The Benefit of Having Rich Friend

"Hell no, it's because of you I can't even have a proper relationship without misunderstanding." Roy denied Deric's remark at lightning-fast speed before he got any weird idea.

"Now that my Roy!" Hearing the usual behavior of his friend, Deric smile and stands up.

"Here let me help you a hand." Deric grabs Roy's hand and him up

Roy then clean his clothes since he has stay on the ground for about thirty seconds. Then he glared at Deric who looked like a cute girl, he even wear a girl uniform for god sake.

"Hm~, are you perhaps enchanted by my body," Deric said while using both of his arms to hold his flat chest like they like he holding two mountains.

"Ugh, can you stop it already?" Roy in a mildly annoying tone.

"Hehe, sure!" Deric said with a bright smile.

Usually, Deric isn't acted this cutely but every time he is with Roy always tries to tease Roy as much as possible without ruining their relationship. Deric is quite cool and calm for the most part if you didn't mind his feminine appearance.

"So why are you here, Deric?" Roy asked curiously, he didn't remember meeting Deric on the date Infinity Online was released, even though he doesn't have the best memory he can still remember every bit of this day since this is an important mark.

"Oh yeah! I see you eating so lonely in the school yard that's why I come to give you some company" Deric smiled.

Hearing Deric's words, Roy realized that he indeed didn't go out to eat in the schoolyard this day since he didn't get annoyed by the constant hype of all those around him. Instead, he was extremely jealous of them, but that was all in the past now a naive and innocent past.

Seeing Deric smile, his lip also curled up to form a faint smile, he silently thought:'He loves smiling a lot huh...' In both of his life, there was always something that constant and unchanged and that is Deric's smile. A smile so brilliant fill with confidence and conviction, it is enough to cheer one up through the darkest day. 'He would be the perfect wife-' he realized what he just thought, 'Fuck, I'm not gay.'

"Hm... I suddenly feel a disturbance in the force." Deric's eyes narrow with suspicion.

Roy panicked a little, "What are you even talking about." Roy rolled his eyes while his back is sweating with cold sweat.

He has truly understood how awkward it is to see a person back from the dead, it's so unreal and awkward. He was no longer the person he used to be yet he still deceiving his close ones, he feels guilty about it but at the same time he still himself he can't change who he is so he will wear a mask for the rest of his life if that what it takes to save his loved one and the world.

"Whatever, so are you planning to play IO?" Xerox shakes his head.

"Huh, IO?"

"It's short for Infinity Online, I think the game name is too annoying saying a loud so I shorten it," Derrick said while looking a little proud of himself.

"It kind of reminds me of those .io games," Roy said.

"What era do you live in, .io games are so ancient." Derrick looked at Rot like he is a caveman.

After exchanging a not-so-funny joke to ease the awkward atmosphere. Roy answered Deric's invitation.

"No, I can't. Remember, I'm poor." Roy said and shook his head in disappointment.

"Heeee did you forget that I'm rich?", Deric said with a playful smile.

Now that Roy thinks about it, Deric's father indeed owns a company, and a massive one at that, it's called Anais Co.

If his memory didn't mess with him, Deric did indeed offer to buy Roy a diamond-tier helmet but Roy of course denied it since he doesn't think Infinity Online would make that much of an impact on Earth and his pride doesn't allow him to leeches off his best friend.

He didn't account for this offer since he kind of forgot about it and he also subconsciously ignore it due to some of his pride.

But this time will be different, even though saying yes might sour their relationship a little, he still thinks it's saveable since he can make up for it by playing with Deric.

'All for the sake of a better future.' Roy once again reassures his objective.

"Say... would you want me to buy you a diamond-tier headset? We can play together and don't give me the 'I don't want to relieve on my friend', I just want us to play together I'm not gonna have you or anything." Instead of the usual energetic smile, a soft smile forms on his cherry color lip.

Looking at his reliable figure, something he buried deep in his mind resurfaced.

•••

It was a gray sky, there was no star nor light only darkness prevailed consuming the used-to-be green dimensions.

Roy sits on the top of a skyscraper looking down at what used to be a wonderous planet, now reduced to only scrap and ruined.

"Hey." A somewhat feminine voice flows into Roy's ear.

Roy's dull eye looked at his friend.

"Jeez, don't give me those eyes, smile!" Derick used his finger to make a smile at Roy's cold face."

Seemingly satisfied with his creation, Deric stops his action.

