7 - FINALLY, A REUNION?

The entire Training Room fell silent as Astrid Bradford strode forward. All whispers ceased with the sound of her heeled boots.

“Lock the doors,” the blonde young woman ordered, her gaze fixed on the thirty guilders in front of her.

A young woman wearing twintails, who had followed Astrid through the crack in the ceiling, stored her winged mount and rushed to access a control panel coming from the only monument in the room. The people closest to the gates watched as the system made it impossible for them to exit without the Guild Master’s permission.

Some of the present exchanged nervous glances as Marco stepped forward, giving a short bow. “Welcome home, Guild Master,” he said, his voice betraying no hint of guilt.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Astrid Bradford asked immediately, her eyes scanning every guild member present as if memorizing them.

“About what?” Marco replied, feigning a pondering expression.

Astrid’s face hardened as she spoke. “I’m referring to this.” She pointed at the unconscious Alan Warden. “Why have you lifted a hand against one of your own? Do you know who this is?” Her voice suddenly cracked with anger. “This is the man who named and founded this guild!”

“Pressing your thumb against a virtual form doesn’t make you a leader!” Amelia interjected, snickering. “Or is that enough to earn the First Officer title nowadays?” She turned to the crowd to rally them. “What about all the hard work Lord Marco has done for this guild, huh?!”

This time, only a few showed their support by raising their fists or shouting in unison, causing Amelia to glare at the rest. “Damn pussies,” she muttered, turning back to face Astrid, who was now listening to a girl with black, medium-length hair and a black skintight suit. “Helen… Don’t tell me she was here the whole time?” she asked quietly to Marco, who seemed to be steeling himself.

Helen finished her report and swiftly returned to Tamara’s and the unconscious Alan’s side.

“I see,” Astrid said softly but loud enough for everyone in the Training Room to hear. “Given the circumstances, I’ll be blunt and straightforward.” Astrid then glared at the large group in front of her with glowing blue eyes that sent chills down their spines. Even Amelia trembled despite her brave facade.

It was as if an invisible torrent of Mana had hit us all in the face and was trying to push us down to our knees… Amelia bit her lower lip. But don’t overestimate us, you bitch!

Astrid continued, “Listen all, and listen well! Whoever is against Alan Warden being the second in command of this very guild he founded can come at me with everything you have!”

The entire room erupted in expressions and comments of surprise.

“What is she saying?”

“She can’t be serious.”

“So the whole thing about this Alan guy being our new First Officer wasn’t a joke?”

“Quiet.” Marco spoke up, silencing the others. “Astrid…” he called, but his tone sounded personal, as if speaking to a friend rather than a leader. Amelia noticed it and even saw his fists shaking. “Don’t be stupid.”

Was that a plea? Amelia could only wonder while holding her breath for the scene to unfold.

“Tamara,” Astrid called out, her gaze fixed on Marco. “Configure the arena's settings: Leave 'Quick Spawning' as it is, but turn ‘Own Equipment’ Off, and 'Gold Penalty' to ON!”

Everyone felt as though an invisible lifeline had been ripped away. They looked at each other, nervous of what was coming, but all felt the same way: exposed, vulnerable, and aware of the imminent danger.

“That bitch. I can’t get my gear,” Amelia heard William the Stoic mutter behind her. She instinctively checked for her choker, fearing it might be gone, and sighed in relief once she held the gem on it tight.

When she turned to Marco, he looked back at her with something akin to dread in his eyes.

“Helen!” Astrid called. “Give me the list of those responsible for this!”

Amelia watched Helen smirk, not uttering a single name. That’s because they’re now communicating through private Party Chat!

“Don’t do this, Ms. Bradford!” a guilder cried out, pushing others aside. “Please open the gates! Some of us didn’t even lay a finger on him!”

The Guild Master stared at him with cold blue eyes. “So what? Should I let the rest of you go? Is that what you’re suggesting?” A blazing red aura surrounded her body. Even the tiled floor beneath her boots cracked, as if she had gained mass. “You didn’t hurt him. You only watched, am I right?” Astrid tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “And yet, you all did nothing to stop this…”

“She’s nuts!” Amelia’s best friend, Karen Svensson hissed in Marco’s ear. “She’s not planning to take us all on at once, is she?! All because of THAT guy?!”

“That’s exactly what she’s planning,” Marco replied softly, turning to address the crowd, raising his voice. “Do you still have doubts about the new direction this guild is taking?! She’s chosen a complete stranger to lead us—an inexperienced fool who will be the ruin of us! And worst of all, she’s decided to squander your hard-earned gold! Are you going to let her do this, just like that?!”

