wow... naalala kong may story pala ako HAHAHHAHAHAHA

anywayy, bro, WE REACHED 10K READS ON THE FIRST BOOK! THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH PIPOL, I LOVE YOU ALL! I'm sorry I'm such a shitty writer na tinubuan ng katamaran sa katawan niya (sa totoo lang kinain na ako ng orchem), but I will try my best to update regularly! Pipol who commented and voted, you have my cappucinos and lattes, salamaat! I had fun reading them!

*insert crying meme here*

I'm sorry, but Vesta is super englisher so... hehe. Happy reading!

-chapter seventy-three-
____________________

VESTA

[Players, welcome to the Lake. You, rangers, are here to show your capabilities and strengths. To let us witness if you are truly deserving of the Kill☆Shot position. We are ready and we do sure hope you are as well!

The preliminary quest is simple. The lake comprises of different sea monsters, but what you need to kill are the sirens. Note that they are very hard to spot and can debuff a player if noticed. They also possess some very interesting skills. Remember, do not confuse them with mermaids!

The Trick: A perfect headshot to the siren will give you a +2 point even if the kill will be counted as one. If the siren notices you and attacks, there will be a deduction on your time limit. Shooting a mermaid will deduct kills.

Rangers must only stay on the red circled line, facing the Lake. Breaking this rule will result into a total disqualification. You can only step out once your timer's off.

Rangers are free to load their weapons with special-type bullets. Rangers are recommended to use long-range weapons, if short-ranged weapons such as throwknives are used, it will automatically be discarded from your inventory.

That is all. The two hour mark starts once all the rangers have occupied their spots.

Safe shooting, players.]

SOMETIMES I wished I had Feyre's confidence.

Seeing her walk away with her head held high, like she's the best rogue despite all the dirty looks thrown at her, makes me admire her slightly. I doubt the girl even feels nervous or tense when facing a stronger enemy.

She would rather jump in joy and head mindlessly into battle, forming plans inside her head while battling rather than estimating her survival chances at first.

And let's just say that the two of us are the opposite of each other.

While Feyre is the rogue that head into war with bloodlust, and Solace is the calculating warrior that moves with calm strength, I would rather stay back on the lines and act as support. To see the world through the lense of my scope rather than bloodied eyes.

I inhaled deeply before entering the large room known as the Lake. Really, they're only large four corner rooms, decorated and equipped with magic to look like the real deal. Well, a game's a game, through and through.

Marami nang rangers sa loob. The room will take about a hundred rangers before it closes. Other participants will have to wait for their turn.

Pumwesto ako sa red circle na malapit sa isang puno. The sun in this room feels so real that I can feel it's heat. If there's one thing that makes me and Feyre similar, it's our hatred towards the sun. Ang pwestong napili ko ay tama lang para itago ako mula sa init nito.

Beside me is a female ranger with golden hair, tied up in two buns messily. One look, and you'll think she's not worth your attention. But a closer one, you'll notice her authoritative aura, one that screams it's presence in the room.

And probably one that caused other players to not position themselves beside her.

Well, except me. The person who can't, apparently, read red flags.

Kung nandito si Feyre, paniguradong tatalak na naman 'yon.

I could see other players giving me incredulous looks. Na para bang hindi nila naisip na may baliw nang pupuwesto sa tabi ng babaeng ito, kung mayroon namang iba pang pwedeng posisyon.

Well, members of the guild Oddcredibles has their own priorities. And right now, all I need is a shade from the cruel sun.

"You're familiar." the female ranger speaks, a slight lazy drawl to her tone.

Natigilan ako. I'm not really used to people speaking to me. Although my guild members talk nonstop, they're different. Other players are... well, they don't know me. They usually ignore me.

This might be a wrong decision after all.

And she said I looked familiar. Maybe she knows Solace or the guild and saw me with them? But... I looked at her closely. Studied her features. I don't recognize her at all.

Tounge-tied, I met her eyes and shrugged.

"You're with that odd guild with the odd name, right?" she paused for a second. "Oddcredibles, 'di ba?"

I nodded.

She let out a hum and narrowed her eyes. "Cat got your tongue?"

I gave her a fleeting glance before chewing on my bottom lip. I'm beginning to heal from the traumatic memory of that accident. I got back my voice. Slowly, with Avi, then with the members.

But talking with strangers or other people is still a huge hurdle. I don't trust them enough and they bring back faces I would rather burn. And maybe, that's why, I'd rather be in the shadows and support our light. However, I've thrown myself in the flames now.

Isang mabigat na katahimikan ang yumanig sa'min. I continued staring at the vast lake, dolphins springing up with a happy whine. Several rangers entered the room, one positioning himself beside me, shooting me an uninterested look.

Isang player na lang ang hinihintay and the only spot left is with female stranger's left side.

Mahina akong napatalon nang matamaan ang balikat ko ng kung ano. I took the coral stone thrown and gave the female a questioning look.

A smirk made it's way into her lips, a strand of her bangs falling in front of her eyes. "I'm really interested in you, pretty. Kasama ka ng guild na Oddcredibles, the guild that kept on shocking the whole Arth. A ranger who is not afraid to stand next to me and one who can look at me straight in the eyes. Not to mention that you not talking and moving cutely is such a feast."

