-chapter seven-

LEALIS

"PRIEST, HEAL!"

"Walanghiya! Gisingin niyo si Risu!"

"Sandali-Wait, hoy, Quatrongina- Forrest! Huwag ka ngang nuke ng nuke, ano akala mo dito, giyera?!"

"Bakit, hindi na ba ito giyera? Walanjo! Bakit niyo kasi ginising ang pesteng halimaw na 'yan?"

"Risu! Risu! Wake up!"

Tumalon ako para maiwasan ang biglaang paghampas ng ogre sa direksiyon ko. I twirled mid-air, firing another arrow at the ogre's head. Konting damage lang ang nagawa nito dahil kasalukuyang malakas ang defense nito sa sarili.

Si Rae at Chae ang abala sa paglalaban sa ogre. Warriors have the strongest endurance so they had to take the responsibility of distracting the monster. Rae's powerful strikes are enough to make the ogre flinch, while Chae's agility makes the ogre frustrated at failing to catch the running player.

As an archer who can fight outside the field and as a rogue who can enter and exit the battlefield in a blink, kami ni Vys ang naatasan sa surprise attacks. The siblings contributed with their high magic damage ㅡ Quatro's nukes and Ella's bombs. Nakapuwesto sila malayo sa ogre at pinoprotektahan ni Ansel mula sa mga ligaw na atake ng halimaw.

Then, there's our priest.

An exasperated sigh left my lips upon landing on the ground. Ella was busy slapping Risu back to consciousness. Ang ganda at himbing kasi ng tulog ng aming priest. Parang kami pa ang mahihiya sa ingay na ginagawa namin sa tabi niya.

If only... If only this ogre in front of us wasn't her fault, I would have let her sleep.

It all happened thirty minutes ago.

Nakaabot na kami sa Level 18 at nagpapahinga na lamang matapos ang walang-pahingang pakikipaglaban sa monsters. We wasted the time at a diner that we happened on, feeling a bit surprised because the players drank and ate as if they were starving. Ang gulo at ang ingay nila.

"Oi, oi! Nakita mo ba 'yong bagong announcement? Wengyaaa! Gustong-gusto ko nang magsimula ang WOV!"

"Gago, oo! Mabuti na lang at hindi pwedeng sumali ang more than one year ng guilds kaya may pag-asa tayo. Pwe! Ayoko ngang makalaban si Leev."

"Pero 'di ba mayroong bagong guild na parang Warbeasts lang din? Nakalimutan ko nga lang anong pangalan."

"Ah, oo. 'Yong mga lalaki. Ano 'yon e, eligible pa sila kasi eight months pa lang guild life. Nakapasok na sa top 10 ng PVP rankings ang leader nila."

"Talaga?! Syete. Wala na tayo nitong kawala."

Napasimangot ako sa narinig na usapan sa katabing table. Nasa may bintana kami nakapuwesto, medyo malayo sa gitna kung nasaan sila nakaupo pero dinig na dinig pa rin ang malalakas na boses nila. They all had large and buff builts, like a bunch of warriors. I wouldn't doubt if they have immense strength. They look perfectly capable of snapping one's neck with bare hands.

"Ano ba 'yong WOV?"

I only stared at Ella, unable to answer. Hindi ko rin alam kung ano 'yon.

"Aba, ewan kapatid." Quatro temporarily left his steak to face his sister. "Baka hearts event 'yon."

"Hearts event?" Rae asked, mouth full.

"Oo kasi I WOV you."

Our pitied look answered his attempt at a wink. Sinabayan pa ni Risu nang paghampas sa balikat kaya naman pangusong napadaing ang lalaki. He's so lame. I guess that's what happens if your father is Heldrix, a man who can't joke for life, and Feure, a woman whose jokes are out of this world. Kailangan tuloy naming magsuffer under sa lame jokes ni Quatro o Forrest.

"Four." seryosong tawag ni Rae sa ginawa niyang nickname. "WOV you stop joking like that?"

Nahinto ang pagsubo ko nang marinig ang kakambal. Oo nga pala, may kakambal din akong nakapayong nang magpaulan ng humor. Siya at ang baliw niyang kaibigan lang ang tumatawa sa joke.

"WOVee WOVee." dagdag pa ni Ansel kaya kunot-noo kaming napatingin sa kaniya. "Parang grabe, grabe 'yon."

