VRMMORPG [Brink]: For The Money

15 Minutes before Oura got killed

"Did you think he can make it?"

Rudy looked at the woman at the other side from him and put his stubby finger into his lips and make "ssst~" sound. After making the silent gesture he starts doing his trademark fast typing with only one of his available hands. A complex pattern with a transparent disc on the palm of his hands to the end of his finger.

That was a tool used mostly by programmers or highly trained type-ers. With only moving a little bit of its users middle finger and pinky finger can make dozens of words or with a bend of thumb it can make the user choose any sorts of available options, most people had their own customization as well but only those who had lazy tenacity or had the need for it use only one hand of complex typing tools like that.

Rudy was one of those lazy bums who learn to operate the complex typing tools because of his laziness. He actually learns it for three months, whole, while people usually only need a month to not have any discomfort or not making any typing error. It can be said that Rudy tenacity outdo his laziness but it's not quite like that as well. While he may learn slower than the others but he already masters the way of typing master with pure efforts. He even customized his own tool that would earn him respect from those whose works was based on typing stuff daily.

CTT (circular typing tool) is what people mostly call it.

"I don't know, but, he's pretty much a beast."

"Why are you so sure? And what I'm asking was, is he gonna be okay?"

"Of course! He's my big bro after all."

Their chat is quite contrasting, one is speaking by writing it down while the other one, using voice message. The voice messages system doesn't let the voice of the user be heard, literally silent but their lips can still be read by one who knows how to.

"I remember you said you are a single child, right?"

"Yup, we may not be related but our bond is strong." He gives her a thumbs up with his free hands and continues with another long text. "You should know that even brother/sister, blood-related may kill their own kin for inheritance, money or whatnot, right? I know, not all are like that but you can't deny that fact. But it's different our bond is stronger than that, we were like….."

"How long did you know him by the way?" Ross asks what exactly on her mind out loud.

"Few days? Or weeks, I don't quite remember. But we're a bro. Bind by fate."

All of sudden the chat stops. She really wants to beat the hell heck out of Rudy.

The talk stopped for a couple of minutes but with Rudy's personality, he won't shut up for a minute without talking what is on his mind. What worse though, Rudy didn't talk through his mouth which will limit his output but with his specialty of super-fast typing, he can send a dozen of messages in seconds.

Ross lost in the sea of words Rudy has sent her. Finally thinking it will be a hassle to keep Rudy entertain Ross decided to just ignore the whole message he had sent to her and focus on her current task. Sometimes she smiles at him to make him know that she's been keeping up so it may not hurt his feelings.

All of sudden a notice pop-up in front of them.

『Party member – Vain is killed! 』

"What happens?" "He's dead. I knew it, it was a fool of a plan, suicidal plan."

They talk at the same time. Then, they look at each other and message Vain asking what happen.

❊❊❊

Present time

Opening my eyes and looking around I'm back inside the pillar of light. Inside the light pillar is nothing, only white wherever I look. Taking my time, I look at the few notifications I get from the system.

『You've been killed! 』

『Did you want to get revived in the resurrection point? Y/N 』

『Congratulation, you've successfully activated a unique skill Enhance Sense.』(1)

『-20% attribute status penalty in effect. 69:59』

I instantly check the skill I've got. Before I check the skill info I stare at the ticking penalty time, why didn't I get this when I get revive by Old Mar?

[Enhance Sense -- Unique • skill]

Enhance all of your sense. The enhancement depends by your own ability.

Requirement: action (can only be activated and maintain manually)

Cost: ?? stamina per second. (the cost will depend on the effectiveness of the skill)

Casting time: instant-cast

Cooldown: none

Level: none

(P.S skill can only be activated in the 'Master'(2) mode.)

On my first death, the system doesn't ask if I want to get revive in the resurrection point or not, the system only asks me if I want to get resurrected. And the second time, I've been revived by old man Mar. while this time there is no one that trying to revive me so the system instantly asks me if I want to get revive here.

If I had this system's A.I. I think it would be possible to make lots of money without actually doing anything.

After five steps away, I arrive outside. Instantly, the view warp in front of my eyes. From plain white to bustling street, not far from the pillar of light people are doing their own thing. The feeling is almost the same as my first-time diving into the game. It is sickening but a bit different than the 'first dive', this one only happens for a minuscule of second so my brain can't exactly register what has happened and it began to think it was an illusion or some sort however the feeling can't be any more realistic.

