"So, you three want to register as teammates?" asked the woman at the registration desk, one of many stationed behind a long row of laptops.
"Yes," we all replied, and her fingers moved quickly across the keyboard.
I sighed and stole a glance at my so-called teammates.
Damn. It would be a miracle if we managed 1,000 points between the three of us. I was completely toast.
"Alright, done," she said, and my wrist vibrated almost immediately.
[A Party has been Formed]
[Party Members]
[Laren Mortez]
[Maria Kasmia]
[You can also check your party members' locations and status while in battle.]
I still couldn't wrap my head around how it had come to this. One moment everyone was scrambling and shouting, desperate to lock in a strong teammate, and then it was over, just like that, before I'd even had a real chance to find anyone. And now I was stuck with these two.
I rubbed my forehead and kept walking as we made our way back toward the VR chamber.
Well, on the bright side, the girl beside me was genuinely stunning. I kept stealing glances as we walked, trying not to be obvious about it. An hourglass figure, lustrous violet hair tied back in a ponytail, and strange crimson eyes that were almost perfectly round, like orbs. Her skin looked incredibly smooth, and honestly, she could have passed for one of the heroines without anyone questioning it.
But I didn't recognize her at all. I couldn't place the name Maria anywhere in my memory of the game, which meant she was probably a side character, just like me. What didn't make sense was why someone who looked like that had ended up without a team. Even the protagonist, with all his principles, wouldn't have turned down a request from her. So why had it come to this?
"I'd advise you both to stop staring at me," she said flatly.
I blinked and glanced at the guy on her other side. He looked back at me, and we both turned forward without a word.
But wait.
How did she know we were both looking? She hadn't turned around once.
I slowed my pace slightly without meaning to. This girl wasn't normal, and I was starting to think she might be deliberately avoiding the high-rankers to keep herself off their radar.
Just who exactly was she?
[Ding!]
My watch lit up, and a number appeared on the display.
[473]
All at once, every pod in the chamber clicked open.
"Find your pod, get locked in, and remember, this is your hell," barked a man at the far end of the room.
I grimaced.
This was going to be rough.