[NR] Forever After - Chapter 489

Rachel stared up at the ceiling. She had died, though this wasn't the first time. Rather, while playing space games she had died an uncountable number of times. After all, deep space in a more realistic setting isn't the most hospitable of places.

However, this was the first death in NeoRealm. That meant a few things, though luckily not a loss in skill progress. Plus, the xp penalty at this level wasn't even enough to drop one an entire level.

Though it does sort of hurt being at the bottleneck. After all, one of the benefits of breaking through is that it is the new floor on your level. So, to lose experience now? It certainly stings.

Rachel sighs and feels a bit bad for being thankful that they'll have to redo the earlier floors. The lost experience will easily be replaced. However, being at the cap doesn't matter as it just means you get to break through right away. They could have beat the dungeon and then she would have been able to just level up later.

If the System didn't require some degree of level parity in a party and a certain amount of effort contributed to the various tasks, Rachel was certain that rich families would have their kids at level one being dragged through dungeons. Better to get the dangerous bottlenecks out of the way as early as possible so they don't lose precious experience.

Though speaking of loss, Rachel can't help but grimace as she thinks about her gear. Thankfully she will revive with it. The only problem is how damaged it ends up being. Also, if this wasn't in a dungeon, they would have to worry about if someone looted the body.

There are ways to safeguard your gear on death, but none available to them. That meant if someone found your body out in the wild, they could just take everything off you except some modesty underthings. Though if you try and make your underwear into special gear, the System will just form some plain versions underneath that and let the magic gear get taken.

Rachel rolls over onto her side and switches to staring at the wall. Well, not the wall, but rather the various plushies and art she put up in her personal VR room. There was, uh, a bit of a theme.

That theme? Rabbits. Bunnies. Even hares. Animal and anthro. And what was on display was just the stuff she had chosen out of a magnitude more stored in another more densely packed room. Rachel was forever thankful that dust wasn't simulated.

Oh, and ever since joining up with Jason again, the ones on display had shifted. Now every one of them was featuring a white lagomorph. A bit obsessive. Even Rachel admitted that, though thankfully only Courtney was allowed into her room so no one else knew.

Now though they didn't quite give her the comfort they normally did. If things had gone differently, Lily might have ended up dying. Sure, she could have been brought back with some effort. However, that might take a long while to manage.

Rachel felt another spike of negative emotion. She doesn’t really think it, but she for a moment considered how much easier it would be if Lily was a pet and not a companion. A truly nasty thought as Lily wouldn’t be Lily anymore, but rather just another rabbit.

With that she turns over to look the other direction, except that wall is covered in white rabbits as well. In fact, while she had been ignoring it, even the ceiling had a mural depicting, you guessed it, white rabbits. Suffice it to say, there was no escaping it while in her room.

Good thing Courtney showed up at this point. She had finally given up trying not to tie everything back to Jason. Of course not everything tied back to him, but that is like saying not everything orbited the sun.

True, there is a universe of stuff out there that doesn't. However, when it comes to NeoRealm related topics, Jason was quickly becoming like the sun the deeper she dug. Or at least the information he had.

That could wait though, Courtney had only planned to drop in on Rachel for a moment. That plan changed when she saw her state. While not sure why Rachel seemed to be spiraling, Courtney couldn't turn away.

Courtney sat down on the bed next to Rachel and gathered up in a hug. "You know? This is the second time in so little time we've ended up like this. Now, what's got you down?"

Rachel curls up tighter and sighs, "Just thinking."

Courtney shakes her head, "Don't let yourself get so down. Both me and Jason believe in you. Next time you'll manage the trap. And if not? Oh well, we'll keep trying until you succeed or the Guild fixes things.

"It wasn't meant to be this way."

Rachel just leans into her and stays silent.

Courtney begins to rub Rachel's back. "Maybe you're just tired. When was the last time you slept?"

Rachel shakes her head.

Courtney sighs, "Yeah that might be a problem. It has been a while, but remember when we were little? I couldn't sleep because of the training and you would tell me stories until I fell asleep?

"I guess it's about time I paid you back. So how about we get you properly into bed."

Rachel doesn't resist though she does have one thing to say. "You don't need to pay anything back. You're my closest friend. As long as you never leave me, I'll never be able to stay sad."

Courtney smiles at that as she dims the lights in the room. "Well aren't you the charmer? Must be more sleepy than I thought!"

Rachel closes her eyes and relaxes, "I don't want to charm anyone. You're just special to me. We've been together forever and I hope we can stay together forever after."

Courtney laughs, "I'm the one that is supposed to be telling the forever after story."

A while later Courtney pops back into her own room looking happy. Though after a moment her hands clenched into fists. It was Jason's fault again! Before what she had learned, Rachel's comment about being together forever after would have been a sweet, if impossible, sentiment.

Except Courtney now knew a different Truth. They could be together forever after. And you know what? She wasn't going to let anything get in-between that future.