Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 95: The Sex-crazed Narcissist

Ben convulsed, choking on the blade as a mixture of disbelief and agony twisted his expression. In stark contrast, Daisuke stood stoically, lost in thought as a radiant column of golden light consumed the megalomaniac's vanishing form.

Another trade-off to the game's hyperrealism and scope of freedom was that its content could oftentimes get incredibly dark. In the real world, nature was beautiful, but that was only on the surface; the animal kingdom was a brutal and savage place.

And, as much as human beings were at the apex of the species, blessed with unrivaled intelligence and ingenuity, at their core, their behavior was even more callous than the laws of the jungle.

Every single individual had to live with their own demons—hate, greed, lust, selfishness—the only thing keeping these primal urges in check were societal criticism, the justice system, and the loyal souls who enforced it. But in Sehreneti, even though the same measures for law and order existed, there was still more leeway for the pursuit of one's dark and heinous desires considering the nature of this world.

You would think the reality that people technically wore their real faces in the game would be enough of a deterrent to prevent them from falling into degeneracy, but, alas, it wasn't enough to suppress the fact that this world was, without a shadow of a doubt, a—

Daisuke couldn't bring himself to admit it. If the game wasn't real, then wasn't he inadvertently devaluing his own existence?

DING!

[The quest «Liberation of the Florians» has been received.]

[Liberation of the Florians]

[Quest Difficulty: A

The Florians, a small and peaceful race, face challenges far greater than their size would suggest. Enchanted by their diminutive form, Florian females have fallen victim to the clutches of an evil organization, condemned to ruthless exploitation as slave laborers and unwilling participants of prostitution.

Yet, even graver atrocities await some among them, as they become unwilling subjects of cruel scientific experiments.

Clear Conditions: Liberate the imprisoned Florians and vanquish those responsible for their plight before their nefarious ambitions come to fruition.

Rewards:

▪︎ EXP +115,000

▪︎ Title: The Liberator of Slaves

▪︎ Runetablet ×2

▪︎ Reinforcement Tablet x3

▪︎ 280 Gold

Quest Failure:

▪︎ Completion of the brothel

▪︎ Prolonged suffering of the captives

▪︎ Tragic loss of Petula and her husband

▪︎ Untimely demise of Reeza]

Daisuke dismissed the holographic window with a simple mental command. My first A-rank quest, he thought as he slowly turned around. Interesting... even the quest description didn't divulge much information about the Mhaledictus, which is pretty ominous.

Petula stood like a frightened lamb in the distance, her head hung low. She pressed her lips into a tight line as Daisuke strode past her without a word. Her sole responsibility had been to guide him safely past the traps, yet even in this simple task, she had failed miserably.

And yet...

"Why? Why are you keeping me alive?!" she shouted in a blend of dread and frustration. She kept her head down, fingers balled into fists, and her eyes remained tightly shut, replaying the brutal scene of the man's demise just moments ago.

Daisuke halted.

And Petula's heart skipped a beat.

There was a deafening moment of silence.

"...I've seen firsthand how poverty, starvation, and especially torture can twist a person's mind and compel them to do things they wouldn't normally do," Daisuke said in a soft tone, his words laced with empathy amidst his own inner conflict. "While I was furious when I first saw you, I've had time to reflect, and I realize that your actions were likely driven by circumstances beyond your control."

Petula raised her head at his thoughtful words, hot tears pooling in her eyes.

"The blame lies with those who willingly embrace such a malicious lifestyle without remorse. Like that bastard we saw earlier," he spat scornfully before resuming his stride. "Thanks for trying to protect me earlier. Let's go and free your husband."

Petula sank to her knees, her tears distorting the image of Daisuke as he moved farther away. His compassionate words enveloped her like a warm cocoon, thawing the icy grip of self-loathing around her heart. Unable to resist any longer, she surrendered to the overwhelming tide of sorrow and relief washing over her.