บท 24: Best friends
Seo Gyeoul—a character revered as one of the game's most reliable allies, crucial for securing victory in the later arcs.
Not only was she a formidable warrior, but she possessed a beauty that rivaled the most enchanting of heroines.
Yet, it was her unique ability to bestow the [Skill: Hidden Blade] that truly set her apart—a rare and coveted skill that could only be obtained through her training.
Despite her strength and beauty, Seo Gyeoul's character was often considered somewhat bland compared to the more flamboyant heroines of the game.
However, beneath her seemingly ordinary exterior lay a complexity that few could fathom.
Her struggles with social awkwardness and extreme anxiety added depth to her character, foreshadowing the challenges she would face in her own story arcs.
As the perfect embodiment of the Hidden Blade, Seo was a master swordsman, her skills unmatched by many.
Yet, her inability to express her emotions often left her isolated, a solitary figure in the virtual world.
Only those who managed to forge a deep connection with her could hope to recruit her onto their team.
In the game, there were only two ways to capture her attention and start her route….
So why?
Why is she here?
I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything to get her attention though?
Did she sneak in here with me?
As I gazed at the neatly severed corpses strewn behind her, the answer seemed painfully obvious.
The evidence lay before me—electric sparks crackling in the air, the lingering afterimage of a blinding flash that happened a while ago, and the fresh corpses bearing identical cuts. It was clear that Seo had orchestrated this massacre.
Thinking back on it, I couldn't shake the feeling that something had been amiss from the start. No ambushes, no traps, not even a single monster in sight. Even the system had warned me about monsters capable of sensing their opponents' auras. Now, it all began to fall into place.
They probably all gathered here, drawn by the formidable aura that Seo exuded.
But if Seo was responsible for all of this, did that mean the flash of light when I mimicked her attack earlier was also her doing?
And what about the sudden influx of levels I had received—was that her doing as well?
Suddenly the system message popped up again.
[Note: would you like to disband party?]
[Yes/No]
Huh?
[Status info:]
[Seo Gyeoul]
[Race: High Human]
[Level-98]
[Strength: B]
[Agility: S]
[Endurance: C]
[Luck: D]
[Power: B]
[Skills:]
[Advance Swordsmanship] [Proficiency: (100%)]
[Heavenly Steps] [Proficiency: (100%)]
[Aura] [Proficiency: (90%)]
[Shadow Steps] [Proficiency: (80%)]
[Hidden blade] (Unique)] [Proficiency: (75%)]
[Advance Spearman ship] [Proficiency: (40%)]
…
….
…..
[Special abilities]
[True strike]
[Description: No matter what situation you will always have the first strike]
[Overview: A lone flower in the green garden]
Seeing her status window splattered across the transparent blue screen before me, I couldn't help but widen my eyes.
Seo and I were at a party?
Since when?
[Note: Approximately 02:45:37]
But I didn't notice her since the beginning though?
How did she even become part of my party in the first place?
And why didn't this bloody system tell me about such an important detail.
[Note: You didn't ask]
Now this thing was just pissing me off at this point…. Ignoring my overly useless system I looked at Seo's stats in more detail.
Seo's stats were nothing short of staggering. Her S-rank agility and level 98 status spoke volumes about her prowess. It seemed she hadn't lost any of her power since the moment we formed our party.
With her formidable Hidden Blade skill and the game-changing True Strike ability, she held the upper hand in any combat scenario.
If Alice was known for her ability to decimate enemies with her card army and knights, then Seo was the undisputed champion of solo battles.
Her skillset ensured victory in almost any situation.
With a plethora of skills at her disposal, it was hard to believe that she was an early-game character available for teaming up.
Seo embodied the epitome of cheat mode in the game, her very presence guaranteeing success in most encounters.
Amidst my focus on the screens before me, I felt a warmth enveloping my hands, followed by the distinct sound of a slap. Startled, I turned to see Seo lifting my arms, her expression as emotionless as ever as she forced me into a clapping motion.
"We won… yay!" she declared in her usual monotone voice. Her actions would have been less bizarre if she actually seemed excited about our victory.
This girl... as awkward as ever, just like in the game.
"Seo Gyeoul," I called out to her, trying to regain control of my hands as she continued to press them against hers.
She looked at me, her head slightly tilted. "You know me?"
"Almost everyone in the knight department knows of you," I replied.
