"Can I sleep in your room?"
Justine shyly said behind the teddy bear on her face. Philip only looked at her with dead eyes
"Uh, sure? Come in"
Philip stepped to the side and allowed Justine to come in. As Justine went in, the plain body pillow and head pillow floated behind her. It seems that the pillow are under the influence of Vector Manipulation on gravity and displacement
Philip then closed the door and spoke
"I spoke to Jude last night, I thought he would arrange a room personally for you?"
Justine jolted because Philip engaged on a conversation
"I visited his room earlier. He was inside but he's not allowing anyone to come in"
"Really?"
Philip was surprised, it already has been a day since Philip removed the Reverse Sword condition on him. Is Jude still knocked out? What's happening to him?
"Yes"
"Then you're free to sleep in here, it's original your room anyway"
"No no no! I'm the one who's intruding since the Old Man personally gave this room to you"
"Alright fine, you sleep on the bed"
Philip agressively pointed at the bed
"And I'll sleep on the futon"
"What? No! I should be the one who's sleeping on the futon"
"No me! I want to be a gentleman"
Justine blushed
"But, but... This is your room"
"Consider it as a courtesy, a special occasion"
"But I want to sleep on the futon"
Philip became slightly irritated. He thought that Justine was being serious and unreasonable, but he figured that she's playing around
"Oh? You wanna fight who gets the futon?!"
"Oh? You're on!"
Justine temporarily placed her pillows and the stuffed toy on the side of the bed and lifted her fists. Philip also lifted his fists
Justine lunged at Philip and tried to grab his torso to take him down. She wrapped her arms around his waist and a tinge of red filled her cheeks. But Philip managed to maintain his balance and held Justine's waist from her behind
Philip lifted Justine's body and her feet escaped the ground. She flailed her legs to regain her composure but to no avail. She released her arms around his waist to go down to the ground and do a trick
But Philip beat her to it and threw her on the bed. Justine was jogged from the impact and bounciness of the bed. She then extended her hand and two fingers at Philip to increase the gravity around him
He shrugged his shoulders and lunged atop of Justine and pinned her down on the bed as he held both of her wrist above her head
Philip felt awkward by the series of events and it seems like he's invading Justine's personal space. He could only play along with it since Justine also seemed to be enjoying it because she used her ability
But this time, her face was flushed red when Philip was on top of her, especially since her arms seemed to be tied above her head with his hand
This seemed kinky
"Do you accept defeat?"
Justine thought twice if she should accept defeat because her heart couldn't take this much longer. But she's enjoying it and she wants to go on and see where it will take them
"No"
Justine twisted her fingers and Philip felt his body become light. The gravity is being reversed around them
It was then that Philip smiled which made Justine confused and flustered. Justine aas surprised when Philip placed his left hand in front of her face in a snapping gesture
An audible sound reverberated throughout the room and the manipulated gravity was nullified
Justine was shocked as she slammed back on the bed by the force of the burst if energy in the snap and moaned
"Aaahhh!"
"Your ability doesn't work on me"
Philip threatened Justine amd whispered on her ear to also take advantage of her feelings
"Aaaaauuuu~"
Justine couldn't help but moan from the pleasure she felt on her ear. Her face is completely red because of Philip's daring actions
"Alright, alright!! I lose!"
Philip then released his grip on her wrists and got out from Justine. Justine immediately sat back up as she breathed heavily from the pressure and embarrassment
She glared at Philip to which Philip just shrugged his shoulders
"Since I win, I'll take the futon!"
Philip showed a tongue at Justine like a child mocking a loser just from winning
Justine couldn't reply because she doesn't want to admit that she gave up not because of the difference in strength and power, but because of him. He played with her heart
Justine then pouted as Philip set up the futon on the floor
"Also, this pillow is my favorite. You can keep the rest"
Philip smiled as he grabbed the largest pillow he had. There were five pillows in total and Justine got four for free
Philip then sat down on the futon while preparing to go to sleep
"Hmp, you could sleep with me on the bed, you know?"
Justine muttured silently, enough for Philip to not hear it. Unfortunately, Philip still heard it. He turned his head Justine
"Huh? But you're the one who wanted to sleep on the futon?"
"Huh? Wha?!"
Justine became flustered, she didn't know that Philip would hear her muttering. She quickly came up with an excuse
"Well, I thought it was the right thing to do as the one who intruded"
"Haah, look, it's fine okay? I want you to sleep on the bed and that should be enough"
"Hmmm... Okay..."
Justine muttered in melancholy. Philip turned his head at Justine
"You really want me to sleep with you on the bed?"
