"I'm not sure and don't feel silly. I do understand why you reacted that way."
Did I just see her body in the water again? What is going on? I feel like I'm losing my mind! My skin is starting to feel itchy.
"Did you get anything from the demon? Are you all right, Dave? You don't look too good, what's wrong?" Lavender started to get worried.
"Why? Why won't the itch stop? It's inside my head, and I can't scratch it!" I cry out, while my mind started to crumble.
"DAVE!"
I woke up, and I was in a bed. Who's bed is this? Where am I?
I try to get up and away, but I can't move. I open my eyes to see my tied hands and legs. What was going on?
"LET ME GO!" I yelled.
I could see people around me that I knew, standing at the bed. Why were they all just watching him? These were his friends, right? Why would they tie me down?
"Lavender, what's going on?" I pleaded my question to her, but she looked away with tears in her eyes?
"Dave, you need to calm down. This talk is our first time being able to communicate with you since Lavender dragged you back three days ago. She had to tie your hands to keep you from running away from her," Miss Grace tried to explain to me, but I kept feeling that itch.
"So, this is for my good then? Just tie me up so I can't scratch this itch? Just let my hand go! It itches too bad! Please, arent you all my friends? Being tied up doesn't feel like something friends would do. It feels like I am some prisoner. LET ME GO!"
-----------------------------
[Shift to Lavender's view)
I couldn't look at him like this. It made the tears well up from deep inside when I saw that wild look. Those eyes weren't Dave's, and I move close to my mom to whisper.
"I have to go, mom. I can't keep listening to him like this."
I turned and ran from the room. The sound of Dave's pleading cries followed me into the hallway. Tears flowed down my face, as I passed all those wretched doors. I ran until I was in my room and my bed.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked myself as I clung to my pillow.
He was so worried about me, but then something happened. Part of him broke inside him, and he became violent, and he stopped recognizing me. A Light Mage came to check and heal him after I dragged him back, but they said nothing was wrong. This situation was all so frustrating, and I don't know what to do.
I heard my door open quietly, and I turned over. Tilly and Victoria came in with tears in their eyes and walked over to the bed. Both of them hugged me, and we all cried for a bit. Dave had done so much for each of us, and now we have him tied down.
"What are we going to do?" Tilly sniffled.
"What can we do?" Victoria through tears.
Dave touched Victoria's and Tilly's lives in different ways, but Dave brought me here with his touch. I am Lavender, Serina, and Destiny all because the stipulations for me entering this round was his first kiss, and my consciousness transferred over into that body. It was my only way I could guarantee to find him, but now that I'm here, my blessing is gone.
A loud knock came from the front door downstairs. It was loud enough that we could hear it so Tilly rushed downstairs to see who it was. Victoria stayed with me, and she put her hand over mine and squeezed it.
"Don't worry, we will fix him. Want to know something funny?" Victoria asked as she wiped the makeup and tears away.
"Hmm?"
"I met Dave in the game before the wipe, and it was only because of him that I was able to even remember this. I used to serve him a Chai Tea Latte on Fridays," when Victoria said the last part as a small smile crept on her face, and then she turned red.
"Let's just say I've known him for a long time, and I'm sure you have met him before. Dave might have looked different and had another name, but he has always gathered us up. You might know me as Destiny just don't tell Tilly yet," It wasn't time yet, Dave still hadn't shared the moment with her yet, and trying to explain it to Tilly would confuse her.
Victoria's eyes went big, and she scrambled back, away from me. Then she got right off the bed and went down on her knees, along with head to the ground. I was stunned and momentarily at a loss for words with Victoria's display.
"What are you doing!? Get off the floor before Tilly comes back, you idiot!" I scolded Victoria.
"But how are you here? You're a god! I've seen carvings, but they don't look like you, but that might not mean much in this work. How have I been around you this entire time and not known?"
"It's not like I give off some aura, and I only got transferred in when dave kissed me, or Lavender. It gets a bit confusing."
"Ahhh! That makes sense! Wait! Hold on! You KISSED HIM?!"
"No, Dave kissed me after healing a mental sickness from a demon."
"Hmmm, that's pretty amazing. I guess that's fair. I was hoping to get one from him."
"Really?"
"What do you mean really? He's cute, but you and I both know it's more than that. He care's about each of us, and he helps us to get better. If our lives are real games, then we shouldn't take things so seriously. I think we should have some fun with him when he gets better."
When he gets better, I thought. I hope we can see him get better soon. What was taking Tilly so long, maybe they should all go out and ask around for help. It was better than waiting and doing nothing.
I was about to get up when I saw Tilly walk into the room with a girl in a white nurse outfit. Her long blonde hair had been done into pigtails along with a massive syringe attached to her back with a shoulder strap. The thing that made her stand out though was the cold look on her face and a twisted smile.
