Chapter 37: I Can Explain
I saved the girl. I took revenge. I killed the monsters. I cleared the floor.
"Nice, all good!"
"Adas, what was all that?"
Nothing is good!
"What are you talking about?"
"Adas, that won't work on me."
Dammit!
"Rikka."
"Yes?"
"The truth is I don't remember anything, something happened to me, and when I regained consciousness, I was here..."
"Adas."
"Ye..ah?"
"You suck at lying and acting."
Don't say that!
"Fine, I will tell you everything, but promise me that you won't tell anyone."
"Not even Elena?"
"She must not know this."
"Ok…ay."
I told her everything.
"You are kidding, right?"
"I am not."
"So, you got these skills and stats, and you were using another skill to fake the stats?"
"That's right."
"And you have a personal pixie too?"
"Yes."
"I don't see her anywhere."
"She is sitting on my head."
"I don't see her."
"Lily. Can you show yourself?"
[I have no other choice.]
"Wow, she is so small and cute."
[Hello, I am Lily.]
"She can speak! Adas she is speaking!"
I know.
"Hello Lily, are you an AI?"
[That's right. I am Adas's guide and his lifelong partner.]
Shut up!
"Can you fly?"
[I can.]
She flew from my head to Rikka's hands.
"She is tiny and cute and soft!"
Don't compliment her!
[Thanks.]
Don't thank her!
"Hey Adas, we should retreat now. All the players are looking at us."
"Yeah, let's go."
I checked the scores. Robna is 1st, Elena is 2nd, and I am 3rd. Thank god I didn't beat Elena's score.
I glanced at the portal to see those three boys staring at us or rather me.
What? Are you going to beat me?
"Adas?" Rikka said.
"What?"
"Do as I do."
"Huh?"
"Repeat after me."
"Okay."
Rikka showed her fist to them. I imitated her. Lily and that girl did the same.
Why are we showing our fists? Are we challenging them?
Rikka slowly raised her middle finger from her fist. We did the same--
What the hell are we doing? Aren't we provoking them? Is this even allowed in-game?
And don't teach Lily strange things!
I grabbed Lily and went out of the portal.
"Umm...thanks for saving me."
"Huh? Yeah, no worries."
"Well, then I should go."
"Hey, will you be okay?"
"What--"
"They were bullying you, right? They are from your school?"
"Yeah, they are my classmates."
"Do they bully you in school too?"
"No, this only happens in-game."
"What?"
"That boy was my brother."
"Wait; what?"
"The boy who was dragging me was my brother."
"Your brother bullies you?!"
"Only in-game since--"
"What the fuck!"
"His girlfriend told him to; she is jealous of me."
What kind of brother is he? He bullies her sister because his girlfriend told him to?
"He bullies you at home too?"
"No, he is a good brother. He will apologize to me when I log out."
"Why do you stay with them?"
"I don't have any other party to join."
"How about you join our party? Then they will not bully you in the game."
At that moment, I sensed Elena behind me. Aren't that great?
"Adas!" Did she jump on mean? She hugged me from behind, locking my neck with her hands and my body with her legs.
"Reina, You are--"
"Don't you dare call me heavy?"
"I won't. I can--"
I can feel her chest on my back; I should tell him,--but first, let me enjoy this for a while.
"Who is this girl?"
"Adas saved her and asked her to join our party," said Rikka.
"Is that true, Adas?"
"Wait. I can explain it.",
Elena tightened her grip. It doesn't hurt; I can feel her chest more. This is amazing.
"I am sorry, but I will have to decline your offer." said the girl.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I will not log in for a while."
"I see."
"Let's go, Adas."
"Get off me first."
"Carry me. I was waiting for you; I am tired."
"Fine."
I will feel them for some more time.
"Did you die on floor 35?"
"No, we cleared it. We died on floor 36."
"Did you get hurt?"
"I didn't "
"I needed to look cool in front of you, but I didn't get a chance."
"...."
