Elena POV

After a while of nonstop leveling, we decided to take a break.

None of us wanted to, but after I mentioned how the children might be tired, they all seemed to agree to me.

By the way, now that I am touching on breaks. Ben and Daisy don't log out, ever. They must have one of those devices that allow them to stay in here forever.

Poor people, sooner or later they will regret their stupid decisions. When their body fails them and they have nothing left to do, on their death beds they will curse themselves...

Whatever.

Where was I? Ah yes, taking a break.

But honestly, I was just bored from spamming my spells nonstop for days...

The only fun part was testing out our ultimates.

In short summary: Artjem would be deadly in pvp and against low health enemies, nobody would be able to catch him, ever. It was just broken, specially with his skill. Benjamin would go berserk and had this creepy skill where he would control a dead humanoid, completely devoid of emotion and character, it had however to be trained since it could only be melee and would start at level 1. Calv had two that would be saving us a LOT in the future. And I had one to safe one person and one to completely destroy one enemy. Daisy did not fight at all so we did not see hers.

And watching Artjem having fun was also funny.

He is such a funny fellow to have around. Always speaking his mind and there was always something offensive in it, it is spectacular.

We could be talking about the most serious topic and he would throw in a comment that would ruin everyone's mood and make everybody want to kill him. Just amazing!

Also during our leveling we determined that we were followed by a few people. They were good and we almost did not notice it, but Calvin was quick to pick up on them.

We decided that as long as they would not bother us, we would also just let them be. We don't know their reasons, but it is probably something with us having completed that dungeon and maybe they want to see how capable we are and recruit us.

Dunno, don't care.

A fire in the middle with a kettle above it and Daisy busy with cooking, we sat around it and were relaxing after a long hunt.

Artjem was giving a lecture about love and why it was a worthless concept and only made you weak to the child that always was around him.

Over the last day, he always made sure to at leas tell her about what he had done while fighting. I think they managed to bond nicely, of course Artjem still made a point of telling once in a while that he was a big bad man and that he would not care about her if she got hurt, but nobody really believed him at this point, not even him.

“.... and that's why it will only hold you down, it is a weakness your enemies can exploit, the person you open up to can unknowingly cause you great pain and sooner or later you will both part from each other, no matter in good or bad and it will hurt you, it will destroy you. So stay away from it, it is bad.” He paused for a few seconds. “And gay.”

The girl tilted her head. “What is gay?”

I had to suppress a laugh as I listened to them.

“Well... “Artjem seemed lost. “Okay, I think I can tell you the truth. “ He paused and coughed a few times. “You see, usually a man and a woman find each other to.. well, they call it love , but really they only want to have somebody who accepts them and a few other nice benefits... But that is not what matters here. Well, you know how usually men and woman bond together and then there is this disgusting thing called marriage... anyhow, they marry. BUT! But there are also men and men or women and women that want to be accepted by that gender and they are called “homosexual” or in the urban language “gay.” Now what I have used gay for was something different. I used it in a negative way, as an insult. You might ask why and the answer would be that since very long ago homosexuals have been frowned upon and even now this word can be used as an insult even if gay humans are the norm. There are also other types of lov-- relationships that are generally not accepted, even today, but this is not what I wanted to tell you about so... yeah, that's it.”

Hannah asked. “Then why are you still using it as an insult?”

He just shrugged with an disinterested expression. “Dunno... It's just a word, only the meaning behind it counts, who gives a shit...”

“Then does that mean that I can also curse? In front of you?”

He again only shrugged. “Sure, go ahead, have fun.”

“ARTJEM! You can't teach things like that to children!" Daisy protested. “Those are bad words! And love is good! It does not make you weaker! It is in all of us and we should accept it with all the benefits and negatives.”

Hannah spoke up again. “Will I be able to have revenge with love?”

Daisy frowned “No, love is about forgiveness, it is about letting go and concentrating on the good things in life. Who needs revenge if you can have love!” She clung to a spoon as if it was her lover and was describing all those things as if from first hand.

“Well... that's pretty gay. I want power.” The child answered and earned a loud of applause and laughter from Artjem and most of everyone else. Not Elizabeth though, she was still mad at him.

He run with his hands through her hair and then picked her up, threw her in the air and gave her a smooch on her cheek. “That's my girl!”

The child got red and was surprised beyond believe at that.

Artjem also realized what he had done and awkwardly put her down. They then sat near each other, avoiding the others eyes.

I nearly burst out laughing at that scene. Such a simple guy, really...

If he was homosexual then he would have been the perfect guy-friend for me.

Sigh.. unfortunately he isn't... At least I think so...

He does this whole macho thing that a lot of hidden homosexuals do... Maybe he just needs a little help to get there...

I will think about it.

He then just continued to sit there awkwardly, drawing something in the ground. When he was finished he pushed Hannah weakly in her shoulder to get her attention and she looked at whatever he had drawn. It earned a few rounds of giggles and before anyone could see what it was, he wiped it away, leaving no evidence.

