Above The Patch [Tank LitRPG-Evolution]

Boran woke up with a severe headache. As soon as he opened his eyes, he scanned the room and realized he was alone. Noemi was gone.

Just as he tried to sit up, a blue notification appeared in the center of his vision:

[You have been drugged]

"What?" he muttered in confusion. He began to remember what happened last night: wine, Noemi, kissing, and then... the sudden feeling of drowsiness.

He quickly sat up, ignoring the throbbing in his head that intensified. "What does 'drugged' mean?" he said to himself, his voice coming out unusually hoarse. "Did Noemi really put something in my drink? Why?"

He was shocked when he checked the system clock. He had slept for almost 20 hours. This wasn't normal.

"Those sleeping pills we got... Were they meant to be used on me?"

He stood up, struggling to find his balance. His head was spinning, and he felt nauseous. He went to the bucket and splashed water on his face. Looking at himself in the mirror, he saw that his eyes were still half-closed and his face looked pale.

"What happened?" he murmured, looking at his reflection in the mirror. "Everything was so good last night. Where is Noemi? Why did she do this?"

He was searching the room for any trace of Noemi—a note, a message... anything, but there was nothing. It was as if she had never been there, but Boran knew she was real. He remembered her touch, her scent, her voice.

As he got dressed, dozens of thoughts ran through his mind. He decided to send a message from his friend list. However, when he opened his friend list, he noticed only one incoming message.

"Thank you for last night, Boran, every second was wonderful. Those hours I spent with you were truly the most intimate moments I've experienced in a long time," Boran found a message. His heart raced as he looked at the screen. "Please don't take what I did personally. I had to do this, and maybe one day you'll understand why. Be kinder to yourself, life is hard enough as it is. I hope you have a wonderful day, happy birthday." The message was from Noemi and had been sent in the early hours of the morning.

Boran read the words on the screen several times, with a blank expression on his face. She was thanking him, then making an explanation that was almost like an apology. But an explanation for what? For drugging him? Boran tried to organize the events in his mind. Last night they had gotten close for the first time. They had talked, shared, and then... she had made him drink something.

"What nonsense is this?" he shouted, his voice echoing in the room. "Not only does she drug me and leave, but she also leaves a message! I want an explanation."

He quickly began writing a reply to Noemi:

"Noemi, what happened last night? I know you drugged me. First we get close, then you put something in my drink and disappear, leaving me a message? What do you mean 'don't take it personally'? How can I not take it personally? You owe me an explanation."

He pressed the send button, but a few seconds later a red error message appeared on the screen:

[Message could not be delivered. This user has blocked you.]

Boran stared at the screen in disbelief. "Did she block me?" he muttered, his voice filled with shock and anger. "First she uses me, then drugs me, then leaves a message and blocks me? What kind of game is this?"

He angrily punched the wall, not even feeling the pain. There was a growing anger inside him, not just toward Noemi, but toward himself as well. How could he have been so naive? How could he have let someone get so close? Just a few hours ago, he had told her the most special memories of his life, shown her his most vulnerable self.

"Stupid," he said to himself, "you're such an idiot. You shouldn't have trusted so quickly."

He decided to try another approach. Maybe he could go directly to her room? He wanted to confront her, talk face to face. He tried to learn the location of Noemi's room from the system, but was met with the response "You do not have access to this information."

"Damn it!" he shouted, running his hand through his hair. He thought about everything he had shared with her last night, every story he had told, every weakness he had shown. He felt both betrayed and used.

He reread the "I hope you have a wonderful day, happy birthday" part. What kind of contradiction was this? Drugging someone and then wishing them a happy birthday? It felt as if all of this was part of a game.

"A game..." Boran murmured. "Could it be?"

Boran gathered his thoughts and, despite his broken heart, felt he needed to take action. He took a deep breath, adjusted his clothes, and left his room. Hundreds of people were wandering in the corridor, but he made eye contact with none of them. There was only one name in his mind: Thorin.

Boran exited the Infinite Tavern with angry, quick steps. He moved almost at a run through the corridors, making last-minute maneuvers to avoid colliding with people he encountered. There was only one thought in his mind: finding answers.

