ã€ŠReality or Gameã€‹


 Prologue

    "nOW THEN, ENJOY rEALITY!" a voice dreaded by everyone in this world resounded.

    "... the same dream..." muttered a certain girl while panting after waking from her nightmare.

    The girl cloaked the blanket around herself. Lying on the bed, she buried herself underneath the pillow as if to protect herself.

    The bed was by no means comfortable. The girl knew this was not her home. This was a cheap inn found in a certain city. The sheets and pillows, while not dirty, smelled from overuse. The bed creaked at every slight movement of the girl. The room was cramped and small. The walls were on the verge of falling apart. Yet the girl chose to stay in this room for one reason-what lay outside horrified her even more.

    The girl spent the past two weeks shut in her room, afraid of the world outside. The girl passed each day reading at the Help System. From the Help System, she learned various information about the world she was in, but she was nevertheless too afraid to take action.

    The girl glanced towards the upper right.

    Player Name: Dove Chaim RinsletThe tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Job Class: Assassin

    Element: Wind

    Equipment: Basic Bow, Basic Sword, Clothes

    Abilities: Wind Walk

    Information regarding her could be seen from the open menu in the upper right.

    On the upper left, the following could be seen by the girl.

    Date: June 15, XX17

    Location: Naut City

    Current Fitts: 800

    "It''s been two week since I came here. When will this end?"

    Tears fell from the girl''s eyes as she hopes, "Someone save me..."

    The sound of a message notification interrupted the girl''s tears. The girl clicked on the notification that could be seen in front of her.

    Note: June 15: Parent''s Wedding Anniversary

    The moment the girl saw the note, her tears stopped.

    "What am I doing?" the girl chuckled at her own incompetence. "Father and Mother never taught me to be dependent on others. If there was something I wished to achieve, I have to do all in my power to reach it. Whether I succeed or fail, it matters. It''s better to try and regret than regret not trying."

    The girl smiled at herself as light refilled her previously lifeless eyes.

    A mere notification leftover from her phone began everything. Something so simple gave the girl the resolve to shed her cocoon and take action.

    Here begins the adventure of Dove Rinslet.

    Author''s Note:

    This is the first story I have posted online, but I have joined and acquired honors in a few amateur writing contests. Feel free to critique and grammar check. I will be posting a new chapter at least once every week. Thank you and I hope everyone enjoys reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until next chapter!

 Chapter 1: Customize Game

    June 1, XX17, 6:00 A.M.

    "Tan...tan...tan..." the alarm clock rang in the girls'' dormitory.

    Dove Rinslet, still half-asleep, stopped the alarm. She then slowly said, "Five more minutes".

    Dove was 20 years of age; however, her physical appearance made her appear younger. Her height, breasts, and curves were all below the average of her age. She knew this well from comparing herself to the other girls in the same dormitory. Despite this, she never thought herself inferior. Looking at her face, it was one which people would deem cute. While people would never describe her as beautiful, her beauty could be considered to be above average.

    More than most people, her prettiness varied greatly with her facial expression. When she frowned, she looked like a grumpy office lady, but when she smiled, she looked like a cute teenage girl.

    Her wavy black hair reached her shoulders. She did not have a fixed hairstyle but instead changed as she felt like it.

    Half asleep, Dove noticed multiple bright lights shining. With her eyes half-closed, she traced the source to be her and her roommates'' phones. Her roommates were also awakened by the light. The light glowed brighter until nothing could be seen. Dove lost her consciousness.

    [Dove''s Point of View]

    Choose a Job Class

    Hint: Choose one that fits your personality and playstyle.

    After acquiring back my consciousness. I saw text hovering before me like in a video game. Below the text were several names of fighting occupations.

    Hmm? Weren''t these jobs in video games? Was I dreaming?

    The jobs where arranged in alphabetical order. I selected the first job class, Assassin, to see what would happen.

    [Assassin]

    A job specializing on killing and escaping quickly.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Stats: Health: ** Mana: *** Attack: **** Defense:*

    Magic: ** Resistance: ** Speed: ***** Dexterity: *****

    Usable Weapons: One-handed Swords, Knives, Bows

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment

    Choose Job Return to Job Class Selection

    What a detailed dream... If that''s the case, might as well enjoy it...

    I checked the dozens of job class one by one, it took a while but I enjoyed seeing their stats and descriptions.

    Let''s see, which job fit me most?

    I preferred quick battles. I admittedly had a short temper so I sometimes got annoyed when battles dragged on too long when I played video games, so I wanted a speedy job class. Being fast was not enough; I wanted high attacking power to finish the battles. Magic sounded interesting but the possibility of casting time and long flashy animations may prolong the battle.

    From these preferences, I narrowed it down to three options: Assassin, Ninja, and Rogue. I went with Assassin. Rogue sounded a bit... unrefined? And Ninja sounded less menacing than Assassin. So I guess I''ll go Assassin then.

    After selecting my job class, a new selection menu appeared.

    Choose an Element

    Hint: Elements have no advantages over one another; however monsters will be weak to or strong against certain elements.

    Fire, Water, Wood,

    Wind, Earth, Thunder,

    Light, Metal, Dark

    I selected Fire hoping to see a description of it but none was given. Sigh... I have to choose on intuition.

    Hmm... While the other types are pretty common in video games, Metal seems to be an uncommon element. How would a Metal Wizard fight? Would he summon metal beams and make them fall on the enemy?

    I wanted to be fast so elements associated with speed would be... Wind, Electric, and Light ...

    Although in video games, Light tended to be associated with healing and support rather than speed.

    Wind or Electric

    Wind Assassin or Electric Assassin... I liked the sound of Wind Assassin more, so I went with that.

    After choosing, yet another menu appeared.

    Choose Weapon(s)

    Hint: You may choose more than one weapon, but the more weapons you choose, the less Abilities will be acquired from each weapon.

    One-handed Swords Knives Bows

    Continue

    I prefer to have both short and long range covered, so I went with two weapons: Bows and either One-handed Swords or Knives. After selecting Bows, the game asked me on what hand I would equip Bows. Since people generally held the bow with their non-dominant hand, I chose the left-hand. After choosing, I returned to the previous menu.

    In games, One-handed Swords were generally the most used weapon. Thus, it is generally the most varied and most consistent weapon, so I chose the One-handed Sword. The same process as with Bows happened. I then selected continue.

    Customization Completed: Please Wait...

    Wow! What a detailed dream! Is my imagination really this creative?

 Chapter 2: Game Start

    I was in the middle of a city plaza I had never seen in my life. I wore clothes different from what I wore in the morning. It was a simple grey shirt and brown shorts that reached slightly above my knees. I worried that I would be wearing some revealing clothes that have become the trend for female characters in video games, but my worries fortunately did not come true. I also wore a pair of sandals that I found comfortable running around in.

    From what I could see, the city was neither advance nor old. It was a standard city you could find anywhere in the world. 500 people around my age who were every bit as confused as I was filled the plaza.

    The plaza had a high monument in the middle with a fountain surrounding it. The floor was tiled and organized and there were benches every few meters.

    Wait! Was this not a dream? Was I in one of those cliche trapped in a video game settings?

    From the side of my eyes, I could see the information menu and the date, June 1, XX17 as well as the location, Naut City, 1500 Fitts, which seemed to be the currency of money in this game. I noticed something I had not chosen: the ability Wind Walk. I selected it and a description appeared.

    Fade Walk

    The target becomes invisible against all non-allies that lasts until the user takes another action. While invisible, the user has increased movement speed. If the user uses a basic attack or a damaging ability when invisible, the first instance of damage dealt will be increased.

    Range: Self-target

    Cooldown: 30 Seconds

    Interestingly, I could activate the ability instinctively. It was hard to explain, but it was somewhat similar to people being naturally capable of breathing. When I used the ability, my Mana gauge, which was a green line located in the top of my vision below my Health gauge, a blue line, decreased. Unlike most video games, Health and Mana were shown as percentages. Right now, I had 63% Mana after using Wind Walk. Wind Walk consumed 38% of my Mana, since after a few seconds, 1% of my Mana regenerated. While in Wind Walk, my body was translucent. I could also instinctively deactivate Wind Walk, which I did.

    It was not just Health and Mana that did not hold exact numbers. All the other stats I saw during the customization could not be seen. There was no Level either. This game is certainly weird.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    While deep in thought about the game, I soon remembered that I have to go to class soon. It was then when a person appeared at the top of the plaza. The person wore a blue cloak that covered his whole face and body.

    "HUHUHU, I''M SURE YOU ARE ALL CONFUSED ON WHAT IS HAPPENING. NOW FIRST OFF, WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF REALITY. NOW THEN, IS IT ONLY NAMED REALITY OR MAYBE IT ACTUALLY IS REALITY? WHO KNOWS? HUHUHU"

    "ANYWAY, GETTING TO THE POINT REALITY WILL BE YOUR NEW HOME FROM NOW ON. THIS IS THE SECOND GENERATION OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT HERE, BUT MOST OF THE FIRST GENERATION HAVE PASSED AWAY SO YOU NEED NOT REMEMBER THEM."

    "SIMPLY STATED, THIS IS THE STANDARD CLICH¨¦ TRAPPED IN A VR GAME PLOT WHERE DYING HERE MEANS DYING IN REALITY SO DO YOUR BEST TO SURVIVE HUHUHU. ALL STUDENTS BETWEEN TEN AND TWENTY YEARS OF AGE ALL ACROSS THE WORLD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT HERE. oF COURSE, YOU HAVE BEEN SEPARATED INTO GROUPS OF 500 IN MANY CITIES ALL ACROSS REALITY. ALSO, DON''T WORRY ABOUT YOUR ''REAL LIFE'' 0 TIME PASSES IN YOUR REAL LIFE NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU SPEND HERE."

    "NOW THEN, ENJOY REALITY!"

    It was then when panic struck. Not just me but almost all the people shouted and flailed around after hearing that. Why were we so calm before then? I was customizing my character and testing the game without showing any sign of worry.

    Then it hit me... the conclusion that made my fear grow even larger... that made me panic more... If this was a VR Game, then it meant it could transport our minds digitally, if that were possible, then our digitized minds may also be manipulated or even controlled. This was the conclusion I came to and feared...

    This was not a joke... I thought all those conspiracy theories were merely material for movies... this had become my reality...

    I could no longer see my surroundings... but I knew one thing... chaos ensued... I ran away as fast as I could. Which direction? I did not know. I ran until I saw the words INN in front of an old building. I immediately entered and rented a room for 50 Fitts a night, not even thinking about money or the quality of the inn. I shut myself in the room and buried myself beneath the blankets and pillows. I closed my eyes hoping that when I open them, I would wake from this nightmare... But this was no nightmare... this was reality... this was Reality...

    End Dove POV

    Help System: Inn

    {Multiple Inns with different costs and quality are located in every city. All Inns have the same basic layout design. Inns have infinite rooms and the costs are charged automatically when the player enters the room. Player who leave their items in the rented room still remain there the next time they rent a room even if the player rents from a different Inn.}

    These events led Dove into shutting herself in the inn room. Day after day, despair and fear grew stronger and hope grew dimmer.

    She thought of killing herself, but was too afraid to do so.

    In the end, her savior came, not in the form of a person, but a notification.

    And thus, the story continued, from where the prologue ended.

 Chapter 3: Start Adventure

    Dove POV

    I explored around the town to seek more knowledge¡ªwas what I wanted to do, but after I fixed myself and exited the Inn, I was stopped by various other players requesting for me to join their Party. I distinguished a player from an in-game character by the icon located atop their heads. Player icons were green. Character icons were blue. Every person, both Character and Player had their Health bars visible.

    It was pretty common in MMOs for Party system to exist. Sometimes, they may be called guilds and such. In a world where losing means death, joining a Party would improve safety.

    One after another, people barraged me with various Party requests. I looked around and noticed that other Players, primarily male without Parties were being ignored.

    Why were they all gathering to me? Was it because I¡¯m a girl? No, there should be a significant number of girls here. Hmm? Maybe I was cute? Mother always said I¡¯m cute. Well, a mother¡¯s opinion on her child¡¯s cuteness should not be trusted, but personally, I did think I look pretty good.

    I talked with great anticipation to the first few people inviting me. Hopefully, I would eventually find a good Party.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Or not; I gave up. A large percent wanted me because I was a fairly good-looking girl and were blatantly hitting on me. After talking to the seventh person I got pissed and used Fade Walk to escape into the alley way.

    Help System:Clothes and Equipment

    {Equipment is worn over the Player''s Clothes and is immune to any external non-battle factor. Clothes have no special effects on battles.Clothing was changed by selecting the desired clothes from the clothes section of the menu. There is a wide variety of clothes for selection, but I did not bother choosing too much and instead went for simple clothes. The selected clothes would then be summoned. Players still had to physically change their clothes. The removed clothes were automatically unsummoned.}

    Help System: Party

    It is a system where groups of people gather together. A Party can have up to 9 people. A contract listing the terms of joining the Party isoffered to the applicant for him or her to sign. The terms of contract isdecided by both parties. Changing the terms of contract requires the consent of all active members of the Party. A Party chooses a name that is yet to be taken by another Party to distinguish themselves. While Player Name is invisible to non-Party members, a Player¡¯s Party Name would be shown to all other Players. Players are allowed to join multiple Parties as long as they do not breach any contract terms. Players in the same Party can see one another¡¯s Health and Mana bars.

 Chapter 4: Adventure Tutorial

    Naut City had many alley ways that served as shortcuts to go to different places. The alley ways were dirty and polluted. Despite this, the paths were wide; however, monsters spawned in these alleyways. Naut City Alley Ways were considered a dungeon and separate areas from Naut City.

    When I entered the dungeon, a map appeared in the lower left corner of my eye. The path was simply a straight line. Also, my weapons were automatically brought out¡­ summoned would probably be the better term. On my back was the Basic Bow. The Basic Bow was, for the lack of a better description, basic. It was simple wood without any design. On my left hip was the Basic Sword, which was, once again, basic in design.

    Finding no quiver or arrows, I decided to just pull the string of the bow. Like magic, an arrow automatically appeared out of thin air. Aiming at the wall, a target cursor appeared to help my shooting accuracy. I then unsheathed my sword with my right hand; this led to my bow being unsummoned followed by a message.

    Bows are two-handed weapons and cannot be equipped with another weapon.

    Sigh¡­ I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m disappointed, but I persisted to find a way to find the best way to use both weapons. After a bit of experimentation, I finally did.

    First, I unsheathed my sword. Second, the sword gets unsummoned when I summon my bow. I can then resummon the sword unsheathed, which also automatically unsummoned the bow. This made it very easy to toggle between the sword and bow.

    My first monster encounter was against two monsters. They appeared around 5 meters in front of me with red icons above each of them was the name Sewer Rat. Red icons represented enemies.

    Sewer Rats were dirty dark-brown rats the size of a cat. They moved more slowly due to their size compared to normal rats and looked significantly more threatening.

    While slightly nervous, I was quite confident I could defeat them since this was the first monsters encountered, so I assumed they were weak, especially since death count reported wasn¡¯t that high yet. I fired arrows at the Sewer Rats immediately as they ran towards me. I never practiced archery before; however, I landed more arrows than expected. Either the target cursor helped me or I had enhanced physical ability in Reality or a combination of the two. Unsurprisingly, the Arrows disappeared after they hit the target.

    I could not see the health of the enemies, but whenever the monsters were below half, slowed movement and physical injuries began appearing on the monsters. The injuries appeared around the areas that were directly hit.

    Was the game system assisting me? Probably. At least, that was how I felt when shooting. However, the feeling that I would improve if I had actual archery experience remained. It most probably was a combination of both.

    I killed one of the Sewer Rats with six arrow hits before they reached me. It was basic knowledge to focus on killing one enemy first. After killing it, I received 3 Fitts.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    When attacking, a Chain Gauge appeared in the lower right of my vision indicating how many attacks I hit consecutively.

    When the remaining rat reached me, I dodged its bites with simple movement. Just like firing arrows, it felt as if the system helped me dodge. In contrast to firing arrows, dodging was something people are naturally born with, thus, their attacks were easily dodged by me.

    Thankfully, I was quite a sporty girl in real life, more than most girls at least. I played semi-competitively with my family and friends. As I dodged the Sewer Rat¡¯s attacks, I felt the same reflexes triggered as the reflexes in sports. I never expected to be this thankful of being active back then.

    Attacking with the sword... was easier compare to attacking with the bow. I swung my sword as if I was swinging a badminton or tennis racket. I killed the Sewer Rat in four hits.

    I finished the first battle without taking any damage. I received 6 Fitts from the second Sewer Rat.

    I had quite a few more encounters with Sewer Rats.

    On my second encounter against three rats, after I killed two, I was bitten and lost 7% of my Health. The attack also restarted my Chain Gauge. I hit the third rat twice before it hit me. I was caught off guard when it did not die after two more hits.

    On my third encounter against three rats, I killed the first with arrows and killed the second in four hits with a sword without getting hit. I immediately continued to the third rat, which did not restart my Chain Gauge, and I killed the rat in three hits instead of two.

    I have confirmed that the Chaining increases damage the higher it gets and carried over to different targets.

    On my fourth encounter against one rat, I experimented with Fade Walk. The rat attacked and in the middle of its attack animation, I used Fade Walk. The attack still went through and damaged me. The Sewer Rat then stopped attacking and move around randomly. I ran for around ten meters and the Sewer Rat disappeared.

    I learned that running a certain distance from enemies escapes the battle.

    On my fifth encounter, I fought a new enemy the Bat, two of them. The Bat was a medium sized normal bat. It was flying around making it harder to hit, especially with arrows. After four arrows, the first Bat died. I was then attacked by the second bat for 5% of my Health. It soon fell after three hits from my sword.

    I learned that Bats died faster and hit weaker than Sewer Rats; however, they evasiveness proved to be a problem.

    On my sixth encounter gains two Sewer Rats and a Bat, I confirmed that they drop an average of 5 Fitts per monster.

    On my seventh encounter against two rats, I resumed my experiments with Fade Walk. I touched one of Sewer Rats while they were moving around randomly due to my invisibility. The Sewer Rat I touched attacked me; the one further away did not react. After a few seconds, they stopped again.

    I learned that physical contact temporarily allows the contacted creature to see me.

    After a few more encounters, one of the Sewer Rats bit me, and I was afflicted with the Status Effect: Poison. While poisoned, I would lose 1% of my Health every 2 minutes. The poison damage and interval probably varied from its source.

    The Poison damage was negligible because my natural Health regeneration outhealed it; however, it may prove to be a problem if I was getting hit a lot.

    There were cases were using my sword with my left-hand would be beneficial, but the sword disappeared immediately when I tried.

    I learned that I can only use my weapon on the equipped hand.

    After around two hours, I exited the dungeon with 70% Health. Entering the town automatically healed the Poison. The dungeon probably only took a minute or so since it was a straight path if I just when straight through it. I just lingered for experiments. Also, there were probably other alley ways that were similar in. Also, I felt slightly stronger that I was before entering the dungeon. I was unsure whether this was a confidence thing or my stats actually increased.

 Chapter 5: Tutorial for the City

    I arrived at the main street of Naut City. The street was notably busier that the other streets. Still invisible, I entered as the Accessory Shop, which automatically broke my invisibility. Upon entrance, the Shop Menu popped up immediately.

    The Accessory Shop sold various miscellaneous accessories that may or may not have an effect on stats. Unlike the Inn, most shops had a clerk but could still be operated using the menu. The building had two floors. The first floor was the shop itself. Many different accessories were put on display. There was also a counter, a toilet, and a dressing room.

    First I went to the toilet. Even in Reality, human needs still exist. Thankfully, toilets that were perfectly clean are in every store and every block. Just like Inn rooms, toilets were infinite; multiple Players could enter the same toilet door and be at separate toilets. The toilets all had the same design and were complete with a sink, bowl, and shower. Other necessities such as soap, towels, and shampoos were available. All bathroom needs were provided in infinite quantities.

    I finished and went to the clerk. When I came close to the clerk, a new menu appeared that had options to Buy or Sell items. It was a standard shop menu with those options.

    ¡°Welcome to the Accessory Shop. Oh, a new customer!¡± greeted the woman on the desk.

    The woman was around her 40s as one can notice that her appearance has begun to wane. She had long brown hair tied in braids and cheerful black eyes. During the peak of her days, she was probably quite the beauty. She was wearing a gown used by elderly people that made her seem even older.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kimberly. I manage this Accessory Shop.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to buy a cloak.¡± I replied as I navigated the shop menu.

    My goal here was to buy a cloak to cover myself so that less people would pester me. I managed to buy a brown one for 100 Fitts. The cloak gave no stats. The cloak covered my head with to my legs.

    Before I equipped the cloak, I tried to sell it back. It showed that I would only receive half the price when selling.

    I equipped the cloak and check the other contents of the store, none of which caught my interest. All the items had a Common Rarity.

    ¡°What are the different levels of rarity?¡±

    ¡°The Common Rarity and the Uncommon Rarity are the ones I know of. Generally, shops will have Common Items, but once in a while, an Uncommon Item appears.¡±

    ¡°Are there even higher rarities?¡±

    ¡°There probably are, but I¡¯ve never seen them before.¡±

    ¡°Okay thanks.¡±

    Kimberly stared at me for a while. It was not a stare of dislike, but one of curiosity.

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°¡®Players¡¯ talking to me is quite rare. Most of them simply operate the menu to buy stuff.¡±

    I wonder why? Was it because it was simpler? No. It is probably because the Players treated the Characters as robots and not humans since they are parts of the game. Personally, Players should treat Characters as people as well. It is not as if it is a huge hassle or anything. Besides, interaction with Characters may lead to quests in the future as well.

    As I was leaving the Accessory Shop, I heard footsteps sounding from the second floor of the Accessory Shop. I reflexively looked up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. It¡¯s just my children playing.¡±

    When she said this, all doubts in my heart cleared. Characters were as much human as Players. They have emotions, background, and personalities. While people believe Reality to be a game, there is no confirmation. For all we know, this could be a different universe.

    I currently have 904 Fitts. I should look at all the shops before buying anything. My next stop was the Equipment Shop.

    The Equipment Shop had the same layout as the Accessory Shop. Only instead of Accessories, Equipment were being displayed. I entered the shop and removed the hood of my cloak.

    ¡°Yo! Welcome to the Equipment Shop!¡± greeted the clerk. The clerk was a muscular man around thirty years of age. He was bald and his skin was brown. His brown eyes were filled with spirit and enthusiasm. He wore a sleeveless white shirt with jersey shorts, giving off an informal appearance.

    ¡°What can I offer as service to you, my lady?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be formal. I¡¯m Dove. I¡¯ll be your customer from now on.¡±

    A large smile emerged from the man¡¯s face. ¡°I see. I¡¯m Aldrich.¡±

    I looked through the equipment. Most of it were basic weapons I already had equipped, but one Uncommon Item stood out.

    Feather Boots 5000 Fitts

    Increases the user¡¯s movement speed and evasion.

    Unlike other equipment that increases defense, the Feather Boots provided no Defense.

    In Reality, equipment automatically transformed to fit the user, whether size or gender. Looking at the equipment, I noted that most of them were normal looking, unlike other games where equipment would be awkward to wear in public.

    There was another Uncommon Item: the Iron Gauntlets. It increased the Attack but compromised Speed which was why I ignored it. It cost 4500 Fitts.

    As I continued browsing at shop, Aldrich grinned at me non-stop. I felt not negativity but interest.

    ¡°Is talking to Characters such a big deal?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Only two Parties and one Player aside from you actively talk to me.¡±

    I returned to checking through the equipment. Aldrich continued smiling at me until it seemed like he got an idea.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you marry my son?¡±

    ¡°Ehh?!¡±

    Surprised by the sudden question, I calmed myself to not panic. I straightened my body, looked up, and took a deep breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I refuse.¡±

    ¡°Do you mind if I ask why?¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of staying in this world. One day, I will return. I believe marriage should something both sides can commit to for their life. Also, I don¡¯t want to become meet and become friends with someone with the intention of marriage from the beginning. Love should be a natural occurrence where no plans have been made.¡±

    ¡°You answered just like that brat¡­ interesting. I was joking anyways. Just to see you reaction.¡± replied Aldrich with his smile larger than ever.

    ¡°Changing the topic, can I reserve the Feather Boots?¡±

    Unlike the Accessory Shop, the Equipment Shop Items were not infinite. There was only one pair of Feather Boots currently.

    He seemed to like me very much. Maybe he would consider it. I didn¡¯t want to a user, but opportunities were opportunities.

    You really are similar to that brat.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I must refuse. That would be against our code as shopkeepers.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    I was a little bit sad, but I knew this was fair.

    The third and last shop I visited was the Item shop. It also had the same layout as the previous shops. Once again, I lowered my hood upon entry.

    The clerk this time was a beautiful blonde girl in her late teens. She had shoulder length straight hair and crystal clear blue eyes. Her beauty leaned more on the normal beauty side of things. The type of beauty guys wanted to go along with instead of the model-like beauty guys admired. She wore a brown blazer over her white sleeveless shirt and a knee-length white skirt. Her body was not particularly curvaceous, but it was still attractive.

    ¡°Can I see your selection of items?¡±

    The girl looked at me with a surprise face. ¡°You are talking to Liza? You can use the Shop Menu to see the Items.¡±

    ¡°Liza?¡±

    ¡°Liza is sorry. The person you are speaking with is Liza.¡±

    She¡­refers to herself with her name¡­ weird¡­ I recalled my elder sister mention that some Japanese girls did that to be cute, but it felt weird to me¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m Dove.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to be¡­ Liza¡¯s friend?¡±

    ¡°Friend? Why me?¡±

    ¡°Liza wants to be friends with Players, but most male Players approach Liza with hidden motives. Female Players always come with male Players. Liza does have a male Player friend, but there are complications. You are the first solo Female Player here to talk to me.¡±

    I grabbed both her hands, causing her to blush in embarrassment. Wow! She was even prettier when embarrassed. I answered with a smile, ¡°Of course.¡±

    The Item Shop sold 4 kinds of items.

    Potions 50 Fitts: Heals 20% of Health 1 Use

    Antidote 40 Fitts: Cures Status Effect: Poison 1 Use

    Fairy Dust 100 Fitts: Removes nearby Invisibility. Lasts 1 Minute. 5 Uses

    Tent 1000 Fitts: Summons a Tent for Sleep. Can only be used in Safe Areas. Reusable

    Since this was the last shop, I bought 4 Potions, 2 Antidotes, 1 Fairy Dust. I was left with 424 Fitts.

    ¡°Thank you very much for the purchase.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s mine.¡±

    With this, I concluded my shopping streak. My next monetary goal is to buy that Feather Boots before anyone else does.

    The next building I went to was the Quest Guild. The Quest Guild was a large building that was designed like a bar. There were numerous tables where people ate and talked. Quest Guilds, as well as Inns, provided free food for Players. While the food may not be amazing, they were tasty enough to satisfy everyone.

    Approaching the counter, I saw a man sitting behind it. The man was around his twenties and was quite handsome. His body was thin and he wore bartender clothes.

    ¡°Welcome to the Quest Guild.¡±

    A new menu appeared with a selection of quests. I clicked on the first quest and more details appeared.

    Quest: Find Neko

    My pet cat is missing. It is white with brown stripes on its belly. It has a pink collar with two yellow bells on it.

    Requestor: Oken Difficulty: * Reward: 50 Fitts

    ¡°Requestors¡­ are they actually Characters in this city?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sometimes interacting with them help in completing the Quests.¡±

    ¡°Could I get your name?¡±

    ¡°I am Romer.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem as surprised as the shop owners that I am talking with you.¡±

    ¡°Unlike them, Players commonly ask me for clarification.¡±

    Browsing through the list of Quests, I notice something peculiar. All of them were limited to Naut City.

    ¡°Are there no Quests outside the city?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?"

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It has been two weeks, but the city gates are yet to be opened.¡±

    ¡°Ehh? Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Since people likely had done a lot of Quests from the Quest Guild, that was unlikely the reason. There¡¯s probably¡­ Hidden Quests or something like that. Quests acquired outside the Guild from Characters or something along those lines.

    I left the Quest Guild and approached the City Gate that was at the end of the Main Street. There lied a map of the city. Naut City was a circular city around 150 KM in diameter. The further you were from the Gate, the poorer the living conditions. Well, from what I could see, even the poorest areas were well off compared to the squatters from the country I came from.

    Even after two weeks, no progress had been made¡­ We had yet to leave the city¡­ Would we really be able to return to our world?

 Chapter 6: City History

    Since it was around 12, I planned to eat my lunch I acquired from the Quest Guild.

    I headed towards the Item Shop to eat with my friend and arrived just in time to see her closing the shop for lunch break. She noticed me and said, ¡°Liza is having a lunch break, please return after lunch for the shop.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not here for business.¡± I took out my lunch and told her with a smile, ¡°I wanted to eat with you, can I not?¡±

    Liza did not react for a few seconds.

    Did I ask too much? Was I out of line?

    ¡°Of course!¡± she said the brightest smile I have seen from her that made her even more beautiful.

    Liza invited me into the shop before closing the door. She led me to the second floor where she lived. I arrived at a dining room. The dining room was a simple table for four with chairs around it. The room was lighted by a large clear window.

    Now that you mention it, windows it this world were one-way. You could not see inside a house from the outside.

    ¡°This is the toilet.¡± said Liza as she pointed towards the room on the left. ¡°The two doors on the right are bedrooms; the one further from here is the Master¡¯s bedroom.¡±

    ¡°Liza, do you live here alone?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Liza wanted to bring Father with Liza after Liza rented this place, but he was stubborn and refused to leave the house.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Why don¡¯t I live here with you? There¡¯s an empty room here.¡±

    ¡°Liza apologizes for that is not allowed. Players cannot sleep in houses owned or rented by Characters.¡±

    ¡°You can buy and rent houses?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You should be able to find them in many side streets. They are quite expensive though. Liza¡¯s rent here is 10,000 Fitts per month.¡±

    ¡°10,000! How much if you were to buy it?¡±

    ¡°240,000 Fitts.¡±

    Seeing these astronomical costs multiple times higher than my current money, my head ached.

    ¡°Where do you get the money?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Liza uses the money earned from the Item Shop. When I first rented this place two years ago, my father sold the ring to a merchant for 50,000 Fitts. I used the remaining money as capital for the business.¡±

    ¡°Merchant? Was the ring rare?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Merchants were quite common. It was only after the second generation players arrive that this City became closed. The ring¡­ was an Artifact Rarity item¡­ it one of the few things that survived.¡±

    Artifact Rarity¡­ it meant that the item was one of a kind¡­ and extremely rare, valuable, and powerful.

    For the first time, I saw Liza with sadness in her face. Trying to change the topic, I asked, ¡°Hey! What¡¯s the history of this City?¡±

    After hearing the question, Liza¡¯s face became sadder than before. She stared at me blankly for a few seconds.

    She finally sighed and said, ¡°Until two years ago, Naut City had an amazing Mayor named Eric. Not only was he amazing financially and politically, he was also one of the greatest knights in Reality. His ability with a sword rivaled Players; a worthy feat considering Characters are inferior to Players in skill. Then one day two and a half years ago, an army of Goblins attacked and invaded Naut City. Eric fought valiantly with Players in the front line. In the end, the Goblins were repelled, and both Character and Players praised Eric. However, that was only the calm before the storm. When he returned home, he fell into despair. His wife and 20-year old child at that time, were victims of the battle.

    ¡°Eric lost his will to live. He abandoned everything and shut himself in the room. Over the course of six months, Eric, unable to fulfill his payments and duties, was deprived everything and forced to leave the house. All that he had left was his sword, their wedding rings, and his second child. Eric fled to the slums. Selling one of the rings, he bought one of the better houses at the slums and lived there with his child. Regretting his decisions, he tried to change his life and work hard; however, reality wasn¡¯t so kind. During his depression, he had lost his abilities, both physical and mental. He could not return to his days of glory¡­ he became phobic of his sword¡­ Now he spends his days at the slums, treasuring his child who now worked and provided for him and the only person who accepted his mistakes.¡±

    ¡°This child¡­ it is you, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Due to being his child, Liza cannot become with friends with other Characters, which is why Liza was so happy when you became my friend.¡±

    ¡°So the ring you sold to make business here¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was the other wedding ring.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°No. This is the result of Father¡¯s mistakes.¡±

    Not knowing what to say, silence filled the next few minutes as we finished our lunch.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time Liza prepares to reopen the shop.¡± she said as she went to the sink to wash her hands.

    I approached Liza and embraced her from behind, causing her cheeks to glow red. I whispered, ¡°You wanted to talk to someone about your story for a long time now¡­¡±

    Unable to hold back her emotions, Liza burst into tears.

    A person wouldn¡¯t normally tell a person her story to a person she met the same day. Liza was emotionally in need¡­ a need for a person to listen to her¡­ a friend¡­ even just listening was fine¡­ she needed to get it out of her.

    Liza cried for a few more minutes as I embraced her. After a while, she gently removed my arms and washed her face.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I left the Item Shop as Liza reopened it. I¡¯ve become friends with someone quite important. Was it luck? Probably. There are many Characters in reality. However, it matters not, if a hidden quest related to Liza appears then I¡¯ll do it, not because it¡¯s a quest, but because Liza is my friend. Well, there is no quest for now at least.

 Chapter 7: Historys Secret

    June 14,XX17

    ??? PoV

    I was a mere shell of my former self. My handsome face had worn down into that of an aging man. My muscular body had thinned down. My blue eyes said to be filled were strength no longer emanated power. My black hair had begun graying. The fabulous clothes I wore were replaced by villager clothes.

    I sat at the chair looking at the skies. I chose this life. I had no regrets. An average villager was better than a famous puppet.

    ¡°So when are you going to tell me truth?¡±

    After completing a Quest for me, the Player, Hawk that has been helping me these past few days asked me a peculiar question. He was a 20-year old Player that had become somewhat of a son to me. Hawk¡¯s appearance was nothing of note; he had a physical appearance you would find anywhere; however, he wore an aura that reeked of intelligence. He had short black hair and deep black eyes¡ªwhat you would expect from an average person. His body was also averagely built: neither tall nor short; neither fat nor thin; neither muscular nor scrawny.

    These past weeks, Hawk had done every Quest I requested from him without need of going to the Guild Hall. Of course, I compensated him properly. As seen from the question he asked, he was quite blunt and oftentimes rude in speaking. When I first met him, I disliked this part of his personality; however, I gave him a chance since he went out of his way to meet his Quest Requestor.

    I smiled in awe. How many people in Naut City believed the story of my fall? To have someone suddenly question the truth everyone believed in, this kid was amazing. Well, I already knew that.

    ¡°Why do you think the story was fake?¡±

    Hawk closed his eyes. This was his habit that he had before explaining something.

    ¡°First, why would Liza be the lone survivor? Either everybody would die in or all of them would survive. Despite what movies make us believe, dying to save someone else is extremely rare, let alone being a lone survivor. Second, why would you be afraid of raising your sword? Because you were unable to protect your family? Even now, you treasure Liza this much, yet you cannot even use your sword to protect her. Third, you sold your rings before your sword. If you were so afraid of your sword, why would you sell the rings first? Finally, the time you chose to end your depression coincided with the time you lost all your reported assets. Nice timing. Of course, all I said could just be my shitty delusions and things that happen for no reason.¡±

    Hawk was a weird critic. If you asked his opinion, he would honestly and rudely say what he genuinely thought. After spending time with him, I¡¯ve realized he was harsher to himself than anyone else. He was even questioning his own doubts.

    ¡°Yes. The story was a lie. Do you have an idea of the true story?¡±

    ¡°I do, but it uses my analysis on your personality, so I don¡¯t believe in it. Besides, the story lacks detail.¡±

    A genius that couldn¡¯t believe in his own conjectures¡­

    ¡°Even so I want to hear it¡­¡±

    ¡°Politcal issues¡­ something like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Correct; however there was one major reason. Of course, there was another major reason, though I don¡¯t¡¯ expect anyone to figure that one out. Before I tell you the truth let me ask, why did you want to be close with me? Did you realize I was the former Mayor immediately?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an analyst, not a mind reader. Besides, there¡¯s no way I can accurately analyze people without even talking to them first.

    ¡°For your first question¡­ well to give a summary of why I came close to you, after the first mission, I realized you were hiding something.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then let me recount, what happened that day¡­¡±

    2 ? Years Before Present Day; After The Battle Against the Goblins

    Alright managed to get away¡­

    I escaped from the after battle meeting. I¡¯m so tired¡­ I wonder what¡¯s for dinner. I want to see my family¡­

    I rushed home as fast as I could. Since I was supposed to return after the meeting, I wanted to surprise my family since I was early. I ran across the heavy storm that raged since the beginning of the war.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    The kids should be in the secret room. Sheila should be preparing to check the house by this time.

    I sneaked into the house and went to my bedroom. As I was about to knock on the door, my body froze from what I heard.

    I could hear several faint moans coming from within the bedroom¡­ this voice¡­ I had no doubts¡­ this was Sheila¡¯s voice¡­

    I hesitated to opening the door¡­ what would I do if Sheila was in bed with another man? I pondered for a few seconds, but those few seconds felt like an eternity.

    I would forgive her. I would talk to her. I would let the man go and never let him come close to my family again. I would not destroy anyone.

    I braced myself and opened the door. My suspicions were correct. The man was one of the workers in this house; I believe his name was Alex. To think my wife would be having an affair with him¡­

    ¡°Alex get out.¡± I stated. The voice was both angry and calm.

    Alex broke the bedside lamp. He took one of the broken shards and attacked me.

    Why does it have to be like this? I want to avoid bloodshed at all costs.

    I ran away from Alex. If he was using a sword, I could easily subdue him, but a glass shard and my emotions made it a different matter. Alex chased me out of the house. After a few minutes, I no longer heard his footsteps in the heavy rain. An ill omen filled my heart. Before I could turn my head and look, a voice cried out, ¡°Get away from Father.¡±

    My heart wavered when I heard the voice. I turned and saw my child, Paul. Standing at the front door, he pointed a sword at Alex. Paul was afraid¡­ his hands were shaking¡­ his feet were shaking¡­

    Did he react from all the noise we made?

    Alex rushed at Paul. Reacting immediately, I chased after them¡­ but I was too late. Although Paul had talent with a sword, he had never been in an actual fight before. Paul never showed any of his talent at this moment due to panic and fear. He randomly swung his sword with his eyes closed in fear as he and Alex clashed before I could reach them. A slash ripped half-across Alex¡¯s torso. The sword pierced through Paul¡¯s stomach. They both fell to the ground.

    I was too late. I could not arrive in time.

    I embraced Paul. He was still conscious. Mustering the last bit of his strength, he said his final words to me.

    Holding Paul in my hand, I had no idea how much time had passed. My melancholy was only disturbed by my wife¡¯s arrival.

    Sheila ran quickly towards us¡­ was what I thought she did, but she¡­. she¡­ held Alex and cried in his chest.

    What the hell is this? Just what the fuck was I living for? Your child is dead and this is what you do?!

    Sheila glared at me and screamed, ¡°This is all your fault! Because of you, Alex is dead!¡±

    I don¡¯t remember what happened next¡­ when I came to, I saw Sheila¡¯s corpse on the ground and my blood-stained sword in my hands.

    Soon after, I saw my daughter, Liza running towards me. She was sixteen years old. She understood what happened. My instincts told me to kill her¡­

    Liza did not say a word. She embraced with tears in her eyes. I pointed my sword at the back of her neck. The tip was slightly touching her skin.

    She must have felt it¡­ but¡­ why?... why wasn¡¯t she running away?

    At that point, I lost my strength and cried. With lost track of time as we embraced one another in tears as the storm seemed to go on forever.

    End Flashback

    ¡°From this point on, I¡¯m sure you can figure it out.¡±

    ¡°To protect Sheila¡¯s image, Eric fabricated history into the one we know. You are an amazing person. In those days of supposed depression, you took out all your unreported assets and planned to retreat to the slums with Liza to escape your responsibilities since you could not fulfill them anymore. Your phobia to your sword was a result of killing your wife. However, even Liza must believe the story you¡¯ve written. As such, the selling of rings instead of using your unreported assets was to further enhance your story.¡±

    ¡°Wait! Why do you know of my unreported assets?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve found them. All 1 million Fitts hiding behind your cabinet. Don¡¯t worry, I did not touch a single cent.¡±

    ¡°You really are an amazing kid.¡±

    Hawk stared at me for a while, as if contemplating whether to say something.

    ¡°Go on. Say it.¡±

    Even after I said that, he continued contemplating further.

    ¡°Is Liza¡­ your child?¡±

    The question struck me like an arrow at my head.

    ¡°No. Liza is¡­ Alex¡¯s child. Those were Paul¡¯s last words. He overheard Sheila speaking to Alex.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re taking care of Liza?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Liza holds no sin. She is my wonderful daughter regardless of who her real parents are. Also, Paul¡¯s last wish was for me to treat her as my own.¡±

    Hawk walked towards the window. Looking at the sky, he asked, ¡°Have you told Liza everything?¡±

    ¡°No. This is my story. I will take to my grave.¡±

    As I said the word grave, I coughed out liters and liters of blood. My sight was hazy, and my hearing was echoed.

    When I woke up, I was at my bed. Hawk was sitting beside me.

    ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m difficult to kill.¡±

    Hawk did not react. He merely stared at me. If I were at a better condition, he probably would have been annoyed.

    ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t fool you. I only have a week left at most.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me!? I maybe could have thought of a way!¡±

    ¡°There is no way. Tomorrow I will fix all the things I have to wrap up. Please don¡¯t come here again I say so. This is my request. ¡°

    Hawk wanted to cry, but held back. He silently left the house. He wanted me to tell Liza the truth. He believed that was right; however, he respected me and my wish. He would not break the promise¡ªthat was the type of person he was¡­

    Hawk¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be one of the greatest Players in the future. Maybe one of the Nine Elemental Jacks¡­ No¡­ with his intelligence, it wouldn¡¯t be improbable that he would become one of Nine Elemental Kings. And maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ he can usurp the throne of the Nine Elemental Gods. No, there is no chance¡­ if he was not of Water Element, he could probably reach the Gods with enough miracles¡­ but the Water God¡­ no amount of miracles will let a person reach her¡­ that girl¡­ calling her human¡­ is quite questionable¡­

 Side Chapter: Realitys Past

    First Generation

    The first generation of Players arrived eleven years ago. The total number was only in the tens of thousands, smaller than the second generation. After ten years, they cleared the Final Dungeon of Reality.

    Second Generation

    They are current Players in reality, composing of every literate person between ten and twenty years old that were literate.

    After they arrived, all dungeons were reset. Bosses were revived; items, outside of those in possession of the Nine Elemental Gods, were returned to their original locations, and treasure boxes were refilled. Characters and how Players affected and changed them did not reset; however, they were programmed to not provide unnecessary information to the new Players.

    The Nine Elemental Gods

    They were the strongest first generation Players of each Element in Reality. These Players powerful and intelligent far beyond imagination and push the limits of the definition of ¡°humans¡±. Before they came to Reality, they were geniuses among geniuses; people who would shake the very foundation of the world and have abilities far beyond human comprehension. In Reality, they were Players who were untouchable; the mere damaging of one of the Gods would be considered a miracle among miracles.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    The Nine Elemental Gods chose to remain in Reality to observe the second generation of Players. They are given responsibility in choosing the future Nine Elemental Kings and Jacks and solve any unexpected problems of Reality. Their personal purpose and reasons for staying are a mystery.

    Officially, The Nine Elemental Gods were all in a single Party named Almighty, an all female Party, though most of them led their own Parties. While their personal names were unavailable, their titles were as follows: The Fire God of Calamity, The Water God of Eternity, The Wood God of Tranquility, The Wind God of Infinity, The Earth God of Immortality, The Thunder God of Continuity, The Light God of Divinity, The Metal God of Stability, and The Dark God of Fatality.

    The Nine Elemental King and The Nine Elemental Jacks

    They were second and third strongest Player of each Element respectively. After the first generation of Players led by the Nine Elemental Gods, cleared the Final Dungeon of Reality, the previous Nine Elemental Kings and Jacks disappeared. Whether they went home, died, or continued living in secrecy in Reality was unknown; however, what matters is they can no longer and will no longer participate in Reality. As such, the positions are vacant. However, it is important to note that the even previous Kings and Jacks were light years below the Gods.

    Exactly a year after the second generation appeared, the Nine Elemental Gods will determine who will receive these positions from the second generation of Players. After that, the position will be updated every six months.

    The title of the Nine Elemental Kings and Jacks are nothing but a name. They do not affect Reality in any way and no special privileges are given to them. They are merely a competition to prove one¡¯s ability.

 Chapter 8: Secret Location of the Dungeon

    Dove POV

    ¡°It stinks¡­¡± I said, as I followed my nose towards the location where the stench grew worse and worse.

    There were two plausible reasons why we could not leave town. First was a Hidden Quest, but there were too many Characters to check with one by one. Second was a Secret Dungeon. Narrowing down the possibilities, a Secret Dungeon located in Naut City would be limited to¡­ a haunted house, or more probably¡­ the sewers.

    After my conversation with Liza, I headed straight for the slums of Naut City. I learned that the sewer entrance was located at the end of the slums. In the slums themselves, there were little to no Players, but as I drew closer to the sewer, even Characters became scarce.

    After about an hour of walking, I found the entrance of the sewers. It was basically a manhole located on the last dead end of Naut City, but what surprised me was that there was a Player leaning on the wall near the manhole sleeping. He was wearing a cloak like I am so I could not recognize him. He was not part of any Party

    ¡°A Player? A girl at that.¡± said the Player without even moving from his body or looking at me.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Still covered by the cloak, the Player stood up and stretched his hands.

    ¡°Congratulations. You have found the secret dungeon.¡± said the Player in an uninterested and sarcastic voice.

    ¡°So it really was a sewer? Have you confirmed it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I already went it and checked it a bit.¡±

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°Same monsters as those in the alley ways, but more in number.¡±

    ¡°Have you reported it to other Players?¡±

    ¡°No. Why would I?¡±

    What a selfish Player¡­ did he not want to go back to our world? Did he not want to help his fellow Players?

    ¡°Hey, want to go into the dungeon together?¡±

    Ehh? I thought he didn¡¯t want to acquire the treasures in the dungeon by himself? Why ws he contradicting himself? Was he planning to lure me into the dungeon and let me die now that I know this secret dungeon?Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Temporary Party Request

    Condition(s): Cooperate in clearing the secret dungeon: Naut City Sewers

    Total rewards (money, treasure, item drops) will be split evenly

    I received a Temporary Party Request. Unlike a normal Party Request, a temporary one did not exchange any information about the Players and can be broken in any City or Town easily. The purpose of Temporary Party Requests was to prevent Player kills.

    Help System: Player vs Player

    When in Cities and other Safe Zones, Players cannot damage other Players or afflict Status Ailments. However, since friendly fire existed in Reality, you could attack other Players in Dungeons.

    I recalled what I remembered from the Help System. Killing other Players had its consequences. The killer¡¯s green icon became yellow. While this change in color had no meaning by itself, other Players would see the icon. Yellow icons disappeared after a month. Only when another killing was performed again by the same Player would there be consequences. First, the Icon of the Player became red. Second, red Players could not acquire Quests from the Quest Guild. Third, it prevented the killer from gaining money from killing Monsters. Last, if the killer was killed by another Player A, then Player A would acquire all Equipment and Money from the killer without changing color.

    Pardon for killing could only be granted by any one of the Nine Elemental Gods. If they judged that the killer did not commit the crime intentionally or had repented and suffered enough for the killing, they could return into having a yellow icon, which as mentioned, returned to green after a month.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to share the Dungeon.¡±

    The Player faced towards me, as if he was reading me, but I could not see his face due to the cloak.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I don¡¯t want to share the Dungeon simply because spoon-feeding other Players does nothing. I have no intention of being a hero. If they truly wish to complete the game, then they should not rely on others and work hard themselves with their Party.¡±

    A reward system point of view¡­ those who were undeserving did not reap any rewards. A point of view that was definitely not-wrong; however unsympathetic it may be.

    Come to think of it, his actions were logically correct. If he were to announce the existence of a secret dungeon, people would begin to rely on an information network among the Players instead of thinking about clearing the game themselves. The information network itself would be a problem in itself since it was not part of Reality¡¯s system, meaning no control was exerted on it, making it possible to manipulate and abuse.

    ¡°Your answer?¡±

    I had no reason not to accept. The Player¡¯s voice was blunt. Although it was slightly cold, it held no hidden intentions.

    ¡°Fine let¡¯s go.¡±

    The Player opened the manhole and was about to go in.

    ¡°Wait! Let me go first.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a girl thing¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not even wearing a skirt¡­¡±

    ¡°Geez¡­ just let me go first already.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± replied the Player with an indifferent tone.

    As for why I wanted to go first, I was a little paranoid of sexual harassment after being hit on while ago. I know I was not wearing a skirt, but if the Player looked up, his eyes would naturally be drawn to¡­ Was I too conservative? Whatever, that¡¯s not important.

    I now began the exploration of the first "official dungeon".

 Chapter 9: Dungeon Exploration, Part 1

    <u>Chapter 9: Dungeon Exploration</u>

    When we reached the bottom of the ladder, we were at a Safe Zone. I wanted to ask about the Player¡¯s name, but he didn¡¯t say it himself. Plus, he was wearing a cloak; he probably wanted to hide his identity.

    Safe Zones were areas in Dungeons where no Monsters appeared. They were indicated by transparent pinkish barriers that surrounded them.

    The sewer smelled extremely bad. It was an underground passage with dirty grey walls and a convex ceiling. The passage itself was around 8 meters wide, but there was a canal of sewage in the middle, so the walkable path was only 1.5 meters wide on each side. From the distance, I could see some intersections. There was also an occasional bridge to walk across the canal. The area was surprisingly well lit due to the candle lights hanged at the wall every few meters.

    Jumping in Reality was weird. Since physical ability is enhanced by reality, jumping two meters in height was standard; however, there were locations that prevented you from jumping across or above. This canal was one of them. Another was the buildings in the City.

    ¡°How do you fight?¡±

    I explained all battle information to my Temporary Party Member (TPM), including my Job, Element, Equipment, Abilitys, etc.

    He¡¯s reacting as if he¡¯s surprised¡­ did I say something wrong?

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m just surprised you gave me all your information like that.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re working together so I think that¡¯s for the best¡­¡±

    I¡­ I trusted this person¡­ weird as it may be since he would be the type of person most people would avoid and distrust.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m very grateful for your trust. I am a Water Spell Blade.¡±

    If I recalled correctly, the Spell Blade Job Class was something along these lines:

    ¡°I use two One-handed Swords simultaneously--¡±

    I interrupted my TPM¡¯s explanation with surprise, ¡°How do you use two swords simultaneously!? When I move my sword to the left-hand in unequips.¡±

    ¡°During the customization screen, I selected One-handed Sword twice, choosing once per hand.¡±

    ¡°That was¡­ possible¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite rare since most people don¡¯t figure out at configuration how to do it.¡±

    Amazing! Why didn¡¯t I think of that? Two swords would be cool.

    ¡°Even so, as cool as it sounds, dual-wielding holds a lot of disadvantages. Aldrich commented a lot about the disadvantages of dual-??wielding when he learned about it.¡±

    ¡°Wait? You know Aldrich¡¯s name? Are you one of the few Players that interact with Characters?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I see that you are too. I enjoy talking to Characters they are as much human as ourselves, even though they may be from reality. Liza has been avoiding conversations lately though.¡±

    My trust in my TPM grew even greater. I didn¡¯t expect an action as simple as talking with Characters to change my opinion on people¡­

    ¡°Going back on topic, I need three hits on Sewer Rats and two on Bats to kill them. I use light equipment because it lets me move faster. Here¡¯s my ability and its description.¡±

    ¡°It takes around 10% of my Mana to use. I fight by getting high Chain Gauges to increase my damage by dodging attacks and cancelling enemy attack animations via mini-stuns caused by Skadi''s Caress. It mini-stuns the opponent anytime a weapon or ability hits the cursed target.¡±

    ¡°Do you mind I decide on our strategy?¡±

    ¡°No. Go on.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one in front. You¡¯ll primarily use your archery to support me. You should be two meters behind me. Also, keep an eye out to back attacks. If there are too many monsters attacking me, then you should switch to your sword and draw some aggro as well. Is there any problem?¡±

    ¡°Umm. I¡¯m pretty sure a Spell Blade has even worse defenses that an Assassin. Wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous if you got hit too much? Wouldn¡¯t it be better we share the aggro to minimize the damage?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t get hit. As long as I don¡¯t get swarmed or surprised, I won¡¯t get hit... probably¡­¡±

    ¡°Adding probably at the end made me even more nervous¡­¡±

    Although I had my worries, we decided to begin exploring the sewers. Our first encounter was against three Sewer Rats and two Bats.

    Following our strategy, I shot my arrows as accurately as possible. Thanks to my practice in the alleyways, I did not hit my ally, but still missed every now and then.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    He¡­ was dodging attacks without even looking at the monster sometimes¡­ Did he have vision abilitys? No¡­ I knew what he was doing¡­ During my practice, I did this too on occasion, but not to this extent. He was predicting the attacks of the monsters perfectly. Well, they were controlled by the AI so they shouldn¡¯t be that hard to predict, but still¡­

    Offensively, his attacks were chaotic. Since my attacks were rhythmic, I followed a consistent pattern in attacks, but he was different. At first, I thought he was attacking at random timings, but I was wrong. He was attacking in moments where he held no risk of getting attack or positions where he could still evade. When he used Skadi¡¯s Caress, he attacked in the middle of the monsters attacking. Despite that, one could safely say that his battle style was a mess.

    We encountered a few more battles along the way but took no damage from them. There was once backstab encounter, but I was able to deal with it easily.

    ¡°Hey. Why are you so good at predicting these monsters?¡±

    ¡°Each type of monster follows their own AI script. Although you wouldn¡¯t understand my explanation of their AI, after fighting hundreds of the same two types of monsters I¡¯ve already memorized it. I¡¯m sure you can do it too, not with memorizing the AI, but with muscle memory.¡±

    I see¡­ he wasn¡¯t some super talented athlete in real life. He understood how patterns of the AI and used them to his advantage.

    Every now and then, there would be paths that were not passable due to iron bars blocking the way. When we went by the first one, my TPM immediately started swinging on the bars to no avail. He was quite insistent and continued for a minute until he gave up and we went on.

    We soon arrived at a path blocked by iron bars. My TPM immediately started swinging at the bars. The bars did not scratch at all and reflected his sword again and again. As I watched him persisting on trying to break the iron bars I struggled to hold back my laughter on how idiotic he looked. Thankfully, after a minute or so, he finally gave up.

    After around half an hour, we arrived at an intersection. There were two paths for us to take, one straight across the bridge and one to the right.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go right first?¡± said my TPM.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Wind.¡±

    I did not understand the meaning of those words, but I followed along with his decision.

    After around ten minutes, we arrived at a dead end with only a ladder leading directly upwards to the surface. Light beamed down from what appeared to be an open manhole on the top of the ladder.

    As we climbed up the ladder, eight Bats spawned and attacked us. Since we were climbing, I could not use my Bow. Since I could only use my Sword with my right hand, I got attacked a few times from the left side. The same was true for my partner as he lost 5% of his health per hit.

    ¡°Move to the right a bit!¡± commanded my TPM.

    In an emergency situation, I decided to follow him without a second thought. He climbed back down to the same level as I was. Since I moved my body to the side, we could occupy the height on the ladder.

    Since my TPM could use his left hand while I couldn¡¯t, he covered the right side as I focused on the left. Since we changed to this position, less attacks reached us. We fended off the Bats with my Health at 68% while my TPM¡¯s at 82%. After the battle, we rushed up the ladder quickly and did not run to anymore encounters.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± My eyes twitched due to the sudden exposure to sunlight after being in the sewer for a while.

    After a few seconds, my vision cleared. We were at the middle of a number of buildings of Naut City. A square around 5 meters wide surrounded by a number of building walls. Because we were technically in Naut City, our Health and Mana was restored to full.

    ¡°Hey, look¡­¡± said my TPM as he pointed to one of the corners corner. There lay a closed treasure chest.

    We walked towards it quickly.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we move cautiously?¡±

    ¡°No. Our location says we are in Naut City, so it should be safe.¡±

    We opened the treasure chest.

    Elven Cape x4

    Type: Accessory

    Rarity: Uncommon

    Cape made by elves for easy movement. Increases evasion.

    We both equipped our newfound capes instead of ours cloaks. They were wooden green and a lot more comfortable to the skin than the cloaks. As discussed, we split the Elven Cape two each.

    ¡°Hey. What happens if only one piece of equipment was found in the treasure chest for a Party or Temporary Party?¡±

    ¡°The Player who does not receive the Equipment will earn all the money acquired until the cost of the Equipment has been paid for.¡±

    ¡°And if the money acquired is not enough?¡±

    ¡°A warning will appear when ending the contract. The other Player can accept it, fight more monsters, or ask the Equipment acquiring Player to pay him the remaining amount.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ shall we return?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    We reentered the sewers to explore further. An idea sprang up in my head as we did.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this be a good grinding spot?¡±

    ¡°Grinding is¡­ annoying in Reality¡­¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°I think Reality has a weird mechanic where you stop gaining experience from weaker monsters at a certain point.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Defeating Sewer Rats and Bats no longer increase my stats. At least I don¡¯t feel like they do. Well, I can¡¯t prove it either way. Without any way to see our stats, this was quite a problem.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I still feel ever slightly stronger when I do defeat them, so I can¡¯t relate.¡±

    ¡°I guess it depends on how many monsters you have already defeated.¡±

    ¡°How many have you defeated anyway?¡±

    ¡°Around 3000 I think¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not that much. In this dungeon alone we are already in the hundreds, considering it has been two weeks since we came here; that¡¯s was only over 200 per day. It probably would be more if I discovered the sewers earlier¡­¡±

    The consequences of locking myself in my room showed¡­ I had a lot of catching up to do.

    [Spell Blade]

    A job specializing on supporting its weapon attacks with magic.

    Stats: Health: * Mana: **** Attack: **** Defense: **

    Magic: **** Resistance: ** Speed: *** Dexterity: ****

    Usable Weapons: One-handed Swords, Two-handed Swords, Spears, Shields

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment, Medium Equipment

    [Skadi¡¯s Caress]

    Inflicts a curse on the opponent. Whenever the target takes damages outside from Skadi¡¯s Caress from any weapon or ability source, the target will be mini-stunned and take a slight amount of damage for the duration of the curse.

