Chapter 224: Changes (2)
Jake and others weren\'t lucky enough to travel so far from their homes. Nearly everyone was thrilled to have the game\'s company cover their free travel and hotel expenses.
Only Last Coin was troubled by that but couldn\'t back down. He was forced to attend The Award Ceremony and play The International Tournament on the stage.
He was glad for it.
Otherwise, he would have stayed back in North America and remotely played.
Jake didn\'t hide his excitement, either. "I must check if there\'s any concert of my favorite Polish singers close in Warsaw and book a ticket!"
"Oh? You also listen to various genres, my dark horse?" Damien asked.
"Yeah, I listen to all genres, so long as a song is catchy," Jake replied.
"Perfect! I\'ll go to a concert with ya!" Damien said.
The team casually talked about anything but a game. They didn\'t want to talk about it so soon after winning the tournament because a lot of stuff happened there.
These seven would have time to discuss it during their preparation against opponents from other continents.
The group split up relatively quickly since only Jake could sightsee Enheim. Thanks, good work, and good job comments bounced off them before each went their way.
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"Shaw!" Peace called her boyfriend\'s name as long as she saw him in real life. She ran into him and snuggled into his chest, melting into him.
Shaw wrapped his arms around her and faintly smiled.
"What\'s wrong?" he asked.
"It\'s because of me!" Anna shouted. No one heard her as the playground they were in was empty. It was between their houses, so it was their familiar spot to meet and proceed on dates or other stuff.
In rare cases, the couple would sit on the bench and cuddle.
"What?" Shaw asked, confused.
"It\'s because of me that you\'re behind others! If only you didn\'t waste your time on my whims—" Anna said, only to be silenced by Shaw\'s lips. He bit on her lower lips and sucked in so much that she was forced to close her eyes.
It was such an ardent kiss that her mind went blank.
After their lips parted, Shaw said, "It\'s because of you that I\'m a member of Casual Clowns. I love our adventures without many battles, just two of us having fun in new, fantasy lands. We\'re so at peace at then, aren\'t we?" A memory of his heart aching resurfaced.
His heart hurt.
Shaw clenched his hands and looked straight into his girlfriend\'s eyes. "But I want to become stronger. I really want to focus more on training and finding a class related to spearmanship. It\'s selfish, but let\'s do it together. Let\'s become stronger together and slay dragons as a couple!"
Anna took a step back and put her hands on her waist.
She brightly smiled at her boyfriend. "You\'re finally selfish! I\'m so okay with that! After you guys win The International Tournament, The Dragon Slaying Couple will explore all the dungeons we\'ve marked on our adventures! I\'ll also become much stronger! Who knows?
Maybe I will unlock a hidden talent like Drunk Jake!"
"That drunk Jake is such a different beast! Haha! I will have to defeat him in the future, too!" Shaw laughed aloud. The couple had a good time as they became honest about their feelings and plans.
Shaw then stood up and whipped out his phone.
"To slay all dragons in the future, I must first request help from a dragon himself," he said.
Anna asked, "Are you going to call Damien Twice?"
Shaw nodded heavily as though he was about to make a pact with a demon. His girlfriend grinned.
She picked up his phone, video-called Damien Twice, and turned the camera toward her boyfriend.
Even she wasn\'t ready for what Shaw had in store!
He suddenly knelt as though he was about to confess! He looked down like a knight and waited for Damien Twice to respond to the call.
Anna was often in embarrassing situations because of her dum dum boyfriend, but even this was way too embarrassing! She looked around and sighed with relief as no one was nearby!
Damien Twice\'s voice resounded. "Calling me so fast after logging out? I expected you to spend time with your girlfriend, my little mantis!"
Shaw emotionlessly said, "Anna\'s here."
"I\'m here! You were so strong, Damien!" Anna waved her hand toward the camera, telling Damien Twice that she was currently the camerawoman. \'Why is he not surprised about Shaw kneeling before him?\'
"Thank you, you beautiful soul. The world has yet to see the true undead art of mine," Damien said as he walked toward the jacuzzi in white robes. It was pretty lucky that Anna hadn\'t seen him yet.
Shaw deeply inhaled before saying aloud. "Please, lend me money to get at least an epic skill from the auction house!"
"Sure thing, my tiny mantis," Damien replied.
Shaw and Anna\'s lips went straight.
Their countenances were of utter disbelief and shock.
Shaw swallowed his saliva and explained. "I want a skill that will match the original skills everyone has created or received! I don\'t want an epic skill for a level thirty player! I want something that will grow with me and even turn me and my spearmanship into something else! Such skill costs a fortune!"
"Ye, so what?" Damien asked after sinking into the bubbling water.
"…"
"I never minded investing one fortune to receive more! In the first place, do I only have one fortune? As I move, think, and breathe, I inspire myself to create so much art, which I turn into fortune by investing in others! Even now, I can see a few fortunes I have invested in from the highest floor in my apartment! I\'m an actor! My art is boundless!
I won\'t lie to you two, though. It had taken me a lot of time to translate my art to the game world. I could have filled gaps with my art, but that would only be a simple band, no art whatsoever! So I worked! I worked for my art! Now that you also work for my art, I\'m willing to invest in you… SHAW!"
Shaw raised his head up and looked straight into his phone\'s screen. "THANK YOU!"
\'…men are so stupid,\' Anna thought.