Philip boldly asked. Even though he has no heart and can't feel any love, his braim knows that Justine is falling in love and he could also feel that from someone who kept manipulating his own emotions
Justine's eyes widened from Philip's bold question. Her face turned red and tried to avoid the question by turning her head away. She doesn't know what to answer whether to say yes or be humble and decline
"Hm, I guess that's a yes"
Philip muttered as he stood up. He then sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the TV. Justine looked at him with furrowed eyebrows as her heart started pounding. She hugged the teddy bear and place the large palim body pillow on her legs
Justine was about to speak to Philip when she heard an unusual news segment on the television. It was the same for Philip as he turned his head towards the TV
~~~
News: Exclusive
A man that was diagnosed with coma has miraculously woke up. The doctors did not know what happened but they are very grateful for the miracle. Although, the man seemed to have been diagnosed with amnesia
According to a nurse, she found the man lying on the hospital floors when no one was present during the entire day. The man is the only one who has been injured in the hospital. It's as if the man mysteriously appeared in the hospital during a cry for help
After a few days, the man seemed to be very healthy and doesn't show any signs of amnesia as the man left the hospital with a wide smile
~~~
As the footage from the news panned towards the man, it was obvious that his eyes were dilated and it was faintly glowing blue
The video was eerily creepy to show on the news without even commenting about it. To Justine and Philip, the man doesn't feel like human at all and he doesn't looke normal
Justine and Philip's faces became serious. The sweet atmosphere from before disappeared after seeing the strange news
"What do you think, Justine?"
"That man's not normal"
"Do we need to investigate?"
"Perhaps... I'll look into it"
"No, you don't have to. I have a plan"
Justine looked at Philip, curious about his plan. They watched the news until the segment was over
The reason why Justine and Philip became serious after seeing the man is because, Philip's Extreme Self-awareness automatically activated which surprised Philip. His body also tingled which jolted his senses. Eye Vision and Clairvoyance refused to activate the moment Philip tried to use it and Future Vision also won't work
On the other hand, Justine's danger sense spiked. The energy within her became turbulent the moment her brain registered the appearance of the man. Energy Contemplation didn't work on the man which alarmed her
Justine's Energetic Vectorization ability works through screens and records
After a while, Philip broke the silence and turned to Justine. He figured that their tiredness and sleepiness disappeared after seeing the news. They needed to relax
"You want to play games?"
Justine was surprised and hesitated at first but she then agreed
"Yeah, sure!"
Philip grabbed two of his three smartphones and gave her his gaming phone. He kept the phone that has his notes. Since it only has his notes, the phone still has enough storage to download and install 2-player co-op games
Justine noticed that he gave her his gaming phone and she appreciated the gesture because Philip wanted Justine to have more fun and better experience
"What do you want to play?"
Philip asked
"Let's do competitive first. Just you and me!"
"Oh, alright! Don't cry if I beat you down"
"You're the one who's going to cry"
Philip crossed his legs and face Justine. It was the same for Justine as she ignored her embarrassment and fluster as she just felt happy that she could get to relax and play games
"By the way, abilities are allowed!"
Justine declared to Philip
"Oh? That's fine, there's no difference anyways. Do your abilities work through digital?"
"Of course! They're made of vector of codes didn't you know?"
"Ah, that's true"
Justine was confident that she could overpower Philip's Future Vision. She also knows that he won't use Fate Vision in a game. Pain Denial is useless and worthless, except for when he will deal with the pain of loss
Although, Justine was wary of his Emotion Manipulation ability. He can be calm through stressful moments and have the upper advantage which she's wary of
Little did Justine know, Future Vision is only one of the five abilities that he uses in games. Will her ability overpower his combined abilities?
"Get ready to use your Pain Denial ability because you'll need it to deal with the pain of your loss!"
Justine agressively said to Philip
"Oh? Already talking smack when we still haven't decided a game, huh?"
Justine then laughed and Philip giggled. They then decided at the competitive game that they'll play
It was a series of party games that are collected in a sequence. Perfect for competitive one on one play
They then started to play against each other and they started to get competitive at first. It then became casual since one or the other accepted their defeated
But it suddenly became heated when both sides used their abilities
Justine used Vector Manipulation and Energy Manipulation to manipulate the game codes to make the randomizer engine for most of the party games favorable towards her and destructive to Philip
However, just like Justine predicted, Philip was calm during the entire game. He sees the future, the real-time present, all the measurements and values, and awareness that let's him know danger behind him, even though he couldn't see behind his character at all
Ultimately, after one hour, Philip ended victorious over Justine by a landslide. Justine didn't have a chance despite her manipulation the vector of codes when Philip could predict the future and see real-time present
"Ugh, your Future Vision is too powerful! I had no chance at all!"
"Well, you shouldn't have suggested competitive game"
"You're right... Ugh! I refuse to lose!"
Justine already forgot her embarrassment and her fluster when with Philip. Her personality is also showing that she refused to lose and that she's a fighter. She never gives up and fights till he wins
"So, another one?"