    Range: Single-target; Clear Vision

    Cooldown: 20 Seconds

    [Status Effect: Mini-stun]

    The victim cannot act or think for a 0.1 seconds. If the victim is the middle of any activation animation, the action will be cancelled without triggering the Cooldown. After being mini-stunned, the victim gains immunity to being mini-stunned again for a second.

 Chapter 9: Dungeon Exploration, Part 2

    We returned to the intersection and went with the other path, dispatching any monsters we encountered along the way. After half an hour, we stood before a three-way intersection. My TPM put his hand on his head and said, ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± He stood there for a good three minutes before continuing, ¡°We take the left path first. If you notice anything weird in the surroundings notify me immediately.¡±

    The path we took was quite short. In just 5 minutes we arrived at a wider room-like location that led to a dead end, we could see a treasure chest at the other end, but¡­

    ¡°An ambush¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s too obvious.¡±

    As we inched closer to the location, we could make out the shadows of Bats and Sewer Rats running amok. If Players were caught up in the excitement of seeing the treasure and beelined towards it¡­

    ¡°15 Sewer Rats and 10 Bats. Doesn¡¯t appear to be a Boss room, most likely a treasure room. Now then¡­ do you have the confidence to go?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we can handle it, but if you have the slightest hesitation, then we won¡¯t do it.¡±

    Is it worth risking my life for treasure? Should we play safe and retreat for now?

    No. This was a death game. Not risking anything lead nowhere. Besides, even I think we could handle it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    ¡°Make sure to ready some Potions.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Before we go do you mind if I ask a few questions?¡±

    ¡°Depends on the question.¡±

    ¡°Why did we go left on the second intersection?¡±

    ¡°Assuming the dungeon has the same scale as the city, which it should, the left path leads to the very edge of the town. From my estimates, the space remaining is probably too small to be a Boss room.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ calculated that¡­¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not that amazing. Ever since we entered the dungeon, I was counting my steps. If I didn¡¯t do that, there¡¯s no way I can figure that out.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Do you mind sharing our names?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Sharing names would be a death flag in stories.¡±

    I giggled. I wasn¡¯t sure how serious he was when he said that, but it was funny regardless.

    My TPM relayed the strategy and the battle begun¡­

    Before entering into the wider path, I shot one of Bats with my Bow. All the monsters immediately rushed towards us. I changed into my sword and stood besides my TPM. With this, we covered the entrance of the room-like location. This not only ensured that the monsters would only attack from the front but also limited the number of monsters attacking us.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    I was commanded to not use Fade Walk at all to ensure that the aggro was shared between the two of us.

    Even with my TPM using Skadi¡¯s Caress at perfect timings to allow me to interrupt the attack animations of the monsters, dodging every attack was impossible due to the sheer number of monsters.

    Why was I not nervous? Despite the relatively large number of monsters, I felt no fear. I wonder why? It¡¯s probably because¡­ I have another person I could trust with¡­ even though I knew nothing about him¡­ even though he knew nothing about me¡­ he was an ally I could trust¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s over...¡± said my TPM after taking a deep breath his Health was at 58%

    ¡°That was easier than expected.¡± I said, stretching out my arms and seeing my Health at 41%.

    We healed ourselves with two Potions each. I had only two left, guess I¡¯ll buy more when we return. I was reaching 2000 Fitts so I should have enough.

    We crept towards the treasure chest without facing any problems. Opening it, we acquired:

    1x Elixir

    Type: Item

    Rarity: Rare

    Restores one Player¡¯s Health and Mana to full.

    ¡°You can have it.¡± said my TPM.

    Should I ask why? No. He gave it to me without hesitation.

    We backtracked to the intersection. After taking on that large encounter, the encounters we had felt much easier. Also, it took one less strike for me to kill the monsters now.

    ¡°Considering the right path is in the direction to the main part of the city, which would probably have the most waste, the Boss is probably there, so we¡¯ll take the straight path first.¡±

    Hmm¡­ this was the first time he explained something without me asking¡­ Was he getting more comfortable?

    After another hour of walking through the path without any intersections and plowing through the same types of monsters, we arrived at¡­ a dead end¡­

    ¡°All that for nothing¡­¡± I said in irritation. We wasted all our time to reach a dead end. As my temper began to rise, my TPM began inspecting the dead end wall. He would occasionally hit the bricks that composed it.

    There¡¯s probably something hidden¡­ that thought crossed my mind¡­ considering my TPM¡¯s actions.

    After five minutes, my TPM looked back at me and said, ¡°Nope. There¡¯s absolutely nothing behind this wall. There¡¯s no emptiness behind it.¡±

    Surprisingly, my irritation disappeared when he said that¡­ I was amused by his checking the wall as if there was something and being wrong. Amused by his blunder, I joked, ¡°Idiot.¡±

    My TPM laughed aloud to what I said. Hearing this, I laughed out as well. Maybe laughter was contagious.

    For the second time, we returned to the three-way intersection, taking the right path.

    After an hour of moving and battling, I noticed something...

    ¡°The encounter rate¡­ it¡¯s increasing¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. It pretty much doubled already¡­¡±

    This means¡­

    After another half an hour of exploring at the dungeon, we arrived at a safe zone. There was a there was a sphere and a large rusted metal door.

    We touched the sphere, and a message appeared.

    Would you like to return to the entrance?

    Yes No

    We chose no for now.

    We then touched the door, and a message appeared once again.

    Welcome to the Boss Room

    Maximum Players: 4

    Warning: Once entered, no one can leave until the Boss is defeated.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s return for now.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± It was already 8 at night, besides the time, I was also getting hungry. We used the sphere and left the dungeon.

 Chapter 10: Exploration Break

    My TPM and I were sent out of the dungeon. Night had fallen. Unlike the city skies I was used to, stars filled the night sky. Walking a few steps forward, the gentle night breeze blew, so I removed the hood of my cape to feel it further.

    ¡°Thank you for everything. Let¡¯s find a place to discuss our plans for the boss.¡± I said, turning around with a large smile.

    My TPM did not reply. He simply looked at my direction and stayed silent.

    ¡°Is¡ª¡° I was interrupted by a strong wind blowing through.

    ¡°Dove¡­¡± I could make out the sound of my name through the blowing wind.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±

    My TPM brought down his cape. I could not believe who he was. It was my classmate from university, Hawk.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ the one time I decide not to overthink, it backfires.¡± said Hawk.

    Relief filled my heart when I saw Hawk. While we may not be the closest of friends in university, seeing a familiar face put my mind at ease.

    As for what I thought of Hawk, I did not particularly like or dislike him. While we were friends, we did not speak often outside of important matters. Personally, there were parts of him I disliked. First, he¡¯s easily annoyed by small things. Second, he teased his friends way too much. Third, he was arrogant: he believed that and acted as if he was one the greatest, smartest, most talented person in the world. Fourth, he lacked respect towards some authority; it seemed he has his own beliefs in who he should respect. Lastly, he had never given full effort in anything and aimed only to ensure that probability of failure was zero. Aside from those, I did have a personal reason to dislike him, but that¡¯s no longer important.

    While it may sound like I¡¯m bashing Hawk like crazy, I don¡¯t hate him as a person. Well, seeing him in Reality here proved my theory. If he actually gave full effort, he was actually amazing. No¡­ he surpassed my expectations of his full effort capability. Maybe his arrogant confidence rooted from this. Maybe the parts I disliked about him¡­ are justified¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m happy I met someone I know.¡± I said.

    ¡°Now then. I¡¯m sure there are a lot of things we want to talk about, but first¡­ let¡¯s remove this horrible stench.¡±

    The people we passed avoided us with a disgusted look as we ran to the Inn in the slums then cleaned ourselves. I exited the toilet and found Hawk already waiting for me.

    ¡°Sorry. Did I make you wait long?¡±

    ¡°No. I only just finished myself. Now then--¡± Hawk¡¯s words by my stomach¡¯s growl. After spending the entire afternoon clearing the dungeon, it couldn¡¯t be avoided.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat first I guess.¡± said Hawks while giggling.

    While food was available in the Inn, Hawk led me towards a part of Naut City I have never been to¡ªan area without any buildings for Players and was mostly buildings for characters.

    ¡°This is¡­ a restaurant?¡± I asked after we entered a large building around four times the size of Liza¡¯s house. Similar to the Quest Guild, tables filled the area, but these tables were more formal. The tables were covered in white cloth and plates properly on each seat. The chairs were crafted with more aesthetic taste. There was also a counter with a clerk like the shop, but a number of people dressed as waiters and waitresses were lined up. Several noble looking Characters were taking their meal.

    Noticing our presence, one of the waitresses approached us. She looked like a cosplayer due to his beautiful face and voluptuous body. She was the same height as Hawk and had brown eyes and short brown hair that was tied into a ponytail.

    ¡°Kim. The same room as always.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Master Hawk.¡±

    The waitress, Kim, faced me and bowed, ¡°Pleased to meet you, are you Master¡¯s Hawk companion?¡±

    What was this¡­ she¡¯s acting respectfully and her tone was kind, but why could I sense bloodlust from her¡­ scary¡­

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Dove. Nice to meet you.¡± I said after mustering my courage.

    Kim then led us to the terrace at the second floor. There was a single table for four located there. It seemed as if she only exuded bloodlust when she talked to me, I wondered why? Did I do something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Two of the usual please.¡± ordered Hawk.

    ¡°Yes. Please excuse me. It¡¯ll take around ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°Now¡­ where do we begin?¡± asked Hawk.

    When he said that, my stomach growled again. I looked away in embarrassment as Hawk was stopping himself from laughing.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    After a few minutes, our meal arrived. It was rice along with steak.

    ¡°Delicious!¡±

    ¡°Much better than Inn food and Quest Guild food.¡±

    ¡°Is this free?¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t¡¯ worry it¡¯s my treat today. It¡¯s normally 10 Fitts per order, but I have a special 50% discount.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Hawk told me his story before we met outside the dungeon. Just like myself, he shut himself in the Inn, but only for a single day. After that, he gave full effort clearing Quests and fighting Monsters. Apparently, he sought the Quest Requestors personally and befriended them when completing the quest. Now, the Quest Requestors specifically wanted him to help them. Kim was one of the people he helped and she was the restaurant¡¯s owner¡¯s daughter.

    As we finished our meal, I told Hawk a summary that led me to now.

    How long had it been since I felt this relaxed? Talking released all the stress that had built up in me.

    ¡°If I recall you mentioned something about overthinking and being wrong with my identity, could you clarify?¡±

    ¡°I noticed your personality was similar to Dove the instant we talked; however, I thought it was an illusion created by my wishful thinking that someone I knew would be here.¡±

    ¡°You should have asked earlier!¡±

    ¡°You were hiding yourself in hood¡­¡±

    ¡°Because people kept harassing me to join their Party due to my looks.¡±

    ¡°Due to your looks¡­ are you stupid or stupid?¡±

    ¡°They were hitting on me!¡±

    ¡°Cause guys always hit on you in university¡ªoh wait¡­ they didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°You were wearing a hood as well.¡±

    Although our conversation seemed like an argument, it was a friendly banter without any ill thoughts. This feeling of relaxation was so good~

    ¡°Because I defeated that idiot in a Duel and he kept asking me to Party with him.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Blitz. He¡¯s famous in Naut City, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of him.¡±

    ¡°You mean the Party Leader of Crimson Swords, the largest Party in Naut City with over one hundred members?¡±

    While Parties were limited to nine Players, Crimson Swords main Party of nine members each had their own Parties that work under them. These Parties were treated as part of Crimson Sword as well. Some of the sub-Parties have even further divisions as well, creating its over a hundred membership.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Hawk didn¡¯t say anything for a while after that. He probably disliked Blitz for harassing him. It took him a while before breaking the silence.

    ¡°Did you never consider it was me?¡±

    ¡°No. To be honest, you¡¯re like a completely different person¡­¡±

    After I said that, Hawk¡¯s look became serious.

    ¡°I know. My reason for half-heartedly giving effort in the real world does not exist here.¡±

    His eyes were different from the Hawk I knew. The Hawk that was always unmotivated.

    Hawk stood and approached the railings of the terrace. After a few seconds of thinking, he turned and said, ¡°Dove. I want to form a Party with you. Not because I knew you from the real world, but because the Player Dove is an interesting Player.¡±

    ¡°I accept.¡± without any hesitation, without any thought, I chose to form a Party with Hawk.

    ¡°Now then, what¡¯ll be our name, Mr. Party Leader?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Leader?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll be the Vice- Leader¡± I said with a smile.

    Although there was no Vice- Leader implemented in the system, most Parties have one informally for emergencies where the Leader is unavailable.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ I hate naming¡­ I guess¡­ Azure Rain Forces.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What is that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. The name sound very anime~y you know.¡±

    ¡°Shut up¡­¡±

    We created and registered the Party Azure Rain Forces, henceforth shortened as ARF, through the menu command. After that, we could see each other¡¯s names besides our icons. Also our Party Name was now visible to everyone above our icons.

    ¡°Tomorrow we are going to fight the Boss. I can bring some people to help us, is that fine with you?¡±

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want people who could not find the dungeon get benefits from it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in need of help. It¡¯s a simple bargain.¡±

    ¡°So I asked for help, you¡¯d want something in return?¡±

    ¡°Friends¡­ are different¡­ It¡¯s getting late, we should head back. I know of a cost efficient Inn. Want to stay there as well?¡±

    ¡°Sure. It makes things more convenient as well.¡±

    Just as we were leaving, I noticed a familiar face eating on one of the tables.

    ¡°Liza!¡± I said as I approached her.

    While walking behind me, Hawk said, ¡°Hi, Liza.¡±

    ¡°Dove and¡­ who were you again?¡± replied Liza turning her head away from Hawk.

    ¡°You remember my name fully well.¡±

    ¡°Hawk¡­¡± replied Liza with an irritated look.

    ¡°You¡¯ve found a Party, Dove, congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. We¡¯ll be going now.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Visit Liza¡¯s shop frequently, Dove. As for Hawk, it¡¯d be better if you find another Item Shop.¡±

    ¡°There are no other Item Shops in Naut City.¡±

    We left Liza and headed towards the Inn. Since I had a Party already, I put my hood down. Hawk did the same. While walking across the empty streets, I opened the conversation.

    ¡°About Liza¡­ What was that about?¡±

    Hawk remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. When I gave up on awaiting his reply, he said, ¡°She likes me.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ and you should know why it can¡¯t happen. Liza knows as well, that¡¯s why she is avoiding me.¡±

    Romance between a Player and a Character was almost impossible. However real they may and not just simple AI, this was not our world. We had to one day leave.

    ¡°Liza¡¯s having a hard time.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I feel bad for her as well. If only she wasn¡¯t from Reality¡­¡±

    ¡°So you do like her?¡±

    ¡°She fits all my preferences and tastes¡­ there¡¯s nothing significant to dislike from her either¡­¡±

    ¡°If Liza existed in real life, she wouldn¡¯t like you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°A girl¡¯s intuition.¡± I replied with a smirk.

    If you acted in the real world the same way as you act in Reality, I¡¯m sure more girls would be interested in you. Inversely, if you acted like you do normally in Reality, no girl will be interested in you. Of course, that¡¯s for you to figure out by yourself.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    We arrived in front of an Inn. Just from the outside, I realized that it was better than the one I stayed in. The cost was 65 Fitts a night, a small increase as well.

    We rented our rooms and rested for the night.

    Tomorrow¡­ Boss¡­ I¡¯m sure we could do it¡­

    Help System: Player vs Player, Part 2

    Players can challenge one another for Duels or Battles in Safe Zones. These fights have agreed upon rules by both sides and never lead to death. A Player¡¯s Health cannot drop below 10%. Reaching this limit results in the loss of the Player. They were limited to an area agreed upon by all Players. Players inside the area cannot exit; Players outside cannot interfere. These battles forced the participants to stand at least 5 meters away from each other before it began. Players can surrender at anytime. If all Players agree to it, a draw can be declared.

 Side Chapter: Autobiography of the Unfortunate Girl

    Liza POV

    Father and Mother had always kept Liza at home. Liza always wondered why, but Liza never complained because Liza was happy to be with Father and Mother and Brother. When Liza turned fourteen, Father finally told Liza why. As the children town¡¯s Mayor, Brother and Liza had expectations to fulfill. Brother would become a warrior for Naut City and help the Players complete their Quests. Liza would become the political head of the family. Father said the political world was dirty and filled with lies. Liza knew that. Whenever Father held meetings at home, Liza would eavesdrop and find various lies in the conversation. Father was no exception. He lied as much as the other people; however, Father would never lie to his family. Liza spent each and every day without thought or worry. Liza had no ambition or dream. Liza wanted things to remain like this forever.

    This Liza disappeared when Brother and Liza overheard a conversation between Mother and Alex, one of our workers. Liza could not believe what we heard. Liza learned that Liza was not Father¡¯s child. Brother and Liza decided to keep it a secret from Father; however, Liza was incapable of lying to Father, so Liza would say the truth if Father asked, but Father never questioned anything. Father fully trusted Mother even with her suspicious actions such as leaving the room at night. Father knew this, but he trusted Mother very much and believed she had her reasons.

    After that, Liza changed. Liza paid attention to the private lessons Liza attended. Liza would actively ask Liza¡¯s ?teachers various things. Liza thought it was necessary. If Father one day learned of Mother¡¯s disloyalty, Mother and Liza would be removed from the family. Liza hated Alex as well. Although he was Liza¡¯s biological father, Liza never thought of as one. Alex was the one who can destroyed Father and Mother¡¯s relationship, and the result of the destruction was me.

    Due to learning of Mother¡¯s disloyalty, Liza pondered about love. The concept of ¡°romantic love¡± had always eluded Liza. Liza never imagined that Liza would one day marry another person. Liza said during Liza¡¯s childhood that she wanted to marry Brother and Father, but Father said that type of love was different.

    Liza¡¯s life changed a second time when Mother, Brother, and Alex died. Maybe Father learned about Mother¡¯s disloyalty, Liza did not know. It was a stormy night. Heavy rained poured through the war with the Goblins outside. Liza was told to stay in the hidden room along with Mother and Brother. After night fell, which signaled the end of the war, Mother left the room and told Brother and Liza to stay. We waited for an hour, but nobody returned, so Brother left Liza as well.

    Liza waited and waited, but the constant strikes of thunder grew stronger and stronger. When Liza could no longer take it, Liza exited the hidden room as well. When Liza arrived at the main hall, Liza saw Father besides Brother¡¯s corpse. Father emitted bloodlust towards me. Liza realized Father knew Liza was not his child.

    Liza thought that if Father learned the truth, Liza would leave and live by herself, but Liza couldn¡¯t do it. Liza would rather die than live life without Father.

    Liza approached Father, fully prepared to be killed, but in a single instance, Father¡¯s bloodlust disappeared. Father embraced Liza tightly and cried. Liza cried as well, for Mother and Brother. Father and Liza held each other in tears for hours.

    Liza accepted Mother¡¯s and Brother¡¯s death. Liza knew Brother and Father were participating in battle, so death was very possible. Liza was prepared and was ready to accept it, but the hurt it made Liza feel did not disappear. Liza grieved for months and months.

    Father gave a story of what happened and shut himself from the public. The story said that Brother and Mother were killed by Goblins. Liza did not know whether that story was true or not, but to Liza it mattered not. It didn¡¯t change Brother and Mother¡¯s death. Liza never asked Father about Mother¡¯s disloyalty or anything that happened that night.

    Father spent the next six months shut in the house, but late at night, he would occasionally leave it secret. After that, Father lost his wealth and position and we were kicked from our house. We moved into the house in the slums Father bought by selling one of his marriage rings. Despite not living in luxury, Liza cared not. Liza was with Father, which was all that mattered now. Liza became a normal girl who left the house for tasks and chores; however, because of everyone knew of Liza¡¯s family¡¯s history, Liza never made any friends.

    When Liza turned eighteen, Father and Liza wanted Liza to work. During this time, most of the Players had disappeared from Reality, and we were waiting for the second generation¡¯s arrival. Liza found that the previous owner of the Item Shop had retired and left the shop, so Liza decided to become the new Item Shop manager. Father supported Liza and sold his other marriage ring to rent for the Item Shop and served as capital.

    Liza began working in the Item Shop to prepare for the second generation of Players whose arrivals all Characters were informed of. Liza knew this was the only chance Liza could make friends, so Liza was excited.

    Liza¡¯s expectations were shattered the day the Players arrived. Most merely entered the shop, operated the menu, and left. The few that remained only talked to Liza about sexual things. Some even considered raping me, but that was impossible since Characters could paralyze Players at any moment as rights given to them by Reality¡¯s System. After the first day, Liza gave up. Father always said that most Players never thought of Characters as people, and now Liza¡¯s sees that. Players are yet to realize that Reality is far more real that they could imagine. Of course, Characters were forbidden to talk about what Reality actually was.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    On the second day, a boy arrived and began talking to Liza. The boy was named Hawk. He asked this and that about Reality. Unlike other Players, Hawk treated Liza like a real person.

    The next day, Hawk came again. This time Liza took the initiative of talking to him as well. We talked about various things, about Reality, about Players, about Characters, and about useless things as well. We even ate lunch together because we could not stop talking to each other.

    Hawk said it was hard for him to become friends with other Players. He said he preferred becoming friends with Characters because we were pure. Liza never understood the meaning of those words.

    For the next few days, more Players began talking to Liza as well. Of course, they were all part of Parties so they could never stay too long in conversation unlike Hawk. Hawk¡¯s shopping here had become a point of anticipation for me. Every day, Liza always thought when he would arrive. Although he came every day, he would sometimes leave after shopping with a quick goodbye because he was busy, but he would always stay and talked with Liza whenever he wasn¡¯t.

    At the end of the first week after the second generation of Players arrived, Liza returned home to visit Father. Surprisingly, Liza found Hawk in the house speaking with Father. Apparently, Hawk had somewhat become a Player who accepted most of Father¡¯s Quests. Father would send a message to him for his Quest Requests instead of going to the Quest Guild. When Liza learned that, Liza was delighted. Father was delighted as well when Liza talked about how became friends with Hawk.

    Three days after that, Liza returned home after work because Father was sick. After a few hours, Father¡¯s sickness disappeared; however, his movements remained limited. Liza wanted to spend the night at home, but Father insisted it would be better for Liza to return.

    Liza followed Father¡¯s instructions and left home, but in the middle of the road, it began to rain heavily. Liza was worried. The rain itself was not a problem, but what came with it was. After a few seconds, lightning flashed across the sky, and so did the memories of that night in Liza¡¯s mind.

    Since the night Brother and Mother died, Liza had become afraid of lightning and thunder when outdoors. Liza was perfectly fine when it was storming when inside the house, so the lightning and thunder themselves were not the problem, but if Liza could see the stormy sky as well, Liza could not move.

    Liza froze on the spot the moment the lightning struck. Dropping Liza¡¯s umbrella, Liza went to a roofed corner and crouched down, embracing Liza¡¯s knees. Since it was late and the weather was terrible, no person, Player or Character, remained on the streets. Liza was alone. Liza had to wait for the storm to pass, however long that may be, before Liza could do anything. Each second felt like an eternity to Liza. Time moved so slowly that Liza could count the time second by second time. Liza had reached 2000 counts, but only mere minutes had passed.

    Footsteps¡­ in the midst of the storm Liza heard the sound of splashing footsteps approaching. Liza thought it was an animal looking for shelter, but as the sound drew closer, Liza could hear Liza¡¯s name being shouted.

    Finally, Liza noticed and silhouette slowly appearing from the direction of the shouts. The silhouette grew clearer and clearer until Liza saw Hawk standing before him. This Hawk was different from the one Liza knew. He was disorganized and dirty, wearing his pajamas instead of his usual outdoor attire. These pajamas were drenched and translucent. His hair was a mess and dripping with rainwater. Hawk arrived panting before reaching out his hand to pull Liza up.

    Hawk kneeled and offered to carry Liza on his back. Although Liza had difficulty moving, Liza squeezed out all of Liza¡¯s energy to climb on Hawk¡¯s back. Liza held Liza¡¯s hands tightly around Hawk and rested Liza¡¯s head on Hawk¡¯s shoulders. Hawk walked as fast as he could to bring Liza back to the Item Shop.

    Hawk and Liza took a shower immediately after arriving. It was already midnight. Hawk worried if Liza could shower without help since it was still storming, but Liza explained Liza was fine indoors. While showering, Liza saw a message from Father. Father apologized for his incapability to help Liza, so he sent a message to Hawk to find me. Without even seeking any reward, Hawk ran half across the City in his pajamas without any protection against a storm in the middle of the night to find me.

    Liza found Hawk sleeping at the sofa. His head was uncomfortably lying tilted on the sofa armrest. Liza sat besides Hawk and gently moved his head to Liza¡¯s lap. While Hawk showed slight movements as Liza moved it, Hawk did not wake up due to how tired he was. Liza patted Hawk as he slept.

    Liza now realized. Liza loved Hawk. Liza wanted to stay beside him. To learn more about him, especially this side of Hawk: the person Hawk, not the Player Hawk. At this time, Liza had yet realized and considered the impossibility of this love. Liza merely enjoyed the moment of spoiled the boy Liza loved.

    An hour passed like a fleeting moment. Despite the hell-like wait being longer than the hour of rest, Liza felt that this time was infinitely shorter. Liza would be happy to stay like this together; however, there were rules concerning this, so Liza woke Hawk up. Hawk resisted greatly. While still half-asleep, he buried his face deeper into Liza''s stomach and thighs as he thoughtlessly mumbled his refusal to wake up. As he did this, Liza thought Hawk was cute and was still a child at heart.

    After ten minutes, Hawk finally waked up. As he sat up, Liza noticed his blushing face, which Liza also found cute. Hawk and Liza talked a bit before Hawk had to leave. He hesitated due to his worry, but Liza said Liza would be fine.

    Only after Hawk left did Liza realized the impossibility of Liza¡¯s love. Confusion filled Liza¡¯s heart. Liza did not know what to do or how to act. Liza had a restless night with constant worry of what Liza would do.

    The next day, Hawk arrived at the shop first thing in the morning. As he talked with Liza, Liza¡¯s heart filled with joy. This made Liza¡¯s worries grow even greater. Liza loved Hawk more and more as Liza interacted with him.

    The day after that, Liza made up Liza¡¯s mind. Liza told Hawk that Liza could no longer be his friend. Hawk was shocked, but he did not ask any questions. Liza''s heart ached with great pain as Liza did this, but it was for the best. Better get hurt now and end this than sow the seeds for a greater suffering the future.

    Of course, Hawk realized this. Although he may be inexperienced when it came to love, his not asking of questions showed his realizations of the reasons behind Liza''s actions. Although his face showed that he still wanted to be friends with Liza, even he knew nothing could be done.

    Hawk still came everyday to buy. Liza heart still skipped a beat whenever Liza saw him. Hawk still greeted Liza whenever he saw Liza, but Liza avoided replying. Liza had to endure this until the feelings Liza had disappeared.

 Chapter 11: Breaking to the Boss

    ??? PoV

    ¡°Master Zoe, are you sure about bringing me?¡± I asked. ¡°The other members of Cerulean Seas are all betters me.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Hawk specifically requested for a tank.¡± replied Master Zoe.

    Hawk. Although his face wasn¡¯t known, his name was widely known after he defeated Blitz in a Duel. I thought it was a lie at first based on my experience fighting the Crimson Swords, but Master Zoe witnessed the Duel and vouched for him, so I now believed the story. Defeating Blitz meant he was in the upper echelon of Players in Naut City along with Blitz, Master Zoe, and a few others.

    Our meeting was at the back end of the slums at 1 in the afternoon. As we arrived at the destination, Master Zoe moved close to the two Players already waiting there.

    ¡°Who is this cute girl? Hawk, Parties aren¡¯t for picking up girls you know.¡± said Master Zoe in a casual manner. Master Zoe acted formally to strangers, but Master Zoe was really friendly to people Master Zoe was close with. It appeared the Hawk was one of them.

    Speaking of Hawk, I could not believe he was one of the best Players in Naut City. Although he seemed slightly smart, the rest of his appearance, including his face and clothes, was unremarkably average. Yes, I know unremarkably average was redundant, but I wanted to emphasize his averageness. His deep black hair and eyes led me to believe he was of Asian descent.

    Besides Hawk stood another Asian girl, her looks were definitely above average and fell more on the cute side. While Asians generally looked younger that Westerners, her body was childish even with those standards. The girl¡¯s deep black eyes brimmed with motivation, but her face remained calm. While plain, the girl¡¯s clothes, a long-sleeve polo-shirt worn over a plain white t-shirt and shorts, were easy for the eyes. Whenever she smiled, her cuteness multiplied tenfold.

    ¡°You¡¯re as annoying as ever, Zoe. She was my classmate in real life. We made a Party.¡±

    ¡°So, who the princess that convinced Hawk make a Party?¡± asked Master Zoe, facing the girl.

    ¡°I am Dove, a Wind Assassin.¡±

    Master Zoe stared at Dove.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± asked Dove.

    Suddenly, Master Zoe embraced Dove and petted her head. Because of the height difference, Dove¡¯s face was buried in Master Zoe¡¯s chest. Dove resisted and tried to escape Master Zoe¡¯s clutches, but her efforts were futile. Master Zoe said in bliss, ¡°You¡¯re so cute! I want you to be my younger sister.¡±

    ¡°Younger sister? She¡¯s older than me you know, by transitivity, she¡¯s older than you as well.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Ehh? Is Mr. Boyfriend being jealous?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend¡­¡± replied Hawk as he looked away. I could not confirm whether he was annoyed or embarrassed.

    After five minutes, Master Zoe finally let go of Dove. Dove took a deep breath immediately. She looked at Master Zoe with annoyance. I readied myself to defend Master Zoe, but she relaxed quite quickly. It seemed she was the type to get annoyed quickly and relax quickly.

    ¡°So what do you want? I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t ask for meeting to show off your cute Party Member.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep this short. We found a Dungeon in Naut City and arrived at the Boss Room. It held a maximum of four Players allowed. We would like you to help us fight the Boss.¡±

    ¡°My, my, you two found a honeymoon spot but hid it from the public. Since it is Hawk, ¡®People who can¡¯t find the Dungeon don¡¯t deserve to reap the rewards¡¯ he probably said something like that.¡± said Master Zoe, imitating Hawk¡¯s voice.

    Dove¡¯s laugh confirmed Master¡¯s Zoe statement. I understood what Hawk meant. As person condemned by most of society, I felt no obligation towards it. While this may be hatred towards society, it was logical. Why should I help people who don¡¯t help me, let alone people who shun me? Of course, I was merely another bad person in society. I was no one important enough to even leave a dent of change in it.

    ¡°And you are?¡± asked Hawk facing me.

    ¡°I am Fumes, a FireDefender serving Master Zoe.¡± I replied.

    When we made eye contact, a shiver was sent down my spine. All my thoughts were laid before Hawk to read. I felt he had seen everything I had to the core and that he completely knew every secret I had.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Okay. Please confirm the contract.¡±

    We agreed upon the contract¡¯s terms to participate in the Boss Battle of Naut City Sewers.

    As we followed the duo, Master Zoe whispered, ¡°You were scanned weren¡¯t you? Scary, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was like I couldn¡¯t lie to him.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s not as if he can read your mind. All Hawk does is analyze a person.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t normal; analyzing a person you¡¯ve just met by eye contact.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s part of what makes him amazing. Of course, his analysis isn¡¯t perfect. When I asked him, he explained he had to adjust his analysis as we learned more about the person although it¡¯s probably mostly correct, just in need of a few adjustments.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what he thought of me¡­¡±

    ¡°You can ask him later about it, just be sure to not be offended as Hawk can be rude and blunt with his descriptions.¡±

    As we walked towards the Dungeon, the sewer stench grew worse and worse. Finally, we arrived at the manhole leading into the Dungeon.

    ¡°If I told the public about this Dungeon, would you mind?¡± asked Master Zoe.

    ¡°Indifferent.¡± replied Hawk.

    ¡°I see. Shall we discuss our strategy?¡±

    ¡°Fumes. What¡¯s your ability?¡±

    ¡°Flame Banner. It hits two feet around me; three continuous at cooldown casts. Lasts 5 seconds on monsters so far. It forces all enemies in the area to attack me.¡±

    ¡°For the Dungeon itself, Fumes, stay in front and focus on defending exclusively. If any of us draw too much aggro, only then do you use your ability. Dove and I will handle the offense. Zoe, just do what you normally do. Dove stay behind Zoe and protect her as your first priority. Only support the front side with your bow if you are sure it is absolutely safe.¡±

    Hawk and Dove then explained how their abilities worked to me.

    We entered the Sewers and began to move. I wondered how skilled Hawk and Dove were. While I believed Master Zoe¡¯s claim that Hawk was skilled, checking with my own eyes would be good. Dove didn¡¯t have the appearance of the strong Player as well.

    Our first battle with this Party was against 6 Sewer Rats, 2 of which attacked from behind.

    ¡°6 Sewer Rats: 4 in front, 2 behind.¡± Since Master Zoe was a healer, Master Zoe had a lot of idle time when no one needed to be healed or Kindness Drop was on cooldown.

    As a tank, I felt it would be safe to observed Dove as well, wanting to see if she could deliver. Considering she was at the back because of her capability of both short and long-ranged attacks, she also held the hardest position.

    I was in awe. Dove¡¯s attacked the rats in a neither flashy nor impressive manner. My awe was due to the flow of her movements. She moved with very little unnecessary movement, and all her movements appeared to be one action. She dodged the Sewer Rats¡¯ attack and countered all in one swift movement. There transition between the movements was unbelievably smooth. If she had full Mana, she would activate Fade Walk split seconds before her attack connected to increase its damage. When she did this, there was no stop in her action as well.

    ¡°One Sewer Rat down at front, the right one in front is down to half Health, middle at 70, left at almost full. One Sewer Rat down behind.¡± announced Master Zoe.

    Master Zoe rose above all other healers due to Master Zoe¡¯s constant assessment of the current situation of the battle. While it may seem to be something anyone could do, Master Zoe always made her assessments just before the Player themselves were about to check the information themselves. While the difference may be negligible, the time spent checking the information did exist. While results may be invisible now, harder battles in the future will definitely bring to light its great effect.

    Speaking of great, Hawk was undeniably amazing. Unlike Dove¡¯s simple movements, Hawk drew attention like a candle in the darkness. He alternated attacks on each Sewer Rat in seemingly random patterns. He evaded before the Rats attacked even without looking at them. He casted Skadi¡¯s Caress without looking as well. His fighting style was undeniably a mess, but in this mess, the results spoke differently. He reached a 12-Hit Chain Gauge combo, which was insane. I had no need to even use Flame Banner since he dodged everything.

    We breezed through the Sewers with ease. Throughout the Dungeon, Hawk got hit twice in total despite the number of enemies. Dove never let an enemy reach Master Zoe and was hit only six times despite that handicap.

    Lastly was myself, I felt extremely bad; I felt unneeded; I felt these three could clear through this Dungeon without my help. It was unlike Cerulean Seas. Everyone there had to give their full effort and listen to Master Zoe¡¯s commands there to perform well. Here, Hawk and Dove went ham on the monsters, and Master Zoe supported them perfectly.

    We arrived at the Safe Zone before the Boss. Before us stood a sphere for exiting the Dungeon and a rusted metal door that led to the Boss Room.

    ¡°Well. What should we do for our strategy?¡± asked Master Zoe.

    ¡°No information on the enemy¡­ Sigh¡­¡± exclaimed Hawk.

    ¡°The weakness of the amazing Hawk.¡± teased Master Zoe.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a weakness of everyone?¡± I asked in a low voice to Master Zoe.

    ¡°It¡¯s especially noticeable for him. Relying on instincts and reflexes alone would make him an average Player at best.¡± whispered Master Zoe back.

    ¡°Everyone, just do what you think is best. If you notice anything, say it. If someone orders something, follow it.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°In summary, trust.¡± answered Master Zoe with a smile. We waited a few minutes for our Mana to regenerate to full.

    The four of us gathered together and cheered¡­ ¡°TO VICTORY!¡±

    [Flame Banner]

    Targets will change their attack target to user for a short time. It cannot interrupt abilities that had already been targeted and attacks that are already started.

    Range: Multi-target, Near the User

    Cooldown: 30 Seconds

    [Kindness Drop]

    Heals 20% of an ally¡¯s Health.

    Range: Single-target, Clear Vision

    Cooldown: 10 Seconds

 Side Chapter: The Fire that Fumes

    I am Fumes, a Fire Defender in the Party Heart¡¯s Powers. My only purpose right now was serving my master and savior: the Leader of Cerulean Seas, Zoe.

    I hated society. I hated how people based their judgments on what society said instead of their own observations.

    On my first months in university, one of my classmates bullied me and I struck back. The strike sent the guy into the hospital and got me reported to the disciplinary council. Ever since then, due to one mistake, my school life was ruined. Whenever my classmates broke any rules, they would pin the blame on me. It had become the norm for me. I spent most of my school days suspended. On the rare occasion I could go to school, my classmates whispered malicious words behind my back. Whenever I was home, my parents ranted on and on about my being a bad child. When I was brought to this world, I was actually relieved. I could start anew.

    I had always thought that if I myself had a problem that made me a magnet, but I never had anyone unbiased judging me.

    I got into trouble in Reality quickly as well. I got into an argument about one of the Quests with one of the members of Crimson Swords. I got the Quest first, but apparently the guy wanted the Quest as well and we selected it only milliseconds apart. In the end, we settled it with a Duel, to which I lost.

    While losing the Duel itself was not a problem, the rumors that spread after were. After a single day, I was infamous around Naut City as the arrogant Player that tried stealing one of the Crimson Swords¡¯ Quests.

    Players in Naut City all avoided and shunned me. I reverted to the world-hating me of the real world. That was until one person invited me to a Party: Master Zoe.

    Master Zoe was a mature and beautiful woman. Master Zoe was from a branch of the British Royal Family in real life and was currently eighteen years old. Master Zoe the appearance and aura of a queen¡ªa leader people want to follow. Master Zoe¡¯s face was comparable to the queens in fantasies. Master Zoe had long untied blonde hair that reached Master Zoe¡¯s waist. Master Zoe¡¯s eyes were deep black like an abyss. Master Zoe¡¯s body was proportionate will curves in all the right areas. Master Zoe¡¯s skin was white. The clothes Master Zoe wore were always majestic and suited Master Zoe¡¯s appearance as a queen. Master Zoe was a Water Cleric.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Master Zoe did not judge me by the rumors. While hesitant at first, I became a temporary Party Member of Cerulean Seas. Master Zoe told me I wasn¡¯t a bad person, that I was merely unfortunate. In two days, I was already dedicated to Master Zoe. I fully joined Cerulean Seas and devoted my life to Master Zoe.

    Well, that¡¯s enough of my back story. In the end, I¡¯m just a minor character serving Master Zoe.

    [Defender]

    A job specializing in protecting allies at their own expense.

    Stats: Health: ***** Mana: ** Attack: *** Defense: *****

    Magic: ** Resistance: ** *** Speed: * Dexterity: **

    Usable Weapons: One-handed Swords, Two-handed Swords, Axes, Spears, Shields

    Usable Armor: Heavy Equipment

    [Cleric]

    A job specializing healing allies.

    Stats: Health: *** Mana: ***** Attack: * Defense: **

    Magic: **** Resistance: ** ** Speed: *** Dexterity: **

    Usable Weapons: Staves, Rods

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment, Mage Equipment

 Chapter 12: Boss Battle

    The Boss Room was a wide square room around 10 meters on each side. The layout was the same as the Sewers except the ceiling was higher.

    ¡°Sewerberus? Is this the game creator¡¯s lame joke?¡± said Hawk while facepalming.

    Sewerberus

    That was the Boss¡¯ name, a portmanteau of Sewer and Cerberus. The first Boss we faced looked disgusting instead of fearsome. It was as tall as two people, one on top of the other; as long as six people standing side by side; and as wide as four people standing side by side. Three rat heads branched out from it neck. The saliva dripping from its mouths sizzled when it touched the ground like acid. Patches of oil, grease, and other trash covered its grey skin. The beast stood on all fours. Its feet were thin but muscular and long unlike a rat¡¯s. Its tail was thin and long.

    ¡°Here it comes¡­¡± said Dove.

    The Sewerberus charged at our direction as we took steps towards it. I immediately put out my shield to defend against its attacks. On the meanwhile, Dove volleyed it with arrow after arrow. The three arrows dealt a mere 2% of the Boss¡¯ Health.

    The middle head rammed against my shield and pushed me back for two meters before I stopped it. I lost a total of 20% of my Health from the force it made. As I was being pushed backed, Hawk used Skadi¡¯s Caress and bombarded the Sewerberus with his combos as he leapt above it. Despite this, the ministuns did not halt its push; it simply delayed the action for a fraction of a second. Master Zoe casted Kindness Drop on me immediately. Assuming it was used upon cooldown, Master Zoe can cast eight of those consecutively.

    Once I halted its charge, the Sewerberus jumped into the middle of our formation and whipped its tail in a counter clockwise rotation. Reacting quickly, Dove readied her sword and blocked the tail, but it proved futile as she was knocked back and hit the wall, losing 53% of her Health. At the very least, the delay created by Dove¡¯s seemingly futile defense enabled me move into a better position to defend Master Zoe, but I still couldn¡¯t fully stop the swing and took 20% damage. Master Zoe moved away from the Boss and closer to Dove.

    A Potion as well as Kindness Drop healed Dove¡¯s Health back to a high amount.

    ¡°I can¡¯t use Potions anymore!¡± exclaimed Dove.

    Did this Boss limit us to one Item?

    When the tail swing stopped, Hawk slid between the Sewerberus feet and began thrusting his swords upwards. Since his combo was not disrupted, his attack damage was becoming significant at 2% per hit, compared to the 1% he began with. As I thought, his abilities suited fighting singular stronger enemies better and his attacks would be the majority of our damage. The Sewerberus was down to a third of its Health. It stomped its feet at Hawk, but the attack was telegraphed and obvious, Hawk managed to roll away from the foot while slic\ing it.

    The moment that attack ended, the Sewerberus rotated its body to face Dove who continuously pelted it with arrows from the distance. Flame Banner caught it mid-rotation and forced it to rotate back and attempt to bite me; however, when it reached half-health, it leapt back a distance away from us.

    ¡°Behind me!¡± I shouted at the top of lungs as soon as the leap began.

    I was amazed. All three of them reacted without any hesitance. They listened to me, the worst Player here, to the useless Player throughout the Dungeon.

    The Sewerberus shot liters of purple saliva. Despite my best efforts, the size of the Basic Shield prevented me from blocking the entire wave. The attacked burned our skins like acid and stinged a lot. The resulting damage: 37% on Master Zoe, 63% on Hawk, 60% on Dove, 34% on myself. The saliva was considered magical based on the relatively low damage it did to Master Zoe. Thankfully, this gave us the option for Master Zoe to heal Dove, since we couldn¡¯t use Potions anymore, with Kindness Drop instead. The rest healed with Potions.

    ¡°Items are limited to one per Player.¡± announced Master Zoe.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Looking at our situation, we were in quite the pinch. While Master Zoe and I were healthy, Hawk and Dove were at less than two-thirds Health. If those two died, we lacked the damage to defeat the Sewerberus, which would result in our deaths as well. We could not use items anymore. The Boss was still at half-health. We had to perform even better in the second half to defeat it without casualties. The possibility of a stronger boss once it reached half-health existed. The only silver lining was that Master Zoe would not be running into Mana problems assuming we removed the remaining Health at the same pace.

    The second the saliva spray ended, both Hawk and Dove rushed the Sewerberus. Slashing as fast as they could, the two ran circles around it with perfect coordination on both sides. Their movement caused the monster to move back and forth for two seconds. During this time, I ran towards it and Flame Banner forced it to attack me. Flame Banner lasted two seconds before it turned its attention to the highest damage-dealer: Hawk. Hawk realized this and jumped upwards the moment Flame Banner ended, avoiding the bite of the right head. During this jump, his swords sliced the left head one after the other. As he fell, he rode the momentum and pointed his swords downward, piercing the Boss¡¯ back and continuing his combo. The Boss was now down to a third of its Health.

    The Sewerberus repeated its counter-clock wise tail whip, but Hawk and Dove either predicted it or reflexively dodged it. I wasn¡¯t as lucky and was sent flying towards the nearby wall. My body felt like it would break from the pain, but I kept going. The Sewerberus switched its aim to Master Zoe and charged towards her.

    I ran immediately towards her, but I wouldn¡¯t make it. As my heart beat in horror, Hawk and Dove ran to its sides slashed the front legs of the Sewerberus. The force of the charge threw back the two and took around one-fourth of their Health. While completely slicing off the feet was impossible, the two¡¯s attacks threw off the Boss¡¯ charge, preventing it from directly hitting Master Zoe, merely grazing her instead. Despite not being a direct hit, the attack still took 58% of Master Zoe¡¯s Health. Master Zoe, Hawk, and Dove were all at less than half-Health. Master Zoe used her fourth Kindness Drop on herself.

    Unexpectedly, Dove screamed in pain when she took the last instance of damage. No one had yet to feel any physical pain in Reality so why did she scream just now. Hawk immediately rushed to her side to help her up, but I noticed that her face filled with painfulness.

    Even without Dove, we resumed attacking the Sewerberus, my final Flame Banner combined with Hawk attacks delayed the Sewerberus attacks until the next the cooldown of Kindess Drop; however, our efforts weren¡¯t enough, and the Sewerberus charged Master Zoe.

    A timely surprise attack from Dove managed to set the Sewerberus allowed Master Zoe to dodge the attack as well as buy the last few seconds of Kindness Drop¡¯s cooldown.

    ¡°Heal Dove!¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Heal Hawk!¡± said Dove

    The two stated at the exact same time. Different orders, in this battle, this was our first encounter of it. My fear and worry grew. This was the consequence of a Party that did not always fight together. As I pondered on what to do, my worries proved to be for naught.

    Unlike me, Master Zoe did not hesitate for a moment. She immediately healed Dove. Realizing this, Dove showed slight irritation on her face but put in away in favor of concentrating on the battle. Was Master Zoe¡¯s decision made by rationally or emotionally? Now was not the time to question that.

    The Sewerberus launched a third tail whip. This caught me off guard and reduced my life by 40%. Hawk and Dove successfully dodged in time, but the shockwave caused by it still took 20% of their Health. Master Zoe¡¯s sixth Kindness Drop on Hawk, who fell to critical Health after that attack.

    Almost there¡­ the Sewerberus life fell to 15%, a few more hits would do it. At this point, I shifted to a more offensive play and began helping the two attackers deal damage. From the corner of my eye, I saw a grin on Hawk¡¯s face.

    At 10% Health, the Sewerberus crouched. I knew this action: the leap back into saliva spray. Should I attempt to defend? No, Hawk and Dove are too low health to survive it. There is only one path.

    The four of us chased after without delay. Hawk, Dove, and I swung our swords with no restriction; even Master Zoe helped by whacking with her staff. Each point of the Sewerberus¡¯ Health dropped one by one.

    ¡°MAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± the four of us shouted in perfect unison.

    The Sewerberus shattered into polygons. Our final attacks connected milliseconds before the Boss launched its attacks.

    ¡°WE DID IT!!!¡± we gathered together and cheered.

    Congratulations! The Boss is slain!

    Rewards: 1, 000 Fitts/person; 2x Elixir (Rare), Alchemist Staff (Artifact)

    Naut City Entrance Gate will be opened at 12 noon tomorrow.

    Hawk sat on the ground with a smile on his face. Master Zoe had a satisfied look on her face. Dove¡­ fainted. Hawk immediately approached to aid her.

 Chapter 13: Battle Rewards

    Hawk went to Dove and helped her sit up. She slowly regained consciousness as Hawk helped her sit up. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°That attack¡­ where I screamed¡­ it felt real¡­ as if I was hit¡­ in the real world¡­¡± Dove feebly mumbled out.

    I looked at Master Zoe to see her thoughts, but she asked Hawk, ¡°Any ideas?¡±

    ¡°Not now... I¡¯m too tired to think.¡± he replied offhand, focusing most of his attention on Dove.

    We rested for a minutes until Dove¡¯s felt better.

    Reaching out his hand, Hawk said, ¡°Can you get up?¡±

    Dove grasped his hand and was pulled up; however, her balance was off, and she had trouble standing properly due to her trembling feet.

    ¡°Zoe, could you lend a shoulder to Dove.¡± requested Hawk.

    ¡°Hawk you know that¡¯s not the correct decision. Although I want to princess carry my little sister home, it¡¯s the prince¡¯s job to escort her.¡±

    Hawk was both annoyed and embarrassed from what Master Zoe said. He stood idle for a few seconds. Contrasting the Hawk who made spontaneous decisions quickly in battle, this Hawk wasn¡¯t sure what to do. In the end, Hawk looked back at Dove and asked, ¡°Is it alright?¡±

    ¡°Just do it already!¡± she shouted in a weak but annoyed tone.

    Hawk carried Dove on her back. Despite not being visible to Hawk, I noticed Dove¡¯s surprise at Hawk carried her up. She probably expected to be lent and shoulder, not carried, but she did not complain. It didn¡¯t seem like she disliked it; she was just surprised.

    ¡°You can have the staff. The two Elixirs¡­ we¡¯ll have one of them.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°No. You can have both Elixirs.¡± replied Master Zoe.

    ¡°But Fumes¡­¡± hesitated Hawk.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I think he acquired something far greater in this battle.¡±

    Hawk approached me and placed his hand on my shoulder. With a smile, he said, ¡°You did amazing. Duel me sometime, okay?¡±

    I enthusiastically replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Something inside me disappeared. I wondered what it was. When I looked at Master Zoe, I found the answer. Society is trash. People will look down on you¡­ but it matters not. There are people here who believe in me; that¡¯s what mattered.

    We used the sphere to exit the Dungeon. Evening had come and the moon could be seen from the sky. We rushed to the closest Inn to rid ourselves of the odor. After cleaning oursleves, we reunited outside the inn.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go eat!¡± announced Hawk.

    We went to the restaurant Master Zoe always brought us too. It appeared Hawk was a customer here as well, seeing as he could use the special terrace room to eat. To my surprise, Kim, the head of the waiters and waitresses and the owner¡¯s daughter, served us personally. We ate more than we usually did in celebration. Since Master Zoe and Dove preferred not to drink alcohol and Hawk seemed hesitant as well, I refrained from drinking alcoholic beverages myself. We exchanged a few words, but we were too tired to hold much meaningful conversations.

    As we were about to leave, Hawk approached Dove, ¡°Are you fine now?¡±

    Dove did not answer for at least ten seconds. Just as Hawk was about to ask again, Dove answered, ¡°No. Please continue carrying me.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Hawk let Dove climb unto his back again and we left the restaurant.

    ¡°Looks like this ends our temporary Party.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Is that fine with you? Telling everyone that Cerulean Seas cleared the Naut City Sewers?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Popularity would make Players flock to join my current two-member Party. I don¡¯t want to deal with the trouble.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll part ways here. You two don¡¯t hesitate to call me anytime if you need anything.¡±

    After walking our separate ways for a while, I brought up a point Master Zoe, ¡°After eating, Dove said she still couldn¡¯t walk, but her feet were no longer trembling and she did not reply immediately.¡±

    ¡°She lied. She¡¯s similar to me in that regard. An independent woman who can do anything, but after tiring and tense moments, we¡­ want to be rewarded as well. Letting Hawk spoil her was her form of reward. Well, the possibility of this probably crossed Hawk¡¯s mind, but apparently he never had a girlfriend before, so he would dismiss the possibility as his own selfish wish.¡±

    ¡°Do they¡­ have romantic feelings for each other?¡±

    Master Zoe flicked me at the forehead and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t butt in to other people¡¯s love lives.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I replied, a bit disappointed.

    ¡°But if you really want to know, Hawk clearly has a large romantic interest in Dove. Considering his personality, the interest stems from his university days with her. He¡¯s just unsure of what to do due to lack of experience. As for Dove, right now, she probably thinks of Hawk as someone who she can trust, someone she can rely on when she¡¯s tired, and someone who will protect her when she¡¯s weak. If I had to choose, I¡¯d say no, not yet at least. Not only that, I sense that something may have happened in the past that is straining their romantic relationship.¡±

    Hearing Master Zoe¡¯s analysis reminded me, ¡°I forgot to ask Hawk¡¯s analysis.¡±

    ¡°He actually told me before we fought the Boss.¡±

    ¡°Ehh! What did he say?¡±

    ¡°You found a good tank. If ever he breaks free of whatever fears he has of his past, he may one day be great.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ flattered¡­¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell you before the Boss because it may hinder your performance.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ will¡­¡±

    I clenched my fist and resolved. I would work even harder than before¡­ for the sake of Master Zoe.

    Dove POV

    I lied huh¡­ Well, if he learned this and got angry, then I would apologize, but for now, I¡¯m tired, let me spoil myself for a bit.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Yes. We did amazing, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°At first, I felt Fumes wasn¡¯t performing well, but he stepped up quite a bit during the Boss. It is probably because the encounters were too weak to necessitate a tank.¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s not just that. His performance actually did spike during the Boss battle, probably because he felt he was holding us back.¡±

    We arrived at the Inn we stayed at. I went off Hawk¡¯s back. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed and wanted to be spoiled more, but this was enough for now.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re fine?¡± asked Hawk with a worried face.

    ¡°Yes. The ride was quite thrilling. Thank you.¡± I said as we went rented our rooms. The pain had long subsided. Only fatigue slowed me down.

    I entered the shower and let the cold water flow across my whole body. Looking up, memories of the Boss fight flashed across my mind. What was that pain I felt? I¡¯ve never felt pain before in Reality.

    ¡°Father¡­ Mother¡­ I¡¯m definitely going back to see you.¡± I restated my purpose to resolve myself.

    ¡°Despite only being active for two days, being with Hawk made me realize this world was fun and exciting. This is the best game I¡¯ve played; probably the best game ever created. So for now, until I leave this place, it¡¯s alright if I enjoy the moment, right? Father. Mother.¡±

    I no longer wanted to leave Reality immediately. It¡¯s not as if time was wasted here since time was not flowing in the real world. Of course, I¡¯m homesick, but this brand new world felt like another adventure for me and another page of my life.

 Chapter 14: Rewards of Help

    June 17, XX15. 5:00 A.M

    Eric POV

    ¡°So you¡¯ve come¡­¡± I said. My days were coming to an end. Regrets... I have many, but I have done everything I could, all that matters is to finish the rest.

    The sun had yet to rise. I sat on the grass of my backyard waiting for his arrival. I thought he¡¯d still be asleep, but he came immediately.

    Hawk¡­ the Player who I thought of as my son, the Player who did all my requests for me, and the Player my daughter loved. If only the Player I thought of as my daughter were here, I¡¯d be fine passing one.

    ¡°That sword¡­¡± said Hawk as he noticed the sword lying beside.

    Icebrande was the name of my treasured sword. It was of Artifact Rarity, meaning only one of each existed in the whole of Reality. The sword¡¯s beauty transcended most swords. The blade refracted the light passing through its light blue translucence. The blade was as thin as the thinnest ice but as hard as the hardest diamond. Its snowflake-shaped guard, which was darker blue but still translucent, separated the blade from its hilt. The hilt itself was mostly translucent blue darker still than that of the guard except for the three navy blue diamonds on each side of the hilt. Icebrande was Water Elemental. When used by Players, the natural Elements of their Abilities still overwrote their weapon¡¯s Element, but their normal attacks followed the weapon¡¯s Element. There were no advantages in having the same natural Element as your weapon.

    So long had I lied about fearing my own sword. Ever since that day, I thought I¡¯d never use it again, but now here it lied.

    I stood up and pointed Icebrande at Hawk. ¡°Duel me. No using Abilities.¡±

    Hawk did not question why. He didn¡¯t even ask why. He felt the resolve in my words and accepted.

    These Players were yet to learn this, but Character could participate in Duels and Battles; however, Characters could challenge Players, but the other way around was impossible. Characters were only forbidden from fighting in Dungeons and the World Map outside certain Quests.

    My ability with a sword definitely rusted from being away from it. My age had passed its pinnacle. However, I could comfortably spar with most non-titled Players of the First Generation during my prime.

    The 5 second countdown for the Duel began.

    Hawk was an offensive analytical type fighter. Analytical fighters had a common weakness: they could be fed incorrect information due to their initial defensive patterns; however, such tactics failed on Hawk. He attacked aggressively from the start and forced his enemies to react, allowing him to analyze his opponent. The longer the Duel went, the more advantage Hawk had due to this analysis. If I did not end this Duel quickly, I would definitely lose.

    As I predicted, Hawk charged at me the moment the Duel began. His attacks were quite troublesome since he had two swords, but I could see it¡­ Despite his intelligence, his sword talents were mediocre at best. Also, since Kard also dual-wielded, I knew using two swords took a lot more concentration that one sword. His swings were easy to read and predict.

    Taking advantage of the gap between his attacks, my sword slashed through his chest and deal 18% of his Health. I landed the first strike.

    Hawk did not falter, he continued attacking aggressively. The amount of pressure he applied would make most Characters break down mentally. But¡ª

    Once again, I managed to land a hit on him. This time, my sword pierced through his abdomen and left him with 60% Health.

    This attack forced Hawk to step back a bit and make distance, but I didn¡¯t allow him. I began chasing after him before he even started to step back. This time, I was on the offensive. Hawk¡¯s greatest weakness was his defenses. Unlike the predictable programmed AI, an experienced fighter¡¯s swings were unpredictable. Hawk spent a lot of effort to block or evade my attacks and was left no breathing room for counterattacking.

    As expected, an opening appeared soon enough. I held no remorse and took advantage of the opening and brought Hawk to 41% of his Health.

    I was prepared to evade the counterattack after striking, but what happened was out of my prediction. Hawk¡¯s counterattack swings happened before my sword even landed. I lost 19% Health from his two swords. Due to this, I was forced to step back, ending the offensive momentum I had.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    There was only one conclusion. Hawk knew eventually, the offensive pressure would create an opening for me to exploit. Unbelievably, he accepted his own weakness and predicted when the opening would happen and instead of trying and failing to defend then, he attacked instead.

