Akai laughed at Tenshi as he was thrown against the wall for the hundredth time in the past two days. "Nope, you're still not there yet."
"Obviously." He grumbled. "Do you have to keep pointing it out?"
"Of course, it's one of the benefits of being a trainer, why do you think I do it?"
"The credits."
"Well that too." She replied with a grin, flipping her red hair over her shoulder. "Come on, get back up and try the Gauntlet again."
"Are you going to keep turning the speed up."
"Of course, how else do you expect to get better?"
Tenshi muttered a few obscenities and then prepared to run through the maze of obstacles she had programmed for him. She was right of course. His speed rating was improving, but it still wasn't even close to what it would have to be if he wanted to get his hands of Kuraku. He would get faster, he would get stronger, and then he would defeat that arrogant little --
His entire world vanished in a flash of blinding pain.
"Oh shit!" Zelgadiss yelled, looking up to find his grandfather holding the connection unit and looking down at him in disapproval.
"Tokumei no Tenshi is offline." The computer informed them both in the silence that followed.
"That was dangerous." Zelgadiss finally said. "You know that."
"And I also know that you have been logged in for almost ten hours now, are you telling me that's not?"
"How about 'not as?'" He sighed, stretching out his muscles and taking the unit away from his annoyed grandfather.
"You spend far too much time in there. Come downstairs for dinner."
"You could have just asked me you know."
"I know, but it doesn't carry the same impact." He turned around and started walking out of the room as Zelgadiss made faces at his back. "Show more respect to your elders."
"Stop doing that, it's creepy." He muttered and Rezo just smiled. "You know, I don't see what you have against the Realm, it's not like you don't spend enough time hooked up to a computer."
"My implants and the programs they use give me the ability to simulate sight." He replied as he always did. This was a very old conversation. "I use it to increase my ability to experience life, I do not use them to hide from it."
"I am not hiding from my life."
"You just spent ten hours sitting on your ass in your room staring at a computer screen; are you telling me that's living?"
"I was training." He muttered, sinking down into his chair and staring down at the plate of food that was already going cold.
"Zelgadiss. That is not training, that is improving some statistics in a program. Training is what you do in the laboratory, what you do in your classes, and what you should be focusing on instead of some pointless game."
"It's not pointless to me."
"I know." He sighed. "And you're old enough to do what you want, but I am responsible for you morally though no longer legally. I will not just sit by and watch you loose yourself inside of that machine."
Zelgadiss didn't bother to reply. No matter what he said, his grandfather just didn't understand his attraction to the Realm. Although that made sense, Rezo had been trying to get the system shut down for years, which was interesting given that it had been created and was maintained by the University he worked for. Shutting it down was not an option though, no matter how hard lobby groups fought for it. Ten years ago when it had first been opened to the public maybe they would have had a chance, now though, it was too much of a cultural institute, they didn't have a chance.
"I'll need your help in the lab again tomorrow Zelgadiss."
"I can't, I have to meet with a group for my Biology class, we've got a presentation in two weeks."
"I still don't see why you're taking that."
"Because I needed a Science option, we've been through this."
"Mechanical Engineers do not need Biology."
"No but they need the Science credits; if you don't like it, bug the Dean not me."
Rezo sighed. "I'm sorry." He set his fork down and then turned his sightless eyes to Zelgadiss. "I'm worried about you. You've been spending more time on that computer over the past year, and I don't know why. It's not just a hobby anymore Zelgadiss, it's an obsession and those are dangerous."
"I'm fine grandfather, please trust me."
"I'll make you a deal Zelgadiss. If you limit your time in the Realm to a few hours a day, then I will stop bugging you about it. If you cannot manage that then I cannot trust you to know what is harmful to yourself. That place can be an addiction and I will intervene if I have to. Do we have a deal?"
A few hours a day? It was better than nothing, better than listening to these complaints, and definitely better than having his connection broken unexpectedly. "Deal."
"Good. Now, how are your classes going?"
"Fine, except for English. If you want to complain about useless credits, choose that one."
"I don't see why you're having so much trouble with it."
"Um, because the Professor is a moron."
"Phil may be a little exuberant but..."
Zelgadiss grinned. "But what?"
"I can't find a positive way to end that sentence."
"You should ask him, I'm sure he'd think of something."
The rest of their dinner continued along those lines, which was a pleasant change. When it was over Zelgadiss worked on his homework and tried desperately not to think about logging back into the Realm. This was definitely harder than he had expected it to be.