Town of Stamula pt. 1

The first antagonist I've encountered.

Unlike the traditional RPG, there is no red cursor floating his head to signify his antagonism.

Also, unlike playing on a monitor, I couldn't click on him, to check if his name and affiliation is colored red.

Usually the confirmation of both these features would be accompanied with the unit being attackable.

If so, it's easy to discern that this person is indeed an enemy.

Yet with this brown haired boy in front of us, there is no way to tell so.

All that I could piece together to assume that this is an antagonist, is his foul behavior.

Then again, with the few people I've met in my time here: Terrence, Pearl and Old Man Cashier, they all acted like people, with complex behavior and responses to dialogue.

That's enough evidence to say that this delinquent mannered boy is likely natured just like them.

In the real world, there exist people like him. In fact, my whole life, I've been surrounded by people sharing his character.

The me right now, who viewed the world in the lens of a player, an observer, I wasn't- no - couldn't be affected as much, as I still knew, this isn't reality.

However, the brunette next to me, who is a resident of this world, who knew nothing about the reality of their existence, reacted to this situation the same way most people would be.

Intimidated, fearful. All I could do was to gently hold back onto her cold hand that clutched mine.

Because I know… I know what is racing in her mind, I have been subjected to this feeling countless times.

"Bill… go away." Pearl pleaded, her voice lost all of its vigor.

The brown haired boy in front of us, whose name is Bill grinned, almost laughed.

Out of the blue, this boy, Bill, began mocking Pearl when we were minding our own business.

He shook his head as he moved his bangs away from covering his reddish brown eyes. "I don't think so. I'm having too much fun. You usually come alone, and now, when you do come with someone, it isn't your brother, It's some stranger, the rumors have to be true then…"

"N-no! That's not true! I don't know what you're talking about!"

Pearl's body jolted forward a bit when she shouted. Sweat darted down her face.

"Of course you don't, of course you don't." Bill's smirk never left, even with that sarcastic remark. He shrugged, "That's what they all say."

"This is our guest, he's helping me. Terrence couldn't come today, he has work."

Bills open arms dropped. He made a fake gasp, his eyes still looking at us with mockery.

"Ha-ha-ha! That fake knight is still doing that dead-end job!? Here I thought my job was the worst in this god forsaken town!" He exclaimed, attracting more people. The ones that are already here started murmuring.

"The logging business died years ago, I doubt that money alone can sustain you both. Or maybe… Oh this is getting spicy. Perhaps you're getting money from…"

"Get your head out of the gutter!" Pearl shouted in denial.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding, after what happened, I don't think anyone would want a girl like you." His eyes had a malicious look, one showing no sympathy.

Pearl's hand that held mine only grew colder, and with that last remark from Bill, her arm shook.

The thing that happened… It had a great effect on Pearl. I don't know what it was, but ridiculing and speaking ill of someone is just cruel.

I glanced at Pearl, her arm shaking, her eyes formed water droplets in its corners, allowing light to reflect from her moist eyes.

I asked myself, What use am I here?

I know full well what it feels like to be the one intimidated, humiliated and talked badly about.

At the foster home, at school, at the selection, at work.

Each time, I screamed inwardly to my

housemates, classmates and colleagues, "Help me!" or "What are you just standing there for?"

Yet now, when it's my turn to be the one seeing the event unfold, I'm useless.

The people around us only spoke to themselves. Not one intending to step in.

I can hear one say, "Look, she's crying."

Another says, "That's what she gets."

And one girl far ahead says, "Shameless girl, holding onto a stranger's hands."

The accumulation reached its limit. Pearl's tear dropped onto the ground, creating one single wet spot on the dirt pavement.

Bill found pleasure in making Pearl like this.

Just as others found pleasure making me suffer on a daily basis.

I gritted my teeth.

No one deserves this.

My weakness led me to my life now.

And all my choices led me to this moment.

If I don't act now, I'll stay weak forever.

I was powerless before.

Never again.

I gathered my resolution, I let Pearl's hand go and walked in front of her.

"That's enough." I intervened, before Bill could hurl anymore hurtful words at her.

