Chapter 70: Death
This day should have been different.
In their meeting, Venomous and Michu should've been talking about their future plans in the game. About their joint future too! However, Yumi had been sprinting her way toward Michu whose territory had been destroyed by someone.
She had an honest talk with him and all their secrets were revealed.
This banana farm had high importance for Michu's future! How could she not be serious and also... angered?
'If there's someone who hates Michu, then it can only be players from The Impossible Quest,' Yumi whispered inwardly, but these words weren't said for the first time. It was not her initial thought either.
Big K was the one who popped first in her mind after Michu's message reached her.
This person had a loose screw in his head. He hadn't changed after his bullying and it was clear as the sun that he wouldn't just stop after that one incident.
Why? Because he had 'the truth' about Yumi in his hands. It was the most convenient way to turn others against her.
Bullying was part of his life. From his attitude, Yumi inferred that he was the one to conduct it. Therefore, should Big K go outside to bully someone, he would go for Michu and Venomous who were weaker too!
They were perfect targets for bullying...
Of course, Venomous had a deep worry regarding that!
"Michu!" After spotting her boyfriend, Yumi sprinted up and caught up to him. Both of them booked a carriage to Michu's territory, then drove it.
"I don't understand..." Michu was looking heartbroken. He couldn't understand the reason and he momentarily thought that it was because of his gangster attitude in The Impossible Quest.
Yumi rejected those thoughts, "For this world's standards, it's normal... I will repeat it as many times as needed. We haven't done anything wrong. However, if there is a hidden quest in your land or item, then you should understand that what those players did is normal."
"..."
Yumi added, "Even named NPCs could do it should it be the case. That's why... Let's pray for the best and strengthen your land later." Her hand was already intertwined with Michu's, but Venomous brought him closer and ignored all onlookers before embracing him.
She stroked his hair and prayed inwardly.
Because while she had her worries, Michu had his own.
-
"Yakuzan! Yakuzan! Carlos! Everyone!" Michu roared before his devastated land.
Conflagration brought up by someone was the cause of the whole devastation! The banana herbs were long since burned and their forms went from the world.
A charred smell still permeated the forest! A little of the flames could be seen from afar, but soldiers under Lord Fabian were already taking care of it. They held buckets of water and a few of them even used blue stones that could summon a little water.
Their faces were distorted with grief and if the water could've been a little quieter, the silence would have been prevailing here.
"You are here," Lord Fabian approached Michu, whose fear manifested on his face.
Monke shifted his eyes to the lord and asked, "Where is... everyone?" The greatest fear was that his friends had already died... Wantonly, Lord Fabian shook his head and patted Michu's shoulder.
He said, "They are all dead."
These words drummed loudly within Michu. His already fast heartbeat heightened, but even his heart couldn't outpace these words drumming within. He paled and looked down with sweat trickling down his temple.
Then, Michu's eyes let out tears suddenly. Those tumbled down as if the dam had broken! Trembling, Michu whispered, "Yakuzan swore to become our tank... Carlos and everyone was already good friends with other players too... We all worked together... and had so much fun... Our bananas... These were our bananas..." Michu no longer could continue as he felt something plugging his throat.
He never felt this much sadness... Even in real life, his family had always supported each other and things weren't that serious! Here, his friends were gone and he had just talked with them two days ago!
Yakuzan was also someone who received the item from The Ice Tomb's Vault!
He was someone who could have so much fun here!
"I don't... understand..." Michu repeated a little after.
Lord Fabian was already ready to turn heels. He just whispered before doing so, "As soldiers, they were prepared to die. In their last days, they had been happier. It was thanks to you that they could forget about their hate for the world and players." He sighed, "Go to your house. It's just a little burned."
"Yes..." Michu nodded, "Thank you." He felt a little better, but his soured heart wouldn't get healed that easily... They were good friends that had overcome many things together after all.
On his way, Michu got a lot of nice words from both Yumi and KongFu. In this rare time, both of them worked together. They encouraged Michu as best as possible, then the small house in Michu's territory entered his eyes.
It was a house that didn't receive any flames! "Yakuzan protected it..." But once Yakuzan died, the branches from other trees had fallen onto the house, leaving a few burned marks. However, the monkey gangster protected this house and banana form until the very end.
The soldiers were the same! They all protected our land until the end...
"There was nothing... other than our home." Michu squatted, his hand extended for the red cap. This red cap belonged to Yakuzan and it was a sign of his monkey gang. Every monkey wore a red cap here except him, but after he left them, he took that cap with himself.
His sunglasses were also here, but unfortunately, these also received unfair treatment. The red cap was fine, so Michu put it on his head.
Yakuzan's friends were also probably long since gone! He looked absentmindedly at the house, then Yumi's voice flooded from the side, "It's my fault." Her eyes were locked on the tree that had burnt words on its bark.
'Demon will always be a demon'.
"Big K... That guy who told you about my past... He's the one... just as I thought," Yumi's eyes remained wide as she looked at these words. Within, Michu spotted the excessive hatred that was unconcealed and it would make even adults run for their lives!
Michu nodded, "Don't blame yourself... This guy is the real gangster..." Michu clenched his fists, "I want..." At this moment, Michu was conflicted.
Any player would shout out 'REVENGE', but he stood silent and perplexed. He didn't know whether this game was a job for Big K! Even though this man had destroyed a potential income source for Michu and killed his friends, Michu knew too well how it was when someone lost a job.
It was just too hurtful... But didn't he just experience one of the worst?
"I want him to experience the same..." In the end, Michu uttered these words and looked deeply into Venomous' eyes. She extended her hands, pulled the monke into a hug, then promised to help him.
A few minutes later, Michu went to help all the soldiers with cleaning up the forest. He also asked for blue stone and distinguished flame leftovers.
From afar, Venomous swore, "I will destroy his in-game life and real life."
KongFu reacted, "In-game and real life? It always leaves me speechless when those players call our world... a game. But I am with you in this case." The baby monkey swore to help! "Michu is too good, so someone like you..." was needed, but KongFu couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.
The Snake Goddess had left too big a stamp on his heart after all!
"If I can't destroy the life of some mere loser, how can I even think of destroying that guild?" Venomous asked KongFu who knew nothing of her goal. He just imagined the powerful guild to be her enemy.
"You will help me... You two will make golden bananas from Daria's farm. The worst ones." Venomous added, "I will find information about him."
"That's what you want? You want him to have the permanent disease for the rest of his life here?" KongFu asked.
"No." Yumi's smile widened, "This will be cherry on the top. After Michu beats the shit out of him and his friends. After I trample enough of their dog faces, we will feed Big K with this golden banana so that he will be reminded of this for a while."
KongFu found her whole appearance to be more pleasing, "I will try to conjure sufficient effect on the golden banana."
If Yumi's appearance was already pleasant to an eye even for this old god, then it became even more so after her words, "They made my Michu cry... Just for fun? Let's enjoy their torment too."
"In both worlds?"
"I can't be bothered about Big K's friends. If not that man, then this wouldn't have happened. In both worlds, I will make this Big K suffer." Yumi swore, then strutted toward Michu.
KongFu asked just before they approached Michu, "I heard your world is peaceful. So what are you going to do here? I won't share it with Michu. This old god promises."
"I will make him lose his job, then prevent him from getting another one. It will be done slowly so that he will also 'enjoy' this world's treatment after we deal with him. In the long run, Big K will become homeless unless he leeches off someone. I don't want to stumble upon his dog's face anymore." Yumi ended the talk with the old god, then went to help her beloved.
KongFu whispered, "It's as if you already have a plan. I can't complain."