[Plate Apocalypse: Cheat Code] (Chapter 10 Part 2)
“This is not the time to admire their fight, Hesy!” Aris squeezed the older woman’s cheek.
Hesychia mumbled, not noticing the hand that pinched her, “He is one of them—”
“Worry about that later—!” A bolt of electro flew towards their direction, zapping the air.
Aris almost didn’t see it coming and had the side of her fringe burnt.
Fryswyde saw Caelum attacking his teammates.
This opened a path for the silver-haired man to take action, kicking the man’s chest.
At the same time, throwing an object towards Hesychia’s direction.
With the glint of light from the sky, the shiny looking object slid to Hesychia’s foot.
It was a silver plated handgun, neat and new.
The woman picked it up.
Fryswyde shouted, “Go!”
Just how many weapons does this person have?
Hesychia’s long sleeves fluttered, a glint of knife emerged beside her pale skin.
She then looked at her communicator checking the time.
Soon taking off her wig, the woman threw it away and turned to her other companion.
Aris grabbed the woman’s hand, almost carrying Hesychia’s weight because of the adrenaline, “Miss Stubborn, run as fast as you can like your life depends on it!”
“My life here is already at risk the moment we run!”
“Asthma?!
If we don’t run, we’ll also be turned into meat skewers, y’know?!”
Hesychia didn’t hesitate and also moved, immediately stepping at the box 10 meters away from her current position.
Once she turned to the other side, a fight started between the three of them.
[Earlier.
Team Black]
“Damn, we triggered a screening right before killing Armani and now more people are involved.
Geez, why are you even so adamant on completing this mission?
No one cares anymore.” Fryn sighed, dissatisfied.
The woman looked at the stranger shivering at the corner.
A hearty laugh was let out before she spun her spear and threw it straight to Jerichoa’s forehead, instantly killing him.
The announcement of the mechanical voice stopped, the first day officially starting.
“Do you really have to do that?” The black-haired man who kept his silence summoned his electric infused sword.
“What?
He’ll be a liability.
This one’s a civilian, not even a south panacean.”
Caelum just ignored the remark and observed outwardly, “They hadn’t moved, it seems like they’re analyzing their situation.”
Fryn Howl asked, looking at the square they’re in.
“Who would have thought that we’d be going to be reunited with our retired senior this early?
The highest rank at that.”
Caelum, “…”
Fryn continued on her own, tucking her hair behind ears.
“Now I wonder what type of skill he got.
Did his skill turn rusty?
Can he sever my head?”
The woman summoned her spear back, jumping around.
She then noticed something after going around Caelum.
Fryn grabbed the man’s bloodied collar, “You’re injured?”
Caelum looked down at his black attire, the stain was not visible earlier.
“The kid was able to land a hit near your throat?
Weak.” The woman scolded.
Pushing the man away, Fryn changed the subject.
“Hesychia Astrid is a new name, why not target her first?
Looks weak to me.”
“That will be easy.” Caelum stated.
“Can I have Armani as a target then?”
Caelum didn’t answer this and zoomed away using his skill.
Because of his own momentum, it created an illusion of him teleporting out of their sight.
The woman tilted her head, muttering incoherent speech for only herself to hear.
“How did Armani manage to land a hit towards Cae?
It was only a scratch yet it was open enough to bleed.”
Fryn laughed to herself, as if hearing a funny joke for the first time.
Her eyes shone with interest, “I have never once managed to land a single hit on Cae.
Was it luck?
A skill?
Or pure coincidence?”
The woman cracked her cold fingers, “Oh well, I haven’t even read the whole file about her.
Especially the military ones, their archive is well protected by the damned Easterners’ system.
What’s so special about a Southern politician’s daughter?” Fryn stretched her back before walking, “Aw man, I want to go back to Requiem already.”
* * *
Team White.
The three people got separated the moment the timer went up, Aris and Hesychia turned to different directions to widen the scope of their exploration.
Currently, Aris possessed ten boxes which is 10%, after all of that, she hadn’t encountered any box owned by the Black Team nor news about their third member—Frysywde Von Himmel.
They hadn’t crossed paths since then.
As of now, Aris realized three categories of the boxes.
It will either be the “calm box”, “angry box”, or “bipolar box”.
The calm box symbolizes…
well, a calm atmosphere where Hesychia will have a good time exploring without any mobs targeting her neck.
Aris wished that those boxes were given to the woman.
The angry boxes are boxes where tons of small mobs will fall over the player like a gigantic wave, which is the box Aris mostly encounters.
There was only one time she encountered the bipolar box where it changes the terrain, mob cycle, and item loot for thirty consecutive minutes.
This made the time of “claiming” slow.
It had already been an hour since the team’s exploration and even Hesychia and her haven’t seen each other.
The thirty minutes given time to them by the silver-haired man was up, sooner or later, they might encounter the two assassins.
