[Nightmare]

Chapter 13 [Murderer]

"W-What do you mean I'm famous?" Lucas asked shyly.

"Why are you smiling?

You're not famous for a good reason." Helix replied with a mocking expression.

"Wait… what did you just say!?" Lucas yelled in a panic.

Helix laughed.

"You're famous because of what you're doing right now."

"What the hell do you—"

"Some girls heard you yelling from inside your room last night.

The same is true of you, Ethan Myers." Helix interjected with narrowed eyes.

His laugh was gone, and his expression froze the three to the core.

"They're already talking about disowning you guys if they learn that you're mistreating your servant.

Of course, they would spread that to all the women." He warned with a serious expression.

"Luckily for you, both of your servants wore a slight smile today.

But they'll be watching closely for forced smiles, and they're having their servants keep watch.

Whether a servant or a hero, all women can spot women forced to keep quiet.

So ordering your servant to keep quiet or act happy will instantly prove your guilt, and they'll disown you."

Lucas and Ethan started shaking in horror at Helix's warnings.

Both had invested in their appearances to get a chance with the women otakus.

If all of the women disowned them, they might break mentally.

Unfortunately, the allegations were true.

Helix shrugged when he saw their shaking bodies.

"I suppose it doesn't matter much.

If it comes out that you three tried to gang up on a person and even tried to kill him, no one will speak to you.

No one wants to be friends or love someone willing to murder people."

Helix chuckled with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Y-You wouldn't dare tell people!" Lucas warned.

"Or what?" Helix asked with a mocking smile.

"Will you prove my point?

Do you think investigations don't happen because CSI teams don't exist in Myriad.

You delusional RPG lunatics will get locked away if you don't turn around and leave."

"Lucas, calm down. If we leave him alone, he won't tell people about this." Jackson reasoned.

"No…." Lucas growled with killing intent oozing out of his pores.

"He will tell people. I know it.

You saw that he was already in with all of the girls today, right?"

Jackson's face flashed with terror.

"L-Lucas, it's the second day here. You can't—"

"Shut up, you pussy." Ethan barked.

"If you don't want to be here, fuck off." Lucas sneered.

"Get out of here." Helix said with a stern voice.

"As far as I'm concerned, you weren't even here tonight."

Lucas and Ethan lit up with anger after Helix's declaration.

Jackson looked at Helix with apologetic eyes before running away.

The other two were too concentrated on the situation to notice.

'Good job, kid.' Helix thought to himself.

Most of the [chosen ones] were anti-social otakus, and it wouldn't be surprising if many were bullied.

He figured Jackson was in that category, so he was proud he ran away instead of freezing up.

"Let's pwn this guy." Lucas growled.

"What about Jackson?" Ethan asked while eying him down.

"That loser doesn't have the balls to speak up against us." Lucas laughed.

"Besides, it's not like we're getting out of this.

It's best to beat this guy to a pulp and then hit each other a few times to make things look believable."

"Are you really strategizing your coverup in front of the person you're assaulting?" Helix sighed.

"What special grade of idiots are you two?"

The two stopped talking and sneered at Helix.

Both were getting into a fighting stance.

"Really? You understand that anime fighting styles leave you wide open to attacks, right?" Helix chuckled.

Lucas had his left hand in front of his face, his knees bent, and he held his short sword with one hand behind his back.

"Your pose screams, [I have no defenses, so please slice me wherever while my hand is busy swinging]." Helix taunted.

"Thank god you have crazy stats.

Otherwise, you'd throw your shoulder out with that stupid stance.

Assuming you didn't die before swinging."

Lucas almost blew a gasket and charged, but Ethan stopped him.

"Wait. Something's not right here." Ethan asserted with a discerning voice.

"This guy has the weakest stats, but he's taunting people he knows.

If he knows our Nightmares and stats, why would he do that?" Ethan asked.

—

"Look, boy. I get that your situation is as bleak as a barefoot hike through Siberia.

But if your strategy is asking for trouble." Macron stated.

Helix raised an eyebrow.

'I'll have to research the language-translation magic in Myriad.' Helix chuckled in bewilderment.

"I think that your strategy is brilliant.

However, It's hard to justify that you're a helpless, innocent lamb when you're actively picking a fight.

Even though it isn't lethal, using a Nightmare without solid proof of need can be punishable by death.

Those are the rules, and we can't change them."

"I thought so." Helix sighed.

"While we can often make exceptions, your situation can hardly be classified as life-threatening in the eyes of the law.