"Why?" Her tone was curious, almost innocent.
"Because you're the top seat in our department."
"I see... Is that also the reason you know of me?"
"Yes."
"Ah... I see." Her response was devoid of emotion, yet a sense of disappointment seemed to linger in the air.
'Did I say something wrong?'
In the game, there were subtle signs that indicated when Seo was feeling sad or troubled, and one of those signs was when her gaze drifted downward. Now, she was exhibiting exactly that behavior.
Whenever I noticed such signs in the game, I would often reload to the nearest save point to ensure a 100% success rate in romancing her when following her specific route.
Knowing her personality, I anticipated that she would take this interaction to heart in some peculiar way. I knew I had to cheer her up, but there were other pressing matters that needed addressing.
"Why are you here, Miss Seo?" I inquired, attempting to steer the conversation back on track.
Suddenly, she jolted, releasing my already numb hands. Her eyes darted from side to side as she struggled to find her words.
"...I was curious?" she finally managed to articulate.
"Curious about what?" I pressed, genuinely puzzled. What could possibly pique her curiosity enough to prompt her to venture all the way here and, ironically, save my skin despite the trouble inadvertently caused by her presence.
"About you" came her immediate reply.
Huh… so she really did come here because of me?
But why, though? As far as I knew, we never had any sort of interaction aside from this morning. We merely bumped into each other in the first place.
So why was she suddenly secretly following me like this?
If what the system said about the party indicator was true, she probably started tailing me around two hours ago.
Coincidentally, that's around the same time I left the library.
Wait... was that presence from before, her?
Now, everything started to make sense.
This girl probably saw me when I took the trials for the Tears of Chronos back then.
It would make sense as to why I've caught her attention. Only someone on her level could discern the unique quality of mana my earrings were exuding.
She probably thinks I'm a celestial mage or something now.
"Don't worry, Mr. Celestial Mage, your secret's safe with me," she said, her hands clenched into fists.
Yup... This girl clearly misunderstood everything.
"By the way, Mr. Mage, why did you not use magic?" she asked curiously, scanning me from head to toe. She's probably trying to pinpoint where all my mana went.
But unfortunately for her, I had no such thing. I don't even have the unique mana to use celestial magic to begin with.
Haah… it would be troublesome if a misunderstanding like this goes on any longer. As I'm going for a more physically oriented build for the upcoming arc in the future, any notion of magical attacks from me would be nonexistent.
So, It's better to fix this now.
"First of all, I'm not a mage," I interjected.
"Eh….? But you were clearly using—"
"And second, stop calling me Mr. Mage. My name is Riley, Riley Hell. You can just call me Riley, Miss Seo."
"Riley… is that really alright?" she said, her tone carrying a hint of happiness. It was hard to tell, though, given her usually stoic expression.
But something about the way she spoke made me think she was genuinely pleased.
Was being called by my name really such a big deal to her?
"Yeah" I replied, trying to keep my own emotions in check.
"Riley, Riley… your name is very beautiful as well" she continued, her hands suddenly grasping both of my arms as she leaned in. A smile almost tugged at my lips at her endearing actions, but I suppressed it quickly.
I didn't want to come off as creepy.
"Then you can call me Seo as well, Riley."
"Sure…," I agreed, feeling a bit awkward about the sudden closeness.
I attempted to ease out of her grip, hoping to create some distance between us, but her hold only tightened, her fingers intertwining with mine.
What was she doing?
CRACKK!!!
Then, without warning, a sharp cracking noise echoed through the air, followed by searing pain shooting through my hands.
I bit down hard on my lip to stifle a scream, refusing to show any weakness in front of her.
I could feel the bones in my hands being crushed as she clenched her fists around them.
"Riley… since we call each other by names now, does that mean we're best friends?"
Huh…?
What is this woman talking about all of a sudden?
Best friends?
This is the first time we've actually interacted, and can you please let go of me already… darn it!
Her question caught me off guard, and I struggled to find the right words to respond.
Despite my discomfort she seemed to have no care as her grip on my arm remained firm, making it difficult for me to concentrate.
…..
As Seo approached the young man from behind, only a single thought lingered in her mind: how could she explain everything to him?
She was afraid he would get mad at what she accidentally did.
That was why her brain worked overtime, desperately trying to come up with a good excuse. But despite her efforts, she eventually stopped, unable to think of anything.
