For Asuna, the night forest is not unfamiliar.
After all, when Fang Zheng was training them initially, every night they would basically rest in the forest’s safe zone. But back then, everyone was together, so Asuna could hold out. But now...
"Bla-Black Cat, you’re next to , right? Say sothing."
Grasping Black Cat’s hand tightly, Asuna looked around cautiously while whispering. She didn’t dare to look at Black Cat because right now, Black Cat was wearing a white mask, painted with strange patterns. Normally, Asuna would just laugh it off as Black Cat’s antics.
But now...
"Clang clang clang..."
"Black Cat, can’t you put your weapon away?"
Hearing the sound of Black Cat’s scythe clanging on the ground, Asuna couldn’t help but complain. In response to Asuna’s complaint, Black Cat simply giggled.
"That’s what creates the atmosphere, right? In many horror movies, you have scenes like this. Haven’t you seen those killers usually dragging chainsaws or chains on the ground before a kill...?"
"Ahhhhh!! Stop it, stop it, stop it!!!"
At this point, Asuna couldn’t hold it any longer. She jerked away from Black Cat’s hand, crouching to the ground with her hands over her head. anwhile, Black Cat laughed while looking at Asuna, then seeming to think of sothing, she lowered her voice on purpose.
"But speaking of which, Asuna, are you aware of one of the common tricks used in horror movies?"
"Wha-what?"
Instinctively, Asuna didn’t want to answer Black Cat’s question, but she would be even more frightened if Black Cat didn’t speak, so trembling, she curled up, and uneasily asked. Black Cat looked at the trembling Asuna and continued.
"It’s like this: a group of people goes adventuring, trying to find a ghost, but what they don’t know is, the ghost they’re looking for has already been among them. Just like now..."
With that, Black Cat’s voice beca even more subdued.
"...Do you know who I am? Do you really think I’m Black Cat?"
"Bla-Black Cat...?!"
Hearing Black Cat’s words, Asuna trembled; she nervously raised her head and looked at Black Cat. Then, she saw Black Cat reaching out, slowly taking off the mask on her face, and then...
"Waa!!"
With a scream, Asuna was scared out of her wits and started yelling. The next mont, Black Cat, after removing the mask, burst into laughter, clutching her stomach and rolling on the ground.
"Hahaha, Asuna, you’re too easily frightened! It’s just a story, and you got scared like this?"
"Seriously, why do you scare like that? I’m going to get mad! Don’t you know scaring people can be really dangerous!!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry."
Seeing the pouty, angry Asuna in front of her, Black Cat laughed as she extended a hand to pull Asuna up from the ground.
"If you keep this up..."
However, just as Asuna was about to complain further, she suddenly stopped talking, staring blankly at Black Cat.
No, to be precise, she was looking behind Black Cat.
In the forest behind Black Cat, a fuzzy figure was swaying slightly, slowly approaching them.
"Wha-Wha-What’s that...?"
Asuna stared in shock, eyes wide, pointing towards Black Cat’s back. Black Cat, seeing Asuna’s reaction, froze for a mont, then quickly realized.
"What? Asuna, are you trying to scare too? Hahaha, that trick is too old, even comics don’t use it anymore..."
But when she saw Asuna’s expression growing more terrified, she started to feel uneasy too. Black Cat tightly gripped her scythe and turned to look behind her.
"......"
In the pitch-black forest, there was no one.
"Phew... I knew there was no one..."
"Hey."
But at that mont, accompanied by a voice, Black Cat suddenly saw a shadow popping out from the bushes!
"Waaaahhhh!!"
This ti, Asuna couldn’t take it anymore. She scread and turned to run. Black Cat was also startled. She gripped her scythe, squinting to see, and then...
"Sophie?"
"Ah... Black Cat... Sorry, lend a hand."
Peeking out from the bushes was indeed Sophie, the silver-haired girl lying in the bushes, helplessly waving her arms. Black Cat sighed and went over to pull her up.
"What are you doing?"
"Eiriri told to be responsible for scaring you guys. I just hadn’t thought of how to scare you yet, and as I was about to sneak up and yell, I accidentally slipped..."
Sophie blinked as she spoke and glanced around.
"Where’s Asuna?"
"Asuna?"
Hearing Sophie’s inquiry, Black Cat also curiously turned to look around.
At this mont, Asuna’s presence was nowhere to be found around them.
anwhile, on another path, Fang Zheng was walking side by side with Leafa.
Leafa was quite lucky; she drew the lot and tead up with Fang Zheng. Although several friends were envious and wanted to switch with Leafa, she refused decisively.
