Memoria: Searching for My Memories in the Game!
Chapter 1: “The Red Shadow”

‘Red Shadow, gentlemen. My old friend.’

"Hey, can't believe you're right here."

The greeting made a man with black hair behind the bar table draw his focused gaze from the glass he was cleaning. Now his eyes were fixed on a bespectacled man standing in front of him who a few seconds ago greeted him.

"You.." the black hair's forehead wrinkled, trying to remember the familiar person in front of him who brushed his brown hair back. "There's no way you forgot me, right?"

The bartender-clothed man's eyes enlarged instantly as if something new he remembered about him. "Zee's? Is that really you? W-wow. I can't believe you're back in this game," he wiped his hands on his uniform, hiding his movements that were initially a little jolted in shock, and then he slipped, before he finally shook hands with the man he knew by the name of Zee.

Zee pulled the chair in front of him and before he sat down he said, "I know you won't forget me, Sean. You're the best promise-holding guy I've ever known, aren't you?" Zee slightly smiled but the look in the eye behind the glasses looked sharp, making Sean gulp.

"Y-yes. You're right haha!" He replied, taking the glass back and wiping it with a washcloth to hide his hands that were slightly shaking.

Zee opened the floating panel in front of him, after two and three panels opened, he turned the panel around and showed it to Sean without saying anything.

Sean stopped rubbing the glass in front of him, his gaze shifting from Zee's eyes towards the panel that Zee showed. He approached to see it more clearly, but before he finished reading, Zee closed the panel because he knew Sean knew the rest of the message.

Zee held his hands together and propped up his chin between the two, watching Sean think hard while avoiding his gaze. "So? Are you going—"

"Listen, Zee," Sean cut off Zee's words with his head bowed. "I know why you're here. But I have to be honest with you. I'm really poor now. I don't even know what else to pay people in this game. I ran out of money in the game world and the real world. Now all I can do is. yeah, you know," he slightly raised both arms, hinting at Zee that he was now working as a bartender when it was clear from the start.

Zee inspected Sean from toe to head, rubbed his chin and laughed, "Ha. Side mission? Depressing. Are you sure there's nothing else you can do?"

"What can—"

BRUGH

The sound of the table accidentally caused by a man who suddenly dropped himself on top of it made the two men surprised.

"One... Mmmgh, another one." said the man with a slight moaning. His navy hair covered his entire face, the scent of alcohol attached to his entire body, making Zee slightly wrinkle his nose.

"Hik! Come on, give me one more!" His words were now in an annoyed tone when Sean was just looking at him strangely.

"I don't think you can drink anymore. You're pat, man," said Zee, arriving, while Sean still had a strained shoulder, the result of a conversation he had with Zee before.

"Hey, what do you mean? It's an open bar, I can do whatever I want. Hick! I'm not stealing or robbing anything, am I?" That response made Zee cross her arms in front of her chest. Dejection appeared on his face, but the one being stared at was just grinning like a horse.

"I'm Chris. Hick! I just got back to this game. I buy you a drink today, " Chris looks back at Sean who is still standing like a fool. "Hey, didn't you hear what I said?"

"I won't be long—"

"Come, man. If you're not here for a drink, then what?"

The statement made Zee's lower jaw look tense as he slightly gritted his teeth. Chris could only smile with one of his eyes peeking out from the curtain of his navy hair.

Zee's gaze moved on Sean, he slightly tilted his head to the left before Sean finally understood and rushed to prepare a drink for the two of them.

"Hey, you," now Chris's arm is holding Zee's shoulder, as if he's very close to her. Zee tried to rebel, but he did not want to start a fight just because of this little thing and he gave up with a sigh. "Do you know that woman?" ask Chris in a loud voice.

Zee, with his glasses now slightly tilted, replied, "What? Who?" with the color of the sounding sound was not at all interested.

"Yes you know," said Chris, laughing a little, "The strongest player of the strongest. We don't even know if he was made by the system or just a regular player" he added with a hiccup at the end of his sentence.

Both of Zee's eyebrows furrowed, but his eyes remained focused on Sean, as if he could blur out at any moment if he took his eyes off him for a moment. "What is he really strong?" zee's Response.

"You'll regret meeting him. He could split the boss with just a single slash. When we were busy getting ready, he came back and wiped the blood on his sword, and you know? Even dia—"

Chris' words were cut off by Zee's laugh, he finally broke out of Chris' arms and said, "You, and whoever said that was just a fool who lost to a woman. Just face it fierce when you pick at the beginning of the tutorial, while you let the lady one step ahead of you, pathetic." He shook his head while laughing.

"You're talking about Red Shadow?" Sean came in with two beers laid out in front of the two men in front of him. "It's been a lot of talk lately" he added. But Zee seemed to be inspecting Sean because either he was really interested in this conversation or was just stalling for time to get out of the initial problem that was still not finished.

"But I don't really believe her whereabouts" he added, responding to Zee's raised eyebrows, hinting that he asked 'Right?'

Sean shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yes, because I haven't seen him in person. It's hard to believe things you've never seen."

A slight sound of laughter rang out again from Zee, "Hey, you're talking as if he's God. Can't be trusted."

Chris kicked the table in front of him, startling the two men next to him for the second time. But the two drinks in front of him survived. He raised his tone as he stood up and shouted, "But he could be God in this game! Isn't he?!"

Zee pulls the end of Chris's sleeve back to sit down, as his actions get people's attention on him.