"Oh, the stranger, or should I say, the user."

User. With what Bill said before this, that can imply only a few things, none of them are good.

"I have a name, Yohan."

"I didn't ask for your name, user." He said in a lax manner, showing little to no seriousness towards my words.

"Cut it out, You don't know anything."

"I do know something. That girl is playing around strangers older than her."

My patience started to drop. My mind slowly clouded, and gave less thought and respect in my words, "You should shut that mouth if you don't know the story."

"And why would I want to know more? The one in my head is already the truth." He used his left index finger to touch his left temple.

"What do you know about them, about her?" My patience had almost fully depleted. My hands shook, I took initiative against the type of person I feared the most, my heart struggling to keep resolute.

"Probably more than a user like you." He said.

He knew her more than me? So why all the things he said so far were nothing but cruel words?

Flashes of the events from the cabin played back. Terrence worked hard in his current job, longing to return to his duties. Pearl, who tried to be reliable to Terrence, cooking lunch, going out for groceries.

Pearl's face, sullen from when I spoke with Terrence about his past as a knight.

Her willingness to wait for Terrence during lunch, letting the food cool down.

And this excuse for a human… says that he knows how she is?

This person, the kind I feared the most… resented the most, despised the most.

"Cut it with the 'user'."

"Or what?"

With all that, he's still treating this situation like it's a joke.

I… I want - no, have to - teach him a lesson.

"Or you'll be having leather and dirt for lunch." I pointed at my dirty shoes, the ones that belong to Terrence.

I'm sorry, Pearl, Terrence, but I can't stand any more of this.

"My parents had always told me to respect people older than me, but I guess this could be an exception."

Bill made a serious face and whipped out the knife from the sheath on his belt.

The knife was double edged, similar to a survival knife.

"You're funny, little man." I let out a laugh and a breath at his words.

Sarcasm those words are, but it's still funny hearing it from a person who showed everything except respect, "If that's what you call respect then you're good for nothing parents did a terrible job at raising you."

The crowd surrounding us in a circle became the loudest it ever had.

It was then, an expression that was a complete turnabout of earlier showed itself.

An expression of anger.

"What did you say?" Bill's voice got deep and serious.

I smirked, now it's time for payback

"Oh? Your ears broke for a second? Let me repeat myself then." I mocked. I cleared my throat and spoke in an especially loud voice, "Your good for nothing parents did a terrible job raising you, making me wonder if it's hereditary."

"Take that back." His voice retained its seriousness, his eyes glaring at me.

Who gave you the entitlement to be angry? You don't deserve that right. My words are nothing compared to the ones you said to Pearl.

I twisted my right hand, it pointed at me, but it was directed to the girl behind me, "Apologize to Pearl first."

Bill scowled, his grip onto the knife strengthened.

"I'll cut off your tongue and make it a trophy."

The crowd gasped. Sensing an inevitable fight, they stopped murmuring.

"Try."

My first battle.

The orthodox strategy to fight any enemy in any given rpg would be to make him use every attack in his set of programmed abilities.

After doing so, a strategy can be made using the abilities in our accumulated set of skills to fight back. Maximizing inflicted damage and minimizing damage received.

However, since this world is not limited to a few simple dialogues and actions, it's safe to assume they aren't limited to simple attacks as well.

In other words, this fight is a fight just like in the real world. Me against someone with a knife.

Before I was moved into the shop's online division of customer service, I had to walk two miles everyday. One to work and one back. During that time, I had my fair share of street happenings.

Fights, mugs, suspicious men and women in the alleyways, I had seen many things I was too self absorbed to care about.

Now, it's my turn. All I'm trying to get from this fight is an apology, yet I'm still determined… excited to take it.

I clenched my hands, forming fists. I've never been into a fight before, yet I'm calm.

It must be because of my resolution.

My faltering heart steeled and my body tense, ready to react at even the slightest movement.

"Hah!"

Bill, whose face no longer contained any of its complacency charged forward.

He thrust the knife towards my abdomen. I simply turned my body, I saw this coming a mile away.

