Bastard NPC Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I think about it often, but honestly, this game is far from normal.

Goodness. No matter how much it’s a game, it’s still a world created by people. Yet, a crazy person breaks into someone else’s house at 1 AM. Not only that, but they also destroy everything in the house.

To deal with such an impolite guest in a way that fits this world, one should point a gun at them or grab them by the collar.

However, the person who completely disregarded manners looked like he had thrown morality out of the roof. The complaints that had risen to my throat just melted away.

Until just a moment ago, when I looked in the mirror, I believed without a doubt that my character had the most beautiful and perfect face in the world. But with the appearance of the man, that thought was pushed far away. 

Somehow, I think I can now understand the stepmother’s grudge against Snow White. What’s with that face? What skin tone does he use?

No. His pale skin is one thing, but his appearance is just crazy.

His features are delicate, and his aura is sharp. His upturned eyes and distinct nose give a strong impression, making it hard to simply call him pretty.

His face, crafted like a piece of art by some artist, feel almost wasted if she just called him handsome. His build is no different. Sitting with his long legs crossed and his ankle dangling, even his protruding collarbone was beautiful.

And I, a seasoned player in this game, never remembered facing such an impressive NPC. Usually, the NPCs are good-looking, but this man had an unparalleled presence. Who is he?

“Your eyes are gonna burst.”

The man, lazily leaning on the sofa, muttered. It seemed like he was telling me to stop staring. I awkwardly smiled and quietly looked down.

“Do I really need to look up at you? Sit down.” 

So, who are you? 

Those were words that came to mind, but I didn’t say them out loud. No, it wasn’t the kind of atmosphere where I could. Despite his arrogant words, his expression was languid and his tone was relaxed.

However, the way his gaze seemed to pierce through my skin was so chilling. I felt like a turtle meeting its natural enemy, my neck instinctively recoiling. It felt like my face might actually be pierced.

“I don’t like repeating myself.”

The way he threw the grenade high into the air and casually caught it was blatantly threatening. It felt like a warning that he could throw it anywhere if things went wrong. 

My thoughts and actions naturally became more humble. I kept a polite watch on the grenade in his hand as I perched on the edge of the corner sofa. Then, the man, who had been staring at me, tilted his head slightly and spoke.

“Sit closer. I won’t bite.”

“Bite? What?”

“Is repeating everything I say your habit?”

“……”

“Fix it. It’s annoying.”

Anyone who heard those words would doubt their ears and ask again. Nonetheless, I swallowed my words, sensing the situation.

“Answer me.”

“Yes.”

“That’s right. Good girl.”

The man, flashing a smirk, gestured to the seat next to him. It seemed like he was signaling for me to sit closer. If this had been a typical encounter between a regular player and an NPC, I’d have ignored the seat next to him.

I would have sat on his lap pretending it was a mistake, and then logged out if things went wrong. But unfortunately, this situation was real. The moment I logged out, I could be saying goodbye to this world forever.

Moreover, the man’s presence felt dangerously unsettling, so I quietly sat down, not even a full inch away from my original spot.

“You’re keeping your distance. That’s a little disappointing.”

“I’m just a bit conservative.”

“You didn’t even ask who I am?”

“I didn’t have the chance to ask.”

“Isn’t that something you should ask if you had the chance?”

“True. Who are you?”

I asked while glancing at the grenade floating high in the air. The man chuckled softly and skillfully caught the grenade. Why on earth didn’t he put that grenade down? 

Despite his subtle smile, the dark, bulky object snugly fitting into his large palm looked anything but pretty. Seriously, who the hell walks around openly carrying a grenade like that? Who is he?

If I had ever met him before, I would never forget his appearance, but really, this was an NPC I had never seen before. Truly, he was a completely new person to me. 

Moreover, the situation of an NPC breaking into my house was an event I had neither heard of nor experienced before.

“You’re a bit clueless, but it’s kind of cute.”

“…..”

“It’s a compliment. You’re pretty.”

“Ah, yes. You too.”

“Me too?”

“…… you too, Sir?”

“You really have no clue, do you?”

It wasn’t exactly something I wanted to hear from the person who turned my house into a wreck. Yet, despite his harsh words, his face was handsome. I could tolerate it for now. 

Not knowing what else to say, I just awkwardly smiled, and the man, who had been staring at me, suddenly threw something. For a moment, I thought he was throwing the grenade, and my heart skipped a beat. But, the object that gently landed on my lap was a thin, white card.

“…Huh?”

To be exact, it was an ID card proving that he was an agent of the VCI (Violent Crime Investigation). I had a rough idea of ​​the man’s identity, but my doubts were only heightened. 

