Intermezzo
Vice-captain of Crimson Code, Christine.
Yggdrasil time [20:15]
Outer regions | Designated Location Point 64: The Lake Tritonis.
It starts with a fierce step- its thunderous sound awakens the audience’s attention. As if attempting to become the spotlight, a lone girl emerges from the shadows, basking in the rays of the moonlight. She took a step forward, followed by an elegant swirl with her arms swaying freely, evoking a profound solemnity in her expression.
Along with her dance, a constant handclap creates a rhythm that motivates each step to strike the beat. At last, she settled with a spin before straightening her body to face the radiant light. She spreads her hands towards the moon as if embracing it.
“Oh! The moon! The Stars! Can't you see them watching?” The female dancer's baritone voice raised in pitch, echoing throughout the forest, “Oh, Mr Phantom!”
The female dancer swiveled her head to one of the audience members, Phantom, who stood beneath the shadows of the tree. Despite the outstanding performance of the girl, his face remained emotionless like that of a doll, with unwavering gray-yellow eyes. He stopped the movements of his hands before religiously clapping them together as if rejoicing.
He replies, “Wonderful performance, Ms. Liu.”
Phantom's praises flowed from his unmoving lips, together with his stiffly concise moments - With one look, it was undeniable that his movements were similar to one of the ancient antique robots from the old. Adorned with a fashionable suit of a villain in a performance, it somehow added a sense of mystery to his said character.
Besides the monotonous applause from Phantom, a soft clapping accompanied it. Behind him, Christine sat on a fallen trunk, her expression solemn as she gazed at the earnest Liu, standing as if she wanted to be praised. When Liu delivered her ad-lib, Christine couldn't help but shift her gaze toward the 'moon'.
“The 'moon', huh?” Christine repeated, averting her gaze to the moon, “Can that really be called a ‘moon’? I really don’t get why that thing is called the moon.”
When the sun collapsed to rest, the night shifted, bathing the labyrinth's dwellers with the emerging brightness of the moon. In Christine's vision, she could see a colossal eye beyond the skies, glowing so brightly like a moon in the real world.
Phantom turned swiftly, facing Christine, “If not a moon, then what is? Ms. Patron.”
“A huge eye? Come on, that’s definitely an eye.”
"That, I can agree," Liu remarks, approaching Christine. "However, as reasoned by the administrative Moonfollowers, 'we have limited insights into what it could be. And by the standards of the real world, calling it a 'moon' seems more appropriate.'"
Christine couldn't help but grumble in response, “Still… Nothing irritates me more than an unknown being looking down on us while we normalize the fact that that thing is called a ‘moon’. Can’t they just name it like the native does? Quidos? Whatever they call it again?”
“Do you perhaps mean 'Quietus'?”
Hearing the original name of the Eye made Christine more confused, 'Why that name?'
Before sitting next to Christine, Liu gracefully lifted her long, thick tail that sprouted behind her and placed it on her lap. She then spoke, "Shall we request a name change? I thi-"
“No need.” Christine interrupts her, “It's not that big of a deal anyways, and I am certain they will change it in the future."
Phantom stood quietly at the edges of the shadows cast by the dense trees, listening attentively to the conversations between the members of the Crimson Code. Both Christine and Liu caught his attention with their contrasting outfits. Christine wore a standardized imperial uniform, complete with a slender sword on her waist. On the other hand, Liu had chosen a simple exploration outfit with a bow securely fastened to her body.
"I must say, Ms. Liu's prose is, without a doubt, true in its essence," Phantom pointed out.
“Shush you. I'm not talking about that.”
A soft chuckle escaped from Phantom as if teasing the hot-headed Patron. He gracefully moonwalked towards the spotlight, moving beyond the reach of the trees' shadows. There, he replaced Liu's lasting presence in this stage. Evoking a sense of mystery in his character, and the breeze settled before him.
Phantom starts, raising his foot behind him. Tapping twice with the toe of his shoe on the ground as if seeking attention, all sights focus on him. A fast-stiff dance for a newly formed avatar, yet it carried the weight of his experience. Liu couldn't help but stare at him with wonderful delight, wagging her black scaled tail to follow the rhythm of his solo cha-cha.