He looked towards me. He changed his grip and swung the knife counterclockwise to the right - towards my chin.

I jumped back a second before the blade touched my chin.

My arms are within his range. I aimed my right arm punch towards his gut. But he grabbed onto my wrist in time and shoved my arm away.

He retreated a safe distance, putting us back at the same situation as the start.

I glanced at Pearl, her teary eyed face turned into one of worry. Don't worry, I'm going to be okay.

This is just the first of many attacks until I could get a proper opening, yet his already irked face intensified again.

"Why are you fast!?" He shouted his complaint.

I grinned and shrugged, "Maybe I'm better than you?"

I knew it was because of the +5 movement speed shoes I wore.

Just like how an additional 10 Attack Power can change the tide of a fight, a +5 Movement Speed made me faster than him and his attacks.

My fist couldn't reach him in time, because my Attack Speed was too low.

My words caused his eyes to bulge. His free hand balled into a fist. He screamed at me, "You!"

He charged towards me. He swung his knife overhead. I stepped to the side. With no downtime, he swung his knife left to right. I jumped back. He thrust his knife from his side towards mine. I twisted my body.

Before I could fix my position, he turned his body. He swung the knife again. I sucked my breath, then jumped back as far as I could.

I landed with both my knees bent. I glanced down for a moment. The knife caught the right forearm skin.

I clicked my tongue and lifted my head. Bill dashed towards me already. His right arm outstretched.

I quickly stood up straight. I twisted my body behind his left hand. I caught his forearm and upper arm. I bent my knees and sucked my breath.

"Hah!" I swung my hips and arms, dragging Bill along.

"Huh?!" He wailed. He rooted his heels on the ground. To no avail. Both his feet were off the ground. I let go of my grip, sending him flying.

Bill landed on the ground opened by the crowd. He rolled twice and let go of his knife.

He stood up, albeit his arms shaking. He dusted off his dirtied red shirt with his arms

"This is getting irritating." He groaned.

"We can stop now. Just apologize to Pearl." I said.

"This isn't about her anymore." He said walking towards the knife, picking it up, "You insulted my family. You will pay."

"Didn't you just do that to Pearl? What's wrong with you?" I shouted.

Bill didn't answer me. All he did was walk towards me. Then the walk turned into a sprint.

"Give Up!" I screamed at him.

He swung his knife at me again, making the same predictable moves.

A downward swing avoided by a sidestep. A sideways swing avoided by a jump back. A thrust avoided by a body twist.

"Why. Won't. You. Hit?!" He bellowed.

He did the fourth thrust. The knife traveled to my right chest. I grabbed his arm and threw it away. His right flank was exposed to me. I kicked his hips, sending him back on the dirt.

"Just apologize to Pearl." I said.

He struggled to stand up again. His arms suddenly relaxed.

"Fine." He said, resigned.

The crowd began its murmur again, this time their words directed at Bill.

He stood up, shaking and showing no resistance.

He walked towards the brunette girl, who was a few steps away from me.

"I'm sorry… for all that I said." Bill said. Pearl, who had both her arms holding the tote basket, glanced at me.

I nodded at her, it's up to her to accept his apology.

Pearl was just about to open her mouth, that's when I heard Bill's voice again, "I'll never recover from this."

What? My eyes bulged, I let my guard down. I didn't expect him to stoop this low.

"I'll never recover from this shame!" He shouted, his face rage filled. He pulled out the knife he hid in his side and lifted it above his head.

I dashed towards Pearl.

Pearl's face was pale from shock. She was rooted in place. Her hands let go of the basket and lifted her hands to cover her face.

"Aaah!" Bill screamed.

He swung down the knife, tip first towards Pearl.

"Pearl!" I screamed. I arrived in reach just as Bill swung down the knife.

I reached out my hand and grabbed the knife. Not Bill's arm, nor the handle. The blade.

I yanked the knife from his grip and threw it on the ground. I balled my left hand into a fist and punched Bill's face, throwing him away.

"Pearl! Are you okay!" I frantically asked the shocked brunette. I held her shoulder with my left hand, the heat had escaped her body.

