《True World Online》 Chapter 000 - Prologue In the middle of a large intersection, a large television screen began to play loud music. The black background slowly dissipated as a bright voice could be heard coming out from the large speakers beside the screen. ¡°Welcome to the world of Felnia!¡± The screen showed a smiling young woman dressed in a simple white one-piece dress with jet black hair that went past her shoulders. ¡°In this world of fantasy and magic, you can become whoever you want, and do whatever you want!¡± The background behind her changed into a grassy plains with small animals roaming around. ¡°The lands of this world are new and unexplored,¡± she continued, ¡°leaving much adventure and wonders to be found!¡± As she spoke, the background continued to change to show different scenery, like rocky valleys, snow-covered peaks, and lush woodlands. ¡°But with adventure, also comes danger.¡± She said, as her voice became more serious. ¡°The world of Felnia is filled with all sorts of terrible monsters, ready to attack those who are unprepared.¡± The background then changed and began showing various monsters making threatening poses towards the screen. Then the scenery changed into a bustling city as the woman continued to talk. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not all it¡¯s filled with. In this world you¡¯ll find many new allies and friends, rivals and comrades, and perhaps even romance.¡± The screen then began showing a montage of people from different races, ranging from lizard-like to beast-like people, with all of them smiling. Finally, the screen stopped in the middle of a large plaza with many people standing in it. The woman then appeared in the center of the people, and said with a large smile on her face, ¡°We await your visit to the world of Felnia!¡± Then the people in the plaza began waving and cheering as the screen faded to black, while the words: Come join the new world! appeared on the screen. The television then began playing another commercial, and people continued to walk about the intersection. One youth who appeared to be in his late teens continued to stare at the screen as he grinned, just barely containing his excitement. This youth¡¯s name is Simon Aden and he had immediately ordered for a Game pod as soon as the game True World Online was announced. It was the first ever Virtual Reality MMO game to ever be released, and today, he had finally gotten confirmation that he would be among the first people to play it. He continued to stare at the screen until his phone vibrated, and he read the text message sent to him. ¡°Geez Helen, stop sending me to do your shopping.¡± He said with a sigh as he began to head towards the mall. ***** Once he had grabbed the items he needed, he headed over to the cashier and proceeded to pay for them. Once the woman at the register saw what he was buying, she asked ¡°Shopping for your family? Or maybe a girlfriend?¡± Simon blinked and looked at her with a surprised face before nodding and asking how she knew. The woman giggled while saying, ¡°Well the fact that you¡¯re buying about 4 stuffed animals alongside a single book light sort of gave it away.¡± He simply gave a wry smile as he quickly bought the items and left. Taking the bus and making a short detour for some lunch, Simon finally arrived at his destination: Tenick City Hospital. Walking through the doors he greeted the receptionist who smiled and greeted him. ¡°Good afternoon Simon. I assume you¡¯re visiting her again?¡± He gave a quick nod and after waiting for half a minute he was given the okay to visit her room. Heading through the long white hallways, he greeted a few familiar faces who he had gotten to know through his frequent visits to the hospital. He finally stopped in front of room 203 and knocked before hearing a muffled voice say ¡°Come in.¡± Simon stepped into the room and saw a girl the age of 16 sitting upright on the hospital bed playing a 3DS. Her body was thin and looked incredibly fragile, so much so that it seemed simply hugging her might cause her to break. Her eyes seemed to demonstrate radiance though, shining with a bright amber glow¡­ though the glowing might just be because of the game screen. Her face contained delicate features, all of them fine and exquisite, which came together to form a beautiful image. All of that was encased in her wavy brown hair which went down to her shoulders. Once he entered the room the girl stopped playing her game and said ¡°Hey bro, did you pick up what I asked for?¡± He nodded and took out the book light and she took it and put it beside her. ¡°Thanks! I got a nice book recently from one of the nurses and I was going to read it at night.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be reading books at night¡­¡± Simon said with a sigh as he continued, ¡°It¡¯s bad for your health.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She said, waving off his concern. ¡°Anyway, you bought more stuffed animals?¡± She gestured towards the other shopping bags that Simon brought with him. Simon let out a grin as he brought out the animals one by one. The small collection consisted of a fox, a dragon, a mouse and a round sheep. Simon wore a somewhat proud expression as he lay them all out in a row. ¡°You have a really weird hobby, you know that?¡± Helen said while eyeing the animals. ¡°Hey, I just happen to like soft things okay?¡± Simon complained. ¡°Besides, they look cute so it¡¯s fine isn¡¯t it?¡± He said while re-positioning them to make them all face Helen in a semi-circle. Helen simply shrugged as she went back to playing her game. Simon took a seat beside her to get a better look at what she was playing. ¡°Ah, Monster Hunter huh?¡± He said as he recognized the game. ¡°Yup,¡± Helen nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve been hooked on it lately since one of my gaming friends recommended it.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s an opening.¡± ¡°I know... Ahh! My combo!¡± ¡°Ha ha, those small rollers are the worst aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯m going to kill them all once the monster leaves the area...¡± ¡°Watch out for the fireball.¡± ¡°I know! I don¡¯t need you to remind me.¡± ¡°Right. Oh, that¡¯s a tail sweep.¡± ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Here comes another.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.¡°Urgh!¡± ¡°Dodge the lunge.¡± ¡°Simon would you plea- DAMN IT!¡± ¡°Aww, too bad. If you had reacted 0.3 seconds earlier you would have gotten away from it.¡± Simon grinned as he watched Helen just barely contain her anger. ¡°*sigh* You¡¯re the only person I know who¡¯s capable of dodging things like that in a split second.¡± Helen muttered as she closed the screen before making a depressed face. Her expression quickly changed once she focused on Simon though as she complained. ¡°Anyway, I was doing perfectly fine before you distracted me!¡± Then she pouted and turned away from Simon. ¡°Anyone can dodge things like that with enough practice. You just need a bit more.¡± Simon began patting her head as he said this. ¡°Also, turn that frown upside down. My cute little sister doesn¡¯t look as good when she¡¯s depressed.¡± He said with a laugh. Helen seemed to be distracted with her head being patted, and her pout slowly turned into a contented smile as she enjoyed the feeling of Simon¡¯s hand on her head. After a minute of this though she quickly came to her senses and threw off Simon¡¯s hand while saying ¡°Don¡¯t touch me so casually!¡± with a frown on her face. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Simon asked with a teasing tone. ¡°It seemed like you enjoyed it quite a bit though¡­¡± *ahem* Helen cleared her throat to interrupt Simon, but he continued to tease her once he noticed something about her face. ¡°Is that a bit of a blush I see on your face? Looks like you did enjoy it after all. Be a bit more honest with yourself okay?¡± Simon said, as he poked her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re a bit more spoiled you know.¡± ¡°Wha-, That¡¯s-, I¡¯m not-¡± Helen stammered as she attempted to get her mind back on track. She turned away from Simon in order to hide the pink flush in her cheeks, and then asked, ¡°How come you look so happy today?¡± In an attempt to change the subject. Simon¡¯s eyes immediately gained an excited gleam, and he stopped teasing his sister as he began to tell her the news. ¡°Heh heh heh, don¡¯t be too surprised but¡­ I got a game pod for True World Online!¡± ¡°Seriously!?¡± Helen exclaimed as she quickly turned around to face Simon, the blush on her face gone, instead replaced by the same excited look that Simon wore. ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s so lucky!¡± Helen said with a melancholic tone. ¡°It sure is.¡± Simon confirmed. ¡°I just barely managed to get into the first million units produced. Those rich bourgeoisie types are scary. I heard a rumor that one of them even paid half a billion dollars just to be the first one to receive a unit.¡± This was no exaggeration by the way. Once it had been announced that a fully immersive, virtual reality game was being released, the world went crazy with almost everyone talking about the game, and many people went to great lengths to make sure that they could play this game. Despite the fact that more game pods would be released within another week after the initial 1 million, people still wanted to play the game as fast as possible. Whether that was for making sure that they had a lead over other players, or if they just wanted to experience another world was up to debate, but no one could deny the amount of attention it True World Online garnered upon its announcement. ¡°Aw man, I really wanted to play it too¡­¡± Helen muttered while slowly becoming depressed. ¡°Well, maybe I couldn¡¯t play it with my body being like this.¡± she added while looking down at her legs. Simon followed her gaze and had a pensive look on his face as he stared at them. Helen had been in an accident seven years ago and her legs hadn¡¯t been able to move since. While silently watching Helen¡¯s depressed figure, Simon suddenly remembered a rumor he found on the internet while searching up forums about True World Online (A/N: which will now be referred to as TWO). ¡°Actually¡­ maybe you could play the game.¡± Simon said slowly as he gauged her reaction. Watching Helen, it was like someone was winding up a doll, as her face slowly morphed from deeply depressed to one that was filled with a burning desire. ¡°TELL ME.¡± she demanded as she gripped Simon¡¯s shirt. ¡°TELL ME HOW I CAN PLAY!¡± Simon felt a bit of a shock go through him as he was intimidated by how intense his sister¡¯s gaze looked, but he quickly got a hold of himself. ¡°Okay, listen closely dear sister¡­¡± Simon began. Helen nodded furiously as if this was life changing information (which in a sense, it was). ¡°Now, this is only a rumor I heard on the net, but it seems like there¡¯s a program that some hospitals will be doing for disabled people to be able to play the game. Apparently it¡¯s to give them the chance to move limbs they can¡¯t move or used to have, or possibly remove some mental blocks by allowing them to do it in game. Anyway, it¡¯s still just a rumor but maybe you can check with your nurses if there¡¯s anything like that?¡± Helen¡¯s mood slowly went back to normal as she heard and digested the information, then she let out a little smile as she muttered ¡°I could move my legs again¡­ I could- I could dance again!¡± Simon raised an eyebrow before once again reminding her that it was just a rumor. Helen simply shook her head and let out a radiant smile as she said ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, thank you. That information is more than enough to give me a bit of hope. Thanks Simon.¡± Simon found her smile nice, so he began patting her head again. This caused another outburst from Helen, and they played around until visiting hours were over.
A/N: Welcome everyone! This is my first fiction that I''ve ever written (actually that''s a lie. I''ve tried writing other stories but stopped after like 1 chapter XD). After a lot of debate with myself and my friend, I''ve finally decided to post the story I''ve written online. I''ll get criticisms, sure, but what I want is to let other people experience the world I''ve created in my head, and hopefully get them to enjoy it. So please, don''t hold back with any criticisms and share your opinions on my story. Please, go ahead and read with reckless abandon. I hope you enjoy this story! Fun fact: Simon and Helen were originally supposed to have a pet fox named Wapu. Chapter 001 - Character Creation Today was the day. The day that Simon Aden would finally be able to play True World Online. It had been almost a week since he got the notice that he would be receiving one of the first units available to the public, and he was practically bursting with excitement. He had been preparing himself for this day for the past week, finishing his assignments early, taking a few days off at his part time job, and also told both family and friends what he¡¯d be doing for the rest of the week. With nothing left holding him back, Simon eagerly awaited for the delivery men to arrive and install the pod. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t need to wait for too long as he spotted the large Dimen company truck pulling up beside his house.. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± he exclaimed as he instantly jumped off his couch and ran to the door, approaching it with remarkable speed. As Simon opened the door with incredible force, the delivery man looked a bit surprised, but then let out a wry smile. ¡°Haha, excited for getting into the game huh?¡± The delivery man said while handing Simon a form with a pen. Simon quickly signed the form and handed it back to the delivery man saying, ¡°Yeah. You have no idea how agonizing the wait was for the past week.¡± ¡°I can only imagine,¡± the delivery man chuckled, ¡°Alright boys, let¡¯s set this thing up!¡± He shouted at the rest of the movers who were waiting with a large box beside them. As they brought the box into Simon¡¯s house, the deliveryman asked where he wanted it installed. Simon indicated a cleared space on the left side of his living room, and the men quickly went to work. Within a few minutes the game pod was set up and ready to run, and Simon could only look on it like a child would after getting a new toy. After thanking the deliverers for their service and seeing them out, Simon practically jumped into the game pod and waited for it to start up. After a few seconds, a message popped up in front of Simon, telling him that before accessing the game he would be put into an unconscious state. Simon then felt a strange fuzzy feeling in the back of his head and slowly slipped away from consciousness¡­ ***** When he opened his eyes, Simon found himself in a room of pure white with nothing around him. Soon a window appeared in front of him saying: [Hello future adventurer! Welcome to the character creation room, where you will create your avatar for True World Online. A guide will be with you shortly to assist with the creation process.] The window disappeared and Simon was left in the vast room of white. Soon enough a flash of light appeared (which was somehow brighter than the room itself) and grabbed his attention. After the blinding light was gone, Simon was left staring at a woman that could only be considered a beauty. Jet black hair, angled face, slender limbs and an hourglass figure wrapped up in a tight one piece, this woman was beautiful enough to be considered a goddess. The thing that really caught Simon¡¯s attention though was the large white wings that sprouted out from her back. I wonder how soft those are¡­ Simon thought idly to himself as he continued to stare at the woman. He was snapped out of his thoughts though, when the figure began to speak. ¡°Hello traveler. Welcome to the character creation process. My name is Cim, and I will be your guide in creating your avatar.¡± ¡°Uh, nice to meet you Cim. Wait¡­ Cim? Are you the A.I. program Central Intelligence Manager, code named C.I.M?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± For a moment Cim seemed to have a surprised expression on her face, but Simon wasn¡¯t able to tell since her expression barely changed. ¡°I see... What version are you right now in comparison to six years ago?¡± ¡°Six years ago I was version 1.0.12a. As of this moment, I am version 2.23b.¡± ¡°Huh. So they got that far in developing it huh¡­¡± Simon began muttering to himself. A nostalgic look appeared in his eyes as he looked at Cim, but he quickly rid his head of those thoughts. That''s all in the past Simon. No need to think about it now. Simon refocused on Cim who was patiently waiting for him, and let out a chuckle. "Right. I was supposed to be making my character wasn''t I? Well then, let¡¯s start shall we?¡± Cim nodded and a mirror appeared in front of Simon. The mirror reflected Simon¡¯s current state as he looked like in real life. He was at an average height, and had a slightly thin build. His brown hair was a disorderly mess with locks of hair tangling with each other making for a style that would be appropriate to call ¡°bed head¡± (which his sister endlessly teased him for). His face was fairly average, and though he wasn''t particularly good-looking, he still looked fairly attractive (according to Helen at least). The most striking feature of his face though was his eyes which were a dark amber. Simon moved around a bit as he checked his mirror self. He looked to Cim as she began to explain. ¡°Here, we will be creating your character. First of all, please select your race.¡± As she finished talking, a window appeared in front of Simon with a long list of races. It had things like humans, elves, dwarves, and all other sorts of fantasy-type races. As Simon cycled through them, he asked if the races have any kind of bonuses to them. Cim nodded and said ¡°Each race does have different bonuses. Some of them come in a form of a racial skill, while others help the increase of certain attributes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Simon asked with an intrigued tone. ¡°Okay then, for example, what will the human race get?¡± ¡°The human race has a passive ability called ¡®Adaptable¡¯, which helps them learn skills slightly faster than other races.¡± ¡°I see¡­ then how about¡­¡± Simon continued asking questions about the different races and their various bonuses. After a good amount of time nitpicking through the races, he finally settled on one: the beast-kin race. This race had an active ability called ¡®Beast Within¡¯, which boosted their physical strength and speed by a substantial amount. The reason why he chose the beast-kin race was a very simple one: they had fluffy ears and tails. Once he selected the beast-kin race however, another window popped up with the display of [Sub-races] on top of it. ¡°Whoa, Cim. What¡¯s up with all these sub-races?¡± Simon asked as he looked over the list. ¡°The beast-kin race has many varied species. They are all humanoids with animal features. Also, they are all based on mammals, so if you would prefer something more akin to a reptile, I suggest taking the Reptilian or Draconian race instead.¡± ¡°Okay. But do the different sub-races change anything? Like change the skill for example?¡± ¡°Yes, the skill or boost obtained will vary depending on the sub-race chosen.¡± Simon nodded. It made sense that not every beast-kin would have the same stat increases based on their body type. After inquiring for a bit with Cim, Simon figured out that the sub-race bonuses would be different depending on the animal base the beast-kin had. For example the rabbit-type sub race had increased speed and dexterity, whereas the bear-type sub race had increased strength and defense. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Simon began to inquire, ¡°are there also sub-races for the other races?¡± ¡°Yes. For example the elves have a sub race of dark elves or high elves in addition to the main race of elves.¡± Simon nodded as he sunk into deep thought. Depending on the sub-race, it could completely change the playstyle that you would have. Though it wouldn''t heavily influence the way that stats were raised, it definitely had an effect of making it easier or harder to obtain certain stats. That being said, It doesn''t mean that you can''t make a wizard out of a strength-boosted race. Simon tried to imagine the sight of a large burly bear-kin wearing a wizard hat while speeding around the battlefield casting spells left and right, and laughed at the image. Actually¡­ magic could be kind of nice. Simon thought as he considered using magic. After all, wasn¡¯t it every fantasy lovers romance to be able to cast magic? Of course, people were able to do this in previous games, but in the T.W.O they could fully experience the glory and wonder of being a mage. Besides, he thought to himself, T.W.O does allow players to create multiple characters. Though according to the forums and interviews you couldn¡¯t do anything special with them, it¡¯d just cause you to use double the time to raise two characters... Well, enough thinking, let¡¯s go for magic! With his mind made up, Simon began searching for a sub race which met his specifications. He was looking for a sub-race that had boosts in speed (because the image of the speedy bear wouldn¡¯t get out of his head), intelligence or wisdom. The most important criteria though, the one that took precedence over the stat increases, was that it had to be soft and adorable. Soon enough, he did find the sub race that met his qualifications. The fox-kin sub race which had boosts in speed and intelligence. It also came with the ¡®Beast Within¡¯ skill, which was a nice bonus. Some of the other sub-races didn¡¯t have it, so Simon thought it was a pretty good choice. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Once he made a decision, Simon selected the fox-kin sub race and the image of him in the mirror changed. He sprouted 2 long triangle shaped ears on top of his head while the ears on the sides of his head disappeared. His body morphed to have more fox like features (like a slightly elongated nose), and his hair also changed color into a light orange-yellow. When he turned around he noticed that he had a tail with the orange-yellow color and a tip of white at the end. ¡°Hmm¡­ pretty interesting, but I think it¡¯d look better if I was a girl¡­¡± Simon muttered to himself as he looked upon his mirror image. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his head as he turned to ask Cim a question. ¡°Hey Cim, can I be a girl?¡± Cim closed her eyes as though in deep thought for a few seconds. Once she opened them she said ¡°Please wait a moment,¡± and disappeared from sight. *Inside a T.W.O monitoring room* In a well lit room, a man sat in front of a multiple computer screens while eating lunch. He had been tasked with the work of overseeing the character creation processes of a set amount of players, but with Cim working he could basically sit back and do nothing. Even then, although he was one of the many administrators working to maintain T.W.O, many of the players were still in the character creation process. It¡¯s not like there would be a problem in the character creation. The man thought to himself. He was quickly proven wrong though, as one of the screens was replaced with a message indicating that Cim was requesting assistance. Oh, she actually needs help with something? The man wondered as he opened up the line. The screen was then changed to an image of Cim¡¯s face as she looked at the man¡­ though it wasn¡¯t like she could actually see him since he didn¡¯t have any web cameras plugged into the computer. ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± The man asked as he spoke into his headset, intrigued as to why Cim would ask for assistance when most of the players just barely began playing. ¡°One of the players is requesting to change genders,¡± she said, ¡°Is that change allowed?¡± The man sat there slightly dumbfounded as he processed the information given to him. After a few seconds of silence he replied, ¡°Sure. It¡¯s not like we restricted changing genders when creating this game. Although this player is the first, I¡¯m pretty sure they won¡¯t be the last¡­¡± ¡°Understood. I will now be closing the line.¡± ¡°Ah, just a moment Cim.¡± The man interrupted as she was about to return back to the player. ¡°Can you place this player under my ¡®interesting¡¯ list? It hasn''t even been 15 minutes since the servers have opened, and someone has already chosen to change genders. That kind of person would definitely be interesting in a sense.¡± ¡°Yes sir. Is that all?¡± ¡°Yup. Dismissed.¡± As he finished saying those words, the screen switched back to what it was showing originally and the man went back to eating his lunch. ¡°Heh, I look forward to seeing what the first gender-bent player will do in this world.¡± The man said out loud to himself as he continued monitoring the screens. Little did he know, he¡¯d be hearing about this player again very soon¡­ *Back in character creation room* Simon was checking out his mirror self while making some poses until Cim arrived and let him know that his request was accepted. Delighted, Simon immediately chose to change genders and watched as the figure in front of him changed again. The mirror Simon became less muscular and a bit more thin compared to before. The height also changed to be slightly shorter, and there was a slightly noticeable bust that appeared on the chest. ¡°Ooh, not bad. So what can I change?¡± Simon asked after looking over the girl in front of him. ¡°You may change almost anything you like. The external appearance does not affect the increased stat modifiers so the appearance can be anything you wish. To a point, that is.¡± Simon wondered about this decision the creators made a little. On one hand, it¡¯s good to allow the players to modify whatever they wish on the character, but on the other hand it may not correctly reflect the characters specialties. For example, creating a high defense character while having a very small size would be kind of strange. Simon decided not to question it further though, as he was eager to start customizing his character. First of all¡­ let¡¯s make her more foxy. Simon asked Cim how he¡¯d begin to customize his character, and she answered by saying that he can make requests to her, or simply use a status window (which appeared in front of him after she said it). As Simon began to mess around with the sliders on the window, sudden inspiration struck him as he began modifying his character. In the end after about half an hour of modifying, Simon looked upon his character with pride. The figure in the mirror looked like a young female fox-kin with a short height that just barely reached up to the Simon¡¯s chest (that¡¯s including her ears). The fox-kins¡¯ features also became far more childish, looking something like how a 12 year old would look. The ears became much larger than they were before, while the tail became extremely bushy and was pushed to ¡®maximum softness¡¯ after Simon¡¯s insistence. Probably the most noticeable features though were the hair and eyes. The long hair was a fiery red, and gave off an illusion of a flickering flame when it moved around, while the eyes became a piercing bright gold. Satisfied, Simon pressed the accept button and was ready to jump into the game until a quick reminder from Cim came. ¡°You have yet to designate your character name.¡± Once he heard this, Simon wanted to face-palm himself (which he did) and began thinking of a character name. Hmm¡­ Scarlet? Nah, too orthodox and someone probably chose that already. Mozilla? No, that¡¯s a bad joke... I should probably choose a name based off the looks of my character then... He looked again at the fox-kin and slowly began picking out the details which he added to the character. After about a minute of this Simon figured out one thing that all features of his character had in common: they were cute. His character looked akin to a young girl the age of 12 or so and appeared to be the very image of purity and innocence. Cute huh? Cute¡­ cute¡­ cu...That¡¯s it! Simon turned to Cim. ¡°I will name this character Q!¡± he declared as he awaited for confirmation. Cim blinked and asked ¡°Are you referring to the letter Q in the roman alphabet?¡± Simon nodded and Cim closed her eyes before nodding and saying that it was accepted. ¡°Alright!¡± Simon exclaimed as he was ready to jump into the game, but a quick comment from Cim informed him that he needed to go through some legal agreements. A bit exasperated, Simon quickly scanned and signed the agreements and was fully ready to jump into the game, but Cim stopped him again with a single sentence. ¡°You have yet to choose whether you would like to go through the tutorial level or not.¡± ¡°What? Tutorial level? Oh right!¡± Simon suddenly remembered that all players would start off in a tutorial before being set free on the world of Novus. ¡°But wait, I thought that the tutorial was mandatory. Why is it optional now?¡± ¡°It was a last second decision by the game designers.¡± Cim answered. ¡°Okay then¡­ what do I get if I go through the tutorial, and what if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Going through the tutorial sends you into a randomly selected area where you can learn the basics of the world, system, and combat. You may also level up, or receive rewards which you can carry with you into the game. Alternatively, not going through the tutorial will have you start in a pre-selected beginner village at level 1. You will immediately receive 25 status points to distribute and 1 silver, along with a basic weapon of your choice.¡± ¡°Well¡­ considering pros and cons, I¡¯ll go with playing through the tutorial.¡± ¡°Is this your final decision?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Very well. You will now be transported to the tutorial level. Have a wonderful stay in the world of Felnia.¡± Cim said with a smile. The room of white slowly faded out to black and Simon felt another fuzzy feeling inside his head. He blacked out, and when he came to, he was in the game...
A/N: For those of you thinking: "He''s the first person out of a million to change gender? Yeah right." Well I don''t blame you for thinking that, as I thought it was a little far-fetched as well. But remember, It was only a few minutes since he started the character creation when he chose to change genders. Other people might have chosen to do so after he did, but Simon just happened to be the first one to change. Fun-fact: Simon wasn''t originally supposed to be a girl in-game. He was designed to just be a guy through and through, but I thought that would be just plain boring... Chapter 002 - Tutorial Shenanigans When Simon, or rather Q, opened his¡­ her eyes, she found herself in a dimly lit room with torches and writings all over the walls. One part of the wall had a slight reflection, and when Q approached it she found that it was a mirror. Q¡¯s current appearance was similar to the one from when she had finished creating her character, except this time she was wearing a light linen t-shirt with simple shorts. After taking a look at herself in the mirror, she began to read the writings on the wall. After a few seconds she was able to read the words and organize the information in her head. - In this tutorial your choices and actions will affect the rewards you obtain at the end. - Difficulty will change depending on your performance. - You should take a few minutes to get used to your new body. - Most functions pertaining to your character are accessible by the toolbar to your right of your view. This includes things such as character status, inventory, etc.(Note: Administrator help can also be accessed by the toolbar) - Once you are ready, approach the door and it will open. Alright, that¡¯s pretty straightforward, Q thought to herself. Well I should probably check my character status and stuff, but before I do that, there¡¯s something MUCH more important. Heheheh¡­ Now that I¡¯m in this body, I must confirm something for myself¡­ She began to move her hands towards the lower half of her body, and after a bit of fidgeting around with her clothes she was able to reach the desired area. Q grabbed her tail, and upon doing so let out a quick gasp. ¡°This¡­ this is the GREATEST FEELING IN THE WORLD!!!¡± Q Shouted as she began to play around with her tail. She brought it to the front of her body and hugged it like a fluffy pillow. ¡°You can¡¯t ever find this kind of softness in real life. THIS is the powers of virtual reality! This is the apex of human technology~!!¡± She began to roll around the room while hugging her tail, and seemed to lose herself in soft bliss. She might have continued in this act for hours, if it wasn¡¯t for a sharp sound that brought her out of her reverie. *Inside a T.W.O monitoring room* The man was still sitting at his desk, occasionally answering some questions for players in the tutorial asking questions through the [Help] command on the toolbar. So far things had been progressing smoothly and the man was relaxed¡­ or at least he was until he saw that Cim was contacting him again. Really? Another problem so fast? Maybe another player is requesting to change genders¡­ ah, but I told her that it was fine to do that, so what¡¯s the problem? The man opened up the line connecting to Cim and her face appeared on the screen. ¡°What is it now Cim?¡± The man asked as he leaned back in his chair, taking a bite out of his lunch. ¡°You requested me to put the player ¡®Q¡¯ onto your interesting list, which means that if she does something amazing, strange, out of the ordinary, or similar actions I was to contact you.¡± ¡°Mhm. Continue.¡± The man nodded. Could it be that within minutes of playing the game, this player had already done something amazing? ¡°The player has taken what I believe to be a ¡®strange¡¯ action.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play the pronoun game with me Cim. What was the player doing?¡± The man asked as he began to sip his drink. ¡°This player has disregarded the tutorial messages and has begun to touch herself.¡± *Pbbbbbbbttt* The man did a wonderful spit take as he heard what the player was doing. ¡°W-what do you mean she¡¯s touching herself?!¡± With the news that a player was doing sexual acts in the game, as well as the distress of spitting his drink all over one of his monitors, the man quickly lost his composure as he scrambled, trying to find something to wipe the screen. Cim, oblivious to his distress continued to describe what happened in detail. ¡°The player awoke in the tutorial room, looked at the messages on the wall for 2.46 seconds, then began to touch herself. I believe the player had disregarded the messages due to the fact that the average human should not have been able to read and process the information in that short time frame. Currently she is rolling on the ground, and saying things like, ¡®Ah! It feels so good!¡¯ and ¡®This is so amazing!¡¯ I believe this strange and outlandish behavior is sufficient enough to alert you as she is on your ¡®interesting¡¯ list.¡± While Cim was explaining the situation, the man finally finished wiping off his monitor, and after seeing that it was fine let out a sigh of relief. Then he thought about the player who immediately began to touch herself after beginning the game, and let out a large sigh. ¡°Just send them a message warning them about their behavior.¡± Of course, it was none of his business on what a player decided to do in the game, but he might as well send a warning anyway. ¡°Yes sir. Is that all?¡± Cim replied. ¡°Yup. That¡¯s all. Oh wait, before you go Cim, a player touching themselves does not count as an ¡®interesting¡¯ action.¡± Cim nodded and disappeared from the screen, and the man sat there staring at it. ¡°Jeez. To think that the first thing that my ¡®interesting¡¯ list would bring me is something like this...¡± He could only shake his head and wonder how people can be so strange. This time the notification was an unexpected event, but he did find other interesting players so he was hoping for something more exciting the next time Cim contacted him. Seriously. You bought a game pod just so you could change genders and touch yourself? Well, I can understand why but... eh. None of my business. With those thoughts in his head, he went back to work. *Back in the game* In the midst of rolling around with her tail, Q heard a loud *ding* sound and looked around for what caused it. She found a window in front of her that read: [Administrator Notification] - Though we encourage free choices, we must remind you that you are currently in the tutorial level, and suggest you complete it before doing other ¡®activities¡¯. ¡°Oh shoot, I forgot about that.¡± Q muttered as she got up and brushed herself off. ¡°Yeah, I should probably be doing the tutorial right now. I¡¯ll spend some quality time with my tail later¡­ Hehe.¡± Q moved towards the door and it opened, letting in a bright light as it did. After a few seconds letting her eyes get adjusted to the light, Q finally took her first steps into the game. Once she stepped out of the room, Q found herself in front of some sort of ruins. She faced a large structure but couldn''t make out the original shape of it due to the wear and tear over the years. There were broken pillars lining a cobblestone path which lead up to a door which seemed to be the entrance to the large structure. Besides the ruins, a forest of trees was to her left and right, while the small room filled with writings was behind her. Driven by a strong sense of adventure, she was about to walk along the path into the ruins but quickly remembered that she should check her character''s stats first. "Okay then, I guess I should... Woah, I didn''t notice this earlier but... My voice is different!" Q said out loud. Her voice was definitely a lot higher than it was in her real body, and it resembled that of a young girls. ¡°Could I have changed it? Well, not that I would want to. This is fine as it is.¡± For a moment Q imagined speaking in her real body¡¯s voice with this body, and shuddered a bit. ¡°Anyway, where¡¯s the toolbar? Ah, there it is.¡± Q found the faded out toolbar to the right of her vision, and when she focused on it it became solid and tangible. She touched a few of the icons as she familiarized herself with the interface, then pressed on the icon for character information. A window popped up in front of her and she began to read it.
Player Name: QRace: Fox-Kin
Display Title: N/ANon-Display Title: N/A
Class: N/AProfession: N/A
Level: 1Fame: 0
Health: 100/100Mana: 20/20
Strength: 1Vitality: 1
Defense: 1Agility: 1
Intelligence: 1Dexterity: 1
Wisdom: 1Luck: 1
Skills
Passive Skills:Description:
Active Skills:
Beast Within Lv.1(No Cost, 8 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 15% for 1 minute.
Spells
Equipment
Head:N/A
Chest:Simple Linen Shirt
Arms:N/A
Waist:N/A
Legs:Simple Linen Pants
Main-Hand Weapon:N/A
Off-Hand Weapon:N/A
Accessories
Ring 1:N/A
Ring 2:N/A
Ring 3:N/A
Ring 4:N/A
Necklace:N/A
Bracelet:N/A
Focusing on the section where her stats were, a secondary window popped up describing the effects of her stats. Strength - Affects your physical strength, and how much damage you deal with physical weapons. Vitality - Affects how much health you have, and how resistant you are to poisons and diseases. Defense - Affects how much damage you''ll take from attacks. Agility - Affects the speed at which you do things. Dexterity - Affects the skill when performing tasks. Intelligence - Affects the amount of damage dealt by magic attacks. Wisdom - Affects how much mana you have, and how resistant you are to mental attacks. Luck - Affects how often you get a critical hit, and other various things. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s kind of disappointing, but Cim said that I could increase my stats by training or something. Well first I should get used to this body though.¡± Q said to herself as she began to stretch her limbs and familiarize herself with her new body. During this process, she was surprised to find that she was slightly more flexible than she was in real life, though that could probably be attributed to the natural body of a girl. She also found the fact that she could move her tail somewhat like she could her other limbs interesting, but she didn¡¯t have much control over it at this point due to not being used to it. Looking at her tail which she moved around, she suddenly remembered something as she moved her hands up to her head. She felt around the area where human ears would normally be, and didn¡¯t find anything there which weirded her out for a second. She then reached up to her new fox ears and gave them a feel. ¡°Guhehe, this feeling¡­ it¡¯s also really soft! So nice~!¡± Q began to fondle her ears and might have been there for a while, if it wasn¡¯t for a sound that came from her left. Her ears twitched and seemed to point in that direction as Q looked over to find the source of the sound and saw some rustling bushes. Curious, she began walking towards the bush when all of a sudden a shadow jumped out! Surprised, Q quickly took a few steps back and identified the shadow. It turned out that the shadow was a small rabbit hiding inside the bushes, and it looked at Q with its beady eyes. [White Rabbit] - Level 1 ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­ IT¡¯S SO FLUFFY!!!¡± Q screamed out as she dived at the rabbit with her arms wide open. The rabbit froze for a second as it was frightened from the strange aura that Q was emitting. The rabbit seemed to intuitively understand that if it got caught by Q, there was no way that it would escape, so it turned around and begun to run away in fear. ¡°Ah, wait! I just want to hug you!¡± Q yelled as she chased after the rabbit. She completely forgot about the mysterious ruins and chased after the rabbit which ran into a forest. ¡°Come back here! I¡¯ll just want to cuddle you for an hour... or maybe two¡­ one day at the most!¡± Q continued to chase it into the forest for a good amount of time, dashing through leaves, jumping over roots and ducking under branches. For a second, Q was about to catch the rabbit as she stretched out her hands and jumped for it, when it suddenly disappeared. Q¡¯s face was then treated to a close up view of the ground as she did a wonderful face plant. Q was dumbfounded for a second as she looked around for where the rabbit could have gone to. She obtained her answer quickly, as she noticed a small rabbit-sized hole near her feet. ¡°Ah, a rabbit hole huh? Gah, and I was so close to catching it too! *Sigh* Oh well¡­ Actually, where am I?¡± Q looked around her and found that she was in the middle of a dense forest. The trees resembled large oak trees, and their abundant leaves formed a canopy which let in a few streaks of sunlight. Q sniffed the air and was treated to a nice, earthy smell, though that might have just been the soil which currently covered her face. Once she wiped the soil off her face using her t-shirt, she began hearing sounds of life returning to the forest. The chirping of birds and insects filled the air in a strange, harmonious symphony. I probably scared them all off earlier while I was chasing the rabbit. Q realized. Suddenly she noticed that the notification icon on her toolbar was flashing, so she pressed it and was presented with a window that said: [Stat Raise] Agility +3 Dexterity +1 ¡°Oh cool! I really did get stat raises from running around. Maybe I should chase some more rabbits or something¡­¡± Q said to herself as she checked her character information window to confirm the stat raises. Once she had done this however, she heard a rustling in the bushes to her right. Her head snapped towards that direction as she wondered what was in it. Could it be another rabbit? She thought to herself. Well if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m not letting you get away this time! A devious smile appeared on her face as she crouched down, ready to pounce. When the black shadow jumped out of the bushes she also jumped forward saying ¡°You¡¯re mine!¡± But what faced her wasn¡¯t a small rabbit. [Black Wolf] - Level 7 Q¡¯s facial expression cramped up a bit, as her jump towards the wolf brought her right up to its face. She let out a weak smile and began to shuffle backwards slowly, while the wolf on the other hand let out a snarl and began to advance towards her. They continued moving like this, the fox slowly being cornered by the wolf, and neither of them made any sudden movements as they kept their eyes locked onto each other. Unfortunately, Q¡¯s back hit a tree trunk and she stopped moving. At this the wolf seemed to let out a grin as it suddenly charged forward, jaws wide open! As soon as her back hit the tree, Q had already begun diving towards the side and just barely got past the wolf. She didn¡¯t get away completely fine though, as the wolf had made a quick swipe towards her as she passed by, and its sharp claws grazed her skin. A health bar with Q¡¯s name on top appeared at the top of her vision, and she watched incredulously as a quarter of it was taken away. What the heck!? It barely even touched me! Actually, what the world is this level 7 wolf doing here? This is just the tutorial level dammit! Q started to curse the game for throwing her in this situation, while the wolf turned towards Q and began dashing towards her. ¡°Gah! Go away you stupid wolf!¡± Q cried exasperatedly, ¡°I¡¯m not even that delicious! I swear! I¡¯m just a level 1 fox. You won¡¯t get any experience from me!¡± Unfortunately her cries seemed to spur the wolf on, as it ran even faster and quickly closed the distance between the two. The wolf suddenly lunged towards Q, about to bite her, but missed as Q tripped on a root and began rolling down a steep hill. ¡°Aaaaaah!¡± Q let out a pitiful scream as she desperately tried to stop her momentum but failed to do so. She continued to roll down the hill with increasing speed, and while stray branches and rocks hit her face and body, Q noticed her health bar began to deplete. I¡¯m taking fall damage!? Or wait, is this roll damage? Wait, that¡¯s not important! I need to stop rolling! With each roll and tumble, she kept taking more damage, and at this rate she¡¯d probably get killed by this hill than the wolf. Grr, there is no way that I¡¯m going to let a hill kill me in the tutorial! Suddenly there seemed to be a change in her demeanor as her eyes sharpened and her body became more tense. The world around her seemed to slow down as she began to take in as much information as she could from each moment that she could see properly. Q noticed a tree branch that was hanging a few meters above the ground ahead of her, and a few bushes around her as well. She suddenly stuck her leg out and it got caught in one of the bushes. This ripped the bush out of the ground and took a chunk out of her HP, but it served to bring her to a position of falling face-forward. She then stuck out her arms in front of her and landed hard on them, taking away yet another portion of her HP, but she gritted her teeth and pushed down with all of her strength. This force and Q¡¯s previous momentum caused her to fly up high into the air where she did a flip and she frantically reached out to grab the branch which was in front of her. She was somehow able to grab on and once she did she actually did a few rotations on the branch like a gymnast would. Eventually she stopped rotating and let out a sigh of relief, but that relief was short lived as she heard a sudden growling behind her. Eyes widening, Q quickly hoisted herself up onto the branch as the wolf passed under her, brushing by her feet as it landed on the ground. The wolf let out a threatening growl, frustrated that it missed its prey yet again. Q on the other hand, was quite happy as she had temporarily gotten away from the wolf. The wolf tried to jump up and reach the branch numerous times, but couldn¡¯t reach Q, so it paced around the tree, glaring at her with a gaze that seemed to say ¡®Once you hit the ground, you¡¯re dead!¡¯ Q let out a small laugh and stuck out her tongue as she checked her status and the notifications which appeared. Looking at her health she wasn¡¯t surprised to see that it was only one-third full; after all, she did take a lot of damage from just the environment. After looking at her health bar, she watched it slowly fill up again, meaning she was definitely regenerating health. She also looked at the other windows and saw that they were mainly about stat gains and bonuses. She let out a sigh, closed the windows and laid back against the tree. Once she leaned back however, Q noticed that the wolf was no longer pacing underneath her. Instead, it had moved to the far side of the branch where it was hanging low to the ground. Q watched with wide eyes as the wolf leaped up and bit on the branch, and then slowly dragged it towards the ground. Once the branch hit the ground the wolf released it, shaking the branch, and Q in the process. Q maintained a strong grip on the branch so that she wouldn¡¯t get shaken off, but the wolf kept repeating the process. Just as Q thought that she would be fine, she heard a snapping sound and whipped her head to look at where the branch was connected to the tree. Unbelievably, it had begun to crack! The wolf seemed to have a sly grin on its face as it continued to shake the branch up and down. Eventually, the branch snapped and Q fell down onto the earth. ¡°What the heck is with this game¡¯s A.I?!¡± Q screamed as she ran as fast as she could. The wolf immediately began running after her as soon as the branch hit the ground and the chase began anew...
A/N: You won''t be seeing too much of the mysterious administrator, though he will be mentioned every now and again. Fun-fact: Q was supposed to wake up in a dungeon and fight against rat mobs in my initial idea for the tutorial. Chapter 003 - Gaining Fame Deep in the middle of the forest, two figures were dashing through the trees. One figure was like a flame that flickered every time it moved, while the other was like a dark dark shadow, moving to consume the flame into darkness. These figures of course, were Q and the wolf, continuing their run through the forest. The two sped through the trees, constantly ducking under branches and jumping over roots. Their wild and frantic chase almost seemed like a strange dance, the bright flame leading around the stifling darkness. ¡°Just leave me alone already dammit!¡± yelled Q, and in response the wolf growled at her. Q had been running for what felt like hours, but in reality was probably just minutes. The black wolf kept chasing her as if she had murdered its entire family or something, and it didn¡¯t slow down at all! On the contrary, Q was the one who began slowing down as the prolonged chase quickly drained her stamina. What¡¯s worse is that Q felt the wolf wasn¡¯t running at full speed yet. It¡¯s probably enjoying the thrill of the hunt¡­ not that I¡¯m enjoying it. I need to find a way out of this situation, quick! Q thought as she dived underneath a branch. The wolf seemed to sense her exhaustion and redoubled its speed, quickly gaining on her. Q was about to run out of energy, when she suddenly noticed an old hollow tree trunk in a clearing in front of her. Without hesitation she leaped up and pulled herself into the trunk from the top, just barely managing to fit in due to her small stature. Not even seconds passed before she felt a large impact on the trunk. After a few more seconds another impact came, then another, and another. This continued for a while until it seemed that the wolf had stopped. Cautiously peeking her head out the top of the trunk, Q took a quick look around her and instantly regretted doing so. She quickly ducked back into the trunk as the wolf lunged at her head, and almost got her too. It was close enough that she could feel wolf¡¯s chin with the tips of her ears, so Q decided to stay in the trunk until the wolf left. The two of them sat there for a while, each waiting for the other to make a move. The wolf wasn¡¯t very good at waiting though, and let out a loud howl before it began ramming the trunk again. Q let out a small laugh as she wasn¡¯t worried about the wolf breaking through. The wood was solid enough, and force of the wolf¡¯s tackles wasn¡¯t enough to break through. Just as she thought she would be fine, she heard a snapping sound and whipped her head to look at the base of the trunk. Unbelievably, it had begun to crack! ¡°Not again!¡± Q wailed, as the trunk slowly, but surely began to break apart. The wolf didn¡¯t miss this either, as it began ramming the trunk with even more force than before. *CRACK!* Suddenly a large sound reverberated throughout the entire forest as the trunk fell over with Q still inside it. The wolf immediately began to run towards the open ends of the trunk, hoping to grab Q with a bite and drag her out. Noticing this, Q tried to shrink herself by moving her limbs closer to the center of her body (or at least as much as she could move in this tight space). The wolf stuck in its head where Q¡¯s head was, and the two stared at each other in a strange moment of silence. Looking a bit above the wolf¡¯s head, Q saw that it had lost about one third of its health. Apparently it couldn¡¯t keep ramming against a tree without any repercussions... Q was taken out of her thoughts quickly though as the wolf began snapping at her, trying as hard as it could to bite her, and much to Q¡¯s dismay, its efforts were eventually rewarded. The wolf had managed to bite one of Q¡¯s ears, dealing a substantial amount of damage, while also sending waves of pain throughout Q¡¯s body. ¡°OWWWW!!! Reduced pain my ass, this freaking hurts!¡± Although the game made sure that players only felt 30% of the pain they were supposed to feel, Q still screamed out as she writhed in agony. Her struggle made the wolf rather excited though, as it had finally been able to catch the prey it had been chasing for a while. It tried to pull Q out of the tree by slowly walking backwards but Q pressed her hands and legs to the side of the tree, keeping her in place. Thankfully the wolf pulling her ear didn¡¯t cause any extra damage, but it did manage to cause a lot of pain to Q. ¡°AAAAAAH! Stop pulling me!¡± Q cried out, but the wolf kept relentlessly pulling on her ear, determined to yank out its dinner. I¡¯m starting to regret making my ears this long! thought Q as the prolonged pain kept her in a state of perpetual agony. Actually I''m not, but screw this wolf for ruining my precious ears!Q tried her best to endure this pain, but temporarily lost her grip on the trunk as the bark she was holding onto was peeled away. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± Q barely had time to utter those words as the wolf pulled incredibly hard and almost managed to pull Q out of the trunk. Luckily Q regained her focus on time and put her all into grabbing onto the insides of the trunk. Her nails were quite sharp (probably due to being a beastkin) and dug into the tree, keeping her in place. The wolf seemed enraged by being stopped again from pulling its prey out, and began to pull harder. ¡°This¡­ stupid¡­ wolf!¡± Q yelled as she tried to scratch out its eyes. Much to her surprise, she was actually able to do so, as the wolf let out a yelp and jumped back. Q let out a sigh of relief, as she was relieved that the wolf finally let go of her ears. She took a quick look at the wolf which was howling and stumbling around outside. Having lost its vision it was disoriented, and Q saw this as an opportunity to escape. She squirmed out of the trunk and began to run away, but unbelievably the wolf let out another growl as it chased her! ¡°How do you even!?¡± Q yelled in surprise, and the wolf which was running in a direction slightly to the left of her location locked onto Q and began chasing her again. Of course! It can still use sound and smell to find me. Q realized as she quickly shut her mouth and continued to run. While running away from the wolf (which was much easier this time) Q suddenly thought of something. Wait a minute¡­ if it¡¯s like this, then can¡¯t I take down this wolf? Q glanced at the wolf and saw that it was in a poor condition due to the scratch she had inflicted on it. Should I risk it? Q thought. She weighed the pros and cons of the situation in her mind. On one hand she might be able to defeat the wolf and get a lot of experience. On the other hand she might die stupidly and fail the tutorial. After a few seconds of thought, she made her decision. Q turned around and dived towards the wolf with her nails (claws?) outstretched. The wolf, not expecting its prey to suddenly turn on it, didn¡¯t react in time and got slashed by Q¡¯s nails. The wolf fell over from this sudden attack, and Q used this opportunity to land a few more hits as she mounted the wolf and began chipping away at its health. ¡°Take this! And that! And this!¡± Q shouted as she saw the wolf¡¯s health bar slowly get chipped away. She was tempted to start screaming ¡°ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!¡± but didn¡¯t get a chance to as the wolf got up. The wolf wasn¡¯t just going to take a one-sided beating after all, and it began to run around wildly, ramming into trees and diving into bushes in an attempt to shake off Q. In response to this Q dug her nails into the wolf¡¯s ears and kept a tight grip. The wolf yelped and let out a pitiful sound as it underwent incredible pain. ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s how it feels to get your ears pierced! Does it hurt? Of course it does! I¡¯ll pay you back double for what you did to my precious fox-ears!¡± Q yelled out as she tightened her grip. This inflicted more pain on the wolf, and as a result it became even more disoriented and could no longer tell where it was going. All the wolf could do was continue to run forward recklessly, and Q used this to her advantage. She yanked the wolf¡¯s head to the right, and it moved in that direction, crashing into a tree head on. Q jumped off just before the impact and as she landed she took a look at the wolf¡¯s health bar. It was about half gone, and the wolf itself had collapsed from the blunt force. The wolf lay weakly on the ground, suffering from its various wounds while letting out a quiet whine. Many people might have looked on it¡¯s sad figure with pity, but Q looked on it coldly as it lay there. Not only did this wolf bring her near death, but it also caused her lots of grief and ruined her soft, precious ears. Above all else, it¡¯s fur isn¡¯t even that soft... Q thought. She had confirmed this while riding it, and taking all these facts into consideration, she had decided on the poor wolf¡¯s fate. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Sorry wolfy, but you just weren¡¯t soft enough¡­¡± Q said as she clenched her teeth and began to relentlessly stab it with her nails. The wolf was unable to do anything about this though as it was only able to let out pitiful whines. It might have also tried the legendary ¡®puppy eyes¡¯ attack, but it was blinded so that wasn¡¯t an option. After a minute or so of Q¡¯s brutal stabs, the wolf finally let out its final breath and disappeared into a bunch of shiny particles. Q felt sort of sad, but also incredibly accomplished inside. She, a level one, had actually been able to take down a level 7 with literally no equipment and still got out alive. ¡°YEAAAAH~!¡± Q let out a victorious yell, and as if this was a signal, windows began to appear in front of her like mad. Many of them were indications that she gained increases in her stats like strength or agility, and others were windows showing that she had obtained new skills. [Stats Gained] [Level Up!] x2 [New Skill] - Pain Resistance (Passive) Reduces the amount of pain felt. [New Skill] - Unarmed Mastery (Passive) Increases damage and proficiency when not using a weapon. [New Skill] - Claw Mastery (Passive) Increases damage and proficiency when using claw-type weapons. [New Skill] - Riding (Passive) Increases speed and handling when riding a creature. [New Skill] - Relentless Assault (Active, consumes 50 MP, 30 Minute cool-down) Allows you to continuously attack a target uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but you receive double damage while in this state. [New Title] - (Heartless) Despite seeing a creature suffering in front of you, you still still decided to extend its pain by cruelly attacking it while it was down. Effects when equipped: 5% increased chance of causing fear with any fear related abilities. Skill - Cruel Aura (Conditional Active) Inflicts fear to those around you from your heartless actions. Chance of fear being inflicted depends on level difference. She also saw a few windows saying that she obtained some items from the defeated wolf such as its pelt, fangs and claws. One of the drops was a small black ring, and after looking at it a window appeared in front of her. [Black Ring (Ring, Unidentified, Rare)] - Effects unknown. Cannot be equipped until it is identified. Q was a little disappointed that her first item that she got wasn¡¯t equippable just yet. The upside though is that it was a rare item, which was incredibly good for early levels. To Q¡¯s knowledge, the items ranked in T.W.O were ranked in this order: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Magical, Legendary, Mythic, and Unique. Q put away the ring for now as she looked at the last window which was flashing and said: [Great Feat Accomplished!] You are the first player to defeat a monster whose level is 5 or more than yours. Would you like to let people know of your accomplishments? Selecting Yes will give you +50 Fame and extra experience. (YES/NO) Q was incredibly happy about these rewards, but the [Heartless] title bothered her. Sure she may have killed the wolf, but for the system to go as far as say that she was heartless? She equipped the title anyway though, as the bonus to fear abilities and skill were too good to pass up. In the System of T.W.O, players were able to equip two titles at once, gaining both effects, although only one of them will be displayed. She decided to make the [Heartless] title not be displayed as it would probably turn people away from her once she started interacting with other players. She then addressed the system message, as it continued to flash in front of her. After a moment of decision she pressed yes. After all, fame was good, and getting some extra experience while she was at it was also a good idea. More windows popped up in front of her, indicating that she leveled up yet again. ¡°Woohoo!¡± Q let out a whoop as she began to organize her inventory and stat points. A message popped up in front of her at the same time and it read: [Level Up!] [System Announcement] - Player ¡°Q¡± is the first player to defeat an enemy that is 5 levels over them. It was a simple message in and of itself, but the amount of importance placed on it by the players, along with their response was very intense. Of course, Q had no idea about this and was too preoccupied by her rewards to realize that selecting yes had caused every player learn of her existence¡­ *At the same time, in various places in the game* ¡°What the hell!? How did this player do that? I¡¯m still struggling with level 4 creatures!¡± ¡°Hmph. Not bad, but I¡¯ll show off an even better achievement.¡± ¡°HAHAHA! I won¡¯t lose! I¡¯m going to take down an enemy 10 levels higher than me!¡± (According to his party members, this player died shortly after saying this) ¡°Seems a new rival for the great me has appeared¡­¡± No matter who it was, or where they were, all other 999,999 players currently in the game now knew of the existence known as Q, and directed their jealousy, anger, admiration, and awe at the player who had achieved such an accomplishment so early in the game. *Inside a certain T.W.O monitoring room* A man was sitting at his desk and was currently cleaning it since he had just finished lunch. As he cleared space in front of him, one of the screens on his desk began flashing and the man sighed. He let the connection through, and before C.I.M could even begin talking he immediately shot out a sentence. ¡°What is it this time C.I.M? It¡¯s only been like, half an hour before you last contacted me.¡± ¡°Sir, this concerns one of the players on your interesting list, Q.¡± The man sighed as he recognized the strange name from earlier. ¡°What is this player up to now?¡± He asked. ¡°The player Q is the first player to complete a World Achievement by defeating an enemy whose level is at least 5 higher than hers.¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± If the man was drinking something, he surely would have done another spit take at this point. ¡°To be more accurate her it was 6 levels above her, but she was able to do this immediately upon entering a forest. She had also done it without any weapons, I might add.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s kind of unbelievable. Though you never know what to expect huh?¡± In truth, the man knew how hard it was to defeat enemies in the game. Being one of the beta testers himself, he knew that fighting monsters 1 or 2 levels above you was already quite hard. This was due to the way the A.I. of the monsters worked, as well as the difference in their stats and the players stats. Gone were the days of old turn-based combat, this time the monsters seriously went to kill players, and didn¡¯t have any restrictions on them from doing so. To hear that a player was actually able to defeat a monster that was 6 levels higher than themselves, as well as the fact that they were only level one was enough to cause shock to those who had played the game in beta. ¡°Keep an eye on this player Cim. If they¡¯ve done something this amazing within an hour of playing, they¡¯ll probably do some amazing things in the future.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± *Back in the game* Q had just finished allocating her ability points and she looked proudly at her character screen. She distributed her points into a bit of agility, dexterity, strength and vitality, and kept some to spend for the future, as it seemed that gaining stats would become harder later on in the game. She spent a few minutes lying down on the floor regenerating health. She noticed that health will almost always regenerate, but it does so faster if you weren¡¯t moving and were in a comfortable position. Once she had fully rested herself, she decided to get moving and out of the forest. But where¡¯s the way back? she wondered. I rolled down a hill, so I suppose I¡¯m lower than where the ruins were before¡­ So if I go up, I should be able to spot them! Alright then, to higher ground! Q thought as she left the forest and began searching for the ruins she spotted earlier.
A/N: Actually, I don''t have much to say about this chapter. Just thought it''d be weird to not have an author''s note at the end. Also, I don''t intend on making tables for this, as I had written this all in google docs and it works fine for me (the formatting of the ''system messages'' and whatnot). In the future I might come back and do so, but for now... eh. Edit: Actually I do have something to say about this chapter: Wolfy, you will forever be in our hearts. XOXOX remember Wolfy 1 rating = 1 prayer. (Hahaha shameless promotion) Fun-fact: The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. Chapter 004 - A Learning Experience Q made her way through the forest, not encountering any more wolves (thank god) but instead encountered some other creatures. One of them was was a group of bugs that were called [Capillets]. They closely resembled caterpillars, except their legs were longer and they had some sort of hard shell on their backs. Seeing that their levels were around 2-3, Q decided to use them to level up. At first out of curiosity she stabbed the hard shell with her claws, and just as she suspected, she barely did any damage to them. This got the other Capillets attention though and she was slowly swarmed by bugs¡­ But the bugs were really slow, so she was able to outrun them without much effort. She did take a closer look at the bugs though, and saw that their underbellies didn''t have a shell so she flipped one over with her foot and gave it a quick stab. This time it died immediately with its health quickly going down to zero.. After discovering this weak point, Q began to flip them all over and stab them with a relaxed pace. Of course, things wouldn¡¯t be that easy because suddenly she felt something hit her arm and a message popped up informing Q that she was poisoned. A bit shocked she looked around and found the cause. [Poison Capillet] - Level 4 Okay, they now have projectiles¡­ Q thought idly. She didn¡¯t think much of it though as she also flipped over that bug and killed it, but as she got sprayed by more poison from elsewhere she suddenly realized something: She didn¡¯t have any antidotes for the poison! Crap. She thought as she quickly ran away from the bugs. After getting a certain distance away from them, the bugs seemed to lose interest and went back to doing whatever they were doing before. So their aggro range is about 25 meters¡­ but how am I going to deal with this poison? Q was only able to sit there helplessly as she watched her health slowly drain away, and after one minute it finally stopped (not before taking away a third of her health though). ¡°Whew¡­¡± She let out a sigh of relief as she thought it might take away all of her health. ¡°But this reminds me that I really do need some items to heal and take care of status conditions¡­ Maybe the ruins have some items like that lying around.¡± She picked herself off the ground and continued to search for higher ground. After half an hour of walking, she made her way to a relatively large hill and spotted the ruins not too far from her location. She surveyed the rest of the area to check if there¡¯s anything else interesting, but in the end the ruins was the only place that stood out. She continued to make her way there until she was interrupted by something flying at her from overhead! With quick reflexes she jumped out of the way and saw that the thing that tried to fly down on her was stuck in the ground. [Borid] - Level 5 It turned out to be a bird with brown feathers, short stubby legs, and a really sharp and pointy beak that it was trying to pull out of the ground. Q briefly thought of pulling it out, but thought otherwise as it tried to attack her first. She stomped on it, further burying its beak in the ground and the Borid let out a squawk (or at least tried to with its beak snapped shut). Q then began to mercilessly stab it, killing it in a few hits. [Cruel Aura Activated] ¡°... Really?¡± Q was a bit exasperated at this skill, but then again it saved her life as she heard a chorus of squawking sounds in the trees around her. She quickly snapped her head up as she saw at least 20 Borids waiting in the branches of the trees. A lot of them had the fear debuff on them, but for the few that didn¡¯t they leaped off the branches and began making a beeline for Q. She watched for a second in fascination as the borid actually began spinning as they headed for her. With a few quick sidesteps she was able to dodge the borids, and just as quickly she stomped on them all to further bury them into the ground. Unfortunately at this point the other borids shook off their fear and let out cries of anger as they all began to take flight. Some of them had learned from their previous kin it seems, as they flew horizontally and began to spin from there. Q was in a pinch as she had to dodge multiple borids from every direction. It was like trying to dodge bullets (albeit a little easier), but the borids made it more complicated for her by slightly changing their trajectory and curving their flight paths, forcing Q to make some ridiculous dodges she wouldn¡¯t have managed in real life. Ugh. I can¡¯t hit these borids at all! Not to mention they¡¯re not getting buried in the ground anymore, so I can¡¯t take them out like I did with the first one¡­ ¡°Woah!¡± A borid grazed by Q, taking away a bit of her health. Fortunately, it got stuck in a tree so she was able to dispatch it quickly before it got out. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ That¡¯s it!¡± She quickly ran to a relatively large tree and put her back against it, waiting for the borids to make their next round. Soon enough they came, and at the last second Q jumped out of the way, causing a large amount of the borids to get stuck in the tree. ¡°Yes!¡± After figuring this little trick out, dealing with the rest of the borids became relatively easy, and they began to retreat once they saw that most of their kin had died. After the last borid had left, Q looked at her messages and saw that she had leveled up and obtained a new skill, as well as some item drops from the borids. [Stats Gained!] [Level Up!] [New Skill] - Dodge (Passive) Increases your chance of dodging an attack. ¡°Awesome but¡­ which way is the ruins?¡± Q let out a sigh as she made her way back to the hill and reoriented herself before continuing on. Eventually she made it back to the ruins and finally let out a sigh of relief. On the way there she found a group of capillets and took out a few for some experience before running away at the sight of the poison capillet. She did also find a rabbit, but remembering her previous experience she left it alone with deep regret. She made her way to the door and saw the inscription at the top which read: Those who enter shall be tested. Only the worthy may hold audience. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s short and to the point I guess. Anyway¡­ time to explore!¡± She exclaimed as she pushed the doors open. Q was greeted with the sight of an old and worn down room with small rays of light coming in through the cracked ceiling. From what she could make out the room was quite empty, and the only thing that caught her attention was a skeleton lying in the center of the room. She approached the skeleton and found a bag on it, as well as a note pinned down to its chest with a dagger. ¡°Eerily realistic¡­¡± Q said out loud as she looked at the skeleton. It must have been here for a long time since the bones were old and brittle, and they even broke when she took out the dagger from its chest. A loud snap resounded through the room and after confirming that no enemies were attracted by the sound, Q sat down and read the note. To you who are reading this. Turn back. Q stared blankly at it for a moment before laughing and crumpling up the note. ¡°Heh. What kind of adventurer would I be if I let some cryptic note drive me away?¡± She threw the note away and began taking inventory of what was inside the bag. What she found inside was two small vials filled with red liquid, one vial filled with blue liquid, some coins, a small book and a glove. She took out the book first and a prompt appeared in front of her. [Obtained Small Health Vial] x 2 [Obtained Small Mana Vial] [Obtained Spellbook of Spark] Would you like to learn the spell [Spark]? (YES/NO) ¡°Hell yeah! I can use magic now baby!¡± Q exclaimed as she pressed Yes. The book in her hands disappeared, and for some reason she felt that some sort of ¡®knowledge¡¯ was put into her head. She went into her spell list and found the description of Spark. Spark (Unique, consumes 1 MP, 5 second cool-down) - Deals weak lightning damage to target Note: You have obtained a unique spell. Unique spells can evolve into more powerful versions of themselves. (Unique spells are unaffected by the rankings of normal spells) ¡°A unique spell? That sounds like it could be really useful in the future. Well let¡¯s give it a shot then shall we?¡± Q was about to cast the spell, but then realized she had no idea how. ¡°Hmm¡­ How do I do this? Do I just say the skill out loud? Well, let¡¯s give it a shot then.¡± Q said as she stretched out her hand and said ¡°SPARK!¡± A small bolt of electricity flew out from her outstretched hand, but stopped and fizzled out after travelling a distance of half a meter. ¡°That was¡­ very underwhelming. But appropriate for my first magic skill I guess.¡± Q turned her attention to the glove inside the bag took it out. At first it looked to be a little big for her but when she put it on it shrunk down to her hand¡¯s size. ¡°Wow. Nifty.¡± She then took a closer look at the glove, checking out its craftsmanship when a window popped up in front of her. [Magic Amplifying Glove (Arms, Uncommon)] Durability (23/30) - Increases beginner spell damage by 3% ¡°Nice. That should help out when casting Spark I guess.¡± As a test she tried firing Spark with the Magic Glove on, and it did seem to be slightly larger and go out a bit farther than before. The message said that Unique spells are unaffected by the rankings of normal spells¡­ but casting it with the glove on definitely increased its distance by a little bit. Is it considered a beginner spell then? Q had many questions that popped in her mind, but she decided to leave them for later as she grabbed the dagger, causing another window to appear. [Rusted Dagger (Dagger, Common)] Durability (11/20) - A rusty dagger. Will probably break if used excessively. The dagger was indeed quite rusted and chipped, but at least Q had a weapon now. She didn¡¯t have anywhere to keep it, so she just held it with her hand for now. For a second she wondered if she should bring the bag, but Q decided she didn¡¯t need it with her personal inventory to store the items so she left it behind. A quick check on the two vials of liquid confirmed that they were health and mana potions, so Q left them in her inventory. After looking around and not finding anything else, she headed towards the door on the other side of the room. This door was made of wood and let out a small creak as Q opened it. She walked through and found herself in a long hallway. The sides were lined with stone pillars (much like the ones outside) and nothing seemed to be too special about this room besides a few piles of rocks. Q took a few steps into the room, on the lookout for any sign of danger, and once she reached the center she noticed movement. The pile of rocks beside her began to shake and Q braced herself for whatever was coming. What she didn¡¯t expect though, was that it wasn¡¯t something in the rocks moving, it was the rocks themselves that were moving! This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Slowly the rocks floated up into the air and formed a vaguely humanoid shape. The rocks were covered with lines of blue that seemed to pulse with life. Once it had finished forming, a name appeared above its head. [Lesser Ruins Guardian] - Level 5 All around the room similar situations were occurring, with the piles of rocks forming into more Ruins Guardians. Q wasn¡¯t going to just sit there waiting for the enemy to make their preparation though, as she rushed towards the guardian closest to her and slashed with her knife. Hitting the hard stone, the durability of the knife decreased, and she barely did any damage as well. ¡°Physical attacks aren¡¯t very effective huh? Typical. Then how about this? [Spark]!¡± Q said as she cast her spell point blank at the elemental. The electricity hit the guardian and did significantly more damage than the knife, but it only took out about 1/10th of its health. Getting hit with the spell, the guardian let out a silent roar as it began moving to try and hit Q. It swung its fist in a right hook and Q ducked underneath. She tried giving it a punch which didn¡¯t seem to faze the guardian, though it did deal a little bit of damage. The problem with that though was that Q¡¯s fist was throbbing with pain afterwards. ¡°Gah! [Pain Resistance], do your thing please!¡± Q said as she backed away from the guardian. All around the room the other guardians were making their way towards Q, and she counted 6 in total. She moved backwards quickly, matching the pace of the guardians as she maintained her distance and used [Spark] whenever it was off cooldown. It was her only source of any real damage at the moment, and by doing this she was able to take down one of the guardians, though her mana was already down to half. The other guardians, not being able to catch up to Q, stretched out their arms and pointed them at her. Getting a bad feeling, Q dived to the right as the rocks which made up their arms shot forward and pulverized the ground she was standing at before. ¡°Whoa¡­ that power is no joke.¡± Q muttered as she got back up. She suddenly noticed something though, the blue ¡®veins¡¯ which made up the inside of the guardians were exposed. Could it be...? She began thinking, but that train of thought was interrupted when the guardians collected the rocks they shot out and reformed their hands. Well, it''s worth a shot. Q thought as she increased the distance between her and the guardians. They shot out their arms once again, and this time Q charged forward after dodging the rocks. She sliced at the closest guardian¡¯s glowing vein, and the health bar above it indicated that it did a substantial amount of damage! Q was momentarily distracted as she looked at its health bar, and the guardian took this opportunity to punch Q. ¡°AGH!¡± She was sent flying across the hall and crashed into a pillar. Struggling to get up, she took a quick look at her own health bar and saw that the punch actually dealt about a third of her health in damage. ¡°Ugh¡­ okay, that really hurt!¡± She exclaimed as she dodged out of the way of more rock fists flying at her. ¡°But that confirms that their veins are a weak point¡­ the problem is, how do I attack them without getting hit back?¡± She wondered. For now, I''ll just keep using spark I guess. She kept out of arm''s reach from the guardians as she continuously cast spark, and like this she was able to take down another guardian. Q began to feel a little woozy once her mana reached low-levels, and temporarily stopped moving. What in the world? Is this a penalty for running out of mana to use? While Q was dealing with the effects of low-mana, the guardians changed their movement. Before they were just blindly following Q, but now they began to surround her. Crap. And I¡¯m almost out of mana as well¡­ what do I do now¡­ Whenever Q moved to break out of their formation, the guardians would simply move back in place with a speed they didn''t show before. Not knowing what to do, Q stood in the middle of the room and the guardians moved into a cross formation with Q in the center. The guardians all raised their arms at the same time and shout out their fists. Q ducked down in the just in time as the rocks collided mid air above her. Seeing this, Q ran towards the closest guardian (which didn¡¯t move out of position for some reason) and began attacking its veins, bringing its health down to half before it tried kicking Q. Q stepped back and moved to the center of the formation again, hoping that the guardians would all shoot at the same time and hit their own attacks. Unfortunately her hopes were betrayed as the guardians retrieved their ¡®arms¡¯ and started firing one at a time. Q could only frantically dodge the attacks as they whizzed by her. Just as Q got up from dodging one attack, another one came towards her and she couldn''t avoid it in time. She frantically brought up her dagger to block, and though she wasn''t able to fully stop the damage, she was able to mitigate some and redirect the attack elsewhere. The fist crashed into a pillar, breaking it and causing it to fall down onto one of the guardians. It was crushed by the pillar, and though it didn¡¯t die, it took a lot of damage. ¡°I can redirect the attacks huh? Though I shouldn''t do it often since it still damages me. Not to mention the dagger seems to be at its limit¡­¡± The dagger was now cracked and it seemed like it could break at any moment. ¡°Alright then, it looks like I can block one more attack¡­ Let¡¯s do this!¡± Q tensed her body, and concentrated. The world seemed to slow down for a while as everything moved in slow motion. One of the guardians behind Q shot out its fist and Q spun in place, using the dagger to block the attack and redirect it to another guardian. She timed it perfectly and the fist hit the dagger at a 45¡ã angle, causing it to fly straight into the chest of another guardian. The guardian took a lot of damage, and the force of the blow pulverized the rocks that made up its body and exposed its chest. Q whipped the dagger straight at the now exposed veins, and the guardian died. In the process of hitting the guardian, the dagger broke but Q didn¡¯t mind it much as she turned to deal with the other guardian which still hadn''t fired an attack. With an incredibly fast reaction time that most people wouldn''t have, Q sidestepped the fist and then grabbed onto it, getting dragged by the force. She was eventually able to stop it after getting dragged back for a while, and she charged up to the guardian which was crushed by the pillar earlier. As soon as it reformed Q hit it with the rock fist and it died. Two more to go. Q thought. The remaining two guardians abandoned their earlier formation and stood side by side, alternating their attacks as Q dodged left and right. With a quick look at her mana pool, Q saw that it was half full so she ran up close to the guardians and began casting Spark. While she did this she also threw in a few punches and kicks which probably hurt her more than it hurt them, but any amount of damage was needed to get through this. Eventually, one of the guardians fell, leaving the last one which attacked Q in a frenzy. Q had run out of mana, causing her acute mental pain and dizziness, but she struggled to overcome that as she faced the final guardian. With no weapons and no mana, Q relied on her claws to get through. She tried stabbing the veins in-between the rocks, and it worked to an extent. She was able to do damage but her fingers got stuck, giving the guardian a free hit which brought Q down to low health. The hit sent Q a few meters back and she landed beside a pile of rocks. Grunting with pain, Q got up and picked up a few rocks which she began throwing at the guardian, who in turn quickly approached her. As the guardian got closer, Q moved away, not willing to get hit by another punch. Whenever Q got mana she cast Spark, and when she didn''t she kept throwing rocks. In this manner, the last guardian was slowly taken down and Q finally beat them all. New messages popped up as Q sat down and caught her breath. [Level Up!] [New Skill] - Deflect (Passive) Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt. [New Skill] - Throwing Mastery (Passive) Increases damage dealt with throwing weapons. Awesome! Though I sure am glad I explored outside first. I probably would have died if I faced these things at level 1. Q thought as she looked over the skills and checked her inventory for item drops. Her inventory was slowly starting to get full, as the item drops from the wolf, capillets, borids and now the ruin guardians filled up the slots. Most of the items were just miscellaneous materials like rocks or crystal cores, but one of them was different. It was a small bracelet which read: [Guardian Bracelet (Accessory, Uncommon)] Durability (15/15) - Provides a small boost to defense. Defense +3 ¡°Nice!¡± Q shouted as she equipped it on her left arm. The bracelet looked like a thin metal cylinder, with a few artistic carvings on it and a small jewel in the center. Judging by the character equipment screen, it seemed that she could equip only a certain amount of accessories on herself. A total of four rings, one necklace, two earrings and one bracelet. When Q was done taking inventory of her items she got off the ground and walked over to the other side of the hallway. Going through another set of doors she found herself in an empty room with nothing but a few health potions, a mana potion, and another knife which lay in the middle. At first, Q approached with caution, thinking that there might be a trap set up, but nothing happened. She approached the items without any incident and looked at the knife. [Worn Knife (Dagger, Common)] Durability 15/20 - This knife is well-used, but still quite reliable. Equipping the knife, Q saw nothing else of interest in the room so she shrugged and walked back towards the entrance...
A/N: And so we''re reaching near the end of the tutorial ''event''. Next chapter will be the last one I just randomly release before continuing to write more. Fun-fact: There was supposed to be a puzzle at the end of the room, but I realized something: I''m terrible with coming up with puzzles. Chapter 005 - Boss Battle! After a few minutes of walking, Q found herself back in the entrance room¡­ except there was something blatantly different about the place. When Q had first walked into this room, there wasn¡¯t anything significant about it except for the skeleton. This time, the skeleton had disappeared and was replaced by a single floating green crystal. Though it didn¡¯t turn towards Q, she somehow felt that it was aware of her presence. Seeing that nothing was happening, Q took a few tentative steps forward when the room started to rumble! All around her it seemed that the ruins were collapsing, as the walls began to crack and the earth groaned beneath her feet. The floor violently shook and she lost her balance and fell onto her butt. Desperately scrambling to grab hold of something but not finding anything to grab on, Q was helplessly tossed around like a rag doll. ¡°What''s going on?!¡± She exclaimed as she curled herself up into a small ball in an effort to protect herself. Soon, she began to slide across the floor. ¡°Whoa, hold on a second!¡± She had no idea when, but the floor had become tilted and she was quickly moving towards the entrance doorway of the ruins. On the way there, she tried to grab onto the crystal but failed to do so, only scratching it with her claws. As she scratched it, she heard a deep rumbling sound which seemed more like a deep tremor in the air. She couldn¡¯t make much sense of it though as the room had now been tilted by a full 90¡ã, and she entered free fall! ¡°WHAT THE HECK!?¡± Q screamed as she desperately tried to look for a place to soften her landing. Fortunately there was a tree underneath her so she was saved by the leaves and branches which softened her fall. Unfortunately the branches broke upon impact, causing Q to land hard on the ground. ¡°Oww¡­ If this wasn¡¯t a game I¡¯d be dead right about now.¡± She looked at her health and saw that she was in critical condition, so she opened up her inventory and grabbed one of the red vials. ¡°I wonder how much it heals...¡± She wondered out loud as she uncorked the vial and drank its contents down in one gulp. ¡°Ew. Tastes like Buckley¡¯s. But at least it¡¯s doing its job properly¡±. Q noted as she watched her health bar fill up again. Once she confirmed she wasn¡¯t in immediate danger, she got up and looked towards the direction of the ruins, the sight of which now shocked her completely. The ruins themselves had broken up and begun to form together to create a huge torso with hulking arms. As it continued to form itself Q saw that in the center of the torso there was a green glow, and when she squinted her eyes she noticed that it was the floating crystal from earlier. Finally the head was formed with two large empty sockets where eyes would be. Suddenly the crystal flashed and the entire body was permeated with a green glow. A name appeared above the giant structure, and reading it filled Q with dread. [The Guardian] - Level 20 Once Q saw what its level was, she felt a little hopeless. ¡°This is the tutorial level right? Why the heck am I facing this!? And what the heck, the guardian of the ruins IS the ruins? Patch please¡­¡± Suddenly a large health bar appeared underneath the name, and Q noticed that it was slightly off from being full. Now why is it already damaged? Q thought to herself. It could only be from me scratching the crystal earlier, so that means¡­ the crystal is it¡¯s weak point! Q was quickly snapped out of her thoughts though as she noticed the guardian raised up one of its arms. Driven by instinct she dived into the ground and she felt a strong wind on her back and heard the sound of countless trees snapping. When she looked up she saw that the guardian had cleared the ground to make a large flat plane. ¡°Hehe¡­ Seems the boss has readied the playing field¡­ Well I can¡¯t disappoint it now, can I? Alright then Guardian, GAME ON!¡± Q yelled as she got up and readied herself for battle. The guardian let out a yell of its own as the air vibrated with the force of its cry, marking the beginning of the battle. The first to move was Q, running to cover as much distance as she could to get to the guardian. In response the guardian made a fist with its right arm, then brought it down with great force. Leaping forward, Q managed to get out of the way, but the wind pressure and the shock the fist caused from hitting the ground still unbalanced her and she was blown away. Luckily she was blown towards the guardian so she quickly recovered and made her way to the guardian. Once she reached the base, she looked around for a place to climb on and saw that there were some rocks shaped like platforms sticking out its side, so she jumped on them and began to make her way up the guardian. Her journey wouldn¡¯t be easy though, as a flash of green went through the guardian¡¯s body which made Q hesitate and stop climbing. The large gaps in-between the stone suddenly let out a blast of green energy which Q had no doubt would kill her if she was hit by it. Once the green energy died out Q began to move again, stopping when the green flash appeared, and she slowly continued jumping onto random platforms. A half-way up the guardian, the platforms suddenly began to move around, and Q now had to time her jumps as well as look out for the green flash. Fortunately they were moving relatively slowly so Q was able to navigate The Guardian with ease, but as she continued upwards the platforms began to move more quickly and she had to stop and count how many seconds it would take for one to appear. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s become a platformer now huh?¡± Q muttered as she took a running start to reach a particularly far platform. Eventually she was able to make it to the chest and reach the exposed crystal. Q began stabbing and scratching it with her dagger while casting Spark with her other hand, and the guardian¡¯s large health bar was slowly being chipped away. Once she had dealt about 1/5th of its health though, the guardian seemed to get fed up as the crystal glowed brightly and let out a strong flash of green light. Suddenly the platform Q was standing on was launched out of the guardians body and was sent crashing towards the ground. Q barely managed to jump off at the last second and avoided most of the damage, but still got hurt. The guardian wasn¡¯t finished yet though, as it raised both arms and slammed them down on either side of Q. It¡¯s hands began to fold in on each other, which trapped Q in a makeshift corridor. Then some of the rocks which made up the guardian¡¯s arms flew out and aimed straight at Q! She frantically dodged the rocks, occasionally taking hits in the process as there were simply too many rocks for her to handle. Taking in a deep breath, Q narrowed her eyes and tensed her body, as the world seemed to slow down a bit. Q concentrated and began to use her knife to deflect some of the attacks which resulted in her barely getting hit at all. With the best of her abilities she avoided as much damage as she could until finally the rocks stopped flying. When the attacks finally stopped Q had lost quite a bit of health and was quite battered and bruised. Well it¡¯s a good thing my body is pretty small. Otherwise I would''ve been hit by a lot more rocks! Q thought as she ran towards the guardian again. Upon reaching the base of the guardian though, she saw that there weren¡¯t any platforms for her to jump on, and she was wondering what to do when some of the rocks suddenly flew out and tried to hit her. She backed away, looking for a way to get back onto the guardian when suddenly one of its fists came crashing down. Q rolled away, taking some damage as the arm hit the ground in an upright position. She noticed that the arm had some rocks jutting out of it, so she ran towards it and grabbed on just as the guardian lifted its arm up again. It shook its arm around, trying to shake Q off but she held strong as her nails dug into the stone as best they could. Just as Q was starting to lose her grip, the guardian finally stopped moving its arm and Q used this opportunity to land onto its shoulders and made her way back to the crystal. From here she continued to wail on the crystal until the boss shot out the platform she was standing on again. Q was able to jump off the platform before it hit the ground again, and then braced herself to dodge the arms which once again trapped her in that corridor. This time though, the rocks that flew out slowly began to form up. A name above their heads identified them as: [Ruin Guardians] - Level 7 ¡°Oh boy.¡± Q muttered as she engaged the ruin guardians. There were 4 of them that spawned, and they moved into the previous cross formation that Q had dealt with earlier. All of them repeated their attack of firing their arms at the same time, so Q simply ducked and began to attack the one closest to her. Since she already had experience in fighting these ruin guardians from before, she was able to take down this one relatively quickly before the others recovered their lost arms. Before the other guardians could even move into their next formation, Q was already on another one, ducking and weaving around it as she slowly damaged it with her dagger and the occasional punch or kick, while also constantly using Spark. As she attacked it, the guardian tried to hit her (to no avail), while the others simply aimed their arms and shot them anyway, hitting the guardian in the process. This dealt enough damage to it for Q to pick up the kill, and she moved onto another one. Once she had finished off all the ruin guardians, the guardian (boss) moved its arms out of the way again. This time, its arm formed into a long and thin shape which vaguely resembled a blade, and it swiped it low to the ground. Q jumped with all her might and was able to avoid the blade, but then its other arm which had also turned into a blade swooped by and she dived into the ground. Then the guardian had both blades constantly slash at the ground in random patterns, causing Q to frantically dodge them. Left, right, left, jump, dive, jump¡­ All of its random attacks were seriously starting to tire out Q, and she was just barely dodging them. Despite her best efforts, the blades were still able to graze her every so often, dealing damage and bringing Q down to half of her health. Luckily, the guardian became tired as the blades slowly lost their speed and power, and finally rested on the ground. When she saw this Q ran up the blades, and once she ran halfway up the guardian began moving again. The guardian flashed green and Q had to start running in irregular patterns to dodge the green blasts which sprouted out of the gaps. She was able to make it to the shoulder though, but was forced to jump down hard onto the platform since the place she was standing on flashed green. She continued to hit the guardian as fast and as hard as she could, until its health dropped down to 10%. Suddenly it let out a powerful yell and began to rapidly pulse with green light. Q was shaken off the platform as the guardian began to move erratically, and Q fell straight to the ground. Without anything to break her fall, Q had to come up with something or else she¡¯d end up as a splat on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s try this out then! HAAAA!¡± Q yelled as she stabbed into one of the gaps with as much force as possible. This kept her in place, but also caused immense pain for Q as her arm felt like it was getting ripped out of its socket. Suddenly a green glow appeared in the gap she was hanging onto and she yanked her arm out in a panic, continuing her free fall. When she hit the ground her health was greatly reduced and she had about a quarter remaining. She quickly pulled out both a health potion and a mana potion and chugged them as she backed away from the boss which was now enraged. The boss was haphazardly flailing about now, with blasts of green occuring all over its body, causing colorful explosions. Suddenly, the two eyes of the boss focused on Q and it aimed its arms at her. Q instantly recognized this as the ruin guardian''s "rocket punch" attack, and she scrambled to get away in time. The guardian launched its arms with immense power, shaking the ground and creating cracks in it, while the arms themselves exploded and caused a large wave of green energy to surge through the air. Q was able to get away from the initial explosion, but the wave of energy still hit her, reducing her health to half. Just when she thought she was able to move towards the guardian and attack its crystal again, it began to shake its body wildly, sending out large chunks of rocks flying everywhere. At the same time, some of the rocks were covered in the green light which made them explode upon impact. This is¡­ Armageddon. Q thought as she dashed around the battlefield, desperately trying to avoid the falling debris. The guardian continued to be in this frenzied state, and Q had no choice but to run up to the guardian to find an opportunity for herself. The guardian kept firing its rocks as Q dashed through the rain of stone. Some of the rocks landed dangerously close to her, and one of the green ones even exploded right beside her! Getting knocked back and taking a ton of damage, she was forced to use her remaining health potion as she scrambled forward. Eventually, she was able to make it near the boss, but being near the guardian wasn¡¯t much better as its entire body was flashing green at an incredibly fast pace. Q did notice that there were platforms she could run on though, so she took a deep breath and tensed her body, as the world seemed to slow down again. She made her way to the first platform, knowing that she couldn¡¯t stop once she started, as the flashes were too erratic and random to stop and analyze. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. She began jumping from one platform to another, hastily evading the green blasts. As soon as she stepped on one platform, it would almost immediately flash with green, and a blast would follow soon after. At one point during her mad dash upwards, the platforms abruptly stopped appearing, and the one Q was standing on began to flash green. With a split second decision Q decided to jump up just as the green blast occurred, using its force to propel herself upwards. This nearly drained all of her health, but she was launched up into the air and managed to grab onto the platform with the crystal. ¡°GRR!¡± Q began struggling to pull herself up onto the platform, though one of her arms was still in incredible pain after getting it stuck in The Guardian before. Eventually she finally got onto the platform, and began attacking the crystal as fast as possible. She rained down a series of fast attacks, all at the same location. Slowly, but surely, the Boss¡¯s health was dropping down to zero. In order to deal as much damage as she could, she also called upon her racial skill. "[Beast Within]!" Q''s body was covered in a faint red light, and she felt herself get slightly stronger and faster. With wild scratches, stabs, and sparks, Q kept attacking the same spot, creating a crack in the crystal. Suddenly the entire crystal emitted a bright green glow which alarmed Q. Her eyes widened, but that only lasted a moment as her gaze sharpened and she pulled back her right fist, simultaneously casting Spark with it and punching with all her force. ¡°BREAK!!!¡± Q screamed as her punch hit the crystal, and the guardian¡¯s health went down to zero. The crack widened, and then slowly began to spread out, resembling a web. *Crack. Crack.* Once the entire crystal was fractured, it shattered into a bunch of small pieces, dissipating into fine dust. The ruins which made up the guardian¡¯s body lost all power and slowly began to collapse, with the structures that made up its body hitting the ground hard, creating small craters. The platform Q was standing on also began falling down, and Q looked for a way to get down safely. She noticed a small foothold to her right, so she leapt over and landed on it, then jumped down onto another platform she spotted nearby. She continued to do this as quickly as possible, since the ruins were falling dangerously close to her. Once she reached the last platform, she jumped as far as she could, distancing herself from the collapsing body as much as possible. She landed with a roll onto the ground and laid there for a moment, fully exhausted and barely able to move. Q heard loud thuds near her, and also felt the earth shaking, but she didn¡¯t care anymore as she stared into the blue sky, waiting for The Guardian¡¯s body to finish collapsing. Eventually she mustered up enough strength to stand up and look at what became of the boss. The imposing figure of the guardian was now nothing but a large pile of rubble, and as Q sat down again she was bombarded with windows. [Stats Gained] [Level Up!] x3 [New Skill] - Magic Fist (Active, MP usage depends on spell, 1 minute cool-down) Coats your fist in the magic used on it. Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and does not affect the original magic¡¯s cool-down. [Skill Proficiency Gained] [Items Received] [Great Feat Accomplished!] - You are the first player to defeat a monster whose level is 15 or more than yours. Would you like to let people know of your accomplishments? Selecting Yes will give you +500 Fame and extra experience. (YES/NO) [Congratulations on Completing the Tutorial Level!] - Once you are ready, press the button below and you will be teleported to a beginner town of your choice. (Confirm) ¡°Haha¡­ hahaha¡­. HAHAHAHAHAHA!! I DID IT! I actually beat the boss! Hahahahaha!¡± Q burst into laughter upon seeing the messages and then flopped onto the ground. She lay there for a few minutes, resting herself up and calming her heart which was still beating from the adrenaline. Once she had finally calmed down, she began to deal with the messages. In her inventory she obtained 4 new items: [Guardian¡¯s Boots (Legs, Uncommon)] - Durability (30/30) - These boots are infused with the guardian¡¯s power, providing solid defense. Defense + 4, Agility + 1 [Ruined Sword (Weapon, Common)] Durability (2/10) - This blade is fractured and flawed. Perhaps if it is brought to a smith it can be recovered to its former glory. [Guardian¡¯s Heart (Necklace, Rare)] Durability (15/15) - Infused with the power of the guardian¡¯s crystal, it radiates power. Strength + 2, Defense + 3, Intelligence + 3 [Guardian¡¯s Core (Consumable, Legendary)] Using this item will grant a permanent +5 bonus to all stats and provide the Spell - Arcane Overload ¡°These items are¡­ amazing! Though then again, what did I expect would happen if I soloed a boss 15 levels above mine¡­¡± Q said absentmindedly as she looked over the items. She immediately equipped the boots and necklace and left the sword in her inventory since it¡¯d probably break if she used it. Then she took the Guardian¡¯s Core and looked at it. It looked remarkably similar to the Crystal that powered the guardian, and just when she was wondering about how to use it a notice popped up, asking her whether she wanted to use it or not. Without hesitation she pressed yes, and more messages appeared. [+5 to all Stats!] [New Spell] - Arcane Overload (Active, Consumes all MP, 3 day cool-down) Consume all of your energy to release a blast of pure power. Damage varies on mana consumed. If this skill is anything like the Guardian¡¯s berserk rage, it¡¯s going to be awesome! Q thought as she looked at the flashing message which indicated she had accomplished a great feat. She was about to press yes when suddenly a message appeared in front of her. [System Notice] Player ¡°Fostie¡± is the first player to defeat an enemy 10 levels over them. ¡°Heh. Not bad Fostie, but how about this?¡± Q said as she pressed the yes button, and more windows appeared. [Level Up!] [Gained Fame!] [System Notice] Player ¡°Q¡± is the first player to defeat an enemy 15 levels over them. The entire community of people currently playing T.W.O were absolutely shocked to see these two system notices appear in quick succession. At first it seemed that Fostie had surpassed Q, but then Q came out with an even greater achievement, as if she was saying that she was the better player. Of course, none of this was Q¡¯s intention as she only did it to get experience and fame, but that was besides the point. With her new levels and status points, Q began distributing them and looked at her character screen with pride.
Player Name: QRace: Fox-Kin
Display Title: N/ANon-Display Title: N/A
Class: N/AProfession: N/A
Level: 9Fame: 0
Health: 240/240Mana: 195/195
Strength: 17 (+2)Vitality: 15
Defense: 14 (+10)Agility: 25 (+1)
Intelligence: 22 (+3)Dexterity: 20
Wisdom: 16Luck: 6
Fame: 650
Skills
Passive Skills:Description:
Pain Resistance Lv.3Reduces amount of pain felt.
Unarmed Mastery Lv.3Increases damage and proficiency dealt when not using a weapon.
Claw Mastery Lv.2Increases damage and proficiency dealt with claw-type weapons.
Riding Lv.1Increases speed and handling when riding a creature.
Dodge Lv.4Increases your chances of dodging an attack.
Deflect Lv.1Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.
Throwing Mastery Lv.2Increases damage and proficiency dealt with throwing-type weapons.
Active Skills:
Beast Within Lv.1(No Cost, 8 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 15% for 1 minute.
Relentless Assault Lv.1(Consumes 50 MP, 30 Minute cooldown) Allows you to continuously attack a target uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but you receive double damage while in this state.
Magic Fist Lv.1(MP usage depends on spell, 1 minute cooldown) Coats your fist in the magic used on it. Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and does not affect the original magic¡¯s cooldown.
Spells
Spark (Unique) Lv.3(Consumes 1 MP, 5 second cooldown) Deal weak lightning damage to target
Arcane Overload (Advanced)(Consumes all MP, 3 day cooldown) Consume all of your energy to release a blast of pure power. Damage varies on mana consumed.
Equipment
Head:N/A
Chest:Simple Linen Shirt
Arms:Magic Amplifying Glove (Uncommon) Durability (19/30) +3% damage to basic spells
Waist:N/A
Legs:Guardian¡¯s Boots (Uncommon) Durability (30/30) Defense +4, Agility +1
Main-Hand Weapon:Worn Knife (Dagger, Common) Durability (11/20)
Off-Hand Weapon:N/A
Accessories
Ring 1:N/A
Ring 2:N/A
Ring 3:N/A
Ring 4:N/A
Necklace:Guardian¡¯s Heart (Rare) Durability (15/15) Strength + 2, Defense + 3, Intelligence + 3
Bracelet:Guardian Bracelet (Uncommon) Durability (9/15) Defense + 3
¡°I have to say, I¡¯m pretty damn strong right now if I do say so myself.¡± Q said as she closed the character screen and looked at the final message. ¡°Okay then¡­ let¡¯s get out of the tutorial level!¡± she shouted excitedly as she pressed the confirm button. A large window then popped up in front of her which seemed to be a map of some sort. A lot of it was blurred out which made sense since the entire game world had yet to be discovered. Q noticed that there was a lot of dots that appeared on the map, and when she focused on one the map zoomed in and she saw a bird''s eye view of a town with a quick description. [The Town of Clorg. Located in the north, the town is surrounded by mountainous ranges and snowy weather.] ¡°Cool. But I don¡¯t like the cold so¡­ let¡¯s look for somewhere else.¡± Q continued to scan the map for a suitable starting town, and she finally found one that suited her. [The Town of Foria. Located in the east, this town is known for its local inhabitants and pleasant winds.] ¡°Sounds good to me. I choose the town of Foria!¡± Q said, and a message popped up asking her to confirm if this is her final choice. She picked yes, and suddenly the world around her seemed to slowly disintegrate. Q was surrounded by a bright light which impeded her view. Once the light faded she found herself in the town of Foria.
A/N: And so we reach the end of the tutorial arc, as well as chapters I have stockpiled. Now, a few things to note here, I don''t have any set schedule, so the chapters just come out as I write them (so don''t ask me when the next chapter is coming out or anything). But... to give you a general idea, it takes me like half a day to write a decent chapter, but that''s only if I have free time (being a university student, I don''t have a lot of free time). I also won''t accept any donations because it''s just a fiction that I want everyone to enjoy. Oh, and... leave any comments you have about the story in the comments. Criticism and encouragement alike are welcome! Fun-fact: The tutorial was NOT supposed to be this long originally. I thought it''d only take like 2 chapters to establish Q''s path as a player, but she turned out to be far more complicated than I thought. (Also, this battle was based off of Shadow of the Colossus, a great game. Watch some game-play if you want to get a visual idea of what Q was fighting.) Chapter 006 - A Bit of Hope *A few minutes after Simon left the Hospital* Helen was sitting on her bed, using her laptop to check for information about the ¡®special program¡¯ Simon had mentioned earlier. Once she heard about it, Helen simply couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it, and she endlessly searched the web until she found the information she was looking for. Indeed there was a rumor floating around describing a special program to let people with disabilities to play the game and enjoy the use of their disabled limbs again. Once she had found this information, she hungrily continued to search the internet, exhausting every single forum and web page with any details at all about this program. While she was in the middle of searching, she heard a knock on her door. ¡°Helen, it¡¯s me, Marissa. Mind if I come in?¡± ¡°Yeah, go ahead.¡± The door opened and in came a young woman wearing a nurse uniform. Her medium-length blond hair was tied up into a bun and her blue eyes seemed to give off a bit of a shine. When Marissa looked at Helen, she noticed that she was slightly agitated. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Helen?¡± She asked, ¡°Did your brother tease you too much again?¡± ¡°Ah, no.¡± Helen replied with a slight blush. ¡°Though he did tease me¡­ Wait, that¡¯s not important. This! Look at this!¡± Helen said as she urged Marissa to look at the page she currently had open on her laptop. A quick look at the words written at the top of the page instantly caused Marissa to let out a VERY wide smile. ¡°Marissa? Why are you smiling?¡± Helen asked while tilting her head. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ *pffft*¡± At this point Marissa was trying to suppress her laughter. ¡°It¡¯s just that the page is¡­ hehe.¡± ¡°So what if I want to play the game!?¡± Helen felt a little offended by Marissa¡¯s laughter. ¡°I can hope can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ Okay, okay¡­ I¡¯m done. Sorry.¡± Marissa wiped away the tears that were starting to form on her eyes. ¡°Helen, want to make a guess as to why I¡¯m here?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ my checkup?¡± ¡°No silly. I¡¯ll give you a hint. It has something to do with that page you have open.¡± Marissa said, giving a sly smile. Helen¡¯s eyes went wide as she stopped processing everything for a moment. Her heart began beating rapidly as she digested the information just given to her. She began to speak slowly, as if in disbelief. ¡°This¡­ you mean, It¡¯s real? I can¡­ I can play? I can walk?¡± Marissa continued smiling as she switched to a more formal tone. ¡°Helen Aden, you have been chosen to be one of the first participants in the special program: New Game Plus. The details of this pro-¡± ¡°YES! I SAY YES! I can play!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEKK!!!¡± Helen couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and let out an ear-piercing shriek. Marissa let out a laugh, already knowing what Helen¡¯s answer would be. She still had to go through protocol though, so she handed over the clipboard she had been carrying with her. ¡°Since you have agreed, please read the fine-print carefully and sign at the bottom of the page.¡± Helen took the clipboard with trembling hands, almost dropping it in the process. She quickly skimmed through the details and fine-print, barely registering any of the information other than the most important part: She could play True World Online!. After reading the information at lightning speed she hastily scribbled her signature and thrust it back to Marissa. ¡°When can I play? Tell me, tell me now!¡± ¡°Whoa, calm down a little Helen.¡± Marissa chuckled. ¡°If you¡¯d have deigned to read the fine-print properly you¡¯d know that you can be playing within 2-3 days. Oh, but here¡¯s some bad news.¡± Hearing that, Helen instantly deflated and got a little nervous. ¡°W-what kind of bad news?¡± ¡°Just that you¡¯d only be able to play for a certain amount of time each day. It¡¯d be bad for your health otherwise.¡± Helen let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew! I thought it was worse, like I had to pay for it or something.¡± ¡°Actually, about that Helen,¡± Marissa began. ¡°You would have had to pay, but someone else has already paid for the entire thing. In fact, it was this same person who recommended you for the program.¡± ¡°Really? Who was it?¡± Helen asked with a tone of surprise as she began to think. Hmm¡­ Whoever had to recommend me for this program has to have some sort of relation with the Dimen company, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t even know about this program yet¡­ They should also be rich and personally know me as well¡­ Then that leaves only one person! Once Helen finished her train of thought, her eyes widened as she realized who it was. Marissa noticed this and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It was Sophie who paid for it.¡± ¡°Sophie¡­¡± Helen murmured. Simply uttering her name brought forth a well of emotions that surged up. A mix of happiness, sadness, and anger appeared in her eyes, but they were all quickly dispelled. ¡°Well¡­ I have to thank her. Did she show up here?¡± She asked. Marissa nodded. ¡°Yes. She personally came to the hospital to deliver the news to your doctor. Hehe, she even asked us not to tell you it was her, but I know that you would want to know who it was at all costs.¡± ¡°Damn right!¡± Helen exclaimed. ¡°I swear¡­ it¡¯s been so long and she still hasn¡¯t forgiven herself¡­ When is she going to grow a pair and talk to us directly!?¡± She angrily shouted. Marissa could only sigh helplessly at Helen¡¯s outburst. This girl is just a large bundle of emotions... She thought to herself. Whenever she was this agitated, usually only Simon would be able to calm her down. In an attempt to change the subject, Marissa re-directed Helen¡¯s attention to the game. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be leaving now to let the doctor know of your choice. We¡¯ll both be seeing you tomorrow for your checkup and updates on the game.¡± Helen quickly switched gears as she excitedly said, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Hehe, try to get some sleep tonight Helen.¡± ¡°I make no promises!¡± Marissa exited the room, leaving the excited Helen to sit there with her thoughts. Many sleepless nights were spent as she waited impatiently for her gamepod to arrive, and in this manner a few days passed¡­ *Some room inside the hospital* ¡°Well Helen, this is your new room. How do you like it?¡± Marissa asked as she helped Helen into the room. Helen took a quick look around the place. It wasn¡¯t very different from her previous room with the walls being pure white, but it was visibly larger in order to accommodate¡­ ¡°The gamepod¡­¡± Helen whispered. Staring at it, she felt another rush of adrenaline surge through her veins as she could barely contain her excitement. ¡°Help me in! I can¡¯t wait!¡± Helen was just about ready to jump out of her wheelchair and crawl to the machine if she had to. ¡°Okay hold on a second. Jeez Helen.¡± Marissa laughed and picked up Helen. ¡°...Have you lost some weight?¡± she asked, feeling that Helen was a bit lighter than usual. Helen looked away with a blush on her face. ¡°I¡­ couldn¡¯t sleep for the past few days. Just the thought that I could walk again would keep me up for hours.¡± ¡°I see. Well, you¡¯ll be able to soon.¡± Marissa smiled and slowly lowered Helen into the gamepod. ¡°Now remember Helen, the doctor says you can only play for up to 6 hours at a time, and then you have to take a break. Got it? You¡¯ll be automatically kicked out from the game if you don¡¯t log out in ti-¡± ¡°Yes yes, I understand! Could you close the pod please?¡± ¡°Hehe, have fun Helen. Oh right, are you sure you want to keep this a secret from Simon? You know he¡¯s going to visit tomorrow right?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to keep it a surprise from him. Now close the pod!¡± ¡°Impatient aren¡¯t we? Well, here we go then.¡± Marissa closed the pod and heard a muffled scream of delight from inside. Smiling wryly she walked away and left Helen to play. *Inside the gamepod* This is happening. Oh my god this is happening! OH MY GOD!!! Helen was screaming both inside her mind and with her own mouth as she waited for the pod to start up. Suddenly she felt a fuzzy feeling in the back of her head and slipped away from consciousness¡­ When her eyes opened she found herself in a pure white room, sitting on a chair. She was hit with a strangely familiar feeling, and one she realized what it was she froze for a second. She tried moving her toes, and to her amazement, she saw them moving! A smile slowly crept onto her face as she began to move the rest of her legs, moving to her foot, ankle, knees, and thighs. Tears were beginning to form at the corners of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. No! You don¡¯t get to cry yet! She scolded herself in her mind. Not until you can stand with your own two feet! It was at this moment that a window appeared in front of her, but she ignored it completely as she began to put force into her legs. Slowly, ever so slowly, she rose up off the chair. At first she was using her arms to push herself up, but eventually her weight was transferred onto her legs. Then, she stood there. For what felt like hours, she simply immersed herself in the feeling of standing with her own two legs. Tears rolled down her cheeks as a wave of emotions ran through her. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. After wiping away her tears she focused her eyes and tensed her body. This is it. She thought. This is¡­ my first step¡­ And she lifted her right leg and took a step forward. Suddenly, she lost her balance and fell over onto her side. She felt a bit of pain in her leg, but that only made her grin like a madman as she picked herself up and tried to walk again. She fell over a few more times, but each time she would be more encouraged, more willing to take that one step, and gradually, she was able to walk forward. ¡°Haha¡­ hahaha¡­ HAHAHAHA!¡± Helen laughed loudly while she also cried. Strangely enough, this didn¡¯t feel strange to her, rather, it felt natural. She stayed like that for several minutes, letting out all the emotions she had pent up for seven years inside of her at this one moment. Eventually, she was aware of another presence in the room with her. She turned around to find a beautiful woman with jet black hair and pure white wings who stood silently, staring at her. ¡°Ah! Um¡­ H-hello, nice to m-meet you.*sniff* My name is Helen.¡± She said in a trembling voice as she wiped away her tears. ¡°Hello Helen. Welcome to the world of Felnia. My name is Cim, and I will be your guide in creating your avatar.¡± ¡°Hello Cim. Wait¡­ you¡¯re Cim? The Central Intelligence Manager C.I.M?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ you sure have come a long way.¡± Helen said while Cim looked at her with a blank stare. ¡°Uh, anyway, we¡¯re making my character right?¡± Cim nodded and a mirror appeared in front of Helen. Seeing her reflection, Helen felt like crying all over again. It just didn¡¯t seem real, being able to see herself standing on her own two legs. She held back her tears though as she focused on the task at hand. Cim spoke up as Helen stared at herself. ¡°Here, we will be creating your character. First of all, please select your race.¡± Once she finished talking a window appeared in front of Helen with a list of the races, but Helen disregarded it as she asked, ¡°Which race has the strongest legs?¡± ¡°Those would be either the Beastkin, Dwarves or Draconian races. They generally have more physical strength than other races. ¡± As soon as she heard Draconian, Helen immediately felt attracted to it. Dragons were always her favorite mythical creature, and to play as a dragon (or at least as close to one as possible) was like her personal romance. Hmm¡­ the beast-kin sounds like something Simon would choose. She thought to herself as she asked, ¡°Can I get detail on the Draconian races?¡± ¡°The Draconians are a proud race whose lineage traces to the ancient dragons of old. They are few in number, but are very powerful. Much of their might comes from their strong bodies, while their innate skill [Dragon Breath] allows them to breathe out an element depending on what they are attuned to. Their tough scales allow them to disperse some damage from physical and magical attacks, but they are not very skilled in using magic.¡± ¡°Sounds good! I choose the Draconian race.¡± A window appeared in front of Helen asking her to choose an elemental attunement. Her choices were between Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, Dark, and Void. She stared at them for a moment before asking, ¡°Which elemental attunement gives the best physical boosts?¡± Once she stood up, she realized that she didn¡¯t want to ever feel powerless again. The pain of not being able to move her legs was eating at her for years, and so she decided to have a strong body, so she wouldn¡¯t feel helpless, at least in the game. ¡°The Earth element provides more boosts towards the body.¡± ¡°Okay, Earth it is then.¡± Helen said as she pressed it on the window in front of her. The Helen in the mirror began to change shape to become more muscular, and she also started sprouting dark-brown scales. Her facial features become far rougher and her eyes changed to resemble that of a lizard. She also sprouted curved horns from the corners of her forehead that went around her head. ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s kind of weird seeing my own body so muscular. It¡¯d probably look better if I was a guy¡­ wait. Hey Cim, can I be a guy?¡± *Inside a T.W.O. monitoring room* A man was sitting in front of multiple computer screens, relaxing and eating breakfast, when suddenly a notice was flashing on one of the screens, indicating that Cim was requesting assistance. Clicking on the notice the screen changed to an image of Cim¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Cim? I just barely started working and you have a problem already?¡± He said with a slightly exasperated tone. He got a sudden call from his boss telling him that he was needed to work to monitor the new players from the New Game Plus program. ¡°And it was supposed to be my vacation day too¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°This is to inform you that a player has requested to switch genders.¡± Cim said coolly. ¡°Again!? Haven¡¯t I told you already that if a player requests to switch genders that they can? Geez. This is like, what? The 1000th person to do so?¡± ¡°I have remembered the orders from before sir, but since this player is part of the New Game Plus program they have special treatment and I have not been ordered to treat them the same as regular players.¡± ¡°Ooh, that explains it.¡± The man nodded in understanding. ¡°Well¡­ permission is granted. Also, if the NG+ players ask for similar things, you can let them change genders or whatever.¡± (A/N: I¡¯m lazy. NG+ is fine.) ¡°Understood sir. I will now be closing the line.¡± The Cim on the screen disappeared and the man was left by himself again. ¡°Heh, even disabled people want to change their genders? Guess people just aren¡¯t happy being themselves¡­ Anyway, what was I going to do again? Oh, right. My interesting list. Let¡¯s see what you players have been up to¡­¡± Opening up a few files, he began to read the log which recorded the exploits that the players had performed. He began sipping his drink as he randomly clicked on a player, and read what they had done. *Pbbbbbbbttt* The man did an amazing spit take as he screamed out loud, ¡°SHE SOLOED A BOSS 15 LEVELS ABOVE HER!?!¡± *Back in the character creation room* After learning that she was cleared to change her gender, Helen immediately did so and the figure in the mirror changed again. This time the figure changed into a relatively tall man with a brawny build and dark colored scales. The hair disappeared and his face elongated to look like a snout, while his eyes became far more fierce and cruel. The horns also became a lot larger and looked far heavier than they were before. ¡°Grrr.¡± Helen bared her teeth and the draconian in the mirror also snarled back at her, showing his sharp jagged teeth. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s intimidating.¡± She commented as she began to modify her new character. She made the scales turn into a very dark brown, and changed the shape of the horns so that they curved about halfway around the head and then jutted outwards. She also added a bit of muscle to the rest of the body, just because she felt like it. Finally, she modified the eyes so that the irises were red, and made the teeth just a bit sharper than before. ¡°Haha, Finished!¡± She said as she looked upon her creation with pride. In the end she had created a 6 foot tall, incredibly intimidating draconian. ¡°All right, now for the most important part¡­ the name! Let me think¡­¡± After a bit of contemplation, with random names like Mepleza or Lectus coming up in her head, she eventually settled on the name she normally used for playing male characters. ¡°My name will be¡­ Zeilan!¡± ¡°Are you sure you want that to be your name?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Would you like to go through the tutorial, or jump straight into the game?¡± ¡°Tutorial please. I need to get used to my new body first.¡± ¡°Is that your final decision?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Very well. You will now be transported to the tutorial level. Have a wonderful stay in the world of Felnia.¡± Cim said with a smile. The room began to fade and Helen lost consciousness as well. By the time she woke up, she was in the game...
A/N: Why hello there. Didn''t think I''d actually get around to finishing this chapter today, but I got really hyped from posting my story here and just rolled with it. So... about these "Helen" side stories, they''re going to be a regular thing from now on. Well, once every few chapters or so. Her part of the story will move a bit faster than Simon''s with time skips and other stuff. I hope you guys enjoy Helen''s character as much as I do. I honestly had no idea how to go about making her character when I first started, but all of a sudden this Helen came out. Funny how that works huh? Fun-fact: My and my friend (who sort of acts like my editor) went back and forth with each other trying to come up with a name for Helen''s character for like an hour. Eventually we I settled on Zeilan by force. P.S: I know quite a lot of things in this chapter is similar to Simon''s character creation, but Cim IS an A.I after all. It''s not like she''ll change her way of talking or thought process in a snap. Also, what can I say? The siblings think on a similar wavelength. Chapter 007 - The White Flash Upon opening her eyes, Q was met with the sight of Foria. She took a look around her and found herself in the middle of a large square with 4 paths and various buildings surrounding it. Most of them seemed to be shops and vending booths, but they were all strangely empty. In fact, the entire square was empty. There wasn¡¯t a single person to be found which was incredibly strange. ¡°Well¡­ I should probably look for someone to talk to.¡± Q said to herself as she began to head towards one of the paths in the square. Before she could take three steps though, she heard a horn blowing, and then multiple footsteps approaching. The sounds were coming from the east and the west, so Q headed towards the north area and hid near one of the vending booths. Soon enough, the square was filled with two groups of people. The ones that came from the east looked like a group of body-builders, who were incredibly tall and had bulging muscles all over their bodies. They held large weapons like great-swords or hammers, and looked incredibly imposing. The group from the west looked a lot more tame in comparison, with much slimmer builds and finer clothing than the ones the east group wore. The two groups met in the middle of the square and spread out, and then a representative from each side stepped out and confronted each other in the center of the square. ¡°GUHAHAHA!¡± The representative from the east laughed heartily. ¡°Who would have thought that you Velories actually had the guts to walk out here! I thought that you lot would be trembling in your boots, locked up inside your homes!¡± This comment sent out a wave of laughter through the east group, and once the laughter died down, the west representative began to speak. ¡°Hmph. Is petty insults all you can muster with that small brain of yours? The only reason we¡¯ve come out is to crush you uncultured swine. Soon the Breckdens will be defeated by the might of our magic!¡± The west representative said. The men in the west group sneered and spit towards the east group, eyes brimming with hate. ¡°Hah! We¡¯ll see about that. Men, CHAAAARGE!!!¡± The east representative yelled as the Breckdens pulled out their weapons and ran towards Velories. The Velories also responded by pulling out wands they had hidden beneath their clothing and began reciting spells. Meanwhile, Q watched over the events in the shadow of the booth, watching as the two groups duked it out in a clash of might and magic. At first, it seemed that the Velories had the advantage as they attacked from a range and constantly bombarded the Breckdens with various spells. The air was shaking, and various explosions could be heard as all kinds of magical attacks were flying forward. The spectacle was both impressive and terrifying, as spells ranging from fireballs to lightning strikes struck the Breckdens.The Velories were able to drop a few of them in the barrage, but soon enough a few of the Breckdens were able to break through and got into melee range. From here the battle got far more hectic as the Velories began to deploy mana shields, which were quickly broken under the incredible strength of the Breckdens. ¡°Grr¡­ these damn meat bags are resilient, if nothing else¡­¡± The representative of the Velories said through gritted teeth. He then turned towards the back and began giving out orders to the others. ¡°Squadron one through three, begin casting [Fire Spray]. Squadrons four and five, keep up the mana shields! Don¡¯t let any of these barbarians through!¡± The Breckden representative also gave out orders, although his was a lot more simple. ¡°ATTACK!!!¡± He screamed, and the rest of the Breckdens let out a loud roar as they began to attack with more fervor. Some of their weapons began glowing with power, and the Breckden warriors began to make flashy moves. Some of them brought their warhammers high above their heads and smashed down with great force onto the shields, breaking them instantly, while others began to spin on the spot, using the force to hit many of the Velories shields at once. (A/N: Spin to win) Eventually, the Velories finished preparing their spell, and they fired it all at the same time. *Fwooosh* A large wave of fire swept across the ranks of the Breckdens and caused a lot of damage to them, forcing them to back off for a while. Despite being exhausted, the two sides glared at each other, daring the other side to make a move. Q watched the two sides as sparks flew between them, and just as they seemed to be ready to charge at each other again, they were interrupted. A white light flashed in the center of the square, which immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention. Once the light faded away, it left behind a small girl who seemed to be confused. That¡¯s¡­ another player right? Q thought to herself as she looked at the girl.The biggest impression of this girl would be white, since she had snow white hair and pale skin. Her more noticeable features were her round ears at the top of her head and her long tail which resembled that of a mouse. Suddenly the mouse girl seemed to realize that she was being watched, and as soon as she saw that she was surrounded by two groups of men holding weapons, she froze in place. ¡°Hey,¡± one of the Breckdens spoke out, ¡°What are you doing here girl? This is a battlefield, not a playground for children! Get out of here!¡± But contrary to his demands, upon hearing the man¡¯s voice, she began to tremble and didn¡¯t leave. When the man took a step to her she began to seriously panic, and frantically looked around for an exit. Her eyes darted around the place, and by chance ended up looking at the place where Q was hiding. They locked eyes for a moment, and Q was surprised to find that the mouse girl''s¡¯ eyes were a bright ruby red. After looking at each other for half a second, the mouse girl then scrambled towards Q. Once she reached Q she immediately hid behind her back, still trembling a little, and before Q could say anything the Velories and Breckdens discovered her hiding spot and looked at her with eyes of hostility. One of the Velories stepped forward and said ¡°Ugh¡­ another one? You children should leave. This is a battle between men!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Q had no idea how to respond to the situation, but seeing that the little mouse girl behind her was trembling violently she decided to bring her away from the area at least. ¡°My apologies sir, we¡¯ll take our leave now.¡± She said as she took the hand of the mouse girl and prepared to leave. Before she could even take a step, another light appeared in the center of the square, and then another¡­ and then another. Slowly the square was filled up with bright lights and once they faded away they left behind a diverse multitude of people. They all looked around the area confused, and once they saw that they were surrounded by a bunch of men holding weapons, they began to make a commotion. Hmm¡­ so there¡¯s the other players I guess. Though I wonder why they took so long to pop up? Q wondered. Well I can save that for later. Right now I should probably take this girl to a place where she can calm down. She walked away at a brisk pace while holding the mouse girl¡¯s hand and the two of them made it out of the square. Once they made it a fair distance away from the square, Q heard a small voice behind her. ¡°...nd me.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Q turned around and looked at the mouse girl. ¡°I said, unhand me!¡± The girl suddenly shouted as she yanked her hand away from Q¡¯s. Q raised an eyebrow as she took a closer look at the girl in front of her. The girl was about the same height as Q, with a similar body build as well. She had short white hair with equally white skin, and her facial features were small and delicate. The most noticeable thing though was her current expression. In stark contrast to her previous look of terror, she suddenly looked a lot more prideful and arrogant. ¡°Who gave you permission to casually touch me like that?¡± She said in a haughty tone. ¡°Well, no one but¡­ would you have rather stayed in the square?¡± For a second the mouse girl¡¯s expression paled as it seemed she was imagining that situation. After a few seconds she seemed to regain her composure, though Q noticed that she still had a hint of anxiety in her eyes. ¡°Hmph! I would¡¯ve been fine even without your intervention.¡± ¡°Suuuuure¡­¡± Q said as she rolled her eyes. ¡°Anyway¡­ what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name? I am Madel- er, I mean, I am Brie.¡± Q let out a wry smile as Brie almost let out her real life name. ¡°Well, nice to meet you Brie. My name is Q.¡± Brie furrowed her brows for a bit as she heard Q¡¯s name. ¡°Is that actually your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my in-game name at least.¡± Q shrugged her shoulders. Is it really that surprising to have a name with a single letter? They sound pretty cool to me though. Like the letter J... She was taken out of her thoughts though as Brie began talking again. ¡°I see¡­ Well then Q, I¡¯ll have you assist me in my endeavors.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I have¡­ a special condition. You see, it is-¡± ¡°You have androphobia don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°-...how did you know?¡± Q let out a laugh as she looked at Brie¡¯s surprised face. ¡°It was a bit obvious since you looked absolutely terrified of those guys from earlier.¡± Q said as she remembered Brie¡¯s expression earlier. Well, I probably shouldn¡¯t reveal that I¡¯m a guy in real life then huh? Q thought as she watched Brie¡¯s face turn red. ¡°I¡­ I was not terrified of them! I was just nervous. Anyone would have been nervous in that situation.¡± ¡°Anyone who was nervous wouldn¡¯t have been shaking as much as you did.¡± ¡°That is not true! It was a perfectly normal reaction! I just don¡¯t have a lot of contact with men after all.¡± Q found Brie¡¯s indignant expression interesting, but decided not to tease her about it as it seemed that she might get really angry at this rate. ¡°Heheh. Alright, it was a normal reaction,¡± Q said. ¡°Anyway, what do you want me to help you with?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Brie¡¯s mood quickly went back to normal as she remembered the request she was making earlier. ¡°Yes, I would like for you to escort me while I am in this world.¡± Q raised an eyebrow as she heard the request. ¡°What, you mean join your party or something?¡± ¡°No, I mean you shall be my follower and do as I command.¡± ¡°... And what makes you think I¡¯d accept that request?¡± ¡°Because I say so!¡± ¡°Bye.¡± ¡°No, wait!¡± Brie ran up and grabbed Q¡¯s arm to prevent her from leaving. ¡°What are you doing? I have personally requested for you to be my escort. You should be overjoyed at this opportunity!¡± Q just looked at her with an emotionless face and said ¡°Listen, judging by the way you speak and act, It seems as if you¡¯re some sort of rich lady or something.¡± Brie let out a gasp at this as Q pointed a finger at her and continued to speak. ¡°Even if you¡¯re a bourgeoisie, right now you¡¯re playing a game. Nothing from real life matters here, so if you want someone to help you, you¡¯ll have to ask nicely.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Er-... That...¡± Brie was at a loss for words. She bit her lower lip and seemed to be struggling to say anything. Seeing that Brie had trouble forming words, Q let out a sigh and decided to help her a bit. ¡°Okay, repeat after me. Q, can you please join and help me?¡± Once Brie heard these words, she quickly regained focus and became arrogant again. ¡°I will not lower my head to someone of lower status than me!¡± ¡°We¡¯re all players here Brie.¡± Q started with a patient voice. ¡°There isn¡¯t any difference between our statuses right now. Well, unless you count our stat points. Heh.¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°If we have no further business then I¡¯ll leave.¡± Q said as she turned away. ¡°W-wait! Gr-¡­¡± Brie clenched her teeth as she seemed to be in a huge inner conflict. Eventually, she made up her mind and faced Q with a resolute look on her face. ¡°Q, I request that you escort and assist me.¡± She said with a begrudging voice. Seeing that Brie had finally deigned to ask nicely, Q let out a smile and said ¡°Sure!¡±. She accessed her toolbar and sent Brie a party and friend request. ¡°Oh?¡± Brie let out a sound as she addressed the windows that appeared in front of her. As she was staring at it she began to mumble, and Q could faintly make out her voice. ¡°...a friend¡­ Really? Is it that easy to make friends?¡± ¡°Are you going to accept it or not?¡± ¡°Y-yes! I have indeed accepted your request.¡± Seeing that Brie¡¯s name popped up on her friends and party list, Q nodded and began to walk back in the direction of the square. ¡°Hold on! Where are you going?¡± ¡°Back to the square obviously. There¡¯s some sort of event happening there.¡± ¡°You would willingly go back into that place?¡± ¡°Well yeah. The only reason I came here was to calm you down. Now that you¡¯re all better, we can go back and join the event.¡± Q began walking back towards the square, and Brie could only helplessly follow her. On the way there Brie protested and tried to resist going back, but Q only threatened her by saying that she¡¯d leave her alone here. After that, Brie stopped protesting, but stuck closer to Q as they got closer to the square. Eventually they could hear loud voices arguing over something, and upon hearing the voices Brie tensed herself and clenched her hands. Soon enough they were in view of the square, and upon seeing all the men shouting at each other Brie began to tremble and held onto Q¡¯s clothes. Seeing this, Q let out a dry laugh and patted her head in order to calm her down. Once she could make out what the men were saying, Q brought Brie into one of the abandoned booths and they sat there listening to the argument. ¡°We should eliminate them all! They¡¯re nothing but intruders who should be punished with death!¡± The representative of the Breckdens cried out. ¡°Hmph. Are crass words all you¡¯re capable of speaking? Though, I do have to admit, these intruders must be killed.¡± The representative of the Velories added. ¡°Please sirs, can¡¯t we talk about this? We are strangers to this land and did not intend on interrupting your honorable duel.¡± A voice rang out above the angry voices of the Breckdens and Velories. Looking at the source of the voice, Q saw that there was someone in the crowd of players who seemed to be their representative. It was a tall man who had rough features and wore a long-sword with a slight glow. The man tried to calm down the roaring crowd, but unfortunately he didn¡¯t have much luck as the Breckdens seemed to take it as a challenge and began shouting louder. ¡°Pipe down you brutes!¡± The Velorie representative yelled out. ¡°Your incessant chattering brings pain to my ears!¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Well maybe if we keep yelling your head will explode!¡± The Breckden representative threw out a stupid insult, but it seemed to be effective as the Velorie representative¡¯s face turned red and his wand began crackling with magical energy. Seeing that his insult worked, the Breckden representative grinned and gripped his weapon. The two sides looked ready to fight again which caused the players in the square to start panicking. They just got out of the tutorial, but they might die already! ¡°STOP!¡± No one knew when, but Q climbed on top of the stall and yelled out as loudly as she could. Much to her surprise, this worked as everyone in the square stopped what they were doing and looked at Q. Having this many gazes on her reminded her of an event in the past, but she shrugged it off as she began to talk. ¡°Breckdens and Velories, stop your fighting for a moment and listen!¡± The Breckdens and Velories exchanged glances with each other, shrugged, and readied their weapons once again as they prepared to attack each other. ¡°Ugh. These stupid battle junkies¡­¡± Q muttered to herself. She took in a deep breath and yelled at the top of her lungs, ¡°WE CAN HELP YOU DECIDE WHO¡¯S BETTER!¡± Immediately, this caught the attention of both clans as they refocused their attention on Q. ¡°Speak child,¡± the Velorie representative said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You better not be wasting our time.¡± the Breckden representative growled. Q cleared her throat and began to explain her idea. ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, the Breckden and Velorie houses have been fighting for a long time now right?¡± The representatives and other members nodded at this. ¡°Well you¡¯ve been fighting for so long, but there hasn¡¯t been a victor yet right? In that case both houses are evenly matched and-¡± ¡°NO! The Breckdens are FAR stronger!¡± One of the Breckdens yelled out. ¡°What are you talking about you brute? Obviously we Velories are superior!¡± A Velorie said in response. Just as the two houses began to get rowdy again, Q yelled out ¡°QUIET!!!¡± The two houses quieted down as they paid attention to Q again, though they all looked very agitated. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who¡¯s stronger. You¡¯ve been going at it for years and there hasn¡¯t been a clear victor, so I propose that you get help from¡­ other sources.¡± ¡°We will NOT seek assistance from outsiders!¡± The Velorie representative said. ¡°This fight is between us, and we have never looked for help from others.¡± ¡°I hate to agree with a Velorie, but he¡¯s right.¡± The Breckden representative added. ¡°We¡¯re not so low as to ask for help from others to let us win.¡± Q was getting a little exasperated as the two houses kept interrupting her whenever she tried to speak. She sighed, and once again raised her voice to be heard above the crowd. ¡°Listen up! You¡¯ve all noticed that us ¡®intruders¡¯ aren¡¯t from these lands, and we have no connections or obligations to anyone yet.¡± The two representatives exchanged a look and prompted Q continue. ¡°What I propose is that you two enlist us as extra forces.¡± Seeing that the two representatives were about to argue again, Q quickly went on with her point. ¡°I mean, we will join one of your sides and fight! You can use any method you want to recruit us, and we¡¯ll join your house and fight for you. Not only will it prove your leadership skills, we can also tip the balance in your favor, winning the fight and proving who¡¯s better once and for all! Aren¡¯t you sick of fighting for this long? With our help we can put an end to this conflict and show which side is superior!¡± Q watched the two representatives, reading their expressions. She knew her argument was flimsy but she had a hunch that it was what was needed to advance this event, and soon she was proven right. ¡°Hmm¡­ she has a point.¡± The Velorie representative muttered to himself. ¡°Well, if it can finally prove who¡¯s better¡­¡± The Breckden representative was slowly nodding. The two representatives then looked at each other, nodded, and looked back at Q. ¡°Alright child, we¡¯ll accept your proposition.¡± The Velorie representative said. Suddenly, a window appeared in front of every player in the square. [An Event Has Occurred!] - Through careful convincing, the Breckden and Velorie houses have decided to begin recruiting fighters to their cause! Players may join a side and help end their conflict. For one week both sides will recruit and train players for the upcoming battle. Rewards depend on player contribution, and whether their side will win the battle. While all players were reading this window, Q saw a few more windows appear in front of her. [You have set events into motion, granting you additional rewards.] [New Stat Unlocked - Leadership] [New Title] - (Leader) The confident and commanding aura you possess inspires others to follow you. Effects when equipped: 5% increase to Leadership stat. [New Skill] - Silver Tongue (Passive) Increases chance to convince others to listen to your words. [Stats gained] [Fame Gained] ¡°Heh, awesome.¡± Q said as she jumped down from the booth and waited for the people approaching her.
