We managed to retrieve the black gem after ambushing into an illegal auction at the black market. I don’t really knew how to describe my feeling when seeing my first ever bloodshed after coming to N109 Zone, but I knew one thing for sure. Sylus was incredibly seductive when he was engulfed in the black and red mist as the blood spluttered all around the hall.


    It was unfortunate that he left me alone after that, but, I am glad to have Mephisto as my guide home. I guess the privilege to be sent back home personally by him, still belong to main character.


    I guess I need to put more effort to snatch him away from the main character. Although I don’t have every information about the game, I still would be able to guess that the relationship between main character and the four main leads were already tangled from the past. An unknown past to me, that is.


    I stared down at the square box I held dear in my hand. “Will he accept?” I mumbled to myself.


    Inside, it contained a bracelet ornamented with a piece of the black gem and adorned with few other jewels. It was the very gem that we went to retrieve.


    He liked jewels, that’s what he said. He like shiny and sparkly things, just like a crow. I kind of understood why he and Mephisto seem to have the same mind.


    I was taken aback when he dumped the gem on me after all he had gone through to take it back. However, it also make me giddy and a little bit jittery in my stomach. Not only butterflies, I bet there’s a whole colony of bees in my stomach, joyfully buzzing after collecting the nectar for the day.


    No matter how foolish I might seem to be, I still want to give him something, but, my paycheck were still on their way into my pocket. There were few days left before the end of the month.


    “I never expected I would received something I had dumped as a gift,” he commented as he stroke the bracelet, scrutinizing the bracelet while glancing over my face.


    “It would be a waste to throw it. And… When I tried to imagine how good it looks on you, the image of that bracelet came up.”


    “Why don’t you take it for yourself? Was it not to your liking?”


    “Of course I like it! I like it even more because it was from you! Well, it might sound gibberish when I gifted to you what you already gave me, but… I can’t afford anything yet, but that one.”


    “I believe the gem was not this size when I first saw it.”


    “Ah… That—that because I break it and use a part of it to make something else.”


    “Does it have connection with this little one?” he whispered to my ear as his finger traced along the silver chain drape over my neck.


    His low yet soft voice sent shiver to my spine. Avoiding his eyes that was inches from mine, I stuttered, searching for some word, “This— that—actually…”


    “Actually?”


    A ravishing devil was trying to tempt me into iniquitous dream. “Actually, I… I make a set of necklace for myself using a part of the gem.”


    “What a romantic idea.”


    “You won’t take it from me now, would you?”


    “Would you give it to me?”


    “I don’t want to. I wished to have a matching accessory with you.”


    The way his lips arched, his eyes narrowed, and the little smirk he let out, made my heart jumped and my skin cooked, like a slice of bread jumped out of the toaster.


    “You had become bolder,” he uttered, slowly increasing the distance between us.


    “It’s not something shameful that I need to hide.”


    “But your face said otherwise.”


    “I—I was just nervous. I need to go back to work! Bye!”


    Unable to handle the heat on my face, I ran. I had already prepared an answer and practiced how to deliver it if he were to ask about the necklace. Nevertheless, in the face of that charming devil, no words could stay still in my mind, and I end up humiliating myself in front of my beloved.


    ***


    Tell me where did I go wrong. I followed my routine diligently to avoid any mishap, yet, somehow, I got caught in one. I guess, this world, no, this place, truly bear any possibilities. How? Tell me how? Please. Anyone. Tell me. How do I defeat a Wanderer?


    Let me kindly, briefly rewind. I was on my way to my new second hand scooter that I finally bought for myself instead of borrowing Mira’s motorbike, then suddenly in the middle of the way, I was here. Still doesn’t make sense? Yeah, I know. Me too. I could not make sense of this too!


    “Oh boy… That one… was ugly…”


    Never in my wildest imagination would I came to face with such an ugly creature. Ugly in my standard, that is. The body proportion was surreal, compared to human anatomy, with its skinny leg yet broad shoulder with burly top.


    When I said broad, I literally mean broad. Much broader than the shoulder of those male lead drawn in some country’s comic.


    I hid behind a boulder, hoping it would not be able to sniff me out, praying I would get through it safely when there was no one I could asked for help. Perhaps, my body began to come to a realization that I am living in a world where dangers lurking around. Tears trickled down my cheeks and my heartbeat pounding faster than ever.


    Even when my eyes met with its eyes, I could only foolishly cupped my mouth to prevent my scream getting out from my lungs. It was an instinct of mine to prevent attracting more attention to myself.


    ‘Will I die?’ I thought of that for a moment.


    When it leaped toward myself, I closed my eyes, ready to die. One second, two second, three second. There was nothing. Does people felt nothing when they died?


    “How long were you going to shut your eyes?”


    “Need some help? Your legs had been trembling like a newborn fawn trying to stand after its birth.”


