32 Chapter 32

Instantly sitting up, Toyo was surprised to see Naomi walking inside. Her light brown hair seemed to be cut a little shorter, but besides that, she looked about the same. She was wearing a boiled leather breastplate, coupled with two shoulder pauldrons underneath a blue shirt. Her black leggings complemented her long legs, and her leather boots, though muddy, looked to be a quality item. He couldn't help wonder where she was finding such excellent, not to mention fashionable, equipment. Both he and Jae had taken time out of their constant patrolling for players in danger to try and discover more item reward quests, but so far had had no luck. The light leather armour and simple clothing they did have had come from Norran the Blacksmith.

\"Naomi? What's up?\" Toyo asked curiously. He wished he had had time to check how his long hair looked today. Even as he spoke, small strands threatened to fall on to his face. \"Did you catch Jae stalking you? I told him not to, stealth has never been a gift of his.\"

Clearing his throat angrily, Jae deliberately slammed the door closed behind him.

Naomi smirked. \"Really? I don't know why, but I kind of assumed you'd be the one bad at sneaking around.\"

Toyo lifted an eyebrow. \"And why's that?\"

Naomi shrugged. \"You talk entirely too much.\"

Before Toyo could reply, Jae burst out laughing.

\"Hey dickhead,\" Toyo muttered as he glared at his brother, \"You stopped me before I could give her my comeback.\"

\"Then I'll apologize,\" Jae replied, the humour still evident in his tone, \"by giving you the benefit of the doubt and pretending you had a comeback at all.\"

Shaking his head, Toyo returned his gaze to Naomi. \"On a more serious note, is there something we can help with? We still owe you for telling us about Norran here in Trevica. We've saved at least three thousand Col thanks to you. And in this game,\" he added, \"I think it's safe to say that could easily make the difference between life and death.\"

Stepping forward, Naomi shook her head grimly. \"No, I don't see it that way. The day we met, I was feeling pretty cocky. Being a beta tester, I felt like things were easier than they actually are. Not to mention the fact that a few days after I sent you guys off on that quest, I started to realize that things aren't the same here as they were in the beta. I mean, some things are, but lots of little elements are different now…\"

She paused, turning away as she made her way to the corner of the small room. Leaning her back up against the wall, she crossed her arms underneath her breasts before picking up the thread of her narrative.

\"It made me start to question how much I actually knew about the game, and what I could be sure of. I started getting worried that I had sent the two of you off into danger. And then the Massacre started.\" Her gaze seemed to lose focus as she stared up at the ceiling.

Toyo and Jae both understood. She had seen the Massacre first hand, just like them. So many players, butchered in the span of only a few weeks. At the height of the Massacre, Toyo and Jae went out each day not just to grind, but to seek out players they knew would be in danger. On top of that, seeing so many die around them had begun leading them to expect their own deaths. It seemed only a matter of time. Both of them still told their jokes and behaved as normally as they could, but Toyo knew Jae felt the same horrific thoughts he did.

\"Anyway,\" Naomi shook her head as if to expel the dark thoughts now clouding all their minds, \"that's why I decided I had to pay you back for getting you in danger because of my recklessness.\"

Stepping over to Toyo, Naomi accessed her menu, quickly equipping a one-handed longsword of immense beauty. The blade itself was razor sharp and made of silver. The crossguard was wide and composed of steel, as was the handle, which was also wrapped in coiled leather for gripping purposes.

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There will be no chapter still match 20th

I have exams

thanks for understanding