-chapter eight-

LEALIS

"Manalo man tayo o matalo, it's a way to grow stronger too!"

TAHIMIK KONG binuksan ang pintuan ng silid ni Gairu, ang guild master. Kasalukuyang nagbabangayan ang mga kaibigan ko sa pagpili ng magandang pangalan. Someone, I think Ella, suggested that we name the guild something similar to Oddcredibles para instant na lumakas kami. Nabatukan tuloy siya ni Risu na may pinaglalabang pangalan.

"Risurrect," she suggested.

"That's not even better." nakangusong saad ni Ella. "Mas maganda naman 'yong Arth Pride. Katunog ng Our Pride."

"Hindi mismong pride naiisip ko, Ella, pero 'yong bareta. Ano gusto mo, maglaba?"

"Mas okay na lang suggestion ng kapatid ko kaysa sa Risurrect mo. Saang kapangitan ng mukha mo naman nakuha 'yan?"

Sinamaan ng tingin ni Risu si Quatro. "Huwag mo 'kong simulan sa pagpapangit ng pangalan dahil mas kasuklam-suklam ang sa'yo! At isa pa, siyempre dahil ako ang muse ng guild na 'to-"

"Before you state that, kindly do your responsibility first."

She ignored Chae's interruption. "-e'di siyempre may Risu. Tapos dahil namatay tayo sa unang quest, resurrection ang ating tatak sa larong 'to. Ang galing ko lang, 'di ba?"

"Oo," Quatro agreed. "Sa sobrang galing mo ikaw na ang nag-iisang tanga sa kwartong 'to."

Because Risu was busy trying to pull Quatro to baldness and my twin was too engaged in a name discussion with Ansel, walang may nakapansin sa pag-alis ko. I don't really care about the name of our guild name and once created, automatic namang added na ako, kaya hindi ko na alam kung ano pang punto sa pagstay doon.

The town hall was packed with merchants who were trying to apply for business permits or were exchanging their coins for items and vice versa. This is also the place for complaints, especially about player's behaviors, as well as a place to list the items you want to sell in the Trading System, which will automatically be accessible to every player. For bidding.

Nang makalabas ako ay bumati sa'kin ang malamig na simoy ng hangin at maulap na kalangitan. There were a few people in the streets, mostly occupied by NPCs in their stalls and such. Their presence makes the whole world seem familiar and real since we can also engage with them in small conversations.

The town of Erebus is one of the starting cities in the Southern Continent. It is also the novice city that is the most unique because it permits player killing. Usually kasi ay hindi pwede ito dahil bago pa mga players. But then... it's the nature of the Southern Continent, further proven by the reigning guilds who like to stack up their PK statistics. This continent is devoid of laws and free will is very rampant.

Nalaman ko ang mga ito nang bumili ako ng information book sa isang scholar for two hundred gold. It provides all the information about the five continents that reside in Arth. The north is the motherland of the dragons, known for its cold climate. The West is a place for hunters and agricultural merchants because nature is abundant there. The East is the home for merchants, for trading happens everywhere and it's the most industrialized continent. And lastly, the Central which is a humongous island located at the center of the map. It comes next to the West in terms of size and is where the major game events are placed.

Doon ginaganap ang huling phase ng Grand Quest, kung saan kailangan manalo mula sa King of Arth. The questing players first need to find the castle hidden in the mountains of Eternia City, ang capital ng kontinente. Kung sa south ay panay ang pagpatay at pagwasak, sa central naman ay mas importante ang glory. Marami ang mga quests dito na malalaki ang rewards na may S-rank items. It's not as industrialized like the East, but its the Arth's royal ground.

Sa limang kontinente na ito, walang pagdadalawang isip na ang South ang pinakadelikado. Players who are dominating the PVP Ranking resides here, well except for Feyre. Nandoon pa nga ang pangalan noong Mendeleev sa top ng rankings with over a thousand player killed.

And it's too impossible to imagine because he looks like a freaking kid!

