Gotcha. Thanh Van smiled to himself as the other players' voices rose from a hush to more audible heights.
"Do you think this is a quest game? Is there a specific person we need to meet to start the scene?" The nasally voice that pierced the air was Christof Kunze.
"At least we should be briefed." Hai Le butted in, sitting on his bed like a scolded child, feet crossed. "In the novels I've read, there usually is a very long and elaborate scene introduction before players are left to their vices."
An agreeing murmur spread out before someone else clipped in. "How can we know what we are supposed to survive if we aren't even informed of it?"
"We are all invited to the feast later tonight for a reason," Christof Kunze reminded them. "I guess we will receive more information there?"
"M-maybe this is just a big joke?" Another E-ranker whispered wistfully.
"A joke?" Senior Wu's voice was laced with poison. His frail body rested on the bed closest to the doors, back against the cold wall. A twisted smile played on his lips but it didn't reach his dark eyes that were set on the E-ranker.
"I-I mean-" The poor soul started, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"Mo Yang dissolved into nothing right in front of my eyes. Kevin was skewered like a fucking fish! We all beamed to this fucking place in a second! WHAT part of this is a fucking joke to you?!" Senior Wu's words echoed in the inn, bouncing off the walls like the cries of animals brought to slaughter.
"What are you complaining about?" Christof sneered. "Weren't you blaming Mo Yang until the end for stealing your spot? With how things turned out, shouldn't you be the one wishing this was all just a joke?"
Senior Wu's face darkened, and Hai Le hurried to intervene. "G-guys, we should all calm down. It's been a tough few days-"
But Senior Wu wasn't listening. He had already climbed off his bed, walking out of the inn without a look back.
An awkward silence fell.
Thanh Van felt a little left out. He had lived through this so many times, and nothing could even kill him, not the system, not most of these players.
Fear, he no longer remembered what it felt like. There was a yearning for excitement that scathed Thanh Van from within - and here he was, stuck in a damn famine village!
"When will the feast start?" Hai Le cried out, hoping this could break the tension that hung heavy upon them. The poor E-ranker that had become the rock in senior Wu's shoe beamed at the other player with gratitude.
"Yeah, I'm starving! Wonder what they offer?"
Complaints of hunger filled the inn. The wishful hope for junk food and an extra large pepperoni pizza was thrown out, accompanied by lighthearted laughter.
Meanwhile, sergeant Kruger had stayed awfully silent, deep in thought. He didn't notice when the bed beside him rustled softly, only raising his gaze when the frail beauty with mesmerising green eyes stood before him, gazing at him from under the long, curved lashes. A slight tint spread over the pale canvas, and it took an arm and a leg for sergeant Kruger to drop his gaze.
The quilt was neatly folded in Ruan An's thin arms.
"Um, thank you for the quilt, sergeant…"
"You can keep it." Sergeant Kruger had slept through the gruelling winds, under the scorching sun, a little autumn chill was nothing to him. The beauty seemed touched by this, his fingers clutching the quilt tightly against his chest.
"Thank you…"
When sergeant Kruger merely nodded, the beauty fidgeted on his feet, gaze flickering over the space beside Kruger's feet, as if silently begging to curl up beside his thigh. Who was Sergeant Kruger to deny such a chance?
"What is wrong?" Sergeant Kruger offered, motioning Ruan An to sit down beside him.
The gesture did not go unnoticed by the other players, bitterness swelling in their hearts. Of course, this useless flower, Ruan An, would throw himself at the best players! As if he would have any other chance to survive without someone shielding him as one would a treasure!
The beauty brightened like a flower receiving its first refreshing rain. Quickly Ruan An glued to the man's thigh, sitting cross-legged on the cramped bed, basking in the warmth that radiated from the man in waves.
Ruan An truly was a content little kitten purring on a warm lap. Sergeant Kruger's heart thumped against his ribs at the sight. With all the blood pumping in his veins, there would be no use for a quilt.
"What should we do?" Thanh Van whispered, blinking his orbs with a worried pout. He studied the cool blue eyes that watched him intently, giving no hints of what wheels were at work inside that thick skull. Just to amp it up a nudge, Thanh Van swallowed the pile that rose from cringing - and let some faint tears well up. "I… are we going to die?"
"As of now, we can only wait." Sergeant Kruger said, his tone more assuring. "We will know more soon enough. For now, just stay close."
"Mm…" Thanh Van lowered his gaze, brushing his fingers against sergeant Kruger's calloused ones, cheeks tinting a shade darker. "Thank you, sergeant."
The man merely nodded before averting his gaze towards the window across the room- but he didn't pull his hand away.
Thanh Van wanted to chuckle. Whose eyes had been on him for so long a moment before? Acting so coy and holy now?
Thanh Van let the sergeant feel his own gaze a little longer before the emerald eyes drifted over to the windows above their heads.
In the distance, clouds burned bright orange as the sun retreated behind the horizon, painting the walls inside the inn with hues of copper. Outside, smoke pillars billowed - cooking has long been carried out. Smells of herbs carried over with the wind, coaxing their stomachs to growl in response.
When twilight reached their doorstep, father Pierre appeared, beckoning them to follow.
It was time to feast.