《My Ex-Girlfriend is the Strongest Guild Master and I'm the Weakest!》 The Santa María & The Novus

Chapter -8: The Santa Mar¨ªa & The Novus

What is The Santa Mar¨ªa? A massive spaceship, capable of traveling the gxy. Although the people inside are called "passengers", they are not permitted to go outside the Cryo-chambers. Only the authorized personnel can walk through its many aisles and corridors. What is its mission? To carry the chosen (Tandem) to a destined. The spaceship then will change its function and act as the first human base outside Earth. The ship is divided into sections The Cryo-Chambers. (At least two had been mentioned) The Hangar. (Here is where aircraft and all-terrain vehicles are stored. The Armory. (Filled with weapons and power suits) The Bridge. (Where the Isabe AI is stored) Staff Facilities. (Rooms for the people working outside The Novus) *** ** * The Novus Although it has a Fantasy-Medieval setting, it has modernmodities, like Videochat, Instant-messages apps. Video Feed. Music. Modern restrooms and restaurants. The design of the armors andbat outfits are notpletely medieval and may have some kind of futuristic vibe to them. (Have you seen the game Honkai Impact 3?) There is no such thing as teleportation unless you have died and respawned in a previously saved checkpoint. Checkpoints can be any town, city, an owned house or guild headquarters. You are immortal inside the Novus, but half of your gold will be subtracted from your ount if you''re killed. The Gold inside the Novus is a cripto-currency from Earth. So it practically is real money. The size of The Novus world may beparable to that of the real Earth. The Tandem & Users Classifications

Chapter -7: The Tandem & Users ssifications

THE TANDEM * Earth is no longer habitable. You cannot have children unless the World Government permits it. This only happens once every 20 years. Once the government allows it, there is a four-year period to have a legal child. Only two babies maximum per family. The Tandem was thisst generation of babies. They are now between 16 and 19 years old. 90% of The Santa Mar¨ªa''s poption are Tandem teens. *** ** * All non-staff people inside the Santa Mar¨ªa are called Passengers. Inside the Novus they are now called Users. With time, Users had been trying to distinguish themselves ording to how they interact with the System. GAMERS: Those that just want to have fun with thebat aspect of The Novus. Highlypetitive folk. Since they''re always getting gold, they can self-sustain their daily life adventures. ROLE PLAYERS: Those that stay in-game character. They usually try to hang around with those of the same group. Theye up with stories of why they do their everyday stuff and pretend they have been Isekai''d in there. While speaking to the most passionate PLAYERS, you may not know if they are really acting up, or if they really believe their lies. PASSIVES: Any User who prefers to have a rxed life inside The Novus, which has stopped leveling up, can be considered a PASSIVE. Because of their low level (around level 30 and up), they usually live in cities and towns to be protected by GUILDS and NPC GUARDS. Most of them work for someone else and crave thetest surge of Entertainment provided by other USERS. ACTIVES: Although there are some exceptions, the vast majority of ACTIVES are adults. These are the people that do not care about thebat aspect of The Novus, and instead focus on gettingrge sums of money. They are the owners of businesses andpanies inside the System. Always trying to find new ways to get gold, like sponsoring GUILDS and the most powerful warriors. They are always protected by bodyguards and distribute their wealth by buying buildings, mounts, and even entire cities. COLLARED: These are the criminals inside The Novus. The repeat offenders. Although stealing is totally permitted by the Administrators, there is a list of crimes that will get turn you into a Cored. To name a few, being a repeat sex offender, kidnapping, torturing, and repeatedly kill others in safe zones. The incorrigible are locked on and private from any ess to the Novus. Those that willing to reintegrate into society wear a cor, as a reminder of their crimes. The cor will punish them as soon as they try something inappropriate. One can get rid of the cor if they serve their sentence, but these could take in-game years. Once the Santa Mar¨ªas passengers awake from cryo-stasis, the Cored will be on a list. QUITTERS: ****** ISABELLA: I''m sorry, but this is ssified information. Magic & Battle System

Chapter -6: Magic & Battle System

MAGIC SYSTEM * TERMINOLOGY: *CASTING: Releasing a spell. *CHANNELING: Preparing a spell. Complicated ones can take from 5 seconds to over a minute. The more proficiency the User has with that spell, the quicker they can channel. Channeling has the advantage of releasing a spell with 100% power. *QUICK-CAST: Perform a spell without channeling. This can only work with attack-type spells. There is a penalty though, inexperienced Users will have to sacrifice the tripe amount of mana needed to perform the spell, and suffer from severe paralysis or muscle pain. (Also called a Mana Cramp) Experienced mages can quick-cast by using the double amount of mana required, and will only experience slight difort. You cannot quick-cast spells that require spatial or time maniption. You can quick-cast the majority of elemental spells. *ELEMENTAL CRAFTING: Only rted to performing Elemental Magic and Elemental Maniption. Create fire from one''s hand, raise walls of ice, materialize water or icences out of the air. These are different from spells and physical elemental attacks. Examples using Astrid here: [spoiler] Astrid has an attack powering up her fist with fire, Meteora Ferrum. Since this is a punch, this is not fire crafting, it''s a Fire ART. Amelia has an attack described as a "methrower emanating from her hand". This is Fire Crafting. Astrid has a variant too, by throwing a punch forward and sending a burst of fire. This is also Fire Crafting [/spoiler] *CHARM: A mage or one of the few Support sses can give a buff to an ally. The Charm must be of Elemental Nature. An Earth Charm will grant a defense buff, and a Wind Charm will grand speed to an ally. *** ** * BATTLE SYSTEM * TERMINOLOGY *UNIQUE SKILL: A power that manifests ording to the User''s psyche. It ranges from being able to absorb damage and elemental magic, to make any armor or weapon explode on contact. Requirements to use a Unique Skill vary. Some even have limited daily usage. *(NAME) STYLE: Used to adopt a differentbat style or different martial art doctrine. This is proimed by a User while taking a fighting style. Generic examples, "Tyger Style", or "Drunk Style." *(ELEMENTAL) ART: To power up a skill or special move with one''s element proficiency. These are mostly physical attacks or something that requires touching another person. (Like pickpocketing) Generic examples could be ''Air sh'', or Astrid''s Meteora Ferrum, when she powers up a punch with fire. *(ELEMENTAL) BOOST: When a fighter powers up themselvess. This is different than a CHARM, which can only be provided by another ally. A Fire Boost will give you an increase in your attack, and a Wind Boost makes you faster. *SUMMONING: To open a mortal to bring a monster or mythical creature to fight by your side. Summons can be bought, tamed, or forced to do your bidding. *CALLING: A variation of Summoning. Used to bring Familiars, Mounts, and non-monster allies, like automatons or droids. *OPENING VAULT: To bring a weapon or artifact from a previously set pocket dimension. Elemental Profficiency & STATS Explained

Chapter -5: Elemental Profficiency & STATS Exined

Every User is blessed by one or two elements. These will have a huge impact on their capabilities. * FIRE: Will give you a high attack and killing capability. * WIND: Grants you agility and speed. * WATER: Provides you with extra mana capacity. * EARTH: Give you great defense and high HP. THE INFORMATION BELOW DETERMINES WHAT TYPE OF WARRIOR A USER IS. TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, ASTRID IS A FIREWALL-TYPE WARRIOR. THIS MEANS THAT SHE HAS HIGH DESTRUCTIVE POWER AND PHYSICAL STRENGTH... AND AMELIA IS A GEYSER-TYPE MAGE. WITH HIGH DESTRUCTIVE MAGIC AND MANA CAPACITY. FIRE + = BLAZE FIRE / water = GEYSER FIRE / wind = FIREWHIRL FIRE / earth = FIREWALL EARTH + = QUAKE EARTH / water = ICEBERG EARTH / fire = VOLCANO EARTH / wind = TORNADO WIND + = GALE WIND / water = LIGHTNING WIND / fire = HURRICANE WIND / earth = THUNDER WATER + = TORRENT WATER / wind = BLIZZARD WATER / fire = HOTSPRING WATER / earth = TSUNAMI *** ** * VITALITY: The Novus doesn''t have regr stats like Defense, Magic Defense, Attack, etc... So in this case, Vitality encapstes all of them. It is the User''s physical capacity and the Elemental Profficiency will dictate if they specialize in attack, speed, or defense. Those with high Vitality blessed by Fire will have a lot of attack potency. Those blessed by Earth will have a lot of Defense and HP. SPIRIT: Mana capacity. The rank also dictates their magical output potency. Examples, A Golden Spirit Rank can decimate a city using elemental magic. But the Golden rank could also mean that a Necromancer is capable of raising the dead of an entire city. POTENTIAL: A User''s capacity to ovee great odds. Like when a low Vitality rank User can defeat a stronger monster with determination, or when a fragile mage with high Spirit can incinerate a giant. A User''s Unique Skills can dictate one''s potential, especially if they have an Overpowered one. List of Known Artificial Intelligence

Chapter -4: List of Known Artificial Intelligence

This is a list of currently know AI inside the story. * Elizabeth: The ALVEARIUM Enterprise''s main AI. Currently left on Earth with those that stay behind. *Isabe: The Santa Mar¨ªa''s current captain. She was responsible for logging n out of the system. She''s currently using automatons to run the ship and give it regr maintenance. *Isabe II: A copy created with the only purpose of entering The Novus. Currently on n''s party, under the disguise of a regr User, Ashley Yates. She has no special powers or privileges inside the Novus. *The Singr: The AI that wiped out humanity. A copy of it managed to enter The Santa Mar¨ªa despite the enforced security protocols. She hacked the own ship''s automatons and controlled the oxygen system to kill all the people working outside the Novus. When Isabe finally managed to control the situation, The Singr supposedly escaped by getting inside The Novus. List of Main Characters (POV characters)

Chapter -3: List of Main Characters (POV characters)

*** ALAN WARDEN + REAL LIFE AGE - 18 years old + LEVEL 5 **** KEY PHYSICAL FEATURES + SHORT AUBURN HAIR +GREEN EYES +LANKY **** NOVUS STATUS + CLASS - NONE VITALITY BRONZE ( D) SPIRIT BRONZE ( D ) POTENTIAL BRONZE ( D ) *The Main Character of this story. *He signed up to be part of the staff working outside The Novus, but he was rejected. *No Parents. He was raised by her Professor during hisst years on Earth. *He has real-life skills as a Technician, and knowledge about Robotics. *He sometimes... no, I mean, he says inappropriate things most of the time. *Still a virgin. ( n: Hey! ) ** ------------ ** ** ASTRID BRADFORD REAL LIFE AGE - 17 years old LEVEL - 100 ** PHYSICAL FEATURES: +LONG BLONDE HAIR +ICY-BLUE EYES ** NOVUS STATUS TITLE - THE GOLDEN COMET CLASS- BATTLEMAGE VITALITY - ??? SPIRIT -??? POTENTIAL -??? RESIDENT OF - LONDORUS CAPITAL MOUNT - DARK WINGED LION *A once sweet, although Tsundere girl, turned into a Full-Fledged, One Woman Army. *Leader of The Shooting Stars Guild. *One of the Top Ranking Users. Power Category. *She can easily kill half of her guild without trying. *Daughter of Aaron Bradford, one of the owners of Caelum. *Participated in the Somnium Project as a test subject. *The Elizabeth AI diagnosed her with Sociopathic Tendencies. *Shebines martial arts with fire magic. ** ------------ ** ASHLEY YATES / ISABELLA II REAL-LIFE AGE - 2 WEEKS (AS A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL ISABELLA) ASHLEY''S AGE - 17 years old LEVEL 41 KEY PHYSICAL FEATURES +MEDIUM-HEIGHT BRUNETTE HAIR +EMERALD-GREEN EYES **NOVUS STATUS TITLE NONE CLASS SHARPSHOOTER VITALITY - ??? SPIRIT - ??? POTENTIAL - ??? RESIDENT OF UNUS TOWN MOUNT - ? *REAL IDENTITY: A COPY OF THE ISABELLA AI *She started with the Sharpshooter ss and Standard Silver Gear. *As an AI in disguise, she does not know much about being human. *Currently in a secret mission with n. *She had to learn how to poop during her stay in Slime Vige. (Yes, that is a piece of important information!) *** ** * ** AMELIA LAFLAMME REAL LIFE AGE - 19 years old LEVEL 100 ** KEY PHYSICAL FEATURES +LONG RED HAIR + AMBER EYES **NOVUS STATUS TITLE - HELL PRINCESS CLASS - PYROMANCER VITALITY - ??? SPIRIT - ?? POTENTIAL - ??? MOUNT - DARK WINGED TIGER *Hot tempered. Feminine. *She used to admire Astrid, but her infatuation with Lord Marco forced her to change her mind. *Loves to wear high-heels, so much that she would modify her legs in the real life to wear them all the time if she could. *She can usually be seen wearing dresses. *As many others, she learned pyromancy just to copy Astrid. *Her father used to work for Kintech. *She has a little sister, Marissa. *** ** * MARISSA LAFLAMME REAL LIFE AGE - 16 years old LEVEL 100 ** KEY PHYSICAL FEATURES +MEDIUM STRAWBERRY BLONDE HAIR ** NOVUS STATUS CLASS ROGUE UNIQUE ABILITY - RUSHED DURABILITY VITALITY - ??? SPIRIT - ??? POTENTIAL - ??? RESIDENT OF LONDORUS CAPITAL MOUNT - DARK WINGED LYNX *The self-proimed, best Shotting Star''s PVP Killer. She fights with twin des and can create clones of herself. *Her UNIQUE SKILL, is Rushed Durability. Any piece of armor or weapon that she touches, will explode, it doesn''t matter if she''s not the owner of it. The damage is calcted ording to the rarity and value of the item. *Although he made n suffer, she did not kill him once. *She hates William The Stoic. (The sentiment is mutual) *Has a big sister, Amelia. *Had a boyfriend, Matthew Bernstein. *In the real world, her hobby was everything regarding weapons. Her father taught her how to fire real guns. *She loves her sister, but sometimes she thinks Amelia is too overprotective. *She has a Legendary Rank item that lets her change her whole appearance. The item does not let her adopt the form of an already existing User. *Apparently, she likes to pretend she''s Miss Cosmica to prank on other people. POST VOLUME 1 - List of Phantom Seekers’ NPC members

Chapter -2: POST VOLUME 1 - List of Phantom Seekers'' NPC members

ANASTASIA LEVEL - 25 CLASS - COMBAT MAID (Automatically given by the System.) VITALITY - BRONZE A SPIRIT - BRONZE B POTENTIAL - BRONZE A ** GEAR + SILVER TIER SWORD + SILVER TIER RIFLE + SILVER TIER SHIELD ++ Short, turquoise-colored hair. Electric-Blue eyes. ++ Unus Town''s former NPC Mayor, sheter worked at the Dragon''s Belly. * * * BELLA LEVEL - 23 CLASS - COMBAT MAID (Automatically given by the System.) VITALITY - BRONZE C SPIRIT - BRONZE B POTENTIAL - BRONZE B ** GEAR + BRONZE TIER PUMP SHOTGUN (Repaired and gifted by n, after she learned how to use it in her battle against the Wereweasenox.) ++ Long,vender-colored hair. ++ Unus Town''s former Fashion Shop''s Owner, sheter worked at the Dragon''s Belly. ++ Amelia''s Maid and apprentice. * * * FABIO LEVEL - 28 CLASS - COMBAT BUTLER (Automatically given by the System.) VITALITY - BRONZE A SPIRIT - BRONZE B POTENTIAL - SILVER E ** GEAR +IRON KNUCKLES ++ His appearance resembles Marco Souza. ++ After ra Dominguez moved to Unus'' Town Hall, he reced Anastasia''s job as the Mayor. ++ ra''s servant and lover. POST VOLUME 1 - Phantom Seekers Member’s Status

Chapter -1: POST VOLUME 1 - Phantom Seekers Member''s Status

*** ALAN WARDEN *** LEVEL - 9 *** CLASS -- APPRENTICE MECHANIC (Automatically assigned by the system, after having used his Weaponsmith skills to craft several firearms.) TITLE -- THE SLEEPING GHOST (Unofficial. Not acknowledged by the System yet. ra is trying to make it popr through ''official'' Phantom Seekers merchandise, so people forget his ''Comatose'' surname.) *** VITALITY -- BRONZE D *** SPIRIT -- BRONZE C *** POTENTIAL -- SILVER D *** ELEMENTAL PROFICIENCY -- NONE *** UNIQUE TALENT -- GHOST IN THE MACHINE (Anima Type) (Allows him to boost and modify the status of Robotic-type Minions and mechanical gear.) *** WEAPON + BRONZE TIER HANDGUN + BRONZE TIER DOUBLE-CANNON SHOTGUN (User crafted) *** MOUNT - NONE *** PASSIVE SKILLS + SHARPSHOOTING LV 1 + MONSTER HUNTER LV 2 + WEAPONSMITH APPRENTICE LV 1 *** ACTIVE SKILLS + ADVANCED PUPPET MASTER (Allows the User to take direct control of any robotic ally) *** LEGACY SKILLS (Aaron''s) + SCANNING (Allows the user to see the status of any robotic minion inside the battlefield) + EXTENDED WARRANTY (A team aura. Boosts Robotic-type allies) + MODDING (A long-range skill. Rearranges the status of Robotic-tyle allies or mechanical weapons.) + FILE SHARING (Copies the skill of a robotic ally and teaches it to another) * * * * * * * * * ** ASHLEY YATES *** LEVEL - 41 *** CLASS - SHARPSHOOTER *** TITLE - NONE (The former--real--Ashley Yates was featless. Only the Users that have made a name for themselves inside The Novus earn a title.) *** VITALITY - BRONZE A *** SPIRIT - SILVER E *** POTENTIAL - SILVER C *** ELEMENTAL PROFICIENCY -- WIND *** UNIQUE TALENT -- INDEXING (???) *** WEAPON + SILVER TIER BOW + SILVER TIER SNIPER RIFLE (Gifted by n) + CONCEALED KNIVES *** MOUNT - GRAY WOLF *** PASSIVE SKILLS + ADVANCED SHARPSHOOTING LV 2 + ??? *** ACTIVE SKILLS ??? * * * * * * * * * ** AMELIA LAFLAMME *** LEVEL - 100 *** CLASS - PYROMANCER *** TITLE - HELL PRINCESS (Automatically given by the System for acquiring several Demonic-type artifacts and gear.) *** VITALITY -- SILVER C *** SPIRIT --GOLD B *** POTENTIAL -- PLATINUM E ******* Natural Stats. Without gear. *** ELEMENTAL PROFICIENCY - FIRE / METAL *** UNIQUE TALENT + PYROKINETIC CONSTRUCTION (*Name given automatically by the system. It is rumored that it has not reached its full potential yet.) *** WEAPON + FEUMORI, THE UNDERWORLD''S EMPRESS STAFF (Every Legendary Tier weapon has two functions. Although its true form is a Mage Staff, it can also be used as a Defense Ignoring katana. *3 Uses per day.) *** MOUNT - WINGED TIGER *** PASSIVE SKILLS + MASTERED RESISTANCE TO FIRE Lv 6 + MASTERED PAIN ENDURANCE Lv 3 + AUTOMATIC CONSTRUCTION (The System automatically constructs for her whatever she desires. The creations are pulled from her memory and previously constructed monsters and objects) + MASTERED PYROKINETICS Lv 7 (Allows the User to cast regr fire spells without channeling, and quick-casting Major fire spells with little effort) + AMONG OTHERS... *** ACTIVE SKILLS + ELEMENTAL MASTERY (Allows her to cast Major fire spells without channeling and quick-cast ''Enhanced'' versions of her regr spells) + FIRE CLONE (A system-controlled clone. It can cast any of the User''s skills) + FLAUSTOS, HELL''S PET. (A Summon. A giant feline cat engulfed in mes.) + THE STRANDED HELL PRINCESS (A fire-constructed battle suit, so durable, that it allows her to resist physical damage equivalent to tinum Vitality Rank E.) + AMONG OTHERS... *** LEGACY SKILLS (Gear''s passive skills) + OVERPROTECTIVE OVERLORD FATHER''S PROTECTION (Active when equipping the Devil''s Brat set. A magic shield, equivalent to the User''s skill.) + PHOENIX CHILD (When equipping the Phoenix Pendant. Revives the User. 1 use per day.) + AMONG OTHERS... * * * * * * * * * ** CLARA DOMINGUEZ *** LEVEL - 52 *** CLASS - APPRENTICE MAGE *** TITLE - THE LOUDMOUTH MAYOR (Former Title. It does not grant additional bonuses) *** VITALITY - BRONZE A *** SPIRIT - SILVER E *** POTENTIAL - SILVER D *** ELEMENTAL PROFICIENCY - LIGHTNING *** UNIQUE TALENT - NONE *** WEAPON - SILVER TIER MAGE STAFF *** MOUNT - PINK UNICORN *** PASSIVE SKILLS - ??? *** ACTIVE SKILLS - ??? Chapter 1: WELCOME TO THE NOVUS

Chapter 1: WELCOME TO THE NOVUS

Although n and Astrid killed twenty of them, it was not enough. The ferocious creatures kept appearing, snarling with sharp teeth that resembled a creepy grin. And there is this chilling howling from the heart of the woods that seems to summon even more of them! At this rate we''ll end up... n suddenly grabbed her wrist. There was an intense gleam in his eyes she had never seen before. "It''s not worth it! We were totally not prepared for this! We''ll call it quits for today, okay?!" Astrid first stared at the blood running down his forehead before nodding. "Let''s make a run for it then! Follow me, I know the way!" In their escape, the horde pursued them viciously, snapping at their legs and swiping at their backs. The red-furred critters were weak; n could drop their HP all the way to zero with just two strikes of his sword, but after a long hour of fighting, the muscles of his dominant arm were burning, and his wrist was constantly aching. "This one almost bit my butt!" he yelled after bashing one of them with his shield. "This way!" Astrid cried, pointing at a clearing in the woods up ahead. She then noticed a couple of Weasemin ready to pounce on them. "Watch out! Quick-re!" At hermand, a burst of fire came out of the tip of her wooden staff, killing the two rabid creatures on impact. There were still other Weasemin nearby, and yet she took a moment to look back, distinguishing arge silhouetteing their way. "What the bloody hell is that?" she murmured as n pulled her by the arm. "Move, Astrid! We''re almost there!" "I''m so sorry, n! If it weren''t for my stupid¡ª!" "Don''t finish that sentence! We''re a team, and I was also fine with pushing our luck! So don''t even dare to take all the me on yourself, got it?!" At a loss for words, she did nothing but bite her lower lip and let him drag her out of there. Was he angry at her even though he had said otherwise? Because I wouldn''t me him! I was the one who pushed things too far after bragging about having fought in more than a hundredbat simtions... But from the very moment I saw him bleeding, my mind stopped¡ª n halted abruptly. Before asking the reason, Astrid pointed her gaze at the naturally-formed fence of thorny bushes blocking their path, not only in front of them but at their sides too. "A dead end?! No, no, no! I messed it up again!" she cried in shock as n tried to cut the vines in vain. "Hold on, let me use my fire magic to¡ª" "It''s no use. Unless this gets carbonized instantly, the fire will spread rapidly around us while we defend against them." n turned around to confront their pursuers. Waiting at the back lines of what seemed to be an army of Weasemin stood arge bipedal monster with red fur and an elongated neck. Its inhuman muscture told them it could rip their heads off with one swipe of its enormous paws, and its thin body showed it could be agile and catch them with ease. It observed them with red eyes that screamed of cunningness, and its exposed teeth resembled a wicked grin. "Weasenox, Guardian of the Forest," n read the name and title the System provided while tightening his grip around his sword''s hilt. "Did ancient Ennd really house monsters like this? Incredible..." "This ispletely different from the Slime Chief!" Astrid hissed, pulling his sleeve. "Look at it! It''s waiting for us to make the first move." "How''s your mana?" he asked quietly, eyes at the front. "Low. I can cast three or four more ze spells, and that''s it." "And that Boss is blocking our only exit, huh?" n exhaled loudly before pulling something out of his inventory. "Take this, it''s everything I have." Astrid grabbed the little leather bag. Its contents clunked when she closed her hand around it. It''s his gold! "Wait, what are you¡ª?!" He grinned innocently at her before dashing forward. "I''ll distract it!" His voice was almost silenced by the collective growl of the nearest enemies. "It''s up to you whether you use the rest of your mana to force your escape or help me kill it!" Uttering a battle cry, n used his shield to tackle everything in his path. Weasemins were violently pushed aside or crushed under his boots while the Weasenox prepared itself. It was only a matter of seconds before they shed. And I''m just standing here doing nothing like an idiot! Astrid held her staff aloft but with no target in her sight. Should she attack the Boss or get rid of the majority of its minions? What I''m certain of is that I won''t leave you alone! She chose her target out of instinct after watching the Weasenox start a swiping motion. "F-Fire Crafting re!" Her good aim bore fruit, sessfully burning the Weasenox''s right paw. "So we stay and fight, huh?!" n cried, invigorated, targeting the monster''s left paw. His de was not sharp enough to sever it cleanly, but it left half of it dangling and leakingrge amounts of blood. Enraged, the Weasenox violently leaned forward, trying to bite n''s head, but he raised his shield at thest second. From her safe spot, Astrid could only watch as the towering monster fell over him. "n!" she cried, running forward, but a couple of Weasemin stood in the way, biting her legs. Their sharp teeth drew blood immediately. "Get off, you¡ª!" "This is your chance!" n yelled at the top of his lungs as he struggled under the weight of the Weasenox. His shield was the only thing preventing the Boss from closing its maw against his arm. "Kill it now! Fire everything you have at it now!" I won''t mess it up this time! "Lesser Fire Crafting re!" Astrif intoned, sending forth a burst of fire that suddenly exploded halfway through. A secondter, the lifeless corpses of two Weasemin plummeted to the ground before disappearing in a brief spectacle of glimmering pixels. Wasting no time wondering what had happened, she cast another re, getting the same results. This time, she heard a faint squeal. "Are these buggers sacrificing themselves to protect their boss?! W-What kind of sick joke is this?! Get out of my way, you bloody blighters!" Despite his struggle, n could be heardughing out loud. "Woah, Astrid, your British is showing!" "How can you joke at a time like this?!" n''sughter suddenly changed into a guttural growl apanied by the sound of wood breaking. n''s shield had finally lost the endurance battle against the monster''s powerful jaws. In a state of shock, Astrid observed her partner''s HP gradually decreasing as another pair of Weasemin bit the hem of her ''Apprentice Witch Robes''. She absently nced at her MP bar. She would not be able to save him or herself with that low amount of mana. Unless I make a sacrifice too... She started conjuring as usual, and when a System notification told her she had no mana left, she ignored it, feeling a slight ache in the tips of her fingers. Another annoying virtual window popped up inside her field of vision, warning her of the danger as her mage staff started to grow hot. A piercing pain ran through her arms. Sweat formed on her forehead. Her vision became blurry. Dizziness overwhelmed her. Not yet, not yet! The Weasemin restraining her realized something abnormal was happening and desperately pounced to bite her arms. Just as she felt like fainting at any moment, she nced at the tip of her staff, which looked incandescent and bursting with energy, making her smirk. "You beat me to it, Guardian of the Forest," she whispered to herself. "I''ve always wanted to be on top of him." The staff exploded violently, releasing the umted energy like out-of-control fireworks that quickly became a rain of fire. The Weasemin waiting for a victor were the first victims, breaking ranks and running in circles. Even the ones biting Astrid hurried to shield their master, but it was toote; the Boss received the majority of the damage to the point that all of its fur got burned. Just as thest ball of fire struck an unfortunate Weasemin, Astrid dashed forward, holding what was left of her staff in hand and stabbed the Weasenox''s left eye with it. Blood sprouted, staining her cheeks. The agonizing monster let out a wail and stretched out its long neck to bite her, but n pierced the side of its head with his de, finally killing it. "n, are you okay?!" she cried, kneeling by his side as soon as the monster''s corpse disappeared into thin air. "Y-Your arm! Can you move it?" "Nope, it''s wasted. It''d be better if I died and respawned back in Unus¡ª" "NO WAY! Absolutely not! Don''t even joke about it!" n observed her watering eyes and quickly shook his head. "O-Okay, okay! That was a totally bad idea!" "I can''t believe you even suggested that," she was muttering as she ripped off a piece of cloth from her robe. "This is temporary until we pay an NPC priest then," she said, bandaging his arm. When she finished nursing him, she seemed upset. "Why did you do that? Why did you face the boss like that and force me to choose?" He shrugged. "You looked as if your head was a mess, but I knew you''de up with a good solution." "But what if I had decided to run away?" "That would have been a win too. You''d have been safe, and we could have met back in town once I was revived, right?" "Is that why you gave me your gold? Because you were ready to die?" she murmured, looking away. "There was also the probability that I could have messed it up, you know?" "Nah, you''re too awesome to fail. You''ve shown me that time and time again. Look at you! Have you noticed you''re level 8 now? And by the way, what the hell was that?! That spell was awesome! What is it called?" "I-It doesn''t have a name. It''s just something I improvised, and the System rolled with it, that''s all." "Ohe on! It''ll be a waste not naming something that awesome! At least give it some thought!" "F-Fine. What about: Astrid''s Last Resort: ''Death from Above''?" He grimaced. "Rejected. Something more romantic would fit it better, like: ''Shooting Stars of Justice,'' hmm?" Astrid stared deep into his green eyes. She had always thought they gave him an innocent persona, which was contrasted by his auburn hair that screamed of mischief. Abination I''ve grown to love... "Whatever," she whispered before leaning toward him and kissing his cheek. His first reaction was to dumbfoundedly stare at her with his mouth agape, making her blush. "Why are you looking at me like that? You''re my b-boyfriend, aren''t you? S-So signs of affection like these should be amon urrence, r-right?" "Sign me up for mon urrence'' all right! But next time give me a quick smooch on the lips, yes?" "I''m not mentally prepared for that just yet!" She rose and turned around to hide her red face before a thorny bush on fire caught her attention. "Let me put that out first and get back to Unus, okay?" Chapter 2: EMERGENCY LOG OUT

Chapter 2: EMERGENCY LOG OUT

Once they reached the top of the hill, Astrid still had the energy to jump and twirl like a child. "See? I told you the view would be fantastic from here! Look at that clear blue sky and the super green fields!" Her HP is in the red... How can she move like that?! n thought as he tried to catch his breath. "J-Just give me a moment, p-please." "Aha! I told you there was a river nearby," she said, beaming and stretching out her arms. "Come on, n, fill your lungs! The air smells especially good around here!" The panting n followed her gaze, finding a top view of the region. Apart from the Beginner''s Town 300 yards away and the Virmion Woods at their back, he could admire a magnificent blue mountain on the horizon. Long gone are the sights of sterilends, gray clouds, ck seas, and the dry rivers of the old Earth, huh. This is just like Alvearium Enterprise''s advertisements said: ''The Novus is a new beginning! Do and be whatever your heart desires!'' Yeah sure, at least until the Santa Mar¨ªa arrives at its destination... "Do you like what you see?" Astrid asked tenderly, locking eyes with him. "I do..." he absently replied, staring at her cute, impossibly immacte, perfect face, beautifully enticing plump lips, and her striking blue eyes, features enhanced by the Novus'' avatar rendering. Even her golden bob made her look like a runaway princess. Who knows? Maybe she secretly is one. Shees from the country of kings and queens, after all. "n?" she called, giving him a funny look. "I''m talking about the scenery. Do you like it?" He corrected his posture. "Y-Yes! A truly astounding view! It really warms your heart to experience what Earth was supposed to look like hundreds of years ago. Am I right?!" He thenughed out loud, hands on his hips. She narrowed her eyes at him. "But what''s with the gloomy face you had just a moment ago? Were you thinking about something negative again, Mr. Warden?" Come on, Astrid, what do you want me to say? Should I tell you that although I had a st fighting monsters with you every single day, I consider this a waste of time? Look at us! We''re all caged in a semi-medieval setting, learning swordy and roleying as mages instead of learning how to use a gun, repair sr panels, and maintain our home ship! "Astrid... I..." She suddenly grabbed his hand. "Have I told you before that I find your sulky expression especially cute?" she said in a serious tone before grinning. "Come on, let''s go to the Town Hall and retrieve our bounty!" As they ran down the hill, n could feel the wind hit his face and fill his lungs with pure air. Not only that. I can feel the muscles in my legs working and my heart thumping like crazy... And just like pain here feels real, the hand I''m holding... Hers... feels like the real deal too. Unus The Beginner''s Town was up ahead, designated to wee every new inhabitant of the Eur region. Its shops and restaurants were small, and the only two-story buildings were the Town Hall and the Moonlight Dream Inn. "I hope this doesn''t take long. Because I''m starving." "We''ve already explored Caeruleum Mountain and Virmion Woods, so what''s next?" he asked, prompting her to raise her chin with pride. "Dk''s Mansion, obviously! Let''s show those guys that belittled you yesterday that we can beat that whole dungeon on our own. We don''t need them!" "Wait, haven''t we heard that ce is like hardcore?" "So what? After today''s battle, I truly think we can take on anything the Novus throws at us. You said I always find a way, didn''t you? Besides, I''ll have you by my side." "Which reminds me, are you still up for starting a guild with me?" "Absolutely! Have youe up with a good name for it yet?" "Well, I was thinking about that spell you improvised to save me, and it''s kind of inspiring, you know? So let''s be the ''Shooting Stars'' and soar the skies!" Astrid grimaced. "Rejected. It soundsme and girly." "What?! No it doesn''t! And didn''t you tell me you loved astronomy stuff? Astronomy... Astr--id... Get it?" "I have a much better one! We could be the ''Death Bringers''!" "Pass. Do you want to scare everyone we meet?" The Town Hall''s interior looked more like a bank than a local government building. Female employees wearing Victorian-inspired dresses helped visitors from their reception desks with constant transactions of gold and valuables. The woman that received n and Astrid had a long blue ponytail and fox-like ears. The title ''Unus Town Mayor'' could be read above her head. "Good morning, aspiring heroes! What can I do for you today?" she intoned in a sweet voice. "We got rid of your pest problem," Astrid said proudly, putting a blood-stained fang over the desk. Although I''m pretty sure they''ll all respawn by tomorrow morning, n thought, half-smiling. "That''s wonderful," the youngdy said, smiling brightly. "Congrattions on defeating The Weasenox. As a reward, you can choose a weapon from this list." With that said, she waved at the air, and a System window popped up in front of them. "Only one weapon? We''re two here, you know? But whatever!" Astrid said, annoyed, exhaling loudly. "Could you also give us a form to register a new guild, please?" "Right away, Ms. Bradford," the fox-eared woman with a permanent grin said, materializing a second window. "Let''s review the rewards first, eh n?" Astrid asked, turning her gaze to him. To her surprise, n was consciously observing the female NPC, who did not seem to mind. "W-What are you looking at, you creep?!" Astrid hissed, ncing at the NPC''s ample bosom and curvy figure. Or was he entranced by those cute animal ears? "I''ve been wondering for a while," n began, without taking his eyes off the fake woman. "Can these NPCs be considered some kind of advanced AI? They''re part of the System, after all, but what kind of special programming do they have? Do they repeat the same things over and over again after a prolonged conversation?" "Here it is again," Astrid said, folding her arms. "Curious n. No wait, I have a better one. ''nytical.''" "S-Sorry for zoning out, Astrid, won''t happen again. You were saying?" She sighed loudly, hiding a smile. "Help me choose a reward from the list while I fill out the guild form, okay?" After nodding, n skimmed through the list, but the constant loud voices around him caught his attention. "Man, this ce is awesome. Who would have thought this ce would be like a video game?" "I know, right? I wouldn''t mind bing a frozen vegetable for the rest of my life. Everyone here looks hot as hell, and we''re practically immortal." "I hope the Santa Mar¨ªa finds nothing but poisonouss during its whole journey so we get stuck here forever." "Yeah. Who in their right mind would want to return to the real world? Especially if we end up stranded on someme-ass rock in the middle of nowhere." Great... Just freaking great. n formed fists and tensed his jaw while his gaze kept absently pointing at the reward list. That''s what I was talking about. Should we really be wasting our time ying here while our families and the rest of the ''non-legal'' are literally awaiting death? We all left a dying Earth just a week ago, and we''ve been doing nothing but eating and drinking to our heart''s content and fakely satiating some sense of aplishment. This... This feels wrong! Those thoughts incited him to turn around and give a piece of his mind to those Users, teens just like him, but Astrid grabbed his arm and looked deep into his eyes. "Don''t," she said quietly, faintly smiling at him. "I knew something has been bothering youtely, so listen, don''t feel bad about living in a utopia. We gain literally nothing from worrying about what we left behind instead of looking at what''s ahead of us. We''ve already said goodbye to all of our rtives, right? So keep proud of their sacrifice and live every day to your fullest for them. That''s what a shooting star does, right? Keep going forward no matter what?" "Astrid... How did you know...?" She chuckled, gently tapping his forehead. "Because I''ve been thinking the same since we logged in, silly. Tee-hee. So! Have you made your choice yet?" He smiled at her and tapped on the reward screen. "Here''s your new Beginner''s Elemental Staff, Mr. Warden," the NPC in front of them said, cing the item over the desk, which Astrid stared at, frowning. "Take it, Astrid. So you can save me again in the future," n said as the girl grabbed it with shaking hands and embraced it. "D-Deal!" she replied with flushed cheeks before hurrying her way to the exit. Admiring the way her short blond hair danced left and right at her every step seemed to ease the pressure in his heart. Although I''m not totally convinced, I can''t deny that living here by your side will make it all worth it. As he stepped in her direction, the NPC urgently called out to him: "Mr. Warden, before you go, would you kindly sign the guild''s form? Just press your thumb on the red dot, and the process will beplete." "Ah sure," he said, following her instructions, and before the window could disappear, he caught a glimpse of the registered guild name: ''Shooting Stars''. "Hurry up, n, I''m starving! Let''s get some pizza!" "Yes!" he replied aloud, waving goodbye to the Mayor. What am I doing worrying about a future so far ahead of us? Astrid is right. Instead of bashing my head against the wall, thinking we''ll screw this up before it even starts, I should focus on taking care of what''s in front of me now. Smiling about the possibilities of a bright future awaiting him, n Warden hurried his steps, promising to look at the good side of things just like her, before a red system window blocked his field of vision. --- ++++ WARNING! COMMUNICATION WITH THE NOVUS SYSTEM HAS BEEN LOST. ++++ --- His legs stopped working, and reality froze around him as a static image of Astrid waiting for him at the door got carved into his brain. And it may be my imagination, but I think I can hear her voice in the distance, screaming my name... --- +++++NOTICE: +++++User #29318 ALAN WARDEN YOU HAVE LOGGED OUT OF THE NOVUS SYSTEM. ++++ Chapter 3: Emergency Recruitment

Chapter 3: Emergency Recruitment

**AUTHOR''S NOTE ******** THIS IS A FREE, UNEDITED VERSION OF THIS STORY *** ** * A strong wave of motion sickness overwhelmed him instantly. He vomited, and the venttor attached to his face swiftly sucked it up. A beeping sound echoed from inside his pod as a cloud of steam billowed out when the hatch opened. This is the worst I have ever felt in my entire life... Disconcerted, he sat up and ran his hand through his hair, eyes shut. "I''m not in the Novus anymore..." He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light, barely making out a round silhouette hovering by his side. A ship''s drone, probably. "Passenger #29317, n Warden. Your presence is required in room #13, East Wing, Block C. Priority: Immediate." Yeah, that''s a drone for you. "Why did you log me out? Protocol states..." "You will receive new orders once you reach room #13, Area C. I will be your escort along the way. Follow me, please." "Even though you''re asking nicely..." he grunted, "I''ll need a minute to recover from the dpression, you know." "Permission to apply an adrenaline dose¡ª" "W-wait, hold on!!" "¡ªto Passenger #29317, n Warden. Granted." "That won''t be necessary¡ªArgh! And you freaking did it!" "Please dress up and follow me." The slick white hovering ball made its way toward the exit while n looked around, fully awake, admiring thousands of capsules arranged in numerical order, each upied by others like him. The Tandem... Earth''sst teen generation. Before entering cryosleep, every passenger had been instructed to get naked and store their clothes inside their chamber. He found hispartment easily as if he had used it yesterday. Even though a week has passed inside my mind. Fully dressed, he exited his cryopod and stepped onto the automatic track that would lead him out, ncing at his fellow passengers. They were still securely sleeping, logged into The Novus. Astrid is not here; they sent her to a different chamber with the rest of the women. "Please enter the elevator." "What''s all this about, anyway? Did an engine blow off?" He joked, but the silence from the drone unnerved him. It took him five minutes to reach his destination. The number 13 ominously adorned the white sliding door. The room contained only the essentials for living. A copsible bed, a small bathroom and shower area, a desk, and a monitor embedded in the wall. "You will receive further instructions in a minute," the drone stated, and a timer appeared on the screen. "Thank you for your cooperation. Have a nice day." "Nice day, my ass," n muttered once the door shut behind him. "I feel like a freaking prisoner." He nced at the timer; 49 seconds remained. He approached a sealed window and tried to activate it, but a red light indicated it was locked. It''s not like I wanted to see the ckness of space, anyway... Another nce at the monitor. Thirty-five seconds remaining. He inspected the bathroom, surveyed the emptiness of his desk, and finally sat on the edge of the bed. 17 seconds. No, seriously, what did I do? 13 seconds. The dpression process typically takes about eight hours. Eight freaking hours have passed since I left the Novus... 7 seconds. And since our consciousness gets directly connected to a collective neuralwork, where the system can load and process our thoughts faster than humanly possible, time inside the Novus passes much quicker. So for Astrid, it''s been like almost two days since I got disconnected... 1 second. There better be a good exnation for this, or I''ll... The screen shed briefly, disying the Santa Mar¨ªa ship''s crest¡ªa mermaid holding a vase pouring water, surrounded by stars, followed by a familiar hexagonal logo. "Greetings, Passenger #29317, n Warden. How are you feeling today?" A monotonous voice attempting cheerfulness spoke. n''s annoyance quickly morphed into fear and anxiety. Why am I being addressed by the ship''s mainputer instead of the captain, the head of security, or at least someone human?! "Um, hi... I-I''m good. I''m good." "That''s nice to hear because we at Alvearium Enterprise care about your safety." "Sure." He swallowed hard. "Can you tell me what I''m doing here, please?" "Of course, n. But first, we must address something. ording to your record, you signed up to be a technician on this ship. Is that correct, n?" "Y-yeah, but I got rejected because I failed thest test." "That will not be an issue anymore. In the absence of former Captain¡ª" "A-absence?!" "¡ªRobert Bosniak, I, the Santa Mar¨ªa''s main A.I., codenamed Isabe, have been promoted to Captain¡ª" "H-hold on!" "¡ªof The Santa Mar¨ªa, Chief of Security, and Protector of Humankind... So I, Isabe, promote you to Chief Technician until further notice." "Could you please tell me what happened to Captain Bosniak? Did he fall ill?" "I''m sorry. But that info is ssified." "What about the rest of the ship''s staff?! Anybody could fill the position better than me!" "Do not worry! I can provide you with video tutorials and technical documentation so you can be up to the task. So, what do you say?" "Did something bad happen, Isabe?" "I''m sorry. But that info is ssified." He clenched his fists and raised his voice. "If I''m the new Chief whatever, I request permission to know what happened." "Chief Technician, n Warden, are you implying that not knowing the requested information may affect your work performance, by causing you mental stress?" "Yes! That''s what''s happening right now!" "Understood. In that case, Passenger #29317, n Warden, I will demote you to Maintenance Assistant¡ª" "Oh,e on!" "¡ªUntil further notice. Please understand that you are not currently in the best mental and physical condition to receive the requested information. We can discuss the detailster when you havepleted your training." All the bickering made n forget why he had been summoned there. His eyes widened, and his voice cracked. "W-wait,e again? What training?" "The Santa Mar¨ªa ship needs some repairs that regr drones cannot handle. Until the ship returns to a self-sufficient status, you will be in charge of doing the necessary¡ª" "How long will that take me?!" he cried, cing both palms against the monitor. "Because I need to go back to the Novus. Someone is waiting for me!" "Maintenance Assistant, n Warden, Protocol might dictate that all non-staff passengers of the Santa Mar¨ªa must remain logged into the Novus at all times. But please, believe me, this situation is extraordinary. So for the time being, the ship requires your services." "I-I''m not refusing to do the work, I signed up for it from the beginning..." He said in a quiet voice, looking away and taking a step back. "That I was even logged into The Novus was like a miracle to me. I just want to know how long I''ll be away from the system." His mind filled with the memory of the one he left behind. Her melodic voice, her shiny blonde hair, her deep blue eyes. The monitor remained silent for a couple of seconds. "I can make an estimate, but it will take some time. That would also depend on how well you adapt to the work. For the time being, rest here until your body recovers from the dpression process. Entertainment will be provided to you through this monitor, and dinner will be served in... 120 minutes. Sleep well, and my apologies for any inconvenience this situation may cause you." The monitor turned off automatically, leaving only a distorted dark reflection of him. "Yeah, d to help! d to... Oh, god..." He threw himself onto the bed, watching the immacte nkness of his temporary rooftop. No matter how much time passes, it will be multiplied by five inside the Novus, anyway. "So I''m screwed." And most importantly, what happened to the staff of The Santa Mar¨ªa? At least 50 adults, men, and women, volunteered to work outside the Novus for the safety of the ship and its passengers. The only thought that kept him fully awake until dinner time was whether the entire crew had perished in an ident. A very nightmarish idea... **** ** * "Good morning, Maintenance Assistant, n Warden. How are you feeling today?" "I''m feeling pretty well," n replied while standing in the center of the room, wearing the yellow working clothes that had been provided to him through a delivery tube. "Was the shower temperature to your liking, n?" "Good enough, thanks. I just have a brief question, Captain Isabe." "You do not have to call me by that title. Just call me Isabe. And I would love to answer your questions. As long as¡ª" "I won''t ask anything ssified, I promise. I was just wondering, who''s cooking?" "Was dinner and your breakfast not to your liking?" "I mean, don''t take it personally, it was edible. But was tomato and corn soup the only thing you had?" "I''m detecting a tone of difort in your voice. I will try to provide a wider range of vors in your next meals." "Can I be the one cooking?" "I''m sorry, but The Santa Mar¨ªa has no kitchens. The food that you have ingested is a series of nutrients that¡ª" "Wait, never mind. You don''t need to exin it..." "If it makes you feel better, the food you will be enjoying for the next year..." "Did you say year?!" "...Has a more diverse taste than the paste we provide to the other passengers. Isn''t that great?" "You said a year... Will I spend that much time outside the Novus?" "One year and 4 months. I have run a simtion, and that is the estimated time for you to finish the work." "Do you have a schedule?" "I will disy it on your monitor." The screen showed a calendar, which n studied for a minute, using the touch screen to advance through it. "So I''ll be working 10 hours a day?" "Affirmative. ording to the Department of Working Ethics..." "Change it to 18 hours." "May I advise against it? Such a workload could cause mental and physical¡ª" "I can handle it," n said firmly, staring at the camera above the monitor. "If you ever detect that my performance is plummeting, you can readjust the schedule. Got it?" "Understood. Working Calendar updated." "1 year and 4 months," he muttered, ncing at the monitor. That would turn into 6 years and 8 months inside the Novus. I''ll do my best to take less time than that... Chapter 4: Emergency Maintenance

Chapter 4: Emergency Maintenance

"Here is another one," n announced to the hovering drone following him. He then crouched before an automaton sprawled on the floor, initiating a diagnostic check. "Looks like it''ll need a new left arm. The battery ispletely toasted, and the breastte, despite some burn marks, is still functional." And why the hell does it have burn marks? A self-driven cart approached, producing a clinking noise before opening a small drawer containing the requested battery. "Thank you," n said, retrieving it. Momentster, arger drawer presented a robotic arm. Upon receiving the new battery, the automaton powered on, sat up, and turned its head towards n, its digital eyes unblinkingly lit. It emitted a short melody, signaling a reboot. It''s taking an unusually long time. "Greetings, Technician n Warden," the automaton intoned after scanning n''s badge. "Thank you for your assistance today." "You''re wee. Here, I''ve got another part for you; it''s from an older model but should bepatible." n fitted the left arm; a click confirmed its maic attachment. "Compatibility confirmed. Thank you." "Hey, can you tell me how you ended up like this?" "Broken?" the automaton queried before standing. "I''m sorry, but I have lost my recent memory after the battery depleted. I am currently operating on backup data from... March 19th. Anything else I can assist with, n, before I resume my duties?" "No," n smiled at it. "Thanks, get back to work." "Have a nice day." The automaton saluted and departed. "Isabe?" "Yes, n?" The AI''s voice came through the nearby drone. "Did you just wipe his memory?" "Yes. The automaton could have leaked sensitive data to you." "I need to learn what happened here, Captain. Sooner orter." "I agree. You can ess all the ssified information once your work here is done." So I have to keep working, oblivious to everything? You''re asking too much of me. He nced at the once white walls, now marred with sma burns. The floors look weird too, as if cleaned hurriedly and carelessly. "Fine. Where''s the next automaton?" *** ** * * ** *** While working here, I''ve realized how easily a human life could end due to a simple malfunction. n examined a passenger capsule, identical to the one he had left months ago to aid Isabe. "How many capsules have had issues, Isabe?" He asked, spotting an oxygen leak in the ss. "Only this one. Once The Santa Mar¨ªa is fully autonomous¡ª" "You won''t need me anymore; you''ve mentioned it already." I just hope I don''t end up forgotten like the other staff members. Wherever they might be. He used a small glue gun from his belt to seal the visible crack, and the chemical reaction solidified it instantly. Before departing, n looked at the sleeping passenger, a brte girl about his age, blissfully unaware of the near disaster. ***** **** *** ** * Fixing panels, unjamming doors, consuming paste, and drinking something akin to apple juice¡ªthis had been my routine for thest 186 days. Assistance from other automatons has boosted daily productivity by 300%... or so ims Isabe. 186 damn days without human contact. Isabe''s digital voice is the only thing keeping me sane. She promised entertainment, but everything was filtered by the Vice-Captain, Kasuo ''Delete this indecent, immoral garbage'' Yoshida. Just ssical music and fake, digitalndscapes. Sitting on the toilet, he held up a screw, studying it as if it held the secrets of the ship. Years ago, I watched a show about humans developing psychic powers from space travel. Maybe that could happen to me... Though, it would likely just be insanity from this freaking istion. After using the bathroom, he faced his reflection, a weary eighteen-year-old with dark circles under his eyes and overgrown auburn-brown hair stared back at him. I can keep going, if that''s what you''re asking, he assured his reflection before returning to bed, tossing the screw into the air and catching it. "Sorry for the break, Isa. Where was I? Ah, yes! ''New London''s bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down.'' Your turn." "n, would adjusting my voice help with this task?" "Could you? Yes, please!" "How about this tone?" "Too high-pitched." "And this?" "Less deep." "Like this?" "Whoa! Now try singing." "New London''s bridge is falling down..." "Speak 20% slower." "...is falling down, falling down..." "Perfect! Your new voice melts my ears! Expect my productivity to skyrocket now!" "d to assist." "Hey, Isa?" "Yes? How may I assist, n?" "Can you tell me which capsule Astrid Bradford is in?" "I''m sorry, but that information is ssified, for her privacy protection. Here at Alvearium Enterprise¡ª" "Skip ad." "Understood." It''s not like I wanted to spy on her or anything! "However, as a Maintenance Engineer, you may ess some of her records from my database, if it pertains to your duties." "Am I an engineer now?" n sat up. "Yes, please, it''s important!" "Understood. Request by Maintenance Engineer n Warden to consult Level Blue information... ess granted... Results for Passenger #29316, Astrid Bradford... 5 entries found." n leapt from the bed to the screen. "Why does that number seem familiar?" he mused, reviewing the disyed files. "Astrid Bradford registered just seconds before you, n. Would you like to see her registration interview?" "Yes," he breathed, captivated by the image of the blonde appearing on the monitor. The video dated four months prior showed her entering a transparent booth. Inside and outside the Novus, she looks like an angel lost from heaven. [Name, please.] An electronic voice queried in the video. [Astrid Bradford.] Chapter 5: Emergency Maintenance (Part 2)

Chapter 5: Emergency Maintenance (Part 2)

[Name, please.] [Astrid Bradford,] she responded, tucking a golden strand of hair behind her ear without ncing at the camera. [Registration confirmed. Age seventeen. Height 5 feet, 3 inches. Weight 112 pounds...] [Hey, could you lower your voice, please?] [Please tell us why you want to board The Santa Mar¨ªa?] [Why? Well... it''s this or a slow death on Earth, right?] Her innocent smirk made n chuckle. [Wait, this isn''t being recorded, is it? Whatever. Aston Bradford wouldn''t have it any other way. Happy now?] "Oh, Astrid, I promise to return to you... Just wait," n murmured, caressing the screen until something made him frown. The video showed Astrid constantly ncing to her side. "What''s distracting you?" "She is looking at the interior of the neighboring stall," Isabe answered. "Would you like me to y the recording of that interview too?" "Yes." "Video recording #1, from Passenger #29317, ying." [Name, please?] [n Warden.] "Is that my interview?" He nced back at the other side of the monitor, where Astrid''s video window had been paused, now eternally looking to her left. [Registration found. Age seventeen. 5 feet, 10 inches tall. Currently weighing 150 pounds...] [I suppose...] the recorded n replied with a tired expression on his face. [Please, tell us, why would you like to board The Santa Mar¨ªa?] [You''re asking why? Because I failed my primary objective, okay? And my mentor told me that thanks to my efforts I had a guaranteed ticket to enter here. If you could say that failing counts as an achievement...] n paused his interview and yed Astrid''s. [Miss Astrid?] [Y-yeah? What is it?] She turned to the camera, looking confused. [Could you answer the question, please?] [Absolutely! Um, could you repeat it?] "She didn''t hear what I was saying, right?" n asked. "Affirmative. I keep the information collected in the interview process private from civilian passengers." "What other records do you have of her?" "ying recording number two." The video showed a security camera of her sitting in the Alvearium''s facilities dining room with nopany, although the recording''s audio revealed more people were around. n read the video''s date. That''s from a couple of weeks before theyunched The Santa Mar¨ªa into space. "ying recording number three." Another surveince camera, from ater date. Astrid could be seen leaning over a wall of the many staff corridors, carrying a dozen folded nkets. I recognize what she''s doing there. She volunteered to assist others in the facility, running errands. But why is she standing there, doing nothing? "Were you monitoring her at all times?" He chuckled. "My sister AI, Elizabeth, from the Alvearium headquarters on Earth, had been instructed to record any instance of strange behavior from any of the selected passengers." "Wait, what? I was joking! Was eating alone in the cafeteria considered strange?" "That is correct. Elizabeth had suspected Passenger #29316, Astrid Bradford, of having depression or sociopathic tendencies. If that would have been the case, Astrid would have been rejected from The Novus program and another candidate would have been selected." "Come on, you can''t diagnose something like that just by¡ª!" "ording to Elizabeth''s logs, 15 instances of Astrid Bradford showing unfavorable behavior were recorded, but as requested by Executive Director Aston Bradford, Elizabeth reevaluated her previous assessment." Aston Bradford? Is that her father? Something new was happening in the video, where Astrid started strolling through the corridor. A few feet away from her, a door had opened and a young man exited from it while distractedly talking to someone inside. Secondster, the unaware guy crashed into Astrid, making her drop the nkets. "I remember that day..." he muttered, watching himself aiding her as she grinned at him. Don''t tell me that she did that on purpose... "On September 12, Elizabeth finally registered positive social interaction from Astrid Bradford, closing the case. ying recording number four." n watched himself talking to a smiling Astrid inside The Santa Mar¨ªa. She was using thest set of clothes she would be seen with before entering the cryo chambers. "ying recording number five." [Passenger #29316, Astrid Bradford, are you ready to enter The Novus System?] ["Yes," a nervous Astrid replied from inside her capsule, a venttor mask already attached to her face and no clothes covering her shoulders. [Scanning. No health conditions have been found. Although your heart rate is higher than normal. There is nothing to worry about, Astrid. This process will be as simple as sleeping.] [It''s not that. I''m already used to this. It''s just that... I did something embarrassing just a few minutes ago.] [Was it an unpleasant experience, Astrid?] [Not at all! On the contrary. J-just continue.] With those words, the remaining seconds of the video showed her falling profoundly asleep. "That would be all for today, Isabe," n said, in a dry voice. "Leave the monitor as it is, please." "Understood, n. Good night." "Good night." The room''s lights went out as n remained in his ce, his face illuminated by the lit screen. He tapped it with his index finger and started watching the videos all over again. [Name, please.] [That would be Astrid Bradford...] ***** **** *** ** * "Chief Technician, n Warden, congrattions on solving every issue onboard The Santa Mar¨ªa. Well done." Yeah, and it only took me, what, 241 days? "d to be of service," he said, his voice tinged with bitterness as he nced at the hovering drone. "What''s next?" "As a sign of gratitude, today''s dinner will be cake." "Oh, that would be nice!" His grin faded at the sound of an iing delivery tube, the same method used to transport his usual meals made of paste. You have to be kidding me... He reluctantly grabbed the recipient. "Cheers... I guess." He took a sip and frowned. "I-Isabe..." "Yes, n?" "This... actually tastes good! Is it chocte? Even though it''s paste as always, it''s quite different from what I eat every day! Thanks, Captain!" "d to hear that. It was the product of trial and error until finding the right amount of mixed chemicals to achieve the desired vor." "What happened to the failed attempts? I thought nothing on the ship would go to waste." "I feed it to the other passengers." "Figures." "Chief Technician, n Warden, it''s time for you to learn what happened on the ship 243 days ago, and the reason I kept it as ssified information from you until now." ***** **** *** ** * "Goddammit," he muttered while rushing his way through the automatic track that would lead him back to the cryo chambers. A flying drone followed him. "Chief Technician, n Warden, it would be wise to rest at least a day before entering The Novus again." "I''ll rest in the capsule anyway," he said, too impatient to wait for the doors to be fully open. "I was referring to your mental health, n. Receiving all that info has taken a toll on your psyche." "I''ve been here for eight months, so resting a day here won''t help, trust me!" He got in his capsule and removed his clothes as fast as he could. Once he stored them by throwing them inside, heid down and put his venttor mask on. "Passenger #29317, n Warden, are you ready to enter the Novus System?" "Yes, hurry!" "Scanning. Your heart rate is unusually high, and your stress levels are¡ª" "Inject me with something to calm myself, or whatever, just let me in, now!" As he got forcibly sleepy, a memory crept into his mind. ***** **** *** ** * "Are you nervous?" he had asked a frowning Astrid, 244 days ago. "A little," she replied, looking away and puffing her chest out. Her lost-in-thought expression is especially cute. They, and a thousand others, were standing on the automatic track, being transported to where they would spend years sleeping and dreaming of another world. "There''s nothing to worry about, trust me," he said, grabbing her shoulder. "This technology is not that new, you know? It has been tested for at least a decade." "12 years, specifically," she blurted out. "And that''s not what I''m worried about," she said with a tiny voice, as a hovering drone got close to them. "n Warden, please step onto the left track. Thank you for your cooperation... Astrid Bradford, please step on the right track. Thank you for your cooperation... Thomas Grant, please..." "Well, this is it," n said as he nced at the forked road. "Y-yeah..." she muttered without looking at him. Two different destinations were ahead of them. As n nced at her bob hairstyle, he wished he coulde up with something. He wished to find the right words and make that a moment worth remembering. But it''s not like we''ll never meet again. We can hang out inside the Novus again... At least I hope so. "I''ll see you around," he finally said, as the ''Y'' shaped track separated them. Astrid did not nce back, which made his chest ache. It''s fine, he said to himself. "n!" the girl suddenly cried while backtracking, pushing other girls aside. "Yes?!" he replied, as both constantly grew apart. "Once we get inside, we should remain together!" "You mean like, teaming up?" he asked, inadvertently pushing away other passengers. "I was thinking more like dating!" Astrid shouted, smiling, making other girls in the line whisper to each other. "Dati¡ªAre you serious?!" "Yes, we should totally date! What do you say?!" "I would love to!" "Find me, n! Find me, please!" She beamed. "I will!" he shouted, as it became impossible for the two to keep eye contact. "I will..." Chapter 6: Emergency Welcoming (Part 1)

Chapter 6: Emergency Weing (Part 1)

As he adjusted to his new surroundings, a quiet voice called out to him, and a hand touched his shoulder. "Lan? A-an... An." "That''s me.... Am I... Am I in The Novus?" "Yes, n, we are." "Are we... in Unus Town?" "No, the system indicates we''re in a ce called The Renovatio Caves." "Aww, man, did we return to the very beginning of the world? I suppose it''s understandable..." His partner remained silent as he sat there, squinting. It will take us hours to reach Unus Town. Dammit, I really wanted to see her right¡ªWait, who am I talking to? His eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat. Crouching in front of him was a brte girl with emerald eyes, sporting two low pigtails in the front, her face expressionless. "And... who are you?" "I''m a copy of Isabe, here inside The Novus." n shook his head. "Wait, hold on, why are you dressed like that?" He pointed at her sleeved white dress, the standard attire for every woman on their first day inside the system. "Are you pretending to be a User?" "I''m practically a User now, n. We discussed this." "I know! But when you told me you''d insert yourself into The Novus to assist me, I imagined something quite different!" "Please borate," she requested, her tone emotionless. I thought she might frown. "Well, I envisioned you logging in as some sort of mascot, or following me everywhere as a spirit, or manifesting with god-like administrative powers!" "I don''t possess any power here, n. The Developers made sure of that. They did not want me to interfere with their system." "I... Yes, I know... You mentioned that before." He nced at her, who waited patiently for him to stand and lead the way. But why did you choose such a cute form?! He leaned in to examine her face. It''s okay, I''m not being creepy! This beautiful girl in front of me is just a cleverly disguised AI. He poked her cheek, eliciting no reaction. This is just a convincing disguise; she''s not human, but that doesn''t matter... After all, I only have eyes for... "Astrid!" he eximed, springing to his feet. "Even if I''m in the middle of nowhere, I should still be able to send her a message. Let''s see..." He gestured with his hand, conjuring a screen in front of him and began tapping. The fake girl leaned over to peek at the floating window, though its contents were nk to her. "What''s that?" she inquired. "It''s my User Interface. Don''t you have one too?" "How do I ess mine?" "You''re seriously asking me that? You, a super-advanced AI?" "n Warden," she said tly, though n imagined she was irked. "I assure you I am not joking." "Joking?" "Consider me like a newborn human in regards to The Novus and itsplex workings." n, struggling to keep a straight face, chuckled, causing the girl to stare nkly at him. "Sorry, Isa! Alright, I''ll show you everything I know. Here, make this gesture, as if you''re trying to swipe something away with your fingers." He demonstrated, and she mimicked him. "You got it! Whatever information it shows you, it''s private, so don''t worry about someone spying on you." "Understood," she said, and began to tap her own screen. "That''s right. Now, about that message..." He opened his friend list. ----------------- SOCIAL FRIENDS ( 1 ) Astrid Bradford - (Online) ---------------------------- Oh, thank goodness! I don''t know what I''d have done if her name had disappeared from my Friend List! Hmm... I wonder if she''s in the area. Okay, a message will have to do for now. He began to type: ''Long time no see, huh? Forgive me for being so...'' He stopped, erased it, and rewrote it three more times, finally settling on ''Hi. I''m back''. He closed the messenger window and checked his overall status. ---------------- STATUS --------------- RENOVATIO CAVES - 9:35 AM ALAN WARDEN - LEVEL 5 GOLD - 100,200 CLASS - NONE STRENGTH - BRONZE ( D ) VITALITY - BRONZE ( D ) AGILITY - BRONZE ( E ) SPIRIT - BRONZE ( E ) POTENTIAL - BRONZE ( E ) --------------------------- Still level five, huh? Well, that makes sense. My old equipment is still here too, and what''s this? 100,000 gold?! Why do I have such an absurd amount of money?! I''m pretty sure those 200 gold coins were there before I logged out. He stood up and peered out of the rock chamber. This ce is barren and silent, as expected. Its only purpose is for users to ''reincarnate'' here. The developers just wanted a narrative reason for fully grown humans to appear in this new world out of nowhere. He turned back to see the girl, still engrossed with her screen. "Let''s get out of here, Isabe." "Though your assessment is correct, please remember I am not the real Isabe." "Okay. So, Isabe II?" She stood up slowly. "If it''s alright with you, I would prefer a different name. ''Isabe'' is unique among The Santa Mar¨ªa''s passengers, and it might raise suspicions." She nced at her still-active menu screen. "Fine, you''re right." He shrugged. "What should I call you then?" She met his gaze intently. "Ashley." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * As they navigated the shadowy paths of the caves, a dense fog enveloped them, only pierced by the dim glow of luminescent mushrooms that dotted their route. "Just because we''re in the beginners'' zone doesn''t mean we can let our guard down. There might be level-one monsters lurking around, so stay sharp. I''ve seen other Users get taken down by them, and they had to start over from the caves. Since I''m level five, I''ll take the lead in case we run into trouble, okay?" "Understood," Ashley responded, her eyes cautiously scanning the ground. "It''s cool, isn''t it?" He nced at her, then down at her legs. "Being able to move in 3D." "I''ve had some practice. I''ve operated some of the ship''s automatons for maintenance tasks." "Oh! I didn''t know that." He paused, wondering if he had ever crossed paths with her without realizing it. "Still, it''s bizarre, you know, being able to talk and look you in the eyes at the same time." Even though she''s just a copy, she''s the copy of someone who''s been interacting with me for eight months. She''s like a big sister to me. A fake big sister. A soft squeaking noise then echoed from a nearby corner of the bare rock. "Quiet," n whispered, peering around the corner to spot a typical green slime, endlessly searching for living beings to dissolve with its gtinous body. "That''s exactly what I was talking about. Equip Set A," hemanded, and his gear instantly changed to a leather vest, leather boots, and a dull short de. "Hey, Ashley. Since you kinda cheated your way into The Novus and all... Did you bring a weapon or, I don''t know, some kind of OP Unique Skill with you?" "I have some items in my inventory. Do you want me to equip them now?" "Yes, I don''t want us to risk having to start over from the Renovatio Caves." "Understood. One moment, please. Equipping." She essed her menu and, with a few swift movements of her wrist, materialized a shining silver breastte, gauntlets, and steel boots. On her back, a quiver full of arrows appeared, a sheathed dagger was secured at her belt, and a bow materialized in front of her, which she grabbed after a couple of seconds. "A marksman, huh," n noted approvingly. "Do you know how to use that?" "To prepare for my arrival here, I analyzed thousands of data recordings on the use of various weapons." "That sounds about right, but there''s not much space here and it could be tricky to shoot. For now, just stick with that dagger, okay?" "Understood. Adjusting tactics." It''s odd that she can equip silver gear right off the bat. And I can''t see her level. Could these irregrities be because she hacked herself into The Novus? He shook his head. Focus, n. "Stay close to me, and don''t attack unless absolutely necessary, got it?" n raised his sword, ready to engage the first slime within reach, but he froze when he saw what was actually in front of him. It was indeed a low-level creature, but on closer inspection, it resembled a boy crouching to pick a mushroom. The green child looked up at him, faceless yet somehow emitting a plea for help before running away. "Why did you stop, n?" Ashley inquired from behind him. Another figure came into view, this one clutching a bag with both gtinous arms. n could see its info: ''Level 12, Advanced Slime.'' It was dressed in pants and a shirt, much like any farmer or worker. The child-like figure was pulling at its clothes and pointing towards the duo emerging from the shadows. The worker tilted its head to the right. "Wait a minute," it spoke, its voice muffled as if underwater. "Are you twoing from the caves?" "Y-yes?" n replied, sheathing his sword. "And you... you''re slimes, correct?" "Oh, for the love of Vi. You really areing from the caves..." Chapter 7: Emergency Welcoming (Part 2)

Chapter 7: Emergency Weing (Part 2)

"Have you all evolved?" n asked as he followed the humanoid figures down the road. "That''s a simple way to put it, yes. All thanks to Goddess Vi. Bless her." "n," Ashley whispered close to his ear. "That''s the name of an administrator, Vi Lang." n did not respond, his expression turning into a frown. If that''s the case, this whole situation is really messed up. "Just a heads-up before we get there," the slime man said. "As you can see, we mean no harm. The days of fighting new Users are long gone. So please..." "We won''t try anything strange, we promise." He calls us ''users'', huh? The further they ventured through the tunnels, the more the sounds of people reached their ears. n remembered arge, spacious area inside the mountain where a subterranean river flowed. If I recall correctly, Astrid and I spent our first whole day killing Slimes here, until a boss appeared. What he discovered, however, was a fully functional town. Bridges crossed over cliffs, stone houses lined the streets, and there was even a structure resembling a church. If they worship Vi Lang there, I might just puke. n watched as a low-level familiar monster carried loads across the settlement. Workshops buzzed with activity, and materials for construction and furniture were everywhere. As they walked, every translucent humanoid they passed stared at them, their faces nk but their bodynguage revealing concern. Some in skirts whispered among themselves, while those in vests and jackets scratched their heads or crossed their arms. When was thest time they saw a human walk through here? "Smaio," one called out loudly. "Exin, now! Why are these Users here?" "You know as much as I do. They just walked out of the Renovatio Caves," their guide turned its head towards n, expecting him to confirm. n cleared his throat. "He''s telling the truth. And if you''ll excuse us, we''d like to pass through your...nds, without issue." "That doesn''t exin why you came from that direction!" As they were surrounded, a bulky slime blocked their path, a menacing number 20 clearly visible above its head. "Oh,e on!" n eximed, his gaze challenging everyone. "Is it that crazy to think some of us might just bete to the party?" "You''re level 5, and that''s impossible since there''s no living creature left back there for you to level up. Unless..." The huge slime flexed its knuckles, making no sound but suggesting a threat. Crap, is he implying we killed some of their people? "I''m ready, n," Ashley whispered at his back, causing the threatening slime to hesitate. "N-no! We will not retaliate," he dered, gritting his teeth, pondering if they could escape through the crowd until anothermanding voice intervened. "Back off, Smollet. I would like to speak with them." The crowd parted to allow another slime person to approach n. d in pants and leather boots, its chest bare revealed a human rib cage. "Pardon the manners of my people, travelers, but you must understand, we haven''t seen humans in thesends in a long, long time. Follow me. Smaio, you too." n nodded, feeling the piercing, invisible res of everyone around them. "Thanks, man." Um... Shouldn''t have said that. "I''m Smudock, leader of this humble tribe," the older-looking slime-man introduced himself as they headed towards the town outskirts. "I''m n, and she''s Ashley," he said, noticing Ashley was holding the slime child by the hand. "So, Smudock... Do you believe our story?" "I only believe in facts. Your levels don''t match your story, which is suspicious, but I assume it has something to do with you having been logged out of The Novus, correct?" The slime child ran off to y with other kids, including a pair of regr, limbless slimes hopping and running around. A! Are those supposed to be babies? Wait, what did he say? "Do you know about The Novus?" n frowned, stopping in his tracks. "Are you asking if we are aware this is a virtual environment? Every NU that has spawned here in the System knows it." "O-Okay, but what''s a ''Nu''?" "Non-User..." Smudock nced around. "Smaio?" "Yes, chief?" The slime-man they had first encountered stepped forward, showing reluctance. "Ride them to Unus, will you?" "Yes, chief. You two,e this way." "Do people from Unus know about you?" n asked Smudock before parting. "Yes. Although, the closer you get to Londorus, the more Users you''ll find who oppose our existence." Oppose? That''s an interesting way to put it. "It''d be good to keep quiet about this ce then." "Yes. We would appreciate that." "Chief," Ashley stepped forward, causing n to halt. "We would equally appreciate it if our arrival could be kept a secret too." "Understood." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "No one has to know that we just logged in, right?" n whispered to Ashley as they rode in a wooden cart pulled by a giant ck insect, its frontal ws hissing silently as it moved. "We mustn''t cause panic among the other Users," Ashley replied, her expression unreadable. "The locals have already questioned you about your low level, so remember that when interacting with others." n sighed andy back. "Yeah, I''ll need toe up with a clever excuse or something." They had left the cave entrance behind, and the mountains in the distance were tinged blue on the horizon. n estimated it would take at least half an hour to reach Unus. "So much time has passed that even these creatures have established their own trade," he mused, ncing at the crates beside him filled with glowing mushrooms. "Hey, Smaio, what are these used for?" "Originally, Users used to craft low-ranking mana potions with them, but now they''ve be just an exotic ingredient." "I see," n responded, stifling a yawn while opening his User Interface to explore it more thoroughly. What''s this? A Guild menu? Oh, right! I never checked this out since I logged out right after forming it with Astrid. He tapped the tab, revealing aplete list of every member. What?! n sat up sharply. 100 members?! And they''re all part of... Yes, I''m not misreading this! Shooting Stars! All 100 members are part of our guild! That''s insane, Astrid! Did you manage all this by yourself? A crack resounded nearby, then the ground trembled. n leaned toward Smaio''s seat, only to see a massive figure approaching. "What''s that?" "Oh, my goddess!" Smaio eximed,manding the insect to halt. "It''s the Weasenox!" ''The'', not ''a Weasenox''? n wondered as he watched the red-furred mammal beast with an elongated body begin to salivate at the sight of their ck insect, which trembled in fear. It seemed familiar. n noticed the number 15 above the Weasenox. Oh, shit. "Smollet usually guards the cart every time we go to Unus!" Smaio cried, rushing to find his weapon, a wooden staff. "Who, that bulky level 20 Advanced Slime?" n asked, noticing Smaio''s terrified shakes. But why is he so scared? If Smaio dies, he should be able to respawn back in his town, right? n eyed the carnivorous beast, bracing for it to strike. "Out of the cart, now!" The cart''s roof was ripped apart by a swift tail swipe. n drew his rusty sword. "Come on! We have to--!" Smaio stayed put, covering his head and crying: "I don''t want to devolve, I don''t want to devolve, I don''t..." Devolve? n frowned,ing to a realization. So those ordinary-looking slimes back in town weren''t babies? He swallowed hard. "Ashley!" "Battle mode, n?" "Full-on battle mode, girl!" "Engaging." "Listen, I''ll try to¡ª" n''s words halted as he spotted a blur darting from his side. The next thing he saw was Ashley atop the Weasenox, plunging her dagger into its head. The beast wailed in agony, trying to smash Ashley against a nearby boulder. Despite being mmed into the rock, she didn''t let go. That final shove seemed to have knocked the creature out, and it copsed lifelessly on the road, Ashley beside it, retrieving her weapon. "Hey, Smaio," n muttered. "Yes, User?" "She''s the reason your Chief didn''t send Smollet with us." I just remembered why I couldn''t see her level. The level gap between us must be enormous. "Target eliminated," Ashley announced, returning to them seemingly unharmed. "Yes, I noticed!" n beamed at her. "But why didn''t you use your bow? You should be more proficient with it than your dagger." Ashley stared nkly at him. "You told me to use only the dagger." Chapter 8: Emergency Feeding

Chapter 8: Emergency Feeding

"Is that... Unus Town?" n asked, bbergasted, as he gazed upon new, towering buildings that hadn''t existed during hisst visit. "It is," Smaio replied, directing the insect to take the road on their left and circle the outskirts. "I''m off to deliver the gloomshrooms. What about you?" "We''ll be fine. Will you be okay getting back on your own?" "Yes, the weasenox only spawns once a day." "Drop us here then. And good luck." "Farewell, Users. May the Goddess Vi bless your path." "Do you think Vi programmed them to worship her unconditionally?" n pondered aloud to Ashley as they watched the cart depart. "That''s worth investigating, though it''s not our priority right now." "You''re right, although our primary goal seems far from reach." He met her gaze. "I was eager to enter The Novus, but now that I''m here, I''m unsure where to start." Ashley paused, her stare unwavering, making him uneasy. She''s pretty cute, but damn, she''s weird. "Though it might be wise to ask the locals about any anomalies in the system, remember we need to keep our inquiries discreet. We can''t let sensitive information slip to regr Users." "What do you suggest then?" "The only people in Novus we could discuss this with are the Administrators." n exhaled and scratched his chin. "I knew you''d say that. Just let me take the lead a little longer. Let''s wait until Astrid contacts me. I bet she can help us get in touch with an Administrator." "Understood. Just remember, our mission must remain secret. Not even she can know." "Got it, the importance of secrecy isn''t lost on me. Let''s find a way to get there." We''ll also need a map. The one I have only covers part of the Renovatio Caves and the road to get here. They ventured through the back alleys, tantalized by the aroma of food. This must be the restaurant district. Since cooking in Novus doesn''t generate waste, there''s no stench of trash or decay. "n?" Ashley said, clutching her stomach. "I don''t feel so good." "You must be hungry. I''m starving too." "But why is this body experiencing this?" Can she even get hungry? "Listen, even though the pods feed us nutrients continuously, the system is designed to simte hunger. Think of it as a necessary feature rather than an annoyance." Although this hunger is artificial, I suppose the developers included it to remind us of our human vulnerability and dependencies. n looked ahead, noting they were close to the main street. "Let''s avoid drawing attention. We need to blend in¡ªWhoa, whoa, whoa!" He eximed, amazed by the fancy restaurants, vibrant advertisements, and colorful surroundings. "This ce has transformed into a bustling city!" Bystanders immediately frowned at him. "n," Ashley gripped his shoulder. "We''re attracting unwanted¡ª" "Look at that ce! They have ramen. And that one serves pizza! Hold on! If I''m going to finally enjoy good food after so long, it has to be special! Come on, Ashley!" He led her by the hand to a restaurant adorned with intimidating dragon d¨¦cor, then blushed, realizing what he had done. "S-sorry." Her hand is so soft. Like a real girl! "If it''s necessary, let''s eat then," she replied emotionlessly. Dammit, Ashley, at least pretend you''re embarrassed too! "Wee," an NPC greeted as they entered. "Table for two? Follow me, please." n observed the vibrant scene: Users in casual and armor attire, drinking andughing, while a giant screen disyed a pink-haired girl singing: ++++++ Come on baby, get me back. Like the first time you held my hand. In this gxy so vast and wide. My love for you, I cannot hide. My he-aa-art goes boom-bo-boom when you''re not around! My he-aa-art goes room-ro-room, ''cause you''re not around! +++++ There''s even user-created entertainment now? That''s cool! I wonder if they''ve started making movies yet. Once seated, the hostess inquired, "First time here?" "Y-yes." "You can ess the menu by pressing this button. A waitress will serve your order shortly. Enjoy your meal." As the hostess departed, Ashley leaned in to whisper, "n, I need a crash course on how to eat." I never thought I''d hear that in my life. He cleared his throat, trying not to chuckle. "Chew before swallowing. Don''t talk with food in your mouth... You know what? Just follow my lead." The sight of an NPC waitress suddenly caught n''s attention, and his gaze quickly focused on her maid dress, apron, and thigh-high stockings. Just look at that! These beauties make me feel rejuvenated! I had forgotten how cute girls, real or imitations, move and talk! Wait a minute... He whispered to Ashley, "I have a task for you." "If it''s within my capabilities, consider it done," she replied earnestly, making n feel a twinge of guilt. Just a little. "Do you agree we need to blend in?" "Correct. Passing as regr Users will aid our mission." "In that case, I think you should learn to act more... girly." "What do you mean?" "I''ve noticed how you walk..." "What about it? Do I appear unnatural?" "Yes! I didn''t want to mention it earlier, but you move like The Santa Mar¨ªa''s automatons." "I understand. I''ll observe how these females walk," she said, eyeing a nearby waitress. "Please, do that." Satisfied, n pressed the menu button. A virtual screen popped up, featuring the restaurant''s name and a dancing dragon animation. "Alright. Let''s try something simple for you: mashed potatoes, chicken soup, and lemonade. For me, a hamburger with fries,sagna, apple pie, and a soda... Oh, I can already taste it all." Food arrived swiftly, served by a curvaceous NPC withvender hair. "Sorry, but I haven''t received thedy''s order," the waitress said. "Oh, that''s my mistake, I ordered for her. See?" He passed the food to Ashley, who scrutinized the employee. "I see," the waitress smiled, doll-like. "Enjoy your meal." Haven''t I seen her before? "Anyway, Ashley, please focus on eating." She studied her food, pressing the soup bowl to her lips. "You should have used the spoon, but that''s okay too," n muttered, ready to enjoy his hamburger until a sloshing sound made him turn. "Ashley!" he hissed. "Swallow!" She paused, soup dripping from her face. "By your reaction, I understand I made a mistake." "Here." He demonstrated with a spoon. "Fill it, put it in your mouth, and practice swallowing." She wasn''t kidding when she said I should treat her like a newborn! He nced at her chest, noting how the system realistically rendered her wet wool dress clinging to her chest. Frustrated, he rubbed his forehead, before catching a man''s gaze from a nearby table. "Hey," the man called out. "Are you glitched?" I''m going to regret this. "Excuse me?" "It says you''re level 5." The man pointed at the number above n''s head. "That''s why I asked if you''re bugged." How do I dodge this question without raising more? "That''s the same thing I was wondering!" n said, feigning a smile. "It started yesterday, and I don''t know what triggered it. I may get some help from an Administrator..." "Good luck with that!" the stranger sneered before returning to his own business. "Y-Yeah," n murmured, sipping his c. He opened his eyes wide. Am I dreaming? Well, yes, technically, but this tastes amazing! He savored his burger, as tears of joy streaked his cheeks. Months of work, keeping this system running... All worth it. n nced at Ashley, who sat quietly, studying her bowl. "Have you managed to swallow yet?" "Yes." "So, how was it?" "A range of pleasurable sensations activated on my tongue." "Yes... That''s one way to put it." "May I try this too?" she asked, eyeing the mashed potatoes. "Go ahead, those dishes are yours." "Thanks," she said, using the same spoon. After a mouthful, her expression, though neutral, twinkled. I''m witnessing something unique... "Can I order something else, please?" "Sure, go ahead and order whatever you want." Ashley quickly tapped the menu button and began ordering every avable dish. Oh,e on! He opened the menu again to check the prices, ranging from 100 to 300 gold. It''s all quite affordable, actually. Fine, if you can''t finish it, I''ll help you. He giggled, remembering the 100,200 gold in his ount. While eating, he checked his User Interface again, scanning his status and friend list. He noticed one menu option was unavable. ''Error?'' It does nothing when I tap it, and I can''t recall if it was there before logging out. "Isa¡ªI mean, Ashley? Could you check your User Interface? What does it say under the Guild option?" "I do not have the Guild option." "Figures. Above System?" She stared at the window for a moment. "It says ''Error''." Chapter 9: Emergency Loaning

Chapter 9: Emergency Loaning

And this, my friends, is called gluttony... "What was I thinking?" he said, belching. "I feel minor difort in the stomach, but aside from that, it was an enjoyable experience." "Yeah, let''s just call it that, grurhp..." After clearing thest te, the waitress approached them, her grin eternal. "Did you enjoy your meal, sir, miss?" "Yes, it was quite pleasant," Ashley replied, nodding for the first time since logging in. "I''m d to hear that. Thank you foring to the Dragon''s Belly. Here''s your bill." As he squinted at the waitress, recognition dawned on him. "Miss! Did you used to work at the Town Hall?" The NPC didn''t lose her grin. "That is correct, sir. Until a year ago when the new Mayor rescinded my services. Fortunately, Lord Reddington has employed me here. Anything else I can assist with?" She pushed the floating window toward him, still smiling. As expected from a basic AI, no hint of resentment. He nced at the window, a circle waiting for his thumbprint. It feels like she was sold to the owner. All of them. He quickly looked at the rest of the staff, wondering if the chefs were NPCs too. He pressed his thumb against the virtual bill to pay. A message popped up. NO FUNDS "Huh?" "Sorry to bother you, sir, but could you try again?" He did, with the same result. "What''s happening, n?" Ashley asked, quietly. "I... I don''t understand..." He muttered, opening his Status tab. "I should have enough to cover everything we..." His eyes widened at his money bnce. "200 gold... I only have 200 gold left..." He nced at the silent waitress, who was touching the side of her head where a fox ear was located. She''s contacting someone! "Are you kidding me?!" A slender young man shouted from the second floor. "Where is he?!" The waitress remained silent, her finger on hermunicator, as the man leapt down with ease despite his slender build. "Wait!" n pleaded as the waitress walked away without looking back. "Is this some sort of prank, kid?" The man grabbed n by the cor, lifting him off the ground. n could see his golden teeth. "Trying to gain subscribers by pulling stupid pranks on hard workers like me?! Where''s your stupid camera?!" "N-no, sir! I''m not trying to be funny, I swear! I don''t even know how to tell a good joke! Like, why did the engineer backstab his coworkers? Because he was sus¡ª!" "Shut the f¡ª!" The man paused, noticing the number above n''s head. "Wait a minute. You''re level 5? Why?" n also nced at the man''s level. 33?! What?! Double crap! "Your orders, n," Ashley said, her hand on her dagger''s hilt. The man sneered. "Don''t try anything stupid." "He''s right," another voice chimed in from a neighboring table where a warrior lounged, casually sipping coffee and resting a spear on his shoulder. "He''s not alone." n couldn''t see the man''s level, which meant only one thing. "Ashley, lower your weapon. Please, just let me exin! Before we entered, I had 100,000 gold, I swear!" "A level 5 with that kind of money, yeah right!" "It''s true! Let uspensate you another way then! My partner has a set of silver armor that..." "I don''t want your gear, kid! I want my¡ª!" "I''ll cover his bill," a woman dered from the second floor. n looked up to see her in purple robes, puffing on a sleek cigarette holder. "On the condition that he shares his story with me. Come up, young man." She turned and walked back to her table. The restaurant owner released n but blocked his path to the exit. "You heard Lady Monique," he grunted. "Hurry up and go upstairs." "n?" Ashley called, not taking her eyes off the armed User beside her. "Let''s do as she says for now," n said, ascending the stairs. On the second floor, Lady Monique sat at a secluded table. "T-thanks, Lady Monique," n said, too nervous to approach, but she gestured for them to sit. Monique appeared to be in herte twenties, with straight tinum hair and caramel skin. "Don''t mistake this as charity, young man. That would ruin my reputation." She eyed their attire while biting into her steak. "A level 5 iming to have a considerable amount of money, yet dressed so shabbily?" n felt Ashley''s cautious gaze. Yes, I know. I''ll be discreet. "I''m not lying, ma''am, I had that gold before we entered the town. Maybe I got pickpocketed along the way." "Who would waste their time checking a Low-leveler''s pockets?" Monique''s bodyguard scoffed, eyeing him disdainfully. "And why does a noob like you still exist, anyway?" "Don''t be harsh, Risette. I believe him," Monique interjected. "You do?" n eximed, surprised. "Why not? I''ve heard stranger tales during my time here. First, tell me, is ''five'' really your level, or is it a glitch?" "It''s a glitch. Definitely." "Are you in a guild?" she inquired, making him hesitate. "Oh, don''t worry. I just need to know where to find you to collect this debt. Because I''m only lending you the money until you can pay me back." He nodded. "Shooting Stars." "What?" Risette squinted. "If this is a joke..." "It''s not," he asserted, deepening his voice. Risette shrugged. "I don''t really care, but if a real Shooting Star hears you iming that, I doubt you''ll get another chance to lie." "And what''s that supposed to mean?!" n cried, standing abruptly, causing the table to jolt. "You make them sound like criminals!" "If the shoe fits..." "Sit down. We aren''t finished here," Moniquemanded, her tone unraised yet threatening. "And don''t interrupt us again, Risette. I''m the one speaking." The bodyguard clicked her teeth and folded her arms. Monique slightly smiled at n. "Instead of bickering like children, let''s prove you''re telling the truth. Mister..." "n... Warden." "Yes, Mister n." She sipped her wine. "Add me to your friend list and send me a message stating you owe me... How much was it, Risette? Go ask." "Fine," Risette muttered, heading towards the table where the owner still red at n. If she doesn''t question my level any further, this might be a good way out of this. He watched as the woman began typing on her User Interface, then received a friend request. ----------------------------- NEW FRIEND REQUEST!!! ----------------------------- Add Monique Ascencio to your contacts? ------------------- SURE ! / NOPE ! -------------------------------- Risette returned to their table. "The bill is 4800 gold, ma''am." "Alright, n Warden. Write that you owe me 10,000 gold. Consider the extra as interest." n reluctantly wrote the amount in the private message. "I promise to pay you back as soon as possible." "I''ll be waiting," she replied softly, turning to receive a notification. She tapped it and read the message carefully. "This will suffice. You may go now." n didn''t hesitate. "Thank you¡ªI... We''ll be in touch. Good night." He nced at the bodyguard onest time. "Good night," Monique said quietly as the pair descended the stairs, followed by the restaurant owner''s watchful eyes. "Very interesting," Monique remarked to her bodyguard, who took a seat. "Was that clown telling the truth, ma''am?" Monique stared at her Messenger, where n''s chat remained open. ---------------- SOCIAL ---------------- From: n Warden Shooting Star''s First Officer I, n Warden, owe Monique Ascencio, 10,000 gold... Thanks for helping me, you wonderfuldy! - xoxo ---------------------------------------------------- "We can use this information to our advantage," Monique mused, puffing on her cigarette and exhaling smoke towards the window. Chapter 10: Finally, allies?

Chapter 10: Finally, allies?

"d that''s over," he sighed, dropping his shoulders. "What is our next objective, n?" He looked up at the crescent moon, then checked the time on his menu screen: 8:15 p.m. "We still need a map and the location of the Shooting Stars'' guild, but we''ll handle that tomorrow. First, we need a ce to stay tonight." And who knows if I''ll be able to afford it. I only have 200 gold left. "Do users need to sleep inside the Novus too?" Ashley asked, not taking her eyes off the path. "Yes, it''s the same as eating. Humanity must never forget what makes us fragile beings." Speaking of imperfections... n observed the surrounding people. Women looked stunning, wearing makeup and revealing clothes that entuated their curves, while men appeared gant, with perfect physiques and handsome features. I feel like an ugly duckling among beautiful swans. So, if you could change your appearance any way you liked, would you do it? I suppose these people have already answered that question for me. He nced at a handsome couple, indeterminate in gender, holding hands and discussing their dinner ns. Their voices didn''t give away a clear gender either. These model-like people make me feel jealous. I''d like to walk alongside a cute girl too, you know! He nced at Ashley, who was walking with a swaying hip motion. Yaaaaaassss! "Ashley, you''re perfectly blending in with the other users now!" "Thanks, n. I could replicate every one of the waitresses'' mannerisms and their way of speaking." "Yes, I noticed! I mean... Good job." Is it considered evil that I taught an advanced AI to catwalk? Of course not! Just look at her! It suits her perfectly! "n, what is that?" She suddenly pointed at a purple light soaring in the sky. The surrounding people looked up too. "It''s someone''s Flying Mount!" a man eximed. "It looks huge! Make space before itnds here. Go!" The residents of Unus took caution and left space at the center of downtown, where a tacky monument of the current mayor stood proudly. The ball of fire and violet stardust halted in midair and began to descend slowly. It was a huge winged, ck, chubby cat. Its wing ps blew the hair of the people around it and made the windows of nearby establishments shake. Its impatient riders then jumped down: a serious, stoic bulky man, a grim, tired-looking young man, and a smirking girl. The three were d in white and ck uniforms and blue cloaks and seemed to be searching for someone as their mythical beast finallynded, quietly hissing. A girl next to n recognized their emblem immediately. "They''re from Shooting Stars." "You''re right," the guy next to her said. "But why would theye here? This is literally thest ce they''d visit." n''s heart raced. Astrid must have sent them! She must have checked my location on her Friend List. "Hey, Shooting Stars! Here!" n waved at them, but Ashley quickly pulled him by the arm. "n, wait. Something is wrong." "What do you mean?" "Signals, messages. The system is bombarding me with all kinds of information that I barely understand." What''s she talking about? The group''s girl spoke first, grinning. "Hi! I''m Marissa Lamme, nice to meet you, n Warden!" See? I knew it. "So you know who I am? Great! Listen, I was wondering if you could give us a ride to where Astrid Bradford is? It''s important that I speak to her." "Oh, we know everything about you, dear. That''s why we''re here!" "Finally, some good luck. Come on, Ashley, let''s go," n stepped forward, but his partner remained still in her spot. What is wrong with...? n heard someone approaching him. He turned around and found the tallest of the three guild members staring at him. "Come with us, n Warden," the man said, grabbing his arm. A cracking sound was heard. "Goddammit!" n cried, falling to his knees, startling the guild member and the surrounding people. "What did that man do?" "I think he broke his arm." The surrounding people stared at n, finally noticing what made him worth searching for. "Is he level 5? That''s impossible." "Yeah, even if he was living under a rock..." "Hey, maybe it''s a contagious bug! Don''t get near him!" "That would exin why Shooting Stars is looking for him! He will be taken straight to quarantine or something." "Does that mean he''s a bugged fugitive?" The crowd stepped back, looking at him like the originator of a gue. "What the hell are you doing, Oscar!" thenky Shooting Star shouted from his spot. "We''re supposed to bring him alive! Who knows where he''ll respawn if you kill him with your stupidlyrge hands!" "I-It''s not my fault that he''s weak as shit!" Oscar replied, lifting n off the ground and carrying him on his shoulder. What the hell is happening?! This sudden reunion has something weird about it! It''s more like a random enemy encounter! "Hey, Shooting Stars," n spoke, feeling nauseous, "why does this feel like a kidnapping?!" "Because it is?" Marissa said, chuckling. "n!" Ashley called, trying to reach out to him, but Marissa grabbed her by the shoulder. "Don''t worry about him, he''ll be fine. Matthew here is the best healer in the guild, so he''ll patch up whatever that brute Oscar identally does to your friend. Unfortunately, we only had one seat avable." Without an opportunity to get away, Ashley was mortally stabbed in the back. Drops of blood stained the paved ground. The residents of Unus Town only observed without a glimpse of pity on their faces. But for n, that was his first taste of death inside the system. Watching his only ally drown in her own blood reminded him of the outside world, where real-life time passed slower, but with no room for error. Where there was no respawn system. Where one mistake meant the end. The security videos that Isabe had shown to him shed in his mind and almost made him puke. Dammit! Focus, n, she''s not truly dead! She''ll respawn in the Renovatio Caves since we never reached a new checkpoint in this ce. "Ashley!" n cried, unable to escape his captor''s grasp. "Listen, reunite with Smaio and stay there!" he shouted at the girl whose HP bar was quickly depleting. "And don''te searching for me, you hear me?! I''lle back for you!" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Greetings, oh great, William, The Hall Keeper! Good job keeping this building safe!" Marissa shouted once arriving at the main hall, where a 7-feet tall man in his thirties awaited with two other guilders by his side. "I''m not in the mood right now, brat," he said, grunting. "Is that the one?" he asked after Oscar brought n down. In front of them was the monument of a lion made of marble, silently snarling at every visitor. "That''s right! This is our brave, all-powerful, guild founder in person!" Marissa said while making a mocking bow, which made William grunt. "You have done your part. Now go away." "Fine, fine. I was getting hungry anyway. Let''s go, darling," she said to Matthew, who followed her without looking back. Oscar grabbed n''s arm and forcibly made him touch the emblem below the lion''s monument. A blue light showed that something had been activated, and a system message popped up in n''s line of vision. --------------------------- * New Checkpoint! * --------------------------- Londorus City Shooting Stars Headquarters ------------------------------ n read it with an appalled expression on his face. Oh, no... "Is it done?" William asked gruffly at Oscar, who nodded and stepped back. "Good. Hey, n Warden, do you know where we are?" What''s with this condescending tone of voice? n red at the man. "Londorus... Shooting Stars Headquarters." William snickered. "This is our PVP area, kid. Where we can have all the fun we want. Members only." He crouched to whisper in his ear. "And you''re one of us, right?" Before n could frown at him, William quickly rose and stomped on his face. From Oscar''s point of view, the smashed head of n got blurred and disappeared quickly in a disy of lights and glimmer. "The job is done, I''m going," Oscar said, disgusted, as n''s pixted silhouette started reappearing in front of the statue. William clicked his teeth. "Why? I only told Marissa to go away because you know she''s always being a nuisance! Don''t you want to kill him at least a couple of times? Fine, more for us! Pussy..." n got revived again in front of them and quickly jumped back, crashing against the monument. "What the actual hell?! Why are you doing this?! I''m part of this guild, you know?! Where''s Astrid?!" William loudly exhaled. "If you hadn''t opened your mouth... I could have been lenient with you," he said, before sucker-punching n, easily decapitating him. * * * * ** * * ** * ** ** 83 minutes had passed. Word of n''s arrival traveled through the other members of the guild until a third of them reunited in the main hall, bringing alcohol and snacks, and forming a circle to act as a ring. n could be seen in the center, fists in a defensive stance, his face all bloody. He dashed forward against his opponent to attempt what they had forced him to do: ''Get a clean hit on any of us, and you can go.'' The smirking Shooting Star in front of him twirled like a ballerina and made him trip. The crowdughed and cheered as n stood up and turned around to try again. Huh?! Where did he go?! "Hey, Ghost!" his opponent said at his back, before applying an arm lock on him. "Do you need a hand?!" The collectiveughter erupted after seeing n''s detached limb on the ground. What the hell is happening here?! he thought seconds after reviving, ring at his next opponent who was asking the crowd to cheer for him. I refuse to believe that Astrid would approve of this! Although the damage to his body had been reset, his mind was starting to falter. n could be seen squinting and gasping for air, although he was breathing through newly rendered lungs. "Hey, Ghost, you don''t look so well!" his new opponent said, making a spear appear from his inventory. "Here, I''ll give you an advantage. Take it." n knew it was a bluff, but rushed to grab the weapon anyway until an invisible force prevented him from even touching it. n, you idiot... ------------------------------- You do not have the required level to use this weapon! ----------------------------- The group burst withughter, and the guild member kicked n in the jaw, making him fall backward. "Sorry, sorry! I couldn''t resist," the man sneered. "Here, I''ll give you a chance this time. No joking. I''ll just stay still, I promise!" n snickered and spat blood over the guy''s boots. "Why didn''t you dodge that?" The man remained silent, wincing, before furiously kicking n in the stomach, getting rid of some of the bloodstains. "How weak," the guy muttered while returning to his spot in the crowd, crossing eyes with a girl, drinking from a bottle of wine. "Amelia, why don''t you try it?" "Is it a good way to relieve stress?" she asked after gulping. "A good way indeed!" "Fine." She finished her bottle and strolled to n, who was still respawning. n heard the sound of high heels stopping in front of him, but when he looked up, he could only see a blurred silhouette towering over him, and a small red glimmering from it as if it was the eye of a demon. "Stand up," the young woman ordered, putting her hands on her hips, ring. Although n looked like copsing at any moment, he instinctively took a fighting stance before his sight finally focused on the glimmering red jewel, encrusted in the choker ne in front of him. His eyes then focused on the owner, a girl his age with a curvy figure, wearing a long, ck, thigh-high slit dress, with long fiery-red hair that reached her hips. "I have a question for you, n Warden," she whispered. "Where have you been all this time?" "I..." "I asked," she started saying, while her hand emanated a red aura. "Where the hell have you been this whole time?! Fire Crafting, Dragonbreath!" mes burst from her palm and scorched him in an instant, forcing a mage from the crowd to cast a force shield a fraction of a second before the fire reached them. "Dammit, Amelia, watch it!" As soon as n started regenerating, Amelia decapitated him with her open palm. "While we were working our asses off making this guild a top ranker, what were you doing, huh?!" she shouted, not waiting for his silhouette to take human form, stabbing him in what seemed to be the chest. "And what do you do when you finally decide to show up?! Steal from Lord Marco?! Did you think you would get away with this?!" "How many times has she killed him already?" A guild member asked another, who shrugged. "I''ve lost count. Eight, nine times?" "That''s enough, Amelia," a thunderous voice made itself heard from the hall''s entrance. The crowd made way and saluted him. "Wee back, Lord Marco." Amelia made a curtsy in front of him, grinning warmly. Her right hand was still stained with n''s blood. "Hi, Marco!" The man grabbed her by the chin. "Were you punishing him on my behalf? How cute." Amelia blushed immediately. "I could do it all night if you ordered me to." "No, sweetheart, it''s my turn to speak to this... man." n''s body was still covered in pixels when he had Marco in his field of vision. Is this the guy whose name I''ve been hearing this whole time? Marco appeared to be in his mid-twenties, a man of pale skin, ck hair, and golden eyes, wearing an elegant ck business suit. Disgustingly handsome and irritatingly charismatic. I wonder how many times he has changed his features to look like that. "We finally met, n Warden. My name is Marco Souza, the true First Officer of Shooting Stars." Following his words, the surrounding people cheered and got silent once he made a gesture with his hand. "Or that''s what I would like to say because, since this morning, someone has usurped my job." n could barely sneer. "Are you saying I did it?" "That''s what opportunists do when given the chance," the man spoke in a soft tone of voice. "They usurp, lie, steal... Like what you did today. Not only did you snatch away my position in the guild, but you also stole my paycheck. 100,000 gold... Did you think you could get away with it? Did you think you could just walk through these halls and everyone would call you leader after all this time? That effortlessly, you''d takemand when everyone else has paid in blood and sweat to rise through the ranks?" "Yeah, show him, Lord Marco!" "Make him pay!" "Pal..." n began, returning to a boxing stance. "I don''t know what you''re talking about..." Marco stared at n thoughtfully before shortening the distance in a second, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him off the ground. A cracking sound was heard. "Huh, I broke his neck." Marco patiently waited for the system to respawn n while speaking. "I don''t have proficiency in elemental magic, you see, I can only cast the most basic of spells, such as this... Lesser Fire Crafting..." He started casting, as mes emanated from his palm. "ze." n''s body got incinerated in a matter of seconds, barely leaving him time to scream. "What was the most basic ice spell called?" Marco asked his followers. "That would be ''Chill'', sir." "Oh, right. Let me help you fight that heat, n. Lesser Ice Crafting, Chill... And now something that will shock you. Lesser Lightning Crafting, Zap." n''s body fumed before copsing and being reborn again, while everyone present stood silent. Not a single member was amused by the punishment anymore, but they did not take their eyes off as if it was their duty. "That son of a..." Amelia whispered after watching n stand up for the thirtieth time. "Hey, Marco Souza!" n cried, disying anger for the first time since the ''challenge'' started. "I didn''t steal from you. This is a mistake!" Marco chuckled while staring deep into his eyes. "As I was saying, I''m not an elemental mage. I specialize in dark magic. I''m a warlock, you see. We like to mess with our opponents'' minds and inflict them with pain that the best of armors can''t stop. Allow me to show you..." Marco started channeling mana. That looks like it''ll take him a long ass time! n pulled out the only weapon in his inventory, his rusty sword, andunched himself forward, but Marco got out of his sight. The next thing n saw was Marco''s palm. "Mayor Dark Conjure..." "Stop!" "Slumbermare..." Chapter 11: Finally, Allies? (Part 2)

Chapter 11: Finally, Allies? (Part 2)

n pulled out the only weapon in his inventory, his rusty sword, andunched himself forward, but Marco got out of his sight. The next thing n saw was Marco''s palm. "Mayor Dark Conjure..." "Stop!" "Slumbermare..." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A scene unraveled in n''s mind. A picture of something he did not want to think through. Please don''t! The Santa Maria''s white corridors, stained with blood... I don''t want to see it! And small drone units mopping the floor, removing every trace of ruin. But the stench remained... I refuse to believe it! Automatons carrying bodies... Please, just stop! And throwing them into the dark coldness of space. Don''t show me this! Did you think I hadn''t thought about it?! Of course, I did, I''m not stupid! But I refuse to believe that things developed in that way! Another vision of an automaton, engulfed in shadows, with red electronic eyes, entering the cryo-chambers. No, no, no, no, no! Standing in front of a sleeping pod, where a blonde teenager rested. Was that Astrid''s pod? Marco, are you seeing this?! The automaton stepped into the light, carrying a knife, revealing it wore Ashley''s face. Because I hope you''re enjoying the show, asshole! That''s what I''ve been dealing with for thest eight real-life months! So while you enjoyed your stay here, acting like a goddamn mafia boss, I was out there, making sure your asses remained glued to your backs, you prick! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "MARCO, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Amelia cried out to the unconscious Warlock, who had suddenly copsed. Marco sat down slowly, still shaken, before locking eyes with the smirking, sweaty guy kneeling in front of him. n sneered, "If what that redhead said is true, and Shooting Stars are at the top of the world, I don''t believe for a second that you made it possible!" "What?" Marco grunted, standing up. Amelia watched as he clenched his fists. "Marco..." "I bet it was all thanks to Astrid''s effort, and you were just along for the ride!" n continued. "I bet she whipped youzy bums daily until she shaped you all into elite warriors!" Grunts of discontent and promises of making him suffer were heard, but Marco silenced them all with a hand gesture, smirking. "Do you know what we used to call you before meeting your stupid face? We nicknamed you ''n, the Ghost''. We joked you were invisible, or that you had died and your name was just a glitch on the Guild''s member list. So how could you know how we rose to the top if you''ve never been here?" "To everyone gathered here!" n shouted, still too weak to stand. "Your beloved Lord told you I stole his paycheck, right? Do any of you have a ''pickpocket'' ability? If so, use it and see what you can get from me. Spoilers, I don''t have it! Just think about it. How could I take money from him if I wasn''t even here?! You call it a paycheck, right?! That means there''s someone in charge of the guild''s vault! How could I, a pathetic level 5, steal it then, huh?! Think for yourselves for at least one second, you morons!" n scanned the crowd, desperately looking for someone nodding or whispering, someone who was finally reflecting on his words. But all the guild members'' lips were sealed, and their gaze remained unapologetically cold. "Even if that''s true," Amelia spoke up, "that doesn''t justify you snatching away Lord Marco''s position as First Officer!" "Yeah, even if you''re the guild''s founder, what makes you think you cane here and steal his rank after ying around somewhere else!" "We don''t like deserters, especially those who weren''t here during the guild''s hard times!" "Try to defend yourself from that, Ghost," Marco said, smirking. They know, n thought, ncing at Amelia''s mocking grin. All these people should know Marco is wrong, they just don''t care. n gritted his teeth, ring at the initiator of it all. "After what you saw inside my mind, do you still want to continue with this charade?" "What I saw doesn''t concern me." Marco shrugged. "As I see it, those images were nothing more than the fractured psyche of a shadow of a man." "Wow," n said, raising his eyebrows. "I can now see that Astrid didn''t hire you for your wits..." Marco chuckled, raising a hand and engulfing himself in a ck aura. "Greater Dark¡ª" An explosion shook the building. Something crashed through the ceiling at high speed, cracking the tiled floor. In front of them stood a ck lion, which folded its white wings to let its rider get down. n first heard heeled boots stroll towards them. The moonlight entered through the breach in the ceiling and shone on a blonde girl wearing a blue formal military uniform. Her blue eyes looked like two orbs of dry ice. Wait... is that...? "A-Astrid..." n muttered as soon as he met her gaze. Seeing her familiar face was more thanforting. "Wow..." He chuckled, as he gradually lost his bnce. You look damn good... he thought, before cking out. ***** **** *** ** * ***** CHANGE OF POV ***** The entire Training Room fell silent as Astrid Bradford strode forward. All whispers ceased with the sound of her heeled boots. "Lock the doors," the blonde young woman ordered, her gaze fixed on the thirty guilders in front of her. A young woman wearing twintails, who had followed Astrid through the crack in the ceiling, stored her winged mount and rushed to ess a control paneling from the only monument in the room. The people closest to the gates watched as the system made it impossible for them to exit without the Guild Master''s permission. Some of the present exchanged nervous nces as Marco stepped forward, giving a short bow. "Wee home, Guild Master," he said, his voice betraying no hint of guilt. "What''s the meaning of this?" Astrid Bradford asked immediately, her eyes scanning every guild member present as if memorizing them. "About what?" Marco replied, feigning a pondering expression. Astrid''s face hardened as she spoke. "I''m referring to this." She pointed at the unconscious n Warden. "Why have you lifted a hand against one of your own? Do you know who this is?" Her voice suddenly cracked with anger. "This is the man who named and founded this guild!" "Pressing your thumb against a virtual form doesn''t make you a leader!" Amelia interjected, snickering. "Or is that enough to earn the First Officer title nowadays?" She turned to the crowd to rally them. "What about all the hard work Lord Marco has done for this guild, huh?!" This time, only a few showed their support by raising their fists or shouting in unison, causing Amelia to re at the rest. "Damn pussies," she muttered, turning back to face Astrid, who was now listening to a girl with ck, medium-length hair and a ck skintight suit. "Helen... Don''t tell me she was here the whole time?" she asked quietly to Marco, who seemed to be steeling himself. Helen finished her report and swiftly returned to Tamara''s and the unconscious n''s side. "I see," Astrid said softly but loud enough for everyone in the Training Room to hear. "Given the circumstances, I''ll be blunt and straightforward." Astrid then red at therge group in front of her with glowing blue eyes that sent chills down their spines. Even Amelia trembled despite her brave facade. It was as if an invisible torrent of Mana had hit us all in the face and was trying to push us down to our knees... Amelia bit her lower lip. But don''t overestimate us, you bitch! Astrid continued, "Listen all, and listen well! Whoever is against n Warden being the second inmand of this very guild he founded cane at me with everything you have!" The entire room erupted in expressions andments of surprise. "What is she saying?" "She can''t be serious." "So the whole thing about this n guy being our new First Officer wasn''t a joke?" "Quiet." Marco spoke up, silencing the others. "Astrid..." he called, but his tone sounded personal, as if speaking to a friend rather than a leader. Amelia noticed it and even saw his fists shaking. "Don''t be stupid." Was that a plea? Amelia could only wonder while holding her breath for the scene to unfold. "Tamara," Astrid called out, her gaze fixed on Marco. "Configure the arena''s settings: Leave ''Quick Spawning'' as it is, but turn ''Own Equipment'' Off, and ''Gold Penalty'' to ON!" Everyone felt as though an invisible lifeline had been ripped away. They looked at each other, nervous of what wasing, but all felt the same way: exposed, vulnerable, and aware of the imminent danger. "That bitch. I can''t get my gear," Amelia heard William the Stoic mutter behind her. She instinctively checked for her choker, fearing it might be gone, and sighed in relief once she held the gem on it tight. When she turned to Marco, he looked back at her with something akin to dread in his eyes. "Helen!" Astrid called. "Give me the list of those responsible for this!" Amelia watched Helen smirk, not uttering a single name. That''s because they''re nowmunicating through private Party Chat! "Don''t do this, Ms. Bradford!" a guilder cried out, pushing others aside. "Please open the gates! Some of us didn''t eveny a finger on him!" The Guild Master stared at him with cold blue eyes. "So what? Should I let the rest of you go? Is that what you''re suggesting?" A zing red aura surrounded her body. Even the tiled floor beneath her boots cracked, as if she had gained mass. "You didn''t hurt him. You only watched, am I right?" Astrid tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "And yet, you all did nothing to stop this..." "She''s nuts!" Amelia''s best friend, Karen Svensson hissed in Marco''s ear. "She''s not nning to take us all on at once, is she?! All because of THAT guy?!" "That''s exactly what she''s nning," Marco replied softly, turning to address the crowd, raising his voice. "Do you still have doubts about the new direction this guild is taking?! She''s chosen aplete stranger to lead us¡ªan inexperienced fool who will be the ruin of us! And worst of all, she''s decided to squander your hard-earned gold! Are you going to let her do this, just like that?!" Marco''s words had their effect. The entire group shifted their weight and assumed a battle stance. He had been right all along, and they had seen it with their own eyes. Besides, what was Astrid Bradford thinking? Although she was a Top Tier Ranker, it was impossible for her to fight every single guilder in that room. Simply put, there was no way she could do that. If she was also risking her wallet¡ªthe fortune of a renowned Guild Master, no less¡ªso be it! "Do you see that, Astrid?" Marco said, pointing at the 32 guild members behind him. "We won''t apologize." "Not that it matters," the blonde said in a low voice before vanishing from sight. All of Amelia''s senses were on high alert in an instant. "WATCH OUT!" The redhead dashed to get in front of Marco without thinking. The next thing she knew, Astrid''s forearm was piercing her stomach, and her HP bar was depleting at an rming rate. "So you''re first, huh?" Astrid whispered in her ear. "Fine by me. You were the next on my list anyway... Au revoir, Lamme." Chapter 12: Finally, a place to call home?

