[Tranquility Online: World Chat.] 

 

[Girenia]

 

[Kuya: “Has anyone seen weird players just fucking gutting others even in the middle of bosses?”] 

 

[Alias: “Some dude in huge trench coats right? I was trying to finish a quest and some guy stabbed through the back!”]

 

[H3viL3vi: “Bruh?”] 

 

[ScarletFeather: “I just died! WTF!?”] 

 

[Bakaa99: “RIP!”] 

 

[MooingNymph: “RIP,”] 

 

[Noobeta: “LOL RIP!”] 

 

Nova gawked at the screen happy with himself as he saw his handiwork on the screen above him with a smug grin on his face. His smirk dropped as he noticed someone looking over at him from a distance watching him, he frowned as he turned to see who.

 

“I wondered where you went to Nova,” Oujia laughed.

 

“My numbers are looking good,” He noted. 

 

“Do you plan to challenge GodSlayer?” Ouija asked. 

 

Nova paused as he watched the chat continue  to buzz with messages asking him questions about the PK event. His eyes fell upon the username of someone who appeared in the comment section of chat, ‘KillerKing’. Nova clicked on the name curious about this man who would dare try to fight against the most powerful player in the game.

 

“What is that smirk Nova?” He questioned. 

 

“Nothing…” Nova smiled. 

 

Grabbing onto his large scissor blade Nova pulled it from its sheath and turned to Ouiji as he stared at him with shock evident on their faces. He placed the large blade under his chin grinning widely as he brought the handle towards his lips taking a deep breath.

 

“Shit!” he thought to himself.

 

“So you wanna hear my new plan?” Ouiji grinned. 

 

—---------------

 

[Zuagnia-The Dark City of the Ash.]

 

Niles noticed the tall skyscrapers . His eyes shifted down seeing dark roads surrounded by abandoned cars. This city reminded him too much of his childhood home, a place where he grew up in complete isolation as he traveled to different places across the state. It used to bother him, but now the memories filled him with peace.

 

The heavy gray fog rolled in along with thick black smoke drifting through the air. The dense, gloomy atmosphere only served to further add to the bleakness of the city, making it seem as if time stood still. Niles sighed as he began walking slowly, his footsteps echoing in the empty streets as he wandered aimlessly, looking for somewhere to rest and regroup.

 

“Why did it warp me here?” Niles thought. 

 

[PK players warp new areas to see if you can gain advantage despite the level.]

 

“Oh…” He replied. 

 

In the distance he saw a silhouette  walking alone, a single figure that seemed lost. His silhouette seemed lonely. Niles furrowed his brows as he contemplated whether or not he should approach the person. But after considering it for a few minutes, he ultimately decided that he should do something, anything. With newfound resolution, he walked forward.

 

He readied his knife before noticing it was a healer dressed in daisy yellow  armor wielding a short staff. He didn't look to have any intention of using it and the dagger that rested securely in his hand was far enough away to allow him to attack in close range should an emergency happen. Niles stopped in front of the lone stranger who continued to stare at nothing in particular.

 

“Hi, uh...I’m Niles, what’s your name?” Niles asked, hoping his voice sounded friendly and not like he desperately wanted to stab the girl in his eye.

 

The lone figure turned to her, smiling a bright smile.

 

“Hey!” She exclaimed.

 

The girl laughed as she looked into the tired eyes of the player killer  standing in front of her. Her smile faltered as the stranger remained motionless, his gaze lingering on the dagger that was now pointed directly at her chest.

 

“Are you going to stab me?” The girl inquired.

 

[Increased heart rate and palpitations are common side-effects of anxiety, calm down Niles.] 

 

Silence reigned as she waited anxiously for a reply. But Niles was quiet. The only sounds she could hear were her rapid heartbeat echoing throughout her head. Niles slowly shook his head no, but instead of relaxing, her smile faded even more. The sound of her heartbeat became louder as her breathing quickened as her eyes started becoming blurry. When she opened her eyes again. 

 

“Are you scared of me?” Niles asked. 

 

“Of course not…in fact you are kinda cute,” She grinned. 

 

His messy black hair stuck up under his black hoodie , which was pulled over his head as the hood shadowed his eyes and face. He had dark circles underneath his eyes, which matched his sickly pale skin tone and sunken cheekbones. The boy stood before the healer dressed in nothing but her healer dress; it was obvious that he hadn’t bathed in a long time.

