"My second identity is 'TheBoss'.... I am the number one player in the game" Leo revealed, as Luke stared at him jaw agape.
A million different emotions flashed by his face at that moment, as he felt exasperated and confused.
He felt a bit of pride, knowing that his brother was number one, but also a bit of anger, a bit of frustration, a bit of joy, a bit of nervousness and a lot of confusion.
"I know…. I know. It's a lot to take in, also I'm so very sorry for lying to you, but I didn't lie to you brother because I wanted to, I just lied to you because I had no other option.
If anyone were to figure out my real identity within the game or in real life, the ankle monitor would have killed me, so I was forced to lie to survive.
If not for the stupid ankle monitor, I would have NEVER lied to you" Leo said pinching his throat, as he signaled to Luke that he swore and that he was serious.
He really did have no choice in the matter, and if he did, he would surely not have deceived the person that he respected and loved the most in his life.
"You're THE BOSS?" Luke asked, ignoring his soup and grabbing Leo by his robes as he shook him from side to side.
"You're the boss, so you fought me in the finals of the grand tournament? You're the one we tried so hard to recruit? Also you're a master level fighter now?" Luke asked, violently pushing Leo around like a rag doll, as Leo did not dare retaliate.
"Yes… all that's true" Leo said, as Luke threw Leo off his chair and jumped onto him to give him an elbow slam.
"Ouch!" Luke complained, as contrary to his expectations, instead of Leo getting hurt, it was his elbow that felt injured, as although he hit Leo hard on his abdomen, it felt like he hit a wall, as Leo's body seemed to be as hard as steel.
"What the hell is that body? Are you Superman already?" Luke asked, clutching his elbow in pain, as he rolled on the kitchen floor beside Leo, who laughed like an idiot.
At this moment, Leo was so happy that Luke was at least talking to him, as although he was visibly mad and over enthusiastic, it was still much better than him turning off and deciding to not talk to Leo at all.
If there was one thing Leo feared, it was breaking Luke's trust, and hence he was relieved that his brother didn't disown him.
"What? Why are you laughing… you moron!" Luke complained, as Leo simply rolled over and gave Luke a tight hug on the floor.
He could die for his brother. There was no question in his mind that he could, and he was just glad that he could finally reveal his truth to him.
"Oh no you don't! Get off me! Get off me! Damn…. You're heavy and strong…. No!
Get off–" Luke protested, however, no matter how hard he pushed Leo, he could not shake his grip off, as just like within the game world, in reality too, the difference in their stats had become immense.
Luke was no longer in the same realm of strength as Leo after his ascension and hence he could not wrestle Leo the same way as when they were kids.
"Hahaha…. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Also, I wasn't allowed to officially join any guilds or organizations. It's one of the restrictions of the actor class.
Otherwise I would have joined the DarkSky guild from the start.." Leo said, as he let go of Luke, much to his relief.
"What the hell? What the hell kind of class are you playing? What the hell kind of journey have you had?" Luke asked, getting back up on his feet, as Leo chuckled and joined him.
"Alright…. Let me tell you my story" Leo said, with a spark in his eyes, as he took his seat on the dining table and resumed consuming the soup.
Frustrated, Luke stomped his feet, but also returned to his seat as he waited for Leo to tell him his lore.
********
(Two hours later)
For the next two hours, Leo told Luke every small detail about his journey so far, every challenge he faced, every challenge he overcame, and everything funny that happened along the way.
Initially, Luke was still distant, his anger not completely resolved, but as the story progressed, his body language softened.
He leaned forward, completely absorbed in the tale, as every now and then, his eyes would widen in disbelief, or he would scoff at the ridiculousness of some of Leo's experiences, but his interest never waned.
"So, let me get this straight," Luke said, raising a hand to pause Leo mid-sentence. "You've fought world bosses, infiltrated THE ROYAL CASTLE, faked your death twice, and you've been leading the biggest and strongest underground faction in the entire game?"
"Yep," Leo replied casually, sipping his soup, as if he hadn't just recounted a tale straight out of an epic fantasy novel.
Luke ran his hands through his hair, exasperated, as he couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"And you're telling me all of this now? After everything? Man, no wonder you always seemed so casual in front of Cervantez, you don't put him in your eyes much at all, no?" He asked, as Leo chuckled and shook his head to signal a 'no'.
"Hey, I respect the guy, he's nice and all but I'm number one!" Leo said, his tone suddenly serious again, as he gave Luke a knowing wink.
"I would have never lied to you brother, it's just, I had to, for the sake of my own life" Leo said, apologizing once again, as this time around finally Luke accepted his apology.
"Yeah, I get it. It just… it still feels like a lot. But, man, I'm glad my brother is the top player and the second top player, no matter how crazy this all sounds." He said, as he extended his hand for Leo to shake.
*DAP*
Leo shook his hand hard, grateful for his acceptance, as he felt a huge boulder being lifted off his chest.