Chapter 69 – Business as usual


    <b>SecretBlonde: So, how are you doing now that Jimmie is in the hospital?</b>


    <b>Jeehan: If I tell you, you will just sell it with a big headline ‘The Gamer is Sad today!’</b>


    <b>SecretBlonde: You know me so well~</b>


    John clicked his tongue in annoyance as he closed the private conversation on his phone.


    “Just ignore him,” Rave said, still looking at her own phone. They were currently on their way to school. She had stayed the night and the morning was nice. Walking the whole way had been an easy decision. Aclysia stayed in the house and made sure it was clean.


    “I wish I could… wait, how did you even know who I was chatting with?”


    “I live rent-free in your head,” Rave responded matter-of-factly.


    “…I would threaten you with eviction, but I don’t think that’d work at all. You’d pop up again like a cursed item.” She giggled at that. The sound made his heart feel light. Once it ebbed away, John let out a drawn-out sigh. “I guess it’s progress that it took him a few days to find out… or her. Who even knows?”


    Two days had passed since the ident. It was now Thursday. During these two days, they had neither seen Travolta nor Victoria around. In the case of the guild leader, at least they heard him work upstairs at times. Victoria was just gone entirely. Not that this behaviour was unusual for her.


    John’s phone vibrated, pulling his attention back to the group chat.


    <b>SecretBlonde: Hey y’all, just got the information that the Gamer is sad today!</b>


    <b>Princess_of_Steel: To think that I paid for this.</b>


    <b>Blood: Please only write when you have something of substance.</b>


    <b>Minerva: I wonder why he is sad? Do you have any information on that?</b>


    <b>SecretBlonde: Somebody in his circle of affiliates got hurt.</b>


    <b>GravityKing: Well, sounds weak but also understandable.</b>


    He forced himself to put his phone away. “…it’s pretty hard to ignore people talking about you all the time.”


    “Not like you can do anything about it,” Rave said and pulled out her phone as well. “So, you might as well have fun with it.


    <b>Rave: So how are you guys doing today?</b>


    <b>Princess_of_Steel: Small talk? Is that the purpose of this ce?</b>


    <b>Princess_of_Steel: I might as well humour you. I am waiting for an associate. She has the annoying tendency of getting distracted petting wild animals.</b>


    <b>GrimPatron: Drinking. Very drubk.</b>


    <b>GravityKing: Unlike Lydia, I know my station. Unless you are someone influential I see no reason to answer you.</b>


    <b>Rave: Well, maybe I am? ^^</b>


    <b>GravityKing: Then I should be able to find SOMETHING about you on the auction.</b>


    <b>Jeehan: Don’t you think that somebody really influential should be able to hide details of their life from the auction. @GravityKing.</b>


    Rave smiled at John. “Yeah, okay.” He admitted. “Maybe this is more fun than just taking it all in.” He was rewarded with a quick kiss to the cheek.


    <b>GravityKing:...I would like to say nobody important hangs out here buuuut @Romulus is here soooo. Okay, I am doing fine.</b>


    <b>Anathema: Currently in New Zend. I don’t like the weather.</b>


    <b>Rave: What are you doing there?</b>


    <b>Anathema: High Fateweaver Stuff. My NDA says I can’t tell you more, sorry.</b>


    <b>Anathema: Also visiting my older daughter while I’m in the area.</b>


    <b>Minerva: Sounds like what the Gamer would say in order to get attention off himself.</b>


    <b>Anathema: OH in the God-Emperor’s name I AM NOT THE GAMER OKAY?!</b>


    <b>GravityKing: Yeah, right, Lol.</b>


    <b>Anathema: Just tell them @SecretBlonde.</b>


    <b>SecretBlonde: And lose the one advantage if have over you guys? I think not :O</b>


    <b>SecretBlonde: *I have – stupid autocorrect.</b>


    <b>Minerva: To answer the question though, I am not doing so hot. Mostly because I am going through these old WW2 Files and the loss of life makes me sick. Get this though: Apparently the Germans had a magical-drug strengthened unit stationed in Normandy.</b>


    <b>Princess_of_Steel: And?</b>


    <b>Minerva: You don’t find an elite force strengthened by some Abyssal drug weird? I mean Gaia would normally lose her shit.</b>


    <b>Princess_of_Steel: Assuming it has been diluted to a sufficient degree, the mundanes would be incapable of noticing. Frontlines did not typicallye with the opportunity to chemically analyse thepounds.</b>


    <b>Minerva: I suppose. It is described as ‘rust water’ by the reports. Must have tasted pretty awful.</b>


    <b>Princess_of_Steel: Probably Mengele’s doing. The madman''s work is notplete until he has tainted every aspect of his heritage. A vast array of cruel inventions… which the Russian’s then stole. @Blood can probably tell you all about it.</b>


    <b>Blood: The Soviets only did what was necessary to remove the threat of Nazi Germany from the vds.</b>


    <b>KingGravity: Yeah right. You NEEDED his experiments to win the SURFACE war. Alright. /s</b>


    <b>Princess_of_Steel: What Maximillian said.</b>


    “These two can agree on something?” Rave was surprised.


    “Probably only when they need to defend their country,” John mused and tucked his phone away as the school gate came into view. “I find it much more interesting how much of the Abyss gets over into the real world.”


    “Mhm, nah, can’t say it’s the same for me.” Rave was about to put her phone away as well when she got a call. “What does Baldy want now?” She asked and raised the device to her brte head. “Y’ello… What? Slow down Travy, what has…?” They stepped through the school gate and a window appeared in front of John.