A/N: Why hello there. As you''re reading this fiction I''d like to point out something. Some of you might think that the way the event advanced was kind of weird and forced, and I''d have to agree. But I would like to remind everyone that this IS a game after all, and sometimes events are forced no matter what. Q simply gave them an excuse to start it (lol). Oh, and there''s also the ''thing'' about my "information-boxes". Personally I think that having too much information just makes the story tedious and takes away from the immersion, especially if I had given a prompt for every little thing like gaining a single stat or experience. Since that sounds lame, I just organized the boxes to appear after a fight is over, and I don''t really go into detail on the items gained or the skills used. If the item is particularly important, I''ll have the characters briefly talk about it or actually have it show up in it''s own box. Likewise for skills. I think that they''re pretty self-explanatory, but if there''s some sort of complicated mechanic with it (like Q''s ''Heartless'' title) then I''ll describe it in detail. In conclusion, I''m leaving the boxes as they are. Also, just realized this is a really long author note. ANYWAY, thanks for reading :) Fun-fact: Brie''s character was just supposed to be a timid mouse-girl, but that was boring. P.S: I know that there are a lot of strange things that aren''t explained in detail, like Q''s "time slow" or the bulk of the players appearing randomly. This is all foreshadowing, and I swear that it''ll be explained in the future... the far-future... where you''ll forget about them in the first place. Chapter 008 - Picking Sides Once Q jumped down from the booth, a small crowd of people approached her. This consisted of the Breckden representative, the Velorie representative and the player with the long-sword who was trying to calm down the crowd earlier. All three of these people were followed by a few others, most likely their trusted subordinates. The first to speak was the Breckden representative who stood towering above Q. ¡°Well little fox, I didn¡¯t think that we¡¯d be solving our fight this way.¡± Q simply shrugged as she looked at the crowd. It seemed that the players were being swarmed with both Breckdens and Velories attempting to recruit them into their ranks. Her attention was diverted from the crowd when the Velorie representative began to speak as well. ¡°I suppose I should thank you for finding a solution to our dispute. Though remember this!¡± He said as he raised his nose in the air and pointed a finger at Q. ¡°We definitely do not need your help! We could have taken on both you intruders and these barbarians without any problem.¡± ¡°What was that!?¡± The Breckden representative angrily shouted. ¡°You were the first one to agree to allowing these outsiders to help! Obviously because you know that your puny magicians can¡¯t stand up to the might of the Breckdens!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The Velorie representative suddenly brought out his wand and began to charge a spell. Likewise, the Breckden representative brought out his heavy war-hammer and locked eyes with the Velorie representative. Q rolled her eyes and sighed as she watched the sparks fly between them, and addressed the other person who came along with these two. ¡°So, what are you here for?¡± Q asked nonchalantly. For a moment, the man seemed a bit bewildered, but quickly regained his wits. ¡°Ah, my apologies, Miss¡­¡± He trailed off his words as looked at Q for clarification. ¡°The name¡¯s Q.¡± She said as she stuck out her hand. ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Miss Q. Uh, is that spelt K-Y-U or is it...¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the letter Q.¡± She replied as the man shook her hand and introduced himself. ¡°I am Sir Albert Welfring the Third, at your service.¡± He said, and then proceeded to bow. Q almost let out a laugh at the display, but decided to play along instead. ¡°Rise, Sir Albert.¡± She commanded, and Albert twitched for a moment before straightening his body and dutifully looking at Q with a perfect salute. Q smiled and said ¡°At ease, sir.¡± to which Albert relaxed his body and wore a satisfied smile on his face. ¡°What is your purpose in coming here, Sir Albert?¡± Q said with a strangely haughty attitude. ¡°Miss Q, I have come here to express my deepest respect for the way you handled that situation. Me and my comrades here,¡± he indicated his followers, ¡°Had attempted to control the situation, but to no avail. Yet your awe-inspiring words and imposing figure had filled us with courage and determination.¡± Albert said with shining eyes. ¡°Oh, you give me too much credit good sir. I¡¯m sure that a man of your stature would have been able to easily quell the ranks of such unruly men with enough time.¡± ¡°Not at all. It was your fiery figure that burned in the shining sun which captured the eyes of the men, and caused our attention to shift towards you.¡± Albert said, as he continued to compliment her. My fiery figure¡­? Oh! My hair! Q suddenly realized why she had caught everyone¡¯s attention. Well I did set my hair color to look like fire, but I didn¡¯t actually think it¡¯d look like fire. She looked back towards Albert as she continued to speak. ¡°Well, I thank you for the kind compliments, Sir Albert.¡± ¡°Not at all Miss Q, especially when you are so deserving of it.¡± ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m sure a warrior like you deserves it more. Oh, on the subject of being a warrior, how did you obtain that wonderful blade?¡± Once she mentioned the sword, Albert¡¯s eyes suddenly gave off a manic gleam as he pulled it out and began gushing all the details about it. ¡°Ah, you see this wonderful sword was obtained in the depths of a dark and gloomy dungeon. Let me tell you all about it!¡± He began. Once he began to explain, Q noticed that his companions in the back wore tired smiles as if they knew what was coming next. ¡°When I had woken up in this world, I found myself in a dark room. Runic writings lined the walls, and taught me what information was required to survive. I got up to explore the immediate vicinity, and found myself within an ancient building, with darkness surrounding me, save for a torch I could see in the distance¡­¡± As he continued to talk, Q gradually began to smile seeing his excitement. ¡°... and so after beating down those vile rodents, I had found a skeleton! Embedded within its rib cage was this very blade you see here. As you can see, the exquisite workmanship on the hilt and handle truly add to the charm of this blade. And the blade itself is¡­¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Q let out a little chuckle as Albert got heated up in his story. ¡°... but I had slain the skeleton just as easily as it had risen! Of course, it was no problem for me, as my sword skills were far superior to the skeleton¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Hehe... hahaha... AHAHAHA! I¡¯m sorry¡­ I just can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t keep this up much longer.¡± Q said while barely containing her laughter. Hearing her childish laugh, Albert let out a wry smile as he continued to speak. ¡°I understand. Not many people are able to keep up with the rigors of maintaining a... certain attitude.¡± ¡°Haha, no problem. I used to play D&D with my little sister and friends so I¡¯m kind of used to it, though I don¡¯t think we ever got as into it as you are.¡± Albert¡¯s eyes instantly brightened once he saw that he had found a comrade in Q. In the blink of an eye, he began making rapid gestures with his hands and a window appeared in front of Q. [Sir Albert Welfring the Third would like to register you as a friend. Do you accept? (YES/NO)] Q let out a faint smile as she accepted the request, putting another strange person into her friend list. ¡°So anyway Albert, what did you come to me for? Shouldn¡¯t you be deciding which side to join instead of talking to me?¡± Albert shook his head as he began to explain. ¡°Actually, me and my comrades here have already decided on which house to assist, we only came here in hopes of recruiting you to join our cause.¡± Q looked over at Sir Albert¡¯s motley crew, finding that the large majority of them were men with simple swords and daggers. She gave a quick glance to the little mouse who was currently peeking out from the booth. When they met eyes she quickly ducked back down under, eliciting a small chuckle from Q. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but no thanks as well. I already have a traveling companion of my own, so I¡¯ll have to decline.¡± ¡°I see. Well, perhaps if fate allows it we shall cross paths again?¡± Albert said with a slightly dejected face. ¡°We¡¯ll see in the future. Well, that and we can just message each other using the messaging system.¡± ¡°True enough. Well, I would not want to impose upon you any longer. May we meet again!¡± Albert said as he returned to his friends. What a swell guy. Q thought as she watched him leave. It was at this moment that the previous two representatives seemed to end their staring contest and paid attention to Q again. She turned to them and saw that they both looked a little bit ruffled, probably because they fought a bit without her noticing. Before either of them could say anything, Q preemptively greeted the two. ¡°Greetings house leaders, may I have your names?¡± She asked politely. The two men exchanged a look and proceeded to introduce themselves. ¡°I am Cadby Breckden! Head of the Breckden clan, the rightful rulers of this land!¡± The large man boasted. ¡°I am the great magician Malcolm Velorie,¡± the well-dressed man said as he gave a bow. ¡°Head of the Velorie house, the TRUE rulers of this land.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Cadby narrowed his eyes and seemed raring to go for another fight. Though Malcolm didn¡¯t say anything, Q noticed that his wand in his hand began to give off a slight glow. Letting out yet another sigh, Q decided to intervene before they got into another fight. ¡°So was this anything important or did you two just want to show off in front of a kid?¡± The two men stopped glaring at each other and looked a little embarrassed. Malcolm was the first to speak as he approached Q and looked her in the eye. ¡°You¡­ ¡®outsiders¡¯ seem to have quite the talent for magic. More than half of you seem to have knowledge of one spell or another, and being a mage myself I am inviting all magic users to join my house.¡± Malcolm explained. ¡°Yeah, but why would you join these flimsy mages when you could join my strong warriors?¡± Cadby added. ¡°Why have brawn when you have no brains to use it?¡± Malcolm said with a look of disdain. ¡°Why have brains when you have¡­ uhh¡­ you guys are stupid!¡± Unable to come up with a comeback, Cadby let out a lame insult and glared at Malcolm with hostile eyes. Seeing that the two were ready to fight again Q rolled her eyes and left the area, hoping to stay out of their upcoming fight. On the way she grabbed Brie who was still hiding in the booth, and they both quickly left the area. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Once the pair had gone far enough from the crowd, Brie immediately retracted her hand and began complaining again. ¡°Y - you! I have warned you not to touch me so casually!¡± Ignoring her words, Q continued to walk forward and began talking. ¡°So¡­ which side do you think we should join? To be honest I¡¯d like to join up with the Velories but since we¡¯re partying together I figured that I should get your opinion on the matter first.¡± ¡°H-hold on!¡± Brie cried as she caught up with Q. ¡°And what do you mean join a side? You would willingly ally yourself with those men?¡± Q stopped walking as she turned to look at Brie. ¡°Well obviously I¡¯d ally myself with them. If you¡¯ve forgotten, this is a game and we need to get stronger in order to do anything significant. I mean, we don¡¯t even have a class yet. We won¡¯t be able to deal with any monsters if we don¡¯t get stronger¡­ Actually that reminds me, people can be crafters right? I guess they don¡¯t have to fight all that much¡­¡± As Q began to mutter to herself, Brie simply gave her a strange look. For Brie who had next to no interactions with men, the idea of working together with them scared her. Despite this, she was still a prideful girl and would never admit that, so she was stuck in quite a dilemma. On one hand, she did believe that they should get stronger, but on the other hand she definitely didn¡¯t want to get involved with men. As she watched the muttering Q and was debating on what to do, a soft voice rang out from behind them. ¡°U-um¡­ excuse me¡­¡± The two of them turned around and found a young girl who appeared to be around 16 years old with long locks of black hair that covered her eyes. ¡°Are you two¡­ could you¡­ I mean¡­¡± Suddenly she crouched down and held her head as she began talking to herself. ¡°Oh¡­ I can¡¯t even talk to people properly. Why did mother send me out to do this?¡± Q saw the girl¡¯s figure and was immediately reminded of how Brie was just a few moments earlier. Laughing in her head, she approached the girl and crouched down, looking at her eye-to-eye. ¡°Hello miss. What is it that you¡¯d like to ask?¡± Q said gently as she let out a smile. This appeared to calm down the girl a bit as she began to talk. ¡°Ah, um¡­ Would you two like to¡­ Er, could you follow me? My mother would explain this much better.¡± Q turned to look at Brie, and seeing that she didn¡¯t have any comments she answered the girl. ¡°Sure, we¡¯d be glad to follow you.¡± Hearing this, the girl let out a bright smile as she led the two into one of the alleyways. They took a few turns here and there, and finally ended up in front of a large house. It had the design of a western-style house and as they approached the house it had slight signs of decay. Taking a quick look at the window it was dusty, and the inside of the house seemed empty. Just as Q was about to ask where this place was, the girl beckoned them over to a large cellar door which was slightly hidden by bushes and leaves. Q and Brie exchanged a look, then descended into the cellar. The girl followed behind them and closed the doors, drowning them in darkness, but the bottom of the cellar suddenly lit up as a hooded person holding a torch appeared. ¡°Welcome back Lily, are these two are new recruits?¡± ¡°Uh, they¡¯re uh¡­ maybe?¡± Lily didn¡¯t seem sure as to what to say which caused the hooded person to sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t explain to them what they were getting into.¡± ¡°I¡­ I thought that my mother would be better at explaining it.¡± Lily said with a quiet voice. Letting out another sigh, the hooded person beckoned the three of them towards her. ¡°Come this way you two. Our leaders will explain the situation to you. As for you Lily, go wait in the hallway. I¡¯m coming back and giving you a good lecture you hear?¡± ¡°No Sheila! Please! Your lectures are so long and boring!¡± ¡°What was that!?¡± ¡°Nothing! I¡¯ll go now.¡± Lily bowed to Q and Brie as she headed off into another direction. ¡°All right, follow me.¡± Said the hooded person as she led them through the cellar. Q was quite excited at the developments going on. Could it be that they had stumbled upon a hidden faction? If that was the case then they were very lucky. On the other hand, Brie was quite nervous as she faintly recalled a similar situation in the past. She got even closer to Q as they continued to go through the cellar. Eventually, the three of them reached a large door and the hooded person opened it. A bright light shone out from the room and temporarily blinded Q and Brie. Once their eyes became adjusted, the hooded person guided them through and what they saw surprised them. Inside the room was a large group of girls, all talking, sipping tea, and doing other miscellaneous activities. The walls were made of granite and the floor was covered in hardwood. All sorts of decorative items laying about, such as ornaments or rugs. Looking up, Q realized that the source of light came from a large dome of glass which made up a large part of the ceiling. At the center of the room two women were talking, and their eyes focused on the newcomers as they approached. ¡°Welcome, travelers.¡± The woman who spoke first had long voluminous hair, which was shockingly blue! She was dressed up in a frilly dress and sipped tea as she looked at the two of them. ¡°I am Sharon Velorie, one of the two heads of the Velorie house.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Malcolm¡¯s wife then. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Q bowed. ¡°My name is Q, and this is my companion Brie.¡± ¡°My, what a polite child.¡± Sharon responded with a giggle. ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t forget about me!¡± The other woman stood up and faced Q. She had short brown hair and wore rough clothing, giving her an impression much like a warrior. Her build was a bit bulkier than average, and she wore a wolfish grin on her face. ¡°I¡¯m Marilyn Breckden, the other leader of the Breckden house.¡± she said as she reached out to shake hands with Q. ¡°Hold on a second,¡± Q interrupted. ¡°Aren¡¯t the Velories and Breckdens supposed to be fighting each other? How come you two are on good terms?¡± Hearing this, the two women exchanged looks, then let out loud laughs which caught the attention of the other girls around the room. Once they had finished laughing, Sharon quickly answered Q¡¯s question. ¡°Well, the answer to that is quite simple you see. Our husbands are indeed at odds with each other, always fighting to see who¡¯s superior, but me and Marilyn grew tired of their constant fighting every day. After debating between ourselves, we just decided to leave them to fight each other and instead gather here, where we could peacefully chat and exchange pleasantries.¡± ¡°That is... not what I expected at all.¡± Brie spoke out. The focus of the conversation shifted to her as she continued talking. ¡°Surely you two have some sort of enmity with each other. I would not expect this dispute between your families to last for so long if you did not.¡± Sharon let out a slight laugh at this as she replied. ¡°Well, I can tell you the whole story but it would take a while. But before we get into that, are you two willing to join our little group here?¡± ¡°Sounds interesting,¡± Q said. ¡°but what is your group and what do you do?¡± Marilyn spoke up as she explained, ¡°We¡¯re known as the Prim Roses. I know, names a bit sissy but it fits well. As for what we do, basically what you¡¯re seeing right now. We girls just gather around and don¡¯t really get involved in the conflict between the houses. So how about it?¡± She continued, ¡°Do you want to join?¡± A sudden message appeared in front of Q and Brie. [Notice] - You are now able to join the hidden faction of Foria: The Prim Roses. Note: Available only to female players. ¡°One moment please.¡± Brie quickly replied as she pulled Q over to the side. ¡°Do you want to join? Because I would like to join this group.¡± ¡°I expected as much.¡± Q said with a grin. ¡°I mean with the other groups consisting of muscleheads and vainglories, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to join them. Well, not to mention that they¡¯re mainly filled with men.¡± At the last sentence, Brie nodded her head and then they both turned to the leaders and said ¡°¡°We would be honored to join your group.¡± ...Jinx!¡± Brie gave Q a strange look as a window appeared in front of them. [You have joined a group!] - You have now joined The Prim Roses. You may now take on exclusive quests and grow stronger by assisting your group in whatever they need. Prim Roses influence: 1%
A/N: Hello all. Well, I don''t have much to say this chapter but if you have any questions regarding the story then feel free to send me a message or write in the comments below. I''ll be happy to answer any questions you have. Fun-fact: Q and Brie were supposed to enter the Velorie''s side. Chapter 009 - Professions and Fetch Quests ¡°Would you kindly remind me why we are doing this? Ouch!¡± Brie cried out as she pricked her finger with a needle. ¡°Obviously, because it¡¯s fun. Ow.¡± Q responded as she also pricked her finger. Wow, my HP is actually going down from this. She observed as she continued to listen to Brie¡¯s complaints. ¡°How does -ouch! How does inflicting pain upon oneself count as fun?¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s not the pain that¡¯s fun, but it¡¯s the process of learning new things. I¡¯ve never tried to sew things in my life before so doing this is fun for me. Also, we get to learn the tailoring profession so that¡¯s a nice bonus.¡± The two of them were currently trying to create a simple pouch using some cloth and a needle and a thread. In the game, craftsmanship required the player to do things manually, but the system would assist players by making small glowing spots which indicated where the players should stick the needle in. This ¡®guidance¡¯ also applied to other professions, but if a player felt confident in their skills they could disable it. While the two of them were poking themselves, a young girl approached them. ¡°Um¡­ you should hold the needle a bit more gently¡­ and then ease it into the fabric rather than forcing it in. You¡¯ll probably poke yourself less.¡± Q looked over at the girl who approached and it turned out to be Lily, the one who brought them here in the first place. ¡°Hey Lily,¡± Q greeted her with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s up? Did that girl finally stop lecturing you?¡± She asked as she tried doing what Lily suggested. (A/N: Disclaimer, I know nothing about sewing.) ¡°Oh um¡­ eheh, no. I ran away when I got the opportunity.¡± Lily answered with a bashful face. Q raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. I thought you were the kind of person who¡¯d just quietly listen if someone lectures you.¡± ¡°Well normally yes,¡± Lily began, ¡°But Sheila¡¯s lectures are so boring! Honor this, responsibility that, all she ever talks about is maintaining good grace and glory. Sometimes she even forgets about what she was lecturing me about in the first place and just goes on and on talking about prestige and other things.¡± ¡°Wow. She sounds like a Velorie.¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s because she is a Velorie. Oh! That reminds me, I forgot to introduce myself.¡± Lily straightened her clothes and smiled. ¡°I am Lily Breckden, daughter of Cadby and Marilyn Breckden.¡± She said with a small curtsy. Suddenly, a voice growled behind Lily. ¡°I¡¯m Sheila Velorie, daughter of Malcolm and Sharon Velorie.¡± The hooded figure from before introduced herself as she grabbed the collar of Lily who was about to run away. Her hood was off now so Q could see her features more clearly. Her face resembled a younger version of Sharon''s¡¯, and her hair appeared to be black, but was actually a dark shade of blue. Her face scrunched up in displeasure as she spoke to Lily. ¡°So you don¡¯t like my lectures huh?¡± Sheila said in a threatening tone. ¡°N-no Sheila! I never said that! I like them, I do!¡± ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case then i¡¯ll treat you to my extra long 3 hour lecture on proper manners and etiquette.¡± ¡°Nooooo! Mercy please!¡± Lily was in tears now, knowing that she would be subjected to a 3 hour long lecture. While Lily lamented her situation, Sheila addressed Q. ¡°You¡¯re free to join us if you want.¡± She offered. Q let out a cramped smile as she politely refused, and watched as Sheila shrugged and dragged away the depressed Lily. ¡°What an interesting pair.¡± Q said out loud as she continued to work on her pouch. Brie watched the entire exchange between the three, and finally spoke up. ¡°How¡­ how do you talk to people so naturally?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Q asked with a confused look on her face. ¡°I mean, they were complete strangers just a few hours ago, but now you are conversing with them as if you have been friends for a long time. How do you do that?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ well it¡¯s not like I do anything special. Talking just happens naturally as long as you¡¯re willing to start up a conversation¡­ which makes me wonder, are you bad at starting a conversation?¡± ¡°Wha-¡± Brie¡¯s face went red as she was temporarily at a loss for words. ¡°It seems like it. Considering how strangely arrogant you were when we met, you¡¯ve probably taken on that attitude when trying to talk to others for the first time huh? Not only that, but you¡¯re scared of guys so you flat out don''t talk to them. It¡¯s no wonder you can¡¯t start up a decent conversation. You probably scare away people with your domineering attitude, or just don''t say anything at all.¡± As Q accurately deduced her situation, Brie sat there opening and closing her mouth like a fish, not knowing what to say. She stayed in this state for a while until Q shouted out ¡°YES! Finally finished!¡± *Successfully Created* [Simple Pouch (Bag, Common)] - A small pouch which can store small objects. Adds 1 slot of inventory if equipped. Q happily picked up her pouch and showed it to the old woman who gave them the supplies and instructions on how to make the pouch in the first place. ¡°Here you go Mrs. Lafleur, I finished making the pouch.¡± She said with a proud expression on her face. Mrs. Lafleur took the pouch and examined it closely. ¡°Hmm¡­ it looks a bit shoddy where you first started sewing it, but improved over time¡­ Yes, not bad at all. With this, you can be considered to have taken your first step on the path of a tailor.¡± She said with a smile. ¡°Here, take these. It¡¯ll be good for practice as you start making things.¡± Mrs. Lafleur handed over a bunch of items and Q thanked her as she watched windows appear in front of her. [Quest Complete!] - Introduction to Tailoring Obtained Rewards: [Simple Pouch (Bag, Common)] [Beginner¡¯s Tailoring Kit] [5x pieces of Linen Cloth] [5x pieces of Rough String] [Tailoring Profession] [New Profession] - Tailoring [You have unlocked a new profession!] - As this is your first profession, it is automatically equipped. Training in this profession will allow you to create more powerful and complex things. You may obtain and use more than one profession at any point in time, but be warned that only your equipped profession will progress and receive experience (Professions can be changed at any time through the character menu). Q let out a whoop as she read the message. ¡°Woohoo! Mission complete. How are you doing over there Brie?¡± She turned over to look at Brie who had somehow managed to pull herself together and finished making the pouch. Brie handed over the pouch without saying a word and Mrs. Lafleur evaluated it. ¡°Hmm¡­ it looks pretty shoddy, but not bad for your first try. With this, you have taken your first step on the path of a tailor.¡± She smiled. ¡°Here, take these. It¡¯ll be good for practice as you start making things.¡± Q grinned as she heard Mrs. Lafleur repeat essentially the exact same things she told her earlier. Well, no matter how life-like these people are, it¡¯s still a game after all. Brie walked over to Q after receiving her items, and gave her an inquisitive look. ¡°What?¡± Q asked, wondering what she did to get such a look. ¡°Oh, it is nothing¡­ I was simply wondering why you know so much about me. We have only met today, and yet you understand me better than my parents do. It is very curious¡­¡± Well¡­ she just dropped a bombshell. Q thought to herself, but she dodged around it as she responded to Brie¡¯s comment. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ ever since I was small I¡¯ve always been observing things, people included. Overtime it just became a habit for me to analyze someone¡¯s personality, and after a while I got pretty good at it. Besides, you make it pretty obvious that you¡¯re a troubled noble girl with no friends.¡± ¡°Wha-, I- I am not-¡± Brie was stammering as it seemed that Q had hit the nail on the head. ¡°ANYWAY, let¡¯s see what other professions we can learn here.¡± Q said, swiftly retreating from Brie whose face was bright red. ¡°I-I-I will not stand for that insult! Get back here!¡± She yelled as she ran after Q who let out a hearty laugh. Brie chased her around for a good 5 minutes while the rest of the girls in the area watched with interest. Eventually Brie began to tire out and she finally stopped chasing Q. Brie heard a sound and looked up to find a window which indicated that she gained a point in agility. Letting out a defeated smile she slowly made her way over to Q, who didn¡¯t seem tired at all. ¡°How¡­ *huff* how are you so fast?¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re chased around by an angry wolf in a forest for half an hour, you¡¯re bound to to get faster somehow. Anyway, let¡¯s find someone else with a quest, and hopefully get away from these stares¡­¡± Q said as she looked around the room. When she made eye-contact with any of the girls they would look away and start whispering to themselves. Straightening their clothes, they went off in search for another quest. Eventually the two found a woman in the kitchen area who asked them to procure some ingredients for dinner. ¡°You can find these ingredients in the field or forest outside of town, but be careful if you¡¯re heading into the forest. The wild boars are found in there and they¡¯re rather dangerous.¡± In exchange for the ingredients she would teach the two to cook, so they both agreed and set off to the outside of town. [New Quest!] - Gather Ingredients Items Required: [10x Spotted Mushroom] [5x Rabbit meat] [3x Altona fruit] Optional Item(s): [Boar meat] Failure Condition: [Fail to return with the ingredients by dinner time] Rewards: [Cooking Profession] On the way outside the town, Q and Brie passed by a few Breckden and Velorie recruiters still hanging around the area, but mysteriously none of them approached the two. It¡¯s probably because they recognize that we¡¯re part of the Prim Roses already¡­ Q thought as they made their way outside. Once they stepped out of the gates (after being directed there by some of the recruiters), they stopped walking and looked at the view. In front of the two was a vast open field that was filled with life. All sorts of wild animals were running to and fro, happily frolicking about, and all kinds of plant life unfamiliar to the two dotted the area. A cool breeze swept through the field, making the grass sway softly, while the sun shone down upon this picturesque field. The most eye-catching part of the field though, was the players who were currently annihilating the wildlife. The small creatures wouldn¡¯t attack the players of their own volition, but the players mercilessly slashed at them, fired off spells and shot arrows, tormenting the poor little creatures. Thankfully the game hadn¡¯t implemented any gore, otherwise this scene would¡¯ve turned R-rated. The plants weren¡¯t safe either, as the players mobbed the bushes with berries and picked them clean. Others were climbing up trees and violently yanking the fruit off the branches, while a fight broke out between two groups both trying to claim territory over the field. There was even one player slowly and methodically picking up the grass from the ground, chuckling to themselves¡­ ¡°Haha! I got a rabbit¡¯s paw to drop!¡± ¡°No way! I¡¯ve killed 20 of them and still haven¡¯t gotten one yet!¡± ¡°Hey, I found this gathering spot first! Go find your own scrub.¡± ¡°What did you just call me!?¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ these idiots don¡¯t know the worth of these grasses¡­ heheheh¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ find a different area, okay?¡± Q said with a troubled tone. Brie simply nodded, and the two of them walked along the path, avoiding the players and their chaotic mess. Leaving the grisly scene behind them, the two walked in silence for a while until Q broke it as she asked a question. ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s your play-style?¡± ¡°Play-style?¡± Brie responded, not understanding the question. ¡°Yeah, basically how you fight or deal with situations.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ well I fight with a sword. Ah, to be more accurate I use an ¨¦p¨¦e in real life, but here I use this short sword.¡± She said as she began making gestures in the air and pulled out a thin short sword (though with her size, it seemed more like a normal length sword). She made a pose and let out a few thrusts into the space in front of her. ¡°Wow, you do fencing?¡± Q looked at her with an amazed face. Brie nodded as she put the sword back into her inventory. ¡°Hold on, why did you put your sword back?¡± Q said with a confused look on her face. ¡°Obviously because I need to keep my weapon in prime condition. If not in use, it will be put away until needed. Besides, I do not walk around with my weapon out. That is simply strange.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Heh.¡± Q let out a chuckle. ¡°Well you better walk around with it out this time, because we¡¯re going to head into that forest.¡± She said, indicating the vast expanse of trees in front of them. ¡°You¡¯ll need to keep your weapon out in case we come across any enemies.¡± ¡°Why are you so sure that there will be enemies in the forest? If anything I believe the wildlife would try to avoid us.¡± ¡°Hey, this is common sense in video games! Forest = monsters. Plain and simple. Wait¡­¡± Q had a sudden realization. A troubled noble girl from a strict family¡­ she thought, and to confirm her suspicions she asked, ¡°Have you never played any video games before?¡± ¡°No. Father believes that they are time-wasting and unnecessary to my education.¡± ¡°Ooooooh. That explains a lot. Kind of. Then why are you playing T.W.O?¡± ¡°Father owns some stock in the Dimen company so he got a complementary unit for free. Neither he nor mother was interested in using it, so they gave it to me as a reward for placing first in the recent fencing competition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡± Q nodded. ¡°By the way, since you¡¯re new to online games, here¡¯s a tip. You don¡¯t talk about real life in online games. Revealing your personal information could potentially lead to someone tracking you down and finding out where you live, and some other fun stuff.¡± Q watched with a small smile as Brie¡¯s expression slowly morphed into a look of horror. Brie looked at Q with wide eyes and took a step back. ¡°Y- you would not d- dare to find out where I live w- would you!?¡± Brie stammered. ¡°Hahaha! Man your expressions are hilarious. Calm down, I¡¯m not going to do anything.¡± ¡°Mhhh¡­¡± After taking a few minutes to calm her down, Q eventually got Brie to stop being so cautious as they began to make their way through the forest. Contrary to Brie¡¯s earlier thoughts, the forest seemed to be full of life as they heard all kinds of animal cries everywhere. Birds were singing, and flowers were blooming, creating a beautiful harmonious image. The air was thick with the scent of wildlife, giving the entire area a strong feeling of nature and life. Eventually, their leisurely stroll ended once they came across a certain creature. [White Rabbit] - Level 3 ¡°IT¡¯S SO FLUFFY!!!¡± Q screamed as she dived at the rabbit. This evoked a bit of d¨¦j¨¤ vu from her as she faintly remembered a previous event, but this time things were different with her increased stats. Approaching like a flaming meteor, the rabbit had no chance to escape as it was quickly caught by Q and cradled tightly in her arms. ¡°Yessssss. It¡¯s as soft as it looks!¡± Q exclaimed as she began rubbing her cheek on it. Brie watched her, dumbfounded as the rabbit began to panic. It tried to struggle out of Q¡¯s arms, but that only caused her to tighten her hold, almost choking the rabbit in the process. A slightly depleted health bar appeared over the rabbit¡¯s head, indicating that she had actually hurt it. Panicking, the rabbit began to bite Q, slowly dealing damage to her. ¡°Umm¡­ are you okay?¡± Brie said while approaching slowly. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m perfectly fine. Why?¡± Q said as a string of red numbers appeared above her head. ¡°Well¡­ that rabbit is hurting you, is it not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hurting me. It¡¯s just giving me playful nibbles. Isn¡¯t that right you precious little rascal?¡± *Squeak* *Squeak* The rabbit began biting even harder, but Q¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all as she continued to caress the rabbit. Brie was thinking about letting her stay like that, but she noticed that Q¡¯s health bar was dwindling down to half so she decided to remind her of their purpose there. ¡°Ummm¡­ Q, If I am not mistaken, we need to eliminate the rabbit for our ¡®quest¡¯ correct?¡± Hearing Brie¡¯s words, Q froze up for a second, but then only hugged the rabbit tighter, further inciting squeals and dealing damage to the rabbit. ¡°NO! I mean¡­ I can¡¯t just¡­ I can¡¯t!¡± Q was torn between completing the mission and caressing the rabbit (till death). On one hand, there was the cooking profession but on the other hand, there was a rabbit. Q continued to debate in her mind when all of a sudden she heard a soft squeal. Looking down at the rabbit in her arms it turned out that she had suffocated it and caused the rabbit to faint. Looking sadly at the rabbit, and then at the troubled Brie, she made her decision. She slowly passed over the rabbit to Brie and then turned around and said ¡°Please¡­ end it quickly. I can¡¯t bear to watch this.¡± With a slightly somber expression, Brie took the rabbit and went behind a tree out of sight. Soon she returned and a few windows appeared in front of Q. [Gained Experience] [Items Received] [New Title] - (Friend of the Cute and Cuddly) Your love of small animals has been shown, and so small animals will love you (maybe). Effects when equipped: Small chance of small-sized mobs to be friendly towards you. Seeing the title, Q immediately equipped it on display title section, replacing the Leader title which had been there before. After all, who wants to lead people when you can have small adorable animals be friendly to you? I MUST MAKE ANIMAL FRIENDS! She thought in her mind, as Brie approached her with a concerned face. ¡°Are you sure that you are fine?¡± Brie began. ¡°You seem quite shaken at the moment.¡± Q laughed weakly. ¡°Ha¡­ ha¡­ what about you? You seem perfectly fine killing such an adorable creature.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve hunted animals before in real life, so I have already gotten used to it.¡± Q could only let out a defeated laugh as she decided to formulate a simple plan for the two. Brie would hunt rabbits (out of Q¡¯s sight) while Q would gather the other ingredients. As the two would continue walking around the forest, occasionally they would spot a few spotted mushrooms bunched up together, or an Altona fruit which looked like a mix between a melon and an apple. Every so often they would encounter a small rabbit, and Brie was almost forced to physically restrain Q from jumping at it and caressing it. A few quick thrusts killed the rabbit, eliciting a few cries from it. When Q heard these cries, she dug her nails into the tree she was leaning on and felt like she was crying out tears of blood. I¡¯m sorry my fluffy friends¡­ but this is necessary! She apologized silently in her mind as Brie came back to find her all depressed. In this fashion the two of them were able to complete the requirements for the quest but unfortunately they weren¡¯t able to find a boar. With nothing else to do, they began heading back towards the town, but suddenly they heard a loud shout nearby. ¡°Get back here!!!¡± Both girls turned towards the direction of the voice, and opened their eyes wide in surprise. A 2-meter large boar was charging towards them! Panicking, Q and Brie dived to the sides of the boar¡¯s path, and were able to successfully avoid it. As the boar ran by Q noticed that there was a knife stuck in it¡¯s butt, which was probably the cause of its rampage. She didn¡¯t have much time to study it though, as they were suddenly approached by a person. A human girl with short purple hair stopped in front of the two, looking slightly out of breath. She was a head taller than Q and had a slightly-built body, with a bit of extra emphasis on her chest area. Her violet eyes locked onto Q and Brie, and after half a second she grabbed onto both of their arms. ¡°Help me kill this boar!¡± She said as she began dragging them with her.
Player Name: QRace: Fox-Kin
Display Title: Friend of the Cute and CuddlyNon-Display Title: Heartless
Class: N/AProfession: Tailor (Beginner)
Level: 9Fame: 0
Health: 240/240Mana: 195/195
Strength: 17 (+2)Vitality: 15
Defense: 14 (+10)Agility: 25 (+1)
Intelligence: 22 (+3)Dexterity: 20
Wisdom: 16Luck: 6
Leadership: 5Fame: 660
Skills
Passive Skills:Description:
Pain Resistance Lv.4Reduces amount of pain felt.
Unarmed Mastery Lv.3Increases damage and proficiency dealt when not using a weapon.
Claw Mastery Lv.2Increases damage and proficiency dealt with claw-type weapons.
Throwing Master Lv.2Increases damage and proficiency dealt with throwing-type weapons.
Riding Lv.2Increases speed and handling when riding a creature.
Dodge Lv.5Increases your chances of dodging an attack.
Deflect Lv.3Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.
Silver Tongue Lv.2Increases chance to convince others to listen to your words.
Active Skills:
Beast Within Lv.2(No Cost, 8 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 15% for 1 minute.
Relentless Assault Lv.1(Consumes 50 MP, 30 Minute cooldown) Allows you to continuously attack a target uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but you receive double damage while in this state.
Magic Fist Lv.1(MP usage depends on spell, 1 minute cooldown) Coats your fist in the magic used on it. Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and does not affect the original magic¡¯s cooldown.
Spells
Spark (Unique) Lv.5(Consumes 1 MP, 5 second cooldown) Deal weak lightning damage to target
Arcane Overload (Advanced) Lv.1(Consumes all MP, 3 day cooldown) Consume all of your energy to release a blast of pure power. Damage varies on mana consumed.
Equipment
Head:N/A
Chest:Simple Linen Shirt
Arms:Magic Amplifying Glove (Uncommon) Durability (19/30) +3% damage to basic spells
Waist:N/A
Legs:Guardian¡¯s Boots (Uncommon) Durability (30/30) Defense +4, Agility +1
Main-Hand Weapon:Worn Knife (Dagger, Common) Durability (11/20)
Off-Hand Weapon:N/A
Accessories
Ring 1:N/A
Ring 2:N/A
Ring 3:N/A
Ring 4:N/A
Necklace:Guardian¡¯s Heart (Rare) Durability (15/15) Strength + 2, Defense + 3, Intelligence + 3
Bracelet:Guardian Bracelet (Uncommon) Durability (9/15) Defense + 3
A/N: Huehuehue... I''m sure you''ve noticed by now (if you haven''t are you blind? Wait, if you are then how are you reading this?), but I''ve finally decided to implement a table. After looking into it, It turns out it was pretty easy so... yeah. I''ll go back at some unspecified point in time to add the tables to the previous character pages. But hey, don''t get too used to seeing this. I''ll generally only update the character pages after a big event or a point where Q gains a lot of things. Besides that... hooray for organized look! Fun-fact: Brie cheese is one of the best known French cheeses, and also has a nickname. "The Queen of Cheeses" P.S: Longest chapter by far. (9 pages) Edit: Seems you guys really like Umbreon. I''m a Glaceon person myself. Taking Skull_Mech''s suggestion, I decided to change Q''s "Small Friend" title into Friend of the Cute and Cuddly. Thanks for the suggestion! (And sorry for not asking for permission first.) Chapter 010 - The Violet Snack ¡°Uhh¡­ mind explaining who you are and what you¡¯re doing?¡± Q asked the purple-haired girl while she was being dragged forward. Brie had a blank look on her face as she was pulled along, unable to keep up with the current situation. The purple-haired girl took a quick look at Q as she continued to run forward. ¡°My name is Kukis! That¡¯s pronounced ¡®coo-kiss¡¯ mind you! As for what I¡¯m doing, you can see for yourself.¡± She said, indicating the rampaging boar in front of them. ¡°I tried to get a backstab on this boar while it was sleeping, but unfortunately it woke up and began to run.¡± ¡°Hold on, you tried to stab its ¡®back¡¯ by stabbing its ¡®butt¡¯?¡± Q questioned. ¡°Hey, I thought it would count! Also, can you run on your own now? My arms are getting kind of tired.¡± Kukis complained. Q nodded and began running by herself, and then snapped Brie out of her stupor. The three of them then continued to run towards the boar as it mowed down all things in its path. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s party up!¡± Kukis said as she sent a request to the two of them. Unfortunately Q and Brie were already in a party and the invitation failed, so Q sent an invitation over to Kukis instead. ¡°Accept invitation from Q¡­¡± Kukis muttered out loud, and then she suddenly realized something. ¡°Hold on a second, you¡¯re THAT Q!? The one who killed an enemy 15 levels above them?¡± She said with disbelief. ¡°Haha, yeah. It was a pretty tough fight...¡± Q laughed dryly, remembering the insane difficulty the game imposed on her in the tutorial. ¡°Um, you two¡­ might we focus on the task at hand?¡± Brie promptly reminded them about the boar in front of them. The boar let out a powerful roar and continued to charge forward with no signs of stopping. ¡°We have to get its attention somehow...¡± Q said, thinking of a way to attract the boar. ¡°I know! Do you two have anything that I can throw?¡± She asked the other girls. Brie shook her head while Kukis wordlessly pulled out a small dagger. ¡°Don¡¯t miss!¡± She said with a wink, handing Q the dagger. Once she held the dagger, Q focused and aimed right at the boar¡¯s behind. She held the blade in-between her thumb and index finger, and brought her arm behind her head. Taking careful aim, she threw the dagger with all her might! The dagger flew fast and true, quickly zipping forward and hitting the boar in a VERY sensitive spot! *SQUEEEEEALL* ¡°Woah¡­ didn¡¯t actually expect to hit it dead on¡­¡± Q said as she watched the boar roll around in agony. ¡°HAHAHA! Nice shot Q! Did you hear that scream? I don¡¯t think that boar can stand up for¡­ OH SHIT!¡± Kukis suddenly screamed as the boar recovered and turned around to face the trio. It¡¯s entire body seemed to become more intimidating as it got a cruel gleam in its eye, aimed its large tusks straight at the girls, and let out a loud squeal. [Greater Tusk Boar] - Level 15 ¡°Okay, new plan. RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!¡± Kukis yelled, sprinting away as fast as she could. When she shouted out, the boar screamed at the same time, charging towards her. ¡°Kukis! Watch out!¡± Q warned as she and Brie ran after them. As surprisingly fast Kukis was at running, she couldn¡¯t outrun the now enraged boar, and the distance between the two quickly shortened. ¡°Kukis, lead it into a tree!¡± Q shouted. Kukis looked around and found a decent-sized tree ahead of her. She forced herself to speed up, and then managed to dive to the left just before she hit the tree. The boar wasn¡¯t able to do that though as it charged head-on into the tree! Unbelievably though, the boar ran into the tree with such force that it actually uprooted it! Hitting the tree did stop its charge, but the three girls knew that if they were hit by that, they¡¯d probably die in one hit. ¡°It¡¯s our chance! Brie, let¡¯s go!¡± Q said, drawing her worn knife and running at the now dazed boar. Brie quickly followed suit as the two began to stab and slash the boar. ¡°[Spark]! [Magic Fist - Spark]!¡± Q called out on her spells while Brie was stabbing its hide. ¡°This hide is really tough!¡± Brie exclaimed, having trouble finding a spot where she could pierce through its hide. Her sword was only able to pierce about half a centimeter and left only shallow wounds. ¡°Aim for its eyes or something!¡± Kukis said as she headed to the boar¡¯s behind and pulled out the daggers stuck in it. Once Kukis pulled out the daggers, the boar recovered and began to flail about wildly, forcing the girls to back off. Between the three of them, they were only able to deal about a quarter of its health in damage. The boar looked at them with hate in its eyes as its front hoof began to paw the ground. Letting out a snort, it looked at the three girls, as if deciding who to charge at next. Q noticed this and began waving her hands wildly. ¡°Hey boar! Come catch me if you can!¡± She said, turning around and running away. The boar let out another scream as it began charging towards Q. As the two of them ran, the boar gradually picked up speed, gaining on Q. When she found a suitable tree, she quickly spun on the spot and stood still to meet the boar¡¯s charge. ¡°¡°Q!¡±¡± Brie and Kukis yelled, not knowing what she had planned. Q on the other hand, narrowed her eyes and focused, the world seemingly slowing down as she readied herself to receive the boar¡¯s charge. The boar got closer and closer, and only when its tusks were just about to reach Q did she finally start to move. Moving slightly towards the right, Q dived between the boar¡¯s head and tusk, just barely getting out of the way in time. As she dived, she also slashed towards the boar¡¯s eye, and though she didn¡¯t see anything, Q felt some resistance in her dagger as she passed by successfully. A scream was heard as the boar collapsed under pain while running forward, and turning around Q saw the boar crash heavily into the tree, causing it to become stunned. ¡°What are you two waiting for? Wail on it!¡± Q yelled at the two girls who were currently watching with stupefied expressions. They quickly snapped out of it though as they began to attack the boar. Brie and Kukis were both attacking the head, while Q cast spark and slashed at the boar as much as she could. Eventually the boar¡¯s health dropped down to one quarter and it struggled to get up. Kukis and Brie backed away from the boar, but Q quickly climbed up a nearby tree and jumped off, aiming her knife right at the boar¡¯s back. ¡°Haaaah!¡± Letting out a war-cry, Q stabbed her knife into the boar¡¯s back with all her strength, causing the boar to temporarily lose its balance and cry out in pain. Before Brie and Kukis could take advantage of that, the boar went absolutely berserk, leaving Q to hang onto its fur as tightly as she could. The boar bucked and ran into things in an attempt to throw Q off, but she managed to hold on. The boar rampaged, breaking branches and stomping the ground, but it gradually tired out and collapsed to the ground exhausted. It was at this point that Q yanked out the dagger she stabbed into the boar and began to stab it repeatedly. In-between her hits she cast spark, and sometimes even scratched with her claws, and after a while Brie and Kukis joined in as well, stabbing and slicing, until eventually the boar died. [Level Up!] [Stats Gained] [Skill Proficiency Gained] [Spell Proficiency Gained] [Items Received] ¡°Phew! That was pretty exhausting.¡± Q said as she slid off the boar¡¯s body. She was approached by her two companions as they watched the boar¡¯s body fade away in silence. For a while nobody spoke, until Kukis let out her voice. ¡°...ool.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Q asked. ¡°SO COOL!¡± Kukis said with shining eyes. ¡°Have you ridden a boar before? That was insane!¡± ¡°No,¡± Q shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t ridden a boar before, and I won¡¯t ever do it again. That thing¡¯s fur was stupidly rough. Ugh.¡± She shuddered remembering the feel of its hide. ¡°Anyway, It seems I got some boar meat and some tusks. How about you Brie?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I have also received boar meat, and also a hide.¡± ¡°Whaaat? All I got was its meat¡­¡± Kukis complained. ¡°Well¡­ maybe if you contributed more you might have gotten something decent?¡± Q said, remembering that Kukis wasn¡¯t able to hit the boar very often. ¡°Hey, I found the boar.¡± Kukis complained, ¡°That¡¯s plenty of contribution you know?¡± Q simply rolled her eyes as she looked towards the sky. ¡°Uh-oh, it¡¯s almost sunset. Come on Brie, we need to get these items back to the cook as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Right. Let us depart then.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Kukis asked. ¡°I dunno.¡± Q said while shrugging her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re free to join us if you want. Oh right.¡± Q suddenly remembered something and sent Kukis a friend request. Raising her eyebrow, Kukis accepted the request and faced Q with a questioning look. ¡°Hey, we killed a boar together. If that doesn¡¯t make us friends, then what does?¡± Q said with a wide grin. Kukis responded with a grin of her own as she shook hands with Q. ¡°Well then, I look forward to traveling with you! Also, what about you?¡± Kukis turned to look at Brie. ¡°Eh? Me?¡± Brie said with a surprised look. ¡°Yeah, aren¡¯t we going to be friends as well?¡± ¡°Oh! Yes, of course!¡± Brie began to frantically make gestures and was able to send a request to Kukis. Seeing this, Q patted her back and said ¡°Good job! That¡¯s one step forward for the anti-social Brie!¡± ¡°Yes, it is¡­ wait, what did you just call me!?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Q ran away laughing while Brie chased her with a red face. In this fashion the three of them quickly made their way back to the town. On the way there they talked about whether or not Kukis knew about the Prim Roses, and it turned out that she had already joined them. She hadn¡¯t encountered the two in the main area because she left to hunt for food for the same quest that Q and Brie got. As they approached the entrance to the Prim Roses hideout, Q suddenly asked a question. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Hey Kukis¡­ can I call you Cookie?¡± ¡°...What?¡± Kukis looked at Q with a confused face. ¡°Cookie. You know, the snack.¡± ¡°I know the snack. What I mean is why would you want to call me Cookie?¡± ¡°Because of your name of course!¡± Q began to explain. ¡°As I was reading it I thought it was kind of weird and started to pronounce it multiple ways. In the end, I got Cookie.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ now that you mention it¡­¡± Brie nodded her head, seeing Q¡¯s point. ¡°Whoa wait, I told you my name is pronounced coo-kiss right?¡± Kukis began to protest. ¡°Yeah, but I want to call you Cookie.¡± Q insisted. ¡°Coo-kiss!¡± ¡°Coo-kie!¡± Seeing Q¡¯s determined, unwavering expression, Kukis let out a sigh of surrender. ¡°*Sigh* Do whatever you want...¡± Seeing Kukis¡¯ defeated aura, Brie decided to try and cheer her up her new friend. ¡°Um¡­ Worry not, Kukis! I will call you by your name.¡± ¡°Ahh, thank you Brie!¡± Kukis said as she hugged her. ¡°You¡¯re my true friend!¡± ¡°U-unhand me! You may not touch me so casually!¡± Brie shouted while blushing as she tried to slip out of her hug. Q laughed as she watched them for a while, then entered the hideout and headed to the cook to turn in her quest. ¡°Oh, thank you for gathering the ingredients. I also see that you managed to hunt a boar! That¡¯s quite impressive. Here, take these,¡± She said as she handed Q a bunch of items. ¡°I¡¯ll have you help me out in cooking the group meal in a few minutes.¡± [Quest Complete!] - Gather Ingredients Obtained Rewards: [Cooking Profession] [Basic Cooking Utensils] [A warm hearty meal] [New Profession] - Cooking ¡°Yay!¡± Q looked over her rewards as she switched her profession to a cook. While she did this, Brie and Kukis approached and turned in their quests as well. Once they all received their items, they gathered in the kitchen and began helping the other girls with cooking. Q and Kukis had cooked previously in real life, so they were able to make some decent meals. Brie on the other hand had no idea how to cook since all her meals were prepared for her, causing more than one accident involving small cuts and strange ingredients being mixed into the food. After an hour the three had completed cooking and ate their meals in silent bliss. ¡°Haa, one of the few joys of making a delicious meal: actually eating what you make.¡± Q said with a contented face. ¡°Well, unless you¡¯re working in a restaurant I guess.¡± She added. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Kukis laughed. ¡°So what are we going to do now? It¡¯s almost night time and there isn¡¯t much to do. I suppose we could go and hunt monsters outside, though they¡¯ll be stronger than they are during daytime.¡± ¡°Hm? How do you know that?¡± Brie asked. ¡°Common sense in video games?¡± Brie simply tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face, making it seem like a question mark was floating above her head. She began wondering how monsters get more powerful during night-time. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t monsters be sleeping at night?¡± She asked with an innocent face. Q tried to explain the ¡®common sense¡¯ to Brie. ¡°In video games with a day and night cycle, the enemies usually get stronger or change up during the night. For example, you could be fighting against a rabbit in the daytime, but at nighttime it could be a wolf. Oh yeah, just a heads up Cookie,¡± Q said. ¡°Brie is a complete noob in games so we¡¯ll probably have to end up explaining a lot of things to her as we go.¡± ¡°Really? Well that¡¯s unexpected. I thought that people playing T.W.O would have at least some knowledge of video games¡­ Anyway, enough about that. What I want to know is how in the world you took down an enemy 15 levels above you! Aren¡¯t you curious as well Brie?¡± ¡°Well, it does sound like an impressive feat. But how did you know that Q defeated an enemy 15 levels above her?¡± ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t get the system message sent to all players that told you she beat it?¡± ¡°System message? Those things that go *ding* and open up a window? I found them annoying so I disabled them.¡± Q and Kukis both let out a sigh thinking, She has a long way to go¡­ ¡°Well anyway¡­ you wanted to know how I beat an enemy 15 levels above me?¡± Q said, instantly receiving a nod from Brie and Kukis. ¡°Okay then. How do I begin? Hmm¡­ so I woke up inside a room¡­¡± Q began to tell of her adventures in the tutorial, and the crazy things that happened. A sudden wolf 6 levels above her, getting a rusty knife to fight against piles of rocks, and then finally, the boss. Up until this point Brie and Kukis were listening silently to her story with jaws wide open, when all of a sudden Kukis blurted out, ¡°Hold on. You were up against a level 20 boss, A BOSS, at level 5 with nothing other than a crappy knife and a single spell?¡± ¡°Yeah, pretty ridiculous right? The difficulty of my tutorial was stupid. When the boss gave me a hard stare near the end I seriously thought it might shoot lasers out of its eyes.¡± Kukis rubbed her temple, trying to make sense of the situation. ¡°Yeah that is pretty ridiculous for a first boss, though maybe they made you fight that because of how well you were doing.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Q asked, not sure of what Kukis meant. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? In the tutorial room one of the messages said that the difficulty would increase or decrease depending on your performance. Because you stepped off the path to the ruins, the game probably sent the wolf after you as a sort of deterrent, but you were able to kill it. That¡¯s probably when the game kicked into hard mode and sent those ruin guardians after you. Heck, I don¡¯t even think you were supposed to win that boss battle.¡± (A/N: And there you have it, the reason for the insane difficulty for the tutorial) ¡°Hmm¡­ now that you mention it, I guess that¡¯s true. But hey, I did win that battle, and now look at me!¡± Q stood up. ¡°Level 10 with inflated stats that a level 18 character should have. Am I awesome or what?¡± ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous. On all kinds of levels, you know that?¡± Kukis said while sighing. ¡°Why thank you.¡± Q said with a smile. Suddenly, she heard a sound and looked up to find a flashing window in front of her. [Warning - You have been inside the game for 8 consecutive real-life hours. We recommend you take a 30 minute break before logging back in and continuing to play. ¡°Oh right, I forgot how long I was playing. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes... or maybe that¡¯s hours in game time.¡± Q remembered that there was a time difference between the game and reality. A day in the game is only a third of that in real life, so despite Q playing for an entire ¡®day¡¯, only a few hours had passed in real life. ¡°Psh. Casual, not even willing to continue playing the game for one day straight.¡± Kukis looked at Q with false disdain. ¡°Hey, taking care of our bodies is important you know? Anyway, I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± Q began reaching for the logout button. ¡°Wait!¡± Brie suddenly interrupted her. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be my escort! Why are you leaving my side?¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll only be gone for a few hours at most. Besides, now you have Cookie to temporarily escort you in my place. She can teach you all about the intricacies of video games while I¡¯m gone. Anyway, see you later!¡± Q pressed the logout button and disappeared in a flash of particles. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ gone¡­¡± Brie said with a dejected face. Seeing Brie so depressed seemed to flip a switch in Kukis as she instantly hugged her while saying, ¡°Aww, you¡¯re so cute when you pout! Don¡¯t be sad. You have me here to keep you company.¡± ¡°I- I told you that you cannot touch me so casually!¡± While causing a commotion, the two girls sat and talked about video games while waiting for Q to return.
A/N: And here we are, once again. A new party member, and more shenanigans to be had. So I''m curious right now. What do you guys think of the way I portray my characters? Do you think that it''s better if they''re instantly revealed, backstory and all, and just have them interact with each other? Or do you prefer a slow reveal that builds up their character over time? Right now I''m going for the second approach. As Q and her party meet other players and NPCs, they grow as people, and we also find out what makes up their characters and personalities. After all, isn''t that how it works in online games? You talk with a complete stranger, but over time you learn about their quirks, their habits, what they like to do, etc. And then, if you stick with them long enough it''s like you were best friends (well, maybe that''s a bit of an exaggeration but whatever). Well, I plan on developing my characters this way, where they grow off of each other and create a large link of friendship. I''d like to hear what you guys have to say about this, so leave a message or a comment (or don''t) and tell me your thoughts. If I might add one last thing... there are too many girls in this story. Like... A LOT. Not that there''s anything wrong with that, it''s just that I haven''t really thought of any male characters so far. Oh well. In the upcoming battle between the houses you''ll get to see some new people (hopefully). Fun-fact: The first fortune cookie was made in America, but the fortune cookie is actually a Japanese tradition. Edit: Helen''s ''side-story'' is now a fully fledged chapter of its own. What does that mean? Two things. One, that every so often we''ll go and check on how Helen does in the story (seems to be a pattern of 5 chapters then a Helen PoV) and that the next chapter will be a Helen chapter. I''m basically upping her story''s importance past a side-story, though you will get side stories in the future featuring other character''s viewpoints on events in the story. Chapter 011 - A New Way to Play *Helen PoV* Zeilan took a deep breath as he prepared himself for his next ordeal. Armor, check. Weapons, double check. Guts, triple check. All right, preparations complete. Now, let¡¯s get this show on the road! He pushed the large doors with all the strength he could, and with a loud grating sound they slowly opened. What he found inside caused him to stop and stare, as the view was absolutely gorgeous. He found himself inside a large aquatic grotto, which had large walls that were wet and smooth. The floor was covered in a thin layer of water, and all sorts of rock had moss growing on them. A large crack in the eastern wall let in a few rays of light that reflected off the water and illuminated the room, giving it a tranquil feeling. The thing that Zeilan focused on though, was the large creature sleeping in the middle. At first it looked like a random pile of sharp rocks, but every so often it could be seen shaking as the creature slept soundly. ¡°How rude,¡± Zeilan said with a snort. ¡°I make it all the way to the boss room and it¡¯s sleeping? Well, I guess I should be courteous and wake it up.¡± Looking around the large aquatic grotto, Zeilan tried to find anything that could be of use to him. There wasn¡¯t much else inside the area besides the monster and a few stalactites hanging threateningly from the ceiling. Just as he was about to give up searching, he noticed that there was a large pillar of stone placed conveniently within falling distance of the monster. Perfect. He thought as he headed towards the stone. Hefting his iron knuckles, he positioned himself behind the stone and concentrated on the weakest point. ¡°[Strong Punch]!¡± *BOOM* He punched the pillar with immense force, causing cracks to appear at the place he hit. The cracks slowly traveled up the pillar, and once the cracks reached the top, Zeilan heard a rumble as he moved out of the way. The large stone pillar slowly began falling towards the monster, and crushed it under its heavy weight. For a moment, there was silence as Zeilan thought, Was that seriously enough to kill the boss? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me right? Dust covered the area where the pillar fell, keeping Zeilan from being able to see anything. Suddenly, a loud roar came out from the impact area, shaking the entire grotto. ¡°Agh!¡± Zeilan covered his ears as he endured the powerful roar. Once the roar ended, the dust suddenly cleared and Zeilan was able to get a good look at the monster. It was a turtle, but it was far larger than a normal one as this monster was the size of a house! Its skin was colored red and covered with scales, while its shell was covered in sharp spikes (which were slightly cracked). A low rumble came from the turtle¡¯s throat, as it looked at Zeilan with hate-filled, glowing red eyes. [Kuvesh, The Rock-Crusher] - Level 22 *GROAAAAH* It let out another scream as a slightly depleted health bar appeared over its head. Zeilan began to tremble, but rather than fear, he was feeling excitement. ¡°Haha¡­ hahaha! Double my level? No problem! I¡¯ve taken down monsters larger than you! Come at me you stupid turtle!¡± He said with a savage grin. ¡°[Earth Armor], [Harden Scales]!¡± Zeilan used his defensive skills to prepare himself for the upcoming fight. His body became covered in a thin layer of hardened stone, while his scales contracted and gathered up together to make a more solid defense. Zeilan¡¯s eyes narrowed as he charged forward to attack! At the same time he moved, Kuvesh lifted up its front leg, and brought it down with extreme force! The entire grotto shook as water sprayed everywhere and cracks appeared in the ground. The single stomp Kuvesh made caused Zeilan to lose his balance, but he managed to stay standing as he continued to run towards Kuvesh. ¡°[Strong Punch]!¡± He yelled, putting all his weight and momentum into his fist which successfully connected with Kuvesh¡¯s leg. Unfortunately the leg didn¡¯t budge an inch, as Zeilan felt like he was punching hard concrete. Looking at Kuvesh¡¯s health, he saw that his punch barely did any damage! Damn turtles! Why do they always have to have so much defense!? He complained in his mind as he retreated from Kuvesh who was making another attack. Kuvesh opened its jaws wide, and guessing its intentions Zeilan quickly ran for cover. He took a quick look behind him and saw a glowing light gathering in the centre of its mouth. Suddenly the light stopped gathering and compressed, which made Zeilan dive for cover as Kuvesh released a beam of energy from its mouth! The energy beam gouged out the ground as it traveled, evaporating the water and gouging out the ground as it moved. Lasers¡­ my first boss has lasers. Go figure. Zeilan picked himself off the ground as he tried to approach Kuvesh again. Luckily it was as slow as an actual turtle was, allowing Zeilan to get near as it tried to turn and face him. Zeilan noticed that there was a pile of rocks near him, so he made a quick decision and climbed up on them. Once Kuvesh faced him, he leaped off, using another [Strong Punch] as he aimed for its face. This time he was able to do a decent amount of damage, though Kuvesh¡¯s health was still only down by a tenth. Kuvesh seemed to be displeased after getting hit though, as it¡¯s neck suddenly darted forward aiming right for Zeilan! Zeilan side-stepped as quickly as he could, but was still grazed by the head, which broke his [Earth Armor] and dealt a bit of damage to him. ¡°Ugh, I levelled [Earth Armor] so it could absorb at least 50 points of damage, and this guy broke it just by grazing it? This boss is no joke.¡± Zeilan gritted his teeth as he began to circle around Kuvesh. Every time he passed by one of the legs he would give it a few punches or kicks before moving away to hit another leg. Slowly but surely, Kuvesh¡¯s health began to drop, but by the time that it reached 80% Kuvesh seemed to get tired of turning around as it let out another roar and lifted up its front leg. Seeing this, Zeilan carefully timed his jump with the exact moment the foot was brought on the ground, preventing him from being affected by the tremors. Although Zeilan was unharmed, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the grotto as the walls began to shake and stalactites began falling from the ceiling! Now Zeilan had to deal with both Kuvesh and sharp rocks raining down! He briefly considered taking shelter underneath Kuvesh, but chances are that it would just lay down and crush him. Fortunately for Zeilan though, he wasn¡¯t the only one who had to deal with the stalactites. Quite a few of them were falling on top of Kuvesh and dealing damage. The damage was almost unnoticeable as the stalactites barely left a scratch on the shell, but Zeilan was still grateful for any source of damage. Kuvesh didn¡¯t seem too bothered by the heavy rocks though, as it continued to head straight for Zeilan. Avoiding another falling stalactite, Zeilan¡¯s tried to think a way to get out of this situation. Okay, there are a few high piles of rocks that I can use to jump and attack the boss, but it¡¯ll be incredibly risky. If I slip and fall that¡¯ll be the end of this battle¡­ What can I do? Zeilan took cover behind a pillar as he tried to avoid the falling stalactites. Wait a minute. I¡¯m so stupid! Giving himself a mental face-palm, he turned around and punched the pillar with all his might! ¡°[Strong Punch]!¡± *Crack* The pillar fell towards Kuvesh, dealing a decent chunk of damage as its health went down to around 70%. In addition to the pillar hitting Kuvesh, Zeilan heard another cracking sound coming from above him. He looked up just in time to see the ceiling collapsing on him! ¡°[Strong Kick]!¡± He kicked off the ground with immense force, slightly cracking the ground propelling himself away from the falling debris. Once he got away from the collapsed ceiling, Zeilan saw that Kuvesh had recovered from the stone pillar falling on it. Something else he took notice of was that the spikes on its back were cracked considerably. Maybe one more pillar will break them. But what¡¯s the point of that? He thought as he watched Kuvesh open its mouth wide. Once more it began charging its laser but this time Zeilan noticed that some of the light was escaping from the cracks from the spikes in its back. When Zeilan dodged the laser he saw that it was considerably less powerful than before. Okay, I guess I will send another pillar down on it then. Disabling at least one of its attacks would make this battle much easier. Zeilan thought as he moved towards another pillar. ¡°[Earth Armor]!¡± Now that his skill was off cooldown, he re-activated it and waited for Kuvesh to get closer. This time Kuvesh wasn¡¯t going to walk into another pillar though, as it stood still and began to charge another laser. ¡°Well of course it wouldn¡¯t be that easy.¡± Zeilan ran away as the laser was fired, destroying the pillar and bringing down a part of the ceiling again. With the loss of another pillar the room shook violently as even more stalactites fell down. That¡¯s not good. If another pillar falls the whole place could collapse on my head. I also don¡¯t doubt that this thing could survive that¡­ Zeilan was forced to give up on trying to hit it with another pillar and instead resorted to attacking the legs again. As he was attacking the legs, Zeilan noticed that a particularly large pile of rocks had built up, and was about as tall as the boss itself. Should I risk it? He debated. While Zeilan was wondering whether to risk it or not, Kuvesh¡¯s health was slowly being depleted from the stalactites. One of the stalactites actually got stuck in a crack, eliciting a roar and causing extreme pain to the boss while dropping its health to 65%. Seeing this, Zeilan made up his mind. Nothing¡¯s going to happen if I don¡¯t take any risks. Alright, let¡¯s do this! As the boss was trying to shake the stalactite off its back, Zeilan made his way up the pile of rocks and stood at the very top. Kuvesh was still a little far away, so he stayed where he was until it got a bit closer. As he was waiting though, a stalactite was falling down straight at him! He focused his eyes and tensed his body as he used [Strong Punch] to redirect it towards Kuvesh. Unfortunately he wasn¡¯t able to deflect it perfectly as he still got hurt, breaking his [Earth Armor] and taking away a quarter of his health. Oww, that hurts. I bet Simon could have timed that perfectly though¡­ He thought as he watched the stalactite fly towards Kuvesh. Feeling an impact, Kuvesh temporarily stopped rampaging as it looked over to where Zeilan was standing. Letting out an angry roar it moved (slowly) towards him, and once it got close enough it shot its head forward, trying to chomp down on Zeilan. However, Zeilan was waiting for this and jumped using [Strong Kick] at the same time Kuvesh tried to bite him, avoiding damage and landing on its head. While he was on its head, Zeilan kept a strong grip on it by grabbing one of the many scales with one hand, and began to pound on its head with his other. ¡°I finally get to beat you up!¡± Zeilan yelled, letting out his built up resentment from not being able to do much for the entire battle. Kuvesh didn¡¯t take kindly to receiving a one sided beating though; once it¡¯s health dropped to half it immediately retracted all of its limbs and retreated to the safety of its shell. Zeilan was forced to let go of the head and ended up climbing on top of its shell. Wondering what to do now, a bright glow began to emerge from the holes in the shell. Suddenly from every hole a laser shot out, decimating the walls of the grotto. The area began to shake as the ceiling collapsed entirely! ¡°Damn this stupid boss!¡± Zeilan shouted as he jumped off the shell to take cover underneath Kuvesh. The destruction of the grotto didn¡¯t end with just the ceiling collapsing, the floor started to collapse as well! Seeing this, Zeilan climbed into the hole where Kuvesh was hiding its head, and began to punch it in the face. ¡°YOU! STUPID! TURTLE! JUST DIE ALREADY!!!¡± Using [Strong Punch] and [Strong Kick], Zeilan began to pummel the boss into submission. Kuvesh let out a roar of indignation and was about to charge up another laser when all of a sudden the floor underneath it gave way. The two were suddenly in free-fall, but Zeilan didn¡¯t mind it at all as he continued to hit Kuvesh. ¡°If I¡¯m going to die here, I¡¯m bringing you with me!¡± He screamed as he used every skill he had at his disposal. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°[Precision Strikes]! [Strong Punch]! [Rock Breaker]! [Strong Kick]! [Dragon Breath]!¡± Every attack was aimed right for the center of Kuvesh¡¯s head, giving it a nasty concussion each time Zeilan attacked. It¡¯s health rapidly dropped now that Zeilan was able to hit its critical spot, and in no time it¡¯s health actually reached down to 10%. At this point Kuvesh had enough of the one-sided beatdown, and every single part of its body began to glow. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t! [Dragon Roar]!¡± Suddenly an illusory figure of a dragon appeared behind Zeilan, and let out a powerful roar, shocking Kuvesh and interrupting its ability. *ROAAAAAAR* As the illusory dragon roared, Zeilan gathered all his strength into his right leg, bringing it up high and then sending it straight down at Kuvesh¡¯s head. As his leg came down, the illusory dragon seemed to fuse together with his leg, making it give off a tyrannical aura when it hit. With that one blow, it broke through Kuvesh¡¯s skull, and instantly killed it. Multiple messages began appearing in front of Zeilan, but before he could address any of them the entire world went black and only a single message was left flashing in front of him: [You have died] For a while, Zeilan just stared at the message with a blank face before rage took over his emotions. ¡°What the hell do you mean I died!? I killed the turtle didn¡¯t I? I finished the tutorial right? RIGHT?! NGAAAHHHHH!¡± He began ranting to no one in particular as he screamed in outrage. He might have stayed like this for a while if not for another message that appeared. [System Notice] - You have successfully completed the tutorial, but because you died immediately afterwards your destination has not been chosen. Please be patient as we find a solution to your problem. Reading the second message, Zeilan calmed down a bit but was still fuming on the inside. All he could do was wait for the next message to appear, so he lay down and waited. He noticed that he still had access to his toolbar so he decided to see what kind of rewards he had obtained. [Stats Gained] [Level Up!] x2 [New Skill] - Deflect (Passive) Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt. [New Skill] - Crushing Blow (Active, Consumes 50 mana, 1 minute cool-down) A powerful attack with an increased chance of breaking hard surfaces. [New Skill] - Dragon¡¯s Aura (Active, Consumes 50% of your maximum mana, 30 minute cool-down) Activating this will cause your next attack to deal double the damage it would normally do. [New Title] (Fierce Fighter) Not letting up your attack no matter the situation, you have proven yourself to be a very fierce warrior. Effects when equipped: 5% Increase in damage when fighting the same target for more than 1 minute. [Skill Proficiency Gained] [Items Received] Instantly loving his new abilities and title, Zeilan went about distributing his points on his status before he addressed the items in his inventory. Inside he found random items from Kuvesh like carapaces or spikes, but what really got his attention were two pieces of equipment and a special consumable item. [Spiked Hammer (Weapon, Rare)] Durability (40/40) A large weapon requiring strength to wield. Damage: 19-30. Defense +2, Strength +1 [Kevesh¡¯s Shell (Chest, Rare)] Durability (50/50) A heavy piece of armor made from Kevesh¡¯s shells. Defense + 10, Vitality + 5, Agility - 10, Dexterity - 5 [Kevesh¡¯s Heart (Consumable, Legendary)] Using this item will grant a permanent +5 bonus to Vitality and Defense and provide the Skill - Earthshaking Stomp Absolutely ecstatic now, Zeilan equipped the hammer but left the chest piece alone since he didn¡¯t use heavy armor. He also immediately used Kevesh¡¯s heart, after which he got a new message. [+5 to Defense and Vitality] [New Skill] - Earthshaking Stomp (Active, Consumes 300 mana, 1 day cooldown) You stomp on the earth, causing all things on the ground in a 15 meter radius to temporarily lose their balance. You cannot move while this skill is in use. All of Zeilan¡¯s earlier rage was gone, as he admired his character page and took a few practice swings with his new hammer which was almost as tall as him and weighed heavily. After a few minutes he heard a sound, and immediately raised his head to look at the new message. [System Notice] - Your situation has been evaluated. You are able to revive immediately without any penalties for dying. Please choose your starting town and you will be revived in that location. ¡°Nice. Now let¡¯s see my options¡­¡± He muttered as he began to look at his choices. In the end three towns stuck out to him and he decided to choose between them. [Town of Melvan. Located in the far west, this town is surrounded by wild forests and is far from any towns or cities.] [Town of Foria. Located in the east, this town is known for its local inhabitants and pleasant winds.] [Town of Clorg. Located in the north, the town is surrounded by mountainous ranges and snowy weather.] ¡°Hmm¡­ Melvan seems kind of interesting, though I¡¯d like to easily visit a capital city so that¡¯s a no-go. Foria is¡­ well, it sounds nice. But, I¡¯m going to go with Clorg. Winter is my favourite season after all.¡± A message appeared, asking if that was his final decision. Zeilan picked yes, and was surrounded by a white light. When the light faded, he found himself in the Town of Clorg.
Player Name: ZeilanRace: Draconian
Display Title: Fierce FighterNon-Display Title: N/A
Level: 11Profession: N/A
Health: 360/360Mana: 55/55
Strength: 30 (+2)Vitality: 25 (+2)
Defense: 18 (+9)Agility: 12 (+2)
Intelligence: 5Dexterity: 10
Wisdom: 5Luck: 1
Fame: 0
Equipment
Head:N/A
Chest:Worn Leather Jerkin (Common) Defense +4, Vitality +2
Arms:N/A
Waist:Chain Belt (Common) Defense +2, Strength +1
Legs:Fine Leather Boots (Common) Defense +3, Agility +1
Main-Hand Weapon:Spiked Hammer (Hammer, Rare) Durability (40/40)Damage: 15-20 Defense +2, Strength +1
Off-Hand Weapon:N/A
Accessories
First Ring:N/A
Second Ring:N/A
Third Ring:N/A
Fourth Ring:N/A
Necklace:N/A
Bracelet:N/A
Skills
Passive Skills:Description:
Unarmed Mastery Lv.5Increases damage and proficiency dealt when not using a weapon.
Knuckles Mastery Lv.4Increases damage and proficiency dealt with knuckle-type weapons.
Dodge Lv.3Increases your chances of dodging an attack
Tough Scales Lv.2Slightly decreases damage dealt by magic and physical attacks.
Deflect Lv.3Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.
Active Skills:
Earth Dragon Breath Lv.3(Consumes 10 mana per second, 45 second cooldown) Breathe out a jet of earth magic to enemies in range. Damage dealt depends on strength and intelligence
Strong Punch Lv.5(No Cost, 10 second cooldown) Causes your next punch to deal 10% more damage.
Strong Kick Lv.6(No Cost, 10 second cooldown) Causes your next kick to deal 11% more damage.
Harden Scales Lv.3(No Cost, 5 second cooldown) Compacts your scales, causing you to take less damage, but also lowers speed.
Precision Strikes Lv.2(No cost, 5 minute cooldown) Aim at a target area for 10 seconds. If your attacks hit that area they deal 10% extra damage. If they don¡¯t hit that area they deal 10% less damage.
Rock Breaker Lv.2(Consumes 25 mana, 5 minute cooldown) Adds a defense-piercing effect to your next attack. Ignores half of target¡¯s defense.
Dragon Roar Lv.2(Consumes 25% of your mana and health, 1 day cooldown) A roar of a tyrant that interrupts enemies using skills or abilities within a 3 meter radius.
Crushing Blow Lv.1(Consumes 50 mana, 1 minute cooldown) A powerful attack with an increased chance of breaking hard surfaces.
Dragon''s Aura Lv.1(Consumes 50% of your maximum mana, 30 minute cooldown) Activating this will cause your next attack to deal double the damage it would normally do.
Earthshaking Stomp Lv.1(Consumes 300 mana, 1 day cooldown) You stomp on the earth, causing all things on the ground in a 15 meter radius to temporarily lose their balance. You cannot move while this skill is in use.
Spells
Earth Armor (Basic) Lv.5(Consumes and reserves half of your maximum mana when active, 1 minute cooldown) Covers your body in a thin layer of protective rock to absorb damage. When the armor is broken the reserved mana is returned.
*A certain event while writing this chapter* Author''s Creative Side(C.S): "MUHAHAHAHAHA!!! MORE ACTION! MORE LAZORS!" Author''s Rational Side (R.S): "Hey, I don''t think that you should-" (C.S): "FOOL! Do you really think you can stop me from putting in lasers this time?" (R.S): "No, but you should make the situation a bit more reasonable." (C.S): "What do you mean?" (R.S): "Look at Zeilan. The dude is stronger than Q, our main character. What will the readers think of this?" (C.S): "Oh, that''s because Q hasn''t hit her power-spike yet. Besides, their play-style is different. Q likes screwing around and having fun in the game, while Zeilan is more of a serious gamer and tries to get as strong as possible." (R.S): "Okay, that makes sense, but how will the readers know about this?" (C.S): "Simple, we make a mock skit between ourselves describing such an event, and plan for further clarification later on in the story to show the difference between the two." (R.S): "...Okay." Author''s hands: "Guys, can I stop typing now? The skit is over right?" (C.S & R.S): "NO! Besides, you still have the author''s notes to do." Author''s hands: "Aw man..." A/N: Haha, hope you enjoyed that little skit (which by the way, was my actual thought process at the time). Anywho, now you get to see Zeilan in action. I didn''t write him in the beginning of the tutorial because we''ve already been there with Q, and before you say that they experienced different events, Yes, they did experience different events but it''s not that important to Zeilan''s overall character. "What? Not important you say? Then how are we supposed to understand her character and personality if we don''t get to see her in an event of some sort?" Well I assure you that you''ll get a lot more on her character and personality later. This chapter and chapter 6 were more for setting her character up. In the next Helen chapter you''ll get to see more of her character, I promise. Also, what did you think of me using the [*insert cool name here*] brackets for when characters use skills? I think it''s good since it indicates when someone uses a skill/spell, but it also takes a bit away from the ''immersion'' as my friend would put it. Hm.... what else is there to say? Oh right, Zeilan''s skills... OH MY GOD SO MANY SKILLS. Fun-fact: An average goldfish has a 9-second attention span. P.S: The item drop rates in MH4U are absolute BULLSHIT. Chapter 012 - Shy Girls and Strange People ¡°I¡¯m back~!¡± Q said cheerfully as she appeared in a flash of light. Looking around she saw that neither Brie nor Kukis were anywhere to be seen, though according to her friends list they were still online. It was now nighttime and the hideout was very quiet, without a single person to be found. Well, the girls have their own houses to go back and sleep in I suppose. She thought idly as she wandered around the dark area. When she passed by a hallway she noticed that there was a light on at the far end. Feeling adventurous, she decided to investigate the light as she slowly crept along the hallway, moving silently so that she wouldn¡¯t be heard. Suddenly a loud *ding* came out of nowhere, almost causing Q to jump out of her skin. Holy crap that scared me. Now¡­ what¡¯s that message? As she was reading the window in front of her another one appeared right after. [New Skill] - Stealth (Active, No cost, 5 minute cool-down) Activating this skill allows you to blend into the shadows, making you harder to find. Any fast movements or combat oriented actions will break stealth. - Hey Q, just noticed you were online. Brie and I are outside the hideout right now, in the backyard. Smiling, Q sent a response message saying that she¡¯d meet them outside soon. After she sent the message, Q activated [Stealth] and approached a slightly open door that was letting out the light. As she approached, she heard a voice, and once she got close enough she was able to make out what was being said. ¡°...llo. *Ahem* Hello! Oh no, that sounds too cheery. Um¡­ Hello~. No, that doesn¡¯t sound right either¡­ Ooh this is so difficult.¡± Q recognized the voice as Lily¡¯s, and once she did she let out a mischievous grin as she disabled her stealth and barged into the room. ¡°HELLO!¡± She said with a shout. [Cruel Aura Activated] ¡°AAAAAH!!!¡± The owner of the voice turned out to be Lily, who was facing a mirror. Once Q shouted out, Lily screamed in panic and began throwing objects at Q with monstrous strength. ¡°A GHOST!!¡± Shocked at the speed of which the objects were approaching her, Q immediately pulled out her dagger and began to deflect them as she tried to calm down Lily. ¡°Lily, it¡¯s just me! It¡¯s Q!¡± At first, Lily ignored her voice and kept throwing things in a panic, but eventually she stopped (probably because she had run out of things to throw). ¡°D- don¡¯t hurt me ghost. I¡¯m a good girl¡­ I¡¯m a¡­ a¡­ Q? Is that you?¡± ¡°Ahaha, yeah, it¡¯s me.¡± Q said while a cold sweat dripped down her back. That was CLOSE! If I didn¡¯t deflect those items I probably would''ve died. ¡°Sorry for startling you. I didn''t think you''d have that strong of a reaction.¡± She said with a weak smile. ¡°Oh, I apologize as well. I don''t know what came over me. All of a sudden I was hit with a strong sense of fear and lost control of myself.¡± Lily apologized while Q thought to herself, I am definitely not telling her that was my fault. To change the subject, Q asked what Lily was doing here at this time of night. ¡°Nothing! Absolutely nothing at all! Eheheh¡­ heh¡­ You heard me practicing didn''t you?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Ooh, this is so embarrassing¡­¡± Lily hid her blushing face with her hands and crouched down, turning away from Q. Q already knew what she was doing, but for courtesy''s sake she asked, ¡°Were you practicing how to greet people?¡± ¡°I¡­ that''s¡­ yes. I''ve always been a shy girl so I decided to practice speaking with people. I haven''t had much success so far though¡­¡± How admirable, Q thought. Before she could respond though two more people barged into the room. ¡°Q, are you okay!? We heard screaming and¡­ oh, hello Lily. What are you doing here?¡± Kukis looked panicked but once she saw that neither girl was harmed she relaxed. Brie on the other hand still looked quite worried as she checked if Q had any injuries before looking at the messy room. ¡°Are you alright? It sounded like a great struggle. What happened?¡± She asked with a concerned tone. ¡°We¡¯re fine, though thanks for asking. Anyway, perfect timing you two!¡± Q said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re going to help Lily get over her shyness.¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ okay.¡± Kukis looked confused but still decided to help out anyway. Brie nodded in consent as well, and hearing that all three of them were willing to help her, Lily let out a large smile. ¡°Will you really help? Thank you everyone, I''ll try my best!¡± [New Quest] - Meet and Greet [Objective]: Help Lily with greeting people. [Progress]: 0/50 people greeted. [Rewards]: Knitted object of your choice. ¡°Okay! While we wait for people to actually be awake so we can greet them, let¡¯s talk over our game plan.¡± Q said, indicating for the other girls to sit down. ¡°Game plan?¡± Kukis questioned. ¡°Why do we need a game plan? Isn¡¯t just going up to someone and saying ¡®Hello¡¯ good enough?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. Naive little Cookie, you underestimate the challenge of greeting a complete stranger.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Unexpectedly, Brie spoke up and began to get heated up in her speech. ¡°When you are in the vicinity of a complete stranger, it is incredibly difficult to speak. You do not know how they would react, and simply finding the correct words to say is a challenge! Even if you prepare yourself, the real deal is vastly different from practicing by yourself. Simply by being in front of someone you do not know causes you to be silent, and before you know it, anxiety strikes! Greeting a stranger on the road is an ordeal that even an amazing person such as myself has trouble with¡­ stop snickering, Q.¡± ¡°Yes! You understand my struggle!¡± Unexpectedly Lily found a common connection with Brie, and the two of them immediately hit it off and began talking about their problems when trying to talk to people. ¡°Despite saying that they find it hard to talk to strangers, they¡¯re talking up a storm right now.¡± Kukis said as she watched the two with a half-surprised, half-amazed look. ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s easier for people to talk about something they have in common. It seems both of them are pretty shy, so I guess they found a similarity in each other.¡± Q began to move around the room, cleaning it up. Kukis joined her as well, and the two cleaned up the mess while Brie and Lily continued to talk the night away. *A few hours later* The sun rose over the horizon, illuminating the town with a bright glow. Slowly people rose out of their beds and began to walk about doing their usual business. The town of Foria slowly came back to life, and within half an hour the streets were filled with the townspeople and players. As the main square became busy, a group of four girls were standing at the main gate, waiting for it to open. ¡°I seriously can¡¯t believe you two kept talking the entire time.¡± Kukis let out a tired sigh while watching the crowd of people mill about. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m very sorry. It¡¯s just that I was so happy finding someone else who shares my problems. I apologize for the trouble I''ve caused.¡± Lily lowered her head and apologized profusely. ¡°Wait, I wasn¡¯t angry. Stop. Stop apologizing! You¡¯re making me feel bad!¡± Q laughed as she watched Kukis get hit with a barrage of apologies. When Kukis finally got Lily to stop apologizing, the gates began to open. While that was going on, Brie approached Q and asked, ¡°Are you sure this is going to work? Do you not think that talking to other players immediately is too high of a hurdle for Lily?¡± ¡°Of course this will work. Besides, she has to be talking to other players if she really wants to learn how to greet strangers. After all, for the people of this world who¡¯s stranger than the players? And besides, we¡¯re all here for backup so nothing bad will happen. Oh, here comes a party. Let¡¯s get this show on the road!¡± A party of 4 players approached the gate while talking about what they¡¯re going to hunt next. ¡°Alright. Since Leif and Frey just reached level 10 we can head out to the forest now.¡± ¡°Yeah! I can¡¯t wait to try out my new skills.¡± ¡°Make sure you guys have emergency recovery items. I don¡¯t want to waste all of my mana healing you guys because of some stupid mistake again.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Hold up guys, it seems someone is waiting for us at the gate.¡± Currently, Lily was standing in the center of their path, blocking their way forward. She looked quite nervous, and looked behind her towards Q and the rest for reassurance. Q and Kukis both gave her a thumbs up, while Brie nodded and gave her an encouraging look. Filled with confidence, Lily took a deep breath and faced the party of players. ¡°G¡­ Good morning!¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ good morning.¡± ¡°Mornin¡¯.¡± ¡°Good day.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± Each of the players looked slightly confused, but they still properly returned the greeting and then passed by Lily. Once the players had gone, Lily excitedly ran back towards her friends saying, ¡°I did it! I did it!¡± [Quest Progress] - 4/50 people greeted ¡°Nice job!¡± Kukis tried giving her a high-five but Lily didn¡¯t recognize the gesture, so she was left hanging. Fortunately Q completed the high-five so Kukis wouldn¡¯t feel so sad. ¡°Good work Lily.¡± Q said, giving Lily a nod. ¡°Congratulations Lily.¡± Brie let out a gentle smile. ¡°You were able to greet them properly.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ everyone¡­¡± Finally being able to get over her shyness even a little bit, Lily felt incredibly happy and almost began to shed tears. ¡°Now now, you can cry about this later.¡± Q said as she reached up to wipe the tears forming at the corner of Lily¡¯s eyes. ¡°After all, you still have a lot of people left to greet right?¡± Hearing Q¡¯s words, Lily nodded and wore a determined look on her face. Then she went back to stand in front of the gate to greet more people. ¡°Hey Q, just wondering¡­¡± Kukis began, ¡°Is it really okay for us not to do anything? I mean, even by my standards this quest is easy.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t realized it?¡± ¡°Realized what?¡± ¡°The real meaning to this quest.¡± Q explained. ¡°It¡¯s not about Lily saying ¡®hello¡¯ to people, it¡¯s about giving her confidence and helping her get over her shyness. In the end Lily is the one who needs to greet people, so she needs to overcome her own issues. Us players are here to help her do that, not just to force her to say hello to every passing person.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ I didn¡¯t know that it was that significant.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ We really have to thank Brie for this one. She¡¯s the one who gave Lily the confidence to do this task.¡± ¡°Really? Even though all they did was talk?¡± Q looked at Kukis with a slightly exasperated face. ¡°They did more than just ¡®talk¡¯, they became ¡®friends¡¯. Just knowing that you have a friend behind you, ready to support you, gives you more than enough confidence to talk to a stranger. Speaking of which, it seems like we need to go in and support our friends.¡± Q said, noticing a commotion at the gate. When the two got there it seemed that there was a group of players arguing at the gate. Lily was standing to the side, not knowing what to do while Brie was hiding behind her because of the men shouting at each other. ¡°You guys again!? Stop getting in our way!¡± A guy who seemed to be the leader of the party on the left said. His party consisted of 5 people (including himself), and from what Q could tell it looked fairly balanced with him and another girl being sword users. A female archer and magician made up their back line, and a male priest was in the middle to support. She checked the other party who didn¡¯t look organized at all, but had at least double the amount of people. The leader from that party walked out and grinned. His face was rough-looking and he wore a dark cloak that covered his body, preventing Q from seeing anymore. ¡°Heh, no can do pal. I¡¯m here to collect my debt from the other day.¡± He said while sneering. ¡°What debt? You challenged us to a duel and we beat you fair and square. Now you bring twice as many people to fight us again?¡± ¡°Hah. You beat us fair and square all right, but this time, it¡¯s our turn to beat you!¡± The leader from the right cracked his knuckles as the rest of his party brought out their weapons. ¡°Okay, stop right there.¡± Q suddenly walked out into the middle of the two parties, interrupting their fight. ¡°I don¡¯t really care what conflict you guys have with each other, but I¡¯m trying to complete a quest here so if you could all just move along that¡¯d be great.¡± For a moment, both parties were completely silent until the archer from the left party said, ¡°IT¡¯S A LOLI!!!¡± ¡°The legends were true...¡± ¡°She¡¯s so cute!¡± The girls from the left party began to surround Q, fawning over her. ¡°Hey, w- what are you girls doing?¡± She asked nervously. The girls gazes on Q were intense, directly conveying their intention to caress Q as much as possible. The males in the party weren¡¯t sure what to make of this situation, but they stayed back anyway, not wanting to get caught up in the girl¡¯s ¡®cuddle session¡¯. ¡°Ah~¡­ stop touching my ears! Hey, back away from the tail! That¡¯s mine!¡± Q tried to shake off the girls, but they were far too coordinated and trapped Q in their embrace. The serious atmosphere from earlier was completely blown away as Q was subjected to ¡®cuddle hell¡¯. Is this what the rabbits feel like when I hug them? She wondered as she tried to resist the girls. ¡°Hey! You uh¡­ uhh¡­ Ah forget it.¡± Apparently the rough-looking man felt left out and tried to get their attention, but was completely ignored. He looked at his party, shrugged, then left through the gates. While leaving he said, ¡°We¡¯ll let you off the hook this time, but next time we meet be prepared for a beat down!¡± Nobody was paying attention to him though, making him walk out of the town depressed. The rest of his party followed with confused expressions as they left the scene. Now that most of the males were gone, Brie stopped hiding and stepped forward to help Q. ¡°Unhand my friend immediately! If you do not, there will be conseq- AAH!!!¡± Unfortunately she was grabbed by the archer and was also subjected to ¡®cuddle hell¡¯. ¡°There was another cutie hiding there! Ahh, your round ears are so cute!¡± ¡°They feel so soft~.¡± ¡°She¡¯s also adorable!¡± ¡°Help us~...¡± Q reached out a hand and looked to Kukis for help, but Kukis simply shook her head, not willing to get involved in this matter. While that was happening, Lily greeted the two male members of the party, who responded absentmindedly. In the end, it took almost half an hour until the girls were satisfied and released Q and Brie¡­
A/N: Well well, another group of eccentrics. When will I ever write normal people into the story? Answer: NEVER. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as I found that writing Q''s shenanigans were quite entertaining. Now, I have come to understand that you guys noticed this story doesn''t have a direct ''plot''. That was on purpose... On purpose in the sense that I had no idea on what to do for plot XD. Right now the way the story is going, it''s a pattern of, introduce new things, gain new skills, meet new people, then participate in a large event. There was never an end-goal to this story when I was writing it (though I''ll probably think of one in the future). That being said though, the one thing I want to convey from my story is that people are having fun. Meeting new people, going to new places, taking down challenging enemies, etc. All kinds of fun is to be had, especially in a video game. I sure hope you guys are having fun reading this story as well :) Now... I found an image that basically looks like how I imagined Q to look like, so I''ll share it with you guys. Just change the eyes to gold and hair to red. Spoiler : Fun-fact: The site I visit the most while writing a chapter is thesaurus.com (Gotta get that variety) P.S: Almost 1000 views and 140 followers! (As of when I''m typing this) I love you guys. No homo. Chapter 013 - Party Time! ¡°I¡­ feel like I¡¯ve lost something important.¡± Q was kneeling on the ground and hanging her head while wearing a dispirited face. (orz) ¡°I feel the same way¡­¡± Brie was also in the same pose, equally as dispirited as Q. ¡°Oh come on, it wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± Kukis tried to cheer up the two¡¯s but instead drew their anger. ¡°How dare you not help us!¡± Q yelled. ¡°I was being violated in my most important spots, and you just stood there and watched! You¡¯re a pervert, Cookie!¡± ¡°Wha-¡± Kukis could barely get a response out before Brie also began to admonish her. ¡°Yes, I expected more out of you Kukis. To think that you would disregard your companions in their time of greatest need¡­ You truly disappoint me.¡± ¡°W- wait! You guys aren¡¯t serious right?!¡± ¡°¡°We¡¯re very serious.¡±¡± Q and Brie said in sync, looking at Kukis with condemning eyes. The three of them argued for a while until they all heard a sound and a window appeared in front of them. [Quest Complete!] - Meet and Greet -See Lily for your rewards. ¡°Oh crap, that¡¯s right! Where¡¯s Lily?¡± Q looked around and found Lily standing at the gates, waiting after she finished greeting other players. Q, Brie and Kukis all approached her. ¡°Aw man¡­ sorry Lily.¡± Q apologized. ¡°We were kind of¡­ sidetracked.¡± Lily only giggled, looking at Q with kind eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. It was quite fun to watch you girls get intimate like that. In the future, I too wish to get that close to people after meeting them.¡± ¡°Ahahah¡­ yeah¡­¡± Q responded weakly. I sure hope that scene won¡¯t be a bad influence for her¡­ Q prayed in her mind. ¡°Well, you all have helped me with my request, so I simply must thank you. I have knitted some things in my spare time, so it would make me happy if you accepted them as a reward. Please wait a moment.¡± Lily turned around and seemed to be rummaging around in¡­ something. When she turned back she was holding three different knitted items. Where the heck did she pull those out of!? Q was shocked to see those items appear from seemingly out of nowhere. It seems that even in video games girls have mysterious powers¡­ Wait, I¡¯m a girl now, does that mean I can use the rumored magical ability all girls use, [Multi-dimensional Purse]? Or possibly even, [Always Smell Good]? While Q was contemplating the many mysteries of girls, Brie and Kukis were looking at the items. (A/N: Sorry if I offend any female readers. All in good humor.) [Soft Scarf (Head, Uncommon)] - Durability (15/15) - An incredibly soft scarf, hand-knitted by Lily Breckden. Vitality +1, Defense +1, Agility +2. [Puppy Hat (Head, Uncommon)] - Durability (15/15) - A cute hat with floppy dog ears on top, hand-knitted by Lily Breckden. Vitality +2, Defense +2. [Rose Headband (Head, Uncommon)] - Durability (15/15) - An elegant rose headband, hand-knitted by Lily Breckden. Strength +1, Dexterity +1, Agility +2. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll take the Puppy hat.¡± Kukis picked up and wore the hat, feeling slightly more excited than usual. ¡°Then I shall take the headband.¡± Brie wrapped the band around her head, and the red color complimented her eyes perfectly. By this point Q had stopped her musings of the female gender and took the scarf. ¡°I am totally okay with this.¡± She said as she wrapped the scarf around her neck, enjoying the softness it provided. ¡°Honestly if you took the scarf I might have killed you for it.¡± ¡°Heh. Nice joke.¡± Kukis said, admiring her new hat. ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± ¡°...¡± While Kukis felt a chill go down her spine, Lily prepared to leave. ¡°Well then, I shall be off. My parents must be worried about me for being out for so long without telling them. Thank you again you three, I hope to see you all again soon.¡± Lily began to head back home while the three girls bid her farewell. ¡°Uh¡­ Could I have a moment of your time?¡± The leader of the party they helped spoke up. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank you for helping us there. I know I spoke tough, but we really were in a bit of trouble there.¡± ¡°Hahaha, now that¡¯s a joke. You know you weren¡¯t actually in any trouble at that moment right?¡± Q said while admiring how soft her scarf was. ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, you know that fighting is forbidden inside a town right? Didn¡¯t you notice that the guards were pulling out their weapons when you guys were ready to fight?¡± ¡°Eh? Really?¡± The leader initially hadn¡¯t noticed that there were guards around at all, but now that he looked around he did indeed find a few town guards patrolling the walls. ¡°Yup. The only reason I stopped your fight was because you were slowing down the progression of our quest.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ well, thanks anyway. Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name¡¯s Verne. I¡¯m a level 12 human swordsman and leader of our guild, The Crios Blades. Well, not that we¡¯re a guild yet, but we¡¯re planning on becoming one as soon as possible.¡± Now that Q got a proper look at him, she realized he had quite a handsome face. His face was a strangely balanced mix of rough and innocent, giving off a sort of ¡®heroic¡¯ aura. He had a well-built body, and wore leather armor along with a longsword on his right side. His green eyes stared at Q, as if he was appraising her. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not going to introduce the rest of us?¡± The priest of the party said. His hair was a bright gold color and he had long pointed ears. His body was thin, which complimented his fair, almost female face. He wore white robes and held a staff with a gem embedded in the tip. ¡°I¡¯m Fortis Caleron. You can just call me Fort. I¡¯m a level 12 Elvish Priest, and I¡¯m also the guy who yanks this fool,¡± he indicated Verne, ¡°out of trouble. Though it seems like you took my job from me this time.¡± He said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m next!¡± The archer spoke up. She was small with a slight build, but only slightly shorter than Kukis was. Her shining blue eyes and childish face added to her child-like, energetic behavior. ¡°My name is Melun, level 10 human archer, lover of all things cute!¡± She said while staring at Q with an intense expression. Right, she¡¯s a pervert. Q mentally labelled her as such. The female swordsman came up next. She wore thicker armor than Verne, and also had a small buckler shield on her right arm. She had some slight muscle with a few scales dotting her skin here and there. She had horns which curved up and around her head, and she wore an indifferent expression on her face. Her deep blue eyes and calm face seemed to indicate that she was a very tranquil person, but Q remembered her dangerous eyes while she was ¡®cuddling¡¯ her. Hmm... this one¡¯s a closet pervert. Q labelled her as well. ¡°I¡¯m Neria, a level 11 draconian swordsman. Pleased to meet you.¡± She said with a slight smile. Last but not least, the magician introduced herself. Most of her body¡¯s figure was covered up with a long robe, but Q was aware of the ¡®dangerous weapons¡¯ hiding underneath that robe, as she had come into contact with them multiple times while being cuddled. Her big doe eyes and entrancing smile made her seem quite lewd, especially when combined with her cute face. ¡°I¡¯m Aeryn, a level 10 half-human half-devil mage. But you can call me older sister~.¡± She said with a wink. She¡¯s the biggest pervert of them all! Q noted in her mental library. Before Q could introduce herself, Kukis came up and introduced herself first. ¡°My name is Kukis. That¡¯s pronounced coo-kiss okay? I¡¯m just a level 10 human with no class yet.¡± Then Kukis pushed Brie up to the front while whispering, ¡°This is your chance, introduce yourself!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­ uh...¡± Brie looked a little panicked but after looking back and seeing her friends smiling at her, she managed to squeeze out a greeting. ¡°I am Brie! A level 11 mouse-kin!¡± Then she scurried back behind Q, muttering ¡°That was scary¡­ But I did it! I said something to a male!¡± Congratulating Brie in her mind, Q also introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯m Q, a level-¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°YOU¡¯RE Q!?!??!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± All members of the Crios Blades screamed out at the same time, causing the people walking around to stop and stare for a while. ¡°Ouch, that hurt my ears. Yes I¡¯m Q.¡± I think that system message is going to bring me more trouble than I thought... Q was only just now realizing the consequences of letting every player know about how amazing you were. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°No way¡­ prove it!¡± Verne said in disbelief. This little girl was able to kill a boss 15 levels above her? There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true... ¡°Uhh¡­ okay?¡± Q decided to send a friend request to Verne so that he would see her name. When Verne saw the request, his eyes opened wide and he stared at Q, slack-jawed. Seeing his reaction, the rest of the Crios Blades realized that the cute little girl in front of them really was the legendary player who took down a boss 15 levels above her. For a while they stood in stunned silence, until Verne suddenly blurted out, ¡°Join my guild!¡± ¡°No.¡± Q immediately shot him down, bringing down his spirits. Seeing his depressed face, Q decided to take a bit of pity on him. ¡°I won''t join your guild but¡­ if you want to temporarily party together that would be okay. Well, as long as my friends are alright with joining.¡± Q turned to see her friends reactions. Currently Kukis was holding in her laughter, finding the Crios Blades faces absolutely hilarious. Meeting Q¡¯s gaze, she nodded in consent. Brie on the other hand was thinking quite hard. Join a party with men? I cannot¡­ but¡­ if I do not do this I will never get over my fear of men¡­ Seeing Brie¡¯s hesitation, Q slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. We don''t need to join them if you can''t handle it.¡± Suddenly Brie¡¯s face became determined as she took Q¡¯s words as a challenge. ¡°Of course I can handle it! Who do you think I am? I will face any challenge head on!¡± ¡°Nice to hear,¡± Q said with a smile. Good for you Brie, you''re finally taking the steps forward to get over your fear. She thought. Q turned to the Crios Blades who were still slightly stunned from hearing who she was. ¡°Well, my party members are fine with joining you guys. Wanna party up?¡± ¡°YES!¡± Verb shouted in excitement. ¡°We''d be honored to have you join us¡­ but, are you going to join our party, or are we going to join yours?¡± ¡°Eh, we''ll just join yours. Though even if you are the leader, I won''t follow any stupid orders!¡± Q said while disbanding her party. Verne nodded, saying ¡°Of course!¡± As he invited them to his party. ¡°Alright! It''s party time!¡± Melun said with an elated face. ¡°And since we¡¯re party members now, we should get to know each other better¡­ eheheh, how about we start with learning about each others bodies?¡± She said while making a grab at Q. This time Q was ready though, and she dodged smoothly, causing Melun to crash face first into the ground. ¡°Lolita yes, touch no!¡± Q said, reciting a line from a novel she had read in the past. ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± Verb smiled wryly seeing his party members play around. ¡°Since we¡¯re party members for now, I''ll share the quest we got.¡± He said while making a few gestures in the air. [New Quest!] - Explore the Forest cave [Objective] - Investigate the newly discovered cave in the Verdant Forest. Recommended level: 10 [Rewards] - Varies depending on what you find. ¡°Awesome! Finally some real adventuring.¡± Kukis said with an elated expression. ¡°You mean you weren''t really adventuring before while wandering around in the Forest?¡± Q inquired. ¡°Psh. No way, that was just a casual stroll. THIS is what adventuring is about, exploring deep caves and unknown lands. You don''t really get the same sense of danger and excitement just walking around in a forest.¡± ¡°Hah, say that after you''ve wandered around the Forest at night.¡± Fortis spoke up. ¡°This idiot thought it''d be a smart idea to wander in the Forest and take on an enemy 10 levels above him.¡± He said, punching Verne lightly on the shoulder. ¡°Hey I can''t help it!¡± Verne replied indignantly. ¡°Seeing Q¡¯s achievement got me fired up!¡± ¡°It also got you killed.¡± Fortis said with disapproving eyes. ¡°Ugh¡­ your gaze hurts¡­¡± Verne looked away, trying to avoid Fortis¡¯ look. ¡°Yes yes, we know that you two like looking at each other with hot gazes of passion, but we¡¯re burning daylight here so we should get a move on to the cave.¡± Aeryn said with a sly grin. ¡°¡°We¡¯re not gay!!!¡±¡± Verne and Fortis protested in sync. What an interesting bunch¡­ Q thought as they all exited the town. On the way there, Melun and Aeryn kept trying to sneakily touch Q¡¯s ears or tail, but she was already on extreme guard against the two so they weren¡¯t able to touch her at all. Brie got touched by them once, but afterwards wouldn¡¯t let them near her. ¡°Why is everyone so eager to touch my ears? If this was real life they would not dare at all¡­¡± Brie muttered to herself while walking. ¡°That¡¯s because your ears look really cute.¡± Q commented, hearing Brie¡¯s mutters. When Brie heard her response, her face immediately got red as she struggled to say something. Q spoke first though, as she said, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯d like to touch your ears as well. But, that would go against my personal creed.¡± ¡°Personal creed?¡± Those words piqued Brie¡¯s interest. ¡°Yeah, no matter how much I like soft things, there¡¯s always a limit to it. Well, the only limit being that if a soft object belongs to someone else, I must get their permission first before touching it.¡± ¡°That is¡­ strangely noble, considering your previous actions.¡± Brie said. ¡°I do not recall you asking those rabbits for permission to touch them.¡± ¡°Hey, small animals are an exception! Those rabbits didn¡¯t belong to anyone so they were free game. Besides, how could I possibly resist such an amazing opportunity?¡± Q smiled, remembering the feel of the rabbit¡¯s fur. The two of them continued to make small talk until Verne had them all stop. ¡°Hmm¡­ the map says it should be around here¡­ ah, there it is.¡± Verne moved aside some bushes and they found the entrance to the cave. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s pretty dark.¡± Kukis noted, not being able to see more than 15 meters inside the cave despite it being midday. ¡°Yeah. Anyone here afraid of the dark?¡± Fortis asked, looking at the others. Seeing that no one had a fear of dark places, he nodded and began checking his inventory. The rest of the players all followed suit, except for Brie. ¡°Brie, you aren¡¯t going to check your equipment and stuff?¡± Q asked, noticing that she hadn¡¯t made any movements. ¡°No, my equipment is in pristine condition. There is no need for me to check again.¡± ¡°Okay, but you should probably take out your equipment instead of keeping it in your inventory.¡± Q said with a grin. ¡°Oh! That is quite true.¡± Brie brought out her short-sword and placed it on her belt. ¡°Alright then,¡± Verne said in a loud voice. ¡°Everybody ready?¡± All the players nodded in response. ¡°Okay, time to storm the cave!¡± ¡°For adventure!¡± Kukis shouted. ¡°For loot!¡± Melun exclaimed. ¡°For chances of meeting more small animals!¡± Q cried out. ¡°¡°¡°¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±¡±¡±¡± Everyone else shouted, and they all went into the caves.
A/N: Enter the Crios Blades! So, all the setup is done for the next action segment, and you also get to learn about the Crios Blades members. These guys are a fun bunch, and they''ll be important to the story later (if they weren''t important, why would I have mentioned them?) Also, do you recognize a certain someone briefly mentioned in chapter 3? Just saying, when I was trying to come up with a guild name for the Crios Blades I went to a random guild name generator. One of the first things I got: Crusaders of Fluffy Pink Death. Yeah, sure sounds imposing doesn''t it? Also, to all people who may think that Melun, Neira and Aeryn are perverted lolicons... well ask yourself a question. Seeing the picture of Q (kind of) in the previous chapter, could you resist hugging her? Yeah, that''s what I thought. Thanks to everyone reading this far. I''ll do my best to meet your expectations as readers. Remember to comment or something if you have questions or any criticisms for me. Well then, I''ll see you all in the next chapter. Cya! Fun-fact: It takes me about 10 minutes to come up with character names. Chapter 014 - Pretty Stones, Pretty Flowers ¡°Okay, I know that we just sort of jumped into this quest, but did you guys prepare anything? Like¡­ torches for example?¡± Q asked, barely able to make her way forward in the darkness. ¡°Yeah, no problem on that front.¡± Fortis said, almost stumbling on a rock. ¡°I have a spell to create a lightsource. I just haven¡¯t used it yet to preserve mana for now.¡± ¡°Sounds convenient. But what if you run out of mana?¡± ¡°...¡± An uncomfortable silence followed Q¡¯s question. ¡°Fort¡­ are you serious?¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine!¡± Fortis said, with a bit of sweat going down his back. ¡°*sigh* Well, let¡¯s see if this works. [Spark]!¡± A bright light emanated from Q¡¯s hand, temporarily illuminating the dark cave. With the brief flash of light, Q narrowed her eyes and analyzed everything she could make out. The walls of the cave were curved and smooth, and slowly lead downwards into a tunnel. A few rocks dotted the ground, and other than the stalactites on the ceiling there wasn¡¯t anything else of notice. ¡°A there¡¯s a tunnel in front of us that leads downwards. Also, watch your step, there are a few rocks in the ground ahead, particularly in front of you Neira.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you for the warning.¡± Neira said as she began probing the ground in front of her. ¡°Wow¡­ how were you able to see so much?¡± Aeryn asked with a surprised look on her face. ¡°I have good eyes.¡± Q simply brushed off the question as she cast another [Spark]. ¡°Hmm¡­ alright, here¡¯s the plan.¡± Verne spoke up. ¡°We all hold hands and have Q lead us forward. Are you alright with that Q?¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem. [Spark]. Brie, do you mind?¡± Q asked as she held out her hand. Brie stared at it for a while before timidly grabbing onto it. ¡°Just this once okay?¡± Brie said with a slightly blushed face. Sorry Brie, but you¡¯ll be my shield here¡­ Q apologized in her mind just as Melun suddenly appeared. ¡°Me next!¡± She said, jumping forward and grabbing onto Brie¡¯s hand. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s no fair! I was going to hold her hand!¡± Aeryn complained as she held onto Melun¡¯s hand. Fortis came next, followed by Kukis, Verne, and then Neira who brought up the rear. The group then made their way through the tunnel, with Q casting [Spark] whenever it was off cool-down. The group managed to pass through the tunnel without incident, and found themselves inside a large open area. The darkness in this section of the cave was incredibly intimidating. Whenever Q stopped casting [Spark] the darkness would rush forward to envelop the party in its embrace. ¡°Hey Fort, mind taking over now? My spell doesn¡¯t light up enough.¡± ¡°Alright. Thanks for leading us here by the way. Now¡­ *ahem*. I call upon the spirits of light to illuminate our way forward! [Lustrous Orb]!¡± Hearing Fortis chant out his spell, Q wondered about how she invoked her own spell. I don¡¯t have to say anything besides the spell name to use it... Maybe depending on how powerful the spell is the longer you have to chant? Her thoughts were quickly ended though as a ball of light came out from Fortis¡¯ staff. ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Ooooh¡­¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± Everyone let out a voice of amazement as they saw the cave become brighter. The walls were lined with different colored sparkling stones which gave off a colorful glow when the light hit them, bathing the walls in an array of colors. The ground was strangely soil rather than stone, and the ceiling curved upwards to make a dome above their heads. Up ahead the players could see that there were a few different paths to head down, but for now they all simply stared at the beautiful sight. [You have discovered the Gemstone Caverns] - Being the first players to discover this area, you will receive double exp and loot drop chances for the duration of 3 days while in this area. [Experience Gained] [Fame Gained] ¡°Yay, rewards.¡± Verne absentmindedly murmured, as he admired the beautiful sight. While everyone was taking in the view, Kukis was studying the gemstones on the walls, and decided to pull one out. ¡°HRNG-! This thing is hard to pull out.¡± She grunted as she tried to exert as much force as she could in pulling out the stone. ¡°Heh, players can¡¯t take out gems if they don¡¯t have the mining profession, which I just so happen to have.¡± Aeryn smiled, pulling out a pickaxe from her inventory. ¡°You¡¯re a mage but you took up mining?¡± Q asked with curiosity. ¡°Yes. I plan on mining gemstones, then getting an accessory based profession to utilize the gems that I get.¡± She explained, going up to the wall to mine some gemstones. After a few swings of her pickaxe, a few small blue gems fell onto the ground. ¡°Wow, that was easy.¡± Aeryn exclaimed. ¡°Usually I wouldn¡¯t get this many gems in that amount of time. Thank god for increased drop rates right?¡± ¡°Right. Aeryn, for now keep mining. Fortis, start meditating and keep up your spell. Neira, Brie and Kukis can stay here and secure the perimeter. If you three find any items lying around make sure to pick them up alright? Meanwhile Melun, Q and I will go to scout out the area.¡± Verne gave out his orders and the party members began to do their assigned jobs. Verne, Melun and Q moved forward, investigating the large cave. Although she didn¡¯t need to, Q continually cast [Spark] as she explored the cave. I might as well take this opportunity to level up this skill right? Though it¡¯s really something that Helen prefers doing... The three of them didn¡¯t find anything of interest besides the three paths leading further downwards and were about to head back when Q noticed something strange. ¡°Hey guys¡­ look at this.¡± She said, pointing at a flower growing out of the ground. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a pretty flower.¡± Melun commented, reaching out to touch its petals. ¡°STOP!¡± Q¡¯s hand darted out and grabbed Melun¡¯s wrist, stopping her from touching the flower. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Melun asked curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t you find something strange about this flower?¡± ¡°No¡­ what¡¯s so strange about it?¡± ¡°How about the fact that it¡¯s growing in this cave?¡± Q began to explain. ¡°Now, I may be wrong and this could just be a fantasy flower that happens to grow in dark places, but I think that all plant life needs nutrition. Judging from this place, there isn¡¯t anything to feed and sustain a flower. So why is it growing?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Verne was contemplating Q¡¯s words, when he suddenly noticed something. ¡°The flower is moving!¡± Q looked over to see that the flower was indeed moving, as it was swaying from side to side. The flower wasn¡¯t the only thing that was moving either, as the ground around it began to swell up! The three quickly backed up just in time to avoid sharp teeth poking out of the ground! The teeth chomped on the area they were just standing in, then sunk back into the ground. ¡°What in the world¡­¡± Verne muttered, but before he could say anything else he was interrupted by a deep rumble. The ground began to swell up again, and this time something jumped out of it! A large hulking creature appeared with long sharp teeth inside its huge mouth. Somewhat resembling an angler fish, its limbs were incredibly short and just barely lifted up its 3 meter body. Above its head they could see the flower from earlier sitting there, and in addition to that a name and health bar appeared as well. [Lure Flower] - Level 16 ¡°Heads up! Enemies!¡± Verne yelled at the other players currently on the other side of the room. Hearing this, they stopped what they were doing and began to make their way over to where Verne was. Before they could even take two steps though, multiple flowers began to pop out of the ground, each one of them bringing a giant monster with them! The Lure Flowers slowly began to fill the cave, and eventually there were 15 of them! ¡°Stay there and hold your positions! We¡¯ll make our way to you!¡± Verne gave out orders as he urged Melun and Q to move. The Lure Flower wouldn¡¯t let them get away so easily though, as the Lure Flower suddenly spit out (more like barfed out) a strange liquid aimed at Q and Melun! Q was able to dodge it but Melun wasn¡¯t as lucky and her leg got hit by the liquid. ¡°Ew¡­ what is this? It¡¯s sticky and smells bad!¡± Melun complained, trying to pull herself away from it. Q took a look at her health bar and saw that she didn¡¯t lose any health, but the real problem was the slowly approaching Lure Flower! Now that its target was stuck, it had all the time to approach her. Making a quick decision Q turned to Verne and said, ¡°Help her up!¡± as she leaped towards the Lure Flower. ¡°Wait, Q!¡± Verne began to protest, but Q ignored him as she engaged the Lure Flower. Running to its right side, Q made a quick slash at it with her dagger. The Lure Flower made no indications that it felt the attack at all as it ignored Q and continued heading towards Melun. What the heck is its body made of? Soil? Q wondered as she saw that her dagger had some dirt left on it. At the very least it did some damage, but it wasn¡¯t enough to get its attention. ¡°Alright then, how about this?¡± Q ran towards the back of the Lure Flower and jumped up, climbing on top of it. The Lure Flower didn¡¯t seem to mind her presence on its back, but when Q began to approach the flower growing on top of its head it let out a scream and began shaking its body in an effort to get her off. As soon as her footing became unstable, Q stabbed her dagger into the Lure Flower¡¯s back in order to get a grip on it, then shot out a [Spark] towards the flower. Once the [Spark] made contact, the flower was instantly set aflame and the Lure Flower¡¯s health dropped down significantly. ¡°The weak point is their flower!¡± Q yelled loudly. She wasn¡¯t sure if the other members heard her, but she needed to focus her attention on the Lure Flower. While Q was dealing with the Lure Flower, Verne was able to pull Melun away from the liquid and got her to safety. ¡°Q, I have her! Let¡¯s regroup!¡± Verne said with urgency in his voice. ¡°Just a second.¡± Q was comparably calm by comparison as she continued to cast spark at the flower. Eventually it died and she was able to kill it without much difficulty besides a few scratches from being thrown around on its back. ¡°Weird, I thought it might use a special ability to get me off its back...¡± Q was slightly disappointed that the monster didn¡¯t pose much of a challenge. ¡°More on that later, we need to break through and get back to the others!¡± Verne indicated the 5 Lure Flowers which were slowly making their way towards them. Meanwhile on the other side of the room, the rest of the group were struggling against the Lure Flowers. ¡°Aeryn, are your spells working?¡± Fortis asked as he began to enchant the front-line fighters. ¡°Yeah, water doesn¡¯t work but fire works fine. Though I feel like it¡¯s doing a lot less damage than usual¡­¡± Aeryn replied while shooting out another fireball. ¡°Less talky more fighty!¡± Kukis said, swinging her dagger at one of the Lure Flowers. Her attacks were about as successful as Q¡¯s were, only managing to chip away at the Lure Flower¡¯s health. Brie was also in a bit of a bind, as she tried to stab at the flowers but they were too high for her sword to reach. Neira had the toughest time of them all, as she had to hold off multiple Lure Flowers to keep them from getting behind her. Using her shield she tried to bash their faces in but the Lure Flowers simply opened their mouth and tried to eat her arm instead. While the Lure Flowers slowly made their way forward, the group was also being cornered into a wall. Just as the rear fighters backs touched the wall, a flash of red appeared above the Lure Flowers. It was Q! ¡°I said aim for the flowers didn¡¯t I?¡± She chastised them as she landed on top of one of the Lure Flowers and fired off a [Spark]. As soon as the [Spark] hit the Lure Flower it started to rampage, but by then Q had already jumped off and was attacking another one. The group watched her in amazement as she jumped from place to place, casting [Spark], slicing flowers with her claws, or even sometimes throwing her dagger at the place she was going to land before picking it up. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Verne and Melun appeared at this moment to reunite with their companions, and once Verne saw their reactions he snapped at them. ¡°Hey, stop gawking and do something! Neira, you¡¯re holding the front with me. Brie and Kukis, stay behind us and attack the monsters if you see an opportunity! Aeryn, focus on Area of Effect spells to cover as much enemies as possible. Melun, aim for the flowers. Don¡¯t miss alright? Fortis, keep your healing spells ready.¡± Having received their orders, the party members got into position and began their counterattack against the Lure Flowers. ¡°Alright then, watch this! [Hawk Eye], [Precision Shot]!¡± Melun took careful aim and activated her abilities, letting an arrow fly that hit the flower dead in the middle. The Lure Flower roared as it¡¯s health dropped down to low levels. ¡°Kukis, Brie!¡± Verne shouted, and the two immediately understanding his intentions rushed forward to attack the Lure Flower. Kukis continued to slice and stab at its sides, while Brie attempted to stab in-between the gaps in its teeth, hoping that it would cause pain to it. Despite the small amount of damage they did to it, the Lure Flower fell in no time thanks to its low health. ¡°Watch out everyone, I¡¯m using a spell!¡± Aeryn warned as she began to charge her magic. ¡°Spirits of flame, heed my call. Go forth and burn my enemies. [Flame Wave]!¡± A large wave of flames swept forward, past her allies and into the enemies. It dealt a substantial amount of damage to the Lure Flowers, and the ones who had their flowers hit by it immediately began burning and took massive amounts of damage. ¡°Neira, look out!¡± Melun cried as she saw that one of the Lure Flowers was heading straight for her blind spot. Once Neira heard Melun¡¯s warning, she turned and quickly brought up her shield, but was still knocked off her feet by the force of the blow. ¡°Gah!¡± She let out a grunt of pain when she hit the floor. ¡°Neira!¡± Verne saw his comrade get hit but he couldn¡¯t help her as he was busy dealing with his own Lure Flowers. The Lure Flower approaching Neira opened its mouth and was about to spit more of that liquid again, when Q suddenly jumped onto its back. ¡°[Spark], [Magic Fist - Spark]!¡± Q¡¯s magic attacks hit the flower and caused the creature to go crazy. She leaped down from the Lure Flower and helped up Neira. As she extended her hand to help her up, she noticed that there was a slight glow around Neira as her health bar filled up. Looking at Fortis she gave a thumbs up, then she headed over to Brie. ¡°Brie, want to do more damage?¡± Q asked, casting a [Spark] at the Lure Flower Brie was fighting. ¡°Gladly.¡± Brie responded, stabbing the Lure Flower in its mouth. ¡°Alright then. Follow me!¡± Q ran past the rampaging Lure Flower, and reached its back as Brie followed her closely. ¡°Jump on the back, then stab its flower from there.¡± Q gave instructions as she jumped onto the back of the Lure Flower. Brie found it a little difficult at first, but after imitating Q¡¯s movements she was able to get up there without any problem. With the higher vantage point, Brie was able to oversee the battlefield, and saw the situation clearly. Currently there were 9 Lure Flowers remaining, all at about half health. The rest of the group was surrounded with their backs to the wall in a semi-circle, with Kukis, Neira and Verne fighting off the Lure Flowers as best they could. Brie saw that one of the Lure Flowers was a distance away from the others and had under half health. ¡°Melun!¡± Brie cried out. ¡°What is it cutie~?¡± Melun replied in a sweet voice. ¡°The Lure Flower over there!¡± Brie pointed at the creature, ¡°You can probably hit it!¡± ¡°Oh, why thank you.¡± She said as she fired an arrow at the Lure Flower, killing it. Excellent. Now to kill this one. Brie thought as she aimed her sword at the flower. How did Kukis describe this process again? Oh yes¡­ Brie concentrated as she yelled out ¡°[Piercing Strike]!¡± and thrust forward with her sword. Her attack dropped the Lure Flower¡¯s health to critical levels, and she quickly finished it off afterwards with a few more stabs. ¡°Nice job!¡± Suddenly Brie noticed Q on top of a Lure Flower nearby. ¡°Come on, jump over here!¡± Q said as she reached out her hand. Brie nodded and took a running start, then leaped over to where Q was. Q caught her and pulled her up onto the Lure Flower. ¡°The battle¡¯s getting a little bit easier.¡± Q said as she observed the state of the battlefield. Right now there were only 6 Lure Flowers remaining and besides the one they were standing on, the rest were all on low health. ¡°Brie, mind stabbing this guy a few times for me? I need to set up something.¡± Q said as she leaped over to another Lure Flower. Brie nodded as she approached the flower and began to attack it. Meanwhile Verne and the other front-line fighters were all dealing constant damage, but were also getting hurt in the process. Luckily Fortis was there to heal them, but after a certain point he said, ¡°I have a quarter of my mana left! Be careful or else I¡¯ll have to dispel [Lustrous Orb] and we¡¯ll be fighting in darkness!¡± ¡°No worries about that!¡± Q¡¯s voice rang out. Looking up they saw Q standing on top of one of the Lure Flowers, and was surrounded by other Lure Flowers. Though they didn¡¯t know why the Lure Flowers were all gathering around her, Q brought their minds back on track as she said, ¡°Aeryn, strongest AoE please! And somebody catch me when I fall!¡± She tried to stabilize her footing as she prepared herself to jump off. Hearing Q¡¯s words, Aeryn nodded as she began to charge up her most powerful fire spell. ¡°Spirits of flame, heed my call. Form as my will, and bring down fire upon my enemies! [Flame Pillar]!¡± A large pillar of flame came down from the sky, falling right into the middle of the group of Lure Flowers! At the exact moment that the fire came down, Q had leaped off the Lure Flower and fell into Verne¡¯s arms as he caught her. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s no fair! I was going to catch her!¡± Melun complained. That¡¯s exactly why I didn¡¯t jump in your direction¡­ Q thought as she lay in Verne¡¯s arms. ¡°Uh¡­ n- now¡¯s not the time for that.¡± Verne stammered as he held Q in his arms. This girl¡­ why is she so soft!? And she smells so nice¡­ Wait, what am I thinking? As he held Q in his arms, he noticed that her hands were covered in the liquid that the Lure Flowers had spit earlier. Before he could ask why she had them on her hands Q spoke up. ¡°Thanks for catching me. Also, mind letting me down now?¡± ¡°O-of course!¡± Verne quickly let Q out of his arms. Clearing his throat and composing himself, Verne looked over at the Lure Flowers to find that they had all died, save for the one that Brie was on top of. That one was quickly killed as well though with a few stabs from Brie. The entire group gathered together and simply sat down, exhausted after their battle. ¡°Well¡­ that was fun.¡± Q said as multiple windows appeared in front of her. [Level Up!] x2 [Stats Gained] [Skill Proficiency Gained] [Spell Proficiency Gained] [New Skill] - Climbing Mastery (Passive) Increases speed and ease when climbing. [New Skill] - Jumping Mastery (Passive) Increases length and height when jumping. [Items Received] ¡°That was¡­ awesome!¡± Kukis exclaimed. ¡°That was so intense! I didn¡¯t think we were going to make it when I saw those thing¡¯s levels.¡± ¡°I know right?¡± Fortis laughed. ¡°Seriously, those things were scary.¡± ¡°Actually, I think the scariest one here is Q.¡± Verne said, remembering what she had done earlier. ¡°While we were surrounded, Q actually killed 4 of them in order to let us regroup.¡± ¡°Aw¡­ that¡¯s nothing.¡± Q scratched her cheek in embarrassment. ¡°Their weak points were really easy to hit so it¡¯s not like it was that hard.¡± ¡°Q¡­ you¡¯re crazy.¡± Kukis simply let out a sigh as she had already been slightly numbed to the amazing things that Q could do. ¡°Good job though everyone.¡± Fortis smiled as he encouraged the team. ¡°Anyway, I think we all know what time it is. It¡¯s time for-¡± ¡°LOOT!¡± Melun yelled out as she began to put her items that she got on the ground. All the other members followed suit, and the loot was divided between them. The random drops were generally split evenly, and each player got a few things like flower petals or clump of magic soil. There were quite a few pieces of equipment, and those were distributed according to what player needed them the most. Neira got a new shield, Aeryn got a pair of earrings and Fortis got a bracelet. The armor pieces were few in number, but Q was able to get a belt while the rest were given to the frontline fighters. There was also a few weapons there were given out, with Kukis getting a one-handed sword and Brie getting a small parrying dagger. Q also got a new dagger to replace her current one, and Verne got a magic sword that let out a slight glow. [Leather Storage Belt (Waist, Rare)] Durability (20/20) - A belt with three small boxes attached that can be used for storage. Strength +2, Defense +3, Vitality +2 [Dagger of Minor Dexterity (Weapon, Rare)] Durability (30/30) - A sharp dagger that slightly raises dexterity. Dexterity +5, Damage: 10-15 Satisfied with their rewards, the party equipped their new items and went about restoring their lost health and mana. ¡°Though that was a dangerous situation, we did quite well didn¡¯t we? Though I think most of the credit should go to our temporary members here.¡± Aeryn indicated Q, Brie and Kukis. ¡°If it was our usual party, we might have died in that battle. In fact, with you girls here it was sort of easy.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that it was easy.¡± Neira shook her head. ¡°Those things hit hard¡­ and I dread to think about what might have happened if we got hit by that spit in a crucial point in the battle.¡± ¡°That reminds me,¡± Verne turned to Q, ¡°Why did you have the Lure Flower¡¯s spit on your hands earlier Q?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, they seemed to be attracted to prey that was bound by their spit. While you guys were dealing with most them I moved around a few of them until they spit at me. I let it hit one of my hands, but they didn¡¯t follow up. I let my other hand get hit, and once I put it together with my other hand the Lure Flowers began paying attention to me. From there I just ran on top of one of them to gather them all up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to say about that.¡± Verne looked at the small fox-kin with renewed interest. It takes an incredible amount of speed and skill to dodge the spit, but Q was able to make sure that it only hit one part of her body. Furthermore she ran up one of their backs without stumbling even while her hands were bound, showing that Q was an incredibly skilled individual. ¡°I don¡¯t know either but¡­ I¡¯m kind of hungry after all that fighting.¡± Kukis¡¯ stomach let out a small growl in agreement. ¡°Same here. Melun, you have the food right?¡± Aeryn asked. ¡°Ah. I knew I forgot to buy something...¡± Melun muttered. ¡°¡°¡°¡°MELUN! YOU HAD ONE JOB!!!¡±¡±¡±¡± The Crios Blades all cried out in unison.
