<h4>Chapter 20: - Escaping the Social Maze</h4>
"Bromance?"
Lily stopped and thought about Leon''s response before continuing. She suddenly realized that Broken was Leon''s gaming alias. She had heard him mention it before, but at the time, she didn''t understand why he only wore his underwear in the game.
She remembered it clearly. She even saw "Broken" written on the capsule he had taken. As she took a deep breath, sadness washed over her. She couldn''t help but wonder if Leon had almost been killed by a princess for mistreating her.
She thought Leon was trying to stay in the game to resolve this issue with the princess. She needed to understand more about his problem; it seemed the game wasn''t as idyllic as she had imagined.
The two of them were still chatting casually at the dining table while watching television and discussing various things that had happened in Immortal Legacy.
"Many of my ssmates also y Immortal Legacy," she muttered under her breath. "They say they have a Rare-Grade spirit. Is that a good thing, Leon? Because they seem really proud of it."
"Rare?" Leon answered with a smile. "Common, Rare, Elite, Epic, Unique, Legendary, and so on. I suppose Rare is only the second grade after Common, so it''s not something to be too proud of. If they had an Epic grade, it would be worth boasting about. Even more so if they had Unique grades, which are still very rare in the game."
"Hm..." Lily replied, nodding. She didn''t ask about Leon''s spirit grade, fearing he might feel embarrassed if it turned out to be mediocre. After all, Leon only yed the game asionally.
On the television broadcast, a yer who appeared to be a young boy, around fifteen years old, was seen with a reporter. The boy''s face was filled with apprehension as he asionally darted nces sideways at the reporter, who was dressed as a mage with her chest slightly exposed.
"Viewers, this time we will be discussing an issue widely circting in the Dissidia Kingdom. Recently, the activity of yer killers in this area has drastically increased, and it is even reported that several NPCs have also be victims," the reporter said.
"And," she continued, gesturing to the boy beside her and passing the microphone. "Along with us, we have someone who ims to have seen one of these yer killers. Could you please tell us more about that?"
The boy paused, still in a daze, before finally catching his breath and turning towards the camera. "Ah, yes," he stammered, "I just made a contract with a spirit. I''m pretty proud of myself because it''s a Rare grade with a light element."
The female reporter interjected, her voice gentle yet determined. "Can you tell us about the yer killer?"
"Ah yes, sorry," the boy said with a stiff face. "I was on my way to the Shrine of Regeneration when I spotted a yer killer in the distance. He was running around naked and chasing anyone who came close to him. I saw it, and I immediately felt my body tense up. Now I''m really traumatized; I think I''ll stop ying this game after this. Please, please catch that mentally ill man. He really acts like a psycho, killing his victims for fun."
"Alright," the reporter responded, nodding in understanding. "So you''re saying that this yer killer is killing yers without any armor? They''re going inpletely unprotected?"
"Yes," the boy replied, his expression filled with fear. "That man''s face is still in my head, and I''m really scared of the world now. It looks like I''ll have to listen to my mother''s advice and stop ying this game."
"And what did you see after that?" the reporter persisted.
The boy hesitated, clearly distressed by the memory. "After that, I ran as fast as I could. I didn''t look back, but I could hear the screams of other yers. I don''t know what happened to them. It was terrifying."
"Did you see what happened after that?" the reporter continued.
"Well, I was terrified, but I felt I had to make sure the other yers were safe. I mustered the courage to go back. The yer killer only took out one yer. Then, Princess Alora arrived with her knights, and I was awestruck by her beauty."
"Oh, so Princess Alora came and captured the yer killer?"
"I still remember how beautiful and amazing Princess Alora was. I''ve decided to keep ying this game because I was instantly smitten when I saw her. I''m determined to be a strong yer and then marry her one day. I know she was destined to be my wife."
"Alright," the reporter continued. "We''ve gathered information about yer killers from various sources, and what we''ve heard from our friend here has made us very curious. Why would someone be running around bare-chested and trying to kill other yers? We hope you can enjoy Immortal Legacy even more, and if you evere across a yer without body armor, be sure to call for help and have them arrested, as they may try to kill you. That''s all. See you soon!"
Lily chuckled as she watched the news report on the television, a smile spreading across her face as she turned to Leon. "Don''t tell me, the guy they were talking about, is that you? Because I''m sure Broken is your gamer name, right?"
Leon grinned widely, unable to keep his secret any longer. "I lost my armor by mistake, Lily. They ambushed me, attacking from all sides, while I fought them alone," he confessed. "So I had to fight back. I was the one being attacked, not them. Suddenly, the princess showed up."
"Are you sure you''re not in a serious situation, Leon?" Lily asked, her brow furrowed in concern.
"Haha," Leon chuckled. "No need to worry, Lily. I''ve just been granted tremendous power by a deity, a Goddess, and with it, I''ll likely be ying the game more often from now on. I think I''m going to make a lot of progress with the new ability I was given."
"Huh?" Lily asked, her eyes widening in surprise. "It seems I just heard some amazing news. So, you not only met a beautiful princess but also a Goddess? A real Deity? Did you meet her face-to-face in the game? Is she also pretty? Oh my goodness, I can only imagine what kind of Immortal Legacy would create the figure of a goddess. I''m really curious, Leon..." she said, her enthusiasm growing with each word.
Leonughed, appreciating Lily''s excitement. "Yes, I met a Goddess face-to-face in the game. She was incredibly beautiful, even more so than the princess. It was a surreal experience. She bestowed upon me a special ability that will help me a lot in the game."
Lily''s eyes sparkled with curiosity and wonder. "Tell me more, Leon! What did she look like? What was the ability she gave you? Who is more beautiful, the princess or the goddess?"
"I believe they are both incredibly beautiful, Lily. You might find a visual of Princess Alora on the inte since she often appears in front of yers. But if you''re looking for a visual of Goddess Akidia, I''m probably the only one who has seen her so far."
Lily''s face lit up with curiosity. "Woah... It seems I''ve heard some very valuable news."
Leon let out a smallugh. "I have no sses tomorrow, so I n on spending the night ying the game. Thanks for the dinner, Lily. Next time, I''ll take you out to a restaurant of your choice."
After helping Lily with the dishes, Leon went online to investigate the buzz about him running around in Immortal Legacy without a shirt. As expected, it was a hot topic, and many people were discussing it. Additionally, the topic of yer killers who attacked without clothing was also widely discussed. As Leon read further, he noticed ament that seemed to be from someone he knew.
[Booba: "You fool, why are you mocking my friend with no remorse? Don''t you have any empathy? It''s tragic that he''s only been able to reach level 25 in one year. He needs emotional support, not to be cruelly bullied like you are doing."]
[MilfEnjoyer: "Hey you, doesn''t that mean your friend is a yer killer? Tell him to stay away from Immortal Legacy because if I see him in the game, I will definitely kill him. Don''t forget my gamer name—I''m a level 97 talented warrior, MilfEnjoyer!"]
Leon sighed as he read through thements, shaking his head in frustration. "I don''t think you''re helping me one bit here, Booba," he muttered.
With a sigh, he closed the inte and immediately logged back into the game.