OldBegginings:[Yeah, I can't do maths... Sorry. And sorry about the 'lateness' of this chapter too. I didn't specify a time, I do try for releases at noon my time, but this one was just a grind one reason or another. There's nothing wrong, at least I think, with the chapter, it's just my attention was always elsewhere for some reason.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.]
*'Hiiro'*
Familiar streets formed around me as my eyes adjusted. Blurs around me turning into humanoids, as they came into focus. The babble from a nearby street poured in, mixed with a multiple, more faint, noises which made me almost lose my orientation. I walked towards the noises in the distance, wanting to see what had truly changed.
The main difference from before were the people, now swarming around me. Hundreds of conversations happened, each sounding like whispers to me. The buildings sparkled with new found life and any signs of fear in the people's faces previously had been replaced with more positive emotions. This 'city', even though it looks more like a town, seemed to be at peace again.
I walked around, following my mini-map towards the direction of the city gate, as I watched the people around me. I couldn't really care about comparing this world to reality, but it surprised me to see every one of the numerous people have their own purpose.
The animations didn't seem stilted or repeated, so the people looked more realistic and lively than most that I've met. Everyone seemed to have their own emotions and personalities, slightly, or very, varied from the people near them. I judged this mainly on body language, but the atmosphere of the game seemed more lively than most streets I've seen, even here in Hangou.
'Well, it's not like that's challenging, since I usually walk at night, or at the earliest in the afternoon, and most of the people I've met were locked in a schooling system...' I thought as I shrugged, dismissing my own comparison as soon as I started it.
-
Eventually, through a series of sporadically placed backstreets and alleys, I got to a large street that seemed even more familiar to me. Certain marks from the fight were yet to be removed, but for the most part, the road was completely fixed and filled to the brim with people. I saw two familiar groups dotted around the street, now seeming overly friendly. I saw that one of them, a group of ladies with similar armor, was blocking my way to the gate.
I felt it would be a hassle to bump into them again, since our last meeting went so 'well'. So I took off my defining hood and proceeded to sneak through some groups and alleys to hide from them.
Mimicking the pacing of a larger group going in the same direction, I walked with them to an opening, a backstreet that my map said would lead me into an alleyway, hiding me from the street. Using it, I managed to get behind the main group and the exit seemed to be within my grasp...
I mean, it would have been if I hadn't have bumped into one of them by accident, and had them remember me instantly. An awkward smile crossed my face, as I faced my only minor defeat in the game.
'Fuck! I knew I should have actually played that game with the guy in a box...' I thought, remembering how I had never actually finished, or even started, a stealth based game. I was suggested many titles, mainly Heavy Connector Gaseous, but they all seemed dull to me since I just didn't enjoy their pace or their easy difficulty. Why would someone who couldn't care less about war, human emotions or patience based games play a game which included all of them?
During the time it took me to get that out of my system, both of the groups surrounded me, making any attempts to escape fruitless.
I looked around, seeing nonhostile glares from everyone. I assumed I wasn't in immediate danger, so casually started talking.
"Um... Hi? Can I do something for you?" I asked in my usual monotone, stuttering to clear my throat.
"Oh, it's you. The cute little incubus who interrupted our fight," one of the girls said.
It was met with a ruckus of sound, with the entirety of both groups joining in. From threats to proposals, I pretty much heard every possible response I expected.
"Ahem, do you wish to repeat that little scuffle, or actually have something important to say? If it's the first, I'll leave one way or another, even if it's with your deaths," I said, raising my voice as I silenced the babble.
Most flinched, as others began smirking. A silence resulted until it was broken by laughter from both leaders.
Not knowing who was going to start, the male leader gestured for the female leader to start.
She waited for her laughter to stop before stating her view, "Nah, we want to thank you instead. Don't mind our bitter brothers and sisters in battle. We were idiots to fight there anyway."
She stopped there, egging the male to take over.
He gulped, as he proceeded to swallow his pride, "Yeah, we may both be prideful and competitors, but we at least have some common sense and decency. We were fighting for who had control over the security here, it was mainly our fault for ignoring their claims anyway. Things shouldn't have gotten to that stage, it just took us way too long to realize it."
With his decree over, both groups met my glare. They were less intense than before, which, although nice and all, made me bored...
The congregation around me swiftly departed and with my new found freedom, I finally left the city, skipping through the crowds as I did so.
-
At the exit, I looked at my map and scanned my surroundings. I could go back to Skimmington, but there's little there. The forests, the other towns, and settlements nearby all seemed pointless too. Well, I say that. One area seemed to be a port, if nothing else, I might be able to go to another island which could be more interesting.
'Huh. Well... I'm only level 24 now, should I wait until level 30? Actually no, this could end with a hassle, or with me getting less pay...' I thought, trying to plan out what I could for fun. Then I remembered that I could just ask the devs, plus I need to get to the events they set.