As the Patron of Phantom, Christine was supposed to watch Phantom's passionate performance. It was lacking compared to the real world, but it was understandable as Phantom's race in this world was that of a Flesh Doll. As such, practices like these would eventually make him comfortable with his new avatar.
"Why did you choose Flesh Doll for a race, if you don't mind my asking?" Christine inquired curiously. "Oh, and I heard from Escobar that you have bad compatibility with a Flesh Doll."
Hearing Christine's question, Phantom was struck by stiffness but nonetheless continued to dance as if playing it off.
"I am uncertain, but the virtuoso in me screams. It calls my name, yearning for me." As he spoke, Phantom swayed to the side as he clapped both his hands. "And before I knew it, I had already appeared in the world with this avatar."
"Oh, I see. So you mean that the Flesh Doll races are cool, that you did it anyway."
Phantom abruptly stopped his dance before continuing again as he hurriedly gave an excuse, Cha-chaing the accusation away, "I was fascinated by them, Ms. Patron."
However, as the vice-captain of the Crimson Code, Christine had better things to do than watch Phantom's practice, so she responded with a nod before shifting her attention.
With a thought, Christine opened the Public Forum of the simulation world. She navigated through countless text lines until she found herself upon the Megathread titled [Expedition Tailgate]. Instantly, a wall of text greeted her, describing Tailgate in detail.
[1. Shenie
Expedition Tailgate
Expedition Tailgate extends a warm invitation to all brave Seekers out there. Our primary aim is to form an expedition company of like-minded individuals who are eager to embark on an unforgettable journey through the Labyrinth of the Ornella Kingdom.
We believed in the power of the Imperial Compatriots, the power of our friendship and organized efforts. Our invisible threads that bind together in our blood, our unity will stand against the powerful catastrophe.
So, if you are an adventurer at heart, yearning to explore the secrets of the Labyrinth of the Ornella Kingdom, we invite you to join the Expedition Tailgate!]
In most cases on the simulation worlds, players often form expedition campaigns at the start of the game or even before it opens. It allowed the players to have an initial grouping of people with respective roles and obligations, enabling them to combine efforts and create a powerful start to the game.
Seeing so, Christine couldn’t help but grumble, “I wonder if joining the expedition Tailgate was the right choice.”
“What do you mean?” Liu replied, still captivated by Phantom’s Dance.
"Since we joined, we have done nothing but scout locations and rescue our compatriots. Extremely boring, we might as well join later when Tailgate actually goes out to explore the unknown regions."
"I think otherwise. Are we not benefitting from the given privileges from this expedition? Free food and free instant revivals? Not to mention, it's only been 40 minutes since the opening."
“True…”
As an auxiliary squad of the Expedition Tailgate, Crimson Code acted independently from the main group, allowing them to be more mobile in scout locations tasked by the Administrative group called the Moonfollowers.
However, the task assigned to them was merely scouting locations - identifying the land, taking samples of the environment, and sending detailed reports to the Moonfollowers. As a result, a library of information was formed within the Megathread Tailgate, accessible only to its members. But due to the constant movement, it felt rather tiresome.
Liu turned her head, fixing her gaze on Christine. She noticed Christine's eyebrows furrowed into a frown as she rested her chin on her hands, a quiet grumbling escaping her. Liu's expression softened as she silently observed Christine's cute gesture - a playful twirl of the strands of her blond hair and a slight tilt of her head.
She patted her scaly tail as she reasoned, "The Labyrinth is full of... Well, mysteries and unexplainable factors. It is more beneficial for us to join the expedition than explore without a goal. Is this not what you favor, vice-captain?"
"But it's so boring. Waiting is boring!"
Liu smiled, "Shall we enter frontline armies then?"
"Are you perhaps sending me to my death?"
"No, not at all! Why would I ever do that?"
"You sound sarcastic enough."
Liu responded with a soft chuckle, sending an alluring gaze, "So, shall we continue to stay here? A place not many enters, exclusive only for both of us."
Christine was taken aback by Liu's suggestive tone, causing her to turn her head. At that moment, she noticed an intense heat in Liu's expression. Her heart pounded, and she hastily stood up, determined to leave.