A/N: Hello everyone, Emeraldgem here. Do I refer to myself as Emeraldgem now? No, because I don''t speak in the third person. Anyway, group battle ahoy! A lot of things were going on in this fight, so I thought that it might have been a bit confusing to keep track of everything. More generally speaking, how to keep the battle in constant motion for all people involved (because if I''m focused on one character doing something, I sort of neglect the other characters and leave them ''frozen''). There''s also another thing that I''m concerned about, and that''s regarding the equipment everyone uses. I never described them in earlier chapters, so it kind of came out of nowhere that Neira was using a shield. Are you guys concerned about that, or is it fine and you can just easily fill in the blanks for yourselves? Well regardless, thanks for reading! Leave thine thoughts and comments if thou so wishest to do so. Fun-fact: I suck at coming up with names for things. Chapter 015 - Survive and Thrive ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ want¡­ to¡­!¡± Melun said through gritted teeth, as she struggled against Neira and Verne who were holding her down. ¡°Hahaha¡­ no can do.¡± Aeryn let out a sinister laugh. She forced open Melun¡¯s mouth with one hand, and held a mushroom in her other hand. Slowly, she brought it to Melun¡¯s mouth and hung it threateningly for a while. She let out a few more laughs seeing tears appear in Melun¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry okay!? I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t buy food! I was distracted by Q¡¯s tail and Brie¡¯s ears!¡± ¡°Mhmm, I understand honey. But unfortunately for you this is your punishment. You see, I don¡¯t enjoy doing this, but I have to.¡± ¡°Liar! You¡¯re definitely enjoying this!¡± Melun cried out, seeing the sadistic expression in Aeryn¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ah, you noticed? Ufufufu¡­¡± ¡°Aeryn you sadist! I¡¯ll get you back for this in real li- mmphgh!¡± Melun¡¯s cries were quickly silenced as Aeryn shoved the mushroom into her mouth. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡­ struggle all you want! But you can¡¯t escape. Oh no¡­ we have so many more items to test out! Ufufufu~.¡± She is definitely the biggest pervert. Q thought as she watched Aeryn torture Melun with random consumables they picked up from exploring. After they found out that Melun had forgotten to bring food, the group began to argue about whether or not they should return. No one was willing to leave the cave to go back to town though, as they would be wasting time for the double experience and item drops. In the end, they were forced to search for random consumable items in the cave. The first path they went through was the left path. Luckily there weren¡¯t any enemies around, but there wasn¡¯t anything of interest either. A bit of moss was covering the walls, so Q decided to take some in case they REALLY needed something to eat. Heading back out from there, they took the right path and encountered more Lure Flowers. Defeating the Lure Flowers this time was incredibly easy though, as Melun simply shot their flowers before they even surfaced, and the group surrounded a single Lure Flower and killed them one at a time. Near the end of the path was an opening to a large area. Before that part there were some large gems which were the size of a fist, and Aeryn immediately approached them to start mining. This was a mistake though, as suddenly the walls shook and from the spot the gem was, teeth appeared! [Lure Gemling] - Level 15 These lure creatures were a bit harder to deal damage to since they were made of stone, but they were smaller than their flower counterparts, making it was easier to hit their weak point (which turned out to be the gems). After they killed a few one dropped a ring which went over to Aeryn, and the party investigated the rest of the area. Entering the opening they found themselves in a cave similar to the main cave from before, but this time there was a lot more plant-life. Trees with fruits on them and bushes with berries lined the entire area. The party was incredibly cautious at this point though, and decided to have Melun fire arrows at each plant and object to check whether or not it would be a lure creature. Sure enough, there was indeed a lure creature which took the form of an Altona tree. Its appearance was similar to the Lure Flowers, but this one was 5 meters tall and had spikes all over its body. [Lure Tree] - Level 20 This lure creature the party had a lot of trouble with as it wouldn¡¯t expose its back to let Q or Brie run up. Instead it kept its back against a wall and began shooting its liquid at the players. Once a player had been caught, it would suddenly take in a deep breath and expand its body, shooting out the spikes on it. This attack caused quite a lot of trouble to the players, and only Q and Neira were able to deflect the spikes, while the rest hid behind them. Eventually it was beaten by Verne and Neira working together to throw Q up into the air. They made a ¡®platform¡¯ with their arms and launched Q up with all their might, giving her enough height to reach the tree and grab a hold of it. From there the battle was simple as Q just cast [Spark] and [Magic Fist] while the rest of the players kept its attention. The only trouble Q faced was the occasional spike launched towards her, but she avoided those without much problem. After defeating the Lure Tree, everyone leveled up once. The Lure Tree also dropped a necklace which went to Fortis, and a pair of gauntlets which went to Neira. After killing the Lure Tree, the party began to gather consumables, and it was unanimously agreed upon that Melun would be testing them for poison as punishment for not bringing food. ¡°Ah, she has the poison status. These mushrooms are no good.¡± Aeryn tossed away the mushrooms but Kukis picked them up anyway. Giving her a questioning look, Kukis just shrugged. ¡°Hey, you never know, we could use these in the future.¡± Kukis said, picking up a few more mushrooms. ¡°I guess¡­ oh. Fortis, she¡¯s dying. Can we get a heal?¡± Aeryn said with a nonchalant tone. ¡°Sure. I guess this works as good practice for my healing spells as well.¡± *Ptooey* Melun spit the remaining mushroom out of her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get rid of my poison status? The poison hurts you know!¡± ¡°Well, I would get rid of it, but right now my [Light Heal] spell needs to level up a bit more.¡± Fortis said with a grin. ¡°GAH! You too? When we get back in real life i¡¯m going to- mmphgh!¡± Melun¡¯s words were cut off as Aeryn stuffed another mushroom into her mouth. ¡°Ah. This one causes paralysis.¡± In this fashion, Melun was turned into the poison tester and was subjected to all kinds of abnormal statuses. After half an hour of trying everything in the area, they had singled out which items were safe to eat and which were poisonous. Kukis took most of the poisonous items while Q, Brie, and Fortis began cooking with the ingredients. Melun on the other hand was sulking in a corner of the room, muttering about how evil everyone else was. ¡°...so mean¡­ can¡¯t... even have¡­ I will¡­ revenge...¡± ¡°Oh come now, it wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± Aeryn said with a brilliant smile. ¡°It was terrible! They tasted bad and caused me pain!¡± Melun snapped back. Aeryn snickered a bit before walking away to let Melun vent her rage a bit. ¡°Did you at least get something from eating all that poison?¡± Neira inquired as she approached Melun. ¡°Yes¡­ I got a poison resistance skill and a new title¡­¡± ¡°What title is it?¡± Neira was interested in what Melun had received. ¡°... [Test Subject]... it gives me a 10% resistance to poisons and diseases.¡± ¡°Well hey, that¡¯s not so bad is it?¡± Neira said, thinking that the payoff was pretty good. ¡°It IS bad!¡± Melun complained. ¡°Every time I see that title I¡¯m going to be reminded of when you guys held me down and fed me weird things!¡± Melun seemed to be ready to complain some more, but Q called everyone over for food. Her complaints were temporarily held back as she enjoyed the delicious food. Once the party was well rested and full, they left the area and headed for the center path. Halfway down, it suddenly turned into an abrupt vertical drop. Q picked up a rock and dropped it down the hole. 1 second¡­ 2 seconds¡­ 3¡­ 4¡­ The party counted 9 seconds before they heard a splash down below. ¡°So¡­ who wants to get wet?¡± Q asked, staring down into the hole. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Nobody felt like jumping in first, but in the end it was agreed that the two with the highest defense, Verne and Neira, would do rock paper scissors to see who would jump down first. This seemingly innocent game quickly turned into an intense match of trickery and mind games as the two began to use psychological warfare against each other. ¡°Hahaha¡­ For this round, I¡¯m going to throw out rock!¡± Verne said with a smile on his face. ¡°I see¡­ well then, I will NOT use paper in this round.¡± Neira kept her poker face and they began to play again. In the end Neira won their match, and Verne was forced to jump down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Verne, if you die I¡¯ll return your stuff back to you.¡± Fortis said with a reassuring smile. ¡°Good luck.¡± Neira made a salute. ¡°Uhh¡­ I kinda, really don¡¯t want to jump down. Can we play another round?¡± Verne asked nervously. ¡°Oh just jump down already!¡± Melun shouted, forcefully pushing Verne into the hole. ¡°AAAAAAAaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡­..¡± *SPLASH* ¡°Hey Verne, are you alive?¡± Q shouted into the hole. ¡°Y-yeah!¡± They heard a faint response from Verne. ¡°The water¡¯s pretty deep so you should be fine coming down. I see an island up ahead, I¡¯ll swim over there and scout it out.¡± Verne headed off towards the island and the rest of the players were deciding who to go down next. ¡°Um¡­ is this a bad time to mention I can¡¯t swim?¡± Kukis spoke up, looking at everyone else nervously. ¡°Nah, this is a great time to mention that!¡± Q said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ll be swimming with me then!¡± She grabbed Kukis¡¯ arm and jumped down the hole. ¡°Q!? Wai- AAAAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...¡± *SPLASH* Seeing this, the rest of the players exchanged glances and quickly followed suit as they all jumped down into the hole one-by-one. Each of them were able to swim over to the island without much difficulty besides Q who had to deal with a flailing Kukis. Being on top of the island, they realized that they were currently in a small underwater lake. A bit of light was coming from the ceiling, but it was too far away to make out what the source of it was. ¡°Ugh¡­ my clothes are soaked.¡± Melun said as she let out a cute sneeze. ¡°Want me to warm you up?¡± Aeryn asked, conjuring some flames in her hand. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m more liable to be burnt by that than anything else.¡± ¡°I have a solution then!¡± Kukis spoke up. ¡°I figured out in my tutorial that if you unequip then re-equip something, the dirt and stuff comes off. It should work for wet clothes too right?¡± She said as she tried doing what she had suggested. A flash of light surrounded her body as she quickly unequipped and re-equipped her equipment, and it came back completely dry. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s super convenient.¡± She said, while touching her clothes to see how dry they were. The rest of the players did the same except for Q. ¡°Q, why aren¡¯t you doing the same?¡± Kukis asked. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you know that Verne¡¯s staring at you like a complete pervert right now?¡± Melun said with a grin. Everyone looked over to Verne who was indeed staring at Q with wide eyes, and it was no wonder he was doing so. Right now Q¡¯s clothes were completely soaked through, and clung tightly to her body. The shape of her small chest could just barely be seen through the fabric, and the flushed look on her face made it seem quite erotic. For a second, Q stood there not understanding why they thought it was inappropriate for her chest to be exposed like this, when she remembered that she was a girl. ¡°OH! I uh¡­ I saw something in the water. I¡¯ll go investigate it first.¡± Q said, retreating into the water. As the rest of the players all began talking amongst each other, Q slowly swam to the bottom of the small lake. Just as an experiment she tried casting [Spark] by reciting it in her mind, and to her surprise it worked! I guess you can invoke a spell in your head if you have the intention to use it when thinking of its name¡­ Or is that just a thing that happens because we can¡¯t talk underwater? Q wondered as she reached the thing she noticed earlier. What had caught her eye was something shining at the bottom of the lake, and upon reaching it she saw that it was a small metal box. Picking it up, she made her way back to the surface and got back onto the island. Once she was back on land she quickly unequipped and re-equipped her things, then addressed the box. ¡°Is this what you saw?¡± Brie asked as she poked the box. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m surprised that you noticed that.¡± Fortis said as he looked at the box. ¡°I have good eyes remember?¡± Q said with a laugh. With a bit of investigation Q found a small keyhole on the side of the box, but no one had a lock-picking skill so they decided to leave it with Q for now. The island didn¡¯t have anything special on it so the players were all confused, but suddenly they felt the island start to shake. Everyone was knocked onto their butts and struggled to find a place to grab onto. The shaking slowly became more and more violent, and all the players were shaken off the island. Q went to support Kukis as the shaking island began to make violent waves. Suddenly some flat rocks began falling from the ceiling! Those rocks made natural platforms, and all the players quickly swam towards them. Once they had all found (somewhat) solid ground to stand on, they heard a huge groan, as if the earth itself was moving. They all watched incredulously as the island itself began to rise up out of the water, the soil on it moving to reveal a pair of large eyes and glinting teeth. ¡°Hahaha¡­ no way¡­ no way can we fight that.¡± Melun muttered, seeing the size of the creature. ¡°How¡­ why is this thing here?¡± Verne stared at the the creature. ¡°Who cares?¡± Kukis said with excitement. ¡°All this means is¡­ BOSS FIGHT!!!¡± [Lure Island] - Level 30 *ROOOAAARR* The Lure Island let out a powerful roar, creating waves in the water and causing the players to temporarily lose their balance on their rocks. As everyone else struggled to stay on their rocks, Q and Brie were incredibly calm in comparison as they didn¡¯t have a lot of difficulty balancing on their rocks. ¡°Well then¡­¡± Q pulled out her dagger and let out a grin as she stared at the boss. ¡°GAME ON!¡±
A/N: They''re called Lures... but what are they trying to catch? Anyhue, how goes it everyone? This chapter is slightly shorter than usual (6 pages instead of 7+) but I think everything is summed up nicely. New rewards, more levels, a setup for a boss battle, etc. etc. So... anyone think about how crazy the level of this creature is compared to that of the players? Consider the idea that there are 8 players averaging at about level 13-14. And... well... I dunno. Thanks for reading! As always, leave your thoughts/criticisms/encouragement/humor/sarcasm/suggestions in the comments below. (I do appreciate your comments even if I don''t respond to them. Thanks everyone!) (Not so) Fun-fact: When certain types of Angler Fish mate, the female absorbs the male''s body into itself. Chapter 016 - The Island Has Eyes ¡°Look out!¡± Verne yelled as he saw giant spikes grow out from the Lure Island¡¯s back. The Lure Island took in a deep breath of air (and also swallowed a bit of water), and then shot out the giant spikes at the players. The spikes flew high in the air and crashed down into the rock platforms everyone was standing on. Q and Brie were able to jump off onto another platform in time, but everyone else fell back into the water. ¡°Verne, help Kukis!¡± Q said as she ran around the platforms, looking for a place to jump up onto the Lure Island. The Crios Blades members all helped each other (and Kukis) get back up onto a platform, and wondered what they should do from there. ¡°Grr¡­ none of us can move like Q or Brie¡­ what can we do?¡± Verne gritted his teeth in frustration. Suddenly he heard Q shout at him, ¡°Verne, there are things in the water! Be careful!¡± Verne looked into the water and noticed that there were small fish swimming there that hadn¡¯t been there before! A quick investigation revealed that the Lure Island was spawning them from its open mouth. [Lure Fish] - Level 10 ¡°Melun, Aeryn, can your attacks reach them?¡± Verne asked, looking down at the fish which were slowly surrounding their rock. ¡°My arrows don''t fly too far in the water. If they¡¯re near the surface I can hit some, but other than that I can¡¯t do much.¡± ¡°Sorry to say but I don¡¯t have a lot of spells that will work on underwater things. The best I can do is use [Pebble Shot] and hope it does something.¡± ¡°Okay, Melun and Aeryn, stand on opposite sides of the rock. Me and Neira will balance out the other sides while Kukis will protect Fortis in the center.¡± Everyone moved according to his commands, and they tried to balance the rock. Melun and Aeryn were able to kill a few of the fish, but there were far too many surrounding the rock for their kills to make a difference. Every so often Verne and Neira would try to make a stab at the fish, but they almost fell over instead from leaning too far. While the Crios Blades (and Kukis) were struggling, Q and Brie also had their fair share of troubles. The Lure Island¡¯s attention was focused on the two of them, and it would constantly shoot out a giant spike to destroy their platform and keep them on the run. At one point Q was close enough to touch the Lure Island, but it¡¯s sides were too slippery and she couldn¡¯t get a hold on it to climb up. ¡°Ahh man! This thing¡¯s sides are too wet! I can¡¯t climb up it.¡± Q complained. ¡°Yes, if we had a foothold things would be far easier.¡± Brie was similarly frustrated at not being able to climb up the monster. ¡°Foothold¡­ that¡¯s it! Melun!¡± Q shouted to the distant Crios Blades. ¡°Can your arrows pierce through the Lure Island¡¯s body?¡± ¡°I can try! [Hawk Eye], [Precision Shot]!¡± Melun fired an arrow and it was shot with enough force to successfully bury itself into the Lure Island¡¯s body. ¡°Alright! Can you keep shooting at the same general area? I need a foothold to jump up onto the Lure Island!¡± ¡°Q, you¡¯re crazy!¡± Melun yelled. ¡°But¡­ I like crazy! I have a 30 second cool-down, so wait until then!¡± Melun said as she tried shooting some more fish. ¡°Okay¡­ now to keep this thing¡¯s attention.¡± Q muttered as the Lure Island slowly began to turn towards Melun. ¡°[Spark]!¡± Q reached out as far as she could so that her spell would hit the enemy. Ever since she levelled up and got points in her intelligence and wisdom, her spark spell became stronger and reached farther than it had initially. With the levels the spell had gained from constant use, it now had the range of almost a meter, and was able to reach the Lure Island. The Lure Island returned its attention on Q, and her struggle began anew. Every 30 seconds Melun would shoot another arrow and would slowly increase the size of the foothold. By the time she shot enough arrows for a decent foothold, the Lure Island¡¯s health also fell down to 90%. The Crios Blades were able to clear out a decent amount of fish, but there were still a lot left surrounding them. ¡°Brie, are you ready?¡± Q said, preparing herself to jump up onto the foothold. Brie seemed a little hesitant, but seeing the look in Q¡¯s eyes she nodded and began to prepare herself as well. ¡°Alright then, here I go!¡± Q took a running start and jumped onto the foothold. For a moment the arrows bent a little, but they held long enough for Q to jump again and stab her dagger deep into the creature¡¯s side. This elicited a roar from the Lure Island, as it tried to shake Q off. Fortunately Q had buried her dagger deep into the creature¡¯s side, so she was able to hang on. ¡°Brie!¡± Q called for her and she nodded, jumping up onto the foothold as well. The moment Brie landed on the arrows, she heard a crack, and without hesitation she jumped up and reached for Q¡¯s outstretched hand. As soon as she exerted force on the foothold, it broke, but Brie was still able to grab onto Q in time. ¡°Nice. I¡¯m going to swing you up now okay?¡± Q said as she slowly rocked back and forth, picking up momentum. Once she had enough momentum, she swung Brie up with all of her force and let go, causing Brie to fly up high into the air, and right onto the Lure Island¡¯s back. When Brie stabilised herself on top of the creature, she stabbed her sword into its back for support as she reached down to pull up Q. With a bit of effort, she successfully pulled her up and the two of them made it on top of the Lure Island. ¡°Hmm¡­ this surface is quite soft.¡± Brie noted as she treaded on the island. ¡°No! It isn¡¯t soft, it¡¯s squishy! There¡¯s a VERY big difference between the two!¡± Q suddenly shouted out, quickly running on the island. She noticed a slightly larger mound than usual on the Lure Island and decided to investigate it. ¡°What kind of difference would that be?¡± Brie asked, following Q. ¡°You see, soft is a feel from touching a surface. The feel is transferred mainly by the surface, and the inside of whatever you¡¯re touching is irrelevant.¡± Q said while stabbing random parts of the island. ¡°While most of the time soft and squishy go together, they are different things entirely. Soft being the feeling of a surface, while squishy is a reaction to being pressed. This island isn¡¯t soft at all, It¡¯s just smooth.¡± ¡°I see¡­ You have very specific qualifications when it comes to soft items.¡± Brie stabbed a mound that appeared near her. ¡°Yeah. In order to enjoy optimal softness, only the items that pass my check would be considered soft.¡± ¡°Could you two focus on the battle a bit more? And why are you so composed!?¡± Kukis cried as she struggled to stay on top of her rock. With Q and Brie on top of the Lure Island, it stopped attacking them and instead focused on the Crios Blades. ¡°Uh-oh. Guys, we need to move!¡± Fortis yelled out as he noticed that the Lure Island changed targets. ¡°There isn¡¯t a rock close enough!¡± Melun said, panicking as the Lure Island got closer and closer. ¡°... I got it! Everyone come to the center of the rock!¡± Aeryn said as she moved to the center of the rock. Everyone gathered at the center, and then Aeryn began chanting a spell. ¡°Spirits of the wind, obey my call! Bring forth a gale, [Wind Blast]!¡± Once she had finished the spell, a strong gust of wind came out from her staff and the recoil from firing out the spell allowed the rock to begin drifting towards another one. ¡°Nice job Aeryn!¡± Verne said as he gauged the distance from their rock to the nearby one. ¡°Okay, I think we¡¯re close enough if we do a running jump! I¡¯ll go first!¡± Verne leaped over the gap between the two rocks, and was just barely able to make it to the other side. The rest of the players all followed him and got over without incident. As soon as they left the platform the Lure Island shot out a giant spike at the platform, breaking it. The Crios Blades began a new struggle, madly hopping from one rock to another as the Lure Island kept shooting its spikes at them. Meanwhile, Q and Brie were trying to find the Lure Island¡¯s weak point. Each of the mounds they saw turned out to be a giant spike that the Lure Island was currently spawning. Whenever they attacked them it would delay the spike from coming out a for a while, but in the end it would still shoot out. ¡°Weak point~, weak point~, where are you weak point~?¡± ¡°What manner of song is that?¡± Brie asked, attacking another mound that appeared near her. Q ignored her though as she continued to sing. ¡°Soon you shall see~ you can¡¯t hide it from me~ You don¡¯t have any joints~, So where¡¯s your weak points~?¡± As she sang her song, Q realized something. Hm? If it¡¯s anything like the previous Lure creatures it has to have some joints of some kind. And if there¡¯s nothing up here then¡­ In the water! After having her revelation, Q looked over at Brie. ¡°Brie stay here and delay the giant spikes. I¡¯m going for a swim!¡± Before Brie could say anything Q jumped off of the Lure Island and dived into the water. Luckily there weren¡¯t many Lure Fish around as most of them were focused on the Crios Blades. For the few that approached her, she simply cast [Spark] and was able to kill most of them. A few got by, and for a moment Q had a bit of trouble with trying to slash at them in the water. She tensed her body and narrowed her eyes, and the world seemed to move a bit slower than usual. Reading the fish¡¯s movements, Q slashed at the place she predicted it would be. Unfortunately she missed, but it caused the fish to back off and that bought enough time for her to cast another [Spark], killing the rest of the fish. With nothing in her way, Q re-surfaced to take a breath of air. When her head popped out of the water she found a concerned looking Brie but she gave a smile to reassure her as she dived back into the water. Underwater, Q found that the Lure Island¡¯s legs were similar to those of the Lure Flowers, being short and stumpy. She suddenly noticed that there was a slight glow from underneath the Lure Island. Q approached it and found that the source of the glow was a large shiny gemstone which covered the entire underbelly of the Lure Island. Hiding your weak point where people can¡¯t reach it easily? Clever girl¡­ or, whatever gender you are. Q thought as she swam towards it. Once she got underneath the Lure Island, she cast [Spark], [Magic Fist], and began to slice at it with her claws and dagger. This caused an immense reaction from the Lure Island as it instantly lost 5% of its health. It let out a huge roar as it felt its weak spot being attacked. The gemstone let out a powerful glow as it let out an invisible force which pushed Q backwards. The roar of the Lure Island also attracted the Lure Fish, and once they got close enough they began to attack Q. Eyes widening, Q swam up as quickly as she could, casting [Spark] when she could to keep the fish at bay. Eventually she managed to surface right where the Crios Blade were, frightening them out of their skins. ¡°HOLY-! Q, how did you get over here?¡± Kukis asked as she pulled Q up. ¡°No time to explain, it¡¯s weak point is underneath it!¡± Q said, gasping for air. ¡°Is anyone here a good swimmer?¡± She looked at the Crios Blades for any volunteers. Neira raised her hand, as she explained, ¡°I swim as a hobby in real life. I should be able to help out if I remove my heavy equipments.¡± ¡°Okay, sounds good. Verne, can you keep the fishes attention on you? It¡¯s annoying to deal with them underwater.¡± ¡°Underwater!?¡± Verne was surprised for a moment, hearing that Q was fighting underwater. ¡°I- Okay, but we can¡¯t exactly keep them here the entire time. Besides, the Island is shooting spikes at us so we can¡¯t stay in the same spot for very long.¡± ¡°No problem on that front. Brie should be keeping most of the spikes from launching at you so you should have enough time to attract the fishes and then move to another platform.¡± Q said, indicating the top of the Lure Island. Brie was indeed there, constantly stabbing the mounds and dealing damage to the Lure Island. She seemed to notice everyone¡¯s gazes on her, and she gave a wave before going back to stabbing the mounds. Just as Q and Neira were getting ready to dive in the water, Verne stopped them with a question. ¡°Wait, how are we supposed to keep the fishes on us?¡± He asked. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Q thought for a moment before giving him a solution. ¡°How do you normally catch a fish?¡± She asked with a mischievous grin. ¡°You use bait.¡± She then jumped into the water, followed by Neira as the two of them swam back to the bottom of the lake. ¡°Bait? What can we use as bait¡­? The only thing the fishes seem attracted by are people...¡± Kukis wondered aloud as she tried thinking of what they could use. The Crios blades all stared at her intently before taking a step towards her. ¡°Hey¡­ what are you all doing?¡± Kukis asked nervously. ¡°They¡¯re only attracted by people right...?¡± Melun said with a smile. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we should use a person as bait!¡± Aeryn finished, grabbing onto Kukis. ¡°W- wait! Stop! You can¡¯t make me do this! Stoooooop!!!¡± Kukis¡¯ cries were ignored as the Crios blades dipped her into the water, causing the Lure Fishes to be attracted with all the movement she was making. ¡°I¡¯ll get you back for this!¡± She yelled as she watched the fishes approach with horror. Meanwhile, Q and Neira reached the bottom of the Lure Island. Approaching the gemstone, Q demonstrated that people could cast spells underwater by throwing out a [Spark]. Neira¡¯s eyes widened at this, but she quickly nodded in understanding as she used a skill of her own. Both of the girls began attacking the gemstone at the same time, quickly dropping the Lure Island¡¯s health down to 70%. The Lure Island roared again, pushing the two back and attracting the fish. They made their way back to the surface to catch their breath, and then dived back in. From then on the battle was a pattern of Q and Neira diving down to deal damage, and then resurfacing to take a breath of air. While they were underwater, the Crios Blades attracted the fishes with their newfound ¡®bait¡¯, and kept them away from Q and Neira. While they did this Melun and Aeryn also shot the occasional arrow or spell towards the Lure Island and contributed to the overall damage. Brie was still on top of the Lure Island, and whenever she saw a spike headed towards the Crios Blades she would warn them and keep the spike from being shot out. In this fashion the Lure Island¡¯s health dropped down to 20%, and then it changed its tactics. It suddenly rushed forward, heading towards the Crios Blades with a speed incomparable to before. This caused them to panic as they all scrambled to get off their platform which was promptly chomped into bits by the Lure Island. When the Lure Island moved away, Q and Neira found themselves unable to keep up with its speed and had to resurface. When they came up out of the water though the Lure Island noticed and came speeding right towards them! ¡°Q, look out!¡± Brie cried from atop the Lure Island. As soon as Q noticed that the island was heading towards her, she instantly pushed Neira away from her and jumped over to another platform. The Lure Island ignored Neira and followed Q, chasing her as she jumped from one platform to another. To everyone¡¯s horror, the platforms began to run out and Q had nowhere to run to! ¡°Q!¡± Kukis screamed. ¡°Q get out of there!¡± The Crios blades were all yelling at her to move away, but she simply didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go. Closing her eyes, Q steadied her breathing as she tensed her body and narrowed her eyes. This time, the world began moving in slow motion, and Q activated her racial skill. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°[Beast Within]!¡± As soon as she activated her skill, she instantly leaped forward into the gaping maw of the Lure Island! The rest of the players were absolutely shocked. They thought she might dive to the side, but instead she jumped right into the mouth! Seeing her disappear into its mouth as the Lure Island closed it, everyone began calling out her name in desperation. They didn¡¯t get an answer though, and all of them were completely silent. The Lure Island also stopped moving, as if feeling accomplished that it had finally killed one of the players. For a moment, there wasn¡¯t any movement until suddenly the Lure Island twitched. The players all looked at its health bar and found that it had actually fallen a bit! ¡°Oh my god, she¡¯s attacking it from the inside!¡± ¡°How does she even!?¡± ¡°This girl has guts¡­¡± All the players were absolutely stupefied, discovering that Q had unexpectedly turned her potential death into an opportunity for dealing damage. Seeing that Q was still attacking it from the inside, it stirred up everyone¡¯s fighting spirits as they also began to attack the Lure Island with more vigor. The Lure Island¡¯s health dropped down to 15%, and it turned towards the players. It opened its mouth, and whether it was trying to roar or swallow the players they would never know, as they all saw the image of Q with a powerful glow around her. ¡°[Arcane Overload]!!!¡± An intense light emitted from Q, and wherever it touched it caused the Lure Island to take damage. This wasn¡¯t the rest of it though, as suddenly all the light gathered at Q, and then exploded in a blast of pure energy! All the players covered their eyes as the light began to eviscerate the Lure Island. Unfortunately this didn¡¯t kill the Lure Island though, as it was left with just 1% health left. Just as the players were about to attack it again, they noticed that Q had just drank a mana potion and threw the vial away. ¡°[Magic Fist - Arcane Overload]!" She yelled as she punched the Lure Island and emitted the same light and destructive force. The power of this attack was a bit weaker since she wasn¡¯t at full mana, but it was still more than enough to finish off the monster. Once the boss¡¯s health dropped down to zero, the cavern was completely silent for a moment before everyone began cheering. ¡°THAT WAS AWESOME!!!¡± Kukis yelled. ¡°HAHAHA, that damage was insane!¡± Verne was laughing in relief now that the boss was dead. ¡°Wow¡­ just wow.¡± Fortis could barely find any words to say after witnessing that event. ¡°Q, be mai waifu!¡± Melun screamed out. ¡°Incredible work Q.¡± Neira nodded in respect. ¡°This makes me like you even more. Ufufufu~.¡± Aeryn laughed as she watched Q make her way back while rubbing her temples. ¡°Hm? What happened everyone? What was that bright light?¡± Brie was the only one who didn¡¯t fully grasp the situation, but for now everyone was just relieved that they had gotten through that boss battle alive. Oh boy, I didn¡¯t think the spell would be that strong. Though with the backlash of having no mana afterwards, it can really only be used as a trump card. Q thought as she tried to shake off the woozy feeling from running out of mana. She eventually got back to her friends and smiled, saying, ¡°That was fun.¡± [Level Up!] x3 [Stats Gained] [Skill Proficiency Gained] [Spell Proficiency Gained] [Spell Evolution] - Your ¡®Spark¡¯ spell has gained enough experience to evolve into a stronger version of itself. Your Choices are listed below: Strong Spark (Intermediate) Lv.1 (Consumes 10 MP, 30 second cool-down) Deal moderate Lightning damage to target. Has reduced range and has a moderate chance to stun target. Tri-Spark (Intermediate) Lv.1 (Consumes 5 MP, 5 second cool-down) Deal weak Lightning damage to target. Allows you to shoot 3 individual lines of spark at the same time, and has a low chance of stunning target (each spark has its own chance to stun). [New Skill] - Dagger Mastery (Passive) Increases damage and proficiency dealt with dagger-type weapons [New Skill] - Swimming Mastery (Passive) - Increases the speed and ease at which you swim. [New Title] - (Reckless Fighter) Constantly throwing yourself into danger, regardless of the consequences can be both dangerous and rewarding. Effects when equipped: 5% increase to all stats when fighting an opponent with a higher level than yours. [Items Received] [Gained Fame!] [Great Feat Accomplished!] Your party is the first party to successfully complete a dungeon-raid. Would you like to let people know of your accomplishments? Note: every party member must agree to this in order to receive rewards. (YES/NO) For a while, everyone was completely silent as they addressed their rewards and began to distribute their stats and check their loot. Q looked over her rewards and once she saw the Spell Evolution section, she was quite amazed. So this is what a unique spell can do huh? Well then, I think I¡¯ll choose¡­ Tri-Spark! I¡¯d rather be able to use an ability quickly than release a larger amount of damage... [Spell Evolution] - Congratulations! Your [Spark] has successfully evolved into [Multi-Spark]! As she read the message Q could swear she heard some fanfare playing once the spell evolved, but brushed it off as she began to trade loot with the other players. Suffice to say, the rewards they obtained were absolutely phenomenal. Various equipments were passed around to whoever needed it most, and if no one needed a particular piece then they would roll for it using the random system that the game had implemented for loot drops. In the end, Q was able to obtain 2 rings, a new chest piece and some new gloves. In Q¡¯s inventory there was also a small key which she suspected was to be used for the box, so she tried using it and it opened the box, revealing a ruby ring and a note. [Ring of Trickery (Ring, Rare)] Durability (20/20) A ring worn by gamblers and thieves alike, made for those who want to cheat more easily. Dexterity +4, Luck +4, +1 to level of Stealth Skill. [Ring of Minor Mana Regeneration (Ring, Rare)] Durability (20/20) A ring usually given to apprentice mages, it increases the rate at which mana regenerates. Wisdom +2, +10% to mana Regeneration [Lined Cloth Armor (Chest, Uncommon)] Durability (35/35) A shirt lined with links of chainmail, provides meager defense but ease of movement. +5 Defense, +2 Vitality, +2 Agility [Magic Focus (Arms, Magic)] A glove with a mysterious crystal embedded in its center. Increases damage for all spells intermediate level and lower by 10%. Defense +2, Intelligence +3 [Ruby Ring of Flames (Ring, Magic)] It bestows upon its wearer the strength of a fire spirit. Strength +5, Increases all fire type skills/spells damage by 10%, adds a 1% chance to burn with each attack. [Old Note (Quest Item)] An old note found with a ring at the bottom of an underwater lake. Just how did it get here¡­? Q was interested in the note, but decided to leave it for later as she equipped all the new items she had received and addressed everyone else. ¡°So¡­ now that the loot¡¯s all good, who wants to accept that system message?¡± She asked. ¡°Do you want to?¡± Verne replied surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would because you¡¯re not technically a part of our ¡®party¡¯.¡± ¡°Really, I just want the rewards.¡± Q said with a smirk. Letting out a grin of his own, Verne asked everyone if they were fine with accepting the message, and they all did. The screen then asked for a party name, to which Verne entered in ¡°The Crios Blades¡±. [Level Up!] [Gained Fame!] [System Announcement] - The Crios Blades are the first players to successfully complete a dungeon raid. ¡°All in all, I have to say this was really fun partying with you guys.¡± Q said with a contented smile. ¡°I feel the same way.¡± Verne closed his eyes and simply basked in the aftermath of the battle. ¡°But you know¡­ there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s bothering me.¡± Q said with an uncertain tone of voice. ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± Melun said while lazily laying down and resting. ¡°...How do we get out of here?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± x7
Player Name: QRace: Fox-Kin
Display Title: Friend of the Cute and CuddlyNon-Display Title: Reckless Fighter
Level: 19Profession: Cook (Beginner)
Health: 350/350Mana: 374/374
Strength: 25 (+9)Vitality: 21 (+5)
Defense: 16 (+21)Agility: 35 (+5)
Intelligence: 40 (+5)Dexterity: 30 (+9)
Wisdom: 31 (+2)Luck: 6 (+4)
Leadership: 5Fame: 1270
Skills
Passive Skills:Description:
Pain Resistance Lv.4Reduces amount of pain felt.
Unarmed Mastery Lv.4Increases damage and proficiency dealt when not using a weapon.
Claw Mastery Lv.4Increases damage and proficiency dealt with claw-type weapons.
Dagger Mastery Lv.4Increases damage and proficiency dealt with dagger-type weapons.
Throwing Mastery Lv.3Increases damage and proficiency dealt with throwing-type weapons.
Climbing Mastery Lv. 3Increases speed and ease when climbing.
Jumping Mastery Lv.3Increases length and height when jumping
Swimming Mastery Lv.2Increases the speed and ease when swimming.
Dodge Lv.6Increases your chances of dodging an attack
Deflect Lv.4Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.
Silver Tongue Lv.3Increases chance to convince others to listen to your words.
Riding Lv.4Increases speed and handling when riding a creature.
Active Skills:
Beast Within Lv.3(No Cost, 8 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 15% for 1 minute.
Relentless Assault Lv.2(Consumes 50 MP, 30 Minute cooldown) Allows you to continuously attack a target uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but you receive double damage while in this state.
Magic Fist Lv.6(MP usage depends on spell, 1 minute cooldown) Coats your fist in the magic used on it. Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and is not affected by the original magic¡¯s cooldown.
Stealth Lv.2 (+1)(No cost, 5 minute cool-down) Activating this skill allows you to blend into the shadows, making you harder to find. Any fast movements or combat oriented actions will break stealth.
Spells
Multi-Spark (Intermediate) Lv.1(Consumes 1 MP per second, Cost to sustain ability doubles after 3 seconds. 5 second cool-down) Deal moderate Lightning damage to target. Allows you to rapidly fire sparks in quick succession, but also reduces range. Has a low chance of electrocuting target.
Arcane Overload (Advanced) Lv.2(Consumes all MP, 3 day cooldown) Consume all of your energy to release a blast of pure power. Damage varies on mana consumed.
Equipment
Head:Soft Scarf (Uncommon) Durability (15/15) - Vitality +1, Defense +1, Agility +2.
Chest:Lined Cloth Armor (Uncommon) Durability (35/35) - Defense +5, Vitality +2, Agility +2
Arms:Magic Focus (Magic) Durability (25/25) - Defense +2, Intelligence +3, +10% damage to all spells intermediate level or lower.
Waist:Leather Storage Belt (Rare) Durability (20/20) - Strength +2, Defense +3, Vitality +2, Adds 3 extra inventory slots.
Legs:Guardian¡¯s Boots (Uncommon) Durability (19/30) - Defense +4, Agility +1
Main-Hand Weapon:Dagger of Minor Dexterity (Rare) Durability (30/30) - Dexterity +5, Damage: 10-15
Off-Hand Weapon:N/A
Accessories
Ring 1:Ring of Trickery (Rare) Durability (20/20) - Dexterity +4, Luck +4, +1 to level of Stealth Skill.
Ring 2:Ring of Minor Mana Regeneration (Rare) Durability (20/20) - Wisdom +2, +10% to mana Regeneration
Ring 3:Ruby Ring of Flames (Magic) Durability (25/25) - Strength +5, Increases all fire type skills/spells damage by 10%, adds a 1% chance to burn with each attack.
Ring 4:N/A
Necklace:Guardian¡¯s Heart (Rare) Durability (14/15) - Strength + 2, Defense + 3, Intelligence + 3
Bracelet:Guardian Bracelet (Uncommon) Durability (12/15) Defense + 3
A/N: BWAHAHAHA! I don''t know why I evil laughed just there, but there you go. This one is double the length of my usual chapters (about 4000 words, while regular ones are 2000-2500) and encompasses a lot of stuff. Hopefully my battles flow well for you guys. Sometimes it didn''t go into full detail on what the players were doing, but I feel like you guys can fill in the blank. So... here we are, at the end of the Crios Blades arc. Feels slightly emotional. But, you don''t have to be too sad because you''ll be seeing them again in the future. As usual, thanks for reading! P.S: So it seems that in the previous poll more people voted yes rather than no... hahaha.... HaHaHaHa... HAHAHAHAHHAHA!!! Do you know what that means!? Spoiler : Because I don''t. Fun-fact: Humans require less sleep as they grow older. (I haven''t reached that state yet though). Edit: Okay, fixed Q''s health and mana. Now... It seems you guys are confused about the Magic Fist - Arcane Overload combo. Well that''s my fault for wording it terribly, but basically up until this point Q was just using her Spark on Magic Fist. When I introduced a new spell well... Yeah, sorry. I reworded both her use of Magic Fist and the description of Magic Fist so hopefully that clears up some confusion. So what does this mean? It means Q has a broken ability on call every minute XD (but it also eats all her mana so its not something she would constantly use.) I also imagine it to look like a magic glow covers her fist, and upon hitting something she unleashes the spell point blank at the enemy. Chapter 017 - The Merchants Plight *Helen POV* ¡°So¡­ this is the town of Clorg.¡± Zeilan took in the view around him once the light faded away. The housing in Clorg was very simplistic in design, with angled roofs and thick walls, presumably to keep out the cold. There were a few buildings made of wood, but for the most part it was mainly stone and concrete. All around Zeilan were other players or peddlers roaming around the square he had appeared in. There was a particularly large crowd in one section but Zeilan ignored it once he saw it was just a player selling items. It¡¯s not like I have a lot of money to buy things right now anyway. Not knowing where to go next, Zeilan noticed a building larger than the others in the distance, so he decided to go in that direction. Big buildings mean important people, right? He thought as he headed towards the building. On the way he spotted a few townspeople walking around with large coats. Oh right. I need a coat first before anything else. It is a town in the north after all. Zeilan only now realized that it was quite cold so he instead changed his target to a nearby general goods store. The only reason he knew that it was a general goods store was thanks to the words that appeared at the top of his vision. [Dolin¡¯s General Goods] Entering the shop, he saw that it was filled with all sorts of items ranging from health potions, weapons, and even just random utensils used for cooking. When he came into the door a bell rang, and it quickly got the attention of the clerk at the front desk. ¡°Welcome to Dolin¡¯s General Goods! We sell pretty much every kind of goods, and if you¡¯re looking for a specific item you can place an order and we¡¯ll find it within one week, guaranteed!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ hello.¡± Zeilan was temporarily overwhelmed by the clerk¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Oh! Sorry, I tend to get a bit overexcited when a customer comes in. Apologies! I should introduce myself first! I¡¯m Dolin Grelt, owner of Dolin¡¯s General Goods. Pleased to meet you mister¡­¡± Dolin trailed off as he extended his hand towards Zeilan. ¡°Zeilan. My name is Zeilan.¡± He shook hands with Dolin and the man seemed incredibly excited. ¡°Pleased to meet you Zeilan! So what can I help you with? You seem to be an adventurer yes? Have you come here to buy potions or new equipment? Or maybe you have treasure or monster materials to sell?¡± ¡°Slow down a bit sir.¡± Zeilan had a bit of a hard time keeping up with Dolin¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯m here looking for a coat to buy, and if you could buy some of the items I¡¯ve picked up that would be fine as well.¡± ¡°Excellent! Let¡¯s deal with the items first shall we? I suspect that being new to this land you might not have a lot of money at the moment correct?¡± Before Zeilan could ask how Dolin knew that, he simply gave out a smile and said, ¡°With enough years of experience, merchants will know exactly what kind of customer they¡¯re dealing with. Now, let¡¯s take a look at those items shall we?¡± Zeilan nodded and took the items he wasn¡¯t planning on using out of his inventory and set them on the table. Dolin didn¡¯t even blink at Zeilan taking items out of thin air as he began to calculate the prices of each item. ¡°Hmm hmm¡­ let¡¯s see here. Oh my, the shell of a Rock Crusher! That¡¯s bound to sell for a lot. What else is there? This iron sword is still in good condition, I expect it will fetch a good price. Oh! Rabbit fur in very good condition! There¡¯s also¡­¡± Dolin began to list off each of Zeilan¡¯s items and gave them all a price, and in the end he bought them all. ¡°Here you go, that¡¯s 18 silver and 59 copper.¡± Dolin smiled, handing Zeilan the coins. The game had a system of 100 copper makes 1 silver, 100 silver makes 1 gold, and 100 gold makes a diamond coin (which according to Dolin, wasn¡¯t actually made out of diamond but just had the shape and shine of one). Thanking Dolin for the money, Zeilan then asked about what kind of coats he sold. ¡°Yes! Right this way then.¡± Dolin escorted him to the section of the shop which had various clothing all around. ¡°If it¡¯s general use coats, I have many of them in stock!¡± Dolin boasted, indicating the large rack of coats he had on the side. ¡°These multi-purpose coats come in all sorts of sizes, ranging from the diminutive dwarves and halflings to the hulking giants and draconians such as yourself.¡± ¡°I see¡­ well I¡¯ll take whatever is in my size. All I need it for is to block out the cold anyway.¡± ¡°Of course! Here you are Zeilan.¡± Dolin handed him a bunch of coats. ¡°They come in black, red, blue, white¡­¡± Eventually Zeilan picked out the red coat and paid 5 silver for it. ¡°Ah, good choice. The great thing about these coats is that you can wear them over your armor! Well, it might get in the way of fighting but it does provide quite a good defense. It¡¯s also warm.¡± [Red Versatile Coat (Chest - Outerwear, Uncommon)] Durability (35/35) - A multi-purpose coat that provides warmth and stable defense. Defense +7, Adds 2 slots of inventory, Resists the cold. Zeilan put on the coat and admired the look of it. The overall red color of the coat was occasionally broken by lines of black where the stitching ended. The two pockets were also quite large, and Zeilan realized that he might look like quite the bad-ass if he decided to put his hands in those pockets and posed. This looks¡­ really cool! Zeilan managed to hide his smile though as he put on an impassive face. ¡°Thanks for the coat. Do you mind if I look at the other stuff you have on sale here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all! Please, browse my wares all you like.¡± Dolin smiled and stepped back to allow Zeilan to take a good look at his wares. After about half an hour Zeilan bought a pair of gloves, new boots, some health potions, and other various supplies. All in all it cost 10 silver, and most of Zeilan¡¯s money was quickly spent. [Tough Leather Gloves (Arms, Uncommon)] Durability (25/25) - Strong, hardy gloves that can withstand long periods of usage. Defense +2, Vitality + 2, Strength +1. [Metal-plated Boots (Legs, Uncommon)] Durability (30/30) - Leather hide boots with extra metal plating on the toes and soles. Heavier than usual, but provides a better defense. Vitality +1, Defense +4, Strength +2, Agility -1. ¡°Really, thanks for selling me these things.¡± Zeilan inclined his head and bowed towards Dolin. ¡°Hahaha, no need to thank me! I should be thanking you for buying these items.¡± ¡°I see. Can I ask you a question Dolin?¡± Zeilan asked, looking around the place. ¡°Is it about my products? Or do you want to place an order?¡± ¡°No. What I wanted to ask was, why aren¡¯t there any other customers around here? You sell good products and the prices seem fair to me, so I¡¯m wondering why business isn¡¯t doing so well.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Dolin¡¯s face instantly deflated as he became depressed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not really important. Hahaha. But if you could tell your friends to come here that would help me out.¡± Dolin smiled weakly. Hmm¡­ I smell a quest! Let¡¯s see if flattery gets him to speak... Zeilan decided to investigate this matter more. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not important? Such a respectable establishment and owner aren¡¯t getting the customers they deserve! As a satisfied customer myself, I¡¯d like to know the reason why no one else comes here.¡± Dolin¡¯s shoulders trembled for a moment before he looked up at Zeilan thankfully. ¡°Thank you Zeilan¡­ Well¡­ *Sigh*, I suppose that you should know what¡¯s going on.¡± It worked! Zeilan made a fist-pump inside his mind as he listened to Dolin¡¯s explanation. ¡°You see¡­ This all started about a week ago, when adventurers began appearing left and right. Before then my business was stable with the townsfolk coming by every day, buying things and selling things, it was good. Then when the adventurers started to show up I thought, ¡®This is an opportunity!¡¯ So I began to collect many items in hopes of attracting all sorts of adventurers. ¡°At first, it worked well. My business was booming and I couldn¡¯t be happier! The adventurers brought many new and strange items with them, and reselling those made me lots of money. They also sold a lot of materials from monsters so I was able to get a good connection with the leather-workers and blacksmiths and began providing them with a steady supply. Soon however, she appeared. ¡°One of the adventurers had a wonderful knack for business. She called herself ¡®Carro¡¯ and came to my shop one day and asked if she could help out with anything. Because at that point I was indeed getting a bit busy I decided to take her in as an apprentice. She showed great promise, and after a few days I decided to give her a bit of a test. I had her set up a stall to see how much profit she could make working by herself. Her results were shocking to say the least. ¡°She had made far more money than I ever thought she could with the products she was selling. I daresay even I wouldn¡¯t be able to make that much money. Ah, but that¡¯s besides the point. I was very impressed with her performance, and gave her a merchant¡¯s permit to let her grow as a merchant by herself. Unfortunately now¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s taken over your business hasn¡¯t she?¡± Zeilan finished. ¡°Ugh, it shames me to say it, but yes. The student has surpassed her master. I¡¯m happy that she¡¯s turned into such a wonderful merchant but¡­ my business won¡¯t last at this rate. It¡¯s not just my business either. Other merchants across town as well are having trouble attracting customers due to her and other adventurers gathering them all. A few of my friends are also considering shutting down their business because they hadn¡¯t received any customers in a while.¡± ¡°That certainly is a complicated set of circumstances¡­¡± Zeilan began thinking. So what can I do about this situation? If the other party involved is a player then things might get complicated¡­ As Zeilan was wondering about what he could do, Dolin began to talk. ¡°Zeilan, are you willing to help me out here?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Zeilan immediately responded. ¡°What do you need me to do? Go talk to her or something?¡± ¡°Yes. If you could convince her to not attract all the customers that would be great.¡± [New Quest] - The Merchant¡¯s Plight [Objective] - Investigate the player Carro and convince them to not take up all the business. [Rewards] - Reduced prices from all Merchants in the town of Clorg. Increased favor from the Merchants in the town of Clorg. Well, the rewards are pretty promising. Though this quest is probably going to be a lot more complicated than it seems. But anyway, this game is amazing. It even incorporates players in its quest system. Zeilan nodded and accepted the quest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Dolin, I¡¯ll do my best to help you out.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Dolin shook Zeilan¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ll find her in the main square. She¡¯ll probably be surrounded with many adventurers and townsfolk.¡± Zeilan nodded and began to head over to the main square. He remembered there being a large crowd of players earlier, so presumably that¡¯s where Carro was located. Once he reached the square he saw that the crowd hadn¡¯t lessened at all, and instead grew even more. Zeilan got a bit closer and squeezed himself into the crowd. As he approached he began to hear a bright female voice which somehow made its way above the crowd¡¯s. ¡°Welcome to our special one-day only Auction! Today we¡¯ll be selling rare and special items that I guarantee you haven¡¯t seen yet. Let¡¯s bring out the first item shall we?¡± Zeilan watched as a large object covered with a tarp was rolled to the front. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°This item is a very powerful armor suitable for those level 15 and above! It¡¯s stats boost up defense and vitality, and it has a special ability that has a 10% chance to return 5% of the damage dealt to you! The bidding starts at 50 silver.¡± Upon hearing the effects of the armor, the crowd went wild as players surged forward to place their bids. ¡°60 Silver!¡± ¡°75 Silver!¡± ¡°Carro, please marry me!¡± ¡°1 Gold!¡± A few strange shouts were mixed in with the bidders but eventually the armor was successfully sold for a whopping 2 gold and 20 silver. Wow, people sure can waste their money huh? Zeilan thought as he finally made his way to the front. Once he got there and got a look at Carro, he immediately understood why she was able to attract so many customers. Carro was playing as a cat-kin, and her avatar was made to look as cute as possible. Her face was young and beautiful, and her clear blue eyes seemed to draw you in. Her cat ears constantly twitched above her long black hair. Her tail curled up through her short skirt, and every movement she made caused it to flutter endlessly. This was also accentuated by the fact that she was standing on a raised platform, giving the players an illusion that they could ¡®see¡¯ what was underneath. That¡¯s¡­ pretty shameless. Though for some reason I feel that Simon could make a cuter avatar... Zeilan thought as Carro had another item brought out. The crowd only continued to grow, and whether it was for the items or for Carro, Zeilan didn¡¯t know. The auction continued for almost an hour, and Zeilan didn¡¯t get any chance to approach and talk to Carro until it was over. Even after she stopped selling items, there were still a lot of players lingering around. Zeilan decided to use this opportunity to approach Carro, but was suddenly stopped by a few players. ¡°Hey, you trying to talk to our Carro?¡± ¡°Well sorry, but you need an appointment first.¡± Zeilan didn¡¯t say a single thing, but instead gave those players a single glare which sent a chill down their spines. Before the situation could escalate any further, Carro spoke out. ¡°Let him through boys.¡± The players exchanged glances, then reluctantly let Zeilan past. As Zeilan approached her, she let out a bright smile and extended her hand. ¡°I¡¯m Carro, though you probably already knew that. What brings you here?¡± Zeilan looked at her hand for a moment before shaking it. ¡°I¡¯m Zeilan. Well, let¡¯s just get straight to the point. You¡¯re causing trouble for the other merchants by taking over their businesses.¡± For a moment, Carro was completely stunned as she hadn¡¯t expected his response. Then, she began laughing. ¡°Hahaha! I really didn¡¯t think that you would come to me to say this. So,¡± all of a sudden her tone became serious. ¡°Which one of my rivals sent you to tell me this? They must have paid quite a lot to send out someone as strong as you.¡± Now it was Zeilan¡¯s turn to be stunned, as he hadn¡¯t expected this response from her. ¡°Uhh¡­ if by rival you mean Dolin, then he¡¯s the one who sent me.¡± ¡°Dolin?¡± Carro hadn¡¯t expected his name to pop up. ¡°What do you mean? Why would he send you to me?¡± ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t know the trouble you¡¯re causing for the townsfolk?¡± Seeing that Carro shook her head, Zeilan sighed. ¡°To keep it short, you¡¯re basically taking all the business in the area. Merchants all across town are having trouble keeping their businesses going, and apparently some are on the verge of shutting down.¡± Carro¡¯s eyes widened as she began muttering to herself. Zeilan could just barely make out what she was saying as she had her back turned to him. ¡°Ahh! You¡¯re so stupid Carro¡­ why didn¡¯t I think of¡­ and now I¡¯ll have to relocate¡­ for his sake though¡­¡± Eventually she stopped muttering to herself as she turned to Zeilan with an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was so caught up in making more money that I completely forgot the effect it would have on the land¡¯s economy. That and my rivals were really provoking me¡­¡± She temporarily let out a dirty look as she seemed to remember dealing with her rivals. ¡°Oh, sorry. Lost myself there for a moment.¡± Her brilliant smile returned. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to him and explain. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Carro suddenly walked away to the direction of Dolin¡¯s shop without saying another word. The players which were standing guard for her were about to follow her but she simply waved her hand and indicated they were to stay. Since Zeilan¡¯s quest hadn¡¯t completed yet, he decided to follow her there as well. Carro simply gave him a look as she continued to head towards Dolin¡¯s shop. As the two of them walked forward, Zeilan heard a few whispers from the people watching them. ¡°Woah¡­ look at the size of that guy. How much do you think Carro paid to hire him?¡± ¡°Heh. I could take him on no problem.¡± ¡°Quick, report this to Glaide. He¡¯ll want to know she changed her guard.¡± It seems everyone¡¯s getting the wrong idea huh¡­ Zeilan didn¡¯t feel like clearing up anything though so he just walked on in silence. Soon enough the two of them reached the store, and Carro walked in. ¡°Welcome to Dolin¡¯s General Goods! We¡­ Carro? Is that you?¡± ¡°Hello again Dolin.¡± Carro smiled. ¡°Yo.¡± Zeilan walked into the store as well and gave Dolin a wave. ¡°Hello Carro, hello Zeilan.¡± Dolin nodded. ¡°Um, Carro, why are you here? Did Zeilan explain the circumstances to you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Carro wore a slight frown. ¡°I¡¯m here to apologize. I hadn¡¯t thought about the affect us adventurers would have on the economy. To overlook this aspect, I¡¯m a failure of a merchant. I hope you can forgive me for disturbing the balance you¡¯ve held in this town. I¡¯ll be making moves immediately to pull back my business.¡± ¡°O- Oh! That¡¯s no problem at all! As long as you understand then that¡¯s good. It might take a while to get things back to normal, but I¡¯m sure it can be done.¡± Dolin smiled and then turned over to Zeilan. ¡°Thanks to you as well friend. Here, take this. It¡¯s a token which shows that you can be a trusted person. All merchants in town have this, and they should lower their prices a bit if you show it to them.¡± [Quest Complete!] - The Merchant¡¯s Plight Obtained Reward: Merchant¡¯s Token The token that Dolin handed over was a thick coin with a bag of money imprinted into the side. That was easier than I thought. Zeilan nodded in thanks while Carro stared at him. ¡°You did this for a quest?¡± She asked. Zeilan simply shrugged as he put the coin in his inventory. ¡°Well, doing this helps everyone doesn¡¯t it? It doesn¡¯t really matter why I did it.¡± Carro simply sighed as she rubbed her temples. ¡°And here I thought you were a good guy¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°Hey, I am a good guy!¡± Zeilan protested. ¡°The nice reward just happened to be a side-effect of doing a good deed.¡± ¡°Right¡­ but whatever. If I gave you a reward, would you help me out?¡± Carro asked while staring Zeilan right in the eyes. ¡°Depends on the reward, and what I¡¯m doing in the first place.¡± Zeilan grinned. ¡°Alright. I need you to help me take down my business rivals.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ but why?¡± Carro paced up and down an aisle as she began to explain. ¡°My rivals aren¡¯t going to let up with their businesses you know? I mean, I realize that my business is disrupting the economy, but at least I know when to pull back.¡± But you didn¡¯t know when to pull back because you were too focused on making money! Zeilan wanted to shout out, but he kept it inside as Carro continued speaking. ¡°My rivals on the other hand will only get more intense if I disappear from the scene. Therefore, I need to disrupt their business and keep their money-making at a minimum. Will you help me out?¡± She asked, giving Zeilan an incredibly cute look with her upturned eyes. ¡°Hmm¡­ sounds interesting. What¡¯s in it for me?¡± ¡°Prime prices for the best equipment possible. Not only that, I¡¯ll buy whatever you sell me at a good price.¡± Carro appealed to Zeilan, keeping her eyes on him. Well, it does sound good to have a merchant ready on call. Not to mention I can get some really good equipment through her. Alright then, no harm in doing this. Zeilan nodded and held out his hand. ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk about details later but for now¡­ deal.¡± Carro let out her brilliant smile as she shook his hand. ¡°Deal.¡±
A/N: So... 200+ FOLLOWERS!!! Thanks for reading this far everyone! I didn''t think I''d ever get this much of a following when I first started writing this (What did I expect? I dunno, my fiction to sit in the depths of RRL to be read only by a few people or something). Anyway, thank you everyone for your comments and reviews. Now, let me talk a little about my writing. I''m sure by now that a lot of you have noticed that despite me putting in the "Adventure" genre tag, there isn''t a lot of adventuring going on now is there? Yes, that''s right. It''s turned into more of a slice-of-life, and I''m totally fine with that. You see, that has to do with how I write things. When I''m planning out events for the story, I just make the general outline of what''s going to happen - for example, the only thing I had written for the event that Q is going through was just: "The Town of Foria is in war. Q joins a side and wrecks shit." Nothing else that happens was planned. Like Q meeting the Crios Blades literally came out of nowhere as I wrote about them, but somehow it turned into a really fun and interesting arc. Zeilan meeting Carro was also completely spontaneous. The only idea I had for this chapter was that Zeilan would go to the town mayor and get a quest or something, but then all of a sudden he met Dolin and Carro just because I thought: "Hey, Zeilan should be wearing a coat since it''s winter." I think I''ve gone on a tangent here though. Point is, I''ll update the tags to show that this story does indeed have a lot of slice-of-life aspects to it. What does it mean for you readers? Absolutely nothing. The story will go on the way it has normally. I enjoy writing it this way, so I hope you guys do too. (I mean, if you didn''t enjoy it, then why are you still here?) Also, does anyone remember when I said that you''ll get to see more of Helen/Zeilan''s personality in the next ''Helen'' chapter? Well... it seems this chapter turned into more of a "let''s meet the merchants" thing instead of getting deeper into the mind of Helen/Zeilan. Really sorry. I made a contract with Kyubey promising that I''d deliver more of Helen''s inner monologue. If I break that then... well, let''s just say that Kyubey''s contracts are absolute. Anyway, thanks for reading everyone! Leave your comments and all that jazz down below. Fun-fact: Foxes have whiskers on their legs as well as around their faces, which they use to help them find their way around places. P.S: Every time I typed in Dolin I was severely tempted to type in Dolan instead... but tehn h wuld hev had tu tlak liek diz. iz dat wat yu wanan gyuz? yu wanan Dolan in diz fcton? Chapter 018 - Daring and Dangerous ¡°Whew! It¡¯s nice to finally breathe in some fresh air again!¡± Kukis took in a deep breath as she stretched her body. ¡°Yeah. We were in that cave for an entire day weren¡¯t we?¡± Fortis chuckled as he took in a breath of his own. After hearing the shocking revelation that they had no idea how to get out of the cave, the players all struggled to find an exit. Luckily Brie was able to find a conveniently shaped stairway made out of rocks hidden behind a cracked wall. The players climbed up and found themselves back at the entrance of the cave. At first, everyone was going to leave the cave and head back to town when Verne reminded them of the double experience/loot chance they had at the moment. At first they all debated amongst themselves on whether they should leave or not, but it was unanimously agreed that they needed to get food supplies. They all decided to have a rock paper scissors tournament for it, and in the end Melun lost. The depressed Melun was crouched in front of a tree with her back to the group, muttering things they couldn¡¯t hear. The group was uneasy about sending her out to get supplies though, so Q volunteered to go with her. This instantly lifted up Melun¡¯s spirits as she enthusiastically jumped up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± On the way back to the town Melun tried to hug Q multiple times, but Q was even faster at dodging with her increased stats now. In the end the two made their way to the town without incident, and happened to come across a group of people that Q recognized. ¡°Greetings, Sir Albert!¡± She waved her hand at the figure approaching. Currently Sir Albert was in shiny full metal armor, making his figure look quite impressive. ¡°Ah, we meet yet again Miss Q.¡± Albert bowed. ¡°How has your journey been so far?¡± ¡°Pretty good. We managed to clear out a dungeon in a day, and I got some cool new equipment!¡± Q turned around to show it off. ¡°And by the looks of it you also got some cool new equipment. Did you finish a quest or something?¡± ¡°Indeed, we had helped a pair of star-crossed lovers unite with one another. This armor was a present from the man we helped.¡± ¡°Nice. Oh right, is there anything different on the status of the war?¡± Q asked. ¡°The conflict between the houses you mean? Yes. Though I¡¯m not sure how things fare for the Velories, the Breckden house has been gathering quite a lot of adventurers. The average level around there seems to be 15 or so.¡± Suddenly, a man dressed in a blue robe approached Albert and whispered in his ear. ¡°Hmm? ...Oh, no need to worry about that. Q is a fellow comrade! Isn¡¯t that right Q?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Q nodded with a smile on her face. The man in the robes gave her a suspicious look though, as he asked, ¡°Are you really our comrade? Then recite the song of the Daring and Dangerous group!¡± Daring and Dangerous¡­? Oh wait, isn¡¯t that the group that Helen¡­ Okay, let¡¯s see if I remember the song. Interpreting Q¡¯s silence as if she didn¡¯t know the song, the man was starting to let out a sneer when all of a sudden Q began to sing. ¡°Beyond Kings and Queens~ Filled with hopes and dreams~ Nobody looks cooler~ As we fight for the future!¡± Once Albert heard this song, he began to join in and the two of them sang in a duet. ¡°United as one~ Until the day, is done~ No task is beyond us~ For the Daring and Dangerous!¡± As they finished, everyone clapped, save for Melun who had no idea what was going on right now. ¡°See Magnus?¡± Sir Albert smiled. ¡°I told you she was a comrade!¡± The man in the blue robe smiled as he gave a respectful bow towards Q. ¡°My apologies Miss Q, I had mistakenly assumed that you were not a member of our organization.¡± ¡°Haha, no problem.¡± Wait, did Albert think that I was part of the Daring and Dangerous group when I said I played D&D? Well, thank god I¡¯m technically a part of the Daring and Dangerous group or else things might have gotten awkward. Q smiled as sweat dripped down her back. ¡°Well anyway, we came up here for supplies so I wouldn¡¯t want to keep our comrades waiting. I¡¯ll be seeing you around everybody!¡± ¡°May your path be clear!¡± Sir Albert said. ¡°Uhh¡­ oh. And your will be everlasting!¡± Q replied as she walked away with Melun. For a while, Melun was completely silent until she said, ¡°What the heck was that?¡± ¡°That was the song of the Daring and Dangerous.¡± Q stated as a matter-of-fact. ¡°No, I mean¡­ you¡¯re a part of that weird group?¡± ¡°Hey, calling them weird is rude. They¡¯re a gathering of people who happen to like the same stuff. But yeah, I¡¯m a part of that group¡­ kind of. Anyway, it seems we¡¯ve reached the main square. I¡¯ll go buy meat and you can grab the vegetables.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like vegetables.¡± Melun shivered, remembering all the random plants which were shoved in her mouth a while back. ¡°...okay, then we¡¯ll switch.¡± The two of them went around the main square, buying all sorts of ingredients. While Q was buying things, she didn¡¯t forget to ask the shopkeepers about what was going on for the fight between the houses. The Breckden and Velorie houses had basically gathered up all the players and surprisingly the amount they grabbed was more or less equal. There were also 5 days left until the fight actually began, which meant that their group had plenty of time to clear out the dungeon a few more times before heading back into town. Q also encountered one of the girls from the Prim Roses and asked her about what was going on there. She said that not much had changed, except for Lily being a lot more sociable, and that Sheila seemed to have fallen in love with somebody. The girls were all going crazy at that last piece of information, but unfortunately they still didn¡¯t know who Sheila loved. Q had no doubt that with the incredible gossiping skill the girls had, that they would figure out who it was eventually. After half an hour of gathering things, Q and Melun met up and headed back to the cave. On their way there Melun decided to hunt a few rabbits for extra meat, while Q watched in agony as the rabbits fell victim to her arrows. They reached the cave without any further detours and Q was surprised to find that Brie was (almost) talking to Fortis. He would ask her a few questions, and though Brie didn¡¯t say anything she still nodded or shook her head in response. Q found it particularly admirable that she didn¡¯t move away from him, though looking at her slightly trembling body it was clear that she wanted more distance. Once Q got back, Brie was immediately relieved as she moved closer to her. Meanwhile Melun was handing things out to the Crios Blades. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Here you go, more mana potions for Fortis and Aeryn, and health potions for Verne and Neira. I also brought some extra bandages in case anyone gets the bleeding status.¡± ¡°Aww Melun, you¡¯re so considerate! Thank you~!¡± Aeryn hugged her with a smile on her face. ¡°Thanks Melun.¡± Fortis placed the mana potions on his belt. ¡°It¡¯d be pretty scary to run out of mana in the cave.¡± Verne and Neira also thanked her, and Melun had a melancholic look on her face. ¡°You guys are only nice to me when I give you stuff¡­¡± ¡°Aww, that¡¯s not true.¡± Aeryn poked her in the cheek. ¡°We only tease you because we love you. Isn¡¯t that right everyone?¡± ¡°¡°¡°Right.¡±¡±¡± While Melun was feeling love(?), Q was also handing out things to her party members. ¡°Here¡¯s some torches just in case, and I also bought a rope.¡± ¡°A rope? What good is that going to do?¡± Brie asked curiously. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t underestimate a rope.¡± Q said with a serious face. ¡°A rope is an incredibly versatile tool which can be used in a variety of fashions.¡± ¡°Really? I know that there are uses for ropes, but is there any opportunity to use such an item?¡± Brie asked. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Q said with a grin. ¡°Anyway, it seems everyone else is done preparing their things. Let¡¯s go for round 2!¡± Q joined up with the Crios Blades and made her way into the cave. *2 days later* The group came out of the cave and they were dirty and tired. The fights were considerably easy for them now that they knew what was lying in wait for them, but they still couldn¡¯t let their guards down. At one point Neira almost got eaten by one of the Lure Flowers because she was being careless, and Aeryn forgot about the Lure Gemlings and lost half her health to a surprise attack. The only thing different about the dungeon was that the three paths held something a little different each time. They constantly changed between leading to a room filled with Lure creatures, a dead end, and a room which was either filled with plants or gemstones. They weren¡¯t able to get back to the Lure Island since the hole which lead down into the lake never appeared, but the players were all able to get a few more pieces of equipment and level ups. In the end they re-challenged the dungeon 4 times and everyone¡¯s level was over 20 by the end of it. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve actually passed level 20.¡± Verne said, checking his status. ¡°Seriously, I think we might have the highest levels in the game right now.¡± But then, as if to mock him a window appeared in front of all the players. [System Notice] - Clover is the first player to reach level 30 ¡°... Ignore what I just said.¡± Verne hid his face from the others as they all laughed. ¡°Well well, seems someone is going through a grind fest.¡± Fortis grinned, reading the message. ¡°That reminds me, aren¡¯t you planning on staying at the top of the pack Q?¡± Kukis asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Q tilted her head, not understanding the question. ¡°I mean, don¡¯t you plan on being one of the top players in the game? You¡¯re really strong you know? You took down a lure tree by yourself using a rope and [Tri-spark]. If that¡¯s not impressive I don¡¯t know what is.¡± ¡°Yes, I truly did not think that a rope could be used in the ways you used it.¡± Brie added. ¡°It was indeed quite an impressive feat.¡± ¡°Want to hear about an impressive feat? How about almost getting eaten by a Lure Flower after tripping and falling on your butt?¡± Q grinned while looking at Kukis. Seeing her blush, Q laughed as she continued to speak. ¡°Well, no I don¡¯t have any plans on being one of the top players. I¡¯m just playing this game to enjoy it. If I had any plans then it would be to touch the softest thing in existence I guess.¡± All of a sudden, Q was interrupted by a window appearing in front of her. [Unique Quest!] - The Ultimate Softness (Part 1) [Objective] - Touch the softest thing in existence. Head to the Capital City Hales to find information on the softest thing in existence [Rewards] - You get to touch the softest thing in existence. [System Message] - You have unlocked a unique quest. Unique quests are personal goals for yourself. By completing these goals you will obtain great rewards. Note: This quest can only be completed by you. After reading her new quest window, Q burst out in laughter and couldn''t stop laughing for a full minute. The other players had no idea what caused her to laugh like this and could only watch in silence as Q rolled on the floor, laughing. Eventually when Q was able to breathe again, she told everyone about the quest she just got, and they all began laughing as well. ¡°No way¡­ *pffft* There¡¯s no way the game can put in a quest like that.¡± Melun was wiping a tear from her eye as she began to calm down. ¡°I don¡¯t even know, but this quest is definitely at the top of my priority list.¡± Q said while smiling. ¡°Well, that sounds great and all, but we should probably go back to town now.¡± Fortis reminded everyone of where they should be. ¡°We don¡¯t want to miss out on the town fight after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s get going people!¡± Kukis exclaimed, and they all made their way back to the town.
A/N: Greetings and salutations my fellow comrades. This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I thought that ending it there would be fine. Anyway, there are a few rewards from going through the dungeon, but I didn''t describe them because I thought it wasn''t that important (Namely that Q didn''t get any new equipment or skills, just more levels). So Q now has a goal, to touch the softest thing in existence! Finally, we have a plot. Though, don''t count on her touching the softest thing in existence any time soon (more like, after 200+ chapters maybe). Also, it seems that Helen is involved with the Daring and Dangerous group in some way. What do you think her relationship to them is? (Hahaha subtle foreshadowing and by subtle I mean smashing you over the head with foreshadows (can you hit people with shadows? It seems Zed can, so why can''t I?)). Thanks for reading everyone! Fun-fact: Maple syrup can grow mold. Chapter 019 - The Cuddle Before the Storm Once the group returned to the town they went over to an old man to turn in their quest. ¡°Oh really?¡± The old man lifted himself out of his chair as he heard about what was inside the cave. ¡°To think that the cave would hold such secrets¡­ Many thanks for investigating it for me. I¡¯ll gather up some townsfolk with guards to go into the caves and start mining some gemstones.¡± If you were going to send in townsfolk anyway, why not just hire the guards instead of us adventurers? Q temporarily questioned the old man¡¯s logic in her mind, but then realized that would destroy the sense of adventure. The old man continued speaking. ¡°Now, it wouldn¡¯t be right if I left you all empty handed for such hard work now would it? Here, take these as a reward, you all deserve it.¡± [Quest Complete!] - Explore the Forest Cave [Reward]: 1 Gold ¡°...That¡¯s it? 1 Gold?¡± Kukis stared at the gold coin in her hand. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money you know?¡± Verne said as he accepted the coin. ¡°Getting 1 gold this early in the game is incredible. Not to mention it¡¯s probably worth a lot to the locals as well so receiving 1 gold is a very generous reward.¡± ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s no problem at all young man.¡± The old man let out a hearty laugh. ¡°After all, with the discovery of the gemstones in that cave I¡¯m going to be making a lot of profit! Hahaha!¡± ¡°...¡± Verne temporarily thought of rescinding his previous words but decided to let it go instead. ¡°Well,¡± He let out a sigh, ¡°I guess this is where we split ways then huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was nice partying with you guys.¡± Q shook hands with Verne. ¡°Oh, and I completely forgot about this since we were all in a party but¡­ friend requests for everyone!¡± Q said as she sent a friend request to all the Crios Blades. Everyone else also followed suit, and they began to say their goodbyes. A tearful farewell ensued (mostly just Melun trying to make a last ditch effort to hug Q again) and then they parted ways. Shortly after the Crios Blades left, Brie also announced that she had to leave. ¡°Terribly sorry, but I am being called by my parents. They say that I have been inside the game for too long.¡± ¡°Stuff happens when you play videogames.¡± Kukis shrugged. ¡°Make sure you¡¯re back in time for the event though! That¡¯s in 3 in-game days, or 1 day in real life.¡± ¡°Thank you Kukis, I remember your lessons on the difference between the time of the game and real life. I hope to see you two soon.¡± Brie smiled as she logged out of the game. ¡°What are you going to do now Q?¡± Kukis asked. ¡°Well, I need to head over to the blacksmith to get my equipment repaired and get a sword in working condition. Not to mention I have SO MANY things to sell.¡± Q looked over her items and began making plans to use them. ¡°What are you going to do in the meantime Cookie?¡± ¡°I''m thinking of heading back to the Prim Roses to see if I can learn anymore skills. After all, it''d be a waste not to gather skills because of my racial passive.¡± ¡°Right. We''ll meet up back here in the square when Brie comes back then?¡± ¡°Yup. See you in a bit!¡± Kukis cheerfully walked away. As Kukis left, Q also made her way over to the blacksmith. After a bit of conversation, Q was able to sell a few materials to him, and also got her rusted sword and equipment fixed up. In the end she spent 5 silver repairing the sword, and 3 silver repairing her equipment, but thanks to her selling materials she still got a surplus of 2 silver. After waiting for half an hour, the blacksmith came back and gave her the sword. ¡°Sorry girlie, but the sword was too broken to return to its previous state. I shaved off most of the rust instead and spiffed it up, so it''s pretty thin but you could probably still use it.¡± [Guardian¡¯s Rapier (Weapon, Rare)] Durability (20/20) - A sword painstakingly repaired by a blacksmith. Slightly fragile, but still contains a bit of Magic from its original form. Strength +3, Agility +3, Dexterity +3, 5% chance to deal magic damage to target on hit. Seems like this would be suitable for Brie¡­ Q thanked the blacksmith for repairing her equipment and fixing the sword, then left to find an appraiser. With a few directions from strangely helpful players, Q found the appraisal shop. She was slightly concerned about the lingering gazes on her, and looked around to find multiple players staring at her. Are they planning on robbing me or something? Q wondered, but in the end they didn''t do anything so Q simply shrugged and entered the shop. Inside she found an old woman with a crystal ball in front of her. For a second Q thought she might have gotten the wrong shop when the woman looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you looking to appraise your items?¡± Q nodded and showed her black ring that she obtained from Wolfy back in the tutorial. [Black Wolf¡¯s Spirit (Ring, Magic)] Durability (40/40) - A wolf''s spirit is held within this ring, waiting to be unleashed upon its enemies. Strength +7, Agility +10, 10% Increase to attacks dealt by claws. WOLFYYYY!!! You weren''t such a bad guy after all! ...I still don''t like your fur though. The ring she obtained from Wolfy was far more amazing than she thought it would be, and she thanked Wolfy in her mind, while praying for his safety in animal heaven. Q thanked the appraiser and headed out to a general store to both buy some supplies and sell the rest of her items. In the end she was able to get 23 silver and 6 copper for the rest of her items, then she went ahead and bought some cloth for practice for her Tailoring profession. T.W.O¡¯s crafting system let players create things if they had the ¡®recipe¡¯ for it. This was only implemented for professions at beginner level though, as players were required to obtain more experience before moving onto more complicated items. Of course, players could attempt to create a complicated item straight away, but chances are that they would fail and lose the materials instead. Anything that the players would make on their own would be saved to their personal ¡®recipes¡¯, and they could create the item with far more ease the next time they attempted it. Additionally, if a player had previous knowledge or experience in creating certain items, the game would provide extra boosts to their crafted item, and allowed the player to level their profession more quickly. Once Q had finished dealing with her items, she returned to the Prim Roses hideout in search of Sharon Velorie. After going through the dungeon and watching Aeryn cast spells of almost every element, Q realized that she also wanted more spells and decided to get the help of a professional mage. While she wandered through the hideout in search of Sharon, Q found Kukis mixing together random items they obtained from the cave. Kukis seemed to be incredibly concentrated so Q decided to leave her alone and continued to look for Sharon. After asking a few of the girls whether they saw her, she was eventually directed towards a room filled with books. Inside Sharon was reading a book about magic to a group of young girls who were sitting on the ground. Not wanting to interrupt the Sharon, Q activated [Stealth] and sat down near the back of the group and listened to Sharon¡¯s lecture. ¡°... and so, can anyone tell me the 6 elements of magic?¡± ¡°Oooh! Oooh! Pick me! I know!¡± A particularly excited girl raised her hand up and waved it around wildly. Sharon chuckled at this and said, ¡°Alright Victoria, go ahead.¡± ¡°Yay! The six elements of magic are fire, water, earth, wind, dark, and light.¡± ¡°Very good Victoria. Now¡­ can anyone tell me the 7th element of magic?¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°Huh?¡±¡±¡±¡± All the girls were considerably confused. ¡°Mrs. Velorie, aren¡¯t there only 6 elements of magic?¡± The girl named Victoria asked. ¡°Technically speaking yes. These six elements are the ones that mages use and call upon whenever they use magic, but the seventh element is one that isn¡¯t particularly acknowledged to be an element per se. This seventh element, is called the ¡®void¡¯ element and it doesn¡¯t share any properties of any of the 6 previous elements.¡± ¡°Do you mean it doesn¡¯t have an attribute?¡± Q spoke up, and all the girls attention was focused on her. A few of the girls even jumped away in fright, and Q could only let out an apologetic laugh. ¡°Oh my, if it isn¡¯t Q! I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here to join us. Well, to answer your question, yes. The void element doesn¡¯t have an attribute. As you may all know, each element affects one another. If we were talking in terms of advantages, it would be that fire beats water, water beats earth, earth beats wind, and wind beats fire. Light and dark counter each other. The void element doesn¡¯t hold any advantages against any of the other types, but in exchange it isn¡¯t at a disadvantage against them either. Actually, there is research going on in the capital that suggests metal weapons without any elemental attribute have the void element within them.¡± Okay¡­ so it¡¯s basically a neutral damage kind of thing. Q thought in her mind. Suddenly, another question popped up in her head as she asked, ¡°Sharon¡­¡± As soon as Sharon heard her name she gave Q a stern look. ¡°er... Mrs. Velorie, (Sharon¡¯s stern look disappeared) what about lightning? Which element is it categorized as?¡± Q had been wondering what kind of damage her spell had been dealing the entire time. The most logical reasoning would be fire, but it could also be a wind element which confused her. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°An excellent question. Some elements are combination of two elements or more. For example, the lightning element you just asked about is a combination of fire and wind. Another element like ice for example, would be a combination of water and wind.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Thanks for the tip. I was wondering what element my spell was.¡± Q began muttering to herself as she thought about the way elements worked in the game. ¡°That brings up another question as to which part will deal more damage¡­ Would it be mainly fire damage being dealt? Or maybe it¡¯s an even mix. But that makes me wonder if a creature weak against fire and strong against wind would take normal damage...¡± While Q was lost in thought, Sharon¡¯s ears instantly perked up once she heard that Q had a lightning spell. ¡°You actually have a lightning spell? Would you mind demonstrating it for the class?¡± Sharon said with excitement. ¡°Uhh, sure. Though wouldn¡¯t you have a few lightning spells of your own?¡± ¡°Unfortunately no. We do happen to have a few spellbooks on those types but I haven¡¯t learned them yet. I have my hands full trying to master 3 elements, not to mention that it would take a long amount of time studying the book to figure out how to use the spell properly.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I guess that¡¯s the difference between players and NPCs¡­ though it would probably be super boring to actually learn a spell the ¡®proper¡¯ way. Q realized as she asked the girls to stand back from her. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll give a demonstration of my spell.¡± Q aimed at the spot in front of her as she invoked her spell. ¡°[Tri-Spark]!¡± Three bright lines of light shot straight out of her hand, flying forward for at least a meter before hitting the wall and making a loud *zap* sound. All the girls stared wide-eyed at the magic in front of them (though a few were rubbing their eyes because of the bright light it emitted). Because no one said anything, and Sharon was staring at Q in shock, Q decided to shoot it out again. Everyone was just staring at Q though, so not knowing what to do she decided to bow and take a seat. As soon as she sat down, the surroundings broke out in applause as the girls cheered. ¡°That was amazing!¡± ¡°How did you do that without using the chant?¡± ¡°Let me call you older-sister! No wait, big-sis!¡± ¡°Can you teach us how to do that?¡± Q just smiled and answered the girls questions as best she could and politely refused being called big-sis. Being an older brother myself, I feel like I¡¯d lose something if I was called big-sis. Though these girls kind of remind me of Helen when she was younger¡­ Q reminisced about the past until Sharon finally regained her senses. ¡°That¡­ that was an unknown lightning spell! Where did you learn to use such a thing?¡± ¡°Uhh, I learned it from a book? Although this is the evolved version, the normal one just shot out a single spark.¡± ¡°An evolved spell¡­ you adventurers truly are amazing.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ ahahah. So are you going to continue with the lesson or¡­¡± ¡°Ah, of course. Calm down now everyone. Yes yes, it was very impressive. Victoria, stop pulling Q¡¯s tail.¡± Sharon was able to eventually calm down the group and continued with her lesson. There wasn¡¯t anything of particular interest to Q (as she had already guessed these things a long time ago), but she still listened to the very end. [Stats Gained!] Oh, that increased my intelligence and wisdom. Maybe I should listen to Sharon¡¯s lectures more often. When the lecture ended, Q went up to Sharon and asked her about the various spellbooks they had. ¡°Spellbooks? What kind are you looking for?¡± ¡°Just the basic elements. Particularly fire or wind seeing as I¡¯m sort of acquainted with those two elements already.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind as long as you do a favor for me first.¡± Quest time? Q thought. ¡°What kind of favor?¡± ¡°Could you take care of these girls for me? I have an important meeting to attend and these girls don¡¯t have anywhere else to go. If you could watch them for an hour or so that would help me quite a bit.¡± ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± Q immediately accepted. How hard can looking after children be? (A/N: Flag activated) ¡°Thank you, Q. I¡¯ll be back in an hour alright? Be good girls.¡± Sharon waved at the young girls. ¡°Yes Mrs. Velorie.¡± The girls gave a bow in return as Sharon left the area. [New Quest!] - Babysitting [Objective] - Watch over the children for an hour. [Failure Condition] - Leaving the girls by themselves at any point in time. [Rewards] - Basic Fire & Wind Spellbooks Now that Q was left alone with the girls, she faced them all and asked, ¡°What do you all do for fun?¡± ¡°Well¡­ we usually spend time embroidering or telling stories.¡± A girl with pigtails said. ¡°Sometimes Mrs. Velorie teaches us about magic theory.¡± A girl wearing glasses mentioned. ¡°I like Mrs. Breckden¡¯s stories about being a warrior though.¡± A girl with a ponytail added. ¡°Um¡­ Miss Q?¡± Q recognized this girl as Victoria. ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer right? Do you have any stories?¡± ¡°Stories huh? Hmm¡­ let me think¡­¡± Q¡¯s mind wandered as she tried thinking of a story to talk about. ¡°Oh, I have one. This is a tale about¡­¡± Q began to re-iterate different stories from real life. She started off with the strange story of Alice in Wonderland, then moved onto the magical story of Cinderella. While the girls laughed at Alice¡¯s adventures in the wondrous land, every single one of the girls were completely enraptured when Q began talking about the handsome prince and his wedding with Cinderella. Once she finished that story, the girls all began to talk among themselves. ¡°Do you think that we¡¯ll find a prince in our lives too?¡± ¡°Maybe. Don¡¯t we have to look super pretty?¡± ¡°No, we just need fairies.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Q simply laughed while listening to the girls go on with their wild fantasies. While she watched over the girls, Victoria approached Q and asked a question. ¡°Um¡­ Miss Q, do you mind if I¡­¡± Victoria trailed off. ¡°If you¡­?¡± ¡°If I¡­ touched your tail?¡± For a moment Q was silent, but then she nodded. If someone else can learn the joys of softness, then it¡¯s all good with me. Once Q gave her consent, Victoria moved behind Q and slowly began to feel her tail. This¡­ kind of tickles. Q squirmed a little under her touch. The last time when she was subjected to cuddle hell by the Crios Blades they were quite rough so she didn¡¯t enjoy it at all, but Victoria was incredibly gentle which gave a completely different feeling. Suddenly, the rest of the girls all noticed Victoria stroking Q¡¯s tail, and they all joined in without her consent. ¡°W- wait! Hold on that¡¯s-!¡± And yet again Q was subjected to cuddle hell¡­ Meanwhile Kukis had finished obtaining the Alchemy profession and was currently wandering around the hideout looking for Q. She had heard from one of the girls that Q was looking over some children right now, and she decided to go there to check it out. Once she reached the room Q was in she looked inside and bore witness to the second ¡®cuddle hell¡¯. ¡°Ah, Cookie! Help me out!¡± Kukis stared at the sight for a good minute, nodded, and slowly closed the door. She could faintly hear Q¡¯s protests, but chose to ignore them as she went off in search for more skills to obtain.
A/N: That''s right Cookie, don''t get involved. So how are you all doing? Good? Great. Spectacular! Not much is going on in this chapter, but as you can tell by the chapter title the war is going to start soon (still don''t know whether to call it a conflict or a war). I''m excited. Also this chapter was a little boring, but at least you get the scene of little girls petting a little girl. *Nose slowly begins to bleed* Oh, one thing I absolutely HAVE to address right now. You guys are always calling Helen "lil sis" or "little sister"... and I find that absolutely amazing. Keep doing it. I love it. Seriously. Look at how many periods there were in the past few sentences. That means I''m happy (no it doesn''t I have no idea what I''m talking about right now). Anyway, thanks for reading! Hopefully the upcoming battle will be epic enough for you guys. Fun-fact: The Mariana Trench (not the band) is the deepest known part of the ocean. Edit: Title changed from The Calm Before the Storm to The Cuddle Before the Storm (Thanks to KK2 for this idea!) Chapter 020 - Bries Real Strength ¡°Hello Q, I¡¯m back. Are the girls all ri- oh.¡± Sharon walked into the room to find Q surrounded by the girls, being pet in every place possible. As soon as Sharon appeared, Q locked eyes with her and pleaded, ¡°Help me!¡± (A/N: EVERY place possible) It took 5 minutes to convince the girls to leave Q alone, but they all left reluctantly. A few of the girls were talking about wanting to use her tail as a pillow, or how they just wanted to play with her ears forever. Victoria hadn¡¯t said anything, but when she looked at Q she blushed and ran away. After the girls left, Q let out a sigh of relief while deciding in her mind that she would get revenge on Kukis for abandoning her not once, but twice! Once the girls had left, Sharon simply smiled as she handed Q two books. ¡°It seems you were quite popular with the girls.¡± She said with a giggle. ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected you to keep their attention with your stories, or¡­ that.¡± ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t talk about it.¡± Q muttered as she accepted the books. How was I supposed to know they were going to attack in droves? [Quest Complete!] - Babysitting [Rewards]: Spellbook of Ember, Spellbook of Gust Sharon simply laughed again as she pointed at the two books. ¡°Those books are the most basic of fire and wind spells, [Ember] and [Gust]. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t get you anymore spells. It seems that most of the spellbooks in my household were given out as rewards for other adventurers.¡± Sharon bowed in apology, which temporarily made Q flustered. ¡°Oh that¡¯s no problem at all! I actually haven¡¯t done much to contribute to the Prim Roses so receiving this is already enough. Thanks for going through the trouble to get these books.¡± Q bowed back towards Sharon. ¡°My, you really are a polite child.¡± Sharon smiled kindly at Q. ¡°Actually, you¡¯ve contributed quite a bit. I heard about what you did for Lily, and thank you for that.¡± Q was about to say something in response, but Sharon continued speaking. ¡°Oh yes, I suppose I should share this interesting tidbit of information I got from my meeting.¡± ¡°Information? What¡¯s it about?¡± ¡°It seems that both houses have decided that only you adventurers would fight against each other.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Q was surprised. ¡°The conflict between houses is being left up to the adventurers?¡± ¡°Yes. Both Malcolm and Cadby are incredibly impressed by the adventurer¡¯s rate of growth. It seems that they¡¯ll surpass our normal fighters in a few days. Not to mention that they¡¯ve learned about your special¡­ disposition.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean how we can¡¯t die?¡± Q replied. Well it¡¯s not like it was a secret anyway. ¡°Yes. It was truly curious. The first time an adventurer died was in the forest when he recklessly challenged a creature far stronger than him. The rest of his comrades didn¡¯t seem too concerned about it though. While we tried to comfort them, they only told us not to worry about it. Then, one day later he appeared in the town square perfectly healthy, and they went on with their task. It was a bit unnerving to be honest.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ well, I guess it makes sense for us adventurers to do battle then. We basically learned all the techniques from your houses, and since we can¡¯t die it¡¯s the perfect way to settle this dispute without killing people.¡± ¡°Exactly. Well, once again, thank you for looking after the children Q. I¡¯ll be seeing you around.¡± Sharon exited the room and left Q with her thoughts. So¡­ only the players are fighting against each other huh? Sounds like PvP fun times. Although, since I¡¯m a part of the Prim Roses which side would I fight? Actually, would I even fight? While Q pondered these questions she decided to use the the spellbooks she just obtained. [New Spell] - Ember (Costs 5 MP, 5 second cool-down) Sends out a small flame at your target. Deals weak fire damage. [New Spell] - Gust (Costs 5 MP, 3 second cool-down) Sends out a small wind blast at your target. Deals weak wind damage. Cool. Now to find somewhere to practice them¡­ Q headed outside the hideout and went behind the old house into the backyard. There was a clear open space with no one around, which made it perfect to practice new spells. Q extended her hand and said, ¡°[Ember]!¡± A small flame appeared from the palm of her hand and strangely enough didn¡¯t feel hot at all. Seeing that the flame simply stayed on her hand no matter which way she moved it, she pushed her hand forward and the flame shot out, quickly dissipating after traveling for 2 meters. Well, its range is better than my previous [Spark]. I¡¯m not sure about the damage but that can be experimented with later. Q extended her hand once again and said, ¡°[Gust]!¡± This time a gust of wind shot forth immediately, traveling farther and faster than [Ember] and reaching up to a length of 3-4 meters. An interesting point Q found was that it was still perfectly visible despite being wind, which puzzled her for a while. Well, it wouldn¡¯t be fair if players were hit with invisible attacks huh? She realized. Q decided to try testing them on a wall to somewhat judge the damage. After a few minutes of experimenting she found out that [Ember] is slow but affects a decent area, while also dealing a good amount of damage (which she estimated by the size of the scorch marks left on the wall). [Gust] on the other hand was fast and affected a small area, and probably didn¡¯t do as much damage as [Ember] did. So basically wind is fast and weak, fire is slow and strong? Then does that make lightning fast and strong? Q was about to continue experimenting when she got a message from Kukis. Brie is online. I¡¯ll go meet her at the main square. Reading her message, Q checked her friends list to see that Brie had indeed returned, so she began making her way over to the square. On the way she sent a message to Brie to tell her to wait at the square, and received one in response. Testing. Did you receive this message? Yup. Wonderful! Kukis and I are waiting at the square. Get your butt over here! When I get my butt over there I¡¯m giving you a punishment for leaving me again. Q didn¡¯t receive any more messages after that, causing her to let out a wry smile. She reached the square in a few minutes, and found the two waiting for her. ¡°Welcome back Brie. Got everything sorted out with your parents?¡± ¡°Yes. I have been¡­ enjoying my time here, and my parents have agreed to let me play for a maximum of 8 hours each day.¡± Brie smiled as she looked at Q and Kukis. ¡°Awesome! That¡¯s just enough time to stay for the event!¡± Kukis exclaimed. ¡°Yeah. Actually that reminds me, here you go.¡± Q passed over the Guardian Rapier to Brie. ¡°I got a sword from the tutorial and finally got it fixed. It should be better to use for fencing than your current sword.¡± ¡°Oh my! Thank you Q. It seems I can finally display my skills properly.¡± ¡°Hold up a second, are you saying that you weren¡¯t able to use them properly before?¡± Kukis asked, remembering that Brie was actually able to keep up with Q. ¡°Yes. It is incredibly hard to execute fencing techniques when using a heavy or thick weapon. This should make it far easier for me.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Q clapped her hands, ¡°let¡¯s not burn daylight here! We have an event to prepare for!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Kukis cheered, but then went silent. ¡°What happened to all your enthusiasm?¡± Q asked. ¡°Well¡­ what are we really going to do? Our levels are high enough that we won¡¯t really get a lot of benefits from hunting things outside of town, and I¡¯d rather not go too far away at the moment. All that there is to do is train our skills I think.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do just that.¡± Q grinned. ¡°Want to get a bit of practice with your sword Brie?¡± ¡°Yes, that would be ideal.¡± ¡°Alright then¡­ it¡¯s time to¡­ d- d- d- d- d-d-d-d-duel!¡± Q enthusiastically said as she sent a duel request to Brie. While Kukis was laughing, Brie had a slightly confused face as she looked at the duel request sent to her. ¡°Do the duels in this game go to the death?¡± Brie wondered. ¡°To my knowledge no. Now let¡¯s start!¡± Brie nodded and accepted the request, and suddenly there was a notice sent to all players standing nearby them. [Q has challenged Brie to a Duel] - Please stand back. ¡°Whoa, it said Q. Is that the player who killed an enemy 15 levels over them?¡± ¡°Look, those two are the ones fighting!¡± ¡°But¡­ they¡¯re just little girls. Is one of them really Q?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®just little girls¡¯? It¡¯s great because they¡¯re little girls!¡± The crowd of players around them began to talk among themselves as they cleared an area for Q and Brie to fight. The townsfolk somehow knew that they should stay away as well, though some of them continued to watch in interest. On hindsight, I probably should have moved to a less populated area first¡­ Oh well! Q thought as she realized she¡¯s attracting a lot of attention to herself right now. Numbers appeared in the sky above Q and Brie, and the two began to prepare themselves for the fight. 5¡­ 4¡­ Brie took a stance with her sword. 3¡­ 2¡­ Q pulled out her dagger and tensed her body. 1¡­ Battle, Start! As soon as the countdown finished, Brie immediately dashed forward! With light footsteps, she reached Q within seconds. Brie thrusted her sword forward without much force put into it, to probe Q¡¯s defenses. Q in response moved her dagger to deflect the thrust to the side, then moved forward to close the distance between them. Brie had already expected this though as she stepped back and avoided Q¡¯s swing with a hairsbreadth. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. This quick exchange of theirs didn¡¯t even last 3 seconds, and the crowd was absolutely astounded to see them move at such speeds, especially at such a low level. Q and Brie didn¡¯t notice them at all though, as they continued to probe each others defenses. Q found that Brie was being incomparably cautious at the moment, as if a single stab could end the match. She found that appropriate though, since you would lose a round in fencing if you got hit just once. Q simply grinned as she moved forward with her body lowered. She quickly deflected the attack that Brie made towards her, and then she swept the ground with her leg, hoping to knock Brie over. Surprisingly though, Brie actually jumped (though it was more of a hopping motion) and avoided Q¡¯s leg. With the opening Q showed after that attack, Brie immediately thrust towards the center of her body. With a quick reaction speed, Q twisted her body and managed to avoid getting stabbed, though she still got scratched by the blade and was dealt a bit of damage. After this Brie backed off which confused Q, but her confusion was quickly cleared once Brie lowered her sword. ¡°Brie¡­ are you treating this like a fencing match?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes, is this not what this is? A duel?¡± Brie tilted her head not understanding what Q meant. Q let out a long sigh as she explained to Brie what was actually going on. ¡°Things are different in T.W.O. I did say that the fight wouldn¡¯t be to the death, but that¡¯s because the game prevents us from receiving a killing blow. Otherwise¡­¡± Q brought up her dagger, ¡°It¡¯s a serious fight.¡± Seeing this, Brie narrowed her eyes and immediately got back into her stance, and the two of them began circling around each other. After a few seconds of this, Q instantly moved forward, but then dashed back just as quickly. Brie was caught off guard by this movement, as she thrust into empty air where Q was a moment ago. Q took this opportunity to knock Brie¡¯s weapon aside, and then thrust her dagger forward! Surprisingly, Brie actually spun in the direction the sword was knocked away and then brought her sword back up front to parry the dagger! Q was temporarily shocked as the two of them locked their weapons together, both pushing to try and obtain the advantage. ¡°Haha¡­ I didn¡¯t know that fencing had a move like that.¡± Q said as she exerted more force into her dagger. ¡°That,¡± Brie pushed her sword forward, ¡°was a move that I had created. After all, you said this was not a fencing match, but a real ¡®fight¡¯.¡± Q grinned as she suddenly jumped back, using the force of Brie¡¯s sword to gain distance between them. ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s how it should be.¡± She grinned again as she changed her dagger into a reverse grip. Q lowered her body and hid the dagger behind her back as her free hand formed a claw. Seeing the change in Q¡¯s stance, Brie became even more vigilant as she slowly began to inch forward. Q also began to move forward, and they slowly approached each others striking range. Q made the first strike as soon as she was in range of Brie¡¯s blade. Q first swiped with her claws, trying to either push away Brie¡¯s blade or get a grip on it. Brie noticed this and flicked her wrist, making an incredibly fast slash at Q¡¯s arm. Q turned around and spun in place, then intercepted Brie¡¯s blade with her dagger, forcing it to change direction. Brie responded by pulling her sword back, and then thrusting it forward at Q! Q quickly moved to deflect the sword, but as soon as she did Brie made a light hop backwards, then thrust forward again! Every time Brie would attack, Q would be able to successfully deflect it but she didn¡¯t have any other options as she was suppressed by Brie¡¯s rapid thrusts. She couldn¡¯t afford to take a hit either, as Brie¡¯s attack had surprising amounts of force in them, so Q was forced onto the defensive against these thrusts. Hopefully she''ll run out of stamina at this rate... But contrary to Q¡¯s hopes, Brie only seemed to be getting faster and faster, and gradually Q was unable to keep up with deflecting every single strike. She slowly began taking minuscule amounts of damage, but eventually it built up until a quarter of Q¡¯s health was gone. Okay, time for stage 2 then. She thought as she quickly jumped back and yelled, ¡°[Gust]!¡± Brie eyes widened as she was surprised by the sudden spell flying at her face, but still kept her composure as she blocked the attack with her sword. ¡°Using spells now, Q?¡± Brie asked with a slightly disdainful look. ¡°It is a fight. Anything goes you know?¡± Q only smiled in response as she began to add in spells to her attacks. Q returned her dagger to a normal grip, and then cast [Ember] with her other hand. As Brie moved to the side to avoid [Ember], Q shot a [Gust] at her location and then approached with her dagger flashing. Brie was forced to block the spell, but that left her open to receive Q¡¯s attack! Luckily she was able to move her body slightly so she didn¡¯t take a direct hit, but she was still surprised to see that she had lost quite a bit of health from that single attack. Now that Q added spells into the fight, the battle became far more complicated for Brie as she had to deal with not only Q¡¯s incredibly fast attacks, but also quick spells which caught her off guard. She wasn¡¯t able to avoid every attack, nor was she able to attack Q who was constantly moving around and backed off to fire some spells if Brie got too close. If you are using abilities, then so will I! Brie decided as she lowered her body and brought her sword close to her. ¡°[Forward Thrust]!¡± She said as her feet pushed off the ground and she approached Q with incredible speed. Q wasn¡¯t able to react in time and she was nicked by Brie¡¯s sword, and took some damage. Brie¡¯s attack didn¡¯t end there though, as she yelled out, ¡°[Piercing Strike]!¡± Brie thrust towards Q, and Q deflected it with her dagger just in time. Unfortunately Brie¡¯s blade activated it¡¯s special ability at this time, and Q was dealt extra damage, bringing her health down to two thirds. Q gritted her teeth as she sent out another [Gust] to gain distance between the two of them. ¡°Well it looks like you¡¯ve definitely one-upped me in swordplay. But still¡­¡± Q changed her stance again into standing straight up. ¡°That¡¯s not going to be enough to win the fight. [Magic Fist - Tri-Spark]!¡± Q¡¯s fist was covered in a bright glow as she dashed forwards. Brie got into a defensive position, as she was fully aware of the damage that Q could do with that attack. She kept moving backwards, staying out of Q¡¯s range while also throwing out a few quick slashes at the same time. Q ignored these completely though, as she was dead set on approaching Brie. Brie raised her sword and was about to thrust at Q with another [Piercing Strike], but Q suddenly threw her dagger at her! The dagger approached Brie, forcing her to abandon her attack deflect it into the air. Q used this opportunity to open her now free hand and yelled out, ¡°[Tri-Spark]!¡± Electricity began to fly forward as Brie was unable to dodge it. All of a sudden her movements stopped as she noticed that she had the [Stunned] status on her. Q instantly closed the gap between them once Brie stopped moving and hit her with her glowing fist. The instant that her fist made contact, three slightly larger sparks came out and hit Brie, dealing enough damage to bring her health to low levels. Q didn¡¯t stop there though, as she caught the dagger that fell from the sky, and stabbed Brie right in the center of her exposed chest, knocking her over and dealing critical damage which brought Brie¡¯s health to zero. [Q wins!] As soon as that message appeared, both Q and Brie¡¯s health and mana were refilled to full and their equipments durability was also restored. ¡°*Whew* You sure are a strong fighter Brie.¡± Q said as she extended her hand to Brie. For a moment Brie simply stared at her hand, but then she took it as Q helped her up. Once she was able to stand on her feet, the entire crowd went wild as they began to discuss the duel. ¡°Holy crap! That was awesome!¡± ¡°That fox-kin is Q? I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± ¡°The mouse-kin¡¯s swordplay was really impressive.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think I could do any of that no matter how hard I tried.¡± While the peanut gallery made random comments, Kukis approached Q and Brie. ¡°I know that you two are pretty amazing, but I never really thought about how ridiculous your capabilities are until now. What the heck did you two do in real life to get this strong?¡± ¡°I do fencing.¡± Brie simply said. ¡°I do all sorts of random things.¡± Q shrugged her shoulders, not getting into detail about her real life activities. ¡°Anyway, want to go for round 2 in another area? I won¡¯t use magic this time.¡± Q grinned, and Brie agreed. In this way they passed the time improving their skills with Brie until she had to log off.
A/N: Behold Brie, master of swordplay! In today''s chapter we get a close look at how Brie is actually really good at sword fighting. She''s never been able to display her abilities correctly due to her not facing a human opponent so far and also not using the right kind of weapon. Now that she''s fought against Q, you can see her real strength start to surface. Even though Q won in the end, that''s because she used magic. In a straight up battle between the two just using swords, Brie would win like... 7 or 8 times out of 10 (even with Q using her ''time slow'' ability). Well, at least that''s her power level. Anyway, fun times, and the war is set to start next chapter despite there still being 3 days left (because shameless time skips). You hyped for the war? I''m hyped for the war! Thanks for reading everyone! Leave comments and schtuff. Fun-fact: Kukis'' name originated from the word ''kooky'', and then sort of morphed into what it is because I also wanted to call her Cookie. Chapter 021 - Event Battle Pt.1 *3 days later* After leveling up her various spells and abilities, Q did a final check on her character information before the event started.
Player Name: QRace: Fox-Kin
Display Title: Friend of the Cute and CuddlyNon-Display Title: Reckless Fighter
Level: 21Profession: Cook (Beginner)
Health: 350/350Mana: 425/425
Strength: 26 (+16)Vitality: 21 (+5)
Defense: 17(+21)Agility: 36 (+15)
Intelligence: 45 (+5)Dexterity: 31 (+9)
Wisdom: 35 (+2)Luck: 6 (+4)
Leadership: 7Fame: 1270
Equipment
Head:Soft Scarf (Uncommon) Durability (15/15) - Vitality +1, Defense +1, Agility +2.
Chest:Lined Cloth Armor (Uncommon) Durability (35/35) - Defense +5, Vitality +2, Agility +2
Arms:Magic Focus (Magic) Durability (25/25) - Defense +2, Intelligence +3, +10% damage to all spells intermediate level or lower.
Waist:Leather Storage Belt (Rare) Durability (20/20) - Strength +2, Defense +3, Vitality +2, Adds 3 extra inventory slots.
Legs:Guardian¡¯s Boots (Uncommon) Durability (30/30) - Defense +4, Agility +1
Main-Hand Weapon:Dagger of Minor Dexterity (Rare) Durability (30/30) - Dexterity +5, Damage: 10-15
Off-Hand Weapon:N/A
Accessories
Ring 1:Ring of Trickery (Rare) Durability (20/20) - Dexterity +4, Luck +4, +1 to level of Stealth Skill.
Ring 2:Ring of Minor Mana Regeneration (Rare) Durability (20/20) - Wisdom +2, +10% to mana Regeneration
Ring 3:Ruby Ring of Flames (Magic) Durability (25/25) - Strength +5, Increases all fire type skills/spells damage by 10%, adds a 1% chance to burn with each attack.
Ring 4:Black Wolf¡¯s Spirit (Magic) Durability (40/40) - Strength +7, Agility +10, 10% Increase to damage dealt by claws.
Necklace:Guardian¡¯s Heart (Rare) Durability (15/15) - Strength + 2, Defense + 3, Intelligence + 3
Bracelet:Guardian Bracelet (Uncommon) Durability (12/15) Defense + 3
Skills
Passive Skills:Description:
Pain Resistance Lv.4Reduces amount of pain felt.
Unarmed Mastery Lv.6Increases damage and proficiency dealt when not using a weapon.
Claw Mastery Lv.6Increases damage and proficiency dealt with claw-type weapons.
Dagger Mastery Lv.5Increases damage and proficiency dealt with dagger-type weapons.
Throwing Mastery Lv.6Increases damage and proficiency dealt with throwing-type weapons.
Climbing Mastery Lv. 3Increases speed and ease when climbing.
Jumping Mastery Lv.3Increases length and height when jumping
Swimming Mastery Lv.2Increases the speed and ease when swimming.
Rope Mastery Lv.3Increases skill and ease when using ropes.
Dodge Lv.7Increases your chances of dodging an attack
Deflect Lv.5Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.
Silver Tongue Lv.4Increases chance to convince others to listen to your words.
Riding Lv.4Increases speed and handling when riding a creature.
Active Skills:
Beast Within Lv.4(No Cost, 8 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 15% for 1 minute.
Relentless Assault Lv.5(Consumes 50 MP, 30 Minute cooldown) Allows you to continuously attack a target uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but you receive double damage while in this state.
Magic Fist Lv.8(MP usage depends on spell, 1 minute cooldown) Coats your fist in the magic used on it. Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and does not affect the original magic¡¯s cooldown.
Stealth Lv.3 (+1)(No cost, 5 minute cool-down) Activating this skill allows you to blend into the shadows, making you harder to find. Any fast movements or combat oriented actions will break stealth.
Spells
Ember (Basic) Lv.6(Costs 5 MP, 5 second cool-down) Sends out a small flame at your target. Deals weak fire damage.
Gust (Basic) Lv.6(Costs 5 MP, 3 second cool-down) Sends out a small wind blast at your target. Deals weak wind damage.
Multi-Spark (Intermediate) Lv.4(Consumes 1 MP per second, Cost to sustain ability doubles after 3 seconds. 5 second cool-down) Deal moderate Lightning damage to target. Allows you to rapidly fire sparks in quick succession, but also reduces range. Has a low chance of electrocuting target.
Arcane Overload (Advanced) Lv.3(Consumes all MP, 3 day cooldown) Consume all of your energy to release a blast of pure power. Damage varies on mana consumed.
¡°Yup. Looks good to me.¡± Q wasn¡¯t very excited though as she could only watch the event. In the end the Prim Roses chose not to join the battle, mainly because they had no reason to, but also because they didn¡¯t have any players to fight for them. The only players that Q knew had joined the Prim Roses were Kukis, Brie, and herself. She had no doubt that there were some other players who joined the group because the influence meter had changed to 4%, but she hadn¡¯t met them yet. Q was currently sitting on top of the roof of one of the buildings near the main square, overlooking the players who were preparing their equipment on either side. On the Breckden¡¯s side she noticed Sir Albert and his team were giving out a motivational speech. On the Velorie¡¯s side she noticed the Crios Blades all goofing around before the battle began. Well, whatever keeps them from being nervous I guess. Q thought as she waited for Kukis and Brie to log in. Within a few minutes Kukis appeared in a flash of light in the center of the plaza. Noticing both sides preparing themselves, she quickly got out of the way and began searching for Q. Before Q could send her a message though, Brie appeared in a flash of light as well, and noticed the large amounts of men on both sides. Q watched as Brie¡¯s body trembled for a moment, but then she gritted her teeth and ran off in the direction that Kukis had run off to. Way to go Brie. Q smiled as a message appeared in front of her. Yo! Where are you right now? Behind you. What!? Q, I have returned. Where is your current location? The building right above you. It seemed that Brie read the message, as she looked up and saw Q leaning over the side of the building, waving lazily at her. Brie nodded and went into the building to make her way up to the roof. Meanwhile Kukis was looking around her in a paranoid fashion, wondering where Q was. Seriously Q, where are you? I don¡¯t want to miss the fight. I have stealth remember? Try and find me if you can¡­ Q laughed as she watched Kukis suddenly begin checking every single corner and alleyway for her. While Kukis ran around, Brie had made her way to Q¡¯s side. ¡°Good morning Q. Or, whatever time it is for you.¡± ¡°Morning Brie. Come here and watch the show.¡± Q beckoned her to sit beside her. Q¡­ this isn¡¯t the time for this. Here¡¯s a hint, I¡¯m near the building to the far left of you. ¡°The show? I do not think the event has started yet though¡­ Hmm? Is that Kukis? What is she doing running around like that?¡± ¡°Punishment for abandoning me twice.¡± Q said with a faint smile on her face. Q, where are you? Turn off your stealth or something at least! Alright alright, I¡¯ve turned off my stealth. Here¡¯s another hint, I¡¯m inside that garbage dump beside you. Seriously¡­ No, not seriously. I¡¯m up on the roof dummy. Come meet us up here. Q decided to end Kukis¡¯ punishment as the event began to start. Kukis looked up to find Q and Brie waving at her, and though Q couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying, it was clear she was angry that Q led her around the place. Eventually Kukis got up and was about to complain when they heard the voice of Cadby Breckden and Malcolm Velorie. ¡°Listen well adventurers!¡± Malcolm began. ¡°You may all come from strange lands with different backgrounds, but today you shall fight for our houses! This is an honorable duel to decide who is more superior!¡± ¡°Obviously the Breckdens are superior!¡± Cadby shouted, and a loud clamour from the Breckden side came up. ¡°Shut up you oaf!¡± Malcolm almost had to scream to be heard over the crowd. ¡°Do not ruin this honorable duel with your foolish talk!¡± ¡°Just get on with it already!¡± Q yelled, then quickly hid out of sight. No one could find the source of the voice, but they all agreed with its message. Each player brought out their weapon and gripped it tightly. Mages began priming their spells, archers strung their bows, and warriors began tensing their bodies. Cadby and Malcolm looked at each other, nodded, and then moved away from the center of the plaza. Then in sync they yelled at the same time: ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± The square quickly turned into complete pandemonium as warriors dashed forward, while spells and arrows were flying all over the place. The players fought far more recklessly than the Breckdens or Velories, instantly activating skills and spells to deal the most damage. At first the Velorie side had the advantage, as their spells pushed back the Breckden side and dealt massive damage, but soon they ran out and had to charge their spells again, creating an opportunity for the Breckdens. Strangely enough, as the warriors met in the front lines the battle became a bit more orderly as spells and arrows stopped being thrown around haphazardly in fear of hitting their comrades. Instead the mages and archers from both sides aimed for the enemy backlines and they began their own fight while the warriors duked it out in close combat. Q noticed that Sir Albert was valiantly charging through the crowd, cutting down enemies with his shiny sword and possibly blinding them with his equally shiny armor. Sir Albert¡¯s group caused a lot of trouble for the Velorie side, as they didn¡¯t have a lot of warriors. Sir Albert himself was quite strong, as each of his swings were practically guaranteed to knock an enemy backwards. His party weren¡¯t any pushovers either as Q saw Magnus casting spells which disrupted the Velorie¡¯s lines, while the rest of his comrades shot arrows or sneaked around the battlefield. Just as they were slowly making their way to the backlines, a player that Q recognized blocked Sir Albert¡¯s way. Neira held up her shield in front of her and glared at Sir Albert, determined to keep him from moving any further. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Hmm¡­ It seems a worthy opponent has appeared in front of me I see.¡± Q couldn¡¯t see his expression under his helmet, but for some reason she felt that Sir Albert was smiling right now. ¡°... You¡¯re not getting any further.¡± Neira gripped her sword tightly and got ready to fight. ¡°Neira, you got them to stop?¡± Vern appeared beside her and took note of Sir Albert and his party. ¡°Nice. Let¡¯s take them down!¡± The rest of the Crios Blades all showed up and they began to engage Sir Albert¡¯s party. Vern went forward to engage Sir Albert, and they began fighting one on one. Vern¡¯s sword pushed against Sir Albert¡¯s, causing sparks to fly off each other. ¡°Hahaha! Yet another worthy opponent! I, Sir Albert Welfring the Third, shall fight you with all my might!¡± Sir Albert changed into a two handed grip and went forward to clash against Vern again. Vern grinned as he moved his sword slightly to the right of him. ¡°The name¡¯s Vern. I hope you¡¯ll remember the name of the guy who¡¯s going to beat you!¡± He met Sir Albert¡¯s charge with an equal amount of force, and the two began to clash again. Meanwhile Neira was busy dealing with a bald dwarf who held a large battleaxe. Each of the dwarf¡¯s swings would carry a tremendous force behind them, but Neira was slightly jumping back each time the axe connected with her shield, dispersing most of the force. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good girl. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°... Neira, Vanguard of the Crios Blades¡± ¡°Hah. I am Baulder, the Axe of Mayhem! Remember that name in your next life!¡± He made another powerful swing at Neira. While those two were fighting, Melun and Aeryn were exchanging spells and arrows against Magnus and a hooded man who fired crossbow bolts at them. ¡°This guy¡¯s spells are really strong.¡± Aeryn noted as she used a fireball to intercept the blast of wind coming towards her. ¡°And this guy keeps dodging!¡± Melun complained as the hooded man kept avoiding all her arrows. Aeryn and Melun exchanged glances, nodded, and then instantly switched their targets. ¡°[Hawk Eye], [Precision Shot]!¡± Melun fired an arrow headed straight for Magnus, while Aeryn activated an area of effect spell. ¡°[Flame Wave]!¡± The wave of fire quickly approached the hooded man whose eyes widened in surprise. Suddenly a powerful light surrounded the two of them, and once it disappeared the two were left unharmed. ¡°Geez, you two need to be more careful.¡± A woman in long white robes scolded the other two. ¡°You should be thankful that I¡¯m here to cover your asses.¡± ¡°Many thanks Celinus. That attack was truly unexpected.¡± Magnus gave his thanks before preparing another spell. ¡°...Hmph.¡± The hooded man didn¡¯t say anything, but he still nodded in her direction. He whispered something, and then he began to vanish, disappearing from the girl''s sight. ¡°What the-? Stealth?¡± Melun couldn¡¯t find him, and was worried about where he might have gone. Suddenly a dark blur approached her side! Melun tried to block it, but just as the blur was about to hit her, a powerful light appeared around her and pushed back the blur. ¡°Thanks Fort!¡± Melun cried out as she aimed an arrow at the now revealed hooded man. ¡°No problem. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± Fortis smiled as he looked over at the enemy priestess. Once they exchanged glances, sparks seemed to fly as the two of them felt a strange rivalry between each other. The two healers began a strange battle of their own, keeping their comrades alive in the most efficient of ways possible, whether it was a barrier to reduce damage or just flat out healing them. While the conflict between Sir Albert¡¯s party and the Crios Blades began to escalate, the battle with the rest of the players was also underway. Q watched with interest as the players cast spells she hadn¡¯t seen before. Things like fireballs or wind blasts were found throughout the entire battlefield, but there were also a few strange spells mixed in, like one which caused the ground to turn into a swamp-like state, slowing down the players. Looking over to the side, Q noticed that two magicians cast a different spell in the same direction. One of the mages cast a fireball while the other cast what Q saw as a lance made of rocks. As their spells flew forward, they actually fused together to create a burning lance! Whoa, spells can be fused together? I¡¯ll have to research that later. Q looked upon the magicians with renewed interest. While Q was watching the players cast spells, Brie and Kukis were looking over the battle between Sir Albert and the Crios Blades. ¡°That man in armor seems to be well versed in the way of the sword.¡± Brie said, observing Sir Albert¡¯s swordplay. ¡°Yeah. I think that Neira is pretty amazing in blocking the attacks of that dwarf though.¡± Kukis was quite surprised that Neira could handle attacks with that much strength put into them. ¡°Indeed. Oh my, the hooded man disappeared again.¡± ¡°Looks like he¡¯s going for Fortis.¡± ¡°Ah, it seems that Melun has found him.¡± Brie watched as Melun suddenly whirled around and went after the hooded figure. ¡°Woah, you can do that with a bow!?¡± Kukis watched in disbelief as Melun slipped the bowstring around the hooded man¡¯s neck and began to pull. The hooded man struggled to get away, but his health was slowly draining under the force of Melun¡¯s pull. Suddenly it seemed that Magnus had finished charging up a spell as he yelled out, ¡°[Fire Storm]!¡± The battle became far more hectic now, as globs of fire began raining down onto the battlefield hitting friend and foe alike. Wherever the fire would land, it would create a powerful impact and a deafening boom would be heard. Melun saw that there was fire heading towards her, but rather than backing off she instead positioned the hooded man so that he would be in between her and the flames. The moment the fire hit him, his health took a large hit and Melun was blasted backwards by the impact. The hooded man was dazed and couldn¡¯t dodge the rest of the fireballs in time, causing him to be killed by a friendly spell. ¡°That¡¯s one nasty spell.¡± Q rested her head on her hand as she heard the other party members begin to blame Magnus. ¡°Magnus, what the heck are you doing!?¡± Baulder shouted. ¡°I¡­ I had no other options!¡± Magnus hastily justified his actions. ¡°I was already chanting the aria and couldn¡¯t stop it!¡± ¡°Enough! Focus on the rest of the battle!¡± Sir Albert commanded them. Meanwhile Melun retreated to the back of the Crios Blades and was congratulated by them. ¡°Melun that was amazing!¡± Aeryn said with a smile. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Melun blushed, ¡°I was just wondering what Q would have done there. More importantly, my bow was broken from that so I won¡¯t be able to do much anymore.¡± She said sheepishly, and the rest of the members nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Melun, leave the rest to us!¡± Vern cried out as he went forward to re-engage Sir Albert. While the two parties clashed against each other again, Q noticed that there were a few archerers pointing in her direction. Narrowing her eyes, she saw that they were about to shoot arrows at her! ¡°Get down!¡± Q shouted as she pulled Brie and Kukis down just in time to dodge the arrows. ¡°Whoa¡­ that was close. Thanks Q.¡± Kukis nodded. ¡°How rude. We were only observing this battle and yet they deign to attack us?¡± Brie was miffed. ¡°We should go down there and punish them!¡± Hearing her words, something seemed to click in Q¡¯s mind as she let out a childish grin. ¡°Yeah, we should. I was getting bored up here anyway. Let¡¯s go!¡± She yelled as she suddenly jumped off the roof. ¡°¡°Q!?¡±¡± Brie and Kukis shouted as they had no idea why she jumped down from the building. When they approached the side of the building, they realized that Q had tied a rope to the side and climbed down, already running in to join the fight. Exchanging looks, they gave each other a helpless shrug as they also began climbing down the rope. Meanwhile Q had already engaged the archers who were shocked at the speed at which she approached them with. Sending out an [Ember] followed by a [Gust], Q decided to experiment with the ¡®spell fusion¡¯. As the two spells flew forward, they spun around each other and then flew forward in the shape of a flaming bullet! The flaming bullet went forward and hit one of the archers, taking away a quarter of his health! Combination spells do a lot of damage! Q realized as she pulled out her dagger and began to fight them. The archers barely stood a chance as she stepped into close range and made quick work of them with flashes of her claws and dagger. One of the archers was able to break away and shot out an incredibly fast arrow, but Q angled her dagger slightly and deflected it. She shout out another ¡®flaming bullet¡¯ and then threw her dagger right after, depleting the archer¡¯s health to zero. Q picked up her dagger and brushed it off a bit as Brie and Kukis made their way to her. ¡°What¡¯s up you two?¡± Q smiled, ¡°You¡¯re late to the party.¡± Kukis simply shook her head while Brie smiled in return, readying her weapon. ¡°Q, we seem to be surrounded at the moment.¡± Brie noted as players slowly began closing in on the three of them. ¡°That¡¯s what makes it fun though.¡± Q smiled again. ¡°Hey, which side are you three on?¡± One of the players said. For a moment, Q was silent until suddenly she made a strange pose. She put her right hand on her hip while her left hand made a ¡®V¡¯ and went over her left eye. ¡°We are on the side of justice!¡± She yelled as she indicated for the other two to pose. Slightly confused, Brie and Kukis also posed with Brie putting on an arrogant face while holding out her sword like a cane. Kukis made a pose similar to Q¡¯s, except her left hand covered half of her face while her right arm went around to the left side of her hip. The surrounding players were absolutely flabbergasted as they couldn¡¯t make sense of the situation. While they were discussing what to do, Q spoke out again. ¡°We are the ones who will punish evildoers! I am Scarlet Spark, and with my comrades White Flash and Violet Snack, we will take you down!¡± ¡°Excuse me!?¡± Kukis blurted, but Q ignored her. ¡°We are the Prim Roses, and we¡¯ll defeat all of you!¡± As soon as she finished saying this, a window appeared over every player¡¯s vision. [The Prim Roses have joined the battle!] - Extra rewards to whoever can defeat the members of the Prim Roses. ¡°Q, what have you done!? Now all of the players are going to go after us!¡± Kukis screamed out. Q only let out a brilliant smile as she faced Kukis. ¡°Yup. That¡¯s what makes it fun!¡± -------------------------------------------------- A/N: Seems like someone''s watched too much Sailor Moon... Here we go, the fight is happening and stuff. So... yeah. Also super fun fight between The Daring & Dangerous and the Crios Blades. At least, it was fun when I imagined it in my head. Q has a strange definition of fun... Fun-fact: It takes an average of somewhere around 3000-4000 newtons of force to break a human bone. Chapter 022 - Event Battle Pt.2 ¡°You know one thing that I really regret right now?¡± Q said as she blocked an attack by a player, then fired a spell at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ how about the fact that you basically aggroed every player around us?!¡± Kukis yelled while struggling to block 3 swords coming from her front. ¡°No. It¡¯s the fact that we didn¡¯t wear any masks. It would have been perfect if we did.¡± Q deflected an arrow then shot a flaming bullet at the archer who fired it. ¡°Really!? We could be crushed by hundreds of players, and you¡¯re concerned about appearances?¡± Kukis managed to push away her attackers, granting her a bit of space. ¡°Well, appearances are important.¡± Brie noted while she stabbed a man in leather armor. ¡°As my mother once told me, ¡®no matter what the occasion, you must always strive to look your best.¡¯¡± She made a few quick slashes, killing the player, then finished with a flourish. ¡°Yeah. Take Brie for example. She¡¯s in the middle of a battle and she still looks pretty darn stylish. Now that¡¯s dedication to appearances.¡± Q slipped underneath a player¡¯s guard and stabbed him in the back. ¡°Not even I could look that nice.¡± She pulled out her knife and began to savagely stab him. ¡°Why do I even bother¡­¡± Kukis gave up trying to understand Q¡¯s logic as she dealt with the players attacking her. How do these two even have the composure to talk like that? She wondered as she struck at a player dual wielding swords. The girls were surrounded by dozens of players, all of them aiming for the ¡®extra reward¡¯ for defeating them. Fortunately the players were blinded by greed as they didn¡¯t try to get into formation, and just rushed forward one by one. There was even some infighting between players on the same side as they struggled to attack the girls. ¡°The reward is mine!¡± A player with an axe dashed forward to attack Q. ¡°No, it¡¯s mine!¡± Another player tripped him and then went forward, only to be killed by Q¡¯s [Magic Fist]. ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s sort of annoying to have to deal with all these small fries. White Flash, Violet Snack, form up on me! We¡¯re breaking through the crowd!¡± Q yelled as she shot a [Gust] at an assassin who was trying to sneak up on her. ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to call us that¡­?¡± Kukis was about to complain, but decided against it as the most important thing was breaking out of the circle of players. Kukis and Brie got close to Q as she began to ready her spell. ¡°We¡¯re aiming for the outskirts of the battle! Get ready you two. [Multi-Spark]!¡± Q ran forward, leading the charge as her sparks cleared the way for the three of them. Any players foolish enough to try blocking the sparks would have their health shredded down incredibly quickly, and then inevitably died. Eventually the three of them were able to break free of the encirclement and took a deep breath as they observed the battle from afar. Their break didn¡¯t last for very long though, as one of the players recognized them and began attacking. ¡°Look, it¡¯s the Prim Roses!¡± he called out as he engaged them. Others heard his call and stopped fighting each other to attack Q and her group. ¡°Man, how did they know it was us?¡± Kukis wondered as she dodged an attack and counterattacked with her sword. ¡°It may have something to do with the words above our heads.¡± Brie said while she parried a player''s attack with a dagger. Kukis was puzzled for a moment, but looked above her head and noticed that there were words floating there. [Prim Roses Faction] - Violet Snack ¡°Seriously!? The game recognizes that as my name?¡± Kukis complained once she saw the terrible nickname that Q gave her. Actually, when the heck did that appear? ¡°Well it keeps things interesting at least.¡± Q shot out a flaming bullet at one of her attackers and then began to use her dagger to engage them. The girls were yet again attacked by multiple players, as all of them could see their names and were drawn to them like moths to a flame. After a few minutes, the girls decided to move to another location as they attracted too many players. This quickly became a pattern, as the girls would break out of an encirclement, engage a few players, and then get surrounded again. For the most part the girls were doing fine as they took out a few players every time they moved, but that changed once they moved into a battle between two familiar parties... ¡°Miss Q? You were a part of the Prim Roses all along!?¡± Sir Albert was surprised to see that Q had entered the battle as a third faction. ¡°Q! Fancy meeting you here.¡± Vern grinned once he saw the familiar fox-kin. ¡°I was starting to think that you girls were going to miss out on the fun.¡± ¡°Hehe,¡± Q giggled as she raised her knife. ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m here to make things more fun! Let¡¯s go!¡± She shouted as she ran in to engage both Sir Albert and Vern at the same time. ¡°You¡¯re seriously too reckless Q¡­¡± Kukis muttered as she also raised her sword and dashed in with Brie. The party battle became far more chaotic now that Q and her group joined the fray, creating a three-way fight. The rest of the players backed off once they saw that the Prim Roses had engaged Sir Albert¡¯s team and the Crios Blades, and returned to fighting one another. ¡°Tch, no way we can break into that battle.¡± ¡°Yeah, those teams are too tough. Let¡¯s focus on getting kills!¡± As the other players retreated from the battle, Q began to fight 5 people at once. Her body tensed and her eyes narrowed, and the world seemed to slow down for her. Under this effect, Q observed her surroundings and made quick decisions. Okay, Brie¡¯s holding off Sir Albert and Vern. That leaves everyone else to go after me huh? First ones to go have to be the healers at least. She immediately dashed towards Fortis who was closer to her, but was stopped by Neira. ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡± Neira growled as she raised her shield and charged towards Q. Seeing this, Q also ran forward to meet her charge, but at the last second she slid on the ground and kicked Neira¡¯s legs out from under her. As soon as Neira fell down, Q also stood up and fired a flaming bullet towards Fortis, then followed it up by throwing her dagger. As soon as Fortis saw that Q shot a spell towards him, he already cast a shield on himself and blocked the spell, but right after the shield dissipated Q¡¯s dagger flew straight at him! With quick reflexes, he was able to block the dagger but suddenly Q was right in front of him! As soon as Q got into close quarters, Fortis had nothing else to use so he smiled wryly as he sent out one last heal to his party members. ¡°Q, it¡¯s really scary to have you as an enemy.¡± Fortis said as he disappeared into light particles. Right after Fortis died, Neira came in and bashed Q with her shield, sending her flying towards Baulder! With a mighty swing of his axe, Baulder brought it down onto Q who was still on the ground. Q abruptly curled into a ball, avoiding the axe by a hairsbreadth. Once Baulder tried to pick up his axe to swing again, Q used her legs to bring Baulder down. Unfortunately, being a dwarf Baulder had powerful legs and wasn¡¯t fazed by the kick. Taking note of this Q rolled forward past Baulder just in time to avoid a few spells shot by Magnus and Aeryn. Q was able to pick herself off the ground and faced her opponents. One more healer¡­ Q thought as she brought up her knife and prepared to fight again. While Q was fighting against them, Brie was also fighting against the party leaders. With her swift strikes and fast footwork, she had completely suppressed the two. ¡°Geez Brie,¡± Vern grunted as he struggled to block another stab. ¡°I don¡¯t remember you being this strong. And you also have a pretty scary face right now...¡± He said while looking at Brie¡¯s emotionless face. ¡°Now you¡­ are truly a worthy opponent!¡± Sir Albert cried out as he swept at Brie with his sword. Brie casually ducked underneath the blade, then stabbed one of the chinks in his shoulder guards. ¡°Argh!¡± Sir Albert backed off, clutching his shoulder in pain. Vern used this opportunity to try to get back to the rest of his members, but Brie suddenly yelled out, ¡°[Forward Thrust]!¡± and drove her blade into his back. At this time the blade¡¯s special ability activated as Vern was dealt extra damage, and fell onto the ground. Brie was about to finish him off but then suddenly moved out of the way as Sir Albert charged towards her. Sir Albert brought his sword down onto Vern, and killed him with that hit. For a second both Brie and Sir Albert were completely silent, but then Sir Albert lifted his sword as he ignored what just happened. ¡°Come!¡± He yelled as he dashed at Brie. Fighting Sir Albert alone was far easier for Brie, as his attacks swung wide and she had ample opportunity to punish him for making those attacks. Each time Sir Albert could finish a swing, Brie would always stab into one of the gaps in his armor, dealing damage and causing Sir Albert pain. Sometimes when Sir Albert tried to use a skill by bringing up his sword above his head, Brie would just stab his elbow or something, stopping his skill from being used. His health was slowly taken down to critical levels, and he wondered why he wasn¡¯t being healed yet. Sir Albert took a second to look behind him just in time to see Q finish off Celinus with a [Multi-spark]. The split second that Sir Albert used to look away was a mistake though, as Brie yelled, ¡°[Piercing Strike]!¡± and stabbed right through Sir Albert¡¯s armor and straight into his heart. Once Sir Albert disappeared into light particles, Brie moved forward to assist Q. Q noticed this though and locked eyes with Brie, then shook her head. ¡°Assist Violet Snack! I¡¯m fine as is!¡± She shouted while dodging spells and sword strikes. Brie nodded as she turned around to find that Kukis was surrounded by a bunch of other players. She was about to approach Kukis when suddenly she heard the sound of glass breaking, and Kukis was surrounded by a cloud of smoke... *A few minutes earlier* Once Q, Brie and Kukis ran forward to engage Sir Albert¡¯s team and the Crios Blades, their targets were quickly chosen as everyone began fighting¡­ except for Kukis. For some reason none of the teams really paid attention to her as they prioritized the more dangerous targets of Q and Brie. Okay, fine. I get it. Q and Brie are stronger than me, but that doesn¡¯t mean that you should all ignore me right...? Right!? Kukis raged in her mind as she watched the others fight. For a moment she contemplated running in to help either of the two, but then suddenly realized that she¡¯d be more likely to be a liability to them. Feeling slightly depressed, Kukis took a look at the current state of the battlefield. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Many of the players had died, leaving about 50 players who were all being incredibly cautious as they fought each other in a war of attrition. Most of the mages had exhausted their mana and were standing in the back, either drinking potions or meditating to regenerate mana faster. A lot of the warriors were also hanging back, not moving forward to engage the other party unless necessary. For a moment the two sides seemed to be in equilibrium, when suddenly one of the players said, ¡°Hey look! It¡¯s a Prim Rose!¡± Immediately, all the remaining players locked their eyes onto Kukis as their eyes filled with greed. ¡°This one¡¯s called Violet Snack...¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ Violet Snack¡¯s all alone! This is an easy reward!¡± ¡°Guys, let¡¯s kill Violet Snack!¡± ¡°Yeah! Surround Violet Snack!¡± Kukis cried inside as she cursed Q for giving her such a weird nickname. This wasn''t the kind of attention I wanted! She didn¡¯t have time to regret it at the moment though as she struggled to get away from the rest of the players. This was incredibly hard for her as any remaining archers and mages all seemed to synchronize their attacks and covered as much area as they could so that Kukis was basically guaranteed to be hit. Slowly but surely, Kukis¡¯ health was being drained at a rapid rate, and once she became too tired to run she was surrounded by many players. Kukis was at critical health, and the only reason that the players hadn¡¯t rushed forward to kill her was because all of them wanted to get the last hit on her. ¡°Hey, run in and finish off Violet Snack!¡± ¡°No way! I know you¡¯re just going to snipe Violet Snack when I get close.¡± ¡°Guys¡­ Violet Snack is doing something.¡± Kukis¡¯ body was trembling as she slowly began to pull out multiple vials with colorful liquids inside them. ¡°Hahahahahaha¡­ Violet Snack¡­ Violet Snack¡­ That¡¯s super annoying!¡± ¡°Hey, I think Violet Snack¡¯s lost it.¡± ¡°What can Violet Snack do? She¡¯s cornered and can¡¯t possibly do anything right now.¡± Upon hearing those last words, something inside Kukis snapped as she screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because I¡¯m not as good as Q or Brie that I¡¯m weak! DON¡¯T UNDERESTIMATE ME!!!¡± She threw down a large vial and once it broke, a large smoke cloud filled the area. Once the players were blinded, Kukis suddenly began to throw all of the vials around her haphazardly, not caring whether it hit a player or not. As soon as the vials made contact, they would shatter and release a liquid or a gas. As soon as the players touched these liquids or breathed in the gases, they were hit with all kinds of abnormal status effects and began to suffer. ¡°Gah! Poison!?¡± ¡°Guh¡­ Paralyzed¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god, he¡¯s frothing at the mouth! Heals please!¡± All around Kukis pandemonium erupted, as the players began to suffer under the effects of the potions that Kukis made. Kukis herself had already drank a healing potion and antidotes so she wouldn¡¯t be affected by the gases. Once she had finished drinking them, she pulled out her sword and slowly approached one of the players who had paralysis on him. The player couldn¡¯t move and watched in terror as Kukis brought up the blade above her head, and then swung it down at his neck, executing him. The other players were scared witless at this ruthless act, and all shivered as Kukis began to approach them as well. ¡°Ha ha ha¡­ Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha¡­ AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± Kukis began to laugh maniacally as she threw vials with one hand and executed players with her blade. It was at this point that Brie timidly approached Kukis as she said, ¡°Umm¡­ Kukis, are you alright?¡± ¡°Never felt better!¡± Kukis said with a mad grin on her face. ¡°Help me kill these idiots!¡± She said as she killed another player. For a moment Brie was seriously wondering whether or not Kukis needed help, but decided to go off and attack the other players which hadn¡¯t been affected by Kukis¡¯ potions. While Kukis¡¯ slaughter was happening, Q was also finishing up her battle with the remnants of Sir Albert¡¯s team and the Crios Blades. Currently only Neira, Baulder and Aeryn were left fighting. All three of them were exhausted, while Q in comparison still looked completely fine. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ You¡¯re a monster Q.¡± Neira said as she struggled to catch her breath. ¡°Aye. How¡¯d you get so strong lass?¡± Baulder asked as he held up his axe with great effort. ¡°Hmm¡­ 100 Pushups, 100 Sit-ups, 100 Squats, and a 10 km run everyday!¡± Q said with a smile. ¡°...Seriously?¡± Aeryn said with an amazed look on her face. ¡°Pfft, what? No I¡¯m just joking.¡± Q laughed as she hit Neira with a [Multi-Spark] and Baulder with a [Magic Fist - Multi-Spark]. Q was able to finish off the two, then approached Aeryn who simply let out a defeated laugh. ¡°At the very least, are we still friends?¡± Aeryn asked. ¡°Yeah?¡± Q had a confused look on her face. ¡°Why would we not be friends?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe it¡¯s because -NOW MELUN!¡± Aeryn screamed as an arrow flew out of nowhere towards Q. Q simply stared at the arrow and decided to try something crazy. The world seemed to slow down a bit, as Q took a step back and reached out with her hand. Miraculously, she was able to catch the arrow, completely shocking Aeryn and Melun who was hiding on top of a building. ¡°Surprise attack tip #1.¡± Q said as she discarded the arrow. ¡°Never announce your surprise attack.¡± Q smiled brilliantly as she stabbed Aeryn, causing her to disappear into particles of light. Q then switched her focus over to Melun, who simply shook her head and said, ¡°I surrender. How the heck am I supposed to beat that?¡± A notice appeared above Q¡¯s head indicating that Melun had indeed decided to leave the battle, so she headed over to where Kukis and Brie were fighting the remaining players. Once she got there she was surprised to find that the remaining players were completely devastated by Brie and Kukis. Q was particularly surprised at Kukis¡¯ face, which made her look borderline insane. ¡°So¡­ cleanup time?¡± Q asked as she approached the two. ¡°Q! I¡¯m going to get you back for giving me this stupid nickname!¡± Kukis cried as she stabbed another player. The last 20 players were all huddled together in a group, regardless of which side they were on as they shivered in fear of Kukis¡¯ vicious attacks. Seeing that they had gathered together, Q let out a grin. ¡°How about we end this in a flashy way?¡± She suggested. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Brie asked. ¡°Kukis, do you have a vial filled with oil or gas?¡± Q looked over at Kukis. ¡°Yeah, I have a few.¡± Kukis glared at Q, but still answered her. ¡°Alright, throw them all into the crowd. Brie, keep the crowd from dispersing. I¡¯m going to end this in a bang.¡± Brie and Kukis nodded, each doing their jobs. Kukis threw her vials into a high arc, while Brie began to rapidly circle the huddled group, keeping any of them from running out. Meanwhile Q tensed her body and focused her eyes onto the vials. Once the vials began falling from their arc, Q aimed carefully and then shot out a combination of [Gust] and [Ember] at the vials. Once the spells combined and hit the vials, it instantly shattered and created a large flaming explosion which heavily damaged the players. Q wasn¡¯t done just yet though, as she yelled out, ¡°White Flash! Violet Snack! Give me a boost!¡± Brie nodded while Kukis grumbled, but they both made a platform with their hands and launched Q up into the sky. Q was directly above the players, and then she began to fall towards the ground. As she fell she used [Magic Fist - Arcane Overload] and punched the ground with all of her might! Suddenly the entire plaza felt a powerful ripple go through the ground as it shook for a second due to the immense magic contained in that punch. Then, the magic was released, dying everything in a blinding light. Then the light returned to Q¡¯s fist, and exploded in a powerful burst of energy which shook the buildings and the ground. Once the blast was over, only Q was left in the center of the plaza, with a large crater that formed around her. Luckily Brie and Kukis had already ran for cover when they saw what Q was going to do, so they were unharmed by the blast. The two of them approached Q, and everyone was silent until Q made her strange pose again. ¡°In the name of the Prim Roses, we have punished you!¡± [Event Battle Complete!] - The victors are: The Prim Roses As soon as that message appeared, all of the players who had died suddenly re-appeared in a flash of light, and everyone was bombarded by windows... --------------------------------------------------------- A/N: I''m back~ I didn''t upload for a while because I had midterms and took a few days off from writing to study. That''s all. Anyway, this chapter could have easily been renamed: Kukis'' Rampage, seeing how much damage she caused to those players. Q didn''t get a lot of the spotlight in this battle, but hey, at least she finished with a bang am I right? Also, I didn''t do any of the rewards in this chapter because I feel that it''s better it ends off like this... Okay fine, I admit it. I''m sort of lazy right now. You''ll get to see the rewards in the next chapter though so no worries. Fun-fact: Foil cards collect more dust, and warp a lot more compared to normal cards. Chapter 023 - Aftermath [Stats Gained!] [Level Up!] x3 [Received Fame!] [Skill Proficiency Gained] [Spell Proficiency Gained] [See Sharon Velorie and Marilyn Breckden for further rewards.] [Event Rankings] 1st Place: Kukis - 27 kills 2nd Place: Q - 26 kills 3rd Place: Brie - 18 kills ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t believe we all placed in the top 3. Also way to go Cookie! I can¡¯t believe you managed to get so many kills.¡± Q¡¯s face was beaming with delight, seeing how high they all were on the rankings. ¡°Hold on a second¡­¡± Kukis¡¯ face fell. ¡°Did you name me Violet Snack because you call me Cookie?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ yeah. Why else would I?¡± ¡°GAH! That was the reason for this terrible name!? If only I had known earlier¡­¡± Kukis pounded the ground in frustration once she realized the origins of that name. Q only shrugged in response as she watched 2 groups of players approach her. Sir Albert and his team, along with the Crios Blades all stood in front of Q wearing mixed expressions of slight fear and awe. Suddenly Vern blurted out, ¡°Please teach us how to fight like that!¡± ¡°No.¡± Q instantly refused with a dazzling smile. Vern became depressed, and the other players all seemed to be frustrated that they couldn¡¯t learn the secrets behind Q¡¯s strength. ¡°I won¡¯t teach you guys how to fight. That¡¯s way too troublesome, not to mention you¡¯d have to be super dedicated to getting better at fighting. This is a game after all, shouldn¡¯t you be looking for ways to have fun instead?¡± ¡°That is correct but¡­¡± Sir Albert hesitated to speak for a moment, but then looked at Q with a determined look. ¡°We would like at the very least a glimpse at the secret behind your strength.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ a glimpse huh?¡± Q was contemplating whether to tell them or not, but once she saw their intimidating expressions, she caved in. ¡°Well I became this strong by fighting and training in real life.¡± ¡°Fighting in real life?¡± Vern wondered out loud, ¡°You mean like¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, join a dojo or take up fencing classes. I used to go to a lot of dojos and trained in various martial arts in the past. That¡¯s the main reason I¡¯m good at fighting.¡± Q stated. ¡°What¡¯s the other reason?¡± Melun asked curiously. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ special circumstances.¡± Q avoided answering the question, but the other players wouldn¡¯t let her slide by like that. Luckily Q was saved from having to answer that question with the arrival of two individuals. ¡°This was¡­ truly unexpected.¡± Malcolm said, overseeing the destruction caused by Q¡¯s spell. ¡°GAHAHAHA! But it¡¯s a pleasant surprise!¡± Cadby laughed as he patted Q¡¯s back (which felt more like heavy blows). ¡°To think that our long conflict would have ended like this. I don¡¯t think anybody could have predicted this.¡± ¡°Quite.¡± Malcolm nodded. ¡°But¡­ what faction is the Prim Roses from? Are you affiliated with either of our houses?¡± He wondered. Q smiled as he said that. ¡°You could say that we¡¯re technically a part of both of your houses.¡± Q then indicated for the house leaders to look behind them, and what they saw surprised them. Sharon and Marilyn were approaching the battlefield, followed by a few other girls. ¡°Ahh, my sweet Sharon! Have you come to check on my wellbeing? That truly touches me from the bottom of my heart, but never fear as I am perfectly oka- GUGH!¡± ¡°Marilyn! It¡¯s good to see you here. The adventurers put on quite the amazing fight and- ARGH!¡± As soon as Sharon and Marilyn approached their husbands, they instantly gave them a strong hit and caused the two to collapse on the ground. Once the two men were rolling on the ground in pain, Sharon and Marilyn began to berate the two of them. ¡°Haa¡­¡± Sharon let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°The only thing I came to check on was the outcome of the battle. I felt a powerful tremor of magic and became concerned so Marilyn and I made our way over here.¡± ¡°What!? You mean you didn¡¯t come out here to check on the status of your beloved husband?¡± Malcolm had a look of dismay on his face. While he was being heartbroken, Marilyn was also lecturing her husband. ¡°I¡¯m sure the adventurers put up quite a fight, but why does that excuse you from making sure they stay as safe as possible? Even if they come back after dying, it doesn¡¯t mean that death isn¡¯t a painful experience for them.¡± Marilyn said with a look of contempt. ¡°Er¡­ I didn¡¯t think about that. Heh.¡± Cadby tried to laugh it off, but that earned him another hit. By this time most of the other players had all finished addressing their rewards, and simply watched the leaders of the houses get chewed out by their wives. 5 minutes passed until Marilyn stopped lecturing her husband, and had to stop Sharon who still looked like she had a ton of things to say. The leaders of the houses then faced all the players who were patiently waiting in silence. Sharon spoke up first, as she addressed the crowd. ¡°Hello adventurers. Some of you may not know me, but I am Sharon Velorie, wife of Malcolm Velorie and one of the two heads of the Velorie house. First of all, I¡¯d like to apologize to all of you for making you have to fight each other. This conflict was originally supposed to be between our two houses, but then somehow you were dragged in.¡± Hearing her speech, Q felt slightly guilty for a moment as she was the one who incited the event in the first place. The players suddenly spoke out though, clearing away her feelings of guilt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± One of them shouted. ¡°Yeah, we got to learn magic and swordplay! This was really fun for us.¡± ¡°Us ¡®adventurers¡¯ are fine with this, so you don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± Hearing these responses, Sharon¡¯s expression lightened a bit and she let out a relieved sigh. At this point Marilyn took over as she spoke to the crowd. ¡°Well, Sharon¡¯s done apologizing so I suppose I should be thanking huh?¡± Marilyn laughed. ¡°Oh right, I¡¯ve seen a few of you training, but I don¡¯t think everyone knows me. I¡¯m Marilyn Breckden, Cadby¡¯s wife and the other head of the Breckden house. Thanks to all you adventurers who fought on behalf of our houses.¡± The players once again shouted out their gratitude at being a part of this event, putting a smile on Marilyn¡¯s face. ¡°Haha, now you all sound like real warriors! But I think that the best warriors have to be congratulated right? Can I get the Prim Roses who participated in this battle to come up?¡± The players all looked around for the Prim Roses participants, and began whispering amongst themselves once they found Q and her group. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s them isn¡¯t it?¡± One player said. ¡°Yeah, I think their names were Scarlet Spark, White Flash and Violet Snack.¡± Upon hearing the last part, Kukis¡¯ face twitched but she managed to hold herself back from going berserk again. ¡°Scarlet Spark is the one who made that big explosion at the end right? Did anyone else see it clearly?¡± ¡°Dude, I was hit by that thing. It instantly dropped my health from half to zero in a second.¡± ¡°That¡¯s insane¡­¡± Hm? How did they see that I made that crater? Q wondered. She didn¡¯t have the opportunity to ask around though as she walked over to the place where the house leaders were waiting. Q, Brie and Kukis all stood in a row, facing the leaders and waited for their commands. Sharon and Marilyn smiled as they looked at the three girls. ¡°You three are full of surprises aren¡¯t you? Especially you, Q. To think you were hiding such a powerful magic spell.¡± Sharon simply shook her head. ¡°Well, even though you three were a part of the Prim Roses, I had never thought we would participate in this battle, much less win it. Unfortunately because of this we hadn¡¯t prepared any rewards for you. In exchange, you can name anything you want and we¡¯ll try our best to get it for you.¡± Q exchanged glances with Brie and Kukis, not sure as to what to say. Kukis spoke up first though as she said, ¡°I¡¯d like some good alchemy tools please. Preferably portable ones.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Sharon smiled. ¡°We should have some lying around somewhere.¡± ¡°I¡­ I would like a strong glove with a good grip. I haven¡¯t found one yet that satisfies my requirements.¡± Brie said. ¡°Hah, we have all kinds of protective equipment in our armory. I¡¯m sure we can find one that suits you.¡± Marilyn laughed. Everyone¡¯s gazes then landed on Q as she had yet to choose a reward. For a long minute Q stood there with her eyes closed and her hand on her chin, thinking about what to obtain. While Q was making her decision, the players began to speculate on what she could possibly want. ¡°What do you think she¡¯s going to choose?¡± ¡°Maybe a strong weapon? With her magic being that powerful, I don¡¯t think she needs another spell.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Actually if she got another strong spell she would definitely be above the rest when it comes to magic.¡± The players were making all kinds of wild guesses, wondering what Q could possibly want. Meanwhile Q was still thinking about what she should get. Hmm¡­ I could ask for another knitted item from Lily. If the things she makes are as soft as this scarf, I¡¯d wear a full wardrobe of them! Ah, but I can¡¯t squander this opportunity on a soft item. Though then again, this is the perfect opportunity to get a soft item¡­ Q was undergoing an intense debate on whether to grab something that would make her stronger, or just get another soft item. Eventually she made her decision and said, ¡°I want better tailoring equipment and materials.¡± All the players were slightly disappointed in her choice, as they would no doubt have chosen a spell or a weapon. Sharon nodded saying, ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll prepare the best equipment and materials for you.¡± Brie gave Q a strange look as she said, ¡°That is quite surprising. I thought you might have chosen another soft item from Lily.¡± ¡°Well, I was going to but then I realized that if I train my tailoring skill to advanced levels I could easily make items as soft as the ones Lily makes. I guess I have another thing to focus on right?¡± Q smiled while Brie and Kukis just gave a helpless shrug. Suddenly Q remembered something as she asked Sharon and Marilyn, ¡°What are you going to do now? Since the Prim Roses have won, the town is under your control right?¡± The players also nodded at this, curious as to what the state of the town would be. Sharon and Marilyn exchanged glances, and laughed. ¡°Well the first thing that would happen is that the conflict between the Velorie and Breckden houses will be over.¡± Sharon said. ¡°But Sharon my love, we cannot possibly- GUGH!¡± Malcolm tried to protest but received a heavy fist in return. ¡°No more fighting.¡± Sharon put on a serious face as she stared down at Malcolm. ¡°It¡¯s pointless and is just a bother for everyone around here. In the first place it doesn¡¯t matter who settles down in this land. The two houses should just peacefully coexist here.¡± ¡°Wait, are you saying that the whole conflict between the houses is just a territorial dispute?¡± Q asked with a skeptical look on her face. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about the jist of it.¡± Marilyn affirmed. ¡°The Breckden¡¯s ancestors came to this land first and settled down here for a while, but over time they decided to move away to find other places to live. After the Breckdens left, the Velories decided to live in this land and developed it further. The Breckdens then came back, and both sides argued over who should own the land. And these two,¡± she indicated Cadby and Malcolm, ¡°think it¡¯s worthwhile to continue arguing over such a pointless subject.¡± ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s a good reason for a conflict, but I somehow thought it would be more¡­¡± Q trailed off. The other players were also nodding their heads, having a similar mindset. Sharon smiled at the crowd and clapped her hands together. ¡°Alright, well then I think it¡¯s about time that we all disperse. After all, repairs have to be made to the square now before anything else.¡± She stared fixedly at Q. ¡°Ahahaha¡­¡± Q let out a dry laugh as she turned away from Sharon¡¯s gaze. The players then left the area, discussing the outcome of the match. Most of their subjects were about the different skills used, tactics that could be employed in a similar situation, and above all else, Q¡¯s prowess. While the players all left to do their own thing, Q was approached by Sir Albert¡¯s team and the Crios Blades again. Before they could say anything though, Q preemptively asked a question. ¡°Hey, how was it that you were able to see what happened after you died? I¡¯m hearing players talking about me using my Magic Fist but I don¡¯t recall them being hit by it.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s simple.¡± Fortis explained. ¡°When we died, we disappeared but our vision didn¡¯t. It was like¡­ floating in the sky and looking down at the battle. We couldn¡¯t move around but we were still able to see what happened after we died.¡± ¡°Oh. That sounds interesting.¡± Q said. ¡°Well anyway, I¡¯ll see you guys in a few days or so.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Brie asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m visiting my family in the hospital soon. See you guys soon!¡± Q pressed the logout button and left the game.
