《Wildborne》 Tutorial: Whereabouts ["I''m the child of the Sun and the Moon, Made from everything with love, yet I was feared, hated and shunned. I arrive each day, like clockwork, without fail, But some see me as a dark omen, others greet me without wail. I''m a time of change, when day turns to night, A fleeting moment that many see as a blight. What am I?" asked the Harlequin as he gave a sly grin to the merchant in front of him. The merchant is covered with sweat, tears and a bloody stench of his headless Noble comrade beside him as a result of wrong answer to the Jolly Harlequin''s riddles. But fear not, he will spare you or reward you for the correct answer, depending on his mood. Despite knowing the answer, fear choked the merchant''s neck like a noose made from the thickest rope made by a master craftsman. It seems like he would not last, judging by his silent ceaseless sobbing and quivering lips. "Judging by your silence, it seems like you want to join your friend after all. Lucky for you, I know just the trick. A quick lop-off! Allow me the honors..." the Harlequin chuckled with twisted delight as he brandished his scythe and swung down with full force when a voice bellowed. "IT''S DUSK!!! It''s Dusk, I swear... It''s Dusk, isn''t it?" The merchant finally uttered his answer and continued sobbing and wallowing for his life. The scythe''s blade was inches away from his nape and just nicked his skin, drawing droplets of dark red blood. The Harlequin stopped grinning, squinted his eyes closed and said: "This is why I hate smart guys... they always have answers at the ready." The merchant''s heart was filled with a breeze of peace as he realised that he is out of danger. The tension in the atmosphere has lessened and gave him some room to breathe. With his stoic face resting on one hand, the Harlequin continued: "With a mind such as yours, I bet your parents must be real proud of you, huh?" The merchant replied: "Yes, uhm... I agree! In fact, my father does not waste a single moment in bragging about my intellect. If I may, shall I share you something?" The Harlequin looked with intrigue: "Go ahead...", he said, as he inched a bit closer to listen to the merchant''s idea. " If you spare my life, I''ll discuss with my father and ask him to support you in every way possible. I''ll make sure to get your demands complied and wishes granted. My family will serve you forever!", he said while keeping his head bowed down. Although the pleading sounded genuine, the Harlequin does not seem to be moved. "Then I suppose I must bring a gift with equal value, wouldn''t you agree?" the Harlequin asked. "It''s alright, sir! For a figure such as yourself, any gift is fine! I''ll even accept it on behalf of my father!", the merchant''s face shone brightly. "Alright, how about your head?" the Harlequin suggested with a playful grin. "Of cour--- pardon?!", the merchant could not believe what he heard. The Harlequin was preening and sharpening his scythe with his finger with a menacing grin that grew as he slowly turned towards the noble. The implication is pretty obvious. Fear yanked him away like a puppeteer and put him on a scurrying frenzy on all fours in a desperate attempt to escape. The merchant threw his hand out to reach the door knob but another hand grabbed his ankle. Before he understood what''s happening, he finds himself outside the building. Falling. Until his back met the earth with a loud thud. The night sky overlooks the final moments of the merchant who lie broken, damp with his blood underneath, the whites of his eyes reddening and gasping for air while his lungs are filling up with blood. Truly, it is a gruesome sight to behold for the faint-hearted but not the Harlequin. With the look of the betrayed, the noble feebly asked: "Why...? Why am I... dying? I gave you the answer. The Harlequin said, " Well, it''s pretty obvious. The answer is wrong and thus, you''re lying on the ground. Dying." "No... no matter what, the answer to your riddle should be Dusk. It must be dusk. What did I do... to deserve this...?" The Harlequin''s face started to grow a frown with seething rage: "Don''t play dumb, you slaver mongrel. You and your friends grew rich by selling people in the black market and treat them as exotic animals and toys and you have the audacity to feign innocence?!" "But... you''re nothing but a ghost... A phantom... Why would you meddle in these matters? Unless... you''re searching for--- Oh... is it about those babes?" The Harlequin''s eyes widened: "So you do know what I want. Now, where... are they...?" He could barely control the fury that''s on the brim of his soul. The merchant simply looked at him... and chuckled. The chuckle turned into giggle, which soon turned into a manic laughter which he did not stop, even if he''s convulsing in pain. Even the gargling blood within his throat does not seem to stop him from the Harlequin. "No wonder you sounded familiar! You''re that smartass peasant from that circus. Hey clown, I got to thank you for rearing those fine bunnies. They are simply exquisite! I wish I could keep one or two myself but many ''patrons'' of mine just couldn''t resist their urges, hahaha! I made a ton of fortune, thanks to you! Even though you masquerade yourself as the Angel of Death, you''re still nothing! My associates, patrons and even agents of the law will chase you to the ends of Earth for the havoc you wreaked against us these few months! Mark my words, peasant for you will---" The fine flick of the Harlequin''s wrist snatched away the merchant''s tongue, his mouth gushing with blood like a fountain. He raised his scythe high in the air and imbued his power through it. Violet wisps of aura dance around the blade. Tears of blood flows from the Harlequin''s masked face out of sorrow and fury. "May Hades prepare you to be the finest toy of the Titans. To Tartarus!" he screamed and swung down his scythe and hdkdjd---] "How many times..." a teen boy grumbled as he wiped his wet neck. "What part of ''No cold cans on neck'' don''t you understand, old woman?! I almost dropped my phone and lost everything!" he shouted. Then he promptly saved the draft in his mobile and kept in his pocket. "Sorry, bad habits." The woman gave a half-hearted apologetic smile to him. Clearly, she has no intention of changing her habits. Not in this lifetime anyway. "Besides, you can write from the start if the draft got messed up, right?" "Hmm... let me answer with another question. How do you feel when your sinuses get clogged up?" The woman pressed her forehead in frustration: "Why do you need to do that? Personally, it''s dreadful. Worse, you can''t smell or taste and wobble around like a filthy zombie. I''d do anything to avoid getting sick like that." "I feel like that too. And that thing''s called Writer''s block. It''s basically Author''s flu. You get it, you''re stuck with it for months. Worst-case scenario, years." "So... long story short, when you get disturbed in the zone, you lose that idea forever. Right?" The boy snapped his finger: "Bingo! You''re smarter than I thought, Auntie. Kudos!" he teased. "What do you mean by that?" his aunt asked in a low voice. "Well... granted you''re tall and brawny, I thought you don''t get enough oxygen to think. I doubted you have the capacity to do even a simple 1+1.", the boy started to giggle. "Why you little---" his aunt snapped and grabbed the boy, tickling him on his weak spots. The giggling boy started to laugh like a maniac in response. After some time, she let him go and continued sulking, still clinging onto the teasing. The boy is struggling to regain his composure but the combined effect of the thought and the tickling made him wheeze harder and his sides hurt more. Still, he couldn''t stop giggling. "Enough, I say!" said the woman. "Kids have no respect these days. They think they can get away with everything, I swear...", she slouched and grumbled away. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Okay, I''ll stop. Just give me a few seconds though." the boy breathed in and out and regained his composure but he kept on smiling at the funny situation unfolded in front of him. "How''s Ringara doing nowadays?" his aunt asked with casual curiosity. "You mean Uncle? He''s doing great. Unless you want to see him mad by sitting on his face." This comment earned him a loud, hard slap on his back, setting the skin on fire. The force alone made him fling off of the swing and fell down on all fours. "You don''t say that in public places, you crazy punk!" his aunt shouted, her face burning pink out of embarassment. "Where did you learn that?! Who taught you that?!" "What''s the big idea, Auntie?! Isn''t that how you greet him when you were a couple back in the day?" "Hell no, we don''t!! We slammed each other against the walls while giving each other big sloppy French ki-AAAHHH!!!" the woman realised she dug her grave further and sunk down in shame, her face burning red by the second. But the boy kept on slapping the floor, laughing like there''s no tomorrow and tears trickle down his cheeks. "You''re so evil! How could you do that to your poor Auntie? First of all, how could you say that, huh?!" the woman is on the verge of shedding tears, which made the boy realised that he took things too far. "Ahem! My bad, I crossed the line here. Sorry again..." the boy surrendered and apologized which made his aunt sigh: ''Man, this is getting nowhere.'' She looked up to the evening sky and gazed at the faint moon with a sort of yearning. The boy, then opened his mouth: "Auntie, although you''re his ex-girlfriend, you''re still pining for him to this day. Not to mention, you''re almost 50. I believe you''re wasting your affections on a lost cause." "You''re right. Maybe I''m just wasting my time trying to mend our broken relationship. Maybe I''m just dumb salvaging what''s left in our friendship. But remember this, one doesn''t just forget their first love. Especially when they are at an arm''s length away. In the end, it''s all worth it." the woman smiled gently which made her look beautiful under the purpling sky. This made the boy''s eyes open wide and began to see his aunt in a new light. "Well, I''ll be rooting for you. Hope you reconcile with him." the boy smiled. "Thank you!" his aunt beamed with joy and hope. "When pigs fly..." he smirked. "You PUNK!" the woman screeched with wrath, pulling her godson''s hair and lift him off the ground. The boy pleaded profusely to let him go. Night came and the boy was left alone, dazed with pain while his aunt kept on sulking. "I just said the truth though. I know Uncle and if he''s best at one thing, it''s stubbornness. This begs me the question: why is he so mad at you, even though you love him? What did you do?" "It''s what I didn''t do. Unable to do..." his aunt''s voice was filled his regret and helplessness. "That day when your parents died, or rather their disappearance, I was there and I was in a deadlock with the culprits. By the time he got there, it was already too late. When Ringara heard about it later, he yelled, cursed, cried, hurled everything at me. I just stood there like a mountain, I couldn''t even comfort him. It''s safe to say that I lost the privilege of doing so, seeing as how distant we are." the woman struggled to control from crying while wiping her tears subtly. "That''s why I''m here..." she continued, "... to guide you to your father. Or at least, the leads showing to where he might be." the woman said with a stoic voice while searching for the info in her totem. "Is there anything I could do?" the boy asked his aunt. "Of course! One could say this path is made only for you." the woman beamed before keeping the hand on her godson''s head. "You just have to play this." Before he could realize what happened, a multitude of sensations flooded inside his head. Like the Pillar of Fire descending, the overwhelming amount of data chaotically swirled in his mind for awhile. Slowly but surely, the data organized and stabilized perfectly. Although the process is completed, the aftermath made the boy groggy. He knew what he was coming and rushed towards the nearest bush. With no time to brace, he vomited suddenly and badly. The dizziness hit him as well. It is overwhelming, at the least. "Uh oh... should''ve done this on an empty stomach. Sorry, kid. Really sorry." his aunt rubbed on his back to ease his retching. "You should''ve given me a heads-up... What did you do to me?" he asked feebly as his consciousness faded in and out. "I downloaded the game in your Totem. You can check it out now." The boy tapped his totem, swiped and pressed the Holo-screen, searching for the game until he saw an icon that features a silhouette of a animal in its battle stance. Under that, it read Wildborn. "Hey, Auntie... isn''t this the game everybody''s playing right now?" he asked, as confusion starts to seep in. "That''s right! You must play this game. Simple and easy, isn''t it?" she smiled playfully. "How does this game relates to my missing father? Do I look like a joke to you?!" he raised his voice with an annoyed frown on his face. "Of course not! See, *******-" "AAHHH!" the boy shouted and winced away from his aunt, which startled her. The concerned woman asked him: "What happened?! Are you okay? Say something!" "I... I''m fine. Just a second." the boy assured her and massaged his head. "What were you saying?" "I said *******-" "AAAAHHHH!!!" the pain got a bit more excruciating. "Make it stop! Make it STOP!" The woman held her godson''s head and sent some pulses through him. The pulses gradually subsided the pain and gave him relief.The boy drew long breaths in peace. Upon seeing the condition first-hand, dread came up over her. ''Zakari... what have you done? How can you be so cruel?'', she thought. "Jun, what was that? How long did you have this... condition?", her voice trembled as she asked the question. "Well, I think it''s been like this since my seventh birthday. The accident, to be exact. The aftermath is that I am unable to recognise my parents. Their faces, voices and even their names- they are all distorted. The more I tried to remember, the more the headaches, like now, happens. Man, I stopped doing this when I was 10. Worse, the face blurring started to spread on others too. It''s because of this I couldn''t recognise at the beginning. I wasn''t rude at all, hahaha." Jun chuckled sheepishly at this. The woman hugged and comforted him, while tears flowed from her eyes. She felt devastated that he had to endure such a cruel handicap, but she feels a bit of pride that he has a strong heart and mind. But she could not bring herself to tell more. "Auntie, I''m fine. It''s alright now.", Jun assured his aunt. "So, what can I do now? What should I do?" He looked straight into his aunt''s eyes. She could see the glimmer of hope, the flame of resolve within him. ''Haha, like father, like son. I shouldn''t be surprised at this point.'' she though to herself. With a clear, stern voice, she spoke: "Jun, listen to me carefully. What you''re going to do will put you in danger. Your friends and family will be dragged into this. Once you start this, there''s no going back. Still, I''ll support you in every way possible. I''ll help you reach your parents, if it''s the last thing I do. Are you ready for this?" Jun has merely patted her shoulder and gave her his thumbs-up with a grin of his face. In an instant, she felt immense assurance and started to smile widely. "Now that I know you''re good to go, how are you going to deal with Ringara?" his aunt worried. "Simple. I''ll tell everything as it is and ask him to help me. It''s fine if he didn''t want to. Worst-case scenario, we''ll have to fight for my freedom." The woman gasped: "Hey! I''m telling you to convince him, not throw hands!" "Well, you can''t negotiate with a bear, can you? If he''s bruised, he brought it on himself. That''s all." "Don''t you dare hurt him... you''ll be in a world of pain when that happens..." his aunt threatened menacingly, her royal aura emanating. ''I can''t bear to look at my aunt. How she is acting cute, despite being old is beyond me.'' Jun thought to himself with disbelief and amusement when his aunt, a habitually violent woman, is advocating peace and defending for his uncle. He just couldn''t hold it anymore: "Jeez, why don''t you just make up and make out already?" "Hey, what are you even saying?! Are you out of your mind?!" his aunt got flustered in an instant. "Even Dan said the same thing!" "Looks like my brother did a good job. It''s high time he did that. You have no idea how much he''s been yapping at the idea of Uncle''s remarriage with you." "Really?!" she was shocked at this revelation. Jun nodded with a soft smug look on his face. "Oh come on! Stop teasing me like that, you brats! I don''t think it''s true!" she is growing bright red, her thinking capacity shrinking as she''s dreaming about her possible life with Ringara. "At this rate, I may become your nephew soon. Hehehe" "Enough!" No sooner did she shouted than her face flashed a bright light at Jun''s face. The light startled him so badly that he jolted in his seat. ''What in the world happened?'', he thought to himself when he saw the window right next to him, showing a wide bay below and a bright blue sky above. He realizes now that he was sleeping all this time during his journey in the air. Just then, an excited voice greeted him: "Good morning! Have some water. I bet you''ll feel pretty thirsty now." He turned left to see a blonde, chubby man offering him a water bottle. He accepted the bottle: "Thanks, Dan. You''re a lifesaver!" "Don''t mention it, bro!" Dan smiled brighter than the morning sun itself. "Almost forgot... we''ll land there in half an hour. So, you can take a nap if you want." "Nah, I am wide awake now. It''s useless to take a nap." Jun said while gulping down the water. "The Parched will find that the water is sweeter than honey." "Oh, is that a new opening dialogue for something?" "No... just a relatable thought, is all." "I see... by the way, what were you murmuring in your sleep? Any problem?" Dan worried for him. "Nothing like that. Unlike your serenading escapades with your idol, if you know what I mean." Jun shot a mean smirk at Dan, which got him red with embarassment and anger. "Hey, it''s not like that! I may have a crush on Lady Sandstone but I''m not obsessed with her! It''s just that her songs are that amazing and catchy!" he desperately explained logically over his one-sided crush for Christina Sandstone, a famously active idol and diva. Jun patted his back with a pitiful look, half-heartedly rooting for his brother''s crush, who''s way out of league for him. But little did he know that his underestimation would come to bite him back badly in the future. "Don''t give me that look!" Dan swatted his hand away with a bummed-out look. "Alright... I just remembered Auntie Hibana. It was regarding my parents. Nothing more." Jun finally replied. "I see... It''s been four years since we last saw her in person. Do you think we''ll meet again?" Dan hoped for it. "Sure, once she retires from her company. I''m pretty sure she misses all of us. Especially Uncle." "Hahaha, you''re right about that!" Dan beamed with enthusiasm. "I hope they get together after this. It''s about time Dad has some company in his age." Jun nodded in agreement. Just then, a voice from PA system spoke: "You''ll be arriving at Clover Harbor shortly. We thank you for choosing Skyslither Express. You can submit the review showing on your screen so that your traveling experience will be improved further next time. Thank you again!" Jun and Dan looked out from the window to see the figure of a landmass far away, their destination. Jun spoke: "Ready for an adventure, pal?" Dan smirked: "You bet I do!" They bumped fists with each other, barely containing their excitement as their journey slowly comes to an end. Just then, another announcement relayed. "Good morning passengers, we regret to inform you that our arrival will be delayed by detour as a storm warning has been established. Buckle up in your seats as turbulence may come in our way. Thank you for your listening and patience." ''Aw, man! This sucks!'' Jun and Dan thought with frosty disappointment, cupping their heads with their hands, resting on the seat trays. [To be continued] Lvl 1: Little Men in the Blue Sky [Clover Harbor... a magnificent archipelago anchoring triumphantly in the middle of the vast ocean. This megastructure serves as pristine proof of human Oneness and a beacon for a polishing civilization. Here, you can gaze upon the architectural marvels etched in glass, explore lush environments, learn under the great minds, dine on fine cuisines and embrace the Culture Storm! We beckon your arrival in this wonderful Paradise!] This was the umpteenth time Jun and Dan watched the ushering promo of the archipelago, so much that they could recite it by heart. As time went on, the passengers grew agitated and restless ever since the delay was announced and no update after that. But Jun and Dan were nothing short of bored, dull and blank. Dan kept on chittering his teeth while Jun rolled his eyeballs haphazardly, spacing off into the open. Suddenly, he let a big, wide grin which was noticed by Dan, who gave a smug look. "What''s the plan, bro?" Dan asked with rising enthusiasm. "It''s nothing much... just a little PvP." Jun said with a subtle smirk on his face. "But before that, how many Pockies do we have?" "I don''t know... let me check in a second." Dan dug into his bag and fumbled around and brought out a box of Pockies just a while later. "What do you need this for?" Dan enquired for his budding confusion. Jun took the box from him and started to explain: "First, I pick a target for you and vice versa, turn-based style. Second, the main goal is to make our targets laugh. One laugh equals one Pocky. Third, the one who has the most shares of Pocky wins. What do you say?" His grin sparkled white, resting his case with a sense of pride at the thought of having a brilliant idea like this. But Dan''s bummed-out look of discontent says otherwise. "Bro, give me one good reason why I should play the clown in front of people. Besides, it sounds really stupid, no offense though." Dan said. "None taken." Jun replied. Dan continued: "Why not just ask for a comedy stand-off PvP or a dad joke PvP?" "Bro, have you heard the saying ''Gloom is Doom''? Well, this car reeks of that! I don''t want our moods to be sour and miss the fun the islands gonna offer." "You mean, your mood." Dan corrected with a stern look. "Haha, come on... humor me, bro." Jun chuckled about the possible fun and chaos he''s about to stir. "Besides, we have stage fright. Did you forget?" Those two words sent chills up their spines but it made Dan flinch slightly. "Haha... no thank you! Unlike you, I have something called dignity. I''m not gonna sell it for some drops of Endorphins. Good luck!" He smiled, waiting for Jun to drop down his ridiculous plan. "Sandstone concert tickets and merchandise, my treat." Jun offered with a serious look, out of desperation to clear his boredom at all costs. "Limited edition and I''ll start the game!" Dan got pumped with energy instantly at the thought of getting free goodies but soon realised what he did and crumbled down. He then started to clutch his hair in frustration: ''Damn it! Why did I do that?!'' But Jun didn''t care about his pity party and asked: "Who''s my target?" "Huh? Uh... that man. Over there!" Dan pointed the man with glasses sitting in the front. Jun got up from his seat and went towards him. Some time later, there was the sound of laughter coming from the front of the car. Jun came back to his seat with an aura of pride emanating from his body. He stretched out his hand and demanded his prize. Dan gave one Pocky to him, who simply threw it into his mouth in style. "Your turn now..." Jun said when he pointed Dan''s target in the back. Dan looked back and saw a young woman with a long, black ponytail. He shook his head in refusal, while Jun refused his refusal by waving his finger and clicking his tongue smugly. With no other choice, he walked away. A few more minutes later, laughter was heard from the back too. Dan came back to his seat and sat down, his face flushed out of embarassment. Stolen novel; please report. Jun struggled to hold his chuckles in and gave two Pockies to him for his effort. Dan snatched them from his hands and munched on them with fury and tears. Like this, the game went for a while and in the end, they successfully infected the entire car with laughter while filled their bellies full. They were in peace, including the passengers, when a woman with a llama mask called to them. "Yes, is there a problem?" Jun asked. The llama-mask hostess explained: "There were some noise complaints from the car in front. And I found out that you two were behind the commotion. I request you not to disturb anymore." Dan apologized to the brown haired hostess, for both of them: "We''re so sorry, ma''am. We won''t do that from on." "Thank you for understanding." She smiled and bowed down, to which the men reciprocated. Subsequently, Jun noticed something. "Excuse me, ma''am. Now that I hear a bit more clearly, your voice sounds sweet. Do you sing in your free time often?" The hostess got flustered on hearing the double whammy of compliment and personal question, out of the blue. She fumbled: "N-n-no! I mean... my friends invite to me to karaoke from time to time... and I simply sing to go along with them." Then it hit her: "Don''t tell me--!" Jun nodded in agreement. "No! Please, don''t ask me!" The hostess was sweating bullets as she''s begging not to be put under spotlight. "Alright... I understand, It''s not like we''re forcing you to do it." Jun shrugged with rising sadness. The hostess found relief, as shown by her closed, relaxed smiling eyes. "But it''d be a shame if we create a louder ruckus later... for the sake of staving off boredom." His smirk got dark. "Oh... if only someone could sing for us..." Dan added in a dramatic tone. ''Uh oh! These jerks aren''t going to leave me alone, are they?!'' The hostess thought them as nuisances, ready to smite them with reprimands. "We can hear your thoughts really well, you know!" The men said in unison. This made the hostess flinch and gasp in shock. Nevertheless, the hostess tried to step away slowly but Jun caught her tightly. "People! Would you like to hear her sing?" He shouted to the passengers, who were on a good mood. The passengers agreed and cheered, clapping with rhythm to hype the hostess. Jun and Dan merely fanned the flames of fervor. The hostess had no choice but to play along. She stood in front of the car overseeing all the passengers, wrote the character for ''Human'' on her palm and swallowed it. With her self-esteem and courage mustered, she breathed in and vocalised. The car was filled with the hostess'' melodious voice, brightening the mood and multiplying the joy. Before she knew it, she was enjoying it. Her fear, nervousness, anxiety disappeared from her heart. Even some of the passengers started to sing with her, including Dan. Some of the passengers started recording the entire scene and laugh behind the screen. Truly, it was a party in the sky. After the hostess finished, she was bombarded with rounds of applause and compliments. The hostess ran away to the cabin in embarassment, but not before thanking them all. Just then, the masterpilot announced through the PA system: "Passengers, in a few more minutes, we''ll be landing in Clover Harbor. Thank you for the journey!" This gave the passengers even more reason to be excited and rambunctious. The Skyslither finally started to descend and approach Enotitropolis, the central island of the archipelago which acts as the hub of tourism and transport. After gaining the clearance, the Skyslither dove inside a column, which serves as a docking station for the flying train to stop. The roofs of the cars opened and the passengers were escorted out in their seats, thanks to the AMOS (automatic maglev orientation system). As the cousins are exiting out of the train, they were called by the hostess. Jun asked if there was a problem, but the hostess shook her head in affirming denial. Still, the hostess nervously fidgeted with a piece of paper in her hand. Seconds later, she handed it to him: "I-if you don''t mind... here''s my number. You don''t have to call, if you want to. Just texting is fine. And if you''re interested, maybe we coul-" "Sorry, not interested." Jun shot down politely, with a smile and without hesitation. "Have a great day by the way!" He went on, leaving the hostess to the winds. "Sorry about that, but I''ll accept it on his behalf!" Dan offered to receive it but the hostess, numb to the rejection, gave out a scoffing sigh and gave the number in pity. ''That''s hella rude...'' Dan silently judged her and went away as well. "Man... you''re such a heartbreaker, bro!" Dan proclaimed after he caught up with Jun. "You could''ve rejected her a bit softer..." He said it in a disheartened tone. "Bro, it''d be safe to convey at the beginning itself, rather than giving her room to think she has a chance. I''m just nipping the bud, that''s all." He shrugged nonchalantly. "But still... you could''ve said it a bit more gently!" "At least, you took the number, right? Save it. We''ll never know what sort of connections we might gain. Or make. Worry not, I''ll do better." He put his arm around Dan''s back, assuring him that he will better his social skills. "You better learn fast, bro." Dan replied. The cousins were greeted with a bright, hot bundle of sunbeams, shooting through the stormy clouds in the horizon far away. They stretched their bodies and breathed in the air, wondering about their itinerary few steps ahead while walking out of the docking station. The journey has yet to begin. [To be continued...] Lvl 2: Little Men and the Otter in the wheel Beads of salty water sliding on the clammy skin, reddened necks irritated by constant wiping, parching throats cooled by saliva and water, bodies getting tanned by the minute. This is the current ordeal the cousins are facing after they landed in Eno City. Walking down the road, they found a bus stop and sat there to escape the midday heat and wait for a bus. Although the roof gave them some relief, the hot air they''re breathing makes them thirstier than before. While Jun carefully sips water to save until he gets to refill, Dan is chugging down on his fourth can of banana milk like a camel drying up an oasis. Watching him, Jun''s thirst grew more and he became instinctually needy and emptied his bottle. The cousins fought the heat as much as possible but they''re running out of their endurance sooner. After all, they lived their lives in the North and it takes time for them to get adjusted. But the heat was just merciless. Just when they feel like passing out, a screeching sound whistled in their ears and they became alert. In front of them stood a bus, open for them to get in. "Hop in!" The bus driver with the otter mask beckoned them. On checking the bus'' destination, Jun spoke: "No, thank you. We want to go to Momoboshi, which is in the opposite direction." "Yeah... that''s not happening." The driver responded bluntly with disappointment. "Why so?" "Because all the trains to Momoboshi are booked. You know, because of the festival." "What festival?" "What festival... change of plans, young man! You and your friend just hop in and I''ll explain everything. I won''t charge you. Yet." The otter-mask driver smiled widely at this proposition. ''No wonder the city looks packed from above.'' Jun thought to himself. He accepted the driver''s offer and poked Dan awake to get him into the bus. Inside the bus, the cousins waddled through the passengers to get to the driver and have a talk with him. "So, what''s this festival you''re gonna explain about, uncle?" Jun asked. "Right! The entire archipelago is celebrating the Founding Festival. Although you can celebrate anywhere, most of the fabulous fiasco is centred here. That''s why many trains and Skyslithers are booked. If even the expensive ones are sold too, then imagine how much the masses are looking forward to." "No wonder the city looks packed from above!" Dan exclaimed. "Sorry in advance but, were you both living under a rock or something?" The otter-mask shoved his curiosity on their faces. "Well, you could say that." Jun shrugged. "When your room is filled to the brim with manuscripts, you just forget the world sometimes." "Ah... you both must be some writers, I see. That''s hardcore. Unhealthy but hardcore. I respect the diligence, but rest is also important. Writing is one of the hobbies where you burn out easily." "Thank you for the concern, uncle. We''ll manage." Jun nodded with a smile. "So, all things aside, do you have any plan for us to get to Momoboshi?" "Oh, right! Almost forgot! Hmm... Your best bet is in Rubigin Station. There will be a train line that will take you to Momoboshi. But it''s Express, so you have to book it as soon as possible." The otter-mask instructed like a teacher. On checking the available seats, the cousins found out that only six seats are available, which put them in a frenzy. Even the cost did not deter and they burned their allowance in an instant, leaving them penniless for the day. On realising the situation they''re in, Dan started to cry, breaking down, muttering plans that would question one''s sanity, left to another''s imagination. "Why did we do this? I mean.. We just need to get to Momoboshi, that''s all. There''s no need to rush, right? Why?! Jun, bro, you could''ve said something! You should''ve stopped me, you know..." Dan is clutching and shaking Jun by his collar, metaphorical tears flowing from his eyes. If Dan''s money-saving principles were humans, they would give him looks that kill him, no mercy. Jun swatted Dan''s hands away and fixed his collar: "Okay, let''s say we stay and wait here. Then what? Get roasted alive for another day? Did you forget you were chugging like there''s no tomorrow out of thirst? We barely walked straight ever since we walked out the docking station because of the heat! Made me wonder why we were born in Shinjukawa in the first place! If I had know-" "Did you just say Shinjukawa?!" The otter-mask was surprised, then burst out laughing at their predicament. "Boy, you both must be crazy for landing here! This city is just not for people who lived North all their lives. It''s simply not. Either you didn''t plan enough or somebody booked you on a whim, hahaha!" Although Dan''s eyes immediately went white on thinking about that somebody, the same could not be said for Jun, for his hair covered his eyes. Nevertheless, the grudge for that culprit has only just begun. On seeing their clenched jaws and burning fists, the otter-mask instantly dialed down his clowning. "I take it''s the latter *ahem* sorry." The atmosphere grew awkward. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "It''s not your fault, uncle. Don''t worry." Jun spoke. "He''s right! Someone else needs to be held accountable..." Dan continued. But the smiles on their faces does not seem benevolent or loving in the slightest. The otter-mask driver got spooked and he fumbled his words to steer the conversation: "Umm, why don''t we talk about books for a change? You kids said you''re writers, no?" "Oh? Yeah, we mentioned that a while ago... what''s your favorite genre, uncle?" Dan asked, letting go of the animosity towards the culprit. "Whatever fancies me, to be honest." The whiskers on the otter-mask along with the driver. "Ohh, a wine-taster!" Dan said with twinkling eyes, as he found a friend in the driver. "What?! I''ve never touched wine in my entire life! How dare you call me one!" The otter-mask blew a fuse, out of his pride for being a tee-totaller. "Relax, uncle. It''s what we call people like you. Readers who read everything, doesn''t discriminate but also don''t have a favorite type. You''re not literally a wine-taster." "Oh... my bad, hahaha..." The driver apologized, feeling bad for the miscommunicated outburst. "But there was this book that changed my life for the better." Jun and Dan looked at each other, wondering what they would have done for him to say this. The driver continued: "It was about a... Ha, a woman in all black with purple daggers! And there''s also a man in black-hooded robe accompanying him, too. Anyway, it''s been quite some time when I read it. I may not remember the story but I remember and love that shadow-walking rogue of a woman!" Jun turned away to suppress his laughter and Dan is also holding back but he wants to listen to the driver''s testimony. "I don''t give a damn about getting labeled a crazy pervert, but I actually saw my wife in that character. I chuckle at her dialogues, thinking this is what she would say to me. In fact, when my wife and I are in the earlier stages of divorce, the book helped me reconnect with her and I was able to save her marriage. Now, we''re revving for our third honeymoon to Shinjukawa, haha!" "Wow! Congrats, uncle! We wish you a safe journey and a sweet honeymoon!" Dan said, with tears of joy from his eyes, to which the driver thanked. "Uncle, if I may ask, what led you and your wife to the mouth of the trench called Divorce? I understand if you don''t want to talk about it." Jun said. "Long story short, my wife went bonkers as grew old. She and I were mad at each other, fighting for hours at times. After connecting with the book, I rediscovered my love for her and just talked it out with her. Turns out, it was menopause. Menopause!" The driver sighed, thinking about his regret on not seeing it and helping her sooner. "During the fights, I somewhat realised that she was acting if she was back to her prime, a goth Chuunibyou. Of all the things, she made an embarrassing part of her life into a coding/coping mechanism, hoping I could see the signs. Now, it''s all water under the bridge and and here we are!" The driver stopped at the Rubigin Station, by the time the testimony ended. Jun and Dan got down from the bus and thanked the driver. While Dan entered into the station after wishing him a beautiful honeymoon again, Jun stayed back. "What''s wrong, kid? Do you need any help?" The driver asked. "Umm... you said you forgot the name of the rogue, right?" "Yes, what about it?" "Her name is Ivy. Just wanted to let you know." "Oh! Now how could I forget that?! Her name is same as that of my wife! Man, I''m such a lousy goof." "Weakness comes with age, memories come and go, but your love as a husband and father fuels your strength and those that matters the most will etch itself in your heart. If there is next time, we''ll meet again. I bet Dan will be crying in some corner right now, thinking about how he''s going to miss you." Just then, the wind blew over Jun''s face and the driver saw his eyes. Dense grey irises that makes one question whether he can see beyond. Or whether he can see at all. His gaze and his words filled the driver felt awe and respect for Jun and blessed his parents for raising such a man in his heart. "Thank you for the kind words, young man. We''ll meet again. By the way, have you read the book I told about?" Jun nodded: "Yes." "How was the book?" "It was good." "Good?" "Yes, good. After all, an author cannot exaggerate their own work, can they? Goodbye." Confused, the driver waved him back and checked the notes Jun gave for the bus fare. There are some ink markings on the note. Pulling out his reading glasses, the driver saw that the markings were autographs with phone numbers and message reading: ''If you come across any future announcements about my return from hiatus, call me. I''ll take your ideas with a grain of salt'' In that moment, the words that confused him finally sunk in and he switched on the PA system. "Hey! I''m keeping this as my heirloom! Have a safe journey!" Jun was at the entrance of the station when the PA system of the bus blared across the area. After listening, he simply gestured ''Super'' and waved goodbye again with a smile on his face. As he went to the train platform, Dan caught up with him and asked: "Bro, what was the noise outside?" On seeing Dan''s puffy eyes, Jun grinned widely: "Nothing major. I gave Uncle Otter our numbers." "Really?!" "Really." Dan hugged Jun tightly and put his arm around his neck: "That''s awesome! Now I can talk to him whenever I want!" "Pipe down... I wrote explicitly that he would call when I return from hiatus." "What?! Why would you do that?" "It''s a secret plan." Jun grinned again, which got Dan frustrated. Some time later, the train arrived and they entered in. They went into their seats and adjusted themselves into comfort, waiting for the train to move. Minutes later, the train started and exited out of the station. Jun looked at Eno City one last time through the window and saw the Festival at the peak of its extravagance and joy. Fireworks zooming into the black sky and burst into vibrant patterns and designs. Then, he closed the window and slouched back into his seat, took a long breath and closed his eyes. [To be continued] Lvl 3: Little Men in Momoboshi Gentle nudges were made to wake Jun up, but the deep sleep made him care less about the waking world. A few more little nudges barely roused him awake. "Leave me alone... we aren''t there yet anyway..." He said groggily. "I agree. In fact, we missed Momoboshi because of you." Dan told in a cold voice, which jolted Jun awake. "Please tell me you''re joking!" Jun''s voice trembled as Dan coldly stared at him. "Come on, man! Say something!" Jun shook him in panic when he noticed Dan''s orange peel chin. It was obvious that he''s struggling not to grin. In an instant, caution consumed his face, putting him in a calm mood. "Dan, please... tell me you''re joking." He repeated with a grey-colored aura of intimidation. Nevertheless, Dan stared into him, still as a prowling tiger. This made Jun realize that he''s actually serious. "Shit... what do we do now?" Jun''s intimidation simmered down and cupped his head in panic. He swore that he would not sleep while traveling in his head. Seeing him in that state, Dan burst out laughing, so much that he''s wheezing and clutching his sides. "Got you good, didn''t I?! Man, I can''t believe that smolder worked! Whew, I never felt so much thrill in my lif-AAAHHH!" No sooner did Dan said than he yelled in pain when Jun pinched his nipple. "You''re roadkill now, trash pandog. Besides, that look is called the Guilt-Tripper." he uttered in a calm tone, but his action screams for blood. Dan tried to free from Jun''s grip by yanking his little ponytail, but this only helped in getting his second, bigger serving of pain. "Mercy, mercy! Let me go! Owwahhh!!" Dan was writhing in pain and grabbed Jun''s hand to break his crab-like pincer hold, but Jun let him go after he felt satisfied and breathed out a sigh of fulfillment. "Sadistic piece of... It''s just a prank, man! Why do you have to go so far?!" He barked in anger, tearfully licking his wounds in the meantime. "A prank that just cost me my sleep and peace of mind. You should know better than to wake me up." Jun retorted at him nonchalantly, feeling no guilt for what he had done. "Anyway, when will we reach there?" "I''m telling you nothing." Dan pouted, crossing his arms and threw his back into the seat, looking at Jun with defiance. "Do your worst." Jun simply snapped his left hand and gestured a pincer hold: "Next time it''s your right." He flaunted it menacingly. This pushed Dan into surrendering, fearing for the untold pain meted out on him, which is best left unsaid. "Hold on, hold on! We''ll reach Momoboshi in 10 minutes. So, please put your hand down." Dan covered Jun''s hand with his own and put it down as if he''s disarming a weapon from him gently for a moment of truce. "I see..." He pondered about something in his mind and immediately pulled out his Holo-Slab. He opened the map, zooming and scrolling along the lines, studying the routes with a keen sight. "What are you doing, bro?" Dan asked. "Searching for vacant houses. Our best bet in the suburb blocks. Those that have been finished halfway are even better. On top of that, we should look for places---" "I checked it all out. Here." Dan handed out his Slab, which shows the bookmarks of the locations and the details about them. That''s when Jun realised that he was bored after organizing the itinerary. Being an early riser, Dan used to read or edit the manuscripts back in home but since the hiatus, he has nothing to work with. Now he just listens to songs to kill time. Glancing at Dan, he stretched out his fist, saying: "Good." Dan turned towards him and just bumped his fist. "I guess we just have to talk with the landlord and---" "I spoke to the landlord''s daughter. She''s fine with all I have discussed with her. She said the house would be ready in six months. Meanwhile, for our temporary stay, she recommended one of her friend''s apartment which she''s renting out too. It''s cheap too." While Dan was explaining away, Jun just blurted out whole-heartedly: "Sorry for the pain and thank you for the help. I love you, bro and I don''t know what I''d do without you. I swear fealty and my life unto you!" "Hey, hey, it''s okay! I just wanna help, that''s it! It''s all water under the bridge!" Dan covered his face with his hand out of second-hand embarrassment for Jun''s cheesy apology. But he felt happy about it. "You''re a grade-S husbando material, you know?" "Pfft... as if. I''m just looking out for my pal, my cousin, that''s all. Besides, I''m not that attractive or anything like that. " "Your future wife would be so lucky to meet you and love you for you, I can see it." Jun continued to tease him. "Hey, cut it out!" Dan started to feel sheepish about the remark but felt glad that he was able to help his cousin.