    Never for a moment would have I thought that I would be glad to hear their voice. I open my eyes and I saw the two person I would punched on weekly basis for their tasteless humor, to my standard.


    “Luke? Kieran?” I mumbled their name, relieved.


    “Wow! Never saw that face before.”


    “Glad to see us?”


    “How?” I stuttered my way asking for the reason they were here.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    “Ah~ How we’re here?”


    “On our way back… got sucked into Protofield instead.”


    “Right. Right.”


    “Never thought would meet you here.”


    “Did you cry?”


    “Never see a Wanderer before?”


    “Ah! You know. Mira had said something about this.”


    I looked toward Luke as he shrugged his shoulders, said, “she told us to protect you if you were to run into Wanderers. Said you were weak and might die.”


    Should I be relieved that they were here or should I be worried with possibilities they might endanger me further? Regardless of their initial intention, I’m glad that they were here. At least, I won’t die yet.


    “Just stay here. Don’t get in our way,” Luke said casually before leaping off with Kieran toward the Wanderer.


    Human inevitably felt curiosity toward something they do not know, and so do I. Afraid that I might make some noise accidentally, I checked on my surrounding before turning to take a peek on their battle.


    The only battle I have watched was the one that I played as the main character, and even that one I would always put it on auto mode. I’m not really nimble with my fingers. Oh! The one with Sylus from the day before does not count, for that was one sided slaughter.


    Even when I put it on auto mode, the battle that I watched before the screen could not compare to the pressure of the real battle. It only came to my mind, that this was real. I could die from one single careless mistake.


    Despite that, when I witnessed the smile formed on their face, the laughter as they slay the Wanderer, I was almost enchanted by their spirit. I could not explained the feeling I had, but what I knew, I didn’t hate the fact they loved fighting.


    It was fascinating to see their pleasure for violence. I do not support deviant act, nor I accepted violence as good. I was simply enthralled by their world and the way how their moral compass was different from ours. It was as if I’m witnessing a distant history with my own eyes.


    ‘Survival of the fittest.’


    “Caw!”


    I turned around with a smile plastered on my face when I heard the lovely sound. My eyes widen as the red warm fluid sprayed on my face.


    “Mephisto!” I shouted and hurriedly grabbed the lifeless crow that fell on the ground.


    My eyes once again locked on the ugly creature in front of us. Before the creature could moved its hand, Kieran smashed it to pieces. He took a glimpsed toward my hands and winced his eyebrows.


    “We’ll settle this quick,” he said and went back into the battle.


    The lifeless crow laid peacefully in my embrace. I placed my ear to its chest. It was still breathing. Thankfully. I was scared I might hurt it thus I wrapped Mephisto with my jacket.


    The light blue jacket was quickly soaked in red. I pray and I prayed that everything will be alright. I wished for a miracle.


    Within the next second, I found myself near the place I park my scooter. The words of gratitude could wait later, because now, there’s a life that took precedence more than anything.


    “It’s no use! The vet won’t be able to do anything at this stage!” Luke shouted.


    “Maybe there’s a way!” I argued desperately. I don’t want to lose someone dear to me, even if that was not human.


    “Philip. Bring it to Philip!” Kieran suggested.


    I do not knew why would he suggested Philip, but there was not much choices that I had and I was unable to make any judgment with how emotional I was. I speed up my scooter to Odd Workshop.


    ***


    “Huh…”


    “What was that long sigh for?”


    “I wonder how is Mephisto right now.”


    “You’re going to see him, don’t you?”


    I nodded. “Still… I can’t help but worry. Will Mephisto be fine after all that?”


    “He’s a tough nut to crack.”


    “You didn’t see his flesh torn apart. He was just a small crow. With that little body of his, he blocked the attack for me. I almost fainted when the blood was gushing out of his little body.”


    Mira patted my shoulder. “I hope you don’t forget that small crow was that man… uh… pet? friend? Whatever it is…”


    “What’s that got to do with Mephisto’s well being?”


    She sighed. “What I mean is… Don’t worry too much.”


    “How can you not worry?”


    “Then, go. Go and see him with your own eyes. You have been walking back and forth like a constipated person.”


    “I only came back because Philip told me so. If I could choose, I’d rather be by Mephisto side.”


    “Is that why you applied for sick leave today? You’re too honest. You could just skip for one day…”


    “That is part of being professional, okay! Work ethics. Ever heard of that?”


    “My cute little Alice became grumpier over time. What time did you said you have to be there?”


    I look down on my wrist. “AH! I’ll go first!” I grabbed the brown helmet on the table and stormed out of the house.


    Between excitement and nervousness, I did not knew what overwhelmed me the most. Since the first time I had met with Mephisto, I was confused whether he was truly Mephisto. As in the mechanical crow in the game.


    Unlike the in game mechanical crow, Mephisto is a living breathing crow with flesh and blood. As I held him in my hands yesterday, I could felt the warmth emanating from his blood.