Player Name: QRace: Fox-Kin
Display Title: Friend of the Cute and CuddlyNon-Display Title: Reckless Fighter
Level: 24Profession: Cook (Beginner)
Health: 390/390Mana: 480/480
Strength: 26 (+16)Vitality: 25 (+5)
Defense: 17(+21)Agility: 36 (+15)
Intelligence: 50 (+5)Dexterity: 33 (+9)
Wisdom: 40 (+2)Luck: 6 (+4)
Leadership: 8Fame: 1790
Skills
Passive Skills:Description:
Pain Resistance Lv.5Reduces amount of pain felt.
Unarmed Mastery Lv.7Increases damage and proficiency dealt when not using a weapon.
Claw Mastery Lv.7Increases damage and proficiency dealt with claw-type weapons.
Dagger Mastery Lv.6Increases damage and proficiency dealt with dagger-type weapons.
Throwing Mastery Lv.7Increases damage and proficiency dealt with throwing-type weapons.
Climbing Mastery Lv. 3Increases speed and ease when climbing.
Jumping Mastery Lv.3Increases length and height when jumping
Swimming Mastery Lv.2Increases the speed and ease when swimming.
Rope Mastery Lv.3Increases skill and ease when using ropes.
Dodge Lv.8Increases your chances of dodging an attack
Deflect Lv.7Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.
Silver Tongue Lv.5Increases chance to convince others to listen to your words.
Riding Lv.4Increases speed and handling when riding a creature.
Active Skills:
Beast Within Lv.4(No Cost, 8 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 15% for 1 minute.
Relentless Assault Lv.5(Consumes 50 MP, 30 Minute cooldown) Allows you to continuously attack a target uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but you receive double damage while in this state.
Magic Fist Lv.9(MP usage depends on spell, 1 minute cooldown) Coats your fist in the magic used on it. Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and does not affect the original magic¡¯s cooldown.
Stealth Lv.3 (+1)(No cost, 5 minute cool-down) Activating this skill allows you to blend into the shadows, making you harder to find. Any fast movements or combat oriented actions will break stealth.
Spells
Ember (Basic) Lv.9(Costs 5 MP, 5 second cool-down) Sends out a small flame at your target. Deals weak fire damage.
Gust (Basic) Lv.9(Costs 5 MP, 3 second cool-down) Sends out a small wind blast at your target. Deals weak wind damage.
Multi-Spark (Intermediate) Lv.5(Consumes 1 MP per second, Cost to sustain ability doubles after 3 seconds. 5 second cool-down) Deal moderate Lightning damage to target. Allows you to rapidly fire sparks in quick succession, but also reduces range. Has a low chance of electrocuting target.
Arcane Overload (Advanced) Lv.4(Consumes all MP, 3 day cooldown) Consume all of your energy to release a blast of pure power. Damage varies on mana consumed.
------------------------------------ A/N: And so we end the conflict in the town of Foria. Well, that sort of ended abruptly (at least in my mind) but that''s just how things are. Now I''d like to mention something, this is basically the end of the first ''book'' in the things that I have planned for the future. So... commemoration or something? I dunno. Regarding the poll, I''d also like to hear whether you like the more singular focused fight, or the more general overlook (not that I even know what I''m going for XD) Note: I only uploaded Q''s character page and skills since they''re the only ones that changed (because numbers) Anyway, thanks for reading everyone! Fun-fact: Humans can hear sounds as low as 12 Hz Chapter 024 - You Dont Mess with the Zeilan *Helen POV* ¡°What¡¯s your favorite color?¡± ¡°...Red.¡± ¡°Which season do you prefer?¡± ¡°Winter.¡± ¡°Would you rather live one life for 1000 years or live 10 lives for 100 years each?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯d live 10 lives. Um, could you remind me why you¡¯re asking these questions?¡± Zeilan asked as he followed Carro around the town of Clorg. ¡°I just want to learn a bit more about my newest guard.¡± Carro smiled. ¡°Besides, doing this fits well with my plans.¡± ¡°Plans?¡± Zeilan raised an eyebrow as he gave Carro an inquisitive look. Carro nodded as she began to explain. ¡°Right now my subordinates are slowly pulling back their sales. To my rivals, this is a very suspicious move that doesn¡¯t seem to have a lot of explanation. You¡¯re following me around to provide a reason for my subordinates behavior.¡± ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m just that expensive?¡± Zeilan let out a slight grin on his face, intimidating a few of the passerby''s. ¡°Exactly. Not only does it give a reason for this strange behavior, but it also boosts your value in their eyes, making them think that you¡¯re strong and are worth the amount of profit that I¡¯m losing. It¡¯s a win-win situation.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll accept that.¡± Zeilan folded his arms. ¡°But then explain why we¡¯re just randomly walking around. Couldn¡¯t you be doing your work somewhere in public or whatever and just have me stand in the back?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk,¡± Carro wiggled her finger at Zeilan. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that by walking around more people will notice us? And besides,¡± Carro let out her bright smile, ¡°I want to get to know you better.¡± Huh? Why would she want to get to know me better? Zeilan was confused as to what reason she could have. We¡¯re business partners now and I suppose you''d want to know more about the person you''re working with¡­ but for some reason her questions are far more personal. He put his hand on his chin and scrunched his eyebrows as he began to wonder why she¡¯d want to get to know him. Seeing the look on his face, Carro began to chuckle softly as she continued walking. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± Zeilan asked with a puzzled look on his face. ¡°*Pfft* ...It¡¯s because your expressions are so clear. I¡¯m used to seeing people hiding their true intentions underneath their faces, but you don¡¯t hide any of your emotion. It¡¯s quite refreshing to see someone with such an honest face nowadays.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Zeilan looked at his reflection in a nearby window to see if he was making any weird faces. Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think my expression looks strange¡­ Carro giggled as she watched Zeilan stare into the window, intimidating the people on the other side. After a few moments Carro called Zeilan and they continued to walk. Carro stopped asking questions but she began to make gestures in the air. She¡¯s probably messaging other players right now. Zeilan thought. They walked on in silence for about 5 minutes, until Zeilan asked a question. ¡°Oh yeah, I didn¡¯t get the chance to ask you, but why am I your guard? We¡¯re inside a town. It¡¯s not like your rivals can attack you in this place.¡± ¡°While that is true, It¡¯s not like I can stay in this town forever you know? Sometimes I get a quest and have to leave the town, and other times I have to go to other towns to make deals with merchants over there. Besides, in the future I¡¯ll need to leave to faraway lands to grab new materials and do business. Even though it seems harmless, being a merchant is an incredibly dangerous occupation, especially in a world like this.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well besides escorting you, is there anything else I should be doing?¡± ¡°Well, there is something.¡± Carro smiled as she noticed a few figures begin to surround them. ¡°How about taking care of these thugs for me?¡± She smiled and stepped behind Zeilan, letting him deal with the people coming towards them. There were a total of 7 people that Zeilan saw, though he noticed two figures standing behind different walls, watching what would happen. Zeilan became more alert as he put himself between Carro and the other people. Four of them were dressed in similar clothing, wearing dirty rags and each holding a knife. The other three looked more well dressed, wearing polished armor and shiny weapons. From behind him he could hear Carro say something about the people in front of him. ¡°I recognize three of them. The big muscly guy and the two shifty fellows are players that Glaide hired. The rest are probably NPCs.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, it''s not like I really care who they are. The only question for me right now is whether or not I''m allowed to beat them up.¡± Zeilan cracked his knuckles as he watched the people approach. ¡°Hehe, straight to the point aren''t you? If the NPCs attack you first, you''re allowed to fight them, the players you''ll have to fight in a duel or else the guards will arrest you.¡± ¡°That''s really weird. It''s fine to NPCs but when you attack players there are repercussions?¡± Carro shrugged her shoulders at Zeilan¡¯s question. ¡°Hey, I''m not the one who made this world. Ask the admins if you want a good reason. Anyway, it seems they''re just about ready to fight. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Always.¡± Zeilan brought out his giant hammer and held it in his hands. ¡°Hey Carro! Glaide sends his regards!¡± The muscly man in the center shouted out as the NPCs dashed out towards Zeilan. With a quick look at their levels, Zeilan knew he was going to be in for a tough fight. [Gutter Thug] - Level 10 The first thing that Zeilan did was swing his hammer out in a wide arc, keeping the thugs from approaching him. He took a step back and regained his balance just as the first of the thugs came up to him. Using the hammer¡¯s handle he blocked an attack by the thugs knife, then pushed him away. The other thugs moved to surround Zeilan and engaged him one by one. Each time a thug would approach, Zeilan would block their attacks and then push them away. Using their numbers and speed they kept Zeilan on his toes as they continually pressured him. Eventually one of them got a clean hit on Zeilan, dropping his health a little. ¡°Hah, is this the capability of your new guard Carro? He''s pathetic.¡± The big man laughed mockingly. Zeilan ignored him though as he continued to block the thugs attacks as best he could. Carro was beginning to worry about Zeilan, as he hadn''t made an offensive move since his first hammer swing. She watched anxiously as Zeilan¡¯s health dropped down to 75%, and just as she was about to yell at him to do something Zeilan grinned. ¡°Alright, everyone''s hit me once now right? Now it''s my turn.¡± Zeilan''s entire demeanor seemed to change as he blocked the next attack coming towards him. This time he kicked the thug after blocking, dealing substantial damage and knocking him to the ground. Everyone watching was shocked as they saw a single kick from Zeilan brought the thug¡¯s health down to two thirds, but Zeilan wasn''t done yet. Zeilan raised his hammer high above his head and yelled out, ¡°[Crushing Blow]!¡± He brought the hammer down with incredible force, instantly killing the thug and causing the ground to shake a little. While everyone stared dumbly at the thugs corpse, Zeilan had already rushed over to another thug and swung his hammer sideways, sending the thug flying into another one. This simple move took out almost half of their health, and they struggled to get back up. The remaining thug looked at Zeilan with fear, and prepared to run. Just before Zeilan could chase him he was distracted by messages that appeared in front of him. [Horke¡¯s party has challenged you to a duel to the death.] At first Zeilan ignored the message but the players kept sending the request over and over again, annoying Zeilan with the dings that accompanied each message. Noticing Zeilan''s irritated expression, Carro quickly spoke out. ¡°Zeilan, if they''re challenging you to a duel don''t accept it. Each of them is at least level 15, and they''re beyond what you can handle right now.¡± ¡°Are they a level 22 turtle?¡± ¡°I¡­ what? No. What are you talking about?¡± Carro had a confused expression as she tried to make sense of his question. ¡°If they''re not as strong as that stupid turtle, then they aren''t a match for me.¡± Zeilan grinned and accepted the duel. ¡°[Harden Scales], [Earth Armor].¡± He activated his skills and prepared himself to fight 6 people. ¡°Zeilan, you¡­ ugh. Don''t tell me I hired another muscle brain¡­¡± Carro muttered as she watched them fight. With the addition of the three players, the battle got far more difficult for Zeilan as he had to deal with them and the remaining thugs. While Zeilan began to assess the situation, the big man gave out orders to the others. ¡°Cyne, Lyne, go stealth and stab him. You thugs, keep harassing him.¡± The man (who Zeilan assumed was Horke) pulled out a great sword and went forward to engage him. While the two shifty fellows disappeared into the shadows, Horke slashed straight at Zeilan with his large sword. Seeing the amount of force put into the slash, Zeilan decided to dodge the sword instead of blocking it. As he dodged though, he was suddenly attacked from the side! Just barely twisting his body in time, Zeilan managed to avoid the dagger from one of the shifty guys, but the other one appeared and stabbed him in the back, dealing enough damage to break his [Earth Armor]. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Zeilan narrowed his eyes as he quickly swung his hammer at the guy behind him. This hit brought his health down to almost half, and the shifty guy went flying. The other shifty guy yelled out, ¡°Cyne!¡± but then got punched in the face by Zeilan as he was distracted. At this moment the Gutter Thugs began to harass Zeilan by throwing rocks at him, while Horke continually tried to slash at Zeilan. ¡°Lyne, get that hammer away from him!¡± Horke yelled as activated a skill of his own. His body began to glow red and he became much quicker than before. ¡°Careful Zeilan! He used a berserk ability!¡± Carro cried out with a worried voice. Berserk huh? Well it¡¯s not like he¡¯s that much faster¡­ Zeilan dodged one of the overhead slashes and tried tackling Horke to the ground. Zeilan was able to do some damage, but was unable to push him down, which gave Horke the opportunity to slash at Zeilan, bringing his health down to half. Zeilan was then quickly surrounded by all the people he was fighting, and began taking massive damage. As soon as his health dropped down to a quarter, Zeilan gritted his teeth and a savage look appeared in his eyes. ¡°[Dragon¡¯s Aura]!¡± Suddenly the image of a dragon appeared behind Zeilan and then sunk into his hammer, giving it an ominous glow. The thugs and players hesitated for a moment, but surged forward together as Zeilan¡¯s health was very low! Seeing this, Zeilan tensed his body and put his hammer behind him and yelled out, ¡°[Rock Breaker]!¡± He swung his hammer out with immense force, hitting all of the thugs and one of the shifty guys. This attack killed all of them on impact, leaving only one of the shifty guys and Horke alive. Zeilan temporarily lost his balance after this attack though, which left him wide open! The remaining shifty guy immediately aimed for Zeilan¡¯s arms which were still holding onto the hammer. This forced Zeilan to let go of his weapon as he faced his remaining opponents. ¡°HAH! Not bad, but now you don¡¯t have your weapon. You don¡¯t stand a chance!¡± Horke smirked as he used another skill to finish off Zeilan. ¡°Heh. I don¡¯t need a weapon.¡± Zeilan muttered quietly as he faced the oncoming blade. ¡°I AM A WEAPON!¡± He yelled out as he firmly caught the falling blade in-between his hands! Holy crap that actually worked! Zeilan did a little celebration dance in his mind, but quickly refocused on the battle. ¡°Wha-!?¡± Horke was startled as his attack was suddenly stopped. Zeilan quickly wrenched the blade out of Horke¡¯s hands, and then used it to attack the shifty guy who rapidly approached him! With a few slashes he went down, leaving only Horke left to deal with. Zeilan let go of the sword at the same time that Horke regained his composure. Horke¡¯s health was still full as he was barely hit at all the entire battle, but Zeilan swiftly remedied that problem. ¡°[Precision Strikes], [Strong Punch], [Strong Kick]!¡± Zeilan used a combo of rapid punches and kicks all aimed right at the center of Horke¡¯s chest. The damage quickly began to build up, as Zeilan made short work of Horke. Halfway through his beat-down, Zeilan used [Earth Armor] just in case Horke might suddenly attack him, but in the end he didn¡¯t have to worry about that since Horke was completely overwhelmed. Zeilan then finished his string of attacks with a roundhouse kick which knocked Horke onto his back. Zeilan approached the downed Horke who was now at critical health. He looked at him right in the eye as he said, ¡°Tell Glaide, Carro sends her regards. [Earth Dragon Breath].¡± Zeilan breathed out a jet of earth magic, completely covering Horke and killing him on the spot. [You Win!] [Level Up!] x 2 [Stats Gained] [Skill Proficiency Gained] [Spell Proficiency Gained] [Items Received] ¡°Huh. I got items from that?¡± Zeilan began looking through his inventory while Carro approached him. ¡°Zeilan, that¡­ when did¡­ how did you get so good at fighting?¡± Carro was completely astonished at the fighting prowess that Zeilan showed. Unfortunately, Zeilan ignored her questions as he looked over at the items he got. A few of them were worn daggers or rags from the Gutter Thugs, but there were 3 items which were presumably from the players. [Ring of Agility (Ring, Uncommon)] Durability (9/10) A ring which increases its wearer¡¯s agility. Agility +5 [Normal Boots (Legs, Common)] Durability (10/10) A normal pair of boots which were crafted particularly well. Defense +4, Vitality +1 [Steel Sword of Minor Strength (Weapon, Uncommon)] Durability (24/30) A sturdy sword enchanted with a strength increasing effect. Strength +5 ¡°Hm, sorry. Were you saying something?¡± Zeilan finished looking over his items so he paid attention to Carro again. ¡°Muuuu¡­¡± Carro¡¯s cheeks were puffed out as she was angry at Zeilan for ignoring her. ¡°What I said, was how did you learn to fight like that?¡± ¡°Eh, I didn¡¯t really learn how to fight. Most of the time I just watch videos of people fighting and just tried to copy their moves.¡± Zeilan said while shrugging his shoulders. Well, I guess the videos Simon sent me really paid off huh? Carro just shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Seriously¡­ I can¡¯t believe you accepted their duel in such a situation. I mean, there wasn¡¯t any risk of you dying but¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean? They sent me a duel to the death. Of course there¡¯s a risk to me dying.¡± ¡°You accepted a duel to the death!? How could you-!¡± Carro seemed ready to explode, but then suddenly regained her composure. ¡°Oh, why even bother. The important thing is that you¡¯re safe and managed to strike quite a blow at Glaide¡¯s forces.¡± ¡°So there are normal duels huh? Well anyway, what do you mean I struck a blow at Glaide¡¯s forces?¡± Carro helplessly shook her head as she began to explain. ¡°Duels to the death are different from normal duels, where either side can die, and if they do they¡¯re subjected to both the normal death penalty and lose one random item they have equipped to the other player.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean these things?¡± Zeilan showed the items he received. ¡°You can sell the boots and sword, but I¡¯m keeping this ring. I haven¡¯t gotten a single accessory as of yet.¡± Carro nodded as she received the items. ¡°You still haven¡¯t gotten a single accessory? Really? How long have you been playing T.W.O?¡± ¡°I just started today.¡± Zeilan stated, which caused Carro¡¯s eyebrows to shoot up. ¡°Wow¡­ I can¡¯t believe that you just started today. I sure am lucky to have you as my guard huh?¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± Zeilan smiled until he suddenly got a notification. ¡°Oh, but can you excuse me from guard duties for a day or two in-game?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, but why? Did something come up in real life?¡± ¡°Yeah. I have a visitor I need to meet.¡± Zeilan let out his biggest smile yet as he logged out of the game. --------------------------------------- A/N: HNGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH I don''t know. Anyway, hello again everyone! This chapter came along a lot quicker than I thought it would. So, Zeilan''s doing his guard duties, and the siblings are set up to meet in real life. What will happen when they meet? Only the next few chapters will tell! Regarding Helen''s character, I fully feel that rather than exploring her inner thoughts, it''s better to see how she acts around people to get a better understanding of her character. Well, I guess that applies with every character but... mweh. Oh, but here''s a bit of an announcement. Lately my schedule''s been getting busier and I''ll be focusing more on assignments and studying. That means I won''t be able to post a chapter as often. Worry not though, as I do plan on releasing a chapter every Saturday at the very least. If I get swamped with a lot of work it might be every-other Saturday but let''s hope it doesn''t come to that. Second announcement, though it''s more like a teaser: The next chapter will feature our little tsundere mouse (because god knows I need to get a lot of character development going. Though then again you guys are saying my characters are good...) Thanks for reading everyone! Also, thanks to sbag, Allstarall and Tason for writing a review! (I forgot to mention this a long time ago so now I feel like a douche, but hey, better late than never right?) Also thanks yet again to Albreo for the amazing Q fanart (which can be found in chapter 22''s comments section). Fun-fact: The sharp spikes on the stem of a rose bush are usually called "thorns" but these are technically prickles. Sidestory: Bries New Friend It all began the day after I won the national fencing tournament. My parents had gone out on a morning walk, allowing me to sleep in a little. The rest was very much welcome, as I had been exhausted from the tournament. I was still asleep when I was suddenly awoken by my mother¡¯s voice. ¡°Madeline! Come down to the living room. Your father and I have a pleasant surprise for you!¡± ¡°Yes mother!¡± I quickly changed into more appropriate clothing and straightened my hair to look presentable. I made my way down the large staircase and headed straight for the living room. If mother and father called me down, it must be something important.. When I entered the living room the first thing that caught my attention was a large white machine which sat in the middle of the room. This did not keep my attention for long though, as I greeted my parents. ¡°Good afternoon, father, mother. I hope you had a pleasant walk this morning.¡± I curtsied and and tried to look as professional as I could while holding back a yawn. ¡°Good morning dear.¡± Mother let out her warm smile, seeing that I had just woken up. ¡°Hm. This is a reward for you.¡± Father kept his stern face on as he pointed at the machine. ¡°A¡­ reward? For winning the fencing tournament?¡± Father nodded and then indicated a small pile of papers on the table. ¡°The details on how to use the machine are there. Read it over carefully. Now, I have more important business to attend to.¡± Father then proceeded to leave the room, and I suppressed a tremble from my body as he passed by me. Once father had left the room, I let out a sigh of relief as I faced my mother who was waiting for me. ¡°Mother¡­ what is this machine?¡± She giggled at my question as she beckoned me closer. ¡°This, my dear, is a game pod for the new virtual reality game, True World Online. Your father obtained it as a gift from the Dimen company for investing into its stock.¡± ¡°A game¡­¡± I had never played video games before, much less virtual reality games. ¡°Is this fine with you two?¡± I asked worriedly. ¡°Haha, of course dear. Your father and I talked about it and decided that you should have it. It¡¯s a perfect opportunity to play since you don¡¯t have school at the moment.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well, I am incredibly grateful that you and father have given me this chance to play this game.¡± I bowed deeply to mother. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re always so stiff.¡± Mother gathered me up in a hug and poked my cheek. ¡°Now remember, just because it¡¯s a game doesn¡¯t mean that you can just do whatever you want. Remember, first and foremost, that you are a member of the Beaumont family. Carry yourself with pride and dignity at all times.¡± Mother gazed into my eyes with kindness and compassion in her expression. I responded with a determined gaze of my own. ¡°Of course mother. I will always carry your words with me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Well then, I shouldn¡¯t keep you from playing. Have fun!¡± Mother broke away from our hug and left the room, leaving myself and the machine there. After a moment of debate, I decided to give it a try. Since it is a reward from my parents, it would be rude to not try it at least once. I began to read the instruction manual and slowly understood how to operate the machine. I made sure to double check the instructions, and then proceeded to enter the pod. A strange sensation swept through my body and I lost consciousness. By the time I woke up I found myself in a room of white. For a moment I wondered if I had done something wrong, when suddenly a message appeared in front of me saying that there would be someone to help me shortly. I waited patiently, and after a few minutes an angel appeared. The angel introduced herself as Cim, and assisted me in creating what she called my ¡®character¡¯. This process was incredibly strange and foreign to me, but somehow I was able to get through it. Games are quite amazing¡­ I thought. I asked Cim what was next, and she told me that I had to name my character. ¡°Is it not fine to use my own name?¡± Cim shook her head. ¡°While that is allowed, I do not recommend using your real life name. It is better if you chose a different name to use.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright then. Is the name Brie taken?¡± ***** When I had first appeared inside the town of Foria, I was absolutely shocked to see two groups of men completely surrounding me. All of them held hostility in their eyes, and were all holding weapons, seemingly ready to charge at me. My mind instantly blanked out, as I began to tremble all over. Their shouts only served to deepen my fear, and a few of them began to move towards me. It was at this moment that I caught sight of her. A young girl with fiery red hair and fox ears was hiding behind a stall. As I stared at her, her curious golden eyes stared back. At that moment, I didn¡¯t care who it was. I needed to get out of this place and fast! I immediately dashed over to where she was and hid behind her. Guh¡­ to hide behind a stranger is humiliating! I had no choice though, as the men approached the two of us. I didn¡¯t pay attention to what was said, but soon enough I noticed that we were away from the group of men and were inside an empty alleyway. It was at this point that I noticed she was holding my hand, and at the same time I remembered my mother¡¯s words. ¡°Carry yourself with pride and dignity at all times.¡± As if those words gave me power, I defiantly said, ¡°Unhand me!¡± Apparently she didn¡¯t understand what I said, so I shouted louder this time, ¡°I said, unhand me!¡± I pulled away my hand from the rude girl who thought it was fine to touch the hand of a noble. I put on a stern face and said, ¡°Who gave you permission to casually touch me like that?¡± ¡°Well, no one but¡­ would you have rather stayed in the square?¡± She replied cooly. For a moment I imagined what would happen if I had stayed in the square, and shivered. I strongly insisted that I would have been perfectly fine without her, and she simply shrugged it off. The girl then asked me for my name. How rude. I thought. To ask a noble¡¯s name before introducing yourself is incredibly impolite. Does this girl not know common etiquette? Yet I decided to answer her question as thanks for bringing me away from the square,. ¡°My name? I am Madel-¡± It was at this point which I remembered that I had a new name, and quickly corrected myself. ¡°er, I mean, I am Brie.¡± Apparently the girl found my slip up amusing as she let out a wry smile. Before I could say anything about her expression, she introduced herself as Q. Though I found her name strange, I decided that she could probably help me in this new world. After all, I did not have any of my usual servants to assist me with my condition. It was at this moment that I thought this girl must have been a detective, because as soon as I began to talk about my condition she instantly figured it out! She made a few rude comments about my condition, but since I am a magnanimous person I decided to let them slide. Since she already knew the details about my condition, I decided to ask her for a bit of assistance. But the very moment I decided to lower my head a bit and have a commoner like her escort me, she refused! This enraged me to no end as I immediately demanded that she obey my orders. This girl was far more willful than I believed though, and refused yet again! Even then, her words did have a sliver of truth to them. This world is different from real life. It had its own rules, and no one had any advantage over another (at least, until they allow conversion of real life currency to the currency in game). It took a while, but I eventually conceded and asked her ¡®politely¡¯. Truly, this was a low point in my life to have to request something from a commoner. Strangely enough, once I had asked politely she became far more amicable and asked to be my friend! I did not have many friends in real life as most people were afraid of approaching the single daughter of the Beaumont family. The only ones that did approach me only wanted to use my status to elevate themselves in society. This girl could be considered to be my first true friend in this new world. I accepted her request, and she dragged me back to the square¡­ ***** This girl is strange¡­ was my first thought about Q. She seemed to be easy and laid back one moment, then suddenly became lofty and compelling as she addressed a large crowd. She was also rude to me as she made threats, but when she met a random girl on the street she became incredibly kind. I silently observed my new friend as I tried to get a grasp on her personality. Eventually we made our way into a small house with a hideout of girls inside. After learning that we could join them rather than the two groups of men, I immediately suggested to Q that we should join this group. She must have really wanted to join this group as well, as she agreed without much convincing. (A/N: Oh Brie, that house is only small because you¡¯re comparing it to your house¡­) Q¡¯s eccentric personality began to show itself as she immediately began looking for things to do. I could not understand her logic at all. Why should we go through the effort of making things when someone else is already making them for us? In the end she did convince me to try out sewing at least, though pricking myself with a needle was not ¡®fun¡¯ at all. Q then showed more of her detective skills as she accurately deduced my situation at home. How she did this, I will never know, though according to her my expression is easy to read. She then insulted me by calling me a troubled noble girl with no friends! Of course, I could not deny such a claim, but my pride would not allow me to take such a blatant insult. Unfortunately Q was incredibly fast and managed to escape my clutches. After a few minutes we had accepted a request from a cook to gather ingredients from outside the town. As we made our way to the grassy fields in front of the town, we were met with a harrowing sight. ¡®Players¡¯ (as Q called them) were completely eradicating the wildlife there. Do they not know how to maintain the balance of the environment? We quickly left the place and Q asked about how I fight. She put on an amazed face when she heard that I do fencing, which I thought was fitting. It¡¯s about time that I elicited an appropriate reaction from her. After exchanging a few more details, Q warned me about the terrors of online games. Apparently people can find out many things about your personal life if they happen to get a hold of your real name. I was not that worried about them learning the location of my house (because the security there is top notch), but the idea of someone peeking into my private life scared me. Q assured me that I had nothing to worry about, but I decided to keep my guard up against her anyway. Even if she is my friend, we¡¯ve only known each other for a few hours after all. As we entered the forest, something strange happened. We encountered a small white rabbit in the forest, and just as I was about to ask if it was the rabbit we needed to complete the quest, Q instantly disappeared from my sight. The next instant she was hugging the rabbit in an almost frenzied fashion, and showed no signs of stopping. It seemed that Q had hugged the rabbit too tightly as it began biting her, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all as she continued to caress the rabbit. At this moment Q looked incredibly adorable as her dazzling smile and her wagging tail seemed to beam happiness. I reminded her of our purpose here, and I saw an incredible fluctuation of emotions on Q¡¯s face as she was conflicted on how to handle the rabbit. In the end she decided to let me finish off the rabbit, and turned away with a depressed aura. Seeing her ears and tail droop down made me inadvertently want to hug her, but I killed the rabbit first before returning to her. We continued to travel through the forest afterwards, and Q asked me to kill the rabbits while she harvested the other ingredients. A burning question popped into my head at the time. If she dislikes killing rabbits, why did she take the quest in the first place? I did not get the chance to ask though, as suddenly a boar appeared and charged towards us! We both managed to dodge it, but were then suddenly pulled by a girl with violet hair who abruptly demanded we help her kill that boar. Q had yet again surprised me by showing off her combat prowess. Her powerful attacks and quick reflexes were not inferior to mine, and I daresay even I might not have been able to dodge the boar¡¯s charge like she did. I was slightly annoyed at being given orders, but since I was going to do After we dispatched the boar, the violet girl introduced herself and we quickly became friends. This game truly is amazing, to allow people to become friends at the touch of a button. The three of us talked for a moment, and realized that we were all in the same faction. On our way back Q gave Kukis a nickname, and called her Cookie. It strangely fit for some reason, but seeing that Kukis became dejected, I decided to cheer her up. I am a kind person after all. Soon after though, she immediately went to hug me! Are all commoners normally this physical in showing their affection? After somehow managing to pry myself from her arms, Kukis and I met up with Q and proceeded to cook food. To be honest, the act of cooking did slightly interest me, though I had no prior knowledge on the manner. When I held the knife that Kukis passed me, I stood stock still for a moment as I had no idea of what to do. Of course, as a member of the Beaumont family I could not possibly show any ineptitude in such an activity so I headed into the kitchen holding the knife with confidence. As I prepared to ¡®chop¡¯ the ingredients I could faintly hear cries from Q and Kukis saying that I was holding the knife wrong. I ignored their cries though, as I proceeded to cut the ingredients into tiny pieces. Hmph, simply cutting ingredients is not difficult at all! Suddenly the knife slipped out of my hand and cut my finger! I had been injured before while training, but for some reason this small cut caused me extreme pain. Kukis laughed at my misfortune while Q looked at me with concern. She offered to teach me how to use the knife properly, but I refused as I was confident that I would be able to do it properly this time. I gripped the knife as tightly as I could and brought it down on the ingredients! ...and then cut myself again. I begrudgingly accepted Q¡¯s offer to teach me while I clutched my finger in pain. At first Q performed the actions in front of me to show how it was done properly, but I was unable to follow her actions as they were incredibly deft and quick. Q let out a sigh as she then stood behind me and held onto my hands, moving them slowly to show me how it''s done properly. At first I protested, but Q let out a scary face and warned me that cooking is dangerous if I do not know how to do it properly. Her face was incredibly serious, so I decided to let her temporarily control my actions. In the end we were able to make a decent meal and began to talk about Q¡¯s adventures in her tutorial. (A/N: Q¡¯s ¡®delicious¡¯ is Brie¡¯s ¡®decent¡¯) Her story was quite interesting as she described her encounters with the wolf and piles of rocks. As she continued to describe her experience, it only drove in further that this was a completely different world from Earth, one that was wild and untamed, and just ready to explore. When Q began to describe the giant guardian, I looked over at Kukis and found her face incredibly amusing. Her mouth was wide open and she stared at Q with starry eyes while leaning her body forward, making her seem like a child who had been overdosed with sugar. I turned away from Kukis and continued to listen to Q¡¯s tale, feeling my own face to make sure I was not making such a childish expression. Eventually Q finished talking and promptly decided to leave. I was temporarily shocked at her decision, as she was supposed to follow me around in this world! In the end she left, leaving Kukis here to teach me about the intricacies of video games¡­ ***** A few hours later, Kukis was teaching me common sense in video games when suddenly we heard a scream from inside the hideout! The two of us quickly rushed over to find that Q was in a demolished room talking to the girl named Lily. I made sure that Q was okay before looking over the state of the room. It would be quite unpleasant if my friend had been harmed in any way. Afterwards we learned that Lily had a problem with interacting with other people. I was rather moved to know that there was someone else who shared my problems. I began to talk with Lily, and we excitedly discussed our personal problems¡­ It wasn¡¯t until Q poked my shoulder that I realized I was talking with Lily for hours. I simply could not believe I was talking for that long! Then again, it was very enjoyable as I had finally found someone to relate to. Thereafter we all headed out to the front gate of the town and waited for people to come by. A few minutes passed, and a party of players approached the gates. I gave Lily an encouraging look as she greeted the players. In the end she was able to greet them just fine, and she came back with a smile on her face! Lily and I celebrated for a moment before she went back out to greet more people. It seemed like she would have no trouble greeting the next party, but trouble began to develop as another group came by and confronted them. Lily seemed at a loss on what to do, so I decided to stand by her and give her moral support¡­ This quickly turned out to be a mistake though, as I went to hide behind Lily¡¯s back once the men began to yell at each other. Luckily Q arrived to break up the conflict, though the problem was solved in a very unexpected fashion. The girls from the first party began to¡­ ¡®caress¡¯ her, and completely ignored the large group of men. The second group were bewildered at such a situation, and then left after saying something that no one heard. Meanwhile, Q was being caressed against her will, and judging by the look on her face it seemed that she was not enjoying it. I sighed as I approached the girls. It seems that Q requires my assistance. Very well then! A Beaumont would never leave their friends behind! I stood in front of the girls and demanded that they release Q, but before I could even finish a sentence I was quickly grabbed and subjected to what Q would later call ¡®cuddle hell¡¯¡­ ***** Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Never in my life, have I been humiliated to this extent¡­ It was only after half an hour that Q and I were able to escape from the clutches of those girls. Just as I had finished recovering from such an ordeal, Q began to admonish Kukis for not assisting us. Yes, that is true¡­ She calls herself our ¡®friend¡¯ and does not come to help us in our time of need¡­ It appears that she also needs some scolding! Then, Q and I began to scold Kukis for not helping us, while she tried to justify herself. We might have argued for a long time if not for a window which interrupted our conversation. Apparently the entire time we were talking and being ¡®cuddled¡¯, Lily had already completed the task set for her. As expected from someone who I have acknowledged, she was able to overcome her shortcomings even without our assistance. We each received a knitted item from her as thanks, and saw her off as she went back home. It was at this point that the members from the party began to greet us. Both sides began to introduce themselves, until eventually it got to me. Kukis pushed me forward without my consent, and for a moment I wavered. The thought of talking to strangers scared me a little, but then I remembered the incredible courage that Lily had showed when she was greeting others, and felt that I could not possibly show any weakness now! I quickly introduced myself and then retreated to Q¡¯s back. As I enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment from finally overcoming this mental hurdle, Q introduced herself as well. As soon as the ¡®Crios Blades¡¯ heard her name, they were all completely shocked and yelled out in unison. Is Q really this famous? I wondered. Kukis did mention that defeating an enemy many levels above you is an amazing feat... Is Q actually an incredible person for defeating an enemy 15 levels above her? While I was still wondering about the strength of the enemies in this game, Q had apparently accepted a request to temporarily join their party. At first I was slightly reluctant, but then realized that this could be a chance to get used to men. Not only that but one of them almost looks like a woman, so if I tried hard enough I could imagine him to be a female. Just as I was about to give my consent, Q told me that if I was not up to the challenge, that I could just give up. Just who do you think you are talking to? I am a proud member of the Beaumont family! We do not shy from challenges! ¡°Of course I can handle it!¡± I said with vigour, ¡°Who do you think I am? I will face any challenge head on!¡± Q smiled in response as she said, ¡°Nice to hear,¡± and went back to dealing with the Crios Blades. In this fashion it was agreed that we would temporarily join the Crios Blades, and assist them with their quest. I feel quite irritated that we have to follow the orders of someone else though¡­ Well, not that I would follow any stupid orders of course. ***** I wonder¡­ since when was it that I was able to trust Q so much? I thought as I took her outstretched hand. While we were traversing the dark cave, it was decided that Q would lead the group as we made our way through the cave. As soon as that decision was made, Q held her hand out to me and asked for my hand. For a moment I stared at it, slightly reluctant to grab on, but in the end I did take her hand. This is quite strange. Just a few days ago we were complete strangers, and now we are holding hands together¡­ I suppose this is what friendship is? I contemplated the mysteries of friendship as we went down into the tunnel. Q¡¯s actions surprised me quite a bit this time, as she was able to see so much with but a single flash of light. We continued to go down into the cave, and eventually reached a large open area. The darkness was quite intimidating, and nothing compared to the cave at the beginning. It was at this point that Fortis created a ball of light and illuminated the room. The first thing that caught my eyes were the gemstones which dotted all around the area, and made me inadvertently think of my mother''s jewelry collection. I had never truly understood the reason why she collected so much jewelry, but looking at the glittering gems which lined the walls, I could somewhat understand. For a moment I considered reaching out and grabbing one from the wall, but then saw Kukis try to no avail. Vern began to give out orders (which still slightly annoyed me) and we all began to follow his commands. For a while, everything was fine and silent when Vern suddenly yelled out ¡°Heads up! Enemies!¡± All of our gazes turned towards Vern, to find that he, Melun and Q were being attacked by a giant monster! It appears that we will be in for a tough fight this time¡­ ***** We had fought for a total of 3 days inside the ¡®dungeon¡¯, and gained quite a few rewards. While I was preparing myself for the event coming up, a window appeared in front of me. [Message] - Madeline, you¡¯ve been inside the game for 24 hours now! Please come out soon. I was very surprised once I read the message. According to Kukis, the game pod had a function where people on the outside can send a message to the person inside the game. It appears I have made my mother worry quite a bit. I bid farewell to my friends and logged out of the game. I climbed out of the pod to find my mother looking at me with a worried face. ¡°Why were you in there for so long?¡± She asked as she helped me out of the pod. ¡°I heard from the servants that you left at least once or twice to take a break, but I didn¡¯t think that you would just play the game for so long.¡± ¡°My sincerest apologies mother. I was¡­ absorbed in the game, so to speak.¡± ¡°Hehe, I still find it strange that you were playing it for so long. You never expressed any interest in video games before you know? Was it because the game was so fun, or was there something keeping you there?¡± She asked with a curious expression. ¡°I¡­ yes. I have made a friend. Quite a few, actually.¡± I smiled, remembering the people I had met in the game. ¡°My oh my. Why don¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯ve been up to in the game then?¡± She brought me into the living room and called a servant to get us some tea. I began to explain what had happened since I started playing the game, ranging from the strange creatures I faced in the tutorial, to my meeting with Q. Mother was particularly interested in Q, as she asked many questions about her. Unfortunately I was unable to answer most of her questions, as I realized I did not know much about Q. Now that I think about it, the small fox-kin was quite the enigma, and despite interacting with her for a few days I still have yet to understand her personality. Noticing my perplexed expression, mother decided to switch the conversation topic. ¡°Well, seeing that you like the game so much, I think I¡¯ll order another game pod.¡± ¡°Mother? Are you going to join the game and play as well?¡± I asked with surprise. ¡°Haha, heavens no! Even if I wanted to play, I¡¯m far too busy with work to join you for any extended period of time. No, I¡¯m thinking of getting a pod for Steph, so you have someone to take care of menial tasks for you in the game.¡± ¡°Steph? Well¡­ yes, I suppose that things would be easier if I had Steph with me. Many of my new ¡®friends¡¯ are not very accommodating to my orders.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how people usually are,¡± Mother explained. ¡°When interacting with others, you can¡¯t just order them around within minutes of meeting them.¡± ¡°Hm? But you and father do it all the time.¡± ¡°Er¡­ That¡¯s different dear.¡± Mother wore a cramped smile. ¡°That¡¯s when your father and I are talking to business associates and are being professional. If you want to ask a friend to do something for you, you must be polite and gain their trust first.¡± ¡°That sounds remarkably similar to what Q said when I first met her.¡± ¡°It seems she has a good head on her shoulders. Now,¡± Mother¡¯s voice suddenly became serious. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about how long you were playing the game.¡± My body tensed as I sat up straight and folded my arms in front of me while I waited for her next words. Mother is always smiling and rarely becomes serious, but the few times she has¡­ well, even my father would not dare go against her. ¡°You do understand that staying in that pod for such a long time is not good for your body, correct?¡± ¡°Yes mother.¡± I meekly nodded. Indeed, after getting out of the pod the few times I logged out my body was incredibly sluggish and it took me a few minutes to recover. ¡°Do you realize how worried I was when I heard you were in there for so long?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I understand that because your father and I are busy with work we don¡¯t have a lot of time to spend with you, but even then we both expect you to take care of yourself. Playing that game for 24 hours... ¡± ¡°I sincerely apologize for the trouble I have caused!¡± I interrupted her and bowed my head. Just the thought of worrying my kind mother caused tears to form at the corner of my eyes. ¡°I know that I have worried you, and I regret doing so. I cannot possibly make any excuses, but-¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Mother put a finger on my mouth as she hugged me. ¡°You¡¯re always so stiff.¡± She said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not angry you know? There¡¯s no need to cry.¡± ¡°But¡­ I caused you to worry. I could not possibly tolerate causing you trouble.¡± ¡°Haaa~¡± Mother let out a long sigh. ¡°That¡¯s okay darling. I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you.¡± She said while patting my head. But you were not yelling¡­ I idly thought in my mind. Mother continued, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯ve found new friends to play with, but I do expect you to remember to spend time in real life. From now on, you can only play for a maximum of 8 hours every day. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes mother.¡± I replied as I hugged her tightly. ***** Once I had logged back into the game, I met up with Kukis who showed me a bit of the ¡®chat¡¯ feature which let me send messages to my friends. This was a very convenient feature as I could talk to my friends from a long distance, though it seems that this feature was unavailable in the midst of battle. While I talked with Kukis who had a slightly pale face for some reason, Q appeared and we exchanged greetings. I explained my circumstances, and how I would only be able to play for a limited time. Q and Kukis were not very concerned, as it seemed this was a natural thing that occurred in most online games. Suddenly, Q passed me a thin sword, saying that I could use it. For a moment I was stunned, as I had no idea how to react to this gift. I had received gifts before, but besides the ones my parents gave me, they were all from boxes with fancy letters attached. Quite often, these presents were from people I barely knew, hoping to obtain my favor and perhaps get a connection with my parents. Though I personally did not care much for the gifts, my parents (or at least my mother) were very satisfied with the apparent goodwill that came with the presents. For perhaps the first time in my life, I had received a gift from a friend who I could talk face to face. I was not sure about how to go about expressing my gratitude, but in the end I decided to thank her as I admired the new sword she gave me. It was almost as light as my personal rapier, but was nearly twice as sturdy. I probably would not be able to utilize the ¡®flick¡¯ technique, but that did not matter much as I specialized in thrusts. While examining my new sword, Q brought up the idea of sparring in order to train ourselves for the upcoming battle. I was slightly concerned at first, as I was unsure as to whether we would fight to the death, but in the end it turned out that the duels would not be fatal in any way (according to Q, at least). I accepted the duel, and a window appeared above our heads, telling the surrounding people to leave the vicinity. I took up my usual stance, with my right arm lightly holding the sword in front of me, while I put my left arm behind my back. As the clock counted down, I prepared myself to attack, while Q did the same. When the battle began, I immediately moved forward to attack Q and probe her defenses. Surprisingly, she was able to react quickly to my attack as she deflected my blade with minimal force. As soon as I saw her move her dagger, I expected that she would move in to attack me, so I leaped back just in time to dodge one of her slices. Judging from the way she had fought up until now she definitely had some sort of background in some sort of martial arts. Yet even though her moves had obviously been well practiced, they lacked the sharp refinement that years of training and sparring would provide. I decided to take advantage of these rough moves as I began to cautiously attack her. I was still unsure of what Q¡¯s full capabilities were, as she had constantly displayed surprising feats of speed and dexterity. I continued to dodge her attacks, and once her movements showed an opening I managed to hit her arm. I backed off in order to let Q regain her breath and composure as I prepared myself for the second round. Remarkably, Q¡¯s face had almost no signs of exhaustion on it, but instead was filled with confusion. ¡°Brie¡­ are you treating this like a fencing match?¡± She asked with a slightly surprised tone. ¡°Yes, is this not what this is? A duel?¡± I replied with a question of my own. Q explained with an exasperated face that this duel was different to fencing. Well, that is odd. I thought as I prepared to meet Q¡¯s next attack. Suddenly, an abrupt change appeared in Q¡¯s expression. Her calm and carefree attitude disappeared, only to be replaced by a sharp gaze. I felt a slight shiver go down my spine, and recognized the feeling. This was something that I constantly felt while sparring against my master, a feeling that made all of my senses scream out ¡®danger¡¯! Seeing that Q had become serious, I decided to become serious in exchange as well. I began to display the special moves I had come up with on my own. These were unexpected attacks that were made with the idea of suddenly catching the opponent off guard. I was able to fend off one of Q¡¯s attacks this way, and the two of us continued to attack each other with fierce strikes. At one point I found an opportunity to utilize one of my favorite moves, ¡®Humming Steps¡¯ as I locked Q down with my quick thrusts. This move was based off of a hummingbird I happened to see as a child, as I was intrigued with their quick movements that let them dart all over the place. In this fashion I was slowly but surely chipping away Q¡¯s health, when she suddenly used a magic spell! This spell caught me off guard, and I was slightly displeased. A duel should be an honorable fight using weapons, not magic! Q did not seem to care too much about the honor of a duel though, as she continued to use more spells against me. The fight became far more arduous once she brought out her spells, as they were fast and unpredictable, not to mention that I was already having a bit of trouble keeping up with her speed from earlier. The fight quickly began turning in her favor, and I rapidly thought of what to do. Since Q began using spells, I decided to try using some of the skills that I had obtained. Every time I used them, it gave a strange feeling as my body would automatically move by itself in order to perform the action. I did notice that I was able to slightly change the small things in my movement, but for the most part I would follow a predefined action. Using my skills, I was able to get a bit more of an edge against Q, but in the end it was for naught as she threw her dagger at me and followed it up with her most used spell, [Spark]. For a moment I thought that I could withstand the attack and then punish Q, but my body suddenly became paralyzed, allowing Q to hit me and finish off the rest of my health. I was definitely not happy about this result, as I felt that I would have won if Q did not utilize her spells. In the end, she was still the victor though, as this was not a fencing match, but rather a serious fight. In the end I could only swallow my feelings of frustration and defeat as Q offered her hand. The crowd around us (which I had not noticed until this point) exploded into cheer as they began discussing our duel. Of course, it is only natural for commoners to be captivated by my flawless moves. While Kukis approached us and asked how we got so strong, Q seemed to have noticed something from my expression as she asked if I wanted to go for another round. I accepted, and the three of us left the area. When I had first started playing this game, I was unsure of what it would provide me, but in the end I am glad that I began playing this game. I have met so many new people and learned many new things. All of this could possibly be attributed to Q, to which I was thankful to her for. A faint smile made its way onto my face as I followed my friends, awaiting our next adventure... --------------------------------------- A/N: Did you know... Brie/Madeline is French. She speaks and thinks in French, but it''s been automatically translated for your pleasure. So this chapter was... a bit strange for me. Namely that it was in first person. Honestly, first person is the best point of view to get someone''s inner thoughts, but since this is the first time I''ve written in first person I wasn''t sure how it went. Hopefully it was good, and allowed everyone to get a better look at Brie''s character. Oh right, this was originally going to be a huge 6000+ word chapter but I decided to split it into two. It''s also a side-story so maybe if I feel generous I might release the second half at some random time (maybe). Oh yeah, I finally got around to watching Onepunch Man and it''s confirmed my first thought about the anime when it was first announced: "This is going to be the next Attack on Titan". Well, minus the teenagers and angst and whatnot. There isn''t that much plot, but it''s not really needed. It''s a super powerful dude punching incredible things. Seriously though, the animation was great. I tried incredibly hard not to blink during the last battle scene (which was hard because my retinas were being seared with awesomeness). Hm? Did I just review an anime? Strange. Anyway, thanks for reading everyone! Also, if you have any questions feel free to ask, and next chapter there will be a big announcement! Like, so big that I might have to use bold and full capital letters. BIG. Fun-fact: Some octopuses may eat their arms when bored. Chapter 025 - Surprise! Wow¡­ it sure has been a while. Simon thought as he approached the hospital. Usually he would visit Helen once every other day, but as he was preoccupied playing TWO he didn¡¯t get a chance to go. During one of the few times he was taking a break from playing TWO, he sent Helen an apology text, explaining that he couldn¡¯t visit her for a while. What he found odd is that Helen didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all, as she told him to take his time playing. Usually she¡¯d be coercing me to go to the hospital and tell her all about the game in person. I wonder what¡¯s going on¡­ Simon wondered as he went through the front doors of the hospital. The receptionist saw him and let out a wide smile before guessing why he was here. ¡°Hello Simon, visiting your sister again?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Simon nodded and waited for confirmation from the receptionist, but what he didn¡¯t expect was the receptionist¡¯s next words. ¡°Ah, Helen has changed her room so you¡¯ll have to go to room 512.¡± ¡°Changed her room? Why? Is something wrong!?¡± Simon instantly panicked, thinking that something might have gone wrong with his sister. ¡°Hahaha, calm down Simon. Nothing bad happened to her. If you head up to the 5th floor you¡¯ll naturally find out. Oh, and you¡¯re clear to go as well. Have fun~.¡± The receptionist smiled and waved him away as she began dealing with another person who entered the hospital. Simon wore a confused expression on his face as he walked away from the receptionist¡¯s desk. Why has Helen changed rooms? And why hasn¡¯t she told me anything about it? What in the world is going on¡­? Simon was anxious to find out what happened so he quickly began making his way to the fifth floor. Once he reached the fifth floor, he found a familiar youth standing in the middle of the hallway, looking wistfully out the window. The youth was a handsome looking boy, with a face that would cause many girls to squeal in delight upon seeing it. He had a slim body, and blond hair which seemed to glow in the sunlight. The boy noticed Simon¡¯s approach, as he turned his head and looked at Simon with his crystal clear blue eyes. He nodded towards Simon before continuing to look out the window. Simon nodded back and made a quick greeting. ¡°Hey Reid, what are you doing on this floor?¡± ¡°...¡± He took out a notepad and began writing on it, then handed Simon the note. ¡°Ahh¡­ so they moved your room here huh? Which reminds me, they moved Helen here too. Do you know why?¡± ¡°...¡± He handed Simon another piece of paper. ¡°You¡¯re playing TWO¡­ Wait, what!?¡± Upon receiving this piece of information, Simon quickly began piecing things together in his head. ¡°That cheeky girl¡­ no wonder she didn¡¯t call me back to talk about TWO¡­ Thanks for the info Reid. Oh yeah, how are you enjoying the game? Can you speak in it?¡± ¡°...¡± Reid made a pained expression as he looked away from Simon. ¡°Oh¡­ sorry. That was inconsiderate of me wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...¡± Reid shook his head and slightly bowed towards Simon before turning around to leave. ¡°Alright then.¡± Simon had interacted with Reid enough times to know that he didn¡¯t feel particularly offended from Simon¡¯s question, but was still slightly depressed. ¡°Good luck on playing the game! Maybe we can meet up sometime and adventure together!¡± Simon called out to Reid. Maybe it was just his imagination, but Simon swore he could see a faint smile on Reid¡¯s face as he turned a corner and disappeared from sight. Simon watched Reid leave, before remembering his original purpose in coming here. ¡°Hmm¡­ how should I react when I see her though?¡± The siblings usually never hid anything from each other, but Helen hiding this from Simon meant that it was something she wanted to surprise him with. ¡°Oh well. Whatever happens, happens.¡± Simon eventually reached the door numbered 512, and could faintly hear a voice yelling out things. ¡°What!? No way she can do that¡­ HOLY!!! What kind of spell was that!?¡± For a moment Simon hesitated in opening the door as he knew that Helen was in her ¡®excited¡¯ state, where she would absolutely gush about all the things she finds cool. Eventually he took a deep breath and knocked on the door, calling out, ¡°Helen, can I come in?¡± ¡°Eek! I¡­ h- hold on a second!¡± Simon heard sounds of rustling around, and guessed that Helen was probably trying to prepare things for her ¡®big reveal¡¯. He heard another sound which sounded like Helen throwing something, followed by a barely audible swear word from Helen. He waited patiently at the door until he heard her say, ¡°Come in!¡± Simon stepped into the room, and the first thing he saw was Helen sitting on her bed. She had her laptop out and everything seemed to be business as usual until Simon spotted a sloppily thrown white blanket on top of some sort of machine. He instantly recognized it as a game pod, but decided not to comment on it. He then looked at Helen who was sweating bullets and wearing a stiff expression. Hahaha, she¡¯s nervous. Let¡¯s slowly break the ice then shall we? ¡°Hey Helen, sorry I couldn¡¯t visit you earlier. Playing TWO got really intense.¡± Simon intently watched Helen¡¯s face for any changes in her expression. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Helen¡¯s voice was the same as always, but Simon could tell that her eyes were constantly darting back and forth between him and the game pod. Simon decided to indulge in her little surprise, so playing along he said, ¡°What¡¯s that underneath those sheets over there?¡± At his words, Helen slowly began laughing. It started off quiet, but eventually escalated into a full-on evil overlord laugh as Helen pointed at the not-very-hidden-game-pod. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take off the sheets and find out for yourself?¡± Simon rolled his eyes as he approached the game-pod. Still as dramatic as ever I see¡­ He grabbed the edge of the sheet, and slowly pulled it off, taking an agonizingly long time to remove it. ¡°Uh¡­ hey Simon, could you possibly pull it off any slower?¡± Helen was exasperated and tired of waiting for Simon¡¯s reaction after she had waited for him to pull off the sheet for half a minute. ¡°Sorry, did you say slower?¡± Simon said with a grin, as he somehow managed to slow his pace even more. ¡°...Alright you win! You probably heard it from the nurses right? Even after I told them not to tell you...¡± Helen pouted once she realized that Simon was teasing her. He probably knew about the game-pod before hand. She became slightly depressed, seeing that her big reveal didn¡¯t turn out the way she wanted it to. ¡°Actually, it was Reid who told me.¡± ¡°Reid? I didn¡¯t think he knew about me playing TWO.¡± ¡°Well he didn¡¯t tell me exactly. He just said that he was moved here because he¡¯s playing TWO. Since you got moved here I assumed the same thing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ well¡­ Surprise! Hehe.¡± Helen rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. Simon approached her side and began patting her head, eliciting a few cries of protest. Ignoring her cries, Simon¡¯s gaze became incredibly soft as he began speaking in a gentle voice. ¡°So Helen, how does it feel to walk again?¡± Upon hearing these words, Helen¡¯s body froze for a moment as she seemed to be fighting against a multitude of emotions. Eventually she looked up at Simon and tears began forming in her eyes. She had trouble forming words, but eventually managed to squeeze out, ¡°It¡¯s nice¡­¡± Simon nodded and quietly rubbed Helen¡¯s head as she clung onto his shirt. The two of them stayed like this for a few minutes, until Helen finally calmed down. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry. I just remembered what it felt like and¡­¡± ¡°Hah, no problem sis.¡± Simon ruffled her hair. ¡°I¡¯m just sad that I wasn¡¯t there to see you walking again.¡± ¡°Eh? Wait, no! It would¡¯ve been fine if you didn¡¯t see that!¡± Helen suddenly remembered how she fell over multiple times and how silly she must have looked while doing so. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Simon laughed watching her flustered expression. ¡°Since you¡¯re enjoying walking so much, I assume you¡¯ve also started dancing again?¡± ¡°AHH!!!¡± ¡°... Did you actually forget about that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault! I was having too much fun playing TWO!¡± ¡°Geez Helen¡­¡± Simon could only smile wryly at his sister¡¯s restless personality. He noticed that she went completely silent as she was probably still shocked about forgetting to dance. ¡°So¡­ what were you doing earlier? I heard you gushing over something.¡± He said in an attempt to change the subject. ¡°Oh right! Check this out!¡± Helen¡¯s shocked state disappeared completely as she pulled open her laptop. ¡°One of the players in the starting town Foria recorded a video of an event battle that happened there. Actually, quite a few players also recorded the battle, but this one is the best.¡± Helen explained, ¡°Most of them were from melee classes so all you could see was a clustered mess, but this player was an archer so she even got a bird¡¯s eye view of the battle.¡± Players in TWO had the option of recording videos in game. Many things could be changed, like the exposure to their skills (in case they wanted to keep their abilities hidden) to the people they played with. Every player had a privacy setting enabled by default, so most of the time the players faces or skills would be censored. The one thing that couldn¡¯t be changed though is that everything was recorded in a first person view. A battle in Foria¡­ Simon remained silent as he waited for the video to load. Once the video did load, Simon was treated to a familiar sight of the battlefield he had been in not too long ago. The most noteworthy thing though, was the people who were currently on screen. For a moment Simon couldn¡¯t recognize them, but then he realized who they were. It was the Crios Blades! Simon watched all of the members face off against Sir Albert¡¯s team, except for one. ¡°So Melun recorded this huh?¡± He muttered under his breath. ¡°Yeah, the uploader¡¯s name was Melun159. How did you know?¡± Simon simply shook his head as he remained silent and continued to watch the video. Melun¡¯s view of the battlefield was quite extensive, as she stayed in the back and was able to keep an eye on everything. Around her the players slowly formed up into their usual parties and made small groups which fought against one another. The exchange between the Crios Blades and Sir Albert¡¯s team continued, until a notice appeared in front of her, signifying that The Prim Roses had joined the battle. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. At this point Simon began to smile widely as he waited for the appearance of the adorable fox-kin. At one point Melun¡¯s bow broke, so she left the battlefield and searched for a safe place. On the way she was actually attacked by a few players, but players from her faction fought back against them and gave her a spare bow. Melun was about to join the battle again, but then a small fiery figure broke into the battle between the two parties and began wreaking havoc on both sides. At this point Helen began bouncing up and down on her bed as she pointed at the fox-kin on the screen. ¡°It¡¯s her! Look at her! She¡¯s so cute, and so cool! Like, look at this!¡± Simon¡¯s smile grew wider as Helen continued to talk about the fox-kin (a.k.a. Q). ¡°Everyone on the forums are calling her Scarlet Spark because of the name above her head, but that¡¯s probably not her real name. Anyway, look at how she takes apart these teams!¡± The video was currently showing Q taking out the healers before moving onto the others. At one point Melun tried to launch a sneak attack on her, but Q unbelievably able to catch the arrow! Melun decided to surrender and watch over the rest of the battle, and eventually only The Prim Roses and about 20 players were left. At this point Q used her [Arcane Overload] spell and wiped out the remaining players, winning the event battle. ¡°See? Wasn¡¯t that awesome?¡± Helen was grinning like crazy as she returned the video to when Q used [Arcane Overload]. ¡°I wish I could meet her in game¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ maybe you can meet her in game.¡± ¡°Obviously. If it¡¯s someone that famous there¡¯s no doubt that I¡¯ll see her at some point while playing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Simon shook his head. ¡°Hm? Then what do you mean?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to say this.¡± ¡°Spit it out Simon.¡± Helen frowned as she was getting annoyed by Simon¡¯s ambiguous words. ¡°That player, Scarlet Spark¡­ that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Seriously.¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ ahah¡­ AHAHAHAHA! You¡¯re playing as a girl! AHAHAHAHAH!! That¡¯s hilarious! Are you ¡®enjoying¡¯ your new body? HAHAHA~¡± Helen burst out into laughter upon hearing that Simon was actually the amazing player everyone was talking about. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m ¡®enjoying¡¯ my new body. Haha.¡± Simon laughed dryly. ¡°Glad to see you don¡¯t doubt me though.¡± He awkwardly scratched his cheek as he watched Helen roll around on her bed laughing like a maniac. ¡°Hahahaha~ My stomach hurts-. Oh my gosh.¡± Helen wiped away the tears that began forming at the corner of her eyes. ¡°*Phew* Anyway, I don¡¯t doubt you because you have no reason to lie to me. Besides, Scarlet Spark looks like a character you¡¯d come up with.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­? Her name is Q by the way.¡± ¡°Just the letter?¡± ¡°Just the letter.¡± ¡°Haa~¡± Helen let out a soft sigh. ¡°Honestly that¡¯s just like you.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean just like me?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a completely new world! You have the opportunity to play as anything you want, like an elf, or a construct. Yet you chose to change genders and play as a fox-loli with a cute name.¡± ¡°Gh-, can¡¯t deny that. But how about you? What are you playing as?¡± ¡°...¡± Suddenly Helen¡¯s face went expressionless as she turned away and stared out the window. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Look me in the eyes.¡± Simon reached out for Helen¡¯s head and forced her to face him. Helen pursed her lips as sweat began forming on her head and her eyes began wandering all over the place. Simon ignored her antics as he continued in a calm voice, ¡°What are you playing as Helen?¡± ¡°...onian.¡± Helen managed to squeeze out after a few seconds of silence. ¡°Onion?¡± ¡°Draconian! I¡¯m playing as a draconian okay!¡± ¡°Ooh. Okay, I understand.¡± For a moment Helen felt relieved as she thought that Simon wouldn¡¯t pursue the matter further, but then his next words caused her to break out in a nervous sweat again. ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s your name in game?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Helen~. You¡¯ll tell me, won¡¯t you?¡± Simon simply smiled, but it caused Helen to feel even more nervous as she felt that Simon absolutely wouldn¡¯t let her go so easily. Helen gritted her teeth as she prepared herself for the teasing she knew would come after her next words. ¡°My name in game is Zeilan.¡± ¡°Zeilan huh? If I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s what you name all your male characters isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Mhm. So you think that it¡¯s fine to make fun of me for changing genders, despite you doing the exact same thing?¡± ¡°Um, just because my name is Zeilan, doesn¡¯t mean I changed genders.¡± ¡°Are you really trying to fool me right now Helen?¡± ¡°Uhh...¡± Helen knew that Simon loved to tease others, but strongly disliked being teased in turn. If someone did make fun of him, he would definitely pay them back for it at some point in the future. Trying to back out of such a situation would only make his revenge even worse, so Helen decided to accept her fate instead. ¡°I¡­ yes, I¡¯m playing as a guy.¡± Helen closed her eyes, preparing for Simon¡¯s inevitable revenge. What she didn¡¯t expect though, was that Simon instead began ruffling her hair. ¡°Simon? What are yo- Aaaah!¡± Simon began completely messing up Helen¡¯s hair, turning it into a tangled mess that looked much like his own hair. Helen opened her eyes and looked at Simon with confusion, while Simon responded with a smile. ¡°What? Were you thinking I¡¯d get ¡®revenge¡¯ on you or something?¡± He flicked her forehead which caused Helen to let out a surprised ¡°Eep!¡± ¡°Y-you mean you¡¯re not going to tease me or anything?¡± Helen said while rubbing her forehead. ¡°No. I¡¯m just happy that you¡¯re happy. I mean, you¡¯re finally able to play TWO, and you can walk again! Which reminds me, how did you get the game pod in the first place? Did you tell mom and dad?¡± ¡°Yeah, mom and dad already know. I was just keeping it a secret from you so I could surprise you¡­ Ah wait, that¡¯s not important! Try guessing who got me recommended for the NG+ program!¡± Simon went silent for a moment, but after a few seconds of contemplation he came up with the same conclusion that Helen had made a while back. ¡°...Sophie?¡± ¡°Yup! She recommended me for the program, and even paid for all of it! Can you believe it?¡± ¡°Oh, I can believe it all right. The nerve of that girl¡­¡± Simon frowned as he went through his memories of the eccentric genius he had come to know in his childhood. ¡°Huh? Why are you mad?¡± Helen didn¡¯t understand Simon¡¯s anger towards Sophie. Shouldn¡¯t we be thankful to her for doing this? She wondered. ¡°I¡¯m mad because she does something like this, knowing full well that I would have paid for it! You know how she stopped talking to us a few years after the ¡®accident¡¯?¡± Helen nodded at Simon¡¯s question. ¡°Well, I¡¯d always send her an email every so often, just asking how she feels or talk about how we¡¯re doing, but not once did she respond! And I know that she¡¯s receiving those emails. I even hacked into her email provider¡¯s database once to make sure.¡± Are you sure it¡¯s okay to casually commit a crime like that Simon!? Helen questioned in her head, but she stayed silent as she listened to him rant. ¡°I just¡­¡± Simon let out a large sigh as he stared up at the ceiling. ¡°I just want to meet her again. If nothing more than to tell her that it wasn¡¯t her fault¡­ Not that she¡¯d let me.¡± ¡°I want to meet her too¡­¡± Helen looked down sadly as she thought about the girl she considered her big sister. ¡°Ah well. She¡¯ll come meet us when she¡¯s ready I guess.¡± ¡°Simon, it¡¯s been more than three years. You still believe that she¡¯ll approach us on her own accord?¡± ¡°Sure I do. You believe the same, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± Helen didn¡¯t say anything, but nodded in affirmation. The two of them sat there in silence, both immersed in their memories of the fun times they had with Sophie. They were broken out of their reminiscence when they heard knocking on the door. ¡°Helen, mind if I come in?¡± A bright female voice was heard. ¡°Yeah, come in Marissa.¡± The door opened to reveal the blonde nurse who took care of Helen. ¡°Oh, hello Simon. How are you doing today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing well. Actually, I¡¯m a bit more worried about Reid. He seemed pretty depressed earlier for not being able to speak in TWO.¡± ¡°Ah, you talked to him huh? I¡¯m also concerned, but all I can do is hope that he gets better. Thanks for looking out for him by the way.¡± ¡°Hey, what are friends for?¡± Simon shrugged, while Marissa smiled in response. ¡°Marissa, why did you come here?¡± Helen interjected into their conversation. ¡°Oh, just here to remind you that you can start playing again.¡± Hearing these words, Helen expression instantly brightened as she looked over at Simon. Simon saw her face, laughed, and gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Just go ahead and enjoy the game. I can¡¯t keep my friends waiting for too long either.¡± ¡°Thanks Simon! Wait, where are we going to meet up in game?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ how about the Capital City Hales? I have a quest I need to do there eventually.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll see you there! Don¡¯t forget to add me by the way.¡± ¡°Hah, that¡¯s my line. See you later Helen, Marissa.¡± Simon left the hospital, heading back home to play TWO.
A/N: It''s not a crime if you don''t get caught. I''m baaaack~!!! Actually no I''m joking. I''m going to be busy until the end of the month because finals are coming up, but I didn''t want to leave you guys hanging for so long. So, in this chapter we get a new character, some backstory revealed, and plans for the future for shenanigans in the capital. Exciting. But seriously, sorry for being out of comission for such a long time. Real life is a doozy. Oh yeah, I''m still in the middle of updating previous chapters (I think I finished up to chapter...12 at this time?) so that''s a thing. If a big change ever happens I''ll just redirect you guys to the update page to take a look at what changed and whatnot. So, love you guys, and I''ll be back again soon (hopefully) with more chapters. ''Till next time, my dear readers. Fun-fact: The first microwave built was 6-feet tall and cost $5000. P.S: Anyone else playing Fire Emblem Fates? If so, state your waifu/husbando. Waifu: Peri Husbando: Keaton Chapter 026 - Gone Viral In Foria¡¯s square, there was a small flash of light. When the light disappeared, it revealed Q who was looking at her surroundings. Wow, they sure finished repairing the square fast. The square looked exactly the same as it did before the event battle, and NPCs and players were moving about their business. Q heard a *ding* and then a large window appeared in front of her. [System Update] - True World Online has been updated to version 1.5
  • List of changes:
  • A new stat has been added: [Resistance - Reduces the amount of damage taken from a magic attack.] Due to the new stat, all points players previously had in Defense will be removed, and players may freely distribute them between defense and resistance.
  • Health and Mana scaling has been changed. Health will now start at a base of 50, and add on 5 health for each point in Vitality. Mana will now start at a base of 25 and add on 5 mana for each point in Wisdom. Damage values have been adjusted accordingly.
  • Players now have a fatigue and satiety meter. Performing any action consumes fatigue, and once a player¡¯s fatigue has been lowered enough they will be unable to take any further actions and must rest to restore fatigue. Satiety measures the hunger of a player, and can be increased through eating any consumable items (yes, even poison).
  • Character Windows have become more simplified.
  • The environment has become more dynamic. Creatures will no longer spawn within fixed time intervals, but will instead follow the area¡¯s ecosystem and natural growth of the creatures themselves. Excessive hunting of creatures will now cause them to go extinct.
  • Changes to looting have been made: When an enemy has been defeated by a player, only that player may loot the body. If travelling in a party, money will be split equally between all members, and loot drops can be gambled on in various ways. Players will now have to approach the body of defeated enemies and obtain loot by selecting to do so. After 30 minutes the body will be able to be looted by any player, and the body will fade by itself after an hour if its loot is not collected. An option has been added to allow players to manually receive items by carving them off creatures bodies. Must talk to hunters to obtain this ability.
  • NPCs have been updated to have more variety in their speech and actions.
  • Different spawn points can be selected by talking to certain NPCs in an area.
  • A new item is available at all general goods shops: Cube of Companionship (Unique, Indestructible/Non-flammable) - A party leader who has this item can set it at any place they desire, allowing players within the party to spawn within the cube¡¯s vicinity. Players logging in will appear beside the cube, but if the cube is inside a city, the player will spawn inside the main square of that area.
  • Minor bugfixes have been made. Time lag between players completing the tutorial and entering the world has been solved. A glitch where players could constantly obtain profession experience from repeating the exact same action has been fixed (Try a bit of variety if you want to get good at something).
That¡¯s quite an update¡­ Though honestly, they should have implemented these things before they released the game. I wonder what the game designers were thinking when they made this world¡­ Q decided to open up her friend list to send messages to those who were online, but was suddenly interrupted by a random player. ¡°Um¡­ are you Scarlet Spark?¡± A pretty girl with mage robes asked. ¡°...Yeah.¡± Q answered slowly. I¡¯m getting a bad feeling about this¡­ ¡°Ohmygosh! It¡¯s really you! Ever since I saw the video I became a fan!¡± The girl suddenly took Q¡¯s hands and began shaking them. ¡°What was the spell you used at the end? Can I meet White Flash and Violet Snack? What¡¯s your real name?¡± The girl began rapid-firing questions, and before Q could even think of answering one of them another player noticed her. ¡°Hey look, isn¡¯t that Scarlet Spark over there?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Whoa, it is her! Let¡¯s go talk to her!¡± Uh-oh. Q was about to leave the area but the girl holding her hand wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡°Um¡­ could you please let go of my hand?¡± Q asked politely. ¡°Could you please answer my questions?¡± The girl smiled, but for some reason Q felt a terrible sense of danger. I need backup! Q went into her friends list and managed to send a message to everyone just before she was mobbed by a crowd of players. The message had only two words: ***** The first ones to arrive at the square was Verne and Fortis, who were quickly followed by Neira and Baldur. ¡°Excuse me, trying to get through here!¡± Verne yelled out as he shoved his way through the crowd. Fortis followed right on his heels and didn¡¯t shove anyone, but instead created a magical barrier which kept the crowd from closing in. Neira caught up with Verne and began shoving people alongside him, while Baldur flat out began picking up people and throwing them. The four of them made their way over to the center of the crowd, where they spotted Q being touched all over by various players. ¡°S-stop! Don¡¯t be so rough with my fur!¡± ¡°Whoooaaa¡­ is it even possible for something to be this soft?¡± ¡°Hey, your time is up on the tail! Switch with me!¡± ¡°Um, could you possibly tell me which spells you used during the battle?¡± Q¡¯s cries of protest were ignored as the players continued to toy with her body. She was mostly surrounded by female players who were all fighting for a turn to stroke her fur, while the males stood back as it seemed that they were intimidated by the girls feverish gazes. A few players seemed to only want to know what Q did during the battle, but their questions went unanswered as Q continued to be mobbed by players. ¡°Leave her alone!¡± Verne yelled as he reached into the crowd. Reaching around a bit, he felt an incredibly soft sensation, and instantly realized he was grabbing Q¡¯s tail. He didn¡¯t have time to think though, as another arm grabbed onto his and he looked up to find Q looking at him with pleading eyes. Verne nodded and grabbed onto her arm, pulling Q out of the crowd and then shielded her body with his. ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t steal her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s no fair. Wait for your own turn.¡± Many protests came out from the crowd of players as they thought that Verne was hogging (and saw him hugging) Q to himself, but Fortis came in and pacified the crowd. ¡°Everyone please back up for a minute. Don¡¯t you see you¡¯re scaring her?¡± The crowd of players looked over at Q, who froze in place as she had no idea what to do. Fortunately Fortis was able to follow up on that anyway as he said ¡°Look! She¡¯s so scared that she can¡¯t move at all! Please give her some space so she can calm down.¡± With Fortis¡¯ soothing voice the crowd slowly began to calm down as they took a few steps away from Q. Some of the people in the crowd were still unsatisfied as they began muttering in low voices. ¡°...I didn¡¯t even get to ask her what spells she used.¡± ¡°Who does that guy think he is? Her boyfriend?¡± ¡°Unforgivable. For such a good-looking guy to hold our idol!¡± ¡°Death to handsome boys!¡± Someone in the crowd said. ¡°¡°¡°Yeaaaaah!!!¡±¡±¡± Suddenly the crowd¡¯s frenzy picked up again as the players (mostly males this time) surged forward. Sensing danger, Fortis quickly expanded his shield and kept the crowd away from them for the meanwhile. It was at this moment that they all heard a cough and looked back to find Neira and Baldur standing behind them. ¡°Hello again Q.¡± Neira smiled. ¡°Hey there lil¡¯ lass, it seems you¡¯re in a bit of trouble aren¡¯t ya¡¯?¡± Baldur wore a wide grin on his face as he looked at the surroundings. ¡°Hi Neira. Hi Baldur. I sure am in trouble right now. I didn¡¯t think that having fans could be this crazy.¡± Q said with a wry smile. Now I know how Reid feels¡­ she thought as she looked around her. Feeling a bit of resistance, she realized she was still being held by Verne. ¡°Uh, can you let go of me now Verne?¡± ¡°O-oh right!¡± Verne instantly retracted his hands and blushed deeply. Q also scratched her cheek in slight embarrassment, which caused the crowd to get even crazier. ¡°Don¡¯t flirt in front of us damn it!!!¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.¡°You dare sully our idol¡¯s body with your filthy touch?! Death penalty!!!¡± ¡°Aaaah~, Q, your embarrassed expression is wonderful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s super scary¡­¡± Q said while looking at the player¡¯s expressions. ¡°What¡¯s even scarier is that my shield won¡¯t hold out for much longer!¡± Fortis said, which instantly caused everyone inside the shield to feel panic. ¡°Quick lass, come over here!¡± Baldur said as he gestured towards Q. ¡°Hm?¡± Q tilted her head, not understanding what Baldur wanted to do. ¡°I¡¯m gonna throw ya¡¯ over their heads! After that it¡¯s up to you to get away, alright?¡± ¡°Are you sure you can do that?¡± Q asked as she raised her eyebrow in doubt. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate a dwarf¡¯s strength lass. Now hurry up!¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks for this by the way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it lass. It¡¯s the least I could do for a fellow D&D member!¡± Baldur grinned as he lifted Q off the ground and prepared to throw her. ¡°Shield¡¯s going down in 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ 0!¡± The instant Fortis finished his countdown, Baldur¡¯s body glowed red as Q was suddenly thrown with extreme force over the heads of the crowd! Q was launched unbelievably high, and was headed straight for the roof of a building! She narrowed her eyes and tensed her body, as she cast [Gust] from her hand just as she was about to hit the building. The slight force shot out from underneath her body, giving her enough lift so she could put her hand on the roof, and her momentum continued as she made a handstand and was able to successfully land on the roof. Once Q successfully stabilised herself she heard a *ding* and found that she had actually gained a stat in dexterity for doing that. She didn¡¯t pay much attention to that though as she redirected her sight to the square, just in time to see Verne get swallowed up by the crowd of angry players. Strangely enough the players didn¡¯t attack Fortis or the others, and instead all of their hate was directed towards Verne. Your sacrifice will not be in vain, my good friend. Q saluted Verne in her heart as she watched him being torn to shreds (not literally) by the crowd. Neira noticed Q¡¯s gaze, and responded with a look of her own that seemed to say ¡®we¡¯ll take care of him, so go ahead.¡¯ Q nodded and ran away from the square, leaping across the rooftops of the town in an effort to get away from the crowd. Once Q had gotten far enough, she sent a message to all her friends saying that she was fine, and was hiding near the Prim Roses hideout. Within a few minutes some familiar faces approached the area and greeted Q. Brie and Kukis were at the front of the group, followed by Sir Albert and the priestess in his party, as well as Melun. ¡°See Brie? I told you she¡¯d be fine.¡± Kukis said. ¡°Yes, it is good to see you are well.¡± Brie smiled at Q. ¡°Though I must say, your message worried me quite a bit, as you have never asked for help before this.¡± ¡°Haha, even I¡¯d need help from a pack of rabid fans.¡± ¡°I suppose so. Hm? What do you mean by fans?¡± ¡°I mean that I somehow became famous because of a video Melun uploaded to the internet.¡± Q looked over at Melun to see she was twiddling her thumbs. Melun rubbed the back of her neck as she let out a small laugh. ¡°Haha, yeah. I didn¡¯t think that my video would cause a reaction like this. But hey, last time I checked it had at least 4.5 million views.¡± ¡°4.5 MILLION!?¡± Sir Albert shouted. ¡°How¡­ when did you last check?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ I¡¯d say about an hour ago in real time? People are going crazy to watch any video about TWO, and mine just happened to be super awesome. Especially with how spectacularly you three ended the fight.¡± Melun smiled as she remembered the ridiculous earth-shaking explosion at the end of the battle. ¡°I see¡­ well anyway, thanks for worrying about me everyone. I got super nervous once the crowd cut off all routes of escape.¡± Q wore a distant look on her face as she tried to forget what happened after she was surrounded. Suddenly the priestess snapped her fingers as it seemed she remembered something. ¡°Oh yeah, where¡¯s Baldur and the others? Everyone got your message didn¡¯t they?¡± Upon hearing this, Q went silent as she stared up into the sky and saluted. ¡°Everyone stayed behind to let me escape, but the real hero was Verne. He sacrificed himself so that I could escape the clutches of the rabid fans.¡± ¡°Could you please not kill me off so suddenly?¡± A voice came from behind the group, and everyone turned around to find a roughed up Verne, followed by Fortis, Neira and Baldur. ¡°Hey, you survived!¡± Q wore a slightly apologetic look on her face. ¡°Sorry about leaving you there though.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t take any damage from their hits, but we still got scolded by the guards for ¡®disturbing the peace¡¯. So¡­ now what?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Q tilted her head, not understanding his question. ¡°I mean you¡¯ve got some fans looking for you at all times now. Are you going to lay low for a while or what?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I do have plans to make my way to the Capital City Hales. In the meanwhile, I guess I¡¯ll lay low, do a few quests¡­ Actually¡­¡± Q opened up her inventory and began reading the note she obtained back in the Gemstone Caverns. The Forest of Fog. A road with no path. The way is unseen. [New Quest] - The Mysterious Note [Objective] - Head to the Forest of Fog and investigate the area ¡°That¡¯s¡­ incredibly cryptic. Not to mention there isn¡¯t even a failure condition or rewards for this¡­¡± ¡°What does the note say, Q?¡± Brie moved closer to read the note. ¡°Just some confusing lines. I also got a quest from it, so here.¡± Q shared her quest with Brie and Kukis, then turned to address the rest of the players. ¡°So, it seems my next quest will bring me to the Forest of Fog. Do you guys know which direction that is?¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, I do happen to know which direction the forest is!¡± Sir Albert spoke up. ¡°My companions and I are actually headed in that direction for our next quest!¡± ¡°Ahh, our next objective is in a different direction. Well, I guess we really will part ways here then huh?¡± Verne looked down and let out a sigh, as if coming to terms with separating with Q. The rest of the Crios blades also wore similar expressions, each of them looking mildly depressed. ¡°Don¡¯t look so sad guys!¡± Q patted Verne on the shoulder. ¡°Even if we separate now, we can always meet up again sometime! After all, our bonds aren¡¯t so weak that they would be broken from splitting up for a while.¡± ¡°Well said Miss Q. Well said indeed.¡± Sir Albert nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I¡­ Well, I guess you¡¯re right. It¡¯s just that I basically consider you three as part of our party, so if you ever feel like joining up with us again, you¡¯re welcome anytime!¡± Verne smiled at the three girls who had made his team far more lively. ¡°That goes without saying, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Q replied with a grin. Verne nodded, and then began heading back with the rest of his party. A quick farewell ensued, then the Crios Blades set off to make their preparations for their next quest. ¡°Alright, so where¡¯s the Forest of Fog anyway?¡± Q asked Sir Albert. ¡°It is to the east of the town, about 3 days walk. Or at least, that¡¯s how far it is according to the townsfolk. We should all prepare supplies before heading out. Will you ladies be requiring any assistance?¡± ¡°Nah, we got it covered. So we¡¯ll meet you guys back in the square in about an hour?¡± ¡°Of course. Fantasy Fighters, move out!¡± Sir Albert walked off with his team in order to prepare their own supplies for their travel. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get our preparations underway!¡± Q turned to her friends and began making plans for their next quest.
A/N: If only this story could get as popular as Q does overnight... Hah, just joking. Anyway, I''m finally back everyone! I wish I had multiple chapters to release for you guys, but I didn''t really find the time to do so. At least I''m going back to my regular uploading schedule, although I might upload chapters on Sundays at times because I got a job. Funny, how after I finish school my schedule somehow gets busier. Well, I digress. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and anticipate more to come! P.S: Verne''s name change was one of the updates I made... not that it really matters that I changed that, but w/e. Fun-fact: Teddy-bears are the most popular type of stuffed animals. Chapter 027 - Q & A ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ food supplies for at least a week, three sleeping bags, a portable tent, and more rope, because we can always use more rope.¡± Q began checking through the supplies that Brie and Kukis bought. At first Q was going to go to the stores herself, but the moment she stepped out of her hiding spot more players spotted her and she had another close encounter with a crowd. In the end Q passed over some of her money to Brie and Kukis, and let them buy the items themselves. One of the items they picked up was the Cube of Companionship, which was a palm-sized cube with a small heart in the center. As Q was the leader of the party the cube went over to her, and she would set it down whenever the group decides to make camp. The three girls were currently doing a last minute check over their skills and equipment, just before going off to meet with Sir Albert¡¯s team. ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Kukis asked. ¡°One sec, just looking at my stats one last time.¡± Q replied.
Q
Level 24Display Title: Friend of the Cute and Cuddly
Race: Fox-kinNon-display Title: Reckless Fighter
Class: N/AProfession: Cook (Beginner)
HP: 200/200MP: 235/235
VIT: 25 (+5)WIS: 40 (+2)
STR: 26 (+16)INT: 50 (+5)
DEF: 7(+21)RES: 10
AGI: 36 (+15)DEX:33 (+9)
Luck: 6 (+4)Leadership: 9
Fame: 1790
(A/N: No changes to her skills or equipment) ¡°Okay, I¡¯m good. Let¡¯s get going then.¡± Q hid her face as best as she could with her scarf, and the three girls began walking towards the square. They took winding detours and went through alleyways in an effort to evade the players, and though they were spotted a few times, the players didn¡¯t do much except stare at the three or ask a quick question. ¡°You know, you could have bought some cloaks for us to wear.¡± Q complained. ¡°That¡¯d make travelling through town a little easier.¡± ¡°Hey, we couldn¡¯t exactly stay very long with the players slowly closing in on us. Besides, I don¡¯t think that wearing cloaks would hide us very well anyway. Especially you, Q.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Q looked at Kukis with a slightly confused face. ¡°What do I mean? I mean that you¡¯re super conspicuous. Like, if any part of your hair or fur touches light, it becomes really bright and shimmery. Not to mention that a lot of players have basically memorized how you look so a single cloak couldn¡¯t possibly hide you well enough.¡± ¡°Well¡­ what if I was wrapped in a bunch of cloth and you two just carried me around?¡± ¡°That is incredibly impractical, Q.¡± Brie frowned for a moment, ¡°Even if you were hidden like that, what about Kukis and myself? We would be two figures carrying a suspicious bundle of cloth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Just throwing out ideas¡­ but it seems like it¡¯s too late to put any of them into action.¡± Q slowed down as they finally entered the square. For a brief moment no one paid attention to them so the three girls took the opportunity to start looking for Sir Albert. Just as they were searching for him, they heard a loud voice ring out. ¡°Miss Q, there you are! We have been eagerly awaiting your arrival!¡± ¡°Oh-boy.¡± Q let out an exasperated sigh as the crowd noticed the three, and immediately began making noise. Q made an angry face and began to force her way through the crowd, while Brie and Kukis followed close behind. Some of the people in the crowd seemed to want to stop Q, but after seeing her expression they respectfully backed off. I should have done this earlier¡­ She thought to herself. Eventually the three girls made it to where Sir Albert and his party were waiting, though Q still wore her angry expression. ¡°Sir Albert, you know that attention is the last thing I want right now, right?¡± ¡°M-my apologies, Miss Q. I meant no harm.¡± Sir Albert respectfully bowed. ¡°I had not thought of the consequences of calling you out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably because he¡¯s super excited that we get to travel with you.¡± The priestess in their party smiled. Sir Albert¡¯s face blushed a little, which caused the priestess to snicker. Watching this exchange, Q¡¯s angry face disappeared to be replaced with a smile. ¡°As long as you understand. Well, the crowd seems to be getting larger, so let''s leave while we can.¡± ¡°Of course. Our destination leads us through the north gate of town, and from there we take the path heading northwest which will lead to the forest. Onwards, comrades!¡± Sir Albert began leading the way to the north gate, and everyone else followed. The group managed to get out of the town without much problem, and then began to make their way along the path. For a few minutes the group walked in silence, with nothing but the sounds of a gentle breeze accompanying them. This silence was broken with a single question by Q. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re called the Fantasy Fighters?¡± ¡°Nope. None of us agreed to that terrible name.¡± Magnus shook his head. ¡°Urg- Magnus! At least call it a work in progress.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the fifth name you¡¯ve come up with Albert. I know you¡¯re our leader and all, but you have absolutely no naming sense.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not true! The names I come up with are amazing and inspiring!¡± ¡°What, like your Shining Blade of Burning Justice?¡± Magnus quipped. ¡°What do you mean? That sounds cool and perfectly describes my weapon!¡± ¡°Riiiight....¡± Magnus rolled his eyes. While Q was laughing at their exchange, the other members of Sir Albert¡¯s party came by to introduce themselves. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve properly met yet. My name is Celinus, a level 23 dryad priestess.¡± Celinus smiled at the three girls. Her face had soft features, and coupled with her charming smile it made her look quite attractive. She held a wooden staff and wore white robes which went down to her knees, and then her knee-high boots covered the rest of her legs. ¡°Dryad? I don¡¯t see much traces of that on you.¡± Q said. During the character creation, she saw that the default settings for the dryad race showed them covered in leaves and branches, and also had a slight tinge of green to their skin color. ¡°That¡¯s because I chose the dryad race for it¡¯s bonuses. I toned down the ¡®natural¡¯ parts of my body, though there¡¯s still some here and there.¡± She pulled up her sleeve to reveal that her arm was covered in a few leaves. ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s cool. So how about you?¡± Q turned towards Baldur. ¡°Aye, though you already know me, I don¡¯t think these two girls know who I am.¡± He said while looking at Brie and Kukis. ¡°The name¡¯s Baldur, level 24 dwarf warrior. And before you ask, my accent is natural.¡± Q looked over at Baldur. His height was slightly shorter than Q¡¯s, but he had large rippling muscles which peeked out over his leather armor. His battleaxe was about a head higher than him and looked incredibly heavy, but Q saw how easily he swung it during the battle, indicating that he had an incredible amount of strength. The trio then looked over to the hooded figure in the party, and though he remained silent for a while, he eventually gave in to the girls stares. ¡°*sigh* My name is Sal¡¯ Karn, level 25 dark-elf rogue. Also, don¡¯t you dare call me Sal.¡± The dark elf¡¯s features were relatively delicate (as was common for most of the elf species) and had dark skin, though Q noticed that his eyes irises were yellow and his sclera was black. His cloak hid the rest of his body, but remembering the battle, Q knew that he had his crossbows hidden under there somewhere. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Nice to meet you. Though, if I can¡¯t call you Sal, is it okay if I call you Corn?¡± Q grinned. ¡°Wha-?¡± Before Sal¡¯ Karn could properly respond, Magnus stepped in and introduced himself as well. ¡°I am Magnus, a level 24 arcanus mage, soon to be a grand wizard of immense power!¡± His eyes glowed slightly as he talked. An arcanus huh? If I remember correctly that¡¯s a subspecies of human that¡¯s highly attuned to magic. Q looked closer at his body and saw that there were light pulses of blue that travelled through his body periodically. He also had an incredibly long beard, with aged facial features, though Q felt that the person himself wasn¡¯t nearly that old. ¡°It seems that I am last then. I am Sir Albert Welfring the third, level 25 knight, at your service.¡± Sir Albert Saluted. He didn¡¯t look much different from when Q first saw him, as he was quite tall, and still kept a muscular, rugged body. The only difference now was that he was now wearing shiny metal armor, which sort of annoyed Q since it reflected light everywhere (especially into her eyes). ¡°Nice to meet all of you. I¡¯m Kukis, a level 24 human¡­ with no class. Though I do use some potions every now and then. Oh, and if you call me Violet Snack¡­¡± She pulled out a vial of green liquid, ¡°You¡¯ll get to test my newest creations.¡± Kukis let out an eerie smile, which sent chills down the backs of Sir Albert¡¯s team. ¡°I¡­ I am Brie, a level 25 mouse-kin, also with no class.¡± Brie didn¡¯t say much else and moved behind Q, who then introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯m Q, level 24 fox-kin with no class.¡± ¡°R-really? None of you have a class yet?¡± Sir Albert looked at the three incredulously. ¡°You can get one by level ten, and the class quests aren¡¯t that difficult either!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really feel like it.¡± Q shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Foria didn¡¯t have the classes that I was looking for.¡± Kukis also shrugged her shoulders. ¡°What is this ¡®class¡¯, of which you speak? Is it similar to classes at school?¡± Brie asked. ¡°Ah shoot, I forgot to tell you about classes. You see¡­¡± Kukis began explaining what classes were to Brie. Once the players had all properly introduced themselves, they began talking more and got to know each other a little better. Their topics varied, as they talked about their team compositions, player builds, and other things related to the game. While Q was talking to Sir Albert about the Daring and Dangerous group, a window appeared in front of her with a *ding*. [Attention - an administrator wishes to speak privately with you.] For a moment Q was surprised to see the message, but eventually shrugged her shoulders and accepted the call. *Inside a T.W.O monitoring room* ¡°Ah, finally connected.¡± A man sitting in front of multiple computer screens smiled. The largest screen changed to show an image of Q in a white room, who was looking around herself in confusion. ¡°Uh¡­ Hello?¡± Q continued to look around the room. ¡°Hi there, Q.¡± The man said. ¡°Sorry for talking to you on such short notice, but we¡¯ll be done soon hopefully.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem, though why am I in this white room?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a special ¡®area¡¯ where time goes by normally. I couldn¡¯t talk to you while you were going three times faster than I was after all.¡± ¡°Makes sense. So what¡¯s this about?¡± ¡°Well basically everyone at the company was quite impressed with your performance back in the town of Foria. If you¡¯d give us permission, we¡¯d like to use footage straight from your game pod and use it in some of our promotional videos.¡± Q was about to say something, but the man interrupted her first. ¡°-Of course, you wouldn¡¯t be doing it for free. You would instantly receive 100 fame, and an extra point for every 10000 views our video receives.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of fame.¡± After a moment of pause, she continued. ¡°Sure, I have no problem doing this. Though I¡¯m not sure how to send you guys the video.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all automatically done by our side. Though we¡¯ll only be taking footage from the event battle in Foria, is there anything in particular you don¡¯t want us to share?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ not really. So is that everything?¡± ¡°Yup, that¡¯s all. Thanks for agreeing to this Q. You¡¯ll get your rewards once the video is released to the public.¡± ¡°Okay. See ya!¡± Q disappeared from the white room. ¡°She accepted that far more easily than I thought. Some of the other people took far more effort to convince¡­¡± The man was taken out of his thoughts when he heard a sound and saw that Cim was on one of the screens. ¡°Sir, you have been requested to talk to another player regarding the promotional video.¡± ¡°Ugh. Again?¡± *Back inside the game* ¡°Q! You¡¯re back!¡± Sir Albert exclaimed. ¡°Yeah¡­ I was talking to an admin for a bit. Sorry about that.¡± Q scratched her cheek. ¡°That¡¯s quite alright, though I must say it was quite disconcerting when you turned into a ball of light.¡± ¡°I did what?¡± ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. What was the admin talking to you about?¡± Kukis asked. ¡°Oh, he was just-¡± *SQUEEEAAALLLLL* Q was interrupted by an incredibly loud scream, and all the players were greeted with a window that appeared in front of them. [The Boars are on a rampage!] - The excessive hunting of boars has caused a new monster to appear! While this monster is active, boars will spawn twice as fast, and have their stats doubled. The monster will naturally despawn after a week. ¡°It seems that¡¯s what happens when the monster population gets too low, huh?¡± Kukis muttered. ¡°Yes, although I do say, the other players must be quite stupid to excessively hunt boars even after receiving that notice from the system update.¡± Brie shook her head in disdain. ¡°Yeah¡­ and it looks like we get a closeup look at this new monster.¡± Q said while looking at the forest to their right. The trees began swaying violently as the ground shook beneath their feet. The players all prepared themselves to meet whatever comes forward, and soon enough the trees parted, revealing the source of the sound. [Grand Boar Matriarch] - Level 75
A/N: I feel like I''m writing mini-blogs when I write these So yeah, I think I have to release these chapters on Sunday now, because I''m getting really busy. And... well not much else to say. But I do have to say, 400+ followers now! Thanks for reading everyone. P.S: Thanks to kilaske990 for the review! Fun-fact: True World Online was called that because... I wanted to have a cool acronym. >.> Chapter 028 - Field Boss The Matriarch was a hulking beast, at least two stories tall with sharp fangs that jutted out for almost one meter. Its fur was covered in deep ripple patterns, and its eyes shone with a cruel ruby glow. The Matriarch wasn¡¯t alone either as there were almost 50 boars milling around it, each of them stomping on the ground impatiently. Each boar was at least level 20, and were much larger than they normally were. ¡°...I don¡¯t think we can fight that.¡± Q was already taking a few steps backwards. ¡°I second that notion.¡± Kukis moved to the back of the group. ¡°Hmph. A challenge like this is exactly what I was looking for!¡± Sir Albert stepped to the front and put on a brave face, but Q noticed that his sword was trembling. ¡°For now, let¡¯s not provoke them okay?¡± Celinus was already preparing a spell to cast just in case. Strangely enough, the boars didn¡¯t make a move towards the players and simply glared at them. A few of the boars seemed just about ready to charge forward, but a single grunt from the matriarch caused them to back down. For a good minute, this staring contest continued until another group of players approached the area. There were at least 30 players in this group, and though most of them seemed to be groups of parties, a large majority were wearing dark clothes and black mantles. ¡°There it is! Let¡¯s take it down for some amazing loot!¡± One player with a large greatsword said. ¡°Leif¡­ are you sure we¡¯ll be fine against them? I¡¯m not sure if this many people will cut it¡­¡± ¡°Come on Frey, everyone can take on two boars, and then we can finish off the matriarch after.¡± While most of the players braced themselves for the upcoming battle, one of the dark clothed men called out to Q¡¯s group. ¡°Hey, are you guys going to co-operate as well?¡± Before anyone on their side could say something, Q instantly yelled out, ¡°No!¡± and folded her arms. The man seemed a little dissatisfied but didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further, though Q noticed that a few of the dark clothed men were constantly keeping an eye on them. ¡°Miss Q? What are you doing? This is a great opportunity to work together to bring down this boss!¡± Sir Albert seemed shocked at Q¡¯s decision. ¡°It¡¯s also a great opportunity to get killed.¡± Q frowned. ¡°Q¡­ you mean to say that defeating the matriarch is not a good idea?¡± Brie scrunched her eyebrows together. ¡°Obviously not.¡± Q continued to watch the boars which were still waiting in place. ¡°...It¡¯s because of the ecology, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sal¡¯ Karn suddenly spoke up. Q nodded. ¡°Yeah. Though there are also other reasons, defeating this boss would most likely lead to the extinction of the boars in this area. What will the new players hunt when they get here? Rabbits? Then what happens if a special boss appears and they kill it, causing the rabbits to become extinct?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s better to leave them alone and allow the population to get back to normal before hunting them again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± Sir Albert seemed to cool down a bit as he considered the consequences of defeating the matriarch. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not all either. First of all, I don¡¯t think that anyone over there has experience in working in a large group. I also have no doubt that the matriarch can kill us in one hit, so I¡¯d rather just stay back and hope not to get noticed.¡± ¡°Hrmph. I could probably take on three hits.¡± Baldur seemed to be fearless as he cracked his knuckles and looked towards the boars. ¡°Enough talk, it seems the fight is about to begin.¡± Sal¡¯ Karn reminded everyone of the real issue at hand, and they all moved to a large hill to watch over the battle. A gentle breeze blew by and lifted up Q¡¯s hair slightly, and causing it to shimmer a bit in the afternoon sun. Sir Albert saw this, and as if not to be outdone he decided to bring his sword out and stood tall to make a pose. Unfortunately light bounced off his armor and sword, blinding everyone in the nearby surroundings. Not only that, but the light also hit one of the boars eyes, blinding it and causing it to stumble. Once the boar fell over, the matriarch immediately squealed and every single boar began to charge towards the large group of players. The Matriarch itself stood in the same place though, still glaring at the group of players. For a moment the players were caught off guard, but they quickly made evasive maneuvers and began to engage the boars. ¡°...Of all the things you could have done...¡± Q let out a disappointed sigh while she watched the chaos occur. ¡°Uh...¡± Sir Albert quietly sheathed his sword and looked for a patch of shade to sit in. Meanwhile, the players were scrambling and struggling to form back up into their groups. For the most part they were able to get away unscathed, but a few unlucky players were trampled by the group of boars and were promptly killed. By now there was less than 30 players, and the rest began to attack the boars in some way or another. ¡°[Earth Lance]!¡± ¡°[Heavy Slash]!¡± ¡°[Barrier]!¡± Many buffs and attacks were used by the players, and they were able to take down two or three boars before they turned around and began to charge again. While most players moved out of the direction of the charge, some of the more daring ones decided to stay close and took a few swipes at the boars on the outside edges. This pattern repeated, and the boars numbers were slowly being whittled down. The initial group of fifty slowly dwindled down to forty, and the players got into a steady rhythm of attacking and retreating. ¡°Huh. They¡¯re working together a lot better than I thought they would.¡± Q laid down on the ground and propped her head up with her hands. ¡°Of course they would. You might not know it since you sort of crashed the event battle, but these players were undergoing some intense group training; us included.¡± Celinus smiled. ¡°I can still remember the instructors struggling to keep Albert and Sal in line¡­¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Oh? That sounds kind of interesting.¡± Kukis urged Celinus to continue. ¡°Hehehe. Well, Albert here would always insist on charging forth into battle and never stayed in proper formation for too long. Anytime we¡¯d practice with monsters out in the field, he would always be the first to run ahead and start hacking away. Sal on the other hand, he was a different kind of problem.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Sal¡¯ Karn made a displeased face but didn¡¯t insist any further. ¡°Whenever the instructors would tell us to do something, Sal would always insist on doing it another way. He was always saying things like, ¡®That¡¯s inefficient, we should strike them here¡¯ or, ¡®Everyone is too slow. You all need more training!¡¯ Needless to say, the instructors were less than pleased with his words.¡± ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve had a lot to deal with.¡± Q chuckled. ¡°You have no idea. All of these boys are so rowdy, it gets tiring keeping them in line sometimes.¡± ¡°Oy, the matriarch is doing something.¡± Baldur returned their attention to the battle, and they watched as the matriarch began to move. With each step it took, the ground shook a little, and it began to speed up gradually. The players noticed this and used a few ranged attacks on it, but none of them seemed to affect it. Arrows bounced off its hard fur, and magic didn''t even cause it to flinch. A large health bar appeared above its head though, but there was almost no discernible damage. Despite the attacks being ineffective, it seemed that the matriarch became incredibly angry and let out a loud squeal before charging towards the players. While most moved out of the way long before it began to charge, the few daring players decided to stay behind to get in a few hits. This was a mistake though, as when the matriarch approached the ground shook beneath their feet, breaking their balance and leaving them open to get hit. The matriarch lowered its tusks and hit the players, causing them to disappear into particles of light on impact. ¡°Th-... that w-was a one-hit k-kill¡­¡± Celinus stammered. ¡°Yeah. Aren¡¯t you glad we didn¡¯t fight that thing?¡± Q smiled wryly while continuing to keep an eye on the matriarch¡¯s movements. ¡°...Maybe. The players still have a chance though. If they constantly dodge and attack the matriarch after it finishes its charge¡­¡± Sal¡¯ Karn began to speak, but then trailed off once he saw what the matriarch did next. Rather than slow down and turn around like the other boars did once they finished their charges, the matriarch made a slight hop and then began sliding on the ground sideways. This motion allowed it to maneuver itself so that it could face the players, and it began charging again. ¡°Did¡­ did that boar just drift!?¡± Kukis watched dumbstruck at the spectacle. ¡°An interesting tactic, to say the least.¡± Brie seemed to be impressed by the matriarch¡¯s movements as she watched on intently. At this point, the players were completely panicking and ran in all directions in an effort to avoid the boars¡¯ charge. Those who were targeted by the matriarch were the unluckiest, as they lost their balance once it approached, and then promptly got trampled. The other boars were also going after the players at the same time, and began running over each of them. As the players were killed off one by one, they eventually decided to retreat. The matriarch wouldn¡¯t let them off so easily though, as it dug its tusks into the ground and then brought them up with great force. Large chunks of earth were sent flying and crashed down onto the players, burying them and killing them on impact. Once all the players died, the matriarch let out a triumphant squeal, and then looked over at Q¡¯s group. For a moment, everyone froze up as they didn¡¯t want to make any movements to attract the matriarch¡¯s attention. Luckily for them, the matriarch seemed to lose interest and snorted, gathered all the remaining boars and returned back into the forest. After the matriarch left, everyone let out a sigh of relief and relaxed. ¡°That was really scary!¡± Kukis exclaimed. ¡°Aye, I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes.¡± Baldur seemed to lose his confidence from earlier. ¡°Even though it''s just a game, I have to admit, that was pretty scary¡­¡± Sal'' Karn frowned as he imagined what might have happened if the matriarch decided to attack them. ¡°So¡­ shall we continue our journey then?¡± Sir Albert returned to the group. ¡°Yeah, let''s get a move on.¡± Q nodded, and they began walking to the direction of the Forest of Fog¡­ *Back in Foria''s square* A flash of light appeared in the square, and it faded away to reveal a cute girl. A pair of female players idling in the square noticed this, and began talking once the girl appeared. ¡°Woah¡­ who is that girl? She looks so cute!¡± ¡°Do you think she''s a new player?¡± The girl who appeared seemed to hear their words and began to approach them. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± The girl''s voice was incredibly soft and melodious, and caused the players to relax a little. ¡°Hello. What''s your name?¡± ¡°I am¡­ Phanos. Pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°A-ah, the pleasure¡¯s mine.¡± Phanos smiled at her words, and proceeded to ask a question. ¡°Would you two lovely ladies happen to know a player named Brie?¡±
Emerald''s Ramblings: That''s what I''ve decided to call these now. Sorry about missing a chapter last week. The entity known as RL-chan wanted Emerald-senpai to notice her. This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but eh. Also, if you expected Q to go in balls-blazing, I''m sorry to have broken your expectations. Fun-fact: Megaman X5''s bosses names were all references to Guns n'' Roses (done by the translator). Extra: Thanks to Ivanator The Great for the review :) Chapter 029 - Under the Stars After watching the group of players get decimated by the matriarch, the group continued on their way towards the Forest of Fog. For the most part they rarely encountered any enemies, but those they did encounter were taken down quickly. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Brie was currently staring at something in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s up Brie?¡± Q asked. ¡°I have a friend request from a user named ¡®Phanos¡¯. Should I accept it?¡± ¡°Do you know the person?¡± ¡°I do not know anyone by that name, though it could be the person I have been waiting for¡­¡± ¡°Waiting for?¡± Q was curious for a moment, but didn¡¯t question Brie any further. ¡°Well, if you just want to figure out who it is then you can add them as a friend, and if you don¡¯t know them you can remove them afterwards.¡± ¡°Really? Then that is what I shall do.¡± Brie began making some gestures in front of her, and soon enough her face lit up as she began ¡®typing¡¯ with increased speed. ¡°I take it that it was the person you were waiting for?¡± ¡°Yes, though it seems their level is too low right now, so we cannot meet up immediately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I was looking forward to seeing what kind of person could be your friend.¡± Q smiled, imagining all sorts of people who could possibly make friends with Brie. ¡°F-friend? Yes... I suppose that is true.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this about Brie¡¯s friends?¡± Kukis approached the two and asked. ¡°Apparently Brie has friends in real life.¡± Q grinned. ¡°*gasp* No way! You mean to tell me, that this prideful, arrogant and anti-social girl actually has friends!?¡± Kukis covered her mouth in mock surprise and looked over at Brie. ¡°Really now, you two¡­¡± Brie didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, and ended up letting out a defeated sigh. ¡°Well hey, would you look at that. She¡¯s actually learned to take a joke now!¡± Q smiled. ¡°Check that off the ¡®Make Brie Social Again¡¯ list.¡± ¡°Nn¡­ If you two go too far with your jokes, I will get angry.¡± Brie put her arms on her hips and tried to look cross. The three girls went silent for a few seconds, but then quickly burst out into laughter. ¡°So this is the rumored ¡®girl talk¡¯...¡± Sir Albert looked back at the trio who were laughing and joking around with each other. ¡°To think that the mysterious realm we could never imagine, is right here in front of our eyes¡­¡± Magnus seemed to be deeply moved as his hand moved to cover his eyes. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s quite the blessing that we can even talk with girls. Especially since we don¡¯t know any girls ourselves.¡± Baldur chuckled to himself. ¡°Hey! Are you implying that i¡¯m not a girl?!¡± Celinus looked at Baldur and gave him a hard death stare. Sal¡¯ Karn watched this and simply shook his head, muttering ¡°Idiot¡­¡± under his breath. The group continued to walk until the sun began to sink past the horizon. ¡°Everyone! We will stop here for today and make camp, then resume our journey at first light!¡± Sir Albert declared, and everyone besides Q¡¯s group began moving. ¡°What can we do to help?¡± Q asked Sir Albert. ¡°Hmm¡­ if you¡¯ve brought your own tents, you can begin setting those up. Do not hesitate to call upon us if you need assistance!¡± Sir Albert looked quite determined when he said that. ¡°Besides that, you can help us with preparing dinner. Only Celinus and Sal¡¯ Karn have obtained the cooking skill, and according to them a meal becomes more delicious the more cooks there are.¡± ¡°Huh, that sounds interesting. So who wants to cook, and who wants to set up camp?¡± Q looked at Brie and Kukis. ¡°I¡¯d like to cook.¡± Kukis raised her hand. ¡°I¡­ will also cook.¡± Brie added afterwards. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t enjoy cooking. Did you change your mind?¡± Kukis raised an eyebrow. ¡°It is not like I particularly dislike cooking but¡­¡± Brie seemed to be reminiscing about her first experience cooking. ¡°Well, it is mainly because I do not know how to set up camp.¡± ¡°Is that all it was? Come on, I¡¯ll teach you how to set up camp.¡± Q began bringing out the items from her inventory, and showed Brie how to set up a tent. Baldur and Sir Albert returned from gathering firewood, and they soon had a decent fire going in the center of their camp. The group continued to prepare their items, and soon enough everyone was settled down and sitting in front of the fire. ¡°Ahh¡­ Good food, a warm fire, and sleeping underneath the stars¡­ Truly, this is the essence of adventuring with companions!¡± Sir Albert exclaimed. ¡°Yeah, though looking up at the sky really reminds you that this is a different world¡­¡± Q said while looking up. The night sky was filled with twinkling stars, each one shining brightly. The most striking things in the sky though, was two moons -one red and one blue- and they were close enough to see some details on it with their naked eyes. ¡°Are you saying the fact that we¡¯re in different bodies, can use magic, and fight monsters wasn¡¯t enough to remind you that we¡¯re in a different world?¡± Kukis chuckled. ¡°Well no, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m amazed, you know? I mean¡­ we¡¯re able to experience a different world... technology sure has come a long way huh?¡± Q closed her eyes and let out a sigh. ¡°Truly, this is a wondrous world. Perhaps even the¡­ True World? Hahaha!¡± Sir Albert laughed heartily. ¡°That¡¯s great and all, but I think we should be getting some sleep by now. I¡¯ll take first watch.¡± Sal¡¯ Karn reminded everyone of the late time, and they all began heading back to their tents. Just as everyone was about to leave the fire, Brie asked a question which made everyone freeze. ¡°Instead of spending a night in this world, is it not easier to logout and pass the time in the real world?¡± She asked innocently. ¡°Th- that¡¯s¡­¡± Sir Albert was at a loss for words. For a while, the camp was filled with silence before Q spoke up. ¡°You just don¡¯t get it do you Brie?¡± Q put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°This is the sense of adventure that Sir Albert was talking about. It¡¯s like camping, you know? Also, there aren¡¯t any bugs around which automatically makes it 10 times better than camping in real life.¡± ¡°I- I see¡­¡± Brie gently pushed Q¡¯s hand away from her. ¡°Let us get some rest then.¡± Each player went to their tent, and proceeded to get some sleep. Although Q¡¯s tent was in the same area as Brie and Kukis, she decided to move it farther away as she still had some reservations about sleeping near girls. As she lay down, she idly wondered about how sleeping in the game would affect her body in real life before slipping away into unconsciousness. ***** ¡°Psst, Q. Wake up Q.¡± Kukis whispered as she gently shook Q. ¡°Mmm¡­ Is it our turn for watch?¡± Q let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes. ¡°Yup. I¡¯ll be at the campfire.¡± Kukis got up and left. Q got up and stretched her body out before slowly making her way to the campfire. Though I¡¯m kind of tired, I feel strangely refreshed. Is it because of the fatigue meter being filled? Once she was at the campfire, she managed to catch Baldur and Magnus as they were leaving to go to sleep. (A/N: I know that the whole ¡®fatigue meter¡¯ thing isn¡¯t cleared up yet, but I¡¯ll go back to fix it up eventually.) The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Hey Q, I think Kukis is making some drink for you right now. There¡¯s also a pile of sticks beside the fire to keep it going.¡± Magnus yawned. ¡°Make sure to not let the fire die out.¡± Baldur noted. ¡°It increases the chance of enemies appearing.¡± ¡°Can do.¡± Q saluted them. ¡°Have a nice nap you two.¡± As they left for their tents, Q approached Kukis who was holding out a cup. ¡°Here you go, it¡¯s hot chocolate.¡± Kukis said as she passed the cup to Q. ¡°Thanks.¡± Q said while taking a sip. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s nice. But when did you find the chance to get ingredients to make hot chocolate?¡± ¡°Eh, I got them here and there.¡± Kukis waved her hand nonchalantly. ¡°Though some of the ingredients are substitutes from this world.¡± ¡°Oooh~.¡± Q raised her voice in admiration. ¡°That must have taken a long time to create. How many tries did it take to refine it into this?¡± ¡°It took about seven times to get the ingredients right, and four times to get the precise measurements for them. Also, it didn¡¯t take too long to get it to taste like this. I¡¯ve been taking chemistry classes for a while now, so I already have quite a bit of experience with this kind of stuff... Ah crap!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Q jumped a little when Kukis raised her voice. ¡°I forgot to work on my project! I¡¯ll be back in one, no, two hours. Sorry about this Q.¡± ¡°Ahahah. Don¡¯t worry about it Cookie. I got this.¡± Q grinned seeing Kukis¡¯ flustered face. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Kukis said as she logged out. ¡°Hmm¡­ this is some good hot chocolate.¡± Q took another sip. For a moment she felt quite content sitting and watching the fire, when she suddenly felt a cold breeze blow by. ¡°*Brrrrr* I should have brought my blanket here¡­ Oh wait, I have something better.¡± Q brought her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her tail around herself. She also spread her scarf as far as she could around herself, and continued to sip her hot chocolate. With warmth spreading through her body, she continued to keep the fire going while occasionally looking at her surroundings. Seriously¡­ this world is amazing. I couldn¡¯t have imagined something this big seven years ago. I wonder if Sophie would have imagined this as well¡­ Not that I can ask her though. Looking up again at the stars, she let her mind wander. Would Sophie like this world? Actually, does Helen like this world? Oh wait, Helen! How could I forget? Q opened up her friends list and was about to add Helen, when she suddenly heard a faint rustling in the nearby bushes. She immediately got up and began straining each of her senses, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. For a while she heard nothing, but as she concentrated she began to hear slight movement just outside of their camp. What should I do? How do I wake up the others without alerting whatever¡¯s outside? She wondered. A sudden *ding* sound shocked her though, causing her to jump a little and look up in front of her. [New Skill] - Enhanced Hearing (Passive) Enhances your hearing range. That scared me¡­ They really need to change that. Q silently berated the game creators in her mind as she tried to think of something to do. ¡°You sure picked a wonderful time to leave me alone Kukis¡­¡± She muttered. With her new skill, she was able to pick up more sounds, and eventually closed her eyes in order to concentrate on them. As she was starting to ¡®feel¡¯ the amount of enemies, another *ding* sound occurred. [New Skill] - Sense Presence (Active, No Cost, 1 minute cooldown) Allows you to sense any presences nearby for 10 seconds. Range and duration increase with level of this skill. Okay, that was convenient, I guess. Q closed her eyes for a moment, as she contemplated her choices. I should probably try to slowly wake up everyone one by one¡­ Just as she thought this, she managed to catch a glimpse of whatever was in the dark, and what she saw surprised her a little. A black shadow with glinting red eyes stared back at her, and a name appeared above its head. [Shadow Wolf] - Level 20 That wasn¡¯t the only one though, as once the first one appeared, many more came out. Q counted at least ten before deciding to take action. Okay, screw the slow stealthy approach. Q opened her inventory and took out two pans. She inhaled deeply and raised the pans above her head, and then brought them clashing together while screaming, ¡°WAKE UP! ENEMY ATTACK!¡± Her words and the noise she made not only woke her companions, but also served to temporarily keep the wolves at bay as everyone got up. Strangely enough Brie was the first one to rush out of her tent, soon followed by Magnus and Baldur. Sir Albert and Sal¡¯ Karn came out soon after, half-dressed in their battle gear, while a grumbling Celinus came out last. ¡°...Who¡¯s interrupting my beauty sleep?¡± Celinus growled. ¡°Those guys.¡± Q pointed at the wolves. At first the wolves had backed off due to Q¡¯s spontaneous actions, but now that they were given some time they returned back into their formation and began circling around the players. ¡°Sal¡¯ Karn, how many are there?¡± Sir Albert asked as he finished putting on his armor. Sal¡¯ Karn closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them and answering, ¡°... at least fifteen.¡± ¡°Tch, to think we¡¯d be up against a wolf-pack on the first night. How unlucky are we?¡± Magnus¡¯ eyes darted around the place as he slowly began chanting a spell. ¡°Q, where is Kukis?¡± Brie looked around her for any sign of the purple-haired girl. ¡°She had something to take care of in real life, so we¡¯re stuck without her for now.¡± Q shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Up against a wolf-pack and down one member already¡­ this is going to be tough.¡± Baldur hefted his axe as he prepared to fight the wolves. ¡°We¡¯ll have to make do. All members, engage the enemy!¡± Q shouted as she grabbed a burning stick from the fire and ran forward. ¡°...She stole my line¡­¡± Sir Albert muttered as he also moved to engage the wolves.
Emerald''s Ramblings: Getting attacked while sleeping at camp is terrible. *Darkest Dungeon flashbacks* This is released a bit earlier because reasons. Anywho, Some of you may or may not have noticed that I stopped ''updating'' the previous chapters, and I''ve just decided to wait until the next update the site is doing. Also, do any of you read mangos or watch animu? A personal recommendation of mine is Tasogare Otome X Amnesia. It''s a story about a ghost girl, and a boy who can see her, filled with mystery, romance, drama, comedy... well if you search it up you''ll get a general idea of what it''s about. That''s all for today folks. Fun-fact: One of the fastest fish in the world is the Sailfish, with an average speed of 109 kph (or 68mph) Extra: Thanks to Squirrelk for the review. Chapter 030 - Wolf Pack Once the battle began, Sir Albert¡¯s team quickly got into their positions, with Sir Albert and Baldur in the front, Sal¡¯ Karn in the center, and Magnus and Celinus in the back. Q and Brie decided to take a position between Sal¡¯ Karn and Magnus/Celinus, and the whole group gathered at the fireplace, while keeping an eye on the wolves who were surrounding them. ¡°Stay near the fire!¡± Magnus yelled as he shot out a fireball at a group of wolves. ¡°You don¡¯t want to get caught fighting in the darkness.¡± Once he finished speaking, the fireball landed and created an explosion of flames on the ground. Though most of the wolves he aimed at dodged the fireball, the rest were hit directly and were dealt decent damage while getting the [Burned] status. The other members were doing what they could to keep the wolves at bay. Sir Albert and Baldur were side by side, swinging their weapons in wide arcs to keep the wolves from approaching, while Sal¡¯ Karn hid behind them and fired his crossbows at the wolves. While Sir Albert and Baldur did take some damage from the wolves, they ignored most of it since it hadn¡¯t damaged them that badly. Q and Brie however, had chosen to stay near Magnus and Celinus in order to protect them when needed. ¡°[Enchant - Defence]!¡± Celinus cast her spell and a yellow aura appeared around each of the party members. ¡°This will only last for 5 minutes okay? And it took a bit more than a quarter of my mana, so make good use of this!¡± She told Q and Brie as she began preparing another spell. ¡°Gotcha. [Tri-Spark]!¡± Three bolts of lightning flew from Q¡¯s finger tips and directly hit a wolf on the head. The wolf became [Stunned] and froze in place for a moment, and Q simply said, ¡°Brie!¡± Brie immediately understood and dashed towards the wolf, attacking its vital spots and finishing it off within seconds. ¡°These wolves are not much of a challenge¡­¡± Brie frowned as she searched for another wolf to attack. ¡°That¡¯s because they have yet to group up. We need to take out as many as we can before they do so, or else it¡¯ll be troublesome later.¡± Magnus said as he cast another spell. ¡°[Firewall]!¡± A giant wall of flames erupted all around Magnus and Celinus, and the two looked over at Q and Brie. ¡°Don¡¯t mind us, we can protect ourselves. Just go out and take ¡®em down!¡± Celinus said as she pointed her staff over where Sir Albert was fighting. ¡°[Light Regeneration]!¡± Sir Albert¡¯s health began to slowly fill up, and he took a second to look back and flash a smile before continuing to fight off the wolves. Q and Brie exchanged a look, and they both ran out of the formation, set on wreaking as much havoc as they could. For the most part, the wolves were fairly easy to deal with for the two girls, as their speed was higher than the wolves and they were able to dodge with relative ease. Within a few seconds, the two of them stood back-to-back, surrounded by six wolves who had broken off from the main group to attack them. Sal¡¯ Karn noticed this, and just as he was about to say something to the other members to help them out, the two girls began to move. The two were completely in sync, moving together as if they had one body. Where Q would use a spell, Brie would instantly follow up with a stab from her sword. When Brie locked down a wolf, Q would push away whatever was engaging her to help Brie take down the wolf. At one point they even began to mix their attacks together, as the two stood on opposite sides of a wolf and knocked it back and forth with their attacks. Within a minute, they were able to take down the six wolves, and moved to rejoin the group. Baldur whistled as he watched the two return to the fire. ¡°Looks like these roses have quite the thorns ¡®eh?¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Sal¡¯ Karn felt slightly embarrassed that he thought to help them earlier. ¡°A wonderful display of skills you two! But remember, the battle is yet to be won!¡± Sir Albert cried out as he comboed a wolf using his skills. ¡°[Staggering Blow], [Rising Uppercut], [Heavy Slash]!¡± His first attack made the wolf dizzy and disoriented, his second attack sent it flying into the air, and his third one hit the wolf with such force that it was blasted backwards at least 5 meters upon impact. ¡°Nice moves!¡± Q complimented Sir Albert. There were now less than 5 wolves around, and it seemed the wolves were just about ready to run away. For a moment, the group was contemplating going after the wolves, when they suddenly heard a loud howl. *AWOOOOOOOOO~!* Sal¡¯ Karn took in a sharp intake of breath. ¡°There are at least 20 enemies now!¡± He said, shocking everyone in the party. ¡°And that¡¯s not all¡­¡± He continued, ¡°We have a ¡®big one¡¯ coming towards us.¡± Everyone¡¯s grip on their weapons tightened, and soon enough they were able to see the source of the loud howl from earlier. [Alpha Shadow Wolf] - Level 30 The Alpha was only slightly larger than those of the normal wolves, but it had more muscles and darker fur than the rest. The most striking feature was a strange spiral horn sticking out of its head, which was pure black. Behind the Alpha were more than 20 wolves, each one growling and glaring at the players with hatred. ¡°Oooh boy, this is going to be a tough battle.¡± Celinus drank a mana potion and prepared another spell. The other members were similarly readying themselves to fight... all but one of them, that is. ¡°T-that fur¡­ those eyes¡­ Wolfy!?¡± Q cried out. The other players stared at her in confusion, but she continued to look hard at the Alpha. ¡°N-no, that can¡¯t be. I killed Wolfy already¡­ They probably just reused enemy models. Yeah, that¡¯s it. Hahaha.¡± Q tried to deny that the Alpha in front of her was the wolf she had faced in the tutorial, but she was still visibly shaken. No matter where she looked, the Alpha seemed incredibly similar to the wolf she faced in the tutorial, so much so that it even had scratch marks around its eyes. While Q was still confused, the Alpha noticed her and widened its eyes. Suddenly, a determined glint appeared in its eyes and it let out a loud howl. The rest of the wolves also howled, shaking the air and causing the players to cover their ears in an effort to protect themselves. A dark blue glow began to seep out from the Alpha¡¯s horn, and it seemed to cause a change in the other wolves as their red eyes slowly turned blue. Their fur also darkened, becoming incredibly hard to see in the darkness. The most surprising change though, was something that Q never thought she would see in this game. [Alpha Shadow Wolf (Wolfy)] - Level 35 ¡°Haha¡­ hahaha¡­ what the hell is this game...¡± She laughed weakly upon reading the name. The Alpha continued to glare at Q, and then barked at the other wolves. The other wolves parted to the sides, leaving a straight line leading right to the Alpha (Wolfy). The Alpha stood there, looking down on Q as it waited for her. ¡°Well if you insist that much, it''d be rude of me to refuse.¡± A smile slowly formed on Q¡¯s face. She turned to the others and said, ¡°Guys, leave the Alpha to me. We have some unfinished business.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can take it on alone?¡± Sir Albert asked worriedly. ¡°And what do you mean by unfinished business?¡± ¡°No time to explain! I''ll be going first!¡± Q ran forward to meet the Alpha. The Alpha similarly ran forward, and the two began slashing at each other with their claws. Their speeds were somewhat similar, though the Alpha had more speed when dashing forward, whereas Q would be faster with turning and dodging. Their first exchange of blows ended with both sides receiving a few slashes, though the Alpha came out on top due to its higher damage and defense. ¡°Geez Wolfy, you sure got quite the upgrade¡­¡± Q looked at her health bar which was reduced by 10%. The Alpha only responded with a growl, and the two began fighting again. Meanwhile, the other players had to deal with the rest of the pack, all of which were moving eerily slow. The only thing the players could make out were their glowing blue eyes, which flickered every time one of them blinked. This standoff lasted for a while, until Brie noticed something amiss. ¡°Are there¡­ less eyes than before?¡± She asked. ¡°One second¡­¡± Sal¡¯ Karn closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them in shock. ¡°There¡¯s less of them now! I don¡¯t know where they- CELINUS!!¡± Sal¡¯ Karn whipped his arm towards Celinus and fired a bolt in her direction. For a moment all the players were stunned until they saw what the bolt had hit. The upper half of a shadow wolf¡¯s body was emerging from a shadow behind Celinus, in a perfect position to bite her. After the bolt hit however, the wolf retreated back into the shadow and another pair of glowing eyes was added to the main pack. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Shadow jumping wolves¡­ these are level 20 creatures right? How is that fair this early in the game!?¡± Magnus complained. ¡°Actually, I think that blue aura caused them to jump to level 25¡­¡± Sir Albert noted. ¡°Stop gawking and help me get some light in this place!¡± Celinus cast [Lustrous Orb], creating a bright area around them. This proved to be a mistake though, as it elongated the shadows around them and allowed more wolves to appear, leaping with claws outstretched. One of the wolves bit down on Baldur¡¯s arm, but he simply grunted and slammed his arm on the ground, stunning the wolf and dealing damage. ¡°Come on you raggedy mutts! Show me what you¡¯ve got!¡± Baldur yelled. Suddenly, all of the wolves attention was directed at him, each of them growling menacingly as they began attacking Baldur. His body began to glow red, and he began swinging his axe with much more force than before. The wolves that were hit by his axe had their health reduced by at least a quarter, and were sent flying. ¡°RAAAAAAGGHHH!!!¡± Baldur let out a battle cry and jumped forward to attack the wolves. Magnus continued to cast fireballs at any large group of wolves, though sometimes he would use a spell called [Flamethrower] which created a stream of flames from his staff. Although the flames would keep the wolves at bay and reduced the amount of shadows they could jump from, the payoff was that it drained his mana quickly so he couldn¡¯t use it too often. Brie elected to stay beside Celinus, and fought off any wolves that approached her. Celinus decided to dispel [Lustrous Orb] and concentrated on buffing the party¡¯s defence, while also healing them when needed. At one point a wolf came in from Brie¡¯s blind spot, so Celinus cast a spell to protect her. ¡°[Shield of Light]!¡± A glowing shield made of bright light appeared behind Brie, and blocked the wolf¡¯s attack. Instead of thanking her, Brie frowned and said, ¡°That was unnecessary.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Celinus laughed weakly. ¡°You sure aren¡¯t friendly when your friends aren¡¯t around...¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Brie simply turned her head and continued to attack the wolves. The situation continued like this for at least a minute, and the players were slowly whittling down the number of wolves. There were now 18 wolves left, and those wolves decided to change their tactics. They stopped walking slowly, and instead began dashing around the players in a circle, only to disappear and reappear leaping from a shadow. There were now wolves dashing through the player''s formation, constantly scratching them as they ran by. One of the wolves managed to bite Magnus¡¯ robe, and began to drag him away from the others. ¡°HEEEELLPP!!!!¡± He screamed as he was dragged off into the darkness. ¡°Oh jeez¡­¡± Celinus began rapidly chanting a spell. ¡°Spirits of the void, heed my call and create a sphere that will reject all. [Repel Sphere]!¡± A clear translucent barrier appeared around Magnus and pushed away all the wolves trying to attack him. The wolves tried to break the barrier with their fangs and claws, but were unsuccessful and got pushed away by an invisible force. Once the sphere appeared around him, Magnus finally calmed down a bit. ¡°T-thanks for the save. That was really scary¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not safe yet!¡± Sir Albert yelled. ¡°I¡¯m making my way towards you! [Valiant Charge]!!!¡± Sir Albert was covered with a bright aura and began making a headlong dash towards Magnus. The wolves attempted to scratch and bite Sir Albert, but he ignored them and continued his charge. Any wolves which were in his way were knocked aside, and any that latched onto him were quickly shaken off by his speed. Soon enough, Sir Albert was able to reach Magnus, and just in time as well, as Celinus¡¯ [Repel Sphere] finally wore out. Once the sphere disappeared the wolves began to run towards Magnus, but Sir Albert began shouting out insults. ¡°Your blue eyes look stupid! You¡¯re as threatening as a newborn puppy! Your fur isn¡¯t as nice as Q¡¯s!¡± Each successive insult caused more wolves to pay attention to Sir Albert, and the last one seemed to really anger them as they all charged at Sir Albert. Once he was surrounded on all sides, he extended his sword as far away from his body as he could, and said, ¡°[Whirlwind Slash]!¡± Sir Albert spun on the spot, his sword flashing and moving in a circle to cut all the wolves surrounding him. In addition to that, a strong gust of wind also accompanied the slash, knocking down the wolves which werent hit by his sword. ¡°Thanks for the assist.¡± Magnus nodded in thanks. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for my time to shine. Spirits of fire, heed my call! Gather in the skies, and become my enemy¡¯s downfall! Burn brightly, and-¡± ¡°-Please make your chant faster.¡± Sir Albert interrupted, noticing that the wolves were starting to get up. Magnus shot him a dirty look, but rushed through the rest of the chant and then finished with, ¡°[Fire Storm]!¡± Giant globs of fire began falling from the sky, raining down on the wolves. This spell alone actually managed to kill 7 wolves before ending, and the remaining wolves became incredibly wary. ¡°Reckless as usual¡­¡± Sal¡¯ Karn suddenly appeared beside the two and began firing bolts at the wolves to keep them at bay. ¡°One must never abandon a comrade in need!¡± Sir Albert looked quite accomplished, despite having his health taken down to one third from that reckless move. Suddenly, a large axe flew forward and hit a wolf which was hiding in a nearby shadow. ¡°Enemies are still around. Keep your wits about you!¡± Baldur ran forward and retrieved his axe, and went back to attacking the wolves. With Magnus safe, the players returned to the fireplace to regroup. They resumed their initial formation, though they were a lot closer so none of them would be dragged off by a wolf. They went back to their usual pattern of slowly whittling down the wolves, when suddenly a bright flash appeared in the nearby woods. After the flash faded away, the wolves eyes stopped glowing blue, and went back to red. Additionally, their levels reverted to 20 and they couldn¡¯t jump through the shadows anymore. ¡°What just happened?¡± Sal¡¯ Karn seemed wary, but he was secretly rejoicing inside as he didn¡¯t have to deal with the wolves jumping through shadows anymore. ¡°I think¡­ Q must have done something.¡± Brie looked towards the forest. I hope she is alright¡­ ¡°Let us take this opportunity to finish off these wolves before moving to help out Miss Q.¡± Sir Albert slashed at a wolf and began to combo it with his skills. The rest of the party members agreed, and they began finishing off the wolves...