"The is Iona Chase, she is a... well nurse of sorts. She said she could feel him or something coming from him, and she was drawn to the mayor. I think she can help!" Tilly explained excitedly.
"Well, that depends on his SANITY stat. If he is higher than eighty-five there is nothing I can do for him." Iona used a matter-of-fact tone while explaining.
"SANITY stat? So, he's losing his mind?" I ask.
"Yup, not a lot I can do from here so, where is he?"
All of us got up, and Tilly led the way to Dave's room. Upon arriving, I could see mom holding her hand over Dave's, as she examines his AVATAR. She didn't notice our guest, so I cleared my throat.
"Mother, there is someone here that might be able to help."
"Get back from him, you old croony is this place your house?"
"UGH! Iona, of all the rats you would drag from the streets," My mother retorted back.
"What does the stat out of 100 say?" Iona asked my mother as she made her way to the bed with dave tied up.
"eighty-three."
The little nurse ran to the bed, ripping the syringe from her back. The giant needle connected with mom and sent her flying. We all rush to my mother, but I still was watching the nurse.
Iona shoved her needle into Dave's ear. Bracing with one hand and pulling the plunger on the syringe with the other, the tube started to fill with brown-black goo. Soon the needle was full, but Dave still did not move. Iona turned and glared at my mother.
"If I was two minutes later, you stupid cow! Why didn't you get me? This boy could have died!" Iona chastised my mother for her mistake and pride.
Then she turned and put the massive needle into Dave's mouth. Everyone but Iona screamed stop as she plunged the blackish goo down his throat. She finished before we could stop her, and Dave's body started to convulse.
Then his body erupted in black flames.
Chapter 26: From Bad To Worse
My body was aflame, but I felt no pain. As the straps holding me burned off my hands and legs, I could feel the marks pressing into my skin, and I looked to my arms as I pull them from their bonded positions. Tribal-like tattoos pressed into the flesh, crawling up under the flames.
I got out of bed and noticed someone close to me. This person is wearing a nurse outfit and is holding a massive needle in her hands. I can feel the
flames absorb into my body, and soon only swirling black marks crawled up my arms.
"DAVE!" Three female voices cry.
I look up to see the three most important people in my life approach me cautiously. Lavender, Tilly, and Victoria all had tears and hesitant looks in their eyes. I tried to remember how I got here, and my head started to hurt, memories beginning to come back. I sat back down on the bed, putting my hand to my head as I tried to recall the events, but this action made the girls freeze.
I was in the cave with Lavender, and it was after I had found her face down in the water. I remember getting really stress out about it, and then a part of me broke, and I lost control. Lavender had tried to help me, but I couldn't control myself, and I had that itch in my head.
I had run away from her, and she had to hold me with earth magic and tie me up. I had scratched and hit Lavender as she bound me, screaming horrible things to her as she tried to help me. Then, she dragged me screaming, back to the beach, and found the cave, but that had taken three days.
Three agonizing days of my curses and screams. The sound burning into her heart, even though she just tried to help me. Then nights filled with my screams to make the itch stop. Lavender tried to force-feed me and pour water in my mouth slowly as I thrashed about.
Lavender had found the cave at the beach, and the door was inside. She opened the door and collapsed into a distraught Miss Grace's arms. She quickly explained what had happened while Tilly and Victoria carried me to my room.
After I was tied down, I can only remember bits and parts of what happened. They must have given me something to keep me sedated. Nothing was clear until now.
I stood up. Looking into Lavender's eyes and smiled with tears in my own. I took a step forward, and everyone else took an involuntary step back. I got down on my hand and knees, putting my head to the floor.
"Lavender, I'm so sorry I hurt you. Please forgive me!" I begged, grinding my forehead into the ground. "I never meant any of those this I said, and I am so grateful to you for saving me!"
Lavender was the first to rush to me. She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up and into her arms. Victoria came into the embrace and then Tilly, all wrapping me in warmth. Honestly, it must have looked ridiculous seeing us all crying like that, but I didn't care.
That moment had been one of the scariest for all of us. So I let the girls all hold me for as long as they needed, and I help them back. Finally, after about five more mins, we all broke apart and went to sit on the couches in the room.
"I forgive you, Dave. I know you had no control over it, but do you know what caused it?" Lavender asked me as we sat down.
"I can explain that one," I was the voice of that short nurse with blonde hair in pigtails.
"That would be good because I'm not sure what happened. By the way, who might you be? I'm Dave," I introduce myself and extend my hand to the nurse.
"My name is Iona, and I'm the one that kept you from becoming a demon."
"A demon?!" The girls and I all shout in disbelief.
"Yes, that concealed stat is revealed as SANITY at level fifteen, but you shouldn't have that stat until level twenty."
"Why not? Why would I get access to a stat if I shouldn't get it for another nine levels because I was only level eleven when the stat showed up."
