When Hugo had gotten the message from the agent of Karma, also known as the Flying Pig, he had thought nothing of it.
The strange being could fly. What was Hugo supposed to do for it? Send him a flock of pigeons, so the birds could bombard the sand demons with the leftovers of their last meal?
He ignored the first message. The second one was also ignored.
By the third, Hugo made a reset of his game's code and started to bombard birds at pigs.
"Hugo, what is with the oinking?" But it was just his luck that Lin had managed to hear all the messages. Hm, Hugo could have sworn that he had put the fairy on mute.
"Nothing, just a bacon being prepared for supper," it was even the truth, Hugo tried to tell himself. Honestly, if a pig ended up being eaten by sand demons, something that went against every desert tribe's customs, then the poor demons must be starving.
Hugo hoped the bacon on that flying menace was tender and his skin tasty. It flew around all the time, did it not? It must also be clean!
"Wait! Are you speaking about the flying pig?" Lin's tone was colored by the beginning notes of panic. Hugo did not understand why the man was so concerned over something so meaningless.
"Yes. The one and only," Hugo flung another bird at the green pigs. Cheered as it fell into a pit full of spikes.
The flying pig chose this moment to send him another distressed call. Hugo roared and flung his controller into the abyss.
Something he regretted seconds later.
"Lemon fudge! Kai had to slay a goblin chieftain for me to get this!" He took a hold of his hair and started to count. One sheep, two pork ribs, three puddings…
Man, Hugo was hungry. Lin had not done anything heroic ever since Hugo had decided to piggyback on his soul. And so, Hugo had not gotten any points he could spend on food.
"Lin?" Hugo's stomach growled. Surely, if the fairy asked Kai nicely enough, then Hugo could go back home? His old place was even bigger and better furnished than this broom closet. Ah, how he hated starting from zero… "Tell Kai I miss him."
For a second, Hugo thought that the fairy was going to restart him, but as he heard the man actually relay his plea to his lover, Hugo got the sinking sensation that his new host was about as bright as a candle for toddlers.
"He says that you can leave me too and find yourself a rabid animal to leech off from," Lin had said it so, as if he was regretting the fact. Hugo had to bite his own fist just so his scream could not be heard.
It was time he got creative. It was time he showed a bit of empathy, and then get what he wanted.
"Tell him I can't sleep without him," Hugo said. He wondered how the fairy would take such a plea, but the man actually spoke it out loud.
Hugo looked up at the ceiling of his mental broom closet. What had he done to deserve this? Normal systems had human champions, read victims, and he had to content with a gnome and a fairy!
"Tell him I will turn you into a vegetable if I don't get something to eat soon," at this point, Hugo was perfectly willing to do so.
Lin opened his mouth, began the sentence, and then closed it.
"Hey!" The fairy yelled, as he scrunched up his nose.
"Tell him that I will never allow such a thing," Hugo heard Kai say. "And Hugo, if you want to eat, then you can just order the one-point healthy menu. Quit bothering us!"
Ah, the one-point healthy menu. It was just… a bundle of celery and two apples.
"You live off fruit and vegetables if you can, gnome!" Hugo roared. Kai was making sandwiches as he spoke to them, and Hugo could smell the ham.
Another soon-to-be ham oinked.
Hugo could not take this anymore.
So, before Lin could stop him, the system actually accepted the flying pig's quest. Lin saw a small light wisp right next to the door.
A system screen appeared before him.
"Turn your head to the left to see if you can! We believe in you, adventurer!"
Hugo started to laugh, tears streaming down his cheeks.
He had started Lin on the bloody tutorial!
"I will starve," the system thought to himself, as his dyslexic new host turned his head to the right. "I will starve, hearing the final oinking of something I could have eaten. I will be forgotten. No host of mine will ever slay a dragon all by himself."
"Lin, the other left," Kai said, as he put the finishing touches on the two sandwiches. Now he only needed to put them in the toaster, and they could go on an adventure.
As Lin turned his head to the left, he got a system screen with the message that he had to open the door by pressing F.
The fairy walked to the door, and then just opened it.
In mute horror, Hugo realized that the tutorial was for humans! Humans stuck in VR MMORPGs! How could something like this happen to him?
And so, Hugo began to press all the buttons Lin needed to press, but could not, for he was a magical creature, and this was his native world.
As Hugo dictated his strongly worded letter to the World System, he vowed revenge.
On the flying pig, on Lin, Kai, the World System, Reginald, who had stolen his socks while the two of them had still been alive, Lin…
And so, the mission to save the flying pig began with much cursing and many chuckles from Kai.
The flying pig was getting thirsty, and it was getting desperate. It could still fly higher than the sand demons could reach, flapping its wings at a speed which could have put a hummingbird to shame.
It tried, bless its heart.
But this was the desert, and pigs were simply not meant to live in such a climate. It still dared to hope. Vowing that it would turn a new page and help Lin and Kai.
As long as it did not end up as kebab, that is.