Long awaited minutes had passed, and Henry said his goodbyes to his best friend, who was defeated in the art of protection.
He risked his life to save Jacob's own, not caring for the consequences. His death wasn't in vain, Jacob was grateful, but also in agony. He squeezed his eyes shut, falling to his hands and knees, lowering his head.
The only sounds heard inside the narrow hallway were sobbing.
Alice didn't know what to say, she could only watch them both cry and grieve over the death of another player.
But — she eventually opened her befuddled mouth, grasping their attention momentarily.
"He said, it was players who did it, right?" Alice stood up from the ground, dusting her clothes off, "I say we continue through the ruins, and pay them a little visit. I didn't know that Richard guy so well… but if Jacob is even grieving over it, then I have no choice but to be involved."
"…Alice… we have to go…"
Jacob muttered, unable to stand from the overwhelming depression washing his body. The same thing was happening to Henry, but worse.
"But it isn't right! Those players killed him, you heard what Richard said! They have to pay for what they did! Mistake or not, Justice must be achieved!"
"…Alice… can't you see that their equipment was powerful enough to demolish that Overlord in seconds? We have no chance against them, not players on that level! We have to go, we cannot stay here!" Jacob was shaking in his legs as he tried to stand up, using the wall as leverage, "C'mon, let's get out of here… while we have the chance!"
"I don't think so."
"Wha-?" Alice turned around, hearing an unfamiliar voice.
It sounded deep and menacing.
Jacob was baffled at the sight.
It was seven individual players, who were level 40.
They had Legolas hostage…
He was tied up behind them, struggling to break free.
"Legolas!!" Jacob took a step forward, but stopped once he heard a gunshot collide near his foot, "What?!" Turning to the attacker, Jacob was in shock, "Alice…?"
"J-Jacob… I-I can't control m-my arm! Something's happening to me, what's going on?" Alice had two pistols in her hand, lifting them to point the barrels at her friend, "Run! Run away Jacob!"
"Goddamnit, what did you bastards do to Alice?! Who the hell are you?!?" Jacob stretched his arm forward, summoning his bow, "I'll kill you-!"
POW! POW POW POW!
Multiple shots rang throughout the underground ruins.
It was loud.
They could deafen the ears of inexperienced players who have never done PVP before.
"Mmmmm!!! Mnnnnn!!!" Legolas struggled in his bindings, trying to break free.
"I'm… bleeding…?" Jacob placed his hand against his stomach, lifting it up to see his blood, "Alice…?"
"Please… someone help! Someone stop this! Please!" Alice cried, using every ounce of her willpower to try and drop her weapon, "Jacob… runaway! Stop it, stop it, stop it! Stop, stop stop!! Stop!!!"
A woman walked behind Alice; she wore a long red robe, and her hair was tied into a ponytail, ginger in color.
"I'm sorry sweetie, but using that willpower of yours won't work. You've been affected by my level 3 item, known as Catechize. Your body will act on its own, while your mind will try to prevent it." She hugged around Alice's waist, bringing their face into the Gunner's cheek, "Go ahead, kill him. Mark him dead~!"
"P-Please… no…" Alice whimpered, but she was unable to stop it.
BANG BANG BANG!
Three other bullets launched from her weapons, shooting Jacob down. He fell to his back, colliding with the hard stone floor, coughing up blood.
Legolas watched in terror, as Henry was too shocked to speak.
Alice cried — unable to see what was in front of her from the tears blinding her sight.
("…My life points… I only have five remaining. Am I really… gonna die?")
"Mmmmmmm!!! Nmmmmm!!" Legolas wiggled back and forth on the ground, struggling to break free from the magical binds.
"Good girl, very good girl." The Gingered-haired woman would pet Alice as if she were some dog, "You'll make a very good pet, doing my duties." She wiped the tears from Alice's cheek, scoffing, "Don't worry about your friend, we'll finish him off and turn him into a zombie, How does that sound?"
"Please spare him… take me instead! Don't hurt any of them!" Alice shook her head back and forth, sobbing.
"Oh, but I'm not the one hurting them."
The woman slanted closer into Alice's face with gazing eyes, staring deep into the gunner's soul.
