I look at her abashed, my face now as white as a ghost, as I immediately stood up with my hands up in surrender!
"Hold on, I don't even know what you're talking about! Please don't kill me! I thought that any beauty would just accept the proposal and—" I try to defend myself, but my explanation is cut short as she bridges our distance and points the sword close to my throat!
This is nuts! This might have been a virtual game, a mere fantasy...but the sensations, and what I feel...almost seem way too real!
I could understand that one wrong word I say...will end with my head rolling off the floor!
She comes to me closer: the tip of her sword brandishing close to my throat. It's an offensive stance, and her infuriated blood-colored eyes only intensify the situation I'm placed in!
It's not even a silly harem-based game at this point; it's a trial to defend yourself from death!
"Ignorant scum," She replies, seemingly unimpressed by my words.
Does she really think it's an excuse?!
But...I've been nothing but honest!
However...I don't think my sincerity gets through to her since her response was to pierce the sword a "little" bit closer to my neck.
And, what does it cost?
Just a "little" bit of blood seeping down my throat!
"Don't you men ever have any sense of decency? Or are all of you men nothing but debaucherous and lecherous monsters who do whatever you despite dealing with a figure of authority?" She scoffs, her eyes trailing the crowd that has assembled from...whatever just happened minutes ago. "It seems like I will have to make another example out of you in front of all the other scoundrels that gathered."
Immediately, my heart drops, as the implications of her words only mean one thing...damnit, just how many of these players in the game are assholes enough to anger a beauty from some VR game!
You can't even tell me that this scenario and behavior were meant to be a one-time thing if you bump into this specific beauty!
"W-wait, please reconsider..." I beg her, trying to move backward, but her strong aura only makes me cower in fear as I'm stuck in place. "I...I'm new to this place and I...I only have a beginner ring!" I answer, info-dumping as much as I can right now.
"B-besides, I don't even have any wife anywhere so...please! Let me go! I'll be a good player from now on!" I say earnestly as I squeak and tremble upon the sticky situation I'm dealing with.
I don't care if it makes me seem like a coward or a weak man, what good will pride do if you're dead and build up a bad reputation from the get-go?!
And thankfully, my words seem to be working...or at least I think so.
She stays silent for a little while, squinting her eyes as she scrutinizes my appearance. I had beginner clothes: unsoiled with neither blood nor dirt, and I still had the crude ring on my hands, making up for the perfect evidence that excuses my naivety.
Thus, she backs her sword away from me. But not too much for comfort. Yet neither too close that it would cause a bleeding neck either.
"A...beginner? Someone wet behind the ears?" She asks, looking me up and down with a sense of uncertainty.
"You're new to this area?" She follows up her earlier question, maintaining a tone of hostility, albeit with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "Without...any knowledge of who the guardian of this sacred place is?" She asks again, pointing out my naivety to the situation in here, which, granted, I am clueless about.
"Yes...I just started today. I'm sorry! I won't bother you any longer, I only intended on marrying any girl that they could become my wife...and you looked beautiful, so I proposed to you..."
I answer sincerely, not having any ounce of shame when I talk to her. It's better to be honest and say anything than keep secrets.
What good will keeping secrets from a hostile beauty like her do?
Nothing! Nada!
She scoffs as she moves a healthy distance away from me, showing an expression that anyone would give when they see a disobedient dog that they have to unfortunately take care of.
"I am the guardian of Catelia, Rosylviana Edensfield." She introduces herself— tone sharp, but with a maganimous intent. "I will forgive your kind for never being bereft of their lecherous inhibitions this one time, but there will be no next time," she says with distaste. "If you plan to propose, then do so following the rules I've set from the beginning."
...and for a second, I am unable to understand or make out what kind of expression she just had on her face.
She looked angry as if she wanted to do something about the problems in front of her.
Which is me. I'm the problem. That much is granted.
But then again, she also looked...resigned, just as any person would when they found out that there's nothing they can do with the misfortune in front of them.
So...why? Why does she...
"Remember your lesson, arrogant fool," She says her final words, turning back on her shoulder and leaving behind a piercing glare specifically aimed at me.
Which...makes the whole situation so odd.
I don't think I've incited anything that could cause her to look at me like that.
But...I wonder if deep inside I have.
However, it doesn't matter now!
I'm free! She's too far away for me to feel fear now!
Being able to withstand my fear now...I touch my chest in deep relief as I can feel my heartbeat calming down at a noticeable rate.
However, there were still eyes on me from all around.
Although most of the crowd had dispersed immediately after her departure, a few derogatory chuckles, laughs, and comments were made in front of me.
Especially so when they reminded me of my current predicament: clueless player syndrome.
"BAHAHAHAH! You're such an idiot! A new player who doesn't even know who Rosvyliana is? HAHAHA, keep dreaming! Only a fool would marry a woman as hardheaded as her!" One remarked specifically to me.
I couldn't say anything at all and was just stuck in place.
"He seriously doesn't even know her conditions of marriage, and he dares to be so bold? Clearly, he doesn't have good reading comprehension to read the guides online...damn, what a loser!" Another one said to the other guy beside him.
"But still, don't you think it's unfortunate that you can't marry her? She's an ominous tier beauty! Just one tier below the most sought-after rarity! Besides, she's the only ominous tier that's currently available in the game!" The guy beside him complained.
Even then, I still couldn't react or do anything.
They're speaking in riddles...what the heck is an ominous rank? First of all, I've heard of the slate ranked, but...ominous rank?
"It's just like those gacha games, bro, even if an item is good, if the condition to use it is trash, then it's trash! Nothing we can do about it! Not like any other beauty is incomparable to her beauty! She's a 3.2/10 if I were to rate her looks and proportions! Not worth it to give up an entire harem for her!" Another one boldly states as he sneers at the two guys discussing her.
Yet, undoubtedly, even til then...I still couldn't move.
"Dang, he's such a statue," one of them pities.
"Probably his first rejection, lol. Leave the poor dude alone," another replies, trying to make light of the situation.
So I try to speak— try to say something.
"Sorry, I..." I try to say, but am rendered speechless by the pair of eyes that pierce right through me.
Coupled with some of the men left judging me...I'm reminded of a situation back in my high school years.
And as always, I've done the same thing I did when I was placed in such a situation.
I ran.
Specifically, I ran to the ray of light with flushed cheeks, and embarrassment filled all over my body.
Playing this game is a mistake.
I've logged out and am back to square one.
Do I even want to— no, I still have to think positively. It's just a rare one-time coincidence that the beauty I met is quite...popular in the game, although I'm not too sure if it was in a good light.
The information I've gathered is that one, she's an ominous tier that can be easily married to.
But how?
Doesn't that contradict her fierce personality towards the players?
Second, she has conditions for marriage, and apparently, they're not worth it to pursue.
But why?
It shouldn't be that bad if she's actually "easily accessible" as the players said.
Finally, third...is that I might as well go to the forums and learn as much about the game before proceeding to play it.
This time, I shouldn't skip any of the official tutorial guides from the company...
I need to catch up on the news and updates from the forums; otherwise, how will I make money if I don't even know what's going on in that world?
It would be dumb to rely on just intuition without the proper business acumen.
Information is a powerful tool, and it can't be gained from exploring that world without at least understanding the basics.
Luckily for me, I can make use of that information in really strategic ways.
I know! It's ironic, yes, but I'm not actually this clumsy in dealing with my affairs!
Besides! I bet that the first time a man, without a proper social life, has ever walked into a world full of beauties would only become a fool!
If anything...I just got the short end of the stick with my awful luck and found myself in two horrible situations...