The Malevolent Mask Unmasked

Blinded by the false promise that he has been given, the Player could only curse out loud.

It was directed at Blake and Angel but also at himself.

Falling into such an obvious trap makes him for a brief moment disappointed in himself for blindly following his lower head before his head was decapitated, he thought that maybe his shortage of luck in the real world would be compensated in the Lunaris game world.

Like most hope, it remains a hope as turns out he was completely wrong.

[... Infamy Level has been increased!]

[Players Backstabbed: 5/5]

[Privileged Quest (PK) - Backstabber has been completed!]

[Player MoonDespoiler has obtained 100 Privileged Points and 5 Basic Player Souls]

Upon killing the last remaining player that was in his hit list, the Privileged Quest was completed and now he could satiate his curiosity about the 5 Basic Player Souls items that he was rewarded with.

Surprisingly, instead of checking that item, he has a more urgent curiosity.

"I didn't know you have this side of you, Angel. You hide it very well" Blake suddenly said.

Angel smiled lightly in response, "I didn't hide it, maybe you don't know me close enough"

While she was sweating as she feared that she went overboard with this one and blew her cover, a flash of hesitation could be seen in Blake's face. It was almost as if he was troubled by something that he was about to say.

Pausing in though, he eventually asked, "Erm... I was wondering, what did you say to him?"

"Eh? Say to him?" Angel was confused for a second.

But it was then her eyes shifted to the dead player before she realized what Blake meant, and this sparks a beautiful smile on her face, "With that charming question of yours, I can't help but wonder if you are somehow jealous of that guy. Does it troubles you not knowing what I said to make him come here?"

Upon hearing this, Blake averted his gaze away in reflex.

"No, not at all. Why would I be jealous of someone like him?" He denied which obviously a lie.

Giggling pleasantly at the pitiful attempt of Blake lying to her, Angel went over and held his arm with a bright smile on her face, "Rest assured, Mr. Boyfriend. Ms. Girlfriend didn't mean anything she said to the guy, so don't be troubled by it too much. It's just an act"

After taking care of Blake's anxious mind, she then pulled him out of the barn gently.

"But still though, what did you say to him? His face is red"

"It's a secret, I'm not going to tell you'

A moment later, the two reach back outside near the north gate after trotting carefully.

None of the city guards or the citizen seems to be aware that the two have killed a person inside the barn, and this makes the two sigh in relief, "By the way, why did you come here? And what happened to Tara and Lady Linthia?"

"Oh, that..." Angel mused before her mind went back to an incident a moment ago.

~

Since Blake needs to do something, he left the three to babysit the Terramaw.

Angel, Tara, and Linthia were left behind as the Emergency Quest is coming to an end. None of the corrupted beasts were left, and the three could be at ease while waiting for Blake to come back from doing his stuff.

While the three were sitting in silence, Tara steal a couple of glances at Angel.

"If you have something to say to me, then say it"

Out of nowhere, Angel who was leaning on a tree with her eyes closed said with a completely different tone. Compared to the one she used to ask Blake for the dropped items from the Bisonorix earlier, this one is more uncaring and sharp.

Even Linthia realized that it was almost as if she was a completely different person.

"I was only going to ask why are you leeching from Blake, go and train on your own. Stop doing that, it's pathetic. Keep this up and you'll never be strong no matter how high your level becomes" Tara said in a similar tone.

Upon hearing this, Linthia quickly covers Tara's mouth with her hands.

She then bowed her head in an apologetic manner, "I'm sorry, she didn't mean any harm"

"Lady Linthia, you shouldn't apologize to me. Someone like you shouldn't apologize easily" Tara pushes Linthia's hands away and quickly helps her stand straight, she didn't need Linthia apologizing for her.

Angel smiled when she heard this, it was not a pleasant smile, it was a wicked one.

Turning her head towards the two, she then replied in ridicule, "Me? A Leech? Don't make me laugh. Naturally, someone like Blake should be grateful for my presence, and he's repaying my presence by helping me get stronger. It's a mutual benefit, not parasitic"

"Don't tell me that you have a tinge of envy towards me? Not that I can blame you"

In an instant, her true self was revealed.

Just earlier Tara thought that she might be using Blake to her advantage, but she hesitated to say anything because Angel could deny that claim even though Blake was not here. But it seems she was dead wrong.

Angel was shameless enough to indirectly admit that through her entitled bravado.