    I waited for a few seconds, expecting Hawk to once again charge at me, but once again, he defied my expectations and simply waited in place. I couldn¡¯t comprehend his actions. Clearly, his best shot at winning would require him to be in the offensive. Even if he repeated the tactic he used, I had more Health and would end up on top.

    I took the offensive and charged at him. The instant my muscle twist, Hawk charged at me as well. Even if this was his aim, it still made no sense. My sword talent far surpassed his, so going attacking each other head one led to my victory.

    His twin swords hit me once again. The moment we entered each other¡¯s range, we began our attacks at the same time. His made a counter-clock wise spinning slash. While this attack took time to execute, it countered my downwards swing by evading it during the attack movement. The hits brought me down to 54% of my Health.

    Once again, we stood in place, waiting for the opponent. In the end we repeated the same pattern as before, and once again, his attacking movement countered mine and left me at 31% Health.

    Can he predict me already? No, if he could, he would¡¯ve applied offensive pressure already. So why did he come out on top on those two exchanges?

    The third time, I chose a more careful approach and refused planned to stay on the spot. Hawk immediately rushed at me unlike the previous attempts, surprising me. Due to this surprise, he landed yet another double hit on me, but I retaliated in time as he stepped back. Hawk and I were at 19% and 23% Health respectively.

    The next hit won me the Duel. On the contrary, if only one of his swords reached me, I would survive. As long as I dodge one of the swords, I won.

    Hawk tried to strike me with both swords as expected. All that¡¯s left was to let one of them hit me and counterattack.

    Duel Winner: Hawk

    The message appeared on the side. It was my defeat.

    I realized why I lost. Due to the positioning, his right blade was easier to dodge, so I chose to evade that one; however, in the last moment, he changed the trajectory of the right sword and landed. Hawk did not have the battle experience to be able to change the course of the attack in the heat of the moment. In other words, the change in trajectory was preplanned. This hypothesis was supported by the hand of choice. He used his dominant hand for the final play.

    ¡°I lost, huh¡­¡±

    ¡°That was stressful¡­¡± said Hawk, stretching his arms.

    ¡°It was because you were too careful in the end and chose the safe play, which I could predict.¡±

    This confirmed my hypothesis; however, something still remained a mystery. The reason I was careful was because he came out on top on those two simultaneous charges.

    ¡°How did you come out on top both instances we charged at one another?¡±

    ¡°As you suspected, I could predict you.¡±

    ¡°But if that¡¯s true, then--¡±

    ¡°Only on the very first strike could I predict you.¡±

    Only when Hawk said it did it hit me. While he lacked the battle experience to predict my combination of attacks, the first strike was different. The first strike would always be the most predictable strike due to the lack of pressure exerted before it and the natural tendency of fighters to expect the first hit to not connect.

    ¡°You¡¯ve passed the test. Icebrande is yours now.¡±

    Hawk¡¯s eyes lit in surprise. The ownership had been transferred.

    ¡°Is it really alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s best for the sword as well, since Liza will not take up the sword.¡±

    Stunned in surprise, Hawk did not react.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already bought the Item Shop Liza rented. I¡®ll bequeathher the money I hid. I¡¯ll tell her about it later.¡±

    In the end, I went with my words. I would not tell Liza the truth.

    ¡°The last thing. This house will no longer have use. I have already confirmed with the system. Once I die, this house¡¯s ownership will be transferred to you.¡±

    As I said this, tears fell from Hawk¡¯s eyes: tears of joy. Enjoy it kid, this was the reward for all the help you gave my family. Sure, this compensation was probably greater than deserved; however, to me, this was not compensation; this was inheritance.

    I hugged the crying Hawk as he fell to his knees. In his tears, he barely managed to mumble, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±.

    The system posted a restriction in the giving of my house: The house could not be sold. This was to prevent the Player from reselling the house to acquire tremendous amounts of money and break the game balance.

    Dove POV

    Since Hawk left a message about his absence earlier this morning, I trained in the Alley after I woke up. Of course, I had a general idea of where he was.

    As it was just about 8 in the morning, Hawk found me in the middle of training. His eyes were red, but he had a large smile on his face. He explained to me everything that happened.

    I could not believe it. We acquired such favor and rewards for treating the Character kindly. It appeared Hawk was in awe as well.

 Chapter 15: Help the Child, Part 1

    As we exited one of the alley ways after training, a boy bumped into Hawk and fell on the floor. The boy was around 10 years old. More importantly, the green icon above his head indicated that he was a Player that had no Party.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Hawk apologized and offered a hand to the boy.

    The boy cried loudly. As I was about to approach the boy to comfort him, another young Player without a Party came running towards us.

    ¡°Luke, are you alright? Is this older guy bullying you?¡± said the kid.

    The other boy that came was around 12 years old. Probably of American descent, he was slightly smaller than me. His body was very lightly built and seemed fragile. His face was like a doll; he would likely grow up to be a handsome man in the future. His neat blonde hair framed her crystal blue eyes and pointy nose. His skin was whiter than normal white Americans. Despite having the appearance of a doll, he wore a plain shirt and loose shorts.

    The boy glared at Hawk and stated, ¡°Do you feel no shame in bullying children? You should be punished!¡±

    Hawk looked back at both children with what I called his ¡®analyzing glare¡¯. Hawk did this to every new person he talked to, whether Player or Character. Of course, the reactions of the people differed. Some got scared, some didn¡¯t feel it, and some ignored it. It seemed that his analysis had become far more powerful here in Reality, since back then, the pressure sent by his analysis was incomparably weaker than it was now.

    Hawk sneered as the boy operated something. Nothing happened until a force gently pushed me and the crying boy away from Hawk and the other boy. This meant a Duel would take place between the two. What did he see in the child for him to accept the Duel?

    As the Duel began, the boy revealed her weapon of choice the Rod. The Rod was the standard weapon for more offensive mage-types due to its increases in Magic damage, while the Staff was the standard weapon for more defensive mage-types due to the supporting buffs it provided. The boy¡¯s Rod indicated that he was an offensive mage-type Player.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    As the timer counted down, Hawk drew his swords, including his newly acquired Icebrande. Being the first time I saw Icebrande unsheathed, I marveled at the beauty of the sword. Hawk wielded Icebrande on his right hand because it was his dominant hand.

    Hawk wouldn¡¯t lose, but his accepting the duel meant that the boy had some skill.

    The moment the Duel started, Hawk rushed towards the boy immediately. Since the boy was a mage-type, closing the distance would be to Hawk¡¯s advantage; however, the boy wasted no time as well and used his ability. A one-foot in diameter ball of lightning emerged from the boy¡¯s staff. The ball moved at a decent speed towards Hawk. Hawk comfortably jumped above the ball and continued towards the boy, but the lightning ball reversed directions and chased after Hawk regardless. Was it a homing-type ability?

    Seeing that he could barely outrun the ball, Hawk chose to ignore it and headed straight for the boy. Ever since the boy released the ability, he had been running to keep a distance from Hawk. The boy ran made quite a distance due to the delays of dodging the balls and it took Hawk a few seconds to catch-up. As the boy was in arm¡¯s reach, the boy fired yet another ball of lightning. Hawk did not risk attacking the ball and instead rolled to the left side. Both balls of lightning still roamed the battlefield and chased after Hawk.

    Hawk ran around the balls to manipulate them into being in a similar location, making them easier to dodge due to coming from the same direction. Seeing as the ability¡¯s cooldown was around 12 seconds, Hawk knew another would be coming soon. Knowing this he moved such that the balls ended up in front of the boy as he casted the third lightning ball. This led to the three balls overlapping and being easier to avoid.

    Wasting no time, Hawk immediately ran towards the boy to jump over the balls, the balls suddenly separated in multiple directions. The first ball went upward but failed to reach Hawk in time. The second would hit Hawk, forcing him to make a difficult midair dodge. Hawk predicted this would happen the moment the balls separated, so he barely managed the midair dodge; however, the third ball was ready and waiting at where he would land.

    Left with no options, Hawk swung his sword at the lightning ball as he landed. The ball exploded in lightning and took 28% if Hawk¡¯s Health. Hawk did not seem faltered at all as he continued rushing towards the boy. The boy managed to get off another ball replacing the one that exploded as Hawk landed his swords at him. The Basic Sword did 11% while Icebrande did 16%.

    Hawk evaded the ball at close quarters and kicked the boy six meters away, taking away 6% of the boy¡¯s Health. Hawk did not stop and chased the boy, managing to connect a combo with Skadi¡¯s Caress. The boy made a desperate attempt to move the balls back, but it was too late. Hawk won the Duel before the balls arrived or another ball could be cast.

 Chapter 15: Help the Child, Part 2

    Canary POV

    Today was a very exciting day for me! After a misunderstanding, I befriended these Hawk and Dove! They were super kind and played with us. Hawk was especially amazing. He taught me a lot of stuff and played with me. He was also very strong. During the Duel, I lost despite using the strategy that I defeated Razor with the first time we Dueled, although I lost every Duel to Razor after the first one.

    Dove was also cool. She had a similar personality to my older sister Trice before her intelligence was discovered and gradually drew away from me until she left the house to study abroad permanently. Seeing as those were the happiest days of my life, I was overjoyed by Dove¡¯s presence.

    At around ten, Hawk called Dove and Razor for a talk. Probably adult-stuff since they asked us not to bother them. I played with the other children for fifteen minutes before Razor came out and wanted me to join their talk.

    I entered the Inn and sat on the same table with the three. The aura was serious but not tense.

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. Canary, do you like Hawk and Dove?¡± said Razor.

    ¡°Yes! I like them both very much!¡± I expressed my true feelings with great enthusiasm.

    ¡°I see. Hawk wants to ask you something then.¡± explained Razor.

    I looked at Hawk as he smiled at and patted my head.

    ¡°Do you want to join my Party, Azure Rain Forces?¡±

    ¡°EHH!?¡±

    ¡°Razor told me you wanted to join Lime Breeze, but they refused because they thought you were too young and they had many members already. So if it¡¯s fine with you, please join us instead.¡± said Hawk.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    I could not believe Hawk¡¯s words. I always wanted to join a Lime Breeze to explore Reality. Since Sister Trice fitted all the requirements, I wanted to see her here since I hadn¡¯t seen her for a long time. Razor always supported me, but the rest of Lime Breeze refused due to my age despite Razor vouching for my abilities. They said it was more of an immaturity problem than a skill problem. So given another chance, I thought about Hawk¡¯s offer for a bit.

    ¡°I am very thankful for the offer, but I must refuse, but I¡¯m afraid of leaving these children. Unlike if I joined Lime Breeze where I could come here with Razor every other day, joining you would prevent me from doing so.¡± I declined and explained my reasons.

    ¡°I have no intention of tying you up. You are free to come here as much as you like as long as the Party isn¡¯t doing anything urgent.¡± said Hawk.

    Hearing this, my heart wavered a bit. Nothing stopped me from joining Azure Rain Knights, but I was still hesitant in leaving the children.

    ¡°Go for it, Canary!¡± interrupted one of the children in the orphanage. He was Kyle, the crying boy earlier. It seemed he was eavesdropping and hiding behind the door. As he ran towards me, all the other children followed. They were all listening to our conversation.

    ¡°Canary, fight!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    ¡°Find your sister!¡±

    ¡°You always wished for this!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let us tie you down!¡±

    One after another, the other children encouraged me to join Hawk. These children who were scared of Reality were now encouraging me to play it. I always thought of myself as their leader, that I was more mature than them. It seems I underestimated them. Immature kids would refuse to let me go and beg for me to stay even if they knew what I really wanted, but these kids were selfless and realized that playing this game was what I truly wanted.

    I gathered the children and stretched out my hands, trying to hug as many of them as possible. My eyes began crying as well. This was the first time I cried in front of them. I always kept up a strong front them, but it seemed the people that made me stop crying were the same as the people who would be crying again.

    ¡°Hawk¡­ Dove¡­ if you¡¯re satisfied with me, then I will gladly join the group.¡±

    A smile emerged from their faces when I said that. Razor seemed like he was about to cry as well, but he smiled at me and said, ¡°Do your best Canary!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

 Chapter 16: Child in the New World

    Hawk walked on my right; Dove on my left. It reminded me of walking with my parents before they began looking down on me.

    Landing the final hit on the Final Boss of Reality, looking back at my Party Members, celebrating our victory, and reuniting in the real world; I always dreamed of doing this. My dreams shattered when Lime Breeze refused my joining their Party. If Razor, who praised my skill, couldn¡¯t let me join his Party, how would any other Party, met me join? I had long give up that dream in favor of staying with these children. This day, however, my hopes rekindled as I met Hawk and Dove. Whether it was fate or chance that we met, the thrill I felt made that irrelevant.

    We shopped around for things to buy. I enjoyed trying out various Equipment and Accessories. The Shop clerks were also very kind and always praised my cuteness. i didn¡¯t have any money though so Hawk and Dove paid for all the things we bought. I felt bad, but Dove sensed this and cheered me up. They even gave me an Elven Cloak.

    At eleven, we ate lunch early. Hawk and Dove talked to me about many things like how they were classmates in real life, how they fought in the Sewers, and about Eric and Liza.

    ¡°Hawk and Dove are so cool! Can I be as amazing as you two?¡±

    ¡°You are amazing yourself.¡±

    ¡°Really? I only defeated Razor once in a Duel. Every time I fought Purge, I lost really badly.¡±

    ¡°Defeating Razor in itself is a great feat. Losing to Purge doesn¡¯t make you less amazing. Even Dove here would lose to Purge.¡±

    Dove showed annoyance at Hawk¡¯s comment. Dove always gets annoyed by Hawk, but they seem to pass quickly. Unlike when I had arguments with other children, we didn¡¯t talk for a day. Is it because their adults?

    ¡°Purge is the leader of Lime Breeze, right? Is he that skilled?¡± asked Dove.

    ¡°I¡¯ll lose to him guaranteed as I am now.¡± replied Hawk.

    ¡°Then say that in the first place instead of comparing him to me.¡±

    I noticed that Hawk seems to enjoy it when Dove gets annoyed. Hawk smile every time Dove would raise her voice.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Hawk, Dove, are you two dating?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Dove answered immediately. Hawk, on the other hand, gave no reply.

    After our lunch, we walked around the Main Street. As we did, we ran into the Lime Breeze Party except for Razor.

    ¡°Canary! Congratulations! Do your best and don¡¯t let your Party down, okay?¡± said Purge; the other Party members were congratulating me as well.

    Purge, like Razor, felt older than he looked. He was bald. His black eyes were always sharp no matter where he went. His skin was white; his body was muscular. Unlike Razor, he didn¡¯t give the feeling of an old man. Instead, he appeared to be an adult one could rely on.

    ¡°Yes! Thank you for everything Lime Breeze!¡±

    Purge turned to Hawk and said, ¡°Make sure to take care of Canary. He may act mature for his age, but in deep down, he¡¯s still a child.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad. I panicked when I heard Canary joined a Party, but when Razor said it was you, the worry disappeared.¡±

    ¡°No need for words of praise.¡±

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re the same as always. See you around then! You too Canary!¡± said Purge as he tapped Hawk¡¯s shoulder and patted my head.

    After they left, Dove asked Hawk, ¡°Purge¡­ that aura¡­No wonder you think you can¡¯t beat him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably a soldier or something in real life. Our skills falter compared to the results of his experiences.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Yes. Purge said he was fighting in the front lines in real life.¡± I said.

    ¡°Speaking of, you Dueled him a lot right? How strong was he?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°When I fight you, I had the same feeling as fighting Purge, where I had no chance of winning. Unlike fighting Razor, who I felt I had a chance given the right circumstances and luck.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think is stronger, me or Purge?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. When fighting people of above certain skill, the feeling of being impossible to win doesn¡¯t change, so I can¡¯t compare.¡±

    We waited at the behind one of the shops as the Players lined up at the Gate, waiting for its opening at 12. The information states that Cerulean Seas completed the Sewers, but Hawk and Dove said they fought with them but didn¡¯t want their name known.

    ¡°All the powerful Parties are gathering: Crimson Swords, Cerulean Seas, Lime Breeze, Platina Knights, and Golden Warriors.¡±

    If I recalled from Purge and Razor¡¯s stories, these Parties¡¯ Leaders alongside a former were considered the best Players of Naut City.

 Chapter 17: World Outside the City

    Dove POV

    The grasslands of Reality greeted our exit of the City. In the distance, forests and mountains filled the background. The feeling freedom was universal among all who saw this.

    Unlike the Sewers wHere no map could be seen, the World Map showed a map like Naut City and its Alleyways; however, the map was mostly empty. As we walked around, the map automatically filled itself.

    We wandered around for while until we encountered monsters. Our first encounter comprised of 6 Goblins.

    Goblins were ugly humanoid creatures that had mutilated faces and pointy ears. Their bodies were smaller than humans, but their appendages were longer. Their skin was sickly green and dry. They grunted various undistinguishable sounds that seemed to be their form of communication. They utilized rusty short swords as their weapon.

    The six Goblins attempted to circle us; four came from the front and one on each side. I plucked away at the Goblins and killed one of side ones. It took six arrows, one of them being strengthened by Fade Walk.

    For the first few seconds, Hawk showed great difficulty in avoiding the Goblins attacks and took an attack or two; however, after those seconds, he dodged and slashed away at the Goblins. Thanks to his new sword, he could dispatch the Goblins in the same number of hits as he could Sewer Rats.

    The other side Goblin entered melee range, so I fought it with my sword. Their attack animations were trickier than the Sewer Rats, but nothing compared to the Sewerberus. I took down the lone Goblin without getting hit.

    Canary used Electron Overcharge twice. Hawk set Electron Overcharge to a maximum of three uses per encounter to conserve Mana. The first Electron Overcharge was used in the beginning of the encounter to help Hawk fight the four front Goblins. A Goblin ignored the ball of lightning and went straight through it, losing half of its Health.

    Electron Overcharge

    Fires a ball of lightning that moves as the user wills. Units touching the ball take damage and get stunned.

    Range: Starts in front of the user, Infinite

    Cooldown: 12 Seconds

    Canary added that the Monsters he fought did not take notice of Electron Overcharge and ran directly into it if he was in the direction.

    The last Goblin passed Hawk when he just killed another. The second Electron Overcharge was used then to hit the Goblin. As it was stunned, Canary ran up to it and whacked it with his rod continuously. While his attacking speed was low, the damage he dealt was significant because Sages had relatively high Attack compared to other mage-types. In the end, Hawk came and finished off the Goblin.

    We spent the rest of the afternoon fighting in the World Map. The Goblins were the sole Monsters that appeared. They appeared in groups of four to eight. They dropped 10 Fitts on average and occasionally a Potion. I actually felt bad for the Goblins. ARF alone slaughtered hundred of them, let alone the other larger Parties.

    Canary easily integrated himself into our battles. He matched our expectations and dealt notable damage to the Monsters. By the third encounter, he began to announce the positioning of the Goblins whenever it felt needed. While no where as detailed as Zoe¡¯s called, his ability to multi-task allowed him to mimic Zoe¡¯s talents. Of course, his observation skills and call timing were nowhere near Zoe¡¯s level.

    Safe Zones could be seen from a distance. We reached one of them and entered. The Safe Zone was no different to the other places in the World Map.

    ¡°The sun is about to set, we should rest here for a while then go back.¡± stated Hawk.

    As sat down on the field, Canary pulled us to sit closer to each other. In the end, we ended up sitting cuddled up together with Canary in the middle.

    ¡°Did I do well?¡± asked Canary with an innocent look on his face.

    ¡°You did very well! Continue doing your best, alright?¡± answered Hawk.

    ¡°Yes! Canary will not let you down! You two are like my older brother and older sister.¡± said Canary as his face lit up with excitement.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, didn¡¯t you have an older sister?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. Sister Trice is my older sister. I haven¡¯t seen her in two years before being brought to Reality since she studied abroad.¡±

    ¡°What was she like?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°She was really kind and smart and beautiful, but she became busier and spent less time with me until she finally studied abroad.¡±

    ¡°Is your sister¡­ in Reality?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Probably¡­ she¡¯s eighteen this year. Of course, she¡¯ll definitely be one of the strongest Players in here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re very proud of her.¡± I commented.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s not about me being proud. Sister Trice is a genius among geniuses, even Hawk wouldn¡¯t compare to her.¡±

    ¡°Oh? How smart is she?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Sister Trice took twenty-three IQ tests from online IQ tests specifically made for geniuses. She took all of them at the same time and answered them simultaneously with a finger for each IQ test, a stylus controlled by her mouth, and two that followed the movement of her eyes. The time she took was a result of the physical limitations of the human body¡¯s movements. Otherwise, she would have finished the test instantly.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    I could not comprehend Canary¡¯s description. My mind could not accept that such a monster existed, but the way Canary told the story was first-hand. He witnessed his sister¡¯s capabilities first-hand.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± said Hawk showing curiosity but not a hint of surprise. Judging by his reaction, he probably had met people of that level.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you surprised? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± asked Canary.

    Hawk stood and walked a few steps away in the direction of the setting sun.

    ¡°The person I held dear the most accomplished unbelievable feats like your sister.¡± sadness and regret filled this sentence.

    Hawk had never mentioned this in university. While Hawk was open about the background of his broken family, he never mentioned this before.

    Canary face indicated he wanted to ask about this person, but held it. Hawk using ¡®held¡¯ indicated that either they fought, which was improbable considering Hawk wouldn¡¯t let an argument continue for too long, or more likely this person passed away.

    After it reached 5 we walked back towards Naut City. While other Parties generally fought until around eight, Hawk preferred ARF having some bonding time so we always finished before sunset.

    The sun had very nearly set as we approached Naut City. As we did, we fought our final encounter of the day against eight Goblins.

    Four Goblins engaged from the front, and another four flanked our backs. Hawk immediately fought the four Goblins as Canary sent his first Electron Overcharge to help him. After the second battle today, Hawk never got hit by any of the Goblins. After picking off one of the Goblins behind us, I engaged into melee combat with the remaining three. I killed one of them, but two ran after Canary, one nearly dead and the other at full Health. The second Electron Overcharge that initially headed towards the low-Health Goblin changed paths and went for the other Goblin. Canary fought the other Goblin in close combat. He took a hit for 17% damage, but hit the Goblin to death. I cleaned off the other Goblin.

    ¡°Canary, why did you change targets?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°I want to know as well.¡± I seconded.

    ¡°Because wasting Electron Overcharge on an almost dead Goblin is a waste. Is it wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not wrong. In fact, it¡¯s very efficient use of Mana; however, if a Player is in danger, make sure to do the best strategy to save the person, even if it is inefficient.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Life over efficiency! Noted!¡±

    Canary¡¯s fighting skills were undeniably average. His strength lay on his multi-tasking. Unlike other people, including Zoe, whose performance would decline when thinking and analyzing when in action, Canary held no such problem. His calls on the positions and Health of the monsters did not slow down his control over the Electron Overcharges. Also, one of the important aspects of mage-types was positioning. Canary always figured out and moved to his best positioning quickly. While he had no reason to do so in the last encounter, Canary moved a lot during fights to always be in the best positions as the Monsters moved.

    Considering he could control up to six Electron Overcharges with no difficulties, with eight as his current maximum due to Mana restraints, which he could still control perfectly as long as he wasn¡¯t distracted, we had yet to see Canary fight at full power. Hawk had great difficulty fighting four Electron Overcharges, I could only imagine how hard fighting all eight balls especially since each additional one would make the fight exponentially more difficult.

    As we arrived at the Gate, a Player was standing besides it, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed. The Player had short silver hair combed to one side and the face of a delinquent. His black eyes sent sharp gazes to what he looks up. His body, while not muscular, was well structured. He was probably Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or something along those lines. I couldn¡¯t really distinguish between those races.

    ¡°Gin¡­¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t Hawk, is this your Party?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Gin looked at me with¡­ lustful eyes. His hand began reaching out towards mine. Just as I was about to reflexively slap him, Hawk grabbed his wrist. ¡°Dove doesn¡¯t like being touched by boys, so could you please refrain?¡±

    Hawk bloodlust filled the air as he said those words. This was the first time I¡¯ve seen Hawk emit bloodlust, and it was on the strong side.

    ¡°Boring. This is why I hate conservative virgins.¡± said Gin as he walked away from the gate.

    When he was a few steps away, Gin left a few words, ¡°Dove was it? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll fuck you one day, so look forward to it.¡±

    As Gin finished his line, the world turned dark. Gin turned his trembling head slowly towards us. He gulped his saliva and clenched his fist. Behind him lay the person who would end the world.

    People¡¯s bloodlust were nothing new to me, but what Hawk showed was different. Hawk emitted murderous intent that would crush the minds of the weaker-willed. He was like a demon eradicating all life, like death opening the gates of hell, like a god bringing down his judgment.

    Canary began crying, as he sticks his entire body unto me. His body was on the verge on collapsing as he could barely make out, ¡°Hawk¡­ is scary¡­:

    ¡°Stop!¡± I stated. I grasped Hawk¡¯s hands.

    On first contact, Hawk¡¯s hands were cold. Only after a second did it warm back up and the bloodlust disappeared.

    Gin did not say¡­ no, could not say anything and left in a hurry.

    Hawk bowed down. ¡°I showed you something scary, I¡¯m very sorry. Please forgive me.¡±

    Canary stopped crying and petted Hawk¡¯s bowing head. ¡°Hawk only did it because the person was saying very bad things to Dove. Next time, I won¡¯t be scared, since Hawk loves us and would never direct that scariness towards us.¡±

    Canary¡¯s words amazed. Just moments ago, he couldn¡¯t move in terror. The next time, he said he won¡¯t be scared. What¡¯s even scarier was that my instincts said that he could carry out his words.

    Hawk had always been protective of his friends. While I did think this time he was overreacting and being overprotective, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d actually kill Gin even if Gin decided to fight. His bloodlust purpose felt more like intimidation to me. Well, even if he did try to kill, it¡¯s my responsibility to stop Hawk from doing anything he¡¯ll regret.

    ¡°Who was he?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ranked sixth in Purge¡¯s list, Golden Warrior Vice-Leader Gin. He¡¯s a good person to get along with if you¡¯re a guy, but he holds no respect for girls and think of them as objects. The reason Golden Warriors is male-exclusive is because the Leader, Kin, who is Gin¡¯s brother, knows that part of Gin and protects women from Gin.¡±

    ¡°Sixth¡­¡± I muttered.

    We walked back towards the Naut City. I noticed Hawk had a disheartened look on his face.

    ¡°Hawk, thank you for standing up for me.¡± I said with a smile.

    Hawk returned to the normal Hawk we knew. I understood¡­ Hawk feared that I may leave him. No, Hawk would be afraid of the mere fact that I feared his actions. While I felt no such thing, Hawk always overthought about these things.

    ¡°Neh Hawk, how long are you going to hold Dove¡¯s hand?¡± said Canary.

    Ever since I grasped his hand, Hawk had never let go. Because my mind focused on other things, I actually did not remember until Canary mentioned. Judging, he probably didn¡¯t notice as well. Hawk was shocked for a few seconds before he let go and looked away blushing.

    Hawk is Hawk. No matter what sides of him we may discover, he treasures us from very much. We are his allies, and we will do everything in our power to help him.

 Chapter 18: City Mayor

    ARF spent the next few days exploring the World Map and other things except for Hawk who would oftentimes leave alone for untold reasons. Players reported a barrier preventing them from exploring further, but a Dungeon was yet to be found. From the reports, the silhouette of a city could be seen at the edge of the barrier.

    With the surplus of money I had, I bought the Feather Boots that got my attention and equipped it. As its description said, it made my movements better. Balancing on one foot was now easily done; also, I could move around a bit faster.

    Eric¡¯s condition steadily declined. Only a miracle would let him hang on till June ended. ARF visited him every other day. Every time we did, energy would rekindle in his face, but they only remain for fleeting moments. We knew. Eric and Liza had accepted it. Eric¡¯s days were coming to an end.

    June 21, XX17, 8:00 at Night

    A stormy night it was. Heavy rain filled Naut City tonight. Frequent bolts of lightning visited the city.

    A message from Hawk prevented me from falling into slumber. The message ordered us to gather outside immediately.

    I wasted no time and exited the room. Just as I did, another message popped up. The sender was Liza. My bad feeling was proven true as I read the message.

    ¡°Father is in a dire condition. Please bring me to him.¡±

    When I exited the room, Hawk and Canary were already there. Hawk seemed to have told Canary about the situation. We hurriedly left the Inn and plunged into the storming city.

    Wearing our Elven Capes, we reached the Item Shop where Liza lived. She opened the door the second we knocked, implying that she was already waiting for us.

    Liza stepped out of the Item Shop and could not move any further. Hawk let Liza unto his back, and we made a beeline for Eric¡¯s house.

    At a quarter from nine, we arrived at our destination. We found Eric lying on his bed. His face was as pale as a ghost. No energy remained in his body.

    ¡°Father!¡± exclaimed Liza as she immediately went down Hawk¡¯s back and rushed beside Eric. We followed her and stood besides Liza.

    Liza buried her face on Eric¡¯s chest as endless tears flowed out. No matter how ready a person can be, death of a loved one would bring unbearable sadness to person. Because Liza knew, words of rejecting Eric¡¯s death did not come forth. Instead, the mere sadness overflowed from her.

    Sadness filled me as well. Death was inevitable. We all take different paths in life, but we all end the same way. We all aim for a regretless and peaceful death, but not everyone can achieve that.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ glad¡­ I could see you all before death¡­¡± said Eric.

    Canary had already crying his eyes out as he held my hand. Standing straight without movement, Hawk silently looked at Eric with sad eyes. Despite being full of sadness, respect filled Hawk¡¯s gaze. It was something I¡¯ve rarely seen. Hawk only showed respect only to a handful of professors at university despite studying in the best university in the country. He did his best in holding his tears.

    ¡°Eric, I¡¯m glad I made it in time.¡± a sudden monotonous voice pierced the room. It was voice none of ARF recognized. None of us three felt a presence enter the room. We looked back and saw a girl there.

    The girl was not somebody I recognized. The green icon above her head indicated her being a Player, but the icon¡¯s shade was darker than normal. At first, I thought it was a live-sized doll. My mind could not accept that a girl with such perfection existed. Human language did not hold the words to describe her beauty, which was akin to a doll hand-made by God.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    The girl¡¯s snow white skin was contrasted by the black that colored her. Her wavy hair was tied into two shoulder-length pigtails by two frilly black ribbons. While my eyes were also black, the blackness of the girl¡¯s large eyes surpassed mine greatly. They were like a black hole that sucked all light into it. Her small nose and thin lip along with her pale white skin combined to form a doll-like image. The girl¡¯s body and height was small. She could be mistaken for a middle-school, but she¡¯s probably the same age as I was.

    People normally wouldn¡¯t point out other Player¡¯s clothes, since they were mostly similar, but this girl differed. The girl wore a frilly one-piece black dress that did not reach her knees decorated with a black ribbon at her absent chest. The girl¡¯s black socks were as frilly as her clothes, decorated with black flowers. The socks extended higher than the end of her skirt, covering both her legs. I could not pinpoint what country she came from. The girl¡¯s walk was like that of absolute royalty. Unlike Zoe¡¯s nobleness, the girl movements made people want to bow down and worship her. ¡°Kard¡­ even you came¡­¡± uttered Eric.

    Hawk looked directly at Kard¡¯s eyes to analyze. As he was doing so, Hawk fell to his knees, gasping for air. I could not believe my surprise when I saw this. He asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Brother¡¯s sword teacher. A first generation Player.¡± explained Liza.

    ¡°I apologize. My reflexes reacted to the invasion of my mind and attacked you back. My name is Kard Miya Midil. As Liza said, I was Paul¡¯s sword teacher and a first generation Player.¡±

    ¡°Also¡­ Liza was never told this¡­ but Kard was also¡­ Paul¡¯s girlfriend¡­¡± added Eric.

    Player-Character romance plagued both Liza and her brother. Whether coincidence or due to upbringing, the siblings romance shared the same impossibility.

    Hawk had recovered from the shock and was back to how he was before. He did not bother prying into Kard any further and focused on Eric.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Father¡­¡± said Kard as she held back her tears.

    Hearing that, Eric smiled and said, ¡°So in the end¡­ you granted¡­ my wish¡­¡±

    Eric coughed out blood as we spoke. All of us here gathered closer to him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been¡­ blessed with¡­ such wonderful¡­ children¡­ Please¡­ take care of¡­ Liza for me¡­¡±

    Eric conveyed his final words. The smile never left his face as he passed away. As his body slowly transformed into pixels, Eric shed a single tear at his deathbed. The story of Eric, the Father, the Mayor, the Teacher, the Fighter, ended.

    No words were exchanged between us. We all accepted Eric¡¯s death, but the sadness remained nonetheless. The furniture in the house disappeared one after another and replaced by new ones.

    After an hour, we left what was once Eric¡¯s room and met at the dining room.

    ¡°As Father desired, this house¡¯s ownership had been transferred to Hawk.¡± stated Liza, her voice still filled with sadness.

    ¡°I can never thank you enough. Feel free to ask for anything from us when in need.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be going now. Please buy at the Item Shop as always!¡± said Liza, forcing a smile on her face.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take you there.¡± volunteered Hawk.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll take her instead. You should get used to your new house.¡± said Kard.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± replied Hawk.

    Liza and Kard went to the house¡¯s entrance. Kard opened door, but turned around and asked instead, ¡°The boy who tried to invade my mind, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Hawk. If you were offended by my actions, I apologize. I meant no harm.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t stress it. You doing that actually acquired my attention.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re no ordinary Player are you?¡±

    ¡°I was an average Player whose life changed due to an impossible love. Only with Paul¡¯s help did I break out of the ordinary.¡±

    Hawk did not reply to Kard¡¯s melancholy. He merely watched Liza and Kard leave.

    Kard left a few words without looking at us as she exited the house, ¡°Survive, so that we may one day meet again at the end of Reality. I will be waiting in my throne as the Dark God of Depravity.¡±

 Chapter 19: Mayors House

    Canary POV

    After Hawk acquired Eric¡¯s house, he changed ownership from himself to the entirely of ARF allowing us to have full control of the house as well. The house was located in the slums of Naut City in the side closer to the main street. The house itself was large compared to the other houses in the slums. The two doors that opened inwards covered the main entrance of the house. The two doors were made of sturdy wood with two lions engraved on it.

    The house was entirely air-conditioned and fluorescent lights installed at key locations illuminated it.

    Upon entering the main door, the dining room would be your location. The main feature of the dining room was the long table situated in the middle. The wooden table was covered with a flowery table cloth. On the table¡¯s center lied condiments including soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, et. al. Four chairs surrounded both sides of the length of the table and two chairs surrounded each side of the width. The chairs were made of the same wood as the table, and the engraving of leaves on the chair complimented the flowery table cloth. A cabinet could be found on the left side of the dining room. The cabinet held all the eating utensils of all shapes and sizes.

    On the far left corner of the dining room was a door that led to the kitchen. The kitchen was half the size of the dining room. In the kitchen lay an empty refrigerator. Cooking appliances such as a microwave, an electric stove, and an oven filled most of the kitchen. The remaining area was allotted to the sink and the dish holders. Unlike other areas, the kitchen was exempt from the air conditioning and instead had glass windows that could be pushed open.

    Most Players did not know that you could actually cook in Reality and simply ate the free food provided. Razor loved cooking, so he always bought raw materials from the market located in the southern end of the city where most Players either ignore or do not give importance to and cooked at the Inns, which had a kitchen area towards the back. Items used for cooking were extremely cheap and would not bother the Player¡¯s budget; it was mainly time that limited the Players from cooking. Items used for food were the only non-battle items that could be bought in Reality. Other items were infinitely provided by the system.

    Going back to the house¡¯s entrance, going left led to the living room. The living room was the size of the kitchen and dining room combined. Since televisions did not exist in Reality, only a large sofa set could be found in the living room. The sofa had four chairs: two long ones that could hold three to four people and two shorter ones that could hold two. Colored cream white, the cotton sofa was as soft as a bed and could be used as one. In the center of the sofas was a coffee table. The surface of the table was transparent, and other items could be held underneath the surface. Four large windows covered the left wall of the living room. The windows were made of two sliding window panes that were similarly colored to Icebrande. These windows were covered by orange wool curtains.

    The door in the far left corner of the living room led to the backyard. The backyard was the shape of L rotated clockwise by 45 degrees. The door led to the intersection of the two lines. A wooden fence surrounded the backyard left and front side of the backyard. While the fences were low, they were areas that people could not jump across. The fences had the option of one way sight: the fence could block people from seeing in from the outside should the owners so choose. On the end of the shorter line, a four seated metallic set of tables and chairs could be found. The tables and chairs were similar to chairs that could be found in terraces and were made of metal painted white. Neighboring houses could be seen on the left side of the house. The surface of the table was once again transparent glass. The longer side of the L held enough area to hold Duels. A high wall surrounded the back and right side of the backyard. These walls were also non-jumpable areas.

    Once again returning to the main entrance, the right path led to both the bathroom and the staircase. The bathroom¡¯s design was the same as all the other bathrooms in Reality. The far right side held the staircase that led to the second floor. The staircase went in the direction away from the entrance and then turned back gain half-way. This area¡¯s ceiling was the second floor¡¯s ceiling, so it was higher than the other areas. On to was a chandelier designed like a lotus and shone in a bright green color when lit. The staircase was also a non-jumpable area. On the end of the staircase was a single sofa chair. This sofa was wooden and had a large cushion for sitting and three smaller cushions for the back.

    Turning right at the end of the staircase lead to the grand bathroom. Compared to the other bathroom, this one was thrice the size. Facing the door was the standard toilet bowl, and hanging on the left wall was the male-exclusive toilet bowl. A sink covered the front wall of the bathroom complete with soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and other bathroom needs. Like other bathrooms, these were also infinite in quantity. On the right end was a bathtub with removable showerheads on both the front and back. A transparent door separated the bathtub from the rest of the bathroom. The bathtub was fairly large and could fit up to four people albeit cramped. Two people can enter the bathtub and mover freely within it.

    The rest of the second floor was filled with bedrooms. The bedrooms all had the same sliding windows as the living room and had similarly colored curtains.

    Going back to the end of the staircase, turning right twice led the first bedroom. This bedroom was the smallest and was fit for one person. The room¡¯s design was similar to the most expensive Inns in Naut City. A singular bed for one person could found in the room complete with a pillow and a blanket.

    Instead of heading straight to the first bedroom, turning left continued the corridor. At the end of the corridor was a flower pot with a plant growing on it. Behind the pot was a window.

    On this corridor, the left side held the largest bedroom of the house. Two double decked beds lay side by side followed by two regular beds, each with their own pillows and blankets. The bedroom was carpeted and a small table was located away from the beds.

    The final bedroom was located in besides the singular one and could be said to be the master¡¯s bedroom. A king-sized bed filled half of the bedroom. Three pillows and a single blanket covered the bed. This bedroom had its own bathroom that was similar to the bathroom on the second floor.

    Since the only things that got dirty in Reality were Players and Characters, there was no need to maintain the cleanliness of the house.

    While I may not know about Eric as long as Hawk or Dove, my thankfulness towards him could not be expressed in words. That we could live in such a large and beautiful house was out of my expectations when I arrived at Reality.

    Already eleven at night, Dove just finished her bath at the grand bathroom and returned to the master¡¯s bedroom. She came in wearing her pajama set. The pajama set composed of a similarly designed long-sleeve shirt and long cotton pants. The childish pajama was colored blue and filled with shapes of various animals. Dove already looked younger than her actual age, but her pajamas made her look even younger.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I noticed Hawk, who was sitting beside me, staring at Dove.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± asked Dove.

    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± replied Hawk with a weak voice.

    Hawk obviously thought Dove was cute, but as usual, Hawk was too worried about saying that. Hawk sucked at the topic of romance and would always over-think his actions and in the end do nothing.

    ¡°Canary, you should take your bath.¡± said Hawk, trying to change the atmosphere.

    ¡°Hawk, let¡¯s take a bath together!¡± I replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, just don¡¯t be too messy.¡±

    Hawk prepared the bathtub as I brushed my teeth. Since it was Reality, preparing the bathtub only took five seconds.

    ¡°I¡¯m going in first.¡± said Hawk as he removed his clothes.

    Seemingly out of habit, he closed the door and immersed himself in the tub.

    After two minutes, I finished. I removed my clothes and opened the bath door. As I was about to enter, my entrance was halted by Hawk surprised face. He then followed by shouting at the top of his lungs. Since we were in the bathroom, the shout echoed a bit and hurt our ears.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Hawk slowly brought his hand out of the water and pointed at my crotch, ¡°Canary¡­ you¡¯re¡­ a girl¡­¡±

    ¡°Ehh? You didn¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Strange, I thought you knew.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you notice when people use male pronouns to describe you?¡±

    ¡°My first language doesn¡¯t differentiate between male and female pronouns, so I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    In Reality, everyone could understand one another because the words convey thought directly to people¡¯s minds instead of through the ears. To compare to sci-fi movies, it was similar to telepathy. However, while the mind itself worked independently from language, a person thinking actually used the language he was most comfortable with.

    In my case, I would not differentiate between male and female pronouns; however, when I spoke, the non-gendered pronouns I said would become gendered when heard by other people, whichever one they interpret it by.

    I entered the bath and sat across Hawk. The water splashed around due to my entry, but the tub was large enough to fit both of us with room to spare.

    ¡°Hawk, do you mind if I ask a weird question?¡±

    ¡°It depends on the question.¡±

    ¡°Do you like Dove?¡±

    Hawk did not reply. He merely turned his blushing face to the side and nodded.

    ¡°Since when? Was it love at first sight?¡±

    ¡°Love at first sight doesn¡¯t exist. Only infatuation can come from first sight. People who start out pursuing romantic relationships immediately never work out in the end. Relationships should start out as friendship, and then love develops naturally from there if you two fit each other. At the very least, that¡¯s why I believe.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re statement is true and relevant, but it doesn¡¯t answer my first question.¡±

    ¡°A few months after I met her, over three years before Reality began.¡±

    ¡°You did not do anything for three years?¡±

    ¡°I felt that nothing would happen if I did try those three years.¡±

    ¡°And now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ If things change in the future, I¡¯ll think about it then, but for now, I¡¯m happy with how we are now compared to how we were in real life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cheering for you, but I won¡¯t intervene, but promise me that you would not let Dove fall in love with another guy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something I have a right to do¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­ you¡¯re love is too selfless. You don¡¯t want Dove to be bound by you.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot. I was the same as you. I always didn¡¯t want to burden Sister Trice and never voiced my thoughts. In the end, she left abroad and I could never see her again. I always wonder. If I asked her to always come home from the start, then it would not have led to her living abroad.¡±

    Hawk moved closer to me and petted my head, ¡°I really am an idiot to be consulted by a child. Thank you¡­ Canary.¡±

    Hawk gently pulled me closer and embraced me tightly. I did not resist and let him do so. In the cold bath, his body felt warm and comfortable. I was reminded of when I took baths together with Sister Trice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let me stay like this for a little while¡­ you remind me of my sisters¡­ thanks to you, I realized my inability to save them¡­ was due to my ¡®selflessness¡¯.¡±

    Hawk clearly had family troubles in his real life. While I may not know what they were and the past could not be changed, I will do my best to help him from committing the same mistakes.

    We exited the bath and wore our night clothes. I wore the same childish pajamas like always. Hawk¡¯s pajamas were a simple t-shirt and long thin cotton pants that held no design. We returned to the master¡¯s bedroom and found Dove sitting on a chair besides the window.

    ¡°Dove, did you know Canary was a girl?¡± Hawk wasted no time in dropping the new information he acquired.

    ¡°Wait! Are you serious?¡± replied Dove. Hawk and Dove were not people who could be easily surprised, but it seemed my learning my gender seemed to surprised them.

    ¡°Yes. I am a girl.¡± I explained to Dove.

    ¡°You look too much like a boy¡­¡±

    ¡°Sister Trice always told me that as well.¡±

    ¡°This is surprising, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Canary is Canary.¡±

    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s talk about where we¡¯re going to sleep.¡± interrupted Hawk.

    I wasted no time in voicing my thoughts, ¡°Let¡¯s all sleep here together!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, but is Dove okay with it?¡± said Hawk.

    Dove smiled and replied, ¡°As long as I don¡¯t sleep directly next to Hawk, it is fine.¡±

    Well, even if Dove did not say that, we would have slept in the same positions anyway with me at the center. Hawk definitely preferred it this way as well. Allowing him to sleep at the same bed as Dove confirmed for him that Dove held no dislike or awkwardness towards him. Also, the refusal was in line with Hawk¡¯s wishes as well. Hawk would never fall in love with a girl who did not know how to keep a safe distance away even from boys she trusted.

 Side Chapter: Birth of the Final God

    Kard grew up without anything of note. Her parents never expected anything out of her, and Kard never wanted to do anything. Like a puppet without will, she went with society¡¯s flow. With neither purpose nor goal, Kard lived every day without second thought. The girl was apathetic to anything that could happen.

    Even being brought to Reality did not change Kard, she simply joined the largest Party in Naut City and performed averagely as a Dark Ninja. Even when her Party Members died, she simply feigned sadness to go with the flow. The risk of death did not affect her since she did not fear death in the first place. While her name was famous as one of the few Players that figured out you could dual-wield as well as her overall cuteness, her skill did not even bring her in the contention of the title of Dark Jack.

    Seven years after Kard came to Reality, Kard¡¯s life began to change when she took the Quest to tutor the Mayor¡¯s child in swordsmanship.

    ¡°You are Paul?¡± asked Kard to the boy.

    The boy was the same age as him. He inherited the Mayor¡¯s handsomeness but not his charisma. In fact, Paul looked exactly like his father except for the maturity.

    ¡°Yes. Will you be teacher from now on?¡± Paul greeted Kard with a smile.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    In truth, Kard did not give a damn to Paul. This was simply another Quest she took for money. Since it was a routine job, it was a reliable source of money.

    Kard treated Paul without care. She simply did her job as teacher and thought Paul the basics of swordsmanship. Of course, she only used one of her swords during demonstrations to instruct better.

    Paul showed that he inherited his father¡¯s ability with a sword and quickly rose in abilities.

    The day came when Paul first defeated Kard who was not giving her whole effort. In his excitement, Paul said, ¡°With this, I can finally fight along with the Players.¡±

    ¡°No. You are a Character. You cannot participate in Dungeons. Even your father, who is the strongest Character in Reality currently, only matched up to Players without titles.¡±

    Kard was quick to ruin Paul¡¯s dreams, but Paul was not quick to give up. Paul began challenging Players for duels. By the time Kard noticed it, she would always watch Paul¡¯s Duels. Somewhere in Kard¡¯s unemotional heart, an interest sparked-- to see whether Paul could prove her wrong and fight on the same level as the top Players.

    Paul lost Duel after Duel against the lesser Players of Naut City; however, with each loss, Paul inched closer and closer to victory. For the next six months, Paul¡¯s chances of defeating Players grew and grew, and so did Kard¡¯s interest in him. Watching Paul¡¯s Duels and training had become the first ¡®fun¡¯ experience for Kard, but she was oblivious to the concept of fun and did not realize this.

    The first fall of snow marked the most important day of Kard¡¯s life.

    ¡°Teacher. Duel me. If I win, listen to what I will say.¡±

    ¡°Alright, show me what you can do.¡±

    The old Kard would not have said that. Even if she did, it would merely be a lie to satisfy Paul, but deep inside, Kard had meant what she said.

    The fight took over an hour with neither side with an advantage. In the end, Paul managed to squeak out a victory.

    Kard thought to herself, ¡°So my existence¡­ was not meaningless at all¡­¡±

    Kard did not have a purpose, did not care for a purpose, did not seek for a purpose, but the feeling of happiness that filled her as she had achieved something remained nonetheless. People were purpose-oriented creatures. Kard found a purpose despite not wanting it. As much as she tried to deny it, the feeling of satisfaction filled what she thought was her empty heart.

    It was only then that Kard realized it. Her interest on Paul resulted in her desire to see someone break out of the flow¡ªsomething she had never thought of.

    ¡°Congrats. So what did you want to say?¡± Despite changing in the inside, Kard¡¯s tone remained monotonous and apathetic as always.

    ¡°Master¡­ no Kard¡­ Please be my girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Player and you are a Character.¡±

    Kard did not reject Paul. Instead, she gave him a reason to give up. This was also because of her interest in Paul. She wanted to see what he would do.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! The only issue in it is that Player¡¯s will finish the game eventually and Players have endless lifespan. Those things do not matter to me! If Kard rejects me, then I¡¯ll accept it. If Kard--¡±

    ¡°Enough¡­¡± Kard interrupted Paul¡¯s words, ¡°You¡¯re feelings. I accept it.¡±

    Kard¡¯s concept of love was different. Because she had never truly loved anyone, including herself, Kard only defined love with a single statement: I didn¡¯t want to see this person die.

    Over the next months, Kard grew affectionate towards Paul. She enjoyed spending time with him. Whether eating, chatting, or getting spoiled, Kard continued giving affection to the one purpose she had.

    Kard was called to a meeting with Eric, Paul¡¯s father. For the first time, Kard did not dress in her common clothes, but instead wore frilly black attire complete with ribbons, a dress, stockings, and shoes that Paul bought for her.

    ¡°Are you going out with Paul?¡± asked Eric without warning.

    ¡°Yes.¡± replied Kard without hesitation.

    ¡°You understand the problems with that relationship?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But we have both chosen to pursue our relationship even with these problems.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°I see. Then I have nothing more to say.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to stop us?¡±

    ¡°No. If both of you accepted the problems, then I am in no position to refuse. In fact, I actually support you two disregarding the problems¡±

    ¡°Thank you Mayor Eric.¡±

    ¡°Please call me Father.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have to refuse.¡± declined Kard with the slightest of smiles in her emotionless face.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s too early then.¡±

    Six months since Paul and Kard went in a relationship, the war with the Goblins reached its peak.

    Kard sat on the sofa in the Mayor¡¯s house. Due to the war, Paul¡¯s parents and sister, who was the future political head of the family, were not in the house. The servants all went home to their families as well due to the war.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be in the group attacking the Goblin Fortress, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The Dark King will be leading the battle there while the Fire King will be leading the City defense.¡±

    ¡°Please be safe.¡±

    ¡°You too.¡±

    Paul caressed Kard¡¯s cheeks and brought his face closer towards Kard¡¯s. Kard did not resist and closed eyes. Seeing this, Paul kissed Kard¡¯s lips. They had kissed many times before, but to Paul, Kard¡¯s lips tasted much sweeter than ever before.

    Paul gently pushed Kard down and gently tapped Kard¡¯s lackluster breasts. While small, a girl¡¯s softness could still be felt from her breasts. After a few seconds, Kard sat up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for now.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± reluctantly said Paul.

    ¡°After the war, let¡¯s get married. Once we do, you can have me as much as you want.¡± promised Kard, unwittingly raising a death flag.

    The next day Kard left for the Goblin Fortress. As evening fell on the camp led by the Dark King, the Goblin forces aiming for Naut City came as well. News of the Player¡¯s successful defense at the cost of many lives reached the camping Players; however, this news mattered not for Kard. All that went in her head was the message Eric sent him: Paul died. Eric had explained how he died, but Kard did not feel hatred towards his cause of death. The only emotion Kard could feel was her love for Paul.

    Kard wept genuine tears for the first time in her life. As the others celebrated the successful defense, Kard mourned at the loss of a love one.

    Kard thought she would have lost her purpose if Paul died, but the truth differed. Kard instead took upon herself all of Paul¡¯s wishes. She would protect the world Paul loved and fight where Paul couldn¡¯t.

    The most important wish Kard took was Paul¡¯s love for Kard. Even with her relationship with Paul, Kard never loved herself. Only now when she received Paul¡¯s wishes did she learn to love herself¡ªOnly by inheriting Paul¡¯s love for her.

    In the middle of the night, Kard went to the exit of the camp.

    ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t have refused him then¡­¡± said Kard to the full moon in the sky smiling to herself.

    Kard ran off alone to the Goblin Fortress. Her Party Members tried to stop her, but she was far into enemy territory for them to pursue. That night, the sky turned red.

    Before dawn the next day, when the attacked was scheduled to begin, the five hundred Players led by the Dark King marched towards the Goblin Fortress.

    The lower half of the gate had been sliced off. Branching out of it were corpses of Goblins of various ranks. In the Goblin Fortress, Goblins did not pixelize upon death like usual because as long as the Goblin Lord was alive, Goblins dying in the Fortress could be resurrected.

    Mountains upon mountains of Goblin corpses greeted the Players entering the castle. The blood of the corpses painted the otherwise colorless walls of the Goblin Fortress. It was estimated that fifty thousand Goblins dwelled in the Fortress, and the estimates were proven accurate.

    Passing through the seemingly dead Fortress, the Players made their way towards the throne room. The Players who knew of Kard¡¯s departure the night before questioned whether she did all this by herself, but dismissed the thought due to the impossibility of the task.

    The door to the throne room was closed but unlocked. As the Dark King and his Party opened the door, an unbelievable sight appeared before them.

    Sitting atop the corpse of the five meter tall Goblin Lord was a girl who looked like Kard. While her facial feature were definitely Kard¡¯s, her beauty far surpassed hers or any human for that matter. No one could point out what exactly differed, but the difference was near infinite. Human language lacked the words to describe her unparalleled beauty, for so rarely if ever had such a beauty graced mankind that a word to describe her was unneeded.

    The girl looked back on the Dark King with an insane smile on her face. On her hand was the reward for winning the Goblin War: Levi¡¯s Tail, a Divine Rarity Demonic Weapon.

    Demonic Weapons had more powerful stats and effect than normal Weapons of the same Rarity but were harder to control and brought detrimental effects in battle to the user.

    Kard leapt down the gigantic corpse and walked towards the Players. As she approached the Players, they confirmed that the girl was indeed Kard. The more intelligent people realized what changed. While Kard was always beautiful, her aura prevented people from realizing her true beauty. Her natural demeanor held back her unparalleled beauty in the minds of the people. Simply, she lacked the aura of someone beautiful. Now that she did have the aura, the contrast further amplified her beauty.

    ¡°I¡¯ve defeated the Goblin Lord and ended the Goblin War. Don¡¯t worry; you will all still receive the Fitts reward as promised. Of course, as the one who fought, I will take possession over Levi¡¯s Tail.¡±

    The Players were all satisfied with the outcome. They had completed one of the harder Events of Reality: The Goblin War. While they could still not believe that a girl soloed fifty-thousand Goblins, they celebrated nonetheless. All were happy¡­ except one¡­ the Dark King.

    The Dark King also wielded two swords in battle. He was considered the strongest of the few Player¡¯s that dual-wielded swords in Reality as a Dark Spell Blade. Currently, he owned a Divine Rarity Demonic Sword: Lucifer¡¯s Fall and an Artifact Rarity Demonic Sword: Chaos Blade. He led the Players in the Goblin War to acquire this second Divine Rarity Demonic Sword, but Kard ruined his plans; however, all was not lost for him, he still had a way.

    ¡°Duel me with our Divine Rarity Demonic Swords in line!¡± challenged the Dark King.

    ¡°I was just about to challenge you as well.¡± replied Kard. Her emotions had mostly settled, and the insanity she acquired due to the massacre disappeared.

    In front of five hundred Players, Kard Duelled the Dark King.

    A Duel it was not. Before Kard, the Dark King could be likened to an infant accidently stumbling upon his father¡¯s sword and swinging it. The Players watched in disbelief as not once did the Dark King come close to touching Kard¡¯s Health.

    Kard dragged out the Duel to allow the Dark King to use all his Abilities, but one after another, the abilities proved useless. Once the Dark King used up his repertoire of Abilities, Kard finished the Duel a handful of seconds.

    Kard acquired Lucifer¡¯s Fall as the Dark King lay on the ground on his defeat. As Kard walked away triumphant, a Teleportation Circle created by a high-level teleportation Ability illuminated from the ground. No Player in Reality did not know the symbol inscribed in the circle, for it belonged to the one of the greatest Players in Reality.

    From the circle descended a goddess; one of the handful people whose beauty could not described by mere words. From a glance, it was obvious the girl was an albino. Her skin and hair were pure white, and her eyes were bloody red. Her nose was small but pointy, and her soft lips only had the slightest tinge of pink. Her pure white hair flowed two and half times as long as her height, which was by no means small since it was bordering six feet. The hair reached her knees, went back up, where it was held in placed by a golden hairpin, then flowed down again. On her head, she wore a silver tiara decorated with rubies. Her beauty was closer to that of an unreachable saint watching down from Heaven than a human. Her ample breasts and hips attracted the sights of all who look at her whether male or female. The girl¡¯s presence radiated like a holy being. Her silk white gown that reached ever so closely but never touched the ground blended with the girl¡¯s white skin. She was the greatest Support Player that graced Reality. She was Ghlit Raikhi Wail, the Light God of Divinity.

    ¡°As Leader predicted, someone would eventually take the last unseated throne of the Nine Elemental Gods. That day has come. Will you, Kard Miya Midil, join the Party Almighty and become the Dark God?¡± invited Ghlit with a divine voice that captivated all who heard it.

    ¡°If it will lessen the deaths in Reality, then I gladly join you.¡±

    Kard left with Ghlit in a Teleportation Ability. The five hundred Players that witnessed her birth spread the story all across Reality.

    Kard from then on always fought wearing the dress Paul gave her. Her arrival signaled death to the monster as her two blades of darkness felled the beasts with ease. Thus, legend of the Dark God of Depravitybegan.

 Chapter 20: House Visit

    Dove POV

    ¡°Knock! Knock! Knock!¡±

    The sound of knocking woke me up. I forced myself to open my tired eyes and saw that it was six in the morning.

    Normally, ARF met at 6:30 in the morning; however, yesterday was a tiring day for us both physically and emotionally so we moved the call time to ten.

    I looked to my side and found Hawk and Canary still deep in sleep. I dragged myself out of bed and slowly made my way to the entrance.

    I opened the door and found Liza waiting there. A message popped up whether to allow Liza¡¯s entry house to which I confirmed.

    ¡°Do you feel better?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. Liza came here to speak with Hawk.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go wake him up.¡±

    As I went towards the stairs, I found Hawk already climbing down. His eyes were still half-closed and his movements were sloppy.

