Episode 3 Survival (3)

As I hung upside down, a voice spoke to me from the shadows casted by the darkness from insufficient light present inside the room.

[Oi, mister who are you?]

Huh? Have I heard this voice before? It is strangely familiar.

[I'm just a passerby, no need to worry about me. If you could help me come down that'll be a huge favor.]

The voice didn't answer back, this time I could see someone slowly emerging from the shadows.

[Sorry mister but I can't do that, I know you're here to steal stuff but that's not possible.]

A boy who looked to be 16 years of age talked to me. I could see burns all over his arm and scars all over his face.

So this is why the voice felt strangely familiar. It's a surprise meeting this kid here to be honest.

Nontheless I had to confirm somethings further.

[Are you going to kill me?]

I asked in a calm tone.

[Depends on how much you deem to be useful.]

This boy is also a character, in fact he is one of the main supporting characters just like Alice is.

The boy didn't seem to have noticed the swords I was hiding nor knew who Kim Suho was, well at least that's how it seems to be.

So he is different from Alice. I'm sure he is not one of the 'Travelers' like Alice is.

If he was, he must've joined her by now.

This gives birth to some questions.

How many of the game characters were 'Travelers' and how many were normal characters at the moment?

Most importantly, in which 'period' am I currently in?

I was becoming more and more confused. Most things didn't correspond to the events at hand.

After seeing this boy's face, I'm hundred percent sure that he is a character.

I need to know for sure if he is one of the 'Travelers' or not. There's a way to make sure but it's only effective if he lets me live.

[How can I prove to you? Tell me, I'll even give you any information possible.]

The boy seemed to be lost in thought for a second.

[Why are you so calm? Most people would be scared to death. Here you are trying to negotiate with me.]

This boy was actually smarter than he looked.

[You're right, but as you said I'm negotiating, if we don't, there's a possibility that you'll kill me.]

[What makes you think I won't do it either way?]

[It's because you didn't kill me as soon as I got caught in the trap, I'm guessing there's something you want to know.]

When Kim Suho met this boy for the first time, this was the same trap he was caught into, but it depends if he asks me the same questions as he did with Kim Suho.

It's because of Kim Suho that I know why this boy didn't kill me.

The boy spoke.

[Mister you're smart, but that won't work at the moment. Just answer questions I ask you and I may let you walk out of here alive.]

Who does this boy think he is? If you continue to threaten me like this, then there's going to be a problem.

[Sure I'll answer your questions. What do you want to know?]

Nontheless at the moment I had to play this guy's games, just like I did with Alice, but I failed that time. This time I have the advantage because I have Kim Suho's swords in my possession.

[How much do you know about this world?]

I can answer that question with my utmost truthfulness or I can just lie.

He hasn't activated the lie detector skill so it probably means he doesn't have it.

I can tell him whatever I want then.

[There's not much, but I know some useful things. Is there something specific that you want to know?]

The boy's eyebrows twitched for a moment, looks like I hit the point.

It seems like he won't ask me unnecessary questions.

[Tell me, do you know of the Calling skill?]

Calling skill? How does he know about that? Nobody should know about it except the 'Travelers' and myself at the moment.

[Sorry I don't know what you're talking about.]

Even if I told him, there was no way he could get that skill.

[Oh, then it's a disappoinment. I'll have to kill you mister.]

So it would be like that.

[Sorry that's not possible.]

I won't simply let that happen so...

[What do you me-]

I swung my body towards the boy.

I headbutted the kid making him fall, then I reached the back of my pants to get to the swords and to cut off the magic strings holding me to the cieling.

This kid was talented in magic. I'm sure his magic lvl is around 4, but the swords I had were much stronger. It'll be a problem if I can't get him to be on my side.

I landed on my feet while pointing both swords towards the kid.

[I don't want to fight you.]

The kid let out a slight chuckle.

[I wouldn't want to fight me either.]

Wait what does that mean? Does he already posses that skill?

[It can't be!]

Tuckh...Tuckh

It's that damn cursed train sound, and then with a storm of lighting, the boy had transformed into a giant bat.

Dang it! He shouldn't have that skill right now.

I have to run.

[GHARRR]

The bat let out a loud shout and flapped his giant wings. The wind pressure was so great that it literally threw me towards the wall.

[Grr... why now?]

As I supported my back to the wall it reminded me the encounter I had with Alice.

[These brothers and sisters, both are crazy.]

At those words the bat had stopped moving. So I had hit the point it seems.

[You are Alice's brother right?]

The bat stared at me. He slowly turned back into the 16 year old boy.

[How do you know her?]

[Well I'm friends with her]

The dirtiest, most unforgivable, and brutal lie I could ever say. If Alice found out she'll probably kill me on the spot.

[Even if you're her friend it doesn't mean you should know me. What're you playing at?]

How doubtful is this kid?

[She ran away from home before the apocalypse started, didn't she? She stayed at a friend's home, she told me about you then.]

God if you're listening, please don't let Alice find out.

[I got in this house coincidentally, but I can help you.]

For the first time I could see the boy back down a little. My words were finally influencing him.

[I can help you find your sister.]

[Y-You can?]

No matter how clever this kid had tried to be, he was still a naive little boy.

[Yes I can, but you'll need to do me a favor too.]

The boy hesitated before speaking.

[Ok I'll do whatever you want, but if you're suspicious for even a second I won't hesitate to kill you.]

Was threatening someone carved in these siblings blood or something?

[Sure you can do whatever you want, but first..]

I'm going to ask the most important thing.

[Can you give me some clothes?]

The boy was utterly dumbfounded.

I can see he didn't expect me to say this.

After scanning my clothes, he slowly came to realization that why I had asked him this. In other words a lot of my skin was revealing, if it wasn't for the darkness, I would probably be labeled as a pervert.

[Wait here I'll check whatever I can look for.]

[Thank you, and I mean it.]

Honestly he was more of an angel than a brother of that mad gorilla.

After a while the boy was back with a pair of black trousers and a shirt.

[This isn't my house, I got in here just to search for some food. I don't know if these clothes will be of your fitting or not.]

[I don't have another choice do I?]

[I don't think so.]

My luck is pretty mid sometimes, isn't it.

.

After I had changed into the clothes I came out of the room, the clothes were pretty tight in some parts but it wasn't really that bad.

[You've done changing, so now what? We look for my sister?]

How impatient was this kid?

[Yes that's right.]

I'll just have to lie for sometime it seems.

I won't tell him right now about his sister, I need some companions for the first two quests.

This boy is a perfect candidate for them.

[Do you have any leads we could follow?]

The boy asked in a very impatient tone.

[As a matter of fact I do.]

I had, but I can't let theses siblings meet, not until the third main quest.

[Let's go.]

[Where?]

[To your sister.]

I wonder, how many lies have I told this boy in this little time?