"Y-yeah… I'm fine." Pearl answered. Her voice was shaking.

"You… Why do you keep-?" Bill wailed, his right eye had a bruise.

Bill stood up the third time, but before he could do anything, the murmuring crowd abruptly silenced.

"That's enough!" A voice rang among the crowds.

The crowds dispersed, revealing a tall man with gray hair, he had a scar on his forehead.

He wore exactly the same attire as Bill. Except instead of a knife on his belt, it was a legitimate sword. The sword's only color is brown, which was the handle and sheath. It isn't as decorative as Terrence's sword.

Bill turned at the man and frantically pointed at me, shouting, "Him! He disgraced my family!"

The man only shook his head,

"Bill. You're the disgrace here." He said, a voice calm yet filled with disappointment, "This isn't how a knight should act, I've seen everything."

Bill opened his arms and palms, still continuing to pathetically object, "Then you should know that it's his fault!"

The man walked towards Bill during his talk and slapped him. The man looked at him with an expression of pure disappointment.

"No… your behavior had escalated beyond what me and your parents could imagine." The grey haired man's voice raised, glaring his black irises at Bill, "Go home, you did enough damage today."

Bill looked at me with anger as I kept my stoic expression. He walked away in a begrudging manner.

The man looked at us both. He placed his right hand on his left breast.

"I can offer nothing else but my sincerest apologies for what our trainee did." The man apologized and bowed, "I, as Morten Trelsen, will assure this never happens to you again."

I looked at Pearl, hoping for her to be the one to reply to what Morten said. She didn't say anything. All she did was nod and turn back to Morten.

"Not at all Mr. Morten, I appreciate what you did." Pearl thanked him and bowed. She picked up her tote basket next.

"That is most great to hear." He smiled. He then looked at the crowds and howled, "Now, all of you! Disperse!"

The murmuring crowd left bit by bit until all that is left is us three.

"I shall leave you to your own affairs."

Morten bowed one last time and began to walk away.

"Now… let's continue Pearl. Terrence will get hungry if we don't hurry." I smiled and patted her head, her face became momentarily red.

Even so, her face brightened up again.

"Yes!" Her lively expression, one that I have now confirmed that I will never get tired of, is now back.

That's over, my mind is now calm. I can finally continue our grocery shopping with Pearl.

Then I remembered something, it would be best to ask him this.

"Mr. Morten! One more thing." I called out the tall man who had already moved 5 meters away.

"Yes, young lad."

"Is there a library in this town? I want to find a map."

Morten had a surprised look on his face for a second. He then laughed and spoke, "Ha-ha-ha! There isn't a library in this town. But if it is a map you are looking for, I have an additional one in my hut. Come, I shall compensate you for your troubles."

"T-thanks, but I feel bad if you say it like that." I shyly spoke, the way he said it makes it look like I've done something amazing.

"Do not be." Morten shook his head, "The dismay I felt when I saw Bill doing such atrocious things to you pained me as well."

I looked at Pearl, she smiled and nodded at me, "Don't worry Yohan, I'll just buy the food, after you get your map, then we'll buy your shoes."

"And clothes." I whispered, remembering that I haven't washed myself since yesterday.

"Yes, and clothes."

"I'll be counting on you then." With her reassurance, I won't feel too guilty.

Morten, who had waited for me, nodded his head too, "Very well, let us go."

"Okay."

I dusted the sides of my clothes.

It was then.

"Ouch." A pain stung me from my right hand.

"Yohan what's wrong?" Pearl looked at me, concerned.

I lifted my right hand, and my eyes laid on two straight gashes flooding out blood.

"My hand…" I said.

I know where this is from. I moved my eyes towards the knife laid on the ground, there were stains of blood from both edges of the knife.

The blood flowed down on my arm and onto the ground, seemingly never ending.

"Oh no! Yohan! It's bleeding!"

"Young lad!"

Pearl and Morten were understandably concerned with the situation of my injury.

Yet I... I was more concerned with the detail of this injury, and the feeling of pain.