    ¡°Who was it?¡±

    ¡°Liza. She wanted to speak with you.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Hawk put his hand in his face and remained motionless for a minute. He then sighed, ¡°I hope I can do it without hurting her¡­ Dove can you stay upstairs for now?¡±

    I nodded and followed Hawk¡¯s request. I went back to the master¡¯s bedroom where Canary slept. She seemed to be uncomfortable, so I lied down besides her and embraced her. She immediately clung tightly to me and mumbled, ¡°Sister¡­¡±

    Liza POV

    Hawk appeared before Liza. Liza no longer felt nervousness in meeting him. With Father gone, Liza had to stand on Liza¡¯s two feet. Liza would no longer run from the emotions Liza held.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Hawk asked.

    Although Hawk was smart enough to figure out most things, he still preferred asking directly, since he believed it was better for words to be expressed and because he was not 100% confident in his ability.

    Liza took a deep breath. Liza had readied myself for this moment, but the tenseness still remained there.

    ¡°Liza loves you. Please consider going out with me!¡±

    ¡°You realize how impossible a Player-Character relationship is?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°No! It¡¯s not impossible. No doubt, it is difficult, but Brother and Kard fought for their love, Liza will do so as well.¡±

    Hawk remained silent and thought about his reply for a few minutes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too scared to hurt you and avoided rejecting you directly by using our situations as an excuse.¡±

    Hawk continued, ¡°You are a really important person to me, but I don¡¯t romantically love you. I do not belong in Reality. This fact will never change. Even if I do eventually love you, in the end, I will choose to return. When I do, I would be unable to bear being separated from a person I love while knowing she still exists somewhere. I am an emotionally weak person, so I will refuse to romantically love you from the beginning.¡±

    Tears fell from Liza¡¯s eyes. Liza knew from the beginning this would happen. Liza understood Hawk¡¯s reason before he said it. Hawk knew Liza knew the reason but said it regardless to answer Liza¡¯s feelings head on.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you¡­ Can you forget all that happened due to my feelings and be friends with Liza again?¡±

    Hawk smiled and replied, ¡°You were always my friend.¡±

    Liza came here for two reasons. First, it was to solve the awkwardness in Hawk and Liza¡¯s friendship. Second and more importantly, Liza wanted to be rejected. While these feelings may not disappear immediately and will forever remain part of Liza¡¯s life, the rejection signaled the first step of towards Liza¡¯s future.

    Dove POV

    After half an hour, Hawk came back to the second floor as I waited on the sofa. He moved his body sluggishly not due to sleepiness but due to sadness.

    ¡°How did it go?¡±

    I moved to the end of the sofa and pointed Hawk to sit beside me to which Hawk complied.

    ¡°I think I did it properly¡­ but¡­¡±

    This was bad¡­ One thing I knew from Hawk from real life was that his emotions affected his performance a lot. Despite his great ability to read people, he frequently left himself open to being read. Also, he was easily distracted whenever he was emotionally unstable.

    During our school days, I noticed how his exam scores fluctuated with his emotions. He committed a lot of careless mistakes whenever he was sad because he kept thinking about it. I had to do something to help him¡­

    Hawk wanted to cry. At the same time, he didn¡¯t want a weak Hawk to remain in my memory, but he also wanted me to stay by his side. It was weird, but this was how I think Hawk was. In that case¡­

    I moved my hands around Hawk¡¯s head and pulled it down on my lap. Hawk resisted on instinct, so I had to put in a lot of force.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. Since he was facing my lap, I could not see his expression, but he was probably surprised.

    I caressed his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I won¡¯t see it from this position, so feel free to cry.¡±

    Hawk stopped resisting and kept silent. As I continued to pat his head, I could never tell whether he was crying or not since he made no sound and the tears automatically dried if they fell on my pajamas.

    I waited and waited and waited. Waiting for Hawk to tell me what happened. I disliked that part about Hawk. Every time he was emotionally burdened, he always kept it all to himself.

    After a few minutes, Hawk¡¯s erratic breathing returned to normal.

    ¡°Do you feel better now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But let me stay like this for a little while longer.¡±

    ¡°I refuse. Please get up right now.¡± I said in a joking tone.

    Hawk complied and sat up, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I only let you lie on my lap because you were depressed. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even consider it.¡± I continued to tease.

    Seemingly disappointed, Hawk sighed, but his sigh soon turned into a smile as he went to wake Canary up.

    Hawk¡­ I hope that one day you will no longer fear showing me your weaknesses. One day, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand that I will stay by your side even with your weaknesses and accept you.

 Chapter 21: Visit the Lone

    At ten, ARF finally met at the dining room.

    ¡°Canary, I¡¯m going with Dove to recruit someone for our Party. You¡¯re free do what you want until one.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I come along?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, the place we¡¯re going to isn¡¯t really suited for kids.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    While disappointed, Canary listened to Hawk¡¯s reasons. Canary always asked for an explanation to everything. At first, I thought she got it from Hawk, but it stemmed deeper back to the days with her sister.

    ¡°Before I made ARF with you, I actually wanted to make a Party with another person.¡±

    ¡°This is the person we are going to now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Though I doubt she¡¯ll accept.¡±

    ¡°So why bother?¡±

    ¡°There are very few good Players without Parties left; she¡¯s probably the best of the ones remaining.¡±

    ¡°She caught your attention. Does she have some talent like Canary?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a talent, but she¡¯s weird. You¡¯ll realize it immediately when you meet. By the way, keep your Elven Cape hood up and stay close to me.¡±

    We walked towards an area in Naut City I had never gone to before near the marketplace. We arrived at a gate into a dormitory-like building. The building itself only covered the outer rim of the building, and the gate itself led to the empty space between them. The building was composed of three floors connected by staircases at each corner. The building was filled with various doors that led to small rooms.

    A handful of couples filled the empty space. On the way to the rooms, the couples kissed intimately and deeply with their hands groping one another. While I¡¯ve never been to one before, this place was similar to the love hotel districts frequently seen in television shows.

    ¡°What is this place?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a place where you can rent rooms. Unlike inns, you can enter the rooms with other people. Many Players, both active and inactive, turned this place into a motel of sorts.¡±

    Uncharacteristic of him, Hawk explained in a vague manner. Except for two girls, Hawk naturally did not talk about sexual stuff with most girls his age. I was not one of those exceptions.

    ¡°So the person you¡¯re recruiting is one of the customers here?¡±

    ¡°No. There¡¯s no way I would invite a frequent customer of this place no matter how good they are. The person we¡¯re meeting lives in this place alone.¡±

    ¡°What does she do?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°She works as a freelance healer for hire for middle-tier Parties. She¡¯s pretty good. She doesn¡¯t compare to the healers of the top Parties let alone Zoe, but good enough.¡±

    I followed Hawk to the further room of thesq third floor. The building seemed to be the same quality as the average Inns. It was similar to the dormitory I stayed at in real life. Hawk knocked at the door.

    ¡°Crow, the Freelance Healer, at your service.¡± a voice came from the room. The voice was clearly female and lacked any sort of energy. It was like those reluctant tellers in fast foods forced to work on a busy day.

    ¡°It¡¯s Hawk.¡±

    The door opened us to the pitch black darkness of the room. Not a single light was lit as we entered. Of course, I kept my guard up due to the uncomfortable feeling I had.

    After a few seconds, my eyes got used to darkness and I could make out the things around me. The room was only as small as the standard bathrooms in Reality. There was a study table by the door, a small bed, and a door that led to the bathroom. On the bed, a Player¡¯s icon appeared above a black mass of a person covered in blankets.

    ¡°You want to hire me? How long?¡± Crow wasted no time in inquiring Hawk¡¯s goal here with the same unenergetic voice. Her speech felt so weird because I could not point out the direction of its source. While I knew the person was on the bed, the voice seemed to have come from all directions.

    ¡°I want you to join my Party.¡±

    ¡°So you made one. I already refused to make one back then with you.¡±

    ¡°Would you reconsider?¡±

    ¡°No. My reasons have not changed since then.¡±

    Crow was standing in front of me. It was not as if I didn¡¯t notice, but more of I didn¡¯t pay attention to her moving in front of me. Due to the darkness, I could not make out her facial feature, but she was of average height and body.

    ¡°You¡¯re Hawk¡¯s Party Member? So, what part of you is weird?¡± asked Crow. Even as she spoke in front of me, the voice still came from different directions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m weird, so why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°The only people Hawk show interest in being Party Members with are weird people.¡±

    Was I weird? I had no idea. It would be weird if I went around asking people, ¡°Am I weird?¡±

    Hawk and I left the room and exited the area.

    ¡°Crow¡­ lacks notability, right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. Her unenergetic voice with a tone that one cannot pinpoint the direction of combined with her unremarkable movements make people pay no attention to her. Especially since her hair is pinned to cover her face when outside.¡±

    Crow did not lack presence like the main character of a certain basketball anime. On the contrary, her presence was definite; however, you would never pay attention to her presence. She would be on your mind, but never be the focus of it.

    ¡°You want her that badly?¡±

    ¡°Well. According to the calculations I made after I played with her, Crow is a good healer, even though I never felt her impact during the battle itself. Aside from that, I¡¯m greatly interested in how she actually keeps up her unnotability despite her well-known freelance job.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. She was right. You only invite weirdoes into your Party.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make you weird as well?¡±

    ¡°Am I? Now that you mention it, you said I was an interesting Player, but never pinpointed what interested you. I don¡¯t think I have anything special like Canary¡¯s multitasking or Crow¡¯s unnotability.¡±

    Hawk blushed a bit and said, ¡°The way you fight is beautiful. I have no idea why though. Zoe mentioned something about a smooth flow, which is a concept I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    While Hawks words did flatter me, I had no idea what Zoe meant smooth flow as well. I completely rely on my instinct when fighting, so I myself did not understand where this ¡®smooth flow¡¯ came from.

 Chapter 22: Lone Elven Camp, Part 1

    As we joined Canary at the gate of Naut City, a Player from a sub-Party of Crimson Swords came running in. The Player recognized Hawk and approached him.

    ¡°You are the Leader of Azure Rain Forces, right?¡± the Player asked.

    ¡°Yes. Do you need something?¡±

    ¡°Captain Blitz told me to bring any member from your Party or other top Parties immediately.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Captain will explain once you meet. He promises to compensate any who feel unsatisfied.¡±

    Hawk glared at the Player with doubtful eyes. As he considered the legitimacy of the claim, another Player entered Naut City.

    With one gaze at the Player, I felt I knew who the girl was. The girl walked with her brown hair tied in a single ponytail reaching her knees blowing with the wind. Her brown eyes gazed at people as if piercing through them. Her small face was decorated by her pointy nose and rosy cheeks. While paling to the perfection that is Kard, the girl could be set to beautiful, but a better description would be prince-like. The girl was most likely of European descent. However, what stood above this all was her image. She felt like a mythical female knight. Her movements seemed like a Valkyrie prepared to wage war.

    Hawk narrowed his eyes and looked at the girl.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go? I don¡¯t see any harm going?¡± said the girl to Hawk.

    Before Hawk could reply, the Player immediately turned to the girl and said, ¡°From Platina Knights? Please come as well.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Hawk, will you come along?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Watching you fight will serve as an important experience for them.¡±

    ¡°And you are?¡±

    My body reflexively bowed down as I introduced myself. My country did not have a tradition of bowing down nor would I ever bow down to anyone, yet my body instinctively told me to do so. ¡°I¡¯m Dove. Hawk¡¯s Vice-Leader.¡±

    Canary, who bowed only seconds after I did not due to imitating me but due to her own instincts, introduced herself as well, ¡°I¡¯m Canary.¡±

    ¡°I am Swan, Leader of the Platina Knights. Since you guys bowed, I¡¯m expecting you to not hold me back.¡± said Swan as she walked back towards the gate.

    Confidence did not fill her tone. Her words were simply stating a fact¡ªmy mind told me. As we followed, I whispered to Hawk, ¡°What did she mean by bowing?¡±

    ¡°Only those who reflexively feel the urge to bow can even hope to keep up with me.¡± The one who answered was not Hawk, but Swan. She did not seem to be bothered in explaining. Once again, her arrogant words did not feel that way at all.

    As we followed the Crimson Swords Player in the World Map, the encounters we had were handled by mostly by Swan. The Crimson Swords Player, while not bad, did not hold a candle to our abilities; however, even our abilities, even Hawk¡¯s, could not hold a candle to Swan¡¯s.

    I would never defeat Swan¡ªI accepted that fact immediately. Even Hawk would be absolutely destroyed by Swan if they were to Duel now.

    Swan was an Earth Lancer. Her Ability let her pierce the ground with her spear. A large sharp pillar of earth would then erupt from the ground, dealing massive damage to the victims.

    [Lancer]

    A job specializing on wielding spears.

    Stats: Health: *** Mana: ** Attack: **** Defense: ****

    Magic: * Resistance: ** * Speed: **** Dexterity: ***

    Usable Weapons: Spears

    Usable Armor: Middle Equipment, Heavy Equipment.

    Her spear differed from all that I¡¯ve seen, including the occasional uncommon Spears appearing in the Shops. The spear¡¯s pole was grayish white, like bone. Two crossed bones marked the connection between the tip and the pole with a skull on each side on the intersection of the bones. The tip was crimson red, as if it was drenched in blood. She utilized Medium Equipment for better movement.

    As we discussed, Swan took over the front attacker from Hawk. Every battle, she would immediately rush at the front squad and clear them effortlessly. One fact could be pointed out easily was that Swan¡¯s fighting skills extended further than in Reality. Her weapon seemed to be part of a body like a person who wielded a spear since birth. The entire battle seemed preplanned; she took action after action without a single stop. This was without a doubt a sign of her experience in uncountable number of battles. Not once did a Goblin attack come close to reaching her.

    ¡°So this is¡­ the strongest Player in Naut City¡­ No wonder Razor said he was leagues above the rest.¡± said Canary in awe.

    ¡°She is the only child of a family of knights using spears dating back to the 18<sup>th</sup> Century from Europe. From childhood, she only learned enough to be barely literate. The rest of her time was spent training her in battle. Day in and day out, practitioners of various combat schools from all over the world came to challenge her. The girl only knew how to fight, but fight she did unparalleled.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°I had a feeling she was something like that.¡±

    ¡°I admit we are no match for her right now; however, we will definitely strive to reach her level in the future.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded in agreement along with Canary.

    While reaching Swan¡¯s level was but a step in completing Reality, it was an important initial goal for us currently. We wanted to become stronger. Although we met Kard who was far stronger than Swan, we had yet to see Kard in battle, so Swan would serve as our current basis of strength for the time being.

    Around two in the afternoon, we arrived at a forested area of the World Map. Dozens of Crimson Swords Players patrolled the area. I found nothing special in the area and wondered why so many Players gathered here.

    The Crimson Sword Players led us through the crowd into an area with less tress.

    ¡°Please go between those two trees.¡± ordered the Player, pointing at two trees nearby.

    An unsettling feeling filled us as we passed through the trees.

    ¡°Ehh?!¡± Canary could not help but be surprised.

    Passing through the trees led us to a completely different area. Flowers of all colors decorated the new area. Over a dozen tents were set up, one looking larger than the others. Many humanlike Characters were present. Some walking around as if they were busy; some lying on the floor having their wounds treated. These Characters were all tall and thin. They wore thin green clothing that was easy to move in. Their skin was white as snow, and their faces were all well-featured. Their eyes were either blue or green, and their hair was blonde and long. Their distinct feature was their long pointy ears.

    ¡°Elves?¡± asked Hawk.

    One of the female Characters approached us. Compared to the other Elves here, her appearance was significantly more attractive.

    ¡°Yes. This is an Elven camp. I¡¯m Sylvie, leader of the medics here. Please come this way.¡±

    As Hawk performed her analysis on Sylvie, both she and Hawk suddenly got off balance and wobbled for a bit.

    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Sylvie.

    ¡°My personality scan¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that was but it¡¯s dangerous to try that on Elves.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­¡±

    Following Sylvie, we were led to the largest tent in the Elven Camp. On the way, the Elves greeted Sylvie with bright smiles. The Elves looked at her adoringly.

    Three people sat within waiting for our arrival: two Players and one Character.

    ¡°Swan and Hawk. Please unblock us already.¡± said one of the Players.

    The first thing noticeable on this Player was his tall and large body. His muscles were comparable to bodybuilders and appeared closer to thirty years old rather than our age. Not a strand of hair grew from his head that appeared disproportionate due to how buffed his body was. His eyes were large and black. His upper clothing consisted of only a vest, so his abdomen muscles were for everyone to see. His race was not really discernible.

    ¡°Thank you for coming. Blitz discovered this area and the Elves want something, but we don¡¯t know what to do.¡± explained the other Player, letting me know that the previous Player was Blitz.

    The other Player, who I assume to be Crimson Swords Vice-Leader, Burst, was of African-American origin. His hair, eyes, and skin were all black. His body was just as buff as that of Blitz. His face was those of a brawler, which combined with his other traits made him look like a wrestler.

    We sat along with the other Players facing the Elf. Despite appearing older than the other Elves, he was still more handsome than the other Elves. His clothes were more decorated than the other Elves, indicating his position as the leader. Listening to Sylvie¡¯s words,

    ¡°Father, please explain the situation to them.¡± said Sylvie.

    ¡°Yes. I am Salvador, leader of this Elven Camp. We were sent here to fight against the recent infestation of Goblins, but we suffered injuries and casualties in skirmishes. We want to request your help in clearing out the Goblin camps.¡±

    ¡°Since Blitz asked for help, there¡¯s something more to clearing out the camps than fighting.¡± stated Swan.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably something that requires intelligence since otherwise Blitz and his Party would just charge in.¡± added Hawk.

    Their words implied that Blitz was a musclehead that only knew how to fight without thinking. This did not come as a surprise to me since Hawk always referred to Blitz as ¡®idiot¡¯.

    ¡°Yes.¡± said Salvador as he brought out a piece of leaf, ¡°This is a leaf from a Goblak tree for finding Goblin Camps. This leaf when exposed to moonlight will wither more and more as it moves closer to the Goblin camp. Once it completely withers, the remaining stem should be dropped on the ground. This opens a hole on the ground leading to the underground Goblin camp. In the camp, there is a mud pit with a pillar in the middle. This pillar must be destroyed otherwise Goblins will keep being born from the mud pit. Once the pillar is destroyed, the camp will collapse and you must immediately return back out.¡±

    ¡°How many camps are there? How difficult are these camps?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°There were fifteen initially. We eliminated two of them and sealed them. We sealed a third as well, but it was already abandoned. Twelve remain. As for difficulty¡­¡± Salvador stopped and glanced at Blitz.

    ¡°I sent one of my sub-Parties into one of the camps. None returned and their names disappeared from the list¡­¡± said Blitz.

    ¡°We offer our condolences¡­¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Me as well. This marks the first Player deaths we know of from Naut City¡­¡±

    ¡°How many were in the Party?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Six. Four below average Player led by an above average one. An Elf accompanied them for assistance as well. Only five Players could enter the camp.¡±

    I¡¯m sure Blitz did not want to send them to their deaths. While he may be an idiot, he surely trusted his Party Members to be able to accomplish the task. He seemed more composed than most people would be if their comrades died.

    ¡°We would be most grateful for your help.¡± said Salvador.

    ¡°Why not request help from Naut City?¡± asked Swan.

    ¡°The country of Elves, Alfheim, uses Ygg as their currency. Ygg holds no value in Naut City. Any Fitts we may have are used for treating the injured.¡±

    Hawk looked at Canary and I and said, ¡°Any objections?¡±

    ¡°None.¡± we replied in unison.

    ¡°Then Azure Rain Forces will provide assistance.¡±

    ¡°As the Leader of Platina Knights, I will have them provide assistance as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll inform Zoe and Purge as well. Blitz, please go to the Golden Warriors¡¯ house and inform them as well.¡± said Swan.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be taking our leave. We¡¯ll come back at dusk.¡± said Swan as all the Players stood and prepared to leave the room.

 Chapter 22: Lone Elven Camp, Part 2

    ¡°Alright. Next time, please only enter this camp with Party Leaders. Elves are very reserved and are not used to people. Children like the one over there are fine though.¡± requested Salvador pointing towards Canary.

    ¡°Father!¡± exclaimed Sylvie in objection.

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± said Hawk.

    As we were about to part ways with the other Parties outside the Elven Camp, Hawk spoke up, ¡°Canary, Dove, return to Naut City with Swan for now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not coming with us?¡± asked Canary.

    ¡°I have a bad feeling about something, so I¡¯ll stay here for now. Come back at dusk.¡± explained Hawk vaguely.

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± I hesitantly agreed.

    Once we reached a distance away from the Elven Camp, Swan said, ¡°You should trust Hawk more.¡±

    ¡°I do¡­ but he tends to do things on his own even back in real life. I wish he would trust us more.¡± I said.

    ¡°Hawk doesn¡¯t do things alone because he wants to be alone. He does things alone because they are best done alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Hawk changed ever since he was reunited with you. Before, he lacked a purpose. He played Reality because there was nothing better to do. It seems he didn¡¯t care whether he¡¯d die or not. When we talked after he made ARF, for the first time I saw excitement and enjoyment in him. The first thing he mentioned was, ¡®I finally found a reason to finish Reality and someone to rely on.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± I said and smiled. While I still had my doubts, I cheered up a bit from Swan¡¯s words. ¡°You seem pretty close to Hawk.¡±

    ¡°He was the first Player I fought with. We fought and talked about our personal lives a lot. I wanted to form a Party with him, but I knew it wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Why so?¡±

    ¡°Hawk works best as a leader despite not having the personality of one. A Party who listens to him will definitely succeed; however, it¡¯s hard to get people to listen to him. This makes me glad he has a good Vice-Leader like you. Canary is a great Player as well.¡±

    ¡°No need for flattery¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Canary.

    ¡°Hawk probably told you this, but Dove is around the same level as Razor; Canary is as skilled as the members of Golden Warriors.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ why am I rated so highly?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re movements are smooth.¡±

    ¡°Hawk mentioned that Zoe said the same thing, but can you elaborate further?¡±

    ¡°It all comes down to the timing of your movements. While your actions aren¡¯t perfectly efficient, all your actions, whether efficient or not, are perfectly timed that even veteran warriors such as myself cannot achieve.¡±

    ¡°Why can I do that?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s probably a reason, but there¡¯s no way I would know.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    After we were quiet for while, Canary broke the silence and asked, ¡°Hawk became famous due to his Duel with Blitz correct?¡±

    ¡°Well, most of the top Players already knew him before then since he Partied temporarily often with me, but that Duel made him famous among average Players.¡±

    ¡°How did the Duel go?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Hawk won with 25% Health left.¡±

    ¡°So the fight was close.¡± commented Canary.

    ¡°No. While the Health indicated otherwise, Hawk defeated Blitz as if Blitz was a nobody.¡±

    ¡°But why was the Health so close?¡± asked Canary.

    ¡°Even among the top Players, Blitz is the average Player¡¯s worst nightmare to Duel since he fights through sheer experience and overwhelming fighting advantage. Hawk¡¯s fighting skill is only slightly above average at best, and at the beginning of the Duel, Blitz brought down Hawk to a fourth of his Health without taking a single hit. Then with the same average level movements he did as he was beaten down, he countered all of Blitz attacks and won the Duel without difficulty.¡±

    ¡°He finished ¡®analyzing¡¯ him.¡± I added.

    ¡°Yes. Excluding Abilities that get better the longer fights go, prolonging fights against Hawk is always bad against Hawk.¡±

    What Swan said was true even in real life. The longer any game went, the harder it was to win against him. Hawk did not have a general strategy for himself. His strategy was to counter other people¡¯s strategies.

 Chapter 23: Camp of the Elves

    Sylvie POV

    Thankfully, we managed to acquire the aid of the Players even without Fitts. As I treated the injured Elves in our camp, I noticed the Player who attempted something on my mind a while ago looking around nearby

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I just wanted to observe the Elves. There¡¯s another reason, but I¡¯ll tell you if it happens.¡± the Player replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll answer any questions you may have, so feel free, err¡­ what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Hawk. I¡¯ll be blunt. Based on the number of tents here, you lack the numbers to clear the Goblin Camps here; did the Elven leaders not know how many Goblins were here?¡±

    Surprised by Hawk¡¯s words, the other Elves stared at him then looked down sad. I myself felt sadness after being reminded of the truth due to Hawk¡¯s words and Father¡¯s request.

    Since he already noticed so much, I might as well tell Hawk the truth. I left the injured in the care of other medics and brought Hawk to the nearby river at the border of the camp.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to force yourself to tell me. I can already guess that it isn¡¯t something pleasant.¡±

    ¡°No. On the chance this camp gets wiped out, it¡¯s best that at least someone knows.¡±

    Hawk remained silent seemingly waiting for my answer.

    ¡°A year ago, former Queen Sylva passed away and her daughter Selena, who at the age of eighteen, became the youngest Queen in Alfheim history. Selena hates us. Sending us here is a win-win scenario for her. If we eliminate the Goblins, it¡¯s great. If we died, it would satisfy her hatred for us as well.¡±

    ¡°Why does the Queen hate you so much?¡±

    I bit my finger, took out a wine glass and filled it with river water. I then mixed a drop of my blood into the water and casted the Ancient Elven Spell: Betrayer¡¯s Word. The blood then dispersed into the magic symbol of the spell.

    ¡°This is the Ancient Elven Spell, Betrayer¡¯s Word. If you drink it, it lets me forbid you from conveying to others something of my choice. In this case, it¡¯s the reason for the Queen¡¯s hatred. Will you hear it and be unable to tell others without my permission or will you refuse?¡±

    Without hesitation, Hawk drank the water. Having Betrayer¡¯s Word casted on did not give any feeling to the target; however, it can only be casted with the target¡¯s knowledge.

    ¡°So will you tell me?¡±

    ¡°Former Queen Sylva is my mother. Selena is my younger half-sister. While Former Queen Sylva did not discriminate among all her lovers, Father was not the official husband, making me an illegitimate child. It has become tradition in Alfheim for Queens to hate their illegitimate sisters. This hatred is further fueled by my ability to use Ancient Elven Spells exclusive to the Elven royal family when Selena can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­ it seems even other races cannot escape from political issues. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for the Queen to just assassinate you?¡±

    ¡°No. Suspicions would rise if we died within the kingdom. Elves don¡¯t die due to age or sickness.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Keeping your enemies closer actually increases your survival chances¡­ whether here or in real life, nothing made sense.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave here. I need to attend to my duties.¡±

    Salvador POV

    If I recalled correctly, the Player¡¯s name was Hawk. When we first met, it felt like he was stopping himself from doing something. Despite him being one of the top Players in Naut City, I saw nothing special about him. In fact, his two Party Members felt far more fearsome than him. Even so, Blitz said that he lost to him in a Duel. While I doubted those words then, I¡¯ve changed my mind now.

    As exited my tent to check the area, I noticed Sylvie and Hawk speaking towards the river. He pointed our lack of manpower and guessed that a deeper meaning existed. He was not wrong. That¡¯s when I realized it. Hawk could see what other could not.

    Sylvie brought Hawk to the nearby river to explain our situation to Hawk. She was fulfilling my request to tell at least one Player about our situation. The reason was simple: even if we were to return to Alfheim alive, we would be assigned to another death mission. Thus, I¡¯ve made my choice. I already consulted most of the Elves here. I would be the only one to return to the Queendom should we succeed. The rest of the Elves would begin working in Naut City from the bottom up. I was the sacrifice. As the leader, if I returned and claimed that they all died, I would save the life of all of my allies.

    Of course, I would do my best to give Sylvie a better life. If possible, I wanted the Player who learned about us take her in. While she may be unable to enter Dungeons and join Parties, Sylvie could still support the Players with her Ancient Elven Spells.

    I secretly trailed after Sylvie and Hawk as they went to the river to talk. I hid myself in the bushes and eavesdropped in their conversation.

    After confirming Sylvie returned to camp, Hawk spoke up, ¡°Eavesdropping is bad, you know?¡±

    Hearing that shocked me. When in their natural habitat of forest, Elves were near impossible to be detected. Even the greatest hunter would not find an Elf in the forest, yet Hawk realized my presence.

    My surprise created a movement in my body, which caused the bushes I hid it to move as well. Looking at my direction, Hawk waited patiently for me to reveal myself until I did.

    ¡°How did you know I was eavesdropping?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°Every time I held an important conversation, once the others left, I would always shout that line.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make you seem crazy?¡±

    ¡°No. Let¡¯s say Sylvie heard it. She would naturally assume that I thought she was another person and was being cautious. If someone was eavesdropping, which is the case, he would come out. If I was wrong, no one would hear it anyway.¡±

    ¡°My initial impression on you was indeed wrong.¡±

    ¡°So? What do you want from me?¡±

    I revealed my plan of returning to Alfheim alone.

    ¡°Please take care of Sylvie in my place. While she is talented and capable, Sylvie fears being alone like the day the Former Queen died. She was supposed to meet with her mother, yet she in the middle of their meeting, her mother died due to poisoning. She¡¯s really good at cooking and fixing stuff, so I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be a bother.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but I have one condition.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    ¡°Tell Sylvie about your plan.¡±

    ¡°She would try to stop me!¡±

    ¡°Probably, but the regret you would have if you didn¡¯t tell her is far more difficult for you.¡±

    ¡°Fine. I accept.¡±

    As I walked away from Hawk and back towards the camp, Hawk spoke up yet again in a low but firm voice, ¡°Don¡¯t get killed by the Queendom until I go there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    ¡°In that time, I will save you.¡±

    Big words declared by Hawk. This was neither joke nor hope. Hawk truly believed in what he said and will reach his goal. It was not as if he did not fear what lay ahead; he simply believed in himself and his allies enough to overcome that fear.

 Chapter 24: Elves Assistance

    Dove POV

    The setting sun lit the sky red. The time had come for the Goblin Camp attacks to begin. The Leaders and Vice-Leaders of the top Parties gathered. I left Canary outside the Elven Camp and made my way to the main tent where Hawk waited. Salvador and Sylvie were present inside.

    I sat beside him and asked, ¡°Was your stay successful?¡±

    ¡°The first reason was finished. All that remains is the second.¡±

    A few minutes later, Swan arrived along with another girl. The other girl was an average looking girl. While she exuded the same aura as Swan, she was nowhere as overwhelming. Her eyes were blue and his hair was brown. She was neither fat nor thin; she was neither tall nor small. Her short brown hair was kept in place by a plain blue headband. She kept a serious and unemotional face.

    ¡°Long time no see, Sheev.¡± greeted Hawk to the girl.

    ¡°You as well, Hawk.¡± replied Sheev in a serious tone.

    Blitz and Burst arrived a bit later. Following them were Purge and Razor. Another Player arrived soon after. I assumed to be Golden Warriors¡¯ Leader Kin.

    Kin facial feature matched Gin perfectly. According to Hawk, they were fraternal twins. The main difference was Kin¡¯s golden hair and aura. Unlike Gin¡¯s delinquent appearance, Kin held the disposition of a well-distinguished business man.

    Kin approached me and bowed, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about what happened. I apologize for by brother¡¯s actions.¡±

    ¡°It is alright.¡± I replied.

    ¡°So? Where is he?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°I forced him to sit out of action today as punishment. Not that the punishment affects him in anyway.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­ I can¡¯t believe you two are twins.¡± replied Hawk.

    The sun had already set when Zoe and another boy arrived. The boy was around fourteen years of age. If Zoe could be compared to a queen from a fairy tale, then the boy could be compared to the prince. Having the same blonde hair and deep black eyes as Zoe, the boy was likely a relative of Zoe. He even held the same royal aura as her. His body still hadn¡¯t completed puberty so he was smaller than I.

    ¡°Hawk! I missed you.¡± said the boy excitingly as he ran towards Hawk.

    ¡°Did you train hard, Kotel?¡± asked Hawk with a smile as he petted the boy¡¯s hair, messing it up.

    ¡°Yes! I will become even stronger!¡±

    Once everyone assembled, Salvador distributed the Goblak leaves to the Players. Each group of five would be accompanied by an Elf. In our case, Sylvie would be coming with us.

    The Parties exited the Elven Camp and went their separate ways. We found Canary waiting for us outside sitting on the ground.

    A few seconds later, a girl wearing a dark cloak and hood approached us. From her aura, I could tell it was Crow.

    ¡°As you requested, I¡¯ll be helping you.¡± said Crow.

    Hawk had already notified us beforehand that he would be hiring Crow. Canary looked at her with suspicious eyes due to her shady clothing. As she continued staring intently at her, Hawk said, ¡°You can trust her.¡±

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± replied Canary reluctantly.

    Hawk took out the Goblak leaf and began heading towards the direction in led us to. After a few minutes, the leaf fully withered when we arrived at the destination.

    ¡°Is this fine? We have only four Players instead of the maximum of five.¡± I expressed my worries.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, but there¡¯s no harm trying, right?¡± replied Hawk jokingly.

    ¡°We die if we fail.¡± I replied in annoyance.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s not fail.¡± said Hawk in the same moment he dropped the stem unto the ground.

    The ground begins collapsing as if it turned into sand and a hole was created. Hawk dropped a small rock into the hole, but it hit the bottom immediately, indicating the hole was only one and a half person deep.

    We dropped ourselves one by one into the Goblin Camp.

    For around three meters, the path remained narrow and dark. From there, we could see an open illuminated area up ahead and went there.

    The open area was lighted by several glowing crystals on the ceiling. The floor, wall, and ceiling were all smooth and polished. Due to the slight wetness of the rocks, reflections of light emanated from them. From the distance, the pillar could be seen extending up from the ground. In all honestly, the Goblin Camp looked more like a natural wonder than a camp for hideous creatures.

    The time for sightseeing was not now as twenty-five Goblins spawned and attacked us. Hawk and I moved anticipating the attacks and prevented the Goblins from penetrating to the back Party.

    With the addition of Sylvie and Crow, we adapted our formation to their presence. I moved to the front of the formation to better improve the close range fighting for our Party.

    From the back end, Sylvie shot arrow after arrow in great speeds with perfect accuracy. When Hawk used Skadi¡¯s Caress, Sylvie capitalized immediately and timed her arrows to cancel the animations of the Goblins. While I had mostly gotten used to cancelling Enemy animations, doing it with arrows still proved too hard for me because of the delay between shooting the arrow and it landing; however, Sylvie did this without much effort.

    Sylvie¡¯s bow differed greatly from my Basic Bow in that the design was more beautiful. According to her, her Bow was an Artifact Rarity Bow named Skyreach. The Bow was yellow with a line of brown flowing down through it. Jewels lay at the end of the bow, one blue and one yellow. Around both jewels were pure white feathers of uniform sizes.

    Canary performed as she usually did. As Hawk told her to always do, she held back on her use of Mana to reserve some for later.

    Due to the sheer number of Goblins, even Hawk and I could not avoid every attack. Thankfully, Crow¡¯s Ability Shadow Heal as a Dark Priest worked best against weaker attacks. Shadow Heal was a relatively weak AOE Heal.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Shadow Heal healed around 3% of Hawk¡¯s and Sylvie¡¯s Health and 2% of Canary¡¯s and my Health per casting. Due to the Priest¡¯s high Mana pool, Mana consumption wasn¡¯t the greatest issue, but Hawk told Crow to no consume more than a third of her Mana, six Shadow Heals.

    Two Goblins attacked our Party from behind, but Sylvie shot one of them down before it could reach us. She then switched into dual-wielding Knives and struck down the other one as easily as Hawk would. Her Knives were Rare Rarity Knives called White Knives. As their name may imply, the blade of the Knives were white as snow. The blades did not appear to be sharp at a glance, but in truth they sliced through Goblins like hot knife on butter. The hilt was made of light brown wood of high quality.

    Sylvie could not only attack from both melee and range, she could also cast a variety of Elven magic.

    When one of the Goblins managed to break through and approach the mages, Sylvie casted Elven Spell: Immobilize on it, inflicting the Status Effect: Immobilized.

    Immobilize prevented the victim from changing its location. While it could still attack freely, it was stuck in place, making it effective against enemies without range attacks.

    When Crow¡¯s healing failed to be sufficient due to the high number of attacks, Sylvie utilized Prayer, a healing spell to top us off. When Skadi¡¯s Caress was used, Sylvie would occasionally use Ray, a damaging spell, to continue to animation cancelling. After one of the Goblins reached close range to Canary, Sylvie casted Disarm to inflict the Status Effect: Disable on the Goblin.

    Disable prevented the victim from attacking. While it could still move around, it was incapable of attacking, but it could still use Abilities.

    Both Status Effects wore off after an amount of time.

    According to Sylvie, Elves innately held insanely high Mana that they never worried about spending it all. Those of direct descent of Elven royalty had very close to infinite Mana that would never run out even if the Elf spent days using Elven Spells.

    Most Elves were proficient with Elven Spells to differing extents. The strength of Sylvie¡¯s Spells were said to be average among the Elves.

    Sylvie could also use a higher tier of Elven Spells known as Ancient Elven Spells. Ancient Elven Spells directly altered reality by creating, changing, or removing the laws of nature. Unlike normal Elven Spells, Ancient Elven Spells held unbelievable high Mana costs that only some of the Elven royalty could afford. Even with their near infinite Mana, Ancient Elven Spells drained their Mana at a rapid rate. Using an Ancient Elven Spell consumed around 70% of Sylvie¡¯s Mana, so she refrained from using them.

    After we defeated the initial attack, more Goblins emerged and rushed towards us.

    ¡°Everyone, gather together!¡± commanded Hawk.

    As ordered, we grouped in reaching distance to one another. We were in a triangular formation with Hawk and I in the front and Sylvie in the back. Canary and Crow stayed in the relative safety in the middle.

    We slowly inched our way closer to the pillar in the middle while maintaining the formation. Canary¡¯s Electron Overcharge covered the gap in our formation.

    The Goblin waves never ended. We killed Goblin after Goblin, but with each slain, more came. Unless we took out the pillar, the Goblin forces would not stop.

    The pressure of the attacks began to take its toll on us. Canary and Crow were forced to waste more Mana than desired. As we reached halfway towards the pillar, I saw a group of Goblins in the distance from the corner of my eye. Unlike the normal Goblins, these Goblins held bows.

    ¡°Tch¡­¡± grunted Hawk as he noticed the same thing I did.

    As the Goblin Archers moved closer to begin aiming at us, I abandoned defending against the nearby Goblins and switched to my bow and shooting at them.

    After all this time in Reality, my accuracy with Bows had improved greatly compared to when I began. I shot at the Goblins before they began shooting at us. This was not because my Bow held greater range than the Goblins¡¯ Bows. The range was created by skill. While the system assisted in the firing of Bows in a certain range, shooting beyond the system assist range was possible. I could hit stationary around 1.5 times further than the assisted range with reliable accuracy. Sylvie could hit over four times further than the assist range

    Seeing this, Sylvie immediately changed positions with me and chose to shoot down the Goblin Archers. I instead began fighting the Goblins behind us. Unlike in the beginning, the Goblins behind us were comparable in number to the one in front of us because we were in the middle of the Camp.

    The pressure of fending off the Goblins was enormous. Even with Canary¡¯s perfect control of multiple Electron Overcharges covering our blind spots, fending off over thirty Goblins alone was unbelievable difficult. At any moment in time, there were at least fifty Goblins attempting to attack us.

    Things went from bad to worse when the Goblin Archers finally got in range for us. Due to their sheer number, even Sylvie could not shoot them all down before they reached us. They began firing at us at will. Crow was forced to cast Shadow Heal upon cooldown to maintain our life. Our only saving grace was that it was easier for Sylvie to use Prayer when using a Bow compared to using Knives.

    As the battle went on, our Health slowly whittled down even with all the healing, yet we continued inching closer and closer towards the pillar. While things looked good for a moment when Sylvie killed all the Goblin Archers, the good news dissapitated quickly as another group of Goblin Archer with the same number as the previous group spawned from the same location and began chasing after us.

    ¡°Leave one of the Goblin Archer alive!¡± ordered Hawk to Sylvie. While she did not have the time to think why, the reason was obvious. The second group of Goblin Archers only spawned after the entire initial group was eliminated.

    Thanks to this, the damage inflicted by the Goblin Archers reduced dramatically. We reached the mud pit with around 60% Health each.

    As we did, more Goblins rose from the mud pit. At this point, over a hundred Goblins were in existence. Our pace slowed down even further as the pillar was within reach.

    On the top of the pillar appeared another Goblin. On its head, I could make out words Elder Goblin. On his hands was a staff, which he held out. He began chanting in an unfamiliar language from the top of pillar. Upon hearing the chant, the Goblins began attacking faster and more relentlessly. Our movement towards the pillar completely halted due to the strengthened attacks.

    ¡°I¡¯m going for the Elder Goblin.¡± I said.

    I did not wait for Hawk¡¯s permission and immediately use Fade Walk and ran as fast as I could to the pillar. While doing this was risky, it was better than slowly dying to the waves of Goblins. I snuck my way through the small gaps between the dozens of Goblins in the way.

    I reached the base of the pillar and jumped as high as I could. The pillar was made of rotting wood and had the diameter of an average tree. While the pillar was too high to reach the top in one jump, I managed to stab my sword into the pillar around a third from the top from the tops at the peak of my jump. From there, I grabbed on to the pillar and finished the rest of the height with the second jump.

    I was greeted with a fireball at my face. Upon reaching the top, the Goblin had almost completed using a fireball spell. According to Sylvie, Goblins had their own form of magic known as Goblic. It seemed the Elder Goblin could see me even while invisible. With only forty-three percent Health left, taking this spell would put me in critical condition if not kill me. Aside from that, getting hit at this height would throw me back down the pillar without invisibility into the Goblin army.

    However, I held no fear. I attacked the Elder Goblin without hesitance. The fireball was interrupted. I knew this would happen. While I myself could not interrupt spells, Hawk¡¯s Skadi¡¯s Caress could. Hawk used Skadi¡¯s Caress on the Elder Goblin when I reached it. While he probably couldn¡¯t see the Goblics being casted, using Skadi¡¯s Caress on the Elder Goblin was the best strategy regardless since it was the main target we had to kill.

    Within the duration of Skadi¡¯s Caress, I beat down and killed the Elder Goblin. The Elder Goblin was no sturdier than an average Goblin. The only difference was its ability to cast Goblics.

    As I killed the Elder Goblin, the Goblins began climbing up the pillar with great speeds. I began slashing away at the pillar below me as quickly as I could. Noticing this change in aggro, my teammates immediately shifted focus to the pillar and attacked it will all their strength and Mana, ignoring all evasion and relying completely on Crow¡¯s healing.

    We managed to destroy the pillar before any of us fell into critical Health. Hawk and I were at a third or so Health and the rest were at one-fourth Health. When the pillar¡¯s Health turned zero, the Goblins fell to the ground paralyzed.

    The pillar collapsed as I was on top of it, throwing me off balance and causing me to fall back down. While I¡¯m not sure of the exact the damage of falling from this height into the ground, I did not want to risk in anyway. I tried my best to regain my form, but it proved futile as not only the pillar but the entire cave was collapsing. The rocks falling from the ceiling prevented me from correcting my form as I fell closer to the ground.

    Hawk caught me with his hand spread out, but we fell into the ground regardless and lost 7% of our Health. Without wasting any time, Hawk stood up and grasped my hand tightly and we, along with our teammates, made a beeline towards the entrance. As we ran, we watched the cave collapse around us, burying the paralyzed Goblins with it.

    Unlike movies where the protagonists always escaped at the nick of time, we reached the exit with seconds to spare. As we jumped out of the Goblin camp, we waited for half a minute until it collapsed entirely. The camp caved in on itself and the entrance was sealed up with soil.

    Looking at the time, we spent over two hours in the Goblin camp. The stars had already taken the sky, but the moon was yet to be seen.

    As we were about to relax ourselves, Hawk, who was still holding my hand, appeared to realize something and said, ¡°We need to hurry back.¡±

    No one understood the reason of what he said, but we trusted him and followed regardless. With one statement, Hawk brought back the adrenaline from escaping the Goblin camp. We ran back towards the Elven Camp at maximum speed for an unknown reason. As we reached the Elven Camp, Hawk finally let go of my hand in surprise, and we realized the reason for returning.

    [Priest]

    A job specializing on supporting allies with Magic.

    Stats: Health: ** Mana: ***** Attack: * Defense: **

    Magic: **** Resistance: ** ** Speed: *** Dexterity: **

    Usable Weapons: Staves, Rods, Books

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment, Mage Equipment

    [Shadow Heal]

    Restores a small amount of Health to all nearby allies. Ignores Status Effect: Undead.

    Range: Multi-Target, within four meter radius of the user.

    Cooldown: 5 Seconds

 Chapter 25: Assistance of the Elven

    Sylvie POV

    I could not believe I was at the Elven Camp. Instead of the familiar faces I expected, the camp was filled with Goblins ravaging about. Many Elves had already fallen and some tents burned. The capable and healthy Elves remaining helped evacuate the injured and fend off the Goblins, but they were unable to contain the sheer number of the Goblins. The attackers not only composed of regular Goblins and Goblin Archers, but also Black Goblins. Black Goblins held the same characteristics as regular Goblins except for their darker skin and higher health, speed, and power.

    We fought our way to find Salvador fighting in the front lines.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°A Goblin Camp appeared in the middle of the Elven Camp. Hordes of Goblins are coming out from it.¡± explained Father.

    ¡°This is even worse than I expected¡­¡± uttered Hawk in an irritated tone.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I considered the possibility of at least one Goblin Camp that couldn¡¯t be detected when you mentioned about the empty Goblin Camp you sealed. But for the Goblin Camp in the Elven Camp itself¡­¡±

    If the hidden Goblin Camp were in a different location, we could probably make it in time, but because it was directly in the camp, we were too late.

    ¡°This Elven Camp is over with¡­ we will fight to buy as much time as possible for the medics to evacuate the injured.¡±

    ¡°You will die before you can evacuate everyone!¡± exclaimed Hawk in an unusual angry tone.

    ¡°I know. That is why I will request you to take Sylvie with you and get back to Naut City.¡±

    I wanted to refuse. I hated Father¡¯s decision, but I had no choice but to respect it. Even I could see that the evacuation had no option but failure. The only logical option was to run. Hawk¡¯s silence implied that he would follow Father¡¯s request as well. The other Players were likely thinking about the options we had, but they could not think of any at all.

    Hawk did not speak a word as we moved a distance away from Salvador while continuing to fight. After two minutes, Hawk finally broke the silence.

    ¡°Is there an Ancient Elven Spell for Invisibility?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s called Lover¡¯s Isolation. It allows the user and one other person to become invisible. Unlike other invisibility, attacking or using Abilities did not disable the invisibility, but of course, enemies will realize your presence and attempt to attack if you do.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Tch¡­ Only one. I don¡¯t want to do this. But I guess I have no choice. Can you use it now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But I just used Betrayer¡¯s Word this afternoon, so I would no longer be able to even cast Elven Spells after I do.¡±

    ¡°Sigh... we¡¯ll use it to sneak into the Goblin Camp and destroy the pillar.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous!¡± Canary immediately reacted.

    Even with five people, the Goblin Camp was already difficult, yet Hawk wanted to tackle the Goblin Camp with only two people, not to mention that I could not fight at full potential and the Goblins here were more powerful.

    ¡°But if we succeed, it is the path that minimizes casualties.¡±

    ¡°Can I trust you on this?¡± I asked Hawk.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Replied Hawk with a resolute tone.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it.¡± I betted.

    Hawk smirked and whispered, ¡°There¡¯s no difference. In either world, you do not need to be confident. You just have to make people think you¡¯re confident.¡±

    We fought our way towards the entrance of the Goblin Camp. When Father noticed, this he simply placed his hand on his face and shook his head in dismay.

    I began casting Lover¡¯s Isolation. While concentrating on the spell, I could still hear the others talking on the background.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± said Canary in an obviously faked cheerful tone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± said Crow with the same indifferent voice.

    Before Dove could speak, Hawk interrupted her and said, ¡°Dove. Can I embrace you before I go?¡±

    While Hawk words seemed like a joke, his tone was serious.

    Dove took a deep breath and replied with a smile, ¡°No. You can embrace me once you return.¡±

    Hawk appeared quite surprised by Dove¡¯s reply and remained silent. After finishing the casting, I found Hawk smiling.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± these were the words Hawk said before we turned invisible.

    The rest of the Party aided the evacuation to minimize casualties and for worst-case scenario that we failed.

    Because Lover¡¯s Isolation did not conceal the targets from touch, we made sure that we would not come into contact with the Goblins. Naturally, we grabbed unto the walls and moved slowly and steadily deeper.

    Once we reached the open area, things became much easier. Goblins no longer occupied every nook and cranny of the camp. We reached the mud pit without many difficulties.

    While the mud pit would not hinder our movements, the mud would alert the Goblins of our presence. While most of the Goblins the Player¡¯s fought were unthinking mindless creatures, intelligent Goblins did exist. In fact, Goblin Knights and the Goblins above them were said to be as smart as Elven royalty. Due to the relatively higher level of this Goblin Camp than the others, an intelligent Goblin definitely dwelled here.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Our thoughts were interrupted when a Goblin approached us from the Mud Pit. The Goblin was fully equipped with a sword, shield, helmet, and armor. It was a Goblin Knight.

    ¡°~!@#$%^&*()_+¡± said the Goblin in its tongue.

    ¡°What did he say?¡± asked Hawk.

    The Goblin tongue-Gobledgack- was a language understood by all Goblins regardless of their stupidity. Ever since the war against the Goblins, Elves thoroughly researched the Goblin culture and Gobledgack lessons were available in Elven Schools. I personally had learned about the language and can understand but not speak it.

    ¡°He said, ¡®I may be only talking to the air like an idiot, but I¡¯m sure one of the Elves could use Ancient Elven Spells.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m attacking the Goblin Knight. Head straight for the pillar.¡± said Hawk.

    As I was about to question whether he could defeat the Goblin Knight, I hesitated due to the sheer excitement Hawk showed. Without waiting for my reply, he drew his swords and leapt towards the Goblin Knight.

    Hawk used Skadi¡¯s Caress in the last moments before he landed and fired off a barrage of attacks with his surprise attack, removing a third of the Goblin Knight¡¯s Health.

    Taking advantage of this, I ran immediately towards the pillar and started attacking away at it.

    The other Goblins had realized our presence and changed their targets to Hawk. He smirked and continued to fight the Goblin Knight to a stalemate. Neither could land a hit on the other.

    Before the other Goblins could draw close to Hawk, I had destroyed the pillar. All the Goblins went into their paralyzed state after this as the camp began collapsing. However, one Goblin continued fighting. The Goblin Knight remained unaffected by the pillar¡¯s collapse and continued fighting Hawk and prevented our escape.

    Assisting Hawk, I went after the Goblin Knight as well. As I did, the Goblin Knight screeched. I lost sight of my surroundings. Everything became pitch black. All I could hear were sounds of Health damage away from me.

    As time went on, more and more sounds of blades clashing reached my ears. I realized what happened. This was¡­ an Ancient Elven Spell: Cheater¡¯s Curse. This spell inflicted Status Effect: Blind to all nearby enemies if the enemies outnumbered the user. Cheater¡¯s Curse bypassed the target¡¯s resistance and immunity to Blind and was uncurable. The only way to remove it was having the caster remove it or killing the caster.

    So why? Why was a Goblin capable of using Ancient Elven Spells? As the questioned bogged my mind, my sight finally returned to me.

    Dove POV

    Minutes after the camp began collapsing Hawk and Sylvie returned. As we ran closer towards them, Hawk immediately embraced me tightly.

    I did say I would do so, but it was hard to breath due to how tight he was holding me. As I considered pushing him away a little, I noticed his hands on my back. They were trembling. While his face did not show it, Hawk was afraid. It was likely he was trying to hide his fear from the other people.

    ¡°That thing the Goblin used felt the same as when you used an Ancient Elven Spell?¡± asked Hawk with an uncharacteristic irritated tone.

    ¡°Yes. That was without a doubt Cheater¡¯s Curse, an Ancient Elven Spell.¡± replied Sylvie with a panicked face.

    ¡°So why the hell can a Goblin use it?¡± asked Hawk in an angry tone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± replied Sylvie.

    Sylvie was not in a proper state of mind. She couldn¡¯t understand why a Goblin could use an Ancient Elven Spell. Sylvie merely stood there not knowing what to do or think.

    ¡°Stop! Sylvie is tired don¡¯t pester her any further.¡±

    Soon after, the other Parties returned and found the Elven Camp in shambles. Hawk explained what happened and the other Parties apologized for being unable to help. Including us, the Players helped in the reestablishment of the Elven Camp.

    As the night grew deeper, more and more Parties returned back to Naut City. By midnight, we were all that remained. Crow had returned with the other Parties as well.

    As Canary helped out in the camp reestablishment in her own little ways, Hawk and I used the Tent we had bought a few days prior beside the River in the Elven Camp.

    ¡°We need to talk.¡± I said.

    Hawk nodded in compliance. We entered the tent and locked the entrance to prevent people from overhearing us.

    ¡°It is not like you to get angered or be afraid. What happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I almost died.¡± answered Hawk frankly.

    ¡°Even so, it¡¯s still not like you. When we fought the Sewerberus, you weren¡¯t like this.¡±

    ¡°Let me phrase that again. I survived by luck.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to understand, just stay by my side.¡±

    I instinctively slapped Hawk without thinking of the repercussions. Instead of being hurt, he instead showed a face of surprise.

    ¡°Why did you slap me?¡±

    ¡°Are you stupid?! What do you mean I don¡¯t need to understand! Stop taking everything by yourself! I¡¯m here to help you.¡±

    ¡°Telling you won¡¯t change anything.¡±

    A logical answer. I knew it was coming. Hawk could argue his way through any conflict with perfect twisted logic.

    ¡°But it will surely make you feel better! At least let me share the burden of knowledge!¡± I exclaimed.

    Continuing to look at me with a surprised face, Hawk finally gave in and said with a smile, ¡°I guess I can¡¯t win against you.¡±

    Hawk moved and sat beside me and explained, ¡°After the Sewerberus fight, the fear did not come to me because I won through my own skill and effort. Even if I were to do it multiple times again, I would always emerge victorious.¡±

    At this point, I already understood what Hawk was getting at. He stopped speaking and looked at me waiting for me to continue the conversation.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°You can already figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Who knows whether my guess is correct?¡±

    ¡°After being blinded by the Ancient Elven Spell, I did my best to predict the Goblin¡¯s attacks and fought as hard as possible, yet my Health slowly lowered without being able to counter attack back. I only won in the end because the rocks falling from the ceiling never landed on me but on the Goblin as well as forcing the Goblin to move in a more predictable way.¡±

    You fought a high-level Goblin without sight. Wait, if the cave was collapsing, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear properly either. Are you for real?

    Hawk moved even closer to me and rested his head on my shoulders.

    ¡°If it happens again, then I don¡¯t think I can survive. That is why I was afraid. That is why I blamed Sylvie. I kept thinking that if she helped me instead of standing there confused, I wouldn¡¯t be at risk of dying.¡±

    I held his hand. Unlike the other times when Hawk grabbed my hand, our fingers intertwined. The heartbeat from his palms transmitted to me. It beat faster than any other heartbeat I ever felt.

    ¡°But you survived. That¡¯s all that matters. Just try harder next time.¡±

    Smiling at me, Hawk said, ¡°Maybe I should trust my luck more. After all, she brought you to the same city as I and now saved me from death.¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t completely rely on her. The only person you¡¯re allowed to completely rely on is me.¡± I answered in a joking town.

    ¡°Is it alright? To share my burdens with you?¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t need you to share it. I want you to share it.¡±

 Chapter 26: Elven Companion

    Dove POV

    ¡°So you¡¯re returning to Alfheim?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Yes. In a few days after the camp is rebuilt. Once again, thank you very much. We don¡¯t even have anything to give you.¡± said Salvador as he bowed to us.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m acquiring a cute Elven maid thanks to you.¡± joked Hawk.

    ¡°Are you sure you are okay about taking in Sylvie?¡± reaffirmed Salvador.

    ¡°Yes. Although I¡¯m not letting her participate in any battles and clear Quests. Sylvie will only do what Characters do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. In fact, that¡¯s far better. But... I would like to request as her father¡­ don¡¯t do¡­ sexu-¡±

    Seeing Hawk grinning devilishly as Salvador stammered at his words and Sylvie blushed, I interjected, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t permit anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Hawk and I left Salvador¡¯s tent. It was already two in the morning. The Elves were mostly asleep. The Elven Camp was quiet. Only the creaks of the insects and the breeze filled our ears.

    ¡°This is the second time we met someone who is left by her father.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, it¡¯s pretty amusing.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we meet any mothers? Reality is sexist.¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­¡±

    As we continued walking back to our tent, I decided to bring up a personal topic to Hawk, ¡°Do you have any other purpose for wanting to go back aside from this not being reality?¡±

    No matter how you looked at it, Hawk fitted Reality better. Unlike the real world where he had a hard time conform to the illogical parts of society¡¯s standards, Reality¡¯s standards, both physical and social, were far more sensical. Also, I knew of Hawk¡¯s hopelessly broken family, which was one the reasons he was overprotective of his friends.

    ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t have a family to return to¡­ no, I don¡¯t have a family worth returning to. I even hesitate to call it a family. The only thing that binds us is blood. Otherwise, they are nothing but acquaintances to me.¡±

    ¡°So if Reality turns out to not be a game but actual reality, you will stay here?¡±

    ¡°Actually, scratch that, I remembered a reason for me to return.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    ¡°I have mistakes I want to fix in real life.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always so negative when in come to personal things. Can¡¯t you be positive for once?¡±

    ¡°I want a child.¡±

    Surprised by his proposal, I thought about the best way to answer and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but there¡¯s a proper order for that.¡±

    Hawk stared at me in confusion for a while. Did I say something wrong?

    Hawk giggled and replied, ¡°I meant one of the reasons for wanting to go back is that I want a child in the future since female Players can¡¯t get pregnant here and Players are not compatible with Characters.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I misunderstood.¡±

    As we approached the tent, I saw Hawk having a huge smile on his face. I did not bother to inquire into reason for his smile and walked silently besides him.

    When we returned, Canary was sleeping soundly at the tent. Her snore was of the peaceful kind rather than distracting kind, so it did not bother us.

    Tents used by Player were bigger in the inside. It held enough space for a dozen people to be in plus a bathroom. Tents¡¯ bathroom was the dimensional type of Inn bathroom. The rest of the space was an empty carpeted area aside from the sleeping bags stored in one corner.

