a really good roleplayer who managed to climb her way up to be a literal consort of the king, a feat unachievable because all players started out without any family history or noble background.

The other option would be #18 - Potion Anarchist, because that person was an anarchist just like Tanya who admitted to being one during our chat... But Tanya’s more like theoritical anarchism, I believe, while the potion master was more practical... Literally paying people to take down monarchies.

I couldn’t imagine it being #4-8 because they are confirmed male... I think? Oh god I don’t even remember.

Nevertheless, my thoughts was cut short when the road turned familiar, and I had to be on guard.

The path ahead was nothing more than a strip of jagged stone, cliffs dropping to oblivion on either side. The middle-aged merchant trailed behind me, his donkey cart squeaking, its wooden wheels rattling against loose gravel.

Then the ambush came as expected.

This was one of the harder quests, considering a full party have to balance themselves, not to push each other off the cliff as the fight, but I would by fine doing this solo, the road was not that thin eitherway, still enough for two of me to do a split toe-to-toe... Weird comparison, now that I think about it.

"Keep your head down." I told the merchant, "I’ll loot you if you die."

I caught the flicker of steel in my peripheral just as the first rogue bandit lunged from behind a boulder. My war scythe was already in motion, the long crescent blade humming through the air as it swung with my shoulder and hips.

His dagger never reached me, his torso split in half cleanly, the ragdoll physics throwing him sideways into the cliff wall.

But more were pouring out. A dozen shadows breaking from the rocks, each one faster than an average person could comprehend, their daggers and shortsword flashing in the sunlight.

The first came at me low, trying to gut me at the stomach. I swung the scythe in a downward arc, the haft catching his wrist, twisting, snapping his bone bone, and before his scream could rise, already I spun the weapon around, blade whistling, severing his head mid-turn.

My boots slid on the gravel as I redirected the momentum, ducking a cross-slash from another guy. The curve of my weapon caught his sword mid-swing, hooked it clean out of his hands, then buried into his ribs with a wet crunch.

A third tried the coward’s approach, circling to stab me in the back, now ignoring the merchant completely. But I’d heard the noise before he was even in range.

I dropped low, one hand pressing to the ground, then let the scythe sweep behind me in a full crescent. The weight pulled my whole body around, the blade catching him from knee to shoulder. He split apart midair, tumbling like discarded cloth.

The merchant shouted something faint, either from fear or encouragement I couldn’t really tell, but I didn’t have time to look. Four of those guys closed in at once in a circle.

"Cute," I muttered, then charged.

I went straight for the leftmost, feigning a wide swing that forced him to jump back. In that instant, the scythe reversed in my grip, the blunt end jabbing the stomach of the one next to him. He doubled over, just in time for me to hook the curved blade around his neck and yank, his throat tore open clean, and everything started pouring out like a waterfall.

The others lunged simultaneously, blades colliding against the haft of my weapon. Sparks flew, igniting the daylight as I shoved upward, twisting the polearm. I finished deflecting one strike, then using the recoil to throw the other’s sword-arm wide, the scythe’s edge dipped, slid upward, and took his jaw with it.

Blood sprayed across my face, but my hands never stopped moving, because this game desensitize you to the filthy acts a human can do to another. As the last of the half-ring tried to retreat whilst keeping an eye on me, the scythe’s reach manged to outclassed his speed.

I took a dash forward, let go of an diagonal slash, and he crumpled with his chest opened like a ripped curtain, he did try to block it with his dagger but all was in vain.

The rest of them hesitated. Just hesitation, and perfectly so, because that was all I needed.

...

By the time silence returned, the gravel was dark with blood. The scythe dripped, red and heavy, but my breathing stayed steady.

This quest is from a questline that will get me on the badside of the Thieves’ Guild, but that is okay. Because for this run, I was going the kingdom’s route for the Holy God Knight class anyways.

Quest Complete

The notification chimed as the merchant waddled over, his donkey braying nervously.

"Thank you, traveler," he said, pressing a sack of potions into my chest with a little bow. "Without you, we would’ve been slain for certain."

I gave him the barest nod, dismissing him with a flick of my hand. He led his cart along, disappearing down the path, and I was left alone again. The escort quest was done, even though he needed like 10 minutes of walking still down the hill and to the town, but I guess that’s the extent of this quest.

After that quest... I gained some XP and finally leveled up.

Username: CJS69Real

Level: 50

Class: Squire

HP: 300/300

Attack: 86

Magic: 9

Defense: 46

Resistance: 37

Damage Reduction: 9%

The damage that someone needed to use to kill me would be around 380 physical burst, which is absurd PvP wise, so I could focus on grinding without fear of being focused for now...

The Squire class gave a lot of Defense and 5% Damage Reduction, which I couldn’t quite make good use of yet, so can’t wait to upgrade to Apprentice Knight soon.

Though level 50 was a milestone, a number that should’ve made me feel something, accomplishment, pride, progress. Instead, for the first time ever, all I felt was the same cold emptiness I’d been dragging for a week.

Because while I had been sulking, grinding, throwing myself into combat after combat just to silence the noise in my own head, Hailie had already clawed her way back to level 32. She’d been updating daily, bright as ever, telling me all about her progress with the New Destiny party that managed to stick around and helped her grind, how fun it was starting fresh, how she didn’t mind the setback.

She was making me feel like jerk.

I sat on a jagged rock overlooking the massive drop down to certain death, war scythe leaning against my shoulder, the blood still fresh on its curve.

My eyes narrowed against the wind as the thought pressed down on me: how was I supposed to face her now? I had spent seven days shutting her out, grinding like a maniac, while she simply smiled her way back up.

I brushed a strand of greasy hair out of my face, sighed, and started thinking about the roleplay needed to initiate the quest, and that was when the chime rang...

[Incoming Voice Call Request: Ann]

Her name blinked across my HUD. I froze, lips parting slightly, Ann?

There was only two reason someone like her would call me.

One, she was catching up to an old friend

Two, she was going to call in for the IOU I have with her

Three, she had established her underground "eye" system and had something she thought she should warn me about.

Four, she was bored.

Without knowing, I picked up.