Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare-Chapter 27: First Mission

While the tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife, the man with the apple suddenly burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking as he tossed the half-eaten fruit in the air and caught it effortlessly. "You should’ve seen your faces," he chuckled, nudging his partner, who also broke into a low, amused laugh.

Jason exhaled sharply, shaking his head as if he should have seen this coming, while Marcus, on the other hand, was visibly fuming. His face twisted into a scowl as he slammed his fist on the wooden counter beside him. "Are you fucking kidding me? You think this is funny?" he barked, his temper flaring. "We thought we were about to throw down, and you two assholes were just playing?"

The man with the apple shrugged, still grinning as he took another slow, deliberate bite. "Relax, kid. It’s just a little fun. Gotta know who can handle the pressure, y’know?"

Liam inhaled deeply, forcing himself to ease the tension coiling in his muscles. He wasn’t fully convinced that this was all just a joke, but he knew better than to let emotions cloud his judgment. This was their first time at the guild, and picking unnecessary fights wouldn’t do them any favors. Still, he wasn’t about to let his guard down completely. He exchanged a glance with Sophia and Eleanor, who both looked relieved that things hadn’t escalated further.

The second man, the quieter of the two, leaned against the counter and finally spoke. "So, you guys looking to earn some money by taking on missions?"

Liam met his gaze directly, his expression unreadable. "Yeah," he answered simply.

The man gestured lazily toward the far side of the room, where several large wooden boards were pinned with numerous sheets of parchment. "Well, go over there. Check out the missions on those boards. The rewards are listed, too. Take your pick."

Liam studied the man for a brief moment before nodding. "Hmmm." Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode toward the boards, his team following close behind.

As they walked, Marcus muttered under his breath, still visibly annoyed. "Bastards. If they wanted to test us, they could’ve just asked us to arm wrestle or something."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Right, because nothing proves strength like an arm-wrestling match, Marcus."

"Damn right," Marcus huffed, crossing his arms.

Jason ignored them, his eyes already scanning the various missions plastered on the boards. "Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here..." he murmured.

Liam stood before the mission board, his eyes darting over the different options. There were jobs ranging from basic delivery errands to high-risk bounty hunts. It was clear that the more dangerous the mission, the greater the reward.

Eleanor tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We should pick something balanced—not too easy but not suicidal either. We still need to gauge our current strength in this world."

Liam nodded in agreement. "Let’s pick carefully, then. We need to get stronger, but we can’t afford to be reckless."

Marcus cracked his knuckles. "I say we go big. No guts, no glory."

Sophia sighed. "Yeah, well, let’s not get killed for some glory, alright?"

Liam smirked faintly, then focused on the mission board again.

Liam and the others stood before the large mission board, scanning through the various tasks pinned across it. Some were too easy, basic delivery jobs or escort missions that wouldn’t do much to help them level up. Others were outright suicidal—hunting down high-ranked creatures that would tear them apart before they even got a chance to fight back. They needed something in between.

"Here," Eleanor said, pointing to a parchment that looked promising. "This one. A farm owner is having trouble with flying beasts attacking his sheep. They’ve been causing trouble for days, and no one’s taken care of it yet."

Liam reached out and grabbed the mission paper, reading through the details. "Doesn’t say what kind of flying beasts," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "But intermediate-ranked creatures? Should be something we can handle."

"We hope," Jason added, crossing his arms.

Marcus groaned dramatically. "Flying beasts? Seriously? I fucking hate anything that flies. You can’t even punch them properly!"

Sophia rolled her eyes. "No one’s asking you to punch them, dumbass."

"Tch." Marcus crossed his arms. "I still don’t like it."

Liam ignored Marcus’s whining and turned back toward the apple-eating man. He walked over and slapped the mission paper onto the counter. "Alright, man. We chose this one."

The man took the parchment and glanced at it. He nodded lazily, chewing on his apple. "Not bad. Should be manageable for a bunch of rookies. Alright, listen up." He set his apple down on the table. "The farm owner already paid in advance. The total reward is 60 bronze coins. Standard guild cut is 20 percent. You complete the mission, you get 48 coins. That fair?"

Liam nodded. "Sounds fair."

"Good." The man pulled out a small stack of wooden badges and tossed them on the table. "You’ll need to register before taking official missions. These are temporary guild badges—basically, a way to identify you as mission takers. Wear them if you don’t want trouble."

