"You—" started Ben.
As though uplifted by the words of a fictional character, my energy was revived.
Only to be disheartened at the statement I did not care for at all.
"You have no respect for the dead."
I looked down. I stood on a pile of bodies. I kicked it away.
He and Johnny are both sides of a coin. When we meet again, I'll definitely introduce them.
Hitching his sword higher as though about to slice my forehead, he continued to stare at me with skepticism.
"Now, now," I said, trying to keep his temper from going too low. "Let's not fight. Put the weapon down, great Dominion Knight."
"You know my title."
I shrugged. "As most do."
Hopping off the giant boulder, I left Ben alone. But not so quick that I did not hear his next words, dropping his sword as I left my place.
[Benedict Leyendecker will remember that]
"You…like me…" he muttered. "Are you a regre…"
Landing on more piles of bodies, a panel surfaced before me abruptly.
[You have alerted a lesser round!]
[Round 1.5 | Lesser]
[Defeat the undead in ten minutes]
[Compensation: 200 points| Failure: Subtraction of points by 30%]
Another part of this world that I, the writer, was not aware of.
Well, it is a lesser round. It basically does not affect the plot much. Its only use was for action scenes.
And I, the writer, who had no sayings or combat skills had only one option…
I ran.
Feeling the stupefied gaze of Ben on my back, as though I had wings and flew, my feet leaped off the mountain of bodies as they began to rise from their lifeless slumber.
[You have exited the round's grounds]
[You have forfeited the round]
[The round has concluded]
Turning my head around to catch the scene I was in, I realized that Benedict had annihilated the undead in barely two minutes, soaked in warm, purplish blood.
I made my walking turn gradual as he approached me.
"Not only do you have no respect for the dead," he began, trotting closer, "but you are the same towards the living."
"Is that a bad thing?" I questioned. "The round information did call them undead, so you're wrong."
He scowled at me, then, after withdrawing his sword to its scabbard, began walking away. "I'm talking about myself."
I waddled from behind him.
At first, he didn't seem to sense my presence as he did before, so I began walking backwards from in front of him.
"Hey, hey, hey—"
"Don't you ever shut up?" he retaliated.
That was the second time that sentence had been said to me in a span of two days. It was still as unfamiliar a term as the day it was first said to me.
He halted in his tracks. I followed suit, giddy with excitement at the sight of the protagonist.
"Let us be comrades, Ben."
"You know my name as well."
"Indeed, indeed." I nodded and shut my eyes in expectation "And I am certain you will savor my help."
I sounded like Lucas, but eh, who cares?
Once I opened my eyes, he was walking away.
[Your reward will be sent in a moment...]
[Check your mail]
I hummed.
Well, I may have failed in my attempt to recruit Ben, but I suppose that can come another day.
I pressed the mail icon, scrolling through two unread messages.
The oldest message was a message from the system.
[The next round shall commence in:]
[43:20:49]
Then I pressed the latest one. With a ring that usually did not happen, it appeared.
[You have received a saying!]
This must have been my reward for the round. The clinking sound must have been reserved for notifications like these.
[You have received the saying: «An eye for an eye, a leg for a leg»]
Sliding the panel to my left with my fingers, I opened my profile with a press to my chest so I could check.
—————
User
↳ Reverie Vickroy Schneider
Attributes
↳ Nurse (Uncommon), Ghostwriter (Rare)
Sayings
↳ An eye for an eye, a leg for a leg
-When using this saying, you must sacrifice something of your own. This saying enlarges any body part and gives either physical strength or mental strength. It will also give you points depending on the part sacrificed.
Anomaly
↳
Skills
↳ Strength Level 15
↳ Agility Level 3
↳ Endurance Level 6
↳ Word Level 17
—————
"Hmm…"
By the moment, I finished checking my statistics, Ben was nowhere to be found.
I sighed.
It began to shower droplets of rain.
-
"What does the rain say?" said Harry to Junhan.
The table where the blind Junhan sat was centered in front of a window. Junhan stared out of it, the clattering of rain was the only sound. The room had green patterned wallpaper.
What once was the king's quarters was turned into the office of the lieutenant.
Closing his eyes, which were pale and milky, Junhan breathed in.
The four meter dual door opened with a thud as it hit the wall.
Benedict who was damp from the rain and bloodied entered raggedly, exhaling deeply. His armor and blue cape was stained with grimy dirt and purple blood.
"Someone I met claimed to have known me," he said. "A regressor, perhaps."
"Oh, yeah?" responded Harry who stood in front of the lieutenant's desk, turning around in amusement. "That proves it. More than one person can have the same anomaly. How was the moon, dear knight?"
"My anomaly's been banished," added Benedict, ignoring the last part.
"What?" exclaimed Harry, his eyes widened unusually. "For what reason?"
"For failing the round. What else?" Benedict retorted as he removed his dirtied cape, then throwing it on the red carpet.
There was a tense silence that enveloped the room and them.
Harry, with his dark blue eyes dilating, stared directly at Benedict with shock.
Junhan remained seated with his back towards the two other people in the room.
The rain swished as it landed on the room then fell through the water spout.
The three people in the room did not talk, until Junhan twirled in his chain and stared towards nowhere in particular. His face was expressionless, one that was familiar to everyone around him.
He said:
"The rain is saying:
"'I am the protagonist.''