Alternate Chapter Title: Return of the Alpha: Wolfy¡¯s Revenge Pt.3 - A Fated Reunion Well... I don''t have a lot to say about this chapter. I figure most of you will be asking "How the heck did Wolfy come back?" and that will be explained soon (like 2 more chapters later soon) so y''know... just be patient? Anyway, I''d like to thank Moridain and Dromak for their reviews. And while I''m at it, I''d like to thank everyone who''s following this fiction, rated this fiction, and those who also gave me a +1 Reputation (I have no idea how that works but thanks). I mean seriously, 500+ followers! I''m not sure how many ratings there were, but it''s probably a lot! (Edit: I went back to the fiction page and somehow didn''t notice the "Total Ratings" part. I feel stupid.) So basically what I''m trying to say is, thanks everyone. Now with that sappy stuff out of the way, I''d like to share something with you all... Spoiler : That''s right! More Q Fanart! This one was sent in by Yuki Ookami, so give them a round of applause! Fun-fact: The average person blinks 15-20 times per minute. Chapter 031 - Harder, Better, Faster, Softer While Sir Albert¡¯s group (+ Brie) were taking on the wolf pack, Q and the Alpha changed their battle location to the nearby woods. Q entered first by diving through some underbrush, and the Alpha followed soon after. What was waiting on the other side though, was a flaming bullet Q had cast! The Alpha was hit by the spell head-on, and a bit of its health was chipped off. The Alpha was stopped for a second as it shook off the flames from the spell, then began searching for Q. It growled and sniffed the air, tracking Q¡¯s scent. It was able to quickly locate Q just ahead, and began dashing in her direction. The distance between the two was closed quite quickly, but just as the Alpha lunged with jaws wide open, Q sent another flaming bullet down its throat. She also followed it up with a [Tri-Spark], and kicked off of the Alpha¡¯s head to gain some distance from it. The Alpha was now enraged, and ran after Q with renewed vigor. The Alpha tried to lunge towards Q again (with its claws this time), but Q met those claws with her dagger, and the two began pushing against each other. ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯m not the same old fox from the tutorial! [Tri-Spark]!¡± Bolts of electricity flew from Q¡¯s fingers and struck the Alpha in its stomach. The Alpha was unable to move as it had the [Stunned] status on it, and Q took this opportunity to increase their distance rather than deal more damage. I can¡¯t fight Wolfy head-on¡­ He¡¯ll tear me apart! Q thought, remembering their exchange with their claws from earlier. I just need to steadily whittle down his health, and then finish him afterwards. Q continued to run through the woods, firing her spells at the Alpha whenever they were off cooldown. The woods were incredibly dark, but due to the Alpha¡¯s glowing eyes she was still able to aim in its general direction. The amount of things Q could make out were low, but thanks to the moonlight shining in-between the branches above her, she was able to avoid anything on the ground that might have tripped her. On several occasions the Alpha was able to close the distance and attack Q, but she managed to dodge its attacks or hid behind a tree causing the Alpha to miss. The two continued to run through the forest, the Alpha slowly becoming more and more irritated as it was unable to land a direct hit on Q. Eventually it lost its patience and stopped in its tracks, and its horn began glowing with magical power. For a moment Q had also stopped moving, but quickly began running again once she saw its horn glowing. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m staying to find out what that does¡­ Suddenly, a loud sound exploded behind Q, and a powerful force hit her and sent her flying. She flew through the air and crashed into a tree and fell down, leaving her at less than half health. ¡°W-what the heck was that?¡± Q struggled to get up and saw that the ground in front of her had been gouged out. Searching for the source of what caused it, she found that the Alpha was at the end of the ruined ground, standing still and breathing heavily. ¡°Was that a charge attack? That¡¯s insane¡­¡± Just as Q picked herself off of the ground, the Alpha also recovered from its charge and faced Q again, running forward to attack her. Q rolled out of the way and the Alpha got its claws stuck in the tree that she had crashed into earlier. Q shot off some more spells, then began running away again. On the way she drank a health potion and placed her dagger in her belt, looking for a tree she could climb. Eventually she had found a branch low enough, so she jumped up and grabbed on, hoisting herself up as the Alpha just barely missed her. ¡°Hahaha¡­ this is kind of like the tutorial, isn¡¯t it? Though this time, I have magic!¡± Q smiled as she began firing spells from her high spot. The Alpha dodged most of the spells, though it was still hit by one or two. For a while, Q thought that she could probably just stay up there and beat the Alpha like this, when it¡¯s health went below 75%. The Alpha¡¯s eyes stopped glowing, and Q was no longer able to see where it was. Oh god, this is kind of scary¡­ Q strained her ears and tried to listen for any trace of it, but didn¡¯t hear anything. She decided to use the new [Sense Presence] skill she had recently obtained, and as soon as she did she felt a strong presence behind her! Whipping her head around, Q reacted just in time by bringing her hands up to her head just as the Alpha jumped out of the nearby shadows and attacked her. The Alpha was able to push Q off the branch, and the two fell off. As she was falling, Q twisted her tail and regained her balance, making sure that she was on top of the Alpha as they fell onto the ground. The Alpha didn¡¯t seem to mind the fall though, as it tried to bite Q¡¯s neck. At this point Q was exerting all of her strength to keep the Alpha¡¯s claws from scratching her, while the Alpha was also trying its hardest to bite her. The two¡¯s struggle caused them to move around, and they began rolling atop one another as they continued to fight to stay on top. Their rolling eventually brought them to a steep slope where the two finally broke free of one another, though they continued to roll down the slope. The first to get up was the Alpha, who immediately jumped at Q while she was down. Q responded by using her claws to dig into the ground and pull herself forward, allowing her to slide underneath the Alpha. Q continued with her forward momentum and made a somersault before landing on her feet and continuing to run away. She looked back to see if the Alpha was following her, but it had disappeared from her sight again so she used [Sense Presence] again to locate it. For the next ten seconds, Q was able to tell where the Alpha was jumping from, but after her skill wore off she was once again left with no idea as to where the Alpha had gone. I guess it¡¯s time to get super serious, huh? Q thought as she brought her knife back out. She narrowed her eyes and tensed her body, and the world seemed to slow down a little. At the same time she invoked [Ember] in order to get some light in the area. Even if it makes me easier to see, it doesn¡¯t matter since Wolfy always knows where I am¡­ With her preparations ready, she yelled out, ¡°Bring it on!¡± In response to her yell, the Alpha appeared from the shadows, leaping right at Q¡¯s back! Thanks to Q¡¯s enhanced hearing, she was able to hear the Alpha as soon as it appeared, and turned around to meet it. While she was turning, she yelled out ¡°[Magic Fist - Gust]!¡± and the spell combined with the [Ember] she had cast earlier, covering her fist in a cluster of flames. Q managed to time her attack perfectly, as her punch managed to hit the Alpha right in its jaw, dealing substantial damage and knocking the Alpha to the side. Q didn¡¯t stop there though, as she pounced on the Alpha, not wanting to let it disappear into the shadows again. Just as Q jumped, the Alpha was able to recover and move out of the way, dodging Q¡¯s stab. Seeing that the Alpha had managed to get away, Q decided to cast another [Tri-Spark] and dashed towards it. The Alpha jumped backwards and retreated quite a distance, then dug its claws into the ground. It crouched down and growled menacingly as its horn began to glow again. ¡°Another charge? Fine with me.¡± Q also lowered her body and prepared herself to meet the Alpha¡¯s charge. Last time the Alpha charged, Q had her back turned and was unprepared. This time she was fully aware of what was coming next, and was ready for it. Feeling far more confident with dealing with the charge this time, Q decided to taunt it a bit. ¡°Come on Wolfy, let¡¯s see if you can hit me this time.¡± She swung her tail back and forth while also making a ¡®come at me¡¯ gesture with her fingers. Seeing this display the Alpha decided to attack! For a moment Q was surprised at its speed, but quickly regained her composure. Now that she was facing the Alpha, she saw that the aura around the horn gathered to the point and sharpened, becoming as pointy as a needle. The Alpha then exerted force into its legs and dashed forward. As it ran, the aura around its horn began spinning and created a sort of ¡®drill barrier¡¯ which began gouging out the ground. Not yet¡­ not yet¡­ Q stood perfectly still as the Alpha got closer and closer. Once the two¡¯s distance was less than a few meters, Q muttered ¡°Toro, toro¡­¡± and then threw herself to the side while also swiping at the Alpha¡¯s eye. Her knife was stopped by the horn¡¯s aura though, and actually broke into pieces! Luckily Q herself was able to dodge the attack by a hairsbreadth, and seeing the Alpha¡¯s figure which ended up far ahead of her she happily said, ¡°Ol¨¦.¡± With the Alpha¡¯s movements temporarily sealed, Q took the opportunity to run up to it and attack! Now that her knife was gone, Q had no choice but to rely on her own body and spells to deal damage, so she began to employ them to their fullest extent. She used [Beast Within] and began to slash the Alpha rapidly. In between each of her attacks, she¡¯d use a spell whenever it was off cooldown. In this fashion Q was able to take down the Alpha¡¯s health to half before it started moving again. The Alpha backed away from Q, and returned to its previous crouching position. The Alpha growled as its horn began to power up again, and was covered in the dark blue aura. ¡°Hah,¡± Q sneered. ¡°I can dodge your charge, so it¡¯s usel- WHOA!¡± Q jumped backwards to avoid a wave of energy that was suddenly shot out from the horn. ¡°...Projectiles now, Wolfy?¡± Q looked at the Alpha with a disdainful expression while she shot out a flaming bullet. The Alpha dodged the spell and gave a look that seemed to say ¡°you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been shooting me the entire time¡±. The Alpha fired another wave and the two began to exchange their own ranged attacks. For the most part the Alpha was able to hit Q a few times as its attack range was quite large, but due to it not being concentrated Q didn¡¯t take a lot of damage. On the other hand Q almost didn¡¯t hit the Alpha at all, now that it was facing her and ready to dodge her spells. Grr¡­ I might have a lot of mana but at this rate I¡¯ll just run out while exchanging shots. I guess I have no choice but to use ¡®that¡¯ to break out of this deadlock! Q stopped shooting her spells, and began running in a large circle around the Alpha, constantly casting [Tri-Spark] when she had the chance and was close enough to hit. The Alpha was incredibly cautious at this point though, and everytime Q came within the distance of a few meters it would jump backwards. Seeing this, Q jumped backwards and began increasing her distance from the Alpha. For a moment the Alpha was confused, but gave chase anyway. Q disappeared into an underbrush, and just as the Alpha was going to jump in it hesitated. It clearly remembered what happened the last time it blindly jumped in, so instead it backed away from the underbrush and began charging its aura again. After a few seconds it fired out a powerful blast of energy, incomparable to the attacks it had made before. Once the blast had ended, the underbrush was completely destroyed alongside the things behind it. The Alpha looked at where the underbrush was, but became surprised to find that there was nothing on the other side! It looked around in confusion when it suddenly noticed a shimmering red light approaching from above! ¡°[Magic Fist - Arcane Overload]!¡± Q descended from a branch on a tree and punched the Alpha directly on its horn! If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. As her fist made contact, strong light emanated from it for a moment before gathering up and releasing a powerful blast of energy! The dark forest was illuminated with a bright light and a loud *snap* was heard as the Alpha¡¯s horn was shattered and broken off! At the same time the surroundings were blown away, leaving a large crater where Q and the Alpha stood on opposite sides. Q was on her knees, struggling to take a mana potion while she fought against the effects of having no mana. The Alpha on the other hand was howling in pain from having its horn shattered. The horn lay embedded in the ground in the center of the crater, and the blue aura which was emanating from it slowly faded away. The Alpha¡¯s health bar only had a quarter left, and it swayed back and forth unsteadily, but soon regained its senses and charged at Q! ¡°Ugh¡­ I just shattered your horn. Couldn¡¯t you stay down for a few seconds longer?¡± Q complained as she tried to dodge the Alpha¡¯s charge. Even though her mana was recovering, she was still slightly dizzy so she couldn¡¯t dodge the charge completely, and was caught on her shoulder. Letting out a grunt of pain, Q was sent flying backwards while the Alpha followed up with a bite on her arm. ¡°Agh!¡± Q gritted her teeth and aimed her free hand at the Alpha, casting all the spells she could. ¡°[Ember], [Gust], [Tri-Spark]!¡± Luckily for Q, her last spell managed to cause the [Stun] status on the Alpha which gave her an opportunity to separate herself from it. Q took a deep breath and reassessed the situation. My health is less than half, while there¡¯s only a quarter of my mana left¡­ and Wolfy¡¯s not going to give me a chance to use another potion¡­ She watched as the Alpha recovered from being stunned and leaped towards her. Okay, that means it¡¯s going to be a brutal melee battle! Letting out an excited grin, Q also jumped forward to meet its charge. The two began a terrifying exchange of high speed blows as they dashed around the crater. Q¡¯s attacks were slowly shaving off health from the Alpha, while the Alpha¡¯s attacks would rip out chunks of Q¡¯s health. The one thing that kept Q relatively safe though, was her armor, as it protected most of her vital spots. The only thing she had to be wary of was the Alpha biting any part of her body, as she¡¯d be rendered helpless if she was caught by its jaw again. In-between her attacks, Q would cast a spell every so often, and at one point she actually managed to inflict a [Burn] status effect using her [Ember] spell. Finally! It¡¯s about time this ring activated its ability! Q took a quick glance at the ruby ring on her finger. With the Alpha receiving extra damage over time, the battle gradually began to swing back into Q¡¯s favor and she redoubled her attacks. ***** ¡°The light came from over here!¡± Sal¡¯ Karn told the others as they ran through the forest. ¡°Though be careful, there might be other wolves hiding around, and I can¡¯t find them since my skill is on cooldown.¡± Each member nodded and they proceeded through the forest with increased vigilance. After the wolves lost their ability to jump through the shadows, the players had a far easier time dealing with them. They managed to dispatch the wolves in a few minutes, and were now heading to the forest where they last saw Q run into. ¡°I hear fighting! This way!¡± Sir Albert pointed towards the center of the forest. All the players began to make their way to the battlefield, and what they saw caused them to gasp in surprise. There was a deep crater in the center of the woods, and trees and shrubs were thrown about everywhere. Since the trees were cleared away, the moonlight was able to shine down and illuminate the two figures moving inside the crater. The fox-kin girl with burning red hair, and the alpha shadow wolf with jet black fur were fighting with incredible speed and ferocity. Despite the fact that these two were fighting, it looked more like a frenzied dance. Q led the Alpha around the crater, while the Alpha made rapid dashes to close the distance on Q. From afar it looked like a bright flame was slowly flickering, while a dark shadow constantly chased after it. For a moment they were completely mesmerized with the sight in front of them, and watched Q and the Alpha fight each other. ¡°Hold on a moment.¡± Sir Albert said, ¡°This is no time to be watching! We must go in there and help miss Q!¡± He brought out his sword and was about to charge into the crater, when suddenly a blade appeared in front of him! Sir Albert¡¯s eyes followed the blade, and found that it was Brie who was stopping his advance. ¡°Lady Brie, why are you stopping me?¡± ¡°... Don¡¯t interfere.¡± Brie said curtly as she turned to watch the battle. I believe Q wants to fully enjoy this battle. It would be dishonorable for us to join in suddenly. While the rest of Sir Albert¡¯s party was confused, none of them made a move forward as they didn¡¯t want to anger Brie. As the players moved around to get a better view, Q¡¯s fight with the Alpha was beginning to reach its climax. The Alpha¡¯s health was less than ten percent, while Q¡¯s was hovering around thirty percent. Standing on opposite sides of the crater, they glared at each other for a few seconds, and then both dashed towards each other! Q started off by shooting a flaming bullet which the Alpha avoided, and then followed up with [Tri-spark] when she got close enough. The Alpha ducked to the left and suddenly without warning the blue aura appeared around its body! For a moment Q noticed that the horn embedded in the ground had transferred a bit of its aura to the Alpha, which allowed it to use one last aura attack! Q tried to avoid the blast of energy coming towards her, but was unable to and got knocked onto her back. The Alpha then jumped onto Q and pinned her to the ground, and began biting her neck. ¡°ARGH!¡± Q screamed in pain as she watched her health rapidly decrease. ¡°We need to help her, now!¡± Sir Albert ran down the side of the crater, disregarding Brie¡¯s warning. Unfortunately he tripped on a root on the way down, and began tumbling down the crater. While the rest of his party watched him fall, Q used a skill. ¡°[Relentless Assault]!¡± Q¡¯s body began moving on its own as her arms broke away from the Alpha¡¯s hold, and began wildly slashing at it. The Alpha responded in kind, using its claws to scratch at Q while also biting harder than before. With a few seconds of struggling, Q managed to leverage her legs underneath the Alpha and pushed up with all her might! The Alpha was sent flying through the air, and Q finally got up on her legs. The Alpha managed to land on its feet, and dashed towards Q who began running away from it. The other players watched in horror as the Alpha quickly caught up to Q, and just as it jumped forward Q turned around with something in her hand! ¡°This is the end!¡± Q yelled as she stabbed the Alpha in the chest with its horn which was in the ground. The Alpha fell on the ground and struggled to pick itself up. All the players went silent as they watched the Alpha¡¯s health drain away slowly. With a bit of effort, the Alpha sat on its hind legs and gave Q a look of respect. Just as its health reached zero, the Alpha lowered its head to Q, and then disappeared in a particle of lights. Panting for breath, Q watched the light disappear into the sky and said, ¡°Your fur was soft this time Wolfy¡­¡± Q and the other players were then bombarded with multiple windows which described their rewards from the battle. [Level Up!] x2 [Stats Gained!] [Skill Proficiency Gained] [Spell Proficiency Gained] [Congratulations! You have slain a Unique Monster!] - Unique monsters only appear once in the world, and defeating them gives great rewards! [New Title] - (Unique Slayer) Provides 10% extra damage against named monsters. [Items Received] [Wolfy¡¯s Horn (Crafting Material, Unique)] - The Horn of an Alpha Shadow Wolf. If it is processed properly, one can bring out the full power of the shadow wolves. [New Skill] - Summon Wolfy (Active, Consumes 300 Mana, 24 hour cooldown) Once used, you can summon Wolfy with additional wolves for one hour (or until they are defeated in battle). Wolfy¡¯s level will be equal to yours, and the extra wolves are half of your level. Can currently summon 2 extra wolves. After reading her rewards, Q became ecstatic upon finding out that she could summon Wolfy. At this point she finally noticed the other players who were looking at her from the edge of the crater, as well as Sir Albert whose face was firmly planted into the ground. ¡°Uhh¡­ Hi guys.¡± Q gave a little wave as she began making her way up to the other players. ¡°Miss Q, I- Oh, you¡¯ve already defeated it.¡± Sir Albert finally picked himself up and began brushing off the dirt which covered his armor. ¡°Congratulations Q. That was a wonderful fight.¡± Brie nodded. ¡°Nice job lil¡¯ lass. That was one hell of a battle!¡± Baldur let out a hearty laugh. ¡°Well, not that we even saw most of the fight¡­¡± Magnus folded his arms. ¡°But judging by this giant crater, I¡¯m sure it was very intense.¡± ¡°Do you need heals?¡± Celinus asked as she brought out her staff. ¡°That ending became very dicey you know? I almost used a healing spell on you, though Brie stopped me.¡± She smiled wryly. Sal¡¯ Karn didn¡¯t say anything special, but he did look at Q with renewed interest. ¡°Well, let¡¯s head back to camp.¡± Q said once she got back up to the other players. ¡°Right now, I just want to rest by the fireplace and drink hot chocolate.¡± The players then made their way back to the camp, and what they saw there surprised them. ¡°Oh hey everyone.¡± Kukis greeted them. ¡°Where did you all go?¡± ¡°No questions.¡± Q said. ¡°Just pass me some hot chocolate.¡±
Whoo! Um, sorry about no chapter last week. Hopefully this one is awesome enough to make up for it. Also I want to apologize for leaving the revision of previous chapters at a standstill. As it stands, some things are inconsistent so I''m sorry for that, but I also don''t have that much time to dedicate to revising previous chapters because I''m writing current ones while also having RL-chan stand close behind me. VERY close behind me. That stuff aside, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. ''Till next time friends! Fun-fact: Tombstones were originally meant to push down the soil in order to keep dead people''s ''evil spirit'' from coming out of the ground. Later on when they were standing up, it was meant as a marker so that people don''t step over someone''s dead body and get cursed by the spirit. Chapter 032 - Triple Threat Q Zeilan Q Zeilan Q Zeilan Q Zeilan Q Zeilan Q Zeilan Q Zeilan Q Zeilan Q Zeilan Q < ~(???~) > Zeilan < (??????) > Q < ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) > Zeilan Zeilan laughed as he saw the last emoticon Q sent him. Just as he was about to send another one back, he was interrupted by Carro. ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you doing Zeilan?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just messaging a friend.¡± Zeilan sent out one last message to Q before closing the chat box and facing Carro. Carro was now outfitted in her ¡®battle mode¡¯ as she liked to call it. She wore mostly leather armor (alongside a few accessories) and her weapons of choice were dual-wielding daggers. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail and her cat ears twitched constantly as she looked at Zeilan. ¡°Just messaging a friend eh?¡± Carro had a thoughtful look on her face. ¡°Yeah¡­ is that a problem?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Carro trailed off for a moment before continuing. ¡°I rarely see you smile like that. The only other time you smiled like that is when you were dancing you know?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ h- she told me a really good joke. Hahaha¡­¡± Zeilan looked away sheepishly as he remembered what had happened when he tried dancing again. During one of his breaks from being a guard, Zeilan found an empty area and began practicing his dance moves. At first he had some difficulty remembering the moves, then he had to get used to performing them in his new body. He failed quite a lot (and looked ridiculous while doing so), but the entire time he was wearing a wide smile. Little did he know that Carro had actually found him by accident and hid herself to watch him dance. Now she endlessly teased him about it, much to Zeilan¡¯s displeasure. ¡°A ¡®girl¡¯ friend is it?¡± For some reason Carro had a displeased look on her face. ¡°...Yeah.¡± Zeilan didn¡¯t know what to make of Carro¡¯s expression, so he turned his head to look at the other player beside him and asked a question. ¡°Hey Rook, our break time is over now right?¡± The player in question had a body made of various stones which had a faint magic glow circulating around them. If Q were here to see this, she would instantly call him one of the Ruin Guardians she fought back in the tutorial as they looked quite similar. Rook¡¯s body was strictly more human though, as his limbs were well formed and his face had some very handsome details on it. Rook stood up and reached a height that was about the same as Zeilan¡¯s, and he also pulled up a longbow on his shoulder. After adjusting his fur-covered armor, he turned his face towards Zeilan and gave him a thumbs up. (A/N: For a visual representation, think of a humanoid golem but more¡­ glowy.) ¡°Cool.¡± Zeilan also got up and adjusted his equipment. He hadn¡¯t heard Rook speak once, but he didn¡¯t let that bother him as he understood Rook well enough through his actions and gestures. Sometimes Rook would communicate by sending messages, but otherwise he was like a silent sentinel, always standing guard behind the other two. Seeing his silent figure, Zeilan was reminded of the first time he met him. ***** After he had fought against Glaide¡¯s goons, Carro decided that she should find at least one more guard on the same level as Zeilan. She opened up a small recruitment booth, and began looking over each of the people who came by. Many of the players who arrived relatively ordinary (in both looks and ability), and the rest seemed a little too quirky to handle. Carro had continued through the interviews in a bored fashion, until Rook arrived. He stood in front of the two with his arms crossed, not saying a word. His dull glowing eyes seemed to pierce through the two of them, and an uncomfortable silence had followed. For almost a minute no one said anything, that is until Zeilan introduced himself. Upon hearing his name, Rook instantly sent him a friend request, and they soon began talking through that. Rook Zeilan Rook Zeilan Rook Zeilan From there Zeilan began asking Rook some questions like his level, specialties, and how much time he can devote to the game. Rook answered each of these, and Zeilan nodded while relaying them to Carro. ¡°What?! You actually understood him from just his stare?¡± Carro appeared shocked as she stared at Zeilan with incredulous eyes. ¡°No, we were just talking through the messaging system.¡± Zeilan replied cooly. ¡°Oh¡­ because from my point of view it looked like the two of you were just glaring at each other for a few minutes.¡± It was then that Zeilan realized that they actually did look like they were glaring at each other from the outside. Despite typing messages to each other, Zeilan had his arms in his pockets while Rook¡¯s arms were crossed, which gave almost no indication that they were typing. The keyboard function is pretty cool, it can move around and you can type even if you¡¯re not looking at it¡­ While Zeilan was admiring the fancy technology, Carro was reviewing Rook¡¯s information before finally letting out a satisfied nod. ¡°I¡¯ll have to bring you out into the field for a demonstration of your abilities before making my final decision, but for now...¡± Carro stuck out her hand. ¡°You¡¯re hired!¡± While Carro and Rook were shaking hands, the rest of the people who gathered around the recruitment booth were whispering to each other. ¡°Hey, did you see that? That construct player was able to withstand the ¡®gaze of death¡¯!¡± ¡°Yeah, it even looks like he gained Crimson Crusher¡¯s approval.¡± ¡°Damn, another strong player for Carro¡­ I need to report this.¡± Zeilan laughed dryly upon hearing his player given nickname. The name had started when he was out fighting creatures in the field, using his hammer or body to crush the creatures into nothing. Due to his brutal attacks and his red jacket and eyes, players began calling him that, much to his dismay. Letting out one final sigh, he began following Carro and Rook who left the town to see Rook¡¯s skills. ***** Once the team finished the dungeon, they began heading outside to return to town. ¡°Aah~ that was a nice haul.¡± Carro smiled as she looked at the items in her inventory. ¡°All of these materials and these uncommon equipments are sure to net me a lot of cash! Oh yeah, Zeilan, can you trade me the rest of the materials that dropped for you? I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Zeilan opened up his trade window and passed over the materials to Carro, while also receiving a few silver coins from her. After the trade had been completed, Zeilan noticed something. ¡°Hey Carro, did you just level up from that?¡± He asked. ¡°Yup! One of the merchant class¡¯ skills is called [Trade-In]. I get a small amount of experience every time I trade things with someone.¡± ¡°But couldn¡¯t you abuse that and just trade things back and forth between two merchants to get to a high level?¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk.¡± Carro wagged her finger. ¡°Zeilan, haven¡¯t you heard of diminishing returns? There¡¯s a lot of details, but basically the more times I trade with a person the less experience I get. Not to mention that the experience gained is basically negligible.¡± Just as Zeilan was about to respond, Rook clapped his hands. Zeilan and Carro looked back to see that Rook was pulling out his longbow and loaded an arrow. The two instantly understood and pulled out their weapons as they faced the entrance to the dungeon. A few seconds of silence passed, before a slow clap could be heard from the entrance. ¡°Well done. I see the Silent Sentinel really lives up to his name.¡± The figure who was clapping revealed himself from their hiding spot. It turned out to be a male halfling with lavish clothes who also wore a toothy grin on his face, revealing a small gold-plated tooth. ¡°...Glaide.¡± Carro glared at the halfling with unrestrained hatred. ¡°Huhu, yes, it is I, Glaide!¡± Glaide threw his arms out to the side as he began talking. ¡°You know Carro, you¡¯ve been a thorn in my side for far too long! This time¡­¡± Rook Zeilan Carro ¡°...and so you see, that¡¯s why you have to be taken out of the picture, my dear Carro. HUHAHAHAHA!¡± Zeilan <...That laugh sucked. I give him 3/10> Rook Carro The three of them stopped messaging each other once they saw the rest of the players accompanying Glaide. There were 10 other players, and 7 of them had red names above their heads while the rest appeared to be rogues. ¡°Seven player killers and three rogues¡­ They¡¯ve probably killed the people I left outside as well¡­ Sorry guys, it looks like we¡¯ll be taking a loss on this one.¡± Carro seemed to have already given up as she slightly lowered her weapons. ¡°Giving up already?¡± Zeilan raised an eyebrow as he stepped in front of Carro. He then hoisted his hammer on his shoulder and with a fierce gaze said, ¡°Because I¡¯m not going down that easy!¡± ¡°I¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± Carro¡¯s eyes regained a determined glint in them. ¡°I won¡¯t lay down and die without making him suffer first! Rook!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Rook fired an arrow straight towards Glaide. Caught slightly off guard by this attack, the arrow managed to graze Glaide and ripped his clothes. ¡°I just bought these!¡± He stomped in anger. ¡°Kill them!¡± Once his order came out, the players with red names rushed forward while the rogues disappeared into the shadows. Zeilan took a step forward, and then shockingly enough he threw his hammer high into the air! Each of the player killer¡¯s (P.Ks) eyes were drawn to the hammer as it sailed through the air, making a *woosh* sound as it flew. While they were distracted by the hammer, Zeilan ran towards those players and quickly closed the gap! When the P.Ks finally noticed Zeilan closing in on them, they were about to attack when Zeilan suddenly made another strange action. He kicked of the ground with incredible force, and then caught the hammer midair! With the hammer in his hands and the momentum from his jump, Zeilan spun in place once and yelled out ¡°[Crushing Blow]!¡± The hammer was slammed down hard onto the ground, breaking an area the size of three meters from where it hit. Those near the center of the impact were blown backwards and took substantial damage, while the others further away lost their balance. Rook instantly followed up on this and began shooting arrows at their arms or legs, disabling them and allowing Carro to get in close and attack. Carro¡¯s attacks were incredibly vicious, as she aimed for any exposed vital spots, and kicked the players in certain ¡®tender¡¯ areas. Two of the P.Ks were actually taken to low health before the rest had recovered and fought back. With two of the P.Ks at low health, Zeilan naturally didn¡¯t let this chance go and rushed towards them, discarded his hammer and began to punch and kick. In no time those two were killed, but in exchange Zeilan and Carro were surrounded by 5 others, while Rook was busy dealing with the three rogues who had disappeared earlier. After they were surrounded, Zeilan made a split second decision as he grabbed his hammer and said, ¡°Duck!¡± Carro quickly went flat on the ground as Zeilan began spinning in place with his hammer, looking like an incredibly spiky beyblade as he picked up speed. The P.Ks were trying to approach but couldn¡¯t, so they stood a distance away and waited for Zeilan to get tired. Three seconds into his spinning though, Zeilan shouted, ¡°Rook, incoming!¡± He concentrated and let go of the hammer, making it fly towards Rook! Rook, who was constantly keeping an eye on the other two despite fighting against the three rogues, immediately took action as he saw the hammer fly towards him. Using his longbow, he slapped one rogue into the flight path of the hammer, and then grabbed another rogue who had just stabbed him, and threw him at the first one. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Just as the two rogues recovered, the hammer slammed into them from behind, completely decimating their health and bringing them down to critical levels. Rather than finish off those rogues though, Rook began firing arrows at the P.Ks who were blocking the way to the entrance of the dungeon. Those P.Ks were temporarily unable to move, which allowed Zeilan to do one last thing. Zeilan picked up Carro by her collar (making her look like a small kitten) and threw her over the heads of the P.Ks. Carro flew through the air on a direct course towards Glaide who looked quite shocked. With a determined glint in her eye, she flicked her tail to change her position in midair and stabbed Glaide as she landed on him. She twisted the dagger inside Glaide and gave him a look full of hate, but then removed it as she began running away from the dungeon entrance. ¡°Really sorry guys! I¡¯ll get you some good equipment after this as compensation!¡± She yelled as she ran away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. This is our job after all¡­¡± Zeilan muttered to himself, as Carro was already out of earshot. At first the P.Ks were about to follow her, but Carro drank something and her speed explosively increased as she turned into a dot on the horizon. While Glaide was raging and the P.Ks were unsure as to what they should do, Zeilan roared. ¡°Alright you scrubs, let''s dance!¡± Zeilan faced the rest of the P.Ks and smashed his fists together while letting out a savage grin.
Zeilan
Level 27Display Title: Fierce Fighter
Race: DraconianNon-Display Title: Gaze of Terror
Class: BrawlerProfession: Miner
HP: 345/345MP: 85/85
VIT: 44 (+15)WIS: 7 (+5)
STR: 64 (+21)INT: 8 (+4)
DEF: 31 (+34)RES: 18 (+6)
AGI: 30 (+15)DEX: 15
LCK: 5
Equipment
Head:Scorched Muffler (Uncommon) Durability (20/20) - DEF +3, VIT +3, WIS +3, RES +3
Chest:Red Versatile Coat (Uncommon) Durability (35/35) - DEF +7, Adds 2 slots of inventory, Cold Resistance +10
Arms:Spiked Iron Gauntlets (Common) Durability (35/35) - DEF +5, STR +5
Waist:Elir''s Might (Rare) Durability (40/40) - DEF +10, STR +7, AGI + 5, 10% additional damage when using Blunt-type weapons
Legs:Dark Leather Boots (Common) Durability (20/20) - DEF +3, AGI + 5
Main-Hand Weapon:Spiked Hammer (Hammer, Rare) Durability (40/40) - DEF +2, STR +1
Off-Hand Weapon:N/A
Accessories
First Ring:Ring of Agility (Uncommon) Durability (10/10) - AGI +5
Second Ring:Ring of Strength (Uncommon) Durability (10/10) - STR + 5
Third Ring:Iron Ring (Common) Durability (7/7) - DEF +2
Fourth Ring:Elir''s Ring (Rare) Durability (30/30) - VIT + 10, DEF + 5, STR + 3, Increases strength by 10% when below 30% of maximum health.
Necklace:Garnet Necklace (Common) Durability (15/15) - DEF +2, VIT + 2
Bracelet:Silver Chain Bracelet (Uncommon) Durability (15/15) - WIS +2, RES +3, INT +4
Skills
Passive Skills:Description:
Pain Resistance Lv. 5Reduces amount of pain felt.
Unarmed Mastery Lv.7Increases proficiency when not using a weapon.
Knuckles Mastery Lv.5Increases proficiency with knuckle-type weapons.
Dodge Lv.4Increases chance of dodging an attack
Tough Scales Lv.4Slightly decreases damage dealt by magic and physical attacks.
Deflect Lv.4Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.
Throwing Mastery Lv.3Increases proficiency with throwing-type weapons.
Heavy Weapon Mastery Lv.5Increases proficiency with heavy-type weapons.
Medium Armor Mastery Lv.4Increases proficiency with medium armors.
Active Skills:
Earth Dragon Breath Lv.4(Consumes 9 mana per second, 30 second cooldown) Breathe out a jet of earth magic to enemies in range. Damage dealt depends on strength and intelligence
Strong Punch Lv.8(No Cost, 6 second cooldown) Causes your next punch to deal 20% more damage.
Strong Kick Lv.8(No Cost, 6 second cooldown) Causes your next kick to deal 20% more damage.
Harden Scales Lv.5(No Cost, 5 second cooldown) Compacts your scales, causing you to take less damage, but also lowers speed.
Precision Strikes Lv.4(No cost, 5 minute cooldown) Aim at a target area for 10 seconds. If your attacks hit that area they deal 13% extra damage. If they don¡¯t hit that area they deal 13% less damage.
Rock Breaker Lv.3(Consumes 25 mana, 5 minute cooldown) Adds a defense-piercing effect to your next attack. Ignores half of target¡¯s defense.
Dragon Roar Lv.3(Consumes 25% of your mana and health, 1 day cooldown) A roar of a tyrant that interrupts enemies using skills or abilities within a 3.5 meter radius.
Crushing Blow Lv.5(Consumes 40 mana, 45 second cooldown) A powerful attack with an increased chance of breaking hard surfaces.
Dragon''s Aura Lv.3(Consumes 50% of your maximum mana, 30 minute cooldown) Your next attack deals double the damage it would normally do.
Earthshaking Stomp Lv.1(Consumes 300 mana, 1 day cooldown) You stomp on the earth, causing all things on the ground in a 15 meter radius to temporarily lose their balance. You cannot move while this skill is in use.
Dizzying Steps Lv.4(Consumes 30 mana, 2 minute cooldown) Move in a strange pattern for 10 seconds. Enemies hit while this skill is active may be stunned or confused.
Heavy Steps Lv.5(Consumes 30 mana, 1 minute cooldown) Slows your speed but increases weight and defense for 15 seconds.
Accelerated Steps Lv.6(Consumes 25 mana, 3 minute cooldown) Increases movement speed, but lowers defense for 15 seconds.
Spells
Earth Armor (Basic) Lv.7(Consumes and reserves half of your maximum mana when active, 1 minute cooldown) Covers your body in a thin layer of protective rock to absorb damage. When the armor is broken the reserved mana is returned.
Congrats! You just made it through a buttload of status windows! (Unless you didn''t read them which is totally understandable) Anyway, didn''t think I''d be able to get this chapter out tonight, but here you go :) So Zeilan has been incredibly busy with... things. Also his stats are an incredible difference to Q''s not only because of his playstyle, but also because he''s grinding dungeons and getting great items through Carro. Wish I could come up with more skills though... Also it''s kind of annoying to be dealing with the status windows to be honest. Mainly because of BBCode (which I''m glad they''re changing) but also because I don''t like putting much importance on numbers. It''s a game, and they''re expected to be there, but don''t take them as absolutes or anything. Chapters might be slightly slower coming out though, because I recently picked up Dark Cloud 2 on my PS4 (one of my ABSOLUTE favorite games of all time) and I''m completely drowning in the nostalgia. Oh yeah, can I rant a bit about Wuxia/Xianxia novels for a bit? Just skip the spoiler if you don''t care. Spoiler : So if you''ve clicked on the spoiler, that means you also read Wu/Xianxia novels. Or maybe you were just curious on what I have to say. Either way, let''s begin. I''m going to start with my biggest gripe, and that is the CONSTANTLY reused tropes throughout the stories. I''m talking about reincarnation, weak MCs becoming gods (more or less), and deus ex machinas UP THE ASS (and that''s only to name a few). I''m not kidding guys, they''re everywhere in these novels. I won''t name one in particular, but there was a scene where the MC was finally going to kill a person who would become incredibly troublesome if he let them live. First, some strong people come by to protect said person, but MC struggles and takes them down. Then an even stronger person comes by, and MC takes them down putting his life on the line. THEN ANOTHER one stronger than the last comes by and is about to kill the MC, but then the MC is saved by someone EVEN STRONGER than the previous person. Seriously. I know the authors like to build up tension and stuff, but it just gets annoying after a while. Another gripe I have is with the way the story is written. Not that I have any problem with the story though, but it''s the grammar and whatnot. I mean, do you not dislike double negatives? Do you enjoy slogging through flowery language just to get to the point that "this does this"? Do you like how the author takes an entire paragraph to describe something, only to take another paragraph right after and describe it slightly differently!? Do you like how in the middle of an action scene, right as the characters unleash their special attacks, the author decides to go on a tangent describing said attacks in absolute detail!? DO I NEED THIS MUCH DETAIL!!?!? Well maybe, but like the previous thing, it gets annoying after a while. I know it''s just the way they write since it''s a different culture and all, but it still irks me sometimes to see these things in EVERY story I read. *Phew* Let''s calm down a bit and talk about some good things. Like the worlds! Each world that is made in these stories are HUGE. Like, they''re designed to make you feel like an ant, and even if you think you''re strong the story will be all like "but wait, there''s even MORE worlds out there which are bigger than yours!" (not that that''s necessarily a bad thing though). Oh, let''s also talk about the main characters, since they''re the main draw of the stories. I mean, let''s be honest. Most stories (or at least the ones I''ve read) can be summed up as: MC is thrown into the world of ''cultivating''. Slowly rises to the top after many twists and turns, then becomes a stupid strong overlord. Now, the MC''s personalities and quirks are really what draws you to them. Some have outstanding characters, some are reincarnated and are just laughing at everyone trying to provoke them, and others just want to have sex with tons of girls. Actually, talking about girls, why haven''t I seen a Wu/Xianxia novel featuring a female main character? Am I not searching hard enough? ...Since I''m starting to run out of things to talk about, I''m going to end this with the BIGGEST thing I dislike about Wu/Xianxia novels, and that is: the Sects. Sects, organizations, etc. They piss me off to no end. Like, imagine, for a minute, that you''re in a world filled with beehives. Every step you take, every move you make, bees will be watching you. If you get too close to a beehive, bees will come out and start to sting you. If you stay away from beehives, they''ll come to you and bother you anyway. If you start attacking bees, EVEN STRONGER bees come out, and if you beat them even more will come out! It''s neverending. If you have honey on you, BEES! If you look at a bee funny, BEES! If you don''t pay attention to a bee, BEES! Replace Bees with [Cultivators] (any kind, whether they''re small fry or elders) and honey with [Fame, Fortune, Women, ANYTHING] and you have a pretty good idea what kind of world the characters live in. It''s really... irritating. Could this secretly be social commentary by Chinese authors, talking about how their society is incredibly cutthroat and if you don''t join a large company or corporation you won''t get anywhere in life? How people who strike off on their own are small and few, and even less actually succeed at that? How, you must bow your head to all those above you or otherwise become punished!? ...Eh, probably not. I don''t even know anything about Chinese society. *Sigh* Despite all that I''ve said though, I still enjoy these novels. Some scenes can really get my blood boiling, and others can actually affect me emotionally. So... take what you will from what I''ve said. Thanks for reading if you came this far. Um, so yeah. Thanks for reading everyone! (Also thanks for helping hatch my dragons. I just picked it up randomly just because, but it turns out there''s a lot of cool dragons out there. Must... resist... urge... to... collect... them... all) Fun-fact: The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa at a whopping 828m. Chapter 033 - The Forest of Fog ¡°We¡¯re finally here, huh?¡± Q faced the spooky looking forest in front of her. After being attacked by the wolves, no one could sleep so they instead gathered around the fireplace and waited until just before sunrise before heading out. In the end they were able to reach the forest during the afternoon on the third day. Luckily they didn¡¯t encounter any nasty surprises like the wolf pack, but they did have to deal with random enemies jumping out of bushes sometimes. Sometimes a player would have to temporarily log out, but thanks to the Cube of Companionship they were able to continue the journey without much problem. For the most part travel was boring, so the players came up with different ways to entertain themselves. Q began to use her spells to get experience for them, Brie walked with strange footwork while talking with Q, and Kukis was always leaving the group to gather random herbs she noticed. Sir Albert¡¯s team was discussing the battle with the wolves, and began coming up with different plans to deal with a situation like that in the future. Eventually they were met with the sight of the Forest of Fog, and what they saw was incredibly strange. Tall dead trees were packed closely together, with their branches twisting around each other, almost as if it was making a natural wall. The stranger thing though, was the fog which covered the forest. The fog was like a rolling wave of water that stopped just outside the edge of the treeline. When Q approached the fog to touch it, it seemed a little solid as there was a bit of resistance to her touch. ¡°This is interesting¡­¡± Q began to mess around with the fog as it vaguely reminded her of cotton candy. Seeing Q play with the fog, Brie and Kukis also came by and tried touching it themselves. While the three girls were playing around in the fog, Sir Albert let out a slight cough. ¡°*Ahem*. It seems that this is where we shall part ways.¡± Sir Albert bowed towards the girls. ¡°Yeah, if you find anything interesting in there you better tell us!¡± Magnus smiled as he stroked his beard. ¡°Good luck to all of ye!¡± Baldur gave them a thumbs up. ¡°Make sure to be careful you three! I won¡¯t be there to heal you anymore.¡± Celinus laughed a little before turning around. ¡°...¡± Sal¡¯ Karn didn¡¯t say anything and stood still for a moment, before muttering ¡°...be cautious.¡± He then turned around and left, and the girls also made their farewells. Now that Sir Albert¡¯s party had left, the girls also began their investigation of the forest. The first thing they did was look for a place they could enter the forest from. Since the trees were so densely packed, they had to walk around the perimeter of the forest in order to find a gap between the trees. After half an hour of walking, they finally managed to find a gap which was just enough to let Q and Brie squeeze through. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I can fit through there.¡± Kukis said, eyeing the gap. ¡°No problem.You two just wait out here and you¡¯ll be on the other side in no time.¡± Q began to wiggle her way through the gap and disappeared behind the wall of trees. For a moment everything was silent until they heard Q¡¯s shout from the other side. ¡°Okay, logout and log in again!¡± Brie and Kukis exchanged looks, then logged out of the game. The two of them reappeared in a flash of light inside the forest, and found that Q had put down the Cube of Companionship in order to let them inside. ¡°Nice going Q.¡± Kukis grinned. ¡°That was¡­ an interesting tactic.¡± Brie commented. ¡°Meh. It¡¯s a classic exploitation technique. Anyway, this forest is pretty spooky huh?¡± Q gestured at the scenery surrounding them. The dead trees branches loomed above their heads, and cast a dark shadow despite it still being the middle of the day. The ground also seemed to be dead, as it was dry and cracked, with very little vegetation around. The most disturbing of all though, was the fog. The fog was so thick that the girls were unable to see more than two meters in front of them, and it coiled around their bodies like a snake. Once Brie and Kukis got a good look at the area (or at least as much as they could with the fog covering their view), they slowly began to feel a sense of dread. ¡°I must admit, for a ¡®game¡¯, this feels very¡­ unnerving.¡± Brie¡¯s ears were constantly twitching as she looked around her. ¡°Makes me think of Silent Hill¡­¡± Kukis rubbed her shoulders as she suddenly felt a chill go down her back. ¡°Well at least there aren¡¯t any monsters¡­ Not yet, that is.¡± Q smiled as she seemed unaffected by the creepy aura of the forest. ¡°D-don¡¯t set up flags like that! And actually, why aren¡¯t you affected by this forest? Isn¡¯t it super scary?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t really know. Maybe it¡¯s because of my stats or something? My wisdom is fairly high, and having high wisdom makes you more resistant to mental attacks so¡­¡± Q shrugged her shoulders. ¡°That makes sense. Ah, I have just the thing!¡± Kukis went through her inventory and pulled out two potions. ¡°I was making some potions for temporary stat boosts, and just so happened to make a few that raised wisdom. Here,¡± she passed over one of the potions to Brie. ¡°Bottoms up!¡± Brie looked at the potion suspiciously for a moment, but after a bit of coaxing from Q and Kukis she drank it. ¡°Blech¡­ this potion¡¯s taste is incredibly unpleasant.¡± ¡°Haha, sorry. I¡¯m still doing some experiments on changing the taste of potions. Just making them normally seems to make them all come out bitter. But hey, the forest doesn¡¯t feel as creepy anymore does it?¡± ¡°It would seem that way.¡± Brie nodded in affirmation. ¡°With that out of the way, let¡¯s continue searching shall we?¡± Q began heading towards the center of the forest, and the other two followed. Although they were walking forward, it was quite difficult since they couldn¡¯t see much of where they were going. Not to mention that stray roots would constantly mess up their footing, and walking through the fog felt like wading through water. At one point Q decided to try to get rid of the fog, so she used [Gust] in an effort to blow some of the fog away. The results were completely unexpected though, as the fog recoiled and disappeared wherever the spell traveled. Spurred on by this discovery, Q decided to use [Ember], and a large area around the three was cleared away. ¡°Wow¡­ this is way better.¡± With the area around the girls cleared, their travels through the forest was made much easier. While walking with her [Ember] out Q noticed that it slowly drained her mana, but it only drained one point every five seconds so she could keep it out for a long time. She also tried to invoke a second one once she could recast [Ember], but the new one just overwrote the old one and wasted some mana. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The girls continued walking around for five minutes, when suddenly something appeared in front of them. The thing seemed to be a cluster of fog which lazily floated in front of the girls. Just as Q was going to say something, the cluster began to gather more fog around itself until it created a small orb with glowing eyes. [Fog Wisp] - Level 20 ¡°Ooooh~ That looks kind of cute.¡± Q stood still as she watched the wisp slowly approach their party. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll attack us?¡± Kukis wondered. ¡°It does not seem to be hostile¡­¡± Brie didn¡¯t sound particularly concerned, but she still drew her sword and prepared for a potential battle. While the girls talked, the wisp approached Q and floated there, staring at her. ¡°Hey little guy, what are you up to?¡± Q got rid of her [Ember] and held the wisp in her hands. For a moment the wisp seemed to try to escape, but then closed its eyes and became still. ¡°Oh man, I think my title finally worked!¡± Q was jumping up and down excitedly as she caressed the wisp in her hands. Since Brie and Kukis seemed confused, she decided to explain its effects to them. ¡°You see, I have a small chance of getting small mobs to be friendly to me. Since we¡¯ve been fighting large monsters and stuff it¡¯s never activated, but I finally get to cuddle small animals! Not that this thing is an animal though¡­¡± ¡°That sounds wonderful but¡­ perhaps you should let go of it.¡± Brie said cautiously. ¡°Hm? Why?¡± ¡°It is¡­ flashing.¡± Brie pointed at the wisp in Q¡¯s arms. Q looked down and saw that the fog wisp was indeed flashing with a bright light. Despite seeing this, Q had no intentions of letting go of it as she continued to pet it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much. It¡¯s friendly to me so there¡¯s no way that it-¡± *BOOOOM* Q¡¯s sentence was interrupted as the wisp exploded in her arms and sent her flying through the air. ¡°¡°Q!¡±¡± Brie and Kukis rushed over to where Q landed and saw that she had lost a tenth of her health. Q was laying face-up and wore a betrayed and confused expression on her face. ¡°Wispers¡­ why hast thou betrayed me!?¡± Q cried out as she lamented on the ground. ¡°You already named it!?¡± Kukis retorted. ¡°Q, I am sorry but we have more pressing matters to attend to.¡± With Brie¡¯s words, the other two players looked up and found that they were surrounded by dozens of Fog Wisps! ¡°Yeah, this could be bad¡­¡± Kukis brought out a sword and faced the wisps. ¡°...¡± Q was silent for a moment, but then she slowly picked herself up and cast [Ember]. ¡°No mercy¡­¡± she muttered as she also cast [Gust] and fired her combination spell at one of the wisps. When the spell hit the wisp, it immediately began flashing and within a few seconds it exploded! None of the girls were near it so they weren¡¯t hurt, but some other nearby wisps were hit by the explosion. Those wisps also began flashing and exploded as well, creating a large chain reaction of explosions. The chain continued until it reached the wisps near the girls, at which point they began to run. Explosions were heard behind them as leapt over roots and ducked under branches in an effort to escape the fog wisps. Finally, the sounds of explosions stopped and the girls looked back to see that all the fog wisps were dead. ¡°That was pretty intense.¡± Kukis looked around for any more signs of the fog wisps. ¡°At the very least, it seems to be over. Those were quite the terrifying enemies.¡± Brie lowered her sword. ¡°Not yet it isn¡¯t. More are coming!¡± Just as Q finished warning the two, more fog wisps appeared from their surroundings! From here the girls tried to keep their distance from the wisps which worked to an extent, but some wisps would appear right in front of them and immediately began flashing. A few times Brie and Kukis would try to slash or stab at the wisps, but their attacks went right through and only kept the wisps in place for a few seconds before they continued moving again. Q refrained from shooting out her spells, but she did keep up an [Ember] to keep the fog away from them. After a few minutes of this, they were eventually completely surrounded and had nowhere to go. ¡°Ahh damn. These wisps are really nasty.¡± Kukis gritted her teeth. ¡°But they feel really nice¡­¡± Q looked at the wisps with a longing expression. ¡°It seems that this will be my first ¡®death¡¯.¡± Brie frowned. Just as the girls were about to give up, a powerful gust of wind surrounded them and blew away all of the wisps! While the girls were looking around them in confusion, a cloaked figure appeared from the trees. ¡°Hehehe. You know, all you really need to deal with these wisps is a wind spell.¡± A childish giggle came out from the cloaked figure. ¡°Oh¡­ thanks, um¡­¡± Q felt slightly embarrassed as she hadn¡¯t thought about using just her [Gust] spell. ¡°The name¡¯s Wendy. Apprentice to the great witch Pa- ouch!¡± Just as the figure was introducing herself, another cloaked person appeared and smacked her on the head. ¡°What did I say about talking to outsiders?¡± The second person said with a stern voice. ¡°Um, um¡­ don¡¯t trust them...?¡± Wendy said meekly. ¡°Exactly. For not following my instructions, you¡¯ll be punished later. As for you three¡­¡± The cloaked person brought out a large staff hidden within their clothes. ¡°State your business in this forest. Now.¡± They said menacingly as a powerful glow appeared on the tip of the staff.
Mysterious people in the forest of fog... Also, Q just can''t catch a break can she? The moment she can cuddle something fluffy, boom. It explodes in her face. Oh well. Uh... I don''t have anything special to say so... thanks for reading :) Fun-fact: You can extend a battery''s life (AAA or other such kinds) by putting them in a cold place like a freezer. Chapter 034 - Village in the Woods ¡°If you put away your staff we can explain why we''re here.¡± Q appealed to the cloaked figure, but got no response. Sighing inwardly, she brought out the note she had found in the Gemstone Caverns. ¡°Okay, this is why we''re here.¡± Q held out the note. A strong gust of wind came by and caused the note to fly out of Q¡¯s hand and into the hand of the cloaked figure. After taking a few seconds to read it, the glow on her staff became even brighter. ¡°This handwriting¡­ Where did you get this!?¡± There was now a dangerous edge to their voice. ¡°I found it in a place called the Gemstone Caverns, alongside this ring which was inside a box.¡± Q showed off her Ruby Ring of Flames. Though she couldn''t see it, she felt that the figures eyes widened and heard it muttering to itself. ¡°That idiot¡­ warned him¡­ how could he¡­¡± Wendy pulled on the figure¡¯s robe with a worried face. ¡°Master, is everything alright?¡± ¡°I¡­ yes, I''m alright.¡± The figure took a deep breath and finally put away their staff. ¡°Hmm¡­ you girls don''t seem to be here to cause harm. I bet you don''t even know what''s in this forest.¡± The three girls exchanged looks and all shook their heads. The figure sighed and then finally let down their hood. What was revealed was a beautiful mature face wearing large glasses with ruby red hair. The person looked like a woman in her thirties, though Q felt she was a little older than that. ¡°I suppose that you are the new ''adventurers¡¯ we¡¯ve heard about lately. Maybe you won''t be so prejudiced against us.¡± Q tilted her head as she asked, ¡°Why would we be prejudiced against you?¡± At this, the woman finally let out a smile. ¡°That''s because we''re witches.¡± For a moment Q stared blankly at the woman before saying, ¡°That''s cool. So what do you witches do?¡± ¡°Puhahaha! Cool she says¡­ You''re very interesting girl. As for what we do, you might want to see that with your own eyes. How would you like to visit our village?¡± ¡°Heck yeah.¡± Q instantly responded. She then looked at the other two girls who nodded as well. ¡°Follow me then. And don''t fall behind. You might get caught by the Kindersnatch.¡± Q and the others were confused at the name, but Wendy began trembling. ¡°What is a Kindersnatch?¡± Brie asked. ¡°You don''t know what the Kindersnatch is?¡± Seeing that Brie shook her head, Wendy began to explain. ¡°The Kindersnatch is a terrible creature that takes the form of a woman with thin, wispy hair. It uses its spells to trick and confuse travelers, and then once they become tired, it eats them! It also has a special taste for little witch apprentices...¡± The last sentence was said with a little more urgency, as Wendy began looking around her in a slight panic. Seeing her frantic face, the red haired woman slowed down and walked beside Wendy to pat her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Wendy, as long as I¡¯m around, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Y- yes master!¡± Wendy¡¯s confidence soared back up now that she had her master by her side. ¡°A kindersnatch huh. It sounds like a field boss¡­ not that I want to meet it though.¡± Q didn¡¯t like the idea of a creature messing with her mind. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re just barely able to stay calm with the wisdom boost. I don¡¯t think we can handle something like that just yet.¡± Despite her words, Kukis was already thinking of ways to deal with the Kindersnatch. ¡°Speaking of the wisdom boost, I believe it is running out soon.¡± Brie said as she saw a symbol flashing in the corner of her eyes. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± Kukis grabbed onto Q¡¯s hand. ¡°Th-this doesn¡¯t mean anything okay? This is just to make sure that I don¡¯t run away, or something like that¡­¡± Q rolled her eyes as she lightly squeezed Kukis¡¯ hand to assure her. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that Brie was holding onto the hem of her shirt. In this fashion they continued to follow the master/student duo for a few minutes and reached a line of trees which was possibly seven or eight times larger than the trees around her. I wonder how we didn¡¯t notice these giant trees while we were approaching the forest¡­ Q wondered. Her thoughts were interrupted as the master muttered a spell and the trees bent to the side to create a gap. The group walked through the trees and finally broke through the fog. On the other side was a village which could be described with two words: dark, and magical. The large trees which surrounded the village loomed over it, covering the entire area with dark shadows. The village itself was less than half the size of Foria, but the buildings and houses were placed closely together in order to maximize space. There were cobblestone roads which weaved throughout the village, and colorful floating lanterns littered the air around them. Each house was made with different materials, but they were all strangely shaped, almost as if they were twisted into existence. The thing that caused Q¡¯s eyes to sparkle with delight though, were the residents. Many people moved around in robes and wore wide-brimmed hats, though some seemed to be dressed normally (for the people of this world at least). While they were all doing different things, there was one thing they had in common: magic. Some people who were casually talking summoned creatures and began comparing them, while merchants made their items to float around their stall to attract customers. Looking to the sky she saw that there were even people who were drifting through the air while sitting on brooms! I want that. Q instantly made her resolve to get a broom and fly in the sky. Brie and Kukis let go of her as they also stared at the village. The master looked over and saw Q¡¯s shining eyes. ¡°I take it you like what you see?¡± ¡°Yes! I want to get on a broom and fly!¡± Q answered enthusiastically. ¡°Haha, perhaps you¡¯ll get the chance sometime¡­¡± Before the master could continue, she was interrupted by a group of people who approached her. ¡°Master Pamerun, welcome back!¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯ve finished reading ¡®The Basics of Summoning¡¯. Will you teach me how to summon a familiar now?¡± ¡°Master Pamerun, the council requests your presence.¡± Oh¡­ it seems like she¡¯s quite the important figure around here. Q inspected Pamerun again with a different perspective. Noticing Q¡¯s look, Pamerun turned to face her. ¡°That¡¯s right. I never introduced myself did I? I¡¯m Pamerun Aeolrave, one of the Grand Witches. I¡¯m more or less the leader around here. That being said, I have a meeting to attend to. Wendy, why don¡¯t you show them around the village until I come back?¡± Pamerun was already walking away from the group and talking to each of the people who approached her. ¡°Master¡¯s always so busy. She barely has time to accompany me with my training¡­¡± Wendy looked downcast for a moment, before regaining her cheer. ¡°That aside, follow me! I¡¯ll show you the best spots in the village!¡± The girls nodded and began following Wendy through the village. The moment they stepped on the cobblestone path, a notice appeared above their heads. [You have entered the Village of Malse. This area is currently a safe zone.] ¡°I guess other players have come here first, otherwise we¡¯d get a bonus for finding this village.¡± Kukis noted. ¡°Yes. There was someone else who came here before you three. I think their name was¡­ Clover? They came by and learned some magic before going out the forest to train. That was a week ago though, so they might be somewhere else now.¡± Wendy explained as they walked through the village. Many curious eyes were staring at the group, and strangely enough none of them felt hostile. Maybe that¡¯s because Wendy¡¯s guiding us¡­ Q thought. Eventually the group reached the center of the village where many residents were crowded around. ¡°This here is the main plaza. You can tell by the fancy fountain in the center,¡± Wendy indicated the large fountain in the center. Q blinked her eyes multiple times and even rubbed them, as she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. What she saw was indeed a fountain, except for the fact that it was upside down. The base of the fountain faced the sky, and the water was propelled at a leisurely rate towards the ground. The water didn¡¯t even touch the ground though, as it stopped just a few centimetres short and flew up to the fountain¡¯s base. The fountain seemed to be stable though, as there were some residents who sat on top of it, while some children passed through the water on the ground. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Wendy giggled upon seeing the girls¡¯ faces. ¡°Hehehe, this fountain was made by one of our founders, the Grand Witch Veilra. According to her she wanted visitors to be amazed at our magic prowess. Anyway, if you look closely at the ground you¡¯ll see large arrows pointing towards the center of the village. You can always use those to find your way back here and regain your bearings.¡± The girls looked at the ground and did notice that there were some arrow-like symbols which pointed at the fountain. Among them were other strange symbols which they couldn¡¯t make sense of, but they returned their attention to Wendy who continued speaking. ¡°The place we just walked through is the main road. It goes from north to south through the village all the way, and the north side has a black stone path, while the south side has a white stone path. Other than that, there¡¯s the districts of the village. There are three main districts, those being the residential district, the merchants district -though we just call it the shopping area-, and the ¡®experiment¡¯ district.¡± ¡°Experiment district?¡± That name caught Q¡¯s attention. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just over there,¡± Wendy pointed to the south of the village. ¡°It takes up all of the south side of the village because everyone loves experimenting by making new potions or coming up with new spells. In fact, everyone pretty much spends their entire day over there. Oh yeah, you can tell which district you¡¯re in by the colored lanterns.¡± Wendy then pointed at the floating lanterns above their heads. ¡°The experiment district has the color red, the residential district has the color blue, and the merchant district has the color green.¡± ¡°Potions you say?¡± Kukis was instantly interested in the experiment district. ¡°Your town is very organized, if not a little confusing.¡± Brie praised the town. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s hard to understand at first, but you¡¯ll get used to it quickly. Hmm¡­ I think the only thing I haven¡¯t covered is the landmarks. First is the Town Hall, well actually it¡¯s more of a village hall, but that¡¯s besides the point. It¡¯s located in the residential district, and is the biggest building there. Master¡¯s probably in there right now talking with the other elders. There¡¯s also the Underground Library which you can only get to through Town Hall. Only full-fledged witches are allowed in there, because there¡¯s a lot of traps and monsters roaming around. Finally, there¡¯s the statues of our founders, which is in the merchant¡¯s district. The merchants gather around the statues and sell their wares according to the element of the founder they¡¯re near. *Phew*¡± Wendy took a deep breath after finishing her explanation. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± ¡°Yeah, where¡¯s a place we can sleep?¡± Q asked. ¡°There should be an inn in the merchant''s district. No one really uses it though. Come on, I¡¯ll show you!¡± Wendy began leading them in a north-eastern direction. While walking towards the merchant¡¯s district, the background noise gradually became louder as they heard lots of people talking. On the way Q noticed that there were quite a few animals moving around, like cats or ravens. As soon as she spotted the first cat, Q almost jumped towards it if it wasn¡¯t for Brie and Kukis holding her back. After that display the animals seemed to become far more wary towards Q, and vanished from sight as soon as she looked at them. With a depressed Q in tow, the group made it to an inn with a cat¡¯s paw on the signboard. [Nine-Lives Inn] When the girls entered the inn, a pleasant jingle of a bell sounded and a small figure moved at the counter. ¡°Mnyaa~? Is it customers?¡± A black cat with a white diamond on its forehead lazily stretched on the counter. ¡°Hi Clair! I brought you som-¡± Before Wendy could finish her sentence a red figure flashed behind her and instantly grabbed the cat on the counter. Of course, this figure was Q who had a red aura glowing around her as she stroked the cat in her arms. ¡°Unbelievable. She used her racial active for that¡­¡± Kukis shook her head. ¡°Wha- put me down! Don¡¯t you know how to treat a lady? I- oh, th-this is¡­¡± Clair trailed off as Q continued to pet her. ¡°I-it seems that you¡¯re quite good at this. Ah, yes, right there! That¡¯s it! Meooow~.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ I can finally pet something soft!¡± Q¡¯s tail rapidly swayed back and forth. For a moment Brie and Kukis were thinking of stopping her, but seeing her happy expression (and Clair¡¯s contented expression) caused them to refrain from doing so. In the end this petting session continued for half an hour before Q was finally satisfied. ¡°Ahh~ I feel refreshed.¡± Q¡¯s face seemed to be shining as she was all smiles. ¡°Well someone¡¯s satisfied.¡± Kukis gave her a wry smile. ¡°Count me in as well. I haven¡¯t been touched like that in years. You¡¯re free to do it again anytime.¡± A wink accompanied Clair¡¯s slightly suggestive sentence. ¡°So what are our plans now?¡± Brie asked. ¡°After settling in here, I plan on logging out because I got a warning in the middle of petting Clair.¡± Q stretched herself slightly. ¡°I also don¡¯t remember when I last got some good sleep in real life, so I probably won¡¯t be back in game for at least a day.¡± Since playing T.W.O, Q had only been getting the minimal amount of sleep required in real life. ¡°Good idea. I think I¡¯ve been playing for 12 hours now?¡± Kukis chimed in. ¡°Seriously!? Take care of your body. Jeez.¡± Q got up and was about to log out. ¡°How about you Brie?¡± ¡°I believe I shall follow suit. When shall we meet up again?¡± Brie replied. The three girls synced up their schedules and planned to meet up again after at least 8 hours real-time. They all said their goodbyes to Wendy and Clair, and then logged out.
What? Another chapter without any significant developments? Well I consider them to be significant at least, since the Witches'' Village will be very important now and in the future (it''s also why I described it in such detail). Actually, speaking of chapters without any significant developments, have you read TurtleMe''s fiction (more like novel really) called ''The Beginning After The End''? You can find it over on g r a v i t y t a l e s . c o m , and it''s a pretty good story. Right now though the chapters are slow and building up a huge event - which for some reason is pissing off the readers there. Makes me think of my own uploading pace. Do you guys ever get annoyed of the one-week uploads? I mean I''d do more if I had free time but unfortunately RL-chan has a strong grip on me. That and I''ve found many, MANY distractions as of late. I started playing DOOM (on PS4, and hot damn is it awesome), started to re-play Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan (I actually went up to the second labyrinth before, but for some reason I started over), and was also reading this light novel I found a few days ago. Woah. A blog-like authors note at the end. Haven''t had one of those in a while huh? Anyway, let me share an image which pretty much has all my favorite things about the internet (back when they were relevant anyway). That''s right. Memes. Which I assume means something like MEmorable MEssage. So, that''s all for now guys. See you in the next chapter! Fun-fact: ''Weight'' is actually a measurement of the force of gravity that''s acting on you. So if you want to lose weight, just go to the moon. P.S: I recently realized P.S means post-script, but before I had been typing extra post scripts as P.S.S, which makes me feel stupid now. Chapter 035 - The Merchants District By the time Q logged in she found Kukis talking to Clair. Upon seeing this Q nonchalantly picked up Clair and put her in her lap, and began petting her. For a moment Kukis had a blank face, but she quickly regained her smile. ¡°Hi Q. Wendy left a message that she was going back to her master, and if we wanted to find her we just need to go to the Town Hall. Also, Brie logged in for a minute and she said she¡¯s reached her playing time limit. It¡¯ll be a few more days until we can see her again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I guess she forgot about her time limit.¡± ¡°Yeah, so what are your plans now?¡± ¡°I want to check out the merchant¡¯s district and see if they have any weapons. My dagger is broken after all.¡± Q brought out her broken weapon and put it on the table. ¡°What a coincidence. I wanted to check out the stalls to see if they have any ingredients for making potions.¡± ¡°Meow~ That¡¯s not a problem.¡± The girls directed their attention to Clair. ¡°There are tons of different plants and materials circulating the market. It might be a bit pricey though, because everyone¡¯s fighting to get some new ingredients. As for the weapons, they¡¯re usually wands or staffs, but you might find something else if you¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°Sounds good. Let¡¯s go take a look!¡± Q stood up and began heading for the door. ¡°W-wait! Put me down first!¡± Clair struggled to get out of Q¡¯s arms. ¡°Oh, sorry¡­¡± Q put her down with a reluctant face. ¡°Haha! Let¡¯s get going then shall we?¡± Kukis almost dragged Q out of the inn and the two went out to explore the merchant district. Now that Wendy wasn¡¯t accompanying them they got lost a few times, but Q used her advanced hearing to find the loudest area. They followed the noise and found an open circle area filled with people. There were a total of 8 statues in the area; one was in the center and was the largest, and the others made a circle around it. At the base of the statues there were many of the residents clamoring and yelling over each other as they attempted to buy items. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s quite a crowd.¡± Q whistled in admiration. ¡°Yup. Let¡¯s go and check it out!¡± Kukis headed for the nearest statue and found that the merchants there were selling water-based items. ¡°I guess this is Veilra¡¯s statue then.¡± She looked up at the statue and then noticed something. It was moving! To be more accurate, there was a ring of water around the statue, and it constantly moved up and down, and sometimes even spun around the statue¡¯s waist. (A/N: Hula hoop~) ¡°Man, I am really loving this village.¡± Q¡¯s smile was as wide as it could be. While the two girls were admiring the scenery, one of the merchants approached them. ¡°Hello! You fine ladies look like you¡¯re not from around here.¡± A merchant wearing blue robes began speaking. ¡°Are you two from outside the forest?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Q nodded in response. ¡°Well, could I interest you in my wares? I sell only top-quality magic items, of course, of the water variety.¡± Before Q could respond, another merchant wearing a red robe came by. ¡°Hey! Are you trying to get a head start on my customer?¡± ¡°Your customer? I talked to them first! I have dibs.¡± ¡°No no, they¡¯re obviously going to buy from me.¡± Another merchant joined in. Soon the girls were surrounded by merchants with different colored robes, all trying to get them to purchase their wares. Just as they were about to get overwhelmed, a small figure with brown hair intervened. ¡°Hey, give them some space!¡± The figure began frantically waving its arms in an effort to keep the merchants at bay. ¡°Master Pamerun has personally brought them here, so no taking advantage of them!¡± Upon hearing these words the merchants grumbled and all headed back to their stalls. ¡°Thanks for the help¡­¡± Q trailed off. ¡°I¡¯m Lea, one of Pamerun¡¯s apprentices. She asked me to go out and help you around the shopping area.¡± ¡°How did you know we were here though?¡± Q tilted her head. ¡°It¡¯s a simple matter for wind mages to transmit messages throughout the village. Though sometimes they get mixed up with other messages and you get weird noises¡­ Putting that aside, do you have any currency to purchase items?¡± ¡°Sure we do.¡± Q pulled out a silver coin from her inventory. ¡°Ah, sorry to burst your bubble but we don¡¯t deal with coins from the outside here. Instead we barter and trade items. Do you have anything like that? Random items are fine, but it¡¯ll depend on the merchant on whether they¡¯ll take it or not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting¡­ Cookie, do you-¡± As soon as Q turned around she found the purple-haired girl already negotiating with a merchant. ¡°I guess I should also start looking around huh?¡± Q began looking around the stalls (with Lea in tow) and found many strange and interesting items. There were crystal balls, moving plants, and floating stones to name a few. Sometimes there were scrolls which according to Lea, contained a single spell. Using the scroll would allow the spell to be used, but would also destroy the scroll in the process. There were also some skill books lying around but Q wasn¡¯t very interested in them since they only contained melee-based skills (which was strange since this was a village full of magic). In terms of weapons, Clair was correct as most of the things Q saw were wands or staffs of varying size. Sometimes there was the odd sword or bow, but none of the weapons were something that ¡®clicked¡¯ with Q. She made a few rounds around the circle (sometimes spotting Kukis in a heated discussion with the merchants) before setting her sights on the largest statue. Once Q approached the area, she noticed that things became a bit calmer. ¡°This is the statue of Alrune, the leader of the founding witches.¡± Lea began explaining. ¡°While each of the founders were powerful when using their main element, Alrune could use all elements with barely a difference in skill. His magic was quite different from the others though, and since he took his secrets to the grave, no one to this day has figured it out. Anyway, the area around Alrune contains the most expensive items in the area, so if you want something here you¡¯ll have to really barter for it.¡± Q nodded in understanding and began looking at the items. The ones here were definitely of a higher quality, as she could feel some inexplicable ¡®force¡¯ that they each gave off. While she couldn¡¯t appraise the items, Q knew that they were all high-level items, possibly of rare or mythic rarity. Makes me wonder why such items are available to players this early in the game. I¡¯d have thought that most players would still struggle to grab uncommons and rares around this point in time. While Q was ruminating, she came across a shop with the merchant sitting on the ground. This merchant¡¯s wares weren¡¯t being displayed in a flashy way like the others, but were neatly laid out on the ground. The merchant was wearing a purple robe, and looked up at Q when she approached. ¡°Interested in my wares, little fox?¡± A small grin accompanied the raspy voice. Q didn¡¯t answer him back though, as her sight was focused on a strangely shaped wand with a large crystal ball on the end of it. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Heheh, you¡¯ve got a good eye fox.¡± The merchant smiled, ¡°This here used to be the Grand Wizard Alrune¡¯s personal ¡®wand¡¯!¡± Q¡¯s eyes widened as she asked, ¡°Seriously?¡± The merchant¡¯s smile only widened in response, and Q looked at Lea for any sort of confirmation. Lea only shrugged as she pointed towards the statue of Alrune. ¡°Alrune is depicted holding a crystal ball, but it¡¯s hard to tell if it was a wand or not. Anyway, even if it¡¯s not Alrune¡¯s actual staff it¡¯s still guaranteed to be a good item. The merchants here only deal with legitimate items, and selling any frauds would be a huge stain on their reputation, right?¡± Her last sentence was directed to the merchant who nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Q stared long and hard at the wand. Even though I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s real, or if it¡¯s any good, this is the only item that¡¯s stood out to me so far¡­ and my gut feeling tells me to get it as well. Okay, screw it. She looked up at the merchant and asked, ¡°What are you willing to trade it for?¡± The merchant smiled again, as if he expected this answer. ¡°As this is the genuine article, I wouldn¡¯t let it go that easily.¡± Q grimaced, but the merchant continued. ¡°Although normally I wouldn¡¯t trade it, there have been a few items that have caught my eye lately. There¡¯s the Zapper Newt¡¯s eye, the Scale Frog¡¯s frozen toe, the Greater Screech Bat¡¯s wool, and the Hellhound¡¯s tongue. If you can get me these four items, I¡¯d be willing to trade it with you.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ those all sound like expensive items¡­¡± Q dreaded the idea of having to barter for those items as well. ¡°Yup. They¡¯re on the higher tier of items sold around the shopping area, but you should still be able to find them all. Are you still willing to do this for a strange wand?¡± Lea seemed apprehensive. ¡°Yes! If i¡¯ve decided to do something, I¡¯m going to do it with all of my effort!¡± Q left in high spirits and began looking for the items the merchant requested. With each item she found though, she became increasingly depressed as all the merchants selling those items were also asking for different ones as well. This eventually turned into a grand chain of item trades containing well over 50 different items of different quantities. If it wasn¡¯t for a quill pen and paper that Lea pulled out, Q wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep track of them all. Just as she was about to start trading for those items, Kukis appeared. ¡°Hey, I was looking all over for you! What have you found?¡± Kukis looked incredibly happy, so Q assumed she had found what she was looking for and more. Q explained her problem, and Kukis simply laughed. ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t bartered before. Come on, I¡¯ll help you out!¡± Now with Kukis¡¯ help, Q was able to reduce the amount of items she needed to trade by a good amount. Surprisingly enough, Kukis was quite good at bartering, which prompted Q to ask a question. ¡°Hey Cookie, how did you get so good at trading things?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m particularly good at trading¡­¡± She scratched her cheek. ¡°Well the trick is to know what the other person wants, and know what you can provide for them. I¡¯ve done quite a bit of that in real life already so¡­¡± Kukis¡¯ voice became a bit lower on the last sentence. ¡°Mmm.¡± Noticing the subtle change in atmosphere, Q decided to not comment on it anymore and finished trading her items. After an hour of back and forth talking (and also losing almost all of the extra items in her inventory), Q was finally able to come up with all the items the merchant needed, and went back to his stall. Once she got there, the merchant smiled and reached out his hand. ¡°So, I take it you¡¯ve gathered all the items?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s trade!¡± Q presented the items, and the merchant nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Yes, yes. These are all of good quality. Well little fox, as promised, here is your ¡®wand¡¯.¡± He handed over the wand to Q. As soon as Q grabbed hold of the wand, she felt some strange force get transferred to her body. Q gasped in surprise but nothing seemed to be different. Just as she was about to talk to the merchant a window appeared in front of her. [Alrune¡¯s Key (Unique, Indestructible, Soulbound)] - A strangely shaped key belonging to the Grand Wizard Alrune. Perhaps this could be the ¡®key¡¯ to unlocking his secrets? +15 Wisdom, +5 Intelligence when carried. Q¡¯s eyes widened upon reading the description, and her head shot up to ask the merchant something. As soon as she looked up though, the merchant was already gone and there was nothing but an empty space in front of her. ¡°What in the world¡­¡± The other two were bewildered as well, as the merchant had seemingly disappeared into thin air. ¡°So, what¡¯s it¡¯s stats?¡± Kukis gave up thinking about where the merchant went and instead asked about the item Q had spent so much effort to obtain. ¡°It¡¯s-¡± ¡°Oh, I just got a message from master.¡± Lea interrupted. ¡°She wants us to meet her at Town Hall. Or at least I assume she meant Town Hall, because the message got weird at the end. Anyway, let¡¯s head over now.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Q decided to leave the matter of the key for later. I could always ask Pamerun what it¡¯s about anyway. The group was able to get to town hall within a few minutes, and they saw Wendy waiting at the front gate. ¡°Hi Q, Kukis! ...Lea.¡± ¡°Wendy.¡± The two witch apprentices glared at each other and sparks began to fly. Q and Kukis were at a loss on what to do, but thankfully Pamerun came outside. ¡°*sigh* What are you two doing?¡± ¡°¡°Master!¡±¡± The apprentices ran up to their master and began excitedly chatting. ¡°Haha, sorry about that. Being my personal apprentices, these two get a little competitive every now and then. Anyway, come on in.¡± Pamerun said as she began leading them through the Town Hall. The hall was made of primarily stone, and stood high at about three stories tall. There were a few of the village residents walking around, but for the most part it was relatively quiet and empty. After climbing some stairs and heading down a hallway, the group made it to a large recreational room. Indicating for Q and Kukis to sit on a couch, Pamerun sat on a large chair facing them. Q felt that this was a good time to bring up Alrune¡¯s Key, but Pamerun¡¯s next sentence stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you don¡¯t have a class yet.¡± She smiled. ¡°Yeah, but where did you hear that?¡± Q scrunched her eyebrows. ¡°Second-hand information.¡± Pamerun looked over at Kukis. ¡°Anyway¡­ how would you like to receive a class?¡±
Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Hello~ Anyway, what''s up? Nothing? Cool. Fun-fact: Clefairy was supposed to be Pokemon''s original mascot. Chapter 036 - Magic 101 Are NPCs allowed to just give out class quests? I thought I had to do some investigating myself¡­ Though I¡¯m not complaining if it¡¯s a good class. But first¡­ While Pamerun was waiting patiently for Q¡¯s answer, Q wordlessly brought out Alrune¡¯s Key. For a moment Pamerun stared blankly, but then her eyes widened in shock and she stood up. ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ Alrune¡¯s key! I¡¯ve been looking for it ever since I became one of the Grand Witches! Where did you get that!?¡± ¡°Some merchant was selling it.¡± Q shrugged. ¡°Wha- that can¡¯t possibly¡­¡± Pamerun was struggling to accept that the item she had been searching for years, was being sold by some random merchant. ¡°It¡¯s true master.¡± Lea interrupted. ¡°I was there when she traded for it. To be honest I thought it was nothing but a strange wand.¡± ¡°This¡­ please give me a moment.¡± Pamerun sat back down and began to compose herself. ¡°Could I have a look at it?¡± She asked after a minute of deep breaths. ¡°Sure.¡± Q passed over the key to Pamerun, but as soon as Pamerun held it, it disappeared and reappeared in Q¡¯s hand. ¡°Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°I suspected this would be the case. It seems this key has decided that you are its owner.¡± Pamerun noted. I guess that¡¯s what the soulbound part of the description means. Q then nodded and asked Pamerun a question. ¡°So what do you want to do with the key anyway?¡± ¡°Have you already heard about the Underground Library?¡± Pamerun pointed down. ¡°Yes! I told them!¡± Wendy spoke up and looked incredibly proud. ¡°Good. Now listen, deep within the Underground Library is a large locked door. It was created by Alrune, and has a small slit for a key. We¡¯ve tried various methods to open the door, but we eventually realized that we must have the key. From going through the other founders notes, we figured out what it looked like and have been searching for it ever since. Now that we have the key, we can open the door. The only problem is...¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only person allowed to carry it, and the Underground Library is dangerous¡­ right?¡± Q smiled bitterly. ¡°Exactly. While the rest of the Grand Witches can gather up and escort you down there, we¡¯ll attract the attention of the Guardians.¡± Noticing Q¡¯s inquisitive look, Pamerun continued. ¡°There are two large monsters constantly roaming the library. There¡¯s the Guardian of Knowledge, and the Guardian of Wisdom. If they sense any strong magical auras they immediately head to that direction and eliminate it. Even us Grand Witches would have a hard time fighting against the Guardians while also protecting you.¡± ¡°So in short, I just need to get stronger to not be a hindrance right?¡± ¡°Indeed. To connect to our original topic, you should obtain a class in order to get strong enough to defend yourself.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯d say I can defend myself relatively fine, but I definitely wouldn¡¯t pass up the chance to use more magic. By the way, what kind of class is it?¡± ¡°The class is simply called ¡®Witch¡¯, and has different stages ranging from an apprentice witch, to a fully fledged witch, and finally to a grand witch. These two,¡± She indicated Wendy and Lea, ¡°are still apprentices. The Witch class specializes in using hexes and powerful magic to weaken and ruin your foes. A Witch can use magic from any element, but has trouble when dealing with water and light. Furthermore Witches are physically weak, so they¡¯re more suited for long-range fighting. Witches also have a natural affinity for potions and to a lesser extent enchantments.¡± Q and Kukis nodded their heads as they contemplated the strengths and weaknesses of the class. While having strong magic at my fingertips sounds good, the weakness to close combat clashes a bit with my current fighting style¡­ I wonder if there are any other options. Q stopped thinking and asked, ¡°Are there any other classes I could get?¡± Pamerun raised an eyebrow as she answered Q. ¡°Well we do have a Hexmage, which is a class that is further specialized in weakening enemies and strengthening your allies. If you don¡¯t like that there¡¯s always the option to become a basic mage and specialize in some elements of magic. Other than that we don¡¯t have any other classes we could give you.¡± ¡°Well if that¡¯s the case I¡¯ll go with Witch then.¡± Q finally answered after a minute of contemplation. I did want to use magic in the first place after all. And if my weakness is close quarters combat, I just need to avoid attacks right? ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to receive this class as well.¡± Kukis raised her hand. ¡°Haha, of course! New comrades are always welcome.¡± Pamerun had an elated expression. ¡°Master, are you sure it¡¯s alright to give out that class so easily?¡± Wendy seemed worried. ¡°Yes, although I don¡¯t agree with Wendy that often, I do agree with her now.¡± Lea added. ¡°Giving this class to outsiders, and not to mention that they don¡¯t look like they¡¯ve had any formal magic training¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright you two,¡± Pamerun chided the two apprentices. ¡°They don¡¯t have any hate towards us, and more importantly we finally have an opportunity to open Alrune¡¯s door.¡± ¡°Hold on a second.¡± Q interrupted her. ¡°You keep implying that the outside world doesn¡¯t like Witches. Is there any reason for that?¡± Knowing that her future class might be universally hated, Q became a little reluctant. ¡°Ah, that would be because of our ancestors. They used to openly perform experiments on small towns and villages without care for the populace. Sometimes it would be trying out new spells or potions, but many of the experiments ended up as failures, and those which weren¡¯t failures usually left terrible side-effects on people. Of course, nowadays we don¡¯t do such experiments but some stray witches out there might still follow the old ways¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ but if the witches were so unrestrained in the past, what finally stopped them?¡± ¡°Well, it was a combination of two things. First were the witch hunters, who were hunters trained specifically to kill witches and other monsters. The second was the Holy Church of Luxus, who began to send their apostles after us after we began dabbling in the dark arts.¡± ¡°Dark arts?¡± Kukis jumped in and had an inquisitive face. ¡°Yes, you might know it better as necromancy.¡± ¡°Oh~, well that¡¯s pretty normal isn¡¯t it?¡± Kukis looked at Q. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty common in any game. Kind of makes me wonder how necromancers will work in this game... Oh no, since it¡¯s a virtual reality, do we have to smell rotting flesh?¡± Q suddenly had an unpleasant expression on her face. ¡°Ew. That¡¯s a gross thought. But maybe you can just constantly summon skeletons or something?¡± ¡°That works!¡± Pamerun was quite surprised to see that the girls hadn¡¯t reacted in the way she thought they would. ¡°You aren¡¯t¡­ disgusted by necromancy?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Q shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m slightly interested in it if anything, but I¡¯d rather just use normal magic. Commanding large troops isn¡¯t for me, so I¡¯ll just stick to the Witch class. Speaking of which, when will you teach it?¡± ¡°Hahah! You adventurers sure are interesting. To not even care about the evils of bringing the dead back to life. But to answer your question, we will begin a crash course on magic immediately. I¡¯d like to reach Alrune¡¯s door as soon as possible, so we¡¯ll be speeding through a lot of the lessons you would normally learn over a year or so. Wendy, Lea, can you send messages to the other Grand Witches? They need to know that Alrune¡¯s key has been found.¡± ¡°¡°Yes Master!¡±¡± The two apprentices exited the room to send messages. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get started on your lesson shall we?¡± Pamerun had a childish grin on her face. [New Quest!] - Magic 101 [Objective] - Learn the basics of magic and hexes from Pamerun and the other Grand Witches [Rewards] - The Witch Class ***** After an hour of Pamerun¡¯s lectures, Q had a solid understanding of the basics of magic. The main thing to note was that magic is performed by using ¡®mana¡¯ to create a change in the world. Mana was present in everything in this world, in both creatures and the very air they breathed. According to Pamerun, casting a spell was basically forcing your own will upon your mana and shaping it according to what you need. ¡°Wait a minute, if casting a spell is just manipulating mana, do we need to use chants for the spell to use it?¡± Q asked a question which had been on her mind for a long time. ¡°I mean, if you impose your ¡®will¡¯ are words really needed?¡± ¡°An excellent question Q!¡± Pamerun nodded approvingly. ¡°While generally most mages use spells by chanting them, it actually isn¡¯t necessary. But think about this for a moment, how would you impose your will upon mana?¡± Seeing that the two girls were stumped for answers, Pamerun continued. ¡°Many mages chant to use their spells because the words help them focus on what they want to accomplish. Since words are interpretations of your thoughts, it allows the spell to come out with more clarity and power. But before you try using magic without chanting, you must know that you have to have a certain level of proficiency with the spell before you can do so.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. [New Skill!] - Silent Casting (Passive) You may now use spells and skills without calling out their name. Using these spells/skills in this manner causes them to take more time to use, and also increases the mana usage. Note: You must have a proficiency level of at least 8 before silently using abilities. Awesome! Spurred on by the new skill, Q asked another question. ¡°Then what about ¡®skills¡¯? I remember a friend using them without saying anything.¡± Q recalled the time when she and Neira were fighting the Lure Island. ¡°Skills are a bit different. They¡¯re more or less the act of your body moving, with the help of your innate mana. Since you already have full control over your body and know how to perform actions in a certain way, the mana simply adds onto those actions and increases the speed or power. Of course there are some exceptions, but that¡¯s generally how they work. You don¡¯t really need to call out the skill name, but as with magic it helps when visualizing the end product.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Q decided to try out the silent casting as Pamerun temporarily became silent. Ember! Q shouted in her mind, and a small flame appeared in the palm of her hand. ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t feel right...¡± She continued to cast [Ember] and [Gust] when she could when they were off cooldown and tried to get a feel for casting the spell. Wait a minute, maybe it doesn¡¯t even need words. Maybe I just need to ¡®force¡¯ it into existence. Alright, let¡¯s try this! Q imagined a small flame appearing in her hand and thought of nothing else. After a moment of intense concentration it appeared! ¡°Woohoo!¡± Q jumped up in celebration and accidentally caused the Ember to fly off into the air. Luckily it sizzled out after a few meters, or she might have started a small fire! Q then checked her mana and casting the Silent Ember cost about 3 more mana than it usually did. That and it took a long time to get to work. I bet the higher ranked spells will take even longer¡­ It¡¯ll be a while until I can fully utilize this in combat huh? When Q sat back down, she finally noticed the looks of shock and surprise on Kukis and Pamerun¡¯s faces. ¡°What?¡± She asked while tilting her head. ¡°Did I interrupt the lesson?¡± ¡°No¡­ to think you¡¯ve mastered silent casting moments after learning about it¡­ Are all adventurers as prodigious in sorcery as you?¡± ¡°Nah, Q is just abnormal.¡± Kukis shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Just as Q was going to make an amazing comeback (lol) they were interrupted by the door opening. More than a dozen people walked in, and all of them were holding different wands or staffs and wore colorful robes. Six of these individuals seemed to be older than the others, while the rest seemed to be around their teenage or preteen years. They¡¯re all girls though¡­ Well I guess I¡¯m a girl as well. Q felt slightly odd being the only ¡®male¡¯ in this room now filled with females. ¡°Pamerun, where¡¯s the key!? If this is another prank of yours I really will turn your apprentices into frogs!¡± A woman wearing light brown robes said. ¡°Now now Haeldrix, she wouldn¡¯t joke about something as important as this. Isn¡¯t that right, Pamerun?¡± Another woman wearing deep blue robes smiled and looked over at Pamerun. ¡°Of course, let me introduce you. This is the key bearer, Q.¡± Pamerun pushed Q to the front and whispered, ¡°Show them the key or they¡¯ll zap you to dust.¡± ¡°I, uh¡­ Hi.¡± Q brought out Alrune¡¯s Key, but the very moment she took it out it disappeared from her hands. ¡°So this is the key¡­ woah!¡± A girl dressed in light grey robes suddenly materialized out of nowhere and had snatched the key out of Q¡¯s hands. Of course the key was returned to Q¡¯s hands, but the girl suddenly appearing had shocked Q. ¡°Cybil, what have I told you about taking other people¡¯s things?¡± An older woman with the same color robes as the girl hit her on the head. ¡°Uu~ Sorry master.¡± The room quickly filled with sound as each of the ¡®masters¡¯ began talking amongst one another or to their apprentices. Seeing this, Pamerun let out a sigh and then clapped her hands together. ¡°Alright everyone, please calm down. Let¡¯s talk about our future plans, shall we?¡± Upon hearing her words, all the others in the room quieted down and began to listen. ¡°Now,¡± Pamerun began, ¡°The key has selected Q as its bearer so naturally, we cannot take it down to the Underground Library ourselves. I have decided to give the Witch class to Q in order to give her enough strength to protect herself, but obviously since we all want to investigate that mysterious door, we¡¯re going to have to speed through the process of training her to be a witch.¡± A lot of the other masters were mumbling in agreement and quietly discussed this situation amongst themselves. ¡°So I assume you assembled us master to quickly teach them the basics of the elements and hexes?¡± The woman wearing the deep blue robe spoke up. ¡°Of course. After all, who better is there to learn from than the masters?¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯m up first!¡± The woman named Haeldrix stood up and grabbed Q, who simultaneously grabbed Kukis. ¡°I¡¯m bringing her down to the Underground Library to train. I¡¯ll be back when she can at least use tier 2 spells!¡± She then ran off with surprising speed, dragging Q and Kukis along with her. ¡°Haaah~ Impatient as always isn¡¯t she?¡± Pamerun simply shook her head. ¡°Well you can¡¯t blame her. She was the first one to find the door, so of course she¡¯d want to open it.¡± The deep blue robed woman stood beside Pamerun. ¡°Anyway, how much have you taught those two?¡± ¡°Just the basic ideas behind mana, and silent casting. Which Q managed to pick up within seconds, I might add.¡± ¡°I see. She¡¯s quite talented isn¡¯t she? But, did you teach them magic perception at least? If not they might fall prey to the traps in the Underground Library.¡± ¡°...Oops.¡± ***** ¡°Here we are! The Underground Library!¡± Haeldrix brought the two girls through multiple halls and a deep stairwell until eventually reaching an incredibly large door. The door had many different symbols and was radiating strong magical energy. The moment Haeldrix stopped in front of the door, it slowly began to open. ¡°Now listen, uh¡­ J?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Q.¡± ¡°Right, Q. The best way to gain experience is by experiencing things yourself! My magical lessons will be conducted right here in the Underground Library, and you¡¯ll be fighting monsters daily.¡± ¡°That sounds pretty spartan¡­¡± Kukis let out a cautious look. ¡°Huh? Who are you? Ah, whatever. I¡¯ll just teach you as well. I¡¯ve been searching for apprentices you see.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± After half a minute of waiting, the doors fully opened and the three were temporarily blinded by a shining light. Once the light faded they could make out bookshelves which were at least three stories high. The library itself was maybe twice that height, and there were all sorts of things moving in the library, from strange spirits passing through the shelves, or small fairies dusting the books. While feeling incredibly excited, Q took her first step into the Underground Library¡­ ...and then she died.
Her class is actually a long-range specialist. I''ve fooled you all. Okay, that''s not entirely true. Her real class lies within the depths of the Underground Library. This is just temporary so that she can actually learn skills to get through the place. Slightly off-topic here, but what do you think the character''s themes would sound like (if they had one)? I imagine Q''s to be something like light-rock, while Brie''s would be something like this. Not sure what Kukis'' would be like. Now that I''ve mentioned her, this is what I imagine Brie to look like: Spoiler : In game, but her hair is pure white and she has ruby red eyes. That''s all for now I suppose. Chapters may be a little delayed in release times because I got Monster Hunter Generations, and anybody who knows MH will understand. ''Till next time dear readers! Fun-fact: If you chew gum until the sugar is gone (not sweet anymore) then it''s easier to blow a larger bubble. Chapter 037 - Real Problems ¡°...Well that was stupid.¡± Simon climbed out of his game pod and stretched out his body. The last thing he remembered was taking a step into the library, and then a strong glow appeared underneath his feet. After that everything went white, and a notice appeared saying that he died. ¡°That was my fault for being careless though¡­ Oh well. I guess I¡¯ll catch up on some other stuff while I¡¯m out of the game.¡± Simon left his living room to grab a quick snack and he turned on the T.V to the News channel. ¡°...and now to our main story. Today we were able to get an exclusive interview with Adam Eviss, the owner of the Dimen company, and asked him a few questions pertaining to the game, True World Online.¡± The screen then switched over to a camera that was focused on an interviewer and a tall man with sharp features. ¡°It¡¯s nice to formally meet you, Mister Eviss. Now, I hope you don¡¯t mind answering a few questions that the people have been dying to know the answers to.¡± ¡°Haha, please, call me Adam. Also feel free to ask any questions you wish.¡± Adam¡¯s voice was a rich baritone that had the strange effect of causing a person to tense up. I see the old man is as healthy as ever¡­ Simon thought while he ate his food. ¡°Okay Adam. So here is our first question: What are your thoughts on players killing each other in the game? Many have questioned the ethics and morals of such an act, and some concerned individuals are saying this might lead to increased cases of violence.¡± ¡°Why is players killing each other odd?¡± The interviewer was temporarily stunned by his counter-question, and seeing this caused Adam to laugh. ¡°This has always been a thing in video games. Players killing each other is nothing new.¡± ¡°...While that is true, there is the whole new concept of players physically attacking each other, whereas before it was nothing more than a few button presses.¡± ¡°Hah! So just because the medium changes it gives an entirely different meaning?¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s the same as it always has been. Players fight, players die. Since there are no negative repercussions like actually killing them in real life, it¡¯s fine isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I see. Well since those are your thoughts on the matter, let¡¯s move onto the next question¡­¡± Hm. The old man does have a point. Simon remembered the time when he was killing other players. I didn¡¯t actually ever feel bad or disgusted by ¡®killing¡¯ someone. I wonder why that is. Was it the absence of blood? The fact that it¡¯s not actually ¡®real¡¯? Or is it something else¡­ Simon¡¯s thoughts were interrupted as the interviewer continued speaking. ¡°The second question concerns the health and safety of players while playing the game. While you do have warnings placed for players playing for too long, many of them ignore this and continue playing to the point where they get sick or worse. Do you have anything to remedy this situation?¡± ¡°As a matter of fact we do. Within a few days all game pods will have their software updated so that players will be forcibly logged out if they continue playing for eight hours consecutively. If they do this, they¡¯ll be locked out of the game for at least an hour before being let back in. Of course, someone could log out before the eight hours is up and then log in again, but that¡¯s the player¡¯s decision to neglect their health.¡± ¡°Is that the only thing you have planned?¡± ¡°No. We do have other countermeasures in the works, but none of them are ready for public use yet. All we can do for now is discourage players from playing for too long, but it¡¯s ultimately up to them to take care of their health. After all, if a player became sick and couldn¡¯t play the game, that¡¯s their fault.¡± ¡°Okay, onto our third question. Can we get any details on the creation of TWO? Since your company announced it so suddenly, many people have been trying to investigate the origins of the game but no one has come back with any definitive information.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯ll have to forgive us for protecting our secrets like that. But now that the game is out, I see no harm in sharing the origins of the game. It all started about 10 years ago, when I met a brilliant young boy who shared with me a world of possibilities. As for what he¡¯s doing right now I can¡¯t say since it¡¯d go against our agreement, but i¡¯m sure he¡¯s living well right now.¡± Adam turned to the camera and winked. That wink would be super awkward if I wasn¡¯t watching this¡­ Actually, even with me watching this it was still super awkward. Simon frowned a little but continued to watch the news. ¡°This next question is a little personal, but is there any news regarding your daughter, Sophie? One of the few pieces of information that was leaked claims that she was the one responsible for the creation of the game pods.¡± ¡°Yes, little Sophie did make the game pods, with a bit of help of course. As for what she''s doing right now, she''s working on a big project so she won''t make a public appearance for a while.¡± Is that what she''s doing right now? Working on something? Even if she is, she could at least respond to my messages¡­ Simon sulked for a moment before returning his attention to the T.V. ¡°Okay, for our final question, what advice do you have for the players, both in game now and in the future?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I would say not to treat it as a game to be cleared, but as a brand new experience instead. Some players might believe that getting high stats or gear will grant them victory, but this game isn¡¯t that simple. I encourage players to explore new possibilities and keep their minds open to anything that happens. My final piece of advice to players is that, no matter what¡­ enjoy yourselves!¡± ¡°Thank you very much Adam, for giving us this opportunity to ask questions. We look forward to hearing from you again.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Adam gave one last smile before the screen returned to the regular news, and Simon began idly flipping through the channels. ¡°...order now and receive not one, not two, but three extra-¡± *Click* ¡°...And what do you think about the rise and fall of the famous singer, Reid Halwin?¡± *Click* ¡°On the last episode of Dragon Ba-¡± *Click* With nothing else interesting on T.V, Simon turned it off and was about to wash dishes when his phone rang.Looking at the screen, he noticed that he had over 50 missed messages and calls! ¡°Now who could that be?¡± Simon answered the phone and was treated to an ear-splitting yell. ¡°FINALLY! I''VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH YOU FOREVER!!!¡± ¡°...Thank you for destroying my ears.¡± Simon finally responded after recovering his hearing. ¡°Who cares about that? Simon, we have a serious problem here!¡± The voice on the other side sounded desperate. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Simon recognized the voice as his friend Eric. They had first met in elementary school and stuck together until the accident happened. For a while Eric was unable to contact Simon, but their friendship was still strong after many years. ¡°Is it something that even Cin can¡¯t handle?¡± Simon continued after a brief pause. ¡°It¡¯s even worse! When can you get here?¡± Simon could start making out the sounds of blaring alarms and someone yelling on the other side. ¡°I can get there in an hour or so.¡± He replied after checking the time. ¡°Can¡¯t you get here any faster?¡± ¡°Tell that to public transit.¡± ¡°... I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± ***** After a few minutes after the phone call, Simon heard the sound of a loud engine and looked outside to see a fancy car pull up to his driveway. The driver door was flung open and a young man with neat red hair got out and ran to the doorway. Just as he was about to begin rapidly pressing the doorbell, Simon opened up the door and said, ¡°Hey Eric. How have things been?¡± ¡°Hey?! That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± ¡°What else do you want me to say?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know¡­ how about, ¡®Hi Eric, sorry for abandoning you for a week just so I can play a game.¡¯¡± Simon rolled his eyes at his friend¡¯s antics. ¡°Well are you going to drive us there or what? We¡¯re wasting time here aren¡¯t we?¡± Eric¡¯s mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he tried to come up with something to say, but eventually he gave up and walked back to the car without a sound. With a grin, Simon followed him into the car and they took off at high speeds. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little too fast?¡± Simon was gripping the edge of his seat as he noticed that they were going 30 over the speed limit. ¡°The sooner this problem is solved, the better.¡± Eric said with a grave tone of voice. It was at this moment that Simon noticed bags under his eyes, so he decided not to question it anymore and sunk back in his seat. In no time they reached a large building with the words ¡®Dimen Corp.¡¯ written on it. Eric practically jumped out of the car and began pushing Simon towards the entrance of the building. The receptionist at the front recognized the two of them and let them pass after Eric flashed a card. The two guys made their way to an elevator and took it all the way down to the bottom floor. From there they went through a few familiar twists and turns and eventually ended up standing in front of an opaque sliding door. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Prepare yourself Simon.¡± Eric approached a panel beside the door and pressed a few buttons. The instant the door slid open, Simon was treated to the sound of a blaring alarm and people yelling at each other. While Simon stood there clutching his ears, the people inside the room instantly locked onto him and began begging to him. ¡°Simon, you¡¯re back! You need to stop her!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t work in this kind of environment! And she¡¯s only making the problem worse!¡± ¡°...What the hell is actually going on?¡± Simon pushed past the others and made his way to the center of the room. What he found was a large screen flashing with warning symbols, and a small girl sitting with her back turned in the center of the screen. ¡°Cinnamon! CINNAMON! Turn off the alarms!¡± Upon hearing Simon¡¯s voice, the girl on the screen instantly stood up and all the alarms stopped ringing. As soon as the alarms turned off all of the other people in the room let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to the floor. Cries of ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s finally over!¡± and ¡°Sleep¡­ I can sleep¡­¡± were heard all around. After watching these people for a few seconds, Simon redirected his attention to the large screen. The girl¡¯s face completely filled up the entire thing as she stared directly at Simon. This girl was an entity known as C.I.N.M, or her official name, Complex Integrated Network Manager. Most of the people who knew her though called her Cinnamon, or Cin for short. ¡°Simon onii-chan, you¡¯re back!¡± She said with an elated voice. ¡°...¡± Simon turned over to Eric and asked, ¡°Did you teach her that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a question I¡¯m at liberty to answer¡­¡± ¡°*sigh* Cin, just call me Simon like usual. Anyway, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Aww.¡± Cinnamon looked a little disappointed and let out a sigh, but then became serious as she began explaining the situation. ¡°In the past 24 hours, there have been a total of 46 hackers trying to get into my systems. Though most are within this country, a few are outside. I expect to pinpoint their location and begin counter-hacking in 3 hours or so, but my overall processing speed will be reduced by a total of 0.03 seconds at that time.¡± (A/N: Disclaimer, I know nothing about hacking.) ¡°It¡¯s not too serious then.¡± Simon seemed unfazed by the amount of people trying to simultaneously hack into Cin¡¯s systems. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you already gotten rid of them? You have the capability to do so.¡± ¡°Of course because I was waiting for you to come here!¡± Cinnamon smiled innocently. ¡°...Really?¡± ¡°Really! You haven¡¯t talked to me in a week! Do you know how lonely I get here?¡± Cinnamon gestured at the empty space around her. ¡°Aren¡¯t there the other employees though?¡± Simon gestured at the people collapsed on the ground. ¡°Yeah but¡­ I like talking with you more!¡± She flashed a brilliant smile. ¡°Hahaha. Alright, let¡¯s get rid of these hackers then, shall we?¡± As Simon went up to the main console, some of the other employees began to recover and walked off to do various things. A few of them returned to their computers while others left the room and returned with snacks and beverages. Eventually once all the employees were settled, a comfortable silence came over the room and all that was heard was the tapping sound of fingers on keyboards. Simon took a quick glance at Cinnamon (who was sitting down and staring at Simon) and thought about her (almost) unhealthy obsession with him. While Cinnamon would interact normally with the other employees (or at least as normal as an interaction with an A.I. can get), it would always be subjects about business or work. Simon was the only person she talked with about other kinds of subjects, and the only way the other employees could get her to change a subject was to talk about Simon first. After a minute of silence, Simon spoke up. ¡°So, did she turn on the alarms and spam warnings the entire time until I got here?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Eric replied while staring at a computer screen. ¡°I mean, she was already starting to get angsty since you hadn¡¯t come by for almost a week, so I think the hackers was just an excuse to make us drag you over here.¡± He gave Cinnamon an accusing look. Faced with his eyes, Cinnamon simply looked away and whistled an inconspicuous tune. ¡°Jeez Cin, you didn¡¯t have to go that far to make me come here.¡± ¡°Of course I do! You told me beforehand just before you started playing TWO that I shouldn¡¯t call you over if there isn¡¯t an emergency. Well now there¡¯s an emergency, and you¡¯re here. By the way, how¡¯s TWO?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know about stuff happening in TWO already? I mean you have access to the internet, not to mention you¡¯re the one managing the worldwide server.¡± ¡°Yes, but I want to know what you¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± Simon let out a sigh and mentally prepared himself for a reiteration of his adventures in TWO, as he knew that Cinnamon wouldn¡¯t let him go until he said everything. Simon began recounting his experiences, starting from the tutorial. Once he began speaking, the room somehow became even more quiet as all the employees were straining their ears to listen to Simon talk. After all, quite a lot of them hadn¡¯t been able to get a game pod, and those that did still had to work so they didn¡¯t have a lot of time to play. At first everyone was very impressed when they heard that Simon had taken down Wolfy, then became shocked when they heard about him taking down a boss that was 15 levels above him. Simon didn¡¯t stop there though, as he continued to talk about the absurd things that happened while he was playing. He talked about the Crios Blades and the Gemstone Caverns, the event battle, and Sir Albert¡¯s crew and the rematch with Wolfy. The entire room was completely dumbfounded hearing Simon¡¯s tale, as the things he had done and accomplished were just insane. At this point though, Simon stopped and asked Cinnamon a question. ¡°Hey Cinnamon, why did Wolfy respawn? That and he got tougher too¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because certain monsters have a very strong will - think of it as a soul, if you ¡®will¡¯ - , so once they die their will lives on. Then the ambient mana gathers around the will and reforms their body into a stronger form in order to fulfill their wishes.¡± ¡°The actual reason?¡± ¡°We were lazy and re-used enemy A.I, then gave it an upgrade.¡± ¡°HAH!¡± Simon laughed just as he finished typing in commands on the keyboard and hit enter. ¡°...Aaaand done. Those hackers will be getting a nasty surprise in a few seconds.¡± He wore an evil grin on his face as he imagined the hackers trying to deal with the countermeasures he had deployed. Then returning his gaze to Cinnamon he added, ¡°By the way, I met Cim when I was creating my character.¡± ¡°You met big sis? That¡¯s not fair! You have time to talk to her and not me?¡± Cinnamon pouted and turned around. ¡°Well it¡¯s not like she recognized me anyway¡­ Oh yeah, Eric, how far are you in the game?¡± ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± Eric was struggling to recover from hearing Simon¡¯s story. ¡°I¡¯m a level 19 Halfling Thief. I chose the town of Melvan as my starting point, so it¡¯ll be a while until I get to a capital city.¡± ¡°Alright, add me when you get the chance. My name in game is Q, by the way.¡± ¡°Hey hey, can I join you guys as well?¡± Cinnamon suddenly jumped into the conversation. Every single employee in the area exchanged glances. Was allowing an A.I to play the game alright? For a short moment, they were all internally debating with themselves about the consequences of allowing Cinnamon into the game. In the end Simon instantly answered her question by saying, ¡°Sure, why not?¡± ¡°Yay! I get to join Simon!¡± Cinnamon was jumping around in celebration. ¡°Even if you do play the game, you¡¯re not allowed to cheat okay? You need to create an avatar from scratch, and have to limit your abilities to that of what an average human is capable of. It wouldn¡¯t be fun otherwise¡­¡± Simon began lecturing her like a parent would for their daughter. ¡°Okay~.¡± Cinnamon smiled and agreed to those conditions. The young man and A.I locked eyes, and then began laughing in sync with each other. ¡°Oh god, I have a really bad feeling about this¡­¡± Eric muttered as he watched the two continue to laugh.
Hold on a second, exposition and backstory in True World Online? What is happening to this fiction!??!?!? Well yeah, it''s slightly deeper than what one might previously have assumed. There has been slight foreshadowing to this stuff, as in, things that were briefly mentioned in earlier chapters (like chapter 1). That aside though, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as it thickens the plot... (whatever little plot this story has). Btw, T-minus two chapters until the official appearance of another character... I''m hyped. Fun-fact: I''ve temporarily run out of fun facts. P.S: Cinnamon sure does have the potential to be a super yandere... Chapter 038 - Revenge is a Dish Best Served... ¡°Man, I really wish the hospital didn¡¯t count my death time in addition to my play time¡­¡± Zeilan reappeared in a flash of light and began complaining as he thought about the playing time he lost. Looking over his equipment screen, he sighed in relief as none of his important items dropped. He then looked around him as he remembered that Rook had died before him, and found the handsome construct leaning against a wall. Once Zeilan looked over, Rook raised a hand in salute and began approaching him. ¡°Even though we died, you have to admit that was a pretty awesome last stand.¡± Zeilan grinned. ¡°...!¡± Rook returned a grin of his own as he remembered being back to back with Zeilan as they were surrounded by the player killers. ¡°By the way, did you drop anything important?¡± Zeilan asked. ¡°...¡± Once he heard Zeilan''s question, Rook had a disheartened expression as he pointed to his back. For a moment Zeilan was confused, but once he noticed the absence of a certain weapon he understood why Rook looked so dismal. ¡°Oh no¡­ you lost your bow.¡± Zeilan frowned. Rook nodded sadly, but then pointed towards a street to their right and began walking. ¡°You''re right, we should meet up with Carro first.¡± Zeilan quickly followed Rook and the two made their way through the snow covered streets of Clorg. On the way they discussed the fight they had, and began coming up with new strategies to deal with a similar situation. After a few minutes of walking they reached a familiar stand with a worried looking cat-kin at the front. Once Carro saw the two, she dashed forward and hugged both of them. ¡°Thank goodness you two came back! I was getting anxious since you didn''t return after two days. And Rook¡­ you lost your bow.¡± Rook shrugged as he wore a sad expression. ¡°So Carro,¡± Zeilan interrupted, ¡°I remember you saying you would prepare some good items for us?¡± He grinned. ¡°But of course! Nothing but the best for my favorite guards!¡± Carro brought them over to the stall and took out a bunch of items from her inventory. ¡°You can both take one item free of charge, but the rest you¡¯ll have to pay for.¡± ¡°Tch, so stingy.¡± Zeilan clicked his tongue, but began browsing through the items. Rook instantly began looking at some bows that she brought out, and picked out a longbow with a glowing gem embedded in it. ¡°That bow has a weak fire enchantment, so your arrows will always do some fire damage.¡± Carro explained. ¡°Ah, that hammer can only deal blunt-type damage, so you might want to consider other choices if you like your current hammer.¡± She said to Zeilan who had picked up a large warhammer with a smooth surface. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take it since my current weapon is falling behind in damage anyway. Also, I¡¯ll be taking this, and this¡­¡± Zeilan grabbed a bunch of other equipment and paid for them with both money and by selling the equipment that he was replacing. Rook also did the same, and soon enough the two of them were equipped in shiny new armor. ¡°Mmm¡­ there¡¯s nothing quite like the feeling of getting a set of new equipment. Isn¡¯t that right, Rook?¡± Zeilan looked over to Rook, who nodded in affirmation. ¡°So new equipment is good and all, but what¡¯s the plan to take down Glaide? I¡¯m itching to get my hands on that irritating halfing. Did you know I was thiiiiis close to punching him in the face when I broke out of the encirclement of PKs?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get your chance to beat him up. After all, this time I¡¯ve made sure to thoroughly corner him. Over the past two days I¡¯ve made deals and plans to finally stop his business once and for all. For the most part everything is accounted for, but you two will have a very important job. Once the ¡®trap¡¯ has been strung, there¡¯s no doubt that Glaide will try to run. That¡¯s when you two-¡± ¡°Finish him off?¡± Zeilan finished her sentence. ¡°Count me in!¡± Rook also nodded deeply as his eyes burned with a fierce desire for revenge. ¡°Looks like you two are all fired up.¡± Carro let out her trademark smile. ¡°Okay then, here¡¯s the plan¡­¡± ***** ¡°I spy with my little eye¡­ something that¡¯s¡­ round.¡± ¡°...¡± Rook pointed at a small bunny that was happily hopping about 100 meters away from them. ¡°Nice. I spy with my little eye¡­ something that¡¯s¡­ white and sticky.¡± ¡°...¡± Rook pointed at a stick covered in snow. ¡°Aw, I thought you wouldn¡¯t get that one. Oh! I spy with my little eye, someone who¡¯s going to get wrecked!¡± Zeilan grinned as he tensed his body. ¡°...?¡± At first Rook was confused, but when he looked out across the snowy plains a grin also formed on his face. For the past half-hour or so the two youths were waiting buried in the snow. Of course they were properly camouflaged and had proper accommodations to stay there, otherwise they would have fallen victim to the bitter cold. Seeing a group of players approaching, Zeilan recalled what Carro had told them a few hours ago. According to Carro¡¯s plan, the various players and NPC mercenaries she hired would begin attacking his main areas of operation, both inside the town and out. In addition to that Carro had been slowly weakening him by bribing players and NPCs, and began cutting into his business deals. Glaide had soon found himself unable to sustain a large amount of his forces, and soon they dwindled down to less than twenty guards. At this point Carro believed that they would try to leave Clorg and head out to another town to begin business there, but of course she would have none of that. On their way out of town they would be harassed by a multitude of hired hands and once they were weak enough they¡¯d be attacked by the rest of the people Carro had hired. Zeilan and Rook were placed at an area just ahead of where the ¡®final battle¡¯ would be fought, and their job was to clean up if Glaide somehow got away. In the end Carro¡¯s caution turned out to be correct as the two of them spotted a group of five players rushing towards them on a sled pulled by strange deer-like creatures. Should we take down the Delks or just shoot down the one driving the sled?¡± I¡¯m shooting something better. Leave it to me. So as not to alert the approaching players, they began messaging each other. After sending his message, Rook repositioned himself and pulled back on his longbow¡¯s string and took careful aim at the sled. As he let his arrow loose it became coated in a thin layer of flame and ripped through the air as it headed towards the sled. The players on the sled noticed the arrow as it flew towards them, but reacted too late as it hit the rope connecting the sled and the Delks. The Delks ran on in panic and the sled slowly slid to a stop as the players on it were temporarily at a loss. Nice shot man! Actually I was aiming for the unlit lantern, but this works too. ¡­ The two youths then burst out of their hiding place and took a position on a hill overlooking the immobile sled. ¡°It¡¯s the end of the line for you, Glaide!¡± Zeilan shouted out as he looked down upon the small group. ¡°Ugh. Of course she¡¯d leave you two waiting at the very end.¡± Glaide sneered. ¡°All of you, take them out! There¡¯s only two, but don¡¯t get careless.¡± At his commands, the players following Glaide sprang into action and began to attack Zeilan and Rook. Two of those players faded away and disappeared, while one charged straight at them and the remaining player began casting a spell. Zeilan and Rook exchanged glances, then they both nodded and began their attack as well. Rook began shooting arrows at the mage in the back, disrupting her casting while Zeilan ran forward to meet the player charging at them. As Zeilan brought out his hammer, he made a sudden stop and then swung his hammer in a huge arc to his right. Although it seemed like he hit empty air, a grunt of pain was heard and something was sent flying through the snow. After that ¡®something¡¯ stopped moving, it was eventually revealed to be one of the players who went invisible earlier! ¡°H-how?¡± Was the only word he managed to squeeze out. ¡°Your footsteps idiot.¡± Zeilan pointed at the tracks in the snow behind him. ¡°Stealth doesn¡¯t work well in snow.¡± Then, instead of heading over to finish off that player Zeilan instead changed his target to the other player who was charging forward and met him head on. While those two began to struggle with each other, Rook changed his target over to the downed player and began raining down arrows on him. Soon that player¡¯s health was taken down to low levels, but the mage in the back finally finished casting an ice spell and fired it at both Zeilan and Rook. At the same time, the other player who went invisible reappeared behind Rook and leaped through the air to stab him in the back! At this point Rook crouched down and just barely dodged the attack. Then he rolled to avoid an icicle flying towards him, and fired a particularly powerful arrow at the mage. The mage tried to dodge the arrow but was cut slightly by the powerful wind it produced, interrupting her spell. Rather than continue firing arrows at her, Rook instead pulled out a few arrows from his quiver and placed the arrowheads in-between his fingers, creating some make-shift claws. He then rushed the player who missed earlier and began an intense melee battle with him. Meanwhile, Zeilan continued to fight against the player in front of him. The player used a great sword which cleaved the ground and caused the snow to scatter in the air. Not wanting to be outdone, Zeilan used [Strong Kick] to stomp on the ground and jumped high into the sky. He then spun with his hammer in the air and threw it down to the ground while activating [Crushing Blow]. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The hammer landed heavily on the ground, creating a loud *BOOM* sound and a powerful tremor. As soon as Zeilan landed on the ground he activated [Accelerated Steps] and began moving in a graceful manner towards the player with the greatsword. Zeilan only managed to hit him once with a [Strong Punch] when the first stealthed player came back with half his health and began to interrupt Zeilan by throwing knives or sand (which Zeilan had no idea where he possibly could have gotten sand from). Taking a few hits, Zeilan was about to retaliate when suddenly the ground underneath him became frozen! While he slipped on the newly formed ice, his enemies took this opportunity to launch their strongest attacks at him. With a low growl forming in his throat, Zeilan let out a mighty roar as he used [Dragon Roar] to interrupt the enemies closing in on him. It was at this moment that Glaide appeared seemingly out of nowhere and threw a knife at Zeilan. Zeilan was just barely able to activate his [Earth Armor] in time to block the knife, though he was still scratched a little by it. As he managed to pick himself up, he felt a sharp pain where the knife scratched him and looked up to find that his health was decreasing at an incredible rate! ¡°Hahaha¡­ This is the strongest poison money can buy right now! Feel honoured that i¡¯m using it on y- AARRGGHH!¡± Glaide suddenly screamed in pain as an arrow pierced his shoulder. At least two thirds of his health was taken away due to the surprise attack and his naturally low health and armor. With his health this low, Glaide retreated to the sled yelling out some incomprehensible curses. Zeilan quickly looked over to where Rook was and found that the player he was fighting against was in a [Paralyzed] state on the ground. I guess he used his paralysis arrows against that guy. Zeilan thought as he activated [Dizzying Steps]. Zeilan then proceeded to spin in place, using the ice as a means to help him accelerate, and then began throwing out seemingly random punches and kicks. Each of these attacks caused the players he hit to reel back in pain as they were temporarily stunned in place. Rook didn¡¯t overlook this and began to rapid fire his arrows down at the stunned enemies, quickly bringing their health down to half. When Zeilan¡¯s skill finally ran out, all the other players quickly retreated. Before Zeilan could react though, he suddenly noticed a giant block of ice dropping down onto him! Gritting his teeth, Zeilan simultaneously activated [Precision Strikes] and [Rock Breaker] (almost dropping his mana to zero). He then yelled and began to rapidly punch right at the center of the block as his health began to drop. All the other players watching this were stunned, because the force of Zeilan¡¯s punches were actually so strong that it temporarily kept a block of ice five times his size above the ground! Not only that, but it was also beginning to crack as well! Fortunately Rook kept his cool as he took a deep breath and fired an arrow at the top of the block. The force of the arrow just barely managed to tip it over, and Zeilan finally had a moment of respite. While the other players were still numb from watching such a spectacle, Zeilan sneakily drank a health and mana potion, then reactivated his [Earth Armor] and ran backwards to pick up his hammer that was still stuck in the ground. Following Zeilan¡¯s movement, the rest of the players were stirred into action as the fighting began anew. The player who Rook paralyzed earlier had just recovered, but Rook quickly turned around and began to savagely stab him with his arrows, making the player look like a porcupine. In no time that player turned into light particles and Rook was able to focus his attention on interrupting the mage who began casting more spells. With one of the players gone, the fight became much easier as Rook mainly fired arrows at the players Zeilan was fighting with, while occasionally interrupting the mage firing spells. While all of this was happening, Glaide was crouched behind the sled and began making rapid gestures in front of him as it seemed like he was typing things out. Eventually after a minute or so of exchanging blows, Zeilan got lucky as one of the players slipped on the ice patch created earlier, allowing him to hit that player with a full-force strike, causing him to disappear into particles. With this player gone, the one wielding the greatsword quickly followed and now only Glaide and the mage were left. As Glaide had a slight look of fear on his face, the mage seemed incredibly calm by comparison and simply stared at the two youths as they stopped fighting. After half a minute of enduring their intimidating gazes, the mage finally caved in and said, ¡°Look, I was hired to escort him out of the town, but I¡¯m only paid once we reach a safe destination. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s no chance of winning now, so go ahead and do what you want. I¡¯ll just sit over here.¡± The mage sat down on the sled and laid down her staff to indicate she was unwilling to fight. ¡°GRR. Best ice mage they say. Can¡¯t even do her job right¡­¡± Glaide scowled at the mage. Then he finally turned over to Zeilan and Rook with a big smile and said, ¡°Listen, we can talk this out! How about this, I¡¯ll give you all the money i have on ha-¡± Glaide¡¯s words were stopped short as he saw Zeilan¡¯s gaze sharpen, and Rook cracking his knuckles. Just as the two were going to attack him, they were stopped by a voice in the distance. ¡°Waaaaaaiiitt~!¡± When the two youths looked over they noticed that it was the familiar figure of Carro alongside a bunch of other players they came to know from doing requests for her. ¡°Thank goodness, I thought you might kill him before I got here.¡± Carro then looked to Glaide and smirked. ¡°Well, seems like this is the end of the line for you, Glaide.¡± ¡°I already said that.¡± Zeilan cut in, but he was splendidly ignored as Carro continued talking. ¡°You know Glaide, this would never have happened if you just accepted our terms and stopped taking advantage of the locals. But you didn¡¯t, did you? So now we¡¯re here, and now you have to pay the price.¡± ¡°Gah! This is just a game, Carro!¡± Glaide was infuriated as he spat out his words. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t just let an entire town¡¯s economy get ruined like that.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Carro raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t know what would happen if we let things get to that point, and it¡¯s better to prevent that in the first place. Anyway, words are cheap and money talks. Boys, if you would please.¡± Carro stepped to the side, and the other players who were following her walked up to Glaide and began using a single skill. ¡°[Steal]¡± ¡°[Steal]¡± ¡°[Steal]¡± Glaide¡¯s face became pale as he watched helplessly as his items were slowly taken away. He tried to turn around and run but one of the players threw a knife which paralyzed him, and the [Steal] party continued. ¡°This is¡­ a bit harsh, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zeilan looked at the pitiful figure of the once haughty halfing. ¡°We could just kill him and call it a day.¡± ¡°No way. This guy made me waste a lot of resources in preparing everything to take him down. I¡¯m going to squeeze every last drop of money I can get out of him.¡± Carro¡¯s usual smile was nowhere to be found as a dead serious expression covered her face. ¡°Besides, he needs to suffer for incurring my wrath.¡± She added. Carro can be pretty scary huh? Yeah. Remind me never to get on her bad side. By the way, how were the ¡®arrow claws¡¯? Pretty good, but they would¡¯ve been better if the shafts hadn¡¯t gotten in the way. They were good for blocking though. Eventually the players stole every possible thing they could from Glaide and he was killed in an almost anticlimactic manner. While Carro was dealing with the other players, Zeilan and Rook approached her. ¡°So Carro, what¡¯s next? Are we staying around Clorg for a while longer, or are we finally moving out?¡± Zeilan asked. ¡°Of course we¡¯re leaving! An aspiring merchant can¡¯t stay in such a small town after all. As for our next destination¡­ how about the capital city of Hales?¡± Thinking about all the money she could earn, Carro finally let out her bright smile.
A bit anticlimactic? Yes. But hey, that was just a personal dispute between Carro and Glaide. Zeilan was just hired muscle to be honest. So... I kind of didn''t upload last week huh? Sorry about that. But here I am with a brand new chapter! I was pretty much like this last week: Spoiler : Actually... I''ve been thinking of a way to make it up to you guys, and what better way to make up for a missed chapter than... A DOUBLE RELEASE!??!?!?!!? That''s right, refresh that page, because next chapter''s coming out in a few (insert random unit of time here). Fun-fact: The Ontario 401 Highway is the busiest highway in the world. Chapter 039 - Fluffy-fluff Time Q reappeared in a flash of light and found herself back inside the Nine-Lives Inn. Seeing that no one else was around, she decided to look at the penalties of dying. Let¡¯s see¡­ reduced stats for a few hours, loss of experience, and I lost some money as well. Nothing too serious then. Feeling reassured, she exited the Inn (not before searching for Clair for one last petting session) and made her way back to the Town Hall. Checking her friend¡¯s list, only Kukis was online so she decided to send a message. Sup. Q! Are you alright? Totally. Instant death? Happens to me all the time. Well if you can still talk like that then I guess you¡¯re fine. Haeldrix is putting me through training hell. Please get here soon. Sure! Q closed the chat box and reached the entrance to Town Hall. Once she went inside, she was met by Pamerun and her apprentices, who looked incredibly surprised. ¡°Even though I knew you would come back after dying, it¡¯s still surprising to see you walking about.¡± Pamerun said with an apologetic look on her face. ¡°I must apologize as well though, I hadn¡¯t taught you how to sense the magic traps and still let you go into such a dangerous place.¡± ¡°Eh, no big deal.¡± Q shrugged. ¡°But if you really feel apologetic, maybe you should teach me how to sense magic traps before letting me down there again?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Pamerun began leading Q through the Town Hall, down to the staircase to the Underground Library. ¡°Now, as I had said before, magic - or mana - is all around us. It exists in every living being, and even some non-living things as well. By utilizing your own mana, you can sense the other things which emit mana around you. Here, let us try it.¡± Pamerun stopped in the middle of the hallway and held up her hand. ¡°I want you to close your eyes, and try to sense the mana in my hand.¡± She instructed. Q nodded and closed her eyes, trying to focus on feeling mana. For a while she felt nothing, but then she started to sense something moving in a circle. This feeling was similar to what she felt while she was looking at the magical items in the Merchant¡¯s District. So does that mean this is what mana feels like? She wondered. After focusing on that ¡®something¡¯ for a while, she was able to make a faint outline, which eventually turned into the shape of a hand. As soon as she was able to recognize the shape, a *ding* sound was made and she opened her eyes to find a window in front of her. [New Skill!] - Mana Perception (Active, Consumes 5 mana per second) By concentrating, you are able to find areas where mana is dense. Current radius of perception: 1 meter. ¡°Huh, is it supposed to be that easy to sense mana?¡± Q asked after reading the window. ¡°Honestly no. It normally takes people weeks, or even months being exposed to mana in order to begin sensing it. You adventurers are different though, as you haven¡¯t even gone through any training and can use mana straight away.¡± Pamerun explained. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Q began to use her new ability to try sensing what was around her. As soon as she began though, she was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of mana that Pamerun was letting out. Opening her eyes in shock, Q stared at Pamerun who began laughing. ¡°That was another little lesson. Experienced mages can freely manipulate their mana, so they can easily hide it and keep you from sensing them. On the other hand they can also flaunt their mana as a sort of ¡®intimidation¡¯ tactic.¡± ¡°Wow. How much practice does it take to freely manipulate your mana?¡± ¡°For talented mages, perhaps 5 years at most. For you adventurers, I¡¯m not entirely sure but I estimate around one year''s worth of training will allow you to manipulate your mana. Heh, it really makes me think about how capable you adventurers are¡­ Ah, here we are.¡± Pamerun stopped talking as they reached a set of double doors which opened up to reveal a large staircase going down. ¡°Alright. Thanks for showing me how to sense mana Pamerun! I¡¯ll be back once I save Cookie from training hell.¡± Q began to descend the stairs while being sent off by Pamerun and her apprentices. These stairs are¡­ really long. Q thought as she walked downwards. I didn¡¯t notice it because Haeldrix was dragging us around but this is a really deep library! I dread having to walk back up¡­ After at least ten minutes of descending Q finally reached the bottom of the stairs and found herself in front of the giant door. While wondering what she should do to open it, the door opened by itself and Q cautiously approached the entrance of the library. Just as she was about to take a step forward, she stopped and activated her new [Mana Perception] skill just to make sure she wouldn¡¯t step on another trap. Not sensing anything around her, she cautiously took a few steps into the library and was able to see it properly. The ceiling was at least six stories high with wooden rafters that let down dim lanterns. While there were countless amounts of books on the bookshelves, Q was unable to read a lot of them. As she decided to start walking on the stone floor, a wandering spirit or fairy (at least she assumed they were fairies) would float by and take a look at her, and then leave afterwards. After wandering around the library for a while, Q found an open area and finally decided to do something she wanted to a long time ago. When she first got the skill, she didn¡¯t have enough mana to activate it. As she levelled up she placed every point she had into wisdom to be able to use it, but thankfully she was able to get Alrune¡¯s Key and now had enough mana to use it. Even then though, she hadn¡¯t found a suitable opportunity as she kept getting distracted or was in the village and couldn¡¯t use the skill. Finally, after so long she was able to use it. Now, was the time to¡­ ¡°[Summon Wolfy]!¡± A flash of light suddenly appeared in front of Q and an imposing figure of a large black wolf appeared. As the light faded away, it tilted its head up and howled. ¡°AWOOOOO- *thud*¡± The wolf¡¯s howl was stopped short as it was glomped by Q who jumped forward the moment it appeared. ¡°Ahahaha Wolfy! Your fur is so sooooft~.¡± Q buried her face in its fur and began rolling around. ¡°Awo?¡± Wolfy seemed confused for a moment as its dramatic entrance was ruined, but it quickly calmed down seeing that Q was the one who was hugging it. ¡°Gururu¡­¡± A contented rumble came out of its throat as it enjoyed the feeling of being pet by Q. In the middle of playing with Wolfy¡¯s ears, Q suddenly realized something. ¡°Hey Wolfy, are you a guy or a girl?¡± Faced with Q¡¯s question, Wolfy made a strange face, but then turned away its head. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll find out myself then.¡± Q lifted up its leg without any reservations and confirmed Wolfy¡¯s gender. ¡°So you¡¯re a male huh? Not that I think you could be anything else since you were technically an alpha.¡± Suddenly Q noticed two other presences behind her and turned around to find two other wolves which were maybe two thirds the size of Wolfy. They were both sitting patiently on their hind legs, but they didn¡¯t keep that pose for too long as Q also jumped on them. Eventually Q was rolling around in a pile with the wolves and had a slovenly face. ¡°Guhehehehe. This is what I¡¯m playing this game for!¡± Q¡¯s fluffy bliss was interrupted when a voice brought her back to attention. ¡°What are you doing Q?¡± Q looked up to find Kukis standing above her with a disheveled look. ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m obviously enjoying my long-deserved fluffy-fluff time.¡± ¡°I asked you to come down here and help me! Why are you just- Crap! [Earth Armor]!¡± Kukis suddenly cast a spell as something from behind hit her and broke her armor. ¡°Too weak! Your armor is too weak!¡± Haeldrix revealed herself as she clicked her tongue at Kukis. ¡°And¡­ oh hey, you¡¯re back! How did it feel to die from that trap?¡± Haeldrix¡¯s eyebrow was raised as she saw Q in the middle of all the wolves. ¡°...Unpleasant. You could¡¯ve warned me about it beforehand you know?¡± ¡°Eh, not my fault you can¡¯t sense magic traps. By the way, did you summon those wolves?¡± ¡°Haa... ¡° Q sighed as she sank even further into Wolfy¡¯s fur. ¡°Yes, I summoned these wolves. Well actually I just summoned Wolfy here, the other two were just extras¡­ Still very welcome extras though!¡± Q quickly corrected herself as she felt that the two additional wolves became a little depressed. ¡°Anyway, can I start learning earth magic now?¡± She asked. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll just gloss over the basics since Kukis here already knows. Basically, earth magic deals with manipulating the earth. At first you can only really manipulate what I call ¡®soft earth¡¯. That¡¯s stuff like mud or sand. Then you can move onto soil, rocks, etc. As you get better at it you can even create rocks out of magic power! But¡­ you adventurers are sort of cheating since you can somehow instantly understand the way a spell works without any practice. Of course even if you can use a spell it doesn¡¯t mean you truly understand the element, so as a result the spells you learn from spellbooks are weaker than ones that an earth mage who¡¯s done their research is.¡± ¡°Ahah, yeah.¡± Q scratched her head in embarrassment. This game is pretty much easy mode for us adventurers I suppose. But judging by her words, if we ever want to git gud we¡¯ll have to put in some actual effort into learning and using these spells. She then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the first spell that I¡¯m going to be learning?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll start with [Pebble Shot], then [Sand], and then [Earth Armor]. That¡¯s not even scratching the surface of earth spells though, so you have a long way to go. Now follow me, we¡¯re going to a place with monsters to train! Also Kukis, keep maintaining that armor! If it breaks again I¡¯ll throw you towards a Nibbler!¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. While Kukis had a grimace on her face, Q got up on top of Wolfy and patted his head. ¡°Okay Wolfy, onwards!¡± Wolfy let out a grunt of understanding and began walking forward while the other wolves followed. Kukis looked at Q in envy but continued to use her [Earth Armor] as she followed Haeldrix. After a few minutes of walking they found themselves in a wide open area without many books around. There were a few portions of the ground that was elevated, as well as some stray rocks and what appeared to be sand. ¡°This is where I got trained. Prepare yourself Q.¡± Kukis said as she found a corner to train in. From here Haeldrix began teaching Q the words for invoking the [Pebble Shot] spell, and told her to manipulate her mana to cast it. While memorizing the words for the spell was easy, learning how to manipulate mana on the spot was far more complicated. Luckily since Q had her mana perception ability it was a bit easier since she already knew what mana felt like. When she cast the spell by saying, ¡°Pebble, fly forth!¡± a strange feeling went through her body. When using her other spells it was different as she would only get slightly fatigued as the mana was used. Directly learning words to the spell and intentionally using her mana gave her this sort of ¡®jolt¡¯ in her body as she could feel the mana move to her hand and into the pebble, and then forced the pebble to fly forward. Wow¡­ that¡¯s really weird. I wonder if this is what the people of this world always go through when using their skills. Or maybe other players have felt this as well but I just haven¡¯t heard about it yet. After being able to use the spell decently within half an hour of practice, Haeldrix began teaching Q [Sand] and [Earth Armor]. When using [Sand] it was different from when she cast [Pebble Shot] as the mana instead gathered above her hand and then solidified into small granules of sand. [Earth Armor] gave a similar feeling except it was felt throughout her entire body. In the process of learning spells, Q was also leaning back on Wolfy as she became more familiar with the spells. Halfway through her training though, Wolfy suddenly stood up and then disappeared, and Q despaired for a few minutes before being comforted by Kukis. Finally, after at least an hour of learning spells she was thrown out into a group of small rat-like creatures and was forced to only use the spells she just learned. While killing rats with [Pebble Shot] and occasionally blinding them with [Sand], Q thought about the differences between her previously known spells and the ones she was using now. The spells I learned from the books and items seem to act more like skills as I can just use them by saying their names. These also have a cooldown, but the spells I just learned don¡¯t seem to have any. As long as I have the mana and can impose my will, I can cast these spells. Even though they take a lot longer, it definitely feels stronger than what I have. Once she finally cleared the area of rats Haeldrix was going to make Q spar with Kukis when she suddenly looked up and then clicked her tongue. ¡°Sorry girls, I guess we¡¯ll have to cancel the match. Apparently my turn for teaching you two is over now.¡± ¡°You had turns? I thought you were just going to keep us here until we knew a tier two spell.¡± Kukis seemed confused. ¡°Nah, you two know the basics now and that¡¯s good enough. Further training can come after we open the door! Now go ahead. Pamerun is waiting for you upstairs.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ is there any chance that you can give us a lift up there?¡± Q dreaded having to walk up those stairs. ¡°Nope.¡± Haeldrix mercilessly refused. ***** *Pant*... *Pant* Q and Kukis were completely out of breath once they finally reached the top of the stairs. While they walked up, Haeldrix also told them to keep using their newly learned spells which also added onto their mental fatigue. By the time they reached the top they both flopped onto the ground and lay there for a good while. ¡°I think¡­ I think I¡¯m going to logout for a while.¡± Kukis said. ¡°Too much training.¡± She then vanished into particles of light, and Q was left alone to leave the area. As she walked out of the giant stairwell, she noticed that Brie had gone online so she sent a message. Hi Brie! Finally got some time to play? Yes, I was talking to someone so I took longer than expected. No problem. I¡¯m at town hall right now. Do you know how to get there? I believe that locating the tallest building in the village will prove simple. I shall be there shortly. When Q closed the chat log, she looked up to find that Pamerun was waiting patiently in front of her. ¡°Hello Q. Sorry to interrupt your little training session with Haeldrix, but we must move quickly if we want to open that door.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all. But, can we wait a few minutes for Brie? She just came back.¡± ¡°But of course.¡± Pamerun nodded and they headed out to the front of town hall. A little while later Brie appeared and they all exchanged greetings. They then began walking towards the outskirts of the village, and on the way Pamerun was teaching Q and Brie (mostly Brie) about the wind element and how to use mana. Although Q already knew how to use mana, it was far harder for Brie since she hadn¡¯t used any kind of magic before, and barely put any points in her wisdom stat. Strangely enough Brie was able to pick it up quickly though, as she described feeling something similar when she was training her body in real life. Eventually they walked out into the Forest of Fog and Pamerun instructed them to take down some Fog Wisps with wind spells. Q actually learned the chant for the spell [Gust] and was curious as to how it would compare to how she casted it normally. When they stepped out into the forest, Brie appeared to be a little nervous but after some deep breathing she managed to reel in her emotions and became incredibly calm. Q was surprised by this, as it seemed that a player¡¯s mental fortitude wasn¡¯t just due to their stats, but also to their mental strength in real life as well. ¡°Alright, I think we¡¯ve gone far enough. I¡¯ll bring over some Fog Wisps to you two, so get ready to cast some spells at them!¡± Pamerun waved and then disappeared into the fog. A few moments later, the same phenomenon occurred when the Fog Wisps appeared as they seemed to materialize into existence. Q and Brie both shouted, ¡°Wind, go forth!¡± and both shot a ball of wind out of their hands. The balls flew forward and hit a Fog Wisp, damaging it heavily and temporarily caused it to de-materialize (though its name still floated in midair). While Brie found this strange sensation of casting a spell to be amusing, Q also cast her [Gust] just by calling the name. She found out that it both invoked the cooldown time and did less damage than it did if she was chanting. That¡¯s pretty interesting. I wonder if I can double cast them? Q began doing more experiments with her wind spells, while Brie was familiarizing herself with the feeling of casting a spell. While the girls were taking down the wisps smoothly, all of a sudden the number of them doubled and they were completely surrounded! ¡°Deja vu?¡± Q smiled bitterly. ¡°But this time we know that wind spells work great against them! Let¡¯s do this Brie!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Brie nodded and began chanting another wind spell. Just as the two girls were about to cast their spells, a sudden flash of silver light flew through the forest and hit a fog wisp, instantly killing it and causing it to disperse into the air. Shocked, the girls looked towards the direction of where the light came from, only to find that there were even more flying in their direction! Q and Brie both took stances and prepared to block them, but all the lights hit only the fog wisps and killed them, leaving the girls unharmed. Noticing that one of the lights hit a tree, Q took a closer look to find out that it was actually a small knife! That¡¯s quite a lot of skill to be able to throw knives like that¡­ Q once again turned her sight to the source of the knives, and saw a figure of a girl walk out from between the trees. ¡°Milady, I trust you are unhurt?¡± The girl said. ¡°Ah, Steph. I was wondering when you would arrive here.¡± Brie smiled as she recognized the person in front of them. ¡°Milady, though it may be presumptuous of me, please call me Phanos in game.¡± Phanos smiled as she looked at Brie.
