Zaen and his family left the institute, unaware that they were being watched. After all, it wasn't a normal mental care institution, but one that was made specially for cases like Zaen's.
For the people who survived the game.
Most of them spent all their lives enclosed within the walls. Only 3% of total players make it out of the game without losing their minds. 78% died without their bodies ever being recovered. Of the remaining 19% percent, they went insane.
"Is it fine to let him go, Zoey?" A muscular man in a suit asked. "He might have lost his eyes, but he still took the anomaly down."
The red-haired girl took a drag of her cigarette. A black box, nearly as big as her, was strapped to her back as she looked on.
Her team was the one who got them out of the game. The 3% who survived the game were all thanks to people like her.
While others were dragged into the game, they willingly entered it, all to rescue players and to hunt anomalies. They considered it their duty because they, too, had been saved from the game once.
Usually, those who were saved ended up working alongside them. Especially individuals like Zaen.
"What will we do with a blind person?" Zoey scoffed, stomping on the cigarette butt. "While it's true he wouldn't suffer much from sanity drop since he couldn't see, but what will we do with him?"
Karloff nodded along. The only use they'd have for Zaen would be as a scout. But even so, if he couldn't see anything, then what would he report back to them?
Perhaps letting him live as a civilian was the best they could do for him. At least until the second round started.
Once someone became a player, there were two ways to end the nightmare. Either they finished the game, which was impossible, or they died.
In the first week of every month, the players would be summoned back into various games, forced to play and survive. It wasn't any different for Zoey and Karloff.
That was the reason they were late to save Zaen and the rest. Their games took too long to clear, and new players had to suffer for it.
However, the F.O.R.C.E. wasn't the only one interested in the players.
"What about the cult? They could recruit him and repair his eyes to worse, implant an anomaly in him," a child asked in his squeaky voice.
Zoey and Karloff looked down to see a ten-year-old boy wearing spectacles looking at them. The next second, Zoey and Karloff both saluted the boy with utmost respect.
"You've taken quite the form, sir," Zoey said. "Do you mind if I pull your cheek?"
The boy turned towards her and kicked her knee. Her knees buckled and got flicked as reprimand.
"Do you want to pull my cheeks as well, Karloff?"
"I wouldn't even dream of it, sir!"
The boy nodded before handing Zoey a strange sheet of paper. Although at first glance it seemed ordinary, if held against a light source, one would see small veins moving within the sheet.
It was an anomalous entity.
"Go arrange it along with the rest of them," Johann instructed her.
As Zoey left grumbling about Johann being unfair, Karloff leaned back. It had been a little over three weeks since the incident. Which meant Zaen had less than a week to get used to his blindness before the second round of the game began.
Those who were with him got lucky. They weren't marked, unlike him.
Usually, everyone who survived their first game would get marked. That mark would allow the players to manifest their in-game abilities in real life and was also seen as a pass to let them enter the game.
This time, there was a peculiar situation where only Zaen had been marked in his group. The others were clean, and most likely wouldn't have to enter the game again.
It was a weird situation which the agency had no answers for. Hence, Shyra, Hina, and Rouland were all being watched closely, as it could help them understand more about the game.
"How did you make him sign the NDA?" he asked. "From what we saw, the boy clearly remembers what happened inside the game."
"I didn't," Johann replied. "I just happened to have taken his blood sample during the rescue and poured it on the document. It is as good as the signature. The higher-ups would be happy, and that's all that matters."
"Cold… Also, about the cult—"
"They won't recruit him. Not when their resources have been stretched thin. I was just saying that to make Zoey realize the implications of her decision."
"…I see. Wait a second, if you already had his blood, then why did you transform into Zaen's brother?"
"Because he looked cute."
There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in his words.
"…"
Karloff didn't reply but took several steps sideways to distance himself from the captain.
"Oi! I didn't mean it like that."
"I'm sure you didn't, sir."
***
Meanwhile, inside the car, Zaen was leaning against the window. Uncle Mack and Aeron had tried to cheer him up, but he only hummed in response.
They had been informed about the incident, and while Mack was proud of his nephew, he knew Zaen might not think the same. After all, the people he sacrificed his eyes for, no longer wanted anything to do with him.
I will teach them a lesson. I'd bury those ungrateful brats in lawsuits if I have to.
Mack had always taken care of the brothers, so not even a scratch was on their bodies. Now, all of a sudden, Zaen lost his eyes.
Mack felt he was responsible for the incident since if he hadn't crashed their party, none of them would have ended up in such a situation. Guilt was eating him alive.
Unlike him, Aeron wasn't too worried. He just clung to Zaen's hand, and that was enough for him.
So what if his brother no longer had his eyes? They could always find donors for it. If that didn't work out, then he would become Zaen's eyes.
Zaen was unaware of their wild thoughts, not because he wasn't interested, but because he was busy fiddling with the screens before him.
[Would you like to combine 5 spin points for 1 super spin?]
[Note: Fortune Wheel always grants the player what they need the most. The probability of gaining the desired item increases by 10x in a super spin.]
What I need the most… my eyes. I can have them back?!
Without any hesitation, Zaen pressed yes. The next second, the wheel came undone, revealing a smaller wheel that was hidden inside.
[Super spin activated.]
[Generating reward…]
[Congratulations!]
[You've earned Slayer Weapon #122: Walking Stick.]
Zaen's mouth twitched at the grand reveal as he felt cheated.