It’s better to find the other woman first before wandering around together.
Walking forward, Aris started looking at the plant, killing it using a sharp dagger.
“Greetings!
Player Aris Armani has obtained a vine.
This plant can be used as a secure rope, even stronger than anything that exists on Earth.
The owner can be the only one to severe this incredible tie.
It will automatically disappear if not used for a long time.
Please use it wisely~”
Running around, Aris found all sorts of things that amused her eyes.
There’s even a flower that looks like a plate with a spoon as its stem and leaves.
Soon afterwards, her stomach growled.
“Ah.”
Rustle…
Her foot spun to the right, a gun immediately emerging from her fingers.
Steadily pointing the muzzle into another person’s face.
“Oh.”
Hesychia stood in front of her, her hand holding the same type of weapon.
Aris immediately noticed her wrong hold of the gun.
If she fires, her own wrist would be sprained from the recoil.
Lowering her own gun, she started.
“Calm down Miss Stubborn, slowly bring that- Hey!
Your hands in the trigger, you’re making me nervous.”
Hesychia, who felt the gun was a little heavy, soon felt the soreness starting from her wrist.
Despite that, she didn’t lower the gun, “…”
“C-Calm down, I know you’re angry at me since the day Elara wanted to keep me or that I kept pulling you around earlier.
But that left me no choice, killers are out there tryna kill us, y’know…” Aris nervously hid her gun and smiled, “…There might be a hidden rule that It’s forbidden to kill teammates right now.
Aha…haha…?”
「Why won’t she lower the weapon?!」
Hesychia looked up, the timer for creating a “ting!” sound indicating she had claimed the box.
The woman discarded her masterful disguise earlier so right now, Aris could intensely feel how strong her gaze was.
Without those trinkets and costumes, Hesychia’s eyes really embody the word unique.
It had no light, only the blanket of the night sky, void-like and deep.
Completely away from any modifications, she looks way more intimidating with her original face.
Add to that that she’s incredibly androgynous.
“Don’t fire, you’ll strain your wrist.
I told you that I’ll teach you.”
When Aris first met Hesychia, she thought that the woman was a local because of her fluent Valoran.
But looking back, she could tell that Hesychia homed the South for years already, however the moment their eyes met, it was easy to tell that her origins stem from the Northern part.
Just like fire and water, the Southern people and the Northern people are opposites.
Hesychia’s eyes were almost lifeless.
It was almost similar to one of the Northerners she had met during the time of her service in the military when South and North Panacea still had stiff tension between them.
“No thanks, get out of my box.”
And her way of talking too somehow stings the heart.
Completely different from the loud and lively demeanor of southern people.
“We’re in the same team, why so antsy?
I’m hungry!
I need to walk 100 meters away, this area has a lot of food.
Come on, do you even know what sort is toxic and not?
I’ll find the meal, and let’s make peace.
Isn’t that a good deal?”
Hesychia raised her brows, “I want you to step away from me, you’re the epitome of trouble and mischief.
You’re rather worse than Thor’s brother.
Out of my box.”
It’s our box!
Aris wanted to refute but swallowed down the statement.
“Were you only cooperating earlier out of the heat of the moment?
You sure are cunning, Miss Stubborn.
Now that you’re doing fine, you’re throwing me away?
I am full of mischief but I am also useful.
The food, I can serve it y’know?
Let me stay here for a while,” Aris said with confidence, “I will behave!”
Hesychia’s eyebrows furrowed.
This is the first time she has probably encountered a human chatterbox who likes rapping in the whole twenty years of her life.
The short-haired woman sighed.
If she was the one getting berated like this, Hesychia wouldn’t have tolerated it and already walked away.
Why is Aris Armani so persistent?
“Now go find some food.”
The latter’s face immediately brightened, nodding with flowers floating around.
“‘Kay, okay!”
Hesychia followed behind, not too far, not too close.
Just near enough to see what the other person will do.
Aris crouched down, looking at the plants, smelling or petting it from time to time.
Seeing this weird scenario, Hesychia stepped away a little as the thoughts bothering her started.
She crossed her arms, opening her device to ease the awkward atmosphere of silence.
[Chat log]
[January 14, 11:47 PM]
[Pers: Currently at a minor screening]
[Pers: I’m glad that you’re alive!]
Seeing the former reply, Hesychia answered although she was a few days late.
[January 17, 3031.
10:09 AM]
[Swallowtail: Just saw your message.]
Ding!
Hesychia looked up for a moment before typing back on her device with a slight frown.
A notification sound?
[Swallowtail: You haven’t told me where we should meet.
You must’ve been busy.]
Ding!
Another one?
Hesychia stared at the screen before looking at the woman who’s busy humming whilst picking peculiar fruits.
[Swallowtail: Probably because of screenings or you didn’t have your device or communicator.]
Another sound of notification made Hesychia pause.
Don’t tell me…