042 THE RETURN OF THE ROSE WHO WANTS HIS ESSENCE
"And your reason almost got me killed."
"You're not dead, are you?" she challenged.
"That's because of me, not because of anything you fucking did," Leo snapped.
"I was there, Leo. In the room. I would have stopped Emerald before she harmed you. But you transformed into that monstrous demon before I had the chance—what was I supposed to do?" she explained.
"You were in the room? Behind the secret wall? Was that what that room was for—spying on me?" His anger surged more.
"Yes, it was. And I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" She softened her tone, her hand sliding toward his pants. "Maybe I could make it up to you…".
Her hands reached under his pants and moved gently.
"That's not necessary. Just the thought of you irritates me," he said, trying to pull her back. But he didn't put too much effort into it.
"Are you sure?" she teased, her fingers brushing against his sensitivities. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Oh my god! What the hell happened to you? Where did you get Viagra in this fucking world?"
"What Viagra? Who the hell are you?" Leo asked, alarmed.
"I'm your NPC, remember? Have you forgotten?" she said with a smirk.
"Damn it. Are you telling me you're a real player in this 'Realm of Sins'? When did you arrive? Were you on the hyperloop?"
"It's a long story. I've been here a year or two longer than you," Dassa admitted.
"Fuck. So, this is really a game? It's not real?" Leo questioned, his mind racing.
"That's what I thought at first too. But then I met other players. This world may look like the virtual game, 'Realm of Sins,' but it's real, wicked but real."
"How do you know that?" Leo asked, disbelief creeping into his voice.
"I met a player who left this world."
Leo's eyes widened. "Wait, you're saying it's possible to leave?"
"Yes, but that's not even the shocking part. When he returned to our world, he tried to find the other players he knew. All of them were missing or dead."
Leo frowned. "What the hell? Were they kidnapped like in some fucking Squid Game?"
"That's not the worst part," Dassa continued. "He found out that another player who died in the game was also dead in real life."
Leo's face paled. "So, if we die here, we die out there?"
"Exactly."
"Wait—you said he made it back home. How did you even hear about that if he was gone?" Leo asked, frowning.
"He was sent back here after only a short time. This world won't let us go for long after we signed up. It's like…our fucking fate," she said, a trace of bitterness in her voice.
"Damn it," Leo muttered.
"How do you know so much about this stuff?" Leo asked suspiciously.
"I've been here longer, and I've met others. We even formed a chat group."
"What? You can chat with other players here?"
"Only with those in your party, and in close proximity," she explained.
"I don't have that feature yet," Leo muttered.
"That's because your level is still too low."
"Damn, what level are you?" he asked, surprised.
"You need to reach the Cakra Svad tier to unlock communication features," she said.
"Are you a Svad tier?" Leo asked, still trying to grasp the situation.
"Don't act so surprised. I've had more time here," Dassa said with a shrug.
"No wonder you weren't bothered about the wild wolves in the forest..damn.. I'm a fucking idiot. What was your starting item?"
"Finger of Dharma," she replied.
"Damn, that's a powerful weapon. You could've killed Emerald last time with that finger," Leo said.
"That was my plan, but your Black Cock activated, so I didn't have to," she replied, matter-of-factly.
"You knew about my Black Cock from the beginning?" Leo asked, shocked.
"I was curious. When we selected our starting items, I wondered who the hell would pick something so fucking ugly like that and with that fucking name. It confuses. And what's Lust got to do in an RPG game?"
Leo groaned. "I thought this game was a joke and simply chose randomly without a care."
"Well, it turned out to be a good choice," Dassa laughed.
"Yeah, the fucking starter item gave me a demon possession," Leo complained. "How did you know I had it?" Leo asked.
"It's listed right there before. Item: Black Cock Tattoo. Quality: Useless," she read aloud mockingly.
"Nah, I saw it in your tattoo when you were unconscious in the village. I did some digging and confirmed it was the Black Cock, Lusifar."
"That was the reason you were ogling me?"
"I was interested in the tattoo which was in the wrong place. Come on. Why would I be interested at that piece of soft meat?" she asked.
"You've been playing me all along," Leo said, his voice hard.
"I had to. I have a mission," she confessed.
"To steal my 'essence'?" he said, almost sarcastically.
"That was my assignment from the Order of Roses, yes. But that's not my real mission. My real mission is to rescue Father."
"Your father is here in the game?" Leo asked, confused.
"No, not my real father. I call him Father because he's like that to us, our group. He's trapped in this game. He's my friend," Dassa clarified.
"Is he a real human?"
"Yes," she nodded. "He's in my party."
"You have a team?"
"We used to have a few players banded together, but now only Father and I remain."
"Damn it, you should've told me about this game sooner. We could've teamed up," Leo muttered.
"It's not advisable," she replied. "Knowing too much this early could jeopardize your starting main quest. Fail that, and the game might eliminate you."
"Great. Just great," he groaned.
"And anyway, sticking with you isn't good for me," she added. "I have a Wrath Counter that requires me to stay angry all the time, and being around you…well, it makes that harder." She replied.
"Wrath counter?"
"Yes, getting angry powers my magic."