My Ex-Girlfriend is the Strongest Guild Master and I'm the Weakest! Chapter 43: Never abandon your allies

He could still rember it vividly.

"Hey, Alan, do you need a hand?!"

While the now ex-Shooting Stars laughed, mocked, and killed him repeatedly, one person stood out.

Walking among the crowd with light feet, she observed the scene from a distance, chuckling. Distracted like a child by the lion monunt functioning as a checkpoint, she could suddenly be seen in the farthest corner of the hall, contemplating a silhouette engulfed in shadows.

She moved as if she were both there and not at the sa ti. When I noticed no one addressed her or glanced her way, I thought I was really dying. Maybe she was just the incarnation of the Angel of Death, coming to reclaim my soul, here, far away from Earth.

"Co on, Alia, why don't you try it?"

I could barely hear their voices while I monitored that girl. I was going to tell her that if she was here to collect my soul, she'd have to co back later because I had a mission bigger than myself to fulfill, dammit!

"Is it a good way to relieve stress?"

And not even these assholes would stop !

When she finally looked in Alan's direction, he froze—literally. I could feel ti slowing down. Staring deep into her eyes made the rest of the world lose montum.

"Th--e--b--est--w--ay--in--de--ed!"

She crouched in front of him, smirking. "What a pathetic, sad little thing you are," she said warmly, but her voice was undeniably condescending. "It seems I ca for nothing. I'll report that there is nothing to report. And you..." She poked the tip of Alan's nose. "You're disgustingly weak."

The teen-looking stranger with straight black hair then turned around, sneering. "This new world is for the strong, silly. If after 22 months you did nothing to improve yourself and sat on your ass all day long, you deserve to be punished by these kids..."

The scent of Alia's perfu brought Alan back to the present. He looked down, having an eagle view of green fields and mountains. Her winged tiger flew smoothly with no turbulence, contrasting her sister's chaotic piloting.

"Another thing I love about The Novus is that once I attained Vitality Bronze A, I could wear high heels all day long without getting tired or feeling pain. Like, that's neat!" Alia said joyfully through Party Chat. "Aw, man, I don't know what I'll do once we return to the real world. Trust , if I could change my ankles and leg tendons, cyborg-style, so I can wear permanent high heels, I'd do it in a heartbeat!"

From cold and ruthless, to full-on chatty...

"It's also neat that pooping here isn't that ssy," he comnted, making her groan.

"Oh, shut up! By the way, I suppose you're already familiar with how the Novus 'improves' our physical appearance, right? Well, let clarify sothing before you get the wrong idea. I've barely changed my avatar. 99 percent of what you see here is the real deal. The real ! Keep that in mind from now on, okay? Which part is the other 1 percent is a secret though." She giggled.

I bet it's the boobs... Alan thought imdiately. They're slightly bigger than Astrid's--Oh, crap... He shut his eyes just as Astrid's face flashed in his head. How would she react if she saw holding this other gal's waist?

He glanced back, in the direction he thought the northeast and Londorus were, as if he could feel piercing blue eyes from miles away.

"Oh! Since you just logged in, let show you sothing that'll blow your mind!" Alia said cheerfully, manipulating her User Interface.

Seconds later, Alan got a notification, stating that she was streaming audio through the Party Chat. He tapped the Sound icon, and a song started playing inside his head.

Everyday, I'm thinking of you

Everything it's not the sa without you

Everywhere I see your shadow, so nobody understands

That while you roam the stars, I'm here bound to paradise

* My he-aa-art goes boom-boom when you're not around! *

Through constellations, I search for signs, a love like ours, so rare to find

In every cot, I see your smile, In every nebula, I see your eyes

So just co back, don't make cry... Was just this fate? Don't make laugh!

The universe awaits for both

Together infinity! 'Til the end of tis!

* My he-aa-art goes boom-booooom *

~ When you are around ~

* My he-aa-art goes vroom-vroooom *

~ When you are around ~

~ 'Til the end of tis! ~

"I know this song..."

"No surprise there. Miss Cosmica is super popular. Isn't it amazing that we can have actual music inside the Novus?! Unlike that crap that the developers curated, yuck!"

"The developers did not curate it, bla the Vice-Captain."

"How do you know that?"

"And aren't these lyrics too lancholic for the upbeat music?"

"Oh, my god, you noticed! Most people don't listen closely to what she really says, you know. We might really get along after all!"

~ A love like ours, so rare to find ~

And, inevitably, or obviously, whatever... this song reminds of her...

By forming fists, he mustered all of his strength to get rid of the aching feeling inside his chest. But I think it'll persist until all of this ends...

"We're almost there. Are you sure your friend is still waiting for you in the Renovatio Caves? Have you checked what your Friend List says?"

"...Um, neither of us knew how to send a friend request, so..."

"What do you an neither of you knew sothing that basic? Was this person outside too? Doing whatever you were doing outside the Novus?"

Oh, crap... I didn't consider the many questions this woman would have. Since she already knows too much, I think it'll be for the best to play along.

"That's correct! And we were just minding our own business until your dear lord separated us two days ago..."

