Deadline

"Am I really going to die in real life if I die here?" I ask.

"Yup."

"I still have doubts." I turn to Lucy in the kitchen. "Lucy, is she telling the truth?"

I'm expecting her to go along with her but she says, "I don't know. I'm not like you two." The food she's cooking smells delicious. I feel my virtual stomach growling.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

Alice explains, "She was born here, unlike us that just intruded into this universe. So, whatever you do, never reveal our true identity or the other players will report us. We'll get arrested and imprisoned for a lifetime. Or worse, be sentenced to death. Start getting used to calling me Zaori and I, will call you, Cancer."

"But that's a bit unfair. I don't like the name you gave me. It was a disease that killed billions of humans in the past. I should've chosen what to name myself at least."

She giggles as she hugs her huge teddy bear tighter. "You'll understand soon. For now, if you want to know the mechanics of this world, I will send you a file later."

"That still works here?"

"Only for us transmigrated lot."

"Food's ready!" Lucy says, carrying them on plates to the table.

"Yay!" Alice excitedly springs up from the sofa.

There is food for the three of us. They're meatballs but I don't know what they are made out of. It smells good but looks weird. They look like meatballs but the strange thing is that they don't look like they have been ground to pieces. Instead, they're whole.

Lucy is looking concerned across the table as I look as if I'm judging her cooking. So, I stop hesitating and eat a small chunk using a fork. It tastes good!

"How is it?" she asks.

"It tastes good! What is this?"

"Gargoyle warts," she smiles innocently.

I stop chewing, rise from my seat, and pace to the bathroom. But Alice gets a hold of my wrist. She looks fearful as she stares at her lap and her hands are trembling.

"Cancer," she says, swallowing. "sit back."

And I just noticed that Lucy has her eyes wide open with a threatening grin. "Y. . . you. . . don't like it?" Lucy asks in a demonically that sounded as if she has five voices.

So, I sit down on my chair but she's still glaring at me. Alice nods at me, probably telling me to swallow the food in my mouth. I swallow it but that didn't change Lucy's face. Alice shows me that she's eating the gargoyle warts and suggests that I should do so too.

"Mhmm!" she delightfully hums. "It's delicious! Right, Cancer?"

After painstakingly eating another one, I nod, saying, "It is!" but I couldn't keep my expression in line with what I wanted to look like.

"It was cooked by me, after all!" Lucy giggles cutely. The demonic aura is gone. *Phew!*

Later after the meal, Alice whispers to me as we sit on the sofa, "Never EVER insult her cooking."

"Got it," I whisper back.

"You almost got yourself killed. Lucy is the second strongest in this kingdom, you know."

We eat in silence. After a few minutes, I speak, "So. . ."

"So, what?" Alice asks.

"What am I gonna do now?"

"Depends on you but I really need you to get stronger because you're my secret weapon against the Angeli. It's not only us that want to complete the Divine Trinity Quest. There is a handful of others who want to complete it before we do."

"Do you think I will let myself become your slave?"

"You have no choice if you want to live. I'm giving you a deadline. If you don't get to level thirty before this year passes, I will kill you and take your Anthropa Frame."

"Fine," I growl. "and how am I gonna do that?"

"Do side quests and stuff."

"And how am—"

"They will appear randomly anywhere at any time as you explore this world. Also, there are domains in which you can fight bosses and mobs for EXP but I don't suggest doing that while you're still level ten."

"Since when did I become level ten?"

"After we defeated that Guardian Angel. And don't worry about reaching the deadline. I know you'll get there in time."

"So, I just have to go out?"

"Yeah."

I can't believe that it's simple. But I cannot underestimate things in this world. Sooner or later, a huge beast will devour me in my most vulnerable state. This is a stupid world. I can't be careless.

"Go have fun outside, hubby. I'll be there to join the party later. That is after I finish this movie."

"Don't call me that," I say just as I touch the door knob. "It's weird."

"Oh, you're going out?" Lucy asks from the kitchen as she finishes washing the dishes.

"Yeah."

"I can show you around."

"Uhm. . ." How should I say this? "I'm fine on my—"

"That would be a great idea!" Alice praises. "Let's not let him die on his first day."

"I'm going to be fine on my own," I insist.

"No, take Lucy with you for a while, at least." There is nothing I can do about it as Lucy is ready to show me around. I roll my eyes at Alice before turning to the door. Before I open it, she says, "Have fun, hubby."