Fantasy Realm [One Piece] [Harry Potter] [Naruto] - [Progression] [LitRPG]

Chapter 72: A Small Secret and the End of the Bloody Night

As Alex thinks aloud, Rishi and Tereza listen carefully. "The main characters," Alex begins, "are mostly focused on fighting off foreign gangs hired by the NFFA. Dmitri, the local gang leader who's not with the NFFA, ends up becoming a hero by saving a lot of people. But that's about it for them, I don't think we need to get involved in their fight. Then there's that psycho, Skeletor, the guy who first came up with calling it the 'Purge.' He's a dead end. He'll die during that conflict."

Alex pauses, trying to recall more. "The real twist was about how the NFFA orchestrated it all and tricked everyone, right? There was a woman, Dr. Updale... I think she was called the Architect. She was the brains behind the experiment—the data, science, all of it. She starts to realize things are off, that Sabian, the Chief of Staff of the NFFA, is using the gangs and the weapon drops to skew the experiment."

Rishi nods, "Sabian couldn't have her exposing that, so he silenced her, right?"

"Exactly. He knocked her out, took her to Staten Island, and then left her to be killed by the hired gangs," Alex adds thoughtfully. "But what if that's something we could prevent?"

Alex continues discussing the lore as if unable to stop, with Rishi and Tereza nodding thoughtfully at his final question. Rishi, ever the analyst, offers, "We might as well try! Saving a main character destined to die could shift things in unexpected ways. The Realm might reward unique outcomes. But is she even alive at this point in the story?"

"I don't know," Alex responds, frustration slipping into his voice. "All I remember is that she was originally in the NFFA headquarters, but where is that supposed to be? The movie's too chaotic, glossing over the details on purpose."

Rishi, already thinking ahead, takes out his phone. "Hold on—I see. It's actually close by. Drive east toward the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. If they're traveling from headquarters, that's the most logical route they'd take into Staten Island."

Tereza turns the car around and drives exactly as Alex feared she would: like a total lunatic. Alex grips the seat, genuinely terrified as they swerve and speed down the road. The way Tereza weaves through obstacles has him close to throwing up. "This is hell. I just want to go home," he mutters to himself, pressing his eyes shut in the back seat.

They finally reach the bridge, which is fully blocked off by the authorities. Nobody's supposed to get through.

"Well, looks like we missed it. Too bad," Alex says, stepping out of the car and gulping in fresh air, relieved he didn't actually throw up. He glances back, shaking his head. "You're the worst driver I've ever been stuck with. Next time, please warn me so I can run in the opposite direction."

Tereza only grins, pats him on the head, and leans in to whisper, "Pussy," with a smile that's way too sweet.

"Bitch!" Alex shoots back, walking away from her.

He can't help the shiver that runs through him or the blush creeping onto his face. "Dude, what's wrong with you? Are you actually developing a fetish for dominant women?" he wonders to himself, slapping his cheeks to erase the last thirty seconds from his mind.