Later at night, the Lizard’s Head tavern was booming with many players, singing and chatting in the warm atmosphere. Fortunately, Susie’s party spotted an empty table near the fireplace.

Sora approached the counter and held up four fingers. “Four ginger pints please.”

The black bartender bear nodded and grabbed four glass mugs from beneath the counter. Sora turned around and spotted a bunny girl dancing on a stool next to the goat bard. She was beautiful, wearing a purple silk dress and a veil over her face. Her belly rocked back and forth along her shaking wide hips. And the goat bard blew his flute, guiding the bunny dancer’s moves with his musical rhythm.

What a beautiful show.

“Here you go.” The bartender placed the four mugs on the counter.

Sora grabbed each mug by their handles with both his hands and carried them to his party’s quiet table. Everybody watched the show except for his group.

He placed one mug in front of Susie and set the others toward Amy and Paul.

“Thank you for bringing the pints,” said Susie.

Sora carried his mug to his spot and sat down. “And thank you for paying for the beer.”

Susie chuckled. “It’s my pleasure.”

Amy raised her mug up. “To the conquerors of Vax!”

Sora raised his mug up with Paul and Susie. “To the conquerors of Vax!”

After their glasses tapped, Sora sipped his beer. It almost tasted like ginger ale with a tangy sweetness of alcohol.

To bad the drinks weren’t real, just data simulating the taste which doesn’t affect the physical body. But perhaps it was a good thing so nobody would go drunk in the real world.

After gulping his beer down, Sora placed his glass down and burped. “Excuse me. So what now? What shall we do this time?’

Amy tapped her wrist and stared at her technical menu.

One hour remaining before end of gaming session!

“We still have enough time to stay longer,” said Amy. “If you want, we could log out early.”

Paul sipped his beer. “How about we go on another quest? I have an unfinished one to complete. A group of bandits had stolen a rare gem from a mistress. I can’t do it alone because the bandits’ camp is big. It’s like running into a battlefield against an army. If you join me, my quest would be easier to complete.”

Susie blew through her lips. “I’m too tired to go on another quest. I need a drink after running my ass off inside the hidden dungeon.”

Sora wouldn’t mind going on another quest with Paul, but he doubted they would have enough time to complete it. Although most quests could be completed by solo characters, some required large groups of players to complete them, or else the solo player would keep failing. Plus the quest sounded like it would take a whole hour to work through. Nobody has time for that right now. “How about we just chill and chat for a while?”

The party stared at him.

“Chat about what?” Susie asked.

Sora pointed his glass at her. “Let’s start with you. What do you do for a living?”

Susie sipped her beer and shrugged. “I am just an accountant at Cash and Grab Enterprise. Clients call me to assist them in their finances, and I do all the calculating for them. It is a boring job, but the money is good. I also hate my hot ass cubicle space. Talking to random people for hours is also a headache.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Then why did you took the job in the first place?” Paul asked. “Just for the money?”

“Well, it is a valuable career, and I am good with math and money. Calculation helped me earn a finance degree in college, and a good home to settle in. Playing SCO helped me cool off from my crappy days.”

“How did you met Amy and Paul?” Sora asked.

Susie leaned back as she swung her left leg over her right leg below the table. “When I heard Vax’s castle reappeared, I knew I had to build a party of my own to raid it successfully. So I went to a town and asked random players to assist me. Amy and Paul were the only ones who approached me.”

“When I heard her, I immediately ran up to her,” Amy explained. “I needed to go back into a hidden dungeon after losing the loot.”

Paul sipped his beer. “I joined because I never explored a hidden dungeon before. They are a pain in the ass to track.”

“I promised Susie I would find another player for our raiding group,” Amy added. “That is why I asked you at work.”

Sora smiled. “Well then, thank you for inviting me. I never bothered to raid a hidden dungeon. But now I am glad we did it together.”

Amy giggled while blushing. “Your welcome.”

Susie glared at Amy and Sora. “Are you two a couple?”

Amy stared at Susie in shock. “No….. Ah….. We are coworkers at Big Joe’s Burgers in New Jersey.”

Susie smirked. “Never mind.”

Amy sighed in relief.

Sora wondered if she has a thing for him. Maybe because he was the only nicest guy she ever talked to at work. Working at a job with annoying customers was a cringe.

Susie stared at the boar. “So Paul, what made you play SCO?”

Paul licked the beer foam off his snout and smiled. “My grandson introduced me to this game. After he heard I played Castles and Monsters, he thought I would enjoy playing with him here.”

“You played that old pen and paper game?” Susie asked.

“Yes, and it isn’t old. It is a classic.”

Susie shrugged.

Sora heard about the old school RPG from a gaming magazine. It was one of the first pen and paper games published in the early 80s before video games became advanced. Before VR, players wrote their characters’ statues in forms and rolled dices to determine their actions. And the person in charge of the game set up sessions for the players to complete. All it took for good imaginations to keep the players engaged.

Paul must be very old since the game was published.

“Where did you played Castles and Monsters at?” Sora asked.

“At my shop, Dice Heaven,” Paul answered. “It’s in New Jersey too.”

Amy dropped her mouth. “Oh! You must be Paul Tobin! The owner of the shop!”

Paul glanced at her. “You visited my shop?”

“Yes! I am Amy Patrick! I came last Friday to buy Snakes and Ladders for my cousin’s birthday! You showed me where the board games were stacked!”

Paul smiled. “Oh, I remember you. Did your cousin enjoyed the game?”

“She wouldn’t stop talking about it. Thank you very much.”

Paul chuckled. “I’m glad she does. How old is she now?”

“She’s ten now. Still in elementary school.”

“Not bad. You should bring her over to my shop. I have more games she might enjoy.”

“Thanks!”

Susie rose and drank the rest of her beer down. “Aaaaaaaaiiii! That is refreshing.”

She placed her glass down. “Well then, it is time for me to go. Back to my crappy ass job.”

“Thank you for leading us,” said Amy.

Susie nodded and opened her menu. When she pushed the log out button, she immediately vanished.

Paul rose next. “I think I should leave now. My wife must be waiting for me in bed.”

“You take care too,” said Amy.

The old man waved and logged out next in a flash.

Amy turned to Sora. “Are you going to log out too?”

Sora leaned back and looked around. “I think I will stay for a while and get another drink.”

“Then I will see you next week at work. Bye-bye.”

Sora waved. “See yeah.”

Amy finished her mug and rose off her seat. She opened her menu and logged out in a second.

Sora was left alone, except with the other players who he doesn’t know. All of them were still watching the hot bunny girl dance.

Funny they are being attracted to a chunk of data.

Sora picked up his mug and walked over toward the bar counter. He placed his glass down and held up his finger. “Around round for me, please.”

The bear bartender approached him while wiping a glass. “Are you paying this time?”

Sora placed three gold coins on the counter. “Yes.”

The bartender took the gold coins. “Coming right up.”

Sora stared back at the dancing bunny girl.

When the goat bard stopped, the dancer bowed, and the players clapped their hands. They truly enjoyed the show.

“May I have a drink?” a soft voice whispered from behind him.

Sora turned around, and his face instantly turned blushfully red.