In a small clearing within a forest, a familiar party of four were gathered around a fire. A young warrior was busy organizing an array of debuff potions and attack consumables he had acquired for combat.
An archer diligently carved and tapered the wooden shafts of arrows, affixing stone tips to each one. A redheaded mage—the sole member of the group who was simply lounging around—cast impatient glances at the healer who was busy stirring a pot of stew.
Using a large ladle, and being extra careful not to stain her white garment, the girl gingerly portioned the hearty meal into a bowl and passed it to her companion.
"Be careful," she cautioned, her smile shy and sincere. "It's still very hot."
The mage extended both hands to accept, but a misplaced finger ended up making contact with the piping hot gravy. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, fumbling with the bowl. She managed to save it from falling, but not without spilling several droplets onto the girl's clothes. "Oh god, I'm so sorry."
The healer raised both her hands dismissively, pretending that she didn't notice the girl's sly smile. "I-It's fine," she said. "It was just an accident. More importantly, how's your finger? Do you require healing?"
For but a fleeting moment, the mage's expression contorted in disgust at the mere thought of receiving treatment from the girl. "I'm fine," she reassured, exerting the bare minimum of effort to conceal her contempt. "I was just surprised, is all."
As the healer portioned the stew for the others, the mage tentatively took a bite and immediately recoiled at the foul taste. Despite her initial annoyance, a mischievous smile soon crept onto her lips at the thought of how the warrior would react—
CRASH!
The youth furiously hurled the bowl to the ground, sending a splatter of meat, vegetables, and hot gravy coating the green grass. "What the hell did you just try to make me eat?" he snapped, spitting out the offending morsel from his mouth.
"I-I'm sorry," the healer let out a frightened peep.
The youth's hand struck out, sending her crashing to the ground with a reddened cheek. "Sorry? Is that all you can say? Do you think your worthless apology's going to salvage all this wasted food?"
The archer observed without a word.
The journey of an adventurer was a treacherous path, fraught with the shadows of death and the specter of uncertainty. In a world as ruthless and indifferent as the one they traversed, Price—a cowardly warrior—sought refuge in asserting dominance over those he deemed weaker. This illusion of absolute control became his sanctuary, a seductive elixir that made him feel invincible and alive in an otherwise overwhelming world.
Likewise, the mage Lilith found herself entangled in the same cycle of abusive behavior, driven by the fear of becoming the next victim herself.
"Why exactly does the food taste like cardboard?" Price demanded, looming over the quivering healer like an enraged minotaur.
Amara kept her gaze down in fear of being struck again. "...Y-You used all our funds to buy the debuff potions," she admitted sheepishly, "so we didn't have enough to buy any seasonings for cooking."
Price's countenance remained steadfast, devoid of even a hint of shame or regret. In his own perception, he stood as a god among them; he hadn't the capacity to make mistakes.
Before he could deliver another backhanded blow to the sniveling girl for an error he himself had made, a distant rustling caught his attention, diverting his focus to more pressing concerns.
"Monsters," the archer was able to deduce with a keen sense of sight and smell.
Everyone ducked down and clutched their weapons in response.
YOU ARE READING
Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended
FantasyWhat would you do if you found yourself trapped in a video game as an NPC with seemingly no hope of returning to the real world? Having grown up without parents, Daisuke finds himself in a perpetual cycle of poverty as he tries to survive in the bot...