If he had said he was a gang leader, I would have understood at least. Why on earth would the VCI have destroyed my house like this?

No.

Looking back, the law enforcement in this city was generally like this. The SGPD (San Guarida Police Department) would curse and pull out their guns just from a casual shoulder bump. They had a destructive instinct that often led them to wreck the property of innocent NPCs while trying to catch a criminal. 

It was the kind of law enforcement you’d expect in a crime-ridden city, but thanks to them, the balance was maintained. In a city controlled by gangs, if even the police were powerless, it would have descended into total chaos.

“Ah, I’m so happy that I’m getting an erection.”

The crude and explicit words cut off my thoughts abruptly. Even the eyes that were fixed in the photo on the ID naturally turned toward his groin. Though the distance wasn’t particularly close, the stiffness of his front was so pronounced that it was obvious which way it was leaning. My goodness, what is that? What is he carrying in his pocket?

“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s embarrassing.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Why. Do you want to eat it?”

There was a hint of laughter in the voice asking, but I couldn’t hear it properly. How on earth did he carry that thing around? Did it always grow so big? 

“Hold on. I’ll think about it based on what you’re doing.”

“No. Not at all. It’s fine.”

“I got rejected. I’m offended.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just a bit too conservative.”

“Ah, I don’t like being treated like a cad.”

I know it’s time to make excuses, but I avoided answering and just awkwardly smiled. While thinking that the combination of a moral face and an immoral lower body is quite disappointing, I gently placed the man’s ID on the table. 

I’ve already had enough of looking at his handsome face, now I need to calm him down and send him off.

“Um, but I think you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m just a regular citizen. I’m ordinary.”

“Ordinary?”

“Yes. Just an ordinary citizen who pays taxes diligently.”

It wasn’t a lie. I had diligently paid taxes under the guise of maintenance fees. While yesterday’s Riley might have been different, today, having just opened my eyes here, I hadn’t done anything, so I was indeed a good citizen. 

That’s how the game system worked. Even if you were being chased by the police due to a warrant, when you reconnected to the game, the warrant would be cleared. Unless you committed another crime, you’d be considered an ordinary citizen again.

Well, big quests or missions would remain as achievements, but so far, no NPC had ever used those achievements against me.

“Your eyes are beautiful, but why can’t you read the mood?”

Your face is pretty, but why do you talk like that? Is your interpretation messed up?

It wasn’t the first time NPCs had acted disrespectfully, but hearing it this time, the way he spoke was just wrong. 

As I furrowed my brows and gave him a disapproving look, he let out a small laugh and casually tossed a grenade at me as if throwing a ball.

“This crazy man.”

I was so shocked that the scene of the grenade flying in an arc seemed to unfold in slow motion. As I jumped up from my seat and snatched the grenade out of the air, I heard a soft laugh.

“Crazy?”

“…I was so shocked. Isn’t it too dangerous to just throw this around like that?”

“Yeah, right. I told you to sit closer, but you insisted on making things dangerous.”

He leaned back lazily against the back of the sofa, casually resting his arm on it, and shrugged his shoulders. Wow, life really is worth living. 

I was confident that no one would speak more rudely than my eldest sister. Yet, this man accomplished that difficult task.

It wasn’t easy to lower someone’s favorability with a face like that, but somehow, as the conversation continued, I felt complicated. I looked at him bitterly and entered information about a new NPC into my head.

I have a grudge. I’ll only look at him from a distance.

His temper is awful. Avoid getting involved if possible.

“Let’s take it easy. It’s cute when you act all coy, but I just got insulted. I’m feeling like trash right now.”

“Yes.”

However, no matter what my evaluation of him was or what information I had input in my brain, his bad mood only worsened. 

Before he caused a scene, I gave a polite response. At that, he let out a hollow laugh, as if in disbelief, and gestured toward the grenade in my hand with his eyes.

“Do you recognize it?”

I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be looking at, but I could clearly see the logo etched on the grenade body. Fixford. 

It was the same company Adam had called me about earlier, mentioning some lab and trying to lure me in. The same company that all the users, myself included, had gleefully robbed.

So they make grenades too.

Well, why not? It wasn’t surprising that a defense contractor that made all sorts of firearms and was secretly researching missiles would also produce grenades. Of course, whether Fixford made grenades or cut up watermelons wasn’t any of my business.

“Trespassing, property damage, leaking confidential information, business disruption, theft, arson, murder.”

As the monotonous voice continued, my heart raced nervously. The achievements I had unlocked started to come to mind, one by one.

A sense of foreboding washed over me.

“What should I do? I think you’re screwed now, pretty girl.”

And, of course, the ominous feeling was not wrong.

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