Allies?

"Ow! You little rat!" I shouted in pain and anger. I kicked the rat off my hand and threw a fireball at it.

The fireball hit the rat and burned it alive. It squeaked in agony as it died.

[You have killed a Rat]

[You have gained 1 XP]

The other rat saw its friend die and hesitated for a moment. It looked at me with fear and tried to escape.

But it was too late. I threw my dagger at it and hit it in the spine. It fell to the ground, twitching and bleeding.

[You have killed a Rat]

[You have gained 1 XP]

I retrieved my dagger and wiped it on its fur. Then I looked at my left hand and saw that it was bleeding badly. The bite mark was deep and painful.

"Damn it…" I muttered under my breath. "I was careless. That rat got me good."

I wrapped a piece of cloth around my wound and hoped that it wouldn't get infected.

"Are you okay?" The boy asked me with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," I lied. "It's just a scratch."

"Thank you for saving us," The mother said gratefully. "You are very brave."

"Don't mention it," I said modestly. You don't know me yet. "It's nothing."

"T-thanks!" Then I heard the little girl's voice. Instantly all of the tiredness, fatigue, and stress disappeared from me. A slightly happy smile appeared on my face.

"Don't worry, little girl," I said softly. "It's over now. You are safe."

At least, for now.

"Then, let's get to know each other. I'm Leo." Thus I introduced myself and thus greeted each other.

They thanked me and explained how they got here.

"So, you guys escaped here as soon as the monsters appeared, right?" I looked at the family of three.

"Yes," The mother nodded.

As we introduced each other I got to know a little info on them. They were a family as I expected, the mother and daughter while the boy was the mother's brother.

Apparently, they escaped here with the help of one of the guards. He was also the one who gave them the keys.

I also was able to take a good look at the room and them since I didn't have time before because of the damn rats.

The mother was a young woman, with fair skin and bright eyes. Her name was Alice, Alice Smith. She wore a simple blue dress that was faded but still showed her slender figure. Her hair was brown and wavy, falling over her shoulders. She looked weary but hopeful, holding her daughter's hand.

The little girl, Lucy was a cute child, with big blue eyes and curly blonde hair. Lucy was wearing a pink dress that matched her curly blonde hair. She had big blue eyes that sparkled with curiosity and innocence. She wore a star pendant around her neck. She looked cheerful but nervous, clinging to her mother's arm. Ahh, how cute!

And the boy, Max was wearing a green T-shirt and khaki pants. He had short black hair and green eyes that shone with confidence and loyalty. He carried a backpack on his shoulder, which probably contained some books and food. He looked determined but worried, standing beside Alice and Lucy. I think he is a mid-schooler.

"Do you know what is happening?" Alice asked with a bit of worry.

"Yeah, basically a game started to merge with our world. So monsters and other things appear in the real world." I wasn't that good at explaining. "Didn't you guys hear the Seraphim? I also think your brother already knows what's happening." I gave the boy a knowing look.

"Y-yeah, we some angel-looking woman appearing in the air and telling some things," Alice replied. Then he looked at Max for an explanation.

"You know sis, that game I was playing, called Eternal Quest." Max started to explain to his big sister. "That game now merging with reality..."

"I seem to have understood," Alice muttered. But I'm sure she didn't understand anything based on her lost expression.

"Brother Leo." Max called out to me."Thanks for saving us again."

"There is really no need. If the monsters were stronger than me, I may have had a different approach." I shook my hands.

"So, you chose shield as weapon and skill, right Max?" I asked him as I used Identify on them.

____

Name: Alice

Race: Human

Class: None

Level: 1

XP: 0/100

HP: 50/50

MP: 20/20

Strength: 2 Agility: 3

Dexterity: 3 Intelligence: 4

Wisdom: 4 Constitution: 5

Charisma: 5 Luck: 3

Skills: None

Passive: None

_______

Name: Lucy

Race: Human

Class: None

Level: 1

XP: 0/100

HP: 16/16

MP: 50/50

Strength: 1 Agility: 4

Dexterity: 4 Intelligence: 5

Wisdom: 5 Constitution: 1

Charisma: 6 Luck: 4

Skills: None

Passive: Enhanced Hearing Lv1

_______

Name: Max

Race: Human

Class: None

Level: 1

XP: 7/100

HP: 44/44

MP: 05/15

Strength: 3 Agility: 3

Dexterity: 3 Intelligence: 3

Wisdom: 3 Constitution: 4

Charisma: 4 Luck: 3

Skills: Identify Lv1, Shield Lv1

Passive: None

______

"Haha, yes, I needed to protect them," Max replied while laughing awkwardly. "But Brother Leo, your stats are amazing! You must be an athlete, right?!"

"Haha, You used Identify on me?" I laughed heartily. "No, I'm just an ordinary university student. I just train regularly."

"Sorry using it on you without your permission. I was just curious." Max apologized. Even though I trust them, I have to learn the Conceal or Status Block skills.

"No need to apologize. I used it on you guys too." I told the truth. Since he already knows I have the Identify, it would be suspicious to lie.

"And they haven't accepter the Survival Quest yet, right?" I asked gesturing to the mother and daughter duo.

"Yes. Everything happened too quickly, that's why I was only able to do it myself." Max replied.

"You did well for a kid," I replied as I rubbed his head. Ah, he reminds me of my little brother when he was a kid.

"I-I am not a kid, you know. I'm 14!" He escaped from my hands and looked at me embarrassed.

"And isn't that a kid's age?" I asked while smiling.

"Please don't brother, he is a good kid," Alice spoke trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Sis!" Max snapped at his sister. "You just called me a kid!"

"Pfft." I barely managed to stop my laughter.

"Ok, let's calm down," I spoke up attracting the family's attention. " I will be leaving for a little while. Before that, let me help you guys to explain a few things and choose a skill and weapon. It is the most crucial thing now. We don't have that much time."

Seeing the serious look in my eyes, they nodded. They could be potential allies. Ah, but I'm not planning to tell them that I am already doing a quest.