“What do you think happened?”

“Who knows? Maybe the system froze for a couple of seconds.”

“I didn’t know that could happen! What if this issue becomes a regular thing? Imagine that you’re in the middle of a fight, the system freezes, and the boss kills you, without you being able to do a thing! Could we sue the developers for this?”

“You’re still thinking as if we’re still on Earth. Good job finding lawyers here, or even contacting the creators of this thing.”

I would have loved joining that conversation, but at that moment, I was too appalled to even glance at them. I just rose from my seat near the monument of a drake in Downtown and walked straight to the Moonlight Dream Inn.

On my way there, I didn’t even want to look in the direction the fashion shop was. I crossed several food carts, and even though those sausages smelled more delicious than ever thanks to my tiredness, I kept walking.

I paid the Inn’s NPC without looking him in the eye and went straight to my room. After gently closing the door, I lied on the bed and let the tears flow again. I couldn’t believe what Charles did to us. Even though this was the first week of our virtual journey, he desperately wanted to be ahead of everyone else. Why?

Who knows how many years we would spend here, plugged into these machines. The people from Alvearium Enterprise told us that this was not as simple as traveling to Mars. This was another part of the Milky Way we were talking about. It could take decades!

Years of sharing experiences with other people. Living and having fun together… And Charles decided to antagonize a bunch of people just to be ahead of the curve? How sad that was!

 

Steve: I finally got 1000 gold. Taylor: Really? Well, congratulations! I’m fine by the way! Steve: Sorry.

 

What was I doing? 

I shook my head and quickly wrote: 

 

Taylor: I really mean it. Congratulations on beating Dylak. Is Grace okay? Steve: Yes. We managed to exit the mansion before the timer ran out and got the rewards. Taylor: Glad to hear that. By the way… Forget all about the 1000 gold deal, please. Steve: So… Taylor: Wait, let me finish… What I really want to say is that it was stupid of me for proposing you that. The other day you came to me offering me your friendship and I just… I’m sorry, okay? You don’t have to pay me anything to be with me. Steve: I understand.

 

He understood what? Should I have been more clear about this issue? I’m telling you that you don’t have to pay me to have sex with me. I’m more than willing to…

Whatever… I don’t care.

Just leave me alone for a night…

I just want to rest and worry about what I’ll do tomorrow morning. Even if it’s just 4:03 PM. I’ll just sleep and forget about everything for a little while.

* * *

Grace Burts has sent you a Friend Request!

 

I checked the time on my User Interface: 8:37 PM.

After sleeping for over four hours, this notification woke me up, reminding me that the world continued regardless of my wishes.

Squinting, I tapped on the ‘Accept’ button and regretted it immediately. But why would I feel that way? Although Grace has been nothing more than a little stone on my shoe, I somewhat considered her my friend.

She can be bossy and impulsive, but she accepted me just the way I was from the very beginning.

 

Grace: Where are you? I’ve been trying to contact you for hours! Taylor: I was just resting. Steve told me you could finish the quest. Have you come back yet? Grace: Yes! Where are you?

 

I hesitated. For a moment I wanted to write that I was not in Unus Town anymore, that I had left in my search for greener fields, that I wanted to be forgotten… that…

 

Taylor: Moonlight Inn. Grace: Room?

 

Dammit Grace. What do you want from a loser like me? Just leave me alone, please!

 

Taylor: 33. Grace: Okay, got it! Have you dined yet? Taylor: Not yet.

 

Wait… Don’t tell me that…

Someone knocked on my door in less than a minute, making my heart racing, reminding me of the time Steve came to my room on the first day.

I opened the door, not knowing what to expect.

“Did you miss me?” she grinned mischievously, wearing a brand new bright-red robe, as short as a minidress, a cloak on a darker shade of red, and the same model of knee-height boots as mine but shiningly black.

“So are you enjoying the spoils of war, huh?” I said.

“That’s right! Do you like my outfit?”

“Did you buy this to strengthen yourself, or to cause a boner to everyone that sees you?”

“Both! Tee-hee. Is it working with you?” She got closer so she could squeeze my bulge.

Even though I was just another loser from today’s quest, did she still want to play with me? Of course she would want that, now that we were no longer equals.

I don’t know what kind of expression I had at that moment, because she frowned worriedly. The only thing I knew in that moment, is that I really, really was in the mood to be under her foot.

“Is working now,” I mumbled.

She stepped back, half-smiling. “Can I come in? I brought cake.”

 

* * *

 

That dessert was nothing spectacular. Too bland, like a pile of ashes entering my mouth. But munching it while talking with her made it at least edible.

She told me about their escape from Dylak’s Mansion, and how they got here. It seems that once you defeat the final Boss, an NPC was programmed to appear outside riding a cart ready to go.