4 minutes later, the train slowed down and stopped in a station. Jun glanced the platform signs through the window and signaled Dan to pick up the luggage. "We''re here now, let''s go." They exited out of the train with the other passengers and looked around the platform to find a way out of the station. On the way out, they were stopped by a teenaged boy, asking for something. "Excuse me, is this you?" he showed his Holo-Slab to them, featuring a recorded video that titled ''Offline Karaoke Fest''. This two-day old video became so viral that it made headlines, both locally and nationally. Although the highlight is the singing air hostess who managed to steal many hearts overnight, the people were just determined to know this mysterious white-haired man, who initiated the happy hysteria. Dan simply pointed to Jun to him, which bit him in the neck. Soon, a mob gathered surrounding Jun while pushing Dan away from him. At the centre of attention, Jun was shell-shocked as he was bombarded with questions like where he''s from. Whether he is an idol trainee. Whether he is a secret heir of a conglomerate. Some are just downright proposals for marriage. Although it may seem that the crowd is overreacting over a commoner, but Jun''s appearance support their assumptions. His pure-white hair obscuring over his eyes, ponytail depicting him as a free-spirited vagabond, face rounded with effeminate highlights, slim figure on par with athletes and dancers, tanned skin that simply stands out more than needed. Overall, Jun looks like an exotic beast and he feels disgusted by the ticking second. Without giving a single syllable, he simply put on his hoodie and pushed through the crowd, while gasping for his breath. For him, it''s like walking through a muddy swamp and the unbudging crowd, hellbent on getting answers and selfies, makes it even harder. Thankfully, a hand grabbed him and he was pulled out from the unruly mob. "Boy am I glad to see you!" Jun felt very elated on seeing his savior''s face, who is actually Dan. "Less admiring, more running!" Dan shouted at him, dragging him away while the mob started to chase them.
"Where did you go?"
"I picked a ride while you were stuck there."
"Is it a cab?"
"Nah, even better!"
Finally, they went out of the station after paying the toll and stood to check whether the mob is still after them, until they got caught under someone''s eyes. "Hey, over here!" A bold and beautiful voice fell on Jun''s ears, who turned towards the source. It was from a woman in a biker suit, face covered with a cat-eared helmet. He immediately pulled Dan away and dashed towards her. "Wow! Now that I look up-close, you really do like an idol trainee!" "I''ll thank you later for the remark, but are you the one Dan talked about? The ride?" "Oh, yeah! The chubby one said to wait here." "Hey, I''m still not bringing down the price." The biker told to Dan, whose eyes glow red. "Come on, that''s atrocious! Even the cab fare doesn''t cost that much! You deal with her, bro!" Dan scratched his head in frustration. "What''s your side of the story, sis?" Jun asked the biker in a deadpan tone. "I told the price to get to the hotel he asked for. He said that it''s costly and doesn''t want to pay. In my defense, I took everything into account and gave my price accordingly." She explained. "Like what, exactly?" "It''s festive season, so the rush hour doesn''t end till it''s noon. Plus, I can take you there sooner than any cab here." She explained further, but with pride. "Guys, we should haul ass, now!" Dan panicked, pressuring both of them to seal the deal soon. "In a minute..." Jun pondered about the deal to benefit both parties as much as possible, but Dan triggered him with one word: Paparazzi. Instantly, Jun shifted his tone to a more aggressive, no-care attitude. "Listen here, woman! I bet you twice the money you can''t get us there before the map''s ETA!" This shot up a nerve in the biker that she crossed her arms in defiance. "Who do you think you''re talking to?" "A brazen woman with skills to back it up, I assume. Aren''t you one?" Jun copied her stance and gaze. On seeing this, the biker stretched her hand out for a shake: "You have a bet. I look forward to see you eat your words." Jun could sense the biker smirking behind the visor. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "The feeling''s mutual." Jun smiled. "Hop on!" The biker invited them and the cousins sat on the bike. "Hold on tight, ''cause it''s gonna get windy!" She revved the bike and sped on across the street, leaving the area in a matter of seconds. The biker zoomed past the cars and trucks, swerved left and right, drifted at sharp curves while not losing speed at all. In fact, she goes faster at every turn and intersection. Achieving top speed while abiding traffic rules, that''s not something anybody can pull. Finally, the trio reached the hotel with 2 minutes to spare.
Standing in a victorious pose, the biker gestured a victory sign in one hand and a palm in another. Normally, anybody would be grumbling to part their money on losing a bet. But Jun merely reciprocated her win with a thumbs-up and gave her the double fare. Looking at the bike''s mirror, he fixed his hair and remarked that the ride was awesome. When he asked Dan for his opinion, he found him barfing into a garbage bin. Jun''s smile turned upside-down and the biker cupped her helmet head in regret. "Shit..." Jun ran to him and caressed his back and held his forehead tightly to limit Dan''s retching. Dan''s face was pale and sweating, blinking his eyes to reduce the dizzying feeling. The retching reduced, leaving him filled with fatigue. Jun massaged his wrist to ease his nausea, while the biker offered him a bottle of water. Dan thanked her and emptied the bottle. Vigor returned and his face shone. "Here''s the fare." The biker returned the money to Jun, which she adamantly refused to take it back and apologized for the discomfort. Looking at the time in her watch, she beckoned them to the hotel and ran inside. After Dan felt better, both of them walked in. Inside, there''s an empty reception desk, which Jun and Dan stood behind, waiting for the receptionist as sounds were coming from a room behind the desk, covered by a curtain. Out emerged two women wearing black cat masks bickering at each other. The tall woman on Jun''s right side, craned over the small woman and scolded her. To Jun''s sight, it looked like two black cats, a mother and a kitten, were meowing and hissing back and forth, which made him chuckle. Mildly offended, the tall woman''s anger was now directed at Jun. "What are you snickering for?! Is this funny to you?" Jun simply nodded with a smile: "I''m sorry but all I can see is two cats fighting and I find it pretty cute." Suddenly, the atmosphere grew cold. There was silence within earshot. The cat masks'' paint grew darker while the whiskers were highlighted with red paint. Although he couldn''t understand the change, he could somewhat realise that he might have overstepped and made them uncomfortable. "Is something wrong?" Jun asked with concern. "That''s creepy..." the kitten said bluntly. Jun internally clenched his teeth with embarassment and apologized but the kitten interrupted. "No, no, creepy is the wrong word. What was it...?" "You mean, ''eerie''?" The mother cat helped.
"Exactly, Ma! Eerie!"
"Uhh..."
"Excuse me, are you acquainted with my husband, by any chance?"
"No, ma''am. This is the first time I''m here, actually."
"I see..."
"May I ask why you felt eerie?"
"Oh, that''s because my father says that a lot. In fact, he shows this big grin everytime Mom and I have a fight."
"Your words are exact, word to word. That''s why we''re shocked to hear a stranger say it."
Jun found this a bit absurd at the fact that the women were lenient with him and Dan. In fact, he was prepared for the worst-case scenario and ready to make the Dogeza. He felt relieved in the end. Still, he couldn''t help but be prickly. "So you do acknowledge that you''re fighting like stray cats, ma''am. I say your husband is a great soul. I want to show my immense respect to him" The kitten turned away to hide her giggles from her mother, while the mother cleared her throat, trying to hide her embarassment for acting like that in front of customers. "Mako-chan, what''s taking so long?" A loud voice came from the back and a man with grey-cat mask stood in between the women. The mother whispered with the man about the issue here, which got him laughing. "Is that so, huh? Hey, man, aren''t these two adorable?" The man started to brag about his wife and daughter in a jovial tone. "Yeah... they''re adorable." Dan and Jun spoke in unison, nervously. "Stop that! We''re in front of the customers!" The mother whispered angrily at her husband, blushing due to his lovey-dovey behavior. "But honey, did you know that I love you so much?" The man continued to profess his love for his wife, making her whiskers bright pink. Unable to handle it, she whisked her husband and instructed Mako, the kitten to allot them a room. Mako sighed heavily, like a weight has been lifted off her chest. "Never expected you to be such a smooth talker, trainee!"
"Trainee?"
"Yeah, you''re that guy in the news, right? The idol trainee returning from hiatus, blah, blah, blah..."
At that moment, Jun realised that the kitten, Mako is the biker who gave them the lift. "Ohh... so you''re the biker, huh. I thought you sounded familiar." Jun felt happy on solving the tiny mystery. But Mako was confused that she couldn''t help but ask to Dan: "Is your cousin weird or something? It''s not like he''s seeing me for the first time, right? Right?" "What the... I''m seeing you for the first time too! You know, the..." Dan gestured the helmet, still showing his face of disbelief. "Oh, hahahaha! I''m such a klutz..." "But a gorgeous klutz!" Dan emphasized his pronunciation on Gorgeous.
"Haha, nice try, but you don''t get discounts here. Thanks, though."
"Last time I checked, flattery is not some magical discount coupon. You gotta give credit where the credit is due."
Dan''s display of chivalry momentarily swept Mako off her feet, internally. Jun glances at her mask, showing that the whiskers are flashing pink and peach. Then, Mako pulled herself together and handed over the key, directing them to the fifth floor. Jun took the key and the cousins thanked Mako and went on when she called for Dan. Jun continued on, while Dan returned. "Yes, Mako-san. Need help?" Dan offered. But Mako simply ran her hand through her short fringes. "I have something to say. Come closer, please?" Mako leaned forward and Dan followed suit. "I noticed something. If your cousin is a smooth marble slab, then you''re a smooth brick of butter. What I''m trying to say is that if all three of us are single, maybe we could be a throuple... what do you say? Shall. we. do. it?" Her purple eyes shine through her glasses seductively. Her hands cover gently over his hands. Their faces are only a few inches apart for a little liplock. But Dan has other plans. "And risk getting choked by your crush? I say no to that." Dan just slid off from Mako''s holding. Mako just giggled at her failure to make Dan flustered but also curious about his deduction. "How do you know that I like someone?" "Just felt a hunch... like you''re practicing moves on me before you pull this off. Whatever happens, I''ll root for you, Mako-chan. Bye-bye!" Mako waved him back and sighed softly. She envied his future girlfriend but little did she know that the most sensational bomb would blow in everyone''s face, including hers. But this is in the distant future.
Later, the evening sky grew darker contrasted with the bright full moon. The glass structures erected around the archipelago shimmers in the moonlight. Its glorious beauty can be seen if one is in a space station. After Dan and Jun took a good long hot spring bath and dined heavily on the hotel''s festive cuisine, they are in their hotel room resting. But unfortunately for Dan, he is resting in the toilet, chanting scary threats as his bowels are flushing brimstones and hellfire. "Junki... when I catch you Junki... Junki... when I catch you Junki... Junki... when I catch you Junki..." This drivel was going on for the past fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, Jun receives a call in his Holo-Slab. As he took it, the Slab is black, signalling that it''s from an unknown number. Caution preceded curiosity, so he did not answer the call. Seconds later, the same call was ringing. Now, Jun confirms that someone knows him. He took the Slab and answered the call.
"Hello, who''s this?"
"Hey, kid! Missed me?"
Jun was elated to hear the voice and grinned widely.
"Long time no see, Baa-san (Auntie)! How are you?"
"You know the drill... meetings, blah, blah, security, scan, search, something, something, something, profits!"
"That sounds irresponsible, considering your position as the Head of the most prominent Security Solutions corporate."
"The details are too boring for you to comprehend, so I gave you the compact version. You''re welcome. So, did you enjoy the festival?"
"What festival?"
"You know, the Founding Festival!"
"I had no interest in celebrating the festival, so we left."
"Hold on... where are you both right now?"
"Currently, we''re in a hotel in Momoboshi. I''m sitting on the bed and Dan is in the toilet, trying to summon the Toilet Ghost or something."
"You ungrateful brat! I spent a bit of my fortune, booking a pair of seats in a Skyslither express line, so that you could have fun in the Festival! How could you trample my love without hesitation?!"
"How can we enjoy it when you''ve sent us to the biggest sauna plate of an island?! You forgot we''re from Shinjukawa, didn''t you?!"
"Oh... my bad... Teehee!"
"Teehee my---" Jun almost lost it but he regained his composure and continued. "Anyways, I''m not a fan of festivals but that doesn''t mean I didn''t have fun. Dan and I ate a lot of delicacies for dinner. They were fantastic!"
"Huh, guess I''ll chalk it up to you living your best. Hasn''t Dan come out of the toilet yet?"
"Nah, it''ll take a while. Especially when he ate some wasabi-coated kimchi rolls."
"Kid, that''s some diabolical shit you''ve cooked up. What were you thinking making that combo?! And why did you let Dan eat them?!"
"Well, he dug in before I said a word. It''s his fault. Hehe."
"God, I hope he''s okay... now what''s this news I''ve been hearing about? Did you join some J-Pop agency behind my back?"
"No! It''s just a huge misunderstanding. They simply assumed because of my looks."
"Obviously, you look dashing! I bet many people asked for your autograph or selfie. Maybe even both!"
"Oh, it''s much more than that. It''s so scary that a bunch of commoners can turn into paparazzi and grow pointy noses. Makes me shiver thinking about that."
"Story of a celeb''s life! You gotta ride it or fly above it! I prefer the second!"
"Wise words, but seldom followed by yours truly... hahaha."
"Ha ha. Very funny... Hey, speaking of funny, did you say ''Fuck you'' to Ringara?"
Jun choked on his water on hearing the question. The hesitation on his side of the call helped Hibana realise it, which got her laughing.
"The fun part is that he thought that I''m the one who taught you to cuss and he searched for me and blasted my ear-drums! Haha, the naivete..."
"Well... he didn''t let me go nor did he want to divulge anything related to my parents until the last moment. So, I got tired and cussed him out. I was over it but Dan cried that night after leaving with me. Poor guy..."
"I agree. Anyway, about you and Ringara---"
"Yeah, yeah, I know it''s my fault, I shouldn''t be arrogant to an elder and---"
"Hold on! You did a good job, kid."
"Good job?!"
"Yeah! Good job slapping him back to reality, verbally. I say he deserves every single syllable of your line. It''s high time he manned up and help me search your father."
"I pray that you both make up and make out already. Haha!"
"Dammit! Not that punchline! Come on, Jun!"
"Hey, it''s catchy. Plus, it''s Dan who came up with it!"
"I swear, if I get that line one more time, I---"
"Here''s Danny!" Dan grabbed behind Jun''s back menacingly and shook his head, trying to bore a hole into Jun, which he finds ticklish. Jun grabbed him and brought him to the front. "Alright, you caught me. Now what?" Jun asked in the coldest tone possible.
"Why would you eat that stuff? That much spice... your stomach would definitely die. And if it didn''t, your intestines would! God, my rectum''s burning..."
"Uh... I have no need to know that but there''s someone who wants to meet you very badly."
"Is that you, sonny?"
"Mama Hibana!" Dan immediately snatched the Slab and went on to chat with her. Jun lied on the bed, looking at Dan, smiling away. Ever since Dan''s mother passed away in childbirth, he and his father had never been the same. Although Ringara took great pains in taking care of both Dan and Jun, he had this somber and embittered look on his face, signifying his simple, hard stance in life. He did not do anything to cheer himself up or find comfort for himself. He simply took care of them like a monk, but harboring a grudge against Hibana. Despite his father''s hostility, Dan''s love and warmth pulled Hibana into the light. Over the years, they developed a close bond that one could mistake them as mother and son. Hibana was a mother that Dan always needed and he was a son she always wanted. On seeing such a bond over long distances, Jun felt both happiness and envy. And with those feelings in his heart, he simply turned aside and closed his eyes. Later, Dan wanted to give the Slab back to Jun but found he was fast asleep. He wished Hibana good night and went to sleep, looking forward to a new day tomorrow. [To be continued] Lvl 4: Breakfast, Clues and Debut [Jun''s POV] As soon as I noticed LED signboards and line maps of the subway in the train car, I realised that I was dreaming. And that I''m reliving that day again. My seventh birthday. I knew the scenes like the back of my hand, as in everything happens like clockwork. Just now, the man I''m clinging on, presumably my father, would sign if anything''s wrong. Then, he would pick me up and help me sit on his shoulder and continue signing with the woman beside him, who might be my mother. Then suddenly, the lights go off and all of the passengers would start floating and getting flung around. My father would hold me close to him for protection, before the train hit the water and we start to sink. Then, glass panes start to crack due to the pressure outside as the train sinks faster. In an instant, water would gush into the car sweeping me away from my parents and I would flow along the current. I would be pushed outside the train through a broken car and float for my life. And now, I wait for the monster to show up and it''d be over. Except this time, it was different. There is no monster now. Instead from the dark, a shadowy figure swam towards me and grabbed me. The figure swam faster with me in its arms, checking me whether I''m okay. Finally, the figure and I resurfaced on the water surface and cold wind blew over us mercilessly. I could see other people floating and trying to stay afloat with scattered debris of the train parts. In the moonlight, the figure was revealed to be my father, who is now swimming towards the shore. He did not take a break and continued swimming, with me on his back. He occasionally writes on the back of my hands, conveying to not let him go and that everything''s going to be alright. Later, we finally reached the shore and my father checked me from head to toe for any injuries. He felt relieved that I''m not injured in any way. He hugged me tightly, for giving me warmth but also relief that I''m safe. Suddenly, I was pulled away from him into the dark and my mouth and nose was covered with something. As I tried to break free, I felt drowsy as I saw my father getting overpowered by three unknown figures. Suddenly, my father got transformed violently into the all-familiar monster and broke free easily to grab me. Then, all I could see now is the ceiling of the hotel room, a panicking Dan and my tremors.
Jun woke in cold sweat as Dan stood beside him, helping him breathe through the panic attack. After a while, Jun''s tremors subside and his breathing grew steady. Finally, he was able to breathe normally. "How are you feeling now, bro?" Dan asked with fear and worry, still under the feeling of shock about the situation. "As usual, fine yet groggy... I think I''m finally starting to see the big picture." Jun replied. "Really?" Dan sounded hopeful. "Really." Jun nodded
"Good sign! You have no idea how much I was worried when the episodes happened. Dad and I were running around, not knowing what to do." "I feel the same. And thank you." "Aw, shucks! Don''t mention it, man! You''re my cousin, after all."
Jun gulped down the water given to him and lied down, wondering about the new figures that appeared in his dream. Their identities and motives were unclear. But one thing was clear, these people were working under someone who might be responsible for the train accident. "On the first day, God commanded ''Let there be light''!" Dan opened the curtains dramatically to let the morning light shine through when he got spooked by a hissing Jun and closed the curtains, out of reflex. "What now?!" Dan''s voice was trembling.
"Nothing, I always wanted to do it." "Good job on that... ''cause you freaked me out!"
"That''s the point. Besides, got you good, didn''t I?" Jun chuckled smugly. Then, Dan''s eyes widened at the realisation that Jun made a payback for the prank he pulled in the train yesterday.
"Damn, bro! How petty can you be?!" "As much as I wanna be. You hungry?"
Dan''s hunger pangs yelled at the mention and he clutched his stomach, his face growing red from embarassment. "I''m starving. I feel like I could eat five slabs of Wagyu beef, raw." Dan drooled at the thought of it. Five slabs of marbled meat, stacked like a flight of stairs on a long plate. "Might as well say that you wanna eat a whole cow." Jun shot a playful sarcasm in his face. "I''ll go freshen up." He dashed to the bathroom before he got a response.
[Dan''s POV] Rich aromas hit my nose before Jun and I entered into the hotel mess. I don''t know if Jun picked it up but I certainly was drooling. I can''t wait to dig in. We found an empty room, pulled the pillows out the table and sat down, checking the menu to order. Jun and I decided our dishes and looked for the waiter. My eyes met with Mako-san''s and she came over to our table, greeting us with a smile. "Good morning, guys! How is your stay?" "It was amazing! When we bathed in the hot springs last night, it didn''t feel like we''re in the city. Rather, we were in some forest, soaking with no care." "Also, the dishes last night were tasty too. We had no heart putting the plates down until we tried every last morsel." Jun added. "Don''t forget about the beds. I just melted into one. So comfy!" "Haha, I see. So, how did I look?" Mako-san asked me with her purple eyes glowing with anticipation. I got a little bit confused as to what she''s fishing out of me. "What do you mean? You look the same as yesterday." "Nah, I meant the me in your dreams last night, silly!" I was a bit chipped away when I heard that. "Excuse me?" "Was I cute? Was I hot? Or was I er-o-tic? Come on, don''t be shy... you can be honest with me. I don''t judge." Her chuckles are typical of a seductive villainess. Last time I checked, she''s a biker, not a succubus. As if the attention is not bad enough for me, I''m feeling hostility burning into my head through the wall behind me. All I knew is that if I meet them face-to-face, I''ll piss on the spot. Guaranteed! While Mako-san is teasing me to her heart''s content, I desperately called Jun for help. But he... he was just yawning! With his hair in front, I don''t know where he''s looking. I doubt that he is not even awake! With a sigh, Jun opened his mouth: "Mako-san, I''m hungry." She immediately dropped everything and went to him and started to take orders. My savior! Thank you! Though you could have done it a bit earlier... Now, I feel like I''m marked for slaughter by those secret admirers. Of all the things you do for love, why bloodshed? Why? Jun gave his orders and Mako-san went away but not before she gave me a playful smirk. It seems like she''s not done with me yet. This is so dreadful... "Bro, did Baa-san say anything last night?" Jun started to interrogate me. I was a bit dazed from all the teasing before I managed to pull myself together. "Huh? Oh yeah, the usual. My well-being, our journey so far, blah blah blah..." "Does she have any info for me?" "Right! Few months ago, Mama Hibana got some clues regarding your parents. But she told you to take it with a grain of salt." "Okay, what did she find?" "She said she found where your mother might be located. Her Totem''s lambda signature was found and tracked." Jun''s relaxed back became stiff and he leaned forward to learn more. "And?" "And when they traced it, her signature was found in an unbelievable place." "Let me guess, a cemetery?" Jun threw it on the table very bluntly. "Bro, this is your mother we''re talking about!" "Exactly, my mother who just abandoned me for 14 years and counting. I wouldn''t be surprised if she wound up dead. Perhaps, my ''father'' left her and she was lost. That''s karma for you." Jun''s scoff triggered me and I smacked my fist on the table. Although Jun spoke calmly, his words showed utter disdain and hatred for his parents. I can relate to him but I also feel that his parents doesn''t deserve that. I have my own assumptions that they are caught up with something very dangerous, enough to put Jun in danger. Maybe they left him to protect him, in their own way. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. "Where was the signature pinging from?" Jun diverted the topic, letting go of his disdain. I feel like he left it alone for me. I felt a bit of relief when he returned to being open-minded. I continued. "The core." "The core? As in the planet''s core?" Jun asked to ensure that what he heard was right. Even I was confused on hearing it the first time, last night. I nodded. "That''s impossible... there''s no way Totems could end up there, let alone survive the heat." Jun put his conjecture in. "I know. Even Mama Hibana checked it a couple of times. The vital signs are recorded in real-time too. So, she was thinking that maybe she was kept in some moving bunker along the Equator." "You mean, a random bunker affiliated to a random bigshot in a random area in the Equator." "It''s mouthful to say it, but you''re right." "But the Equator is mostly water. Do you think that she''s taken care of in a submersible?" "That''s also Mama thought. But..." "But?" "Before she could gather more data for analysis, the link is gone. Your mother''s Totem went offline. With the data gathered, they tried to chase her trail via the Collective, but that''s also cold too." "So, in other words, it''s a dead end... and yet Baa-san insists me on living my best while sharing everything that I''m supposed to hear, to you. What''s with that?" "Hey, come on. Look on the bright side! This means that your parents are alive and well, despite the conditions they''re stuck with. I see this as a win! Plus, Mama is really concerned with your well-being and doesn''t want you to be stressed or pressured about it. Dead-ends frustrate everybody but unlike you, everybody wants to make the most out of it." Jun shot a glare at me, I think. I feel like cutting his hair once and for all. His pessimism sours the mood around us and I tried to cheer him up to no avail. Fortunately, Mako-san arrived to her table with our orders in tow. The aromas hit our noses again, working up our appetite. We thanked for the food and started to eat.
"I''m curious about something, guys. Where are you placed in the leaderboards?" Mako asked as she was sitting comfortably on the tatami mat across the cousins. Hearing her query, they started cackling like lunatics under the moonlight, with bits and morsels still in their mouths. Although Mako seemed confused, she didn''t realize that her question made her look like a child asking for heroics and exploits from novice adventures who barely started their adventure. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but we''re just newbies." Dan spoke as he struggled to drink his soup because his body was spasmic with humor. "Aww, spare me the humility. I''ve heard this joke among dozens of rankers I''ve---" Jun simply looked at Mako and she realized that it''s the truth all along. "You''ve got to be kidding me..." Jun just grinned at her, drinking his soup, implying his harmless sadism over her confusion. This revelation plucked a nerve within Mako. Feelings of confusion and shock swelled within her mind. One could say her brain shut down, her jaw hanging low from her face. "So, actual greenhorns?" They nodded, still spasming with giggles and chuckles.
"Then what''s the point in downloading the game?! Not to mention that you both are 4 years behind... were you guys living under the rock or what?" "Yeah, we were. Writing. And paying taxes." "Writing what? Smut?!"
The cousins burst with laughing, rolling around the floor. "Smut, she says! Oh, my sides..." Dan smacked the floor, wheezing like a horse. "Naughty, naughty!" Jun sang like an old witch. "What do you think she''ll be into, bro? GL? BL? I''d say it''s GL!" Dan turned the tables on Mako in teasing. "Nah, it''s BL. Guaranteed. She might a closet perv, after all!" Jun added insult to the injury with such confidence. While the cousins take turns in making fun of her, Mako simply asked one question. "Heard of Purple and Mahogany?" This was enough to stop them dead in their coaster tracks of mockery. The cousins silently rose from the floor and started whispering about escape plans to each other. Suddenly, Mako barged in between them with a haughty smirk on her face. "You''re both hypocritical pots calling me black. Closet pervs who read the filthiest smut in the entire library. Hell, it even put 12 Velvet Slices to shame. So... did you enjoy it? Did you have a wild ride? Go on. I don''t judge..." Mako was baiting them to speak up, but the cousins simply sat beside her, sweating bullets and anxiety. "Come on, say something, guys... You read it, haven''t you?" "We... didn''t exactly read it..." Dan broke his lines awkwardly while Jun is dying inside. Although 12 Velvet Slices was a popular piece of adult smut enjoyed by the thousands, the book Mako referred was an obscured gem, not for the faint-hearted. Purple and Mahogany (PaM) was the author''s depraved work featuring an aquatic one-night stand between an octopus and a mermaid. The imagination in this one is solely upto you. "Don''t give me that ''holier than thou'' act. Just admit it! Those tentacles are pretty enticing to be honest. It was so easy to imagine! Felt like I was the mermaid riding the octopus!" "Let us go, please. We beg you. I beg you. Don''t you have work to do, Mako-san?" Jun pleaded with a pale face and weak voice as if his life force had been drained away. "You guys are no fun... overreacting a lot. It''s not like you wrote it---" At that moment, Jun and Dan felt like they were struck by lightning from above. Jun fell down flat on the floor, while Dan was writhing and rolling as if he was burning on fire. Mako put two and two together and uttered one word: "Hadaka-daka-dan?" This drove the last nail on the coffin and the cousins were writhing in frenzy. The cringe got maxed out, making them scratch their itches of embarassment, frantically. But Mako sat there with mixed feelings. Even though she felt excited to meet the writers in an unexpected fashion, she also felt confused as to why they feel so... grossed out. "Butter-san, Trainee-san, let me be frank. I love your story. Please make it bigger when you have the chance." She requested softly. This spurned Jun out of his shell and he started to yell. "Hell no! We''re not touching that garbage! I''m not touching it! We were barely 17 when we wrote that! We did that out of spite, just to make readers feel grossed out after baiting them into a ''romance novel''! I wanna see couples keel over on Valentine''s Day. I want to see the world burn and here you are, one of the many, saying that this trash is good! ! You should be hating me, woman! I played with your feelings, wasted your time and broke your head! What did you even see in it to make a request like that?! ''Make the story bigger.'' Heck... octopus x mermaid is impossible, certified by co-writer there! And I dragged him across the DIRT! I repeat again, you should be hating me, woman! Hate me!!" Jun felt like he rested his case and panted when his face was cupped by Mako. Her mask''s eye markings and whiskers shone with golden yellow colour. She just chuckled gently over his angry rant. "I understand that you made the story during a tough time and it''s just an embarassing memory now, but why you, a writer, try to dissuade me from liking what you made? Shouldn''t you feel happy? I don''t know to explain what drew me in but I repeat again, I love your story. Please make it bigger." Mako''s voice had an angelic trill that extinguished the unpleasant feelings within the cousins and helped them appreciate their work once more, under a new light. Jun pulled himself away from Mako''s grasp. "I appreciate and accept your opinion. But still, I''m not picking it up. I''m sorry." he told in a stoic voice. The golden yellow markings faded from Mako''s mask and blue markings started to replace them. Nevertheless, Mako simply nodded and decided not to pry further. "Woah, let me finish. I''d rather be your editor than be the writer. That story''s yours now. We''ll go wild after my hiatus, what do you say?" Jun offered. Instantly, Mako jumped into him and hugged him with gratitude, thanking him profusely. Dan simply looked at the scene and continued crying. It''s rare to have a reader meet their favorite author. It''s even rarer for them to have a chance to work with the author to write about the story they liked for a long time and have guidance too. Mako felt that she got the best gift in her life and started to cry tears of joy. She pulled her glasses and wiped her eyes softly, struggling to hold back. "And I''ll be your wingman, Mako-san!" Dan proclaimed with puffy eyes and runny nose, which startled her. "Setting things aside, do you have any plan to help us grow, Mako-san?" Jun asked, trying to brighten the mood. "Huh? Yeah, sure! I''ll help you!" Mako instantly got pumped-up and started to explain away.
[Jun''s POV] After choosing my player name as J¨­bun and confirmed my avatar customization, I got transported to a wide plain under the evening sky. Moments later, I saw Mako-san a few metres away from me. She appeared as a black cat, purple eyes sparkling like amethyst balls under the setting sun. This avatar suits her temperament. Suddenly, I felt dizzy and knelt down, trying to gain my bearings. Maybe the immersion quality is too much for a first-timer like me. And setting my avatar as a fox made it harder. One of the advantages of being a fox is that the acute senses and speed give me an edge, but that''s all out of the window if I couldn''t stand on my feet. Man, I should''ve played this a long time ago. Mako-san explained that since it''s my first time in the virtual world, it''d be very wobbly. Even she had experienced it when started playing a few months ago. As she was limbering and prepping up, there are some key points worth looking over again. Now if I recall it... I can grow stronger via two ways, raiding and dueling. Dueling is suitable for me right now, since it needs only one action to perform: to challenge. Although the right to challenge is used only once per day, I can regain the right by winning and maintain my win streak. If I lose, the right is lost, but only for that day. Mako-san said that this system was put in mind to curb PK behaviour and stop developing punks and junkies who always like to duke it out. Mako-san prompted me to get ready and we set our fighting stances in stone. The game greenlit the duel. Within a split second, she covered the ground between us and lunged with a straight punch at me. She was so fast that I put up my guard out of instinct and was pushed back. My forearms are throbbing from the pain. Any simulation my avatar experiences is directly perceived in my brain, so in essence, I''m the avatar and I''m in pain! Still, I can''t show weakness and give her an opening. Now, she''s coming straight at me. This time, I''m ready to take her on. Just block and counter... easy... Wait, that''s a feint! Is she going to kick or punch from my right side? Forget it! Let''s just block! Hnngh! Right on my ankle! Even the side-stepping was a feint too! She went for a leg sweep from behind and broke my balance. Gaack! Man, she got me good with the triangle choke. But it doesn''t seem like all is lost. After watching a lot of videos and practiced them a bit, I can now recognise the moves and perform them with little to some effort. It''s a long way but the fun part is the progress. But something isn''t right. Wait! Is this a thigh choke?! Of all the things to knock me out, why this?! Oh, no... my consciousness is starting to fade now... I need to endure it or break free as soon as possible. If my first fight ended up being passed out by thighs, I''ll be labeled with embarassing and cheap titles. I don''t want my first loss like this! "It''s okay to give up, Trainee-san. I don''t judge." Mako said, as she was humming confidently about her win. The audacity of this witch. She knows what''s she doing after all! She set me up for a public execution! I wonder how many guys ended up like this. I bet most of them are losers fulfilling their bets as customers or something. Well... I got to say, I must thank Mako-san for helping me and Dan so far. I doubt that other players would be as respectable and friendly as her. I really want to thank her... if only I could break the hold! Hold on. Maybe... I''ve been playing this wrong way. Come to think of it, the fog in my head hasn''t been lifted still. Now, I remember some thing that Mako-san said. To clear the fog in my head, I must embrace the nature. At that time, I didn''t understand what she said. Let''s see... focus... focus... Woah! I can see clearly. My senses are fully synced now. I''m actually a fox now, metaphorically. Now let''s see what to do. Let''s pinch her calves... no reaction. Then, I need her hand. I searched in the back and grabbed her hand. The point is to make Mako-san feel that I will surrender, to which it worked. While she is gloating and consoling, I simply bit her hand. This put her shock and pain. She threw me away and kept distance. Whew, I thought my head was about to fall off after that long chokehold. Mako-san stood far away from me, arching her back just like a cat. Haha, no matter how much you hiss or glare at me, you''re going down, Mako-san! Looks like running on all fours gives me a speed boost while on twos give me stability and quick dodging. Cats may be fast, but foxes are quick. With my innate speed, I started to overwhelm her and put her into defensive. Now, all that needs to be done is get an opening and give a solid shot of an attack. Now, on throwing a few jabs and kicks at her, I noticed some things. Speed, dexterity and flexibility are her core strengths. On top of that, she has a fighting tic of mixing claw slashes into her flurry of punches. And her kicks pack some punch, but it''s bearable. After determining that she built her play-style based on cat behavior, I think I''m able to use her own strengths against her. Now, I just need to play cool while goading and bloating her ego. It''s high time she becomes cocky and impatient to finish the duel. After a lot of dodging and countering, we arrived at a stalemate. But this situation didn''t stop Mako-san from using her technique. It looks like a pounce attack and it''s riddled with flaws but she''s putting everything on a gamble. To knock me down, once and for all. Fine, I''ll take it head-on! Setting my stance in stone as she leapt across the plain and dove in for the kill, I prepared to take her blow while trying to knock her out. Or so she thought. In reality, I simply feinted and gave a solid roundhouse kick to her back. I couldn''t believe it! It became a critical hit, since Mako was kicked on the nape and it also stunned her! I wasted no time in sprinting and power tackled her, pinning her to the ground. After putting her in a tight submission hold, she finally surrendered and I won. After the duel got over, I immediately helped her get up and we had a mutual exchange of praise for putting up such a good fight. Now to check the messages... [Congratulations! You have leveled up!] x4. Now, my PvP level has reached to 5. Looks like there are two leveling systems based on the mode I''m playing in. But my stat points are shared between the two leveling systems. Also, my stats will be changed by a small margin if I switch between the modes. It''s a pretty well-thought overarching system designed to encourage growth, expertise and teamwork in a neat little package. Talk about killing three birds with one stone. [Congratulations! You won against an opponent stronger than you! Title: has been awarded.] Hurdle jumper? I tapped on the title. [Hurdle Jumper: Boosts your stats against opponents that are 4-6 levels higher than you. Maximum stats allocated after analysis: 10. After a certain level, this title will be deleted] Oh, this is suitable for me. But I don''t know if it works outside of PvP, though. Although the restriction bums me out, at one point, the training wheel must come off. Still, I feel thankful for this title. [You earned your win through pacifism! Passive Skill: Pacifista has been awarded] [Pacifista: All grapples, tackles and holds will be 10% effective.] It''s a little too on the nose, I think. But it gives me an extra edge in close combat. Much more helpful in disarming weapons in the future. [You have obtained Passive Skill: Battle Vision] [Battle Vision Lvl 1: Focus for 5 seconds to detect weak points and anticipate incoming attacks.] Cool! This is a game-changer for me! I need to start grinding. Furthermore, I need to learn and foster other skills that have better synergy and compliment this passive, as soon as possible. Feeling satisfied, I collected my loot and logged out.
