13) Crazy Holden

When Ryker was walking out of the restaurant someone bumped into him.

"Watch where you're going!" -said a deep and raspy voice in an arrogant tone.

Ryker, who was still in denial of his current predicament and still believed himself to be at the top of the food chain, would not let someone talk to him this way. The only reason why he let Amelia do it was because she was a beauty, and to conquer a woman's heart sometimes you have to make sacrifices.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" -Ryker responded in an indifferent tone. He was clearly trying to make him feel inferior.

The man's cheeks flustered when he heard Ryker talk to him that way. However, Ryker's voice was not as deep, it was a bit more feminine and smooth. Of course, right now it was the only thing he could grasp so he did.

"Hahaha, look at this girl wearing man's clothes. I didn't know this type of people played the game. I love a dominant woman tho."

"I do too, and your mom loves me back."

Silence. The people surrounding them all turned to look at them. Even though it was a childish response, it was still a shocking response. Soon, the place exploded with laughter. All the players were laughing and the locals were confused at first but they soon joined in even though they had no idea what was going on.

"Do you not know who I am?"

"I mean I thought that was obvious but I guess not everyone has common sense"

They kept bickering for a while and Ryker always came on top. At the end of the day, the other brat left. What Ryker didn't know is that people with money were able to buy gold coins in the game. Basically, the rich kids were everywhere and they felt superior just because they could buy better equipment.

He obviously also felt superior to the rest of the players here but it was because of his strength so he actually had means of backing up his statements. Unbeknown to him, someone had been watching the whole thing and was captivated by his aloof personality and had made a promise to become his travel companion.

After Ryker walked out of the crowd he was approached by a middle-aged man wearing a cloth worn-out shirt, a pair of ripped jeans, and cowboy boots. He had black hair with some grey lines here and there. His eyes were filled with a certain light only younger people had.

"Yoo! Wassup ma man! You down to hang?"

'Nope. Not talking to a lunatic who speaks like that.'

Ryker kept walking without even sparing a glance at the man. His name was Holden. Or better known in the village as Crazy Holden. After the apocalypse happened, everyone just woke up without remembering a thing about their lives before. They woke up in a world of chaos and the survival of the fittest. Crazily enough they had magic spells and superpowers. Some of them, like Holden, had some glimpses of the past. However, these visions made them speak in a funny matter so they were usually labeled as crazy.

Holden had no esper ability but he had a very peculiar affinity which also added to his aspect of a delusional man. Since his visions started he had an identity crisis. He wanted to know what that meant. One day, people came out of the library. Where did they come from? No one knew. But for some reason, everyone seemed to accept their new companions. Everyone but the people who had the "curse". Like Holden.

He saw how all of them acted carefreely and some believed they deserved the world. But, they were all very weak. In this world where the strong prey on the weak it was very strange seeing such weak people be accepted into the community without any consequences. In his eyes, none of these newcomers was worth talking to until he found Ryker.

He did not act as he didn't care, he acted confident. As if he knew no one would be able to touch a single hair on his head. Holden also felt that he had strength. It was nothing compared to what the natives of this world were but he had a future. Something attracted Holden to Ryker but he didn't know what.

"Oh, common man! Zoom with me! It will be legen-wait for it- dairy!"

"Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Oh go ahead, tell me how you know everything Mr. Smarty Pants."

"Oh gosh, I can't deal with a troll like you."

"So, you agree? Hahaha didn't see that coming did ya?"

As they kept walking and arguing, people around them started whispering. Ryker then realized that he was talking to "Crazy Holden". It was also known that Holden wanted to travel the world in order to find himself. Ryker was a lone wolf. Right now the thing he despised the most was trust. He would never be able to trust people after his own family cats him out.

"Look. I am not looking for a travel buddy or anything like that. All I want is for you to leave me alone. I will not give you the opportunity to get close to me so you can leave as soon as I am no longer useful to you. I am not someone you can take advantage of and I am also not interested in charity. I have enough problems of my own. I do not need the troubles of a crazy man too. You have five seconds to get out of my sight or you will regret it old man. I need to prove myself to someone. I need to be useful again and I cannot be carrying dead weight around."

"HAHA. Five seconds he says, you and what army?" -his tone changed from playful to serious with murderous intent.- "You are new here, you have no idea what this world has in store for you. You are too naive. I will help you, so basically I will be like your sugar daddy."

Ryker was shocked that he choked on his words. How did sugar daddy come up in the conversation? The worst part was how he said it with a straight face.

'He's not a player, is he? Then why does he speak like that? Ugh anyways I don't care'

"I tried warning you, buddy." -a giant yellow gummy bear appeared in between the two of them and reached out to grab Holden by the arm.

Holden then just stretched out his hand and a huge mouth came out swallowing the gummy bear in one gulp. It then disappeared back into his palm.

"I told you, you have no say in this. You are far too weak and your food affinity only feeds mine. I have the power of demons."