Scarlet

After we reach the bunker where Arthur and Belle are and pick them up, we head straight towards the entrance we originally arrived at before waiting a few minutes. The Fracture then comes to an abrupt end, someone having shattered the core, and along with it, the shield around the building immediately begins fading away in front of us.

“Not bad timing,” I mutter as we all begin to walk through the entrance of the outer station and in the direction of Denise’s limo, which is still in front of the building. Although I can’t help but notice that it’s parked in a different spot than when we arrived.

“Yeah,” Belle says while walking beside me holding Arthur’s hand nonchalantly. But when she notices us walking straight towards the limo with an elderly gentleman in a black business suit standing outside with his hands held behind his back, her eyes widen and she asks, “Wait, is that our ride?”

I just nod my head.

“Aren’t you the daughter of the CEO of Silver Works?” Michael asks, slightly confused by her reaction as he slows down slightly to walk next to us.

Belle nods her head and answers, “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we go around everywhere in limos…”

Oh. Right. I almost forgot that Allen doesn’t really go around spending his money for convenience like that.

And if I remember correctly, he doesn’t actually own Silver Works. So he isn’t making as much money from the company as most people would think.

It’s his father that actually owns the company and decides who will be the CEO.

Once we reach the limo and driver, the man bows slightly and says, “Young miss, the items you four have purchased from the mall are all in the trunk.” He then rises to his full height again, which is several inches taller than me, making me feel slightly short just from looking up at him, before he turns around and begins to open the door for us all.

Oh. Guess that’s why the vehicle is parked somewhere besides where it was when we got here.

He went to go grab everything we – or for the most part Denise – bought at the store. Since all I bought was a single video game.

We all enter the limo before sitting down as Denise tells the driver to head back to the Silver Association’s base.

Oh, right. Guess I can show Belle my new suite of rooms.

But first, time to see my gains.

{Level 11 Demon Spawn assist. A massive EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon twenty or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x31

{Level 10 Demon Spawn assist. A massive EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon twenty or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x30

{Level 12 Demon Spawn assist. A massive EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon twenty or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x25

{Level 24 Demon Spawn assist. A large EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon ten or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x11

{Level 25 Demon Spawn assist. A large EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon ten or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x14

{Level 23 Demon Spawn assist. A large EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon ten or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x7

{Level 22 Demon Spawn assist. A large EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon ten or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x9

{Level 27 Demon Spawn assist. An EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x10

{Level 28 Demon Spawn assist. An EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x10

{Level 30 Demon Hound assist. An EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x12

{Level 29 Demon Hound assist. An EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x11

{Congrats, you have leveled up to level 39. Two Free Points have been awarded to you and your stats have been updated.}

{Congrats, you have leveled up to level 40. Two Free Points have been awarded to you and your stats have been updated.}

No SP at all? No achievements either?

I frown at that before shrugging and allocating my free points.

The driver takes us straight to the base, where we all separate and head in our own directions from there, with Belle and Arthur following me to my suite. But right when we’re arriving at my door, my neighbor’s door opens, revealing a man as he walks out with a mouthful of sharp fangs and pitch black eyes.

My mouth drops open at that, and I notice both Belle and Arthur having similar reactions. And they’re only made worse when the Guardian glances at us and puffs out a small amount of smoke through his nostrils and then begins walking in the other direction.

Oookaaay theen… guess that’s what Sage meant when she said some of the neighbors bite?

I’d honestly forgotten about that till now…

Most of the Guardians who end up looking borderline inhuman like that don’t often get sponsors or even end up on the news much. Mostly because they sometimes look more demon than human, and that doesn’t really appeal very well as a source of hope.

The news likes to talk about the more beautiful, handsome, or cute Guardians. And apparently I number amongst those, considering how much they’ve talked about me.

Some of that is probably due to my extremely dangerous battles though.

Anyways, I unlock my suite before walking in, leaving the other two to gawk for several more seconds before they join me, the door automatically locking behind them. Then I head straight for the tv while taking out the new game from my bag and simply tossing the bag somewhere without paying attention to where as I kneel down in front of the tv and the game console.

“What’re you doing?” I hear Belle ask, but I just raise the case for the game I bought to show her, making her scoff at it before I grin and open the new box up. I then quickly boot the console up – very thankful that the suite came with the latest video game console on the market – and take the game out of the case, putting it into the console and grabbing the remotes.

Turning around, I find Arthur with a grin on his face and one hand held out to me, while his girlfriend just has an exasperated look on her face as she walks over to the fridge, which she quickly finds to be rather barren.

“Where the hell are you keeping your food, young lady?!” she practically shouts, and I hum in response before answering as I sit down on the couch with the remote controller for the console in my hand, “I eat at the cafeteria because there is no way I’ll be able to store all of the food I need here.”

I don’t pay attention to her as I hand Arthur the second player controller and turn around, stretching myself over the couch to grab the tv remote and turn on the tv. Then I sit up straight again, Arthur pushing me over to sit on the couch next to me while the tv boots up.

Unfortunately, for some reason alien to both me and Arthur, Belle has no interest in video games. She never has, and never likely will. Which always leaves me and Arthur to compete against each other.

But the asshole always ends up winning in the reaction based parts of games, along with any button mashing that’s required. And I can’t wait to see if I can finally beat him for once!

“You’re using your enhanced capabilities as a Guardian…” Tar begins, sounding rather exasperated himself, “to play a video game?”

You bet your furry tail I am.

“I…” Tar begins, only to mutter “oh, whatever,” and appear in front of us before floating down and landing on my lap, likely to take a nap as we play the game.

“I’m guessing it’s safe to assume you haven’t played this yet?” I ask Arthur with a faint grin on my face, and he nods his head, answering, “I haven’t.”

And my grin grows wider.

“Then get ready to lose,” I tell him rather bluntly, making Belle snort from where she is on the other side of the living area.

Arthur just rolls his eyes as we navigate to the video game from the main menu of the console.