I continued roaming the town streets, occasionally glancing at the taverns, shops, and diners that I passed by. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupunta. I just left without a place in mind and now I'm walking aimlessly. Should I head towards the forest? Or shop for equipment I could use? Marami pa naman akong gold...

Hm. Ano ba ang magandang gawin habang abala sila doon?

Biglang may huminto sa harap kaya napatigil ako sa paglalakad. Napakurap-kurap ako ng isang pandak na lalaki ang nagpakita. He looks strong, though the way his face looked young in a small body put me off.

"Miss!" medyo matinis ang kaniyang boses. "Gusto mo bang sumama sa'kin? Level 31 na ako at matutulungan kita sa mga quests mo! May plano din akong gumawa ng guild."

Eh?

May tumulak sa ulo niya pababa at bumungad ang isa pang lalaki. He was quite large, almost as tall as the door of the nearby shop. His toothy grin, exposing sharp teeth, made me step back.

"Kung naghahanap ka ng kasama sa quest, Miss, mas mabuti pang sumama ka sa'kin!" aniya at itinuro ang sarili. "Level 34 na ako at may malakas na party. Siguradong easy lang ang pagpapalakas mo kapag sumali ka sa'min."

Napatalon ako nang may humawak sa kamay. A buff-looking man caressed my hands at mukhang tutulo pa ang laway niya sa pagtingin dito. Sinubukan kong bawiin ang kamay pero mahina lang siyang tumawa at itinaas ang tingin sa'kin.

"Hehe. Miss, sama ka sa'kin. Hehe. Siguradong marami tayong magagawa. Hehe. Ang ganda-ganda niyo po. Hehe."

What a creep!

Hindi ko napigilan ang sarili at nasapak ko siya. He fell on the ground with a loud thud, surprising the nearby players who were carefully observing the interaction. Sinamaan ko ng tingin ang bawat lalaki, at babae na ring, nakatitig sa gawi ko. Lalo na ang mga matang may masasamang balak sa likod.

Pero sa halip na umatras sila't matakot, parang mas lalong kuminang ang mga mata nila! Even the boy that I punched, I thought he was going to leave, but he let out a creepy laugh whilst staring at me.

"Step on me. Hehe."

Gago!

"Kami din, please?"

Napatingin ako doon sa dalawa pang lalaki na nakaluhod na at sinasabing tapakan ko rin daw sila. I glanced around the vicinity but everyone seemed interested with the suggestion. Kaya hindi na ako nagdalawang-isip bago mabilis na tumakbo palayo.

Napalunok ako nang marinig ang nakakabingi nilang sigaw at paghabol sa'kin. They looked and sounded so determined to catch me that it sent shivers to my very soul, urging me to run even more. When I noticed an open shop, I didn't even hesitate to enter then slammed the door shut. The passionate group of perverted people passed by, their screams even crawling inside the small shop.

A relieved exhale left me as I leaned on the door, glad that I got away. Napansin ko ang grupo ng mga kalalakihan na nag-uusap sa tabi kaya mabilis kong itinago ang mukha at yumuko. I looked around the shop, gaining an idea when I some some tapes and a hairtie. Doon ko lang narealize na nasa isang clothes store pala ako.

Mahigpit kong sinarhan ang pinto nang makapasok sa isang fitting room. I took off the bow and quiver on my back to try on the cloak. It was big enough to hide the bump on my chest. Pagkatapos ay itinalo ko ang buhok, to show that I'm just a male with long hair. To make my entire look believable, I drank a voice-changing potion and covered my lower face with a mask. Nang makita ang mukha ay doon na lang ako nakahinga ng maluwag. With all these to cover my face, I think I wouldn't attract attention anymore.

Bakit ba kasi kailangang napakataas ng charisma ko? Malapit na siyang mag-four hundred ngayon, and it's so unnatural for my level and attribute points.

Thankfully, a player's reaction to another would affect charisma points. Positive feedback and attention increases the CP, while negative words and complaints decrease it. I even read about this player who finds it difficult to get a CP over fifty points. Lagi siyang may reklamo na nakukuha kaya napakatagal tumaas ng charisma points niya.

