chapter 41 log out

As Mark pulled off his virtual helmet, he stretched with a groan, rolling his shoulders after hours of gaming. The chaos in Viles Town had been exhausting, but at least it was fun. He reached for his phone when the bathroom door swung open, releasing a wave of steam into the hallway.

Liz stepped out, wrapped in a plush bathrobe, her damp hair cascading over her shoulders. She was rubbing a towel through it lazily, her expression half-bored, half-amused. When she spotted Mark setting his virtual helmet on the desk, a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"You finally logged out too?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mark let out a short laugh, running a hand through his own messy hair. "Yeah. Needed a break from all the madness."

Liz rolled her eyes, crossing the room toward the couch. "Tell me about it. That town's a disaster zone. I barely made it out with my gear intact." She plopped down, propping one foot up on the coffee table as she continued drying her hair.

Mark smirked. "So, you are having fun?"

She scoffed. "It's entertaining watching you idiots burn everything down. But next time, you're tanking for me."

Mark chuckled as he leaned back against his chair. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't expect me to babysit you."

Liz gave him a sideways glance, her smirk widening. "Please. We both know I'd be the one saving you."

Mark rolled his eyes, tossing a pillow at her. She caught it effortlessly, laughing as she hugged it against her chest. The two sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the only sound being the faint hum of the gaming PCs still running in the background.

Finally, Liz stretched, standing up. "Anyway, I'm getting snacks. You want something?"

Mark perked up. "Ooh, grab me some chips."

Liz shot him a finger gun. "You got it, loser."

As Daniel pulled off his virtual helmet, he stretched his arms above his head, groaning from the long gaming session. Viles Town had been a complete warzone, but that only made it more fun. He glanced around, spotting Mark lounging on the couch, casually munching on chips.

Before Daniel could say anything, the bathroom door creaked open again, and out stepped Liz, still wrapped in her fluffy bathrobe, her damp hair slightly tousled. She had a bowl of popcorn in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other, looking completely at ease.

Daniel's lips curled into a smirk as he leaned back against his chair. "Well, well, well. If it isn't our resident goddess, stepping out of the mist like some divine vision."

Liz barely glanced at him, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "Shut up, Daniel."

Mark snorted from the couch, shaking his head.

Daniel clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch. No love for the man who risked his life in the chaos of Viles Town?"

Liz finally turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "You mean the same man who got me killed by luring thugs right to me?"

Daniel grinned. "Ah, but in my defense, I thought you could handle them. You're always saying you'd be the one saving me, right?"

Liz sighed, shaking her head. "Remind me why I haven't kicked you out yet?"

Daniel winked. "Because you'd miss me too much."

Liz rolled her eyes and walked past him toward the couch, setting the popcorn down. As she sat, she muttered, "More like I'd enjoy the peace and quiet."

Daniel plopped down beside her, casually stealing a handful of popcorn. "You say that, but we all know you'd be bored without me."

Before Liz could retort, another voice cut in.

"Who'd be bored without who?"

All three turned as Ana pulled off her virtual helmet, shaking out her hair as she stood up from her chair. Unlike the others, who had been logging out one at a time, Ana had stuck around in the game for a bit longer—probably chasing down some last-minute chaos before calling it a night.

She looked between Liz and Daniel, eyes glinting with curiosity. "Wait, are you two flirting again? Should I leave? Give you a moment?"

Liz scoffed. "Not unless you want to hear me strangle him."

Daniel grinned, draping an arm over the back of the couch. "She says that, but deep down, she loves the attention."

Ana plopped onto the couch next to Mark, who passed her the bag of chips without a word. She grabbed a handful before giving Daniel a knowing look. "Honestly, I think you just love annoying her."

Daniel grinned. "Guilty as charged."

Ana stretched her arms above her head, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Man, that was fun, though. Viles Town is an absolute mess right now. I saw some poor guy get caught between the thug NPCs and K's bounty hunters—it was brutal."

Mark chuckled. "That town is never recovering, is it?"

Ana shrugged. "Not if we have anything to say about it."

Liz leaned back, finally relaxing. "At least now I can enjoy some popcorn without worrying about some idiot getting me killed."

Daniel gasped dramatically. "Wow. The betrayal."

Ana grinned, tossing a chip at him. "Oh, shut up, you love it."

As laughter filled the room, the chaos of Mortal Online faded into the background, replaced by the familiar, comfortable energy of their group. No matter what happened in the game, real life in this house was just as unpredictable—and just as entertaining.

Mark leaned back on the couch, lazily tossing a chip into his mouth before glancing at the others. "So, what level are you guys at now?"

Liz, Daniel, and Ana exchanged looks before answering almost in unison.

"Level 2," Liz said, grabbing some popcorn.

"Level 2," Ana echoed, still munching on chips.

"Level 2," Daniel confirmed with a shrug.

Mark smirked and stretched his arms behind his head. "Huh. I guess I'm ahead of you guys, then."

Liz paused mid-bite, narrowing her eyes. "Wait… what level are you?"

Mark's smirk widened. "Level 3."

Silence.

Then Ana nearly choked on her chips. "What?"

Daniel sat up straight, staring at Mark like he had just grown a second head. "No way. How the hell did you get to Level 3 already?"

Liz leaned forward, her eyes filled with suspicion. "Mark, what did you do?"

Mark shrugged, enjoying their reactions. "I just played the game. Did some quests, fought some mobs. You know, the usual."

Daniel squinted at him. "No, no, no. That doesn't add up. We've all been grinding, and we're still Level 2. Either you found some secret leveling exploit… or…"

A slow, mischievous grin spread across his face.

Mark frowned. "Or what?"

Daniel leaned closer, eyes glinting. "Did you… do anything to a female NPC?"

Mark choked on his drink. "What?! No!"

Liz facepalmed, while Ana burst into laughter.

Daniel wasn't letting up. "I mean, think about it—mysteriously higher level, refuses to explain how, and we know some games have weird NPC romance bonuses."

Mark groaned. "For the last time, I did not seduce an NPC."

Liz, still suspicious, crossed her arms. "Then how did you get ahead of us?"

Mark smirked again. "Guess I'm just better than you."

Daniel gasped, clutching his chest. "The audacity."

Ana threw a pillow at Mark. "Tell us the truth, or we're forming a party just to sabotage you."

Mark laughed, holding up his hands. "Alright, alright! I found a hidden quest chain in a back alley. It had a bunch of sneaky objectives, and I guess it gave more XP than usual."

Liz sighed, relaxing. "Okay, that makes sense."

Daniel shook his head. "Still disappointed it wasn't NPC seduction."

Mark rolled his eyes. "You're never letting that go, are you?"

Daniel grinned. "Nope."

The group settled back into their usual banter, but now, Mark had a target on his back—because the next time they logged in, Liz, Ana, and Daniel definitely weren't going to let him stay ahead for long.