Chapter 12

Uneasy waiting for his item to sell, Hiro decided to take a short nap. And because his body felt sore after spending so much time in-game, he fell asleep fast.

…

[10:00 PM Tokyo Time]

Gasp!

Hiro jolted awake. He slept like a log, and his bedroom was dark since he didn’t get to turn on the lights.

“Jeez, eight hours? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Hiro hurriedly got up from his bed and turned on the light in his room. He was really annoyed with himself for sleeping too long, and he was in a bit of a daze due to it.

He even forgot to check incoming notifications regarding the item he was selling.

After a bit, Hiro decided to go out and buy some cold coffee at a supermarket just 300 meters from where he lives. He really needed it now.

The streets in the area where Hiro lived were very quiet at night. Even the street lights that turned on automatically every time someone passed by were out.

The supermarket near where Hiro lived was open 24/7, and the storekeeper was still the same as the last time Hiro saw him.

Kira, the storekeeper, was monitoring the 3D hologram displaying a countdown in front of him without blinking.

“Ahem,” Hiro cleared his throat to get the man’s attention. The canned coffee he bought was ignored by the storekeeper.

“Just a moment, young man. Let me concentrate. The second batch of VR LSO sales is opening in two minutes. I’ll get it this time.”

Kira flexed all the muscles in his fingers, preparing for war against the millions of people who might also be trying to get their hands on the game.

The curious Hiro also watched the 3D hologram, waiting anxiously.

“5… 4… 3… 2…”

“…”

[Sold out]

[150,000 new-generation VR equipment has been sold.]

[Please wait for the next batch! (23 hours 59 minutes remaining)]

“WHAT THE FUCK!!”

Kira exploded in anger and pounded the metal table in front of him so hard that some of the items on it fell apart.

Hiro tried to distance himself before he became the next victim. He even managed to save his unpaid drink can.

“Damn it! Fuck connection!!”

Hiro couldn’t help but grin at Kira’s behavior. To tell the truth, it was quite comforting. At the same time, he wondered, what would Kira say to him if he found out that Hiro already had the VR equipment and had even been playing the game all day?

Kira finally gave the drink for free to Hiro after seeing that the expiration date of the drink was the next day. But after that, Hiro was kicked out with harsh words.

‘What a weirdo.’

‘Well, at least I got this drink for free.’

“I’ve really been lucky lately.”

Hiro enjoyed his drink while it was still cold as he leisurely walked back to the apartment. However, just as he moistened his parched throat, a lady’s shout suddenly sounded.

“AAAAHHH!”

Without thinking twice, Hiro immediately rushed to the source of the sound. From the volume, he could tell that she wasn’t too far from where he was.

Upon arriving, he saw a lady who was very unsteady because she was half-drunk surrounded by four men at once on the side of a deserted road. The only source of light came from the automatic lamp next to the crowd.

The lady just got up from the road while pushing the body of one of the laughing men nearby.

From the darkness, Hiro could only recognize her reflection as a lady because of her very prominent posture and curvaceous hips and chest.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

The man who had just been pushed was furious and gripped the lady’s arm tightly.

“Let go of me, you ugly filth!”

“Ptui!” The lady spat right in the man’s face without fear.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Hiro immediately rushed over. He knew what would happen next.

“Hey! Let go of her!” he exclaimed boldly.

All eyes immediately turned to him. And of course the grown men looked down on Hiro through their eyes.

“Don’t meddle, kid. Go home and drink your warm milk!”

“Hahahaha.”

Hiro did not accept the humiliation he received from the thug-faced man.

While they were busy laughing at his comrade’s joke, Hiro quickly kicked the man who was tightly gripping the half-drunk lady’s hands.

Bam!

The man fell backward after receiving Hiro’s kick.

They were all shocked by Hiro’s actions. The other three men immediately threw their fists at Hiro, but Hiro was able to dodge two fists at once.

Bam!

The third punch hit the back of Hiro’s hand as he tried to block the attack that was aimed at his face.

Hiro did not stay silent, he immediately fought back. With his long legs as a mainstay, he jumped and double-kicked the man in front of him.

Meanwhile, the two people behind him were ready to take out the weapons they hid, a sharp folding knife.

“What a nuisance!” one of the men hissed.

“Get him! Teach him a lesson!” one of the men who was still groaning from Hiro’s kick exclaimed.

