Chapter 26

The First Departure

Siva arrived at the Business District.

There were tall buildings and the streets were filled with different kinds of cars of different sizes. People were also walking here and there, NPCs and users, busy with their own thing, living a life inside the game.

“So what was that place you wanted to visit?”

“City of Loire, it was supposed to be somewhere in the Kingdom of Thrall.” Siva told Rafaela without as much as a glance so he did not see that those words bid a narrow eye on her.

There was a pause between the two as the silence in the passenger area made the air colder so Rafaela tightened up her embrace on Siva’s left arm.

Siva, meanwhile, couldn’t help but to feel anxious as to the thing he heard before he was dragged in this car.

And upon sensing that the reason Siva was staring outside the window, even with her thing that she told him earlier, Rafaela retightened her embrace to the point that his arm were already choking on her healthy bosoms. This made Siva’s air choke in his chest as well and the results of lack of oxygen was vibrating on his sweating face.

“Are you already hot now?” Rafaela teased, drawing a line on his cheeks that sent a electric jolt on Siva’s neck, down to his every hair’s end.

He gulped and replied. “P-Please, don’t joke around on those things. It’s not even sensible.”

“What is? Me not wearing any underwear with the person I love is not sensible? Oh please, dear me, the world hasn’t ended yet so don’t let these small thing bother you that much.”

And she rubbed her cheek on his shoulder, saying the words in the sweetest tone as possible, making even the e-car’s NPC driver gulp and change the angle of his rear view mirror.

“Could you please just focus on driving.” Said Siva with an irritated tone and the NPC driver fixed back his rear view mirror and looked straight towards the road.

“Oh don’t be mean to him, darling, it’s just a normal act of a concerned citizen.”

“Please, stop with the things that could be misunderstood by people.”

“But we are lovers…aren’t we? After that passionate night that you put in…and I screamed…Oohhh…”

Suddenly, the e-car jolted and the speed increased. It made the two in the back seats look towards the NPC driver, a middle-aged man, in surprise.

“What’s the matter?” Siva asked alarmed.

“It’s nothing sir. It’s just her bumper, I mean, the bump on her, no, I mean, the road’s bumper…no…”

“Whatever. Just focus on driving and get us to the hangar port as soon as possible.”

“Y-Yes sir.”

Rafaela made a smile as she pulled Siva back with a magnetically magical force. Siva couldn’t even try to pull himself back as the magical strength exerted on her embrace was stopping his every move. And so all he could do was to look away towards the window as his mind worked on the plans he had in his mind.

“Oh, by the way,” Rafaela drew a circle on his chest that pulled back Siva’s thoughts. “What are you going to tell those people back in the Royal Hotel? You really ditched your escorts from the TGG and Sylphs just to sell your pets, after all.”

“What are you talking about?” Siva protested and he looked at her without a second thought. “Being there is not part of my plans. I don’t care if they treat me like a king or give me money, I have my own plans and I will not be stopped.”

Rafaela smiled when she saw Siva’s serious face and upon realizing that they’ve been staring at each other for a quite a while now, Rafaela hugged his arm closer to her chest that dragged Siva’s eyes accidentally.

And there, he saw two bulging pointed something(s) on her thin royal blue dress and he gulped as he looked away almost instantly.

At this, seeing his blushing face, Rafaela buried her face on his shoulders and sniffed every scent from the man’s clothes with a giggle.

***

Meanwhile, in Panorama Corp.’s conference room that was closed in for the in-game live conference, the sole chair in the middle of the room was linked into a [email protected] projection of twelve others. In this circular table President Ethan and the shadowed members of the esteemed Alcides Guild.

“Simple as that.” Ethan finished and leaned back on the conference chair.

The holographic projection of the Alcides Guild members were all in a shadowy accent and though their faces were still seen, only the guild leader on the other side of the table from Ethan has his whole self in dark curtains of no light.

“And you will be sending one of your employees to be with us on this hunt?” Asked the leader.

“Yes.” And at that, Carl approached from the dark corner and the dim light illuminated his face. But on the other side of the conference, in Garuda’s command bridge-turned-conference room, Carl looked like his own avatar in Terroa, a gallant knight-ish mage in very bright and distinctive armor set.

“My name is Olaf,” Carl began, “And I will be the person who will be in charged of this search party.”

Then Ethan continued. “The pay, as usual, will be in terms of Zentra. And unless you personally come to our office, or just one representative from your Guild, then I would consider announcing real money in your bank accounts. What say you?”

“No.” The leader raised a hand and smiled. “It’s fine like this. You don’t have to say it like that. We really have this image of ours and we are determined to keep it this way until we receive game over.”

