Booba received a message from Broken earlier that day, informing him that he and his friend were heading to Clario. Additionally, Booba also learned that someone from the Ass Guild would be arriving in Deadbay that same day. As a loyal friend, he decided to do everything he could to keep the two parties from encountering each other. He grinned with pride, feeling accomplished for having successfully delayed Elincia’s pursuit of Broken over the past few weeks.
“Don’t worry, Broken! I’ll protect you!” he declared confidently to himself.
The fog seemed to wrap around him as he stood there, his face illuminated by the dim morning light. Finally, the two figures he had been waiting for appeared before him.
“Booba? What is that jerk doing here?” Melliandra exclaimed, clearly taken aback.
“Booba, The Mad Slayer,” Kingsley announced with a hint of respect.
Melliandra let out a soft laugh. “That was ages ago!” she said teasingly. “If only he had started playing this game from the beginning, he wouldn’t be as weak as he is now. What level is he? I bet he’s still at 50,” she added with a mocking laugh.
“He had great mastery of swordsmanship and was even the number one competitor from his home country at that time,” Kingsley continued. “He was the world champion.”
“But that was in the past!” Melliandra argued. “This game, a VRMMORPG, isn’t like the other games played with a keyboard and mouse. It requires something completely different. So I doubt he’s as skillful here as he used to be.”
“Let’s still show some respect to him, Mel… He is our friend.”
“Was!” Melliandra corrected sharply.
They continued walking until they reached Booba, then paused in front of him.
Booba stood tall, his presence commanding attention as he addressed them. “Well, well, if it isn’t Kingsley and Melliandra,” he greeted with a confident smile. “What brings you two to Deadbay?”
“We’re here on guild business,” Kingsley replied. “Elincia sent us to find someone.” “Can I assist you in any way?” Booba continued, maintaining his friendly demeanor.
“No!” Melliandra snapped. “We don’t have time to waste on low-level players like you.” She walked past Booba, ignoring him, while Kingsley followed closely behind her.
“Have a great day, Booba,” Kingsley said politely as he passed.
Booba’s grin widened. “I know what you’re looking for, hahaha…”
But Melliandra did not seem to care and continued on without glancing back.
“I can take you to the person you’re looking for,” Booba called out, trying to persuade them. “He’s really good at hiding, so I don’t think you’ll find him quickly without my help. Haha.” Melliandra clicked her tongue in frustration. “This is a total waste of time. Just ignore him!” Booba wasn’t sure who had tipped them off, but it was clear that someone had given Kingsley and Melliandra information about Broken’s whereabouts. It was likely a network of NPCs, known for trading information in the Dissidia Kingdom, who had let the two in on the secret. With this knowledge, Kingsley and Melliandra would soon know of Broken’s departure from the city, so Booba was doing everything in his power to buy Broken and his friend time until they were too far away to pursue.
“I’m only trying to help you, little runt!” Booba snarled, his tone teasing.
Melliandra spun around and stomped toward him angrily. “What did you just call me, you dumb idiot piece of garbage?!” she spat at him, her eyes blazing with fury.
Kingsley tried to restrain Melliandra by gently poking her arm. “Mel, let him be. We have to stay on track with our mission.”
“You stupid idiot Booba jerk, gosh darn it,” Melliandra fumed. “I won’t forgive you for saying that word! I will make you die over and over until your level drops to zero or even less!”
Booba smirked and said, “Oh, come on,” holding his confident stance. “I’m just teasing you a bit, why are you so angry?”
Melliandra’s response was immediate; she sprinted toward Booba, her voice dripping with menace as she yelled, “I’ll kill you!” freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Booba started to run away, shouting back in a mix of fear and bravado, “Oh really, Melliandra? I’m good at escaping. Are you sure you can catch and kill me? Haha.”
Melliandra swiftly pulled out her sniper rifle, her eyes locked on Booba as if ready to make good on her threat. She chased after him, her footsteps echoing through the narrow streets as she tried to keep up with Booba, who was darting between buildings and homes in the city. Kingsley trailed behind her, desperately trying to defuse the tense situation. “Mel, I’m sure Elincia will be mad if she finds out about this.”
