Ascyaf O Vivid: The VRMMORPG Story

Chapter 11: A Mission

Without waiting for the golden-haired girl in front of him to react, he, Akuji immediately walked back to the riverbank.

What is he doing? Isn't that obvious, Akuji just wants to die ....

He did not even think anymore about the reward he had previously received from killing the Goblin Prince by himself or how the Residents reacted like real people. Akuji only focused on how to die, his reason for playing Vivid since he failed.

'Did I do the same thing again?' thought Akuji. Previously he had only wanted to drown, to answer the question of whether drowning was truly one of the most physically painful forms of death that Charista threw out.

Since her entire sensitivity was identical to the real world, Akuji was confident she could figure it out. However, his body only ended up floating due to his own habit while swimming. Akuji was even a little excited at the imminent flood tide, though as is known, he failed since the girl in front of him saved him.

Akuji knew that it was impolite to curry favor against him, so he only thanked him even though his heart said otherwise.

'I think it will just end the same. Well, better than nothing, right?' thought fast when without hesitation want to plunge into the river but—

"You're the one there wait a minute."

A call stopped him. Looking over, Akuji saw a man in his forties who had walked up to him since there had not been many people in this heavy rain.

"You talking to me?" tanya Akuji ascertained if it was really her who the man was referring to.

"True," he said as he squinted at Akuji. "I think you're a stranger."

"Well, that's not something to surprise, is it?" Akuji answered simply. Considering Vivid had been running for six months for real, a year had passed in the game and it was enough time for the Residents to adjust to the presence of the players.

Since between the player and the occupants themselves, in plain sight there was hardly any really obvious difference aside from the strange behavior and 'ability' of the players to bounce back, either, Residents (NPCs) can only refer to players as strangers.

And of course, the Residents have been quite savvy about how to effectively deal with these players acting in a mess ...

"I need your help, son ."

... That is by giving players a task, a quest for them to work on.

The Dwellers (NPCs), who basically had A.I on a level with real humans had long been aware that players tended to fulfill their requests. And as Blaise hoped, her words made Akuji see her.

But—

"sorry. Not interested." Akuji refused the request outright and only wished to re-enter the river again.

"Are you sure, son? I have a gift that will surely make you want it."

"Hmm? Does that mean you're gonna kill me? In what way? Burning off? Cut out? Or crush my body?" Akuji answered suddenly, successfully making Blaise speechless.

"What's? Is it that hard?" he continued while he could only sigh long. Akuji would be really happy if the man in front of him walked up to him and hit him. But it seems a beautiful thing (?) that sort of thing wouldn't happen seeing him just stare at her silently.

"Then, goodbye."

Turning back in disappointment, Akuji realized that it seemed like suicide was indeed the only thing there was for him to know the forms of death he wanted. Even so, Akuji's body was immediately restrained by the old man.

"Good, very good, son," Blaise growled. "Don't you know how many people want to get stuff from me?"

With his name, one of the Archmages, how many foreigners and residents themselves wanted items from him even if he thought it was trash? Blaise knew that well with somehow many people trying to curry favor with hidden intentions.

Looking at Akuji's eyes which seemed to say what he was saying, Blaise just laughed inwardly. Without waiting for the reply that the young man would give, Blaise dragged Akuji along as he activated teleportation, immediately disappearing from the place while dragging Akuji along with him.

"Fucking master! Why did you leave me?!"

... Arsy is only able to grit his teeth in the rain when he realizes that he was abandoned, thinking that he will definitely kill his teacher one day.

****

Space seemed to warp for a moment before Blaise's body and that of a young man with her, Akuji appeared. Since Blaise chose a somewhat quiet place, not much commotion had emerged from his sudden appearance.

"Now, you'll listen to my request, won't you?" blaise asked once more while Akuji only fell silent.

Did Akuji just realize that he was dealing with an unusual occupant? No, he only felt a pity for the loss of an opportunity to die before his eyes. Groaning for a moment, Akuji realized that the man in front of him would probably only catch him again if he ran away now. 'I think I should obey him.'

"So what do you want, Old Man," replied Akuji. Since the man just kept calling him that Nak and this Nak, doesn't that mean he can do the same?

"Heh ... It seems like kittens do not have fear, huh?"

"Then make it simple, killing me will solve everything, won't it?"

"That means I'm just going to comply with your wishes?"

"But it's in line with what you want too, isn't it, Old Man?"

The two of them laughed just to make the atmosphere around them even stranger.

"In that case, I might kill you if you meet me with the one who gave you that hair tie."

Others would probably think that the phrase was a bit strange but Akuji only sighed in annoyance at the quest notification that appeared.

[Quest : Find Him

A mysterious man asked you (?) to find the person he was looking for.

*the hair you complete is an important clue.

Gift: All you want

Punishment: All it takes]

Does this even make sense? Even the system questions what a demand or coercion is. While this form of reward or punishment from the quest itself was unclear what it was just made this quest feel worse.

I'm sure there won't be a single player out there willing to accept this kind of quest. Doesn't Vivid have ultimate freedom? Then what kind of coercion was this that he had to undergo! Where are the human rights! The freedom that should have been guaranteed was gone!

"Hah .. well," he answered half-heartedly while the look on his face could not hide the rejection.

"If you're right about not wanting that, then quickly find him."

Akuji ignored Blaise's taunts as he felt this would pass quickly since he knew that he only needed to find the supervisor, the one who gave him this hair tie. Before the move stopped ...

'wait!'

... When Akuji suddenly realized did he even know his name?!