    We cleaned ourselves and changed our clothes. We lay down on each side of Canary. Hawk gently brushed Canary¡¯s hair then looked at me and said, ¡°Although it¡¯s technically morning, good night.¡±

    I smiled and said back, ¡°Good night and sweet dreams.¡±

    Sylvie POV

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going.¡± said Father.

    Father had already told me of his plans. While I may not agree with them, I acknowledged they were our best course of action.

    Father gave me one last kiss on the forehead before leaving to save us. I hesitantly stood there watching Father go out of my reach.

    As I was on the verge of tears, an Elf beside me said, ¡°Sylvie¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t be weak at a time like this. I forced a smile and looked back at them. While they could probably tell that the smile was fake, this was all I could do for them.

    June 23,XX17

    Sylvie

    ¡°Do I really have to wear this?¡± I asked awkwardly moving about. Hawk forced me to wear an English maid attire. The black costume was filled with white frills all over. My Elven ears peeked out from my headdress. While I wasn¡¯t a fan cosplay, their reactions implied that I looked pretty.

    ¡°You¡¯re very cute, Sylvie!¡± exclaimed Canary, her hands in the air in excitement.

    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re in the house, please wear that. You¡¯re free to do anything you want for the day. Just make sure to come back before dinner. Also, please cook our dinners for us. I¡¯ll give you the budget for food.¡± said Hawk.

    It was already five in the afternoon. We returned to Naut City this morning but ARF were too tired to do anything, so they continued resting for most of the afternoon.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you very much. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± I said and bowed.

    As I changed my clothes to leave the house to buy ingredients for dinner, Dove, having nothing better to do, decided to tag along.

    We bid our farewells and left. Players were looking at me. Their eyes weren¡¯t malicious but still disturbing.

    ¡°Looks like everyone is looking at us.¡± said Dove sighing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault.¡± I apologized.

    While I had not talk to her much, I could tell that Dove was easily annoyed. Although the annoyance disappeared quickly, I still feared her a little. Dove acted differently when alone with Hawk and Canary. With them, she was more cheerful and energetic. While she is still easily annoyed, she always laughed it off in the end. To other people, Dove spoke in a colder tone. While her smile and energy remained, she didn¡¯t seem to enjoy mingling with other people.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m blaming you or anything. I guess guys just like their beautiful blonde Elf fantasies.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Father told me that many first generation Players wanted to marry Elves because they wanted us to be their treasures.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. I¡¯d like to apologize on behalf of Hawk for forcing you into that maid costume.¡±

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s really cute, so I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s really cute. I¡¯m a little bit jealous.¡±

    ¡°No need to be jealous. Dove is far cuter than--¡±

    ¡°Stop it.¡± interrupted Dove in an angry tone. Her eyebrows furred in anger as she her eyes sharpened at me.

    After a few seconds, Dove took a deep breath and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t say flattering lies. That is one of the things I hate the most. Hawk hates them as well.¡±

    Dove didn¡¯t seem to be angry anymore so I relaxed quite a bit.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±

    Due to my history in the politics of Alfheim, I always flattered and kept a fa?ade when meeting those of royal or noble blood. I instinctively reacted to Dove¡¯s words, yet she was greatly angered by this. I had a lot to learn in my new place.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Since I was an Elf of royal blood, my beauty was high even amongst the beautiful Elves, which were already considered far better looking than humans. From the humans, both Players and Character, I¡¯ve met, Dove¡¯s beauty could be said to be above average. In terms of cuteness, I¡¯d say Dove¡¯s was quite high.

    We arrived at the marketplace without trouble; both Players and Characters were wandering around here. Interestingly, the Characters were of mixed genders, but the Players were mostly female.

    Noisy, damp, crowded; the few words used to describe marketplaces held true for the Naut City market as well. While small compared to Alfheim, Naut City would be considered a large city. Of course, the same was true for its marketplace as well, which were proportionate to the size of the city.

    ¡°There are a lot of female Players here.¡± I mentioned.

    ¡°In our world, cooking was more of a girl thing.¡± explained Dove.

    In Reality, both Father and Mother cooked in a standard family. Instead of job segregation, they instead let whoever was more convenient do it.

    ¡°Do you know how to cook?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Only basic stuff. Nothing complicated.¡±

    From an early age, I was taught how to cook my Father. Despite being an illegitimate child, I was still of royal blood, so I was confined in Father¡¯s mansion for most of my childhood, giving me ample time to learn cooking.

    As I went around choosing what to buy, Dove quietly observed my actions. She frequently asked questions about food and cooking. She seemed quite interested in cooking.

    ¡°Liza!¡± said Dove. As we were buying materials to cook, Dove recognized a Character shopping as well.

    A blonde girl turned upon hearing Dove. When she saw Dove, a smile appeared on her face and she ran towards us.

    ¡°Liza thought you didn¡¯t cook much?¡± asked Liza.

    ¡°This Elf is staying with us. In exchange, she is working as our maid.¡± replied Dove casually. Dove was using her tone with Hawk and Canary and not her outside one.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Sylvie.¡± I greeted.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. Liza¡¯s name is Liza.¡±

    Liza referred to herself with her name similar to Selena. Of course, she did not add self-praising adjectives like she did.

    Liza tagged along with our remaining shopping trip. She was also quite knowledgeable about cooking, so Dove asked her some questions as well.

    Liza and I talked a fair bit as well. Although I was an Elf, she treated me like a normal person and happily chatted away with Dove and me.

    At around six, we parted ways and returned to our house. We invited Liza to join us for dinner but she politely declined.

    As we passed by the Plaza, a large poster acquired our attention.

    Swordmaster Tournament

    Who: Second generation Players

    What: Single-elimination Duels, Only Swords, Items banned

    When: July 1, XX

    Where: Naut City Plaza

    Why: Grand prize: Chorale, Lightning Element Artifact Rarity Sword

    Runner-up Prize: Diamond Sword, Wind Element Rare Rarity Sword

    3<sup>rd</sup>: Silver Sword, Metal Element Uncommon Sword

    How: Apply in the Equipment Shop before June 30

    ¡°Joining?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t see why not.¡±

    Dove took a few smaller copies of the poster found besides the large poster to bring home. Dove was quite excited about the tournament. I noticed since her steps became lighter and quicker.

    Canary POV

    At our backyard Hawk and I were in Duel. Currently, ten Electron Overcharges chased Hawk around. Despite his limited space to move due to Electron Overcharges, Hawk chased me without cornering himself.

    After thinking up a new way to corner Hawk, I moved my Electron Overcharges into position; however, the instant I moved them for my new strategy, Hawk immediately figured out how I was going to corner him and changed course.

    We had been repeating this cycle for quite some time now. Continuing this situation would lead to my defeat. Even ignoring Hawk¡¯s better stamina, no matter how used to it I may be, controlling multiple Electron Overcharges still used a lot of my energy.

    Trying to predict how Hawk would react, I moved the Electron Overcharges to block his path; however, the attempt proved futile because Hawk calculated the path to avoid the Electron Overcharges far faster than I could.

    The distance between us grew smaller. Thanks to the innate Mana regeneration, I could already create an eleventh Electron Overcharge, but the eleventh was when issues began to arise when controlling them.

    While the eleventh Electron Overcharge stopped Hawk from closing the distance, after a few seconds, I made a mistake in the control of one of the Electron Overcharges. Hawk immediately realized this and ended the Duel.

    Exhausted, I sat down and said, ¡°I really can¡¯t beat you.¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯re amazing enough. Mage-types generally have a disadvantage in Duels because of their slow and fragile nature. Unless the mage-type can completely bring the enemy from full to zero instantly at the beginning of the Duel, which no one can in Naut City as of now.¡±

    ¡°I could¡¯ve won if I could control more Electron Overcharges.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Twelve would limit my space too much that there would be no more way to reach you. Don¡¯t worry about it. The Crimson Swords Priest with a similar ability can only control three at a time perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    While Hawk tried to cheer me up, I still felt sad. Although I was amazing compared to the other Player, it was not enough to defeat Hawk. In truth, I did not want to become stronger than Hawk. I wanted fight besides him for the rest of Reality. However, I had to become stronger, and trying to defeat Hawk, even though I don¡¯t want to and don¡¯t think I can, was the best path to take.

    ¡°Hawk, Canary, I¡¯m back.¡± said Sylvie as she came to the backyard.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Dove?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Come with me.¡± replied Sylvie with a mischievous smile.

    We were led to the one-person room in the second floor. Sylvie had us wait outside and entered without closing the door.

    ¡°Why do I have to show them?¡± complained Dove from inside the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Hawk will be pleased.¡±

    ¡°But I look weird!¡±

    Hawk and I looked at each other with puzzled faces. After a while, Sylvie pushed Dove out of the room.

    Dove was wearing the same clothes as Sylvie. In other words, she was wearing a maid costume. Her face glowed red in embarrassment and her eyes avoided contact with us.

    The maid outfit complimented Dove more than Sylvie. While Sylvie was still immensely attractive in her maid outfit because of her natural beauty, Dove¡¯s attractiveness increased far more due to the maid outfit. This was the first time I was attracted to Dove¡¯s appearance since I was used to seeing my sister. I wanted to grow up with her as my maid.

    Beside me, Hawk¡¯s jaw dropped with his eyes glued at Dove. He stare was not of malice but of adoration.

    ¡°How could you this even though you sometimes seem scared of me?¡± complained Dove.

    ¡°It makes Hawk happy.¡± replied Sylvie.

    While she respected us greatly as Hawk¡¯s Party and became friends with us, deep down, Sylvie¡¯s loyalty lay on Hawk alone. Even so, I felt happy that Sylvie was now less awkward with us. Even though she is freeloading here, there was no need for her to act in a professional manner all the time.

    ¡°So!? Hurry up and comment on it so I can change now!¡± said Dove to Hawk in an annoyed yet embarrassed tone.

    ¡°Please wear that forever.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°I refuse!¡± screamed Dove as she angrily marched back into the room.

    Before Dove could close the door, Hawk interjected, ¡°It suits you extremely well. It compliments your appearance perfectly by emphasizing your cuteness.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Dove in a calm manner as she closed the door and changed.

    Since she was facing away from us, I could not see Dove¡¯s face; however, I¡¯m pretty sure she was very pleased by Hawk¡¯s compliments. That line gave Hawk a lot of points in his quest for Dove.

    At seven, we gathered at the dining table for dinner. After a few seconds, Sylvie brought a whole roasted chicken and a pot of soup. The roasted chicken¡¯s skin glowed brightly from the oil. When I poked it with a fork, it juices flowed out from the hole. Sylvie served the soup. It was an assorted seafood soup with clams, shrimps, crabs, and squids.

    The food tasted far better than even the restaurant we frequented. It was a taste only found in the first-class restaurants in the real world.

    ¡°Come eat with us.¡± said Dove to Sylvie, noticing her standing there.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s alright.¡± declined Sylvie.

    ¡°I insist as well.¡± said Hawk.

    Sylvie gave in and ate with us. We gulped down bite after bite. In the end, we finished all that was cooked. According to Sylvie, the entire meal only cost 25 Fitts.

    ¡°I¡¯m stuffed.¡± said Hawk as he stretched out his arms.

    ¡°I might get fat if Sylvie continues cooking like this.¡± joked Dove.

    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll try to makes take into account your diet. Don¡¯t worry; it won¡¯t affect the tastiness of the food.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± said Dove.

    ¡°Oh yeah, Hawk did you see the flier I left at the table.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s join.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Yes. What happens when we have to fight each other though?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll win.¡± answered Hawk.

    Dove changed into a serious face and said, ¡°You hate flattery, so you believe what you said. Could you explain what you said because I don¡¯t think I am stronger than you?¡±

    ¡°I can probably defeat a larger number of Players than you in Duels, but my fighting style probably fails miserably against yours.¡±

    ¡°My fighting style? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything special about it¡­¡±

    ¡°I just can¡¯t predict it perfectly. No matter what, there will be something different between what I predict and what actually happens.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal?¡±

    ¡°No. Considering how much time we fight together, I should¡¯ve memorized your fighting patterns already, yet my predictions on other Players like Swan, Blitz, and Zoe are more accurate¡±

    ¡°You can predict Swan?¡± asked Dove, suddenly changing the topic.

    ¡°Yes. Being able to predict her doesn¡¯t mean anything if you can¡¯t do anything to take advantage of it.¡±

    Hawk¡¯s words reminded me of the Duel we had. When there were eleven Electron Overcharges, even though he could predict everything perfectly, he still couldn¡¯t close the distance between us. Even though Hawk intelligence brought him further than a person with average fighting skill could even dream of, it still had its limits.

    I now realized why Hawk Dueled random Players he didn¡¯t know a lot. Since he naturally learns about the enemy¡¯s fighting patterns, he had to keep finding new Players so he could improve his fighting skills as well. He probably never Duels Dove because although his predictions are inaccurate, he still analyzed her far more than any other person, so he could not stop himself from using intelligence instead of skill to defeat her.

    We went to bed soon after that. Sylvie requested that she stay by herself in the single room, so Hawk allowed her to. We slept at the master¡¯s bedroom side by side with me in the center as usual.

 Side Chapter: Of Elves, Angels, and Demons

    ¡°Wake up. Kard.¡± a familiar voice brought me back to the waked world. I pulled myself up and found Ghlit in my room. Her eyes brimmed with surprise and excitement.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Ghlit brought me to the Reality Chamber. The Reality Chamber was a room filled with numerous television screens. From here, the Nine Elemental Gods monitored Reality.

    ¡°The Elven Camp¡­ survived.¡± I said. According to the script, after the Players sealed the Goblin Camps, they would return finding the Elven Camp destroyed by Goblins with no survivors. The surviving Elves would disband and work for bottom jobs at Naut City, yet the screen showed the survival of majority. I watched the replay of what happened.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± I said. While there was no problem for the system since it could easily adapt to the changes, the overall plotline could be heavily altered due to this. Even during the time we were Players, not once did we go against the normal plot.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Also, four of the Seven Demon Lords are getting impatient. Especially since Caliburn has been discovered already but yet to be taken.¡±

    ¡°Four? Excluding the three owned by the Gods. Doesn¡¯t Zebul¡¯s Sting have an owner already?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, the one bound to Beelzebub has completely fallen into Beelzebub¡¯s control. Even from the beginning we all knew that Player did not have the mental fortitude of remaining sane while wielding Zebul¡¯s Sting. You especially since you wield two Swords with the Demon Lords¡¯ powers. You know how taxing it is mentally and emotionally to wield them.¡±

    ¡°Make sure Beelzebub, Belphegor, Asmodues, and Mammon do not interfere with our plans. Do not let them find too many incapable wielders of their cursed Swords and leading these wielders to insanity.¡±

    ¡°I already sent the remaining unbound Seraphims to monitor them. As for Beelzebub¡¯s bound one, the Players and Characters in the same city are doing their best to keep that person in check.¡±

 Chapter 27: Working Out Developments, Part 1

    Zoe POV

    Today, a meeting between the strongest Party Leaders of Naut City would be held. After the sealing of all the Goblin Camps, the World Map we could access expanded further. The meeting¡¯s agenda was the next Dungeon, the Ruins of the Ancient Goblin City: Goble, which was located east of Naut City. According to lore, Goblin Magic originated from Goble, which was why it was named so.

    Ruins of the Ancient Goblin City

    Maximum Players: 50

    Ten Floors, Boss on the Final Floor

    Warning: Once entered, no one can leave until the Boss is defeated.

    The preceding message warned us when we attempted to enter the Dungeon, so we immediately returned to Naut City and informed everyone about the Dungeon.

    I sat at the restaurant frequented by top Players where we would meet. The meeting was at ten o¡¯clock and it was fifteen minutes before then.

    ¡°You¡¯re early.¡± a voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked back and found Hawk there.

    ¡°I have nothing to do. Three of my Players went to apply for the Swordmaster Tournament. Speaking of, are you and Dove joining as well?¡±

    Hawk sat down beside me and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s Kin, Blitz, and Razor as well. Kotel¡¯s victory is going to be difficult.¡±

    ¡°You should trust your Party more.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°I¡¯m being realistic. While defeating Razor or Dove is realistically plausible for Kotel, beating you, Blitz, or Kin will take a miracle. Even then, there¡¯s no guarantee than he only fights one of you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s single elimination, so the random bracketing is a huge deal. I hope I don¡¯t have to fight Dove.¡±

    ¡°How do you think she¡¯ll do?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll defeat Blitz if she faces him.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think so highly of Dove?¡±

    ¡°We knew each other in real life remember?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and?¡±

    ¡°From all my friends in the university, she was the only one I could never predict. She would always do things out of my expectations. The things she does are not noteworthy in anyway. They were normal things normal people do, yet I could not predict them.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    What Hawk said was probably true. Not only that, it was likely one of the reasons Hawk fell in love with Dove.

    Five minutes before the call time, everyone else had arrived: Swan, Purge, Blitz, and Kin.

    ¡°Fifty Players are necessary for the raid. We need a list of all that will participate. All nine members of Cerulean Seas will participate.¡± I explained.

    We compiled the list of Players from our Parties and their Jobs.

    Platina Knights: Swan(Lancer), Sheev(Hunter), Sadie(Alchemist), Sophie(Monk), Silva(Oracle)

    Golden Warriors: Kin(Paladin), Gin(Lancer), Aka(Spell Blade), Ao(Wizard), Ki(Enchanter), Mido(Cleric), Mura(Archer)

    Lime Breeze: Purge(Monk), Razor(Templar), Eye(Archer), Plas(Wizard), Link(Prophet), Rem(Swordsman), Vort(Shaman), Load(Morpher), Zip(Dancer)

    Azure Rain Forces: Hawk(Spell Blade), Dove(Assassin), Canary(Sage)

    Cerulean Seas: Zoe(Cleric), Kotel(Spell Blade), Fumes(Defender), Pyrion(Fighter), Lykha(Morpher), Flax(Lancer), Aim(Hunter)

    Crimson Swords: Blitz(Gladiator), Burst(Fighter), Block(Paladin), Break(Hunter), Bloom(Priest), Blow(Wizard), Bleed(Rouge), Born(Summoner), Bloat(Hermit)

    ¡°They¡¯ll fill out any remaining spaces. Currently, that¡¯s forty Players in total. Should we fill out the rest with Crimson Swords sub-Parties?¡± I said.

    ¡°No. I think we should spread the news to less-known Players and have them join. I¡¯m sure there are a few who are better than Crimson Swords sub-Parties.¡± suggested Kin.

    ¡°I agree with Kin, but their skill should be assessed first so they won¡¯t be liabilities.¡± added Hawk.

    ¡°I think so as well, but testing them one by one would be a hassle?¡± contributed Purge.

    ¡°There¡¯s a better way. I messaged Crow to come here. She knows more about the middle-tier Parties than we do.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Crow?¡± I asked along with Purge.

    ¡°A freelance Healer for middle-tier Parties that¡¯s quite skilled.¡± explained Swan.

    After a few minutes, Hawk asked the person who sat nearby just now, ¡°Do you recommend any middle-tier Players?¡±

    It was only then that I gave attention to the hooded person who sat on the same table as we did. For some reason, the girl, who I assume is Crow, held a presence too weak to be owned by a person. While I knew of people who did not attract attention, this was an extreme version of that.

    ¡°The best Player not in from your Parties is Kiwi, a Metal Paladin solo-Player. Other than that, there are the twins Rise and Rize, a Water Wizard and a Fire Priest respectively; Med, a Wind Fighter; Stan, a Metal Swordsman; and Ave, an Earth Summoner.¡± enumerated Crow in a monotonous tone.

    ¡°Including Crow, that would be forty-six Players. The remaining four slots will be filled with your sub-Parties. We¡¯ll leave the choice to you, Blitz.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± replied Blitz.

    ¡°As for our strategy and formation, if no one minds, I¡¯ll take care of it since I¡¯m a healer.¡±

    Nobody objected. While the other Leaders were great strategists in their own right, they would be fighting in the frontlines. There¡¯s no way they could actively command all fifty people whilst fighting.

    ¡°So? When will the battle be?¡± asked Blitz.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have it before the Swordmaster Tournament to prevent sore losers from hijacking the raid.¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°You sure are pessimistic, but there¡¯s no harm in preventing that. Would June 27 be good?¡± said Purge.

    Once again, nobody objected. Our meeting ended with our spreading what was decided upon to our Party members and the other people joining.

 Chapter 27: Working Out Developments, Part 2

    Alcor POV

    I¡¯m finally back. After a long journey, I have finally mastered the art of forging swords. When the first-generation arrived, I was merely a kid who couldn¡¯t help Players in any way. I was but the child of the Weapon Shop owner. Now, my masterpiece swords would be rewarded to the winners of the tournament I would be hosting. I was contributing to Reality in my own way.

    ¡°Beautiful.¡±

    In the middle of running through Naut City Alley Ways, I could not help but gasp in awe after watching a Player fight monsters.

    The girl was from the Party Azure Rain Forces. The girl slew monster after monster with ease. From movement to movement, the girl¡¯s fighting resembled a perfectly coordinated dance. She transitioned from movement to movement without pause, perfectly evading and attacking the monsters.

    After killing all the monsters and noticing my presence, the girl turned to face. Now that I got a better look, she was cute. While her body was petite, I could still make out the slight curves of a girl from her. She had wavy black hair tied into a ponytail that reached her nape. Her face was my type¡ªan above average clean look.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± asked the girl.

    ¡°Sorry. I was just amazed by how beautiful your fighting was.¡± I said honestly, ¡°I¡¯m Alcor, son of Aldrich from the Equipment Shop. I¡¯m the one who will host the Swordmaster Tournament and forged the prizes.¡±

    After hearing that, the girl¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. As she moved closer to me, I could smell a slight fragrance from her. She said, ¡°I¡¯m Dove. Thanks for the tournament. I¡¯m actually on my way to applying for the tournament.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m going back to the Equipment Shop as well. Let¡¯s go together.¡± I proposed.

    I was quite infatuated by Dove. It¡¯s probably love at first sight. Of course, since I was a Character, there¡¯s no way we could work out, so I approached her without any hidden motives.

    ¡°Sure.¡± replied Dove.

    We headed towards the Equipment Shop. I enjoyed every last second of walking beside her and indulged myself in happiness.

    ¡°Can you create Artifact Rarity Swords at will?¡± asked Dove.

    ¡°Given the necessary materials, I can, but the materials are extremely rare and costly.¡±

    ¡°Amazing! Did you leave the city to learn how to make them?¡±

    ¡°Yes. After the first-generation completed Reality, I went for a journey. I travelled to many cities to be taught by the blacksmiths there. Now, I have returned and will put what I¡¯ve learned into practice.¡±

    ¡°Characters have their own journeys as well.¡±

    ¡°So what about you?¡± I asked, wanting to know more about Dove.

    Dove told me her story after she came to Reality.

    While I was in no position to ask, the thought bothered me quite a bit, so I gave in and asked ¡°Is this Hawk¡­ your boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Dove replied immediately and concisely. However, I felt something. I knew that feeling. It was when a person did not want to talk about a topic with you. While her answer was the truth, there was likely something more complicated about their relationship that what she wanted me to know.

    We arrived outside the Equipment Shop. A boy leaned on beside the door seemingly waiting for someone.

    ¡°The meeting is finished?¡± asked Dove. I concluded that the boy was Hawk.

    Hawk looked at me. No, he looked through me. I felt my entire existence laid bare before him to read, like my personality was only covered by glass.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Hawk sighed and asked, ¡°You are?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Alcor. I¡¯m Aldrich¡¯s son and host of the Swordmaster Tournament.¡±

    ¡°I met him on my way here, so we decided to come here together.¡±

    Hawk sighed again and said, ¡°I¡¯m Hawk. Nice to meet you, I guess.¡±

    Dove and Hawk applied for the Swordmaster Tournament. They simply had our fingerprints scanned, and the system automatically processed all the information. The bracketing would only be announced on the day of the tournament to prevent any sabotage.

    ¡°Good luck in the Swordmaster Tournament.¡± I cheered for the two as they left the Equipment Shop. I probably only meant it for Dove, but I included Hawk as well to not seem.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Dove.

    Yet again, Hawk sighed and said, ¡°Should the tournament host be cheering for a participant?¡±

    Hawk seemed to¡­ not like me? Rather, he didn¡¯t like my presence. It didn¡¯t feel like he hated me but more like he didn¡¯t want to deal with me.

    Dove POV

    Hawk seemed to be in a bad mood seeing as he was sighing a lot. Did the meeting go wrong? No, he would immediately mention it if that was the case. So may be Alcor? What did he see? There¡¯s nothing lost by asking, so might as well.

    ¡°You seem to be in a bad mood after you analyzed Alcor.¡± I pointed out to Hawk.

    He sighed again and said, ¡°Is it that obvious? I really should practice on hiding my thoughts.¡±

    ¡°So? What¡¯s wrong with Alcor?¡± I asked.

    Hawk thought for a bit before replying. ¡°Nothing. He¡¯s a good persevering person with great potential.¡±

    ¡°So why are you in such a bad mood then?¡± I inquired further.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like dealing with him.¡± answered Hawk vaguely.

    ¡°Personality clash?¡± I guessed.

    ¡°No. I think we¡¯d get along.¡±

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s illogical, so I don¡¯t know how to explain it.¡±

    While Hawk frequently gave vague answers, he never lied to me or anyone I knew. If he himself thought that being in a bad mood was illogical, then it probably was. As much of a logical person Hawk was, even he had times where he was illogical.

    We arrived at the city gates where Canary and Sylvie waited for us. Canary joined us and Sylvie went back to the house after bringing Canary here.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need Sylvie escorting me to get here. Since Sylvie can¡¯t enter the alleys, it takes longer to come here with her.¡± complained Canary in a cute pouting face.

    Hawk¡¯s mood lightened up a bit after he saw this. He petted Canary¡¯s head and explained, ¡°If you arrived here quickly, then you would have waited a long time right?

    ¡°But if I didn¡¯t come with Sylvie, then I could have left the house later.¡±

    ¡°Canary, the world is vast. Spending time outside gives you more opportunities to learn. Sylvie, who knows more about Reality, is there to explain anything you don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t learn anything¡­¡±

    ¡°What did you do while waiting for us?¡±

    ¡°I counted the number of cats jumping around the roofs?¡±

    Hawk smiled and asked, ¡°Why can cats jump across the roofs of building when they were no-jump areas?¡±

    Canary¡¯s eyes brightened and she exclaimed, ¡°Wow! I never thought of that. So, do you know why?¡±

    ¡°No. It is the question not the answer that is important. After all, if the question is never asked, then you wouldn¡¯t know if the question was answered.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Hawk, I¡¯m sorry for complaining.¡±

    Hawk smiled at Canary and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright to complain, just remember to let others have a chance to explain.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Learn more about the world? Isn¡¯t that hypocritical coming from someone who stayed at home unless he wanted to do something outside?¡± I joked to better Hawk¡¯s mood.

    ¡°Ouch¡­ I guess so. While being a hypocrite made for a bad example, it didn¡¯t change good to bad. A killer preaching not to kill is hypocritical, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that what he was teaching is morally correct. If you look at it from a purely logical perspective, only a killer could actually understand why not to kill because he has experienced killing.¡±

    I laughed and replied, ¡°That was just a joke. You don¡¯t have to give such a long explanation.¡±

    Despite my words, I was quite glad that Hawk¡¯s mood was completely gone now. As we left Naut City to train some more, Hawk seemingly realized something and said, ¡°So that¡¯s why you teased me¡­ Thank you.¡±

    Hawk realized my attempt to better his mood. He really was too smart for his own good. While girls preferred boys being oblivious or pretending to be oblivious to the cunning of girls, it wouldn¡¯t be Hawk if he didn¡¯t figure out my intents. This was what made Hawk, Hawk. Hawk¡¯s ability to read intents and showing others his knowledge of other¡¯s intents was cute in its own little way.

 Chapter 28: Differences In Relationship

    June 23, XX17

    With my vision still hazed, I got up and checked the time. It was half an hour after midnight. Canary slept soundly beside me, but Hawk was missing. Maybe, he was doing something to Sylvie. No, Hawk wouldn¡¯t do that.

    Since I failed to find him in the second floor, I went down and noticed that the lights in the living room were lit. Hawk sat on the sofa writing on a notebook. He had already filled quite a few pages of the notebook. Hawk who was normally extremely aware of his surroundings failed to notice my presence and wrote away.

    After I yawned, Hawk finally noticed me, and I asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Hawk looked at me for a while. His cheeks tinted slightly red. I sat beside him and peeked at what he wrote.

    ¡°A description of the fighting style of the notable Players joining the Swordmaster Tournament for you to use. I wish I could train you by mimicking their style, but I even if I copied them, I lacked the skill to pull it off well.¡± he replied.

    ¡°Why so late at night?¡±

    ¡°The logical reason is that I didn¡¯t want it to interfere with our daily activities.¡±

    ¡°And the real reason?¡±

    Hawk looked at me contemplating whether he should answer or not. In the end, he said, ¡°I wanted to surprise you tomorrow with this, but I guess not.¡±

    I smiled and replied, ¡°Thank you, Hawk. I¡¯m glad I found you here in Reality.¡±

    Hawk joyfully replied, ¡°I too am glad we¡¯re both here.¡±

    For around five minutes, I sat beside Hawk watching him write. He then asked, ¡°You should get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°Says the guy who¡¯s not sleeping. If I¡¯m not a bother, then I¡¯d rather stay here.¡±

    If Hawk wasn¡¯t in Naut City, what would¡¯ve happened to me? I probably remained a solo-player in the beginning, but when other Parties began to show interest me, I¡¯d eventually give in and join one of them. While I would without a doubt still enjoy Reality, meeting Hawk affected this one thing: I didn¡¯t need to adapt to the Players of the Party I joined because Hawk wanted to Party with me with who I naturally was. Of course, we knew a lot about each other now after spending each day of two weeks together.

    Probably around half an hour passed and drowsiness took me. Half-asleep, I felt my body falling down. Fortunately, my fall was interrupted. My body was slowly laid down. My head rested on a soft and warm place. Falling even closer to sleep, I felt fingers slightly tapping my head then pulling back as if hesitating. Just before I fell asleep, the owner of the fingers seemed to finally decide and pet my head. The fingers gently passed between my hair and filled me with warmth.

    ¡°KRIIIIIINGGGGG!!!!¡± the sound of the alarm clock buzzed through my ears. It was not the alarm clock sound I¡¯m used to in Reality, but the nostalgic sound from real life.

    I got up from bed. It was not the high-quality bed I used, but the dormitory bed. I found myself at the dormitory I lived at when attending university.

    Was this a dream? Or was my travel to Reality the dream?

    The answer came immediately. I began walking to the bathroom.

    It completed my morning routine as usual and went to university. Climbing up the jeepney, I saw Hawk sitting at the seat next to the door.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± I greeted. I asked the person beside him to move so I could sit beside Hawk.

    Strange¡­ I didn¡¯t remember exchanging greetings with Hawk when we met on the way to school. I probably replied instinctively if he did greet, but I never was the one who greeted first yet alone having other passengers move just so I could sit beside him.

    Instead of having me sit between him and the other person, Hawk moved inwards, so I could sit beside the door. I didn¡¯t give it much thought and sat beside him.

    Hawk and I talked on the ride. While I couldn¡¯t make out what we were saying, I felt the emanating joy from the conversation.

    After arriving at university, we went down the jeepney. Noticing the heaviness of the bag I carried, Hawk offered to swap bags because his was not filled.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Some of Hawk¡¯s friends were already in the classroom when we arrived. Noticing our arriving together and swapping of bags, they approached Hawk and placed his hand on their foreheads. Well, it¡¯s a culture thing, so most people wouldn¡¯t understand.

    Hawk left my bag on my usual seat, and I left his bag on the seat beside mine.

    Once again, my dream differed from what I remember since I never sat beside Hawk.

    The lessons went as usual with Hawk occasionally bantering with the professor. I agreed with Hawk¡¯s statements and supported his arguments with my own.

    If this was real life, I would have been annoyed by Hawk¡¯s disrespect for the professor and failed to see the legitimate points he was making.

    During lunch break, both Hawk¡¯s group and my group ate together.

    This never happened from what I could remember. While some of the members of our respective groups were once part of the same group before they split, the people who joined the group I belonged to after the split, myself included, did not often eat together with Hawk¡¯s group.

    After class, since one from Hawk¡¯s group brought a car, we all decided to ride him part of the way back. Hawk and I as well as another person sat on the back row. Once again, we chatted a lot on our way back.

    I¡¯m pretty sure Hawk usually sat in the middle row because he gets off first.

    As Hawk drew close to where he would get off, their conversation became understandable to me again.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm?¡± asked Hawk.

    Of course, I would be fine. It¡¯s not like the area is that dangerous.

    ¡°Sure. Thanks.¡± I happily and unhesitatingly replied.

    So we got off together and walked back towards my dorm after swapping bags.

    I vaguely recalled Hawk offering to walk me home once. I remember refusing but being quite thankful of the offer.

    Halfway there, rain poured down heavily. Hawk immediately brought out his umbrellas. Since I lacked one, we shared the umbrella. Due to the size of the umbrella and the sheer strength of the rain, we were cuddled closely together as we went to our dormitory. Soon after, it began storming. The wind almost blew our umbrella away as Hawk desperately held on to it. I grabbed Hawk even tighter. Only a few meters away from us, we saw lightning strike. Several more were sure to come.

    I always had an umbrella ready in my bag since it rained frequently. I did forget occasionally, so it was not completely different from what I remembered.

    We entered my dormitory soaking wet despite the umbrella. I immediately grabbed my towel from the bathroom, and Hawk brought out his towel from this bag. We dried ourselves and sat on my bed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can go home at this rate.¡± I said.

    ¡°Sorry. This is because I wanted to walk you back.¡± said Hawk blaming himself.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault.¡±

    Normally, I would blame myself for accepting his offer, but in truth, no one could predict the sudden change in weather.

    ¡°If the storm doesn¡¯t clear, feel free to spend the night here.¡±

    Hawk¡¯s face turned red as he looked away. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s fine?¡±

    I nodded.

    We played cards to pass the time. Even after over three hours, the storm showed no signs of stopping. Hawk had no choice but to spend the night here.

    ¡°Have you informed your parents that you would spend the night here?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re alright with it.¡±

    ¡°You probably omitted the fact that you were spending the night with a girl alone.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± replied Hawk.

    I¡¯m one hundred percent sure I have roommates that are not imaginary friends, supernatural beings, or insects. I¡¯m also sure my bed is double-decked. Here, there was only one bed in the dorm room.

    I took my bath first, and Hawk took his after.

    Hawk probably always brought a towel and an extra shirt, but I highly doubt he would bring underwear and sleeping clothes every day to university.

    After Hawk exited the bathroom, I was sitting on my bed on the side nearer to the wall. I signaled Hawk to occupy the space beside me. The bed wasn¡¯t exactly fit for two people to use, but it could manage. Hawk and his friends could probably fit four people on my bed if they wanted, so it was not as if we couldn¡¯t move.

    On the hypothetical scenario of the storm, the absence of my roommates, the disappearance of the beds, I would lend the bed sheet for Hawk to sleep on the floor. While we did sleep on the same bed in Reality, I only accepted it because Canary separated us. Once again, the dream differed.

    Hawk sat beside me. We stared into each other¡¯s eyes deeply for a few seconds. Hawk then gently caressed my cheeks. Our faces drew closer.

    I, in a shy tone uncharacteristic from me, said, ¡°¡­

    A slight shake brought my consciousness back to the woken world. While still half-asleep, I felt Hawk princess-carrying me as he climbed each step slowly to not disturb my sleep. With as minimal movements as possible, he opened the door into the master¡¯s bedroom. He then gently let me down on the bed. He caressed me one more time and whispered, ¡°You¡¯ve been smiling for a while now; I wonder what kind of dream you¡¯re having? It¡¯s not like I have never seen you smile like that, but¡­ I want to be the reason of that smile.¡±

    What was I about to say? What was the dream trying to tell me?

    The dream faded into the recesses of memories to be forgotten unless it one days became reality.

 Chapter 29: Relationship Problems, Part 1

    June 24, XX17; 7:00 P.M.

    After a day of training, I showered myself in the bathroom to release all the pent up heat in me. I closed my eyes and emptied my mind and felt the water flowing down my body.

    A message notification disturbed ended my meditation.

    Sender: Alcor

    Hi! I just got a free dinner for two in a restaurant at town. Father is busy, and I don¡¯t know may other people. Do you mind joining me?

    Canary POV

    After taking our baths, I was sitting on Hawk¡¯s lap as he fixed my hair, which had grown longer since I came to Reality. Since Hawk had sisters, he was used to fixing girls¡¯ hair.

    In Reality, an option in the menu let you choose whether or not you wanted your hair to grow or wanted to have it cut.

    Dove approached Hawk and asked, ¡°Alcor wants to treat me for dinner, do you mind if I go?¡±

    While his face didn¡¯t change, I felt Hawk¡¯s heart skip a beat and his body stiffen when Dove asked. Despite this, he immediately replied in the cold tone he didn¡¯t commonly use with us, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Do what you want.¡±

    Dove left without expression on her face as well. After she exited the house, Hawk sighed with his eyes of sadness.

    I said to Hawk, ¡°Why did you permit her to go?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Hawk did not reply.

    ¡°From what you and Dove had said about Alcor, it¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s trying to court Dove.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    Hearing Hawk¡¯s reaction, I lost my temper and raised my voice, ¡°You like Dove don¡¯t you! Why are you letting another guy court him!?¡±

    ¡°I am not in a romantic relationship with Dove. I have no right to stop her from doing what she wants.¡± replied Hawk. Despite his words, his eyes brimmed with sadness and jealousy.

    ¡°You¡¯re the Leader of ARF! Dove will listen to what you say!¡±

    ¡°ARF differs from other Parties that you are free to do whatever you want when it comes to personal manners. If I stopped her from going, then I would be breaking that.¡±

    ¡°Idiot!¡± I shouted as I stood.

    As I walked towards the second floor, I heard a murmur, ¡°I¡¯m an idiot. I know that better than anyone else¡­¡±

    Dove POV

    10:00 P.M.

    After finishing the luxurious and normally expensive dinner with Alcor, I thanked him for the meal and prepared to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you back.¡± offered Alcor.

    Normally, I would immediately refuse the offer; however, just this time, I accepted it to further my own ends.

    We continued our conversation on our way back. Compared to Hawk, Alcor was way more open with his thoughts. He did not hesitate tell others about himself: not only his strengths but also his weaknesses. While I had other reasons for meeting him tonight, I could not say I didn¡¯t enjoy his company.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    After returning to the house, I bid farewell to Alcor and closed the door. Hawk was there writing on a notebook.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes. Welcome back.¡± Hawk replied coldly without looking at me.

    I sat beside him and said, ¡°The restaurant was surprisingly expensive, but it was really delicious.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I hope you enjoyed.¡± said Hawk in the same cold, indifferent tone.

    ¡°Alcor said he¡¯d treat me again tomorrow. Is that alright with you?¡±

    ¡°As long as it does not bother in our fighting, do what you want.¡±

    June 24, XX17

    After fighting bunch of monsters in the World Map to train, we all returned to our house without speaking a single word to one another.

    Canary POV

    Today was the worst day I¡¯d had in Reality since joining ARF. While our teamwork remained as good as it usually was, we barely talked to one another since yesterday. Hawk spoke coldly and indifferently and was in a bad mood. Dove was in a bad mood I¡¯d never imagined I saw her in. Her mood scared me so much that I feared speaking to her. After what happened last night, I was hesitant to talk to Hawk.

    Tonight, only Hawk, Sylvie, and I ate dinner together. None of us spoke a single word to one another. Were we going to fall apart?

    Liza POV

    ¡°Are you sure about this, lying to Hawk?¡± asked Liza while eating dinner with Dove in Liza¡¯s house.

    Dove was annoyed. She ate noisily and her movements of the utensils were rough. She replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it, but it¡¯s the only choice I have. I¡¯ll apologize when everything is done.¡±

    ¡°And what of Alcor?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll apologize to him as well.¡±

    ¡°Hawk will definitely forgive you, but Alcor¡­¡±

    ¡°While I don¡¯t want Alcor to hate me, it¡¯s something I¡¯m willing to accept.¡±

    I see. Dove could also be like this as well. She was willing to manipulate people¡¯s emotions, including the person she cares for the most in Reality, to further her own ends. As her friend, I was glad she was born a good person. Otherwise just what kind of schemes could she have done by now.

    10:00 P.M.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± I said at the same time as yesterday.

    ¡°Alcor didn¡¯t walk you back?¡± asked Hawk indifferently.

    ¡°He did. He just didn¡¯t wait for me to enter.¡±

    Canary POV

    June 25, XX17

    Dove POV

    Alcor brought me to the park of Naut City. Since it was late at night, the park was empty. Only the sound of the bugs filled the location. Alcor signaled me to sit on a bench and I complied.

    Alcor took a few steps away from me and said, ¡°Although it¡¯s only been a few days, I¡¯ve realized that I really enjoy being with you. Did you enjoy being with me as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad. While you did seem to truly enjoy when you¡¯re with me, I sometimes felt that you have ulterior motives for meeting me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Alcor clenched his fist and said, ¡°Dove, I like you. I want to know you more. I want to be with you more. So if you would permit it, I would like to officially begin courting you.¡±

    I already expected this to happen. My reply was set in stone already. I braced myself and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not really thinking about romantic things currently, so I¡¯ll have to refuse you.¡±

    ¡°Will nothing I say convince you otherwise?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± from the darkness, I made out a single tear drop to the ground from Alcor¡¯s eyes. He looked away from me not wanting to let me see his depressed face.

    ¡°I will still remain friends with you.¡±

    ¡°I know. In the future once you¡¯re ready, can I court you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Surprise showed in Alcor¡¯s face to my straightforward answer. He probably didn¡¯t expect such a clear-cut reaction. Even so, I must do this for Hawk¡¯s sake.

 Chapter 29: Relationship Problems, Part 2

    Alcor and I went our separate ways home. I could feel the slowness in his steps. I took a deep breath and slapped my own cheeks. I then cheered, ¡°Just a little more, Dove.¡±

    I returned to our house. Once again, Hawk sat there writing and waiting for me.

    ¡°Hawk.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Alcor confessed to me.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Congratulations. What did you reply?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    I sat down beside Hawk and pestered him, ¡°If I accepted his confession, do you mind?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care as long as you fulfill your duties in ARF.¡±

    ¡°Alcor¡¯s a great guy by the way, he¡­¡±

    I spent the next five minutes praising Alcor to Hawk. He merely replied with the same indifferent lines of ¡°Is that so?¡±, ¡°Great.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care as long as¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving again in a while. Alcor rented a room for us to spend together.¡±

    For the first time in the past few days, Hawk showed emotion after hearing what I said. He turned his head to look at me. His body shook. His fists were clenched. He bit his lips.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s fine¡­ as long as you fulfill¡­ your duties¡­ in ARF¡­¡± said Hawk. His eyes were watery. His entire body was trembling. Even so, he continued to claim his indifference.

    I slapped Hawk as hard as I could and shouted, ¡°Just say what you really think instead of what you want to think already!¡±

    ¡°I have no right to restrict you¡­¡±

    No longer able to hold my temper, I pushed Hawk down the sofa. He immediately tried to stand back up, but I sat on top him to prevent him from doing so. I slapped him repeatedly. I shouted, ¡°You should choose what you really think instead of what you think you should think. I continued slapping him¡­

    I did not know how long I continued slapping him, but my hands were tired and hurt from it. Even so, I did not stop. I endured the tiredness and pain and continued.

    After however long of slapping him, Hawk finally caught my hands and embraced me tightly. He said in a weak, sobbing voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to meet Alcor any longer or anyone else with romantic intentions. That is what I think. I know it¡¯s wrong. I have no right to intrude in your personal life. I know you can have romantic relationships that will not intrude in ARF¡¯s performance. But¡­ but¡­ I can¡¯t help but not want you to¡­¡±

    I embraced Hawk back and said, ¡°You really made this complicated. I wanted you to say so from the start. I only figured out Alcor liked me when he invited me to dinner for the first time. You realized the second we met Alcor. You should have told that from the beginning.¡±

    Hawk sat up with me still sitting on his lap facing him. He petted me and felt my hair through his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°All this after that night you treated me like I¡¯m special to you, you really are an idiot.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m an idiot. I¡¯m sorry. And thank you.¡± Hawk¡¯s voice was no longer sobbing. He seemed calmer now.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It doesn¡¯t matter to me whether you¡¯re an idiot. But please¡­ tell me what you think¡­ no matter how wrong you think it may be, I will hear it. If I think it¡¯s wrong, then I won¡¯t do it. I won¡¯t blindly listen to what you say. What matters is that you tell me. I¡¯ll forgive you this time. I¡¯ll probably forgive you even if you do it again. If you think what you think is wrong, tell me next time, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll do my best. If I ever make the same mistake, then please beat me up again.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    We released our embraced. I rested my tired hands on my lap and said, ¡°I apologize. I lied as well.¡±

    ¡°The dinner at June 24 was a lie. You probably went to Liza¡¯s or something. The room tonight is a lie as well.¡±

    ¡°You knew from the start?¡±

    ¡°No. I only figured out now. My emotions were too unstable for me to figure anything out these past days.¡±

    ¡°It is as you say. I did all that to change you. I even took advantage of Alcor¡¯s feelings for me.¡±

    ¡°You manipulative brat. That¡¯s supposed to be my role. Make sure to apologize. I will as well.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I rested my head of Hawk¡¯s shoulder and placed my hands on his lap. ¡°The pain is gone because this is Reality, but my hands are tired because of you. Please massage them.¡±

    Hawk complied and warmed my hands. He then said, ¡°You know. I am too fortunate I was brought to the same city as you.¡±

    I was really fortunate for this as well, but I did not say it out loud and let Hawk continue.

    ¡°When I met you here before I knew your identity, I realized the possibility it was you, but I dismissed that as my own bias of wanting to meet somebody I knew here. In the end, it turned out it was actually you. I met you before I choked in Reality. That one choke will put me on tilt and spiral me down to failure. Like during the Goblin Camp attack, if you weren¡¯t there, I¡¯d probably be dead due to my tilt creating choke after choke. And out of all the people in our university, you were the only want that could stop my tilt then. When I was in a bad mood after meeting Alcor, you cheered me up.¡±

    I interrupted his massaging and held his hand tightly. Our fingers intertwined and I said, ¡°And I will continue standing by your side until the end of Reality.¡±

    ¡°Only until then?¡± asked Hawk with obvious implications.

    I blushed and replied, ¡°It¡¯s a secret. It¡¯s getting late; we should go to sleep now.¡±

    I changed my clothes, and together, we went to the master¡¯s bedroom. Canary was still awake with Sylvie sitting beside him.

    Seeing us enter together immediately removed all sadness in Canary¡¯s face and returned the smile we were used to.

    ¡°Canary, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll try my best to not be an idiot again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Can we go back to how we once were?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Hawk and I replied together. We embraced Canary. I told Sylvie, who was watching, to join us as well, so the four of us cuddled together with Canary in the middle.

    Sylvie left for his room soon after. Due to Canary¡¯s insistence, we slept very tightly together. We didn¡¯t even occupy a third of the bed. Finally, after days of worrying and awkwardness, we finally slept in peace again.

    June 26, XX17

    Alcor POV

    ¡°Sorry.¡± apologized Dove in unison with Hawk with their heads bowed after explaining all that happened to me.

    In the end, Dove merely used my feelings to further her own ends. It hurt¡­ even more than being rejected. Why did I fall in love with a girl who could do this to me? I knew the answer. I knew I knew the answer, but I refused to accept it. My mind refused to think about the answer.

    ¡°Dove¡­ never talk to me again.¡± I said.

    Dove nodded. She didn¡¯t want to hurt me, yet she chose to do it anyway. Even now, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate her. Looking at her sad eyes as she heard my request removed any hatred I felt towards her.

    ¡°Hawk, I want to talk to you alone.¡±

    Dove complied and left us. When I confirmed that Dove could no longer hear us, I asked, ¡°Please take care of Dove for me.¡±

    Hawk glanced at me. I knew he would do that even without me telling him to, but he simply replied, ¡°Yes. You do know that she only hurt you because he wanted to change me.¡±

    ¡°I know. I hate you. It¡¯s all your fault that I feel like this. But¡­ I have no choice but admit defeat and concede Dove to you.¡±

    Hawk looked at me with disappointed eyes. He began leaving as well. Without looking back at me, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t give up so easily. Even if there¡¯s nothing you can do, the universe may bring you to her.¡± Hawk continued to walk further. In a barely audible tone, he continued, ¡°Just as it did to me.¡±

 Chapter 30: Problems in the Raid

    June 27, XX17

    Dove POV

    I pulled myself up. I looked around a found a few other Players still lying on the ground. They began regaining consciousness as well.

    We were at the Ruins of Goble. As one would expect, it looked like the ruins of an underground city. Many broken pillars and structures filled the ruins. Some of those were no longer discernible and appeared like rabble. No wood or metal could be found in the ruins, only rock and stone. The area gave a gloomy vibe due the eerie wind blowing in the cold silence and the dim surroundings only lighted by faint torches. Unlike the Goblin Camps that were directly below the surface, no sunlight entered from the ceiling cracks, implying that we were deep underground.

    After entering the Ruins of Goble, the floor collapsed on us. It appeared we fell into different locations.

    The first person to wake up after me was from Crimson Swords. While his head was bald, grey beard and mustache covered the lower half of his face. His skin was filled with lines; his body was slouched; his black eyes were lightless. All this made him look like an old man.

    The next person was a boy from a Party called Gemini Mage. A boy around fourteen years of age, he jumped around excitedly as soon as he woke up. Compared to others of his age, he could be considered small. Contrasting to his white skin, his ruby-colored eyes peeked out of his blonde bangs.

    Following him was Kotel, who I knew quite a bit about from Hawk¡¯s description since Kotel was joining the tournament.

    Kotel was a Light Spell Blade. He fought in a standard orthodox pattern and nothing stood out in his movements; however, his skill with a sword was high. Hawk speculated that Kotel received swordsmanship training in real life but had not participated in actual fights. Kotel¡¯s experience increased quite a bit during his time in Reality. Before Zoe formed Cerulean Seas, Kotel dueled Hawk frequently. Even now, Kotel frequently contacted Hawk for advice seeing as their both Spell Blades. Kotel currently used the Uncommon Sword Long Sword. As its name implied, it was longer than the Basic Sword. Hawk also gave a profile of Kotel¡¯s ability, Illuminate Blade.

    The last person to wake up was a woman from Lime Breeze. The first thing anyone would notice from her was her unbelievably voluptuous breasts, which were G-cup at the very least. While her face wasn¡¯t anything of note, it wasn¡¯t ugly in any way. She had long black hair tied in ponytail that reached her back. Her brown eyes covered a large area of her face. She was also taller than most of male Players I knew.

    We were somewhere in the dungeon. The area was quite dark, but the various destroyed statues, buildings, and pillars were visible.

    ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s introduce ourselves already!¡± said the boy from Gemini Mage in a bratty tone.

    The first Player to react was the voluptuous girl, who said, ¡°I am Zip, an Electric Dancer from Lime Breeze.¡±

    Hearing this, the boy himself introduced, ¡°I am Rise, a Water Wizard. Despite being officially the Leader of Gemini Mage, I share the position with my twin brother Rize.¡±

    The Player who looked like an old man then followed with a creaky voice, ¡°My name¡­ is Born¡­ I am¡­ a Water Summoner from Crimson Swords.¡±

    Kotel introduced himself after.

    ¡°I am Dove, Vice-Leader of ARF.¡±

    ¡°It looks like we have no time to rest.¡± said Rise as he brought out his (non-Basic) Rod, which had a blue gem on the tip.

    Dozens of Goblins and Black Goblins emerged from the various holes in the ruins and surrounded us.

    ¡°What¡¯s our strategy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Strategy? Who needs strategy when we can beat them all down.¡± said Rise.

    Rise raised his staff. A large amount of highly-compressed water formed in front of him and fired towards the Goblins. The water struck a Goblin and almost depleted it all is Health. After five seconds, Rise fired off another blast of water and hit another Goblin.

    Zip danced. To be honest, her breasts bouncing as she danced distracted me quite a bit. I wish mine was as big as hers¡­ Back to the point, as she danced, a lightning field covered the floor. The field slowed down the movements of all the Goblins that entered its vicinity. If I recalled correctly, Dancers needed to continue dancing or the effect of their skills will disappear.

    Out of all the people here, I held most interest on Born. Summoner was a relatively rare Job Class in Naut City. I had never seen the Job in action myself. Born brought out a book. A ray of energy was released from the book. The energy gathered on one spot on the ground and slowly disappeared. When the energy fully disappeared, a gigantic shark floating in the air emerged. From my limited knowledge on biology, it was an adult great white shark. The shark had its own Health bar but no Mana bar. It swam through the air as if through water and bit the Goblins it faced. During this time, Born remained immobile and concentrated on controlling the shark.

    Since Zip, Born, and Rise all attacked from ranged, I judged it better to fight in front with Kotel. After the initial attacks from those three, Kotel and I rushed into the damaged formation of the Goblins and attacked relentlessly.

    Kotel showed great skill with a blade. In terms of skill alone, his swordplay outclassed Hawk¡¯s. After we eliminated half the Goblins, I realized what made Hawk stronger that Kotel: adaptability. Hawk¡¯s entire fighting style changed depending on what enemies he faced and continued changing even during the battle to maximize the odds of winning. While Kotel showed different strategies at different points of the battle, the sequence of his movements remained the same.

    Since the Goblins, while high in number, were weak individually, we defeated them without much problems. Even with the easy fight, I could find slight hint in weakness of this group.

    After the battle, I brought up my Party Menu. Hawk taught Canary and I to use this menu to check whether our Party Members were alive should we get separated. Thankfully, both Hawk and Canary were alive.

    We gathered to discuss the formation we would move in. Since Born¡¯s shark only disappeared if it lost all its Health, we included it to our formation as well. Shark stayed a meter from the rest of the group. Kotel positioned directly behind the shark. Half a meter behind Kotel was Zip, Born, and Rise. I stood behind those three to defend from backstabs.

    We explored the Ruins of Goble. Initially, we followed single pathway. Goblins attacked us on our way but they were nothing of note. After a while, we finally caught glimpse of a staircase leading upwards. As we drew closer to the staircase, a fallen pillar blocked our path to the staircase. Since the fallen pillar was a no-jump area, it forced us to backtrack and search for another path.

    At this point, we realized we could not simply follow the pathway we saw. We had to pass through the many holes and cracks on the walls and structures of the Naut City.

    We entered one of the structures and were promptly surrounded by Goblins from where we entered as well as from the top of the structures. Due to this, the Goblins broke our formation and threatened to attack Zip, Born, and Rise. Kotel and I immediately returned to address this threat. Kotel and I easily dispatched the Goblins that sneaked into our formation but the shark took quite a beating from the Goblins due to Kotel¡¯s absence.

    In hindsight, both of us weren¡¯t needed to defeat the Goblins that broke our formation since I alone was enough to defeat the Goblins behind. While we were all still at over eighty percent Health, the damage the shark took was a result in the inefficiency of our strategy. The shark¡¯s Health already reached critical. This event was even worsened due to Born¡¯s revelation that he couldn¡¯t summon another shark with his current Mana.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    I felt we went around in circles as we continued exploring. My sense of direction wasn¡¯t bad since I could easily remember roads in both real life and Naut City, but the lack of detail and the monochromy of the ruins led to our inability to remember whether we had taken the path or not.

    Our loss continued for two hours. While most people began losing their temper by now, the encounters against the Goblins made the time feel shorter than it actually was; however, it was only a matter of time before we got annoyed.

    Thankfully, we stumbled upon the path leading to the staircase before anyone got fed up. We rested at the Safe Zone located fifty meters before the staircase to regenerate our Mana, especially Born¡¯s.

    Born looked like he was meditating as he sat on a rock with his eyes close, so we didn¡¯t disturb him. Rise did his own thing and went walked circles inside the Safe Zone. As I sat and leaned on the wall with my feet stretched out, Kotel ran and sat beside me.

    ¡°Dove! You¡¯re swordplay is beautiful!¡± praised Kotel.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re swordplay is better than mine.¡± I honestly replied.

    Kotel shook his head and answered, ¡°Probably so, but the timing on your movements are borderline inhuman. Even Swan can¡¯t consistently time her movements to such perfection consistently. No wonder you¡¯re Hawk¡¯s Vice-Leader.¡±

    ¡°People always tell me that. I don¡¯t know why though. Neither does Hawk though, so I¡¯m still figuring out why my timings are perfect.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re one of the Player Zoe told me to be most aware of for the tournament, so I¡¯m watching you closely.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can beat me?¡±

    I personally thought that a duel between us would be 55-45 in his favor. I lack Hawk¡¯s godlike analytical skills though, so I might me wrong.

    ¡°If we fought suddenly and out of nowhere, it would probably be an even match, but this isn¡¯t the case. I¡¯m sure Hawk prepared a strategy and training for you against most of the notable tournament contenders.¡±

    ¡°That is actually the case.¡±

    ¡°If so, then the odds would be 80-20 in your favor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a gigantic increase. While I know Hawk¡¯s plans are amazing, I didn¡¯t expect it to be that game changing.¡±

    ¡°No. That¡¯s actually a low increase. Hawk shines the most in battles against Players he knew well. Unlike monsters that anyone could predict, Hawk can predict humans far greater than anyone in Naut City can. Hawk without strategy against Blitz would be 99-1 in favor of Blitz. With it, Hawk skyrockets the odds to 95-5 in his favor. No matter how low the chance is, as long as the chance exists, Hawk would bring the odds to 95-5 even though the battle itself would be mostly even.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Kotel, despite being young, was great at estimating odds and analyzing fights.

    Kotel continued, ¡°I believe Hawk¡¯s strategies against people are perfect and bring his odds of victory to a hundred. This doesn¡¯t happen because Hawk himself cannot perfectly execute his strategies, which creates the five percent flaw. Since he himself cannot do this, you using his strategies would be even worse.¡±

    I patted Kotel¡¯s head and said, ¡°You look really cute when you¡¯re talking so smartly.¡±

    Kotel smiled and thanked me.

    After fifteen minutes, we finally continued. We exited the Safe Zone and approached the stairs.

    In the cold silence of the ruins, the heavy footsteps coming down from stairs reached us quickly. From the darkness appeared a fully armored Goblin. It was taller and buffer than the other Goblins we fought. I knew what it was. It was a Goblin Knight. The same as the Goblin who made Hawk fear for his life.

