My Servant Is An Elf-Knight From Another World

Chapter 19

Irene didn't return that evening, nor did she arrive at all the next morning.

Something major must have happened, something really bad. But what that something was, I didn't know... I couldn't know. Despite the motel existing in the technological era of the 21st century, the internet service was downright atrocious.

Nothing would load, nothing would play. My cellphone lacked any service as well. Can't check the news... can't go to the internet. I was blind to any happenings that might have occurred, left confined to a bedroom, resigned to just simply sitting idly by... waiting. As always.

So I did the only thing I was still able to do, I continued playing.

After Leonardo's close brush with death, Ash... I mean, Eshwlyn went ahead and laid waste to what was left of the village, leaving Leonardo unconscious on the ground but alive.

Thus ends the prologue chapter of Chronicles Of Asteria.

The real game only truly started after Leonardo had awoken to the care of some kind and benevolent passersby. From there you are left to your own devices, stranded in the middle of nowhere with no objective to strive for other than from the one you originally started out with.

Stop Terestra.

How are you supposed to do that? Game says it's up to you.

You build your own team, you discover their stories, you explore the world. Do everything you can before Asteria is plunged into disaster.

From dusk till dawn that was all I have been doing. Grinding, farming, surviving. By the time the clock struck 9 in the morning, I had already leveled up a considerable amount, recruited 2 brand new party members - a mage and a paladin - yet my main progress through the story had grinded to a halt.

Asteria was divided into 6 different regions. Each region was ruled and dominated by a loyal servant of Terestra. So 6 places to save and 6 servants to kill, each progressively stronger than the last.

So far I haven't even managed to free one yet. The servants were just that powerful. Or maybe I just sucked that bad. Yeah, I probably just suck at the game. So I was stuck, for the time being, gaining no new info, and losing precious time in reality.

Didn't learn anything more about Eshwlyn besides that initial encounter either, nor did I learn much else about the Matriarch, besides a small codex entry and a small story about a Matriarch called Amelia from a party member, even then, it was information I already knew... Ash already told me.

Salt is a repellant, illusion incantations to hide yourself from them, they steer away from tainted blood and feast exclusively on virgins.

Killing them is downright impossible.

Nothing new, except a peculiar question that struck me over a quick breakfast session at the motel's dining area.

If Ash's blood is tainted... Then why did the Matriarch choose her over me to be her eighth victim, despite me being a true bonafide virgin? Going by what's been established, I should have been the one taken instead, so why wasn't it me?

Fortunately, I wasn't left wondering about this alone. Afternoon came with Irene's arrival at my doorstep, barging in the room like she owned the place, and settling onto the armchair by the side.

"You're late," I said, looking over at her from the bed, the laptop on my lap.

"You're tired," she replied, resting her face on her arm. "Didn't sleep?"

"How can I?"

Irene shrugged her shoulders.

"So what happened to you?" I asked. "You're a whole 18 hours late from when we're supposed to meet."