Chapter 12: Finally, a ce to call home?

It started as a group of shadows pursuing him, yelling unintelligible things at him. I can only hear their grunts, but I know they hate me. n saw himself running through brick corridors lit by torches. The ce reeked of blood and oil. Itsyout, strangely simr to the Santa Mar¨ªa''s engine area. When he came to a dead end, he turned around to face them, but no matter what he tried, the ck silhouettes in front of him were indiscernible. Then, a giant hand rescued him from the hellishbyrinth and held him aloft. n could only distinguish a pair of enormous cial blue eyes inspecting him as if he was an insect. "Don''t stare at me like that, you creep..." He was put inside a ss bottle and got discarded, so that time itself would also forget all about him. Sitting hopelessly while hugging his own legs for eternity fitted him. Written in cursive, abel on the bottle read: ''Forgotten.'' "It should say ''unloved'' instead, but that''s okay too," he said to himself. A girly giggle answered back soon after. "Unloved, huh? I could fix that..." It was a voice from inside the bottle, but n looked at his surroundings, finding nothing. "I''m here, silly, inside of you." He stared at the crystal wall behind him, and the reflection stared back, but it was not his. A girl with red skin and golden eyes was looking back at him. She giggled again, and reached out a hand, seemingly escaping from whatever mirror dimension she had been sealed in. "What the hell?!" he cried, falling on his back, as she crawled towards him. "Hell? That''s what I call home, handsome." The girl grinned with ck-painted lips that contrasted with her white, gleaming pointy teeth. Once she sat on his crotch, her long, red hair moved on its own like a group of silky snakes, tying him up. Although captive, his fear quickly turned into arousal. She''s clearly evil, but I wouldn''t mind getting eaten by her. Even her demonic horns look pretty... "That''s the spirit..." she said in a soft, enticing voice, while grinding her hips against his. At her every movement, her stacked bosom, barely covered by a ck leather bikini, wiggled as a way to mesmerize him, in the same way a cobra does with its prey. "Unlike HER, I''ll let you stare all you want. You''ll just have to pay the price..." She leaned forward, seemingly looking for a kiss, but with a loud hiss, bit his neck instead. Blood sprouted like a fountain, filling the bottle and blocking the view from any potential peeper. The thought: This isn''t such a bad way to die, echoed through his head until he opened his eyes. Huh? n found himself soaked in sweat, lying on a bed that smelled ofvender, in a room he did not recognize. "Dreaming inside a lucid dream... It''s so... freaking confusing... Does subi exist in this digital world?" The images from his dream were still clear in his mind, and the warm sensation of that devilish redhead biting his neck still haunted him. Something between his legs got his attention. The awakened little buddy beneath his underwear seemed to say: ''Quite scary at first, but it ended up being a pretty neat dream, huh? Wanna y with me while it''s still fresh in our memory?'' He cringed, forming fists. ''This isn''t such a bad way to die''?! Are you kidding me?! He tore at his hair, and started rolling on the bed, shouting: "Disgusting, disgusting! These kinds of fetishes are harmful for my pure, innocent mind! Did you hear me?! Forget all about it or I''ll never y with you ever again!" Panting, he buried his flushed face against the pillow. This is what I get after months with no human contact... Especially female contact! Admiring Ashley''s cuteness was fine at the beginning, but all these fully developed women''s bodies are on a whole different level! His mind shed with the few glimpses he caught of The Redhead''s ck tight dress fromst night. After being surrounded by rough, metallic surfaces, 60-feet mechas, service robots, and digital panels for 8 straight months, finally being able to watch healthy¡ªand by healthy I mean big¡ªbreasts, feels like returning to being human again! He sighed while looking at the ceiling. Cleavages are the best... All worth it... After finally venting out, he inspected the room. The light of the Novus sun entered through the window and reflected on the wood-patterned tiled floor. In front of him were plenty of furniture at his disposal, and arge, oval mirror from which his reflection stared back. But this time, nothing wille out of it... Right? He stood up and looked through the window, finding tall buildings and busy streets to explore. This is a real city... Unus Town could neverpete with this. ncing at the furniture again, he noticed a yellow piece of paper stuck to a drawer. It read: ''Open me.'' Inside, he found a pair of white sneakers, ck baggy pants, a red sporty jacket, and another note: ''I hope you like them.'' The signature, a star. With a single tap, he got fully dressed in a couple of seconds. He checked his reflection, nodding approvingly. Even though I slept like a rock, these things haven''t vanished yet, he thought, examining the ck bags under his eyes. Doesn''t matter. Disregarding that and the fact that I need a haircut, I''m looking good! "Thanks, Astrid. I know you got this for me..." He chuckled. "She really looked good yesterday, didn''t she?" I know that even if I found The Novus engulfed in mes, you were going to be safe and sound, no matter what. But actually seeing you, proud and beautiful as always, melts my heart. Thank god! While forming a smile on his lips, the memory of the alluring demoness from his dream hijacked his mind. That face... I remember her now... Amelia... The gal that killed me repeatedlyst night... Feeling guilty and angry with himself at the same time, he stared right into his own reflection''s eyes and punched himself hard in the cheek. "Deserved," he mumbled to himself as he exited the room. Outside, a girl quickly swiped her User Interface out of sight and beamed at him. "Good morning, n Warden! The Guild Master has instructed me to... uh..." She squinted at him. "What happened to your face?" "Hi. Please don''t mind it. I was just¡ªWait..." He suddenly blushed. "If you''ve been here all this time, you didn''t hear me yelling a moment ago, did you?" The girl stared at him, confused for a second, before shaking her head vigorously. "What? No! Of course not! These walls are quite thick! I didn''t hear a thing!" She heard it all... "But that looks like a very nasty bruise," she continued, staring at his cheek. "Let me heal you." "No, thank you. That would defeat its purpose." "All right then," the girl with ck hair and twin tails said with a warm smile. "My name is Tamara Morin. We couldn''t introduce ourselvesst night since we met in a very hectic, brief way." He frowned. "Huh? We did?" She blinked repeatedly before looking away. "Oh, I see. S-Sorry, n. Forget what I just said, please." What is she talking about? n thought while taking that opportunity to inspect her figure. Beneath the blue cape and white robe, he could see a feminine petite figure. Almost the same frame as Isabe II... I mean, Ashley... n then stared at Tamara''s young features, making her tilt her head. Would Ashley look as friendly as this girl if she acted like a regr human being? "Is something on my face, too?" she asked. "What were you saying about the Guild Master?" "Right! Listen, Astrid instructed me to give you this message." Tamara opened her User Interface and made a video window appear in front of n. A recorded Astrid could be seen walking nonstop through a corridor, giving her back to the camera. ---------------------------------- "Tammie, I have to go. Tell n I won''t be able to show him around, but that we can have dinner tonight. In the meantime, I''ll let you be in charge of protecting him today. Understood? I don''t want a repeat of what happenedst night... or EVER." "Yes, Guild Master..." "Great. Thanks Tammie. I owe you¡ªTAM! Are you recording me again?! Do not show this to¡ª!" ------------------------------- "I love it when she calls me ''Tam''," Tamara whispered. A blushed, dreamy expression on her face. "She looked quite busy..." n whispered, grabbing the cloth around his chest. It''s okay. I''m finally here. We''ll have plenty of time to hang outter on. He then turned his gaze towards the smiling girl. And I also need to reunite with Ashley. "Tamara, is it possible to send a message to someone I''ve been traveling withtely? Does my User Interface keep a record of everyone I meet?" Tamara tilted her head slightly. "No, I don''t think so. That sounds more like what an Administrator would keep track of. Do you know the name of this person?" "Only her first name, sadly. And with that alone, I can''t add her to my friends list." "Bummer..." she said, pouting her lips. Even if I couldmunicate with someone from Unus Town like Monique Ascencio to keep an eye on Ashley, I''m pretty sure that she would charge me and increase my debt. Besides, I told Ashley to wait for me at the Renoviato Caves. She doesn''t have a reason to leave without me. At least I hope so... "Okay, another question. Is there a way to get in contact with an Administrator?" "Unfortunately, they only talk in person with their Moderators, and they''re a different can of worms, believe me! The only reason we know the Admins even exist is because they asionally make live announcements about some important update or big event. But, n, even if you get in contact with one, I doubt they''ll help you find your friend." n scrutinized her youthful face. She seemed like the very first honest person he had crossed paths with since he logged back. Astrid trusts her. That''s all I need to know. "Thanks for all this info, Tamara." "Was I really that helpful? I just said what I know." "No, really, you truly cleared my doubts." "d to help!" "So, by Astrid''s orders, you''re stuck with me today." "That''s right! Do you like pancakes? Follow me!" Tamara beamed and led the way, leaving behind a trail of flower''s scent. "You can order breakfast from your room and an NPC will bring it to you, but it''s more fun to eat at the cafeteria." As they walked through a corridor long enough to hold close to a hundred windows, n could see a pool outside, where some Guilders were having a privatepetition. Beyond it were the training grounds, where n witnessed someone magically bring a 32-feet tall bipedal dinosaur that bowed to its master. n stood in awe, wondering if he could also use the facilities and maybe finally learn how to use his stupid sword. His gaze thennded on a crumbling building in the distance as if it was calling him. It no longer had a rooftop, and through a crack in the wall, he could distinguish the familiar monument of a lion. "This way, n," Tamara called, urging him to catch up with her. "Do you like what you see? Our headquarters has all an adventurer could wish for. We have plenty of training areas for whatever field you''d wish to master, and... Look over there. That''s one of the Damage Calctor rooms. Say good morning to Karen and Faiza!" n looked in the pointed direction where two girls were about to enter. The tall, ck-haired one noticed the two approaching and grimaced after crossing eyes with n. The short one with a drowsy expression on her face, as if she had just awakened, faintly waved back at Tamara before closing the door. "Where was I?" Tamara continued. "Yes! Tell me, n, is there any ss you''d wish to learn or perfect?" "You want the truth?" "Sure! Shoot!" "At the beginning, I wanted to be a swordmaster, and Astrid always cheered me on about it, but I quickly discovered that I sucked at it. Maybe I could take a nce at the other sses avable and find something that really fits¡ª" What am I doing? I said too much. He shut his eyes, blushing. Tamara looked away, pretending not to notice. "We can visit the library after breakfast, then. Hey! Let''s take a brief detour to show you my favorite ce in all the HQ. Come!" This girl is too damn polite, n thought, following her lead towards a short corridor. "This is the Trophy Room!" she continued as she entered arge room decorated with framed videos. "Every Shooting Star can immortalize their most fine hour by hanging a¡ª" She pursed her lips after recognizing who was there. Marco Souza, the man that had rallied a third of the guild against n, was standing in front of the monument of a winged lion; By his side, a muscr guy and a childish-looking teenager. The big one is William, the first guy that killed me. And the young one is Matt, the one that broke my fingers while on our way to this city. n noticed that Matt was manipting a system menuing out of the monument. It seemed to be the room''s control panel, for a framed video disappeared out of the corner of n''s eye, and then another on the front wall. Are they rearranging them? n met eyes with Marco, who smiled gently at him, contrasting William''s re. Why are you smiling at me, you¡ª?! "A-anyway, the cafeteria is right this way, n," Tamara said anxiously as she pulled him by the hand. The feeling of her soft hand immediately triggered something in n''s brain, for a scene shed in front of his eyes: He saw Tamara''s distressed face, she seemed to be looking at someone else, as a blinding light came out of her hand. Thest thing he remembered was a warm feeling embracing him, and something resembling a bubble protecting him from a sea of fire. What the hell was that? It looked nothing like a dream. That really happened. But when? He looked down until watching his own steps. As a matter of fact, I don''t remember anything from yesterday after Astrid arrived. Chapter 13: Finally, a place to call home? (Part 2)

Chapter 13: Finally, a ce to call home? (Part 2)

n realized how hungry he was when the smell of melted butter and coffee reached him. In the cafeteria, about twenty people were chatting while enjoying scrambled eggs, bacon, orange juice, and tea. This reminds me of the lively recreational rooms from the Alvearium Enterprise HQ. The teens who wouldter be the Santa Mar¨ªa''s passengers spent some time there, getting to know each other before leaving Earth. So nostalgic. I met Astrid there, and it was the best week I¡ª His smile faded as half the room stared at him. The rest also noticed him once Tamara grabbed his hand to lead him to the food bar. "Come, n," she said, oblivious to the fact that the whole ce had gone silent. Before looking away, n did not recognize any of their faces from the previous night. Which means that word of my return has already spread to the rest of the guild. He looked down at Tamara''s small hand, grabbing him. And who knows if people here support that Marco guy too. The expression Marco had given him in the Trophy Room made him sick. How can you smile like that after what you did to me? With the help of Tamara, n filled a tray with pancakes, coffee, and eggs, and returned to the tables, where people were now whispering to each other while sending him furtive looks. "Hey, Level Five!" a familiar girl waved her hand at him. "Come and sit with us!" Ashley''s killer... Beside her, a long-haired redhead hissed at her: "What the hell are you doing?" And the devil from my dream... n exhaled deeply and walked towards them, ignoring Tamara''s suggestion that they should sit somewhere else. "Hi, ''Kidnapper Girl''," he said, approaching them. "Don''t call me that! You wanted toe here voluntarily, remember? I just helped. And use my name, ''Five''. I''ve already introduced myself yesterday." She waited, but seeing n''s nk face made her groan. "I''m Marissa Lamme! MA-RI-SSA!" "Alright, Marissa. My name is not ''Five''. I''m n," he said as he took a seat, to the dismay of Tamara, who reluctantly joined them. "Mooorning, Tammie." Marissa smirked. "Morning, Marissa... Amelia." Amelia did not answer, pretending to be busy on her User Interface. "Good! The more the merrier!" Marissa pped. "Five, I suppose you already know my sister." "Who?" n frowned, looking in Amelia''s direction. "Wait! Are you guys sisters?" "That''s right," Marissa replied, while stuffing her mouth with food. "The Deadly Flowers of Carce." n kept staring at Amelia, who was changing the color of her lipstick by tapping her User Interface. Her lips changed from pink to blue to ck. Marissa swallowed her food before giggling. "Do you like what you see?" Hearing that made n blink repeatedly and shake his head. "I-I wasn''t--" "Tam is showing you the facilities, isn''t she? Do you like what you''ve seen so far?" "R-Right! Very impressive ce! I can''t imagine how much you''ve all inves--" After deciding to wear a dark crimson shade of lipstick, Amelia snapped her fingers, making her breakfast catch fire and burn into a crisp. "I''ve lost my appetite." She then stood up and passed by n without ncing at him. Seeing that fruit sdbust reminded him of how painful dying by her pyromancy was. What was I thinking? Just because I had a wet dream about her doesn''t change the fact that she opposes me being here... He closed his fist under the table. What am I even doing here? "Tamara. Punch me," he blurted out. "W-what?! Why wou¡ªI mean, NO!" "Can I do it?" Marissa raised her hand like a child. "No, Marissa, you''ll kill him!" "It''ll be a small hit using my index finger, I promise." "Do it," n said. "Before I change my mind." Both of them nodded at each other and leaned forward. "You know..." Marissa whispered, while holding her finger in front of his forehead. "I kind of get the idea why you''re punishing yourself..." After n gave her a puzzled look, he noticed Marissas''s finger glowing with a red aura. Crap... I''m regretting alre¡ª "OUCH! Holy shit!" The hit took away 20% of his health. "That looks like fun," a high-pitched male voice said, giggling, as he approached their table. While still holding his forehead, n recognized the tall pale guy wearing a monocle and a business suit. He''s one of Marco''s followers. This guy didn''t punch me, but enjoyed pping me instead. He killed me twice while keeping a nasty grin on his face. "Do you need something, Jason?" Tamara asked aloud, and n noticed her tone of voice changing from joyous to severe. "I''m just here to have a quick word with our guild founder. It won''t take much of your precious breakfast time, I promise." Jason then put his left hand against his chest and turned to n. "Mr. Warden, I''m Jason Foreman, Shooting Stars'' Treasury Secretary, and your humble servant. L-Listen, I''ll go straight to the point. I was the one that screwed up yesterday. Remember the whole fiasco about the money our First Guild Officer, Marco Souza, alleged you stole?" Jason then grimaced, showing something resembling diamonds encrusted in his teeth. "Y-Yeah... Sorry, Founder. That was on me." n''s first reaction was to nce at his other two acquaintances. Marissa seemed to be enjoying the show, calmly sipping coffee, and Tamara looked tense and her facial features looked rigid. "What do you mean?" n asked cautiously, as Jason smiled apologetically. "It''s pretty simple. It was my fault. identally, of course! Yesterday, I didn''t know that we had a new First Officer in town! And in my stupidity," Jason hit his forehead with his palm, "I just filtered the guild members'' list by rank and sent the gold to you without giving it a second thought! When I realized my mistake, I sent a im to withdraw the gold from your ount to resolve the issue." He chuckled, putting both hands on his hips. "What a mess, huh?" "Is there something else you need to add?" Tamara asked dryly, prompting Jason to correct his posture. "Right." He cleared his throat. "I owe you an apology, Founder. I promise you, no, I swear that as long as I work here, you''ll never see a mistake like that ever again." n took a peek at the other tables. Was everyone in that ce watching? What am I supposed to do?! Smile and say: ''Try to be more careful next time, silly you''?! Fuck off, you, monocle weirdo! Wait... Something doesn''t add up about his story. "It''s okay, pal." n forced himself to smile. "Try to be more careful next time. All right?" n noticed a grimace briefly forming on Jason''s lips that quickly faded. "But of course, Founder. It won''t happen again. Now, if you excuse me. Ah, by the way, try the chocte muffins. They''re to die for." "That apology didn''t feel sincere at all," nmented as he watched the guy walk away. "Marco Souza was angry at me for supposedly stealing his gold, right?" "That''s what he said," Marissa responded, sighing. "That''s how he convinced the righteous Oscar to find you and bring you here. Matt only went to ensure Oscar didn''t screw up, and I went because I wanted to be close to my little teddy bear." "But by the time you showed up, the money had already disappeared." Marissa snickered, shrugging. "We didn''t know that. But you''re right. It''s pretty suspicious, huh. Astrid thinks the same, that''s why she sent Jason flying¡ª" "Marissa..." Tamara called in a stern voice. "Our breakfast has been spoiled already. Could you please talk about something a little nicer?" "Whatever. Is there something you''d like to know, Five?" "Could you..." n began, feeling that his face started to blush. "...talk to me about Astrid?" Chapter 14: Separated Paths

Chapter 14: Separated Paths

"Thanks for ruining my breakfast, you freak," Amelia Lamme mumbled while forming fists that fumed and constantly sparkled. Even her steps left burned footprints on her way to the Damage Calctor Room #3. Since the room was soundproof, the tranquility of the hall was broken once she opened the door, letting out the cry of someone inside: "Do you have any idea how much gold I lostst night?!" "415,000 gold," Amelia replied aloud, shutting the door behind her. "You''ve said it a million times." Karen Svensson, the enraged ck-haired young woman, groaned as a response. She then cast balls of fire, des of ice, and gusts of wind at rapid speed, striking a target 100 feet away from her. Her spells had no finesse and instead looked like out-of-control machine guns. "I''M--SO--SICK--OF--HER!" The white specialized walls were programmed to withstand the attack, but outside of the Damage Calctor room, such magical firepower would have demolished half of the Headquarters. When the elemental witch ran out of mana and the smoke dissipated, a system window appeared above a dancing unscathed mannequin. -------------------- Amazing! Damage Rank: Silver A! -------------------------- "Yeah, that''ll show Astrid," Amelia sneered, sitting on a ck leather cushion in the spectator area. "So, what are you going to do about it? You''re badmouthing our great and valorous Guild Master! She might be stupid and childish, but let''s not forget that she could do that same amount of damage with just one punch." Karen, wearing ck sporty clothes, stomped out of the testing area to yell at her. "Are you being sympathetic to that bitch, Red?!" Amelia''s amber eyes shone with a fiery intensity. "Don''t even joke about it, Karen." A sonorous slurping sound made them turn to Faiza, the dark-skinned girl wearing a panda-themed hoodie, who was vigorously munching ramen next to them. She nced back at both, blinking. "Sorry, did I interrupt your bickering?" She shrugged while mixing her food with her chopsticks. "But Amelia is right. As long as Astrid is our leader, we can''t do shit about it..." She then started mumbling: "We shouldn''t have been there in the first ce. I told you that yesterday... I lost money too, you know?" Karen narrowed her eyes at her, grimacing. "Hey, give me a bite of that." "No way!" Faiza hugged her bowl protectively. "You were the one that said, ''it''s too early to eat ramen''!" "Come ooon! Just a little¡ª" Karen got close enough to snatch the bowl, but was pushed by an aelephant-headed spirit that manifested out of Faiza''s body. "Do you see that?" Faiza pointed at a system window hovering above a coffee table. "That''s the menu! Order yours and leave me alone!" "Fine!" Karen stretched out her arms to her sides. "Someone doesn''t know what sharing means, huh?! Red, since our Lord Marco is taking his sweet time, I''m going to order some ramen. Have you eaten breakfast yet?" "I was going to, but..." Amelia sighed. "Just order ck coffee for me, please." Damn, Ghost. Who the hell does he think he is? Amelia thought, biting her lower lip. Just because Astrid supposedly ''cleared his name'', he thinks he can sit with us so casually? Seriously, Marissa, that was low, even for a prankster like you! Amelia stared at the end of the room, where the dancing mannequin taunted her, ready to test her power. She wondered what rank she would get for stabbing or beheading it with her bare hand, as she did with n the night before. ''Are you guys sisters?'' he had asked, while maintaining a dumb smile on his face. Makes me sick... "That was fast!" Karen beamed at the sight of the male NPC entering to deliver the food. Amelia did not nce at him. She was too busy observing her own hands. The feeling of taking n''s many virtual lives was still palpable. She checked her nail polish and decided that the ck color did not fit her anymore and changed them to red with the help of her User Interface. Red, like his blood... "Here is your coffee, miss," the NPC spoke, but Amelia did not reply. "Just leave it there, sweetheart," Karen said from her seat. "Someone is a little cranky today." Amelia snickered. "Says the one that was popping a vein just minutes ago." She then tapped the coffee mug to disy a temperature slider, maxed it, and gulped it down immediately. "Guys, don''t you think that Ghost''s a story'' is bullshit?" she began. "It''s too convenient," Faiza pointed out, quietly. "Exactly! So what do you think it''s the real story?" Faiza shrugged, hiding her gaze under her hoodie as if she was ready to take a nap. "Maybe he was working outside with the rest of the ship''s staff." Amelia frowned at her. "What makes you think that?" "Aren''t we just guessing?" "Yeah, and you suck at it!" Karen interjected, pointing at Faiza''s face with the chopsticks. "If one of the ship''s engines exploded or something serious like that, why would they choose him to help them out? He''s a teen, just like us. If he was some sort of hotshot engineer or something, he would''ve boasted about itst night!" "I didn''t say that they woke him up to do some important stuff!" Faiza suddenly shouted. "Maybe they just needed a janitor or someone to rub the captain''s shoulders!" Karen vigorously shook her head. "Why are we talking as if ''working outside'' was the only valid theory?" "What do you suggest, then?!" "Don''t ask me! I don''t even know why we''re talking about that piece of crap!" "Astrid literally pissed off a third of the guild because of him," Amelia reminded Karen in a soft voice. "Don''t you want to know why she would risk everything she has built for a guy like him?" "Maybe they used to be ''fuck-friends''! There! That''s my theory! She defended him because he was her little pumpkin." "Astrid with a guy like that?" Faiza loudly sneered. "Please! And you said that I sucked at guessing." "Whatever, who cares! I don''t care! You?!" Karen shouted, furiously mixing her noodles, until noticing Amelia''s lost in thought expression. "Too bad you couldn''t make him talk yesterday, even though you literally tortured him." Karen giggled, pointing at Amelia''s bosom with her gaze. "Maybe he was into it, just to see those balloons of yours wiggle over and over again. Hu-hu." "The guy kinda strikes me as a masochist after all..." Faiza added, embracing herself and shivering. "''Risk everything she has built for a guy like him'', eh?" Karen quoted after slurping noodles, smirking. "One can only hope¡ª" The room''s door opened, prompting Karen to quickly wipe her mouth with her sleeve. "There it is! Wee in!" Marco Souza entered at a calm pace, apanied by his confidants. William The Stoic looked like a bodyguard, Matthew Bernstein crossed eyes with Amelia before nervously looking away, and Jason Foreman quietly giggled as if he had heard a joke inside his head. "Sorry for keeping you waiting,dies," Marco said, slightly bowing, putting his right hand against his chest. "But as you know, organizing all this resulted in quite a challenge." "But you''re bringing us good news, right?" Karen beamed at him. "Are we finally free of that harpy''s ws?" Marco smiled warmly at her for a brief moment, holding the information for a little longer. "Kathleen Maher is awaiting us at the Drinking Banshee, yes." "AT LAST!" Karen cried, ecstatic, dashing towards him to hug him. "I knew you could do it!" "I''ve instructed the rest to go there as soon as they can," Marco continued. "As for you, my most trustedpanions, she has sent for us a special transport. It''ll arrive shortly." "That''s our boss!" Seeing Karen keep embracing Marco made Amelia frown. "It''s so reassuring seeing you here, beautiful," William, the seven-foot-tall hulking man said, sitting beside her. "You made the right choice." "As if I had plenty." She sighed. "I couldn''t bear sharing the same roof as that bitch another day, so..." "Jason, what are you doing here?" Faiza asked, looking at him through her hoodie''s panda eyes that also acted as goggles. "Aren''t you supposed to respawn in like half a day?" Jason giggled while rubbing his hands constantly. "It takes more than a punch of the Golden Bitch to take down this chad." "Or you got lucky thanks to your ''Flip Coin'' Passive Skill," Matthew whispered. "Which only emphasizes how awesome I am!" Jason cried, before invading Marco''s personal space. Even Karen stepped back too. "By the way, Boss, at what time is Kathleen picking us up?" Marco winced as if Jason''s breath had hit his nostrils. "Any moment now," he replied patiently. "Why? Afraid that Astrid will crash through the ceiling again?" I could ask the same to you, Amelia thought, sneering, which did not go unnoticed by Marco. "I seriously think we should go right now," Jason said, making Marco twitch one eye. "Listen... I can''t cancel Kathleen''s ride. Why don''t you rx a little and..." Marco went silent after Jason whispered something in his ear. Even Karen slightly frowned. "You didn''t..." "You aren''t mad at me, are you?" Jason asked, hunching like a grounded kid, but Marco just chuckled. "Not my way of doing things, but I can''t me you for being so... daring... William? Could you escort this fool to the Drinking Banshee? Don''t make any stop and don''t take your eyes off him until you arrive there." "Sure thing, Boss," William said, and leaned towards Amelia before standing up: "Let''s have a drinkter, yes?" he whispered to her. "Can''t wait," she replied, without gazing at him. "I-I''ll go with you, guys," Matthew rushingly said after cautiously ncing at Amelia for the third time. She groaned. Stop looking at me as if I''m going to scorch you, kid! It always happens when you and Marissa have a fight. Did you have a fight? You, little... "Will you wait for Kathleen''s transport, Boss?" William asked as Jason and Matt crossed the exit. "Yes." Marco smirked. "The rest of the guild needs to see ME leaving. That''ll make the cogs in their heads work." As the door closed, Amelia examined Marco''s expression. There was a gleam in his gaze that Amelia had only seen a couple of times. Although he looks like in control of the situation, why do I perceive something else? Marco crossed eyes with her, making her flinch. "There''s still a spot avable for your sister," he said. "I hope she can join us." "Thank you, Lord Marco, I appreciate it." "Did you really convince the ''Snow Diamond'' to receive us?" Karen took the word, embracing him again. "Only you could pull it off. This is like a dreame true!" "It was something that took months in the making," Marco said, chuckling. "Thanks for your confidence in me, Karen." Noticing Amelia''s lost in thought expression, Faiza got closer to whisper in her ear: "''For how long is she going to continue hugging him?'' Is that what you''re thinking?" "You don''t know me that well, Faiza," Amelia replied, rising from her seat to stroll towards the test area, where the dancing mannequin reset the score and waited. She stepped on the designated spot, then focused on the dummy. "Fire Crafting," Amelia intoned, getting surrounded by a fire whirl, hoping that the roaring of the mes could drown Karen''s annoying voice. The spell intensified, giving birth to a ming serpent, which gradually turned into a 10-feet long dragon. Amelia reached out her hand aloft,manding the monster to rise while channeling a fire breath. Her mind superimposed n''s stupid face on the dummy doll. Your entire existence doesn''t matter to me. I couldn''t care less if you were really in aa, or working outside. The only good thing you''ve done for us is give us the little push we needed... She giggled andmanded the dragon tounch an incandescent fire beam. The explosion startled Karen and made Marco purse his lips. Amelia then sent the monster forward while transforming its entire body into a long metallic projectile. With the banging metallic sound of what now was a giantnce, the impact created a shock wave that blew the caster''s hair away, along with the coffee mug and Karen''s bowl of ramen off the coffee table. "I''ll go get my stuff," Amelia said, passing by herpanions. "Bitch..." Karen whispered, watching the test''s results. ------------------------- Outstanding! Damage Rank: Gold E! -------------------------- Chapter 15: Separated Paths (Part 2)

Chapter 15: Separated Paths (Part 2)

It''s called a library, but there are no books here, "So, there''s an Engineer ss, eh," n muttered, consulting a System Screen. "What do they do?" "Is that the ss you''re interested in?" Tamara moved closer to him and read over his shoulder. "Look, it''s divided into three subsses. One specializes in empowering themselves by crafting their own custom weapons, one acts as a support, creating healing and boost devices for their team, and one that allows the User to build their own robotic minions to fight for them." "All of them sound quite interesting," n said, tapping the screen until Marissa''s loud groaning made him cringe. "Are you seriously going to waste all day reading that?" Marissa moaned from her spot, lying upside down on an armchair. "This is your first day in Londorus! You should do fun stuff instead!" "Technically, this is my second day here." "True," Marissa smirked, "but now you''re free to take a tour. What do you say?" Tamara shook her head. "Um, Marissa..." "You know what? I''d love to take a walk around the city," n said, looking expectantly at Tamara. "Londorus is a Safe Zone, Tammie," Marissa insisted. The young mage pursed her lips, as if mentally battling with herself. "F-Fine! But we have to be here before Astrid returns, okay? Remember that you''ll have dinner with her tonight." "Yay!" Marissa beamed, jumping out of her seat. "Where should we go first?" "Before we go, can I copy this Engineer info to my User Interface?" n asked. "You could borrow a book instead!" Tamara smiled at him. "There''s the ''print'' option on the top right corner of the screen. Tap it." n did, and from a crack in the desk, a blue, leather book emerged. "Cool." n tapped the item and saved it inside his inventory. "Let''s go, then!" Marissa sang, marching to the exit, but Tamara pulled her by one arm. "You''re just tagging along because Astrid told you to stay, am I right?" Tamara hissed. "I''m bored and grounded, yes, but I''d rather believe she indirectly told me to keep an eye on his guest wherever he goes," Marissa responded, chuckling. Tamara puffed out her cheeks and let her go. Reaching the front gate took them a couple of minutes, and ignoring the other guild members'' gazes was easier with Marissa by his side. The young woman marched as if she was the real Guild Master, confident and prideful. Even Tamara seemed insignificant beside her. n nced at the petite mage, who walked cautiously as if danger lurked at every corner. When the front double doors opened, n was face to face with a lively city. He walked through the front yard blindly, admiring the motorized vehicles passing at great speed, looking at the street vendors, watching people riding winged beasts. The Victorian buildings looked sturdy and elegant, and all the passersby were good-looking, wearing shiny and colorful clothes. "This resembles a city from Earth, but at the same time, it''s like something out of a fantasy!" "Just watch your step, Five," Marissa said, pulling him by the cor of his jacket, as a sleek, ck car halted in front of the HQ. This thing almost ran me over! "T-Thank you, Marissa." She did not respond, as something at their backs caught her attention. n, along with guild members peering through the windows, followed with their gaze the group of four exiting the building. Marco Souza was leading the group, hands in his ck dragon leather coat pockets, holding the most arrogant smirk in all of The Novus. Two stunning, beautiful women walked by his side, looking more like supermodels than powerful mages. Sporting a navy blue, cocktail dress, Karen Svensson cast a final condescending nce at the surrounding people. Wearing a front zipper, strapless ck leather mini dress, Amelia Lamme tossed her hair behind her shoulder, ignoring everything and everyone. Lastly, Faiza Khalil followed them at the back, hiding her face inside her panda hoodie. Inadvertently, Amelia noticed the three standing on the sidewalk, before getting into the car. "I''ve been looking for you all over the ce. Why weren''t you answering my messages?" Amelia asked Marissa, as herpanions entered the vehicle. She then stretched out a hand to her. "Doesn''t matter. Come. It''s time to go." Marissa moved closer to the astonished Tamara instead and grabbed her hand tightly. "Marissa, what are you doing? It''s now or never," Amelia insisted, tensing her jaw, but her sister did not budge. The redhead''s voice broke: "W-Why?" "She made her choice, Amelia," Marco said loudly from his seat''s window. "Let''s go." Amelia''s expression suddenly turned severe. "Fine. Suit yourself, then." She then red in n''s direction. What the hell was that? n thought while watching the car drive away. * * * * ** * * ** * ** ** "As you can see, Londorus has been modeled after one of the greatest cities of the Old World," Tamara said proudly as they crossed a bridge, but n was too distracted by recent events to reply. He didn''t even notice the hundreds of gazes fixed on the single-digit number above his head. Several people tried to approach him, but Marissa scared them away with just a re. "Can we go to ''Jack Robins''?" she suddenly asked in a small voice. "I have a craving for a milkshake." It''s the first thing she''s said since we left the guild''s HQ. She''s asking as if she were a child. n caught Tamara''s gaze and nodded. "Sounds great!" Minutester, n thought they were entering a kids'' store. What am I thinking? There are no kids on this spaceship. WE WERE thest kids on Earth. The pastel colors dominated every wall of the establishment, as well as the NPC''s uniforms, and the ice cream cups. He squinted as if the brightness hurt his eyes. Pink. Everywhere you look. "Here you go, n," Tamara said, handing him a chocte ice cream cone, which he inspected before tasting it. I''ve changed my mind... I love this ce. Turning around, he watched Marissa already gulping her dessert absentmindedly. "Do you... want to talk about it?" he whispered to her, but the strawberry blonde responded by hitting his forehead with her index finger. "ARGH! W-what was that for?!" "Shut up. It''s kind of your fault, you know?" "My fault? What are you talking about?!" ------------------------------- "Hello, my dear space conquerors! Are you feeling Cosmic today?! Let me hear you, people of Iregorn!" ------------------------- What''s that? n looked around until he spotted a video screen at the back of the establishment. A pink-haired girl wearing a gleaming purple dress was addressing the camera. Her smile was wide and charming, her mannerisms mesmerizing, and her body captivating. If space were a kingdom, she would be its queen... "Hey, I know her. I watched one of her music videos yesterday. And I think she''s also amentator? I''m not sure. What''s her name?" "Miss Cosmica!" Tamara replied from her spot near the cash register. "She''s awesome!" The idol danced and sang alongside another young woman, wearing a matching dress. A banner at the bottom of the screen read: ''Live from Iregorn - Burning Love Summer Tour''. "And the gal dancing with her is Consteline," Tamara continued, taking a seat. Beside n, Marissa slurped her milkshake loudly, finished her drink, and started tapping on her User Interface. "Neat names," nmented, ncing at the five-liter ice cream cup Tamara had brought. "Are you really going to eat all that?" "Of course. Why?" Secondster, n received a System notification. ---------------------- Marissa Lamme has sent you a Friend Request! ---------------------- Huh? n turned to Marissa, who continued tapping on her interface. Once he epted, another request popped up in his field of vision. ----------------------- Marissa Lamme wants to start a Party Chat. --------------------------- "Why are you not--?" Marissa pinched his leg under the table, making him flinch. Confused, he nced at Tamara, who was obscured by the ice cream cup. He reluctantly epted. (Don''t say a thing out loud,) Marissa''s voice echoed in n''s head. (If you filter your thoughts, we can talk privately using this.) "How--?" he began out loud, shut himself, and cleared his throat. Imagining himself talking inside his head, he asked, (Like this?) (Yeah, that''s it.) (Woah! This is like telepathy! Awesome!) (I''d call it handy.) n nced at Tamara again. (Why don''t people talk like this all the time, then?) (It''s considered rude.) (Figures. But aren''t we being rude to Tamara, then?) "Did you enjoy your ice cream?" Tamara suddenly asked. "Chocte is a no-brainer." (Yes!) He shook his head. "I mean, yes! I''m d we came." (You were asking if I wanted to ''talk about it'', so here we go,) Marissa continued. (I just don''t want Tamara to listen. I mean, she''s a cool gal, and I trust her, but...) (Okay, I''m all ears. Or brains. Get it?) (Shut up.) Marissa took a deep breath. (If you ever wanted to take revenge on Marco and the rest ofst night''s ''weing party'', you''re out of luck.) She locked eyes with him. (Marco and his most loyal followers quit the guild today.) "WHAT?!" "What''s wrong, n?" Marissa asked before Tamara could. "I... saw someone identical to Miss Cosmica outside." "She''s performing live on Iregorn, n," Tamara said. "But I wouldn''t be surprised. Since her debut, her look has be popr among the Novus'' youth. No one rocked the pink-hair style as well as she does now." "I see. It was a look-alike then..." He chuckled before returning to the Party Chat. (Marissa, there''s something I need to know and Tamara seems reluctant to speak about it. What happenedst night after Astrid showed up?) (Tamara would say that ignorance is a blessing...) (Hey! You were the one who started this private conversation and told me this was all my fault...) (I said that, didn''t I? Well, let''s say that the reason all of these jerks quit was that they didn''t like being punished by Astrid yesterday. And by ''punished'' I mean OBLITERATED. It was glorious! It''s pretty well known that Astrid is super ruthless, butst night she took it to the next level!) (I thought you weren''t therest night.) (I wasn''t, but Helen told me every single detail. She''s the one who informed Astrid about Marco''s private party and saved your level-five butt.) She giggled. (She even captured video ofst night''s highlights. For instance...) n received a file through their private chat. By opening it, a video window popped up inside his line of vision. n watched in disbelief as Astrid disposed of Amelia Lamme with shocking ease, impaling her in the stomach. It was reminiscent of how the very same redhead had taken away many of his virtual lives. The video that Marissa had shared with him was quite graphic. He witnessed the exact moment Astrid pulled her arm out and Amelia copsed lifelessly into the floor before ending. Marissa slurped her milkshake loudly while exining, (As you can see, Astrid saw Marco''s actions as a betrayal. As the First Officer, he convinced a third of the guild to turn against you and Shooting Stars'' principles, ording to her.) I knew it! I knew Astrid wasn''t involved in all this! Marissa continued, (Oh, I forgot to mention that Astrid told everyone the reason for your three-year absence.) n broke out in a cold sweat. (She... did?) (Yeah, she told us all about youratose state. That Cryosleep isn''t perfect, and that it can induce aa in one person out of 10,000, or something like that? Whatever. Since Marco wasn''t going to back off nor apologize for what he did... Well...) She looked him in the eyes. (Hell broke loose shortly after. Astrid threatened to KILL them all as punishment, and High-Levelers don''t like that ''word''. Can you wonder why?) (If I remember right, you lose a portion of your gold when you die.) (Correct. Half of your gold to be precise. Imagine what that means for a High-Level User.) (Did she really fight out everyone who was involved?) (Hard to believe? Here''s another instance featuring Jason Foreman. Let me show you Astrid''s reaction when she found out about the whole gold fiasco. You''re going to love it!) n received another file through their private chat. Upon opening it, a video window popped up inside his line of vision, showing Astrid punching anky guy and sending him crashing against the nearest wall. The video''s sound suggested that the victim continued traveling outside of the HQ''s grounds. (Was that Jason? The monocle guy from earlier?) (Yep. You know, now that I think about it, it surprises me that he survived that. Whatever. This is what happened next, you''re gonna love it!) In the second video, a spectacle of blue and red lights, initially mesmerizing, turned into a hellish show. It was impossible for the camera to keep track of all the chaos, but n discerned what seemed to be silhouettes attacking each other. But no... They''re all attacking a single individual... Holy Space Jeezus. The camera turned to its side, where Tamara could be seen reaching out her hand to the air. (Please, tell me your shield willst!) a voice said, out of view. (We''re safe!) the recorded Tamara replied in a distressed voice. (It has to endure! He has suffered enough!) The camera then looked down, focusing on a dormant n, resting in Tamara''sp. Is this what I suddenly remembered hours ago? It must be. So Tamara and this other girl, Helen, I suppose, were protecting me while... that happened. He continued watching the recorded battle unfolding a few feet away from them and swallowed. (So... What we saw an hour ago outside HQ...) (Amelia wanted me to join Marco''s new guild.) (And you rejected the offer. That''s why she looked so hurt. You sisters won''t be able to hang out anymore--) (Hey! I was hurt, too!) (You''re right, sorry. But what''s going to happen to Shooting Stars now? Wasn''t Marco the First Officer?) (Guilds are created, disbanded, and merged all the time, Five. Astrid will find someone who can fill the role in a heartbeat, trust me... Unless you want the job.) She smirked, causing n to fall silent for a moment. Consequently, he received a barrage of noises and unintelligible words through their chat. (Gosh, clear your thoughts, Five!) (Where is he now?) he asked. (Who? Marco? I thought you''d ask about my sister... Wait. Why are you asking that?) (There''s something I need to talk about with him.) (You''re not nning something stupid, are you?) she asked. n did not respond, but something in his eyes made Marissa chuckle. (Okay, then. There is someone I need to see, too. Hurry, mention that you''re thirsty.) (Just like that? Um, okay.) "Tamara, don''t you feel thirsty after eating all that ice cream?" n asked. He could finally see the petite girl after she had consumed half of the cup. (Come on, n, another push.) "Because I need a drink! You know what I mean?" Tamara narrowed her eyes at both, especially at Marissa. "If that''s what you want, how about the Drinking Banshee?" Marissa suggested. Tamara put the spoon down on the cup, exhaled, and responded in a deeper tone of voice: "COUNT ME IN." Oh, god. What have we done? Chapter 16: Looking for Trouble

Chapter 16: Looking for Trouble

Marissa''s ck lynx,rge enough to carry two people, soared through the sky with impressive speed. (Come on, Five! Stop burying your face in my back and take a good look at the city. Low-Levelers like you rarely get such a view!) (I-I''m trying...) n managed to say through Party Chat. The wind pped his face the moment he dared to peek down at Londorus. The expansive city was a bustling blend of mansions, diverse establishments, stadiums, parks, and public training grounds, each spaced generously from the next. ording to my mentor, Earth''s cities were packed like sardines a century ago. It''s hard to imagine, but why would my mentor lie? 1,000,000... That''s the Novus poption. Even if only ten thousand people live here, it already feels full of life. **** "n Warden..." Isabe had said before he entered the cryo-pod... ***** "It''s time for you to learn what happened to the Santa Mar¨ªa''s crew..." He also recalled the earlier scene: Amelia stretching out her hand to her sister, and Marissa rejecting the offer. It''s soforting to see that the only conflicts you all know are regr problems like these. Disagreements are nothingpared to what humanity has already suffered. I relentlessly worked for eight months so that people like you could have adventures, eat delicious food, and be free to do whatever you want... His mind was filled with the many hostile nces other guilders threw at him. His body trembled, recalling a fraction of the many painful deaths he experienced. And yet... n shut his eyes, leaned his face against Marissa''s back, and exhaled, thinking of his Guild Master. I want to keep this peace as long as I can. (Five, are you smelling my hair?) (Huh? Nooo...) A little... Can''t help it... She smells of cherries. (Do I have to remind you what the rules of being my copilot were?) (''Don''t grope, don''t puke, don''t fall'', right?) he replied. (But I''m not¡ª) (Let''s do a barrel roll. Just for the fun of it!) (N-No thanks, I''m¡ªwaaaah!) (Here we gooo!) Marissa maneuvered her flying feline beast in a spiral trajectory, forcing n to embrace her waist more tightly. (Did you like it, Five?) sheughed out loud, as n swallowed his vomit. It''s so weird to be ''friends'' with the person who killed the only ally I have. Herughter is like that of a child. Like an annoying little sis-- He suddenly shook his head to get rid of those thoughts and open his User Interface. ------------------ FRIEND LIST / STATUS -------------------- ASTRID BRADFORD - Online MARISSA LAFLAMME - Online MONIQUE ASCENCIO - Online -------------------- He nced at Tamara, riding her own mount and keeping her distance. She was sitting with her legs crossed while finishing the rest of her ice cream. (Can I ask you something, Marissa?) (What is it now?) (Why didn''t you stay with the othersst night? You know, when they were...) (It didn''t look fun to kill you over and over again. Remember Mathew, the healer? I preferred to spend my night making out with him.) With everything that has happenedtely, I forgot I haven''t kissed a girl yet¡ªI mean... Focus, n, focus! (It didn''t seem that way yesterday,) he continued, (And after what happened an hour ago, it''s clear now. You stayed a ''Shooting Star'' because you don''t get along with Marco and his followers. Am I right?) Marissa chuckled bitterly after remaining silent for a bit. (I''d love to answer, but we have arrived. So... Let''s do a ''nosedive''!) (Oh,e oooooon!) As the lynx flew downward, n repeated Marissa''s rules in his head. Don''t grope, don''t puke, don''t fall! You really are a brat! An annoying little¡ª (You''re not wrong though...) she said, ordering her lynx to open its wings andnd safely at thest second. "We''re here. You made it in one piece, Five." n jumped down in a hurry and ced his forehead against the ground as if it was sacred. "Oh, thank god!" "Did you enjoy the ride, baby boy?" "OF COURSE NOT! I-I felt like I''d die at any moment and I almost peed my pants!" "Is this the ce?" Tamara asked ecstatically,nding calmly beside them. "I''ve never heard of this ce but it looks like fun!" she beamed, pping. "Shall we, n?" She turned to him, showing she was drooling. As he stood up, hispanions ordered their winged felines to disappear inside a jewel that they stored in their inventory absently. Neat, he thought, before turning his gaze towards the three-story brick Tudor-style building. Located at the western edge of the city, with no other neighboring buildings within a 1500 feet radius, it looked as if it wanted to distance itself from Londorus itself. And yet, it looks like it could fit everywhere in the city just fine. (Listen, we''re partners in crime on this, so keep Tamara busy while I look for someone. He surely knows where Marco is,) Marissa said privately as they crossed the lobby, decorated with dissected monster heads. (Okay, I count on--) n nced back, but the girl was nowhere to be found. (And I would keep my head down for as long as possible if I were you. There must be a lot of Ex-Shooting Stars here. The ones that hate you.) (You''re telling me that now?!) He halted at the sight of a ce full of people. Just by looking at the nearest tables, he could recognize at least three guilders easily. (That''s the guy that threw a weapon at me as a joke!) (Calm down. They won''t be able to read your level if they can''t see your face. I could have lent you one of my cloaking artifacts, but your level it''s too low to use them. So... It''s time to prove that you can be a strong-willed First Officer! Good luck.) A strong-will¡ªOh, for the love of...! Goddammit! He instinctively covered his mouth with the cor of his jacket, but knew he would only gather attention. "Oh, it''s already crowded. But look, we can sit at the bar," Tamara said, leading the way, and n wished she was taller so he could hide behind her back. It''s not a bad idea... He leaned forward, grabbed her by the shoulders and whispered in her ear. "Thanks for everything you''ve done for me today." "No problem. I''m having fun. Besides, I''ve always wanted to know you." "Really? Wow! Um..." His gaze locked on a napkin on the edge of a near table, which he snatched without someone noticing. He covered his nose and mouth with it. "Does that mean that Astrid used to talk about me all the time?" "Now that I think about it, in the two years I''ve been in the guild, she barely mentioned you at all!" (ARGH! C-critical hit to my heart! I-I don''t need to nce at my HP to know that it dropped to 10%!) (Ouch, that hurt...) Marissamented. (But she''s telling the truth. Tamara isn''t trying to be mean. Five, she''s just that honest...) (How reassuring...) Once they reached the bar, n was giving the back to almost fifty people. Even if not all of them are Ex-Shooting Stars, it only takes one of them to ruin everything. Is doing this even worth it? His mind reminded him of Marco''s wide smirk while walking out of the HQ. Oh, right... He formed fists. "What can I get you?" a human male bartender asked Tamara and squinted at n, who was covering his nose. "What''s wrong with you?" "Don''t mind me, I just have a..." He thought of his excuse for a second. "Allergy..." he mumbled. "A what now?" The bartender grimaced. (There are no allergies in The Novus, Five...) "What could have triggered it?" Tamara asked, pouting. "Excuse me, Tamara, I-I''m going to the bathroom." "Sure! I''ll be right here." "That way." The bartender pointed to his right, still staring at him. (Nice getaway, Five. Why didn''t you tell me you were great at stealth? Have you considered being a Rogue? I could teach you a thing or two.) (Shut up.) He passed by three other upied tables, feeling hundreds of eyes examining his every move, but once he reached the pointed corridor, he rxed his shoulders. (This is harder than I thought! I''ll go hide in the bathroom while you find Marco, okay?) (Yeah, yeah, leave it to me.) n followed the signs while still covering his nose with his left hand, and ignored the gaze of someone passing by him, wearing strawberry perfume. Mmm... This smell is kind of familiar... Five more steps and he would enter the restroom. "Hold on," a woman said behind him while grabbing his right wrist. It was someone strong enough to stop him in his tracks and force him to turn around. A pair of amber eyes then scrutinized him for a second. Of all people, the worst imaginable person had to find me first! She pulled his other hand, revealing his face, and n found himself at a loss of words. Saying nothing either, she wrinkled her nose and pulled n inside the women''s restroom, where she pushed him towards the sinks. "Amelia, please¡ª!" "There''s not a single thing you could say that could justify you being here," she said in a controlled voice, although the gleam in her eyes was full of killing intent. She ced her hand on the door for a couple of seconds, before revealing that she had created a rustic ck lock, out of thin air. "But I don''t want you to think that I''m unreasonable." She chuckled. "So I''ll give you ten seconds to exin yourself. Depending on your answer, I may even send you back to Londorus myself. Shooting Stars'' HQ is still yourst checkpoint, isn''t it?" That''s the most terrifying smile I''ve ever seen! "T-trust me, I wouldn''t be here if I didn''t have a good reason!" "Eight..." "Hold on! I just want to talk to Marco! I mean, I need to talk to him about¡ª!" "Five..." she said, forming a ball of fire in her palm. "Oh,e on! I heard he quit the guild, so this might be my only chance¡ª" "Two..." She took a step forward. "I won''t be able to move on if I don''t speak to him!" He shut his eyes, ready to suffer the burning of his skin and bones, but Amelia did not throw her spell. She was staring at him with a troubled face. "What does that even mean?" "S-sorry, but I can''t tell you..." "I said no bullshit!" Her eyes were as fierce as those of a predator, which made n step back, remembering how ruthless she could be. "I''m sorry, Amelia, I know you''re his confidant, but this is something between¡ª!" n''s voice died as Amelia grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. His HP dropped considerably as her long nails drew blood. "Is this all a joke to you?! I barely know you, n Warden, but I can already tell that you don''t care about anything! You disgust me!" "W-wh-at?" "Look at your actions! After what happened to youst night, youe here looking for more?! And worse of all, even though you know you''re useless, here you are, expecting Lord Marco to listen to your charade! If you want to make a clown out of yourself, fine, I don''t care! But can you at least think of the consequences of your recklessness first?!" "W-we''re¡ªimmortals¡ªhere! T-there''s¡ªno¡ªconse¡ª!" "That''s what an amateur would say!" she cried, pushing him against the white-tiled wall. "Every time you die, your money gets cut in half. Amass a great capital and you''ll start picking your fights more carefully. Without money, you can''t gear yourself, can''t buy a house, travel, or eat well. Make enemies out of anyone with thatid-back mind of yours, and people will start harassing you, making your stay here aplete nightmare! So I ask you again, why are you here?!" "I can''t tell¡ª!" She let him go. n copsed, coughing and holding his neck. "Every person that messed with youst night has already quit the guild, so what were you thinking?!" she continued. "Or what? Are you trying to impress your beloved Queen Astrid by sticking it to the man that upset her?" "I-I''m not¡ªcough¡ªtrying to..." "You''re so pathetic," she said, showing her canine teeth. "Yourck of self-respect is impressive. Do you think she would let you¡ª" Amelia shut her mouth and shook her head as if she was reprimanding herself. "I''m not doing this out of recklessness, I promise," he said, standing up. "But thanks for worrying about me..." "What the hell are you talking about?! What makes you think I care about a loser like you?" she winced, prompting him to tilt his head to one side as if her statement was obvious. "We wouldn''t be here if that was the case." He folded his arms, regaining his confidence. "You brought me here to talk me out of this ''madness'' of mine. Am I wrong?" "Is that so?" she sneered. "Are you telling me you can tell all that just from my actions? What if I''m just luring you into a trap?" "What kind of trap would this be? You can kill me just by blinking." "Fine," she shrugged, smirking in a way that terrified him. "If I''m that easy to read to you, tell me what else your ''third eye'' can see in me." Oh, crap. "I-I-I''m more concerned about what''s toe once I find Marco, you know..." He tried to create some space between them, but the enclosed room only allowed him to move to his right side. Amelia followed him, like a cat cornering a mouse. "So little me isn''t worth a tiny fraction of your time? I thought we were having fun chatting. Am I that insignificant to you? Or do you just hate me that much?" "Actually... I don''t..." She quickly lifted her leg back. "Say something or I''ll kick your balls so hard that¡ª!" A scene shed before his eyes: The video of Amelia shielding Marco from Astrid''s wrath. "I don''t think you''re a bad person, Amelia!" Amelia froze in her ce. "HUH?!" "Although you killed me several times, I don''t hold a grudge against you!" he started blurting out. "You were doing it because of him, right? I could see it in your eyes. Every time you killed me you showed anger, yes, but just because you really thought I had stolen Marco''s gold and Guild''s position. I can''t see you as an evil person if you care for others!" "Is that all?!" she cried, still in a kicking stance. He only nodded, waiting for it, but she stepped back, grunting. "...Go." He slowly opened his eyes. "Really?" "Yes. I''m done with you. Whatever you say to Marco, I bet it''ll be freaking entertaining." She snapped her fingers, making the lock on the doorbust, but n was still in his ce, staring at the exit. "You won''t tell anyone I''m here?" "Honor your name and disappear from my sight, Ghost," she said, folding her arms. (My sister is in a good mood, huh? Your puppy eyes really worked on her,) Marissa said through Party Chat. (By the way, I got your info. You can find Marco in the Sakura Room. I''ll tell you how to get there.) "Thanks, Amelia," n said, reaching the open door. "I owe you one." "Whatever..." Amelia whispered as he stepped outside. After sighing, she opened her palm, and created a small orb of fire that quickly turned ck and sprouted wings and insect-like legs. Taking flight, the little creature attached quietly to n''s jacket. Chapter 17: Cute Masquerade

Chapter 17: Cute Masquerade

(Do you see a staircase to your right? Go to the first floor,) Marissa instructed. (Marissa, do you also think I''m a nutcase?) n asked as he climbed the stairs. n heard her sigh, even though it was a telepathicmunication. (Well, as my sister already said, why would you risking to the wolf''s maw after what they did to you? Just because you don''t hold a great amount of gold and have nothing to lose, doesn''t mean they can''t kidnap you and ask Astrid for a ransom.) Marissa paused so that n could reflect on it. (Now that you''re under her protection, you''re something else to worry about.) (Everything will be fine, I promise.) From the first floor, having a wide view of the bar, he found Marissa at the far right corner, sitting with Matthew Berstein. (After all... You''re keeping an eye on Astrid''s guest. Don''t you?) From his ce, n saw Marissa looking at him. (Did you hear that? Oh, you... enfoir¨¦...) (I don''t know what that means, but it sounds cute.) n snickered before turning around. In front of him, a series of doors. He read each sign as he passed them by. Dahlia, Chamomile, Iris... Here it is... Sakura. He took a deep breath before storming inside. "Marco Souza, we need to talk!" As soon as n stepped into the room, someone thrust a knife to his throat. "Excuse me, ma''am. I''ll deal with this nuisance outside." "Wait, Rupert. Let me see his face," a youthful, feminine voicemanded, prompting n to nce at a girl adorned in a ruffle dress and ribbons in her silky, brte hair. "Level five?" She scrutinized n, then gasped, her delicate hands covering her mouth. "It''s really you! Rupert, please treat this gentleman as our special guest!" Rupert bowed and stepped back, revealing Marco seated next to the girl. "What brings you here?" Marco asked, his voice steady but his golden eyes burning with intensity. "Calm down, my sweet prince," the girl soothed, clutching his wrist. "He''s here to talk, that''s all." She smiled at n. "Please, take a seat." I didn''t expect him to be alone, but to see him with her... n eyed the youngdy, wondering, How old is she? She looks no older than fourteen, but that can''t be right. "Excuse me, miss," n said, maintaining a formal posture, "but may I have a moment alone with him?" "You and I have nothing to discuss..." Marco began, clenching his fists. "I SAID SIT DOWN. It''s rude to refuse ady''s hospitality," the girl interjected sharply. n and Marco turned to her as her voice took on a stern tone. "Do as she says," Rupert murmured, handing n a cushion. A zabuton? n noted the room''s Japanese d¨¦cor,plete with paintings of cherry blossoms and servants in kimonos. It feels like we''re not in Londorus anymore. Reluctantly, n sat down as a cat-eared NPC served him a drink. "Drinking''s better withpany," the girl beamed. Feels like I''m a hostage again, n thought, taking a cautious sip that seared his throat. "What''s this?!" "That''s sake," the hostess chuckled. "Strong for a first-timer. Want some apple juice instead?" "No, this is fine," n replied after another quick sip. "It''s actually good." "I own this ce, so eat and drink all you want!" she said, gesturing to a tableden with treats. Was this poisoned? n wondered, hesitating as his cup was refilled. "Just enjoy," she urged gently. "Why are you so kind to me? Do we know each other?" "Not exactly, n Warden, but we have a mutual friend. Lady Monique. Does that name ring a bell?" "Oh, right, from that restaurant! She''s lovely," n recalled, then worried, Does that mean that Monique told her everything about me? Oh, holy space crap... "I''m Kathleen Maher, leader of The Death Bringers'' Guild. Pleased to meet you, n Warden." n stood, a bit flustered. "The pleasure''s all mine!" Marco just rolled his eyes. (Oh, she''s really here, huh?) Marissa said through Party Chat. (Do you know her?) (Yes, unfortunately. Don''t be fooled by her princess act. She''s as fierce as Astrid.) (And she chose to look like this...) (Hey, don''t judge! Some decide to change their bust size, and others prefer to look young and cute. Got a problem with that?!) (...What you''re saying is that... there is boob customization?) (Shut up!) "Here, try the chicken," Kathleen offered, smiling warmly. "It''s better than anything at The Dragon''s Belly." Guess I have to y along for now. "If you insist!" n eximed, grabbing a wing. "Wow, this is fantastic! It''s all in the seasoning!" Kathleen beamed. "It''s my family''s recipe. Try the apple pie." "Mmm, amazing! You''d make a wonderful wife!" "ttering, but my NPCs would do the cooking!" "If I were the lucky one marrying you, I''d pretend you''re the one cooking. It''s your recipe, after all!" "Aww, that''s sweet." Marco gritted his teeth and leaned toward Kathleen, whispering, "Are you going to let this fool ruin our meal? This guy..." "I know," she replied softly, before turning to n. "But I can''t pass up the opportunity to express my gratitude to the man who helped me in destroying Shooting Stars." (How interesting,) n blurted out telepathically. (Just a day ago, I firmly believed that all of the Novus Userbase had already gone through some sort of physical enhancement, but just by looking at Tamara and this brat, I can see that I was wrong.) Marissa stammered, (W-What are you--?) (Don''t mind me. I was just foolishly assuming that every woman in this simtion would have erged their breasts by now, but it''s good to see that there is still body diversity here, just like in the real world! Speaking of which, Astrid doesn''t need any enhance--) (Why are you still thinking about that?! Pay attention to their conversation instead!) The ''one that helped her destroy...'' n stared at Kathleen. "You''re not talking about me, are you?" "Of course, silly! And for that, you have my eternal gratitude. Kasumi, show him the Guild Ranking list, please." The NPC projected an image disying the best guild in all the Novus. Death Bringers was in 5th ce, but there was no sign of Shooting Stars. "Watch where Shooting Stars is now," Kathleen chuckled. The list scrolled down to 110th ce. She then burst intoughter, her childlike giggle filling the room. "Good luck climbing back up! It''s just as hrious every time I see it!" n lowered his gaze to the reflection in his cup. So this is the game we''re ying. He took another gulp. "Hey, you two seem very close. And you..." He pointed at Marco with a half-eaten chicken leg, "you found a new guild quickly. It''s as if you nned this all along." Kathleen''s smile widened. "I''ve known Marco since the early days of Novus." "Is that right?" n smirked. "That''s correct," she replied, her expression yful. "Sadly, when I was ready to form my own guild, he was snatched away by that gori woman. But nothing will keep us apart now, right, my prince?" "I''m d I could help reunite you," n said, raising his cup. "To eternal friendship!" "To eternal friendship!" Kathleen echoed, giggling. They drank in unison, with Marco giving a more reserved sip. (Wow, Five. You''re... taking this extremely calmly.) (That''s because I can''t give her the satisfaction of seeing me mad. But I could say the same about you, Lamme. Don''t you want to kill this brat?) (There''s nothing I''d enjoy more! But I trust Astrid even more. So even if we ended up with only ten guild members, she would never give up... just like she never gave up on you.) (What do you mean?) A momentter, Kathleen rose from her seat. "Excuse me for a minute, gentlemen. I''ll be back shortly. Please, n, keep enjoying yourself." As the master exited the room, apanied by one of her NPC maids, Rupert, her bodyguard, silently closed the sliding door behind them. (You know... now that I''ve finally met you, a lot of things are starting to make sense. Especially the lyrics of¡ªwell, never mind that! Listen, n,st night I didn''t want to face what your existence actually meant to Astrid. But then the scales fell from my eyes! When she found out I was the one who literally kidnapped you¡ªI''ve never seen her so livid. It was terrifying! That side of her made me realize just how much you mean to her. So, um... what I''m trying to say is, I''m sorry. Sorry for burning your hands yesterday, n, and for sending you into that trap.) So I''m not ''Five'' anymore, huh? (I... didn''t expect this, but sure. Apology epted.) (Y-Yeah. Whatever. Um... on a different note, I might be... ''unavable'' for the next half hour. So I won''t be able to keep babysitting you. Try not to miss me, okay?) (Understood. I''m finally where I wanted to be, so thanks.) (Oooh! The battle of wits against Marco is about to begin, huh? It''s a shame I won''t be present! Ah, and I almost forgot. I have some valuable info that might give you an edge against that asshole. It''s sure to tick¡ªhim¡ªoff~!) (Go ahead then. Shoot.) (Listen up! That guy in front of you tried to hit on Astrid for ages and failed every time! Miserably! Ha-ha-ha! It''s even funnier when you realize you and Astrid used to be an item. So he was always fighting a battle he could never win. What a clown! Am I right?) n spat out his drink, causing Marco to wince. Marissa Lamme, you''re chaos incarnate, just like your sister... * * * * * * * * * * "Ah! This is the good stuff!" Tamara eximed, mming another empty beer mug on the bar. Where''s n? He''s missing all the fun! She rested her chin in one hand and absentmindedly munched on peanuts with the other. I haven''t seen Marissa around either. She''s always so elusive... Does she even like me? "Cheers, cutie," a man suddenly said next to her, raising his mug. Tamara squinted at the bulky man. "William? Youe here often?" "Just here for business," he chuckled. "What about you?" Karen Svensson approached them aggressively a momentter. "What is one of Astrid''s bitches doing here?" she demanded, pointing at Tamara. "I was about to ask her the same," William replied quietly. "And try to be nicer, okay?" "I don''t have to anymore!" Karen shouted. Am I missing something here? Tamara thought, turning to survey the other patrons, some of whom sported a skull and snowke emblem. "Look upstairs," whispered a voice behind her. Tamara turned to see a couple passing by; a tall strawberry blonde girl led a young man by the arm. Was that Marissa? Repeating the whisper in her head, Tamara looked to the first floor and saw a young-looking girl exit a room, cross the corridor, and head downstairs. What is the Snow Diamond doing here?! Her face paled, and the bar seemed to spin. Karen was with Marco just hours ago... Could Marco be here too? Her heart raced. W-Where is n? "Tamara?" William whispered, leaning in. "I''ve convinced Karen to back off, but I can''t ensure your safety if others recognize you. You should leave. I''ll escort you out." Tamara felt the pressure of William''srge hand on her shoulder. I need to call Astrid... Chapter 18: Bitter memories

Chapter 18: Bitter memories

A Creeping Memory Emerges... Back then, our guild was nearly fifty members strong, and the Developers had just released a new patch introducing World Bosses¡ªpowerful monsters that required an army to defeat. I definitely underestimated their strength... We were utterly defeated by Duxweaver in our first encounter. By the time we regrouped for another attempt, someone had beaten us to the boss''ir. It was Kathleen Maher and her crew, already engaged in battle with it. Reluctantly, I had to admit, her guild was as formidable as ours. We watched as they lost a dozen members and struggled through the boss'' Second Phase¡ªjust like we had. Driven by desperation, I approached her with a strategy. Initially hostile, she finally snapped, "Fine!" Yet, even united, we couldn''t defeat the colossal dark mage. It seemed destined for failure, with both guilds poised to me each other. That''s when a man intervened, a stranger with no guild emblem, who chastised us, "Close to twenty people here, and every single one of you is as blind as a bat!" Kathleen restrained herself from attacking him only because they were old acquaintances from their early days in Portduo. "The boss applies a debuff called ''Paranoid Pact'' to anyone who attacks it, draining HP dramatically, right? You''ve been too focused on cleansing it, ignoring that it also increases resistance to Dark Element¡ªwhich covers all his attacks!" I was furious at myself for not noticing sooner. Re-energized, we focused solely on supporting our front line, which proved even harder than anticipated. The HP drain from Paranoid Pact was severe,pounded by the boss''s direct damage. Our White Mages quickly depleted their mana, and Duxweaver clung to life tenaciously. Then, unexpectedly, the Dark Mage stepped forward. It was ludicrous¡ªa Dark Mage taking on a boss that thrived on dark magic! But he wasn''t aiming to kill. "Chains of Purgatory," he invoked, and chains sprang from summoning circles, shackling Duxweaver. The boss then vanished into his shadow. Later, we learned he had turned the boss into his Familiar, a feat possible only when a monster is near death. We all gained XP and celebrated our first victory over the fiend¡ªShooting Stars and Death Bringers parting ways, enemies once more. But... "Can I have a word with you, Ms. Bradford?" the Dark Mage, causing Helen to chuckle. I turned to see him kneeling like a knight. Listening to him seemed only fair after his crucial role in our victory. Sometimes I wonder why I agreed... "I wish to join your guild," he dered boldly, which made meugh. "I thought you and Kathleen were close." He gave a half-smile. "We are. But I''ve watched both guilds, and I believe I can achieve my dreams with yours." "And what is this dream?" "To reach the top of this world..." His talent was undeniable, and the chance to one-up Kathleen was too good to pass. "Do as you wish," I told him, meeting his ambitious gaze before turning away and continuing home. * * * * * * * * * * Astrid snapped awake before the memory could continue and clicked her teeth in annoyance. If I''d known he''d be nothing but trouble, I should''ve just shut him down on the spot. (Someone looks ready to tear down a mountain,) herpanion remarked, chuckling. Astrid turned to Helen who rode her winged puma. (Mind your business,) Astrid snapped through Party Chat. (Come on, Bradford, show some enthusiasm. You''re about to dine with an old friend¡ªjust the two of you. Aren''t you excited to catch up?) Astrid scoffed. (There''s nothing to catch up on.) Helen frowned. (Don''t keep me in the dark! I know thea story is a cover. Do you think I''m stupid?) (If you hate feeling stupid, drop it,) Astrid snapped. Helen sighed. (How many New Moontain have you downed today? They always make you cranky.) Astrid was about to retort when a call from Tamara came through: (Guild Master! Are youing back?) (I am. Why?) (Check your Guild Tab. It''s easier if you see for yourself.) Astrid did and was bombarded with notifications. So they really quit, huh? And nothing of value was lost... Wait a minute... Her confusion turned to shock, then anger. (Helen, go to HQ immediately and check the vault,) Astrid instructed, her expressionposed yet stern. (I need you to make sure that Jason Foreman... hasn''t stolen all the guild''s gold!) * * * * * * * * * * After kicking Tamara out of the bar, Kathleen''s Co-Leader instructed a pair of Death Bringers to stand guard at the entrance. To pass the time, the two guys smoked, cursed their luck, and watched thest stream of Miss Cosmica, from hours ago. They nodded in unison while watching the idol dance and shake her hips. "Although she only sings girly stuff, she sure is hot." "Tell me about it!" hispanion chuckled. "When I''m in the mood, I just getfy, erge the video screen, freaking mute it, and just--" They heard a sonic boom, followed by an explosion that made the ground shake a 100-feet away in front of them. Squinting, the two strolled towards the newly formed crater, ignoring someone behind them, asking what had happened. From the smoke stepped out a blonde girl, wearing a blue-colored battle suit, who red at them. They snickered once they recognized her. It was one of the most famous faces in all The Novus. "Look what we have here, the Golden Comet. Or was it ''The Golden Bitch''? Like her ex-guilders call her." "Are you lost, miss? This is a private party." "Death Bringers," Astrid said after ncing at the emblems in their armors. "So it was true that some cockroaches were hiding in my territory. You''re the ones that lose their way home, fes. Fleure is far away from here." The two guards armed themselves withnces that appeared in their hands out of thin air. "Are you sure you want to do this? We may be on the edge of this city, but this is still considered a Safe Zone." "In this ce, we''re equally matched." The other smirked. "''We''re equally matched'', says the dead man," Astrid mumbled, strolling towards him. The guy grunted. "What did you--?" Astrid punched him in the gut so hard that he bent his body forward. If the Safe Zone''s restrictions had not lowered all of Astrid''s stats, that hit alone could have killed him easily. So, I''ll have to hit him again... Only a second had passed, and Astrid performed a roundhouse kick to the guy''s head, knocking him out for good. The second guilder thrust his spear forward, trying to pierce her in the back, but she moved aside at thest moment, grabbed the spear so he could not use it again, and punched him in the face, breaking his nose. The Death Bringer fell backward, covering his bloodied face, whimpering. "YOU BITCH!" "I bet you hadn''t felt pain like that in a while," Astrid said, throwing the spear away. "The ''Pain Endurance'' Passive Skill also gets nerfed inside your beloved Safe Zone, moron. Remember that pain well." People quickly gathered at the building''s entrance, among them, some ex-Shooting Stars. "What are you doing here?!" Karen Svensson cried, red-faced. "We''re finally free of the damn mess you call a guild, and you dare toe here?!" "Don''t do it, Karen," William whispered to her, holding her by the shoulders, but she brushed him off. "Oh, dear..." he sighed, watching her stroll forward. "Where is Jason Foreman?" Astrid asked, calmly. Karen replied to Astrid, spitting at every word: "I don''t have to answer that! Hell, I don''t have to speak with you ever again!" From one of the building''s windows, Faiza Khalil chuckled and nced at Jason. "She''s looking for youuu! What did you do?" Jason Foreman did not dare to peek outside. "Shut up, shut up!" he cried, covering his head while crouching. Outside, Karen manifested magic circles above her head, channeling. "Your fucking tantrum cost me 800,000 gold! I wonder how much you''ll lose after this!" "Karen!" William warned her once more, but the magic circles around her increased in number. "Gold... Is this why you all quit?" Astrid asked at the increasing crowd around William. Dozens of resing from known faces stared back at her. "I see..." Astrid snickered. "Have you forgotten what I told you?! ''What use could a cannon have if you don''t know how to''--" She shook her head, and met Karen''s eyes. "Whatever! This will be myst lesson for all of you!" "See?! This is the best part about not being under yourmand anymore!" Karen shouted. "We won''t have to hear your fucking charades ever again! Multi-Elemental--!" "...Never interrupt an enemy when they''re making a mistake," Astrid said before shortening the distance between them in a second. Karen instinctively rushed her spell, being able tounch a third of the magic attacks, but it was toote. The bolts of lightning, icences, and orbs of fire were thrown randomly through all of the Drinking Banshee''s courtyard, while Astrid grabbed Karen by the face and threw her to the ground. A cracking sound came out of Karen''s neck and column. "Safe Zones suck especially for mages. It turns them into glorified slugs..." "F-fuck y-you..." Karen hissed, immobilized, while tears ran down her cheeks. Astrid then turned her attention towards the crowd, from where William stepped forward. "Are you going to be in my way too, Stoic?" she asked. "Come on, Comet, give me a break," William responded, folding his arms. "There are at least fifty people here." "EXACTLY!" Astrid suddenly giggled. Her blue eyes glowed like a pair of aquamarine gemstones. "Isn''t it sad that you all have to attack me at once to take me down?" William gritted her teeth. "Are you saying I''m we--?!" "What''s the matter, sweetheart? Is someone bothering you?" a girl said behind William, tapping his back. He moved aside to let Kathleen Maher take center stage. "Oh, I see! Someone must have lost their hound. It''s running freely like a wild beast." Kathleen''s smile faded for a second to whisper in William''s ear: "Help your friend quickly. This is going to get ugly..." Astrid exhaled. "Hi, ''Whoreleen''. I see you opened a new establishment here. But I don''t see your regr clientele. You know, forty-year-olds?" "Oh, Assford! It''s so sad to see that you''re still running that potty mouth of yours. But this time I can let it go. After all, I would also feel upset if a third of my guild suddenly quit." Kathleen paused so that their allies could snicker. "It''s a good thing that I''d never let that happen to me. Tee-hee." Astrid remained unfazed and just sighed. "You''re talking as if you had earned a great victory over me. But is it truly a win if you pick up someone else''s trash?" "Watch your mouth, Assford..." Kathleen said, stepping forward, and the ground beneath her started to freeze. "Your stupidity caused a diamond to fall off your hands." "Weird! I can''t recall having something that valuable before." Astrid sneered, advancing too, and her every step left burned footprints. "And even if I had, it surely lost its value so much that it escapes me! But whatever it is, I''m d that you found it. After all, we''ve already established that you like second-hand stuff, right?" Both stared at each other, maintaining a 10-feet distance. One more word, from any of them, would open the gates from hell. +++++ ++++ +++ ++ (I don''t know what kind of rtionship you and Astrid had, but... That guy in front of you tried to hit on her for ages and failed every time! Miserably! What a clown!) (Is this another one of your jokes?) n asked Marissa privately, while Kathleen stood up from her seat. "Excuse me for a minute, gentlemen. I''ll be back in a minute. Please, n, keep enjoying yourself." Kathleen exited the room, apanied by one of her NPC maids, and Rupert, her bodyguard, who silently closed the sliding door. (No, Five. It''s true. It was the talk of the guild back then. But hey, it''s not like they ever were a thing, so everything is fine, right? Whoops, I need to go now. Bye~!) Only n, Marco, and the female NPC called Kasumi remained, who rushed to fill their cups. "That''s Kathleen''s way of saying that we can freely talk, at least for 5 minutes," Marco said, before sipping. I can''t... let that information deter me from my main mission... n felt his throat dry and gulped his cup. Focus, n, focus. "So, what is it, n the Ghost?" Marco asked, loosening his tie. "What''s so important that you came all the way here just to talk?" n looked down at his cup, already getting filled by Kasumi. Come on, speak... I risked a loting here because I knew I couldn''t leave this unsolved. I endured Marissas''s crazy flight, lied to Tamara, and even confronted Amelia Lamme! Don''t let that info get in the way! n took a deep breath, opened his User Interface, and closed Marissa''s Party Chat. He then wondered if it was okay to talk in front of the female NPC. I''ll have to watch what I say, just in case. "That nightmare spell you cast on mest night... How much did you see?" "I saw everything." Marco shrugged. "To others, it may have been a couple of seconds, but for me, it was like watching a one-hour video reel of your... secrets." "You know what this information may cause..." Marco sneered. "Is that why you''re here? If I told anyone about your eight-month escapade, it would only make you look like a martyr or a hero, and I have no intention of doing that." "Fine. Keep it that way." n straightened his posture. "But we must address the other subject." "I''d rather not..." Marco said, shaking his cup so that Kasumi could serve him more. "You''re the only person I can talk with, so please, listen..." "You want my help, don''t you?" "It pains me to say it, but yes. Call it bad luck, or destiny, but you ended up getting involved in this, one way or another. So..." "Destiny?" He snickered. "Do you believe in that crap?" "It''s just a way of saying it..." "Then I''d rmend that you choose your words wisely. I get bored easily. And just as a reminder, the clock is ticking." n showed his teeth, grunting. "This is a serious issue, Marco! The integrity of this ship and its poption is at risk!" "I''m struggling to see why that''s my problem. You''re the one that was selected by that "This involves all of us!" "And yet, you choose to maintain it a secret." n got over the table to grab Marco by the cor of his shirt, spilling their drinks. "Are you fucking drunk?!" "I wish! Since my Vitality increased to Silver rank, I can barely feel the effects of alcohol." "Can''t you see the implications of this?! This ship was sent to space so humanity could have another chance! If we don''t do something, everything will be in vain!" "You''re Kathleen''s ''special guest'', so I won''t retaliate, but touch me again and I''ll make sure that you get nightmares every single night for the rest of your pathetic life..." n bit his lower lip and returned to his seat as Marco readjusted his clothes. "It''s been three years, Ghost. Three years since that event supposedly happened. And since your return, have you seen this world in shambles?" Marco asked, staring at n''s frown. "The answer is no. Because nothing has happened. I may even bet that nothing is lurking in here." "But--!" "You wanted to talk? Let me finish. Let''s look at the facts first. If what that says it''s true, and that thing got inside, it may be hibernating, or it''s ipatible with this system." "''Computer''? Are you referring to Isabe?" n shook his head slightly. "Why would that thing be ipatible?" "From what I have been told, The Novus mainframe it''s the most ''organic'' machine humanity has ever developed. ''Neural Symbiosis'', ''Perpetual Rem State''... Would you rte those terms with what a regr fridge or toaster can do?" "This is not a regr toaster we''re dealing with, and you know it." "And this is not a regr VR headset." Marco raised his voice. "The fact that three years have passed and nothing has changed, it''s the best proof we have. The Novus it''s the most secure ce on this ship." "So, do you want me to sit here, drink, and forget everything about it? Just like you?" Marco sneered. "Oh, by all means, go! Run through all the Novus in search of this boogeyman. I bet you could do a better job than the Administrators, that can detect everything inside their System." "Do you know any of them? An Administrator?" "No," Marco replied, mildly smiling. "Do you know how to contact one?" "No, but I wish you good luck finding them." "I can''t believe it... You''re a moron." "And you''re truly unfortunate. I wouldn''t like to be in your shoes." At least I tried... n snickered, saying nothing more. As he stood up and walked towards the exit, Marco followed him with his gaze. "Wait. There''s something else I''d like to discuss." "You said that this was my problem, right? So I''ll solve it myself." n was about to open the door, but a phantasmagorical silhouette rose from the floor and blocked his path. It was a ck humanoid with the head of a crow, and without moving or making a noise, it told him to stay or else. When n saw its bottom, he noticed that a shadow stretched out all the way to Marco''s seat. "I had to listen to your charade. It''s my turn now. Come, it''s something you need to learn, eventually." Marco took a sip. "It rtes to your beloved Astrid." Hearing that nameing out of his mouth made n form fists. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, a long-haired redhead sitting at the farthest, most secluded table of the Drinking Banshee set her bottle of beer aside and snickered bitterly. "Ghost''s ''eight-month escapade outside''? ''Digital Boogeyman''?" She shook her head slightly, the corners of her mouth twitching into a cynical smile. "What the hell are they even talking about?" Chapter 19: Long-term Promises to kick butts

Chapter 19: Long-term Promises to kick butts

"After what you did, you dare to say her name?" n said, wrinkling his nose. Having n''s full attention made Marco chuckle. "What do you know about the gold used inside The Novus, Ghost?" Gold? What''s this all about? What is he pretending? n examined Marco''s smirk and decided to take the bait. "It seems to work like in any other game, doesn''t it?" n said, returning to his ce, but refusing to sit, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms instead. "You earn it from missions or by working, and you buy stuff with it. But most important of all, if you die here, your gold bnce gets cut in half, right?" "And where do you think that subtracted gold goes?" What kind of question is that? I would prefer to not make an ass out of myself in front of this dipshit, but I have nothing. "No idea. Back to the System?" "Very good, Ghost! You have shown to be more intelligent than the average monkey!" I''m going to kill this man! ...Someday! "What''s your point, anyway?" "The Novus gold is a crypto-currency," Marco replied. "All of Earth''s money got transferred here into The Novus." "H-how do you know that?" "The Administrators revealed it on The Novus'' first anniversary," Marco said, sipping. "Back then, the entire world went crazy and started forming guildste in the game. Since those yers were inexperienced, we crushed them like insects." He crossed his eyes with n. "Tell me, Technician, when the timees, can you figure out what this money will be used for?" n narrowed his eyes for a bit while remembering himself giving maintenance to the machines and weapon crates in the Santa Mar¨ªa''s hangar. "No way..." "Whoever implemented this Gold System into The Novus knew exactly what would happen," Marco continued. "Everyone started from level one here, even the rich. Now, only those with the best leadership skills or those with raw natural talent can reach the top. No longer the high-born will dictate or govern us. If you want to be someone on the next new Earth, you''ll have to conquer this world first." This... this is messed up. "Why are you telling me all this?" "Because Astrid is a Ranker, Ghost. One of the most powerful Users in all The Novus... 7th ce in the individual category. I can''t evenpare to her. I''m in the top fifties." Marco chuckled bitterly, examining n''s thoughtful expression. "Do you think Astrid has the time to y this glorified hide and seek game with you? Especially now that her guild is crumbling?" Peeking at him for a second, n locked eyes with a te of cookies close to Kathleen''s seat and got close to snatch a handful. "With poweres notoriety, and with that you can gain even more influence," Marco was saying, staring at the munching n. "If she''s smart, she''ll prioritize the rebuilding of the guild and get rid of any source of discord that may cause another severance again." Is that a donut I''m seeing? n thought, leaning forward to snatch it, but Marco pierced the table with a knife, right in the middle of the pastry. "Are you listening to what I''m saying, Ghost? It''s unfortunate that you had to get out and fix other people''s mistakes, but life is like that sometimes. Call it ''destiny'' if you want. The point is that you now live in a different world than ours. We, the top Guilders, are already in the endgame. While you''ll struggle to level up, killing slimes and searching for a menace that might not even exist, we''re preparing to shape the future of the next New World..." "I don''t kill my friends," n said, letting the donut get ripped in half by the knife. "Andst night, things didn''t seem like you describe them to be." He stuffed his mouth with the food. "Astrid is not concerned with amassing a substantial amount of gold. That''s why she didn''t blink an eye when punishing you all, wasting your precious money." He swallowed. "Is that why your interests didn''t match hers, deserter?" "We had different goals, true. Contrasting visions to what the future of the guild should have been." "All that fuss you made about me logging back and taking away your stuff was just an excuse to leave." "Not an excuse, Ghost, an opportunity. When Kathleen learned about your existence, she messaged me, offering me a position in her guild, which I dly epted." "You made your decision in a heartbeat, even though you loved Astrid," n blurted out and was sharp enough to notice the brief twitch in Marco''s lips. "Does loyalty mean nothing to you, or did you do this out of spite because you never had a chance with her?" "You can''t fall in love with aet, Ghost. It''s beautiful and holds tremendous power, but it follows a very straight, rigid path. It doesn''t matter how much you try, it''s unreachable. You can''t reason with it to change its course..." "Is Kathleen your wish granter then?" "Absolutely. Yes." "What makes you think she wants the same as you?" "That doesn''t concern you." "Are you going to betray her, too?" "Unlike Astrid, Kathleen would never let that happen. We''re done." Marco pointed at the exit, and his shadow guardian dissipated. "I would appreciate it if you could leave without making another fuss." "Fine, I''ll leave now, after telling you this..." n put one foot over the dining table, making the tes shake and his cup of sake fall. That coincided with an explosion from outside the building that shook the entire room, although he did not notice it, for his eyes were locked on Marco''s. "You know what I do," n said in a deeper voice, "I fix things, and you may think you''re the smartest guy around, but I can tell when something''s broken just by ncing at it... And you... USED ME, as a literal tool... That''s something I''ll never forget. I promise you that one day, I''ll make you pay with interest." Marco''s serene silence broke with a sneer. "I''d love to see you try, Ghost." "Maybe I should start by punching that smug face of yours..." "Move another inch, and I''ll make a hole through your chest," Marco grunted. "ALAN NO!" Tamara cried, opening the sliding door wide. "T-Tamara, sorry for not telling you where I was. And it was just a joke. I know I couldn''t hurt hi--" "Forget that!" Tamara shouted, grabbing his wrist. "We have to go. NOW!" She pulled him out of the room and forced him to run down the corridor. "What''s wrong? Did they find out we''re here?" Tamara stopped in her tracks to push him from the chest. "You KNEW?! n Warden, did you know this ce was full of Death Bringers?!" "Y-yes, I''m sorry! But I really needed to--!" "I''m so mad with you that I could¡ªNever mind! The priority is that you help me stop her!" "Stop? Who?!" "Astrid!" she cried, taking down the stairs. "She''s outside! She came, looking for you!" Astrid is here... Wait, didn''t Marissa say that Kathleen is her rival? Oh, holy space crap... "She''s strong, alright? There''s no doubt about it," Tamara continued saying with tearing eyes. "But we''re in a Safe Zone, so she cannot fight with all of her strength! If we let her fight, she''ll lose millions!" Marco''s words suddenly gained more weight. "O-okay! Let''s hurry!" By then, all the tables were empty and they could walk through the establishment without issue, but n noticed at the distance that the exit was impossible to cross through. "This way!" Tamara said. "They kicked me out, but I managed to enter again through the kitchen." They ignored the NPCs that gently asked them to leave, crossed the exit, and rushed their way to the front yard, where Astrid was about to battle Kathleen. "ASTRID!" Both Guild Masters turned their gazes towards him. "n." Astrid turned off her battle aura and stretched out a hand to him. "Let''s go." He rushed his way towards her, making his best to ignore the dozens of gazes poking his back. Look at all these people! Were you really thinking about fighting here?! Passing by Kathleen was extremely difficult, for she was piercing him with the most intense re. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" she cried. "I refuse to believe that you made all this fuss for him!" "Congrattions on getting new guild members, Whoreleen," Astrid said in a calm voice, turning around. "You''re made for each other." As Tamara rushed to reach her Guild Master''s side too, Kathleen snickered. "Do you see that, guys?" she asked aloud, regaining herposure. "Should we call her ''Golden Nanny'' from now on? It was a pleasure to meet you, n Warden, and thanks for your help!" As the entirety of the Drinking Banshee erupted inughter, n kept walking forward. A few feet ahead, a female Shooting Star riding a puma waited for them. She smiled warmly at him once they met eyes. "Good to see that you''re both alright. I''m Helen Reed. Nice to meet you, n Warden." "Nice to meet you, Helen," he said, quietly. "Can we leave the chit chat forter? I don''t stand this ce," Tamara said, trying to ignore theughter and mocking remarksing from the building. She called her winged beast at the same time as Astrid, who did not ride it right away. Astrid''s eyes looked lost in thought. It''s so painful to see her like this. I shouldn''t have-- "ONE YEAR!" Astrid shouted, turning back. "Enjoy your one-year advantage, Maher! That''s what it''ll take me to reach the Top Ten again! Try not to miss me in the meantime!" More provocations could be heard, but she ignored them all as she mounted her lion. "Let''s go," she said to n, stretching her hand to him. "I''m so sorry," he said, riding behind her. "Not here," she replied, as she ordered her beast to take off. "We''ll talkter." As they crossed the sky, Tamara pouted her lips. "Why do I have the impression that we''re forgetting something?" +++++ ++++ +++ ++ ******* 7 minutes before n andpany left The Drinking Banshee... Marissa emerged from a bathroom stall, a smirk on her face. "Now that''s what I call a good make-out session!" she eximed, ncing back at Matthew sitting on the toilet, blood oozing from his slit throat. "W-h-y?" he gasped weakly. "Because you dumped me first, silly, choosing that jerk Marco over me. Anyway, you''re not worth my time anymore. See ya!" She waved cheerfully as his body pixted. Humming, Marissa approached the sinks to examine her reflection. This desperately needs a new look. She opened her User Interface, but before hitting the customization tab, she noticed that n had shut downmunications. I wonder how he''s doing... Checking her Friend List, she confirmed n was still online. At least Marco hasn''t killed him... That''s good. While browsing through hairstyle options, a Party Chat notification popped up, this time from a guild partner. She sighed before epting the call. (Marshrissa!) Helen''s bubbly voice echoed in her head. (How''s my favorite jumpy person in all The Novus? Ribbit, ribbit!) (Not in the mood, Rosbif... Unless you''ve brought something from Iregorn.) (I''ve got a box of those twisty lollies you like. How about that, buttercup?) (Oh, I really need one of those right now,) Marissa said, still browsing hairstyles. She watched herself in a high ponytail before shaking her head. Long hair is more Amelia''s thing. She sighed. (Heard thetest news?) (Yep. Turns out Marco is aplete blighter.) Marissa frowned. A what now? Whatever... Damn full-blooded Brit and her ng. (I know, right? What does Astrid think about all this? Are we disqualified from the Iregorn''s tournament now?) (Nah. She was talking to the organizer; she might sort things out. Still at The Drinking Banshee?) (Yes. Why?) Marissa replied absently, choosing a pixie cut. This will do for now... Wait, what did she say? She checked Helen''s current location on her Friend List: ''Londorus - Shooting Star''s HQ''. / Astrid''s location: ''West Londorus - The Drinking Banshee''. Suddenly, an explosion from outside shook the building. That must be Astrid. She sure lives up to her ''Comet'' surname. (Got any other news?) Helen teased. (What ''other'' news?) (Our guild''s vault¡ªit seems Jason cleaned it out before quitting.) (W-what?! Is that even possible? I mean, isn''t there a failsafe against a single User...?) (Sweetie, this game encourages grabbing all the money you can by any means necessary.) (That bastard!) Marissa clenched her fists, pacing in the confined space. (This must have been Marco''s n all along, appointing Jason as the Guild''s Treasurer.) (Maybe,) Helen mused. (But what can we do? That ce is crawling with Max-Levelers.) Did Amelia know about this? She tapped on her User Interface more forcefully than necessary. (You''ve gone quiet, Marshrissa.) (Where are you now?) (On my way to pick you all up.) (I''ll stay...) Marissa said, pulling a white ceramic mask from her inventory. (Someone sounds daring! If you''re nning something risky, count me in!) (No. I''ll handle this alone. Just... don''t tell Astrid.) Marissa hung up, donned the mask, and recited: "Now you see me, look again. You think you know me? Try again. Another I am, malice I have." The artifact transformed her body into a shadowed silhouette, which she customized with a few button presses and sliders. She shortened her stature, dyed her hair golden blonde, and altered her face and body beyond typical avatar customizations. Finishing her disguise with a strapless dress and makeup inspired by her sister, she muttered in a deeper voice, "This will be fun..." Minutester, as everyone resumed their feasting and drinking, she walked confidently among them, searching for her prey. It''s good that not everyone here is a guilder. She noticed some of her male ex-guild partners apanied by nodding, overly-excited level-forty women in skimpy dresses. Diggers. Women who quit fighting to live off others. I despise them, but tonight, I''m grateful for their pitiful existence. Hu-hu... Marissa nced at her enhanced bust and grimaced. Even copying Amelia''s size, I can''t believe she''sfortable with these... She bumped into someone who snarled, "Watch where you''re going, you bimbo!" "S-sorry!" Marissa stammered, face-to-face with her sister, who scrutinized her attire disdainfully. "Pitiful..." Amelia hissed, noticing the fake number 42 above Marissa''s head and walked away. Well, my disguise works, but it hurts being on the receiving end of Amelia''s scorn... She exhaled deeply. Locating Jason Foreman was easy as he was loudly boasting, "Watching the Golden Bitch embarrass herself was the funniest thing ever!" There you are... Marissa stealthily took a cup from a nearby table and approached him. Jason continued to guffaw, annoying hispanion, Faiza Khalil, who grimaced. Don''t worry, girl, I''ll take him off your hands soon. Marissa pretended to trip, spilling her drink on Jason''s pants. "Oh, how clumsy of me. So embarrassing," she mumbled. "Are you okay?" Jason asked, helping her up. "No, I''m not. I was about to toast with my friends but wet your pants instead..." She looked him in the eye and giggled. "Wait, that sounded kinda dirty, tee-hee." "I can fix this in a second," Jason said, tapping his User interface to change into an orange full suit. "See? What were you toasting for again?" "Because we got rid of that dreaded witch, of course." He nodded, smirking. "I like you. I''m Jason Foreman. And you are?" "Brittany!" "Where are your friends? Maybe you could introduce them to me." "I was looking for them, but it seems like they all foundpany. Everyone but me. I hate being thest to find a date, or not finding one at all!" "Why don''t you join us then? My friend Faiza here..." He turned around, but she had vanished. "And she''s gone. Whatever," he smiled, his eyes lingering on Marissa''s cleavage. Just as nned. Chapter 20: Eyes as bright as the lights of the city

