Stares From Afar

It's finally here the message that will send all the players in a hell of their choosing. The main trials, also known for it to be the world-ending events that'll take the lives of every single player if they aren't overseen. I had a hunch I wasn't the only person that transmigrated in this novel of mine, at one point I was even hoping to meet someone that I hold myself responsible for his condition

[System: The time limit has been reached every single newbie player will be sent to the starter city Grequil as the world materialized the trials]

'It's been 15 days. If I counted the time I've practiced magic on the sealed space I can count it as 39. That's how long it took me to even use the 2nd tier. If someone else were to use that method they'll take 3 months inside just to get some progress. But even with that kind of time limit, you can only get something if you're talented in creating a visualization of the spell,'

"Boss, you gotta see this!! A ton of people are swarming through the entrance!!!" Kyo pushed his door which made it return making the other side strike Morris's forehead that pushes him back and sending his body to fall to the floor

He stands back up and holds his forehead, casting a minor heal to tend to the pain while he was dragged by Kyo min soo to the shop's general area. It was flocking with a ton of players while the two of them are met with a ferocious aura accompanied by a piercing gaze that was coming out of Esther, who was managing the store alone. Her face had a dissatisfied expression, even going so far as her mana began to leak from her surroundings, displaying her power and sending out a message without even opening her mouth

"What are the two of you doing? I've been busy here yet not one of you bothered to help me," She said as they saw her clenching her hands on the reinforced wooden pole that broke without even using her full force

'Holy shit she's gonna kill us!!!'

"Get a move on Kyo, let's help her out," The three of them began tending to the engaging atmosphere that arises at the earliest time. Even though the two of them joined in the shop the players kept on flowing in their shop as soon as one exited. A ton of them made their way to buy supplies, weaponry, and lastly armor due to the long-awaited trial made its debut in the starter city 

"Shit! We were too busy with selling our merchandise even though we haven't even picked out our equipment," She panicked after most of their needed equipment wasn't that easy for just any player to find

"Does that mean we're pushing through the trials with only the worn-out equipment that we used on our last mission," Kyo remembers his items that were beyond repair? He can already feel the pressure when he thinks about engaging in a fight with a monster just relying on his strength alone. Accompanied by the teachings of his guardian that he hasn't even fully grasped for it to be applicable in combat

"Settle down can't the two of you remember our contract with Agni, in the second paragraph it said that he's the one responsible for our equipment while in return, we need to achieve the results he expects of us to achieve our commission," Morris shows them a copy of the contract between Agni and the affiliated members along with Morris

"So, we're waiting for Agni before we make our move," Kyo took a deep sigh and calms down from his previous worry

"Hold on Morris, where are you going? You just said we need to wait for Agni?" She got a little curious about his next destination, even though the three of them were waiting for their equipment

"I need to check out the players. Who knows I might find something interesting along the way," He smirked and left the shop to begin his journey of searching the area in hopes of catching a glimpse of his main character. Upon entering the streets he sees his surroundings flooded with people to his right or left front and back

The once deserted city was now crowded, with dozens of players. He missed the silence in his surroundings while walking to every district. Searching for his main character, with no luck whatsoever, when all his hopes are lost and he tries to make his way back to the shop. He sees a rather familiar hairstyle paired with its natural hair color, something that he can't forget no matter how much time has passed. It made him think of that person that he was begging to see once more

"No way, can it be? Hey, hold on for a moment!!!" He shouted at the person he was trying to call out in the middle of the crowd, unfortunate he was, since his location was overwhelmed with a huge crowd

He used haste to move around the crowded street, calling out for that person in hopes of his voice reaching the mysterious individual. He let his mana flow through his legs, strengthening its power to a certain extent. Launching himself to the rooftop and gets the attention of the people around him, before catching up to the person he was chasing. He jumped from the roof and landed at the person only to be shocked as he sees his face

"What the hell is your problem man?" The man said as he saw Morris, shocked by his misconception, he escaped from the crowd after he made a fool of himself. He continued to run and covered his face until he reached the shop, where he lay on the ground. Panting after he used up most of his mana and stamina to catch a glimpse of the individual he deemed as his close friend

"Morris what happened to you, you're looking a little tired," Esther shuts the door after she was alerted by seeing her comrade in a panicked state