“It took me a while to assemble this outfit. I loved your boots so much that I decided to get the same for myself. And this mage ‘robe’, if you really can call it that, had the better Spirit status from the whole shop. So my stay here in Unus is over if I want to continue getting stronger. What about you, T.? Would you try beating that dungeon again? I could help--”

“No.” I interrupted her. “As you say, it would be a waste of time trying to grind the same place over and over again. Besides, that kind of spooky, thrilling adventure can only be experienced once. I’ll leave this town tomorrow too and level up somewhere else.”

“I see…” she whispered before munching a strawberry. “You’re stronger than me physically, so I really think you can do it.”

“Thanks,” I said as I leaned forward to kiss her.

Come on, Grace. Tell me how thirsty I am right now. Tease me that I got addicted to your endless lust. Force me to be your slave for tonight only. Did that awful cake vanish the taste of Steve’s cock from your mouth? If not, let me taste it. Just let me feel something. Fill this freaking void inside my chest, please!

“Are we in a hurry, T.?” she said, turning her face away from my lips.

“Yes, Miss Grace. I want to be yours tonight.”

“Oho… I like what I’m hearing. Very well, then. But first…” She jumped down from the bed and manipulated her User Interface. “Forget the cake. What I really brought you is this.” On her hands something black and lacy materialized. She extended it, making me blink repeatedly. “Ta-dah! This is a gift for helping me beat that dungeon. You helped me more than the other guys from our party. So, thank you very much, friend!”

It mesmerized me. I didn’t know The Novus had those things too. “W-where did you get them?”

“From the fashion shop!”

“But I never saw something like this on display…”

“That’s because they regularly hide this from general view, but I was clever enough to ask the correct questions to that NPC.”

She handed me a black lacy stockings with flower patterns, a garter belt, and a black lacy bra… And… When I held the bra aloft, I noticed it had padding… Just like the ones I used to wear on Earth!

“Thanks, Grace…” I whispered, hugging the lingerie protectively.

“Did you like them?” she asked, grinning.

“Yes, a lot. Thank you.”

“I bought the same set for myself but in white color,” she said teasingly.

“Sounds promising…” I said, getting short of breath. I was getting especially aroused knowing we would wear something as cute as this.

“Do we shower first?” she asked, reaching out a hand to me, and for the first time since I met her, I got mesmerized by her smile.

“Together?” I asked, as if it was a plea.

“Of course, silly.”

Another knock on the door.

“Oh, he arrived early,” Grace casually said while sitting on the edge of the bed, and tapping her User Interface to unequip her boots automatically. “Could you open the door, please, T.?”

“But…” I whispered, shaking my head. “Who…?”

Grace stopped what she was doing to look me in the eye. “As I told you, forget about the cake.” She giggled. “The real desert is waiting outside.”

My heart raced like crazy. I can’t tell why, but I rushed towards the door. It couldn’t be… My hand was shaking when I twisted the knob.

“T-Taylor. Hi.”

“Steve?”

“I… Grace told me that…” the black young man cleared his throat. “I brought you this.” He handed me a little black box, which took me ages to realize what it was. “Grace told me you wanted to buy this with the dungeon’s reward. And since you couldn’t make it…”

“But, Steve…”

“It’s a gift,” he said in a deeper tone of voice, but his eyes were as gentle as the first time I met him.

“Just accept it, T.,” Grace said from inside the room. “Steve wouldn’t shut up about it! ‘It’s so unfair that Taylor didn’t get any of the rewards after all the hell she went through’... End quote.” She giggled.

I stared at the make-up set box before crossing eyes with Steve again. He looked more handsome than ever.

“Do you want to come in?” I asked softly, to which he found himself at a loss of words.

“Look at him, T.,” Grace said, hugging me from behind. “He really is that innocent.”

“I…” Steve muttered as Grace grabbed his hand.

“Why do you think I called you to come here in the first place, dummy?”

“Are you sure about this?” Steve asked me, before I grabbed his other hand to pull him inside.

“A night with my two favorite people in all this world? I can’t wait.”

An alarm got activated inside the room, bathing everything in an intermittent red light. After all the naughty stuff I have done during my stay here, was this too much for the system to handle?!

 

NOTICE: You have exceeded the Maximum number of people allowed in a single room. If you would like to proceed, you will have to pay an additional fee.

 

Once we all silently read the system message displayed on the wall, we looked at each other and laughed out loud.

“I’ll pay it,” I said, tapping the window.

“Wait, Taylor, let me--”

I sealed Steve’s lips with mine.

“You have already spent a lot of gold on me. Let me cover this.”

“That looks like fun!” Grace said, and jumped forward to kiss Steve, too.

Yes… I can’t wait.

After paying the fee, another option appeared on the screen.

 

Would you like to customize the bed’s size? (10 gold)

I glanced at the bed for a second and then at the two kissing beside me.

“Yes, please.”