Jun got up from the floor and struggled to stand straight. His first-time login put him into a wild disoriented state. He regretted internally for not trying out the game in the beginning. "Bro, are you feeling okay now?" Dan asked as he was massaging Jun''s wrist. "I feel sick... and I''m craving something sour. Or salty. Whatever..." Jun''s disoriented state continued when Mako returned with a glass of lemon juice. Jun took it and started sipping the juice, savoring the taste and slowly pulling himself together. "Whew, I wonder why people play this game if it leaves you rattling." Jun remarked his login experience in a sour mood. "Haha, that''s what everybody says the first time. You''ll get used to it over a period. By the way, Trainee-san, I have a question." Mako''s voice sounded a bit serious. "Shoot!" Jun felt refreshing after drinking the juice. "Are you into MMA or something? The way you moved and attacked is just cool and smooth! I bet you''re some sort of underage veteran. I think I should call you Fighter-san. Maybe, Hadaka-san?" "Call me Jun!" He panicked as if his life was at stake during an interrogation. But he regained his composure after he realized. "My name is Takeshi Junkitsu, nice to meet you." He introduced with a bow. "And my name is Kobayashi Dan¨­ki!" Dan joined. "Haha.. I''m Fujisaki Tamako! You can call me Mako-chan!" She struck up a pose like a cat-girl, which made their hearts skip a beat. "Mako-san is enough for us! We don''t want to rile up your fan club further..." Dan chuckled nervously. "What do you mean, fan club?" Mako sounded innocent and clueless. Then, Dan pulled up the replay of their duel and showed the comments. Jun joined in, curious about how the fight panned out. The comments are mostly about cheering and praising Mako, mainly about how cute she looks and acts. Then, the comments turned sour at the thigh choke scene. Many curses and envious remarks were hurled at Jun. Some simply commented that he''s lucky to be caught like that. ''It should''ve been me! Not him!!'' That''s what most guys spammed in the comment section. Mako and Dan felt weird, while Jun simply shook his head in disappointment for his fellow men and stopped watching the replay. Jun thanked for the meal and went out of the room when he was greeted by three men at the entrance. "Uhh... how may I help you?" Jun offered nonchalantly to the men. But the men ignored his question and started to act like assholes. Apparently, these men have watched the duel and did not like Jun for being ''intimate'' with Mako. Then Jun realised that these men are responsible for making Dan uncomfortable earlier. Jun simply turned the table on them and challenged them to the duel. He was grinning the entire time, thinking about how to humiliate them and farm them for XP. But Mako simply kicked the nuisances down and stood in a victorious pose. To which, Jun reciprocated with a disappointed ''OK'' gesture, while Dan''s ''Nice!'' gesture shone brightly behind Jun''s back. [To be continued] Lvl 5: Trouble, Melodrama and Feathers ''Today is the day Mako-chan will be mine! You''re finally at your peak now! You got this!'' This is the singular thought belonging to a tall, good-looking, love-struck Romeo of the young teenage boy. After putting the final touches on his attire and looks, he entered the hotel and sat there to order. He planned to wait for Mako to come to his table, play customer, grab her hand, confess to her in an opera-esque manner, win her heart, and live happily ever after. Feeling giddy about the number of children he wants to be a father of, he absent-mindedly grabbed the hand lying on the table. His rose-tinted eyes met with ''hers'', ready to confess, but alas, his soul flung itself away when he saw... A bald man whose face is caked up, wearing a dazzling kimono, and a signboard hanging from his neck, reading ''Nuisance''. It was indeed that man from the trio who got bashed up by Tamako when they tried to invoke trouble for Jun. As a punishment, he and his friends are forced to play as geishas for an entire day. "Who the fuck are you?!" He stood startled, swatting the man''s hand away in disgust. "I should be saying that, you fucking brat!" The bald man roared back. Both the boy and the Geisha Man started to quarrel each other for different reasons, growing louder and louder. The quarrel stopped when a clap echoed in the hall. The source of that thunderclap was Tamako. Behind her back were Dan¨­ki and Junkitsu, having their ears covered to shield themselves from the sound. Although the cousins were curious to see the ruckus quietly, she forced her eyes shut in disappointment as she realised who the quarreling boy was. "Friend of yours?" Dan whispered Tamako as he glanced over the boy. The boy immediately displayed a subtle tone of intimidation with his eyes, as if he was instructing Dan to distance himself away from Tamako. "The greatest pain in the ass this world has ever seen" Tamako whispered back with disdain. On understanding that she has bad blood with the boy, Jun called her and signed ''to go wild.'' Tamako signed back ''Roger'' with a smile and went to the boy. The boy pushed the Geisha Man aside rudely and composed himself as Tamako walking towards him. The boy clasped her shoulders in delight and love, about to talk, when she simply took one of his hands by the wrist and started to twist back, bringing him down to his knees and drawing out his fearful screams. "Hold on! It hurts, Mako-chan! Surely, we can talk about thi--- AAHHHH!!" "Well, you should''ve come and talked to me straight away, instead of making such a scene, Y¨­nikasa. Surely, it''s not that ''urgent'', right?" Tamako smiled, but her eyes did not. "Yeah, it''s really urgen-- OWWW!!!" Y¨­nikasa''s fuschia eyes started to shimmer with tears as his pain increased exponentially. "For the last time, I''m not going out with you! Now, here''s what going to happen: you stop making a scene and move out. While you have still some dignity left." With that stern warning carved onto the wood, Tamako let Y¨­nikasa go and turned her back to him. But Y¨­nikasa had other plans. He stood up with a smirk on his face, clutching his right arm and provoked her in a loud voice: "Don''t tell me... you''re still crushing on that gambler''s brother, huh?!" That line shot a nerve within Tamako, who turned about, sprinted, jumped and gave a concussive dropkick to Y¨­nikasa''s face. He flew across the room and tumbled away further. The customers who were about to enter the dining hall got startled when a still tumbling Y¨­nikasa shot out of the room like a critter and lied on the floor like a corpse. They could see his swollen, bruised face with bleeding nose and a tooth missing from his set. Tamako scratches her head in frustration and called the Geisha Man. "You''re pardoned. Clean up and pay twice the bill and get lost. I repeat, do not get caught in my or mother''s sight. Got it?" She instructed in a cold, bold voice. "But what about my pals?" The Geisha Man asked. "They''ll be out soon. The same warning applies to them too. It''s your responsibility to relay them." "Yes, ma''am. Thank you, ma''am!" The Geisha Man ran away like an impala, despite his size. "Sorry you had to see that. If you''re both curious about that jerk, please don''t ask..." Tamako shakes her head in disappointment of the choas ensued. "We don''t even care about that prick anyway. If you ain''t interested, we aren''t too. Still, kudos for the dropkick." Junkitsu patted her shoulder with a little grin on his face. "I agree, that dropkick was dope! Who taught you that?" Dan''s enthusiasm made Tamako chuckle in delight and pride. "Why, it''s Mom, of course! She''s a policewoman, after all! Besides, let''s continue chatting in your room, Dan¨­ki-san!" She suggested. "Well, aren''t you supposed to help your parents?" Dan asked.
"It''s alright! They''re the captains of this ship! Nothing will change even if I slack off! Maybe, slow things down... I guess." "Then, go help them, first mate! It''s festive season, right? Customers will be swarming around like piranhas and your parents will be sinking down, at this rate." "Come on, have faith in my parents, will ya?"
"Mako-san, Dan''s right. Go help your parents out. We''ll talk later when you''re free." Jun told her sternly as if he was her elder brother. The eyebrow markings on Tamako''s mask flashed bright purple. "Okay, Sensei! See ya later!" She bowed and sprinted away for work. Jun''s ears twitched when Tamako called him Sensei. ''Sensei? Sounds kinda weird but has a nice ring to it...'' He thought to himself and grins a bit.
[Balthazar and Amica, rebellion against Angels, long fighting, casualties from the angels'' side, unstoppable rampage of the power couple, powerful Ego-fact specialized in sealing and binding unleashed and preparing to fire, sealing and imprisonment of the couple, separation and individual torture of the couple, finally distilling their souls into Ego-facts, past finally fleshed out, Kazan and Mulan crying out of empathy, resolve steeled, Kazan x Mulan training starts soon.] "Finally, buffer done... now what should be the title?" Junkitsu was pondering deeply when Dan¨­ki snapped him out of the zone by landing on the bed like a cannonball. Jun turned about abruptly like a ghost and slapped hard on Dan''s back, which shot a burning sensation up his spine. Dan cried out in pain, hung up his phone call and pounced on Jun with a warcry for putting the hurt on him. The cousins rolled around the bed in a fierce scuffle with no care about the surroundings, when a whistle pierced their ears and they turned to the source. It was Tamako standing by the door, who is covering her mouth and blushing at the scene before her. "Don''t mind me... you guys carry on. I''ll come later., buh-bye!" She chuckled slyly as she backed away slowly from the room when Dan¨­ki dragged her back in, denying her fantasies vehemently and wanted to ensure that she doesn''t spread any rumours. "I got to say though, really scandalous, Sensei..." Tamako purred on the word ''scandalous'' and wasn''t letting go of the teasing and grew mischievous by the second. "Come on, Mako-san! It''s not like that! Jun, bro, you tell her please! She listens to you for some reason and I don''t know why! Just make her stop, please..." Dan was on the verge of tears at this point. "Mako-san, please quit it. He''s gonna cry because of you, can''t you see that?" Jun chided Mako in a boring tone. The eyebrow markings on her mask flashed bright purple. "Your wish is my command, Sensei!" Tamako proclaimed jovially. Her whiskers and eyebrow markings shone bright purple and pink, back-to-back. "And enough with the Sensei, too. We''re the same age, you know..." "Woah, so you''re 19 too? That''s awesome! But then, people like writers, musicians, etc, are also called Sensei out of respect... so, it suits you!" "Alright... your wi--- Hold on. You''re 19 years old?!" Jun felt a bit flabbergasted. "Yup! My birthday just passed by last month, April 6th. You missed the feast here..." Tamako reminisced about the different types of cakes and sweets for her birthday. Her sweet tooth was tingling, just from the thought of those desserts. Dan immediately joined in, with his list of favorite sweets and both of them drifted into their own world of cakes, creams and toppings. "But... Dan and I... we''re 21, though..." Jun''s mind descended into a spiral, barely continuing the conversation until Tamako stole the wheel. "Wow, could''ve fooled me! You''re both handsome for 21, to be honest." Her sunny compliment made Dan wriggle bashfully, grinning from ear to ear. But Jun giggled in an odd way suddenly. He requested Tamako to move aside and went towards the window-sill and climbed deftly on it. "Dan¨­ki, I''ve lived a good life. Thank you for being my brother. I love you and farewell." Jun''s body leaned outward and he was about to fall when Dan grabbed his back and started to pull him in.
"Let me go, Dan... My departure is here, now..." "Departure my ass! You''re going nowhere, you melodramatic jackass!"
Soon, the cousins were in a comically yet deadly tug-of-war with Jun''s life at stake, voluntarily.
"Forget it, man. I, a former minor, pushed another minor into a cesspit called Smut! I''m a shitty role model, aren''t I?" "And like she said earlier, it''s all in the past...! Water under the bridge! What part of that... don''t you understand?!" "Even though she forgave us, the fact that I broke her mind still doesn''t change at all! Not now, not ever! Now let me go, Dan!" "No need to beat... yourself up like that...! Now, stop making a scene and get over here!!"
With this back-and-forth laboring banter, Tamako interjected: "Hold on a second, Sensei! I have something to say!" She moved smoothly and sat by the window-sill and started to talk. "By your logic, I did something bad too. Looking back into our duel, I choked you on purpose, trying to take advantage of your natural lust. I made an indecent deed that sullied my Sensei and put you in shame. Therefore, it''s appropriate that I jump out..." With that, she rested her case and her back leaned outwards. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Oi, oi, oi, that''s just a tactic you pulled on me! You shouldn''t beat yourself up like that! Your life is precious, y''know!" Jun panicked and pulled Tamako in, but her mask''s markings showed flames, darkened with violet hues. "Then what about your life, Sensei?! Isn''t it precious too?! After everything I''ve said, you overreacted again and about to do something drastic!" Then, the kitten went on rebuking Jun as Dan enjoyed the scene before him, before Tamako wound up tired and panting. Dan helped her quench her thirst with some water, while smirking at Jun vilely. Jun curled up on the bed, grumbling about his life and getting scolded by a cat. ''Woe is me...'' he thought to himself and curled up even further like an unborn child. Feeling satisfied that Jun had learnt his lesson, Dan requested Tamako a favor. "If you don''t mind, could you take us here?" He showed a location on his Holo-Slab that read Teib¨­ Apartments. The location gave sparkles in Tamako''s eyes and she jumped out of the bed. "I''ll take you both in a jiffy. Get ready before me, okay?" She ran away downstairs like a storm. Dan called Jun to get ready but he is not budging from his corner. So, Dan threatened to trim his hair, which spurned Jun into a frenzy and pounced on his neck. After begging for mercy, Jun let him go and started grooming, while Dan grumbled and followed suit. Soon, they got ready and were taken away by Tamako on her bike.
Screeches of the bike tires shot across the street as Tamako braked deftly to drift into the parking space in front of her. She and her pillion riders, Jun and Dan hopped off the bike. Tamako immediately chatted jovially with the kids playing on the street, while Jun tended to Dan''s motion sickness quickly. After a deluge of apologies from Tamako and Dan catching second wind, the three finally entered into the apartment. Climbing some flights of stairs and dodging from darting kids, Tamako successfully escorted the cousins to the room numbered 301. She knocked on the door and waited. Seconds later, the door opened, revealing a woman wearing an eagle-mask, who was very elated to see Tamako and hugged her tight. "Darling! What a pleasant surprise! Did you miss me a lot?" The eagle-mask woman started to tease her. "Nah, it''s nothing like that. Few weeks ago, you mentioned to Mom that Harumado-san fixed the house with someone and that she recommended your place for temporary stay, right?" "Wait, are they here now?" "Yep!" Tamako introduced the cousins to the eagle-mask woman. "These are my Sensei!" The cousins bowed down and introduced themselves. The woman introduced herself as Kinuhime Washiyama and invited them all in. "Please, take a seat." She beckoned the cousins over to the navy blue sofa to sit on. Meanwhile, Tamako went to the fridge and took some cartons of cookies and brought to the living room, where Kinuhime and the cousins sat. Kinuhime kept her Holo-Slab on the table and leaned a bit forward. "May I know who Dan¨­ki is?" she asked. Jun immediately pointed Dan out and she turned towards him. "Hello, Dan-kun. I''ve some updates regarding the house from Rinka-chan. She said the construction and final touches will be finished somewhen between February and March. She also said that she''ll share any extra details after the house gets done." "Oh, thank you!" "Meanwhile, here''s the list of vacant rooms available now." She tapped on her Holo-Slab, which projected holograms of the apartment and additional images. "You need to press the room number to check out the interiors and the room plan. If you decided, you can ask for the key and move in right away." Kinuhime''s feather markings rustled to-and-fro. Soon, the four of them got busy in their own conversations. The cousins were busy finding the perfect unit, pinching, zooming and scrolling the holograms. Meanwhile Tamako was playfully twirling her hair, discussing with Kinuhime''s son. "Excuse me, ma''am. We''ll take this." Dan decided the unit numbered 602. "Wonderful! That''s a good room, in my opinion. Now, I need your Holo-Cards." Kinuhime requested. "Isn''t Holo-Slab enough for a key?" Dan questioned about the apparent and ''needless'' caution about getting keys for the unit. "That''s Bad Idea 101! Although it feels convenient and easy to have all your keys, digital or not, in your slab, they are actually prone to theft and bad things can happen to you anytime, digitally. So, the Slabs come along with the Cards to have back-ups. Say No to Cybercrime!" "Might as well ask for thumbprints for back-ups to those back-ups." Jun joked nonchalantly. Kinuhime''s mask''s feather markings stood on end, flashing in golden brown, which made Jun feel on guard. "It''s just a joke. No need to freak out like that, Kinuhime-san." "No, no, it''s not like that. I was just surprised you knew it. But then again, it shouldn''t be surprising if Mako-chan explained to you beforehand, right?" Tamako shook her head in denial, which made Kinuhime''s eyebrow markings curve sharply, pushing her surprise into awe for Jun''s uncanny prediction. "Looks like someone''s into mystery.." She started to tease Jun. "What are your favorite detectives, Takeshi-kun?" "Hmm... Hemlock and Vorpalina, those two are the closest to favorites." Jun answered after some pondering.
"Oohh! Vorpalina''s my favorite! That moment when she pulls her sword out and it slid out easily after solving the case, that puts me in Fangirl mode!" "I know! The energy in her transition from judge to executioner does not dissipate at all! The hype and revelation of her verdict on the spot is simply cathartic!"
After some bonding and banter over the detective Vorpalina, the process was done and the cousins got their keys for the unit. They entered into the unit and checked out the bedroom immediately. The atmosphere instantly lulled them for sleeping time, but Jun flew into the bathroom and washed his face before admiring the spaciousness and the facilites in the bathroom. A knock on the door alerted Dan and he jumped out of the bed to see who it was. Before the threshold stood a fair-skinned blonde with a skinny figure, fidgeting and clenching his hands alternatingly. "Yes, do you need help?" Dan asked with courtesy. "Aha, you stole my line. It should be the other way around..." The blonde chuckled nervously. "Oh, haha, my bad. Um... Kobayashi Dan¨­ki!" He threw his hand for a shake, which startled the blonde a bit and he flinched a step away. "Washiyama Kingumo, nice to meet you, haha..." He shook Dan''s hand a bit nervously. "So, how''s the unit?" On hearing the surname, Dan realised that he is Kinuhime''s son and he was sent to check on them.
"Oh, the unit''s pretty great! We love it! But we only checked the bedroom and the bathroom, so far." "Glad to hear you''re satisfied and... where''s the other person?" "He''s still in there, I guess... Hey, Jun! Come on out, fast! We''ve got someone!"
"Yeah, yeah, now what?" Jun entered into the living hall and saw Dan and Kingumo standing together. On seeing Kingumo, he turned about and curled down. Dan rushed to Jun with concern, leaving Kingumo''s side. Kingumo saw the cousins from a distance, his green eyes dulled with concern. Dan glanced at him and burst out laughing. Jun joined in the laughter, rolling on the floor. The sudden change in the atmosphere made Kingumo feel queasy in the head. He could not understand why the cousins sprawl on the floor, cackling like possessed people, but he has a hunch that the joke''s on him. "Guys, what''s so funny? Even I wanna join the fun too..." Dan and Jun struggled to respond when they are wheezing and giggling out of control. Finally, they held back in and gestured ''Glasses''. They burst out laughing again. Kingumo''s realisation earned him a face-palm. Hating himself that his hunch was right, Kingumo sighed in frustration. "Real mature... Trainee-san." Kingumo crossed his arms for a dominant stance.
"Oi, you better take it back." "Not unless you take it back first." "What did I say, though?" "You called me Four-Eyes, didn''t you? Take that back!" "I never said that." "Then, what''s with the sign, huh?!"
"Oh.. that''s just an oversimplification. I meant to say you are an eagle with goggles." Junkitsu guffawed and resumed his laughter, keeling over beside Kingumo''s feet. "Hey! That''s even worse!" Kingumo yelled nervously. "How so?" "You''re dragging my family name down, that''s how!" Kingumo shook Jun back and forth in tears, begging him to stop. But he could only see an eaglet with a mask covered in gold, flapping his wings frantically, amusing him further, grinning and giggling like a mad jester. "King, I''m sorry on his behalf! His outlook is just unique, don''t take it to heart." Dan apologized while barely struggling to hold back his chuckles too. "Me? King? You''re too kind... but I don''t want the nickname. It just sounds weird for someone like me..." Kingumo felt dejected over his looks and the irony contained in his name. "Bro, look at yourself in the mirror! You have such cool wavy hair, a bright color in your eyes and stylish glasses on your nose. In my opinion, I wouldn''t be surprised if you''re revealed to be a royal''s descendant!" Dan slid his arm over Kingumo''s shoulder and pulled him closer. "You are the King. Remember that." "A word of advice, King. Don''t refuse his nickname." Jun slid his arm over King''s shoulder and pulled himself closer. "He won''t let you sleep unless you make it yours." "On second thoughts... Call me King." He put thumbs-up shyly, while Jun and Dan put a high-five in celebration. King felt overwhelmed over Dan''s sunny attitude that he broke away from the cousins and took a breather. "Hey, King, we need to ask something." Jun called him. "Yes, do you need help?" King adjusted his goggles nervously. "Yeah, a little help. We''ve been told that you''re an expert Guide when it comes to Wildborn. Could you show us the ropes?" King''s eye markings flashed bright green when he heard it. "You can count on me, Takeshi-san! Where do you want to start? Lore, mechanics, secret moves, systems---" He rambled out with passion, his nervousness vanished, to which Jun found it a bit overwhelming. "Uhh... Raids and Runs. I''ve already done PvP with Tamako today. So, I want to try them out." "I see... In that case, we should go to the Hub." "The Hub?" Dan''s curiosity flared up. King simply nodded. "Yes! Imagine the Hub as a gateway to the game world. Primarily, Wildborn is an open-world MMORPG, so you should know that a game like this is not fit for small screens like the Slab, aesthetically speaking. You should log in via a Pod and let your senses dive into a sensual feast!" "I get it, but do we need to go somewhere else when you can just install a Pod in your home?" "You wouldn''t be talking like this if you had seen the price, Kobayashi-san." King smiled widely at his oblivion. Dan immediately realised that it would be too costly and he doesn''t want to find out. He knew that he can''t handle the reality. Then, he turned to see Jun, who stood shell-shocked with his Slab in his hand. His mouth was wide open in shock at the sight of the price and slowly put the Slab in his pocket, trembling at the thought of the price once again. "It seems like Takeshi-san got a taste of reality." King glanced over Jun, checking to see whether he was alright. "Tastes bitter and spicy..." Jun came out of his shock and voiced his decision to go to the Hub. The other two jumped in excitement and went out.
In the centre of Momoboshi stood a tall, glass tower that reflected the blue sky with clarity. From afar, the tower would barely be visible as it blends seamlessly into the sky''s hue. And now, at the foot of that tower, among the bustling crowd moving in and out, a voice broke out: "Welcome to the Hub!" The cousins stood in awe, staring at the tower. King ushered the cousins inside the tower and the three saw a big crowd of people in costumes and stalls displaying merchandise including artwork, clothes and props. "Guys, stick close with me! It''s easy for newbies to get lost in here!" King clasped the cousins'' shoulders and tried to guide them across the crowd to reach the column in the middle of the area. Although Dan was engrossed about his surroundings, Jun looked down to the ground, feeling overwhelmed about the people. "Feels like the entire archipelago is partying here!" Dan remarked, observing the cliques of cosplayers shooting photos and enjoying the Founding Festival as well. "Well, that''s the point of this whole floor! They don''t call this place the ''Con Floor'' for nothing!" King said while pressing the buttons on the wall, glancing on the elevator doors and stepping aside to wait. "Look over there." The cousins turned their heads to where his finger pointed and they saw big, parabolic screens live-broadcasting events conducted in other Hubs, displaying the festive fever among the participants vibrantly. Suddenly, the screens displayed an advertisment about a concert hosting somewhere else. Soon, the people started cheering, hollering and hooting at the sight of the woman who appeared in the screen. Even Dan was infected by the crowd''s frenzy, as if he was put in a trance by the woman, but Jun couldn''t care less. Afterwards, Dan''s trance was broken when the elevator doors shut on him. "Nooo! Christina Sandstone! I want to see more of her!" He started to scratch on the doors like a forlorn cat, seeking freedom. But Jun pulled him back out of second-hand embarassment. Seconds later, the three reached the 10th floor and exited from the elevator. The cousins were greeted with dozens of slanting capsular beds and were fascinated about the design and the controls beside them. The men became little children as they gaze at the technological marvels and visually stunning holograms, displaying each player''s gameplay. "Takeshi-san, Kobayashi-san! Over here!" King called them over to a vacant Pod and gestured Jun to lie in one. "Kobayashi-san, all the Pods are occupied now. But you can check out gameplay at the V-Sphere there. I''m sorry you couldn''t join with us." King lowered his head down in sadness. "It''s alright, King. I can join any other time. You go help him in there." Dan patted his shoulder and walked away towards a group of people gathered around an LED sphere, that shows videos currently streaming. This spherical structure, the V-Sphere, is comparable to that of a television. Except they display gameplays of the occupied Pods. Players who are waiting for their turn can wait and watch the dozen channels featured on the screen for entertainment. Each of the video streaming displays an individual player in their run, whether it''s a quest, exploration or even a fight. Suddenly, there''s a notification saying that a new player has arrived. The players'' attention shifted to the notice and put up the new player''s screen. All of them saw a fox standing on a floating piece of plateau with an eagle perching on his shoulder. They all welcomed him by cheering, excited about his first dungeon run. [To be continued] Lvl 6: Abyss Cathedral (1) [J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] I opened my eyes to be greeted by dark red sky. Howling winds blew over me and pushed clouds lightly tinted with maroon overhead. ''Where am I? Feels so cold and eerie here.'' I got up and looked around to see only open space, wisps of clouds and jagged boundaries of the land. ''Fingers crossed, I hope that nothing comes swooping down on me.'' I walked towards the edge and looked down. There''s nothing below. Just more clouds. I''m basically standing on a floating piece of land. ''Hahaha, I''m in danger...!!!'' I immediately jumped away from the edge and sprinted to the place where I was lying and sat there, hugging my knees in. ''Man, that was hella scary! I thought I was going to fall off. I need to find a safe way to get down.'' I recollected my observations in the vicinity and thought for some time. There are no signs or clues about anything. It''s just plain ground here. Then, a horrible thought came to me. ''What if the only way down... is to jump?'' One glance at the edge far away put me in fear once again. There''s no way alternate plans don''t exist. I slowly calmed down and checked around the boundaries. After mapping the boundaries in my mind, the land appeared to be in the shape of a flying vehicle. ''An airship?'' Then it hit me. ''If the left and right edges are wings and the back part is the tail, then the front part of this land must be the nose. That means, around the front area, the cockpit is hidden. Or rather the controls. Now, how would I search for it?'' As I was pondering about theories or methods for searching the controls, a voice echoed in the distance. I turned about towards the tail and saw a bird flying towards me. On coming closer, it revealed itself to be an amber-colored eagle, happy to see me. I stretched my arm out so that it could land and perch on. "I''m surprised that you haven''t jumped at all, J¨­bun! I was ready to eat your words and all..." The eagle felt relieved as he said them. "King? Is that you?" "Yeah! But call me Mokkun!" "Mokkun?" This is new. "Yeah, every guide or mascot has a cute name. So, I thought of having one for myself!" "Sounds good... but we should stick with our names when it''s just us, okay? Also, what''s with this form? I thought you''d be like me, bipedal but... with wings and all." "Regarding my form... long story short, I''m penalized and doing community service." His answer gave me more questions and casted disbelief within. ''Penalized? Community service?! This guy''s definitely pulling my leg...'' "Bullshit! You look like you have no heart to hurt even a mosquito. After all, you''re a nervous wreck! There''s no way you have the gall to do such things." "Oh, thank you very much..." ''Why is he grinding his beak like that?'' I steered the topic away, while he perched on my left shoulder comfortably. "Uhh... do you have some ideas to get down?" "Yeah, I do! But it''s upto you, though. What do you know about Aura?" "Hmmm... it''s this life force featured in many martial arts stories, right? Some call it Ki, Qi, Tao, internal energy and so on." "Right! Cultural differences aside, it is fundamentally the same, but it leans more on the mental side of things. Now, you must learn to feel the force and channel it around your body." "So I need to meditate like the sages or something?" King laughed at my question. "Sorry, that was funny. Well, you can meditate, but being minimally aware of the energy flowing within and around you is utmost priority. So, what you have to do is stretch your hand out and focus." I followed his instruction and started to focus on my hand. Initially, there was nothing and my impatience grew by the second. But then, I started to see faint waves of energy ebb out from my fingertips. By instinct, my vision became sharp and I could see my body enshrouded with energy. Wisps of ambient energy hover around the distance. I could basically see the unseen! ''This is so cool!'' [Passive Skill: Aura Sense obtained] [Aura Sense: Channel and release a pulse of aura around the vicinity to detect traces and tracks of ambient energy. The stronger the pulse, the larger the volume of detection.] ''Okay, so this skill lets me charge the pulse if I want to sense things far away. This should help me train in fine control.'' "You did it!" King congratulated me for the achievement. "Now, see if you can sense anything around you." I let out a pulse beneath my feet. Distinct markings started to shine wherever the pulse covered. I guess these markings are like circuits on a motherboard, designed to let the user''s Aura to flow through this airship and power it. I then noticed a concentric structure near the nose-end of the airship. After walking over there, I knelt down and knocked the ground on a whim. Suddenly, a column of stone shot up in front of me, which startled me a bit. I examined it and found a circular hollow on the top. ''This must be the yoke of the airship, and the hollow must be the power inlet. I guess I need to feed my Aura into it.'' I covered the inlet with my left palm and concentrated a while. Slowly, the energy gathered around the palm and I let it grow to a considerable amount. Finally, I discharged it into the hollow, causing the airship to wake up. Now, I can travel across the sky freely. I''m not a fan of extreme heights, but I''m kind of starting to like this.
[Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] ''Wow! This guy plays better than all of the people I was teamed up with, so far! Looks like my life''s gonna turn for the better!'' Takeshi-san managed to activate the Sky Plateau. I taught him to control the Plateau and he had gotten used to it. Later, he descended through the clouds and got shocked by the scene before him. It was basically, aesthetically Hell below the clouds. Lightning storms swirl frequently across the horizon, shining light over tall, black buildings. These buildings were erected everywhere Takeshi-san and I looked. There was no ground to even look at. Instead, thick bromine-colored smoke cover the bases of the black buildings, stirring storms beneath. "What is this place...?" Takeshi-san asked with confusion as his ears flapped down in horror. "This is Trova. Or what''s left of it. According to the lore, you''re in a post-apocalyptic period. The red miasma you see down there is called Neth-Aura. It corrupts everything it touches, turning all beautiful things into monstrosities." "Then, what about me?!" He panicked. "You''re fine! According to the lore, you''re immune to the effects of the miasma." "How, exactly?" "Inheritance from your ancestors. After escaping from the disaster with the help of Sky Plateaus and adapting here, they dedicated their lives to perfect the cultivation techniques. As a result, Caelonauts (players) are blessed with bodies that could withstand Neth-Aura and also manipulate your own energy easily." "I see... then what are these buildings?" Takeshi-san pointed at some of them. "Well, those are called Dungeons! These structures are the reason why the world is in this state, but these weren''t like this from the beginning. These got corrupted by Neth-Aura now and spew out monsters outside without control. This led to multiple Outbreaks, making your ancestors flee to the skies here." "So, how do you enter one?" "Patience. Some are them are extremely tough for a novice like you. So, let me handle the selection." I guided him around the dungeon and finally found the dungeon suitable for him. ''A white-star dungeon!'' "Takeshi-san, you should dock your Plateau on top of this dungeon. The top has the entrance. Quick, now!" He immediately pulled up and landed on top of the dungeon. The centre of the Plateau opened up, making a chute-like exit for a safe landing. He jumped into the chute and got down. Then, the Plateau started to shrink into a small flat airship-shaped stone and flew into a slot, which was jutting out from the balcony. This will initiate a barrier to form around the dungeon, to prevent anyone from entering in. This is called Booking. A big ethereal gate stood in front of us, with white energy swirling around its borders. "King, a quick question." "Yeah?" "Why is this dungeon marked with a star?" "Good question! Stars indicate the complexity of the dungeon, whereas the star''s color indicate the difficulty, increasing from White to Black. Since you''re a novice, it''s safe to say that this dungeon is solely, just for you!" Takeshi-san understood what I said, but he kept on trying something from the beginning. Throwing out signs and gestures from his hands. Although I asked him before, he told me not to worry. Even I thought he has some kind of tic. But this nosy feeling of mine needs to stop. "What are you doing?" "Nothing much. You don''t need to worry." He tried to reassure me but I''d be an idiot if I ignore this further. My Guide senses are screaming to help him, so I couldn''t help but shout at him: "That''s what you said the last time and you kept on doing some weird things! I''m a Guide, you know! The least you could do is ask me for help or a hint." Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Maybe that came out a bit harsh on my part. But I made my bed and now I''ve to lie in it. "Sorry about that. I just wanted to open the Stats Window and Inventory Menu on my own. But it''d be embarassing to ask your help for simple stuff." Takeshi-san rubbed the back of his head as a way of apology. "Hahahaha, you should''ve told me sooner. First, make a fist and tap your chest. Then stretch your arm out and open your hand. Now, try it out." "Like this?" A screen came out in front of us, surprising him out of his fur. Although he did not show it, his bushy tail wagged like crazy. He swiped the screens like a child in awe. Ah, the nostalgia... I took a look at his stats along with him.
Name: J¨­bun Lvl: 1 Title: ---
HP: 150/150 MP: 450/450 Stat Points :5 XP: 0%
STR: 9 RFL: 12 LUK : 5 FRT: 12 COG: 12
Passive Skills Pacifista Lvl 1 Battle Vision Lvl 1 Aura Sense Lvl 1 Active Skills Vulpine Jab Lvl 1 Vulpine Claw Lvl 1 Vulpine Tackle Lvl 1 Burrow Pounce Lvl 1
''Woah! Such Beginner''s luck! With a Unison like this, he can make up a well-balanced stat build in no time! Also, he''s better suited for a magician or a rouge, though time will tell for his potential. I can''t wait to see his gameplay!''
