Chapter 8 - FRIEND?

On his arrival at home, Laone charged upstairs to shower and get ready for the challenge being issued. He was going to enter the challenge with a mask along with an all-black attire. This was to hide his identity from all the participants, because to him one in one dialer was an enemy waiting to strike.

Also because he was afraid of running into someone who knows him. After all necessary preparations were done he went into the challenge dimension.

[LOADING LOUNGE... PLEASE BE PATIENT]

There were already more than twelve players when he arrived and quite a few of them had on masks too, some even went as far as wearing beanies. Most of the guys in the room looked at him when he entered, this was because his scent slipped out because he was startled by the turn-up.

He crept to a nearby couch to sit down and dissolve the unwanted attention he was getting. He sat down and couch felt livelier than he had expected, "oh my, sitting on my lap without even asking. Bold aren't we?"

Laone jumped back up at the sound of the voice and again his scent went wild. The owner of the voice dragged him down onto the couch and mounted. "Are you trying to drive all the alphas in here crazy?"

Laone tried to push the alpha away and his hand landed on her breasts, she let out half a moan before grabbing his hands. She pinned his hands on the couch and lowered her head slowly, Laone was sweating. He did not want to lose his first kiss to a stranger he might never meet again. Their noses touched and she rubbed them together after finally deciding to move in for the score Laone closed his eyes and prepared for the worst.

The weight of the alpha disappeared and the kiss never came, his hands were free so he decided to see what happened to the beast. He stood up to see somebody already scolding her, he tried to sneak away but was stopped. "You better not move from here unless you want to be had. Do you want to be had?" Laone shook his head and went back to sitting.

The two alpha girls sat around him and started their introductions, the first one to introduce herself was the weird one who just tried to steal a kiss. "Heya, my name is Same! Do you want to be friends with me and her and us with you, friends?" Her hand flew over to Laone's face and he was too freaked out to shake it.

Same's friend slapped it away and introduced herself, "Mine is Larona and I don't think I like you. But since my friend does I will keep you safe from her."

"You mean to keep her safe from me right?" Laone looked at the girl sitting beside her and just like her friend she was not wearing a mask. Her face although beautiful was still intimidating. It reminded him of his sister who rarely smiled or changed her expression.

Same on the other hand had an undying smile on her face and just looking at her raised death flags. Laone wanted nothing to do with these two weirdos but he stuck in between them.

Since he had not said anything since meeting them he thought that it might be polite to start off by introducing himself like all the others. "Hi my name is Laone..."

Same kept on staring at him with a look filled with enthusiasm, "is that it?"

"What were you expecting?" [Laone]

"You walked in here with your pheromones all over the air, tempting no begging us to come to you. And your name is all you have to show for it?"She folded her arm and looked away from Laone.

Laone sighed and just wished that he be let free from this unwarranted attention he was receiving. "So how did you get here?" Larona, poked his cheeks as she asked.

Laone lifted his head and faced the ceiling, after investing a few seconds into his private thoughts he tilted it to the side and said. "I don't really remember, one minute my life was normal the next minute I signed a petition to go and fight monsters."

"Are you expecting me to believe that?" Larona grabbed Laone's face and forced direct eye contact. Laone started freaking and did not know how to lie to a person being this forceful. He did not want to answer until he felt comfortable so he grabbed her back in efforts to free his face.

In the end he was weak and success was but a dream to him. She let his go as the doors of the lounge room slid open and she got up to leave. Same reached over to grab Laone's hands before he made any attempt to flee, "do you want to come hunting with us?"

Laone instinctively knew that there was no escaping this head so he nodded in surrender. Same kept her hands on Laone even after they got up to leave.

[DUNGEON INSTRUCTIONS

1. You have 3 lives in total.

2. Every time you get killed all your accumulated points are brought down by half.

3. Always stay on your toes because whenever you get killed you will respawn directly where you died.

4. The monsters in this dungeon have different points allocations

-3stars=15 points

-2stars=10 points

-1star=5 points

*Please do not confuse these stars with the ones that you earn

5. Keep a lookout for precious gemstones because they have functions that may be useful to you as a new dialer.

GET 100 POINTS TO COMPLETE QUEST]

[ORGANIC GEMSTONES- found in monsters these gemstones can help increase gang energy and can be traded for a good price in the market.]

[INORGANIC GEMSTONES- these ones can be found everywhere and the super rare ones are found in treasure chests]

"Oy, are you trying to get left behind?" Larona startled Laone who was trying to get tips on staying alive. He ran towards the two girls and together they started their hunting.

The hunting grounds were divided into six parts, the 1-star area, 2-stars, 3-stars, 4-stars, 5-stars, and finally 6-stars. The gang was currently hunting the 2-stars area and Laone was blown away. He was weaker than the girls, so weak he wanted to curl up and die.

He was still able to get some kills in with a weapon he was loaned to by the system.

[1-STAR GOBLIN KILLED, 5 POINTS GAINED]

[1-STAR GOBLIN KILLED 5 POINTS GAINED]

[2-STAR GOBLIN KILLED 10 POINTS GAINED]

[2-STAR GOBLIN KILLED 10 POINTS GAINED]

"Oh I only have thirty points!" Laone looked at his progress with a disappointed face.

"Wow you got that many?" [Same]

"I never took you for a fighter." [Larona]

"Are you guys making fun of me? I saw you tear through the goblins like nothing." [Laone]

"We two are already past level ten so the rewards we earn from this dungeon have been halved." [Larona]

Laone was frozen in place by that statement.

"Then why the hell are you doing here?" [Laone]

"I was looking for a pet, and who would have thought that I would find one before even looking." [Same]

"You creep me out." [Laone]

Same hugged Laone and whispered through his ear, "a few minutes ago you couldn't even talk. Now you are calling me creepy."

Laone struggled with her hands while he demanded a proper explanation.

"It is what it is, she really did want somebody to play with and you ended up being chosen." [Larona]

"One last question, what is this world to you?" [Laone]

"What do you mean?" [Larona]

"Like, is this a game?" [Laone]

Larona stared into Laone's eyes for a few seconds and finally decided to answer, "game?" Before her statement was completed a group of people started surrounding them.

"After every few months some new blood pops up," the first assailant looking guy walked in front of the others and started talking. His voice was deep and almost sounded like it was being broadcasted through a speaker system.

"It is only natural for us as their seniors to come forward and teach them the thrill of the hunt. I remember seeing you two a few times before, but who is that cute little girl in between you two?"

The girls along with Laone said nothing and just stared at the rockstar looking type of guy like he was crazy. Laone was more shaken than the girls because this might as well be a setup, Laone trusted no one. He was always plotting about himself and the people around him. Today he was extra suspicious because of the message he got from the system earlier.

"Really? Are you just going to look at me without saying anything, I literally just said I am here to kill you twice and make it harder for you to succeed? How are your panties not wet?"