“What else would we do?” Neo rolled his eyes. “Come in.”
Christian followed him into the room.
“Where is Miss?”
“She is playing the game in the hall…”
There was no one in the wide hall.
He saw Leonora through the open door.
….She was sleeping in her room.
‘Is she faking sleep because Christian came? What is he, her mother?’
Neo entered her room.
He was about to wake her up when Christian stopped him.
“It’s fine. I’m not blaming you or anything. You are adults. It’s not my decision to make your life choices for you.”
“I think you are misunderstanding something. She was awake until now—”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“You understand nothing.
“I haven’t even met her for long. Why do you think anything happened between…”
Neo gave up explaining when he saw Christian’s expression.
As if Christian was looking at a kid who was caught while stealing a cookie and was now giving excuses.
‘Is this how Amelia felt when I lied about our relationship to brother?’
‘Wow, it feels like shit.’
Christian patted Neo’s shoulder.
“The mission briefing will start in half hour. Please be there on time.”
As soon as he left the room, Leonora raised her head slightly.
“He is gone, right?”
“…”
Neo took a deep breath.
‘Don’t hit her. Don’t hit her.’
He opened her mouth.
“Could you have not done that? He has a stupid misunderstanding now.”
“It’s fine. Christian has tight lips and even if he spreads the news I’m not bothered by it.’
‘But it bothers me!’
If the news of him being in a relationship with Leonora was known, he wouldn’t be able to get in an actual relationship!
Fuck.
Neo didn’t want to remain a virgin again in this life.
He clicked his tongue.
“Anyway, I need to leave.”
“You are leaving…?”
“Yeah, I have to go for an S-rank mission.”
He recalled why he came to Leonora’s room yesterday.
Before he could ask her, she spoke,
“Will you… come again?”
“huh, what?”
“You haven’t completed the game yet.”
She pulled her hoodie down and muttered in a barely audible whisper.
“Won’t you come again to complete it?”
“N—”
“I’ll come to the mission if you play with me again,” she spoke hurriedly.
Neo blinked in surprise when he heard her.
Leonora stammered.
She corrected herself quickly.
“I— I mean, I can’t have you dying on a mission before you accept I’m a better gamer than you.”
“Okay…?”
Neo was stunned.
Wasn’t that too easy?
“Give me a few minutes. I’ll freshen up before we leave.”
“I have to do that too.” Neo sniffed himself. “Guess I’ll return to my room.”
“That will take too much time.
“Do you want to get scolded again for being late? Use one of the bathrooms inside my dorm.”
“I don’t have clothes—”
“Use mine.”
She didn’t leave room for negotiations.
Despite being timid, she turned out to be unusually assertive in weird places.
Neo used her place.
Since Leonora did not like showing too much skin, she wore baggy and full-sleeved clothes like pants and shirts, unlike most girls.
They were good enough for Neo to use.
He came out after washing himself.
“I smell like her.”
He made an awkward expression and waited for Leonora.
“Aren’t you too used to girls?” Paimon suddenly spoke.
“…?”
“That teacher, the lightning girl, and now her. You seem quite experienced despite your age.”
“Must be your imagination.”
Neo rolled his eyes.
One was a tyrant, another was a crazy bitch who stabbed him with a sword, and the last one lived in a dumpster.
What was ‘girly’ about them?
Felix had more qualities of a girl than the three of them combined.
“Don’t go too deep in denial or you’ll drown.” Paimon chuckled.
Neo was exasperated at her joke.
Leonora returned after a few minutes.
She wore the usual hoodie and pants to hide every inch of her skin.
“L-let’s go.”
She walked behind him.
The two were going down the corridor when Neo recalled something.
He stopped.
“Wait a minute.”
Neo approached the door next to the stairs.
He rang the bell.
The door opened and Morrigan stood on the other side.
“What?”
“I wanted to ask if you wanted to join—”
Morrigan slammed the door on his face and returned to her room.
Neo was left hanging outside.
He turned to Leonora with an awkward gaze.
“Let’s go…”
“Y-yeah.”
Thankfully, she didn’t laugh at his failed attempt.
They reached the meeting venue.
It was an empty lecture hall.
Students sat in dispersed groups while Charlotte and Elizabeth stood at the podium.
The projector ran behind them.
“One minute before the scheduled time. Should I call you punctual or lazy?” Charlotte asked.
“Punctual, if you please.”
“…”
Charlotte was exasperated at his shameless attitude.
“Sit. We’ll start the mission briefing now.”
She clicked her tongue.
He approached the seats where his team and Arthur’s team sat.
Leonora walked a few steps behind him with crouched shoulders.
“…”
Christian noticed Neo wearing Leonora’s clothes but he ignored it.
Felix, on the other hand, was staring at his attire with stupefied gaze.
“That’s… that’s not his?”
Felix closed his mouth before anyone heard him.
He didn’t want any rumors to start.
Suddenly, he felt a cold chill on his back.
He noticed Elizabeth staring at Neo and Leonora.
“Neo… Neo…” He whispered. “Get away…”
“Did you say anything?”
Neo sat next to Felix and Leonora sat on the empty seat beside him.
‘This idiot.’
Felix covered his face with his palms.
The group was about to start chatting when Charlotte hit the podium.
“Silence.
“Focus on the mission.”
Two dolls appeared in the room.
It was as if they were always there.
They distributed documents among the student.
The image on the projector changed.
It showed a torn sky.
Dark rain fell from the crack in the sky. freёwebnoѵel.com
Beyond the crack, there were countless ruins and shadowy monsters.
“Window #12862.
“This window connects our world to the world of Shadows.
“It opened above Shiria Hills five days ago.
“Due to its current growth rate, its potential has been marked as Calamity-rank.”
A heavy silence descended in the room.
Charlotte continued.
“Yes, Calamity-rank.
“Three calamity-rank windows connecting to Shadow World have appeared during the past decade.
“Today all three countries where those windows materialized have become a Graveyard.”
Neo pursed his lips.
‘So it begins.’
‘The mission where everyone but five are fated to die.’