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Imagining the hassle of explaining how I got 'bored', and how they could just teleport me back here if an event required me to stay. I logged out, wanting to ask him before wasting time wondering around pointlessly.
-
I got up from my bed, removing the helmet, then the gloves. My senses adapted to the familiar surroundings of my room quickly, the lag between the two was now almost impossible to make out.
'I have to give it to them, this game is very immersive. That lag from before has also gone, seems like the updates have done their work...' I noted, as I checked that my mask was still on.
With that confirmed, I pushed myself up onto my feet. I walked the surprisingly long distance from my bedside to my computer, I dubbed 'my ticket to society'.
Almost in reference to how important I find being social, its specs are... well, awful. It doesn't even have a reasonable graphics card, still having it's built in one from five years ago. The dust-coated top tried to show how truly old it was.
Regardless of it's tacky, outdated looks with its almost rusted touch-pad, it was surprisingly quick. Still loading up almost instantly as I tried to log in.
First, I checked my emails, asking _______ about whether I was allowed to leave the starting island or not. There wasn't an instantaneous response, so I looked at all the other sites that may have had updated. I was surprised with how many people agreed with my 'pro-incest' rant, with a few people calling it out for it's apparent 'harmful' message. If mocking other's life choices wasn't just as harmful. I ignored them and went to my Punch Novel and Bratter accounts, each had numerous challenges that spewed forth no matter how much I deleted them.
'Should I just delete these accounts? It's been at least a year since I've even done anything on Bratter... And when the hell did I think making a Punch Novel account would be a good idea?' I cynically myself, watching the number of posts go from zero to five hundred in mere moments.
-
I was about to continue doing this mind-numbing and grating task when my stomach interrupted me. I left my room, doing my usual walk to the fridge to get food.
The living room seemed lively, the sound of pencils and pens scraping paper was escaping beneath some conversation.
"No. That equation goes there... no... Are you asleep Shun! It goes before there. yes, there," Yun yelled.
'Oh, they're revising now? The exams are at least a month away, why are they starting now?' The questions entering my head made me feel a certain level of curiosity that I couldn't ignore. I slightly shrugged as I considered how I was waiting anyway, and scouted out what was happening.
I tilted my head and walked in, another voice made me confused, since usually they'd refuse others access to the dorm.
When I could make out the contents of the room, my confusion was justified. There were four people now sitting at the main table, Yun standing over Shun on one side, and two girls I either didn't know, or forgot, opposite to them.
The door was opened, and these other two girls had seen me. They both had brunette hair, both had similar glasses, both wore their school uniforms and both had similar length to their hair. With the only real difference being either extremely minor, I concluded before meeting them that I was going to get confused between them.
I didn't want to interrupt them, so waited for them to stop before knocking. It was clear from the way Yun was leaning over her brother, that the two of them were very close. This fact was evidenced by how the other two looked at them with an almost innocent awe to them.
I cleared my throat as I walked up behind them. They now turned around, finally noticing me.
I started with an apology before stating my curiosity with a few questions, "Sorry to interrupt since it's clear you're revising, I mean, there's no problem with wanting to revise early. But aren't exams in another month? You haven't learned most of the unit yet, have you?"
Blank reactions crossed their faces.
'Ha, they seem to have mistaken that for me caring... no wonder they're so surprised.' I thought, noting their reactions as 'funny'.
"Um..." one of the unknown girls broke the awkward silence, taking a moment to think through her words before following up her stutter.
"W-who is this guy? Someone you guys know?" she asked, seeming to grab the other girl's attention as Shun and Yun's faces turned to them.
"Oh, this is the resident NEET, Johnson. Well, he's technically at this school. And his inevitable 100% score will prove to mock our hard work..." Shun answered, as spitefully as possible I may add.
"Thanks, for the flattering introduction Shun," I replied, trying to match Shun's spitefulness. He flinched as a result.
Clearly getting nowhere, Yun's impatience showed as she swiftly answered my question, "We were going to tell you, but you were playing that game. From the backlash from last time, I chose to let you be. It's a homework task, Shun and these two were struggling on it, so it came to this. The exams, as you said, are in fact in a month."
Before I could butt in or escape, she asked her own, "By the way, why are you here? we haven't caused a ruckus, have we?"
"Don't worry, you didn't. I was going to eat something and noticed you guys here, so my curiosity got to me and here we are." I said, trying to not seem contradicting as I explained.
With my curiosity sated, I asked a final line, hoping it was rhetorical, "Well unless you want some help with teaching them, I'll be going. Sorry for disturbing you and I hope it goes well."
Wit no interruptions I left towards the exit to grab some food.