Christine commanded her Conscious Augment to become expressionless and replied monotonously, "No, thanks. I am not interested in that."
Christine swiftly fled the scene, putting distance between herself and the passionate performers, paying no mind to Liu's teasing giggle. Her steps led her to a massive crater housing a vast Lake called Tritonis, the designated place assigned to them by the Moonfollowers.
Christine halted and stood a mere foot away from the edge of the stony cliff as her gaze fixated on a massive body of water below her. Lake Tritonis stretched out before her, but it was difficult for Christine to be mesmerized despite the clearness and tranquility that the lake provided. She just could not find herself liking the lake with the reflection of the Eye, seemingly staring at her too.
A thought came to mind after seeing the massive size of Lake Tritonis as she wore a disgusted expression. 'The other Seekers reported the lake to be more or less a hundred kilometers, but no details how far depth goes.'
She anchored her gaze to the flashing light from the distant horizon across the still waters. The flashes of light seemed to scatter across the forest randomly. Flames abruptly burst into the sky, numerous lightning would zap down, and smoke would appear here and there before dying out.
"The absolute state of the Seekers," Liu muttered.
As those words reached her ears, Christine turned her head behind, towards Liu. To her surprise, Liu's eyes protruded unnaturally from their sockets, with irises as wide and elongated. They were fixated intensely on the distant horizon, oblivious to Christine's visibly disturbed expression.
'Am I weird for not being used to adaptive eyes?'
Christine swallowed those thoughts as she listened to Liu's report.
"It would seem that LP44 anchor got attacked."
"Eh? The Anchor Base? Aren't the Army Bastion and Spearhead positioned there? Did they get attacked by that monster that roams around?" Christine expressed her concern. "Liu, connect to one of their channels and check the status?"
Liu nodded, briefly closing her eyes to focus. After just a few seconds, she opened her eyes, smiling.
"The Anchor base remains strong, although they were quite displeased when their dinner time was interrupted and went a little excessive in their defenses. As for the attack, it seems that a group of monsters followed the auxiliary squad, leaving the base being targeted."
"Ask if they want some kind of assistance."
Liu paused briefly before replying, "Nope. They said to carry on with our assigned task. Oh, and our delivery food will arrive soon."
After Liu's response, her eyes slowly returned to their normal position. Witnessing this unsettling transformation, Christine couldn't help but shiver. She moved along and sat at the edge, asking, "What time?"
"I'm not entirely certain. The communication operator mentioned that several delivery squads had arrived at the Anchor base, so perhaps in 10 or 15 minutes?"
As Christine sat down, she couldn't help but notice Liu, who stood beside her with her arms outstretched toward Lake Tritonis. Intrigued by her actions, Christine continued observing her with a judgmental gaze. Suddenly, Phantom appeared behind her and lifted her. The cold breeze blew, causing Lui's dark purple hair to slap against Phantom's face.
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"?"
"AND BOTH OF OUR HEARTS WILL GO ON AND ON!!"
"What the hell are you guys doing?"
"Rejoice! The reenactment of the old! The stories of eternal ancient romance!" Phantom pronounced.
"Uh-huh. Tell me more about it."
Liu beheld a mysterious-dignified expression, closing her eyes as she ignored her hair assaulting Phantom's face. Phantom inched closer to the edge, with Liu just hanging over.
"Oh! Mr. Phantom, I'm flyin--."
"Say, Geronimo." Phantom appealed,
"Eh?" Liu's eyes wide open in panic, "Excuse me, that's the wrong one?"
"Is it? My apologies. Let me take a redo," Phantom coughs, "Long live the King!"
Perhaps unable to take it, Liu had a strong grip on Phantom's hand, to the point that his doll-skin cracked from her strength. "definitely not that either."
Liu smiled as she looked over her shoulder as if relaying a sinister message in her gaze, 'If I fall, I'm taking you with me.'
The threat was silent, but it dominated every living fiber Phantom had. He coughs weakly before finding the strength to speak. "Are you flying, Ms. Liu?"
