Chapter 25

Jaystyke’s lecture

Jaystyke’s part (lvl 32 archer s)

I expected this to happen. I am prepared for it.

“Archer’s dodge” I shout to elude Melarie’s attack.

“Melarie, you can’t do everything you want just because your not a slave anymore and became some progressor.” I shout in anger. Then add

“That would just simply get you killed or captured.” At this point Melarie looks a little scared but shot lunges at me again, I block it this time and say

“Stop or I am going to call help and make you slave again.” she stops and starts to cry. I am not going to comfort her this time, not after this. I signal to Renova not to either.

“Listen, if you try to do whatever you want, we can’t have you on our team.” Renova says gently to Melarie. She continues on

“There are certain unspoken rules in this world, if it gets broken, you might get targeted by many people. We don’t want that to happen. Do you want it to happen?”

“No… I don’t… It’s just… I don’t know…”

“He can come with us if he wants to, but not because you made him do it. Think about what slaves really means.” Then I remind her in a firm voice.

“You have all the right to kill him if you want, he deserves it, but not what we have been through much of our lives. Not that.” I finished.

So, you might be wondering why I got so mad suddenly. It’s because what she said is actually related to my trauma. The reason I escaped with Renova. Well… this is probably enough for you to understand the reason. Anyways, Melarie started to cry after, and we said it’s okay to get it wrong the first time. Just like that, the situation is over.

Scroomie’s part (lvl 3 none)

I was taking a bath when something loud happened and everyone evacuated. However, Jaystyke told me to just hide in the bathroom. He said that some people might try to kill me if I got lost in confusion. That is why I am still taking a bath in the bathroom 30 minutes after the alarm. I am so curious and worried right now, but Jaystyke told me to stay here. So I am going to do just that. While waiting, I am still enjoying the warm bath. Warm bath is just all that a scroomie needs. So good!

Couple minutes later though, they come in. By they, I mean our group. I am happy that they are alive, but a little sad that I would have to stop bathing. Jaystkye throws a person onto the ground and the person wakes up.

"This is a magical rope, you are captured." Jaystyke shouts at the person.

"Ugh… Really? That ain't good" the person replies.

"Nothing here is good for you" snaps Renova. She adds

"You better reply honestly and truthfully or you will be busy finding a dragon's gift box. Pretty sure we already made it clear you're not getting out alive," and goes back grinning.

"Mmm… then what's the point of telling the truth if I will die anyways." he says in a confused voice.

"Never said not going out alive means dying." Renova says this with a firm voice then starts grinning again.

"If you cooperate, we will let you join us. Melarie here insists that we do so.”

“Ye, please cooperate, I don't want to kill you.” Melarie exclaims.

“How… how do you even have that spear?” his voice portraying an unmistakable fear and confusion.

“That is a long story, which I don’t have time for.” Melarie replies.

“You, what’s your name?” Jaystyke asks in a warning voice.

“My name is” the assassin says with a pause after that, as soon as that happens. Jaystyke cuts in with a fierceness in his voice.

“You better not lie, if we think you're lying, we can check it the hard way.”

This makes me curious. Is there a way to check people’s names? Jaystyke has a mind reading power no joke. Because as soon as I thought this, Jaystyke says with a threatening voice.

“By the hard way, I mean I’m going to kill you and check the name of the person I just killed.”

“Alright, fine. My name is Altrese Trekchanger.” he answers in a shameful voice, if it was revealing the greatest secret ever.

“What kind of name is Altrese Treckchanger?” Jaystyke asks.

“HeY! It’s rude to say that!” Assassin snaps.

“Okay, okay fine. I see that your not lying.” Jaystyke says in an apologizing voice. “I am sorry for making fun of your name.”

“Well, I am not in any position to say it’s okay or not.” he answers in a sarcastic voice. He goes on to say

“Yes, I will tell you all the things I know about the person who hired me. Because I know nothing. I am not joking.” Then he adds

“I got the quest from the bounty board, I only know the name of the person who hired me.”

“Which is?” I ask.

“AWWW What is that?” he shouts.

“Hey, that’s rude! You are being more rude now!” I shout with rage.

“Alright, I am sorry. I just have never seen creatures as cute as you.”

“I can tell you're lying.”

“Alright fine, I have never seen such a creature like you. Not necessarily mean you're horrible or something. It’s just I never seen a zombie scroom that goes around places. Just means you're special and one and only.'' He carefully phrases his words so that I wouldn’t become sad. He fails though and I get sad, then I start crying.

