(Denzel's POV):
The moment we entered the inn, Gayle and Thrish were questioning me about my behavior.
"Denz, where were you with Ashley?" - Thrish
"Are you trying to make a harem?" - Gayle
But then, Malech was there to be a lifesaver.
"Now now you two. Don't worry about his behavior, he's like this all the time. He cares for everyone and will go on one-on-one talks if they so request." - Malech
Malech pats Thrish's head to calm her down, Gayle bowed down to apologize but I stopped her from doing so. Malech and Thrish huh? I guess they look quite good together...
Thrish suddenly blushed after I completed a visualization of Malech and Thrish huddling together. Huh?
"Malech~" - Thrish
Thrish was letting out a very happy voice from being pat on the head by Malech. Noticing this atmosphere, I whispered to Gayle about the two of them.
"Well, Thrish is actually in love with Malech but I have no idea about Malech's feelings for her." - Gayle
So it's like that eh? A dense beta protag eh? Malech seems to stop but he kept eye contact with Thrish while smiling. He turned towards me and Gayle. Ashley already returned to the female camp's room.
"Alright guys, I'll return to the our room. Good night guys." - Malech
"Good night mate, I'll follow in a bit."
"Goodnight!" - Gayle
"Goodnight Malech~" - Thrish
Malech entered the room shared by the male camp. Thrish continued to stare at him for a prolonged amount of time.
"Thrish." - Gayle
Gayle called out to Thrish who was staring blankly at Malech before he entered the room. So the wounds are deep huh? Better ask Malech about his feelings on Thrish.
"Huh? Fueh?!" - Thrish
After letting out a cute voice, Gayle whispered to Thrish about something before turning her head back towards me.
"We'll enter our room now Denz, goo-" - Gayle
"Hold it, I have something to ask on you Gayle."
I cut Gayle off who was about to go to their room along with Thrish.
"I'll go ahead then, good night!" - Thrish
Thrish left and starts briskly walking towards their room in a good mood. She entered the room so I felt like nobody would be distracting our talk here.
"Uhm, what is it about?" - Gayle
"It's about Miguel and Leo."
Gayle opens her eyes wide to my harsh tone. She wasn't able to talk back easily about what I could possibly say.
"What do you know about them?"
"Uhm, did they do anything wrong?" - Gayle
Reasonable, but I have to make some insurance against those two.
"Not to me, but to Malech, Bella, and Ashley. The two latter have some bad feelings about them. While Malech, was about to be killed by Leo one time in the inn."
"Wh?! How!" - Gayle
"Leo used portals. While Ashley noticed about Miguel's jealous and black miasma. These two people have dangerous power that could create harm in our livelihood in the palace."
"But they said they have complete control over it!" - Gayle
They have complete control? Then why did it look like he was unable to control it from Ashley's checking up on him? He was showing jealo--
"Denzel." - Gayle
Gayle interjects through my thoughts that can't seem to find a possible cause.
"Rika's connection with Leo and Miguel are best friends. The latter sees Rika more, which is why he was jealous or so." - Gayle
"Wait, I didn't say anything about jealousy."
"You didn't know? Mystics can read minds, Thrish blushed earlier because of what you thought." - Gayle
You kiddin? I thought that's a myth.
There are myths in this game which usually talk about the various abilities of some races. Although everyone looks like a normal human, the color of their magic can determine which race they came from. There are ones that are obvious and ones that are hard to signify. Obvious ones would definitely be Mystics, Aquatic which are water, Umbral using the dark miasma, Luminous from light casters and healing magic, Helios which is obviously fire magic. There are subcategories in most of these but those are not everything. The ones that are hard to determine are Void, Necro, Steel Legion, Angelic, Chrono, Astrorift, and many more. There are lots of races that could be in this virtual game and I have yet to meet every single type.
"Is something on your mind?" - Gayle
Hold up, I thought she can read my mind? When I thought of that, Gayle suddenly pouts and almost tried to shout her complaints. She calmed down and told me that she can really read minds.
"Why are you doubting?!" - Gayle
Yep, that concludes it.
"What do you mean conclude?" - Gayle
"Well, you can read thoughts but you can't read what's inside my mind that's beyond a layer of protection."
"I... Don't get it at all." - Gayle
"I'll explain tomorrow, but what do you think about Leo?"
Gayle starts thinking for a bit but she didn't really have to deeply enter a state of process.
"I think Leo is what you call a scheming type. He considers himself as smart from what I can recall." - Gayle
Ugh, no wonder Malech is pissed at him. After thinking something like that, Gayle crosses her arms to think more about Leo's conduct. She didn't have to read my mind about my mind since my face cramps from displeasure just because of his mindset.
