Chapter 41 Clarence

In my ghost form, I saw Liz and Novo fighting the last remaining survivor of the enemy team while Chu was watching them from the sidelines after dispatching his opponent and getting the bottom orb. That guy is extremely prideful, so much so that grouping up against a single opponent never occurred to him as a possibility. 

Liz gracefully dodged the opponent's last attempt of a Hail Mary play while delivering a counter of her own, ending the match.

Congratulations! Your Team Won the Match!

The system announcement came as we were teleported back to our custom team lobby.

"Whew, that was a good game!" she pondered for a while, likely looking at the time before continuing. "I think this is a good time to end our practice today so we can have plenty of rest. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow," Liz suggested.

"Yes, rest is also important before the qualifier's second day," Novo agreed.

"I don't mind," I shared their sentiment.

Chu, for his part, just nodded.

"Okay then! Good luck tomorrow, guys!" our captain cheered.

I looked at my rival, who was preparing to log out.

"Chu, don't be late again, or you will get us elimi-."

He logged out, completely leaving me hanging. That prick!

"He completely ignored me! That guy is so infuriating! He is always late to our practice and almost had us disqualified on the first day!" I complained.

"Don't be like that. Chu might have reasons for being late. As long as he arrives, it's fine. Right, Kat?"

"Yes, everybody has their own circumstances. Be a bit more understanding for the guy."

"Hmph, you guys are too lenient on him, especially you, Liz. As our Captain, it's your duty to set him straight!"

"Ehhh? He is a senior in our school though. I don't think I have the right to scold him."

"But his attitude cannot go on like this!"

"He's never missed a single practice scrim and always plays our matches perfectly, so it's fine, unlike someone I know who always loses the top orb." Novo stared at me purposefully.

"Ha?! What does that even mean? Want to go 1v1? I won't go easy on you even if you're a support!"

"I don't need you to go easy on me. In fact, please feel free to go all out. I need the practice."

"Come on, guys, tomorrow is the qualifiers. Please cut it out. No fighting, okay?" Liz begged cutely, which seemed to dissuade Novo.

"Hmph, fine," I also conceded.

I would be lying if I said I'm not apprehensive about fighting her anyway. I can never gauge how good she really is, and my pride would be in shatters if I lost to a healer in 1v1.

"I'm logging out," I said irritably as my consciousness was brought back to the real world.

Novo has a point, though. My teammates are too skilled, and as hard as it is to admit, I'm the weakest link. We haven't even lost a single time in any of our matches, especially after last week after Liz's drastic improvement.

Novo, huh? When have I stopped calling her newbie and started calling her by her in-game name? Maybe since her fight with Jarde? It doesn't matter, though, as that girl blew my expectations away. At first, I thought she was just a newbie using Liz to get into a good team like ours, but I was sorely mistaken. She moves and acts like a true veteran, even sometimes surpassing my own knowledge in PVP fights. She's very vague and evasive, though, so finding out her main account is almost impossible if she even has one. Liz and I just have an unspoken agreement not to pry too much, as it seems she doesn't want to talk about herself and her past. I don't mind, though, as the present and future of our team are what really matters to me more than anything.

After exiting the VR pod, I saw my sister anxiously fidgeting at the door to my room. Wait, how long was she standing there for?

"Is something the matter, Clarissa?"

"O-oh, Big brother, your match is tomorrow, right?" Clarissa queried nervously.

She seems troubled.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, my worry increasing by the second.

"N-nothing, it's just..."

I kept silent, waiting for her to compose herself and say what she needed to. After a while, she finally continued.

"I have been keeping a secret from you... sorry."

My heart pounded like a drum, my breath hitched, and a chill ran through my spine. My eyes went wide as saucers as I looked at her. Judging by her apologetic demeanor, she did the only thing I forbade her to do as she was still too young. She got a boyfriend.

"Who is the lucky bastard?! I'm going to end him right now!" I exclaimed.

"Wha- huh? What do you mean?" her expression was a mix of shock and confusion from my outburst.

Huh? Am I mistaken? From her reaction, it seems like she did not get a boyfriend after all. Whew... good, that's good. What a relief. I thought that my days as a law-abiding citizen would surely end today.

I quickly composed myself, befitting the calm, collected, reliable big brother that I am.

"Ahem... what is it you want to tell me? Don't worry, whatever it is, I won't get mad," I reassured her with a brotherly smile.

She took a deep breath, mustering up her courage, before confessing in one go. "IvebeenplayingCoAforawhilewithouttellingyou!" she spouted quickly in one breath.

Did she say she's playing CoA? As in Champions of Andartha? My face instantly lit up at the comprehension. "Really? That's great!"

"You're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be?"

"It's because I kept it a secret from you for so long," she replied, the volume of her voice diminishing bit by bit.

"Oh, it's fine. Everybody has a few secrets here and there. You should not be compelled to tell me everything... but if a man ever confesses to you, tell me right away, okay? No secrets!"

She nodded.

"Good! Back on topic, you can always rely on your brother! I'll boost you every day and protect you from any enemy, NPC mobs, or players! Also, now we can play CoA together instead of just watching movies!" I said excitedly.

"T-this is why I didn't want to tell you! I want you to focus on your qualifiers tomorrow, please."

If there really is an angel, I'm looking at her in the flesh right now.

"Okay, sure, sure, but after tomorrow, we are gonna play together every day!" I declared.

She gave me an angelic smile as she nodded happily, "Okay, brother, I'm looking forward to it!"

"But why tell me now though?"

The Clarissa I know would have waited until after the qualifiers in order for me to focus on our matches. She must have a good reason for letting the cat out of the bag now.