"Alam namin," itinuro ni Chae ang tinidor sa lalaki. "And don't explain your jokes. That makes it even worse."

"E paano malalaman na nagjoke ako? Hindi naman kasi kayo tumawa." ngumuso si Ansel.

"Hindi naman kasi nakakatawa."

Laughter erupted from our table because of Vys' comment. Siyempre ang namumuno ay ang anak ng maiingay na kaibigan ni Mama, sina Quatro at Risu. Hinampas-hampas pa nila ang mesa sa sobrang tuwa.

"Hindi naman 'yon joke kaya bakit tumawa kayo?!"

Tinitigan ko ang nagrereklamong Ansel habang ngumunguya. May gusto sana akong sabihin but Chae has already beat me to it.

"Be honest, are you Tito Astro's son or Tito Holden's?"

"Hoy! Magagalit si Papa niyan."

"Wala naman siya dito." Rae answered, glancing at Ella. "Nga pala, ba't mo natanong?"

Dahil nakatitig pa ang kakambal ko kay Ella, hindi niya napansin ang pagkuha ko sa pagkain niya. O kung napansin niya man, hinayaan niya lang ako.

"Narinig kong pinag-uusapan nila do'n."  turo ni Ella sa mga lalaking nag-uusap kanina. "Game event siguro kasi sinabi nila hindi pwedeng makasali ang mga dating guilds."

Nalaglag ang panga nilasa kaniya. Risu, who was staring off at something, suddenly got up and left. Pinanood ko siyang lumapit sa quest information wall. I was about to steal from Rae again, when he glanced at me and pushed his plate closer. Napangiti ako sa pagbigay niya ng pagkain.

"Nagets mo 'yon?!" Quatro shouted.

"Oo naman, Kuya! I'm not a sloth!" Ella crossed her arms, pouting.

Tinapik ko si Rae at tinuro ang tubig na nasa banda niya. He poured me a glass, a bit distracted at the conversation.  "Sloth? Tamad?" nagtatakang tanong niya.

"Hindi. Slow ba. Kasi 'di ba mabagal gumalaw 'yong mga sloth. Hindi ako gano'n!"

I sighed, taking the glass of water. She could have just said she's slow para hindi na nahirapan pa ang kuya niyang may pagkatanga rin.

"If it's an event, may plano ka bang sumali?"

Napaisip si Ella sa tanong ko habang masaya namang umakbay sa'kin si Rae. "Siyempre, 'bal! Kailangan nating sumali diyan. We should show Arth how strong we really are."

"But we're not." Chae destroyed his dreams.

"Ano ka ba, Chae. Hindi magandang pag-iisip niyan."

She shrugged. "Totoo naman kasi. We're not yet strong enough. Newbies tayo, while all those guilds who will enter are probably twice stronger with a good experience."

"We can compensate with our history in games." Ansel gave a smile of reassurance. "Hindi naman tayo mga weaklings. We rule most games, don't we?"

"So sasali tayo?" Ella asked to confirm.

"Siyempre!" Rae excitedly shouted, his ey3s shining at the challenge. "Manalo man tayo o matalo, it's a way to grow stronger too!"

Nagmana nga talaga ang kakambal ko kay Mama. They are both challenged by an uncertain fight. Kami ni Papa naman, we would rather watch the determination they possess and support them in whatever way we can. We're stagnant. We're not as passionate as them when it comes to goals and promises.

If Rae is a petal who would be drifted by the wind, I am a rock who battles the breeze.

"Tama 'yan, kasin!"

Pinaningkitan ko ang nagngingising si Risu pagkatapos niyang hampasin si Rae. Hindi ko gusto ang pagngisi niya. It feels like something bad will happen.

"Kaya naman, para lumakas, bakit hindi natin kunin ang quest na 'to?!" she shoved the brown quest paper into our faces. "It's even worth fifty thousand gold coins!"

"Sandali lang-!"

"What the!"

"Ano?!"

Ang apat na lalaking nawalan nang interes nang magsalita si Risu ay agad na napalingon sa kaniya. I also dragged my curious eyes to read the quest. It had fifty thousand gold coins and A-rank gears as a reward, all for the Sleeping Ogre of the Venaisa Forest. I stared at the paper suspiciously. Gano'n kalaki para lang sa isang monster?

