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“Go back to the sniper rifles!” Lorin shouted, pushing at Monika’s face.
“Shut it! Your time is up! It’s my turn now!” Monika growled as she braced her foot against the ground, shoving back against Lorin. The two were sitting on a chair meant for one person, each one half on and half off.
Anaheim’s expression darkened as literal sparks flew between the two’s eyes. Smoke drifted up towards the ceiling, setting off the fire alarm. Both Monika and Lorin flinched before throwing spells at the surrounding speakers. Anaheim sighed as she fiddled with her watch, turning off the blaring, distorted siren. “Can you two not bicker like children?”
“But it’s my turn to use the computer!” Monika said, pinching Lorin’s waist in an attempt to remove the angel from the seat.
“I wasn’t done looking yet!” Lorin said as she pushed back. If they were still in [Resolution], Lorin would’ve easily won in a show of strength, but unfortunately for her, the shells they occupied in reality had the same physical capabilities. “It’s only been twenty minutes since I started.”
“It’s been thirty-five! That’s five more than what you should’ve gotten,” Monika said, her forehead slick with sweat. “I’m going to use the computer for scientific purposes. You just want to play! I should get priority usage. Isn’t that right, Ms. Miehana?”
“I’m going to give the computer to Mr. Bubbles if you two don’t stop fighting,” Anaheim said with a sigh. The blankets in the corner twitched upon hearing her words. “Shouldn’t Khrx and Elizabeth be back by now?” Three days had passed since Khrx grabbed Duchess Rose and flew off to his underground cavern to find traces of Fufu’s fur. Monika and Lorin had been left behind to destroy the apartment. “Alright, you two did make a deal. It’s Monika’s turn to use the computer, Lorin.”
Lorin glared at Anaheim before narrowing her eyes at Monika. She leaned forward and whispered into the wizard’s ear, “I’m going to kill you in your sleep tonight. You better watch out.”
Monika snorted as she forcefully leaned against Lorin, pushing the angel off the seat. “Try it. I’ll be ready this time.”
Lorin picked herself up and dusted off her dress as she approached Anaheim. “I saw this weapon called the sniper rifle that shoots out a lethal projectile that can hit a target over 50,000 meters away. Can you buy me one?”
“That’s a military grade weapon belonging solely to Amireca’s Special Forces,” Anaheim said, her expression darkening. “I can buy you a pistol. I think the maximum shooting distance is around 100 meters?”
“I can shoot a lightning bolt that far,” Lorin said, furrowing her brow. “Where’s Amireca?”
“I’m not going to tell you that,” Anaheim said.
“Fine,” Lorin said. “I’ll ask Bongle when it’s my turn to use the computer then.”
Anaheim sighed. “Look. Didn’t you read the requirements of that sniper rifle? You need enough mana to power a whole city for a month to achieve that kind of range. If that kind of weaponry was freely available to use, I’d be out of a job.” She placed her hand on Lorin’s shoulder. “What do you even want it for?”
“I have to payback Theda for humiliating me,” Lorin said. “She used me as a chair!”
“That’s probably the most useful you’ve ever been in your life,” Monika said, her face still glued to the computer screen. She was reading an introductory chemistry textbook while taking notes on a piece of paper.
Lorin reaffirmed her decision to kill Monika in her heart. Then she walked over to the pod and couch with the VR drives. “I’m going back in the game. It’s been three days since Khrx died again, right?” To take Duchess Rose out of the game, Khrx had to become her companion and kill himself to bring her to his personal room, which was why Lorin had been dragged out as well. Just logging out of the game without dying allowed his companions to stay inside [Resolution]. But Khrx didn’t have any regrets while dying for the umpteenth time—he got a 50% natural recovery skill from the water elemental’s vicious quest.
“Then that means I don’t have to share with you anymore?” Monika asked, raising an eyebrow as she turned towards the pod. But Lorin had already worn the helmet, and the shell returned to its featureless, mannequin-like state. Monika nodded before turning back to the screen. “That’s great.”
Anaheim raised her head as a beeping sound accompanied by the sliding of metal doors reached her ears. Khrx and Duchess Rose walked into the living room. Khrx had an annoyed expression on his face as if he had eaten something rotten. “What’s wrong?” Anaheim asked. “Did the skill not work?”
“I couldn’t find any strands of Fufu’s fur,” Khrx said with a sigh. “My magma river overflowed while I was gone and flooded my cavern. All my treasure is under rusty rocks now too. It’s all Mr. Bubbles’ fault.”
“My fault?” Mr. Bubbles asked, popping her head out of the blanket pile. She flinched at the light before squinting her eyes into tiny slits. “Why’s it my fault?”
“One of your tentacles was blocking a magma vein,” Khrx said. “And when you removed it, all the magma came rushing into my home.”
“You’re the one who shrank my tentacles!” Mr. Bubbles said, her eyes widening into a glare. “If it weren’t for you, would I be in this pitiful state!?”
Khrx pouted. “You wanted me to help you.”
“I didn’t ask you to shrink me by stealing my essence! This is what you get for being a jerk,” Mr. Bubbles said. “I’m glad your treasures were covered by magma.”
Khrx snorted before exhaling a breath of flames, setting the blankets surrounding Mr. Bubbles on fire.
“Hey!” Mr. Bubbles shouted. “That hurts! Wait. No, actually, this feels pretty nice.”
Anaheim sighed as she turned off the fire alarm again. “So now what are you going to do?”
“I’ll have to go to Luke’s place and hope Fufu shed some fur where he held her captive,” Khrx said. He looked around. “Where’d Lorin go?”
“She went back into the game,” Anaheim said. “When are you going to Luke’s? I thought you didn’t know where he lived.”
“We’ll just follow that necklace’s trail,” Khrx said with a nod.
A smile that wasn’t really a smile appeared on Anaheim’s lips. She raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say Luke was just roleplaying as the demon lord?”
“Did I?” Khrx asked. He shrank back and widened his eyes like a puppy, taking full advantage of his current characteristics. “I don’t remember. I don’t think I did. No, I’m pretty sure I didn’t.”
Anaheim walked up to him and patted his head once, leaving her hand in his hair and causing his knees to slightly bend from the pressure. “Well, I’d never have had this chance if I hadn’t met you in the first place,” she said. “If I was going to be angry at someone for deceiving me, then I’d be angry at Luke. Which I am. Let’s go find him.”