Chapter - 11

Adam's eyes narrowed just a little bit when he saw the name floating above the girl's head in the game. Kamiko. The name felt familiar, sending a flash of knowing through his mind. It wasn't just some random name; it was tied to important things that would happen later in the game, things only he knew about.

Like flipping through a history book only he had, memories from his past life—his first time playing this huge virtual world—came rushing back. Kamiko. Yeah, he remembered her very clearly now. In the future he knew, she wasn't just any player.

She was meant to become one of the most important and skilled members of the Goldenrod Guild. That guild, Adam remembered, would grow into a giant force in the game, controlling land, controlling who bought and sold things, and even affecting how the game's story played out. Kamiko had been a big reason for their success.

Adam remembered what people said about her perfectly. It was burned into his memory from old online forums, reports about guild battles, and even a few tense meetings they'd had in his past life. Kamiko had an incredible, almost unbelievable, ability to see chances where others saw nothing.

She could walk into a messy situation, figure it out in seconds, and somehow turn it so it helped her. It wasn't just luck; she had a sharp mind and wasn't afraid to take risks or make bold moves. She was amazing at using whatever she had, even if it wasn't much, or turning surprises to her advantage.

And she definitely took every opportunity she could, never waiting to use someone else's mistake or a sudden change in the game to get ahead. These things made her a tough enemy and a powerful friend – someone you had to watch closely, no matter whose side she was on. She was someone you had to take seriously.

As these thoughts and bits of memory flew through his mind like leaves in the wind, Adam stood perfectly still on the path. He made sure his face showed nothing, like a blank mask hiding all the thinking he was doing inside.

He watched Kamiko with a new, strong interest. Meeting her now, on the very first day, just hours after the game started? This was not expected. It was a big change from the future he remembered. What did it mean? Was it just random luck, or was he already causing changes, like ripples in water, just by being here with his knowledge of the future?

Adam's sharp mind, already full of secrets and plans from years ahead in the game, instantly saw the possible risk and chance here. He knew exactly who Kamiko was, or at least, who she would become. But right now, she probably didn't know how good she could be, and she definitely didn't know anything about him except the name floating over his head: AlphaBoss.

He kept his face carefully blank, calm on the outside while his brain worked fast. He watched everything she did as she stepped closer, pushing through the last few branches between the deep woods and the path. A bright, friendly smile lit up her face, making her look totally harmless and easy to talk to.

Kamiko stopped a few feet away and held out her hand excitedly, her eyes wide with what looked like real excitement. "Wow! I've always wanted to meet a pro player!" she cried out, her voice clear and full of energy. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting one on the very first day the game is open! This is awesome!"

Her eyes quickly looked up at the name shown above Adam's character. "AlphaBoss," she read out loud, then looked back at him, looking impressed. "That's a really cool name," she said, her voice sounding like she really meant it. "It sounds so strong, so sure of yourself. It really shows you must be serious about playing well."

Adam stayed silent. Knowing about the future Kamiko—the smart and opportunity-grabbing guild leader—made him careful. Her friendly, almost hyper personality right now felt like an act, or maybe just how she naturally was. He knew talking casually with her could be risky. Every word he said could be information she might think about later. Showing what he knew, what he planned, or even just his personality could leave him open to her possibly tricky ways. He decided silence was the safest plan for now. Let her think he was just another quiet, focused player.

His silence didn't seem to bug Kamiko much. Maybe she was used to different kinds of players. Not bothered, she leaned in a little, tilting her head with a look that was both curious and playful. "So, is AlphaBoss your real name? Or just your gamer tag?" she asked, her voice light and casual, like she was just making small talk. "I just used my real name for my character, Kamiko," she added, sharing something personal easily, maybe hoping he'd share something back.

Still, Adam stayed quiet. His eyes stayed steady, thinking, not showing any thoughts or feelings. He just looked at her, waiting. He needed to figure out why she was here, what she wanted. Was it just simple curiosity, or was this already a hint of the future opportunist looking for a way to get ahead?

Kamiko's smile faded just a little, and she made a small pout. Her face changed to show pretend annoyance, like a kid whose toy wasn't working right. "Why aren't you saying anything?" she asked, her voice still light but now with real curiosity in it. "Is your microphone turned off or something? Can you hear me okay?" She even pointed vaguely at her own headset, acting like she was checking if it worked.