She was psychotic.
Her sadistic grin would be enough to show that.
"You're the one killing him and making him suffer, I have nothing to do with it. Eheheh~!"
"…Alice… I'm sorry for… bringing you here… with me…"
"Jacob… don't talk, find a way to escape! Use your lag! Do anything to save yourself, please!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that. I can't abandon my friends."
"Pfft, hahaha! What the hell man? You're like, halfway fuckin' dead, and you're saying you 'can't abandon your friends'? If you have a chance to escape, you better fucking use that shit!" Some Mohawk punk walked forward in iron armor, "Our boss doesn't play around, and neither do we! You know what we call ourselves?"
"…?" Jacob looked up at the man, empty in his eyes.
"We call ourselves the Phantom Mutiny, that's what!"
"You bastards… aren't the Phantom Mutiny… you're just scum to this world…" Muttered Jacob.
"Kehahahaha! Exactly bro!" The Mohawk punk lifted his leg into the air, slamming it into Jacob's gut, "We aren't the Phantom Mutiny, but we're gonna use their name to spread rumors and bullshit about them! You know why?!"
"…?"
"To make those sons of bitches pay, that's why! Acting all tough, enacting some bullshit called Ragnarok, and pretending like they own the game! The entire guild even has a fucking religion, who worships them! Isn't that insane?! Hahahaha! Bloody crazy right?!"
"...…" Jacob couldn't speak, he could only cough on his blood, as Alice sobbed in the background.
"But hey, don't worry about it. Your death won't be in vain bro. Once you die, we'll turn you into our little zombie slave, and we'll send you into the Main Lobby, where you'll spread false rumors about the Phantom Mutiny and what they did to you. That way, people will start seeing how really sick and twisted they're!"
"…You people… are insane… to mess with the strongest guild in the game… and think you'll get away with it." Announced Jacob.
"That's the thrill of it!" The Mohawk punk slapped Jacob against his chest playfully, "Isn't it fun to poke the lion every now and then? You, as a zombie, and Alice as the boss's sex slave and pet, doesn't that sound fucked up? Kehahahaha!"
Jacob frowned.
Hearing those words made him furious, to the point where he clenched his fists, "You better not touch Alice… in any kind of way!"
"You giving us orders? Pfft, what a bloody joke! You're hilarious kid, do you think this is some anime where you'll unlock some hidden powers or something? What, is your hair gonna glow blonde!? Kehahaha!"
The gingered woman pushed Alice into the wall, pressing her chest against their neck, "Yes, you'll do just fine, my sweet girl. In our guild, there are plenty of things for you to do. There are hundreds of men who've been pent up over the last week or so, looking for relief."
"…What are you saying?" Alice sniffled through her nose, looking at the gingered woman in terror.
"Oh? Isn't it self-explanatory?! You'll become the Phantom Mutiny's slut! The whore who will service the men and women! Once rumor spreads of the Phantom Mutiny doing such vile acts, like turning an innocent young girl into a whore, they'll for sure gain hate. Their guild will crumble, and they will lose followers."
"…No… you can't do that to me… Legolas, Jacob?" Alice looked at both her friends, seeing them unable to help her, "I-I'm a virgin… I-I can't do this, I can't do any of this!"
"Leave… Alice alone…!!" Jacob tried standing up, but the Mohawk punk kicked him back down.
"Fufufu~! Yes, despair! I like that look in your eyes, cry harder! Feel terror unlike any before! Kill Jacob!"
Alice trembled in her body as she slowly walked forward, pointing the gun towards her best friend, "J-Jacob… I'm sorry…"
"It's… fine Alice… I'm sorry as well…"
"I'm gonna become… a whore… I-I don't wanna live like this… I'm scared!"
"…There's something I never told you Alice, but I was afraid to always say it."
"W-What is it?" Alice stopped in front of him once she was close enough, pointing the pistols towards his head.
"I always had a crush on you… from the very beginning, ever since we played together. I couldn't tell you, because I was always afraid… but I love you, so much."
"Jacob…."
BANG!
The loud sound of her pistol echoed, as data particles scattered everywhere.
Jacob had been killed.