[J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] ''Hey! My skills from PvP got carried over! This is nice.'' I''m still not well-versed about how skills cross between the modes, but that''s something I can check out later. Now, for my active skills... ''These are only good for critical damage and takedowns. I seriously need some gear to increase my strength. By the way, let me equip the title.'' "King, let''s go." He and I stepped inside the portal and ended up in a wide well-lit aisle, with torches fixed in the pillars. Strangely, the space around the aisle was dark. Perfect place for an ambush. I put my guard and walked carefully. After a few steps forwards, a snarl fell on my right ear and I saw red eyes glaring at me from the dark. The red eyes lunged at me with a dagger, aiming for the bridge between my eyes. I immediately dodged aside to avoid the attack, but my cheek grew warm suddenly. I touched to see blood. It was a small cut, but the pain, the sting--- it felt a bit too real. I wiped it away and took a look at my first enemy. Out in the light, there was a rat in a black hood, with a hunchback, holding the dagger towards me. The snarls it let out were feral and filled with bloodlust. ''Ugh, that thing''s nasty! I''m gonna be sick...'' I got into a stance, waiting for it to attack me. Luckily, it took the bait and dashed towards me, lunging again for another stab. I was quick enough to grab its wrist with the dagger and tried to disarm it, but my grip wasn''t strong enough and it broke free. On the next lunge, one side-step to the left and a downward elbow to the back, dead-centre. That''s all it took to bring the rat down to the ground, falling flat horrendously. It also let loose of the dagger, but the rat was not giving up, trying to reach for the blade. So, I kicked the rat and it flew to the pillar, back first. After this, I picked up the dagger. Now, although I''m happy that I got a dagger for self-defence, that feeling was short-lived. Why? Because that bozo rat just let out a call! Soon, a number of rats came out of the darkness and I''m surrounded. Thoroughly. On second thoughts, it''s better for me to stash the dagger, since I''m not good with it yet. I glanced at King to see how he''s doing. He was panicking about this situation. I waved my hand to let him know that I got this, but that somehow freaked him out more. I signalled him to perch somewhere while I deal with this hunchback and his cousins. ''[Aura Sense]'' I sensed two presences jumping down on me, ready to dig into my skull, but I quickly rolled back, missing their daggers. I grabbed their tails, used them as makeshift athletic hammers against their comrades. Occasionally, King would swoop down for an opening, either scratching their hands or biting noses and tails. Like this, we killed eight rats, including the ones in my hands. The last rat ran away from me, but I threw the dagger right at its head, ending the ambush. [Congratulations! You have leveled up!] x2 [4 Stat points have been rewarded] x2 ''Right on time! But first, Loot!'' Just then, King rammed into my face, with his face contorted with panic and worry. He constantly apologized and asked me whether I was okay, to which I assured him and help him calm down. "I''m glad you''re fine, but those Bandicoots belong to the lower floors. I wonder why they''re here." King frantically and meticulously checked for something in the map. "Bandicoots?! I thought they were rats!" "Yeah, I also thought the same as well. They''re actually called Bandicoot Dacoits. These pesky jerks are a bunch of thieves, who will attack you and then loot your body once you''re dead." "They look more feral than an average one..." "Exactly. Also, they have short, hairy tails. By the way, they''re not good in terms of loot but the weapon drops show promise." "Like what?" "Daggers, but they''re affixed with either Poison or Bleed. Now, let''s go check them out!" King flew over the places where the bodies are. Except, loot occupies their space. He immediately segregated the loot and rubbed his wings in joy. "OK, Takeshi-san! Follow my words! Show your hand towards the loot and close it!" "Okay..." I did as he told and suddenly all the loot disappeared. Subsequently, I got a notification to open my Inventory. And lo and behold, all the loot is in there! I couldn''t help but laugh at this. This is just wonderful! "And that''s how you take it all!" King stood proud. I danced and showered my praises on him out of gratitude when suddenly, we heard a beeping noise from his map. I checked along with him. Two new dots spawned in close proximity to the dungeon we''re in. Concurrently, the room around us rumbled. The vibrations here grew more, akin to that of an earthquake. The ashen color of fear painted over King as he gazed at me with horror, as if he had realized what''s happening around us. "Takeshi-san, grab the pillar and don''t let go! I repeat, don''t let go!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as the room broke in pieces and we were swept away in a storm. I grabbed the pillar and King, keeping him close to me tightly as we''re braving within the storm, hopefully that the rubble does not hit us. Among the whistling winds and flashes of lightning, among close calls and near-misses, I could hear a whisper, filled with fear, disbelief and... remorse? ''Not again'' These two words looped around King''s tongue. I felt awful seeing him in this state and hugged him tighter to the pillar. I also dared not open my eyes until this whole disaster stops. I didn''t how long time had passed, but I still don''t want to open my eyes. ''[Aura Sense]'' The pillar, the floor, the entire room was restored. The worst had passed. I slowly slid down the pillar and laid down on the floor, while cradling the eagle like he''s a baby. "Takeshi-san, is it over?" King asked, with eyes still closed out of fear. "Why don''t you take a look, bro?" He slowly opened his eyes and we saw the same aisle, just with different bricks and dimly-lit. But his look of realization returned, his horror and confusion amplified. Soon, he was attacked with nervous breakdown, crying and apologizing about jeopardizing my first gameplay. The deeper he sank, the heavier the sadness in my chest grew. "Hey, listen to me, I''m here with you. Please calm down." "Calm down?! You don''t understand the situation we''re in right now!" He snapped. "Alright, where are we?" "This is..... the Abyss Cathedral!" His green eyes shone in the dim place, amplifying the spook factor. "Huh?" I''m confused. "This is..... the Abyss---" "I got it the first time, I just don''t get the hype behind it." "Right, you''re a novice... Of course, you don''t know!" King scratched his head out of embarassment. "There''s so much to share... where should I start?" "I have an idea. I''ll tell what I''ve understood so far, you plug in the terms from the lore. Sounds good?" "Even better! This''ll save some time and I can also track the info dump. Start, Takeshi-san!" Seeing him happy put a smile on my face. I''m glad he cheered him up. I cleared my throat and started: "So we have Aura, but I can sense some sort of... wavelength in them." "That''s called Signature. It tells us about the quality and intensity of a particular Aura. Imagine it as a soundwave. For example, you and I have different Signatures. With my Sense, I can estimate roughly how strong you are and vice versa." ''Alright, clue no.1 noted.'' "Now, I''ve also felt different qualities of Aura from the dungeons we passed by earlier." "Right, even dungeons have their Signatures too. They can give us an idea about what type of dungeon it could be, which are called Aspects. Aspects differ by the number of points in a star. Although there are various Aspects, you should remember three common ones: Resource, Ascension and Nemesis. I think the names are self-explanatory." ''Clue no.2 noted.'' "This dungeon is the result of the merging between three singular dungeons before, including this one." "Now, this is a very important info. This phenomenon of dungeon fusion is called Assimilation. Think of this as islands clumping together to form a bigger landmass. The criterion is that the dungeons of different Aspects can release similar Signatures. Also, they should be close to each other." "And this... Abyss Cathedral is one such structure." "Haaa... I miss this... It''s been a long time since I had a teammate talk with me like this." This line almost made me cry. Not only was he punished for something he may hadn''t done, but also he''s been mistreated by players before me. Still, I should finish this. "Now that I got the basics down, what makes this dungeon so dangerous?" "Haha, I prefer the term ''Impossible''. You see, this dungeon is a Black-star dungeon, the highest difficulty. Not one, not two but Three stars, meaning this dungeon has the template of a castle or a sanctuary." King showed me three feathers with an intense gaze. "As for the Aspects, they are Nemesis, Perma-death and Story." "Okay... Perma-death, very bad." "Exactly." "What happens if I die, though? Just asking." "Well, in that case, you should kiss your hard-earned loot and XP goodbye, ''cause you''ll never, ever, ever be able to set foot in this dungeon." King smiled, but his eyes didn''t. Something tells me that this is not his first rodeo, though. "You''ve been here before?" "Yeah, 30 times with 30 different players over the span of 2 years. All I got was 30 failures and 30 flavors of foul language, but it''s alright. One of the perks of being a Guide is that I''m immune to Perma-death, so I get to keep all my stuff! Too bad I end up starting from scratch, hehe!" I don''t know why, but my vision was blurry on seeing King smile at his ordeal like that. His tenacity was like that of a hurricane. I wouldn''t mind getting lifted off and thrown into the air by such winds. "Hey! Why are you crying?! I knew something''s wrong! Let me see where I can patch you up." He flew around me trying to find any injuries, but I pushed him aside, trying to wipe my tears. "King, listen to me. You''re my Guide and I trust you completely. Just as I rely on your experience with this dungeon, you also rely on me. For anything, really. We''re gonna conquer this dungeon, you hear me?" He shed tears out of joy that he''s worth relying and cheered up: "Takeshi-san, no, brother Jun, I''ll help you to my very best! Together, we''ll conquer this dungeon!" We let out a warcry to steele our resolve, but that was a bad idea. Hot air hit our backs. Out of fear and instinct, we slowly turned about and saw a hulking bull with large, curved green horns glowing in the dark. His mooing warcry was so powerful, it pushed us away for a good distance. "Any idea what that is?" "That''s the Plower, the Earth King! For a buffoon of that size, this''d be a piece of cake to you, don''t you agree?" King smirked at me, waiting for my answer. "Do I...? Watch me." [To be continued] Lvl 7: Abyss Cathedral (2) [May 3, 12:00 pm, in the real world] The hype for the new player rose and fell like a tide in the sea as Dan¨­ki watched his cousin navigate around the dungeons with his Plateau airship. People around him whispered and murmured about his cousin. Some talked about how his avatar looked handsome. Some talked about his cuteness as he tried out the mechanics with awe and fascination. Others talked about entirely different topics like the Founding Festival and its upcoming closing ceremony in the next three days, the mystery behind Junkitsu''s identity and rise of a little star from the music field. Dan¨­ki''s ears leaned on that last news and scrolled down on his Holo-Slab and tapped on the trending news. It featured a woman who looked familiar to him, until her singing voice gave it away. ''Oh! It''s the air hostess!'' His eyes sparkled with joy. He read the interview below the video, where she shared about her humble beginnings and her love for singing, how her family''s hardships dissuaded her from pursuing in the music industry and her eventual employment and contentment at becoming a flight attendant. She also gave credit to the two men who spurred her on, and wished that she would know their names at least to thank them. After reading the interview, Dan¨­ki smiled at the thought that a silly game between the cousins themselves have lifted someone else''s life for the better, but the happiness cut short when a couple of deriding words fell on his ears. The source of the jeering came from a pair of tall young men watching the V-Sphere, directed at his cousin and his friend. Dan¨­ki''s face spiraled into confusion on looking at the clothes they''re wearing. It was like they stitched punkish elements onto their ripped gakurans (school uniforms). ''Is this what they call Neo-Punk?'' He sneaked a bit closer to them to eavesdrop. "I feel pity for that noob. Too bad he''s stupid to hire that worthless pigeon as his Guide!" The man with blue-haired mullet snarked at Junkitsu and Kingumo. "Pigeon?! Open you damn eyes, fool! That bird''s an overgrown turkey! He''s better inside our stomachs than out there! But you''re right, that fox is toast." The man with red-haired buzz cut agreed with his friend.
"Also, you should''ve reminded me not to hire him for Guiding. I lost everything and got reset because of that fucker!" "Don''t put this on me, asshole! It''s not my fault your dumb ass forgot it!" "Still, him becoming the Gambler was the best thing that happened to all of us." "Long live the Gambler! He won''t be missed, but he will always be pissed!" "Hahahahahahahahahaha!"
Dan¨­ki felt disgusted for the way those guys spoke but he was intrigued at the word ''Gambler'' and that it was tied to Kingumo specifically. He scratched his head, wondering where he heard the word and why his friend was called that. But his train of thought got derailed when his ears picked on something disparaging.
"Is this fox gay or something? See how he''s spooning on that turkey!" "Woah oh! At this point, I wouldn''t be surprised if he got horny and end up fucking him in that storm, hahahaha! Suspension Bridge effect??"
"Oi! That''s my cousin you''re talking about!" Dan¨­ki shouted at the mullet punk to stop him from degrading Junkitsu further. The punks turned to him and glanced at each other with devious smirks. "Look at this chunky dickhead trying to play hero." The buzz-cut punk towered over Dan¨­ki, trying to intimidate him but, he simply stared into his neon pink eyes with a demeanor as cold as ice. ''Uuhhh... I should''ve looked before I leapt! I didn''t think through this at all. But who would stay still after all that shit? And by some random goons at that! Still, gotta keep my cool.'' "Shark got your tongue, pal?" The mullet punk threw his arm over Dan¨­ki''s shoulder, sneering at his face. Dan¨­ki simply swatted the punk''s arm away, ignoring his question. "Arm''s off, pal. Word of advice, buy some roll-on for your pits." "Oh, so we''re roasting now? Say your shit before my lid blows off..." The buzz-cut punk asked in a deep voice. "I just want you both to stop dissing my friends. It''s not nice." Dan¨­ki ordered in a stern voice. "And who the hell are you to say that? It''s not like you don''t own the place, do ya?" The mullet punk continued to sneer at him. "Besides, it''s none of your fucking business. We will do whatever the fuck. We. Want. Either fuck off or you''ll need a nose-job." The buzz-cut punk stamped out an ultimatum. "Ugh, even your words stink! Ever heard of hygiene, guys?" Dan¨­ki ignored the ultimatum, launching another insult at them and made a counter-ultimatum: "But I''ll mind my business after you stop berating people, or else..." Immediately, he was grabbed by the collar and got headbutted by the buzz-cut right on the nose. He fell down the floor, accidently pushing a couple of people behind him with a daze. Dan¨­ki''s nose was buzzing with stinging pain and his nostrils grew warm and watery with blood. Slowly, he tried to stand up, with the help of a bystander. "You think you can look down on me, bitch?! Huh?! Forget the nose-job, I''m gonna tear you a new---!!!" Suddenly, the buzz-cut punk was looking at the ceiling as he was lying flat on the floor, not knowing what happened. All he could do was gasp and cough for air, rolling around in pain. Meanwhile, the mullet punk stood in shock, questioning how a short, chubby pushover managed to slam his friend down with a throw. After all, his friend was a bit taller than Dan¨­ki. "I don''t like fights... but I do love hosting funerals! Live!" Dan¨­ki grinned at the mullet punk with his sapphire eyes staring blankly at him. The rush made him ignore his bloody nose. This scene stabbed the punk''s heart with fear, triggering his fight-or-flight response, and he wants to fly. To him, Dan¨­ki looked like a adrenaline junkie, ready to devour him on the spot. The mullet punk simply dragged his friend away, without a word. He swore that Dan¨­ki would pay for the insult. ''Woaahhh! That was so close! I almost shat out! Jun, thanks for your wisdom, bro!'' Dan rejoiced under Jun''s name in his mind for he was taught under him about dealing with bullies and put him under self-defense training, which he cried like a baby in the past. The adrenaline''s effect wore off when he saw blood on his fingers and his nose started to sting Dan was helped with first-aid by the bystander, who he later thanked for. ''I bet Jun''s gonna get pissed when he sees me like this. But first, I gotta get to the bottom of this whole ''Gambler'' nonsense. Why would a pushover like King be involved and how?'' Dan was sketching the plan when there were shouts of cheering heard from the V-Sphere. Dan went to check there and saw the Fox zipping around the Bull, toying with him and flashing a child-like grin now and then. Dan joined the viewers along screaming with joy for Jun''s anticipated victory.
[In the game world] [J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] ''Hahahahaha! This. Is. The. Best!! This bull is so slow, I can nap on his back for a while.'' The Plower gripped his warhammer and swung upwards, shooting a trail of stalagmites at me, but I evaded the attack. The red bull knelt down with fatigue, his eyes dull and his horns, dimmer. "Brother Jun, he''s empty now! Quick, attack while you can!" King instructed me about the opening as he was charging his attack and I sprinted on all fours to injure Plower at the least, but the bull has other plans. He let out a roar of frustration and started to swing around his warhammer like a crazy berserker, destroying the pillars and floors left and right. Red aura was gushing out of his body. I lost the window of time, but still our plan was going as expected. First, I made the bull raging mad, baiting him into wasting his elemental attacks. Then, I manipulate the battle into a purely physical brawl. Afterwards, I must disarm him, snatch his warhammer and smash his horns out of his head. Simple strategy but not a piece of cake, as King said earlier. Plower was mooing at the top of his lungs, making the aisle rumble. Truth be told, I was scared of hiding behind any pillar for cover for they''d topple and crush me dead. I slowly sneaked with caution, pulled my poison dagger out, dashed out of the pillar and cut the bull''s knee-pit. Plower knelt down paralysed and in pain, swinging his warhammer at his back. I took care in dodging and strafing away from his weapon and focused on his left hand. Immediately, an all-fours dash with a Bleed Dagger was all it took to give a stab on the Bull''s left hand. "[Vulpine Jab]!" I concentrated my Aura into the jab and drove the dagger as if it were a nail and stabbed the wound a couple of times with my poison dagger, for a good measure. I back-stepped before Plower could crush me with his warhammer. Fortunately, he smashed his own hand like a raging fool, increasing his suffering more. With the combined power of Poison and Bleed, I managed to bypass Plower''s ability to recover, weakening him and made an opening for a devastating blow. "King! Now!!" "Finally! [Gust Ballista]!" A turquoise-green arrow was shot at the bull, hitting right on the wound. Seconds later, his entire left arm exploded. Black, gunky fluid spewed everywhere, making a mess. Plower cried out in pain, desperately clutching his stump from bleeding out. King glided down the ground, his face pale with fatigue from that charged skill he shot. Nevertheless, King and I took this as an opportunity and rushed at the bull. I went to the warhammer he dropped trying to lift it, while King is flying around Plower''s face, distracting and attacking him tiredly. I severely underestimated how heavy the warhammer was. I couldn''t even budge it! I even poured my aura around my arms to lift it, when suddenly the hammer was off the ground. I didn''t care why and how, because the bull is vulnerable now. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ''Now, onto the bull!'' I dragged the warhammer with difficulty towards where the bull was, when King saw me. He left the the bull and flew back as I reached the bull and swung the hammer across with all my might, crushing his knee. The Earth King finally fell down, flat on the ground. ''One... more... swing!'' With a warcry from my throat clashing with the death throes of the bull, I swung the hammer down on his head. The horns broke, but not before I was flung across the room due to the explosion of those horns. I was tumbling across the floor, getting bruised in the process. "Brother Jun, you aren''t supposed to hit the horns when they are glowing!" King flew down, shouting at me for my mistake. "Oh yeah?! Well, you''re supposed to give me a heads-up before I threw down the hammer onto his face!" "Well, I was waiting for the Bulldozer to regenerate his arm. That way, his horns would be out of power and you can swing it down." "Anyways, all''s well that ends well. By the way, I checked my status and saw something strange. It said ''Sacral Pool Overdrive''." King''s eyes widened at this piece of info. "Brother, we''ll talk about this later but first, we should go check on the boss." Green smoke filled around the vicinity, obscuring our vision. After a while, the smoke dissipated and we saw the Plower''s body was covered in vines and brambles, his expression of terror and agony fixed in time. He''s basically a wooden mummy. Then, I was bombarded with a number of notifications. ''I''ll check it out later!'' King was screaming in celebration. He flew around me, singing praises for my victory. I joined in and broke out some dance moves.The struggle was worth it. As we were celebrating, gentle breeze blew over our backs. A spirit rose from the boss''s corpse and took the form of the Bull we fought. Compared to his looks before death, he appeared gentle and peaceful. "Hello! My name is Oakman. Nice to meet you!" He introduced himself to us, which is pretty unusual for us. His voice was deep and mellow, akin to that of an orator. We introduced rather nervously. "Please fret not! I''m indebted to you both for releasing me from my torment. It''s a shame, acting like a marauder. Forgive me for attempting to harm you." He''s so old-fashioned and really polite. "It''s all in the past Mr. Oakman but, may I ask you what happened?" I inquired. "Hmmm... Ha! I was a farmer, visiting the humble, old chapel to dedicate my harvest as a tithe. It was a normal, peaceful day until... the altar in front exploded." Oakman''s voice started to quiver with shock and fear as he was trying to recount for us. "How?! Who would do such a thing? Were the people?!" King sounded really baffled when he heard it. "But then again, the Cathedral makes sense..." "I appreciate your concern, my dear friend. But I don''t know why or how it happened. What I do know is that my family and friends were in dire need of safety. It did not help that the church was falling apart." His final accounts were akin to a puzzle piece tied to this dungeon. Perhaps, there''s a bigger picture linked with the bosses. The more he spoke, the heavier the guilt weighed on my heart. I didn''t think about finding another way to pacify him. Oakman continued: "As one of the members largely unscathed, I partook in the rescue and we were all out, except my daughter." His heart started to sink as he tried to recount more. "She was trapped under a rubble. Despite my efforts to rescue her, it was too late. The building fell down... on us. After that, I opened my eyes... to see myself as a monster." I was holding back my tears while King sobbed. Oakman''s sorrow was his uncertainty of his daughter''s fate. Our sorrow was that we couldn''t give his rest a bit more peacefully. His smile of forgiveness made us realize our barbaric nature. "Thank you for listening my story. I thank you once again for freeing me. I pray my belongings be of use to you in your endeavor, young fox. Farewell." Oakman''s soul vanished as his body crumbled to dust. There was a kind of tranquility that couldn''t be explained. Perhaps, as an author, his backstory touched my heart. The game''s immersion quality really made him life-like. ''I hope there''s a peaceful way through this...'' Jumping out from my train of thought, I knelt down to check the loot. There was a spear, four bags of Shards (in-game casual currency), a red coin and a locket. I stashed in the weapon and Shards, while keeping the red coin and the locket out. I checked the locket''s description. [Oakman''s locket: A father''s treasure gifted to his precious daughter] There''s nothing more about the locket. Might be an item or a souvenir for me to collect, but I don''t know if I could take it. ''Now, for this red coin...''
[Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] Finally, I lived through the ordeal. After dying or losing my partners a bunch of times to this boss on random, this was a nice a change of pace, but I have no heart to say that. I got notified of Oakman''s final accounts converted into a Lore Piece. Opening the Lore-book, I checked out to see the Abyss Cathedral''s lore space. It said three more pieces were required to cleanse the dungeon. Finally, there was a breakthrough for this place. "King, a little help." Jun beckoned me over. "Do you know what this coin is?" ''No. Way. It can''t be!'' "Brother, did you raise your LUK stats or what? I can''t believe you got this." "Exactly, but I still don''t get the hype." "Right! This is called a Pool Token!" "A Pool Token huh..." Jun''s ears flapped back and his eyebrows furrowed down until his eyes sparkled: "Hey, about the Overdrive---" "Ha! Now that you mentioned it, how do you feel right now?" "I feel... sore. Aw man, I can''t feel my tail. Or my hips. Is something wrong with me?" Jun''s voice wavered with concern. "No worries, brother. It just means that you have overexerted physically. The aura circulating in the Sacral Pool is associated with Earth and Physical Strength. I think you may have subconsciously forced it open. Anyways, Pool Tokens are extremely rare items that help enhance your Pools and this red token is only for Sacral Pool!" "English, my man!" Jun sounded a bit annoyed. I should really tone down my enthusiasm for explanations. "Sorry. Pools are nothing but energy centres lined in your body in a straight line. Starting from the bottom, which is your tail, there are 7 pools---" "Wait, wait, wait, wait... this sounds like the 7 Chakras system, man!" Jun''s eyes glowed with epiphany. "Haha, it doesn''t sound like it. It is exactly the 7 Chakras." "Woah... this is amazing! Except for one detail. These are supposed to be wheels, my guy!" He snapped, pointing his back for that tiny detail. Man, it''s funny that he''s picky over something trivial as this. "Linguistically speaking, I agree that they are wheels but, they are just... visual cues at the end of the day. These energy centres are believed to be spherical pools that exhibit a particular spin of circulation. You can''t explain the harmonious influence these pools have on each other without this fact." I hope he learned something after this. I don''t think I want to fight with him if he continues to be picky. "English again, please..." Jun requested in a low voice. He means business. I don''t want to end up in his stomach. "Sorry. Again. Uhh... right, 7 balls of energy spinning in their own axes, while having a nice bond with each other. Also, the red pool is tied to Earth and Physical Strength. "Now I see... is that so hard? Teaching in simple terms? I hope you don''t dream about being a teacher, no offense." ''He did not just say that to me...'' "Excuse me? We just met today and you''re talking about my future?!" "Uhhh... yeah, can''t I do that?" "No, you can''t! Respect the boundaries, man! Boundaries!" "Easy... I just wanted to say that you need to work on your explanation tactics. You gotta dumb it down for me, you know?" "Then, you should''ve led with that line, brother! My god..." I couldn''t help but face-palm in frustration. How can someone as smart as him not have tact in his speech? But then again, most geniuses would be straightforward as they wish. "Alright, forget about it! Now teach me about this coin." Jun went back to his jovial, newborn attitude. "Ugh... stretch your palm out and channel your aura. It''ll do the rest."
[J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] I held out my left hand and started to channel my aura. The token started to hover out of my palm and spun around, absorbing my aura. Seconds later, it dissolved into red aura and seeped into my palm. [Sacral Pool has been opened and slightly enhanced. Elemental Aura affix: Earth has been established. Earth-based skills are now available] Combined with the notification and new-found vigor surging in me, my confidence was gurgling into arrogance. But King smacked some sense into me on time, pulling me back to virtual reality. Next, I opened the message log to catch up. [Nemesis defeated! You have slain Plower, the Earth King!] [Title: has been awarded] ''I don''t like the sound of this title. In fact, I don''t wanna read this. Next.'' [Congratulations! You have leveled up!] x12 [4 Stat points have been rewarded] x12 ''Alright! From Lvl 3 to 15 now. I should be grateful to the devs for this but, I can''t help but gripe about the frugality in this. I just faced a boss as a newbie, after all! Oh well...'' [Title: has been removed. 10 Stat points have been rewarded as compensation] ''What? This is insane! 10 stat points, just like that. I take back what I said. 12 levels are enough for me. Bye-bye, Hurdle Jumper. You''ll be missed.'' I saluted the title in its honor. I may be weird, but there''s a reason I was able to stand toe-to-toe against Oak-- I mean Plower. If it weren''t for the title, I would be dead long ago. I opened my Stats menu to see the total points collected to be a whopping 59. Fifty. Nine! That''s a huge number early in the game. This is a jackpot! King was perching on my shoulder already, witnessing what''s going on. We were bobbing our heads, infected with winner''s high. After a little breakdance, King tipped me on investing stat points, which I decided to sleep on it. Lastly, there was a message titled Dungeon Quest. King''s eyes widened with surprise and went bonkers in the air. "King, buddy! It''s just a dungeon quest. What''s so special about it?" "Brother, usually you have Tasks to complete while raiding dungeons but, Dungeon Quests are on a whole another level. These are ultra-rare encounters and the players who completed them are rewarded with riches, fame and popularity! You''d be a king in this Digital Era!" He posed in the air with finesse and majesty. "Well, I see no reason not to refuse but let me read the details first." [You, who have noticed the mystery of this accursed place and sympathised with the denizens are now deemed worthy to pacify them. Uncover the truth of the tragedy meted out to them, liberate the souls trapped here and cleanse the grounds. Reward: Random Scroll, ???] "This is a jackpot, brother! Accept it!" ''Quest accepted.'' "Now, there''s a portal to the next level at the end of this aisle. Come on, brother!" King led me on and we stepped into the portal.
Name: J¨­bun Lvl: 15
HP: 520/900 MP: 1685/1950 Stat Points: 59 XP: 48%
Shards: 750
[To be continued]
[Skills used] [Vulpine Jab: Channel a portion of aura into your fist to inflict a knife-like jab on your enemy. The longer the charge, the more powerful the jab. CD: 1s/5 MP] [Gust Ballista: Conjure and shoot a ballistic arrow that detonates with condensed gusts of wind, inflicting explosive AoE damage. Lingering. The longer the charge, the larger, stronger and farther the blast. MP: 50, CD: 60s] Lvl 8: Abyss Cathedral (3) [May 3, 12:15 pm, in the game world] [Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] "[Squall Shield]!" I put up a barrier around brother Jun to protect him from the scaly pests. Although I can pick them off one by one, there were dozens of them and then there was Jun. It''s only a matter of time before we find a safe place to fend them off. It''s also frustrating to recount our situation, considering that Jun is the one responsible for this mess at the beginning. Long story short, Jun inadvertently beamed his location to the boss of this area we had arrived. I was too late in warning him not to use Aura Sense. In fact, I couldn''t even explain anything. The result was a 10 minute-long chase around the Catacombs, with our lives at stake. The ankle-deep water did not help Jun for stealthy escape, in the slightest. The entire event was sheer bad coincidence. Emphasis on the ''Bad''. After finding a safe place and raising Jun''s LUK to 10, we set out on a hunt for snake scales! Apparently, brother Jun got a task to collect 44 Cerulean Grass snake scales. He and I... don''t know why. Nevertheless, without further delay, we searched for snake pits, which are found in the dead-ends of the Catacombs, provided that the boss is not around that area. Jun managed to collect about 39 scales in a peaceful way by taming the snakes, which earned him the title . At the last pit, we got caught by the boss unfortunately. Instead of chasing us, it made the other snakes do its bidding. Thus, putting us in this maddening run for our lives, right now. "King, give me the route to the nearest narrow corridor! I have an idea!" Jun shouted out his request. "On it! Uuhh... There! At the upcoming intersection, take 2 lefts, 2 rights and run straight ahead. You''ll get one! But it''s one of the dead-ends though!" "That''s all I need! All you have to do now is distract the boss while I bait the snakes away! Promise to stay in one piece until I get back, okay?" Jun asked for the impossible. "It should be the other way around! Anyways, I''ll try! Good luck, Jun!" We seperated at the intersection. The snakes chased after Jun like bloodhounds, not caring for me. My heart raced out of fear at the thought of facing the monster. I lost count of the times it ate me. But when Jun''s face flashed across my mind, hope was restored. With my courage stirring my heart, I planned to face that fear-feasting nightmare. "Buffet''s closed, you scaly pig! I''m the apex predator, RAAAAAHHHH!!!"
[J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] ''Alright, any moment now...'' I stood inside the corridor, waiting for my prey. I took the spear out of my inventory and got ready. Finally, the snakes had arrived. ''Now, if they slither a little bit inside..... Bingo!'' "[Stone Wall]!" The snakes'' head got caught by the rising wall and got slammed into the ceiling, critically damaging them and got stunned. "Title equip: " I approached the injured snakes carefully, trying not to provoke them. Grass snakes may be harmless but if threatened, they''ll spew something out, just like a skunk. Then, you gotta say goodbye to stealth until the next bath. I appealed to their better nature, thanks to the title, and three of them immediately coiled around my arm. I gently rubbed on their skins, searching for loose scales. After that, I completed my mission and got three scaly friends, in the process. I returned back to the intersection where King and I split off. Using my night vision, I could make out the walls and the pathways, but the water dampened any traces to track on. Using the Aura Sense would turn me into boss bait. My only option was the snakes. I covered my finger with aura and touched them. They were being frisky all of a sudden, coiling my arm and hand tighter. Suddenly, an idea lit me up. ''Maybe, I have a chance at communicating with them via aura.'' I gently covered the snakes and wrapped them around with my aura. Slowly, our energies come together, intertwining and melding together. [Aura Resonance detected] [Strong desire of emotional connection perceived] [Crural Pool has been opened] [3 Fortitude (FRT: 9 ?12) points have been awarded for the achievement] [A new sub-stat, Charisma (CHA) is integrated into Cognition (COG). CHA:COG effect ratio = 1:5] ''Woah! This is nice. I got another Pool open, free stats and... why am I aroused?'' Then, I remembered that particular chakra situated at the root of sexual organs. This was utterly embarassing on my part. ''I want to crawl into a hole...'' Tiny, cute voices whispered in my ears, comforting me about the moment. The snakes on my arm raised their heads and gazed their dear blue eyes in mine. ''Oh my god, you three look so cute! Thanks for the pep-talk!'' I nuzzled them with love, speaking with them via telepathy. From this exchange, I learned some new things about this place. First, there are actually two bosses lurking around the Catacombs. They are the parents of these hatchlings. Second, the father patrols, while the mother stays in the central area of the Catacombs, resting. Third, occasionally she would wander around the catacombs for food, who were obviously the players. He would hunt the players interfering her hunt. This meant that I may have kicked King to his grave. ''Shit, I need to get back to King soon.'' With no time to lose, I asked the hatchlings to lead me through the Catacombs. After some time, I reached the central area. Apart from the arch I exited from, there were five more situated around this place like a circle. ''Woah! This place is pretty big! No wonder the mother rests here! Hold on... if the area is this big, then how big would the mother be?'' A horrible thought came to me as my dread for King''s life was freezing me solid like an ice sculpture. "King, where are you?! I''m in the centre now!" I yelled out at the top of my lungs. "King! Give me a signal, man!! King!!!" The hatchlings started to panic, begging me to get ready for battle. Their hissing grew more aggressive, warning me that something dangerous was about to emerge from the dark. I gripped my spear tight, preparing for the impending danger. Two blue dots stared right at me. One hiss later, a thin, silver blade darted from the shadows, aiming for my heart. Fortunately, I dodged on time or so I thought. I fell flat on my back, watching the rapier sticking out of my chest. Out from the shadows, a Cerulean Grass snake approached me with a scornful look in his eyes. He pulled the rapier painfully on purpose, drawing the blood out of me. Fortunately, the hatchlings helped me patch up by healing me with water. I got up, with Vim and Zest bulking in my shoulders. "Just in time, buddy! Got your pack of cigars? Your kids missed you." The snake probably got triggered of my joke and kicked me. Although I blocked it with my spear, the knockback was so great that I was pushed away across the centre. Vibrations traveled around my body due to block, dazing me. Getting up felt very groovy. "Straight to the point, I see... Let''s dance." Slashes and thrusts were exchanged between us for quite some time. Cuts and slashes marked my body when he countered. Sometimes, life-threatening stabs kicked me near to Death''s doorstep. Despite my best efforts, his defense was an impenetrable mirror of pain. Meanwhile, the hatchlings kept on healing me. ''Dammit, I should''ve invested some stats into Reflexes (RFL)! I see no opening at all!'' During the fight, my heart got uncomfortably warm and grew hotter, forcing me to sweat. I tried to juggle between defense and sweating but that''s basically putting my tongue at risk. Worst-case scenario, I would be mute. At this time, a notification popped up. [Congratulations! You have received a passive skill!] ''Seriously? Now?!'' I hastily retreated, taking advantage of the timing, sprinting along the walls of the Catacombs and perched on a ledge. ''This better be something good...'' I can''t believe there weren''t any invisible walls covering the area when I was fighting him, which was a good thing. [Passive Skill: Regeneration] [Regeneration: The Heart Pool absorbs ambient energy in the vicinity and converts into healing aura, boosting your natural healing potency and speed. Upgradable. Condition: Survive 3 fatal blows without aid] ''Woah hohohoho! Another pool opened? Weird freebie. Need to find a way around this skill, though.'' I thanked the hatchlings for the fortune and put my brain to work for my new plan.
[Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] ''Finally, I''m safe... Now, what happened to Jun?'' Earlier, I heard Jun yelling about his location. He sounded pretty desperate, which got me worried. The boss was persistent in eating me alive, which also added to my list of worries. In spite of gouging its eyes out a couple of times, it kept on healing with water and continued pursuing me. Accidently, I found a hole on the way and cramped inside, tail first. It felt like ages since I started hiding here. I opened my map and scrolled around to find Jun''s position. To my joy, he was behind me, seperated by just a few walls. ''I think the coast is clear now.'' With my courage mustered, I slowly flew to the central area to see a humanoid snake knight standing in the middle of the area. It seemed like they were waiting for something. Suddenly, from the left passageway, a spear flew out, embedding on the wall beside the snake. The Knight got alert and pulled out their weapon but was caught off guard due to a tackle from behind, their rapier slipped away in the process. ''Jun!'' My heart leapt in joy as he was mounting on the Fencer''s back and rained down a flurry of punches on its head. After disorienting them, he lifted them up, used as a battering ram and drove it through the spear. The Fencer hissed violently in pain as they were pushed deeper through the spear, until their back touched the wall and received a second flurry of punches from Jun. He beat them within an inch of their life before stopping the punishment out of fatigue. On a closer look with my vision, he intentionally missed their vital spot but damaged the Aura Organ (left lung), which is an organ that acts as a capacitor for life force. Jun returned to the snake again, whispered to them and snatched something out. It appeared to be some sort of blue-colored cross. He pulled out the blue scales from his inventory and initiated Crafting. Once it was over, a beautiful rosary made out of blue snake scales was made. Satisfied, he climbed up the wall and perched there. Some time later, out of nowhere, another blue humanoid snake in a nun''s habit was running out from the passageway towards the injured snake. ''Hold on a second, is that the boss?!'' She appeared to be in distress, searching frantically for ways to pull her mate out safely. She broke down in tears, seeing her mate pinned like that helplessly. Mixed feelings of frustration and sympathy for the snake washed over me, which devolved into anger for Jun when he landed on the Nun and started strangling her with the rosary. I rushed from my vantage point to meet him. "Jun! What are you doing?!" "Hey, King! Perfect timing! Do me a favor and tie the rosary, while I catch her hands!" He was grinning with joy while choking the snake without mercy. "Stop it, please! You''re hurting her!" "That''s because she''s not co-operating! Look, just come over here and tie the rosary, would ya?!" Jun barked the order with annoyance, directed at me. Reluctantly, I partook in the barbaric act and tied the rosary. Suddenly, the snake stopped its struggle and its arms dropped loosely. I flapped away in horror as Jun looked down on its still body with a stoic demeanor. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "What''s wrong with you, Jun?! I know it''s an NPC, but do you have to be so---" "Shut up. I get it. Now, watch." He nonchalantly stopped my tearful outburst, almost convincing me that he''s a sociopath, until I saw a black hand clawing out from the Nun''s body. Soon, a black snake-shaped entity emerged and immediately grew into the gigantic form that the player base was thoroughly familiar with. ''A Karmic Beast...'' I believed my senses got dissociated due to the revelation until Jun snapped me back to reality, albeit a bit painfully. "Listen closely, King. Get to a safe spot and take care of the snakes. Got it?" Jun ordered his plan in a stern voice as he pulled the spear out from the snake''s mate. "Bro, sorry in advance, but you''re delusional. I mean, look at the size of that thing! You''d have to be insane to face that monster! We gotta---" "Shhh, relax! Besides, the woman is the linchpin. Once she''s awake, explain in five words or less and bring her here. Now, go." He pushed me towards the unconscious nun, while prepping in a leisurely manner. I nodded with grudging reluctance and dragged them to safety, along with three snake hatchlings coiled around my leg. ''.....What?!''