You arrived less than 24-hours ago.

Saying that people you've never met will kill you immediately sounds paranoid.

You have no reputation, respect, or prestige to back you up.

Your only leg to stand on would be useless stats, but the kingdom won't be pleased treating you as a hero if you're weaker than grunts.

They'd probably be glad to get rid of someone they deem useless to get you off the payroll.

To them, you're just an unfortunate boy who was dealt half-cooked grenades instead of cards in a poker game.

Beyond that, you're not even worth mentioning." Macron explained with a remorseful expression.

Helix chuckled with madness in his eyes.

"So what will it take to be able to use my Nightmare?" Helix asked.

Macron sighed.

"Getting assaulted. Unfortunately, your peers' strength will kill you with a single punch if your defense stat is rock bottom.

Your only saving grace is that none of you have combat experience." He replied.

"So if that happens, I can use it?" Helix asked.

Macron narrowed his eyes.

"Look, if you're thinking about letting someone hit you let me know.

That way, I can call suicide watch." The man gruffed with a scowl.

"This isn't earth, boy. Your peers may be a pack of geeky animals, but they'll be five to twenty times stronger than the average Myriadian.

You'd have better chances of survival running into truck-kun, or whatever you all call that Earthian serial killer."

—

"Why the hell are you laughing!?" Lucas yelled.

"Sorry… I was just thinking about how my people have brought high culture to the Myriadians." Helix replied while wiping light tears from his eyes.

"Let's just pwn this noob. But first, put away your sword.

We can push for a felony for improper use if this guy uses his Nightmare." Ethan suggested with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Looks like you're finally thinking for once." Helix chuckled with an icy gaze.

'I only need to survive one punch.

Even getting grazed will wreck me badly enough to claim a dire situation.' He thought.

The moment he considered the ideal scenario, his eyes glazed over, and the gatekeepers tried pulling him into the beyond.

'Better now when they have no combat experience than when they are battle-ready and know the rules.

Sorry, Macron. You're underestimating the true nature of super-otakus.' He reasoned bitterly.

Lucas put his sword away with shaky hands.

"I can't wait till Leera hears how strong and valiant you are, Lucas."

The moment Helix said those words, Lucas rushed at him.

Despite being a disordered wreck that had never hit someone, Helix couldn't even see his attacker for more than a second.

Helix jumped backward before Lucas charged with all of his strength and channeled spirit particles into his Nightmare.

In his mind, he targeted Lucas and Ethan and prayed no one else would hear what happened.

A split second later, Helix heard a sickening crack, and he found it painful to breathe.

Helix's body hit the floor with fast momentum as he rolled across the room.

"What's going on!?" A voice screamed in the hallway.

"Hurry quick! Someone looks hurt!" Another yelled.

Helix was gasping for air in the middle of the fork of the hallway.

A dozen women ran to Helix's side.

"Isn't that Helix? What the hell happened?"

"Leera, don't look!" One of the women yelled.

However, it was too late.

When Leera saw Helix badly injured, she screamed and started crying.

Another woman named Whitney rushed over and started crying as well.

"What type of sick fucking animal would do this on the second day being here!?" Leera sobbed.

"Who would try to murder someone that just showed up!?" Whitney screamed in anger.

"Everyone knew Helix had no defense stat!

Anyone that hit him after learning his stats might as well have used a gun!" Another woman screamed.

When Leera looked down the hallway, she saw Lucas.

The young man was petrified and shocked beyond belief.

"YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Why do you have blood on your hands!?"

"I-I… I-I…." Lucas stuttered in shock.

"Ethan!?" Whitney yelled in confusion.

"You're part of this!? I thought that you were a good guy!" She screamed.

"I defended you when I heard your frustrated rants yesterday, but I was wrong!

You're scum! I can't believe you!"

"Girls! Talk about this later!

If we don't get this guy to a doctor, he'll die!

Let's deal with these murderers later!" Another woman screamed.

Both of the young men fell to their knees.

"I-I… I-I… I-I…." Lucas stuttered.

Both of them sounded like broken records.

Suddenly a group of guards rushed to the scene as well.

"Get a doctor, Marcus!" The guard yelled.

"You two! What the hell is going on here!?" Another man roared.

A moment later, Helix lost consciousness.

—

[A/N: The more you think about this scene, the wilder it becomes. ;)]

Disclaimer: Grammatical mistakes and minor inconsistencies = more content.