'It wasn't him… why!!! Just why did I think that he'll be here? He's not even part of the story. I'm only running around from the delusion that my head he created!!! Even if he was here, he wouldn't like to see me, I remember our last encounter quite clearly. I'm such a terrible friend,'

Sitting on the ground, his memories of his last encounter with his only friend started to resurface, the potion that he drank not only made his memories more detailed and have. better visuals. He can also remember his trauma, regrets, and the most horrible things he did his entire life. And one of them was his last encounter with his friend who was also his editor. He remembered quite clearly how a fight not only broke their friendship but he remembers sending his only friend to the hospital 

1 year ago

It was a rainy evening that was accompanied by a thunderstorm when most of the people were hiding in their homes. They wouldn't compare to these individuals that were having a feud with one another. Even though such a life-threatening was simply waiting behind the other side of the door of their apartment

"I had it with your ideas Jin! You're always denying my creativity. I just want to write my story, the way I wanted!! Why aren't you letting me!!!," 

"Can you repeat that? Did you just say "your story" aren't I a part of it? I helped you in making this story work if you're the one who's in charge of how it goes and never even consider your reader's opinion, then you're doing more harm than your making this story as interesting as it can be," 

"What did you just say?" Morris clenches his fist and waited for his friend's response

"Your story is a wreck, garbage even if I weren't guiding you this would've never got any attention at all~" Soon his words were put to a stop when Morris's fists collided with his mug

Breathing for a very long time he gets near Jin that returns a punch at him causing the two of them to be driven by their emotions. started to fight with each other, while Morris was pinned down by Jin, he struggled to stand up whilst he received a ton of hits to his face. He wasn't a match nor did he have the power to fend off his friend. After some time had passed Jin gets back his composure stopping himself from crossing the line he placed Morris on the sofa before calling an ambulance only to get hit by a metallic lamp. That was swung by his presumed to be unconscious friend with every strength he had left knocking Jin to the ground 

Back to the present

'That was the last time I saw him, after the ambulance arrived they said they were too late to help Jin. He wasn't dead but if they arrived sooner they said that he could have woken up for a week, the swing of that lamp damaged his brain even now his not waking up. He's currently hospitalized, I tried what he did in hopes of my readers would stay. I never thought of him being transmigrated here but I let my thoughts get the better of me I would have liked it, if I don't see him here it's a dangerous world,'

"I'm fine Esther I thought I saw someone I knew only to see that I was just delusional," He while he makes he forces a smile that made the two of them both worry and back away from asking him any question

"You sure? You looked a little pale to me," She replied and place her hands on his face with an and she had an expression filled with nothing but worry

"No, it isn't I just placed some powder on my face, anyway let's get going, I think I'm hearing Kyo's footsteps coming towards us," The two of them saw Kyo with Agni that called for the two of them to check the items that they requested

"Everything is here just as we requested, boss, now that our items are sorted out, are we going to the trials?" Kyo had a cheerful expression in his eyes that started sparkling while his tail was wagging 

"You're right we're going to the trials, the two of you packed everything you'll be needing. Clothes, food, equipment, weapons, anything that you can think of, the trials aren't something that we can do for a day. We'll be living inside that place as long as it's not cleared," The two of them left and he was alone with his contracted character 

"What are you going to sell me after you're done with the trials?" 

"It depends if I'm lucky so don't get your hopes up, but I do wonder, maybe if I had some little motivation. I might find something that'll interest someone of your caliber," He hinted about his previous request for a particular item that he wanted to obtain

"Very well, I'll just have to wait for the results. I can't get enough of your choices. It's like you're the fitting employee that I'm looking for after I've settled down in grequil," He replied before he gave the item on his palm, which made him agree upon acquiring his needed item

"Okay, I'll bring you the results that you want. I can't believe you'd risk your life to get me this item. Even if you were strong that place could've killed you," He left the shop to see his allies waiting at the entrance of the shop and the three of them had made their way to the predetermined location of the main trials. A mysterious figure was revealed that was shaped as a person that glitched through shifting from visible to invisible. That was looking directly toward the three before it fled away from the scene after its presence was detected by Agni  

"You're here as well," The figure before it disappeared into its surroundings while