"…Rule N°14?" He turns halfway and looks at Levon. "I don't have the best of memories, what does it say?"
Levon. "… The loss of 2 lives inside the game means our death in the real world."
Kier is weirded by the answer and raises his right eyebrow, then lets a subtle laugh. "Hahahaha! What are you saying man? I did not read any rule saying such funny thing. Besides, aren't there only 10 rules? I went through them before I started any challenge."
This reply makes it even more complicated for Levon, he's not the type to go back and forth to prove something, but as he saw that it is a very important matter, he's willing to go beyond his comfort zone.
"No. I just read it right before you appeared, check your watch." Says Levon, vindictively.
Kier turns all the way this time and faces him. "I don't know if you're aware, but things are different here science boy, you don't get to tell me what to do.
We're opponents here, I am not obliged to even answer your questions."
Levon remains silent, with his usual cold deep stare pointed right towards Kier's eyes.
"…But fine, I'll check it since you're telling me some crazy stuff now." He says as he activates his watch.
With couple clicks and some swipes on his digital screen, he finds the list. "…Like I said, only 10 rules I'm looking at."
'…Weird!' Levon moves his pupils sideways right.
"So I guess you're just hallucinating, you kind of scared me with that. You don't even look like the type to make jokes, take it easy on yourself man Hahahaha!
I guess you were too used to having it easy after all…" Kier says as he walks away, leaving his foe behind.
'How come? Are rules different from one person to another?' asks Levon in his mind.
He checks the rules again, and it's right there in front of him. 'Should I have showed it to him from my watch? I don't think that's possible, when he activates his watch, I saw nothing. I guess only the watch's owner gets to see it.
This is very confusing, I feel extremely uneasy about this situation…'
Suddenly, Levon remembers the person he said earlier can help him understand certain things.
"Yes! Karam… He must know something about all of this. The problem is how to get him to answer my questions!
Wait… I saw one challenge in the list that had something to do with the restaurant!" Levon checks the challenges list, and finds it.
*Challenge: Working in the restaurant for 24hours*
"This is it… Perfect, it even mentions time, that will make it easier for me to ask him about whether the timeline here is equal to that on earth.
It's decided, I'll take this challenge." Graham clicks on Accept.
Using the map, he navigates the dim & narrow routes of Aedificium, his health is improving with every quick step he makes.
'…I always wonder whether Aedificum all together is an underground realm, I have yet to see any open place in here…
I must admit that even if it wasn't a pleasing sight, I now quite miss looking at Babel's clouded sky…
Tcheh! What am I even thinking of? This is silly…
I have much more serious things to worry about now, is this what Father Robert meant when he warned me about participating in the game?
"Something beyond comprehension…" I remember those words vividly.
So far, that has been proven right. I can't seem to understand this, even though I'm discovering more and more, the puzzle just keeps on getting bigger and bigger…
But, why do I feel like I can't stop wanting to know more!? Why am I so interested in this?
This feeling… I know the chemical reactions that are going on inside me, these constant adrenaline and serotonin rushes! What instigates them is the question!!
Immersed in his thoughts, Levon did not feel the long walk he had to take to arrive once again to the restaurant. His health has fully recovered in the process.
"This is the last turn." He says.
It was more crowded this time than before, people of different shapes, colors, designs, are sitting in groups and eating their meals like they have never tasted food before. The restaurant is doing pretty well, one might say.
'…It's funny, from being so used to crowds and people gathering in the same place, to finding It unusual and weird in here, all in the span of days…' he remarks.
A familiar voice shouted. "Look who we got here! Welcome back Mr. Levon Graham!"
Levon looks towards the direction of the sound, it is the chief himself shouting from inside his cuisine. Levon approaches the old man and directly announces the reason why he came here. "I came to take the challenge."
"Oh! Finally someone willing to help. I was getting worked to death all by myself here." Karam replies, joyfully.
"…Death." Unconsciously replies Levon.
Karam. "Hm?"
"Never mind, tell me what do I have to do." He asks. 'This is not the time to ask, I have a long 24hours ahead of me…' he says in his mind.
Karam. "Alright, get inside! The first thing you'll do is you'll have to change that outfit, it looks cool when you're fighting, but you can't welcome costumers like that."
"Welcome costumers? No, I won't do that. Give me something else." Levon quickly refuses.
A moment of silence followed, Karam's large smile was replaced by a serious look. "… you know, as the chief restaurant here, I'm the one who judges all those accepting the challenge of working here, whether they passed it or not.
Now in normal circumstances, a reply like yours will be enough of a reason to make me consider you failing the challenge. But, since you're the first who thought about taking it, I'll take it easy on you.
My orders here are absolute, you understand?" Karam's tone was very serious.
Levon could do or say nothing, but realize that it won't be on his terms here. "..Alright, I understood." He replies tentatively.
"Hahahahaha! That's what I'm talking about." Karam's easy going joyful vibe got back instantly after that reply. "Oh yeah! You're probably wondering how can you change your clothes. There's an option in your watch, search for "costumes", you'll find it there by the name of "waiter costume"." Explains the chief.
Levon does as said, the moment he clicked on it. His fighting costume disintegrated like shining particles, and was replaced by the classic waiter clothes waiters used to wear in the pre-natural revolution times, circa early 21st century.
"…what in doom's world is this I'm wearing?" Levon says uncontrollably! He's not liking it whatsoever.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Karam laughs at him for a good half minute. "I haven't laughed like this since decades! Don't say that young man, it fits you well in my opinion.
Anyways, stop wasting time! We have stomachs to make full."
He'll go on to explain what he needs of Levon to do, the latter knew he has a long, long 24hours ahead of him…
'This is nowhere as easy as I thought it would be…' He said in his mind.