‘Vivien, allow me to clarify. I have to look for a man with violet eyes, white long hair and a dragon tattoo on his back?’ Jana was surrounded by raucous men and flapping noises— all coming from rows of table where they're playing cards. Those requirements are hard to miss. The pale hair should be a dead giveaway about who is his mission target for this instance. The problem is, she can't find the man. The gamblers were all hiding their heads in a hoodie. Gambling is an offense in this setting. It's a capital offense in this country. So Jana is in a situation that may lead her to death. Instantly. 'Is Ezekiel... really inside this task world?' Vivien issued a happy nod. "Yes, host! I can detect his life force when we entered the world. There shouldn't be any mistakes." Jana doesn't know how Ezekiel managed to do it, but he hijacked Vivien's membrane and changed all of her data. The system malfunction was all his doing. It could be said that Ezekiel created a system of his own.
'If Kiel and Houston is fated to meet today, with the female protagonist's line of work, maybe she will lead the authorities in the raid tonight?' That thought stopped Jana from going out and foregoing her plan. Although the stranger's intention was noble, he can't let Kiel meet Houston right now. Jana aims to intervene and take Kiel away— act as his saviour! With an alternative plan in mind, Jana took her drink and raise it to the man who remained true to his word and sat across her to the seats designated for the middle class people. The man stiffened visibly. He wave back after a few moments of delay. He slanted his body a little to the man on his left and whispered slightly. Jana became conscious all of a sudden. 'What are they talking about?' _______________ "I have some news for you, buddy." Spencer sure is happy, if the slight giddy undertones of his voice is good of an indication. He's slightly rocking his chair back and forth. The only thing he lacks right now is
Jana later found out that she can't look to the actual gambling table. It was too far from her position and neither of her seatmates has a great view. She regret spending 12 golds just for it."Ah, I think Kiel is up in the next round."Jana spat the sunflower seeds out of her mouth and directly to the trash bin prepared to the side. She tried to stand but the people behind her started to complain."Hey! All I can see is your big head! Sit down!""What is she standing up for?""Is she waiting for an honorary mention or something?"Jana sat back on her seat with a pinch of annoyance in her gut. 'Why do we have to pay for this kind of treatment?' She began to look around for any suspicious individual— although there's no one 'normal' and 'decent' looking in their situation with all of their covered heads and back."Hey, girl." The woman beside her noticed the pendant dangling on her waist. Jana swore inside. She immediately hid the pesky little thing and waited her to continue. "That ma
"Where did they run?" The captain of the group was a new appointed officer. Houston doesn't feel right around this senior, but she respects how work should be done and so she shut her own complains 'til the raid is over. "Kiel suddenly disappeared. He became invisible, like the wind.""Disappear? Are you for real?" Denise Marshal closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. Houston tactfully lowered her head, waiting for her mood to pass. When she finally recovered, she instructed them, "Interrogate those men we've caught. Don't skip one man until they eventually tell something about our main target. Give me name, something just to have a lead. We can't show the sirs nothing but an open hand, got it?!""Yes, captain!"Houston didn't know why, but there must be something wrong with Ms. Marshal. She's making everything personal and her desperate moves confuses not only Houston herself but the rest of the team."What do you know about Ms. Marshal?"Poshy chuckled as they walk out of the building.
"Welcome to my house."Jana entered Kiel's abode with expectations that exceeded the heavens. And she was mistaken. What awaits her is not gold bars and lavish furniture but a simple studio type apartment with one bed and no chairs for eating below the kitchen counter. "Hold on... this is where you live?""Kiel is always on the run. What do you expect? Castles and shit?" Spencer took the bed for himself while the owner prepares them a drink by the kitchen. "Boy got no time for that. Anyway, did you hear something from the rest?""They said the queen wants her husband's illegitimate child be killed." Kiel greeted Jana with a wince. "It's okay. She can't find me."She had to double take and sit quietly on the floor. "You mean... the one who alerted Spencer about the raid is the king himself?"Spencer sighed noisily. "Now that they saw your face, Jana, you need to stick with us now. For your own safety. To answer your question, no, it's not the king but one of his men."'Protecting you i
Ezekiel already have 80 percent of his memories when he woke up from a light nap. Jana was there when he opened his eyes. And his corresponding smile was brilliant. "Do you know me?"She shrugs a little and curiously inched closer. "Uh, yeah? You're Ezekiel Sparks, right?""That's right." The supposedly 'Kiel' was a quiet and unassuming man but now that Ezekiel had all of his memories back, his personality emerged. Coupled with his beautiful appearance in this task world and his confident character, the appeal became 10 times more prevalent. "I... you probably guessed by now why your system is different from the rest in the game."Jana cleared her throat. "Yes! It's because I'm the only person that you personally know.""Wrong." Ezekiel lifted himself from the bed and sits. Jana didn't know where to put her hands."…because you think I have the highest survival rate?"The man smiled. Jana thought she got it right but he shook his head a little. "Oh, close enough.""Is there a reward i
Houston's mother had arrived, and her lipstick was a bit smudged. She knows, just like the back of her hand, how her own mother chooses to mess around with younger men. Including the gardener.The old woman just can't resist kissing the poor lad first before she proceeded to the threshold. "Where's the pruning man?"Houston eyed her walking aimlessly down the first floor of the house. She was perched on the railings of the second floor landing, waiting patiently for the woman to raise her head.And she did."Oh... you." She smiled faintly. "Hi, darling. Have you eaten?""Yes, mama."The old woman cackled. Her eyes tear up while she walks towards Houston. "I didn't give birth to a computer-generated toy. Where's your pa?"Houston felt a pinch of something uncomfortable in her chest. She looked down yet saw nothing on it. 'Have I developed a heart disease? That can't be.'"Father is resting, old woman." She hushed down her own voice. "He told me to send him hot tea at two. You're too ea
Jana strapped a knife at the ankles of her boots. She look herself in the mirror and gulps one more time, hoping to swallow all of her nervousness. Spencer left to do what Ezekiel asked him to. He delivered the mails Kiel wrote last night and had it addressed to Houston directly. She doesn't know how the girl is going to react but the truth that her face is now plastered all over their country unnerved her a little.She doesn't have the title and little to no people remember what her late father used to do for them. Jana was long forgotten in their place. And those who said that the sketch looked familiar to them were too scared to voice it out in public for the fear that they would be questioned in person."Vivien, show me Denise and her friend's character profile in this instance."Light flashes at the side of Jana's face. She read the hologram in front and nearly winced in dismay. All of Denise's cronies were either government officials or soldiers in active duty. How is she going