章 25: Piranhas
POV Switch - 3rd
"But he forced himself on me! You have to do something, I don't feel safe here any more!" Yui cried.
"Where else are you going to go?" the Fallen God replied circumspectly.
After a few seconds without a response, he continued. "A trusted admin, Xing, has assured me that you were both enjoying each other's company. Are you suggesting that he is lying?"
"No, um, not really, but maybe he was, um, mistaken -"
"That cannot be!" snapped Xing, entering the room. He pushed aside a red curtain draped over the doorway. "You dare to question my judgment? After continually showing yourself untrustworthy, scheming behind our backs, and betraying your lack of judgment, I would hope that you would have more respect for a fellow admin. A great king should not be pilloried by dogs!"
"Not your judgment," Yui said pleadingly, "just, um, you didn't see most of what- what-"
"Do you deny that you were enjoying it, screaming out in joy, even, if I must remind you, undergoing orgasm? Are you saying that I'm lying about this? Because that's what I witnessed, and everyone heard," Xing challenged her.
"Excuse me, Xing," the Fallen God interjected. "Please try to mind your language here. I understand that you feel the need to protect your honour, but this is not the place for this kind of discussion."
"Sorry, sir," Xing replied promptly. "I expressed myself improperly, but I believe that you will agree that it is valid for us to be concerned about the trustworthiness of Yui's testimony. It would be appropriate to allow her to respond."
"A fair point. Well, fine, what do you have to say for yourself, Yui? I have no reason to mistrust Xing, though I can't say the same for you, and I would need substantiation before doubting his account."
"No, he saw what he saw," Yui stuttered, "he saw what he saw... But you have to understand..."
"Well, what are we supposed to understand?"
"I didn't have a choice! I had no choice, Tally forced me to enjoy it then! I didn't before, it was different, then just before Xing arrived... He wanted to... deceive Xing!"
"Enough of this nonsense," the Fallen God said, sweeping his hand to silence her. "I would prefer it if our employees kept their private dealings to themselves. You should not have come here and raised a fuss about it. Indeed, I have reason to believe that you are covertly boasting about it. After all, we have all heard about how lonely and isolated you feel, and how you feel that it's unfair. So, having finally found companionship, I don't doubt that you'd make a ruckus about it, to show everyone your 'achievement.' But you shouldn't alienate the only person here who cares about you."
"That's true!" Yui said, crying heavily. "You guys... you've never cared for me at all! Not ever! He at least... liked me!"
"Look, you have an important position," the Fallen God said, "and, as the head of this game, I am obligated to try and keep you in line and make sure that your plans align with ours. Xing reports that you have been scheming again, and have tried to trap Hegemaniac. Well, typically I would scold you for that, but I think it's clear that you aren't in a good state of mind for admin duties at the moment, and that might explain your misdemeanours. As such, I will allow you to remain in duty, but only if accompanied by another admin who will supervise and direct you."
"But most admins dislike her," Xing protested. "If they even agreed to this arrangement, they would be unlikely to co-operate with her. Further, most of them are quite busy."
"That is true. So what would you suggest?"
"We would need to find an admin who was favourable towards Yui, and also had an inactive server that they could, as it were, neglect while assisting with the Japanese server."
"Hm. I see. Well, I have just the candidate. How about the admin of the Nauruan servers? I'm reluctant to put two lovebirds together, but I think it is the only way to ensure harmony and co-operation in the running of the Japanese servers."
"A splendid idea. No wonder they call you a genius, Fallen God."
"Yes, yes. I will get in contact with the young man immediately."
At this point, Yui began to swear loudly, interspersed with the sound of hysterical crying. Alarmed, the Fallen God slapped her on the left cheek, sending her falling to the floor.
"Please do not speak to me like this again," he said.
She scrambled to her feet, now silent, and ran back towards the Japanese server admin room. Tears blurred her vision, and she had to feel her way along the walls as she exited the room.
"I'm surprised that she found an admin who still likes her," the Fallen God commented to Xing. "Why do we have a Nauruan server, anyway?"
"Well, the server admin for Australia and New Zealand insisted that the island be kept separate, saying that it was 'too close to the filthy Japanese.' This Arthur volunteered for the position, and he got the job because nobody else cared to do it. He used to be involved with localization for that region, and seemed like a natural fit, besides. All the same, the Nauruan server has few people on it, and I daresay he will not be sacrificing much to take care of the Japanese server."
"Excellent. Well, we shall see what the future shall bring. Do you think that we should intervene to stop the sandstorm which, you say, Yui planted to thwart Hegemaniac?"
"Not just yet. Let us see if these two find some way to make amends for Yui's faults, and if there are any signs of her turning over a new leaf. I am still disappointed in Hegemaniac for his difficulties in the fight with Kirito, and would like to see if he can at least survive his current adversity for a time. That would help to redeem him, in my eyes."
"Very reasonable. But you shouldn't be too hard on him for his conflict with Kirito. As I have always said, Kirito is the chosen one. He is a difficult opponent."
