Vol. 2 Chapter 24

Vol. 2 Chapter 24

“I don’t feel like I improved at all,” Clarence murmured a complaint while taking a bite out of his plate.

“Trust me, your attacks were getting faster and more precise,” I reassured him.

We are currently eating in the dining hall for the hotel guests. There are currently only 5 people here, excluding the staff and us. At one table, a team of three individuals sat together, their animated conversation filling the air with laughter and excitement. I remember them to be the Chinese-sponsored team Dragon Dynasty Gaming from my research about the participants. Their table was adorned with empty plates and glasses, evidence of a satisfying meal shared among friends.

Across the dining hall, at a smaller table, sat a lone individual. She seemed content in her solitude, engrossed in a book. The table before her was neatly arranged, with a single plate and a glass of water placed in front of her. Despite being alone, there was a sense of tranquility surrounding this person.

"You say that, but I couldn't even land a scratch on you! How did you become so skilled at dodging? It's almost superhuman," my teammate's question snapped me back to the present.

"Perhaps it's just luck?" I shrugged, taking a bite of my steak. It was juicy and tender, practically melting in my mouth.

He looked at me with a serious expression. "No, I'm not letting you off the hook this time with your half-assed excuses. You have to tell me, or I won't be training with you anymore," he said with a hint of bitterness.

I pondered for a bit before giving up. I guess it doesn’t hurt to talk about my past a little.

I let out a sigh. "Fine. I think it's because I've been playing a lot of games that involve dodging for as long as I can remember. These are games where you have to analyze the enemy's attack patterns and dodge at the right moment, or else you'll be defeated almost instantly. I'm quite certain that it has greatly contributed to my reflexes and prediction skills when it comes to dodging."

“Oh, those types of games that became popular way back then? I tried one of those but when I died to the first boss more than twenty times. I never touched those games again.”

“It’s fun though. Sure, it might take you a couple of tries but all you need to do is analyze their attack patterns and you can eventually dodge all their attacks. It gives you a sense of accomplishment once all your hard work is rewarded”

“I think we have different definitions of fun. Feels like you’re a complete masochist, to be completely honest.”

I glared at him.

He immediately wilted under my glare. "T-that doesn't fully explain why you became so skilled in VR as well, though. I mean, there might be some similarities, but VR is a whole different ballgame," he quickly changed the subject.

I paused a bit, thinking of the cause. “Probably because my mother used to always take me to gymnast lessons back when I was young. It probably helped a lot in my flexibility. Also, I completely disagree that VR is completely different. It has a lot of similarities, especially with the attack patterns of most weapons in the games I used to play. Their swing time, reach, their strengths and weaknesses, and many other aspects. Also, I was one of the early testers of the VR before it even became public. My father has connections so it was easy for him to get the prototypes. So had had more than two years of advantage in playing VR games compared to the general public,” I explained.

I couldn't reveal to him that I had also played the beta test for CoA, which gave me a significant advantage in the game. Even though I had stopped playing CoA, I still engage in other challenging VR games that demand exceptional dodging abilities. So, my skills haven't completely deteriorated yet... probably.

“It sure as hell good to be rich, huh? But at least you don't come across as spoiled and mock me for being of humble origins," he said with a touch of bitterness.

“That’s just a false notion you get from watching too many movies, most rich people don’t act like that. And my family is not that well off either, just above average in income,” I deadpanned.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, princess," he mocked but sensing my irritation, he quickly backed off.

“Still, I never thought you would be a hardcore gamer. You don’t look the type,” he quickly added.

"Well, I suppose I wouldn't be a gamer either if it weren't for my sister. Gaming was our only form of bonding since she could not do any strenuous activities due to her weak constitution,” I instinctively blurted out before I could even regret it.

"Oh, you have a sister?" he asked curiously, attempting to delve deeper into my personal life.

A wave of discomfort washed over me as the topic arose. This is why I didn’t like talking about my past.

"...Had," I managed to utter weakly.

It took a moment for him to grasp the meaning behind my words. His eyes widened in realization before uttering a response.

"Oh, I... sorry," he said apologetically.

I just shrugged, unable to make out any comprehensible thoughts as I tried to reign in emotions that began to well up inside me.

Sensing the shift in my mood, he quickly changed the subject, for which I was grateful. Despite his often rude and obnoxious demeanor, there seemed to be a hint of compassion within him. It made me wonder if his negative traits were intentionally exaggerated as if he were putting on an act to appear tough.

