Chapter 14 : Freshman Training – 2

“A VR arcade?”

Reina tilted her head, checking the sign.

“Senior, is this really our destination?”

“Stop standing there and get in.”

Urged by Eric, already a step ahead, Reina entered the shop without resolving her doubts.

The interior felt dimly sinister, exuding a secretive vibe.

While Reina scanned her surroundings with caution, Eric strode forward, eyes fixed ahead.

A tattooed woman at the counter spotted Eric and let out an exaggerated gasp.

“Well, who’s this?
Thought you’d never come back here.”

“Cut the crap and spill.
It was you, wasn’t it?”

“What’re you on about?
That’s a bit hurtful.”

“Tch.”

Unable to follow the sudden exchange, Reina watched their conversation blankly from behind.

‘They know each other?’

That means Eric’s from Rat Town, right?
Now she vaguely understood why he showed such disdain for this place.

“Last warning.
Cooperate nicely, or it won’t end well if you’re tied to this case.”

“Sorry, but I’m clueless.
Tell me what’s up first, so I can decide whether to help.”

“Ikazuchi’s Stone fragment was stolen.
It likely ended up here.
As a Stoners executive, you’d know, right?”

She calmly shook her head.

“Don’t know.
Never heard of it.”

“Really?”

“Why’d I lie about this?
If my life’s on the line, I’d spill instantly.
You think I care about Stoner loyalty?”

As if nothing could be funnier, she sneered coldly.

“Loyalty among mayflies who could die any day?
Bullsht*.”

“…Fine.
If you get any info, contact me immediately.”

At that, a light flashed from Eric’s eye, transmitting his contact info to her.

“Doesn’t add up.
Even for Ikazuchi, sending two Sheriffs to Rat Town for a mere theft?”

Eric glanced at her questioning and turned to leave, answering.

“Because it’s not an ordinary Stone.”

“Hmm.
Interesting.”

Done talking, Eric retraced his steps without lingering.

“Let’s go.”

“That’s it?
No checking the back or…”

“No need.
She’s not the type to tell obvious lies.”

“You know her well, huh?”

Eric chuckled at Reina’s question and teased lightly.

“What?
Jealous?”

“Just go, Senior.”

As they headed out, they bumped into guests entering.

Reina habitually scanned the two women.

They seemed quite different in age—sisters?
Not alike in looks, but their eyes or vibe felt oddly similar.

The silver-haired girl in front looked grumpy with a hint of tension.
The red-haired woman behind smirked slightly, pushing the girl’s back.

Nothing particularly suspicious stood out.
In a VR arcade, they’re probably just customers here to play.

About to lose interest and pass them, Reina’s eyes caught a shimmering blue ring on the silver-haired girl’s finger.

Narrowing her eyes to focus on the ring, she was interrupted by Eric’s voice from behind.

“Reina.”

“Yes?”

“…Nothing.
Let’s talk outside.”

His tone and expression seemed grave.
Reina nodded, mirroring his seriousness.
His rare solemnity made her forget the blue ring naturally.

Outside, they slipped into an empty alley before Eric finally spoke.

“An urgent investigation order came in.”

“…What?
But we’re already on a case.”

“Ikazuchi’s Inspection Chief went missing.
Probably dead.”

“Oh…”

“Last confirmed coordinates are Rat Town.
This is getting bigger than expected.”

Eric scratched his head, grimacing, and sighed.

“If this goes wrong, the White Wolf might show up.”

“Phew…”

I exhaled only after the cops passed us and vanished.

My heart felt like it’d explode.
Especially when the blonde cop’s eyes met mine and dropped to my hand—I thought I was done for.

“Two Sheriffs?
You’re a bigger deal than I thought.”

“What do I do?
Is it safe to go in?”

Cops wouldn’t come to a VR arcade to play, right?
Obviously, they’re here for their investigation.

“Probably fine.
Hilda owes me.”

Can I really trust that?
Uneasy, I hid behind Karen’s back, peeking out as I followed.

Then my eyes met those of the tattooed woman at the counter.

Do all Stoners share a similar vibe?
She resembled Karen somehow but radiated a more decadent aura.

The woman, likely Hilda, smirked slightly and spoke to Karen.

“Since when do you keep pets?
Pretty cute.”

“Cute on the outside, but wilder than you.”

“Really?
Now I’m intrigued.
Not selling her to me?”

I flinched, glaring at Hilda.
Is she like Mary?
No, Mary never openly flirted with me—this woman’s more dangerous.

“No deal.
She’s already Red Dog.”

“Rookie, show it.”

I instantly knew what she meant but hesitated, feeling uneasy, and looked at Karen.

“It’s fine.
If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility.”

“…Okay.”

Trusting Karen, I placed my hand on the counter.
Hilda’s expression shifted rapidly as she saw the shimmering ring on my finger.

“Where’d this Stone come from?”

“Custom-made.
I had it crafted for myself, but she snatched it.”

“It’s clearly not ordinary.
Did that guy make it?”

“His skill’s the real deal.”

Not content to just stare, she grabbed my hand, examining the ring closely.

Letting a stranger touch me like this?
I trembled with embarrassment, but she didn’t care about my reaction at all.

“This’d easily fetch 100 million for the connector alone.”

I froze.
The unreal figure echoing in my ears made me doubt my hearing.

What?
100 million?
Just for the connector?

This ring is worth 100 million?
The amount I need to scrape together in a month is sitting on my finger.

I suddenly realized how grave it was to steal a Stone meant for Karen.
Though its owner just shrugged it off.

“It’s just a connector—a link.
The real value’s in the gem.”

“Karen, you…”

Hilda opened her mouth as if to say something but shook her head, trailing off.

“What’s that?”

“Forget it.
What’s your business here?”

“Obvious, isn’t it?
To train this rookie.”

“Then the usual map?
Room 4.
I’ll set it up.”

“Cool.”

What’s the usual?
I was curious, but something else mattered more.

I’d been holding it in, but I couldn’t stand it anymore.
Covering my nose, I cautiously asked Hilda.

“Um… don’t you ventilate this place?”

“Huh?
Why?”

“The cigarette smell’s been dizzying me.”

Hilda gave me an odd look at my answer, then asked Karen a cryptic question.

“You haven’t told her yet?”

“Uh… it’s hard to explain, but she seems different from the usual cases.”

“I’ve seen hundreds of cocky types like her.
How many think are still around?”

“…”

“Karen, you know best.
The bolder they are, the faster they die.
We have to be cowards to survive till the end.”

The mood felt hard to break into, but worried they’d sink into their own world without me, I mustered courage to ask.

“Um… what’s this about?”

Hilda looked at me with a complex expression before answering.

“Get used to this smell.
It’s the only proof you’re still okay.”

“…What?”

“There are symptoms when you start getting addicted to the Stone.
One’s sensory dulling.
It begins with smell and taste, hard to notice at first.”

I stared blankly at the incense she placed on the counter.

“In simple terms, the fainter this smell gets, the closer you are to dying.”

The smell was unbearably strong.