VRMMO: Am I The Strongest Yet?

"Are we late? Have they started?"

"The boring part should have been over by now."

"Hun? Does that mean we are late!?"

He didn't like being late. He didn't like being right on time for something either since he believed on time was also late, so he preferred being early for everything.

Even for their first date, she remembered how he had reached the venue an hour before their decided time… if she didn't practically live in that cafe, she would not even have known that he was so early for their meeting…

"Relax dude. The mayor would obviously talk about the great loss of the town, the deaths of the people, and sad stuff like that.

The contribution rewards are something that's generally left for the end of such sad events."

She knew how these things proceed from her experience.

There was a certain kind of sad speech that the mayor would give at the start of the speech, and it would mostly be dedicated to the people of the town.

The main reason many of the establishments of the town were closed today was because of the mayor's speech that had been going on for a while now.

Most of the town's folks were gathered in the plaza and places around them. The voice of the mayor was being broadcasted with the help of some magic devices resembling a microphone, and people were listening to him with sorrowful, sad, and a little angry eyes.

There was a unique vibe to this atmosphere. She liked it quite a lot when the people were collectively sad like this— it was a guilty pleasure, but she kept it to herself, only revealing her unique kinks to her partner.

"It still means we are late, Alex… haaa…"

He did not mind that she felt happy to see this kind of atmosphere. He already understood how she liked the uniqueness of the atmosphere and not exactly the sadness that the people felt.

'She was a logical realist so, many emotions were a fascinating thing for her. Collective sadness of a mass that might or might not even be connected to the dead people in question was just… fascinating to her.

That was the reason she liked it. Not because she liked seeing the poor people cry like some sadist.

"Should we go forward? There are too many people back here."

"Nah, this is fine. Come, let's sit there."

The central plaza where players get summoned after either dying or when they are traveling through scrolls and items has now become the central stage for the mayor.

The central fountain that reflects the light of the golden moon in a way that the water seems to be made of gold— was right beside the stage that had been built for the mayor's speech.

He was standing on a podium, along with his wife and pretty daughter that was around the same age as Elio.

The people in the surrounding had circled around this stage, and since there were no sitting arrangements, everyone was standing.

"But-."

"Don't worry about things and just sit."

Most of the people here were standing, even most of the players were standing along with them.

They weren't paying attention to what the Mayor was saying but at the very least, they were listening to him.

And yet she was suggesting that they sit down in the chairs of an outdoor cafe? Elio didn't find it appealing.

"Haaa…"

But at the end, he got dragged there and had no choice but to sit down.

They could hear the voice of the mayor from this distance as well so there was no need to go in such a crowded place.

{ "We all have lost someone, someone dear to us, someone we cherish and someone we have looked up to." }

Even if they did not have anyone among the people that they knew, as a member of this town, they must know some of the guards and of course, the knights and mages who had fallen.

Some of them were people that one could normally see when they visited the Knight's hall or the Mages' tower.

They were top of their craft and so, they were renowned figures in this town.

And now, they are all gone.

{ "Losing someone is painful, agonizing even unto death. In my hometown, they use the word (Tokotsubo)… a strong surge of abnormal waves of emotion… that causes the heart to deflate, and contort until…" }

He was the mayor.

One that cared about the lives of his people and the ones that he had the duty to look after.

{ "Until it resembles a dried well." }

He was emotional as he faced his people. People who shared his sorrow, people who had lost their loved ones, people who were not just subjects to him.

{ "An empty well… so hollow and cold." }

Among the crowd, there were families of the ones who had departed. Ones who lost nearly everything they had in this world, in this town.

And all of them were his people.

He was the same as a forgotten pot at the bottom of the fathomless sea, right now.

{ "I'm sorry for your loss, everyone." }

He was the saddest, he was the angriest for not being capable enough to save the lost lives.

{ "We have suffered a lot, and that fact will not change." }

He did not offer his people, the ones who were still with them, some false words of comfort.

He did not even try that.

Instead, he stated the reality of their situation.

And expressed his own genuine sorrow with tears flowing down his eyes, while standing before the people who looked up to him.

"That right there, Elio, is a leader."

Alex liked this person for a reason.

There weren't many who liked him when it came to the political world of this world.

Those in authority surely possessed power and influence unimaginable to the non-players or new players.

"A leader…"

Their ability to influence and grant Quests alone made them a vital part to this world.

For high level players as well, these individuals were the same as those Rankers and achievement makers who are known throughout the original world.

{ "Thus, with heavy hearts and sorrow burning our souls, let us appreciate the efforts of the individuals without whom, we might all have suffered even greater losses at the hands of the evil." }

[Ding.]

Not everyone participated in this quest to save lives. Many of them just wanted the rewards from the quests.

And now that it was time to reveal the Contribution tables and see who contributed the most to this quest, the players were finally paying attention for real.