Realizing that Angel was more rotten than she initially thought, Tara's expression darkens in an instant, "What's this...? What are you going to do, Tara? Hit me? I would love for you to hit me, that's a quick ticket to make Blake leave the two of you"

"No! Blake told me that as long as he's around, he will protect me!" Linthia exclaimed.

Despite the subtle cues that Angel was not as angelic as she seems, she has always tried to keep a positive view of Angel. Now, she's angry. But instead of exploding like a normal angry person, tears rolled down her teary eyes profusely.

Looking at Linthia, Angel laughed in amusement, "Darling, you're too naive to fall for that"

It was almost as if she heard the funniest joke in her life.

Angel even started to tear up finding that Linthia is actually that innocent, being swayed that easily made her too adorable to bear. "Even if he really did mean what he said, his keyword is as long as he's around. It wouldn't be long now before he left the two of you for me. Since you always try to make a fuss out of me as you did earlier, then it'll be better without both of you sorry girls around"

Similar to swords, her words ripped Linthia's heart to pieces and stomped it to the ground.

Linthia was completely devastated by her unfiltered words.

Upon seeing this, Tara could only pull Linthia to her embrace before she started crying profusely, "Angel, you're going too far! Did you really think you could do that after flaunting your plans to us?!"

Not intending to deal with them any longer, Angel stood up and stretched.

"I don't consider you two as threats. Go ahead and try to stop me, see if Blake believes what you said. Don't forget, the two of you only shared him in this world. I could also get close to him in my world, the more significant world for him"

Angel smirked before she walks away, flipping her hair arrogantly in the process.

"Know your place and cry"

~

It was already night, and the city has regained back its peace once again.

Blake has already killed the Terramaw earlier and completed the Emergency Quest for everyone, there was no Exp to be gained from the rewards, but he gained an astronomical 15,410 Gold from the quest.

Each Boss Mob that he killed earlier provides him with 5,000 Gold each.

Since there was a stake during that incident, which is the destruction of Einora City, the rewards were amplified like that. It puts a smile on Blake's face, he basically gained $154,000 in one go which is a lot of money.

Knowing that he would need to log out soon, he decided to patrol the city first.

Having to log in without the Limited VR Helmet and through the help of Salana instead, he couldn't stay for too long inside the game. Moreover, the real world is dangerous for him right now and he needs to be wary.

After taking three rounds around the city, he decided to call it a day.

But it was then when he almost reached back to the inn, his eyes glowed red sensing something moving in the trees. He thought that it only passing Elves, yet he decided to check if that was true.

Fixing his eyes on the figures, he finds that it was only three figures.

Deactivating his Nocturnal Blood Sight skill, he then saw through the gaps of the dense leaves that the three figures passing by seemed to be wearing black outfits, a stark contrast compared to the usual outfit worn in Einora City.

Most of the Elves wear light-colored clothes, so black is definitely a weird contrast.

Just as he was about to check the three figures to make sure that they were not assassins, a voice suddenly rings inside his head which dissuades him from checking the three figures instantly.

"Blake, I can't hold on anymore. It'll break in ten minutes max"

It was Salana, she was struggling to keep the connection between Blake and the game.

"Okay, I'll log out right now. Wait until I got out, alright?"

"Just be quick, I'm at my limit"

Knowing that he could stay any longer, he decided to head back to the inn and enters his room where he finds Linthia and Tara sleeping on the bed. Linthia is asleep in Tara's embrace peacefully, the two seem to be tired.

Considering that they were fighting the Beast Horde earlier, it's not that surprising.

Even Blake is quite tired, it's a lie if he says he's not tired.

Deciding to not wake the two of them up and just log out, he went over to the chair on the side and sat on it. But when he was about to close his eyes to log out, a voice startled him awake.

"Are you going to sleep?" Tara asked before opening her eyes lightly.

Upon hearing this, Blake nodded his head and smiled, "Yeah, I'll try to not sleep too long"

Since she was now aware that he came from another world, it was save Blake the time to make excuses. Tara already knows that every time he sleeps, he went back to the other world. Not that it's automatic though.

Blake could sleep without logging out, but that never happens.

"I'll be going now, good night"

Just when he was about to close his eyes again, Tara suddenly opens her mouth.

"Can you not go back to your world...?"

It was then Blake opens his eyes again with clear shock on his face, he looks at Tara who was looking at him straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry...? Maybe I caught that wrong, what did you say again?"

"No, you didn't hear it wrong. I said, can you stay here and not go back to your world?"

"E- Eh...?"