    ¡°Be careful, a similar Goblin fought Hawk to a stalemate.¡± I warned.

    Usually, it would be difficult to convince Players from different Parties to your opinions. Fortunately, all the Players here respected of Hawk. Rise probably knew him the least, but Hawk¡¯s victory over Blitz in a Duel was known to all of Naut City due to the popularity of Crimson Swords.

    The Goblin spoke in an unfamiliar language as it drew closer to the end of the stairs. When the Goblin Knight first foot stepped on the flat ground, it rushed towards us at inhuman speeds.

    Born couldn¡¯t react in time to control his shark. Kotel and I readied ourselves to the Goblin Knight¡¯s swing. With both our blades, we managed to stop the Goblin Knight¡¯s swords; however, the sheer power of the strike pushed both of us back a few centimeters. Due to my lack of physical strength, my right hand ached for a few seconds after the blow.

    Zip and Rise landed their Abilities on the Goblin Knight. While this was good, the consequences placed us in worse situation. The Goblin Knight released an aura towards Zip and Rise after being hit and disabled. The aura felt similar to Sylvie¡¯s Ancient Elven Spells and inflicted the Status Effect: Silence on Zip and Rise.

    Being Silenced prevented the victim to use any Abilities. Ironically, it didn¡¯t prevent the victim from talking probably because it would have made Silence borderline imbalance in B\battles by preventing communication.

    Zip and Rise, who were made useless since they were completely reliant on their abilities, kited the Goblin Knight. While successful at first, the hints of weakness of this group finally showed itself fully. Combined with their slow natural speed, they blocked each other¡¯s paths, leading to Rise being hit directly for 40% of his health. The problem continued further as all three of Zip, Rise, and Born used a Potion on Rise at the same time. In other words, one of the Potions was wasted.

    Actually, using only one Potion was the standard play for most Parties. Hawk explained it¡¯s more efficient not to use a Potion when at eighty percent Health because every moment you spent at full Health after the Potion is every moment you are not regenerating Health. If you spent enough time at full Health to regenerate 3% Health, then you¡¯d effectively only used the Potion for 17% Health. However, Hawk warned that efficiently meant nothing if you die. If an enemy that could deal over 40% or so with a single hit or combo, Potions should be used even when above eighty.

    The lack of communication showed. Players did whatever they were used to. Along with the shark, Kotel and I attacked the Goblin Knight whenever we could. After using Fade Walk and Illuminated Blade for additional damage, we were Silenced as well.

    Simply put, the Goblin Knight could take on both Kotel and I in a swordfight simultaneously. While we landed hits every now and then, the Goblin knight retaliated back as well. Born tried his hardest to block the attacks with the shark but the shark was an offensively inclined summon. Three hits from the Goblin Knight brought it to critical Health already. The lack of tank in our group was showing.

    Eventually, the Goblin Knight proved too fast and landed a hit on me. I immediately tried to use a Potion but failed. We reached the limit on the number of items usable in this battle. Again, the lack of healer proved troublesome.

    Even so, we persisted on. Since we were the one dealing damage to it, the Goblin Knight targeted us the most. Both of us were hit once for thirty percent Health each.

    The other Players could probably take the hit in our stead, but I knew they wouldn¡¯t. Unlike ARF who frequently took attacks for one another to reduce the chances of death, the Players I was fighting with prioritized their own lives greater than ours. Some of them were probably willing to take hits for their Party Members, but there¡¯s no way they would for Players from other Parties.

    When the Goblin Knight reached half Health, the shark died. The fight went from 5v1 to 3v1 to now 2v1.

    We whittled down the Goblin Knight to a third Health before the Goblin Knight landed yet another hit on Kotel. Since this hit was more direct than the previous ones, Kotel lost 37% of his Health and was left with 33%.

    Even then, Kotel did not falter and continued to attack aggressively. When the Goblin Knight only had 3% Health left, I went for the killing blow on the head. I timed the strike as perfectly as I could. If the enemy had been human, there was no way to stop the attack. I was mistaken for my enemy was no human. The Goblin Knight bit my sword with its teeth and retaliated. As I prepared myself for the direct hit, Kotel attacked from behind. The Goblin Knight stopped his attack on me to defend from Kotel¡¯s attack. The Goblin Knight counterattacked and hit Kotel after blocking him. Kotel lost 30% of his Health from the strike.

    At this moment, the other Players with us attacked the Goblin Knight with their low power weapons and finished off the battle.

    We returned to the Safe Zone and healed ourselves.

    ¡°That Goblin was super strong!¡± exclaimed Rise.

    ¡°Sorry for not helping much.¡± apologized Zip.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind.¡± said Kotel.

    Despite living only by 5% Health, Kotel showed no signs of fear. He appeared exactly as he was before. In contrary, the others showed signs of worry after the difficult fight.

    ¡°Hawk fought a Goblin Knight one on one to a stalemate. I still have a lot to learn.¡± said Kotel.

    [Illuminated Blade]

    The target¡¯s weapon is empowered by light. Whenever the empowered weapon connects an attack at the opponent, the attack damage converts into a Light magic attack and the damage is increased. The target loses Mana every time damage is converted.

    Range: Self-target

    Cooldown: 0

    [Dancer]

    A job specializing on skills that target a wide area.

    Stats: Health: *** Mana: **** Attack: * Defense: ***

    Magic: * Resistance: **** Speed: **** Dexterity: *****

    Usable Weapons: None

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment, Medium Equipment

    [Summoner]

    A job specializing on summoning monsters to fight in your stead.

    Stats: Health: ** Mana: ***** Attack: * Defense: **

    Magic: ***** Resistance: ***** Speed: ** Dexterity: **

    Usable Weapons: None

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment, Medium Equipment

 Chapter 31: Raid Development, Part 1

    Canary POV

    After falling down deep into the ruins, we were separated. We had just finished introducing ourselves.

    ¡°Why is a little kid joining the raid?!¡± complained Stan.

    Stan was an adult-looking man. He had curly black hair and black skin. He was tall and muscular. Like Crow, Stan offered his services to middle-tier Parties to be hired. Since he was participating in the Swordmaster tournament, Hawk analyzed him quite a bit. He wore a tight-fitting sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscles.

    Stan was a Metal Swordsman. He uses an Uncommon Rarity Two-handed Sword named Broadsword. He used heavy equipment. Hawk said that his movements were slow even factoring in the weight of his equipment and the stats of his Job Class; however, he made up for his lack of speed with the sheer power of his attacks. His ability, Sword Body, immobilized himself but doubled his attack and defense.

    ¡°While I don¡¯t know Canary¡¯s skill, Hawk acknowledged him, so he is definitely capable.¡± said Mura.

    Mura was an Electric Archer from the Golden Warriors. Since the Golden Warriors had the highest average strength in Naut City, Mura was probably the strongest Player here. He had messy purple hair that touched his shoulders. Like his hair, his eyes were also purple. His face was like a shut-in with dark eyebags and dry skin. He was very thin even compared to other thin people. He wore brown ragged clothing that made him look like a beggar.

    ¡°Do not judge a person by his looks. A true person¡¯s value cannot be determined by his outer appearance.¡± said Sophie.

    Sophie was an Electric Monk from Platina Knights. Sophie looked like a female athlete. Beautiful, tall, and muscular, Sophie felt like a person who would protect others. Sophie had tanned skin and sharp blue eyes. Her hair was hidden by the habit she wore. Compared to most female Players, Sophie wore highly conservative clothes. In fact, the only skin that she showed was her face due to her long-sleeved violet robe covering her entire bodu.

    ¡°Who cares? Let¡¯s just go fight already!¡± insisted Rize.

    Rize was a female Fire Priest from Gemini Mages. She was around fourteen years of age and was short even for her age. She had blue eyes and blonde hair. Her face was quite cute. After she woke up, he jumped around checking the surroundings quite a bit. She wore a frilly white dress with similarly frilled and colored stockings that reached higher than the skirt.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you relax already? You¡¯re being annoying.¡± said Aim.

    Aim was a male Sniper from Zoe¡¯s Party. Hawk mentioned that he met Aim once during his childhood. Aim, like Hawk, looked like an average university student. While Hawk was more of the intelligent student, Aim was the average student. He had black hair and black eyes and an average body. His clothes could also be described as that of a common man. A plain t-shirt, pants, and shoes.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The other Player with us remained quiet. Even during the introduction, he only said his name. He was Block, an Earth Paladin from Crimson Swords. He had large build further enlarged by the heavy armor he wore. While I¡¯m no expert in nationality, it was very obvious that he was from the Middle East with his big black eyes, dark brown skin, black hair, and sharp nose.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Since Block was participating in the Swordmaster Tournament, Hawk studied him quite a bit although I don¡¯t remember what he said because it was none of my business. I did remember him saying that out of all the Players in Crimson Swords, Hawk would have the hardest time fighting him not due to skill but due to the nature of their abilities.

    Our formation ended up as follows. Block was up front. Stan stayed inches behind him. Rize and I stayed in the middle of the formation. Beside us on each side were Mura and Aim. Sophie was behind us to defend from backstabs.

    Our first encounter was against eighteen Goblins: Eight normal Goblins, four Black Goblins, two Goblin Archers, and two Black Goblin Archers.

    The Goblins only came from the front. The Goblins attacked Block who was in front. Rize used her Ability, which she called Healfire, on Block. Healfire gave Block a very fast Health regeneration that offset the Goblin¡¯s damage.

    The undamaging attacks on Block triggered his Ability. It also made me remember Hawk¡¯s explanation of Block¡¯s Ability. Block¡¯s Ability was named Rockhard. According to Hawk, Rockhard had a one in five chance to trigger every time Block was hit by a physical attack. Rockhard would mini-stun and slightly damage the attacker.

    Stan already broke through the Goblins in front and went directly for the Archers. When he reached them, he activated Sword Body and hit the Archers for significant damage per strike. Sword Body turned the rest of his sword and his entire body into the same steel as his sword.

    Since the beginning of the battle, Mura and Aim continuously fired arrows at the Goblins. Both of them fired with amazing accuracy. While Dove no longer missed her arrows when fighting monsters, Mura and Aim could target specific parts of the Goblins to deal more damage. Aim, as a Sniper, hit harder than Mura, but Mura, as an Archer, fired arrows faster than Aim. When the Goblins clustered up, Aim appeared to use his Ability. He fired an arrow covered with energy that pierced its way in a straight line and damaged all that lied in its path.

    Sophie, who took a while before joining the frontlines due to making sure there were no enemies behind us, punched the Goblins with great strength. Her Ability created lighting in her palms. While the lightning did not increase her damage on her target, it created a small electrical shockwave behind the target than mini-stunned other enemies that lay behind the target.

    When one of the Black Goblin Archer half Health due to Stan¡¯s efforts, Mura used his own Ability. He fired an arrow at the Black Goblin Archer and killed it from 42% Health.

    My job was to use my Electron Overcharge to hit any Goblins that broke past Block.

    While I wanted to make calls about strategy and the status of the battle like I did with ARF, Hawk told me not do so for two reasons. First, people were unlikely to listen to a kid like me. It¡¯s better to have no coherent strategy than to have a strategy only a few are following. Second, ARF wanted to hide as many of its battle strategies as possible since they may become our enemies in the future.

    With every Goblin falling, the battle became easier and easier. Rize healing Abilities except the first were used on Stan, who was targeted by all the Goblin Archers constantly. Stan never went below half Health, so we were in no danger of losing someone on this battle.

    The battles that followed did not hold much difficulty either. While teamwork was obviously lacking, we managed to beat most encounters through individual skill.

    After a few hours of exploring, we found a Safe Zone with a staircase behind it. We rested there for a while.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good, kid!¡± said Rize.

    ¡°You¡¯re only two years older than me. Anyway, thanks.¡±

    As I spoke with Rize, I rechecked and affirmed that Hawk and Dove where still alive.

    ¡°Why did you choose to be a Sage? I didn¡¯t choose Sage because I didn¡¯t think I could handle complex magic, so it surprised me that you, who is younger than me, actually chose it.¡±

    ¡°I believed I could manage it.¡±

    ¡°Hoho, you¡¯re quite the confident one.¡±

    Since our Health and Mana had regenerated to full, it was time to proceed on. I recalled my reason of choosing to be an Electric Sage.

    I admired Sister Trice greatly. I loved her very much as well. While she did love and care for me, I wanted to be acknowledged by her. I knew I was inferior to her in every way. Deep down, I wanted to surpass her.

    I wanted to fight and defeat Sister Trice on equal terms. I wanted to defeat Sister Trice, who would have chosen to be an Electric Sage, as an Electric Sage.

 Chapter 31: Raid Development, Part 2

    A Goblin Knight descended the staircase as soon as we left the Safe Zone. Its features matched Hawk¡¯s description. We immediately went into formation for battle. Since there were no dangers for backstabs, Sophie moved in front now.

    ¡°~!@#$%^&*()_+¡± the Goblin Knight said. While I did not understand its words, it felt like it held meaning.

    Aim immediately fired his Ability on the Goblin Knight. The Goblin Knight did not dodge even though it had sufficient time to so. The Goblin Knight lost 11% of its Health from the Ability. It then raised its sword to point at us.

    I had a bad feeling. Just as I was about to warn the others, the Goblin Knight copied Aim¡¯s Ability with an arrow firing out of his sword. The Goblin¡¯s Knight¡¯s arrow moved faster than Aim¡¯s, so we couldn¡¯t dodge it. 21% to Block, 20% to Sophie, 20% to Stan, 18% to Rize, 17% to me, 15% to Aim and Mura were the damage it dealt on us. Rize immediately used Healfire on Block.

    Aim and Mura fired arrows at the Goblin Knight. Many of them missed due to the sheer speed of the Goblin Knight. The ones that did hit only hit for 1 or 2% Health.

    The Goblin Knight ran at unbelievable speeds towards us. I moved the Electron Overcharge I already had to block its path. The Goblin Knight took 17% damage but was not stunned. It swung its sword at Block, which he successfully blocked with his shield. At that moment, the Goblin Knight created its own Electron Overcharge. Block got hit immediately since he was right in front of it and lost 39% of his Health to Block. Even with the added regeneration of Healfire, Block was barely above half Health.

    Stan and Sophie attacked from both sides of the Goblin Knight. They both had their Abilities active. The Goblin did not dodge and instead took both hits and was lowered to two-thirds health; however, it utilized both their Abilities to strengthen its counterattack. Both Stan and Sophie were down to almost half Health from one attack alone.

    Mura used his own ability on the Goblin Knight. The Goblin Knight willingly took the Ability and was down to 50% Health, but the ability was copied and fired back at Mura, lowering him to less than a forth Health.

    Rize healed Sophie with his second Healfire. We could now assume that the Goblin Knight could only copy Abilities that were targeted at it.

    The Goblin Knight ignored the frontliners and went directly for us. Realizing that the Goblin Knight would reach me before her, Rize immediately moved away from me. This made me the sole target of the Goblin Knight, so I ran away as fast as I could.

    I moved my second Electron Overcharge away from its path and created a third one. The other Players attempted to chase after the Goblin Knight that was chasing after me, but they made sure not to draw its aggro. The Goblin Knight¡¯s sword began glowing and slashed me. I lost 52% of my Health from one slash.

    The Goblin continued targeting me. I created my fourth Electron Overcharge. Since the Goblin Knight copied Abilities only after being hit, I would create three Electron Overcharges to finish off the remaining Health before it can attack back.

    I sent the three active Electron Overcharges to hit the Goblin down to 10% Health. I failed to kill it¡­ The Goblin fired three Overcharges of its own in response to my attack. I quivered in fear as I watched the Goblin Knight moved closer towards me,

    Was I going to die? Did I miscalculate?

    But the Goblin Knight slowed down massively. The Electron Overcharges moved alternately in a slow pace as well. This allowed the rest of the Players here to finish off the Goblin Knight.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I could only fall to the ground. I mumbled, ¡°What happened?¡±

    With my mind in shambles, I never figured out why the Goblin Knight failed to kill me. The Players around me did not notice my condition. I robotically followed them up the staircase. If more battles waited there, I would be in no condition to fight.

    My heart and body trembled with every movement I made. I had to give it my all just to climb the stairs. I wanted to see Hawk and Dove soon¡­

    Sword Body

    The user is inflicted with the Status Effect: Immobilize. The user doubles their Attack and Defense. The Effect lasts 15 Seconds

    Range: Single-target; Self

    Cooldown: 15 Seconds

    [Swordsman]

    A job specializing on utilizing swords.

    Stats: Health: **** Mana: ** Attack: **** Defense: ***

    Magic: ** Resistance: *** Speed: *** Dexterity: ***

    Usable Weapons: One-handed Swords, Two-handed Swords, Shields

    Usable Armor: Medium Equipment, Heavy Equipment

    [Archer]

    A job specializing on utilizing bows.

    Stats: Health: ** Mana: *** Attack: ****  Defense: **

    Magic: ** Resistance: ** Speed: **** Dexterity: *****

    Usable Weapons: Bows

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment, Heavy Equipment

    [Monk]

    A job specializing on attacking without weapons

    Stats: Health: **** Mana: * Attack: ***** Defense: ***

    Magic: * Resistance: *** Speed: **** Dexterity: ***

    Usable Weapons: None

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment, Medium Equipment

    [Sniper]

    A job specializing on killing opponents from afar.

    Stats: Health: *** Mana: *** Attack: ***** Defense: **

    Magic: ** Resistance: *** Speed: *** Dexterity: ***

    Usable Weapons: Bows, Guns

    Usable Armor: Light Armor

    [Paladin]

    A job specializing on tanking with support abilities.

    Stats: Health: **** Mana: **** Attack: *** Defense: ****

    Magic: *** Resistance: **** Speed: * Dexterity: *

    Usable Weapons: One-handed Swords, Two-handed Swords, Spears, Shields

    Usable Armor: Heavy Armor

 Chapter 32: Development Intermission

    A year ago

    In a famous private high school somewhere in the world, the school disciplinarian ranted on and on to a girl who appeared uninterested in his words.

    The girl had the looks and body of a model. She was only an inch away from being six foot tall. The girl dyed her black hair red and let it reach all the way to her knees. With her thick and long eyelashes surrounding her round brown eyes, the girl¡¯s face put many models to shame. Her skin was the lightest shade of brown. Even the school uniform could not conceal her bountiful breasts. In her country, the girl¡¯s chest was considered H-cup. No other student in her school came close to matching her. Despite her muscular build, the girl prided in her body¡¯s perfect balance between muscle strength and a girl¡¯s softness. Due to her height, the skirt proved too short for her, revealing her healthy thighs for all to behold.

    Kiwi POV

    ¡°You are smart and pretty. If only you¡¯d stop arguing with people already¡­¡± scolded the disciplinarian with a sigh as he held his hand on his head.

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡± I replied lazily. When would this banter end¡­

    The disciplinarian approached me and said with a more considerate tone, ¡°We are here to help you. Tell us if you are having any problems.¡±

    If people actually listened, I wouldn¡¯t be here in the first place¡­

    Why was I here? I disagreed with a classmate¡¯s opinion obviously. She insisted on reading my horoscope to which I declined. Since she insisted, I explained that I thought that horoscope was illogical and useless. Before long, it turned into an argument as she continued defending her beliefs even after I shut down all her points. In the end, I made her cry and reported me to the office. Of course, since I already had past records of arguing with my classmates, the office immediately disciplined me instead of actually investigating the events.

    People always let their emotions get the better of them during these arguments. In the end, it always resulted in them reporting me to authority about my misbehavior.

    The disciplinarian wasted half my day¡¯s time with his senseless banter and fake concern. After I was finally released, I had already missed the rest of my classes. I returned to my classroom to pick up my belongings. Because they were still in the room, my presence incited cruel stares from the person I argued with and her friends. Not that I cared at all what they thought of me.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± I greeted as I finally returned home after half an hour of walking.

    Only silence replied to my greeting. Three years had passed since another person last entered this house.

    This house was Mother¡¯s parting gift to me. It was small: only twice the size of an average dormitory. It looked even smaller due to how packed it was.

    I changed my clothes to prepare for work. I worked at night from seven to eleven in a convenience store. Due to my excellent performance and great looks, I quickly got promoted into the head of the salespeople. Fortunately, customers did not converse much with us, so I didn¡¯t enter into any arguments. Of course, I frequently argued with my workmates as well, but they could not deny my performance and were forced to accept me.

    From midnight to two, I wrote on my blog for additional profit. Since people in the internet were quite argumentative, my writing about the arguments I had generated a lot of views. From two to four, I prepared for the lessons and examinations the day after.

    Only after that did I sleep. Of course, less than three hours of sleep was nowhere near healthy. While I did oversleep during weekends and holidays, they did not make up for the lack of sleep normally. Unfortunately, my only choice was to continue this lifestyle.

    I always had the option of whoring myself out to those rich old guys. With my looks, I would earn more money than average salary workers each day. However, I was unable to let go of a childish wish of mine. Even now, I still wished the same thing. I didn¡¯t want wealth or fame, nor did I wish for my family problems to be solved or my personality to be fixed. All I wished for was to find one person: a person who would listen to my arguments; a person who would bring up valid points in his arguments; a person who would not let his emotions take control in arguments; a person who despite all our arguments would love me regardless.

    In Reality, I was a Metal Paladin who wielded only a shield and no weapon. I did this so that I could, for once, rely on someone else to do the main lifting for me. I was already tired of carrying myself to success in real life. Now, I would only help others do the carrying. It was not like defending was any easier than attacking. It was simply a psychological trick to fool myself to having no responsibility.

    Every time I made commitments with Parties, I ended up arguing with them in the end, so I chose to be a solo Player to be hired when needed. I never established any personal relationships with the Parties that hired me. I simply did my job and defended them with my life. The person I wished for did not appear even in Reality. In the end, the Players were the same as the people I knew¡ªpeople who let their emotions get the better of them.

 Chapter 33: Intermission Into Battle

    My body quivered as the boy who was with me stared at me intently. I felt my entire existence laid out before him.

    He was Hawk, leader of Azure Rain Force. He made his name when he defeated Blitz, Leader of the largest guild in Naut City.

    Even so, the boy did not look like a person who could challenge Blitz, yet alone defeat him. I recognized him due to the sword on his hip, Icebrande. The sword was famous throughout Naut City due to its unparalleled beauty. While I thought the rumors exaggerated, the snow-themed sword was undoubtedly worthy of its praise.

    To be honest, I was quite worried about our current situation. About two dozen Goblins surrounded us rapidly. With only two of us here, I questioned about our ability to pull through.

    I glanced at Hawk and almost mistook him for another person. He smiled like a psychopath.

    "You''re confident, as expected from the Leader of Azure Rain Forces." I said to ease the tension.

    The boy sighed and replied, "You overestimate me. I defeated Blitz, but that was the only notable thing I achieved. Until I reunited with her..."

    I did not understand the meaning behind Hawk''s words. I looked at him again and found him smiling as if he had ulterior motives in his words.

    "Let''s go!" Hawk said.

    He rushed directly into the midst the Goblins. With only two Players, this move would be considered reckless. The best strategy would be to let them come to us and pick them off one by one.

    Left with no choice, I chased after Hawk to help. Unfortunately, my Ability was of no use in scenarios such these. My Ability was mostly useless against most non-boss enemies. The best help I could provide was to tank attacks for Hawk.

    Not like he needed it. He dodged each and every attack seemingly effortlessly. I felt like watching a scripted battle. Hawk''s massacre of the Goblins was best described as that. He maneuvered through the swarm of Goblins, striking some of them when given the opportunity. He finally attacked all out when he reached the Goblin Archers. Hawk rapidly increased his chain gauge as he eliminated the Goblins without getting hit. Eventually, it reached the point where he was two-shotting the regular Goblins. My distracting the Goblins did ease his avoiding his attacks, but my instincts told me he would have dodged everything regardless.

    Half an hour later, we found ourselves in a Safe Zone in front of a set of staircase. As we rested for a bit, Hawk asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you used your Ability?¡±

    I explained to Hawk my Ability.

    ¡°Use it on me.¡± requested Hawk. I complied.

    After a few seconds, Hawk grinned and replied, ¡°Join my Party.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t get into personal relationships with others.¡±

    ¡°Because always voice your opinion even when others don¡¯t agree with it.¡±

    Surprised, I asked, ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Something normal people call ¡®intuition¡¯.¡±

    ¡°And what do you call it?¡±

    ¡°Unconscious calculations.¡±

    In other words, Hawk believed that what people called intuition was merely the predictions of the subconscious. It merely took into account the observable data and interpreted it. This all happened subconsciously, which is why people can¡¯t explain why properly.

    ¡°You¡¯re weird aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Is there anything wrong with that?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I just expected the Leader of ARF to be more¡­ leaderly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m merely the strategical Leader of ARF. Emotionally, I would have already fallen apart without her.¡±

    ¡°ARF Vice-Leader Dove.¡±

    ¡°Dove was my classmate in real life. Like you, she always held strong opinions on her analyses and voiced it out frequently. Even so, she still remained popular.¡±

    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand what Hawk was doing. Sharing things about real life was only done by close to one another here in Reality.

    ¡°I was amazed. At first, I couldn¡¯t understand why. I held strong opinions on my analyses as well, but whenever I voiced them out, people would give me weird looks. Can you tell me what the difference between us was?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Innocence. Even when others disagreed with her opinions and analyses, Dove never utilized what she knew to her advantage. On the other hand, I intentionally take advantage of what I knew and believed to manipulate others. While I never manipulated with the intention of harming others, the mere fact that I am manipulating people creates a fear in them of the possibility I do harm them. Especially since I¡¯m quite vocal of the fact that I am manipulating people. But she changed. Willingly for my sake. She now utilizes her talents to manipulate others. To be honest, I¡¯m worried for her, but my thankfulness for what she did for me far outweighs my worry.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ so that entire story is to have me join ARF since the three of us are similar.¡±

    ¡°Interested?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re manipulating someone to join you, be more subtle about it. It¡¯s easier to control someone if you don¡¯t tell them you¡¯re controlling them.¡±

    ¡°It is how I am. I will win despite people knowing I am manipulating them. So? You¡¯re answer?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not interested; however, in the end, even you will come to dislike me.¡±

    I stood and exited the Safe Zone, indicating that we should continue on.

    Drawing closer to the staircase, we could hear footsteps steadily approaching. Hawk and I prepared ourselves for battle as the silhouette of the creature approaching clarified in our views.

    What appeared before us was a Goblin fully clad in armor. On top of its head were the words Goblin Knight.

    ¡°Be careful. That is an intelligent Goblin. I should¡¯ve lost a one-on-one to that.¡±

    The Goblin Knight pointed its sword at us. It chanted incomprehensible words. When I realized it, the Goblin Knight¡¯s sword was inches away from my throat.

    Hawk kicked away the Goblin before the blade could reach me dealing very minor damage. Without giving me ample time to react, the Goblin Knight circled behind me and swung its sword downwards towards me. This time, Hawk blocked the strike with his Basic Sword and let the Goblin Knight¡¯s attack slide diagonally downwards. At the same time, he attacked with his ice-like sword. The Goblin caught the sword with its hand. Blood spilled out of the Goblin¡¯s hands, but it managed to minimize the damage dealt as it made its distance from us.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Hawk placed one of his hands on his head, seemingly feeling dizzy.

    ¡°Why am I feeling dizzy at a time like this?¡± complained Hawk. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you helping?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? I just couldn¡¯t react in time to that speed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s that fast¡ª¡± Hawk grinned as if he realized something and continued, ¡°I see¡­ so that¡¯s what it was¡­¡±

    Before I could even comprehend the situation, the Goblin Knight was already thrusting its sword towards Hawk¡¯s torso. Before the sword pierced him, he swung both his blades downwards on the Goblin Knight simultaneously using Skadi¡¯s Caress on the Goblin Knight. The mini-stuns caused by Skadi¡¯s Caress bought ample time to dodge away from the thrust.

    The Goblin Knight was down to 67% of its health after the attacks.

    ¡°Kiwi¡­ once you get in range, use Mirrored World on the Goblin Knight.¡±

    ¡°What!? But I can¡¯t defeat it one-on-one!¡±

    Hawk smiled psychopathically and said, ¡°Trust me.¡±

    For some reason, I believed in his words. Hawk was neither charismatic in looks nor in speech. I followed behind him as he charged towards the Goblin Knight.

    ¡°End Mirrored World once the Goblin goes for a large strike.¡±

    Mirrored World activated.

    The world I walked in changed into a world of crystal. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, the monsters, the Players¡ªeverything except myself and the Goblin Knight appeared like crystal in my eyes. The Goblin Knight and I could not tangle with the crystallized world. The crystallized world could not tangle with us.

    In this world cut from the rest of Reality, the Goblin Knight once again moved at amazing speeds to attack me. This time, however, I effortlessly reacted to the attack blocked it with my shield. The Goblin Knight relentlessly tried to break through my defenses but it only dealt slight damage to itself as my shield sometimes collided with Goblin Knight¡¯s body.

    The Goblin Knight, seemingly irritated by its inability, attempted one large strike towards me.

    At this moment, I released Mirrored World and blocked the attack. The recoil from the attack staggered the Goblin Knight, allowing Hawk, with Skadi¡¯s Caress used, to beat it down and reduce its health to critical.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t as fast as you thought it was, right?¡± said Hawk.

    The Goblin Knight once again charged at us. This time, I could not see its movements. By the time I noticed, the Goblin Knight fell into ground with its upper body severed, transforming into pixels.

    ¡°What was that all about? Why was it slower in Mirrored World?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t. What it did was forced misdirection.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ve lost me¡­¡±

    ¡°Simply, it forcibly moved our gazes away from it through magic.¡±

    ¡°Then why were you having no problems? And why did Mirrored World counter it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll answer the second question first. Mirrored World not only isolated the user and target in a secluded dimension. It also made the user and the target not notice anything except each other. Because of that, there was nowhere else you could focus your eyes on.¡±

    ¡°You realized this even though I only used Mirrored World on you once.¡±

    I was amazed that Hawk pointed it out with only experiencing Mirrored World once. Hawk noticed himself not noticing anything outside me in the Mirrored World.

    ¡°For the other question¡­¡± Hawk stopped a bit before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have a weird form of imagery.¡±

    ¡°Weird form?¡±

    ¡°I create an image of the current state of the battlefield. Most real-time strategists are capable of doing so. As such, I know where the Goblin Knight is even though my eyes are not focused on it. What makes my imagery weird is that I can¡¯t actually see the image in my mind. My mind doesn¡¯t let me see the image part and jumps straight into the analysis part and creates the plan of action.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Doesn¡¯t let me see¡¯?¡±

    ¡°The image is actually there since I get dizzy when there is a disconnect between the image and reality, which is how I realized the Goblin Knight was removing focus away from itself. To give an analogy, there is an image file in a computer I can¡¯t open; however, I have a program that analyzes the image file without opening it.¡±

    To be honest, I still couldn¡¯t fully comprehend Hawk¡¯s point, but I let it slide.

    We ascended the stairs and found ourselves back to the top floor of Goble. Around thirty or so Players assembled there. On this floor, there were ten set of stairs leading to different parts of Goble.

    Hawk approached found his teammates. The first, who I¡¯m pretty sure was Dove, was a cute girl with a similar aura to Hawk. She was embracing a handsome blonde kid who was crying.

    Noticing me, Dove said, ¡°Another girl attracted your interest?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Dove looked at me and said, ¡°Kiwi, I presume?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Nice to meet you.¡±

    Dove turned back to Hawk and said, ¡°Was it the breasts?¡±

    Hawk laughed and replied, ¡°Yeah. ARF is lacking a bit in that department.¡±

    Dove seemed a little ticked off but let it slide. Her breasts weren¡¯t that small if you took into account her petite frame, but I refrained from commenting to Hawk¡¯s joke.

    The boy stopped crying and approached Hawk. Dove signaled me as we moved away from the two, but we could still hear their conversation.

    ¡°Canary is a girl by the way¡­¡± said Dove, as if reading my thoughts.

    My surprise was broken as Canary began telling Hawk what happened. In summary, Canary almost died after a Goblin reflected her Ability back at her. She only survived because the Goblin¡¯s movements slowed down.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I almost died¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did you almost die?¡± asked Hawk in a scolding tone.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Canary stopped herself and changed her words, ¡°I fought as if my teammates were Hawk and Dove who would never let the enemy target me¡­¡±

    Hawk placed his hand on Canary¡¯s head and said, ¡°Never trust your life into other people. Most people would abandon others to save themselves. Even I would abandon you to save myself or Dove if necessary.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    A smile appeared in Hawk¡¯s face as he embraced Canary tightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright.¡±

    ¡°Hawk is amazing¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but express.

    ¡°So will you be joining?¡± asked Dove who noticed what I said.

    ¡°You seem to be adamant to my joining.¡± I said. ¡°Won¡¯t you be the evil stepmother who doesn¡¯t want me to join?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave that for later.¡± replied Dove with a grin.

    Hawk and Canary approached us. Canary was now in a cheerful mood. Hawk explained to her who I was. Canary appeared really excited and barraged me with various questions.

    After a while, I made up my mind and said, ¡°Hawk. I would like to join ARF given the condition that I can leave anytime should I become disappointed by it.¡±

    Smiling along with rest of ARF, Hawk replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The condition will never be relevant.¡±

    With my short interactions with ARF, I decided I would give it a try. It could be the greatest decision of my life or it could be the greatest regret I will hold. Nothing can be achieved without risk. This was a risk I was willing to take. Whether it proves my beliefs wrong or confirms them, it¡¯s better to try and regret than regret not trying.

    As it was just about lunch time as we Players continued to arrive from various floors of the dungeon. Hawk and the other Party Leaders were discussing plans in front of the gigantic sealed door that obviously led to the boss room. Most of the people were preparing to take their lunch.

    ¡°Alright then, time for you entrance exam to ARF.¡± said Dove as she stood up after resting for a bit.

    ¡°Why did I need to take an exam? Your leader recommended me, right?¡±

    ¡°You need my approval as well.¡±

    ¡°Do you not trust Hawk¡¯s judgment?¡±

    ¡°I trust him; however, I want to experience your actual skill it combat.¡±

    At the very least, this confirmed ARF wasn¡¯t Hawk¡¯s dictatorship. I sighed and replied, ¡°So what do I do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Hawk that you can only defend. I¡¯ll Duel you. You win if you last one minute.¡±

    I thought to myself, ¡°One minute? How highly did Dove think of herself to set such a short timer?¡±

    Mirrored World

    The user and target become unaffected by anything except themselves and each other. The user and target cannot affect anything except each other. The user can end Mirrored World anytime. Mirrored World ends when either the user or the target is deemed incapable of fighting.

    Range: Single-target; Line of Sight

    Cooldown: 1 Minute (starts after Mirror World is ended)

 Chapter 34: Battle to Survive

    A rather large crowd gathered around us since most of the Players were resting. As the seconds ticked down for the duel countdown, I stared at Dove. Dove stood about six meters away from me, pointing her sword at me. The sword Dove held was Icebrande, which was Hawk¡¯s sword.

    Swan¡¯s Death Lance, Purge¡¯s Aurafist, Zoe¡¯s Alchemist¡¯s Staff, Hawk¡¯s Icebrande, and Blitz¡¯s Flametongue were the five Artifact Rarity Equipment reported in Naut City. According to rumors, they were acquired by performing a complicated series of events. According to the Player¡¯s reports, Artifact Rarity Equipment would not let people except for their owners wield them. They explained that it was not the system preventing others from using the equipment, but the equipment themselves refusing to be used by others.

    As such, the scene of Dove wielding Icebrande surprised me. Judging from the whispering from the audience, not only I was surprised.

    As soon as the countdown ended, Dove rushed at me at high speeds. Not as fast as the Goblin Knight, but faster than Hawk¡¯s movements. I readied myself for her attack, but as I entered into her attack range, she disappeared.

    It was obviously an Invisibility Ability. During these times, I wished Mirrored World could counter invisibility, but it unfortunately did not.

    As I prepared for a backstab from Dove, the sight of a translucent blade swinging down towards me entered my eyes. Unable to react, the hit struck diagonally through my chest for 12% of my Health. Dove relentlessly swung back upwards a soon as she could. This time I blocked it with my right shield; however, Dove did not flinch at all and immediately rotated her body clockwise and slashed at me from the right side since my shield was still lowered from blocking her previous attack. I managed to soften the attack with my left shield; however, there¡¯s no way I could properly defend an attack from the right with my left shield and lost 9% of my Health.

    Anticipating an attack from the left side, I withdrew my left hand. The shield blocked my sight of Dove for a moment and I was greeted by a kick to the face. While this only dealt 2% to my Health, Dove capitalized on this and attacked me twice from behind as I recovered from the kick. I managed to block the following slash with my right shield. Dove somersaulted without moving the pushing Icebrande to lock down my right shield. Dove punched me with her left hand. I immediately blocked with my left shield to deal recoil damage (although this was irrelevant) and stagger her. To my surprise, Dove did not punch but instead pushed down my shield with her palm and used it as a platform to land behind me.

    At this point, my right shield was no longer locked, so I turned around to prepare for the next attack. Dove took advantage of her higher speed and circled around me as I turned around and once again cleanly struck me for 14% before I blocked the following attack.

    Dove suddenly crouched down and cleanly slashed my foot, dealing 6% damage. I immediately reacted by crouching down as well, but as I crouched down, Dove already leapt upwards. Unable to immediately get back up, Dove barraged me with her sword as I desperately blocked as many strikes as possible as I got back into position. I lost 37% of my Health from that exchange and was down to less than a third of my Health. I checked the time and felt worried as the half-way point only just passed.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    As I checked the time, Dove capitalized and attacked me once again. She managed to hit the edge of my right shield from the side away from my hand as I put it up horizontally on my chest and push it away, leaving me defenseless. Of course, Dove mercilessly slashed my open body, leaving me one clean hit away from losing.

    With over twenty seconds left on the clock, Dove stopped attacking and looked at me with disappointed eyes sighing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down at me!¡± was what I wanted to shout, but in the current situation, I was disappointed in myself.

    At exactly the forty-fifth second, Dove charged towards me once again. I managed to block the first three strikes before being unable to cope with her speed. As the fourth strike fell towards me overhead, I grasped for anything to defend myself.

    In desperation, I headbutted Dove as the overhead swing was slashing down and placed my head directly in the swords path.

    The sword was millimeters away from my head and I could feel it on my hair as our heads connected. Pushed back, Dove immediately recovered and began attacking even more tenaciously than before.

    It was only a matter of time before her precise attacks broke my defenses. With the game-ending swing coming from my left, I made one last play. With a last ditch effort to delay for time, I purposely fell down. The purpose of this plan was to delay the last attack and surprise Dove enough to spend the remaining time.

    But there she was, Dove dove after the falling me. My eyes couldn¡¯t believe this scene as her sword drew closer to me as we both fell towards the ground. The sword cut through my face, and as in my heart I conceded defeat, the timer rang.

    In the end, the time ran out before Dove¡¯s sword could penetrate deep enough to defeat me.

    ¡°Looks like you pass.¡± said Dove with a smile as she held out her hand to help me stand up.

    I grabbed her hand and she pulled me up. I received a message whether to join Azure Rain Forces. Without hesitance, I accepted it.

    Dove POV

    I was greatly disappointed with Kiwi initial performance. While her skill and experience were definitely up there, her fight style was boring. If Hawk and I were to find a low level tank and train him/her properly, the person could probably replicate what Kiwi did. Fifteen seconds before the time ended, I planned to finish her off and not let her join. However, those desperate plays she changed my mind and showed that she could be something unique.

    As the crowd dispersed after the Duel, I noticed Hawk watching with a grin. After exchanging a few words with Kiwi with her joining, he whispered to me, ¡°Losing on purpose, did you want Kiwi to join so badly?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Only towards the end this she interest me.¡± I replied. Yes, I did lose on purpose. At any point during the last thirty seconds, I could have activated Fade Walk a split second before my attack landed just for the bonus damage.

    ¡°Kiwi is a normal girl usually; however, she doesn¡¯t react normally when cornered. While I don¡¯t know her background, she probably lived most of her life as a normal girl until something drastic happened and she was forced to adapt to it.¡±

 Chapter 35: Survive the Goblin Creation

    Hawk brought yet another weird girl to ARF. At this rate, ARF would become Hawk¡¯s harem of weird girls. Sigh¡­ I wished a normal guy around our age would join. It¡¯s highly doubtful Hawk would let someone normal join though. Well, maybe if we met one of our former classmates like Jugs or Jaden.

    The fifty Players, including myself, entered the door. We caught a glimpse of a small group of six or seven Goblins running away. The Goblins differed from the Goblins we¡¯ve fought in that they wore proper and noble clothing. They fled bringing a sack filled with old torn books and broken statues.

    As we chased after them, a symbol similar to a magic circle illuminated from the ground and blocked our path. A grotesque creature stood before us. The creature name Gobbled Goblin as well as its four Health Bars appeared in front of it.

    The Gobbled Goblin had¡­ mutated Goblins forming its body. It was an amalgamation of Goblins of different sizes and slices. What made me feel sick was that each individual Goblin showed indications of being alive. Those with eyes and mouth intact clearly showed consciousness with their eye movement and crying in Gobledgack language.

    Unlike Hawk who was bad at distinguishing languages, I could mostly tell what language was being spoken even though I did not understand one word of it. Each language had their own distinct patterns of sound that I could tell apart. Gobledgack sounded like a beautiful language corrupted by old age.

    Due to the large number of Players, we could not find the best specific position. Instead, we settled with the suboptimal choice of grouping based on job. Two-thirds of the tanks stood in a spearhead formation with Kin at its tip. The remaining third led by Purge defended the sides a back in case of a flank.

    Directly behind the tanks were the short-range attackers, ready strike any foe who reached the tanks in front. Due to the large number of this group, they were broken down into two: Hawk¡¯s and Blitz¡¯s.

    Behind them were the middle-range attackers led by Swan, composed of Players with medium range weapons and the handful of mage-types with short cast ranges. They were there to take on any enemy that might break through the formation.

    Following them were the long-range Players, including most mage-types and archer-types. Since there were already a large number of sword-users compared to bow-users, we decided it would be better if I played Archer primarily in this battle.

    To be honest, I was worried about the bow-users the most. While the mage-types were led by Zoe, there were no bow-user that led any of the famous Parties. Hawk did propose for me to lead them, but most Parties except for Cerulean Seas were reluctant or outright refused it. Zoe did tip me before this battle that most people believe that Hawk Partied with me simply because I knew him from real life. Of course, Hawk never mentioned this since neither he nor I cared what other people thought of me. Besides, at least I didn¡¯t have to think about other Players and can do my own thing.

    Before any of us readied to attack, the Gobble Goblin was divided in two horizontally by a sharp rock piercing upwards from the ground due to Swan¡¯s Ability, Stalactite Birth. Hawk told me the Ability name after we partied with Swan. Unfortunately, no one knew of the exact limitation of the Ability since there was yet a person to force her to use the Ability to its absolute limits.

    The Gobbled Goblin did not lose any of it Health from the attack. As the Players were too deep in thought on why it did no damage, the right half of the severed body squirmed its way into a standing position. The left half regrew the rest of its body and charged at us.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Numerous magic circles appeared over the right half of the Gobbled Goblin as the various mouths uttered simultaneously. The already crumbled ruins of the Goblin City shook as if it would bury us all alive. Pillars broke. Ceilings fell. Floors split. Our formation broke as the Players sought safety in the collapsing dungeon.

    Amidst all the chaos, the fully regenerated (left) Gobbled Goblin swung its arms its closest targets, a group of four people scrambling for safety. As if they were as light as feathers, the four flew several meters away from their original positions. The impact from the attack alone took over half the health of the four. The damage they then took as the hit the ground and walls took an even greater dent in the Health. One of them was unfortunate enough to hit into a pillar, which in turn collapsed and reduced the Player¡¯s Health to zero, marking the first casualty of the battle.

    As the left Gobbled Goblin sought for its new target, I found firm footing atop a collapsed pillar and shot arrows as fast as I could. Just like Swan¡¯s attack, the Gobbled Goblin took no damage.

    Purge and Razor attacked the right Gobbled Goblin, which still had the magic circles over the body. Razor¡¯s lightning covered sword struck diagonally across the enemy followed by Purge¡¯s uppercut that sent the boss flying into the air and crashed into the ceiling.

    If I recalled correctly, Razor¡¯s Ability, Lightning Blade, created an Electric field around his weapon. The Electric field further damaged and mini-stunned the opponent when an attack connected. Hawk had already deduced most of the additional details about the Ability and told them to me, but those details would be noted when they showed.

    Purge¡¯s Ability, Sky Uppercut, was a single-target Ability that sent its target directly upwards for an amount of time. Unlike Lightning Blade, most of the details about Lightning Blade were yet to be figured.

    The battle raged on and became too chaotic to describe. Each severed part of the Gobbled Goblin transformed into several dozen regular goblins. Even worse, these regular Goblins would occasionally return back to the Gobbled Goblin, which not only regenerated its health but also gave it more parts to sever.

    While I cannot pinpoint the details due to my focus in battle, Zoe screamed orders like a mad man to minimize damage. Zoe¡¯s talents were fully shown by how she remembered each person¡¯s name and their ability.

    I had already switched to my sword midways into the battle. Currently, the fifteen or so best Players, including myself, purely focused on the Gobbled Goblin while the rest took care of the ever increasing number of regular Goblins.

    Kiwi pretty much gave all her priority to protecting Canary as per Hawk¡¯s orders. Unfortunately for Canary, her abilities were unfit for this battle since the hordes of Goblins soaked up her Electrons, even ignoring the how delicate the control had to be due to friendly fire.

    The battle was in no way exciting. After seeing the only pattern the boss, it was merely a slugfest to whittle down the Gobbled Goblin¡¯s massive Health. Our true limitation in this battle was neither Health nor Mana, but fatigue. At some point, I already lost track of myself and went completely on instinct, at which point Hawk forced me to fight the Goblin horde instead, much to my dismay. Every once in a while, Hawk would kick a Player away from the battle against the Gobbled Goblin into the horde.

    After one hour of continuous adrenaline, Swan¡¯s finished off the boss. Ignoring everything else, I drag my fatigued body to Hawk, who was sitting on the ground with his legs spread out. I rested my head on his right leg as I lied on the ground. After a while, Canary did the same. Kiwi also approached us but simply sat beside us. After a few seconds, I fade into unconsciousness. After a few minutes, I could hear conversations starting up again from Hawk and others, but I was too tired to continued and slept through it.

 Chapter 36: Creation of Conflict

    ¡°Wake up¡­¡± Hawk¡¯s voice woke me from slumber as I felt his finger gently poke my cheek.

    Rubbing my eyes to wake myself, I checked to find that I slept for fifteen or so minutes. I look around to find Players arguing amongst themselves. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°The reward from the Boss battle was 250,000 Fitts and the ¡®Tome of Goble¡¯. While the money can be equally distributed, there is a huge argument on who acquires the Tome of Goble. The leaders and vice-leaders of the Parties as well as Crow and Ave as representative of the freelance are going to have a meeting soon.¡±

    The leaders forbid the Players to exit the dungeon until they decided on who acquires the tome. Only we, the leaders and vice-leaders plus Crow and Ave exited and sat in a circle and the Tome of Goble was placed in the middle.

    Ave was frankly an overweight woman almost twenty years of age. Her face was fat and filled with freckles and her brown hair that reached her shoulders was shriveled and in a mess. No offense to her, she gave me the impression of an overweight NEET who spent most of her time in front of a computer. Surprisingly, if she fixed her appearance as well as her weight, she could be attractive.

    1xTome of Goble 14

    Type: Item

    Rarity: Artifact

    A Spellbook written by the creator of a Goblin Spell. Teaches the user a Goblin Spell. Single-use.

    ¡°The meeting to discuss the ownership of the tome begins.¡± states Zoe, who sat beside me.

    ¡°I believe as the one who got the last hit, I should have it.¡± states Swan.

    ¡°You just so happened to get the last hit. We wouldn¡¯t have beaten the boss without the numbers brought by Crimson Swords.¡± rejected Burst.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I whispered to Hawk.

    ¡°I want the item, but I can¡¯t deny we have no right to it. We only contributed 4 people. I even had to force you out of the main fight since you were losing your control.¡± he replied.

    After a while of senseless bickering, which was annoying, Hawk finally suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just vote of which party receives it? Of course, you can¡¯t vote for you own Party.¡±

    After another series of annoying talk, everyone finally agreed on Hawk¡¯s suggestion with the added rule that Players from the same Party could not vote for the same Party. I could see that Hawk was getting irritated that every point took forever to discuss. Personally, I just want this to end since we aren¡¯t getting the tome anyway.

    We would simply write down who we voted for on a piece of wood and show the vote at the same time.

    ¡°Who do we vote for?¡± I asked Hawk.

    ¡°Vote for who you think deserves it. I won¡¯t tell you mine since it might influence you.¡±

    As I wrote my vote on Platina Knights, I remembered something Hawk mentioned. No matter what language you write down in Reality, it would appear as your most comfortable language when you read it. Hawk experimented on writing Chinese characters, but when he read it and showed it to me, it still appeared in English.

    I voted for Platina Knights because Swan was by far the best performing Player in the battle as well as taking the last hit. Hawk double-checked that we didn¡¯t have the same vote.

    In the end the vote was cast as follows:

    Swan: Cerulean Seas, Sheev: ARF, Kin: Platina Knights, Gin: Crimson Swords, Purge: Cerulean Seas, Razor: ARF, Hawk: Cerulean Seas, Dove: Platina Knights, Zoe: ARF, Kotel: Platina Knights, Blitz: Platina Knights, Burst: Cerulean Seas, Crow: Cerulean Seas, Ave: ARF

    The vote tallied as follows:

    Cerulean Seas: 5

    ARF: 4

    Platina Knights: 4

    Crimson Swords: 1

    Hawk smirked when he found out we were actually tied 2<sup>nd</sup> with Platina Knights.

    ¡°With this, the Tome goes to Cerulean Seas.¡± declares Zoe in a tone that tried to hide excitement.

    ¡°Why did so few vote for Crimson Swords and so many for ARF and Cerulean Seas?¡± said Burst, who I noticed served as the brains of Crimson Sword.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Everyone looked at each other for a bit before Hawk spoke up and bluntly said, ¡°It¡¯s because nobody values the numbers you brought to the battle. Since we fought in groups of weapon type instead of Parties, the coordination of Crimson Swords sub-Parties that could have been important is moot. If we called freelance Players, there would¡¯ve been no difference.¡±

    I chuckled as Hawk criticized Burst like it¡¯s his right. Of course, many take Hawk¡¯s criticism to personally but those who did listen tend to be better off.

    Swan then added, ¡°Zoe did most of work in controlling the battlefield in the chaos. He led most of the non-top Players. While her battle performance may not match the rest of us, leading the other Players is much more important to me.¡±

    Zoe then finished, ¡°You guys probably didn¡¯t noticed, but Hawk forced away, sometimes violently, Players fighting the main boss who were losing their cool and giving in to their instincts, including his own girlfriend. If it hadn¡¯t been for that, we might have had a handful of casualties. To some of us, this is far more important than who fought the best.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡± Hawk interjected.

    I sighed to myself within. Why can¡¯t people not tease us so much? I understand that its fun to joke about people¡¯s love lives, but sometimes it can get in the way of their relationship if you tease too much.

    We went our separate ways as we returned to Naut City.

    ¡°How do you think we can prevent unfriendly competition and withholding of information? Especially with the item drops; I solved the problem this time, but as this issue repeats, results will become worse and worse.¡± asked Zoe to Hawk, who, along with the rest of Cerulean Seas, travelled together with us.

    ¡°Why are you asking me? I withheld information about the sewers except to you.¡±

    ¡°A guilty person would know best how to remove the possibility of said guilt. Besides, while you neither have the interest or the capability to solve this issue, you are smart enough to have some ideas.¡±

    ¡°There is one way. A common enemy is the only thing that can create unison. Unfortunately, completing Reality is far too abstract to identify as an enemy and so is the hooded figure who trapped us here.¡±

    It was near midnight when we arrived in back at our house. Along the way, we discussed ARF to Kiwi.

    ¡°A new Party member?¡± asked Sylvie after she welcomed us back home.

    ¡°Yes. I am Kiwi. Nice to meet you Sylvie.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you too. Hope we get along.¡± replied Sylvie.

    Tired from the battle, we took our baths. Kiwi slept in the solo room as she and Canary went to sleep. I went back downstairs and sat on the sofa where Hawk just finished taking his bath since he was the last to do so.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked after noticing my presence.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be lonely if everyone was asleep after you finished bathing.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Besides, you¡¯re worried. I guess about what Zoe said?¡±

    Hawk looked at me for a few seconds before smiling to himself and said, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m afraid of getting betrayed by other Players.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; I won¡¯t betray you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d commit suicide if you did.¡±

    As much as it sounded like a joke, I knew it wasn¡¯t. Hawk would break if I betrayed him now.

    ¡°Turn around.¡±

    Hawk did not question like he usually did and simply complied. I embraced him from behind and said, ¡°I would commit suicide myself if I did betray you.¡±

    Hawk held my embracing hands and intertwined our fingers. After a while of pondering, he finally said, ¡°Dove, I love you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°What kind of reply is that?¡± answered Hawk.

    ¡°Well, I am very thankful for your feelings for me.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    I thought to myself. Memories of Hawk and myself both outside and inside Reality flashed before my mind as I thought what to do. Hawk must have realized I was thinking since he remained silent.

    ¡°Hawk, I can confidently say that I like you; however, I am still unsure whether I love you. What I feel about you is all jumbled thanks to being in Reality, and I am unsure of what this feeling is myself. So¡­ I am going to be selfish and ask you to wait for me¡­ wait for me to sort out these feelings. It will probably take a while, but I promise I will give you an answer in time. Is that¡­ alright with you?¡±

    ¡°I waited three years in reality, guess I¡¯m going to wait another three years in Reality.¡± said Hawk as he turned around before continuing, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll wait you, not only because I love you but also because you are worth waiting for. Just¡­ promise me one thing¡­ no romantic advances with other people aside from me.¡±

    ¡°Of course! That goes without saying!¡± I replied enthusiastically.

    Finally, after liking me for almost four years now, he finally confessed. After he threw and choked repeatedly during our time in university, he finally managed to not do anything stupid that would destroy his chances with me. It felt pretty good; however, I was not ready to commit yet. Ever since coming to Reality and meeting Hawk, my emotions had been jumbled. I knew Hawk liked me. The moment I accepted to be his Party Member, I already predicted we would grow close and one day he would confess to me. Of course, I didn¡¯t want to think about it since there was one complication, but I guess had no choice but to deal with it now. Well, predicted would be a term Hawk would use; however, anyone with a functioning brain should realize that two people Partying together had a high likelihood of ending up together, especially since one side already had romantic feelings in the first place. Even so the reason I had yet to commit was simple: I was unsure. Were these feelings of mine true love or love of circumstances? Did I like Hawk because I like him or because I needed to like him? I knew full well I wouldn¡¯t give him another chance in real life given how stupidly he acted on his feelings.

    The suspension bridge effect: two people on a suspended on a hanging bridge have accelerated heart rates and body activity. These body changes combined with human¡¯s desire to procreate on the verge of death as well as increasing dependence on each other due to having the same experience often created an illusion of love between the two. Currently, I did not whether I was experiencing this effect or not. Only when I confirm the truth would I answer his confession.

 Chapter 37: Conflict Halt

    June 28, XX17; 7:00 A.M.

    Kiwi POV

    ¡°Good morning¡­¡± greeted Dove as slowly descended the stairs with one arm stretched.

    ¡°Morning¡­¡± I replied.

    ¡°Good Morning. Breakfast¡¯s ready.¡± followed Sylvie.

    I learned last night that ARF had an Elven maid named Sylvie. Well, maid in terms of appearance, I highly doubt ARF would treat Sylvie different from a Party Member. An elven maid did sound like some weaboo¡¯s perverted fetish though.

    After Dove began eating, I asked ¡°Why do you guys have an Elven maid? Isn¡¯t she from the Elven Camp?¡±

    ¡°Political stuff regarding Elves, you should ask Hawk from the details. Simply, Sylvie is safer hear than returning home with the other Elves.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± as I replied, loud footsteps descended the stairs. It was Canary, the youngest Player in the raid who leapt down the stair.

    ¡°Good Morning!¡± she greeted energetically. ¡°Hawk said he¡¯s skipping breakfast since he¡¯s too tired.¡±

    Once Canary started eating, I asked again, ¡°Is there anything I should know now that I joined ARF?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Just don¡¯t betray us.¡± replied Dove nonchalantly.

    ¡°And no stealing Hawk from Dove.¡± added Canary. Sylvie chuckled and Dove poked Canary¡¯s forehead. I laughed along as well.

    ¡°Are you two dating?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Dove immediately and strongly answered.

    I went with the flow and asked, ¡°So can I steal him from you?¡±

    Dove thought a bit before replying, ¡°Well, I guess you can try?¡±

    ¡°What are you planning on doing today?¡± asked Sylvie.

    ¡°We¡¯re free today. I want to go visit the orphanage!¡± said Canary.

    ¡°Sylvie and I have something to do, so you¡¯ll have to go by yourself.¡± replied Dove.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind going with her. But why are we free today, didn¡¯t a new part of the world map just unlock?¡± I volunteered.

    ¡°ARF lacks the manpower to explore the world map. Besides, the Crimsons Swords alone is enough people to find the new area to be cleared. The discoveries would be reported by tonight anyway.¡± explained Dove.

    We conversed about various topics until around eight when we left the house. Hawk was still asleep.

    Canary and I arrived at the orphanage. As soon as a child saw Canary¡¯s face, he exclaimed, ¡°Canary is here.¡±

    The children excitedly flocked around Canary. They looked curiously at me as well. Noticing this, Canary explained, ¡°She is Kiwi, a new Party member of ARF.¡±

    As soon as ARF was mentioned, some of the children flocked to me as well, asking various questions. After a few minutes of non-stop answering, the children finally calmed and led us into the orphanage to sit.

    A boy named Luke, apparently the ¡°leader¡± of these children, sat besides Canary who said with the most adorable smile, ¡°Good job taking care of the children.¡±

    Luke blushed before replying, ¡°Awesome, aren¡¯t I. I told you that you leaving would be no problem.¡±

    Canary and Luke went to play with the other children, leaving me to keep an eye on them. The occasional child would come to me and talk to me, but they never stayed with me too long before continuing to play.