Ogres, despite their size, are weak creatures in this game. Mabilis silang mapatay sa mga critical hits dahil paiba-iba ang mood nila. They're also very slow so catching them isn't a difficult thing to do. We even defeated the Ogre General kanina, ang ikalawang monster boss na napatay namin sa larong 'to.

Chae raised a brow. "Is that even legit?"

"Saan mo nakuha 'yan?" dagdag ko.

Risu made her signature cheshire grin, pointing at the quest information wall. "Doon sa quest board nila. They have this special function where it's the citizens who make the quests. Tapos pwede natin itong ma-activate by talking to the clerk."

"Baka naman sobrang hirap niyan." I slowly muttered. "The rewards are too high. Hindi siguro natin kaya 'yan."

"Pero isipin mo rin, magandang Lei." umirap ako sa tawag ni Quatro. "Ito ang nag-iisang chance natin para ipakita ang ating galing! By taking this quest, we can grow even more! Isa pa, kung matatalo tayo dito, paano na lang sa WOV na 'yon?! Hindi ba, Rae, aking bestfriend?"

Dahil sa uto-uto ang kakambal ko ay mabilis siyang tumango. "Tama! Kaya dapat nating kunin ang quest na 'to, 'bal!"

I rolled my eyes when they all smirked at me. Of course, alam nilang wala akong masyadong laban sa kakambal ko.

"Whatever." I watched them jump in joy at my answer.

Sina Risu, Rae, at Quatro ang lumapit sa clerk at kumuha ng quest. When they finished, a system notification popped up. I clicked the 'Agree' button under the 'Take the [Sleeping Ogre] quest?' question. Our party member list appeared next, showing our IGN, job, and level. Lumabas na rin ang HP and MP level ng mga kasama ko sa taas ng kanilang ulo.

We ventured to the Venaisa forest after that, using the Party Transport item to save time. It cost 300 gold, but we used it for free because Rae won some vouchers.

The thick fog covered the floor of the forest when we arrived. Sa ilalim lang naman ito makapal dahil nakikita ko pa ang mga kaibigan at gano'n din ang taas ng mga puno. But determining where the forest' starts and ends proves to be difficult.

Lumapit ako kay Rae nang buksan niya ang map. A red dot is blinking in the northern direction, not that far from us, indicating the position of the ogre. If we walk in a straight line, we will arrive at it within no time.

"Okay. Let's head north?" tumango ako sa pagkokonpirma niya ng direksiyon. "Pero kailangan nating maging tahimik. Dahil pwedeng magising ang ogre kapag hindi tayo naging maingat. Our plan is to kill it while sleeping."

Sumang-ayon ako sa plano niya. He's also doubting the strength of this monster. The reward was too high and the environment was too confusing, so it's sure to be very difficult. Since it's a 'Sleeping Ogre', we probably shouldn't wake it up.

"Eh? Bakit naman?" tanong ni Ella. "Magagalit ba siya dahil maingay tayo?"

"Siyempre." Ansel answered, leading the way. "Bakit, El? Matutuwa ka ba kapag may gumagambala sa tulog mo?"

"She's a deep sleeper. Kahit may bombang sumabog sa tabi niya, hindi pa rin siya magigising." tugon ni Quatro.

Well, of course. If a bomb exploded beside her, she'd be sleeping for eternity.

Ansel stopping caused the rest to halt. Nakasimangot akong tumingin sa unahan at narinig ang pagtanong ni Quatro kung bakit tumigil. Rae suddenly turned towards us, gesturing for us to keep silent. Sinimulan niyang pakiramdaman ang paligid kaya tinulungan ko siya.

"I can feel the monster's presence."

Rae's ability to detect the monster is really strange. Mas malakas pa ang perception niya sa'min ni Vys.

To confirm his statement, I glanced at our rogue. It wasn't hard catching his eyes since he was already watching me. Tumango siya nang magtama ang mata namin, kaya balak ko na sanang sabihin sa kasama namin na mag-ingat... nang dumaan si Risu sa tabi ko. We watched her walk forward, while I whispered-screamed at her to stop.

"Anong problema no'n?" Ansel wondered. He didn't get any answer because Vys' warning came next, "Stop her! She's going to wake up the beast-"

Ngunit huli na ang lahat.

