"First, you have to figure out what type of girl you are gunning for. Study her." Roland said as he handed the console to Harker.
"Wait, I thought you were the one playing?" Harker tried to give it back. "I just watch you play these games, I don't really—"
Roland instead took hold of the right side of the console. "Shush. I will still be playing, we're just sharing this one console. For Operation: EHV to be successful, you and I have to be on the same wavelength."
"Eh???" Harker knew that it would be very difficult to share the controls of the game, especially since they're no way in the same level of experience.
Roland was an absolute pro, while this was Harker's first time ever touching a PS console. He often wondered how shocked Kian would be if he learned that Roland Faust was actually just as much of a nerd as him, maybe even more.
Harker tried to reason more with Roland against it. "The game is still in Japanese too! I won't be able to follow the instructions."
"I can speak Japanese and translate it for you." Roland said.
He really does speak not only Japanese but several other languages like French, Italian, German, Greek, Latin, Mandarin, Hokkien, Korean, Yoruba, Navajo, and some Arabic and Hawaiian. There was probably more that Harker could not remember at the top of his head or Roland hadn't mentioned yet.
He truly was the real genius who could soak information like a sponge. He was also fortunate to have many materials and time for learning too.
"I… My hand-eye coordination is bad!" Harker argued.
"That's why I'm training you. Besides, didn't your perception and reflexes increase after becoming a demon lord?" Roland insisted. "Now, eyes on screen and ears on me. Focus."
Harker was a little nervous that he might end up giving his friend a bad experience on his first play through this game. It truly was difficult at the start, but Harker had started to get the hang of it. He paid attention to how Roland pressed his own set of controls, the position of his hand and his fingers, and also the tips he gave out now and then as he translated the game.
"That's it. That's exactly what you have to do in studying her." Roland suddenly said.
Harker was so focused on beating the monsters of the game, and so he asked again. "What did you say?"
"When you are wooing someone, you need to not only observe them well, but be on the same wavelength as them. Think how they think, feel how they feel. Your best charm is empathy." Roland taught him.
"Without empathy, everything falls apart. Someone can give you dating advice that would not work on specific types of girls, or not suit you at all."
He pointed to their hands sharing the console. "You have to share the console with them. You adjust depending on your own capacities to reach their level."
Harker started to understand now. "So all of this was just an allegory that you wanted to show me in order to give relationship advice."
"Hahaha! That's one of my goals, but I also just wanted to hang out with you." Roland laid his head on his shoulder. "You're a fast learner, Harker. I know you got this, with or without my help."
"That's one hell of a pep talk. Thanks." Harker leaned his head as well, both of them working together to defeat the enemies.
As they did so, Harker couldn't help but be a little curious about the game's lore. "Alucoc really is quite special compared to other vampires, right?"
"Yes, because he's born to a human mother. " Roland said. "He's a dhampir, a half-vampire. So many of a regular vampire's weaknesses don't apply to him."
"He's immune to sunlight, but also human ailments. He has great strength and speed compared to humans, so much that he leaves illusions of afterimages of himself. He's good at swordsmanship, dark magic, changing his form, and has superhuman senses….."
Harker's eyes widened. "Wow…. That dude's really awesome. It's like he's completely invincible."
"Yes, but…. He is hunted by the past. His father's past, the shadow that his vampire lineage casted upon him. He wanted to escape from it. In this game, he thought he did, but his father's servant said that Cocula would be resurrected soon."
Harker nodded. "He really dislikes his father. Kinda like some guy I know."
Roland elbowed him. "Hey now! Besides, Alucoc doesn't dislike his father. He can understand his actions, as Cocula's wife was executed as a witch,and lost the ability to love after her death. He can empathize with him."
He then whispered so softly that no ordinary human could hear him:
"And I can empathize with that too…."
Harker was not an ordinary human anymore, so he could hear it. Roland must know he did. Still, Harker pretended not to hear anything and continued playing games with his best friend.
After taking a break, when the time was getting closer to 9:00 PM, Harker and Roland laid on the bed for a while to discuss the game and other random topics. Roland fell asleep, no doubt still experiencing fatigue from his continuous bloodletting before. After all, in order for Mina to remain looking like him, he still needed to share a bit of his blood.
Harker really appreciated all the help his friend had given him. He was the luckiest in the world to have someone as reliable and loyal as him.
Roland yawned. "We'll continue the Operation: EHV training next time….. For now, I'm exhausted."
"Haha, alright. Thanks for everything, Rol." Harker said softly.
Roland mumbled back with his eyes closed. "It's nothing. Just stay by my side like we promised."
"Haha, even to the grave." Harker remembered their childhood promise. "Even when you and I have wives and kids of our own, or even grandkids. I'll stay by your side till death comes and send us back to the earth."
"Good." Roland said. "Because I will fulfill that promise no matter what."
He had fallen asleep now, so Harker decided to clean up and leave the room. He put a blanket over his best bud, and ruffled his hair a little.
But as he did….
He felt like Roland's skin was suddenly cold. Too cold.
Harker panicked a bit, but when he checked again, his temperature was stable. Perhaps he should just increase the heat in the room through the heater.
"Don't leave me."
Harker turned around to the source of the sound. That didn't sound like Roland. That didn't sound like English either. And yet, he could still understand it.
"Don't die. Don't leave me."
He searched through the room for the source of the sound, and even tried to guess what language it was. But it was slowly drifting away from his memory, and he could only think of it as him imagining things.
He left the room. As he did…..
A shape of a bat flew over Roland's head in the dark room. No, it had bat wings, but it was only an eye.
"Never die again, Master Quan. Never leave my side."
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