[J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] ''Note to self: stop acting on bravado. You have no idea how to deal with this, in the first place.'' Silencing the cacophony of regret inside my mind, my eyes focused on the prize, the boss. Before I got into my stance, it conjured dozens of water balls and shot high-pressure jets. I barely managed to escape unscathed. Channeling aura into a body part is easy, but to maintain the supply while fighting, that''s multitasking. After a few tries, I converted Battle Vision into a toggle-type skill. How I achieved this was by infusing the humours within my eyes with Aura and use them as reserves. ''Okay! Round 2!'' Diving into the fight, I parried the water jets left and right, chipping the boss''s health little by little. As the fight got longer, the water bullets became more defined and clear. I could parry them with pin-point accuracy. It was as if time got slower during the fight. After this little tactic, it got annoyed and jumped into the water and blended in. Soon, water spikes shot up at random, forcing me on the defensive again. I may be defenseless, but not helpless. "[Tremor]!" The platform shook violently, disrupting the spikes and I trudged across for a vantage point. After this counter, a large circle appeared beneath my feet. I clung onto a wall to avoid getting chomped by massive jaws of water and then, the boss came out of the water, tired. "[Burrow Pounce]! [Vulpine Claw]!!". I gouged its left eye and rained slashed on the head. Then, it shook me off and tried to assault with those water bullets again. This time, I parried the shots right at the eye, dealing massive damage. I kept on with it, until I slipped up in my tactics, giving it room to corner me. I was supposed to die from a barrage of water jets, but not before those water bullets were diverted away. "I hope you''re alright, laddie!" A beautiful, elegant voice filled my heart with relief. The nun has arrived, along with the hatchlings! They hurried across and coiled on my arm again. "Never been better, madam. I was waiting for your aid." "Just in time, lucky me! Now, I would like to exchange pleasantries with you but it seems we must wait. We have bigger problems at hand." Her deep-blue eyes shone with trust and promise of alliance. "I agree! I have no idea, though..." "I propose you buy me some time. I have a way to fell this Beast in one move. Think you''re upto the task, lad?" Her confidence was blinding, to be honest. "I got you covered. Give me a signal when it''s ready!" Without waiting for a response, I dashed towards the boss like a mad bull and started a brutal assault on its scales. ''I hope my aggro does the trick!'' To my expectations, the boss was now hot on my tail. I distracted and damaged it until exhaustion. Just when I thought I''d pass out, the Nun shouted. "Laddie, step aside!" I turned to see King and the Nun made a large ice arrow, ready to be launched. I jumped away to safety, as the boss got shot by the arrow. Frost soon engulfed the boss as it tried to let out its death throes before it exploded. Black mist-like energy was released and dissipated. The boss fight was over. King and the Nun''s laughs grew louder as I trotted closer with barely any energy left in me. "Thank you for the assist, madam. I wasn''t sure what I''d do without you." "Oh, the pleasure''s all mine! My name is Marlowe, and you are?" Her greeting was filled with elegance and charm, combined with grace and humility. Our names twisted her tongue into a knot. "Allow me to call you Kit and King, then. Fighting the Beasts is tough, unless you know the cause of its birth." Her hands joined in prayer for the boss, which she considered to be a lost soul. "What are these Beasts, if I may ask?" "Let me explain, Jun." King barged in, trying to take the spotlight. "These beings are Evil Karma incarnates. They are consumed by Neth-Aura and negative emotions and are driven by their last emotions before they turned." "Really? But that doesn''t explain why that beast came out of her." "You mean to say that the Beast was dwelling inside me, all this time?" Her eyes widened with shock when she heard us. "Yeah, it''s not everyday you see a giant snake lurking in the shadows like that." He chuckled nervously. "Ohh... now that you mention it, I sincerely apologize for trying to eat you, King." Despite her apology, her stomach growled for eagle meat, which made her flustered and scared him out of his feathers. "Never in my life did I expect to see myself as a monster, inspite of leading a pious life. But then again, even researchers are yet to find out the correct criteria of these beings'' birth." Marlowe wore her thinking coif. "Yeah, even Oakman was feeling bad about it." King brought him up, to cite the similarities between them. "Oakman?! What happened to him?" Marlowe panicked with concern. "You know him?" "Know him? I was his one of his beloved customers of his fruits. He tends to some of the most beautiful orchards in our village. His large hand was lent in providing good food for children in our care. He''s fond of them and they cherish him. It was such a beautiful sight." Her voice was sweet as she was reminiscing her memories. Suddenly, bitter shrieks of despair shot in our ears as she started crying. "Madam, are you alright?! What happened?" I grabbed Marlowe''s shoulders to prevent her from falling but to my horror, her head fell off. King held her body and I held her head. Both of us tried to console her while suppressing our fear. "Poor Oakman... not you too..." She whispered with a heavy heart. "Madam, may I know what happened?" "I remember being in the altar... with the rest of the clergy... when the altar exploded and... the chapel was crumbling. I woke up... inside the rubble and escaped my way out of it... Then, I saw Oakman... fully turned and I prayed... Now you understand how I ended up here..." Her breath was stifled with grief and anguish. "Maybe, it was fear all along. Kit, do me a favor, please." I nodded. "Take me closer... to my body." I carried out Marlowe''s request and placed her head on the neck. She struggled to move her hands and finally got used to it. "King... Kit... come closer... May you be blessed... with great strength... to help those in need. Take care... lads..." We couldn''t help but cry as she was slowly fading away, embracing her death with the smile of a mother. "Myrnach, my love... I''m coming..." I let the hatchlings accompany her and they vanished along with her soul. In her place were items, fit for the taking. But we were not in our moods to enjoy. Another sad story... another lead behind this tragedy. ''Man, the backstories... are really good. These characters are life-like. It wouldn''t be surprising if they were actually denizens from another world.'' With half-hearted consolations and shallow laughter, I took my loot and checked the message log. [Healing enhanced by Aura Resonance, resonates with the Heart Pool] [Heart Pool has been opened] [5 STR(12 ?17), FRT(12 ?17), RFL(12?17) and COG(12 ?17) points have been awarded for the achievement] ''Huh, no wonder I felt stronger when I was dealing with the Fencer back then. So, these were the ones before the passive skill notice. Next.'' [Battle Vision was under Overclock effect, leading to a higher level of perception.] [Resonance with Ocular Pool detected] [Ocular Pool has been opened] [50 COG(17 ?67) points have been awarded for the achievement] [Passive skill: Cosmic Perception has been awarded] [Furthermore, any present and future skills related to Ocular Pool will be integrated into Cosmic Perception. As a result, Battle Vision and Aura Sense would be integrated] ''Hold on a second! All this while, I''ve been using this OP skill against that boss? I mean, I was dodging death blows like it''s no big deal. And I opened three pools already.'' Personally, I can''t ignore the power creep anymore. It was as if the word ''impossible'' has no meaning now. Perhaps, the fault was within the dungeon, the bosses would be stronger or this place... was for the chosen one: Me. I slapped myself for the ridiculous notion. ''Even a kid knows the world doesn''t revolve around them! Are you stupid?!'' Just like that, my conscience picked on me before King saved me from my mental conundrum. "Did you get any Pool Tokens, bro? "I think so... Lemme grab it quick." I pulled the token out and absorbed it. [Crural Pool has been greatly enhanced. Elemental Aura affix: Water has been established. Water-based skills are now available] [Skill quest will be available after the raid of Abyss Cathedral] ''Hmm... I''ll check this out later.'' "Woah, brother! Four pools open already?! At this rate, it''s gonna be a breeze!" King was excited about the current progress and my growth as well. "Or Hell. Let''s not forget about the bosses, you know." "Yeah, yeah, but I believe you can bring great change." I shrugged him off. ''Now, for the last one.'' [Nemesis defeated! You have defeated True Boss: Marah, the Saintess of Sorrow] [Congratulations! You have leveled up!] x 15 [4 Stat Points have been rewarded] x 15 ''Okay, this totals my stat points upto 114! Now, let''s add 15 points each to strength, reflexes and fortitude. Let''s not forget: 10 points for luck.'' "Alright, King! On to the next stage!" [To be continued]
Name: J¨­bun Lvl: 30 Title: Snake Charmer
HP: 1650/1650 MP: 3450/3450 Stat Points: 59 XP: 56%
STR: 32 RFL: 32 LUK: 20 FRT: 32 COG: 67
Passive skills Pacifista Lvl 2 Regeneration Lvl 1 Cosmic Perception Lvl 1 Active skills Vulpine Jab Lvl 4 Vulpine Claw Lvl 2 Vulpine Tackle Lvl 2 Burrow Pounce Lvl 1
Shards: 1750
[Skills used] [Squall Shield: Conjure a barrier of strong, swirling winds to deter enemies from approaching. Ignorant enemies may suffer from medium damage. The longer the charge, the longer the shield lasts. MP: Min.60, CD: 30 s] [Vulpine Tackle: Lunge at a quick pace to tackle your enemy to stun them. Low to medium chance to disarm weapon Higher chance of stun increases when Aura is applied. CD: 30 s] [Burrow Pounce: Release a burst of Aura mid-air to to perform a groundbreaking slam. The longer the charge and larger the burst, the faster and stronger the ground slam. The resulting shockwave would inflict minor to low DMG. MP: Min.30, CD: 60 s] [Vulpine Claw: Infuse your claws with Aura and slash your opponent. The larger and longer the rate of supply, the longer and stronger the attack. Crit.DMG on random. Parrying can nullify techniques and reduce the impact of skills. Special effect depends on the nature of Elemental Affix. MP: Min.10, CD: 5 s] [Weapons used] [Oakman''s spear (Melee) Passed down from the oldest to the latest, between father and son, this pitchfork-turned-spear is proof that usage can re-define purpose. This humble tool helps rejuvenate and enrich the soil, thrusting many famines into oblivion. Phy.DMG: 80 Aura DMG: 140 Crit.DMG: 200 Crit.Chance: 7% Passive Skill: Morning Glory''s Rising- When equipped, the casting speed of the skills will be 1.2x faster] [Stone Wall: Stab the ground with the heel of the spear to conjure a stone wall. The larger the supply, added with basic idea, the various dimensions of walls to be produced. MP: Min.40, CD: 10 s] [Tremor: Stab the ground to create seismic vibrations to buy time. The longer the charge, the longer and larger the radius of effect. MP: Min.20, CD: Upto 5 min] Lvl 9: Abyss Cathedral (4) [May 3,12:45 pm, in the real world] Marlowe, the Cerulean saintess'' fate shook the player''s souls in shock. Her passing had varied reactions. Some had their heartstrings plucked, some were strummed but most, if not all, were tugged. Yet, all played the same note: Grief, added with blurry visions and slurred speeches of lament. Even Dan¨­ki stepped away from the crowd, trying to wipe his tears away. ''Man, who wrote those backstories? I wanna meet''em and thank''em!'' Dan was teetering between his appraisal for the stories and his itchy nose, when he heard a sunny greeting beside him. It was the bystander who helped him with the first-aid. She gestured his injury with concern by tapping her nose. "It''s fine right now. You did a great job, by the way! Only it itches though..." Dan assured her. "Glad to hear it, thanks!" She smiled brightly, taking pride in her little deed. "By the way, that Seoi-nage was pretty good. Almost made me shout ''Ippon!!''. Where did you learn it?" "Se-wha''?" Dan tilted his head aside in confusion. "Oh, that shoulder throw?" The bystander gestured the judo technique, to which Dan understood immediately. "Oohhh... my cousin taught me that." Dan shone with pride for his cousin Junkitsu, albeit with mixed emotions. "Oh~, that''s great! Which level is he in, then? Ikky¨± (1st Ky¨±) , Shodan (1st Dan) , Nidan (2nd Dan)? What is it~?" Her burgundy eyes kindled curiously. Although Dan was initially hesitant for smothering her excitement, a few memories from the past jolted him to change plans. "Godan (5th Dan). Weight class, height, age--- nothing matters to him, for all are equal under his throws and blows. He''s basically undisputed in our d¨­j¨­ back in hometown." Dan set up a snare for Jun for a payback with interest. "Knew it! I can''t wait to spar with him!" The Judoka pumped her fists in the air with enthusiastic anticipation. "By the way, take this. I''m free in the weekends, so call me beforehand, okay?" Dan accepted her visiting card and was about to glance on the details when the Judoka pulled him to the V-Sphere for Junkitsu''s gameplay.
[May 3, 12:55 pm, in the game world] [Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] "Okay, brother, one last--- OOWWW!!!" One of my tail feathers was in between Jun''s fingers, his frown spoke for what he did to me. "Why did you do that?! It hurts, y''know?" "That''s the point. Besides, this is the 14th time you''re about to explain the strategy and I''m sick of it!" Brother Jun''s annoyance was pretty valid, and I can''t blame him for my nuisance. "Sorry for being too careful but, we''ve come too far to lose it all. You do remember that you can''t return to this dungeon, right? Right?!" "Jeez, kid. As far as I can understand, this level is pretty easy. I say we can cruise through this boss fight!" His optimistic smile does not help my nerves in the slightest. ''Haha, he basically jinxed us... Hahaha, we''re going to die...'' "Hey, King, we got this. Now, let''s go!" After cementing the omen, Brother Jun entered the portal like the happy-go-lucky daredevil he was, leaving me behind. With few deep breaths, I mustered my courage and entered the next floor. Before me spanned a wide, sandy plain of clouds with thick, rotating cloud walls arranged in congruent circles. At the centre of this level stands the Spire of the Cathedral, where it''s easy to get lost, flying above the clouds invites danger and the platform would dissolve, leaving no chance to retrace your steps. Basically, this is a foggy labyrinth in the sky, where Death kicks you in the gut without rhyme or reason. After carefully gliding across the plain, I found the key of our first Task: a turquoise-shelled egg. I hope Jun found his egg. The eggs act as compasses that will help players including me get to the Spire, the only safe zone in this floor. Injecting the egg with aura will make the shell glow, lighting up the path. But this is also a double-edged sword as this process also functions as incubation. Once the threshold has been crossed, the egg will hatch into a chick, thereby alerting the bosses lurking in this floor. In short, Jun and I must be careful in stealthy navigation. After following the lit path, I found a gap in the cloud wall in front of me and wasted no time moving through it. One second late and I''d end up in a different place as the cloud walls fold space itself, making them act as portals too. Blowing the cloud walls with my wind was not an option. I learnt it the hard way when I broke the floor and my teammate fell through, costing us a past run. That time, my reward was a pile of degrading insults over that mistake for about 20 minutes and low pay. Halfway towards my destination, the worst-case scenario came true. The egg hatched, leaving me with a little Quetzal chick, chirping loudly, maybe for food, I guess. This attracted the boss nearby and pushed me into a chase. Gales of wind blew me away, disturbing my bearing and breaking the floor beneath as a giant, green Quetzal was tailing behind me, with frenzied hunger. I barely juggled with evading the boss''s attack and lightning bolts, while protecting the chick. My luck ran out after getting tightly cornered. With one last look at its black eyes of starvation, I steeled myself to protect the chick at the cost of my life, when a miracle shone upon us. The quetzal was blasted by a headbutt from a giant crow, the second boss of this level. It looked like it was struggling to get free from some sort of control. On a closer look, I saw Jun playing rodeo with the crow and forced the bosses into a brawl. Behind the brawl opened a huge path leading straight to the Spire. "[Zero-D Arrow]!" Taking advantage of this and thanking him in my heart, I zoomed across the wreckage with all I got and shot myself into the Spire. ''Finally... Safe!'' The quetzal chick whistled happily on sensing the atmosphere around us. Even though the chicks are programmed to be a pain in the neck, I still can''t bring myself to hate them. I mean, the quetzal looks so adorable! At times, I wished the quetzal could be my pet but all I can do right now is play until I''m satisfied.
[J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] ''Welp, time for a tactical retreat.'' "Yaahhh!" I reined back the crow after thoroughly thrashing the giant quetzal and pulled into the sky. I returned to the Spire after forcing it to ''escort'' me. Jumping down, I rappelled down using the water shawl I got from the previous level, I entered the Spire. At one corner sat King, playing with a green chick like there''s no tomorrow. In fact, he''s so engrossed in his babysitting that he couldn''t hear my calls. "Ahh, brother! Glad to see you''re okay!" King finally noticed me and tucked the chick away. His relief over this ordeal got him buckling under with fatigue. Gaining a second wind, he shot me down with questions, rapid-fire style, to which I answered as quick as possible. It was about trivial things like surviving the boss, getting to the safe zone first, pitting the giant birds against each other and so on. "Looks like you found another use for Marlowe''s shawl, huh." "Yeah, I never expected a cloth turning into a weapon. How did that happen?" "Well, that''s the beauty of the system. The items from the dungeons are pretty flexible, in the sense that players'' versatility and ingenuity are taken into account. Even rookies and noobs can turn the tide of any raid with just scraps looted from the shittiest dungeon ever." "Sweet..." Maybe I can dabble into some alchemy or crafting after this. If I play my cards right in the near future, I can kill two birds with one stone: custom items and cash. "Brother, where''s the other one?" King reminded me about the crow chick. It nearly slipped my mind. "Oh, he''s up somewhere." My caws are embarrassingly awful. Being a fox, my vocal cords aren''t just built for it. Finally, black feathers drifted down like snowflakes as the crow chick zoomed down and landed on my head. Suddenly, the quetzal chick became lively on seeing the crow and both of them started to dance on the floor. This scene looks peacefully wholesome with King and I enjoying it. Soon, the chicks engulfed in light and swirled around while they continued to dance happily until they went out in a bang. In their place lied two beautifully decorated ornamental rings. One is turquoise and the other is black opal or pearl. King''s face was fraught with distraught on witnessing the chicks'' fate. Naturally, I also don''t know if this has to take place. I guess this is something we understand in common, seeing that this is the first time he managed to survive to coop up in this safe zone. "I don''t understand... why did they... WHY?" "I think you''re overreacting for two chicks who are responsible for our near-death experiences." "Well, sorry that I can''t give up on them! I was really looking forward to making them my pets or familiars..." "I get about the familiars, but pets?" "Haha, that''s just outside lingo. The proper term within the game is ''Parent''. Yeah, I wanna be a dad..." I have neither words nor tact to perk his sulking feathers up. I mean, how can I do that when I don''t know to express emotions in the first place? If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Also, him wanting to be a parent is pretty weird, in my opinion. Maybe, there''s a feature in this game that I''ve yet to know. Still, I have to know what to do from here on out and picked up the rings. On a closer look, the rings share pretty intricate designs and endearing engravings addressed to each other. This means the birds outside are maybe related to each other that my teammate and I yet to uncover. This may be the key to draw out the true bosses. "King, I have a question. Why do the birds try to eat the eggs or the chicks?" "I don''t know the reason behind it but, if either of the birds managed to eat them, then the entire level would blow up. Game over." He let out a huge sigh. I guess I can understand how he lost a couple of times. His teammates weren''t fast or good enough to keep the babies safe. But the bosses exploding like a nuke by eating the chicks... this is interesting. Another clue found. "King, I have a plan, and you won''t like it." "What do you mean?" "You''re gonna be bird bait." "No! Absolutely not! Those things out there are humongous! Not to mention, the quetzal spits out lightning! I can''t get near it without becoming a rotisserie!" "That''s why I''d handle the Quetzal and you handle the Crow. At the right time, you pop the ring into its mouth and escape." "Then, what about you?!" "No worries! My part will be done soon." "Don''t underestimate that creature! The longer the stalling, the more irritated it gets and lashes out stronger attacks! With that said, watch out and be careful!" "Yeah, yeah, tell me something new..."
[Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] Man, this guy''s really carefree and reckless and it''s not doing good for my mind! Not to mention, about half of my strategies are gone with the wind, thanks to his stunt a while ago. Not that I''m not grateful for it. Still, couldn''t he try to make some efforts to at least pretend he has caution?! ''Ugh, this is giving me a headache... I swear, I''ll blow my damn lid off if he ruins my plans one more---'' "Yo, King, I''ll repeat again. You get the Crow and I get the Quetzal. The crow''s pretty stupid, since he is a windy brute. With your powers, you can give a run for his money. Chop chop, bro!" After finishing his bit, he jumped out with the green ring, while I''m staring at the black ring, contemplating about my situation. But hold on... why do I feel threatened when Jun is just lending me a helping hand? Why am I being hostile to him? It doesn''t make any sense... ''Ahhh, just forget it! Brother Jun needs me! I must play my part now!'' With that said, I flew outside the Spire and saw Jun already engaging with the Quetzal. From what I can understand, he managed to gain the upper hand and is now standing his ground against it. There''s no opening for the boss to dish out any counter at all! Meanwhile, I need to check where the Crow is. Seconds later, a thundering caw boomed across the sky. The dark clouds could not even muffle the caw''s loudness. Below me, a giant shadow gave away the Crow''s ambush from above, which I dodged away. Between its wing slaps and wind attacks, I painstakingly dodged and parried, injuring it to some extent. Fortunately, it got thoroughly mad. Now, the plan is ready. Metaphorically speaking, I''m covered in berry sauce and made myself look appetizing. The Crow roared in hunger and started to chase me. After zooming around and tiring it significantly, I then lured it towards where Jun is stalling. By the time I arrived, Jun was on the Quetzal''s neck, riding rodeo and plucking feathers. It''s safe to say that he''s been doing this for awhile. "Brother! Ready!" My screams reached out to him and he became serious in an instant. He rappelled down from the Quetzal via the shawl, while throttling its neck down and stuck the landing. I threw the ring into its open beak, fulfilling my part. Finally, we''re going to win or so I thought. The Crow which was hot on my tail had its beak open wide to swallow me whole. The sudden shock paralysed my senses, shackling me in place, forcing me to accept my doom, when I was wrapped around with water and pulled back away from the Crow. In a split second, Jun protected me from the Crow while shooting the ring into its throat, dodging away to safety. The birds collided into each other, which let out a big, bright light; dark clouds spawned and spanned around, swirling with increasing speed. From the obscuring clouds, we could see the Karmic Beasts emerging out of the birds. Those things are pretty menacing to look in the eye. Not sure what''s going to happen after this. "King, puff out the smoke! I can''t see a damn thing!" "Got it, brother! [Gale Arrow]!" I shot a big arrow to disperse the clouds, revealing the Beasts clearly, who are clearly not friendly toward us. The Crow shot a bunch of feathers at us, before Jun stepped in and blocked them with the shawl. He swiftly jumped in the air, threw the shawl''s ends and lassoed the Beasts'' necks, yanking them away from the unconscious birds. "King, get those guys to safety! Pull them away!" Jun was struggling to free the birds from the Beasts, despite his strength. It''s still not enough, they are still stronger. Rather, I forgot they''re still superior in every way because of him. I grew complacent, dropped my guard down. Ignoring my thoughts, I swooped in, grabbed the birds by the talons and slowly dragged them. Suddenly, Jun yelled out a warcry and yanked the Beasts away with his last bit of might, apparently. He knelt down in exhaustion, panting his fatigue out. The birds and the Beasts are freed but it''s not over yet. As I was helping Jun get back on his feet, the Beasts started to fuse together, prepping for the first phase of the true boss fight. But the visual aesthetics of their transforming is... fucking gross! And that''s coming from me, a guy whose tongue tingles at the thought of using foul language! Seriously, of all the things, an extreme French kiss?! Not only that, the tongues go through the holes in their faces, stitching each other together crudely and assimilating in a grotesque way. I hope the game company censors this atrocity, because this is... Ugghhh~ Jun and I can''t help but rub our eyes in disgust, hoping to burn out the memory from our minds. "I need some Holy Bleach for my eyes--- my god! That''s nasty!!" Jun couldn''t have said any better as he was rolling on the clouds. I wish I could curl into a ball somewhere.
[May 3, 1:00 pm, in the real world] Dan¨­ki was rubbing his eyes vigorously, screaming for bleach, just like his friends inside the game as the boss was transforming and the Judoka was trying to catch her breath, struggling to stop her laughter at this hilarious scene. "Man, that was funny. Gross but funny." She was tittering, while helping Dan¨­ki get up from the floor. They seperated from the crowd and sat on a bench, soaking in the tranquility. "I know it''s late but I''m Beniken Kaede. Nice to meet you!" She introduced herself. "Kobayashi Dan¨­ki." He extended his hand, to which she grabbed and shook with playful frenzy. Dan¨­ki was shaking from the aftermath but his blank giggles said otherwise. Dan¨­ki and Kaede went on with their conversation about their hobbies and likes, developing their friendship. He learned about how she''s a rising star in the Judo world and her daily life in Kogane Koen, the district which he''s staying in. Kaede enjoyed talking with him and offered to take him on a sightseeing tour around the district. "Is it okay if I invite my friend too? He''s also new to this place as well." Dan¨­ki requested to extend her invitation. "Oh, sure! The more the merrier. Besides, it''s fun to have a chat with another big fish in a small pond, you know!" Dan¨­ki was grinning in his mind about his surprise for Jun. ''I can''t wait to see the look on his face on looking what''s in store for him, hahaha!'' "Even King should join us too." "King? Who might that be?" Kaede felt confused on hearing the name. Being an outgoing resident in the district, she knew almost everyone here, so she felt a little bit awkward about leaving someone to be unknown. "Kingumo! You haven''t heard of him?" Dan¨­ki''s eyes lit up on mentioning his name, showing his happiness for making his first friend outside his hometown. Hearing this, Kaede''s mood turned sour. "Kobayashi-san, I''d avoid him if I were you." She advised him in a stern voice. Her friendly nature turned cold and a bit defensive. Being thoroughly confused, Dan¨­ki tried to pry further into her instructions. After a bit of nudging, Kaede spoke reluctantly. "As a gambler, Kingumo tarnished the reputation of our place. He''s also a lying cheat who has the audacity to plead insanity. That guy''s the worst. I feel disgusted for being his friend." Her eyes burned with scornful hate for King, muttering with harsh words. Dan¨­ki was filled with disbelief on hearing such news from her. He was tempted to disregard her claims and defend King, but he knew that there is always more than one side to a story and Kaede''s personal boundaries may be breached with his prying, burdening their newly-formed friendship. "I understand your anger but King''s one of the only people my cousin knew so far in this place. So, I don''t think I can agree with you yet. Still, I hope you can show us around in the weekend, if not tomorrow." He hoped Kaede calmed down with his diplomacy. Kaede snapped out of her loathing on hearing the reminder of her invitation and relaxed. "You''re right. I''m sorry for putting this on you. Even so, be careful. I hate to see you getting duped because of him." She pleaded with caution. "Thanks for the heads-up. We''ll meet again!" Dan¨­ki''s tender smile cheered Kaede. She was anticipating to meet him again in her mind and wished him goodbye, going downstairs in the Hub. ''I don''t like to dwell on this but, who are you, King? Why are you hated so much? What did you do to be called as a gambler?'' Dan¨­ki was swamped with frustration and doubt about King''s nature, wondering if it''s okay to dig onto old wounds. His thoughts got cut short when he heard gasps from the V-Sphere, squirming through the crowd to check what had happened. To his shock, Jun was plummeting through the air, unconscious and gashed across his chest as a large, wyrm-esque being set its sight on King. Jun''s fur was charred, his jaw wide open and his body was flailing around helplessly before he disappeared into the clouds below, never to be seen again. [To be continued]
Name:Mokkun Class: Guide/Mage Lvl: 20 Title: Lesser Life
HP: 1030/1200 MP: 1350/1800 XP: 87% Stat Points: 0
Passive Skills Jet streamer Raptor''s Sight Lvl 10 Pathseeker Lvl 26 Guide''s Breeze Lvl 8 Active Skills Breeze Needle Lvl 16 Gale Arrow Lvl 15 Squall Shield Lvl 22 Gust Ballista Lvl 13 Zero-D Arrow Lvl 30 Second Wind Lvl 21
[Skills Used] [Zero-D Arrow: Enshroud inside a sheet of wind-infused aura to assume the highest streamlined form possible and dash across the air like an arrow. The longer the charge, the faster the speed and longer the duration. MP: Min.200, CD: 90s] [Gale Arrow: Conjure and shoot an arrow powered with wind aura, inflicting piercing damage on an enemy. The longer the charge, the stronger the piercing power. Slight chance of critical damage. MP: Min.50, CD: 60s] Lvl 10: Abyss Cathedral (5) [May 3, 1:00 pm, in the game world] [Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] "Brother, snap out of it! The boss finished transforming!" Jun stopped rubbing his eyes and got his head back in the game. "I''m not sleeping tonight..." "Pull yourself together, brother! I''ll take the birds to safety, you deal with that monster! You can, right?" He can, right?? "Yeah, yeah, no big deal. Everything''s gonna be peachy." That nonchalance of his... I hope he does. For all I knew, that Beast''s nasty. "Alright, brother. But before I go, please take this. [Zephyr''s Hoof]." Transparent currents of wind cover his feet and took the shape of sandals. "Woah! What''s this?" Jun was excited about the buff I casted on him. "With this, that thing won''t be able to catch you for the next five minutes. You can also increase the buff''s limits upto three times by feeding your aura. Kick its tail feathers, brother!" Jun understood what the buff is meant for and he was about to thank me, when we heard zapping sounds around us. Suddenly, lightning bolts struck randomly around us and we barely dodged them. Realizing the danger we''re in, Jun started to aggravate the Beast on purpose, so that I could escape along with the birds. Getting back to the Spire was not easy. First, the birds are in their Normal Form and unconscious. Second, I''m in the Lesser Form and not strong enough to carry them both. Still, it''s my responsibility to take them away from the fight, as far as possible. Suddenly, Jun was in front of me, with the water shawl wound around his arms. He dashed towards us, tied the birds up as if they were some bundle and threw them away towards the Spire. "Go long, King!" He cheered me on, resuming his fight with the Beast. I, on the other hand, zoomed across the sky, caught the tied birds with my talons and escorted them to the Spire. It took a while for them to wake up, as I''ve been checking on the boss battle. The Quetzal woke up first and later the Crow. His red eyes burned with hostility towards me, for which I don''t know why. "Com licen?a? Voc¨º sabe onde estamos? Que lugar ¨¦ esse?" The Quetzal spoke to me first, but the language barrier between us made me feel a bit helpless. "He asked where we are and what this place is." The Crow translated for his friend. But his deep voice added onto the intimidating aura he already possesses. "Pare com isso, querida! Voc¨º est¨¢ assustando ele." I may not understand his language but I feel glad the Quetzal trusts me enough to defend for me. Strangely enough, their quarrel doesn''t sound that aggresive and the Quetzal ended it with a kiss on the Crow''s forehead. I couldn''t help but chuckle at the Crow''s blushing face, accidently fanning the flames. Surprisingly, he mellowed a bit and approached me. "Speak." His attitude needs some work, though. I hope he doesn''t hold against me. I explained the situation to him as delicate as possible, but truth and reality are some of the things people can''t simply digest or accept on the go. Fortunately, he''s taking it pretty well and offered to help. He relayed it to his boyfriend(?), the Quetzal, who also took it, despite feeling discomfort about the situation we''re in. "Do you have a plan? To defeat the Beast, I mean. I believe that the longer this drags on, the tougher it gets on your friend." The Crow spoke facts, which I agree. I gave my plan to defeat the Beast in one shot, which they found appealing, but the Crow is slightly not convinced because of the risks my plan contains. "Est¨¢ tudo bem! N?o ¨¦ grande coisa. J¨¢ passamos por coisas piores, se voc¨º me perguntar." The Quetzal persuaded his boyfriend and agreed to the plan. After some serious discussion, they both kissed, which caught me off guard. I don''t think I can handle witnessing PDA like that. ''Nice couple, hehe.'' "Vamos, amigo!" The Quetzal led out enthusiastically, starting our plan in a few minutes. ''Hang on, brother Jun! We''re coming!''
[J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] ''Man, what was I thinking?! At this rate, my health would end up with a cipher! If it weren''t for King''s speed buff, I''d be dead long ago.'' Just when I thought help doesn''t come any faster, the boss was zapped by dozens of green lightning bolts. The source was none other than the Quetzal. His teal eyes shone with amiability, as he glides down towards me. "Ol¨¢! Eu sou Arboza! Como vai voc¨º?" "Uhh... fine." It took me a while to recognize what he asked. Verdourean is not my cup of tea, after all. "So, what did King say?" "Qu¨º?" "You know, the eagle?" "Ah! Ihe? Ele disse para distrair-" "Okay, this is getting nowhere!" Talk about getting stuck between rock and a hard place... and the boss fight doesn''t get any easier! "English or Sign, please." Please, take a hint. I don''t speak Verdourean! "You can Sign?!" Thank God he gets it. "Yes, I can! Now, what''s the plan?" "No biggie, we''ve to make the Beast mad." "Really mad?" "Really, very mad." "Cool!" Concocting madness is my speciality, so it didn''t take a long time for the boss to blow its gasket. Finally, the heart-shaped boss open its apex into a two-beaked monstrosity and charged its lightning breath. Arboza and I were ready to take on the red-hot bolt. Except we didn''t. Instead, it shot upwards. I was checking up, wondering why it wasted its ultimate attack like that but, on seeing King and the Crow further away, I realized why. I was caught and pulled by Arboza by the heels, stopping me from getting to my friend. All he signed to me was to trust in them. Seconds later, the red bolt vanished, thanks to the combined windy efforts of the Crow and the Eagle. Later, a red line was drawn, spanning from the birds to the Beast. Suddenly, the boss exploded with a brilliant light, with its remains scattered across the cloudy plain and sinking down. Arboza and I skid around to avoid those chuky remains flying at us. Finally, the boss is defeated. Or so we all thought. I may have jinxed us by wishing for a break, for the worst-case scenario is rising from the dead. The sunken remains coalesced under the clouds and out emerged a long, giant, green serpentine Beast with feathers for its crown and a pair of wings. "Quetzalcoatl?! Meu Deus!" Arboza''s shock is similar to mine. As much as I want to bask in awe, I don''t have the luxury to gawk at it as a player. Not only is it bigger, but also its ferocity is matched with its power. It''s only a matter of time before our slaughter takes place. The Serpent started to lash and thrash around, inciting violent gales to dance around. At times, it tries to strike and bite sneakily to cut down our numbers. But our counterattacks are piling on it steadily. King even shot a Ballista right in its eye, making it half-blind. Just when we are about to prepare for the final blow, the Serpent lunged at King. The wide jaws made sure that his escape is futile, but I won''t allow it, even if it costs my gameplay. [Zephyr''s Hoof: 0 seconds] ''What?! Come.. on! I''m almost there! Almost...'' There... All done. King is out of harm''s way and I don''t even mind being under the jaws of death. Although it''s sad that my Crawl''s cut short, it''s not bad for first time. ''Good luck, King. Go conquer the dungeon.''
[Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] ''What just happened? One moment I was about to be eaten and now, I''m far away from the boss battle. Wait, is Jun okay? I remember he was... Oh no... No, no, no, no, please tell me I''m wrong. Please!'' With my top speed possible, I reached the area to see a body falling down from the Serpent''s mouth. It was charred, mangled and smoking. Above all, it looked like a fox. Yes, it looked like a fox. Jun''s still alive. I was wrong. I am wrong. I wanted... to be wrong... I wanted to be wrong. I wanted to be wrong! I WANTED TO BE WRONG!!! "NOOOO! BROTHER! WHY DID YOU SAVE ME?! WHY?! AAAHHHH!!!" "¨¢guia, enough! Pull yourself together and fight back!" "With what, Tegom?! What exactly do we have to fight that monster back?" "What else? With our aura, of course! If that''s not enough, we''ll rip it with our talons!" "It''s impossible! Without Jun, we can''t defeat that Beast. We''re good as dead!" Before I could utter another word, my tongue went numb and my back was burning. It was as if I was struck by lightning. "Deixe ele em paz, ¨¢guia!" Ugh... It was Arboza who did it, huh... He basically slapped my back with his palm charged with lightning, huh... I don''t care. Compared to this, Jun''s loss hurts a lot. Now, he''s also blocked too. Not only from the dungeon, but also the friend requests. Serves me right, to be honest. All I did was trying to use Jun for my personal gain. I looked at him as a key shaped for my shackles: this cursed story quest as a part of my community service. As long as I''m stuck with this, I can never be a player. After all, this is my independent source of income, which got severely restricted as a consequence of the law. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Although Jun approached as a friend, to me, he was nothing but a ticket to freedom, a two-faced scumbag unfit for trust. That''s what I projected on him when his mannerisms resembled him. I am ready to con him, if it took me to obtain freedom, but his reckless actions saved me from time to time. I even purposely suggested strategies to speedrun this dungeon at the cost of his life, but a little part of me felt glad he didn''t follow them through. The more I reflected, the more my method of atonement became clear. ''Brother Jun, I know you gave up the game to let me clear, despite not knowing the end of the tunnel but, I don''t think I deserve this chance. This may not cut it out for everything I''d done but I''m sorry. I''m... so sorry... I hope you find a better teammate.'' With my wind, I pushed the Quetzal away, baiting Tegom to leave me alone. Afterward, I flew to where the Serpent is and threw my skills at him, until I''ve run out, until there''s nothing left in me. ''Time for the 32nd time.'' I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Tegom and the Quetzal''s screams did make me realize how scary this whole situation, but this is nothing compared to what I did to Jun, and he pretty oblivious about it. *BOOOM* ''What was that?'' I opened my eyes to see a golden entity with its back towards me. In its front flew the Serpent, which looked like it got kicked in the chin. Grey bolts lightning zap around him in stable harmony. My eyes adjusted to make out its shape, which turned out to be a fox. ''No way... it can''t be...!''