"Let me see your AVATAR," Iona commanded.
Iona had still not taken my proffered hand, so I turn it over and extend my pinky. She put's her hand over mine to activate my AVATAR, and the screen popped open. I was surprised at how warm her hands were.
"Hmmm, I can see now what it is, but it still doesn't make sense. What class is Hero?" Iona questioned me, but after seeing the blank look on my face she just continued. "You DEMON BRINGER is why you have the SANITY stat now. How many demons did you kill without using DEMON HUNTER? That supposed to be a level twenty-two SHADOW HUNTER skill! Why did you get it at level eleven?"
"When choosing his class, he was offered a sixth option called random. From what I remember, Dave had mentioned something about being about to learn any random skill," Miss Grace cut into Iona's question bombardment.
"So he hit level eleven and learn these abilities twice his level?" Iona was starting to sound frustrated.
"It's hard to explain, but whenever I make a heroic declaration, it happens. I get a PERSONAL RESTRICTION window, which gives me a negative effect. Then I get the skill in the next blue window. Like, I can no longer accept rewards for quests, but my magical items find increased by two-hundred and fifty percent," I interjected.
"So, you're telling me you just say something, and you get a new skill?"
Now Iona had a mixture of anger, disbelief, and challenge directed at me. I did not want to tell this angry shrimp with the massive syringe that it really did seem that easy, but I still ended up hurting someone I cared about. I decided that it would be better to play it off as not that easy and draw here back to the real problem.
"It's not like I can shout whatever I want and get a new skill, and even if I could, look what my last free skill did to me."
"True, I guess. The reason that this happened is that you have been killing demons without using DEMON HUNTER. I'm guessing the rest of the text shouldn't appear until you reach level fifteen. Demon hunters or other demon classes use demonic energy to make themselves stronger, but all demon users have to kill demons while in DEMON HUNTER mode."
"So I want to use DEMON HUNTER? I thought that it was that making the stat go up, so I barely used it, and I didn't use it against Grismald."
"GRISMALD!" Iona and Miss Grace shrieked.
"You fought and killed Grismald and didn't absorb him?!" Miss Grace cried in alarm.
"You Idiot! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!" Each "stupid," was accompanied by slaps to my face as Iona screamed at me in frustration. "Do you know what you have done?!"
I was getting worried now, what had I done?
"I'll tell you, dumb child! You let the Demon Lord Grismald free, and now he will find a Vassel to occupy. UGH! What is wrong with you?!" Iona was nearly foaming at the mouth as she tore into me.
"I didn't know!" I pleaded with her as I tried to sink deeper into the couch.
"AARRRHHH!" Iona screamed, pulling on her blonde pigtails.
Iona turned and stormed from the room, and Miss Grace followed her like a puppy, chasing after her. I was left wide-eyed and in disbelief. What had I done?
(Change Perspective to Biford Style)
I used AQUA CUTTER, making the final blow to the Tier One Mage Tower Naga boss. Most of the party members were lying dead on the ground or had been used to set off traps along the way. The two left were always the only two left with me.
"Lecter and Mars, search the place I'm going to see the black vase," I ordered my bodyguards.
Lecter was a Wargman, part wolf, pig, and man. Deadly quick and an expert with poison. Lecter has special poisons that the three of us are immune to, so it's easy enough to get rid of unwanted party members.
Mars, on the other hand, was a Trajoki from a planet I didn't have the proper organs to pronounce. Mars is thin as a knife's blade, almost like a walking picture. He can turn sideways and become extremely hard to see or hit head-on. He can also use his body as a bladed weapon.
They searched the room as I stepped up to the black vase. It was giving off an intense aura. I reached forward without hesitation, and the vase lit up with purple symbols. The lamp shook, and black smoke billowed from the top.
Soon the smoke became the form of a chain baring demon. White tags covered the chains with glowing purple symbols, like on the vase. The demonic creature looked at me and smiled.
"Well, now isn't this something? What are you doing down here? Don't you prefer making others do your dirty work while you watch Fate?" The demon asked me.
"So, you remember me, Samale? I thought your memories would have been wipe like the rest of the players."
"DO NOT CALL ME BY THAT NAME!" Bellowed Samale.
"Well then, ca
ll me Biford, and I will call you Grismald. Regardless, what are you doing hiding in this lamp? You're the Demon Lord!"
"A human that goes by the name of Dave unlocked me from my zone and freed me by killing my body and not absorbing it. So, now I'm stuck in this vase waiting for someone like you to come along, and I have to admit I think we would do a great many horrible things together."
"Dave!" I clench my fist, and my face clouds over with anger.
"Oh? You know this one?"
"Oh, I'll help you. If you're trying to take down that one, so am I. With your help, the Hero will stand no chance," I took on a malicious grin while speaking to Grismald.
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