"Say... since those bastard demons want to get their ass whooped why don't we give them some. I just want us to fight together again like the old time and the give the 'I don't want to rely on my friend' bullcrap, so do you want to go or not." with his optimistic smile still on his face Deric said.

Roy ignores his friend's last effort to pull him out of the dark abyss.

"Do whatever," Roy said in a good voice.

Deric understands Roy's loss since he too has lost his family, so he stays silent and walks away.

But both of them didn't know that would be their last meeting... until now.

•••

Remembering his past again, Roy's eyes became a bit red, he is on the verge of crying but he hold himself back since he was in front of his friend.

He smiled a little, 'Looks like my memory is still good as ever.', but Roy only needs a gold-tier headset to get started on the game, so diamond-tier is quite excessive.

Of course, diamond-tier is better than gold but he isn't that shameless to take Deric's generosity for granted.

"No, I only need the gold tier", Roy said with a smile and shook his head.

Flabbergasted by Roy's answer, Deric widen his eyes. Of course, he is the one who offered to buy Roy a headset but he didn't expect Roy to actually accept the offer this easily. Usually, if he wants to buy Roy anything he has to persuade him for a least ten minutes.

"Woah... I didn't expect you to agree that fast, but I offering you a diamond tier you know, it cost ten times more than the gold one... so I will buy two for your sister too." Because the gold headset was only a thousand dollars, he could easily buy two of them. Deric actually felt bad for only spending that much on his friends.

"But, I don't really understand why would you interested in games now, you always say that games are a waste of time and bla bla bla...", Deric said with confusion in his eyes.

Scratching his cheek in embarrassment, Roy coughed awkwardly before saying.

"Ahem, I just think that I should spend more time with my best friends, besides I think the game is really cool, I quite interested in magic and alchemy work in this game.".

That was not a lie since he indeed want to spend his time with his best friend while grinding and conquering dungeons. He also didn't lie about the fact he was interested in magic and alchemy since that is what he uses to play and master before going to make his own class.

"Awww, I didn't realize my friend is so adorable, I feel like falling in love~," said Deric teasingly.

"Oeh, stop it, you going to make me empty my stomach," Roy said while pretending to puke.

"Hehe..., how 'bout we go to the game store now I know a shortcut, we will go there before afternoon classes start" Deric pointed to the open school gate with a mischievous smile.

"Hah, sure." Resigning to his fate (not really), he follows behind his friend's enthusiastic figure.

Like the two friends, walking on a familiar path. Both are filled with enthusiasm, to play with their best friend, or to change the world, the cause doesn't matter because their heart is now set ablaze for a simple reason

'I'm going to play Infinity Online with Roy/Deric'

It was a nice day in October, the dead leaves fell, and the trees lost their lush green color. Signified the ending of the life cycle and a new beginning.

The regression is on his journey to change the future. But he isn't the only one.

***

In an extinguish-looking architecture, that looks like a mix of a Chinese pagoda and an Aztec temple.

A mass of energy enough to overpower the entire sun is currently being sealed, waiting for its owner. As it is now reduced to merely an item.

"Shit, shit, shit, the Universal Will or whatever really got me good, I didn't expect it to use an EX-class contract, I thought that shit was pretty rare."

Feeling even more agitated than before, I really want to scream. I the strongest God across galaxies now only reduced to a mere 'Mythical' item, and it is even a deteriorating item at that.

It meant that my grade would drop if I hasn't contracted a master's, but his can I bow down to anyone.

"I, Roy Ackerman, would never do things like that even if I beg myself, well that is a different story for Anna of course."

Engulfing in his thought, 'Roy' didn't realize that he has a drop a huge secret but due to his luck or plot no one has noticed his word, even the Universal Will didn't.

"Now that I'm here is there anything to do..."

[Ding! Your Origin has resonated with an unknown force. Interfering with the fabric of the space-time continuum. You have gained the privilege of existence known as {Player}]

[You have unblocked the first {Players}'s privilege. [Status Panel] has now available.]

[You have unblocked the second {Players}'s privilege. [Forum] has now available.]

[You can unblock more privileges by resonating with the unknown force.]

Seeing various panels filled with information, 'Roy' look at them with disbelief in his 'eyes'.

"Ayo, is this legal".

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Author: Boom plot twist lol, you gonna know this sooner or later anyways I just get this out as soon as possible since I don't want to drag the mysteries on too long.

But of course, there is still plenty of other twists so you don't have to worry. Besides this is my first work so I kinda want to make haste and not be stingy with information since I didn't intend to drag this story to like a thousand chaps.

Anyways enough ranting, cya next chap~

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