This would have been out yesterday if not for the fact that it got so long.

Turning around, Lia saw the cocky kid, Johan, again. Behind him where the same three men from before, plus three new ones, all with the same expression. They were pitying her. He still wasn't done with her.

'All of them have a normal bastard sword, the annoying kid instead has a stick, obviously what he used to hit me. Maybe he thought I'd drop unconscious, too bad for him. My health.. still 87 HP remaining. Looking again, they all have some light protection, even the kid. He's too persistent. If he remains alive I won't be able to go around undisturbed. Still, if I kill him now I'd have to run away from this town and I know I won't last long outside as I am at the moment. Judging from how I dealt with him last time, and how long the three thugs took to get out of my Primordial Fear, they'd be no match for me, in their perspective at least, thus the ones he brought along should be stronger than them. This means they could be able to one-shot me. If I get killed, as I am, the only detrimental thing would be that I'll have to wait 42 hours before coming back. I doubt the kid has an interest in corpses. Or immortal people. I wonder why they made it so that only players can distinguish between who is human and who is an NPC.'

Lia measured the distance between her and the three new guys, then slowly added some more distance walking backwards to the right. The three noticed, but didn't say anything.

'They have keen eyes, good.'

Now that there was enough distance

>

Johan and the thugs were stunned. Lia turned off Primordial Fear, the lowered herself, clenched her fists and ran towards them. The new guys reached for their swords while Lia was in front of Johan. One of the new guards was at her left, sword in his hands and she swung her first toward the kid. The guard raised his sword as her punch reached Johan's face, hearing his nose cracking and breaking, his head going backwards. She raised herself at the same time the sword went for her neck. The guard noticed, but didn't stop. The blade began cutting her skin. Blood began to flow out. The sword cut deeper. The vertebras began to separate. The sword reached the carotid. A fountain was made. The sword finished its job. Her head rolled off.

You have died

Lia opened her capsule in time to see her mother do the same.

'Tsk, getting your neck cut hurts.'

"Taking a pause, mom?"

Said Lia while massaging the back of her head and exiting the capsule. She wiped herself with a towel she kept near the capsule before putting some clothes on.

"Kinda, I'm going to work later, you?"

"I died, do you want me to make food while you take a shower?"

"Yeah, thanks cutie"

Lia checked the time and went to the kitchen. It was six in the morning, if she was quick, she could get to school before lessons started. But she had things to ask her mother. She chose to make some toast with strawberry jam for her and eggs with bacon for Elisabeth. Food ready, she was about to prepare some coffee and lemon tea when her mother arrived.

"Are you going to school today?"

Lia nodded, switched on the coffee machine and began heating some water.

"Mom, can I change class once I've chosen one?"

Elisabeth took a seat in front of her food, waited for Lia to finish making the coffee, took a sip when it was done and waited for her daughter to sit.

"No, you can't. After you choose a class, you're stuck with that one until you delete your account. Have you chosen one?"

Said that, Elisabeth ate her food, stopped, put a little more salt in it and resumed eating.

"I thought of becoming a swordswoman, but now I guess I'll make do until I find something that can be interesting. Though now I don't know how I can deal with the mobs"

Lia instead put her jam on the toast and a slice of lemon with some sugar in her tea before answering.

"Simple, do what I did. I'm gonna give you the address of a nice dojo where me and mike went, train there and use what you learn in-game. When you are inside, go monster hunting until you know the basics perfectly and don't do quests until you can kill a mob with.. let's say.. 10? Levels more than you. By then you shouldn't have a problem going around class-less, but still use the 5 points you get each level very carefully."

The long speech made Elisabeth drink a bit more coffee. Lia frowned a little.

"I don't have that much time."

Her mother gave her a surprised look but then nodded.

"Ah yes, school. Let's do this, today I'm coming with you, I'll tell the principal that you have medical problems or something so you'll be obligated to go only when there are tests, and then I'm taking you to that dojo before going to work."

"Is it really okay for me to skip school so much?"

"It'll be fine as long as you stop pretending to be average and get at least 90 on each test."

While saying that, Elisabeth stared at Lia, who, after a small sigh, nodded.

Walking through the corridors, Elisabeth and Lia could feel the occasional glances of the students. They probably thought it's about that time. Last week, that time when Jennifer and three other girls cut her hair and then dumped a bucket of cold water on her.

'I guess I'm here to get my things, summary of what I missed and what I'll miss, otherwise mom would've just left at that dojo she was talking about and come here alone. Seeing me walking with my mom towards the principal's office, I bet two or three people went to warn Jennifer. I don't think she has the balls to confront me in front of my mom, so I guess she'd be waiting near my locker. Good, I don't think she'd like to have a concussion so I'll just go to the teachers' office, get the things I need to get and return here.'

