LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 9: Max the Murderer
It had only been a day since Max was cornered by the amnesiac and the system, but it seemed like word had already gotten around the small village. There was nothing for them to do out here but survive and gossip. He could feel the whispers and eyes glancing at him as he pulled in the cart with the milk delivery and the promised honey cake for Liv. Paying no mind to them, the tingle of the shop bell welcomed him in. “Hi Max! Bill’s knee still bad?”
“Morning Liv,” Max set down the milk with the cake balanced on top. He glanced around the shop and was relieved that Adelaide wasn’t there. Perhaps it was too early in the morning for her? “So he claims.” The two gave each other a knowing smile.
Liv leaned in on the counter a little before gesturing for Max to come closer. “Are you doing, okay?”
“Okay?”
“I heard that the amnesiac said something that pissed you off yesterday.”
So that was the gossip going around. “Noah or Aldwin?”
She pulled a face. “Aldwin, obviously. As if Noah would get involved with gossip like this.” You never know, it was in his shop after all. “Noah has been avoiding everyone’s questions about it, but Aldwin said he had never seen you so mad before.” Although he wasn’t exactly angry that day, he admired Aldwin’s ability to see his frustration. An improved skill compared to when they first met. “What did he say to piss you off?”
“He kept asking where I was from,” Max muttered absentmindedly as he took the balanced cake and placed it neatly in front of her. Slightly hoping the gesture was enough to divert their conversation. He jumped slightly when Liv’s hand was suddenly placed on his.
“That must’ve been quite upsetting since you can’t remember much.”
Max fought hard to keep a straight face when he spotted a prompt for a story.
Story Name:
Once in a Lifetime
Genre:
Romance
Description:
A whirlwind affair between a village shopkeeper and amnesiac causes turmoil in a sleepy village.
Goal:
Find peace with Liv.
Difficulty:
★★☆☆☆
How to Start:
Ask Liv out on a date!
Just as Max was about to respond, he heard a voice cry out behind him. “You! I’ve been looking all over for you! Do you know how many farms I visited looking for you?” Max retracted his hand and hardened his gaze, but he refused to turn around. In the corner of his eye, the two prompts fought for dominance.
Story Name:
Guide the Uninitiated
Genre:
Isekai
Description:
A stranger is claiming to be from another universe and is here to become the MC.
Goal:
Help the system out and show him the ropes.
Difficulty:
★☆☆☆☆
How to Start:
Confess you are the same to the stranger!
Story Name:
The Enemy of a Fool
Genre:
Isekai
Description:
A stranger is claiming to be from another universe and is here to become the MC. After proclaiming to be your enemy, you feel the need to put the fool in his place.
Goal:
Help the system out and show him the ropes.
Difficulty:
★☆☆☆☆
How to Start:
Lie and tell the stranger that you are not the same!
Liv seemed to have caught on to his discomfort. “Shop’s closed!” She barked at him. For a moment, Max could see where Adelaide got her attitude from. “Get out!”
“It’s fine,” Max whispered, before turning to leave with his gaze down. He was about to walk past the stranger when his shoulders were suddenly grabbed again.
“Where do you think you’re going? We need to have a proper-”
Max shrugged off his grip before barging past to the door. His quick stride stopped momentarily from seeing the stares of all the villagers facing him. They must’ve seen both him and the amnesiac enter the village shop. Suddenly, he knew what it felt like to be the decrepit mayor. There was little doubt in his mind that there were already a few bets on how this conflict between them was going to be resolved. Max was a little disappointed that he couldn’t place his own bet, but then again, he would probably throw it for the extra cash.
“I said wait!” This fool wasn’t going to stop, and these prompts weren’t going anywhere. “You don’t have to tell me where you’re from, just tell me how to get back.” There was no way back for them. Their world was long gone. “What’re these boxes I keep seeing?” Max finally stopped. It didn’t take long for the amnesiac to get in his face with a frantic expression. He grabbed him once more and shook him slightly with the meagre strength of his current body. “You see them too, right? Prompts for various stories? Am I supposed to start one of them? It told me you were-”
Enough was enough. Max didn’t hesitate to shove the vegan amnesiac as hard as he could. The force was enough to send him flying to the ground, causing his skull to crack open on the cobbled streets like a chicken egg. He watched the corpse carefully to make sure there weren’t any signs of life before facing the crowd of witnesses to his murder.