Ray logged out of the game, still feeling the warmth of his earlier conversation with Seraphine.
Her words had left him in a light mood, a rarity since his return. The clock showed the time to be 6 pm.
Seeing as there was still some time before the guild closes, he stretched and made his way downstairs to enjoy some time with his parents.
In the dining area, his father, Mr. Veylen, had just returned from work. His tie was loosened, his sleeves rolled up, and he was pouring over a stack of papers with Sophie.
The two of them were deep in discussion but looked up as Ray entered.
"Ray!" his father greeted him with a grin. "Finally emerged from your digital dungeon, huh? Your mom and I were just talking about something that might interest you."
Ray slid into the chair across from them, glancing at the papers.
Sophie glanced at her husband before responding. "Your father and I were just discussing an investment opportunity. The company that runs your game, is going public soon. Their shares are projected to skyrocket once the IPO hits."
Ray froze, the good mood evaporating instantly. The question hit him like a splash of ice water.
The memories from his past life came flooding back—how that same investment had set off a chain of events that led to their deaths. The robbery, the loss, the endless guilt.
Mr Veylen continued, his voice full of optimism. "This could be big for us, Ray. The company has revolutionary tech—immersive VR like nothing else. We've been going over it all week. What do you think? You play the game; you'd know better than anyone."
His fingers tightened around the edge of the table. "No," he said, his voice firmer than he intended.
Both Sophie and Mr. Veylen stared at him.
"No?" Mr. Veylen echoed, clearly surprised.
Ray met his father's gaze. "It's not a good idea. I know it looks like an opportunity, but it's dangerous."
Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Dangerous? Ray, this isn't some underground deal. It's a legitimate investment. Everyone's talking about it."
"That's exactly the problem," Ray rebuked, his voice losing his usual calm. "Everyone's talking about it. When these shares blow up, anyone holding a significant stake will be a target—fraud, extortion, worse."
His parents exchanged a skeptical glance seeing their son suddenly panicked, but Ray pressed on. "I know it doesn't sound logical, but trust me on this. I have a bad feeling, and it's not worth the risk."
Mr. Veylen studied him for a long moment. "You're unusually serious about this. Is there something you're not telling us?"
Ray hesitated; his heartbeat rising abnormally. How could he explain the truth without sounding insane? Instead, he stood and faced backwards as to hide the whirlpool of sadness arising inside him.
"Just trust me on this, Dad. Please."
Sophie sighed, her expression softening. "Alright. If you feel that strongly, we'll stay out of it. But this better be worth the missed opportunity."
"It will be," Ray said, Relief mixed with sadness in his chest. He suspected the robbery in his past life had more layers than the shares alone, but he wasn't taking any chances. Not this time.
As he started to head back to his room, guilt began to creep in.
'I'm letting my guard down too easily.' Just a few moments of peace, and he had almost forgotten why he was here—to rewrite his story and make those who ruined his life pay.
He stopped at the base of the stairs, glancing back at his parents. "I'll be back for dinner," he said, his voice softer now.
"Where are you going?" Sophie asked, looking up.
"Just… back to the game," Ray replied.
----------
Ray blinked as his vision adjusted to the soft glow of the inn's lanterns.
Logging back into the game felt like a breath of fresh air— For a brief moment, he allowed himself to relish the calm.
The sound of running water drifted from behind the bathroom door. Seraphine was still freshening up, so he decided to make good use of the downtime.
Pulling up the game's interface, he navigated to the web forums.
The forums were bustling as usual, filled with posts ranging from trading deals to strategy guides.
He scrolled through casually, noting the predictable chaos of beginner questions and self-proclaimed experts bickering over mechanics.
Perfect. This was where he could quietly begin laying the groundwork for his plans. With a faint smile, Ray set his name to
TrashPandaKing and started typing.
Post Title: "Hidden Secrets for New Players: Beat the Wolves Like a Pro!"
"Hey everyone, just wanted to share something cool I stumbled on during my trek through Wolf Ridge! If you're struggling with the wolves (who isn't?), here's a little trick that might save your life.
Near the rocky cliffs, you'll find clusters of blue flowers. They're easy to miss but incredibly useful.
When thrown on the ground, they release a faint aroma that weakens wolves nearby. They'll slow down, their bites won't hit as hard, and you'll have a much easier time dodging their attacks. The effect lasts around 10 seconds, so use it wisely.
P.S: Alchemists pay decently for these flowers, so they're worth collecting even if you're not fighting.
It's not in any official guides I've seen, so consider this a little tip from a fellow adventurer. Happy hunting!"
He leaned back, rereading the post before hitting publish. But Ray wasn't some clueless newbie who'd stumbled across them.
In his past life, this knowledge was shared by the alchemist NPC when you gain enough favourablility with her.
But now, he'd served it up on a silver platter, all while carefully planting the seeds of his own credibility.
Within seconds, the comments started pouring in.
Napoleon_TotallySmall: "Wait, this is game-changing! Are you serious?"
TrashPandaKing(as OP): "Try it and see. Worked wonders for me."
ShakespeareAndChill: "Great. Now I just need to find the flowers without getting mauled first."
TrollKing: "Sure, dude. Next you'll say throwing daisies summons a dragon."
BrosBeforeBoners: "If this works, you're officially my hero."
Hawk2a: "I'm gonna name my pet wolf TrashPandaKing in honor of this. Fight me if it's dumb."
...
...
Ray chuckled, his mood lifting up. The chatter was both amusing and useful. With a few clever posts like this, his name would start circulating, and when the time came, he'd leverage that trust.
Just as he was about to refresh the thread, the bathroom door creaked open.
Ray glanced up casually—then froze.
Seraphine stepped out, her damp hair tumbling over her shoulders in loose waves.
Her usual dirt-smudged battle attire was gone, replaced with simple, clean clothes: a light tunic and plain trousers.
Yet somehow, the basic outfit only made her look more striking. She exuded a quiet, effortless elegance, as if the world itself paused to admire her.
Ray blinked. Twice.
"What?" Seraphine asked, tilting her head slightly, clearly enjoying his expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
He cleared his throat, sitting up straighter to hide his momentary lapse. "Just thinking… maybe I should be the one worried about distractions when we join the guild."
Her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
Ray smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Let's just say if you walk in looking like that, half the guild's going to forget how to hold a sword."
Her cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink, but she crossed her arms, determined not to show any embarrassment. "If you're trying to be funny, you're failing miserably."
"I'm dead serious," he replied, standing up. "You clean up well, Seraphine. Almost too well."
She rolled her eyes, but he noticed a flicker of a smile. "Focus, Ray. We've got a guild to create, remember?"
"Right. Guild." He grabbed his cloak, shaking off the moment. "Let's go before you charm the innkeeper into giving us a discount."
She muttered something under her breath, but he didn't bother asking. His mind was already turning back to his goals.
He had a plan to execute, and no amount of princess-level charm was going to make him lose sight of it.
Once the in-game currency exchange opened, he'd earn enough money to ensure his parents never had to take any financial risks again.
And, of course, there was still the matter of his revenge.
But as he turned toward the door, Ray's eyes caught Seraphine's reflection in the window, and for a brief second, he forgot every single thing he'd just promised himself.
'Damn it, this is going to be harder than I thought.'