The rented clan base of Nine's Own Goal was exceptionally noisy today. Located near the center of Helheim but hidden from normal players, this base came at a huge monthly cost. It was nestled within the Dread Dream Groves, a forest teeming with Nightmare monsters known for their «Nightmare» effects. As most of the players in Nine's Own Goal were heteromorphic and immune to these «Nightmar» effects, they had opted for this dangerous yet secure clan base.
The base resembled a typical two-story medieval house, shrouded in the misty and foggy wind. The clan members were engaged in bickering and heated discussions today, their voices echoing throughout the base.
"What do you mean I should apologize? What did I do wrong? Are you advocating for dictatorship? Because I can't have an opinion without having to apologize?" Lucian slammed his fist on the small round table, his voice raised.
[-0]
"Having an opinion is one thing, and recognizing what is objectively right is another. Lucian, you need to apologize," Touch Me slammed his fist on the same round table, causing it to shake even more.
[-0]
"Touch Me-san, Lucian-san, I think we should calm down and try to talk it out," Momonga suggested, his bony figure attempting to intervene in the argument. However, he was swiftly shut down by Lucian.
"I think it's not the time to calm down anymore. I'm fed up with Touch Me-san's constant berating!" Lucian expressed his frustration, his voice laced with irritation.
"Are you suggesting that stating what's right and wrong is now a bad thing?" Touch Me retorted, his voice escalating in pitch, much like Lucian's.
"Yes! You're treating me differently ever since you found out my father is a corporate leader. You act as if I'm some criminal and as though I can't understand what 'commoners' feel," Lucian expressed, his voice laden with frustration. His emotions were evident, and he seemed hurt by the situation.
Touch Me looked a bit shocked as he listened to Lucian's words. He realized that Lucian was right, and he had been treating him differently, even if unintentionally.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to—" Touch Me began, trying to explain, but Lucian cut him off.
"I understand why you want to be a hero with your profession, but not everything is about politics and differing views. We can still be normal friends despite coming from different backgrounds. How can you say that I'm always in the wrong for my life when you, too, have a good life? Isn't that hypocritical of you?!" Lucian shouted, his voice cracking as if he was on the verge of tears.
Lucian was reaching his breaking point. Touch Me, someone he considered a close friend, had changed significantly after learning about Lucian's different background and his father's wealth. Lucian felt like he was being treated unfairly by Touch Me.
"I'm starting to hate playing Yggdrasil because I feel like I can't connect with my friends anymore. I've always tried to treat everyone in the clan with kindness, and I've never been disrespectful or intentionally hurt anyone. So why am I the one getting lectured all the time? You're a cop; why don't you go ask these same questions to those corrupt politicians and business owners instead of targeting me!" Lucian shouted in frustration, pushing back against Touch Me's arguments. The clan base remained eerily quiet, with only Momonga, Lucian, Touch Me, and Tabula Smaragdina present. Tabula Smaragdina wisely chose to stay out of the heated argument between the two prominent members of the guild.
"Lucian, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry," Touch Me struggled to find words to convey the depth of his guilt. He had no idea his words would have such huge impact on Lucian.
"You know what? I'm tired of this. I'm quitting the game. Have fun playing. I've enjoyed my time in the clan, and I really care about all of you, but virtual reality has become too much for me now," Lucian declared. He brought up his console and accessed the menu. Just as he did that, another player materialized in their clan base.
"The disaster is back!" Ulbert exclaimed with excitement, waving his claws. However, he soon found himself in an awkward position as Lucian stood there, and Touch Me looked equally uneasy.
"Heh? What happened?" Ulbert asked, bewildered by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. Lucian stood with his console and menu open.
"See ya," Lucian waved to Ulbert before pressing the logout button and disappearing. Thus, marking the end of a chapter...
****
In the dimly lit bedroom, Lucian lay in Mei Mei's lap. Her hands gently stroked his head and hair, as if trying to comfort him, even though he simply stared at the ceiling in silence. Soft music filled the room, the TV remained off, and the only sounds that permeated the air were the rhythmic cadence of their breaths and heartbeats, combined with the serene background music.