"Don't say it as if I was the one that gave that order!" she cried and ordered her winged tiger to nose dive.

Alan quickly tightened his arms around her waist.

Is this a Laflam tradition?!

But, unlike the ti he was riding alongside Marissa, Alan forced himself to open his eyes and experience the unadulterated vertigo.

My heart feels like it's going to burst out of my chest, but...!

His lips ford a wide smile. "You know what, Alia? I think this is fun! Wait, it is! Ha-ha-haaa!"

"See? Stop being so gloomy all the ti! This is supposed to be a fresh start!"

A fresh start?

Those words echoed inside Alan's head even after they safely landed and the winged beast disappeared in a spectacle of glimring pixels.

"We've arrived, Ghost, the Renovatio Caves as promised," Alia said while storing her Mount inside a jewel. "I haven't co here since the very start, so you lead the way, okay?"

Alan glanced at the dark entrance leading underground, as if the mountain was opening its maws around them.

Why does it feel as if I haven't been here in a long, long ti?

Without saying a word, he walked forward, clenching his teeth.

These two days have been long and stressfully eventful. Many things have happened since then, that I don't know where to start once I have to report back to Isabella II.

As they walked through the first of many narrow passages, the fear of not finding her there overwheld him.

What if she thought I escaped? What if she left in search of soone more capable? Soone that is not a weakling, and has all the resources to deal with this nace?

A sweet fragrance cald his anxiety. It's hers, he thought, becoming very self-conscious of Alia's presence. Her quiet breathing, the loud echo of her steady steps against the rocky ground...

Wait, no. Is it who slls like her? He raised his arms and sniffed his sleeves.

"What are you doing?"

"N-Nothing!"

"Hey, there's sothing I wanted to ask. Did you add Marissa to your friend list?"

"I did. Why?"

"Don't try anything with her. Got it?"

"Where did that co from?!"

"I'm just protecting my sweet, innocent little sister, okay? From helpless, thirsty virgins like yourself."

"W-What are you talking about?! What did I do for you to have such a weird image of ?"

"Oh, boy! Where do I start?" She snickered loudly. Although the cave was dark and he could not see her expression, he pictured her holding her chin with a malicious grin on her face. "You may think that you're being discreet, but I've caught you peeping at my cleavage so many tis that it's almost comical. Even while we were running from that shadow monster, you found the opportunity to take a peek."

"I--Ah--Emm...!"

True.

"And rember when I locked you in that restroom yesterday? Well, I noticed you were starting to get a boner!"

"F-Fine, I get it! But put yourself in my shoes for a mont, okay?! You'd also feel aroused by literally anything after spending close to a hundred days with no human contaccc--!"

Oh, crap...

"No human contact? What do you an by that?"

"L-Look! There's a fork ahead! Which path should we take?"

This girl is such a headache! She has been nosing and forcing herself into my business, and even has the nerve to call the other dragon lady sadistic? Look in the mirror first!

As he did his best to collect his patience, Alia sneaked up on him and grabbed his shoulders. "Are you upset, Little Ghost? Does calling you a 'helpless virgin' get on your nerves?" she asked softly in his ear.

"I never said I was..." he whispered, feeling her breath tickle him.

"Sure, whatever. Luckily, you're in The Novus again, where even losers like you can get laid. You could always use the services of 'specialized' NPCs, if you get what I an. That's why I can safely state that 99% of this ship's population have lost their virginity by now." She pressed her fingers on his shoulders and leaned her breasts on his back. "Interested? Should I help you find one of those dolls? Releasing stress and tasting adulthood may help you on your mission."

So you can practically do anything in this simulation, huh? I rember Marissa ntioning sothing about making out with her boyfriend...

"You know, it's a good thing that the Developers are treating us like proper adults." He folded his arms and nodded. "Yes. Good job, guys. Although this is nothing but a playground, we should never forget what mating is if we intend on perpetuating the human race once we log off."

Alia groaned and stepped back. "You make sothing as fun as sex sound boring..."

Oh, thank god she backed off! I wasn't lying when I said I literally get aroused by everything!

"This way," he said, stepping forward and trying to forget the warm feeling Alia's body left behind.

"Lead the way, oh, valorous leader."

As they saw light at the end of the tunnel, he doubled his steps. I hope she's okay. I hope she's here. I hope she's not mad at for abandoning her—Oh, triple crap!

"What the hell is this?" Alia could be heard behind him just as he halted.

I forgot that the Sli Village was supposed to be The 'Secret' Sli Village!

The first blue and green gelatinous humanoids were staring at them. Although they recognized Alan right away, they turned cautiously at the sight of the redheaded girl stepping forward.

"Call Smudock, quick," one said to another, who ran to the heart of the village.

Alan fell to his knees and put his forehead against the ground. I'm terrible at this...

"Advanced Sli?" Alia narrowed her eyes, reading the info the system gave her about the humanoid in front of her. "I've never seen such a monster. And why are they acting like regular NPCs?"

"Because they are, and they aren't..." Alan said in a low voice.

"What are you doing down there?"

"I'm where I belong... In the dirt. You can use as a carpet if you want. I deserve it."

