Hollow Twilight - A LitRPG Novel

Chapter 36

Reid was starting to notice the air tasted different in Hollow Twilight. The cool bite of the winter air he was used to was gone, replaced with the constant mild in the game. It was the freshness that was missing. This air was stale. It felt like it had been the same air since Reid had started playing, since anyone had started playing.

He wondered if Paragon could feel him somewhere else in the world through it. For a creature that was permanently present it surely could tell when things changed in this stagnant environment. Reid was counting on it.

"We're sure we just sit around?" Tim twirled his scythe around on the chain to pass the time. Everyone else was keeping their distance from him to avoid an accidental hit. Even though Kari insisted it was impossible to be hurt by fellow abilities, nobody could avoid the human reaction of dodging a giant blade.

Kari huffed and folded her arms. This was the fourth time Tim had asked a version of this question. "Do you know where Paragon is?"

"No," Tim replied, scratching at the stubble on his chin. He looked more unkempt than usual. His hair was greasier, scattered around his head. His shirt had a stain on it just under the collar, some sort of sauce.

"Then where would we go?" Kari continued. "We wait until he shows up."

"I still can't figure this out," Issac added, staring at his phone. "It doesn't tell me any more about my power thing. Just this consume. How am I supposed to figure it out?" Issac shoved his screen into Maple's face and she batted him away.

"You haven't been playing as much as us," Reid said, grabbing the phone from his friend's hand. He glanced over the information; it hadn't changed from the last time they checked. "So you don't have enough levels. The more you have, the more your Twilight is revealed."

"Weird." Issac snatched his phone back and stuffed it in his pocket. "But it works, right?"

Reid shrugged. "Mine took a bit."

Maple nodded. "I mean I didn't try to punch anything but I don't think it was the same."

"The longer you're with it," Kari cut in, "the more powerful it becomes. The strength of bond and understanding of your Twilight gives it power. Also the more you practice with it." She gestured towards Tim and his twirling scythe. "He's been doing nothing but grinding."

"What?" Reid checked over at Tim again, who caught his weapon and gave a sheepish wave. "How would you know?"

"Look at him." Kari blew a strand of hair from her face and spun around, taking a few steps away. "That's the look of someone who hasn't been outside."

"Busted." Tim chuckled. "Been in here playing a lot, maybe skipped a shower or two, but it's ok. I was also leveling a character in Tranquility so I took some breaks."

Reid zipped over to Tim's side, eyes wide. "What kind of build?"

"Deadeye warlock, it's some busted shit but pretty jank. When it goes off, oh baby."

"Nice."

"So nobody is helping me," Issac said. He slid up to Reid, throwing his arm over his shoulder and pulling him in tight. "Remember, we're an idiot club, two men struggling to become not losers. We can't be distracted with the allure of the game. So shut up and help me with this game."

Reid shoved him away and laughed. "Get out of here. Just try and eat something. That's what consume means, right? Eat? Consume? Same difference."

Issac looked around at the road, then into the buildings surrounding. While there was a nearby convenience store, in case they needed to escape, its shelves were barren. There were only some chunks of concrete scattered about, the result of one building crashing into another above them, embedding itself in the side and raining debris long ago.