Nico stepped closer to the receptionist's desk and looked at Melissa, who only smiled in response. "You don't have to worry about them. They're usually a whole lot meaner than they were today. I got off easy!" she said as she smiled brightly.
"... Why did they give you 3 days? Are you in some sort of trouble?" Nico asked worriedly.
"Nah," Melissa responded. "Also, you don't need to concern yourself with me. If they think that you're important to me, you'll be their next punching bag."
"So you are in trouble."
"What part of 'nah' do you not understand?"
"Let me help."
Melissa stopped smiling and rubbed her temples. "Look, if you're not looking for any missions, won't buy any items or weapons, kindly leave me alone."
"Mel-"
Melissa glared at Nico. "I said I'm fine, jeez. Honestly, would it kill you to be a little loose? Quit being such a nuisance and get lost already," she said as she walked away, leaving Nico standing at the reception.
He sighed and crossed his arms. 'Maybe I should've pressed her after she offered me a mission. Not like I can't get one without her, but it's kinda nice talking to a pretty girl like her...'
Nico shrugged and walked out of the guild, putting his hoodie up and took a deep smell of the rain. He hadn't noticed it before, but the rain from this new world seemed to be cleaner than the precipitation from his world.
It smelled fresher and looked slightly enchanting. Even as he stood beneath the downpour, he felt at ease; similar to how he'd easily fall asleep when it was storming. He smiled softly and put his hands in his pocket hoodie.
'I should follow those girls...' he thought to himself as he quickly dashed down an alleyway, where he found them walking away in the distance.
He looked up at the small space and remembered his youth. Nico wasn't always playing video games. Before the age of 12, he was a huge fan of parkour, and often dabbled. But, after discovering the joy of gaming, that seemed so out of pocket for him.
He often complained about how unrealistic the parkour mechanics were in some of the games he played, along with the lack of fall damage or impact upon sticking a landing. But now, he could utilise his synchronisation with Vortex and tap into his parkour skills, if he still had them.
He took a deep breath and leapt off the ground, placing his foot on the wall while holding onto the top section. Then, he punt himself into the air and jumped towards the other side of the wall, repeating the process until he was on the rooftop.
He sighed and looked in the direction of the girls, following them carefully from a high vantage point in order to prevent himself from being spotted.
'Let's see how you're connected to the mysterious receptionist...'
Not too long after following them, the two girls began communicating. But, because of how far he was, he couldn't hear what they were saying. He smirked, knowing the solution to the problem.
"System, enhance my hearing around those two girls' vicinity," he said.
{ Understood }
His AutoSiphers released static, and a few seconds passed, allowing the voices of the two girls to feed through the sets, giving Nico the access to listen attentively to their conversation.
"Hey, Laura," the girl with long, black hair,red eyes, a black mini skirt and slightly oversized hoodie, began speaking. "Why do you like slapping Melissa? Does she piss you off that much?"
Laura, the olive skinned individual who garnered a short black dress, a black crop top with red highlights, long thigh high stockings and ankle boots, looked at her with a look of exasperation.
"... It's that look she always has in her eyes..." Laura replied. "How could someone in her position, a girl who's been used over and over be able to smile like that? Also, how does she keep drawing people in like the Sun?"
"Still jealous that Big G likes her more than us?" Lindsey inquired with a smirk.
"I wouldn't call it jealousy, Lindsey. We work our asses off everyday, go through countless hours of constant danger and yet that little hooker gets all the praise!" Laura exclaimed.
'I feel like calling her a hooker is a bit far...' Nico said in his thoughts.
"Guess you can't help the fact that she's the brothel's best selling prostitute," said Lindsey, causing Nico's expression to tighten slightly. "Big G has had his eye on her ever since he brought her there. She's got big tits, a sweet smile, and that submissive energy she gives off... It's no wonder why she's popular."
"Why the hell is that the case anyways?! We're the ones doing actual work! Elayne basically does the same thing as us but because she's just as pretty as Melissa, we don't get nearly as much credit! Fuck!"
"Calm down, big sis," Lindsey said as she hugged Laura tightly. "You shouldn't compare yourself to a whore. Besides, why are you so hell-bent on getting recognition from Big G? He's not exactly charming."
"I know... But, he's one of the 7 lords that killed a whole god. When someone like that exists, you're going to want to be recognised. Remember, the higher your value, the more respect you get."
"Right right." Lindsey ceased smiling and looked East, her expression becoming serious. "They're here."
"Took them long enough."
Nico looked in the same direction and noticed a group of men approaching the girls, standing a few feet away from them. They had a tense and menacing aura, their leader glaring at the girls with disgust showing in his gaze.
He clicked his tongue in distaste and twirled his lighter around his fingers before lighting a cigarette. He huffed and puffed out the smoke, looking at the grey sky afterwards.
"So, you're the ones Genesis sent?" the leader began, his voice low and smoky.
"That's right," replied Laura. "I'm assuming you're Zyke."
"Let's cut to the chase. Genesis's goons have crossed our territory, and our operations have been put on hold because of that. I don't give a shit if he's a god killer; I want what's mine and I want it now."
"That's gonna be problematic," Lindsey chimed in. "See, our product sells way more than yours. And, our new customers are more than happy with the quality. If we suddenly stopped providing, Big G wouldn't take too kindly to that."
"There's no point in arguing about this. Either relinquish the spot, or die trying to protect it," Zyke coldly replied.
Zyke's men cracked their knuckles and pulled out their weapons, ranging from bats, chains and swords. Lindsey smirked while Laura cracked her neck. After a short stare down, the girls charged for the gang, preparing to attack.
The men did the same, their weapons swinging at the girls. But, they evaded each swing and landed a flurry of attacks. Laura punched one of the men in the solar plexus, making him gag and fall to his knees. Then, she grabbed his wrist and swept him off his knees, throwing him towards the man behind her.
She then leapt for those closest to her and landed devastating punches and kicks, each attack breaking bones and causing permanent mental damage. Lindsey, on the other hand, kept dodging attacks and kicking her opponents, not raising her hands against them.
She gracefully moved around them, her movements similar to those of a seasoned ballerina; a rose with thorns growing on the stem. After a decisive kick, Lindsey knocked out the last man, planting the heel of her foot on his chest as she stood above him.
Zyke sighed and pulled out his weapon; a spear with a golden blade. "You sluts aren't getting out of this alive."
Laura's eyes turned red and she quickly dashed forward, her foot leaving a dent on the ground. Then, she threw a punch, but Zyke blocked it with his spear. Much to his surprise, his spear broke in two and the attack landed straight to his nose, breaking it and sending him flying.
He slid across the wet ground and lied on his back, unconscious. Lindsey and Laura stood above him and glared, their bodies oozing overconfidence.
"Looks like we're keeping the spot afterall. Thanks," said Laura as she kicked Zyke on his manhood and sighed. "Mission complete?"
"Aren't we supposed to kill them?"
"Stupid. You don't need to kill anyone in order to increase your value. You kill them for extra coins. Besides, even if we got those coins, Big G would just take them for himself."
"That's fair. Let's get out of-"
Suddenly, Lindsey looked in Nico's direction, making his heart pound, forcing him to run away and avoid being detected by Laura as well. Lindsey squinted and then smiled softly.
"What's up?" Laura inquired.
"Nothing. Thought I saw a rat."
Laura looked in the same direction, squinted her eyes a little too hard, and tilted her head. "On the roof?"
***
[A/N Shoutout to Daniel_Kazemba for the massive support. I appreciate the love and the feedback. Enjoy the quadruple upload :D]