    “You came,” Philip looked up to me with his dead eyes, tired from working overnight, or perhaps few unknown nights.


    “How was he?” I asked, suppressing my anxiety.


    “Look behind you.”


    “Caw!”


    My lips curled up as the voice reached my ears. I turned around and there I saw. A mechanical crow parallel to the I saw in the game.


    “Mephisto?”


    “Caw!”


    “No. Of course I’m happy you are alive!”


    “Caw!”


    “My face?”


    “Caw!”


    “No, no. This. I was… surprised. Yes, I was surprised seeing… this… change. You look… cool.”


    True indeed. I was surprised, or maybe, flabbergasted to see the very same mechanical crow as the one portrayed in the game. When I first saw Mephisto, I thought, perhaps, this is another real world similar to the game Love and Deepspace. There was resemblance yet also differences.


    However, seeing the Mephisto after surgery, the mechanical crow Mephisto, make me doubt my initial thought. Perhaps, the differences that I saw was not due to it being a different world, but because it didn’t happen yet.


    As I came to this realization, I wondered what actually happened to me. And, it dawned to me, that the history between Sylus and main character was not something I could overlook. It seem, I had always been late to plant the seed of love in his heart.


    I thought I might had a tiny bit of chance with the way he interact. Maybe, I could at least became someone close to him. But… I see… It was impossible. Be it as friend, or lover, he would only had eyes on main character.


    Then… why am I here?


    I’m not like some unfortunate slave worker who was transmigrated to find happiness in another realm. I loved my job, even my coworker was good and talented people that could be counted on. Although, it might seem pompous of me, but I was a good worker myself.


    Health problem? Scratch that. I’m as healthy as a bull. Finance? I might not be wealthy, but I could live rather comfortably without any debt. I even brought my house on full payment. Regret? I always lived my life to the fullest since young age.


    Now that this questions popping up rather suddenly to my mind, I felt nausea and the world before my eyes kept spiraling. Why am I here? What should I do? What was it that I have to do? What was my purpose being here anyway?


    “CAW! CAW!”


    That was the last voice I heard before I closed my eyes as I blacked out. Stress, could be. I don’t know how, but when I opened my eyes, I was already in my room, with Mephisto looking straight into my eyes.


    “Morning?”


    “Caw!”


    “Were you worried about me?”


    “Caw! Caw!”


    “I can assure you, I did not faint because of you.”


    “Caw?”


    “There was something else on my mind, and I was just tired. I think I might asked for vacation.”


    “Caw?” Mephisto tilted its head.


    “Ha, ha, ha… I need to ask for permission if I don’t want my salary to be cut down, of course. What do you mean I don’t need to ask for permission… I’m a worker… Worker can’t slack off just because they wanted too.”


    “Caw! Caw!”


    “Aw~ You will asked Sylus on my behalf? How sweet. But, it’s okay, cutie. I also would like to meet him myself.”


    “Caw?”


    “I will be fine. I have gotten enough rest.”


    There was something weird with the context. Got enough rest to ask for vacation? Yeah, I would not even dream of doing that before. Even so, I need some time off, even if it was only few days off, to rethink about my purpose being stranded in this world.


    “Caw!”


    “Oh? You’ll go with me?”


    “Caw!”


    “Sure.”


    Thinking back, when I first arrived, I was too stunned to even sit down and calmly reflected my own situation. Everything happened in a blink of an eyes and it just sort of happen.


    Then, I met Sylus. Like a man trapped in darkness, suddenly found a sliver of light. I blindly fell for him from the extension of my feeling from the game. If I could be with this man, if I could be by his side, I thought, then I would not mind being trapped in this world.


    However, this man, the one who I fell for, the one I gave my heart to, was meant for another person. He also had his heart for someone else. What about me? What happen after they were happy? I had nothing here. I found myself lost once again.


    “You look much better.”


    The voice of the man in front of me pulled me out. My eyes were fixed on him. He was talking to the mechanical crow that seem to be posing himself in various pose, showcasing his new magnificent body. I told you I’m not the only one that spoke to that cute little crow in human language!


    “Sylus…” I called out his name.


    “Alissa.” He said my name, the word I would never heard the Sylus in the game said.


    “I—I’m sorry.”


    “For what?”


    “Mephisto was badly injured because he tried to protect me.”


    “And?”


    “And…”


    He sighed. “Mephisto protected you out of his own volition. It had nothing to do with me. Tell your sorry to this little guy here.”


    “Caw!”


    “Hmm. Even he do not want your apology,” Sylus commented, “is there other word you could say to him than sorry?”


    “… Thank you. Thank you Mephisto. For protecting me. And, I’m sorry for expressing my gratitude quite late.”


    “So… What is this about vacation?”


    “That… I wanted to apply for paid leave, but I don’t know who to ask. Luke and Kieran was out for mission, so I just came here with Mephisto to directly asked for your permission.”


    “No.”