After he sat down, he again added, "Do you know what, goddess? Since the legend said he had red eyes that could control everyone's shadow," he now spoke with a slight whisper, the two men in front of him slightly approached to listen. "And before you know it, your consciousness slowly disappears, along with your body that you cannot move because it has taken away your shadow. Some have even said that your account he has taken wholeny—"

"Ha. Bla blah blah," Zee waved her left hand, stopping Chris' speech in front of her. "You're exaggerating too much" he said as he raised a beer glass in front of him. When the glass slightly touched Zee's lips, a faint smile appeared in Sean's mouth. But before the beer kissed Zee's lips, he stopped and said, "Oh yeah. What if I told you I was with that woman right now?"

"Huh?"

"What?"

The two looked at Zee who was throwing a playful smile. "Good joke," Sean laughed nervously. "No way Ia—"

The extra sentence is not finished. Sean's eyes widened to see the presence of someone in the doorway which also made the frenzy of the room slowly become quiet.

He's standing right there. The woman who had been the topic of their conversation.

The same tall posture as with the story, the jet-black hair color that reached his back and one more thing that stunned everyone. The ruby red eye color is unique that has never been found before in any player.

Zee sounded a little laugh, but he covered her with one hand. While the people are still rushing around looking for the truth about him.

"Is that really him?"

"Right, just look at her looks."

"No way!!"

"Geez, so the rumor's true?"

"Where? Whereabouts? I can't see it!"

Slowly he lifted his head, combed his hair back, and confirmed his standing position. When his face looks clearer, both cheeks now look red. Ruby eyes that previously seemed firm and sharp, now turned into a rather stark look. Everyone in the room was still paying attention to her, especially the ruby's eye color. Slowly he returned to combing the room with his eyes, then he tilted his head when he found what he had been looking for all this time.

A sweet smile was painted on her lips as she said, "That's what you look like."

The woman almost bumped into someone as she walked in, Zee sighed and whispered, "Tell her how many times to stop drinking, my gosh."

Sean's mouth opened wide as the woman slowly walked closer to the beer table where he was standing at the time. Zee slightly massaged his forehead, while Chris, now 100% aware of his drunkenness, whispered, "Lord, am I dreaming?"

Zee smiled as he said, "Yes, this is the God you talked about earlier."

"Hi, Zee—" said the woman cheerfully as she almost reached Zee's seat. But he slipped a little and Chris caught his body. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then the woman flashed a smile at him before Zee finally pulled the woman's arm away from Chris.

"Red Shadow, gentlemen. My old friend," said Zee proudly introducing the woman.

"He's..."

"Slightly drunk. Is correct. But he's right as you say. Hmmm what was that? Control the shadow of people? Kill you easily?" Zee chuckled, while the talker could only tilt his head, his eyes blank.

Sean shook his head in disbelief, then said, "Then what? You pulled Red Shadow to collect a debt? That's right." He added a laugh at the end of his sentence.

"He's even too small to—"

The woman suddenly pulled Sean's collar, raised one leg to step on the chair in front of him and leaned his body onto the table. For the umpteenth time, Sean's eyes opened wide as he felt the coldness of the dagger on his neck.

"Maybe I'm a little unconscious. But I still remember your promise to my friend Zee, Mr. Bartender."

Whispers that can only be heard by Sean and ruby eyes that seemed to penetrate Sean's eyes make him unable to move. Slowly Sean closed his eyes, all the details of the story that had been said and that he had heard about this woman suddenly appeared inside his head.

Red eyes. The shadow that is bound is then fully controlled. Accounts that never recover.

Sean gulped.

"Enough. You scared her. Remember what I said about scaring people, hm?" Zee's calm voice broke the tension back then. He pulled the woman's arm until she sat down next to Zee.

"You remember, right? Player killing is now legal," said the woman with a big smile until her eyes closed.

Sean rubbed his sweaty forehead, trying to calm himself while laughing nervously, "Ahaha, Zee. Uh.. remember that promise? I-I think I have the money now. I was just kidding you a little bit earlier haha."

He opens the panel immediately, while Zee pretends to be surprised by it. But the woman sitting in the middle looked like she was holding back a laugh. But Sean was too scared to notice.

"It's good, I know you're a real man who keeps his word" Zee said loudly.

"Y-yeah you're right! Just take all the money, and leave me alone, Zee. Please, don't deal with me again d-and—"

Sean gasped in shock as the familiar dagger was ejected past the side of his head, cutting off a bit of his black hair. It also made the blood bar panel itself suddenly appear with a little less blood.

The woman's face was slightly surprised with one hand closing her mouth, "Ah, sorry. Missed," then he chuckled, which made Sean shake violently.

"I-I have to go!"

And he disappeared in place.

...****************...

“I think he teleported not too far from here,” said the black-haired woman known as Red Shadow earlier as she walked in front of two men who followed her from behind. They are now walking down narrow alleys far from the crowd.

“Stupid time, I don't care. We already got what we need,” Zee replied with a flying panel following in front of him. When he clicked on some of the features that appeared, his brown hair turned into a jet black color with a slight palette of white in it. He opened the glasses he used, along with changing the color of his eyes into silver. The silver eye glanced at the girl in front of him whose hair color had now changed to its original color, Lavender.

The girl turned around and smiled.

“I think that was too easy, Davis."

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Notes:

- Panel: Each player in the game can open their menu in any way they want and have their own set, starting from two fingers, only index, etc. From the player menu can access storage, chat, and so forth.

blood Bar: A small bar that appears next to the head, appearing only when each player's blood is reduced or increased

- Jobs: In this game, the player can be a bartender, shopkeeper, etc. It usually replaced the NPCs when they had to do their other duties, in exchange for money.

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