Pwede kong magamit ang parehas na technique para lubayan ako ng mga manlalarong hindi pa nakakakita ng tao.

The previous group of males glanced my way when I got out but they didn't approach me or anything. They went back to their business as quickly as they shot me their curious look. Gano'n din ang nangyari sa ibang tao na nadaanan ko ng makalabas.

Halos maiyak ako sa nangyari kasi... finally! I'm alone and free from all those strange human-to-human interactions.

Malaya kong nabisita ang shop na nagu-upgrade ng weapon. I visited the place to increase the level of my arrow. The way that there are different types of arrows in these games pinched my heart. May Arrow of Arth na pwedeng magcontain ng magic, to provide more magical damage for the party. May Celestial Arrow din na kayang makapierce through sa kahit anong objects. There's also the Angel's Arrow that can chase a target until it hits, and normal arrows with common drops and standard damage.

As much as arrows differ in type, bows do too. Sa ngayon ay isang Angel's Bow ang mayroon ako at kasama sa skills nito na pwede siyang gamitan ng kahit anong arrow. It's for general use, different from specific-type bows which require a special and distinct arrow. The whole archer weapon system in the game is so interesting to me dahil hindi ko alam na ganito siya kadynamic. If ever, archers can stand on the same ground with warriors and rogues. Or for rangers, with bards and snipers... since they're the most popular jobs.

After the weapon shop, wala pa rin akong nakuha na message mula sa kakambal kaya pinagpatuloy ko ang pag-ikot-ikot. A certain paper pasted on the wall caught my eye.

War of the Vultures, it said.

It was a special event made for the game's third anniversary. Tanging sa Southern continent lang ito pwede at mga guilds na hindi pa nakaka-abot ng isang taon lang ang pwedeng sumali. Those are the only requirements kaya siguro wala ng pakialam sa class or level.

Lumipat ang tingin ko sa reward nito. A special S-Rank weapon and ten thousand gold coins. Maganda nga siya. Hindi lang isang winner ang makakatanggap, dahil lahat ng guild na nasa Top Three ay pwedeng makakuha ng rewards.

Hm. Kahit na hindi na manalo at makapasok lang sa top three ay malaking tulong na. Sapat na iyon para magpalakas at makakuha ng magandang items. We'll also have the chance to encounter strong players who we can copy techniques from.

"Eh? May balak ka bang sumali diyan?"

Napabaling ako sa nagsalita. Isang babaeng may magulong buhok at matalas na mata ang nakahilig sa katabing pader. The large gun behind her looked so intimidating and she was puffing a cigarette in her lips. I'd think she's cool, if she wasn't exuding this dangerous aura.

"You should be careful." dagdag niya kahit 'di ako sumagot. "That place is filled with law-breaking citizens. At sasali din diyan ang guild na mukhang sumusunod sa yapak namin."

A puff of smoke left her lips making me flinch back, disliking the smell of cigars. She gave me a bored glance as I frowned at her words. Alam ko namang puno ito ng law-breaking players dahil nga nasa Southern continent kami. Pero guild?

"Ano?"

"I'm telling you to watch out and be careful." ngumisi siya. "You exhibit the same aura as Vesta. Gusto ko 'yan."

She left without even explaining her strange behavior. Vesta? Ang sniper na kasali sa guild na Oddcredibles? Is it just a coincidence that I keep on meeting people who know them or talagang napakapopular lang nila?

Ibinulsa ko ang papel. Tama rin ang babala niya. Kung balak talaga naming sumali ay kailangan naming mag-ingat. We don't know how the South players mind works, but killing is similar to a hobby for them. Baka sa halip na maglaro para manalo, mapagtripan nilang pumatay nang pumatay para sa own enjoyment.

I've heard that some players here also practice the Level-Killing system. It's a bored move from the new Death & Resurrection update, where players wait for their opponent at the cathedral after death to kill them again. Since dying meant losing a level, hindi humihinto ang mga taong 'to at pinapatay ang ibang players hanggang makaabot sa Level 1.

Mahirap na ngang magpa-level up pagka-abot ng 50s and 60s, tapos dadagdagan pa ng mga players na ito.

