The Isekai Game

Lost In The Game

Though she was slimy as before her shower, Vanessa patrolled out of the swamp with her head high and lips poked out. There wasn't much vegetation. This place was practically dead. Sharp rocks were sticking out of the ground. Every so often one would flip out to be an oversized worm with dark aura, trying to bite at her. Easy enough, she would sense the attack and shoot them dead. 

It was difficult to move through this rising land and keep focus with everything on her mind. Basically, she wasn't to trust everybody around her in exchange for help from others. If she failed, she would have to hurt people for the sake of her own dreams. Meanwhile, there was a curse in this theme that reflected her life in some way. Was this all regarding the theme or her real life? There was clearly a traitor. 

Further thought made Vanessa think that maybe the traitor is among the angels she fought in December. Perhaps there was a missing clue. Such as the bickering she can hear in the distance. A man and a woman. Yes, maybe they were angry all the time and choose to take out their anger on others. 

She stopped, squinting her eyes to the thought of slaying these two as potential traitors. Then again that didn't sound like a logical plan. After all, she always bickered with Logan. At first, he was completely focused on getting work done.

Lately, he has seemed a bit more cheerful. A relief it was, if only he wasn't always causing little problems. Oh well. 

Speaking of problems, Vanessa wondered if she should head a little out of the way to check on the two arguing. They may or may not be the traitors of this theme. But they could certainly help point her in the right direction. 

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"So where does that leave us?" asked an older fit man in jeans with a "V" tattooed on his back. 

"Moron!" shouted a lovely brunette in a red dress with a cursive "E" on her collar bone, "LlloooossssssT"! After a pause, she cut him off from speaking, "We are lost. We cannot find the damn shrine. So we are lost".

His hands followed his words, "We aren't lost. We literally know this entire forest inside and out. We need to simply figure out where we haven't been and looked there". 

"Oh my God," shouted the lady, "Where? Where have we possibly not been"?

Huffing and puffing, he answered, "We are making the map... We'll make the map and you can't stop me".

"Go make your stupid map," she ordered as he was already tracing the mountain in the dirt. 

The woman waited for him to finish its contour lines, showing the elevation along with the lake and the perimeter before kicking away the dirt he spent so much time morphing into a map. 

He stood, staring at his hard work completely destroyed as she lectured, "Don't even cry. You put maybe 5 minutes into that stupid map". 

He sighed, looking away, "Somebody is coming". 

The lady looked out, "No s**t moron. Maybe they can help us". 

Vanessa looked past a few boulders to see the two smiling. She didn't know who they were. Neither looked familiar. If she was to receive help from the seven deadly sins, then this may be the traitor she is being warned about. Regardless, she would have to get close to find out. 

Waving her hand, the lady shouted, "Okay! Are you seriously gonna stand there looking at us and not even say 'hi'? You see us waving"!

"Calm down," pleaded the man, resting his forehead into his palms. 

"No! I'm not. That's just rude though. Ain't it"?

Vanessa walked up as he was answering, "Hello". 

"Hi," scorned the woman, ignoring the man. 

Just before she continued speaking, Vanessa cut her off, "What are you guys doing out here"? 

The woman was a little taken back by her rudeness, "We're just looking for the shrine". 

"Mmmm, why"?

"Okay rude b***h with your thousand and one questions".

"I only asked two".

"Well, where are you going"? 

It was obvious to Vanessa that the other sins chose to immediately help her without any hassle, "I'm going to the shrine". 

The lady dropped her voice to a more feminine tone as the two bickered one another regarding their intentions and purpose. All awhile, the man sat with his arms resting on his legs, trying to relax, given he wasn't the one being yelled at. 

After about 20 minutes, he had enough, "We are going to the earth shrine to protect it and help open the gates". 

Vanessa ignored the woman's threats, "What gates"?

To woman held her tongue as he answered, "The gates to the center. By restoring the earth shrine, we can open the gates to the center, allowing people to enter and slay the source of the curse". 

"Who will slay the curse"?

"Anyone who is brave enough to challenge it," he answered. 

"Mmm... Oki," she answered while walking away. 

Both the man and woman began walking behind her until Vanessa turned around, "I never said you two can come". 

"Why not?" asked the man as the woman began shouting. 

Vanessa shrugged, "Because I say so". 

The man pleaded that the mountains were dangerous. There were rarely any encounters. But the monsters were stronger than the forest and swamp. 

Vanessa walked away. She didn't want to take these two head-on. Yet she couldn't trust them either. It was when the man stepped towards her with a hand out that she began to run.