Though his voice was meek, Liu remained silent, smiling eerily. The threat escalated as Phantom heard his own skin crack, blood pouring from the wound. Quietly, he retreated to safer ground, carefully placing down the enraged Liu.
He added, "For legal reasons, that was a joke."
"Too bad, nobody laughed," Liu replied.
Christine sighed and decided to continue to ignore their intricacies. She resumed her attention on the Expedition Tailgate Megathread, navigating through the numerous texts using her thoughts. Then, Christine opened a thread post called 'designated maps' in a new holographic window while opening another called 'Expedition group status'.
However, before setting her eyes on the new window, she decided to see the current status of the Expedition Tailgate. Underneath the Tailgate's Expedition description, numerous private thread links were available for members’ use, and she entered a thread called 'Expedition status reports and phase'.
「 Expedition status reports:
Moonfollowers Administrative: Reports
Main body: Reports
Logistical groups: Reports
Affiliates groups: Reports
Seeker Banishment: Reports
Phase Status: Current [Phase Two]
Phase One: Search and Rescue : Details
Phase Two: Expedite Organizing : Details
Phase Three: Settlement in the unknown: Details.
Phase Four: Deep exploration: Details.
Phase Five: Global Assessment: Details」
‘Still on Phase Two,’ Christine thought before shifting her attention elsewhere
Looking at the designated maps window, Christine navigated through several thread links to find the map titled 'Lake Tritonis' and opened it with a thought. There, it displayed a digital rough drawing of Lake Tritonis, and numerous notes were attached to the drawings, indicating the location of various groups present in Lake Tritonis. She gazes along the description of the post, reading in her mind.
'Last update: 5 PM. Due to the decision-making, updates of the map 'Lake Tritonis' will be postponed until further notice, report link.' She nods in understanding.
Christine observed the current position of the groupings within Lake Tritonis. She noted the presence of Army Spearhead and the Bastion in the south, just across the lake from their position. Additionally, several battalions were observed to have wide coverage up north and to the east.
‘Good to know the several battalions from Tailgate are surrounding our location. I guess, there’s no need to worry so much about the monsters.’ Christine thought. 'Oh, right. The Deathpen.'
As she continued her observation on the map, her eyes caught sight of a small note 'Floating Island Deathpens Reports'. In response, she looked to the sky and saw a massive island floating beyond the skies. On top sat a castle: while it was small for normal eyes to see, there was no denying the distinguishable shape of the castle.
There it is.
Quietly crouching beside Christine, Liu caught her gaze and initiated a conversation that matched her curiosity. "Some Seekers theorize that the deathpen came from this lake, but, I wonder what your thoughts are."
"Maybe?" Christine replied, "I mean, it would make sense if it did. Considering the size of the lake's basin.”
As skies became cluttered with clouds, obscuring their view of what lay above. Christine's gaze fell upon the lake. Entranced by the absolute tranquility that enveloped the place, she couldn't help but lower her eyes further as if being lured by the atmosphere. Suddenly, a soft hymn reached her ears, and when she turned to its source, she discovered Liu humming beside her.
With Liu within sight, Christine couldn't resist the allure of her mysterious vibe. Liu continued to hum, swaying her body as if melting with the atmosphere. Christine found herself mesmerized by Liu's avatar, captivated by the fluttering dark purple hair that danced with the breeze. As she observed further, she noticed intricate details like the small horns emerging from the jet-black scales on her head.
Christine dazed, thinking, 'Liu's real appearance is much more beautiful.'
Liu noticed Christine's gaze and a big smile appeared. Christine swiveled her head immediately, avoiding Liu's teasing expression.
'Augment, give me more self-control, will you?' Christine begged.
Ignoring her teasing habits once more, Christine faces forward, wearing no expressions. Still, regardless of how she avoided seeing Liu's face, she couldn't avoid Liu's humming, but she didn't mind it as it was rather pleasant to the ears.
When clouds cleared, the moon emerged, casting its glow upon the land and the still waters of the lake. The lights from the Anchor base were visible from here, creating a mysterious distant lighting. Except for the massive Eye reflected on the lake's surface, everything seemed to be -
“Beautiful,” Christine muttered.