Napailing na lang ako sa sarili. Right now, I should just find my friends and talk to them about this. Siguro naman ay nakapili na din sila ng guild name sa oras na 'to. If they still haven't, siguradong nakick-out na sila sa sobrang tagal. Or... not, since hindi naman marami ang nagpapagawa ng guild.

I don't even understand why they're arguing. Each of them could have just suggested a name and then flipped some coin. Kung sino mananalo, automatic pangalan na sinuggest niya ang gagamitinㅡ

Biglang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko nang maramdaman ang pagsubod ng isang tao. I slowly came to a stop, frowning and feeling their presence. It wasn't very easy to recognize, making me think that they're an assassin who's good at being stealthy. 

Nang tumigil ako ay tumigil din ang presensiya, naghihintay. Kagat-kagat ko ang ibabang labi habang iniisip ang mga pwedeng gawin at ang posibleng pagsunod niya sa'kin. I'm in a disguise right now, so it's impossible that it's due to my looks. Tungkol ba 'to sa event? Balak ba nila akong patayin dahil sasali ako?

I'm already at Level 21 because of the Sleeping Ogre rewarding a huge amount or EXP. Mahirap na magpalevel-up kapag nabawasan lalo na't nagmamadali pa kami, kaya kakayanin ko ba 'to?

Naramdaman ko ang paglapit ng presensiya kaya mas lalong bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko. My palm was sweating. I've never encountered this situation before dahil laging may kasama ako... o 'di ako pinapayagan ng kakambal na umalis mag-isa. Speaking of him, what would Rae do if he was in this situation? Would he turn around and confront them? Would he fight?

Maybe he will. After all, he has the courage, will, and strength to do so.

Pero, ako? Kaya ko ba? Hindi naman ako kasinglakas niya.

Bahala na nga! In one breath, I burst into a run. Dumaan ako sa isang alley at tinalon ang garbage bins na nakaharang sa daan. Maybe Rae will fight. Maybe he will take out his sword and defeat everyone. But I'm not the confident and strong twin. I'm not as skilled at him or as brave, so all I would be able to do is run.

When I glanced back, nakonpirma kong nakasunod pa nga ang tao sa'kin dahil naaninag ko ang pigura niya. My heart dropped seeing how fast he ran! In an attempt to slow him down, I equipped my bow and shot an arrow which he swiftly dodged, chasing me again as if nothing happened.

I made a sharp turn in a narrow corner. Nabuhayan ako nang makita ang labasan sa dulo ng alley. The light from the open streets that reflected in the dark alley became my salvation. Sigurado ako na sa banda nito ang town hall. Naaalala ko pa kasi ang daanan at direction ng lugar.

Before I could take another step, the air went cold. Sharp metal strings suddenly passed both my sides, making me stop and freeze. It targeted the garbage bins a few meters away from me, pulling and throwing them to block the alley's exit. Another set of strings appeared, forming a web all around me and effectively trapping me in the center, unable to move if I didn't want to get cut.

When I tried to turn around, a nearby string cut off the mask I was wearing. Halos tumigil ako sa paghinga at ni hindi na tiningnan ang pagbagsak ng tela sa lupa.

My eyes moved to the perpetrator of this sneaky attack. A man with gray eyes annoyingly welcomed me with his smirk. His hooded, foxy eyes roamed my body, the amusement gaining a little bit of interest. Napokus ang tingin ko sa weapon niya nang igalaw niya ang kamay sa manipis na piano. Hindi ko na kailangan maging matalino para malamang doon din galing ang strings na nakapalibot sa'kin.

His fingers grazed over the keys so softly and elegantly, creating a beautiful melody but a dangerous action... dahil mas lalong lumapit sa katawan ko ang mga strings.

His eyes never left me as he sat cross-legged atop a barrel. His head tilted when I made no reaction or any other movements. Tinitigan ko lang siya sa mata na parang hindi na humihinga.

"Hello there, pretty prey."

Even his voice had a dangerously beautiful tone.

"Would you dance with me towards our death?"

-chapter end-