7 Reunion (Side-Story)

(Side Story: Reunion, POV: Bernard Falnadborg)

|| Disclaimer: The expected quality for this chapter is lower. You have been warned. ||

Suddenly being left alone in a black room with a white portal I was at a loss. Should I go and help these scientists in researching this? They have already kidnapped me, and since I'm only from a branch family no one would really care other than my parents. Thinking like this I affirmed a resolution to live happily in this virtual world.

Walking forwards I was blinded by the light for a moment before the world slowly fading into view. *Sniff* I heard crying sounds coming from somewhere in the near vicinity. A girl? Through the huge amount of people walking to and from the town up ahead, I could locate the girl. Having golden hair going to her waist and caught the eyes of many bypassing people, but the others had better things to do at the moment.

I, not even having looked at the system, was carefully approaching the girl. What surprised me was a single fact. Lily! We don't know a lot of her backstory, but the single thing we DO know is that she is heavily dependent on Livy. We all saw how that no matter what we did, she always grouped together with Livy no matter what.

Seeing that she is now separated from Livy, I knew why she was crying. Something must have happened in their past that made her confident in Livy, but I can't pinpoint anything. I probably could have managed to find out if I used my connections, but Lily didn't want to talk about it, nor did Livy. Due to that, I didn't attempt it, but now I'm regretting not knowing.

Hoping for the best result while approaching Lily with a smile and a hand outstretched. Having noticed my presence, she looked up at me. "Bernard?" Still seeing her tears falling endlessly I pitied her. "Shall we go and find Livy?" Seeing her expression brighten a little before taking my hand and "Yes!"

…

Literally, everyone was looking at us. Someone even took the courage to speak up. "Did you just propose during this kidnapping?" Hearing this both of us instantly turned red and shouted before running away. "Let's not tell about this matter to Livy." Looking at Lily I saw her nodding her head in approval. Sighing in relief and looking at the game system trying to figure it out. "Status?"

- Bernard's Status -

| Name: Bernard Falnadborg | Age: 17 | Subject ID: #00004 |

| Class: Not Chosen | Level: 0 | Titles: Valiant Hero |

| HP: 100 (VIT: 5) | MP: 0 (INT: 0) | DMG: 30 (STR: 10) | DEF: 10 | AGI: 0 | DEX: 0|

| Recommended Class: Guardian |

| Skills: Guard | Inventory: 15 Copper | Equip: Basic Male Clothing |

- = - = -

Despite being excruciatingly invested in studies, I was still an adolescent boy with an interest in gaming. Therefore, most of these stats were so I didn't bother checking them. Taking a look at the quest mapping I found it peculiarly filled with 2 quests: 'Beginnings!' and 'Friends?'. Looking at each description I turned to Lily. "I think everyone received this 'Beginnings!' quest, therefore, wouldn't Tarya and Livy be heading to the Village Chief?"

Having heard me her expression lightening and glistering as she used way too much force in getting up from her sitting position, almost falling on to me. Blushing she took my hand and forced me up, not giving me a break as she ran with my hand in hers. I felt I could easily break free, but I didn't do it as I don't think Lily could handle being alone again.

Pushing against the crowds on the street we somehow managed to get stuck in a congestion. Judging from nearby conversations, there is some sort of argument according to being ripped off by an AI. As we got closer to said argument, both I and Lily looked at each other. Nodding we affirmed the other's suspicion. "1 SILVER FOR SIMPLE EQUIPMENT? ARE YOU MAD?!"

The merchant broke a cold sweat at the constant peppering of this young girl. His intuition told him long ago that this girl was troublesome, but he never imagined this. As soon as he lowered the price a little for her, she suddenly said the lowered price was too much. This little farce continued until the equipment price became 1 silver. Going any less and the System would punish it for selling stuff cheaply.

Tarya was also in a similar predicament, she had only hunted for a short while, gathering 76 copper (by pure luck of obtaining a Worn Sword and selling it). However, 1 Silver was the equivalent of 100 copper, not any other number. Faced with this situation where neither would back down a sudden emergence of a boy caught both off-guard.

"15 more copper from her dear brother and friend, should be enough yes?" Inquiring at the merchant I stood in front of him. The merchant showed a brilliant smile at being relieved from my sister's troublemaking. Hurriedly giving us the equipment we in a similar fashion left the area. Only after being relatively isolated with only a single guard here we began talking.

"Well sis, did not expect you to act like Livy." Chuckling at making a comparison between the prey and the hunter. Tarya was pouting at me. "Don't mock me!" Involuntarily I muttered my thoughts "Cute..." And it seems like Tarya heard me as her next action was punching me in the head.

Getting together we discussed a lot of things, mostly related to whether it was even morally right what Lament Laboratories did. However, none of us had any real answers and did not even make a stand for any point at all. Tarya had seemed to enjoy her stay so far, making things more difficult to discuss as well. Though she participated in the argument, she was more or less in deep thought all the while.

"So how are we going to find Livy?", Lily who had been less active was speaking up again. Though I was about to tell her, the guard in the background was now next to us. "Are you talking about Livy Sorgsdöttir?" Confused, all of us only nodded. "Please come with me." Turning around and leaving the alley the party of three hurriedly followed. In the end finally reaching the Village Chief's house.

The Chief greeted us and asked us about our relations with Livy before suddenly two guards had brought her over. Smiling at us she meekly said two words. "Hey, guys." And passed out. Out of fear of losing her all of us did our best in treating her.

'Fear' of losing a 'Love'd one, and the 'Pain' of going the extra mile.