Risu, that fucking cousin of mine, walked over to the ogre. Like seriously walked over the monster's body. My heart slowly dropped as the ogre flinched, slowly waking up at Risu's heavy steps. When it opened one eye, zoning his raging focus at our little group, I knew chaos was about to fall.

And now, we're here. In the middle of not losing our lives against a monster boss for the second time.

If I ever hear a story about someone killing these monster bosses like they were mere insects, I would never believe it. These monsters are just so powerful that soloing it is impossible.

The tree where Rae was slammed into shook with force. Si Quatro naman, na isa sa mga nagencourage sa kakambal ko, ay sumigaw at nagtago sa likod ng puno. I gave the two of them a bored look. Ayan kasi't mga ambisyoso kayo. Grow stronger, ha? Mukhang mamamatay lang tayo at mawawapan ulit ng level.

Chae strode towards us with a glare. "Hindi pa rin ba siya gising?"

Umiling sila bilang sagot. Bahagyang nanlaki ang mata ko nang walang-sabing sinipa ni Chae ang natutulog na si Risu. She did it twice when nothing happened. Thrice, when Risu still slept soundly. And she continued it again and again, making me realize that it was just for her own pleasure now. 

Ngumiwi ako. Mas deep sleeper pa ba 'to laban kaysa kay Ella na 'di magigising sa bomba?

"What the heck is our damn priest even doing? Bakit pa siya nagpriest kung matutulog lang siya lagi!" reklamo ni Chae nang mapagod sa kakasipa.

I sighed, glancing at Ella who was busy making and throwing bombs. "Tulungan nalang natin sila."

"Kaya pa ba natin ang ogre na 'yan? That's probably a Level 40 monster." Ansel muttered, adjusting his armor. "Umalis na lang kaya tayo?"

"Only a high amount of magic power can wound it. Kung malakas sana tayo diyan, pwedeng hayaan natin na mawala ang balanse niya bago bigyan ng ultimate strike." suhestiyon ni Vys.

"You mean nuke him?"

Quatro's question was answered with a nod. "Pero dapat ifocus mo lahat ng magic power mo sa next nuke attack. That high amount of damage, accompanied by Rae's powerful attack, can probably end this quest."

"Pwede din. Pero may mas magandang ideya ako."

I turned to my twin who joined the discussion. I frowned. Kung nandito siya, sino na ang nakikipaglaban sa ogre?

Isang ngiti ang sumilay sa labi ko nang makita ang pakikipagsayawan ni Chae sa ogre. She wasn't fighting, just dodging all its attacks. Siya at si Ella lang ang kasalukuyang nagdi-distract pero nakaya nila kaysa sa mga lalaking 'to, especially Quatro, who are just good at accepting and complaining.

"What's your plan, Rae?" tanong ni Vys

At least they're planning, I guess.

Hahayaan ko na sana sila doon para tulungan ang dalawa nang ituro ako ni Rae. May misteryosong ngiti sa mukha. Confused and surprised, I also pointed at myself.

Ako? Anong ako?

He nodded, smiling. "We'll combine Ella's bombs and Quatro's chaser nuke to Bal's arrow. That will provide a high magic damage, at sasalihan namin 'yon ni Chae ng ultimates."

The rest nodded, while I blinked at the responsibility. Unti-unting bumigat ang hininga ko dahil sa expectations sa mata nila. I dragged Rae to the side, my hands a little sweaty.

"Bal." I licked my lips, swallowing. "I can't do that. You're giving me such a huge responsibility and I don't think I can... I can'tㅡ"

Malakas niyang tinapik ang balikat ko, cutting me off. "Of course, bal! I believe in you."

His dazzling smile made me nod apprehensively. Mas lalong bumigat ang paghinga ko nang i-instruct ni Rae ang posisyon namin.

Pero wala akong tiwala sa sarili ko, Arthur.

Vys will serve as a distraction, while Ansel deflected the attacks to give him way. Chae and Rae offered their help sparingly, preserving some strength for their ultimates. I held out my arrow for Quatro to apply his chaser nuke skill. It worked similarly to a missile, targeting one monster and following it until hit. An explosion will be created upon impact.

Quatro made a deep inhale as he transferred almost all of his mana to the nuke. The magic held on to my arrow, making me bite my lip at the overwhelming power. Thankfully, the Arth Arrow could contain twice the user's MP. 