Marco’s words had their effect. The entire group shifted their weight and assumed a battle stance. He had been right all along, and they had seen it with their own eyes. Besides, what was Astrid Bradford thinking? Although she was a Top Tier Ranker, it was impossible for her to fight every single guilder in that room.

Simply put, there was no way she could do that.

If she was also risking her wallet—the fortune of a renowned Guild Master, no less—so be it!

“Do you see that, Astrid?” Marco said, pointing at the 32 guild members behind him. “We won’t apologize.”

“Not that it matters,” the blonde said in a low voice before vanishing from sight.

All of Amelia’s senses were on high alert in an instant.

“WATCH OUT!”

The redhead dashed to get in front of Marco without thinking. The next thing she knew, Astrid’s forearm was piercing her stomach, and her HP bar was depleting at an alarming rate.

“So you’re first, huh?” Astrid whispered in her ear. “Fine by me. You were the next on my list anyway... Au revoir, Laflamme.”

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It started as a group of shadows pursuing him, yelling unintelligible things at him. I can only hear their grunts, but I know they hate me.

Alan saw himself running through brick corridors lit by torches. The place reeked of blood and oil. Its layout, strangely similar to the Santa María’s engine area.

When he came to a dead end, he turned around to face them, but no matter what he tried, the black silhouettes in front of him were indiscernible.

Then, a giant hand rescued him from the hellish labyrinth and held him aloft.

Alan could only distinguish a pair of enormous glacial blue eyes inspecting him as if he was an insect. “Don’t stare at me like that, you creep…”

He was put inside a glass bottle and got discarded, so that time itself would also forget all about him.

Sitting hopelessly while hugging his own legs for eternity fitted him. Written in cursive, a label on the bottle read: 'Forgotten.’

“It should say ‘unloved’ instead, but that’s okay too,” he said to himself.

A girly giggle answered back soon after. “Unloved, huh? I could fix that…” It was a voice from inside the bottle, but Alan looked at his surroundings, finding nothing. “I’m here, silly, inside of you.”

He stared at the crystal wall behind him, and the reflection stared back, but it was not his. A girl with red skin and golden eyes was looking back at him. She giggled again, and reached out a hand, seemingly escaping from whatever mirror dimension she had been sealed in.

“What the hell?!” he cried, falling on his back, as she crawled towards him.

“Hell? That’s what I call home, handsome.” The girl grinned with black-painted lips that contrasted with her white, gleaming pointy teeth.

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Once she sat on his crotch, her long, red hair moved on its own like a group of silky snakes, tying him up.

Although captive, his fear quickly turned into arousal.

She’s clearly evil, but I wouldn’t mind getting eaten by her. Even her demonic horns look pretty…

“That’s the spirit…” she said in a soft, enticing voice, while grinding her hips against his. At her every movement, her stacked bosom, barely covered by a black leather bikini, wiggled as a way to mesmerize him, in the same way a cobra does with its prey. “Unlike HER, I’ll let you stare all you want. You’ll just have to pay the price…”

She leaned forward, seemingly looking for a kiss, but with a loud hiss, bit his neck instead. Blood sprouted like a fountain, filling the bottle and blocking the view from any potential peeper.

The thought: This isn’t such a bad way to die, echoed through his head until he opened his eyes.

Huh?

Alan found himself soaked in sweat, lying on a bed that smelled of lavender, in a room he did not recognize.

“Dreaming inside a lucid dream… It’s so… freaking confusing… Does succubi exist in this digital world?”

The images from his dream were still clear in his mind, and the warm sensation of that devilish redhead biting his neck still haunted him. Something between his legs got his attention.

The awakened little buddy beneath his underwear seemed to say: ‘Quite scary at first, but it ended up being a pretty neat dream, huh? Wanna play with me while it’s still fresh in our memory?’

He cringed, forming fists. ‘This isn’t such a bad way to die’?! Are you kidding me?! He tore at his hair, and started rolling on the bed, shouting: “Disgusting, disgusting! These kinds of fetishes are harmful for my pure, innocent mind! Did you hear me?! Forget all about it or I’ll never play with you ever again!”

Panting, he buried his flushed face against the pillow.

This is what I get after months with no human contact… Especially female contact! Admiring Ashley’s cuteness was fine at the beginning, but all these fully developed women's bodies are on a whole different level!

