The voices of Elincia and the ghost girl, who both stood in the middle of his room talking, didn't reach his ears. Not that he cared about their discussion anyway, not at that moment.

Here in Nelenia -a simple videogame- he played the big hero, sparing the life of a murderer to not strip him from his family. But what was his real self; what would've Bao done, not David?

His real life was a mess. Even though he might have gotten a part-time job his relationship with his family was still in shatters, not to mention that he lost his best and only friend. Everything he had gained was through playing VR, something that was illegal to do and he hid it from his family. Indeed a mess, he thought.

Bao sat on the edge of the bed, the hardwood pressing against the back of his thighs, threw the head back closing his eyes.

"Are you even listening David?" Elincia crouched down to his height looking straight in his now opened eyes.

"Sorry, what did you just say?"

"Sigh... Are you still racking your brain over what happened before?"

"You could say it's about that, yes." He looked up at the transparent girl and the Elf in front of him. "Rather what are you guys doing here in my room?"

"If you would've listened to what we were discussing, instead of thinking about a decision you already made and wouldn't be able to change anyway, we wouldn't need to explain everything to you again."

"Yes, yes it's all my fault. But would you care now to explain what is going on here?"

"I'll accept it. The punishment you've chosen for the people who killed me and my family, that is," the little ghost girl said. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for risking your lives and those of your companions to bring justice to this cruel world, even if just a little bit."

"They are lucky," Elincia stated. "In most kingdoms, they would be decapitated in public for what they've done and their heads displayed to the public. Here, death sentences have been abolished by the king, meaning if they work hard enough or are pardoned, they'll be able to see their families again. Provided they will live long enough. Their lives will be spared but their freedom will be taken," explained Elincia as she sat down on the bed.

"Are you really fine with it though?" Bao stood up. "Is it okay for you to let those who brutally murdered your family in front of your own eyes stay alive? And if that's really the case, why haven't you disappeared yet?" Not to mention that he didn't receive any notification that the quest had been completed, Bao thought.

"Revenge wouldn't bring back my family and I knew that, even before giving you the task to kill my murderers I knew it all too well, I... I just closed my eyes before it. Yes, rage obfuscated my mind, but that's not the reason why I held onto revenge as if it were my only ray of hope in this dark world. For me it... it represented the only reason for my existence, solely for the purpose of revenge I've lingered here in this form. But I'm not a blind little girl anymore, other humans might have killed my family but it was this world and it was destiny which claimed our lives and it's up to destiny to judge over their future, not me."

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"I don't think so! IF someone has the right to judge them, then it's you, the victim of their atrocities!", Bao insisted.

"No." The girl shook her head. "What good would it bring to kill them, wouldn't that make you the same as them? And should their children then have the right to kill you?! No, I might not have forgiven them for their deeds but I won't allow another tragedy like this to happen. Destiny will take care of them as it sees fit."

"Why are you still in this form then?", he asked again.

"I don't think that this is a form that should have existed in the first place," Elincia stepped in. "Ghosts don't exist in Nelenia, in short, her presence alone is an anomaly."

Bao looked into Elincias eyes, followed by a short moment of silence.

"Just like Eternal Slumber," he concluded with the Elf's affirmation. "And a ghost is fundamentally nothing else than the soul of a living being after all."

Elincia nodded.

"In her case, something must've gone wrong and her soul wasn't properly extracted, or something like that I assume. This time, to save her, you'll have to do the exact opposite of when you've rescued me." She stood up and grabbed him by his shoulders. "Send her soul back David, and grant her the well-earned rest beside her family. I will wait for your safe return."

Bao sighed, long and heavy, all the air in his lungs gushed out in one stream before he nodded.

"I guess we have to say our goodbyes here, little miss." He tried to put up a smile but it ended in a grotesque grimace, he had not come to a term with the end of this tragedy yet.

Bao placed his hands mid-air where the top of the ghost's head lied and whispered his skill: "World traveller."

The space, contrary to the place where he found Elincia's and the prince's soul, wasn't a sea of darkness but rather a blinding white as if he found himself in a snow desert. It reminded him of the entrance lobby when the VR machine is started and you have to choose the game you want to play.

Soon ha had already spotted the little girl, not all too far from his position. Her cheeks glowed in a bright red colour over her pink skin and a smile was painted on her face. Right behind her stood a massive stone gate with dark red hieroglyphics engraved in it.

"I really can't thank you enough for all what you've done to help me and there is little I can do to repay you." The gate opened as the little girl spoke her gratitude towards him, drawing his attention to the two human silhouettes that appeared out of the blinding light behind it.

A man and a woman holding hands, they stopped their walk at the gates doorstep. The girl turned around smiled over both cheeks and waved at them before turning around back to him.

"Mamma and pappa are already waiting for me. As you said, it's time for me to say goodbye forever." She closed her hands on her chest and when she opened them again small blue light bulbs flew into his'. "This is all I can give you as a parting gift and as my humble gratitude." Her frail body walked back where her parents awaited her return but she turned around one last time to him before disappearing behind the closing gate. "You should worry less about what is right and what is wrong and rather step up with your head up high for the things you love and greet Elincia from me," she said.

[Subquest Completed]

[Level up, new AP acquired]

[Level up, new AP acquired]

[Level up, new AP acquired]