"Adora!" Charlotte moves swiftly to tend to her, she gently lifts her head up slightly.
"I'll be fine," murmurs Adora, going quiet as she contemplates whether to tell Charlotte something or not.
"You sure? You seem like you can't move at all," remarks Charlotte, lifting her hand. It's almost as if her entire body is dead.
Adora sighs, "It's the price of the temporary increase I got in durability, speed and strength to tango with that thing."
"Price? What price? What are you talking about?"
"Well, I used the emergency points of 200 but it didn't seem like it was going to be enough to hold it off until Haco regenerated," starts Adora.
"So, as a different form of payment, I suggested that aside from the ability to talk, my five senses and main organs and structures that I need to survive, I wouldn't be allowed to use my body and would basically be unable to move at all. The game allowed my suggestion and now all of my motion functions won't be working for a period of time. Maybe we should tweak some stuff in the contract for the future,"
". . . You crazy bitch," gasps Charlotte, tearing up on Adora's forehead and hugging her.
Adora smiles in silence as Charlotte lets it all out.
I should probably not tell her the part about me being in severe pain all over.
"Where the heck did that thing even come from?" exclaims Charlotte.
"Well, I can only guess right now, but it's one of two things with what I know. This is either a mob from the game itself or . . . someone brought this in with them like I brought Haco in with me," says Adora.
"What if someone bought it with in-game currency? Or did the same thing as you and paid by some other means?"
"There is no way that someone has enough points to build that thing. Especially that first bomb Haco ate," says Adora,
"I even thought she was caught off guard and didn't brace and strengthen herself. A normal missile shouldn't have been able to blow her up in that giant panther form. Had she not protected us by eating that, we all might have been in trouble with no one left to buy time. As for what I did, it's a hidden mechanic that I was contemplating whether to tell you about or not. I don't think anyone can discover it. And even if they did, what the hell would they sacrifice to make something as absurd as that?"
And there is the fact that maybe Zahtan followed us in here for Charlotte, muses Adora.
"So, my best guess is that I think it's from the outside. And if anyone has an absurd technology similar to laser beam guns, it's him," she concludes.
Charlotte remains silent, understanding who she is referring to.
Haco meows as she appears on the large tree trunk they are on.
"Great job, Haco!" coos Adora as Haco nuzzles up to her, purring loudly.
Charlotte strokes Haco, "How did Haco regenerate as we do? Animals don't have this, so I thought Haco was gone for good."
"Well, let's say that she is a special pet,"
"Special pet . . . " murmurs Charlotte, looking at Haco as if something just clicked in her brain or is pretty certain of new light.
"Let's take a short break until Haco recovers. I don't know what other dangers there might be, better play it safe for now and stay low for a while. With me being unable to move and Haco weakened, it might be risky to make a move. Contact Neo and update him about everything," instructs Adora, "Also, we need to find some shelter to rest quietly. I am sure Haco can take care of whatever is out here in the forest, but it would slow her recovery,"
Charlotte nods, "Got it─"
Boom!
"What the?! What now?! Another attack?!" screams Charlotte.
Haco hisses, her fur spiking up as she stands fully alert.
They look down and notice a spear.
Charlotte tilts her head, "Huh, a spear? How did─?"
Boom!
Another loud boom sounds as someone comes in at very high speed, crashing right into the ground where the spear is.
Charlotte sees a splash of blood everywhere and a splatter of a body for one second before it fully regenerates, in an instant as if nothing happened.
"Sheesh, painful as hell every time. You know, we are so lucky that our clothes are made of materials that regenerate with us when we do, otherwise, this would have been very awkward and inconvenient," says the figure, emerging.
He looks up and his eyes meet Charlotte.
"Yo! How have you been?" asks Arcat.