"Gross, is this another one of your kinks? On second thought, I accept. It'd help relieve so stress."

"I'm not talking about that!" he cried, before noticing Smudock, leader of the Sli clan, approaching. "Let do the talking for now, okay? Please don't do any—Hey, Smudock!"

"Alan Warden, you ca back. And with another visitor..."

Even though he is not human, he can successfully imitate an annoyed tone of voice.

"Y-yes... But she's trustworthy. I can vouch for her! She's Alia Laflam. Say hi and be nice to her!" He grinned ear to ear, but the group of humanoids remained silent, while cautiously watching her from a distance.

It's understandable for them to be cautious. No one in this entire village must be able to see her level, which only ans danger...

As the silence prolonged, no one noticed the little regular sli making its way toward Alia's feet.

"S-Slomiack!" the one that was keeping an eye on it shouted from the crowd, alerting the others. Alan opened his eyes wide at the sight of such a little sli attempting to make an attack.

"N-no, little buddy!" he said with clenched teeth, too late to stop it.

The sli tackled Alia's right ankle, taking one HP away.

"What was that?" the unaware Alia asked, looking down. She then casually grabbed the sli while everyone reached out their hand to her. The sli seed furious, and this ti tackled her in the chest. Both the monster and her breasts jiggled with almost the sa consistency.

Thanks for the sight, little buddy. At least your death won't be in vain.

"Are you trying to kill , little one?" Alia spoke nacingly, before grinning ear to ear and hugging it. "That's so cute! I've always wanted to do this without getting killed! All of your species looked so soft and squishy, and it was driving crazy not being able to touch you!"

As the enraged sli tried unsuccessfully to dissolve her skin, everyone around released a sigh of relief.

"Have you co looking for your partner, Alan Warden?"

"Yes! That's right!" He bead.

"Co with us. And welco, Alia Laflam."

As half the town returned to their duties, Alia grabbed Alan by his shirt. "What's happening here? Why do these Slis talk?"

"We'll talk later about it, okay? I promise."

"You know, a few months ago, William told the story about how he encountered a group of lizard-folk that were acting out of their regular programming. Maybe what's happening here has to do sothing with that too."

"It could be."

Is Viola Lang responsible for that, too?

"Alan Warden, this way," a group of sli-people said in unison after exiting a hut. Their emotionless tone of voice and almost robotic movents made them stand out from the rest of the village.

She's inside, definitely. Dammit, Ashley, don't take away the little humanity they have!

From the hut stepped out the petite, brunette girl, showing no surprise on her face, wearing a white shirt and a long red skirt made by the local artisans. "Alan," she called softly.

Alan dashed forward, halting inches apart from almost tackling her. Her empty, emotionless eyes were not judging him. There was no anger or resentnt on her face.

She waited for . She really waited.

As she stared at her, flashing scenes from the last two days brimd his head. mories from the disgruntled Ex-Shooting Stars torturing him, the failed attempt to convince Marco Souza, Astrid's speech to his remaining guild mbers, the two-headed dragon, and the cryptic words from that albino gal.

He fell on his knees in front of her. Exhausted.

"I... I've finally co back."

"Good to see you, Alan," she said, stretching out a hand to him. "Is it ti to continue our—?"

"Alan, a minute please!" Alia cried, pulling him by the collar of his jacket, as the sli that had started cuddling in her arms fell to the ground. "Who the hell is that?" she whispered in his ear.

"She's Ashley, the partner I talked to you about."

"I can see that! But you never ntioned that your partner was a gal..."

"Is there a problem with that?"

"You have to be kidding ," Alia said, gritting her teeth and tossing him back to the ground.

"What was that for?!"

Alia strolled forward, showing confidence in her every step. She tossed her hair back and put a hand on her hip in front of Ashley. "Nice to et you, I'm Alia Laflam. What's your na?"

"Nice to et you, Alia. I'm Ashley." She made a curtsy. "Are you a mber of Shooting Stars?"

Alia glanced back at Alan, showing a glare.

"Oh, sweetie, Shooting Stars is old news!" Alia said, smiling. "We're starting a new guild, right Alan?"

He blinked repeatedly at her. "A... A what now?"

"Should I presu that you'll be part of it too, Ashley?"

"That is correct," Ashley replied with a straight face. "I'll go wherever Alan goes, and I'll do whatever he needs to do."

Alia turned to him, this ti giving him a grin and a wicked gaze. His experience with Astrid told him what it ant. 'I'll make you pay for this later'...

Yeah, that's what she's saying...

"Since both of you are still low-levelers, and are surely broke, I suppose I'll be the one carrying this guild. So be grateful that I'm even helping you. Welco to the guild, Ashley."

Seriously... Did she say g-g-guild?

Alia offered Ashley a handshake, who scrutinized it for a couple of seconds before turning to Alan, looking for his approval.

Don't look at and make this weirder than it already is! He exhaled and nodded to her.

"Nice to be on board, Alia," Ashley said, shaking her hand.

"It's official then!" Alia bead and turned around, pushing Alan in her path. "I'll punish you later for this, you heard?" she whispered.

Ashley? Is there a way to log this girl out of the Novus for a couple of years, please?