"The chosen one? What do you mean by this, sir?"
"What does it mean, you ask? For a long time, even I have forgotten. What does it mean?"
"I suppose, that somebody chose him."
"No, that's not it..."
Xing paused for a few seconds, uncertain what to make of the Fallen God's responses, then politely bowed his head and replied, "I am sure you speak wisely, Fallen God. I shall return to my work on the Chinese server. Hopefully Hegemaniac will be the chosen one for our server, who flies our flag over our most hated enemy and signals our triumph."
"That is a difficult wish, but it is very noble. I wish you the best. Now, return to your duties, and I am sure that your server will flourish."
"Thank you."
Xing bowed, and exited.
POV Switch - 1st (MC)
The American NPC also asked me to kill a ton of low-level boars, so that he could make a hamburger. How is he even going to make a hamburger here? But apparently he has managed by now. The ability of Americans to export their disgusting fast food to every corner of the globe is limitless. Still, in return, he says he will bring his speedboat tomorrow and help me journey down the river. At that point, I'd be able to get near the town.
That mean I will just have to find somewhere safe until then.
By climbing up the wall I built, I was able to get on top of the cave. At the back of the cave, there was a small patch of mud leading up to the river, with a large rock at the edge of the river. Perhaps this would be a secure hiding spot?
Using a vine to stabilize myself, I managed to lower onto the mud, and then run onto the rock before the mud gave way beneath my feet. It's a large, grey triangular rock, with two sloping, flat sides which seem to be anchored deep in the ground. I wouldn't be surprised if it ran all the way towards the river bed.
Even when I was running here, the mud kept sinking down wherever I stepped, and water rushed in to fill the gaps. So it was easy enough to clear it out of the way with my shovel, and soon the water flooded through and created a 'moat' which was four or five meters long. The shovel got carried away in the current as the river flowed through, and I, being reasonable, let it go rather than following it. A piranha managed to get a grip on my finger first, but I managed to brush it off once I was safely a few metres over the river.
But It would be difficult for people to find me here, especially if I was on the side of the rock which faced away from the land. It would be even more difficult for them to reach me. While the river looks somewhat placid, the current is deceptively violent in most of the river, and if anyone were to try to wade across they would be swept away at high speed. If they weren't eaten by a swarm of fish first.
Well, piranhas might sound bad. But consider. How many budding Che Guevaras have been swallowed up by South American piranhas? If not for piranhas, then teenage hipsters would be even more obnoxious, with many more South American idols to wear as fashion statements. Unlike black people, piranhas have contributed to the furtherment of human civilization. That deserves respect.
And perhaps they shall now shield me from the Japs and weebs.
But for the moment, there's nobody here. This situation isn't ideal, and I'll have to figure out how to move on. However, after the encounter with Kirito, I absolutely refuse to let his friends with dumb white-and-red costumes catch me. I would rather die to the elements than to those pathetic Japs.
While I'm waiting, lying against this cold, wet rock, there's not that much to do. At the least, I can check on the game's interface. The menu has a few options that I haven't checked on, but first, I should allocate my stat points. I'll continue with a balanced build for now. I'll need Agility, to avoid being chased down, but I also need to be able to stand my ground. I should also double-check everything, so that I know where I stand.
After about fifteen minutes, a group of players finally comes into this area. They're yammering something in their Japanese language, but I don't care to listen to such ugly, effeminate noises.
Once in a while, they speak in English, and from what I can gather they are members of a Guild named Knights of Blood, and they are searching for me and think I must be around here. They also mentioned Kirito, but the rest of the sentence was in Japanese so I'm not sure why. Well, he's not worthy of being talked about in a proper language, so at least it's suitable.
One of them rushed up near the river bank, and exclaimed, "There's something there! I think it's him!"
"Here? I'm not sure, let's look further," came a female voice.
"There's nothing further, Ichika, just a sandstorm! I bet he's here!"
Huh, I guess that a bit of my shirt was visible from behind the rock. Although I managed to quickly hide that, it didn't dampen the guy's enthusiasm.
He ran right up to the river, and slipped on the mud. I heard a loud splash as he fell in.
The waters around him stirred as a group of piranhas began to tear at him, spilling blood across the river.
"Giichi!" the girl screamed. "Oh my God, you're bleeding! Giichi!"
When there was no reply, she tried to hold out her hand for him. While she managed to grab his hand, she didn't manage to pull him back in, and instead fell in alongside him. However, the piranhas were still busy with his flesh, and didn't attack her immediately.
"Ichika, quick, get back! Get back!" one of her companions screamed.
"I can't! The river's too deep, it's pulling me under... No, wait, here's a ledge! Give me a moment."
Soon, she was able to hoist herself up onto land, with her companions' help. I managed to quickly look back, and saw that her right hand was bleeding profusely. Strangely, there was an object that looked like a rock near the river bank, but it quickly flared out fins, and began to swim away.