He quickly reached the forge. When he got to the door, he hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and entered. The forge was dominated by intense heat and the sound of hammers. Thorin was busy shaping a large piece of metal.

"🎵 BANG BANG! I forged the steel! CLASH CLASH! I ben—"

"Thorin!" Boran called out, having to raise his voice to get the blacksmith's attention.

Thorin put down his hammer, paused his work, and looked up. A wide smile appeared under the sweat droplets and soot stains on his face.

"Ah! Boran!" he boomed, with genuine joy in his voice. "Welcome, welcome! Did you like your new armor, son?"

Boran approached Thorin with an angry expression. "Did you give the armor to Noemi?" he asked, his voice trembling with anger and shock.

Thorin raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Yes, she came early this morning. I gave her the armor I prepared for you. She said she came on your behalf. Is there a problem?"

Boran ran his hands through his hair, with an expression of disbelief on his face. "She drugged me, Thorin. Last night she put something in my wine, and I slept for 20 hours. Now she's blocked me. She took my armor and disappeared."

The smile disappeared from Thorin's face, replaced by a serious expression. "What are you saying? Did Noemi scam you? You really can't get enough of being scammed, can you, son?"

Boran walked heavily to one of the wooden chairs inside and dropped himself onto it. The chair creaked slightly beneath him. He rested his elbows on his knees and took his face in his hands. He stayed like that for a few seconds, trying to collect his thoughts and emotions.

"I don't know what happened, Thorin," he finally said, lifting his head to look at the blacksmith. There was both anger and deep disappointment in his eyes. "Everything was so good last night. We talked, laughed... I even shared the most special memories of my life with her. I trusted her."

Thorin leaned against the edge of his workbench, crossed his arms over his chest, and listened to Boran carefully. "I'd love to hear the sex story, what happened next?"

"Then," said Boran, his voice rising slightly, "I don't remember what happened after that. I woke up twenty hours later. The room was empty, Noemi was gone."

He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "She sent a message. She said 'Thank you for last night.' Then she said something like 'I had to do this, don't take it personally.' What does 'don't take it personally' mean? She drugs me, steals my armor, and then leaves a message!"

Boran stood up, too angry to sit anymore. He began to pace around the forge. "And now she's blocked me! What is she doing? Why did she do something like this?"

He stopped, took a deep breath, and turned to Thorin. "How was she when she came to get the armor? Did she say anything? Any clue?"

Thorin thoughtfully stroked his beard. "She seemed calm, son. She seemed to be in a hurry, but not flustered. She took the armor, thanked me, and left. She said she 'came on your behalf,' and I didn't question it. I had seen you two together yesterday..."

Boran collapsed back onto the chair, rubbing his face with his hands. "I don't understand, Thorin. I really don't understand. I thought I knew her, at least a little."

There was a brief silence in the room, only the crackling from the hearth could be heard.

"So what now?" Thorin finally asked. "What are you going to do?"

Boran raised his head, a determined expression in his eyes. "I guess... nothing. I don't want to see her again."

Thorin nodded. "I understand."

A bitter smile appeared on Boran's face. "She probably stole the armor for the money. It's an armor that could be sold for 120,000 gold after all."

"Yes. I knew there was something off about that girl, I just didn't want to say anything."

Just as Boran was about to head for the door and say, "I'll be going then, see you," Thorin's voice stopped him.

"Wait, son," said Thorin, leaning against the edge of the bench. "If you can give me another scale, I'll make the armor for you again."

Boran hesitated, turning back to look at Thorin. "Really?"

Thorin nodded in confirmation. "Of course. I had bought more materials than necessary anyway. I just need one more scales."

A glimmer of hope appeared in Boran's eyes. "Well... thank you, Thorin. This really... thank you."

Thorin smiled. "My debt was to you, not to her. I don't want to leave you stranded."

"Why this interest?"

"Someone fooled me... I got a bit angry. ONLY I CAN FOOL PEOPLE! NOBODY CAN FOOL ME!"