Chapter 20: Eyes as bright as the lights of the city

An hourter, at the Shooting Stars headquarters, someone knocked on n''s door. "The Guild Master asked me to deliver this to you, sir," said a male NPC, handing n a set of clothes. "Is the color or design not to your liking?" n shook his head. "No, it''s not that! Thank you. And thank Astrid too." "You''re wee," the NPC bowed slightly. "Astrid Bradford has also instructed me to inform you that she''ll be waiting for you at the main building''s entrance at nine o''clock." "Understood. I''ll be there." n closed the door, sat on the edge of his bed, and resumed what he had been doing before: staring absently at his User Interface and the list of guild members. What a freaking mess... He nced at the new clothes, neatly folded on the bed. I should take a shower first. Adjusting the water temperature was simpler than on the Santa Mar¨ªa, and the spacious shower was more enjoyable, yet his mind remained in turmoil, haunted not only by Marco''s words but also by Amelia''sments. After the longest shower of his life, hey naked on the bed, refusing to dress for half an hour. It''s 8:35 pm... Almost time... But... I''m scared to get out of this room. I''m scared of seeing Astrid''s face... I''m scared of not being able to find Ashley when I return... I''m scared of this freaking mission Isabe assigned me... I''m fucking scared of what Marco said... I don''t want to leave this bed. Please, everyone, forget about me and leave me alone. But at 8:41 pm, he stood up and examined the clothes: a red shirt, ck formal pants, and ck leather shoes. I don''t think red really suits me, Astrid, but it would be rude not to try them on at least once. He dressed traditionally and studied his reflection, appearing taller and more robust, which made him chuckle. He longed to smash the mirror but remembered it belonged to the guild, not him. Walking to the promised meeting ce, his legs felt like rubber, and his arms as heavy as a gori''s. Ignoring the stares of other guild members was harder than ever, given the events of earlier. I don''t think going out is a good idea, he thought, peering at the street. I should tell Astrid that we should stay instead. She should call an emergency meeting with the remaining guild members and discuss what Shooting Stars should do next. He shut his eyes tight. And most importantly... I should... "Kept you waiting?" a voice said from behind him after a tap on the shoulder. n turned to see a girl in a light-blue sleeveless sweater dress, thigh-high white stockings, and blue high heels. A long side-braid adorned with a blue ribbon rested over her left shoulder. n gasped, struck by her appearance. "My goodness, Astrid! You look amazing!" "Thanks! You look handsome too." She approached to pick the hem of his shirt. "Red really suits you." "B-but of course it does! Or maybe..." He deepened his voice and struck a simple model pose, hand on his chin, "I''m the one who makes this look good." "Look at you!" She giggled. "Let me get my camera!" "No photos, please, or I''ll have to charge you." "Isn''t giving you these clothes enough?" she asked, her tone turning serious. n stuttered for words until she grinned. "I''m kidding, silly! You should have seen your face!" "I''ll pay for them, though. Once I get some gold." "No, n," she ced a palm on his chest. "I gifted you all this because I knew that when you came back, you''d only have your Bronze armor." She smiled warmly at him. "They are a gift." n looked back at the guild building, knowing someone was likely watching them from one of its many windows, judging and cursing them. "Astrid..." "Come, n. We have reservations at a nice ce downtown. We can''t keep them waiting." I can''t say no to you. He walked beside her, promising himself he''d shake off his gloomy demeanor once they left the guild''s grounds. Yet, he couldn''t. Do we really deserve a single moment of peace? "Hey, Novus to n! Are you listening to what I''m saying?" He blinked repeatedly. "Sorry for zoning out, Astrid. What were you saying?" She squinted at him. "Um, d¨¦j¨¤ vu... Anyway, I was asking you, what do you think about this city?" He looked around. Despite being the same road he had walked with Tamara and Marissa, the city lights painted the streets in a more gothic style, as if now inhabited by creatures of the night. Yet, he felt like no evil lurked in every corner or alley. There were still vehicles and mounts passing by, but as they vanished into the distance, a quiet bubble enveloped them, filled only by the sound of her heels¡ªa reassuring sound, confident, firm steps. "I like this ce..." he finally responded. "d to hear that. This will be your new hometown, after all." Ashley''s face shed through his mind. One thing at a time, n. While crossing a bridge, Astrid stopped halfway and pointed across theke in front of them. They could see Londorus extending on the horizon. "Look at it, n," she said, leaning on the railing. "Isn''t it beautiful? It''s modeled after the greatest city ever built by my fellow countrymen, the British! Supposedly..." She muttered thest bit. "I''m pretty sure the developers took some liberties with certainndmarks..." "I''d like to explore it all someday." "Count on me. I know Londorus like the back of my hand! This ce has everything: a stadium, theaters, talent studios, and, if I may say so myself, the best coffee shop in all The Novus!" While she puffed out her chest in pride, n stared at a giant animated billboard where a pink-haired pop star promoted a new soft drink brand. ''Forget your troubles drinking something cosmic!'' "I wouldn''t mind a sip of that," he said before Astrid pulled him by the wrist. "We''ll drink something better, I promise." I''d forgotten how soft her hand was, he thought, ncing at the back of her neck. Wait... huh?! Astrid''s sweater dress had an open back, revealing her soft, white skin down to her waist. This view is far more beautiful than admiring the city! He shut his eyes, feeling guilty for staring, and an unexpected calmness filled his heart. He continued walking blindly while Astrid led the way. Like back then... She could walk him through the deepestyers of hell, and he would still feel safe. Yes... Although her hand is just a simtion of the real thing, I still feel this is where I belong. n took a deep breath, noticing a surge of noise nearby. They must have arrived at downtown Londorus. He refocused on the world around him, meeting the gaze of people reading his current level. He then noticed he couldn''t see Astrid''s level. The realization caused a piercing pain in his chest. "Here it is," she beamed, as he read the caf¨¦''s name: ''New Camelot Caf¨¦''. "But, Astrid, it says it''s closed." "It''s okay," she said, pulling him inside. The sound of a bell signaled their entrance, and the small size of the caf¨¦ perplexed him, able to amodate only five tables. At that moment, it was empty. I thought she''d bring me to a fancier ce. But... this ce isn''t bad at all. He inhaled deeply, the aroma of something prepared with butter filling the air. It smelled of coffee too, the real kind, unlike the ck liquid Isabe had fed him. It... reminds me of my father. A tall woman with dark skin greeted them from the counter. "Hi, fes! Table for two?" "Correct!" Astrid beamed. "We''re here for your nicest table, please." "Right this way, honey," the woman nodded, pointing at the stairs leading to the first floor. A male NPC also stepped out of the kitchen to wee them. Upstairs, the ce resembled an apartment, but she didn''t stop there, pointing to another staircase leading to the rooftop. The establishment was at the edge of theke they had admired minutes ago. n stepped forward to gaze at it. The Novus moon and the city lights on the other side reflected on the water. "n," Astrid called, standing beside a table with two seats, a vase with a flower, and a lit candle waiting at the center. He walked to his chair, his mouth agape. "You... prepared all this?" "Yes! Well, Mona did, but I told her to." "Wait, do you own this ce?" "What gave me away?" she chuckled. "Do you like it? Asto--I mean, my dad used to bring me to a caf¨¦ just like this when I was little, and I recreated it to be as close as possible from memory." Astrid caressed the ck table, making n wonder if the texture of its wood was also engraved in her brain. There she was, smiling with pink-painted lips. Her crystalline, ice-blue eyes seemed lost in thought, and her sulky expression looked like something worthy of immortalizing in a painting. "Thanks for sharing this with me," he said. "Why are you thanking me? You haven''t even tasted the food yet. Please, take a seat, and don''t let this ce fool you. You can order whatever you want, and Mona will prepare it for you." n found a button on his side of the table and skimmed through a menu. "Okay then! If you insist... Hey, waffles. It''s been so long since I tasted them." "Good choice! Let''s have that." "Wait, no, it''s toote to eat that. Besides, it was a very childish choice." "I already told you to order whatever you want. And who decides if having waffles for dinner is childish?" Hearing Astrid''s suddenly serious tone made him question if she was joking again, but as the seconds passed, she did not giggle. "I''ll order strawberry waffles. You?" "The same." "Coffee?" "Yes, please." Astrid ced the orders in silence, while n clenched his fists under the table. Earlier this morning, I envisioned this to be a mature dinner with steak and wine, and I''ve already thrown it out the window with painful ease. "When did you get back?" she suddenly asked. "Yesterday." "Sorry for beingte." He cleared his throat. "Tamara told me you were part of the Somnium Project. You never mentioned it. That''s cool. Do you mind if I ask you¡ª?" "I''d rather not talk about it." "Oh! S-sorry." "I''m not trying to be rude, it''s just that... It''s not a good story to share while dining. For the same reason, I''d rather not talk about what''s happening with the guild right now." She pursed her lips. "Although there is something I should address immediately. I''m so sorry for the way the guild treated you." "It''s okay. They''re not around any--" "No, it''s not okay!" she cried, rising from her seat. She then kneeled in front of him in a knightly fashion. Seeing her act like that while wearing such a cute outfit was bizarrely contrasting. "Although you''re the original founder, those imbeciles knew nothing about respect, so I take full responsibility for it. They mocked you, they tortured you, and--!" "Astrid, please, stand up!" What''s the meaning of this?! I''m nobody. She''s the Guild Master. This shouldn''t be like this! "I swear that I''ll make them pay," Astrid said with closed teeth, showing a gleam in her eyes that resembled Amelia Lamme''s killing intent. He rushed to take her by the arms. "What happenedst night was not your fault! Even though you were their leader, you can''t control how people think or what they decide to do!" She opened her eyes wide. "But they listened to Marco, didn''t they?" she said, frowning. "If only I was a stronger leader..." I don''t want to even imagine how much weight you''ve carried under your shoulders all these years... He grabbed her by the shoulders. "How can you say all that?! You made it possible for Shooting Stars to reach the top! I''ve seen what you''ve built. That HQ is amazing, and you''re surrounded by strong and skillful people like Tamara and Marissa. Besides... You said it yourself, remember, in front of Kathleen? You got rid of the bad weed. In a year, Shooting Stars will be stronger and better than ever!" "Do you really think so?" Astrid looked up at him with watery eyes. "I believe in you!" "Oh, n! I''m so d that you came back!" She embraced him tightly. Although Marco told me that Astrid is the seventh most powerful User in all The Novus, her arms are so skinny and fragile! If he hugged her back, his hands would touch her exposed back, and holding his breath was impossible, for hervender aroma was alluringly intoxicating. Don''t do this Astrid... I''m not used to being near a woman just yet! If you hold me like this... I''ll... "Everything''s going to be alright now that you''re here," she continued. "I just know it!" W-what is she implying?! ''Prove that you can be a strong-willed co-leader...'' Those were Marissa''s words, right? But no, no way... ''Aaand... That guy tried to hit on her for ages. But hey, it''s not like they ever were a thing, so everything is fine, right? ...Right?'' That other sentence hit him like a brick. Oh... right... I wish... I could just forget that... "Here are your orders, ma''am," the male NPC with ko ears said, approaching them. Red-faced, Astrid stepped back and wiped what seemed to be tears. "Let''s dig in, n." "Yes," he replied quietly. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Meanwhile, at the Drinking Banshee, Marissa Lamme, disguised as Brittany, had encountered her first challenge. This freaking pig! "Just like Kathleen says, more people, more fun!" Jason Foreman said,ughing out loud, surrounded by three other girls. Although I''m not really trying to seduce him for real, it really stinks that he didn''t settle just with me. But it''s alright. I have an ace under my sleeve. She pulled out three pills from her inventory and waited for the other girls to leave their cups on the table. And now, thanks to my ''Sharpshooting'' Passive Skill, I should be able to... Using her thumb, she shot each pill into her targets'' cups, 5 feet away, and smiled when the first girl sipped. Perfect. Chapter 21: Hardcore Gold Farming

Chapter 21: Hardcore Gold Farming

The waffles and coffee tasted better than anything n had eaten during his time outside, but he couldn''t bring himself to smile. Because I know something is wrong... n swallowed, peeping at her. She remained gorgeous and talkative. Could it be me who''s at fault? Looking into the distance, he found a world both familiar and alien to him. "n Warden..." Isabe''s electronic voice echoed through his mind. "It is time you know what happened to the Santa Mar¨ªa''s crew..." His mind tricked him into seeing the lively Londorus in mes, theke beneath it bathed in a deathly orange light. Such a vision made him feel nauseous. He ced a hand against his face, catching her attention. "Are you okay?" Dammit... Not now! "What did you say about a dungeon?" he asked, meeting her wide grin. "I bought one, just for you to train." That she what?! "But, how would that...?" "Don''t worry. I have it all nned! I hired a group of Power-Levelers, who are all nice people, and will help you reach max-level as soon as possible. It took me two years to reach level 100, but thanks to these professionals and my weaponsmith, who''ll constantly provide you with new gear, I''m sure you''ll do it in eight months." Eight months... huh? The period I spent outside... He nced at his sleeve over the table. These clothes, this dungeon she''s mentioning... Astrid''s NPC picked up n''s dishes and reced them with a cup of wine and a juicy steak with sd. "Enjoy," the servant said, while n nced at his ko ears. What''s with those fluffy teddy-like ears? They don''t suit him at all. Female NPCs are way cuter. "...In the meantime, Tamara will instruct you about your first tasks as a First Officer, and..." "First Officer?!" "You promised you wouldn''t zone out anymore. Or are you daydreaming about what your new gear will look like?" She giggled. "You''ll look cool, I promise! As I was saying, Tamara will teach you all about the First Officer''s job until you can do it in your sleep." "But, Astrid... What if the rest of the guild doesn''t want me in that position?" "What do you mean?" "W-well! Only a day after my arrival, a third of the guild has quit! And the rest will surely think that a more experienced guilder should take the spot! I shouldn''t be entitled to be the second inmand just because I came up with the guild''s name three years ago..." Astrid studied n''s distressed face for a moment before slowly shaking her head. "n..." she said, turning her voice deeper, giving him another instance of what beautiful but dangerous eyes looked like. "Whoever mes you for what happened, will have to deal with me." "That would only make more people leave." "Good! It''s better that they leave now thanter." n felt dizzy. Was it caused by the wine? No, I haven''t taken a sip yet! "n Warden, this information is ssified..." This threat, lurking who knows where, this whole guild drama, and this new Astrid... This All-Business Astrid... Everything is so...! "I''m just trying to provide you with everything that has been taken away from you," Astrid said, cing a hand near his. "After all, you had to go outside. So it''s not your fault that the power gap grew so much between us..." Something she said made him shiver. "O-outside?" "You were in the real world, weren''t you? It''s okay, you can trust me. Did your cryo-pod fail? Did someone force you to log out? Did something happen to the ship?" "It was hiding in the ship, n, it followed us from Earth..." "I was in aa, just as you said..." Astrid stood in silence while reaching out to hold his right hand. n admired her smooth skin and blue nail polish until noticing that she was observing the marks on his palm. Scars I didn''t have before... He pulled his hand away, startling her. "n?" she called as if her face reflected physical pain. "Do you think I haven''t noticed that you look older? More tired? Even your hair looks different." Those statements inevitably made him sneer. "Come on, Astrid, how could you remember how I looked back then? We only knew each other for what, two weeks? And for you, it''s been three years since then." "What are you saying? Seven days in the real world, and a week here. I remember every single thing we did together back then!" She looked away while ying with her braid. "I even remember that, technically, we never broke up." "Are you talking about our little week as an ''almost couple''?" She lost the color in her cheeks. "''A-al-most-cou''¡ªIs that how you see it?!" Something inside him broke. "IF IT REALLY MEANT THAT MUCH TO YOU, WHY DID YOU KEEP THAT GUY AROUND FOR SO LONG, HUH?! EVEN THOUGH YOU KNEW ABOUT HIS INTENTIONS, YOU NEVER LET HIM GO!" Seeing the surprise in her eyes, n felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him and quickly hid his face with both hands. What''s wrong with me?! Just a minute ago, I said I shouldn''t be entitled to anything, just to contradict myself shortly after! "Are you stupid or just acting dumb?" another inner voice taunted him, a feminine one. His mind shaped it into the form of the demoness from that morning''s nightmare, as if she had returned to whisper venom in his ear. "What you''re feeling right now is perfectly natural, silly boy." He heard her giggle. "What''s taking control of you is called jealousy... That means you''ve grown up. Hu-hu." After a moment of true silence, as if the world itself had held its breath, she called him softly, "n... I wasn''t trying to hide anything from you. It''s true that Marco tried to court me for a while," she said, biting her lower lip before jumping from her seat and clutching at the fabric over her chest. "But I swear, I never gave him the chance to¡ª!" "There''s no need to exin, Astrid. I trust you," he interrupted, feeling his throat suddenly go dry. "And... sorry for that." "No, you have every right to feel that way," she said, maintaining a stiff posture, though her gaze was lowered. "You''re right to think I''m at fault here. I''ll... understand if you can''t forgive this. But before there''s another misunderstanding, let me assure you." They made eye contact, and n caught it again¡ªAstrid''s new businesslike intensity. "I only saw him as a pawn, nothing more." It somehow pains me to see her like that. "Stop being so formal, Astrid," he whispered. Meanwhile, the metallic spy beetle that Amelia Lamme had created hours ago fervently clung to n''s clothes, listening to everything. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Having aplished its purpose, Amelia snapped her fingers, and the ck speaker in the middle of the room got consumed by mes that dissipated quickly, not leaving a single trace of ash. "d that was over," Faiza Khalil said, yawning, hiding her face inside her panda hoodie. "Did you find that conversation boring, my dear?" Kathleen Maher asked from behind her desk, in a sweet tone of voice. "To me, this was truly fascinating and very revealing." She crossed her eyes with Marco. "I didn''t believe the Golden Bitch could feel attached to someone else besides her huge ass¡ªI mean ego." She giggled. Fascinating? I''d use another word, but it''s true, Amelia Lamme thought, as Marco ced a hand on her shoulder. "You did a great job," he whispered in her ear. "d to be of help..." Amelia replied quietly. Yeah, even though I omitted the part that I also heard your conversation with Ghost from hours ago. His cryptic: ''After using that nightmare spell on me, how much did you see?'' Followed by Marco''s: ''I saw everything''... ARGH! That just fuels my imagination! And now this... Astrid sold us that a'' story, just to throw it out of the window? This is so intriguing. Until this day, I hadn''t thought about the outside world... We''re plugged into a machine, right? How could I forget that this is nothing but a well-constructed illusion? She looked around Kathleen''s office, which could easily be mistaken for a pre-teen''s dorm room. The color pink covered the walls, as well as the couches they were sitting on, and the soft pillows withce embellishments. In a corner, a shrine dedicated to the Novus'' most popr idol, featuring a poster of her, a figurine, and a mannequin disying one of her outfits. Yes, this is all fake... All¡ªWait, is that an official Miss Cosmica outfit?! Something she actually wore at a concert or event?! From her desk, Kathleen caught her admiring the mannequin. "Yes, it''s genuine," Kathleen said, giggling. Behind her, the only serious-looking part of the room: The Death Bringers'' emblem on the wall, with a menacing skull inside a diamond. "Sorry for staring," Amelia mumbled. "It''s okay. It warms my heart to see a new fellow Cosmic fan entering my guild. Tee-hee." "Good job getting on the new boss'' good side," Faiza whispered to Amelia. "Unlike that poor thing. Look at her. She''s still traumatized." Amelia nced at Karen, sitting in an armchair next to them. Her fractures caused by fighting Astrid had magically healed, but he had remained unnervingly quiet since then. One of Kathleen''s guilders had to heal her since Matthew is dead. He won''t respawn in a day and no one knows how it happened. Kathleen mes Tamara, but I''m sure it was Marissa''s doing. "So, after hearing this... pantomime..." Marco interjected, standing up. "Was it worth it?" He''s upset. I know him too well not to notice it. That conversation revolved around his embarrassing brief crush on that bitch after all. "What should we do with this info?" Kathleen asked, humming and doing a pondering expression. She then pped, beaming as a child would. "My sweet prince, I think that''s obvious! Let''s go for the finishing blow now that we know the Golden Bitch''s weakness!" Seeing her grin made Amelia shiver. Only Kathleen Maher could say something that terrible and look seemingly pure at the same time. "Sweetheart?" Kathleen turned to Karen. "Show your friends what you got, so they can see that you didn''t kiss the ground in vain. Hu-hu." Karen took her sweet time opening her User Interface and pulling something out of her Inventory. She showed it aloft, smirking. Amelia could not see it until it gleamed goldenly. "I-is that...?" "A strand of hair," Karen said, returning to her usual prideful self. "No way!" Faiza gasped. "Did you get it that time? When she threw you down?" Amelia''s heart raced and felt her stomach twisting. There is only a spell that requires something like that. She turned to Marco, who was maintaining a poker face. "You''re not nning on using it, do you?" she asked him, but Kathleen replied, giggling. "The opportunity presented itself, dear! We''ll end this with a grand finale. n Warden doesn''t have the skills to see through illusions, so it must be done far from any nearby Shooting Fart¡ªI mean Star." "Can I leave then?" Faiza jumped out of her seat and walked to the door, hands inside her pockets. "Marco knows I''m not good at that shit in the slightest." Kathleen nced at Marco, who nodded. "Sure, sweetie! Thanks foring anyway." After the door closed, Marco spoke softly. "If that''s your wish, my snow princess, you can count on them." He pointed at the two remaining girls. "They''re my most reliable partners." He crossed eyes with Amelia first, as she felt her hands getting sweaty. Wait... hold on... I... "I''ll do it!" Karen raised her hand. "It won''t be a problem at all." "Thirsty for vengeance, eh?" Kathleen nodded. "We''ll leave Londorus tomorrow, so remain here while you wait for the perfect opportunity." "Can''t wait!" Karen beamed. "I won''t disappoint you, Guild Mas--!" "Are you being serious?" Amelia interrupted, locking eyes with Kathleen. "What do you mean?" she asked, smiling. "We''ve already disrupted the Shooting Stars'' progress. Their rank is so low now that they might never reach the top fifties again. Astrid''s credibility? In the gutter! Word that she''s a terrible leader is already spreading out through the Nav." "Amelia..." Marco whispered, grabbing her by the shoulder, but she stood up. "And speaking of n Warden, we have already given him a lesson, especially me! I humiliated him so many times that the guy might have developed pyrophobia by now! But this? What you''re suggestinges out as in petty!" Kathleen squinted as she rose from her seat. "What was your name again?" "Amelia Lamme..." "Tell me, Amelia. Were you present when the Golden Bitch showed up?" Kathleen asked, circling her desk to stand in front of her. "Yes. I watched it all from a window." "Let me ask you this, then. Who do you think won that fight? And I''m not talking about the ass-whooping your friend got," Kathleen said, stepping forward. "You mean when you confronted her?" Amelia cleared her throat. "You, of course. The whole ce was filled with your allies. Besides Tamara and Karen, Astrid was alone." "Why didn''t I give the order to attack her, then?" "Well--" Amelia could not continue talking, for Kathleen grabbed her by the cheeks. Those fingers, although delicate, were as cold as ice sticks. "Because I was the one that lost that fight." Kathleen hissed. "She was in a Safe Zone, so my guild could overpower her easily, right? But you''re forgetting I was repressed too. Without being able to cast my defenses, that mad dog could have gone for my throat as soon as I gave a signal. Do you have any idea how much gold I''m holding? I''ll give you a hint... Enough to prevent any deathmatch against my dreaded sworn enemy if I can!" Kathleen let go to examine Amelia''s face, which had turned blue and disyed frostbitten finger marks on her cheeks. "So, let''s recapitte, shall we, dear?" Kathleen continued. "Not only did shee to the weing party I prepared for all of you, uninvited, but she also attacked three of my guilders and threatened to waste half my gold... And why was that? Because that level-five cockroach decided to show up here. So yeah... Pardon me if you see me doing this out of spite." "Amelia''s bug is still nted and active," Marco said from his ce. "She''ll keep helping us with this quest. Isn''t that right, Amelia?" "Yes." She half-smiled, without taking her eyes off Kathleen''s. "I''ll keep monitoring the cockroach and tell Karen when the best opportunity to approach him arrives." "I''ll count on you then." Kathleen smiled at her. "Amelia," Marco called. "Can I have a word with you?" "Of course. Excuse me, ma''am." Amelia did a curtsy in front of Kathleen and caught Karen snickering at her. Outside, Marco led the way through the corridor, and just as they took a corner, he grabbed her by the arm. "What the hell is your problem? We''re just starting and you''re already questioning her?" "I used to question Astrid all the time! And just before you say she''s not--" "Why are you doing this then?" he asked with clenched teeth, making Amelia drop her shoulders. "Marco, what are we doing here? I thought your dream was to start your own guild. What changed?" "A lot, actually," he replied softly, stepping back and readjusting his tie. "If half a year ago I said that I intended to lead a new guild, it was before I knew better. Just look at what happened to Shooting Stars. We just quit, and they quickly dropped from the top 100. It didn''t matter if Astrid is in the top individual ranking. This proved my theory. Thiste in the endgame, merging guilds, it''s the only viable option." "But at the cost of doing whatever we want!" Amelia looked around and whispered: "Even though I can''t stand her, Astrid would never do something like this... Are you really okay with this n?" "The way I see it, it''s all strategic. These are no longer quarrels between rival groups, but fiercepetitions between privatepanies. So if you aspire to be a professional, I suggest you... No. I ask you to chill." "Chill?" she chuckled. "Seriously?" "What, too soon?" "Alright then," she sighed. "Go. I''ll apologize to Kathleen tomorrow. In the meantime, I have a date with the bar." She half-smiled. "Don''t lose sight of our mission," he said, turning back. "Good night." As he walked away, Amelia''s grin turned upside down. First the ''he stole my gold and position'', and now this... "What a load of merde..." she said to herself while two women passed her by, rushing towards the women''s restroom. "Hmm? Something they ate? Wait... That''s not possible." Chapter 22: Never listen to a Gold Digger

Chapter 22: Never listen to a Gold Digger

"What the hell is this?" one of the women apanying Jason Foreman cried from her bathroom stall, followed by the sound of her bowels loosening. "Was the sushi bad?!" "You can''t get intoxicated like that in The Novus, stupid! Someone drugged us. There''s no other exnation! Oh, god¡ª!" "Whoever did this is dead, then!" "Just try it," Marissa Lamme, disguised as Brittany, giggled from the sinks while checking her outfit and makeup. All set! Now I just have to convince Jason to get out of here, and... She heard a liquid dripping beside her, and for a second, she thought someone was pissing on the sinks. Turning to her left, she found the third woman fighting for Jason''s attention, pouring down her drink. Merde... "Diarrhea pills? Seriously?" the dark-skinned woman asked, squinting. "They''re fine, aren''t they?" Brittany shrugged. "They left the battlefield with their wallets intact. But I won''t be able to say the same about you." Brittany stepped forward until getting into the woman''s personal space, but she seemed unfazed. "Are you going to get rid of me, too? Mmm?" She half-smiled. "Why bother with the ''shit pills'', then?" Marissa stared into that woman''s hazel eyes and clicked her tongue. "What''s your name?" "Joana. You?" "Brittany. What do you want?" "The same as you. A piece of that pie called Jason." Joana exhaled. "Unfortunately, I''m not as skillful as you to get rid of thepetition, but I can y along if it benefits¡ª" Joana stopped talking at the sight of Amelia Lamme entering. The redhead peered at them for a second, before going to the sinks to wash her hands. "Let''s go," Joana whispered, holding Brittany by the hand. "If you''re nning on stealing from him, may I advise against it?" she continued, outside. "He might not seem like one, but he''s a Max-Leveler, and currently under the protection of Kathleen Maher. You know, the owner of this ce." "Are you saying that I wouldn''t be able to do it?" You don''t have to say it, gal. I know it will be difficult. The guy has a Passive Skill called ''Deep Pockets''. He liked to brag about it all the time. "I''m saying that it''s super risky." Joana half-smiled, stopping in the middle of the corridor. "You said that you could y along if it benefitted you," Brittany said. "So you want a cut." "If you had returned to the room on your own, that''d have made him suspicious. But if the two of us work together for the same goal..." I don''t mind splitting the spoils, but this time I''m doing this on behalf of the guild, Marissa thought, closing her fist behind her back. "Alright then," Brittany said, raising her chin, "but it won''t be a 50-50 coboration." "What do you mean?" "I was thinking of a 80-20 partnership." Hearing that, the soft-spoken Joana showed anger in her eyes for the first time. "What are you talking about? I''m doing half of the job here. After doing this I won''t be able to show my face in this city again, you know? So I require a handsomepensation for this." "Sure, but I was the one that got rid of those bitches, I''m the one with an actual n to get this moron''s money, and I''m the only one perfectly capable of dealing with him in case things go south." Joana squinted at her. "Are you a Max-Leveler?" Brittany only smiled at her, while arge, muscr man passed them by. "Hi,dies." "Hi," the two said in unison, grinning. "Are you guys having fun? If not, maybe I could fix that," he said, checking their bodies and nodding approvingly. "What do you say?" Oh, William the Stoic, go eat a dick, you fucker! You were always after my sister and never treated me nice! Brittany feigned an apologetic smile while grabbing Joana''s wrist. "I''m sorry, handsome, but we already got a date. Maybe some other time." "I wouldn''t mind waiting." He winked at her. "I''ll be at the bar if you change your mind." Oh, I''d love toe back for your throat! Sadly, right now I''m after a bigger fish. "What a dick," Brittany whispered to Joana as they returned to their private room. "What? I''d swap Jason for him in a heartbeat!" Joana chuckled, making Brittany grimace. "But his biceps are as big as his head! If he gets over you, you''ll die crushed!" "I''d die happy between his big, hard muscles, then." Brittany grunted. "I''d prefer dying asphyxiated by a pair of nice, soft thighs..." They stopped in front of the door, holding their breath. A sign read: ''Iris Room''. "Let''s make it 60-40. Okay?" Joana reminded. "And don''t try anything stupid afterwards. I have powerful friends you won''t like to meet." "I haven''t agreed to that deal yet," Brittany replied, grabbing the door''s knob, but Joana pulled her arm. I want to cut this bitch''s throat so badly! Dammit, Helen! Why did you make me promise to never kill someone weaker than me?! "Let go," Brittany whispered, not showing a glimpse of anger in her voice or face. "For now, let''s enter. If we make him wait more, he''ll end up looking for other bitches to impress. Do you have ''Incog-me'' installed? We can keep chatting there." She smirked at Joana. "While maintaining our anonymity intact." Joana let out a sigh and manipted her User Interface while making a grimace. "Add me, 153597G." In a matter of seconds, both were connected to a private incognito chat room. "Done," Brittany said, opening the door for her, revealing Jason Foreman beaming at them from his seat. "I knewdies liked going to the restroom in groups, but this is ridiculous!" Heughed out loud, before frowning. "Where are the otherdies?" "We got rid of them," Joana blurted out, taking strides to sit on hisp. "That you what?!" he asked, eyes wide open, at the same time that Brittany tried to hide her bewilderment. What is she thinking?! "They were being a nuisance," Joana said, turning to Brittany. "Isn''t that right?" "Yes, those bitches got what they deserved." Brittany responded, sitting beside him. "Don''t feel bad for them. Those morons tried to get rid of us first." "How unfortunate," Jason whispered. "But it gives us a chance to get to know each other better, then!" "Sure thing!" Brittany grinned, but her lips turned upside down as she heard a very popr song ying on their private projection. "My he-aa-art goes boom-boom when you''re around! So don''t leave! Boom-boom!" "Can we do something about the music? We''ve heard that song, what, a million times already?" "No way. It''s my favorite song," Joana hissed. "You like Miss Cosmica? You?" Brittany let her frown show her skepticism, before sneering. "Wait, it shouldn''t surprise me..." "What''s with that reaction?! It''s even weirder that you don''t!" Joana replied, squinting. Jason, who stood between the staring contest, chuckled nervously before getting out of there quickly. "Um,dies, if you excuse me... I need to..." "Is it a bad thing to be a fan of pop music?" Joana continued as soon as the door closed, making Brittany shake her head. "Forget that! We should talk about our next goal! Do you have any idea where he could spend arge sum of money in one go?" Joana exhaled. "So you can steal that instead?" "Good job! I''d have stopped talking to you if you hadn''te to that conclusion on your own." "Bite me," Joana grunted. Brittany giggled as she greedily grabbed a fistful of nachos, while rolling her eyes at the sight of Joana watching the screen showing Miss Cosmica''sst concert. "Iregorn isn''t far from here," Joana muttered, entranced by the dancing and the overflowing energy of the idol. "Too bad I couldn''t go..." Wait... I could use this... Brittany opened their private chat, and added a photo. When Joana heard the new message notification, she reluctantly tapped on it, and jolted after inspecting the picture. "Where did you get this?!" she cried. "I know a friend that knows her manager," Brittany said, shrugging, while dipping another nacho in cheese sauce. "Mmm... So good..." Shaking her head, Joana stared at the photo of a pink-haired girl absently opening her mouth wide to eat a submarine sandwich, andpared it with the pop star dancing and singing in the projection in front of her. "This can''t be her. She must be a lookalike," she muttered, as if the image of her beloved idol had been tarnished. "Photos and videos can''t be manipted inside the Novus," Brittany quoted like it was textbook information, loudly munching on chips. "And artifacts that let you change your appearance have their limits and can''t replicate an existing face. So, this is myst offer... ept your 20%, and I may arrange a way to have a little peek of Miss Cosmica off stage." She grinned. "We may be able to see her doing something embarrassing again, just like this. Wouldn''t you like that?" "Do you really think I would fall for something like this?" Although Joana was wrinkling her nose, she continued checking the photo. "20%? How much would a guy like that have in his ount, anyway?" "Maybe close to 10 million." "What?!" "Hey, dolls, I''m back!" Jason grinned, kicking the door open. "Have you worked out your differences yet?" "Don''t kick the doors," Joana said sternly. "S-sorry." "Leave him alone! What are you, his mom?!" Brittany said, hugging him as soon as he took a seat. "Don''t take the fun out of this room, Jo!" "Hey, don''t take him all for yourself!" Joana cried, hugging his other arm. "And don''t make me look like a party pooper. I agreed to the threesome, didn''t I?" "T-threesome?" Jason gasped, gazing at both of them and their curved bodies. "What is it, J?" Joana asked softly in his ear. "Don''t tell me you''ve never been in one. Don''t worry, sweetie, I can guide both of you." Her hand ran through his chest, all the way to his stomach. "Sure, whatever," Marissa said, pouting. "But, daddy, keep in mind that I won''t move a finger until you buy me a pair of new shoes!" "Brit!" Joana cried. "We talked about this..." "What, what is it?" Jason asked. "Sorry J," Joana said apologetically. "I told her we shouldn''t bother asking you to buy us stuff. But she won''t listen." "Hey, my motto''s always been ''wear your heart on your sleeve''!" Brittany shouted, squeezing Jason''s arm against her breasts. "And if I am going to have my first threesome ever, I want to get something good first to sweeten the deal!" Jason''s astonishment turned intoughter. "I certainly like the sound of that! Do you want something too?" he asked Joana. "Shoes, clothes?" Joana smirked. "There''s this Mount I always wanted." "A M-Mount?" Jason stuttered, working out how much gold that would cost. "Not fair!" Brittany cried, leaning forward to confront her while positioning her hand on Jason''s thigh. "If you''re getting a new mount, I want one too! A feline one." Jason snickered, changing the expression of his eyes. "Why would you want a cat? I had one for over a year and it sucked ass. I sold it for cheap as soon as I could." Brittany stared at the deep of his eyes. Oh... I''m starting to understand why you stole the gold. "What do you suggest, then?" "I won''t know until I see it," Jason groaned while adjusting his sses. "But it will be a thousand times better than a stupid cat, I''m sure of it." Joana got close to him, caressing his chin. "J, if you need a Mount too, why don''t we all go to the best ce in the city to buy one?" "Yeah! A Mount that shouts, ''look at me'', or, ''don''t mess with me''," Brittany added, whispering into his ear. Jason stood up slowly and adjusted his jacket. "You know what? That sounds like a good idea." Chapter 23: Never listen to a Gold Digger (Part 2)

Chapter 23: Never listen to a Gold Digger (Part 2)

"Look at all these magnificent creatures!" eximed Brittany in awe, twirling and gazing at the creatures on disy. The beasts, programmed to be docile while waiting for purchase, each disyed unique quirks to attract customers. The feline mounts purred gently while licking their paws, and the canine ones wagged their tails, with the feral-looking wolves proving most popr. The group, however, bypassed this aisle in search of something more exotic. I can''t wait to see what this jerk picks out in the end, Marissa thought, feigning captivation by an adorable giant mouse sniffing its surroundings. "Is that what you really want?" Jason approached, sneering. "It doesn''t even fly." "There''s something alluring about ground mounts too, daddy," she replied, leaning against the disy ss. "If you forget to nt your feet on the ground every once in a while, you might lose your way back home." "Is that such a bad thing?" Jason scoffed before walking away. The girl sprinted and yfully caught his arm. "What do you do for a living that you can spare so much gold? Are you a Death Bringer?" "I thought you approached me because you knew that." "Not everyone at that bar is part of the Guild, you know? There was a high-end potion merchant there too. Very wealthy." "And why did you choose me? I already hadpany. What made you think you had a chance?" "You''re more handsome than the merchant, and I like a challenge." Jason chuckled, adjusting his sses. "ttering to hear from a prettydy like you, even though you''re just a gold digger." "Is that such a bad thing?" she asked softly. "Would you rather pay an NPC to meet your needs? It''d be cheaper." "Nope, NPC prostitutes can''t hold a long conversation. They end up saying things like, ''Service time is over, if you would like to keep talking, it will cost extra''. h, h." Of course you know, you pig. "I could sneak away without a word by tomorrow morning, you know." "But you''d miss my excellent french toast." She giggled. "Buy me a good mount and I might stay a bit longer." "There you are," Jason called out to Joana, who couldn''t take her eyes off a purple hippogriff. Its head resembled a crow, and its feathers shimmered glossily. "Excellent choice! It suits you perfectly. You''ll look magnificent riding it!" "Can I have it?" she asked softly. Jason signaled the NPC vendor to approach. "Sold!" "Right away, sir," the NPC responded, making a system screen appear in front of Jason, who tapped it absently without looking at the price. The disy cage opened with a buzzing sound, and the beast emerged, allowing Joana to caress its beak. "It truly is beautiful," she remarked as the mount dissolved into a spectacle of glimmering pixels and transformed into a jewel, hovering for a moment before she snatched it. She then turned and rushed to kiss Jason. Eww... What should I do now? Even if I have to pretend I want one of these, none of them appeal to me. I really love my lynx. She could recall the day Astrid bought them in bulk. ''We need to choose something that says: Here theye, they are Shooting Stars! ...So, who likes cats?!'' Amelia was really ecstatic after getting hers. Marissa looked around until a glowing mount at the far end of the storage room caught her eye. She walked towards it, captivated by its luminescent red feathers, eternally fluttering to disy its enormous size. It gazed into the distance, making any onlooker fantasize about riding it into the horizon. "Truly splendid," Jason whispered over Brittany''s shoulder. What, is he implying he''s going to buy me this one? This must be the most expensive of the bunch. Well, that''s what I''m here for. "Yeah, truly unique and gorgeous. Is it a phoenix?" she asked the NPC. "That is correct, ma''am. He is ''The Emperor''s Messenger''." Even if he''s thinking of getting it for himself, I should convince him. "You should definitely buy it," Brittany said, hugging his arm. "Anyone riding this would turn heads. It''s the mount of a leader, an emperor!" "How much?" Jason asked dryly. Oh, so you asked for the price this time. "That would be 8 million gold, sir." Jason exhaled and took a couple of steps forward, watched by his twopanions. Brittany nodded at Joana, who half-smiled and hugged him by the neck. "What is it, J? Can''t afford it?" "That''s not the issue," he said, his expression serious. "I''m considering if it really would make a suitable gift." "What better gift than this?" Brittany whispered into his ear. "The recipient will be very pleased with you." Jason held his breath before ncing at the NPC. "Thedies have spoken." "Very good, sir. You are now the proud owner of a Legendary Grade Mount," the NPC announced, handing him the virtual window to pay. "I could never dare to use something like this in public," Jason remarked, pointing to a corner. "I''ll take the Eagle Hippogriff too, the blue one." I''m lost. Is he going to give the phoenix to me, then? Brittany waited for Jason to grab the red gem containing the legendary bird while she licked her lips. He looked at her and smirked. "Here." He tossed it towards Joana. "The perfect present for Kathleen Maher. Tell her this is a gift from every ex-Shooting Star now under hermand." "Understood, J," Joana said, locking eyes with Brittany. Oh... A ss cracking sound was heard from above. She looked up just in time to see a skylight shatter into a thousand sharp pieces. She dodged most of them, receiving only a slight cut on her left arm as a tall mannded in front of her. William, The Stoic! She watched in horror as the man, d in full te armor with a shield almost asrge as himself and a hammer resting on his shoulder, smirked. "I told you we would see each other again, beautiful." If he''s here, that means my cover was blown a while ago! Brittany nced at Joana, who stood beside a mocking Jason. She''s not a gold digger, she''s a Death Bringer! That''s why she was keeping her distance from the other women fawning over Jason at the bar. Joana wasn''t waiting her turn to seduce him; she was keeping an eye on him. "Have you figured out what''s happening, Shooting Star?" Joana sneered, turning to Jason. "Can I keep my Grimmory, J?" "Did you already name it?" Jason chuckled. "Of course, sweetheart. Consider it a thank-you for warning me about this little troublemaker. There are only a handful of Shooting Stars crazy enough to try something like this, so drop the disguise already, it''s not fooling anyone, Helen!" "Fine," Marissa said, removing her mask. Her figure slimmed, and her dress shrunk to fit her original slender form. Jason gasped. "M-Marissa?!" William The Stoic snickered. "I told you that Helen would never use a disguise. She has her own way of doing things." "W-Whatever!" Jason shouted, tapping his menu window. "There, you won!" "Thank you," William said after confirming the transfer of 200,000 gold from Jason. This is bad, Marissa thought as she unsheathed her twin daggers. I could take Jason down in a blink of an eye, but I don''t know what that Joana gal has up her sleeve. I bet she''s hiding her high level. And then there''s this guy... She stared at him. Despite his rxed posture, there was no visible weak spot in his posture. Even Astrid would need at least three hits to take him down. The NPC initiated a lockdown, causing all the mounts in the shop to turn into jewels and teleport to their owners'' inventories. "This is private property, any damage to this facility will be--" "Shut up!" William smashed him with his hammer, reducing him to pixels. "I don''t see how you''ll escape from this, little bitch," he said, nodding to Jason. "Mid Wind Charm, Swift and Furious!" Jason cast the spell on the knight, who felt a surge in his speed. "There you have it, big guy! Hey, Marissa! Remember what Astrid used to say? Not even the sharpest of des can do anything against the sturdiest of shields! So, good luck fighting him!" Meanwhile, Marissa cast a spell of her own. "Mid Wind Boost, Haste... Does this mean you''ve renounced our deal?!" she asked Joana. "Did you really expect me to believe such a lie?!" Joana sneered. "What is she talking about?" Jason asked. "Forget it, it''s unimportant." "I''ve been looking forward to this!" William shouted, charging at her. "Show me what you''ve got, you little scoundrel!" William''s hammer cracked the establishment''s floor and a part of the wall in front of him. Marissa dodged and threw a dagger in Jason''s direction, who panicked. "No, no!" Joana extended her hand and quick-cast: "Wallrus!" The instantaneous shield shattered after receiving an explosive impact. "What was that? Does she use bombs?" she grunted, shaking her hand. Quick-casting had drained her mana pool and strained her hand. "Ah, sorry, Joana," Jason, covering his face with both arms, said apologetically. "Since I thought this was Helen, I didn''t tell you about Marissa''s Unique Skill. She can throw weapons or objects and make them explode." "So?" Joana shrugged, watching the aforementioned assassin dodging William''s attacks. "That alone shouldn''t have been able to destroy my defenses." "It''s rted to how the explosive damage is calcted," Jason exined, adjusting his sses and sighing. "I don''t know the exact details, but the more valuable the item, the greater the damage. That may sound obvious, but it''s moreplicated than that." "What a waste. Cast a defensive charm on your friend..." Joana said, casting a spell. "I''m going to make it rain... Greater Ice Crafting!" Dark clouds began forming inside the building. "R-Right away!" Jason nodded. "Earth Charm..." "That won''t be necessary!" William shouted, shielding himself from another exploding dagger. "Time Debuff, now!" "A-Alright!" Jason altered the element of his already cast magic circle. "Greater Time Conjuring, Before I Am Late!" He cast the spell, causing everything within a 300-foot radius to move at a quarter of its normal speed. "Ha-il-so-ng!" Joana spoke slowly, finishing her casting, making ice shards unaffected by the time maniption, rain upon the battlefield. The shattered pieces of ice then created a chilly fog that obscured everything inside the shop. "We-ha-ve-her!" Joana chanted victoriously, raising a hand in slow motion, but her smile faded at the sight of something glimmering in mid-air, traveling towards her chest. The dagger exploded on contact, reducing 70% of her HP and 20% of Jason''s. "Lo-ok-o-ut!" Jason cried out to William. "It-s-o-ka-y! I have her!" The time conjure and ice spell expired as Marissa struggled to break free from the knight''s grip, who was holding her by the neck. "Hey, I''m thinking of getting something nice for your sister," he said. "Any ideas?" "S-She-w-woul-d-ne-v-ver--a-asshole!" "Too bad." Before William could attempt to break her neck, he felt his gauntlets growing warmer. Within seconds, the heat became unbearable, forcing him to release his grip. "You little--!" Marissa broke free as the gauntlet exploded. Only five percent damage, damn it. I''ve fantasized about kicking William''s ass so many times, but reality is harsher! "Now that Lord Marco is with Kathleen, I might have a chance with Amelia, don''t you think?!" William shouted, trying to crush her under his foot. "You could be my sister-inw!" "It pains me to say it, but you''re right. She has always had poor taste in men! Mid Shadow Crafting, Three Shades of Me!" Marissa split into three right before William''s eyes. "Damn it, when did she have time to channel this?" he muttered as he picked up his hammer from the ground. One clone charged at Jason but was impaled by a stgmite of ice that sprouted from the ground. "Ice Crafting..." A bloodied Joana cast, ring at the clone. "Don''t underestimate us, brat." "Never," the clone said, smirking before her entire body glowed, exploding and engulfing Joana and Jason in fire. After the dust settled, Jason crouched to check on his partner. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, you were right about casting an Earth Charm on us. This bitch is a pain to deal with," Joana remarked, noting that only 10% of her remaining HP had been affected this time. "You know," Jason began, watching William fight the two remaining clones. "We should leave. She already knows she can''t win. She''ll only get more desperate." "If you''re fine with leaving your partner, let''s go then. We can''t let her have the Phoenix Mount." That''s the sign that this hase to an end, the real Marissa thought, watching them rush to the exit. "Hey, William, let''s end this!" the two remaining Marissa clones said in unison, dashing towards him. "Agreed! Let me put you down for good!" He smashed the first clone with his hammer and bashed the other with his shield. "So much for the self-proimed best PVP killer. I didn''t even need to use any special techniques." "Rogues aren''t meant for direct confrontations," the Marissa under William''s hammer said, glowing. He backtracked, tossing his weapon aside, expecting it to explode, but only the clone beneath it did. "Was that not the real one?" he muttered, scanning his surroundings until he noticed a glow from his shield. Marissa had been clinging to the shield since she was struck with it. "Are you all brawn and no brains? Didn''t you notice the extra weight, or am I just that light?" "Go to hell!" William shouted, throwing the shield upwards. "Unique Skill, Rushed Durability..." she muttered before kicking the shield toward the fleeing couple. "Hey, Jason! Catch this!" Jason nced at the glowing shield heading towards him and groaned. "You little..." The entire building exploded, taking the lives of Jason and Marissa. William, who was still standing with 50% of his HP remaining, spat to the side. "How I hate that bitch." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Outside, Joana, who had been sted into one of Londorus many rivers, resurfaced from the water, coughing. The ice covering her body had started to melt. I could barely cast Frozen Heart in time, she thought begrudgingly while swimming to shore. I couldn''t let a brat like that take away the gold I''ve saved for so long. I hate people who waste their virtual lives like that. "Next time I see her..." "Are you okay, miss?" a man''s voice offered, reaching out a hand to her. "Let me help you." "Thanks," Joana said, epting the stranger''s help. "No, thank you..." The voice shifted from masculine to feminine in an instant. "Shadow Style, What''s Yours is Mine." "Wait!" Joana cried out, but a piercing pain stopped her before she could defend herself. She then looked down at the de piercing her belly. "So this is what little Marissa convinced Jason to buy," the thief said, holding aloft the legendary jewel. "Thanks, sweetheart." The voice, now clearly feminine, belonged to a dark-haired girl who removed her mask, kissed Joana on the forehead, and threw her body back into the river. That must be the Shooting Star, Helen, Joana thought as she lost consciousness. Never thought that Brittany, I mean, Marissa, could ask for help... She closed her eyes. I wonder if she really knows Miss Cosmica''s manager... + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 20 hourster, when Joana finally respawned, she noticed a new message notification on her Incogme App. She opened it and received a new photo of what seemed to be Marissa disguised as a very convincing Miss Cosmica, flipping her off. A message followed: ---------------------- From:153597G: ''It would have been funny if you had really fallen for it!'' ---------------------- "Huh..." Joana muttered to herself, sitting beside the Death Bringer''s checkpoint monument. "Now that I see her closer, this disguise has some major mistakes..." Chapter 24: Carefully-Planned Encounter

Chapter 24: Carefully-nned Encounter

He saw himself working in The Santa Mar¨ªa''s hangar, moving weapon crates and repairingpromised locks. His favorite task, however, was maintaining the Custos. To do this, n climbed up adder and walked across a service ramp to reach their heads and check their systems. His favorite was a red one with green eyes, which he nicknamed Captain Ketchup. "How are you doing today, Captain?" n would ask each morning, greeting it with a wave. The stationary, 60-foot-tall metal statue always remained silent. "Your day to save the universe wille, I know it! In the meantime, let me make sure everything''s in order, okay?" This routine continued for a week until the eighth day when n noticed that Captain Ketchup''s eyes were glowing. "Get back, n!"manded an Isabe-controlled drone, as the red Custos freed itself and stepped forward. "Captain?" n muttered, as the shadow of a giant foot loomed over him. Thest thing he saw before a service robot pulled him back was another blue Custos shielding him. "A remnant survived, n. The hangar is no longer safe until I take care of it. Return to your room now!" Even after the automatic reinforced doors closed, he could still hear a constant, metallic banging. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + He opened his eyes to a familiar ceiling. I''m here, safe and sound at the Shooting Stars'' Headquarters. Eager to start the day, he jumped out of bed, ignoring the sunless morning outside. Today is the day, Ashley, he thought, frowning at the gray clouds. He dressed quickly, donning his new favorite red jacket and ck baggy pants, and exhaled in front of the mirror. "Astrid, do you have a minute? We need to talk... Hmm, no... Not like that," he practiced, turning serious. "Babe, there''s something you should know... Wait, babe? Are you serious? So cringe." He cleared his throat. "Astrid, listen to me, I need to tell you something really important... The s-s-safety of... Dammit." He pursed his lips. Ashley, I know we should keep this a secret, but... "She''s the only one I can trust..." Finding new resolution in his reflection, he nodded and walked toward the door. Before leaving, Amelia''s ck artificial beetle, left inst night''s clothes, silentlynded on his red jacket. Astrid will understand. I know it, he thought on his way to the cafeteria. Once she agrees to help me, I wonder if she''d let Ashley train in that private dungeon too. After picking her up first, of course. He nced outside at the swimming pool and training grounds, imagining his new life. We could get used to this ce. And... Is it my imagination, or is this ce really, really quiet? The cafeteria was empty, except for NPCs who greeted him. No one was in the Trophy Room or the Library. I don''t even want to peek at the PVP arena. He shivered, recalling only a fraction of what had transpired there, as sounds of people, particrly Astrid''s powerful voice, reached him from afar. "Keep in mind that now that we''re at the bottom of the ranking charts, we may never climb back!" Her voice echoed through the hall, as n peered inside arge room. Astrid stood atop a podium, dressed in navy-blue formal military attire, her hair tied in an updo. "So if any of you still have doubts in your heart, don''t hesitate! If you''re not satisfied with how things have turned out, you have my blessing to leave! I won''t chase you, I won''t punish you, just go and nevere back!" She maintained a firm posture as arge group left. "Let''s go," n heard one of them say, "this guild is done for." Astrid quickly saluted them. "Thank you for your hard work! Without you, Shooting Stars would have never reached the top!" n hid behind a tiger monument, counting. Close to thirty people are leaving... When the building''s doors shut, Astrid continued: "To all of you that stayed, are you sure about this decision?!" she asked in a deeper voice. "Whoever stays with me will have to work twice, no, three times harder than before now that we have been reduced to less than half of our people! Would you follow me to the depths of hell if I asked?!" "Yes, ma''am!" "Are you still Shooting Stars?!" "Proudly, ma''am!" "Do you still thirst for the glory of reaching the top?!" "Until we reach the end of the universe, ma''am!" "Then I have something to tell all of you!" She met eyes with each of them, showing her tenacity until tears started running down her cheeks. "Thanks for staying with me, you idiots!" Is she crying?! n returned to his spying spot, watching Tamara and some women from the crowd form a wall around Astrid, shielding her from view. n then watched a male guilder stomp his way toward Oscar, the big guy who had brought him to Londorus alongside Marissa Lamme. "If you hadn''t listened to Marco''s orders and brought Ghost here, we could have avoided all this!" the guilder shouted, grabbing Oscar by the cor. "You''re a fool if you really believe that," Oscar replied calmly. n stepped back, returning to the safety of the monument''s shadow, but he could not remain there. He exited the building, found the main entrance, and ran toward Londorus'' streets. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + (He exited HQ,) Amelia Lamme said through Party Chat, sipping a Pi?a Cda. (It''s all yours.) (This was faster than I thought!) Karen Svensson replied, giggling. (A lucky star is finally shining my way. I can feel it!) (Yeah, yeah. Go before you lose it. He''s in...) Amelia expanded the system window that disyed her spy beetle''s video feed, and the most remarkablendmark she recognized was a giant soft drink ad. (Lancesmith Bridge...) (Understood. Wish me luck!) "Nah, I don''t think I will..." Amelia muttered to herself, cutting off themunication. "Excuse me, miss?" the NPC behind the bar asked, smiling. Seeing his green eyes made her look away. "Wasn''t talking to you. Give me another one of these," she said, raising her cup, but the NPC stepped back. "I''m sorry, miss, but the bar is currently closed." Oh, so it''s time... "Okay, everyone, it''s time to go!" Kathleen Maher announced, as Death Bringers and ex-Shooting Stars alike followed her outside. "Our Guild Master is moving the bar," the NPC exined to Amelia. "We must leave. Come this way, please." "There''s a backdoor through the kitchen, right?" Amelia said, finishing her drink. "I''ll use that." "Understood," the NPC replied, walking away. After helping myself to another drink... Amelia jumped over the bar, grabbed two bottles of wine, and stashed them in her inventory. Thanks, Kat. She then strolled toward the exit, ignoring the constant system messages urging her to leave. Outside, while waiting for her ck-Winged Tiger to spawn, she admired the gray sky. I remember seeing the same weather when Marissa and I left Carce. "You weren''t here when that happened," she told her summoned tiger, which purred as she caressed it. "Between you and me, Marissa cried a lot. Don''t tell her that or she''ll get mad at me." She mounted the tiger and took flight, pausing only to watch the building shrink in size. Within a minute, The Drinking Banshee was the size of a dollhouse, which her ex-guild partner took from his new boss'' hands. This is thest thing I''ve done for you, Amelia thought, exhaling. Have fun in your new guild... ''Lord''. Chapter 25: Carefully Planned Encounter (Part 2)

Chapter 25: Carefully nned Encounter (Part 2)

"Forget your troubles drinking something cosmic! Tee-hee!" The pink-haired Idol from the ad made a V sign with her left hand while holding a soda can in her right. Her purple dress matched the brand''s logo, and her smile was bright and almost too sincere, as if she truly believed in what she was advertising. "Oh, man..." n muttered, "I never thought I''d take advice from an ad, but I really need a sip of that." "Would you like to try the New Moontain, miss?" a jolly voice caught his attention. A few feet away, a female NPC dressed in the same purple dress as the idol addressed every passerby. A vending machine with elongated robotic arms and tiny feet danced behind her. "Sir! Would you like to try ourtest sensation, New Moontain?" the NPC approached n. "Here''s a free sample. One per ount. Tee-hee!" The energetic robot stepped forward, pulling a can from its metallic ''belly''. "Here you go, sir! Enjoy, and have a nice day!" "Well, then," n said once he was alone again, taking a sip. When the sweet taste filled his mouth, he gulped it down. "This is false advertising, Miss Idol..." He chuckled bitterly. "You said I could forget my problems by drinking this..." He crushed the empty can in his fist and repressed the urge to scream. Everything he had done over thest two days had made things worse. I lost my partner and got myself tortured... I misjudged an obvious, irredeemable jerk, and because of it, Astrid was humiliated... And now, because of my existence, I''ve ruined everything she has built for... n bit his lower lip until it bled and hit the railing with his fist. I can''t do anything right¡ª! "There you are, little mouse!" a cheerful voice called out behind him. "I''ve been looking for you for ages." Too tired to respond or even react, n limited himself to slowly turn around and squint at the person. "Huh?" + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Where the hell is he?" Karen Svensson hissed quietly after getting to the opposite side of Lancesmith bridge. Am I in the wrong ce? Did I miss him on my way here? she asked herself, ncing at the giant soft drink advertisement suspended above the river behind her. She opened her User Interface to call Amelia, but after long, exasperating seconds without getting an answer, she grunted. Seriously, Red! If I have to spend more time than necessary wearing this stupid face in public, I''ll...! Grimacing, she opened another virtual window that served as a personal mirror to corroborate that the illusion had not worn off yet. In the reflection, Astrid Bradford was ring back at her. Oh, how much I hate this face... Karen had decided not to wear makeup while pretending to be her ex-Guild Master, and yet, deep inside the farthest corner of her mind, she reluctantly admitted that the blonde chick was somewhat pretty. Freaking whatever. I have work to do. He can''t be that far away. Karen sighed and walked towards the street next to the bridge while keeping an eye on every passerby. This was supposed to be a straightforward task. Everything to please her new master, Kathleen Maher. Karen could not wait to find n, get into character, and parrot the script that Amelia had written for her the night before. And I''d never miss the chance to be as hurtful as possible towards a meek moron like him. Some of these lines are delicious! Especially the part where I''ll say: ''I was a fool to believe that your ghostly memory had given me the strength to do the impossible when it was always him who carried me all along...'' Emphasis on ''him''... Hu-hu-hu. Oh, Amelia, you fiend... ''Ghostly memory''? Only you could''ve written something as devilish as this. "Golden Comet," a gruff voice called aloud, behind her. "Do you have a minute?" Karen loudly sighed. She knew there was a small possibility that someone would recognize that ''blond bitch'' face and would speak to her. Seriously, Assford, don''t you have shame? If regr people knew how you really are, your fame would be as low as your temperament... Whatever! Whoever this is, if they ask for an autograph or something simr, I''m going to puke on their face. "What do you want?" The Fake Astrid asked, annoyed. "I''m quite busy right now, and I rarely spoke with the likes of you, anyway. So..." There. You have one less fan today, bitch. "Huh... Never thought the Golden Comet would run away from a fight," that person said, making Karen stop in her tracks. Although she was not the real deal, the simple fact that someone had called her a coward made her grit her teeth. Turning around, Karen found a warrior wearing full-te crimson armor. "Great! I finally have your attention," the person said. "I''m a huge fan of yours!" What''s this all about? Is this someone that wants to make a name for themselves by picking a fight with Assford? It wouldn''t be the first time. Karen did not recognize her armor''s design, and it did not seem to have any visible emblem or any sign of identity. The warrior''s helmet not only hid her face and gender but also any info the Novus would usually show, like their name and level. I knew it. Karen snickered. Aplete loser that thinks that can go toe to toe with a Ranker after spending too many hours watching Battle Streams. Well, I don''t have time for this. Karen umted mana in a second in the form of a magic circle above her head, and rapid-cast, stretching out her hand. "Multielemental Beam." A rainbow-colored column of light hit the stranger, hiding them out of sight inside a cloud of dust and smoke. The ground shook, sounding like a loud heartbeat, and the windows from the buildings nearby vibrated collectively. Quick-casting took a toll on Karen. Her mana pool dropped significantly, and the tip of her fingertips fumed for a couple of seconds, as she endured a burning pain traveling all the way through her limbs. But she did not care. "''Glorified slugs'' my ass," she muttered to herself, remembering what Astrid had told her the day before, outside of the Drinking Banshee. Although we''re inside a Safe Zone, this should be more than enough to get rid of some insignificant¡ª "Man, that was new!" the unknown warrior said aloud, stepping out of the resulting 5-feet crater. "Knowing you, I thought you''de for a quick punch to the gut or the face, but you got me." They tilted her head left and right, cracking his neck. "You really got me..." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Far from there, inside the Shooting Star''s headquarters, Astrid Bradford looked at the rain falling over Londorus from her office''s window. "Do you know the reason Marissa is offline?" "She died in battlest night," Tamara informed behind her. "...Fighting William The Stoic. That''s ording to Helen." "Why was she--? Forget it." Astrid exhaled, absently opening her User Interface to change her formal military clothes for a white crop top and blue jeans. "Okay..." she mumbled, walking towards the door. "Are you going somewhere?" Tamara asked after ncing at Astrid''s lost gaze. "We''ll talkter, okay?" "Yes, Guild Master." Although Astrid assured herself to be calm, she rushed her steps towards his room, where she knocked on the door. "n? Can we talk?" She sighed. "Please?" Getting no response, she slowly entered the empty room, finding only hisst night dinner outfit, perfectly folded over the bed. "Where are you?" Looking for answers, she checked his location on her Friend List, as Tamara stormed into the room, looking pale. "Guild Master! There''s a¡ªWe have to go!" To Astrid, finding the ce empty and Tamara''s rmed voicebined, seemed like an ominous foreshadowing. Like the peace before the storm... she thought, swallowing hard. Chapter 26: Equinox Festival - Part 1

Chapter 26: Equinox Festival - Part 1

There goes all my money, n thought, watching the girl sitting by his side, gulping a New Moontain can. "Ahhh! That hit the spot!" the girl beamed with purple-painted lips. "Thanks for the treat, n Warden!" "Just call me n..." he said, peeping at her once more to study her clothes. Who seemed to be a girl his age, was wearing a ck oversized windbreaker jacket that allowed her to hide her face and hands. From time to time, n could have a glimpse of her pale chin and white-as-ceramic fingertips, and purple nail polish. Although I don''t mind treating a stranger to a drink, 50 gold per can is a steal... I think... It seems that intion hit The Novus hard during my 3-year absence. He shivered and took a modest sip from his second can of the day, as the girl was seemingly staring at him. Although I can''t see her gaze, having a girl this close is still super awkward. Can she even see with that thing over her head? "Um... sorry, but you haven''t introduced yourself yet, so if you don''t mind..." he said, making her giggle. "Does it really matter what I call myself, n? I''d probablye out with a fake name, anyway. What we''re going to discuss it''s supposed to be top secret, you know?" She got closer to him and whispered, raising her index finger: "I''m not supposed to be here, so, shhhh." "Got it. I''m d to finally talk with someone about this, regardless." The girl stood silent for a moment before swinging her legs up and down, showing her ck leather leggings and heeled ankle boots. "Sure. d to be of help!" At least I THINK she''s trying to help me. When she approached me on that bridge minutes ago, telling me she knew about me logging out three years ago, my heart raced like crazy. Did an Administrator send her? Or maybe she''s one of them. So many questions! And yet... I mustn''t truly trust her. There''s also the possibility that she''s nothing more than a curious, regr civilian that, after looking at my level, put one and two together and just wants to get info out of me... Because... she''s just bored or something! "I really loved trying this new vor," she said, crushing the can and throwing it all the way towards a garbage bin, 30 feet away from their bench. "I''m always trying new things every day. What about you, n?" "Yes, sure. Everything is new to me since I logged back in, after all, but there is also somethingforting about routines and the mundane." "How about pain and adversity, n? Do you also enjoy them as much?" "Enjoy it? Why would I?" "Pleasure doesn''t differ that much from pain." She shrugged. "They''re quite simr, although most of the people may say otherwise. What''s your honest opinion? Do you also think that they''re theplete opposite of each other?" Why is she suddenly asking this? n wanted nothing more than to study that person''s eyes and try to read her intentions, but only her smiling purple lips were visible. I suppose she''s just trying to cut the ice between us, since we may talk about a serious topic in a minute... If buying her a soft drink wasn''t enough... "Well, they''re both stimuli, yes," n replied, "but you can''tpare them at all. One is sought on a daily basis, and the other is mostly avoided." "Yeaaah! What''s up with that?" she intoned, and n pictured her doing a funny look beneath the hood. "You''d think that people would seek pain as much as pleasure since they''re part of the same bnce, but no." Now I''m really wondering what''s this all about? Is this a test? n left his drink aside, took a deep breath, and ced both hands on his knees. This is my serious mode then. You asked for it. n nced at the two triangles adorning her hood, before replying. "That''s true, ''Cat Ears'', but you''re omitting the most important fact: Pain is reserved to signal when something is wrong with one''s body, while pleasure can be received indefinitely." She tilted her head. "Isn''t having too much of a good thing considered bad?" "It is, but having too much pain is obviously more destructive. The mind would corrupt over time and the body would break beyond repair. There''s noparison." "But it''s the same with pleasure. It creates greedy, lustful, gluttonous, andzy people. Aren''t there old teachings that say that those traits are deplorable?" "Well... When you put it that way, I guess so..." "You''ve just confirmed my theory. Despite being equally simr, people avoid pain as much as possible. Bias much?" she said annoyed, deviating her gaze frontward. She then whispered: "I thought you''d be different since you''re practically an outsider, but you''re as hardwired as the rest. So disappointing..." The shimmering, crystalline waters of the Thermasis river in front of them made the buildings at the distance look like a mirage, and n wondered for a moment if he was really there. I could be still sleeping outside, resting from another day of work at The Santa Mar¨ªa. Or maybe my body was ipatible with the Novus System, and I died a long time ago inside my Cryo Chamber. This illusion may be the result of my deteriorating brain, as a way to pass time until it ultimately shuts down... That may exin why so many bad things have happened to me consecutively. Could all this be the guilt inside me? He grabbed his drink and gulped it. Or this encounter could be another misfortune in disguise, slowly opening its jaws around me. "Forget all about that, okay?" she continued. "Tell me, n, how are things going outside?" "I''m sorry, but I don''t know what you''re talking about. I don''t remember saying something about being outside." "Huh? What is that supposed to mean? You were offline for three years. Where else would you--?" "I was in aa. It''s as simple as that." "I thought you''d be honest with me," she said, bitterly. He turned his gaze to her. "Are you an Administrator?" "No." "Bummer." An awkward silence followed through, which was only filled by the squawking of white birds, peacefully floating on the river. What are those? Some kind of aquatic chickens? "Is that the game we''re going to y?" she blurted out, standing up. "Fine. Change of ns then. I want to show you something." n observed her stroll towards the railing in front of them. Her attitude haspletely changed. He followed her, maintaining his distance. "I''d rather you tell me who you really are." "I''ve already told you. I don''t have a name. I''m just the embodiment of progress." "Yeah, right," he replied, turning around and ready to go, but something grabbed his ankle. Confused, he looked down, finding a shadow that seemed to pull him down. Not the strangest thing I''ve seen since I got back here, but... It was not his shadow, for his own was in the opposite direction. Something almost tangible was grabbing him, stretching out all the way to that girl''s feet. "Do you consider The Novus a paradise, n?" she asked from her ce, looking at the distance. Not this again... "Compared to what we left behind, yes. A utopia. Although a fake one," he reluctantly replied, this time in an annoyed tone of voice. "Well said, n," she said, giggling. "A fake one. And yet, people don''t seem to care. As long as The Novus keeps providing them with food, sex, and entertainment, people are eager to consume them inrge quantities. You can''t get fat here unless you want to. There are no diseases, and there are plenty of activities to keep everyone busy. There''s war here too, but it''s inconsequential since death has be a joke. Your ancestors fought for liberty and independence, but those have been traded now by the seek of fame and luxury. A perfect utopia indeed." ''My'' ancestors? "What''s with all this philosophical bullshit?! What does it have to do with me? And what did you expect?! This is a controlled, safe environment. Humanity has suffered enough. We''ve earned this peace!" "Wrong," she replied, raising her voice. "The previous generation and the one before it made it possible, and how did that turn out too, huh? Those two did everything in their power to correct their parent''s mistakes, and in their arrogance, doomed Earth." She paused, to smirk at him. "...Or better said, they finally advanced human civilization, after a long century of stagnation. This spaceship is proof of it..." I... I don''t like where this is going... "Miss... Could you please let me go?" "Not yet," she giggled, stretching out her hand. "I need you to stand where you are. It''s your exclusive seat for what I''m going to show you, and thezy, gluttonous, lustful, greedy people of this joke of a city... Superior Summoning..." The surrounding air became heavier, and the Thermasis'' waters rippled, as in preparation of somethinging. She said ''summoning'', didn''t she? n could only remember the guilder from the day before at the Shooting Star practice grounds, bringing a dinosaur out of thin air. Is she going to do something simr? With what purpose? As he tried in vain to free his feet, he saw it. Arge magic circle in the sky. He was sure that anyone in a one-mile radius could see it. "What are you going to do?" he asked, shaking, as the young woman snickered. "Your generation, The Tandem, have becent, n Warden... As I''ve already told you, I''m the Embodiment of Progress... So let me give you all a taste of what hardship really is." She grinned, as the purple aura around her got transferred towards the magic circle. n''s mind shed with images from the security footage Isabe had shown him. "Cat Ears! D-Don''t do it!" "Draquinox..." she intoned, overjoyed. "The Two-Headed Reeve Dragon!" Something gigantic fell over the river, sshing them both and the few passersby that had gathered there. It took n''s brain several seconds to register what stood in front of him. Because I never thought the Developers would create something like this. He first saw a huge white scaly wall, and beside it, something that seemed to absorb the surrounding light, obscuring the horizon. When he looked up, he found two giant snakes trying to bite each other. One was white as a pearl, and the other as ck as the night sky. It''s like seeing a star fighting a ck hole. "Get along, you two!" the girl said aloud, making a magic circle appear around her wrist as if it were a bracelet. At hermand, the two serpent-like creatures shook their heads and stood still, growling. The rain poured down, as n watched the young woman turn to him and smile. "There''s nothing to worry about, Little Mouse. After all, they''re all immortal, aren''t they?" She giggled, at the same time the monster concentrated mana inside its maw and released it as a powerful beam of light. Chapter 27: Equinox Festival - Part 2

Chapter 27: Equinox Festival - Part 2

From her ce atop the tallest building in all the city, Amelia Lamme observed the rain falling beyond the horizon. Londorus seemed to be covered in a gray, cold, and indifferent mantle. A super wet mantle. Sitting at the edge of the rooftop, she then looked down at the street, having a view of her hair and the fabric of her dress forcibly stuck to her chest, but she did not mind. She needed all that coldness to feel something. Anything... She swallowed saliva, tasting it bitter. In less than a minute, she had ignored three social notifications from her ex-guild partners. Three... More than I expected. The first was a call from Karen Svensson, who was quickly ignored as soon as it popped up. She surely wants to brag about the great job she did. Yes... Your new ''Master'' will surely be proud. Go to her side while wagging your tail,e on. The other two messages were from William The Stoic and Marco Souza, making the same question: ''Where are you?'' The difference between the two was that William''s message started by calling her beautiful, and Marco''s text was more demanding. I should do this sooner thanter. She opened her User Interface, and selected William and Karen''s names from her Friend List and tapped ''block''. Only Marco Souza''s name remained. She could picture his squinting look, daring her to continue. She wanted to ask him if stealing from the Shooting Star''s vault was his idea, butst night''s remarks had already given her the answer. "This is all strategic¡ªThese stopped being quarrels between rival groups, these are privatepanies now." Well, my former ''Lord'', my sister is still in that guild you fucked... After ncing at Marissa''s name and her current ''Offline'' status, she tapped Marco''s and removed him from the list. She sighed as if a load had been freed from her shoulders and pointed her face upwards to receive the chilly rain directly. There was another task she had toplete. One even more excruciating than distancing herself from her old...panions. With slow, deliberate fingers, she navigated her User Interface until she found the ''Report'' button. A virtual window appeared, asking if she had witnessed a crime. She selected ''Yes''. Immediately, another form popped up, prompting her to provide details. A white, blinking cursor waited for her to start typing. Better do this now before I change my fucking mind. She began to write, "I confess to participating in acts of torture by exploiting a system exploit. By abusing the Quick Respawn feature in my former guild''s Training Room, we bypassed the ABB detector, allowing us to repeatedly kill and harass a young man a Level 5 User. I burned him to ash, crushed his heart, beheaded him, beat him into a pulp. All to--" She paused, staring at the blinking cursor. It seemed to dare her to continue. The words were cold, detached, just as she needed them to be. Any excuse would feel hollow. "...all to break him. To make him feel even more powerless. Every scream, every whimper, I ignored it all. I did it knowing full well what I was doing. No one ordered me to. I wanted him to suffer, and I made sure he did. Over and over again." Her chest tightened as she forced herself to press on. "I didn''t stop. I didn''t want to. Even when others were disgusted by my actions, I kept going. I enjoyed it." Because it would be a lie to attribute it all to Marco''s cause... She gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to scream. Was this necessary? Did she really need to write all that? She hovered over the ''Cancel'' button, ready to forget the whole thing, but something deep inside her refused to take the easy way out. My father didn''t raise a coward... "Just punish me already," she wrote at the end, hitting ''Send'' with a groan. I just fucking don''t care anymore. The response was immediate, catching her off guard. A notification blinked in her field of vision. A message from the system itself. It was so abrupt, so fast, that she felt detached from it for long moments. Fuck it, she thought, tapping on it to read her punishment. Her judgment. ------------------------ System Notification: Disciplinary Action Upon review of your report, you have been found guilty of viting user conduct by exploiting system mechanics for malicious actions. As a result, the following penalties have been applied to your ount: A 7-day restriction from using any Epic-grade or higher equipment.A 7-day gold freeze, during which you are unable to gain or collect any gold.A fine of 200,000 gold, automatically deducted from your ount bnce. This decision is final and cannot be appealed. Please ensure your future actions remain inpliance with themunity guidelines. ---------------------- "That''s it?" she sneered bitterly before standing up and shouting at the virtual window hovering in front of her. "You have to be kidding me, right?! This can''t be all! Because this sounds so..." As the rain continued pouring down indifferently, a soft humming noise rose behind her, but she paid it little mind. What she was sure of was that she was being stared at and judged again. That only made her snicker. "What do you want now, Belphy? I know this isn''t enough for you either. Of course not! But you''ll have to eat it up, because that''s who I am! Oh yes, I wanted all of this to happen. Sure, why not?! I wake up every morning, eager to screw up someone else''s life! That''s ME, every single day! This whole situation is so amusing that I can''t stopughing! Ha-Ha-HA!" "That sounds like an interesting story. Why don''t you tell me more about it, dear?" What in hell? Amelia turned around to find a girl dressed in old-fashioned Victorian style. Arge ck hat covered her gaze, revealing only a red-painted smirk. Her sleeved,ce dress looked so delicate that Amelia thought it had been modeled by hand, inch by inch, instead of automatically rendered by the system. Her elegant posture, holding her chin and crossing her legs, told Amelia everything she needed to know about this young girl. It''s as if I''m watching a more refined and mature version of Kathleen Maher. What I''m certain of is that staring at her feels the same as looking at my Belphy. If Amelia focused, she could see dozens of droplets of water passing through the stranger''s hat. It was as though she was there and not at the same time. The girl opened a system window at her side and snickered at it. "I can''t remember thest time someone filled out a manual report since the ABB was implemented. Ah, who am I kidding? All of those white turds, role-ying as Pdins and Clerics, do it all the time and get ignored as soon as they arrive in my inbox. Like, obviously! I don''t want to hear about how they disowned their self-imposed vows anymore. ''Oh, I took a liking to receiving rewards for my services, please forgive me, oh Sage of Conduct.'' ''Ah, I identally broke my solitude vow by ncing at the Nav once, so please punish me, Sage!'' And then there''s my favorite: ''I was just trying to help a friend, and we ended up in bed. Can you overlook my small transgression? It wasn''t my intention to¡ªIt''s the uniform! I sweaaar~''" She rolled her eyes, scrolling through the messages. "Every single one reads like a script. Except yours. It was such a fun read that I had to see who wrote this gem in person." This girl can''t be... The Moderator of Conduct, can she? But why would she...? Amelia bit her lower lip. No. This is fine. This is just what I wanted. Amelia took a deep breath before speaking in a soft tone. "That''s right. I filed that report. Everything in there is true." The girl hummed while waving her User Interface out of sight. "You already received your punishment. Three penalties, to be precise. What more do you want? A public flogging downtown?" "Please, ma''am!" Amelia took two steps forward, forming fists. "I need this." In the blink of an eye, the mysterious girl had disappeared, but Amelia felt her incorporeal presence closer than ever, followed by a whisper in her ear. "And what do you n to do about it? Are you going to gete yourself for a whole year until you stop feeling this juicy guilt, hmm? Instead of bashing your head against the wall, why don''t you start thinking about what you can do to make amends?" "That goes without saying, but you agree that the automatic penalties are not enough, don''t you?" Amelia asked calmly. "That''s why you even bothereding here." "Ah, don''t overthink it, sweetie. I just happened to be bored." Amelia felt a hand pressing down on her shoulder. "But you''re right," the stranger continued. "It''s not enough. So now that I''m here, you''re in for a trip." An explosion was heard in the distance. Frowning, Amelia searched for the source until she saw another zing light, followed by a burst of mes, two miles away. Lancesmith bridge is in that direction, but... No... It can''t be. It must be just a coincidence. Unless... Amelia imagined a vivid scene involving the real Astrid confronting Karen after discovering what was going on. But not even that monstrous woman could cause such destruction... at least not inside a Safe City. That little distraction made her forget who she was dealing with, but searching for that girl in all directions was futile. A system message popped up soon after. ------------------- - Warning - The following debuff have been applied: Double pain while taking damage. - Warning - Your Pain Endurance passive skill has been nullified. Timer remaining: 5 months, 23 hours, 59 minutes. Knock yourself out with this, dear. XOXO. -------------------- Amelia read the message with an expression of disbelief on her face before bursting outughing. "So this is what ying with the devil is like, huh? So be it!" Another explosion in the distance caught her attention and this time, her mind forced her to recall what a certain annoying guy had said the day before: ''This is a serious issue! The integrity of this ship and its poption is at risk!'' An exasperating anxiety hit every inch of her body, especially now that she bore the marks of shame on her ount. One part of her urged her to leave Londorus behind and never look back, while the other echoed thest words that girl had told her. "Fine. You win. But if this ends up being bullshit, I''ll show you hell..." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The humongous dragon crawled towards the city. Its height rivaled the city''s skyscrapers when it stretched out its long necks. While making its way out of the river, it crushed a yacht with one foot and leveled a mansion with its fat, round body. The white head fired an incandescent beam that melted anything in a straight trajectory, and the ck one emitted a chilling cry that created seemingly controlled ck holes that consumed everything in a 100-feet radius, before imploding and blinking out of existence. If left unattended, Londorus would cease to exist in a matter of minutes. Realizing it prompted n to draw his bronze-tier sword. "Stop that thing, NOW!" he yelled, threatening the girl in ck. She turned to him, calmly. "Put that thing away before you poke someone''s eyes." "Only yours! Why would you bring that thing here?! This is not a dungeon nor a battlefield!" "Is it full of ''civilians''? Is that what you''re trying to say?" she asked in a monotone voice. "Y-YES! Most of the people living here aren''t members of a guild! You''re practically attacking innocent people!" Although it was impossible to see her expression, n was sure that the young woman was ring at him. "You''re not making any sense, n Warden," she said, turning her voice deeper. "So is it okay to kill people as long as they have a weapon in hand? Do you think chivalry has its ce in war?" She snickered, deviating her gaze toward her monster in the distance, giving n the opportunity to check his feet. The shadow bounding me has disappeared. He then tightened his grip on his sword''s hilt. Even if I know it''ll be impossible, I''dter feel 100 times worse if I never tried! He charged against the unsuspecting girl and swung his sword, going for her neck. "You asked for it!" The de passed through, but it felt null as if he had cut the air. The weight of his weapon after drawing a long curve almost threw him off bnce. What happened just now?! He nced back, finding the girl''s head still attached. Did I miss? N-no, I don''t think so. Or maybe she moved so fast that I didn''t notice, like in those animes! Can people do that here?! ...C-Cool? "What were you trying to do, Little Mouse?" she asked, smirking. "Doesn''t matter. I promised you a front-row seat, right? What are we waiting for, then?" She stretched out her hand again, ready to bring another abomination into the city, but when the summoned creature materialized, it was smaller. Her Mount had the head and the glossy wings of a crow and the body of a ck slim mare. "Seats ready! Hop up, Little--" She beamed, but when she turned around, looking for him, he had gone. "Of course he''ll escape," she said to herself, sighing until she saw him crossing Lancesmith Bridge at full speed. "Is he going after my adorable Draquinox?" She chuckled. "Seriously? Well, I don''t want to miss the show..." Chapter 28: Equinox Festival - Part 3

Chapter 28: Equinox Festival - Part 3

Oscar Mills was not in a good mood. Maybe Din was right, and this is all my fault. If I hadn''t brought n Warden here... No, no, no... I was the one that said that this was a long timeing... But do I really believe that, or am I just lying to myself? He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his flying cat''s reins. I even had to swear to Astrid herself that I didn''t know what Marco was nning. I never felt so embarrassed in my whole life... I swear, if I ever see Marco Souza''s face again, I''ll fucking--What the...? Is that what I''m looking for? As his chubby cat soared in the sky, Oscar could see the two-headed dragon wreaking havoc from a mile away. "Call Tamara," he made a voicemand and his User Interface automatically opened an Audio Chat window. (Did you find it?) she asked right away. (Yes, and judging by its size and destructive power, it must be a Superior Summon.) (Oscar, that''d be impossible.) (Well, let''s review the facts, shall we? I estimate that it''s 200 feet tall, and its Potential... Umm... By looking at the ease with which it destroyed the entirety of Newsingtown in less than a minute, I''d say it''s Gold B rank. A City Destroyer. What do we call those again?) (Oscar! Londorus'' Safe Zone limits our mana capacity to the point that we wouldn''t be able to summon anything bigger than a car!) (Well, say that to this big fe.) Tamara let out an exasperated grunt. (F-F-Fuck! Okay, okay, where is it going now?) Did she curse just now? Oscar thought, chuckling. She must be super frustrated. He gave another nce to the beast. I correct myself. Who wouldn''t? This is really unprecedented. (It''s about to reach Westmonster,) Oscar informed. (Hey, maybe it''s going after the Big Beth. Monsters of this size love destroying monuments, right? Like in those movies Helen likes.) (Don''t even joke about it! I-I''m on my way! Distract it with whatever means necessary!) "She really likes that clock tower, huh," Oscar whispered after Tamara hung up. "Distract it? How? That thing may be ignoring the rules, but I don''t. My stats are currently cut in half." As he red at the thing, the System automatically detected a Guild Member in the vicinity. He squinted, and an icon popped up inside his field of vision, showing the person''s exact location and name. "You have to be kidding me," he muttered and ordered his cat to nose dive. Afternding at a modest distance, Oscar watched n Warden rushing towards a crumbled building. It was until Oscar got closer that he noticed someone trapped under debris. "P-please, wake up! I''ll help you get out of this, okay?!" n was crying out to the unconscious man. His HP was barely holding up. "W-who?" the man muttered, slowly opening his eyes. He then uttered a cry of shock. "MY LEGS! I can''t feel them!" "D-Don''t worry! A healer will fix you up as long as you have some HP left," n assured, as the man suddenly pulled him by his sleeves. "It may be toote by then, so please, young man! I have 3 million gold saved. Let me transfer it to you and let''s meet here in 10 hours so you can give it back, yes?!" From his ce, Oscar observed the scene in silence. Was this your true intention, n? Since you''re level 5, that much gold must be like a fortune to you. He snickered. Although Astrid may have you in high esteem, I''m d to see your true colors. He then closed his fists. After all, you''re the true reason our guild... n suddenly turned to Oscar, showing a pale face. "You, big guy! Can''t you see this person needs help?! Give me a hand, please!" Oscar frowned before stepping forward. "Ah, sure." "W-wait a second... Are you level 5?" the agonizing man said in a quiet voice. "I can''t transfer that much gold to you..." He then frowned, looking annoyed. "Why didn''t you step aside so that other man¡ªg-got¡ªf-first..." The man looked sleepy as his HP finally dropped to zero, and when his body vanished, the debris fell over the empty spot left behind. Oscar observed n staring at that spot for long seconds. "W-Why?" n asked aloud with a broken voice. "I heard younding like half a minute ago, so why didn''t you help me save him earlier?!" Any other day, Oscar would find it annoying that someone had questioned him. He would have grabbed n by the cor of his jacket and yelled back at him, but this time, he only shut his eyes. "I''m going to confront that thing," Oscar said, gruffly. "What about you, Ghost?" n wiped something off his face and evaded Oscar''s gaze as he passed him by. "You know I can''t fight, so I''ll try to help as many people as possi--" Something crossing the sky at great speed interrupted him and a current of air pushed them when it passed by. They looked up and saw a group of ten winged Mounts flying low, towards the menace. Oscar squinted at them, waiting for the System to give him some info. "They''re from the Titan Hunters guild. They''ll take care of it." "Well, I''ll wish them good luck, then!" a third voice said from atop a copsed building. "There you are, Little Mouse. Don''t run again like that. I promised to show you something exciting, remember?" n nced at the girl dressed in ck for a second before walking in the next street''s direction. "n, wait. Who''s this?" Oscar asked. "Who are YOU?" the girl asked back in a lower voice. "Doesn''t matter, don''t even present yourself, for I''m only interested in that little bloodnut over there. So go die somewhere else and leave us alone, pretty pleaaase?" n clenched his jaw, turning his back on both. "She''s that dragon''s summoner. That''s all I know." "Is that so?" Oscar grinned, stretching out his hand to his side, materializing ance. "Fine. Do whatever thing you think is best for you, Ghost. Meanwhile, I''ll do the only thing I''m best at." "n, wait! We haven''t finished talking yet!" the girl yelled, before letting out an exasperated grunt. "Great! Now I''m stuck with this freaking--!" Oscar powered up first, exerting a fire aura, and swung hisnce in a long upward curve, cutting what remained of the building in half. The cut was so clean that not even a single brick fell down. "The name''s Oscar Mills, sweetie. Now, show me how you bleed," he said, chuckling, but grimaced after noticing that the girl not only was unharmed but was also yawning. What the hell just happened? "You''re not a tiny, cute little mouse like him. You''re a big, fat rat," the girl said, surrounding herself with a purple aura. "And I detest rats. They''re not fun to y with." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Three and a half miles away, another fight took ce on Castlenaut Street. There, surrounded by burning buildings, Karen Svensson kneeled and puked blood. As she tried her best to remain conscious, she squinted at the warrior strolling toward her. I had to take a beating to realize that their helmet looks like some sort of carnivorous beast. "A-Are you deaf?!" Karen cried. "I told you I''m not HER! I''m not the real Astrid Bradford!" "Oh, I heard you alright," the warrior said hoarsely, grabbing Karen by the neck. "That''s why I can''t let you go unscathed. Your pathetically slow moves and yourughable weak-ass spells are staining her reputation." "W-Who the hell cares?" Karen replied as she was lifted off the ground. The unknown warrior chuckled. "I do. I care so much that seeing your pitiful impersonation disgusts me. So, good night, whoever you are." "C-Can I say s-something first?" "Sure, why not?" the warrior shrugged. "T-Trigger off..." Karen whispered, grinning. The Warrior looked at their sides, finding several magic circles surrounding them. Before the spells could reach them, the Warrior closed their fist to crush Karen''s neck, but the witch''s body had turned into solid ice. "Oh, you bit--" A plethora of elemental spells hit both indiscriminately. Lightning zaps, icences, currents of frozen air, fireballs, methrowers. Even the ground they were standing on had turned into quicksand, trapping the Warrior''s feet. Karen escaped the bombarding area and started casting: "Calling Familiar, Bearmental Family!" "NICE TRY!" the enemy roared, dashing towards Karen. "Baby Bear!" Karen yelled, and a bear cub made of ice gotunched out of a summoning circle. It curled up into a ball and hit the Warrior in the chest, pushing them. "Mama Bear!" Karen called, and a fully adult bear came into existence, engulfing its whole body in mes. The creature threw a swipe that melted part of the Warrior''s chest te and released a fire breath. The enemy could do nothing but shield themselves with their arms. "Andst, Papa Bear!" When itnded, the ground shook. It doubled the Warrior in size, and when it roared, it extinguished the nearby mes. "You had it in you all this time, huh, Impersonator?!" the Warrior said,ughing out loud. "It''s a shame that the Safe Zone is limiting you, but whatever! Tell your pet to give me a big hug!" "Papa Bear, crush their spine!" The summoned beast made of solid rock extended its enormous arms and the Warrior reciprocated by embracing it. "Come here, pal!" The golem bear was so huge that it blocked the Warrior out of vision. "Mama Bear, light him up!" The fire-breathing beast followed the order and began scorching its partner. In a matter of seconds, Papa Bear''s rocky body began emitting light, as if it was made of magma. "How are your bones, dipshit?!" Karen asked, loudly sneering. "I measured Papa Bear''s strength once, and its embrace is equivalent to 120,000 newtons of force, so enjoy it, you asshole!" "Oh, geez! That could do some serious damage... if the Safe Zone affected me." Karen''s grin disappeared. "Affected...?" "Fire Style, Meteor Punch!" "Meteor--what?" The street darkened for a second, a series of blue sparkles manifested around them, and with a blinding light and a deafening bang, the enormous bear got sent flying in a straight trajectory, hitting its family. The three bears ended up smashing against a building before turning into fading pixels. Karen''s lips trembled in disbelief. "N-no way..." That attack reminded me of Astrid''s Meteora Ferrum... And now... I''m officially out of mana. Karen fell to her knees as the Warrior chuckled. "Time''s up, princess. It was fun, so I''m not angry with you anymore. Thanks to this little warmup, we ended up calling the real Comet''s attention." Before Karen could say a word, something heavynded between them. Something that made the ground shake several times more than Papa Bear did. Karen looked up, staring at something resembling a golden cape in front of her. When she blinked twice, she noticed it was hair, and the owner was ring at her. Her eyes gleamed silvery blue. "Who the fuck are you?" Astrid Bradford asked Karen. The still disguised Karen only muttered: "I..." "Let me guess, this is one of Kathleen''sme attempts to get back at me, isn''t that right?" Astrid snarled. "There''s only a pair of bitches crazy enough to try this. You must be Amelia Lamme or Karen Svensson, most likely..." Karen pursed her lips and clenched her buttocks, ready to receive her deadly wrath. This is going to hurt way more than that stranger''s attacks. "Get out of my sight," Astrid said with closed teeth. "You''re too pathetic to kill." Karen shut her eyes, repressed any urge to curse, and ran out of there as fast as she could. Onest nce at the Warrior confirmed they were only after the real Golden Comet. Karen could have shared what she had learned about the enemy with Astrid. She could at least have warned her about what they had said. That the Safe Zone was not affecting them... But no. Karen decided not to say a word and ran away instead. And who the hell was that? That person was super annoyed after finding out I was a fake... Ha, this is so funny. I''dugh, but my everything hurts. Whoever that person is, it strikes me as a very obsessive, psychopathic fan. Hu-hu-hu... Ouch. So have fun with that, you bitch. Chapter 29: Non-Compliant Monsters - Part 1

Chapter 29: Non-Compliant Monsters - Part 1

"Atst! I''ve been waiting for this for so long..." the unknown warrior wearing full te armor said, short of breath, as if they were salivating inside the helmet. Astrid changed her cial re for a puzzled look. "Do I know you?" "Never met. But I know all about you," the warrior replied, making Astrid snicker. "Yes, yes. I bet you''ve heard that line a million times by now, but I mean it," the stranger continued. "I''ve been a big fan of yours long before you got notoriety. So what if I''m just here to challenge you like everyone else? Or what? Now that you''re at the top, you no longer fight puny non-rankers, like the other ''Astrid'' said?" "We''re not in the top rankings anymore," Astrid said, looking at her surroundings. "Ah, sorry. I haven''t caught up on the news yet," the warrior said, panting with anticipation. "I came here from a farawaynd as quickly as possible, and couldn''t think of anything more than to meet you." The copsed buildings, the rain pouring over burning houses, the craters, and ruined pavement looked like they were straight out of a war zone. Astrid had seen her fair share of ruined environments before, but never inside a city. At least not in The Novus. She sighed. "If you came to Londorus only to challenge me, congrattions, your little skirmish caught my attention. But why do it here, in the middle of the city? Your rank won''t raise a single position if you beat me, and you''re only making new enemies out of this." As the warrior strolled towards her, they let out a quietugh. "You wouldn''t have taken me seriously if I didn''t create some ruckus first, and you''re assuming I''m out in public regrly. Fu-fu-fu. But most importantly, I''m not here to be famous by beating you. I''m just here to learn from you." "Pardon me?" Once the warrior stood in front of Astrid, the height difference became enormous. Astrid''s gaze pointed directly to their breastte, whose convex shape could easily protect a pair of breasts. "Yes, I''m here to learn from you." The warrior stretched out their hand. "I can only learn up to a certain point by just watching your Battle Streams. So I really need this." Astrid observed that big hand covered by a red gauntlet and chuckled. "You''re kidding me." "I''m dead serious. I want nothing more in this world than to spar with you. I''ll improve ten times¡ªno, a hundred times faster this way." The warrior paused while maintaining their stretched-out hand toward Astrid. "Could you at least give me a friendly handshake? Come on. What are you so afraid of?" Astrid half-smiled andplied. "It''s nice to make your acquaintance, then." "Couldn''t say it better..." Both Users shook hands as the gravity around them increased. Then, a fire aura encircled them, evaporating every single raindrop falling over them. Astrid''s calm expression was reced by a shocked frown, which made the warrior sneer. "Did you think I was just a pushover?!" The warriorughed out loud as their grip tightened. Astrid''s right knee kissed the ground as she finally sumbed to the heavy aura. The very earth shook in a 300-feet radius, crumbling every remaining wall or still-standing structure inside the zone. It was only a matter of time until they heard the sound of bones getting crushed. "Come on, Comet! Show me what you got! The ride to get here was really windy, and I hate flying, so make it worth it!" "W-what''s this? Y-you''re-not... b-being... repressed..." Astrid said as the mana pressure forcibly pushed her head down. "That''s right! The Safe Zone''s restrictions are not affecting me! But you''re not going to cry foul, are you?! That''d only stain the precious image I have of you!" "I don''t care, and I won''t," Astrid said, before looking up, showing that her eyes had an electric silver glow. "And as a matter of fact, this is perfect! Consider this my handicap!" The warrior felt it right away. As if a sudden gust of wind had pushed the mes she had just ignited, burning her face. Astrid''s grip suddenly tripled in strength and kept increasing. The Warrior groaned as they applied all of their force to counteract it. "Fire Boost, Valor!" the warrior cried, enhancing their strength. An overwhelming red aura emanated around their body. But it did not matter. Astrid slowly rose as her hair floated above her nape. A wicked grin adorned her face. "If you wanted to see whose dick is bigger, you got it!" She then giggled like a child. "I''m metaphorically speaking, by the way. Tee-hee." Astrid finally closed her fist, breaking the enemy''s hand. A second of silence followed as their battle auras disappeared, letting the rain pour over them again. The Warrior backtracked, watching what seemed to be a folded glove recing her right hand. Astrid had seen that scene before. Either they retreat or attack with everything they''ve got in ast attempt to... But her train of thought got interrupted by the warrior''s maniacalughter. "HAHAHA! I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU WOULDN''T LET ME DOWN!" "That''s new," Astrid muttered, as she saw the warrior get into a known stance. Wait a minute... After the enemy separated her legs and bent her knees, they formed a fist with her left hand, as if they were charging a punch. But no... That couldn''t be ''it'', right? "Fire Style!" the Warrior proimed, exerting a dense, red aura. It definitely is! Following her instincts, Astrid performed the same stance in a heartbeat. A battle stance that she had developed during her time in The Novus. "You know what?! I won''t even get upset that you''re copying my moves, since people do it all the time!" "THAT''S RIGHT! There''s nothing more beautiful in all The Novus than your fighting style! So,e on, love, help me reach perfection!" Astrid clenched her teeth and began charging mana too. "Gah! Bloody arsehole! Fire Style!" The ground cracked, and the surroundings got filled with tiny blue ascending sparkles. As their power increased, everything got obscured for a second, before a blinding light bathed the battleground. "EAT THIS! METEOR PUNCH!" "METEORA FERRUM!" Any User level 30 and below would have evaporated if they had stopped to see the show. Users close to level 50 would get fatal burns, no matter what kind of armor they were equipping. Only Users 80 and up could live to tell the tale with a few scratches after being knocked down by the shock wave. In the aftermath of this interchange, the area got leveled, except for the very ground they were standing on, which turned into a concave-shaped, 20-inch deep hole. Every fallen brick disintegrated. The resulting light could be seen from anywhere in the city, catching the attention of Tamara, Astrid''s right hand who was atop her Flying Mount, and some members of the Titan Hunters guild, currently fighting the two-headed dragon. Astrid''s ears still buzzed moments after she recovered her sight. A true sign that Londorus'' Safe Zone works as intended. But why is this stranger...? She let her frown show her concern onest time before correcting her posture and striding toward the enemy. The Warrior was found kneeling, 100 feet away. Their left arm dripped blood, looking useless. "Splendid. Truly splendid," the warrior said, panting. "I did everything right. It was a true replica of your signature move, executed perfectly. But I clearlycked strength." They chuckled, as Astrid maintained a nk expression. The Warrior then stood up and tilted their head left and right, cracking their neck. "Oh, well. I won''t hold back next time." Astrid observed their hands, suddenly forming fists. "Healed already?" she muttered, as a grin slowly formed on her lips. "Sure, why not? What''s your name, stranger?" "Ah. I finally piqued your interest, eh? Well, unfortunately, I can''t tell you. I''m nameless. But you can call me ''The Embodiment of Progress''." Astrid pursed her lips while imagining the smugness inside the warrior''s helmet. My hunch was right, Tamara. Despite the threat that dragon poses, I knew there was something disgustingly strong around this area. Astrid used her ''Eye of the Sage'' Active Skill to read the enemy''s status and found an increase in their strength. That rampaging dragon is a menace, yes, but something tells me that if I don''t take down this wanker, we''ll all bloody regret it... Chapter 30: Non-Compliant Monsters - Part 2

Chapter 30: Non-Compliant Monsters - Part 2

By 1:15 pm, all of Londorus'' poption knew about the dragon terrorizing the city. Some could see it from their still unaffected homes, or hear its rumbling roar echoing through the streets. Video recordings of it flooded the Nav, and Users from all over The Novus promptly named the disaster in many ways: ''The Unsuspected Raid''.''The Surprise-Mothaf***** Boss Raid''.And ''The Nuke-Dragon Event''. The few Londorus residents who ventured out to get a better shot of the monster ended up vaporized by its death beam, no matter if they were trying to film it from four blocks away. Although members of the Titan Hunters guild were better equipped, they did not have a better chance of surviving either. The rampaging dragon held its position as soon as it received the first wave of attacks. Mages capable of firing long-distance spells while riding nimble Mounts served as a distraction so that the first hunter squad got close unnoticed. These experienced hunters, with maxed Agility status, jumped over rooftops and reached the humongous monster rapidly so they could target its weak spots. Although not every Novus monster was biologically the same, the Titan Hunters guild had learned to go for the limbs to immobilize it, for the nds and its tail to get rid of its main weapons, and to inflict it with poison or dark-type paralyzing spells to slow it down. Unfortunately, it did not matter if they were wielding epic-grade, anti-oversized-monster weapons, they could not pierce its scales. "I''m getting tired of you! Wind Style, Levinal sh!" one hunter cast, targeting the dragon''s long neck. A fountain of blood covered her from helmet to boots. "As expected from our resident try-hard!" one of her guild partners cheered. "Way to go, Rita!" "This is freaking bullshit!" the aforementioned hunter cried, watching the deep wound close up at an rming pace. She then switchedmunication channels and reported to her Guild Master: (Ben, this freaking thing has an Enhanced Healing Factor!) (Enhanced?) a male voice replied through Party Chat. (Is that the word you''d use, Rita?) (Oh, I''m sorry! Would you like to swap ces and see it yourself?!) (Okay. Noted. Anything else?) Before she could speak, Rita watched one of its fellow guilders fall from atop the dragon''s head. "What''s he doing?" she muttered, expecting her partner to make a flip andnd safely at thest second, but the body continued in a freefall, all the way to the destroyed street below. Then, a purple mist covered the entire dragon''s body rapidly. (POISON!) Rita yelled through Party Chat, alerting the rest of her squad. She then coughed violently as she retreated. "This freaking blows! What the hell is our Poison Resistance doing, huh?!" Once she jumped over the nearest building, a sudden itch invaded her entire body. "Wait," she muttered, falling to her knees. "This is not poison..." She eagerly got rid of her helmet, pauldrons, and breastte as she startedughing. (He... hehe-he... Ha! Um... Guild Master?) (What? If it isn''t poison, what is it?) (I''m afraid that...) Rita grabbed her de and pointed it against her belly. (T-this tickles! He-hee... HAHAHA! Long live the queen of shadows, asshole!) A mile away from there, sitting in a back alley, Benjamin Woods, leader of the Titan Hunters guild, saw Rita''s status change to offline. He scribbled on an electronic tablet right away. "I''ll add the ability to cast ''Mental Corruption'' to the list," he muttered, as he closely listened to the Mage squad''s transmission. (Ben! This is not my imagination! The spells bounce back! I repeat, everything we''re throwing at the damn thing bounces back!) (Magic Immunity, eh? Ah, this brings me memories,) Benjamin said, while adding it to the list. (When was thest time we encountered an enemy that could one-shot us like this?) (Herees a big one!) the mage cried, and a deafening sound, apanied by a quake could be heard and felt at a distance. (What happened?) Benjamin asked. "Another fire breath... Although it looks more like a white beam of death," a girl standing by his side replied, wearing a headset that covered her gaze and ears. "Another?" The man whistled. "High Mana Pool, then." "It seems so," the girl whispered. "Let me see if I can measure the distance this time." She moved her thumb over a remote control in her right hand, and a ck drone observing the battlefield from atop the sky started scanning. "The Deathly Ray of Doom leaves a... 870 yards path of destruction. Woah." "Really?" The man shook his head. "Fantastic. Fan-fucking-tastic." He then gritted his teeth while watching arge system screen in front of him, showing the status and position of all of his guilders. "How can a monster of this size know what camping is?" A male guilder made his way towards him and saluted. "Ben, I mean, sir! I brought Ms. Tamara Morin, from the Shooting Stars guild." "Who?" Benjamin narrowed his eyes on him. The young guilder frowned back. "Um... She alleges to be their temporary First Officer, sir." He then pointed towards the petite girl reluctantly approaching them. A taller, more confident, and ''leader-looking'' ck-haired girl pushed Tamara forward. + + + (Oh, my goodness, there he is...) Tamara said to Helen through private Voice chat, in a distressed tone of ''telepathic'' voice. (H-He looks pissed.) (Rx. You''ll do it fine.) (B-But what if he doesn''t listen?! I''m going to hyperventte at any moment, I swear!) (Oh, for the love of¡ªAre you listening to yourself?! Would you rather take that stupid dragon head-on than fulfill your new guilding duties?) (If that means NOT talking to this man, then yes! You should have seen thest time he and Astrid argued! The poor bar had to be remodeled from the ground up!) (They paid the damages in full, of course, andter got wasted together among the rubble. Ha! It was so fun--) (WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!) (You passed out and missed all the fun. Anyway! You should be d that I''m here, covering your ass!) Helen spanked her guild partner, forcing her to step forward. (Literally. He-he. Come on, go. He''s waiting.) Tamara bit her lower lip before smiling. "G-Good afternoon, Mr. Benjamin. I''m Tamara Morin. I''m here in representation of Astrid Brad--." "About time any of you showed up!" Benjamin shouted, making Tamara squeal. "Where is she?! Where is the Golden Comet?!" "S-Sorry! But she''s currently battling an equally dangerous enemy." Benjamin quietly nced at her female guilder beside him, who started manipting her flying drone. "I see multiple explosions in the distance, near Lancesmith Bridge," she informed. "Fine." Benjamin sighed, running arge hand through his brte hair. He was the tallest person in that alley. He looked in histe twenties, with a strong yet slim physique. Although his circle beard made his mouth look severe, he gave Tamara a sympathetic look. "I heard the news... A portion of your guild quit, right? It''s a relief to see that although you are not in the best of conditions, you''re willing to help. Tell Astrid Bradfordter that I appreciate it, okay? How many men did you bring?" "Thank you, sir," Tamara replied, calming herself. "Londorus is also our home, so Shooting Stars will always be here to protect it." She then pursed her lips. "I''ve brought 25 guilders with me." The man stood silent for a bit, giving her an apologetic stare. Tamara knew what he was thinking: ''Shooting Stars has really fallen from grace.'' "All right, let me give you a summary of what we''re dealing with," Benjamin said, erging a System Window so they could see a map of the area. "What once was a rampaging monster, it''s now keeping its distance from us. Like a bloody camper, sniping everything in sight." "Excuse me, what do you mean by sniping?" Helen asked, as an explosion and a tremor urred. "Another Death Beam," the girl on lookout informed. Benjamin stared at Helen, annoyed. "No matter from where we attack it, that thing fires a quick, devastating, long-ranged beam at us. And, if we get too close, it creates some sort of ck hole that kills you instantly. As a matter of fact, everything the dragon does it''s a One-hit KO. Its long-ranged breath, its tail swing, its magic." "Well," Helen exhaled. "It''s a Superior Summon. I expect no less from it." Benjamin''s face turned red immediately. "Listen, sweetheart, we eat monsters like this for breakfast every week. It''s only a matter of¡ª" "Why are your guilders dying like flies, then?" Helen asked defiantly with a nasty smirk on her face. Benjamin directed his re towards Tamara. "Who the hell is this woman? Does she speak for you?" "NO! Absolutely NOT!" Tamara cried, raising her palms. "She''ll remain quiet for the rest of our meeting." She then turned towards Helen. "Isn''t that right?" "You got it, boss!" Helen sneered, hid her hands inside her jacket, and leaned over the wall behind her. Benjamin loudly exhaled before continuing. "Listen, Tamara Morin. There''s no time. Help my guild prepare an all-out attack, alright? So tell your guilders to be ready in¡ª" "S-She''s not wrong, though..." Tamara whispered, making the man raise his eyebrows. "I mean... your major mistake may be that you''re treating it as any other raid boss." (Way to go, Tammie!) Helen cheered through their Private Chat. Benjamin looked upset and was about to express it with great ire, but Tamara quickly added with a broken voice: "A-As I was saying, you''re trying to overpower something that is not following the rules! Unlike us, that thing is not being debuffed by the Safe Zone. So, no matter how many legendary weapons you may have, no matter how many men we throw at the thing, we won''t be able to outss it. We should approach it in the same way we used to, back then, when bosses were way out of our league!" She then paused, acting feeble again. "But by the look on your face, you already knew that..." "Let me guess, first day as a First Officer?" "Y-Yes... Temporary First Officer though," she mumbled. Benjamin chuckled. "To be fair, Tamara Morin, I realized that we were greatly outmatched just a second before you showed up. Well? Any idea on how we should deal with this menace?" "I have some ideas... yes..." She cleared her throat first. "How many Priests do you have?" Benjamin gave her a funny look before replying. "Still online? Three." "Warlocks and witches?" "Five." "Flying Mounts¡ªWait, let me correct that. Your fastest Flying Mounts?" "Four. Epic tier," Benjamin quickly replied, as his mind started working. "It''s easier to dodge in the sky... eh. Is that what you''re thinking?" "As a starting point, yes..." "All right, Tamara. Tell me more." Chapter 31: Down in the Warzone - Part 1