“Very well. So, do you accept the job?”

“We accept.”

“Good. Then let’s start already. The first area we are going to be looking for is in the Walled City of Aarun in the southern territory of Alexandria. My assistant here will meet you there.”

“We’ll be there in two hours. We will meet you there then. Please excuse us.”

As the [email protected] hologram of the conference ended, the lights in the conference room came back. At this, a grim face and a clenched fist was what greeted Carl when he looked at Ethan.

“Those scoundrels, they dare to tempt me with this disrespectful behavior! If we had another choice for the matter, I would have chosen them instead of these ungrateful bastards! You give them food and clothing and attention, then this is what they repay you for all of the things you give them?! Damn it! Damn it all!”

“President Ethan…” The door knocked and a girl’s voice echoed from the other side.

“What is it?”

“There is someone here…..er…to see you…”

“Didn’t I tell you that I don’t want to be disturbed when I’m in a meeting?”

The secretary understood it well and she paused but it wasn’t long when the door opened and Augustus’s smiling face greeted the fat president. Following behind him was the powerless secretary with two large men on standby behind her.

“Good morning to you too, mister president.” Said a relaxed Augustus as he sat down on one of the chair.

Then, President Ethan motioned for Carl and the man bowed casually, but before Carl could get out of the room, Augustus asked, “Are you the chief in the technical department of Terroa?”

Carl looked at Ethan first and then to president when he answered, “Yes.” with a shaking voice due to the incredible presence of the person in white tux.

“Good.” Augustus placed his hat on the table. “Then I want you to hear what we are going to talk about.”

At that, Ethan’s brows curled into a combined form, showing his trademark fat angry face that looked like an angry Buddha.

“What do you want now?”

“Ohoho…Isn’t a board member allowed to visit the company he invested his money in?”

“You being the largest share holder doesn’t make you the boss around me. Don’t you dare use that kind of approach in me! I am still the president of this company!”

Augustus looked like he was enjoying the look on the president’s face as he kept his smile and had his staff play with the chair’s up and down button.

“Alright. To business then.” As he spoke, he swiped a hologram panel in front of him that which the same panels appeared on the two people inside the room with him. “I want you to disconnect your surveillances on these account numbers, especially to the one below. I want them totally free inside the world.”

“This…” Carl couldn’t believe his eyes. “You’re going to use DNI Therapy on the second account?!”

“Augustus!” President Ethan exclaimed. “Are you out of your damn mind? You’ll get us sued if people are to discover this! Not only you but the whole company will go down the sink!”

But Augustus remained calm and composed. “I am aware of the risks, mister President. Rest assured, this is a top secret military operation. That’s why I insisted for the chief technical supervisor to stay here while my two trusted minions deal with the security outside.”

President Ethan pursed his lips as he looked up to the standing Carl beside him. “Well?” He prompted and Carl fixed his glasses as he spoke up.

“Well, um, technically, if we disconnect these two from the surveillance server, then hide them from the maintenance team as unused numbers, then cancel their account numbers in the retail department, then…”

“Carl!” President Ethan slammed a fist on the table.

“Ah, yes! Yes! It is possible and is very simple to do with the only risk of their back up data not being saved in the server’s memory. But sir, that’s not the problem since the player’s original game data are actually saved within the Neurolink Device’s internal memory. The back up server is only used when updating and doing system maintenance. And frankly…we…”

“Alright.” Ethan stopped him there. “Let’s calmly put everything within perspective. You got your answer now so I need mine. Why?”

Augustus smiled at them. “Simply put, these two people work under me and I just need them to move freely in the world for they have a mission.”

“And the other sick one?”

It’s here that Augustus got serious and the piercing pair of eyes silenced Carl’s tension filled trembling lips and hands.

“As I’ve said, it’s a top secret military thing. Oh, and Mister chief…”

“Y-Yes sir…”

“I will be expecting your cooperation with this one’s secrecy. If I so ever just a gossip of a gossip hear that this matter had been leaked out of this room…”

Augustus smiled at him and stomped the carpet floor with his staff. His act was enough to make Carl gulp and he nodded vigorously as he met his eyes.

“You’re a good man.” Augustus spoke and stood. “I will bid my leave then, mister president.”

“That’s it?! You go here with a ridiculous request and just leave like that?”

Augustus leaned back as the door opened saying a straight “Yes” and putting on a white mask with red lines. “I want your report tomorrow mister chief, tata.”

His front and back was covered by two big men and the sexy secretary collapsed in her chair with a heavy thud while Carl held on to the edge of the table while actually waiting for the president’s further instructions.

But instead, all Carl heard then was, “Curse you!” so he just left without saying a word.

Siva

Volume 2 [End]