Love at First Game

Episode 7 The Ruby Family

Vivian was bored. Blaze's constant grumbling as she chipped away at his health with her rusty sword was mildly entertaining, but not enough to keep her from sipping tea and working on her Level 6 exam papers. The task itself was mindless—her character auto-attacked while she multitasked. Nathan, meanwhile, seemed busy with his own matters, his responses to her occasional comments delayed.

When she glanced up after finishing a reading section, three female players stood at the Snow Pool’s edge. Their IDs glowed in familiar patterns: Ruby Ivy, Ruby June, and Ruby Melody.

The Ruby Family? What are they doing here?

A Righteous Interruption

The trio appeared to be arguing among themselves before Ruby Ivy called out, “Hey, why are you ignoring us?”

Vivian frowned and checked the chat log, which recorded all the conversations in the current scene:

[Current] [Ruby Ivy]: "It’s Nathan."

[Current] [Ruby Melody]: "That girl is here too, so rude, bullying lower-level players."

[Current] [Ruby June]: "Yeah, and she deliberately tortures people, killing their health bit by bit."

[Current] [Ruby Melody]: "Oh, it’s Blaze."

[Current] [Ruby Ivy]: "Do you know him?"

[Current] [Ruby Melody]: "The one who gave me the Fairy Trail Shoes and helped with a few missions."

[Current] [Ruby Ivy]: "Should we intervene?"

[Current] [Ruby June]: "Can’t defeat them, right?"

[Current] [Ruby Ivy]: "Let’s reason with them."

Vivian sighed as she watched Ruby Ivy step forward to berate Nathan. “Hey, Nathan, you’re really skilled, picking on those weaker than you. What kind of hero are you?”

Nathan, still idle, remained silent.

A Battle of Words

Vivian, unsure whether Nathan had even noticed the commotion, decided to speak up. “We’re dealing with personal grudges here. Passersby, please continue on your way.”

Ruby Melody snapped, “Why torment people over personal grudges? It’s just a game.”

Vivian’s patience wore thin. She was about to retort when Nathan finally spoke: "Interfering will bring trouble. Disappear if you don’t want to die."

The tone of his message left Vivian momentarily stunned. At the same time, Nathan sent her a private message: "I just stepped away. You can continue. I’ll handle this."

Vivian shook her head, muttering, “Daniel Thorne, are you solving problems or making them worse?”

Nathan's Provocation

Nathan’s words enraged the Ruby Family. Ruby Ivy exclaimed, “You’re going too far!” Ruby Melody added, “Is it really impressive to be the top player on the server if you can’t speak courteously to girls?”

Vivian smirked. Were they being polite by referring to me as ‘that girl’?

She replied with a smile: “It’s just a game. Why get so angry?”

Ruby June argued, “Is it okay to curse people in a game? Is it okay for high-level players to bully low-level players?”

Vivian sighed. The hypocrisy of their argument made her head hurt. “Let’s follow the rules of the gaming world,” she suggested. “Let’s have a PK. Four of you against two of us. If you win, you can take Blaze with you, and we won’t bother him again.”

Before the Ruby Family could respond, Nathan stepped forward, elegantly positioning himself in front of Vivian. “Take a break,” he said. “I’ll handle it.”

Vivian, watching his calm demeanor, couldn’t resist adding, “Alright, I’ll join in ^_^.”

The Ruby Family Retreats

The Ruby Family hesitated, their bravado faltering. Nathan’s reputation as the server’s top player wasn’t for show, and the idea of facing him—even with superior numbers—was daunting. As they deliberated in private chat, Blaze broke the silence.

“Big sis, why don’t you chop them up? Keep going, damn it! I took a shower and came back, and you still haven’t finished!”

Ruby Melody responded, “Blaze, it’s me.”

Blaze seemed momentarily surprised but quickly recovered. “Ruby Melody, why are you here?”

“I’m here to help you,” she replied.

Blaze scrolled through the recent chat log and sighed. “You’re here to help me? With what? Gossiping? Ugh, I don’t want any part of this drama.”

Realizing they were losing face, Ruby Ivy and her companions abruptly logged off, leaving Blaze standing alone, still paralyzed.

A Satisfying Conclusion

Blaze groaned. “Sister, you keep chopping. I only have 200 health points left. I’m going to do the laundry. You’ll probably finish by the time I’m back.”

Vivian laughed. Annoying as he is, Blaze does have a certain charm. Putting away her sword, she messaged Nathan: "Forget it. It’s a waste of electricity and internet fees. I’m going to gather herbs."

Nathan replied, "Let’s go together."

The two mounted up and quickly disappeared into the distance, leaving Blaze behind, still glowing faintly green from the paralysis spell.