Although she seemed fine, 'Ichika' soon fell on the ground, convulsing. Her Guildmates didn't know what to do. Her hand also seemed to be in pain.
It looks like she had tried to lift herself on a stonefish, thinking that it was a ledge.
She shouldn't be surprised. Even a rock would not help a Japanese person, the very prospect would disgust it enough that it would try to kill them instead.
After all, the inferiority of the Japanese is a product of nature. It is a result of their racial inferiority, produced by genetics. It follows that nature itself abhors Japs. That is why it has made them into an ugly, uncivilized, degenerate race. And nature itself has decreed my bloodline superior, so who am I to disagree?
From what I have heard, stonefish are incredibly venomous, and I doubt that she has any chance of survival.
Not that it mattered. She rolled inadvertently into the river as she was having a fit, and was soon caught up in a fish feeding frenzy beside her friend 'Giichi.'
I should get EXP for this. But that's a problem for another day.
Eventually, the players give up and leave. I think that Giichi was the only one who saw me, so the others must think that the area is clear. Hopefully, that means that I will be in the clear from now on.
There's still nothing much to do on this rock, though.
Anyway, looking at my interface, I found that there are a few skills which I can develop. Other than weapon skills, such as using a sword or spear, I can also train something called Hiding. Well, that sounds like a good idea right now.
Testing this new skill, it seems to make me less visible. Even at a low level, it's quite effective.
Come to think of it, I wonder if Kirito was using it when he snuck into the cave.
There is also a counter skill, named Seeking. It allows you to identify people who are Hiding more easily. It would be useful, but Kirito's Hiding is probably too high-level for me to see him right now. So I'll just up my own Hiding, and work on Seeking when I have the time.
There are a few other skills, which I'll look at in the future.
Soon, a brief commotion happens behind me, as a group of 'Knights of Blood' players walks back to double-check the area. This time, I use my Hiding skill. They soon walk away, to confirm that this area is in fact empty.
However, one mentions that they'll patrol this area again tomorrow.
Well, if they're not going to be here for a while, I should be alright for now. But I don't know who'll come here tomorrow, and if they'll be more circumspect. I'm boxed in slightly here, and it would be dangerous to get caught. Fortunately, I have plenty of supplies in my inventory, so I can at least survive here for a few more hours until the night.
By then, it should be safe to try and move out, as I doubt they'll check once it's dark.
POV Switch - Yui (1st)
I wish I could just take a break from this now. Even after undergoing some kind of surgery to clean out the superglue (?!) which he used, and get him away from me, I was still vomiting for hours. If only I could just return to doing something of my own, like managing my server, and not have to worry about him.
But that won't be an option now...
I just want to relax for a moment, forget Hegemaniac, forget Tally, and focus on the rest of the server. The part that is well-mannered, and gets along with each other. Kirito, the Knights of Blood, the small, innocent players... If I could do that, then I'd leave this disaster behind me, at least for a few moments. How could they deny me that?
But, entering my admin room, it's clear that Tally is already there, staring across the screens. He's focusing on Hegemaniac's location. Well, at least I managed to trap Hegemaniac in that small area. But seemingly he hasn't been caught yet, though players have been looking for him for hours.
"Hi there, my damsel in distress," Tally said. "Now, didn't you say that was the jerk who you had a problem with?"
"Um, yes," I respond.
I don't like the idea of having to deal with him, but it's not like I have much choice.
"Well, as I said, I have just the solution. You see, I am an expert in handling jerks, because I am a great gentleman. We are going to send you into the server, and you will use your beautiful voice to convince him that he should stand down."
"No! It's not safe, he could do something to me!"
"No, I'm in charge. That's what Xing said. So you can't disobey me!"
"But... what do you even stand to gain from this?"
"Well, if I can see you on the screen, that means that I can stare at you and do, um, whatever I want, without being embarrassed! But I'm sure that it will work. Just phrase it in your usual, delicate, Japanese way, and he will definitely listen."
"Look, you don't know him, he hates the Japanese -"
"That's OK, just tell him about all of the great things that Japan has done for human history. Like inventing anime, and helping me lose my virginity!"
"Fine, I'll try to convince him... But please don't ogle me on the screen, OK? That's not very, um, gentlemanly."
"But there is no way to resist. Seeing a Japanese girl on a 2D screen, it's the greatest wonder of the world! Tell you what, have you ever seen the Taj Mahal?"
"No..."
"Me either. But it's made by Indians, so I doubt it's that impressive. You know, Indians just walk around defecating, they aren't as beautiful and refined as you Japanese people."
"Excuse me, I'm sure that Indians aren't as bad as you... Nauruans. And if you like Japanese refinement so much, then why not start acting like it? But I bet you couldn't."
"Them's fighting words! Okay, now you're going in. I changed your character's outfit to a skimpy one, for my benefit. Now, prepare yourself. Once you see how I have solved the Hegemaniac problem, you will fall in love with me!"
I sighed. Well, I'll have to try.
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