Philip asked
"Yeah!"
"Same game?"
"What do you think?"
"Hmmm..."
Philip thought for a second
"How about chess? I haven't played chess for a long time"
Justine turned her head towards Philip and looked at him with ridicule and a raised eyebrow
"Are you serious?! You're just going to dominate me"
"Uh, well..."
Philip look around and avoided Justine's eyes as he whistled
"You know what? Let's play chess! You're on!!"
"Oh, okay!"
Of course Justine didn't back down. She tried to grant Philip's request because she cared for him. If he hasn't played chess for a long time, then she'll play a game if chess with him, even if she'll lose from his ability
"You know what? I'll give myself a handicap... I won't use my Future Vision"
"What? No... You should use it. I'm also curious at how much I'll get dominated"
"How about this, we'll play one game of no ability and one game of with ability. I'm also curious how I'll do with my Future Vision and the limits of it in short term"
"Alright, sounds fun!"
Justine and Philip played the first game of chess and it ended up in a stalemate. Philip was left with just a King and Justine was left with a King and a Bishop. Justine accidentally trapped Philip in a corner where Philip couldn't move anywhere
The first game was a draw
The second game, however, ended up in a slaughter. Philip won with a few sacrifices and Justine's pieces disappeared like a slaughter. He also promoted Pawns into four Queens which dictated the end of the match
"Haha, damn... Your Future Vision is powerful in strategy games"
"Yeah... You never had a chance"
"Hey! Don't wave it to my face"
"Ah, right... Well, you could consider the first match as your win since you would beat me one hundred percent"
"No, I'll accept the results. You're two up more than me"
"Wow, so acquiesce"
"What does that mean?"
"Accepting defeat without complaints?"
"Look at you, using deep vocabulary. Thee haveth profound lexicon?"
"Shut up"
Justine laughed and Philip rolled his eyes
"Do you want to play more?"
Philip asked
"How about you?"
"Well, you look like you want to play more"
"How could you tell?"
"Well, your eyes... They look happy"
Justine rested her head on her knees and stared at Philip. Philip also stared at her eyes
Justine blushed and panned her eyes away to avoid Philip's eyes. Philip noticed this and smirked. He broke the awkward atmosphere and spoke
"Let's play co-op, against other people, okay?"
Justine looked back at Philip and sat back straight
"Okay!"
She then moved and sat next to Philip, near the wall next to the bed. They sat side by side together with the phones on their hand
"What are we gonna play?"
Justine asked
"Hm... Let's try this game that's becoming famous. Have you heard of the game [Enigma]?"
"Hm, no? What's it about?"
~~~
Enigma
A Co-op 2-player Mega Multiplayer Online Game, or CO2PMMO, that has been popular for four years. Travel the world with your partner and battle against other partnered players in the world that can shake the entire lands
It is an open-world game where two players of the same team collect items, defeated bosses and monsters, and raid dungeons to become the strongest in the world and reach the realm of the gods
As the players reach the higher realms of power, they ultimately meet other players and they battle it out to earn ultimate points to reach the higher rankings in the world
Earn real world money by selling different kinds of equipments to the Interdimensional Shop Market and exchanging with the residents of the world
Become the number one ranker in the world and discover the secrets of the gods and the secrets of the world. Unlock the Enigma and obtain a wish that the creator of the game will grant without question
~~~
"Huh, this game is interesting. It looks complicated but it's popular and it looks like a decent game!"
Justine commented as they were both searching about the game in Google. The discovered secrets and tips and tricks about the game
"Yeah, there's seem to be not much ant information about the secrets and the easiest way to climb the rankings"
"So, the gist of the game is to always play with a partner and grind your way to the top and obtain this Enigma?"
Justine summarized the objective of the game and Philip confirmed it. She then smiled at the thought that he'll get to play with Philip the entire time. Well, that's what 2-player Co-op means
"Yup, that's about it. The best thing is that there's no microtransactions in the game. It's all in skill and game knowledge. Also, this game is not just popular on mobile, it's also popular on PC and game consoles. So, the game is cross-platform"
"Oh, then we'll be at a disadvantage?"
"Not really, mobile is apparently easier, and there's just a few that are professionals and masters at mouse and keyboard"
"I see"
Justine nodded
"So, what's our plan? We'll just explore the world and have fun? There's no way we can get in the rankings on just a few hours"
"Who says we're not going to try to get into the rankings?"
"What? Don't tell me..."
"Yep, we'll have fun, but we'll have more fun as we climb!"
"How? Doesn't this game needs grinding for days? How would we climb in just a few hours?"
Philip looked at Justine with a smirk and a questioning look
"Oh... Oh!"
Justine came into a realization. They would be using their abilities to quickly enter the ranking system and surprise the world
"Yeah! Let's do it! I think this is actually going to be fun. What will be your username?"
