NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

Chapter 36 - The Big Scheme

(Back to Red's Point of View)

The recap chapter is around Chapter 26 where Red Rose conversed with Match. Anyway, onto the story~

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The merchant's words haunted me even in my sleep. All my cells twitched every time something reminded me about the completion of the game. I could only think about avenging my parents for their unjust death.

"I need to take the emerald obelisk from La Finta," I whispered.

Those were the thoughts dangling inside my head. After hearing obelisks from the merchant, my goal shifted. I didn't even know the identity of the merchant. And yet, here I was, trusting his words.

I needed to get the four obelisks, and the emerald resin was within the grasps of my hands. It was my only chance to meet the creator, the game developer. La Finta had the gemstone on her necklace. I was sure of it, since it nestled on her neck when we met from the hall.

She was the Grandmother of Nirvana. And that glowing light was my answer.

'La Finta, being the crowned ruler of elves, must have that emerald stone,' I thought, and continued scheming what to do soon, even if it meant killing her.

....

[Wake up, Master Red!] A yowling voice resonated through my eardrums, but my body did not listen.

My lids kept my orbs shut tight, refusing to jolt back awake. I had an exhausting night, so waking up in the middle of my sleep would defeat the purpose of taking a rest for my body.

However, it persisted and barged inside my mind, continuing to rouse me from my dream. I had no choice but to address the inner voice scowling inside of me.

[Wake up, Master Red! Nirvana is under attack!]

I heeded the voice and peeled my eyes wide open. The walls surrounding me quivered as if we were in an earthquake, creating dozens of crevices on the panels. My upper limbs grabbed Match and shook her shoulder. I needed to wake her up before the ceiling above would bury us alive.

"Match, wake up!" I nudged her shoulder and woke the little girl from her slumber.

A soft grunt escaped from her lips as Match opened her eyes and met my gaze. I continued poking her face to confirm her state. Her expression changed in panic as Match looked at her surroundings.

The paintings on the wall fell to the ground. A crack became visible from the crash, but it was not enough to destroy the floor. The two of us sat on our mattress and looked each other in the eyes.

"What's happening, Red?" Match asked while backing away from the bed.

Her body was too stiff to move. I held her hands and caressed her head. With a beam, Match eased her face and formed a smile on her lips.

"We need to get out of here now!" I commanded, and pulled the little girl away from the room.

Her body followed my lead as I barged through the door. We made an extemporaneous dash outside of the room and descended the stairs. A couple of rangers ran past us, but they did not bother greeting our figures.

If I had to guess the situation, the legion of players have already made their way to Nirvana. They planned on destroying the entrance and forcing themselves inside. If I were in their shoes, I would have done the same thing.

"We need to escape from here," I expressed, and carried Match in my arms.

I sprinted towards the exit and met with the army of rangers lined up across the town. The player's attack had yet reached the insides, so this was a perfect chance for our escape. I just needed a carriage to place Match away from here and return for the obelisk.

I shifted my view and located the stables near the castle. Upon knowing the place, I rushed towards the East and welcomed the wooden barn. My system did not tell me what was inside, but I knew this place was the parking spot for all the carriages stored inside Nirvana.

I placed Match on the ground and ventured onward to the stall. My hands slid the gates open and greeted the multiple royal and common carriages, welcoming my eyes.

There were multiple carriages stored inside the barn. I had many options to choose from, but we needed something light and durable on our journey. I planned on travelling to the Dwarven Kingdom after this occurrence if we made it out alive.

Browsing the caravans, I spotted something that piqued my interest. It was a cart similar to the one we rode back from escaping with the Queen. Now that we destroyed the cart into pieces, I needed a new one.

And the one that stood out from the finest was a lime-coloured wagon, imbued with various magics on the wheels and the covers. I did not have any time to inspect the arcane installed in the wain.

"Can you stay here for a second and wait for me, Match?" I asked, while putting her inside the cart.

With confused eyes, Match asked, "Where are you going? I won't leave you here, Red."

Her voice croaked as soon as Match confessed her feelings. I placed my palm on top of her forehead and brushed her crazed hair. The little girl curved up a smile as she felt my warm fingers touching her head.

Match was still a little girl, after all.

"I'll be back before you can even say candles, okay?"

"Promise?" Match said.

"I promise."

Match flashed me a faint smile for the last time before seeing me off towards the entrance. I returned her beam and smiled back. After our exchange, I gave her a nod and exited the barn. I could leave together with Match, but I needed something that La Finta had. It was the emerald obelisk that controlled the state of Nirvana.

It was my gateway ticket to the other side and to meet with the game's creator.

I could not bring Match with me inside the palace. If the elves or the players knew my plot, they would kill her, too. There was escaping my inevitable doom. The only thing I could do for the little girl was for her to stay out of my way.

I returned to the entrance and used [shadow walk], a smaller version of [shadow step]. It allowed me to move in the shadows. The only comparison between the original ability was its duration and arcane usage. [shadow step] required an insane amount of magic for me to use it.

It was enough to conceal myself from the elves running around the ingress. They also guarded the gates and warned any villagers who would attempt to approach the citadel.

NPCs had the means of checking a character. These non-player characters can compare players and their fellow NPC apart in the blink of an eye. However, these scripted people will never guess mine.

I had both the player and NPC title. I can deliberately change these statuses whenever I want to. But right now, I needed to sneak inside, meet La Finta, and find an opening to kill her.

It was the only plan that I could afford.

I looked at my map once again and checked my surroundings. Besides the green circles (Green are neutral elves similar to the blue-hue indicators.), something moved within my vicinity. I did not know who or what was advancing. My system did not have the answer for the anomaly who had breached the fort.

I stepped inside and checked the place once more, only to find the unwelcoming hall. The three doors from my left, right, and greeted my eyes. It was the same place I was from last time, but something was definitely going to happen.

The ingress from my left vibrated, revealing three individuals exiting the corridor. It was Queen Guinevere, a younger elf, and La Finta. Guinevere went up the stairs and towards the hallway. She raced across the hall, wanting to get Eve to safety. Guinevere's daughter was on the upper floors.

The petite elf wore an emerald tunic, similar to the Grandmother. She had a sword sheathed on her hips, with her golden hair touching the pommel. Hanging beside her blade was a quiver hidden around her clothes. She wielded two weapons around her body. That was my hunch.

The younger elf rushed to the entrance and prepared her blades. She rallied the rangers and ordered each of them to protect the citadel at all costs. Despite seeing no intruders inside, the lass instructed every warden to keep their eyes peeled for any prowlers. The elf girl pushed the door and shunned it behind, leaving La Finta and me inside the room.

La Finta had original plans. She entered the royal door at the centre of the stairs and pushed it open. She elegantly waltzed inside and shut the door behind.. I did not want to take my chances, so I used a pebble found on the nearby pot and threw it between the gates before it could even lock me from the outside.