Villain Ch 93. Guilt
Allen flicked his massive wings, causing a gust of wind that blew Mac's hair in all directions. He launched himself at Mac, his body moving with incredible speed, leaving a trail of darkness behind him. The sight of Allen's demonic claws, razor-sharp and ready to tear him apart, made Mac's heart race with fear and adrenaline.
Mac's sword gleamed as he charged at Allen. He was determined to fight until his last breath. His heart pounded furiously in his chest as he launched himself at Allen, his eyes locked onto his enemy.
But when they were about to clash, an announcement appeared.
[The treasure hunt event has ended! Thank you for participating! We will teleport all players back to Ront City!]
Then what they both saw was the loading screen. That was the game mechanism.
Once the loading screen dissipated, Mac found himself amidst a sea of players in front of the gates of Ront City. He took a moment to gather himself, his mind still reeling from the intense battle that had just taken place. His eyes scanned the crowd.
"Welcome back, adventurer!" Thera exclaimed.
Soon, another announcement appeared.
[Ront's Underground Dungeon is safe and can be accessed again! Happy hunting!]
[The next event will take place in 15 minutes at the Gorroc Desert Sand Pit Dungeon!]
But rather than announcements, Mac was more interested in finding his friends, following the dots on the map, he soon found them.
Finally, he saw them sitting on a bench on the side of the road, with Yora standing in front of them, her hands glowing with a warm, healing light.
As he approached, he saw that Yora was using her healing skills to treat one of his teammates, who had taken a beating during the fight. But he could tell that her attention was elsewhere. Yora's gaze was distant, lost in thought. Mac wondered what was going through her mind.
Mac came over to them. "Yora, are you okay?" Mac asked, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
She turned to face him and tried to force a smile, but it was clear that she was still shaken up.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice unconvincing.
Gil, on the other hand, was not as quick to dismiss their defeat. He let out a loud complaint, "Why don't you ask about us? That emperor also killed us. He even beheaded me!" Gil was the first to voice his anger, and this time was no different. But Mac knew that underneath Gil's bluster, he was also feeling the sting of their loss.
Mac turned his head to face Gil, with an air of frustration etched on his features. "I wasn't asking her about her character, Gil," he said, his tone clipped and short. His eyes then darted back towards Yora. Concern painted his face as he directed his next words toward her. "I was asking about her. In real life. As a person, not her game character," he spoke with a directness that left no room for misinterpretation.
He couldn't help but notice that Yora remained silent, even as they were in the throes of a battle. It seemed as if the Devil Emperor had said something that had unsettled her, leaving her traumatized and unable to fight back. Mac's heart twisted in concern for his comrade, and he knew that he needed to find out what was troubling her.
Yora's response was soft, almost inaudible, and it seemed as if she was trying to reassure them that she was alright. "I'm fine, Mac," she said, the words coming out in a whisper. "The devil emperor only reminds me of my guilt. Something I want to forget."
Gil's eyes widened as he interjected, his disbelief evident in his voice. "Wait... you mean the devil emperor can read our minds?" His jaw dropped in shock, and his mind was reeling at the thought. "Advanced AI is surely terrifying nowadays... I wonder if it can predict the apocalypse..."
Yora shook her head, her eyes downcast and filled with a sense of shame. "He doesn't read my mind, Gil," she explained softly, her voice tinged with a sense of sadness. "It's just that what he said made me remember something I wanted to forget..."
Mac's curiosity was piqued as he watched Yora lower her head and bite her lower lip. He could sense that something was bothering her deeply. "What did he say to you?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Yora hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a small, embarrassed voice. "He called me little kitten…"
Mac furrowed his brow in confusion. "Huh?" he replied, trying to understand why that would upset her so much. To him, it seemed like a subtle mockery by the devil emperor due to her helpless state.
The other players in their group exchanged confused glances, wondering what could have caused Yora's sudden distress.
"Just forget it. That is my personal problem after all," Yora said hastily, feeling stupid for revealing something irrelevant to the game.
But Mac wasn't ready to let it go. He had a nagging feeling that there was more to the story. "Does it have anything to do with someone precious to you in the past? A boyfriend maybe?" he guessed, his eyes on Yora.
Yora nodded.
Mac's eyes widened in understanding. "So, a bad breakup?" he guessed, making bullseye with his deduction.
Yora nodded once again, unable to form words.
The mage, sensing an opportunity to interject, chimed in with a lighthearted tone. "Well, I'm 29 years old, single, healthy, have a stable job, have my own place, and handsome according to my mom. So if you need a boyfriend—" he pointed at himself, a big grin on his face.
The other players in the group exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of amusement and disapproval. Mac rolled his eyes at the mage's shameless flirting.
"I'm desperately trying to get a girlfriend, you know?" the mage continued, pointing at the name above his head. INeedAHotGF.