And here she is. Phanos. ''Tis all. get hyped. Also I''m too lazy to describe the spells she got, so you''ll just get a summary of them later. So anyway, does anyone here watch Steven Universe? Because the Summer of Steven... UNNNGGGHHHH. Too good. Related Picture: Spoiler : Fun-fact: The fear of chopsticks is called Consecotaleophobia. Chapter 040 - Silver Maid ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Phanos, Lady Brie¡¯s personal maid in real life. Thank you for taking care of milady while she was playing this game.¡± Phanos extended her hand in greeting. Now that she was up close, Q was able to make out the details on her. Phanos had a very slim build and was about half a head taller than Q and Brie. She wore what seemed to be a mixture of wool and linen clothing, although there was a slight shimmer around the wool parts. Phanos also had light silver hair which went down to her shoulders, and two small horns which poked out of her forehead. While her facial features looked very cute and delicate, the one thing that marred it was a large scar which went across her left eye. Her right eye¡¯s color was green, while the other eye was covered with an eyepatch. ¡°Hey, nice to meet you.¡± Q shook her hand. Looking over to the side she saw that Brie wore a slightly strange face, but couldn¡¯t make much sense of it. ¡°When Brie told me about someone in the real world joining her, I thought it was a friend. I didn¡¯t think that she meant her own maid.¡± ¡°Haha, it honors me to be considered her friend.¡± Phanos smiled modestly. ¡°Ste- Phanos, you have barely changed your appearance. Why is that?¡± ¡°I made sure to keep my appearance as similar to how I look in real life so you would recognize me more easily, of course.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Hold on, why do you still have the scar on your eye?¡± Brie asked worriedly. ¡°Let me see it.¡± She then approached Phanos, who started to look a little flustered. ¡°M-milady, I assure you that it¡¯s nothing of great concern.¡± Phanos¡¯ words were ignored though, as Brie walked up to her and lifted up the eyepatch. ¡°Ah, so you do have an eye there. Honestly, do not worry me like that Phanos! Since this is a game that gives you a chance to use a new body, I would have thought that you would use that opportunity to remove that scar.¡± While Brie shook her head, Q took a quick glance and noticed that Phanos¡¯ other eye was red. ¡°...I could never remove this scar, milady.¡± Phanos looked down. ¡°It is a reminder of my failures and shortcomings, and even if you ordered me to remove it, I would still keep it.¡± ¡°Steph¡­¡± Brie frowned for a moment, and then patted Phanos¡¯ head. For a moment they stood still like this, master and servant in an intimate pose, when suddenly they were interrupted by the arrival of a person. ¡°My my, what¡¯s going on here? Another one of your friends?¡± Pamerun returned and approached Q. ¡°She¡¯s Brie¡¯s friend. I just met her today.¡± Q corrected her and turned towards the other two. ¡°Are you two going to stay like that all day?¡± ¡°Oh dear! I seem to have shown you an immodest appearance.¡± Phanos quickly separated from Brie and straightened out her clothes. She then bowed to Pamerun saying, ¡°Apologies for the late introduction. My name is Phanos, and I follow lady Brie.¡± ¡°Well aren¡¯t you a polite one?¡± Pamerun chuckled. ¡°Meeting new people is nice and all, but I¡¯m afraid that you happened to interrupt our little training session here. Of course I don¡¯t mind if you watch these two fight, but I¡¯ll have to ask you to stay on the side.¡± ¡°This was training? I thought for sure¡­¡± Phanos mumbled to herself for a while, but then looked back up and smiled. ¡°I am very sorry for interrupting your training session. I would be most honoured if you let me stay and observe.¡± ¡°Alright, stand by that tree then.¡± Pamerun pointed at a nearby tree with low branches. ¡°Now let¡¯s see some more variety in those spells!¡± She said to Q and Brie. ¡°Q, I know that you¡¯re experimenting with the [Gust] obtained from a spellbook and the [Gust] as a spell, but make sure to use other ones alright? As for you Brie, try focusing on just casting a spell. I can see your fingers itching towards your sword every time a wisp approaches.¡± The two girls nodded and then Pamerun disappeared into the fog. A few moments later the area was filled with Fog Wisps again and the two began using different spells. Halfway through fighting the wisps, Brie complained about a slight headache so Q passed her a mana potion and explained the ¡®mental fatigue¡¯ from casting too many spells. After around one minute of killing fog wisps, Q suddenly felt a fluctuation of mana and activated her mana perception. The mana in the air began gathering in a larger clump than usual, and the fog wisps around the area were being sucked in! Then, a form which was at least ten times the size of the normal wisps with coils of fog around it appeared. [Will of the Wisps] - Level 40 ¡°Oh my, it seems we¡¯ve been hunting the wisps here for too long.¡± Pamerun reappeared and began explaining. ¡°Sometimes when a lot of wisps die in a single area, they¡¯ll gather into a larger more powerful entity. This isn¡¯t a part of our training, but would you girls like to handle it? Phanos can join in as well.¡± ¡°Heck yeah!¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡± Each of the girls responded in kind and they began their attack on the Will-o-wisp. (A/N: Name shortened because reasons) Q started out by shooting twin [Gusts], one from her skill and one from her spell. Both shots spun in the air and gathered together to create a large ball of wind which sped through the air and hit the Will-o-wisp. Contrary to Q¡¯s expectations, the ball didn¡¯t tear through it like it did with the other wisps, but instead the coils of fog that surrounded the Will-o-wisp blocked it. Although this slightly concerned her, she noticed that it¡¯s health had dropped a little so she continued to cast [Gust] as she ran around it. ¡°The Will-o-wisp can use the fog around it to attack and defend. Its range is around two or three meters, so be careful when fighting it in close quarters. Though then again it¡¯ll just block ranged attacks so it¡¯s up to you how you handle it.¡± Pamerun was sitting on a branch and gave out advice. ¡°Okay. Brie, you and I are going to take it on from the front. Phanos, you can throw your knives and stuff from the back.¡± Q had begun running towards the Will-o-wisp as soon as she finished talking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Q, but I only follow orders from-¡± ¡°I am on my way!¡± Brie interrupted Phanos as she also ran to join up with Q. ¡°...Lady Brie.¡± Phanos seemed a little crestfallen for a moment, but quickly regained determination in her eyes and pulled out some knives which were hiding in her sleeves. ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll just stand over here and throw my knives¡­ *mutter mutter*¡± While Phanos was sulking, Q and Brie engaged the Will-o-wisp. Q focused on using only wind and earth spells, as she remembered that the wisps exploded with a fire spell and she didn¡¯t want to risk this giant wisp exploding on them. Brie on the other hand used her sword to make quick swipes at it since she couldn¡¯t find a particular weak spot to stab. Although the two of them furiously attacked the Will-o-wisp, it used only the fog coils around it to block their attacks as it slowly moved towards them. Even though the two girls attacks weren¡¯t hitting the ¡®main body¡¯ it was still taking some damage, so they continued to fight while carefully keeping a safe distance from it. Q cast [Earth Armor] and was about to fight in in close quarters when a silver light flashed and the Will-o-wisp¡¯s health dropped by at least 5%! Surprised, Q looked over to find that Phanos was standing with her arm outstretched, while wearing a smug face. ¡°That¡¯s some nice damage! Change of plans, I¡¯ll take the rear, Brie will fight it up close and Phanos will be in-between us. Brie, focus on distracting it and keeping its attention on you! Phanos, just keep doing whatever does the most damage.¡± ¡°Like I said earlier-¡± ¡°Phanos, please comply.¡± Brie took a step back to dodge a fog coil which whipped out and struck the air in front of her. ¡°Yes milady.¡± All of a sudden Phanos looked a lot more willing as she began rapidly throwing knives at the Will-o-wisp. Each of her knives had a slight glow to them and created a small breeze when they flew through the air. As the knives left her hand they flew forth with deadly accuracy, heading straight towards the Will-o-wisp¡¯s main body. The Will-o-wisp moved slightly to the side to dodge it, but then the knife changed directions midair and hit it directly! ¡°How interesting¡­ She combined wind and void magic¡­¡± Pamerun analyzed Phanos¡¯ attack while leisurely sipping a cup of tea she brought out of nowhere. ¡°Uh, Pamerun. Hate to interrupt your cup of tea but will using fire magic against this thing make it explode? And to that point, will using lightning magic make it explode as well?¡± Q asked as she continuously fired out her [Gust] spell. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°The reason the normal Fog Wisps explode from fire magic is mainly because they¡¯re susceptible to fire magic. The fire quickly burns away what constitutes as their body, and once their body disappears the mana leftover is consumed by the fire. This mixes in with the remnant wind mana that the Fog Wisp leaves behind, and creates the explosion. Because the Will-o-Wisp has more strength than usual it won¡¯t cause an explosion unless it¡¯s near death.¡± ¡°Thanks for the lecture!¡± Q instantly cast a combination of [Gust] and [Ember] once she heard this. As if it sensed danger, the Will-o-wisp turned to Q and condensed the fog coils around it to form a crude shield. The combination spell was easily blocked by this shield, and Q frowned as she waited for [Ember] to come off cooldown. ¡°This might be a bit of a pain¡­ Maybe if I add a bit more punch it¡¯ll go through!¡± Q then cast [Ember], [Gust], and [Pebble Shot] at the same time, and had them fly towards the Will-o-wisp. In mid air all the spells came together and created a burning rock that pierced through at least half of the Will-o-wisp¡¯s shield before disappearing. ¡°This Q seems to be more prodigious than I thought¡­¡± Pamerun looked closely at Q. ¡°While normally earth and wind spells cancel each other out, she put in a layer of fire between them, allowing them all to coexist and increase in power¡­ either she subconsciously did that, or it was luck. Either way, she¡¯s full of surprises.¡± Hey, that was lucky! Q thought as she watched all three spells combine. But I should probably pick up the pace. Brie and Phanos already have this things health down to half¡­ She looked over at the main body where they were fighting, and saw that they were actually side by side. Brie¡¯s slashes would slightly dissipate the fog and wouldn¡¯t do much damage, but occasionally she¡¯d use a wind spell after her attack, which dealt quite a bit. Meanwhile Phanos seemed to be more focused on protecting Brie, as anytime the fog coils moved towards Brie she would throw a knife to interrupt it. Phanos didn¡¯t neglect dealing damage either, as she held a curved dagger in her left hand to swipe at the Will-o-wisp when she got near it. The Will-o-wisp seemed to be getting angry though, as it let out a soundless scream and all the fog coils gathered around its body. Then after a few seconds of movement they separated into a bunch of small balls, which it then used to throw at the girls. This attack didn¡¯t seem to bother Brie or Phanos all that much though, as they only made a few extra movements to dodge the balls and continued to attack the main body. Q suddenly dashed in with her fist glowing a slight blue colour and she then punched the Will-o-wisp. As soon as her fist made contact, three bolts of lightning flew forth and wreaked havoc inside its body, taking away almost 10% of its health. Q then followed that up by a [Tri-spark] and then another combination of [Ember], [Gust] and [Pebble Shot]. At this point the Will-o-wisp¡¯s health was less than ten percent, and Q resorted to using her claws as best she could to attack it. Soon enough with all of their efforts, the Will-o-wisp was killed and the fight ended. ¡°That was¡­ unexpectedly weak. I mean I guess it¡¯s on the same level of an elite monster, but still¡­¡± Q seemed to be disappointed by the lack of challenge. ¡°On the contrary, the Will-o-wisp is quite a challenge for any apprentice witches. Your fire spells and Phanos¡¯ knives dealt a lot of damage you know?¡± Pamerun descended from her tree as she continued to speak. ¡°As for you Brie, I can¡¯t help but feel that magic isn¡¯t one of your strong points. Perhaps you should look into other ways of dealing damage?¡± ¡°That is true. I feel far more at ease when using my blade to attack enemies, though I will admit using magic feels fun.¡± Brie seemed a little dismayed at the fact that her damage couldn¡¯t match up to Q or Phanos. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Brie.¡± Q patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s tons of classes and playstyles out there that suits you. You could probably be a magic swordsman or something, and enchant your blades with the elements!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I suppose I¡¯ll find my class in time.¡± Brie smiled a little as she looked forward to the future. ¡°...¡± While Q and Brie were having their exchange, Phanos was watching with a wide eye. To think that milady is this comfortable around someone she hasn¡¯t met in real life¡­ And not to mention she let Q touch her! I must keep a closer eye on this Q¡­ ¡°Well, I believe that¡¯s enough excitement for one day, don¡¯t you agree? It¡¯s about time we headed back to the village. Would Phanos like to join us?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The surprise on Phanos¡¯ face was instantly erased as she put on a smile. ¡°I would be honored to be let into your village.¡± ¡°Hehe, follow me then.¡± Pamerun began leading them back towards the village. On the way back, Q suddenly thought of something as she asked, ¡°Hey Pamerun, why did you let us into the village in the first place? I remember you saying that we didn¡¯t seem like bad people, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good enough reason to let complete strangers into your secret village.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­ Well, it¡¯s a multitude of reasons, but the first one is definitely because I didn¡¯t think you were bad people. The second is because I thought that slowly letting people know about our culture would be a good thing for us witches. You adventurers would be a good choice for this, as you didn¡¯t have any prejudices towards us and were instead curious and willing to learn. The third reason¡­¡± Pamerun trailed off. ¡°The third reason?¡± Q looked at her with curious eyes. ¡°The third reason has to do with the ring and note you brought with you. I¡­ I once had a lover back in a small town named Foria. We had all sorts of fun together, and after a while he eventually said he would marry me. I told him it wouldn¡¯t work due to myself being a witch, but he insisted. He said that he would find a large ruby gem as red as my hair, and he would use it to propose to me. Unfortunately at that time I had to leave Foria because my presence was being noticed by the Velories, so I left him a note in hopes that he might find me again. That note you passed me is the same one I wrote, and the ring¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Q finally understood why Pamerun looked so distressed when she first took the note from her. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure what to say.¡± ¡°Haha, It¡¯s fine Q. That was 50 years ago anyway, so I don¡¯t expect him to be alive anymore. It¡¯s just, the memories¡­¡± ¡°Hold on a second, you said 50 years ago?¡± ¡°Yes, why?¡± ¡°How old are you now?¡± Q looked at Pamerun who still looked young and beautiful. ¡°Fufu, even if you are a girl, it¡¯s rude to ask for a lady¡¯s age.¡± ¡°But you still look so¡­ young.¡± Brie interjected. ¡°That¡¯s a woman¡¯s secret. Ah, it seems we¡¯ve reached the village.¡± Pamerun made a quick chant and the trees parted to reveal the village of Malse hiding within. ¡°For the next lesson, go find Suina, the Grand Witch of Water. She¡¯ll be waiting at the fountain, and from what I hear your friend Kukis is already there.¡± She then waved her hand and a broom appeared. ¡°I¡¯ll be busy with getting other things ready. I¡¯ll see you girls some other time!¡± She then sat on the broom and flew towards the village, presumably to town hall. ¡°That¡¯s so cool! I want one!¡± Q¡¯s desire to fly in the sky was reinforced as she watched Pamerun fly away. ¡°Indeed, I too would like to experience flying in the sky like that.¡± Brie nodded in agreement. ¡°As long as you order it, I will put in all my effort to let you fly through the skies, milady.¡± ¡°Thank you Phanos. Shall we head off to the fountain then?¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go!¡± Q began to walk, and the three girls made their way to the center of the village.
Hi. You know, sometimes I feel a bit jealous of other people''s works (fictions to be more precise). I feel like their stuff is more thought out or better-made than mine, and while it doesn''t elicit any negative emotions, it just makes me think like: man, I wish I could write like that. I mean I must be doing something right if you all like this fiction so that makes me happy at the very least. On a more relevant note, I feel like Phanos somehow has more backstory than any other character in the past 39 chapters. Wow. Don''t you love the snail''s pace at which you learn things about the characters? Fun-fact: A circle is just a polygon with infinite sides. Chapter 041 - Final Task ¡°Hey Q, Brie, and¡­ who¡¯s this?¡± Kukis looked at the newcomer with interest. ¡°Greetings, I am Phanos, Lady Brie¡¯s personal maid in real life. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± Phanos bowed. On the way into the village, Phanos was incredibly surprised by all the things she saw as her face constantly changed expressions. By the time they got to the upside-down fountain though, she was able to reign in her expression and had a calm and collected demeanour. ¡°Woah¡­ A real maid. I guess you really are a rich girl huh, Brie?¡± Kukis seemed impressed. ¡°But of course!¡± Brie puffed out her chest as she looked quite proud. ¡°Why¡¯d you even doubt it?¡± Q said with a smile. ¡°Even for roleplay her personality was a bit excessive.¡± ¡°Hey! Such rude words are¡­¡± At first Phanos seemed indignant, but when she saw that Brie only smiled at Q¡¯s comment, she was at a loss for words. ¡°Lady Brie,¡± she whispered, ¡°Are you fine with those comments being directed at you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine Phanos. It¡¯s only a joke.¡± ¡°A joke¡­ I see¡­¡± Phanos went silent as she began digesting this information. ¡°You¡¯re both here I see. And two extras?¡± A woman in deep blue robes suddenly stepped through the water from inside the fountain. ¡°Um, greetings Master Suina.¡± Q felt like she had to greet this woman politely. With Pamerun and Haeldrix, their friendly personality let her interact with them freely. This woman however, gave off a slight aura of nobility, similar to the one that Brie occasionally let out. ¡°Was that¡­ a water teleportation spell?¡± ¡°Not really. There¡¯s a complex teleportation array hidden in the fountain, and I just got back from checking the other side. Water magic did prevent me from getting wet though.¡± She said with a wink. ¡°That¡¯s cool¡­ but are you sure you want to reveal a secret like that to us?¡± Kukis asked worriedly. ¡°Oh that¡¯s no problem at all.¡± Suina waved her hand nonchalantly. ¡°This array was set up personally by the Grand Wizard Alrune. Even if all of us Grand Witches used our strongest spells, it would still take a while to forcefully break it. Not to mention that it¡¯s so complex that trying to unravel its secrets might take years, if not decades. Besides,¡± she continued, ¡°You¡¯re going to be one of our comrades soon, and you¡¯ll learn about it naturally anyway.¡± ¡°What does she mean by comrade?¡± Brie asked. ¡°Oh right, I forgot to tell you but Kukis and I are in the middle of doing our class quest. Meeting Pamerun was part of the training, which I think you need to go through Cookie.¡± Q looked to the violet-haired girl, who nodded in response. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think that my break would take that long.¡± Kukis shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Sometimes having time accelerated by three times can really work against you.¡± ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but what kind of class are you two obtaining?¡± Phanos asked. ¡°It¡¯s the Witch class. Weak physical defense, high magic damage, and can use all elements as well as potions and hexes.¡± Kukis summarized the class in a single sentence. ¡°Hm. I do not believe that class will be suitable for milady.¡± Phanos shook her head. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse us, lady Brie and I will be leaving for a short while to find classes more suited to our abilities. Now, come along lady Brie¡­¡± ¡°P-Phanos? Wait just a moment!¡± Brie protested a little, but Phanos was adamant on leaving and practically dragged her away. Huh, their master/servant relationship seems to be a lot deeper if Phanos can just drag her around. Oh well, I¡¯ll learn about it later on I guess. For now, magic! Q focused her view back on Suina who let out a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I was hoping for some more witches to join our cause¡­ then again, if they choose the Hexmage class or similar ones it¡¯ll still be fine. Now, are you two ready for your lessons on water magic?¡± ¡°¡°Yes!¡±¡± Q and Kukis both excitedly exclaimed. ***** From here, the two girls learned about each of the elements from the different Grand Witches. Since they learned the basics of mana manipulation, each new spell was obtained fairly easily. All the spells they learned were only three basic ones, one for attack, one for defense, and one for utility. Each one varied in effect and execution depending on the element, but for the most part it was very similar. After learning those spells, their teacher would allow them to train against monsters or spar against one another (most of which Q won, but Kukis was able to beat her a few times depending on the spells they used). During this process, Q managed to level up to level 30, and she noticed that her [Summon Wolfy] skill was now able to summon Wolfy for a longer time, and was also able to summon three extra wolves. Whenever Q had free time she would enjoy it by frolicking around with Wolfy or levelling up her other skills. Q also made sure not to neglect her Tailoring profession and occasionally made new equipments, but since they were inferior to her current equipment she never used them. Finally, once they learned basic spells from all the witches, they began learning about hexes. As the witches explained it, hexes are a kind of magic that is incredibly complex, bringing about many different effects depending on what kind of hex you cast. For example, one could cast a weakening hex to lower the defenses of their enemies, or cast a confusion hex to make them turn against each other. While many of these abilities could bring great effects, the only problem is that they¡¯re specifically made to target enemies. The Hexmage class which specializes in them is an exception though, as they are able to cast hexes which buff their allies (as strange as that is considering the nature of a hex). Even more interesting was the different ways that they could be cast. Depending on the effect you wanted, you could cast a hex several different ways to achieve the same effect. If you wanted to weaken a group of enemies, you could setup magic runes and sigils to lower their defenses. You could also use a medium (like a cursed doll) and cast a spell on it, affecting those enemies. There was also the option to chant out a spell, but this was in a different language with strange pronunciations, so Q gave up on trying to do that quickly. Since there was so many different things to learn about hexes, Q and Kukis were only allowed to learn a maximum of two. Q had learned the [Weaken: Defense] and [Confuse] hexes, while Kukis learned [Headache] and [Enfeeble] hexes. Q decided to cast hers by using sigils (since she remembered what they looked like more easily) while Kukis used a straw doll for [Headache], and a chant for [Enfeeble]. The entirety of their training took a grand total of three real life days, as they had to constantly log in and out of the game to deal with real-life issues. While they were training they occasionally saw Brie and Phanos walking around town, but the two would always return a wave or quick greeting before running off somewhere else. ¡°I wonder what class they¡¯re trying to get¡­¡± Q wondered as she walked towards Town Hall. ¡°It¡¯d be great if they were done by the time we enter the underground library.¡± Kukis had a thoughtful look on her face. ¡°But what do you think this ¡®final lesson¡¯ of ours is going to be? Hopefully we¡¯re not learning any more spells, because I have my head spinning just trying to remember all the chants for my spells now.¡± ¡°Yeah, it sure is a lot, but at least they give you the chant in the spell list.¡± ¡°What!? Where?¡± ¡°You have to focus on the description of the spell, and then the words to use it will slowly appear. It happened to me while I was spacing out with my spell list open¡­¡± Q scratched her cheek. ¡°Oh man, this makes my life waaaay easier. Thanks Q!¡± ¡°No problem. Oh, we¡¯re at town hall now.¡± The two girls entered town hall and were met with Wendy and Lea, who brought them into a room filled with candles. There was a large circle in the center with a bunch of runes lined up around it, and they found Pamerun standing in the center who looked incredibly serious. The girls gulped as they were affected by the atmosphere in the place, and awaited Pamerun¡¯s words. ¡°You two¡­ have been training in the magic arts for three days, and have a very, VERY basic understanding of the elements and hexes alike. So now, this is your final task on becoming an Apprentice Witch.¡± ¡°O-our final task is?¡± Kukis asked nervously. ¡°Your final task is¡­ to summon a familiar!¡± Suddenly all the candle lights went out and a lamp in the ceiling went on, illuminating the entire room. ¡°Hahaha, sorry. I just can¡¯t resist doing that to apprentices. The nervous looks on your faces¡­ priceless!¡± As Pamerun began laughing, Q and Kukis let out the breath they didn¡¯t realize they had been holding. ¡°That¡¯s not how I expected this to go down¡­¡± Q had a wry smile on her face. ¡°Back in the past that¡¯s actually how summoning a familiar would¡¯ve been done.¡± Pamerun said. ¡°Nowadays we find those traditions annoying so we just skip them and get to the good stuff. So who wants to go first?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Q and Kukis exchanged glances, and then Q raised her hand. ¡°Do we have to do anything special for this summoning? Like, get some sort of item or learn a summoning spell?¡± ¡°Nope. The familiar summoning ritual automatically finds and binds a creature most suited to the user¡¯s needs. It¡¯s a very simple process, and is sort of a reward for apprentice witches for finishing their training. Wendy and Lea over here have already gotten their familiars.¡± At this point Pamerun made a small gesture. Wendy and Lea nodded, then mumbled a few words and a slight glow appeared in the space in front of them. A small bird with dark blue wings and a red cat with sharp fangs both appeared from the light and went to Wendy and Lea respectively. Once she saw this, Q¡¯s eyes widened as she instantly jumped into the middle of the summoning circle and said, ¡°I¡¯m first! I¡¯m definitely getting a fluffy animal. Definitely!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not guaranteed¡­¡± Pamerun was about to say something, but seeing Q¡¯s sparkling eyes she decided not to. ¡°Alright then Q, stand still.¡± Pamerun then began chanting the spell and the circle began to glow while the symbols started to flash rapidly. For a second Q felt that her mana was taken away, and looking at her status she saw that this summoning circle did take about a quarter of her mana. ¡°Get ready Q, here it comes!¡± Pamerun said as she finished her chant. The air above Q distorted and she looked up in anticipation. Be soft and fluffy, be soft and fluffy¡­ She continuously chanted in her heart. After a few more seconds, a bright light appeared and Q subconsciously outstretched her hands. The light slowly floated down into her hands, and it slowly faded away. Feeling a soft sensation on the palm of her hands, Q was momentarily delighted when she suddenly felt some rough parts on her fingers. At this point the light faded away, and what was left was a small salamander covered in rocks with a shiny gemstone embedded in its forehead. The salamander¡¯s body was about ten centimeters in length, and its tail was also just as long. The rocks that it was covered in turned out to be many scales of varying sizes, all looking like small stones or pebbles. For a few seconds Q was completely silent before finally saying, ¡°You¡¯re not a fluffy animal.¡± The salamander looked up at her with small beady eyes and let out a short hiss, revealing a small slender tongue. ¡°Oh my, it seems you¡¯ve summoned a Geode Salamander. It¡¯s even got a Black Tourmaline gem! That means it¡¯s main element is Earth. Congratulations Q, that¡¯s a very rare familiar to obtain.¡± ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s not fluffy¡­¡± Q felt a little crestfallen as she stared into the salamander¡¯s eyes. ¡°Kshaaa.¡± The salamander opened its mouth and let out a cute cry. ¡°...¡± Q stared at the little salamander for half a minute, and then said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re still cute though.¡± She began scratching its underbelly with her finger. The salamander narrowed its eyes in pleasure as it wriggled back and forth on Q¡¯s palm. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve taken a liking to this creature.¡± Pamerun smiled. ¡°The last part of the ritual is to give it a name, and then you¡¯ll be bonded to each other.¡± ¡°A name huh? How about¡­ Schorl?¡± Q was reminded of the other name for a tourmaline gem and thought it fit quite well. ¡°... Kashaaa!¡± The salamander¡¯s tail swayed back and forth in the air as it hopped around on Q¡¯s palm excitedly. Seeing this, Pamerun quietly said a few more words and the circle underneath Q¡¯s feet glowed once more. This time a light gathered up into the air and separated into two pieces, one going into Q¡¯s body and the other going into Schorl¡¯s body. As soon as the light entered her body, Q learned a new spell and a window with details about Schorl appeared. (A/N: Which I will not make because it¡¯s not even that important) [New Spell] - Summon Familiar (Consumes and reserves 10% of maximum mana) Summons your familiar to fight by your side. A familiar will be forcefully unsummoned if mana reaches zero, or if its health reaches zero. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m looking forward to working with you in the future, Schorl.¡± Q tapped Schorl¡¯s gem lightly. ¡°Ksha~¡± ¡°Okay Kukis, now it¡¯s your turn.¡± Pamerun said as Q left the circle. ¡°I wonder what kind of familiar I¡¯ll get¡­¡± Kukis wondered as she entered the circle. The same process as before occurred, and a light appeared above Kukis. She held out her hands to catch the familiar falling out, and it hit her hands with a ¡®splat¡¯. Kukis furrowed her eyebrows as concentrated on the thing in her hands. It felt incredibly squishy and viscous, and a few parts of it were even dripping to the floor! When the light faded away, she screamed, ¡°I summoned a slime!?¡± Indeed, what Kukis held was a green slime that constantly writhed and wriggled in her hands. There was a small orb which constantly moved throughout its body, and the parts of its body that fell on the ground evaporated into nothingness (although it seemed that it¡¯s actual body didn¡¯t decrease in size). ¡°That¡¯s¡­ unexpected. There are accounts of some witch apprentices summoning a slime but that hasn¡¯t happened for a century.¡± Pamerun seemed similarly surprised. ¡°Um¡­ Hi?¡± Kukis said with a nervous voice. The slime jiggled in response. ¡°What a meaningful conversation.¡± Q noted. ¡°Well I guess¡­ I have to give you a name huh? How about-MMMPHGHMPH!!¡± Kukis was interrupted as the slime suddenly jumped onto her face and enveloped her head inside itself. Kukis began to panic and flailed her arms about wildly while Q, Wendy and Lea tried to get the slime off her head. After a long struggle the girls managed to pull the slime off Kukis¡¯ face and she was left panting on the ground gasping for air. ¡°I might as well call you face-hugger¡­¡± Kukis muttered. ¡°Okay little slime, your name is going to be Asphy.¡± Once she said this, Pamerun finished the ritual and Kukis was able to get her new familiar. ¡°Congratulations you two, you are now fully fledged apprentice witches!¡± Pamerun said with a smile. Once she said this, a window appeared in front of Q and Kukis saying that they had completed the quest, and received the class. They both looked over their status windows and read all the changes that had occurred for getting the class. ¡°This is pretty awesome.¡± Q grinned. ¡°So when will we go to the Underground Library?¡± ¡°In one hour, meet us at the entrance to the library. The rest of the Grand Witches have to be called here after all.¡± Pamerun paused for a moment, ¡°We also have some new equipment prepared for you, so follow Wendy and Lea to get them. I¡¯ll see you in an hour!¡± ¡°All right, we¡¯ll see you there!¡±
What, you didn''t think I''d make you go through ALL the process of them learning their magic did you? So anyhue, they''re finally going to conquer the library! Yaaay. Also their summons, well I''m not sure anyone would have expected Q, of all people, to not summon a fluffy animal but it happened. By the way, I recently was reading Dragon-Blooded War God and it''s pretty damn good! At first I didn''t expect much because the description was kind of vague while the cover was just dude with long hair (what is up with China and guys with long hair anyway? It''s like they want their males to be as pretty as females while also being as handsome as heck...) but boy was I wrong. It''s really emotional, has some good fights, and isn''t filled with random bullshit to make a chapter meet the quota (gets right to the good stuff and keeps you there). My only problem with it is the ridiculous speed of the MC powering up, but that''s just a given in these stories. So why was I talking about that? Because I was reminded of the saying: Don''t judge a book by it''s cover. As true as that saying is, I absolutely judge a book by its cover anyway. I mean, a book can be good, but it has to put in some effort as well if it wants to draw people in with its cover. Fun-fact: The Bible is the best selling book in the world. P.S. Do you want to have a status table in this chapter or not? She''ll get another look at her status after the library anyway so... When you think you''ve won, but you haven''t: Spoiler : Chapter 042 - The Underground Library "You guys made it! And nice outfits by the way." Q said as she greeted Brie and Phanos. The four girls had obtained new equipments from the last time they met each other. Brie was wearing an outfit made of light cloth with pieces of metal strapped around her vital spots. Her boots also had some metal plating on them, and Q noticed that there were some very faint symbols put into the metal parts. She also had some new rings and other accessories, while her sword had a new glow to it. Phanos was now wearing a frilly dress, and her eyepatch upgraded into a leather one with a skull design on it. Q couldn''t find any trace of Phanos'' knives anywhere, but she had no doubt they were skillfully hidden all across her body. In fact, with a slight movement of her leg, Q was able to catch a glimmer of something metal strapped to her thigh. She also had a belt around her waist which held all sorts of strange things like charms or mini-dolls. "Why thank you Q, you two look very nice as well." Brie complimented. Q and Kukis were wearing similar outfits with long black robes which reached down to their feet. Underneath those robes were linen clothes which had some enchantments put on them to increase their sturdiness. They also both wore wide-brimmed hats with pointed tops, although Q''s was slightly modified so her fox ears would pop out the top. The two of them had new wands to cast their spells, but they also kept a few melee weapons in their inventory just in case they had to fight in close quarters combat. "And it seems you two have obtained some new companions as well." Phanos noted as she pointed at the top of Q''s and Kukis'' head. Schorl was nestled happily in between Q''s ears that pointed out of her hat, and was currently sleeping contentedly. On the other hand Asphy had completely enveloped Kukis'' hat and was constantly letting its fluids drip down the sides (as a side note, Asphy wouldn''t stop trying to envelop Kukis'' head, and this was the only way to keep it from choking her to death). "Yeah, it''s our familiars that we got from obtaining the Witch''s class. What kind of classes did you two get by the way?" Kukis asked. Brie raised her head up high as she answered, "Behold, for I have obtained the Spell Knight class!" She twirled around once to show off her new outfit. "With this class I am able to continue using my fencing skills, and can also use magic!" "Ooh, very cool." Q and Kukis clapped their hands. Brie seemed quite satisfied by their reaction and smiled. "Yes, it took a bit of effort, but I was able to find a class suitable for milady." Phanos said. "As for myself, I have obtained the Hexmage class in order to support her." "Awesome. We have DPS, support, and two glass cannons... This is a terrible composition." Kukis seemed excited, but her excitement quickly deflated once she realized how badly their team was balanced. "Composition?" Brie tilted her head in confusion. "Allow me to explain." Phanos said. "A composition, in other words a team composition, is referring to what roles a gaming party consists of. What Kukis had just mentioned is that we have very high damage, but very low defense, so as we progress through the library we will be hard pressed to proceed." "Yeah, a tank or a healer would be nice... Also, when did you learn about those terms?" "Of course, once I had learned that I would be joining milady in TWO I took it upon myself to research every basic piece of information when it comes to online gaming." "If push comes to shove we can just rely on Kukis to throw a potion at us." Q mentioned. "Actually, I did put a point into [Throw Potion] in my skill tree so I can do that. I''ll eventually run out of them though so we should probably focus on not getting hit at all." The rest of the girls agreed to this sentiment and nodded their heads. It was at this moment that a voice called them over. "Girls, are your preparations complete?" Pamerun yelled. "Yeah, we''re ready!" Q answered. The four girls walked over to the entrance door to the Underground Library and faced the Grand Witches who were gathered there. "Okay everyone, our mission this time is to safely escort Q to Alrune''s door. We will focus on staying away from battle getting there as quickly as possible. If the guardians of the library come to attack us, five of us Grand Witches will stay behind and distract them, while the other two will continue to escort Q. Any questions?" "I have one." Q raised her hand. "What if I die?" "Don''t." Was the only answer she received. "Alright, let''s go!" As if on cue, the door opened to Pamerun''s last sentence and the group began delving into the underground library. The first floor was very simple as their group simply walked to the stairs leading down to the next level. The monsters on the floor were intimidated by the aura (and mana) that the Grand Witches were giving off, so they didn''t attack. The second floor was similar, although some brave monsters attempted to attack the weakest members of the group (that being Q''s party). Those monsters were quickly dispatched by the Grand Witches though, so they were able to clear the second floor in less than ten minutes. During this time Q and her party were constantly admiring the grandeur of the library (since they didn''t have to focus on defending themselves). With each floor came a new look and new monsters. While the first floor seemed to be consisting mainly of bricks and stones, the second floor seemed far more natural as the floor changed into wooden planks and the bookshelves were made out of solid oak. The monsters also seemed to be more ''natural'' looking as Q saw that some of them were called dryads. The books on the second floor also seemed to be older as the pages were slightly more yellowed than the ones upstairs. When Q tried to touch one out of curiosity she was slightly repelled by a barrier which covered the entirety of that bookshelf. Eventually they made it to the third floor and their progress finally began to slow down a bit. This time the floor seemed to be fire based as there were burning spirits floating about, while the floor seemed to be covered in ash. The temperature also rose quite a bit, and the group had to deal with magic traps hidden underneath the ash. It''s a wonder that these books don''t burn in this kind of environment... though then again, magic. Q idly thought as they made their way through the floor. Each floor after this seemed to also correspond to an element, and after an hour they finally reached the fifth floor of the library. At first it seemed fairly normal as there didn''t seem to be any quirks about it, but then Q suddenly walked into a bookshelf which hadn''t been there before! "This is the ''light'' floor." Pamerun explained, "There are many illusions and tricks of light which will confuse you as you go through. Stay closer together you four, it''s only going to get tougher from here on out." The girls nodded and they tightened their guard as they made their way forward. After making it halfway through the floor, an ear-piercing shriek was heard and made them cover their ears! "The guardian? It should only show up from floor seven and onwards..." Pamerun muttered quietly. "Perhaps they have sensed that Alrune''s key is with us this time." Suina said. "Indeed..." Pamerun closed her eyes in contemplation. "Okay, if it''s only one of them then Halidyne and Fremetica can distract it. If it''s both then all of us will stay behind, while Haeldrix and Caryll will take the girls to the door." The Grand Witches nodded, and they all braced themselves for what was coming next. Q and the others also got into a fighting stance as they looked towards the stairway. *FWOOOOSH* Suddenly, a large figure burst out of the stairway and began flying in the air! It''s speed was ridiculously fast, so all Q could see was a blur. Wherever the figure passed in the air, the illusions placed in the floor flickered and began to dissipate, while the whole room seemed to get brighter. Narrowing her eyes and tensing her body, Q concentrated as the world seemed to slow down a little. She focused her view on the figure, and was just barely able to make it out! The figure was most definitely a bird, as Q could see its feathers trembling under the extreme speed it was moving. Its wings were also moving at a pace so fast that Q could''ve sworn that it was a hummingbird. Focusing on the head of the figure, Q saw two large eyes and a sharp beak which curved down. The figure seemed to notice Q staring at it as its eyes focused on her and it finally stopped flying around. As it stopped moving Q was able to get a proper look at it, and what she saw shocked her! The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. [Guardian of Knowledge] - Level 148 "And I thought the Guardian of the Ruins was ridiculous..." She muttered under her breath. As the figure hovered in the air, Q found out that it was actually a giant owl! Of course it was no ordinary owl as its features looked far more unrestrained and ferocious, but it also had an undeniable intelligence in its eyes. The owl screamed at the intruders in its library and swooped down to attack! "Haeldrix, Suina!" Pamerun yelled out. "Already on it!" Haeldrix yelled back as a giant wall of earth appeared in front of the group. Suina also cast a spell and the wall was further reinforced with ice that sharpened into spikes which jutted out the front. The owl didn''t seem to care about it though as it crashed directly into the wall! The wall didn''t even hold for a fraction of a second as it broke apart under the owl''s charge and it continued to head for them! Just as Q thought of dodging, she felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach and her vision shifted, only to find herself behind the owl! "Good job Caryll. Halidyne, Fremetica, please distract it while we go on!" "No problem. This floor is basically my domain!" The woman named Halidyne stepped forward. "Uuuuuugh." Fremetica groaned, but at the same time she also summoned a veil of darkness around the owl. "Just go already." She said while the owl was looking around in confusion. With those words, the rest of the group began to run towards the stairs while the owl was being distracted. As they all ran down the stairs, the could hear the sounds of the owl rampaging against the two Grand Witches. ¡°Will¡­ will they be okay?¡± Q asked once she finally caught her breath. The sudden appearance of the owl and its display of power prevented Q from even thinking about fighting against it. ¡°Yes. Although they wield opposing elements, those two work incredibly well together. If worst comes to worst they can escape, but that will leave the Guardian of Knowledge to come after us. For now, we must rush to Alrune¡¯s door so that their efforts are not in vain!¡± Pamerun reassured the group as they moved on through the next floor. ¡°Hey Pam, they already know we¡¯re here right?¡± Haeldrix said. ¡°If the Guardian of Knowledge came after us this soon, I do believe so.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t we just rush through? No need for subtlety anymore.¡± Haeldrix grinned as she began casting a spell. The ground underneath the group¡¯s feet gathered up and turned into a large ball. ¡°Hop in.¡± She said as a small hole opened up in the side of the ball. ¡°*sigh* As simple as that is, I suppose this is our best option right now.¡± Pamerun shook her head as she stepped into the ball. The rest of the group followed suit, and once everyone was inside the hole closed. ¡°Alright girls, get ready!¡± Haeldrix made a gesture with her hands and the ball began moving forward! Strangely enough the parts they were standing on weren¡¯t moving at all, though Q noticed that the rest of the ball was moving. With a loud rumble, the ball of earth began speeding through the library, occasionally knocking into shelves or hitting bumps in the ground. It wasn¡¯t even less than five minutes when Haeldrix said, ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± and dispelled the ball. Once the ball disappeared, Q saw that the room they were standing in looked nearly identical to the first floor of the underground library. The only difference was that there were far less bookshelves around, and there was a large portion in the center that had nothing inside. Just as Q was going to say something, Haeldrix pointed to her left and said, ¡°The door is in that direction. Hurry up and open it while we take care of this thing.¡± Once she finished saying that, Q heard another *FWOOOSH* sound and she looked up to find a large black eye staring at her. [Guardian of Wisdom] - Level 150 When she got a good look at the next guardian, she noticed that it was actually a large raven! The raven was standing on the rafters, and once everyone had acknowledged its presence it lightly flapped its wings and came down to the ground. The raven opened its mouth but no sound came out. Instead everyone heard a booming voice inside their head saying, ¡°Leave this place.¡± Q and the others were reeling from the loud sound the voice made, while the Grand Witches prepared to cast spells. Seeing this, the raven seemed slightly disappointed as it said, ¡°So be it.¡± It opened up its wings wide and it screeched while it cast a spell. The world seemed to get a little darker and Q suddenly felt the loss of something. When she checked her status she shockingly found out that all of her spells were sealed! ¡°Are you kidding me!? I go through all that effort of grabbing a class, and now all my new spells are sealed?¡± Kukis yelled once she looked at her status window. ¡°No time to worry about that! Just run!¡± Q shouted as she began heading in the direction that Haeldrix pointed out earlier. As she began to run she also swapped her equipment and brought out a simple dagger in case she had to fight. Brie and Phanos also followed immediately after, and after a moment of hesitation, Kukis ran as well. Meanwhile the Grand Witches were trying to deal with the raven as best as they could. ¡°Caryll, how long will the protection rune hold?¡± Pamerun shouted as she fired out a powerful wind blast at the raven. ¡°No more than five minutes! We have to escape before that or else our spells will be sealed as well!¡± The woman in grey robes responded. While the Grand Witches were desperately casting their spells, the raven seemed bored in comparison. It simply flapped its wings a few times and quite a lot of the spells flying towards it were dispelled. The few that managed to actually hit the raven though, simply bounced off its feathers and became useless. No more than thirty seconds passed when the raven suddenly flew up to the rafters and began running in the direction that Q was heading! ¡°Not good, stop it!¡± The Grand Witches redoubled their efforts in casting spells but to no avail. The raven simply shrugged off their attacks and flew after Q, leaving the Witches behind. ***** "Where is this damn door!?" Q said in exasperation. "I''m not sure. I''m using magic perception but I can''t find anything. Maybe we just haven''t run far enough?" Kukis suggested. "Not that it seems we can run anymore..." Q slowed down once she saw what landed in front of them. The raven was staring at the group in silence, and besides blocking their way it didn''t do anything else. "Um... could you let us pass?" She asked cautiously. If it can speak then it can probably be reasoned with. "No." The raven kept its stare on them. Okay, so much for that idea... Q tried thinking of a way to get past the raven, but it was simply too strong for any of them to handle! That and if we take too much time that crazy owl will attack us as well. What do I do? "Please, allow me." Phanos suddenly stepped forward. She took out two daggers from her sleeves and placed them in both hands. Everyone was watching her in anticipation as she slowly brought the daggers above her head, and then she suddenly flicked her wrist! A small sliver of light that was on the dagger was suddenly reflected in the crow''s eyes, causing it to close them for a second! "Go!" Phanos shouted as she proceeded to throw her daggers at its eyes. The girls all scrambled and ran underneath the crow, which just opened its eyes to find a pair of daggers heading for it! This time the crow used its wings to block the daggers, but during this time the girls had already passed it! The raven turned around and just as it was about to fly after the girls, it was hit in the back with multiple spells! With the sounds of explosions behind them, the girls ran on and were faced with a few doors. One was a large door with glowing symbols on it, another was a door plated in silver and gold. The third one was small and wooden, and Q ran to that one without hesitation. Before any of the girls could question her decision, Q brought out Alrune¡¯s Key and thrust it into a hole she saw! The instant the key entered the hole, the door let out a bright glow, and Q lost consciousness...
Oh no, a cliffhanger! Uh, I was out of town for the weekend so I didn''t get to posting this until now. I was considering waiting till next week for a double release but... eh. Fun-fact: Owls are actually very dumb birds. Chapter 043 - Passing On Q opened her eyes to find herself standing in the middle of a bunch of flashing lights. No¡­ they¡¯re runes? Upon closer inspection it turned out the lights were indeed small runes which floated around Q¡¯s body. When Q tried to reach out to touch one, it slowly retreated from her touch. ¡°Okay then. I guess I¡¯ll just wait here.¡± Q sat down and watched the runes as they floated by. The runes all had different colors, though after a few minutes of watching Q was able to find some similarities in them. Though most of them looked like triangles, there were a few variations like a line going through the top, or a few dots in the middle. Just as Q was getting absorbed in watching the runes and their variations, a loud imposing voice came out of nowhere. ¡°Good. A patient personality, and curiosity to investigate and understand things around her¡­¡± Before Q could say anything, the voice continued to speak. ¡°You will now be tested. Consider your answers seriously, and speak them honestly.¡± ¡°Okay...?¡± Q said with an uncertain tone of voice. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Q.¡± ¡°What is your purpose here?¡± ¡°I wanted to open a door because some weird merchant sold me a key.¡± ¡°...¡± An awkward silence followed. ¡°Do you seek power?¡± ¡°Not really. I just want to have some fun in this world. I mean power would be great to have and all, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for me to enjoy myself.¡± ¡°... Between a cat and a dog, which would you choose?¡± ¡°A bunny rabbit. They¡¯re small, cute and soft. Also, you don¡¯t seem to be taking this too seriously.¡± ¡°I¡­ ah screw it. I¡¯m not cut out for this serious crap.¡± The runes floating around Q began to gather up in front of her and after a few seconds they disappeared, revealing a middle-aged man wearing a hooded cloak. ¡°Hey, the name¡¯s Alrune. Nice to meet ya.¡± He said with a wave. ¡°Oh¡­ so you¡¯re the Grand Wizard who helped create the Witches village.¡± ¡°Yup. So, you managed to find my key and get past my guardians huh? That¡¯s pretty impressive for someone who doesn¡¯t seek power.¡± ¡°It would be impressive if I did it by myself, but I had some friends and the other Grand Witches helping me.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still alive!? What the heck¡­ how long has it been since I died?¡± ¡°No idea, but the title of Grand Witch is probably passed down from generation to generation. I mean the current ones aren¡¯t the same as the ones who have statues in the merchant¡¯s district.¡± ¡°Oh. Yeah, of course¡­¡± Alrune seemed incredibly depressed for a moment. ¡°Haa-, what was I expecting? Not that I can do anything about it anyway. Well whatever, let me explain my circumstances for a bit.¡± He cleared his throat and then took a deep breath. ¡°First of all, you¡¯re not really talking to me. This is my remnant will I left behind before dying.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not easily surprised are you?¡± Q shrugged her shoulders. ¡°When you¡¯ve played as many games as I have, you sort of get used to these situations.¡± ¡°Games¡­? Er, back to my story, I was one of the most powerful mages in the world. I can¡¯t really tell you how long ago it was because remnant will and whatnot, but I guarantee I was super strong. That being said, I never actually passed on my powers to anyone.¡± ¡°Why? Is it because they were too much for any person to handle?¡± ¡°Nah, I was too busy flirting with the Grand Witches to take in an apprentice.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That aside, at the time of my death I severely regretted not taking in an apprentice so I travelled all around the world using the teleportation arrays I created over the years. With the last of my remaining powers I sealed away the knowledge I had gained over the years in various locations, the underground library included.¡± ¡°Interesting... So what do you want me to do about it?¡± ¡°To be honest, you don¡¯t really need to do anything. Since you¡¯ve opened up this door, all of the seals I placed were lifted, so now anyone who finds those locations can use my powers. Of course not just anyone can use them, so these ¡®wills¡¯ I left behind at each of the locations will test them and make sure they¡¯re worthy of using my powers.¡± Sounds like a hidden class or something¡­ Q thought. ¡°So what are your powers anyway?¡± She asked. Alrune grinned as if he was waiting for this question. ¡°Tell me Q, how much do you know about runes?¡± ¡°Not a lot really. From what the Grand Witches taught me, they¡¯re another way to cast spells. Each rune sort of represents an ¡®idea¡¯, and by channeling mana through them you can bring different iterations of that idea into existence.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s a little more complicated than that, but you have the main gist of it. So now that I¡¯ve mentioned runes, what do you think my powers come from?¡± ¡°Oh! You specialized in casting runes? So like¡­ a Runemage?¡± ¡°Runemaster, but yes. Now to get to the whole point of me talking to you¡­ Would you like to become a runemaster?¡± ¡°I literally just became a Witch, but this could be interesting as well¡­¡± Q muttered to herself. ¡°What can I do with this class?¡± Without a word, Alrune began waving his hands and the runes in the air began to move around him at high speeds. ¡°Earlier you said that each rune represents an idea, and while that¡¯s technically true it¡¯s not the whole truth. Runes are just another interpretation of those ideas, but they are very closely related to the origin of those ideas. Take this fire rune for example.¡± He held out a rune shaped like a triangle. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be related to fire at all, but it was created as an interpretation of fire.¡± The rune then burst into flames and vanished from his hand. ¡°So¡­ someone or something first witnessed these ¡®ideas¡¯, and then tried to represent them with symbols?¡± ¡°Exactly. My research shows that runes trace all the way back to the first gods when they appeared in our world. I believe that these runes are how the gods interpreted these ideas, and they were used back then as an archaic form of communication.¡± ¡°Mmm. Sounds a bit complicated, but you¡¯re saying that because the first gods used them, they¡¯re very close to the original ¡®idea¡¯ behind them?¡± This is starting to sound like Plato¡¯s theory of forms¡­ ¡°Yes! You¡¯re a very quick learner Q. If I was still alive I¡¯d probably take you in as an apprentice. So being so closely related to the origin of those ideas, using runes can display ridiculous amounts of power, like so.¡± Alrune held another fire rune in his hand, but this time the fire that came out was at least ten times larger than the first one, and completely enveloped Q¡¯s view. ¡°But using them this well takes a lot of practice. So how about it? Would you like to become a runemage?¡± ¡°... Okay.¡± Q hesitated for a while, but she accepted in the end. I feel a little bad for the Grand Witches since they went through all the trouble of making me into a Witch, but I think they¡¯d be okay with me getting the power of their founder. Maybe. ¡°Wonderful. While normally I would explain some details about how to use this power, my will is fading and i¡¯ll soon disappear. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to figure it out though. Oh yeah, about the key you used to open the door, just hand it over to my guardians and they¡¯ll know what to do with it. Also tell them thanks and sorry for me.¡± Alrune smiled and all the runes flew towards Q! Q couldn¡¯t even react as they passed through her body and images began appearing in her head. For a while she couldn¡¯t begin to comprehend these images, but this feeling of wonder disappeared as soon as it occurred. She suddenly felt a feeling of clarity, and looked up to see a window in front of her. [Congratulations! You have received the Runemaster class! As a result of receiving the Runemaster class, all of your current spells will be unlearnt, and will be converted into new runes. Conversion will now begin.] ¡°Woah, wait! ALL of my spells? Even Arcane Overload and Tri-Spark!?¡± Q was immediately alarmed as she rather enjoyed using those spells, and losing them would be very saddening. [Exception - [Tri-Spark] is a unique spell, as such it will be unchanged.] A window appeared as if to answer her question. ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­ though I¡¯m still losing Arcane Overload aren¡¯t I?¡± Q sadly waited for the conversion to complete, and once it did one final window appeared. [As a result of receiving the Runemaster class, new skills and 30 skill points have been added.] ¡°Alright, let¡¯s check out what happened¡­¡± Q brought up her status window and skill/spell list, and was surprised to see the changes!
Q (Friend of the Cute and Cuddly) (Reckless Fighter)
Level 30Race: Fox-kin
Class: RunemasterProfession: Tailor (Beginner)
HP: 245/245MP: 385/385
VIT: 27 (+12)WIS: 56 (+17)
STR: 28 (+16)INT: 57 (+48)
AGI: 40 (+20)DEX: 36 (+4)
END: 9 (+16)RES: 18 (+30)
LCK: 8 (+4)Leadership: 14
Fame: 2596
Equipment
Head:Witch''s Hat (Rare) Durability (30/30) - WIS +5, INT +15, RES +10
Chest:Witch''s Garb (Rare) Durability (50/50) - VIT +5, WIS +5, INT + 10, END +5, RES +20
Arms:Magic Bangles (Uncommon) Durability (20/20) - VIT +5, WIS +5, INT +5
Waist:Leather Storage Belt (Rare) Durability (20/20) - VIT +2, STR +2, END +2, Adds 3 extra inventory slots.
Legs:Witch''s Shoes (Rare) Durability (35/35) - END +3, AGI +10, Active Ability: Use 50 mana to increase movement speed by 20% for 5 minutes (Once per hour)
Main-Hand Weapon:Cypress Wand (Uncommon) Durability (40/40) - INT +15
Off-Hand Weapon:Iron Dagger (Common) Durability (25/25)
Accessories
Ring 1:Ring of Trickery (Rare) Durability (20/20) - DEX +4, LCK +4, +1 to level of Stealth Skill.
Ring 2:Ring of Minor Mana Regeneration (Rare) Durability (20/20) - WIS +2, +10% to mana Regeneration
Ring 3:Ruby Ring of Flames (Magic) Durability (25/25) - STR +5, Increases all fire type skills/spells damage by 10%, adds a 1% chance to burn with each physical attack.
Ring 4:Black Wolf¡¯s Spirit (Magic) Durability (40/40) - STR +7, AGI +10, 10% Increase to damage dealt by claws.
Necklace:Guardian¡¯s Heart (Rare) Durability (15/15) - STR +2, INT +3, END +3
Bracelet:Guardian Bracelet (Uncommon) Durability (15/15) END +3
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Skills
Passive Skills:Description:
Pain Resistance Lv.5Reduces amount of pain felt.
Unarmed Mastery Lv.7Increases proficiency when not using a weapon.
Claw Mastery Lv.7Increases proficiency with claw-type weapons.
Dagger Mastery Lv.5Increases proficiency with dagger-type weapons.
Throwing Mastery Lv.7Increases proficiency with throwing-type weapons.
Climbing Mastery Lv. 3Increases speed and ease when climbing.
Jumping Mastery Lv.4Increases length and height when jumping
Swimming Mastery Lv.2Increases the speed and ease when swimming.
Rope Mastery Lv.4Increases skill and ease when using ropes.
Dodge Lv.8Increases your chances of dodging an attack
Deflect Lv.6Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.
Silver Tongue Lv.5Increases chance to convince others to listen to your words.
Riding Lv.5Increases speed and handling when riding a creature.
Enhanced Hearing Lv.4Enhances your hearing range and sensitivity.
Silent Casting Lv.5You can cast spells and skills without calling out their name or chanting. Using these spells/skills in this manner causes them to take more time to use, and also increases the mana usage. Note: You must have a proficiency level of at least 8 before silently using abilities.
Active Skills:
Beast Within Lv.5(No Cost, 8 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 15% for 1 minute.
Relentless Assault Lv.6(Consumes 50 MP, 30 Minute cooldown) Allows you to continuously attack a target uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but you receive double damage while in this state.
Magic Fist Lv.9(MP usage depends on spell, 1 minute cooldown) Coats your fist in the magic used on it. Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and does not affect the original magic¡¯s cooldown.
Stealth Lv.3 (+1)(No cost, 5 minute cool-down) Activating this skill allows you to blend into the shadows, making you harder to find. Any fast movements or combat oriented actions will break stealth.
Sense Presence Lv.4(No cost, 1 minute cool-down) Allows you to sense any presence nearby for 10 seconds.
Summon Wolfy Lv.2(Consumes 300 Mana, 24 hour cool-down) Summon Wolfy with additional wolves for one hour and thirty minutes (or until they are defeated in battle). Wolfy¡¯s level will be equal to yours, and the extra wolves are half of your level. Can currently summon 3 extra wolves.
Mana Perception Lv.4(Consumes 5 mana per second) Enables you to actively sense mana.
Rune-writing Lv.1(Consumes 1 mana per second) Allows you to create a rune with your magic power.
Spell Analysis Lv.1(No Cost, 5 minute cool-down) Allows you to analyze a spell and learn new runes from said spell. Chance to successfully analyze spell depends on your stats, time spent analyzing the spell, and the level difference between you and the caster.
Spells
Tri-Spark Lv.8(Consumes 3 MP, 3 second cool-down) Deal weak Lightning damage to target. Allows you to shoot 3 individual lines of spark at the same time, and has a low chance of stunning target (each spark has its own chance to stun).
Runes
Element RunesFire | Water | Earth | Wind | Light | Dark | Void
Command RunesMaterialize | Forward | Backwards | Sideways | Float | Upwards | Downwards | Follow | Gather | Absorb | Condense | Amplify | Release
Special RunesSummon | Weaken | Confusion
¡°That¡¯s super¡­ awesome! Does that mean that I can take any spell and use it with runes?" With a bit of investigation she found what each rune looked like by focusing on the words in the rune descriptions. "Hey Alrune, I- Alrune? Where did you go?¡± Q looked around her and noticed that the world around her was pitch black. For a moment she was confused when she suddenly felt the ground give way underneath! Not that there was any ground to begin with¡­ Wait, I¡¯m falling! Q looked underneath her to find that there was a white light rushing up to meet her! She closed her eyes and waited for an impact, but felt nothing. After waiting for a few seconds she opened her eyes and found herself in a small tidy room. Picking herself off the floor, she looked around and noticed the room was very simple. There was only a small bed pushed against the corner, a bookshelf with a few books, and a desk with a figure slumped over it. Q cautiously walked over to the desk and saw that it was a skeleton wearing some familiar robes! ¡°Alrune¡­¡± She bowed her head in silent prayer before investigating what was on the desk. She noticed that there was a small book on the desk as well, and Q picked it up. ¡°My Diary¡­ I guess Alrune wrote this? There are words on the bottom¡­ ¡®Unless I¡¯m dead, opening this diary WILL eviscerate you with enough magic power to kill three greater dragons (and an additional two lesser dragons)... That sounds painful.¡± Instead of opening the diary she placed it in her inventory and turned around and spotted a small wooden door. I think the Grand Witches will want to read this first. That and it feels kind of wrong just reading his stuff like that. Though he¡¯d probably be fine with it¡­ She remembered the smiling face of the man she had just been recently talking to, and let out a sigh. Q opened the door and found herself face to face with two pairs of giant eyes! ¡°...Hi.¡± Q froze up when she faced the two guardians. The guardians simply stared at her in response. No wait, they¡¯re staring at¡­ Alrune? She followed their line of sight and saw that their eyes were indeed glued onto the wizard¡¯s corpse. Before she could do anything else, she heard her friends calling out in concern. ¡°Q! You¡¯re okay!¡± Brie waved from behind the guardians. ¡°See? I told you she¡¯d be fine.¡± Kukis said with a smug look on her face. ¡°You only knew she was fine because there was nothing wrong with her status in the party menu¡­¡± Phanos frowned. ¡°Er¡­ I have my sources.¡± ¡°Q, it seems you¡¯ve safely opened the door.¡± Pamerun was followed by the other grand witches as she fearlessly walked between the two guardians. For a moment Q was concerned, but seeing that the guardians didn¡¯t do anything she relaxed a little. ¡°Is that¡­ oh dear.¡± Pamerun¡¯s face became grim as she noticed the corpse in the room. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Alrune. This is his diary by the way. I thought you might want to read it first.¡± Q pulled the diary out of her inventory and gave it to Pamerun. ¡°Thank you Q. Hold on, something feels different about you. Did you¡­¡± She trailed off. ¡°Ah, yeah. Alrune offered me his class and I took it. I can do this now!¡± She activated [Rune-writing] and a bright light appeared at her fingertip. She slowly drew the rune for fire, and once it was complete it hovered above her palm. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t actually know how to activate it so-¡± The moment Q said ¡®activate¡¯, the rune began to glow and then burst into flames! It was quickly extinguished but it still left everyone surprised. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how you activate it. Anyway, sorry about that.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing? This is amazing!¡± Pamerun¡¯s eyes were practically sparkling. ¡°To think that the abilities the Grand Wizard Alrune once wielded will be brought again into this world! It¡¯s enough to make me feel like quitting the council and pour all my efforts into research!¡± ¡°I just thought you¡¯d be a little mad since you put so much effort into giving me the Witch class, but then I switched to a different one soon after.¡± Q scratched her cheek in embarrassment. ¡°That¡¯s quite alright Q. Now, I know we¡¯re all very exhausted, but we should take this opportunity to investigate Alrune¡¯s room and give him a proper burial.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Q once more looked at the slumped over skeleton and made a silent prayer. Alrune, thank you for giving me this power. I won¡¯t let it go to waste.
The return of the tables~ This time I actually made them myself. Like, before I was using a link that RRL provided in the forums somewhere for an BBCode table generator. It was pretty good, but it feels better to do it myself. Not sure why there''s a huge gap between the equipment and skills, but whatever. Also late-night release ftw. Fun-fact: Many adult moths don''t eat any kind of food (Which means they''re there only to move to an area, reproduce, and die). Chapter 044 - Moove and Groove ¡°*Sigh*¡± Zeilan sighed as he watched the snowy scenery drift away. He was currently sitting inside a carriage with skis on the bottom that was being pulled by Delks. Inside the carriage was also Carro, Rook, and the newest addition to their crew, Lumin (the ice mage who was previously working with Glaide). They were all a part of a large caravan which was making its way across the snowy tundra to the next town. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Zeilan? That¡¯s the third time you¡¯ve sighed.¡± Carro asked with a slight bit of concern in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I have to leave the snow!¡± Zeilan became a little more depressed once he caught sight of a plains without snow up ahead. ¡°I could always make some you know. It¡¯ll slowly damage you though.¡± Lumin suggested. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll pass on that. Your spells really hurt after all¡­¡± After they stole all of Glaide¡¯s items and killed him, only Lumin was left behind who suddenly asked if she could join them. Carro was strangely considerate and actually hired her to be a guard until they reached the next town. Once this was done, Carro requested a display of her abilities, and they found a group of bears covered in ice spikes to test her abilities on. Despite the bears having a high resistance to ice spells, it turned out that Lumin¡¯s abilities were stronger than that resistance as she even managed to freeze a few of them with her spells! The spells she displayed were also very spectacular, as she created mini-blizzards, caused blocks of ice to smash onto their heads, and even created a giant spire of ice that erupted from the ground! Zeilan noticed that a lot of the spells she used here, weren¡¯t used against him when they were fighting earlier. When he asked her about this, she responded: ¡°He was stingy and didn¡¯t pay enough.¡± After another half hour of riding the carriage, it suddenly stopped and everyone got out. A figure at the head of the caravan yelled out ¡°We¡¯ve reached dirt roads! Switch out the skis! We¡¯ll be taking a break once we reach a clearing up ahead.¡± Each of the coachmen of the carriages got off and began to fiddle around with them, causing the skis to move up to the sides while wheels popped out from the bottom. ¡°Oooh, that¡¯s some fancy stuff. I wonder how far their technology is developed anyway.¡± Zeilan wondered. ¡°Some players who have reached the capital report that they¡¯re not much farther than the european medieval ages, but there are a few things that were pretty much made just for more convenience, like these carriages.¡± Carro explained. ¡°A lot of things are easily achieved with magic though, so it¡¯s not like they really needed to develop technology anyway.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you find that stuff out?¡± ¡°I check the forums when i¡¯m not logged in. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I do, but I mainly check out the progress on PvP and PvE. Like, did you know a few guys have found this new class called Runemage? There wasn¡¯t even any announcement for it, so I guess it was a hidden class or something.¡± ¡°...¡± Rook snapped his fingers and returned everyone¡¯s attention to the carriages which were now ready to move on. The carriages began moving again, and they continued travelling through the roads. With one last sigh Zeilan looked wistfully at the snow, then turned around and began fiddling with his menu. The rest of the journey continued in silence as each player began fiddling around with their items, and were all secretly thinking: Why isn¡¯t there a fast-travel? Eventually after a half-hour of sitting, the caravan once again came to a halt and everyone got out to see a large clearing with a pit fire in the center. Another group of people were already there, and the other merchants and players who were on the caravan were mingling with them already. As the four people stepped out of the carriage, Carro instantly ran over to talk to the merchants saying, ¡°I smell some new customers!¡± Lumin and Rook walked off to one side of the clearing and stood there talking to each other. At least, Zeilan assumed they were talking to each other since their fingers were moving slightly. This left Zeilan alone to explore on his own, so he began walking around the clearing, making sure to keep Carro in his sight. Once Zeilan got close, he got a better look at the people here and saw that they seemed to be from a warmer climate as their clothes were thin and showed a lot of skin. With some snippets of conversation he heard, he figured out that these people came from a desert and were travelling around, exploring the world. The merchants began selling them thick coats, while they in turn paid with gems or strangely shaped weapons and items. There was a group of musicians in the back playing many different string instruments, and with a quick glance to the side he noticed that Rook was staring at the musicians with a strange longing. Zeilan then neared the center of the clearing and saw that there was a group of the desert people dancing around the fire. His attention was instantly focused on the dance, and he found a spot to sit down and watch the dancers. Much of their dancing seemed to be focused around their waist, while their arms and legs flowed about freely. A few of the dancers were even holding weapons and slashing at each other, but the blades never actually reached. While Zeilan was enraptured by their movements, a *ding* sound caused him to look up to see a window. [You have witnessed the Ra¡¯zam people¡¯s dance. +10 to STR, AGI, and DEX for the next 5 hours] ¡°Wow.¡± Zeilan quickly dismissed the window as he continued to watch the dance. As the dance continued, Zeilan¡¯s foot eventually began tapping to the beat of the instruments, and he felt a strange urge to get up and join them. I¡¯d probably just be a bother though. I don¡¯t know their dance so I can¡¯t join in can I? Since Zeilan was in deep thought, he was completely unaware that someone had taken a seat beside him. That¡¯s why when that person spoke, Zeilan almost jumped into the air in surprise. ¡°Excuse me, sir adventurer. Are you interested in our people¡¯s dance?¡± A woman with a tanned body and many ringed accessories asked. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah.¡± Zeilan managed to reply after calming himself down. ¡°Would you like to join us then? I see that you¡¯re itching to move.¡± She indicated Zeilan¡¯s foot which was still tapping to the beat. ¡°I¡¯d like to, but I don¡¯t know your dance. Not to mention I still need a bit more practice¡­¡± Zeilan reluctantly refused. Trying to dance in this body is still a bit weird for me, not to mention I¡¯ve forgotten a lot of the dance moves I¡¯ve done over the years¡­ The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Oh, then you already have some experience. Come on, I¡¯ll show you our dance!¡± The woman took Zeilan¡¯s hand and dragged him into the circle of people dancing. At first Zeilan was hesitant but he was eventually effected by the atmosphere and also began to move. The woman who was teaching him the dance was very patient and slowly demonstrated the moves one by one. Though Zeilan had a bit of trouble in the beginning, his previous years of practice began to kick in and he began to adapt to the moves. ¡°You¡¯re doing very well!¡± The woman smiled. ¡°It usually takes the younger generation a few days, or even weeks to learn the steps properly.¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a fast learner.¡± Zeilan grinned as he felt happy to be dancing again. ¡°Well then, would you like to try another one?¡± ¡°Heck yeah!¡± As the two continued to dance, they were unaware of a jealous gaze being directed at them. ¡°Who does she think she is? Zeilan is my guard, you can¡¯t just take him away from me like that!¡± Carro was hiding behind a tree, watching the two with a frown. ¡°Feeling a little green-eyed?¡± Lumin smiled slightly as she approached Carro. ¡°Wha-, no! I¡¯m just concerned because Zeilan isn¡¯t doing his job properly!¡± Carro denied vehemently. ¡°She¡¯s hugging him right now.¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± Carro¡¯s head whipped over and she saw the Ra¡¯zam woman wrap her hands around Zeilan¡¯s waist as she tried to show him how to move. She wore an enraged face as her nails dug into the tree. It was at this moment that Rook came by and saw Carro¡¯s face. He exchanged looks with Lumin, and they had a silent conversation as they watched her with amusement. (A/N: ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)) Why is she getting so mad? It¡¯s not like they¡¯re even going out or anything. You underestimate the jealousy of possessive girls. Is that so? Oh, looks like Zeilan is finished. Just as Rook was about to approach him, he was stopped by Lumin who had a slightly mischievous look on her face. Rook raised an eyebrow at her action, and she laughed softly. ¡°Just sit back and watch the carnage.¡± ¡°Hey everyone. Sorry about that, I got a little caught up in the mood. Hahaha¡­¡± Zeilan apologized as he made his way back to the others. ¡°Caught up in the mood, hmm? It seemed like you were enjoying yourself quite a bit¡­¡± Carro pouted as she turned her back to him. ¡°...Yeah? It was pretty fun learning a new dance. I even officially got the [Dancing] skill, so that¡¯s pretty awesome.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing Zeilan¡¯s happy tone, Carro turned around and studied his face. Unbelievable, he actually felt nothing from such a sexy girl dancing with him. Is this guy naturally dense or¡­? Of course, Carro had no idea that Zeilan was a girl in real life, so of course he wouldn¡¯t feel anything from dancing with a woman. This didn¡¯t stop her from being suspicious though, so she continually questioned him for a long time until she was convinced that Zeilan really was unaffected. Letting out a sigh, Carro then left the group and began talking with the other merchants and traders with a slightly deflated expression. ¡°So what was that all about?¡± Zeilan asked the other two. Rook simply shook his head, while Lumin¡¯s smile widened as she said, ¡°You¡¯ll understand sooner or later.¡± The two then left and walked off, leaving Zeilan alone again. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just go back and dance.¡± Zeilan shrugged his shoulders and made his way back to the group of dancers. This little party continued for another half hour, before the two groups returned to their carriages and set off on their own ways. Just as Zeilan was getting on his carriage, he was called out by the woman he was dancing with earlier. She waved and gave him a wink, to which Zeilan responded with a grin. When Carro saw this exchange, she pinched Zeilan¡¯s arm (which actually hurt her more than him) out of spite. The carriages were then moving again on the road, and Zeilan temporarily logged off. Not only was this done to ¡®speed up¡¯ the travel process, but Carro¡¯s glare was really starting to bother him. The pod then opened up, and Helen was faced with a blonde-haired nurse. ¡°Hey Marissa. Can you help me up?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Marissa picked her up and placed her on the bed. ¡°So how are you enjoying TWO so far? Reid says that it¡¯s really fun, and he even made some new friends.¡± ¡°Reid¡¯s made some friends online? That¡¯s pretty cool! Who are they?¡± ¡°He made three friends, and two of them are girls. Heh, I¡¯m not surprised since he¡¯s always getting a fan or two, even just from walking around outside. The other is a guy. Anyway, the two girls are called¡­ Carro and Lumin? I think that¡¯s what they¡¯re called at least. The guy¡¯s name is-¡± ¡°Zeilan.¡± Helen finished the sentence for her. ¡°Yeah, why do you know that?¡± Marissa looked very surprised. ¡°Hahaha¡­. HAHAHAHAHA!!! That¡¯s too funny! That¡¯s way too funny! I thought he was just role-playing¡­ HAHAHA!¡± Helen began rolling around on the bed as she could barely contain her laughter. ¡°Wha-? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ *phew*¡± Helen finally managed to calm down after half a minute. She then looked Marissa right in the eyes and said, ¡°My name in-game is Zeilan.¡± Marissa¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and it took her a moment to regain her composure. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re playing a guy in TWO?¡± ¡°Yup. I know it¡¯s a little weird, but it¡¯s what I ended up doing.¡± ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case then I hope you¡¯ll take good care of my little brother. Oh, but keep this conversation between us a secret okay? I wanted to join him in game to take care of him, but I have my job so I couldn¡¯t look after him in game. He¡¯d probably refuse my help anyway... But now that I know he has a good friend looking out for him I¡¯m much more relieved.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Helen puffed out her chest. Maaan when I tell Simon about this he¡¯s going to flip! I¡¯ll keep it a secret that we¡¯re playing opposite genders for now, for maximum shock value! Helen made an evil laugh inside her head as she imagined Reid¡¯s reaction to meeting the siblings in game.
A bit boring I suppose, but it''s just a traveling chapter. Not everything needs to be exciting! Also, IT BEGINS. Fun-fact: The number 7 is one of the most popular numbers in the world. Chapter 045 - Moon Runes ¡°Amazing¡­ this is amazing!¡± Pamerun and the other Grand Witches couldn¡¯t stop squealing in joy while they were reading the books on Alrune¡¯s bookshelf. ¡°To think that the secrets of the founder¡¯s magics were all in this place¡­ I can hardly contain my excitement!¡± After entering Alrune¡¯s room, the girls began debating on where to bury his body, but the Guardian of Wisdom spoke up and said, ¡°Please, leave our master with us.¡± With a flap of its wings his body was whisked into her feathers, and the two guardians left, presumably to bury him somewhere. With the guardians gone, they all began searching Alrune¡¯s room and found that the books on his shelf were written by each of the founding Grand Witches. Besides those books there wasn¡¯t anything else of interest in his room, but the Grand Witches were more than satisfied from this find. ¡°Hmm¡­ this is a bit troublesome.¡± Q frowned as she looked up at the rafters in the ceiling. ¡°What is the matter Q?¡± Brie asked. ¡°It¡¯s Alrune¡¯s key. He told me to give it to his guardians, but they left already. I guess I¡¯ll have to go back here sometime.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like to come back here as well to do a proper walkthrough of this dungeon!¡± Kukis said with an excited voice. ¡°I mean, sure we got to the bottom floor, but there were a lot of weird creatures and things all around the place. Since the Grand Witches took care of them and we just sped through, it doesn¡¯t feel right calling this a successful capture.¡± ¡°Indeed. Though I believe we should make our way to the surface. This musky air is no good for milady¡¯s health.¡± Phanos had already began pulling Brie away. ¡°Hold on a moment,¡± Pamerun cut in. ¡°We found a teleportation array underneath Alrune¡¯s bed, and it leads back to the surface. Of course, you could make your way through every single floor of the library by yourselves¡­¡± She trailed off. ¡°We¡¯d be happy to join you!¡± Phanos made a 180 turn as she walked straight into Alrune¡¯s room with Brie in tow. Q and Kukis followed with smiles on their faces, and everyone went inside Alrune¡¯s room. When Q saw the teleportation array, she felt slightly curious and used [Spell Analysis]. A *ding* sound was heard and she looked up to find a window that said: [Teleport Rune analysis: 5%] Although she found it slightly strange that she couldn¡¯t simply copy the rune as she saw it (when she tried it failed and the rune she wrote disappeared), she still couldn¡¯t help but grin widely. ¡°Hahaha¡­ HAHAHAHA!¡± Q began laughing maniacally as the rest of the girls stared at her in confusion. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just excited because I¡¯ll be able to teleport in the future! That¡¯s like¡­ number two on the list of superpowers I want to have.¡± ¡°What¡¯s number one?¡± Kukis asked in curiosity. ¡°To turn anything I want super soft.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Stand close, we¡¯re activating the array now.¡± Pamerun reminded the girls, and they all huddled together. With a bright flash of light, their vision was temporarily blinded. Once the light faded away, the found themselves standing on top of the upside-down fountain. Their appearance startled quite a few witches, as one almost fell off her broom in surprise. ¡°We¡¯re back! Though we¡¯ve only been gone for a few hours¡­¡± Q frowned a little. Despite their grand adventure, it didn¡¯t even take half a day. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you slept through all of that though.¡± Q poked Schorl who was coiled up around one of her ears. Once everyone was accounted for, the Grand Witches all ran off to read the books they just got, and said they would eventually contact the girls later. With nothing else to do, the girls decided to head back to the Nine-Lives inn to rest up a little. On the way there Brie asked, ¡°Q, what is your new class about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about making runes, and then using them.¡± Q drew a rune for fire and let it hover above her hand. ¡°Alrune sort of disappeared so he didn¡¯t tell me anything about how to use the class, but I¡¯ll figure it out eventually.¡± She activated the rune and let it dissipate as she reached the front of the Nine-Lives inn. ¡°For now¡­ fluffy-fluff time!¡± Q dashed into the Nine-Lives inn and instantly homed in on Clair who was taking a nap. After causing a bit of a commotion, Q eventually settled down and let go of Clair. ¡°So what do you guys want to do now?¡± She asked. ¡°For me, I¡¯m going to find somewhere I can test out my runes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading down to the experimental district.¡± Kukis said. ¡°If I want to capture the underground library, I¡¯m going to need a lot more stuff than what I have now. See you all later!¡± Kukis ran off and left the group. ¡°I would like to stay and watch you Q.¡± Brie said after a moment of silence. ¡°Naturally, I will join milady.¡± Phanos chimed in. ¡°If you¡¯re sure then I won¡¯t stop you. Hey Clair, is there anywhere that I can test my new runes?¡± ¡°Mew can go to the backyard of the inn. Just don¡¯t make a mess alright?¡± Clair lazily stretched out on the counter. ¡°I make no promises.¡± Q and the others made their way to the backyard. The backyard was a wide open area, about thirty square meters large. There were a few floating lanterns providing illumination, and some gnarled trees were also growing out of the ground. The sky was hidden behind the clouds, which gave the area a slightly ominous feel. ¡°For starters, let¡¯s see what each of the element runes do.¡± She began to draw each rune and tested their abilities. The fire rune exploded into flames, the water rune made a small ball of water that vanished, the earth rune created a small rock, and the wind rune made a breeze. The dark and light runes made a small ball of their element, and the void rune seemed to be invisible. At first Q was confused but when she used [Mana Perception] she saw that there was actually something there. ¡°Okay, now for some of the command runes.¡± Q tried using a few of the command runes but quickly realized that they didn¡¯t do anything, even when she used [Mana Perception]. ¡°Well logic dictates that I should mix them with the element runes to make them do something¡­ But how do I do that?¡± ¡°Perhaps they can be overlapped?¡± Brie suggested. ¡°Oh yeah, maybe.¡± Q drew a fire rune with her right hand, and then drew a ¡®forward¡¯ rune with her left. She moved the forward rune on top of the fire rune, and then said ¡°Activate!¡± In the next moment, the runes exploded in Q¡¯s face! ¡°...Maybe something else works.¡± Q began to put the runes in different positions in an effort to get them to work together, but none of them seemed to work. Q stared hard at the fire rune, and was looking directly at the empty space in the triangle. Hold on, what if I filled the empty space with something? Q then created a slightly larger fire rune, and then drew the forwards rune inside it. When she said activate, it worked! At first Q was excited but then the fire disappeared after half a second. ¡°What the heck? Did it run out of mana or something? But at least I figured out that the rune needs to be enclosed by something to work properly. Hmm¡­¡± Driven by curiosity, Q created a large circle and drew the fire rune inside it. Then she drew the forwards rune inside the fire rune, and activated it. This time the fire went much farther than before, with a force and speed that was similar to her [Ember] spell she had. ¡°So I guess using a circle lets you direct the runes more easily. This is really interesting!¡± Q wore a silly grin on her face as she began experimenting with different combinations of the runes. Meanwhile Brie was sitting on a log watching Q, while Phanos stood beside her. ¡°Milady, do you truly find this entertaining?¡± Phanos asked after a few minutes. ¡°Strangely enough, yes.¡± Brie said with a slightly perplexed expression. ¡°For some reason I have come to like watching Q smile and have fun. Do you think that is odd?¡± Phanos¡¯ eye widened at Brie comment, and she was silent for half a minute before responding. ¡°Milady, that isn¡¯t strange at all. To find enjoyment in other¡¯s entertainment is a very common thing.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Brie once again focused on Q. It seems that Lady Brie truly considers Q a friend. To the extent that she even ¡®trusts¡¯ her¡­. Whether or not Q is actually worthy of that¡­ Hmph. I suppose I¡¯ll need to test her a bit. With Brie looking at Q, and Q focusing on her runes, neither of them noticed Phanos¡¯ malicious gleam in her eye. ¡°Acti- what?¡± Q was about to activate a rune when it suddenly disappeared. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s a time limit huh? I wonder if I can change that somehow¡­¡± Q looked around her status for a bit and found a new page describing her class skill tree. A screen popped up with an icon in the center which read: Rune-write. There were three branching paths leading away from it, and they were all colored differently. ¡°Oooh, this looks really fancy. Let¡¯s see, there are three paths to take. Permanence, Intensity and Abundance. The permanence tree focuses on keeping runes active for a long time, intensity increases their damage and effects, and abundance lets me draw more runes at once¡­ Hey Brie, what do you think I should do?¡± Q looked over at Brie. After explaining her situation, Brie and Phanos began thinking along with her. ¡°Could you possibly go down all three paths?¡± Brie asked. ¡°I could, but being an all-rounder takes a lot of time and effort. I¡¯d prefer to pick two and go down their trees evenly.¡± ¡°Then perhaps Permanence and Intensity?¡± Phanos suggested. ¡°I would imagine that being able to create a large, powerful rune to unleash in the perfect moment is a solid tactic.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°That does sound tempting, but I wouldn¡¯t want to be locked into a single rune if the situation somehow changes¡­ Agh, this choice is so agonizing!¡± ¡°If it causes you pain, then why are you smiling?¡± Brie tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Because this is one of the great parts of playing games! The hesitation and uncertainty when picking a certain playstyle is always fun! Alright, I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯m going to use permanence and abundance. I will spam the heck out of my runes!¡± Q began placing points in those skill trees and began practicing with her runes. ¡°...Although you said that making this decision is hard, you decided on what you¡¯re doing quite easily.¡± Phanos raised an eyebrow. ¡°Eh, picking things on impulse is also pretty fun at times.¡± Q shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Hehehe¡± Brie giggled. ¡°You are very full of contradictions Q.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best of both worlds.¡± Q grinned as she once again turned to face the two girls. ¡°Now could one of you possibly spar with me? The best way to get used to your abilities is to use them in action after all.¡± Brie stood up and was about to volunteer, when Phanos suddenly interrupted her. ¡°Q, would you mind fighting against me?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Q smiled and pulled out her weapons. Her smile faded away though when she saw the notice that appeared in front of her. [Phanos has challenged you to a deathmatch. Do you accept? (Y/N)] Q furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at Phanos in confusion. Phanos¡¯ face was completely neutral, and gave no indication that she felt anything about the request she sent. Brie was looking at the two who were silently facing each other and asked, ¡°Has the fight not yet begun?¡± Q looked over at Brie, then back to Phanos. Oh, is this some sort of test? That was the only possibility she could think of with this sudden deathmatch request. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s fight.¡± Q accepted the match and got into a fighting stance. She didn¡¯t miss the slight smirk that Phanos let out, and felt slightly irritated inside. Just as the match began, the clouds overhead cleared away and revealed the moon which shone down on the entire area. [Match begins in 3...2...1¡­ START!] The instant that the match began, Phanos¡¯ figure shimmered and then disappeared from sight! Q was surprised for a second, but she used [Sense Presence] and then rolled forward as she felt something behind her! In the next instant a knife slash was sent at the space Q just was, which sent chills down Q¡¯s back. ¡°Hm. Your reflexes are so-so, but you used a skill didn¡¯t you? To rely on this game¡¯s abilities is pathetic. If this was real life you¡¯d be dead by now.¡± Phanos talked in a quiet voice that only Q could hear. ¡°Are you implying that you didn¡¯t use a skill?¡± Q couldn¡¯t believe that Phanos just naturally disappeared like that without using a skill or ability. ¡°Of course not. Erasing your presence and moving out of your opponent¡¯s line of sight is quite simple. Like so.¡± Phanos disappeared again and Q rolled away from her next attack while her [Sense Presence] ability was still active. This is even scarier than fighting Wolfy! Q screamed a little on the inside as she began running around the battlefield to avoid Phanos¡¯ attacks. Phanos was relentless in her pursuit, as the moment Q let her guard down a knife would instantly slash at her! Suddenly Phanos appeared a few meters ahead of Q and threw a knife! Q brought out her own dagger to block the attack, but as soon as she did Phanos disappeared again. This time Q extended her free hand behind her and cast [Tri-Spark] while also blocking the knife flying at her. For a moment she saw a flicker of Phanos¡¯ figure, and she reappeared a few meters away. ¡°At the very least, it seems you can learn. I suppose I should pick up the pace then.¡± She can go even faster!? Q was thoroughly dumbfounded at Phanos¡¯ skills. Suddenly there were multiple knives flying towards Q! With great effort she managed to block them all, but Phanos appeared while she was doing so and cut Q¡¯s neck! The attack was both a sneak attack and a critical hit, and Q¡¯s health plummeted down to below half. Once again Phanos appeared in front of Q and still kept her emotionless face. ¡°If this is all you¡¯re capable of, you are not suited to be with milady.¡± Phanos¡¯ gaze suddenly became vicious as she rushed towards Q! She¡¯s seriously going to kill me! The moment Q realized this her blood went cold. Fine then, I guess I need to get serious too! Q narrowed her eyes and tensed her body, and the world seemed to slow down a little. This time Q could make out Phanos¡¯ movements, and she began to match them as she attacked with one hand and began drawing a rune with her other hand. The two girls¡¯ daggers clashed against each other, and this seemed to surprise Phanos quite a bit. By the time Phanos regained her composure Q activated the rune and made a small fiery explosion! For the first time since the battle began, Phanos took damage, but it was a miniscule amount compared to what she had dealt to Q. ¡°I guess you do have some abili-¡± Phanos¡¯ words were caught in her throat as she saw Q¡¯s gaze. Q¡¯s face became incredibly grim, and her eyes were radiating pure hostility. If you¡¯re seriously trying to kill me, then I¡¯m seriously going to kill you! Q thought as she began drawing more runes. Phanos¡¯ expression changed as well, as her eye narrowed and she began frowning. She disappeared once again and appeared behind Q, but this time Q turned around with frightening speed and punched with a fist glowing with lightning. Phanos¡¯ eye widened as she didn¡¯t expect this sort of speed, and she could only block with her knife. The moment they collided, the knife dug into Q¡¯s flesh while lightning flew out from her fist and hit Phanos, stunning her in the process. Q twisted her fist with the knife still inside and wrenched it free from Phanos¡¯ hand. The rune she had prepared was also released at point blank, and it consisted of Void, condense, amplify, and release. A large amount of magic power was released, and it created a scene similar to Q¡¯s Arcane Overload (though it wasn¡¯t as destructive as it). The attack blew Phanos away, and just as she managed to get back onto her feet, Q dashed forward with a red aura around her! This time Q looked incredibly feral as her claws elongated and her pupils shrank into slits. She even let out a growl, revealing a row of sharp teeth that went straight for Phanos¡¯ neck! Now Phanos was slightly alarmed as she began to use some skills as well. First she fully disappeared from sight and reappeared on the other side of the backyard with a green glow around her. Then she placed down a stick of some sort which caused Q to get a headache when she looked at it. In this momentary lapse, Phanos placed down even more things on the ground and made a few gestures with her hand. Q suddenly felt tired, drowsy, and exhausted all at the same time, but she shook her head and managed to say, ¡°Hah, relying on this game¡¯s abilities is just pathetic.¡± She sent Phanos¡¯ previous words right back at her, which caused the latter to grit her teeth in anger. Phanos brought out a large dagger and covered it in magic, giving it a sharp, green glow. Just as she was about to charge forward and attack, she was stopped by a figure who stepped in-between them. ¡°Stop it you two!¡± Brie suddenly interrupted the fight and looked at the two girls angrily. ¡°This is supposed to be a sparring match! Why are you trying to kill each other?¡± The moment that Phanos and Q¡¯s expressions changed, she felt something was off. Only now did she have the opportunity to step in and stop the battle. The moment Brie appeared, Q felt the effects of Phanos¡¯ items disappear and could once again think normally. ¡°She started it.¡± She said with an accusatory tone. Brie looked over at Phanos with a furious expression and said, ¡°Steph, are you doing it again?¡± ¡°Er, please call me Ph-¡± ¡°DO NOT try to change the subject! Tell me, are you trying to ¡®test¡¯ Q?¡± ¡°...It is necessary.¡± Phanos said with a small voice. ¡°I must make sure that-¡± ¡°NO EXCUSES!¡± Both Q and Phanos flinched at her words. ¡°You will logout this instant, and we will continue this in real life.¡± ¡°...Yes, milady.¡± A notice appeared above Q saying that Phanos had conceded the fight, and then she disappeared into light particles. ¡°Um¡­ Brie?¡± Q was slightly scared as she hadn¡¯t seen such an angry expression from Brie before. ¡°I am sorry Q, I have other matters to attend to.¡± Brie then logged out without another word, and left Q alone in the backyard. ¡°That was¡­ scary.¡± Q let out a sigh and looked up at the moon. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll keep practicing then.¡± She silently continued to test her runes, with only the moon as her companion.
Overprotective much? Well now you get a nice look at Phanos'' darker side. "Anything for Milady," or so she''d say with a smile. A smile while stabbing your neck... By the way, which combination of her class trees would you have used? Answer in the poll (if you feel like it). Fun-fact: LED light-bulbs don''t give off the UV wavelength that attracts night bugs. Chapter 046 - Bizarre Experiment ¡°Seriously, how do you keep sleeping through all of this?¡± Q poked Schorl who wriggled on Wolfy¡¯s head. She was sitting in the backyard surrounded by a bunch of wolves who were there to soothe her stress. When Wolfy was summoned, Schorl seemed to be quite surprised as it actually scurried underneath Q¡¯s hat. After Q coaxed it out, Schorl and Wolfy seemed to come to a mutual understanding as Wolfy allowed Schorl to sit on its head. It even seemed that Wolfy had given some authority to Schorl, as when it hissed the other wolves would move around. ¡°But seriously¡­ what was that?¡± Q muttered, remembering her fight with Phanos. Back then Q was able to clearly see that Phanos had a strong disdain for her, and she might even go so far as to call it hate. ¡°I mean, I guess she needs to make sure that the people around Brie are safe for her to be around, but that was a bit excessive wasn¡¯t it?¡± Letting out another sigh, Q decided to put this matter to the back of her head as she began to review the things she had learned about using her runes. Currently with the way she had distributed her points in the skill tree, this is what she was capable of:
  • She can have up to 10 different runes active at the same time (that includes multiple runes put into a circle)
  • Her runes will last for 5 minutes before disappearing, and will follow her around if she creates them and doesn¡¯t use them. (She can also move them around and make them stay in place if she concentrates hard enough)
Q also obtained a skill called [Rune-Launch] which let her fire her runes forward once they were created, making it so that she didn¡¯t have to be close to the enemy to get them to work. These runes would actually stick to a surface if they were aimed at one, and she could use them as pseudo-traps. She also experimented a lot with the rune circles (as Q now called them) and figured out these things:
  • The center rune has the most power. (Regardless of whether it was a command or element rune)
  • The more element runes placed inside a circle, the more element attacks will be created (for example creating a forward rune in the center with two fire runes at the side will cause two fireballs to shoot forward)
  • Multiple command runes are redundant, but the commands take priority depending on which one is closer to the center. In the case where command runes have the same distance from each other, it will cause whatever¡¯s being used by it to move according to both commands at the same time (but sometimes they cancel out like forward and backward)
  • Generally, the size of the circle (and runes inside) correspond to its power.
  • The larger a rune, the more mana it takes to both create and activate it.
  • Rune circles can also be used with [Rune-Launch], but disappear more quickly.
  • A rune doesn¡¯t seem to have a maximum range to be activated (as Q fired a rune all the way to the side of a building at least 50 meters away and was still able to activate it).
  • Whenever she said ¡®activate¡¯, every rune she made would activate at the same time. There was a skill in the tree which let her choose which ones to activate, but that was still out of her reach for now.
  • She could actually create a rune with every single finger (and even her tail!) if she concentrated, but it became incredibly hard to draw it correctly.
  • Drawing a rune incorrectly will cause it to fail and explode in her face (slight mistakes like a squiggly line are okay, but make the rune weaker).
  • She can ¡®inject¡¯ more mana into a rune to make its effects stronger, but too much will cause the rune to explode (larger runes can hold more mana).
¡°The only problem is, how do I summon you Schorl?¡± Q wondered while looking at the small salamander. Since all her spells were taken away, she couldn¡¯t use [Summon Familiar] anymore. She did have the Summon rune, but had no idea if simply using it by itself would cause Schorl to appear. While Q was staring at Schorl, Schorl stared back and then lowered its head slightly. It¡¯s tourmaline gem began to glow, and a few symbols appeared on it! ¡°Woah! What is that?¡± Q hurriedly memorized the symbols as she drew them in midair. With a bit of rearranging she put them inside a circle and stared at it. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I still have a screenshot option don¡¯t I?¡± Q fiddled around in her menu and found the option. Many players were now recording and taking screenshots of their adventures and uploading them online, but Q hadn¡¯t used it until now. ¡°Hehe, I can screenshot these rune circles and save them so I can look at it later if I ever forget.¡± With the picture successfully saved, she addressed the symbols. ¡°Hey Schorl, what is this about?¡± Q looked at the salamander. ¡°Ksha.¡± Schorl¡¯s tail curled up and touched its head. ¡°Oh wait a minute, is this how I summon you?¡± Q hurriedly put in the Summon rune in the center and then activated it. The rune began to glow, and Schorl who was beside her disappeared. In a few seconds the glow faded away, and Schorl reappeared in Q¡¯s hands. ¡°That¡¯s awesome! So I can use the summon rune to bring up just about anything, and these extra ones around it are kind of like¡­ the telephone number? Does that mean you have one too Wolfy?¡± ¡°Grr.¡± Wolfy shook his head in denial. ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s because you come from a skill. But hey, maybe I can summon other familiars to use in battle! Or better yet, fluffy animals to pet!¡± ¡°Ksha~¡± ¡°What? I need to learn their own runes first, and even then I need to get the creature¡¯s consent to be a familiar? Aw, there goes my plans¡­¡± Q deflated a bit when she learned she couldn¡¯t constantly summon more animal friends. ¡°Everytime I leave you alone you always seem to get weirder.¡± Kukis suddenly came around the corner with Asphy dripping down the sides of her head. ¡°Speak for yourself Burnt-Cookie.¡± Q laughed at Kukis¡¯ appearance. Right now Kukis¡¯ face was charred black, while her clothing was slightly burnt and frayed in many places. ¡°Ugh- An accident happened when I was trying to mix some stuff together. Anyway, how come you understand your familiars?¡± ¡°I actually have no idea.¡± Q looked at Wolfy and Schorl who also looked at her with bewildered faces. ¡°But whatever. Do you want to go out and hunt some monsters? I¡¯ve been itching to try out some of my new runes.¡± It¡¯ll also give me a chance to get my mind off of what just happened¡­ She silently thought. ¡°Sure. We should probably go around the village to grab some quests first though. You know, make it worth our while.¡± ¡°Lead the way, Charred Snack.¡± ¡°...We¡¯ll go after I clean myself up.¡± ***** [Defeat the Fog Wisps] - 0/50 [Collect Mandrake Roots] - 0/15 [Hunt down the Escaped Experiment] [Clear out a Wicked Wailer Nest] 0/100 ¡°Now that¡¯s a nice lineup of quests. Ready to go Cookie?¡± Q readjusted her hat. ¡°Yeah, just... as... soon as¡­ ASPHY GETS OFF ME!¡± Kukis pulled Asphy off her head as it was getting dangerously close to her mouth and nose. It was still night time when they were asking around for quests, but despite this the village was still quite lively. Living underneath a thick layer of fog and clouds, the residents rarely ever got to know what time of day it was so they lived with irregular sleep schedules. There were quite a few eccentric figures running around the town at night time though, and one of them gave them the Escaped Experiment quest. By the time they finished gathering all the quests it was already daytime, not that it was obvious though. As the girls entered the forest they felt some slight discomfort, but by now their wisdom stat was high enough that they were unaffected by the aura it gave off. ¡°So what first? Fog Wisps or Mandrakes?¡± Q asked. ¡°I say Mandrakes. The fog wisps come up randomly anyway so we¡¯re bound to encounter them as we just walk around the forest.¡± ¡°Ditto.¡± The two began making their way through the forest and quickly encountered some Fog Wisps. They were dispatched without much trouble, but Q was actually having some trouble keeping up with Kukis¡¯ rate of killing them because she had to draw a wind rune, a forward rune and a circle around it for a single gust of wind. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s not very efficient is it?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯ll get better with practice. I¡¯m having a bit of trouble making the rune look perfect in the heat of battle. Maybe if I add in some points into dexterity and agility it¡¯ll get better.¡± Q mused. The only reason I could make those runes against Phanos was because I used my ¡®cheat¡¯, and that¡¯s not something I want to use often. ¡°Yeah. Maybe you should keep some runes floating around ready for use then. Like a pre-emptive strike or something.¡± ¡°Oh, good idea.¡± Q created 3 different rune circles to follow her around, and she replaced them anytime one would run out. During their walk, Kukis used a skill to locate the Mandrakes and harvest them while Q stood guard. A good portion of their time was spent searching for the Mandrakes, and they ended up finishing the Fog Wisp hunting quest by the time they found their tenth plant. A Will of the Wisps actually spawned, but it was taken down fairly easily with Q and Kukis who used fire spells to chunk its health down before finishing it off with other spells. While they were collecting the spoils from the battle, Q picked up Schorl who was curled around her ear. ¡°Hey Schorl, can you show me what you do in battle? I know you can do stuff because it was written in your status screen, but not once have you done anything.¡± ¡°Ksha.¡± ¡°Oh, NOW you¡¯re willing. Okay, show me what you can do when the next enemy comes up.¡± ¡°Seriously, how do you understand it?¡± Kukis said with an amazed look on her face. ¡°Hey Asphy, what can you do?¡± Asphy jiggled a little, then began to rapidly envelop Kukis¡¯ head! ¡°Not that damnit!¡± An hour later they managed to collect all the mandrakes, and then began looking for the Escaped Experiment. According to the person who gave them the quest, it was a monster which was a fusion between a lion, a goat and a snake. Q and Kukis instantly thought it was a chimera, but the person kept denying it and simply called it an experiment. Besides that he told them what to look out for, and that was a trail of acid. Within a few minutes the two girls found a patch of earth that seemed to be corroded, and they began to follow the path it led to. With a few twists and turns (and a few more encounters with random monsters) they eventually came up to a small cave that led deep underground. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this a wicked wailer nest? It matches the quest description.¡± Q said. ¡°Alright! We¡¯re getting two birds with one stone!¡± Kukis pumped her fist. ¡°We do need to be careful though. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s down there and we don¡¯t have a tank either, so it¡¯s best if we proceeded with caution.¡± ¡°Psh, we don¡¯t need to go into the cave.¡± Kukis then brought out a few vials. ¡°We¡¯ll make them come out!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ smart. But doesn¡¯t it feel wrong?¡± ¡°Hah, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as I win in the end.¡± Kukis wore a sinister smile on her face as she uncorked the vials and let them roll down into the cave. ¡°And now, we wait.¡± For half a minute nothing happened, but then they could hear sounds that were like the wailing of the damned coming from within the cave. Kukis then set up a few extra vials that seemed to be filled with oil on the ground, while Q set up some fire runes at the cave entrance. While the two girls nervously waited, they suddenly got a notice and saw that the quest was slowly being completed! ¡°Hahaha, my experimental poison worked! Now if only they came out so I could see how much damage it¡¯s dealing.¡± ¡°Be careful what you wi-¡± Q was saying something, but it was too late as they heard terrible groans and flapping noises! Suddenly the entire entrance of the cave was filled with black creatures about half a meter in size. Q activated her runes while Kukis cast [Flamethrower], and the swarm of creatures were quickly being killed off. What they didn¡¯t expect to hear though, was a large explosion from deep underneath them! You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Huh, I guess the poison gas was explosive as well. Who knew?¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time!¡± Q yelled as she desperately tried to create more runes to keep up with the swarm. Eventually the swarm calmed down and they were able to clearly see what the wicked wailers looked like. They were clearly bats, but the strange thing was that they didn¡¯t have ears. Instead their eyes were enlarged to an almost comical size, and were completely red besides the pupils. Their chests were quite large as well, as it seemed like they were puffed out for some reason. They then opened their mouths and began to scream. [Wicked Wailer] - Level 20 ¡°Augh! What the heck is that?¡± Q covered her ears as the bats¡¯ terrible scream was giving her a bad headache. Enhanced Hearing is working against me right now... ¡°That¡¯s annoying, is what it is!¡± Kukis threw a vial with one hand, and then cast [Pebble Shot] right after to break the vial midair. Its contents spilled all over the bats and began burning away and corroding their fur! With many of them not screaming anymore, Q used [Tri-Spark] and began creating as many runes as she could and launched them at the bats. There were simply too many bats to handle though, and quite a few of them got through the ¡®killzone¡¯ and began to attack Q and Kukis! ¡°Cookie, you got anymore of that corrosive liquid?¡± Q continued to create runes with her left hand while she fended off the bats that got close with her right. ¡°Yeah, just one vial left though.¡± Kukis cast [Earth Armor] to keep most of the bats from getting at her skin, but she was still being swarmed. ¡°Throw it as high as you can!¡± Q yelled as she created another mini arcane overload to clear out the area around herself. Kukis threw the vial high up into the air, and Q took careful aim and shot out an earth rune! She activated it in midair to create a rock which flew forward and broke the vial. Q then began to create as many wind runes and began shooting them all into the sky, activating them as soon as they made contact with the liquid. The moment the wind runes activated, a small gust of wind would happen and scatter the liquid all over the area! In no time at all the bats were covered in this liquid, and they became easy prey for Q and Kukis who hid underneath a wall of earth that Kukis made. The moment they killed all the bats and finished the quest, they heard a terrible roar from inside the cave! They exchanged glances, then backed away from the entrance of the cave while preparing themselves for what was coming next. Kukis brought out a straw doll and began lobbing random vials towards the entrance of the cave, while Q once again set up her ¡®trap¡¯ runes, and also began working on creating a rune circle with a Weaken rune in the center. Contrary to their expectations, they didn¡¯t hear any sort of footsteps, but instead heard a strong hiss and the sounds of something scraping on stone. The moment the two saw something poke its head out of the cave, they instantly activated the things they set up before, and caused a huge explosion at the mouth of the cave! A roar of indignation could be heard as the thing rushed out of the cave and they were able to see what it looked like. The creature was about 10 meters long, and was covered in murky green scales. The main body was a snake, but on the ends of it where a snake head and tail would normally be, were instead replaced by a lion head and a goat head! [Civedul¡¯s Experiment] - Level 50 The lion head roared while the goat head bleared, and they both began to charge forth at the same time! While Q was temporarily flabbergasted at its appearance, she quickly regained her wits and dived to the side, tackling Kukis who was staring dumbly at the creature. They barely managed to avoid the attack before it turned around and began charging at them again! With a quick glance Q saw that at least a quarter of its health was gone. At least our attacks seem to have done a lot of damage. Or maybe it was just Kukis¡¯ poison. ¡°Th-that¡¯s no chimera! What is- I don¡¯t evrin-.¡± Kukis began blabbing nonsense as it seemed that she couldn¡¯t fully understand what was going on. ¡°Snap out of it!¡± Q noticed that Kukis had the ¡®confusion¡¯ status on her so she slapped her hard and dragged her off. ¡°I think it has some sort of confusion ability. Get ready for a tough fight!¡± Q used her ¡®weaken¡¯ rune circle, then made a rune circle with fire, condense, and amplify and used [Rune-launch] to put it on the ground in front of the Experiment. As soon as the experiment¡¯s body ran over the rune circle, Q activated it and burned its underbelly! While the experiment screamed in pain, Kukis seemed to regain her senses as she apologized and began to cast spells. It was at this moment that Schorl suddenly looked up and stared at the experiment. For a moment its eyes wandered back and forth between the goat and the lion, but eventually it settled on the lion. A dark glow came from Schorl¡¯s forehead, and then a black mist came out and began to surround the lion¡¯s eyes! ¡°[Spell Analysis]!¡± Q tried to see if she could possibly copy Schorl¡¯s ability. [Blind rune analysis: 40%] ¡°Nice job Schorl! I¡¯ll feed you a treat later!... If you even eat anything that is.¡± With the lion blinded and flailing about wildly, Q focused her efforts on the goat head which widened its eyes and stared at Q. Q felt a strange feeling of confusion wash over her, but she tried to resist it with all her might. Seeing this, Kukis sent a rock flying towards the goat head. The rock missed, but it allowed Q to break free from the confusion stare as she regained her senses and continued to bombard the experiment with multiple fire runes. ¡°Try a little variety now and then!¡± Kukis yelled as she created a powerful stream of water to hit the goat head and push it away. ¡°Fine then! [Tri-Spark]!¡± Q zapped the now wet goat head, causing it to take even more damage. The goat was stunned for a while, but the lion broke free of the black mist and lunged at Q! In the split second that Q looked at the lion, she noticed that its fangs were dripping poison. With no other way to go, she bent her upper body as far back as she could and managed to just barely avoid the lion¡¯s bite. (A/N: Matrix?) A bit of the venom happened to drip onto Q though, and as soon as it made contact with her skin it began to sizzle and she felt incredible pain! ¡°OWW!!¡± Q stopped, dropped and rolled away from the experiment as she felt agonizing pain on her skin. ¡°Wolfy¡¯s bites didn¡¯t hurt this much. This guy¡¯s poison is nasty!¡± Q¡¯s health was also dropping at a fast rate, as she soon lost a quarter within 10 seconds! Suddenly she saw something flying towards her, but she relaxed once she saw that it was a potion Kukis threw. The moment it made contact with Q the potion completely disappeared, and so did the burning spot on her skin. ¡°Thanks Cookie! By the way we should probably take this thing¡¯s venom after we¡¯re finished. It really hurts.¡± Q dodged another charge from the experiment and then tried using a light rune to damage it. She began to cycle through each of the elements, and found that both fire and water work incredibly well against it. As soon as she figured this out, Q and Kukis began to coordinate their attacks with each other, as Q used fire to hit the lion while Kukis used water to attack the goat. Despite being big and intimidating, the experiment was also quite slow so Q and Kukis didn¡¯t have much trouble dodging its attacks. Every so often Schorl would also blind one of the heads, allowing the girls to focus on a single one and quickly bring its health down. Once its health was reduced to half, the experiment¡¯s heads began to coil around each other, and eventually made a shape which resembled a cone. The two heads screamed, and then they began to spin around in place! At first Q and Kukis were completely confused by this action, but the moment the two heads opened their mouths they began to run away in alarm as it began to spit out poison gas! Whatever the gas touched began to slowly melt away, and while it was spinning it began to slowly advance towards the two girls! ¡°That¡¯s one dangerous beyblade¡­¡± Q said as she shot out some more fire runes at it. ¡°Yeah, we need to seal its mouth with something¡­ but what?¡± Kukis wondered as she tried to keep Asphy from falling off her hat. ¡°What is it Asphy? I¡¯m trying to think here!¡± She grabbed Asphy (who kept wriggling) and kept it in her arms as she continued to run. ¡°Seriously Cookie?¡± ¡°What? Why are you... OOOOOOH! Buy me some time!¡± Kukis turned around and took aim at the experiment with Asphy in her hand. Q drank a mana potion and then began to set up a large rune circle with an Arcane Overload setup. Once she finished creating the circle, she inserted half of her total mana into it and then launched it on the ground just in front of the experiment. The moment it hit the ground she instantly activated it, and a powerful blast actually sent the experiment skywards for a moment! It then slammed back down onto the ground and became stunned, which gave Kukis the opportunity to throw! ¡°Asphy, I choose you!¡± She yelled as she threw the slime towards the goat¡¯s open mouth. Right as Asphy made contact with the goat, it began to expand in size and completely enveloped it! The goat panicked and tried to spit out more poison gas, but it was blocked by Asphy¡¯s body which seemed to be immune to the gas. Instead, Asphy actually began to go inside the goat¡¯s mouth, causing it to let out muffled screams as its eyes widened in horror. ¡°Holy crap Cookie, you have one scary slime.¡± Q grimaced at the harrowing sight. ¡°I¡­ yeah.¡± Kukis shivered as she imagined having to go through that. ¡°But whatever. Just focus on the lion now!¡± With the goat head distracted, Q and Kukis focused all of their attention on the lion and shot out as many fire spells as they could. The lion head was also panicking slightly, but it still continued to spit out poison gas (which became stronger and more potent since the goat¡¯s side was sealed off). As they maintained a careful distance from the experiment, they slowly whittled down its health and eventually it reached zero. The experiment made one final shudder, and then collapsed onto the ground. [Level Up!] [Stats Gained] [Skill Proficiency Gained] ¡°Hey, great job Asphy! I¡­ Woah wait, stop! NOOOOO!!¡± Asphy happily jumped towards Kukis¡¯ head as it felt it should get a reward for doing such a good job. ¡°Now that was some proper hunting! Time to go back home.¡± Q looked towards the direction of the witch¡¯s village as she splendidly ignored Kukis being attacked by her own familiar.
Remember back when I mentioned that Schorl''s main element was Earth? I meant to say Earth and Dark... Anyhue, this is the most game-like thing that Q has done isn''t it? Grab quests, run around an area and just complete them one by one. So hope you enjoyed the triple-release (because I''m never doing it again. maybe) Fun-fact: Of the 3% of water that isn''t the ocean, 69% of it is frozen. Edit: I''m very happy it''s not summer anymore. I don''t have to be like this all the time: Spoiler : Also, next chapter is the introduction of a new character! Or a previous one...? Chapter 047 - Gold Guardian ¡°I forgot to ask earlier, but did Brie¡¯s playtime run out? She logged off with Phanos a while ago so I wondered what happened.¡± Kukis asked. The two girls were now in the village of Malse, and were chatting as they sat by the roadside. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± Q explained the circumstances behind the two logging off. ¡°Wow. Phanos didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who would do something like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how well people can hide their true colors. That aside, let¡¯s take a look at these new changes¡­¡± Q addressed the window which appeared in front of them a few minutes ago. [System Update] - True World Online has been updated to version 1.7.3 List of Changes:
  • When logging into and out of the game, you will be taken to a ¡®white room¡¯. This room can be freely customized, and you can also access the internet from there (Note: Time will run normally while in the white room).
  • Players and monsters will now be affected by weather (Example: standing out in the rain may give you the ¡®cold¡¯ status, while certain monsters will appear only in certain weather)
  • ''Boss Mobs¡¯ that appear from hunting excessively have been changed. Boss mobs deal less damage and take more damage, but in exchange there are more creatures following them and they become far stronger.
  • A new effect has been added when you deal critical hits, sneak attacks, or extra elemental damage against enemies.
  • Weapon durability has been changed, and will wear out more quickly if you use it in the wrong way (Example: Using the pommel of a blade to hit enemies rather than slashing at them).
  • Weapon durability can now be upgraded at certain blacksmiths.
  • Balance changes have been made to poison attacks. Please read the list below for more details.
  • A new area has been unlocked! Look up to the skies and you may find it¡­
  • Due to popular player demand, there is now a leader board for those with the highest levels (Goes to top 100) 1. Clover (Lv. 61) 2. Virel (Lv. 57) 3. Alphus (Lv. 57) 4. Mokum (Lv. 56) 5. Fostie (Lv. 55) ...
¡°NOOOO! Not my poisons!¡± Kukis screamed out as she began to read through the detailed list. After a few minutes, she let out a sigh of relief as she began to explain what happened. ¡°Apparently poison attacks are doing too much damage just from coming into contact with skin, so they¡¯ve changed that. Depending on the kind of poison, and how you¡¯re exposed to it, it¡¯ll change the damage it deals. Like coating your knife in poison and cutting someone will deal good damage, but just pouring it on their arm won¡¯t do as much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. The Experiment¡¯s poison was pretty nasty.¡± ¡°Yup. I checked its details after getting a few vials, and apparently it¡¯s able to do up to 100 damage in 10 seconds if used correctly! The only thing is that it can be healed pretty easily, but as long as you can keep the enemy from healing, it¡¯ll ruin them in no time.¡± ¡°Easy to deal with, but a pain in the ass if you ignore it¡­ Well anyway, I¡¯m more interested in that second last item. A new area in the sky? I wonder what¡¯s up there.¡± Q looked up to the skies and noticed that there were quite a few clouds above them. As she was looking up, something suddenly shone in her vision and Q focused on that. It appeared to be bright and gold, and was slowly getting larger! ¡°Hey, do you see that? Something¡¯s falling!¡± ¡°What? Where?¡± Kukis began to search the skies and quickly found the object Q was staring at. ¡°Woah, there really is something falling. Wait¡­ is that a person? Is this an event?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Q squinted her eyes as she tried to make out what was falling. It seemed that the gold thing also had some other objects trailing behind it, but she couldn¡¯t make out what it was just yet. Suddenly she heard a small voice coming up from above. ¡°.......nnn!¡± ¡°Hold on¡­ it couldn¡¯t be¡­¡± Q¡¯s doubts were cleared as she finally made out what the voice was saying as it got closer. ¡°..iiimoooonnn!!!¡± ¡°Wow. It really is.¡± Q predicted the trajectory of the falling thing, and made sure to step out of its way. The moment that it reached the space above the village, two things extended to its sides, and it was close enough that Q was finally able to make them out as wings! The gold figure began to flap with immense force, and slowed down its descent. Just as it reached the treeline, something flashed and it was stopped by an invisible barrier! By this time the rest of the witches noticed the commotion and began whispering amongst themselves. One of the Grand Witches even showed up, and Q recognized her as Fremetica, the Grand Witch of darkness. ¡°What¡¯s going on over here?¡± She asked. ¡°Um, the barrier above the village seems to have stopped my¡­ friend.¡± ¡°...friend?¡± Fremetica looked up and when she saw the winged figure overhead her eyes widened for a moment. After a moment of silence she said, ¡°Tell her to head to the outside so we can decide what to do with her first.¡± She began walking to the outskirts of the village, leaving Q to ¡®talk¡¯ with the figure. ¡°Hey, head to the outskirts first!¡± Q yelled as she pointed towards the south. The figure seemed to understand as it flapped its wings and glided over the trees. ¡°So, who the heck is that?¡± Kukis finally asked as they began walking to the south. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll get to know her well soon enough. Q grinned as she thought of who the figure was. While feeling slightly mystified, Kukis followed and eventually they reached the edge of the village where Fremetica was waiting. ¡°Ugh. I told my disciple that she has guard duty today. Where has she gone? Whatever. You deal with this while I look for her.¡± Fremetica waved her hand and walked away, allowing the trees to part. The second that they made a gap wide enough for a person to fit, a golden figure dashed through! ¡°Finally!¡± It yelled as it instantly glomped Q. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting so long! Uhuhu, you¡¯re so soft!¡± ¡°Nice to see you too, Cinn.¡± Q smiled and pat her back as she was hugged tightly. ¡°Who the heck is this?¡± Kukis asked. Now that they were up close, they could make out what the figure really was. It was a young girl with bright gold hair that extended down to her waist. Her facial features could all be described as angelic, as they all had a beautiful, and seemingly holy look to them. Her eyes were sky blue, and her body was very slender. This all gave her a look of a ¡®girl next door¡¯. Her two wings extended from her black shoulder blades, and she wore a strange dress that looked like a toga, but was far more frilly. ¡°This is Cinnamon. Or whatever her name is in game.¡± Q explained. ¡°My name in here is still Cinnamon.¡± The girl smiled sweetly. ¡°Luckily no one else had taken it, otherwise I would¡¯ve had to force them to change their name¡­ Anyway, you can just call me Cinn!¡± ¡°Right. Cookie, meet Cinn, a friend I¡¯ve known for quite a while. Cinn, meet Cookie, a friend I made while playing TWO. Also Cinn, call me Q here. No mentioning real life remember?¡± ¡°Oh right, I¡¯m sorry! I forgot because I was so excited to finally tou- I mean, see you in this world.¡± ¡°Um, nice to meet you Cinn. I¡¯m Kukis. That¡¯s pronounced Coo-kiss, not whatever weird nickname Q gave me.¡± Kukis extended her hand in greeting. ¡°Oh yes, very nice to meet you. Thanks for taking care of Q while I wasn¡¯t around.¡± Cinnamon didn¡¯t extend her hand though, as she hugged Q even more tightly. Why is it that I¡¯m reminded of Phanos all of a sudden? Kukis wondered as she retracted her hand. ¡°I have to say though, it seems like you two have a pretty deep friendship.¡± She noted as she noticed that their hug had lasted for more than a minute. ¡°Yes! You could say that we share a relationship even deeper than that of just friends!¡± Cinnamon said as she began rubbing her face on Q¡¯s. ¡°Er, Q¡­ do you swing that way?¡± ¡°No! Though she is right about the relationship part. By the way, can you let go of me now?¡± Q began to pull away from Cinnamon. ¡°But if you¡¯re not hugging me, how will you feel my wings?¡± Cinnamon said as she enveloped Q in her wings. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ oh! That¡¯s really soft. That¡¯s really, REALLY soft!¡± Q was pacified as she began feeling Cinnamon¡¯s wings. ¡°Eheheh. The hours of calculations I did for the perfect body to let me hug Q were not in vain! This is bliss!¡± Cinnamon continued to hug Q with a slovenly look on her face. ¡°...I¡¯m going to leave you two alone now.¡± Kukis said as she walked back to the village. Q was snapped back to reality with Kukis¡¯ words as she broke out of her reverie. ¡°Woah hold up!¡± She wriggled herself out of Cinnamon¡¯s arms, much to the latter¡¯s distress. ¡°I¡¯ll feel your wings later. For now, follow us.¡± ¡°Aww¡­¡± Cinnamon pouted, but folded her wings behind her back and closely followed Q. As the group entered the village, all the villagers stared at Cinnamon and began whispering things. ¡°A sky dweller¡­¡± ¡°Here in this village? What could they possibly want?¡± ¡°This bears ill tidings for us.¡± ¡°Hm. Seems like the locals aren¡¯t too fond of your race Cinn. What is your race anyway?¡± Q asked. ¡°It¡¯s called the Angel race. At first big sis was going to call it the Seraphim, but decided against it and called it Angel. You know she wasn¡¯t even going to release the sky world until I kept pestering her about it.¡± ¡°What did you do this time?¡± Q said in an exasperated tone. ¡°Oh nothing too major. I only threatened to consistently overlog her database with unneeded information to reduce her processing speed, and reveal some information that hackers would find incredibly helpful.¡± ¡°Cinn¡­¡± ¡°Relax, I wasn¡¯t serious! ...Mostly. Anyway she made a single exception for me and sped up a few events for the sky-world to appear. Players aren¡¯t able to actually get up there yet, but it¡¯s only a matter of time now that it¡¯s been publically announced. ¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Is it just me, or am I hearing some disturbing things over there?¡± Kukis turned around. ¡°What¡¯s this about hacking and stuff? Are you related to someone working at the Dimen company?¡± She asked Cinnamon. ¡°You could say that¡­¡± Cinnamon trailed off mysteriously. Right before Kukis was going to ask more questions, she suddenly noticed a large fluctuation of magic nearby! She turned to find that the Grand Witches were approaching them with a serious face. ¡°Hi everyone. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Q asked. ¡°That¡­ angel. Is she your friend?¡± Pamerun spoke up. ¡°Yeah. She came from up above.¡± Q pointed to the skies. ¡°Despite being new to this land, you already have an acquaintance among the sky dwellers¡­ Does that mean that she too, is an adventurer?¡± ¡°Yes, I am an adventurer.¡± Cinnamon said with a smile. Her demeanor seemed to take a complete 180 turn as she looked far more respectable than before. ¡°I know that you witches have suffered attacks from my people from days long gone, but I assure you I mean no harm. Peace and co-existence are what I desire. I believe no good can come from conflict, so please, let us get along with each other.¡± She folded her arms in front of her chest and let her wings out slightly, making her seem kind and holy. And to think that the same person was hugging Q with a sloppy face earlier¡­ That¡¯s some good acting right there. Kukis shook her head as she had trouble overlapping the two different sides of the same person. That reminds me, apparently Phanos has also has a darker side to her¡­ I wonder if Brie does too, or even Q for that matter! She realized that her thoughts were going to a bad direction, so she stopped thinking about it and focused on the conversation they were having. ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t feel any hostility from her, and she hasn¡¯t flown into a rage from hearing the word ¡®witch¡¯... Maybe she really doesn¡¯t mean harm?¡± Pamerun seemed uncertain. ¡°Pam! Have you forgotten what they¡¯ve done to us in the past? It¡¯s why we set up the whole damn barrier in the first place!¡± Haeldrix shouted. ¡°Calm down Haeldrix.¡± Suina stepped in. She turned to Cinnamon and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this. Her master was killed by an angel in the past so¡­¡± ¡°I am truly sorry to hear that.¡± Cinnamon had an expression that seemed like she would cry at any moment. ¡°Though I cannot speak on behalf of my people, I only feel sadness and remorse at the way they treated you in the past. Please, if there¡¯s anything I can do to make up for the misdeeds we have done then do not hesitate to tell me.¡± ¡°Grr¡­¡± Haeldrix tried to get mad, but once she saw Cinnamon¡¯s expression she walked away in a huff. ¡°Do whatever you want! Just don¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± A few of the other witches followed Haeldrix and displayed angry faces to Cinnamon, but didn¡¯t do anything else. The rest were still looking at her with suspicion and anxiety as they kept a careful distance from her. ¡°You sure picked a wonderful race to start with.¡± Q sighed. ¡°My race really doesn¡¯t matter as long as I get to hug you!¡± Cinnamon smiled as she went to glomp Q. ¡°She sure is attached to you.¡± Kukis laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate being hugged though? You kept running away from Melun and the rest when they tried to hug you after all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I particularly dislike it, it¡¯s just¡­ they were a bit too rough.¡± Q closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows as she remembered the first ¡®cuddle hell¡¯. ¡°Oh, could I join in on this then? I¡¯ve always wanted to touch your fur.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Q extended her tail slightly towards Kukis who began feeling it. ¡°Whoaaaa! No wonder those girls went crazy, this is stupid soft!¡± Kukis began rubbing her face on it. While Kukis was experiencing bliss, Cinnamon suddenly yanked away Q¡¯s tail and said ¡°Q might have allowed you to touch her tail, but you¡¯ll have to fight me for touching rights!¡± The angel glared at Kukis. ¡°Heh, calm down Cinn. I just wanted a feel is all.¡± Kukis backed off when she saw Cinnamon¡¯s expression. ¡°Yeah, calm down a bit.¡± Q said. ¡°Though now that you mention it¡­ I never gave you permission to touch me, did I?¡± Once Q said those words, Cinnamon had a face full of despair as she fell to her knees. ¡°N-no way¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t touch you? This can¡¯t be!!!¡± Cinnamon¡¯s expression made it look like the world was ending, and Q and Kukis watched her in amusement. ¡°*Ahem*¡± The girls were startled a bit as they suddenly remembered the fact that there were still a few of the Grand Witches watching them. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you three getting along, but we still have a bit of business here.¡± Pamerun said as she handed over four small pouches to Q. ¡°This is our small thanks for allowing us to open up the door. It¡¯s just a bit of money we¡¯ve come across over the years, and it¡¯s split evenly for the four of you that came with us.¡± Q opened up a pouch and saw at least five gold coins! Not to mention that there was a lot of silver and copper included as well. ¡°Woah! I can¡¯t possibly accept this much money! Besides, we didn¡¯t even do that much in the library.¡± ¡°Heh, we have no need for currency from the outside here. Just consider it the price for the books we found down there, which to be honest are more or less priceless.¡± ¡°If you insist¡­¡± Q handed a pouch to Kukis and kept the rest in her inventory. ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to be studying those books until the upcoming event next week.¡± ¡°Upcoming event? What¡¯s that about?¡± ¡°Oh you¡¯ll see. I guarantee you¡¯ll love it though.¡± Pamerun smiled mysteriously before hopping on a broom and floating up into the air. ¡°We¡¯ll see you around next time!¡± She said as she left, followed by the rest of the Grand Witches. ¡°If it has Pamerun¡¯s guarantee, I¡¯m sure the next event will be awesome!¡± Q felt very excited. ¡°What do you think it¡¯s going to be about?¡± Kukis wondered. ¡°Not sure, though it¡¯s probably magic related. Cinn, do you know what it¡¯s about?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Cinnamon nodded. ¡°Next week is the Witches¡¯ annual broom race competition.¡± ¡°Broom¡­ race¡­? YES!¡± Q pumped her fists into the air. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I forgot about my greatest desire since coming to this village! Where¡¯s a flying witch¡­¡± Q¡¯s eyes began scanning the skies in an effort to find a witch to use [Spell Analysis] on. She didn¡¯t have to search very hard though, as there were many witches just flying around overhead. Once she used [Spell Analysis] she got a notice that she was learning a few new runes. [Flight rune analysis: 10%] [Sustain rune analysis: 7%] [Speed rune analysis: 3%] ¡°Man, I should use this skill a lot more often.¡± Q waited impatiently for her cooldown. ¡°It made your eyes look strange for a moment though.¡± Kukis noted. ¡°Like, you had these weird symbols flash in them for a second before it disappeared.¡± ¡°Is that so? Oh, looks like Brie¡¯s done with her lecture.¡± Q noticed that Brie and Phanos had logged back online. ¡°Brie?¡± Cinnamon said with an inquisitive tone. ¡°She¡¯s another friend I made while playing. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy talking to each other¡­ Probably.¡± So it¡¯s another girl, hmm? I guess it really was the correct decision to join Q here. Cinnamon thought in the timespan of 0.001 seconds. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go meet them.¡± She said with a radiant smile.