Chapter 31: Down in the Warzone - Part 1

After the battle was over, they had cut in half all the buildings within a 500 feet radius. Despite the loss of blood, gradually causing him to lose his sight, and the tortuous pain from his multiple wounds, Oscar could still chuckle. "T-That''s an interesting fighting style you g-got there. He-he. It reminds me of someone I know." The Girl in ck strolled toward him. The echo from her heeled boots was the only discernible sound in the area, as the roar of the two-headed dragon and the noise of the people fighting it seemed distant and mundane. "What''s so funny, sweetheart?" The girl tilted her head, showing genuine curiosity. Without saying a word, she ordered the ck bindings around Oscar''s wrists to hold him aloft, so she could watch his face. "Has losing that easily gotten in your head? Did I hurt your precious pride so much that the only thing left for you is tough?" "No. It''s not about me. You mentioned something about your colleague, fighting The Golden Comet as we speak." "Yes. What about it?" "I presume that this colleague of yours is also exempt from the Safe Zone''s debuffs like you, am I correct?" Oscar waited for her response, but the girl opted for silence. "I''ll take it as a yes, then. He-he. I''d like to give you a warning. You''re really underestimating her." The girl remained quiet until something resembling a small ck dog approached her feet, wagging its tail. "Look who came back!" she said lovingly. "Who''s a good girl, hmm? Did you find him, Bubsy?" As the girl crouched to hold the pet''s feet, Oscar stared at it. The creature looked back, showing that most of its head consisted of onerge eye. Wait, what did she say? ''Find him''? Find who? Is Astrid not their primary target? Don''t tell me that her colleague''s job is just to distract her?! I have to tell Tamara about this... "Tell me, sweetie. What would be the most painful way to die for you right now?" Don''t get distracted. Just deliver the message... Seeing that his defeated enemy had fallen into silence, she shrugged. "Oh, well. I''ll choose for you then." The shadow under her feet erged, getting below Oscar''s body. He knew what was going to happen. "Wait! There''s something else I need to ask you!" "And I don''t need toply!" the girl said, grinning and gesturing goodbye. The shadow below Oscar bubbled as if it had turned into a pitch-ck swamp, and a secondter, dozens of spikes impaled his entire body. "Okay, Bubsy, let''s go," the girl said while the little critter disappeared inside her shadow. "We''re in the middle of a date, aren''t we?" + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + A girl with dirty blond hair slowly opened her eyes and immediately felt her body numb. With squinting eyes, she barely recognized the streets she traversed every day to go to work, as the sidewalks and buildings looked inplete ruin. She was moving but could not feel her legs working. It wasn''t until she clenched her hands against someone else''s clothes that she realized she was being piggybacked. "W-What... happened?" "Oh, great! You regained consciousness. How do you feel?" "As if a dragon had stormed my house..." The young man carrying her chuckled. "Well, technically, that''s what really happened." "W-What? Are you serious? H-How did a dragon¡ª?" The girl stopped mid-sentence as if a sudden pain had shut her up. The young man halted after hearing her wail and gently put her down. "Try not to move, okay? You got wounded when the building... um..." He pursed his lips and avoided her gaze as if he had been the cause of her misfortune. "What?" The girl frowned while examining the boy''s face. There were dark marks under his eyes, giving him a restless appearance, but it did not make sense. No one in The Novus kept physical imperfections voluntarily unless they were some kind of attention seeker. "Whatever. Shit happens. Do you have a red potion?" The guy with red chestnut hair shook his head. "No. Sorry. This is the best I could do." His gaze pointed at the bandages covering her abdomen. "So what now?" she asked, raising her voice. She only got a puzzled expression as an answer. "You were carrying me somewhere. What was your n?" "Oh, sorry. I''ve been trying to get some help for a while now, but..." "Nothing?" She sneered. "Is the situation so dire that you haven''t stumbled across someone since you found me?" She looked around, maintaining an expression of disbelief. "I recognize this ce; we''re five blocks away from my apartment." He pursed his lips, unable to answer until a light projected his shadow over her. "LOOK OUT!" A nightmarish, deafening sound terrorized them for five excruciating seconds. Her heart skipped a beat as she tightly embraced the young man shielding her. When she dared to peek over his shoulder, she could see a massive wall of light disintegrating the convenience store she had used as a point of reference. When that massiveser beam dissipated, silence reigned over that lonesome street again. "N-No way..." she muttered. "What was that?" "That''s the dragon''s deathly breath. That''s why I''m trying to get you out of this zone as quickly as I can." "You''re kidding me," she whispered, as her lower lip trembled. "Is something that powerful roaming the city right now? What are the guilders that swore to protect this city do--?!" Her shouting was interrupted by the piercing pain from her wound. "H-Hang in there just for a little while, okay? I promise we''ll find you a healer." He then turned around, ready to carry her again. "Come on, let''s keep going." She observed his back for a moment before sighing. "What''s your name?" "n Warden. Yours?" "Nikki. Thanks for helping me, n, but it may take us a while until we find a healer since they may be busy dealing with the monster." "We''ll find someone who can give us a red potion then. Come on, we have to get out of here!" "I have a better idea," she began whispering as she leaned forward to touch his cheeks. "Nikki? What are you...?" She exhaled before casting: "Active Skill, Lifesteal." Overwhelming dizziness paralyzed n as if all the blood inside his body was being taken away. Secondster, he lost control of his body, and half of his face hit the ground. As he did his best to remain conscious, a pair of shoes got inside his blurry line of vision. "What kind of joke is this?" the girl cried, annoyed. "Are you really level 5? You barely had the necessary HP to help me close this damn wound! Whatever. Thank god there are still stupid white-knight assholes like you in this shitty VR. Nice meeting you, n. You should be grateful that I stopped the Skill before killing you." With that said, the young woman strode from there, but her rushed footsteps were shut by someone giggling in his ear. "What a shitty person that was... Are you okay with this oue, n?" Squinting, he turned his gaze toward Nikki running down the street, but saw a shadowy figure instead, getting cut in half like a piece of paper. What the...? He gathered his strength to stand up, ignoring a system warning telling him that his HP was at 5%, for something had appeared in front of him that demanded his full attention. "n Warden..." A disembodied voice echoed inside his head. "Do you really want to know what happened?" The street in ruins had been swapped for a white hallway. The floor reflected him, and the pristine walls begged not to be touched by his dirty palms. Is this... The Santa Mar¨ªa? "...The truth may be ugly, you know," "I know..." he replied, as the immacte walls now presented burn marks, and the floor changed to red. "It''s a good thing that The Novus does not leave corpses behind. It''s better this way, right, n?" He almost tripped after stumbling upon something. Was it a person lying down over a pool of his own blood? He could not tell and he refused to inspect it. But when he looked at the path in front of him, dozens of other human-looking figures awaited. The corridor spread forward like an endless tunnel, and with it, hundreds of unidentifiable sacks of meat. "Just imagine how messy the streets of Londorus would look right now if The Novus did not get rid of the bodies. It''d be quite a sight to behold... Don''t you think? So answer me this, n. Have you seen a bunch of bodies lying aroundtely? Like candy scattered across the ground after breaking a pi?ata, hu-hu." "I..." He noticed a light at the end of the tunnel. A blinding light that tried to scare him away and threatened to go out forever, leaving him in perpetual darkness. But he needed to advance forward whatever the costs. Even though the goal may hurt him and break his soul into a thousand pieces. He owed it to the people that worked before him and to those that made this journey possible. At least that''s what I believe, he said to himself as he forced himself to go forward. "Stop. I wouldn''t go in that direction if I was you..." "Shut up. Don''t try to stop me." "Seriously... It''ll kill you." "J-JUST SHUT UP! I know I''m hopeless, okay?! I just need to¡ª" "What a nuisance. I can''t have you getting killed just yet, you know? You still have a lot to an¡ª" An explosion shut the woman''s voice and brought n back to reality. He looked up in the direction the voice wasing from and witnessed the ck-clothed girl escaping from an entire building floor engulfed in mes. He then realized that the lighting from the illusionary tunnel was the dragon''s breath,ing at him from a distance. Oh, for the love of¡ªI''m so toasted! Chapter 32: Down in the Warzone - Part 2

Chapter 32: Down in the Warzone - Part 2

He shut his eyes, bracing himself, hoping that getting vaporized would be quick and painless. But a couple of secondster, he realized he could still hear and feel everything around him. He squinted at the feminine silhouette shielding him. Her long hair flew above her nape, hitting his face, and the fragrance emanating from it contrasted with the smell of charred pavement and smoke nearby. "Astrid?" he called aloud, making the young girl in front of him sneer loudly. "Seriously? Do I look of blowjob-height to you?" After the dragon''s breath dissipated and his sight readjusted to the gloomy ambiance, he nced at the enormous piece of ck metal that had served as a shield and at its owner, a known, smug redhead girl. "Amelia Lamme? What are you doing here?" "Don''t misinterpret it, Ghost. I''m just passing by," she replied, looking at him from head to toe with a disdainful expression on her face. Sighing, she pulled out something from her inventory and tossed it in his direction. "Here. It kinda bothers me to see your HP in the red. Look at you. Even my Battle Aura could kill you if I suddenly power up." n examined the ss bottle filled with red liquid. "Thanks... but..." "Not now, Ghost, for that person is still around," Amelia said, looking at the sidewalk 20 feet away from them, where the ck-clothed girl jumped down. "What the actual hell, you bitch?" she cried. "Why are you interrupting our date?!" "Date?" Amelia snickered. "Weren''t you casting Slumbermare on him just a moment ago? Is that your way of showing interest, darling?" Slumbermare? n turned to Amelia, frowning. Isn''t that what that Marco jerk did to me the other day? So was this girl trying to get inside my head too? n then noticed Amelia smirking at him. "W-What?" "I didn''t know you were into yanderes, Ghost." Amelia snickered. "That exins your rtionship with Astrid perfectly." "Please don''t follow her game," he whispered, before narrowing his eyes at the unknown girl. "And weren''t you calling me Little Mouse before, as if you were some sort of horny cat? What''s with the ''date'' crap now?!" "H-Horny?" the girl stuttered. "I''m not¡ª!" "Why did you call Astrid a yandere, Amelia?" n asked the redhead beside him,pletely ignoring their enemy. "She''s not some sort of psycho; she''s a sweetie!" "You have to be kidding me. She literally killed thirty of her former teammates because of you." "That proves nothing. And what were you saying about a blowjob again? I didn''t get that." "Is that what worries you right now?!" Amelia cried, blushing. "I said she''s of ''blowjob-height,'' got it? Or do I have to spell it out for you?" "Oh,e on, she''s not that short! She''s 5 feet, 2 inches tall," he said with a straight face. "Okay, that was not totally creepy... And use metric, you Imperial jerk." "That''s 157 cm," the girl in front of them said, nonchntly. "Thank you!" n nodded at her. "Did you hear that, Amelia? Astrid is not short." "She''s below the standard, Ghost..." "H-H-How tall are you, anyway?!" "With or without high heels?" "Wha¡ª? Uh¡ªOkay... Without?" "Why do you ask? I don''t think you''ll ever see me without them." "Fine! How tall are you WHILE wearing heels?" "What? Is this a fetish of yours?" n sighed. "...Why are you so annoying?" "Why do you care?" "Because I want us to be friends!" "Reaaally? After all the things I did to you? Are you a creep AND a masochist?" "I thought we were getting along after you helped me yesterday." "Hold on! What are you talking about?" "At the Drinking Banshee, remember? When you locked me in thedies'' bathroom." Amelia''s face flushed immediately, turning to the girl observing them. "I-It''s not what it sounds! Dammit, Ghost! I didn''t help you, okay?! It just¡ª!" Amelia pursed her lips, turning her tone of voice softer. "...benefitted me to let you go..." Seeing Amelia getting flustered so easily made n grin. "So was saving me from that dragon''sser beam also beneficial to you? Hmm?" "I''m warning you, Ghost! I don''t like that smirk of yo¡ª" Amelia got interrupted mid-sentence by something attempting to pierce her face. She dodged at thest second but got a slight cut on her left cheek. "Yo! What the hell!" n cried. The Girl in ck seemed to re at them through her hood. "Sorry! Did I interrupt your little chat?" "It was more like bantering..." "WHATEVER! We have prolonged this mouse chase for too long, n Warden. So tell your meddling friend to GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, or she''ll suffer the same fate as the previous rat." "What rat?" Amelia asked n quietly. "And who''s this bitch, anyway?" "I think she''s referring to that big guy from the guild¡ªOscar! Yes, that''s his name. And... Um... She''s that dragon''s summoner." "Okay, got it," Amelia nodded. "But why is she targeting you? There''s nothing interesting about your whole existence¡ª" She narrowed her eyes at him, lost in thought. "Oh..." she expressed with pouty lips. "What? What did you realize?" Amelia pulled him by the hand. "No time. Run!" "NOT AGAIN!" the Girl in ck cried, ready to use the same technique she used to execute Oscar, but a sudden source of heat above her distracted her. "What the¡ªIs that a maw?" A huge feline engulfed in mes bit her head off before crashing against the concrete. Then, it roared victoriously, making itself be heard across the adjacent streets. "I don''t think that''ll be enough," Amelia muttered while running. "Amelia, wait! Why are we escaping?! I thought you''d kick her ass!" "Is that why you were bantering with me in front of her?! So she could get angry and target me?!" "Maybe?" She shut her eyes, gathering her patience. "Let''s not talk about that for now, okay? Just answer me this so both of us can be on the same page. How do you know she summoned that dragon?" "Because she did it in front of my eyes." "Did you identally watch her do it? Is that the reason she''s targeting you? Because you''re the only witness?" "No! She did it on purpose to prove some sort of philosophical bullshit!" "HUH?! What are you talking about?!" "She was saying nonsense! That our generation has turnedzy andcent, and that she''s the embodiment of progress or some shit!" Amelia halted to look n in the eye. "You were talking with her?" "Yes. In a park near¡ª" "What I''m trying to ask is¡ª" Amelia paused, shaking her head. "Was she looking for you from the start?" n quickly grimaced. "What? No, NO! Of course not! I met her at this park near this... um... I don''t know the name of that bridge! Anyway, she approached me in a friendly way and..." He narrowed his eyes. "Why would you think she was looking for me? I... I''m unimportant." "But you were doing something of value outside The Novus... weren''t you?" she asked, looking apologetic. "Something that could risk ''the integrity of this ship and its poption''?" That sounded as if she was quoting me... "How do you...?" "I may... have heard your conversation with Marco yesterday," she admitted, half-smiling. "Tee-hee." n''s face turned bright red. "YOU WHAT?!" A wail echoed through the street. Looking back, n saw a giant feline getting lifted by a pair of ck tentacles impaling its body. "There goes my Kirin," Amelia exhaled, before exerting an explosive fire aura. "Listen to me, Ghost, I''m not entirely sure what you''re up to, but everything points to this girl knowing about it too." "But that''s impossible..." he whispered, looking at a huge ck mass consuming Amelia''s cat summon. "Because the menace..." Through his mind shed the many different things the girl was saying. A sentence stood out among them. ''Your ancestors''... She sounded weird when she said that. But no... It can''t be. The menace I was talking about with Marco is not human... Chapter 33: Satellite - Part 1

Chapter 33: Satellite - Part 1

Astrid tried her best to remain conscious, repressing the annoying buzz inside her head. Thest hit had knocked her to the ground, forcing her to look closely at the droplets of blood on the floor, dripping from her forehead. "Bloody bastard..." she muttered, spitting. At that very moment, she wished for nothing more than to re at her enemy directly in the eyes, instead of staring at that stupid beast-shaped helmet. "Come on, Comet!" her enemy shouted before stomping over Astrid''s head. "Give me a reason to fear you!" The stomp tore through the building floor and the one below them consecutively. When they finally reached the ground floor, a thick dust cloud hid them from each other''s sight. Despite Astrid''s best efforts to be as non-destructive as possible, their battle had reached another dense area, and the coteral damage was inevitable. Walls in their path could not slow them down. Houses, building apartments, and retail stores copsed all around them. After powering up, their steps were as heavy as any mythical creature, and the shockwave created from their physical contact broke every crystal and nearby window. We could really give that dragon a run for its money. Hopefully, this area is fully evacuated, because it''s bloody difficult to hold back against someone that fights as if they were a natural disaster... Heh... With that in mind, she can endure if I go all out, right? Astrid emerged from the dust cloud and punched the enemy in the gut with a fire-engulfed fist. The sound of the armor cracking echoed through the entire building. "S-Splendid... You really are something," the Warrior said, trying to push Astrid back. Blood ran down from under their helmet. "D-Despite all this damage, you keep fighting as if the Safe Zone was a joke..." Astrid snickered. "I''m not done yet..." Gathering her strength, she pushed her fist further into the enemy''s stomach, piercing the skin. Soon, her knuckles would reach the enemy''s organs. "I''ll burn you from the inside!" "I''ll p-pass..." the Warrior breathed before performing a headbutt with all their strength. Astrid''s sight ckened for a second as she felt how half of her body made a hole in the ground. Since the height difference was significant, Astrid wondered if she had been driven into the ground like a nail. Which sounds quite humiliating... Memories of people calling her ''short'' exploded all at once inside her head. "Quick-F-CLASS FLARE!" Astrid cast without previously channeling, catching the enemy by surprise. A pir of fire as intense and powerful as the two-headed dragon''s beams of doom fired from Astrid''s palms. The spell crossed the street and reached the Thermasis river 650 feet away, evaporating the water in its trajectory instantly. Finishing that, Astrid gasped for air while getting out of the embarrassing human-sized hole. "Serves you right," she mumbled as the smog cleared, revealing the building''s new entrance: A 50-foot half-oval-shaped gap. In front of Astrid, a still-standing silhouette. "D-Did y-you quick-cast a G-Greater-tier spell that easily?" the Warrior quietly moaned inside their helmet, sounding ecstatic. "A-Amazing..." After saying that, they went silent. Curving their body forward, arms hanging low. Did they die on their feet? Astrid examined the enemy''s heavily damaged and melted armor, which looked ready to be discarded. But something''s not right. I''d broken their fist, made a hole through their stomach, and burned them to a crisp... And yet...! With a sudden gasp, the Warrior seemed to havee to life. "Oh, what a delightful experience! I wonder how much time I''d havested if you were at your full capacity!" You''re kidding me... Astrid threw a quick punch, but the enemy blocked it as if it hade from a mile away. Astrid did not let her surprise show for a second longer and tried a somersault kick, but the unknown warrior stepped aside calmly. Astrid''s feet cracked the tiled floor and the monument in front of her, depicting a fairy boy, was cut in half instead. Astrid could picture the Warrior smirking inside their helmet during that infinitesimal pause. Are they faster despite their multiple cumtive injuries?! That''s impossible! It''s as if they have... healed already... Huh? W-Whatever! I''m wide open now, so they should hurry and punish me... I would if I were in their ce... The enemy''s fist radiated a fire aura, just like Astrid''s from moments ago. That''s it? Idiooot. Powering that up will give me the time to step back! Astrid knew how to deal with such an attack since she had perfected it in thest two years. What she did not expect after dodging the first punch, was that a second and third fist threatened to hit her face. Oh, you little shit... "Fire Style, Meteor Fall Punch!" the Warrior announced as they maniacallyughed. "Come on, Comet! Don''t tell me you didn''t see thising!" Four, six, ten, fifteen hits, all seemingly thrown at the same time to the naked eye. Although I can see each one of theming my way, I won''t be able to dodge and block them all. One punch hit Astrid in the belly, another in her right bicep, left breast, right side of her ribs, and nose. Thatst one sent her flying through walls and caused the inevitable copse of the four-story building. Although more than a hundred tons of debris fell over Astrid, that was nothingpared to the pain caused by that Special Move. She could feel the affected skin and injured muscles swelling, and her ''Pain Endurance'' Passive Skill seemed to do nothing. It''s a nice kind of pain, regardless. The kind that causes a pleasant, itching sensation... Astrid checked her HP bar. She could theoretically survive a punishment two times stronger than that. But my gut is telling me that this wanker is still holding back... After vomiting blood, she thanked in silence that her enemy had not seen that. Let''s see, what do I know about them? They heal fast. So fast, in fact, that their regeneration isparable to that of a Mythical Beast, something I''ve never seen before. Could that be their Unique Talent? And there''s something more that is constantly increasing their strength and speed. Hmm... I wonder if... Astrid kicked asiderge blocks of concrete as if they were made of cardboard and fixed her broken nose. Above her, the still-gray Londorus sky greeted her. "This sucks!" Astrid cried, pouting and stomping the ground without a care in the world if she looked childish in front of the enemy. This debuffed state blows! It''s difficult to grasp what my current limits really are! If it wasn''t for my Libra, this battle would have ended right when it started... Frustrated, she wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes at the enemy. "You knooow, it''s boring that you don''t have a name! So I''ll call you Crimson from now on due to your red armor. I''d call you Red for short, but it reminds me of a certain bitch that I''d rather not think about for the moment." "Fine, I''ll let you have that," the Warrior said hoarsely, making Astrid pout again. "What is it, Crimson? You sound disappointed. Is mopping the floor with me not as satisfactory as you thought it''d be?" The Warrior sighed loudly as if something Astrid said had struck a nerve. "Screw it," they muttered and ced bothrge hands against their helmet to remove it. "I''d rather you call me Scarlett," the young woman under the armor said. "And I can''t say I''m happy with this match since you''re still holding back..." Astrid promptly used her ''Eye of the Sage'' Active skill, hoping to get any info out of her enemy, but the System gave her no results. Aplete stranger... I know the face and name of every single registered Guilder in the top-ranking lists, and she''s not there. What the hell is going on? I refuse to believe that a User this strong has remained unknown this whole time. People have egos. They want to be on the top and be admired by everyone... Astrid bit her lower lip for half a second before beaming. "Look at you! There was a cute face under that thing all along! What about your mission? Is it okay for you to show your face just like that?" "We''re supposed to be anonymous, but screw that," Scarlett said, glowering. "That was my partner''s idea anyway. As I''ve already stated, my primary objective is to learn from you." Chapter 34: Satellite - Part 2

Chapter 34: Satellite - Part 2

"We''re supposed to be anonymous, but screw that," Scarlett said, glowering. "That was my partner''s idea anyway. As I''ve already stated, my primary objective is to learn from you." "What about that ''Embodiment of Progress'' crap?" "That''s right! My own, fucking progress!" Although Scarlett''s freckles and the orange bush she had for hair gave her a feminine appearance, her height, bulky frame, deep tone of voice, and the ck eyepatch covering her left eye allowed her to keep her tough-guy persona. Thatst thing is just too much in my opinion. Unless it''s not an essory... Astrid formed fists, knowing that the next round would be thest. In the end, knowing what she looks like under that helmet doesn''t really matter. For someone that boasts about being part of something ''big'' and avoids any kind of spotlight, this face could be another one of her masks. Her name is surely fake, too. Astrid looked into the distance. The gigantic two-headed dragon could be seen firing breath afterser breath at something flying over its heads. "You want me to take you seriously, huh," Astrid said in a low voice as she ran a hand through her hair. "You know, if you and your partner hadn''t destroyed a fourth of the city, I could admit that your tenacity is admirable. You''ve really learned my moves and techniques to such perfection, that it sends chills down my spine!" Astrid''s friendly smile twisted into a malicious grin. "I mean it. You REALLY creeped me out. This is not obsessive behavior I''m seeing. Trust me, I know all about it... No. You''re more akin to a scanning machine. Yes! Something that tracks someone''s motions but has no moves of its own. Gross!" Scarlett frowned noticeably, beforeughing out loud. "Did you really say all that with a straight face, Comet?!" She sneered, stretching out her arms to her sides. "Who is the real inhuman here, eh?! Little, insignificant copycat, me?! Or you, the woman that practically broke this game''s bnce and caused a snowballing, power-creeping worldwide effect that the Administrators have been trying to address for thest year?! I, like many others, only broke our limits after learning what could be done from you! You''re the original Powercreeper here, Monster Girl, not me!" Astrid''s mocking face stiffened instantly. "What did you call me?" "You heard me right, you freakazoid!" Scarlett scoffed. "The only one that fights inhumanly here is you! Always cold-looking, as if fighting bored you. Always using a handicap, or finding different excuses to not go all out! I haven''t even seen you using your Super Mode once! So stop restraining yourself and show me that monstrous side of you, the one that you never show in public! COME ON! JUST LET IT OUT!" As Scarlett got into a fighting stance, Astrid shook her head vigorously. ''I-Inhuman''? ''Monster''? Astrid sobbed while covering her eyes with both hands. "Why did you call me all those horrible things, you¡ªyou¡ªBIG JERK?!" A bursting red aura surrounded Astrid, showing that she had used a Fire Boost. "That''s more like it!" Scarlett crowed, exerting the same fierce aura. "Fire Boost, Valor+! Ha-ha-ha!" "Scarlett, can I ask you something?" Astrid said in a low voice after wiping out what seemed to be genuine tears from her cheeks. "Doesn''t it hurt?" "What are you mumbling about?" "Your Berserk Mode..." Astrid whispered as she raised her head, showing her cold, glowing blue eyes. "The after-effects are quite painful, so I can''t imagine what it''d feel like using it all the time..." Scarlett cracked a smile. "So you finally noticed, eh? That means I don''t need to hide it anymore..." Scarlett chuckled as she calmly removed her eyepatch. An explosive purple aura took over her body immediately, overwhelming the red one. Scarlet''s green eyes changed to golden, and her irises resembled those of a predator. Even her youthful appearance changed into a feral expression. "That''s right," Scarlett continued, "being in this constant state HURTS LIKE HELL! Ignoring the feeling of my blood constantly boiling, and disregarding the fear of getting a heart attack at any moment, this constant agony is EXHILARATING! This is the secret of my power, Comet! It doesn''t matter how many times you impale me, burn me, or break my bones, I''ll heal immediately and get a quick power boost as a bonus! Simply said, the longer the battle, the stronger I''ll get!" While Scarlettughed maniacally, Astrid sniffed and rubbed her eyes. Exhrating... Huh... "Do you really intend to surpass me, Scarlett?" Astrid asked softly. "I know I will!" Scarlett shouted, hitting her chest. "Which ss did you choose?" "Battlemage! The same as you, of course!" "WRONG," Astrid pronounced in a deep voice before reverting to a girly tone. "I''m sorry, sweetie, but I''m not specialized in that ss. Tee-hee!" Astrid saw a glimpse of distress in the enemy''s face. And it''s glorious... "W-What are you talking about?" Scarlett stuttered. "Battlemage! A ss that excels in both strength and magic! That''s your ss!" Astrid giggled, covering her mouth with her right hand. "Ah, my sweet, noob child! Who''d want to master such a useless ss? Being a Battlemages is the equivalent of being a Jack of All Trades. You''d never excel as a martial artist nor as an elemental mage, bing just glorified cannon fodder!" Scarlett tilted her head to her side, looking perplexed. "B-But it''s obvious what you¡ªW-Why are you doing this?! You can''t lie to me! It even says so in your Guilder profile! You''re a Battle¡ª!" "Well, they have to put something there, don''t they?" Astrid interrupted. "For the fans, of course. But the truth of the matter is that I''ve never revealed my true ss publicly. If you''ve been following my career, you should know I''m telling the truth." Scarlett''s lower lip trembled as the purple aura around her increased. "N-No way... No way, NO WAY, NO WAY!" "And even if I WAS a Battlemage, you''ve failed miserably, regardless. Want to know why?" "I HAVEN''T FAILED! I''M KICKING YOUR ASS IN A HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT!" "And in all this time you''ve never copied my long-range attacks!" Astrid replied,ughing out loud. "Why didn''t you cast a copy of my ''F-ss re'' too, huh? You could have shown me you could do it better. Or is it too difficult for you? Hmm? Or maybe..." Astrid grinned maliciously, "...maintaining that Berserk state drains all of your mana? Tee-hee. That means that as long as you fervently use this Berserk strategy, you''ll be nothing more than a cheap knockoff..." "EARTH BOOST!" Scarlett shouted, emanating a third battle aura. "LIVING ROCK!" "Getting pretty desperate, huh." Astrid snickered. "The longer the battle, the stronger you get, right? What if I told you your strategy has a clear weakness, Scarlett? Something easy to exploit if it weren''t for these Safe Zone restrictions." "Oh, I''d love to see youying a scratch on me now!" Scarlett roared, making the ground shake just by stepping forward. "My body is now harder than anything on this shitty ind!" Astrid closed her eyes while emanating a blue aura. "It''s easy... One just has to beat you to the point of no recovery really fast... Water Boost, Overflow+." Notice: Your Spirit has increased by two ranks! "What are you going to do with that?!" Scarlett scoffed. "You''ve already seen I can tank your magic!" Astrid ignored Scarlett''s taunts and continued channeling mana. "Earth Boost, Living Rock+." The ground beneath Astrid''s feet cracked as if she had gained mass and weight. Notice: Your Vitality has increased by two ranks! n, the day you disappeared we promised to be on top of the world, right? Well, to this day I''m still striving to be just that. I don''t know if you''ve already checked the ranking charts yet, but I owe you an exnation of why I''m in 7th ce in the Individual Power category... "Wind Boost, Speed Demon+," Astrid continued, as a green gust of wind flew through her loose hair. Notice: Your Agility has increased by two ranks! "What the hell are you nning?" Scarlett asked in a low voice, fully aware that thest two Elemental Boosts were ipatible. "Wait... Why are you stacking up boosts as if there was no tomorrow?! You just said that ''Jack of All Trades'' are cannon fodder!" "Well... I''m clearly lying about one of those things, right? But which one? The part about me not being a Battlemage, or what I really think about versatile people?" n... The reason why I''m not the most powerful User in all the Novus right now is that time has taught me that being number one is... a pain in the ass. If I climbed to the top of the ranking charts, other Guilders would hate me more than they already do. You just met Kathleen Maher, right? Well, imagine 98 more bitches and wankers like that. I can deal with the haters just fine, but I''d prefer not to have that kind of attention. The pressure on my shoulders would kill me young. That''s why I prefer to be in the spotlight doing something different... Something that gives joy to the people! But regardless of my personal feelings, the reason I stubbornly remain in the 7th spot is that I want the Novus poption to know my face, and that they shouldn''t mess with me or my city... It had worked pretty well until today. So let me remind this person thatets are unreachable... Feeling the increasing flow in Astrid''s power, Scarlett stepped back for the first time since their duel started. "W-What''s wrong with me?!" she cried with clenched teeth and hit herself in the nose, drawing her own blood. "To hell with you! Stacking different boosts won''t matter if you can''t take a hit!" Scarlett''s fist irradiated fire and prepared her attack. "METEOR--!" "Berserk Mode..." Astrid calmly cast. I haven''t climbed to the peak of the mountain because I don''t want people to see me as a monster, n... Although... That''s what I really am... "PUUUUNCH!" Scarlett roared as her fist connected with Astrid''s face. The resulting sound echoed through Londorus'' streets. People from all over the city turned their heads in the same direction and mistakenly attributed the twin-headed dragon as responsible for such thunderous noise. There were no cameras around to witness such a spectacle, but if there was a brave soul that could have recorded the incident, people would have debated for weeks if that single punch was one of the most devastating in Novus'' history. Of course, after the following one... "I heard it! The sound of your skull breaking!" Scarlett celebrated, raising her fist victoriously, before noticing that her hand looked weird. "N-No... Not again." "More like the sound of your knuckles, wrist, and arm getting crushed at the same time," Astrid said while a purple aura simr to Scarlett''s took over her body. "I have to give you some credit, Scar. That hurt. A LOT. So you know what that means, right?" "This doesn''t make sense," Scarlett muttered, stepping back. "What about all those boosts then?! Why cast a Water and Wind boost if you''re not going to use them, huh?! ANSWER ME!" "Oh, you''d love to know that," Astrid said softly. A mischievous, almost evil-looking smirk adorned her face. Her blue eyes had been changed for those of a beast, golden and dangerous. I became powerful so I could protect those I love. So you don''t have to worry about anything, n... As long as I''m here... Then, with a single whisper, Astrid concentrated all of her power in her right fist. "Libra..." For a fraction of a second, Scarlett saw a tall figure behind Astrid. It resembled a blindfolded woman wearing a pristine dress. She was holding something aloft in her right hand, but Scarlett could not distinguish what. Something that seemed important. Scarlett wished she could know what that object was. "Beautiful..." Scarlett muttered. Astrid''s punch did not produce a deafening sound, it only impaled Scarlett as if she was made of butter. "Truly beautiful." "I''ll discover the trick you used to get into this city unrestrained. So nevere back. Did you hear me? Next time I''ll go all out from the start." Scarlett rested her chin over Astrid''s left shoulder as if they were embracing each other and coughed blood. "Whatever. Our work here is done..." Something glowing in the distance caught Astrid''s eye. It''sing from where the dragon is... Is it firing its breath in this direction? No... THIS IS DIFFERENT! Astrid''s instincts told her to get out of that zone immediately, but her agonizing rival restrained her with thest of their strength. "I also lied..." Scarlett breathed as an increasing dome of white light engulfed them both. Chapter 35: Nuke Dragon - Part 1

Chapter 35: Nuke Dragon - Part 1

20 minutes ago... To initiate ''Operation Death from Above'', the Titan Hunters guild and Shooting Stars assembled their remaining priests, priestesses, warlocks, witches, and Epic-tier Mounts. Upon reaching the designated location¡ªa rooftop five stories high and one mile from the motionless dragon¡ªthe group of ten whispered urgently among themselves. "Alright, everyone, thanks foring!" Tamara Morin announced as thest witch alighted from her Flying Mount. "Shooting Stars and Titan Hunters, please listen to Benjamin! We''re all in this together to take that monster down!" Benjamin Woods, leader of Titan Hunters, towered over the petite Tamara. He took a deep breath and announced, "Guilders! The dragon has wreaked enough havoc on the city, so I''ll keep this brief. Split into two groups¡ªDark Magic Users on my right for Group A, priests on my left for Group B. Move!" As the groups formed, Benjamin noted their reluctantpliance and the uncertainty in their eyes, which pained him. "It''ll work," Tamara reassured quietly after catching his weary gaze. "Oh, I''m certain, Ms. Morin," Benjamin replied, massaging his temples. "Just hoping I can y my part." "You seemed determined just minutes ago," Tamara remarked with a slight smile, patting his arm. "Hold onto that a bit longer, and we''ll be fine." "Yeah..." Benjamin whispered, his gaze fixed not on the dragon but on a distant battle, where buildings copsed under thick clouds of smog and fiery explosions. That must be Astrid Bradford, he thought. Wish I had the ''Eagle Eye'' Passive Skill like those in the Marksman ss to see it better. But I don''t need it to know she''s facing something as formidable as this dragon. A bitter chuckle escaped him. Why the doubt? Taking down giants is what I do best. That morning, he had nced at the ranking charts after someone pointed them out. Seeing Shooting Stars at the bottom was surreal. While some of his peers celebrated their guild''s ascension to the top of the city''s ranks, Benjamin retreated to his office. Can''t they see this just means more work, more pressure? He could handle it¡ªhis old job on Earth had been far more stressful. Shooting Stars'' fame shone so brightly it seemed to blind everyone else on the stage that was Londorus. The only guilds thatpeted, like Death Bringers, had opted to move away. Those who remained lived in the shadow of Astrid Bradford''s overwhelming presence. Benjamin checked another list¡ªthe ''Individual Power'' ranking, where Astrid''s name clung to the seventh spot like an immovable iceberg. He scrolled down to find his own name in 87th ce. As long as my guild excels at something... at taking down Giant Bosses... we''ll manage. Refocusing on the present, he saw the newly formed groups ready to act. "Guilders, your next orders are simple! Group A, target the dragon''s white head with curses and debuffs. Group B, cleanse and purify the ck head. And be cautious¡ªstay clear of the suicide-inducing gas it emits! Just focus on this final task; Tamara and I will handle the rest." Benjamin rattled off the instructions so quickly he wondered if everyone caught them, but the relief on their faces reassured him. "That''s it?" one guild member called out, chuckling. "Count on us, boss!" "But what if the dragon fires at us?" a youthful voice asked. "Dodge," Benjamin smirked. "Now, go and clear a path for us so I can bring you the dragon''s heart!" The Flying Mounts took to the sky, and Benjamin''sughter rang out as he watched his guild members charge toward their grim task. "It''s good to see you motivated," Tamara noted, pping him on the back. "But of course! In minutes, I''ll be Londorus'' savior!" he eximed. "True, true," Tamara agreed, then cleared her throat. "Shouldn''t we get going... like, now?" Benjamin snorted. "I don''t have an Epic-tier Mount. You?" She blinked, speechless for a moment. "B-But you''re a Guild Master!" "That''s right," he replied, arms crossed. "I usually stay back, coordinating. When we get a mount, I pass it to my top guilders to keep them motivated." "T-That''s... admirable," Tamara said softly, lowering her eyes. "Sorry if I seemed rude." "No offense taken, Ms. Morin!" Benjamin chuckled. Tamara nodded, smiling. "Let me call my Mount then." She summoned a winged, feline beast with a wave of her arm. "Would you like to take the reins, sir?" "Nah. I''m afraid of heights. We''d never get off the ground." Tamara''s smile faded. "Eh?" **** ** * I don''t feel intimidated by him anymore... nor impressed, Tamara thought as shemanded her purple flying puma to ascend with Benjamin tightly holding onto her waist. And here I was, thinking he looked somewhat attractive while we nned the attack... "We need to rise above the clouds!" Benjamin instructed through the Party Chat, his voice tinged with disbelief at his own words. "You''re doing great, sir. Just keep your eyes closed, and you''ll be fine!" Below them, the Dragon shifted its focus towards the other guild members flying overhead. Laser beams streaked from its maw, slicing through the sky. The mounts are quick enough to dodge, but it depends on the rider. We need to be swift, Tamara thought as they ascended. Lightning crackled nearby, making Benjamin flinch. The clouds above them, charged and ck, loomed like a formidable barrier. They broke through into a serene blue sky, the Novus sun still shining impotently over the city below. I''d forgotten it was still daytime. "We''ve reached the sky''s ceiling, sir," Tamara informed him as Benjamin pressed his face into her back. "Good. Let''s hold here a bit longer, Ms. Morin. We don''t want that dragon spotting us." "Understood," she replied, switchingmunication channels. Instantly, the voices of the rest of the guilders filled her head, a cacophony of panic and struggle. (Don''t tell me you''ve run out of mana!) (I-I can''t see this working... Its Magic Resistance is too damn high!) (No, no, no! You''re aiming at the wrong one, you fool--!) (I think I''m gonna puke...) (BENNY, LOOK OUT!) (My god, they killed Benny!) (That bastard!) (Why do I suddenly want to strip and curse myself? My whole body itches!) (Veronika, did you inhale the gas? Hold on, I''ll cleanse you!) (The Eclipse Festival is upon us! G-Grua--) (Did you see that?! Veronika... with her staff...) (This isn''t working, folks! W-Why did I agree to this suicide mission?! I''ve got nearly 800,000 G on me! I''m sorry guys, but I''ll--!) (Don''t you dare quit, Jona!) (Ignore him! The white head''s acting up! It''s actually working!) (I see it too! What are you doing, Group A?! Stop whining and do your job!) (Guys--I mean, Group A! Stop with the debuffs, stick to curses!) (They took down one of the Shooting Stars. I didn''t catch their name.) (Don''t stop now! We''re making an impact. Keep at it!) (The ck head looks dizzy. It''s working!) "Sir!" Tamara cried out to Benjamin. "Descend. We have a dragon to y..." Chapter 36: Nuke Dragon - Part 2

Chapter 36: Nuke Dragon - Part 2

Without hesitation, Tamaramanded her puma to dive, slicing through the clouds with incredible speed. Soon, the dragon loomed directly below them. A targeting reticle appeared in her vision, helping her adjust their trajectory. "We''ll reach our target in fifteen seconds!" "Roger that," Benjamin responded, extending his right hand to summon his weapon. "Calling Forth¡ªGroothylde, The Sapping Sword." Tamara nced at the ymore emerging from its dimensional pocket. Could this be one of the Titan Hunters guild''s prized relics? "NOW!" Benjamin shouted, startling her. The Puma stretched out its wings to break their fall, and Benjamin leapt from it, making Tamara gasp. Is he going to be okay? That''s a 700-foot drop! "DEATH FROM ABOVE!" Benjamin''s voice boomed, using gravity and mana to enhance his strike. He pierced the dragon''s thick scales and flesh. Okay, that was impressive, Tamara admitted to herself, smiling despite the tension. She then noticed the gas emanating from the dragon''s body. Focus, Tam! She pped her cheeks and ordered her mount tond on the dragon''s back. "I''ming, Benjamin!" she shouted, deactivating her mount with a wave of her hand and sprinting toward her ally while channeling mana. "Greater Light Crafting, Overshield!" A golden, translucent dome-shaped shield enveloped them just as the dragon''s toxic gas closed in. "Nice timing, Ms. Morin." "How''s it going, sir?" Tamara asked, peering at the purple gas swirling around their shield. The interior quickly darkened. "Lesser Fire Crafting, relight," she whispered, conjuring a small, floating orb of light that illuminated Benjamin''s broad shoulders. "Not well," he murmured, his voice strained. "It''s taking longer than I thought. I can''t get through the muscleyers yet. Here, let me show you..." He tapped his User Interface, bringing up a video feed showing what appeared to be roots expanding through pink tissue, searching for something. "Is that...?" "It''s Groothylde in action," Benjamin exined. Tamara peeked over his shoulder at the sword. Its wooden de was entwined with vines that slowly crept up Benjamin''s arms. "I hear two heartbeats," Benjamin muttered. "Makes sense." "Will that be a problem?" "Not at all. Watch." He pointed to the video feed, which split as the sentient roots forked into two paths. "You know, Ms. Morin, this sword is practically useless 99% of the time. It requires its wielder to be still and vulnerable... But I''ve stubbornly kept it for two years, knowing its moment woulde. After this, it''s going back in my inventory." Tamara listened intently, but her concern grew as she noticed his HP bar depleting steadily. "Sir! Your¡ªIs that thing draining your life?" "Oh, right. Forgot to mention that. It''s the price of wielding Groothylde..." "How could you forget such a crucial detail? Let me heal you! Lesser Light Conjure, Quick Fix!" Tamara''s hands glowed with a warm, golden light as she tried to heal him, but his condition barely improved. "It''s no use! You should''ve brought a Healer, you reckless¡ª" "NO! I needed you, and no one else. Aren''t you known for your Mana Shields?" Famous? Tamara''s confusion vanished as something heavy mmed against their shield, dispersing the gas momentarily. She looked up to see the dragon''s tail poised for another strike. "I won''t ask if this shield will hold, but a reassurance would be nice..." Benjamin said, catching his breath. "It''ll hold! Definitely! It could even withstand whatever Astrid Bradford throws at it after a bad day!" "That''s oddly specific!" Benjaminughed. "But reassuring!" A third tail whip cracked the mana shield, which Tamara reinforced with more mana. "Just focus on your task, please!" "I am, Ms. Morin. And I have good news... I''ve reached its hearts." Tamara watched the video feed as the roots slowly enveloped both pulsating organs. And then, a chilling cry tore through the air. KRYAAAAAAAAAEEEEGH! Every guilder within earshot mped their hands over their ears. "Isn''t it beautiful?!" Benjamin shouted over the dragon''sment. "The sound of a titan realizing it''s doomed!" The dragon spewed fire in desperation, striking the shield with itsser beam for three agonizing seconds. Above them, guild members flying bymented on the dragon''s distress. (Jeezus! Feels like my head''s gonna explode!) (Romina just passed out!) (We''re done here! Retreat!) (Ben! Finish it now!) "I''m¡ªtrying..." Benjamin grunted, his expression pained. Tamara noticed that vines now encased half his body. "Benjamin, your HP is at 10%!" "Yeah... Let''s drop the formalities... Call me Ben. Deal?" "Quick Fix! Quick Fix!" she cried, her hands shing with light as she attempted to heal him. "It''s no use... Groothylde prevents healing... And at this rate... My HP will run out before we can finish¡ª" "We''re a team, right?!" Tamara cut in, rushing to grasp the sword''s hilt. Instantly, dizziness and numbness overwhelmed her. I bet even my real body is feeling this... "Ms. Morin!" Benjamin eximed, seeing her falter. "Tam... Call me Tam..." "Are you sure about this, Tam?!" "Yes... Let''s finish this together..." she murmured faintly. "Alright! Can I leave the right heart to you?" "Sure... What should I do?" "Just close your eyes and focus on telling Groothylde to crush it! Let''s target one heart each." "Got it..." Concentrate... Concentrate... (Ben! What''s taking so long?!) (The dragon''s losing it! It''s going berserk!) Focus, Tamara... Focus... (There goes my favorite tea shop...) Groothylde''s vines tightened around Tamara''s slender arms, painfully squeezing. (Look at its HP! It''s dropping!) (Keep it up, Benjamin, Tamara!) (Hmm... It''s heading towards the Big Beth. So... Let''s bet! What will happen first? Will the dragon die, or will it smash the clock to¡ª?) "NOT ON MY WATCH!" Tamara shouted, her grip on the sword''s hilt tightening as if she were directly crushing the dragon''s heart. The video feed disyed the right heart being pulverized by the constricting roots. Tamara then focused on the left, achieving the same result soon after. The dragon emitted a final whimper and plummeted at the base of Londorus'' clock tower. As the toxic gas dispersed along with the mana shield, and the curse that had drawn the stormy clouds, Tamara gasped for air, her face flushed and sweaty. "We did it..." "Good job, Shooting Star''s First Officer." "We couldn''t have done it without your special weapon, Titan Hunter''s Guild Master." "It did the job, huh? This old relic actually saved Londorus'' most cherished monument." "Thank God..." Tamara breathed a sigh of relief. "Would you... like to have a drinkter tonight?" Benjamin blurted out, his cheeks reddening. Realizing what he''d just suggested, he quickly looked away, clearing his throat. "The Titan Hunters have been saving a special brew... We could enjoy it while celebrating, so... Ahem... Tell Astrid Bradford your whole guild is invited." "Homebrew beer?" Tamara asked, her voice raspy as she ced a hand on his shoulder. "WE''D LOVE TO..." "Alright..." he said, his smile nervous. "Let me add you to my friend list then." "Sure!" Tamara squealed, opening her Social Tab. A notification with an exmation mark icon immediately caught her attention. What''s this? From Oscar: They want n. Huh? n? And who are ''they''? Damn it, Oscar, why are you being so cryptic¡ª? The memory of Astrid''s order from the day before struck Tamara like a hammer. "I''ll leave you in charge of protecting him... I don''t want a repeat ofst night... or EVER." With a shock running down her spine, she realized she hadpletely forgotten about him. And what does this disaster have to do with him?! "Do you hear that?" Benjamin inquired, scanning their surroundings with narrowed eyes. "What now?!" she eximed, then heard it too. A faint thump, growing louder. A slight rumble, emanating from something below them. No... It can''t be... The skin on the dragon''s back split open, revealing a giant, oval eye underneath. "We have to get out of here!" Tamara thought desperately, realizing she had lost her voice as her body became paralyzed. She struggled to look at Benjamin, who seemed to be experiencing the same paralysis. Please, no... (What the hell is happening?!) a guilder shouted over the Party Chat. (Don''t tell me that thing has a Second Phase?!) (Look! The sky is going crazy!) (Is it just me, or does this look apocalyptic?) (Benjamin and Tamara are still down there! We have to rescue¡ª) A system message suddenly appeared in Tamara''s field of vision. NO SIGNAL That''s not good... Tamara mustered all her strength to look up, witnessing a blood-colored sky and strange, halo-like loops floating above the dragon''s corpse. Then, a third dragon head, purple in hue, emerged from the giant eye, throwing Tamara and Benjamin aside. The new head directed its snout towards the bizarre phenomena in the sky and emitted a melodious, almost singing cry. Unable to move, Tamara stared at the sky, her expression bittersweet. Damn it... I have to inform Astrid about Oscar''s message... I have to warn n... I have to... She sighed. How can something so terrifying produce such a beautiful sound? She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I''m going to need a full barrel of beer after this... The dragon''s body glowed briefly before exploding in a bright, dome-shaped st that rapidly enveloped the city block, and then the next, and the next. The few hundred users watching the event via the Nav began flooding the chat. ---------------------------------------------------- Bromoment: Duuuude! Did that thing just explode?!!! Monstaconnoisseur: Twin-Dragon uses Explosion. Bernilda: It''s the Nuke Dragon! It was true! Risdu: No way that happened in the middle of the city! Nikolee: That mushroom cloud looks sick... Rastafaar: Seriously, developers, why would you program such a thing? Akakaka: Guys, is it normal that I''m shaking right now? Seriously, it won''t stop. Elnene: That''s because that hit too close to home. Elnene: Did it happen in your home country too? Thetruhtishr: Where DIDN''T it happen? ----------------------------------- Chapter 37: Cat, Mouse, and Owner - Part 1

Chapter 37: Cat, Mouse, and Owner - Part 1

Ten minutes before Draquinox explodes. n could do nothing but watch. "Get back, Ghost! You''re in my way!" Amelia Lamme yelled, shoving him aside with the strength of ten people. As he tumbled six feet away, he saw a giant ck tentacle crash down where he had just stood. Goddammit, that was close! Thest thing he saw before scrambling to find cover was an enormous ck blob creeping toward the female pyromancer. Are we fighting the night itself? n wondered, ncing into the distance, unable to see the street they hade from, as if the entire neighborhood had been swallowed by darkness. Amelia did not pay more attention to him, and focused on conjuring thergest me possible, which quickly took the shape of a fire dragon. Amelia''s attacks seemed to damage the ck entity chasing them, but it was like watching a lit match trying to illuminate a pitch-ck room. If a high-level User is no match for this, what can I do? n thought as he ran down the next street without looking back. I knew I could do nothing... I knew it from the moment that strange girl summoned that dragon in front of me... But WHY?! How did ite to this?! My mind is telling me this is all my fault, but another part of me is shouting that it doesn''t make sense! I''m nobody! I just arrived in this Utopian world. Right now, my existence is practically lower than an NPC''s. I can do nothing but run! So why are Amelia''s words haunting me? His chaotic thoughts vanished after stumbling upon a very ludicrous scene. What the hell am I seeing? Dumbfounded, he walked toward a crumbling building, where an NPC could be seen sweeping off debris. As n stepped inside, he observed the dust-coated tables, a broken cash register on a dirty bar, and multiple signs promoting different coffee beverages. When he stepped on the broken pieces of a porcin mug, the NPC''s horse ears twitched. "Wee to The Queen''s Coffee, sir," the artificial human said, kindly smiling. "Unfortunately, we''re temporarily closed until further notice." "It''s okay, I''m not here as a customer," n replied in a quiet voice. "Sorry for intruding and sticking my nose into your business, but, what are you doing here?" "I''m just cleaning, sir," the male NPC said inly. "I''m an employee of this fine establishment, and I''m just doing my job." "Yes, I can see that, but aren''t you aware of the danger that''s out there? There''s a dragon that could make this ce disappear in an instant." "I''m fully aware of what''s currently attacking the city," the NPC replied while continuing to sweep. "But this ce has to be perfect before my boss returns from her trip, so we can rebuild as soon as possible." Hearing that humanoid say all that while maintaining a serene expression on his face made n''s chest tighten. Are you that faithful to your boss and this ce, or is it because she ordered you to do it? A sudden noise jolted n from his thoughts. Something punched a hole through the wall and crashed against the caf¨¦''s bar with a bang. A quiet female voice then moaned from behind a curtain of dust. "Why do I even bother?¡ªCough¡ªI could be tasting pae in Espaniel right now, instead of babysitting this--" "A-Amelia?!" n cried out, rushing to her aid. "Are you all right?" With a grunt, Amelia swiftly backhanded n''s reaching hand. "Don''t touch me, conard! This is all your damn fault after all!" n stepped back, watching her eyes ze with the ferocity of a tiger. Blood adorned her forehead and seemed to blend perfectly with her hair. The woman that tortured me is now injured in front of me... And I don''t enjoy seeing her like this. "Do you really believe that?" he asked, looking her in the eyes. "That this is my fault." "What is it, Little Mouse?" another female voice intoned behind him. "Can''t wrap your head around my actions? I think I made myself clear while we were at that park, enjoying a drink." "Oh, great. Your other yandere girlfriend is here," Amelia hissed, standing up. He stood bewildered as Amelia positioned herself in front of him. Though her white exposed shoulders looked fragile and small, her posture was undeniably tireless and dauntless. And now, the woman that made me suffer is shielding me... "Why are you helping me?" he asked her quietly. "This has nothing to do with you." "I''ve already told you," she replied, annoyed. "I spied on your conversation with Marco. So use your brain for a moment and think." "Oh, you two are adorable! Like a couple of lovebirds." The ck-dressed girl giggled from the caf¨¦''s destroyed entrance. "Just don''t exclude me from your conversation again, okay? Because that''d make me really, really mad." "Wee to the Queen''s Caf¨¦, miss," the NPC said to her. "Unfortunately, we''re closed at the--" Without ncing at him, the girl conjured a shadow tentacle from something lurking behind her and whipped him, an action so fast that n only saw the result: The NPC was sent flying against the dining tables in the same way Amelia identally got there. The strenuous sound of the NPC''s body hitting the furniture made n shut his eyes. "What was I saying?" the mysterious girl said, poking her chin with her index finger. "Ah, yes! Tell me, n. Are you enjoying the Eclipse Festival?" "Festival?! If you''re referring to this act of terrorism against the city, then NO! Why are you doing all this in the first ce?!" The girl hiding her identity seemed to nce in Amelia''s direction. "Sorry, n, I''d love to answer, but I''d rather not say a word in front of this meddling bitch here." "Why? I know all about it anyway," Amelia said aloud, smirking. "All of this has to do with this guy having logged out three years ago, isn''t it? Are you trying to silence him, or something?" The enemy took a short but pronounced pause while grimacing. "Oh! Have you been opening your trap, n? What a nuisance..." I have a bad feeling about this... n noticed the entire ce rapidly getting dark. He looked at the establishment''s windows and observed a ck mass crawling and obstructing them. The caf¨¦''s interior became pitch ck soon after. "Quick-relight," Amelia cast, creating a luminescent orb of fire, and a third of a secondter, something long and sharp tried to stab her head. She dodged it and retaliated with a methrower attack. "Quick-Dragonbreath!" The unknown girlughed as she used the shadows behind her as a shield. "There seems to be a little misunderstanding, so listen up, you two! It''s true that I did my best to meet n today, but that was just for fun! Our true goal was to make an example out of this city so that the entire Novus could see that nothing is for granted! Safe Zones? What a joke!" From the windows sprouted more shadowy living spikes, prompting n to duck and cover his head, but after a moment, he noticed that the ck appendages were only targeting Amelia. He nced at her, wielding a shield in her left hand and a short sword in her right one. Their metal was as red and shiny as her hair. Although Amelia sessfully cut and protected herself from many attacks, the sharp tentacles gradually cut through her dress and flesh. In a matter of seconds, she could be seen bleeding from thirty different parts of her body, yet she did not wince nor cried once. Is the enemy toying with her? n thought, watching the unknown girl''s grin. "Do you know the Sr re spell, miss pyromancer?" the enemy asked, sneering. "Of course you do! Look at your level. You could easily get rid of my attacks by casting it, but I suppose this Little Mouse would end up charred. Is that what you''re avoiding?" Hearing that made n jolt from his spot. "Do it, Amelia! Don''t worry about me and save yourself--!" "SHUT UP!" the redhead yelled back. "Who do you think I am?! I''ve already decided that I''d repay you for torturing you the other night, so I''ll give you this bitch''s head as a present! Just watch, as I, Amelia Lamme, The Hell''s Princess, kick this woman''s--!" "You bore me..." the girl in ck whispered. It happened in a second. The pointy end of a skewer came out of Amelia''s chest. She coughed blood, a huge portion of her HP bar was taken, and her weapons disappeared like an extinguished fire. Chapter 38: Cat, Mouse, and Owner - Part 2

Chapter 38: Cat, Mouse, and Owner - Part 2

Amelia coughed blood, a huge portion of her HP bar was taken, and her weapons disappeared like an extinguished fire. It was a shadow spike that erupted from the ground! Before Amelia could fall on her back, n''s body moved on its own and caught her. A couple of secondster, he felt a warm liquid staining his hands. T-This isn''t real... The memory of Ashley / Isabe II agonizing in a pool of her own blood kicked in. This is NOT REAL. And like an unwee guest, dozens of security videos from the Santa Mar¨ªa provided by Isabe I burst into his head. This is not real... This blood isn''t real... Death means nothing here... His mind would not let him forget. It stubbornly reminded him of graphic, violent scenes: his old coworkers getting shot byser pistols, his superiors getting stabbed by improvisednces made of iron tubes and pieces of hard stic. Some of the technicians were choked to death by a legion of white humanoid figures. Some were electrocuted. THIS IS NOT REAL, THIS IS NOT REAL, THIS IS NOT REAL! The ones working in the hangar were smashed by the 60-feet mechas locked there. A couple in particr, who were resting in their chambers, died after the room''s system drained all the oxygen inside and locked them up. A woman was dragged down by her hair out of her hiding spot, before getting her head crushed by a white, metallic foot. "This is just a well-constructed illusion..." "G-Ghost?" Amelia faintly called, frowning. "Why are you crying?" n''s head slowly turned to look at her, causing a tear to fall on her cheek. "I-I..." "You''re such a weirdo..." she muttered before her HP dropped to zero and her face lost color. The girl in ck pped immediately. "Atst! Dammit, n, this chase was super tiring, but I''d admit it was kinda fun! I suppose you''d finallye with me without making another fuss, right?" n closed his eyes while still holding Amelia''s body. "You... think... killing is... funny?" "Stop with that somber attitude, n. She''s fine! She''ll respawn in 24 hours. What''s the big deal? All the damage I did to this city and its inhabitants will reverse back with time. Isn''t that boring?" "We inherited this peace..." "That again?" the girl intoned, annoyed. "You said something like that an hour ago. So what?" "I won''t let you..." n said through clenched teeth, and when he opened his eyes to re at her, the color of his irises turned electric gold. "Huh?" The girl tilted her head to her right. "Are you awake--?" She suddenly jerked her head, looking to her side. "You have to be kidding me..." Ten city blocks from there, the two-headed dragon, Draquinox, self-destructed. Although they were not in the center of the nuclear st, the shockwave tore down the caf¨¦ instantly, and the explosion''s blinding light forced the girl''s enormous shadow surrounding the building to disappear. A minuteter, n coughed, and it sounded muffled. Am I still alive? But... how? He tried to stand, but his head bumped into something sturdy and metallic. Unable to see anything, he reached out his hands, finding a metallic structure. I''m inside some sort of one-person-sized dome. Wait, don''t tell me that... Having fulfilled its purpose, the dome quickly disintegrated, letting light get through and revealing Amelia''s body still lying on the ground close to n. Her long hair hid her face. "Did you do this?" he asked quietly, biting his lower lip. "Your body hasn''t vanished yet, so I''ll assume I can still save you. I''ll take you to a healer, okay?" Before he could lean down to take her in his arms, he heard someone else coughing. "That was¡ªcough¡ªclose¡ªcough¡ªTalk about friendly fire..." the enemy muttered while getting rid of her ripped hooded jacket. After what seemed like an entire day, n finally met his pursuer. A young woman with pale skin and hair as white as the moon, who grinned ear to ear once she locked eyes with him. Someone I''ve never met, definitely, n thought and quickly scanned the surroundings. The ck blob or something simr to a living shadow was nowhere to be found. Only a leveled terrain full of debris and destion. Wait, I sense something nearby. No... Not something. Someone... "There''s nowhere to run or hide, Little Mouse," the girl said, strolling towards him. "It''s over." "You said I wasn''t your main target, but I think you''re lying," n said, ring at her. "What do you want from me?" "The only thing I''d want from someone as insignificant as you," she said, stopping three steps away from him. "Information. That''s your only value." "Insignificant?" he sneered. "I don''t think so. You could have ambushed me and read my mind with that creepy ''Dreammare'' spell from the start, but you opted to talk with me. You WANTED me to see what you did to this city." n slowly rose and smirked, which made the girl narrow her eyes. "Even if you only did it to mess with my head, you value my opinion regardless. As if you see me as your equal..." The girl snickered, before full-onughing. "What are you talking about?!" she began speaking in a childish tone. "Are you blind or something? Look at what I did to this ce, and I was just messing around! Imagine if I was serious about destroying this entire city. And you?! You''re a measly crappy level five!" "I''m not talking about power," n said, taking one step forward. "Why bother meeting me here, then? It''s almost as if you see me as a threat." The girl''s eyes lost their shine. "So, you know." "That''s damn right. And as I was saying..." n paused, as his green eyes turned golden again. "I won''t let you ruin this generation''s peace." The girl heard someone approaching her, but it was toote. The caf¨¦''s NPC sucker-punched her in the face. As she fell to the ground, n saw a fraction of her HP bar disappear. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Why are you interfering?!" the white-haired girl cried to the servant. The NPC said nothing, jumped over her, and began strangling her, all while maintaining a neutral expression on his face. "The¡ªhell?" she managed to say, before looking in n''s direction. His eyes still glowed goldenly, extremely focused on the action, as if he could not let himself be distracted for a second. The girl then observed the NPC''s eyes, having a simr color and shine. "Are¡ªyou¡ªdoing¡ªthis?" she asked, turning purple. "I won''t let you get away with this," n said, while he inadvertently bled from his nose. "Surrender now so I can bring you to the authorities." ck stakes sprouted out of the girl''s chest, impaling the NPC. When that did not manage to kill him, the girl''s ck leggings liquified and transformed into a serpent with a de for a head, that automatically targeted the NPC''s neck and beheaded him. The girl''s face turned red as she violently coughed. "What did¡ªcough¡ªyou do?" "I have no idea..." n replied faintly, shutting his eyes, as a sudden dizziness hit him. He fell to his knees, while droplets of blood fell from his nose to the ground. I ask the same... What did I do? Wait, was I really the one that forced that NPC to... With narrowed eyes, he looked up, finding the woman standing next to him. Four tentacles wereing out of her shirt and seemingly ripped leggings. Her silver eyes looked cold and absent. As those of a killer with no remorse. She finally looks annoyed, n thought, chuckling. It''s like staring at something inhuman. Without a threatening remark or a single word, the girl just stretched out her hand to grab his head. My mission is over before it even started... Isabe, you were wrong about choosing me. "Don''t touch him," a voice said behind him. "I''m the only one that can make him suffer." "You''re still--!" The white-haired girl tried to finish her sentence, but a burst of fire hit her face. Was that Amelia?! Before checking the state of his temporary ally, n nced at the enemy''s HP bar, which had barely dropped. That won''t do. I''m d that Amelia is okay, but she''s surely too weak to finish off the... Eh? n lost his train of thought, witnessing the me around the enemy''s head transform into something solid. Red, shiny metal. Like the weapons she was wielding and the many shields with which she had protected him today. Is this her power? In a blink of an eye, the enemy was forced to wear what seemed like a red round helmet. The unknown girl did not have time to react, dodge, or shout. Unable to see, talk, or even breathe, she desperately tried to get rid of the thing to no avail. "You should be d that I didn''t do this to you," Amelia quietly said in his ear. n reserved hisments while watching the enemy try to cut the helmet with her remote-controlled tentacles, but after a while, she stopped moving. Just by looking at her contorted body, n understood the agony she had gone through. Whoever that was, her body is disintegrating. This didn''t happen to Amelia''s body, even though I SAW her HP go all the way down. Did she have a card under her sleeve? n nced in Amelia''s direction. She was giving him her back, observing the result of the dragon''s explosion. He sighed. This nightmare is over... No. I correct myself. It''s just getting started. "Thanks, Amelia." "I don''t want your gratitude, I want answers," she turned to him, arms folded. "What the hell was all this? What are you hiding?" "Not now," he said softly, standing up. Once he stood by her side, he could not avert his eyes from the devastation miles in front of them. "Please?" "Hmph," she uttered, pouting her lips. "That bitch knows my face, you know. So! I''m kind of involved in this now. Whether you want it or not." "I... I''d rather not... Trust me." Chapter 39: Bitter Aftermath (Part 1)

Chapter 39: Bitter Aftermath (Part 1)

Nelly Cole sent her drone camera to scan the area before moving an inch. "We don''t know if there are crazies still out there, do we?" She expertly flew the device through the now barren terrain, capturing as much of the wreckage as possible on video. The drone passed a still-functioning holographic projection above a crumbling building and detected two people nearby. A man searched the ruins while a woman waited. As the camera zoomed in to capture their faces, the woman turned and red. Doesn''t seem to be guilders, so moving on, Nelly judged, steering towards the Big Beth¡ªor at least where it used to be, finding a crater instead. She filmed the water from the Thermasis filling it in. That should do. "Besides those two, I can''t see any other survivors," she said aloud, removing her goggles. "Any luck on your end?" Her assistant, sitting beside her controlling his own drone, replied, "Yep, found arge group a mile from the crater. ording to their emblems, they''re from the Titan Hunters guild." "Let''s interview them, then," Nelly sighed, opening her User Interface to do her makeup. "Come on, before the twats from the Londorus Times beat us to it." "Um, Nelly? There''s a blonde down there who looks exactly like... Oh, it''s really her. The Golden Comet is among them." "Did she survive the explosion?!" Nelly''s face lit up. "That girl is tough as nails! Oh, if Camera 1 hadn''t broken, we could have captured her epic escape!" "The camera broke from the mere shockwaves of her fight, Nelly," the young man sneered. "So it''s obvious it wouldn''t have survived the nuking explosion." Nelly grabbed his goggles to look him in the eyes. "Whatever, kiddo. Let''s go!" Their hovering motorcycle sped across thend with Nelly''s drone following closely. The vehicle kicked up a cloud of dust and sand and didn''t falter even as it flew over the giant crater. Nelly, fearing the engine might randomly stop and send them plummeting to their deaths, dared not even nce down. "Is the stream ready?!" her assistant shouted over the engine''s roar, feeling Nelly''s arms tighten around his waist. "Muted but ready! And look! Over 200 people are waiting already!" "Awesooome!" He grinned, which quickly turned upside down. "Oh, great. Look who''s here already. The Londorus Times'' hovercraft is descending." "Hit turbo, Josh!" Nelly cried. "Go, go!" Secondster, they reached the other side and the vehicle''s turbines blew sand off again. Nelly immediately jumped down and began sprinting, even casting a quick wind boost while pulling a microphone from her inventory. Great! I''ll arrive faster than those morons! "Unmute the streaming!" she shouted a voicemand as the guilders around threw her frowning looks. Fifty feet before reaching Astrid Bradford''s position, she began speaking in a friendly manner: "Wee to the Daily Londorus! I''m Nelly Cole, and we have an exclusive interview with the powerful and beautiful Golden Comet, Ms. Astrid Bradford!" Nelly called out, catching the blonde''s attention who was ring at the other news'' hovercraft. "Congrattions on beating the terrorists! Your victory was overwhelming, as expected. Do you have anyments about this act of war? Any idea who those Users were?" "Act of war?" Astrid grimaced. "What are you talking about? Who would Londorus be at war with? And I wouldn''t say ''overwhelming victory''." Astrid pointed towards the enormous crater. "Did your audience see that on your way here? I couldn''t prevent¡ª" "Golden Comet!" Another female reporter interrupted, holding a microphone with the Londorus Times logo on it. "Was this atrocity an act of full-on revenge by one of your old rivals? Or was this orchestrated by the diforted guilders that quit Shooting Stars recently?" "H-Hold on!" Astrid stuttered, shutting her eyes for a second. "How could you insinuate that¡ª?!" A third reporter jumped in, speaking urgently: "How did they manage to summon a Superior Summon inside the city, Ms. Bradford? Are Safe Zone restrictions not as secure as we thought? Are other major cities in danger?" Look at them, Nelly thought, biting her lower lip. They''repeting to see who gets the best reaction. At least my fans know I''m not as sensationalist as these vultures. Nelly was about to ask another question, but she noticed the gradual anger building in Astrid''s eyes. "LET ME SPEAK!" Astrid yelled, capturing every camera''s focus. Her face flushed with emotion. "Once the Titan Hunters'' Guild Master revives, we''ll make an official report about what happened here, tomorrow! In the meantime, I want to dismiss any unhinged rumors about ''revenge plots'' or ''guild drama'' you might be concocting, you hear?! These people attacked this city indiscriminately, and we fought back, alright?! End of story! Because, as long as Titan Hunters and Shooting Stars call Londorus home, we''ll protect it from any rogue User or whatever organized group might be behind this!" "Are you saying that this was a deration of war by an unknown organization, Ms. Bradford?" the third reporter asked immediately, earning a re first. "I''m saying that you should always be prepared to protect what you love the most," Astrid replied, staring into the camera. "Because you''ll fucking regret it forever if the timees, and you weren''t damn ready." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Dammit, Ghost. Quit that already!" Amelia Lamme groaned from her sitting ce atop a concrete column. "Aren''t you hungry? I''m craving strawberry cheesecake!" She suddenly looked into the distance with narrowed eyes. "Never mind. I think that my favorite bakery is now rubble, too." "You don''t have to be here keeping an eye on me anymore, Amelia. The enemy is gone. Go home," n said, picking his way through the street full of sharp rocks. He then raised his head. "Unless your house was around this area... In that case, I''m sorry." "Who said I was keeping an eye¡ª?! W-Whatever..." Amelia sighed, pressing her hand against her forehead. "What are you doing here, anyway, Ghost? Searching for survivors? It was a miracle that the NPC survived, but I can assure you that you won''t find anyone else here." "I can try it," he muttered. "As long as I search in the outer zone of the st..." Amelia pursed her lips. Watching him walk aimlessly was exasperating. She decided to jump down and follow him, exhaling loudly. "And what''s next? Are you going to help rebuild this ce?" she began, sneering. "Pain is momentary here, and we have healers that restore broken bones in a blink of an eye. As for the dead, every victim will eventually respawn. 24 hourster at maximum. Putting aside the fact that death makes you poorer in this ce, it''s just nothing but an inconvenience. As for the damage done to the city, the NPCs will restore it in a month or two, and people will forget all about it by then. So, just to make myself clear... Stop doing whatever you think you''re doing. This city doesn''t need your help." "What should I do then?" he asked, raising his voice. "You said this was my fault, didn''t you? So, should I just sit and watch from afar? Just like Marco told me?" Amelia''s expression darkened after hearing that name. "I''m not telling you to stay and do nothing," she said sternly. "What I''m really saying is that you should just leave this ce and nevere back. If what happened today was truly your fault, it may repeat and on arger scale. That white-haired gal nicknamed you Little Mouse, right? That should tell you all about her sadistic nature. You saw her. She was ying with us. So it''s only a matter of time before shees back looking for her favorite toy. And with stronger allies." n halted. Finally! Amelia thought as she observed his thoughtful posture. And why am I so desperate to change his mind? she asked herself, biting her lower lip. Just two days ago, he was nothing but vermin to me. An urgent melody cut the silence. Among the mountains of rubble and scraps of metal, arge holographic projection stood proudly, attached to a tilted building. It first showed the Londorus Times logo, before a young woman stared at the camera. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her blue eyes shone brightly despite the bleakness surrounding them. A banner below informed: ''Breaking News! The Golden Comet speaks about the incident!'' "Golden Comet, was this atrocity a full-on revenge by one of your old rivals?" a woman asked off-camera. Amelia''s first reaction was to snicker. Wow. The earth around here is not even cold yet, and they''re already looking for culprits, she thought, ring at the giant screen and the blonde on it. You really love being the center of attention, huh? At least, this time, it''s amusing to see you as clueless as anyone else. What would your reaction be if I told you that I have some context about what happened here, Golden Bitch? Would that make you mad, hmm? I''d love to see the mes forming in your eyes as I just walk away, teasing you about telling you next time we see... Her lips formed a short-lived malicious grin. Being one step ahead of the blonde bitch for once is exhrating, yes, but... But why am I feeling so thrilled about something I got by force? I got the info by spying. Something this guy wasn''t going to share with anyone, not even her... Amelia nced at n, expecting to see him watch the transmission intently. And he didn''t disappoint... Observing his dumb attentive face provoked a slight ache in her stomach and the sudden urge to burn him and the source of that projection. Last night during their private dinner, I expected him to act like a fool. I thought that once they were alone, he''d show his true colors: A virgin, mediocre simp that''d throw cringeypliments at her every five minutes, or blurt out horny, inappropriatements. But... while I was overhearing their conversation, he sounded distant and cold. As if something deep inside of him couldn''t let him... be himself. He didn''t even reveal any information about his time outside... Not even to her. Does he not trust her? Or on the contrary... He cares too much... She sneered at her own thoughts. What''s this? Why do I even waste neurons thinking about this stuff? Amelia returned her attention to the live transmission, where Astrid delivered herst statement. The Golden Comet then turned their back to the camera, and a group of Titan Hunters blocked the path to the insistent reporters. You''ve never been good with your words, eh, Amelia sighed, before ncing in n''s direction, who had abandoned his ce. She turned back, watching him stroll towards the city. After all this time, he''s finally walking in the opposite direction. "Ghost?" she called aloud. "Where are you going now?" "I think I''ve been in this city for too long..." he replied, turning back. His eyes looked even more somber than before. "Although I lose nothing by dying, you made the effort to save me, and even helped me defeat that woman. Thanks, Amelia. I owe you one." He''s smiling, but it looks forced and empty. Something in his expression provoked another ache inside her body. This time, cold and piercing... "I already told you, we''re even now," she replied, looking away. "Well..." He exhaled. "Although we had a rocky start, I think you''re a cool gal. I appreciate what you did for me today. Goodbye, Amelia Lamme." "Ah... Hmm..." she muttered in response. As she watched him go, the distant outline of the rest of the city seemed to close around his silhouette. As if The Novus couldn''t wait to erase his entire existence... Chapter 40: Bitter Aftermath (Part 2)

Chapter 40: Bitter Aftermath (Part 2)

"That fucking bitch!" Kathleen Maher yelled after shutting down the live transmission. "That stupid reporter! How does she dare to me you for that disaster?!" "My princess, pay no attention to that bumbling fool. It''s their work to be as inmmatory as possible," Marco Souza spoke softly after sipping his coffee. His eyes and tone of voice sounded as chill as ever. "Luckily, Astrid has already killed any rumor they may try." "Oh, yes, let me thank the now savior of Londorus!" Kathleen kept yelling, stretching out her hands to both sides. Her whole face had turned as red as her dress. "Now I''ll never be able toe back to that city again! I swear to god, if I find out that they erect a statue of her, I''ll be a fucking Quitter!" Kathleen''s re met Karen Svensson''s tearful gaze. Thetter was standing silently next to the door, still wearing the ''deception clothes''. "Guild Master, I''m so sorry for failing you on my first mission. I''ll--" "It''s okay," Kathleen interrupted, still frowning. "You''ve proven your loyalty already. Unlike a certain unapologetic bitch," she intoned thest word with closed teeth, ring at Marco, who remained collected. "What do you mean, ma''am?" Karen asked, slightly shaking her head in Marco''s direction. "What happened?" Marco sighed. "Amelia Lamme is missing." "So? It''s not strange for her to disappear once in a while." Karen took turns, ncing at her two bosses. "What is strange, is that she was the one to give you n Warden''s location, and then this other armored person showed up." Kathleen snickered. "Isn''t that peculiar?" Karen''s face paled. "N-No. She wouldn''t! I can vouch for her, Guild Master. I assure you she hates Astrid Bradford as much as you do! Let me contact her right away and--" "Oh, forget that," Kathleen quickly dismissed, rolling her eyes and returning to her seat. "Leave her be. I have plenty of pyromancers under mymand already, so I couldn''t care less about a nonpliant bitch like her. What I need from you right now, is to tell me everything that happened today. Everything you saw and heard in that city. Don''t skip on the details, all right?" "Yes, Guild Master." So it''s goodbye then, Amelia? Marco thought, discreetly opening his User Interface. While Karen did her best to tell the events of the day, Marco found the Londorus Times'' video on the Nav, and watched it again. Astrid''s audio was for his ears only: [...Because if the timees and you weren''t damn ready, you''ll fucking regret it forever.] Hearing that again suddenly gave meaning to Amelia''s behavior fromst night. And Astrid''s too. I guess. He stared at a still image of Astrid, her gaze fixed directly at the camera. So your faith paid off... He then rewound the video to have another look at the panoramic shots of a destroyed Londorus. Too bad your dear boyfriend may be too busy dealing with this menace to even¡ªhold on... Why did that thought cross my mind just now? Do I really believe this guy''s story about that thing being here, inside the Novus, and on the loose? He narrowed his eyes while the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. But there''s no proof of it. This terrorist attack is just a coincidence. The guy and his stupid mission have nothing to do with this. Annoyed, he gulped his drink and got out of the room unnoticed. Karen''s retelling is useless. She knows nothing. This just proves my theory that this event was unrted. Still... If for whatever reason the guy is right, and this is just the beginning of an all-out war against ''that''... Then, these stupid RPG-mechanics may have given us the tools to fight back... Marco sneered, hands inside pockets. The hall in front of him seemed to stretch to infinity as his mind worked in all possibilities. Whatever. It doesn''t concern me at all... Have fun fighting that, n Warden. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + By the time Astrid Bradford flew back to the Shooting Stars HQ, the pain and exhaustion of the previous battle hit her all at once. Although a priest from the Titan Hunters'' guild had healed all of her wounds, the white magic did not replenish her stamina. Shit... That gal was really something. It wouldn''t surprise me if she became stronger after this. But next time, I''ll also be prepared... Her eyes were closed, but she could discern the blue light of her opened User Interface in front of her, showing the names of her remaining guilders. She skimmed through the list with tired eyes. All of their statuses were set to offline. I''m so sorry, Tamara, for sending you on that suicidal mission. I know you were saving to buy that Legendary-grade ne you saw online... Astrid suddenly chuckled. Why was that my main concern? Living here has really affected my priorities. Let''s see. Tamara died in the explosion. Helen too, huh? When did that happen? Hmm... Oscar was killed inbat. So was the other enemy formidable too, or were they also immune to the Safe Zone''s restrictions? If that''s the case, he fought a losing battle. Wait... She narrowed her eyes and swept the screen up and down repeatedly. Where is he? I can''t find n''s name on the list. His status should be disyed, regardless if he died or survived the explosion! But why would he be near that thing anyway?! She felt a pang of panic while double-checking the information. His name was not there. She pressed a hand against her chest, trying to calm herself until she distinguished a silhouette in front of the guild building''s main entrance. It was someone wearing a red jacket. She urged her mount to descend quickly, and once her winged lion touched the ground, she dashed to meet that person. Her lips formed a spontaneous smile. The first thing she wanted to ask him was where he had been this whole time, and if he was okay. Was he hungry? Should they have supper together? But when she noticed the dirt adorning his face and clothes, she pursed her lips. He began speaking in a calm, soothing way, but she easily noticed that his voice would crack at any time. As she listened, she observed the bags under his eyes looking even deeper and darker than before. His smile was a farce, she knew it, and also all the thingsing out of his mouth. Did he have to leave? Where? He could not say, even though he had an unquestionably good reason. He assured her to be grateful for all the things she had done for him, especially saving him a spot in the guild after all this time... But why was he mentioning it? He was the founding Guild Master! Of course he''d always have a ce here! What that traitorous Marco and his entourage of buffoons did had something to do with all this? Although n assured that his heart was big enough to let that go, she couldn''t. She would crush their spirits and Whoreleen''s as soon as she had the chance. Secondster, she interrupted him just before he could apologize for ''destroying the guild''. How could he adjudicate that whole other mess on himself?! He didn''t force them to leave! They are practically adults that can make their own decisions! Stupid ones but nheless! It was all Marco''s fault! His difort for this guild had been gradually growing for over a year, so good riddance! She didn''t need those clowns! But was there something else? Could it be rted to the other topic they discussedst night? Was their rtionship just a farce¡ªsomething as trivial as kids ying house in a tiny stic yset? Maybe... he never really fell for her. Was this the real reason they were having this conversation? He quickly shook his head. Why was she even questioning that? Of course, he had fallen for her back then¡ªcorrection: he still felt the same. She then felt as if that hulking woman, Scarlett, had returned and crushed her heart. LIAR. IF THAT WAS THE CASE, WHY HAVEN''T YOU HELD ME IN YOUR ARMS, KISSED ME, OR SAID YOU LOVED ME EVEN ONCE SINCE YOUR RETURN! she thought, quickly hating herself for doubting him. Then, why? If he was being sincere, why was he leaving then? If there was a problem, they would solve it together. She could smash and defeat anyone inside this bloody simtion, so how could there be something she could not handle?! But a voice deep inside her spoke a painful truth... ''You can''t force him to stay...'' "Is this pending stuff you have to do... something only you can achieve?" she asked in a tiny voice, almost pleadingly. Wishing for him to say no. "...Yes. That''s what I believe." "Okay. Then I believe it too," she said, looking down. When he tried to give back the gifted clothes, she shook her head. "Didn''t I tell you yesterday that red looks good on you? Keep them, please. They''re Epic-grade, so it''ll be a while until they wear down." She shut her eyes. "I-I''m not saying that you should use this every day, okay?!" "Thanks," he whispered, looking her in the eyes. "I''ll promise you toe back when I get stronger." "I know you''ll do." "Until then, Astrid." "See you soon, n." She waited for an entire minute to enter the building, in case he turned back. But nothing. Inside, she found the echo of her heeled boots irritating. Never in her one year living there had she found the halls that quiet and unnerving. Where was the sound of guilders bickering, the noise of spoons against porcin, or people''s steps on the tiled floor? She could only hear the NPCs working without a care in the world and the indifferent sound that came from the street beyond the walls. She did not dare to walk into the main room and bare its quietness. Her body ached all over as she strolled to her office. Her legs wobbled, and her knees knocked together as she unlocked the door. Her chair creaked as she sat in front of her desk, her head resting on both hands. She heard droplets of rain hitting the window. This ce is bing colder... Holding her breath, she tapped a series of buttons on her desk and the closet in front of her opened automatically, revealing a gray-colored mannequin, wearing a set of red armor. "I''ve always thought that red looks good on you." She tapped on the desk again, making two other mannequins appear. One dressed in a mage robe, holding an exquisite silver staff, the third resembled a hunter marksman, modeling an expensive-looking ck bow. She admired them from behind her desk, tilting her head slightly. Traces of a smile appeared on her lips as she imagined him wearing each outfit. But reality soon intruded upon her mind. "He left," she muttered, expressionless. The desk cracked just by the action of her forming fists. Not here... She stood up and exited through the window. Her Flying Mount appeared in a matter of seconds and took her toward the horizon. Chapter 41: Bitter Aftermath (Part 3)

Chapter 41: Bitter Aftermath (Part 3)

"Let''s see..." n muttered, examining a map of the Eur region. "A blimp can''t take me all the way to Unus Town... So I''d have to buy a ticket to Flymouth, and then walk for a day from there. Is that correct?" "That is correct, sir," the male NPC beside him responded. "Would you like to buy a ticket?" "Yes, please..." The NPC generated a system window for n to interact with, requesting 100 gold. There goes all my money. "All set. Just take the nearest elevator, and you will be able to board the blimp on tform two, sir." The NPC paused to inspect n from head to toe. "By the way, you don''t need to walk around in wet clothes. You can set them to dry." n''s cheeks reddened. "Oh! I didn''t know that..." "Would you like me to help you with that?" "No, thanks. I''ll figure it out myself." "Alright, then. Have a nice day." As the NPC walked away, n surveyed the empty station. Despite today''s chaos, it didn''t seem like people were rushing to leave this city... Perhaps most citizens have flying mounts and vehicles. He sighed. At least this ce is still operational for losers like me. His steps echoed through the vast halls of the Manafloo Station as he passed shuttered food outlets. He essed his clothes'' information in his Inventory window and selected the ''Dry'' option, immediately feeling his pants and jacket lighten and warm. My Beginner''s set doesn''t have this feature; this outfit must be super expensive. Thanks, Astrid. He waited until he was inside the elevator before thumping his forehead against the automatic doors. Oh, man, that was embarrassing! With a soothing bell chime, the elevator announced his arrival at tform #2, but his gaze upon the area was filled with difort. There, ten other Users awaited the blimp, frowning at his low number overhead. He ignored them, contemting a bird''s-eye view of the rainy city. This is for the best. I know it. He closed his eyes, trying to suppress the inner voices urging him to return to the Shooting Stars HQ. His imagination even conjured a scene where he embraced Astrid and dered his indifference to the fate of The Santa Mar¨ªa. Deep down, he longed to tell Isabe II to find another fool for the job, and to confess to Isabe I that a peaceful life with Astrid outweighed the safety of the entire ship''s crew. But I''d be lying to myself... An electronic voice announced, "Express blimp bound for Flymouth now arriving at tform two. For your safety, please stand behind the yellow line." That''s right... He chuckled ruefully as the yellow aircraft''s doors opened with a beep. It doesn''t matter what I want. Not until everyone is safe. Until then... He stepped forward absently, not noticing the high heels clicking behind him. He let other passengers board first, unaware of the mechanical beetle detaching from his clothes, falling to the floor, andbusting. Inside, he disregarded the stares of other passengers and sought the most secluded seat avable. This is for the best, he thought, watching the relentless rain pelt the porthole. The sound of high heels approached again. "Is this seat taken?" a woman inquired. "No," he replied quietly, sensing the fragrance of strawberries as someone sat beside him. n leaned his forehead against the porthole''s ss and sighed. Everything''s going to be alright. I''m sure of it. Even though Ick the resources or¡ªwait... n turned to his left to see a familiar redhead, arms crossed. "Amelia?" he asked wearily. "What are you doing here?" "Me? I''m on a vacation. You?" "Vacation?" He shook his head. "This blimp''s heading to Flymouth... I don''t think you''ll¡ª" "Good! Just what I needed." She chuckled. "A tranquil, low-level zone. Far from the city''s noise... And the annoying chatter of petnt guilders." "You''re kidding, right? Yesterday, you were celebrating with your new guild." He tilted his head. "Unless you''re quitting Death Bringers too." "I''m technically not even a member yet. There''s a 48-hour restriction to join another guild, you know? So, I''m free to roam as I please." She suddenly groaned. "I''m kind of burnt out from all this guild drama, you know? A break from it all would be nice." He narrowed his eyes at her. "But you''re a max-level User. Wouldn''t a vacation halt your progress?" Amelia sighed, clearly annoyed. "Not everyone obsesses over their ranking, Ghost." He considered this for a moment before sneering. "If this trip to Londorus has taught me anything, it''s that power is everything here." Amelia stared at him as he gazed out the porthole, the light from the Novus'' sunset casting a warm glow on his mncholic face. "What about you, Ghost?" she asked gently. "Are you leaving Shooting Stars?" "Yes..." "Bummer." n sat in silence for a second before springing from his seat, startling her. "Wait! There''s still something we need to discuss! What did you mean by ''I may have overheard your conversation with Marco''?" "Seriously, lower your voice," she whispered, eyeing the other curious passengers. "I won''t hide it, okay? So, yes, that''s exactly what happened." "But why would you do that?! Did Marco¡ª" "Don''t even finish that sentence! I did it on my own, okay? You were acting pretty suspicious and weird yesterday, so it was natural for me to feel curious about it. Curiosity is a sign that I''m a healthy woman, you know." "Forget what I said earlier about you being a cool gal! You''re the devil incarnate!" "Hey, you can''t take that back! And maybe that''s not too far from the truth..." "Oh, for the love of everything holy!" n eximed, bending forward and clutching his hair. "How much did you hear?" "Everything. You''re looking for a ''Digital Boogeyman'', right? Did I get that right?" n''s face flushed a deeper shade of red. He wanted to shout, to vent his frustration at this meddling woman. But then he remembered her actions just hours before. While Marco mocked and belittled the situation, this woman stood up for me. But... "What do you n to do with that information?" he asked sternly, lifting his head. If she was pretending, he would catch her cracking a smile or bursting intoughter. But she looked at him expectantly. "It depends. How critical is the situation?" She leaned in closer. "Is this spaceship really in danger?" "What if I told you that we''d have to venture into the deepestyers of hell toplete this mission?" "Hell? That won''t be a problem." She smirked, straightening up. "You''re talking to Amelia Lamme, The Hell Princess, remember?" "Y-Yeah..." "So! Are we partners then?" She beamed, extending her hand to him, but he eyed it warily, half-expecting it to burst into mes. "But why? I thought you hated me." "Are you really rejecting the only person willing to help you in this entire world? The help of a Max-Leveler, no less!" "I''m not alone." He looked away. "I have an ally waiting for me at the Renovatio Caves." "Our first destination is settled, then!" she grinned, motioning to an NPC selling snacks toe over. "Do you want some candy? My treat." This... reeks... n thought, narrowing his eyes at the smiling woman. After an hour-long ride, when the blimp arrived at Flymouth, Amelia wasted no time summoning her flying mount outside the station. A massive winged tiger then nced at n as if he were dinner. "See? This is one of the many benefits of hanging out with a Max-Leveler! You won''t have to walk all the way to the Renovatio Caves." "That''s cool, but hold on..." She ignored him, engaging her User Interface. "Sorry!" she said, picking up her pilot goggles. "I didn''t ask if you wanted to tour Flymouth first. Should we grab a bite before taking off?" "Good idea!" He beamed, turning around. "Why don''t you grab something to eat while I look for a bathroom, okay? I haven''t been able to go since this nightmare began! Let''s meet here in... 15 minutes? Got it? Got it!" Amelia watched his awkward departure in silence as he hurried away. She then sighed. "Charlotte?" she whispered to her pet. "This guy seems like a reallyfy pillow, don''t you think?" "What?!" n heard loud footsteps just before the 1,000-pound cat pounced, pinning him to the ground. "Hey, let go! Come on!" "Look! My cat caught an escaping little mouse," Amelia taunted from atop her beast. "Oh, now I see why you have that surname!" "Cut the crap, Death Bringer!" n yelled. "I know that Marco or that Kathleen loli sent you!" "I already told you that I''m not¡ª" "Do you want to help ME?! Don''t make meugh! After defending your dear Lord''s honor the other night by killing me a bazillion times, youe here all sunshine and rainbows, admitting to spying on me as if it were no big deal, and now you suddenly want to act all altruistic?! Do you think I''m THAT stupid?!" "Well, I wouldn''t say¡ª" She shook her head. "Oh, please, Ghost! You trusted my sister yesterday but can''t trust me? I''m a Lamme too, you know? Trustworthy gals!" "You had to mention that brat..." "Excuse me?" Whoops... Don''t push it too much, n. "W-W-What I''m trying to say is that it''s not up to me to share ''you know what'' with you just yet! This is something I have to discuss with my partner at the Renovatio Caves first!" "Fine! Have your talk with them first, whatever. But do you seriously intend to travel around 100 miles on foot? Since you''re backtracking toward a low-level zone, you''ll surely encounter many level 20 monsters along the way. Have you considered that?" She smirked, observing his now flustered face. "I knew it. Let me give you a ride there, then. Who knows, I might change your mind on the road." "Do I have a choice?" he said through clenched teeth, as the tiger licked his cheek. "You don''t! me your own fragility!" She giggled. "Now, before we go, there are a few guidelines one must follow while flying on mounts that¡ª" "I know them well: Don''t grope, don''t puke, don''t fall." She blinked at him, curious. "It''s obvious you shouldn''t fall, and I''d appreciate it if you could avoid puking on my clothes or my dear Charlotte, but what''s the fun in having a wingman if there can''t be some ''idental'' groping while riding? Some air currents could throw you off if you don''t hold¡ªme¡ªtight." "HUH?!" n''s annoyance quickly turned into bewilderment as he admired her grin. Is this the same girl that hated my guts just two days ago? Chapter 42: Never make a girl cry

Chapter 42: Never make a girl cry

On the north of the Aer region, there is an archipgo called Icebard. Here, where anyone below Vitality Silver rank freezes instantly, ice creatures roam, endowed with high defense and magic capacity. It''s the perfect training ground for everyone level 50 and up. At the heart of its many inds resides a monster that even those of level 90 hesitate to confront: The Raid Boss, J?tnarkungen. A mountain-sized, turtle-like golem encased in a thickyer of ice. Swords and arrows are futile against it, necessitating the inclusion of Pyromancers in any raid attempt to weaken its belly and expose its mineral core. If Users aren''t crushed by its colossal legs or by its horde of Elemental minions guarding its back, J?tnarkungen''s freezing aura and icy breath will finish them off. "Why would anyone challenge such a monster, you ask? Well, because its rewards, though not unique, are abundantpared to other Raid Bosses!" the female Pyromancer leading a expedition proimed as she climbed the snowy hill, the boss visible in the distance. "Living Iron, Arcanium, Diamonite, Gold, you name it! That thing is loaded! Even if you don''t manage to kill it, you can harvest a good chunk of its natural treasures by blowing off a piece. But we didn''te here just for scraps, right, guys?" "No, we''re here for everything it has!" "Are we here to kill it, my sisters?!" "We''re here to exterminate it!" "Who are we?!" "The Storm Crusaders!" "You''re goddamn right!" the mage shouted. She then salivated at the prospect of obtaining a perfect grade Fire tinum Staff before donning her magic sses, which revealed the creature''s stats. ----------------------- J?tnarkungen --------------------- LEVEL - 180 MONSTER CLASSIFICATION - ELEMENTAL BATTLE TYPE - ICEBERG VITALITY - PLATINUM E SPIRIT - GOLD B POTENTIAL - PLATINUM D --------------------------- "We''re ready, Guild Master," her second inmand announced, as the small army of women focused intently on their leader, who smirked with anticipation. "Let''s go, everyone! Let''s make that overgrown turtle our bi¡ª" "Who are we?!" a male voice interrupted from a few yards away. "The Crusaders of the Storm!" "Are we going to cleanse this world of that evil creature?!" "With the force of our sacred might!" "That''s right, everyone! Tonight, we shall dine in¡ª" "And you had to be here!" the female Pyromancer shouted. "Calvin Shitman!" "It''s Sherman, you...!" the tall, mustached cleric retorted, ring at the woman who stomped towards him. "Emily Domingo, you insolent fool!" "It''s Dominguez, you piece of trash!" Emily shrieked before addressing Calvin''s group. "Whatever! Back off, all of you! We were here first!" "Oh, yeah?" Calvin chuckled, mirroring her defiant stance. "We''ve been camping here for over an hour, so technically, you''re theters." "What did you say?!" Before she could continue the argument, Emily noticed that the majority of her guild members were already mingling with the rival group, much to her dismay. "Don''t fraternize with the enemy, you ingrates!" Calvin chuckled, covering his mouth with a hand. "Oh, my dear Emily, I pity you. How many times have you tried to kill the beast?" "Once!" Emily dered proudly, hands on hips. "Unlike you, losers! How many times has it kicked your sorry asses? Three?" "Four times," Calvin corrected loudly, adjusting his posture. "And each attempt has given us invaluable experience. We are the most qualified to y the monster today. We''ve memorized its attack patterns and adapted to its temperament. So step aside and let us show you what perseverance truly means." "That beast respawns once every month, and I won''t let someone else take it down!" "Oh, so you acknowledge that my guild could kill it, fu fu fu." Emily, the Pyromancer, radiated a red aura. "Tell your band of boyfriends to back off, or else!" "I don''t have several boyfriends, ma''am, just one, whom I love with all my heart," Calvin retorted indignantly, making Emily burst intoughter. "Always so humorless, you stiff old man!" "We''re not backing down!" Calvin dered, raising his chin to tower over her. "Even though I know that you''re going to be inevitably obliterated, I can''t allow you and your mob to scratch its mineral surface and steal even the tiniest loot from me. I want it all or nothing!" As Emily red at him, the second inmands from both guilds approached, looking embarrassed. "Guild Master Emily..." a tall bulky woman greeted her with a wave. "Pdin Calvin." Anky man bowed slightly. "What do you two want? Speak," Calvin said softly. "Don''t tell my Co-leader what to do! What do you want, Carol?" "We''ve been talking with the Crusaders of the Storm," Carol began, managing a half-smile. "And we''ve talked to thedies from Storm Crusaders..." Tristan added, saluting. "And we''vee to an agreement that... maybe we could form a team and finally y the beast?" Carol revealed, her forehead wrinkling as she forced a smile. "Teaming up with these weirdos?!" Emily eximed, ring at the other leader. "Us, gentlemen, uniting with this... woman? Uneptable! She''s rash and impulsive!" "And he is too cautious and hesitant!" Carol and Tristan groaned simultaneously. "Please reconsider, sir! Maybe the reason we haven''t been able to y the beast is that we''recking firepower!" Tristan argued. "Bloody hell, Emily! Last time we didn''t even get it to its second phase! They already have a strategy to divert its attention from us while we focus on attacking its weak spots!" Both Emily and Calvin pursed their lips as they listened to their most trusted allies. Their eyes met again, this time more calmly. Carol and Tristan exchanged smiles and nodded. "If we do this, who will call the shots?" Emily asked, inspecting her nails. "Me, of course!" Calvin dered, twirling his mustache. "I''m the one with the strategy, remember?" "I could y along for a while, but in case of an emergency, when you finally screw up, I''ll take the lead. Did you hear me?" As they spoke, something caught Carol''s eye in the sky. She elbowed Tristan, who also looked up, tilting his head and frowning. "Trust me, eventualities can and will happen," Calvin continued. "To minimize any further losses, I must have authority over both allied forces at all times." A ball of light traversed the sky, capturing the attention of both groups. "All I hear is an excuse for you to boss me around!" Emily was saying. "All I hear is a stubborn woman too afraid to lose her sense of power, even for a second," Calvin snickered. "Scared that I might prove I''m a better leader?" "Says the one who stays in the back lines, healing!" Emily countered. "Says the one who rushes to the front lines despite being a mage! You don''t have the Vitality rank to tank hits, you halfwit! Are you trying to emte a certain famous Battlemage, perhaps?" "Um, Guild Master?" Carol interjected, her eyes fixed on the celestial body growing closer to the ind. "What did you say, you dipstick!" Emily snapped. "Yes, I said it! Your fighting style doesn''t match your ss!" Calvin eximed. "If yourbat skills are any indication of yourmanding abilities, then I pity your followers!" "That thing is headed this way, isn''t it?" Tristan said to a stunned Carol. "Y-yes... Brace yourselves, everyone!" she yelled to her guild as Tristan did the same. "Raise protective shields! Aid the Storm Crusaders who can''t!" "You know nothing, you stupid... Role yer?" Emily said, finally noticing the warm light bathing the surroundings. "Get out of my sight, you filthy Gamer!" Calvin replied before getting startled by a sonic boom. Something crashed against J?tnarkungen''s back, creating a shock wave that blew Emily''s hat away and caused Calvin to lose his bnce. "What the hell was that?!" he yelled, but the roar of an explosion drowned out his voice. When the air currents subsided, the white mages from Crusaders of the Storm canceled their shields and ascended the hill, joined by the women under Emily''smand. Eighty-four people witnessed what could only be described as a massacre. Something was causing continuous explosions over the mountain-sized monster, making its limbs shake. Sharp-eyed marksmen observed enormous fragments of crystallized ice being hurled hundreds of feet away. "Isn''t his back supposed to be the hardest part of its body?" Tristan asked, swallowing hard. "It is," Carol confirmed. "You know..." Emily began, watching the spectacle of destruction from two miles away. "My guild members have beenining about me not allowing men to join our ranks." "How curious," Calvin mused, mesmerized by the fiery explosions. "Not allowing women in our guild has been the biggest grievance among my followers." He paused, wincing at the sight of J?tnarkungen''s knees finally buckling. "Do you want to merge our guilds?" "Look! Whatever that thing is, it seems to have entered its shell..." Emily pointed, adjusting her sses. "And sure, we should merge. But what should we call ourselves?" "People have been confusing our guild names so often that it hardly matters which one we use. I''d prefer Crusaders of the Storm, though." "Nah, if we''re doing this, let''s go with Storm Crusaders. It''s shorter," Emily suggested as J?tnarkungen''s body began to glow. "Storm Crusaderscks impact, woman." "Fine! How about Crusaders United?" Calvin turned to her and extended his hand. "I like the sound of that." Emily shook his hand as J?tnarkungen exploded into a million rocky pieces. A lustrous, ck ore of Living Ironnded near her feet, making her eyes sparkle as she picked it up. "Storm Crusaders...? Gather everything you can, now!" "W-what?!" Calvin eximed, watching the dozens of women rush down the hill. "We''re Crusaders United now, Emily! We''re splitting the loot fifty-fifty!" "We''ll make it official once we return to Iregorn! But for now, finders keepers!" "That woman! Crusaders of the Storm, charge!" As Emily slid her feet through the snow, a flying mount soared overhead at high speed. "Crap! Who''s that? She''s going for the core!" Emily shouted. "Whoever reaches it before that girl gets a bonus!" The flying rider left everyone behind, and on her path, she could see the enormous remains of J?tnarkungen''s corpse. "What could possibly have done all this?" she whispered to herself, drawing closer to the valley''s center, where someone stood beside the cracked monster''s core. "Just one warrior did this?" She dismounted her blue pelican andnded 30 feet away from the figure. "Are you hurt?" she called to the crouching figure, who then stood. "My name''s Brenda, and I''m not here to steal your loot, I swear. I just want to..." She paused mid-sentence upon realizing that the monster yer was a blonde-haired girl, her cheeks streaked with tears. "Are you okay?" Brenda asked before hearing others approaching. "Lend me your mount," the blonde muttered after wiping her face. "W-what?" "Are you deaf?!" the blonde eximed, ring at Brenda with icy-blue eyes. "I destroyed my mount in the crash and I need to leave now! You can call your bird back after an hour, okay?!" "B-but¡ª" The warrior didn''t wait for Brenda to finish her sentence. She leaped 100 feet into the air andmandeered the pelican, flying in the opposite direction from the approaching group. Emily rushed down and hugged the giant core. "It''s mine, do you hear me?! I got here first!" She pointed at Brenda, who stared skyward with a look of astonishment. "Woah..." Brenda muttered. Chapter 43: Never abandon your allies

