MMORPG: Rebirth as an Alchemist

All eyes turned towards Azazel, who was now sitting cross-legged, arms folded, and head lowered.

"Did he finally die?" Princess Lorelai sighed in relief. "Thank the gods."

"Are you really saying that?" Ren deadpanned.

"The gods would probably rejoice if another demon or devil met his end," the princess replied with a laugh.

Ren could only shake his head. 

Nori looked saddened, but she kept her lips sealed, not wanting to voice her thoughts.

"Anyway, I'll go check on him," Elena said, cautiously approaching Azazel. She sensed something was amiss. 

As Elena cautiously approached the slumbering Azazel, an eerie sensation settled over the group. They couldn't shake off the feeling that an oppressive aura was enveloping them, as though unseen eyes were watching their every move. 

The air grew thick with tension, and a shiver crawled down their spines, making them uneasy. 

An unexplainable sense of foreboding hung in the air, intensifying as Elena got closer to Azazel. The feeling of being observed persisted, leaving the group on edge, their senses heightened, and their imaginations running wild with ominous possibilities.

Everyone held their breath as Elena approached Azazel and carefully examined him. To their surprise, he was peacefully asleep, a large bubble popping intermittently on his nose.

Elena gritted her teeth, frustration evident on her face, and gave Azazel's head a sharp whack. He tumbled onto Tiki's back but remained undisturbed, his snoring growing even louder as the bubble on his nose burst.

The group exchanged perplexed glances, trying to make sense of the strange situation.

"What should we do with him?" Evie asked, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Maybe we should just kick him off," suggested Princess Lorelai without remorse.

Elena nodded. "We don't know anything about him. It might be wise to leave him here." 

"Wait . . ." Nori's voice cut through their conversation, her tone determined. "I want to bring him along."

Ren and the others exchanged surprised glances at Nori's unexpected suggestion.

"Are you sure about this?" Elena asked, pointing to the oblivious Azazel, who was blissfully laughing and drooling, muttering about food repeatedly. "This idiot insulted you before, and you even suggested killing him."

Nori's hand clenched into a fist as she looked at Azazel seriously. "Even so . . . I want to bring him to our village. He's all alone out here."

Ren and the others exchanged puzzled looks before Ren nodded. "It's your call, then. It's your village."

Nori's tense expression softened into a smile. "Thank you, everyone."

"Are we there in your village yet?" Princess Lorelai asked impatiently.

Elena gave her a sideways glance. "We've barely been traveling for two hours."

"Don't worry, we'll get there by tomorrow," Nori replied enthusiastically.

"That's why I told you . . . it's too FAR!" Princess Lorelai exclaimed, and whacked the girl's head.

=======

After hours of traveling, the group found themselves resting atop Tiki, taking a break from sightseeing and chatting. 

Ren and Evie sat close, engaged in a quiet conversation.

Perched on Ren's shoulder and holding his hand, Evie shivered slightly in the chilly desert night. "The desert sure is cold . . . there's no sun here either."

"You haven't been to Zone 6? It's all desert there," Ren replied, his voice soft and comforting.

Evie shook her head. "No, I haven't been exactly free to travel anywhere I want."

Ren gently tightened his grip around her hand. "When your debt is fully paid, let's travel the world together. There's so much more to see and experience."

A serene smile graced Evie's lips, and she closed her eyes, savoring the moment. "Mm . . ."

Ren and Evie cherished these moments together, gazing out over the horizon. The night sky was devoid of stars. The underworld is enveloped in forever darkness. 

However, the landscape was not entirely devoid of illumination. The plants, mushrooms, and even tiny creatures flying around emitted a soft glow akin to fireflies, casting a subtle, magical light in their surroundings.

"I hope this moment can last forever," Evie whispered, her words carrying a sense of longing as she closed her eyes, reveling in the tranquility of the night.

Ren smiled tenderly at her before casting his gaze back over the horizon. 

Amidst the peacefulness, a nagging thought tugged at his mind. Something felt off. 

In most games or adventures, there would be notifications or prompts guiding them on their quests — like ensuring they deliver Nori safe to her village or fulfill Azazel's needs. 

Yet, so far, there had been no notifications, no quests, nothing.

Could this be the [Story Mode] the system mentioned? 

Ren pondered the possibility. If it was, he realized he was navigating this world blindly. He needed to be more cautious in his actions and choices, uncertain of what lay ahead. 

Ren felt a gentle weight on his right side and noticed Elena resting her head on his shoulder.

"Not fair that Evie gets all your attention," she purred, rubbing her head against his clothes like a cat. 

"What happened with equal rights?"

Ren rolled his eyes. "You don't need rest. You should keep a lookout."

"Lorelai is already doing that," she pointed at the princess, who energetically scanned the surroundings with her sword at the ready, clearly eager for action.

"What is she doing?" Ren asked, sounding somewhat bored.

"She said she would keep watch all night and hunt for more beasts to feed the entire village."

Ren took a deep breath. One moment, she found solace in the demise of demons and devils, and the next, she felt compelled to provide for their village.

There was a clear contradiction in how they programmed her. The developers seemed to intend for her to harbor disdain for demons and devils while simultaneously embodying a righteous and honorable character.

"Can they even preserve that amount of food?" Ren asked instead. 

"We can," Nori replied, wiping the drowsiness from her eyes with her hand.

"You're still awake?" Elena questioned her.

Nori glanced to the side and said, "I can't sleep for the fear that Lorelai would kill me."

"How rude," the princess scolded her. "If I wanted to kill you, be awake and face me. I'm not a coward who strikes at enemies when they're asleep. There's no honor in that."

Ren couldn't help but think, And there's honor in killing a kid? However, he chose to keep his thoughts to himself.