[J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] [Mythical Beast: Raposo de Ouro has descended. Time until reversion: 9:00 minutes] Despite reading this notice a couple of times, it still didn''t make sense. Even kicking that feathered snake seems unbelievable. ''How am I alive right now?! And why am I having this OP form?! Me- a mythical beast?! Get outta here!!'' Even if the system is compensating(?) me for the biggest error, this level of generosity is crazy. The power creep is practically insane, no matter how you, me or anybody sees it! ''Still... gotta make the most of it, right?'' "OI, YOU HAIRY REPTILE! I GOTTA SCALE TO PICK WITH YOU! TIME FOR ROUND 2, YOU BOZO!!" Great, its eyes should be on me now. Gotta make sure the aggro''s locked on me. ''[Vulpine Claw]!'' ''Woah-ho-ho! This Beast Mode is OP!'' I just threw a normal claw attack and it grew into a huge energy strike. Not to mention, the damage is huge! I managed to take out a chunk of the boss''s HP, it''s literally half-dead. Now, time to bring that number down to Zero! For a while, the feathered Serpent was pretty relentless, mixing physical and auric attacks, executing combos and throwing feints for more damaging attacks; it''s smart and deadly, to be short. [Time until reversion: 5:00 minutes] ''Oh... so that''s how you''re gonna play with me? You''re pretty smart for a boss, but you''ve made a big mistake, and I''ll gladly use it to the fullest.'' Now, what if I dash fast among the clouds... ''Whoo-hoo-hoo! This speed is insane!'' Thanks to my Mythical Beast form, I can be a living lightning bolt and do all sorts of things! Jumping around, creating afterimages, attacking without losing the power- this is awesome! It''s only a matter of time. [Time until reversion: 2:00 minutes] ''Okay... maybe less time. Now, get mad. Lose your temper. Throw your guard away. Go berserk! Then, and only then, will I wreck you, you stupid snake!'' Its head is wide open, time for that technique! ''[Six-Chisel Crownbreaker]!'' Six axe-kicks on the head with courtesy of mine and my afterimages. Infused with lightning aura as a bonus. [True Boss: Xolo-coatl has been Shocked- 3:00 minutes] ''There we go...'' Shocked is a status effect that paralyses your opponent and also gives DOT. Due to my form, the status effect''s DOT is enhanced, ripping out chunks of that boss''s health. I guarantee in 90 seconds, the Serpent will wind up dead and this level gets cleared. Come to think of it, where are those guys? It''s a good thing they kept distance, otherwise they''d gotten swept in and end up fried chicken. ''[Cosmic Perception].'' Woah! This is so good! My form has a good synergy with this skill, so much that my radius of detection has increased a lot. In an instant, I sensed their location and sped up. "Hey, guys! Missed me?" The birds were close to the Spire, waiting for me. They got spooked because of me, which is kinda my fault. Arboza and the Crow were happy to see me, but King just broke down crying. He kept on apologizing for something I have no idea about; even the hugs are not working. "King... it''s alright. Nothing''s your fault. So, don''t cry, please. When this is over, let''s eat ramen. My treat, okay?" "Sure... but I''ll pay." Glad he stopped. Seriously, crying doesn''t suit the King of the Birds. But it''s also not good to sweep the sad stuff under the rug. His mental fortitude and humility are worthy of my respect. "Did you defeat the Beast, ¨®timo?" The Crow asked me. "Yeah, it''s dying as we speak." "You might have to check it again, homem." Looking at his finger, I realised it''s not over. I turned about to see Xolo-coatl poising for one last fight. It''s barely able to stay steady and faintly draws out its last bit of power, so that it could wipe us out. "King, do you have my shawl?" "Huh? Yes, here you go." He handed it to me, wishing me luck and ushering his friends into the Spire for safety. As I wrapped the shawl around my palm, the means to end this fight slowly formed in my mind. I know what to do. [Time until reversion: 30 seconds] First, control the viscosity of the water shawl, so that it becomes rigid and enhance the sharpness. Second, infuse the lightning aura into the shawl. Lastly, make a current inside the shawl and close it. This will enhance the rigidity and sharpness of the shawl, as well as store and release lightning. This is my makeshift lightning sword. [Element resonance detected. Water and lightning auras blend harmoniously. Congratulations! You have learned to wield Storm Aura without guidance. Your proficiency is boosted by Mythical Descent.] [Time until reversion: 10 seconds] ''Great! Now, open your mouth, would ya?'' Fortunately, it did. The Serpent gathered wind and lightning and blended them for an annihilating attack. ''So, you''re toying with us all this while, huh. You''ve only seen us as pests until I came along. Thanks for underestimating us. For what you''d done to me, consider this even.'' I don''t know if it understood me but at the right moment, the Serpent fired the Storm-based breath attack. ''This is for everything!'' "[QUICK DRAW: RIVING MEANDER]!" A singular wave of highly condensed storm aura was released from my makeshift blade, slicing through the breath attack and the Serpent by the jaws, splitting its head horizontally. The result was a bright explosion of energy, confirming its death. [Nemesis defeated! You have defeated True Boss: Xolo-coatl, the Fallen Bearer of Storms] [Congratulations! You have leveled up] x10 [4 Stat points have been rewarded] x10 [Mythical Descent is over] ''Finally... it''s over. I''m beat! Looks like my growth rate is at its limit. The XP bar is becoming greedier now, as it should.'' "¨®timo! You have my thanks!" The Crow swooped down, congratulating me for my victory. King and Arboza joined in too. "Never did I expect to witness the Raposo''s glory before our eyes. Truly, we''re blessed." This crow is so dramatic. Cut it out with the theatrics, please. "Yeah, what is the story behind this Raposo, Tegom? Even Arboza was barely sitting still when Jun was fighting with the Serpent." King asked the Crow. ''So, his name is Tegom, huh...'' "Well, back in our homeland, there is a legend not that well-known. Raposo de Ouro- the Golden Fox, was a fox blessed by the lightning god Xang?, as a reward for his bravery." "What did the fox do to get such a blessing?" "He did the unthinkable- stealing the god''s offerings." "What?!" King felt scared for the fox. His reaction is pretty cute though. "On top of that, he did it multiple times, even fighting and escaping from his traps, tricks and tantrums. Great Xang? has a good heart, but possesses a short temper. He vowed to kill that fox if he ever catches him." "Then what happened?" "He caught him and his axe was ready, but not before the fox got saved by a priestess. The priestess also worked as a guardian for a cave, rumoured to hold an altar gilded with gold, for the Mother of Gold." "Okay..." "She was fed by the fox for the past few days, as she is the fox''s caretaker. Seeing how the fox loved his owner and risked his life to uphold his gratitude, he spared and blessed him to become a living lightning bolt, for protection and self-defence." "That''s really great!" King got ecstatic to hear about the legend. "But here''s the thing, the priestess was none than the Mother of Gold herself, in her mortal incarnation. She was born into the planet to save the foxes, her servants from getting poached and exploited. This fox was one of her last servants." "Oh my god, that''s so beautiful!" King was on the verge of opening his floodgates again. "Haha, beautiful indeed. The bond the fox cherishes shines brighter any gold. That is also how he earned new power. Just like your friend here." Tegom hugged him in thanks for helping him and Arboza. "¨®timo, thank you again for saving our lives. I believe we''re ready to move on." "Tegom, what do you mean?" Suddenly, flames started appearing on his feathers, burning him up. King and I got spooked by this. We aren''t feeling good, knowing this is how they died. "We remember what happened. How we ended up like this." Tegom then told everything about how they used to be a part of a drama troupe. The theatre that was part of the cathedral. And how there was an explosion in the theatre, which engulfed everything. Sadly, they don''t know what caused it. "¨®timo, ¨¢guia, we beg you to save our benefactors, if possible. They were, no- they are kind souls who don''t have the heart to hate. They''re saints who gave us a second chance in life. Please, save them." Tegom and Arboza bowed in request, hoping that the benefactors they mentioned would rest peacefully. "Obrigado por tudo, amigos." Arboza joined his husband in the flames. With that, the immolating fire consumed them. Strangely, there was no hint of pain. They slowly disappeared as ashes, blown away in the wind. "Let''s go, brother. We''re almost there. The final level." King stepped up and forth with a new light in his eyes, but I stopped him from crossing yet. "I get it, but don''t we have to prepare for the next level?" "Okay, let''s prepare fast and move on then." King was getting impatient, which is a new side to him. ''Man, this guy''s cute. I feel like a big brother seeing his first steps!'' "It''s a shame the couple''s lives got cut short like that. I wish they''d live happily in the next life." "I agree. The world doesn''t deserve a married couple like those two." "I wonder why we can''t have nice things in life, both here and out there. ...Wait! Did you say married?!" Haha, now he''s noticing this. "Yeah. Isn''t it obvious?" "No, I assumed they are boyfriends. Then again, it''s not like I can ask about relationships suddenly. It''s not good on my part. How did you know they are husbands, by the way?" "I had a hunch for awhile. Those rings earlier aren''t ordinary. They were actually wedding rings. If you had figured out the symbolism behind the ritual, you''d have known about it." "I have no idea..." After some more preparation, we crossed over the next level. [To be continued]
[Skill used] [Zephyr''s Hoof: Conjure a pair of transparent sandals with wind aura to enhance your ally''s speed and agility upto 5 minutes. The duration can be extended if the ally supplies their aura. The longer the charge, the more number of duration slots can be increased. MP: Min.300, CD: 2 min] Lvl 11: Abyss Cathedral (6) [May 3, 1:30 pm, in the game world] [J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] ''Oww... my back...'' Just when I thought I can cut some slack after setting foot in the final level of the dungeon, only to fall into the pitch black of... nothing. Eventually, the floor broke my fall, which in turn, broke my back. Good thing I have [Regeneration] with me. ''Where is King, by the way? Tsk, can''t believe we split again...'' Thankfully, my eyes adjusted to the dark but is it just me or did I get tunnel vision? I need to check out this place. Those clues aren''t gonna walk upto you, do they? It hasn''t been a full minute when I bumped and tripped onto something. ''Are these props?'' Along with them, I see racks of costumes and make-up sets. I''m pretty sure this is the Green Room, one of the most important rooms vital to a theatre. This is where many artists groom into their roles, crack jokes to stave off stage fright and boredom and hype each other for great performances. ''Man, it''s been so long going through all this. I wonder how my club members are doing.'' Enough nostalgia, onto the business. Now, on checking through my stats and notices, I found something. The reason I end up getting Mythical Beast form and lightning aura is because a new Pool opened- The Faucial Pool. This happened because of the tug-of-war between my [Regeneration] and the constant damage of lightning inside the clouds. My body adapted to absorb lightning as aura and kindled the pool to open. Thanks to that, I was awarded with 15 star points, each in STR(32?47) and COG(67?82). Next, after absorbing my Pool Tokens, the Heart Pool and the Faucial Pool are enhanced, meaning that I can now have access to Wind and Lightning auras Third, the mementos. I got Oakman''s locket, Marlowe''s rosary. The husbands'' might be with King, who is missing right now... ''Huh, guess I still have the Dacoit''s dagger. Poison affix, I see. What happened to the bleeding one? Ah, right, I used it on the Plower. Shame it broke.'' So, in short, I have 5 open pools, 3 weapons and 2 mementos. Lastly, the title [Ruthless Liberator]. ''.....What?! This is crazy! Had I read this earlier, the previous boss fights would''ve been easier!'' Then again, after I killed a good bull, I had no heart in looking at this. Perhaps, this might be Oakman''s will, telling me to save others from his fate. Saving people the hard way would bite a hero''s back, one day. *KNOCK KNOCK* "Hey, how are you feeling?" Sounds like a woman on the other side of the door. "Who''s that?" "It''s me, bud! Who else?" Someone''s being sassy. "Listen, I know you''ve got big shoes to fill in and I know how hard you worked for this. So, sock your inner demons just this once and put on a good show. Okay? Your buddies got you back." This gentle voice really knows how to encourage people. "Thanks." "Hey, what did I tell you? Call me Big Sister, you dork." "Alright, Big Sister. Thank you." "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! TONIGHT, WITNESS THE BIRTH OF A HERO! TONIGHT IS THE FINAL ACT OF [THE LEPER KNIGHT]!!" ''Oww, what the hell?! What''s going on?! When did I get up on the stage here?'' I was in the green room a while and now, everything''s a bit confusing now. Extravagantly decorated auditorium and stage, cheering animals on seats, very bright spotlights- talk about a sensory overload. ''On top of that, what''s with this gaudy costume?! I look like a Chuunibyou at the peak of the phase!'' And this mask... no wonder it felt humid above the neck. This is why I am a writing person, not an acting person. Back in the day, my clubmates often ask me to act or substitute a role, but I never budged. Anyways, let''s just play along and- ... ''King?! Why is he in a cage?! How did he end up there?'' *THUNK* Owww! What''s it with the level design here?! So many walls, dammit! Especially when I''m trying to get off the stage! Wait, does this mean the auditorium''s off-limits? Why did it go silent? ... Okay, jeez, easy with the glares, people... If looks could kill, I''d be dead now about a million times and counting. Alright, I''m in my position. Anytime now... "Scene 7: Act 1 At last, the Leper Knight have set in the Demon Lord''s castle. He entered the throne room, to be greeted by the Demon Lord, whose sword thirsts for his blood. With weapons hoisted to trade blows, the foes poise themselves, for the final battle of Good and Evil." Ooooh, a fight scene! I think I''m the Demon Lord, whereas the monkey across me is the protagonist, the Leper Knight. I don''t know when and how I''m able to know this, but according to the story of this play, the Leper Knight is the story of a commoner who fought against all odds to be a Knight, eventually blessed to duel the Demon Lord, despite his leprosy, the source of his lifetime of contempt, mockery, discrimination, ostracization- you name it. In short, this is a dark fantasy play with a linear story and a unique premise. Except with one flaw, the Demon Lord is one-dimensional! I get that you want someone to hate upon, but that doesn''t mean you can slap googly eyes and black paper on a trash bin and deem it as a villain to pelt rotten tomatoes in it. It''s still a cleverly decorated trash bin to throw trash in it! I hope the fight scene is good enough to cover this. The duel started. Initially, our fight wasn''t that serious. It was an exchange of light blows, as a way of guessing and gauging each other''s prowess. On a closer look, the monkey seems to be a macaque, but his features look familiar but not yet recognizable, and he''s sporting some props related to foxes too, like the ears and the tail. Those are excellent, to be honest. Gradually, the duel''s pace picked up, with the Protagonist leading the blows. Most of the time, his blows were parried, whereas some grazed my costume. Although he is impatient, it''s my job as the antagonist to keep the flow of the story steady. There''s no way I would let him hit me nor I would hit him. At this rate, my Task to impress the audience will be complet- *SWOOSH* *WHISH, WHISH* ''What the, hold on! What am I doing? Why can''t I control my body?!'' Damnit, my actions are becoming a mess! Someone''s tripping me on purpose, just so the Protagonist could land some blows. This is utterly lazy! At this rate, I''ll be bludgeoned to death! *BATHUNK* "Gaaaah!!!" What the hell?! A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Huff, huff My stomach... Ugh... That mace is... real. Even this sword. Moreover, how strong is that guy?! He sent me back flying. That guy''s a monster! How can I win against that thing?! If only King is here to help me or at least give me a hint. ''That''s right! Despair, kneel down, accept your doom!'' ''Who said that?!'' Why''s everything so dark all of a sudden? ''My identity is none of your business. All you have to do is keel over and die. Die for the sake of art! Just like those who came before you!'' Where did this mask come from? What is it talking about? What did it mean by saying those before me? Could it be the previous players? No, that''s not possible. King said that he and the previous players struggled with the first three levels. There''s no way they can enter the final level. Unless... ''I can hear your gears grinding~! Sacrifices have no necessity to think. Just lay down and give up!'' The spirit of this mask''s bloodthirst is strong. Perhaps, the props are all cursed or it''s only the antagonist''s props worn by the players. In that case, the spirit may be the same. If I can coax out some info out of it... Well, there''s no harm in trying it. First, I need to poke its ego. ''Screw that. Why should I die? What''s in it for you?'' ''This isn''t just for me. It''s for every~body here! Our hunger, our envy, our longing for life and treasure- we want to be satiated. We want to be whole. Thanks to that eagle and our Mother, we are enjoying the abundance!'' This confirms it, albeit unbelievable that it''s easy. The drama theatre is the epicentre of the tragedy. This ''Mother'' the mask''s spirit mentioned about might be the ring leader. And King must be cursed. His community service has some link to this whole quest, I guess. That means, the place I''m in right now must be the Subconscious. This spirit dragged me to brainwash me into dying during the scene. It''s all starting to make sense now. Why the antagonist''s role has no substance. It''s just a metaphorical altar, designed to give players false hope and then robbing them of their control and force them to watch them die in vain. I''m the latest sacrifice in this mess. Shit''s getting worse than I expected. But all is not lost. From another angle, the antagonist''s role is a empty book. This means I can write whatever I want to enhance the character and drive the story forward. After all, the Task is to impress the audience. But first, I must deal with this spirit. *BZZT* ''Hahahahaha, I''m surprised you have the guts to lay your filthy hand on me! Worry not, soon you''ll pay the price for your insolence!'' *BZZT, BZZT* *ZZZTRRIPP* ''Impossible! How are you able to tear my force field apart?!'' ''I realized.'' ''Gugh... Unhand me, you pest! Hand off my face!'' Whoa, caught those claws. Now, you''ve nowhere to run. ''Release me! Release me, I say!'' ''No. Thanks for the mask, by the way.'' ''NO! NO!! NOOOO!!!'' *RRRIIIIPPP* ''AAAAHHH!!! IT HURTS, IT HURTS, IT HURTS!!!'' ''Put a lid on it, will ya?'' ''Aarrrgh... who... are you?'' ''Me? I''m the screenwriter.'' ''I see... You better hope... your words... carry weight... The people... are hard to please...'' Finally, the spirit is gone. Time to get back in the show. ... *WHOOOOSH* ''Woah!'' *CRASHH* Thank God for my reflexes. A second later and my head would be crushed into a pulp. Now, time to turn the tables! "What was I thinking? Swordsmanship is not my strongest suit, after all." Okay, the Protagonist is confused, since I threw my blade. Now, I need to infuse wind aura in my claws. "Hey, knight. Think fast!" ''[Vulpine Claw]!'' [Critical Hit!] Yes, a crit! Good thing he''s dazed now. He looks like he didn''t know what hit him, haha. Alright, with this, I can solidify the antagonist''s standing as a deadly adversary, overwhelm the Knight and make the atmosphere murky. This way, the audience''s collective hopelessness can be invoked. Hahaha, the audience is doing a good job, engrossing themselves into the drama. But, strangely, the female red squirrel beside King is glaring the hell out of me. Very suspicious. Everything is set. Winning antagonist? Check. Bound protagonist on the verge of losing? Check. Now, the final ingredient for this scene to become the most impressive highlight of the play, to burn into the memories of the audience. "At long last... I thank you for coming to my abode, my Conduit." "What?!" Good, the Protagonist''s genuine expressions will be the catalyst for the revelation, the plot twist of the century! "Now, tell me, are you interested in a little chat?" "You foul demon, how dare you! From the moment your servants have set foot in my homeland and laid waste upon us, all talks have lost meaning. Your words can''t bring the innocents back to life, can they?" "Yes, I agree. My words can''t bring the innocents to life, but my actions can. *Snaps* [The Knight became free from his restraints and was instructed to take a look from the window. He sees a large crowd of people, confused. The Knight sees some familiar faces and realised that the beastfolk down there are the deceased.] "How? How is this possible?" Yes, he took the bait! From now on, the plot twist must be carefully revealed. Before that, I need to reveal I just paid the price for resurrected them and punished my servants thoroughly. Slowly, I began to narrate his origins. How he was a mannequin made out of demonic wax. How he was designed to be a faux body, meant to be a vessel for the Demon Lord. He was incomplete by the time he got stolen. This is why he has those white, leprous patches that catches on fire. Completely impervious to it. Of course, this was made up at the last moment. A high-stakes gamble at the edge of the cliff. Whether this play would soar or sink lies with the Protagonist''s response. So, what''chu gonna do? "This is madness... I''m a Beastman... I''m a Beastman! Your lies cannot poison me, demon!" Yes, there''s the denial! "Then, tell me your childhood." Of course, he can''t. How can he remember a memory that never existed in the first place? He''s basically ''born yesterday'' type character, to be exact. The Protagonist knelt down in shock, but he has no tears. To be precise, he can never cry, out of sorrow because he only possesses the positive emotions and expressions from the Demon Lord. Although he can comprehend sadness and other negative stuff, he''s not equipped to emulate them. Finally, all I need to do now is appeal to him and boy I did good. The Protagonist''s worldview has been shattered and built back up, thanks to my last-minute addition. "Alright, in summary, you built me to act as a vessel for your soul, so you could live in this world among mortals, and to honor your friend''s promise. Is that right?" Yeah! This is what I wanted! "Right. I understand if you refuse. Even my rectifications wouldn''t absolve my crimes. And I-" "I accept." "Pardon?" "I accept your request." Check and mate! "Wonderful!" "So, what should I do?" "You stand still. I''ll do the rest." With that, everything is completed. With the help of wind aura, I lifted us and levitated, pushing slowly towards each other. [MP is less than 10%. Limit the usage.] Tsk, right now?! Well, gotta keep up the charade as long as possible. "Finally... I''ll get to see my friend. Thank you so much for granting my wish, my other half." After this last dialogue, we embrace. Now, if only I could search for the host... ... Oh~, so you''re the culprit, Ms.Squirrel. Glare at me as much as you can for I''m gonna put an end to this goddamn farce! [Antagonist''s role recorded. The plot of the Leper Knight has been fundamentally rewritten.] [Assimilation of the Demon and Beastman halves commencing. The Demon Lord is fully restored. The true identity is Ifrit, Brazen Sovereign of the Flames.] [Congratulations! New tether for Mythical Descent detected. Mythical Beast: Sank¨­y¨­-no-Onibigami has descended.] Another Mythical Beast form... thanks to the drama. My mask became whole, the costume is basically a fiery yukata. Not to mention, katanas! Twin freakin'' flamin'' katanas! "[Title equip: Ruthless Liberator]!" Guess tonight''s menu is Fried Karmic Squirrel... [To be continued]
[Titles equipped] [Ruthless Liberator: Save the innocents from their dark selves, no matter the cost. Assimilated Bosses receives 50% DMG True Bosses receive 200% DMG] Lvl 12: Abyss Cathedral (7) [May 3, 1:40 pm, in the game world] [Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] What a spectacular performance! The music, the dialogue, the pacing, it''s all phenomenal! That moment of reunion between the two halves of a full being is just... I have no words for it. Jun did amazing work. I''m not ashamed to cry for this. Not at all! The audience even shares my sentiments as well, seeing as how they''re giving a standing ovation. Well, except the grouchy-looking red squirrel beside me. In fact, this animal is the reason why I''m stuck inside this cage. ''Gold''n''eathers, it''s wringing the feathers out of its hand fan. What made it so mad, huh?'' ...Okay, better not look in its eyes. That''s scary. *Ping* ''What''s this? The Lorebook got an update?'' Come to think of it, I haven''t checked the Lorebook ever since Oakman''s gone. I think Jun and I were that busy surviving this hell pit of a dungeon. ''Let''s see...'' ..... Gold-n-''eathers... this could change everything! We''re one step away clearing this dungeon, this is awesome! *ZRRIIING* *BOOOOM* "AAAHHHH!" What was that?! What was that halo?! Did a supernova just got detonated here?! Whew, I almost died! I am lucky to survive that blast, getting flung off like that. Oh, even the cage is broken. Freedom! Now, let me get my bearings and find out a nice hiding place, so that I could finish reading the lore. ... My goodness, the entire hall was wrecked! Seems like Jun concluded the scene with a Bang! Get it? Jokes aside, did he get another Mythical Descent?! Even I feel this is unfair! How is he able to get two Descents in a row?! Not only that, if he has power over all the elemental auras, wouldn''t that make him an All-Born?! No matter what, I''m going to stand by his side! It doesn''t matter if I end up being a sidekick or a servant! On a side note, that Mythical Beast form is Fire! Get it? His form''s design as a Kabuki actor really shows our roots in a good way, albeit very showy and extravagant. *RROOOOAAAARRRR* ''Holy feathers! I almost forgot my life''s in danger!'' Now, where can I hide...?'' ...Aha! That pillar looks like a good vantage point. This place also works as a blind spot, nice! "NOT AGAIN! NOT! AGAIN!!!" Hngh, that''s one bloodcurdling roar. Seems like that Squirrel came back. I could feel the bloodthirst in her voice, but underneath that tone, there''s something else as well. Anguish. The sooner I find answers to this tragedy, the sooner she can be pacified. Hopefully Jun and I will get the full story out of this dungeon. From what I read so far, the Squirrel was the owner of this drama theatre and thus, the cathedral as an extension and the co-founder of the drama troupe which Tegom and his husband belonged in. Traveling around the world and gathering animals to create a troupe would be an understatement. The troupe was her family, her world, her everything. Who would do such a thing? "DIE, DIE, DIE!" Yikes, the fight is heating up. Fortunately, Jun is holding his ground, but he''s also struggling not to hurt the Squirrel. I''m afraid the longer the fight drags on, the more dangerous it gets for Jun. Think! There were clear hints and items that has ties to the bosses, forcing the Karmic Beasts out of them on the right conditions. What thing can help us have an edge against her? ...Gold''n''eathers, not the Ape! "[Squall Shield]!" Phew, that was a close call. Otherwise, he''d be ashes by now. "Sir, are you okay? Wake up, please. Sir!" Okay, pulse is normal, heart is beating, there is also proper protection and ventilation because of my shield. ''Please wake up, sir!'' ..... Yes! He finally woke up! Koff, koff "Sir, it''s alright. Just take a deep breath slowly. We''re not safe yet. We need to move now. Hold on to me, sir!" There we go... Hope the curtains last long. "Sir, how are you feeling?" "Better than before... Ungh..." "Sir, don''t get up! You''re not well yet." "No, I have to go. My wife, she''s in danger..." "Sir, it''s dangerous out there. We''re trying to deal with a very dangerous Karmic Beast right now. It''s best if you stay put here, sir." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "I see... Here, take this. May this help you... Haaahhh..." Nice. Now, I don''t have to worry about him anymore. This mask... it''s certainly crafted for a squirrel. Also, it contains a bit of water aura too. Could it be the monkey''s? I should get back to Jun now. ...! Oh no! "Brother, watch ou-" ...!! No way he sliced that fire in half! "Hey, King! Right on time!" Although he sounded cheerful, his tail says otherwise. The boss fight''s taking a toll on him. Luckily, we can put an end to this. "Brother, take thi-" Woah! That was scary! The Squirrel almost chomped my head off. And why''s she chasing me?! "King, the mask! Throw it to me!" Now, she''s after Jun. I think the squirrel knows what the mask is meant for. She''s trying to break it, forcing us to kill her as it is. Rather, the Karmic Beast within her wanted it to happen. Alright, let''s try this. "Brother, throw it to me!" Great, I got the mask back. I''ll distract the squirrel by acting as bait. Meanwhile, I''ll convey Jun to tie her down. Being the bait is easy. After all, how can the Squirrel catch me in the air, huh? ''What will you do, now, haha?'' ...! Holy feathers!! She flew! The squirrel almost got me! She simply propelled herself up using the flames. Why didn''t I think of that?! That''s one of the most favorite skills of every Fire-born player I''ve seen! And what''s that smell?! "AAAAHHHHHH!!! Brother, help me! My tail''s on fire! Help!!" *SPLASH* Oh, it''s Sir Ape! "Thank you so much, sir. You saved my life!" "Later, bird. First, we need to deal with her." He''s right. The squirrel''s really tenacious! Looks like she''ll never stop anytime soon! *GRRAAAHHHH* "EEEEKKKK!" Am I dead? "Open your eyes, bird." Sir said. "What?" Huuufffff ''Thought we were goners!'' The Squirrel''s finally tied down. With a sword?! Isn''t that risky?! Wouldn''t she escape again and continue rampaging? "King, put the mask now! I can''t hold on much longer!" Ah, almost forgot! "Sir, take the mask and put it on her! Now!" "Idiot, why give it to the old Macaque?!" "He insists on seeing this through the end! What''s wrong with that?" "There''s no time for that! Hurry up!!" ...Gold''n''eathers, all the fire... they''re draining into the mask! Even the Karmic Beast too! So that means the mask is a seal? Just how powerful is Sir Ape? "EEEYYYYYYAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH" Finally... with that throe, I guess we''re out of danger. I don''t think we have the energy to fight anymore. The boss fight came to an end, giving us some rest. Jun is resting in a corner, still in that Beast form. Judging by how he''s panting, it seems this is the toughest boss he ever faced. Still, not bad for a newbie. Or is he a veteran now? Macaque, is it? It''s hard addressing them without the names, since the lore isn''t complete yet. He is now checking on the Squirrel. For some reason, his way of interaction towards her doesn''t seem platonic or professional. Aren''t they co-founders of the troupe? Why does he look like he''d give up his life for her? And what''s with those wedding rings? Huh? Wedding rings... ...Oh. Ohh. OH~! ''Tsk, should''ve figured it by now! She''s the wife! The Squirrel''s his wife, all along! Damn, I''m such an idiot!'' That means, the mask, the insisting, the volunteering, it all makes sense. To think how Sir Macaque struggled a lot to save his wife, the helplessness he felt when he''s forced to be a pawn, unable to help her... it''s just heart-wrenching. "Wake up! Wake up, my dear! Please!" Why is he crying? What happened? "Is something wrong?" Jun asked. "My wife- something''s wrong with her. She should be awake by now, since everything''s over. But... there''s literally no warmth in her body. See!" We touched her hands. It''s cold as ice. "Dear, stay with me. Stay with me, please... I beg you, my love... I can''t lose you now. No, no, no..." It seems Jun also came to the same conclusion. The conclusion regarding the worst-case scenario. If the mask is actually a seal, then the Squirrel''s soul is actually inside it, especially since the Karmic Beast is fused with her. Our Aura Senses confirmed it too. Jun and I have no idea how to break this news. Personally, I don''t want to tell him. This situation is devastating for him already, I can''t push him further than this. ... "Brother, what are you doing?" "What does it look like? I''m going to wear this." "Have you gone insane?! Who knows what''ll happen to you? For all we knew, you might get stuck inside. Forever!" "But on the bright side, I might actually free her soul. This mask is a seal, I agree. It also stores the souls, I agree. But to me, it''s a mental realm." "Mental realm- you mean Mindscape?!" "Is that what you call that in-game?" "Yes... hold on." If Jun really has the ability to roam around the Mindscapes, then... "Brother, it''s possible. We can get the Squirrel back." "Hahahaha." Wow, he sure can laugh. "But how did you get this in the first place, brother?" "I was possessed on stage, during the play. Thanks to Cosmic Perception, that spooky place became tolerable, mentally speaking." "Oh..." "What''s wrong?" Sir Macaque is really shaken right now. Without hesitation, Jun dropped everything about what we knew and know so far. At the end, he assured him firmly that he can save his wife, to which I vouched for him. "Please, save her. But your path is also dangerous, so you take care as well." Sir Macaque and I wished for his well-being, before he wore the mask. He felt rigid to the touch, kinda like a statue. I believe he can do it. Sir Macaque looks really miserable. To a certain degree, he''s like my father. To be honest, the resemblance is uncanny. My father, Shirogane, is a proper family man. He loves my mother a lot. So much that he takes 7 weeks of vacation from his accounting job. Those were good times. Now, he barely visits home, thanks to me... "What''s on your mind?" Sir Macaque must have sensed it. "Nothing... just random stuff..." Thankfully, he''s not prying anymore. Soon, he started opening up to me. I learned new things about him. About his homeland named Morocco. How he comes from a line of mask crafters living in the mountains. How one day, he met a friend, who ended up becoming the love of his life. His words are filled with love and gratitude for the Squirrel. He then went on and on about the troupe and its members. As he went reminiscing about those good old days, he always comes back to his wife. On seeing her body, he just cried. I feel a lump in my throat watching him cry. I have nothing to give except my wings for him to cry on. ''Brother... hurry up...'' [To be continued] Lvl 13: Abyss Cathedral (8) [J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] Huff huff huff huff Gosh, this is a nightmare! Nah, scratch that, that word is an understatement for the situation I''m currently in. The worst thing being a mental projection in a Mindscape is that, not having the inventory or status effects. I''m just a plain ordinary fox who can control aura. Maybe it''s because of the immersion factor cranked up to the T. Atleast, the stats screen can be displayed. Despite the establishment of the Mindscape as a deeper level of the virtual reality, the danger feels real. ''Seems like the genre shifted from adventure to psy-horror.'' The smell of the forest, burnt wood and ashes, the humidity due to the firestorm, the heat beneath my soles as the treaded path exploded into a fire pillar- all of these are too immersive to be virtual. This is like I''m experiencing someone else''s dream. Still, I need to keep my wits and avoid my fate of being burnt to ashes. Jumping between trees provides a temporary relief from the landmines and occasionally, vantage points. This gives me a wide area to look for the hostage. The problem is that this forest is vast. It''d take forever to find the Squirrel. Fortunately, the firestorm is pretty far away. ''Gotta maintain the distance as long as possible now.'' ''What was that? Sounds like a chime...'' Is it earrings? No, this is... this is a chain. She''s almost nearby somewhere. ''Is that an open field? Strange...'' ...Great, found the Squirrel. ... "Oof!" Rough landing... but at least I made it. ''What the- This is crazy! Who''d do something like this?!'' On a closer reading, the chains are attached to the fibres of the Mindscape. She''s tied to this mental world, literally. Not only that, the chains will tighten firmly as she stops moving. ''Man, she doesn''t look good...'' But the aura within the contraption has a simple pattern of flow. If this is reversed, maybe the shackle can be broken, theoretically. *CLINK* "Oh, got it!" There, she''s free now. "How are you feeling now, ma''am?" "Thank you! Thank you so much! I don''t know how I''ll repay for this!" Woah, easy! Hugging me out of nowhere... does she have an inkling about personal space? Well, who am I to judge? I''ve always been a tactile guy, so whatever. Might as well reciprocate the hug. "Ma''am, keeping pleasantries aside, it''s time we find a way out of here. Are you ready to take on the Beast with me?" "What are you talking about, lad? I was born ready! Lead the way!" Well, her glow in the face returned. Onto the firestorm, the apparatus of the Karmic Beast. ''Wait a second, is it just me or the firestorm is coming here?'' *BOOOOM* Well, that proves it. The Karmic Beast is the firestorm. Dammit, the flames are hot like hell. Wait, did it just look at me? Nah, forget it. I need to slip ahead and get the Squirrel to safety. ...! So fast... I didn''t see the Beast coming. More like I couldn''t. "Ghlk!" Dammit, I can''t breathe. My windpipe... ..... ''Woah! Thank God I didn''t pass out. But my back... oww...'' "Are you happy?" Huh? Who said that? ...! Shit, it''s the Karmic Beast! ...Do Karmic Beasts talk? "Hey, fox! I asked you a question!" Uh oh, this one''s pissed. I really need to say my words carefully. "What for?" ...Uh oh... My ears, please forgive me. ..... Owww... my ears are still ringing from that outburst of the Beast. Correction, the hostage, Ms. Squirrel herself. From what she told me, before my entry into the Mindscape, she already had an upper hand against the Karmic Beast and tied her up. Also, she planned on detonating her life force to wipe both herself and the Beast, once and for all, by becoming an living incendiary. Those landmines I tripped were ''adjuvants'' for the explosion. The way the Squirrel chastised me for inadvertently ruining the plan, it was as if there is no way to beat the boss. But I beg to differ, albeit they fell on deaf ears. "Ma''am, I''m asking you once again- ditch the plan. Rely on me. Fight with me." "As if! You''re nothing but a greenhorn with a bag of tricks and I''m running on fumes. There''s no other way. This plan needs to work. I''ll make it work!" "Are you out of your mind?! There''s a beastman out there, waiting by your side, hoping that you''d wake up! Imagine I return alone... with a broken promise. Your sacrifice grants only two things, devastation and agony." If this doesn''t persuade her, nothing will. "Now, I''m asking you back, will you be happy, knowing that you''ll leave him heartbroken?" "You think I''m doing this because I wanted to?! Of course not. But there''s no other way! The monster is too strong, I don''t know- I can''t- Oh my Goddess... Mother Gaia, this choice is cruel... Too cruel..." ''Oh damn, I think I went too far.'' I didn''t mean to be harsh or to scare her like that. I just wanted to let her know that she can escape without endangering her life. Who would''ve thought she''d break down crying? Although a piteous sight, I saved her from a bad choice. "Listen to me, ma''am. Sacrifice is a last resort, not the go-to option. Defeating Karmic Beasts doesn''t require the hosts to die in the process. Trust me, ma''am. You will live. I''ll make sure of that." "Phew... what should I do...?" Thank goodness she listened! I almost became brain-dead, thinking about how to break the bad news. ''Man... that was nerve-wracking!'' The Squirrel lent her ears to me. The plan was iterated: to be well-versed with the mechanics of the mental realm, that is, the Mindscape. My previous experience with the villain mask was just a fluke. A knack of sorts. I lack the concept of bringing my ideal self to action, which is crucial to tip the odds in our favour. I need to project that I''m stronger than the Karmic Beast. After all, this is a place where imagination dictates reality. A malevolent presence reminded us that some time had passed, our preparations being adequate at best. Black flames cover the Karmic Beast''s skin, with red scleras glowing brightly with bloodlust. This Beast solidified a notion in my mind- this is truly the stage... of the Final Boss.
[May 3, 2:00 pm, in the game world] [Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] ''She''s growing colder by the minute. She''s almost... lifeless...'' It is an agonizing sight to see, watching your beloved one withering away. Desperately hoping that they''d get up. Deluding yourself that they''re listening subconsciously. I almost cried when I saw the Macaque caressing his wife''s hand, gazing at her ring with such tenderness. On the other hand, seeing brother Jun''s body lying on the floor like a mannequin gives me goosebumps. I wonder when he will get up. While keeping my mind busy with random thoughts, something shone from the corner of my eye. It was brother Jun. His Beast form grew hotter and brighter, almost turning blue. The flames covered around the mask and started burning it. The mask cracked, with splinters flying and hovering in the air. Finally, the mask broke into pieces and started to orbit above his face. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The broken pieces of the mask and the flames funneled into a point and transformed into something small, the size of a coin. Seeing that shape, I knew brother Jun did it. ''He got the Pool Token!'' Not only did he defeated the Final Boss, but also he became the 16th player to gain the global status of All-born! On top of that, he became the first and last player to conquer this dungeon. ''Truly, his debut will be a legend, for generations to come! Awesome!!'' Suddenly, everything went white. The theatre vanished. It took a while before everything came back to normal. No, everything became better than before. The theatre looks refurbished, the damages were all repaired. Everything looks brand-new and beautiful. It''s like the theatre is ready to host its first show. ''Who''s giggling behind me?'' Oh~, it''s the Macaque and the Squirrel! Such a nice couple. Might as well go say hi. ...! ''What?! What happened to me?! Did I die? Am I a ghost now?! No! No, no, no!'' After everything we''ve done so far... did we lose, after all? "Yo, King." "Aaahhh! Oh, it''s you, brother... Next time, give me a heads-up?" He simply bowed. Not sure what''s the answer though. I almost got a heart attack because of him. Wait, if he''s here, then did he die as well? Am I missing something? "Brother, I-" "Shhh... Watch." He simply gestured. ''Fine... let''s see what''s going on.'' Slowly, we came to understand what we''re witnessing. The answers... this place is offering the memories to behold.