    I observed that Canary noticed and interacted with every child here. Even when many people were talking to her a once, she would reply accurately to all of them one by one.

    At around eleven in the morning, Razor arrived. I learned from Canary that he was the one who created this ¡°orphanage¡±. He noticed me but spent around twenty minutes playing with the children first.

    He said after approaching me, ¡°So you are part of ARF now? Weird.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°How is it weird?¡± I replied. If he wasn¡¯t a well-known Player I probably would have been insulted, but I was sure he had his reasons.

    ¡°Hawk only wants to Party with people who have a certain quirk. Zoe, Dove, Canary, and Crow all fit this criterion; however, you, while skilled, aren¡¯t unique in any way. Any tank under Hawk¡¯s supervision would surpass you in a few days. So why would Hawk take an interest in you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I answered truthfully. I¡¯d probably ask Hawk once we return home though.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know as well and that bothers me. Hawk can always see something others may not see. So Duel me and show me what he sees in you!¡± A Duel challenge from Razor appeared before my eyes. ¡°Same rules as your Duel with Dove. Survive for one minute and you win, but unlike Dove, I won¡¯t lose on purpose.¡±

    I already knew Dove lost to me on purpose. She could¡¯ve activated Fade Walk anytime to finish me off, but she didn¡¯t. I still didn¡¯t know why. Sigh¡­ I still had a lot of questions to ask those two.

    The children gathered around us as I accepted the Duel.

    As the countdown started, I brought out both my shields. Razor drew out his Iron Sword as well as his Iron Shield, which were both Uncommon Rarity items. I recalled that Razor was a Electric Templar.

    Templars were very similar to Spell Blades both in Abilities, Stats, and Equipment Options. The biggest difference was that Spell Blades were more weapon-focused. Spell Blades abilities created additional effects on their weapons. On the other hand, Templar abilities were independent from their weapons.

    Razor¡¯s Ability and its properties were well known to everyone. Lightning Cloud summoned a cloud above the user. The cloud would strike lightning immediately after activation and in an interval of every six seconds.

    The very second the countdown ended, Razor activated Lightning Cloud. I jumped backwards the very second the countdown ended. The bolt hit the ground where I was standing. While the bolt travelled at the speed of lightning, it was possible to dodge since the timings of the Ability were fixed. There was known delay between Lightning Cloud¡¯s location targeting and the bolt itself. Many Players estimated the delay to be a quarter of a second.

    During this time, Razor dashed towards me with his shield up. Mirrored World was useless for Duels, so I had to win with pure skill. Our shields clang with one another. Razor timed this intentionally at the same time as the second bolt struck. Since I knew this, I used my other shield to block it. At the same time, Razor used his superior force to push away my shield with his own and landed the first hit on me with his sword. I lost 21% from the attack. Razor shoved his shield at me, and I blocked with my shield, but before our shields crashed, he went down to sweep kick me, which fell me down on the ground.

    Razor swung both his sword and shield down as I blocked one with each shield. I struggled to defend, but Razor managed to push my shields away, allowing for another lightning to strike, which opened me up for another sword strike, leaning me at 45% Health

    During the short interval of Razor¡¯s attack, I managed to stand up only to be greeted by another a shield to the face, which threw me back. Thankfully, I held my balance to block the subsequent sword strike, but I failed to avoid the fourth bolt, leaving me at 30% Health.

    Razor gave no opening as he continued to strike me. Once again, he timed one of his attacks to connect at the same time as the bolt struck; however, I predicted it this time. I offensively clashed my shield with his sword. Since the clash happened earlier than he wanted, I had a window to dodge the lightning bolt. I reached half-time.

    Razor circled around me and swung his sword, but I somehow knew this was a faint. His primary purpose was to sweep kick me after I blocked his attack. The moment our weapons made contact, I front-flipped over his crouched body. I battered my shield into his back and threw him off balance, allowing to easily dodge the next bolt.

    Realizing I was gaining the upperhand, Razor unexpectedly unsummoned his shield. I did not know what advantage this created since Razor can¡¯t dual-wield nor can he use two hands on his sword. My confusion was answered by a higher level of aggression from Razor as his attacks doubled in intensity. While I managed to barely block and avoid his attacks, I failed to avoid the bolt that came. Now at critical HP, Razor gave no opening and went for the finish.

    I counted in my mind the timing of the next bolt as I faced Razor¡¯s relentless assault. It was futile; I couldn¡¯t create an opportunity to dodge the next bolt. Milliseconds before the bolt struck, I activated Mirrored World in desperation and panic and immediately deactivated it.

    I thought I lost but somehow I still had Health left, but I couldn¡¯t react in time to Razor final sword strike than lost me the Duel.

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± mumbled Razor as I got on my feet.

    Canary immediately rushed to my side. Despite expecting her disappointment, only excitement could be seen her face. She exclaimed, ¡°Kiwi! You were awesome.¡±

    ¡°Not bad indeed¡­ I¡¯ll be going now. Hoping to see you improve.¡± Added Razor.

    ¡°Thanks. Hope to duel you again.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Tell Hawk I¡¯ll be waiting at the tournament.¡± Said Razor as he walked away.

    After another hour, Canary and I bid our farewell to the children as we went to shop around. She asked me, ¡°How strong did you feel Razor was?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ If I were to say, probably slightly stronger than Dove. Although Dove can probably beat him in a good day.¡±

    We spent the rest of the day hanging out. As I expected, Canary was quite mature for her age. She happily spoke about relatively mature topics without a hint of immaturity.

    I guess I finally found my place here in Reality. It only took less than a month: shorter than I expected.

    [Templar]

    A job specializing on both weapons and magic.

    Stats: Health: *** Mana: **** Attack: **** Defense: **

    Magic: **** Resistance: ** Speed: ** Dexterity: ***

    Usable Weapons: One-handed Swords, Spears, Shields

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment, Medium Equipment

    [Lightning Cloud]

    Creates a cloud ten meters above the User. The cloud follows the user¡¯s movements and consumes every second Mana when active. On activation and every six seconds, a bolt of lightning will attack from the cloud, targeting the closest enemy within range. Cannot be cast indoors. User may deactivate Lightning Cloud at any time.

    Range: Single-target, Near the User

    Cooldown: 30 Seconds

 Chapter 38: Halt and Train

    Dove POV

    Together with Sylvie, we visited the shops one by one. First we visited the Equipment Shop. When the new menu popped up, I immediately noticed a new set of Weapons called the Oak series was introduced for all types of weapons. While still of common rarity, they were 500 Fitts each. Similarly, Armor paralleled the Weapons, the new set was called the Trainee¡¯s set. It was similar to the Weapons in rarity and cost. I currently have 19,738 Fitts so I could probably afford to spend.

    As I upgraded my equipment, Aldrich called out to me made me remember something that slipped out of my mind: He was Alcor¡¯s Father.

    ¡°I heard about what you did to my son.¡± He said in a joking tone; however, I felt that the tone only meant to hide his true feelings.

    Scrambling my thoughts together, it took a while before I could reply, ¡°I apologize. I did it for ARF¡¯s benefit. I don¡¯t mind if you hate me.¡±

    ¡°I want to hate you. Even so, I promised Alcor not too, and I respect his desires.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said with the most thankful voice I could muster.

    ¡°But let me warn you others may not be so kind. In the future, they may retaliate fire with fire.¡±

    ¡°I know. Even so, I have to do this. Even if the world comes to hate me, the best path I believe for me to get home is to make sure Hawk continues performing at his best.¡±

    As we walked towards the Armor Shop, Sylvie said, ¡°If I may be rude, but aren¡¯t you and Hawk relying on each other too much?¡±

    ¡°We are. We have no choice. Hawk cares about me, no us, too much. The moment we met we both knew this would happen. Even if we didn¡¯t make Party, we would just end up worrying about each other. Our fate was sealed upon our meeting.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Sylvie replied, ¡°You really know him really well.¡±

    ¡°Of course I do, I¡¯ve known him for more than four years.¡±

    It was around eleven when we arrived at the Accessory Shop. Kimberly greeted us with a smile as I browsed through the selection. Surprisingly, another female Elf aside from Sylvie appeared. Personally speaking, most of the Elves look similar to me, so I didn¡¯t recognize any unique features between. Of course, Sylvie was exempt from this due to her royal bloodline.

    One thing I did notice was that she was wearing human¡¯s clothes instead of Elven ones. She noticed Sylvie and came running towards her.

    ¡°Princess Sylvie!¡± she exclaimed with a high-pitched excited voice.¡±

    ¡°Sally!¡± replied Sylvie as they embraced each other. ¡°How are the Elves doing?¡±

    ¡°Most of us are settling or have already settled somewhere here in Reality. There are reports of attempted harassment from Players, but our Character privileges solve most of the problems. As for me, as you can see, I work here and take care of Kimberly¡¯s children.¡± Replied Sally.

    ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯m assisting in ARF¡¯s house. So I¡¯m fine as well.¡±

    As they chatted, I bought an Agility Bangle, an uncommon rarity item, for 5000 Fitts. According to its description, it allowed for better control of my arms. I had yet to test it out though.

    I pretended to continue checking out the shop and talked to Kimberly to give Sylvie more time to speak with Sally. After fifteen minutes, they were done, so we went on to visit Liza.

    ¡°Alcor!?¡± I exclaimed in surprise as it was the first thing Sylvie and I saw after entering Liza¡¯s Item Shop.

    ¡°Dove¡­¡± Alcor responded coldly. ¡°Sorry, I must be on my way.¡± Alcor immediately left the Item Shop.

    ¡°Hi Dove!¡± greeted Liza as if nothing happened.

    ¡°Hi. You¡¯re not going to ask anything?¡± I asked with a bothered tone.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s none of my business. He only came here for condolences to Father.¡±

    Unfortunately, there was nothing new in the Item Shop. Guess upgrades will have to wait until the next event or something.

    We spent lunch with Liza. She had gotten a lot more cheerful compared to when Eric passed away. In fact, she seemed even brighter than before.

    We chatted about various petty thing as we ate lunch together. Liza enjoyed Sylvie¡¯s company as well and asked her various things.

 Extra Chapter: Acquiring Death Lance

    Sheev POV

    June 20, XX17

    ¡°It¡¯s here Swan.¡± I said pointing at a staircase leading into the basement of an abandoned house near the sewers.

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Replied Swan, as she fearlessly descends down the stairs.

    The basement was damp and dark, barely lit by a flashing weak light bulb. The walls were withered and torn by time and unused. Various broken furniture covered by dirty cloths and cobwebs filled the room. These mattered not. What mattered was the door across the room.

    Welcome to an Extra Boss Room

    Maximum Players: 2

    Warning: Once entered, no one can leave until the Boss is defeated.

    Swan and opened the door. We found ourselves in a secluded room in the sewers. On the other side was a skeleton sitting on a rusty chair. On the skeleton¡¯s arms was a spear. The tip of the spear was crimson red, and the pole was bony white. Two crossed bones with a skull at the intersection marked the tip of the blade.

    ¡°Are you worthy of my spear?¡± a ghastly voice echoed throughout the room as we entered.

    The light turns red and the skeleton stood. Wielding its spear and its two bars of Health, it ran at us. The name of the Boss was Forged Death.

    I used my Ability, Snowflake Insignia, to create a controllable snowflake. I sent it moving towards the side of the skeleton.

    Swan rushed forward to intercept the attack with her own spear. The moment their spears clashed, I fired arrow after arrow from the snowflake, hitting the skeleton for slight damage each time. Swan forced the enemies spear down, as she high-kicks the skull, throwing it off balance, allowing Swan to use Earth Spike on it for a quarter of the first bar. Before the Forged Death could land after being thrown slightly in the air by the Earth Spike, Swan stabed its spinal cord, and throws the boss upwards at the ceiling.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Unrelenting, Swan pointed her spear upwards and leapt after it. The Forged Death parried with its own spear, but Swan kicked the boss back down the ground. Before it could even land, Swan pointed her spear downwards to stab the boss from atop. The boss targeted me, who was continuously petering the boss with arrows from both myself and my insignia.

    It ignored Swan presence and got stabbed from the top. The moment the tip of her spear hit the ground, Swan used Earth Spike again, eliminating one bar.

    Swan stabbed the boss, but using its own spear, it redirected the attack diagonally. Swan crouched down and kicked the boss before smashing her spear into the boss¡¯ skull. The Forged death launched a volley of stabs on Swan, but she easily avoided or parried all of them. The moment the volley stopped, Swan swings her spear downwards and following it up with another Earth Spike when her spear touched the ground.

    To my surprise, the Forged Death threw its spear at me at high speeds while midair. I failed to dodge and lost a third of my Health from the attack. The boss resummoned its spear in time to block Swan¡¯s next attack, but Swan predicted it would and readjusted for a clean hit.

    The Forged Death, now almost death, went into a pure offensive frenzy as it barraged Swan with an endless stab of spears faster than what a human should be capable of. Swan blocked and evaded perfectly, but the boss showed no signs of stopping or slowing. Eventually, the boss died to the arrows I shot at it and finally stopped.

    Congratulations! The Extra Boss is slain!

    Rewards: Death Lance (Artifact)

    ¡°My end draws nigh. Even so, I must complete what I had begun. Until my last breath, I shall forge this spear. Death Lance it shall be named, not because it has power over death, but because I forged it with my dying breath. To whomever one day is found worthy of my spear, may that person strike down his foes like I did my children¡¯s mother. But for now, I shall hold this spear in the basement I chose as my deathbed. Regrets I have many. My grandson¡¯s child is soon to born. Alcor, I believe what his name is planned to me. I pray he not follow my footsteps and fall in love with the wrong person. Of course, my family has long abandoned me for killing the person I loved and thought love me back. Oh, bird of purity, I still love you...¡±

    Swan read out the letter found on the chair.

    ¡°Alcor? Isn¡¯t that Aldrich¡¯s son?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Maybe. There¡¯s no harm asking I guess.¡±

 Chapter 39: Train for the Tournament

    Sheev POV

    Icebrande¡­ no matter how many times I look at the blade it remains as pretty as ever. Unlike Swan¡¯s Death Lance, which was like a weapon from a horror movie, Icebrande was like a sword from a light fantasy.

    ¡°Tch¡­¡± grumbled Hawk as he stood his ground at half-health.

    ¡°Why bother. You can¡¯t defeat me as you are now.¡± Said Swan frankly with full Health.

    Hawk ignored Swan¡¯s warning and continued attacking Swan. Whenever Hawk fought Swan, he only fought with one sword. I had asked Swan why, but she had yet to answer.

    Swan blocked Hawk¡¯s downward slash with the tip of her spear and immediately pivoted it around, hitting Hawk¡¯s face with the other end, dazing him. Swan thrusts at Hawk, who barely redirected the strike with Icebrande, but Swan¡¯s Earth Spike came immediately after, followed by two more consecutive strike, defeating Hawk.

    Hawk sat there obviously sad about his defeat. He asked, ¡°How long before I can defeat you?¡±

    Swan¡¯s and my eyes lit up with surprise. Who on earth asks a question like that?

    ¡°What are you talking about? You have never once come close to defeating me.¡±

    Hawk smirked and replied, ¡°Swan, I¡¯m sure you know this, but you¡¯re stagnating. Since the beginning of Reality to now, the only change I felt was your stats. Your skills haven¡¯t improved at all¡­¡±

    ¡°I win the duel yet I was the one criticized¡­ You really are a unique person.¡± Swan answered in a sarcastic tone. ¡°You are right. My skills haven¡¯t improved, not only starting in Reality, but ever since I had my debut. It is both a blessing and a curse. I am already the best that I can be. I will never underperform. However, I have also reached my limit. I cannot overperform.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the duel. I¡¯ll be going then.¡± Said Hawk.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll win the tournament?¡± asked Swan.

    ¡°No. Kin and even Dove are more likely to win than me.¡± Said Hawk as he departed.

    ¡°Keep my stagnation a secret from the others.¡± Said Swan to me.

    ¡°Yes. I will¡­¡± I replied, clearly saddened by the revelation.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will hold the title of strongest Player in Naut City for quite some time before any of the others surpass me.

    ¡°How long?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Kin should equal me once Reality becomes a year old. As for Hawk and Dove, I cannot tell. They are too heavily influenced by their emotions for me to predict their growth.¡±

    ¡°You mean their love for each other?¡±

    ¡°No. Well not only that. All their emotions. Unlike the hardened soldiers like most of the top Players or the political princess Zoe who have great control over their emotions, those two were normal students. Intelligent students sure, but normal ones nonetheless.¡±

    Zoe POV

    ¡°I confessed to Dove.¡± Said Hawk. He invited me for lunch in his favorite restaurant. We had just finished eating when he finally said that.

    I almost fell down in my chair in surprise as I smiled and replied, ¡°What did she say?¡±

    ¡°Well, I am very thankful for your feelings for me. Hawk, I can confidently say that I like you; however, I am still unsure whether I love you. What I feel about you is all jumbled thanks to being in Reality, and I am unsure of what this feeling is myself. So¡­ I am going to be selfish and ask you to wait for me¡­ wait for me to sort out these feelings. It will probably take a while, but I promise I will give you an answer in time. Is that¡­ alright with you?¡± answered Hawk in a monotonous voice.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the monotone?¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I was too excited so I memorized it. Besides, I realized that giving the actual exact conversation is better, since summarizing it will clearly leave biases.

    ¡°So you want my advice and opinion?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I closed my eyes and answered, ¡°It¡¯s good. If you choke this away, you would be the greatest idiot in the universe. But her words made me realize something as well. If Dove wants to ensure her feelings for you, are you sure of your feelings for her?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am!¡± said Hawk in an irritated tone.

    ¡°Shut up and listen first.¡± I stated calmly, ¡°I know you like her, very much since before Reality. But you only liked her and never loved her. Both of you realized immediately that due to Reality, you would likely end up together. That¡¯s why you were hesitant in pursuing her immediately. But what can disprove that you only started loving her in Reality as well. Haven¡¯t you considered that the love that you feel could be a result as well?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I haven¡¯t¡­¡± replied Hawk in a timid tone.

    ¡°Dove is trying to answer the question of whether she really loves you or not and whether to accept that Reality was a major factor in that love. You will have to answer the same question as well.¡±

    With a smile, but still clearly sad Hawk replied, ¡°Thanks Zoe.¡±

    ¡°That will be 10,000 Fitts for love consultation.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m already paying for the bill. Also, I¡¯ll treat you a lot once we have both found our answers. For better or for worse.¡±

 Chapter 40: Tournament Start Part 1

    Dove POV

    I got into the top 8 of the tournament without much issue. These matches were held simultaneously to proceed as fast as possible; however, the top 16 Duels and onwards were held one at a time for entertainment purposes.

    Five of the top eight had been decided. It was Kin, Blitz, Razor, Rem and I. The final matches in the top 16 began: Fumes vs Aka, Kotel vs Stan, Hawk vs Block.

    According to Hawk, Aka was a Chinese from Shanghai. Well, he was obviously Chinese to anyone who had seen Chinese before. He had slightly below average height, yellow skin, and black hair and eyes that were slanted. He was a person you would not pay attention to based on his looks, but his skill from what I saw was definitely formidable.

    Fumes POV

    No doubt being not allowed to use a Shield placed me in a more disadvantageous position. While I managed until now, I finally met someone from one of the notable Parties in Naut City¡ªAka.

    Aka was considered one best Players in Naut City outside of the Party Leaders and Vice-leaders. Aside from Hawk, Aka was the only other dual-wielder in Naut City. He was also a Spell-blade but of the Fire Element. Master Zoe stated that his Ability was:

    [Friction Flame]

    During the duration, whenever the target is damaged by a physical attack or the target¡¯s weapon hits an object, the target will take a moderate amount of damage.

    Range: Single-target; Clear Vision

    Cooldown: 20 Seconds

    A crowd gathered around us as the countdown begun. I braced myself for the battle.

    As soon as the countdown ended, Aka dashed at me. Knowing Aka knew I had no countermeasure against Friction Flame, Aka immediately used it on me as our swords connected multiple time with neither scoring a hit, but I lost 20% of my Health from Friction Flame.

    After 6 seconds, which was Master Zoe¡¯s estimated duration of Friction Flame, I immediately utilized Flame Banner as Aka tried to retreat. His conflicting movement allowed me to land three direct hits on him before he managed to create distance once again, stripping him of 20% Health as well,.

    After being freed from Flame Banner, Aka ran away and I rushed after him; however, his higher speeds due to being a Spell Blade compared to me prevented me from catching up. Aka¡¯s goal was simple¡ªto bide time until Friction Flame cooled down. I knew this would happen but had no way to prevent it.

    The moment Aka¡¯s Ability cooled down, he turned around and started attacking me. I pretended to swing my sword but instead dodged at the last second. My purpose was to lure out the next Friction Flame while taking as little damage as possible.

    Immediately counteracting after my dodge, Aka drew his sword up to block, but I instead crouched down a low kicked him. Aka leapt, avoiding my kick; however, I was still wasting the duration of Friction Flame.

    As soon as Friction Flame ended, Aka ran away again, but since Flame Banner was still on cooldown for a few seconds, I couldn¡¯t punish.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    I chased him for a few seconds until his Friction Flame was ready. As Aka tried to attack me, I used Flame Banner as soon as he entered my range. I managed to bring Aka down to around 2/3 Health after Flame Banner.

    I ran away as soon as Flame Banner ended, allowing me to dodge his immediate attack. He tried a vertical slice on me, but I evaded.

    Aka appeared to have slowed down compared to the beginning. Maybe he was losing his concentration, but it mattered not to me. It was just another advantage I could use.

    Six seconds after his first attack, I counterattacked but to my surprise a took damage from Friction Flame as soon as he blocked my strike. Smiling, he counterattacked relentlessly as I failed to evade and resorted to blocking, making me take damage from Friction Flame.

    After bringing me down to half Health, the same cycle followed, Aka ran and I chased without much success. As soon as Friction Flame was off cooldown he turned around, but I immediately changed directions and ran away from him.

    I knew better than him the range of Flame Banner, so I would definitely be able activate it as soon as he was in range. On the other hand, Aka had to delay Friction Flame as long as possible to deal as much damage to me as possible.

    Aka and I both stopped and simply stared at each other in stalemate like retards. Since there was no time limit, this could go on forever. However, that was not of interest of me. I began inching closer towards Aka.

    Dove POV

    I stood beside Hawk, Canary, Zoe, and Kotel spectating the match between Fumes and Aka.

    ¡°So it comes down to whether Fumes can bait out Friction Flame without using Flame Banner. After that, he has to correctly guess whether Aka used Friction Flame or not. Aka could run the moment he uses Friction Flame, but he would run out of Mana faster that Fumes.¡± Stated Hawk.

    ¡°If you were in their shoes, you would auto-win regardless of which side you were. Mind-gaming people is your thing. So, what¡¯s the play for Fumes?¡± asked Zoe.

    ¡°I predict Aka to use Friction Flame on the fourth-time Fumes enters his range.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± asked both Kotel and I at the same time.

    ¡°Based on his demeanor, Aka is a traditional Chinese. Four in Chinese means death.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way he is thinking about that in the middle of a battle.¡± Objected Kotel.

    ¡°He isn¡¯t, but it is in his subconscious regardless.¡±

    Fumes POV

    VICTORY!

    I panted as all the stress released from my body. I faked Flame Banner four times before finally going growing impatient and going for it. After that, the Health difference was large enough that Aka could not defeat me even with Friction Flame active, although I speculate the last desperation attempt he did was the final one.

    I returned to Master Zoe who was watching alongside the rest of the Party and Azure Rain Forces.

    ¡°Congrats!¡± cheered my team for my victory as Master Zoe smiled.

    ¡°Good job. Hashtag luck over skill!¡± joke Hawk with my getting the correct timing.

    ¡°Did you know it would on the fourth time?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t know when you would go for it though. Anything from third to seventh was likely.¡± Said Hawk as he went to the center of the plaza to face off his next Duel.

    ¡°You better not lose.¡± I said to send him off.

    Hawk smirked and replied, ¡°I have only lost to Dove and Swan in a Duel, whether serious or practice. Therefore, I can only lose versus females.¡±

 Chapter 40: Tournament Start Part 2

    ¡°How unfortunate. To meet me of all people in the round of 16.¡± Stated Block.

    ¡°Indeed. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Hawk replied.

    To most people¡¯s surprise, Hawk only held Icebrande in his hand.

    As soon as the countdown ended, Hawk dashed toward Block and slashed at him. Hawk stated, ¡°I hate your fighting style, not only does your Ability reset my Chain Gauge, but Rockhard triggers randomly as well. Maybe it¡¯s as one retard said, ¡®if you can¡¯t outplay a coinflip that¡¯s your problem.¡¯¡±

    Blocking his strike, Block replied, ¡°One sword? Are you looking down on me?¡±

    Hawk smirked and continued his aggression towards the Block¡¯s defensive playstyle. Hawk forced opportunities in which he could land a strike; however, a counterattack would surely be traded back to him if he ever took the opportunity, so he never capitalized.

    If they simply traded blows one-for-one with each other, Hawk would surely lose regardless of Rockhard. Has he no choice but to reveal that now?

    ¡°Terrible match-up is terrible¡­¡± commented Zoe as she watched Hawk fruitlessly try to find a safe opening on Block.

    After three minutes of no hits landing, Hawk finally landed an attack but an immediate counterattack came from Block. Hawk lost 16% Health while Block lost 10%.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Hawk used both swords?¡± asked Kotel.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°The second sword would increase Hawk¡¯s damage by 6% assuming it hits. Doubling the chance of Rockhard, which does around 5%, would increase the damage Hawk takes from 1% on average to 2%. The mini-stun would also open Hawk up to another possible hit. Assuming this happens half the time, Hawk would be taking an average of 8%. In summary, Hawk would go from 10% damage dealt to 16% but damage taken would go from 15% to 24%. Both increased by 60%; however, using both sword takes more effort.¡±

    After landing another strike for 10% damage, Hawk barely failed to avoid the counterattack, which lost him 15% Health. Hawk struck for a third time, triggering Rockhard and taking two strikes in the process.

    Block still had 70% Health while Hawk was already down to a third.

    Hawk ran back and stared at Block, clearly annoyed by the match-up.

    Neither Player made a move for a few minutes. Hawk waited for his Health to regenerate to half, allowing Block to regenerate to around 85% in the process.

    Hawk attacked once more; however, he barely managed to avoid and landed another attack after avoiding it. For the first time in the Duel, Hawk showed his smirk.

    Irked by the smirk, Hawk annoyed Block further by stating, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s my victory.¡±

    Hawk immediately dashed after Block and attacked. Once again, Hawk managed block the counterattack, but couldn¡¯t capitalize with another hit; however, he continued to pressure Block who was at 55% Health.

    After landing another hit, Rockhard triggered and Hawk took an attack, but managed to evade the second one and landed another attack. Hawk was one hit from losing while Block was three strikes away. Even so, Hawk smiled as if his victory was assured.

    Icebrande slashed Block one more time. Simultaneously, Block was cursed by Skadi¡¯s Caress, mini-stunning him. This allowed Hawk to land one more strike. Block attempted to counterattack, but his vision was greeted by Hawk¡¯s other sword, which appeared for the first time in this duel, swinging down at him.

    Rockhard triggered, but Hawk had already been declared the winner of the Duel.

    Hawk high-fived me after winning the Duel. Canary jumped and hugged him as well.

    ¡°Greedy much? You should have it already.¡± Interjected Zoe.

    ¡°Saving strats for the intergalactic.¡± Replied Hawk in a joking tone.

 Chapter 40: Tournament Start Part 3

    After a few minutes, Kotel proceeded to fight . Stan was already waiting with his gigantic sword drawn.

    ¡°It looks like a kid vs a giant; however, Kotel has a significant advantage. Illuminated Blade allows Kotel to ignore the defensive aspect of Sword Body. His higher speed should allow him to dodge most of Stan¡¯s attacks, lowering the effect of the offensive aspect.¡± Explained Hawk.

    ¡°In terms of skill alone, Stan should have a slight advantage, but the matchup is terrible. If you were Stan, what would be your countermeasure?¡± asked Zoe to Hawk.

    ¡°I would activate Sword Body to bait the attack, deactivate Sword Body before the attack hits, dodge, and counterattack.¡±

    ¡°You really like baiting, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a master baiter¡±

    Kotel POV

    As soon as the match began, I ran towards Stan who had already activated Sword Body. With my higher speed and Illuminated Blade, I should be able to outdamage him.

    Stan blocked my strike and counterattacked, which I easily dodged and countered with my own, dealing 20% damage to his Health. He started counterattacking before my sword connected, but I knew he would do this so I barely evaded.

    I readied myself to attack again when the words ¡°VICTORY!¡± flashed before my eyes and cut my thought process.

    Stan still had 80% Health which meant that¡­

    Dove POV

    ¡°He forfeited¡­¡± said Hawk in a disappointed tone. I shared the same feeling of disappointment as well.

    ¡°Unlike you, Stan doesn¡¯t seem to believe in miracles.¡± Said Zoe with a mix of disappointment and delight in her tone.

    ¡°Are you implying my beating Block was a miracle?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°No, but your being sent in the same city as Dove is. Didn¡¯t you say so yourself?¡± answered Zoe.

    Hawk face reddened with embarrassment as Zoe laughed at his reaction. Hawk looked at me and said, ¡°That smile on your face only makes me feel more embarrassed¡­¡±

    Kotel returned with joyful demeanor as Alcor took the center stage.

    ¡°Congratulations to the Players who made it to the Top 8. Now then, here are the Quarter-Final matches to be held tomorrow.¡± Announced Alcor as a huge bracket appeared.

    <ol>

    <li>Kin vs Fumes II. Rem vs Hawk III. Razor vs Dove IV. Kotel vs Blitz</li>

    </ol>

    ¡°Goodbye Fumes. And why am I seeded below Blitz?¡± stated Hawk.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Seed?¡¯ asked Fumes.

    ¡°Well, Kin being the first seed is uncontested. Second and third should be Blitz and I. Fourth and fifth should be Dove and Razor. Rem, Kotel and you are bottom 3. Since you are facing Kin, it implies you are the last seed. Blitz being on the other end of the bracket, as far from Kin as possible, implies that he is the second seed. His opponent being Kotel meant that Kotel was the seventh seed. Since I am the third seed, Rem is the sixth seed. Whether Dove or Razor is seeded higher is irrelevant since they would face each other anyway being the central seeds.¡± Explained Hawk.

    ¡°All the matches have pretty clear favorites except Dove vs Razor.¡± Stated Zoe.

    ¡°As Leader of two of the Players who are significant underdogs, I think you shouldn¡¯t be saying that.¡± I said.

    ¡°I am setting realistic expectations for them. That is why you two must prove me wrong.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± replied both Fumes and Kotel enthusiastically.

    Zoe then smiled towards us and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way! Good luck on your matches as well.¡± The rest of the Cerulean Seas bid their farewells as well.

    The crowd dispersed and we went on our way too.

    It was already ten in the evening as I sat beside Hawk on the sofa after training for tomorrow¡¯s matches. Kiwi and Canary were sound asleep upstairs last we checked.

    While drinking coffee and reviewing his notes for the last time, I laid the back of my head on his shoulder and asked, ¡°Judging from the order our names were written, Razor is seeded higher than me, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t mention it since it was irrelevant and majority would agree with your seeding. My being seeded below Blitz is far more stupid anyway.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like the brackets?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d prefer fighting Kin in the finals; however, being the second seed meant I would have to fight you in the semis, which I¡¯d rather not.¡±

    ¡°Scared of me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been scared of you. You are both my worst enemy and best ally.¡±

    Despite his joking answer, I knew he truly meant what he said.

    ¡°In all our matches, including those before Reality, your team would always get stomped by mine when we competed directly, regardless of our team strength, but we never lost and in fact dominated whenever we were on the same team. I hope the same is true in Reality as well.¡± I said.

    ¡°You want to stomp me worse?¡±

    ¡°I want to win with you more.¡±

    Hawk stayed silent without motion for a while. Since I was facing away from him, I could not see his facial expressions.

    After a while, we finally decided to turn in for the night. As I climbed the stairs, I looked back at Hawk and said, ¡°Being in the same city as you is a miracle for me as well.¡±

 Chapter 41: Start Quarter-Finals

    Fumes POV

    I stood in the middle of the plaza, awaiting my opponent. Closing my eyes, blocking away surrounding noises, emptying my mind of useless thoughts.

    Opening my eyes, I saw Kin walking forth with a confident stride. It appeared he had some words to say, but I heard not. Only one thing was in my mind: victory.

    As soon as the countdown ended, we ran towards each other. As soon as our blades connected, I activated Flame Banner. One of the tips Master Zoe gave me was the activation of Flame Banner when weapons were entangled to force awkward attack patterns. However, even with it, I could not land a single strike during the duration of Flame Banner. On the contrary, I actually lost Health in that exchange. How much? I didn¡¯t know nor care.

    I did not back off after Flame Banner. I fought until another use of Flame Banner, then fought during its duration. I fought when it ended, until the words Defeat appeared before my eyes.

    Dove POV

    Fumes tried his best, but the difference in skill was far too large to overcome. He slowly and depressingly went back to his team, where Zoe embraced him in his hollow state.

    ¡°Feels bad¡­¡± says Kiwi.

    ¡°Sorry to say this, but he did better than I expected.¡± Replied Hawk.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± asked Canary.

    ¡°Yes. Fumes was in perfect condition without a single distraction mind.¡±

    Hawk waved at us as he went to take his turn for the Duel against Rem. Before we could begin cheering for him he looked back at us and said, ¡°Nine seconds.¡± After which, he went on to face his opponent.

    Those eyes, I remembered them. The first few times I saw them, I paid no attention to it. It only changed that day. During one of our teambuilding activities, we were in the same group. While I have suspicions till this day that he manipulated the groups, I had no evidence and it mattered not. During our meetings, he remained his unmotivated self; however, when the event came, I saw those very same eyes.

    The teambuilding was not a competition; it was a massacre. Hawk gave very minimal but very precise instructions; however, by taking into consideration our talents and abilities, he led us to rampage our way through the competition. In the end, we outscored all three other groups even if they combined they scores. Even taking into that they began working together against us on the second-half of the competition. It was then where my view of him changed a bit. While I still tried my best to ignore him since I knew he liked me a lot, when he was alone, he would try talking to me, but I would reply incoherently in fear of what I saw that day.

    Thankfully, that fear had long gone in Reality. Hawk would never do anything that would bring harm to us, or so I hope to believe¡­

    Rem stood before Hawk as the countdown started. Rem was a female Wind Swordsman, I guess swordswoman would be more accurate, from Lime Breeze. She was considered one of the three prettiest Players in Naut City, along with Zoe and Silva. Likely of European descent, Rem had wavy blonde hair that reached her back. Her face was decorated by clear emerald eyes, a well-shaped nose, and rosy lips. She clothed her healthy white skin in everyday clothing, I had yet to see her in more formal or fancy clothing. Despite only being slightly taller than me, her proportions were beyond comparison. Her voluptuous chest and round butt were things of envy for me.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Rem used a single Uncommon Rarity Sword. Her sword ability would be around the same level as Hawk (without his analyses and predictions). Her ability Air Slash could be likened to the waves of air pressure you see in fictions. Rem would swing her sword, and a crescent of air would fly forwards at the speed of sound. It had approximately nine seconds cooldown and did Wind Elemental physical damage.

    ¡°Nine seconds.¡± Stated Hawk proudly.

    Hawk dashed towards Rem with both swords out. Rem immediately ran at him as well while slashing her sword seemingly at random; however, she was faking Air Slash. Hawk leapt up when they were around a meter and a half apart. He rode the momentum and swung down at Rem, who was barely able to block the attack the left sword. It was only then that sank into my mind as well as a lot of the other audience that Hawk just avoided the Air Slash when he leapt. Icebrande connected for 17% after Rem was in an uncomfortable position after desperately blocking the first strike. Skadi¡¯s Caress cursed Rem, which allowed another two slashed to her body for 11% and 18%. While Rem had a small timing to react, Hawk¡¯s horizontal slash at her would have been blocked barely; however, Hawk kicked her with his left foot as well, pushing himself into Icebrande¡¯s blade for 19% before she could position herself. This opened her for another strike from Hawk due to the mini-stun of Skadi¡¯s Caress, reducing her to a third of her Health.

    While the duration of Skadi¡¯s Caress was affected by the Resistance of the target, it should have ended. For the first time, Rem went on the offensive and swung diagonally at Hawk. Hawk evades by rotating backwards that continued to a swing with both blades as he returned back. Rem only managed to block Icebrande and took 13% damage. Rem attempted to create distance by leaping back using the momentum of Hawk¡¯s attack, but Hawk predicted the movement and wasted no moment in chasing after her. After blocking two more strikes, Rem lost to a stab on her chest.

    Azure Rain Forces went closer to Hawk to congratulate him. As we approached, we heard their conversation.

    Rem fell on the floor and said with a sad smile, ¡°Nine seconds. You¡¯ve become way better since we first fought. It took you around a minute to defeat me.¡±

    Hawk reached his hand out to her to help her stand and she promptly did. ¡°You should improve yourself as well. Don¡¯t just concentrate in getting into Purge¡¯s pants.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Excluding the acquisition of Icebrande, you only improved so much because you want to get in your vice-Leader¡¯s pants. Or did you already get into it?¡±

    Sigh¡­ thankfully most people are too busy chattering about to hear the conversation, but still there should be some rumor-spreaders in the crowd.

    ¡°Good luck against Kin. I can¡¯t wish the same for your vice-Leader though.¡± Said Rem as she returned to her Party with tearing eyes.

    After congratulating Hawk and entering one of the Character houses nearby to finish our prepration the crowd, I asked, ¡°You seem quite close with Rem.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who recommended her to Lime Breeze. She should have joined around the same time as Razor: the fourth Day in Reality.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what about her got your attention to give effort?¡± I asked in a sarcastic tone.

    ¡°Well, she let me into her pants in exchange.¡±

    Unable to control my emotions, I glared at Hawk and sent a flurry of punches at him. I shouted, ¡°You better be joking!¡±

    Hawk caught my arms and replied, ¡°Of course I¡¯m joking! She gave me information about Zoe in exchange, remember that I wanted to Party with Zoe?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always about your girls, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t deny I enjoy looking at pretty girls. In my opinion, Rem is the prettiest girl in Naut City since Zoe is not my type and I heavily dislike Silva and avoided her plague. I also don¡¯t deny I had a crush on Rem; however, I promise you I have no romantic interest in them whatsoever right now.¡±

    ¡°So why did you never tell me any of this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable talking to you about my crushes¡­¡±

    As we walked back towards the plaza for her turn to Duel. Before I could take more than three steps, Hawk asked, ¡°Are you still irritated?¡±

    I gave him my best smile and replied, ¡°Not really. The only time I was irritated was your joke about Rem. The rest was me teasing you.¡±

 Chapter 42: Quarter-finals Highlight

    Dove POV

    In the middle of the plaza, Razor and I stood. The crowd gathered was a lot larger than the previous fight, even Liza came to watch. I readied myself, Icebrande at hand as the scheduled time approached.

    ¡°Why can you use Icebrande? Most Artefact Rarity Items could only be used by the owner only.¡± asked Razor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just can.¡± I replied honestly. Hawk did mention that he did have suspicions, but he had yet to confirm them.

    The countdown began. I recalled what Hawk said about Razor¡¯s Ability: Lightning Cloud. Lightning Cloud would target me and reveal my location even when I am Invisible. Also, I learned from training with Hawk that getting hit would break my Invisibility. While I never gave importance to it before, the Duel circle was approximately twenty-five meters in diameter. This previously unimportant detail came to me as Hawk explained the strategy. The base plan was to run around in Fade Walk until Razor ran out of Mana or deactivated Lightning Cloud.

    As soon as the countdown ended, Razor and I immediately rushed at each other. Thanks to my higher speed, our swords clash at a location closer to his end of the Duel circle; however, he did not activate Lightning Cloud.

    Hawk knew that Razor would likely not use Lightning Cloud. Instead, he would only use it if activated Fade Walk to deal extra damage. Due to our Abilities having the same cooldown, I there was no opening to found. With neither side knowing the exact Mana and Mana cost of the other, neither was willing to gamble on making the other run out of Mana first. In other words, neither of us would use skill until the final moments.

    Pushing away each other¡¯s blade, Razor attempted an overhead strike. I avoided by utilizing the momentum of the push to rotate my entire body and struck the right side of his torso. He promptly blocked, but I swept kicked him as soon as I felt contact. Razor hopped to avoid the kick and without delay struck down at the crouched me. I raised my sword to block but was greeted by a kick to the face for 4% of my Health. I backflipped to land better, and immediately transitioned to leap at him. Razor blocked my high attack, but I used his sword as a pivot to flip myself to his back. Instead of striking at his right flank, which was faster, I spun my body and struck him from the left. Razor attempted to guard his right and was directly hit by my attack for 18% of his Health.

    If Hawk¡¯s estimates were correct, I should take around the same damage from Razor¡¯s blade since his higher Attack was offset by Icebrande. Factoring in Regen, it should take approximately 6 shots to beat him and 7 if the battle lasted longer.

    Not startled in anyway, Razor resumed fighting me and struck four times, all of which I blocked or evaded. As our swords continued clash, Icebrande¡¯s value dawned more and more to me. Without it, blocking Razor¡¯s attacks and breaking his defenses would¡¯ve been significantly more difficult. Due to our comparable power, my higher speed allowed me to squeak out a minimal advantage. After a minute of sword fight, I forced an opening which he could not dodge and broke his defense to land a second strike at him for 17%.

    Razor retreated two meters away from the momentum of my strike, but I wasted no time in pursuing. Suddenly, a circle of lightning appeared around his body like a hula-hoop and expanded outwards at a meter a second. I reflexively guarded.

    The force of the circle was more powerful than any of Razor¡¯s attacks and pushed me back as I desperately tried to stop it with my sword. After six seconds, the circle retracted back, but I was greeted by a sword to the face by Razor, taking 19% of my Health.

    The crowd cheered as Razor revealed a second Ability. Not hesitating, I immediately ran after Razor, who was six meters away. Razor ran away. After a few seconds, I caught up and resumed attacking. Razor fended off my strike. I circled around him and attacked again, but he rotated along with me and had no difficulty blocking. I attempted a lot more attacks but was blocked each time. Ever since using his second Ability, Razor played a lot more defensively. He no longer looked for openings. On the eleventh second after using his new Ability, he suddenly counterattacked. I reflexively blocked, but my choice was wrong. On the twelfth second, his Ability was used again, dealing 15% damage to my Health. I noticed in my peripheral vision that the circle passed through me and continued expanding. Razor and I clashed blades a few more times. Based on the relatively low damage, I would be hit again as the circle contracted, so I jumped upward backflipped to avoid the circle; however, the circle tilted at a speed faster than the eye can discern and hit me for another 15%, leaving me at half Health.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    I leapt at Razor once again as the circle was still retracting. After striking twice, I swung at his legs forcing him to jump to avoid and allowing me to connect with another strike for 18%, leaving the both of us at half. I contemplated using Fade Walk for additional damage, but decided against it. Was it possible he was faking the cooldown of his circle? I doubted it. Abilities of Players held synergy. Assuming the activation of Lightning Cloud and this circle together immediately, the third lightning, which was on the twelfth second would strike at the same time as the second circle.

    My running speed over Razor was around a meter every three seconds. To avoid his circle, I would have to be slightly less than four meters away from him during its activation. Razor likely computed this as well and won¡¯t activate it at that distance.

    We clashed swords a handful more times, but neither successfully connected. I began making a distance between us to create a three-meter gap to avoid his next circle. I kited around and entered in-and-out of the range of getting hit by the circle. He aggressively tried to corner me, but I continued maintaining a distance of three meters.

    After a few seconds of weaving back and forth, I realized that he was not getting baited. My movement costed a lot more stamina than his, so I activated Fade Walk and waited for thirty seconds invisible. Our Health regenerated to around 60% during this time. The moment I attack him, he would activate both his Abilities. At best, I would take a physical attack and a bolt from his Cloud.

    I attacked him and things went as expected. I struck him for 30%; he activated both his Abilities. I let his strike and the first bolt hit me in favor of blocking the circle. This took 43% of my Health, leaving me one hit from losing. His reaction was too fast for me to avoid the first bolt. The circle pushed me back, but I managed to avoid the second bolt. I activated Fade Walk.

    As I was pushed back by the strike, I chose between two options. I could kite around while Invisible outside Cloud range, but he would deactivate it at the 30<sup>th</sup> second leading us back to the same scenario, but with more Health. My other option was too finish the Duel now with a Fade Walk attack. Of course, this meant entering cloud range.

    I wasted no time and acted upon the second option. I immediately ran at him. Realizing this possibility, Razor ran away as well. Being six meters away and the dimension of the battlefield making you unable to run in a straight line forever, I, with improved speed due to Fade Walk, would reach him in around twelve seconds. Unfortunately, this was also the time he would have his circle off cooldown. I smirked to myself and went full dive mode on landing the strike before the bolt and the circle.

    Victory!

    Those words appeared before my eyes. Applause and cheers from the audience washed away my fatigue. Razor stood still for a few seconds, seemingly shocked at by his lightning. My hit landed 0.17 seconds before Razor¡¯s cooldown ended.

    After a few seconds, Razor smiled and said, ¡°That was a great match. Good luck further.¡± Despite his smile, I could see the sadness in his eyes as he said those words.

    ¡°Thanks, it was a great experience for me as well¡­ Oh!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. This reminds me, what was the name of your new Ability?¡±

    ¡°Lightning Ring.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± I replied and ran back towards the Azure Rain Forces.

    Kiwi POV

    Dove delightedly ran back to us after her victory. Excitedly leaping up and high-fiving Hawk, Dove said, ¡°I got it as well after the Duel.¡±

    ¡°Good job!¡± Hawk replied in a happy tone. With both Hawk and Dove in the top 4, we were already guaranteed to receive some price at the very least; however, I could see in Dove and Hawk¡¯s eyes, they paid no heed to this as all but instead only aimed for the top.

 Chapter 43: Highlights of Potential

    Dove POV

    A child stood against a grown man. The scene before us could easily be mistaken for child abuse. Even so, Kotel fearlessly readied himself for his Duel with Blitz. Blitz, with Flametongue at hand, showed no signs of mercy to the boy before him as well.

    While I had seen Flametongue before, it never ceased to amaze me how much it contrasted Icebrande. Its blade was like layers of solidified red flame that overlapped at disorganized patterns unlike Icebrande¡¯s smooth and clear blade. Its guard was like once again solidified flame, but with higher layer frequency of layers and of orange. The hilt was once again solid red and the design of a western sword with a small torch of flame at the tip, unlike Icebrande¡¯s more eastern design.

    Blitz himself was a Gladiator. Gladiators were high-damage, low-defense, middle-speed fighters. Their Abilities were all strong but had detrimental effects. Hawk considered Gladiators to be the best Job Class for brainless man-fighting. To my surprise, Blitz also chose to be able to use all types of Equipment available to him. Prior to Flametongue, Blitz mostly used Axes and Two-handed Swords. Hawk analyzed that out of all the Players who had Artefacts, Blitz improved the least upon their acquisition.

    Blitz¡¯ Ability description was known to all. His ability was called Flare Blitz. An extremely high damage charge at a straight line that also inflict self-damage. To give an example of how much damage it dealt, Flare Blitz had the capability to at the very least two-shot any Player except for Kin, who required an additional normal strike to be felled. After acquiring Flametongue, Blitz¡¯ Ability took 86% of Hawk¡¯s Health in one strike.

    The existence of Blitz¡¯s second Ability was very likely. Unfortunately, like most Players who unlocked it, the Ability was yet to be revealed to the public.

    Blitz famous loss versus Hawk affected him in more ways than reveal his weaknesses, Since the defeat, Blitz had been underestimated and mocked by other Players. To be honest, his seeding over Hawk was definitely incorrect from a one on one perspective; however, Hawk definitely had a small but notable matchup advantage against Blitz. Blitz biggest strength over Hawk was that in a consecutive series of Duels vs all Players in Naut City, Blitz would have a higher win-rate.

    Unlike most of the previous battles, Kotel stayed put when the countdown ended. Only Blitz rushed at Kotel as soon as their swords connected, Kotel leapt to the side. Kotel dashed at Blitz but immediately sidestepped midway.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ Blitz became so conservative with his usage of Flare Blitz ever since he lost to you.¡± Commented Zoe who was besides us along with her Party.

    ¡°Yeah. If that didn¡¯t happen, Kotel would actually have a two-digit percent chance of winning.¡± Replied Hawk.

    ¡°So in your opinion Kotel only has a single-digit percent chance¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I want Kotel to trouble Blitz as much possible. After all, forcing Blitz to use his second Ability would be beneficial to Dove.¡±

    Kotel danced around the battlefield, faking his attacks multiple times but never getting through with it. Kotel continued circling around Blitz; however, he was slowly but surely being moved to one corner of the Duel area.

    The instance Kotel¡¯s back touched the Duel barrier, Blitz swung at Kotel. Making the best out of a terrible situation, Kotel squeeze in an Illuminated Blade hit on Blitz for 24%.

    One side of the Duel circle was engulfed by fire. After the flame and smoke cleared, the silhouettes of the Players shaped once again. Kotel lost 78% of his Health from Flare Blitz and another 11% for ramming against the barrier.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Even so, everyone saw in Kotel¡¯s eyes that he didn¡¯t give up. Since he had approximately eight seconds before the next Flare Blitz, he immediately went aggressive on Blitz. Attempting strike after strike, the difference in skill showed itself to the audience. Everyone could see Kotel did his best. Even so, Blitz repelled his attacks easily.

    ¡°If this was the Blitz before losing to me, he would have immediately attacked Kotel ignoring Flare Blitz¡¯ downtime. That would have increased the chance of Kotel winning around three-fold.

    When Kotel realized Flare Blitz has cooled-down. He continued his encirclement tactics against Blitz, this time making sure to avoid getting cornered. Due to comparatively more limited movements to avoid getting cornered, Blitz was able to close distance to Kotel more easily.

    ¡°It¡¯s over. Even Swan would lose in this scenario, the best way to fight Blitz was to willingly get attacked, prioritizing avoiding Flare Blitz; however, if you are one hit from defeat, you cannot attack him, as he would immediately Flare Blitz. You cannot take an attack either.¡± Said Zoe with a sad look.

    ¡°I am the only Player who won a Duel against Blitz while getting hit by Flare Blitz.¡± Added Hawk.

    Kotel created an opening on the now aggressive Blitz. He activated Illuminated Blade and swung at him. Blitz willingly took the 24% damage attack and immediately used Flare Blitz upon contact.

    Fire once again filled up the plaza, but no barrier was hit so the fire wasn¡¯t as erratic as before.

    Everyone¡¯s attention was placed elsewhere. Kotel still stood there with the same Health as before. He immediately attacked the surprised Blitz. Blitz attempted to defend himself but was too rattled and took another strike for 25%.

    ¡°Before anyone asks, the 5% initial self-damage Flare Blitz makes occurs upon activation and before hitting. In other words, at 16% Health, Blitz can¡¯t just take another strike, hope to live, and win with Flare Blitz. The 10% recoil happens after though.¡± Explained Hawk to everyone including the Cerulean Seas members.

    A symbol of flame appeared behind Blitz. As their swords connected, Blitz effortlessly pushed through Kotel¡¯s and ended the Duel. Blitz had 11% Health remaining.

    ¡°That was far closer than I wanted.¡± Stated Blitz.

    Tears filled Kotel eyes as the agony of defeat sunk into his mind. If he had been stomped, he would feel far less painful than he does not; however, he was within realm of winning.

    Zoe and the rest of Cerulean Seas rushed into the center of plaza to comfort the boy who tried his best yet barely failed to make it.

    Applaud filled the crowd as an unexpected turn of events nearly unfolded. Once again, Blitz reputation went even lower. People would underestimate even more.

    Soon after, ARF and the Golden Warriors approached as well. To everyone surprise even the Platina Knights approached, all of us in applause. Kotel, who was embraced by Zoe and crying on her bosom, cried even more as the applause grew stronger and stronger.

    While still embracing Kotel, Zoe glanced at us and told Hawk, ¡°Looks like things happened as you wanted. Your princess better secure victory.¡± Zoe¡¯s words had a hint of saltiness but no hatred. Hawk did not reply.

    As the applause came to an end, Alcor joined us in the center of the plaza.

    ¡°Congratulations to our final four: Kin, Hawk, Blitz, and Dove. I bid everyone farewell for the day. Tomorrow will be the day where the winner is decided. Will Kin continue his dominate route to victory? Will the Hawk outwit his more skilled opponents? Will Blitz overpower his opponents with brute force? Will Dove dance the flow on her way to the prize? Comeback tomorrow for the most exciting end of the tournament!¡±

    [Gladiator]

    A high-risk, high reward offensive Job class

    Stats: Health: *** Mana: *** Attack: ***** Defense: *

    Magic: *** Resistance: * Speed: *** Dexterity: *****

    Usable Weapons: One-handed Swords, Two-Handed Swords, Axes, Spears

    Usable Armor: Light Equipment, Medium Equipment, Heavy Equipment

    [Flare Blitz]

    Charges at a straight line while covered with fire. Deals extreme Physical Fire Elemental Damage to the target. User loses 5% Health upon cast and 10% Health upon successfully hitting the opponent. This cannot be cancelled, defended, or negated.

    Cooldown: 10 seconds

    Target: Area, Straight Line

 Extra Chapter: Turning Point of Naut City

    ¡°As I said, you can go ahead and take the Quest!¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°No. It would be a dishonor to do so. Duel me for the Quest.¡± Replied Blitz.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ fine¡­¡±

    As the Leader of the largest Party in Naut City despite being only a few days in, Blitz gathered quite the crowd around him as spectators for the Duel. On the other hand, Players of Naut City outside of Zoe and a few others were yet to know the brilliance of Hawk. The early members of the top Parties gathered as well. While most Party Leaders thought of Blitz as the bottom of the top, excluding Zoe, all them expected Blitz dominant victory.

    Holding a single sword at hand, Hawk calmly waited the countdown to end. In contrast, Blitz was agitated and wanted to end fast. As soon as the Duel began, both Players clashed with each other.

    The moments their swords connected, a straight line of flame threw Hawk way with extreme force. Flare Blitz, Blitz¡¯ Ability, was currently the highest damaging Ability in Naut City. Hawk lost three-fourths of his Health to a single strike. Wasting no time, Blitz connected to massive pressure on Hawk, who was barely able to fend off his attacks. To all who watched, it was clear Blitz had an overwhelming advantage skill; however, Hawk barely yet consistently avoided or blocked attack after attack.

    When a more skilled Player is attacking a less skilled one, the more skilled Player slowly but surely forces an opening on the less skilled one. Not only was the pressure higher on the defensive side, the less-skilled Player was more prone to make a mistake. What the top Players saw that others couldn¡¯t was that Hawk was not being pressured for an opening. Neither was he slowly getting cornered.

    It was here where the top Players¡¯ opinions began to turn. Maybe Hawk was a decent Player after all; however, no one among them but Zoe believed he would win. On the latter end of the ninth second after Flare Blitz was first used, Blitz swung an easily-blocked overhead strike at Hawk.

    Once again, a line of flame surged through two meters of the battlefield; however, everyone was greeted with an image of Hawk in striking distance behind Blitz with two swords at hand.

    The moment their swords connected, Hawk side-stepped and avoided Flare Blitz. Hawk landed two slashes with his twin blades before Blitz could reorganize himself, losing 22% of his Health.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Hawk was pushing back the supposedly higher-skilled Blitz, top Players knew that when Blitz failed to force an opening or corner Hawk, Hawk had already read through Blitz¡¯ fighting patterns. In the same way, Hawk couldn¡¯t counterattack himself since Blitz was also understanding his battle patterns through Blitz natural fighting instinct.

    The gamechanger was Hawk¡¯s dual-wielding. Everyone wowed at the stark contrast between the defensive Hawk with one sword and the hyper aggressive Hawk with both swords. Finally, Hawk broke through Blitz defenses and attacked him on the eight second after the second Flare Blitz. Skadi¡¯s Caress mini-stun as well as the surprise factor of being mini-stunned allowed Hawk to land two more hits in addition to the first, dealing a total of 36% to Blitz health. Of course, there was opening after Hawk¡¯s combo since he attacked with both blades to land more hits. Hawk was still two strikes for defeat and Blitz only one; however, Blitz, at 26% Health still had one more Flare Blitz without defeat to recoil.

    Everyone knew the path to victory for Hawk was to take the attack and finish Blitz with a counterattack; however, at the heat of the moment, Players would instinctively avoid or block any attack coming to them. Blocking would spell demise as Blitz would end with an unavoidable Flare Blitz. Avoiding would definitely not make it impossible to win but would bring it to the line of improbable.

    Hawk unhesitatingly took the attack. With a grin on his face ended the Duel in victory.

    The rest was history. Hawk got various offers to join Parties or create one himself, all of which he declined. Eventually, he got annoyed and started wearing a cloak to hide his identity. Of course, a single person wearing a cloak would be suspicious, so the early members of the top Parties wore cloaks to help him.

    More important was the discussion between Hawk and Zoe the evening after the Duel with Blitz.

    ¡°I thought you were just playing more defensively against a more skilled Player but it was all a bait.¡± Said Zoe.

    ¡°Indeed. Forcing myself to play defensively as well hiding my dual-wielding created an extreme shift in playstyle when I changed it that allowed me to outplay his movements that I could already read to an extent. Although, if the battle went on, I would have lost, with or without Flare Blitz. Hyper-aggressive playstyles are more prone to mistakes. The mistakes are more punishing as well. I would commit a mistake far earlier compared to Blitz¡¯ more polished skills. Also, he would get used to my true playstyle as well.¡±

    ¡°You figured all of this out in the short moments before the Duel. Combined with knowledge of Flare Blitz¡¯ properties, you won.¡±

    ¡°Just to clarify, I did not know Flare Blitz¡¯ cooldown.¡±

    ¡°Then how did you avoid it? It¡¯s one of those spells which you can only avoid when you know it¡¯s coming.¡±

    ¡°Flare Blitz is theoretically barely avoidable through reflex I think. I can¡¯t do it. It needs to be someone with no distractions in mind and professional athlete level reflexes. Putting that aside, I predicted it would come at that moment. Otherwise, that attack of his held no purpose and was different from the other attacks. It neither attempted to push me into a corner, force an opening, nor aimed to confuse me. By logical conclusion, the goal of the attack was to make me block; thus, finishing me off with Flare Blitz.