Liam and the others each took a badge, fastening it onto their outfits. Marcus, of course, grumbled the entire time.

"Flying fucking beasts," Marcus muttered under his breath. "Of all the goddamn things, we had to pick the one thing I can’t stand."

Jason snorted. "What, scared of a few birds?"

Marcus shot him a glare. "I ain’t scared. I just don’t like ’em. They’re unpredictable. And annoying as hell."

"Like you?" Sophia quipped.

"Shut the fuck up."

Liam shook his head and turned back to the guild member. "Where’s the farm located?"

The man gestured vaguely. "Head west out of the city, follow the dirt road. About an hour’s walk, maybe less if you don’t get lost. You’ll find the farm at the end of the path. Can’t miss it."

Liam gave a small nod of appreciation. "Got it."

Marcus let out a long sigh. "Fine, fine. Let’s just get this over with. But if one of those flying bastards shits on me, I swear to God—"

"You’ll what?" Eleanor smirked. "Cry?"

"Oh, fuck you."

Liam ignored their banter as they made their way out of the guild, stepping into the bustling streets once more. He adjusted the guild badge pinned to his chest, his mind already focused on the mission ahead.

It was time to see just what kind of monsters they were really dealing with.

As they reached the farm, the morning sun was already high, casting long shadows over the wooden fence that surrounded the field, Sheep grazed lazily. A man, clearly in his late seventies, stood near the entrance, his wrinkled face creased in a deep frown as he watched them approach.

"Good morning, old man," Liam greeted, keeping his voice neutral but firm. "We’re here for the mission... from the guild."

The old man squinted at them, his frown deepening. "What? A bunch of kids? What the hell can you kids do? Those beasts ain’t no joke." He spat on the ground and crossed his arms.

Eleanor stepped forward, her tone unwavering. "You’ll be amazed at the things we can do," she said, giving the old man a piercing look.

Marcus, on the other hand, was visibly irritated. "Oh, so now we’re kids? Maybe we should let the beasts have a nice feast tonight then," he muttered under his breath, crossing his arms.

The old man grunted. "I really hope y’all can do the job." He let out a deep sigh and turned toward the house. "Come inside, sit down. Those damn creatures will be here for breakfast soon, no doubt."

As he stepped onto the wooden porch, he called out, "Nadia! Celeste! Get out here, make some tea for our ’mercenaries!’" His voice was gruff, but there was a hint of care in the way he spoke.

From inside the house, two young women stepped out. They looked around the same age as Liam and his group, maybe a year younger. Identical twins, both with deep auburn hair that cascaded down their backs and piercing green eyes that held an air of mischief. They were striking, their figures accentuated by the simple but well-fitted dresses they wore.

Marcus, of course, was the first to react. His eyebrows shot up as he leaned toward Liam. "Okay, now this mission suddenly got a whole lot more interesting," he whispered with a smirk before casually stepping forward. "Ladies, the name’s Marcus. Ever heard of the best warrior in the city?"

Before he could even flash his usual grin, Eleanor grabbed him by the back of his collar and yanked him back. "Sit your ass down before I make you part of the furniture," she snapped.

Marcus groaned, rubbing his neck. "Why the hell are you so damn strict?" he grumbled, casting a longing glance at the twins.

Nadia chuckled, while Celeste simply smiled politely. "How would you like your tea?" Nadia asked, her voice smooth and pleasant.

Liam shook his head. "None for me, thanks." Eleanor gave a short nod, agreeing.

Jason glanced at them and shrugged. "I’ll take mine light," he said.

Marcus, however, leaned forward with a grin. "I’ll take mine however you make it, sweetheart." He winked at Celeste, who merely raised an eyebrow before walking off into the house.

Sophia sighed, shaking her head. "Marcus, you are an embarrassment."

Marcus ignored her and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms. "You all just don’t appreciate my charm," he said smugly before taking the cup of tea when Celeste returned. He took a sip and groaned in satisfaction. "Now this... this is quality tea."

The old man let out a grunt as he sat on a creaky wooden chair, watching them carefully. "Y’all best be ready. Those damned creatures are never late. They’ll be flying in soon, looking for an easy meal." He took a slow sip of his own tea before eyeing them seriously. "Hope you brought more than just words, because if not, those beasts will be leaving here with full stomachs."

Liam exhaled, his fingers twitching slightly. "Don’t worry, old man," he said, his voice steady. "We didn’t come here to lose."