Chapter 233: Trouble For The Kitties!
Kaisen decided it was time to dive back into the game—no, wait, scratch that. Kaisen decided it was time to conquer his new world.
There were far too many things on his to-do list, and while catching up with his friends was tempting, it was definitely safer to do that in the game than in the real world.
The risk of getting hunted down in this world? Yeah, no thanks. His new world was dangerous, sure, but at least there, he had the upper hand—or at least a few tricks up his sleeve.
'People are going to confuse me with Kayden, no doubt. But if they've got even half a brain, they should know I was trapped in that world with them when this whole mess kicked off.'
Kaisen shrugged and swiped his hand over the VR headset, brushing away imaginary dust. His mind was already a million miles away, plotting a thousand different schemes.
'I should get a mask... Oh, wait, I do have a mask, don't I?'
He paused mid-polish, a sinister smile creeping across his lips. He still didn't fully understand what that mask did, but it seemed like now was the perfect time to find out.
'Well, well, well... This could be interesting.'
He had wanted to check in with Kara before heading back, but it seemed she was off on some long mission, tangling with the Authority or something equally dramatic.
She'd even taken the spider drone from his room yesterday. He wasn't sure why, but honestly, he was just glad that creepy thing was out of his hair.
'Well, no time to waste. Let's dive in.'
Kaisen thought, sending a quick message to his friends before sliding the VR headset on. In mere seconds, reality faded away, replaced by the familiar and chaotic landscape of his new world.
'What exactly is this world's name, anyway?'
He mused, just as he spawned mid-air and plummeted onto the rugged, rocky hills of the cat tribe territory, the same spot he'd appeared at yesterday.
'Is this my respawn point or something?'
Not likely.
From the countless forum posts he'd devoured, it was pretty clear: death here was final. Once you died, that was it. No getting kicked back to your own world with a pat on the head and a "nice try."
No, your body would either get buried, eaten, or rot right where it fell. Respawn points were just wishful thinking in this brutal realm.
"Well, first things first—let's find Lloyd and Alice. Feels like it's been forever since I saw them."
Kaisen muttered to himself. A quick check of his mental map showed that neither of his friends had logged in yet. However, other familiar dots were clustered nearby—Elfie, Sable, Maximus, and even Aveline.
"Damn, looks like a reunion tour is in order. I'm not half-assing this anymore."
Kaisen had already made up his mind to take his harem-building more seriously this time. No more making his companions feel like they were just there for their bodies or to pass the time.
He was going to build something real, something powerful. After all, in this world, power was everything, and Kaisen intended to wield it with style.
"Gotta start somewhere," Kaisen muttered to himself, pacing like a caged lion.
"Alice will be the starting point. Sable's a no-brainer; she's easier to convince than a cat with a saucer of milk. But Elfie... now she's a problem.
I know she'll come with me, but I can't just betray Lloyd. Nah, better to turn him into a cuck than break his heart, right?"
Lloyd, Kaisen's so-called best friend, had practically gift-wrapped Alice for him by ditching her for Elfie. Not that Kaisen was complaining. The blame rested squarely on Lloyd's shoulders for making that switch.
But Elfie? She was different. She had gone through hell and back, and Kaisen didn't want to add to her misery.
He needed to figure out what would happen to her once she returned to her own world. No more unnecessary burdens, just a clean exit plan.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, a notification blinked to life on his map. A dot had popped up, shining brightly like a beacon. Alice.
This time she was actually near the kingdom's borders, just like him. A mere thirty kilometers separated them. A short sprint for him.
[We are here, Kaisen-kun! (Location Pin) (Alice)]
The message from Alice came with her location pin, and Kaisen shot back a quick reply.
"On my way."
He cracked his knuckles, stretching his muscles like a sprinter at the starting line.
"Time to meet up with the gang and figure out what in the seven hells is going on with this kingdom."
Kaisen did a few light jumps to get the blood pumping, flexing his muscles and loosening his joints. He could practically feel the power coursing through him, ready to be unleashed.
Thirty kilometers? More like a three-minute jog in his world.
And when he was ready, he took off like a cannonball shot from the gates of hell. Hills and rocks blurred past him, nothing more than smears of color as he zipped by at lightning speed.
Within seconds, he was at the village's wall, coming to an abrupt halt.
Why? Because through the slits in the bamboo wall, he spotted some familiar faces. Ronali and her brother Rony, surrounded by a small group of other young cat tribe members. Trouble was brewing.
A young man was blocking Ronali and her friends' way, flanked by his cronies. Rony, the little spitfire, was trying to punch the guy, but the man had one hand on Rony's forehead, holding him at bay like you would a yapping puppy.
"Give it up, kid. Ronali's mine. Is there anyone in this tribe who could even think about competing with me for your sister's hand?"
the man sneered, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. He had blonde hair, a tail to match, and the arrogance of a cat who's never met a mouse he couldn't catch.
"Shut up, Luke! No way I'm letting my sister marry a bully like you!"
Rony barked back, practically vibrating with rage.
Luke chuckled, taunting.
"Oh yeah? You got someone better lined up? Who's gonna stand up to me, huh?"
"Yeah, I do! And he's gonna beat the living crap out of you!"
Rony's voice rose, fierce and unyielding.
Luke's smirk grew.
"Oh really? And where's this knight in shining armor? I don't see—"
"Release my brother, Luke. He's just a boy. Don't you have any shame, bullying children?"
Ronali cut in, her voice icy enough to freeze lava. She stepped forward, her eyes locking onto Luke's with a gaze that could pierce steel.
The other cat tribe members looked at her with admiration, like she was some legendary warrior who'd just descended from the heavens. Kaisen couldn't help but smirk from his hiding spot.
'This is going to be fun.'