NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

"We need a few more days before your hands cool down, Match. Your fingers would be fixed in no time!" I said, after placing wet leaves on Match's hands.

After travelling for a few kilometres, we found a lake inside the forest. Up far ahead, I concluded the stream would lead to an ocean. Following that track might lead us closer to the dwarven empire, where an ocean surrounded its kingdom.

But before we could arrive at that place, we must meet first with the village, close to here. Match and I needed to walk just a few miles away before arriving in that human village.

"I'm sorry for trying out my powers, Red. I just wanted to save you. But I bring more harm than good, don't I?" Match lowered her head in embarrassment as she apologised to me.

"I couldn't get mad even if I tried. And you know that." I answered, and caressed her head. "But I can't see you get hurt."

"Neither do I!" Match interposed.

The two of us locked our eyes in the middle of our journey. Match widened her eyes and opened her mouth, telling me that Match was even shocked to express the things that ran inside her brain. It also surprised me to hear Match's words and concerns about me.

I heaved out an exhale and explained everything to Match. "Every time you use your powers, Match, you burn yourself. The stronger the flames you produce, the hotter your hand gets."

"I know. But I want to learn how to use my powers properly. I don't want to see you do all those things. There must be a way to help you! I want to help you, Red!" Match insisted, and extended her arms, acting as if someone obstructed our way.

But this scene was just Match's act to fight the players that I face. That suggestion was the entire point of Match. She wanted to help me fight against people that I clashed with along the way. The little girl thought that those were bad guys that needed saving.

And that was the idea I wanted to avoid.

This fight was my battle. Although Match lost her sister, she was just a child. Her mind did not fill her thoughts with dusk. Compared to me, who bathed me with anger and hatred. Match did not want to kill them, but to survive in this world.

My face gave away everything as Match stopped her silly act and went to me. She held my hand and pictured me with a smile. That image alone slowed the beating of my heart. It plucked the thorns pierced in my organs, as if saving me from despair.

But the wounds were too deep for that. There was no helping me to get my revenge against the game developers of this world.

Our brief break had ended as Match and I resumed walking towards the pavement. We followed the stream and counted the fish swimming in the waters. But the idea still lingered inside my head. It was continuously haunting me wherever I went.

I finally gave in with my thoughts and opened my mouth. "Do you have a second, Match?"

The little girl who was skipping stones near the lake shifted her eyes to me. Match ran in front and gave me a warm hug. I returned her gesture and shuffled her hair, as I always do.

"You gotta see this, Red! The fishes are amazing! There was this fish that got separated by its school! I was too frustrated, so I tried helping the fish. But the fish swam the other way around, against the current! Can't you believe that!" Match narrated, with her arms wiggling at each side.

She was still a naive kid who knew nothing about reality. Match never knew about freedom and revenge, and yet the story she expressed somehow hit the nail with my tale. I brushed those thoughts away from my mind and resumed asking a question to Match.

"You know we are just characters inside a game, fabricated by game developers, right?" I asked.

Match's eyes shifted from jolly to the gloomy side of her emotions. However, the little girl shook her head and changed her expression. She did not want me to see her sorrowful side. Match was never like that.

She was a strong little girl who knew the struggles of life.

"Yeah, I know. We have a system. We are inside a game called Code. The two of us have powers. And that event killed my sister." Match held her tears from falling from her eye as she continued her story. "I hate those game developers! I hate them! But I can't just change anything."

Match looked into my eyes and flashed me a smile. "Whatever happens, as long as I'm with you, I'll be a happy Match!"

She was just an innocent child. Match did not have any deeper meanings or hidden goals with her words. What Match said, she meant all of it. All she ever wanted was to live her life and die a peaceful death.

"I know how to end this game, Match. And our journey might kill you. We will meet those game developers, and you ask them anything that you want. Are you okay with that?" I asked.

It was the best line that I could ever think of to explain Match about our current condition. I did not want to exclude Match from the journey, and Match needed to know everything we were fighting for in our lives.

"Yeah! I will be so mad! But if the game developers did that for a reason, maybe I can forgive them. I hate I lost my sister! But that also led me to you, Red." Match confessed, and gave me a snuggle.

I returned her act of kindness and snuggled back into her petite body. Our bond had strengthened by tenfold. There was no way that this relationship that we had would get destroyed.

"You know, I'm also thankful that I met you, Match." I replied.

"That's why I want to protect you! You're the only one I have. If I lost you, I don't know how I would live in this world alone." Match appended, and rubbed her cheeks onto mine.

I pondered to myself that I became an overprotective sister to Match. 'Wouldn't it be better if Match could defend herself using the flames that she has?' I wondered, as I gaze into her body.

It was better than nothing. It was better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. That was what I believed. If I would push Match away from me, that would leave my heartbroken. Those holes would never fit again to live my life.

"I will try my best to teach you about your fire ability. But I can't promise you anything, Match. I know nothing about your skills. I don't even have skills!" I said, and fiddled with my blade. "Look at me! All I have is a knife!"

Match burst into laughter as she witnessed me play with my blade. She also knew that I did not have powers compared to her, but she paid her respects. That little girl even called me a teacher for training her body.

Match thank me that those exercises helped her dodge the boars that we fought a while back. If she had not known to sprint away without gasping for air, Match would have died right now. But she did not. Thanks to all the running we had been through, Match outmanoeuvred those hogs.

However, if we were up against players, the story might become different. We needed to pay attention if we planned on taking those adventurers head-on.

Match was a mage that had aptitude over fire element. She had extraordinary mana capacity compared to Wolf, Mer, and mine.

The two of us ventured into the meadows and continued exchanging words with one another. Match and I talked about things about her abilities and the vermilion eye on her left eye.

Match told me that whenever she got mad about the situation, her eyes glowed bright red. We had this conversation before. But after that incident with the boars, Match could explain every detail about the happenings.

The little girl told me that vermilion eye amplified her arcane. Match felt the surging powers of her fire skill. She could not control her body at that point, but was aware of her surroundings. It was as if Match knew how to use her powers. But her emotions got the best out of her body.

"For our first training goal, we need you to limit your fire ability. That means, we need to monitor your emotions. We also need to gauge your strength and weakness, so you won't burn yourself when you use those powers." I stated.

"Yes, Teacher Red!" Match addressed, and feverishly nodded to my words.

"But before that, we need to wait a little more time for your hands to heal."