After that he closed his face with both of his hands and told her to wait and see. 3 minutes later and with some sweat on his face, he showed us his face again.

It was not his face...

The face we were seeing had a weirdly wrong looking pig nose, big broken ears and had two front teeth sticking out of his mouth. Adding to that he also made a grimace which resulted in all of us sharing a good laugh after we overcame the initial surprise.

Was that a skill?

“When will you start my training?” the child asked after she was done laughing.

He had a grin on his face. “Well, you know. After long and careful consideration, I have decided that you should at first grow up. Right now I will concentrate on building your mind and character. Your body however is still to young and we will start if let's say.. you are at least 10 years old...”

To his surprise she just nodded. “Okay, I will wait.”

Ben spoke up from the side while Daisy just laughed at him. ”It won't work like you thought it would... Adopted children grow up very quick. One irl week=one month here= two year for children that have been adopted. They will grow insanely fast and absorb knowledge to their limits until they reach the age of 18...”

He paled and looked down. “So how long till you will be 10?”

She answered immediately. “Today I reached the age of 5. That means in 2 and a half months.”

Artjem looked strangely at her but then just patted her head and said. “Damn Npc's... What if someone wanted to adopt children and have a real family with them, not just letting them grow up in a few weeks?”

Daisy shrugged. “Then you go irl and do your duty...”

Artjem got strangely silent afterwards.

A few minutes later we all got a serving of stew and ate it while sitting down.

IT was SO DELCISIOUS!

I asked her and she told me. “Well, I actually only used raw ingredients and only some salt and pepper, it really is just my cooking skill AND my actual cooking skill, not just game mechanics and would I have done more, it would be pratically drugs.”

Daisy started to look weirdly at me and Calvin.

Bitch better not be interested in him or I will make sure that she won't have a nice stay in this group.

I swear, every time there is at least one that shows extreme interest in him and every time I have to do something against it. I know his life pretty much revolves around me and he does not like to part with me and as such has never actually dated anyone, but he is also not so eager to accept me, not even after our touching conversation back when we started this game.

Sometimes I rewatch a recording of those moments... Sigh... I want more...

She finally spoke up after eyeing us for some time. “Sooo... are you both lovers?” Daisy asked with an excited face.

I could see how Calvin besides me paled at this question and got very stiff. I also got a little fearful, but since I already told Ben that we are married, heheheh, it should be not a problem to tell them just that.

Before I could even open my mouth and say something...

Well, Artjem happened....

“What are you talking about? They are clearly siblings of some sort. Just look at the caring and brotherly air around Calvin whenever he is around her or they are fighting. He always puts himself between her and the enemy and does his hardest to protect her. I also once was an older brother and as such would recognize that anywhere and anytime.”

“No”Daisy frowned. “Pff, that complete BS. Just look at how they sit next to each other, Elenas body is pointing his way, all her attention always goes to him, when they speak her feet always point to him, she speaks with a higher voice when talking to him and generally seems only to care about Calvin. She is clearly in love with him.”

They then both realized something...

They both looked at us. “Could it be... “Artjem said and Daisy continued. “The legendary brother- sister....”

Calvin right next to me was practically hyperventilating, which was cute to see... but unfortunately I was also worried now. Would we need to find a new place for us? Again?

Artjem just starred at us with a wide grin on his face while Daisy was right besides him talked. “OH MY GOSH! Oh my gosh oh my gosh! I thought years of anime had prepared me but when it happens right before you, you just get so overwhelmed!”

Artjem then reached his hand to me and touched my shoulder. “C-could you c-call him onii-chan?” He was red in the face and breathing heavily. From the side I could see Daisy having the same look as she went “KYAAAA! YES, PLEASE!”

This was not something I had expected and as such I started to laugh loudly. Those guys never cease to amaze me...

I looked at the dumbfounded brother of mine. He just stared at them both, not sure what to think of this situation. 2 people accepting us and even being excited about it.. I think they might have broken him down.

From the side I leaned in slowly and while having to calm myself down as to not laugh out loud, I whispered into his ear loud enough for every one to hear. “Ohh- - Nii- -Chaan.” And gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Artjem sat there with an “O” mouth and Daisy screamed “KYAAAA!”

Afterwards, with a red face I could no longer contain myself and started to laugh.

I am not such a big fan of anime, but I have been told that such kinds of relationships were presented there and that spiked my interest... So of course I am familiar with the whole oniichan thing.

Calvin was still broken and I did not get a reaction out of him... damn, he always acts so cute and tries to deny it... it makes my heart race even faster.

Not participating in our fun and sitting down enjoying his meal with his girlfriend sat Benjamin and he just awkwardly watched us. I was worried at first, but he really was just awkward and had no disdain.

Overall, could not have been better.

When we met Ben, I knew that I was supposed to hold back for a while, even if I said that we were married as a joke, or a wish actually, would I have started to act as if I was really his wife, he would show that he had little to no interest and as such it would have raised questions, but now...

I would have no reason to hold back.