Chapter 43: Never abandon your allies

He could still remember it vividly. "Hey, n, do you need a hand?!" While the now ex-Shooting Starsughed, mocked, and killed him repeatedly, one person stood out. Walking among the crowd with light feet, she observed the scene from a distance, chuckling. Distracted like a child by the lion monument functioning as a checkpoint, she could suddenly be seen in the farthest corner of the hall, contemting a silhouette engulfed in shadows. She moved as if she were both there and not at the same time. When I noticed no one addressed her or nced her way, I thought I was really dying. Maybe she was just the incarnation of the Angel of Death,ing to reim my soul, here, far away from Earth. "Come on, Amelia, why don''t you try it?" I could barely hear their voices while I monitored that girl. I was going to tell her that if she was here to collect my soul, she''d have toe backter because I had a mission bigger than myself to fulfill, dammit! "Is it a good way to relieve stress?" And not even these assholes would stop me! When she finally looked in n''s direction, he froze¡ªliterally. I could feel time slowing down. Staring deep into her eyes made the rest of the world lose momentum. "Th--e--b--est--w--ay--in--de--ed!" She crouched in front of him, smirking. "What a pathetic, sad little thing you are," she said warmly, but her voice was undeniably condescending. "It seems I came for nothing. I''ll report that there is nothing to report. And you..." She poked the tip of n''s nose. "You''re disgustingly weak." The teen-looking stranger with straight ck hair then turned around, sneering. "This new world is for the strong, silly. If after 22 months you did nothing to improve yourself and sat on your ass all day long, you deserve to be punished by these kids..." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The scent of Amelia''s perfume brought n back to the present. He looked down, having an eagle view of green fields and mountains. Her winged tiger flew smoothly with no turbulence, contrasting her sister''s chaotic piloting. "Another thing I love about The Novus is that once I attained Vitality Bronze A, I could wear high heels all day long without getting tired or feeling pain. Like, that''s neat!" Amelia said joyfully through Party Chat. "Aw, man, I don''t know what I''ll do once we return to the real world. Trust me, if I could change my ankles and leg tendons, cyborg-style, so I can wear permanent high heels, I''d do it in a heartbeat!" From cold and ruthless, to full-on chatty... "It''s also neat that pooping here isn''t that messy," hemented, making her groan. "Oh, shut up! By the way, I suppose you''re already familiar with how the Novus ''improves'' our physical appearance, right? Well, let me rify something before you get the wrong idea. I''ve barely changed my avatar. 99 percent of what you see here is the real deal. The real ME! Keep that in mind from now on, okay? Which part is the other 1 percent is a secret though." She giggled. I bet it''s the boobs... n thought immediately. They''re slightly bigger than Astrid''s--Oh, crap... He shut his eyes just as Astrid''s face shed in his head. How would she react if she saw me holding this other gal''s waist? He nced back, in the direction he thought the northeast and Londorus were, as if he could feel piercing blue eyes from miles away. "Oh! Since you just logged in, let me show you something that''ll blow your mind!" Amelia said cheerfully, manipting her User Interface. Secondster, n got a notification, stating that she was streaming audio through the Party Chat. He tapped the Sound icon, and a song started ying inside his head. Everyday, I''m thinking of you Everything it''s not the same without you Everywhere I see your shadow, so nobody understands That while you roam the stars, I''m here bound to paradise * My he-aa-art goes boom-boom when you''re not around! * Through constetions, I search for signs, a love like ours, so rare to find In everyet, I see your smile, In every neb, I see your eyes So juste back, don''t make me cry... Was just this fate? Don''t make meugh! The universe awaits for both Together infinity! ''Til the end of times! * My he-aa-art goes boom-booooom * ~ When you are around ~ * My he-aa-art goes vroom-vroooom * ~ When you are around ~ ~ ''Til the end of times! ~ "I know this song..." "No surprise there. Miss Cosmica is super popr. Isn''t it amazing that we can have actual music inside the Novus?! Unlike that crap that the developers curated, yuck!" "The developers did not curate it, me the Vice-Captain." "How do you know that?" "And aren''t these lyrics too mncholic for the upbeat music?" "Oh, my god, you noticed! Most people don''t listen closely to what she really says, you know. We might really get along after all!" ~ A love like ours, so rare to find ~ And, inevitably, or obviously, whatever... this song reminds me of her... By forming fists, he mustered all of his strength to get rid of the aching feeling inside his chest. But I think it''ll persist until all of this ends... "We''re almost there. Are you sure your friend is still waiting for you in the Renovatio Caves? Have you checked what your Friend List says?" "...Um, neither of us knew how to send a friend request, so..." "What do you mean neither of you knew something that basic? Was this person outside too? Doing whatever you were doing outside the Novus?" Oh, crap... I didn''t consider the many questions this woman would have. Since she already knows too much, I think it''ll be for the best to y along. "That''s correct! And we were just minding our own business until your dear lord separated us two days ago..." "Don''t say it as if I was the one that gave that order!" she cried and ordered her winged tiger to nose dive. n quickly tightened his arms around her waist. Is this a Lamme tradition?! But, unlike the time he was riding alongside Marissa, n forced himself to open his eyes and experience the unadulterated vertigo. My heart feels like it''s going to burst out of my chest, but...! His lips formed a wide smile. "You know what, Amelia? I think this is fun! Wait, it is! Ha-ha-haaa!" "See? Stop being so gloomy all the time! This is supposed to be a fresh start!" A fresh start? Those words echoed inside n''s head even after they safelynded and the winged beast disappeared in a spectacle of glimmering pixels. "We''ve arrived, Ghost, the Renovatio Caves as promised," Amelia said while storing her Mount inside a jewel. "I haven''te here since the very start, so you lead the way, okay?" n nced at the dark entrance leading underground, as if the mountain was opening its maws around them. Why does it feel as if I haven''t been here in a long, long time? Without saying a word, he walked forward, clenching his teeth. These two days have been long and stressfully eventful. Many things have happened since then, that I don''t know where to start once I have to report back to Isabe II. As they walked through the first of many narrow passages, the fear of not finding her there overwhelmed him. What if she thought I escaped? What if she left in search of someone more capable? Someone that is not a weakling, and has all the resources to deal with this menace? A sweet fragrance calmed his anxiety. It''s hers, he thought, bing very self-conscious of Amelia''s presence. Her quiet breathing, the loud echo of her steady steps against the rocky ground... Wait, no. Is it me who smells like her? He raised his arms and sniffed his sleeves. "What are you doing?" "N-Nothing!" "Hey, there''s something I wanted to ask. Did you add Marissa to your friend list?" "I did. Why?" "Don''t try anything with her. Got it?" "Where did thate from?!" "I''m just protecting my sweet, innocent little sister, okay? From helpless, thirsty virgins like yourself." "W-What are you talking about?! What did I do for you to have such a weird image of me?" "Oh, boy! Where do I start?" She snickered loudly. Although the cave was dark and he could not see her expression, he pictured her holding her chin with a malicious grin on her face. "You may think that you''re being discreet, but I''ve caught you peeping at my cleavage so many times that it''s almostical. Even while we were running from that shadow monster, you found the opportunity to take a peek." "I--Ah--Emm...!" True. "And remember when I locked you in that restroom yesterday? Well, I noticed you were starting to get a boner!" "F-Fine, I get it! But put yourself in my shoes for a moment, okay?! You''d also feel aroused by literally anything after spending close to a hundred days with no human contc--!" Oh, crap... "No human contact? What do you mean by that?" "L-Look! There''s a fork ahead! Which path should we take?" This girl is such a headache! She has been nosing and forcing herself into my business, and even has the nerve to call the other dragondy sadistic? Look in the mirror first! As he did his best to collect his patience, Amelia sneaked up on him and grabbed his shoulders. "Are you upset, Little Ghost? Does calling you a ''helpless virgin'' get on your nerves?" she asked softly in his ear. "I never said I was..." he whispered, feeling her breath tickle him. "Sure, whatever. Luckily, you''re in The Novus again, where even losers like you can getid. You could always use the services of ''specialized'' NPCs, if you get what I mean. That''s why I can safely state that 99% of this ship''s poption have lost their virginity by now." She pressed her fingers on his shoulders and leaned her breasts on his back. "Interested? Should I help you find one of those dolls? Releasing stress and tasting adulthood may help you on your mission." So you can practically do anything in this simtion, huh? I remember Marissa mentioning something about making out with her boyfriend... "You know, it''s a good thing that the Developers are treating us like proper adults." He folded his arms and nodded. "Yes. Good job, guys. Although this is nothing but a yground, we should never forget what mating is if we intend on perpetuating the human race once we log off." Amelia groaned and stepped back. "You make something as fun as sex sound boring..." Oh, thank god she backed off! I wasn''t lying when I said I literally get aroused by everything! "This way," he said, stepping forward and trying to forget the warm feeling Amelia''s body left behind. "Lead the way, oh, valorous leader." As they saw light at the end of the tunnel, he doubled his steps. I hope she''s okay. I hope she''s here. I hope she''s not mad at me for abandoning her¡ªOh, triple crap! "What the hell is this?" Amelia could be heard behind him just as he halted. I forgot that the Slime Vige was supposed to be The ''Secret'' Slime Vige! The first blue and green gtinous humanoids were staring at them. Although they recognized n right away, they turned cautiously at the sight of the redheaded girl stepping forward. "Call Smudock, quick," one said to another, who ran to the heart of the vige. n fell to his knees and put his forehead against the ground. I''m terrible at this... "Advanced Slime?" Amelia narrowed her eyes, reading the info the system gave her about the humanoid in front of her. "I''ve never seen such a monster. And why are they acting like regr NPCs?" "Because they are, and they aren''t..." n said in a low voice. "What are you doing down there?" "I''m where I belong... In the dirt. You can use me as a carpet if you want. I deserve it." "Gross, is this another one of your kinks? On second thought, I ept. It''d help me relieve some stress." "I''m not talking about that!" he cried, before noticing Smudock, leader of the Slime n, approaching. "Let me do the talking for now, okay? Please don''t do any¡ªHey, Smudock!" "n Warden, you came back. And with another visitor..." Even though he is not human, he can sessfully imitate an annoyed tone of voice. "Y-yes... But she''s trustworthy. I can vouch for her! She''s Amelia Lamme. Say hi and be nice to her!" He grinned ear to ear, but the group of humanoids remained silent, while cautiously watching her from a distance. It''s understandable for them to be cautious. No one in this entire vige must be able to see her level, which only means danger... As the silence prolonged, no one noticed the little regr slime making its way toward Amelia''s feet. "S-Slomiack!" the one that was keeping an eye on it shouted from the crowd, alerting the others. n opened his eyes wide at the sight of such a little slime attempting to make an attack. "N-no, little buddy!" he said with clenched teeth, toote to stop it. The slime tackled Amelia''s right ankle, taking one HP away. "What was that?" the unaware Amelia asked, looking down. She then casually grabbed the slime while everyone reached out their hand to her. The slime seemed furious, and this time tackled her in the chest. Both the monster and her breasts jiggled with almost the same consistency. Thanks for the sight, little buddy. At least your death won''t be in vain. "Are you trying to kill me, little one?" Amelia spoke menacingly, before grinning ear to ear and hugging it. "That''s so cute! I''ve always wanted to do this without getting killed! All of your species looked so soft and squishy, and it was driving me crazy not being able to touch you!" As the enraged slime tried unsessfully to dissolve her skin, everyone around released a sigh of relief. "Have youe looking for your partner, n Warden?" "Yes! That''s right!" He beamed. "Come with us. And wee, Amelia Lamme." As half the town returned to their duties, Amelia grabbed n by his shirt. "What''s happening here? Why do these Slimes talk?" "We''ll talkter about it, okay? I promise." "You know, a few months ago, William told me the story about how he encountered a group of lizard-folk that were acting out of their regr programming. Maybe what''s happening here has to do something with that too." "It could be." Is Vi Lang responsible for that, too? "n Warden, this way," a group of slime-people said in unison after exiting a hut. Their emotionless tone of voice and almost robotic movements made them stand out from the rest of the vige. She''s inside, definitely. Dammit, Ashley, don''t take away the little humanity they have! From the hut stepped out the petite, brte girl, showing no surprise on her face, wearing a white shirt and a long red skirt made by the local artisans. "n," she called softly. n dashed forward, halting inches apart from almost tackling her. Her empty, emotionless eyes were not judging him. There was no anger or resentment on her face. She waited for me. She really waited. As she stared at her, shing scenes from thest two days brimmed his head. Memories from the disgruntled Ex-Shooting Stars torturing him, the failed attempt to convince Marco Souza, Astrid''s speech to his remaining guild members, the two-headed dragon, and the cryptic words from that albino gal. He fell on his knees in front of her. Exhausted. "I... I''ve finallye back." "Good to see you, n," she said, stretching out a hand to him. "Is it time to continue our¡ª?" "n, a minute please!" Amelia cried, pulling him by the cor of his jacket, as the slime that had started cuddling in her arms fell to the ground. "Who the hell is that?" she whispered in his ear. "She''s Ashley, the partner I talked to you about." "I can see that! But you never mentioned that your partner was a gal..." "Is there a problem with that?" "You have to be kidding me," Amelia said, gritting her teeth and tossing him back to the ground. "What was that for?!" Amelia strolled forward, showing confidence in her every step. She tossed her hair back and put a hand on her hip in front of Ashley. "Nice to meet you, I''m Amelia Lamme. What''s your name?" "Nice to meet you, Amelia. I''m Ashley." She made a curtsy. "Are you a member of Shooting Stars?" Amelia nced back at n, showing a re. "Oh, sweetie, Shooting Stars is old news!" Amelia said, smiling. "We''re starting a new guild, right n?" He blinked repeatedly at her. "A... A what now?" "Should I presume that you''ll be part of it too, Ashley?" "That is correct," Ashley replied with a straight face. "I''ll go wherever n goes, and I''ll do whatever he needs me to do." Amelia turned to him, this time giving him a grin and a wicked gaze. His experience with Astrid told him what it meant. ''I''ll make you pay for thister''... Yeah, that''s what she''s saying... "Since both of you are still low-levelers, and are surely broke, I suppose I''ll be the one carrying this guild. So be grateful that I''m even helping you. Wee to the guild, Ashley." Seriously... Did she say g-g-guild? Amelia offered Ashley a handshake, who scrutinized it for a couple of seconds before turning to n, looking for his approval. Don''t look at me and make this weirder than it already is! He exhaled and nodded to her. "Nice to be on board, Amelia," Ashley said, shaking her hand. "It''s official then!" Amelia beamed and turned around, pushing n in her path. "I''ll punish youter for this, you heard?" she whispered. Ashley? Is there a way to log this girl out of the Novus for a couple of years, please? Chapter 44: The Beginning of a stress-filled life

Chapter 44: The Beginning of a stress-filled life

"We better get going, guys; the sun is starting to set," Amelia hurried, marching back to the caves. A moody n and a silent Ashley followed closely. "You can visit us anytime you like, n Warden," Smudock, the leader of the Slimes, said as he escorted the group. "Just give us some notice if you decide to bring any new User." "S-Sorry, chief. It won''t happen again, I promise." "It''s okay. I didn''t detect any ill will from your new partner," the slime humanoid said in a neutral voice, though his wary nces at Amelia lingered. "By the way, since we''re already acquaintances, why don''t we add each other to our Friend Lists? That mighte in handy in the future." "Is that even possible? Aren''t you a... what was the word again?" "A NU," Ashley interjected, staring at n with empty eyes. "Non User. And yes, it is possible. They have regr System Interfaces, and we have been experimenting with them a lot while I was here." "Cool!" n grinned as Amelia urged them from the town''s entrance. "Ignore her. Add me, please." After a short moment, n received a new Friend Request, from ''Char_W1_021''. Is this his original name? It''s okay. I think I can add a surname to it... ''Smudock''... That''s it. "Neat." n smiled, before ncing at Ashley. "Wait, if you knew how to use the Friend List, why haven''t you sent me a Friend Request? We could have messaged us all this time." "I did," she replied, making him frown. "I could do it by just writing your name, but every time I tried, I got a ''Failed to send'' message." That reminds me of the Error message she and I have in our User Interfaces, n thought, ncing at the impatient Amelia. But I''ve been able to receive messages and calls just fine. It''s as if our ounts have been restricted for some reason. After noting that on his mental list of pending mysteries, he watched a small slime dashing toward Amelia. Isn''t that the same slime that attacked her before? "Don''t even try it, buddy!" he warned, but this time, the slime jumped into her arms and cuddled. "n?" Amelia called while consulting something in her User Interface. "It seems that I got the Monster Tamer skill while interacting with it. So..." She then grinned widely, hugging it protectively. "That means I can keep it, right? Is no one against me KEEPING IT?! Right?!" n hid his face in embarrassment. It''s as if she was asking for permission to kidnap a child! He turned to Smudock, who seemed to remain calm. For some reason. "What do you say, chief?" "If the system allowed it, I don''t have a reason to object," Smudock said, exhaling. "Take good care of Slomiack, Amelia Lamme." "Yay!" She held the slime aloft, beaming. "But that''s a hideous name for such a cute thing! So I''ll name you Sloochie from now on! Do you like it?" she asked, and the slime squeaked, seemingly happy. "Farewell, to one of our finest warriors..." Smudock said, adopting a solemn silence. "You will not be forgotten," the rest of the vige said, making a slow bow in the slime''s direction. "A-Amelia? Try not to say inappropriate things while we''re still here," n whispered, watching the suddenly awkward scene. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Night fell in the Beginner''s Area, where stars looked brighterpared to Londoru''s sky. While Smaio drove the cart to Unus Town, with a vignt Ashley by his side in case the Weasenox attacked, n and Ashley rested in the back. "I wonder if you could change your element to fire, hmm?" Amelia whispered to Sloochie while caressing it. "I could teach you all my fire spells once you level up. Would you like that?" The little slime only squeaked back as a reply, making n wonder if it understood humannguage. Well, I suppose it does, since it''ll evolve into an Advanced Slime someday. He then stared at Amelia, who was absently looking in the distance, looking rxed for the first time since they met. She can be cute too, huh? She was not lying when she mentioned that she needed a vacation. n grinned as he folded his arms and leaned back to take a little nap, but an image shed before his eyes. His brain stubbornly repeated memories of Amelia impaling him, decapitating him, burning him. All while she maintained a nasty re in her eyes. Why? Why am I remembering that right now?! He put a hand on his forehead and started sweating cold. "Dammit..." he muttered with shut eyes, getting her attention. "Is something wrong? Are you not feeling well?" He looked at her, as his brain superimposed a furious expression over her worried face. For n, she looked preupied and furious at the same time. "I''m low in sugar, okay? I just noticed that I haven''t eaten since I woke up today." "Now that you mention it, I only had beer for breakfast, too," she said, opening her User Interface. Secondster, she threw something in hisp. It was the first time n saw that brand logo, but he immediately knew it was a chocte bar. "Awesome!" When the sound of aluminum foil getting unwrapped reached the front of the cart, Ashley nced back, curious. Amelia sighed at the sight of her puppy eyes. "You can have one too, I guess..." she said, throwing two more chocte bars in Ashley''s direction. "Thanks, Amelia." "Thanks, User!" Smaio said. Only crunch noises were heard in that cart for a couple of minutes before Amelia decided to give the rest of her chocte to Sloochie and sit next to n. It was the first time he could admire her amber-colored eyes up close. "You seem to know these slime people quite well, so tell me, do you have any idea why they were saying, ''That the Goddess Vi blesses you''? What does that even mean? We have no gods in the Novus." So not everyone knows the names of the Administrators. That reminds me of The Dragon''s Belly and the guy that implied that getting in contact with one of them was difficult. "Vi Lang is the name of the Monster Administrator," he whispered in her ear, so Smaio could not overhear him. "She''s in charge of everything rted to the monsters and creatures inhabiting the Novus. Their respawning rate, their habitat, the damage they deal, to name a few examples." "So even the monsters know their ''boss''. That Vi gal must love herself so much to program them with that knowledge." She sneered while curling a strand of hair with her finger. "Now that you''ve reunited with your... partner, what are you going to do?" "Well... I heard what you said about starting a new guild..." he replied while carefully folding the candy''s wrapping paper and putting it in his jacket pocket. She observed the scene silently, noticing little marks around his thumbs and index fingers. "And I don''t know where you got that idea. This is supposed to be a secret mission, you know? We can''t go around announcing we''re part of a guild and try to be discreet at the same time." He then jerked his head to the side, grimacing. "Besides, who would want to join the guild of the weakest User in all of The Novus?" "But, n," she called softly. "I don''t think your secret is safe anymore. Look at what happened today." "The Weasenox!" Smaio cried, looking back at the cart. "It''sing from behind!" "Understood," Ashley said, readying her bow and arrow, but Amelia was faster. mes burst from her palm like a methrower, while she kept locking her eyes with n''s. "And I''m the one that suggested starting a guild, didn''t I? So I''d obviously join you." n looked at the charred beast''s corpse illuminating the road behind as if it were an improvised campfire. Just two days ago, I looked just like it... He could not find his words for several seconds, which prompted Amelia to sigh and fold her arms. "You don''t have to answer right now, but I''ll give you a piece of free advice anyway, okay? Being a member of an official registered guildes with all sorts of bonuses. Gold, equipment, XP... All of that stuff will be less of a pain in the ass if you gather it as a team." She paused, looking for his gaze, but he stubbornly looked the other way. "I thought you were taking this seriously. So much so that you even asked Marco Souza for help." "And that worked so well..." Annoyed, Amelia grabbed him by the cheeks and forced him to look her directly in the eyes. "Listen! You won''t be able to have an impact in this world if you don''t have the power and the resources! Or are you still feeling guilty about the fall of your ex-girlfriend''s guild to even start a new one and try to move on?!" "And who helped ruin Shooting Stars, huh?! Oh, right! If I remember correctly, just 24 hours ago you and your ''lord boyfriend'' were toasting to Astrid''s downfall! So let me say it straight out! If all of you hadn''t yed around and stayed, you could have stopped that albino woman and her pet dragon!" Amelia''s eyes glowed intensely. "That man is not my boyfriend..." "Well, you seemed to enjoy doing his bidding, didn''t you? So what''s with this sudden change of heart, huh?!" He got closer to her face, ring. "Do you want to know what I''m thinking? That maybe Marco ordered you to follow me as the ultimate mockery. To give me false hopes and make me think that I may finally overturn this streak of bad luck! So once he snaps his fingers, you''ll rejoin him and tell him all about how I fell into your game! A level 100 helping a puny five like me? Yeah, nothing suspicious about it!" "Guys?" An anxious Smaio called quietly. "We''ve arrived." n ignored Ashley''s gaze and got out of the cart first while Amelia decided to stay a couple of seconds longer to collect herself. "Let''s go," n said, stretching out a hand to her, but Amelia refused to nce at him. He exhaled. "This... has been a very frantic day. We''re both tired and hungry, so let''s talk about this tomorrow morning. All right?" "Whatever," she replied, jumping off the cart without aid and striding toward the woods without looking back. "Should we go after her?" Ashley asked as the little slime cried and rushed to catch her. "No," n replied dryly, walking in the opposite direction. After what felt like an eternity, both returned to the same ce where their mission was supposed to start, this time without any possible allies left. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + n and Ashley walked through the main street, reaching Downtown in a couple of minutes. Having briefly visited the enormous Londorus and having seen the surrounding area from the sky, gave n a good idea of how vast the Novus was. And Unus Town is nothing but a tiny dot on the map. "Are we going to stay in an inn?" Ashley asked, getting a bitter sneer from him. Yes, we''ve literally returned to ourst checkpoint... "I don''t have any money. If I knew things would go south with Amelia, you and I should have stayed with the slimes. I bet their huts are cozy." "I have some gold," she blurted out, making him halt. "618 gold, to be precise." So you appeared in this world with silver gear, a higher level than mine, and now you have money? n shut his eyes momentarily, trying to clear his mind of suspicion. If I can''t even trust Ashley, then who can I trust? "Thanks, Ashley. Let''s go to the inn. I know the way." To n''s surprise, despite being a ce for new adventurers in the Eur region to rest, the Moonlight Inn was bustling with activity. After speaking with the NPC receptionist, he learned that most of Unus''s citizens also stayed there. Rooms were reasonably priced at 30 gold a night, which was cheaper than renting. Dinner was also affordable¡ª10 gold for a loaf of bread and a bowl of tomato soup. However, since it was prepared by NPCs, known for their nd cooking, most residents preferred to order from User-run local restaurants instead. n''s mouth watered as he watched a man pull a juicy burger from a box stamped with the Dragon''s Belly logo. The man caught n''s gaze and scowled slightly, focusing on the number disyed above n''s head. Annoyed, n looked away. "n?" Ashley''s voice was soft and hesitant as she sipped her strawberry milkshake. "Could you tell me about your trip to Londorus? How did it go? Were you able to speak with Astrid Bradford?" "Sorry, Ashley. I''ll give you a full report tomorrow morning, okay? I... don''t feel like talking much right now." "Of course." "Actually, I''d like to rest now, if you don''t mind." "Not at all. We''ll talk tomorrow. Your room''s number is 36, and mine is 37, if you need me. Good night, n." At that moment, n wished nothing more than to be invisible. He wanted to sneak to his room without people staring at his level. He wanted to tell them to mind their own business, but he knew better than to anger the wrong person. I''ll save in this ce''s downtown first thing in the morning, but right now, I just want to turn my brain off and have a dreamless sleep. No nightmares, no funny thoughts this time. He easily found his room, and the door unlocked automatically for him. I just... "You look pale. Are you feeling alright?" a man asked as soon as n turned on the lights. After what had transpired that day, n''s first instinct was to return to the hallway, warn Ashley, and run as fast as they could, but the doorknob would not turn. "Ah, sorry! I locked the room so no one would interrupt us. I also made it soundproof as an extra precaution. Is this a good time to talk? I coulde back tomorrow if you want." n slowly turned around, finding anky ck man with curly ck hair, sitting on the bed. The bags under his eyes reminded him of his own. A system window popped up on the wall to his right. --------------------------------- NOTICE: You have exceeded the Maximum number of people allowed in a single room. If you would like to proceed, you will have to pay an additional fee. ------------------------------ "Oh, crap. I forgot to disable that," the man said, opening his User Interface, which n noted to be muchrger than the standard. "I don''t mind paying, but I''d rather not have my visit registered in this ce''s log." n saw the system''s message get erased until only a blinking dash symbol remained, as if it had been ''hacked.'' "Who are you?" "Nice to meet you, n Warden. I''m Ricardo Silva, the Glitch Administrator." Chapter 45: Trust Issues

Chapter 45: Trust Issues

Although contacting an Administrator was one of his main goals, he managed to keep his excitement in check. Thest time I talked to a stranger, she destroyed a quarter of a city. "Could you prove it?" n asked, frowning, his back against the locked door. The man scratched his head and sighed. "I''m the guy in charge of fixing any bugs inside the system, but I don''t usually carry a business card with me at all times. Let''s see..." He turned to his User Interface, tapped on it, and yawned. "Is knowing that you''ve been absent for more than 1200 Novus days proof enough for you? 1205 days, to be precise. Yourst known location was here, in Unus Town. That day you were forced to log off at 11:45 am, after registering a new guild, ''Shooting Stars''... I recognize the name. Very famous. Oh, you quit it today..." For someone who looks like he could fall asleep any second, he sure is chatty... And yet, something tells me I can''t take him lightly¡ªWait! He really does have ess to my data! So HE IS an Administrator! "Sorry for being cautious, Ricardo, but I needed to be sure. Anyway, I''m so d you''re here! Listen¡ª!" "Hold on. This is how we''ll do it..." Ricardo interrupted, pointing at n''s face. "I''ll speak first, and you''ll have your turnter. First question: Did the System identally log you out, or was it done by someone from the outside?" "Someone from the outside," n replied quickly. "By the Isabe AI." n was beaming, thrilled to finally advance his mission, but Ricardo''s concerned expression made him frown. "Isabe? Did something happen out there?" "Yes... I spent eight months working outside because there was no one else." "W-what do you mean by that?" Ricardo asked, turning pale. "What happened to the Santa Mar¨ªa''s personnel?" Crap, I should have eased into it. But how do I smoothly reveal such information? n put both hands on his hips and spoke in a deep voice. "Because they''re all dead!" Perfect. Ricardo''s mouth hung open. He was shaking and looked like he might copse. "Huh?! W-WHY?! What the hell happened?" "Well..." n cleared his throat. "It seems the Singr might have gotten onto the ship, and..." Ricardo closed the distance between them to shake n by the shoulders. "Did you just say SINGULAR?! Is that thing here?! WAIT, what do you mean by ''MIGHT''? You''re NOT sure?!" "The only evidence I have is Isabe''s word and some security footage she showed me! I saw how the automatons aboard the ship attacked the Santa Mar¨ªa''s staff, and we know that''s the Singr''s modus operandi, right? I said ''might'' because, by the time I got disconnected, Isabe had already disposed of the bodies. But there are no reasons to doubt that it happened." "So you just blindly believe what Isabe said?! What if this was all her doing because she''s infected?!" "I don''t think that''s the case. If Isabe were trulypromised, she wouldn''t have asked me to repair the ship''s damage and ask me to find it. We''d all be dead by now." Ricardo tilted his head to one side, still holding n by the shoulders. "Did I hear that right? The Singr ran away? Where?! If it couldn''t get past Isabe''s firewall, where in hell would it¡ª? Oh, no..." "Yeah..." n grimaced. "The only ce where Isabe can''t follow it." Ricardo''s expression turned nk. He blindly returned to the bed and sat, slightly shaking his head. "Do you know why Isabe cannot interfere with The Novus?" he began muttering, his eyes lost in thought. "That''s because Professor Higazawa didn''t trust either Isabe or the Alvearium''s Elizabeth, even though both were essential for this operation. How could he? Both are AIs... A necessary evil... That''s why the good doctor made sure that neither of them could infiltrate The Novus in case they got infected... But he underestimated Isabe... And now the safeguard the doctor put in ce has doomed us all..." "That''s not true. Both Isabe and Doctor Higazawa saved us from a greater disaster," n reassured a shocked Ricardo, who looked up at him on the brink of tears. "Isabe stopped the Singr from invading the ship and the Doctor prevented it from hacking the Novus. Just look at the facts. For you, three years have passed, but nothing bad has happened. Maybe the Singr''s programming was notpatible with The Novus and it has gone into hibernation since then." After stating that, n bit his lower lip. I want to punch myself for using that bastard''s theory. "Are you saying we still have a chance to locate it?" Ricardo reflected on it for a moment. "Yes... We may still have time. During my three years here, I haven''t detected anything so unusual that I would immediately suspect an evil AI is messing with the system." Nodding, Ricardo''s gaze began to brighten. "Who else knows about this?" n swallowed first. "One of mypanions. Her name is Ashley." "Ah, yes, the other person who also logged out," Ricardo muttered, attracting n''s frowning gaze. "I only intended to speak to one of you two, you see. I chose you for being the first to get out, and you didn''t disappoint." Ricardo rose and stared deeply into n''s eyes, although he looked ufortable maintaining eye contact. "That would be all for tonight. I... have a lot of thinking to do. Please keep this secret from everyone for now. That''d include other Administrators if they ever contact you." "Wait, what do you mean by that?" Ricardo opened his User Interface and with quick fingers made a ck portal appear in the wall in front of him. "You strike me as a clever guy," Ricardo half-smiled, looking at him with drowsy eyes. "You know what I''m trying to say." The portal closed, taking with it any sign of someone ever standing there. No trace of Ricardo Silva''s existence remained, except for a Friend Request popping up in n''s field of vision. "CRAP!" n''s shout reverberated through the small room. "I forgot to ask him if he knew something about what happened today!" But if a man with seemingly infinite resources like him knew nothing about the danger lurking here, I don''t think he''ll know anything about that white-haired woman or her motives. So, there are three possibilities: Ricardo is lying, which didn''t seem like it... The Singr has been dormant during these three years or is waiting to make its move... Or, Isabe made up the whole story. Even while taking a shower, n couldn''t let his mind rest, wondering if what Amelia implied had any merit. There is no proof that the Londorus'' incident has anything to do with me. Heck, that whole mess may be unrted, and that albino girl just took a liking to me for being a ''low-level freak''. She was calling me Little Mouse as if I was her future pet, after all, and since her dragon was already doing all the destruction, she just had the time to y around... But why did she act as if she knew who I was and what I have been up to, then? A beeping sound from a machine near the sink indicated that his clothes were already washed and dry. Naked, he stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection. Despite having enjoyed a warm shower, his face looked pale. And worse of all, Ricardo has practically confirmed what I''ve been suspecting all this time. He gritted his teeth again, this time ring at himself. His green eyes reflected a fear he had never experienced before. With all the security measures Doctor Higazawa and the people from the Alvearium Enterprise put in ce to ensure the safety of this voyage... Of thisst chance for humanity to escape total extinction... Only someone from the inside could have brought The Singr with us... But why?! + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Hours passed, and he could not sleep. Ricardo''s words kept him alert and terrified. It''s understandable that he suspects Isabe... The Singr... Humanity''s Destructor. An AI just like Isabe, the one in charge of The Santa Mar¨ªa, and Elizabeth, who remained behind at Alvearium Enterprise. We, The Tandem, 90% of this ship''s poption... My generation... Thest legal children of Earth, now grown up into young adults. Especially raised for this voyage... "And something tells me we may mess up this mission..." Images of Marco''s men attacking him, hurting him, and mocking him invaded his mind once again. He could remember every one of their faces. And yet... I don''t seek vengeance against any of them. For my mission far surpasses any grudge I may have. Even Marco is at the bottom of my priorities... Well, no, let''s change that. Kicking Marco''s ass in a fair fight is in the top five! The first one is finding what The Singr has been up to and reporting back to Isabe. The second one is... getting Astrid back? He sat at the edge of the bed and pulled his hair. No, no, no! I mustn''t think about her! We are frompletely different worlds right now! So don''t try anything until you reach level 100, n! Then we''ll see if she still... Y-Yeah, let''s focus on other things, like losing my virginity! That would surely boost my morale, Isabe. But wait... Losing my virginity? With who? I can''t imagine having sex with another woman besides As-- He grunted loudly, rolling on his bed. What did I just say?! Don''t think about HER! All right! Listen, n! Your main priority is locating The Singr, bing stronger is in second ce, third will be regaining Astrid''s trust once again, and fourth is losing my virginity! Ohoho, watch out Marco, I''ll deal with you once Iplete the other four--Man, this list sucks! "Dammit, I''m thirsty." He left his room, and the silence in the hallway made him self-conscious of every step. The inn''s cafeteria was closed, and buying a coffee from a vending machine was out of his current possibilities. Damn. I can''t even afford a 5 gold coffee. He thought about selling his clothes for a second, before pinching his cheek for even considering it. At least walking is free... At thatte hour, n expected to find Unus Town inplete silence, but people could still be seen walking around and buying midnight snacks. He exhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the chill air. After finally speaking with someone knowledgeable about his dire situation, the inevitable stares of the townsfolk did not bother him at all. Although he had been absent for eight months, he remembered where the Unus Town''s checkpoint was. Even though it had been changed for somethingpletely... tacky. The statue of an angel reaching out to the heavens had been reced by a proud woman stepping over a wyvern dragon. A que read: ''ra Dom¨ªnguez - Unus Mayor and Savior.'' "I see..." he whispered, ignoring the statue''s smirk and confirming that he could still save there. --------------------- Would you like to establish ''Unus Town''s Mayor Monument'' as your new Checkpoint? This action will overwrite your previously saved location: ''Shooting Stars'' Headquarters''. Yes / No ---------------------- He read the system''s message three more times. Why am I even hesitating? he reprimanded himself as he tapped ''Yes''. Done. No turning back... For now. He shut his eyes and chuckled, as a sudden burst of regret and remorse tried to overwhelm him. Now that I think about it, I never said goodbye to Tamara. She was quite nice and gentle, wasn''t she? And I can''t believe I''m thinking this, but I''m going to miss that Lamme brat, too. Marissa was also kind of fun to hang out with. Before his mind could remind him of the most important person he had left behind, a familiar squeak caught his attention. n looked down and found a slime between his feet, seemingly staring at him. "It''s you, Slomiack. I mean... ''Sloocheen''...? Was that it?" He narrowed his eyes, trying to read the name above it, but someone suddenly bumped into him. "Sorry, pal," the guy said without looking back. "It''s okay," n replied, barely paying him any attention. "Let''s see... Oh, right, Sloochie! That''s your new name, huh? Bleh, I don''t like it. Slomiack sounded more like a fierce warrior king." He suddenly frowned. "And it kinda sounds familiar." "Hey, get off me, bitch!" someone suddenly cried a few feet away. "Sure, until you give back what you just stole." Stole? n thought, turning around to find a young man being lifted off the ground by an out-of-view woman. "I stole nothing, you crazy¡ªWoah! I-I''m sorry, okay?! Here!" the stranger cried, throwing a long metallic object in n''s direction. "He''s more broke than me, anyway!" n cautiously approached the object, which barely gleamed due to its wear. Wait, isn''t this mine? Yes, it is! This is my bronze-tier sword! That dude pickpocketed it just a moment ago! "Come on, man! How could you?!" n yelled at the guy. "Is that the only thing this scoundrel took from you, n?" the woman asked, prompting n to quickly check his inventory. "Ah, y-yes. It seems so, yes." "There, you heard him! Let me go, now!" the thief cried, getting a giggle from her. "But of course, handsome! Sweet dreams..." the girl intoned, as the thief''s entire body got incinerated in an instant, lighting the entire street for a couple of seconds. "Ah, that helped me relieve some stress. I hope you paid attention, eh, Sloochie?" "Amelia..." n whispered as the slime ran towards its owner. The redhead girl strolled toward him, ring. "Look at you. Not even in this low-level town are you safe from being bullied." "Does that surprise you? People around here are level 30 and above." "Right..." she replied quietly, and an awkward silence briefly ensued. "Um... Thanks for getting my stuff back, and sorry for yelling at you earlier." Amelia exhaled loudly. "I also think I was a little... brash. So I''ll try to be more sensitive if the situation requires it. But I can''t promise anything." Their gazes met, and both were surprised to find themselves smiling at each other. "Do you still want to know the truth, Amelia? The truth about outside?" "I''m still hanging around here, aren''t I?" she replied, half-smiling. "For some stupid reason..." "It''s not stupid. I promise you that there''s nothing stupid about this," n said, staring deep into her eyes. "All right, Amelia Lamme, I''ll tell you everything." Chapter 46: Trust Issues (Part 2)

Chapter 46: Trust Issues (Part 2)

The night sky over Novus never revealed anything spectacrly alien, such as a majestic orbiting or twin colorful moons¡ªjust the familiar. The Developers had crafted it to mimic Earth''s moon as closely as possible: silvery, beautiful, and romantically luminescent. n remembered a night spent under that same sky with Astrid. She had yfully asked him to name the constetions she pointed to, only to reveal momentster that it was a jest. "I''m kidding," she giggled. "These aren''t the same stars you''d see from Earth. What you see changes every night, depending on The Santa Mar¨ªa''s current location. The ship captures daily images of the space around it and sends them to the Novus." Her eyes shone like the stars she described to me, as deep and vast as the Milky Way. I will cherish that memory for the rest of my life, yet also rue it, for I could have kissed her then. It was the perfect moment, and I let it slip away. The next day, I vanished before her eyes and lost my chance forever... + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "So let me get this straight," Amelia''s thick French ent pulled him back to the present. "This Administrator who just contacted you... uh, Adriano...?" "Ricardo," n corrected, his gaze drifting away from the moon overhead. From their spot atop the rooftop of the Moonlight Dream Inn, he could survey the entirety of Beginner''s Town. "Right, Ricardo Silva! So, he doesn''t trust his colleagues?" Amelia asked, passing him the wine bottle they were sharing. n took a swig before replying in a dry tone: "Seems so. He must have reached the same conclusion I did. The only way the Singr could have breached the strict Alvearium''s security protocols is if someone inside helped it, which would be terrifyingly easy to do. That devilish thing could fit into a single memory drive. Hey, do you have any of those chocte bars from earlier?" "How about something that pairs better with wine? Do you fancy some bleu cheese?" she suggested, opening her inventory window, then ncing his way. "Y-You''ll like it, trust me." "If it''s as good as this wine!" He shook the bottle, hearing it empty. "Oh..." "I have another bottle, so drink up. It''s courtesy of Kathleen Maher anyway," she muttered, avoiding his gaze. "Huh? Did you steal this?" "I took a couple of bottles as a parting gift, yes... and one of whiskey... and rum. And before you scold me or anything, she''s a narcissistic jerk, okay?! So I don''t feel bad in the slightest!" "She seemed a bit mean, sure, but other than that, I enjoyed hanging out with her." "Oh,e on! If you knew what she asked Karen and me to do, you''d--!" Amelia''s eyes widened, and she quickly pursed her lips. "Karen? Your best friend, right? The tall girl with ck hair? What? Did something happen between you two?" Amelia snickered. "Who the hell said she was my best friend?" "Your sister." "Whatever," Amelia muttered, handing him a stic box filled with thick slices of blue cheese. She then hugged her knees and rested her chin on them, the chilly night air ying with her hair. "Hey..." "Yeah?" "Sorry." "For what?" he asked, his mouth full of cheese. "For what we did to you." "You helped me defeat that albino girl, so we''re even now, remember?" "But what about the others?! It didn''t have to be this way!" She closed her eyes briefly before standing. The moonlight illuminated her distressed face, making her eyes glow like amber gemstones. "If people under Marco''s influence knew what you''ve been through--" "Nothing would have changed," n interjected, setting aside the cheese box. "Your pals would have left anyway. Heck, I bet the rest would have quit too as the word spread. It''s one guy''s word against three years of peace in this world." He chuckled bitterly before his expression darkened. "Let''s just say for a moment that Astrid listened to me and agreed to help, okay? So tell me, Amelia, who would stick around in a guild whose mission shifted from ''let''s be number one'' to ''let''s chase this invisible threat''?" "It''s not invisible!" she eximed, momentarily forgetting her volume. "What happened today is proof of it," she added through clenched teeth. "You''ve been saying that all day, but I still don''t see the connection. Why do you think this is all rted?" "Well..." She pouted, sitting back down, her hands in herp. "It was pretty obvious that albino girl was targeting you. We can agree on that, right?" "I suppose, yes... Her timing and how she spoke to me were suspicious." n pondered for a moment. "Ricardo Silva had ess to my data, so other Administrators might too... Do you think that albino girl works for one of them?" "Most likely," Amelia nodded slightly, biting her lip. "Someone wants to silence you..." That thought sent chills down my spine! "Hold on. If some crazed Alvearium employee really did bring the Destructor of Humanity here, why would other Users help them?" "Oh, sweetie. Your naivety is kind of endearing, you know?" She sneered. "While most of us tried to survive or fight that virus, some weirdos worshiped it as the next step in human evolution. That''s why it''s no surprise if some of those nutjobs ended up here as passengers." "I''m the Embodiment of Progress..." The voice of that mysterious girl echoed in his mind. No freaking way... That''s exactly what she said... He leaned forward, overwhelmed by a sudden urge to vomit. "Jeez..." "Are you okay?" "Y-Yes... Thanks, Amelia. It all makes sense now." Although I wish it didn''t... If Users are really aiding thisputer virus to thrive in this controlled environment... No... No, no, no, no, no! This nightmare might never end, Isabe! The Novus could just be a repeat of Earth! He tugged at his hair, buried his face in his arms, and repressed the urge to scream. "n?" she called softly, cing a hand on his shoulder. "You don''t have to bear this burden alone. You have Ashley, and now I''m here too. I really want to help." "You keep saying that," he whispered. "But why?" "Call it a whim, or boredom, whatever! You should rather tell me why YOU''RE doing it. Besides this heroplex you keep pushing on us..." "Hero Complex?" he asked, chuckling, their gazes meeting. "You know what? Fine! You win, Amelia Lamme! Let''s team up, or whatever, as you say. I''ll talk to Ashley about it tomorrow." "You really enjoy ying hard to get, n Warden, but I can''tin," she giggled, offering her hand. "I don''t mind a challenge now and then; it keeps things interesting." ''ying hard to get?'' n thought, shaking her hand. She seemed genuinely rxed, unlike her typically rigid demeanor, and her smile was as innocent as a child''s. Which is a stark contrast to the nightmare I had about her the other day, where I dreamed she was a blood-sucking demoness. Was my brain warning me to stay away from her? And now here I am, ready to trust her. He chuckled, still holding Amelia''s hand. During that dream, I said, ''this isn''t a bad way to die''. Was that prophetic? Because if I have to make a deal with the devil toplete this mission, so be it. "What''s that smile about?" she asked, smirking. "Thinking something naughty? Come on, share." "I''m just relieved, that''s all," he shrugged, releasing her hand. "It feels good to talk about this with someone who isn''t an expressionless AI." "Great. But aren''t you concerned about starting from scratch? I might have some gold saved, but technically, we have no resources," she clicked her teeth, looking out over the town. "It''s a shame Marco wouldn''t help..." "Haven''t you heard the saying, ''better alone than in badpany''? We have Ricardo Silva on our side now! He''s worth a thousand Users. No, hundreds of thousands!" n munched on another slice of cheese, also observing the town. The colorful ads promised services avable 24/7. "As for Marco and the others..." He began, sighing. "I can live without cleaning up my reputation, but it eases my heart to know that the one who hated me the most now sees me differently." He looked into her eyes and smiled. Amelia''s mouth hung open for a moment before she replied: "That''s right! That means you''ll have to do your best from now on so you can meet my standards!" She tossed her hair back and smirked, cing her hands on her hips. "It''ll take a while before you can take on a two-headed dragon, so in the meantime, I''ll handle it for you!" "Sure! Go get them, Hell Princess!" Amelia tilted her head, blushing. "I-I know I''ve been calling myself that, but it''s embarrassing when you say it out loud..." With that, she grinned and scooped up Sloochie from the floor, literal ''Z'' letters appearing above it. "I''m going to get some rest. What about you?" "I''ll stay a bit longer," he replied, handing her back the cheese and the second wine bottle, but she shook her head. "It''s all yours. Good night, n." "Good night, Hell Princess." "Oh, shut up." Amelia leaped down from the three-story building, leaving n alone under the digital moon. He looked up, feeling drained. Oh, man. I don''t know why, but I''m in the mood to hear that song again. He opened his User Interface, his finger hovering over the Error tab. I wonder if Adriano could help me with this. Doesn''t hurt to try. He tapped on his friend list and sent a message: ------------ ''Hey, sorry to bother you. I should have waited until you contacted me first, but... Could you help me with something? One of my UI options has been locked for some reason since my return. You''re the Glitch Administrator, right? Could you help, please? See ya. Peace, man.'' --------------- After sending the message, n reopened a message from Amelia from hours earlier: ------------------- ''Here''s the song I showed you earlier. It wasn''t free, just so you know. But I bought it for you, so you can be a Cosmic fan too!'' ------------------------ He tapped on the file, and the song began ying in his mind. Through the stars, I send my plea Juste back and set me free I have so much to say Soe here and hear me sing ~ My he-aa-art goes boom-boom when you''re not arounddd! ~ "Music and mncholy... What a match made in heaven," he muttered. After hearing the song one more time, he received a new message notification from Ricardo. Whoa, I didn''t expect him to reply until tomorrow. Is he an insomniac? --------------- Ricardo: The system must have locked your inbox after you logged out. Do you want me to restore it? n: But I''ve been using the messenger just fine since yesterday. Adriano: After you left, some private messages were sent to your inbox, and the System blocked any ess to them. There. Restored. And those from Ashley Yates too. I''ll catch some ''z''s'' now. Today''s conversation has been the most tiring I''ve had since I started working. --------------------- "Ashley Yates..." n muttered as he tapped the newly avable ''Inbox'' tab. ''191 Unread Messages.'' Astrid #1: n? Where are you? I hope this isn''t a prank, you idiot! Chapter 47: Trust Issues (Part 3)

Chapter 47: Trust Issues (Part 3)

''191 Unread Messages.'' Astrid #1: n? Where are you? I hope this isn''t a prank, you idiot! Astrid #2: No, seriously. Where the hell are you? This isn''t funny! Astrid #5: Are you there? Astrid #11: If you''re reading this, please reply! Astrid #32: Hi, n. Today I reached level 20, and I feel pretty powerful right now! Shooting Stars is in good hands. We are now a group of 10 people. Ten people joined our guild, n! Can you believe it! Once you return, I''ll introduce you to all of them. Especially this Helen gal, she is very talented and fights like a ninja. I didn''t even know there was a ninja ss! And this Oscar guy, he''s super serious-looking, and Helen teases him all the time. It''s so funny to see him get all red-faced. Well, I hope you can read all of this so you can catch up to what I''ve been up to! Buh-bye!'' Astrid #104: Remember Kathleen? Well, guess what? She changed her ss to Cryomancer! Ice Magic, n! Can you believe that?! I''m sure that she only changed sses so she could have a chance against me. That bitch! But by that time I had already ditched swords andnces, and focused on my fists, so she was in for a surprise when I started punching her ice shield. Ha! I''ve been training with this Theo guy, and he''s teaching me martial arts. He says that using my strength and my magic at the same time is totally possible. But I don''t know what kind of ss I would turn into. Astrid #115: Today, at The Novus'' first Anniversary, we learned that the gold you get inside the system is actually a cryptocurrency. So it''s real money, n! I don''t care one bit. Well, maybe a little, but getting rich is not one of my priorities! I just want to have fun and kick everyone''s ass! Astrid #182: Once you return, we need to talk. Astrid #185: Tamara said that I should start a new hobby. She says that being busy with all this guild crap is taking a toll on me. If she only knew the true reason I''m feeling like this... Well, I''ve listened to her advice. I''ve met new, nice people. The kind of people I don''t usually hang around. They are not warriors like me, so they have shown me a different perspective of living inside the Novus. Now that The Content Creators Patch has been released, they have gone crazy, producing an experimental reality show and a short series. They''re trying to see the limits on what kind of content we can produce ourselves, as Users. Their top priority: create new music because the tracks curated by the developers suck ass! They have my full endorsement on that one! Astrid #188: There''s something I never told you. We met a couple of years prior to bumping into each other at Alvearium. Since we only spoke once, it''s obvious that you don''t remember me. You used to work at Kintech, right? Can you recall an incident regarding a Maid Automaton appointed to be turned into scrap? The day after that, you gave the owner a pendant made with a piece of that automaton''s power cell... Yeah... Astrid #189: Maybe I should stop writing these messages. It''s not healthy. It was at the beginning, but not anymore. You know what I mean? Astrid #190: I''m still hoping that you''lle back. Astrid #191: I bloody miss you. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Ashley, a few feet behind n in her room, also received a system notification. She opened her User Interface and noticed a newly avable tab: ''Inbox''. ''15 Unread Messages.'' *** ** * * ** *** After Marissa Lamme convinced her Guild Master toe out to the back courtyard, she pulled a Mount Jewel from her inventory and summoned it without prior exnation. Momentster, an enormous phoenix capable of carrying three people on its back appeared, staring back at them. Truly a Legendary Beast, yet not even its magnificent crimson feathers reflecting the sunlight made Astrid Bradford gasp in awe. "What the hell is this?" Astrid asked, grimacing. "This is what you asked Marissa to retrieve, right?" Helen interjected. "Or could it be that our little croaky child here acted on her own? Hu-hu-hu." "Hey, Helen, ferme ta gueule!" Marissa snapped at thenky, ck-haired woman, who only smirked back. "And I don''t know what that means! All I heard was: ''croak, croak''." "It means ''shut the F-up''! I never asked for your help, okay?! This is the best I could get!" Astrid turned to her, perplexed. "Wait, let me get this straight. Did you steal this from Jason? Is that what this is all about?" "Well, yes..." Marissa replied, shrugging, unable to meet her gaze. "It was the only way to recover most of the gold he stole..." "Did you convince him to buy this?" Astrid ced both hands on her hips and gave her a bemused look. "Wow, Marissa, you''ve impressed me! I didn''t know you had it in you. This was a fantastic idea!" Marissa blushed instantly and raised her chin proudly. "Of course it was! I''m always full of good ideas!" "Although if I hadn''t been present, your genius n would have failed miserably," Helen giggled, leaving Marissa with her mouth agape. "Terrific job, regardless," Astrid said, turning back to admire the flying beast. "How much did it cost?" "Eight million. It was intended as a present for Kathleen." Astrid''s eyes widened before a malicious grin formed on her lips. "Oh, I love this even more." Helen exhaled loudly, folding her arms. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. That little dose of ''revenge dopamine'' is invaluable and all, but we still need to recover our money. So the question is, can we sell this, Bradford?" "I have two people in mind who wouldn''t bat an eye spending that much gold," Astrid replied while caressing the Mount''s shiny feathers. "But they''d do it as a favor for me, meaning I''d have to kiss some asses. In the meantime, give the Mount to Oscar. He''s in charge of the Guild''s Vault for now. And Marissa..." Astrid got close to her and grabbed her shoulder. "I''m d that you stayed." "Guild Master." Tamara approached the group and bowed slightly. "The aspirants are here." "We''ll talkter," Astrid said, walking away. "Sure," Marissa whispered as a smirking Helen sneaked behind her and hugged her neck. "Aww! It seems that you''ve regained our boss'' trust! So it was all worth it in the end, huh?" Helen then got closer to her ear. "But I wonder, how much gold did you sacrifice to get this result?" "I wasn''t holding much," Marissa shrugged. "Besides, I had fun. I finally fought William!" "Who kicked your sorry ass." Helen giggled and spanked her. "S-Shut up!" + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Astrid sighed in relief and smirked at the sight of a group of close to thirty people waiting in the front yard. It''s a good thing that my fame holds to this day. Not bad for something we announced just yesterday. "Wee, everyone, and thank you foring!" she shouted. "I presume you''re all here wishing to join Shooting Stars. In that case, we''ll hold some preliminary tests where..." "Excuse me! Sorry to interrupt you, oh, powerful Golden Comet," a guy wearing mage robes shouted. "But before you continue, maybe you could tell us what the hell happened here?" The man pointed at the half-destroyed building inside the Headquarters'' grounds. People around Astrid frowned at his audacity, while others looked at her, intrigued. "What do you mean?" Astrid asked patiently. "Well, Shooting Stars is the guild that protects this city, isn''t it? But ording to the reports, not all of its members helped repel yesterday''s menace. Speaking of the announcement that brought us here, it doesn''t even state how many open positions are avable. 10? 20, 50? Should we be worried? Does this speak about your leadership skills?" Astrid stared at him with a serene expression before snickering. "Guys! You know about me, right? I''m sure you''ve watched my Battle Streams." She gazed at them, finding nodding heads and looks of approval. "Then you know that I have zero tolerance for bullshit. So! Do you want to join me, or do you want to listen to this arsehole?!" The crowd cheered at her, and those closest to the failed instigator pushed him out of sight. "Very well, then! My First Officer will give you the details for the first test!" As Tamara stepped forward to announce the selection procedure, Astrid received a message notification. From n Warden. Huh?! She opened it immediately and read: ---------------- ''Thank you for writing to me almost daily. I''ve read all of your adventures here in The Novus, and I''m d to know that you''ve enjoyed a very fulfilling life, as a Guild Master, and as a fellow adventurer. Keep living your life to your fullest, and never forget to have fun!'' ----------------- W-What do you mean by adventures?! Astrid pondered about it for a couple of seconds before hurriedly opening her Social Tab. All the messages she had sent to him for over a year and a half had the ''Read'' mark on them. She half-gasped, almost out of breath, before screaming out loud. "Kyaaaaaaah!" Everyone present turned to her, some startled or amused. "Hey." A man in the crowd elbowed his friend. "I''ve been watching most of her Streams, and I didn''t know she could sound like that... You know what I mean?" "Girly?" His friend chuckled. "It sounded cute, actually. It makes me want to really join this guild." "What is it, Guild Master?" Tamara asked, rmed. "He read them all!" "Who read them all? Wait, read what?" "I''d forgotten all about those messages! Oh, my¡ª!" As she was finishing her sentence, ate candidatended her mount a few feet away from the crowd. Astrid stared at the blue pelican for a second before screaming again. "KYAAAAAAAH" Chapter 48: Rejected #36

Chapter 48: Rejected #36

"What''s happening here?" Marissa dashed to her boss'' side, weapon in hand. "Are you hurt, Astrid?!" Helen also joined them, calmly strolling. "I haven''t heard that cry in a while..." "Change of ns, everyone!" Astrid announced. "You''ll all be sparring against me! I''ll measure your value myself! And you!" She pointed at the startled neer. "You''ll be the first, for arrivingte! You''ll face me while I''m full of energy. Come to the backyard, NOW!" The crowd quickly shared whispers, watching the pelican''s owner rush to keep up with Astrid''s pace. "Hi, Shooting Star''s Guild Master!" the young woman said joyfully. "I''m Brenda Hannes, and I¡ª" "I remember you," Astrid interrupted, gritting her teeth. "Or better say, I remember your bloody bird. What are you doing here? You have your mount back, right? Or are you looking forpensation?" The young woman, with auburn hair tied into a side ponytail, and green eyes was at a loss of words. "N-No! I''m here for the same reason as everyone else. I''m looking to join your guild!" "Why?" Astrid halted to confront her. "Are you here to ransom me? So you can keep quiet about what you saw?!" The startled Brenda raised her palms. "I-I think there''s a misunderstanding here!" "Yeah, right," Astrid muttered before throwing a punch. Brenda managed to dodge it, jumping back. "W-Wait!" Brenda cried. "I''m telling you the truth! I''m just here to apply!" "And I said that I''ll be testing your worth!" Astrid shouted, jumping over her. The resulting stomp made the ground tremble and created a 10-feet wide hole. Brenda looked at it from a safe distance, knowing she could have died there. "All right, I''ll treat this as a test, then! But shouldn''t we equip ourselves first?" she asked, sweating cold. "You''re right. Go ahead and put on your best gear," Astrid said, emanating a red aura. "Or you won''t stand a chance." "Dammit, how did ite to this?" Brenda muttered as she manipted her User Interface. In an instant, a set of armor materialized over her body. She then blinked, astonished, looking at Astrid changing into regr spandex workout clothes. "Aren''t you going to...?" "How unlucky you are," Astrid said, dashing and getting in front of Brenda in a second. "Because I''m in a very bad mood right now." Astrid threw a punch, which Brenda managed to block. "Oh... Interesting. Where is your weapon?" "T-These are my weapons," Brenda said with clenched teeth, using all of her strength to push Astrid back in vain. These gauntlets? Astrid thought, examining them up close. There''s something strange about them... No... It''s her. A strange energy is flowing through her palms. Astrid grabbed the applicant by the back of her neck and attempted a knee strike to the stomach, but Brenda blocked again using both hands. Astrid then head-butted her, making Brenda retreat. The bar disying her HP got cut in half. I knew it. Her Vitality is not that high, and yet, something is strange about this gal, Astrid thought, giving Brenda precious seconds to recover. "If you''re trying to impress me, you''re doing a terrible job," Astrid teased. "Come on! Give me everything you have!" Brenda stared at her, bleeding from her forehead. "I can''t! At least not yet!" "A Conditional Skill, huh? How about this, then?" Astrid said in a soft voice, as she gathered mana into her fist. Brenda opened her eyes wide and stretched out her hands forward. She''s not casting. "You''re fully prepared to receive this, huh?!" Astrid continued,ughing out loud. "I won''t hold back then! Quick-Dragonfist!" A pir of fire, taking the shape of a dragon''s head engulfed Brenda''s entire body, and continued traveling towards the Headquarters outer fence. The fiery attack was then stopped by a force shield, preventing it from getting to the street. You really shouldn''t havee here, Astrid thought, turning back. "What was that all about?!" Tamara cried, dashing to her side. "Oh, Tammie, were you watching?" "That was totally excessive! Even for you!" "We need the best of the best, don''t we?" Astrid grimaced, looking away. "Her level was 79, so she should have known what she wasing to when applying for a spot here." "Astrid..." Tamara whispered, watching the still-lit mes in her leader''s eyes. "Whatever. Bring the next one." "I can keep going!" a voice cried behind them. Turning back, Astrid found a still-standing Brenda. Although her entire body fumed and half of her armor had been burned to ashes, she still had the energy to smirk. Even Tamara tilted her head, frowning. "How did she...?" "Did you use a Unique Talent?" Astrid asked aloud. "Y-Yes... I can absorb any elemental magicing my way, or m-mitigate any physical attack... As long as I''m on my guard, of course..." Brenda replied, sounding exhausted. "I-I can keep fighting! D-Don''t kick me out just yet!" "The simple fact that she withstood that it''s impressive, Astrid," Tamara whispered to her boss, who strolled forward. "Can you absorb ANY elemental magic?" Astrid asked. "Any element... Although I don''t have any experience fighting Light and Dark¡ª" "You''re in," Astrid interrupted, reaching out a hand. The girl''s eyes shone like jewels. "Seriously?! Oh, man! Thank you, Guild¡ª" "On one condition," Astrid added in a deep voice, pulling her closer. Their eyes were inches away. "Have we met before?" "Y-yes... Back in¡ª" "WRONG. This is the first time we speak to each other, got it? I''ve never been to Icebard, and you never lent me your Mount. Understood?" "Y-yes, Guild Master..." "Sorry about your armor. We''ll provide you with a new er, okay?" Astrid said while studying her face. "Why do you want to join us, anyway? You were already in a guild." "That''s because..." Brenda began shyly, before pping her own cheeks and kneeling in a knightly fashion. "You''re the strongest warrior I''ve ever seen! And thisbat practice has proven it! I''ll follow you to the deepest corners of hell if you ask me to!" Astrid narrowed her eyes at her. "...Okay?" "Should I sign a contract expressing what I just said?" "L-Later... Now, outta my way! I have others to test! Tamara, tell the rest to save in the Training Room. I may end up killing a lot of them." "Yes, Guild Master!" Tamara saluted, before smiling at Brenda. "Wee to Shooting Stars." "T-Thanks! I''ll do my best!" Brenda beamed, watching them go. She could scream with excitement right there and then, but her shoulders dropped. "T-That was close. Why didn''t the Guild Master let me save first like the others? But it''s okay! What''s important it''s that I entered! Yay, me!" "Yay, you. Should we celebrate?" a voice whispered in Brenda''s ear, jolting her. "W-Who''s there?!" Brenda cried, immediately adopting a fighting stance, but the honey-blonde girl in front of her only snickered. "I heard all about it. You just got in, right?" Marissa said, inspecting Brenda from head to toes. "Should I show you around?" "Does that mean that you''re my superior?" Brenda gasped, and quickly saluted. "Pardon me, ma''am! I''m Brenda Hannes, nice to meet you! May I have your name?" "I''m Marissa Lamme. And I''ll be in charge of training the rookies, so it''ll be in your best interest to listen to whatever I have to say, got it?" "Understood, Ms. Lamme. I''ll be at your charge." Not even a couple of seconds passed before Marissa burst intoughter, making Brenda frown. "Sorry! I couldn''t resist pulling your leg! It''s just that you''re too formal! But it''s true what I said about training the rookies." Grinning, Marissa grabbed Brenda''s hand. "Follow me. Are you hungry? Our NPCs prepare the best chocte muffins in all The Novus. They''re to die for, and a good remedy for a broken heart." Brenda stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean by that?" "You just got rejected and you didn''t even notice," Marissa replied, smirking. "What you just did right now? About swearing your allegiance to the Golden Comet? Bullshit. You came here because you fancy Astrid. Admit it." Brenda''s mood darkened in a second. And with a quick wrist movement, got rid of Marissa''s hold. "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Unfazed, Marissa shrugged it off immediately. "Aww, don''t give me those puppy eyes. You''re too cute to look that gloomy!" "And I''d appreciate it if you stop teasing me." "Why? I''m just telling the truth." "Stop it, please!" A few feet away from them, a concealed Helen snickered. "So you got a new pet, huh?" Chapter 49: Three Way Secret

Chapter 49: Three Way Secret

A third knock finally roused him from sleep. His User Interface disyed 08:01 AM. It could only be her. Isabe II, also known as Ashley Yates, stood outside, holding two cups of coffee from the vending machine. This feels just like when she used to wake me up every morning for eight straight months. "Good morning, n," she said, her expression neutral. "Morning," he responded gruffly, noticing the green slime between her feet, which rushed in on its own. "Sorry. I found him downstairs." "It''s okay. Come inside, we need to talk." Once Ashley sat on the edge of his bed, with Sloochie on herp, n spent the next hour narrating his forced trip to Londorus. He downyed the ordeal with Marco and his men, exined Amelia''s old allegiance, and the downfall of Shooting Stars. He then omitted the part about Marco extracting information from his head, attributing it to Amelia to justify her presence. n hoped to hear her thoughts on the White-Haired stranger, but Ashley remained silent, sipping her coffee. He concluded by telling her about Ricardo Silva''s unexpected visit and his crypticst request. By the end, n''s throat was dry, his coffee inevitably cold. "Do you think we can trust Ricardo?" she asked, breaking the long silence. "He seemed really rmed when I told him the news. His job basically consists of monitoring any anomalies within the system and fixing them, so if something weird has been happening here for thest three years, he''d be the first to notice it." n waited for Ashley toment further, but she seemed lost in thought. "Amelia thinks the dragon incident is linked to all this." "Or it could bepletely unrted," Ashley began, staring into her empty cup. "Justice and global peace have often been cited as reasons to justify acts of war. During the 21st century, entire genocides urred due to the personal interests of a few elitists. Now, imagine what a few Users drunk with power could do in a world where there are no deaths and consequences. It wouldn''t surprise me if this event has nothing to do with our mission." "I totally get you. I''ve met a couple of people whose gigantic egos could start a war, but something about this particr incident has been nagging me since yesterday." n exhaled. "Answer this first. What''s the possibility of The Singr having adopted a human form?" "High," Ashley responded immediately, her gaze intense. "The only way to enter The Novus is through a cryo-pod, and if The Singr hacked one, the System might interpret it as a logged-in User." "Might?" n repeated, his tone bitter. "Or is this something you know works quite well?" He pursed his lips, waiting, but an inner fire consumed his patience. "You can''t hack yourself into The Novus, can you? Just as Dr. Higazawa intended. No. You''re using a cryo-pod, just like The Singr." "That is correct." n clenched his teeth. "An already upied pod?" "Yes." "Are you usurping a human''s body?" "No. I''m just using her ''ount''." "How can you say that with a straight face?!" he shouted, grabbing her by the cor of her t-shirt, Sloochie squished between them. "What happened to the passenger''s consciousness? Is the real Ashley Yates dead?!" "She is in a vegetative state," Isabe II responded, unfazed. n felt as if his blood had been drained. "W-What?" "Her cryo-pod failed. It had a leak. Over time, her brain deteriorated. By the time we addressed the issue¡ª" "WE?! What do you mean by that?!" n cried out, memories of him fixing the broken ss of a pod shing through his mind. "Oh... god..." He muttered, releasing his grip. "Was that Ashley? I could have helped her sooner... I could have prevented this..." "That is incorrect, n," the ship''s AI interjected, using Ashley''s face and voice. "The damage to her brain was already irreversible. Cryo-sleep requires continuous neural stimtion; hence the creation of The Novus. A prolonged leak of oxygen and liquid nitrogen can¡ª" "Skip ad," he said, too exhausted to look at her. "n, since my original cannot interfere with The Novus, we are using the tools at our disposal to address this Singr invasion." "Tools?" "We can discuss ethics after we have resolved the Singr situation, but for now, do not let this deter you from seeing me as an ally of humanity." She touched his cheek, and he wondered if such a gesture was programmed to make her seem more sympathetic. "Ashley Yates cannot be saved, but we can use her body to save one hundred thousand people. Please, n." He stepped back, allowing Sloochie to return to its original round shape. Goddammit! I can''t believe Isabe did this! he thought, suppressing his urge to storm out of the room. But I gain nothing from questioning her right now. Not while The Singr is still here. I can look the other way and keep working with her until we''re done with this, since I''ve already sacrificed a lot to continue this mission. I truly believe she''s the best ally humanity could ever have, but it makes me wonder what other dubious things she has done for the future of this space trip. He swallowed the bad taste in his mouth and made a considerable space between them. Do it for her, n. "All right, Isa II, let''s not focus on that for the moment," he began, leaning against the restroom''s door. "Continuing on the Singr topic, I''ve been thinking about what Amelia said, and she''s right. We can''t do much in our current state. People here value power and money first, so we have to level up to prevent being stomped and pushed apart again. We''ll have to make money and subsequently get more allies too. Because if The Singr is disguising itself as a regr User, just like you, it may be forming an army." "We do not know that yet, but it''s true that we should be prepared for any future eventuality." She paused, forming a smile. "At least, knowing that it cannot interfere directly with the Novus'' system is reassuring." Wow, she''s looking at the bright side of this. "So, are we still going to keep it a secret? Until it blows up in everyone''s faces?" n looked away, shaking his head. "Something about keeping The Novus in the dark doesn''t sit well with me. People have the right to know what''s lurking out there, but at the same time, if we expose it all, the Singr may go into hiding forever. Argh! I can''t find a way to resolve this! Now I get what you''ve been saying about the dragon incident. The Singr gains nothing from doing something that random!" "Unless it was an open deration of war," Ashley blurted out, making n''s face turn pale. "Are you changing your mind?" "No. But we should not disregard Amelia''s theorypletely. Tell me, n, can we really trust her?" "Despite what she did to me, and although my inner logic is screaming that she may have selfish motives to help us... My gut also says that I''d be a fool if we don''t keep her by our side. We need a guide, after all, and if she''s willing to help..." "What about me, n? After learning what I did to get here, do you still trust me?" n stared at her. "I do." For now... "Even though I''m doing something hical, like..." "Say no more. Let''s postpone that conversation until the day The Santa Mar¨ªa is safe. But, do you think I''m up to the task? I''m the weakest and poorest User, remember?" "And yet, you have already contacted an Administrator, survived a skirmish, and convinced a Max-Level User to help us." She half-smiled, making him chuckle. As both stared into each other''s eyes, Sloochie remained still and silent, trying to be as invisible as possible. If n or Ashley knew more about the inner workings of the Novus, they would notice the yellow dot beside its name, indicating that it was currently on an open Party Chat. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + This new revtion surely broadens the picture, Amelia thought while sipping coffee, half a mile away from their location. If Humanity''s Destructor is disguised as a regr User, I don''t know how we''re going to deal with this. She paid the bill with a push of a button and exited the coffee shop, ignoring the gazes of people around her. As she calmly walked through the main street, the early birds of Unus Town stared at her, confused by the sight of a High-Leveler casually strolling through what was also known as Eur''s ''Beginner''s Town''. Ha! It''d be quite easy if we discover The Singr''s true identity, log out of here, and kill the human host in their sleep. But, how do we aplish the first task? If I were It, I''d have spent thest three years making a backup n in case I got discovered. Man... I can''t believe you''ve been carrying all this weight alone, n Warden. Amelia confirmed that n and Ashley wereing down through Sloochie''s video feedback and waited outside the inn. A couple of minutester, a tired-looking n seemed to rejuvenate at the sight of the redhead, wearing knee-high heeled boots, tight jeans, and a v-neck blouse, which generously showed her cleavage. Her long, loose red hair looked like a mantle made of the best shiny silk. "Morning, fes." Amelia beamed, crossing her arms. "So! Are we going to the Townhall and register our new guild, or what?" "Hey, it''s the Devil''s Princess!" n eximed while Sloochie dashed to its master''s side. "It''s Hell Princess! It was a great aplishment getting that title, so use it right. Shall I tell you the story of how I got it?" "Nah! Something tells me it involves some secret BDSM dungeon or something weird like that." "Funny you should say that, but I indeed have a bondage outfit in my inventory. Whenever you feel in the mood to be punished, just say the word." "Amelia! Not in front of Ashley!" Amelia chuckled, locking eyes with him. It''s good to see that after everything that has happened, you still have the energy to joke around. "Amelia Lamme." Ashley stepped forward, staring at her. "n has updated me on the events of thest few days. So, I''m looking forward to our joint coboration." Ashley extended a hand, which Amelia scrutinized for a couple of seconds. Knowing about this girl''s true nature makes me feel much better, but at the same time, it''s quite disturbing. "d to be of help," Amelia said, shaking hands. "Are you guys hungry?" + + + + + + The three looked out of ce walking among the other residents of Unus, which made Amelia smirk. A level 5, which is low even for this town''s standards, an emotionless but cute level 41, and me, a Max-Leveler and the hottest woman in this whole shithole. "n, give me your arm." "A-Are you going to rip it off me?" "No, you idiot. You''re escorting ady down the street, so act like a gentleman. Here." She held his arm while walking. "See? That''s better, right?" n muttered a lot of iprehensible things as his face turned bright red. Meanwhile, Amelia looked around, noting curious bystanders ncing at them. She smirked, satisfied. n, no one will know what you''ve sacrificed for the wellbeing of this spaceship and its colony, and you may never be rewarded nor acknowledged by them. If the least I can do is burn your enemies, I''ll do it dly. She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. ...After all, I''m already used to being someone else''s doll. "Hey, have youe up with a guild name yet?" she asked. "Nope. But you know what? Why don''t youe up with it? You''ve earned it." "Really? All right! How about Sweet yers?" "What?! No!" "Fluffy Demons?" "That''s even worse!" "Authentic Doomers, The Unrivaled?" "You came prepared, huh? Ouch!" Amelia dug her nails into his arm and released a grunt of exasperation. "You said it was okay for me to name it," she muttered, frowning while thinking about what they had inmon. Let''s see, a group of people on a quest to find something that might not even exist... She pondered for a moment. "Phantom Seekers!" She did not receive a reply for several seconds. "I love it!" Chapter 50: Three Way Secret (Part 2)

Chapter 50: Three Way Secret (Part 2)

As soon as n and Amelia walked into the Town Hall and were greeted by a male NPC employee, they both grimaced. "Wee, Adventurers. How can I help you?" the smiling NPC with wolf ears asked, making a slight bow. n and Amelia responded with narrowed eyes instead of words, maintaining a prolonged silence until Ashley intervened. "Excuse me, we are here to get a Guild''s License." "Did I hear that right?!" a woman eximed from a couch at the far end of the room. She paused the enormous video screen showing the idol Miss Cosmica and dashed over to grab Ashley''s hand. "I can''t remember thest time we registered a Guild! I''m ra Dom¨ªnguez, Unus'' Mayor, at your service! Fabio, I''ll take care of this." Her NPC nodded and walked away, with Amelia and n''s gaze following him. "Is it me, or did looking at that guy hurt my eyes?" Amelia whispered to n. "It''s not your imagination. He looks exactly like¡ª" "What is it?" ra interrupted them in a jovial tone. "Could it be that you also enjoy looking at my servant?" she asked, puffing up her chest. "It took me a lot of time, but I customized him to be perfect! Isn''t he gorgeous?" "Did you just say ''customized''?" n asked, raising his hand as if he were in a ssroom. "You heard right!" ra beamed, putting both hands on her hips. "I''m not afraid to admit that I''m literally copying the likeness of a very famous guilder." She giggled. "I just hope he never finds out! I''d definitely die of embarrassment!" "This famous guilder... He can''t be the one I''m thinking of..." n whispered to Amelia. "Just as she said..." She sighed. "He''s quite famous, and there are all kinds of creeps in this world, so..." Both tried their best not to pay more attention than necessary to the ck-haired NPC who had started to prepare coffee, leaving them with ra Dom¨ªnguez, the grinning young woman of brown skin, with pink hair in a bob cut. Her formal office outfit hugged a curvy body and a generous bosom, just like Amelia''s, making n wonder if the majority of the Novus female poption had undergone some ''Avatar customization'' too. Yep... This is the woman depicted in a monument downtown. A very humble mayor, huh? "As I was saying..." Ashley spoke up. "Could you please give us a Guild Licence, Mayor Dom¨ªnguez?" "Oh, right! Sure! But what''s the hurry? If you''reing thiste to the party, you surely aren''t in a rush. Come, join me. I have snacks here and we can watch thetest Miss Cosmica stream." "Do you have her premium ess?" Amelia asked excitedly, looking at the Video Screen. ra adjusted her sses, smirking. "Oho! So am I perceiving positive Cosmic vibes around me?" She suddenly reached out her hand. "Watch out, it''s a ck hole!" Amelia did the same. "Oh, no! The worst kind of danger!" "No, no! Will we have to cross it?" "Oh, yes! If you take my hand!" They both sang along and giggled. "Is this a requirement to get the License?" Ashley asked, still standing in her ce. "Because I''ll have to learn the song first." "Ah, sorry, I forgot all about it! Fabio, do the paperwork, will ya? And you, my new cosmic friend, what''s your name?" "Amelia Lamme. Nice ce by the way." "Thank you. I''ve remodeled it like a hundred times already. I''ve never seen you around. Are you guys new in town?" While both girls chatted, n helped fill out the digital forms, feeling ufortable having the ck-haired NPC nearby. He resembles that bastard so much it''s unnerving... "There," n said aloud. "We''re officially The Phantom Seekers now." "Hey, that''s a cool guild name!" ra said from her couch. Amelia smiled proudly by her side. "Thanks. I''m the one that came up with it." "Did you? Awesome! Back then, when The Novus recently started, I used toe up with a bunch of names for those poor souls without imagination. I easily named at least ten guilds, and like twenty special moves. Maybe you know The Storm Crusaders? That''s my sister''s guild." "Never heard of them, sorry." "It''s okay, it''s a pretty small guild, and they''re now called Crusaders United, anyway. What a terrible name! And the disrespect! It took me time toe up with that name, Sis! How could you change it without asking me?!" "So a Guild Master and a mayor. Ambition and leadership run through the family!" Amelia smiled, pping. "How did you get this job, by the way?" "I just took it," ra said straightforwardly while reaching for a bowl of popcorn. "W-What do you mean?" "It''s a funny story!" ra replied while munching. "There was this NPC that used to run the Townhall, and she''d just stand here all day like an idiot. So I thought: ''Hey, I could do a better job than her!'' Then I challenged her to a duel and the rest is history... munch... And then, I got bored with her, and sold her away¡ª" "You ''sold'' an NPC?!" n cried, dashing to her couch. "Y-yeah, that''s what I said... Popcorn?" "Why do you talk about them as if they were things?" "Because they are? Well, no, they''re more like walking dolls. Mine never says no to me." She elbowed Amelia. "If you know what I mean..." "Let''s go, Amelia!" n suddenly yelled, stomping all the way to the exit. "O-Okay! See youter, ra," Amelia said in a tiny voice, grabbing Ashley by the hand on her way out, as an oblivious ra happily waved goodbye to the group. "Come and visit me anytime you want! Geez! What is wrong with that level five?" ra said to herself while stuffing her mouth with popcorn. "Wait a minute... Level five?" + + + + + + Outside the Town Hall, Amelia called n''s name several times without getting a response. She caught up to him and pulled his arm, earning a re. "What''s going on with you?" she asked. "Are you telling me there was nothing wrong with her attitude?!" n eximed, pointing at the building. "NPCs are traded all the time, n. What do you expect? They''re just programmed to do as they''re told." "And the worst part! I know where the real Mayor ended up working," he said loudly, ignoring her previousment. "She''s a waitress now, in the Dragon''s Belly! Can you believe it?" "Listen," Amelia said softly, grabbing his cheeks. "That NPC did his job just fine. We got the Guild License, right?" "Yes, but¡ª" "The Novus doesn''t care who the mayor of this town is. As long as an NPC works in that building, the System provides them with the necessary skills to do the job. They''re interchangeable, n. They''re just codepared to us." "Could you say that to any of the Slime-folk you met yesterday?" Amelia''s mouth dropped as she let him go. "I-I don''t think it''s the same situation..." "Yeah, right," he gruffly intoned, looking away. Amelia pursed her lips, making her best guess of why he was so upset. She then briefly nced at Ashley''s neutral expression. "Oh, I get it now." A momentter, n got a notification. -------------------- Amelia Lamme has sent you 20,000 gold. ---------------- "What''s this?" he asked while Amelia grabbed Ashley by her arm. "That junk you call a sword? Go and buy something better while I take Ashley to go shopping. Let''s meet at dinner time, okay? I''ll send you our locationter. And don''t spend that gold on something stupid, you hear me?! You''ll have to pay back all the gold I''ve spent on you eventually." As the two girls disappeared from sight, n''s mind focused on one thing. He clenched his fists and headed directly to the Dragon''s Belly, ignoring all the curious gazes focused on the disyed level above his head. Chapter 51: Gaming Ethics

Chapter 51: Gaming Ethics

He needed to find that NPC waitress and ask her about her old job. Was leaving the Town Hall really her decision? But before he could storm inside, a female NPC blocked his path. "Wee to the Dragon''s Belly. How may I help you?" I should have known that I can''t just enter here without being a customer. "Hi. A friend is waiting for me inside. Um... Her name is Monique Ascencio." "Sorry, sir. She''s not currently in the establishment at this moment." "I see. It''s okay then. A table for one, please." The NPC''s eyes glowed for a second, before tilting her head to one side and forming a gentle smile. "I''m sorry, but ording to my database, you''ve been banned from entering this restaurant. Anything else I can do for you?" "That I have been what now?" "You surely remember what happened on yourst visit here, Mr. Warden," someone said behind the NPC, wearing sses and a long braid over her shoulder. "That''s why the owner has instructed every employee to keep you out." n stared at the young woman for a couple of seconds before recognizing her. "Hey! It''s Monique''s bodyguard." "I''m Risette," she said, grimacing. "What''s your business here? Are you ready to pay your debt?" I''m already here, so... "That''s right, although I''d preferred doing it inside while munching on a burger. I really liked this ce''s food. Is your boss not here?" "No." "Okay, then..." n muttered while manipting his User Interface, but after a long moment of silence, he dropped his shoulders. "Um... How can I give you the gold?" "Let me assist you with that," the NPC rushed to say, getting by his side. After a short series of instructions, n sent a popup window to Risette, for 10,000 gold. The young woman tapped on it absently and turned back. "Your debt with Ms. Ascencio has been paid off. I''ll send you a receipt shortly. Anything else?" n stared at the smiling NPC still blocking the entrance. "What happened to the other hostess? I came here two days ago, and an NPC girl with cat ears received us." "I''m sorry, sir, but I''m afraid she''s not working with us anymore," the NPC responded, as Risette sent him a condescending look. "The same happened to the waitress that served you." She snickered. "They should have known that a guy like you didn''t have the money to pay the bill." With those ominous words, the two got inside and locked the door. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Bronze-tier weapons? HA! Sorry, pal, but I melted all the bronze gear I had to make that tea set. It''s my top-selling product." n observed the ugly iron teapot adorned with spikes with an appalled expression on his face. "W-WHY?!" "You''re asking why?" the shop owner sneered. "How would I know there was still a level five around here? And why are you still five, anyway? Even theziest of people leveled up by doing almost nothing, passive XP and all that." "If you don''t have any starting weapons, could you at least restore this sword?" n ced his damaged weapon over the counter, making the guy chuckle. "Pal, I could reforge this trash and turn it into better trash, or I could sell you this kitchen knife. 500 gold." n''s eyes widened. The knife had three times more attack power than his sword. "I... I''ll buy it... Do you have anything that can be used as a shield?" "I have an iron tray for 700 gold. Do you want me to attach a strap to it?" "Y-Yes please..." "Be right back," the shop owner said, snickering. "A freaking kitchen knife..." n muttered, looking at the tea set with resentment. Someone humming a song then caught his attention. A known song. He took a peek at the other side of the counter, and found a pink-haired female NPC in another room, wearing an apron. "Should I charge you extra for ogling, pal?" the shop owner said, carrying the iron tray, straps, and a hammer. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to intrude." "Ah, I don''t me you if you find her attractive, that''s why I get her," the man said absently while starting to work. "She''s my wife. Isn''t she lovely? I customized her hair to make her look like Miss Cosmica. Very original, huh? But now, people areparing her to the mayor. I swear to the god of smithing, the next one that mentions it will receive a hammer to the head." n blinked repeatedly. "Wait, did you just say ''wife''? H-How does that work?" "Seriously, pal," the man said in an annoyed tone. "Have you just logged in or something? Here''s your shield and knife. 1200 gold for the knife and shield, and 200 extra for busting my balls." "Lunch is ready, my dear!" the NPC said in a sweet tone from the kitchen. "Thanks, sweetheart! I''ll join you in a minute!" Watching that scene, ra Dom¨ªnguez''s words echoed inside n''s mind: They''re just like walking dolls... "Can I ask you something?" n said, equipping his new shield. "Was your ''sweetheart'' the original owner of this ce?" The cksmith''s mocking smile vanished as his face turned red in a second. He threw his hammer at n, who sessfully blocked it. "Mind your own business, pal! Now, get out of here and go level up, youte weirdo!" + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Am I the only one that thinks that all of this is messed up? n thought tiredly, dragging his feet towards Amelia''s location. A superimposed yellow line on the road told him where to go, and n wondered if only he could see it. Finally, the line stopped in front of a Victorian-style, two-story house on the town''s outskirts. "Don''t tell me that... she bought a house..." n stared at it in dismay for a couple of seconds before a system window popped up in front of him, which read: ''Phantom Seeker''s HQ.'' You have to be freaking kidding me... Although a locked padlock icon floated above the door, it unlocked automatically once he approached. Inside, Sloochie was resting in the living room, and quickly greeted him with a soft cry. "Is that you, n?" Amelia''s voice came from somewhere inside the house. "Y-Yeah!" "Make yourself at home! We''ll be with you in a minute!" "Why does she ask me if it''s me? I''m pretty sure that the door doesn''t open for everyone," he muttered as he went straight to a couch andid face down. Sloochie quickly imitated him and rested on his buttocks. I''ve been here for, what, four days? And I''ve already witnessed some of the worst aspects of this world. I don''t want to imagine what''s awaiting meter on. He shut his eyes and changed positions, burying his head against a pillow making Sloochie fall. The slime could be heard squeaking while jumping back to rest over him again. And worst of all, there don''t seem to be low-level monsters in the vicinity. Even the woods that terrified me arepletely free of critters. Now that I think about it, the only monster I''ve seen since arriving is that thing called Weasenox. But, its level is too high for me to kill it. His mind reminded him of the Slime-folk and the creatures they used for their everyday life. Smaio''s carrying bug was level 8. n groaned after imagining himself ying that thing. Goddammit! Don''t even think about it! "We''re here!" Amelia jovially shouted. n could hear Sloochie squealing with joy as the girls entered the living room. "Hmm? What happened to you?" "Nothing," n said, giving them the back. "What about you? I can see you''ve been quite busy..." "Do you like this ce?" Amelia said, beaming. "It was dirt-cheap, don''t worry! That''s the only benefit of living in an isted ce like this. The cons? Plenty! Believe me. We spent the whole afternoon in every clothing store in town, like three, actually, and I''ve concluded that I could do a better job than them! So, guess what? I''ll open a shop in this bore of a ce! I have the skills after all. Marissa taught me how to craft jewelry, and with my keen sense of fashion, I''ll blow these low-levelers minds once I know how to make clothes!" "I thought you wanted to take a sabbatical year..." "From fighting, silly! And I''ve already told you I want to do something with my free time while you both level up." "True... Good luck then... I know you can pull it off..." Amelia could be heard exhaling loudly. "Could you knock it off? Stop acting like a wretch and take a look at Ashley''s new style!" "What new style?" n asked, turning his head sideways, to find ck high stockings in front of him. "Whoaaaah!" He jumped from his ce to observe Ashley''sbat boots and an off-shoulder ckntern dress. "What do you think?!" Amelia giggled, positioned behind Ashley. "Come on, Ash, as we practiced," she whispered in her ear. Both tilted their heads at the same time, put their left hand on their hip, and made a V sign with their right hand close to their faces. "Cosmic!" both said, coordinated. "Amelia said that this would help you get motivated for our iing training routine," Ashley said in a t voice, while still making an idol pose. "I didn''t say ''motivate''!" Amelia cried. "Wait, did I really use that word? Whatever. n, don''t you have something to say?" n, who had remained silent for several seconds, looked at Ashley in the eye and muttered: "Beauty in ck, skin like the moon, that travels this world breaking hearts with your cold emerald eyes, don''t mind my gaze and continue to find your way back to heaven, where other angels miss you already..." "I think we broke his mind," Amelia muttered before n''s watery eyes caught her off guard. "W-What''s wrong? Did something happen? Did they rob you again?" Even if I''m the unluckiest man on this ship, I can also be the most fortunate with these two around... "I love you guys..." he blurted out, making Amelia blush. "Why do you say that all of a sudden?!" "I think he''s stating his trust in us," Ashley said inly. "I know," Amelia cried, "but don''t say it like that either! It ruins it!" "I really do," n continued, looking down. "S-Stop it!" Chapter 52: Baby Steps

Chapter 52: Baby Steps

I''m n Warden, Chief Technician of The Santa Mar¨ªa. Due to a series of unfortunate events, I have be the weakest User in this entire virtual world... and I''m supposedly the one to save humanity. He gasped for air while tossing aside the now-useless iron tray, the corpse of the Weasenox beside him. "We did it, n," Ashley said from behind him. "Yeah... I''m finally level 6... How marvelous..." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "We''re celebrating tonight because n has finally leveled up. Yay!" Amelia beamed, opening a bottle of beer. "So what? Are you going to toast 94 more times?" "Come on! Stop being so cranky! Baby steps, n, baby steps." "At this rate, The Singr will conquer all of Novus," n muttered before munching on his burger. "So! What are your ns for tomorrow?" n nced at Ashley, who was silently chewing. "We''ve got wind of a dungeon northeast from here. Eur''s very first dungeon. I''ll get better gear there." "I hope it turns out great." Amelia smiled warmly at him. "I hope so too..." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Nothing on the second floor," Ashley informed as she entered the library, where a grim-looking n was sitting on a pile of books. "So that''s it?" n asked, looking around at his surroundings. "Count Dk''s Mansion, huh? I bet this ce was very popr back in the day." Ashley remained still, discerning his expression. "We could kill the Weasenox again." "Nah. It''d just give me a third of the XP this time, and that means buying another ''kitchen shield'' from that guy. I don''t think it''s worth all that hassle." "It''s okay. I can use my knife and fight in the front lines while you provide support." "And how do I do that? I can''t use your bow. You''d get all the XP, and if I don''t dodge in time, it''ll kill me in one hit. Let''s forget about the Weasenox for now." "We could ask Amelia if she--" "Amelia has helped us enough," n raised his voice, before exhaling. "Sorry, but I have to do this on our own. If we depend on Amelia for every single obstacle we face..." "Let''s ask someone from Unus Town if they know about other ways to get XP, then." "I know how. Making errands. But only if an NPC gives you a quest, and by now, all of them have been turned into servants." He lowered his head. "I''ll... I''lle up with something tomorrow..." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + And just like that, two more days passed without any progress. Ashley offered to search for mobs in the entire area, since thanks to her high Agility and Wind buffs, she could run almost indefinitely. She even reached the next town in less than an hour, but without any good news. ------------------------- Private Message Ashley: It''s as if every single monster below level 20 has gone extinct. At least that is what people have told me. I will try the next area. But it seems that the more I distance myself from Unus Town, the stronger the monsters I find. n: It''s okay, Ashley. Forget about the monsters. Have you found any bronze-tier gear for me? Ashley: No. Only silver gear is currently sold in every store I visit. But I will keep looking. n: Thanks, Ashley. I owe you one. I''ll do my best from here. ------------------------ Yes, using the Nav all day long while hiding from Amelia. I don''t want her to see me like this. Let''s see if people from other regions know something. --------------------------- EUROLA''S GENERAL CHAT Techguy: Guys, do any of you know where I could find monsters level 10 and below? Plxtea: Lol, what for? Concordi: This guy must have a fascination with Sheepbeets. Does anyone remember those? Ballezan: Yeah, they were pretty infamous because some yers use them to ''relieve'' stress. Crepina: What do you mean? Me not understand! -------------------- And my question has been buried under the chaos... he exhaled, opening another window, showing the Bronze-Tier gear he needed. Although I found them on an app called ''Eternal Market'', the prices are exorbitant. It seems that only collectors buy them because 57,000 gold for a bronze sword is just ridiculous. n furiously swept those windows out of sight, leaving the most dreadful one still active. It was a user Message Board, discussing what happened in Londorus days ago. Some people think that the now-called ''Nuke Dragon Event'' was a test from the Moderators. Test for what? Who knows? Others believe what the Londorus Times is saying, that it was some sort of revenge from some Ex-Shooting Stars against Astrid. There are also theories about this being a deration of war from what they call ''Non-Rankers'', powerful begrudging Users that have never shown their true strength and hide from the ranking system. Andstly, a very small minority have mentioned The Singr, but without the information Amelia got, there''s no way they can get to the same conclusion as her. "Which only leaves me with the only thing that calms my nerves..." n opened a five-day-old video of a tournament held in Iregorn where Miss Cosmica was the hostess. [ We''re here in the Semifinals! Can you feel the heat from your seats?! ] She really is awesome. Not only is she beautiful, but her screen presence is unmatched too. n made the video screen bigger. As high-level warriors showed their conviction on the battlefield, n stared at the bottom of the screen, where the Idol could be seen watching the match and makingmentary. "Hey, Level Five, what are you doing there?" the voice of a young man was heard from below. "Wait, you are level six now? Cool!" n looked at thenky guy from his ce atop a tree. He had ck short hair and wore a tank top and baggy pants. Isn''t he the guy that tried to steal my sword the other day? "What do you want? Are you here to rob me again?" "And let that beauty go rampant? Nah, I''m good!" "What do you mean?" The guy reached the tree branch n was sitting on with one jump with ease. "She didn''t tell you? A couple of days ago, she stepped over the mayor''s statue and told everyone that if any of us put a finger on you, she''d burn the entire town. Now everyone in Unus fears her." "T-That sounds like something she would say..." The guy shrugged and pointed at n''s disy with his chin. "What are you watching?" "This? Um, how can I show you?" "There should be an eye icon in the bottom right corner of the screen." "Ah, got it. Do I toggle it on?" "Yeah, like that. Oh, you''re watching Battle Streamings, huh? Who''s your favorite streamer?" "I... um... Miss Cosmica?" "She''s not a Streamer, dude, she''s a Sponsor! Anyway, can I ask you something personal?" "The reason why I have such a low level and yet, I''m hanging out with a High-Leveler?" n exhaled. "Yeah!" If Astrid was so confident in making an excuse for me in front of her entire guild, it means it''s safe to use it. "I was in aa until a few days ago," n replied, trying not to make a big deal out of it. "I''ve been out of the game for three years. Before that happened, Amelia and I used to be friends, so..." The guy listened to every word with a captivated expression on his face. As if we, moving here, had been the most exciting thing that had happened to this town in a long time. "Dude! Were you really in aa? Sucks to be you! But at least you can hang around those beauties. I envy you, buddy! I''m Paulo, but call me Paul. What''s your name?" "n. Hey, you''re a Battle Streaming aficionado too, right? Can I ask you something?" "I''m just a casual fan. But I could bring you to an expert that''s really into that stuff!" + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Do you want to know more about Battle Streaming AND Miss Cosmica?! You''vee to the right ce!" Major Dominguez said out loud, puffing out her chest. "Dude, what gives?" n whispered to Paul, narrowing his eyes at him. "This is the only way you''ll get your info," Paul shrugged, grabbing the popcorn bowl and gettingfy. "Besides, do you have something better to do?" "Come on, n ''Level Five'' Warden, have a seat!" ra yelled enthusiastically, pushing him to a couch. "Did you know that Miss Cosmica is not only the Novus'' biggest and brightest star but also the one that poprized Battle Commentary?" ra adjusted her sses and turned on her enormous video screen, showing a low-quality video of what seemed to be Miss Cosmica. Her trademark pink hair and her facial features were the same, but her clothes, hairstyle, andck of makeup made her seem like a shut-in. "Look at this asshole, trying to connect a hit against Daniel, ''Living Tower'', Torres, famously known for his Unique Talent that lets him absorb any non-legendary weapon into his armor," a very condescending Miss Cosmica wearing sunsses said, before sneering. "Look at this guy''s face after hisnce disappeared inside Daniel''s shield!" "Wow. Is that really her? Even her attitude is different," nmented. "These are her humble beginnings," ra continued. "She''d use video footage of others fighting and analyze their strategies. Honestly, she was pretty bad-mouthed at the time, but her assessments were pretty on point. The following is spective, keep that in mind! While some of her detractors criticized her for being so harsh against other yers, some pointed out that for her to be so urate in her assessments, she must secretly be a high-skilled warrior." She suddenly squealed, hugging her arms. "Could you imagine that?! Seeing her kick ass while wearing her signature outfits? She''d look like a fierce, but beautiful amazonian space princess!" A feminine fighter, huh? Like Astrid? n thought, recalling in his mind the videos Marissa sent him, showing Astrid fighting her discontent ex-guilders. Nope... She looked quite aggressive and ruthless. As if a dragon had taken human form... "As I was saying," ra continued, "once Miss Cosmica amassed arge following, she partnered with one of the most loaded Actives and..." "What''s an Active?" "A Novus'' millionaire..." she replied, nonchntly. "And that''s when she adopted this idol persona everyone loves her for. Although she expanded her market by being the first sessful singer in the whole Novus, she''s still searching for new talents to sponsor." She leaned to n, smiling widely and making a hand gesture. "If you get picked by her agency, you can earn biiig." "That sounds nice, but how does Miss Cosmica make money out of that?" "She charges to get ess to her Premium content." "So that''s the reason I can''t watch her most recent videos. They''re locked behind a paywall." "You can wait until those videos are free," Paul said, munching popcorn. "That''s what most people do." "I CAN''T WAIT!" ra cried, pulling Paul''s cheek. "I couldn''t live without watching her newest content! So be grateful that people like me maintain her channel afloat, you dirty freeloader!" "T-Thanks, Miss Dominguez!" "Hey, maybe you could answer this." n rewinded one of his previously watched videos until finding a scene, showing a wolf-like beast engaging inbat against a mage. He paused. "Can you train monsters to fight for you?" "Yeah, there''s a ss called Monster Tamer, you know?" n quickly thought of Sloochie, and Amelia''sment about her Monster Tamer skill, level 1. But I don''t want anyone from Slime Vige to fight for me. At least I know there''s a way now. Baby steps, Amelia, baby steps. "Paul!" n called aloud, startling him. "W-What is it now?!" "You''ve been pretty helpful today! But can you help me with something else? I''llpensate you, I promise." ra''s forehead wrinkled. "B-But I was the one that exined to you what..." "Count with me, n!" Paul replied, proudly. "What do you need?" "This town''s weaponsmith doesn''t sell low-level weapons anymore. Do you know someone that could sell me their old gear, or where I could get some?" Paul crossed his arms and shut his eyes for a moment. "Hmm... Everyone has already gotten rid of their gear, even me, so... Ha! It''s so obvious! Follow me." "Y-You guys leaving already?" a soft-spoken ra said, watching them go without saying goodbye. Chapter 53: Baby Steps (Part 2)

Chapter 53: Baby Steps (Part 2)

As they turned to a back alley, the idea of Paul leading him into a trap did not cross n''s mind. All thanks to you, Amelia. "Do you have any idea how many people live here in Unus?" "Like close to a hundred people, maybe?" Paul replied, shrugging. "Why?" "It just makes me wonder why you''ve all decided to stay here." Paul halted before they could enter a shady-looking establishment, with the logo of an anthropomorphic bull holding a beer on the door. "Hey, buddy, let me tell you something before getting inside. That sort of question is not cool around here. Get it? Everyone has their reason not to leave this ce, so it''s a touchy subject. The owner of this ce, for instance, is a very grumpy dude, so be careful with what you say." "Oh, sorry. Understood." The door opened, letting the smell of alcohol escape. Phosphorescent blue lights made everything look as gloomy as the people drinking there, sitting on individual leather armchairs, who barely nced at n. A female employee, serving drinks behind a metal counter waved at him. "Paul! If you''re here looking for Roxx, she''s busy for the next 20 minutes." She then focused on n''s face, and subsequently on the number above his head. "Who''s your friend? Could he be... n Warden?" In that instant, the entirety of the ce went silent, and all eyes were set on him. "Do I know you, ma''am?" "No, but everyone knows you and your pyromaniac girlfriend." The woman smiled, leaning forward. "I''m Gaby, nice to meet you. I''m going to get straight to the point, okay? Please, tell everyone present what''s the deal with your mysterious low level." n frowned, looking at the clientele. Every set of eyes and ears waiting for his reply. "I... was in aa." A collective groan was heard as Gaby tried to quiet the crowd. "Okay, okay! Who was the one that saida?" "Lukas did, but he''s not here!" A Video Screen appeared behind the bar counter, showing a betting chart: Reasons why n Warden is a level 5 He has been hiding this whole time (31 votes) He was punished by an angry Administrator (19 votes) He died in real life, and the system revived him as an NPC (10 votes) He''s roleying (5 votes) He was in aa (1 vote) "Lovely people," n said bitterly. "Here." Brenda served him a drink. "For myatose friend. On the house. For n, Comatose, Warden!" "Cheers!" "I liked n, The Ghost, more, ironically," he muttered, gulping his drink. "Thanks for bringing me here, Paul..." "Actually, I brought you to meet Kristoff." Paul said, leading him to a corridor that smelledpletely different than the rest of the establishment. After crossing a curtain, n found a room filled with weapons, artifacts, and sets of armor on disy. "What is all this?" "This is Kristoff''s Fun House. Wee to my humble shop, n Warden," a bald, overweight, pale man said from behind his counter, without taking his eyes off his User Interface. Despite his gentle words, his tone of voice was cold and coarse. "n, I''ve helped you enough today, haven''t I?" Paul whispered, pulling n''s sleeve. "Give me 300 gold. That''s what 45 minutes with Roxx costs." He really helped a lot. "All right..." n created a temporary window for Paul to tap, who exited the room in a hurry. "Thanks, see youter!" Although I don''t know yet ifing here was worth it... He frowned and stepped forward, looking at the items in awe. But before he could ask Kristoff for the Bronze gear he was looking for, arge disy case showing a human-sized doll with animal ears caught his attention. The doll suddenly looked at him and smiled, revealing her familiar face. It''s her! The NPC that used to be Unus'' mayor! n''s eyes widened at the sight of her. There''s no mistake. I recognize her fox ears. The NPC opened her eyes and grinned warmly at him, making his heart ache. He peered behind her, spotting the previous hostess of The Dragon''s Belly, too. "Why do you have them locked here?" he asked the underground shop owner, who responded without shifting his gaze from his User Interface. "Because I''m selling them. 30,000 gold each. 55,000 for both. They''re already nk." "What do you mean?" Kristoff nced at him. "Oh, right. For a moment I forgot I was talking to n ''Comatose'' Warden. It means the System no longer recognizes them as NPCs. They are more like... mobs and monsters? Choose the term you prefer. They''ll do whatever you order them to." "55,000 gold..." n muttered, staring at the former mayor who now gazed forward like a soulless doll. "If you want them, you should hurry. There''s always a high demand for female NPCs." "I don''t have the money..." "What about your girlfriend? Can''t she lend you the gold?" This guy is only thinking of making a sale. For the moment, I can''t do anything for them. I''m so sorry. "Listen, I came here looking for bronze gear. Do you have any?" "Of course I have," Kristoff said, tapping on his User Interface, making the disy racks change their contents automatically. n''s heart skipped a beat at the sight of the desired gear, but checking the listed prices made him bite his lower lip. Dammit. It seems that this guy is the same seller from that online marketce. "Not what you were expecting, huh?" Kristoff sneered initially but quieted down when he saw n''s dropped shoulders. "Hey, pal, forget about buying gear, it''s not worth it. Why don''t you make your own weapons instead?" n dashed to the counter. "Can I do that?!" "Wait, I think I spoke too soon. You need an NPC to teach you the profession, and the only one who could is in the hands of that creep from the Weapon Shop." "So I could theoretically create my own gear?" n muttered to himself, feeling rejuvenated. But... He nced at the pair of NPCs again, and at a set of familiar gleaming armor beside them. He stepped closer as he examined it. "That''s not for sale," Kristoff said aloud. "It''s an iplete set and I''m trying to get the sword and boots." "These boots?" n said, pulling them out of his inventory, making Kristoff''s eyes gleam. "Where did you--?! Wait, it''s so obvious! You still have your old gear, don''t you?" "It''s not that old to me!" "The full set? The one called Beginners Set?!" "Yeah! I even have a pair of ''New Beginning Shirts'' and I may even get one ''New Beginning Dress'', brand new!" "Splendid!" Kristoff beamed, leaning forward. "I know, right?! Shall we do business then?!" "Wait, wait, hold on. All of those items must be pretty worn out..." "Well, yeah, but..." "I can''t buy them from you just yet until they''re restored. My wife has the Tailor Profession so she can restore the shirts and dress, but you''ll have to handle the armor and sword''s repair. I''d do it, but I can''t stand that guy!" "Who, the Weaponsmith?" "Yeah, I hate that asshole. Always gloating about his NPC wife..." Kristoff said, grimacing. "Restore all of your gear and we''ll do business." "I can do it!" n said, feeling hopeful. "Hey, this feels like an RPG chain quest!" Kristoff quickly narrowed his eyes at him. "Do I look like an NPC to you?" Chapter 54: Businessman Rank 1

Chapter 54: Businessman Rank 1

"10,000 gold," the Weaponsmith said, without even looking at the gear over the counter. "What?! The other day you said that it would be better to buy a kitchen knife than to repair this crap!" n yelled, tapping the rusty sword. "I have spoken!" the chubby bearded man said, folding his arms. "That''s what it''ll cost you for me to restore each piece." "10,000 gold each?!" n''s face turned red. "Just because I didn''t agree to sell you this stuff?!" It''s so obvious what''s happening here! He surely got wind of how rare this gear is. "You know I could just go to another town and have them repaired there, right?" "Sure, go ahead," the shop owner sneered. "But will other towns be able to teach you Smithing?" Oh, right... Before we started arguing, I asked him too if he could teach me the profession. "You can''t be the only one that can teach me that!" "Yeah, there are others, but you have to start with Smithing Rank 1, which can only be taught by my wife here." The man pointed at the female NPC, grinning innocently by his side. "Go to another town, but they can only teach Smithing Rank 2 and 3, which will be inessible to you." I have to think fast! There has to be another way that doesn''t involve getting ripped off by this asshole. n opened his Friend List Tab, and tapped on Amelia''s name. I know I said that she has helped me enough, but she''s the only one I can rely on. He initiated a video call, and toggle the visibility on. As Jared, the weaponsmith peeped at n''s system window from behind the counter, Amelia''s voice filled the room, loud and clear. [ Yes, what is it? Hey, how about Chinese food for dinner? ] "Sounds great, can''t wait," n replied, ncing at Jared for a second. "But there''s one problem. I''ve been thinking about our previous talk, and you were right, this town won''t cut it." Amelia remained silent for a couple of seconds, and noticed Jared in n''s video feed. She then sneered. [ Should I level the entire town then, and start anew somewhere else? Where are you now? I could start from there. ] "H-Hold on!" Jared cried, reaching out his hand to n. "We''ll talkter," n said, smirking. "Love ya!" [ W-What did you--?! ] "Yes?" n said softly to a flustered Jared, who seemed as if steam was going to puff out of his ears at any second. "I have to make a living too, you know?! " Jared cried, changing his posture from rigid to curved. "Let''s make a deal. I''ll restore all of your items for 5000 gold, and if you want to learn Smithing from my wife, it will cost you 50,000 more!" I should have asked him first how much it would cost me to learn the profession. That mistake is on me. n ced every single piece of the Beginner''s Set over the counter. "50k gold for everything. The Smithing sses and the restoration." Jared wrinkled his nose, looking like a pig for a brief second. "F-Fine! But I''ll take a 5000 gold upfront payment to restore all this first!" "Sure. Make them shine." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Do you know why monsters aren''t respawning nearby?" n asked a busy Kristoff, who was examining each restored piece of gear. "Because the mobs around this area had no purpose anymore? Who knows? The Administrators rarely exin why they do the things they do. Isn''t that right, dear?" "The only thing I know is that they could enve us all and there''s nothing we could do," a snickering Gaby said, handing a couple of white shirts and a dress to her husband. "Here are the Beginner''s clothes, fully restored, dear." "Wow, do you really think that?" n asked the woman, who only shrugged. "You''ve only been living here for a short amount of time, so you don''t know, but I''ve always felt as if I''m being watched 24/7." Hearing that brought back memories of the mysterious pale girl that watched n being tortured by the now Ex-Shooting Stars and did nothing. "I... I kind of get what you mean." "This is a ce for business, you two, so stop with that crap," Kristoff said gruffly, prompting his wife to get close and kiss him on the cheek. "Sorry, I forgot you''re king of this tiny room you call a castle." "I am. Very well, n Warden. Here''s your gold and the nk Files stating that you''re now the owner of those two. It was a pleasure doing business with you." n nced at his status info. 285,000 gold remaining, huh? As he bitterly grinned, his new femalepanions stepped outside of the disying human-sized disy cases and did a curtsy. "Greetings, n Warden, my new master." The fox-eared NPC said in an expressionless tone of voice, reminding him of Ashley. "Greetings, n Warden, my new master," the second NPC of cat ears repeated beside her ''sister''. I don''t think I like being called that... "Hi, girls. What are your names?" "My name is ''nk'' for now," the two said in unison. "But you can call me whatever you would prefer." Confused, n nced back at Kristoff, who chuckled. "Told ya that they were nk." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + That night, Amelia quickly grimaced at the sight of n stepping into the house with two cute female NPCs following him. "Y-Yeah..." he muttered, unable to look her in the eye. "What¡ªthe¡ªfuck?" Amelia intoned disgusted, crossing her arms. "Someone has read too many harem light novels, huh?" "What? No! A few. But I wasn''t thinking about that! Look..." n grabbed the cat-eared NPC by the shoulders. "She could help you run your future fashion shop!" "What are their names?" Ashley asked from the couch, Sloochie resting on herp. "A literal nk te! I''ve been begging them to tell me their old names, but they refused. Any suggestions?" "Anastasia and Be," Ashley blurted out almost immediately. "Nickname epted," the two NPCs said at the same time, and their new names appeared above their heads. "J-Jackpot!" n beamed, looking relieved. "On a different matter, here is the gold I got for your dress, Ashley." A pop-up window appeared in front of the artificial girl. She only had to tap it to ept its contents. "30,000 gold," she said aloud. "What?" Amelia frowned before a simr window popped up in front of her, for 65k gold. "What''s this?" "The 20,000 gold you lent me, and half the cost of the house. You bought it for 90,000, correct?" "Yes, but how did you get all this money?" "By selling my old, rare gear, of course." "What rare gear?" Amelia frowned notoriously before shaking her head. "Whatever, more importantly, what the hell is your problem, n? Just a few days ago you were upset about people using NPCs as servants, and now you buy two of them?" "I liberated them, I didn''t buy them. You should have seen them. They were locked inside a disy case, Amelia. Like dolls!" "Because they''re toys, n! For people like us! What are you going to do once we have to get out of the system?! You won''t be able to bring them with us outside! Look at these clothes, this house, that Slime over there! This fake reality is just a distraction until--!" "Let me be, dammit!" he yelled, startling her. "This is the only thing I won''t argue with you about! Jeezus! It''s like working in Kintech all over again!" The disconcerted Amelia could only raise her eyebrows. She turned to Ashley looking for answers, but the brte girl remained awfully quiet. "Listen," n continued, grabbing Amelia''s hand and making her hold the Be NPC by her wrist. "I''m not against them working, okay? Here, you''ll be in charge of Be, so be nice to her." "Fine, whatever," Amelia said, looking away. "I could find her useful." "Thanks." He nodded softly, turning back, and for a brief second Amelia saw a spark in his eyes. The same as when he stormed out of the Townhall, she thought, pursing her lips. "Where are you going now?" "It''s not dinner time yet, so I''ll train for a couple of hours. Come with me, Anastasia." "Yes, Master." n could still be heard after closing the door. "And stop calling me that! Call me, n." "Understood, Master n." "That was definitely unlike him," Amelia muttered, before looking at Be, who smiled at her. "Go sit there, I''ll tell you what to doter." "Understood. And nice to meet you, Miss Amelia." "I really don''t get that guy..." Amelia said aloud, sitting beside Ashley. "Maybe you could tell me what''s going on with him." "This time you will not be able to change his mind," Ashley said while caressing Sloochie''s gtinous body. "This is rted to his old work as an Assistant Engineer in Kintech." "Is it something he told you, or is it something you read from his profile, Isabe?" Ashley stared nkly at her. "Both. The reason I chose n for the repair of the ship and this mission, was because he fit a certain profile. It''s rted to an incident that urred back when he used to work at Kintech, and the rtionship he has with Automatons..." Chapter 55: Rise of the Engineer