 

Niles gawked at her in shock  as he tried to process the comment.

 

“Wuh...what did you just say?” He stammered.

 

“Yeah you know I think we’d be good together,” She giggled as she swayed gently back and forth

on her heels.

 

“I never had a girlfriend before though!” He shouted. 

 

“Do you wanna try me out first?” She giggled. 

 

“Online relationship with someone I just met?” Niles thought. 

 

“If you don’t like me you can just tell me and we can just break it off,” The Healer smiled. 

 

“Uhhh…okay,” He noted. 

 

“My username is Galena,” She smirked. 

 

“M-Mine is Niles,” He stuttered. 

 

“Ehhh? I can’t find your username!” Galena whined. 

 

He thought to himself in a panic trying to hide behind his hands as she searched for them. Niles didn’t know what to say since he was a beta tester and he was new to online relationships so he knew that she might not be able to track him this way. 

 

“If I tell you something can you keep it a secret?” He questioned. 

 

Her ears perked up as she didn’t expect this situation  to turn out in such a manner, nodding her head as Niles gulped nervously. She tilted her head awaiting his answer. Niles breathed deeply and nodded. 

 

“Of course,” She thought. 

 

“I am a player killer here on the Adonis server and my duty is to kill the other players,” Niles admitted. 

 

“So…you were gonna kill me then?” Galena laughed. 

 

“Well I am not now because now I will protect you!” Niles shouted. 

 

The visible pink lip gloss on her lips distracted him  a little from the conversation. He shook his head clearing his mind as he continued staring at her. 

 

“You can protect me from anyone right?” she chuckled.

 

“Yeah,” he replied.

 

Galena gave a small chuckle before shoving his shoulder lightly. Niles flinched slightly as he felt how solid her grip was before he remembered why she was a healer.

 

“Um..if you really want protection, I can try,” Niles offered.

 

Galena blinked her wide green orbs curiously before she smiled sweetly at him.

 

“You wanna know why I am out here?” She asked. 

 

“Huh?” Niles replied. 

 

“This was a popular spot when it first started and had lots of people, but now everyone has gone to Emerfolk to hang out,” Galena explained. 

 

“Why not go to Emerfolk?” He questioned. 

 

“I was waiting for someone…” She lamented. 

 

Niles couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy for Galena. He had experienced the longing and loneliness of waiting for someone before, and he understood how difficult it could be. Determined to offer his support, he posed a question to Galena.

 

"Do you want me to help find them?" he inquired, his voice filled with genuine concern. Galena smiled softly, her eyes gleaming with a mix of fondness and melancholy. 

 

"They are already gone," she replied, her words carrying a bittersweet tone. 

 

Niles felt a pang of sadness for her, realizing that the person she had been waiting for might no longer be a part of her life. He could sense the weight of her unfulfilled longing, and he wanted to be there for her. 

 

"I may not understand the intricacies of a long-distance relationship," Niles confessed, his voice gentle and compassionate. "But I can offer you friendship and support, Galena. You don't have to face this loneliness alone."

 

Galena's eyes met Niles', and a flicker of gratitude passed between them. She reached out and placed her hand on his, her touch warm and comforting. 

 

"Thank you, Niles," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion. "Having someone by my side means more than you know."

 

And in that moment, Niles realized that sometimes, the best way to heal someone's longing is to simply be there for them, offering solace and understanding, even if you can't fill the void completely. Together. 

 

“You are still my boyfriend though,” Galena smirked. 

 

“Ehhh?!” He shouted. 

 

The sounds of footsteps had scared Niles and Galena as he noticed the white cloak right away as the man held tight to his daggers as he stared down the assassin in front of him.

 

[Owl [Level 14.] ] 

 

“You leveled up four times?!” Niles shouted. 

 

[Leaderboard Ranking.] 

 

[1. Nova.(1000 points.)] 

 

[2. Owl.(648.)]

 

[3. Survey.(300.)] 

 

[4. Palope.(100.)] 

 

[5. Ouija.(50.)]

 

“You still haven’t put your name on the board!” Owl smirked. 

 

He was in disbelief as he stared at the rankings, the leaderboards being the most powerful system ever created. Even though he knew that Owl had improved his skills tremendously in the past few days ever since he saw him last in [Girenia] he couldn’t imagine the level of improvement Owl would achieve. Owl chuckled before he raised the daggers in his right hand and threw it towards Niles.

 

“I am fucked…” Niles whispered.