"What a creep, Luci." the man beside me commented.

Magkakilala ba sila?

"You're creepier, Adimus. Kanina nakita kita na nakaposisyon sa far end nitong Lake, because you get so annoyed if you're close to me, and now you're here." she hummed. "Care to explain?"

"Maybe I found the players there much more irritating than you." naiinis na sagot ng lalaki.

Nagpalitan ang dalawa nang masasamang tingin at hinayaan ko lang sila. I am even more glad that I am removed from the conversation. Especially that I can't even give them proper answers but a simple shake and nod.

Ngunit... Kumunot ang noo ko. Their names sounded familiar. Voldmir mentioned them a couple days ago, I'm sure. To what, I don't know.

"Pretty," tawag ng babae. Hindi ko siya pinansin dahil sigurado akong hindi naman ako iyon.

Well, it was until I felt another hit on my shoulder. Kinuha ko ulit ang coral stone ay kinunutan siya ng noo. She only huffed a laugh before motioning with her hands.

"Pabalik." I threw them back to her. She smiled. "You were ignoring me so I had to resort to other means. Tell me, why don't you talk?"

"Probably because you're too irritating to be considered worth speaking to." sabat ng lalaki.

The girl tensed and her eyes sharpened. "I wasn't asking you, you dumbass."

Ipinukol niya ang tingin sa'kin. There is really something about her - something in the way she carries herself. Although she's rather short and has a slump posture, she stood really tall than the rest of the trees here. She expresses power and authority by the way she talks, a sharp and lazy drawl, and the way she looks at people, calculating, stern and frightening.

Napalunok ako at sasagot na sana ngunit biglang bumukas ang pintuan. The opening of the doors are usually unnoticeable, but this one was made with so much force that the calm lakewater created an array of waves.

Kaya naman napatingin ako doon, and saw a very familiar person. Her blonde hair fell elegantly behind her and she walked confidently, golden bow and arrow towering behind her. There were short gasps from other players and murmurs, for one of the highest ranked rangers stepped inside the room.

Night Growler's famous archer, Chaska.

Ang babaeng may bad blood kay Sol, na hindi alam ng isa. At ang babaeng maihahantulad kay Feyre, ngunit mas elegante lamang. Also, the same girl who had set her eyes on me, after I interrupted her ambush at Solace on that game of governors event.

Sinulyapan niya ako, eyes sharpening with irritation, surprise, and excitement. She looked beside me and a smirk played on her lips. I followed her with my gaze as she walked towards the only vacant spot, and unfortunately, met the strange female's gaze, who did not stop staring at me.

Nang magtama ang paningin namin ay nagtaas siya ng kilay, hindi man lang pinansin ang babae na tumabi sa kaniya. I stood frozen for a few seconds, gathering what one-sided conversation we had earlier. Umiling ako sa kaniya.

She frowned slightly, amused expression still present. Magsasalita na sana siya nang tumingin sa gawi namin si Chaska.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the big names beside me today." aniya at may matamis na ngiti sa labi. "The top ranger who is also ranking third in the most killed players, Luci from that damned guild, Warbeast. Along with her bestfriend, Adimus, who can be listed off as an assassin because of her dirty tricks. And in the middle of them is the quiet and wallflower ranger of the infamous guild, Oddcredibles, Vesta. What a nice view."

All I heard was white noise after she talked. Katabi ko ang mga Warbeast? Ang guild na dapat namin talunin? I don't even know if I'm lucky or unlucky.

"Is she some sort of mc or something..." Adimus muttered beside me. I tried not to let a smile play on my lips.

"And you are...?" Luci asked, slight irritation in her voice.

"Huwag mong sabihin nakalimutan mo na ako, Luci. I'm the sole reason why you stayed at number three on the PVP rankings."

It's really weird seeing Chaska with her charming aura, sweet smile and voice saying words filled with venom and vile.

"Baka binura na kita sa isipan ko dahil wala na akong pakialam sa'yo."

Chaska's lips twitched. "Of course, you found another pretty one, after all. But, pity you, pipi siya."

She dropped that bomb like it was nothing and stepped into the circle with a smile on her lips. Before Luci can answer back, although she's frozen in shock, the circle lighted up and began to process every player's information, and an announcement came, finally starting the preliminary quest.

I shook aside the strange looks both Luci and Adimus gave me. A screen popped up signifying the loading process for the quest. The lake began it's calmness and the sun shined brightly than before. Silently thanking the large tree that covered me from the intense heat, I studied the loading sign becoming almost complete.

The line blinked with the 100% shining atop it. The light faded and the gun was in my hands before I could blink. Thousands of sirens and mermaids flying out and the blinding sun becoming the first hurdle.

I took a deep breathe and closed my eyes for a second. The gun felt cold on my skin, icy remnants of both my nervous excitement. My fingers felt the trigger and my eyes settled behind the scope lenses.

The second I heard a high-pitched shrill and a figure jumping with too much finesse, I clicked on the trigger and my first bullet pierced through.

A perfect headshot. A perfect kill.

____________________
-chapter end-

If my bestfriend is reading this, just wanna say I love you and you're my greatest support. 👑

I hope you enjoyed this chapter despite my disappearance. Thank you for reading!

Hasta la Vesta ~ hehehe