“Tch. Same weapons, huh? How much did you buy them for? With a buy-one-get-one-free promotion?” Hiro tried to provoke the three men at once. After all, those who fought emotionally would not be able to fully concentrate on the fight.

“Don’t get too cocky, brat!”

Splatt!

Hiro’s stomach was slashed with a knife by the one man in front of him. The scratch wasn’t deep, But his shirt was torn and blood was dripping out of it.

“You fucking… you ruined my favorite shirt!”

Hiro shot an uppercut fist towards the lower jaw of the man who had just ripped his clothes and struck the man’s abdominal diaphragm with his knee.

Bam!

But suddenly, another man tackled Hiro’s legs and sent him crashing backward.

Bang!

“Damn it!” Hiro cursed in annoyance.

However, before he could stand up, two men had already grabbed both of his arms, forcing him to stand while locking them.

“Let go of me, Damn it!”

“Let me teach him a lesson,” the man who managed to knock Hiro down muttered. From the neat suit he was wearing, he seemed to be the boss of the other men.

The boss thug sharpened his fist to hit Hiro’s face. However, help came right on time.

The half-drunk lady jumped high and gave the boss a hard kick in the chest and then face.

Bam! Bam!

Everyone was shocked to see her action. It was like watching a WrestleMania diva.

Blood gushed out of the nose of the man who was hit hard by the lady’s thick boot.

Hiro made good use of the diversion. With the tip of his elbow, he immediately attacked the stomachs of the two men who were holding him tightly.

Bam!

They stumbled backward and reflexively released him.

As synced as a mixed tag-team match, Hiro and the lady kicked the heads of the two men in front of them so hard that they both fell to the ground and spat out blood.

“Eat that.”

“Let’s get out of here!”

The lady suddenly grabbed Hiro’s hand and asked him to run. Hiro had no other choice but to follow her will, and as he was pulled away, he glanced at the lady. Although she could speak Japanese like a native, it was clear from her face that the lady was not Japanese.

The two had managed to run quite a distance and were now standing under a streetlamp that automatically turned on when they came near. The two organized their messy breaths.

Meanwhile, Hiro continued to stare at the lady’s face. Her face is beautiful with long black hair that was tied as a ponytail, and a tattoo resembling a black thorny plant stem extended from her shoulder to her left neck.

She seemed about 25 years old with a height of over 5’7 ft. Meanwhile, her curves were truly top-notch. The girl only wore a short, black tank top that made her cleavage stand out clearly and tight leggings that made her plump butt stand out beautifully.

‘This girl, is she a gothic geisha?’ Hiro thought to himself, guessing.

The girl’s breath reeked of alcohol. He wondered how many alcoholic drinks she drank this evening.

“You!” The lady looked at Hiro with wide eyes.

“Leave, kid, what are you doing here?” the lady suddenly scolded Hiro. It felt as if she knew that he was younger than her.

“Huh? Me? I should be the one asking like that. What’s a beautiful lady like you doing in a dark and secluded place like this?”

The lady’s eyes widened when she heard Hiro call her a beautiful lady.

“Don’t flirt with me, kid, I have no interest in playing with a virgin boy like you.”

Hiro frowned. His kindness was misinterpreted. Furthermore, did she just call him a ‘virgin boy’? She was right on that, but still…

“Go home, kid!”

The lady suddenly pressed her body against him, making him feel something bouncy and dense pressing against his chest.

Hiro held his breath.

“Or… could it be that you want to come home with me?” she teased while licking her lips.

Hiro gulped, unmoving. He had never been in this kind of position before.

A faint smile appeared on the lady’s face.

“Gosh, you look so much like him!”

“Can I just kiss you?”

The lady suddenly brought her face close to Hiro’s and grabbed his cheeks, causing him to freeze on the spot and forget to breathe.

“Ahahaha! I’m just kidding, kid! Breathe, you’re turning blue!”

The lady then let go of her hands and freed him, and Hiro quickly turned and walked away.

“See you!”

He could finally breathe again. A few seconds ago, it was as if his lungs had run out of oxygen and shrunk.

“What a weird lady.”

Hiro watched the strange lady’s back until she turned into an alley, and after she was out of sight, he went home to clean the blood on his wound and his dirty body.

Before he went to sleep for 8 hours, he had set his android bracelet to silent mode so that no notifications would bother him.

And now, he intended to reactivate ring mode when an incoming notification caused his eyes to widen in surprise.

[You have 37 new messages from Liberty.]