As someone who lived in the capital world, it was difficult for people to see such beautiful landscapes of nature. Although the world was only a simulation, a rather perfect impersonification of the real world, it was enough to satisfy one’s own desire.
“The escapism of reality,” Phantom pronounced, low enough for the two girls to hear it.
“Beautiful, indeed. Christine.” Liu muttered as her gaze locked on Christine.
Perhaps sensing Liu’s carefree flirtiness attitude, Christine grabbed the sword in her waist. She replied, “Lovey Dovey today, aren’t we, Ms Liu?
Liu chuckled mischievously as she hid behind Phantom's stature, teasing Christine with a smug smile. Seeing such a figure, Christine stood up as she readied herself to do a little revenge on Liu. But suddenly, her attention was abruptly diverted by a holographic window that materialized in front of her. It turned out to be a call from Rafyne, appearing as a group communications request.
Phantom looks at Christine, who nods in response to his gaze. Liu, noticing the unspoken exchange, also nodded when she met Phantom before accepting the group communication call from Rafyne.
「 Hi, am I talking to the captain of Crimson Code, Mr. Phantom?」A high-pitched male voice echoed in their mind.
「You are talking to no other than Mr. Phantom 」
「Oh, neat. I have a dinner package for the Crimson Code Squad. The location is Northeast of Lake Tritonis, around the stone cliff area. Is that correct?」
「 Those locations are indeed correct. 」
「Nice! Then, lastly, before I appear. There are no enemies in the immediate area, right? 」
「You are free to appear. 」
「Okay! I will be appearing in a few seconds. So, please don’t attack me.」
'This voice... Sounds familiar...' Christine thought.
Mere moments later, a faint form materialized where the Crimson Code had been resting moments before. As it took shape in the air, white contours distorted the surrounding visuals. Gradually, the figure transformed into a towering monstrosity, its immense body covered in greenish-blue skin that seemed to shimmer under the rays of the moonlight. With a face stretched wide, a sinister smile revealed rows of teeth protruding jaggedly from its gaping happy maw. Four tentacle-like mustaches slithered grotesquely as if excited.
"Dinner delivery!" He yelled in a bass-filled voice, unlike his high-pitched communicative thoughts.
Rafyne approaches the trio, his bulky backpack towering over him, and shakes with each step. The backpack was tall enough to cover the Crimson Code Squad with shadows. His face lit up with a wider smile when he spotted Christine, and he hurried towards her, his excitement palpable.
However, despite his joyful reaction, the members of the Crimson Code couldn't help but shiver at the sight of the monstrosity approaching them.
"Oh, it's you! Miss Christine! I didn't know you joined Crimson Code's Squad."
Christine tilted her head, visibly confused, "Who?"
"Oh, it's me, Rafyne. We teamed up earlier for group admission, don't you remember?"
Christine took a moment to remember where she had encountered this man, accessing her memory bank for clear recollection. She remembered pairing with two random compatriots to join the expedition Tailgate as per their requirements, and both of them were Athari, and so was she.
In terms of appearance, it was evident that Athari and Rafyne's current race were distinctly different. For an Athari, they were the definition of a pure-bred humanoid race, and whatever Rafyne's race was, he was far removed from being human. It seemed like he was close to an aquatic species judging by his appearance alone.
However, despite all the uncertainties, there was one thing Christine could confidently assume. She spoke, "Are you perhaps one of the people who teamed with me for the admission to Tailgate?"
"Yep! Correct! I evolved into this race earlier. What do you think?" Rafyne spread four of his arms, presenting his body to Christine.
"You look ginormous. Just what the hell are you?"
"Well, I'm not entirely sure myself!" Rafyne responded, "There is currently no classification for my race, but I'm pretty certain the Recorders will release the information once they finished compiling the surveyors' report."
As Liu had been listening to their conversation, she quietly approached Christine from behind and leaned. As she was taller than Christine, she leaned forward as though using Christine as a support.
"Hey, hey." Liu's voice boomed softly, "Mr. Delivery, how about giving us our dinner first?"
"Oh, yeah. Yeah." Rafyne replied, flustered. "Hold on for a moment, I'll take it out."