And so, the party is complete. So just thinking about something... are you guys okay with me just using game terms? I mean, i''m pretty sure that the majority of you readers all play games and have some knowledge of these terms, even without me explaining them. I just got a little concerned since I used to explain them in early chapters, but started using them freely now. There hasn''t been any complaints though, so I guess it''s okay? Btw I feel like ranting again about something (Japanese romance this time). This time it''s short, but ignore it if you feel like it. Spoiler : So I read a few Japanese romance mangas (and very occasionally novels) and there''s this weird trend I''ve noticed. Here''s the setup: Main character is just living his life, when suddenly a girl comes in and starts to shake things up. Sounds pretty standard right? Well my problem is that, while the main character is charmed with this girl, he also happens to like another girl. Now just that wouldn''t be enough to make a rant out of it. The thing is, that girl the main character likes in the beginning... happens to have short, black hair and is super kind and nice. Now granted, I might not be reading a lot of romance mangas but this trend happens pretty often. Now, I wouldn''t be that irked about it if they were actually ''good'' romantic interests, but they just have the same personality and barely change at all. That in and of itself might be a charm point (good housewife type girl) but I don''t personally like it. I''m also tired of the harem setups. This one is more about the particular mangas I read though, but the thing is, unnecessary harems come all the time. Like I''m just reading a shounen battle manga, and then love interest appears. I''m like: okay, fine. Then another appears, and another and another and I die of ''pleasestopthisnow''. I suppose it''s another cultural thing (like with the Chinese novels) but I just don''t like it. Actually it''d be perfectly fine if the girls were actually complex and dynamic characters, but they''re usually archetypes that are playing their role as filler and eye candy. It''s a bit disappointing, but eh, what are you going to do? Thanks for reading everyone! Extra chapter tomorrow ;) Fun-fact: Witchcraft was performed by both men and women. So... male witches? Chapter 048 - The Underground Library - Again! Q, Kukis and Cinnamon all walked over to the village center and waited for the arrival of Brie and Phanos. While they waited, Q continued to use [Spell Analysis] and managed to get the flight, sustain and speed runes all at around 80-90%. After a bit of waiting, Brie and Phanos showed up. The moment the two caught sight of their group, they seemed temporarily surprised by the appearance of Cinnamon, but still approached quickly. ¡°Q, I would like to start off by apologizing. I meant no harm with my actions, as cruel as they might have seemed.¡± Phanos bowed deeply. It looked like you meant plenty of harm! Q thought as she remembered Phanos¡¯ vicious look from a while back. Not that it really matters though. Since she¡¯s apologized, I guess I¡¯ll forgive her. Though I will make sure to get back at her for this at some other time... After a few seconds of silence, Q said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure you had your own reasons for doing what you did.¡± ¡°I must also apologize.¡± Brie added. ¡°Never would I have thought that Phanos would go that far to confirm whether or not you were someone to be trusted¡­¡± ¡°Oh? It sounds like you already knew that Phanos would do something like that.¡± Q wore an accusatory expression. ¡°Uh, th-that is to say¡­¡± Brie trailed off, at a loss for words. For a moment Phanos seemed to turn hostile again as she saw Brie¡¯s dejected face. Q¡¯s next action completely flipped their expectations though, as she simply laughed. ¡°HAH! Did you think I would hold a grudge? I don¡¯t really mind Phanos being overprotective. If anything that makes me pretty happy, since I now know that there¡¯s someone who will always be there to help you Brie.¡± Q smiled gently. ¡°Oh right, here¡¯s some money the Grand Witches gave us. Don¡¯t question it, just accept it.¡± She shoved the coin pouches into their hands. ¡°So onto more serious talk, do you two want to help us capture the Underground Library?¡± ¡°Q¡­¡± Brie let out a sigh as it seemed she was relieved. ¡°Yes, we would be happy to join you.¡± ¡°Before we set off, may I know who that person in the back is?¡± Phanos indicated Cinnamon. ¡°Hello there, my name is Cinnamon, but you can call me Cinn if you like. I enjoy spending time with Q, and¡­ that¡¯s about it.¡± She hugged Q who only laughed in return. Brie and Phanos raised an eyebrow at this open display of affection, but just as quickly shrugged it off. ¡°A pleasure to meet you Cinn. I am Brie, and this is my¡­ servant, Phanos.¡± Phanos smiled and introduced herself. ¡°Yes, my name is Phanos. I am here solely to serve milady in her travels.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Cinnamon and Phanos stared at each other, and both had the exact same thought: It seems like I can get along well with this person. But if they try to harm Q/Lady Brie¡­ Sparks flew between them as they wore strained smiles on their faces.. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any time then!¡± Kukis jumped into the conversation. ¡°To the Library! That is, if you¡¯re ready of course.¡± ¡°Please give me a moment to make adequate preparations.¡± Phanos ran off somewhere, while Brie watched her with a concerned look. ¡°Does she ¡®test¡¯ people often?¡± Q asked. ¡°...Yes. More than I would like to admit.¡± Brie had a bitter face. ¡°Whenever I meet a new person, Phanos would investigate them thoroughly. Oftentimes Phanos¡¯... antics, can get a bit extreme and has caused those people to avoid me or cut off contact.¡± ¡°You should really talk to her about that, because it sounds like Phanos is half the reason you don¡¯t have a lot of friends.¡± ¡°That much I know but¡­ Phanos has never stopped despite my warnings. The most I can do is restrain Phanos¡¯ actions as best I can, but in the end¡­¡± Brie let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Do not misunderstand though, Phanos is a very precious person to me, and is someone I deeply care about.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s quite a pickle you¡¯re in Brie.¡± Q went into deep thought. Although Phanos seems to be a big problem, Brie doesn¡¯t plan to fix it anytime soon¡­ So in the end I¡¯d need to convince Phanos to tone it down a bit. Turning to Kukis, she asked, ¡°What do you think Cookie?¡± ¡°Sounds like some serious stuff. I think we should talk to Phanos, but I¡¯m not sure how that¡¯ll turn out.¡± Kukis said in an uncertain tone. ¡°And you Cinn?¡± Q asked the angel who was still hugging her. ¡°Why not just tell her about yourself? If the reason she ¡®strongly investigates¡¯ people is because she doesn¡¯t know anything about them or their character. So maybe if you gave her some information she¡¯s looking for she¡¯ll calm down a bit?¡± Cinnamon was playing with Q¡¯s hair, and started fondling her ears. While she was doing this she happened to wake up Schorl who was sleeping again. When it woke up and locked eyes with Cinnamon, it blinked for a few seconds before it¡¯s eyes were filled with hostility. The angel and salamander then began an intense match for territorial rights over Q¡¯s ears. ¡°That sounds reasonable.¡± Q didn¡¯t seem to mind the battle happening atop her head. ¡°Let¡¯s find a chance to talk to her during our trip in the library then.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kukis nodded in agreement. As if on cue, Phanos appeared behind the group without a sound and said, ¡°My preparations are complete. Shall we head to the library then?¡± Her appearance caused Kukis to jump in surprise, and while Q already knew about Phanos¡¯ disappearing ability she was still startled. Brie and Cinnamon weren¡¯t fazed at all by this though, most likely because Brie already knew about Phanos¡¯ ability, and Cinnamon was focused on defending Q¡¯s right ear that she managed to capture with great difficulty. The group began to move, and Q forcefully stopped the fight between Cinnamon and Schorl, who seemed to gain a strange sense of camaraderie. They then went into the town hall and made their way down to the library, chatting about random things as they made their way down the stairs. Their talk came to a stop as they faced the giant doors, and they all brought out their weapons as they headed inside the library. While Q, Brie, Kukis and Phanos were all familiar with each other¡¯s weaponry, they hadn¡¯t seen Cinnamon¡¯s yet, so they all looked at her with anticipation. Cinnamon giggled, and then brought out a long, thin spear that was almost a head taller than herself. ¡°This is the weapon that i¡¯m using. As for my role in battle¡­ would you mind if I took on the first enemy alone to demonstrate my skills?¡± The rest of the girls agreed, and they began to search for an enemy that Cinnamon could fight. In no time they found a small group of transparent-looking animals. These animals were called ¡®spirits¡¯, and Q and Kukis had encountered them before when they were training with Haeldrix. They were the most abundant creature in the library, and came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. These animals could only be damaged by magic attacks, and if you tried to touch them you would simply pass through (much to Q¡¯s distress). What was unfair though is that the spirits could still hit you with physical attacks, but in exchange those attacks could still be blocked with a magical barrier of any kind. [Spirit] - Level 24 [Spirit] - Level 23 [Spirit] - Level 22 [Spirit] - Level 24 [Spirit] - Level 25 ¡°Are you okay facing this much Cinn?¡± Q seemed a little worried. ¡°Of course! My class and build was made for this in the first place.¡± Cinnamon cast a spell and ran forward to meet the spirits in battle. As a slight glow appeared around her wings and her spear, Q used [Spell Analysis] and obtained some new runes. [Reinforce rune analysis: 47%] [Strength rune analysis: 60%] [Hard rune analysis: 52%] Ooh. It looks like Cinnamon¡¯s using some self-buffs to make herself stronger. but what bothers me is that there¡¯s a ¡®Hard¡¯ rune¡­ does that mean there¡¯s a ¡®Soft¡¯ rune out there!? Q unwittingly gained a new goal once she analyzed the spells that Cinnamon used. While Q was burning in anticipation of a soft rune, Cinnamon began to fight against the spirits. Cinnamon¡¯s spear work was incredibly professional, as every single move she made was perfectly efficient and calculated, and she managed to strike the spirits with every hit. When she stabbed one spirit and it disappeared, her movements dulled for a moment and the rest of the spirits jumped forward! In response, Cinnamon folded her wings around herself. The spirits¡¯ attacks bounced off her wings, and she spread them out to blow them away and began to engage them again. ¡°She is very good with a spear. I wonder if I could duel with her sometime¡­¡± Brie was particularly impressed by her spear handling. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s handling the mobs pretty well. Not only that, she¡¯s keeping them only focused on her.¡± Kukis noticed that whenever a spirit would try to head to their party, Cinnamon would always get in its way or attack it to keep its focus on her. ¡°Her movements seem a bit¡­ too perfect.¡± Rather than being impressed, Phanos became more wary of Cinnamon. ¡°She uh¡­ had a really good teacher.¡± Q¡¯s half-hearted explanation seemed to satisfy the rest of the members. Darn it Cinnamon, I told you to keep your capabilities to that of average humans! Q¡¯s silent complaint seemed to be acknowledged as one of the spirits got through Cinnamon¡¯s defences and attacked her! With a flick of her wrist, Cinnamon sent the spirit flying back and then cast a healing spell. Her health was restored very quickly. The spirits were now all gathered up in front of her, and at this point Cinnamon changed her fighting stance by folding one wing in front of her while the other protected her back. Her spear then poked out slightly from her front wing. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°That stance is reminiscent of the fighting style of the ancient spartans.¡± Phanos said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that it would be performed in real-life... Not that this is real-life though.¡± ¡°It works doesn¡¯t it?¡± Q smiled as she watched Cinnamon decimate the enemies. Any attempt to attack her would result in the enemies getting pushed back by her wings, and once they were staggered she quickly followed up with a sharp stab to a vital spot. It had only been a few minutes, but she already finished dealing with the spirits and she turned around to rejoin the group. ¡°What did you think?¡± Cinnamon asked Q. ¡°I decided to be a tank since I heard your party doesn¡¯t have one. I also have some healing spells just in case someone is low on health. My physical and magical reinforcements are able to give me a boost in attack for some time, so I can also fulfill the role of damage dealing if needed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect!¡± Q then leaned in and whispered, ¡°I told you to keep your abilities at the level of an average human didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s average.¡± She whispered back. ¡°Average for martial arts experts that is¡­¡± ¡°......You got me there.¡± Q realized she never specified what ¡®normal¡¯ was, so Cinnamon used this to her advantage. ¡°Fine, just don¡¯t overdo it with the ¡®perfectly calculated¡¯ attacks okay?¡± ¡°You two going to keep whispering, or are you going to help us clear this dungeon?¡± Kukis approached from behind and tapped Q on the shoulder. ¡°Ah, sorry. Let¡¯s do this!¡± And so, the girl¡¯s ¡®dungeon capture¡¯ began. ***** The first floor was originally simple for the girls to clear, but now with the addition of Cinnamon it became laughably easy. Their most pressing concern of not having a tank was now solved, and the girls could display their skills to the fullest without being afraid of retaliation. Kukis was the one who benefitted the most from this, since she could cast more powerful spells without being interrupted. Her spells consisted of far more destructive magics, like a small whirlpool to gather and damage the enemies, or a giant boulder rolling forward to crush them. Phanos also became more reserved and fulfilled her role of support perfectly. She focused mainly on using her hexes to weaken groups of enemies, and whenever an enemy would start to use a troublesome attack she¡¯d throw a knife at it. Brie on the other hand didn¡¯t really change at all, as she was right beside Cinnamon, slashing at the enemies. What did change was that when she swung her sword a magic spell would occasionally fly forward from it. Sometimes the little symbols engraved on her armor would glow when an enemy got close, but she¡¯d usually dispatch them by the time they even thought of hitting her. When she was asked about this later by Q, it turned out that they were defensive spells and enchantments on her armor, but since she avoided all attacks they never activated. Q¡¯s attack rate also increased since she was able to focus on making good rune circles. After a few rounds of enemies she decided to try using runes with her [Magic Fist]. Ever since her spells had all been taken away, only [Tri-Spark] would work with it, but she wondered if she could use her runes instead. It took her a while, but she figured out that if she imagined a rune and then used [Magic Fist], the rune would appear on her hand, and when she punched something it would activate the rune. She tried it again with rune circles, but it took longer for her to properly imagine it and it also took up more mana. In this fashion they cleared the first floor, and quickly proceeded to the second which had an earth-based motif. Q, Brie and Kukis were absolutely demolishing this floor¡¯s enemies with their fire spells since most of them were made out of wood, so they went through without any problems. At one point a giant elemental made of trees made an appearance, but it was quickly blasted with fire spells. ¡°This is sort of disappointing to be honest.¡± Q said as they were walking down the stairs to the third floor. ¡°Is it just because we¡¯re overpowered now, or is it because the library¡¯s balance is bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like fighting against enemies weak to a single element will naturally make this easy.¡± Kukis responded. ¡°I think the witch class was pretty much made to take on this place as long as they have a tank. Actually as long as I have a tank I¡¯m gold.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Cinnamon smiled. ¡°Haha, yeah thanks. A stronger mini boss or something would be nice though.¡± ¡°Cookie, you do realize that saying that-¡± Q¡¯s words were stopped as she saw what lay before them in the third floor. Instead of the groups of enemies wandering around the ash-covered floor, there was only one in the center of the floor which stared at them. An elemental made of wood was waiting there, but this time there was fire coming out of the cracks in its joints. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what happens.¡± [Greater Elemental of Fire and Earth] - Level 40 ¡°This looks way more fun though!¡± Kukis instantly prepared a water spell while everyone else got into position. The elemental swung its fists in fury, and whenever it came into contact with the ground fire would come out as a wave! This time the girls actually had to put in a bit of effort to dodge the attacks since the waves were wide and would hit them if they were careless. Kukis stayed behind Cinnamon and shot out jets of water to extinguish the fire on the elemental¡¯s body. At first it worked and the fire was extinguished, but then it unbelievably began to heal the elemental when the water touched its wooden body! Q then attacked the extinguished part with a [Tri-Spark], and though it caused the elemental to burn again, it still did a ridiculous amount of damage. Now Q and Brie cast water spells to extinguish the elemental, and Kukis hit it with a powerful fire spell. Phanos also worked to restrict the elemental¡¯s movements, while Cinnamon did her best in protecting the group by directly taking on the elemental¡¯s attacks. They were able to beat it after 10 minutes of repeating this process, and they were relatively tired by the end. ¡°Damn it Cookie, see what happens when you set up flags?¡± Q slumped her shoulders. They were already making their way to the next floor after a moment of rest. ¡°I thought you wanted it to be more challenging though?¡± A confused Kukis replied. ¡°No, the battle was fine. It¡¯s just that whenever you say something like that, the game seems to¡­ grant wishes, so to speak.¡± ¡°That is true to an extent.¡± Cinnamon spoke up. ¡°Most environments are dynamic and depending on how easily you clear them, the game makes up for it and increases the difficulty. It did the same thing in the tutorial you know?¡± ¡°That is very interesting, but my tutorial was not difficult at all.¡± Brie closed her eyes as if she was remembering her tutorial. ¡°Many enemies were covered in armor but fighting them was simple. At the end they brought out a very large suit of armor with floating pieces¡­ Yes, much like that one.¡± Brie pointed to their front which had yet another elemental. On the fourth floor the elemental was still made out of wood and still had fire spurting out from it, but this time it¡¯s arms and legs were disconnected from its body, and the girls could see visible gusts of wind supporting them in place. [Greater Elemental of Earth, Fire and Water] - Level 45 ¡°I think you¡¯re just too strong for this world.¡± Q smiled. ¡°Now, let¡¯s figure out how to take this guy down!¡± This time the elemental had to be attacked by using earth magic to knock its limbs out from the sky, then extinguishing the fire on it with water magic, and the finally burning the wood with fire magic. Of course the elemental wouldn¡¯t simply sit there and take hits, as it¡¯s arms and legs would fly around the room and slam down on the ground, creating larger waves of fire (which were probably strengthened from the wind magic). The room itself also seemed to hinder their progress, as books would fly all over the place and would constantly block their line of sight or even fly towards them, forcing them to dodge or deal with the book. Cinnamon¡¯s job became a lot harder as well, as she had to deal with attacks from all directions while still trying to protect the girls. Sometimes the arms and legs of the elemental would clash together with each other, creating a larger shockwave than usual which would hit all the girls without exception. Luckily for her, besides Kukis who had to stay stationary most of the time, the others were very good at dodging so she only healed them when they got hurt. While the arms and legs of the elemental were flying around all over the place, the torso stayed stationary with the head. This didn¡¯t mean that it was vulnerable though. When Q tried to approach it to attack, the torso began to spin rapidly in place and created a mini fire tornado that dealt damage and pushed her back. This time it took them about 20 minutes to defeat the elemental as it had more health and they had to focus more on dodging rather than damage dealing. Their health and mana were also running low, and they all felt relatively exhausted, so they began to rest in the floor and made preparations for the rest of the library...
Warlocks indeed. So does anyone know how to delete a thread? (like, the entire post so it disappears) Because you know, I just wanted to make announcements instead of posting what seemed to be a chapter DX. Anyway, me and my friend were talking about the advantages and disadvantages of hard copies of games vs. digital copies, and we''re both on the hard copy side. What about you guys? Do you prefer a hard copy of a game or a digital copy? Fun-fact: The first Compact Disc was released in 1982 Chapter 049 - A Familiar Place ¡°Wow Phanos¡­ you can really cook.¡± Q was stuffing her face with the food that Phanos made. ¡°Of course. As lady Brie¡¯s personal maid, I must be able to accomplish any task. Cooking such a meal is a simple matter for me.¡± Phanos looked incredibly proud. ¡°A simple matter?¡± Brie raised an eyebrow. ¡°If I remember correctly you failed cooking many times before managing to make a decent meal. I can still remember your face when you cut your finger with a knife. Hahaha!¡± ¡°M-milady!¡± Phanos blushed as she tried to keep Brie from saying anything further. ¡°Heh, you made a pretty funny face when you cut yourself as well.¡± Q recalled the time when she was teaching Brie how to cook. ¡°A-ah! Do not mention that!¡± Brie became just as flustered as Phanos was. ¡°You allowed milady¡­ to harm herself?¡± Phanos¡¯ expression made a complete 180 as she wore a dangerous glint in her eye. ¡°Woah, easy on the knives!¡± Q leaned to one side to avoid a knife. ¡°So you finally show your true colors¡­ Don¡¯t worry Q, I¡¯ll protect you!¡± Cinnamon grabbed Q and covered her in her wings as she faced Phanos. The girls were lazing around in the middle of the fourth floor. With the supplies Phanos brought they started a campfire and relaxed for a while. The floor became quite loud with all the girls making noise, as Q and Brie tried to stop Cinnamon and Phanos who looked like they were ready to let loose on each other. ¡°Haa~ So peaceful.¡± Kukis relaxed as she drank some hot chocolate and watched the ¡®show¡¯ in front of her. After half an hour, their health and mana had been fully restored so they proceeded to descend deeper into the library once again. Their previous fights (mainly just Phanos and Cinnamon glaring at each other) had been set aside temporarily once they entered the fifth floor. This floor felt like a deep cove, as there were many puddles on the ground and the water reflected the lanterns hanging from the ceiling, creating an amazing display of light. ¡°I am taking so many screenshots right now¡­¡± Kukis said as she looked around the floor. ¡°Did you take screenshots of the previous floors? It¡¯d be great to see each floor in an album.¡± Q thought about the beauty that this game seemed to naturally create. It makes me wonder if it was an artist or something who purposefully made it like this, or if it was the world itself that naturally caused this to happen¡­ ¡°Of course I¡¯ve been taking screenshots! I even took a few videos ever since we entered the witch¡¯s village. I can send them to you later if you give me your e-mail.¡± ¡°Really? Awesome! I¡¯ll tell you after we finish clearing the library.¡± ¡°The next enemy has appeared. Or should I say, ¡®enemies.¡¯¡± Cinnamon redirected their attention to the enemies. This time the elemental appeared as usual, but this time it was freely moving around and they could see large pools of water inside its body. The water would drip onto the ground and after accumulating for a while, it would rise up and turn into a new enemy! [Greater Elemental of the Four Elements] - Level 50 [Water Spirit] - Level 15 ¡°Hey Q, do you think your lightning can kill those spirits in one hit?¡± Kukis asked. ¡°Only one way to find out!¡± Q grinned as she ran forward to engage the enemy. It turned out that her [Tri-Spark] actually was able to kill the small water spirits in one hit. Q¡¯s job then changed to keeping the number of smaller enemies down, while the rest of the group took on the elemental. With the addition of the water element, the elemental¡¯s attacks constantly left behind a trail of water. These trails had a weird consistency, and the girls had to be careful when stepping around them as they might slip and fall (which happened to Kukis once). Since the room was moist and water-based, the elemental¡¯s fire attacks were weakened quite a bit. Besides the appearance of the water spirits the battle wasn¡¯t that different, except that it took even longer than last time. Eventually they killed the elemental, and all the girls plopped down on the floor in exhaustion. ¡°Geez¡­ this battle is getting harder and harder.¡± Kukis complained. ¡°What element is next anyway? Light?¡± ¡°I think so. Do you think it¡¯ll disappear randomly like the bookshelves in that place?¡± Q mused. ¡°I hope not. I¡¯m already starting to reach my limits after this battle.¡± Cinnamon added. ¡°Already?¡± Q was surprised as she thought that Cinnamon was still holding back. ¡°Yes. I mean, I could probably push myself but my level and stats prevent me from keeping up with the elemental for too long.¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s your level?¡± ¡°When I first joined you I was level 20. Now I¡¯m level 24, but the guardian is effectively double my level anyway.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re that far behind and you can still hold your own. You¡¯re doing a real good job Cinn!¡± Q patted Cinnamon¡¯s head, causing her to shiver in pleasure. ¡°Hmm... if Cinn¡¯s reaching her limits soon, we¡¯ll probably have to back out and try again some other time. I¡¯m pretty sure that none of us can withstand the elemental¡¯s onslaught for too long.¡± While Kukis and Brie agreed with Q¡¯s judgement, Phanos seemed to disagree. ¡°I believe that milady and I can continue to fight against the elemental, but I¡¯m not sure if you can keep up.¡± Phanos provoked. ¡°It¡¯s not about me Phanos,¡± Q chided. ¡°It¡¯s about working together and completing the dungeon as a team. If one member is having trouble, it¡¯s up to the others to help out. Isn¡¯t that right Brie?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Of course! Teamwork is very important.¡± Brie nodded seriously. ¡°Phanos, you must also consider everyone¡¯s opinion as well.¡± ¡°...¡± Phanos was about to open her mouth to say something, but then refrained. This sly fox¡­ She brought in lady Brie¡¯s opinion to force me to accept this outcome. I really do have to keep a close eye on her! She looked at Q, who happened to have a slightly mischievous grin on her face. Phanos¡¯ eye twitched as she said, ¡°...Yes milady.¡± ¡°Uu¡­ I feel bad now.¡± Cinnamon¡¯s wings drooped. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Kukis tried cheering her up. ¡°It¡¯s only natural in games that, if you can¡¯t beat a dungeon, just level grind until you can!¡± ¡°I suppose¡­ But!¡± Cinnamon had a determined look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m going to challenge the next floor at the very least. If it gets too hard, I¡¯ll just run away with Q.¡± ¡°Alright then. To the next floor!¡± Q got up and began to head down the stairs. While the girls were expecting to see the familiar figure of the elemental they had been fighting, instead they were greeted with the sight of a massive creature! Due to the nature of the floor they were on, bright beams of light concealed its true form until they got within 50 meters. The creature had its back turned to the girls, and when it heard them approach it rotated its head 180 degrees to look at them. [Guardian of Knowledge] - Level 138 ¡°I-isn¡¯t this a little too much?¡± Q and the others were instantly on high guard once they saw the giant owl. While Kukis and Cinnamon prepared for a retreating battle, Q, Brie and Phanos primed their spells and attacks. After seeing this display, the guardian seemed to lose interest in the girls and turned its head back to look at what it was doing earlier. The girls exchanged looks, and began to debate on what to do. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s hostile?¡± Kukis asked nervously. ¡°The elemental is one thing, but this¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯d die in seconds.¡± ¡°It seems to be¡­ indifferent to our presence.¡± Brie said. ¡°Perhaps we could leave right now?¡± ¡°I shall follow milady.¡± Phanos threw out her opinion. ¡°What do you think Q?¡± Though Cinnamon asked that, she seemed to be inclined to follow whatever decision Q made. ¡°......I¡¯ll try talking to it.¡± As Q said this, all of the girls temporarily froze. Before any of the other girls could react, Q had already gotten within 20 meters of the guardian and called out to it. ¡°Hey Owl, what are you doing in this floor?¡± ¡°...¡± The guardian turned its head to face Q, and gave a look of irritation. It then spread its wing slightly, pointing towards the stairs to the next floor. ¡°So you¡¯re just letting us leave? Ah, could you do something about this? Alrune said you could.¡± Q brought out Alrune¡¯s wand and showed it to the owl. For a moment the owl seemed slightly angry, but it only continued to point to the stairs. ¡°Okay, I guess I¡¯ll ask the other guardian.¡± As the owl moved its wing, Q noticed that it had a small book at its feet that it was reading. I guess it¡¯s a good book if it doesn¡¯t want to be bothered. She thought as she beckoned the other girls. The rest of the group found it odd that Q looked so at ease beside the giant owl, but they approached her anyway and quickly made their way to the stairs. As the girls left the floor, they didn¡¯t notice the owl watching them leave. For a moment it¡¯s eyes contained a hint of sadness and grief, but it quickly faded as it continued to read the book at its feet. ¡°If the Guardian of Knowledge was just waiting on that floor, that means the next floor is¡­¡± Q looked up to the rafters in anticipation, and was not disappointed. [Guardian of Wisdom] - Level 140 The giant raven slowly descended to the ground and flapped its wings a few times before settling down. So you have come here once again. The raven said in its imposing voice. What is your purpose this time? ¡°My purpose is this.¡± Q brought out Alrune¡¯s key and showed it to the crow. ¡°Just before I finished talking with Alrune¡¯s ¡®remnant will¡¯ he told me to give it to you, and you would know what to do with it. Oh, he also wanted to say: Thanks.¡± Haa¡­ What a troublesome master. The raven extended its wings and Alrune¡¯s key floated up into the air in front of it. A strong glow came out of the orb at the top, and completely illuminated the entire floor! The light was so bright that Q and the others had to close their eyes. When they finally opened them they saw that the key had taken on a different shape. The orb increased in size until it was a bit larger than Q¡¯s head, while the part where the ¡®ridges¡¯ had been before now turned into a completely straight rod. The rod was about one meter and a half long, and had a small gem embedded into the bottom. ¡°Woooooah~.¡± Q subconsciously reached out to grab the new form of the key. Just as she was about to touch it, the key suddenly vanished and Q found herself face to face with the raven. I changed my mind. Though it was hard to read any facial expression on the giant raven, Q felt that it was looking at her with a disdainful expression. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re worthy of this. ¡°Then¡­ what? Do you want me to prove myself or something?¡± Yes. My master had bestowed his powers upon you. Prove to me that you can use it properly. ¡°How would I go about doing that?¡± I will give you ten seconds to use any runes to strike me. If even one of them is able to hurt me, I will consider giving you my master¡¯s¡­ key. ¡°Well this ¡®test¡¯ came out of nowhere¡­ Alright then. Can you guys stand back? I¡¯m going to get serious for a bit.¡± Q motioned for the other girls to back off, and they complied. Q then began taking in deep breaths and calmed herself down as she prepared to deal with the raven. ¡°Do you think that she will be able to hurt it?¡± Brie asked worriedly. ¡°Judging from a game standpoint, no.¡± Phanos mercilessly shot her down. ¡°But in this game, numbers don¡¯t mean everything.¡± Cinnamon smiled mysteriously. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s starting.¡± Kukis reminded everyone to quiet down. I shall start counting down, and you may begin to strike once I finish. 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ As the raven began counting down, Q tensed her body and closed her eyes. She continued to breathe in and out, and as soon as the raven¡¯s countdown finished, she completely relaxed her muscles. Her eyes opened, and the world seemed to have stopped... At least, it did for Q. It was at this moment that three fingers on each of Q¡¯s hands lit up with a bright light as she activated [Rune-write] on all of them simultaneously. The raven widened its eyes upon seeing this, and braced itself for an impact. With incredible dexterity, Q began to write a different rune with each finger and used [Rune-launch] to shoot them forward as soon as they were completed. To the girls who were witnessing this, Q¡¯s fingers were moving so fast that it seemed like she was completing a rune every half second. The runes began to land on the raven, and once they did Q activated them, causing different elemental attacks to hit the it. Even with this the raven hadn¡¯t taken any damage, and just as it was about to discourage Q it noticed something surprising. Q was actually shooting all the runes in the exact same spot! With each successive rune, the raven¡¯s defenses on that spot weakened ever so slightly. Impressive, but this isn¡¯t even close to my master¡¯s capabilities¡­ Despite saying this, the raven secretly strengthened its defenses at the point where Q was hitting it. Q continued to blindly shoot out her runes, and the other girls got worried. ¡°Looks like she really can¡¯t¡­¡± Kukis frowned. ¡°I believe in her though.¡± Cinnamon remained steadfast. ¡°Look at her tail!¡± Phanos suddenly yelled. While everyone had been distracted by the sheer amount of runes Q was firing, they completely ignored what she was doing behind her. Her tail had a glow at its tip and was moving around, creating a rune circle. Q then shot one rune after the other with her hands, each of the seven elements. Once they all stopped at the same place and overlapped each other, Q activated them and it created a colorful explosion of colors! Now the raven reacted a bit, but there was still no damage visibly dealt to it. Now the time Q had to attack it was almost up, and it was at this point that Q twirled around, bringing the rune circle she created with her tail to face the raven. This circle was created with a large void rune in the center. Surrounding it were nothing but eight amplify runes, and one forward rune. Q poured every single drop of mana she could into the circle, and then activated it. What happened next was a what could only be described as a ¡®shockwave¡¯ which made even the girls standing behind Q feel the force behind it. The raven which took the full brunt of the attack, actually staggered backwards a bit and a very miniscule amount of health was taken away from its health bar. Q on the other hand had fallen face-first on the floor and was breathing heavily. As the girls rushed over to check her condition, the raven was fixedly staring at Q. ¡°Q, are you alright!?¡± Brie was incredibly distraught. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine. Just pushed myself a little too far.¡± Q clutched her head as she was assaulted by both a terrible headache and a sense of nausea. ¡°Okay, please give her some room.¡± Cinnamon pushed everyone else away and cast a few recovery spells. ¡°Are you okay Q? Do you need a drink? A hug?¡± Then without her consent, Cinnamon picked up Q in her arms and hugged her. Q felt too exhausted to even resist, so she simply let her legs dangle in the air as she addressed the raven. ¡°So, did I pass your test?¡± Despite looking worse for wear, Q still had a triumphant smile on her face. ...Yes. Make good use of my master¡¯s weapon. The raven opened its wings and the key floated down. Q wiggled her way out of Cinnamon¡¯s arms (who became incredibly dismayed) and reached out for the key. The moment she touched it, a window appeared in front of her. [Alrune¡¯s Staff (Archstaff, Unique)] Durability (250/250) - The personal staff of the Grand Wizard Alrune. WIS +40, INT +30, DEX +20, RES +15. +25% increase to damage/effects of runes created with this staff. +5 minutes to duration of runes created with this staff. Increases maximum number of runes able to be drawn by 10 while wielding this staff. ¡°Thanks a lot crow!¡± Q displayed her most radiant smile. Chapter 050 - Interview ¡°Activate!¡± Q yelled as she activated a rune that blew away some monsters. ¡°Whoo! This staff is amazing!¡± She joyfully waved it around in the air. Right now the girls were heading back to the surface, and were clearing out as many enemies as they could while they did so. Fortunately for them the large elemental didn¡¯t spawn again. As they passed the fifth floor though, they saw the Guardian of Knowledge who was still reading a book. When the guardian looked at Q¡¯s new staff it¡¯s eyes widened (which looked terrifying considering it was a giant 25 meter tall owl) but it only stared for a moment before reading its book again. The rest of the excursion didn¡¯t seem to have any problems, but when they returned to the first floor Q screamed out, ¡°I forgot to talk to Phanos!¡± The maid looked at her with furrowed brows as she tried to think about why Q would want to talk to her. ¡°Is¡­ is this a good time for that?¡± Kukis seemed hesitant to start talking to Phanos. ¡°I mean, I know that I sort of missed the timing for it in the library, but still¡­¡± ¡°Anytime is a good time if you ask me.¡± Cinnamon said indifferently. ¡°Um, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, what do you mean by wanting to talk to me?¡± Phanos asked. ¡°Well¡­ we heard from Brie that you sort of drive away the people around her, and we all thought that was a bit of a problem for the already troubled social girl with no friends. Oh wait, we¡¯re here so she¡¯s not friendless anymore right?¡± Q tilted her head for a moment, and then continued. ¡°Anyway, we thought that we should talk to you and help you get to know us a bit better so you don¡¯t, you know¡­ go to extreme lengths.¡± Phanos was incredibly surprised at Q¡¯s declaration. ¡°Get to know you better¡­¡± She mumbled a few things before looking at Brie and asking, ¡°Milady, am I¡­ troubling you in any way?¡± ¡°I¡­ well¡­ a little bit?¡± Brie answered after a moment of hesitation. ¡°...I see. I would be glad to take you up on your offer.¡± Phanos bowed slightly. ¡°Though perhaps we should climb these stairs first and get a bit of a rest before doing so.¡± She indicated the large staircase that they still had to climb. ¡°Ugh¡­ I really wish I finished scanning the flight rune before getting into the library¡­ Oh well, nothing to be done about it now. Onwards!¡± Q led the charge as the girls challenged the stairs. ***** ¡°If¡­ this was¡­ real life¡­ I¡¯d¡­ have lost¡­ a few pounds.¡± Kukis panted as she flopped onto the ground in exhaustion. ¡°Yeah¡­ I doubt our bodies would change at all in this world though.¡± Q was a bit better off than Kukis, but she was still exhausted. ¡°Actually, sometime in the future big-sis might implement a system that changes player¡¯s body mass depending on the amount of exercise they do or food they eat.¡± Cinnamon noted. ¡°Huh, although that sounds interesting you should tell her not to.¡± Q shook her head. ¡°I think a lot of players would be very upset at their avatar constantly changing and affecting their lifestyles in this world. It¡¯s probably better if she releases an item to change your appearance instead. That¡¯d be something like a premium item though¡­ Oh yeah, when is the cash shop opening?¡± ¡°If there are no problems, most likely within a week in real-life time. Some of the items are still being worked on, and there¡¯s a lot of effort being put in to control RMT as much as they can.¡± ¡°RMT?¡± Brie wore a curious expression. ¡°It stands for Real Money Trading, milady.¡± Phanos explained. ¡°It¡¯s the process of exchanging real-life currency for virtual goods, or the other way around.¡± The other three girls nodded, as this was common sense to them. That being said, this Cinnamon seems to know a lot of background information on the proceedings of TWO¡­ I¡¯ll need to question her about this at some point. The girls left the town hall, and made their way to the Nine-Lives Inn and relaxed for a while. After Q finished petting Clair, she grabbed a seat and plopped herself down in front of Phanos. ¡°So, let¡¯s get started on this interview!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Phanos instantly got a serious look on her face as she began to question Q. ¡°To start off¡­ what is your relationship with Lady Brie?¡± ¡°Relationship?¡± Q was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°We¡¯re friends. I thought that was clear enough.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I mean something deeper than that... What do you think of Lady Brie?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a nice girl?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Phanos seemed to be mentally contemplating this information before she continued. ¡°Next question¡­¡± ***** After more than an hour passed, Phanos was finally satisfied with her questioning. She endlessly grilled Q, Kukis and Cinnamon for answers to all sorts of questions ranging from ¡®what are your hobbies¡¯ to ¡®would you lay your life down for Lady Brie¡¯. At the end they were mentally exhausted, but Phanos seemed fine - peachy even. ¡°Excuse me, I need to compile this new information in real-life. Please be careful while I am away Lady Brie.¡± Phanos disappeared in a flash of light, and the rest of the girls were left to talk amongst themselves. ¡°Man, that Phanos¡­ I didn¡¯t think that her interrogation would take this long!¡± Q was slumped over a table, using one hand to play around with Schorl. ¡°I am sorry about that,¡± Brie bowed. ¡°But I thank you for satisfying Phanos¡¯ curiosity. I am sure that Phanos is very happy about it.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ no problem.¡± Kukis sipped the hot chocolate she made. ¡°Anything for a friend, or so the saying goes.¡± ¡°At least that¡¯s out of the way though.¡± Cinnamon was leaning on Q, using one hand to play with her hair. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to walk around the village to level up my skills and learn new runes. Then¡­ log off and eat some lunch?¡± Q turned her head. ¡°How about you Brie? Joining me again?¡± ¡°Yes, if for no other reason than I do not have anything to do.¡± Brie giggled. ¡°I need to take care of some stuff real-life. I¡¯ll see you all in a bit!¡± Kukis logged off as well, leaving the three girls. ¡°Okay, first stop, the marketplace!¡± Q lead the way, and the other two followed. They weren¡¯t even halfway there when Q finally obtained her flight rune. She immediately used it on herself, and then floated up into the sky! Q panicked and flailed her arms about, while Brie tried to position herself below Q so she could catch her. In the end Cinnamon solved the problem by jumping off a wall as she flapped her wings and grabbed Q. Rather than flight, it seemed that the flight rune by itself defied gravity so Q needed to be dragged through the air by Brie and Cinnamon (which got them more than a few odd looks). Q didn¡¯t seem to mind this all that much though as she happily enjoyed the sensation of floating in the air. With a bit of concentration she could slowly drift in a direction, albeit at a slow speed. The rune wore off after five minutes and Brie and Cinnamon were relieved, but were shocked as Q used the rune on herself again! This time Q tried using the directional runes like ¡®forward¡¯ and ¡®backward¡¯ and found that she was able to move at a much faster speed. Combined with the speed rune she was able to fly at a decent speed, and when she used it multiple times on herself she went flying at a ridiculous speed and was heading straight for a wall! Ah, I don¡¯t know how to stop it¡­ Q berated herself for forgetting to come up with a way to stop. Ugh, this is so clich¨¦... But I¡¯m not crashing like this! She began to draw multiple wind runes and fired them at the wall waiting for her (and she was incredibly thankful that the runes were faster than her travel speed). Then she flicked her tail and reoriented herself so that her legs were heading to the wall first. The moment she was about to touch the wall she activated the runes, creating a large gust of wind that pushed her back a bit before she hit the wall. ¡°OWWW!!¡± Q was standing sideways on the wall and stopped flying freely. A quick glance at her health bar showed that she lost around a quarter of her health, and she vowed to never test the flying rune again¡­ without a way to safely stop, that is. ¡°¡°Q!¡±¡± Brie and Cinnamon rushed up to Q and began making a fuss. Brie anchored her to the ground (by firmly holding onto her) while Cinnamon cast more healing spells than Q could possibly need. ¡°Haha, sorry you two. I got a little carried away, but flying is super fun!¡± ¡°Is it¡­ truly that amusing?¡± Brie asked. ¡°Sure it is! Once I get the technique down, I¡¯ll let you enjoy the sensation of flight!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this place first. There¡¯s too many people staring at us.¡± Cinnamon gestured at their surroundings, which were filled with many pairs of curious eyes looking for the source of what caused the large gust of wind. The three girls hurriedly left the area and waited in some alley until Q¡¯s flight rune wore off. ¡°Thanks for keeping me grounded Brie.¡± Q pointed at the hand that Brie was tightly grabbing. ¡°Ah- um, yes. It is only natural that I help a friend in need.¡± Brie blushed a little before pulling her hand away. Q laughed at this and they walked into the marketplace. The girls spent about half an hour trading items back and forth. Brie in particular seemed to find this exchange of goods very interesting as she even tried to converse with some of the shopkeepers. Cinnamon was trading a bunch of items Q didn¡¯t recognize - all of which had a slight glow around them - and was getting a lot of equipment in exchange due to the novelty of her items. Q replaced a few of her equipment (namely her accessories) to give her a little boost, and also asked each of the shopkeepers to display a spell so she could analyze them. She learned a few new runes by the end of their shopping trip. Something Q found interesting is that if she analyzed a spell that she has the rune for (an Ember for example), her understanding of that rune deepened slightly. When she checked her rune list it turned out that the rune had it¡¯s damage and effects upgraded a bit, so she continued to use [Spell Analysis] as much as she could. Even though Q was using quite a few runes and abilities in the middle of the village, the other residents didn¡¯t seem to mind (though a few of them said that it¡¯d be better if she went to the experimental district to do this). Q walked over to the experimental district and began to practice with her new runes (as well as her other abilities), and the other two followed suit. While Q was carelessly spamming her abilities, she heard a *ding* sound and looked up to find a new window. [Spell Evolution] - Your ¡®Tri-Spark¡¯ spell has gained enough experience to evolve into a stronger version of itself. Your Choices are listed below:
  • Spark Spray (Tier III) Lv.1 (Consumes 25 MP, 10 second cool-down) Fire multiple sparks at once in a cone-spread. Has reduced range and each spark has a small chance to stun target.
  • Charge Spark (Tier III) Lv.1 (Consumes 20-50 MP, 30 second cool-down) Store up magic power to let loose a strong blast of electricity. Damage and range increase depending on how much mana is stored. Has a moderate chance to stun target.
¡°Oooh! Another evolution!¡± Q got a little excited as she read and contemplated her choices. She asked the other two for their opinions on what she should choose, but quickly came to regret it. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you choose Spark Spray?¡± Cinnamon said. ¡°You get some pretty good damage and stun chance every ten seconds. Not only that, you¡¯ll be up in front with me!¡± ¡°I believe you should choose Charge Spark.¡± Brie suggested. ¡°Taking into consideration your new class, you may not wish to create runes right in front of an enemy.¡± The two girls exchanged glances, and Q could swear that she saw sparks fly between them. They then turned to Q and said at the same time, ¡°¡°Of course you¡¯ll listen to my advice, right?¡±¡± ¡°Ha-ha¡­ haa¡­¡± Q found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Sidestory: Phanos Report I was lectured again¡­ I was in deep contemplation after receiving Lady Madeline¡¯s lecture. She was both angry and disappointed in me, for doing such a thing to her new friend. For just a moment, as she finished lecturing me and turned her head, I saw the glimpse of a tear on the corner of her eye. So she cares for Q that much¡­ For a moment I felt incredible guilt and remorse for upsetting her. Even still, that won¡¯t stop me! Regardless of whether or not milady approves of my methods, I will continue to make sure that it is safe to let Q stay with her. I will NOT let her go through THAT again¡­ With that thought, my resolve was bolstered as I got up. ¡°Now, I need to work on my report to Lady Marie.¡± As I walked through the long hallways of the mansion, I caught sight of a few of the maids who were cleaning the windows. I bowed slightly to them, and they giggled and waved. A few of them even winked at me, to which I smiled pleasantly back. They squealed in pleasure and began whispering amongst themselves, and I sighed as I walked away. I wonder if they ever get tired of that exchange? I wondered as I made my way back to my room. Once I was inside, I took a quick glance at my room. It was fairly large, but at the same time it was very simple as it had one bed and a side washroom. The things that took up most of the space though, were three or four bookshelves that were absolutely filled to the brim with books. I should probably organize these at some point¡­ Perhaps donating a few to the local library would be fine? Though my ¡®special books¡¯ are definitely staying there. I stared at a certain spot in the shelves briefly before sitting at my desk. The desk had a few neat piles of papers here and there (some more things I had to work through before the day was done), but I moved them aside to pull out my laptop. The familiar hum of the machine felt pleasant, and I waited a few moments for it to load. The laptop screen displayed a browser with multiple tabs open, all of them pertaining to basic and advanced knowledge on video games of any kind - particularly MMO games. ¡°Hmm¡­ I have yet to finish reading that page. Ah, these two seem useful for future reference...¡± I began to carefully organize the pages as I bookmarked and closed them appropriately. After doing this I opened up the program I was using to record my reports, and then updated them with the most recent information I had obtained. After completing this task, I stretched out my body. I think this is a good time to take a break. I walked outside and found someone standing in front of my door! ¡°Lady Madeline!¡± I exclaimed, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The familiar face of my master became flustered once she saw me. Her normally cold face had an adorable blush on it, and her deep blue eyes were swimming. ¡°I¡­ Never mind!¡± She ran off and her long, braided golden hair bobbed behind her. After scratching my head for a moment I walked to the kitchen to make a quick snack and encountered the same group of maids from earlier. ¡°Excuse me ladies, but did you happen to know why Lady Madeline was standing outside my door?¡± The maids exchanged looks, then began explaining one by one. ¡°After you passed by us in the hallway, Lady Madeline followed a few moments later.¡± One maid spoke. ¡°Yes yes, and she looked very worried as well.¡± A second one added. ¡°Isn¡¯t that because Steph is looking down?¡± A third suggested. ¡°¡°That¡¯s it!¡±¡± The others agreed, and they all began chattering amongst themselves until I interrupted them. ¡°You say that I¡¯m¡­ looking down?¡± I felt my face with my free hand but didn¡¯t feel anything out of place. ¡°Rather than look, I would describe it as¡­ a feeling?¡± ¡°You had a very gloomy ¡®aura¡¯ around you, but you didn¡¯t look any different from usual.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t it seem like a sad puppy that had been scolded for breaking something?¡± ¡°¡°That¡¯s it!¡±¡± ¡°Thank you ladies, for your insight. You should probably get back to work though, or else the head maid may catch you.¡± I reminded them about their work before I left. The maids panicked and began to scrub the windows with increased vigor once the threat of the head maid was brought up. Left alone again with my thoughts, I tried to recall what I felt after receiving Lady Madeline¡¯s lecture. Sad puppy? Me? Did I really seem that miserable after receiving milady¡¯s lecture? With a slightly troubled mind I eventually reached the kitchen and made a quick snack before heading back to my room. I looked again at the piles of papers on my desk and sighed as I got to work. ***** ¡°*Phew*¡± I climbed out of the game pod feeling slightly tired. Playing TWO makes my body incredibly sluggish¡­ they must fix that sometime in the future, or else some problems might arise. I did a few light stretches before finally feeling that my body was able to work as it usually did. At least we¡¯re out of the library though. Seeing all those books and being unable to read them¡­ such agony! I sat down and opened my laptop, and thought about what had just happened in TWO. To think that Q would actually help me in my investigation. Not that I believed everything she told me, but it does make my job a little easier. I suppose I should thank her for that at least. I began to type the new information I got from those girls, and added it into my report. After looking over it multiple times, I felt that it was finally good enough to send to Lady Marie. I left my room with a stack of papers in hand, and made my way to Lady Marie¡¯s office. I greeted some other servants on the way, as well as the maid group that I remembered from a few days ago. We exchanged some pleasantries (it was almost a routine by now) and I found myself in front of Lady Marie¡¯s office. I knocked on the large, mahogany door and heard a faint ¡°Come in!¡± from within. I stepped into the office and bowed respectfully as I greeted her. ¡°So this is the report you have compiled?¡± Lady Marie asked as she sipped on a cup of tea. ¡°Yes Lady Marie, the report consists of the people that Lady Madeline interacts with on a daily basis, though there are a few that she has talked to that I have yet to meet. I plan on investigating them once I get the opportunity to do so.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Good work Steph. I¡¯ll be counting on you to continue keeping a close eye on those approaching Madeline.¡± ¡°Of course Lady. I will do anything, for Lady Madeline.¡± I bowed and left her office. Report on People Close to Lady Madeline (For ease of understanding, I will refer to everyone with their in-game names) Lady Madeline (who is known as Brie in game) travels in a group of 5, she and myself included. The other three members are girls known as Q, Kukis and Cinnamon. While these three members are perfectly fine with milady and she is comfortable with them, I don¡¯t intend on letting my guard down. After all, I don¡¯t want that incident to repeat itself. Actually I thought that milady being fine with those members was strange at first. You know how she is around strangers after all. I asked her about this, and it turns out that she was so caught up in Q¡¯s pace that she wasn¡¯t able to put on her ¡®cold face¡¯. This resulted in each of these girls liking who she is without having to tear away her mask. I asked them to give a single sentence on their impressions of milady, and here¡¯s what they had to say. Q: She¡¯s a nice girl. Kukis: She seems really haughty, but is actually a normal girl on the inside. Cinnamon: A well-behaved and respectable girl. Details on Q: By far, Q is the most enigmatic of the group. She¡¯s a strange girl who has a very contradictory personality. It seems she first met milady in a small town named Foria, and helped her while she had trouble adjusting to the new world. Milady holds much trust towards this individual, most likely due to Q being her first ¡®friend¡¯ in the game. This trust even goes so far that milady would allow Q to touch her! To describe her physical appearance in one word, it would be ¡®cute¡¯. Her avatar is that of a small girl with fox ears and a tail. Her actions are often wild and childish, which matches her looks perfectly (she also has a slightly sadistic personality, in that she enjoys teasing people). Perhaps she¡¯s created a persona to match her avatar though¡­ Either way, it seems that milady enjoys watching Q¡¯s antics, but until I can ascertain as to whether Q is acting or not, I will continue to keep my guard up against her. She also happens to have an extreme fondness for soft things (often putting herself in harm''s way just to touch something soft), but still enjoys cute things even if they¡¯re not soft. Q has a few habits that I noticed, one of which being that she constantly taps her fingers against something. This action seems to be subconscious, as she herself doesn¡¯t notice it. This suggests that she may have played instruments in the past, or perhaps she constantly used a computer and typed on a keyboard often. Another strange habit is that she would flick her tail and her ears every so often. Maybe this one is merely a result of obtaining a new body and limbs you wouldn¡¯t normally have, but if she does this consciously then it may suggest that she has a very good sense of control over her body. Something to note is that her body posture oftentimes resembles that of a male¡¯s, which is concerning to say the least. This leads me to believe that she could actually be a male in real life that happens to be playing with a female character (which is very common in video games). I do not have absolute evidence on this yet and cannot come to any conclusions, but it is something that I will thoroughly investigate. Q most definitely has some background in martial arts. Though I say that, it seems she¡¯s never learned a particular style and has only gone through the basics, as her movements are very simple and amateurish (but strangely familiar for some reason). Something important to note though is her incredible kinetic vision. For some reason Q seems to be able to see things that normal humans wouldn¡¯t be able to trace. For example, I used one of my techniques to get behind her and attack her, but afterwards she was able to follow my movements! This was very surprising, as one would have to undergo a lot of training to ever match my movements, let alone follow them. Something I personally find interesting about Q is her straightforwardness. When she heard from milady that I was bothering her, she took it upon herself to confront me and talk about what I had done. Her actions eventually led to me interviewing all the girls who surrounded milady, which I found incredibly helpful. While most people would feel offended by being investigated, Q fully welcomed it and even helped me. In fact, her lack of hostility towards me is very suspicious. At some point in the game I attacked her with the intent to kill her, to which she responded with killing intent of her own. This is very interesting since it meant she acknowledged the fact that I actually wanted to kill her. In the end the fight was stopped by milady, and I left without being able to follow up. Once I signed in again though, Q had no ill will towards me, and even forgave me! She either felt nothing from seeing the face of someone who tried to kill her, or she¡¯s very good at hiding her emotions. In conclusion, Q is a very mysterious person, and is the one who has the most priority in my investigations. I¡¯ll make sure to update this information as often as possible. Everyone¡¯s thoughts about Q:
  • Milady: She¡¯s a good friend.
  • Kukis: She¡¯s like an easily excited little sister.
  • Cinnamon: She¡¯s the best.
Details on Kukis: Kukis is easily the most ¡®normal¡¯ one in the group (besides milady and myself of course), and is fairly average in all aspects. Her one talent seems to lie in chemistry, as she is constantly on the lookout for new materials and ingredients to use in creating potions to consume. She even recreated Hot-Chocolate in the game, and when I asked her why she replied with: ¡°It¡¯s my favorite drink.¡± While her interests lie in chemistry, she also happens to be an avid gamer. It seems that before TWO came out she was constantly online in one game or another, of almost any genre. Though she wouldn¡¯t go into detail about her family life, it seems that she¡¯s almost always home alone due to her parent¡¯s busy work schedule. Kukis first encountered milady in a forest, where she rudely grabbed her hand and made her fight against a boar! Together with Q they killed the boar, and it was then that she registered milady as a friend. It seems that milady puts much emphasis on this ¡®friend list¡¯, as she already became relatively comfortable with her at that point. According to milady, it seems that Kukis had initially showed much ¡®physical displays of affection¡¯, but after noticing that she didn¡¯t enjoy it, she eventually stopped. At least she knows her manners. After a few more events she lectured milady on the basics of video games, which I personally would have wanted to do, but at the very least none of her knowledge was false and was actually useful. Kukis often acts as the voice of reason, as Q¡¯s antics can get a little out of hand. Her advice is often unheeded though, as Q charges in headfirst, bringing everyone else along with her. Sometimes she¡¯s even swept into the flow of things and ends up joining Q in whatever crazy thing she¡¯s thought up of at the time. Poor Kukis. She tries her best though, and I can appreciate that. She doesn¡¯t have any outstanding physical skills, but she moves quite well for someone who plays games for more than six hours a day. I believe that the game automatically makes adjustments to player¡¯s movements, but that¡¯s still just a theory. What she is good at though, is management of resources and knowledge of where to be and what to do in a fight. This is most likely a skill honed over years of online gaming, and it makes her a very effective teammate. In short, Kukis is more or less a ¡®gamer¡¯, and is relatively harmless to milady. She knows how to keep her distance, and offers solid advice. I¡¯ll keep an eye on her but for the most part I have judged her to be an ¡®okay¡¯ person. Everyone¡¯s thoughts about Kukis:
  • Milady: She¡¯s scary when you call her Violet Snack
  • Q: She¡¯s fun to talk to, but even more fun to tease.
  • Cinnamon: Nice and useful.
Details on Cinnamon: Cinnamon plays as an angel in game, which is ironic because she¡¯s anything but that. Beneath that angelic exterior lies a devilish, calculating side that puts Q at the top of her priority list. Honestly speaking I feel that she is someone with a similar mindset to mine, but is more¡­ mechanical. Cinnamon seems to consider all possibilities and outcomes of her decisions before doing anything, making it so that she gets the most favorable response out of Q (who she covets like the most precious thing in the world). I have noticed multiple times that her actions to get closer to Q are thoroughly calculated, from the positioning of her body, to Q¡¯s mood at the time, and even the reactions of the surroundings. To top it all off, she seems to have a deep connection to the Dimen Company, as she has a lot of insider information that isn¡¯t available for public knowledge. She constantly mentions a ¡®big-sister¡¯, who is someone I believe to be at a high position in the company. I would like to investigate her true identity further, but that would involve much effort, resources, and possibly even some of Lord Richard¡¯s influence (but of course I would investigate it if given the order). When I asked what her purpose in playing the game was, she said it was simply to be with Q. This statement and her attitude towards Q shows that she¡¯s very much devoted to her, but when I began asking her what their relationship was she began to avoid the question (something she hadn¡¯t done up until that point). The strange thing is, no matter which way I worded the question, and no matter how indirect I was, she still didn¡¯t reveal a single bit of information. Either Cinnamon is incredibly good at keeping secrets, or she¡¯s been told not to. I can say this at least; Cinnamon holds a high amount of hostility to me. I will admit this comes from the fact that I am antagonistic to Q, but something about Cinnamon¡¯s attitude unnerves me. The way she looks at me makes me feel like i¡¯m being analyzed by some sort of machine, and I find myself apprehensive when I think about her retaliation when Q isn¡¯t around to stop her. In short, if Q holds the most threat to milady, Cinnamon holds the most threat to me. Everyone¡¯s thoughts on Cinnamon:
  • Milady: She seems nice, but she keeps me away from Q.
  • Q: A smart, trustworthy friend.
  • Kukis: A complete Q devotee.
¡­. ¡­. ¡­. This concludes my report. I will continue to observe these three, and any others who may appear in the future. Please rest assured, as I will do everything in my power to help Lady Madeline, no matter what. Chapter 051 - On Your Marks, Get Set... In the end Q decided to listen to Brie¡¯s advice and chose to use Charge Spark. This caused Cinnamon to sulk for half a day, but Q left her alone because she knew that she¡¯d recover eventually. It turned out to be a fairly good decision though, as when Q used it she found out that she could leave the spell charging in one hand while she could create runes with her other. Using the spell immediately created a small beam of electricity that shot out for 2 meters before dissipating while using it at full charge created a thicker beam that shot out for 5 meters before disappearing. Q had spent the entire week leading up to the Broom Race by leveling up and training her skills in the library. As she spent time in the library, she¡¯d occasionally encounter the Guardians and would often talk to them (though they would usually ignore her). Q didn¡¯t mind though, and she continued to talk to them, or just spent time floating in the air beside them. Her rune training went incredibly well as she learned a bunch of new ones and was eventually able to use the flight rune to the extent where she could control it freely. The only thing that bothered her was that she wasn¡¯t able to continue scanning the teleport rune (which reached 50% completion a while ago) because whenever she tried to analyze it, it would fail. One day during her training she found a new way to use runes, and that was to make one large circle and a smaller one inside it. She filled the gap between the circles with a bunch of other runes and whatever passed through the circle would gain all the abilities the runes gave. She dubbed this ability, ¡®Rune Gate¡¯. As soon as she found this out, she began to abuse it and even tried going through it with her own body. The result was that it could definitely enhance her body and other spells, and didn¡¯t even seem to have a limit to how much it could boost them! The best part was that it even remained behind after use (but anything else that passed through the gates would have a weakened effect). It only got better because she unlocked an ability in the Permanence tree called [Rune-Charge] which let her pour more mana into runes to restore them to full power. The only drawback was that anyone could use these gates, so if she wasn¡¯t careful her enemies could potentially use her own power against her. Q¡¯s main problem was that her points in the Abundance skill tree wasn¡¯t enough so she couldn¡¯t create a lot of Gates at once. Because of this she changed her focus to Abundance and also started to put a few points into Intensity just for some extra boosts. Sometimes the other girls would join her on her ventures into the library, though it was mostly just Cinnamon as Kukis had other things to do while Brie and Phanos had their time limit of playing (accurately speaking only Brie had this time limit, but Phanos would follow her whenever she joined or left the game). With a whole week to train her skills, Q finally got used to creating and using runes in the middle of battle. Getting used to this class was definitely worth it though! Q thought, as her damage output increased to the point that even Kukis would be hard pressed to match her unless she used her strongest spells. ¡°I think I¡¯m about ready.¡± Q took one last look at her status screen before closing it.
Q (Friend of the Cute and Cuddly) (Reckless Fighter)
Level 42 Race: Fox-kin
Class: Runemaster Profession: Tailor (Intermediate)
HP: 325/325 MP: 705/705
VIT: 35 (+20) WIS: 83 (+54)
STR: 30 (+14) INT: 88 (+63)
AGI: 50 (+34) DEX: 57 (+29)
END: 16 (+22) RES: 25 (+48)
LCK: 10 (+4) Leadership: 23
Fame: 3041
Equipment
Head: Witch''s Hat (Rare) Durability (30/30) - WIS +5, INT +15, RES +10
Chest: Witch''s Garb (Rare) Durability (50/50) - VIT +5, WIS +5, INT + 10, END +5, RES +20
Arms: Fluffy Open-Finger Gloves (Uncommon) Durability (30/30) - VIT +5, END +7, RES +3, Take 20% less damage when blocking with hands, but deal 20% less damage when attacking with hands.
Waist: Potion Holster (Rare) Durability (30/30) - VIT +5, AGI +5, Allows player to instantly use potions loaded in the holster without taking them out (5 Max).
Legs: Witch''s Shoes (Rare) Durability (35/35) - END +3, AGI +10, Active Ability: Use 50 mana to increase movement speed by 20% for 5 minutes (Once per hour)
Main-Hand Weapon: Alrune¡¯s Staff (Unique) Durability (250/250) - WIS +40, INT +30, DEX +20, RES +15. +25% increase to damage/effects of runes created with this staff. +5 minutes to duration of runes created with this staff. Increases maximum number of runes able to be drawn by 10 while wielding this staff.
Off-Hand Weapon: Sharpened Blue Dagger (Rare) Durability (50/50) - AGI +4, DEX +5, INT +3, Deals minor ice damage.
Accessories
Ring 1: Ring of Trickery (Rare) Durability (20/20) - DEX +4, LCK +4, +1 to level of Stealth Skill.
Ring 2: Ring of Medium Mana Regeneration (Rare) Durability (25/25) - WIS +4, +30% to mana Regeneration
Ring 3: Ruby Ring of Flames (Magic) Durability (25/25) - STR +5, Increases all fire type skills/spells damage by 10%, adds a 1% chance to burn with each physical attack.
Ring 4: Black Wolf¡¯s Spirit (Magic) Durability (40/40) - STR +7, AGI +10, 10% Increase to damage dealt by claws.
Necklace: Protector¡¯s Charm (Rare) Durability (20/20) - VIT +5, STR + 2, END + 7
Bracelet: Conductive Bracelet (Rare) Durability (20/20) - INT + 5, AGI + 5, 25% damage increase to electrical-based attacks.
Skills
Passive Skills: Description:
Pain Resistance Lv. 6 Reduces amount of pain felt.
Unarmed Mastery Lv.7 Improves proficiency when not using a weapon.
Claw Mastery Lv.7Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Improves proficiency with claw-type weapons.
Dagger Mastery Lv.5 Improves proficiency with dagger-type weapons.
Throwing Mastery Lv.7 Improves proficiency with throwing-type weapons.
Staff Mastery Lv.4 Improves proficiency with staff-type weapons.
Rope Mastery Lv.4 Improves skill and ease when using ropes.
Free Movement Lv.3 Improves running, jumping and climbing movement.
Swimming Mastery Lv.2 Improves speed and ease of movement when swimming.
Dodging Lv.8 Improves chance of dodging an attack
Deflecting Lv.7 Improves chance to deflect enemy attacks (Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt).
Silver Tongue Lv.6 Improves chance to convince others to listen to your words.
Riding Lv.6 Improves speed and handling when riding a creature.
Enhanced Senses Lv.2 Improves the 5 basic senses.
Silent Casting Lv.6 Can cast spells and skills without calling out their name or chanting (Using this method causes spells/skills to take more time and mana than usual to activate. Must also have a proficiency level of 8 in spell/skill to silently cast it).
Active Skills:
Beast Within Lv.6 (No Cost, 7 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 20% for 1 minute.
Relentless Assault Lv.7 (Consumes 40 MP, 25 Minute Cooldown) Continuously attack a target uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but also receive double damage while in this state.
Magic Fist Lv.9 (MP Usage depends on spell, 30 Second Cooldown) Coats your fist in the magic used on it. Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and does not affect the original magic¡¯s cooldown.
Stealth Lv.4 (No Cost, 5 Minute Cooldown) Blend into the shadows, making you harder to find. Fast movements or combat oriented actions will break stealth.
Sense Presence Lv.6 (No Cost, 45 Second Cooldown) Sense any presence nearby for 10 seconds.
Summon Wolfy Lv.5 (Consumes 250 Mana, 20 Hour Cooldown) Summon Wolfy with additional wolves for two hours (immediately dispelled if defeated in battle). Wolfy¡¯s level matches yours, and extra wolves are half your level. Extra Wolves: 5
Mana Perception Lv.7 (Consumes 5 MP Per Second) Enables you to actively sense mana. Current Range: 30 Meters
Rune-Writing Lv.6 (Consumes 1 MP Per Second) Allows you to create a rune with your mana.
Spell Analysis Lv.4 (No Cost, 3 Minute Cooldown) Allows you to analyze a spell and learn new runes from it (also works when analyzing runes). Chance to analyze depends on stats, time spent analyzing, and level difference between you and the caster.
Rune-Launch Lv.4 (Consumes 10 MP, No Cooldown) Allows you to shoot a rune or set of runes at a surface. Runes will stick to surface and activate when commanded to.
Rune-Charge Lv.3 (Consumed MP Varies, No Cooldown) Allows you to inject a rune or set of runes with more mana, resulting in an increased duration for the runes, as well as restoring their effects.
Spells
Charge Spark Lv.2 (Consumes 20-50 MP, 30 Second Cooldown) Store up magic power to let loose a strong blast of electricity. Damage and range increase depending on how much mana is stored. Has a moderate chance to stun target.
Runes
Element Runes Fire | Water | Earth | Wind | Light | Dark | Void
Command Runes Materialize | Forward | Backwards | Sideways | Float | Upwards | Downwards | Follow | Gather | Absorb | Condense | Amplify | Release | Slow | Curve | Reinforce | Hard | Rise | Spin | Expand | Explode | Stop
Special Runes Summon | Weaken | Confusion | Strength | Flight | Speed | Sustain | Corrode | Poison | Cleanse | Heal | Break
The new abilities she got, [Free Movement] and [Enhanced Senses] were actually a combination of multiple skills that merged into one (once all the prerequisite skills were at least level 5). Free Movement consisted of Running, Jumping and Climbing, while Enhanced Senses consisted of the skills corresponding to each sense (which was quite a pain to get). She also managed to get her Tailoring to the Intermediate level, and finally made a single item on par with her equipment. Finally the day of the Broom Race had begun, and Q and Cinnamon headed towards the center of the village. They met up with Brie, Phanos and Kukis who were already there, and found a spot to sit and wait. ¡°Hey Q,¡± Kukis greeted. ¡°Are you ready to eat my dust?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t steal my line Cookie.¡± Q grinned as she waited in anticipation. In this race, only Q and Kukis learned how to ride a broom so they were the only participants. Phanos also wanted to learn how to ride a broom but she was limited by her class being unable to learn the spell, which vexed her to no end. Brie also had the same problem as Phanos in that she was limited by her class, and Cinnamon already had her wings so she didn¡¯t need to learn how to fly (that and none of the witches were willing to teach her anyway). In the end the other three girls became spectators, while Q and Kukis prepared to compete with each other. The girls chatted and waited for next half hour as the fountain square was being filled with various residents who all came holding brooms of different shapes and sizes. Eventually a flash of light appeared at the top of the fountain, and it faded away to reveal each of the Grand Witches. ¡°Welcome everyone, to our annual Broom Race!¡± Pamerun¡¯s voice boomed across the square. ¡°I can see that you¡¯re all eager to get started, but let¡¯s have a review of the rules shall we?¡± A few voices of discontent leaked out from the crowd, but for the most part they waited patiently. Pamerun waited for a few seconds before continuing. ¡°The race will take place in three locations, first being around the village, second through the Forest of Fog, and the third on a large open plains past the forest. The race track has already been laid out by floating lanterns so follow those. Also, if I find that any of them have been moved or manipulated I will personally find whoever did it and suffocate them with a [Void Pocket].¡± Her brilliant smile mismatched with her chilling words, causing everyone in the crowd to shiver a little. ¡°You can ride on any kind of broom, or even staffs in the case of a few people-¡± She took a moment to look at Q, ¡°but for the most part as long as you¡¯re using the flight spell, everything is fine.¡± ¡°Furthermore, there are relay stations set up by some volunteers in these places - the forest especially - in case anyone wishes to drop out of the race early.¡± Suina, the Grand Witch of Water stepped in. ¡°Oh, and this time the race will be a little more dangerous. We¡¯ve set up quite a few traps, but don¡¯t worry because we¡¯ll be personally overseeing the race.¡± The crowd became a little concerned when they heard that there were traps, but hearing that the Grand Witches would watch over them gave them a bit of reassurance. ¡°Just as a final reminder, you are allowed to attack your opponents in the race, but keep it in moderation okay? Also slight sabotage is fine because we can¡¯t stop you anyway...¡± Pamerun said. Hearing this the crowd all cheered and got some dangerous glints in their eyes. ¡°Again, no manipulating the racetrack. Oh, and those spectating should head over to Caryll to get teleported to the finish line. Okay, everyone to the starting line!¡± Pamerun and the other Grand Witches flew on brooms to the north of the village, and the rest of the crowd followed suit. ¡°They¡¯re really loose with the rules huh?¡± Q said. ¡°That suits the style of the witches though.¡± Kukis brought out a broom and sat on it and began to slowly float up in the air. ¡°Need a lift anyone?¡± ¡°I¡­ will go with Q.¡± Brie approached Q who was already floating in the air, sitting on Alrune¡¯s staff. ¡°I shall follow milady.¡± Phanos said without pause, and she jumped up on the staff and held out a hand to help Brie up. Q raised an eyebrow at Phanos¡¯ action, as she was standing upright and stable on an object that¡¯s hard to be balanced on. Luckily the staff was long enough that all three girls could sit on it. Once Brie got on, Phanos plopped herself down between her and Q, most definitely on purpose. ¡°Cinn?¡± Kukis looked at the angel who only shook her head and flapped her wings to fly beside Q. ¡°Hahaha¡­ forever alone.¡± For a moment Kukis was a little sad, but she flew off to join the rest of the crowd with a determined look in her eyes. Q had a bit of trouble maneuvering the staff with three people on, but she was eventually able to stabilize it and lazily floated along. Brie and Phanos weren¡¯t very nervous being this high in the air as they had ridden with Q before on multiple occasions (which turned out to be one of Brie¡¯s favorite things to do), but that didn¡¯t stop them from gripping tightly onto the staff. ¡°We¡¯re moving very slowly you know?¡± Phanos complained. ¡°Maybe the race will be over by the time we get there.¡± Cinnamon¡¯s eyes narrowed at her comment, but Q put up a hand to stop her. ¡°Hey, I just wanted to eliminate the risk of us falling off, but if you insist¡­¡± Q grinned mischievously as her hands began to move rapidly and created a few rune gates. She created three gates in the time span of 10 seconds, and every single one of them had five speed runes lined around them. ¡°Hold on tight!¡± She willed the staff forward, and passed through the first gate. ***** Kukis landed at the starting line and took her spot. She looked around for Q and the others but couldn¡¯t find them anywhere. ¡°What¡¯s taking them so long?¡± Her question was quickly answered as she heard a shrill scream coming from behind her. ¡°¡°AAAAAHHHH!!!!!¡±¡± Kukis turned around and heard the scream get louder as whatever it was approached the starting line at a high speed. The rest of the racers also turned around to see what the commotion was, and were shocked to see what appeared to be a red comet heading straight for them. A few of them even began to start casting defensive spells, but were quickly stopped by Pamerun who ordered them to stay still. As the red comet got closer, Kukis was able to make out a person. ¡°Hah, that¡¯s so like you Q.¡± She smiled once she found out what the cause of the screaming was. As Q approached the crowd, she created a rune gate with a bunch of slow runes written on it. Once she passed through the gate, she slowed down and eventually came to a stop on the ground. With a wave of her fingers the slow effect disappeared. While Q had a refreshed face, Brie and Phanos were clinging to each other with pale complexions and collapsed on the ground. ¡°Hahaha! That was great!¡± Q looked behind her to see Cinnamon land lightly. ¡°Did you go at maximum speed?¡± Kukis walked up to Q and asked. The two girls often trained with each other throughout the week, so they were very clear of each other¡¯s capabilities. ¡°Nah, just a bit under half. I guess it is my fault for only flying slowly with those two before, but they wanted to go fast so¡­ here I am. I did use up one tenth of my mana though¡­¡± ¡°Was it worth?¡± Kukis handed over a blue potion. ¡°Thanks Cookie.¡± Q drank the potion and watched her mana bar slowly fill up. ¡°It was definitely worth. For the first time I was able to see Phanos¡¯ nervous face! Absolutely priceless!¡± ¡°Yes. I also felt a feeling of satisfaction.¡± Cinnamon added. ¡°To finally see Phanos look like that¡­ it was a wonderfully cathartic moment. Hehehe.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m still here you know!¡± Phanos¡¯ face had a slight blush, but she still tried her best to look angry. ¡°Q, please never fly that fast again.¡± Brie pleaded. ¡°I make no promises.¡± Q¡¯s mischievous grin resurfaced. ¡°*Ahem*!¡± Pamerun cleared her throat, surprising Q and the others. ¡°Participants please line up in your positions. Spectators head over to Caryll.¡± The girls apologized and went to their respective spots and waited for the race to begin. ¡°The race will begin on my signal!¡± The racers all got on their brooms and floated in the air. ¡°On your mark, get set¡­¡± Pamerun let her words trail off for a few seconds before finally giving the signal. ¡°GO!¡± Halloween Special - Walpurgis Night This is an event that happened at some point in time¡­ ¡°Phew! Another successful day of gathering ingredients.¡± Kukis wiped the sweat off her forehead and took a glance at her surroundings. The usual group was currently in the Forest of Fog, and were doing a few fetch quests and monster hunting to level up. Q was lazily floating in the air, drawing a bunch of runes. Cinnamon was sitting on a branch, lightly flapping her wings to create a light breeze for Q to enjoy. Phanos was attending Brie, who was poking some weird mushrooms with her sword. ¡°Hey Brie, that¡¯s a neutral mob that makes its spores explode if you hurt it.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± As Brie turned to look at Kukis, her sword happened to lightly stab into the mushroom, causing it to start shaking violently. Phanos immediately moved to defend Brie, and was rewarded with a face full of paralysis inducing spores. ¡°Ah, my apologies Phanos.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s quite al-... alright, milady.¡± Phanos managed to say. Wow, she can speak through the paralysis effect. That¡¯s some willpower right there. Kukis silently appreciated Phanos¡¯ tenacity, and brought out a potion to cure her paralysis. ¡°Hold up, I got a status recovery rune, er, rune combination so I can do that instead of having to waste your potions.¡± Q offered. ¡°Nah it¡¯s all good. Besides, my Alchemy skill goes up the more potions I use so it also benefits me.¡± Seeing that Q made a noncommittal shrug, Kukis went ahead and used the potion on Phanos. ¡°Thank you, Kukis.¡± Phanos bowed slightly. ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s go back? I have enough ingredients to last me a long time.¡± Kukis said. The rest of the girls agreed, and they all headed back to the Witches Village. They were going to greet the witch who let them in, but were surprised to find a scarecrow with a purple pumpkin head on it. The girls were incredibly puzzled, because not only was seeing a scarecrow here odd, but they hadn¡¯t seen the witches bring out any pumpkins at all until now (though according to Kukis, they were being grown somewhere in the Experimental District). As their attention was mostly focused on the scarecrow, they didn¡¯t see the thing creeping behind them. ¡°Boo!¡± ¡°¡°AAAH!¡±¡± Kukis and Cinnamon screamed (though in Cinnamon¡¯s case it was so she could have an excuse to grab Q). ¡°Aw, I was hoping to get all of you with that.¡± A familiar witch appeared behind them. ¡°Hey Wendy.¡± Q said nonchalantly. ¡°What¡¯s up with the scarecrow?¡± ¡°Scarecrow¡­? Oh, you mean my hex charm!¡± Wendy patted her charm. ¡°Tonight¡¯s the Wa¡­ Wapu¡­ well it¡¯s a special night where the various residents of this village are visited by mysterious spirits. The charm is designed to attract them.¡± ¡°What kind of mysterious spirits are you talking about?¡± ¡°They¡¯re¡­ well they seem to be things that possess these vegetables called harvestears. The bigger the harvestear, the stronger the spirit is. The harvestears also show weird faces when they¡¯re possessed, so it¡¯s sort of entertaining to see what kind of spirit possesses them. Come on, everyone else is already prepared for the spirits appearing!¡± The young witch lead them to the village, where they saw countless residents running around in weird clothing. More accurately, they seemed to be wearing what people in real life would call halloween costumes. Many were dressed up as ghosts and ghouls, while some looked like tattered zombies and others looked like classic monsters. ¡°What¡¯s with the getup?¡± Kukis asked. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not really sure. That¡¯s just how it¡¯s always been on this day.¡± Wendy shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I can answer that for you.¡± Another person appeared. Q identified her as the ever kind Pamerun, who was currently wearing some outfit which resembled that of a vampire. ¡°Tonight is Walpurgis Night! Some of the younger witches have been calling this night ¡®The Purge¡¯ for short.¡± ¡°¡°Pffft.¡±¡± Q and Kukis suppressed a laugh. Pamerun gave them a strange look before continuing. ¡°The reason we wear these outfits Is because it appeases the spirits possessing the harvestears. If we wear elaborate outfits and fulfill a request of a spirit, it will gift us with some item. If you aren¡¯t able to please it, it will become hostile and attack. The stronger the spirit is the more complicated it¡¯s request will be, but in exchange it will also give a better reward if you complete said request. Either way, it¡¯s been proven throughout the years that the spirits are more pleased when we wear varying clothing, which is ultimately why we wear these things.¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, but it¡¯s more like a fashion show as of late.¡± Wendy jumped in. ¡°We¡¯re always wearing those stuffy robes, so it¡¯s a great way to release the stress that we¡¯ve been accumulating! Like¡­ we can pretty much do anything we want tonight without any consequences whatsoever! Ow!¡± Pamerun bopped her apprentice on the head. ¡°Of course there are consequences! This isn¡¯t some fictional story. Anyway¡­ would you girls like to join in on the fun?¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Yes!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± [Event Quest] - Walpurgis Night. Objective: Explore the village and fulfill the spirit¡¯s wishes. Rewards at the end of the night vary depending on how many spirits were helped. ***** ¡°I now regret my decision.¡± Q frowned looking at the outfit she was given. ¡°Oh come on, it¡¯s not as bad as mine.¡± Kukis slid over. She was dressed in a costume which resembled that of a certain monster¡­ to be more precise, a slime. She was dripping goo all over the place and felt pretty miserable, but on the bright side Asphy seemed to be happy and content to sit on her head and not envelop her. ¡°Yeah, at least your costume is actually elaborate. Mine is just a sheet with holes in it.¡± Cinnamon said as she hovered in the air. Her costume was that of a ¡®ghost¡¯, except it was just as she had described - a simple white sheet over her body. Despite looking very crude, it was also strangely suitable. ¡°Come now Q, we all wore our costumes. It¡¯s time for you to do so as well.¡± Phanos said with a wicked smile. She wore a white garb that went down to her thighs which were covered with pure white knee-high socks. A small hat with a red cross was on her head, and her eyepatch even changed into a square medical eyepatch. That¡¯s right¡­ Phanos was dressed up as a sexy nurse. ¡°...¡± The only one silent the entire time from the moment she received her costume was Brie. She was wearing a mascot costume one would often see at amusement parks, except this one was a terrifyingly realistic bear. What was even worse is that the head actually matched the expressions of the one wearing it, meaning that they would see all sorts of strange faces on a bear. ¡°I¡­ fine.¡± Q resigned herself to her fate when she saw the expectant eyes of her teammates. I am still a man! This will not hurt my pride! With fierce determination in her eyes, she equipped her outfit and her clothes disappeared in a bright light. What replaced it was a shiny, glittery orange ballgown complete with detached long sleeves and a dainty tiara on top. ¡°Why¡­ why did I have to get the pretty princess costume?¡± Q¡¯s determination instantly broke once she saw herself in the mirror. (A/N:Knowing that Q is wearing a princess outfit¡­ it fills you with DETERMINATION.) ¡°Oh my princess, are you complaining about your clothing?¡± Kukis poked fun at her. ¡°It was your idea to have our costumes randomly chosen for us after all.¡± ¡°Hmm? Is Princess Q dissatisfied about something?¡± Phanos spoke up. ¡°Oh, I see! It seems that this outfit isn¡¯t shiny enough for our princess! Excuse me miss? We¡¯re going to need a fancier dress!¡± She began to call over a witch who was randomly walking by. ¡°No we don¡¯t!¡± Q picked herself off of the ground. ¡°Ahh damn it! I am going to be a pretty princess, and I am going to rock this outfit!¡± With an attitude that seemed like she didn¡¯t care anymore, she walked away in a huff. ¡°Hehehe.¡± Brie giggled and was finally in a good mood seeing Q¡¯s antics. The only problem was that when she giggled in her costume it looked like she was planning to devour something, and it came off as incredibly sinister. The girls stepped outside of the room they were in and saw the entire village was covered in spooky objects. Severed heads, flickering lights and flying bats were all over the place. Q could swear that she was able to hear some terrible moaning in the distance as well. ¡°More hexes?¡± She wondered aloud as she stared at all of them. ¡°No, they¡¯re just decorations.¡± Pamerun¡¯s second apprentice, Lea suddenly appeared and explained. ¡°We always have a surplus of items after the Purge, so we turn some of them into decorations and just hang them around the place. The only difference between these decorations and the hexes is that one has magic inside, but otherwise they¡¯re pretty much the same.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep them around all year? I really like the look of the town right now.¡± Q poked a skull placed on a rafter and immediately regretted it as a centipede-looking creature crawled out and began to writhe angrily. ¡°Because it gets cluttered and messy if we leave them around. Not to mention they¡¯ll probably get ruined from the weather or random spell backfires. More importantly, my master asked me to tell you girls to head to the fountain. That¡¯s where everyone else is meeting up.¡± Lea left but not before saying, ¡°Oh yeah, you look really good right now, Princess.¡± ¡°Gah! I will rip this costume to shreds before the day is done¡­¡± ¡°Eh, don¡¯t mind it so much.¡± Kukis said. ¡°I have to admit though, with the addition of magic, these costumes and decorations are way better than the ones we have in real-life! Look at this spider, it¡¯s so lifelike!¡± She picked up a spider decoration that was dangling from a roof but was surprised to see it move and scurry on her hand! The spider tried to climb up onto Kukis¡¯ head, but Asphy instantly jumped forward and swallowed it into its body, slowly dissolving the creature. ¡°Oookay then. I¡¯m going to the fountain now.¡± Q suddenly seemed a lot less interested in the decorations as she left for the fountain at a brisk pace. The rest of the girls hurriedly followed her and they made their way to where the rest of the witches were. The entire square was filled with people in varying costumes, and even the familiars weren¡¯t exempt from this as they wore cute little outfits resembling random monsters in the game. ¡°Is something wrong Q?¡± Brie asked. ¡°You are not jumping at the familiars like you usually do.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Absolutely nothing is wrong.¡± Q responded immediately. ¡°I am just respecting the time they took to dress up their familiars and don¡¯t want to ruin the costumes. Now let¡¯s listen to what Pamerun has to say.¡± She redirected their attention to the top of the fountain where Pamerun stood with the other Grand Witches. ¡°Welcome everyone, to the 617th Walpurgis night!¡± Pamerun said. ¡°The spirits will arrive very soon, so make sure that you prepare the harvestears! Us Grand Witches will be going around to judge them for the largest harvestear contest as well. Remember, if you accidentally anger a spirit that you should seek help from any nearby witch, especially if it¡¯s a spirit in a large harvestear.¡± With that reminder, Pamerun leapt off the fountain and landed on a broom, then flew to the north of the village. The rest of the witches similarly scattered, and Q and the others were left wondering what to do. ¡°Shall we walk around the village?¡± Brie suggested. ¡°Let us depart.¡± Phanos agreed. The girls walked down the main road of the village, and saw that witches were going into their houses, and came out with large purple-colored pumpkins. ¡°I suppose those are harvestears. It looks like a pumpkin with a purple color scheme¡­ very original.¡± Q said. ¡°Yeah. Get this, they don¡¯t have any insides either. It¡¯s just perfectly smooth and hollow inside.¡± Kukis added. ¡°That sounds strangely disturbing, and makes me question how it even grew like that in the first place.¡± While they made small talk, they suddenly heard a loud thundering noise. The girls looked above them to see that the sky was dark and overcast with black clouds. After a few seconds of watching the clouds swirl in the sky, they separated to reveal a hole in the center. From this hole, gray things began to fall out and descended on the village. As one of them got closer, Q could make out a form which seemed vaguely human, except there wasn¡¯t any face on it. The gray thing then went into a nearby harvestear. The harvestear began to shake, and the girls heard tearing sounds as the surface of the harvestear began to twist and form into a shape that looked vaguely like a face. Ooh, that¡¯s why they call them harvestears. Q thought as she listened to the sounds the harvestear was making. Finally it stopped shaking and the girls were facing a harvestear with sunken eyes and a crooked smile. They exchanged looks with each other and were unsure of what to do. At this point the harvestear began moving its mouth and said, ¡°Sing me a song.¡± ¡°...¡± Q wordlessly pushed Kukis forward, which made the harvestear turn its head to face her. ¡°Damn it Q! Uhh¡­ uh¡­ Spooky scary skeletons send shivers down your spine~¡± ¡°PFF-AHAHAHAHAHA!¡± Q couldn¡¯t hold it in and rolled on the ground while laughing. ¡°Sh-shut up! I blanked out okay?¡± Kukis was going to protest some more, when the harvestear said ¡°Thanks¡± and the top of its head popped off. Kukis took a look inside and found that there was a few pieces of candy inside. Once she took the pieces the head snapped back in place and the face on the harvestear disappeared, turning it back to normal. ¡°Hey, what¡¯d you get?¡± Q and the rest of the girls went beside Kukis to look at what she grabbed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ candy. According to the description it heals quite a bit of HP and MP, but I can also trade it to someone else at the end of the night.¡± ¡°Awesome! We¡¯re trick-or-treating now!¡± The girls left in search of another harvestear to talk to. For the most part the harvestears they found weren¡¯t much larger than half a meter, and the requests were usually simple like ¡®spin five times¡¯ or ¡®make an angry face¡¯. The problem was, that the harvestear would only reward the person who did what it asked. This meant that travelling in a group of five wasn¡¯t very efficient, so they split into two groups, the first being Brie and Phanos while the second was Q, Kukis and Cinnamon. Both groups travelled around the village, doing random things for the harvestears. The larger ones asked for more varied things, like certain items, or a set of very specific actions. The rewards also began to vary a lot more when it got to the larger harvestears, as they would sometimes be a rare monster material or in some cases, a special weapon. While Q walked around the village, she saw that other witches were also doing things for the harvestears. Everything seemed to be all good and fun, when suddenly a witch screamed, and Q looked over to see that some dark substance was leaking out of a harvestear! The dark substance gathered in the air and created a sinister body that looked human, except it didn¡¯t have a head. The dark body turned around and picked up the harvestear, then placed it where it¡¯s head was supposed to be. The harvestear also began to turn dark as its mouth turned into a scary frown, and a red flame appeared in its eye sockets. [Harvestear] - Level 30 The harvestear¡¯s arms then elongated and became sharp and flat, and it began swinging them wildly in the direction of the fallen witch! It was stopped very soon though, as Q sent a bullet of light flying towards it. The harvestear¡¯s movements were temporarily stopped, which gave time for Cinnamon to put herself in between it and the witch, ready to protect her. The harvestear then switched its target to Cinnamon, but its arm blades bounced harmlessly off her wings, and it was instead hit with a spear with a shining tip. This spear pierced through its body, and left a large gaping hole. The harvestear looked unsteady, but before it could recover it was suddenly hit by a blast of fire magic from Kukis. A pillar of flame descended on it from the sky, burning away the dark substance. After the spell ended the dark substance disappeared, revealing a burnt harvestear with its head open. Kukis looked at the remains of the harvestear and saw that there were a few pieces of candy scattered around. ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± Q extended a hand to the fallen witch. ¡°Y-yes, thank you.¡± The witch got up and dusted off her clothes. ¡°What happened?¡± Cinnamon showed a face full of concern. ¡°Did you fail the harvestear¡¯s request?¡± ¡°Yes. It asked me to turn around and ¡®shake my booty¡¯. I have no idea what that means, but before I could do anything it got mad and attacked!¡± Ugh¡­ What the heck are the game developers thinking? Q shook her head in disdain. ¡°Well as long as you¡¯re safe, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your candy.¡± Kukis extended a palm of candy gathered from the remains of the harvestear. ¡°Oh no, please keep it. I couldn¡¯t possibly take it after you three helped me.¡± After saying this, the witched bowed and then left. ¡°That was only a small-ish harvestear. I wonder how strong the larger ones are going to be¡­¡± Q wondered. ¡°We¡¯ll find out one way or another.¡± Cinnamon said. As they continued to ¡®trick-or-treat¡¯, they found that some harvestears they already finished a request for got another spirit inside it, so they completed new requests from them. At some point in their walk, Q randomly said ¡°27.¡± ¡°34.¡± Kukis responded. ¡°24.¡± Cinnamon followed suit. ¡°Hmm¡­ I propose we split up for a while instead of rotating whoever gets to do the harvestear¡¯s request.¡± Q said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Q?¡± Kukis smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t like the fact that I¡¯ve gotten more candy than you?¡± ¡°Hahaha- yes.¡± Q¡¯s face became incredibly serious. ¡°I¡¯ll see you after my inventory is full of candy! Also no following me Cinn.¡± ¡°Aww.¡± Cinnamon was sad, but she walked away in another direction. ¡°Seems like she¡¯s strangely competitive¡­¡± Kukis stood still for a moment and pondered. ¡°Hold on¡­ if I can get more candy than Q, wouldn¡¯t that mean that I¡¯ve beaten her? Ohohoho¡­ Today¡¯s the day you¡¯re going down Q!¡± She became incredibly motivated and began running around the town looking for another harvestear to talk to. ***** ¡°Okay, that makes 139 pieces of candy for you milady.¡± Phanos said as she handed over some more candy to Brie. ¡°Phanos¡­ you have just been giving me yours. Is this really necessary?¡± Brie seemed a little bothered with the large amount of candy she had in her inventory. ¡°But of course milady. Knowing Q, she¡¯s definitely going to turn this candy-gathering into a competition, and I couldn¡¯t possibly let you lose to her. Furthermore I couldn¡¯t bear to see you do some of the things these harvestears are asking. Can you believe their gall? To ask you to dance in front of them.¡± ¡°I would be fine with dancing though¡­¡± Brie murmured. ¡°Ah, another harvestear.¡± Phanos walked over to a harvestear that was a little larger than half her size. When it saw her it said, ¡°Feed me 5 splugs.¡± ¡°Splug?¡± Phanos looked down at her feet to find green glowing slugs crawl out of the ground. Upon seeing these splugs, she instinctively froze remained like that for a while. ¡°Oh Phanos, still bad with slugs?¡± Brie crouched down and picked up the splugs and cupped them in her hands. ¡°O-of course not! I¡¯ll even prove it to you!¡± Phanos took the splugs from Brie¡¯s hands. ¡°See? I¡¯m per¡­ perfectly fine.¡± Her face was cramped as she felt slime get spread all over her hands. I¡¯m different from before! I can handle slugs fine! Besides, I can¡¯t possibly let milady see any weakness. For a moment it seemed like she would be fine, but one of the splugs suddenly opened its mouth and began to ¡®eat¡¯ Phanos¡¯ hands. She immediately dropped it, but that was a mistake because as soon as the splugs hit the ground, they exploded and spread their goo all over her. Phanos was silent as she was processing what had just happened, and as soon as she realized that she was covered in slug slime, she shrieked. ¡°KYAAAAAAAH!¡± She attempted to wipe of the slime in panic, but only succeeded in spreading it further, causing her to get even more dismayed. ¡°Honestly.¡± Brie let out a sigh of exasperation, but she still had a smile on her face. ¡°You still have yet to get over slugs hm? You did not have to put on a front with me.¡± She used her bear costume to wipe away most of the slime that was on exposed skin. ¡°I-I am sorry, milady. I have shown you a miserable sight, and I have even caused you to dirty your costume.¡± ¡°Haha, It is alright Phanos.¡± Brie continued to clean up Phanos until she calmed down. ¡°Where is my food?¡± Suddenly, the harvestear spoke. ¡°I AM HUNGRY!!!¡± A black substance spilled out of the harvestear, and it began to gather into a large figure holding what seemed to be a machete. The harvestear was placed on the head, and some more substance poured out, creating a mask with holes in it. [Harvestear] - Level 65 ¡°You bastard¡­ you¡¯re the one who forced me into such a sorry state!¡± Phanos suddenly directed all of her aggression towards the harvestear, and attacked it with unbridled rage. She ran circles around it, simultaneously casting hexes and throwing knives at vital spots. The harvestear didn¡¯t seem to be affected by her attacks as it simply swung its machete with great force. At this point Brie felt like she should step in, but once she saw the ferocious expression on Phanos¡¯ face, she decided to refrain from doing so. Phanos¡¯ speed increased more and more, and eventually the harvestear wasn¡¯t able to see her. It then changed its target to Brie, but as soon as it did, Phanos appeared in front of it and thrust with an open palm. In the palm was a small doll, and once it made contact with the harvestear it was sent flying. The harvestear laid flat on the ground, and before it could make a move Phanos was already on it, using multiple knives to stab its body. She stabbed with so much force that some of the knives even passed through its body and pierced the ground, keeping the harvestear anchored to the spot. ¡°Repent in the afterlife, you filth.¡± With those words, Phanos snapped her fingers and every single knife on its body exploded, completely dissipating the dark substance and leaving only the harvestear¡¯s head. Phanos stepped on it, turning it into gross purple mush. ¡°Hm?¡± Noticing a slight gleam amongst the purple mess, she picked it up and found a shining necklace, which she then gave to Brie. ¡°Apologies for taking so long milady. I was unable to find any candy, but hopefully this necklace will do.¡± ¡°Thank you Phanos.¡± Brie accepted the necklace and they left the area, looking for another harvestear. ¡°Next time, I can do some of the harvestear¡¯s requests.¡± ¡°I¡­ of course milady.¡± ¡°...Holy crap.¡± In the shadow of a building, Q was hiding with her [Stealth] ability on. ¡°I was going to say hi but then that happened¡­ Note to self: never make Phanos angry. Also note to self: Phanos doesn¡¯t like slugs. Hehehe¡± After mentally engraving these facts into her mind, Q left the area as well. ***** Around 3 hours later, a loud voice resounded throughout the village. ¡°Everyone, the winners for this year¡¯s largest harvestear contest have been chosen. Please make your way to the fountain and we¡¯ll proceed with the award ceremony.¡± The girls sent messages to each other and made their way to the fountain. A large crowd of witches were already there, all of them carrying large bags overflowing with candy and materials. Once the girls met up, Q started off by saying ¡°213.¡± ¡°WHAT!? How did you even¡­ ugh. 210.¡± Kukis¡¯ slumped her shoulders in defeat, as she was incredibly close to beating Q. ¡°192.¡± Cinnamon followed up. ¡°Though that was only because I kept getting items and materials¡­¡± ¡°Umm, what is everyone talking about?¡± Brie asked. ¡°We¡¯re comparing how much candy we got.¡± Q explained. ¡°How about you two?¡± ¡°297.¡± Phanos said with a superior attitude. ¡°That¡¯s not- wait, you gave all your candy to Brie didn¡¯t you?¡± Q eyed Phanos with suspicion. ¡°You never said we couldn¡¯t share our candy with each other.¡± Phanos simply shrugged. Just as Q was going to say something, Pamerun¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°In third place, it¡¯s actually one of Caryll¡¯s apprentices, Cybil! Congratulations to her for coming up with a new innovative spell to enhance growth in vegetables. In second place, we have our very own Grand Witch, Haeldrix! This year she not only infused the ground with magic, but also had Suina pour in some magic-infused water to grow them as well. Finally in first place¡­ the owner of the Nine-Lives Inn, Clair! Who has won for the seventh time in a row...¡± She said the last sentence with less enthusiasm. ¡°Oh, I won? Yaaay~¡± A cat in the crowd jumped up and sat on the fountain. ¡°Yes yes, very good Clair.¡± Pamerun lightly clapped. ¡°Also, you¡¯re not going to share your secret?¡± She whispered. ¡°I like winning, so nyah.¡± Clair licked her paws and lazily stretched out. ¡°I see. Caryll, if you would please do the honors?¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± The Grand Witch of Void stepped out and cast a spell. A large circle appeared above the spectator¡¯s heads. A flash of light appeared, and suddenly a giant object fell from the circle! With a loud thud, it landed on the ground, and its size was comparable to that of the upside-down fountain. ¡°Is that¡­ Clair¡¯s harvestear?¡± Q said after a moment of silence. ¡°That¡¯s stupidly huge. How did she do that?¡± Kukis stared wide-eyed at the giant vegetable. ¡°Now everyone, it¡¯s the time you¡¯ve been waiting for! It¡¯s time to take down the strongest spirit of them all! Prepare yourselves!¡± After Pamerun said this, everyone backed away from the harvestear and waited. After a minute or so, the sky let out a booming sound, and everyone looked up to see that every single cloud gathered together and became a mist-like substance. This substance went straight for Clair¡¯s harvestear, and sank inside it. A few seconds passed with nothing happening, but then they heard a tearing sound, except this time it was ten times worse than before. A pair of hollow eyes with fierce flames and a mouth with an evil sneer formed on the harvestear. ¡°Hahaha, I have revived yet again!¡± A deep and imposing voice came from the harvestear. ¡°Fear me mortals, for I am the Spirit Ki- urgh!¡± The giant harvestear¡¯s speech was interrupted by a giant boulder falling on its head. ¡°Yeah yeah, you say that every year. Everyone, attack!¡± Haeldrix shot out more stones, and the rest of the witches followed suit. Soon enough everyone was bombarding the giant harvestear with all sorts of spells, and the rest of the girls followed suit as well. Brie rushed up to stab the giant harvestear, and then cast a spell with her sword, causing a small implosion inside the harvestear. When Brie pulled out her sword, a cascade of candy came out! ¡°The first wound!¡± Some witch called out, and others began to collect the candy while also damaging the giant harvestear. ¡°Oh my.¡± Brie quickly stepped away from the crowd and made her way back to the other girls who were lobbing their own spells and attacks at the giant harvestear. As it got hurt, more and more wounds appeared on its body, causing candy and all other sorts of goodies to spill out in large amounts. Throughout the entire thing, the giant harvestear kept trying to say and do something, but the ridiculous amount of spells and firepower kept it down, reducing its status to that of a mere sandbag. In 5 minutes the giant harvestear was killed, and with its last dying wail its top popped off and a fountain of candy gushed out! Every resident cheered and ran around, scrambling to get as much candy as they could. Of course the girls were also in this group, as they abused their inventories and crammed as much candy as they could carry inside before physically grabbing them. Eventually the fountain of candy died down, and so did the commotion as the people regained their senses and dispersed, or remained behind to clean up. ¡°So, how was your first trick-or-treating experience?¡± Q asked Brie. ¡°I know it¡¯s not like how it would typically be in real life, but this was still fun wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± Brie nodded enthusiastically. ¡°It was very fun participating in this event.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± Pamerun approached the group of girls. ¡°I can see you¡¯ve gathered quite a bit of candy. Would you like directions to the person who trades them?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± [Quest Complete] - Walpurgis Night Chapter 052 - Broom Race! (First Part) Once Pamerun said ¡®Go¡¯, all the participants rose into the air and shot out like bullets¡­ except for Q who was still on the ground drawing runes. The audience stared at Q, who only said ¡°What? My ¡®flight¡¯ spell is more complicated than just saying a few words.¡± Q¡¯s flight spell was definitely complicated, as she had spent countless hours trying to come up with the perfect combination of movement runes and other kinds. Finally she completed her rune circle and placed it on her staff, allowing it to levitate in the air. She then willed it forward, and was finally on the move. Although her speed wasn¡¯t any less than the other witches, there was a large gap between her and them, so she had to push herself to catch up. I wish they¡¯d let me prepare my rune circle in advance¡­ Oh well, no point in worrying about it now! While her staff flew forward, Q removed one hand and began to draw a rune gate. While drawing it, she took in the sight of the racetrack. The floating lanterns were arranged neatly in the sky and she could just barely make out the robes of the witch in second to last place. Finally after a few more seconds she finished the gate. She didn¡¯t stop there though, as she let the rune float behind her and continually drew more until she had three. Once the third gate was complete, Q placed all of them in a straight line in front of her and went through them all. Q was propelled forward with an incredible burst of speed, allowing her to quickly close the gap. As the wind rushed through her hair, she kept one hand on her hat to keep it from getting blown off. It was then that she heard a faint ¡°Kshaa~¡± and felt Schorl coil tightly around her ear, keeping the hat locked down. ¡°Thanks Schorl.¡± Q put both of her hands on the staff and tightened her grip as she was coming up to a bend. Pulling the staff up and slightly to the right, she was able to drift around the curve and finally saw the main group of witches turning at another bend. She leaned down a bit and clutched her staff tightly to her body in order to minimize air resistance. The moment she turned the corner she was about 50 meters away from the group so she hurried to catch up. The moment she sped up though, a large wall of of ice was erected in the midst of the main group, separating at least a quarter of the witches who were towards the back. While most of these witches simply flew higher to avoid the wall, the unlucky ones who were close to it had to use spells and exert a lot of force to stop themselves from crashing into it. Most used wind and fire spells to create a blast that would slow them down. I could fly over it like the others did, but that¡¯d put me even more behind than before. The wall doesn¡¯t seem to be too thick either¡­ Alright, I¡¯m breaking through! Q started drawing a rune circle with a large earth rune in the center. Surrounding it were spin runes, and then it was finally completed with fire runes lining the outside. At this point Q was so experienced in writing runes that she could complete one every half-second without having to use her cheat. She completed the rune circle in about 7 seconds, then finally activated it about 10 meters from the wall. A quick flash of light occurred, and out came a large, burning chunk of rock in the shape of a drill which began to spin rapidly. The moment the drill made contact with the wall the flames sizzled and were weakened a bit, but the drill continued forward. The flames outside the drill melted the ice and made it less solid, allowing the drill to bore through the wall and break out the other side. Throughout all of this Q maintained her current speed, so she shot out like a bullet and quickly passed by the witches who were still descending from the top of the ice wall. She felt a slight pain in her stomach as she left the wall behind her. I¡¯m getting a stomachache now? Ah, no time to worry about this. She ignored the pain and looked ahead. What greeted her was a sight of pure chaos, as the witches began slinging spells at each other left and right in an attempt to delay each other or take out other contestants. Q flew lower to the ground in hopes that she wouldn¡¯t get hit by any stray spells since most of the action was occurring in the air above. She noticed that a few other witches were flying low to the ground as well, apparently having the same idea as her. These witches all looked at each other and seemed to have an unspoken agreement to not bother each other until they got out of the chaotic mess. Up ahead the floating lanterns lead into an alleyway, and the witches were forced to slow down or squeeze themselves in to get through the alleyway. Q made a few rune circles which had configurations that made a flat wall of each element and had them surround her. These walls were placed in front of her and were slightly angled to give her vision of what was ahead. Then, instead of slowing down like the rest of the witches, Q sped up and even created another speed gate to go through (though she made sure to dispel it immediately after). The result of this action? Q turned into something similar like an armored vehicle as she barreled her way through the alleyway and relied only on the walls to protect her. A few witches saw her do this and tried to throw potions or use spells but Q was going too fast for them to hit and she moved the walls for anything that happened to be in her way. The alleyway didn¡¯t even last for 15 seconds, as the path split up into three different areas. The paths to the left and right were narrow and had few witches, while the one in the center was slightly larger but had more witches. Q was tempted to go into one of the paths that were less crowded, but decided to go into the path with the most witches instead. Although I could probably go faster if I went into the other paths, I¡¯d be more likely to get hit by other witches which would inevitably slow me down, or waste my mana. With the idea of conserving mana and avoiding trouble, Q headed into the center path. Her decision turned out to be correct, as the witches in the path she chose were more focused on getting through and not bumping into something. She got rid of her walls since they¡¯d be very conspicuous, and instead opted for using a hard and reinforce rune on herself, increasing her defence. She was forced to slow down a little, but in exchange she wasn¡¯t harassed at all - though she did notice there were a few hexes placed around the area which gave her a slight headache. In the end she made it through, and it turned out that all the pathways leaded to the same area anyway. Q sped up and reached the front of the pack. She noticed that the number of witches who left the other paths were significantly less than how many entered them, and was thankful she hadn¡¯t chosen to go through. ¡°Slow and steady wins the race¡­¡± she muttered, ¡°But that¡¯s boring!¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She began creating rune gates with speed again, but this time since she was near the front, more witches noticed her and began to use spells or hexes to stop her. Noticing this, she made a layer of three walls behind her. Unfortunately she underestimated the power of these spells as they easily broke through her walls and threw her off balance. Shit! Q flicked her tail to regain her balance, but a few other witches shot out more spells with the intention of taking out another competitor. At this point Q did something which shocked everyone. She let go of her staff and created a flat wall of earth slightly underneath her, then she used it as a foothold to leap forward. The spells aimed at her earlier flew over her head, and once they disappeared she created a rune circle which let out a blast of wind that launched her through the air. The staff was still going forward, and Q was just barely able to grab onto it. Her maneuver allowed her to get slightly ahead of the witches, so she took this opportunity to create more speed gates and broke away from the main pack. ¡°Haha! Back in the lead in one fell swoop! Or not¡­¡± Q¡¯s joy was dampened slightly when she noticed the people at the very front of the race. Many of them were the older and more experienced witches who were skillfully exchanging attacks while maintaining their high speed. The rest were some apprentices of the Grand Witches (which meant they were definitely dangerous), and there were also a few other people she never took notice of before. If they¡¯re all in the front, that means they¡¯ve definitely got skills to stay here and not get taken down or left behind. Not only that¡­ Cookie is there! I have to be careful here¡­ especially since my stomach is really starting to bother me. For a second Q thought of greeting her, but decided against it as they were opponents for the duration of the race. Instead she decided to send out a friendly ¡®warning shot¡¯ and sent a light gust of wind towards Kukis. The wind barely affected Kukis, but she turned around and saw Q quickly closing the gap between them. With a slight grin on her face she threw a few potions behind her, then shot some fireballs at them. The moment the fireballs came in contact with the potions, the glass containing them shattered and the contents were set ablaze, creating a wall of green fire. Q decided to create the same drill that went through the ice wall earlier, except this time she coated it in water. The water was able to get her through the wall, though Q noticed that it was almost boiling by the time she got through. At this point Kukis stopped her attack and slowed down ever so slightly to let Q catch up to her. ¡°Hey there Q. I knew you¡¯d make it to the front of the pack.¡± Kukis grinned. ¡°Of course!¡± Q returned a grin of her own. ¡°By the way, how do you like my present?¡± ¡°Present? What are¡­ Oh. Oh! You little-!¡± Q¡¯s grin faded once she placed the puzzle pieces together and realized what Kukis was talking about. In contrast, Kukis¡¯ grin only grew wider as she saw Q¡¯s frustrated face. ¡°That¡¯s right. The potion I gave you does restore mana, but also has the side effect of causing a bad stomach ache. It was a failure when I started making potions, though I suppose in this case it worked in my favor. The best part is it doesn¡¯t even count as a status effect yet, so no curing it! All¡¯s fair in a competition! Especially when you¡¯re cheating. Later~¡± Kukis then sped up and left behind another wall of green fire - this one smaller than the last. ¡°I am SO getting back at her for this.¡± Q gritted her teeth and created a few walls of water to get her through the wave of flame. The pain in her stomach wasn¡¯t getting any better though, and she could swear she heard some gurgling noises. Taking a quick glance behind her, she saw that the group of witches were spreading out now that there was more room, and it was only a matter of time before they started to attack her. Slow them down or speed myself up? I¡¯d rather not expend the effort to slow them down, especially since I¡¯ve used a fifth of my mana already. I guess that leaves speeding up then. Now making a conscious effort to ignore the stomachache, Q created some more speed gates to go through and return to the leading group. Now to deal with this pain. The stomachache was getting worse now, and began to distract her. She looked through her inventory to see if there was anything that might help, and she noticed that there were some leftover candies from the event quest. She popped one in her mouth, and the pain was temporarily alleviated as she focused on the sweet flavor that spread through her mouth. So eating something helps? No¡­ it¡¯s probably just the candy. But I can¡¯t do this forever. Let¡¯s try this! Q used a ¡®cleanse¡¯ rune on herself, and to her surprise it worked! Incurable my ass¡­ Though I suppose it¡¯s because my intention when using cleanse was to get rid of impurities in my body. More importantly, I need to focus on the race! Q maintained her distance from the lead group and the main group behind her, focusing on keeping a steady pace. There were a few more turns in the path and occasionally obstacles (in the form of hexes or large scale spells from witches up front), but Q was able to get through them all. Finally, the lanterns lead out of the village and towards the Forest of Fog. The lanterns split up again and lead to multiple large gaps between the trees which surrounded the village. Q randomly picked one and headed inside, and was faced with a wall of fog. She created a rune circle with fire and sustain and made it float a few meters in front of her. The fog cleared up, but also revealed a branch about to hit her face! Q ducked and felt the branch just barely scrape the top of her ears. A quick glance at the path in front of her revealed that there were all sorts of trees with their branches twisted and interlocked in a way that forced her to maneuver slowly in order to get through. She was able to make out the lanterns easy enough since the light they have created a large area with no fog, but there were so many splitting paths that she was a little overwhelmed. Q randomly chose a trail of lanterns and followed them. She swerved to avoid another branch, and then hung on her staff upside down to keep herself from crashing into a whole slew of branches overhead. It seemed that there wasn¡¯t anyone else near her, though that might be because there were so many paths through the forest. She ducked and weaved her way through the branches and eventually came to an opening where she saw other witches sitting down to one side with a small station set up. I guess that¡¯s one of the checkpoints huh? Q passed by it and continued to fly forward, though she waved at the witches waiting there, prompting them to wave back. Doesn¡¯t seem like anyone else got here yet, so I guess I¡¯m somewhat ahead of the pack. Alright, let¡¯s keep up this pace and keep going! ***** In the outskirts of the witch¡¯s village, a breeze blew by. The branches of the trees moved a bit, and the few leaves that were on it rustled. There was one branch in particular though, that didn¡¯t move a single bit, as if something was holding it down. ¡°Ahh. Even if people can¡¯t see me, my surroundings can still give away my position. I wonder if there are any skills that can bypass that.¡± A voice rang out, breaking the silence in the woods. For a moment the air around the branch shimmered and then stopped, revealing a cloaked figure. ¡°Felkon¡¯s [Still Air] spell might have helped¡­ but then again someone could sense mana being used. *sigh* Being stealthy sure is hard when there¡¯s magic and stuff in play.¡± The figure continued to mutter itself as it dropped from the branch. It walked up to the gigantic trees which surrounded the village and put a hand on them. ¡°It¡¯s been awhile since this giant tree wall was found, but only now do we know what¡¯s behind it.¡± The figure looked over to an open portion of the wall which had colorful floating lanterns coming out of it. ¡°Well, this pretty much confirms it though. This is the witch¡¯s village. Mission accomplished I guess. I wonder what kind of reward I¡¯ll get from the Church. It¡¯ll probably be some holy item or whatever...¡± Just as suddenly as the figure appeared, it vanished with no evidence of it ever being there. Chapter 053 - Broom Race! (Second Part) Q once again headed into the thicket of trees and not even 5 seconds passed when a large rock came out of nowhere and headed straight for her! Q dodged and used [Magic Perception] to catch any more spells that could possibly fly at her. She didn¡¯t use it earlier inside the village since the spells were easy to see, but here her visibility was reduced and she was forced to rely on this skill to handle surprise attacks. Sure enough, another spell came flying at her, except this time it was a wave of water. Are these the traps? They don¡¯t seem like it¡­ Q thought as she flew up a bit higher to avoid the water. Once she got up however, a salvo of rocks came at her which forced her to use a wall to block it. Whatever. I just need to make sure to get through this safely. She slowed down a little more and tried to increase the range of her [Magic Perception] to catch the attacks early. The attacks seemed to become less frequent as she continued to fly, though she soon heard loud sounds of explosions and trees falling behind her. Looks like the other racers have run into the traps. That¡¯s good for me though! Noticing that her mana was down to half, Q used a mana potion and kept her steady pace. This steady pace ended quite soon though, as she felt a reaction from [Magic Perception] and was attacked by yet another spell. This time the spell came from a clear source, and Q looked to her left to find Kukis who was flying slightly ahead of Q. Kukis held out a twisted wand and smiled, then threw a glass vial with bright red liquid and broke it with a small rock she shot out afterwards. As the contents of the vial spilled out, Kukis cast a large wind spell that scattered it in a wide range which completely covered all the places Q could move to. In response Q activated an earth wall she had begun preparing the moment she sensed Kukis with [Magic Perception]. Q¡¯s wall easily blocked the liquid, but contrary to her expectations it turned out to be colorful water. Trusting her instincts, Q quickly dashed forward just in time to avoid a large fireball. Kukis¡¯ assault wasn¡¯t finished there though, as Q looked forward to see that there was a wall of muddy earth waiting in front of her. For a half-second she wondered whether she should avoid it or breakthrough instead. She quickly made her decision as soon as she saw Kukis shoot down a small fireball which seemed to ignite something on the ground. Q put on as much defensive runes on herself as she could and then reinforced her staff. The thing which was ignited lead into the mound of muddy earth, and then there was an ear-shattering explosion! Q sped out from the dust, but a third of her health had disappeared and she was coughing. A quick look at her status showed that she was both [Poisoned] and [Weakened], and furthermore there was a wall of strange purple gas in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m just going to keep reacting!¡± Q yelled as she suddenly changed her direction and headed towards Kukis. Though Kukis looked a little surprised, this seemed to be within her expectations as she prepared even more vials to throw, while also simultaneously creating a large wall of earth to separate herself from Q. Q began to use [Charge Spark] in one hand, and drew a rune gate with the amplify rune with her other hand. Kukis¡¯ potions flew over the top of the wall to hit Q, but at this moment Q finished creating the rune gate and released [Charge Spark] through it. At first a moderately sized beam of electricity came out, but as soon as it passed through the rune gate it nearly tripled in size and became charged with even more energy. The beam hit the potions and vaporized them instantly (though a few of them had some reactions, they weren¡¯t strong enough to reach Q). She slowly moved her hands towards Kukis¡¯ position, and her spell followed. The wall of earth was cut in half while the surrounding branches and trees got mowed down while Q used her spell. Now panicking, Kukis threw two vials in the air which created a sort of ¡®foam¡¯ wall when they collided and their contents mixed. The beam of electricity hit this wall and for a moment it looked like it would break through, but eventually it ran out. ¡°Holy crap Q! Hold back a little!¡± Kukis complained as she fired a rapid slew of small spells. ¡°That¡¯s my line!¡± Q yelled back. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d use your [Rupturing Earth] combo. That was dangerous you know?¡± She made a few acrobatic maneuvers with her staff as she dodged Kukis¡¯ attacks. While she was dodging the attacks, she also used a cleanse and heal rune on herself, getting back to prime condition (with three quarters of her mana left). ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from the person who easily got through it!¡± This time Kukis drank a potion and her speed explosively increased as she widened the gap between Q and herself. Q began creating speed gates to catch up, but at this point Kukis¡¯ preparations were also complete as large pillars of fire and water appeared and headed straight for Q. Q created two rune circles and placed them on the ground in front of the pillars. As soon as the pillars passed over the rune circles, Q activated them and two giant spikes of earth shot out and interrupted the two pillars. Despite this, the remnants of the pillars continued forward and collided with each other which created a large amount of steam. For a second Q thought about simply going through, but driven by a bad feeling she instead used a wind rune to disperse the steam. The instant that the steam was blown away by the wind, multiple bolts of lightning came out. Though a few of them aimed at Q, the rest were attracted to the remnants of the steam and faded away after a moment. Q didn¡¯t take much damage from the lightning that hit her and instead of grimacing in pain, she smiled. Looks like she¡¯s been holding back during our sparring sessions! This is getting exciting! Q created a speed rune gate to go through, then began preparing a large array of rune circles which floated around her. ¡°Hey Schorl, I think you¡¯re going to have to work a little here.¡± ¡°Ksha~¡± The small salamander¡¯s gem began to glow with a soft light and it began to surround Q¡¯s body. Once her body had been completely enveloped with the glow, Q focused on catching up with Kukis. Each time Q got close to Kukis she would always be repelled with a large area of effect spell. Although this was an incredibly inefficient method of keeping her away, Kukis was able to do it because she had seemingly limitless potions she could drink to keep her mana up. Not only that, sometimes they boosted her abilities, causing her to speed up or making her spells stronger. Q didn¡¯t have half as many potions as Kukis did so she instead focused on staying efficient and using as little mana as possible to avoid or counter her spells. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! At some point the rest of the witches began to catch up with Q, as she noticed more and more of them flying around. The forest became incredibly noisy as branches were snapped and trees were uprooted from the amount of spells the witches were casting. There were even a few of them flying in the air focused on attacking the others without racing. While flying, Q noticed a witch getting hit by a spell and falling off her broom. The witch was able to recover herself in time, and then a white figure came out of the woods and took her away. Are those the volunteers taking out racers who aren¡¯t able to fly anymore? Q wondered as she flew onwards. At this point Kukis was actually at the front of all of the racers with Q not too far behind. They continued to cast spells at each other, when suddenly they broke out from the trees. For a moment Q was a bit surprised since it had been a while since she left the forest. The two moons shone brightly in the night sky, illuminating the vast plains in front of them, giving it an ethereal glow. A quick look around her showed that they were the only ones who made it this far, and this made her heart beat faster. ¡°It¡¯s the final stretch!¡± Q yelled as she prepared to cast multiple speed gates at once. ¡°Yeah, seems like we really ¡®sweeped¡¯ the competition!¡± Kukis pointed at her broom. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible pun.¡± Q finished making her rune gates and activated them all, creating a long line. Kukis had predicted this long before Q finished though, and she sent a salvo of spells through the gates, along with a few potions. The spells and potions immediately speeded up once they passed through the gates and headed towards Q with unparalleled speed. Even though this attack was surprising, Q had already come up with tactics for anyone who would try to use her rune gates against herself. Q immediately waved her hand to move the gates closest to her, then used a wind rune to quickly push herself out of the way of the spells. Unfortunately for her, the spells collided with the potions at some point which caused an explosion. Q was instantly hit with multiple status effects but she already predicted that and quickly used a cleanse rune. Now Kukis was far ahead of Q, but she didn¡¯t worry about that too much. Concentrate¡­ concentrate¡­ Q floated in midair for a second, and then she opened her eyes, whipping out her staff from underneath her. She made a complete circle with the staff while activating [Rune-Write] with it, creating a large circle that she began to furiously write in. The circle had only one thing thing written in it: explode. Q then created a few more speed gates and moved the previous speed gates into a straight line. Throughout all of this Q was actually in freefall, and by the time she got back on her staff she was almost touching the ground. Q wrapped her legs around the staff and locked them together, then tightened her grip on it. Schorl also cast a spell which caused a layer of rocks to form on Q¡¯s hands, locking her grip down even more. 45 degree angle¡­ no wait, 30. Distance should be fine. Q made some quick calculations inside her head and then nodded. ¡±Alright, here we go!¡± Q activated the large explosion rune behind her and braced herself for the impact. A loud ¡®boom¡¯ sound came out and Q was propelled forward with immense force. Each speed gate she passed through seemingly doubled her speed and she shot out like a comet. Despite her strong grip on her staff, she actually found herself slowly slipping off it. She grit her teeth and wrapped her tail around her staff, and tried to stay on it as best she could. Meanwhile Kukis was approaching the finish line when she suddenly heard a loud explosion behind her. Looking back, she saw that a red dot was approaching with high speed. She instantly knew what this meant, and drank as many potions as she could without hesitation. Her speed increased again, and she focused only on going forward as fast as she could. Q and Kukis rocketed forward, both approaching the finish line at high speed, and then¡­ ***** ¡°Argh! I was so close too!¡± Q got up from the enormous crater she made in the ground. She dusted herself off and used a healing rune on herself since her health was incredibly low. ¡°Hahaha! Better luck next time Q!¡± Kukis¡¯ face was wreathed in smiles, but secretly broke out in a cold sweat. If I didn¡¯t stretch out my hand in that moment, Q would have won! But who cares? I won! At the very last second Kukis won by an inch (literally) and won first place. Immediately following her was Q, who was going so fast that she couldn¡¯t stop herself in time and crashed into the ground. The two looked around themselves and noticed that there was a large amount of people looking at them in curiosity. In this crowd was Brie, Phanos and Cinnamon, who approached the two when they stopped flying. ¡°Congratulations on winning the race Kukis,¡± Brie started, ¡°and you did good as well, Q.¡± ¡°Thanks. Really though, Kukis deserves this win. She was able to suppress me perfectly throughout the entire race.¡± Q laughed. ¡°Nah¡­ I was just lucky.¡± Kukis blushed in embarrassment. ¡°I just used her habits against her and¡­ I had some good preparations and¡­ and¡­¡± ¡°Oh, just accept your win already.¡± Cinnamon patted her shoulder. ¡°But if you happen to win again¡­¡± Her grip tightened and a sinister smile appeared on her face. ¡°Right. Got it.¡± ¡°I must say, you two have won by quite a landslide.¡± Phanos piped up. ¡°Only now are the other witches coming out of the forest.¡± The group looked at the forest and saw that a few streams of witches were coming out. It was at this moment that one of the witches overseeing the race regained her senses and said, ¡°In first place, Witch Kukis! In second place, Runemage Q!¡± The girls waited together for the rest of the racers to arrive. After half an hour the rest of the racers arrived and the race was finished. The Grand Witches appeared in a flash of light, all wearing refreshed faces. ¡°Congratulations to everyone! Good job on completing this year¡¯s broom race.¡± Pamerun said. ¡°Yes, and this time there weren¡¯t any casualties. Isn¡¯t that something?¡± Suina said with a smile, but her tone didn¡¯t seem like she was joking. ¡°Yes yes, now let¡¯s move onto the prizes for our winners shall we? For our first place winner, a set of brand new witch equipment - including a broom made from elderwood, a state of the art alchemy set, and one of us Grand Witches will teach you any spell of your choosing! For second place, we have a supply of rare ingredients, as well as a magic focus to increase the strength of their spells. In third place¡­¡± ¡°Hey Q, wanna trade our prizes?¡± Kukis asked. ¡°My ingredients for your set of equipment? Although I¡¯d rather just have the hat to be honest. These robes aren¡¯t exactly the best for moving fast in a fight.¡± ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll pick a few and you can keep the rest then.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Q and the rest of the girls waited for the awards ceremony to end, and then got their prizes afterwards. Most of the ingredients Q got she couldn¡¯t recognize, but according to their description they could actually increase her stats if she consumed them - and the increase would be larger if they were refined and mixed first. Kukis picked a few of these for herself, then offered to mix the rest if Q passed over the rest of her ingredients. Q agreed, but only on the condition that she was able to get the boots Kukis got in return. Their ¡®transaction¡¯ finished, and Q looked at her new items with joy. [Atmus¡¯ Gaze (Focus, Magical)] - INT +50, WIS +25, Active Ability: Using a spell with this focus allows you to double the power of that spell (1 hour cooldown) [Woogelt¡¯s Witchcap (Head, Magical)] - WIS +15, INT +45, RES +30, Passive Ability: Reduces weather effects on the wearer, Passive Ability: Constantly searches for any source of magic within 20 meters. [Sylph Boots (Legs, Magical)] - END +10, AGI +30, DEX +10, INT +10, Active Ability: Allows user to walk on air for one minute. Q immediately equipped her new items and was getting ready to leave when she caught sight of Pamerun whispering to the other Grand Witches while looking very worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Pamerun?¡± She asked. ¡°Ah, Q.¡± Pamerun¡¯s expression looked cloudy and distracted. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to reach my apprentice Wendy, but she hasn¡¯t responded. I didn¡¯t see her with the other racers either, so I¡¯m very concerned.¡± ¡°I smell a quest!¡± Cinnamon whispered in Q¡¯s ear. Chapter 054 - Spirited Away ¡°Wendy~ Where are you?¡± Q called out in the dark forest. All around her were other witches also searching for the lost apprentice through various means. Some were flying high above the treetops to try and get a better view of things, while others were using skills like [Magic Perception] to see if they could find any trace of her. Everyone was gathered in groups of at least 5 or more, with each group having a wind mage to quickly relay messages. Q¡¯s group had Pamerun¡¯s other apprentice Lea travelling with them. ¡°I gotta say though, it¡¯s pretty surprising to see that the entire village is searching for Wendy. She must be really loved huh?¡± Q said after 5 minutes of searching. ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it.¡± Lea spoke up. ¡°She¡¯s always friendly with the other witches, and helps out whoever she can when she¡¯s not getting taught by Master. Oh Wendy¡­ where are you?¡± Her face became clouded with sadness. ¡°Heh, for all the rivalry you two have for each other, it seems like you care for her very much.¡± ¡°Wha- no! I¡­ I¡­ please keep it a secret? She¡¯ll get all uppity if she hears about this.¡± ¡°Heheheh¡­ of course!¡± Q smiled while crossing her fingers behind her back. The groups of witches went deeper and deeper into the forest as the night continued. The fog really began to roll in at this point as they had to activate a constant fire spell to keep it away. Even with that the fog was so thick that they couldn¡¯t see any further than five metres in front of them. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lea wore a pensive face. ¡°What¡¯s up Lea?¡± Q asked. ¡°It¡¯s this fog¡­ normally it doesn¡¯t get this thick but the times that it does¡­¡± ¡°Stop being mysterious. If it¡¯s information that can help us, you should quickly say it.¡± ¡°Sorry. I heard that the fog only gets this dense when the Kindersnatch is preparing to eat what it¡¯s hunted. It creates more fog so no one can disturb it¡­¡± ¡°Kindersnatch?¡± Q thought for a moment. ¡°Oh, I remember Wendy mentioning that to us when we first came here. Wait¡­ does this mean she¡¯s been captured by the Kindersnatch?¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± Lea¡¯s face paled. ¡°If that¡¯s true, we don¡¯t have much time to save her! I¡¯ll relay this to the other witches.¡± She concentrated for a moment and then began to send messages using her wind magic. ¡°Hmm¡­ but where could she actually be?¡± Q closed her eyes in contemplation. Come on game! You can¡¯t just send us on an investigation without any clues. It was at this exact moment that Q heard a faint chirp. She instantly locked onto that position and dashed towards the source of the sound. The rest of the girls were confused, but soon followed her. Once Q reached the origin of the chirp, she looked down to find a small bird with dark blue wings sprawled on the ground. ¡°Hold on a second, aren¡¯t you Wendy¡¯s familiar?¡± She asked as she created a healing rune and used it on the bird. The bird quickly regained its energy and then began flying circles around Q¡¯s head. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°Chirpy! Do you know where Wendy is?¡± Lea caught up with Q and quickly talked to the bird. ¡°*Chirp chirp*¡± The bird started flying away, then looked back and hovered in the air as it waited for the rest of the girls to follow. ¡°Clue found¡­¡± Q muttered under her breath as she created her flight circle and hopped onto her staff. Brie and Phanos jumped onto her staff, while Cinnamon began flapping her wings and Lea hopped onto Kukis¡¯ broom saying, ¡°I need to relay this to everyone else. Please be a bit cautious because I need to concentrate.¡± Kukis nodded in understanding, and the group set off to follow the bird. Wendy¡¯s familiar flew through the dense woods at high speed, not even checking to see if the girls were following it. Both Q and Kukis had some trouble navigating through the woods since they had to fly carefully due to their passengers, but they somehow managed to keep up with the bird. In no less than 3 minutes, they came up to a ridiculously thick fog wall. The bird dived in without hesitation and disappeared into the wall. The girls exchanged glances and nodded, then flew in after it. Their visibility was instantly reduced to nothing and not even fire or wind spells were able to clear it away. As a result they slowed down a bit, but continued to fly straight. The longer they travelled through the fog wall the slower they went, until eventually they weren¡¯t going any faster than if they were walking. ¡°Rrgh. Travelling through this fog is like swimming through water. How long does this go on?¡± Kukis complained as she struggled to force herself forward.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Most likely not much longer. I can feel a slight wind current up ahead.¡± Lea said. ¡°Please, continue to push onward!¡± ¡°Leave that to me!¡± Q created four speed gates and placed two in front of Kukis and herself. The moment they went through the gates their speed increased (though not by much), and they continued to struggle to move forward. Strangely enough, the resistance suddenly stopped and they broke through the fog wall. As soon as they got through their speed returned to normal, but because they were also under the effects of the speed gates they sped up and weren¡¯t able to react in time when they saw a rock which suddenly appeared in front of them. The first one to move was Phanos who made a few gestures with her hand and muttered something under her breath. Once she finished Q noticed that everyone received a buff which increased their defense. The second to move was Brie who thrust out her sword and released a blast of wind from its tip. The wind hit the rock and created a crack in it, then pushed back the girls slightly. Finally Q and Kukis reacted by pulling back as hard as they could. Despite all of this they still crashed into the rock, but thanks to Brie and Phanos¡¯ efforts the damage they took was minimized and they were able to float down to the ground. ¡°Sorry about that guys. Didn¡¯t think there¡¯d be a rock in front of us. Though I say that, it turns out to be part of an even larger wall.¡± Q gestured to the large rock they crashed into. Now that the fog wasn¡¯t around them, they could clearly make out a long wall of stone that extended for almost a mile on both sides. ¡°This is¡­ what is this?¡± Lea was incredibly confused to see such an object in the middle of the forest. ¡°Is that really so important?¡± Q asked. ¡°Besides, Chirpy seems to have found an entrance. We should probably follow it.¡± The blue bird kept flying circles around a small crack in the wall. The girls healed up and prepared themselves, then entered the crack one by one (which was a tight fit for Kukis and Cinnamon but the rest of them were able to slide through easily). After going through they found themselves facing a large courtyard with various ruined structures littering the ground. There were cracked cobblestone walkways and withered plants coming out from them. Most of the area was covered in dry dirt, and a heavy atmosphere hung over the place. The most striking thing was a large stone building in the center of the courtyard which was easily three stories high and had only a large metal gate on it. ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t like how this feels.¡± Q frowned as she felt a pressure on her mind which made her recall the first time she entered the forest of fog. A cursory glance showed that most of the other members were probably feeling something similar, though Phanos and Brie looked the same as ever. ¡°Wait¡­ I remember now! This is an abandoned keep from a long time ago. It was written in books that it used to be used by the Church of Luxus but was deserted after the witches drove them away. That was a story from countless centuries ago though¡­¡± Lea looked around wide-eyed at the old decrepit structure. ¡°Everyone, the bird is trying to head into the building in the center.¡± Phanos returned everyone¡¯s attention to the blue bird which was chirping loudly in front of the metal gate. ¡°Right! Just wait Wendy, we¡¯re coming to save you!¡± Lea rushed to the gate and tried looking for a way to open it. The gate was rusted shut, and there wasn¡¯t any obvious mechanism they could use to open it so Kukis threw a vial of green liquid which began to melt the gate upon making contact with it. After the gate was melted sufficiently Q blew it open with a rune and they headed inside. The inside of the structure revealed a spiral stairway leading down into the earth. The bird flew down without hesitation, but the girls proceeded with a bit more caution as Q lit a small flame and kept it in front of her as they proceeded. Cinnamon took the lead and was followed by Q, Brie, Phanos, then Lea, with Kukis keeping the rear guard. They went down the stairs for what felt like half an hour, accompanied with nothing but the sounds of their footsteps ringing on the stone stairs. Finally they got out of the stairway and entered a large dark room. Q and Kukis created a few orbs of light and spread them around the area, but soon regretted doing so as they saw what the room was. All around them were small metal cages and strange devices and tools made out of various materials, but they were able to recognize them due to their real world knowledge. ¡°...Those are torture devices¡­ aren¡¯t they?¡± Q said quietly upon seeing the ghastly sight. ¡°Yeah. If this place belonged to the Church then¡­ ugh.¡± Kukis tried to hold down something that was welling up in her throat. ¡°Disgusting.¡± Brie gritted her teeth in anger once she saw what the objects were. ¡°Shall I destroy them, milady?¡± Phanos was also angered, but she hid it under a calm facade. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we have time for that.¡± Cinnamon seemed to be the least affected by the surroundings. ¡°We should save Wendy as quickly as possible before anything else.¡± With Cinnamon¡¯s words the rest of the girls regained their senses and began looking for the bird. Q and Kukis spread out their light through the room to search for the bird, and as they moved through the room it revealed more and more of the terrible torture devices throughout. They tried to ignore the sight, but couldn¡¯t help but be affected by it since it was their first time seeing such things up close. Not to mention the fact that there were even various markings which were probably dried blood all around them. Half a minute later they finally found Wendy¡¯s familiar sitting silently on top of a restraining device. Just underneath it was a human figure. The light orbs got closer and illuminated its body, revealing a familiar face. ¡°Wendy!¡± Lea rushed forward to help her friend out of the bindings, but was then stopped by Q who suddenly grabbed her robes collar. ¡°W-what are you doing? I have to help her!¡± Lea struggled but couldn¡¯t escape Q¡¯s grasp. ¡°Lea, take a close look at her.¡± Q¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t stray from ¡®Wendy¡¯ at all. The rest of the girls also got into a fighting position, and the room temporarily froze as they stood in this deadlock for a few seconds. ¡°...Aww. I was hoping at least one of you would come over here.¡± ¡®Wendy¡¯ laughed a little. Her voice was no longer a bright happy tone, but was instead long and raspy. She moved her body and the bindings easily came off, then brushed off the dust on her shoulders and let out a smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Lea? Why don¡¯t you come and give me a hug?¡± Lea gasped once she saw Wendy¡¯s eyes. Her normally dark brown eyes were now a cloudy gray with strange white swirls occasionally moving through them. The reason Q stopped Lea earlier was because there was a [???] above ¡®Wendy¡¯s¡¯ head, but now that they could see her properly, a new name appeared above it. [Kindersnatch] - Level 80 ¡°Wendy¡­ no¡­¡± Lea lost all strength in her body as she fell onto her knees. ¡°We¡¯re too late.¡± Q felt a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. ¡°Late? On the contrary you¡¯re just in time!¡± The Kindersnatch made a high pitched laugh. ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner you see, and the preparations are finished.¡± ¡°You wanted an audience to see you eating Wendy? You¡¯re sick.¡± Kukis was prepared to cast a spell, but was hesitating in firing it. ¡°No, you misunderstand. What I mean to say is, my meal has finally arrived.¡± The Kindersnatch let out a wide grin. ¡°...This was all a trap.¡± Phanos suddenly realized something. ¡°The reason we suddenly went through the fog wall, the bird leading us down here... And now you¡¯ve blocked off our escape route.¡± Phanos looked behind the group and saw a thick wall of fog blocking the area they came from. ¡°What a clever one you are.¡± The Kindersnatch made its high pitched laugh again. ¡°This girl was just an appetizer. Now, it¡¯s time for the main course!¡± Chapter 055 - Snatched Away ¡°Cinn, protect Lea! Phanos, try to restrain it without hurting her body too much. Cookie, no fire spells. Brie, you¡¯re with me! We¡¯re going to try suppressing it!¡± Q gave out a bunch of orders and then charged towards the Kindersnatch while casting a reinforcement rune on herself and her staff. The Kindersnatch also moved forward at the same time, meeting Q¡¯s charge with an inhuman speed. For a moment Q was surprised but she was able to react by using her staff to block strange looking hands which were swung at her. Wendy¡¯s body seemed to be normal, but it was covered with the same white swirls which were in her eyes. The swirls - which closely resembled fog - gathered together and formed the shape of claws which were wildly slashing at Q. To Q¡¯s credit she was able to deal with it by making small and quick circular movements with her staff to both simultaneously block the attacks and push her away. At this point Brie joined Q and they worked together to keep the Kindersnatch from moving too much - where Q continued to push it away while Brie made very small cuts around the joints in an attempt to slow its movement. Meanwhile Cinnamon took a position to defend Lea by keeping her close and half-wrapping one of her wings around her. She also began to cast a few light spells and sent them throughout the chamber, illuminating it while also placing them in locations to keep the Kindersnatch ¡®boxed in¡¯. Phanos made an action similar to Cinnamon where she threw many cross-shaped sticks into the ground and chanted a spell. The effects were almost immediate as small symbols appeared which connected the sticks together, and the Kindersnatch¡¯s speed was instantly reduced by half. Kukis had the least to do since most of her attacks were incredibly strong and had the risk of possibly collapsing the chamber they were in. Not to mention quite a few of her potions were gas-based which meant she couldn¡¯t use them in a closed area. Her other ones activated on contact, but they did a lot of damage and could cause some serious harm to Wendy¡¯s body if used incorrectly. In the end she decided to use wind spells to harass the Kindersnatch, and at the same time used a few void spells to push around the various torture devices that might get in the way of the other girls. Being instantly suppressed like this, the Kindersnatch let out a cry of indignation and more fog poured out and covered the chamber. Suddenly the Kindersnatch disappeared, then reappeared directly behind Kukis. Cinnamon (who was the closest to her) instantly let out a beam of light from her spear, while Phanos threw a knife covered in a green glow. Both attacks hit the Kindersnatch which lowered its health a bit, but it ignored these and thrust an arm towards Kukis. The moment the arm made contact Kukis let out a cry of pain. Suddenly her health began dropping and at the same time the Kindersnatch¡¯s health (which had been depleted slightly from Cinnamon and Phanos¡¯ attacks) began to fill up again. Just because Kukis was surprised didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t prepare any countermeasures for sneak attacks, so she yelled out ¡°[Blast Mine]!¡± The ground behind her ruptured as an explosion of rocks and fire came out and blasted the Kindersnatch away. In this brief moment Cinnamon picked up Lea in her arms and moved to cover Kukis. Two healing spells took care of Kukis¡¯ health, but she took some mana potions as her mana had also been depleted from that draining attack just now. ¡°Ugh. An enemy with a draining attack. We¡¯re also super restricted from attacking it, which makes it ten times more of a pain.¡± Kukis noted once she had recovered. ¡°Yeah, and now that this fog is covering the entire area it can sneak attack us from anywhere. Not even [Magic Perception] is working.¡± Q said as she and Brie returned to the group. All five of the girls stood in a circle (with Lea sitting in the middle) as they tried to come up with a plan to defeat the Kindersnatch. ¡°P-please, you can¡¯t hurt her! She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s-!¡± Lea seemed to regain her senses and began pleading with the girls. ¡°Unless there¡¯s a way to save her, we don¡¯t have much choice. Otherwise we all die here.¡± Q said with a regretful face. ¡°Our only hope is that the witches you called beforehand show up, but we have no idea how long that¡¯ll take.¡± ¡°I too, would rather not inflict harm upon an acquaintance but¡­¡± Brie also appeared to have steeled her resolve as her sword glowed with magic energy. ¡°Lea, is there anything we can do?¡± Kukis looked the apprentice straight in the eye. ¡°All of us want to save her, but if it¡¯s too late then there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. If you have any ideas then tell us and we¡¯ll try our best.¡± ¡°...¡± Phanos remained silent, but her intentions were clear. If any harm comes to Milady, I will kill without hesitation. ¡°Incoming!¡± Cinnamon yelled as she extended her wing to block a mass of solidified fog which headed for the group. The impact caused her to shake a little, but she stood her ground. ¡°Think Lea!¡± She said with a fierce tone. ¡°This is your chance to save your friend!¡± ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡± Lea closed her eyes in concentration. ¡°Save? There¡¯s no saving this girl! Hehehehe!¡± The Kindersnatch¡¯s voice echoed throughout the chamber, taunting the girls. Then it appeared in front of the group with the blue bird on its shoulder. ¡°Soon, you will all be consumed alongside this girl. It¡¯s only a matter of time. Oh, and that help you¡¯re waiting for? It won¡¯t reach in time. My walls are strong, and only things I want to let through can get through.¡± It sent a few more blasts of solid fog which the girls worked together to block. ¡°...Consumed alongside?¡± Lea focused on those words and widened her eyes as she came to a realization. ¡°It hasn¡¯t eaten her yet! It¡¯s only temporarily possessing her body! We still have a chance! If we can do something to drive her out then...¡± ¡°Tch.¡± The Kindersnatch clicked its tongue in annoyance. ¡°I have been told that I¡¯m greedy¡­ So what if I haven¡¯t eaten her soul completely yet? It doesn¡¯t change the fact that you can¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°Actually, that changes a lot of things.¡± Q grinned. ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s work together to save her!¡± ¡°¡°Yeah!¡±¡± The girls collectively yelled and renewed their assault on the Kindersnatch. Phanos started first by throwing a knife covered in a yellow glow. The Kindersnatch blocked it with a wall of fog, but Phanos snapped her fingers and the knife exploded, breaking the wall and creating a clear path straight to the Kindersnatch. Cinnamon then followed up by sending a blast of light magic towards the Kindersnatch. It didn¡¯t cause much damage to Wendy¡¯s body as it only left a few patches of reddened skin, but the Kindersnatch¡¯s health bar dropped substantially. The Kindersnatch then teleported away to gain some distance, but Q was ready for that. She shot out a rune circle made out of ¡®slow¡¯ and ¡®stop¡¯ runes and activated it on the ground the Kindersnatch was standing on. The Kindersnatch resisted most of the effects, but was still visibly slower as it struggled to back away from Brie who dashed forward to attack. The Kindersnatch brought out those fog claws again and used them to forcefully block against Brie¡¯s furious slashes that were covered in light magic. While Brie pushed back the Kindersnatch, Kukis brought out a potion and handed it to Q. ¡°Force feed it!¡± She said as she began casting a few light spells. Q nodded and grabbed the potion, then ran up to meet Brie who continued to suppress the Kindersnatch. ¡°Phanos, can you stop it for one second?¡± Q asked.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I can for at least three.¡± Phanos responded matter-of-factly. ¡°Though I doubt you require that much time.¡± She then threw the cross-shaped sticks into the ceiling directly above and the ground right below the Kindersnatch. ¡°Milady, please step back.¡± Phanos said while activating her spell. Brie jumped back as the lines that connected the sticks before also connected vertically, trapping the Kindersnatch in a pseudo-cage. This cage also had the effect of clearing away the fog inside, causing the Kindersnatch to scream and struggle to escape. Q used a speed rune on herself, then pulled off the cork from the potion and concentrated. The instant the cage dissipated from the Kindersnatch¡¯s attacks, Q dashed forward and tackled it down, then shoved the potion directly into its mouth and held its nose. Does it even need to breathe? She worried as she waited for the Kindersnatch¡¯s reaction. Thankfully it reacted normally, as it began to sputter and struggle, but eventually swallowed the potion. As soon as it did its eyes widened and it shoved Q back with immense force, taking away almost a fifth of her health. ¡°W-what did you do to me!?¡± It screamed as it clutched its stomach in agony. ¡°Oh, just a potion that causes terrible stomach pains. It¡¯s about ten times stronger than the one I gave Q! Now, get out of that body or suffer the consequences!¡± Kukis laughed evilly. ¡°Ten times stronger? That¡¯s nasty¡­¡± Q muttered as she remembered the pain she had felt before. ¡°ARGH! Making a fool of me!¡± The Kindersnatch screamed again and something white started to form above Wendy¡¯s body. A female figure with thin wispy hair appeared. It had empty eyes which looked like a dark void, and it¡¯s body looked like it was made out of thin fog. From deep within its body came out chains which went inside Wendy;s body. ¡°I¡¯ve decided, I¡¯m going to eat you first!¡± It screamed as it moved towards Kukis. Both the Kindersnatch and Wendy¡¯s body moved together, though Wendy¡¯s body was slightly slower. Cinnamon positioned herself to stop the Kindersnatch¡¯s charge but also left a protective shield of light around Kukis just in case. Kukis also set up a bunch [Blast Mines], but unexpectedly the Kindersnatch didn¡¯t use it¡¯s ¡®disappearing¡¯ trick to reappear behind Kukis. Instead it condensed the fog which covered the chamber and shot them at the girls from all directions. Though blocking one or two was no problem for the girls, the sheer amount of attacks soon began to overwhelm them. Only Brie was able to calmly intercept each and every attack directed towards her, while the rest of the group had to come up with their own method of dealing with the attack. While this was happening, the Kindersnatch was intercepted by Cinnamon who began swinging her spear in seemingly random directions. All of her attacks were directed at the Kindersnatch¡¯s body though. Each time the Kindersnatch tried to slip by her, Cinnamon would quickly get in its way and push her back with a flap of her wings. This exchange continued for a while until Wendy¡¯s body began to attack Cinnamon. Left with no choice, Cinnamon forcefully shoved her back, eliciting a small cry from her. This girl¡­ is she still conscious in there? She wondered as she continued to push back the Kindersnatch. Suddenly Q broke away from the fog attacks on her body by using a reinforce rune on herself. Then she used another rune in an attempt to cut off one of the chains that bound Wendy and the Kindersnatch together. The chain shook violently, resulting in both the Kindersnatch and Wendy screaming in pain. ¡°Crap. Sorry Wendy.¡± Q changed her target to the Kindersnatch who then focused on her. The Kindersnatch ignored Q¡¯s attacks and sped towards her. All of the girls at this point had gotten through the fog attacks, and focused their efforts on the Kindersnatch while taking care to avoid the chains. Despite this, the Kindersnatch seemed unbothered (though it¡¯s health dropped to two thirds) and it got within 5 meters of Q. Of course Q was already moving to get away, but she didn¡¯t expect the chains which suddenly flew from its body. As the chains wrapped around her, Q heard a multitude of whispers in her head which were saying things like, ¡®give up¡¯ or ¡®let me in¡¯. Q gritted her teeth and shook her head in an attempt to ignore the whispers, but as more and more chains wrapped around her the whispers became louder until eventually they were deafening screams. At this point Q¡¯s body stopped moving and had a listless look in her eye as the same white swirls that were in Wendy¡¯s eyes appeared in hers. At the same time, the chains slowly began to sink into her body. If any of the girls checked the party menu, they would have seen that Q was afflicted with a status, [Possessed]. ¡°Q!¡± Cinnamon instantly ran over and tried to help, but the Kindersnatch forced Wendy¡¯s body into Cinnamon to stop her. ¡°Shiiiit¡­¡± Kukis swore under her breath. ¡°What do I do? I feel so useless¡­¡± ¡°Release my friend!¡± Brie dashed in with a furious expression on her face. Her attacks were let out without restraint, causing the Kindersnatch to scream in frustration as it was pushed back by the sheer amount of spells Brie let loose on it. ¡°I¡¯m not sorry for this.¡± Without warning, Phanos appeared in front of Q and then spartan kicked her far away from the Kindersnatch. This kick was so strong that Q actually flew in the air for a few seconds and collapsed on the ground about 10 meters away. While Q was flying through the air, the chains which were wrapped around her were unexpectedly weak and snapped as soon as she was about 5 meters away from the Kindersnatch. Her health was also low, but that was quickly fixed by Kukis who made her way towards Q and used her potions without restraint. ¡°Q! Are you alright?!¡± Brie asked with concern as she took a moment to look back at the fox girl lying on the ground. ¡°Y...yeah. Thanks Phanos, but couldn¡¯t you have held back a little? That hurt!¡± Q complained as she got up with Kukis¡¯ help. ¡°Hmph.¡± Phanos ignored Q and attacked the Kindersnatch who was being held back by Cinnamon (though Q couldn¡¯t help but notice a smirk on her face). The Kindersnatch tried throwing its chains at Phanos but she snorted in contempt and threw a multitude of knives back at it while dodging the chains. Now thoroughly enraged, the Kindersnatch threw chains in all directions while also using the condensed fog to knock the girls around. The only one who got caught was Cinnamon who prevented them from getting to Kukis and Lea. Her body quickly underwent the same changes Q¡¯s had, but once the other girls grabbed her and hauled her away to a safe distance the chains broke and she went back to normal. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t we do the same to Wendy?¡± Kukis suggested. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea. They both screamed in pain earlier when I tried cutting it. Who knows what¡¯ll happen if it breaks?¡± Q was very hesitant as she didn¡¯t want to hurt Wendy. ¡°It seems like a better idea to continue whittling it down like this anyway.¡± Cinnamon said as she blocked another mass of fog directed at the girls. ¡°The Kindersnatch¡¯s health is now down to half. We should just do this slow and steady, and not do anything crazy.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Q continued to fire out large amounts of small attacks. Like this, the girls patiently wore it down with their attacks. At one point the Kindersnatch managed to break free and began draining the health of Brie, but before it could even drain 10 points, it was instantly beaten back by Phanos who attacked with a speed she didn¡¯t display earlier. By the time the Kindersnatch¡¯s health was less than a quarter full, the girls were also in an exhausted state. The Kindersnatch¡¯s attacks constantly harassed them and if anyone got caught out, it would immediately make a move to drain their health. The girls were also starting to run low on mana and health as Kukis¡¯ potions began to ran out (though they were still hovering around 70%). ¡°Hrraagghh!!!¡± The Kindersnatch began to tug at the chains which connected it and Wendy. ¡°This damn body is holding me back!¡± One by one the chains began to snap, making the Kindersnatch grunt in pain. Wendy on the other hand looked like her soul was being wrenched out, and her screams reverberated throughout the torture chamber. ¡°Shit! Stop it!¡± All members of the party scrambled and bombarded the Kindersnatch with attacks, but they were too late, as the final chain snapped and Wendy¡¯s body fell lifelessly on the floor. ¡°Wendy! No!!!¡± Lea screamed out. She didn¡¯t even have time to feel grief as the Kindersnatch instantly appeared behind her and thrust a hand into her body. The Kindersnatch¡¯s health began to fill up again, while Lea was unable to move. ¡°You think I¡¯ll let you? [Angel¡¯s Grace]!¡± Cinnamon yelled. All of a sudden a halo of light appeared above Lea¡¯s head, repelling the Kindersnatch while slowly mending Lea¡¯s injury. ¡°Damn it. Everyone, full force! This thing dies now!¡± For the first time since playing this game, Q became incredibly furious. Her body began to glow red, while a low growl escaped from her throat. She ran forward and punched the Kindersnatch with a ¡®slow¡¯ rune on her fist, causing it to freeze in place. ¡°Kukis!¡± Q screamed. ¡°I got it.¡± From her staff came out a raging tempest which went around the Kindersnatch, clearing away the fog around it. Then she sent out a stream of flame, followed up by a spire of rock directly underneath the Kindersnatch. When the fire met the tempest, it grew even larger and the flames burned the Kindersnatch¡¯s body, while the rock spire sent its body up into the air. ¡°Phanos!¡± Q began making a large rune gate with her staff. Phanos threw out all the remaining knives she had in an octagon pattern, and with a few words a stream of magic appeared, connecting the knives. Once the knives surrounded the Kindersnatch, they hovered for a moment then turned inwards and closed in on it, stabbing its body while restraining it with the stream of magic. The Kindersnatch then began to fall. ¡°Brie!¡± Q simultaneously created another rune gate with her tail and her staff. ¡°Yes.¡± With a face just as angry as Q¡¯s, Brie dashed forward and positioned herself underneath the Kindersnatch. Her sword glowed multiple colors, then she stabbed it into the air, yelling ¡°[Elemental Thrust]!¡± All the elements were fired out from her sword, piercing into the Kindersnatch¡¯s body and dropping its health by a significant amount. Brie wasn¡¯t done just yet though, as she then let out a flurry of slashes while it was still falling, then used one final thrust to push it away. ¡°Cinnamon!¡± Q now prepared her [Charge Spark] in one hand, while creating one final rune gate with the other. ¡°[Cross Bind]!¡± Cinnamon threw her spear at the Kindersnatch, and once it made contact a bright light in the form of a cross came out. The Kindersnatch was trapped in this light and unable to move. By now its health was at critical levels, and it finally started to fear for its life. ¡°Alright you bastard, take this!¡± All the rune gates Q created were filled completely with the ¡®amplify¡¯ rune, and she lined them up in a straight line to the Kindersnatch. ¡°Charge¡­ SPAAAARRK!!!¡± As the line of electricity passed through each gate, it became larger and larger, until it was large enough to completely engulf the Kindersnatch. ¡°NO! NOOOOOO!¡± The Kindersnatch wailed as it began to fade away. By the time Q¡¯s spell ended, any trace of the Kindersnatch was completely gone, and the fog in the area disappeared as well. Messages began popping up, but Q ignored them as she looked over at Lea who had made her way to Wendy. ¡°Damn it.¡± She muttered, as she slowly walked over to the now crying apprentice. Chapter 056 - Nevermore ¡°Wendy¡­ *sniff* Wendy¡­¡± Lea gently caressed Wendy¡¯s head. Surrounding her were the rest of the girls who watched on in silence. For a while, the chamber was filled with nothing but the sounds of Lea¡¯s cries. ¡°...¡± Phanos stared at the two for a few seconds before letting out a loud sigh. ¡°Can you wrap this up quickly? Your cries are making milady uncomfortable, not to mention being in this place is bad for her health.¡± ¡°Phanos!¡± Q gave her a harsh stare. The rest of the girls also looked at her with admonishing eyes as they wondered how she could be so heartless. Letting out another sigh, Phanos continued. ¡°I mean she¡¯s not dead. If any of you had been paying attention instead of looking down all depressed, you would have noticed that she¡¯s still breathing. Though just barely, I might add.¡± After hearing her words the girls looked down in shock, but didn¡¯t find any sort of movement on Wendy¡¯s body. Instead Lea pressed a finger to her neck for a few seconds, then screamed ¡°She has a pulse! She¡¯s alive!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s good.¡± Q looked as if a heavy burden was removed from her shoulders. ¡°We should get out of this place and get her some proper treatment though.¡± The rest of the girls agreed, and they began to go back up the stairs from which they came. Lea insisted on carrying Wendy back up herself and politely refused their offers to carry her. While they walked upstairs, Q began reading the rewards she obtained from the fight.
