Desolate World

Actually, Ace thought it was creepy. Listening to Cloud talking with the ghost gave him goosebumps. Knowing something was there, but you couldn't see or hear it made Ace really insecure.

It seemed Geo also felt the same. His son started to clutched his clothes with his trembling hand. He seemed to want to appear strong by not asking for a hug, but Ace knew he was struggling inside.

Ace could only pat his head to tell him that he was not alone. Ace wanted to protect his son's confidence that had blossomed since he played the game. Ace thought it was a good thing for Geo's mental growth.

"Nila, Why are you here?" Ace then heard Cloud ask the ghost.

Ace then saw Cloud's shoulders trembled. It seemed what she had heard shocked her.

Ace was curious about what she had heard. But, it was impossible to ask her at the moment.

"Poor girl. I'm really sorry to hear that. May I know how to help you?" Cloud then asked the ghost.

Cloud then nodded a few times, as she seemed to be told something by the ghost.

"Okay, we will try it. I will talk to my family first, okay? I need their help to do it, " Cloud said.

Ace then saw Cloud turn her head. He looked at Ace, "Ace please dig the ground beside this tree!"

In Ace's mind, a possibility emerged, 'Are the ghost's remnants buried there?'

Ace nodded. He then took a branch not too far from him and used it to dig the ground. It appeared that the ground was dug not too long as it was quite easy for Ace to dig it.

"I want to help too," Geo took another branch and used it to help Ace dig the ground. Ace allowed him with a nod. Ace was quite proud of his son. Having a sensible kid was always a source of happiness for a parent. Ace was gratified Geo became more sensible as he played the game.

If it was in the real world, they would be tired after digging a meter deep soil with inappropriate tools such as tree branches. However, because their strength stats always improved when their levels increased —although not much— they had been stronger than normal villagers who had low levels.

It took more than 30 minutes for them to dig a two meters hole. If they had appropriate tools such as shovels, it would be much faster and easier. Then, Geo's branch seemed to touch something, it revealed a gray cloth. 

"Dad, I think I found something," Geo said. 

Ace stopped digging. He looked at the spot Geo had been digging. He indeed saw the cloth. He thought for a moment and then said, "Geo, I can do it by myself. You should get out of the hole."

Geo showed a reluctance in his expression, but looking at his father's serious face, he nodded and jumped out the hole.

In Ace's opinion, Geo was too young to see whatever was covered by the cloth. It could be bones, or worse, a rotten body. He didn't want his son to have a traumatic experience by seeing it.

Ace then got rid of the soil around it and opened it a little. As he had thought, the cloth that seemed to be a blanket covered the body of a girl. Ace wasn't comfortable doing it, as he felt he had done something inappropriate by digging a grave.

"Have you found it?" Cloud asked from outside. 

Ace took a breath and said, "Yes. So, what should I do?"

Ace waited for a moment to get Cloud's answer, "You can go out. Let me do it myself."

Ace exhaled a long breath. He really didn't want to do anything with the body. He then jumped out of the hole. Cloud and Geo had waited for him outside. With a serious expression Cloud then said, "Thank you. It's my turn."

Cloud then climbed down the hole and opened the cloth. She then took something from it and closed the cloth again. After that, Ace saw the body disappear out of thin air. Ace knew that Cloud saved it in her inventory.

After getting out of the hole, Cloud said, "You can put in the soil like before. We are done here. And after that, I will tell you the poor girl's story."

*** 

After putting the soil back to the hole, they left the place. Cloud then showed Ace and Geo a ring that was made from copper.

The ring was the personal belonging of the ghost girl. However, Cloud then clarified the term. The girl was a spirit, not a ghost. 

Ace didn't know what was the difference between ghost and spirit. For him, it was the same. But, he didn't want to interrupt Cloud's story.

The girl's name was Nila. She had a similar fate with Adrian. She and her family were forced by the Greendale city government to reinforce Iron Gate Fortress.

She only had a twin sister and a father at the time. Her sister's name was Mila and her father's name was Adam. The rest of her family were slain by the Orcs when their town was attacked. 

Like Adrian, they were placed outside the fortress wall. It meant they didn't have any barrier with the undead army. And the battle confirmed it. The militias and their families were put directly in front of the undead army. The final result wasn't different from Adrian's version. 

However, Adam's fate was worse than Adrian. He was placed at the forefront of the formation. So, after the two armies clashed, Adam's fate was doomed to be terrible. In fact, Nila herself didn't know if his father died or fled from the battlefield. She didn't get any news about her father after that.

She and her sister then fled to the Misty Forest with hundreds of other refugees. Because their number was relatively bigger than the rest, hundreds of skeleton soldiers and vampires chased after them. Fortunately, there was a really strong man among them. He slew dozens of skeletons with his big war axe. His name was Noah.

He led the men of the refugees to confront the skeletons in the forest and succeeded in defeating them. But the vampires were another story. Because they could fly, no one could stop them from kidnapping some refugees.

***