"Oh, right! It's because I wanted to give you something I got from a dungeon! You use spears, right?"

"Of course! Lances and spears are your brother's specialty. No one in our guild is better than me at using those types of weapons!" I declared proudly.

"Perfect! I got a good spear for you! It's very strong! I think you could use it for your match tomorrow," she jumped excitedly... how cute!

I smiled at her enthusiasm. I know that whatever she got from her dungeon would be unusable to me, but I will still use it nonetheless! Whatever it cost! Even if the stats are worthless, if my very own sister gave it to me, it would be worth more than ten times, no, a hundred times than that of my current weapon.

I took a quick glance at my clock. It's not that late yet due to our practice ending early. We could go for a quick trade, and I can finally add my sister to my friend list before logging out again to rest.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I am currently in the town where we are supposed to meet. I haven't been here in a while, as it is for level 80 players below. In front of me is the door to a famous pub that Clarissa suggested to meet for the trade.

As I entered the pub, I saw the bustling tavern alive with activity. Patrons, dressed in a myriad of woolen tunics and cloaks, gather around sturdy wooden tables, their faces illuminated by the soft light of oil lamps suspended from the ceiling. The sound of merry chatter and laughter mingles with the tunes of NPC minstrels playing lutes and fiddles in the corner.

The players inside looked at me cautiously as I entered. It is rare to find a max-level player here; thus, their apprehension.

I looked round to find my sister.

I saw her seated at the farthest corner of the room along with two boys, chatting her up, making her uncomfortable. As I got near, I got a snippet of their conservation.

"Come on, Miss, don't be like that, it will be quick, we promise! We could use a mage right now in our party, more so if the mage is as cute as you," he gave Clarissa a flirtatious wink.

I swear! I knew from the start that this would happen.

I quickly approached the two low-level players.

"Ahem... is there a problem here?" I gave the two boys a death glare.

If looks could kill, I'm sure they would be returning to their respawn points by now.

"Big brother! You're here!"

Her statement shocked both of the offenders.

"H-he's your brother!" They both looked at each other, panic evident in their eyes. "S-sorry, um, it seems like we have to go. Our friend just PMed us requesting help, r-right MarC."

Y-yeah, let's go. Can't let our friend wait, can we now? Ha ha ha..." he laughed awkwardly as both of them quickly retreated.

"Okay, good luck in helping your friend!" Clarissa innocently encouraged them as they headed out of the pub.

I sighed. I swear, she's too trusting. It's a surprise she even made it this far out in the game.

"Oh, big brother, let's trade now. I want to give the weapon."

Clarissa requested a trade. Do you accept? Y/N.

"Yes," I murmured.

She quickly traded me the weapon. I identified it.

Spear of The Ruined King (LEGEND)

A legendary spear said to be used by an ancient king of old, his very own kingdom long forgotten in the ebbs of time.

Strength + 110

Dexerity + 110

Weapon skill "Sovereign's Charge!"- Clads the user in dark flames from the depths of the abyss before increasing charging speed by two times and drastically increasing the damage of a single strike based on the speed of the sprint.

Cooldown: 600 seconds

Mp cost: 500 MP

W-where did you get this?" I said in shock and awe at the high stats it gave.

The weapon skill also complements my type of gameplay, a rush type of skill that can be used one time as a trump card. One of the greatest abilities in my arsenal has always been my fast sprinting speed, as I have constantly remained the best on our track team ever since high school and now college. Therefore, my sprinting speed is no joke. Better yet, it's a legend grade, the highest grade you can get in a dungeon drop, barring unique weapons that require specific conditions to drop.

"I got it from the friends I made who helped me in a dungeon run!"

I paused at that. My expression became serious.

"They are not tricking you or anything, right? Like, giving you stuff so you would have to do... naughty things for them or something?" I queried, apprehension palpable in my voice.

"Of course not, brother. Why would they?" she asked so innocently that it seemed like being scammed or taken advantage of, especially in cyberspace, had never even crossed her mind in the slightest.

"You can be a little... gullible sometimes, so I'm just worried. And there are few players so kind as to help a complete newbie like you in getting a weapon as rare as this."

"There is one, though, this friend I've been hanging out with a lot lately, the one I always talked about."

"Oh, your online friend? Just to be sure, your friend is a girl, right? Not some boy that created a girl avatar?"

"Yes, I'm sure she is. I always hear her feminine yet cool and relaxing voice! She's always calm and collected, too, like nothing in the world could ever faze her! She's also super duper smart, like, she knows everything there is to know! She always teaches me every day and gives me tons of things!" Clarissa praised enthusiastically.

I have never seen her this attached to any person, not even our parents, as they are always away. It honestly makes me a bit jealous. I'm still not convinced, though. I'm sure her new friend must have some ulterior motive behind her actions. Now, I really have to meet this player in person just to be sure and maybe get a threat out or two to ensure Clarissa's safety.

"That sounds great, Clarissa. She seems like a good person! I want to meet your friend, if possible."

"Sure, big brother! I can't wait to introduce her to you! You two are so kind and caring that I'm sure both of you will get along really well!"

"I'm sure we will," I smiled innocently.

After I set boundaries on dos and don'ts when around my sister, then we will get along after that.

"I hope it helps you tomorrow!" she said with an angelic smile. "And also, don't worry about the house and Colin while you're busy with the match. I will take care of them while Mom and Dad are away."

"Thanks, Clarissa. I'll be sure to return the favor by giving it my all!" I said, my motivation and drive to win tomorrow's qualifier matches doubled.

What a perfectly kind and reliable sister I have!