Venting

<You Died>

"Damnit!", I yelled out in frustration after dying for the umpteenth time.

Approaching Asphodel in this virtual battlefield seemed impossible.

As soon as I finish taking out a daemon of my caliber, the rooty son of a bitch would appear and delete my right to breath in a single motion.

I entered this virtual world to take out all my pent-up feelings on the enemies spawned but I am the one getting slaughtered here.

Perhaps I shouldn't have provoked Minerva.

"Geez. How petty can an AI be?", I muttered as I sat on the bloody ground.

Immediately a shadow loomed over me and I turned my head to see Asphodel's grinning face.

"Ah shi-"

<You have died>

"That's enough.", I declared and the enemies around me froze in place. Everything dissolved, returning me to the vast white space.

"Oh? You were full of bravado some time ago.", Minerva materialized before me with a smug smile on her captivating face.

I narrowed my eyes, "I wanted to see how I would fare against Asphodel with my current abilities."

"And also to vent off some of those pent-up emotions.", Minerva added with raised eyebrows.

My eye twitched upon hearing her infuriating tone, "I realized that I am not even close to facing Asphodel."

The AI rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Took you a hundred deaths to figure that one out."

Ignoring her snide comments I spoke, "Remove Aphodel and adjust the daemon's strength to mine. Make a few stronger than the rest."

Another idea popped up in my head, "Oh. And cancel the explosive deaths of the daemons. You can do that right?"

Minerva looked concerned, "Yeah? What are you planning?"

"A blood bath.", I stated flatly.

"Ah. Venting.", Minerva realized what I am going to do. She nodded, "Very well. I will adjust the settings to your preference."

Her lips curled into an amused smile, "This is going to be interesting."

She dissipated and I found myself back in the virtual reconstruction of Blood Valley and the sickening Tear.

I readied my daggers, eyeing the daemons emerging from the Tear.

My inner turmoil stirred fiercely as my eyes fell on the first daemon.

I willed ardor into my legs and launched myself at the approaching army, shattering the ground beneath my feet.

With a yell of pure fury and despair, I jumped at the daemons, my daggers like the fangs of a wrathful serpent.

*******

"My. This is a first."

Minerva remarked in a voice tinged with awe and surprise.

The previously crimson snow beneath her feet is now completely black from the dark ooze of the daemons.

As I watched from my high vantage point, she carefully made her way to me through the pieces of daemons dipped in their own black ooze.

Our eyes met as she raised hers and I lowered mine.

"So this is why you requested to remove the darkness explosion when a daemon dies."

She remarked, her gaze falling from mine to the pile of daemon bodies I was sitting on. 

"I must say. You have quite an interesting way to vent your emotions. You went absolutely berserk, not even being concerned for yourself.", she nodded at my torn left arm and a gaping hole on my side.

"I wonder if I should reevaluate you again.", she mused.

"What is it, Minerva?", I asked and leaped off the top of the daemon pile, my boots squelched on the black ooze as I landed.

This virtual world is too realistic. Even I am starting to question its authenticity.

"Your room and roommate have been allocated.", Minerva promptly replied, "You are requested to move into your new accommodations quickly."

"I prefer the room I have now.", I answered back.

"I'm afraid that is not possible. You are no longer a newbie hence, you will be transferred to the living quarters of official Deathwalkers.", she explained.

"Also.", she added, "Your friend Damien is waiting for you outside your simulation room."

I quickly turned my head to her.

"Damien?"

Minerva nodded, "I believe you have calmed down now. Your friend awaits."

*******

"Mordred."

Damien greeted me with a small smile tinged with a lingering sadness.

I nodded to him and immediately inquired, "Felix?"

"On his way to Jasper.", the obsidian-haired brown-eyed young man replied, "I suggested your choice to his Unit 21 and they agreed to it."

I was surprised, "They agreed?"

Damien nodded, "Yeah. At first, they were thinking of letting him rest in the Tomb but after I told them about your views, they decided to send his body to his fiancee so she could give him a proper burial."

"I see.", I felt relieved, "I'm glad they chose to do that. Thank you for telling them."

Damien glanced at me and then at the simulation pod in the room.

He raised an eyebrow, "Venting?"

I nodded, "I needed to clear my mind."

"Ah. Well, we all need that at times."

He turned around, "Follow me. Let me take you to your new room."

"What about my belongings?", I asked, following him.

"They've already been moved."

"You really don't get any privacy here, do you?", I frowned at the thought of someone else sorting my stuff.

Damien chuckled, "Privacy? What's that?"

We walked to my new room in silence, further emphasizing the void created by Felix's death.

"So.", I spoke up, breaking the stifling silence, "How is my roommate?"

"Oh she's quite the odd one but she is a good person.", Damien replied as we exited the elevator.

I whipped my head toward him, "My roommate is a girl? Is it okay for me to share a room with a girl I don't know?"

"Two Deathwalkers of the opposite sexes sharing a room is quite the norm in the Shield.", he replied and gave me a knowing look, "And besides, I think you know this girl."

"In fact, she requested to be your roommate."

"Now that is worrying.", My eyebrows furrowed with concern.

We passed Deathwalkers on the way. Some stopped and offered their condolences about Felix.

In just two years of his time in the Shield, Felix had made an impression on the people of this city of the dead.

It hurts.

They were even curious about me. Not only did I survive seven battles but I was also the only newbie to see Asphodel and survive.

I am the only survivor from that day in the newbie unit.

Some were wary of me, some congratulated me, and some even gave me hostile gazes.

Looks like my enemies in this place haven't decreased much. Now with Felix gone, I am on my own.

I have to get stronger to not get devoured in Necropolis.

After some more walking, we reached a hallway that looked different from the hundreds we walked through.

It looked luxurious compared to the others, with a carpeted floor and the different paintings adorning the glossy walls.

"This seems fancy.", I remarked as I gazed at a painting depicting a fairy stealing a human infant from an open window. A plaque below it read.

The Fairy Thief

The interesting thing is that this world does contain fairies but they are very rare, only a few individuals remain worldwide and they are well hidden.

Damien stood beside me, "The more accomplished Deathwalkers like the captains, vice-captains, and others live here. You could say this is the VIP area of the Shield.

"And one of them decided to have me as a roommate.", I said, a sneaking suspicion arising within me regarding the identity of my new roommate.

I turned to Damien, "Lead the way."

Soon we stood in front of the many doors along the corridor. I could hear the faint sound of soothing beats behind the high-quality wooden door.

To be honest, I am quite nervous and a bit concerned about meeting my roommate.

If it is who I think it is...

"Oi. You in there?", Damien asked as he knocked on the door.

"Just enter.", a familiar voice responded from beyond the door.

He looked at me and shrugged.

"Alright. We're coming in.", he said and opened the door.

There, casually snuggled in a beanbag and reading a novel was Iris Karsus.

Her black hair which transitioned to bright blue was tied in a ponytail behind her and it blended well with the ambient lighting in her room.

Instead of her Deathwalker uniform, she was clad in a sports bra and shorts that accentuated her slim and well-built body.

I was quite taken aback by her alluring figure.

Unfazed by the attention, she glanced at Damien and waved at him, "Hey Damien. How are you doing?"

Her piercing blue eyes turned to me.

"Ah. We meet again, Mordred Pendragon. Looks like we are roommates now."