Rafyne sat down on the ground with a loud thud, reached behind him to retrieve the large bag, and placed it next to him. With his three massive arms, he steadied the bag to prevent it from falling, while the fourth arm grabbed smaller sacks from inside and handed them to Liu.
"Here's three sacks of holding," Says Rafyne, "Chicken bangers are the ones who prepared the food. There should also be ale, tea leaves, and fruits stored inside."
"Woah! Thank you!" Liu responded with a smile.
"You're welcome, milady! The fruits were picked by the surveyors in the frontier. If you want more, it should be possible to request types of food from the logistics department. I'm not sure how that works, but I think your Anchor communicator should know the details. So ask them."
As Rafyne continued to explain, Liu handed out the sacks of holding to the others. Curious about its contents, Liu opened the sack and discovered a spacious interior, defying its seemingly limited size. The objects displayed inside far surpassed what one would expect a mere sack to hold.
As Liu continued to peer inside the bag, her eyes were drawn to a small radiant pebble. Unable to resist her curiosity, she carefully retrieved it from the bag, only to discover a glowing red berry nestled within her hand. With an inquisitive smile, she turned to Rafyne and asked, "Is it safe to consume?"
Christine also found a glowing berry and brought it close to her eye for inspection. No matter how she looked at it, it was similar to exotic grapes in the real world, except it was glowing. Appearance aside, it didn't smell anything weird, but instead, a delightful aroma similar to blueberry invaded her nostrils.
"The Ketl Fruit?" Rafyne responded, amusement evident in his face, "The researchers from the frontier said it's safe to eat, just don't forget to send your death report to them if you happen to perish. Ahaha."
He chuckled, adding, "Well, so far, no documented deaths associated with it. Guess it's safe, huh? Well, I have to say, those things taste absolutely amazing, so maybe it's even worth the risk of dying, right?"
"We're trying our best not to be nominated to go to the frontier, yet you're delivering death to us. Aren't you quite the delivery man?" Christine muttered.
To which, Rafyne laughed in response. Liu giggles, "Death delivery."
'Maybe I should wait until some kind of reaction shows,' Christine thought. 'While I could produce the same amount of A-cells in the real world, it is still a bit difficult to combat poison or diseases with such a limited conscious augment.'
Liu drew a suspicious gaze with a smile to Rafyne, she knew he was part of the delivery squad, but he probably wouldn't have any idea what he was delivering. She continued to smile before deciding to eat the Ketl berry.
Liu's face lit up with delight as she exclaimed, "Oh, this is exquisite."
"Right? Right?" Rafyne replied.
"Very much so," Phantom muttered.
Christine couldn't help but swivel her head towards Phantom in response. She saw Phantom had taken a bite from the Kelt berry, its glowing bluish liquid was spilling into his gloves, but he seemed to care less of it. Then, he finished it off by swallowing it whole, leaving Christine in awe of his daring.
"Indeed. Such a unique taste." Phantom complimented.
Upon witnessing Phantom devouring the berry, Christine, who was about to store the Kelt berry, felt an unexpected surge of pressure compelling her to join them. However, she quickly issued a command to her Augment, instructing it to prevent her from succumbing to such temptations.
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot to ask," Rafyne said, "So, you guys are the first responders for this deathpen, huh? How many people have managed to escape from the floating isle? Was there any, like, uh, monster falling from it?"
Shaking her head, Christine said, "Unfortunately, we have not seen a single monster dropping from the sky. However, after being assigned here, we did witness 63 people successfully escape and be rescued from the deathpen." Christine's voice carried a hint of disappointment as she relayed the information.
"I see. It's kinda sad there's no monster we can copy its DNA, I heard this is the deathpen with a 90% death rate. We can only imagine how strong they are, so being involved with those monsters would significantly help with the exploration of the unknown for sure. Are you not planning on changing to a different race soon?"
Christine replied, "I'm still not sure about evolving..."
"I see. But if you need to change, either call me and take my blood. Or you can go to one of the LP-331, to the deathpen, and take whatever blood you get interested in."
"The swamp location, huh? Must be very neat to go around from place to place, while we're sitting here rotting from boredom."