“Hey, how dare you make our scroomie cry!” shouts Melarie in my defence. I love Melarie, she may have tried to kill me first, but I understand. I look like all the other zombie scrooms with viciousness and stupidity drilled into their very existence. I am different though. I may look like all the other zombie scrooms, but I am clearly something different. I know that now, I don’t have to be ashamed about how I look. I am not what I look like. Like the quote. The world is not what it seems to be. Just like that, I am not what it seems to be. Realizing this, I shouts

“I am fine. I am unlike all the other zombie scroomies! I am special!”

“Mmm… Okay, nobody said you weren’t…” Studders Altrese.

“Anyways we gotta decide what to do with him.” Jaystyke cuts in with an unusual seriousness in his voice.

“I want him in” shouts Melarie then adds “Alive!”

“So you can force him to date you? No.” Jaystyke says matter of factly.

“It’s not that”

“Then what?”

Melarie whispers into Jaystyke’s ears and Jaystyke looks a bit mad and offended.

“No Melarie, that is totally unacceptable.” Jaystyke half-shouts. I don’t know what Melarie said, but that must gotta be something awful.

“I’m sorry Jastyke, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s fine, just don’t upset me ever again, I really don’t like you saying those kinds of things about people.” Jaystyke says in a soft but also a firm voice.

“Alright, alright I get it.” Melarie replies.

“Well…? Are you going to kill me?” Altrese asks in a worried and polite voice, which actually makes me doubt about his profession as an hired assassin.

Jaystyke signals me to come over with the others. I do just that as he huddles all of us close, and starts to speak.

“Alright, I see no point in killing him except for money and exp he might drop.” Jaystyke starts the conversation with this strong sentence that holds proposement of letting the assassin join our team.

“I told you, he is much better use for us alive than dead.” Melarie exclaims with excitement. This only made Jaystyke’s face grim though.

“Melarie, do you not realize that your the only reason I am not sure about this dicision?” Jastyke carefully says this to Melarie.

“Huh? That makes no sense.” Melare reples like she genuinely have no idea.

“Do you really have no idea what I am saying?” Jaystyke says like he will never understand Melarie ever in his life, then adds

“I am worried that you will force him to date you or do worse things with you.”

“Oh about that… don’t worry, I promise I won’t.”

“How can I be sure about that?”

“You can’t, you just gotta trust me.”

Renova interferes at this moment to make her point.

“It doesn’t matter what Melarie wants, he is an ultra class. He can probably decide for himself once we get him in our group.” This actually makes Jaystyke look more grim.

“Ye… about that… we can’t just let him join without a safety net. He could just backstab us or flee and report to the person who set a bounty on Melarie at any time.” Jaystyke makes a great point honestly.

“I agree” I chime in. Then Renova praises Jaystyke with,

“Jaystyke since when were you this good at thinking about what if’s”.

“I don’t know? I learnt a lot while staying with you.” Jaystyke say as he slyly makes a point about how cool Renova is. Eww… those two. Thankfully Melarie thinks the same as me about this issue and Melarie isn’t just going to watch this.

“Not here lovebugs, we didn’t decide what we are going to do with him.” he interferes loudly.

“MELARIE PLEASE!” Jaystyke snaps with anger.

“No she is right, we can’t do this now. We have much more pressing things at matter.” Renova announced with a voice that I have never heard. A commander’s voice. I say, we let him join us, but not right now. We don’t have any way of stopping him if he decides to kill us all while we sleep. We are going to carry him with shackles and handcuffs on.

“But, but, that’s exactly what the slave trader would do!” protests Melarie.

“Melarie, do you have any better ideas?” Renova asks.

A long awkward silence feels the air. A very long one at that. Finally a couple minutes later, she started to answer.

“Mmm… mmm…”

“Hmm… HMPH!”

“I have no better idea.” Melarie concludes while slamming her hand on a desk. Which makes a loud ‘Thack’ sound.

“Okay, let me ask you one thing, Melarie.” Renova starts to add in as she realizes that Melarie isn’t happy with this.

“What? Renova. Say it quick, I want to sleep now, it’s already 11PM.” snaps Melarie with an irritated voice.

“Are we slave traders?”

“No…”

“Then it’s fine okay?”

“Alright… I guess…” Then Melaries adds something I didn’t expect to hear from her ever, especially in that situation.

“I love you all, I don’t know what I would do without you all. Scroomie and Carolin you two too.”

“Oh, wait. I gotta go sleep, see ya friends.” typical Melarie I think to myself.

“Is the hotel open again? Is it fixed?” she asks again

“You're literally in a hotel room right now;;;” I answer her with a confused and ‘what’s even inside your brain?’ kind of voice.