"That Xerah took all the credits."
"....."
"You called her cool too."
"She was cool."
She tightened her grip.
"Das, you idiot." She whispered to me in a low voice.
"You are calling me by my real name."
"I am your girlfriend."
"Yeah, you are."
"You should only look at me."
"Elena."
"Call me Reina--"
"Xerah was cool, but you-the game covers me."
"You are just saying that. You don't mean it."
"I am not. You are cool, in-game, and in the real world too."
"....."
"I respect you, and I am fortunate to have you as my girlfriend."
"You..."
"What did you say?"
I glanced at her; her face was as red as a beet.
"Don't say embarrassing things in front of others."
"Huh?"
Is there anyone looking at...us? I saw Rikka walking beside us and when I looked at her face. She was smiling smugly.
Ricky, your wife, is very dangerous.
"You two love each other, don't you?"
"No comment."
"Adas," Elena whispered.
"What?"
"How does it feel?"
"Huh? Feel what?"
"My chest."
She knows!
"You were doing this on purpose?"
"When Xerah hugged you, you were making a lewd face."
Lewd face?!
"I don't mind it, but you should also make that face when you are with me."
"What do you mean by you, don't mind it?"
"I am saying it's okay if you--"
"Hey, Rikka!"
"Ricky!"
"Hey Adas and...what are you two doing?"
"They were flirting with each other," said Rikka.
"You two are quite daring."
"Where is Miss--Xerah and those two girls?"
"Xerah logged out, same with those two."
"We should log out too."
"No, wait, let's wait for the raid results."
"The raid just ended. We get the results soon?"
"Yeah, it will take 15 minutes."
"Reina, get off me now."
"You don't want to feel more?"
"This much is enough."
"Let's go to a café!" Elena said as she got off me.
"They are already closed."
"What?"
She is making a face like someone would make when they fail on their exam.
"This time, we did pretty good in the raid, don't you think so, Rikka?"
"Yeah, this time we have four more members."
"We will probably be in the top 10 this time."
When we retreated, there were only two parties left. I think they also fled, which left that party of 4 members.
We can get good rewards this time; I have that armor by defeating the sea monster. I can give it to Elena and say, 'I got it in raid rewards.'
"The results are out."
"Let me...see?!"
Huh? What's wrong?
"How?"
"Rikka, Adas. What did you do?"
"What happened?"
"We are in 2nd place!"
"What?"
"Who is the first one?"
"It's that party of 4 members."
So they were strong, after all.
"Let's check the rewards."
I got some...lots of coins. A sword, armor, and some materials.
"What did you get Rikka, Ricky?"
"Materials and skill."
"I got a skill too."
"What? Why? I didn't get any skills." exclaimed Elena.
"What did you get, Elena?"
"A cheap sword."
"And?"
"Only a sword."
"What? How?"
Elena was 2nd, so why did two get fewer rewards?
"I should participate in world two raids starting next week."
I see. That means Biana, Robna, Xerah too. They also got fewer rewards.
"Reina. Here, I got this armor from the raid."
"What? Wait, this is an SSSR item!"
"You can have it."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"But you should--"
"I don't want it."
"Okay, thanks." She wore it.
"My defense increased by 180!"
"Good."
"Thank you, Adas." She hugged me tightly.
The armor she was wearing before was thin, and I could feel her chest, but this armor is so hard.
'I'm sorry, Elena, but I won't be making that lewd face anytime soon.', I thought to myself. Now that I think of it, Elena was saying something before Ricky interrupted us.
"We are logging out. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, bye."
"I am logging out too, Adas."
"I am too."
Elena logged out.
[Adas, do you remember our promise?]
"Huh?"
[You will go on a date with me tomorrow.]
"Oh, yeah. I will log in an hour early. Wait for me."
[I will wait!]
When I logged out, the pain in my body was a lot worse than I have every day.
I have reported it to the Zek company, and they said that the player felt pain only on the first login, so...
"What the hell is wrong with me?"