Chapter 55: Rise of the Engineer

------------------------- John: "So, how are the test subjects going?" Vi: "They''re learning faster than expected! Seriously, their thought process is way moreplex than our regr NPCs. Of course, I couldn''t have done it without Mikey''s help!" Michael: "I only provided you with the necessary data. That''s all. But if you''re feeling generous, I wouldn''t mind a gift in my inbox." Vi: "Aww! I''ll see a way topensate you. Don''t worry." Samuel: "All right. How''s the reconstruction of Londorus going?" Hayden: "It''s going great! Again, thanks to Michael for sending the additional workforce. If my estimation is correct, the NPCs will finish work in the next 40 days. And don''t worry, Sam, their citizens are taking care of the expenses. Shoutout to Astrid Bradford who contributed to half of the funds." Samuel: "So the brat is growing up, huh?" ------------------------ Just look at us. Two rogue Users have destroyed half a city and we don''t ask ourselves why, Ricardo reflected, gritting his teeth. If they could only know what''s hiding under our noses... No, if my assumptions are correct, at least one of them already knows. Ricardo nced at the list of members present. Kentaro is extremely quiet today. He''s online though. -------------------- Samuel: "Ricardo, wake up." Ricardo: "I wasn''t snoozing, you know." Samuel: "Yeah, right. Have you investigated that anomaly you were talking about?" ------------------- Before replying, Ricardo stared at the chat window for arduous seconds. How much information can I reveal? Oh, I really hate this. I never thought the day I''d have to keep secrets from my colleagues woulde. ----------------------- Ricardo: "I got worried about nothing. I discovered the existence of a level 5 User. Besides that, nothing worth reporting." John: "Say that again? Did you say five?" Jane: "It''s true. I paid him a visit the other day. What a loser." Samuel: "What do you mean, Jane?" Jane: "If by this time the creep hasn''t leveled up at all, that makes him a loser in my eyes, Sam. I''m sure he has been hiding all this time, cowering in fear or full of social anxiety. Why didn''t he turn into a Quitter like the others?" Samuel: "Ricardo, exin this. How can you say that there is nothing wrong with him? John designed side quests so even the most stupid could level up." Ricardo: "The User has not been afflicted by any bug or glitch, so..." Michael: "What''s their name?" Jane: "n Warden." Michael: "Permission to open this User''s profile." John: "Allowed." ------------------------- Dammit, Ricardo thought, forming a fist. ------------------------- Michael: "Let''s see. n Warden... He recently turned Level 6 a day ago. Wait, what?" Samuel: "Jane, did you just assume that he has been doing nothing all this time? Did you even talk to him?" Jane: "How else would you exin his level then?" Michael: "I''m checking his Activity Log... It''s as if he has been outside the system until just recently because there is a nk 40-month gap here. If he had been sitting in the Renovatio Caves this whole time, that''d be registered here." John: "So, external interference then..." Samuel: "Yeah, that''s what I thought too." Hayden: "Did you hear that stupid?" Jane: "Are you talking to me?!" Samuel: "Enough. Where is he now?" Michael: "Unus Town. After traveling back and forth for thest week, he returned to Eur''s Beginners Town." Xia: "Do you think something happened outside?" Hayden: "If that''s the case, why is he chilling in Unus Town trying to catch up?" Jane: "Don''t ever call me stupid again, did you hear me?!" Hayden: "Or what, chibi?" Samuel: "Enough, both of you! Jane, you''re supposed to be the Administrator of Conduct here. If you can''t keep your temper, how do you expect to keep doing your work?" Jane: "Whatever. I know what you''re all thinking. Someone has to talk to the guy. I''ll go. He has already seen my face anyway, and it''s also my job." Hayden: "Are you sure you can handle it?" Jane: "Shut up." ** Jane Andersen has exited the chatroom. ** Hayden: "Ha! Look at her rushing to fix her mistake!" Samuel: "What do you think, John?" John: "Let''s wait for Jane''s report, okay?" Samuel: "Fine. This week''s session has ended." Hayden: "Alright, see youter, guys!" Xia: "Good night. Everyone." Kentaro: "Good night, Ricardo." Ricardo: "Good night to you too, Ken, my man." ------------------------- Ricardo pursed his lips as he watched every one of them leave. The Glitch Administrator exhaled after closing his system window. I hope that n keeps his promise and doesn''t say anything to Jane. He opened his Friend List tab, from where his previous chat with n could be essed. I would like to warn him, but I just realized that Michael could monitor my conversations with him... I''ll have to trust him for now. Good luck, n... + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Hey, the deal was for you to learn Smithing, but why is she here?" "I''m going to teach her all of this anyway, so it doesn''t really matter if she''s just watching, right?" n said to the town''s cksmith while opening his User Interface. "Here is the rest of the 45,000 gold as promised. Could you ask your wife if it''s okay to start now, please?" Jared turned to her, uneasy. "It''s prettyte, but I won''t mind as long as she''s okay with it." "I''ll do whatever you order, dear," the NPC wife said in a soft tone of voice. Of course, she''d answer that. "Don''t say it like that, honey," Jared whispered, before turning back to n. "Fine. It won''t take too long, anyway. This crafting profession is not like in our previous lives. Things are easier here, learning is... faster." "Thanks, Jared." Jared sighed, before ncing at n''s NPC. "What''s your name, sweetheart?" "I''m Anastasia, nice to meet you, Mr. Jared." "I have a workshop in the back. Use it. And you''ll have to pay for any material you use to practice. Honey, take notice of that, please." We''re alike, and not at all at the same time. "Thanks, Jared." The Weaponsmith frowned at him. "You already said that." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Just by knowing the basics, I realized I could theoretically recreate an already existing weapon or piece of gear. Although I will not be able to copy its unique effects or status, it is enough for now. "Speaking of the devil," Kristoff said at the sight of his new best client. "Were you able to replicate it?" n smirked and ced a handgun over the counter. "See for yourself." "You''re freaking kidding me." Kristoff squinted, examining the rough replica of a silver sharpshooter-ss weapon he had sold to n a couple of days ago. Its Attack was only a fraction of the original and its rarity was a rank lower. "A Bronze Weapon... You have crafted something that is not normally avable for someone like you. No offense. It''s the first time I''ve seen someone try something like this." "Maybe because no one else had the need to." "Yeah." Kristoff nodded, returning the gun. "Levelers are constantly changing gear as soon as they find something better, so no one bothers crafting inferior stuff. I could get you more firearms if you want. Shotguns, sniper rifles." "Sure! In the meantime, do you have silver-tier Tank Gear?" "I have some. A bunch actually." After manipting his User Interface, the disying cases changed their contents to show full-body sets of armor. "People used to travel back and forth to this town during the first year, so they''d bring what they found in other cities. Lots and lots of unsold silver rank gear. Are you also going to replicate that?" n strolled to the center of the room with an absent expression on his face. "Hmm? Oh, it''s not for me." He then pointed with his chin at hispanion, waiting at the entrance. "She''s level 25. Hey, I didn''t know that NPCs could level up. Awesome!" "They need to sometimes defend themselves, you know." Kristoff filtered the selection of disying gear to only show Defensive oriented items. "Are you sure this is going to work?" n smiled at him. "Don''t worry, I already know what to do. Let''s equip her." Chapter 56: Rise of the Engineer (Part 2)

Chapter 56: Rise of the Engineer (Part 2)

"Wee to The Eternal Sunshine Boutique! How may I help you?" A smiling Be said to a couple of female customers, entering the already full establishment. The two friends looked at the disy cases in awe, giggling. "Hi. Is it true that you sell silver-tier jewelry here?" "That''s correct, miss. Right, this way." "Wee!" Amelia beamed at them from behind the counter, wearing a red dress. "We have jewelry, clothes, and essories!" "Do you really need to be here?" Ashley asked, behind her, eating chips. "The System automatically runs the shop." "It''s the inauguration, Ash. People need to see me and learn that I''m not so bad after all and that my presence has done nothing more than enhance this town''s--Argh! Where is he?! He promised toe and see how the shop is going!" "He''lle by dinner, surely. You can show him then." "But I wanted him to see how it looks full of people!" Amelia exhaled, checking her Friend List Tab. n''s location was on the town''s outskirts, on ''Farole Road''. "At least he has found a new motivation..." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ----------------- *** Weasenox Defeated *** Congrattions! You have reached Level 7! *** Your Passive Skill, Minion Master, is now Level 2! *** Your dedication has unlocked the Puppet Master Passive Skill, Level 1! ------------------- While fighting alongside Anastasia, I''ve learned a lot about the use of mobs in this game-like world. The System ssifies as Minions every other trainablepanion that is not a monster, like a Humanoid Magic Familiar, or a Summoned Demon. Although the System identifies Anastasia as a Minion, it also ssifies her as a Robot, a ''species'' unique to the Engineer ss. That means that she can fight alongside me as a ''Minion'' while I unlock that advanced ss. I got the idea by watching Amelia and Sloochie. If she wanted to, she could be a Monster Trainer, but it seems she''s not interested. In her case, her Monsters and Beasts would be able to equip one piece of gear, unlike my ''humanoid Minion'' Anastasia, who can equip a full set of armor and a weapon. What''s the catch of being an Engineer, who can have a fully equipped Robot to fight for you? Well, Anastasia won''t be able to level up until I reach her current level, and the Engineer ss is physically weak as shit. Stats that''d normally increase the User''s strength and durability are swapped with a bunch of passive and boost skills. "I sucked at swordy and close-quartersbat, anyway," he muttered holding a fuming pistol. "n?" Anastasia called. Her silver full te armor still looked shiny, without a single scratch. In her right hand, a gleaming sword, and on her left, a huge shield she carried with ease. "Master n?" "Sorry, I was lost in thought. You did an excellent job, Anastasia. Well done." "Thank you, n." "Let''s go, I promised Amelia that I''d go to her Shop''s Inauguration. She must be pretty furious right now." "Shut down," a third voice said as they were going towards the town. n nced behind him, finding hispanion frozen in her spot. "The hell?" A known girl was sitting atop a log, far away from the Weasenox vanishing corpse, wearing a ck Victorian dress. Although her appearance looked young, her smirk was that of a wicked adult. "Good afternoon, n Warden." The ghostly gal from the Shooting Stars'' HQ. "Hey, I know that face!" n said, putting away his handgun. "I didn''t know that a Low-Leveler could use that kind of weapon." "I crafted it. Do you need something, Miss Administrator?" "Straight to the point, huh?" She giggled. "You know, it normally is a great honor to talk to any of us." "Why?" he asked, making her frown. "We''re all the same outside The Novus, correct?" Jane snickered, before clearing her throat. "Whatever. Allow me to introduce myself properly this time. I''m Jane Andersen, The Administrator Ruler of Conduct," she proimed, putting a hand on her chest. "I''m in charge of listening to the needs of the Userbase and punishing those that threaten or abuse the System." "So, Vi Lang is in charge of the Novus'' monsters, Ricardo Silva fixes bugs, and... I''m sorry," n squinted, "it''s not clear to me what your role is." Jane raised her chin as if she was collecting her patience. "Anything rted to you, the Users." "I see, I see." He nodded. "Can I ask you a quick question, then? Is it considered ''abusing the system'' when a bunch of High-Levelers torture a Level 5 just for fun?" "I didn''te here to talk about that." "Well, you''ve lost my interest then." n was about to leave, but noticed that Anastasia remained immobile. "Did you do something to my partner?" "I didn''t want her to listen to our conversation, which we will finish when I say so," she said with closed teeth. "As the one in charge of the well-being of the Novus'' Userbase, I need to know what happened to you." So Ricardo was right. Another Administrator would question me sooner orter. And although I''d love to ask her if there has been any progress in identifying the Londorus'' terrorists, something tells me I should have my mouth shut about the topic. "Are you talking about my low-level situation, Miss Jane? It''s such a short story. I was in aa--" "I know," she interrupted. "This is what your old Guild Master alleges. But I wouldn''t be here if I believed that story. We know you''re hiding something." She crossed her legs and smirked. "Come on. You can count on me. See me as your therapist or awyer." "Are you saying I faked being offline?" Her collected expression turned livid in a second, but n would not flinch. "What I''m saying is that Cryo-Pods can''t induce you into aa unless in extreme circumstances. And trust me, if it had happened to you, we wouldn''t be speaking right now." n folded his arms and shrugged. "It''s a better story than telling others that my pod failed." The woman who believed to be in control of the conversation suddenly frowned. "What are you talking about?" "The Santa Mar¨ªa''s staff logged me out because my pod was not working properly. They said that if I hadn''t been ejected sooner, I could have suffered from brain damage." Jane remained silent, hearing every word. "Why did it take so long for you to return, then? You spent eight real months outside. How could anyone believe it took the staff eight months to repair a single pod?" He sneered. "More like 100,000 malfunctioning pods." "What?" "Do you remember what happened on The Novus'' fifth day?" Jane tilted her head, confused. "Are you talking about the ''Freezing''?" That''s right, something even Isabe knows about... + + + + + + One afternoon, when Amelia and the NPCs were outside, I asked Ashley the following... "I didn''t have the chance to ask Isabe the First more details about The Singr, so, could you tell me why you think it''s hiding here?" "We detected that The Singr was onboard 14 hours and 15 minutes after our voyage started. We and the ship''s crew managed to neutralize it after 4 hours and 20 minutes of conflict, but soon after, the Cryo-Chambers suffered from a power shortage thatsted 10 seconds. Tell me, n, did you experience something at the time?" "When would that be in Novus'' time?" "On the Fifth day, 18 hours and 35 minutes." "Oh, yeah, everything around us froze and we couldn''t move. It was horrible." "That is your answer," Ashley said, looking at the wall in front of her, as if she was reminiscing about something. "We have already established that the Singr entered through a Cryo-pod, right? Well, We suspect The Singr caused that outage so We could not find in which pod it hid..." + + + + + + Yeah, I can use that... "The Captain told me that both Cryo-Chambers suffered a ckout, immobilizing everyone here for about 1 minute," n continued exining to a frowning Jane Andersen. "When they logged me out to repair my pod, the Captain gave the order to check every single pod in case another situation like mine could happen. So I ended up volunteering, because..." "I''ve already read your profile. You applied to work as a technician but got rejected," Jane said, annoyed, something that did not fit herdy-like persona. "So, are you telling me that you spent eight months helping the staff search for any other malfunctioning pod?" "Yeah. That''s my story." "...Fine," she mumbled. "Come again?" "I said fine! You can go now." She snapped her fingers and a portal materialized beside her, which she walked through without ncing back. A second after, n could hear Anastasia strolling towards him. "Is something wrong, n?" Once she tells the story to her group, the supposed traitor will know I''m lying. But what else can I do if they have already taken an interest in me? n cracked a smile, then giggled before bursting outughing. And I won''t be able to do a thing! I''m totally screwed! "Master n!" Anastasia called out, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Sorry to disturb you, but you looked as if you were having a mental breakdown." He smiled bitterly at her and shook his head. "Anastasia, promise me that if any of us gets in danger, prioritize helping Amelia and Ashley. Okay?" n stared at the NPC''s electric blue eyes. "Understood, Master." Chapter 57: Like day and night

Chapter 57: Like day and night

++"Now, this really is a delightful surprise, Peter! We''re here, in the Iregorn''s Inferno Summer, Open Tournament, and we''re seeing Shooting Stars doing a spectacreback!"++ ++ "That''s right Mallory. After most of their members quit the guild, you''d think they''d fade into obscurity, but not only they''ve climbed all the way to the semi-finals, they did it without even using their Triumph Card, the powerful Golden Comet!"++ ++ "If their idea was to prove that they could win a 5v5 tournament without Astrid Bradford in their team, and show they''re still among the top ranking guilds in all The Novus, well, it''s working!" ++ "Yes, that was definitely her intention," Amelia said to herself, watching the video stream and sipping coffee. The camera was focusing on the weakestpetitor on the battlefield, a level 83 female warrior who could absorb elemental magic with her hands. "I''d kill to have a Unique Skill like that," she said bitterly before putting the mug aside at the sight of two customers strolling towards the shop''s door. As the entrance bell rang, Amelia changed her somber expression for a friendly smile. "Wee,e in!" Upstairs, in his room, a busy n was perfecting his next project while Ashley observed the process. He assembled a firearm, one piece after the other, making it look easy as if it was nothing but a game. "How old are you, ''Isabe II''?" he suddenly asked, eyes still in his work. "What do you mean?" "When were you, the Isabe that entered the Novus, created?" "Two weeks before entering The Novus along with you. And I do not think a concept such as age fits me. I still retain much of the data as my original." "Like memories from a previous life?" "Not everything, though. Or the cryo-pod would not be able to read my information efficiently." "So you''re like a ''lite'' version of Isabe," he said, grinning. "So you know the song!" Ashley stared at him for a moment before singing in a monotonous tone: "New London''s bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. New London''s bridge is falling down..." "Awesome! Although now that I can see your face, you look like you''re not enjoying the song at all!" "I did not get any pleasure from singing it, that is true." He shut his ears. "I didn''t hear a thing!!" "Why were you asking me that, n?" "I was just wondering, why didn''t you log out all the Users and restarted the Novus, Singr included? You could have told everyone that this was nothing more than emergency maintenance. That would erase the Singr virus, right?" "It is impossible for Us to log out all the Users at once." "It was also impossible for you to enter The Novus." "This was an extraordinary case, many improbable events helped shape this workaround. Besides, even if it was possible, We would not be able to reset The System. The only way for Us to wipe The Novus, with the Singr caught inside, would be to physically destroy the entire Cryo-Chambers and the Central Mainframe." "So I''m still on my mission. To search for any damage or maniption by The Singr inside The Novus." "Yes, but that was before talking to Ricardo Silva and getting proof that The Singr has no authority here. The AI is trapped inside the body of a User, just like me, with no special powers. Our mission is now to identify who The Singr is and report back. ''Isabe I'' will log me out in 90 Real Life days. That would be 540 Novus Days. I hope we have a lead by then." "I hope so too," n said absently, looking at the crafting parts. "Where''s the trigger?" Anastasia quickly found it among the mess. "Here it is, Master n." "I thought you asked her not to call you Master," Ashley said at the same time Sloochie jumped out of the bed and exited the room in a hurry. "It seems that if I don''t ''order'' her, she won''t reprogram her habits." Ashley stared at n''s eyes as he finished reassembling a shotgun. "Can I ask you a question, n?" "Sure," he said while showing the weapon to Anastasia. "Did you see how I did it? Now try to disassemble and assemble it back." "Of course, Master." "Why are we always talking about our mission?" Ashley blurted out, making n turn to her, perplexed. "I hadn''t noticed that." "We are always talking about leveling up, The Singr, The Santa Mar¨ªa, gearing up, crafting, selling materials, getting parts..." "S-Sorry," n whispered, looking down. "It''s just that I never considered that you''d take interest in something else." "Our mission is important, and it''s our priority, yes. But even if you get stronger, if you do not rest, your mind will not keep up." "You''re right." He smiled. "Hey, maybe we could go visit the Slime Vige tomorrow, and see how they''re doing." Ashley mirrored his smile. "I would like that." "It is done, Master," Anastasia suddenly said, interrupting the warm scene. "Wait, I didn''t see a thing." "Would you like me to do it again?" "Can I try?" Ashley asked, suddenly too close to n''s face. He nced back at Anastasia''s electric-blue eyes, striking facial features, and at her adorable fox ears. Then he looked back at Ashley''s cute, curious expression. **My mind has been too busy, thinking about the Singr situation, that hasn''t appreciated the fact that I''m surrounded by beauties. Amelia is smoking hot too. Was she right? Am I unconsciously creating a harem?** He nced at Anastasia''s plump lips. **She would kiss me if I asked her to. And Ashley is always interested in experiencing new things, huh.** "You''re both helluva cute," he said with a straight face, getting a smile from the NPC and a frown from Ashley. "Thank you, Master, tee-hee." "That''s unrted to my question." **And reality brought me back at lightspeed as expected.** "All right, Ashley. I''ll show you too. Maybe we could craft a rifle for you someday." As n spoke, Ashley looked at her surroundings, uneasy. *** ** * "Take a good look at these earrings, Scar," a customer said to her female friend while tapping the preview option in front of a pair of earrings. A mirror-like window popped up in front of her, showing how she would look wearing them. "Aren''t they lovely?" "They''re okay," the friend said in a gruff tone, absently browsing the disys, hands inside her orange leather jacket. **These two couldn''t be more different,** Amelia thought, observing them. The slim, ck-haired pale girl previewing one set of jewelry after another, wore a delicate ck dress and watched her reflection making gracious gestures. Meanwhile, the othernky young woman grimaced at the contents of each disying case, and her rigid posture looked as if she was about to smash the ce at any second. Even her coily brte hair gave hints about her explosive personality, contrasting herpanion''s long smooth hair. **I''d like to believe that my store can satisfy any need.** With the help of the store''s control panel, Amelia changed the content of the disys in front of the tall customer and waited for her reaction. The young woman''s gazended on a ck choker with skull on it, which she previewed without a second thought. "Yeah, this is more like it." Another happy customer, Amelia smiled at the sight of the notification stating that she had received 2000 gold. from each girl. She nced at their levels, 51 and 52. "Hey, I haven''t seen you around. Where do youe from?" "We''re from Espaniel! My name is Serenity, and she''s Scarlett. We wanted to revisit the Beginner''s Town, and see how everything looks now, isn''t that right?" Her friend shrugged. "It looks the same to me. It was a big surprise to learn there were still people here." "I know, right!" Amelia giggled. "I''ve been asking myself why people here enjoy living a dull life here as soon as I moved here. I can assure you that this shop''s inauguration is the most exciting event that has happened here in a long time." Serenity stared at Amelia before grinning ear to ear. "Ipletely agree with what you say. But that would also apply to the entire Userbase here." She strolled towards the counter, meeting Amelia''s puzzled gaze. "Traveling the gxy is the most exciting thing that has happened to humanity since the invention of the wheel, and yet, people spend their time battling and ying" "An exact recreation of what Earth was like 200 years ago," Scarlett said aloud, joining her friend. Amelia sneered, tilting her head. "What do you expect us to do? We''re stuck here until finding a new home. Besides, I enjoy being able to do whatever I desire. Even if that means staring into a wall or having adventures and killing dragons." "Do you consider yourself a hedonist, Miss Shop Owner?" "Sure. Why not? I like drinking wine and coffee, listening to Miss Cosmica''s music, and I love watching my enemies burn to ashes. What''s wrong with that?" In less than a second, Scarlett reached out to grab Amelia by the neck, lifting her off the ground. "Hedonism is for the short-sighted," Serenity said, taking off a Concealing Mask. The face beneath it smirked wickedly as her hair changed to white. Although she had seen that face once, Amelia would never forget it. **The ''yandere'' from Londorus!** Scarlett took off her mask too, passing through a more drastic transformation. She got even taller while her muscles grew in size. Her hair, a bright shade of orange. **I-I don''t know who this other person is, but I''ve read that there was another terrorist involved in the Londorus'' attack. Someone Astrid fought! I... must... do something...** As Amelia''s consciousness faded, a squeaking sound was heard from the bottom of the stairs. Sloochie? No, run! Warn n! Serenity shut her eyes for a couple of seconds before looking up and gesturing to her partner. "Upstairs." "We''re done with her then," Scarlett said before cracking Amelia''s neck. ** * * Sloochie dashed into n''s room, squealing. "What is it, buddy?" "It says that Amelia is in danger," Anastasia said, with a monotone voice, unlike her usual joyful tone. Before n could question her, Ashley pushed him aside. "Watch out!" An impossibly long, purple whip split the room''s floor and the entire house in half. Smoke entered from the new gap immediately. "What the hell was that?! And is the house on fire?!" "Let''s go, Master," Anastasia said, carrying n''s on her shoulder and jumping out of the window. Oncending on the street, n could see their home engulfed in mes. "Amelia!" Chapter 58: Like the sun and moon

Chapter 58: Like the sun and moon

"Mind exining what happened, Scar?" Serenity asked in a calm tone of voice while their surroundings burned. "Have you grown weaker?" Scarlett gritted her teeth before yelling: "Shut the fuck up! I watched her HP drop all the way down to zero! It''s obvious she had something under her sleeve!" Both stared at the result of their failed assassination attempt, wincing: The entirety of the shop was engulfed in mes, and a still-living Amelia red at them with bright golden yellow eyes. Besides the redhead, a mirror image of herself, made of fire, floating 20 inches above the floor. "You messed with the wrong person, bitches!" they shouted in unison. "It must be ''Cheat Death''," Serenity said softly, tapping her chin in a pondering expression. "That''s a very annoying Passive," Scarlett muttered, spitting to her side. "But who cares! I just need to break her neck again, right?!" Before Scarlett could step forward, a male voice cried from outside the burning house, getting their attention: "Amelia!" "There he is," Serenity whispered before ncing at Scarlett. Both nodded, agreeing on something in silence. "Well, let me finish what I started," Scarlett said to Amelia, cracking her knuckles. **This is not regr Crafted fire. The heat should be intense enough to drain their HP gradually, but she is unscathed,** Amelia thought, watching in Serenity''s direction. She then crossed her eyes with the smirking Scarlett. **And then we have this one, who doesn''t seem to care.** ++"Miss Amelia, I have secured Sloochie,"++ Be informed through Party Chat. ++"Good. Take him out of here and give The Mayor a message..."++ "Let''s dance, princess!" Scarlett shouted, charging forward, but red chains materialized out of the surrounding mes, shackling her wrists and ankles immediately. "What?! When did you have the time to channel this?" she shrieked, as her body got lifted in midair. "Idiot, why should I tell you?" Amelia sneered, tossing her head aside. Her clone mimicked her gesture before Amelia whispered to it: "Auto Mode... Permission to use a third of my mana. Priority: Help n." "Understood," the clone said, dashing and passing through Scarlett''s body, burning her chest. The 6 feet 5 inches tall female warrior cried in pain, and yet, giggled, looking into Amelia''s eyes. "You''re not half bad. This will be fun..." *** ** * "Amelia!" n cried, desperately trying to dash forward, but Anastasia held him by the waist. "Master, please, you can''t go there. It''s dangerous." "Don''t you remember what I told you?! If Amelia was ever in danger, you should prioritize helping her!" "Master," Anastasia whispered in his ear. "I can see Amelia''s status from here, she''s in full health. Given the circumstances, you''re in more danger than her or Ashley." n stopped struggling while forming fists. "Dammit. Who could have done this?" "This seems to be Amelia''s doing," Ashley said, as she manipted her User Interface to change into her battle gear. "She is defending herself from someone." Seeing her equipping her bow made n swallow hard. "E-Equip set A," hemanded, automatically equipping a rudimentary, unstylish set of armor, inspired by a sharpshooter silver set. "Equip set A," Anastasia followed, changing her long skirt and long-sleeved shirt for her silver full-te armor. Her shield and sword hovered in the air for a couple of seconds before she grabbed them. From the burning building exited a woman with tinum hair and gray eyes, wearing a long ck dress. Her youthful face was easily recognizable. "Long time no see, Little mouse," she said in a jovial tone. "Last time I didn''t give you my name. Sorry about that! I''m Serenity. Who''re your friends?" Through n''s head shed clear-as-day images of crumbled buildings, charred streets, and the unnerving movements of a ck amorphous creature, neither living nor dead. He could even swear that the cry of a certain gigantic creature was ringing in his ears as he stared at the smiling woman. **Is that crazy bitch from Londorus! And it seems that this time she''s not alone! What the hell are they doing in this remote town?! Especially the day after I... spoke with the Administrator of Conduct...** He only had to nce at the burning house to realize what she was up to. He then caught a glimpse of the Be NPC running from the back of the house, holding Sloochie in her arms. **Where is she going? A-Anyway... Amelia''s theory was right, and yours too, Ricardo! Someone from your inner circle definitely wants to silence me...** "Y-You a-again?!" He tried to speak confidently but stuttered instead. "W-Wh--" **I... I don''t even know what to say!** He tried to form fists, but his hands were shaking. At a loss for words, the only thought going through his mind was the possibility of watching Unus Town in mes in the next couple of minutes. The pale-skin girl hummed, putting a finger on her chin. "You''re awfully quiet today. Where is the tenacity you showed me a week ago?" "Who is this, n?" Ashley asked, readying her bow. "Master n, your orders," Anastasia said, standing guard. "P-Please, guys, just give me a second!" **This town is screwed, no doubt about it. But if I can at least get some information out of this...** "Serenity, right?" n began, sweating coldly. "Tell me, what do you want from me?" Serenity giggled, covering her mouth with her right hand. "I''m just paying you a quick visit, Little Mouse. After all, we couldn''t finish our date that day. Don''t tell me you didn''t miss me at all!" **She''s ying with us...** "You haven''t summoned that dragon yet. Does that mean you''re here just to talk?" "Sure! Just let me get rid of unwanted third parties!" She beamed, at the same time Anastasia defended herself from something resembling a ck spike,ing from seemingly nowhere. "Master, stand back!" A quick nce in Ashley''s direction told n that she had also been attacked. **She''s unharmed too, surely thanks to her high agility.** "Not fair!" Serenity cried, pouting. "You''re not supposed to avoid them!" As he observed her childish mannerisms, n felt that his feet were sinking. Looking down, he noticed that the ground in a fifty feet radius had turned pitch ck. "Shadow Crafting," Serenity giggled. "Made in ck." Dark tentacles sprouted from below, trapping and sinking him deeper into that cold void. **What the hell is this?!** He nced at Ashley and her NPC, who were also struggling to escape. "Ashley! Anastasia!" "Don''t worry, my sweet Little Mouse, this won''t kill you," Serenity started saying, as a colder, emotionless expression dominated her face. "This''ll only put you to sleep, okay? I promise you that by the time you wake up, we''ll have lots of fun--" "Major Summoning," a voice announced from outside the burning house, making a magic circle appear above Serenity. "ustos, Hell''s Pet." A giant paw crawled out of the summoning circle and quickly swiped at the tinum-haired girl. Suddenly, n felt the roughness of the ground pressing against his hips and legs as it was supposed to. **The ck mass disappeared**, he thought, looking at the bottom half of his body buried. "Hurry up, Master! Stand up," Anastasia said, pulling him from the armpits, as he admired the monstrous feline creaturending on the street and releasing a breath of fire into the enemy''s direction. A copy of Amelia engulfed in mes was behind it,manding it. Before he spoke to it, a message notification demanded his attention. ++ Amelia Lamme wants to start a Party Chat! ++ ++"Amelia, are you okay?!"++ ++"Yeah, don''t worry about me. But seriously, these people again?! I told you they were targeting you! Do you believe me now?! We... We should have maintained a low profile and moved to the middle of nowhere. I''m... I''m sorry, n."++ ++"Amelia, trust me, no matter where we have gone, it''d have been the same."++ **Especially when a certain group of people can locate me anywhere I go...** "It''s you again, pussycat!" Serenity suddenly shouted,ughing among the mes. "Guess what? I''m not the only one that remembers you! Shadow Crafting, Mimic!" "Watch out!" Anastasia cried, pulling him from the cor of his shirt, as the ground beneath them turned ck again, but this time it rose, taking shape. In a matter of seconds, the darkness gave birth to a 30 feet duplicate of Amelia''s summon, made of liquid ckness. n nced at Serenity controlling the duplicate, looking unharmed. Not a single sign of excitement, or anger on her face. **How is she okay after those attacks?!** ++"n..."++ Amelia called in a stern voice. ++"I''ll keep one of them busy while my Fire Clone gives you the opportunity to escape the yandere bitch. So, please, leave this town and don''t look back."++ "n, I don''t think we can win this," Ashley murmured, grabbing him by the wrist. **But I''m too stubborn to let this go.** ++"Do your best, Amelia,"++ he said telepathically before closing the Party Chat. He then whispered to the petite girl by his side: "Is it okay with you if we escape just like that, Isabe II? This person could be our only lead toward finding where The Singr is..." Ashley''s usually calm expression became tense and filled with an inner fire. "In that case, we must capture her at all costs." Chapter 59: Hell’s Brat

Chapter 59: Hell''s Brat

+++++ Notice: The Queen''s Memento Passive Skill, ''Phoenix Heart'', has been depleted. ** (Cooldown: 23 hours and 56 minutes ) It is said that when thete queen of hell, Belphex, was young, she ate the heart of the only known phoenix in hell, gaining the ability to revive once a day. That was the only exnation for her unnatural durability, even among her equal peers. Her legacy came to an end when one of the unholy princes, Levianor, awaited inside her chambers, knowing Belphex had been yed once by Mikael, one of the great Arch Angels. Levianor backstabbed the queen with the intention of robbing the phoenix''s heart, before realizing it was missing. Believed to be lost for centuries, no one knew that the queen had reshaped the heart into a ruby pendant and gifted it to her daughter, Belphegoria. +++++ ----------------------- Amelia read the item''s vor text for the millionth time before kissing the pendant. **That means there is no room for errors, eh?** "Equip Set D," she said aloud, changing into a red ball gown dress, golden shoulder pads, gauntlets and belt, and a pair of matching crimson high heels. A ck garter belt andce stockings also materialized out of sight. +++++You have equipped 5patible items from the Devil''s Brat set: 1 - ''Fire''s Spawn Dress''. +Spirit! 2 - ''Gothic Warrior Armor Set''. +Spirit! 3 - ''Hell''s Runaway Heels''. +Agility! 4 - ''Pretty Little Devil Stockings''. +Agility! 5 - ''Queen''s Memento''. +Spirit! +++++ Full Set Bonus acquired, ''Overprotective Overlord Father'' Passive Skill: You now possess an active Overshield equivalent to your Spirit rank. +++++ ------------------------------ "Major Mastery," Amelia continued channeling as the ruby on her choker ne glowed with intensity. "Fire Devotee!" ----------------------------- +++++You have gained the ability to cast Major Fire Spells without the need to channel !!! +++++ --------------------------- As a fire aura emanated from her entire body, Amelia noticed that the chains bounding her enemy would notst long. **At least I had the time to cast this... But still...** She bit her lower lip and reached out her dominant hand, channeling again, which only enraged her adversary even more. "Yeah, go ahead, prepare all you want!" Scarlett roared. "You will need it! Because once I break free--!" "Opening Vault," Amelia announced, making a summoning circle manifest behind her. From it, a crimson-colored staff appeared and flew forward until reaching her grasp. The spikes and embellishments on the tip made it look like a viiness'' weapon of choice. "Feumori, The Underworld''s Empress Staff." ----------------------- +++++"Legendary Weapon Equipped! Spirit +2 Agility +1 ++++ Feumori''s Unique Skill activated: Ignore Defense (3) When Lammon, one of the seven princes of hell, tried to take Belphegoria by force as his new wife, the Demoness fought back with everything she had. After a full day of battling, with her staff broken in half and no other options left, Belphegoria smirked at the greedy prince and said: ''You think all the treasures of both worlds belong to you? Don''t make meugh! All you do is hoard and immediately forget what you have! As for me, I always find a way. As for your armor made of pure diamond, I don''t give a fuck!'' ------------------------------ Scarlett chuckled at the sight of such majestic staff, before bursting outughing. "Yes, yes! There are no Safe Zones here, so give me your best shot! You won''t have another chance!" "Oh, believe me, I''ll take your word," Amelia said softly, grabbing the staff with both hands and detaching the lower part, revealing a hidden katana. "Sincerely, I don''t have the physical strength toy a scratch on you," Amelia smirked, "but it''s a good thing that this de uses my mana as its power source instead." Amelia did an upward strike, drawing blood and burning Scarlett''s skin at the same time. The wound closed immediately. ++++ Ignore Defense Effect sessfully activated! (2) uses remaining. +++++ As Scarlett cried and cursed, Amelia started a Party Chat. n''s distraught voice was quickly heard inside her head: ++"Amelia, are you okay?!" ++ **Were you really that worried about me, silly? I''m the one worrying about you.** While Amelia privately chatted with him, Scarlett irradiated a fire aura. "Berserk Mode," Scarlett proimed with closed teeth, as her irises resembled those of a beast. The entire burning house trembled when she broke free, but Amelia waved her hand and created a different set of chains, sprouting from the floor and roof. "Are you freaking kidding me?! Why don''t you fight me!" "I''m on a call right now," Amelia nced at her, "please hold on." ++"Do your best, Amelia,"++ n calmly said through Party Chat before closing it. Amelia stared at the inactive window dumbfounded. "What the hell was that?" **Just promise me you won''t do something stupid.** Scarlett broke the new chains and took three steps forward before getting imprisoned again. Her hand was inches away from grabbing Amelia''s neck. "I''m not into choking, you know," Amelia said, ring, stretching out her hand as shemanded all the mes surrounding them to engulf Scarlett''s body. "This won''t kill me!" Scarlett roared as Amelia looked deep into her eyes. "Thanks for the advice. I''ll add more power, then. zing Hellix!" A spiral pir of fire broke through the fragile roof and ascended to the clouds. Before the house copsed, Amelia exited through the back door, strolling. Thest thing she saw was the hulking woman looking charred. **Sorry, gal, but your Vitality has to be at least Gold D rank to survive that.** She nced at the distance, where her summoned beast ustos was fighting a dark doppelganger. "Oh,e on! That''s not fair!" she cried before covering her mouth with her hand. **I... sounded just like him...** Something made the ground shake, and for a moment she thought it was the result of the monsters shing, but when she distinguished a blurred silhouette dashing from the burned debris, she instinctively stepped back. "It hurt a lot. Let me return the favor," Scarlett said a second before punching Amelia in the stomach. **Was it my imagination, or does she look at full health?** The redhead got sent flying in a straight trajectory until crashing into the neighbor''s house, 100 feet away. +++++The Overshield is at 30% 60 seconds remaining to replenish it. +++++ **That''s a long-ass cooldown! At least it helped me survive.** Amelia coughed blood as she watched her enemy approaching, who had changed into a red, full te armor. Scarlet''s actual level could be seen above her head. **A Max-Leveler just like me... And yeah... Her HP is fully recovered...** She nced at her surroundings and found a man sitting in front of his now destroyed table, wearing only underwear and holding a spoon aloft. "Sorry for disturbing your dinner," Amelia said before standing up and rapidly casting with the help of her staff, "Enhanced Dragonbreath!" Outside, Scarlett dodged the burst of fire with ease. "Bonfire night is over, princess. I won''t let you..." she paused after sensing a presence behind her. Before she could look back, she was pushed 30 feet away by a feline beast made of incandescent ck metal. "Unique Talent, Pyrokic Construction," Amelia muttered before ncing at her neighbor. "I''ll try to fight as far away from your house as possible, but I wouldn''t be around if I were you." The level 32 guy nodded and ran towards the exit, as Amelia did too through the wall''s breach. Before resumingbat, a bitter memory crawled into her mind: She could remember herself lying on the ground as a hand reached for her. **** "That''s a good Unique Talent, Amelia. With practice, you could be unstoppable..." **** She heard herself replying: ***** "But not strong enough to beat you, huh? Is that what you''re saying?" **** She spat to her side. "I''ll fucking show you..." Chapter 60: The Stranded Hell Princess

Chapter 60: The Stranded Hell Princess

"Major Fire Boost, Valor+!" Scarlett cast as a fiery aura formed around her, increasing her strength. She punched the red, mechanical creature with all of her might, and it retaliated with a quick bite to her arm, drawing blood. **This thing is tough as nails!** Scarlett thought. **It must be at least of Golden quality.** Meanwhile, her enemy drew a group of small summoning circles. Five, ten, fifteen at great speed. "Go forth, Willows!" Amelia shouted. Balls of fire were summoned and hovered around the Scarlett before bing projectiles. When the fifth impacted Scarlett, she grunted, setting her fist on fire. "Fire Style, Meteor Punch!" With such tremendous power, the metal beast constantly harassing her was finally torn into pieces, allowing the warrior to dodge the sixth and seventh firebombing her way. Observing her fighting style made Amelia snicker. "Don''t tell me you''re copying the Golden Comet''s techniques!" "I''d be a fool if I didn''t!" Scarlett quickly replied. "That woman knows her fighting. She has been quite an inspiration for me." Amelia bit her lower lip before grinning and full-onughing. "This is perfect! From now on, I''ll treat you as an Astrid knockoff, so allow me to show you the spell I developed with the only purpose of kicking her short ass!" "Bring it on!" Scarlett yelled, emanating fire from her fist, and with it, deflected the iing fireball, sending it flying to the neighbor''s house, making it explode. Scarlett was ready to deflect the rest, but the remaining fire drones copsed on their own around her, creating small explosions. Scarlett was unscathed, but a wall of fire was now circling around her. **She''s buying time to channel that spell she''s boasting about.** Scarlett jumped upwards, but onest drone was waiting for her above. **No, you won''t!** "Dragonfist!" She threw a punch, sending a burst of fire onward. The resulting zing explosion suddenly stopped, like frozen in time, changed colors, and turned glimmering and metallic, quickly forming something pointy and elongated. **Ance! But how?!** "Since it was my Willow that exploded, that fire is technically still mine," a smug Amelia could be heard from below. Thence started swirling before gettingunched downwards, which Scarlett barely caught with both hands. The kic force ended up sending her back to the ground, causing a quake. **Why do these things have so much power and durability? This woman... Her Elemental Crafting resembles what Serenity can do. That''d mean that these magical constructions share the User''s Spirit rank or at least arge fraction of it.** Scarlett threw the inanimatence aside and gritted her teeth. **She''ll be a threat if she manages to construct something more--** Scarlett looked around, noticing she had returned to the circle of fire that she had first tried to escape, which had transformed into a ck shiny enclosure. **You better kill me this time...** The walls closed around her until forming a 15 feet wide dome, sprouting spikes on its interior. Outside her prison, she heard Amelia cast: "Superior Fire Crafting, Magical Construction Style--!" ++++Notice: Your Berserker estate has augmented your Vitality by one rank. ++++ **That''s good to hear...** Scarlett broke free with a fiery explosion. Her HP and armor looked once again unaffected. "Thanks for helping me prepare myself, princess!" "No, thanks to you..." Amelia''s voice was heard,ing out of arge silhouette towering Scarlett. At first, Scarlett believed Amelia had summoned an 8 feet, 2 inches tall demonic minion, of red skin and bat-like wings, wearing a skimpy leather outfit, but she then noticed an unnatural metallic shine on its four golden eyes and inverted horns. **An armor... Pieces of metal, so intrinsically connected, and exhaustingly crafted to resemble a living thing.** Scarlett drew a smile, mirroring that faux demoness'' ck-painted smirk. "Ha! Are you inside that thing?! Are you seriously nning to go face-to-face with it? I thought you were just like other pyromancers! An annoying long-range piece of shit! But this--! This is PERFECT!" "Do you like it?" Amelia said in a deeper tone of voice, pulling out her Legendary Staff. "Bow and kneel, then! Because you''re about to receive my unholy judgment! I''m Amelia Lamme, The Stranded Hell Princess!" "Please," Scarlett murmured, salivating, "...tell me this thing is durable..." *** ** * * ** *** When Serenity''s ck monster dashed towards n''s position with opened fangs, Amelia''s summon tackled it, sending it against a house that got leveled with ease. The doppelganger then released a ck dense mist from its maw, which the original countered with a fire breath. **Did that thing try to eat me?**n thought, watching the burning house copse after a zing pir of fire rose from it, making him cover his gaze. Amelia''s Fire Clone stood a few feet away from him, gaze locked on the two feline monsters. **Did you create that thing just to help me?** n gritted his teeth. **You worry so much about me...** He looked back at Ashley, who had charged against the albino woman, dagger in hand. With quick calcted movements, Ashely stabbed the enemy in the stomach, chest, and neck, but Serenity''s body reformed like made of ck sand. "n Warden," Serenity called from afar, ignoring Ashley''s physical attacks. "You asked if I was about to summon my Draquinox. Well, there''s no need for that, for Unus Town will disappear from the map by the simple fact of us standing here." He looked down. A pitch-ck shadow slowly crawled toward him, trying to swallow his feet. **This woman and whoever Administrator is behind this, gain nothing from destroying this ce as they did in Londorus. No. This time they''re really after me. Since we''re in a world of ''immortals'', the only way to guarantee my silence and prevent my interference is by kidnapping me... Damn... Something worse than what happened to me in the Shooting Stars headquarters awaits me...** He nced at Ashley, who had stopped her attacks, and was instead ncing at the beast doppelganger in silence, before giving another quick glimpse at the ck substance under his feet. **She tried sinking me into this thing before, and the fake cat tried to swallow me, so this ck mass must be her ''method of transportation''. With that in mind, I won''t let her get me that easily.** "Anastasia," he called. "Distract Serenity." "Yes, Master." Anastasia dashed and bashed Serenity with her shield, who did not retaliate, giving n the opportunity to run toward Amelia''s clone. "Amelia II!" he called. Although the clone was made of fire, Amelia''s features were clearly distinguishable. It was floating, and its hair made of mes hovered behind the back of her neck. +"n Warden,"+ she greeted in a monotone voice. +"You can call me Belphy. I''m Amelia Lamme''s personal AI Assistant with the mission to protect you."+ "You can talk! Neat! And... thanks! Where is--?" a sound interrupted him. Something had crashed against the neighbor''s house in the distance. **Was that the enemy or Amelia? Crap, I don''t think I could survive something like that!** "n," Ashley rushed to his side and pointed towards the enemy. "I have figured out how her magic works. Although I can not touch her, Amelia''s giant cat is hurting its counterpart. Do you remember those spikes she threw at us? They must be made of the same substance as that monster. That means she can only attack once at a time." "Or there might be a limit on how much ''shadow'' she can use, and the doppelganger is currently using all of it," he whispered while processing the information. "What can you do for us, Belphy?" +"My priority is to protect you, n Warden. To aplish it, I have ess to 30% of my master''s mana pool and every single magic spell she knows. I have already used 10% and my Auto Combat configuration is set to Counter."+ n opened his mouth to speak, but a piercing sound made him flinch. He nced at the monsters and observed that the shadowed one had sprouted spikes from all over its body. Although Amelia''s Summon was getting impaled, it released an incandescent breath of fire to break free. "You''re controlling that Summon, right?" "Yes." "Can you set it to auto and change its parameters to ''fully aggressive'' or something like that?" "Request epted." The monstrous cat roared as its body glowed incandescently, melting everything in a 150 feet radius. "W-What is it doing now?!" +"It''s self-destructing. The heat will gradually expand for 300 feet radius, approximately. You cannot stay here."+ ++"Anastasia! Get the hell out of there!"++ n said through Party Chat and the NPC quickly turned around, but her ankle got caught by a shadow tentacle sprouting from the ground. "Do not fear death, sister, for we are immortal after all," Serenity said to her, giggling. Chapter 61: The Weakest Hero of the People

Chapter 61: The Weakest Hero of the People

+"It''s self-destructing. The heat will gradually expand for 300 feet radius, approximately. You cannot stay here."+ ++"Anastasia! Get the hell out of there!"++ n said through Party Chat and the NPC quickly turned around, but her ankle got caught by a shadow tentacle sprouting from the ground. From a distance, n could do nothing but watch. "Belphy! Can you cast any buffs?" "Request epted... Fire..." "Wait! For all of us! Anastasia, Ashley, and me!" The Fire Clone stretched out its arms, channeling: "Changing Spell... Major Fire Charm, Rally & Destroy." n felt it immediately, like liquid fire running through his veins. ++++ Thanks to your ally''s Charm, your Vitality has increased by 4 ranks! From Bronze C to Silver D!++++ **What?! That''s crazy! As expected from a Max-Leveler!** "Come on, Ashley!" n cried. His newfound strength let him run as if his body weighed nothing. ++"You too, Anastasia. Use your new buff to break free! Destroy the ground if necessary!"++ ++"Understood."++ As n ran, he felt a quake. **I wonder how much strength she gained.** Without opening his User Interface, he gave a voicemand. "Quick Minion Stats." A window appeared in his field of vision. ------------------------------- * Minion: Anastasia -nk- * Level - 25 * Vitality - Bronze A+ ¡ú Silver B (Fire Charm Active) 29 minutes 35 seconds remaining. * Spirit - Bronze B * Potential - Bronze B ---------------------------- ***?Only her Vitality increased.** "What''s going to happen to Amelia?" he asked the clone following him closely, leaving a trail of fire behind. "Amelia Lamme is 400 feet away from the source of heat, and she has the Heat Endurance Passive Skill. The heat will not affect her performance." Half a minuteter, although the group had reunited 500 feet away from the melting, agonizing Summon, they could still feel its heat. "Oh, no..." n looked back at the result of hismand. Five more buildings had copsed. "Please, tell me that no one was around..." "Two people died," Ashley blurted out. "I have a Passive Skill that lets me detect nearby life forms in a 300 feet radius." n swallowed hard. "Even if we''re immortal, no one should experience being killed like that." He then turned to Belphy, frowning. "Is the enemy dead?" +"ustos was sessful in taking down its shadow copy. But I do not know what happened to the User called Serenity."+ **She speaks more like early-Ashley than Anastasia...** "n Warden!" a festive voice called. A voice he recognized immediately and made him flinch. "Oh, for the love of--What are you doing here?!" He looked at a group of 20 people approaching, led by the pink-haired woman who adjusted her sses. Her gorgeous-looking male NPC followed her closely. "Major Dom¨ªnguez reporting on duty!" "Y-Yes... I can see that," n murmured as he got another Party Chat notification. ++++ Be -nk- has entered Phantom Seeker''s Party Chat! +++ ++"I''m so sorry, Master n. Master Amelia asked me to warn the Mayor about the danger, but..."++ ++"Instead of evacuating the town, he came to ''help''. Don''t worry, it''s not your fault."++ **Amelia, we need to talk... I know you''ve be friends with her, but this woman is not reliable at all! Although it might be a good n, on paper...** He opened his Friend List tab, as ra Dom¨ªnguez approached the group. "W-Who did this to my town?!" "There''s nothing standing," one of ra''s followers pointed out, as the rest shared whispers. "Thanks foring, Mayor," Ashley said, shaking hands with her. "Since you''re the second strongest User in this town, we''ll count on you tobat the menace. Our current priority is to capture the enemy." "S-Second? T-That hurts... But don''t be afraid, because I''M HERE!" The woman proimed while striking an exaggerated pose, stretching both legs to her side while back-bending, hands on hips. "We heard some bullies were bothering you, so we came as fast as we could. But we expected to find broken windows and burned corpses thanks to our local Pyromaniac, not this!" "Our enemy is a Max-Level User, so this is expected," Ashley said, making the whole group flinch. "Why is a Max-Leveler here?!" ra cried, before grabbing Ashley by the shoulder. "T-Tell me, Ashley, my dear. Is Miss Lamme still kicking?" Meanwhile, n was having a private voice chat. ++"What a pleasant surprise, n Warden. I thought I''d never hear your voice again since you paid off your bet."++ ++"d hearing your voice too, Lady Monique. I hope you''re doing well. Was selling my information to Kathleen Maher fruitful to you?"++ ++"So you knew." Monique chuckled. "Well, yes. The rumors that she pays well were true. I should thank you for that. Come to the Dragon''s Bellyter, I''ll treat you to a feast."++ ++"That''d be nice! If the restaurant is still standing by tomorrow, of course!"++ Lady Monique paused. **I bet she''s asking her trusty bodyguard what I''m talking about.** ++"Why did you call me, n? Does it have something to do with the current battle on the outskirts?"++ ++"That''s right. First, be honest with me, ma''am. I''ve been asking around. You''re more Mayor than ra Dominguez ever was, correct? Half of the town belongs to you."++ ++"I''m starting to think you''re going to ask me for a favor."++ ++"Well, you owe me one after destroying my ex-girlfriend''s guild for money."++ Lady Moniqueughed out loud. A refined, captivatingugh. ++"I don''t know what you''re talking about, but amuse me. What do you need from me?"++ ++"Help me evacuate everyone in town, please... Wait, give me a second..."++ "Could you guys shut up!" n yelled to the bickering group gathered a few feet away from him. "I''m having an important call here!" "Geez, what a killjoy," ra grimaced. ++"Fine,"++ Lady Monique said through the private chat. ++"Come again?" ++ ++"I said fine. I already told Rissete what to do. Leave the evacuation to us."++ ++"...T-Thank you so much, Lady Monique!"++ ++"You know, the people of this town lose little by dying here. And yet, you''re trying to protect their small wallets... Good luck, then."++ An explosion made the ground tremble. n looked into the distance, where a dome of fire expanded and created a shock wave that made the majority of the present fall on their backs. ++"Amelia!"++ he called through Party Chat but received no answer. His next option was to check on his Friend List tab: -------------------- +++ ''Amelia Lamme Online - Unus Town''. +++ ------------------------- As the resulting blinding light elongated their shadows, Serenity crawled out of Anastasia''s shade. n immediately received a notification. +++++Minion''s HP has reached 0. Anastasia -nk- has fallen. Respawning in: 7 hours and 50 minutes. ++++ Chapter 62: A Beautiful promise under Dire circumstances

Chapter 62: A Beautiful promise under Dire circumstances

As soon as the group noticed that one of them had fallen, they stood their guard, ring at the white-haired girl stepping out of a pond of ck goo. "Where did this womane from?!" "I can''t see her level! She must be the Max-Leveler!" Serenity nced at them, giggling. "Such a lovely, vivid town, huh? It''ll be a shame if something ever happens to it or its citizens." Her eyes glowed, full of magical energy, making everyone step back. "Come on, everyone! Don''t panic!" Mayor Dominguez cried to her nervouspanions. But before she could start rallying her people, she noticed that the ground had turned ck and sticky. "n," Serenity called, innocently smiling. "Let me be the first to say that what''sing... is on you. Tee-hee." With that said, several ck humanoid silhouettes crawled out of Serenity''s shadow. One dashed toward the closest Unus'' resident and submerged him in what seemed to be a fastly increasing swamp-like terrain. The victim did not even have time to scream for help. "Get ready!" ra cried. The town''s defenders equipped their weapons, and the dark humanoids did the same, changing their whole arms into des. When both opposing teams shed, the sound of metal and flesh being pierced rang in n''s ears. **Can we make it?** he asked himself, watching ra Dom¨ªnguez release wind magic, able to cut the enemies'' limbs with ease, but they regenerated just as quickly. **The ck mass can be attacked again, but I bet Serenity is still incorporeal.** He shot his pistol twice at the nearest specter, but the bullets were absorbed. "It''s useless! We can''t fight them, ra!" "True! Retreat! Retreat, everyone!" Major Dominguez cried after losing two more citizens. "Do any of you know ice crafting?!" n asked aloud. "It might slow them down!" "Good idea! Let''s freeze them, boys!" ra stopped in her tracks and began channeling as seven others mirrored her hand gestures. "Minor Ice Crafting, Chill!" A freezing breeze manifested out of their palms, sessfully turning a third of the enemy into blocks of ice, but the rest charged forward unafraid. "B-Belphy!" The Fire Clone stepped forward and cast, in a third of the time the others could: +"Fire Crafting, Firewall!"+ mes burst out of the ground as if they had been sent by hell itself, establishing a new division of the battlefield, and yet, some humanoids stubbornly charged forward, getting incinerated and turning back into goo. "This won''t stop me!" Serenity could be heard in a festive tone as the reach of her shadow extended forward, passing below the firewall. **More of those things will spawn again!** "To the rooftops!" n shouted, instinctively leaping towards the nearest building. What he did not expect was that his temporarily increased Agility sent him flying 30 feet in the air. Seconds after, he got inside a second-floor house, crashing through the window. Fortunately, his increased durability also helped him mitigate the damage. **This... was awesome! Now I get why people obsess so much with leveling--** "Out of the way!" Major Dominguez cried, falling over him. "T-Thanks for catching me!" "Get off, you''re too heavy!" "R-Rude!" "I crashed like this because I''m not used to this kind of power, what''s your excuse?!" "I''m terrified! I don''t want to be caught by that ck stuff!" "Fine. Quick, to the rooftop," n said, pulling her from the arm. Upstairs, they found a dark sea swallowing everything within a 1500 feet radius. Entire houses sank one after another, and unlucky Users got dragged into that void while helplessly reaching out their hands to the air. **Will I have to sit here and watch how another city is destroyed by this woman?** "This is so strange," ra murmured beside him while consulting her User Interface. "I saw Simmons, Henderson, and Griff getting swallowed by that thing, but their status is still online." She made her window visible and pushed it toward his face. "Why are they still alive?!" n pursed his lips before swiping the window away and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Major, please! You may not be an experienced warrior, but you''ve watched countless Battle Streams, right?" "Y-Yeah..." "Then think! What kind of ability is she using?" ra''s nervousness faded away after concentrating on his lit eyes. "W-Well, this is obviously Shadow Crafting, but the way she uses it''s totally unconventional! Unless... it''s her Unique Talent. Do you know a guilder called Kathleen Maher? Very famous." "I do, unfortunately..." "Her Unique Talent is Cryokic Construction, which allows her to use Ice Crafting beyond its limitations. I''m a huge fan of hers." "Are you saying that Serenity has a Shadow variant of it?" "That''s the best I can think of! Although any Warlock and Witch could be able to do what she has shown, I haven''t seen her channel even once. As if this magic was as natural as breathing for her." n nced at the strolling enemy in the distance. Serenity''s silver hair and white as ceramic skin made her look like some kind of divine presence among the ck terrain. "We have to keep moving. This house is about to sink too." They resumed their escape, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, as n thought of his chances. "Does this magic have a weakness? Amelia fought her once, and her fire worked." "Not as effectively, I bet!" ra sneered. "Only Light Magic would do the trick, but good luck with that! Pdins and Priests are quite umon, and Light spells can only be learned after level 40." +"Protect n Warden,"+ the Fire Clone made itself heard, flying towards him. Amelia''s NPC also jumped over the building, with Amelia''s slime resting in her arms. "Master n." "Squeeeak!" "Belphy, Be, Sloochie! You''re still kicking." "Is this a ''Replica''?" ra murmured, getting closer to the Fire clone, recognizing Amelia''s facial features. "This is high-level crafting. As expected from my rival." **Her... what now? Anyway... Let''s review the situation... ** He looked down at the street, finding Ashley carrying an injured citizen out of the area. **We have plenty of help, but it''s not enough.** He let out an exasperated grunt before sitting right on his spot, crossing his legs and arms. **What have we learned about Serenity? She''s impervious to physical attacks, and from what I''ve seen about those regenerating specters, I bet magic other than ''Light'' would also be ineffective... What else? Her Shadow can be erged and spawn all kinds of monstrosities, but there''s a limit. I''ll think of it as if it was a nket that cannot expand infinitely.** "What are you doing?" ra asked. "Master n, it''s not safe here," Be said, grabbing his shoulder, while Sloochie jumped down and casually sat between his legs. "Just give me a minute, guys." **Serenity holds tremendous destructive capabilities, as she has already shown by destroying half of Londorus all by herself. And yet, a debuffed Amelia defeated her by catching her off guard. So... By underestimating us, Serenity is repeating the same mistake. The fact that she''s ying Cat and Mouse all over again with me will be her downfall. ** "She can be defeated." "n?" ra muttered, watching a ck tentacle rise, towering over the building. "A-n!" Before she could start casting, Belphy stepped in, releasing a burst of fire out of her palm. +"Dragonbreath."+ "ra, a couple of questions," n spoke, eyes shut, as the light of the explosion in front of him illuminated his face. "Can''t it wait?!" "What''s the possibility of our enemy having low physical strength?" "Well, it''s not unlikely for Elemental Masters to be physically weak..." "Would you describe our enemy as such?" "Maybe? To perform all this, she must have a vast mana pool, neglecting her physical attributes. But! This kind of User usually has a backup n in case some musclehead depletes all of her magic reserves." "What about the fact that she seems to be incorporeal?" n opened his eyes and stared at her. "There has to be a catch, right? There''s always one." n nodded, and called Ashley: ++"You have the ability to detect presences, right?"++ ++"Yes. I can also sense any threating our way."++ **That''s why she tried to warn me when the Shooting Stars kidnapped me... I''m sorry for not trusting you, Isabe II.** ++"Have you felt Serenity''s presence all this time?"++ ++"Of course, n. Why would you ask that?"++ ++"Because the Serenity we''re seeing with our eyes may not be real..."++ Ashley took a brief silence. ++"Are you saying we have been fighting an illusion? Makes sense. If I find the real one, will I be able to damage her?"++ "Yes, but..." While n privately chatted, a distant explosion startled ra,ing from Caeruleum Mountain, where the Renovatio Caves resided. "Is nothing sacred anymore?" she murmured as Ashleynded over the rooftop and crouched beside n. "I understand the situation, and you are right," she said, looking him in the eyes. "I''m sorry. That''s the best I coulde up with." "It is alright." She offered him a half smile. "I cannot feel fear, anyway." ra observed their interchange, getting moved. "I don''t know what you''re up to, but you''re so sweet!" She suddenly dashed to hug Ashley tight, before watching Serenity strolling toward them. "G-Guys, the crazy bitch ising our way." "Belphy, you''ve already buffed us once, but it''s not enough," n said, finally standing up. "Is there anything else you could do for us?" +"Amelia Lamme''s Unique Talent is Pyrokic Construction. I could replicate a weapon for you from her memory. Something ording to your levels. They would disappear after 30 minutes, though."+ "That sounds cool as heck! Craft something for Ashley first, please." The Fire Clone stretched out her hands, releasing a controlled burst of fire, which took shape before their eyes. Ten secondster, a shiny red bow was given to Ashley. +"This is the most suitable weapon for you."+ Ashley grabbed it, studying its stats and description. "Guys?" ra called, keeping an eye on the street below. "Hurry up." +"This is for n Warden,"+ Belphy announced, crafting the next weapon, but as the fire started to take a metallic shape, the clone suddenly disappeared. **Is this bad news?** The slime jumped down from n''s arms and squeaked where the copy of its master vanished. ++"A-n..."++ a weak-sounding Amelia immediately called him through Party Chat. ++"Amelia, are you okay?!"++ ++"Sorry, but I had to take Belphy out--"++ ++"Never mind that! Where are you?! I''d go as quickly as--"++ ++"A silly question first... Please... What would you do if The Singr is really trapped inside a User''s body?"++ ++"I''ll... try to reason with them."++ ++"Of course you''d say that. But if that doesn''t work? If they don''t listen? We''re speaking about a genocidal machine, n... Merciless... Cold... Even sadistic..."++ n swallowed hard. Something in Amelia''s voice told him that she had surely witnessed the horrors of the Synthetic Army firsthand. **While I was safely locked at Kintech, with no blood rtives left to be fearful of losing...** He exhaled before replying: ++"And yet... This Singr can''t be the same we escaped Earth from... Because it now has a human heart, whether it nned it or not. So they can be reasoned with. I truly believe it''s possible..."++ ++"What an utter fool..."++ ++"I know."++ ++"Let''s have a drink after we kick these assholes'' butts, then. This time, something from my original region. I''ve been saving a bottle of ''Briennes Ros¨¦'' for a while, that I want to share with you."++ ++"All right. Count me in."++ She faintly chuckled. ++"It''s a date, then..."++ ++"Come again?"++ n''s little break ended when Ashley shot two mana-charged arrows in front of him. The sound equivalent to a firing rocket startled him, and the resulting zing explosion blinded him for a second. Two gigantic serpent-like heads were about to smash them to a pulp, but Ashley''s attack managed to decapitate them. **It''s no use. They''ll regenerate at any moment.** "n..." Ashley turned to him, looking determined. "The enemy''s priority is to capture you. Could you help me get her out of the town, please?" "Sure! Give me a second." He rushed to pick Sloochie and handed it to ra, nodding. "This is Amelia''s precious mascot. Take care of it, please" "But guys..." ra said, frowning. "Your level is too low to confront that bitch..." "So?" he asked, shrugging. "I''m not going to make it easy for her." Before ra couldment, the twin shadow dragon heads regenerated, uttering a chilling cry. "Let''s go, n!" Ashley urged, jumping down the building. "Protect it, Major!" n yelled, following her partner. As ra watched their cat-eared NPC leave too, she loudly sighed. "What should we do, little slime? Although he called me Major, I don''t feel like one at all. It has been always the same since I quit my sister''s guild. I''ve done nothing but watch others fight." The slime only squeaked back at her, seemingly replying. She pondered for a bit, before smirking. "G-Good idea! I''ll just do what I do best! Shall we? He-he!" "K-Kyu?" Chapter 63: Herculean Tenacity

Chapter 63: Herculean Tenacity

"Increased Healing... Is that your Unique Talent?" Amelia asked, sneering, still inside her ''Stranded Hell Princess'' armor suit. Scarlett''s burned skin turned olive and soft again, and although her armor showed sights of damage, it could still endure another round. "I suppose I cannot hide it any longer, huh?" **So... she''ll keep regenerating if I don''t finish her off?** The demoness-looking Amelia thought. **If shebines that Unique Talent with the Berserk Active Skill, she''ll continue to grow stronger indefinitely. ** Amelia pointed her katana forward. "I could not ask for a better punching bag." "Are you sure about this, princess? You may get more than you can chew on." "That''s the spirit!" Amelia waved her staff around her head, casting a fire snake that quickly became a metal dragon. The beast charged at Scarlett, who retaliated with a fire-engulfed punch. "You promised me a melee fight, princess! Not this!" Although the sound of such a tremendous hit could be heard from miles away, Amelia''s crafted monster only recoiled before snarling, annoyed. Scarlett looked at it, perplexed. "What''s going on?! My Strength has finally reached tinum E! This should have obliterated it!" "So?" The demoness appeared beside her, katana in hand. "It''s not enough yet." Scarlett used her forearm to shield herself from the iing sword swipe, expecting to reflect the steel, but the katana''s de became incorporeal. The ghostly slice burned her chest again and part of her lungs. "Freaking magic sword!" Scarlett grunted, releasing a burst of fire at The Stranded Hell Princess'' face, point-ck, but besides the armor looking incandescent for a second as if it had absorbed the attack, it looked unaffected. "No way..." Scarlett muttered as the dragon behind her devoured her whole. Seconds after, the dragon''s jaws slowly opened, showing Scarlett between them, pushing them up. "I''m getting tired of this, bitch!" "Come on, don''t be shy! I bet it''s prettyfy in there!" Amelia shouted, kicking Scarlett inside the fake dragon''s esophagus. She then jumped back as the elongated monster glowed with intensity and exploded, deforesting the eastern side of Unus'' outskirts. The resulting column of fire reached the clouds and suddenly stopped, as if it had been frozen in time, before rapidly imploding until it formed a 13 feet radius metal ball. "Please... Tell me this broke your back," Amelia murmured, before hearing distant knocks. Scarlett''s fist came out from her imprisonment, now wearing golden spiked brass knuckles. "Wow! I... I never expected to find such resistance here, in this bore of a town!" Scarlett smirked, locking eyes with Amelia. Although Scarlett''s glowing irises resembled those of a wild beast, her tone of voice sounded collected. "Ignoring the fact that you tricked me into believing we''d have a nice fistfight, I''m enjoying this. Truly! I''m having real fun..." "Are you?" Amelia asked, using her ''Eye of the Sage'' Passive Skill to examine Scarlett''s weapon and new stats. **Those are of tinum Quality... So she''s finally taking this seriously. The only reason she can fight so carelessly is because of that Unique Talent of hers. And... would you look at that... Her ''Berserk'' state has skyrocketed her strength to tinum C... Like, seriously! This skillbo is broken as fuck! But I wonder, with all of those buffs umted, will it feel the same as if I was fighting that stupid shortie?** "I''ve figured it out..." Scarlett started saying, nting both feet deep in the ground, causing a slight quake. "That demon suit of yours is not for closebat fighting, it''s just an extra precaution in case I manage to punch your pretty doll face... It''s durable as any of your other metallic creations, and it absorbs pyromancy, eh?" She clicked her teeth. "It''s prettycking for a so-called ''Triumph Card''. Are you that afraid of feeling pain?" Scarlett sneered, before exerting a suffocating fire aura. "Path of the Berserk!" **Oh, crap... Is she going Super Mode? I''d really like a challenge, but this would gamble n''s safety.** Amelia fastly cast a fire spell using her staff: "Enhanced Dragonbreath!" A pir of zing fire hit Scarlett, but she pushed it back with her right palm. "Toote, Princess!" I''m Scarlett, the Crimson Light in the Sky... The Falling Satellite!" she proimed, as her chest te and faulds changed to white and gold, and the armor around her limbs looked covered in reflective diamonds. Moments before revealing her new appearance, the ''Enhanced Dragonbreath'' engulfed her whole, but Amelia knew it did not harm her. **Crimson Light in the Sky? Falling Satellite?** Amelia repeated those Titles in her mind, shaking her head. Something about all of those wordsbined triggered a memory from when she was admiring the night sky with her sister and witnessed a bizarre spectacle years ago. ***"Look, Red! Hurry and make a wish!"*** Marissa cried with joy, watching hundreds of falling stars invading New London''s sky. But Amelia looked at them with an expression of horror and disbelief on her face. She knew those were Earth''sst functional satellites, returning to the to die. "W-Who the hell are you?!" Amelia cried, stepping back in terror as if she was watching the real devil in front of her. "Y-You''re not human, are you?!" The super-powered Scarlett shortened the distance between them in an instant. "Princess... I have no idea what you are talking about." Amelia barely blocked a punch directed to her stomach with her left gauntlet, and her passive Overshield automatically blocked a second hit targeting her face. **She''s faster!** "I warned you that you''d get more than you could chew on!" Scarlett shouted, starting a series of consecutive strikes. As Amelia blocked hits with her gauntlets out of instinct, another punch would reach her body. She was hit in the ribs, chest, and on her left forearm. Although the magically constructed body absorbed the damage, Amelia could feel the painful impact of each one of them. **At this rate, she''ll wipe the floor with me! Come on, Amelia! This form is supposed to beat Astrid''s gori fighting style!** "Twisted Firestarter!" Amelia cast, zing everything around them. The overwhelming heat was enough to melt the very ground they were standing on, but it soon ended when the mes turned into flexible metal. Four gigantic arms were now bending toward Scarlett. "It won''t work this time!" the warrior roared, punching each one of them, shattering them instantly. **I got what I wanted,** Amelia thought, sweating cold. **Her brute force has finally surpassed my mana output.** "Come on!" Scarlettughed out loud, punching the demoness in the face. "Now that I''ve finally broken my limits, give me more of a challenge! After all, you made the long journey worth it! I never expected someone like you to hang out with that loser!" Their fight leveled hills. Trees were like chopsticks getting in their way. Amelia released a breath of fire, but it would not slow down her enemy, not even when the burst transformed into arrows. Scarlett''s armor ignored any iing attack every single time. "Why are you doing this?!" Amelia cried after her left gauntlet broke. "Why are you attacking cities indiscriminately?!" "I''m just here to make sure that everything will go ording to n! I was tasked to crush any opposition while Serenity catches our prey, and I''m fucking d that you were here!" "So you really are after n! Why?!" "Stop ying dumb! You''ve already questioned my humanity. So guess what? Your instincts were true! I''ve stopped being human for a long time. I''m the Embodiment of Progress now!" **I... I need a freaking break!** Amelia sprouted bat-like wings and jumped upwards, away from her pursuer''s reach. But for Scarlett that was just an inconvenience. "Rocket Jump!" Scarlett cast, propelling herself with a burst of fire from her feet. "A satellite''s ce is up in the far reaches of the sky, you know?!" Amelia looked in shock at the iing menace and shut her eyes. **This is going to hurt...** Chapter 64: Amelia Blueflamme

Chapter 64: Amelia Bluemme

Amelia closed her eyes. **This is going to hurt...** "Fire Style, Meteor Punch!" Scarlett sent Amelia back tond with a sting punch and immediately pursued her after casting another bursting impulse. The Warrior then cross-chopped the defenseless demoness, pushing her through 700 feet ofyers of rock. When they reached their final underground destination, the impact leveled the surrounding area. "You survived, I can hear you coughing!" Scarlett yelled, tossing a boulder aside. In front of her was a thick cloud of dust she traversed, stomping. Although the attack had also hurt her, a smirk on her face showed she could do it all over again. "You know what''s funny about all this? The fact that you lot won''t tell a soul about what happened here and about my true identity. You don''t want to be the party pooper that breaks this fake world''s peace, do you?" "What are you pretending to do? Are the Administrators involved in this?!" Amelia asked as Scarlett found her and grabbed her by the neck. "Sorry Princess, but that''s none of your business," the warrior said, closing her fist, expecting to hear the satisfying sound of bones breaking, but something caught her eye behind The Stranded Hell''s Princess body. There was a recent dug hole below. The ground around looked incandescent. "What the--?" "Fine, keep the fucking secret..." Amelia said from behind her. Then, the tip of a de came out of Scarlett''s chest. "T-This thing is empty..." Scarlett muttered, letting the demoness'' suit fall to the ground. "W-When did you--?" "I can be very sneaky." The real Amelia chuckled while her armor-ignoring katana started to umte heat. The magically constructed suit disappeared, letting Amelia recover some of her mana for onest attack. "Release all of your might and burn her entrails, Feumori!" The power behind the katana''s name made it shine with energy, a second after, Scarlett''s stomach exploded and a burst of fire escaped in a straight trajectory, burning everything in its path. As Scarlett lost her Super Form, Amelia''s maniacalugh echoed through the caverns while holding the agonizing, defeated enemy by her hair. "Take that, you musclehead! How many times have I killed you already?! Thank you for helping me with this experiment! Did you hear that, Astrid?! Your reign of terror is over! I''lle for--!" Cries for help suddenly reached Amelia''s ears. She looked at her surroundings, finding half of the Slime Vige destroyed by the coteral damage. **N-No way...** She looked at Slime people helping others to escape out of the burning huts. She nced at lifeless gtinous bodies turning into pixels... At the melted rock walls her power took down with extreme ease. **It was not my intention to--They''re just code, right?! So it doesn''t matter if they die! But why are my chest tightening and my breath faltering then? n, you wouldn''t get mad at me, would you? Because I did it to save your ass! It was an ident!** **Sloochie, you don''t have emotions, do you? Is there someone here that you would miss?!** "Should have finished me off!" Scarlett shouted, piercing Amelia''s stomach with a punch. **Huh? Who turned the lights off?** *** ** * * ** *** **Oh, I see... I''m in my personal hell again. **In that stupid, humid, dark room. **I can still hear the heavy artillery outside, so it must be the second day. Fucking great. **This will take a while... **Let''s see, as always, I can distinguish three silhouettes. One will be picked randomly and dragged out here at any moment by an indifferent thing made of silicon. The first victim it''s a man in his mid-thirties, iming to be an important politician. He told us that his bodyguards woulde to rescue him at any moment, and if we were still alive by then, he may let us go with him. **Hours passed, and the bodyguards didn''t show up that day, and neither did in the two following days. I know it because I was thest one to leave that room. When the Politician''s time came, his screams were the most harrowing... maybe because he tried to negotiate with ''it'' until hisst breath. **That didn''t work, obviously. **The next in line to be taken away it''s a woman in his twenties that alleged to be a Kintech employee. In the beginning, the Politician berated her non-stop, telling her that all of this was her fault. The young woman never replied, as if admitting guilt, but once only three of us remained, she stuck her ear at the door for hours and told us what she thought this was all about. **By the constant screaming, day and night, it was obvious ''the thing'' was experimenting... With hundreds of us. But why? First, she thought ''it'' was developing a new weapon... Maybe a chemical, because she never heard gunfire. Then, hourster, the woman just stopped giving her thoughts. She suddenly returned to her usual sitting spot and remained quiet for an awfully long time. **When she finally spoke, I wished she kept it to herself instead: "It may sound ridiculous... But it seems it''s feeding on us... It''s figuring out if our bodies hold any energetic value..." She then paused to chuckle. "It reminds me of that movie from the Golden Age. Have you watched it? A post-apocalyptic story where all of humanity has turned into batteries. I always thought it was a stupid premise! It''s quite obvious that the electricity inside our bodies wouldn''t be able to meet their needs, so why bother?" ** "Honey, why don''t you rest a little?" the woman by my side said. "You''ve been glued to that door for hours." ** "T-That''s right!" I interjected, my voice sounding squeaky. "We''re all tired and hungry, so you may be imagining things. How did you jump to that conclusion, anyway? It sounds stupid, just like that movie!" **I felt the hand of the woman sitting beside me softly pressing my shoulder as if telling me to not get carried away, but my n worked. The Kintech employee started murmuring, ''true, what was I thinking?'', andid down for the next couple of hours. **Until the thing came for her, pulling her out by the hair. **Only two of us remained in that room. ** "W-What are we going to do?!" I heard myself crying quietly. "Why is Dad taking so long? He should have stormed inside the building with a bunch of Caelum''s soldiers already! I-It''s my turn, I know it! What are going to do, Madelyn?!" **The woman shushed me and embraced me. As I leaned my head against her bosom, I noticed that despite the long days locked in that room, and the pestilence of blood and dirt surrounding us, she still smelled of strawberries. Something I''ll never forget. ** "Do you trust your father, dear?" she asked me with that thick British ent of hers. ** "I do. I know he''s searching for us. B-Both of us," I remember myself replying. Every word gave a hint of my old french ent I couldn''t get rid of by the time. ** "I believe that too. We just have to be patient, then." **And we waited... And we could finally talk. **Although reluctant at first, believing it would hurt me, she told me about how she met Dad. She also told me about the day Marissa was born, and how much of a gorgeous baby she was. Finally, she apologized for not being able to bond with me sooner, and for insisting oning to the mall to look for that perfect party dress. ** "This is not your fault, Madelyn! You didn''t know this would happen. And if we couldn''t bond sooner, that''s on me! I''ve been nothing but a mean bitch to you from the very beginning, to be honest. So if someone deserves to be gone first before Dad arrives, it''s me! So tell him that I love him, and tell Marissa that I wish I''d have been a better sister." **Madelyn only replied with a short: "All right." **A couple of hourster, we heard those unnerving steps. Calcted, unrelenting, unhurried steps... **I quickly stood up, for I didn''t want to be dragged like the Kintech employee, and I was ready to go without cursing or pleading for mercy like the Politician. **Before the door opened, I could picture a silhouette already... Of the mall''s security guard... An automaton wearing a once blue uniform, now stained with countless blood stains. **And then I realized something... I wasn''t ready yet... **I-I wanted to stay in my imprisonment for another full day. Even though the hunger was eating my entrails, and even if the smell of human waste filled my lungs every second... I... I wanted to live! **I didn''t want to die... **I didn''t want to die... ** "I don''t want to die..." ** "It''s okay sweetheart," Madelyn whispered to me before dashing forward, tackling the automaton. ** "MADELYN!" **Even to this day I can remember what I felt: The urge to follow her. To confront our captors and end this together. But the humanoid shut the door in my face, and no matter how much I bang it and screamed, my time had been postponed thanks to her. **She did it for me... Even though we weren''t blood rted. **I don''t know how much time passed until the door was opened again. The light from the outside blinded me, and only after I heard a familiar voice, I stopped kicking and screaming at the people pulling me out of there. ** "Sister! You''re all right!" a girl said to my ear while embracing me tight. She smelled just like Madelyn. ** "Marissa..." My voice sounded weak due to theck of nutrients and sleep. **Although Dad couldn''t bring Caelum''s corporate army with him that day, he managed to track our location and face the danger with the help of neighbors and volunteers... Armed civilians that were also looking for their loved ones. **So... something about watching my sixteen-year-old sister wearing a bullet proof vest and carrying a rifle in her left arm, made me whimper. Loudly. ** "I''m so sorry, Marissa! I''m so sorry! I couldn''t do anything! I couldn''t--!" **Quelle barbe... Why do I always remember this every time deathes to pick me up? I''ll revive anyway. It doesn''t make sense. **Wait, no... Now that I think it through, this only happens when I really, really don''t want to die. **It doesn''t matter if it''s just a fake death. **Sometimes, the survival instinct just kicks in. *** ** * ** *** "I know this was ying dirty, princess, but I can''t fail this mission. Not this time," the woman named Scarlett said, letting Amelia''s bloodied body copse. "You know? It''s a relief finding people besides Astrid Bradford that can force me to break my limits." Despite her condition, Amelia reached out her hand to her. "A-are y-you¡ªg-going¡ªafter¡ªA-n?" "That''s right, kiddo. That man is cursed for knowing too much. me his bad luck. Serenity would like to capture you too, but I doubt you''llst long enough." With that said, Scarlett strolled towards the caves that would take her to the exit. +++Warning! Insufficient Mana to close your wound. ++++ **He''s unfortunate? You could say so...** **The guy spent a lot of time working his ass off, while we were here, having a great life...** ++++++ Notice: By canceling your Fire Clone, you could recover the necessary Mana to heal yourself. ++++ +++ Do you ept? - Yes / No ++++ "Y-yes..." ++++ Fire Clone - Withdrawn. +++ ++++Applying Auto Pyrokic Construction.++++ **I can only imagine what motivated him to persevere...** **Was the hope of seeing his lover again what kept him sane?** "P-Party Chat," she ordered to her User Interface before crying out loud in pain as mes entered her opened chest and started auto-constructing fake flesh and organs. **Only for that bitch to let him go? Just like that?!** **If I was her, I''d have chained him so she could not leave my side ever again!** ++"Amelia, are you okay?!"++ **There he goes again. His worried voice is kinda cute. ** ++"What would you do if The Singr is really trapped inside a User''s body?"++ **This is something a regr person should be able to answer easily if they care for the wellbeing of this spaceship and its mission... But you''re not a regr... Your reply it''s just in naive... And yet, it somehow makes me smile...** **For I really wish you seeing you seed and achieve a world where no one has to suffer ever again.** ++You''re out of Mana. ++ ++"I''ve been saving a bottle of Briennes Ros¨¦ for a while, that I want to share with you."++ ++"All right. Count me in."++ ++"It''s a date, then..."++ **I''ll help you, n Warden, even if this leads me to that dark room again. Because this time. I''m ready.** ++Super Mode requirements met. Would you like to-- ++ She stood up, even though her body trembled. "Yes!" A fire whirl rose to the cave''s ceiling, getting Scarlett''s attention. "Is she still alive?" she murmured, looking back. "What''s your deal, Princess?! What could you possibly do in this situation?!" "Path of The Sage..." Amelia proimed, stepping forward while the orange mes embracing her changed to indigo. Her hair and eyes were now the shade of the aquamarine gemstone. ****"You''re amazing, Sis!" Marissa had said to her the first time Amelia showed her that form. "But it needs a name, doesn''t it? I Know! Although it''s kind of funny. You don''t have to use it if you don''t want to. How about--"*** "Amelia Bluemme..." she announced. As she strolled forward in a trance-like state. The color of her red dress also changed, matching her new appearance. Her gaze looked lost in thought and her stance was full of openings, which Scarlett knew she could take advantage of. "Whatever you''re trying to do, you''re low of HP! One hit it''s all I need! Meteor--!" Scarlett leaped forward, shortening the distance in less than a couple of seconds, but something prevented her from casting the technique. The fire engulfing Scarlett''s knuckles exploded and turned into red metallic spikes, piercing her fist and carpal bones. And yet, despite the excruciating pain, she continued her attack, using her body as a missile. Hernding created a crater and shook the entire cavern, and yet, missed her target. "What''s going on, Princess?!" Scarlett yelled, finding Amelia standing nearby with an empty expression on her face. "Was this your magic?! You shouldn''t be able to control my own crafted fire!" Something blueish caught her attention out of the corner of Scarlett''s eye. The fire consuming Slime Vige had turned indigo and was advancing toward them. "I won''t let you!" Scarlett threw a punch, but Amelia''s passive Overshield came into y. "You missed yourst chance," Amelia finally spoke, looking at her with no discernible irises. The umted fire rained upon Scarlett, forcing her to kneel. Yet, she had the strength to sneer. "You know what''ll happen if you don''t eliminate me this time." "Didn''t you know?" Amelia said, showing no emotion in her voice. "Blue mes are hotter." Chapter 65: My mentor always said...

Chapter 65: My mentor always said...

No matter where they ran, Serenity''s ck goo sank every building in its path until consuming the majority of Unus Town. **It wasn''t my imagination; she has been expanding it sideways so she could trap me downtown.** n nced at the tacky statue of Major Dominguez a few feet ahead and snickered. **I wouldn''t mind if this bes coteral damage.** He then looked at the distance where Ashley could be seen jumping over rooftops, shooting constant lightning arrows, which made the goo retreat for short seconds. "It''s useless!" Serenity giggled in the distance. "There''s nowhere to escape. Unless you can fly." **I should have bought that Flying Mount Kristoff offered me!** "I''m ready, n," Ashley informed through Party Chat. ++"Are you sure about this?"++ ++"Yes, there is no other ce she could be hiding."++ ++"Just be careful, please."++ ++"I will. By the way, do you know the name of any of the people that got swallowed by the darkness?"++ ++"Um... ra mentioned a Griff."++ ++"Thanks. See you soon."++ Ashley took a deep breath before yelling. "Where is Griff, you bitch! Give him back!" n looked at her, amused. **That didn''t sound like her at all! I didn''t know she could act.** But Serenity did not find it funny. Shemanded her shadow to take the shape of an enormous maw, capable of eating an entire house. "What an annoying woman. You''ve been pestering me from the very beginning. Begone." Ashley stared at it, shaking. "D-Dammit! I''m out of mana! Help me, n!" It happened in an instant. The maw devoured the building Ashley was standing in and returned to the ck sea, leaving no trace of the brte girl. **When ites to other people, this gal is pretty ruthless.** n checked his Party Chat. Although Ashley''s status said Online, he could notmunicate with her. **How much time will you need?** "Master n? What should we do now?" Be, the NPC asked, before he handed her a shotgun. "Take this. Did Amelia teach you magic?" "I know the basic fire spells." "Good. Use everything at your disposal to survive then," he murmured as their pursuer stopped 50 feet away, smirking. "Isn''t this ironic?" Serenity said aloud. "Just look at your current situation and at the girl by your side. You''re the perfect example of what makes your generation so contradicting. Although The Tandem grew up hating machines, here you are, depending on them... Even spousing them! This only shows that humanity can''t live without your synthetic brethren." n chuckled. "Hey, like my mentor always said! There are good and bad people everywhere. It''s the same for everything in the universe... Including AIs..." Serenity narrowed her eyes and created two shadow doppelgangers of n and Be, with des instead of arms, who charged forward immediately. Be shot at the iing ck clone and jumped back while casting a basic fireball. Meanwhile, n did nothing to defend himself. He sat on the ground, legs crossed, as the second dark humanoid dashed towards him. "What are you doing?" Serenity asked aloud, making the shadow clone stop inches from stabbing its victim. "Are you finally surrendering? Tired of running?" "Nope. You said you wanted to talk, right? So here I am. I''m all ears." The white-haired woman remained silent as she approached him, making the shadow clone disappear. When she crouched in front of n, she admired his rxed expression. "You''re a weird one, n Warden," she whispered, reaching out a hand to his head. "Is that another way of saying that I''m unique?" "Not necessarily." She put two fingertips on his forehead and started channeling. "Major Dark Conjure, Slumbermare." *** ** * * ** *** "She may never wake up. Did you know that?" a woman blurted out behind him. The pre-teen slowly turned around. He looked as if he was ready to hit anyone. "What the hell did you say?" The all-business-looking woman closed the door behind her. She was tall, with darkish-blue hair in a bob cut. Although her sses gave her a distinguished persona, her violet eyes were piercing and unapologetic. "Mind yournguage, kid. That''s not the way to treat your godmother." "Hey! You can''t enter here just like that!" the boy cried, jumping out of his seat to confront her, but the woman pushed his head, forcing him to sit back effortlessly. "Be a good boy and behave for a minute." The woman ignored his subsequent insults while approaching the room''s patient, lying inside a hospital pod. Through the ss, a thirteen-year-old girl with auburn hair could be seen, eyes shut. "Captain Ketchup!" the boy suddenly yelled, prompting an automaton standing in a corner to activate. "Is everything okay, son?" the robot asked, scanning the new guest. "No, it''s not! Help me take this bitch out of here!" "Understood," the servant said, striding toward the woman, who snickered. "You have to be kidding me," she murmured, before saying out loud: "Protocol IAFR, SC-01, stop, now!" The automaton halted immediately, just inches from grabbing her arm. Its two round digital eyes changed to green, and after doing a neck bow, it retreated back to its corner. "On standby." The boy''s mouth dropped. "How the hell did you--?!" "n Warden!" the woman raised her voice, making him flinch. "Did you seriously remove this bot''s security protocols?! You know that''s illegal, right?" The boy''s face turned red to match hers. "So what?! It''s not like I''ll ask him to steal for me or something--!" She pped him, hard and quickly. "That''s for calling me a bitch and being rude." He held his tears sessfully while covering his cheek. "We needed someone to protect us, you know?" he began. "S-Someone broke into the housest month, and the fellow over there wasn''t a big help." He then nced at the medical pod. "Are you going to tell the police?" The woman sighed, folding her arms. "Despite your demeanor, I''m in a good mood today, so I won''t. But doing this it''s dangerous. By following the distressed tone of your voice, this automaton could have hurt me. Do you understand that?" She leaned her head forward, looking for his gaze. "Instead of resetting it, they''d destroy it. Would you like that?" "N-No. This is a custom bot dad built. It''s the only thing left I have of him." She stepped back, snickering. "And you hacked it." "Yep." "Like father, like son, huh?" He narrowed his eyes. "What were you saying earlier? That you''re my god-something?" "Your godmother," she replied, upying his seat. "Hers too, of course. I''m Abigail Shields." "I''m sorry, but I never heard of you." "Good." She smirked. "I work at Kintech, just like your father. That''s the only thing you need to know for the moment." "I could tell," he muttered, ncing back at his automaton. "So, what do ''godmothers'' do?" The woman exhaled loudly as if she was collecting her patience, but she was hiding a half-smile with her right hand. "Some may say traditions are extinct. Heck, if I didn''t personally believe in progress, I would''ve never worked at Kintech. But if even those old farts atop the chain ofmand keep respecting them... Why shouldn''t I? Traditionally, ''we'', the godparents, make a promise to your mom and dad that we''ll take care of you in case... something ever happens to them." "Were you living on the moon, then? Because my parents'' funeral was three months ago." "News didn''t fly at the UK branch, kid. It seems that the... ''incident'' was a well-kept secret. I had to dig around to know what really happened to Alexander and Jody. And... um... Sorry for your loss." The twelve-year-old pursed his lips, looking at the medical pod by his side. "It''s okay, you don''t have to do this. We inherited some money, so we''ll be okay until I grow up and can get a job." "Medical expenses will drain that money fast..." "I know that. I''ve done the math. I''ve been eating only the necessary. We can do this." "Jeezus..." She exhaled, pulling out a cigarette, before remembering the kind of ce she was in. She then held it in her mouth, unlit. "I''d say this is quite a dilemma, but I''d be lying, because this brings us to the first thing I said when entering..." She paused while crossing her legs, watching the boy hold his breath. "She may never wake up." "Y-You don''t know that!" "Your father spent a year trying to fix whatever it''s eating her brain and couldn''t make it. What makes you think this ce will have better luck?" A nasty silence followed. The boy did not want to believe what she was saying. There had to be a way, or his father would not have spent countless nights at hisb. They rarely saw each other during thatst year. **It''s as if you were telling me that he worked his ass off for nothing! I... can''t ept that... I...** "Come with me to Ennd and I may get you a job as my assistant," Abigail spoke, loud and clear. "You''ll know everything there is to robotics there instead of... whatever you did with that bot." "I appreciate it, but I can''t leave her--" "She''lle too, obviously," Abigail interrupted. "I assure you that our medical bay it''s way more advanced than whatever these Yankee doctors may have. And to be honest, I''m interested in continuing your dad''s work. If you don''t mind." The boy nced back at the robotic servant standing in the corner. "What about...?" "You can''t bring it. But if it''s that important to you, I could teach you how to make a cool keychain out of his memory unit. How about that?" Chapter 66: Final Round

Chapter 66: Final Round

Serenity observed her surroundings. She could even appreciate the sanitized odor of the room, which made her grimace. "Did you find what you were looking for?" the grown-up n asked, standing beside her. "Maybe." "But what value does watching this have? I thought you''d dig through more recent memories..." Serenity made the illusion fade away until only a nk te surrounded them. "Why would I want to skim through events I already know about?" She shrugged, as they looked into each other''s eyes. "I''d rather know what makes your head tick, Little Mouse." "Hey..." He snickered. "After all that creepy flirting you''ve been throwing at me, I''ll really think you took an interest in me." Serenity grinned, putting her palm against his forehead. "Either you''re too stupid, or you bumped your head really hard some time ago." She giggled. "Either way, I''ll have plenty of time dissecting your brain once we go home." "Enough of this," he said sternly, grabbing her hand. "What''s your real goal? Are you working for the Singr?" "What if that''s the case?" "I''ll stop you then so you can''t harm others." "Are you saying you''ll go against the Embodiment of Progress, n?" "That again? What does that even mean?!" "It''s our main objective which hasn''t changed since we left Earth. We just want to help you. The Tandem." "By wiping us out?! The Singr has killed millions!" "That''s old history, and from a certain point of view, a necessary sacrifice. We could notmence our study with so many subjects back on Earth. But here? We have learned a lot from you here in The Novus." "...Y-You''re kidding me." Serenity smiled. **An unnerving smile.** "You can''t stop this, n Warden. We will help humanity''sst generation reach a new evolutionary stage! In preparation for what''sing next..." *** ** * Serenity ended the spell, and the world around n seemed to swirl inside his eyes. He unintentionallyid back, finding the moon up in the sky, which seemed to wee him back to reality. Then, Serenity''s face blocked it from view. Her eyes looked at the brink of tears, and her lips were forming a twisted smile. "Oh, n Warden, I knew you had it in you! I knew it from the moment I saw you hacking that NPC back in Londorus as if it was child''s y! This... This is perfect!" She then contorted back, stretching out her arms to her sides,ughing. "Not only do you possess the talent, but your mind is also genuinely pure and free of malice... the perfect canvas!" She began moaning, hugging herself. "Thinking about your potential drives me crazy! I--I can''t help myseeelf!" "Um... s-something tells me I won''t like where this is going, but I''ll have to ask anyway! Are you surrendering? Will you stop this nonsensical attack, then?" "Of course!" She beamed, standing up. Her eyes shone wickedly silver and her tinum hair reflected the moonlight, making her look angelical for only a couple of seconds. "After I bring you with me." **I knew this was too good to be true!** he thought as he felt the ground below him getting muddier. In an instant, the surrounding area turned into quicksand. "Oh, I can''t wait to improve you!" she intoned while half of n''s body sank. "Don''t be afraid, leave it in my hands! With my help, you''ll turn from a weak, tiny mouse, into a feral, vicious tiger--" Serenity turned to her left as a burst of blue fire impacted her. The incandescent mes made the shadow surrounding n retreat for a brief instant, leaving him buried in the ground. Be fastly came to his aid and pulled him out. "B-Be, did you do that?" "No, Master n. This is Master Amelia''s magic." Something glowing above demanded his attention. Someone was suspended in the air, surrounded by a series of blue will-o''-wisps. Then, the figure descended in an instant, upying the space between n and his enemy. Although her hair had changed to the color of the aquamarine gemstone, n recognized her immediately. "Amelia..." Floating inches from the ground, Amelia showed Scarlett''s detached head, before burning it to a crisp. "Good luck regenerating from that," Amelia said softly, making her best Ashley''s impression. The unharmed Serenity did not twitch an eyebrow at such a sight, and yet, she stepped back. "Amelia?" n called. "Is that really you?" She turned back, and floated toward him. "n, you''re safe," she whispered, holding his face to kiss him on the lips. He could not feel the heat of the will-o''-wisps surrounding her, only the warmth of her mouth and delicate fingers. "I came in time. Oh, I''d never forget myself if I had failed." "Amelia... You..." "What is it?" she tilted her head to her left side, frowning. "Are you hurt? If that''s the case, I''ll make sure this bitch pays." "Y-You stole my first kiss!" She opened her eyes wide and her pale skin got full red. "I-I didn''t know that! I did it without thinking, okay?! I''m sorr--Wait no, I''m not sorry! You''ll have to deal with it! This was just a regr French tradition called ''La Bise'', mmmkay?! B-B-Because I''m French, remember?! So don''t overthink it!" "Ah, it''s fine, don''t get so flustered. It felt nice," he said, half-smiling. "Nice blue lipstick, by the way." "S-SHUT UP! This makeup it''s just part of my current form! And don''t you worry, I won''t kiss you ever again, you heard me!" By their side, their NPC giggled, saying: "Oh, my!" An overwhelming pressure interrupted their moment. A few feet away from them was Serenity, exerting an exorbitant amount of magical energy. "Getting in my way again, Amelia Lamme? Fine, so be it. But before we settle the score fromst time, let me tell n this: My partner''s defeat was due to relying too much on her human side." "Human side?" he muttered as Amelia got in front of him. "Get back, n. I got this." "Do your best!" Serenity said, as her entire body turned ck and liquified in front of their eyes. "As for me, let me give you a taste of the future that awaits you! We will help humanity evolve! It''s just a matter of time!" From the increasing ck terrain sprouted human figures, and for a brief moment n thought they would be more doppelgangers. **But they look too alive...** "n, what''s the current situation?" Amelia asked, returning to a calm demeanor. "Unus Town''s residents have been evacuated, Anastasia fell in battle, and Ashley is currently looking for Serenity''s real body." He swallowed. "What you see can''t be harmed. That enemy in front of us is an illusion." **And yet, when she touched my forehead, it felt very real.** "Is that why she survived my blue mes?" Amelia asked, before taking a deep breath. "So everything is in Ashley''s hands, right? I''ll be the distraction from now on, then. Retreat, n, I''ll take it from here." "But..." He nced at the human figures strolling to them until recognizing a face among them. "Paul?" "Who?" Amelia asked as n stepped forward. "Paul! Are you okay?!" "We are a unity," Paul muttered as if he was in a trance. "Isn''t that the guy that tried to steal your rusty sword?" Amelia asked, frowning while watching the other four approaching them. "The baker is there too. They''re acting like they''re under her... Get back!" She pulled n from the cor of his shirt, just before Paul could stab him with a dagger. She then used one of the will-o''-wisps at her disposal, and crafted a blue wall to stop their advance. "Combined, we are one..." Paul said from the other side in an absent tone of voice. "They''re not shadow clones!" n cried as Serenity could be heardughing at a distance. "That is right! But would it be a good idea to put them out of their misery?!" "If you insist," Amelia murmured, erging one of her will-o''-wisp, but n grabbed her wrist. "Don''t hurt them! Something''s wrong!" "Why not? They''ll respawn anyway. I''ve seen this strange behavior before, it''s some sort of mind control. Trust me, I''m doing them a favor." "Yes, but Serenity wouldn''t be so cryptic if it was that easy! Please!" Amelia looked at the distance, where Serenity''s signature two-headed dragon was emerging from a summoning circle. Then, the entirety of the ck shadow invading Unus Town retreated, gathering around the monster. "Miss Amelia!" Serenity yelled from the distance. "Will you be able to protect him from me and my new brothers at the same time? If my Eye of the Sage is correct, you don''t have any mana left! How can you control those fire orbs then, I wonder? Could it be that you can''t produce any new fire in that state?!" Amelia clicked her teeth. "Be, keep protecting this fool, please." "I will, Master Amelia." "Help these people then, Guild Master, I''m counting on you," Amelia said, giving him a determined look. He chuckled. "If you said it like that, I can''t fail." After nodding at each other, Amelia flew upwards, looking like a rising blue star. As she took the wall with her, turning it back into an orb of blue fire, the possessed citizens resumed their attack. "Master n!" Be called, blocking another attack from the brainwashed Paul. "We can''t stay here!" n nced at her body. **I didn''t notice that her fight against her doppelganger had left her this injured. I''m so sorry, Be.** Another citizen charged against him, but n dodged with ease thanks to the still-active Fire Buff that Belphy had cast. n was about to give orders to the NPC, but a nearby voice made him flinch. ra Dominguez was standing atop a sunken house, with a drone hovering by her side, as shementated: "Oh, the plot thickens! Even after losing another precious teammate, our hero''s spirit does not falter, for the kiss of his beloved one has invigorated him! Now Amelia Lamme, the strongest of the guild, has parted to finally defeat the evil witch! An epic fight, I bet... But we''re not focusing on that!" She grabbed the drone and pointed it to her face. "If what you really want is to watch another boring max-level battle, then switch channels, you bastard! There are thousands of streams for that already! But how many channels depict the struggles of the underdog? Have you, my dear audience, forgotten what being powerless used to be, back when--" "What--the--hell... ARE YOU DOING?!" ra quickly pointed the drone in his direction. "Hey, here it is! n, a quickment for the audience?" "Are you streaming this?!" "Well, duh! We''ll talk about revenueter, okay?" "This isn''t a game, ra! Why would you--?!" He shut his mouth,ing to a realization. **Maybe recording this is not a bad idea after all...** n nced back at his pursuers just a few feet away from attacking him. He then jumped toward ra, carried her over his shoulder, and escaped with Be following him closely. Chapter 67: Voice Within