Finally, Adam decided being silent had done its job. He needed to pull away, fast and firmly. He broke his silence, his voice coming out sharp, direct, and with no warmth at all. "Can you leave me alone?" he said flatly. It wasn't a question; it was an order. "I need to get back to the village. I have things to do."

Without waiting for her to react or giving her a chance to answer, Adam turned suddenly and started walking past her, taking long, determined steps. He kept his eyes on the path ahead, hoping she'd get the message.

Kamiko stood frozen for a second, her hand still slightly out from trying to shake his earlier. Surprise was clear on her face. Her eyes got wider, and a flash of something else – maybe shock, maybe anger – crossed her face before she quickly covered it up. "Did he just... totally ignore me and walk away?" she thought. His bluntness had clearly surprised her.

But Kamiko wasn't someone who gave up easily. Adam's memories told him that was true. Getting over it with amazing speed, the friendly, maybe slightly sneaky, smile came back to her face. Instead of being offended or quitting, she seemed almost entertained by how rude he was. She quickly started walking behind him, her lighter steps easy to hear on the dirt path.

"So, I was right!" she called out cheerfully, her voice easily reaching him. "You really are a pro player! Acting all serious and mysterious!" She sounded like she was teasing, but Adam felt something else underneath – determination. She wasn't going to let him go so easily.

Frustration started to build inside Adam. He could hear her footsteps keeping up right behind him, constantly reminding him she was there. Her happy voice filled the air, cutting through the quiet sounds of the forest edge. He didn't need this problem. He didn't need someone following him, especially her. Kamiko sticking around wasn't just annoying; it was possibly risky for his carefully made plans.

"I also have some stuff to do back in the village," Kamiko went on, matching his speed easily as they walked. She said it with another bright smile aimed at his back, even though he didn't turn to look. "So, I guess I'll just come along with you! We're heading the same way, anyway."

Adam tightened his jaw slightly. He thought bitterly, "This is exactly what I was worried about. If she stays near me, if she watches me, sees who I talk to, what quests I take... she's smart. She might start putting the pieces together. She might figure out that I know things I shouldn't know yet. I absolutely cannot let her get close enough to find out how much secret knowledge I have about this game's future." His big advantage was his secret knowledge.

As they finally left the thick trees of the beginner's forest and stepped onto the wider path leading towards the closest village, Adam hoped for a moment. Maybe now, with more open space and maybe other players around, Kamiko would lose interest, find someone else to bother, or just go her own way.

But his hope disappeared quickly. She kept talking as they walked, her voice a non-stop mix of admiration, curiosity, and playful teasing. She asked about the starting area, talked about the game's graphics, and guessed what kind of character class he might be playing, all while staying just a few steps behind him.

Adam risked a quick look back over his shoulder. His annoyance must have shown on his face, but if Kamiko saw it, she didn't act like it. She just gave him another sunny smile. "Why is she still here?" he wondered, getting more frustrated with every step. "Ignoring her isn't working. She's sticking to me like glue."

Kamiko, seeming not to notice or maybe choosing to ignore how irritated he was, tried again to talk to him directly. "So, AlphaBoss," she started, her voice sounding musical, "where exactly are you going in the village? Got some secret mission already? You really don't seem like the talkative type," she teased again, her tone light but pushy.

That was it. Adam stopped walking so suddenly that Kamiko, still talking, almost ran into him. He spun around to face her. His sudden move clearly surprised her. She stopped talking in the middle of a word, her happy look fading a bit, replaced by real curiosity.

"What's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head slightly again.

Adam's carefully controlled frustration finally spilled over. He didn't yell, but his voice was sharp, filled with irritation he didn't hide. "Will you please stop following me?" he demanded. "I told you, I need to focus on the game!"

Kamiko blinked, looking truly surprised by his outburst this time. The playful act dropped for a second. "Hey, I'm not stopping you from playing," she replied, her voice becoming calmer, more reasonable. "You can focus all you want. I'm just walking in the same direction. It's a path, people walk on it."

Adam's eyes narrowed. He didn't believe her innocent act. "You being here, talking non-stop, is distracting me," he said bluntly, like it was just a fact.

