[ Bonus Chapter 2 ] Whorier Than Thou

Long ago, worshippers crowded the temple, the beating heart of Windburg as they prayed endlessly. They cried out the name of the goddess, begging for protection against the cyclones that roamed southwards of the city.

“Arfah! Arfah!”

Hymns and chanting filled the temple halls. But those days were long gone. Now, a similar, yet slightly different cry echoed throughout:

“Ah fuck! Ah fuck!”

The pain of losing all one’s Winter Tokens. To be so close, yet so far. Gamblers come and go, but the salt-filled screams of those who lost everything stayed. Virginia was used to the hustle, bustle and kerfuffle from these goddess-forsaken grounds. Her eyes zoned out as the cylinders in the slot machine spun. She couldn’t remember how long she’s been sitting on her stool.

But she could remember Jason.

He stood out like a sore thumb. Underlevelled, poor—the only thing he had going for him was his good looks. But these types were nonexistent in Maniavolution. Outside Windburg Ⅱ, he’d be eaten alive. Did he only make it this far because of the devil?

Thus, the moment she joined the duo, there was something really important that the girls needed to iron out.

“H-Hey V! Stop pushing already…”

“Yup, this seems like a good spot,” she scanned the section where she played slots. Far in the corner of her vision, she saw Jason taking her advice, ordering a drink from the bar.

The whore and the devil stood near the restrooms. There was no such thing as peeing and pooping in the game, so this area was made purely for the aesthetic. This also meant that nobody would eavesdrop.

“Listen here, Satan. I want you to be straight with me. Honest to God—do you love Jason?”

“H-HUH?!”

It was obvious to her from a mile away. It was obvious to her from this reaction close-up. But what she needed was her mouth to come clean.

“I say again, do you love—”

“Idiot! Keep it down!”

“There’s no one here, honey.”

“Your voice is louder than my labrador!”

“Only when I’m in bed.”

With a sigh, Alice buried her face into the palms of her hands.

“I’m serious,” Virginia leaned against the wall, “If you’re not going for him, I am.”

“HARH?! He already shot you down! Bitch you’re 17!”

“For only another 2 months. Plenty of time to get the ball rolling. Thing is, need to know if there’s a goalkeeper in front of the goal…”

“Why?! You’re already sleeping with so many guys. What’s Jason to you?!”

“Exactly,” she casually checked her fingernails, a habit from real life. “What’s Jason to me? Just another tally to my body count, is all.”

“Whore. You should go and play a sex sim, not an MMO.”

“Already 100% most of ‘em anyways.”

Raising her arms, Virginia gave her back a good stretch.

“Welp, since nobody is going for him, guess I’ll go and—”

“Wait!” Alice grabbed her wrist. “I…I…”

Yaz girl! You can do it! Spell it out!

“...I love him!”

It was only after blurting it out, did she realise how loud she was. Her hands instantly covered her mouth. Her wings shrivelled and folded in shame.

Virginia started to giggle, “Hehe…oh well, looks like I’d have to lend you a hand then. Don’t worry, with me on your side, you’ll conquer Cosmolore AND Jason’s heart in no time~”

But Alice only responded with puffed cheeks and teary eyes. Absolutely mortified, if Windburg Ⅱ’s “no killing” rule didn’t extend to suicide, she’d have off herself there and then.

“Relax. Now that that’s ironed out, let’s go and—”

“Waaaah!” she ran, leaving behind puddles as two fountains erupted from her eyes.

The elf shrugged. She may be older than her, but Alice definitely felt like a newcomer in the world of love. Regardless, matchmaking the two would be a fun personal project.

Virginia may be a whore, but she adhered to the hoe code. No stealing your friend’s man. Professionals have standards, after all.

Hmm, where did Jason go?

She could’ve sworn there was someone with him drinking…