"Oh, don't be like that," Rafyne countered, smirking with his blobby-looking face, "The Divine and Champion Santoris are still missing, so who knows that they might appear here."
"True," Liu supported, "The Head Leader did emphasize the need to find royal class and champions."
Christine sighed in response. Seeing such a defeated figure, Rafyne took his heavy bag and placed it behind him.
"Well, don't lose hope just yet. The next phase is coming up, so keep it up until then. I heard from HQ that they're planning on moving to phase 3 tomorrow at noon. Just check the announcements thread for the official version.
“Oh?" Christine perked up.
“Anyways, talk to you later! Also, see you later, Mr. Phantom and another lady member of Crimson Code. Explore safe~.”
Rafyne waved with his two left hands before his large body faded to invisibility. The space around him seemed to distort before completely vanishing into thin air.
“Quite the carefree child,” Liu commented.
Christine giggled, “You can say that much."
"Well, aren't you thrilled by this fantastic news?" Liu smirks mischievously, her smile reaching from ear to ear.
Christine didn't forget Liu's relentless teasing. As a result, she decided to ignore Liu's presence entirely and divert her attention towards the floating island beyond the skies.
Christine pondered, 'Divine, huh? It has been 3 hours since we last escorted a Royal Class, so it would make sense that the Divine would appear soon.'
Suddenly, a clacking reached her ears, causing her to swiftly turn her head in alarm. To her surprise, Phantom was comfortably sitting on an antique chair paired with a round table. The dining table was illuminated by a small candle, and the dining utensils were arranged neatly on the tablecloth. Additionally, a pot filled with various flowers was placed in the middle, adding an aesthetic touch to the scene.
"Quite the nice dinner we're having today, Mr. Phantom?" Liu commented with a smile, amused by the situation.
Liu sat across Phantom, elegantly swirling the wine glass in her hand. Bringing the berry to her lips, she savored its sweetness, delighting in the juicy burst of flavor as she took a delicate bite.
"My!" Liu exclaims, "This berry is quite the complimenting partner for this grape wine?"
Phantom nodded in agreement, thoroughly enjoying his exquisite sandwich. With stiff yet precise movements, he sliced through the bread and brought a forkful to his mouth. Though his expression remained impassive, the unhurried savory bites spoke volumes, leaving no doubts about his appreciation for the flavors.
Christine stood, baffled by the scenery unfolding before her. She couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"
Phantom delicately laid down his utensils and gracefully picked up white clothing to dab upon his mouth, he replied, "Indulging in the pleasure of my meal. What of it, Ms. Patron?"
"I can see that, very much so."
"Come," Phantom extended his hand with a stiff gesture, "take a seat and partake in this delectable feast."
"Uh-huh." Christine couldn't find the right words to describe what was unfolding.
Christine steps into the candle-light and settles into the last available chair. She queried, "Since when did you arrange all of this up? And since when did you have the time to buy everything?"
"A phantom moves before anyone can notice, that much is true."
'yep. I'm not going to get a straight answer from this guy.' Christine thought.
Christine gazes at Liu, her eyes searching for a coherent explanation. However, Liu's attention is devoted to drowning herself in alcohol.
"Don't you fucking dare get drunk." Christine scolds, "Make sure to constantly metabolize every alcohol."
"Don't worry, I will never get drunk."
Hearing so, Phantom choked on his food. The two members looked at him with varying expressions; one had an ominous smile that sent shivers down his spine, while the other wore a self-satisfied smirk. Regardless, he continued, taking a napkin to wipe his lips.
"See?" Christine added, "Even Phantom says otherwise."
"I'm a Dalaconian, partly a Dragon kind. After the probe scans my body, I'll have you know that I have a high tolerance to alcohol compared to the real world.”
"Uh-huh." Christine nodded.
Liu quickly turned her head, avoiding Christine's empty gaze. She picked up the wine glass and downed its contents, leaving Christine with a further sense of emptiness.
Christine muttered, "Now would be a really bad time if someone escaped the deathpen."
Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the sky, accompanied by an ear
-piercing explosion. Though Christine couldn't witness the event as it was behind her, she knew exactly what it was and sighed in response.
"Well, you ask, you received." Liu mused.
"Fuck."