I ask earlier on the few residents (NPCs) I met and they had different names for it, an old lady called it Goddess Pillar of Light while an adventure or sort donned in leather armor and fully equipped in the middle of the city said it is a Pillar of Hope and add "For this blight of world." Unnecessarily.

By the looks of it, there is no official name from the NPCs and the player simply call it resurrection point/place.

⁗What happened? ⁗ Two messages reach me at the same time. One voice message from Ross and one text message from Rudy.

Inside the resurrection zone, a player can't communicate with another player outside nor will we met each other inside.

"I died." I reply shortly to both of them, in text.

Less than a second Rudy's reply. I don't know how he can reply that fast within second, less than a second actually from the time log of the message I sent.

"Come on bro. We know you've died; a notification appears in front of us. I'm asking what happen there that got you killed? Was it a boss? Hopefully it's not a Lord rank. Well, we'll be force to retreat even if it's only an Elite rank monster."

"It's not. I got ganked by bunch of mobs and the ailment catch up to me as well. Manage your pace I'll be there in 40 minutes."

I turn my head from the pillar of light and leave.

This place was a different place than where I landed (revived) before. Each city or town had a different sum of revive point. For example, this capital city has 6 pillar they are positioned equally like a hexagram each 'light' on the edge. The pillar of light can be seen outside the city because of their skyscr.a.p.er like height.

But not all city has 6 pillars like this one. Each city or town even villages had their own quantity of pillar of light. I heard from Rudy the requirement to build a village is to have their own pillar. Yet not all the villages have one of the said pillars.

Unbeknown to me, my feet had brought me in front of grumpy old-man store.

"Why are you back so soon? Did you finish your investigation?"

Before I can push the door open, the grumpy old dwarf asks me unexpectedly. My hand stops in the air inch away from the wooden door. A second after my abrupt stop I push the door open and see the old dwarf sitting on his rocking chair while smoking from his classy looking pipe. His beard is still messy and dirty as I remembered, even the crumbs on his beard yet to fall off.

Don't he feel bothered by that dirtiness? This is the second time this same question appears on my mind.

"How did you know it was me? No. I didn't even go there yet. Currently I'm doing quest for cleaning the sewer. Did you perhaps have an item that can works as lighting tool and still works while I fight?"

He puffs out a cloud of white smoke out of his mouth and starts to rock his chair slowly. He goes silent while sometimes inhaling from his pipe and breath out the smoke. The sound of the rocking chair echoing in the silent room. I can see he crease his eyebrow probably thinking of my question.

Minutes goes by and I stay where I stand not making any sound. I'm someone who never lack any so-called patience. After all, in the outside world if you don't have any patience while working as the low-class laborer there will be no job for you. Which mean no food to fill your hungry stomach.

"I think I may have one. Wait here."

After ten minutes of waiting Verm is back with an antic looking head lamp.

"This is something created with a straight lighting purpose, explorer should love this but they didn't. The cost of making the case were cheap but the liquid inside that works as the light are a bit pricey. The one who can make it are an alchemist and they sell it as high as they can. The item won't go bad so even if no one's buying it the price still won't go down."

He handed me the cylinder headlamp with leather straps as the grip.

"So, how do I use it? And how long will this last?"

"Strap it into your head and you can feel a jaggy… yes that one, turn it into the right. There is five click with a specific distance that it can illuminate. The first one can go straight to 10 meter and the second one is 25 meter, third is 50 meter, fourth is 100 meter, the last one is 250 meter. But there is one little problem, it doesn't have enough energy to last for the last two. It may work for few minutes but that's it."

"How much should I pay for this?" I ask him my biggest concern at the moment.

"I lend it to you so give it back after you finish using it. It is one of my early creation so it has kind of sentimental feeling attached to it. Did you want a drink? You can go back after a glass or two."

"No thanks, my companion is waiting for me. Regarding this item, what if I broke it?"

As I thought this old man is lonely. I put on my robe and cover my body as well my head.

"Bring me scrap then. Go away you've got what you come for. I'll drink by myself."

Without any courtesy, I leave him in his store alone and walk into the sewage system where our quest laid.

On the road I found Lily and the kids from Old Mar store eating meat skewers on the side of the road. I get close to them and tell them that Verm is feeling lonely on his sitting on his store alone and you guys should play with them.

The smell of the meat skewers on their hands was enticing so I move my feet faster avoiding crowded places.