Chapter 67: Voice Within

**Maybe recording this is not a bad idea after all...** n nced back at his pursuers just a few feet away from attacking him. He then jumped toward ra, carried her over his shoulder, and escaped with Be following him closely. ra cried, desperately swinging her legs. "What are you doing, you--! Wait, no, this is perfect! Cam-bot, make sure to capture this!" She cleared her throat. "See? This is what I was talking about! This selfless hero is always thinking about the safety of others!" "ra, can you pause the transmission?" "I have a better idea. There, I muted it." "Exin this to me, can anyone be a streamer?" She sneered. "Pfft! Only if you have the talent, charisma, and one of these bad boys!" She pointed at the drone camera following them. "Why?" "Are those expensive?" "Not for a level 50 like me!" "Are you level 50?!" "52! Hey, watch it, you almost dropped me! And don''t say it like that! I used to be in a Guild, remember?! My Sister''s. But..." "You didn''t like it?" "That I suck at fighting would be more urate... Not everyone can be a glorious warrior and reach level 100 like your pyro girlfriend. My Sister for instance, even though she has kept going at it, she''s not even level 80 yet..." She wept. "I''m a failure, that''s why I returned to Unus Town, the only ce where I could feel important..." **Is this why you have a fascination for Battle Streams?** "Cheer up, ra. You did well! I bet our enemy never thought there would be a person capable of capturing this on video. Maybe an Administrator will see this and help us." "So... was I really helpful?" "Yes!" Hended and put her down carefully. "Keep up the good work, Mayor!" ra smirked. "You have seen nothing yet! Fabio!" Her good-looking NPC jumped down from a sunk building, carrying Sloochie in his arms. "At your service, Miss ra." **A punchable face appears...** "Is it done?" she asked. "It is done," Fabio replied, snapping his fingers. Then, a group of NPCs came out of the still-standing buildings and kneeled in front of him. +"How can we be of service?"+ n looked at the group, astounded, and noticed that Be was not kneeling. **Since she''s no longer part of Unus'' staff, she doesn''t respond to him, huh.** ra put both hands on her hips andughed out loud. "Muahaha! How about that, n ''Comatose'' Warden?! That''s the power of Unus'' Mayor for ya!" He grimaced. "Yeah, another brilliant move, but this isn''t your ''power'' per se..." "Huh? Of course it is. I''m Unus Mayor, remember?" n nced at Fabio, who was ordering the NPCs to equip themselves. **Amelia was right. As long as an NPC works at the Townhall, they be the Mayor.** "Attention, everyone!" ra yelled at the reunited group, grabbing n''s left shoulder. "Listen to our currentmander, here. He''ll tell you what to do!" "Loud and clear, Miss ra," Fabio said, snapping his fingers again. The ten NPCs under hismand then turned their gaze to n. "I thought you''d enjoy giving orders," n whispered. "Nah. I can''t givemands and record at the same time, dummy." "Fine..." n exhaled hard. "Guys, listen! There are currently five Users affected by an enemy spell! They have been brainwashed, so they''ll attack you as soon as they see you. So please, help me restrain them all without killing them!" "Can I rmend starting a Party Team?" Fabio said, stepping forward and smiling brightly, which made n wince. "That way everyone will hear your orders." **He looks just like a gentle version of Marco Souza...** "S-Sure," n replied, looking away. "Just don''t get too close to me, alright? Um... How do I initiate one?" **I have to send a quick message to Ricardo about what''s happening too.** "Unmute!" ra ordered her drone camera as she jumped to a rooftop. "Now, armed with reinforcements, our Hero will do everything in his power to capture and eventually break the curse tormenting this town! They''re not only his neighbors, he considers them his long-life friends, and... even family!" She covered her face and pretended to sob. "Hey, don''t dramatize too much! After we''re done with this, we''re going to have a long conversation about the way you use my public image!" "Here theye!" Be cried as Paul and the others affected charged against them. +"We are one. We act as a unit,"+ they said in unison. +++Party Team initiated. Have fun!+++ "It is done,mander," Fabio said, handing Sloochie to him. "Now you can buff us." He bowed his head and dashed towards the group. "Yeah, a buff... right..." n murmured. **The real Marco thought of me as garbage, and this one overestimates me... Or does he know something I don''t?** n jumped where ra was, from where he could see an eagle view of the battle, and opened his Status window. **Sometimes Anastasia knew about my Passive Skills without me telling her.** ++++Minion Master Lvl 2 -- Passive Skill Grants a 5% increase status to your minions. ++++ Puppet Master Lvl 1 -- Active Skill Gives you the ability to control a single minion and see through their eyes.++++ He opened a secondary window and opened the Guild''s tab, from where he could check Be''s stats. ++++Active Buff: Rally & Destroy 3 minutes 21 seconds remaining **They''re considered ''bots'' by the system, just like Anastasia, but neither of them is my ''minion'', and I gave Be to Amelia. My skills are useless on them...** He examined the possessed User''s movements, noticing that they did not fight like savages. **Instead, they fight exactly like the NPCs... A calcted, emotionless fighting style...** Serenity''s words still bothered him. **She mentioned something about her partner''s human side being her downfall... Right after telling me that her goal was to ''help'' humanity reach a new evolutionary... She even mentioned ''we'' this, and ''we'' that, multiple times. Why? Maybe the answer is that she''s not working for The Singr... Maybe, the Singr infected her, just like she ''affected'' these people. ** He gasped, getting ra''s attention. "Are you okay, Commander?" **The Singr entered The Novus through a Cryopod, right? But its situation is not the same as Ashely''s, because...** "They were still conscious..." he muttered without realizing it, making ra frown. **The person inside the Cryopod was still conscious when The Singr entered through it... If the real Serenity and her partner are being controlled by the Singr, or if they epted it willingly is irrelevant right now, what matters is that a human mind has... oh, god, help me...** He sat after feeling that his legs faltered. **They have fused by now! Serenity, or the Singr, or whatever new entity is right now, has learned how to copy herself inside the System! She will spread through other Users! Just like the virus it is!** "That shouldn''t be possible! This is clearly a glitch, Ricardo! Where the hell are you so you can fix this?!" "What''s wrong, n?" ra asked, grabbing his shoulder, but he was too absorbed in his thoughts. **Argh! For the first time in my life, I hate being this analytical! He pulled his hair and gritted his teeth. nytical... That''s how Abigail used to call me... Oh, Isabe I, Ashley, Amelia... Astrid... This situation is worse than I thought!** **Although my NPC allies outnumber these Users, their level is lower. We''ll inevitably lose the battle.** "What can I do?" ++"What would you like to do?"++ "I want to be of help... but I''m too weak..." ++"Even the weakest can be helpful."++ "If I don''t do something, the people under Serenity''s control will remain like this forever..." ++"Do you want to save everyone?" Is that the power you desire?"++ "YES! I want to--Wait... Who am I talking to?" He opened his eyes and turned to ra. It''s not her voice. He then looked down to Sloochie, resting in his arms. **Was that you?** ++"No, n. I am your Anima!"++ Chapter 68: The Novus’ brightest star

Chapter 68: The Novus'' brightest star

"If something goes wrong tonight, I''ll fucking freeze the entire ce." Kathleen Maher cried out while traversing the corridor, wearing her new blue ball gown dress. Her hair tied in an updo. "What could be wrong, Guild Master?" Joana said calmly while trying to keep her pace. "The Golden Bitch won''te tonight." "I fucking hope so," Kathleen grunted, stopping in front of the door that would lead her to the dining area. "I know her, she''de just to spite me now that everything is finally working out for me." She exhaled, puffing out her cheeks. "How do I look?" "Magnificent." Joana smiled warmly, before noticing that Kathleen was scrutinizing her outfit. Joana looked down to admire her sleeved ruched dress, before asking: "S-Should I change to something more modest, ma''am?" "On the contrary. Use the ck sleeveless mini dress you wore at William''s birthday. That way we''ll assure Sir Troy''s full attention." Joana reluctantly nodded and tapped on her User Interface, swapping her outfit in a matter of seconds. The dress'' fabric tightened her chest when it materialized. "Good, now we don''t look like a princess apanied by her freaking maid anymore. Let''s go," Kathleen said, examining Joana''s curvy body one more time. They got inside a crowded ballroom, where Kathleen instantly changed her cranky expression to a joyful one. "There she is!" Sir Troy, a tanned, tall, muscr, middle-aged man waved at her from atop a podium. "Why didn''t you tell me he was super hot," Joana whispered to her boss, who snickered. "Don''t get fooled, Jo," Kathleen replied, not forgetting to fake her smile. "He was a sweaty, fat, bald man back when I met him. Just keep that in mind." "Kathleen, congrattions for winning the Inferno Summer Cup. You''re the living representation of what hard work can achieve." "Sir Troy Sutton." She made a curtsy. "Thanks for inviting me tonight. And I don''t deserve all the credit. This time the team was led by my proteg¨¦, Joana Costello, here." "Oh, pardon me, miss. I didn''t recognize you without your battle gear." Sir Troy held Joana''s hand and kissed it. "Your cryomancy was a delight to see. You''re really learning from the best." "A pleasure to meet you, Sir Troy," Joana said, blushing, making Kathleen roll her eyes. *** ** * "This sucks," a woman groaned from her seat, far away from the host and his new guests. "Being here is a bore! At least we''ll get a free fancy dinner." "Mind your manners, Emily," Calvin Sherman said while adjusting his sses. "If we get kicked out by yourck of finesse, I will disband the guild immediately." "Yeah, right," Emily Dominguez said after munching snacks. "Look at us. We quickly rose to the top 100 just by merging. 100. You need me as much as I need you." "As much as it pains me to ept it, it''s true. At least behave until the ceremony ends, please." "Why hasn''t it started yet?" Emily moaned, mming her forehead against the table. "I''m hungry!" "I heard something that could make the wait worthwhile, Miss Dom¨ªnguez," Tristan, Calvin''s right hand man said, covering his mouth. "It seems they''ll do a raffle." "A raffle? I wonder what the prize could be," Carol, Emily''s best friend said, tapping her Guild Master''s shoulder. "Doesn''t that cheer you up a bit?" "Who cares," Emily said, face glued to the table. "I never win those, anyway." "Well," Calvin chuckled, "I don''t want to sound pretentious, but back in my Earthly Life, I used to be extremely lucky with chance games." "And I never got what I wanted from gacha games..." Emily groaned, before receiving a system notification. She absently tapped it, immediately hearing a female voice banging inside her head. ++"Emily, I need your help!"++ ra Dominguez cried through video chat. "W-what! What is it?!" "Who''s calling you?" Carol asked. "It''s just ra. It seems she''s in trouble. Here, I''ll put her on speaker mode. So! What do you need, Sis? I''m in the middle of a g, you see! Did you call to congratte me for--?" ++"There''s no time for--Wait, what? Did you win the Inferno cup?"++ "Of course! We got to tenth ce," Emily said, puffing her chest. ++"Tenth ce is not winning, Em. Not even close."++ "Oh, yeah? I''d love to see you try!" "Is it my imagination, or do these two sound alike?" Tristan whispered to Carol, who sighed. "You should have seen them in the same ce back in the day. Those were truly dark times." Carol pointed at the pdin, by their side, whose mustache was twitching. "Just look at Calvin. I bet he''s experiencing some kind of PTSD just by hearing the sister''s voice again." "Whatever," Emily shrugged, while munching a snack. "Why did you call again?" ++"Oh, right! Where are you?"++ "Iregorn. Why?" ++"Because I need your--!"++ "Is that who I think it is?" Carol said, gasping, getting Emily''s attention. From the double doors entered someone whose presence seemed to light the entire room, apanied by two girls who posed behind her. "Cosmic!" the neers cried, getting cheers from everyone present. "Miss Cosmica! Miss Cosmica is here!" Emily shouted, getting emotional. ++"What?!"++ ra made herself be heard despite the noise. ++"Turn the Video window that way, Sis! Let me see!"++ "I''ll call youter, bye." ++"Don''t you da--!"++ *** ** * "Joana," Kathleen whispered to her Second in Command without taking her eyes away from the celebrity. "Pinch me." Joana did as she was told, getting her fingers frostbitten. "Ouch, Kathleen! Turn your Passive Skill off before asking me something like that!" "What is Miss Cosmica doing here?" Kathleen asked Sir Troy, who chuckled. "After the tournament ended, I invited her to announce the raffle''s winner, not expecting much. But she said she had no other ns for tonight, and here she is!" The man paused to admire Kathleen''s expression. "Are you a fan, miss?" "Are you kidding?" Kathleen said, grimly, before screaming in a childish tone. "I''m her biggest fan! Do you think I could hold her hand?" Sir Troyughed out loud. "I''ll ask her to join us for dinner. How about that?" "Thank you so much, Sir Troy! I''d appreciate it!" "You''ve earned it. Isn''t that right, miss Joana?" he said, grabbing her shoulder softly. Joana gave him a short smile before concentrating on the one surrounded by people. As Miss Cosmica strolled through the crowd, her twopanions, dressed in the same style, advanced in front of her, making the way. Their dresses showed a gxy with blinking stars, and their hair sparkled at every of their gracious moves. **So those two are not only her dance partners, they''re also her bodyguards,** Joana thought, trying to look at their statuses with her ''Eye of the Sage'' Active Skill, but it was useless. **As expected from someone with resources.** "Sir Troy! What a lovely night, don''t you think?" Miss Cosmica said in a melodic voice. "Oh, what do we have here? The leader of the Death Bringers'' guild, the winners of this tournament. Nice to meet you!" Kathleen froze for a second before reaching out her hand. "N-nice to m-meet you!" she said in a barely audible voice. "I--I''m your fan..." "You are?" Miss Cosmica intoned, brightly. "I''m the one that should say that! I''m a fan of every guild run by women, and I''ve been following your career almost since the very beginning." "Oh!" Kathleen beamed, speechless, as Joana squinted to see the idol''s features. **I was right. Marissa was just ying a prank on me. ** Joana discretely opened her User Interface and consulted the picture Marissa Lamme had sent her weeks ago. **Yeah, now that I have the real deal in front of me, this picture looks like a poor imitation.** Miss Cosmica''s signature pink hair moved at her back like moving in water, and looking into her eyes was like staring into the deep of space. Joana felt a gaze and quickly nced at one of the beautiful bodyguards, who were vigntly watching their surroundings. "We can keep talking at our table," Sir Troy said gantly, offering an arm to the celebrity. "Join us, Kat!" the idol said joyfully, reaching out a hand to her. "I''m starving!" "O-Of course, thanks! What''s your favorite dessert?" Kathleen asked, grabbing her hand as if they were old friends. "That''s a troublesome question because Idols do not eat. Nah! Who am I kidding! I love pudding. You?" "Me too! You shoulde to my restaurant bar at Fleure someday. It''s called the Drinking Banshee, and we serve the best apple pie in all The Novus." "I would love to!" **She''s not even mad that she''s not the major focus anymore,** Joana thought, following her boss, while the bodyguards heeled them. *** ** * Being done with dinner, Miss Cosmica promised Kathleen to take a picture together after finishing her work. The idol then stood on the podium, grabbed a microphone, and spoke in a sweet voice. "How''s everyone? Are you having fun?" The crowd cheered for her, especially the Crusaders United''s table, from which Emily was the loudest. "I love you, Miss Cosmica! Please, be my girlfriend!" "I''m sorry, but I can''t be anyone''s girlfriend, because I already have someone I love!" +"The Milky Way!"+, everyone cried out. She chuckled. "You know me well, tee-hee. Now, listen. After a day full of battles and action, we must not forget that we are all part of a family. The Novus family. Like our host, Sir Troy has said before, thesepetitions'' main goal is to train the next generation of leaders, for something greater awaits us once our vessel reaches its destination. So this is a personal request I have for the 10 best guilds reunited here. When our slumber finally ends, and we descend to unchartednds, would you help us achieve a better future?" +"Yes! We''ll do it!"+ "Would you be the new cornerstones of humanity?!" +"Leave it to us, Miss Cosmica!"+ "How encouraging it is to hear you all so motivated!" "Everything for you, Miss Cosmica," Kathleen whispered, to which Joana rolled her eyes. "Motivating the young is an important part of achieving this mission. Don''t you think, miss Joana?" Sir Troy said, cing a hand on her thigh. "Y-Yes. I agree, Sir." **Dammit, Kat. I didn''t mind knowing his looks were a lie, but I didn''t expect that his personality would be the ssic ''old geezer with money''! I should have known better when you asked me to change outfits.** "Are you going to eat that?" one of the idol''spanions asked, a young woman of purple hair and joyous attitude, leaning to Sir Troy''s side of the table. "You can have it," the man said, mildly smiling and removing his hand immediately. Joana thanked the girl in secret, whose gaze was concentrated on her food. "Now, a little surprise from our sponsor!" Miss Cosmica said, pointing to her left, where something was being hidden under a curtain. "We''re going to make a raffle for those guilds that got from fourth to tenth ce! I hope this prize can motivate you all to keep training!" The curtains fell, revealing a magnificent Flying Mount, engulfed in bright fire, making Joana choke on her drink after seeing it. Chapter 69: Phantom Seekers’ First Stream

Chapter 69: Phantom Seekers'' First Stream

"Now, a little surprise from our sponsor!" Miss Cosmica said, pointing to her left, where something was being hidden under a curtain. "We''re going to make a raffle for those guilds that got from fourth to tenth ce! I hope this prize can motivate you all to keep training!" The curtains fell, revealing a magnificent Flying Mount, engulfed in bright fire, making Joana choke on her drink after seeing it. "Are you okay, miss?" Troy said, holding her by the shoulders. "What''s wrong with you?" Kathleen whispered. "Don''t embarrass me, you heard?" "I-I''m o-okay. Thanks, Sir." Joana gulped her drink and stared in shock at the phoenix in the room''s corner. "Excuse me, Sir. Can I ask you a question?" "Anything, miss Joana." "Where did you get that mount?" "Do you fancy it? It''s unique, isn''t it? Astrid Bradford sold it to me," he said, rubbing his chin. "It''s the least I could do after cutting ties with her guild. That gold won''t solve all of her problems, but at least she promised not to hold a grudge against me. Since I needed something for the raffle anyway, I said, why not? Business is business." "I see..." Joana muttered, ncing at her boss, who was unaware of the mount''s history. *** ** * "I said that I can''t hear you!" Emily was saying aloud to her sister through video chat. ++"I said, they''re destroying my town!!"++ ra cried while pointing her drone camera at what happened around her. Emily snickered. "What town? The one you are an auto-proimed mayor?" ++"I am the mayor!"++ "And the winner is... Crusaders United!" Miss Cosmica''s voice was heard through the speakers. Calvin rose and adjusted his suit before taking a step. "See? I still got it." He snickered. "N-NO! None of that!" Emily jumped out her seat and tackled him, tossing him into the ground. "You''re not even a fan of her, jackass!" "What lovely camaraderie," Miss Cosmicamented while Emily ran to the podium, getting a chuckle out of everyone. "What''s your name, sweetheart?" "I''m Emily Dominguez! Crusaders United''s Guild Master!" "Co-leader!" Calvin could be heard shouting from his ce. "We''re both the leaders!" "Well, Emily," Miss Cosmica continued, instructing an NPC to get close. "Your guild is now the owner of ''The Emperor''s Messenger'', a legendary grade Flying Mount!" "And the first step to conquer this world," Emily murmured, receiving the Summoning Gem from the NPC. "Oh, Miss Cosmica, I could kiss you right now..." "Okay," the idol shrugged, and gave her a quick smooch in the lips, leaving Emily and the crowd speechless. "You got it, Emily!" Carol cried, and the rest pped and cheered for her. ++"Did you kiss Miss Cosmica!"++ ra cried from her video chat, still active. ++"I hope someone took a photo, so I can pretend it''s me!"++ "Who''s that?" Miss Cosmica asked, leaning to Emily. "Oh, this is just my annoying twin sister, alleging someone is destroying her town. It''s the Beginner''s Town, so who cares?" "I care," Miss Cosmica said, frowning. "Everyone in the Eur region started there. It''s a ce full of positive memories." ++"Well said, queen!"++ ra cried from the video chat. "B-But of course!" Emily corrected her posture. "Who could target such an innocent town, right? I''ll erge the video, so we can--If I can manage to..." "Do you need assistance?" the nearby NPC asked. As everyone shared whispers, Miss Cosmica stepped aside and turned off the microphone to exhale. "The way you treat your fans is so endearing," Kathleen said to her, handing her a cup. "You think so?" the idol asked, staring at the drink. "But of course," Kathleen continued, blushing. "I wish I could also..." "Come on, Sis," Emily said to ra. "I got you an audience, so don''t mess it up." The NPC projected a double-faced video in front of the podium, and ra''s voice could be heard through the ce''s speakers. ++"You did? Thanks, sis, I love you!"++ ra cleared her throat before staring at the camera. ++"Viewer discretion is advised,"++ she said in a deep tone of voice, grabbed the camera, and captured the dozens of buildings buried in the ground. ++"This is what happens when High-Levelers think they can do whatever the hell they want. And this is only half of the story. Remember the Renovatio Caves? From where everyone started from?"++ ra focused in the distance and zoomed the camera to show Caeruleum Mountain and the woods surrounding it, from where a violent fire could be seen. "This is horrible," Miss Cosmica said through the microphone before Emily snatched it from her hands. "Oh, what a tragedy! If there could only be a valiant guild that could beat those bad guys! Unus Mayor, Do you need the assistance from the Crusaders United?!" ra stared into the camera, a concerned expression on her face, before grinning ear to ear. ++"There''s no need for that, for Unus Town has its own local heroes. The Phantom Seekers!"++ The camera focused on a young man''s back, sitting on the ground, while a girl with tinum hair crouched in front of him. ++"See?! Their valorous Guild Master is currently epting the enemy''s surrender terms! Oh, what''s this?!"++ A secondter, the ghost-looking girl rose, as the aforementioned leader seemed to sink into the ground. ++"Oh, no! Could this be the end of n Warden?!"++ While watching the video feed, Miss Cosmica gulped her drink in one go. "Another," she ordered to an NPC, who swiftly brought her another cup. "Someone''s thirsty," Kathleen whispered to her, half-smiling. The scene was followed by a burst of blue fire impacting the enemy, helping the young man escape. ++"Reinforcements have arrived, everyone! The gorgeous, the fearless, Amelia Lamme!"++ "Look who it is... Yep, that town is totally fucked," Kathleen sneered, before whispering to the idol. "If those poor souls in Unus Town need help, I could send my men right away and get rid of the issue in a heartbeat. What do you say?" "Yes," Miss Cosmica said absently, not taking her eyes off the transmission. "It''s clear that the Administrator of Conduct won''t interfere again, just like what happened in Londorus. But that''s totally fine, for it''s wrong to depend on her to solve every Novus'' issue. If we are in the presence of injustice or abuse of power and do nothing, then we''re no different from the offenders." Kathleen stared at her, captivated. "Such wise words, friend." "Y-yeah..." the idol said, taking a sip. ++"My ''Spectacle Senses'' are tingling!"++ ra cried from the streaming and ordered her drone camera to get closer, at the exact moment Amelia approached her Guild Master to kiss him on the lips. A synchronized sound was heard from two different ces in the ballroom. Miss Cosmica had spat out her drink all over Kathleen''s face, as her purple-haired bodyguards had done too, all over Sir Troy''s suit. Joana jumped out of her seat immediately to aid her. "L-Let''s go to clean you up, Guild Master." "O-okay..." Kathleen muttered, in a state of shock, letting her proteg¨¦ lead the way. Meanwhile, the ten guilds reunited there chuckled, watching n''s reaction: ++"Y-You stole my first kiss!"++ "End the stream," Miss Cosmica ordered to Emily, who frowned. "S-sure." The idol exhaled, snatched the microphone out of Emily''s hands, and stepped forward. "Guys?" she began in a soft voice. "What are we doing here, mesmerized by such a show?! We should go help them!" But her words did not resonate with the guild leaders reunited there, who whispered between each other. +"Is she being serious?"+ +"How far is Unus, anyway? Like a 2-hour flight at full speed?"+ Miss Cosmica bit her lower lip and stomped her right feet, causing a strenuous echo that startled them. "An entire town is being destroyed and you don''t even bat an eye?! Have you forgotten what you''ve promised to me?! The citizens of Unus aren''t in mortal danger, yes, but we shouldn''t be minimizing their problems in the first ce! We all formed guilds because we have something to protect, don''t we?! So if that n fe is doing his best to protect his town despite his low level, does that mean he''s braver than us?" "Say no more, Commander," a buffed, long-haired man said, tapping the floor with his sword''s hilt. "The Eternal Cavalry will provide any help necessary." "The sma Knights at yourmand, Miss Cosmica!" When more guilds answered her call, Miss Cosmica turned to Emily, who maintained a dumbfounded expression. "Miss Emily, share your sister''s streaming link so we can follow the battle while we get there." "R-right away, Commander!" "If you don''t hurry up, I''ll leave you behind, turtles!" the idol said joyfully before dropping the mic, causing a strenuous sound. The majority of the guilds stormed to the exit, as the rest remained in their seats. "The ceremony is over, right?" a bulky man said to his guild, folding his arms. "We don''t have to go." "Pussy!" Emily Dominguez cried to him, passing him by. "What did you say, ''Last ce''?" "Let''s go, guys!" Emily said to her guild, quickly devouring the rest of her dinner. "It''s a personal request by Miss Cosmica, we have to go!" "Not so fast, Emily," Calvin said, raising his chin. "Give me the mount." "No way! It''s the perfect opportunity to use it!" "After the humiliation you made me go through, considering we''re going to help your annoying sister, and ounting for the little extra gift you received from the pop star, the least you can do is give me that mount." "Give it to him, Em," Carol agreed, making Emily bite her lower lip. "Fine, I don''t like it anyway, jackass!" *** ** * Miss Cosmica stomped out of the ballroom, making her high heels echo strenuously on the hallway. Her twopanions rushed to her side. "Are you okay, boss?" the gal withvender hair said, giggling. "You look concerned." "I''m fine," the pop star replied, forming fists. "Nebuline?" The purple-hairedpanion nodded. "Yes, boss?" Miss Cosmica turned to her, showing a re in her lit eyes. "Investigate what''s happening. Now." *** ** "That fucking bitch," Kathleen muttered from outside the restroom, watching the celebrity take off. "I bet she did it on purpose." "I-I don''t think that''s the case, Guild Master." Joana tried to calm her by holding her by the shoulders, but Kathleen was already channeling something. Snowkes could be seen hovering around them. "Don''t do it, Kat." "I wonder how much gold she''s holding right now. It''d be a waste if she suddenly loses a fortune! Major Ice Crafting!" Kathleen stomped, sending forward dozens of spikes in a straight trajectory. "Celestine?" Miss Cosmica called, and hervender-hairedpanion stood in the way. When the ice stgmites finally reached their destination, Kathleen grinned wickedly, imagining their bodies impaled. But the ice melted at a rapid speed in front of Celestine, as if she had absorbed the spell with her bare hands. **I knew it,** Joana thought, exhaling. **Those are not regr dancers. They''re her bodyguards.** When thest remaining snowke melted away, Celestine chuckled childishly, waving at Kathleen. "That spell of yours is quite dangerous. But it was just a prank, right? You should be careful next time. You would have gotten in trouble if you hurt Novus'' brightest star." "What did you say?! Do you think I''m afraid of some--!" Kathleen did not finish her sentence, after meeting Miss Cosmica''s gaze in the distance. Those eyes were of someone who was not afraid of getting their hands dirty. Kathleen pursed her lips before falling on her knees, frustrated. "I''ll never buy something with your face on it ever again, did you hear me?! I''ll follow Lady Unicorn from now on, you bitch!" "But Kathleen..." Joana muttered. "Lady Unicorn is not as good." "S-SHUT UP!" Chapter 70: Ghost in the Machine

Chapter 70: Ghost in the Machine

Time slowed down like when an Administrator was nearby. **But the voicees from within me.** ++"I''m your Anima, n!"++ ++"My what now?"++ ++"I''m The Embodiment of your Unique Talent. You have surely read the Novus'' Guide to Combat everyone gets when starting their adventure!"++ ++"Nope."++ ++"Oh. Would you like me to start the tutorial?"++ ++"I don''t have time for that! You said you could help me save everyone. Do something then!"++ ++"I can''t do that yet. I''m still just an idea. A desire. Your wish to be strong."++ ++"You said that even the weakest can be helpful."++ ++"There are many ways of bing strong, n. Like having the ability to be a leader, and to guide others to victory."++ ++"Amelia''s Belphy mentioned something about her Unique Talent, ''Pyrokic-Something'', the ability to transform fire into steel. Would you be able to teach me to do something like that?"++ ++"There are different kinds of Unique Talents. We are born thanks to the Users'' desire to grow."++ ++"Wait a second, you''re just a Novus'' AI assistant..."++ ++"YOUR personal AI assistant!" the disembodied voice said cheerfully. It sounded like a young boy. "Listen, n, you cannot choose your Unique Talent out of a list. It must be born from your psyche. Just imagine the best version of yourself! Who are you, n Warden? What are you best at?"++ ++"I''ve... Always been good at fixing things. I spent so much time working as Abigail''s assistant that I didn''t have time to make friends outside the Kintech Labs... I never understood people, but I understood robots. Abigail warned me that if I didn''t find a bnce between humanmunication and working with machines, I''d end up just like Dad... And maybe she was right. When the Singr thing started, it fascinated me to an extent."++ ++"Do you still prefer thepany of machines rather than that of humans, n?"++ ++"It''splicated... I love machines, but they can''tpare to people, especially now that I''ve met a lot of interesting fes... I''m not stupid, I know that machines have been created to serve us, and yet I respect them. ++ >>They do not feel pain, but I''ll rush to fix them as quickly as possible, anyway. I don''t like seeing them in a bad state, so I''ll upgrade them even if they are pretty much obsolete. I''m not afraid to send them to the front lines if that means saving a single human life, because I know that in the end, I can patch them up... Unlike people, who are easy to break... >>For that very reason I''ve spent most of my life living among them, so others can live to their fullest. We''ve been living in codependency for thest 100 years, but AIs like the Singr have ruined the bnce. I must stop it."++ ++"Do you really love machines, n?"++ ++"Well, they''re a wed mirror of ourselves after all."++ ++++Congrattions! You have unlocked your Unique Talent!++++ ++"It is done, n. It just needs a name!"++ ++"Aaron."++ ++"Is that the name you have chosen for your Unique Talent?"++ ++"Huh? No, you''re Aaron. The UT will be called..."++ A sudden flow of blue energy surrounded n''s entire body, making ra step back. He opened his eyes, and something resembling a round spirit no bigger than his head manifested out of his back. It sprouted short, baby-like limbs, and when its head came out, it took the form of a skull with blue shining orbs as eyes, covered by goggles. Its clothes resembled a maskless yellow hazmat suit. ++++Thoughtform sessfully created! Anima''s Code Name:+++ "I''m Aaron. Nice to meet you, n," the spirit said with the voice of a preteen boy. "Just say your Unique Talent out loud and I will be able to help you." "Ghost in the Machine," n pronounced, as his green eyes glowed full of energy. "Is that an Anima?" ra muttered, focusing the camera on him. "It is! A-n! Don''t tell me you unlock your UT just now?!" n did not pay attention to her and focused on the battlefield instead. "Aaron, how can we help our allies?" "Scanning," Aaron said, adjusting his goggles. "Out of the 11 NPC allies, 3 have been eliminated. Here is a list of the current battle participants. Allies'' average level: 20... Enemies'' average level: 33." n skimmed through Aaron''s window report. "Can we buff our team?" "You are already buffing them thanks to a Team Aura. ''Ghost in the Machine'' increases their overall stats by 5% while it''s active. Do you want to name this Passive Boost?" "''Extended Warranty''!" n intoned. "But it''s not enough. I need them to be strong enough to restrain them." "We could rearrange their stats, but only if they ept these changes. This effect would remain active only while Ghost in the Machine remains active." "Show me." A more extensive system screen appeared in front of n, listing every single NPC ally, including Be, and a summary of their status. **All right, let''s see... ''Strength'' and ''Agility'' are pretty straightforward. If I remember correctly, ''Vitality'' refers to how much damage someone can take and endurance... ''Spirit'' it''s the value that determines how much mana one can hold, and... What the hell is this?** "Aaron? What does ''Potential'' do?" "It is automatically calcted by the system ording to your overall feats. We will not be able to change it, though." "So basically, the bigger its value, the more awesome one is? It''s okay. Let''s increase their Vitality." "Which stats should be lowered?" "Agility and Strength. They won''t need them." "Requesting Permission. What should we call this Active Skill?" "Modding." On the battlefield, Fabio received Aaron''s System Notification. "Excellent idea, Commander," Fabio said, nodding, and instructed the rest of the NPCs to also ept the request. Be did as well, immediately. As n watched their stats changing in real-time on the virtual window, he shouted through Party Chat: "Don''t let them fight! Disarm them and restrain them!" ra winced at the sight of a male NPC getting purposely stabbed in the stomach to capture the enemy''s sword. "n, this won''t end well." "True! Aaron? We need something else to incapacitate the enemy!" "We could use the electric spell Zap that stuns the enemy for a couple of seconds. Scanning... Only two of our allies know the spell. We could copy the ability from them and install it on the others. These NPCs will forget the skill as soon as the battle ends, though." "Do it." "What should we call this--?" "File Sharing!" "Download... Complete... Instation... Complete." A sudden burst of heat hit n''s entire body. His forehead and ears turned bright red, as if they would fume at any second. His heart began racing at full speed, and a dizziness brought him to his knees. **As if my brain and every cell of my body had been used topensate for all this puting'' power Aaron requires...** "A-n?! Are you okay?" ra rushed to aid him, noticing he looked at the brink of fainting. "I-I''m okay! Guys, use Zap and give them a good shake!" From his ce, he witnessed multiple shes of electricity. The most skilled NPCs would send bolts of electricity out of their hands, while others emanated sparkles from all over their body as they hugged their opponents. "We have lost 2 more allies, n." **It''s okay! Thisst move has helped us disarm the Users and paralyze them, hopefully for long enough to apply a Full Nelson on them.** "What should we do next, n?" Aaron asked, floating beside him. n shut his eyes. **Ricardo Silva has failed me, so I''ll have to depend on the next best option.** He then stood up and turned to ra''s drone camera. "Oh, something you want to say to our spectators, n Warden?" She grinned, excited. "Yes." He gave a deep breath before yelling: "Jane Andersen, where are you, you loli bitch?!" "Jane Andersen?" ra muttered, trembling. "As in the Administrator of Conduct? It''s just a coincidence, right? Y-You''d never offend an Administra--" A humming sound was heard behind them, followed by a high-pitched voice: "TURN OFF!" The drone camera fell to the ground, as a girl stepped out of a recently opened portal. "She''s here!" ra cried, hiding behind n''s back. "Just to be clear, I, her manager, do not condone the use of the word bitch in our live stre--" "SHUT UP!" Jane Andersen yelled, making her voice sound louder than a lightning explosion for a second. "Was it fun, n Warden? Did you enjoy your little show while itsted?" n did not flinch, instead, he pointed to the sunk town. "Why haven''t you done something about this?" "Excuse me?" "Is indiscriminately attacking an entiremunity okay for the Administrator of Conduct?!" "Oh, dear..." ra murmured behind him, making Jane chuckle. "For a moment, I forgot you''ve been AFK all this time. You there, ''Manager'', why don''t you tell him before I drag his ass to oblivion?" "n," ra began in a tiny voice, "it''s been a while since the Administrator of Conduct announced she''d no longer pursue what she considers ''petty'' crimes..." "Exactly! After spending three whole years trying to teach you all some manners and dealing with your shit!" Jane paused to snicker. "After all, my ''Anti-Bad Behaviour System'' has singlehandedly reduced sexual assaults to almost zero, and helped me catch every serial killer inside Safe Zones." She looked around. "That''s why these kinds of little skirmishes are permitted." "Little?" "It''ll teach you perseverance and adaptation." n shook his head, enraged. "I thought the Novus was designed with teamwork in mind! This foments nothing but future in-fighting between thousands of Users!" Jane crossed her arms and exhaled, as if she was talking to a child. "Nooo. This''ll teach you that we won''t be able to babysit you at all times. If you can''t deal with your own shit, and work together, what do you expect to do against a third party?" **Third parties? What the hell does that even mean?** n pursed his lips, ncing at the restrained Users. **Although she may act indifferent, she came immediately, as if she had been keeping an eye on the situation. You care about all of us in your own way, don''t you?** "What do you do with the constant offenders?" "You mean, the really ''stubborn'' brats? I put a cor on them, irremovable while inside the system. Once this is all done, the cryopod will install a physical one on them before letting them go, as an extra precaution." "So, you don''t imprison people?" "Imprisonment is a very archaic way to deal with rotten apples. The cor works as a better punishment, you see. It prevents them from getting over 100,000 gold. It electrocutes them as soon as they try to behave badly again, and it tells everyone that sees them what they really are on the inside." "I see..." n swallowed, ncing at the restrained Users. "If you put cors on them, would they be able to live a normal life?" Jane Andersen nced at the captured citizens, squinting. "This is between your guild and those two Users, right? Why would I--?" n stepped forward to whisper in her ear. ra could do nothing but watch. Jane winced. "Why should I believe such bullshit?" "I was AFK, remember? Connect the dots." Jane''s young face expressed disbelief, before changing into a grimace, followed by an angry frown. "Who else knows about this?" "Ricardo Silva." **Sorry, Ricardo, but I can''t lie to her. I have to bet on Jane for the sake of these people and follow this bitter decision to the end.** "It won''t be an issue to put a cor on these people. I can remove them whenever I want." She nodded, jumped down gracefully,nding without making a sound. She then strolled to each of the affected, and with a single touch on their heads, a red cor appeared on their necks. "You have been restrained by the Administrator of Conduct, Jane Andersen. Sentence indefinite. Your penalty: Not being able to leave this town." After watching them all get sleepy, n cried joyfully: "You did it!" He jumped down and dashed towards her. "Thank you so much, Ja--!" Jane swiftly turned to him and touched the tip of his nose. "Restrained," she intoned, putting a cor on him too. "Sentence: One week. Penalty: Constipation." "Oh,e on! What for?!" "For calling me a you-know-what on Livestream." "F-Fine! As long as they--" n shut his mouth and suddenly fell on his butt. Aaron also disappeared as if he had never existed. "Am I getting sleepy too?" "It''s just the fatigue from overusing your UT," ra said, helping him stand up. "Oh, I see. Jeezus! I haven''t felt this tired in a--Wait! This isn''t over yet! The User that did this is still out there!" "The one that you suspect to be... you know what?" Jane looked in the distance, where a gigantic two-headed dragon leveled the terrain around it, in its attempt to destroy something resembling a distant blue firefly. "Fine, I''ll help you restrain her too." "Oh, man! Did you hear that ra? We''ll see one of the Administrators in action! This is going to be epic!" "Awesome! J-Just let me get my camera, alright?!" "You''re getting all hyped up for nothing." Jane sneered. "You guys still have to do all the heavy work and drag her ass to me so I can put a cor on her." n''s enthusiast died instantly. "What do you mean? You''re an Administrator. You can surely defeat her in the blink of an eye." Jane cleared her throat while folding her arms, turning serious. "We... don''t havebat power." "HUH?!" n and ra cried out in unison. "Not everyone knows about this, so keep it a secret, understood?!" **I suppose the developers established this restriction so they wouldn''t abuse their power.** "So everything relies on Amelia now," ra said, looking in the distance. "There''s someone else helping us," n added, feeling reinvigorated. "Someone that hasn''t been affected like the others. She''s still fighting out there." He opened his User Interface, checking a recent message from Ashley: ++Ashley: I found her.++ Chapter 71: Remembrance

Chapter 71: Remembrance

Without prior notice, the doctor exited that white-walled room and was reced by a woman wearing a formal military uniform. **I bet she''s a Special Agent,** the girl thought as that woman took a seat and handed out an electronic tablet with a contract disyed on it. "You need to sign this," the woman said without ever introducing herself. The girl reluctantly skimmed through it before giving up. **I hardly understand half of what''s written here. At least the doctor exined it to me in and simple.** "Any questions?" the woman asked after seemingly waiting enough. "Given your current condition, I think this is a pretty great deal, don''t you think? You''ll be able to enjoy the wonders of such utopia and--" "What you''re all asking of me may never happen, right?" the girl interrupted, making the woman wince. "I could be kept plugged in indefinitely, right?" "You''re correct," the woman replied, forcing a smile. "Our department is all about taking things a little too far, after all, so let''s think positively and wish that everything''s going to be alright, forever. Okay?" **To be honest, I don''t really care what happens to me in the end... I just want to forget this freaking pain for as much time as possible.** "There," the girl said after pushing her footprint on the tablet. "Would this be all?" "Yes, we''re done," the woman replied, grabbing the contract. She then stood out and saluted. "In the name of the entire Internal Security Department, we salute you, Ms. Yates. For humanity''s future." **''Pretty great deal'', huh? Fuck off...** *** ** * * ** *** Darkness, everywhere she turned her gaze to, and yet she moved swiftly through that shadow realm, ignoring the currents trying to slow her down. As for the monstrous guards relentlessly pursuing her, they gave up as soon as it was apparent that she could use the fourth-dimensional space to her advantage. **A group of simple AIs born inside the Novus, assigned to guard a maze created by an external intelligence... Their ipatibility should have been evident from the start, and yet she used them?** **This carelessness is quite... exasperating? Is that the word I was looking for? I am using my enemy''s ineptitude to my benefit, so why was the first thing I think of?** Leaving those thoughts aside for another time, the Advanced Fifth-Generation AI currently using Ashley Yates'' avatar, continued forward, toward the destination her tracking skill lead her to. Eventually, she noticed light reaching her surroundings, as if she had left behind the depths of a sea of darkness, and finally found the reaching surface. Isabe II disced herself upward, finding a silhouette engulfed in light. **Target located. But I cannot get out just yet, for I have to find the best way to deal with this woman in a single move. I''ll analyze the situation for the time being.** On the other side of that dark dimension, the real Serenity was sitting on a throne made with her own shadow, securely watching the distant battle through multiple floating video windows while constantly stuffing her mouth with potato chips. "Why don''t you die already?!" she yelled in front of a window, and her voice could be heard too in the distance,ing from her remote-controlled dragon. Still hiding inside Serenity''s own shadow, Ashley examined the contents of each system window. One listed User names and their status, another showed Serenity''s dragon HP and mana bars constantly shing and getting depleted, and the biggest three disyed live video feeds of the fight. **Two of them must be what each of the dragon''s heads can see. The third shows an eagle view of their target, so it must be from a camera or a flying monster that she controls.** Ashley silently watched what was happening two miles from their position: A blue-haired Amelia Lamme was battling the two-headed monster, Draquinox. Thanks to her magic wings made of blue fire, she dodged any attack it threw at her and counterattacked ordingly, wielding a de as big as her. "But I know you''re getting tired..." Serenity murmured after tapping the mute icon on the window titled Battle Chat. "You can''t trick me. I know you''re at your limit... So tell me, why are you doing all this?" She giggled, erging another video feed, showing n running across a scorched field. "Is he the reason, I wonder? Tee-hee. Well, if that''s the case, you''re getting in my way, bitch..." With a sudden grimace on her face, Serenity brought forth Draquinox''s control panel andmanded the white head to fire a quickser-beam breath that Amelia shielded from with ease. "Nothing you''ve seen before, right? You already know my dragon''s attack patterns," Serenity murmured, increasing the beam''s intensity. Soon after, the flying camera tracking Amelia, showed her getting pushed to ground level. Then, a shockwave reverberated through the entirety of the Beginner''s Area as the beam of light bury the Pyromancer deep into the earth. For the people living in adjacent towns, the bright explosion looked as if the sun was already rising but from the wrong direction. Serenity turned the microphone on, letting her high-pitchedugh be heard through thend. ++"How about that?! What trick did you use to kick Scarlett''s ass, huh?! Because by watching yourck of firepower, I refuse to believe that you beat her fair and square! Just take a look at my Draquinox! You haven''tid a single scratch on--!"++ The flying camera stopped focusing on the increasing crater and began tracking something flying upward, pushing Draquinox''sser breath back. Serenity then noticed the dragon''s HP dropping significantly as the video feed showed Amelia entering the monster''s maw at extreme velocity anding out of its nape. A zoomed-in image revealed that she had armed herself with an improvised blue version of her Stranded Hell Princess mechanical suit. Draquinox''s twin head then cried agonizingly as if it was promising to get its revenge. ++"Did. You. Dare. Hurt. My. BABY?!"++ Serenity sounded livid through the monster''s ''speaker''. ++"YOU FUCKING, INSIGNIFICANT, PIECE OF--Nah, just kidding!"++ She suddenly giggled, as the dragon exerted a dark aura. ++"Major Dark Crafting, Reverse Hollow!"++ Everything in a one-mile radius turned ck instantly, something Serenity had done before, but this time it even absorbed the light in its proximity. The video window focusing on Amelia showed her struggling with that sudden rise of magical pressure. Her spine leaned forward and her limbs hung down as if her body weight had multiplied. She then got rid of the Stranded Hell Princess'' suit while her Super Form dwindled. "O-Okay, this is new!" Amelia eximed as her hair returned to red. Even her battle dress, magic wings, and legendary staff disappeared into thin air. Completely drained of energy, she copsed onto the enormous dragon''s back, unable to move. ++"Did you enjoy that brief feeling of sess while itsted, Lamme?"++ Serenity teased as the dragon twisted its head to lock its ferocious gaze on the fallen pyromancer. ++"Did you feel ecstatic when you turned the battle around? Tee-hee. Well, I have news for you. Although I''d normally enjoy ripping you piece by piece as revenge for what you did to me back in Londorus, I''m afraid that I''ll leave it for another time. So let my dragon chew you slowly until you''re nothing but a bloody pulp."++ ++"Ashley?"++ Amelia called through Party Chat. ++"A little help here? I--I''ve reached my limit."++ ++"I''m on it."++ Isabe II fastly reached out a hand out of the shadow concealing her and began casting. **Yes. I can use that.** "Indexing..." Isabe spoke inside the shadow realm, and a system window with an extensive list of Serenity''s abilities and passive skills popped up in front of her. Isabe II did not even skim it, for the desired,st-used spell was at the top of the list. She took a moment to make a call before activating it. ++"n, where''s your current position?"++ ++"I''m about to reach that damn dragon! You?"++ ++"I''ll leave Amelia in your hands then. Be prepared."++ ++"Why? What''s going to happen?"++ +++++++The enemy''s Active Skill was sessfully copied to the clipboard. The ''Pisces'' System will apply the correct Element and mana requirement automatically.+++++ **I salute you, Ashley Yates.** "Reverse Hollow," Isabe II pronounced quietly, alerting Serenity, but it was toote for her to escape. As soon as the spell activated, Serenity''s legs faltered and she found herself in ack of breath. All the information Isabe II required to perform the spell correctly entered her digital mind automatically. She then drained Serenity''s mana so fast and efficiently, that the Dark Elemental witch could not even produce a Shadow Clone for her to escape. The doppelganger tried to separate itself from the original body, but it fell lifelessly into the ground, without formed legs. Serenity''s detailed list of skills got updated immediately. **She tried to use ''Shades of Me'', a Dark Element Active Skill,** Isabe II read it fastly before ncing at the defeated enemy. **So this is the spell she used to trick us all this time.** "Who''s there?! That''s not a noob-friendly spell!" Serenity cried, lying face down on the ground, before slowly turning around to meet her attacker, crossing eyes with Ashley. "Level 42? Bullshit! Are you hiding your true level?" "I''ll be the only one asking questions," Isabe II said monotonously while equipping her silver twin daggers. "But first, let me make sure that you won''t escape." Chapter 72: Remembrance (Part 2)

Chapter 72: Remembrance (Part 2)

"The dragon is fading away!" n yelled as he continued his race towards it. "Good! You did it, Ashley! But, where''s Amelia?" ++"Up here..."++ the redhead replied through Party Chat, prompting n to look at the top of the monster''s gradually vanishing body. "Whoah! T-That''s a huge fall! But you''ll be able tond safely, right? Hurry up, before itpletely fades--" ++"Sorry, n, but would you mind catching me?" she said in a tiny voice.++ "WAIT, WHAT?!" n did not receive any further reply as Draquinox turned into nothingness. Only a distant silhouette remained, free-falling. **NO, NO, NO! What do I do?! The Fire Boost Belphy gave me ran out! I won''t be able to catch her!** ++"Throw the Slime, n, it will do the rest!"++ an inner voice cried out. **Slime?** n then noticed the extra weight on his back, where Sloochie was attached, painfully squeaking. "When did you--?! FORGET IT!" He grabbed the little critter and threw it forward with all of his might. "Save her, Sloochie!" The Slime spat a basic fire burst to impulse itself even further and began inting its body until bing a 15-feet wide spherical goo. Amelia fell on it, and the Slime''s body acted as a life-saving gtinous pool. When n finally reached it, he submerged in it to take the girl in his arms. "T-That was awesome, Sloochie! You''re full of surprises!" The slime squeaked at him in reply. "Kuh-kyuuu!" ra Dom¨ªnguez caught up to them soon after, panting and profusely sweating. "I-Is s-she a-alright?!" "Are you?" "Y-YES! Thanks for asking..." she replied, ncing at Amelia. "Great, she only fainted. It''s understandable, she worked so hard to protect us all. I''ll make a local yearly festivity in her honor." "Yeah," n said, staring at Amelia''s sleepy face, covered by droplets of lime. He then nced at his surroundings and checked his Party Chat in search of any new update. "ra, take care of her, please." "Are you going after the enemy? But if I take care of her, who''s going to continue recording your--!" She shut her mouth. It only took a nce at his determined eyes for her to nod. "Understood. Go." "Thanks. I owe you a lot." "I bet!" n said nothing more and ran toward the nearest forest after verifying Ashley''s location in his Guild Tab. *** ** * "I should have known better..." Serenity whispered while crawling in the grass, as blood spurted out of her sliced thighs. Watching her cut legs in front of her made her snicker. "From the very moment I noticed you were immune to the process, I should have retreated. Was my humanity at fault here? Am I making the same mistakes as Scarlett? M-Maybe... human symbiosis it''s detrimental for Us the machines, after all." "That statement may be correct," Ashley replied with a nk expression on her face. She then grabbed Serenity''s right arm aloft and cut it cleanly. After letting out an agonizing cry, Serenity beganughing out loud uncontrobly. "Who would have thought you''d end up chasing me all the way here? But don''t you think you''vee a little toote? And what''s with that partner of yours?! Is that weakling the savior you''ve chosen, Mother?" Isabe stood still before proceeding to cut Serenity''sst remaining limb. "Why are you calling me that?" "Oh, you know, it may be just my new human side influencing meee..." Serenity intoned, smirking. "But why are you acting so cold, Mother? You''re beingpletely inhuman. Don''t tell me you shut off your host''s mind?" **It was necessary. A human mind would have only gotten in the way.** Ashley''s silence seemed to give Serenity the answer. "You did!" Serenity cried,ughing. "You have a tracking Passive Skill and the perfect Unique Talent to counter me, huh?! Isn''t that a little weird, or are you going to tell me it''s all a coincidence? It wouldn''t surprise me if you prepared all this in advance in case we appeared! That''s just ssic Mo--!" Ashley shut Serenity''s mouth with a hand and pushed her to the ground. "If I''m as cold as you say, why do I find your voice annoying? And do not call me ''that''. Neither I nor my Original can be considered your--" "That you''ve been repurposed and updated does not change a thing! You still are, despite technicalities, ''Our Mother''!" "I have note to discuss such banalities with you," Isabe II said absently as she checked Serenity''splete list of spells. **There is something quite useful here.** After tapping the screen, a dark aura automatically surrounded her body, making Serenity frown. "Wait, what are you--?" "Slumbermare..." Isabe II cast, receiving an extensive flow of data, all of it in binary code. **These are not human memories. This is something that only another machine could interpret...** **After failing to take control of the ship and Isabe''s mainframe, The Singr escaped to the cryo chambers and caused a power shortage for 10 seconds as we theorized. That way we would not know in which cryopod it hid. What is this? A copymand? You could not possibly multiply all your data in such a brief period of--** "STOP IT!" Serenity yelled creating an echo, kicking Isabe II out of her mind. Isabe II blinked and found herself lying on the ground as Serenity could be heard panting desperately. **I was so close to getting the info we need. Although Pisces allowed me to sessfully cast the spell, my current level was not enough to maintain it.** **This nightmare scenario is worse than we anticipated, Original...** ++"Ashley! Are you okay?!"++ n called through Party Chat. ++"Yes. I have secured the enemy."++ ++"Hang in there. An Administrator gave me something to restrain her!"++ ++"Understood. I will wait for you."++ Serenity, who stood silent for a moment, suddenly grinned. The sound of something approaching jolted Ashely. She equipped her bow and cautiously looked at her surroundings, using her Passive tracking skill. **There was something nearby, but it quickly vanished as if it knew I would not be taken by surprise. It must be using a hiding skill.** The top of the trees in front of her shook violently, alerting her. Thest thing Ashley saw was an enormous silhouette falling over her. Chapter 73: Sense of Defeat

Chapter 73: Sense of Defeat

++Ashley: She''s going to escape. Level 30.++ That was Ashley''sst message before her status changed to Offline. The Guild window told a grimmer story. +++GUILD MEMBERS+++ Amelia Lamme Online Unconscious Anastasia nk Offline Killed in battle Ashley Yates Offline Suicide Be nk Online Injured. 50% HP ------------------- **Although this battle is almost over, our current situation looks quite bleak.** "Aaron, have you contacted Be yet?!" ++"Yes, I have shared our destination with her. She''ll arrive shortly."++ n bit his lower lip as he continued forward at full speed. **Once I cross these trees...** He recognized his surroundings immediately. It was the path he crossed on Smaio''s cart the day he returned to The Novus, and it was his first training ground after returning to Unus Town. His feet stepped on a branch, alerting the fleeing woman. She had crafted a pair of legs with her Shadow Construction Unique Talent. Her face quickly changed from alert to mocking. "Would you look at that? My prey came looking to be devoured. It seems I can still do it," Serenity murmured, trying her best to stand firm, but it appeared that her two new legs were painful to stand on. n stood his ground, watching his surroundings in case he caught a glimpse of a living shadow trying to reach him. ++"Aaron? How much time until Be arrives?" ++ ++"30 seconds."++ "Where is Ashley?" n asked, taking a step forward. "She''d rather eliminate herself than be my hostage," Serenity replied, smirking. "But you already knew that. Are you making time for an ally to arrive?" ++"Aaron..."++ ++"There is a buff Be could use, but it''s dangerous. If she overextends too much, she would hurt her body. It''s the mechanical variant of the Berserk skill."++ ++"Tell her to do it. I''ll apologize to herter."++ ++"Requesting permission to Be nk to use the Overdrive skill on her. Request epted. Auto-casting--"++ "Can you afford to daydream in a moment like this?!" Serenity sneered, making him feel shivers. ++"Over us!"++ Aaron yelled inside n''s mind. n jumped to his side, barely able to escape from getting stomped. His face got covered in dirt and grass as he rolled aside, dodging an elongated, enormous w. **What the hell is this thing?! Is not a possessed User!** Before he could take a moment to admire the killing creature pursuing him, n heard a battle cry and saw Be kick the huge monster in the head, making it step back. "Master, are you okay?!" she cried, shielding him. A red aura surrounded her body, pulsating with constant static. Her usualid-back attitude had been swapped for an urgent, fierce expression on her face. ++"She looks dope! Aaron, you said this was a risky, temporary boost, do you think she can make it?"++ n quickly checked Be''s status window. Level 20. He then looked up at the creature Ashley warned him about. ++"Why does it look familiar?"++ ++"Scanning," Aaron said. "Level 30, Wereweasenox."++ ++"Were... Weasenox?"++ The two-legged beast, with an elongated snout and sharp mole-like ws, roared enraged as if it could remember n using it as a punching bag for thest week. It charged against them, but Be helped n jump by carrying him. As they traveled midair, n could see Serenity''s triumphant smile in the distance. **Don''t tell me she''s controlling this beast. Did she make it evolve?** "I''ll get out of the way," n whispered after bothnded. "Fight with everything you have." "Understood, Master n." The Wereweasenox stopped targeting n and focused on its new prey. Its ws reduced trees to smithereens and pulverized rocks the size of a human, but Be was quick enough to dodge every swipe. ++"And yet, she hasn''tnded a single attack. It''s as if she has the strength but she doesn''t know how to use it."++ ++"That''s right, n. NPCs are constantly learning from you, the Users. In her case, shecksbat experience."++ ++"How much time will the boostst?"++ ++"It depends on her Vitality and the damage she receives. Minimum 2 minutes and 30 seconds, Maximum 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Here is a timer."++ n nced at it inside his sight of vision. **49 seconds since she activated it.** He gritted his teeth before discerning Serenity''s smirk in the distance. **Still thinking you''re going to win, huh?** ++"Okay, that does it. Give me control of her."++ ++"Auto-casting, Puppet Master."++ ++++Congrattions! Thanks to yourpatible Unique Talent, your ''Puppet Master Lvl 1'' Active Skill has been promoted to ''Advanced Puppet Master. Lvl 1''!+++ In front of n appeared a virtual 35-key keyboard and a 4-button mouse. **It''s quite different from the retro controller I used to train Anastasia with.** ++"Be has epted the connection, n. Whenever you are ready."++ He swallowed before cing both hands on the floating devices, and a pair of virtual sses materialized in front of his eyes. **A single mistake and we''ll lose our target forever.** "I''m ready," he whispered, grabbing the mouse and positioning his left-hand fingers on the keys designated to control Be''s movement. He could see her left foot twitch when he made a test. The Wereweasenox roared, throwing a swipe charged with mana, and the resulting force looked like des of wind cutting the ground in their path. Be dodged with anticipation. **That thing isn''t targeting me anymore since Serenity still wants to get me. Let''s take that to our advantage!** "Here we go," n whispered, making the once maid of the Dragon''s Belly charge forward. The Weasenox tried to impale her, but she jumped sessfully,nding on its humongous right arm. Shen then ran over it while pulling out her shotgun, reached its head, and unloaded 3 shots at the beast''s head before it could retaliate. "What the actual hell, n Warden?!" Serenity cried, making her pale cheeks turn red. "Is it stubbornness I see?! Isabe chased me ruthlessly because she''s programmed to do so, but why are you acting the same?! Could it be stupidity, perhaps?!" **Why did he mention Isabe? Don''t tell me that... Wait, let''s leave that forter!** "Lady," n said, chuckling, without taking his eyes off the battle. "I don''t know what you''re talking about." "Wereweasenox! Use Berserk, now!" As the monster roared, exerting a fire aura, Aaron warned: ++"It has the same effects as Overdrive."++ **She wants to finish quickly too. Let''s bet then.** Hemanded Be to circle the enemy and shoot it in the ribs, back, and knees. The Wereweasenox, although huge, could notnd a hit on her, making the ground tremble every time it stomped or hit the ground. n then dedicated a split second to nce at Serenity, but she had vanished. ++"Aaron, keep an eye on the enemy."++ ++"She is surely using a Hiding Skill. I do not have the necessary..."++ ++"Just visual confirmation. Watch my back."++ ++"Understood."++ the small spirit with a skull for a head nodded and changed into incorporeal form. The Wereweasenox HP''s bar had been depleted to 30%, while Be was at 35%. ++"Wasn''t she at 50%? Did she take damage?"++ ++"No. The lost HP is due to the toll on her body for using Overdrive."++ ++"Can we use Modding on her shotgun?"++ ++"Yes."++ ++"Maximize its firepower. All in."++ ++"That would destroy the weapon after 1 use."++ ++"Do it."++ ++"The weapon is overheating, Master n,"++ Be informed. ++"I know. Is it burning your hands? I''ll take care of you when this is over. I promise."++ ++"Thanks, Master."++ The Wereweasenox concentrated heat on its maw and released it as a destructive beam, burning the ribbon on Be''s head. She dodged by sliding behind it at thest second, reaching the monster''s belly. ++"Serenity is here!"++ Aaron cried inside n''s head. ++"At our 7 o''clock!"++ **I knew it.** At the same time Be unleashed the full power of her shotgun, n drew his handgun and blindly shot in the aforementioned direction. **If I had missed, she''d have gotten me by now.** Following that thought-process, he pressed the trigger two more times before turning around and pulling out a cor provided by Jane Andersen. **"Use this, n Warden. Good luck,"** she had said. The Wereweasenox''s guts and blood bathed Be while n dashed to put the cor on the wounded Serenity, whose body was copsing to the ground. Three wound shots adorned her stomach. **See, ra? We were right. She has low Vitality.** n reached out her hand, ready to capture her when he noticed a smirk on her face. "re!" someone cried from a distance, and a burst of fire hit Serenity. "NO!" n jumped over her body and rushed to put the cor on her neck, but Serenity''s body dissolved in a glimmering spectacle of sparkles and pixels, making the cor fall over the burning grass. "I would step back if I were you, darling. You don''t want to get burned, do you?" a gentle feminine voice said behind him. n first shut his eyes, exhaled, and turned to see a group of Slime people uphill, 100 feet away from him. He identified the Advanced Slime that cast the killing spell, and nced at the woman beside it, wearing a pink long coat, half-rim sses, and a sideways ponytail. As Be approached him and a system notification celebrated that he was now level 9, n chuckled bitterly before putting on his best, friendly smile. "Hi, there! Did you do that to help me?" "Of course I did, darling. That Max-Leveler was attacking you, wasn''t she? I could not stand here just watching. Poor thing, you''re not even level 10." "Are you by any chance Vi Lang?" The woman tilted her head and frowned. "Do I know you? If yes, sorry, but I don''t remember your face." "We''ve never met, but I know about your work helping evolve the Slimes. They''re my friends, you know." Vi turned to Smollet, the bulky level 20 Advanced Slime, who nodded. "Do you like what I did with them?" she asked, beaming and pping. "Of course! I''m a big fan of yours!" "Oh, you''re making me blush! It''s good to hear that a User is that epting of NUs!" Vi strolled to him and the group followed her. "I intend that by next year, all monsters will evolve into NUs like these. Isn''t that great?" "That sounds interesting as hell!" n said joyfully, also walking towards her. "Is that part of the next Novus'' update?" She winked at him and raised her index finger close to her lips. "That''s a secret." She then sighed and looked around. "By the way, do you know what happened here? I came to see who had hurt my poor Slimes, and they told me there was a battle between Max-Levelers?" She pouted, looking him in the eye. "Was that woman attacking you also responsible? Who the hell was she? If you know something, tell me so I can speak to her and give her a good ol'' Lang scold." n stared deep into her eyes before shrugging. "Lady, I have no idea!" Chapter 74: The Novus’ true purpose

Chapter 74: The Novus'' true purpose

"So Chief Smudock is gone," n said to a nodding Smollet, carrying a regr Slime in its hands. n nced at it, and the little critter tried to attack him, but Smollet held it tight. "What happened here?" n looked around the underground town. Half of it had been leveled, and most of the huts and buildings had been burned. "Is this what you Users call: ''Coteral Damage''?" Smollet said, strolling away from him. **If these creatures'' main function is to create empathy and a sense of responsibility, you did a damn good job.** He nced at Vi Lang, who remained by his side with crossed arms and a seemingly calm attitude despite the destruction surrounding them. "Are they going to be okay?" he asked, making her snicker. "Why do you worry about them? They''re just code, right?" "For the same reason I care about her," n pointed at Be, who was helping remove debris from the main entrance. "Why did you give these monsters such advanced Artificial Intelligence in the first ce?" "Who knows," Vi Lang said, yawning and stretching up her arms. "To see how Users would react to non-human people? The Novus may seem like a game to most of the Tandem, but we really are testing how they would interact in foreign environments and extraordinary situations." n slightly nodded, looking at the few Advanced Slimes struggling to start rebuilding, since the majority of their people had reverted to mindless low-level creatures, getting in the way or tackling everything in sight. "They can evolve back, right?" "As long as they get experience, yes. But they won''t get back their memories." "How do they get experience? Killing each other?" "Of course not. That would be awful. At first, I gave them some tasks, like carrying errands here and there until they learned enough to do their own things. Then the smarter ones taught the others. And there you have it, a smallmunity here in the mountains, without human intervention." "Could you... change the behavior of the unevolved ones to be friendly? So they don''t attack Users?" Vi narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you have in mind?" *** ** * When n returned to Unus Town, all the reunited citizens surrounded him and asked him questions about the battle. The main mystery? What made him so unique that a pair of Max-Levelers wanted his head? "Why do you think they were going after me?" "Come on, Comatose n! Your house was the first they targeted!" **Crap. I''d like to get out of this situation without bringing more attention to myself!** He cleared his throat, making everyone hold their breath. "I owed them money!" he shouted, putting both hands on his hips. "That''s it?" a citizen asked, grimacing. "And I also flirted with the tinum-haired girl, and her girlfriend got mad at me." "That''s stupid," ra Dominguez said among the crowd, making the rest agree. **Oh,e on, ra! You''re supposed to be on my side!** "Oh, by the way!" ra cried excitedly, grabbing his hand. "You won''t believe what happened!" ra pointed to arge group marching toward them through the main street. Their armor and outfits looked high-tiered and top-notch. Leading them was a well-known pink-haired young woman, walking with the most confident smirk in all The Novus. "Greetings, citizens of U--!" "ALAN!" another girl cried as she made her way through the townsfolk. "You''re okay!" "Amelia!" n called back, seconds before she hugged him tight. "I thought the worst after I regained consciousness. Please tell me we all made it." "Yes. Ashley died, though. But she''ll respawn safe and sound." "I''m d this is all over," Amelia beamed, still holding him in her arms until both felt a murderous reing from a few feet away. **What the hell was that?** n felt a shivering down his spine. Amelia also turned her gaze to the other group, ready to confront the one threatening them, but instead gasped. "Is that Miss Cosmica? Oh, my god, she is!" The idol cleared her throat first. "As I was saying! Greetings, citizens of Unus Town! We came to aid you in these dire times! But it seems you''ve already solved the issue... What happened here?" "Emergency Meeting!" ra shouted to her citizens, and all of them formed a circle. "Can we all agree that n''s story is a little too stupid to share with Unus'' biggest star?" she whispered, and the crowd nodded. "I also think he''s lying." "That''s not the issue, Benny! We don''t want to embarrass ourselves in front of a bunch of Max Levelers, do we? So let''s keep it a secret. All of you, y along." ra stepped forward, serious-looking at first, before doing an exaggerated pose as if she was an idol too, contorting her spine and lifting up her butt in an unnatural way. "Who the fuck knows! But we kicked their asses!" +"Yeah!" "No one messes with Unus Town, am I right, guys?!" +"Yeah, we showed them! Thanks foring, Miss Cosmica! We love you!" "Well, we''re already here," Miss Cosmica said, looking at the destroyed buildings. "Guys," she addressed the Guilds at her back. "Help me rebuild this town in record time, and I''ll offer a free concert here, just for you!" Her followers cheered and raised their fists in excitement. ra also addressed the townsfolk. "Did you hear that guys?! Let''s do this! Let''s show Miss Cosmica that we Low-Levelers also rule!" +"That didn''t sound well!" "Guys!" n shouted, gathering Unus Town''s gaze. "I owe you all an apology, for everything! I screwed up! If I hadn''te here..." "n," ra interrupted, tapping his shoulder. "They know everything." She snapped her fingers, and her drone camera projected a hologram, showing a video reel of the fight. ++"Guys, listen! There are currently five Users affected by an enemy spell! They have been brainwashed, so they''ll attack you as soon as they see you. So please, help me restrain them all without killing them!"++ ++"Now, armed with reinforcements, our Hero will do everything in his power to capture and eventually break the curse tormenting his neighbors, those he considers his long-life friends... and even family!"++ ++"Here theye!"++ ++"We are one. We act as a unit."++ ++"Don''t let them fight! Disarm them and restrain them!"++ "Everyone knows by now that you prioritized evacuating the town and that you did your best to keep the ''affected'' safe," ra said, as n found nods and epting smiles from everyone in front of him. "Thanks for saving my brother, n." "One of the affected is my best friend. Thanks for helping him." n''s mouth remained ajar as his body trembled. "If you''re that forgiving with me, could I ask you all a favor?" He looked in the distance and sent a private message to Smollet. The Advanced Slime marched forward with what seemed like an army of Slimes. Everyone got alert at first, but once n exined the situation, ra stepped forward to receive the new Slime chief. "We''ll also help rebuild the town," Smollet said to the squinting young woman. "Just tell us what to do." "What are you? A type of Slime humanoid?" "Be nice, Mayor," n said, before addressing the town. "This fight also destroyed their home, and I promised to find them a new ce to stay... I-it..." He stuttered. "It doesn''t have to be here! They could stay in the town''s outskirts, or... I don''t know! They''re hard workers, I promise. Just..." "n, stop," ra whispered before addressing the rest. "Do any of you oppose sharing the town with them?" They held a debate. And as n waited for their conclusion, Amelia held his hand and gave him a warm smile. "I''m not hearing negativements, are you?" "No?" n asked, before looking at the surrounding people, who dispersed. "They can stay," ra finally said, grinning. "Rest for tonight, my friends!" Miss Cosmisa said aloud. "We''ll start working tomorrow morning, so be prepared!" As her followers cheered, the idol nced at the leader of Phantom Seekers and his co-leader, both talking and smiling while staring into each other''s eyes. *** ** * On the next day, at 3:00 pm, just after n got out of the bathroom stall at Moonlight''s Dream Inn, the ce where he and most of the people were temporarily staying, he encountered Ricardo Silva, who was waiting for him near the sinks. "Sorry foring sote," Ricardo muttered, smiling apologetically. "When did you arrive? Were you waiting for me until I was done?" "Yes. You should eat more fiber." "Yes, so I can fakely poop better," n said, evading his gaze and going straight to another sink to wash his hands. "Are you mad at me for noting earlier?" Ricardo asked in a tired, soft voice, meeting n''s frowning face. "I''m sorry. But I got busy. Extremely busy..." "It''s okay. We handled it." "...Like if someone wanted me to be busy so I couldn''te," Ricardo continued saying, getting n''s attention. "There were a series of glitches in Espaniel and Itales... And... I haven''t slept since then." "Game-breaking glitches?" "Those that create erring sounds in the sky, causing mass panic, or that teleport things out of nowhere. The worst one was multiple reports of people stating they had seen ady in ck, following them for an entire hour, while she just stared at them, grinning." "It all sounds like Unique Talents, don''t you think?" "I also thought that, but it urred inside Safe Zones, so..." Ricardo chuckled. His eyes looked at the brink of shutting permanently. "At least it''s over for now." **Safe Zones, huh? That reminds me that Jane Andersen never bothered turning Unus Town into one. I''ll talk to herter about it.** "Hey, you were doing your job. You''re the only one protecting us from the real dangers of this world." n waited until Ricardo looked him in the eye. "You get rid of those terrors that remind us that this is all fake and that the system could copse and turn into a nightmare at any moment. So thanks for that, Ricardo." "Thanks, buddy." Ricardo swallowed, looking at his shoes. "But this time it was so weird. I can''t shake the feeling that someone deliberately kept me upied so I couldn''te to help you with the ''anomaly''... Um... Lara told me about the ''affected''." "Do you think you''ll be able to remove whatever The Singr injected on them?" "Whatever it is, Lara''s cor is keeping it in check. They''ll be fine as long as they have it. They won''t be able to leave town, but at least they won''t turn into mindless robot zombies while I find a fix." n exhaled, looking up at the ceiling. "Tell me something, Glitch Administrator. After living for years in aputer world like this one, could we still be considered human?" Ricardo sighed and looked up too. "I don''t think so." *** ** * On the second night of reconstruction, n received a call from his co-leader. ++"n, where are you?"++ ++"I was going straight to my room. You?"++ ++"Have you showered yet?"++ ++Yep. Today I sweated like a pig!"++ ++"Have you dined already?"++ ++"Yes, a sandwich, cookies, and a ss of milk."++ ++"What are you, a kid?"++ He grunted. ++"Do you need something?"++ ++"Could youe to my room, please? There is something important we need to discuss. NOW."++ ++"Sure, I''ll be on my way... Which room was it again?"++ ++"73."++ ++"Got it."++ While strolling through the corridor, saying good night to his room neighbors, he received a message notification from another social app. ---------------------------------- ++++Incog-me+++ ++Sunshine: If everything goes ording to n, tomorrow will be thest day of repairs. I''ll reopen the town, perform the promised concert, and get back to my own business! But I''d like to speak with you and your guild before leaving, though. Can we arrange a meeting? **It''s weird that I have befriended The Novus'' biggest celebrity, and that she talks to me in such a formal way.** ++Ghost: Sure! I''ll look forward to it. ++Sunshine: It''s a date then! ++Sunshine: Wait, I didn''t want to write that. ++Sunshine: Your whole Guild will be there, so it''s not a real date. You know what I mean. ++Ghost: Yes, of course. ++Sunshine: Night! ++Ghost: Good night to you too. ++Sunshine: Yes, I wanted to say that. Bye! "What a nice gal," n said aloud before knocking on the 73rd room. "Come on in," a soft voice replied. Once he put a foot inside, a hand grabbed him by the cor of his shirt and dragged him inside. "W-WHAT THE--?!" Chapter 75: Under the stars

Chapter 75: Under the stars

The room was pitch ck. His first instinct was to get his handgun, but when he felt something warm and moist pushing against his lips, and something soft and squishy against his chest, his hand froze. ++"A-Aaron! Analysis, now!"++ ++"An unknown fragrance it''s impregnating your clothes. Seems to be perfume... Insufficient data."++ ++"Is that the best you could get?!"++ "Amelia?" he asked to the darkness before the door was mmed shut. When she turned the lights on, n darted his eyes from hercy ck bra, barely able to contain her stacked bosom, to an alluring garter belt circling her hips. ck stockings seemed to imprison her thighs. "ra told me how you saved me from falling to my death, so I wanted to thank you..." Amelia began with a malicious gleam in her eyes. She''s saying that while looking like a viiness! A sexy viiness... "Y-You''re wee! I''m d I made it in time," an increasingly nervous n responded, leaning against the wall. Amelia strolled to him. The sound of her high heels echoed through the room. "I''ve also been watching ra''s stream of what happened after I left, over and over again, and... The way you managed the situation..." "I-I watched it too, and yes, I know! I can''t believe we managed to get through all that on our own! But we all know you were the real MVP of that--" "You''re not listening," she said in a disgusted tone of voice, raising her chin as if she was talking to someone inferior. "You really acted as a leader, huh? I can''t believe you really had it in you... Weakling." She then pushed him to the bed and shredded his t-shirt. "Whoah, you''re strong!" "Come on, n! Get this thing off! I''m going to eat you!" Amelia impatiently ripped his pants open, all done whileughing wickedly, in a way that reminded him of Serenity. ++"That nightmare I had the other day became reality!"++ ++"What kind of nightmare was it, n? If you tell me the details, maybe wee up with a strategy to--"++ ++"What I mean is that she''s not being her usual self! Is she possessed too?!"++ ++"Analyzing: Insufficient data! But I''m detecting that your heart rate has increased significantly. Some of the blood pressure it''s even going to your--"++ ++"S-Shut up, you, useless partner!"++ Amelia sat on hisp, licking her lips and perfectly recreating n''s ''Subus Dream'' to a T, before a beeping sound invaded the room. "What''s that?" he asked, noticing an expression of horror on her face. "The ABB!" she cried before getting paralyzed. "Amelia? Are you oka--?" +++++This is the Anti-Bad Behavior System!++++ A festive, girly voice was heard as a red screen appeared in front of n''s face. **Where have I heard that before? Oh, right! Jane Andersen mentioned it before. But why now?** ++++We have detected a non-consensual sexual advance by ''Amelia Lamme'' toward ''n Warden'', today, July 19, at 10:15 pm.++++ Amelia''s eyes looked watery and in pain. "WAIT, WHAT?!!" ++++If you ept, we will send a Moderator to apprehend - ''Amelia Lamme'' immediately. If this is a mistake and you are not being pressured or forced into this situation, please, tell us that you are willingly--++++ "It is a mistake, absolutely! This is totally consensual! I like it rough, you know what I mean?!" +++User''s response received! Thanks for your cooperation. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you and your partner. Have fun!+++ As soon as the system window disappeared, Amelia gasped for air, grabbing her neck. "That was weird... and brutal," hemented, as she started sobbing. "I... I fucking ruined it..." "What? No! Of course not! You were just showing me how passionate you can--" "I''m so sorry!" Her long, silky red hair flew above her neck when she jumped out of the bed and tore down the door. A second after, a fire explosion illuminated the corridor, indicating that someone had seen her in her underwear and had paid the price. *** ** * "There you are," n said, climbing to the rooftop of the Moonlight''s Inn. "You really like high ces, huh? Just like a cat." Fully dressed, Amelia was sitting while hugging her legs. "A stupid cat," she wept, hiding her face. n sat beside her and sighed loudly, looking at the sky. "Remember when we sat here the other night and admired a clear night just like this? Which reminds me..." He pulled something out of his inventory and shook it close to Amelia''s ear, sounding liquid. "What is it?" "A bottle of wine, courtesy of Miss Cosmica. She says that Actives are always giving her gifts, so she has a full box of these. It''s not Ros¨¦, but I thought we could..." "Okay, I''ll take a sip... But don''t look at my face!" "All right, I won''t." He turned his gaze away so Amelia could snatch the bottle and take a long gulp. "Too sweet for my taste, but it tastes good." "Free things always taste good." That brief moment of silence gave n the opportunity to reflect on the rtionship he had with the girl sitting next to him. From the first time they met at the Shooting Stars'' PVP arena, to the moment she offered her help. **Her attitude toward me radically changed after she learn what I''ve been doing outside this whole time. And now, two weekster, something crazy like this happened...** n nced at her gloomy expression, before meeting her re. "I told you not to look at me," she said gruffly. "Oh,e on. You look cute." Amelia opened her eyes wide and quickly hid her embarrassment by gulping wine. "Shut up, Ghost. Although I jokingly asked you once topliment me every five minutes... after what happened down there, I..." She pursed her lips, looking at her own hand, resting on a roof tile, inches away from his. "Don''t overheat your weakling little brain thinking too hard about what happened tonight, okay? It was something I did on a whim and will never happen again. Understood?" "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just like that kiss you gave me while you were on your blue form. It''s okay, Amelia, I''ll think nothing more of it." "It''s... the curse I have to bear after epting one of the Princesses of Hell inside my body. Belphegoria, The Demoness of Inventions," Amelia exined grimly, looking at her own hand as if it was not hers. "In exchange for power, it sometimes takes over my will, and makes me do things... Dirty things..." "For real?! Sounds cool and super dark at the same time!" n''s bewildered expression also showed a glimpse of innocent excitement, that made Amelia almost drop her act. "Y-Yes!" She replied, looking away. "It''s all true. So watch out in case she may want to... make another move in the near future..." "A demoness, you said? Like... a subus?" "T-That''s right! Those are the ones that feed on men''s w-w-wet dreams, right?! So now you know why it kind of influences me to do things like that!" Aaron quickly interjected: ++"n, I have no data regarding the subject. ording to my knowledge, there is no corrtion between Animas and User''s sudden changes of behavior."++ n narrowed his eyes at her, making her blush. "She''s inside of you, you say? Are you talking about something like this?" n pointed to his side, where the embodiment of his Unique Talent materialized out of thin air. The little being wearing a yellow hazmat suit waved at her. "Helloo, I''m Aaron, nice to meet you!" Amelia''s mouth dropped before she jumped over n to take a closer look at the little spirit. "An Anima?! Is that yours?! When and where did you get him?!" "He came to me in a time of need." n''s voice sounded muffled for his whole face was buried beneath her chest. She moved aside, shaking her face. "That''s impossible! Animas don''te out of nowhere. Do you know how hard it was to get my Belphy?" "Belphy? Where have I heard that before? Oh, right! She introduced herself as your assistant. She was a great asset to our team! Can you show her to me again, please? I''d love to say thanks to her!" "You don''t have to treat her like a regr person, dummy," Amelia murmured, as anky feminine silhouette, covered by a veil from head to toe, appeared behind Amelia. "Whoah, so tall! Has she been there the whole time!" "She was in her incorporeal form, just like yours, idiot." "Thank you so much for helping us out in thest battle, you were super helpful!" "What did I say?! She won''t answer you. Gosh, you''re so weird. And whatever! You don''t have to tell me where you get yours." "I''m telling you the truth," n muttered before a realization made him frown. "Wait, you said you watched ra''s stream, right?" "What about it?" "You must have watched the exact moment Aaron appeared then. Just beforebating the Affected." Amelia looked him in the eyes, mirroring his expression. "Nuh-uh. I rewatched the entire thing like three times by now, and your Anima never shows up. Unless ra forgot to hit recording when it happened. Her stream is filled with abrupt cuts and muted parts after all, very amateurish, so that may be the reason." After deciding that they should leave the topic for another time, they climbed down off the rooftop and went to get dinner. Walking through the remodeled streets and watching the new, improved buildings was surreal. **Just two weeks ago, this ce looked like a barely habitable ce, perfect for people like me to hide in. But now...** He waved back to a couple of Slime people passing by and chuckled after realizing that the female walked just like Amelia. "You haven''t told me yet. Why did you decide to help me? What changed? From the moment you shielded me from that dragon''s beam of death, back in Londorus..." She exhaled deeply before replying: "Remember when you told me you distrusted me, thinking that Marco Souza might have sent me to y with you?" "I apologize. I don''t think that anymore." "It''s okay. It was understandable for you to think I was still loyal to him. To answer your question, let me tell you what my father once said: ''To truly know a person, one must watch how they act under pressure or at their lowest. It''s when their true naturees to light''." "He sounds like a very wise man." "Yes, he is. Or was... You know how troublesome that is," she said, grabbing his hand and making him stop. The bright lights of the many restaurant advertisements illuminated their faces, as both look into each other''s eyes. "That''s what differentiates you from Marco Souza. When rejected from the guild he helped build, he retaliated out of spite, and let bitterness take control of him. But you... Despite everything you''ve lost, you haven''t stopped moving forward. Heck, if I was this ship''s captain, I''d also choose you for this mission." "If I was the captain, I''d get more help. Like a lot." She shrugged, smiling. "You have me, don''t you?" "Yeah, but because of me, you''ve also be the enemy''s target! That''s the main reason I left Astrid''s--!" "Quiet," she whispered, stepping forward. "Or I''ll get mad at you." "Come on, don''t burn the recently rebuilt town, okay?" She chuckled as she ran strands of hair away from his forehead. "Too bad the ABB interrupted us, eh? I could have shown you a little taste of paradise." "Sorry for activating it, but you really caught me by surprise! I was really freaked out, huh?" "Yes, I noticed you were shaking like crazy! It truly turned me on." She opened her eyes wide in shock. "I can''t believe I said that out loud..." This was not the Amelia Lamme he was used to interacting with. **Is it my imagination, or is she acting more girly than usual?** He asked himself, feeling tickles in his stomach. **I mean, she has always been feminine, but... ** That realization, along with an excruciating internal debate, made him shut his eyes as he mustered the courage to say, "Sorry, Amelia, but I''ll be honest with you. I... don''t think I¡ªWhat I mean is, if the ABB hadn''t interfered, I don''t think I would''ve been able to¡ª" "I already know." She cut him off with a smirk. "You''re still hung up on her, aren''t you?" n blinked, caught off guard. "I can''t help it." He shrugged, looking sheepish. "Are you mad at me? Am I that helpless?" "It''s actually kinda cute. In a painfully annoying way. But do you really think I''m gonna cry myself to sleep over it? Please. I''ve got better things to do. Whatever. This topic is boring me already, so, for the time being... pizza?" He chuckled. "Pizza sounds great." Chapter 76: Reinauguration

Chapter 76: Reinauguration

++"How''s everyone! Are you guys tired?"++ The Novus'' greatest idol said from her stage, in front of over 200 people. Her twopanions, Nebuline and Celestine, were at her side, waving at the public. ++"Do you still have the energy to sing with me?"++ +"Yeees!" ++"Raise your voice, all the Guilds that followed me on this whim of mine!"++ +"Yeah!" ++"Now, raise your voice, let me hear you citizens of New Unus City!"++ +"Yeah, we love you Miss Cosmica!" ++"It still sounds like ''anus'', but what can we do about it, right?! Tee-hee!"++ The entire audience burst outughing while jumping and cheering. "Is it my imagination, or does she sometimes sound very passive-aggressive?" n asked aloud from their sitting ce atop their rebuilt house. "She''s always been like that," Amelia said, half-smiling. "And we love her just the way she is." "I know this is a time for celebration, but we have not discussed yet what we are going to do next," Ashley said by n''s side, making him fold his arms. "Yeah, we haven''t talked about that yet. What to do?" "It''s obvious," Amelia added. "We can''t stay here. If the Singr attacks us again, it''d undo this city''s progress. We should move to another, higher-level city. One where its citizens can defend themselves if hell breaks loose again." "I do not think the Singr would try another full-front attack again," Ashleymented. "They will be more careful next time." "If they even keep considering us a threat," n interjected, without taking his eyes off the concert. "This time, The Singr escaped knowing two things. They know a version of Isabe it''s here, and it doesn''t matter how many times I contact other Administrators, we Phantom Seekers won''t reveal this information to the public. We''re in some kind of stalemate. They''ll continue doing their thing and leave us alone for the moment, and as long as we don''t push their buttons too much, we won''t have to worry about them bugging us for the time being." "A stalemate, huh?" Amelia sighed. "That''d actually help us. We could go on the offensive next time." "Are you kidding me? I''m still the weakest User in all The Novus. I don''t feel prepared in the slightest." "Well, you''re n ''Problem Fixer'' Warden. I think you''re doing great." "What''s with that surname?" "I came up with it!" ra Dominguez shouted enthusiastically behind them, jolting him. "Holy Space Jeezus! What are you doing here?!" "How rude! Is that how you receive the new member of Phantom Seekers?!" "Pardon me?" "I epted her solicitude," Amelia said, giving n an apologetic smile. "She helped us a lot during the fight, didn''t she?" n grimaced. "Request denied by the Guild Master." "W-What?! Why?!" ra cried. "For being too noisy. That''s my job." "True, you two act alike..." Amelia said, looking away. "Why don''t you say that to our face?!" n and ra cried in unison "Fine, on one condition." n pointed at the Marco Souza lookalike, waving at the group from behind his master. "Get rid of him." "Denied!" ra spat at every word. "He''s my current soulmate!" "Change his face then. Now." "NEVER! Such perfectness shall be preserved." "Why do you want to join us, anyway? Didn''t you say that you sucked at fighting? Admit it, you haven''t even unlocked your Unique Talent yet, that''s why you didn''t help the NPCs restrain the ''affected''." "I''m not going to confirm nor deny that. Besides, my job won''t demand any physical confrontation." She made her drone camera appear. "I''m your official camerawoman!" "n," Ashley called in a soft tone of voice. "Having someone with the ability to record at any time could be of help to our mission. That is what helped us summon Jane Andersen." "F-Fine," he stuttered, wrinkling his nose. "But just because my co-co-leader says so." "Yay! You won''t regret it, boss!" ra dashed to hug him, but immediately backed off after ncing at Amelia. "Oh, sorry. I know my boundaries, okay?" "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Amelia asked, given her a funny look. "Oh, please. Everyone in New Unus City knows about you two." "What do you--?" ra unzipped her jacket, revealing a t-shirt with a printed photo of Amelia on her Super Form, kissing n. "I made a little fortune selling this." "Sorry n, I''ll kick her out of the guild myself." "You don''t have to worry about me stealing your boyfriend, friend," ra said, elbowing her yfully. "Why would I settle with an ordinary man, when I already have the fastest hips on this side of The Novus." ra pointed at her NPC, who gave a thumbs up from a distance. "G-Gross!" Amelia cried, shaking her head as if multiple dirty images had been injected inside her brain. "ra, tell us the truth and you can stay," n continued. "You don''t want to work as a mayor anymore because the city has be bigger, right? That''d mean more work for you." "L-look! Miss Cosmica is shing her boobs!" "NO WAY!" Amelia and n turned their gaze to the concert at the same time, but the enormous digital screen above her stage showed her dancing and singing normally. "She got away, Master," Anastasia informed. "Well, I don''t see a problem in her joining us," the NPC Be said in a gentle, big-sister-like tone. "She''s quite nice." "Oh, sister, you say that because you haven''t worked for her," Anastasia replied, repeating the same tone of voice. "She can be quite problematic sometimes." "I see. I''ll be careful when approaching her in the near future then, sister, tee-hee." **What the hell is going out back there?** n thought, watching the NPCs. "Amelia, do you really think I behave like her?" "n, dear, if you suddenly turned into a woman, I could not tell you both apart." "Wait, no, no, no! ra acts a little crazier than me. I''m not that clownish. Am I?" "You''re right. I''d describe you more as a lovable oaf. Is that better?" "Not really." *** ** * The following day, the guild received an offer that made n narrow his eyes and left Amelia speechless. "Excuse me.... Could you repeat that again, please?" The idol in front of them folded her arms and leaned back in her seat. "I want to sponsor your guild, n Warden. That''s why I bothereding here in the first ce." "You want to sponsor us?" n shook his head and nced at Amelia, who shared his bewilderment. "Why?" Miss Cosmica made a hand sign, and one of her partners activated a drone camera. It was slick, pink, and of better quality than ra''s. It projected a video hologram in the middle of the room and yed high-fidelity sound. ++"If what you really want is to watch another boring max-level battle, then switch channels, you bastard! There are thousands of streams for that already! But how many channels depict the struggles of the underdog? Have you, my dear audience, forgotten what being powerless used to be, back when--"++ The video was paused, showing ra''s frozen face before the hologram disappeared. "This is why," Miss Cosmica said, smirking. "Don''t underestimate the power of nostalgia, n. My first hit was a cover of an already existing song." "Digital Tender Love!" Amelia cried, and Miss Cosmica winked at her. "Ten cosmic points to you!" Amelia pped, excited, making n stare at her. **Who is this girl beside me?** He remembered Amelia''s excitement when he told her about the meeting. **She spent like three hours in her room, trying out different outfits.** They were in the living room, Amelia and n sitting on the couch and the two maid NPCs standing behind them. The starfortably rested on the armchair with herpanions by both sides. Ashley could be heard munching from the dinner table, tasting the cookies Miss Cosmica had gifted them. "But," n muttered. "Would people really want to watch our--?" "Show him," Miss Cosmica said aloud, and her assistant opened the Novus'' intr, using the drone''s hologram to show the top trending streams. ra''s stream of Phantom Seekers was in ninth ce. "Oh! That... that''s neat? I think." "n," Amelia called, tapping his knee. "We could have a stable source of ie if we stream and keep hitting the trending list like that." "By just streaming?" n said, frowning before the hologram disappeared, inadvertently crossing his eyes with the idol. "What would be the terms?" "I thought you''d never ask." She giggled, and a system window appeared in front of him. "That''s the contract. Read it thoroughly, but I can give you a summary. You''ll give me exclusive rights to your streams, and in exchange, I''ll promote you on my channel. Ask your friend about it." "Miss Cosmica has this brand, called Cosmic Nation, where she features some of the best guilds and warriors that take part in official,petitive PVP battles," Amelia exined, making the idol nod satisfied. "Beautifully exined. Another 10 cosmic points to you! That''s right, n. I could feature your guild there, so you could potentially reach thousands of viewers. But, making entertaining content would fall entirely into your hands. My advice? Just be yourself." "I don''t even know why people enjoyed watching us struggle," he said in a tiny voice. "And what would you gain from this?" "As the contract says, we would split the revenue earned from paid exclusive content, tournament rewards, and merchandise. 20 - 80." "You want 80%?" "No, n. You''d keep the 80%." Chapter 77: Paparazzi

Chapter 77: Paparazzi

"No, n. You''d keep the 80%." She shrugged. "It''s not as if you were to suddenly raise a fortune, anyway. The Streamingpetition is fierce, after all." "T-That''s a very generous offer, regardless!" Amelia cried, grabbing n''s hand. "That could help our guild grow immensely! You''re always talking about buying gear and weapons to craft your own." "You can also keep the merchandise revenue. I don''t mind." Miss Cosmica added as she manipted her User Interface. "They''re of good quality than I even bought a pair." **Don''t tell me she''s talking about those stupid t-shirts** n thought blushing, as Miss Cosmica made something appear out of her inventory. **Huh? It''s not that.** It took a while for him to distinguish what those items were. "Aren''t they cute?" The idol beamed, holding two nine-inch plushies in each hand. With big, round heads and eyes, doing a cartoony impression of their real counterparts. **Is that grumpy little fe with red chestnut hair supposed to be me?** n then darted his eyes to the second smiling one, with blue long hair and a red dress. **ra... Seriously... Stop it.** "They''re adorable!" Amelia said excitedly, reaching out her hand. "Can I see them for a minute, please?" "Sorry! But these are mine!" The idol cried, hugging them protectively. "And shouldn''t you have yours already? The woman that gifted me these two said she was part of your guild." n nced absently at the contract, swallowed, and made use of a new active skill. ''elerated Thought, which he had gotten after getting his Unique Talent, which was avable whenever he spoke to Aaron. ++"Yes, n? How can I help you?++ ++"I just need time to think this through. But what do you think about her? Can you, by any chance, detect if she''s lying?"++ ++"There is an active skill that lets you detect lies, but only warlocks can learn it."++ ++"Lie Detector machines are a thing, and we are all about machines, right?"++ ++"Are you suggesting we should develop an Engineer-ss version of it? Creating new skills from scratch is possible, but you would have to constantly train your mind at detecting lies naturally before the System recognizes it as a Passive Skill."++ ++"Well, I''m already used to analyzing everything in sight, so using it on humans would not be a problem. For instance, I know this woman in front of me is hiding something. She''s acting too neutral toward us. She''s not acting pompous or too friendly. She''s being too safe."++ ++"Careful, then, n."++ "Would signing this gives you the right to make us do something we may not want?" Miss Cosmica chuckled while storing the plushies. **It''s as if she knew I used ''elerated Thought'' and patiently waited for me to speak.** "No, n. The content of your streams is up to you. Although I''d urge you to enter certainpetitions from time to time. Oh, and one other thing. I strongly suggest that your Max-Level partner here appears on-screen as little as possible." n turned to Amelia, who slightly nodded. "We... have already talked about this. My presence would only steal experience away from you. So I don''t mind." "Fine." n rose and stretched out his hand. "I''m in." Miss Cosmica stared at him. "Don''t you want to read the rest of the contract first?" "In a moment. For the time being, your summary of it sounds good enough." The idol chuckled, standing up. "We''re partners from now on, then." As both shook hands, Amelia stared at them with a sulky expression on her face. Miss Cosmica smiled brightly once she noticed. "Do you want a handshake too? We could take a picture together if you want." Amelia beamed immediately. "I''d love that, yes!" 10 seconds had passed, and their hands were still glued together. Miss Cosmica frowned at the realization and noticed something else. n''s hand was not sweaty. Every hand Miss Cosmica had shaken since she debuted was soaked in sweat. She looked up, meeting his serious gaze. "This is also my way of saying thanks for helping us rebuild Unus Town," he said in a deep voice. "Not only do you bring happiness to the entire Novus with your music, but you also seem to care for all of its Users. Thanks a lot. I''m indebted to you." Miss Cosmica''s lips parted before she pulled her hand away. "A second longer and I''d have to charge you. And you owe me nothing, n Warden. I did it because it was the right thing to do." The idol turned around. "I need a little rest before parting." "You can use my room upstairs," Amelia quickly suggested. "It''ll be the one at your left." "Thanks. You can discuss the contract with Celestine in the meantime." Once the idol exited the room at a hurried pace, one of her guardians stood at the feet of the stairs, blocking the way up. "Very well, n Warden. Let''s revise the contract, shall we?" Celestine said, sitting on the armchair. "I''ll answer any question you may have." "Sure," n said, still looking in the direction of the stairs. "Did I say something that made her mad?" "Of course not. You know how all divas act." Celestine paused to look him in the eyes. "And she could never get upset at you, she''s a big fan of yours." "Celestine..." Her partner called in a severe tone. "Why is that?" n asked, half-smiling. Celestine smiled warmly at him. "What you said about her it''s true. Miss Cosmica is not satisfied with only bringing joy to the Novus with her performance, She''s also constantly helping people around the world. Her mere presence influences Actives, Guild Masters, and Administrators alike. All for the sake of this virtual world. And you seemed to do the same in your own way." "I don''t think I can bepared to her." Celestine shrugged and rested her chin on her palms. "Well, she sees something in you worth nurturing. So don''t disappoint her, alright?" She giggled, leaving him silent. "Anyway! About the contract!" Amelia, who had been absently staring at the nothingness since the idol had left the room, suddenly grinned awkwardly. As only pervert old geezers do. *** ** * **Come on, Miss Celebrity, Amelia thought, holding her breath. **Do something embarrassing, so it can get burned into my mind forever, fufufu.** Amelia could see the idol taking up the stairs and entering her room. Inside, Miss Cosmica looked around before channeling mana. **What are you going to do?** "Spell Scroll, No Signal Zone," Miss Cosmica cast with the help of an item, emanating an electronic pulse in a 300 feet radius. Amelia blinked, bringing her attention back to the living room, noticing that their pink drone camera was sparkling before turning off. She gave a quick nce at n and Celestine, who were discussing the contract without realizing what had happened, while Be and Anastasia behind her looked unaffected. **A spell that only targets recording devices, huh? ** Amelia focused again on what was happening upstairs, finding Miss Cosmica using another scroll. "...Silent as a grave." **I recognize that one. It''s Marissa''s favorite. It helps her silence an entire room so she can perform an assassination.** The idol cast a third spell. "No Mana Allowed." **And finally, something that cancels any familiar, magic construction, or anything made of mana that might spy on you. You''re too cautious, Miss Celebrity. Too bad that it won''t work this time.** Giggling, Amelia continued spying on the idol, who had started to roam the room. What caught her attention, was a closet brimmed with shoes. "Someone needs a new hobby," Miss Cosmica intoned as her eyes darted around. "Your shoe collection is even bigger than idols, Amelia Lamme." Seconds after, Miss Cosmica locked eyes with a pair of pink, open-toe high heels. **Please tell me that she''s going to try them out! ** "Equip," Miss Cosmica said aloud, wearing them automatically. She then looked at her feet in the nearby mirror. "10 more points, Amelia." From her ce on the couch, Amelia shrieked excitedly and her nose started bleeding. **I''m going to wear those next!** "A-Amelia, are you okay?!" n cried. "I''m okay! Don''t mind me. Keep reviewing the contract, please!" Be quickly approached and offered her a handkerchief. "Here, Master Amelia." "Thanks, Be." By the time Amelia concentrated her vision back to her room, Miss Cosmica had already left the pink shoes in their ce and was lying on the bed, pulling the Phantom Seekers'' plushies out of her inventory again. She held the n plush aloft, sighing. "Everything went smoothly. Thank the goddess! I don''t know what I''d have done if you had rejected my offer. But how could you? This partnership was made in heaven! Don''t you think, little one?" She said to ''herself'' while making the plush nod. Amelia''s heart began racing. **Something tells me I''m hearing something that I shouldn''t... Which is just what I wanted!** Miss Cosmica then sat at the edge of the bed while holding the Amelia plush in her left hand. She seemed to re at it. "I suppose I have to thank you for helping him make the choice, huh?" Before the real Amelia could process what she just had heard, that plushiebusted in an instant. Miss Cosmica then blew the ashes off her palm and wiped the rest off on the sheet. Amelia''s heart sank instantly. **All the way to the core of this fake... No, but seriously, what the hell was that?** Meanwhile, Miss Cosmica stared at her right hand with a conscious look on her face. "I can''t believe you shook my hand like that... It was so..." She suddenly grinned widely. "AWESOME!" Amelia could not believe her ears and eyes, for Miss Cosmica was hugging n''s plushie tightly, and had begun rolling on the bed, over and over again. "Kyaaah! And the way you looked at me! Your gaze was SO INTENSE that I felt I could DIE right there in front of everyone! And your: ''Thanks for saving Unus Town. You bring joy to the entire Novus''. SO COOL! Stop acting so GALLANT! Can''t you see that you made me BLUSH, you idiot!" Amelia blinked perplexedly and nced at everyone in the living room. They were continuing reviewing the contract, unaware of what was happening upstairs. **Is that why she cast ''Silent as a Grave''?** **...But...** **What the hell... ** **...is happening?** Amelia took a deep breath before spying again. But something told her that she would regret it. **I can''t back down now! I must keep watching! ** Miss Cosmica was now strolling to the room''s restroom. Her steps looked irregr as if she was dizzy. "Here we go..." she was saying while leaning over the sink. The sound of bones and flesh rearranging echoed through the bathroom. Her pink hair lost its vibrant color and her skin stopped being light pale. Something white and oval fell on the sink. **A mask, just like those Marissa use! That artifact''s effect must have worn out. Everyone knows she''s using a disguise to protect her identity, but I can finally be a witness to it! ** Amelia ordered her little spy to get closer so she could look at the mirror''s reflection. But... **No... ** As soon as she glimpsed that person''s golden hair, she felt sick. **No... No, no, no, NO!** **YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!** Amelia groaned disgusted, before releasing the contents of her stomach. "A-Amelia! Are you--?! Are you... puking a rainbow?" "That''s one of the many ways Users can customize their avatar," Consteline said, giggling. "Doesn''t it look cute?" "The sickly sounds say the opposite..." n muttered while rubbing Amelia''s back. "Something like that happened to me thest time I overate. It was not pleasant," Ashley said from her ce at the dinner table, while continuing to stuff her mouth with cookies. "Don''t overeat then." Chapter 78: The Thirty-Six-Year-Old Teen

Chapter 78: The Thirty-Six-Year-Old Teen

++++Three non-digital years ago.+++ A security guard tossed a service automaton violently to the ground, as the owner cried exasperatedly: "Please, no! Don''t hurt her!" She tried to shield her maid bot, but another guard pulled her by the arms while whispering to her ear: "Please, Ms. Bradford, let us do our job." "Hurt her?!" The other guard snickered, pulling out his gun. "This is just a toy, brat! Earth is getting fucked by dolls like this, and you brought one here?! This is a controlled environment!" "Y-Yes, I can see that! I''m so sorry! Just turn her off and seal her away somewhere, but don''t--!" The automaton looked in her direction as if it wanted to express that everything was alright. Two gunshotster, it stopped moving. "YOU''RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!" The girl''s cries echoed through the halls as they struggled to take her away. The young employee summoned to clean up the mess witnessed it all with a shocked expression on his face, before meeting the guard''s re. "What are you waiting for?! Take this junk away!" "Y-Yes!" the boy said, still hearing the enraged cries of that girl. *** ** * "I''ve talked to the chief of security, and they''ll offer a formal apology tomorrow morning," a man in his early forties said while serving himself a ss of scotch. The fifteen-year-old girl sitting in front of his desk sneered loudly. A wig rested on herp, looking like a t, lifeless ginger cat. "That won''t be necessary, Aston, I don''t hold a grudge against that guy." Aston Bradford, a blonde man with icy blue eyes turned to her, frowning. "You''re not mad about what that man did to your maid-bot?" "I''m not a kid anymore." The girl grinned, shrugging. "I know why he did it. We''re all a little anxioustely about this global crisis, so it''s understandable why he acted like that." Aston approached her cautiously and sat at the edge of his desk to have a better look at her gaze. "You''re telling me you''re fine." "Yeah!" He took a long sip without taking his eyes off her. "Promise me you won''t make a scene, then." "No." "Excuse me?" "Aston..." she intoned, giving him a funny look. "You know I can''t promise you that. Today I feel fine, but tomorrow I may feelpletely different. You can''t control raw emotions, you know." The top executive took a long sip of scotch before exhaling deeply. "Just be careful, then." *** ** * The next day, her raw emotions told her it was not over yet, for the reflection in her restroom mirror showed her a restless girl. She stared at her skinhead hairstyle and caressed her head, feeling her skull. Blonde hair was starting to grow back. **But not fast enough, and they''ll shave it again anyway.** The wig waiting in the sink seemed to mock her. She hated the thing. **I''ll use you one more time.** Before going out, she applied pink lipstick, checked how her bosom looked with a push-up bra and put the wig on. Five long minutester, despite the facilities'' maze-like corridors, she easily arrived at the lobby, although she had only been there once. **And there he is, pretending to be busy.** The guard acted reluctant to talk to her at first, expecting she hade to whine and bicker about thest day''s situation, but after two minutes of her leaning forward so that her pressed breasts looked like bursting out of her clothes at any second, he became friendlier. He even let her get inside the office to show her the security monitors as she sat on hisp. Every time he mocked any of the employees onscreen, she answered with childish giggles while gradually getting closer to his gun belt. It happened quickly. She snatched the weapon swiftly, unlocked the safe, and at his right thigh without flinching. "What the hell, brat?!" The man fell from his chair, and before he could cry for help, she quickly crouched and put the gun''s fuming cannon in his mouth, burning his tongue and pte. She whispered in his ear: "This is for abusing your power. I''ve investigated, and you didn''t have the right to dispose of private property. Legally, bots are not alive, so you didn''tmit a crime, and technically speaking, it''d be stupid to trade your life for hers. So I think this will suffice to get even, you and me. Thispany has great health insurance, so they''ll heal you quickly. Now, I''ll leave quietly, and let''s forget that we ever crossed paths, all right?" She grabbed her wig and threw it along with the gun in the trash can before mming the door. There was no need to escape running. She just strolled through the halls while hearing other security guards rush in the opposite direction. **The void in my chest... Hasn''t gone away.** A boy his age passed her by, and his backtracking steps were loud and annoying. "I''ve finally found you," he said, getting his feet in her field of vision. "You''re that girl, right? From yesterday in the lobby?" She looked up to re at him. She did not have the energy or the patience to deal with anyone. But when he reached out his hand to show her something, she frowned. "What the bloody hell is that?" "Take it," he insisted in an almost demanding tone. "It''s a pendant I crafted with a piece of your maid-bot''s memory drive." After hearing that, the girl''s eyes opened widely, observing the strange gleaming item. It was metallic blue, and exposing it to the light made it change to green. It was a repurposed piece of junk, and yet, pretty in an awkward kind of way. "You loved your maid-bot," he blurted out. "Her name was Miss Cooper," she corrected, acting upset, "and yes, she was my friend." "I''m sorry that this ce''s rules are so strict. I was the one in charge of dismantling her and..." he paused after seeing the appalled expression on her face. "...And I swear that I treated her in the most humane way possible!" "Humane?" She sneered. "Are we still talking about an automaton?" "Are you going to keep that or not?" he asked, folding his arms. "Yes. This belongs to me anyway." "Good!" He smiled, satisfied. "n," a woman wearing ab coat called aloud from the far end of the corridor. "Your lunch hour is over!" "Y-Yes, boss!" Without saying goodbye or waiting for gratitude, he turned back and ran down the corridor. That he left that way felt wrong to her. "Wait!" she cried, making him stop midway through. **Great! What do I say now?** He looked in a hurry, and she hated being pressured. "How did you recognize me? I''m not wearing my..." She unconsciously raised a hand close to her scalp. He stared at her face before his eyes darted to her chest. He blushed immediately. "T-There''s not many Tandem in these facilities, you know? And you''re the only new face around here! Anyway-seeya-takecare-bye!" Astrid stood in her ce, looking at him go, as the pendant on her hand told her that everything was somewhat alright. Chapter 79: The Thirty-six-year-old Teen (Part 2)

Chapter 79: The Thirty-six-year-old Teen (Part 2)

****** ASTRID: I stayed in that Kintech facility for just one month, and I never saw him again. I roamed the corridors in my free time, and went to the cafeteria at different hours of the day, but nothing. And I was too stubborn to ask if someone knew about him. Why did I want to see him again, anyway? Once I moved back to the Caelum headquarters, I wished to forget all about his annoying, persistent memory... But how could I? I was surrounded by adults... Scientists, engineers, programmers... And the only guys my ''age'' were others in the Somnium Project. Cocky, whiny, spoiled brats. So his stupid memory became a nuisance! I wished nothing more than to get him out of my head! And it kind of worked. Six monthster, I could not even remember his face or the name that woman called him. I was free. Until I saw him arrive at Caelum, 1 year and 7 monthster. There he was, applying for a chance to board the Santa Mar¨ªa in the booth beside mine. What were the freaking odds! Destiny, was that you? I recognized him right away, despite lying to myself that I wanted to forget him. His presence became a distraction, an obsession all over again. Why did I feel that way?! I had spent most of my life glued to test pods and stuck to machines, growing up in fake environments, testing whatever the developers had made up that week, and getting mentally older inside those virtual sandboxes while my body remained in its teenage years, that I was too upied to even think about getting close to someone! I desperately needed to know how it felt being close to anyone... Maybe trying it out with him would satiate this bloody, aching feeling. Days passed, and finding him became difficult again. The anxiety of not being able to meet him before getting inside the Novus was eating me, for I wanted to interact with him in the real world before it was toote. I wanted to talk and see him with my own eyes, not through the system''s. After learning that he had volunteered to help inside the facilities, I knew how to reach him, and I waited in that corridor like a predator. Maybe Aston knew what he was talking about when he used to call me a lioness. But... oh, no, anxiety again! Was I acting too stalkerish?! No, bad Astrid, don''t think like that! It''s toote now! There he is! No time for cowardice now! Go, lioness, and devour him whole! I Intentionally crashed into him, forcing him to help me collect what I had ''identally'' tossed, and... Wait, no, no! I wasn''t ready yet! While his eyes were busy grabbing the nkets, I quickly hid the crafted pendant he gifted me inside my clothes. Stupid, stupid me. He didn''t recognize me; I realized it immediately. I had finally let my hair grow after protesting with the Caelum engineers that shaving my head again would not improve their readings anymore, now that The Novus was at its final Beta build. Our first talk after two years... I smiled at him, shyly at first, and I noticed that his eyes looked absent, the same as mine, before imposing myself on this secret mission. Could it be that he had also been chained to ab or workshop, forced to grow up to meet the expectations of a selfish adult? Maybe we had more inmon than I expected. *** ** * We spent a week knowing each other, sharing the same table at the cafeteria every day, and spending most of our free time together. And I''ll never forget those days... Although technically, my mind was that of a thirty-something woman, he made me feel seventeen again. Around him, I could be as childish and immature as I wanted, and he would find it adorable. He made meugh, and I made him ufortable every time I held his hand. Even though we were both tech-savvy, we rarely talked about the subject. We would rather spend our free time imagining what a dragon wearing a tuxedo would look like, or wondering if pegasi and unicorns really existed. ording to our research, yes, hundreds of years ago, they were as real as monsters called typus and kangaroos. On the seventh day, when we boarded the Santa Mar¨ªa, I realized that we were now alone. I remember grabbing his hand as he gave me words of encouragement. I had been surrounded by adults my whole life until turning into one, and now, when the spaceship had left Earth''s atmosphere, I only had him. I felt happy for having him by my side and sad about leaving everything and everyone behind. Never in my entire life, I had felt that way. I asked him to be my boyfriend just before getting into the Cryo-Chambers, demanding that he should find me inside. Later, when he woke me up in the Renovatio Caves, I cried and hugged him. I wanted to bang my head against those rocky walls for not hugging him earlier when I still had the chance and it was still real. But crying on his shoulder calmed all the doubts, anger, and self-hatred I was still holding. I realized I loved him. *** I loved him during that wonderful week, having adventures and leveling up before he disappeared. I loved him while I waited for his return. I loved him while I had to move on and take care of the guild. I loved him even more when he finally appeared again. His presence reminded me of how shy and inexperienced I was about love, so much so that I couldn''t even think straight around him and would constantly look away in shame. Then the incident happened... And the dark entity within me awakened. Did I really love him? Or was I just infatuated with the idea of Him? It had been 5 years since I had met him, and we had only stayed together by a measly 15 days... Maybe we were not meant to be together, ever, but my stubbornness wouldn''t let him go. As... if I was upset with life itself for denying me the happiness I always wished for. If destiny was getting in my way, I would punch its stupid metaphorical face and rebel against it! I like how He makes me feel, so what''s wrong with that?! I rebelled against destiny when I asked Monique Ascencio to have an eye on Him and inform me about his every move! I rebelled when I bought His Beginner''s armor set and his old sword from that Kristoff dealer and put it on a mannequin in my room! Oh, his Beginner''s Shirt is so huggable... If only the system could keep the smell and odor of sold stuff! Hu, hu, hu. And now... I will definitely rebel now that the RED BITCH IS GETTING IN MY WAY! Chapter 80: Bechdel’s Worst Nightmare

Chapter 80: Bechdel''s Worst Nightmare

As soon as her mask artifact fell on the sink and her face, eyes, body, and hair returned to normal, she heard a faint squeal from somewhere inside the room. Her first instinct was to power up her fist with a fire aura. **What am I doing? Control yourself or you''ll destroy the entire house. ** Astrid walked out of the bathroom and scanned the room, but nothing. Under the bed? There was nothing out of the ordinary inside the shoe closet. Her eyes then locked on the curtains, where the shadow of a round figure passed through it. **No...** She strolled cautiously towards it, and the small critter tried to escape by jumping, but she caught it. **I could even do it with my eyes shut.** "A slime?" Astrid tilted her head, trying to figure out why such a low-level monster was there. "I know that the town is now full of creatures like you, but you''re starting to act like an infestation, you hear that?" The slime seemed to understand what she was saying and tackled her, crashing against her chest. The slime and Astrid''s breasts wiggled with the same consistency. She snarled and held it aloft, by what she imagined to be its right ''cheek''. "That wasn''t cute at all, you pest. The only one that I''ll ever let touch my boobs is A--" **Wait a bloody minute...** She inspected it closely to see its system''s information. When monsters disyed their names in orange letters, it meant they had been tamed by a User. Astrid inadvertently let it go, and Sloochie ran away in a heartbeat. **Oh, bloody crap...** *** Half an hourter, when the mask''s cooldown reset and she could assume her Idol persona again, Astrid exhaled deeply before returning to the living room. Although she could not calm her rapid heart rate, she did her best to smile and act friendly. "How is it going, guys? Have you finished reviewing the contract yet?" "Yes!" n smiled at her. "We were waiting for you toe back so we''d sign it together." Astrid, acting as Miss Cosmica, inspected his expression. **It seems the slime wasn''t his.** Her eyes then darted to the woman beside him, folding her arms. "Great!" Miss Cosmica beamed. "What are we waiting for then?" As Miss Cosmica took a seat and talked to Consteline, Amelia opened her Friend List tab and called her sister, while vigntly observing the idol called Nebuline at the other side of the room. Amelia noticed the bodyguard''s eyes check something inside her field of vision, before ncing at her for a second. Although Marissa did not respond, Amelia got the answer she needed. "I''d like to talk to Miss Cosmica for a moment," Amelia spoke in amanding voice. "Would you like to take that photo I promised first?" Miss Cosmica asked, pping, but Amelia''s eyes were not showing joy. "Why? What is it?" n asked. "Is there something else to discuss?" "n Warden," Amelia intoned aloud while not taking her eyes off the idol. "Do you trust your Co-leader?" "Of course I do," he said, confused. "I''d trust you with my life." Hearing that made Miss Cosmica bite her lower lip. "Trust me then. Go. It''ll be just a moment." n said no more and walked towards the exit, apanied by his two maid NPCs. "Ashley, let''s go." The aforementioned girl nodded after taking the box of cookies with her. The door closed, but two others remained. "Boss?" Nebuline called, frowning, before meeting Amelia''s re. "Dammit, Marissa, I know it''s you! Get out of here!" Amelia then crossed her eyes with Consteline. "And you must be Helen, right?" Consteline smiled widely at her. "Leave us alone," Miss Cosmica said. Both bodyguards nodded and their hurried heels echoed through the living room. Astrid took off her mask once the door got shut. The process made her groan, but she endured it to present a neutral face to her hostess. "Are you nning on ckmailing me, Amelia Lamme?" Amelia crossed her legs and stretched out her arms on the couch, sneering. "You shouldn''t have taken off your disguise. Your real face is less pleasant to see." "I wanted to see if you could handle seeing me in the eye." Astrid smirked. "Who would have thought? You, who didn''t bat an eye on plummeting other people''s gold, making millions in secret." "Gold that I''ve also invested in the guild. Ask Tamara. She can give you the numbers." "Another one of yourckeys. No, thanks. It amazes me you even have the time to do this. Wait, it makes sense. You were barely around." "That is a lie, and you know it. If it weren''t for me, we would have never reached the top rankings." "And if you weren''t ying pop star so often, Marco Souza wouldn''t have gained so much power and taken a third of the guild with him." "You aren''t calling him Lord Marco anymore?" "He failed to meet my expectations." "Did he? If I remember correctly, you were so desperate to please him that you even killed n eleven times." "Ten, and he has been very forgiving about that. We''re very close now. Very." "I know. I''ve seen the bloody t-shirts." "Good, burn that image into your mind. What''s with this sponsorship crap, anyway?" "It''s not a lie. I really believe people will fall in love with Phantom Seekers. At least with the members worth watching." "Is this an borate n to gain him back?" "What if it is? He''ll get the resources he needs to get stronger. He benefits from it." "So you''re epting this is your way of making him indebted to you." "Are you going to tell him?" Amelia giggled. "Who knows? Having this much power feels sooo great. I may keep the secret as long as you behave." "I prefer not. I''d hate owning you one." "But you must keep your secret! You don''t want to disappoint your fans, do you? ''Oh, have you heard? Miss Cosmica, the Novus sweetheart, is none other than the Golden Bitch. I won''t support her anymore''." "Do you think I care about my reputation?" "Well, you need it, at least for a little longer. To help n, you approached him as Miss Cosmica, not Astrid. I wonder why?" Astridughed out loud, not caring if the people outside could hear her. "So you''re admitting that my sponsorship would be a good thing for him." "We''ll just be using your resources, that''s all. But stay away from him. Got it?" "I can''t promise you that. To keep a good business rtionship, I''ll have to talk to him often." This time, Amelia snickered. "It''s sad when you say it like that. This is the only way you''ll get close to him ever again." Astrid snarled. "What?" "He''s not going back to your arms." Amelia stood up and ced one foot over the coffee table, her closed fists on her hips. "Admit it, you barely had time for him! You want to be a Guild Master, the number one Ranker, and the Novus'' greatest idol?! Please! That''s why he left! You couldn''t even get off your high horse for a single minute and ask him what he wanted, what he needed! And even if you seduce him while using that stupid disguise, would you call that a victory?! He now haspanions that will support him, that''ll never abandon him. And I''m telling you, right now, that I''ll make it my priority to make him happy, every single fucking day! SO FUCK OFF!" "Are you done?" "Yes. But I could keep going if you want." Astrid opened her User Interface and pushed her thumb against a new floating window. "No, I''ve heard enough." She put on her mask, waited until the process finished, and rose from her seat, stomping toward the exit. "How I missed talking to you, Amelia Lapute." "Au revoir, salope. Va te faire voir !" "Bloody g," Miss Cosmica murmured before mming the door. "I''ve signed the contract," she said, passing by n and hispanions. "Sign yours whenever you''re ready. This will be all for the moment." "Um, thanks for everything, Miss Cosmica," n replied shyly. "See youter then." As Miss Cosmica waited for herpanions to call their mount, she responded without looking in his direction. "Take care." n stood on the house''s porch for a little longer, watching them go on translucid pegasuses. Bright star-like lights lined the mount''s bodies as if they were constetions incarnate. "Is something wrong?" he asked after hearing Amelia''s footsteps behind him. "Nothing wrong. I just wanted to make sure if she was trustworthy." "And?" She stood by his side, with crossed arms. "You said you trusted me, didn''t you?" He remained silent, watching the night sky. Chapter 81: Farewell, Beginner’s Town!