[May 3, 2:00 pm, in the real world] The whole gaming community, Dan¨­ki included, were witnessing the birth of a star. The infamous Black-Star Dungeon that devoured the toughest players, Abyss Cathedral, has been finally conquered. Players were cheering, hooting and dancing in celebration to this joyous occasion and raring to meet the newbie that caused the sensation with his OWD (Open-world Debut). Seconds later, the V-Sphere glowed white and in that white screen appeared the Fox and his trusty Eagle. Along with the animals, the players were watching the events unfold before their eyes. In the beginning, Abyss Cathedral wasn''t a dungeon. It was a theatre that extended into a place of worship, built by the Red Squirrels. During a peaceful time, a Squirrel inherited the theatre. Her love for stage plays grew into an ambition that drove her to travel the world around, to create a drama troupe that would create timeless pieces of visual literature. In her quest, she met a Macaque, skilled in the art of mask craft. With that first recruitment, she gathered many animals with like-minded passions and great talents. Along the journey of creating masterpieces, love blossomed between the Squirrel and the Macaque. It grew into a beautiful bond, envied by many. Alas, their love was fraught with peril. A time of turmoil spanned over their lives, as interspecies relationships were frowned upon all over the world during that time. The couple were among the many pairs, jeered at and oppressed. Still, with support and perseverance, they won the long run. The couple married. On the day of their wedding, they were rehearsing a celebratory stage play, enjoyed by a few friends, when suddenly, everything went up in smoke and fire. The extremists bombed the theatre. But they didn''t take the Cathedral into account, increasing the number of casualties. Among the dead and dying, the Squirrel rose, not as an animal, but a Karmic Beast, full of vengeance. Despite the satiated revenge, the wrath went out of control and the frenzy infected other animals, creating an outbreak of Beasts. Hell on Trova was about to be unleashed, when suddenly, the entire building was brought here, along with them. With the memory concluded, the Fox and the Eagle were brought back, in the theatre hall, with the couple standing before them.
[May 3, 2:14 pm, in the game world] [J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] The memory ended, with King and I somehow standing on the stage along with the couple before us. At this moment, the new objective for the Dungeon Quest appeared. To talk to them. After a lengthy bit of conversation, I found out that the Squirrel''s name was Nora and the Macaque, Naban. Together, they''re the co-founders of the drama troupe, Artful Dreamers. It''s ironic that a troupe considering themselves as dreams end up becoming nightmares, hell bent on crushing intruders. Us, the players. As a token of gratitude for saving them and clearing the dungeon, King was rewarded with a key, whereas, I was taken in front of a mirror. "This mirror will help your powers to be realised. Step in, please." Naban said. "With this, our time has come. For the last time, thank you for saving us." "Wait, I need to ask you something." "Sure, do you need anything?" Nora asked. "Um, although I''m happy to act in a play, I''m not satisfied. There''s something missing here." "Really? What is this deficit that you want to fix?" "Allow me to host the show. You''re the stars now! Dance to your heart''s content!" With that said, the interim dance was hosted. The music was serene and beautiful, the couple danced with grace, joy and love. I conducted this so they can move on peacefully, without any regrets. Cradling in each other''s arms, they slowly dissipated into stardust, thus ending the show. After this, King said that he wanted to try the key, explaining it''s used to unlock a vault. I let him go check it out and climbed on the stage to enter the mirror. Suddenly, the mirror started shining as I got a notification. [Hidden condition achieved. The Dreamcatcher''s Mirror is upgraded into the Artful Stargate] ''Hidden condition? Artful Stargate??'' So the hidden condition was the couple''s departure? I had no idea. This means the reward might''ve been upgraded. ''Thank you for the blessing.'' The gilded mirror led me into a room filled with stars and nebulae. ''Wow... it''s like space inside here!'' Every step I took rippled across the cosmos, as if I''m walking on a shallow pond. In the middle of the room, there was a luminescent orb of nebula, waiting for me. ''Should I keep my hand on it? Would something happen if I do that? Meh, might as well try it.'' In a flash, all the stars gathered in front of me, displaying my achievements and proficiencies as the nebula glowed brighter until the room became white. ''Forget being amazed, I''m astonished!'' The nebula dissipated to reveal a pair of gauntlets worn over my hands. They are vibrantly decorated, and have a futuristic design. [Congratulations! You are bestowed the Artifact: Pioneer''s Legacy] [This Artifact is Soulbound] That means I can''t use any other weapons. Good thing, though. I''ve always been a unarmed fighter for a long time. But I kinda miss having a staff... I''ll check this out later. Out of the blue, the stars started swarming behind me. They were busy building up a form, to which I don''t know why. Finally, the stars formed into a white fox, taller than me. His blue eyes looked at me with melancholy, serenity and... hope. He spoke no words and smiled. Then, he raised his hand and rested on my head to pat me. All of this seemed familiar to me, that my tail started to wag. Is he someone I know? Or someone who knows he? Only God can tell, I guess. After that, he disappeared, into the millions of stars he was made out of. ''Man, the graphics are out of this world! But seriously though, who is he?'' I exited out of the mirror to be greeted by King, who looked like he saw paradise. He led me out in a hurry to the vault, disguised as the Box Office. What laid before me almost stole my rationality away.
[Mokkun/Kingumo''s POV] Money, money, lots of money! Mountains of Shards that are numerous as the stars, items that are legendary and powerful, truly, this is paradise for the luxurious! Once again, I tell you! Earlier, Nora gave me the key to the vault, which got me excited. After the checking out the vault, I discovered the most unbelievable, the most unimaginable and the greatest fact that can make merchants and whales go crazy- the items here are all the losers'' stash. Yes, the vault is a great stash that holds all the losers'' items, including mine as loot. That means, the items of those ''teammates'' might also be here, if I searched for them. I hope to find some thing to regain lost XP. ''Man, I feel so sleepy...'' Just when I was about to get a shut-eye after all the struggle, brother Jun snatched me awake, by the foot. I wasn''t sure and scared as he was sprinting away, holding me as if I was a bag of fast food take-out. As I was hanging upside-down, I saw a portal. Not just any portal, but the Exit Gate! ''So, he was actually getting us out of here... almost lost my life in here. I must thank brother Jun once this is over.'' He leapt to get into the portal and once again to embark on his Sky Plateau, that was hovering a little bit away from the dungeon as it started to collapse. When a dungeon get cleared, it undergo a erasure process called Dilapidation. The Gate will turn into a Gravi-flux Ring, consuming that dungeon into nothing. Even the Neth-Aura surrounding the dungeon will be erased, purifying the land. Now, that ring is coming here. "Hey, King. What is this thing for?" "Oh, that one? That Ring''s the way you''ll get your rewards. You have to stick your hand into it. Any hand is fine." "Are you sure?" "Come on, brother... You''ve trusted me with all my plans so far, why hesitate now?" "I don''t know... looks dubious to me." "You''ll be fine, brother. I have your back, after all." "Hooo... here I go." Glad my assurance worked. Here comes the fun part~. "Aaaahhh!!! What''s happening to me?!" Brother Jun yelled like there''s no tomorrow. "King, what''s going on? Help!" His eyes told me he realised something. "Wait, what?! Why are my levels and stats dropping?! Why am I going to square one?! Let. Me. Go! Raaahhhh!!!" After the process is over, 39 golden stars, 3 golden spokes and bunch of gemstones lie on the ground, as spawned by the Ring. Brother Jun looked at them with such a dejected look. "What am I gonna do with these things, read astrology?! King, what am I gonna do now? Tell me, man, bro, hombre, sib! Waaaahhh!" I can''t stop giggling as he was wrangling me like a child on tantrum. Man, this takes me back to my noob days. How nostalgic~ "I''ll pluck your feathers if I heard one more chuckle." Uh oh, I went too far. "Ahem, sorry, brother. I''ll tell you what happened." What he went through is what called Tallying, the most powerful roguelite reward mechanic ever implemented in this game. When a player clears a dungeon, the Gravi-flux Ring will read the player''s aura and convert their accumulated levels and stats into Level-Up materials. From there, I explained them in detail. "So, let me get this straight. These Dungeon Stars boost my XP. These spokes here give me the Stars, if I collected them in sets of five. And these Stat-a-gems increase my Stats when I absorb them through my artifact. Did I get it right?" "You''ve summed up perfectly, brother!" "It''s a miracle that I''ve written a dozen of webnovels, considering how much I loathe using too much brainpower..." "What was that, brother?" "Nothing. I wanna log out after I''ve finished with this." With this, his level went upto 23, a huge leap of growth way early into the game. The debut recording isn''t even over yet. This hike solidified himself as the dark horse, that will the world of players upside-down. He doesn''t know it now, but I guarantee this. He''s on the path on being the next Zakuro. [To be continued] Lvl 14: Rookie, Ramen, Rumination [May 3, 2:40 pm, in the real world] Dizzying sights, disorienting lights and distorting hights. The aftereffects gave Junkitsu a heavy head and weak limbs, when he exited the Pod. In fact, his co-ordination was worse than a drunkard''s. But a few hands helped him get up and took him to a bench, where he sat down and wait for the effects to wear off. Six of them stood around Junkitsu, awaiting his relief. Murmurs and whispers of concern circled around his ears as Junkitsu''s senses return to normalcy. "How are you feeling, man?" One player asked. "Better, by the second..." He breathed to the fullest until the nausea and dizziness became bearable. "Thanks for the help. I need to get my Holo-Slab-" "It''s with me, buddy!" Another player said, with his Slab in his hand. "Oh, thank you! Let me take it ba-" "One second." The first player took the Slab away. "If you want your Slab, you must join our pack. Deal?" Junkitsu looked at the player who took his Slab hostage. He was masked as a hyena with a smirking design. The other players were also masked as hyenas, whose eyes were shaped to display their desire of coveting him. Junkitsu realised that he was getting recruited, and in a rather aggressive approach. While he took into account of his debut''s popularity and the possibility of him being reached out, he was taken aback by this group, who seemed like they''d do anything to get what they want. Even their methods seem blatant, straightforward, raw and shameless. The hyena-masks are also absolutely aware of their actions. Although Junkitsu liked their scouting sight and eagerness for growth in power, he frowned upon their methods. But he also knew that antagonizing them without knowing his own place would result in serious consequences. "You know, on second thought... I feel like the nausea''s coming back... Man, I''m gonna be sick..." He hung his head down, cupping his mouth closed, curling into a cocoon, which lit a flame of panic in the group''s hearts. ''Now, all I need to do is wait for King and Dan. Hope they find me soon. I don''t know how long I can fake this...'' Junkitsu''s prayers have been answered when he heard a familiar voice. "King, he''s here, on the bench!" Dan¨­ki arrived with him, their faces breathing out in relief but the green-eyed introvert was not happy to see the group surrounding Junkitsu. Kingumo approached him and knelt down to check what''s wrong. He was whispered to about the situation and started to play along. "I think the CDC''s a bit severe in him. We should take him to a clinic. May I take his Slab, please?" King asked. "It''s alright. The clinic''s close by, right? Let him finish the check-up and return back here. We''ll hold for him." A third player assured. "Guys, he''s a private person. He doesn''t like his belongings to be with strangers. So, please, give it to me here." Dan spoke. "Hold on, we aren''t just strangers. We''re his pals! In fact, we''re his schoolmates. From junior high!" A fourth player justified. All of his friends agreed. From outside, this sounded plausible, very much convincing, in fact. Except Dan¨­ki knows this is rubbish. All of it. ''How dare they try to put wool over my eyes! I don''t know what they want with Jun, but they''ll never get it!'' In his mind, he knew this would be a headache, but he decided to do the unthinkable. "Oh my gosh! Is that the Super Rookie?! Man, I''m your biggest fan!" Dan''s yell invoked two main emotions inside all those listeners: confusion and devotion. All nine of them were swept away by the growing mob in an instant. While Dan took advantage of the mob pushing him away, King and Jun struggled to break away, and when they did, they crawled under, dodging the stamping feet, inch by inch. The six players were thoroughly stuck in the pond of fans, fighting for freedom and air. Dan was waiting, nonchalantly leaning on a Pod, when two hands jutted out from the edge of the mob. Immediately, he went, grabbed and pulled his friends out, completing the rescue by half. Thanks to Dan''s orchestrated chaos, the three escaped to the elevator, leaving the mob and the hyena-masks to their devices. As the elevator descends, the three leaned on each wall of the elevator, maintaining silence. The silent, somber atmosphere invoked discomfort within King. ''I failed miserably... I volunteered to be a Guide, and promised them a good time. But nothing went my way. Dan got hurt and Junkitsu was almost poached away by them. I''m sure they''d stop-'' King''s worries vanished when the elevator was filled with the cousins'' laughter. He was visibly confused. He was prepared to bear the brunt of their supposed critiques and insults. It looked like they just consider the problems as nuisances. In that moment, King felt a sense of relief and awe. Soon, he joined in the laughter. At the first floor, the passengers waiting for the elevator were greeted by three maniacal men, exiting out of the car. Their moist eyes and grinning faces unnerved them. Junkitsu looked the scariest of the trio, fueling the fear in their hearts. The passengers were spooked beyond limits, their memories burned into their minds forever. Outside the Hub, the trio sat down on the stairs, catching their breaths and wiping tears from their eyes, as the laughter was finally suppressed. "Yo, what happened to your nose?" Junkitsu pointed at the bandaid on Dan''s nose. "There was a little tussle outside while you guys were playing. Two jerks were ridiculing you with crass words. I told them to stop. And you know the rest." "And?" "Ippon, bro." Junkitsu grinned, raising his hand for a high-five. "Wait, I don''t get it." King''s eyebrows furrowed. "Am I missing something?" "Nothing. Wait till tomorrow, you''ll see." Dan smiled, satisfied that he created the suspense. King, on the other hand, clicked his tongue in disappoinment, thinking to himself that the content might be trivial. "Suit yourself... Wait, almost forgot. I got acquainted with a Judoka." "A Judoka?" King and Jun''s voices united. "Yeah, she said her dojo''s somewhere around here. Also, she invited us to join for some sightseeing. By the way Jun, you''re in for a surprise~!" Dan couldn''t help but smile wide at the thought of his plan. "Kobayashi-san, does that Judoka have red hair? Sounds pretty frank and blunt?" King couldn''t help but squeeze his chest in anxiety. "Oh, yeah! Wait, do you know each other?" On seeing him, Dan was slapped with realization, regarding the warning against Kingumo and his past. "Oh, right~, she said you''re well-known, but not in a good way." King''s heart sunk when he heard. Before he could utter a word, he was stopped. "But I beg to differ! I can see some history between you two, but I only know her side. If you''re okay with it, just tell. I''m all ears." Dan assured him that he''ll listen well. King stammered in cold sweat. "I understand, it can be complicated, but it''s fine. No pressure, no rush. You can tell about it when you feel the time''s right, okay?" Dan shook hands with him in goodwill and ended with a gentle smile.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Finally. I''m starving. Ramen''s on me, everyone." Jun yawned at the conversation, which annoyed Dan, for he felt belittled. As the two started arguing regarding Jun''s blunt nature, King ran a number of thoughts in his mind. After much pondering, he decided. He closed his eyes, called Dan and Jun and shared. He shared the most he can. Dan''s eyes widened in disbelief and Jun''s neck tilted in utter confusion. "Huh?" This word came at the expense of 95% of Jun''s thinking capacity. "What?!" This word came at the expense of 100% of Dan''s life expectancy.
[3:10 pm, Sukobiru Ramen] "Beniken-san is your ex-girlfriend, and you don''t remember it?!" This is the 8th time Dan had asked King, ever since he entered the restaurant and sat down to enjoy his bowl of Beef Cutlet ramen. Ever since he walked down the route along with his friends. Ever since he heard it from King''s mouth outside the Hub. This is also the 3rd time Jun turned towards him and pulled his cheek, to the point it glowed red like a tomato. "Nuisance, am I right?" Jun chuckled at King while subtly apologizing on behalf on Dan for his misbehavior. "No, I don''t think so, Takeshi-san. It''s only natural to be... confused and keep on asking about it." "And whose fault do you think it is?! It''s pretty ridiculous when you think about it!" Dan burst out. "How is that you can''t remember anything about your relationship with Beniken-san? You''ve been dating for months, you said it yourself!" "It''s her words, not mine." King corrected solemnly. "Are you telling the truth, King?" Dan squinted with suspicion. "I swear on my home, it''s the truth! I have no idea how we ended up being a couple. And I''ve only seen Kaede-san as a friend and nothing more. Even she used to say she''s not interested, but then..." King sighed in frustration. "I''ve seen people swear on their names or mothers, but swearing on a house, first time seeing it." "We have a custom about making promises on perishable things only. In our neighbourhood, we can simply repair, retrieve or replace those things, including our homes, but our lives or bonds are a different matter. Once lost, they can''t be brought back, even if you exchange your inheritance for it." Dan was amazed on hearing the philosophy behind the oath-making. "Anyways, leaving the gossip aside, there are some things I wanna know." Jun said in a serious tone. King looked at him, ready to teach. "That time I was faking my nausea, you said something... CDC, isn''t it? What is that all about?" "Hm, CDC is short for Cognition Displacive Cybersickness. But players dub it as the ''Astral Jetlag''. This happened because your consciousness had strained on your first login. It''s recommended to have your first gameplay time to be about 10-20 minutes. That''s why new players must first play in White-Star dungeons, since they take less time to clear." King briefed.
"But because of your community service, I ended up taking a long time to clear." "I''m sorry for that."
"Don''t be. I had fun because of it. The jetlag is a small price to pay. Also, we got Jackpot! So, loosen up and enjoy!" Jun cheered him up and sipped some of the red broth. "One more thing, who are those jerks huddled around Jun that time? They looked shady as hell." Dan asked, chewing a chunk of the cutlet. "Those guys... they''re what you call Poachers. While players request others to join their groups, Poachers snatch them away, monopolizing talent. Out of the notorious groups, the Blackfoot Kin is pretty infamous. What happened to Takeshi-san is one of the many tactics they used to increase their numbers." King apologized. "Don''t be, bro! It''s not your fault those guys are jerks. Plus, loosen up and enjoy, bro!" Dan cheered him up, chewing the noodles with delish. "Guys, I have something crazy to talk about." Jun notified them. "What is it, Takeshi-san?" King leaned, crunching the spring onion and leek with his teeth. Jun explained how his nightmare was used as a material for level design in the game, when he transformed into the Golden Fox. "Wow, I''ve heard of rumours where people played levels that resembled their dreams. But this is the first time actually hearing it." King finished his bowl of Vegetable Ramen. "Is that common?" Dan asked. "No, quite the opposite, actually. It''s been proven that users with a higher sync rate have a stronger connection to the game. This type of highway is also the reason some players gain innate skills early on, which is nothing but their real-life talents get carried over here." This fact surprised Jun and Dan. "Takeshi-san, you should check it out soon. I won''t be surprised if you got more than one skill." "How did you come to that?" Jun also finished his bowl of Special Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen. "Your innate understanding of Mindscapes. Not many people can play that mini-game on first try. For one, it''s like a dream within the game. It''s pretty vivid, you know. Players have a tendency to get lost into it, losing the Crawl." Hearing this, Jun felt satisfied, his knowledge about the game and himself increased. "I understand... but King, this is what''s bugging me. What did you do to end up having jail time?" This question made King gulp in surprise. His Adam''s apple moved up and down, his hesitation apparent. His head hung down in shame, dreading the idea of sharing his past. But on feeling Jun''s apparent gaze obscured by his hair, he started to speak. "I... d-don''t like to talk about it... It''s better th-th-this way... but it''s also... wrong t-t-to not tell someone... who helped me... a lot. I''ll tell you... both. But before that, you should know about this place. My neighbourhood, Kogane Koen." With his gaze shining behind his glasses, King proceeded, hesitating no longer. "Kogane Koen used to be a district with a deep-seated notoriety for financial crimes in the past. Gambling, laundering, illegal loaning, casinos, you name it. As a result, the families suffered from discrimination and social stigma. That all ended when Clover Harbor faced the first . Now, the descendants of those criminals formed a community and rebuilt this district, vowing to earn and use money for good and beyond forever." Dan felt amazed hearing the history behind King''s homeplace. He remembered about the Upheaval during a history lesson when he and Jun were 7th graders. It was the turning point for Clover Harbor''s history and society, when a lowly criminal from the underbelly, united the world''s greatest crime families and syndicates into one singular mega-syndicate, only to decimate it one month after its inauguration. He later served his life as a police officer, striving for a world free of crime until his last breath. "I see... so that means..." Jun understood the nature of his past. "Yes, I am a criminal- an underage gambler at that..." Silence loomed over the table. The trio were hesitant to break the silence in their own way. Jun''s silence, particularly, did not make the atmosphere lighter. King put his head down, hiding his tear-filled eyes from the cousins, as they gazed on his head in deep silence. Torrents of insults, curses and derogatory titles flooded his mind. Bad memories were replayed, reminding him of his shame. The disappointed faces of his mother, father and his elder brother gazed blankly at him, with their wailing voices echoing from the hollow eyes. He sank deeper, as he saw Dan turning away in disgust as Jun transformed into the Fox, baring his fangs to bite his neck down as payback for his previous actions against him. King did not resist as he went down sinking into the tar of depression, with his mind cut off from the world. Until he was abruptly pulled back by Jun''s sharp call. King lifted his head quickly to see Dan and Jun''s faces and looked down upon a cup of mint choco-chip ice cream, cut three ways. "King, to be frank, I don''t care about you or your past. But one thing is sure, you did a good job hanging on. So, why don''t you rest and leave it to us, hmm?" Jun wore a subtle smile. "What...? W-w-why? Why would you go to such lengths for me? I mean, we''ve only met today... You won''t gain anything from being with someone like me! You-you-you''re better off with someone! Why?" King was on the verge of tears as he was voicing out his doubt. His suspicion was within reason, to be fair. "Simple. You''re our friend." Jun''s words turned his apprehension to nothing. "Yeah, he''s right! It isn''t easy adjusting in a new place, after all. You''re a lifesaver, King!" Dan affirmed it. "Thus, we eat this ice-cream, sealing our pact. To being friends." With gusto, Jun dug into his piece of ice-cream and gulped it down. "Thinking about it now, what Dan said isn''t off the mark. Your situation is ridiculous, indeed. There''s no way a pushover like you can pull a stunt like that. Nevertheless, we''ll get to the bottom of this."
"Bro!!!" "What? It is what it is..." "You idjit, you can''t just say that to his face like that! Have some tact, man!"
"Hurry up, before it melts." Jun said to King, before continuing to bicker with Dan. King gulped down his piece, with tears flowing uncontrollably. His heart became full with awe, respect, gratitude and love for Jun and Dan. He could not properly say a single word without crying. He felt liberated. King was able to feel the wings of his inner self, stretching with freedom. His confidence and self-esteem were rejuvenating. With new-found eloquence, he accepted the pact whole-heartedly, with grace. After 3 years of ostracization, this 19 year-old eagle has finally found people he can call, friends. On seeing King''s teary face, Dan''s empathy peaked, joining him for the waterworks, consoling each other while Jun lamented silently that he''s on babysitting duty for the two crybabies. Jun looked out through the window, thinking to himself about the eventful day he had.
[4:00 pm, Teibo Apartments] "Let''s meet again tomorrow, at the Hub. See you later!" King wished them and went to his home, anticipating tomorrow''s events. After the ride in the elevator, Jun and Dan entered their home. Feeling exhausted, Dan lied on the couch quickly, demanding a cup of ice-cream. "Are you sure you want mint choco-chip? It''s all we have." Jun reminded him.
"Wait, those two tubs are nothing but mint choco-chip?!" "Yeah." "No! Please tell me you at least asked for different flavors..."
"Nah. Free ice-cream, winner''s flavor. Didn''t mention about changing flavors, nor did I ask for it." Jun explained. And so, Dan cried through the evening, lamenting about his cousin''s poor choice of tastes. [To be continued] Lvl 15: Tanukis Debut [May 4, 11:00 am, in the game world] [Dan¨­ki''s POV] "Woah... This. Is. Awesome!" Today is my turn to see the world. Seeing this place with my own eyes is a whole new experience, compared to yesterday on the V-Sphere. Even though the environment looks scary and gloomy, the thought of roaming around in the sky excites me. Like I said, this is a whole new level of experience. "Alright, if I remember correctly about the gestures, the way to open my stats screen should be like... this!"
Name: B¨­ji Lvl: 1 Title: ---
HP: 500/500 MP: 400/400 Stat Points: 5 XP: 0%
STR: 5 RFL: 5 LUK: 5 FRT: 20 COG: 15
Passive Skills: Well-endowed Lvl 1 Stubby Suspension Lvl 1 Night Eye Lvl 1 Tree Scaler Lvl 1 Active Skills: Viverrine Ball Lvl 1 Soft Feet Lvl 1 Battering Ram Lvl 1 Vital Snapper Lvl 1
Cool! And if I tap on the terms, the explanation would pop up. Let''s see... [STR: Strength = Physical attack power & speed + Auric attack power & speed] [FRT: Fortitude = Health + Physical defense + Auric defense] [RFL: Reflexes = Speed + Agility + Dexterity] [COG: Cognition = Intelligence + Wisdom] [LUK: Luck = Accuracy + Crit. Chance + Value] Okay, so these stats are the sum of these qualities mentioned up. I like the innovative way of useful info getting represented. Keeping this aside, I realized something. This game hates me. This is my first time playing this and I got the worst stat build ever. Of all the combinations, why the tank?! And what''s with my strength?! I can''t even hurt a flea with my finger! Luck is something that can be managed whenever. Now, with my free stat points, it''s hard to choose between Strength and Reflexes. Which should I invest...? "Simple. Bet on Reflexes." "Aaahhhh!" When did he come here? How long was he behind me?! "Would you mind giving me a heads-up, bro? A holler?" "I did, but you''re too focused to respond, so I took a peep. Nice plane, by the way." Well, my Plateau suits me. I think Jun''s plane is much cooler. [RFL: 5?10] ''Done!'' Speaking of cool, Jun had a duel this morning. He told me and King to log in first and wait for him. He mentioned about a Jackpot yesterday, meaning that he''s gonna show it today, I think.
"How was the duel, bro?" "It went good. I was against a honey badger. Tenacious guy, but an annoying braggart. Kept on yelling that he''ll be the apex predator or something. The fight went stale, so I put him in a submission hold. Probably because I''m a bit stronger." "Awesome! Got anything?"
"Two new kick techniques and... an unusual seal. Oh, here''s a fun fact. When I switched to PVP mode, the whole system changed. There were grades next to my stats, we were linked with buffs and debuffs. It''s like we''re untamed animals fighting out in the wild. It was fun the entire time!" Jun''s smiling like an elementary schooler. "By the way, where is King?" We looked around for a bit.
"He''s not here yet. Said that he had something to take care of." "I see. I wanted to show you both my Jackpot, so... alright, let''s wait."
For some time, we were sitting on my Plateau ranting and listening by turns. Jun talked about his artifact and its skills, whereas I ranted about Mama Hibana''s retirement and how she''s planning on dating my father. Jun wished her luck with a joke. I prayed they''d just make up and make out already. Later, Jun tutored me about aura and its basics. His simple teaching got me the skill, fast! To test my limits, I let out a huge pulse of aura. It stretched somewhere about 200 metres away, which kinda put me on fumes now. But I picked up something that seemed big, fast and hostile. "Bro, something''s coming." Immediately, Jun got into a stance, whereas I hid behind him. I don''t think I can take on whatever''s coming to us. I''m level 1 after all! Out from the clouds came a bird humanoid. An Avian, according to the game. For some reason, this guy looks happy to see us when he landed down. "Hello, J¨­bun-san! Where''s your cousin? Hasn''t he arrived yet?" This voice sounds familiar. "King, is that you?!" "Hello!" Oh my god, it''s actually him! "Jun, are you seeing this?" I thought I was looking at a bronze sculpture. Green eyes shining with confidence, a lean & gallant figure, those gorgeous, gigantic wings; It just screams Majestic! If his bird form is goofy but cute, this form is captivatingly handsome! King, you really are a King! "Yeah... he looks different. If he didn''t open his mouth, I''d have drawn first blood for good measure." His stance softened but his claws are still at open. "J¨­bun-san, no violence, please!" King freaked out a bit. "So, what should I call you then, Tanuki-san?" "Hehe, call me B¨­ji!" I know, I know. That dumbstruck look on your faces. I''m such a genius! A name that capitalizes my form, my love for food and my tummy enhancing my cute factor, all in one shot! Go ahead, praise me, pals! "So, is it short for Botamochi? Figures, since you look appetizing for the bosses." The nerve of this guy! After a few roasting comments back-and-forth, our argument escalated, until King broke us up. "J¨­bun-san, B¨­ji-san, I''d appreciate it if we start playing. Dan-san, your name is fine. Never change it. Also, Jun-san, I go by Kingo now. As you can see, my community service is over, hehe." "Kingo... now that''s a name! Fit for a king! Learn a thing or two from him, glutton." I was ready for another fight but seeing Kingo-kun tired like that, it wasn''t worth dragging it on. It''s best to let it go and forget about it. After all, Jun''s gonna get that Beniken special! I just gotta wait until Saturday. "Finally... Jun-san, you said you''re going to show your Jackpot today." "Right!" Immediately, his items are segregated on the ground. For each one, Kingo-kun made a lecture about it. The Stat-a-Gems shown yesterday were of five types. Rubies give STR, Emeralds for FRT, Topaz for RFL, Sapphires for COG and Pearls for LUK. Now, the big piece of black rock that made Kingo crazy is called a Dungeon Stone. This Stone, when fed to a Sky Plateau, will transform that floating island into a sophisticated building, giving that player an in-game home to lounge around. The Stone can also be buried on purified land to claim territory, but that''s not possible unless you''re affiliated with a large guild to take care of. Also, the lands can be contaminated by Neth-Aura again. On top of that, it upgrades the Booking power of the island, making the shield stronger but also break into an occupied dungeon. This mechanic kinda scares me. Imagine getting jumped by invaders when there''s a raid going on. Worst timing to get sabotaged, honestly. Now, with everything clear, it''s time to go into a dungeon!You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
[Kingo/Kingumo''s POV] It took a while navigating around these parts. Especially when there are players stopping and docking around us, to get a glimpse on Jun-san. Also, he''s still hounded by the Idol Trainee rumour, given how he ran yesterday from the restaurant when some people recognised him seperately. It''d be a mental disaster for Jun-san if the public put two and two together. Even I wonder about it sometimes. Nonetheless, I''m glad I''m not alone. I don''t like unwanted attention as well, especially when they''re fueled by rumours. It became a hassle to the point where Jun seperated from us. Finally, we reunited before a dungeon I found for Dan-san. But there''s something strange about this dungeon. "What''s the hold up, Kingo? Is something wrong?" I can''t let Dan-san worry about me like this.
"Actually, we found a rare type of dungeon, even for a White-Star. But don''t let your guard down yet. Despite the color, the difficulty must be higher than expected." "What''s so unique about this dungeon, Kingo?" "Good question, Jun-san. Remember what I said about Assimilation?" "Yeah. Wait, is this an Assimilated one?" "No, we call this type of dungeon the Citadel. See how there are two same stars on the wall?" "Yeah..." "This means the features and challenges associated with this dungeon are increased. In our case, this is equal to a Red-Star dungeon. But as the phrase goes, high-risk-"
"High-reward!" Looks like the cousins are pumped up. This''ll be easy, fingers crossed. "Let''s get in!" Dan-san booked the dungeon, along with Jun-san. After checking one last time, we entered the dungeon. The portal opened into a spacious area, with a crystal about 10 feet tall, hovering in the middle. Judging by the layout and the aspect of this dungeon, I believe we can manage it.
"Wow! This place is huge! Kingo-kun, what should we do here?" "It''s simple, Dan-san. We must protect the crystal from an onslaught of waves. The longer we survive, the harder it gets. If the crystal gets destroyed or we die, it''s game over."
"Okay, so it''s kinda like a tower defense game here." "You could say that, Jun-san, except we''re protecting a crystal." He nodded with understanding. After some instructions and tips were shared, the floor below flashed with red light, indicating the wave will start soon. The first wave consisted of Ganger Frogs, led by about 6 Bulldozers. These Frogs are what you call mob bosses. They are like 6 feet tall and wide, look intimidating, barking orders from a safe space, while the subordinates, the Bruisers and Bombers, are sacrificed to us as fodder. Those grunt workers are small, though. Which is good. While Dan-san and I were busy defending the crystal, Jun-san was reckless. He dove into the wave, picking out the Bombers and used them against their own. With that strategy, about 5 Bulldozers died. Then, after collecting their clubs and hammers, he practiced homeruns on those Frogs. Just like any other first wave, this ended smoothly. The loot was collected, funds were splurged on the shops and defensive structures were installed. The floor flashed red to signal the next wave. From now on, the real war begins.
[J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] The second wave begins now. Apart from the Frogs, there were a bunch of new animals that appeared in the mix. On appraising them with [Cosmic Perception], I learned that they are Bullet Hoppers. I have only three words to describe them: sleek, strong but brittle. Though they have powerful legs and a strong pointed head, their streamlined bodies are light. This means that a strong, opposite force can break their necks. Better yet, they can be my practice dummies to improve my weapon skills. Sometimes, I teach Dan in parrying with his shield by baiting those bugs towards him, or throwing at him. After destroying the enemies left and right, the second wave was over. "Bro, what were you thinking?! My hands were already full in dealing those critters, without you throwing some into the mix!" An earful from the Tanuki is a small price to pay, considering how much his [Shield Parry] skill grew. A whopping Lvl 16. Next, the third wave came up. Additionally, there are some new animals that appeared as well: the Hazard Shrews. Venom, venom, more venom. It''s safe to say they are Venom Incarnate. According to these critters'' bio, they maintained a diet of poisonous insects and fungi, giving them an evolutionary edge. One graze from their teeth, and it''s goodbye. While Kingo-kun and I dealt with most of the enemies, Dan had it bad. Fortunately, thanks to his skill, the [Viverrine Ball], he held out until we arrived. After the clean-up, he survived with a few cuts and bruises and a new resistance. But still, you can never be too careful. Time to try out new skill. ''[Aura Pill]'' Alright, these pills look good.
"Hey, guys, catch!" "...What are these, bro?"
"It''s a gift. Swallow it and use your aura to dissolve it. You''re welcome." After that, they both looked ecstatic. ''I see... So whenever I instill an elemental affix to the pill, it generates a random effect or a buff. In case of the Wind Pill, they''ll have minor health regen.'' That''s nice to know. With that much aura, the buff will last at least 10-15 minutes, tops. Another red light. ''Onto the fourth...''
[Danpan/Dan¨­ki''s POV] "Whew, is it just me or is this dungeon getting harder?" "Definitely harder, Dan-san." I see, Kingo-kun. "Oh, boy..." ...Oh, no! "Kingo-kun, it''s not like that! I''m sorry, it must be hard on you too!" Can''t believe my thoughts got switched like that. "Hey, Dan. I thought of a bet." Huh? What''s he upto now? "What is it now, bro?" Hope he doesn''t make some crazy condition that only he''s capable of doing. "If I win, you better change your name with my suggestion." "As if I''d let you do that!" Straight with the penalty. "Tsk, tsk, let me finish. The winning condition is the final blow on the big boss." Okay, that''s doable, I think. Checking around the area, our defense looks pretty solid. On the North side, Kingo had installed three towers for defense. One shoots out fire bombs, one puffs out storm clouds and the last one makes an earthquake. On the South-East side, Jun installed a bunch of Icicle Turrets. He covered the blind spots on his territory and reaps all the benefits. In my side, the South-West, I installed upto 4 Barrier Towers and 3 Hydro-Trident Turrets. With my trusty shields, which grew on me unexpectedly, I looked forward to the fourth wave and also Jun''s challenge. Halfway into the wave, I dealt with few wolves, apart from those frogs, grasshoppers and shrews. With great difficulty, we thwarted the remaining wolves and advanced to the final wave. This is where things got tough, but also interesting. The final boss is a huge red bear with a huge warhammer, with spears and swords sticking out from his back. Its aura put our instincts on high alert. Its roar rumbled the entire area. The Blood Ore Bear... this guy means business. Behind me, the crystal glowed, with threads of light spanning across the area. Those threads connected with the defense towers and us, and pulled us in. I got scared for a good period of time. To be sucked into an object that you protected for a couple of minutes really makes you think twice about your Tasks. But upon seeing the bear from a new height, face-to-face, I found that the crystal had morphed into a Golem. In other words, we''re riding a fricking Mecha! "Yeah! Woohoo! I can''t believe I get to pilot a Golem! This is a dream come true!" "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I''m the engine behind this, bro." What did this fox say?! "What do you mean by that?" "Apparently, the Golem runs on the actions of the player with the highest contribution rate from this survival game and that means Jun-san is in charge now." Kingo-kun explained. ''Great... now I lose the bet by default.'' With the power of those installed towers and Jun''s superior control, the bear was thoroughly defeated. Anticlimactic, am I right? But the best part is that I''m getting an artifact! This is the climax to me! The crystal opened up, revealing a room for me to enter in. It was just like when Jun got his artifact yesterday. After touching the nebula, my entire body shone in a bright light. [Congratulations! You''re bestowed the artifact: The Kettle of Boundless Will] [This Artifact is Soulbound] ''Damn my life... This kettle look less of an armour and more of a costume.'' Is this all my luck amounted to? I even invested 30 points into it! After exiting the room, I was met with laughter. Jun was cackling just like the fox he is, rolling around the floor, telling me how it suits perfectly. To be honest, it was a surprise to see him this expressive, which is a far cry from his usual self outside, due to his condition. While I''m glad he''s enjoying, according to Mama Hibana''s standards, must he enjoy at my expense? Only God knows...