"Let's first start with a simple one. If we reach a hundred-dollar donation in ten minutes, I'll make one of my friends eat a spoonful of hot sauce!" he continued. The other two members of the rowdy trio exchanged nervous glances, clearly not expecting their friend's impromptu fundraising idea. But they reluctantly played along.

Just as I was about to take action, a girl approached us, prompting me to adopt a wait-and-see tactic. Looking at her, she had strikingly handsome features with a face showing little to no emotions, making it hard for me to get a good read of her. She was also quite tall, approximately the same height as me, and had a strong and lean physique that was only partially concealed by her clothing and strawberry hair that caught my attention. If my memory serves me right from my research on the tournament participants, she must be Astrid, in-game name Meridia. She's a member of Arthur's team, Round Table. I mentally categorized her as a proficient combatant in close hand-to-hand combat, blending Aikido techniques with mid to close-range ice magic using an ice orb with her mixed intelligence-strength stats distribution.

“Are you incapable of basic human comprehension? She said to leave her alone,” Astrid uttered in a menacing yet barely audible tone.

Draven instinctively turned around and stared at her for a second before a hint of realization struck.

“Aren’t you from the team of hypocrites, the round something? Ah, the Round Table, right? Indulging in your false sense of justice once more by meddling in other’s affairs? Or perhaps you lot can only derive pleasure from feeling morally superior to others? How pathetic," he taunted.

“... You really are quite annoying,” Astrid said in a low tone that I almost didn’t hear.

Looking at her up closely, she shows little expression and change in body language. I can't seem to get a grasp on her emotions. Her tone of voice suggests she is really annoyed though.

“Wait, don’t tell me you’re jealous? Wanna have some fun too? Hmm, you're not half bad-looking yourself,” he said as he tried to touch her face.

As Draven reaches out with his hand, Astrid swiftly steps to the side, using his momentum against him. With a fluid motion, she grabs his arm and effortlessly redirects his energy, using her body's leverage to throw him off balance, a perfect execution of an Aikido technique. Draven is caught off guard as he is swiftly thrown to the ground, landing with a thud, causing his cell phone to fly into the air.

"ACK!" he exclaimed in a mixture of pain and shock, his face planted firmly in the ground.

I watched in awe as the phone he used in streaming our interaction soared through the air, its descent accompanied by a dramatic impact as it collided with the ground.

*Thump

Oof, not the phone. I couldn't help but cringe instinctively at the force of the impact, hoping deep in my heart for the phone to be unharmed since it didn’t do wrong to deserve such abuse. I also couldn't help but find it morbidly amusing that I was more concerned about the phone’s well-being than the actual owner himself. Nevertheless, I couldn't bring myself to feel any sympathy for him because of his actions thus far.

“This is why I hate men. especially trashy men like you,” Astrid expressed with a tone filled with intense disgust as if he saw Draven no more than a piece of garbage on the street.

A sudden shout caused us all to momentarily pause.

"Hey! What are you kids up to over there!" a loud, authoritative voice echoed.

What a bad timing. The disturbance probably drew the attention of one of the security staff members. He immediately rushed over to our small group. Upon noticing Draven on the ground, he attempted to help him up.

The guard halted as he got a clear view of Draven's face.

"You again? What have you done this time?" he asked apprehensively.

He came to a halt as he noticed Draven lying on the ground. "You again? What did you do this time?"

Seems like this is not his first offense. That is good to know since this would be a whole lot easier to explain if it comes to his words against ours.

"I'm the victim here!" Draven complained.

The security personnel let out a sigh. "I'm sure you instigated another participant, leading to this situation. Am I correct?" He glanced around, seeking confirmation from all of us, to which we all nodded in agreement.

"I've already warned you before. Your pranks may appear harmless to you, but they can have a negative impact on others," he scolded Draven.

Draven clicked his tongue, clearly irritated by the outcome.

"I'll accompany you back to your room. The well-being of our guests is our top priority, so I strongly advise against repeating such behavior, or there will be consequences," the security warned as he assisted Draven in standing up and walking.

“I can walk on my own!” he shrugged off the man’s attempt to help him.

“I’ll pay you back at the tournament for this tenfold,” Draven shouted at Astrid before taking his (unfortunately cracked) phone and storming out of the dining hall while his teammates followed suit, trying to catch up to him.

I turned to express my gratitude to the girl who had helped us, but to my surprise, she simply nodded in acknowledgment. Without uttering a single word, she returned to her table, picked up her book, and swiftly departed from the dining hall. I guess she is not much into social interactions or is just incredibly shy. All I know is that It seems like Chu now has a contender for his title.