"Why does it always have to be like this, Mei Mei? Why can't my life just be normal?" Lucian's voice trembled as he looked into Mei Mei's eyes, his own blue orbs glistening with moisture, longing for an answer.
"Because you are not normal, Master. You are special," Mei Mei said in her usual voice, but this time it carried a gentle and soothing tone. She stopped stroking his head and shifted her hands to his cheeks, continuing her comforting words. "But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Being special is good too. Some people might treat you differently because of your illness or perhaps because of your family or other reasons. That's how the world works—people treat each other differently, and that's perfectly okay. It's just the way we are as humans."
Mei Mei's voice remained gentle as she held his cheeks tenderly, then she carefully placed his head on the pillow and moved to the other end of the bed, lying beside him.
"Did you know, before Master's mother helped me, I was also special and treated differently by others? Some thought badly of me while treating me differently, while some treated me exceptionally well, also differently. However, that's entirely normal. People tend to treat others who are not normal differently. See, even if I was treated differently, I was still able to find someone who treats me just as normally as anyone would," Mei Mei said with a smile on her face.
"Are you talking about me? Or your friend?" Lucian asked as he locked eyes with her.
"Both," Mei Mei replied as she slowly moved her head closer to him. "Master, even if your friends don't treat you normally and even if they treat you differently, do you know that your friends genuinely like and care about you? Right?" Mei Mei whispered softly as she inched her head even closer to his.
"Yeah, you are right... but I'm tired of it. Everything is just so utterly exhausting now. I don't think I'll play Yggdrasil anymore," Lucian sighed as he leaned in closer to Mei Mei. Their lips were inches away from touching when Mei Mei took the initiative, pressing her lips to his in a long and soft kiss. Her face flushed bright red as she continued the gentle embrace, and Lucian, caught in the moment, reciprocated.
After a few seconds, Lucian finally caught his breath and pulled his lips away from hers.
"W-what's going on with you?" Lucian whimpered, his embarrassment evident as he looked at her.
"What are you saying? Did I hurt you?" Mei Mei asked, her voice tinged with concern as she gently held her hands to Lucian's lips, checking for any sign of injury. "Sorry, it was my first kiss, so I'm not very experienced," she apologized.
"No, no, it's fine. I mean, why are you doing this?" Lucian asked, a little confused by the unexpected kiss from Mei Mei.
"What do you mean? Are you saying you're one of those harem protagonists who doesn't realize anyone's feelings?" Mei Mei asked as she got up and climbed over him, using her hands to propel herself, but being careful not to press her body against him too hard.
"Are we really going to have this talk at this time?" Lucian sighed as he avoided looking into her eyes. However, she immediately locked his eyes with her hands, clasping his cheeks, making him look at her.
"Why don't you let me help you get over it?" Mei Mei said with a huge blush adorning her face, her breathing getting rougher and louder. Her eyes lost their luster, turning into a darker and more sinister tone, concealing an obsession hidden beneath those lustful gazes.
"Although I might be inexperienced, I'll try to make sure that you forget about everything." Mei Mei said as she moved over, attempting to remove his pants. Lucian sighed as he gave in to the temptation, falling into the depravity of a sexual relationship, that might lead to a lot of complications.
*****
"Momonga, do you think I'm a bad friend?" Touch me asked, sitting at the round table. His hands supported his head as he leaned forward, his voice low and tinged with sadness, as if he were regretting something.
"No, but I think you've caused a lot of misunderstandings with Lucian-san," Momonga replied, patting Touch me on the back with his bony hands.
Ulbert, frustrated, chimed in, "Yeah, keep comforting him while he kicks more of my friends out." He sat in a round chair, trying to contact Lucian on his console, but Lucian was not online.
Touch me and Momonga remained silent, choosing not to reply to Ulbert's words. After all, they couldn't deny that Ulbert had a tendency to be critical and outspoken.
"Hey! He removed me from his friend list! What did I do, bruh?" Ulbert suddenly shouted, frantically checking his friend list and realizing that Lucian was nowhere to be found.
"What?" Momonga wondered aloud, also bringing out his console and confirming that Ulbert's claim was true – Lucian had indeed removed him from his friend list.
"He left the clan..." Touch me said solemnly, as he brought out his console and saw the notification.
[Player «LuciLuci» has left the clan]
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