Triumphant Reprieve

[Sub-Class Available. Check?]

It was that same prompt from before, but he still was careful in his approach with it as it was a pivotal decision to be made. Before he could even open the prompt, he was bombarded by the two girls, who nearly suffocated him with their presence.

"Are you okay?!" Kamou asked.

She was far too close–much, much too close for the virgin-recluse to handle as his cheeks became red, averting his gaze.

"I-I'm fine, I just leveled up–so I'm in top condition!"

"Hmm…really? You look a bit red. Are you running a fever?" Kamou inspected him closer as her dazzling, blue eyes looked straight through him.

"I'm perfectly okay!" He assured her, creating some space.

Myung-Hee slumped her arm around his shoulder with a boisterous smile and a laugh. Now standing directly by her, he realized she was slightly taller than himself, and he wasn't exactly on the shorter side of men, either.

"You were great out there! You're a lower level than us, aren't you? We both just hit twelve just now, but you fought just as well!" Myung-Hee complemented, though her normal speaking voice sounded as if she was shouting directly into his ear.

Too loud, too loud, he thought.

After things quieted down a bit, he scratched his cheek, looking at the both of them as they walked towards the exit of the dungeon together.

"So, are you two in a party or something? Or…in a guild?" He asked.

His intentions were to try and recruit them, but he didn't exactly know how to start such dialogue. After all, he was a lower level than them.

Myung-Hee stopped, holding her chin as she rested her claymore against her shoulder, "A guild? Nah, it's just the two of us. What about you? You're pretty damn skilled for your level."

"I've never seen spells like those before…you're an assassin-class, right?" Kamou asked.

The question was a bit hard to answer as he brushed it off, "Ah, it's just something I picked up from years of playing MMOs, you know, so yeah, that…anyway, so…"

They both stared at him as he trailed his question, causing him to constantly avert his gaze as they reached the entrance of the dungeon, finding that the sun had already begun to set.

"...Would you two be interested in…partying up with me, maybe, perhaps?" He asked sheepishly.

As soon as the question fully left his lips, his cheeks were as red as tomatoes, rubbing the back of his head nervously as he looked at the ground.

"Join your party?" Myung-Hee repeated.

Crap…I knew it wouldn't happen. It was worth a shot, wasn't it? He thought.

Feeling his dreams be crushed immediately he began to let his shoulders slump before–

"That doesn't sound half-bad! Whaddya' think, Kamou?" Myung-Hee asked.

He immediately brought his gaze back up in surprise, looking directly at the silver-haired, meek girl who was the deciding factor.

Kamou fiddled with her spell-casting staff between her hands before looking straight at him with her pearly blues, "...If you're fine with it, could we join your party?"

Is this real life? He thought.

"Fine with it?! I would be overjoyed–I mean…sure, sounds good," he controlled himself with a cough.

Extending his hand, he shook Kamou's hand, then Myung-Hee's, whose grip was unsurprisingly tight.

As they walked the streets of desecrated Seoul, getting to know one another better and sharing their experiences so far in the world-ending game, he moved in front of them for a question.

"Where are you guys staying? I live in an apartment complex a couple blocks from here–it's totally abandoned except for my room, so you can pick wherever and stay," he told them.

Kamou and Myung-Hee looked at eachother with almost elated, excited expressions before returning smiles to him.

"That sounds perfect!" Myung-Hee gave him a thumbs-up.

"Frankly…we've been hopping from house to house," Kamoua admitted, fiddling with her silver locks.

He couldn't help but smile, leading the way towards the apartments with a triumphant feeling in his heart.

"We should head out to an Angel Shop tomorrow. I got a lot of coins from the boss, ya' know?" Myung-Hee said.

"Good idea. I have some things I want to buy, too," Kamou nodded with a smile, "Well, actually…I was thinking of taking a few days off after this."

"Sure, that sounds good, actually," Kamou nodded.

"Yeah, I agree," Myung-Hee stretched her arms behind her back, "A boss fight like that should be followed by some rest.

As he looked up towards the sky he added in, "...Ah, that's right. I need to get a new weapon now."

System, what're my coins looking like? He thought.

[System Check…]

[Current [Angel Coins]: 400.]

"Four hundred…?" He let out quietly in surprise.

That's more than I've ever had, he thought.

Heading back to the apartments with two girls following him home, he was beginning to feel like things were finally looking up.

Today, I did my best, he thought.