NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

Since Match could use her fire magic, she conjured a faint blue light on her fingertips. This flame served as our light for the time being in this darkened room.

The library also expanded, making more room for us to find the missing books. It was like from before when we found all the books and placed them on the board.

But now that the place enlarged itself, Match and I needed to think this through. We need to use our time with utmost proficiency, or we could end up nowhere in this place.

And that was what the two of us did.

"What books do we need right now?" I asked.

"Since we had unlocked two riddles, we should have five options to choose from. We already used the books hill, mountain, star, fire, light, and star. I think we don't have to worry about it. But we still need to keep our eyes peeled for anything, especially the third riddle," Match replied.

She told me to open my system and read the next riddle. The quicker we could finish it, the better.

I did what Match instructed and slid the monitor open. Just like before, the screen emerged after pressing a button on the box. After a few seconds, the system announced that we unlocked the two riddles.

We had two more riddles to go before meeting with the dwarves. Considering the increasing difficulty of these questions, Match and I might face something brain-shaking to these riddles.

I could only hope that we would know answering the following questions.

[Third Riddle]

[What is always in front of you but can't be seen?]

Much to our surprise, the third riddle had a short sentence. It did not have any meticulous things included that would juggle our minds. However, this brief description only meant that the two of us lacked words to place the pieces together.

"Well, this riddle definitely doesn't have the answers I've mentioned before. We only have five options to choose from, including past, present, future, time, and word," Match explained, while browsing her eyes at the towering shelves surrounding us. "Those books must be hiding from those shelves. We don't need to find the other five books, since we have no use for them."

"Gotcha."

After our exchange, we parted ways and began our search. I took the upstairs while Match searched for the first floor.

Match also told me to monitor any books peeking from the racks. She also added that might not be the case for this riddle. Since the cavern increased its difficulty, the books that we saw from before had a different location.

But there are few incidents where this happened. Match called for me from upstairs and presented that explanation.

"I found a book, but I doubt that this is the answer. What we need to find right now are the three books: past, present, future. Among those three words are the answers to the riddle."

After the brief explanation, the two of us returned to our post and resumed our search once more. The detailed clarifications of Match really helped me find the books on these countless bookshelves.

I already found one peering through the rest of the volumes. But as Match had told me, we only need to find the five words. The rest of the books would become useless even if we found them from the book stack.

"Hmm… fire. Not the book we're looking for," I murmured, and placed the volume on the ground.

Some books had other foreign words that I did not understand. Those volumes include electricity, plastic, Chrono, quantum, and more. However, we already knew the words that we knew. Match and I just needed to find those before the players could reach this place.

We had a time limit of opening the entrance towards the dwarven kingdom. But now that I realised it, we did not have the means of telling time.

Unfortunately, as it was, I brushed those thoughts away and recommenced looking for the volume once again. I scanned the area and tried looking for the books one by one. However, as time passed by, the books that I needed to have did not appear in front of my eyes.

Although I barely covered half of the area, the five words that I must have never reached my hands.

I took a brief break and gazed below, watching Match work and looking for these volumes. As soon as I caught her eye, Match waved her hands at me and raised a book. The word "past" appeared on the front cover, telling me that the girl already found one of the four missing books.

"You found one! Good job!" I shouted, while flashing her a grin.

Match returned my smile and answered, "Of course I found one! Now, onto the next book!"

Upon seeing Match's resolve, I pounded my chest, inhaled the fresh scent of the books, and returned to my position. I also shook my head for good measure, hoping that would shuffle my anxiety out of my brain.

If the little girl could do this much, I must not fall behind!

After steeling my heart, my eyes resumed hunting down that book. Those burning flames of passion kindled my heart, telling me to exceed my expectations. After countless minutes passing through the clock, my eyes glimpsed at the oddly placed book.

I reached out for the volume and widened my eyes. My breath turned intense, excited to tell Match about the efforts I exerted.

After pinpointing the place from where I had left, I rushed downstairs. I could not wait anymore to tell Match about my findings.

But as soon as I stepped foot on the first floor, Match had her head lying on the table, with her arms used as a make-shift pillow. She was sleeping like a log without a care for the world. Even though my footsteps made squeaking sounds, the little girl refused to wake up as Match succumbed to her sleep.

Her image told me everything I needed to know. From all the adventurers we had experienced, Match felt useless and dependent. I was always there to save her, but she could not save herself when danger came.

Since I found her alone in the forest, all Match could think of was her inevitable doom. But upon receiving shelter from my arms, that girl realised that there was more to this world.

Despite the unjust world we lived in, she refused to kill players. Match did not have the resolve that scarred my heart. That little girl never sought revenge from the game developers.

"As long as I have you, I want to live." Those were the words Match told me inside the inn.

All she wanted was to stay beside me, regardless of the situation. Although Match had an arduous time accepting the killings that I did, she still flashed me a smile. That girl even killed some players along the way to rescue me from those hovering bullets.

It had only been a month, and yet we already found a home. It was not this library, the shacks, or the cavern that Kouran made for the rogue non-player characters.

As long as we're together, our lives will become our home.

As I pondered these thoughts, Match let out a whispering groan, telling me she felt uncomfortable in her sleep. My eyes drooped down while I offered my hand for her to snuggle. The little Match took my effort and made my hand her personal pillow.

Match even drooled my hand with her sticky saliva as she snored a blaring snore.

"You're so adorable, Match," I whispered, but the girl never heard me.

If Match heard me, she would let out a tantrum, retorting to the word adorable… I think. Well, at other times, she loved it when I called her that. I could only imagine her expressions as I told her different things before reaching the library.

Instead of the wild imaginations I thought of, Match crept closer to me and used my shoulders as an enlarged pillow. I could not decline her offer and presented my other half to the little girl.

"That reminds me about something… When was the last time we slept together? We rested for a short while in the village, but I don't consider that as a sound sleep…," I thought, while staring at the still figure of Match.

We were always on the run, even in that village. Considering my declining trust for the people we meet, I always wake up after a couple of minutes to check my environment. Although Match slept for a few minutes, my body was still half-awake.

I nudged my shoulders and positioned myself where I could also lean my head to Match. After a few seconds of shuffling our bodies, I found the perfect spot where we could tilt each other's heads and sleep for the time being.

Since the place did not have any monsters that would attack us, I let my body become vulnerable and shared a peaceful night… or day with Match.