Chapter 51: [51] Traitor
The light overhead reflected over the silver weapon, causing it to look even more dreadful.
It was a desert eagle loaded to the brim, a weapon with enough fire power to blow a hole in the head of a rhino.
’I thought I told her to stop taking that gun to work!’
With the surge of dungeon and tower breaks in the world, weapons that would have usually been highly illegal were now legal.
Normally, this should have caused the crime rate to spike, but with players in the police force, people who could figure out the criminal just by being at the crime scene... crime was pretty much the same.
Bronya eyed him with those blue eyes that they all shared, her mind likely racing for a solution.
The tension in the air was palpable as the silence stretched on.
There were likely a lot of questions on her mind. How did he break into their house? Why hadn’t Cracker torched him already?
Would her weapon be any good against him? The answer was no...
It took a few seconds for her to connect the dots.
"You are a player aren’t you? What are you doing here?"
Ark pointed at his head, telling her to remove their headphones. She did, albeit slowly, all while watching him like a cornered cat.
"It’s me Bronya, it’s Ark." He could not smile, if not he would have done just that.
What was with his sisters and not recognizing him? He specifically told them he had awoken the skeleton race!
Was he really that short now?
"Welcome home sis!" Cracker chuckled.
Immediately Bronya heard his voice, the fierce look she had on her face suddenly melted. The gun slipped out of her hand, and Bronya took an unsure step forward.
"Y-you you’re alive...?" she muttered.
’Hmm?’
What Ark never expected was for Bronya to break into tears in the very next moment. In the blink of an eye, she had her hands wrapped around his neck, smothering him with a hug.
"Thank goodness..."
At first, Ark was surprised, but once he thought about it, he realised why she had reacted in such a way.
Staying three weeks in the tutorial was enough to shake anyone, she must have been worried long before now. And...
"You heard the news didn’t you?" He asked in a more solemn tone.
Bronya did not answer, she just nodded on his chest.
Only ten students had survived, the news stations must have all run with it. No matter how much fate Bronya had in him, it would have been impossible to not be worried.
After she regained her composure, Bronya wiped the tears off her face and smiled.
"Congratulations, Player Ark!" She laughed. But although she was clearly happy for him, Ark could see the uneasiness in her eyes.
Their parents had died because they were players... she would have firmly opposed the idea of Ark becoming one as well, if she could.
But once marked, it was mandatory to participate in the tutorial. Players were the only viable weapons the government had to prevent tower and dungeon breaks; they could not afford to have even a single player idle.
Refusing to participate in the tutorial was punishable with as much as life imprisonment. But usually, they would simply force the player to participate.
"You must have been through a lot there." Bronya shook her head. "Have you eaten?"
"Not yet, I can’t eat in this form after all..."
Bronya stroked her jaw as she watched him. "Hmm, rather inconvenient isn’t it?" She sighed. "Still, it would have been good if there was actually any food in the house..."
Without looking, she stretched her hand and grabbed Cracker’s clothes, just as she was about to escape the room.
"Eck—!"
"Cracker, what happened to dinner?"
The sweat that rushed down her face would have been enough to fill a bucket.
Cracker hiccuped, then her eyes darted to Ark, her eyes pleading.
Ark raised a finger. "I- I actually decided to treat us today! We will all eat out in any restaurant you choose."
"Really? That is nice." Bronya’s eyes brightened a little, although it was hard to see it due to the dark circles underneath them.
"But why so suddenly? Cracker, you didn’t happen to burn dinner did you?"
"Hiccup—!"
They both froze.
"B-burn dinner? What nonsense! Hahahaha, I could never burn dinner, I’m.. I’m an expert."
Bronya eyed her with suspicion, and it was as though Cracker would crumble under the pressure.
Ark was signaling her by dimming and brightening the lights he had for eyes.
’Don’t you dare spill!’ If she confessed, then he would get into trouble for covering for her.
"I actually got 15,000 credits as my allowance!" Ark decided to change the topic.
And it seemed to work.
"15,000??"
Her reactions would have been likely more animated if she was not completely drained of energy. "That is great..."
"Bronya, I will send you C5000 each month from now on, just as a start until I get a hang of Eden."
"Five thousand?!" Her eyes widened. "That is more than I make in a month. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Ark nodded. "You have been the only one taking care of us all this while..."
The money their parents saved up had run out years ago.
"This is nothing compared to what you have done. Please cut down your shifts sis, 70 hours a week is too much."
"I’m afraid you will die young..."
Bronya broke out into laughter. "I’ll see what I can do." She smiled. "Thank you Ark, I know you must have gone through a lot to get to this level."
A few seconds passed, then she asked...
"Are you alright?"
Ark took a moment to answer, and although he said yes, she understood what he meant.
"Alright then, let’s go eat! You’ll cheer up once you have some pork belly in your stomach."
She then began to shove them both out of the room. "Now get out, I need to take a shower and get changed."
Once the door was shut behind them, Cracker let out a breath.
"Nice save, big bro! You saved my feathers!"
Bronya opened the door...
She gave them both a blank stare, then smirked.
"But did you guys really think I wouldn’t notice the table?"
Ark turned to glance at Cracker, but she was already gone...
’Damn it.’
Before he could run, Bronya grabbed him by the neck, and pulled him into the room.