    All of Blitz weaknesses were revealed then, not only to Zoe, but to all top Players. On this moment, Blitz¡¯s future of being underestimated and Hawk¡¯s future as a respected Player were secured.

 Chapter 44: Potential Ability

    Canary POV

    Night had long fell as ARF gathered for dinner at nine in the evening after Hawk and Dove trained and planned for the next day. None of us disturbed them in their preparation for tomorrow.

    I noticed that Hawk and Dove were more relaxed and gathered my courage and asked, ¡°How did Kotel avoid Flare Blitz?¡±

    ¡°I theorized before that Flare Blitz could be barely avoided on reflex. The interval is extremely short.¡± Explained Hawk.

    ¡°Somewhere in the upper half of 0.08 and 0.09 seconds.¡± Added Dove.

    While I was in awe of Dove¡¯s accuracy, Kiwi asked what I wanted to ask, ¡°You can distinguish such short intervals of time?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m good at that. Unfortunately, I cannot react that quickly. While not as much as Hawk, I think a lot when fighting. At those time intervals, dodging is only possible for people with high reflexes and nothing in mind.¡±

    ¡°The general plan for Dove against Blitz doesn¡¯t require her to dodge Flare Blitz on reflex though.¡±

    ¡°What about Blitz¡¯ second Ability?¡± asked Kiwi.

    ¡°Probably an Ability that allows the Player to sacrifice any amount Health for a stronger strike. Difficult or impossible to block. Since Flare Blitz has no additional effects, this second Ability probably increases in power the more Health sacrificed.¡±

    ¡°Can Dove win?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Kotel was very close. Granted, he did miraculously avoid the Flare Blitz and Blitz was trying to hide his second Ability. Dove should stand a chance. Especially since, Dove unlocked her second Ability after defeating Razor.¡±

    I was only slightly surprised by the news. After all, most of the top Players unlocked them already. Dove and Hawk explained to us her new Ability for the next few minutes.

    ---

    ¡°What about you Hawk?¡± I added, ¡°Kin is the favorite to win is he not?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Without knowing his second Ability, I cannot say anything for certain.¡± Answered Hawk.

    ¡°Speaking of second Abilities, you managed to hide yours as well.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Since Kin is a Wood Paladin, his second Ability will likely be more on a protection one like his first one. These types of Abilities tend to be less useful in Duels.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious now. What¡¯s Swan¡¯s, Zoe¡¯s, and Gin¡¯s second Abilities?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Swan¡¯s new Ability makes her pierce the ground with her spear like Earth Spike; however, other details were yet to be revealed. Zoe¡¯s is Purifying Water. It removes all negative statuses on a single target. If the target is not inflicted with any negative status, the target will be protected from the next negative status inflicted on him for twenty seconds. Cooldown is also twenty seconds. There are no details about Gin¡¯s yet.¡±

    Dove POV

    After a few minutes of talking, everyone else decided to call it a night. Ever since Hawk confessed to me, they always left to sleep earlier to give us some time alone. To be honest, I was worried they might eavesdrop on us at first, but they never betrayed us. Of course, they expect us to tell them once I accept Hawk¡¯s confession.

    ¡°You¡¯re worried, aren¡¯t you?¡± I asked as we both sat at the sofa.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°There¡¯s no use worrying if worrying won¡¯t help you.¡± He replied.

    ¡°I know that¡¯s what you think; however, it is human nature to worry. You are no exemption. In fact, because of your talents, you worry more than most.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. After all, I¡¯m the one who knows best how to remove other people¡¯s worries.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, you are. You may not know this, but I kept an eye on you a lot in university since I knew you liked me. Sometimes, you would do out-of-character out of the blue. I didn¡¯t understand. In fact, I thought you were retarded; however, it only appeared so because my analyses were focused on you alone. When I finally included others as well, it dawned to me. You did these ridiculous things to keep things relaxed: when people were heavily stressed, when they were on the tip of lashing out, or when their emotions were about to burst.¡±

    ¡°Stalker! I¡¯m calling the police!¡± joked Hawk.

    ¡°Even so, there was no one there to do the same for you.¡±

    ¡°I do the same for ARF as well. Are you saying you will do it for me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. At the very least, I¡¯m as good as you at reading people when you are distracted. Even during these times, your reading capabilities are far beyond that of normal people. The larger difference would be knowing how to fix it. Unlike you, I never played the role of the person fixing everything in the background. While I may able to see and understand your problem, I may not have the solution to fix it.¡±

    ¡°Just being there for me is enough¡­¡± replied Hawk timidly.

    ¡°My presence does help. You might be satisfied by that. But I¡¯m not! I want to do my best for you as well!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ my grandparents spoil me. They give me what I want whenever I ask. That¡¯s why I grew never asking people for anything. I didn¡¯t want to be a spoiled brat. I manipulate the circumstances so people¡¯s natural course of action is to give me what I want. When I do this, I feel I have earned what people give me.¡±

    ¡°I realized this from our common friends¡¯ stories of your family. That is why think of this as something you have earned for bettering the hearts and minds of many and enduring the opportunities of being spoiled. From now on, I will be the only person to spoil you and to relief your negative mentions.¡±

    What!?

    I expected Hawk would be emotional at this moment, but he broke down in complete tears and began seemingly lost all energy in the body. This time was even worse than the incident with Alcor. In fact, this is the worse I think is possible for a person to break down. I gently caught him to stop his fall. I stood and embraced him. Hawk immediately buried his face in my lackluster chest and cried. Even under these conditions, I would have pushed him away; however, I couldn¡¯t sense a shred malice from him, so I let him be.

    After a while, he mumbled, ¡°Why?... Why do you have to say the exact the same words as her? Stop! I don¡¯t want to lose you. I can¡¯t! I onto held unto life since I promised her to live on. Why now when I¡¯m starting to find a new purpose? If I lose you too¡­¡±

    Hawk¡¯s word about the person he held dear the most popped in my mind. The person he claimed to be greater than the Canary¡¯s sister who has achieved inhumane feats. I wanted to know more¡­ about what happened¡­ about Hawk¡­

    Hawk did not say a single word more. I wanted to ask. I wanted to ask so badly. But I knew. He¡¯s not ready yet. He himself will tell me when he¡¯s ready. That is why I will be patient and wait.

    Eventually, Hawk fell asleep crying nonstop. He would always be mumbling a name I could not discern.

    I lay him down to sleep, but even in his unconscious, he did not let me release my embrace. He held tightly to me like a child to his mother.

    Hawk grew up with his grandparents and without his mother. This was probably the first time someone did this to him.

    Instead, I lay down with him, still in embrace. Tears flowed endlessly even in his sleep.

    ---

    Weaving a story from the limited information I had, I could infer this:

    Hawk lost someone he loved more than any other person in the world sometime before university. Family, best friend, or lover I have yet to confirm. This person is overly talented yet ` Hawk at the very least can keep up with this person. ¡°She¡± confirms it¡¯s a girl. The girl shouldn¡¯t be far from his age, since she would serve as Hawk¡¯s mother figure if she was. Hawk let the girl spoil him, implying that that the girl is not younger than him. The girl is likely quite similar to me both in appearance and personality. I knew Hawk really liked my appearance since he first saw me. I also said the exact same words as her. Hawk¡¯s communication article in university was about choosing the best word between its synonyms in formal writing. This detail meant Hawk was very particular about word choice. For me to use the exact same words as her led me to conclude the likelihood of similar personalities. The girl likely died by human causes. Hawk was very ground to reality. As much as he dislikes concepts such as destiny, he never fights it. If he lost her to any event out of humans¡¯ control, he would have accepted it and moved on even a little bit. But he had yet to take a single step. This meant Hawk believes until this day that he could have saved her. Hawk directly relates spoiling him to her death, implying that spoiling him was a major factor to her death.

 Chapter 45: Ability Display

    I woke up the next day with Hawk embracing me. I noticed this long ago, but I was once again reminded that Hawk was not a morning person. It took forever for him before waking up for breakfast. As expected, he didn¡¯t bring up about last night.

    Cheers roared upon our arrival on the plaza. Thankfully, people respected us enough not to get close to us.

    ¡°I dislike the situation.¡± Commented Hawk.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Kin is not only the only Player in the tournament without an Artefact. He is also the only top Player without one. If this were a story, he would definitely receive Chorale.¡± Elaborated Hawk.

    ---

    Once we arrived near the center of plaza, we immediately noticed three stands covered in bronze, silver, and gold respectively.

    ¡°It is now 10 A.M. The final day of the tournament. Kin, Hawk, Blitz, and Dove good luck in the rest of your matches.¡±

    Hawk and Kin faced off at the center of the plaza. Hawk had both of his swords out. Noticing this, Kin commented, ¡°No single-sword bait tactics?¡±

    ¡°Not part of the plan.¡± Replied Hawk.

    As soon as the Duel, instead of the usual run at each other, both Players revealed their new Abilities. Thick roots appeared from the ground and gently entangled Kin¡¯s and engulfed him in a green aura. At the same time, Hawk activated his new Ability: Snowflake Paradise. Ten differently shaped snow sigils appeared in a circular formation behind me. Both intrigued and wary of the other¡¯s new Ability, neither Player made a move. This decision confirmed that neither Player¡¯s Ability had a time limit.

    Kin took the first step, moving rightwards by one step. Hawk imitated Kin¡¯s movement, leaving them in the same position relative to each other. Noticeably, both Player¡¯s Abilities followed their user¡¯s movement.

    Twenty seconds. This was the amount of time where nothing happened. Both Players either didn¡¯t move or simply moved a step sideways.

    Finally, Hawk broke the standstill and dashed towards Kin. Kin, being the more defensive Job Class, stayed put and defended himself. The moment their swords connected, Hawk withdrew his blade and struck again. Kin blocked and countered with a vertical swing overhead, which Hawk ducked and avoided. Hawk swept kicked Kin, but Kin strengthened his foot and was unaffected. He immediately swung down at the crouched Hawk. Hawk rolled to the side an attacked Kin¡¯s flank. Kin blocked successfully but was thrown a bit off balance. Hawk capitalized and spin kicked Kin. Surprisingly, Kin was able to get a hold of Hawk¡¯s foot, forcing Hawk to jump back and let Kin regain his footing.

    Hawk immediately circled around and leapt back towards Kin. Kin blocked the attack; however, Hawk persisted in circling around to attack him. Hawk continued to make unorthodox offensive maneuvers to keep up the pressure against the more skilled Kin.

    When their swords connected for another time, Hawk headbutted Kin for 1% damage. He immediately spun and connected at Kin¡¯s torso with Icebrande for another 6%. One of the sigils behind Hawk disappeared at the same time one appeared on Kin¡¯s torso where he was hit.

    Kin¡¯s utilized Enrichment Roots. Enrichment Roots immobilized the target and then healed the target. Enrichment Roots¡¯ duration was equal to its cooldown. After less than two and a half second, Kin was back full Health.

    Hawk, who was a distance from Kin, said, ¡°3% Health regen per second at permanent uptime when I do 6% per hit. How is that balanced?¡±

    ¡°You knew fully well about this Ability beforehand. Stop acting you¡¯re surprise.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to deal 6% per hit with Icebrande. I used to deal 11% minimum. Guess that root around your body reduces damage taken.¡±

    ¡°Armoring Root blocks 5% damage against any attack that deals more than 5%. You are especially weak to it since you rely on multiple but weak damage instances. Of course, it has permanent uptime like Enrichment Root¡±

    Surprisingly, Kin revealed both the name and properties of his Abilities. It could be a lie, but the truth would be revealed one day and if he lied now, his reputation would worsen. Also, Kin wasn¡¯t a liar from what I knew.

    ¡°Thc¡­ I wish you were lying but my observation confirms not.¡±

    ¡°Even so, this snowflake on my torso worries me.¡±

    Hawk continued to attack. Ideally, he didn¡¯t want to receive attack as well, since that would transfer the snowflake back to him. Since Kin was playing defensively, it wasn¡¯t that impossible; however, it was very difficult for Hawk to hit Kin and inflict the snowflakes as well.

    After the ten second of duration of Enrichment Root, the Players traded hits. Hawk hit with both blades while Kin hit Hawk. Hawk¡¯s damage was irrelevant since Kin healed it with Enrichment Root before Hawk could successfully strike again. Hawk took 11% from the hit. Kin had two Snowflakes on his body while Hawk had one plus the seven behind him.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    The battle continued. The same pattern repeated multiple times. When Hawk lost half of his Health, Kin, while full Health, had six snowflakes on his body. Also, Kin¡¯s breathing was ragged; he was clearly in pain. In contrast, Hawk didn¡¯t show a sign of suffering at all.

    Despite the Health advantage, the Golden Warriors showed worry on their faces. No one knew the effects of Snowflake Paradise. Despite this, Kin continued his play: fighting normally when not Immobilized and extremely defensively when Immobilized.

    At one point, Hawk and Kin¡¯s swords were inches from the other¡¯s body with Hawk¡¯s landing first by a few milliseconds. Hawk activated Skadi¡¯s Caress and hit. Utilizing¡¯s Skadi¡¯s Caress¡¯ Mini-stun allowed Hawk to avoid the attack as well as land another one.

    Hawk tried to capitalize on Skadi¡¯s Caress, but Kin played extremely defensively during Skadi¡¯s Caress for ten seconds even though Skadi¡¯s Caress only lasted around six seconds on Kin. Unfortunately, Hawk was unable to land an additional hit on Kin.

    Dancing around the field, neither committed unforced errors. Anyone could see they were performing at the best of their skills; however, the gap in skill began to show. Kin slowly but surely overwhelmed Hawk as he began to take the offensive.

    Hawk failed to delay long enough for Skadi¡¯s Caress cooldown and took another strike along the way, but he was able to barely launch out a counterattack as the strike hit him. Hawk willingly took another hit once Skadi¡¯s Caress cooled down. While down to a fourth of his Health, Hawk landed three attacks during Skadi¡¯s Caress duration. He successfully achieved his goal¡ªto inflict all ten snowflakes on the enemy.

    While I know Hawk¡¯s plan, most of the people watching had a rough idea already. While they didn¡¯t know exactly how, they knew Hawk, using the snowflakes, would try to burst down Kin from full Health. They knew this was realistic because the setup was far too difficult to do if this wasn¡¯t the result. Also, this was the only way to defeat Kin¡ªextremely high damage over a very short period of time.

    Unfortunately, Skadi¡¯s Caress was necessary in the burst, but Hawk was forced to use it preemptively to land the last two strikes. This meant Hawk had to delay for another cooldown while maintaining the ten snowflakes on Kin. Also, this was Hawk¡¯s final Skadi¡¯s Caress. Snowflake Paradise had an extremely high Mana Cost.

    Hawk¡¯s and Kin¡¯s sword pierced through the opposite¡¯s owner. Thankfully, Kin landed first, which allowed Hawk to maintain the status and finally achieve the final scenario one hit away from losing.

    Within striking range of Kin, Hawk activated Skadi¡¯s Caress and triggered one of the snowflakes for and dealt 4% for the bursting snowflake and 1% for Skadi¡¯s Caress. For reference, I take around 8-9 percent from a snowflake explosion. The mini-stun allowed Hawk to land two sword attacks for 6% and 3% plus 1% for each Skadi¡¯s Caress. Once the mini-stun from the second strike ended, Hawk burst a second snowflake for 4% and 2%. He followed with an Icebrande strike for 7% and 2% into a third snowflake for no damage and 2%.

    Unfortunately, the snowflake entered the 5% block minimum of Kin¡¯ second Ability due to the increasing Chain Gauge. Even so, Hawk continued with another sword strike for 4% and 2%. Hawk exploded the fourth snowflake for 1% and 3%. Hawk attacked with Icebrande before needing to explode another snowflake to chain-stun Kin for a total of 14%. Three seconds had passed since Hawk began his combo, leaving Kin at 53% Health.

    The fifth snowflake exploded for 1% and 3% and with it, another sword strike for 5% and 3%. A sixth snowflake and an Icebrande strike dealt damage of 1, 3, 8, and 4 percent. This was followed by a regular sword strike for 5% and 4% and the seventh snowflake for 2% and 4%. Kin was down 20% Health; however, this marked the end of another three seconds

    Despite not maximizing the chain-stun, Hawk exploded the three-remaining snowflakes to maximize Skadi¡¯s Caress damage. The reason was obvious: Skadi¡¯s Caress was at his last moment.

    ¡°No!¡± I exclaimed as I glued my eyes on the damage dealt. I wanted to run towards Hawk¡­ to help him¡­

    The increase in Chain Guage brought Skadi¡¯s Caress into 5% territory, blocking it. Only the Snowflake Damage went through; 3% each. Why? Did it really need to leave Kin at exactly 11% Health?

    Hawk fully utilized the final mini-stun of Skadi¡¯s Caress and swung diagonally at Kin. Kin; dazed, pained, and tired; barely blocked Hawk¡¯s attack in time, which threw Kin off balance.

    ¡°Please!¡± I cried out.

    Hawk did not give up. Hawk had exactly three seconds to land another strike before Kin regenerated out of danger range. Hawk capitalized on Kin¡¯s worse conditions and aggressively attack him.

    Towards the tail end of the three seconds, Hawk and Kin traded strikes. Hawk hit milliseconds earlier but left Kin at 11% Health again. Hawk was the same, he had regenerated enough life to live at exactly 11%.

    Kin switched to complete defense. Hawk attacked and attacked, slowly breaking through. The crowd probably cheered. I heard nothing. The only thought in my head was praying for Hawk¡¯s victory.

    As if history repeated itself, Hawk broke through two seconds later and the two traded blows. Since Hawk¡¯s Chain Gauge was broken, Kin only lost 6% to Icebrande, leaving him at 11% for a third time.

    This was also the final time as Hawk did not regenerate enough Health to survive the strike. The crowd probably silenced in awe, but I cared not. I rushed as fast as I could to Hawk. I had to take care of him.

    Both Players collapsed to the ground but with different reasons. Kin lost consciousness to the pressure, pain, and tiredness. Hawk fell to the agony of defeat. It was at this moment that the crowd cheered louder than ever before.

    As I neared the two, I noticed the Golden Warriors rushing to Kin as well. When I finally, arrived, Hawk stood and turned. While his head was down, I could see tears dropping down. I went closer to embrace him, but he simply touched my shoulder and went back to Canary and Kiwi.

    The rest of the Golden Warriors carried the unconscious Kin back to the Inn to rest. Players didn¡¯t normally feel pain. The pain only started once Player took Damage of more than 100% due to healing. Hawk and I tested this after I felt pain during the fight against the Sewerberus.

    I breathed deeply and calmed myself. Hawk did not want my comfort now. If I did, I would lose concentration for my Duel against Blitz. I settled my emotions and brought myself back to reality. When I came to, Alcor had already did his speech and Blitz had reached my vicinity.

    I will not lose. I cannot lose.

    [Enrichment Roots]

    Heals a three percent of a target¡¯s Health every second. Lasts 10 Seconds.

    Range: Single-target; Clear Vision

    Cooldown: 10 Seconds

    [Snowflake Paradise]

    User is imbued with ten Snowflakes. One Snowflake is transferred to the attack recipient whenever a person with a Snowflake successfully lands a weapon attack. User is able to detonate Snowflakes at any time and any range instantly for moderate Damage.

    Range: Self-target

    Cooldown: 40 Seconds.

 Chapter 46: Display of Excellence, Part 1

    Kiwi POV

    Hawk sat in an Indian seat besides us. He looked sad but was focused on Dove and Blitz.

    Noticing Canary¡¯s worry for Hawk, I asked him, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I¡¯ll be fine though. Just a bit saddened over my loss. It¡¯s not as if I died or anything. I¡¯ll get over it soon.¡± He replied with a smile filled with sadness.

    ¡°It was a close match. It could have gone either way.¡± I said.

    ¡°Guess so. Pretty bad matchup for me too. To be honest, Kin¡¯s Abilities are weird. Paladin Abilities are supposed to protect the squishier allies; however, both his Abilities work better on targets that have good defensive Stats in the first Place since they are both percentage based.¡±

    ¡°Are you implying that it means something?¡± I inferred from Hawk¡¯s tone.

    Hawk smirked before replying, ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll be discussing when the tournament is over and our moods have settled.¡±

    Dove POV

    ¡°Hawk really is something. Forty-hit combo. Against Kin no less. Pretty sure that¡¯s the highest achieved in a legitimate Duel. If Kin didn¡¯t have an Ability that worked best against multiple instances of weak Damage, Hawk would¡¯ve won.¡± Stated Blitz shortly before the Duel began.

    ¡°Could¡¯ve, should¡¯ve, would¡¯ve. In the end, Hawk lost.¡± I drew Icebrande before continuing as the countdown began. ¡°If I don¡¯t win here, Hawk¡¯s mood will take a while to better.¡±

    I activated Fade Walk and went at a random direction. Blitz immediately rushed to the wall closest to him. He wanted to minimize the space from which I could attack him to better react to my attack.

    After my Mana regenerated back to full, I went slightly more than two meters in front of Blitz and deactivated Fade Walk. We stared at each other with neither making a move.

    Invisibility was naturally weak against AoE Abilities because if caught in the AoE, Invisibility was broken. Unfortunately, such was the nature of Blitz¡¯s Abilities.

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, I ran straight towards Blitz. Running straight at Blitz was one of the most suicidal strategies against Blitz; however, Hawk said that Blitz had already become so used to people sidestepping that he wouldn¡¯t be greedy and Flare Blitz me. Also, Blitz always timed Flare Blitz on the instance a person steps on the ground to make it significantly harder to avoid by changing direction.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The moment I stepped within a meter of Blitz, he used Flare Blitz; however, the moment I stepped, I activated my second Ability, Fade Strike.

    Fade Strike would Banish me for half a second. During this time, I would be teleported behind the target and strike him for the same Damage as the Bonus Damage of Wind Walk. After the Banish, I would return to exactly where I was.

    Due to the speed of Flare Blitz, I completely dodged during the Banish it while inflicting 14% Damage to Blitz¡¯s Health in addition to his 5% recoil Damage. Unfortunately, this also meant I could not capitalize on the opening after Flare Blitz.

    Unlike his Duel with Kotel, Blitz immediately turned around and aggressively attacked me. He noticed the moment he passed by me that his attack did not connect.

    I activated Fade Walk and circled around him. Blitz ran towards the closest side as I chased him. I swung my sword while Invisible; however, he unexpectedly turned around, his sword in flame. The impact of the flame and sword threw me to the side as I lost 50% of my Health from a single blow. Blitz himself lost 10% of his Health.

    The instance I recovered from the impact, Blitz was already before me ready to swing. I barely blocked the first strike. Blitz remained aggressive and pressure me continuously. Blitz broke through my defense, striking me for 20% of my Health. I tried to counterattack but was blocked.

    I immediately used Fade Strike the instance I felt our swords contact. Blitz Flare Blitz at that exact moment, allowing me to avoid it and take off another 5% of his Health. While I could easily block the sword thrust Blitz threw at me after, I instead chose to barely evade the strike. If he activated his second Ability on the block, I would have lost.

    Forced on an evasion spree, I was slowly pressured back towards the wall. When I was a meter away, I Fade Walk. I did not move from my position, expecting him to expect me to backstab him. I slashed at him with Icebrande on his back.

    Blitz, knowing I couldn¡¯t block after hitting him, relentlessly pushed me towards the corner. I did my best to slow down the cornering; however, this proved difficult without the ability to dodge properly due to the risk of Flare Blitz.

    Finally, my back was against the wall. Blitz, at 46% Health, threw a vertical slash at me which was impossible to dodge both the slash and the Flare Blitz that followed.

    If I blocked the strike, he would activate his second Ability and break through. Then, I would Fade Strike but would be greeted by Flare Blitz once the Banish period is over.

    If I dodged, Blitz would Flare Blitz. I would dodge again with Fade Strike. Then, I would be greeted by Blitz¡¯s second Ability upon my return.

    Blitz knew he would be victorious regardless of which I chose; thus, he would concentrate on not messing up. Blitz¡¯ victory was assured.

    Or so he taught. The moment I reduced him to this Health range. I blocked the strike, but he activated his second Ability to break through, losing 5% Health in the process and bringing him down to 42%.

    Fade Strike dodged the boosted attack. The instance before the Fade Strike struck Blitz, I activated Fade Walk with my remaining Mana. Fade Walk also gave the Damage buff to Fade Strike, basically doubling its Damage. I would hit him for 28% bringing him down to 14%. Blitz would then kill himself to the initial recoil of Flare Blitz, winning me the Duel.

 Chapter 46: Display of Excellence, Part 2

    Blitz POV

    My victory seemed so sure, but why did I have this feeling of dread. My instincts were kicking in; however, they were created by my fear of Hawk. I had won. My body¡¯s fear was just kicking in. That was what I told myself.

    I swung Flametongue at the cornered Dove for my assured victory. Regardless of which route Dove took, I won.

    Dove chose to block. I immediately activated Meltdown Strike with the minimum 5% Health sacrifice and broke through her guard. As expected, she used her second Ability to dodge the strike.

    I waited half a second ready to Flare Blitz as soon as she returned. My victory was guaranteed.

    Or so I thought. On the last second, I spotted on the corner of my eye that I had 14% Health left, meaning I would lose to Flare Blitz recoil. I instead attacked normally, cutting her as soon as her Banish was over.

    Despite her initial surprise, Dove quickly pulled herself together as we sparred one hit away from victory and defeat.

    Kiwi POV

    The broke out to a cheer as the Duel ended. To them, the spar in the end was the climax; however, to the trained eyes, the best part of the Duel was Dove luring Blitz to cornering her and commencing her plan. This was all part of Hawk¡¯s plan. Of course, Dove had to bring Blitz to that Health range with her own execution.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Unexpectedly, Blitz noticed his Health and did not Flare Blitz. Hawk claimed Blitz would concentrate on not making a mistake and not give attention to his own Health because he would believe that a mistake on his part was the only way to lose.

    This was the cause of the finale happened with neither able to use Abilities. Blitz could have had a big advantage if chose to delay the fight instead, since Dove was out of Mana, if he waited for his Abilities to cooldown. Instead, they fought for their lives and ended the Duel then and there.

    Canary POV

    We slowly walked towards Dove as she strode back towards us. When we finally reach each other, Hawk and Dove high-five each other.

    ¡°Good job.¡± Said Hawk happily but not too excitedly.

    ¡°Your plan wasn¡¯t perfect. Be thankful that I¡¯m the best and managed to win regardless.¡± Replied Dove with a smiling face but also not too excitedly, despite the words.

    ¡°Say you¡¯re the best after you win the tournament.¡±

    Dove smirked and replied, ¡°Yes our great Leader.¡±

    Alcor gathered everyone¡¯s attention and said, ¡°Congratulations to our second finalist, Dove! It was a spectacular match. We will be taking a lunch break to allow the Players to rest before continuing to the third-place decider and finals at 2:30. See you all!¡±

    [Fade Strike]

    User applies Banish on self for half a second. At the end of this period, the user strikes the target for moderate Wind Physical Wind Damage before returning to the original location.

    Range: Single Target, Clear Vision

    Cooldown: 30 Seconds

    [Banish]

    When Banished, a person is invulnerable and untargetable. All status buffs and ailments persist during and through Banish period.

 Chapter 47: Excellence in Battle

    Dove POV

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really care about winning the Silver Sword.¡± Stated Hawk.

    ¡°Want to surrender?¡± I asked jokingly.

    ¡°Of course not. A win is a win.¡±

    Hawk had cheered up since he lost to Kin. My victory helped a lot in that regard. After discussing my plan against Kin, we returned towards the plaza.

    On our way there, we ran into Liza by chance. She first approached Hawk and said, ¡°You can lose after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It sucks.¡±

    ¡°You would¡¯ve won if you had double Icebrande¡¯s¡±

    ¡°Probably. Not like there is another Icebrande though.¡±

    There was still an aura of awkwardness between the two as they spoke; however, their relationship had improved since the last time they met. Compared to the time when Liza avoided talking to Hawk, this was far better.

    We continued together towards the plaza along with Liza. Liza intentionally kept to lighthearted topics so to not distract us from our match.

    Crimson Swords had already arrived before us, even though it was half an hour before the call time. Both of us decided not to exchange words and simply waited for the time to pass.

    As we waited, Hawk shooed away many Players who attempted to talk with us for one reason for another. Many were below-average Party-less Players looking to join us. What surprised me was that Hawk knew most of them.

    ¡°Not interested in having anyone else join?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Aside from Crow, there are no Players left in Naut City worth noticing.¡±

    Finally, the time arrived for Hawk¡¯s battle. As we cheered as he left for the battle, Hawk left with a thirst for victory. Not only was he confident in winning, he needed to win in this moment. If not, he¡¯d tilt and I would have to bring him back.

    ¡°You¡¯re Party is super strong. Dove defeated me and you almost defeated Kin.¡± Stated Blitz before the Duel began.

    ¡°I excel in pre-battle preparation so we do have a strategical advantage in that regard. For convenience, what¡¯s the name of your new Ability?¡± Said Hawk bluntly.

    ¡°Meltdown Strike.¡± Replied Blitz.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Snowflake Paradise signaled the beginning of the battle. Hawk, with both blades at hand, waited for the fast approaching Blitz. Blitz swung Flametongue at Hawk fully expecting him to evade; however, Hawk instead blocked the attack. A split second later, Blitz activated Meltdown Strike and broke through Hawk¡¯s sword. Hawk lost slightly less than half his Health while Blitz lost 15%; however, before the attack fully swung through, Hawk had already counterattacked with Icebrande for 18% as well as transferring a Snowflake.

    Hawk swung again; however, he leapt up immediately before their swords even connected. For the first time, Blitz activated Flare Blitz while at close range before the swords connected instead of the usual on the moment of contact. Hawk¡¯s preemptive movement allowed him to avoid a deciding strike. Not only that, Hawk only jumped as high as necessary to avoid Flare Blitz and landed such that he could immediately rush after Blitz.

    Hawk landed two more strike for 30% Health with Skadi¡¯s Caress. Hawk exploded the three inflicted Snowflakes and won the Duel with ease.

    Blitz POV

    ¡°I got completely destroyed.¡± Said Hawk.

    ¡°Guess so. To give you some credit, I couldn¡¯t drag out the match to long. As confident as I am with my predictions, I cannot dodge Flare Blitz forever.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I couldn¡¯t let myself lose this. I would tilt if I did, which would trouble Dove more.¡±

    ¡°You really love her don¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then treasure her. Protect her at all cost. I may lose to you in battles; however, I believe my experience in loss of life exceeds yours.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t want to lose the person I care for the most again. I felt it once. I think you did as well. I do not want to feel it again.¡±

    ¡°What do you know about me?¡±

    ¡°You are of mixed descent since it is quite difficult to discern your race. Not just two, but three or more. You are experienced in a recent war despite being of young age. Not to discriminate, but it heavily suggests an Islamic country. You immediately gathered a high quantity of Players in Reality, heavily implying you lost an important battle because of the lack of numbers. You also likely lost someone important. Since you compared it to Dove, probability points at an older sister, or an older sister figure at the very least, but I can¡¯t deny other possibilities. You attribute the loss to both yourself and the lack of numbers, meaning you could have done something about it. No idea what happened during the loss however.¡±

    It took me a while to process Hawk¡¯s thoughts, which were clearly of a different level from my own.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an older sister. It¡¯s my mother.¡± I told Hawk the truth.

    Hawk kept quiet, clearly shocked but for what reason I did not know.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No. Of course it¡¯s the mother. Now, I deducted most of the events.¡± Replied Hawk with a grin.

    ¡°Then why were you so shocked then?¡±

    ¡°I realized why I didn¡¯t realize it was your mother.¡± Said Hawk before he left back to his Party.

    Hawk and Dove were amazing. Their ceiling was far higher than any other Player in Naut City. My battle instincts told me that. Hawk had definitely surpassed me. Dove, without Hawk¡¯s assistance, was already at least equal me. ARF would definitely go long ways in Reality if their emotions to not best them.

    Even so, I refuse to go down without a fight. I will make sure to keep up as long as I can. I have to train more and more and more.

 Chapter 48: Battle Finals

    June XX14

    ¡°Congratulations to Dove for achieving the highest score in the exam.¡± Stated the professor as she distributed the results for the first examination of the first-year students. Dove, with a smile on her face, confidently received the exam.

    ¡°Amazing! Was she highest in our class only or for the entire batch?¡± asked a friend of Dove¡¯s.

    ¡°Dove, at 117 over 120, got the highest score in the whole batch. Second was Hawk from the morning section who got 114. Another person got 105 and everyone else got below 100. Majority got around 75.¡± Elaborated the professor.

    ¡°Maybe you should hook up with him.¡± Stated the same friend aloud, causing everyone to start teasing her.

    Dove remained apathetic. Her friends were shipping her with a guy whose face she didn¡¯t even know. Not even slightly annoyed, she played along and laughed with her friends. Dove knew that by the day end, the shipping would only come here and there, so she just let it be and enjoyed. Dove told herself that she would check his Facebook to see what this Hawk guy looked like.

    On the same day, Hawk and his friends waited patiently for the jeepney they use for commuting to fill up. Hawk stared at the air with a blank expression on his face.

    ¡°What happened? Can¡¯t move on from losing to that Dove girl. Or are you falling in love with her?¡± Asked one of his friends.

    ¡°Cut if off with the shipping, I don¡¯t even know who she is. Well, since she got the top, she probably looks like a nerdy bookworm.¡± Replied Hawk.

    ¡°Not really. She¡¯s petite and cute. Beauty would be better than the average.¡± Replied another friend who knew what Dove looked like.

    ¡°I just recalled. Weren¡¯t you into petite girls?¡± said another friend.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check her Facebook later. You guys satisfied now?¡± replied Hawk as the group cheered to his reply.

    In the end, both Dove and Hawk forgot to check each other¡¯s Facebook accounts; however, this marked their first acknowledgement of one another¡¯s existence.

    Present Time; Dove POV

    ¡°You seem deep in thought.¡± Stated Kin, interrupting my thoughts.

    ¡°Yeah. For some reason, I suddenly recalled when I first realized Hawk¡¯s existence.¡±

    ¡°You better not let that distract you.¡±

    I unsheathed Icebrande and replied, ¡°You need not worry about it.¡±

    Unlike Hawk who had to slowly transfer the Snowflakes before bursting down Kin, I pretty much had to burst down Kin whenever. However, Hawk had a better plan: to make Kin run out of Mana. While we weren¡¯t sure about Kin¡¯s Mana pool, Hawk and I were confident that I would definitely outlast his Mana Pool due to my relatively lower Mana Costs compared to most Players.

    Kin immediately shielded himself with his roots. I used my Fade Strike into Fade Walk combo I utilized against Blitz. Kin lost 18% of his Health. He immediately healed back up with Enrichment Roots.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Considering that Kin¡¯s root shield Ability had indefinite duration and powerful effect, it¡¯s Mana Cost would definitely be extremely high similar to Snowflake Paradise.

    As soon as he could move, Kin rushed at me to which I responded by running. Due to my higher speeds, I easily outran him. Once Fade Strike my combo was up, I used it. Losing 18% of his Health, Kin healed back up immediately.

    I would repeat the process until Kin ran out of Mana; however, without any way to tell the opponent¡¯s Mana as well as the strategy being very obvious, Kin could easily pretend to no longer have Mana. There was no way method to outmaneuver this. Kin would likely stop healing himself once he had only two left.

    After three more repeats, I had Mana for four Abilities. Kin stopped healing himself. I charged in at Kin. Kin defended easily despite my best attempts to break through. The difference in skill changed everything. Unlike Hawk and Blitz who were naturally inclined to offense, Kin¡¯s prowess in defense made itself apparent.

    Even worse, Kin didn¡¯t counterattack and left no opening. Even when I had a clear opening, Kin chose to remain as the unmovable wall guarding attack after attack.

    Canary POV

    ¡°Why is nothing happening?¡± I asked watching Dove desperately trying to break Kin¡¯s defense.

    Hawk sighed before replying. ¡°If Kin tried to fight back, Dove could take advantage of her higher speeds as well as her Abilities mobility to hit Kin. Assuming Dove never gets a regular strike up, she can only outdamage natural regeneration with her combo. Fade Strike alone breaks even or dealt 1 or 2% net damage in the end.¡±

    ¡°But Kin can¡¯t win if he doesn¡¯t attack.¡± I objected.

    ¡°Kin doesn¡¯t need to attack. He would wait forever if needed. He has higher stamina than Dove. Also, Dove is consuming far more stamina by the second.

    After a few minutes of failing to land an attack, Dove leapt back and sat on the ground.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Kin.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to attack then neither am I.¡± Dove replied.

    ¡°Alcor! There are no rules about time limit. So, what if we decide to wait forever?¡± Kin asked in a voice everyone could hear.

    ¡°There are no rules regarding it.¡± Replied Alcor.

    Kin sighed before finally telling Dove, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s make a deal. We should go all out on the offensive at each other. That would be advantageous to you.¡±

    ¡°And what would be at stake should we break the deal?¡±

    ¡°Nothing but our honor.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    Dove grinned and immediately stood and charged back. The two swung their swords at one another, clashing multiple times.

    Kin¡¯s skill with a sword proved itself superior as he finally made an opening. Dove dodged the swing her combo and landed 18% at Kin. After returning, Dove landed yet another hit at Kin for 10% of Kin¡¯s Health.

    Dove back stepped to create distance, but Kin pursued and landed an 18% hit at Dove. Despite Dove¡¯s best attempts, Kin landed another attack before Dove could combo again for another 18%.

    Finally, Dove manage to strike Kin for another 10% before dodging the counterattack with her combo. Kin replied with two strikes before her Abilities could cooldown again. Kin activated Enrichment Roots to heal himself, but the immobility allowed Dove to cancel out the regeneration with her own attacks.

    The battle continued for a while before the two traded blows. Dove was down to a third Health while Kin was down to less than half. Dove needed one more strike along with her combo before win. On the other hand, Kin required two hits.

    Despite this, both Players followed their deal and went all out on each other. As soon as Kin pushed Dove¡¯s sword away, he swung vertically at her. Dove dodged with Fade Strike without Fade Walk. This placed a time limit on Kin. He needed to win before Fade Strike cooled-down. By the time, Dove had exactly enough Mana to execute her combo.

    Dove blocked the counterattack as the two displayed their skills. After ten seconds, Kin got the better of Dove and landed a strike at Dove before barely avoiding the counterattack.

    On the twenty-seventh second, Kin forced his way to a position which neither could block or avoid the other¡¯s attack. Dove immediately recognized this and attacked as well.

    In the end, it came down to who would land their attacks first.

    Dove POV

    DEFEAT!

    The words before my eyes saddened myself as the quiet crowd awaited the dust to settle.

    I was pretty sure I exchanged some words of congratulations with Kin.

    I was pretty sure there were massive cheers during massive cheers during the awarding.

    I was pretty sure we went to eat dinner and went straight to bed after.

 Chapter 49: Finals Analysis

    Dove POV

    I woke up at two in the morning, my mind finally cleared. I lost. The feeling finally sunk it. While brooding over my defeat I noticed Hawk¡¯s absence.

    I first checked on the upper floor and didn¡¯t find him. I went down and searched but he was nowhere to be found.

    Finally, I found him at our backyard seated in an Indian seat.

    As I approached him, I said, ¡°Sorry for losing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You did better than expected.¡±

    I sat down behind him and lay my back to his. I said, ¡°Even if our life wasn¡¯t on the line, losing sucks, huh?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it does. In any case, we have to fix ourselves. While our explorations slowed due to the tournament, it shouldn¡¯t be that long before we discover the next location.¡±

    ¡°It was just confirmed it wasn¡¯t the city, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. So it means a dungeon. The city is probably next though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. About the prize, what do we do with it? Do you want the Diamond Sword?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s share it like we always do in Duels. If we¡¯re both fighting though you should use it.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Do you mind if I make a request?¡±

    ¡°Depends on the request of course.¡±

    I sent a Duel proposal to Hawk to which he immediately accepted.

    Rem POV

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join ARF already?¡± I asked as I ate dinner with a certain girl scouted by ARF.

    We were eating in a private room at a certain restaurant. Across the table was a girl normally known hide her face with a hood and her hair; however, right now, her face was clear for me to see. Crow was cuter than most. This was coming from me who was considered one of the prettiest girls in Naut City. Crow¡¯s face was simply adorable and made people want to cherish her. With her eyes and hair blacker than the darkest abyss, she could charm the hearts of many if she wished. In fact, she already had.

    ¡°Indeed. That would be the optimal choice; however, I would be in the limelight, which I dislike.¡± Replied a girl.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°It¡¯s Hawk you know. He has probably gotten a good grasp on why you are how are you are.¡±

    ¡°I know. With their amazing performance in the tournament, no longer is ARF the dark horse they were before. If I joined them now, all eyes would be on me.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. But I¡¯m telling you as one of your few friends here, you can¡¯t keep going solo forever. Especially since you¡¯re a healer. Speaking of which, why did you choose to be a healer when you don¡¯t want the attention of others?¡±

    Crow, with surprised eyes, took a while before replying, ¡°It seems my regret on failing to save them outweigh my disdain of being in the limelight.¡±

    ¡°So you really are her.¡± I said, finally confirming Crow¡¯s identity.

    ¡°So, you do know. By transitivity, Hawk knows as well.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s trying to save you. You should let him, before it¡¯s too late.¡±

    Finally finishing her meal, Crow stood and returned to her attentionless look. ¡°I hope so too.¡±

    Liza POV

    Liza¡¯s childhood friend Alcor finally mustered the courage to tell Liza what happened. His eyes bowled from the hurt and sadness he felt. Liza patted his head in an attempt to calm him, but it proved ineffective.

    ¡°How do you deal with it?¡± asked Alcor.

    Liza pondered long and hard for the best reply. Saying the incorrect words may break him completely.

    ¡°There is one fundamental difference between you and Liza: Liza and Dove are friends, you and Hawk are not. The moment Liza saw Hawk look at Dove, somewhere in Liza¡¯s heart I knew it was over for Liza. Not only that, Hawk never had a need to manipulate Liza in a painful way. This is not only due to Hawk being better at manipulation but also because Dove¡¯s character is way more stable than Hawk¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I guess it is my family¡¯s destiny to fall in love with the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°Destiny¡­ Liza wonders what Players would think if they heard Characters conversing about destiny.¡±

    Kin POV

    I arrived in our designated meeting place ahead of time. Even so, Swan was already there waiting for me.

    ¡°It¡¯s half an hour before our designated meeting time.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Hawk told me you would arrive ahead of time.¡± Replied Swan.

    ¡°You told him about our meeting?¡± I asked since it would imply that Swan revealed unnecessary information.

    Despite not specifically discussing it, we Players had a consensus that any information exchange between Players should be kept private as much as needed. Information should only be announced to many when necessary.

    ¡°No, Hawk made me confirm we were meeting by directly asking me whether we would meet or not even though he just had a hunch.¡±

    ¡°I see, so he got his groove back quite fast. He laid low for a few days after losing the tournament.¡±

    ¡°Hawk has Dove supporting him now making him a lot more stable.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, speaking of men supporting women, I have a request to you. I need you to help me fix Gin. Since you¡¯re the strongest female character here, it has to be you.¡±

    ¡°I figured as much. So? What do I get in exchange?¡±

    ¡°Location of an Artefact Rarity Medium Armor.¡±

    Swan¡¯s eyes lit up for a while from what I said. It took a while before she replied, ¡°If you¡¯re telling me something this valuable, it means you cannot acquire it yourself.¡±

    ¡°You got me. But the knowledge itself is valuable, is it not?¡±

    ¡°Fine, I accept the offer.¡±

    ¡°Where do we start?

    ¡°Tell me what made Gin this way.¡±

    I spent the rest of the day recounting to Swan the events that led to Gin¡¯s attitude.

 Chapter 50: Analysis of the New Dungeon

    July 14, XX17

    Dove POV

    Swan led us, the Leaders and Vice-Leaders of the top Parties, to a place in the World Map ARF was yet to set foot near. On the far north of Naut City, nearing the edge of the area we can access, we found hills only four or five times a person¡¯s height covering a large area. It was almost a fourth of the size of Naut City.

    We scaled the numerous hills towards the center of the hilled area. As we did, the hills grew progressively taller and taller. After half an hour, we arrived near the center of the hilled area. Between the central hills were five chasms leading underground with each a rusty old ladder leading into each chasm. The spaces between each step of the ladder was notably smaller than expected for human use. These chasms were labelled as Safe Zones.

    Abandoned Dwarven City of Darmor

    Maximum Players: Two on Each Floor

    Five Floors, Boss on the Final Floor

    Warning: Once entered, no one can leave until the Boss is defeated or all Players in one floor is dead. Each chasm leads to one floor. All floors must be entered to begin the Quest.

    ¡°Dwarves?¡± was my first reaction upon reading the text.

    ¡°Obviously, no Player from Naut City has entered the Dungeon yet.¡±

    Hawk approached one of the chasms and swung his sword at the rusty ladder. A digital barrier appeared to block the attack.

    As we drew closer, we noticed that some of the rust where definitely stepped on.

    ¡°Someone went in.¡± said Burst stating the obvious.

    ¡°But I thought no Player has entered? So, a Character?¡± asked Blitz.

    ¡°Dwarves. At least two judging by the pattern. A human would not take each step on the ladder since a step is too small.¡± Said Hawk.

    Hawk then picked up a rock and threw it into the chasm only to be blocked once again by the digital barrier. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    We went with our respective Parties and entered all of the holes.

    We descended the seemingly endless ladder for minutes before finally arriving at the end.

    The fifty feet high underground city was decorated with architectures more beautiful than any seen on Earth. Majestic structures of stone and gems decorated the entire city. Near the ceilings, one could see cable wires with large square containers likely used for transportation. Our inability to see the walls of the city was a testament to its size.

    Unlike Goble, all the structure in the city were intact. In fact, not a single sign of damage could be found on anywhere. One thing stood out to me was that none of the structures had any entrances.

    ¡°No damage at all. It was abandoned for a non-structure destructive reason.¡± Said Hawk as we exited the Safe Zone and walked down one of the wide road pavements that were to smooth to be real.

    ¡°Assuming every floor has the same height, then we¡¯re on the second deepest floor.¡±

    Without encountering any enemies, we spent a few seconds wandering about when three non-enemy creatures I can only assume to be dwarves ran towards us. The three were pretty much indiscernible from each other aside from the color of their armor. Only half my height, the Dwarves had faces covered almost entirely by the thick curly brown hair. Their bodies were plump but clearly muscular. Even when running, they only matched the pace of a human walking. They were dressed in heavy armor that clanged with each step that they make.

    ¡°Finally, we find company in this place.¡± Stated one of the Dwarves.

    ¡°I see. Are they the heroes of legend of that will make this Darmor flourish again?¡± asked another Dwarf.

    ¡°Stop being disrespectful to our potential Allies.¡± Stated the third Dwarf. ¡°Come this way.¡± He added. Leading us to one of the structures, he pushed open the door, which was unnoticeable when closed, and led us inside.

    With the ceiling only inches away from Hawk¡¯s head, the inside of the structure held the most basic of necessities for survival. Three mattresses, food storage, a fireplace.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    We sat down in a circle as one of the Dwarves began introducing themselves.

    ¡°My name in human language would be B0248. I am a Mountain Druid.¡± Stated the Dwarf with blue armor.

    ¡°Mine would be B6001. I am an Axe Thrower.¡± Stated the Dwarf with yellow armor.

    ¡°And mine would be B6555. I am an Axe Wielder.¡± Stated the Dwarf with green armor.¡±

    ¡°Why numbers?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°We are not True Dwarves. We are merely the twelfth-generation clone of the True Dwarves.¡±

    ¡°True Dwarves?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave that story for later. For now, we¡¯ll explain your Quest here. We abandoned this city for one reason: it has been by an Earth Wyrm. It is the creature preventing Dwarves from digging to their heart¡¯s desire. We both fear and thank these Earth Wyrms.¡±

    ¡°Dwarves like to dig¡­ Talk about clich¨¦.¡± Hawk said.

    ¡°Yes, we do. We dream nothing except dig further and deeper; we only stop when signs of Earth Wyrms appear. Earth Wyrms are exactly like earthworms except over one hundred feet long and five feet in diameter. Also, they eat the soil and then excrete in back out as healthier soil. They inhabit the undergrounds of Reality and keep the soil healthy. This allows Dwarves to continued digging, as the Earth Wyrms will always make the soil strong enough despite our vast underground networks. Earth Wyrms cannot dig through anything except soil and cannot expose itself in the surface. Dwarven Cities shield the floor, the walls, and the ceiling with stone structures to protect from these creatures. Whenever we explore the underground, we care to note any traces left by Earth Wyrms to not incur their wrath.¡±

    ¡°100 feet long. There¡¯s one here, right? Why haven¡¯t we seen it?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°At the center of every Dwarven City is the fifty feet deep Pit of Cloning. The Earth Wyrm rests there during the day. At night, it travels the city.

    ¡°So we defeat the Earth Wyrm?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. That is not possible. Earth Wyrms are, for all practical methods, untouchable with attacks. Only the Fire God has enough force to destroy an Earth Wyrm. While the Water and Wind God can ¡°kill¡± them, they do it through non-destructive means.¡±

    ¡°Then our Quest is to bring the Earth Wyrm out of the City? How did it get in here in the first place?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was summoned here by the first Earth Jack, but his story is for another day. In any case, we have created an exit for the Earth Wyrm; however, it refuses to leave.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That we do not know. This is why the Dwarven King ordered us to stand guard here and ask for aid on the upcoming Players.¡±

    As soon as he finished his sentence, a Quest appeared before us.

    Earth Wyrm Invasion

    Quest: Drive the Earth Wyrm out of the city through any means.

    Rewards: Unknown

    Players Accepted: 4/8

    ¡°Looks like the some were ahead of us.¡±

    Hawk stared at suspiciously at the Dwarves before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re hiding an awful lot of details from your stories, but I sense no ill intent from you. We accept. It¡¯s not as if we had a choice since we¡¯re stuck here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Replied B0248.

    I went to B0248 and said, ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m calling you Biyo.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s your desire, then I am honored.¡± Replied Biyo.

    I then pointed at B6001 and said, ¡°You¡¯re Duo.¡± Pointing at the last dwarf, I added, ¡°Finally, you¡¯re Trigo.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up with nicknames?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Numbers are too hard to remember. Besides, aren¡¯t the names way cuter?¡±

    ¡°Fine. Just next time, be careful in naming creatures, it might be against their culture or something.¡± Hawk explained.

    ¡°Okay~¡± I replied.

    ¡°Thank you very much!¡± replied Biyo, Duo, and Trigo in unison.

    We spent the rest of the day familiarizing ourselves with the layout of the city. Nothing was of note except the Pit of Cloning the dwarves mentioned before.

    Its entrance was but another of those unseen when closed doors the dwarves so love. The pit had no ceiling nor floor in sight. It definitely encompassed all the floors in this dungeon. Inside was the Earth Wyrm the dwarves warned us of curled up and immobile. Hawk ran back out soon after and stared puking.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked Hawk, patting his back.

    ¡°I hate worms. I find them extremely disgusting.¡± He explained.

    ¡°It¡¯s sleeping. Or whatever Earth Wyrm¡¯s equivalent of sleeping is.¡± Said Trigo.

    Hawk, trying to calm himself, replied, ¡°I noticed the staircase on both sides. Are they leading to the other floors?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Travel in-between floors is only possible through the Pit of Cloning.¡±

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t that an extremely inefficient city layout?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Dwarven hierarchy reasons. Not all dwarves are allowed access to all floors.¡±

    Once dusk was nearing, the dwarves led us back to their hideout.

    ¡°We should avoid roaming around at night. The Earth Wyrms senses vibrations and tracks you down immediately.¡± Said Biyo.

    After taking turns washing ourselves, the dwarves were already fast asleep as I was the last one to wash. They huddled together in one mattress to allow us to use the other two, which was still less than half the size of our bed at Naut City combined together. The building was filled by the loud snoring of the dwarves.

    Hawk was sitting on the mattress and leaning on the wall. I sat beside him and he said, ¡°I messaged back home that we would spend the night out. Interestingly, I cannot message the other Players in this Quest.¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s to prevent communication? What do you think? Why isn¡¯t the Earth Wyrm leaving?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s definitely in the Pit of Cloning. It¡¯s the only place accessible by the Players in every floor. It makes sense as well. The only time we can go there is when the Earth Wyrm leaves at night, but it is dangerous at that time. Sounds like a Quest to me.¡±

    ¡°I see. We¡¯ll go tomorrow night?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I need to familiarize myself with this city a bit more.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at directions?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just most man-made locations are created logically. This place is made using Dwarven logic, making it difficult for me to find patterns.¡±

    We fell asleep soon after. Occasionally, the shaking of the ground signaled the passage of the Earth Wyrm nearby.

 Chapter 51: Dungeon Truth

    Dove POV

    ¡°You crazy? You want to roam about in this Dungeon at night?!¡± said Trigo as we proposed our plan to them.

    ¡°You guys almost tried everything else, right? Even so, you have yet to find the reason the Earth Wyrm does not leave.¡± Explained Hawk.

    ¡°Even if you say, that, it¡¯s way too dangerous!¡± replied Duo.

    ¡°Dove and I will delay the Earth Wyrm. You guys just get in see whatever¡¯s inside.¡±

    ¡°What do you think is inside?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    One of Hawk¡¯s weakness showed its face. Hawk had the near inhuman ability to analyze everything; however, his ability to convince people of his analyses was nowhere near. The weakness rarely came into practice during our university days because we went to the best university in the country where people could keep up with Hawk¡¯s analyses; however, on the occasions where we had to interact with people outside, this happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s the best thing we¡¯ve got.¡± I added to support Hawk.

    ¡°But we might die.¡± Said Duo.

    ¡°Feel free to abandon us at any time.¡± Added Hawk.

    ¡°Give us some time to think about it.¡±

    We complied and left the building.

    ¡°You should work on your ability to communicate your analyses to the less intellectually capable. You don¡¯t even bother explaining anything on how you got there when talking to them.¡± I said.

    ¡°Why bother explaining to people who won¡¯t understand it properly everything. It¡¯s a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°I know how you feel, but people are prideful. They won¡¯t just listen to another person no matter how much they acknowledge that person¡¯s superiority on the subject at hand.¡±

    I thought for a while whether I should say what I was about to say.

    ¡°Is that why you like me? Because I am able to keep up with your analyses most of the time. In the few times I can¡¯t, I believe what you say.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you trusted me that much until we arrived in Reality. When I explained things, you either kept quiet or disagreed.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Every time I kept quiet, it meant I agreed with what you said. Back to the question, did you like me because of that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not the only reason, but it¡¯s part of it.¡±

    On our way towards the pit, we passed by the body of the wyrm. A Health bar appeared on top of it that did not move along with the body.

    ¡°It has a Health gauge.¡± I stated,

    ¡°If it has Health then it can be killed.¡± Stated Hawk clearly holding back his disgust for the wyrm.

    On the corner of my eye, I noticed Hawk¡¯s Mana Gauge go down. I immediately asked, ¡°You used Skadi¡¯s Caress on it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It worked.¡±

    ¡°You attacked it?! You drew its attention!¡± exclaimed Duo.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Skadi¡¯s Caress does not draw aggro when the enemy doesn¡¯t take damage.¡±

    It took a few minutes for the entire wyrm to pass through. We went on with our way when we felt the rumble on the ground disappear.

    ¡°How do these reproduce?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°When they grow too large, they split near the middle and grow into two separate wyrms.¡± Replied Trigo.

    ¡°What happens if someone cuts it?¡±

    ¡°They still become two separate wyrms. Just the maximum size of the smaller segments won¡¯t be reached.¡±

    ¡°And what if I cut it into thousands of smaller parts?¡±

    ¡°Excluding the two ends, they all become smaller wyrms.¡±

    ¡°What if someone crushes it.¡±

    ¡°The crushed part does not regenerate.¡±

    We reached the Pit of Cloning and finally saw the reason the Earth Wyrm stayed in the city. As expected, Hawk started puking and felt weak on his knees. I lent a shoulder to him and we rushed back to the nearest structure.

    I waited for Hawk to feel better before I brought up what we saw.

    ¡°Millions of small Earth Wyrms.¡±

    ¡°Small relative to the size of those wyrms. They¡¯re still the lengths of giraffes at least. Anyways, how they got there is not important. Since I assume the Pit of Cloning is not made of soil beneath, it means that the big Earth Wyrm has to bring back soil every night for those to eat. However, since it is worm-shaped after all, it cannot bring back that much, which explains why they can¡¯t grow too large.¡± Theorized Hawk.

    ¡°Yeah. That sounds about right.¡± Added the Dwarves.

    ¡°How strong are small Earth Wyrms?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Their offenses are weaker; however, they have the same resilience as a large one.¡±

    Hawk sighed before replying, ¡°So we can¡¯t kill those. Just give up on rebuilding a city here.¡±

    The Dwarves were surprised with Hawk¡¯s reply. I asked as well, ¡°What about the Quest?¡±

    ¡°The Quest says to drive out the Wyrm, not make the city great again.¡±

    The Dwarves calmed down after Hawk¡¯s explanation. Duo finally said, ¡°That is fine. Any ideas how to do it?¡±

    ¡°Seal the Pit of Cloning. Eventually those small wyrms will have die without anything to eat. On which floor is the exit you made and how long will it take to seal the entrance.?¡±

    ¡°On the floor below.¡± Replied Trigo.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± I said.

    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not that simple.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°The entrance to the Pit of Cloning on each is a Dwarven door.¡±

    ¡°But there was no door on this floor?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°Those doors are imbued with Dwarven Magic. If you access it from the correct floor, then the Door won¡¯t be there. If you try to go to another floor, the door will be locked.¡±

    ¡°How does the Earth Wyrm move around then?¡±

    ¡°The Earth Wyrm¡¯s Magic Resistance is far too strong for that level of Dwarven Magic.¡±

    Suddenly, a message popped up. It was from Hawk. ¡°These Dwarves are annoying. I sense no malicious intent, but they are withholding a lot of information from us. Most likely, their superiors ordered them to disclose as few information as possible.¡±

    ¡°How do you open the doors then?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. Only the higher Dwarves do.