His mind flashed with the few glimpses he caught of The Redhead’s black tight dress from last night.

After being surrounded by rough, metallic surfaces, 60-feet mechas, service robots, and digital panels for 8 straight months, finally being able to watch healthy—and by healthy I mean big—breasts, feels like returning to being human again!

He sighed while looking at the ceiling. Cleavages are the best… All worth it…

After finally venting out, he inspected the room.

The light of the Novus sun entered through the window and reflected on the wood-patterned tiled floor. In front of him were plenty of furniture at his disposal, and a large, oval mirror from which his reflection stared back. But this time, nothing will come out of it… Right?

He stood up and looked through the window, finding tall buildings and busy streets to explore. This is a real city… Unus Town could never compete with this.

Glancing at the furniture again, he noticed a yellow piece of paper stuck to a drawer. It read: ‘Open me.’ Inside, he found a pair of white sneakers, black baggy pants, a red sporty jacket, and another note: ‘I hope you like them.’ The signature, a star.

With a single tap, he got fully dressed in a couple of seconds. He checked his reflection, nodding approvingly. Even though I slept like a rock, these things haven’t vanished yet, he thought, examining the black bags under his eyes. Doesn’t matter. Disregarding that and the fact that I need a haircut, I’m looking good!

“Thanks, Astrid. I know you got this for me...” He chuckled. “She really looked good yesterday, didn’t she?”

I know that even if I found The Novus engulfed in flames, you were going to be safe and sound, no matter what. But actually seeing you, proud and beautiful as always, melts my heart. Thank god!

While forming a smile on his lips, the memory of the alluring demoness from his dream hijacked his mind.

That face… I remember her now… Amelia… The gal that killed me repeatedly last night…

Feeling guilty and angry with himself at the same time, he stared right into his own reflection’s eyes and punched himself hard in the cheek.

“Deserved,” he mumbled to himself as he exited the room.

Outside, a girl quickly swiped her User Interface out of sight and beamed at him. “Good morning, Alan Warden! The Guild Master has instructed me to… uh…” She squinted at him. “What happened to your face?”

“Hi. Please don’t mind it. I was just—Wait…” He suddenly blushed. “If you’ve been here all this time, you didn’t hear me yelling a moment ago, did you?”

The girl stared at him, confused for a second, before shaking her head vigorously. “What? No! Of course not! These walls are quite thick! I didn’t hear a thing!”

She heard it all…

“But that looks like a very nasty bruise,” she continued, staring at his cheek. “Let me heal you.”

“No, thank you. That would defeat its purpose.”

“All right then,” the girl with black hair and twin tails said with a warm smile. “My name is Tamara Morin. We couldn’t introduce ourselves last night since we met in a very hectic, brief way.”

He frowned. “Huh? We did?”

She blinked repeatedly before looking away. “Oh, I see. S-Sorry, Alan. Forget what I just said, please.”

What is she talking about? Alan thought while taking that opportunity to inspect her figure.

Beneath the blue cape and white robe, he could see a feminine petite figure. Almost the same frame as Isabella II… I mean, Ashley… Alan then stared at Tamara’s young features, making her tilt her head. Would Ashley look as friendly as this girl if she acted like a regular human being?

“Is something on my face, too?” she asked.

“What were you saying about the Guild Master?”

“Right! Listen, Astrid instructed me to give you this message.”

Tamara opened her User Interface and made a video window appear in front of Alan. A recorded Astrid could be seen walking nonstop through a corridor, giving her back to the camera.

“Tammie, I have to go. Tell Alan I won’t be able to show him around, but that we can have dinner tonight. In the meantime, I’ll let you be in charge of protecting him today. Understood? I don’t want a repeat of what happened last night… or EVER.”

“Yes, Guild Master…”

“Great. Thanks Tammie. I owe you—TAM! Are you recording me again?! Do not show this to—!”

“I love it when she calls me ‘Tam’,” Tamara whispered. A blushed, dreamy expression on her face.

“She looked quite busy…” Alan whispered, grabbing the cloth around his chest.

It’s okay. I’m finally here. We’ll have plenty of time to hang out later on.

He then turned his gaze towards the smiling girl.

And I also need to reunite with Ashley.

“Tamara, is it possible to send a message to someone I’ve been traveling with lately? Does my User Interface keep a record of everyone I meet?”

Tamara tilted her head slightly. “No, I don’t think so. That sounds more like what an Administrator would keep track of. Do you know the name of this person?”