Elisabeth knocked on the office's door and when she heard a "Come in" she looked at Lia

"I take it you already know?"

Nodding, Lia began walking toward the teachers' office while Elisabeth entered the principal's.

"Ms. Ashenworth, your continued absence began to make me worry, are you alright now?"

Once inside the office, mrs. Wang, Lia's homeroom teacher, readily greeted her. Mrs. Wang was a nice middle-aged woman, always gentle with her student and ready to help them however she could. More than once it was her who found Lia in a pinch and helped. If she had a grandmother, Lia wished her to be mrs. Wang.

"I am alright, but I am afraid we won't see each other again for some time"

Lia took a seat in front of her, and then let mrs. Wang take her hands.

"Yvonne, are you transferring?"

Lia shook her head and answered

"No, it's just that my obligatory attendance rate will be lowered, so apart from the days when there are tests, I'll rarely come to school"

Mrs. Wang nodded, let her hands go and smiled.

"I see, then I can guess why you came here. Just wait thirty minutes or so and I should be done getting the other teachers' programs."

"Thank you"

"No worries, just go to the principal's office, I'll bring them there"

Mrs. Wang smiled again, got up and went about doing what Lia asked her. Lia similarly got up and left the room, only to find Jennifer outside, leaning on the wall near the door. Nonetheless, Lia ignored her and began walking toward her locker.

"Hey, where are your manners, you unfeeling pig? Shouldn't you be saying hi to me? It's been, what, a week since we last saw each other?"

Lia continued to ignore her. It makes you wonder how far a person would go to get others' attention. In this last year they have know each other, Lia not even once did she pronounce a word directed at Jennifer. Knowing this, Lia rarely retaliated, after all her behavior towards the girl wasn't exactly nice.

"Tsk"

After a few other (failed) attempts, Jennifer clicked her tongue and went away. Meanwhile, Lia reached the principal's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in"

Lia opened the door and saw her mother sitting on one of the three chairs in front of the principal's desk. The room was filled with trophies and certificates, the desk with important-looking documents and two pictures of the principal's family.

"Ahh, ms. Yvonne I see you have brought here yet another beautiful eyepatch"

Lia was currently wearing a white eyepatch with a complicated representation of a purple rose, which continued on even on the strings of the eyepatch. The principal always praised her various eyepatches, Lia suspected he had a fetish for them.

"..Yes, thank you for the compliment. Mom, mrs. Wang said she'll bring the worksheets here."

"Good, I'm done already, after she brings them we'll be on our way"

Elisabeth nodded and Lia sat near her. The principal and Elisabeth then began chit-chatting with Lia intervening once in a while until mrs. Wang came in and handed Lia the worksheets. After some more chit-chat and a farewell, Lia and Elisabeth went away.

Elisabeth drove for half an hour before reaching a dojo. Lia knew this dojo, it was on the way to Crathos Inc. from her home after all. Well, knew was an overstatement as she never realized it was a dojo, it looked like all the other business buildings near it.

"Is it really a dojo?"

"Trust me, it is, and the guy who runs it is really good too."

They got out of the car and walked up to the receptionist, a young woman which had black hair with dark blue meshes and black eyes.

"Greetings mrs. Ashenworth, it's been a while since your last visit, Master really misses you"

"Hi Amanda, I do admit I am here to see Master, but it's not for me.."

Smiling, Elisabeth moved to te side and gestured toward Lia, who stepped forward.

"Hi, I'm Lia Yvonne Ashenworth"

"Hello sweetheart, I'm Amanda Lake. Last time you came here you were but a cute little toddler, you know?"

After Lia and Amanda finished greeting and chatting a little, Elisabeth cut in

"Can you call Master? I'd like him to test Yvonne and then teach her"

Amanda nodded, made a call and then after an "okay, please follow me," the three went to take an elevator to the 7th floor. Once the elevator stopped and they exited, they found themselves in a room that took up almost the entire space of the 7th story, its floor was covered in tatamis, the wall on their right was covered by mirrors while the one on the left was almost covered too, but by weapons. Facing said wall was a sixty-something bald old man, dressed with one of those blue kimonos used for training, swinging a bamboo sword up and down, with 12~15 people in-between the man and the mirror wall, their back towards it, intently watching the man.

"Master."