Kamiko shrugged casually, and her playful, slightly challenging attitude came back. "Well, I'm not actually stopping you from doing anything," she shot back, a hint of challenge in her voice. "Go ahead and focus. Concentrate on your game. I'll just be here, walking wherever I feel like walking." She crossed her arms, looking quite pleased with herself.

Adam let out a deep sigh, rubbing the side of his head for a second. This was getting silly. He was getting really annoyed, but arguing seemed useless. She was pushing his buttons on purpose now. "Just... leave me alone," he said again, his voice firm, trying to make it sound final.

Kamiko tilted her head, a sneaky smile slowly spreading across her lips. Her eyes sparkled like she was thinking hard. "Alright," she said sweetly, her voice suddenly losing the challenging edge and becoming almost like she was singing. "Okay, I'll leave you alone. I promise."

Adam's face immediately showed deep suspicion. He knew her type, or at least, the type she would become. Nothing was ever free with people like her. "A condition?" he asked carefully, getting ready for it. "What kind of condition?"

"It's simple!" Kamiko said, her voice cheerful but totally determined. "If you accept my friend request right now and add me to your friend list, I'll disappear. I'll leave you completely alone. Promise." She smiled brightly at him, looking totally sure he would say yes.

Adam paused. His mind raced, thinking about the choices. Adding her to his friend list... what was the real risk? It wasn't like giving her access to his items or his secret future knowledge. It just meant her name would be on a list in his game menu. He could easily ignore her messages if she sent any. He could even remove her later if she got too annoying. It seemed like a small thing to do to get rid of her right now, while she was being so distracting. Dealing with her persistence was wasting precious time, time he needed to use his knowledge and get ahead of other players. Getting her away from him, even just for now, seemed like the practical choice.

With a nod so small it was barely noticeable, Adam finally gave in. "Fine," he snapped, the single word sounding tight, like he hated saying it.

Kamiko's smile got wider instantly, looking truly like she'd won. Adam sighed silently, feeling uneasy. He had made a smart decision, a temporary step back to solve an immediate problem. But he couldn't shake the feeling that by agreeing to this seemingly small thing, he had just set up a much more complicated and unexpected relationship for the future.

Reluctantly, Adam opened his game menu. He went to the social section, typed 'Kamiko' into the search bar, and found her profile easily – she was probably one of the few players with that name online this early. He clicked the 'Send Friend Request' button.

The message saying she accepted popped up on his screen almost right away. A soft, nice chime sound played, confirming she was added. Her name, Kamiko, now showed up under the 'Friends' tab in his menu.

Adam stared at the glowing message for a moment, frowning more deeply. Kamiko. Just seeing her name there, officially linked to his character, brought up mixed feelings. Annoyance, definitely, but also a bit of respect for the player she would become, mixed with a lot of caution. In his past life, she had been hard to predict. Sometimes they wanted the same thing, leading to short, shaky agreements. But more often, she had been an enemy, cleverly grabbing opportunities, sometimes messing with situations Adam himself was in, always looking out for herself. She was smart, incredibly good at finding solutions, and totally unpredictable. Keeping someone like that far away had always been the safest plan. Yet here he was, barely an hour into the game, and he had already added her to his friend list.

He tried to convince himself again it was the right move. It's better this way. Give her the small thing she wants now, avoid a pointless fight, and get back to my real goals. I can handle this connection later. For now, focus.

Kamiko, meanwhile, looked down at her own screen, checking that the friend request was accepted. Her face lit up with that winning, happy smile again. She had gotten what she wanted.

"Alright then, AlphaBoss! It was... interesting meeting you," she said cheerfully. She gave him a small, quick wave. "See you around!"

With that, she turned. But instead of going straight towards the main village entrance like he thought she would, she headed off down a side path that wasn't used as much, curving around some starter houses. She walked with an easy confidence, her golden hair catching the game's sunlight as she moved away, quickly disappearing from view behind the simple wooden buildings.

Adam didn't move right away. He stood frozen on the main path, watching the spot where she had disappeared. The sudden quiet felt huge after all her talking. Only when he was sure she was really gone did he let out a quiet breath he didn't know he'd been holding. The immediate annoyance was gone, but the connection was still there. He had bought himself some peace, for now. But the game had just started, and he had a feeling Kamiko would be a character who kept showing up in his story, whether he wanted her to or not.