"Although he is smart in academics to some point. I think he has horrible leadership abilities when it comes to parties like what we did." - Gayle
"That explains Malech's complaints."
"I just want to know but, how much complaints did Malech have against Leo and Miguel?" - Gayle
"Let's see, I remember him saying: 'Because they're fucking older, doesn't mean they should be the leader! Because of them our group lost Rika! And if it weren't for me we also would've lost Bea for flying fucks sake! This is why you make those two submit by force! They're only shitheads that are considered demerits!' Something like that."
"Uwaa~" - Gayle
Gayle expresses her surprise after telling her the entire quote Malech complained to me before the meeting about our formation on the war. She seems pretty worried about Malech in some sense but I guess it's because he's worked like a black company's employee.
"Anyways, you should get some sleep, Lilith will wake you up later at midnight."
"Alright, good night Denz!" - Gayle
"Right, good night."
Gayle gleefully entered the girl's room as I kept watch. I then moved to the opposite route towards the room that's book for us guys. I should get some sleep.
=============================================
I woke up around two in the midnight and covered the foot of the three sleeping guys with ice after having a nice cup of warm water.
"Cold!?" - William
"Wh?!" - Malech
"??!" - Isaac
The three were completely confused as they instantly shot up from their beds from the freezing temperature.
"Rise and shine you three, it's about time to prepare for a massacre. Or is it that you are getting cold feet."
Heh, get it? Freezing their foot and asking whether they have cold feet?
While I was grinning, Malech swung his Death Trap and hit me in the head with the grappling hook. William followed up by forming a back kick that struck nothing but air.
"You... You and your severe jokes!" - Malech
I was laughing hard for at least half an hour before everything calmed down.
"Alright, anyways. Malech, I have a question specifically for you."
"Huh?"
Malech tilts his head from the sudden question I have in my mind.
"What do you think of Thrish?"
Immediately after I said that, William and Isaac turned their heads towards Malech with grinning faces which caused Malech to feel chills. It seems they're also interested.
After calming down for a bit, Malech answers with a smile plastered on his face.
"Why ask? She's an important friend." - Malech
"Important huh~?"
The two that are interested with Malech's love life status continued to grin while muttering something. I wonder about William and Isaac though.
"How about you Isaac, do you have a lover?"
"If you ask me then no. I do not have much interest right now." - Isaac
"I see, how about you William?"
"Well yeah I do, she's safely living in a different biome." - William
Bruh, really? What are you doing? Not inviting her to the palace? You a retard? Wanna die?
"William, it is really recommended that you invite your lover to the palace. I'll arrange it so that the two of you will sleep on the same room, on the same bed!"
"Wh!?!" - William
I clearly emphasized where they will both sleep which made William flush his cheeks in red. I get how flustered you are mate. So if you have a lover that sleeps with you on the same bed, I can finally have someone I can call: 'Comrade~ comrade~!'
We got carried away with my 'interrogation' that we heard a knock on the door.
"Denz, everyone's up." - Lilith
"Lilith? Ah, so it's three already. Hold on, they're gonna change for a bit."
The three guys immediately took out changing crystals that will change the clothing to prepared combat clothing. Malech's Death Trap immediately takes shape and kept it coiling around his left arm. William's crossbow was equipped in his main hand with a loaded rocket in it. Those rockets almost got me.
Isaac holds out a necklace and wore it. That necklace acts as a storage for his weapons and his ammo.
"Everyone set?"
The three of them nodded as we opened the door and stepped out of the room.
"Alright everyone, let's head to the desert!"
We immediately prepared the magic carpet and rode it directly towards the desert. We set off and checked around the desert wells.
"So nothing here huh?"
"Then they're most likely over there. I sense players reaching nearly triple digits." - Isaac
Isaac points towards the south-western direction without showing any self-doubt. I increased the speed of the carpet. The atmosphere was tense, and not friendly to a newly formed party.
After reaching a certain distance I immediately noticed the number count of the players that reach more than hundreds.
"This ain't something close to a hundred. It's definitely at least double than that."
Gayle looks down from worry about the safety of Lester. Oya? It seems they're safe for now but, they're about to be hunted down.
"Lester... Please be safe." - Gayle
I pat Gayle's head to reassure her about Lester's safety.
"No need to worry, they're safe. They are surrounded and about to be hunted down by around fifty mystic knights and mages but."
"But?" - Gayle
"As a close aide to the Emperor of Asylum, there's no way I'm gonna fail."
That's right, I am a powerful piece after all.
"As the person who is listed as seventh in the list of well known strongest people. I'll show you great results."