The Newbie Is Too Strong's
220. Friend Who Has Been No
[POV Malek]
“No! No, it's a lie! Leon couldn't have died! He must be alive! Leon!”
I suddenly woke up from my sleep. When I felt my whole body, I was filled with sweat. I haven't dreamed of these bad memories in a long time.
The memory where instead of the proud achievements he brought home after entering the Hero Academy, it was precisely Leon's corpse in a very tragic condition that returned.
How sad I am about his death. For me, Leon has been like my own family ever since we both left the parlour to make a living on the e-sport road since the White Star Club discovered our talent.
Slowly, as time went on, I began to be able to make the departure of my best friend. But for some reason these days, the nightmare is coming back.
Is this a sign that Leon in nature is angry with me for slowly forgetting him?
No, it's not possible. If it was Leon, I'm sure he'd be smiling while joking, “Ah, Man. It would be disgusting to me if there was a man who thought of me to his entirety.” Then maybe he will continue his arguments like saying, “Why are you worried about me? Live happily alone there.”
That's Leon. He was a youth who slenge’an, but beyond that he really was a good-hearted youth. He is my precious friend.
“Hiks... Hiks..”.
Unknowingly, tears washed my cheeks. I miss my best friend.
If that day I could have prevented his departure to the Hero Academy, none of this would have happened and my best friend would have lived to this day.
Seven years ago when we were 15 years old, Leon and I both entered the White Star Club. With my talent as an ice swordsman and his talent as a fire swordsman, we are invincible. We were able to win national competitions easily and then take our team all the way to the international level.
Well, even at that international level, our team can only survive until the last 16, but I think it's already a pretty proud achievement. Moreover, both Leon and I can be selected as 32 players who can participate in individual competitions among hundreds of players at the time.
A bad start happened to us when the offer came to both of us.
It was an offer to enter an academy called the Hero Academy.
Leon and I initially laughed at the absurd offer especially when they told him that the job of the Hero Academy graduate was to deal with the monsters that stormed from the dimensional gap.
Of course I'll laugh hearing it. Where maybe something as absurd as monsters as in the game or manga really exist in this real world. Although there is a kind of rumor that has developed in the community that around the year 2053 – 2059, the world has been attacked by monsters, well it must be a perverse myth since no one is able to clarify the truth.
But in that instant, my memory seemed twisted. The memory I could not remember was reopened. It was a memory where Leon and I were once attacked by monsters coming from a dimensional gap like the ones suspicious people just told me about.
I immediately gripped the collar of the suspicious men in anger at the thought that all the strange memories in my mind were the fruit of their actions.
However, their answer was so unexpected, that,
“That was first indeed your memory. But for the reason of not making the general public panic, we erased the memories of all the eyewitnesses who had seen the monsters, including the memories of the two of you. What we are doing right now, is just recovering your erased memories.”
Instantly all my body shivered in fear.
I, who no longer wanted to recall that traumatic memory, of course, refused the offer to enter the academy. How could they casually train and order innocent young people like us to eliminate such dangerous monsters?! I also cursed in my heart.
But different from my decision, Leon accepted their offer.
“Leon, stop! Monsters are dangerous! How are people like us able to deal with such terrible things.”
“Isn't that why the academy was held, Malik? So that we can train ourselves to become stronger in order to be able to face off against the monsters that threaten the peace of the world.”
I can't argue with Leon's words. What he said was right. Instead, I was the coward who crawled under the covers knowing the dark reality behind the truth of the world. I was too afraid to move forward to fight.
Be, I let go of Leon at that time.
How I regretted my decision at the time. Had I banned him from going any harder, it was possible that Leon would have completely canceled his intention of going to that academy. If so, he would certainly never have been involved in a monster accident there that ultimately claimed his life.
No, it's wrong. Basically, I was the one who was wrong for being too cowardly. If only I had been a little more emboldened and accepted the offer to be a student at the academy, maybe I can help Leon there and protect him from the danger of a monster attack so that he won't have to be one of the victims who died tragically like that.
The new me after losing my best friend, regretted all the cowardly decisions I made in the past. But it's all too late. Leon is no more in this world.
I also began to practice my skills in the game after knowing the synchronization effect that is able to bring your power in the game to the real world.
After training by exerting all my sweat and blood, I finally managed to reach to the current point where I was able to properly apply my in-game fighting prowess to the real world.
I also began to search for information about the existence of monsters that came from that dimensional gap. But no matter how I looked for it, I was unable to get any leads until now.
It seemed that the government organization working in that field had actually covered up every single incident involving the monsters that existed so well and dealt with it even before the surrounding citizens at the scene realized that it had been there are monsters in their neighborhood.
‘If so, why didn't you guys come earlier before me and Leon could recognize the existence of those monsters?!’
How angry I was when I remembered that event. I certainly don't blame them because it was thanks to them that Leon and I were able to survive that time from the grip of the monsters.
It's just that if only they could have come earlier and prevented us from seeing the monster, maybe Leon will not be affected by the incident which became the beginning for him to walk towards the path of his tragic death.
I know that it's useless to blame things that have already happened. However, the pain in my heart about those monsters taking Leon from my side will never be forgiven. I will definitely grow stronger and find a way to eradicate each and every one of them.
Oh yeah, speaking of the first time that Leon and I met those monsters, if not mistaken it coincided on the night where our debut match was both held.
Leon took me around to a traditional market in which there is a barnet old enough to attract attention. After returning home from the cafe, we were involved in the problem of dimensional cracks and monsters.
If not wrong at that time, there was a 10-year-old girl who followed us secretly after witnessing our debut performance at a professional e-sport vrmmorpg match who ended up getting involved in the monster mess there. And that girl is Nina. Come to think of it, maybe that's where the start where me and Nina got close.
After I thought about it, thank God, Nina did not have to remember the traumatic incident and has now become a popular streamer. I hope that Nina will never remember that incident again and can continue to live happily ever after without knowing the truth.