Chapter 18 - Unexpected Event
My eyes fluttered open, and my body felt like it had been run over by a truck. The blue sky stretched above me, the noon sun blazing down, scorching my skin. I groaned, my throat as dry as sandpaper.
My head was resting on something soft, and I noticed long locks of hair casting a shadow over my face. "Are you awake now, Liam?" Rohda's voice broke through the fog in my mind.
Am I back at the tower already? I wondered, disoriented. I had been lying on her lap for who knows how long. I pushed myself upright, coughing weakly. Rohda gently tapped my back, her touch soothing.
"Where am I?" I croaked, my voice barely audible. We were sitting on a grassy field, and I realized we were near the grocery store. Barry and Raymond were chatting a few meters away, and I spotted Tiara approaching with a bottle of water in hand.
"We thought you were a goner," Tiara said, handing me the bottle. I twisted the cap off and gulped down the water, the cool liquid a relief to my parched throat. "Good thing we followed you - thanks to Rohda's insistence. And here we are." Tiara rummaged through her bag and pulled out a chocolate bar, which she tossed at me.
I tore into the chocolate bar, devouring it in seconds. Rohda giggled at my apparent display of hunger. "Did you heal me?" I asked Tiara, surprised. I hadn't realized she had any powers yet.
She shook her head and gestured toward Rohda. "It was her. Thank her - she saved your ass."
I turned to Rohda, stunned. She has healing powers? Like Fae?
Rohda stretched her legs and arms, looking pleased with herself. "It's more like a debuff power, according to Raymond. Your HP is still low, but you're no longer poisoned." She was right. I glanced at my scroll, which displayed my stats. Rohda leaned over to read it too, her eyes lighting up. "Awesome, huh?"
HP - 202
Speed - 505
She was right - I had been on the brink of death. But at least now we wouldn't have to worry about poison, blindness, or confusion. I wondered if she could remove other status ailments as well.
Rohda pulled out her own scroll and showed me her numbers:
HP - 97
MP - 61
Dexterity - 108
Speed - 3
Accuracy - 31
Intelligence - 84
Strength - 4
I felt a flush of embarrassment. Some of her stats were far better than mine. "Nice stats! Amazing!" I said, genuinely impressed. With her high dexterity, she'd make an incredible assassin.
"I know. My stats have always been perfect," she said with a sly smile. I know she's implying something else. "But yours are higher, Liam! 500 speed? That's insane!" She grabbed my scroll and scribbled her name on it before I could stop her. Her name now glowed faintly under Raymond's.
"What's that for?" I asked, confused. Raymond and I were already signed as allies, so it seemed unnecessary.
"Nothing," she said, grinning mischievously. "I thought it was like signing a marriage certificate or something."
I choked on the chips I was eating, my face turning red. "Isn't it nice?" she added innocently. I was too flustered to respond.
Just then, Fae and Zild arrived, asking how I was doing. I felt a pang of embarrassment as I explained that we'd bailed out of the cave. It turned out it wasn't the one we were looking for, but that was fine.
I should've remembered that rats were the first to attack us after the Chasm opened. Of course, the monsters in that cave would be related to the rodent family.
"Our experience today serves as a warm up and blueprint for the days to come. I'll tell you guys more later." Now that our group is almost complete in terms of a cave diving party: a tanker, damager, support and heal, we need to synthesize our movements.
Fae and Zild shared updates about their trip, mentioning that they planned to welcome some of Zild's family to the tower. I trusted their judgment and left it to them to decide where everyone would stay.
I called my dad to check on his progress. The soldiers Zild had controlled were now under his care. My dad had an affinity for farming, and his crops grew at an astonishing rate.
I asked him about a specific crop I'd requested, and he confirmed it was ready. "It tastes amazing," he said enthusiastically. "Perfect with meat."
"That's great news," I replied, "but I'll be using it for something else."
"Really? Are you going to sell it?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice. He suggested selling it online, claiming it would be a hit.
"We could," I said, "but for now, I need it for something else."
"What for?" he pressed, clearly puzzled.
I smiled to myself. He'd never be able to guess.
•••••••••••••••••••
We returned home, and I immediately headed to my father's farm. He was sitting with a group of men, sharing a bowl of stew and drinking beer. They seemed relaxed, laughing and chatting like old friends.
Whether they genuinely enjoyed working for my dad or were just putting on a show, I couldn't tell, and honestly, I didn't care to know.
"Hey, Dad!" I called out, waving as I approached. My dad and the others greeted me warmly, but soon the men excused themselves, leaving me alone with him.
"Here," my dad said, handing me a sack of carrots. "I prepared them just like you asked. I even checked with the scroll to see if they had any special effects - and they do! Since there are people with eyesight problems, these should help them a lot."
I pulled out my scroll and scanned the carrots. The description popped up: Eye-Improving Vegetable. Temporarily increases accuracy stats by 3 points.
"Thanks, Dad! You've been a huge help. I'll be using these in the forest, so I might come home late," I said, hugging him before slinging the sack over my shoulder and heading out.
•••••••••••••••••••••••
Meanwhile, Michelle was growing increasingly frustrated. She had been trying to contact Catarina Gonzalez through social media, but her messages went unanswered.
Barry, who was helping her, frowned at her latest attempt. "Why did you write, 'You're my idol. Please help me!'? That sounds weird," he said, scrolling through her screenshots.
Neil, sitting beside Barry, chimed in. "And 'You're so pretty, can I ask for a favor?' sounds even worse. How about posting something about yourself and asking her to meet you?"
They had also tried to find contact information of Catarina's PR team, but it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Michelle sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I've tried everything. I just don't know how to get her to respond."
The thought of flying home crossed her mind, but all outbound flights were fully booked until next month. The only available flights were inbound, which meant her boyfriend could visit her next week. But the idea of the Amaru terrorizing the region made her stomach sink with anxiety.
"I've tried everything," Michelle muttered, slumping in her chair. "I guess I'll just have to wait for you, babe." She missed home terribly, and regret gnawed at her. She had left to escape her strict parents, seeking freedom somewhere they couldn't reach her.
"Oh, Liam's back!" Barry suddenly exclaimed, his attention shifting off-screen. Neil's eyes widened in surprise, and Michelle could hear hushed whispers in the background.
When Liam finally appeared on the screen, she understood why Neil had been so shocked. But she couldn't see how this would help her situation.
"You want me to make a video of that?" Michelle asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Liam nodded confidently. "Yes. Use the best hashtags so it goes viral instantly. That'll get her to respond."
Barry sent her the raw footage to work with, and Michelle couldn't believe what she was seeing.
After some quick editing, she uploaded the video, tagging Catarina and her family's company. The caption read: "Mystical bunny with the fluffiest pink and blue fur, four ears, and a round body-up for adoption! #RealNotAI #MagicalCreatures #CatarinaSoBonita."
The video quickly gained traction, racking up views and comments. People were fascinated by the creature, but there was no response from Catarina - yet.
A few minutes later, a notification popped up on Michelle's screen: Catarina Gonzalez wants to send you a message.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Accept or Decline?