Battle Log
[Stats Increased]
[Skill Proficiency Gained]
[Level Up] x2
[New Skill] - Mental Resistance (Passive) Reduces the effects of an enemy¡¯s mental attacks.
[Skill Update] - [Spell Analyze] - You may now continuously analyze a spell. Utilizing this drains your mana.
[New Title] - (Rescuer) You have saved someone in captivity. Effects When Equipped: 15% increased chance of returning something¡¯s mental state back to normal
[New Item] - [Soul Shackles (Chains, Unidentified)] - An object filled with the souls of the Kindersnatch¡¯s victims. You can sometimes hear their cries.
[New Item] - [Witch¡¯s Gloves (Gloves, Unidentified)] - An old worn out glove. Faint magical energy can still be felt inside. Perhaps it can still be used?
¡°Hey Cinnamon-¡± Q started. ¡°You called?¡± Cinnamon instantly moved beside Q. ¡°Uh, yeah. I wanted to ask if you knew that Wendy was still alive. You didn¡¯t seem as worried as everyone else after all.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°So why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± ¡°I was trying out the concept of ¡®reading the mood¡¯. I felt that her life was not in danger, so I took no actions. Was that no good?¡± Cinnamon asked with upturned eyes. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell under the circumstances though. While I don¡¯t doubt your capabilities, I find the fact that Phanos noticed she was still alive was pretty amazing.¡± ¡°You learn to tell the difference after a while.¡± Phanos said, overhearing their conversation. ¡°Oh, so have you seen a lot of dead bodies?¡± Q raised an eyebrow. ¡°...¡± ¡°Hey everyone, I can see the gate!¡± Kukis yelled. Everyone quickly made their way to the entrance from which they came, and were greeted with the sight of a whole myriad of witches waiting in front of the gate, both on the ground and in the air. For a second all of them had their wands and staffs pointed at the gate, ready to fire, but upon recognizing the girls they lowered them in relief. ¡°Lea! Is Wendy alright?¡± Pamerun zoomed down on her broom and began fussing over her two apprentices. ¡°I-I think so. She¡¯s still alive at least.¡± Lea finally seemed to lose all strength in her limbs once she caught sight of her teacher. ¡°Thank goodness¡­ And thank you all.¡± Pamerun said as she turned to the rest of the girls. ¡°If you weren¡¯t here, I don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened. So as both a leader and a teacher, I thank you for saving Wendy, from the bottom of my heart.¡± ¡°No problem. We really should get back to the village though.¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll make sure to reward you all properly later.¡± Pamerun addressed the rest of the witches. ¡°Everyone, Wendy is alright! Thank you for your efforts until now.¡± The witches nodded in return, and they all began heading back towards the village. Brie and Phanos hopped onto Q¡¯s staff, while Lea took off on her own broom carrying Wendy. Lea and the grand witches all gathered up around each other and were quietly discussing something. Lea then pointed at Q, making a few of the grand witches fly by her. ¡°Hey Q, is it true that you guys fought against the Kindersnatch?¡± Haeldrix asked. ¡°Yeah. It was really irritating.¡± Q grimaced, remembering the fight.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°And disgusting.¡± Brie added. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Suina flew beside Q. ¡°Do you know how many witches have gotten lost in these woods? Over hundreds have gone in, never to come back. We knew that witches who go in are either not alone, or have good skills, yet we still kept losing a few every year. Now with this entire situation, I can say with confidence that it was definitely the Kindersnatch which killed them as the timing and forest¡¯s reaction are just too coincidental. Actually, that makes the fact that you¡¯ve killed the damn thing incredible.¡± ¡°But if you¡¯ve figured out the pattern of missing witches in relation to the Kindersnatch, why haven¡¯t you done anything about it until now?¡± Q felt confused. ¡°You guys definitely have the firepower to take it down, and finding the abandoned fortress should¡¯ve only been a matter of time.¡± ¡°Ah, but that¡¯s the thing you see. We were aware of the existence of the abandoned fortress, but it kept moving around the forest. Not to mention that it¡¯s still hard to find anytime it disappears. At one point we even tried to keep a group of witches in the fortress, but when they all vanished one day, we decided to stay far away from it.¡± ¡°Actually, this situation right here, we¡¯ve had it happen before.¡± Haeldrix cut in. ¡°The thing is, the fog wall was too strong and we couldn¡¯t break through, and by the time it dispersed the victims were¡­ Anyway, this time was different though. With the new spells we¡¯ve learned were were able to slowly pierce through the wall, but I guess you girls solved the problem before we could even get there huh?¡± ¡°I guess. So what¡¯s going to happen from here on out? I mean since the Kindersnatch is dead, I suppose the fortress isn¡¯t moving anywhere anytime soon.¡± Q said. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll probably destroy that place after searching it for anything useful. In fact, I¡¯ll personally tear it to pieces. There¡¯s nothing good about having that place around us. As for what we¡¯ll do¡­ I guess celebrate Wendy¡¯s safe return? And of course, the heroes who risked their lives to save her.¡± Haeldrix joyfully patted Q¡¯s head. After half an hour of flying, they finally made it back to the village and everyone went back to their everyday schedules. Wendy and Lea were brought to Pamerun¡¯s house to rest, and the girls all decided to log off to take a break (except for Cinnamon who wanted to continue leveling up to catch up with everyone else). They said their farewells and arranged to meet up in a few hours, then logged out. ***** ¡°...and then, I hit it with an amplified [Charge Spark] with a 4x boost, and killed it.¡± Q laid in the middle of a large mass of black feathers, or in other words, on top of the Guardian of Wisdom. When she logged in she found that no one else was online, so she headed back down to the Underground Library and told the two guardians all about her most recent adventure. Lately she had gotten close enough to the guardians that they didn¡¯t mind having her around, and if they were in a good mood they¡¯d even let her touch them (like now). ¡°So, you¡¯ve already grown enough to use rune gates is it? Well, that¡¯s to be expected since you have my master¡¯s diary with you. After all, he recorded much of his findings on runes in there.¡± ¡°Say what!? I gave his diary to the Grand Witches ages ago! Agh, I was working so hard on finding new ways to use these runes, and you¡¯re telling me that there was an easy way the entire time?¡± ¡°...It appears I have been underestimating your potential by quite a bit. Perhaps you are ready to learn our abilities.¡± ¡°Woah? You serious?¡± Q had constantly been asking the Guardians to display their skills so she could analyze them, but they had refused her up until now. ¡°Very serious. Now get down so I can properly show you.¡± The guardian seemed to chuckle a little upon seeing Q¡¯s enthusiasm. Q obediently floated down to the ground and waited in anticipation. ¡°I believe your [Spell Analyze] is at a sufficient level to continuously analyze, correct? If so then activate it now.¡± Q nodded and activated the ability, her eyes flashing with magic power as she waited for the guardian to use its ability. The guardian opened its wings wide, then shouted in a loud voice, ¡°[Nevermore]!¡± Before Q could comment on the name of its spell, a large wave of magic swept through the area, and left a sort of dampened feel. A quick glance at her status showed that all her spells were sealed, but because [Rune-Writing] and [Spell Analyze] were skills, she was still fine. While Q analyzed the spell, the guardian explained its effects. ¡°[Nevermore] is a spell that completely eliminates any magic usage within its range of influence. The range and duration depend on the caster¡¯s magic power. Also, if a spell is strong enough it can still be cast within the affected area, though it will be noticeably weakened. Also skills which use mana are still able to be utilized in its area of effect. According to my master it¡¯s made up of quite a few runes, the most noticeable ones being [Drain], [Impede], and [Nullify].¡± ¡°Haha, your master¡¯s not wrong.¡± Q said after she finished analyzing the spell completely. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! If I can nullify things other than spells¡­ huhuhuhuhu....¡± ¡°Remember, that¡¯s only if you have more magic power than they do. Also, since I¡¯ve entrusted you with this ability, I¡¯m sure that you won¡¯t do anything bad with it, correct?¡± The guardian lightly smacked Q on her head with its wings. ¡°Absolutely!¡± Though Q said that, she was already formulating different ways she could cause mischief with these newfound runes. ¡°Heh. I¡¯m a bit tired right now, so go and find Glaukes for his own spells. He¡¯ll know it¡¯s okay if you show him the new runes you¡¯ve learnt.¡± "Woohoo! Thanks Morrigan." Q ran off to get some new spells from the Guardian of Knowledge, leaving the large raven behind. "Yes... make good use of our powers. We don''t have much time left here after all..." ***** "... and that is how you use [Light Dash]." The giant owl spoke with a deep voice. "Just remember it can only be used in bright places." "Thanks a lot Glaukes." Q bowed in respect. "Say... do you happen to know what happens to the victims of a Kindersnatch? I always see you reading a lot of books so..." "Hmph. If it comes to knowledge there isn''t anything more knowledgeable than me." The owl puffed out its chest in pride. "Except maybe for Morrigan... Ahem. You wish to know what happens to the victims of Kindersnatch attacks?" "Yeah." "Simple. Their soul is devoured. The Kindersnatch is a creature that thrives off the life force of other beings, and its favorite food is those with high amounts of mana." "That''s..." Q suddenly felt uncomfortable. "The one I fought, it had chains around the girl it was possessing, then it broke them by itself. Is that bad?" "Mm." The owl nodded. "Very bad, actually. That action would be akin to forcefully breaking apart someone''s soul. That girl may be alive, but she may not be... ''alive'' if what you said is true." "Oh man, that''s bad." Q was about to leave the library to look for Wendy when she suddenly remembered something. "Uh, do you know if anyone''s ever recovered from such a condition?" Sadly, the owl shook its head. "Unfortunately no. I have never heard of such a situation occurring before, and as there is no precedence, I am not sure if there is something that could help her." "I see... thanks Glaukes. I gotta go now." Q hopped onto her staff and flew out of the library. She zoomed up the long stairway and burst through the doors leading back into the town hall. Then she quickly got directions from the nearest witch, then headed towards where they were keeping Wendy. Wasting no time, she flew around the town hall and eventually went through a door with a sign above it saying ''Infirmary''. "Ah, Q..." Pamerun and Lea were sitting beside a bed, which had Wendy was sitting upright in. For a moment everything seemed fine, until Q looked into Wendy''s eyes which looked completely empty. "Is she... okay?" Q asked with trepidation. "No. She''s been like this ever since she woke up..." Pamerun began. "We think it''s just after effects from being possessed but..." "It''s worse than that." Q explained what she had learned in the underground library. As she continued to speak, Pamerun and Lea''s expressions grew incredibly grim, and they ended up holding Wendy''s hands as Q talked. "To think that such a thing..." Pamerun began stroking Wendy''s head. "I''m so sorry Wendy. This is all my fault." "N-no! It was because of me! I should''ve kept an eye on her during the race..." Lea was dismayed. "Both of you, stop blaming yourselves!" Q shouted. This game... it''s seriously hitting way too close to home. She remembered an event incredibly similar to this in the past, which left a terrible feeling in her stomach. "What you need to do right now is figure out what you can do for her. Things like how you can fix her condition, who will take care of her... if you''ll even take care of her-" "Of course I''ll take care of her!" Lea yelled. "I''ll do it for as long as I live if I need to. I''m not... I won''t let things end like this." "Good." Q smiled after seeing the conviction in her eyes. "You''re right. I lost my composure for a moment." Pamerun took a deep breath. "Really, thank you Q. I- no. We will take care of things here. We couldn''t possibly ask any more from you after what you''ve done for us." "Eh, I''d be fine with helping you anyway though. If you do need our help, you know you''ll have it." Q smiled, then walked up to Wendy. "Hey Wendy, you have wonderful people who care about you, so you better get well soon so you can thank them." Speaking the words which were once said to her, Q left the trio to themselves and began searching for her friends who had just signed on. Chapter 057 - The Witch Hunt Pt.1 ¡°Aw man, if this was a normal game I¡¯d have resetted a long time ago¡­¡± Kukis shook her head upon hearing what happened to Wendy. The girls were all gathered up in the village square, and were talking on top of the upside-down fountain. ¡°I know right?¡± Q let out a depressed sigh. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can really do about it though. Unless this game has some sort of ¡®cure everything potion¡¯.¡± ¡°Actually, this game just so happens to have something like that.¡± Cinnamon casually tossed out some ridiculous information. ¡°Hey, say that earlier! Where can we find that potion?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for getting your hopes up Q, but this potion doesn¡¯t do what you¡¯re thinking of. It cures all status conditions, and what Wendy¡¯s going through isn¡¯t considered a status condition. Besides, it isn¡¯t available in the game yet anyway.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ and how do you know about such a potion?¡± Phanos asked with interest. ¡°Insider information.¡± Cinnamon smiled mysteriously. Phanos tried to get more information out of her, but Cinnamon ignored her attempts. The girls continued to talk with each other, until Q suddenly remembered something very important. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll be back in a second guys. I have to get Alrune¡¯s diary from the Grand Witches.¡± Q flew towards the town hall and asked for some directions to whichever Grand Witch was nearest. She was eventually directed to Caryll, the Grand Witch of the Void, who was actually reading the diary on a table filled with stacks of paper. ¡°Oh, hello Q. I presume you¡¯ve come for this?¡± She pointed at the diary. ¡°Yeah, if you don¡¯t mind. Apparently there¡¯s a lot of stuff written about runes in it, and it completely slipped my mind until Morrigan reminded me.¡± ¡°Morrigan?¡± Caryll tilted her head in confusion. ¡°The Guardian of Wisdom.¡± ¡°My, to think you¡¯ve become friendly with those large beasts. Well go ahead and take his diary. It is your right as his only apprentice after all.¡± ¡°Thanks, though I¡¯m not sure if I was ever officially appointed as his apprentice¡­ By the way are you sure you don¡¯t need it anymore?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve already copied the contents and have it somewhere else for safekeeping. I must say though, the powers of these runes are really something.¡± Caryll extended a finger and it began glowing brightly. Slowly moving her hand, she made a rune for void which quickly faded away. ¡°You guys can also use rune magic?¡± Q widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Haha, not quite. Gathering magic power and forming them into runes is quite a difficult task. Because I¡¯ve constantly been researching runes, i¡¯m the only one out of the Grand Witches who can even get as far as creating a simple rune. You¡¯re quite amazing to be able to do this consistently.¡± ¡°You think? It¡¯s not like it takes a lot of effort on my part.¡± Q drew the same rune except it was done more quickly and glowed brighter than the one that Caryll made. ¡°Though that might just be because my class is Runemaster.¡± ¡°That could be a factor¡­ Hmm¡­¡± Caryll turned around and began writing furiously on the papers on the desk. Not wanting to interrupt her, Q left quietly and exited the town hall. Just as she jumped onto her staff, she felt a shiver go down her spine and looked around for the cause of it. There was nothing in sight so she flew up like normal, but when she got into the sky she noticed that a lot of the witches who were flying around started to lose control and fell from the skies. ¡°Is their magic going haywire? What in the world¡­?¡± A message notice shook her out of her stupor, and she began to read it.
Q, there¡¯s big trouble! all of our spells are weakened. we heard a loud noise from the south sounded like trees breaking. respond! Hold up.
Q looked to the south and what she saw that the trees were snapped and bending inwards to the village, as if something from the outside had knocked them down. She focused on the point where the trees were broken, and saw that there were people jumping out. ¡°Q! I felt the barrier break! What¡¯s going on?¡± Pamerun and a few other witches unsteadily flew up beside Q. ¡°I¡­ think we¡¯re being invaded.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°They¡¯re wearing bright golden armor with the symbol of¡­ a star? Or a sun.¡± When Q fully concentrated she was able to barely make out the details on the people. ¡°The Holy Church of Luxus¡­¡± Pamerun¡¯s face paled. ¡°How did they find this place?¡± ¡°Who cares!¡± One of the witches following Pamerun spoke up. ¡°Our enemy has appeared, so let¡¯s get rid of them!¡± ¡°¡°Yeah!¡±¡± The other witches got riled up, but Pamerun extinguished their passion with her next words. ¡°Fools! Our spells have weakened and they¡¯ve probably brought an army to kill us all! Now¡¯s not the time to think of fighting, but how to reduce casualties and escape!¡± Just as she finished saying this, the trees in all the directions of the village began to crack and bend.
We¡¯re being invaded by the Church of Luxus. They¡¯re moving to kill Warn everyone! Shit.
¡°I asked my friends to spread the word but¡­ I¡¯m not sure we can reach everyone in time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate us witches! We can still form a message relay even with this spell weakening.¡± Pamerun concentrated and let out a wave of wind mana which managed to travel for 500 meters before dissipating. ¡°Q, would you and your friends help us with this?¡± ¡°Of course!¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
[New Quest!] - Defeat the Invaders [Objective] - Defeat the Church of Luxus -OR- make them retreat [Failure Condition] - 75% of The Church¡¯s forces get into the village -OR- 50% of the Witches are dead. [Rewards] - Varies
I¡¯m moving to the northwest area. Can you all take care of the other places? I¡¯d like to join you though¡­ No. Protect as many as you can. Understood. Will you be alright Q? Yeah, my spells suck right now. You have the same problem? No, runes are working fine for some reason. Anyway, we try to repel them as best we can. Remember we can¡¯t communicate once we start fighting. Meet back up in the square in 30 minutes if nothing changes. Yes. Alright. See you there. (- _ -)
¡°Pfft.¡± Q snickered reading that last comment. She¡¯s probably saying something like ¡®how dare she order milady to go into a dangerous area!¡¯ Well enough screwing around. Time to beat back these invaders! ***** (Players POV) Finally, some action! I glanced back at the large amounts of soldiers and players waiting to get in through the south treeline. Honestly, I can¡¯t believe we had to wait for the church to gather such a large army. Us players can handle this place perfectly fine. In fact, quite a lot of us bought items with high magic resistance just for this fight. There¡¯s sure to be a lot of loot after we raid the place, so the money we paid can easily be gained back. Well, that¡¯s what I thought when we first signed up for this quest, and yet¡­ ¡°...What the hell is going on here?¡± I watched, wide-eyed as ridiculously powerful magic attacks were shot at us. Luckily I was to the far left of the first wave so I wasn¡¯t targeted, but the soldiers and players in the middle began taking heavy damage. Aren¡¯t they supposed to be weakened!? I screamed in my mind. There were multiple things set up by the church when they learned the existence of the Witch Village. First and foremost was a weakening barrier which they spent almost half a day setting up. It was pretty hard doing that without getting spotted by the witches, but according to the priests, it was necessary to fight them, and now I can see why. If this is their magic attacks when weakened, what the heck are they at normal strength? Their magical attacks weren¡¯t just doing a lot of damage to us, but also to the surroundings. The earth shook, the wind howled, and the entire forest seemed to be mocking us for our trespassing. Then I began to hear voices in my head. I crouched down and tried to shut them out, but they just kept coming! For a second I thought I¡¯d lose my mind, when all of a sudden a glow of light appeared around me and my mind was cleared. ¡°Aw man, if our vanguard is affected this strongly, then we¡¯re in for a load of hurt.¡± The familiar voice of my friend came from behind me. ¡°T-thanks Coal.¡± I gave him a nod and grabbed my shield which had dropped at some point. ¡°No problem. The soldiers broke some traps the witches set up which weakened us. Pretty crafty but¡­ they¡¯re no match for my buffs! [Raging Aura]!¡± I felt power swell in my body, and the weakened state I was in earlier all but disappeared. Instead, I let out a hearty roar from my throat and ran into the fray, blocking the spells which were suddenly much weaker. Since the center line was weakened, I ended up at the front of the charge and felt a strange sense of unity with the other soldiers. At this point archers began showing up, causing the witches to quickly give up their assault and flee. A few got caught by some arrows and then dropped from the sky, unmoving. ¡°Hey, they have no defenses! Ignore the magic attacks and press on!¡± I yelled back to my comrades. They responded in kind, and we charged forth with new vigor. Just as we made it halfway towards the village, someone appeared in front of us. Is that¡­ a maid? Seeing such an odd figure on a battlefield made me temporarily halt my steps. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the fallen witches get dragged away by some people, but the maid gathered most of my attention. ¡°Good evening to you fine fellows.¡± The maid smiled. ¡°This may be presumptuous of me, but may I request you to peacefully leave? Honestly, it would-¡± ¡°Shut up you witch!¡± One of the soldiers behind me yelled. ¡°...Witch? Do I look like a witch to you?¡± The maid tilted her head. ¡°Anything living in this village is evil! Prepare to be smited with Luxus¡¯ light!¡± The soldier responded, then readied his weapon. The others behind him did the same and were about to charge, but the maid simply sighed upon seeing this. ¡°...and here I was thinking I could show milady that conflicts can be solved with words alone¡­¡± Since I was closest to her, I could just barely make out her words. ¡°Oh well.¡± Her smile vanished, and then her figure disappeared. I, as well as the rest of the soldiers were shocked, but that shock doubled when the maid suddenly appeared in front of me. ¡°That¡¯s one.¡± She vanished again, and before I could even turn to look for her I felt a sharp pain in my neck. My eyes gradually looked down, and I saw a knife sticking out of my throat! I tried to grab and pull it out, but all strength in my body was lost. A look at my status screen showed I was [Weakened], [Poisoned], [Bleeding] and [Paralyzed]. My body fell to the ground in a position where I could see what was happening behind me, and the last thing I saw was dozens of soldiers falling over, just like I was¡­ ***** (Head Priest¡¯s POV) Hahaha! All of our preparation is paying off! At last, we can finally destroy those vile witches once and for all! At first I thought that hiring adventurers was pointless, but they turned out to be an unexpected boon. First, they found the Witch¡¯s village, which we thought to be near impossible to find. Then they began contributing heavily to our cause, for just a few coins and random items we had accumulated over the years. They almost seem like mercenaries in a sense, but it¡¯s even better since they can¡¯t die and keep coming back, eager to help again. The adventurers weren¡¯t our only expenses, as we also had to pay a hefty sum for soldiers, their equipment and supplies. It¡¯s worth it though, as no price is too high to get a chance to destroy these spawns of evil. I have had dreams of destroying them ever since I heard my predecessor speak of the atrocities they have committed. My predecessor, and his, and even further back have all constantly been passing down warnings and hate-filled words for the vile witches, and I had made it my personal quest to exterminate them from this world. Of course, everything had to be perfect. Everything was personally managed by me. Well, except for the unit tactics and positions which were taken over by some upstart adventurer, but even I have to admit their tactics are better than mine¡­ Slightly. After the barrier was activated we immediately began breaking down their defenses and the treeline. The adventurers were particularly useful here, as they had quite a few techniques that allowed them to easily take down the trees. Once we broke in we were assaulted by a few witches, but of course they couldn¡¯t even put a scratch on our defenses. Hmm? What...? Our soldiers are dying you say? How odd. Though, no matter how much the witches struggle it¡¯s useless. There are at least 1500 soldiers I hired -not including the adventurers- who have all surrounded the village. Our prided Sunlight Warriors were also ready and waiting. The witches don¡¯t stand a chance! At least, that¡¯s what I thought¡­ ¡°...What in the world is this?¡± A single witch was floating in the air above us, looking down with a frown. My surprise didn¡¯t come from her presence, but from what she¡¯d done. The moment we were about to finish off the witches who fell to the ground, she appeared and single handedly beat back all of the soldiers. At the same time she even managed to heal those witches, and sent them off, leaving herself alone. This strength and power¡­ it must be a Grand Witch, I thought. Wonderful, I¡¯ve always wanted to kill one! The surprises weren¡¯t over yet though. Despite all spells being weakened she still sent out devastating attacks and even more shockingly, nullified ours. Her agile movements in the air allowed her to easily dodge any arrows shot at her, and in exchange she would bombard us with spells of all elements. She only stopped attacking when we stopped advancing, and now we were at a standstill. ¡°So¡­ how are you all doing this morning? Or is it night? I can¡¯t tell with all the fog around us...¡± She said nonchalantly. I was about to order my soldiers to continue, when one of the adventurers spoke up. ¡°Hey¡­ aren¡¯t you the player Q? I recognize those fox ears and tail! Especially that tail¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I am. Though I have a pretty good idea of what¡¯s going on, I figured I¡¯d ask. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Obviously we¡¯re here to destroy you witches!¡± I yelled. Although the adventurers were useful, I had to remember that they were also very dangerous. To think that one of them had fallen to the evils of the witches¡­ the very thought disgusts me. ¡°Oooh, a sparkly priest dude.¡± The witch formed an irritating grin on her face. ¡°Alright, let me rephrase my question. Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Hmph. We¡¯re only wiping out the evi-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you. I¡¯m talking to the players.¡± Since I was interrupted, I impulsively let out one of my stronger spells, wanting to eviscerate her in a second. Ridiculously enough, my spell dissipated before even reaching her! ¡°Huh. So I had more magic power than a priest? Or is it just the rune¡­ Anyway, you guys answer me. Why are you attacking the witches who have remained peaceful for centuries?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ It¡¯s a quest?¡± One of the adventurers answered uncertainly. ¡°I see¡­ so for a quest you¡¯d invade a peaceful village of incredibly nice people.¡± ¡°Your village is filled with monsters, and evil!¡± One of the soldiers yelled. Yes, I thought, expose them for what they really are! ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re just assuming that the people in this village are bad, despite never meeting them, talking to them, or even attempting to understand them a little?¡± The witch¡¯s demeanour became more threatening. ¡°I¡­¡± The adventurer she was speaking to looked back at his comrades for an answer, but they shrugged their shoulders. How troublesome. To think these adventurers were so weak-willed. No matter. In times like this it¡¯s up to the leader to reassure his subordinates. ¡°Listen up you all! For every witch you kill, I¡¯ll give you a handsome reward! Whoever kills the most will get to pick out any item from our own vault!¡± The adventurers looked like they needed one last push. ¡°Turning your back now will have you branded as a traitor!¡± For a moment they seemed conflicted, but then their eyes began to cloud with greed. ¡°Sorry Q.¡± The adventurer said. ¡°It¡¯s a quest after all, and I don¡¯t want to get on the bad side of the Church.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± The witch sighed and looked up to the sky. Apparently she made her resolve, as when she looked back down her eyes were filled with determination. ¡°I guess we¡¯re doing things the hard way, huh?¡± Her fingertips glowed with magical energy and my soldiers responded in kind. ¡°Attack!¡± I yelled to my soldiers. ¡°Heh. Bring it on!¡± Chapter 058 - The Witch Hunt Pt.2 --Kukis-- ¡°...got it. We have the west side covered.¡± I responded with the [Air Message] spell I learned a while back. Currently the village was completely surrounded by the Church of Luxus, and everyone was making an effort to beat them back. From the messages I¡¯ve recieved, it turns out that many of the witches were still in a panic and were unable to decide whether to evacuate or fight back. Actually now that I think about it, how are we going to run away in this situation? The witches that were fighting were sustaining heavy injuries and a few have already passed away. The injured were moved to the village square for emergency treatment, and the deceased were also brought along for a proper burial¡­ assuming we can get through this. A good portion of the witches were running around the village setting up hexes and other traps, while the ones that were ready headed to the different sectors of the village to fight against the church. The rest were busily gathering up all sorts of valuables. Apparently the Grand Witches were also out in the field, with a total of four of them helping out the east side of the village. What I found ridiculous is that Q was currently holding off the north side by herself while Phanos and Brie took on the entire south side. Seriously, my party members are stupid strong¡­ Though it does make me a little proud to be considered a proper member of said party. At the very least Pamerun was moving to the north, Haeldrix was moving to the south, and Suina was helping Cinnamon and myself here in the west side. Each of the Grand Witches had a dozen or so witches following around which would normally be some serious firepower, but with the weakening barrier everyone¡¯s spells were only half as effective. I felt the same way I did when fighting the Kindersnatch - useless. I can¡¯t say that my spells were absolutely weak, but the fact that I couldn¡¯t deal any substantial damage with them bothered me. On the other hand Cinnamon was having a field day with these soldiers. When they first saw an angel ¡®descend from the heavens¡¯, they were cheering and thought that even their god was blessing them with his grace. The shock on their faces when she pulled out her spear and began attacking them was hilarious. Every single one of her movements was geared towards crowd control, which I suppose was appropriate since that was her role in our party. The best thing is that her defenses were naturally more resistant to light attacks, meaning that most of the soldiers couldn¡¯t leave a scratch on her. Some of the players in the crowd were pretty crafty and tried darkness spells or sneak attacks, but she dealt with them all easily. As for me, I was left with using earth magic to try and funnel the soldiers in a single point. Of course I had some potions to throw, but I didn¡¯t get the chance to make that much since the broom race and the battle with the Kindersnatch which left me low on boom-boom supplies. Instead I learned a new spell from the Grand Witches, but with spells being weakened and the one I obtained being a bit¡­ disruptive, it¡¯d probably end up doing more harm than good. ¡°Man, I am so envious of these girls¡­ I wish I had skills like those.¡± I muttered as I sent a soldier into the sky with a [Blast Mine]. ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short Kukis.¡± Suina smiled as she suffocated a group of soldiers in a ginormous bubble of water. ¡°You¡¯re doing some great work! Just keep it up until our reinforcements arrive.¡± ¡°O-oh, you think so?¡± I scratched my cheek in embarrassment. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it my all!¡± I cast the same combination of spells I used on Q during the broom race, [Flame Pillar] and [Water Pillar]. The two collided in the middle of the soldiers and mist came out. Then I sent out a lightning bolt spell which spread throughout the mist, electrocuting the soldiers which allowed Cinnamon to finish them off. The only problem was that no matter how many we defeated they kept on coming out through the gap in the trees. The ones we didn¡¯t finish off were healed back to full health as well, making it extra troublesome. ¡°Ah geez, I hope the others aren¡¯t having a hard time¡­¡± --Q-- Well, my ¡®demoralize the adventurers¡¯ plan didn¡¯t work out. I guess the sparkly priest is really going to be a hindrance if I want them to stop fighting. Just as a quick experiment I shot out an amplified fireball towards him, but it was blocked by a magic barrier. The priest grinned in contempt, and let out a barrage of light orbs all aimed towards me. For a second I considered using the [Null] rune again, but it really does take up a lot of my mana. From the two times i¡¯ve used it, almost a quarter of my mana was sucked up (though it¡¯s already regenerating), so I decided to dodge instead. Originally I was going to head out to the west side of the village, but from above I could see that Cookie and Cinnamon were flying there so I changed directions. Cinnamon I wasn¡¯t worried about at all, and Cookie was surprisingly adept at beating down enemies (despite her claims that she was inferior to the rest of us). Their combination was also quite good as well. I should probably think of a name for them like... Cinnamon Cookies. Yeah. Anyway, the situation was pretty bad when I reached the north side of the village. There were already witches falling out of the sky from the church¡¯s attacks. I tried to get to them as fast as I could but a few of them were already gone by the time I got there. There wasn¡¯t any time to regret though, so I put some flight runes on the fallen witches and had them slowly float back towards the village. I also asked (more like forced) the other injured witches to escort them back, which left me to take on the church alone. Just me and hundreds of soldiers... I got this¡­ Probably. Honestly I¡¯m thankful that my runes aren¡¯t weakened. It¡¯s probably because [Rune-writing] is a skill rather than a spell, though I don¡¯t really know the specifics. It¡¯s also at this time that I¡¯m thankful that I put a point in my skill tree earlier which let me activate different runes individually. I could constantly create runes and use them immediately or let them hover in the air for a long time, ready to shoot. A lot of the runes I shot out consisted of ¡®void¡¯ which was mainly used to push the soldiers back with the sheer amount of magic attacks directed towards them. A big plus is that it also didn¡¯t take up too much mana so I could continue spamming attacks in this way. What I found funny was that my fingers were actually moving so fast that I felt like I was programming again. For a while everything was okay, but then the mages in the group created a multi-layered barrier which blocked my weak attacks. In response I used [Charge Spark] in one hand and created an amplification gate in the other. The archers and mages tried to hit me at this time, but I spun around and activated the rune circle I was drawing with my tail. A large circular shield with multiple layers of different elements appeared and successfully blocked the majority of their attacks (and I avoided the rest). With that out of the way, I let loose a full power amplified [Charge Spark] and completely broke through the shield the mages created (though it was stopped by the sparkly priest). Once the barrier broke I went back to bombarding them with tons of runes. The problem was that no matter how many runes I used, I couldn¡¯t directly kill anyone unless I focused on them so I was really just buying time for reinforcements. As proof of this quite a few soldiers were starting to slip out of the barrage and made their way to me. The players were particularly annoying because of all the different skills and spells they had up their sleeves, but as long as I kept a distance they weren¡¯t able to get me. Somewhere halfway through this Pamerun came up beside me with a group of witches and whistled upon seeing the destruction I was causing. ¡°Very impressive Q. Thank you for holding them off for so long. Allow me to assist you.¡± She cast a spell which created a giant tornado. Well, normally it would be a giant tornado but now it was more like a¡­ moderate-sized tornado because of the spell weakening. Even then it still caused a lot of havoc amongst the soldiers and players as it sent them flying through the air. With the addition of the other witches assaulting the soldiers, my job became a lot easier and I found some leeway to talk with Pamerun. ¡°So this is a disaster huh?¡± ¡°Yes. To think that such a thing would happen just when I considered opening up the village to more adventurers¡­¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You were thinking of doing such a thing?¡± I sent out another amplified [Charge Spark] to destroy the barrier they created again. ¡°Yes. We took in one adventurer at first to see their reaction and they appreciated our culture, then your group showed up and it was all good. Now just when I¡¯m thinking of letting more adventurers in, I see that some of them are even part of this attack¡­¡± Pamerun sighed. ¡°Eh, don¡¯t blame them so much. I admit that not all adventurers are purely good, but we¡¯re easily influenced, just like anyone else. This time that it¡¯s that sparkly priest dude that¡¯s incited the adventurers to attack.¡± ¡°...Sparkly Priest?¡± Pamerun furrowed her brows in confusion, but when I pointed at the sparkly priest her eyes widened in shock. ¡°The head priest! To think that even he would show up¡­¡± ¡°That sounds bad, but I can¡¯t really see him as anything other than some crazy old dude in sparkly robes. What should we do?¡± ¡°Pfft. Crazy old dude¡­ *ahem*. It should be fine as long as they don¡¯t bring out their¡­ Sunlight Warriors.¡± Pamerun¡¯s expression sank when she saw the strangely dressed warriors come out from the trees. The warriors were wearing armor equally as shiny as Sir Albert¡¯s with the image of a star that had symbols which looked a bit like a face. ¡°Oh dear.¡± ¡°Praise the light!¡± The warriors yelled as they drew their swords and ran forward. I tried really hard not to laugh at this phrase. Controlling my laughter, I sent out some dark runes to test the waters, but the warriors easily dealt with it with a swipe of their swords. The warriors then began glowing incredibly brightly, and became a golden blur which approached us. ¡°Light Dash huh¡­ and here I thought Glaukes had a monopoly on that¡­ though their dash isn¡¯t nearly as good as his.¡± I quickly made a shield and retreated from the warrior which appeared in midair and cut the shield. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re not the only ones who can do that!¡± Rapidly moving my fingers, I created a rune circle with the configuration for Light Dash. I then took a deep breath and concentrated. My breathing seemed to become slower, and the entire world looked like it was moving in slow motion. Even though I know that none of that is actually happening, it was still unpleasant. I activated the Light Dash circle on myself, and I sped up to a ridiculous speed (almost the same as my maximum flying speed). According to Glaukes using the spell makes it feel like everything is in fast-motion, but thanks to my previous ¡®preparation¡¯ everything looked normal to me. I flew around a few times in this super speed to get used to it. The Warriors reappeared on the ground, looking at me in disbelief. ¡°How¡­ our secret technique was used so easily! What sorcery is this!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®magic¡¯ you idiots!¡± I went in and tackled one of the warriors, sending him flying. ¡°Keep ¡®em coming! I can go all day!¡± ¡°Hmph. Relay the command to all Sunlight Warriors!¡± The sparkly priest said. ¡°It is time to unite with the light! Achieve maximum incandescence!¡± The Warriors got into a cross formation and their glow became absolutely blinding (comparable to Glaukes when he was flying around) and I shut my eyes in reflex. At the same time I activated [Mana Perception], and I¡¯m glad I did since a blast of magic was headed towards my direction. I grabbed Pamerun and flew back as fast as I could, just barely avoiding the attack. ¡°This seems like a good time to retreat¡­¡± I used a few flying runes and sent back the witches who were hit by the attack and became unconscious¡­ or worse. ¡°Yes¡­ we must regroup in the village.¡± Pamerun and her entourage flew off to the center of the village. I took one last glance at the sparkly priest who now had a haughty grin. Feeling a little pissed off, I sent out an earth drill covered in fire magic, and amplified it once. The drill was intercepted by a few spells, but it ignored them all as it made a beeline for the priest. The moment it made contact with his barrier it was temporarily repelled, but as it continued to spin the barrier cracked and began to fracture. Panic was now on his face, but luckily for him a few of the Sunlight Warriors came by and broke the drill for him. ¡°Bleeh.¡± I stuck out my tongue and flew away, smiling as I heard the sparkly priest rage behind me. --Phanos-- ¡°Hmm¡­ you¡¯re called warriors but I can¡¯t sense an ounce of dignity or honor from you.¡± I said, brandishing a knife. ¡°Kuh¡­ shut up you damn monster!¡± One of the Sunlight Warriors tried to use his glowing dash but a quick throw of my knife stopped him in his tracks. ¡°My my, and you¡¯re all so uncouth. Besides, your speed isn¡¯t even anywhere close to Q¡¯s maximum speed¡­¡± I felt a slight twinge of fear remembering how fast she could fly in the sky. Never again¡­ ¡°Grr¡­ attack the other one!¡± A group of warriors tried making their way to milady, but I laughed in contempt. As milady was currently in her ¡®battle state¡¯ I wasn¡¯t worried at all. She took one step forward and knocked aside a warrior¡¯s sword, then with a flick of her wrist she stabbed into his armor¡¯s joints. A swelling of magical power could be felt emanating from her sword, and it caused an explosion of flames inside the warrior¡¯s armor. As the warrior crumbled to the ground, smoking, at least three attempted to use their coordination to attack milady. In the end it was useless as her amazing footwork and masterful swordplay quickly dispatched those three. The rest of the warriors became a lot more cautious and backed away, forming a line at the south treeline. At this point milady approached me and left her battle state asking, ¡°Phanos, are you alright?¡± Her voice was a little stiff due to nervousness from facing so many men. I should alleviate a bit of her worries here. ¡°Those are my words milady. Though to answer your question, I¡¯m perfectly fine. I must say though, these Sunlight Warriors and soldiers have no courage at all.¡± ¡°I believe that is because of your surroundings.¡± Milady gestured to the ground. All over the ground were the corpses from the men I had killed, with eyes wide in fear and disbelief. I stopped counting after 30 or so, but the number of corpses on the ground seemed to be at least double that (not including the other adventurers who disappeared into thin air). ¡°I suppose so. I am getting a little tired though, might I suggest we regroup at the town square? It¡¯s almost been half an hour after all.¡± The most important thing right now is to lead Milady out of the battle zone, as I could feel her discomfort growing every moment she spends facing this large group of men. I will definitely reprimand Q later for sending milady out here... Admittedly though, I am feeling tired. The only problem I have with this game is the limitations that it puts on my body. If this was real life and I had more time I could definitely deal with these enemies. ¡°Yes. Let us depart.¡± Milady was a little relieved upon hearing my words. I left a barrier with my hexes before following milady back into the village. At this point the Grand Witch Haeldrix appeared with a battalion of witches, ready to fight. ¡°Damn!¡± Haeldrix appeared incredibly agitated. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m so late! I hope they haven¡¯t gotten past the¡­ you. Where¡¯s the enemy?¡± I pointed behind myself. ¡°They¡¯re still there. I slowed them down a little, but they¡¯ll catch up soon. We¡¯ll be taking our leave first.¡± ¡°H-hold on a moment Phanos. Should we not assist the witches with this?¡± Milady regained some color on her face, though I noticed she was trembling slightly. ¡°Milady, my highest priority is you.¡± I remained stoic. Milady opened her mouth for a moment before closing it in frustration. ¡°Haa¡­¡± I let out a sigh knowing that she would be upset if I just left the witches like this. ¡°I understand milady. I will continue to assist the witches, but you must stay out of danger, understood?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She left to find a safer area to stay while I joined up with the witches who left somewhere midway between our conversation. The hexes I left behind were doing their jobs properly as they slowed down the soldiers and even a few players with lower magic resistance. The Sunlight Warriors remained unaffected by this and continued to dash around with that annoying glow. A few knives will fix that though¡­ Although the witches fought back with a manic intensity you would only see from someone protecting their most important things, the church¡¯s forces were undaunted and slowly pushed them back. Even the Grand Witch was having a hard time as she was fighting alone against 5 Sunlight Warriors, as well as one who seemed like a leader. The injuries and casualties continued to pile up on our side. ¡°Grand Witch Haeldrix!¡± I shouted. ¡°We must retreat! There¡¯s too many!¡± ¡°Retreat my ass!¡± She somehow managed to yell back despite all the pressure she was facing. ¡°This is our home and we¡¯ve been on the receiving end for too long! It¡¯s time we fought back!¡± A spike shot out of the ground and impaled one of the Sunlight Warriors, but the others were quick to retaliate and increased the pressure on Haeldrix. Meanwhile the other witches cheered upon hearing her words and their morale shot up for a moment. A quick cursory glance revealed they also had the determination to fight until death. So be it then. I quietly slipped away and headed towards milady¡¯s location. This battle cannot be won. Though their conviction is commendable the witches simply don¡¯t have the strength or numbers to take on the church, especially not with these conditions. I must find milady and escape from this place immediately. At times like this I find my class quite useful as the multiple charms I hid on milady¡¯s body alerted me of her position. The problem is¡­ ¡°She¡¯s getting hurt!?¡± From the party screen I could see her health was reduced ever so slightly, but I didn¡¯t hesitate and used my skills and spells to reach her as quickly as possible. By the time I got to her position I saw her in an alleyway surrounded on both sides by soldiers. Her face was pale and sweating, and she was gripping her sword so hard her knuckles turned white. How did they get here so fast!? The moment the question appeared in my head it was also cleared away. There¡¯s no time for that. I must save her. My murderous intent rose as I began to cut a path through the soldiers to reach milady. The soldiers quickly took notice of my presence but I continued to one-sidedly slaughter them in order to reach her as quickly as possible. ¡°Ph-Phanos! Thank goodness¡­¡± She breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing me. ¡°Quickly milady, we must get away!¡± I pulled her arm and began making my way back through the way I came, but the end of the alley was blocked by the same Sunlight Warriors who were fighting Haeldrix earlier. ¡°Damn!¡± My mind kicked into high gear as I began thinking of a way out of this situation. It was at this moment that I noticed a figure from far away, one with fiery red hair, floating on a staff. Milady also noticed her as she joyfully cried out, ¡°Q!¡± Though I hate to admit it, I am glad to see her as she would definitely be able to help us in this situation. What she did next though¡­ was beyond my expectations. Q locked eyes with me, then looked around herself. She was still for a moment, but then she¡­ left. My eyes widened with disbelief as I watched Q¡¯s back get smaller and smaller. My mind was thrown into chaos because of this, but milady¡¯s small voice brought me back to reality. ¡°No, this¡­ it is¡­ happening again. I¡­ I cannot¡­¡± She collapsed on the spot and began sobbing uncontrollably. Now we were stuck here surrounded on all sides by enemies, while our only source of help abandoned us. Abandoning us is terrible, but worst of all¡­ worst of all¡­ she made milady cry. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± I whispered as I let out my killing intent. Chapter 059 - The Witch Hunt Pt.3 --Cinnamon-- ¡°The situation is really bad isn¡¯t it?¡± I said after surveying the state of the village from the sky. The Church had now completely broken through the treeline and the bulk of their forces were pouring into the village. The witches efforts were commendable as they kept up a hard defense, but there were simply too many enemies to defeat. Kukis, Suina and I were forced to retreat as well due to the sheer difference in numbers, and now with the momentum the church had gained there was next to no chance of defeating them. As proof, a window appeared in front of me.
[Quest Failed] - Defeat the Invaders [New Quest] - Evacuate the Village [Objective] - Assist the witches in escaping the village. Every witch successfully evacuated adds to your total contribution. [Failure Condition] - None.
¡°You¡¯re telling me¡­ where can we go though? There¡¯s no way we¡¯re slipping past the church like this.¡± Kukis unsteadily floated beside me. The girl had done very well considering the disadvantageous conditions she faced for the past hour or so. ¡°I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten about the fountain¡¯s teleportation array.¡± Suina said as she passed by us. Her speed kept us from even responding as we could only watch her fly away. As the witches were killed her face slowly became more grim, and at this point there were even traces of... anger in her expression. I still have slight problems in discerning the exact emotions a person feels on their face, but Q told me that it¡¯s only a matter of experience. ¡°The fountain! Right! Come on Cinn, let¡¯s help out the ones still fighting!¡± Kukis descended into the battlefield once more. As her suggestion doesn¡¯t conflict with Q¡¯s earlier order I decided to follow her. All around us were witches with various injuries. I healed some of the ones with more serious and fatal injuries in an attempt to keep them alive. Q did ask me to help as many as I could after all. Kukis also used her potions without restraint. The two of us continued to fly low healing the witches, and once Kukis¡¯ potions ran out she returned to the edge of the village to assist them. Just as I was going to join her, I noticed a flash of red from the corner of my eyes. Turning my attention to the source of the red color, I instantly recognized it as Q. The only problem was that she was being chased by multiple flashes of golden light numbering at least twenty. Q also noticed my presence, and she began heading towards me. I flew up higher to match her elevation, then kept flying at a pace she could easily catch up to. In no time she was next to me and grabbed my arm. ¡°Fly faster!¡± She commanded. With her order received I flapped my wings with more effort and managed to match her pace. ¡°Sorry about this Cinn, but there¡¯s no one else I can trust with this.¡± She quickly glanced behind her, and I did as well. Her pursuers were a large group of Sunlight Warriors, and one priest at the back with an intricate, detailed robe that radiated immense magical energy. ¡°I thought pissing off the sparkly priest would disrupt the soldiers formation, but apparently someone else is giving out orders.¡± She said quickly with traces of impatience in her tone. ¡°Instead he¡¯s chasing me with a bunch of elites. Normally this would be okay since they¡¯re not focused on anyone else, but I saw Brie and Phanos in trouble earlier. I have to help them, but I can¡¯t get these guys off my back.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I nodded with conviction. I stopped flying and turned around to face her pursuers. ¡°Really sorry about this Cinn!¡± Q said as she flew off. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything you want later to make up for it, so please hold them off for a while! Also, I give you permission to run at maximum efficiency. I¡¯m counting on you!¡± ¡°Anything¡­ anything¡­ hehehe.¡± A wide smile made its way onto my face. Removing my limiters, I prepared to take on Q¡¯s pursuers. ¡°Will she be happier if I kill them all? Hehehe¡­¡± --Q-- I feel terrible about leaving Cinn to deal with those guys, but I have no choice. No one else I know has the capability to hold back those guys for a decent amount of time except for Phanos and Brie, but they¡¯re in no state to help. I dove into one of the various alleyways to break line of sight with my pursuers. From behind I could hear sounds of an amazing battle being fought. Suppressing a frown, I began to circle back towards the place where I last saw Brie and Phanos. On the way I happened to spot Kukis fighting against some players. The way she used and combined her spells and various potions was incredible as it completely disrupted the other player¡¯s movements and allowed her to land some killing blows. It¡¯s pretty interesting to see how far she¡¯s come. I can still remember the time she constantly complained in the event battle back in the town of Foria¡­ Actually, she still complains a lot doesn¡¯t she? That aside, I dashed up behind her and instantly pulled her back. ¡°-Ghk! What the- Q?¡± ¡°No time to explain, get on the staff!¡± I yelled as I began drawing a rune-circle for [Light Dash]. Kukis managed to make her way onto my staff and sat behind me. I concentrated for a moment, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bite your tongue.¡± Then I activated the rune circle. ¡°What do you me-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± We sped through the alleyways of the village with incredible speed (comparable to my maximum speed when flying). Kukis kept screaming into my ears but there was nothing I could do about that. After all it looked like we were about to crash into walls multiple times but I always pulled away at the last second. For some reason when using [Light Dash] inertia gets all weird and I don¡¯t have to put a lot of effort into changing direction. Anyway, we finally approached the area where I last saw Brie and Phanos, and it didn¡¯t take a lot of effort to find them as there were various grunts and screams coming from our left. Leading up to their position were countless bodies littering the ground. A few more turns allowed us to catch sight of a group of various soldiers and Sunlight Warriors cornering Brie and Phanos into the corner of an alleyway. Phanos looked battered and bruised, and at some point her eyepatch must have come off as her normally covered red eye was glowing with incredible intensity. Brie on the other hand¡­ I have no idea what happened but it looked like she was suffering from PTSD or something as she was trembling and curled into the fetal position. Feeling anger at the soldiers who cornered them this far I leapt off my staff and yelled ¡°Dynamic entry!¡± as I hit the Sunlight Warrior at the front with a flying kick. Apparently I had enough momentum to kill the warrior as he was sent flying into a wall and didn¡¯t move an inch. Phanos looked surprised to see me but her hostility didn¡¯t fade as it seemed like she was prepared to attack me as well. ¡°Q!!!¡± Kukis screamed. Oops. Almost forgot about her. I directed the staff to fly into circles and slow down while I turned around and began to bombard the soldiers with my runes. I wasn¡¯t able to see what was going on behind me, but I felt some incredible animosity radiating off of Phanos. I was seriously worried for my own safety for a moment but when a knife flew forward and hit a soldier¡¯s throat, I felt relieved. Phanos walked up beside me and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later,¡± before rushing forward to attack the soldiers. I took a glance behind me to see that Kukis had gotten off my staff and was trying to comfort Brie who kept pushing her away. For now I focused on taking out the enemies in front of me. I had my staff fly back into my hands and used it to create a large amplify rune gate. I began charging up [Charge Spark], and once it was at full power I yelled, ¡°Duck!¡± then let loose a blast of electricity which fried the soldiers in front of us. A few of the Sunlight Warriors were still standing, but a few quick slices from Phanos¡¯ knives ended them.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Just as I thought everything was over, Phanos quickly turned on me and pinned me against a wall as she pressed a knife to my throat. ¡°W-woah! Let¡¯s not be hasty here.¡± ¡°...¡± Phanos remained silent, but her expression told me more than enough. She seriously wanted to kill me right now. Noting that she wasn¡¯t saying anything, I tried to reason with her. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you want to kill me-¡± The knife was pressed harder against my throat. ¡°B-but you should get Brie out of this place first, right? You can uh, kill me after that.¡± Phanos looked incredibly conflicted for a while, but eventually she backed off. She remained silent though, which is what unnerved me the most. I let out a sigh of relief now that the knife was away from my throat, but what caught my eye almost made me choke. I always had the ¡®party¡¯ section of my HUD in the top left of my view, and for the first time ever one of the names disappeared. Cinn¡­ I¡¯m really sorry. Apparently the others noticed that as well and all displayed various reactions. Before we could even talk about it I heard a shout from the distance. ¡°The blast of lightning came from over here!¡± Damn. My pursuers caught up quick. Just as we were about to leave the alleyway it was closed off by a bunch of Sunlight Warriors and a disheveled looking priest. I noticed that their numbers were significantly reduced, thanks to Cinnamon. ¡°Cookie, cover!¡± I yelled as I began to create some runes and invoked a skill. Kukis followed up by throwing a large vial which made a smokescreen, and Phanos stabbed something in the ground which made our surroundings slightly hazy. ¡°I felt them run by! This way!¡± One of the warriors yelled. I heard footsteps retreating from our position, and when they faded into the distance I let out the breath I was holding. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that worked¡­¡± I looked around myself. Right now we were all crouched down around the object Phanos put in the ground. According to my status screen it had the effect of erasing presences and impairing vision. That¡¯s a pretty amazing buff. I then scratched the ears of the animal which snuggled up to my side. ¡°Thanks Wolfy. Will those other wolves be okay?¡± *Growl* ¡°If you say so.¡± The skill I used earlier was to summon Wolfy, and I had some of the extra wolves brush by the Warriors and run in some other direction. There were two other wolves left behind for extra protection. ¡°Phanos, let¡¯s fly out of here?¡± I suggested. ¡°I¡¯m not letting Milady near you.¡± Phanos finally spoke, but her words were laced with venom. ¡°Well I can¡¯t fly that well by myself, so other people joining me is a no-go.¡± Kukis spoke up. ¡°That leaves¡­¡± She trailed off as she stared at Wolfy. ¡°Will you be okay with two people riding you?¡± I asked Wolfy. He was large enough that he could even carry three people of my size, but it might impact his speed. *Growl* ¡°Okay. You¡¯re fine with that right Phanos?¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± Phanos made her way to Brie and slowly coaxed her onto Wolfy¡¯s back. Now that we were all ready to move we slowly made our way to the center of the village. On the way I kept checking on Brie, but Phanos¡¯ evil glares made me look away. The sounds of conflict gradually became louder, and at one point we even heard a large explosion somewhere in the distance. I flew a little higher to check on it and it turned out that the experimental district was on fire. Various chemicals and other items were still left back there which caused a huge mess once the fire reached it. From my height I also noticed that the witches were now pushed to the village square, and made an effort to repel the church¡¯s forces who were now advancing through the main streets. At the village square were many witches who went into the fountain, teleporting to wherever it lead. There was also a large barrier surrounding it, and I noticed quite a few of the Grand Witches struggling to maintain it as players and soldiers alike bombarded it with long-ranged attacks. ¡°Q!¡± Kukis yelled. I looked over to where she was pointing and saw some players and soldiers closing in on Brie and Phanos. I took one last look around and realized that there were no longer that many soldiers on the outskirts of the village as most of them occupied the streets and alleyways. This meant that trying to break through to the center of the village would be incredibly difficult, and we couldn¡¯t possibly manage that with Brie in her current state. Making a split second decision I threw Schorl (who until now, remained coiled around my ear) and ordered it to protect Phanos and Brie. ¡°Wolfy, run outside the village, and don¡¯t stop!¡± *Awoooooo!* Wolfy howled and dashed away with its other wolves following closely. ¡°What are-¡± Phanos words were cut off as she finally noticed the players and soldiers pursuing her. Kukis and I grabbed their attention by attacking with some powerful spells, and they eventually stopped following the two girls. I no longer paid attention to Phanos as I had to deal with the attacks which were now directed at me. Please make it out safely. I prayed in my heart. While those two ran off, Kukis and I struggled to get past the mass of soldiers who began attacking upon spotting us. I had to burn through a lot of the mana potions I had been saving up as I furiously created barriers and shields to get us through this. We were somehow able to get through the attacks, but now the barrier the witches created kept us from getting inside. I wondered what to do when suddenly a small portion of the barrier opened up. We headed inside and were greeted by the remaining witches inside. ¡°Ah Q, Kukis, you¡¯re both alright.¡± Pamerun wiped off the sweat on her brow. ¡°I wish I could say the same about you all. How many made it?¡± I looked at the upside-down fountain where witches were still constantly entering into. ¡°I would say at least half of the village¡¯s inhabitants, maybe more. What bothers me is that three of the Grand Witches haven¡¯t responded to any of my calls. Ooh, I feel so terrible right now.¡± Her lips trembled and it looked like she was ready to break down at any moment. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to say at this moment, but before I could think of anything the barrier shook violently and Pamerun¡¯s face paled as it flickered and threatened to disappear. I searched for the source of the attack and found the sparkly priest floating in the air above us. By now the remaining survivors were inside the barrier which was now completely surrounded by the Church¡¯s forces. ¡°Hahaha! Do you feel like giving up now you damn witches?¡± The sparkly priest said. ¡°I will personally oversee all your bodies cleansed with Luxus¡¯ light!¡± ¡°God I want to punch him in the face¡­¡± I clenched my fist in frustration. ¡°N-now¡¯s not the time for that.¡± Pamerun now looked completely exhausted as she struggled to maintain the barrier. ¡°Please head into the fountain. I need to shut it off from this side so they can¡¯t follow us through.¡± ¡°...Are you stupid!?¡± Kukis suddenly shouted. ¡°You have your people to lead! You should be the one heading into the fountain right now!¡± ¡°B-but I have to-¡± ¡°God, why do you people care about our lives when you¡¯re the ones who can¡¯t come back after dying!? Leave this to us!¡± Kukis then forcefully pushed Pamerun through the fountain (and was able to do so since she was too tired to resist). By now there was no one left around us and the barrier began to dissipate. ¡°Okay Q, buy me a few seconds of time so I can-¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I pushed Kukis into the fountain as well. I grinned slightly when I saw her dumbfounded face as she passed through the teleportation array. I quickly created a Null rune and filled it with as much mana as I could, then shot it at the fountain and activated it. The effects were slow, but it eventually erased the teleportation array. For a moment I considered entering the array myself and then activating the rune, but I had no guarantee that it would work so I decided not to risk it. Now the fountain fell the ground, and at the same time the barrier finally went down. Ignoring the glares of the various soldiers I climbed up onto the fountain and stared at the sparkly priest. ¡°Yo Sparkles, are you satisfied with this?¡± I sneered. ¡°Sparkles!?¡± The sparkly priest¡¯s face clouded with rage. ¡°Didn¡¯t think so. And what about you all? Is this what you wanted?¡± I directed my next question to the various players who were beginning to look unsure. ¡°Silence! Such insolence shall not be forgiven! Feel the wrath of Luxus¡¯ light!¡± The sparkly priest let out a blast of light magic which I just barely managed to dodge. It grazed my right hand though, and I held it in my left to cover it as it was in extreme pain. My health showed that the priest¡¯s single attack was enough to shave away more than half of it. I secretly activated a skill as I continued to talk and buy time. ¡°Just what was your goal in this Sparkles? Complete genocide of the witches?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Heheh¡­ hahaha! You think that you¡¯re any match for the witches when you had to use cowardly tricks and underhanded tactics to push them this far? You¡¯d be beaten in an instant if you went against any of them one on one.¡± I began to rile up the sparkly priest. ¡°Grr! Kill her now!¡± Multiple soldiers began closing in on me while archers and mages lined up their shots. ¡°Listen up Sparkles!¡± I was running out of time but I felt like I had to say these final words. ¡°The witches aren¡¯t going to stay silent and take this lying down. We WILL fight back, and I guarantee that your church will be finished.¡± Apparently those words were the trigger for something, as a new window appeared in front of me.
[Quest Complete] - Evacuate the Village [New Quest] - Divine Retribution [Objective] - Destroy the Church of Luxus. [Failure Condition] - Unknown
Before anything else could be said, I struck the ground with my right hand. ¡°Arcane Overload!¡± I yelled (Yelling it wasn¡¯t actually necessary, but it felt better to do so). It took me a while to imagine the rune circle with a configuration for [Arcane Overload], but I was able to do it and even charge it up with the rest of my mana. As soon as my fist made contact with the ground a bright light appeared and began to engulf the surroundings. My vision was dyed white and I was slightly aware of an arrow striking my heart as my consciousness faded away¡­ ***** Deep in the forest of fog a wolf sprinted through the trees with two people on its back. His body was covered in various wounds, and the two wolves which accompanied him had long since disappeared. With the help of the Geode Salamander on his head he was able to get out of the village and into the forest. The wolf obeyed his master¡¯s orders as he continued to run without stopping. Suddenly, he felt a sense of loss and stopped running as he looked back to the direction of the village. From that direction a large wave of mana could be felt. The wolf didn¡¯t have time to think about it though, as his body began to fade away. The two people on his back fell off, and the wolf looked up to the sky as it vanished from this world. ¡°...Let¡¯s find a safe place to logout milady.¡± Phanos supported Brie and the two of them left the area. Chapter 060 - Silent Village ¡°...*whew*¡± Simon got out of his game pod and stretched his body. ¡°That was one hell of a fight. I hope Brie and Phanos made it out ok¡­¡± Since Simon died in the game, his schedule was opened up and he now had a few hours of free time. He decided to spend this free time by doing some chores around the house. He normally didn¡¯t need to do this since his dad cleaned it weekly but he wanted to focus on something other than what he had just gone through in the game. In the end he couldn¡¯t take his mind off of the most recent events so he lay in a pile of soft plushies in his room and watched some cat-videos to relax. After an hour of cute-therapy he felt better and began to randomly surf around the web. When he went to check his email he noticed he got a message from Kukis. They exchanged emails a while back and sent some messages back and forth every so often (usually consisting of videos or screenshots of TWO or random memes), though this time it seemed that the contents were more serious. Hey Q, hope you¡¯re alright. Also screw you for pushing me into the fountain. That was my time to show off!!! ...Just kidding, thanks (but seriously read the mood next time). The witches here are still fine thanks to you, but we¡¯ve lost a lot of people. Not to mention that three of the grand witches are dead. Caryll, Fremetica and Haeldrix were KIA, and Pamerun¡¯s really depressed. I¡¯m going to try my best to help them find a new place to live (btw I have no idea where we are so our reunion may take a while). Well, I¡¯ll keep you updated on our situation through in-game messages. Now to the most important part: Have you seen this video? (Pretend this is a URL) It¡¯s disgusting. The players who attacked the village are glorifying their deeds. I¡¯m not going to let this stand, so I¡¯m working on a video of my own. If you could send me anything you¡¯ve saved from the time you¡¯ve been in the village it¡¯d help out a lot. Anyway, I¡¯ll probably be back in game when you read this. Don¡¯t worry about me! I¡¯ll show you how strong I¡¯ll get when we meet up again! -Kukis (It¡¯s Coo-kiss damnit!) Simon laughed as he read the message. Seeing that Kukis was still joking around made him feel a bit better. ¡°...But really, they made a video like that?¡± Simon clicked on the link Kukis provided and watched the video titled: (TWO) Raiding the Secret Village - SUPER RARE EVENT!!! ¡°Ew, the title is clickbait.¡± Simon grimaced at how they were trying to publicize this event. As the video loaded it was edited in a way to make it seem that the Forest of Fog was a dangerous, terrifying place. I guess that¡¯s true, but I got used to it. Simon thought. Then there were quick cuts displaying the Sunlight Warriors and other soldiers, and the head priest ¡®inspiring¡¯ the players before they began breaking down the treeline protecting the village. The next shot was just when the trees fell down and all hell broke loose as the players were attacked by the Witches. The video constantly switched between different players points of view, and one of them was even a player that happened to be up against Q. What Simon found funny was that any moment that they were about to be shown to be disadvantaged or defeated, the video cut to someone else using some sort of flashy skill or spell. What he also noticed was that they never actually showed the players or soldiers executing the witches - a sight Q had seen more than enough times in the game - and the most they would do is show them falling down from the sky. In the end when the witches were cornered to the barrier in the village square, the video focused mainly on the players and Sunlight Warriors, showing how ¡®cool¡¯ they were. If anyone cared to pay attention to any face in the barrier they would notice the witches¡¯ faces twisted in despair and hopelessness, but it never focused on them. The video ended with the head priest blasting the barrier with his light magic, and then faded to black leaving three large words behind: LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE! ¡°...That was disgusting.¡± Simon felt great contempt for the people who would ever try to glorify a one-sided attack on a village with peaceful inhabitants. He quickly accessed his gamepod and began to check for all his gameplay footage and screenshots when he was in the village. He waited impatiently for it to transfer onto a USB, then he uploaded it to his computer and sent it all in an email to Kukis. ¡°Now then, what to do¡­¡± Simon decided to busy himself as he waited to log into the game again. ***** ¡°...ooh, it spawned me in some random place in the forest? Well that makes sense considering the whole village was overrun.¡± Q began to check her inventory and stats to see what she had lost, but before she could open her menu she was suddenly captured by something from behind. ¡°Wha-! Oh, it¡¯s you Cinn. You scared me for a second.¡± ¡°Ehehehehehe~¡± Cinnamon didn¡¯t say anything as she held Q in a tight bear hug and began rubbing her cheeks on her ears. ¡°Cinn?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been holding back for so long¡­ It was hard you know? I was refraining from this because those other girls were around¡­ Now I can finally¡­¡± As Cinnamon trailed off her face became flushed and she began to breathe heavily. ¡°...Cinn?¡± ¡°AHHHH!! Q~! The feeling of your body! The smell of your hair! The mixing of our data! AHHHNN~!¡± ¡°Cut it out!¡± Q delivered a splendid reverse chop with her hand that she managed to wiggle out of Cinnamon¡¯s iron grip. Cinnamon reeled back from the attack, and Q made a hasty retreat. When the distance between the two expanded to around twenty meters, Cinnamon called out in a sweet voice. ¡°Oh Q~. I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten the promise you made me! You¡¯ll do anything I want, remember~?¡± Cinnamon slowly approached Q while laughing creepily. ¡°Shit. I did say that.¡± Q slowly turned around and faced Cinnamon who seemed one hundred times more intimidating than usual. ¡°My request is¡­ hugging you like this for a whole day!¡± Cinnamon picked up Q and held her tightly in her arms. ¡°I-!...Fine.¡± Q gave up and slumped a little in Cinnamon¡¯s arms.At least it''s not anything drastic... She was secretly relieved that her request was fairly tame. ¡°But if we encounter enemies you have to let me down to fight them alright?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m fighting like this.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No.¡± Cinnamon looked like she absolutely wouldn¡¯t change her decision. ¡°Okay¡­ how about we take a quick look in the village? If the Church¡¯s forces are still there we¡¯re getting out of this forest.¡± Q was curious as to the state of the village, but she definitely wouldn¡¯t risk another run-in with the Church. ¡°Yes!¡± Cinnamon enthusiastically flapped her wings and flew through the forest. Q found it a little strange to be flying without using her staff, but she ended up enjoying the sensation of letting her arms and legs hang out as she was carried through the air by Cinnamon¡­ Or at least she would have enjoyed it if it wasn¡¯t for Cinnamon¡¯s heavy breathing and strange mutterings. For a moment Q thought she would even start drooling. On the way Q checked her status screen to see what she lost, and luckily or unluckily, the only item she dropped was the super-soft mittens she made a while back. She even managed to level up twice, probably from the sheer amount of enemies caught inside her final attack. While flying she summoned Schorl who instantly curled around her right ear. After listening to it for a while she found out that Brie and Phanos had made it safely out of the village and into the woods before it and Wolfy were unsummoned. She thanked Schorl who made a small hiss in return. I¡¯ll have to thank Wolfy later as well. Eventually after half an hour of flying they saw the broken trees and the outline of the village in the distance. There were no signs of life around but the two kept their wits about them (despite how intoxicated Cinnamon looked). As they approached the village the two saw a few corpses littering the ground and as Cinnamon flew down lower they noticed that they were all from the Church¡¯s forces. Cinnamon flew slower as they got closer to the village, and the amount of bodies continued to increase. At first it was only one every twenty or thirty meters, but soon it became one every ten meters, and then kept going to the point where even small piles of bodies were starting to show up.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°What the heck happened here?¡± The piles of corpses and absolute silence filled Q with a sense of uneasiness. What made this situation even stranger was that she couldn¡¯t find any corpses of the witches who had fallen in battle. Maybe they were gathered up somewhere by the church? Only one way to find out¡­ Eventually they reached the outskirts of the town and only found more corpses. As they got closer to the heart of the village the corpses began to look more peculiar in the way they died as a lot of soldiers were in positions which made it seem like they were stabbing their comrades. The two flew in silence as they got closer to the village square. When Q caught sight of what was there she gasped in surprise. A hooded figure in a dark robe stood still in a crater filled with corpses (made from Q¡¯s attack before she died), but what caught Q¡¯s attention was the red words above its head. [Clover (Genocider)] - Level 95 ¡°Holy crap¡­ isn¡¯t that the player with the highest level in game right now?¡± Q muttered to herself. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Cinnamon tensed her body in preparation for battle. ¡°...¡± The figure didn¡¯t say anything, nor did it move. It simply stared at Q and Cinnamon. This standoff lasted for only a moment as Q noticed slight movement from the corner of her eye. She focused on that area but only saw a corpse. Then she noticed some more movement elsewhere, but she still only found corpses. It was then that the hooded figure finally moved as it seemed to whisper something, then every corpse in the area twitched. A strange purple fog poured out from within the figure¡¯s robes, and covered the ground. Cinnamon backed up and took flight, and the two remained vigilant to the figure who still stared at them. As the fog continued to spread they began to see twisted silhouettes moving around inside, and after a few more seconds they rose up out of the fog. These silhouettes were the corpses which previously littered the ground. As the dead bodies misshapen forms began to peek out from the fog, a spark of what can only be described as negative light shone from their sunken eyes like a black glow which consumed all light and color it touched. ¡°Necromancer¡­¡± Q whispered. ¡°You.¡± The figure finally spoke. ¡°Are you with the church?¡± At this point Q finally noticed that the figure¡¯s attention was focused far more on Cinnamon than herself. ¡°No, we¡¯re not with the church. We were part of the village. See? I have a hat.¡± Q pointed to her witch hat. ¡°...¡± Apparently the figure wasn¡¯t sure what to make of that as it remained silent. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth you know! I can name all the Grand Witches, or maybe you want me to talk about the village itself?¡± Q felt a little desperate to convince the figure as she really didn¡¯t want to fight it. Something about those undead made her feel incredibly¡­ off. ¡°...I believe you.¡± The figure appeared to be convinced as they pulled down their hood to reveal a youthful female face with delicate features. Her eyes were a clear, sky blue and her hair was a light ashen grey. This was all complimented by her light-brown skin color, and slender body. ¡°You probably know from the glowing words above my head, but I¡¯m Clover, a level 95 necromancer.¡± As her soft voice rang out, the undead which had risen began to shamble off to some random directions leaving only the three players in the crater. ¡°Cinn, you can let us down now.¡± Q no longer felt any hostility from Clover so she decided to show a bit of courtesy. ¡°My name is Q. Level 46 Runemaster. My friend here is Cinnamon-¡± ¡°Level 45 Guardian.¡± Cinnamon finished. ¡°What are you doing in this village, Clover?¡± ¡°Me? I came back to visit the village after level grinding for a while. I didn¡¯t expect that it would be completely destroyed though. Especially this crater¡­¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. That was me.¡± Q scratched her cheek in embarrassment. ¡°My last attack may have gone a little overboard.¡± ¡°You?¡± Clover raised an eyebrow in doubt. ¡°Well, not that it matters. Why are you two in the village?¡± ¡°We died while defending the village and just respawned. By the way, I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re the one who dealt with all of these soldiers?¡± ¡°Yes. I rushed here when I felt a large wave of mana while travelling through the forest. That was probably you now that I think about it. The only things I saw in the village were the Church of Luxus and players picking through the houses and stealing valuables. Of course, I killed every single one of them. When the first ones began turning into zombies the rest fell into panic and became easy pickings.¡± Clover sported an evil smile. ¡°Oh yes, don¡¯t worry about the witches remains. I gathered them all and gave them a proper burial.¡± ¡°Thanks. Pamerun and the rest will be glad to hear that. By the way did you happen to see a sparkly priest while you were there?¡± ¡°No, there were only common soldiers and a few commander-looking people left behind. By the way¡­ is that normal for her?¡± Clover pointed at Cinnamon who was simultaneously burying her face in Q¡¯s ears while hugging her tail. ¡°Yeah. No need to pay too much attention to her. I wonder if the underground library is still alright.¡± Q said as she surveyed the destroyed village. ¡°It should be. I went down there to check but the doors remained shut no matter what I did.¡± ¡°Really? Hey Cinn, let¡¯s go check it out¡­ Cinn?¡± ¡°*Heavy Breathing*¡± ¡°Cinn!¡± ¡°Oh! Yes.¡± Cinnamon took flight and began heading towards the Town Hall. On their way there Q got a friend invite and saw that it was from Clover. After accepting it Clover sent a message.
I figured we should be friends since we¡¯re both fellow adventurers from the Witches Village after all. Ditto. Also one of my friends managed to escape with the witches so if you ever want an update on what''s going on with them just message me. Thanks. I¡¯ll see you around.
When she closed the message box Cinnamon was already flying down the giant staircase. They reached the bottom in no time and were greeted by the enormous door that lead into the library. This time though, the door was closed and had a small indent in the center which looked suspiciously similar to Q¡¯s staff. After she asked Cinnamon to fly closer, Q took out her staff and inserted it into the door. There was a *click* sound, and the staff flew back into Q¡¯s hand as the door began to open. ¡°¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±¡± The Guardian of Knowledge and Wisdom said in unison. ¡°Woah you two! You¡¯re alright! But why are you waiting here in the first floor? And why was the door locked? And why didn¡¯t you help out the village when it was under attack?¡± Q rapid fired all the questions which were swirling around in her head. ¡°Come in first.¡± Morrigan flew further into the library followed by Glaukes. Q and Cinnamon exchanged glances, then headed into the library. The place seemed to be unaffected by the battle above ground, but the two couldn¡¯t find any sign of the usual enemies spawning. Soon they reached the center of the first floor where there was a small table with two chairs and some confectionaries. Morrigan and Glaukes indicated for them to sit down. Cinnamon plopped down in one of the chairs and began to fuss over Q¡¯s hair while Q reached out and began munching on some of the snacks. ¡°Q, listen closely.¡± Morrigan began. ¡°*munch*... *munch*... Yeah?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to die soon.¡± ¡°*munch*........... What?¡± ¡°Perhaps you hadn¡¯t noticed since we haven¡¯t been hostile to you for a while now but¡­¡± Morrigan trailed off and Q suddenly felt a wave of hostility thrown at her. [Guardian of Wisdom] - Level 78 ¡°Your level¡­ how¡¯d it get lower?¡± Q was shocked to see the number drop so drastically. ¡°Level?¡± Morrigan seemed confused for a moment, but then nodded in understanding. ¡°If that is what you use to refer to our level of power then yes, it is fading away. Ever since our master had died long ago, our power had slowly been fading away. Now with your removal of his seal, it¡¯s fading faster. Regardless, we thought we should see you one last time before we fully disappear.¡± ¡°...I see¡­¡± Q felt incredibly depressed. There were too many things being lost in such a short time that her mood couldn¡¯t help but drop. ¡°So is that why you didn¡¯t come out of the library to help in the invasion either?¡± ¡°Yes. To be more accurate it¡¯s because we¡¯re bound to this place by our master¡¯s order. Now I have a question for you Q, which do you think is better? Wisdom, or knowledge?¡± Wisdom or knowledge? Am I making a choice between the two guardians? Or is she asking about the concepts¡­ Q mulled for a while, but eventually answered with, ¡°Wisdom. I feel that having experience and good judgement is better than just having knowledge.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Morrigan smiled while Glaukes frowned. ¡°Our master thought that knowledge was much better, but as he continued living he realized that wisdom and knowledge are much better together.¡± ¡°Well they are kind of intertwined.¡± Q shrugged. ¡°True.¡± Morrigan nodded deeply then focused on Q. ¡°Q, I shall now grant you the rest of my powers. Use them as you will.¡± A rush of dark mana came out from within Morrigan¡¯s body and began to gather in the air. The mana solidified and then turned into a black book with an intricate cover which slowly floated down and landed into Q¡¯s outstretched hands.
[Book of Wisdom (Legendary)] - A book representing the Guardian of Wisdom¡¯s trust. Simply possessing the book grants you power. +25 WIS
¡°Thanks Morrigan.¡± Q smiled. ¡°*Ahem*. Although you chose Morrigan¡¯s gift, I also have something to give¡­ to your friend that is.¡± Glaukes flapped his wings a few times and a multitude of feathers fell out. Then bright mana began to gather into the feathers which sank into Cinnamon¡¯s wings. ¡°This is unexpected. Thank you.¡± Cinnamon bowed politely. ¡°Hmph! Those are my prided feathers, so you better put them to good use!¡± For a moment Glaukes looked haughty, but then his body flickered and his expression dropped. ¡°It seems it is time.¡± ¡°Yes, giving these gifts really brought us to our limits.¡± Morrigan said with a melancholic air. ¡°Do not look sad Q. We are simply returning to how we were before being summoned as our master¡¯s familiars.¡± The guardians slowly lost their material forms and began turning into specks of light which scattered into the air. Q only nodded in silence as she watched their bodies slowly fade out of existence. So things are just going to end like this? Damn this game¡­ She felt a strange mixture of loathing and admiration to the game which made her feel this way. It was then that Schorl began to pull on Q¡¯s ears. ¡°Ow! Hey, what is it Schorl? Don¡¯t ruin the moment.¡± ¡°Ksha~¡± ¡°You want me to what!?¡± ¡°Ksha~!!!¡± ¡°... if you say so.¡± Q drew a rune for ¡®gather¡¯ and ¡®condense¡¯, then activated them in the middle of the fading guardians. At this point they had turned into nothing but light which was then gathered into the place the runes were used. The light continued to gather and condense until it turned into a small orb, then Q used a ¡®materialize¡¯ rune and activated it on the orb of light. The orb began to pulse and fluctuate for a while, then stopped as it turned into an egg which Q caught as it fell down. ¡°Schorl, what the heck did I just do? Also how the heck do you know how to use my runes better than I do?¡± ¡°Ksha~...¡± ¡°Oh yeah, you have been there every time I trained. I thought you were asleep though¡­ But seriously, did I just make life or something?¡± ¡°Well it happened so it must have been allowed.¡± Cinnamon spoke up. ¡°After all, my sister wouldn¡¯t add in things like that without a reason. I¡¯ll ask her about it later if it really bothers you.¡± ¡°Thanks Cinn. By the way can you let me down for a bit? My arms are getting a bit stiff¡­¡± ¡°No. I have you for a whole day, and I intend on making the most out of it. Even with accelerated time, every hour counts you know!¡± ¡°Hold on¡­¡± Q felt something was off with that last sentence. ¡°When you said a whole day¡­ you meant 24 hours?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...Real life hours?¡± ¡°Ufufufufufu~¡± Cinnamon didn¡¯t answer and continued to rub her face in Q¡¯s fur. Chapter 061 - Moving On Q and Cinnamon left the library and began to leave the village. As they flew out they noticed that a bunch of zombies were going in and out of houses, bringing back random items from within. ¡°I guess she does have that right¡­¡± Q said with a pensive look. At the very least, it¡¯s better than leaving it to the Church or even other players. ¡°Hmm? It seems that Clover is also leaving something for us.¡± Cinnamon pointed at a formation of zombies which were doing some strange dance in order to get their attention. Cinnamon floated down and some zombies stepped forward and placed some items on the ground. Then they saluted and began moving through the other houses. The pile the zombies set on the ground consisted of random items and equipment, ranging from strange looking herbs to scrolls and books, and even some things which radiated extreme magical power. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s giving us all of this¡­ though then again she has the highest level so it¡¯s not like she needs equipment like this.¡± Q muttered as she placed the items into her inventory¡­ or at least she tried to as Cinnamon¡¯s arms restricted her from reaching out. Eventually the two organized the items and split them evenly, then left the village for good. Taking one last wistful glance, Q eventually turned her head away from the village and then shook it as if to get rid of the thoughts swirling in her head. Okay Q, focus. First on the priority list: find somewhere new to go. Second: wait for Brie and Phanos to come back online and check on their status. Third: Continue the hunt for the ultimate softness¡­ Oh wait, they¡¯re in the wrong order. And what else¡­ oh yeah, check the stuff Clover gave us. (Items go here. To be updated later) As Q looked over the items Clover gave them and pondered on what to do for the future, Cinnamon kept flying and eventually the two of them made it out of the forest. For a moment Q felt light-headed as she finally left the fog-filled forest and breathed in some fresh air. ¡°Phew¡­ alright Cinn, where do you think we should go next? Should we wander around? Or should we look for a town or something to go to?¡± ¡°Anywhere is fine as long as I¡¯m with you.¡± Cinnamon smiled sweetly. ¡°Heh. Alright then, a relaxed flight through the skies it is.¡± Q laughed as she looked forward to where they would wind up next. ***** ¡°Look over there.¡± After half an hour of flying Q pointed at a group of adventurers up ahead who were being attacked by a large group of monsters. They were protecting a carriage, and despite them being outnumbered four to one they were holding their own very well. The only problem was¡­ ¡°They¡¯re getting tired. At this rate they¡¯ll probably be done in.¡± ¡°Shall we assist them?¡± Cinnamon asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Q shrugged her shoulders. If it was just a group of adventurers she didn¡¯t really mind whether they lived or died since they would just respawn slightly weaker. ¡°Wonderful. I¡¯ve been wanting to test out Glauke¡¯s gift.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, what does his feathers do?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Cinnamon smiled mischievously as she descended into the battlefield. The first thing she did was activate a skill which created a shimmering aura around her that caused all the monsters to focus on her. The adventurers were startled at first seeing the strange sight of Q and Cinnamon descending from the sky, but felt relief after realizing they were there to help. While normally Cinnamon would bring out her spear to fight, her arms were occupied with Q so this time she extended her wings and flew low to the ground. She hardened her wings with a spell and began to tackle the monsters which threw them into disarray. The interesting thing was that because of the shimmering aura around her the monsters which were tackled away got right back up and began chasing her which ended up with her leading a large trail of monsters. Once Cinnamon got all the monsters attention she abruptly turned around and landed on the ground, then extended her wings as high up to the sky as possible. Because of this Q could finally look at Cinnamon¡¯s wings in detail, and she noticed that the primary feathers were the same color as Glaukes. The feathers then glowed and flew out of her wings. There were a total of twelve feathers in all and they moved around in the air like small daggers. Cinnamon sent out the feathers into the group of monsters, and it turned out that they were incredibly sharp as whenever they passed by a monster it would instantly cut their skin. Adding to this was Cinnamon¡¯s inhuman control over the feathers as they weaved freely between the monsters. Every movement made a fatal cut and disabled the monsters, if not outright killing it. In no time the monsters were completely wiped out leaving only a group of dumbfounded adventurers and a proud looking Cinnamon.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Damn Cinnamon! That was awesome! How hard was it to move those feathers?¡± Q felt genuinely impressed at the display she just witnessed. ¡°Thank you.¡± The feathers returned to Cinnamon and reinserted themselves in her wings. ¡°If I were to describe it with human terms I would say that each feather is like moving another arm, and small movements and adjustments are like moving fingers. I think you could do it if you used your ¡®ability¡¯. Besides their strength in attacking they also provide an extra speed boost when flying. It really was a perfect gift for me.¡± ¡°Wow. Well I don¡¯t think any other human would be able to use it like you do...¡± Q trailed off as the adventurers they just saved began to approach the two. ¡°Thank you for the assistance.¡± A male halfling with lavish clothing stepped forward to meet the two. For a moment his face was twisted in confusion upon seeing Q in Cinnamon¡¯s arms, but he quickly put on a business face. ¡°We were in a really bad spot there. If you hadn¡¯t come by our journey might have been delayed by a few more days.¡± He smiled in derision, revealing a small gold-plated tooth. ¡°Please don¡¯t mind.¡± Cinnamon put on her polite facade. ¡°It¡¯s the least we can do as fellow adventurers.¡± ¡°Ooooh! What an angel!¡± One adventurer in a black cloak said. ¡°Yeah, literally an angel.¡± An adventurer wearing a multitude of belts added. ¡°She¡¯s so pretty... a goddess from the heavens?¡± A muscly adventurer muttered. ¡°Hehe. Seems like you have some fans now Cinn.¡± Q grinned. ¡°Yes¡­ how troublesome¡­¡± Cinnamon muttered in a low voice. ¡°Ca- can I have your name?¡± The adventurer who called her a goddess asked. ¡°Cinturi.¡± ¡°...?¡± Q looked up at Cinnamon who gave out a fake name. When Cinnamon responded with a wink, Q nodded in understanding. ¡°Hey, the name¡¯s Qwerty. Nice to meet ya.¡± ¡°Yes, nice to meet you too. Um, is there any reason that Cinturi is holding you like that?¡± The muscly adventurer asked. ¡°Not really. She just enjoys this.¡± Q shrugged. ¡°Yes. Could I hear your names as well?¡± Cinnamon asked. ¡°Oh how rude of us! To think we forgot to introduce ourselves.¡± The halfling spoke. ¡°I am Glaide, currently a travelling merchant. The one in the black cloak is Cyne, and the one wearing the belts is his brother Lyne. The big muscly man is Horke.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m Horke! Level 40 Barbarian!¡± He stuck out a hand for Cinnamon to shake, but she splendidly ignored it. ...His name sounds like someone barfing. Q thought. It suits him though. Hmm, those other two look like some sort of assassin-type class. I wonder why a merchant has escorts like these though. Shouldn¡¯t the party be a bit more balanced? As Q continued to ponder about their situation she completely forgot to listen to Glaide who was talking about something. ¡°... so in essence, I¡¯d like to hire you two as additional escorts up until we reach the capital city Hales. If you would just sign this contract here¡­¡± Glaide brought out a paper which looked normal at first, but when Q looked at it with [Mana Perception] she noticed that it was filled with mana. ¡°No thanks.¡± Q spoke up. ¡°We don¡¯t really need money right now, and we¡¯re more like free-spirits so we¡¯d rather not get bound by anything.¡± ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s quite unfortunate.¡± Glaide smiled and put away the paper, but Q didn¡¯t miss the slight hint of annoyance on his face. ¡°Still, would you like to travel with us anyway? Seeing as we¡¯re travelling to Hales and all.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Q looked up into Cinnamon¡¯s eyes and they held a silent conversation. Glaide seems sleazy, but should we follow them anyway? I think it would still be beneficial to follow them. Even I don¡¯t know how to get to the capital from here, so we get some free directions. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll join you.¡± Q said. ¡°Wonderful! It¡¯s a pleasure to be travelling with such lovely ladies.¡± Glaide extended his hand to Q, but in response to that Cinnamon stuck out her wing to lightly push it to the side. ¡°We will be travelling together, but you mind your business and we¡¯ll mind ours.¡± Cinnamon said with a huff. ¡°O-of course.¡± Glaide¡¯s face was a little cramped, but he retracted his arm and returned to his carriage. Cyne and Lyne also went back, leaving Horke to stare at Cinnamon until she pushed him lightly with her wing. Glaide got the carriage moving and Q and Cinnamon began to fly alongside it at a leisurely speed. While they flew, Q got a message.
Hey bro. Yo. I just got back on, but before I did I watched a video about the Witch Village. Last I remember you told me you were there right? Yeah. Was it that gross propaganda video? Because let me tell you, whoever uploaded that was full of it. No it was one called ¡®Are you Proud?¡¯ by someone named CookieMonster. It showed what really happened in the village and now everything''s turned into a shitstorm. Hah! Yeah that¡¯s probably my friend. Looks like she finally uploaded her video. Yup. You should check it out sometime. BTW, what are you up to right now? Cinn and I are travelling with a merchant heading for Hales. Who¡¯s the merchant? Wait¡­ Cinn? Oh, I didn¡¯t tell you? Cinn¡¯s playing with me. GAH! Stupid brother! Tell me these things earlier! Heh, sorry.
Q continued to happily chat with Zeilan for a few minutes after that. Apparently noticing this, Cinnamon pouted and began to squeeze Q¡¯s body a little tighter. Glaide drove the carriage, while Cyne and Lyne kept an eye out for any monsters. Horke continued to stare at Cinnamon with hearts in his eyes. Thus, they slowly made their way to the capital city of Hales. Intermission: Sophie ¡°My name is Sophie Eviss, and this is a report about¡­ no, that doesn¡¯t sound right. Hmm¡­ This is Sophie Eviss reporting on the progress of¡­ gah, too formal.¡± I scratched my head and laid back in my chair as I tried to think of a way to start this report. ¡°Darn it dad, why are you making me do this?¡± I¡¯ve been working on this project for almost three years now and only recently has dad shown interest in it. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m getting close to finishing it and he wants to show off another one of his ¡®genius daughter¡¯s¡¯ inventions. It¡¯s either that or he wants some good publicity. With the release of TWO there was a lot of controversy behind the game pods and basically accessing another person¡¯s mind and my silence on the subject must have caused a lot of unrest. Still though¡­ ¡°...at least I don¡¯t have to talk in front of a crowd. But then again having my face seen by a bunch of people is still embarrassing¡­ haa¡­¡± I let out a sigh and slumped in my chair. ¡°I wonder if Simon could do a report like this. He¡¯s not that shy after all. Maybe Helen could as well? But she¡¯d probably make jokes¡­ ah! Not again...¡± Before I knew it, I was suddenly thinking about the two siblings again. I know that we haven''t seen each other in years but still¡­ I just couldn''t help missing them. It is mostly my fault for cutting all contact with them for such a long time, but it¡¯s for a good reason! While I was in the middle of my thoughts, I heard a knock at my door. Is it dad again? I got up and looked into the security camera, and what I saw almost made my heart leap out of my chest. Simon was standing there! Right there! In front of my door!The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. I froze in place as I stared at the unmoving figure of Simon. Why was he here? Ever since I shut myself away he hadn¡¯t tried to contact me directly, so why now? As I stood still I heard a faint sigh from the speakers. ¡°Haa¡­ Sophie, can you hear me? I¡¯m about 99% sure because you have Bub sitting outside your door, but it would feel kind of embarrassing to just talk while not knowing if you¡¯re listening.¡± He stared directly into the camera. ¡°I want to say thanks for what you did for Helen; I haven¡¯t seen her that happy in a long time. I know you¡¯re trying to make up for the past, and I¡¯d think this is pretty close to making up for it.¡± No! I screamed in my mind. That isn¡¯t nearly enough to make up for what I did! ¡°Ah, but with your personality I know you¡¯d think that wasn¡¯t enough. Shutting yourself inside like this for three years¡­ you¡¯re definitely trying to make something to fix Helen¡¯s legs right? I¡¯ve mentioned this in my e-mails, but I could always help if you needed it. Like we always have...¡± He wore a melancholic expression on his face. His words sounded like the sweet temptation of the devil. I really, REALLY wanted to open that door and accept his offer, and talk about all the things we¡¯ve done over these years. But not yet. I don¡¯t deserve to face the siblings until I¡¯ve made up for what I¡¯ve done. It¡¯s already been three years since I made that decision and now I¡¯m so close to finishing my work. Soon, I can see them with a proper smile on my face. ¡°Well, Helen and I are playing TWO together so maybe if¡­ I dunno, you have some free time or something you could join us? Oh, but maybe you¡¯re too busy to play. Anyway, my name in game is Q and Helen¡¯s is Zeilan. I¡­ hope I can see you soon.¡± Simon turned around and left. ¡°I hope so too¡­¡± I whispered. With one last glance at the screen I refocused myself and prepared to work again. That¡¯s right, nothing has changed since that time. I faced the screen and started the recording program again. ¡°I am Sophie Eviss, and I will fix what I have broken¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ...no, that sounds stupid.¡± Chapter 062 - I Climb Mountains Because...
Congragulations! Your Brawler class has advanced to Martial Artist
¡°Sweet!¡± Zeilan pumped his fist in the air. ¡°That was one heck of a fight, right Rook?¡± He looked over to the construct who weakly gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Fohoho! It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re still energetic after such a tough fight.¡± A man with a long beard and embroidered robes approached the two youths. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been so tough if you held back a little¡­¡± Zeilan complained. ¡°Fohohohoho!¡± It had been almost a week since Zeilan had reached the capital city, Hales. Once he arrived Carro let him off guard service for a while as she ¡®didn¡¯t need any guards¡¯ in the city. For some strange reason she kept Lumin with her though. Although he was left a bit confused, Zeilan temporarily left her and began training around Hales. At first he was running around the city doing quests by himself but later on Rook decided to join him and the duo began making a name for themselves around the city. Zeilan¡¯s most recent quest involved him upgrading his class into an advanced one and it involved a bunch of miscellaneous tasks as well as formal training, ending in a fight against the bearded man who was laughing heartily. ¡°...¡± Rook made a few gestures. ¡°Yeah I¡¯m pretty satisfied. I mean I am a bit late on getting an advanced class as most of the pioneers have already gotten one and moved to another area, but I feel a lot more confident now.¡± The pioneers Zeilan referred to were the players who reached the capital first and collected random bits of information to share amongst the players. Of course some chose to monopolize the things they learned but that was only natural. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve gotten this class, wanna help me test it out?¡± ¡°...¡± Rook gave a thumbs up. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re off old man! Thanks for the training.¡± ¡°Of course! Remember to keep my teachings in mind!¡± The bearded man saw them off and the two headed to the outskirts of town. Okay¡­ stat-wise there are a few changes here and there. Most importantly my growth rates have changed as well, so increasing strength and vitality will be a lot easier now. Intelligence and wisdom¡­ well it¡¯s not like I was really using magic anyway. I can just equip flat MP-boosting items to make up for it. Hmm¡­ most of my hand-to-hand combat skills will be a lot easier to level and use, but I wonder about weapons¡­ Zeilan went into deep thought as he looked over his current status and thought about how to proceed for the future. ¡°...¡± Rook tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°...What? My face is scrunched up? Oh sorry, I was thinking again.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing important. Just thinking of which skills to max out first.¡± Zeilan laughed. Come to think of it, is Simon using a high-end class? ¡­¡­¡­ That¡¯s actually highly unlikely. He always, ALWAYS chooses some weird combination of classes and skills and somehow manages to keep up with me in every game. I can¡¯t have that happen again can I? Okay, next on the to-do list: Find something that¡¯ll beat Simon! Zeilan grinned as he began making anti-Simon plans. Unfortunately his grin also caused the surroundings to panic and people quickly got out of his path. Again¡­ Should I start wearing a mask? Ah no, that¡¯d be an obstruction during battle. But maybe if I only wear it in towns? But wait¡­ Zeilan¡¯s worries continued as the two left the city gates. Of course there weren¡¯t any monsters right outside of the city as guards and adventurers regularly patrolled the area and cleared out anything that approached. Instead there were many roads leading to different directions. In regular intervals on every road there were large crystals packed with magic that acted as lamp-posts. That wasn¡¯t the only thing the crystals did though, as touching them would actually grant a speed boost for a short while. Apparently some adventurers worked together with the engineers in the city to create them and they quickly became popular which had the city¡¯s lord immediately implement them in as many roads as possible, inside the city and out. The only drawback these crystals had was that they attracted monsters, but the adventurers and guards always dealt with them.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Zeilan and Rook sped along a beaten dirt path, touching a crystal whenever they got near one. In about half an hour of non-stop running they stopped at the foot of a mountain and took a small rest at a clearing. While resting Rook took out a guitar (a custom-made item from a crafter) and began to play a little. This actually helped speed up their recovery and before long they were ready to go up the mountain again. Along the way were many monsters to be found like rock elementals, large eagles and strange goat-like creatures. At this point in time Zeilan had picked up and began to use multiple weapons at the same time in battle. Using a skill he learned - [Weapon Retrieval] - he could instantly access any weapon that was sitting in his inventory to bring out and use. Most of the time he used this ability to bring out a weapon to throw at something, then switch to another weapon and continue fighting. At one point in time he actually fought with almost 15 weapons at once. His hand-to-hand combat wasn¡¯t any less deadly though as his fists were strong enough to make cracks in boulders, while his legs could almost completely pulverize them. Combining his brutal attacks with movements he learned from dances made him a terrifying force on the battlefield. That¡¯s not to say that his partner, Rook, was any less dangerous. Although Rook played as an archer he played it in a very unorthodox manner. He placed a majority of his status points in defense and resistance which allowed him to stay in place and shoot at things without having to worry about being attacked. He also had some skills and spells to push enemies away if needed, but generally he fought enemies up close by using arrows in his hands and stabbing them. Due to his figure of stabbing enemies with arrows, he gained a secret name amongst the players who saw it: Silent Savage. When they worked together tough enemies would fall within minutes, if not seconds. If the pair had a single weakness it would be enemies resistant to physical attacks, but even then... ¡°RAAAGH!!¡± Zeilan¡¯s fist went right through a rock elemental. ¡°Huh. These enemies are supposed to have a super high defense. Do you think my class up increased my power that much?¡± ¡°...¡± Rook shrugged. ¡°True. Let¡¯s keep going. The top of the mountain has already been climbed but that¡¯s no reason we shouldn¡¯t make our way up there right?¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Zeilan and Rook continued onwards to the top of the mountain. On their way up they saw a few groups of adventurers going into the mountain through various cracks in the walls, most of them holding pickaxes. Some of these groups took notice of Zeilan and Rook and began whispering amongst themselves as they headed inside. Zeilan could only shake his head and move on, as thinking about it would bother him too much. Eventually they made it to the mountain peak (not before being attacked by a gigantic bird which tried to throw them off) and took in the view. The top of the mountain was cold and had a few patches of snow here and there, but it wasn¡¯t that tall so adventurers could freely visit it without too much concern. From where they stood they could see Hales in the distance, as well as an incredibly large structure a fair distance south (which apparently was an evil mage¡¯s tower). Towards the east if Zeilan squinted he could just barely make out a forest with dead trees and a fog cover. ¡°...It¡¯s great that we¡¯ve climbed up here, but there isn¡¯t anything to do is there?¡± ¡°...¡± Rook gave a wry smile. ¡°Shut up you. I mean I¡¯m used to my new strength now so it¡¯s not all bad¡­ I just wish something a bit more exciting will happen.¡± Just as he finished saying this, the ground underneath his feet began to rumble. ¡°Woah!¡± Zeilan grabbed onto a nearby rock for support, while Rook lay flat on the ground. After a half a minute the shaking stopped but then a message appeared.
[New Event!] The miners'' excavations have discovered a ruin deep beneath the mountain. Unfortunately this also disturbed the Earth Elementals sleep, and now they are rampaging in the mountain. Stop the elementals so that the miners can work again.
¡°Hah! Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! Let¡¯s go Rook.¡± Zeilan slid down the side of the mountain searching for an entrance inside and Rook followed soon after. Soon enough they found a crack wide enough to slip into and they made their way inside the mountain. The inside of the mountain was lit up with various magic crystals installed into the walls which gave a clear view of the facilities inside. The center of the mountain had a large hollowed out area where most of the miners and adventurers would stay and hang around when they weren¡¯t working. Surrounding the hollowed area were many tunnels which led deeper into the mountain, as well as a few with signs that led outside of the mountain. Right now the area was filled with miners scurrying about, as well as adventurers heading down into the tunnels. Zeilan and Rook exchanged glances, then decided to follow a random group. ¡°Hey uh¡­ what¡¯s your name?¡± The leader of the group asked. ¡°Zeilan. This guy is Rook. He doesn¡¯t talk all that much.¡± ¡°Ooh! So you¡¯re the famous Zeilan! We heard a lot about you and your friend on our way here.¡± ¡°Rumors about us have reached outside of the city?¡± I seriously hope they¡¯re not crazy ones. Zeilan wished in his heart. ¡°Of course. Anyone who¡¯s playing wants to know who the strongest players are, and you two are pretty high up on that list. Well I mean not your level but in terms of battle strength. I know of a few people who have ridiculous strength with low levels¡­¡± ¡°Cool. So who are you?¡± ¡°Sorry, I completely forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m Verne, a level 56 Warrior and leader of the Crios Blades.¡± The leader proudly introduced himself. The rest of his party introduced themselves as well, starting from the expressionless dragonkin who held a thick machete-like sword and a small shield. ¡°I am Neira, a level 55 Valkyrie.¡± She nodded in their direction before turning back to the front. ¡°Heya, I¡¯m Melun. Level 55 Magic Archer.¡± Melun waved excitedly at the two boys. ¡°Aeryn, level 56 Sorceress. Pleasure to meet you.¡± She extended her hand in greeting. ¡°I¡¯m Fortis Caleron, level 54 High Priest.¡± He gave a respectful bow. ¡°Pretty nice setup you¡¯ve got there.¡± Zeilan grinned. ¡°Yeah. We were actually just about to make our way into Hales but then we got this event notice as we were passing by the mountain and decided to come here instead.¡± Verne said. ¡°By the way, want to be a temporary party for a while? Seeing as we¡¯re travelling together.¡± ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Zeilan accepted the party request and the group continued to make their way down into the mountain... Chapter 063 - Run Away to Join the... It had been a few days since Q and Cinnamon decided to follow Glaide¡¯s group. On the way they often faced monsters. Before Glaide¡¯s guards could even move to fight, Q and Cinnamon would deal with them from a distance and just leave the bodies there (which the guards were ordered to pick up afterwards). ¡°Hmm?¡± In the middle of flying Q heard a sound and looked up to see a message in front of her.
[System Update] - True World Online has been updated to version 2.0
  • List of Changes:
    • Player inventories have been modified.
      • Each player now has a base number of 50 storage slots for items (duplicate items may be stacked). In addition to this, players also have 5 ¡®personal slots¡¯ where they can place items which cannot be stolen from steal-type skills.
      • Certain classes and items can increase the amount of storage slots players can have (ex: Merchant class, magic item bags, etc.).
      • Accumulated currency does not take up any slots.
      • You may store your items in a special storage box located in every settlement (conditions to access the storage box vary between each location). These boxes are linked with each other so you can instantly access items you stored at one location from another.
    • Class Updates:
      • Secondary Classes have been unlocked! Players may obtain a new class and utilize it in their secondary slot, opening many new combinations of spells and skills.
      • If you have cleared conditions for obtaining another class, you may swap out your classes at a designated location in any of the capital cities (only your currently equipped classes will get experience).
      • Slight balance changes have been made to every class.
    • The Cash Shop is now open! Exchange real currency into points for purchasing special premium items. As the game continues to progress, more items will be added.
    • A change to friend chatting has been made. You now have the option to talk to your friends directly instead of needing to type (note that you cannot chat if either of you are in a battle or instanced area).
    • A BBS system has been added to your [Social] Tab.
¡°Woah! My inventory¡¯s almost full because of that change. Is yours fine as well Cinn?¡± Q asked as she looked through her inventory. She immediately placed Alrune¡¯s journal, Morrigan¡¯s book and the egg she got from the two guardians in her personal slots. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t carry much with me besides my equipment and a few miscellaneous items so if you want to pass some things over I¡¯d be fine with carrying them.¡± Cinnamon smiled. ¡°Though it seems like someone else is having a hard time with their inventory.¡± She looked down at the carriage underneath the two. ¡°Aagh! My items!¡± Glaide shrieked. ¡°Hey Horke, put that down! It¡¯s mine!¡± ¡°Heh, sorry boss. Just lookin¡¯ at it.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± Q snickered. ¡°Looks like he was hoarding a lot of stuff. I guess with all that extra baggage out of nowhere their carriage is going to slow down¡­ Wanna ditch them? We already learned the general direction of the capital anyways.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask.¡± Cinnamon wore an incredibly happy expression as she sped up and quickly left the carriage behind. She heard a few faint cries from behind but elected to ignore them. ¡°Ahhh~ That feels nice. Flying at such a slow speed was actually quite tiring.¡± ¡°Do you even feel tired? You know, being an A.I and all.¡± Though Q had thought of this before, she never felt like asking about it until now (nor did she think it was important). ¡°I don¡¯t feel tired in the way that you would feel it. I am aware of the game telling me about my limits and I also know that it is forcibly changing my data to reflect a state of exhaustion. Despite that, it¡¯s not like I have a physical body to actually affect so I can more or less ignore that feeling.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you essentially fly forever then? I mean if someone never felt tired they¡¯d be able to do some incredible things.¡± ¡°Ah, no. Even I have to conform to this game''s rules.¡± Cinnamon smiled. ¡°When my fatigue reaches a certain level I have to stop flying. Besides, wouldn¡¯t it be boring if I was able to do whatever I wanted in this game?¡± ¡°Haha, true. By the way¡­ isn¡¯t it about time you let go of me?¡± ¡°...!¡± Cinnamon¡¯s body twitched. ¡°Twenty four hours have passed in real-life by now.¡± ¡°Tch, I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t notice.¡± Cinnamon reluctantly began to let go of Q. She slowly let go. Slowly¡­ Until finally Q was free from her grasp and entered free fall. ¡°Whooo!!¡± Q screamed in delight as the wind rushed up to meet her face. She quickly brought out her staff and after creating a rune circle for flight she sat on it and began to fly through the skies alongside Cinnamon. ¡°Hnnn~ It feels good to stretch and freely move again. Though I do admit it¡¯s kind of lonely without you behind me¡­¡± ¡°I could always hug you again!¡± Cinnamon¡¯s eyes sparkled with an intense fervor. ¡°...Not for a while, okay?¡± Q retreated slightly from Cinnamon who went right up to her. ¡°For a while¡­ that means it¡¯s okay at a later date. Ufufufu¡­¡± Q pretended not to hear her mutterings and flew through the sky with a new sense of freedom. It wasn¡¯t long until she got bored though, so she began to read Alrune¡¯s Journal. While the beginning of Alrune¡¯s journal mostly provided information she already knew, after that was far more interesting as it described different kinds of things she could analyze, the most interesting being the fact that she could analyze shapes and incorporate them into the runes forms.
Your knowledge of runes has deepened. You may now analyze shapes.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. +1 to Level of Spell Analysis
¡°Oooh. That¡¯s cool. Hey Cinn, can you use a spell for me? Preferably one with a distinct shape.¡± ¡°Of course. Spirits of light, heed my call. Appear in a form to cut down my foes. [Shimmering Blade].¡± Cinnamon extended her hand and a beam of light appeared from it. After a few seconds it formed into a sword which then began to float around her. ¡°[Spell Analysis]¡± Q¡¯s eyes flashed with strange symbols as she stared hard at the sword. After half a minute a notice popped up indicating she that she learned a new shape. ¡°Awesome. Now let¡¯s see how it works with the other runes¡­¡± She continued to read the journal for details of how to use the shapes and soon after put it into practice. While normally Q would put a bunch of runes into a circle, this time the circle was replaced with the shape of a sword, and the runes had to be put in different positions. ¡°Okay, [Fire Sword]... activate!¡± The moment she activated the runes they burst into life as a sword similar to Cinnamon¡¯s appeared covered in flames. Using her mind she made it move around and the sword danced in the air, covering the sky with a bright red. Soon after it collided with Cinnamon¡¯s sword. Q and Cinnamon locked eyes, and immediately distanced themselves from one another as they began a duel. ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re the only one I haven¡¯t fought yet.¡± Q¡¯s fingers moved rapidly as she began setting up a whole array of rune circles. ¡°Yes. Though the real question is, should I get serious?¡± Cinnamon grinned mischievously. She casted multiple buffs on herself, and even sent out Glauke¡¯s feathers which rapidly approached Q. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re three years too early to be saying that!¡± With a flick of her wrist the rune circles which surrounded her activated and the two began a high-speed battle in the sky. Soon enough the sky was filled with bright and colorful flashes of light as the two¡¯s attacks collided with each other. Most of Q¡¯s magical attacks were able to land on Cinnamon, but they were either glancing blows or didn¡¯t deal much damage. On the other hand Cinnamon used Glauke¡¯s feathers like homing missiles as they continually followed Q through the sky, causing her to frantically dodge them. Man, I know she¡¯s an A.I but this is way past the level of AIMbots! Q quickly changed her tactics into deflecting the feathers which had terrifying accuracy. The feathers approached from all directions and constantly came from her blind spots so Q elected to return to the ground to at least prevent the feathers from coming beneath her. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me!¡± The feathers temporarily returned to Cinnamon as she dive-bombed Q with her long spear out and aimed at Q¡¯s chest. Q responded with multiple layered wind barriers to stop the attack, but Cinnamon pierced through half of them before even beginning to slow down. Q jumped backwards and began creating another rune just as Cinnamon broke through the last barrier. Cinnamon flapped her wings once and instantaneously sped up. Just as Cinnamon was about to reach Q, she activated her rune which froze Cinnamon in place. Cinnamon¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as Q brought out her staff and hefted it behind her, then swung it like a baseball bat. The moment the bat made contact with Cinnamon a rune glowed and caused a small explosion of flames, but at the same time a thin barrier appeared over Cinnamon¡¯s body as she was blown away. ¡°Jeez. I think I hit you pretty hard but that was barely a tenth of your health.¡± ¡°On the contrary considering the amount of defenses I had set up, the fact that you hurt me that much is an indication of how much damage you can deal.¡± Cinnamon brushed herself off and healed the damage she was dealt, then dashed into close range. Q grinned and cast a harden rune on her staff, then met Cinnamon in a vigorous melee where they exchanged sharp blows with each other. Cinnamon¡¯s spear would constantly poke at any openings Q had. While Q was able to avoid being pierced deeply she was still hit with shallow attacks which consistently shaved away her health. On the other hand Cinnamon had to use her wings to block Q¡¯s staff which constantly exploded on contact. Both sides were slowly shaving away at each other¡¯s health, but then Q changed the situation. Using her tail she began drawing runes while fighting which gave her an extra edge damage-wise. Cinnamon didn¡¯t fall behind though as she also deployed her feathers, though there were only two that came out. ¡°Seems like you can¡¯t control too many feathers if you¡¯re not concentrating.¡± Q smiled. ¡°Yes, though you can¡¯t use as many runes either.¡± Cinnamon returned the smile as their attacks slowly became more chaotic and destructive. Q¡¯s runes began to fly wildly in all directions while Cinnamon¡¯s feathers went haywire and made crazy movements. They locked eyes in the middle of their deadly combat, and began laughing. ¡°Haha¡­ hahahahaha!¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± ¡°AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!¡± ¡°¡°...?¡±¡± The two of them temporarily stopped attacking each other as they looked over at what caused the screaming noise. A fair distance away from their fight a young child was slumped near a crater. ¡°Woah! I didn¡¯t think someone would get caught up in it.¡± Q conceded the duel and walked over to the child while Cinnamon was left standing with a desolate expression. ¡°Our fight¡­ we were close to each other¡­ and we locked eyes¡­ grrrr¡­¡± For a second Cinnamon gnashed her teeth but just as quickly she replaced her expression with a blank one and walked over to Q. ¡°Hey~ Are you alright?¡± Q began poking the child¡¯s cheek. Upon closer inspection Q saw that the child was a boy with delicate features. His clothing was black and silky with a long black cape and top hat. Right now there were stars spinning in his eyes. ¡°Auuu¡­ where¡­ what? Ah!¡± The boy began looking around dazedly but as soon as he caught sight of Q he backed away with incredibly speed. Unfortunately for him he backed up right into Cinnamon who wore a frozen smile on her face. ¡°Ah¡­ am I dead? Is miss angel here to take me?¡± ¡°No silly boy. You¡¯re not dead¡­ yet.¡± The last part was barely audible as Cinnamon kept her smile. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Q crouched down to the boy¡¯s eye level. ¡°I don¡¯t think you got hurt since outsiders can¡¯t take damage from people in a duel but that must have shocked you huh?¡± She scratched her cheek in embarrassment. ¡°Ye- yes.¡± The boy visibly calmed down upon hearing Q¡¯s gentle tone of voice. ¡°Um, what were you two doing out here?¡± ¡°Us? We were just having a friendly match. What were you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I heard sounds of explosions and thought I should investigate. I didn¡¯t expect to be met with a fireball though. Heheh.¡± ¡°Seems like we need to be a bit more mindful of our surroundings huh Cinn?¡± Q looked over to Cinnamon who nodded in response. ¡°So do you need any help getting back from where you came?¡± She asked the boy. ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. Besides, I think my teacher is coming now.¡± The boy brushed himself off and looked out into the distance. Q and Cinnamon followed his gaze but were shocked by a voice that came from behind them. ¡°If you call for me, I shall appear!¡± A man in an outfit similar to the boy appeared out of nowhere. ¡°The greatest magician of the millennium, the man wrapped in mystery, covered in a veil of masterful decept-¡± ¡°Let me introduce you. This is my master in magic, Joe Aver-.¡± ¡°Agh! Sergio, you¡¯re supposed to use my stage name! And where is the lights and confetti? You know a magician must always make a grand entrance.¡± ¡°Sorry master. I left my equipment back in the carriage.¡± ¡°Hmph. A true magician must always be ready to put on a show. Nevermind that though, who are you two?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Q, an adventurer. This is Cinnamon my friend.¡± Q and Cinnamon both bowed lightly. ¡°Hmmm¡­ I sense something about you.¡± Joe began to circle around Q. ¡°Yes¡­ a sense of mischief? Or rather, entertainment. Do you like entertaining people Q?¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯d rather be entertained myself than entertain others.¡± Q shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s the case you should come see our show! We¡¯ll be hosting it at Shubet town in a few days before moving to the capital city.¡± Apparently satisfied, Joe turned around and flipped his cape. ¡°Come Sergio, we must continue practicing for our show. Oh, and I hope to see you ladies there as well. Adieu!¡± Both Joe and Sergio disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving a bewildered Q. ¡°That was¡­ weird. Do you want to follow them?¡± Q¡¯s eyes shone with runes. ¡°You know where they went?¡± ¡°Yeah. They used some sort of invisibility spell and are just running normally in that direction. Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Q took off and Cinnamon followed closely behind. Not even five minutes later they ended up at a large open area surrounded by a long line of carts. All the carts were attached to each other and they all had sorts of different things on them, ranging from animals to strangely dressed people doing some sort of act. At the very front of the line of carts was a big turtle-like creature with a sign attached to it¡¯s sides that read: The Wandering Circus Troupe. Upon reading the sign Q¡¯s eyes began to sparkle and a wide smile appeared on her face. Her tail swung back and forth so rapidly that Cinnamon thought she might achieve liftoff. After regaining control of herself, she turned to face Cinnamon. ¡°Cinnamon,¡± Q wore the most serious expression since starting the game, ¡°We¡¯re joining the circus.¡± An Announcement "Oh crap, Emerald''s making another announcement. That can''t be good" Yeah... I need a break. I think you guys have noticed a bit already but lately the chapters have been kind of... sloppy, and even then they''re not released on time every week. Why is this? Because RL-chan managed to find her distant cousin Responsibility-kun and they''ve been hounding me non-stop. Not to mention that (even if it took me a while to admit it) I''m in somewhat of a writer''s block.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. So, I intend on taking a break for a while (a few weeks at least) to get refreshed and reinvigorate myself with tons of fluffyness. Since I won''t be uploading for a while, here are some things you can read while you wait. The Man Picked Up By The Gods The Lazy Swordmaster (Um, Sorry) I''ve Been Reincarnated! World Teacher ¨C Other World Style Education & Agent Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu Anything at Paichun Translations Sorry about this. I know you guys want more TWO but I''m just burned out at the moment. Hopefully when I come back it''ll be with the same vigor as when I started writing. ''Till next time, my amazing readers. An Apology First and foremost I am very sorry, for both abandoning the story and letting down you faithful fans who waited for a very long time for an update. I have my reasons for leaving for so long (which I''ll list below) but I think you''re most likely more interested in what''s happening to this story. As you can tell, permanent hiatus, or rather abandoning? Quitting? I am done writing this story (more like I was done a few years ago). For why this is, it''s a mix of things including real life problems and dealing with my own mental problems. The main reason though, is I wrote myself into a hole and didn''t know how to get out. I tried for a few weeks during my ''break'' but just couldn''t find a way to continue it without rebooting the whole thing, which brings me to my main point...Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. It''s getting a reboot! If you''re enthusiastic for that. I know, I abandoned the story once before but if you''re willing to give me a second chance you can find it on https://verdantplateau.com/ So... yeah. Now, I want to take a moment to thank you guys who had read until now. I can''t tell you how happy I was to recieve comments and feedback while I wrote new chapters, and I was completely over the moon when I even got some fanart! Being a part of the community just made me feel really good, and I''m so very thankful for the support I recieved during the short time that I was on this site. It was wonderful, and I wouldn''t trade it for the world. This is the end of True World Online. Thank you for reading.