Elisabeth called out and bowed a little. The old man stopped and slowly put the sword on the floor, while one of the people watching him got up and brought him a towel to wipe the sweat. Done that, he walked towards the three women who just entered, nodded to Amanda, who promptly left after that, and then hugged Elisabeth.

"Elisabeth, it's been so long, it's a pleasure seeing you here again"

"The pleasure is mine"

They each smiled at one another, probably remembering their old times, then he noticed Lia and asked

"So, I take it this young lady is your daughter?"

"Yes. Come on dear, introduce yourself"

They both looked at Lia, who in return had been staring the old man in the eyes

"Nice to meet you, I'm Lia Yvonne Ashenworth"

Like her mother did, Lia bowed a little.

"Hello, my name is Trevor Lee, I'm the instructor of this dojo."

The man then looked over her from head to toe and with a disapproving look faced Elisabeth again.

"I understand that you probably are here to ask me to teach her, but I'm not gonna do it. Ahh, youngsters and their fashion.. If she stops dying her hair and putting on eyepatches, I might consider your request Elisabeth."

Trevor shook his head as Elisabeth gave him a bitter smile

"It's not fashion.. that is the natural color of her hair, and she's blind in the left eye.."

Trevor was a little surprised, but then he quickly recomposed himself

".. I see, I won't say anything more. Since everything is resolved now, I guess I'll test Lia now. Abigail! Go with Lia to get her a kimono and then accompany her to the changing room. Faze! You choose an appropriate sword for her!"

Two people stood up, a man and a woman. The man, Faze, looked to be 35/36 years old, he had dark brown hair and blue eyes, certainly he didn't lack muscles and seemed to be 20~25 cm taller than Lia, who was 167 cm tall. He proceeded to inspect some swords that hung on the opposite wall. The woman, Abigail, was only about 5 cm taller than Lia, appeared to be only 18~19 years old and her black hair, black eyes and face all resembled Amanda's. Abigail swiftly arrived in front of Lia and smiled

"Hi there, name's Abigail Lake, feel free to call me Abby, Lia"

After a nod, Lia shook hands with Abigail and then they walked up to the only other way out of this room, situated near the elevator, the stairs. They walked down a story and entered the 6th floor.

"So, can I ask why the sudden interest in martial arts? From your movements it doesn't seem like you ever trained before"

"I'm training to become better at playing Hyria"

Abigail pushed open the door and inside there was a corridor perpendicular to them which led to two doors, to the right the men's changing room, left for the women's. In front were a man and a woman standing behind a big counter, behind them a third door.

"Abby, showing around the place to a new member?"

The man asked while eying Lia

"Nah, Master wants a kimono for her"

"I see, then Marie, you know the routine"

The woman nodded and then all three went in the women's changing room. Lia undressed and let Marie take her measures, afterwards she went to fetch Lia a kimono. While Marie was away Abigail made a comment on Lia, which she promptly ignored. While waiting and also while Lia put on the kimono Marie brought her, Abigail and Lia chatted.

"Hyria, right? Isn't that the VR game released by the famous company near here?"

"Yes, mom made me play it, and since real life skills seem to be useful, she brought me here too"

"Is it really good as they say?"

"..It's well made. I only started playing recently so I don't know much, you should ask my mom after she comes to pick me up later"

"Later? Isn't she upstairs?"

Lia shook her head while Abigail opened the door for the stairs

"She just dropped me off here, she had to go to work"

"Ah, I see"

When she entered in the 7th floor again, Lia found the people who before were all seated between the mirrors and Trevor, more or less equally seated in front of the right and left wall, facing the center, in which Trevor was standing, directly looking at her with his fierce blue eyes while holding two katanas. Abigail quietly took a seat near the queue of people to the right. Trevor walked up to Lia and handed her the sword in his left hand as he said "Don't move until I say so." As she took it, she could feel the sword's weight, length and center of gravity. As she concentrated on the sword, Trevor took a step backwards, creating a distance between them of about 30 cm. Lia shifted her line of sight once again on Trevor, who, once he saw she was done, used as much force as he could to take a step ahead with as much speed as he could muster in those 30 centimeters. Lia looked, watched, stared, glared and analyzed him. 'He's going to stop.' She pointed her katana down as he swung his at her. Her eyes connected with Trevor's.

At 3 centimeters from her neck, the sword stopped. Trevor relaxed his body, turned around and began walking away.

"Ahah, missy got too scared to move"

A man in the right row commented, making Abigail glare at him. Trevor instead shook his head

"She saw I'd stop, and even before that she had not even one hint of fear in her eye"

The people on the left slightly nodded and Trevor turned around, the distance between them was now 2 meters.

"Your turn Lia. Attack me"