With a tired sigh, she dismissed her shadow steps technique and slowly approached him. As he turned around, she knew it was her chance.
No matter what, she must make a connection with him now.
How should she first interact with him? It should be congratulating him for their victory, right?
"Y-yay! We did it, right?" she blurted out nervously.
The moment she said those words, he slowly turned around and looked at her in confusion. Then, suddenly, his gaze intensified, and he didn't even say a word as he stared at her.
Seo's heart raced as she tried to gauge his reaction. Was he angry? Confused? She couldn't tell, and the silence stretched between them, thick with tension.
She swallowed nervously, feeling a bead of sweat forming on her brow. This wasn't going according to plan at all. What should she do now? Should she apologize? Explain herself? Or should she just wait for him to speak first?
'Why is he staring at me like that…?' Seo wondered, feeling uneasy under his intense gaze. Was congratulating themselves the wrong way of doing things? She had never had a man look at her so closely before.
The way he directly looked into her eyes without hesitation was weird, so Seo averted her gaze. But when she looked back, he was still staring at her, making her feel kind of vulnerable for the first time in her life.
'Don't tell me… is my potential friend one of those man wolves my sister warned me about? Is he after my body?'
Dangerous thoughts flooded her mind immediately. Should she just abandon the thought of befriending him?
But she had already come this far.
Though he could just possibly be staying silent, unsure how to react.
After all, Seo fully believed he was socially awkward, just like her.
That was why she decided to take action. As someone who understood his struggles, she felt it was her responsibility to lighten the mood and speak up to prevent the conversation from becoming even more awkward.
"We won… yay!" Seo exclaimed, her voice forced cheerfulness as she forcefully grabbed his arm, pulling it into a clap with hers and making a small high five in the air.
Finally, it grabbed his attention... and that's when their conversation kept going.
For the first time in her life, Seo finally had someone she could talk to for more than 10 seconds.
Though most of it may have seemed unnatural and awkward, Seo understood that it was just okay for first-timers like them.
Their conversation had its ups and downs. He was quite blunt with his words, but even still, Seo was happy to talk to somebody like this for the first time. She could feel that he actually cared, for some reason unknown to her.
It was a strange feeling, having a stranger who seemed to genuinely care about her well-being.
But as they continued to talk, Seo couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude wash over her.
Maybe, just maybe, she had finally found someone she could call a friend.
Then it finally came... one of the very few signs that your best friends, from the book she had read, [How to Make Friends]
"My name is Riley, Riley Hell. You can just call me Riley, Miss Seo," he said, granting her permission to use his name. It was a small gesture, but to Seo, it felt like a significant milestone.
Calling each other by their first names was common, but the book had emphasized that it was different if the other person gave you permission.
Her heart raced at the thought of having a best friend, something she had never experienced before.
"Riley… is that really alright?" she asked, wanting to be sure.
"Yeah," he replied, his tone calm but reassuring.
Is this truly it? Seo couldn't help but wonder.
"Riley, Riley… your name is very beautiful as well," she couldn't help but mumble in happiness. Finally, a best friend!
"Then you can call me Seo as well, Riley," She offered, sealing their newfound friendship.
With this, they were best friends in both ways, right?
"Sure…," Riley agreed.
Feeling a rush of excitement.
She remembered a technique from the book, one that would supposedly make any man weak in front of any girl they met.
Grasping onto his hands in excitement, she interlocked her fingers with his, looking into his eyes with affection.
This was it.
This was the moment where their bond would truly solidify, and Seo couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation at what was to come.
But still, as everything felt surreal to her, she still needed verbal confirmation.
"Riley… since we call each other by names now, does that mean we're best friends?" she asked eagerly, her heart pounding with anticipation and fear that Riley might disappear all of a sudden.
Unknowingly, she had put too much strength into her grip, her fingers tightly intertwined with his.
The young girl couldn't even see the pained expression he was making, his face contorting with discomfort as her grip tightened.
He tried to hide his discomfort, not wanting to ruin the moment, but the pain was evident in his strained features.
"Uhg!— yeah... yes????" he replied awkwardly, trying to mask the discomfort in his voice.
Seo's heart soared at his response, interpreting it as confirmation of their newfound friendship.
She didn't just make a friend.
'She had a best friend now'
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