"Omega"
"Why Omega?"
"I don't know, it just sounds powerful. How about yours?"
"Maybe I'll go with... Energy? I don't know. I'm not good with names"
"Energy, huh?"
Philip giggled
"What's so funny?!"
"Nothing, I just found it cute. It's a nice name!"
"Wha-?!"
Justine became flustered
"I just couldn't think of a better username, okay?!"
"Yeah yeah, let's log in!"
~~~
Just like that, Justine and Philip played Enigma. They customized their characters and spawned in a starting city
Philip used his Eye Vision and Clairvoyance and immediately found secret places that are very safe that no one has ever found. Treasures and puzzles that no one bothered to do
Justine also helped by manipulating the vector of codes that makes the NPC's favorable towards them. She also made ure that the system in the game headquarters wouldn't find out that the game is being manipulated
Justine felt bad by cheating but she didn't care, as long as she and Philip are having fun
Philip was surely having fun, as he just killed five two-partners that teamed against them with a legendary two-handed sword with a swing
Of course, Philip tried to use his Sword Potential in the game if it would work in the game. The result is astonishing as he just opened a forbidden area that wasn't supposed to be opened before the next world event of the game
Philip and Justine then cleared the forbidden area and obtained riches and equipments
A few hours have passed, it's already midnight, Philip and Justine reached the 97th ranking in the entire world by obtaining myth-rated equipments, spells, mounts, and artifacts around the world
Justine had her head leaning on Philip's right shoulder as she yawned
"Are you sleepy?"
"Yeah, kinda"
"Me too, let's stop here and get to sleep"
"..."
Justine became silent while she realized at what's about to happen. Her heart skipped a beat from excitement and nervousness
"Y-yeah"
"Well, that was fun! We'll get to rank 1 next time and see if the wish is true!"
"Okay!"
Justine smiled and moved towards the side where she wants to sleep
"Oh? You want to take that spot?"
"Is it alright? I'm more comfortable next to walls"
"Yeah, it's fine. Then, I'll sleep in this side"
Justine didn't reply and just stared at Philip while the teddy bear is tucked in in front of her chest and the blanket covered her waist below as it was covered by the body pillow
"What?"
Philip noticed Justine's gaze
"You're really going to sleep next to me, huh?"
Justine tried to be daring. She exuded confidence as her cheeks are still tinged in red
"Well, you're the one who told me that I should have suggested to sleep together in the bed, basically"
Philip shook his head
"Hm, admit it. You actually wanted to sleep next to me in the first place"
Philip noticed Justine's daring behavior and tried to match her
"What if I actually do?"
Philip looked at her with a raised eyebrow and confident eyes. Justine just gazed at Philip, not processing what Philip just said fast enough
"Even though you don't have a heart, you still want to sleep next to me? I thought your feelings about love has disappeared? How would your heart race at this moment?"
"Haah..."
Philip sighed
"Look, doesn't mean I don't have a heart, doesn't mean I don't know love. It's just that I can feel your emotions and it's obvious. The best the I can do is to reciprocate those feelings even though I don't have a heart, you know?"
Philip said as he fixed the pillows on his head and preparing the shared blanket. He has already folded the futon back
"You know, considering that you don't have a heart, it seems like you actually have one. If you know what I mean"
"Yeah"
Philip shrugged at Justine's comment and and turned the TV of with the remote. He then looked at the window
~~~
The room was dim and the light only comes from the moon which slightly illuminates the room. The cool night breeze enters the room as the electric stand fan circulates the wind. The softness of the bed and pillows caresses on both Justine and Philip's bodies
"You know what, you're a cool person, Justine. I'm glad I met you"
"..."
Philip waited for Justine's reply
"..."
"Justine?"
"..."
He then turned towards Justine and saw that she just fell asleep. Her sleeping face looked like a sleeping angel, even though half of her face is covered by the teddy bear
Philip shrugged his shoulders, knowing that Justine was faking it. He then lied on the bed, facing the windows as his back faced Justine
Philip closed his eyes to prepare to sleep when he felt something touch his back that almost made him jump
It was Justine as she put her hands against Philip's back with her forehead touching his back. Justine's eyes were covered by her bangs as her cheeks were blushing. Her lips were glossy and her nose were smooth
Philip tried to turn just his head to look at Justine but to no avail
He just let Justine do her own thing and leave her to it. He closed his eyes again to prepare to sleep
It was about time for the day to end for both of them
~~~
Little did Philip and Justine know, they have caused a ruckus in the gaming community regarding the rankings of Enigma
A new name appeared on the list, [Omega - Energy]
A few gaming fanatics and experts recognized the name Omega but they began to speculate at who Energy is
This earned the irk of the people that are ranked 98th to 1000th, where the name of the team appears in the ranking list