When Evie regained consciousness, she found herself sweating inside her pod. Gasping for air, she quickly emerged from the pod, disoriented and shaken by the vividness of her experience.
As she caught her breath, Evie couldn't shake the feeling that something significant had just occurred. "Was that a dream?" she wondered aloud, her mind racing with unanswered questions and the unsettling sense that her uncle's words held more truth than she dared to believe.
But when Evie felt something hard and cold in her hand, she was startled to find herself holding the Green Card. "What the–!" she exclaimed in surprise, quickly throwing the card away in shock.
After a moment of hesitation, Evie cautiously retrieved the card and examined it closely, holding it up to the light. The card appeared unremarkable at first glance, resembling fragile green glass with intricate wires and lights pulsating within.
It appeared futuristic. Evie couldn't shake the surreal feeling that gripped her as her uncle's words echoed in her mind.
'I came from the future . . .'
Had her uncle lost his mind? Did he suffer some kind of head injury? Or was he speaking in riddles, delving into realms of science fiction and madness?
The notion of time travel, evolution, and apocalypse seemed utterly absurd, yet his earnestness left a lingering doubt in Evie's mind. She struggled to reconcile the man before her with the fantastical claims he was making.
Evie struggled to wrap her head around what had just happened. If she possessed this Green Card, then it meant that she had truly encountered her uncle in the game, and his words were not merely a dream.
Trembling slightly, Evie felt a sense of unease creeping over her, though she couldn't pinpoint the source of her fear. Deciding to keep the card and her encounter with her uncle a secret for the time being, Evie resolved to log back into the game once her [Time Off] was over. She needed answers, and she needed to see her uncle again. If he truly was one of the developers of COVENANT, then it was within the game that she would find him once more. With a determined resolve, Evie tucked the Green Card safely away, her mind buzzing with questions and uncertainties as she prepared to delve back into COVENANT that held the key to unlocking the mysteries that surrounded her uncle.
The next morning dawned with a sense of urgency as Ren gathered with Lamir and the others in the guild hall to discuss the matter of Evie's debt.
The room was filled with a tense atmosphere, each member present keenly aware of the gravity of the situation.
Ren's heart sank as Lamir revealed the staggering amount still owed, despite Ren's efforts to raise funds through auctions and other means. He had hoped to clear Evie's debt before her impending wedding, but the reality of the situation was far grimmer than he had anticipated.
"It's still short by hundreds of millions," Ren muttered, his voice laden with despair. It wasn't just the money that troubled him; it was the daunting task of accumulating such a vast sum in such a short amount of time. With less than a week until the wedding, Ren felt the weight of the deadline bearing down on him like a crushing weight.
"How did this happen?" Evie demanded, her eyes flashing with frustration as she turned to Lamir for answers.
Lamir sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Don't look at me, darling. This is their ploy, claiming it's all in the name of interest."
"Interest?!" Sumeri exclaimed incredulously, disbelief evident in his voice. "Is the interest accruing by the day? How could it escalate to such an exorbitant amount in less than a month?"
"There must be some kind of mistake!" Leonel interjected, his brow furrowed with concern as he tried to make sense of the situation.
But despite their protests and disbelief, the numbers remained unchanged, looming ominously on the ledger before them.
The realization sank in like a lead weight in the pit of Ren's stomach –– time was running out, and they were running out of options.
Roz turned to Lamir with a hopeful expression. "Can't you do something about it?"
Lamir shook his head, a defeated look in his eyes. "I've exhausted all my options. I've raised the prices in the Auction, I have gone on a hunger strike, even went away from home to make a point, and even brought this matter to my father, which I don't do, I don't ever talk to my father until now that is, but . . ." His voice trailed off, overcome with emotion. "I'm sorry, Ren . . . Evie . . ."
Tears welled up in Lamir's eyes, his resolve crumbling under the weight of their predicament. Meanwhile, Ren remained silent, his mind racing for any possible solution that could salvage their situation within the dwindling timeframe.
The enormity of the debt weighed heavily on Ren's shoulders. It seemed inconceivable that even with the vast sums of money he had accumulated, it still fell short. The realization that their efforts thus far had not been enough only added to his frustration.
But just as despair threatened to consume him, Ragnar stepped forward with a resolute expression, crossing his hands and declared.
"Enough with the long faces," Ragnar declared, his voice cutting through the heavy atmosphere. "You only need a few hundred millions, right? I'll lend you the money. Problem solved."
Isolde nodded in agreement, a grin playing on her lips. "Count me in too, Ren. Consider it a loan."
The sudden offer of assistance caught Ren off guard, and he glanced around at the others, their expressions a mix of surprise too. Sumeri and Nikolai were gaping at Ragnar and Isolde while Roz froze on his spot at their sudden offer like a few hundred millions wasn't a big deal. "Well, you are both wealthy, so . . . a few hundred millions wouldn't bother you . . . ," Leonel trailed off, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness as he contemplated the gaping disparity of his and Isolde's financial standings once again.