"Enough, bro. It''s not funny anymore." "Dan-san, that''s a really great armour! You''re almost like the Bunbuku Chagama." "It''s not almost. I''m the Chagama. Man, I wish I had something like a hammer. Or a broadsword. Just my luck..." "I agree with Jun-san here. This artifact really suits you. If it cheers you up, I know some things about the Bestowal."
"Okay, I''m listening." Even Jun stood beside me to hear about this. "Although the Bestowal takes into your proficiencies and achievements into account, there''s an unspoken factor that plays a huge role into this process: Desire." Kingo-kun further explained that any desire, no matter how trivial, will be taken seriously and the sum of the Bestowal''s power turns into a suitable Artifact tailored to oneself. "It may seem like it doesn''t suit you, but the Bestowal never made a mistake. Trust me, there are many players who became Rankers after figuring out the potential behind their ''wrong'' Artifacts." He concluded. "So, an Artifact doesn''t necessarily turn into a weapon. It can become into an armour, accessory or any other stuff." Jun understood, I guess. "You''re right, Jun-san! Even my greaves are an Artifact, you see." Kingo-kun''s right. His greaves are no joke. While fighting those waves, his kicks unleashed tornadoes and caught many bombs in the air, then returned back to their senders. But he''s a Mage first, so his Wind attacks might''ve been boosted by the greaves. Might be enjoying an agility boost too. After we cleared the dungeon, the Tallying began. Since I''m the first booker, I went through it. I received 1 Dungeon Star and a few Stat-a-Gems. Jun and Kingo-kun got their share too. After all this, I went up by one level. But so what? My debut went well and I enjoyed it, compared to Jun''s debut. His felt like a web novel moment, where he got cursed being trapped inside the toughest dungeon.
"Jun-san, have you picked out the name?" "Oh, right... You bet I did!" "Why, Kingo? Why?!" Why did it have to be now?! "To be honest, Dan-san, you have a lousy sense of naming. Jun-san is better at this sort of business."
"Even you too, Kingo?! Awww..." I feel so betrayed... "Well, the usernames are changeable in the first 24 hours, right, Kingo?" "Yes, Jun-san." Seems like they won''t let me go. "Alright, a bet''s a bet. I''ll change my name. But no stupid ones or the bet''s off!" Though I know him fully well that he won''t keep it. After all, he''s a fox! "I heard you. Now, your name is....." Oh, I''m so gonna bench-press this fox with my kettle if he suggests something idotic. "Danny!" ...I''m sorry? What? "What''s wrong, Dan? Don''t like the name?" "Huh? No, I just, I''m caught off guard, is all." In hindsight, Danny is pretty generic but it''s better than some lame name. "Wanna give you something else?" "No, thank you! Danny''s good, bro. I am Danny, happy?" Jun sure looks happy about it. It got me wondering. "Bro, why were you so hell bent on changing my name? It''s not like it''s cringey or anything." "Dan, are you listening to yourself? That cutesy name will get you hounded by savage girls who want a piece of your belly! Can''t you see the suffering you''ll face in the long run?!" Oh... I see... Looking at his tensed face, I was reminded about the kind of guy he used to be. Jun is undoubtedly eccentric, but he''s deathly allergic to romance. My experiences of being bullied by girls did not help change his outlook. Ever since then, he started being overprotective of me. In fact, it was so bad that he was nicknamed as the ''Handsome Ogre'', in my neighbourhood. But that all changed when she met him. Thinking about the past, I couldn''t help but laugh. I''m happy he''s changed, thanks to her, though his blunt attitude still need work. "C''mon, bro! Have you forgotten our promise? Bros before Does, and that won''t change. Not now, not ever." Jun became so happy that he started dancing. Kingo-kun and I joined in too. It''s safe to say that I enjoyed playing. Can''t wait for tomorrow.
"Dan-san, I need to ask you something." "What''s it, Kingo-kun?"
"Is Jun-san a... you know... a..." I knew what it''s going to be.
"Nah, he doesn''t swing that way. He just hates entitled, mean girls in general. Still hates them even now. I know he acts like it but he''s not." "Oh... understood. My bad."
We couldn''t help but smile at the assumption. Welp, all''s well that ends well. Status screen, here I come! [To be continued]
[Skills used] [Viverrine Ball: Curl up to turn into a stone ball, enjoying invulnerability for a certain period of time. The longer the supply, the longer the effect lasts. MP: min. 50, CD: 90s] [Aura Pill: Focus a random amount of aura into a point to condense into a pill. The Elemental affix grants a random effect. The longer the focus, the better quality of the pill and longer the duration. MP: min. 120, CD: 15s]
[Techniques used] [Shield Parry: Deflect any oncoming attack or projectile with your shield. Depends on RFL Slight chance to stun enemy.] Lvl 16: Frayed Feathers, Boxed Ears [May 4, 11:30 am, in the real world] The sunbeams of the late morning intertwined with scented streams of breeze, carrying the essence of grass, the sound of children''s laughter, the footfalls of runners and their pets and the falling leaves of the public park''s trees. With bowls of ice-cream scoops in their palms, the trio enjoyed the summer heat, recalling Dan''s debut, the rewards they obtained, the plans for the next login, the stealthy escape from Poachers and admirers alike and the great creamy splurge funded by Dan himself. With lingering flavors evoking peace of mind, the trio blanketed themselves in happiness, until King jumped away from the bench in panic. His eyes glued to the screen of his Slab, unable to process the contents displayed, eventually knelt down in shock, Seiza style. On the ground. Amidst the visitors. Dan and Jun picked him up and dragged him to the bench, frantically checking him out. Worried, they searched for Kinuhime''s phone number, until King stood up, adjusting his glasses. The cousins almost lunged at him out of joy, but they were stopped in their tracks when they sensed something unsettling from him. "Dan-san, is this you?" King asked in a calm, stern and scary voice, showing his Slab. It featured Dan''s fight yesterday, as a video edit circulating in the player forum. "Hey, that''s me! I like this, even if it''s a bit cringey." Dan couldn''t help but smile bashfully, as the edit glorified his fight. "#instantkarma, #serveshimright, #beefcakesupremacy, hahaha, this one takes the cake!" Jun giggled, pointing that brand out. "We''re so going to die..." King let out a sigh, curling inward to resign to his fate of doom, to which the cousins retorted it as a delusion. "I don''t know why you''re overreacting like this. It''s not like this... guy, kid... whatever-- is the son of a bigshot or anything, right?" This warranted the quietest and most aggresive art portrayed on Kingumo''s mask, featuring a cracked skull of an eagle floating in the cosmos, housing Irk and Disbelief in its sockets, with white pulsars of Irritation radiating the nasal apertures and the beak blending with the darkness. Jun pursed his lips inwards, cursing his inner self for his loose mouth, yet again.
"Which one?" "The vice-head of the Homeowners Association."
"I''m sorry, what? I thought it''s the Prime Minister or someone higher." Dan''s jovial chuckle made Kingumo realise the cousins are nothing but immigrants at the end of the day. They wouldn''t know about the current affairs of the archipelago. Even if they did, they wouldn''t give a thought about it. "Of course... how did I forget?" King sounded really frustrated about their sense of ease. "Listen, what I told you yesterday is but a fraction of this district''s history. The paupers here are shareholders. Shareholders! Now, guess how much the district associations earn and manage." "They are rich enough to create a country from scratch. And still have more to spend for personal stuff I don''t wanna think about." Jun hypothesised. "Exactly. Also, the people here uphold familial piety more than money. So, once they harbour grudges, they won''t let go, even if it costs their inheritance." "So, like, this place is basically a playground for the rich-- nah, what''s that word...?" Dan massaged his head, searching for the right word. "Plutocracy?" Jun suggested. "Yeah, that one!" Dan''s eyes lit up. "You... could say that, Jun-san. In a way." King agreed with a shrug. "And it doesn''t end just there. Making an entire clan their slaves for generations is nothing but a tiny investment for a long-term entertainment. The crazy ones, they''d make colonies out of their enemies. That''s how ruthless and underhanded they can be." "Haa... all I can get from this is we stirred up the hornet''s nest, thanks to this guy." Jun surmised his judgement, while implying Dan''s fault with his thumb. "Hey, who''d have known that punk is an elite? Doesn''t he know that clothes make the man? Huh, teens these days..." "Excuse me, aren''t you teens too?" King''s question drew loud bursts of laughter from the cousins, which in turn, drew the public''s attention. "Oh, boy, never have I heard a joke this good!" Dan struggled to drink his ice-cream, as his body shook due to the giggling. "Hey, you need to clean your goggles more. Do we look that young to you?" Jun''s comment rekindled Dan''s laughter, almost spitting out his creamy drink. "Judging by your attitudes, you don''t strike to me as adults though. Jun-san was nothing more than a child in the game, whereas, Dan-san is a toddler charged by Cetus. No offense." King clarified. "None taken!" Dan grinned. "By the way, you''re still too stiff and formal. That changes today! From now on, call us Onii-san!" King got flustered after hearing this. His voice was barely clear whenever he called them by their names. But now, he feels like dying out of embarrassment over this order. "Yeah, I wanted to tell you this for awhile. Look at Tamako-san. She''s your age and yet, she has nicknames for us. But she''s pretty cheeky and defenseless around guys, so I''m a bit worried." Jun added.
"Can''t agree more with you there, but she knows it herself. And she can handle herself just fine. You don''t worry, Jun-san." "Easier said than done. After all, she''s my soon-to-be prot¨¨ge." "Oh! No wonder she kept addressing you as Sensei."
"Really?" Jun smiled. "Yes, though Hadaka-sensei is a bit weird, in my opinion. What do you thin-- Jun-san? Hello?" All King could see is a pitiable figure, curling inside his hoodie. He was sure he heard grinding teeth. Dan patted his back for consolation and shook his head in disappointment towards King, implying his insensitivity. "Don''t tell me, he''s the one who wrote Purple--" Dan''s big palm closed King''s mouth before he uttered more and his frenzied stare deterred him from trying to speak. The shameful past, buried once more. "Well, Mako-chan used to talk about it for hours on end. So, it kind of stuck with me. But I must say this, that one-shot was horrible. I''ll never understand her sense of appeal." King sighed in regret, for conjuring up the awkward atmosphere. "We appreciate it. I feel the same too. But the past is in the past. Let''s talk something else." Dan veered the conversation on-track, reminding King of the unfinished business. "Wait, Dan-san! What do we about Bankoji-san?" "Who''s that?" Dan tilted his head in confusion. "The punk, I mean, the one you threw. His name is Bankoji Sadaite, whereas the mullet-head is his best friend, Jiigumi Gen." King revealed their names. "What else? We pummel him in-game. If that''s not enough, we''ll pummel him again in the open. As much as he wants." Dan declared with frankness, earning a fist-bump from a still disheartened Jun.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "I can''t believe you''re the one advocating violence, Dan-san..." Dan¨­ki shrugged indifferently. "Just do me a favor and leave me out of this, please." "Okay, fine then. Let''s go, Jun. ...Jun? Hey, bro, wake up." Dan nudged him gently but Jun didn''t move an inch. He shook him with less force, but to no avail. King noticed Jun''s Slab and inspected it. The displayed content filled him with so much horror that he startled Dan with his yell. "What''s it now? You''ve been overreacting too much these days, you know." He remarked but King ignored, mumbling incoherently. "Of all the duelists, why her...?!" "Her?" Dan looked at the Slab, displaying a live broadcast of Jun''s duel. He was thrown around like a torn rag by his opponent, a rabbit, who is gazing at him with scornful lilac eyes. He was not given a moment of rest, breath or thought. He was utterly helpless, barely defending himself from his opponent''s incessant barrage of attacks. This sight made Dan worry for his cousin, to the point his words aren''t coming out properly. "W-w-who''s she?" "She... she''s known by many titles. The World''s Strongest Duelist, the Hefty Herbivore, the Bane of Carnivores, the Apex Predator Candidate, the Bloody Bunny... She. Is..."
[May 4, 11:45 am, Duel Mode] [J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] Haaaaa..... It hasn''t been a minute since I joined this duel and I''m rolling around the dirt like a ragdoll. At this rate, my half-empty health bar will end up completely empty. Not to mention, this Rabbit woman means business. She''s not giving me time to even create a string of thought. She''s heartless, I tell you. Last time I checked, bunnies are supposed to be cute, meek and fluffy. Guess I could never look at them the same way, ever again. "Time-out, please! Time-out, time-ou--wooaahhhh!" That was close! If that punch connected, I''d be broken into smithereens, just like the boulder beside me. Alright, it''s not safe anywhere near her. I''m not staying here any longer! ... ''[Burrow Pounce]'' Oh ho... this is interesting. So, if I apply certain elemental affix to particular skills, their effects would be different. In some cases, they''d be amplified or stronger on a new level. For this skill, Earth Aura did the trick. Must note it down. ... Great, I bought some time. It''s only a matter of time before she finds me underground. Well, after she searches this entire Forest of Stones, that is. Good luck on catching me. Now, let''s see what this match is all about. ..... ''Great... a fight to the death... no time limit...'' For a Lvl 12 PvP player, this stuff is pretty unfair. Just because I got used to strong people doesn''t mean I should be pitted against them. Let''s not forget that my opponent is a Lvl 40 Lapine Leg-breaker! ''Ugh, my body''s sore just thinking about it...'' To my understanding, this is not any random duel, but rather a Themed one. It''s like a Story Quest, with a few tweaks, I guess. Second, apart from the duel modifiers, there is a seperate category of ''Player Modifiers'' attached on the fighters, enhancing and emphasising the essence of Themes. Third, with these modifiers, the line between advantage and disadvantage is blurred. This means that the tide may turn at any time. Anybody can win. ''So, in other words, it''s Chaotic, Unpredictable and Mercurial. As an author, I love this!'' This mode know to simulate great odds equally on both sides. Now, that''s how you create grounds for realistic fights. So, these are my modifiers: [Natural Predator: Great physical capacity but skills'' power is greatly diminished] [MacGyver: Skill count is limited to one] [One-tail: Aura capacity is barely minimum] [Endangered: Susceptible to more damage] Wow... this is a unique stack of odds. Especially the last one. No wonder why I was hurt more than I expected. On one side, I''m practically destined to get my butt kicked. On the other, I''m the only predator standing in her way, with the responsibility to re-educate the law of the jungle. Obviously, I''d pick the second option of putting her in her place. But the ''how'' is what matters here. Hmmm... striking her solar plexus is the best shot to stop her in her tracks. Her midriff is pretty much real estate, so let''s try that. The ogling was worth it... ''...Huh?!'' Ogling? Worth it?! What the hell?! Okay, let''s calm down. I need another plan... Got it! The plan is to subdue her with seduction! "...Whaaaat?!" That''s sexual harassment! I, I, I can''t believe it! What am I thinking?! Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths. Come on, me. This is serious. My life is at stake here. What should I do...? "I''ll play with her navel..." ..... "UUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! Yuck! That''s the most disgusting thing I''ve ever said!" Impossible! What is wrong with me today? What is with my intrusive thoughts and-and-and my erotic obsession with that rabbit?! Is this what they call ''love at first sight''? Nah, that can''t be. It doesn''t exist. Periodt. It''s also neither a crush nor an infatuation. My feelings are too carnal to be either of those things. Aha! This is... Lust! Yes, I feel lust... for her... "What the fuck?! Why the fuck am I lusting for her?! I only know her today and she''s nothing but a killing machine!" There''s no way this is normal! Certainly not! "Found you." "Aaahhhh!" When did she get here? How long was she behind me? How much did she hear?
"How much did you hear?" "Heard about what?"
"Never mind, forget about it." Phew, she just came here, huh. I''m safe... "Okay, though you really need to keep your libido in check." So, she heard everything, I see. Welp, seppuku it is, but that can wait. "You have no business talking about my libido. First of all, who are you? Second, my forearms are this close to getting fractured, thanks to you!" "Well, it''s not like they''re broken, so no need to whine about it. Put an ice pack on it or something..." So callous... "...and as for my name, there is no necessity to know for. You''re gonna lose after all."...and so arrogant! Well, no need to get riled up and- wait, riled up? Me? ...This is new... Well, I can ask King about this later, but first, time to find a way to put her in her place. "Yeah, right... that''s what the honey badger said this morning. Before his mouth was chock-full of my knuckle sandwiches." "Oh~ how scary~, so what? I would break his jaw ten times if we had a match. You ain''t that special, dude." Well, so much for intimidation. Seems like I don''t sound convincing enough. But whatever. "Right back at ya, brat. You ain''t special either, so why not put a lid on it and fight?" "Brat? Me?? Get your eyes checked, old man! I bet you won''t able to reach 100 years to complete your penance, haha!" Oh, a roast battle? Well, two can play at that game. And just like that, a bout of playful banter with the obnoxious rabbit began. So much so that we forgot the match entirely. Jokes and compliments went hand-in-hand, with bellies tickled with roasts and insults, and lungs wheezing in and out with snorts and chuckles. Without my awareness, I started to wish for this moment to never end. "I haven''t had this much fun in ages... You''re a funny guy, you know?" Wow... is this her actual voice...? It''s so sweet and gentle. She does have a soft side, after all. Good to know!
"Haa, you''re making me blush... I''ll take your word for it." "Now, with all things settled, are you ready to die by my hand?"
.....Is she for real?
"Great job ruining the moment, dummy. I thought we''re having somethi-" "I''m gonna stop you right there, dude. Did you forget that you''re my enemy?" "But I-"
"No buts. You''re nothing but a stepping stone for my quest. Nothing more, nothing less. Hope you understand~." That''s cold. Where did the sunshine go?
"Hold on, what did I ever do to you?!" "You did nothing. It''s just... I''m going through a tough time right now. Friendship, relationship... it''s pointless in the meantime... wait, that came out wrong! All I''m trying to say is-" "It''s alright. You''re going through a break-up, shit hit the fan, life''s not so shiny after all, yadda, yadda, yadda. Just another heartbroken maiden crying out her woes..." "What?! No, I''m single--" "Tsk, please, no need to explain. I won''t pry further. Just be glad you didn''t lose your chastity. Or did you?"
"That''s it, you asshole! Let''s see if you can yap once I''m through with you!" Jeez, what gives? She doesn''t have to be that hostile. It''s not like I said something wrong, but anyways... "Ahem, alright, suit yourself. I''ll get this duel over with one punch. Bring it on." With a barbaric grin, she ate up my taunt and took a stance. "You''re dead." Whistle This killing intent... She''s got some spunk! I like this woman! At some point, our duel was on fire. Unbeknownst to me, I started to get... mesmerized. It felt like I''m dancing a duet with her. I enjoyed the dance-fighting for a couple of minutes until I decided to fulfill my promise. But I overlooked an important detail: my modifiers. Since I''m playing the part of a predator, as I should, my stats are modified accordingly, including my strength. And it was increased by a large margin. The result is a counter-backhand, inadvertently served as a rabbit punch, driving the Rabbit into the ground. Face first. "Oh my god, are you ok?!" I was scared for her life and our future friendship, for it might end before it even began. And my fears came true when I touched her back. Bloodlust swept over me as I tried to rouse her awake. Fear made me jump away from her, about a mile away. At that moment, our roles got swapped. I became a prey. I am the prey now. The Rabbit simply rose from the sunken ground, dusting off her body. She turned about slowly, her lilac eyes lightened with lividity. Her stance and posture changed to a dangerous form, poising for a chase. The idea of a rabbit steadying itself to hunt is pretty absurd. But it is precisely what''s happening right now. From this situation, I''ve learned an important lesson: ''Bosses don''t own phases''. [To be continued] Lvl 17: Round 2 [May 4, 11:51 am, in the real world] The tables had turned. The duel turned one-sided. The hunter became the hunted. Jun''s painful ordeal filled Dan and King with dread. His plight kicked up doubt, like dust in their minds. Despite the throbbing pain and soul-crushing might brought upon his head, Jun rose up again and again, wearing a grin that grew wider and wider. The match heated up with trails of light painting across the duel area, as the two Animals threw various kicks at each other. Speed, strength, acrobatic finesse- the two Duelists were evenly matched in these aspects, devolving the fight into a deadlock. Like speed demons, they darted, dashed, slid, skated and snaked around the fighting grounds, trying to knock out their adversary with a concussion, but to no avail. The match is like a lucid dream for speedsters and unarmed combatants alike. Along with the other spectators, they''re rooting and hooting for both the Animals, who''re pushing their limits to the end. Dan and King still bit nails as the stakes rose higher, just like how Jun and the Rabbit spiraled up a stone column to break the deadlock with more kicks. The result was a tie and raining boulders, born from the exploded top of the column. But this isn''t the end, for they continued the fight while hopping around the falling boulders, using them as mid-air tactical covers. But their strengths exceeded the burden on the boulders, turning them into dust, clearing all obstacles between the Duelists. Their eyes squinted at the window of oppurtunity, as the soles of their feet glowed with aura. With a burst propelling themselves forward, they both flipped to stomp each other''s stomach, but the synchronised timing only served as a launch-pad, repelling them away. Jun flipped to gain balance and burrowed into a mountain on time, before the Rabbit caught up to him with a vengeance. Furiously punching away at her opponent, the Rabbit left her flank open, inviting Jun to take the upper hand, by biting her. Wincing in pain, the Rabbit struggled to break free, but the jaws of a predator were much stronger than she realised. Satisfied with his recovery and some time, Jun loosened his jaw, letting her go, and pushed her away with a bone-shattering punch. A great distance was covered by the Rabbit with helpless flailing down the altitude and painful tumbling across the ground. Although she got back up, the agony in her body, the fatigue in her muscles and the instincts blaring in her ears made her realize her waning power. The darkening of the Rabbit''s eyes, as seen in the distance by Jun, indicated him of her growing weakness. The grace of her skill was running out. With sharp, unrelenting gazes and domineering stances surging with aura, the Fox and the Rabbit prepared to end this fight, once and for all. The stand-off evoked anticipation and excitement over the outcome, among the spectators viewing the match. Dan and King, on the other hand, continued to bite nails with glued eyes, wide with dread. Contrary to the cheers for the two Animals, the two friends worry about Jun''s state. But King''s irrationally wide-eyed look was more concerning.
"Bro, what''s wrong?" "Huh? No, nothing. I''m just happy to see two Legends clashing. It''s not like you see this everyday." "That''s your happy face?!" "What do you mean?"
"You should see your- ahem- never mind. Anyway, how does she have two Artifacts on her? I thought only one is given." Dan pointed at her gloves and choker, which glowed with aura. "It''s pretty common to have that notion, when you''re a newbie. But there are more when it comes to Artifacts. For starters, there are two main types: Soulbound and Permeated. That choker of hers is the second type." King briefed.
"Permeated?" "Yes, they are Artifacts born from the player''s personal items during the Bestowal. The catch is that these items must have a significant history and bond with the player." "So, for example, if I have a mace or a spear that''s under my care for a long time, there''s a chance it''ll be turned into an Artifact when I give it up for the Bestowal." "Correct, Dan-san." "Hm, I seem to learn something new everyday." "Isn''t that a good thing?" "It is! It''s just, I''m slow on sophisticated stuff like this. A country guy and a simpleton, that''s me!"
"It''s fine. You''re a fast learner, so it wouldn''t take time to teach--" The conversation got interrupted by a loud boom from the Holo-Slab. King and Dan watched the screen covered in smoke, making the duel''s outcome ambiguous. Emojis and emoticons were spammed in the public comment section, yelling about the smoke and the demand for the duel''s result. After the smoke cleared, everybody, including King and Dan, had their eyes wide at the sight of the winner, who''s resting on top of the defeated opponent, heaving and relieving.
[Earlier] [???''s POV] GASP ...Where am I...? ..... Mindscape?! What am I doing here? How did I end up here? I''m supposed to be fighting with that fox, but... ...wait, did he knock me out?! Oh no, that means...! [Passive skill active] Shit! This is bad! Super duper bad! At his current level, I doubt he can hold on, let alone, survive. But seriously, how could he punch me like that?! Doesn''t he know to hold back?! Ugh, I cannot believe I fell for that! With the way he talks and acts, it''s clear he''s just a playboy with a pair of stone hands! I swear, if he ends up being one of Nin¨±mi''s jerks, I''d-... wait a second... Now that I think about it, isn''t he the Super Rookie who''s said to come outta nowhere? In that case, he''s- ''Hell no! He''s gotta be inside Nin¨±mi''s posse!'' What in the- ''What if you''re wrong? Do you think you can handle it? Do you even know to apologize, in the first place?!'' Where did she- ''As if! Even if I know, he doesn''t deserve it, except my foot to his face, that is!'' Oh my God, not now... ''How are you so sure about it?'' ''...I just know, that''s all. Don''t ask.'' ''So you don''t know! Then, don''t even think about-'' ''Guys, wanna have some carrots-'' ''SHOVE''EM UP YOUR NOSE!'' ''Can''t you see they''re talking, sweetie?'' ''What''s my sis upto now?'' ''Hope Mom''s doing okay...'' ''I swear those bastards will pay for what they''d done to my friends.'' ''That fox is a good guy.'' ''That fox is a bad guy.'' ''This world sucks...'' Sucks to be you~'' ''I WANNA WATCH THE WORLD BURN!!!'' ''Peasants...'' ''Oh, those babies look so cute, I wanna gobble''em up!'' ''Single ikemen in your area *whistle*'' ''Who want some taiy-'' "SHUDDUP! ALL OF YOU, JUST SHUT! UP!!" *BZZZTT* "What the?!" [Passive Skill neutralized] Neutralized? Does that mean... hehehehe "Yes! Now, I can getta out here!" I swear I''m never gonna get knocked out like that. Just when I thought the skill wouldn''t run out of juice. Well, my body might be against a really powerful guy, I guess. That fox was actually holding back, not showing all of his cards.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. He''s good. I wouldn''t mind losing if it meant I''m gaining a friend. Even though the quest is failed, at least I''d get some loot and some power. I just hope it''d be enough to have some edge over the Sicko''s posse. ... ''Damn, it''s so bright...! Isn''t it supposed to be a night?'' Well, considering how long the fight went, it wouldn''t be surprising the day-night cycle changed along. But, there''s something I must ask: why''s the fox sitting on me?! What, am I a furniture now?! Dammit, this is so embarrassing! How dare he?! Doesn''t he have any decency? Is he a punk from the ghetto or something? Nah, even punks have chivalry to make up for their bad attitude. This guy must belong to that asshole''s posse! This guy is a bad fox! "Oh, so soon? Guess the shock''s not strong enough. This might sting a little..." Hey, don''t touch my neck. "Please, enough with the frown. Be glad you''re napping for a second time, even it''s just for a few seconds... Sweet dreams!" Oh my god, he''s crazy too! "Wait, wait, wait-- KYAAAAAHHHHH!" I''m so gonna... get him... for this .....
[May 4, 11:58 am, in the game world] [J¨­bun/Junkitsu''s POV] "Wow, that was intense!" This fight put a new outlook on my approach to fight choreography. Never knew I had it in me to keep up with my opponent like that. Forget about speed and agility, years of yoga, gymnastics or calisthenics must be followed to exhibit my level of flexibility. It''s crazy to perform acrobatics flawlessly when you''ve never made any stretching routines. [Congratulations! You have leveled up] x8 [Leaderboard is available] [¦Ó-17,469] Sweet! Level 20! I should be grateful for this hike, but I don''t feel very satisfied. Still keeping that aside, it''s time to check out the goodies! ''Notices, and, go!'' [Excellent! You have choosen the hidden option, the Neutral route] [Due to simultaneous choices, your rewards have been merged] [Title: Benevolent Trickster has been awarded] Right on the nail... According to this title, my friendship levels with all players start at 25%, whereas it''s 50% Herbivore-type players. And I get 5-15% boost in my negotiation skills, which is not in my skill-set yet. But the friendship effect is okay. ''Next.'' [New Quest entrusted. Quest not available yet.] Huh? I got a quest but can''t read the details? That''s weird. Anyway, moving on! [New skills recorded in Pioneer''s Catalogue] Ye~s, that''s what I''m looking forward to! The Pioneer''s Catalogue. It''s a special in-built inventory of my Artifact, my gauntlets, in the form of a book. In synergy with my weapon''s passive skill [Siphonate], the ambient energy of my opponent''s skills will be absorbed, read, analysed and then copied into the book. This works when I parry or counter them. Basically, fighting fire with fire, except it''s their own fire. With more training on fine control, I can do the same with my feet. Then, with [Random Deck] and [Custom Deck], I can load cards into my gauntlets and use those skills remotely. Lastly, with the option [Train], I can acquire skills permanently. How it works exactly is yet to be understood. In short, what I got is nothing but a cheat gear. There''s no way these gauntlets don''t have a weakness-- never mind... ''Techniques can''t be copied...'' I''d say it''s a fair trade, given that my class is the Calloused Taoist. Food for thought, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when the fruits of hard labour get stolen in a few matter of minutes, by the bulk. "There are no shortcuts in scaling the Martial Peak. And that Peak... one has yet to see it..." Woah! I got to put this in my novel, stat! But the second weakness is that my skill analysis will reset if I get hurt. That means I can''t afford to have a scratch, which is virtually impossible. Anyway, let''s check the Catalogue. [Gibber Gatling: Cast a line of fire to shoot sharp rocks. The longer the charge, the faster the rate of fire. MP: Min. 350, CD: 30s] [Jagged Javelin: Conjure a sharp javelin from earth. The larger the supply, the larger the amount of javelins conjured. MP: Min. 120, CD: 75s] So, these are the skills I got from parrying. And they''re long-range too. I shudder at the thought of my enemies, scurrying around to save themselves from my attacks. It''s safe to say I might even bond with them over it, especially when I was at the receiving end of the Rabbit''s spamming. What a strong opponent. It''s a shame I don''t know her name. Whatever, we''ll meet again by chance, one day. Alright, onto the next one. [Congratulations! You have learned a new skill without prior guidance. Skill: Volt Sole has been acquired] [Volt Sole: Channel and store lightning aura underneath your feet to enjoy frictionless maneuverability. The larger the supply, the longer the duration. 10% speed boost. MP: Min. 180, CD: 10s] It seems the practice has paid off. To pull off that skill mid-fight is a miracle. I should keep myself in check. "Distractions for the sake of new entries of knowledge must not be entertained..." Hohoho, am I an aristocrat or what?! That sounds so good! ''Another dialogue noted...'' Well, time to log out!
[May 4, 12:02 pm, in the real world] When Jun opened his eyes, he found himself underneath a tree, shielded from the rays of the looming midday sun. The lukewarm breeze caressed his skin, cooling him down. He appreciated the coming relief, in spite of the growing humidity. His bubble of comfort was popped when he heard familiar voices by his right. Looking at Jun, King and Dan ran towards him, with drinking cans in hand, and congratulated him. The three shared drinks among them and talked about the match. It was mostly about Dan''s sense of doom and Jun''s persistent stance against his opponent. While King and Dan immerse themselves in their conversation, Jun pondered for himself in his mind. His inner search got interrupted when King called him. "Jun-san, is something wrong?" "No, why are you asking?" "Ah, it''s nothing. It''s just-- I felt like you''re burning a hole through my head, haha..." He chuckled nervously, wondering how Jun sees the world when his hair covers his eyes. Some time, he couldn''t help but worry about Jun''s aloof attitude. Nobody, not even his uncle Ringara knows what Jun thinks most of the time, save for one. "Nah, I was just-- King, I need to know something." "I''m listening, Jun-san!" And so, he listened with undivided attention, as Jun laid down his doubts into the afternoon. "Hmm, worry not, Jun-san. All of your questions will be answered with one word. But first,..." The serious undertone in his pause made the cousins anticipate for his upcoming lecture. "...could we continue in my house? It''s going to get hot soon..." Dan couldn''t help but drop his jaw in disappointment, for King''s needless dramatic pause. Jun covered his mouth and turned away, hiding his chuckles from his friends. The trio walked out of the park, trying to escape the heat waves yet to come.
[Meanwhile] Rush Down runs the cold water from the tap, filling the basin. The basin served another purpose-- to reverberate the teary cries of a child frozen in fear, as a woman was squatting in front of her with a glare so sharp, it could bore a hole through the finest sword. The Woman whose face was still wet from her facewash, observed the child with an irritated, deadpan look. "Hey, kid, what gives?" "Huh...? sniffle" "Excuse me, big lady! Didn''t you call me?" The Woman clarified. The child responded with a nod, but she''s still crying. "Look, I''m so pis-- I mean, I''m really mad and tired right now. So, stop crying before I throw you into space." "No, don''t throw Aoi-chan! Aoi-chan stop crying!" The child wiped her tears away quickly and heaved. "Aoi-chan, huh... Nice name. Now, what do you want?" The Woman asked vexingly, resting her head on her palm with a bored look. "Aoi-chan want to-- sniffle-- wash hands, but she couldn''t reach it..." She clutched her skirt tightly, trying to hold back her crying. Earlier, the child was already on the verge of crying after realising she''s too short to reach the basin. After calling the Woman, she felt intimated by her height and mistook her for something far worse, a y¨­kai named Hasshaku-sama. Since then, a vicious cycle of denying, scaring and crying took place. "So you want an Uppy-uppy?" The Woman asked, which was answered by Aoi''s tearful nodding. "Alright, come here..." The Woman smiled, inviting the child in her arms, lifting her gently and helped her wash hands. "Can you... give Aoi-chan a piggyback to Mama?" "Sure, hold on tight!" The Woman hopped out of the restroom, with Aoi in tow like a rabbit. She skid around the front of house of the restaurant, scanning around for Aoi''s mother, whose features were described by Aoi into her ear. "Black hair, ponytail, lemon-patterned scarf... Aha, found her!" Instantly, the Woman zoomed and stood by the table where Aoi''s mother and a little boy sat opposite to each other. Aoi''s cheerful call alerted her mother, who sprung up with joy and relief. Noticing her wet cheeks, she comforted and praised her softly while the little boy, Aoi''s elder brother patted her head. Guilt twisted her face on seeing the Woman''s tired face. After apologizing for Aoi''s alleged disturbance, the mother and the Woman talked amicably. Their conversation got interrupted when the little boy let out a growl over his slab. The mother''s attention gave Aoi''s elder brother a chance to start a tantrum, but she soon curbed it. "Sorry about that. He gets too fired up when it comes to games. Especially this... Wildborn thing. I don''t get how kids find it funny to see two animals going for the jugular..." The mother sighed, with creases appearing on her forehead. "Haha, I agree. That one''s not for everybody, especially for you, young man." The Woman pointed at him with a smile. "Hah, I''ll be 13 this year, so it doesn''t matter, lady!" The boy rebuffed her remark. "Gasp Yumato, say sorry to her right now--" "It''s okay, ma''am. Kids their age are naturally cocky. They just have to know where and when to be act like one." The Woman put the mother''s reprimand to rest and turned to the boy.
"Yumato, is it? It''s not nice to be rude towards your elders and don''t give your mother a hard time. Now, with that aside, don''t you think you''re badmouthing that fox a bit too much?" "I think he deserves it! A lot, in fact! Because of him, my hero''s getting badmouthed by losers and scaredy-cats who messed with her!"
The boy was on the verge of tears, clenching his fist tightly to hold back. He knew it''s all just a game, but he couldn''t stand it when his idol was disrespected. The Woman chuckled at the sight, which irritated Yumato further. "What''s so funny, lady?!" "Nothing. I''m just happy for my fan. Don''t worry, that fox won''t know what''s coming for him next time!" She promised. "Uhhm, I''m not your fan and you''re underestimating the Fox. Remember, he even beat my hero, who''s the strongest PvP player ever." Yumato pointed the Rabbit on his Slab with a mild scorn towards the Woman. "Yeah, yeah, I know, kid. Your hero will avenge her defeat!" She promised again with more enthusiasm. "Hold on, are you saying you''re the Rabbit, lady?" Yumato asked. In response, the Woman responded with a smiling nod. His skepticism rose on studying her appearance. "Yeah, right... There''s no way someone like you could be the Rabbit. You''re so old." Yumato pointed on her wrinkles for emphasis. On hearing this, the Woman''s temper erupted. "I''m only 21, you brat!" She then proceeded to grab him and taught him a lesson by kneading his temples. Her angry expression scared Aoi once more, starting the waterworks yet again. Realizing her actions, the Woman apologized to the siblings'' mother but she greenlit her mishandling, citing that Yumato needed a hands-on lesson, to his dismay. After the chaos, the Mother took a picture of the Woman and her children together outside the restaurant as a token of friendship, before parting ways. The Woman walked in another direction, reflecting the day in her mind. Suddenly, she heard someone calling her from behind. "Arya-san! I huff need huff to say something!" It was Yumato, heaving from the running. "I''m sorry for being rude, and you got this! That fox will be toast when you''re through with him!" "That''s the idea, kid. Thanks!" She accepted his cheers with a fist-bump and went on. The expression in her face grew soft, putting her in a relaxed state. Arya adjusted her hair, wondering what''s in store for her tomorrow with positive anticipation. [To be continued]