“Then shut your mouth, Kingsley! Killing Booba will only take a moment for me!” she snapped, her determination evident in every step she took.
As they weaved through the city, the morning fog began to lift, revealing more of the quiet streets. Booba’s laughter echoed eerily as he kept glancing back, making sure to stay just out of Melliandra’s range.
The chase continued, with Booba using every trick he knew to stay ahead, while Melliandra’s determination only grew stronger. The tension in the air was palpable, each step bringing them closer to a confrontation that Kingsley desperately hoped to avoid.
At the same time, the Ass Guild chat was buzzing with multiple conversations.
[Kingsley (Beastmaster Transmogrifier): We met Booba in Deadbay City.]
[Elincia (Mage Marauder): Booba? What’s he doing there? He told me he was in another city.] [Kingsley (Beastmaster Transmogrifier): Melliandra got riled up by Booba’s teasing and is now chasing after him. It might take us a bit longer to complete our mission.] [Elincia (Mage Marauder): Melliandra! Please, this mission is very important. Can you be more serious? It’s been almost two months Yunatea time, and we still haven’t found the man
called Broken.]
[Jovina (Enchantress): Jeez… Why don’t you just knock some sense into that short sniper girl? She always seems to mess things up, hahaha…]
[Melliandra (Crackshot Sniper): Shut up, Jovina, you jerk!]
[Skywarden (Iron Titan): Let’s just do the quest without that unknown guy, Elincia! I’ve never heard of someone called Broken. Is he that special?]
[Maylock (Arcane Arrow): Sure, he’s special, you brainless oaf. Princess Alora personally
asked us to look for him. Of course, he’s more than special.]
[Skywarden (Iron Titan): Then what’s the benefit for us? Was he so strong that he could match up to members of the Ass Guild? Elincia said she killed him with a single skill.]
[Goldrich (Sage Sorcerer): That was her ultimate skill. I’m sure none of us could withstand the same ultimate skill in an unprepared situation.]
[Trison (Drunken Healer): What are you guys talking about? Who is Broken? What quest are
we talking about here?]
[Goldrich (Sage Sorcerer): Yo… looks like our drunken young man just woke up from his stupor. How much news have you missed?]
[…]
[Livelywood (Sword Saint): Friends, I got an update.]
[Skywarden (Iron Titan): Whoa… the little guy Livelywood finally appeared. So, what good
news do you bring today?]
[Goldrich (Sage Sorcerer): Have you found the man we’re looking for?]
[Livelywood (Sword Saint): He just left Deadbay with a red-haired archer girl. I think he’s on
his way to Clario.]
[Elincia (Mage Marauder): Listen up, everyone. We can’t afford to let Broken slip away any
longer. We need to confront him today. If you’re near Deadbay and Clario, head towards the road between them. Keep an eye out for a carriage heading to Clario. Just tail it and don’t do
anything risky. Let me handle him first.]
[Skywarden (Iron Titan): Don’t regret it if you end up misjudging him, Elincia.]
[Maylock (Arcane Arrow): But Elincia’s judgment has always been spot on. She’s proven that
time and time again.]
[Skywarden (Iron Titan): Ha! I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that some stranger caught the princess’s attention just because he was found naked in her tent.] [Goldrich (Sage Sorcerer): Hey now, let’s not forget that the princess vouched for him and even claimed they were friends. That’s no ordinary situation, khi khi khi.] Melliandra halted in her tracks as she sensed immense energy emanating from behind her. She spun around to see Kingsley had morphed into a black panther twice the size of a real-
world one.
“Melliandra, let’s wrap this up quickly-our target couldn’t be too far ahead. Livelywood said he’s leaving Deadbay,” Kingsley said in his new form.
Melliandra clicked her tongue in frustration. “This is really upsetting,” she said before suddenly disappearing. Without warning, she reappeared, taking a seat on Kingsley’s back.
The massive panther immediately gained speed and sprinted away. Booba fell silent, watching Kingsley and Melliandra leave. “Jeez, Elincia… What exactly are you thinking? Broken is just a normal player struggling to become a blacksmith,” he muttered
to himself.