“Only her first name, sadly. And with that alone, I can’t add her to my friends list.”

“Bummer…” she said, pouting her lips.

Even if I could communicate with someone from Unus Town like Monique Ascencio to keep an eye on Ashley, I’m pretty sure that she would charge me and increase my debt. Besides, I told Ashley to wait for me at the Renoviato Caves. She doesn’t have a reason to leave without me. At least I hope so…

“Okay, another question. Is there a way to get in contact with an Administrator?”

“Unfortunately, they only talk in person with their Moderators, and they’re a different can of worms, believe me! The only reason we know the Admins even exist is because they occasionally make live announcements about some important update or big event. But, Alan, even if you get in contact with one, I doubt they’ll help you find your friend.”

Alan scrutinized her youthful face. She seemed like the very first honest person he had crossed paths with since he logged back.

Astrid trusts her. That’s all I need to know.

“Thanks for all this info, Tamara.”

“Was I really that helpful? I just said what I know.”

“No, really, you truly cleared my doubts.”

“Glad to help!”

“So, by Astrid’s orders, you’re stuck with me today.”

“That’s right! Do you like pancakes? Follow me!” Tamara beamed and led the way, leaving behind a trail of flower’s scent. “You can order breakfast from your room and an NPC will bring it to you, but it’s more fun to eat at the cafeteria.”

As they walked through a corridor long enough to hold close to a hundred windows, Alan could see a pool outside, where some Guilders were having a private competition. Beyond it were the training grounds, where Alan witnessed someone magically bring a 32-feet tall bipedal dinosaur that bowed to its master.

Alan stood in awe, wondering if he could also use the facilities and maybe finally learn how to use his stupid sword. His gaze then landed on a crumbling building in the distance as if it was calling him. It no longer had a rooftop, and through a crack in the wall, he could distinguish the familiar monument of a lion.

“This way, Alan,” Tamara called, urging him to catch up with her. “Do you like what you see? Our headquarters has all an adventurer could wish for. We have plenty of training areas for whatever field you’d wish to master, and… Look over there. That’s one of the Damage Calculator rooms. Say good morning to Karen and Faiza!”

Alan looked in the pointed direction where two girls were about to enter. The tall, black-haired one noticed the two approaching and grimaced after crossing eyes with Alan. The short one with a drowsy expression on her face, as if she had just awakened, faintly waved back at Tamara before closing the door.

“Where was I?” Tamara continued. “Yes! Tell me, Alan, is there any class you’d wish to learn or perfect?”

“You want the truth?”

“Sure! Shoot!”

“At the beginning, I wanted to be a swordmaster, and Astrid always cheered me on about it, but I quickly discovered that I sucked at it. Maybe I could take a glance at the other Classes available and find something that really fits—”

What am I doing? I said too much. He shut his eyes, blushing. Tamara looked away, pretending not to notice.

“We can visit the library after breakfast, then. Hey! Let’s take a brief detour to show you my favorite place in all the HQ. Come!”

This girl is too damn polite, Alan thought, following her lead towards a short corridor.

“This is the Trophy Room!” she continued as she entered a large room decorated with framed videos. “Every Shooting Star can immortalize their most fine hour by hanging a—”

She pursed her lips after recognizing who was there. Marco Souza, the man that had rallied a third of the guild against Alan, was standing in front of the monument of a winged lion; By his side, a muscular guy and a childish-looking teenager.

The big one is William, the first guy that killed me. And the young one is Matt, the one that broke my fingers while on our way to this city.

Alan noticed that Matt was manipulating a system menu coming out of the monument. It seemed to be the room’s control panel, for a framed video disappeared out of the corner of Alan’s eye, and then another on the front wall.

Are they rearranging them?

Alan met eyes with Marco, who smiled gently at him, contrasting William’s glare.

Why are you smiling at me, you—?!

“A-anyway, the cafeteria is right this way, Alan,” Tamara said anxiously as she pulled him by the hand.

The feeling of her soft hand immediately triggered something in Alan’s brain, for a scene flashed in front of his eyes: He saw Tamara’s distressed face, she seemed to be looking at someone else, as a blinding light came out of her hand. The last thing he remembered was a warm feeling embracing him, and something resembling a bubble protecting him from a sea of fire.

What the hell was that? It looked nothing like a dream. That really happened. But when?

He looked down until watching his own steps. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember anything from yesterday after Astrid arrived.