Pinalabas ni Ella ang dalawang mini-bombs, one of the skills of a mechanic is to produce their weapons. As long as they have the items required for a weapon, she can make them. She glued it to the bottom of the arrow, making it heavier. Mas lalo akong nagdadalawang-isip sa gagawin.

My fingers slightly trembled at the power from my arrow and at the responsibility given to me. I hate being the center of attention. I hate having to promise a victory to other people. I am not like my twin who shines in the spotlight. I am only his shadow, good for her good looks, but cannot be as skilled and as awesome as him.

The aura of my arrow began to change, from its standard appearance to having the charm of different magics combined. The chaser nuke's flame surrounded the wooden stick while the mini bombs made the arrow glow in red and gold. Bahagyang nanginig ang kamay ko dahil sa kakaibang lakas na mayroon ito ngayon. The aura my arrow now has is unordinary. The chaser nuke's flame surrounds the arrow and the mini-bombs are stuck on the bottom.

"Kaya ba, Lei?"

Hindi ko muna sinagot si Quatro. I blew a loud breath, trying to calm myself and concentrate. I focused my sight on the ogre who was chasing Vys. Si Ansel na naghihintay ay sumulyap sa direksiyon namin.

I gave them a brief nod, telling them I'm all ready. The arrow felt heavy in my fingers, and the weight of their expectations was making my heart constrict. Narrowing my eyes on the ogre, I placed a target sign on its forehead.

When Quatro gave the final sign, Ansel nodded and charged towards the ogre. Siya at si Vys ang magho-hold down sa ogre para maging madali ang pagtira.

I still need to predict... what the ogre's next movements are to determine where the arrow will land. Nang mapahinto nila ang ogre, bahagya kong itinagilid ang bow. Nang sandali itong gumalaw, I let go of the arrow. With all those power gone and my MP almost drained, my knees buckled.

"Oi, Leis!"

Agad akong nasalo ni Quatro nang mawalan ng lakas. I watched as the arrow shot through the air, landing on the ogre's head which was tilting towards the side. The arrow exploded and fire covered the ogre's upper body. The monster's screams woke the sleeping forest up, the birds flying away at the screeching noise.

Chae and Rae ran towards the monster, their weapons raised high. A loud shout left their lips as they unleashed their ultimate skills, bringing the monster to its knees. Nagpatuloy ang pagsisigaw nito sa sakit hanggang sa tuluyang mawala ang katawan at mapalitan ng loots.

Napasigaw ang mga kasama ko sa saya. A faint smile appeared in my lips, glad that my role was fulfilled without any troubles. Quatro adjusted his hold on me as he clapped our hands together, gano'n din ang ginawa niya sa kaniyang kapatid. Chae and Rae, who were fighting since earlier, lost all their strength. Out of all of us, they had the lowest HP left. Bumagsak sila sa lupa na mabibigat ang hininga.

"Oh? Anyare? Bakit kayo masaya?"

My ears twitched in irritation upon hearing Risu's voice. Naiirita akong bumaling sa tinutulugan niya. Kumunot ang noo ko nang makitang hindi naman siya gumalaw o nagising.

"Guys? Hello?!"

Hinanap ko ang pinagmulan ng ingay. Mula sa isang batong napapalibutan ng fog ay bumaba ang player na kamukha ni Risu. Her carefree eyes roamed around our exhausted faces. She looks really alike to our priest who was sleeping on the ground.

Oh, damn. Are we facing another boss just as we killed one?

"Ha?! Sino ka?"

Inikot ng babae ang mata sa tanong ni Quatro. "Siyempre si Risu. Risu din sa totoong buhay at ang pinakamagandang anak nina River at Irusu."

Well, Risu is the only child so... of course?

"E, sino 'yan?!" sabay turo ni Ansel sa natutulog na priest.

Tinaasan kami ni Risu-na-nakatayo ng kilay at humagalpak siya ng tawa nang makita si Risu-na-natutulog. "Nako! That's my copy. Here, see?" she snapped her fingers and the body vanished. "Ginamit ko siya kasi may binili ako. So ano? Gora na ba tayo sa pagpatay sa ogre?"

The others groaned, rolling their eyes, while Quatro came up with a thousand curses for the lady already. However, it was Chae who cursed at the woman. Ni hindi siya bumangon sa kinahihigaan nang sumagot.

"Tangina mo. Natapos na namin 'yon."

-chapter end-