At least not as long as we are only around our group.

Me likey!

Calvin POV

Well... That right now was... A thing.

I mean, I should be happy that they accept Elena, but at the other hand I know that she will have no restrains now. The opposite, she would want to catch up with the time she was supposed to hold back.

God dammit...

Daisy spoke up after she calmed down. “Elena, let's go somewhere and talk between girls.” She also looked at Elizabeth. “Would you like to join us? This will surely be a lot of fun and we do have to discuss a few things between us.”

They walked away and we only could hear some giggles from a far.

The children also went together and started to play with sticks.

Hannah did of course all of the talking and even if she was younger, she acted like the big sister, explaining stuff to Fiora, who was just smiling and nodding her head as usually.

They just started to play around and did some “sword fighting”. It was cute and Ben was paying attention to them.

Ben was a strange guy, he seemed to care a lot about that child, Fiora, but ignores his girlfriend most of the time, or mostly only gives her attention when he likes it...

I mean it in a more subtle way and not as if he was a total douche and would abuse her, of course he gives her attention, but like I said before, it is mostly only for his benefit and you would only otice it by playing close attention, but let's be real, such relationships are very common...

But it is none of my business and since Elizabeth does not seem to mind, I will not mention it.

Just like right now, she went away and while she looked at him as if asking if it was okay, he just did not pay her any attention and watched the children.

After a few minutes of awkward silence Artjem spoke up. “Sooo... “I knew nothing I would like would come out of his mouth. “Wincest, hugh?”

I got a headache and just ignored his remark.

“And you are what? Ignoring her? Dude, if such a gorgeous woman like Elena was even my mother, I would still hit that.”

I looked at him like the idiot that he was. “Is there a button I have to press so you will shut the fuck up?”

He looked offended. “Hey, just doing some small talk. Is she just as gorgeous irl? I bet you are living together. You are living together, are you?”

“Can you be less annoying? How many online games have you played, have some people by any chance tried to assassinate you once in a while? Maybe even themselves? Freaked out and tried to bash your face in?”

He nodded. “Yes, how did you know? Actually after a while I could only play games with limited multiplayer features like Dark souls or Monster Hunter to avoid that.”

“Wait, Monster Hunter... Artjem Boranin... Artjem B. …. YOU ARE THAT FUCKER!”

Ben did not understand what was going on and just asked what I meant.

“That fuck used to go on hunts with a heavy bowgun and then just spammed explosives and trolled around! For the 20 times we have met online, he trolled at least 7 times out of them! I even noted his name down so I could get back at him!”

“Hey, I just wanted to get back on others after I got trolled, I am just a victim of the circumstances, just like you!”

I stood up, furious. “I will hit you now. Really hard.”

He stood up and got into position and moved his hands in a come here kind of way. “I would like you do just that, bitcho.”

Ben voiced his opinion. “How about a duel and then you will calm down, no matter who wins.”

We agreed.

Walking a little further away as to not damage anything, I called him out on a duel and he accepted. After that a flag hit the ground from above and out of nowhere and a countdown started to go from 10 to 0.

When the duel started, Artjem instantly used his ultimate.

He calls it: now u see me and now u ded....

It makes you invisible and 200% faster, the next attack will deal 300% damage, the enemy will also die if 10 seconds after the attack he has less than 10% health, in case of bosses the enemy will receive 50% of all the damage he got during those 10 seconds.

I almost laughed out loud at his stupidity.

Why?

Because such a strong skill was bound to have a few downsides.

He was invisible and his first attack would have been devastating, but WHILE he was invisible, all damage taken by him would also be amplified by 300%.

And guess who can easily abuse such a weakness...

I also used my ultimate. I like to call it: Boom Bum Pow!

I could not see him, but I knew he was a bloodthirsty stupid punk and would run straight to me.

Lucky me he did not see me using this ultimate until now.

With the big body of mine, I jumped up in the air and caused a small earthquake where I took of and got 10 meters in the air, since there was no ceiling that I could use to make my attack stronger, I just chose an area that I wanted to land and POW!

The area where I landed exploded, the ground broke and shook, and moved in shock waves away from me.

Artjem, who really just wanted to jump at me had not really reacted to my sudden attack.

He had only about 15 % of his health left after the shock wave sent him in the air and he screamed in pain.

I quickly used my crush and jumped at him, crushing down his chest.

He did not die, his health dropped to 1 hp and I was announced as a winner.

“Get one hit killed, bitch.” I rubbed it in his face.

Artjem stood up coughing. “Unfair.. .I did not know that you had such a skill or else I would have done it differently. Rematch! I want a rematch!”

“Fuck off, we agreed to one duel and whoever wins, no rematches. Suck it bitch.”

This exchange then continued for some more minutes until the women returned. I was continuously annoyed by him even after that however....

AN: One more chapter later today or tomorrow and then might take a while till the next one.

Changed title. I think this one fits more. AAnd the cover.

I like the contrast between the fantasy like title and the cover. It's so edgy...