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

CHAPTER 114: Homecoming - Revelation & Despair

"Thanks, buddy."

Daisuke allowed a smile and tenderly stroked the canine's head. Then he retrieved a bouquet of flowers and a pair of rice balls and rested them down beside the tombstone. As he regarded the food he was offering as tribute, he couldn't help but compare his ability to depart with such a precious commodity compared to just a few months ago.

If only I'd gained this power sooner, he thought for what felt like the thousandth time, his gaze locked on his open palm. Our lives could've been so much easier. But... would it have been enough to take down the bastard I saw fleeing the house that night?

***

The unimpressive space that encompassed the kitchen and bathroom; the large standing mirror and stained old bathtub; the screen that separated his mother's room—nothing, unfortunately, was the same as he remembered.

Daisuke's expression was unreadable as he slowly shuffled through the crude dwelling, his eyes passing over several families who had now taken up residence in the small space he had once called home.

Hidden atop his head beneath his hood, Zephyr whimpered worrisomely as his friend tightly clasped his chest. Daisuke knew he wasn't in a position to complain—this was the slums; it was survival of the fittest and he had long up and abandoned this place. It wasn't surprising that it was now occupied by others looking for a secure place to escape the rain and the bitter cold.

As bittersweet memories of both his virtual and biological parents flickered in his mind like the pages of a flick book, Daisuke couldn't help but think that it was probably for the best that the hut had seen a significant transformation. He wasn't sure if his heart could endure the strain that familiarity would have evoked.

"Rawrwu," Zephyr murmured sympathetically.

Daisuke heaved a wan smile as he tousled the canine's head. "I'm okay," he whispered, more to himself than the pup.

Reluctantly leaving the hut behind, Daisuke discreetly navigated the dreary slums until he made his way to a familiar hideout that was constructed of wood, hay, and a collection of trash.

His heart fluttered as he contemplated how to confront the kids who had inadvertently sentenced him to a grim fate. Schooling his face into a cool, indifferent mask, he approached the structure that poorly resembled a dwelling and pulled the curtain aside.

But the space was empty.

The fireplace looked like it hadn't been used in weeks, but Daisuke decided to remain positive. They're probably just out on another score—

"Big Brother?" exclaimed a young boy who was a part of the dumping-garbage-from-atop-the-roof-as-a-distraction brigade. "Big Brother Haxks—is that really you? It is you! You're okay! We were so—"

Daisuke swiftly clamped his hand over the child's mouth before he could say another word. The boy's eyes widened, but he quickly nodded in understanding as his hero brought an index finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

The boy breathed when Daisuke slowly removed his hand. "Everyone's been worried sick," he whispered, still managing to make the statement dramatic despite it being a whisper. "Where were you?"

"It's a long story," Daisuke simply said, "and one for another time. More importantly, where's the gang?"

The boy pursed his lips at the question, his demeanor becoming visibly uncomfortable as he averted his gaze. "Haven't you heard? Not long after you disappeared, the others were taken away by slave traders."

As if the confession had rekindled his sense of caution, the child looked around warily while stepping back. "I'm really happy to see you, Big Brother," he admitted, his voice heavy with defeat. "But you should run away while you can, or you'll end up as a slave like the others."

Daisuke's cool mask slowly crumbled as he watched the boy retreat. As if he'd lost his sense of equilibrium, he staggered backward, sliding down against the trunk of a tree. Paranoia and hopelessness churned together, forming a toxic brew within his heart, suffocating any trace of composure.

Despite the betrayal, Daisuke couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the children. Deep down, he understood they were just trying to satisfy their growling stomach. In their shoes, any other group of starving orphans might have done the same.

But no matter how deep his sympathy ran, he had no idea where the children could have been taken in the vast, unforgiving world around him. As his frustration spiraled, festering like a gaping wound, he couldn't help but contemplate his promise to protect April and the others. But was it even possible? He was just one person.

In addition to feeling lost, Daisuke felt as though the weight of the entire world rested squarely on his shoulders. Now that he had taken revenge on those who had wronged him and Zephyr, the seething hatred that once fueled him had mostly given way to an overwhelming sense of loneliness. The one person whose death still haunted him—his mother—remained a mystery. He had no idea who had been responsible for her pain, leaving him with no clear target for his remaining anger.

What the hell am I supposed to do? He uttered inwardly, clasping his head within both hands.

Now that most of his drive for vengeance had dissipated, he now lacked a sense of purpose.

Suddenly, there was the soft sound of footsteps. Daisuke looked up from his slumped position to find himself face-to-face with a pair of impressive breasts, barely contained by a frilly garment. They were just inches away from his face, and his eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks flushing red.

"...I had a feeling it was you," murmured the familiar woman with a bittersweet smile as she straightened her bend. This simple motion, of course, did interesting things to breasts.

Daisuke frowned. "How did you—"

"There are only a few people brave enough to get this close to the hideout of the notorious Slum Sprites, especially while the slave traders are still on the prowl."

Daisuke raised one eyebrow in question. "Slum Sprites?"

The Perfectly-Endowed Woman who had once played the part of a damsel in distress rested a hand on one hitched hip with a smile. "That's the name the shopkeepers came up with for you and the others."

Daisuke lowered his head, the shadows from his hood obscuring his downcast eyes. "Seems pointless if they were going to hire slave traders to haul us all away in the end."

There was a moment of silence before Daisuke felt himself being pulled into the woman's warm bosom. He looked up to meet her empathetic, half-lidded gaze, her arms gently coiling around him in a comforting embrace.

"Everything isn't as hopeless as it seems," she whispered. "Follow me, I have something to show you."