"Usually, you guys would balk at giving a chicken drumstick, and now you want to snatch a guy from ?"
At this mont, Leafa was holding onto Fang Zheng’s arm, walking silently along the road. Her face was slightly red, and she was gently panting. It’s not that they did anything inappropriate but rather that they were just startled by a Combat Group mber disguised as a ghost. While Fang Zheng wasn’t much affected, Leafa was so scared she clung to Fang Zheng imdiately.
By the way, the one who dressed up and scared them was the "good sister" who previously tried unsuccessfully to swap with her!
Such a fake friendship; I’m definitely cutting ties when we get back!
While silently cursing her "girlfriend" in her heart, Leafa held onto Fang Zheng’s arm, walking silently forward. At this mont, Fang Zheng’s voice sounded by Leafa’s ear.
"Any news of your brother...?"
"......"
Leafa’s body stiffened slightly upon hearing Fang Zheng’s question, and then she shook her head.
It had been quite so ti since Fang Zheng suggested to Argo to revise the Survival Manual, and the revamped Survival Manual had turned into an "electronic publication" as Fang Zheng ntioned. It not only featured strategies for creatures on various levels but also several missing person notices. Cases like Leafa’s, while uncommon, weren’t unheard of. Hence, under Fang Zheng’s suggestion, Argo set up a dedicated missing persons column for players to find their relatives and friends.
Leafa had posted a notice looking for her brother, but after two issues, she received no response...
There were only two possibilities: either her brother never looked at the Survival Manual, or he was already dead.
Considering the Survival Manual was nearly ubiquitous in the Ga World, the forr seed unlikely, leaving only...
"...When I was a child, my brother and I actually got along pretty well."
Still holding onto Fang Zheng’s arm, Leafa spoke softly.
"Though he’s not my biological brother, we were very close. But later, for so reason, my brother distanced himself from . Even though I wanted to nd our relationship, I couldn’t find the ti to communicate with him because Grandpa wanted to practice kendo."
Saying this, Leafa lowered her head.
"It was from around that ti my brother remained engrossed in the internet and gas. Honestly, I never understood the appeal of online gas. But this ti, because my brother was so fond of this ga, he even talked about it during dinner about his experiences in the ga’s beta phase. That’s why I wanted to try it, partly because I found the ga experience intriguing and also because I hoped this might give us common ground. If I could start liking what he liked, maybe our bond would beco like it once was..."
Leafa’s voice began to tremble.
"But now... I’m terrified. In reality, I’ve thought about it. Maybe among the nas erased from the Life Monunt is my brother’s. I just don’t know his in-ga na, so I haven’t noticed it. Perhaps... he’s already dead..."
"......"
Fang Zheng silently patted Leafa’s head. As Leafa had ntioned, perhaps her brother was already gone, and because of this...
"If you feel like crying, there’s no one else here."
"Mr. Fang Zheng..."
Hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Leafa looked up at him, and the next mont, she flung herself into Fang Zheng’s arms.
"Uwaaahhh...!!!"
The sound of muffled sobbing ca from Fang Zheng’s chest, and Fang Zheng silently reached out to stroke Leafa’s hair. Clearly, Leafa had been holding back for a long ti. Fang Zheng had noticed this early on, as Leafa occasionally seed distracted after the notice was posted. Originally, Fang Zheng wanted to find a ti to talk with her, but now it seed Leafa could no longer hold back.
As ti passed, Leafa eventually shyly lifted her head from Fang Zheng’s embrace and wiped the corners of her eyes.
"Sorry, Mr. Fang Zheng, I..."
"It’s nothing. Crying a bit can help you relax. How do you feel now?"
"Much better."
Hearing Fang Zheng’s inquiry, Leafa couldn’t help but giggle, and then she looked at Fang Zheng again.
"Mr. Fang Zheng, you feel like a brother to ... though my brother wasn’t as dependable as you. If I cried in front of him, he’d likely be at a loss on what to do, and in the end, I’d probably have to comfort him instead..."
As she spoke, Leafa’s eyes began to wander.
"Sotis, I wish I could have a more reliable brother..."
"Hmm?"
Because Leafa’s last words were a bit weak, Fang Zheng didn’t hear them clearly. As she watched Fang Zheng, Leafa hesitated and then softly spoke.
"Um, Mr. Fang Zheng, if possible, can I call you brother...?"
"Waaahhh!!!"
However, before Leafa finished her sentence, with a scream, Asuna ca running from another direction, crashing right into Fang Zheng.
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