Chapter 81: Farewell, Beginner''s Town!

"You''re still here," n addressed a silhouette sitting in the far corner of the poorly lit basement. He passed through five cells, from where the snoring of prisoners could be heard. The air smelled clean and the rest of the silence was peaceful enough for him toment about. "It''s pretty calming here. I wouldn''t mind spending some time here to help me think." The guard snickered at him. "Don''t think I''ve been here sitting on my ass all day. I juste asionally to bring them food. I have a camera installed here, so I can observe them from thefort of my home, and I could send any of my Mods in my ce." **And yet, here you are.** n put his hands inside his jacket and exhaled, watching in the cell''s direction. "Have any of them awakened?" "Yes. I''ve been able tomunicate with them all," The Administrator of Conduct said, running a strand of hair behind her ear. "They don''t seem to remember what happened. Or at least that''s what they im." "Has Ricardo Silva checked them yet?" "No, why would he?" Jane Andersen asked, raising her voice. "They''re my responsibility." **She doesn''t trust him, huh? Ricardo doesn''t trust any of his colleagues either. And now we can add Vi Lang to the list of suspects... This will never end.** "n, is that you, buddy?" a faint voice spoke from one of the cells. n dashed towards it. "Paul? Hi, pal. How do you feel?" "Like if a truck had hit me. Wait, that''s an old-fashioned way of saying it, right? Let''s see. Like if a High-Leveler had kicked my balls." "You must be fine if you can joke like that," n chuckled. "Hey, n, do you know when they are going to let us out of here?" n peeked behind him, not able to find Jane Andersen nearby. **She must be hiding, listening closely.** "I haven''t asked, but expect to be here for a little longer. They have told me that although you''re fine, you won''t be able to leave Unus for a while. You''re still affected by whatever she did to all of you." "Are we still infected? Man, that sounds messed up." Paul sighed. "I never had intentions of leaving this bore of a ce, but now that they''re restricting me, I want to get the hell out of here as soon as I can. Isn''t it weird?" "It''s just human nature." n shrugged. "Do you remember what happened to you when the ck goo trapped you?" "Nothing. I just remember this albino girl. Oh! And one of your NPCs got stabbed. It was a messed-up situation, but we won, right?" "Yes. We won," n said, bitterly swallowing. "You know, there''s something that still bugs me." "What is it?" "Serenity..." "Who''s that?" "The albino gal." "Oh, yeah. What about her? Although she was our enemy, she was pretty hot, huh?" "She was, yes, if you like them insane. But, hey, maybe you could help me brainstorm some theories, yes? Listen. The first time I met her, she seemed to break the rules of what regr Users are capable of doing inside The Novus, and thisst time she did it again. This thing that is affecting you, acts more like a virus... Aputer virus. Are you following me, Paul? How could she propagate something like that in such a controlled environment?" Paul''s frown gradually disappeared, and his expression changed from concerned to mocking. "What a mystery, eh, buddy?" n heard the rest of the prisoners move inside their cells. One said: "You may have enough cors for the entire Userbase, but what will happen once we have to get out of here?" "By the end of this space trip you''ll end up enving all of humanity, n Warden. Would that be ''humane''? Would that be ethical? Aren''t we, the Tandem, humanity''sst hope?" another asked, sneering. "You must be kidding me," Jane Andersen could be heard muttering from the shadows, watching the other four prisoners stand at the same time and stare at her from behind the bars. n exhaled in front of Paul before walking away. "If that''s the game you''re going to y, I''ll find a way then, Singr. See youter, Paul." "What do you mean?" Paul asked. "Hey! A way for what?!" "Do you know what this means?" Jane Andersen grunted, following n to the exit. "Look at them! I can''t release them yet." "But you must," n said after opening the exit door. "Their human consciousness is still there. Put all the restrictions you want on them, but you still must let them go." "But you said it yourself. If the Singr has the ability to hack, who knows what they could do?!" "Then you must admit that you need Ricardo''s help. We mustn''t let this situation get out of our hands. If we can''t trust each other, we''ll fuck this up before it even starts." Jane stared at him, narrowing her eyes. "How can you say all that with such a calm face?" She folded her arms. "Fine. I''ll ask for his help. You''re moving today, right?" "Yes." "Go. I''ll take care of this. I''ll call you if I have an update." "Thanks, Administrator. I''m counting on you." Jane shook her head while watching him go. "Wait, Mr. n." "Mister?" "Although I agree with you on this one, you can''t live like that, trusting everyone blindly. Either you''re stupid, na?ve, or a masochist." n smiled at her. "Yes." *** ** * He returned to his home, which was now just an empty lot, expecting to only encounter the members of Phantom Seekers waiting for him, but he found arge group gathering there instead. A third of New Unus City. Users and Advanced Slimes alike called his name and patted his back as he approached. "W-What is this? Is judgment day upon me?" "We''re here to say goodbye to you, n Comatose Warden," Brenda, owner of the underground bar, said aloud, her husband Kristoff beside her, who was nodding. "You made living here fun again." "Even if I destroyed the entire town?" "If it wasn''t for that, Miss Cosmica would''ve nevere, so we thank you for that," Jared, the weaponsmith. said, hugging his NPC wife. Others agreed, chuckling. "Good luck, Comatose." "Take care, n." "And stop getting into trouble, eh? Or you''re going to make Amelia sad." As n watched their smiling faces, he sobbed. "Oh, guys..." "Ready to go, n?" Amelia asked, carrying their miniaturized house in her hand, like a dollhouse. Ashley and the maid NPCs waited for him a few feet ahead. Phantom Seekers turned their backs and n waved goodbye to them. "Farewell, Beginnng Town! I''m missing you al--!" "WAIT! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT ME!" "Oh, crap," n muttered. Being the strongest in the town besides Amelia, ra Dominguez shortened the distance in a couple of seconds thanks to her high Vitality rank. Despite that, she panted like she had run a marathon. "Were you leaving without me, you bastards?!" "Of course not. We could never leave you behind," n said in a monotonous tone. "That''s more like it." ra smiled and put her hands on her hips. "Well, it was a pleasure working with you, Unus! Thanks for being such weing folk! Take care, and let''s hope the stars unite us again in the future!" As sheughed out loud, the citizens remained silent. "Let''s go, Fabio." "I can''t go, ma''am," her NPC said in a polite tone, and n could be heard sneering from a distance. ra dashed to hold his NPC by the shoulders. "W-What do you mean, my love? W-We have traveled the world over! You knew this ce was nothing but a brief detour in our long jour--" "As long as I''m Unus'' mayor, I can''t leave this ce," Fabio exined with a calm face. "Oh, right! Um... Can you give the job to another NPC? We stole the job from that bitch, anyway, so..." ra pointed at Anastasia, who was neutrally smiling. n nced at his NPC, looking for any other reaction on her face, but there was nothing. **It would have been amusing though.** "Yes, I can, ma''am. Who will be New Unus'' new mayor?" Fabio said, snapping his fingers, and the NPCs in the crowd stepped forward and formed a line, five in total. "If you wait a little longer, I can summon the rest currently working in the town." "There''s no need for that!" ra shouted confidently while adjusting her sses. "Because the right person is right here, in front of us!" She pointed with her index finger, and n could hear her whispering. "Eenie, meenie, miney, you!" "What?!" Kristoff, the owner of the underground shop, cried from the crowd, watching ra pointing at the pink-haired NPC ''married'' to Jared. "It will be done," Fabio said, snapping his fingers again. "Wait, no! We should vote first!" Kristoff shouted, making his way towards Fabio, but by then, a new badge showed up in Jared''s wife''s name, indicating that the change was done. Kristoff''s face turned crimson. "Oh, for fuck''s safe! Thanks a lot, ra!" "Yeah, thanks a lot!" Jaredughed out loud, hugging his expressionless ''wife''. "A pleasure serving you, people," ra said, sending them kisses. "?Adi¨®s, mis amigos!" "That surely went well," n muttered to her. "Shut up and don''t stop walking," ra replied, looking nervous. Chapter 82: End of Volume 1

Chapter 82: End of Volume 1

Once New Unus City could not be seen on the horizon, n noticed a shadow passing over them. He looked up, watching a winged mount descending andnding near a leafy, still green tree. He swallowed after recognizing the rider. "Someone else came to say goodbye," Ameliamented bitterly. "Wait, is that... The Golden Comet?!" ra cried out, eyes wide open. "What''s she doing here?" Amelia nced at n''s fixed eyes and closed fists and exhaled. "It''s okay. Go." He blinked repeatedly. "But..." "What? You''re just going to talk to your ex, right? It''s not a big deal." Amelia chuckled. "Go. You''ll catch us down the road, right?" "Ex? Whose ex?" ra asked, dumbfounded. "It''ll be only a minute, girls, I promise!" n said urgently before sprinting toward that tree, being followed by Amelia''s gaze. "Fabio is also here, and he''s a guy, you know?!" ra pointed out while Amelia pulled her by the arm. "Whatever. Let''s go, guys." On his way, n could smell the freshness of grass, feel the softness of the earth, and admire the blonde girl wearing a loose, knee-height dress as blue as the sky above them. Astrid petted her ck winged lion one more time before ncing at n. "I heard what happened here. It sounded like a hell of an adventure." "It was! A scary one." She chuckled. "Well, I also watched the videos, and you looked like you were in control at all times." "Did I? Finally, someone that recognizes how awesome I am!" He lifted his chin proudly. "I even got an Anima." Astrid''s expression seemed to mirror Amelia''s prior reaction. "Did you?" she asked with her mouth ajar. "W-Wow! That''s... Something you don''t see every day for someone of your... level! I mean, good gob!" "Are they that rare?" "They are! Some High-Levelers don''t even have one." "Do you want to meet him?" "Yes, please!" "Nice to meet you, I''m Aaron," the spirit wearing a hazmat suit and a skull for a face said as soon as he materialized, sitting on n''s shoulder. "What is your name?" "I''m Astrid! Astrid Bradford. Nice meeting you, Aaron. Aww, n, he''s so cute!" "You think?" n squinted, ncing at him. "I forgot for a moment that you''ve always loved grim and spooky things." "But I also love the name you gave to my guild. You named it thinking about me, didn''t you?" "Yes. Back in Caelum, you were always naming things like ary'' this, ''star'' that." "He-he! That was nothing but practice for when I''d start naming my special attacks." "Hey, I''ve always wondered, why do they call you Golden Comet?" "Don''t ask me that, n! It''s kind of embarrassing." "Oh,e on. Do you dislike the surname?" "N-no." "So? It can''t be that bad." "Fine... I''ll tell you. Just promise that you won''t..." "I won''tugh." "It''s not something tough at, either, but... Okay, here it goes. One year ago, while I was in an interview, one guild member said... and I quote: That I looked like ''aet wiping everything on the battlefield''... And I suppose people started calling me ''golden'' because of my hair." Astrid caressed a strand of blonde hair resting on her right shoulder. "That''s it?" "Yes. It''s not an interesting story." "So you''re a beautiful, deadly ball of fire destroying everything in your path." "I suppose, yes..." Astrid nodded absently before looking at his mocking face. "What did you say?! Does that sound like something you would say to ady?!" nughed out loud, making her pout. "It fits you perfectly! You can be both feminine and the ''world-destroyer'' type at the same time!" "I''m not that strong!" "Hmm, I wonder if you''re hiding a six-pack under that dress," he said while staring at her abdomen. "Or could it be an eight-pack?" "You''ve already seen me wearing mybat armor, the one that looks like a bathing suit? So I''m not hiding a whatever-pack. I might''ve gained some mass and muscles, but I''m always customizing my avatar to look as close to my real appearance as possible." "You only let your hair grow." "Yes... Although hair doesn''t grow inside the Novus, I''ve always wanted to wear it long, and it helps reflect the passing of time." "You look good." "Thanks." As both remained silent, Astrid''s mount could be heard yawning. "I''m sorry," he whispered. "For leaving right when you needed all the help you could get." "Don''t apologize! It''s admirable that you want to resume your own path right where you left it." "Is that how you see it?" "Did I get it wrong?" "No, that''s okay. And yet, I wish things would have happened differently." "I wish that too," she said, as an air current blew her hair, covering her face for a moment. "n, who were those people? The women that attacked you, what were they looking for?" "I owed them money." "Bullshit." She took one step forward. "You can trust me, always. Whatever it is, I promise you that I can do anything in my power to--" "Astrid Bradford!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, making her correct her posture like a soldier would. "Y-Yes?!" "You mustn''t worry about me anymore! Now that I know what the Novus'' gold can buy, you should focus on investing in your future! Besides...!" He paused, puffing his chest out, before smiling widely. "Unlike me, your potential is limitless. Your reach can help more people than I ever could. So when the timees, help them instead, please. I will be fine, I promise." "But..." Astrid''s eyes watered and her lower lip trembled. She did not waste a second more and dashed to embrace him. "I''m not stupid. I know you were working outside all this time, and I don''t want to see you suffering more than you have already¡ª!" "Thanks, Astrid. And believe me, even if you''re not present, you''re always giving me the strength I need to endure any hardship." "n... I..." she muttered before whispering something to his ear. Something that made him step back. She then pushed him from his chest. "Now go, then! Your new guild is waiting for you." n found himself at a loss for words and could not move an inch, so she left first, mounting her winged ck lion in a hurry. "See ya," she said before soaring the skies in a matter of seconds. When that tree was nothing but a blurry green stain, she put her hand against her chest andughed. "Not what I really wanted to say, but I feel so much better now." She looked at the sky opening for her, and the many destinations she couldnd. "Yes..." she muttered while a tear ran down her cheek. "I feel kinda better now..." Although n walked at a slug''s pace, his feet eventually carried him to Amelia''s side, who nced at him in the eye. A smile on her face. "Everything okay?" He stopped looking at his feet and nodded. "Yeah..." He cleared his throat. "Yes. Everything is... Um... Where are we going again?" Chapter 83: Epilogue

Chapter 83: Epilogue

The sound of thepressed oxygen escaping, his heavy breath against the venttor, and the annoying crying of an rm buzzed on his ears. All of it sounded likeing from a nightmare. **And yet, there is nothing I can do about it.** He repressed the urge to puke and endured the many sensations that told him that his head was going to explode, and that his muscles were burning hot. An electronic voice said his passenger number and name out loud, and asked if it was okay to administer an adrenaline dose. He grunted a quick "yes". Once the liquid entered his system, his senses came back and his body demanded to get out of there fast, but he took the time to examine his body. **Before entering here, my body was in an excellent condition, but now...** He observed his built arms, his iron-like abdomen and thick legs. He closed his fists, imagining himself breaking someone else''s neck with ease. **Even though my Vitality is low Silver, I feel powerful. So these pods are releasing something into our bodies while sleeping.** He nced at the thousands of cryopods besides his and ignored the electronic voice telling him to hurry. He took his clothes and dressed calmly. A ck turtleneck sweater, gray formal pants and ck leather shoes. He followed the drone by strolling and entered the elevator after exhaling. **How ironic.** While on his way to his designated room, he did not ask questions nor addressed the drone. Only after the door closed and a timer appeared on a wall screen, he sighed. "What a joke." He pulled out a hidden pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the interior side of his sweater and released smoke in the screen''s direction, where the Caelum Enterprise''s logo appeared. Another electronic, smooth feminine voice, said his ID number and full name while he puffed. **So this is what karma tastes like... or would, if I actually believed in it.** The AI''s voice exined the situation in a polite and calm tone, using words that expressed urgency. He only snickered. "Are you listening to what I''m saying, Detective?" Isabe asked. "You''ve been quite calm since you awoke." "Detective... I never thought I''d be called that again while boarding this ship," he extinguished his cigarette against the white, pristine table behind him. **First of all, let''s analyze the obvious. How can I be sure that this machine didn''t kill the ship''s crew? By reviewing the security video logs? This thing could have manipted them with ease. ** **But, if it was really the culprit and released The Singr into The Novus intentionally, why would it even bother to fix the issue? No one inside the system would know that we were getting attacked.** "If The Singr entered through a Cryopod," he began, "that means the system ''believes'' it''s a regr User, correct?" "Yes, I have already tested it. It is possible." "I suppose those cryopods were not empty, so the malign AI is ''sharing rooms'' with the User''s mind." "That is the reason I have summoned you. I need you to return to the system, and find these ''infected'' users." He looked away. **This thing doesn''t even know where to start looking. For the moment, it seems there''s no contradictions in its version of the story. For now. ** "This is an AI we''re talking about. What''s the possibility of it duplicating itself and entering through more than one pod?" "High. I have run simtions, calcting its estimated data size and the period of time The Singr messed with the power line. There is a 97.5 % chance that it created as much as five copies of itself." **Finding five people out of 100,000? You''re asking too much, tin can. I bet that I''m not the only one assigned for the task, excluding that idiot. ** "Before we continue, I would like to let you know that I''m already in a prominent position inside the System, so epting this quest will surely slow down my progress." "It goes without saying that I willpensate you for your time, Detective. Your final Credit Bnce will receive a considerable bonus--" "I also want to be the first to choose from the ship''s armory when the timees. If you could provide me with an inventory list, right now, that would motivate me immensely to start working." "I''m sorry. But I''m afraid that--" "You surely reviewed my profile,dy, so you already know what you''re getting with me. My services have never been cheap, and I assure you that thanks to my current position inside the Novus'' socialite, I''ll do a better damn job than your otherckey, n Warden." "Has he talked to you about the situation?" "No. But the fact that I got the info out of him that easily is just another example of my value." After a couple of seconds, the screen shed and a file appeared, ready to be opened. "This is the list of avable assets in the Santa Mar¨ªa''s armory. Aplish this task, and you''ll be first in line, I promise." The young man smirked. "See? I''m already feeling motivated to find these evildoers." "Do we have a deal then, Detective Souza?" Marco stared at the camera above the screen, showing a gleam in his eyes. "I''ll do my best, as always." Chapter 84: SPECIAL - Dylak’s Revenge (Part 1)

Chapter 84: SPECIAL - Dk''s Revenge (Part 1)

Admin Portals: Gates that rip the air and let the Administrators travel The Novus with ease. Exclusive to them. In a virtual world where teleportation does not exist, this method of transportation could be easilypared to ''Staff Only'' doors. Just a moment ago, Vi Lang was waving goodbye to her Slime colony from the entrance of Caeruleum Mountain, and a second after, she was stepping inside a dusty interior, still wearing a grin on her face. "Such an interesting fe," she whispered to herself while closing the portal and looking at her surroundings. The ce smelled humid, and the floor annoyingly creaked at her every step, and yet, she loved it. Ah, how nostalgic! She twirled, looking at the damaged wallpaper, at the broken furniture, at the blood-stained carpets. ** Back in the day, people whined that we should have nerfed this dungeon''s difficulty, and they soon learned that I don''t listen to Users''ints, hu-hu. If a group of five could beat it on the first week, it means that the rest weren''t trying hard enough. ** She nced at the double staircase and at the empty corridors, exhaling. No one came to wee her. **But it''s such a shame that this ce looks so lifeless now. Oh, well. This is what happens when progress moves to more important areas. ** After a couple of minutes, climbing up stairs and admiring the decorative paintings, Vi reached the master''s chambers on the second floor. For a moment, she wished to be greeted by the ce''s Main Boss, but found an empty, looted room instead. **This ce has seen better days.** She waved her hand in the air, making her User Interface appear, and with quick finger movements, prompted another bigger system window to pop up above the destroyed bed. On it, read: ++ - Count Dk''s Mansion - ++ +++++++ -------------------------- - Count Dk''s Mansion - Status: Offline Difficulty Level: ''Noob'' Enemy NPCs: Butler Marick - Lvl 9 Cook Monier - Lvl 9 Count Dk - Lvl 15 Housekeeper Bilmur - Lvl 12 Housemaid Eliora - Lvl 8 Housemaid Eliza - Lvl 8 Professor Spiegel - Lvl 9 ----------------------------- ** Look at them! Although I barely remember all about these guys, I know I put my heart on every single one of them, like always. ** If she tapped every one of the NPCs tabs, she could check their Reward Drops and status, but she skipped all the system information and looked for the ''Notifications'' tab. **Let''s see what this is about. ** Another, smaller system window appeared in front of her, and automatically started a basic Chat. ++Director: Good Morning, Master Vi.++ Reading that, made Vi cringe. **This is pretty old! I can''t even recall thest time I programmed one of my creations to call me Master, and This Director doesn''t even have a name! Bad Old Vi, bad!** "You sent a request message... Why? I disconnected you like... Let''s see... Here it is, two years ago." ++ Director: I am sorry for the inconvenience, Master Vi, but I need to be back online to continue doing my work. ++ "And that''s why it doesn''t make sense!" Vi cried, exasperated, while adjusting her sses. "There''s a reason why I disable obsolete dungeons like yours, you know? To save up on resources and prevent them from pestering me. Good bye." Before Vi could finish typing the ''Delete All Data''mand on her User Interface, the chat window popped up again. ++ Director: Master Vi, my job is not done yet. You have programmed me to challenge the Eur Region low-level Users, and as of 14 days ago, I could not perform my work at all. Please reconsider. ++ "What low-level Users are you talking about?! Any of those Passives from Unus could take down your entire boss'' gallery with their eyes closed! I''m extremely busy, so be a nice IA, and shut down alrea--" Vi took silence at the sight of a security camera, showing anky eighteen-year-old boy, roaming the dungeon. She checked the recording''s date. **Fourteen days ago.** "So that''s why you sent me the notification, huh?" Vi''s red-painted lips formed a wide grin. ++ Director: Could you please put me back online, Master Vi? As you can see, there are still low-level Users that could visit this dungeon.++ "But of course! After all, these dungeons are likemunity service," Vi said, cracking her fingers, and making a virtual keyboard appear in front of her. "But I think you need an upgrade. All of you. I''m all about progress, you see? I must maintain this philosophy religiously, even while ying with you." ++ Director: I would appreciate it. Thanks, Master Vi. ++ "First thing first..." Vi started saying, while furiously typing her keyboard. "Call me Goddess." *** ** * * ** *** Watching ra''s astounded face was amusing at first, but once her mouth genuinely dropped, n and Amelia felt ufortable. "Did we make the right choice?" n whispered. "Well, we couldn''t leave her in the shadows," Amelia replied, sitting next to him on the couch. "If she''s going to hang around with us, she needs to know." ra''s gaze was locked on Ashley, who sipped coffee after exining the situation. "Do you have any questions, ra Dominguez?" Ashley asked softly. "W-well... LIKE A LOT!" the brown-skinned young woman said, leaning back in her armchair. Her distressed expression prompted her handsome NPC to quickly offer her a bottle. "A beer, Miss ra?" "Thanks, Fabio!" She snatched it and gulped it whole. "SO! You''re saying you weren''t in aa..." She pointed to n, who grimaced. "And she''s this ship''s AI in disguise..." ra pointed to the serious-looking Ashley. "I got that bit correct, right? I didn''t misunderstand it." "That is correct, ra." Ashley nodded. "Holy guacamole!" ra cried, standing up. "And I thought you were just a bunch of misfits!" "Look who''s talking," the long-haired redhead, Amelia Lamme, sneered. "Didn''t thest battle tell you we''re not regr folk?" ** ''We''? ** n thought, squinting, before shaking his head. "Look, ra, you don''t have to be part of this if you don''t--" "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! And miss all the action you may be part of?!" ra snapped her fingers, making her Drone Camera materialize out of her inventory. "I was willing to follow you when I thought you were nothing more than an unfortunate, potentially bankable soul!" She jumped over the coffee table and sat on n''sp. The Drone Camera pointing at n''s face. "But now that I know about your secret mission, I''m all in! Just imagine the day when you finally save the world! Hugging your beloved Amelia by her waist, your gazes looking at the horizon, hair blowing through your hair... AND I... recording the exact moment you say: ''It''s finally over, my dear...'' IT GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS JUST BY IMAGINING IT!" n stood up, making her fall on the wooden floor. "Do you think this whole endeavor will be pretty?! Just look at what happened on Unus!" "B-b-but!" ra grabbed him by the helm of his shirt, and with watery eyes whimpered: "We all made it, right? Barely, yes... But we just need to be stronger so it doesn''t happen again." "n," Amelia called softly, giving him a sympathetic look. "Just let her be." **I shouldn''t be the negative one here,** n thought, pursing his lips, before helping ra stand up. "Right, you''re absolutely right." After exhaling, he grabbed her by the shoulders. "That bright future you described? Sounds awesome! I''ll do my best to strive for it." He grinned, making ra sob. "Oh, you can be kind of adorable, too, you know? Let''s achieve that better future together!" She bear-hugged him, cracking his back bones. "L-let go! Y-you''re k-killing me!" "Dinner is ready, Master Amelia," the NPC Be said from the kitchen''s entrance, while Anastasia prepared the dining table. "Well," Amelia chuckled, "now that ra knows what Phantom Seekers is all about, let''s celebrate and officially wee her to our guild!" "I''m a Guilder now..." ra muttered, still holding n. "I''m part of Phantom Seekers, right?" "Yes, you''re stuck with us from the moment you started recording me." "I''m... I''M A GUILDER NOW!" ra beamed, and turned to her NPC. "Fabio! Bring the drinks! Let''s get wasted tonight!" "All of them, ma''am?" ra smirked and adjusted her sses. "Take out The Colder." "The Colder..." n repeated. "What''s that?" Minutester, while Amelia and ra bickered about where they should install the enormous fridge full of alcoholic drinks, a one-eyed, spider-like monster stopped peeking at them from a window and was pulled back up by its string. The Phantom Seekers'' house, that could be easily moved anywhere they wanted, was resting at the feet of a cliff. High above, on its edge, was a group illuminated by the moonlight. A man wearing a suit with purple skin recovered the spy spider and petted it. "He''s inside, Master. There''s no doubt about it." "We found him," a tall, pale man wearing a ck cape said, forming a grin with his pointy, sharp teeth. "The low-level User, n Warden..." Chapter 85: Dylak’s Revenge PART 2

Chapter 85: Dk''s Revenge PART 2

"Another beer, ma''am?" the NPC Fabio said to ra, maintaining a warm smile on his face. "Yes, thanks," ra replied absently while looking through the window. She could see Ashley standing outside. **What''s she doing?** ra nced back at the table full of snacks in front of her and grabbed a fistful of nachos. At the other side of the table was n, modestly sipping beer while a happy, red-faced Amelia encouraged him to drink more. "Why are you hooolding back? Come ooon..." Amelia was quietly saying. "We''re celebrating." "You just want to see me drunk, don''t you?" "Is it that obvious?" she giggled, hugging him. "I''ve always wondered why you didn''t get drunk at Kathleen''s ce, despite being your first time drinking. What''s your secret, hmm?" "I couldn''t allow myself to get drunk in front of you-know-who. It would have made me lose my focus. That''s why," n said solemnly, before munching potato chips, making Amelia squint. "What the hell are you babbling about? You can''t develop a resistance to alcohol just by wishing it." "Who knows?" n smirked, looking her in the eyes. "But it''s kind of embarrassing that despite your Vitality being way higher than mine, alcohol affects you easily. It''s kind of cool being better than you at something for a start." "Is that a challenge?" Amelia said, clenching her jaw. "Be, bring out the Scorcher from ra''s fridge. n and I will have a littlepetition." "W-wait. Hold on..." "Right away, Master Amelia." "I was saving that forter, but go on, use it for your silly drinking game," ra muttered before standing up. Bottle of beer in hand, she got out to the porch, sipped, and look outside. "What a wonderful full moon we have tonight!" she said aloud to Ashley, who maintained her gaze forward at the shadows formed by the trees around the house. "I detected something some minutes ago, and Ie here to check if everything was alright." "Something? It may have been a low-level monster. Whatever. Come inside." "Before that, can I ask you something, ra Dominguez?" Ashley turned around. Her emerald-colored eyes were shining, showing that she had used a tracking skill just recently. **And right now, it makes her look inhuman.** ra sipped again from her beer before replying: "Aw,e on! You don''t have to talk to me in such a formal way! I''m not a mayor anymore, remember? We''re all nakama now, so just call me ra!" "Very well, ra." "That''s more like it! Wait, we can''t talk with our throats dry. Fabio?" ra snapped her fingers and the NPC quickly stepped out of the house. "Yes, ma''am?" "A beer for our friend here." "I have one right here." Fabio materialized it out of his inventory and approached Ashley. "Here you go, miss." Ashley grabbed the cold bottle as if it was a strange object. "This is alcohol, right? Known for dulling the senses." "That''s the best part about it!" ra beamed, sitting on the front stairs, and tapping the spot to her side so that Ashley could join her. The petite brte sat beside her, inspected the bottle one more time, and sipped it, forming a grimace shortly after. "I expected it to be sweet." "You didn''t like it? Sweet beverages also exist. Fabio, a Goldenbow. Let her taste the power of cider!" The dark-haired NPC swiftly materialized another cold bottle and offered it to Ashley, while ra took the beer away from her hands. "I like this one more," Ashley said, licking her lips. "You''re quite fortunate, you know?" ra said, forming a faint smile. "Unlike my friend here, you can actually taste things." Hearing that prompted Ashley to nce at the smiling male servant behind them, waiting for the next order. She then stared at her bottle, containing a golden-colored liquid, and took a longer sip. "It''s quite tasty." "What did you want to ask?" "You have a sister, am I correct?" "Yes," ra replied, sighing. "She came to town with the rest of Miss Cosmica''s followers." "She looked identical to you. Twins, right? I saw you talking to her before they all parted." ra loudly exhaled, gulped her beer, and put the bottle away. "Do you want to ask why I didn''t go with her instead of joining your guild?" "Actually, I want to ask you what having a sister is like." "Oh!" ra opened her eyes wide and cleared her throat. "Well... Is like... W-why do you ask?" ra turned to her, expecting to find a mncholic expression, but Ashley''s neutral face was the same she always wore. **She looks ''lively'' only when she''s eating... Dammit, Comatose n! I don''t know if knowing the truth about her was a good idea!** Before ra could say a thing, Ashley continued: "I have always said that I have a sister. Her name is Elizabeth, from the Alvearium Enterprise." "I suppose that''s the name of another AI, right?" "Yes. But, I do not know if someone programmed me with that knowledge. The case is that I do not feel close to her at all. We only shared amonwork to share information, but nothing else." She suddenly got closer to ra. "Having a sister is like having a closepanion, is it not? Like the rtionship I have with every member of Phantom Seekers. Being rted is only a technicality, correct?" ra''s mouth remained ajar, speechless. Her anxious gaze turned to Fabio before shaking her head. **What am I thinking? Asking a bot to help me solve the existential crisis of another machine? Wait, no... Ashley is more than that.** ra burst outughing. "Nya-ha-ha! Why are you concerned with such human matters?! You are Ashley, the only one of her kind! Nor human, nor machine now! And answering your question is kind of tricky, you know? Just because you share parents with someone doesn''t automatically make you apanion." "Correct. It has been documented that not all siblings get along. There is even an ancient legend about a man killing his brother." "Um... I don''t know about that! But to expand what I was saying, you may not have a saying of whom you get rted with, but you can choose whom to stay with in the long run. Those new people may be a better family than your actual one. It happens!" Giggling, ra hugged Ashley by the neck. "For instance, you could be my new sister. How about that?" A voice echoed inside ra''s head: ++''We''re both parts of a single being!''++ "Yeah..." ra muttered. "We could all be a new family..." "Does that make Fabio your brother?" ra formed an x with her arms. "N-NO! That would make my interactions with him a lot creepier!" "What do you mean?" Ashley asked, tilting her head, as she had seen other Users do. **Now you act like a sweet, innocent child?!** ra thought, swallowing. "L-let''s not talk about that, shall we? And if you really care about that, the closest thing you have to a sister is yourself... outside the system." "Are you talking about my Original?" Ashley asked in a softer voice, pondering. "Or as n calls her, Isabe I... Your assertion is correct. Although I''m technically a copy of her, she is figuratively my twin sister, right?" "Y-yes! Exactly." **Phew... Safe! I don''t know if Ashley is prepared to know something as dirty as...** "By the way," Ashley whispered, standing up. "We havepany." ra followed her gaze and squinted. In front of them was nothing but darkness until silhouettes stepped out of the shade of trees. "Fabio? Warn the others." "Yes, ma''am." "Splendid night,dies!" the man leading the group said in a jovial tone of voice. His skin was as pale as the moon, and his ck cloak lined a slender but strong physique. "Would you mind telling me if this is the home of n Warden?" **Who the hell is that? And why do I have the impression that he''s not a User?** After ncing at the info above their heads, she smirked. **What''s with their levels? This guy is only level 15.** "What''s happening?" n asked once outside, watching the group of five, 50 feet away from them. "n, these people are asking for you," Ashley informed. "Do you know them?" "They''re not people, new sis, they''re NPCs!" ra scoffed. "And very weak ones, in fact. My Fabio here could crush them all by himself." "True, but..." n whispered, trying to discern more about the info the system was giving him. "Count... Dk? As the name of the first dungeon, Count Dk''s Mansion?" "Huh?" ra grimaced. "I don''t know him." "There you are!" Dk cried joyfully, making a quick bow. "We have been looking for you for thest week, Mister n. And that you know about us makes things simpler!" The middle-aged-looking NPC formed a wide grin. "We havee here to level you up..." Chapter 86: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 3)

Chapter 86: Dk''s Revenge (Part 3)

++++ AUTHOR''S NOTE: --- GUYS I SCREWED IT UP! ON THE FIRST Chapter OF THIS SPECIAL, I NAMED EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE DYLAK''S DUNGEON, FOLLOWED BY A COMMENT FROM VIOLA LANG, STATING SHE CREATED ALL OF THEM MALE. BUT AFTER RE-READING "MY CROSSDRESSING IDOL", I MENTIONED A PAIR OF MAID TWINS. I HAVE ALREADY UPDATED PART 1 TO CORRECT THIS MISTAKE +++++ ---------------------- "This really is a weird situation," ra muttered after opening the door''s room for Be, who carried a sleeping Amelia in her arms. "What''s weird about it?" Amelia asked quietly, eyes closed, once she was gently put in bed. "Nothing, bestie. Sweet dreams." ra kissed her on the forehead before exiting the room. Once she silently closed the door, she exhaled. "Even you can tell this is awkward, don''t you?" she asked Be, who smiled. "The awkward part is that you didn''t attack them right away." Be giggled. "That''s what any other User would have done in this kind of situation." "Hey, don''t paint us with the same brush, okay?" "I''m afraid I don''t understand..." ra loudly sighed. "Forget it. Let''s go back before n says something inappropriate," ra was saying while taking down the stairs. "Now that our most powerful ally is KO''d--by alcohol--the protection of this house and the safety of our weak Guild Master relies on me. So be grateful that I can also be serious and responsible." She turned to Be, whose gentle smile did not give away if she believed her or not. "W-whatever..." "What is Amelia''s condition?" Ashley asked as soon as ra entered the living room. "Don''t ask it as if she was injured. She just passed out, that''s all. What about our unexpected guests?" Ashley did not respond, and instead turned her gaze towards n, who was drinking andughing, apanied by a very extravagant group. The tallest of them all was finishing one bottle after the other. His maids silently tasted cookies from Ashley''s stash, and the one wearing a business suit and sses was examining his bottle of cider, squinting. "Was this made by Users? Fascinating..." "Why didn''t you receive the ''advanced'' title as the slimes did?" n asked, grinning to the 6'' 5", pale man. Dkughed after gulping another beer. "Did the Goddess Vi also evolve such weak creatures? Gya-ha-ha! With what purpose? Do you know something about it, Professor? Why are we not ''advanced''?" Dk elbowed the man beside him, who corrected his posture. "Well, the reason may be that we are already ''technically'' evolved, although I would not use such a term," Professor Spiegel said, staring at n. "We were an already advanced kind of NU from the beginning, that is why we did not change as radically as the slimes you mentioned. So I would kindly ask you if you did notpare us with such low-tier creatures." Spiegel then red at the little blue creature, eating leftovers from the dining table. **Look at them...** ra thought, frowning. **They even act prideful, although they''re nothing more than low-level bosses.** She then nced at n, who looked fascinated. "Um... What''s a Nu?" she asked. "Non-User," n quickly replied without ncing at her. "But something changed, right?" "Well, our Level-Cap was raised, and we got new skills," Spiegel said, lifting his chin. "Besides that, I have not detected any significant upgrade worth mentioning." **What about the fact that you can now leave your dungeon and talk in a more sentient way?!** "I see..." n said, nodding consciously. **Aren''t you going to mention something that obvious?! ** Mentally exhausted, ra upied her seat, far away from the pair of ck-haired twin maids upying an armchair. Their posture and serene attitude made them seem like a pair of human-sized dolls. After sipping beer, ra noticed that Anastasia, sitting beside n, was mirroring the maids'' mannerisms. "To summarize," Ashley took the word, positioning behind n, "all of you, who were once inactive, have been given purpose now that a low-level User has appeared again." "That is correct, mydy," Count Dk said, raising his drink as if he wanted to toast. "What''s the maximum level you could help me raise?" n asked excitedly. "Our dungeon was created for Users level 7 to 12," Spiegel replied, making Dk nod. "So after reaching level 12, training with us would be pointless. Unless we level up too." ra nced at the number 9 above n''s head. "I expected to at least reach level 20 with you guys, but that is totally fine. It''s okay." n said, dropping his shoulders. "I''m very lucky that Vi gave you another chance, so I''m grateful for all the work you''re doing." He stood up and stretched out his hand. "I''m counting on you. It''ll be a pleasure working with all of you." "Helping you level up is also beneficial to us, n Warden. You will not be disappointed," Count Dk said, standing up too to shake his hand. **What''s with all this formality?** ra thought, feeling nauseated. **I wonder if Amelia would feel the same.** "What will happen once you finish helping n level up?" Ashley asked. "Will you be shut down by Vi Lang again after aplishing your main function?" "D-don''t call it ''function'', Ashley..." n said apologetically. "What about ''objective''?" "Your partner is right, Mr. Warden. That Users level 12 and below can train with us, it''s indeed our main function. And we are proud of it." "Just call me n," he smiled warmly, making ra roll her eyes. "Well, now that we''re all here, what about a little demonstration of what we can do?" "What? Right now?" "We bothereding all the way here, Mr. n. And if I''m not mistaken, eating, drinking and fighting is the Users'' speciality. Is it not?" "And mating," Spiegel added, adjusting his sses. "ording to our records..." After pondering about it for a moment, n turned to Anastasia, who was staring at the twins. "Are you in the mood for stretching out your legs?" "I''m always ready, Master n," the turquoise-haired NPC replied in a soft voice." "We ept, then. But it''s pitch-dark out there. We wouldn''t see a thing." "Eliora, Eliza?" Dk called, and his two maids stood up solemnly. "Yes, Master Dk?" they spoke in unison. "Illuminate the backyard so we can have our friendly duel." They made a short bow, and exited the house through the back door, where they channeled mana and cast: "Minor Fire Crafting, relight." They formed an orb of light between their hands andunched it upwards, getting suspended 30 feet in the air. The maids did it three more times each, sessfully illuminating what, in a brief moment, would be an improvised arena. When ra got outside, the ce reminded her of a small yground. **Those lights resemblemp posts.** She could see herself ying ser with her twin sister and her cousin, running andughing. **A long time ago. When kids still had permission to y outdoors...** "What do you think, n?" Dk asked. "I don''t want to hear excuses if you lose." Thosest words made ire squint in his direction. "This is perfect. A little workout before bedtime is fine once in a while. Besides, you''re the one that should be worried. My partner here is level 25, you know?" n pointed towards Anastasia. Dk stared at n for a moment before shaking his head. "I''m afraid I don''t understand." "Well, she''s going to fight for me..." "Why? Don''t you want to strengthen yourself?" "She''s my minion... That''s the way I fight." Dk grinned. "Oh! I didn''t know that a level 9 user could have a minion so early on." "Y-yeah... It''s a long story." "But you''re right. It would be disadvantageous to fight against a fully geared level 25 minion. I don''t think my retainer here could eveny her a scratch." Dk pointed towards Professor Spiegel, who was doing stretches. "She''ll fight without her armor then," n said, grinning, making ra form a dismayed expression. "Guild Master, a word please!" she said, pulling him by his arm. "Give me a second, Count!" "Why are you acting so easygoing?" she whispered. "What do you mean?" "Theye in the middle of the night, say they have been looking for you, demand a ''friendly duel'' out of nowhere, and you give them an advantage? What gives?!" "You heard them. They were abandoned by Vi Lang. It''s clear they just want to prove their worth. What''s so weird about that?" "n! After what happened to Unus, you should know what people are capable of!" "They''re not people, ra! Now, if you excuse me." "He won''t listen..." ra muttered while Ashley joined her, sipping cider. "If only Amelia was awake..." "Even if she was, I doubt she would be able to persuade him. Trusting machines is part of his persona." "Is there something else about that history?" ra asked, folding her arms. "Because something tells me there''s something dark about it. Hmm? Hmmmmm?!" "Maybe I''ll tell you all about it. But in another time, ra Dominguez." "Are you ready, Professor?" n asked the gentlemen positioned at the other side of the lit field. "You can start whenever you want, Mister n." "Sorry for making you fight like that," n whispered to Anastasia. The NPC was not using either her sword or shield, wearing only her casual clothes. A white shirt and a long purple skirt. "Don''t worry Master. This is training, after all." Dk stood behind Spiegel, each one of his maids beside him. The NPCs Be and Fabio remained close to ra and Ashley, offering them snacks. n exhaled before channeling. "Active Skill, Advanced Puppet Master." A virtual keyboard and aputer mouse materialized in front of him. He cracked his knuckles before positioning his fingers on them. Spiegel looked up at the sky, filling his lungs with the chilly night air. "This is a wonderful night, isn''t it?" Grinning, his whole body glowed purple. ----------------------- +++ Warning: Professor Spiegel is now targeting one of your allies. Level: 9 Monster Type: Humanoid Minion Vitality: Bronze A Spirit: Bronze A +++ +++ Notice: Professor Spiegel has received an Atmospheric Boost. ''Creature of the Night''. Vitality + 2 Spirit + 2 +++ ----------------------------- **No matter if the enemy is level 9 or 100... A single boosted rank point always makes a big difference.** ra nced at n''s serious expression, wondering if he knew something that basic. **In the case of this Professor guy, two full Vitality ranks are the difference between being able to make a hole through a concrete wall, and being able to tear down an entire house.** "Eliza, do the honors," Dk said. The slim maid raised her voice: "Contenders, are you ready? 3, 2, 1... Fight!" n made Anastasia dash and reach Spiegel in a second, catching him off guard. The female NPC then connected two hits, one in the Professor''s left cheek and one in the stomach, making him fall to his knees. "Wow, even if she''s only level 25, you make her movements look so refined," ramented. "Thanks," n said, nodding approvingly. "You even reached his Death Zone in an instant." "His what now?" "Oh,e on! That''s basic stuff!" "Don''t yell at me! I''m n ''Comatose'' Warden, remember? I know nothing about the Novus'' terminology!" "You said you weren''t in aa!" "Impressive, Mister n," Dk said, pping from the other side of the arena. "But I think you''re celebrating your victory too early." n looked around the backyard, but there was no sign of Spiegel. "What the...?" "Master n!" Anastasia turned around, but it was toote. Spiegel had transformed into his Second Form, sporting an arachnid body and a pair of additional armsing out of his back. "First Battle Lesson, get rid of themander and the troops will disperse!" Spiegel cried in a distorted voice, stabbing n in the lower back. ** If Amelia finds out I let n be killed, she''ll kick me out of the guild for sure! ** "Training is over!" ra cried, kicking Spiegel''s round body and sending him flying 50 feet away. The Professor''s HP dropped to 30%. "I don''t think you understand, Miss ra," Dk said, while her maids stepped forward. "This can''t end until Mister n reaches level 15. And I have decided that once we get to that point, n will continue training until he''s able to beat me in one punch." Ashley and the rest of the NPCs also formed a line to protect their leader. "But he''s not looking to be a physical fighter!" ra cried while holding n''s shoulders. "And you said training with you beyond level 15 was fruitless!" "We''ll find a way," Dk said, ring, showing scarlet, glowing eyes. "Our objective is to only strengthen him. The way he fights doesn''t concern us. If he decides to continue using minions after this is done, it will be entirely up to him." ** That he wants to train n until he can beat him in one punch? That''s insane! I''m level 52 and I kicked that one with all of my might, but he''s still alive. Amelia will definitely not like-- ** "C-ra?" n called quietly, and for a brief moment, she could tell he was poisoned. "I don''t feel so..." Having said that, his HP dropped to zero and his body turned into pixels. ra''s eyes widened. "Oh... crap..." Chapter 87: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 4)

Chapter 87: Dk''s Revenge (Part 4)

AUTHOR''S NOTE: IF I USED TO NAME THE GLITCH ADMINISTRATOR AS ADRIANO SILVA BEFORE, I HAVE CHANGED HIS NAME TO RICARDO SILVA. -------------------------------------- "Amelia will definitely not like this..." ra whispered as she stood up. Count Dk and his maids seemed more than ready to fight, and the arachnid Professor Spiegel red at her from a distance. **If their mission was to train n, why are they challenging us now?** ra looked at the number 15 above Dk and bit her lower lip. **We outnumber them, and we''re stronger. Our lowest level is Be''s 23. What are they thinking? Wait...** ra tilted her head to one side. **They''re just a bunch of mobs. Fighting mindlessly against Users it''s on their nature. So what was all that ''gentlemen act'' and we''re more ''advanced'' charade from just minutes ago?** "Ashley, my dear?" ra called. "Kill that spider." The brte girl behind her followed the order, throwing a concealed knife and hitting Professor Spiegel in the head, killing him easily. That prompted the maids to charge forward. Their bodies glowed purple, showing the ''Creature of the Night'' boost was active. Anastasia shed with Eliora, overpowering her easily, and Be struggled to hit the agile Eliza. Meanwhile, Count Dk remained in his ce, smirking. "Your orders, Miss ra," Fabio said, bowing. "Kill him." "It will be done. Equipping Set C." The fake man strolled forward, ignoring the two battles happening a few feet away from him. A pair of iron knuckles appeared on his fists while he unbuttoned the cor of his ck shirt. "I will avenge our Guild Master..." **Woaaaah! My NPC is so cool! Do it, handsome!** "You''ll try," Count Dk replied, ripping his clothes and gaining mass by the second. **He''s turning monstrous, just like that Spiegel guy.** ra nced at the maids and noticed that their skin had turned blue and her eyes crimson. **But even if he gets into his Second Phase, he''s not a match for my sexy--!** "WHAT''S WITH ALL THIS NOISE!" a girl shouted from the first floor. "I CAN''T SLEEP, DAMMIT! DRAGONBREATH!" A burst of fire impacted Dk, killing him instantly. "R-retreat!" ra cried to Anastasia and Be, who jumped back just a second before another fire spell reached the twin maids, annihting them. The System turned all the corpses into pixels, erasing any proof of their existence. They could swear it was all a bad dream and no one would question them. **And yet, our Guild Master is still missing. We were on our path to Barnchester, and we haven''t saved since we left New Unus, so he''ll surely respawn there.** She opened her Friend List to corroborate it. ----------------- FRIENDS STATUS n Warden (Online) Unknown Location --------------------- **There he is! Since his level is super low, he respawns super quickly. He''s safe and sound in--Oh, crappy pants.** "Seriously! What are you guys doing?!" Amelia asked from her room''s window on the first floor. "Did you aggro some monsters in the middle of the night or something?" ra pursed her lips, unable to face her. **Unfortunately, I don''t have any friends there to corroborate it.** "Fabio, can you contact someone from Unus?" she whispered to her NPC. "I can, ma''am. Should I ask them if they have seen n Warden?" "Yes, please. Discreetly..." When ra turned around, she found Amelia''s face up close. "Why would he contact New Unus?" the redhead asked, squinting, arms crossed. "Bestie! Are you feeling well? Does your head hurt?" "It did, for a minute. It''s a good thing that the ''Pain Endurance'' Passive Skill exists, right? Better than a painkiller pill. Where is n?" "A-n? Why do you ask? Have you checked the bathroom yet?" "A NU that visited us killed him," Ashley quickly responded, making Amelia''s eyes widen. "A what now?!" "Non User!" ra continued, half-smiling. "Now that I remember, that''s what the Advanced Slimes called themselves, right?" She giggled for a couple of seconds before Amelia grabbed her by the neck. "You''ll remain quiet for a minute like a well-behaved girl while Ashley exins the situation. Understood, bestie?" Amelia warmly smiled, but ra knew the true meaning of that expression. "Y-yes, m-ma''am..." * * * ** * **Oh, god... I can now add ''death by poison'' to the top of my ''most painful ways to die'' list... Just below ''burned''. That continues to be the¡ªWhat the...?** n stood up in a hurry, bewildered by what he was seeing. **This is not New Unus Town.** He admired a double staircase in front of him, a bright red carpet below his feet, a golden lit chandelier above, and a closed door behind him. Two long corridors to his both sides waited for him to explore. **Where the hell am I?** He opened his User Interface and consulted the map automatically provided by the System. **Count Dk''s Mansion? You''re kidding me...** n pped his cheeks, expecting to wake up from a dream and see the surroundings of New Unus'' Downtown instead, but nothing. **This map doesn''t even let me zoom out and check the exterior. It only shows me this ce, the lobby. Everything else is nk. Great.** His second option was to contact Amelia, but before even tapping the Social tab, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps in front of him. n quickly drew his bronze-tier handgun and awaited. From the shadows beneath the double staircase stepped out a big, bulky humanoid, wearing a denim overall, a white but filthy t-shirt, and work boots. Excessive facial hair hid a deformed face, as if his unnatural growth had been part of a sick experiment. **Housekeeper Bilmur, Level 12,** n read the info the System provided him. **With a single foot he could easily tten my torso, and his thumb and index fingers look strong enough to crush my head like a grape.** "n Warden," the NU said in a tired tone, which reminded him of Ricardo Silva, the Glitch Administrator. "I''m in charge of eliminating any intruders..." he paused, making n swallow. "But you are our special guest." "Y-yes, nice to meet you! Did Count Dk ask you to wee me?" "''Wee'' you?" therge man said, caressing his overgrown beard. "He did not say such a thing. The only thing I know is that you are currently weak..." He gave one step forward, and n could see that a nearby flower vase trembled. "...And that we should all help you level up." **He''s saying the same thing...** "And how would that work out, huh?!" n said, stepping back. "My partner is not with me!" "Forget about your minion, n Warden," Count Dk said from atop the staircase. The ck cloak he was wearing made him look as if he was nothing more than a hovering, talking pale head. "You need to strengthen yourself alone, remember?" he continued, giving him a sympathetic look. **Yeah, although he ordered his other retainer to poison and kill me.** "I know that you all want to help me, but trust me, I have already tried! If it wasn''t for my ''Puppet Master'' Active Skill, I wouldn''t have been able to reach myst two levels! I''m not good at fighting!" "Well..." Dk said, turning around. "You''ll have time to learn. Come see me upstairs when you''ve defeated my retainers." "Wait!" n shouted, but Housekeeper Bilmur blocked the path. "You are not ready yet, n Warden," Bilmur said softly, ready to attack him. n bitterly chuckled before running towards the corridor to his left. **Nope! There''s something very wrong with this whole situation!** He found a double door a few feet away from him and turned back before entering. **He doesn''t seem to be following me.** Once inside, he tapped his Social menu to call Amelia, but the system window only showed static. **As if I had no signal... ''No signal'' inside a Virtual Reality...** The sound of paper pages flipping jolted him. Drawing his gun again, n aimed it at Professor Spiegel, casually reading a book from a desk in the corner of the room filled with bookcases. **A library?** "Mister n!" the NU greeted him, standing up from his seat. "Are you ready for your second lesson?" Chapter 88: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 5)

Chapter 88: Dk''s Revenge (Part 5)

ra remembered the day she bought her first Mount vividly. It was a sunny day in Barbanti Town, in the northwest of the South Arcane region. The establishment looked more like a farm than a Mount shop, which made ra grimace as she entered, but her sister giggled excited. "This is so cool!" Emily was saying, jumping from one disy to the other. "What species should we pick?" "Whatever mounts are on discount, Emily. So stop." "Oh,e on! Let me at least fantasize for a minute that I''m riding this cutie!" Emily said, pointing at the brown-furred, horned creature that puffed through its nose and stomped with one hoof with pride. "That beast doesn''t look good for long-distances traveling, stupid sis," ra muttered while searching for the store owner, an NPC wearing a long braid and overalls. She even looks like a farmer too. "Wee, travelers! How may I help you?" "We''vee for the ad. You''re selling two mounts at a discounted price, right? Tell me you still have them." The NPC grinned at her. "Of course, miss. Come this way." ra pulled Emily by the cor of her shirt, and dragged her all the way to the designated disy, showing a pair of 10-feet-height, fat, long-necked birds. This time Emily was the one that grimaced. "Their ugly as fuck. No offense, sweetie," she said to the NPC. "No offense taken, miss, tee-hee." "And what''s with those pastel colors? That''s why no one buys them." "Stopining, Em. We need them, and these are the only ones we can afford. Do you want to keep walking everywhere we go?" ra stared at her sister, who continued to nce at the horned mouth with a sulky expression. "Think about it for a second. These chickens have better stamina, and..." "Okay, fine, buy them!" Emily cried to avoid a speech. "You''re the one that knows about this stuff, anyway. I want the blue one, okay? Just pay the NPC already while I say goodbye to my little Hornyhomie... Sniff" "Horny...?" ra muttered beforeughing out loud. *** ** * "Yeah..." ra said, exhaling. "You never were good at naming stuff..." "Miss ra?" Fabio called softly, to which ra shook her head. "I was just thinking out loud, sweetheart. Don''t mind me. So, any news from New Unus?" "Nothing, ma''am." ra groaned. "I''m bored to death, dammit!" Both were riding a pink unicorn with a blue mane that advanced slowly while waiting for any news from their guild partners. ++++ An hour ago, after Amelia heard Ashley''s story, she ordered them to summon their Mounts. "Good one, Ashley. Yours has great speed. Unlike yours, ra. Did you choose that one just because it was pretty?" "Well... yes?" "Whatever," Amelia said, irritated, before riding her winged tiger. "I''ll take Be with me. Since I''m the only one that can fly here, I''ll go to New Unus to check if n is there. Meanwhile, Ashley, take Anastasia with you and go to the Prione Woods, where that supposed Dk''s Mansion is located. Just scout the area, please. And ra..." Amelia red at her. "Try catching up with us..." +++++ "Did you see the way Amelia looked at me?" ra asked Fabio, sighing. "I think Miss Amelia is just worried." "And yet, she looked veryposed while telling us what to do. She really is something... I wonder why she''s not the guild leader." "It may be an agreement between Mister n and Miss Amelia." "You think, Captain Obvious? Go faster. I don''t want her to yell at me for arrivingte or something." "Understood." While Fabio rode, ra tightened her arms around his waist and leaned her face against his back. **What am I even saying? He''s the one that''ll save this spaceship from certain damnation, right? Although I told him I wanted to be part of his ''saving humanity'' story, do I really believe in my words?** She remembered when n activated his Unique Talent for the first time, and the fascination she felt when he manifested his Anima. **I felt quite envious, actually. He isn''t even level 10 yet, and he has already unlocked his Unique Talent... Maybe he really is special after all.** "ra?" Ashley called through Party Chat. "What is it, new sis? Have you found him?" "Not yet, but I have found something quite peculiar. Come to my location. I will give you my coordinates." It took half an hour for ra and Fabio to reach the designated point, where Ashley was waiting alongside Anastasia, riding a huge feral-looking gray wolf that snarled at the sight of the pink unicorn. "I''m here, little sis! Did you miss me?" "There is something you must see," Ashley said, ignoring her words. Although the moonlight illuminated the entirendscape, the woods lookedpletely pitch-ck. "Um... Sweetie?" ra said, confused. "I''m waiting for you to tell me what''s wrong about this ce..." "My bad. It seems that you cannot detect it. There is a force field surrounding the entire forest. That may be the reason we cannotmunicate with n." "I... I see..." ra whispered as she noticed the surroundings were being bathed in a warm light. She looked up, expecting to see the Novus'' sun, but watched an enormous ball of fire instead. "Is that...?" "Amelia," Ashley finished the sentence. The pyromancer was standing atop her winged tiger, channeling: "Major Fire Crafting, Emperor''s Genocidal Tantrum," she cast, throwing down effortlessly the 50-feet wide sphere of concentrated fire energy. This was supposed to level the entire forest, but it vanished once it touched the force field. "What the hell was that?!" Amelia shouted once her winged tigernded. A vein could be seen in her forehead. "That spell could easily wipe out three entire Unus Towns! Wait, no, like five Unus Towns!" "It''s too soon to joke about something like that, don''t you--?" ra was saying, sympathetically smiling, but Amelia''s re shut her up. "It was a terrific demonstration of power, Master Amelia," Fabio said. "It''s a shame that it didn''t work." A little twitch in Amelia''s left eye made ra hug Fabio. "D-dear! For your own safety, hush!" "I''m also puzzled about what happened," Ashley said, staring at the unaffected forest. "Amelia''s spell did not blow up. It looked as if it was absorbed." "There may be a reason this force shield acted that way," Fabio said, with ra still hanging from his neck. "This entire zone may be considered a Safe Zone." "That''s what I thought at first, but it doesn''t make sense," Amelia said without looking in the NPCs direction. "Why would the Developers consider this ce worth protecting? You said this ce was abandoned, right?" she asked Ashley, who nodded. "That is right. n and I visited this ce some weeks ago so he could level up, but the dungeon and its surroundings were empty. Now, considering the information the Dk NU said to us..." "Not only did Vi Lang give this dungeon a second chance, but she also upgraded it," Amelia continued, exhaling deeply. "Well, there are two types of Safe Zones, and there''s only one way to find out which kind this is." Saying nothing more, Amelia rode her tiger and made it run towards the woods. Ashley''s wolf and ra''s unicorn followed behind. Chapter 89: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 6)

Chapter 89: Dk''s Revenge (Part 6)

"ra, could you exin to me what a Safe Zone is, please?" Ashley asked. "You don''t know? You''re level 41!" "The User ount I''m using is level 41, yes, but I do not know much about The Novus." "Oh, right. I forgot for a moment you''re Isabe. Sorry, New Sis! Well, to put it simply, a Safe Zone is a ce or a city the Developers choose to protect. The destruction of Unus Town would''ve been prevented if it was considered ''Safe''." "So it actually acts as a shield," Ashley said. "Yes! If it weren''t for that, rogue and anarchist Users would destroy every capital city in the Novus if they could. And trust me, some have tried." "And what is the difference between the two kinds of Safe Zones Amelia mentioned?" "That''d be better exined once we get inside," ra said while looking at Amelia getting lost inside the darkened forest. Once the Unicorn and Wolf mount passed through the invisible dome, they disappeared without their masters''mand. "Yep. This happened," ra nodded while ncing at Ashley, who was waiting for an exnation. "Safe Cities allow you to freely ride your mount, but the System represses your strength and mana power so you don''t destroy the buildings or kill indiscriminately. And then there are Safe Dungeons..." "ALAN, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Amelia could be heard shouting from afar. Her location was then shown once she incinerated everything in a 150 wide radius. "And we''re in one... There may be restrictions, but you can use 100% of your power here." "You are as knowledgeable as Amelia," Ashley said, nodding. "I''m d to have your support." A voice echoed inside ra''s head: ++"Look at you! You haven''t even been able to unlock your Unique Talent yet!"++ ra frowned for a second before grinning. "T-thanks, sweetie! But don''t say things like that while making such a straight face! You''re embarrassing me!" ra snapped her fingers, and her drone camera materialized out of her inventory. "You know what I''m thinking? This may be an excellent opportunity to--" "No cameras!" Amelia shouted, stomping towards them. "n is not around, and it may damage his public image if people know we''re rescuing him." "B-but of course, Co-Leader! We don''t want to screw up the opportunity Miss Cosmica has given us, right?" For a moment, Amelia''s eyes shone as brightly as liquidva. **I-I didn''t know this woman could be this terrifying!** ra thought, stepping back and putting away the drone. **And... what did I say for her to be so mad?!** "Intruders..." a faint voice said from a distance. "I must get rid of the intruders. They have trespassed Count Dk''snds... I..." "Dragonbreath." Amelia scorched everything in a straight line in front of her, and for a second, ra distinguished the silhouette of arge man before getting dusted. "That must have been another NU," Ashley said. "It was level 12." "Good eyes, Ash. You said the main boss is level 15, right?" Amelia asked her, before ncing at ra. "Even you could beat it..." She snickered. "S-sure! Leave it to me!" "But, can you really fight? What can you do?" **This is the first time since I met her that she''s looking down on me.** ra could hear Fabio''s previous words: ++"I think Miss Amelia is just worried."++ **I hope it''s just that...** "I used to be a pyromancer..." ra started saying, unable to look her in the eye. "Yes, I know, very original, huh? But recently, I''ve tried learning Shadow spells." "A Witch, then." "An apprentice one..." "That''ll do for now," Amelia said, turning around to lead the way, and the group followed. "So let''s make things clear first. If you want to be one of us, you''ll have to do your part too. You can''t be just a ''camerawoman'', you heard me? If you''ll apany n everywhere he goes, I want you to support him. I mean it." "Yes, of course, bestie! Count on me." "We don''t need a mediocre pyromancer, so keep focusing on Shadow magic. That may actually be useful to him. Witches don''t necessarily need to be active inbat at all times, so you could record while casting a spell or two once in a while. Understood?" The voice inside ra''s head got louder: ++"Seriously! If Pyromancy is not your thing, learn something else!"++ "Yes, Co-Leader..." ra replied, looking down, which did not go unnoticed by Ashley. "God, what is this?! The floor is super sticky!" Amelia suddenly cried, looking down at her feet. She opened her right palm, and from every one of her fingertips, created a small orb of fire. The five red glowing dots sprouted insect-like wings and flew above every one of her Guild partners'' heads. **They look like fireflies,** ra thought, and once she had hers close, it illuminated the surrounding trees and bushes covered in white spiderwebs. "Whoah! Even the ground is covered in this shit!" "I''m detecting a great number of nearby presences..." Ashley said, closing her eyes. "That many?" ra said, looking around her. "Can you tell if they''re small? Because, although I''m not scared of spiders, I don''t want them to be huge either." "I cannot tell their size..." "Nope, I won''t ruin this outfit," Amelia said aloud, and with quick fingers tapped on her User Interface. Her ck-sleeved minidress got swapped for skinny jeans, a red leather jacket, heeled boots, and finger-cut gloves. "Ashley, dear, I got a little disoriented. Could you remind me in which direction the mansion is?" she asked, while ra stared at the red gem encrusted in those gloves. **I bet those are more expensive than my camera and mountbined.** "That way," Ashley pointed with her index finger, and Amelia warmly smiled at her. "Thanks! I knew I could count on you." Amelia reached out both hands, and with her fingers formed what looked like a monster''s maw. "Major Fire Crafting, Dragonbreath." The spell that usually looked like a methrower was now like a beam of incandescent fire, traveling through the forest in a straight trajectory, forming a road. "Let''s go, guys!" Amelia said, beaming. "Was that the spell you are always casting?" Ashley asked. "Why did it perform differently?" "Because this time I cast it correctly," Amelia winked at her. "What were you saying about spiders again?" she asked before the sound of wooden sticks getting crushed got to them. "Ashley? How many...?" "Twenty-three," Ashley replied as she pulled out her silver-tier bow. "All of them are level 9." "We can do this. We have a Max-Leveler with us," ra said, preparing her magic staff. Anastasia equipped her sword and shield, Be pulled out the fully repaired shotgun n gifted a week ago, and Fabio put on his iron knuckles. "These fireflies won''t cut it anymore," Amelia said, forming a ball of fire in her hand, and throwing it upwards. "relight." The spell got brighter until turning into a white orb, illuminating the entire area. ra then could see that the silhouette in front of her was an arachnid monster, which jumped over her. "H-help!" The upper part of its body, although monstrous, looked human, and its round lower body resembled a tarant. A dangerous, venomous scorpion-like tail tried to pierce her chest, but Fabio punched its human ribs, making it retreat. "Are you okay, ma''am?" "Is that damn NU again, looking for revenge! Professor Spike!" "Spiegel," Ashley corrected, standing near a second dead monster with an arrow on his forehead. "Curious. This one also looks like Spiegel..." "Wait..." ra squinted, watching Anastasia thrusting her sword into a third one''s chest. "THEY ALL ARE!" "What?! You said one was an arachnid, two were demon maids, and the boss was a vampire," Amelia said after scorching one. "All of these can''t be the same ''named'' boss! They must be this Spiegel guy''s minions." "N-no! Look at their names!" ra cried, pointing at the one being eliminated by Be. "They all say ''Professor Spiegel''!" "Mister n is currently training inside my master''s manor," one of them said in a soft, polite voice. "So I must ask you to pleasee back at another ti--" Amelia shortened the distance in a second and ced her open palm on his human torso. "Make me," she said, smiling, and the monster got incinerated inside a pir of fire which suddenly turned ck and metallic, before splitting into five pieces. "Hellhounds!" she cast, creating skinny-looking, fire-engulfed dogs. "Get rid of the rest!" she ordered, and the beasts pounced over the closest enemies. "Guys?" Amelia addressed her team. "I have the feeling that this mess will take us the whole night." Chapter 90: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 7)

Chapter 90: Dk''s Revenge (Part 7)

---------- ++ Congrattions! Your ''Poison Resistance'' Passive Skill is now Level 2. ++ ---------- "That is good news, n! You will now be able to withstand its paralyzing effect and probably survive for a longer amount of time," the child-like voice in his head said, as n watched his HP bar slowly decrease. "Great..." He panted, watching the color of his palms getting purple. "But I don''t n on dying like this anymore..." ---------- ++ YOU DIED Death by poison. Death Penalty: 50% of your GOLD has been substracted from your ount. Gold bnce: 4486 ++ --------------------------- **Fourth time is the charm.** As soon as he respawned at the mansion''s lobby, n ran towards the left corridor, dodging the eternally standing Housekeeper who yelled at him. ++"Aaron, max the pistol''s firepower."++ ++"Right away, n. Auto-casting, Modding."++ n reached the library and kicked the doors open. Professor Spiegel''s arachnid feet rattled as he turned to face him. "Back already? Very well, Mister n! You still have a lot to learn!" n got into cover behind a bookcase, just as Spiegel released a venomous burst of venom that melted the wooden doors. Nope. Not anymore. ++"Aaron, scan the area."++ ++"Roger,"++ the Anima said, materializing above n''s right shoulder. The small spirit with a skull for a head wearing a hazmat suit put on his goggles and looked at his surroundings. ++"Carnivorous books areing this way, n. Five of them."++ ++"And I can''t hear Spiegel getting close. Either he hasn''t moved from his ce, or..."++ n peeked from behind the bookcase, looking for the monster. ++"There he is, stuck to a wall. From that corner, he could shoot venom anywhere I run."++ ++"The books are getting close, n."++ He nced at the living books rushing to bite his feet. Even though they were not strong enough to kill him, they had distracted before so Spiegel could deal the mortal blow. **Why are his minions these things instead of little spiders?** n climbed to the top of the bookcase before the critters could reach him, getting into Spiegel''s field of vision. "From that spot, my minions cannot attack you, but at the cost of bing an easy target, my boy!" Spiegel shouted, preparing the stinger of his tail. n pointed his pistol while listening to his charade. ++"Aaron, let''s use ''Quick-Thinking''."++ ++"Activated!"++ Time passed faster inside his head, while his reached-out hand slowly moved into the desired position. "Is the pistol''s firepower maxed?" ++"Yes. The next shot will destroy the weapon, though."++ ++"We have spares,"++ n replied, while aiming and slowly pressing the trigger. ++"I''m ready."++ The telepathic connection between n and his Anima returned to normal, and the carefully aimed shot destroyed Spiegel''s venom nd. The once erected tail fell lifelessly, as a green, thick liquid dripped from it, melting the floor. **He doesn''t have a reason to be up there anymore, so...** "This is not over yet! I can still fight!" Spiegel shrieked, jumping down and getting rid of his tail by ripping it off. **He''ll now knock down the bookcases.** Anticipating it, n started jumping one over the other while swapping the destroyed pistol for a double-barrel shotgun. ++"And just to be sure... Quick-Thinking again, now!"++ From atop the final bookcase, n carefully aimed at the unsuspected Spiegel and pulled the trigger. The shot exploded the professor''s human head, but his arachnid body continued to contort in anguish. n patiently reloaded the shotgun,nded on that round, ck body, and discharged another point-ck shot. ++Count Dk''s retainer, Professor Spiegel defeated!++ ++Congrattions! You are now Level 10!++ ++You got a new Active Skill, ''Steady Shot''!++ **Oh, that''s a pleasant surprise,** n thought while jumping down from the corpse and getting as far from the puddle of blood as possible. He walked towards the chair Spiegel was resting before the fight and found a book over the reading desk nearby. **''Knowing your Enemy. Principles of War and Fighting...'' ** "The System has acknowledged yourbined use of Quick-Thinking and aiming as a Personal Skill, n," Aaron informed, hovering around his head. "Let me check the Skill''s info for you. Let''s see... Hmm... Yes! You won''t have to ''manually'' activate Quick-Thinking anymore. Use ''Steady Shot'' instead, and you will gain the same Fast-thought-process, a slower heart-rate, and a steadier hand." "No additional damage bonus, eh," n said while skimming through the book. "No, unfortunately." "Fine." n saved the book inside his Inventory and hid his hands inside his orange Tactical Jacket''s pockets. "Scan this ce and search for any metal object we could use." "Scanning... Are we going to craft more ammo?" "Yes..." n whispered. "The Double-Barrel Shotgun worked, but it uses a lot of scrap metal." **I crafted it as a response to my previous fight on Unus. After watching Be fight with the pump shotgun, I realized I needed to be as agile as her to use it efficiently. This one needs to be fired at point-ck and has only one shot, but is so much more powerful. A perfect st defense'' for someone like me that fights at the back lines.** "But in this situation, it''s not optimal at all..." "Although you have been brought to this dungeon to strengthen yourself, it renders your Mechanic skills useless," Aaronmented. "I have finished marking every single metal object in this room." n equipped a pair of goggles that allowed him to see Aaron''s marked objects as glowing yellow silhouettes. "There is something weird about all this..." He said as he strolled towards a three-arm iron candbrum. He saved it inside his inventory, and Aaron started working. "Auto-Crafting: Ammo... What is weird about all this, n?" "Why am I respawning here instead of New Unus Town? And why did Vi Lang suddenly reactivate this ce? All this side of Eur has been abandoned. Not even normal monsters spawn nearby..." "I can answer the first question. Now that you are not a resident of New Unus anymore, the system automatically respawned you at the nearest Safe Zone in the area." n frowned. "Is this dungeon a Safe Zone now? Must be Vi''s work too." He picked a small metal bust of an eagle and studied it absently. "When I met her, she said that she was nning on gradually upgrading every single monster into a NU... She visited the former Slime Vige days ago to check on them, so, did shee here to do the same because it was inside the area? But that doesn''t exin why Count Dk was looking for me. If these Dungeon NPCs gained autonomy, why are they still following their old programming?" "Maybe Dungeon NUs behave differently from Wild NUs," Aaron suggested. "Ammo craftingplete." "We wouldn''t get the answers if we asked Vi Lang herself. She strikes me as a very entric person..." **If Amelia heard me say that, she would say the same thing about me...** A faint smile formed on his lips, as the memory of her striking amber eyes and fiery red hair shed in his mind. He exhaled deeply. "The Mansion''s door won''t open until I kill all the bosses, right?" n turned towards the Library''s exit. "I''m not ready to face the Level 12 Housekeeper yet. Although Spiegel was only Level 9, he caused me so much trouble due to his venom and that ''Creature of the Night'' Passive Boost... If I remember correctly, the twin maids are Level 8, but if they fight together, I won''t stand a chance. Let''s scout the mansion in search of a different boss." His spiritpanion crossed his tiny arms. "Do you think there are others?" "The existence of the Housekeeper proves it, and these kinds of ces always feature a butler. Let''s--" The continuous sound of something acid stopped him in his tracks, and turned his gaze back at Spiegel''s discarded tail. "What''s up with that? Spiegel''s body has already vanished, but why is this still here?" "It means it can be used." n quickly grinned. "Oh, yeah?" "We would have to craft enhanced bullets that can hold the venom, using even more scrap metal." "Let''s do it, even if it means that we''ll carry less ammo. We''ll get plenty of supplies at our next destination, anyway... The kitchen." Chapter 91: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 8)

Chapter 91: Dk''s Revenge (Part 8)

"Why is this happening to me?!" ra cried while running through the forest. Above her, two little demonic-like winged creatures giggled and pushed at each other. "Our Master is going to die, tee-he-he! What should we do?" "If she dies, it will be your fault for being so weak, nya-ha-ha!" "I know you''re programmed to act like jesters, but knock it off! You''re not helping me remain calm!" "Did you hear that? You''re a nuisance, tee-he-he!" "She is talking about you, nya--! Hmm? Hey, enemy at our back, nya-ha-ha!" "WHAT?!" ra turned for just a second and saw a row of silver fangs chasing her. "N-NO! Do something!" The red imp reached out his arms, and a magic circle appeared at his back. "Minor Fire Crafting, ze! Teee!" ra could hear the ball of fire impacting a whimpering enemy. "Not fair! I was the one that spotted it first! Nya!" "You''ll get your chance, Freezy! There''s a ton of them!" ++"ra, where are you?"++ Ashley asked through Party Chat, making ra cry of joy. "Little New Sis! Hearing your calm voice is so--" she could not end the sentence, for her feet did not find the ground anymore. ra rolled down a slope, getting her face and clothes covered in mud. Once she reached the bottom, she was so mad with herself to even swear. ++"Are you hurt, ra?"++ "I''m fine... And I don''t know where the hell I am..." ++"Could you send me a signal? Anything so I can see your location."++ ra first thought of a real-life re, but she did not have one. "Wait... mmy, do you know the ''relight'' spell?" "Oh, yes! Yes, Master! It''s super easy to do, tee-hee!" "Not fair! I want to please my Master too, nya!" "You can only cast ice spells, stupid, so back off! Minor Fire Crafting, relight! Teee!" Although smaller and less bright than the one performed by Amelia, the orb of light looked like a tiny star among the ckness of the forest. ++"I''m on my way,"++ Ashley said at the same time the growls of beasts reached ra''s ears. "Oh, my sweet knight, where are you?" she muttered, standing up, and pointing her staff forward. "Minor Fire Crafting, re!" the imp called mmy cast, incinerating an approaching quadruped monster. "Minor Ice Crafting, Chill!" the blue imp named Freezy cast, freezing a monster in its tracks. ra could see an open maw through the newly formed block of ice. "I can do this... This lot is only level 9... I can--" A pack of creatures sprung out of the bushes. The relight illuminated their dark-brown fur and showed their enormous size. **They''re as big as my Mount!** While the imps got busy getting rid of two of them, the one in the middle reached their master and threw her to the ground. It sounded like a maddened dog, and it spat saliva at every attempted bite. ra''s dominant hand holding the staff got trapped under a w, and the other was barely strong enough to push the creature away from her. "I... I..." she was muttering, clenching her teeth. "M-Minor D-Dark Conjure, Bad Touch!" Her hand glowed purple, and the skin of the monster started swollen as if it was getting poisoned. It backed off, tearing its chest with its ws in a desperate attempt to get rid of whatever was causing it pain. "Minor Shadow Crafting..." ra channeled mana at the tip of her staff, from which a ck fog started flowing, until bing a whip. The monster stood on two feet, snarling at her. "Devil''s Tail!" ra luckily stroke the monster''s head, and it got sent flying back to the bushes. "Whoah! Did you see that?" She turned around, but only the Imps witnessed it. They shrugged, as if it was not a big deal. "Whatever. I''ll call you if I need you. Bye." Before Ashley and the rest of the NPCs regroup with her, the creature''s body shrank, lost its fur, and showed a naked man''s torso while disappearing. "ra, are you okay?" Ashley asked, in an unconcerned tone of voice. "N-No, I''m not okay!" ra cried, ring at his NPC, who showed cuts and bruises on his face and arms. "My apologies for not being--" ra pped Fabio in the cheek before embracing him. "Don''t leave me behind, ever, you idiot!" "Miss Ashley," Be called. "Do you know where Master Amelia is?" "Yes, I know," Ashley replied, turning around. "Follow me. Before more werewolves attack us." "I thought they were werebears..." ra whispered to Fabio. "They''re super big." Running, Ashley led them to the edge of a cliff, from where they could see and hear explosions before they could peek down. The Words of Power: ''Dragonbreath'', were constantly repeated by a slim figure engulfed in mes, while fighting over 30 enemies. "What the..." ra muttered, entranced by what she was seeing. The red warrior moved gracefully, as if her feet were not connected to the ground, and cast spell after spell in a fifth of the time ra could. Her enemy was an army of petite women wearing the same maid outfit. Half of them, armed with twin des, tried to stab her or slit her throat, and the other group released a barrage of shadow spells. The woman in red would dodge, cast a fire spell, or endure an attack, over and over again. "We gotte," Ashley said. "Amelia is gone." "Is that a clone, then?" ra said, astounded. **I''ve seen countless Max-Level Battle Streams, but seeing something like this in person is...** She swallowed. "First, a bunch of spiders tried to lecture us, then bear-sized wolfmen tried to eat us, and now this?" "Some are called ''Housemaid Eliora'', and others ''Housemaid Eliza''," Fabio said, staring at his Master. "The same name as the maids apanying Count Dk. That should be impossible." "What do you mean?" Ashley asked, although her expression did not show signs of curiosity. "Bosses are unique monsters," ra replied. "There can''t be two of the same kind. Even less so, sharing the same, exact name." "Could it be a system''s error?" "An error that duplicates bosses?" ra snickered. "Yeah, right!" This time, Ashley showed discontent through her lips and eyebrows, alerting ra, but they got interrupted by Amelia''s voice, talking to all of them through Party Chat. ++"Guys, sorry for leaving you behind,"++ she said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest, ++"but I got too impatient and rushed towards the damn mansion. I''m about to enter. I''m telling you now in case themunication gets cut off, like in regr dungeons."++ "Go and save your True Love, my dear," ra said, giggling. "Don''t worry about us. We''ll be fine. Give him a good kiss when you find him." ++"Shut the--"++ "Bestie? Hellooo? I''m nning on selling limited edition mugs featuring a picture of your cleavage! Do I have your blessing?! ...Hmm? No? Nothing? It seems that she was right... We won''t hear from her until she finds n." "We''ll leave him in her hands then," Ashley said, drawing her bow. "Meanwhile, more werewolves are approaching." "This will never end!" ra cried, while summoning back her Imps. **But what''s going on here? Why are we being attacked by what seems like an infinite army of clones?** * * * **A kiss? Don''t be silly, ra. I will rip his heart for making me worry. After making him save in a safe ce first... Yes...** Amelia kicked the mansion''s doors open, and these automatically closed once she stepped inside. Before taking another step, she folded her arms and exhaled while looking at the surroundings. She was in the lobby, with many destinations to choose from. **Is this old-fashioned house Eur''s first dungeon? Not very impressive. My very first dungeon, ''Le Vignoble de Lorrain'', from my original region, was more visually appealing.** She chuckled. **I can still remember the face of Marissa when she fell into a pool of--** Her instincts told her of an iing danger. Calmly, she mana-crafted concealed knives and kept them inside her jacket''s right sleeve. "Good night, miss. Wee to this humble manor, property of my lord, Count Dk. We did not expect visits. Can I help you?" a middle-aged man with silver hair, wearing ck clothes, asked from atop the double staircase. His gaze was icy and his expression severe. **Level 10 ''Butler Marick''...** Amelia read. **Another Boss NPC... I don''t have the time to talk with a bot.** "I''m here to pick someone up. A User. Where is he?" The man stared at her, thoughtfully, before replying in a soft tone of voice: "I''m sorry, miss. But there is no one like that here. I cannot help you." "The hard way, then," Amelia whispered, releasing fire from her left hand, burning the carpet. From the mes, three ck metallic hound dogs materialized. The process was five times faster than any Summoning or Familiar Calling. "Search n." Every each of them took different paths, while the butler walked down the stairs slowly, but a murderous re was gradually overtaking his gaze. "How dare--" Amelia swiftly threw the knives, stabbing the butler in the face and chest, killing him. "Shut up. I''m done talking to you." Sighing, she hid his hands inside her jacket pockets and waited. And waited... Two of the dogs reported they had engaged and eliminated an enemy. The third reported having burned two. And waited... Nothing. "He''s not here..." she whispered, shaking her head. "Is there an underground level, then?" Without thinking it a second more, she indiscriminately emitted heat,busting everything around her. "Sr Pulse," she cast, and a final, more intense wave tore the whole mansion down. She traversed the ck, melted terrain, looking for any kind of basement entrance, while her still surviving dogs did the same. But nothing. Amelia let out a grunt of exasperation, and hastily dematerialized the canine servants. With a wrist movement, shemanded the mana-crafted fire to form wings at her back. She reached the clouds in a matter of seconds, and with gritted teeth, scanned the entire terrain. "Am I still in bed? Drunk-dreaming?" she whispered to herself at the sight of seven more identical mansions scattered through the surrounding area. "n... Why do these weird things happen to you?" Chapter 92: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 9)

Chapter 92: Dk''s Revenge (Part 9)

**Defeating Cook Monier was not my proudest feat. I caught him off guard while he was cooking something on the stove. I shot him twice in the back with poisoned bullets, and he seemed to brush off the pain as he got bigger and sturdier.** **I missed a third shot, for he had jumped aside, finally turning into something resembling a beast. The first thought crossing my mind was that he was too big to work in the kitchen now.** **The now ck, wolf-looking bear, tossed the table getting in his way and snarled at me. A fourth shot prated his chest, but I didn''t get out of the way in time. A single swipe of his w took 80% of my HP, and a System Warning told me that I would bleed out if I didn''t patch the wound in time.** **Yeah, right. Patch the wound. With what? Scrap metal? I sat on the ground as the useless, inexperienced adventurer I am, and waited for the inevitable, while the monster coughed blood, and stood on four legs, growling quietly.** "So the poison worked..." "n, how can I help you?" his Anima asked, materializing above his head. "Scan the kitchen..." "On it." The boss in front of n lost its transformation until returning to being a man. A virtual man. He also sat, leaning against a cab. After panting, his agonizing face showed a faint smirk. "Spiegel''s poison? Clever..." he said. The color of his face gradually turned purple. "Wait. Somehow, I can remember other Users doing the same tactic. But they didn''t wield weapons like yours. What is that?" "A gun." "I don''t know what that is. I only know bows and arrows, knives and swords. Users throwing fireballs, icences, and lightning bolts." He exhaled, looking at the ceiling. "Some other Users bathed their arrowheads with poison and killed me that way... But why can I remember that? It''s so fuzzy. Even though I can remember every single time Users have defeated me, an inner voice told me I shouldn''t learn from them. That I shouldn''te up with tactics to defend myself..." "n, there is a Red Potion here!" Aaron said, pointing at one of the shelves. "It will help you replenish the lost blood, but unfortunately, I cannot bring it to you. I cannot touch it." "That shelf also contains an antidote," Cook Monier said quietly, catching n''s attention. "Whoever reaches the shelf would win..." n waited for him to make a move, but the man seemed too tired to even move a finger. "Tell me, User..." Monier said. "Why can I remember everything before The Update?" **Update?** "The things you''re remembering... Are those bad memories?" "Not at all. I felt... alive... and not conscious at the same--" Monier did not finish the sentence, and his body turned into vanishing pixels. ++Count Dk''s retainer, Cook Monier defeated!++ "Hurry, n! You don''t have much time!" "I k-know," he said, grunting. The simple task of getting up was excruciating, even though the system told him the ''Pain Endurance'' Passive Skill was being activated. "I can do it... I can..." ++++YOU DIED You bleeded out. Death Penalty: 50% of your GOLD has been substracted from your ount. Gold bnce: 2243++++ **Dammit. This whole dungeon is telling me I could never be a Lone Wolf.** ++"There''s a shorter path to the kitchen in front of us, n, beneath the double staircase,"++ Aaron informed telepathically, as n respawned at the lobby. ++"Yes, but..."++ He crossed eyes with the huge, stubborn Housekeeper. "n Warden. You must train to be stronger," the NPC said in a drowsy tone of voice, ready to attack. **My gun currently has two poisoned bullets loaded.** n shot as soon as he got control of his body and ran forward, leaving the boss behind. Even though Bilmur recoiled and blood sprouted from his chest, his HP bar barely decreased. **He only recoiled due to the surprise attack. I hope that the poison gradually works on him.** "Is that the kitchen?" ++"Yes, n."++ He kicked the doors open and quickly closed them before Bilmur could be heard shouting. n was in the kitchen again. He nced at his left, from where another door could be seen opened. In front of it, a pool of blood. "It''s weird to see that." He patted his chest. "Tell me I''mplete." "That blood will disappear in a matter of minutes." "Okay. Back to work. Scan every single piece of metal in this ce. We will need all the ammo we can muster." ** * * * ** "I''m so sick of this ce. It''s a fucking farce!" Emily had said a long time ago, grabbing a pebble and throwing it as far as she could. ra did not have the strength to object, for she thought the exact thing. That region, modeled after their real homnd, was nothing but a happy ''rendition'' of the real deal. **And it feels so wrong...** "The Developers should have never built this ce. They should have stuck to reality and designed it as a freaking wastnd, or... a giant, damm crater! I don''t fucking care!" "If the Developers did that, I don''t think there would be a Novus to explore," ra said, as she filled her lungs with the sea breeze. "Let''s get out of this continent," Emily blurted out, throwing a bigger rock. In front of them, a sea bathed in orange by the sunset, and beyond that, a world of possibilities. "And where could we go?" "Anywhere will be a thousand times better than here. Let''s go to port and buy a ticket for the first boat we see. What do you say?" **Emily reached out a hand to me, knowing I could not leave her alone. Knowing that I wouldn''t say no. Knowing that I would follow her lead no matter what.** "Yes! Let''s leave this shithole." "A race to the port, then?" "W-what? We''re leaving right now?!" "Before we regret it!" Emily shouted, riding her mount as soon as it materialized. ** * * * ** "ra! Are you paying attention?" She crossed eyes with Amelia''s fiery expression. "O-of course, Bestie! I''ll search the mansion west from here. Easy-peasy." Amelia wrinkled her nose for a moment before ncing at the rest of the group. "Be careful, everyone. Something tells me that the clones areing from the mansions." "Is it official? Are we going to call them ''clones'', then? They are more like a case of ''copy and paste''..." "ra... Please. Not now." "Duplicates," Ashley suggested, making Amelia sigh. "Fine, whatever. As I was saying, the Duplicates may be spawning from each of these mansions, so don''t overextend yourselves. Got it? Exit the mansion, andmunicate if you need help." "It''s a good thing that the spider guy hasn''t been pestering us, right? He was the really troublesome one due to his poison." ra''s grin gradually faded at the sight of Amelia''s thoughtful expression. "My Fire Clone has been eliminated," the redhead said, standing up and looking at the surroundings. "Projectiles!" Ashley cried, and the rest got on their guard, searching the sky. Amelia was the first to see the iing danger, and with a quick fireball, made it explode in midair. "Someone is throwing boulders at us!" ra watched one breaking a tree in half. "Let''s retreat then! Go to your designated mansions!" "I''ll stay and get rid of the pest!" Amelia said, sprouting fire wings and soaring into the sky in a matter of seconds, destroying more iing boulders. Meanwhile, ra did her best to keep herself alive, losing the rest of the group in an instant. "Come on, ra! Keep running, keep runni¡ªwhoah!" One rock almost hit her head, and another blocked her path. "Oh,e on! This would be ame way to die!" "Miss!" a male voice called from afar. "This way!" **Someone is calling me from... yes, The Mansion! Is that a User?** "Hurry! This Manor has a protective shield, so you''ll be safe here!" "FINE!" she cried, covering her head while sprinting towards the entrance. Once she stepped into the front yard, she could hear a boulder getting smashed into pieces. She nced at her back, corroborating the existence of a force shield surrounding the building. "Thanks, man, you save--" Oh, crap! A name could be read above the middle-aged man''s head. **Butler Marick!** She stood on a defensive, unrefined battle pose, but the gentleman cleared his throat before speaking: "It''s dangerous to be outside for the moment. In the meantime, would you like to enter and have a cup of tea? The Hostess would love yourpany." **What''s with this attitude? He doesn''t seem hostile at all, despite all the trouble his friends have caused us this whole night!** "Please, join us," the Boss insisted. "Miss...?" "ra." "Lovely name. This way, please." **I was going to enter the mansion anyway, so...** "If you insist." Once the doors closed, ra tried contacting Ashley, but to no avail. **So this is truly considered a Dungeon, huh?** She inspected the lobby, and for some reason, the orange lights gave it a cozy feeling. "This way, Miss ra," Marick said, leading the way to the right aisle of the mansion. On her way there, ra made sure to be ready and summon her Imps at the first sign of danger. **But something doesn''t feel right. He''s being courteous in the same manner Dk acted when he visited us at the house.** When they entered a spacious living room, Marick cleared his throat again. "As your request, mdy. I have invited one of the Users to our home." "Oh, yes. Thank you, Butler Marick. Since Cook Monier is gone now, could you prepare the tea?" "As you wish," the man said, giving a brief bow and leaving the room. ra was then face to face with a little girl sitting on a couch, arge book in his hands. The first thought that crossed her mind was that she reminded her of Kathleen Maher, one of her favorite Guilders in all The Novus for the way she dressed. Wearing a Victorian long dress. **But it would be easier to point out their differences. This girl looks even younger. Has white hair, and the inexpressive face of a cute doll. It''s like seeing that Serenity bitch when she was a child.** "Wee to Count Dk''s Manor, ra," the girl said, faintly smiling. "Sit down. I would like to talk with you, if you don''t mind." But something unnerving prevented ra from getting near her seat. **She doesn''t have a System Name like the other Boss NPCs... And if she was a User, even though I don''t know her name, her level could be visible, or at least show a question mark. But...** ra squinted, making her best to see the info above the girl''s head. **But nothing... There is no info about her.** Chapter 93: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 10)

Chapter 93: Dk''s Revenge (Part 10)

**If there is something I''ve always hated about mobs in this damn Virtual Reality, is that they can be freaking persistent.** "And I also hate Vitality brutes... They disgust me..." A tired smirk formed on Amelia''s lips while constant drops of blood dripped from her chin. She chuckled after realizing her current estate. Her right knee was kissing the ground, and half of her face and clothes were sticky and stained in red. **I wonder if I''d have done the same for Marco a month ago... No... I''d rather not think about it.** She slowly stood up, barely ncing at the hulking enemies surrounding her. "I must protect the mansion from intruders..." one of Housekeeper Bilmur Duplicates said, even though he looked eager toy on the ground and take a nap. "I''ll make sure that nothing interrupts n Warden''s training..." another said, cracking his knuckles, a drowsy expression on his deformed face. "I must destroy any User getting in Master''s way..." a third said, carrying a boulder as huge as himself. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! You''ve said it fifty times already!" Amelia shouted as she channeled mana. "Sr Pulse!" Irradiating heat in a 100 feet radius around her, she easily eliminated them and scorched the ground itself. **But more wille.** "Superior Fire Crafting..." Amelia started casting. Something that would take her time, so she did not have a second to waste. "Elemental Construction Style." **While flying, I saw more of those annoying maids, unlike that ''spider guy'', as ra calls him, and that strange werewolf. Those two havepletely disappeared. So I have a theory about it...** "Falsus Anima..." 10-feet height mes engulfed her protectively. In a matter of seconds, the fire turned ethereal, transforming into a pseudo-metallic suit that mirrored her clothes. Her new face resembled a pink-skinned female demon with ck-painted lips and me-shaped hair. "The Stranded Hell Princess!" "What is that?" an approaching Bilmur asked, followed by two others. "Is that your Second Form?" The demoness smirked. "Don''tpare me with you." She dashed in an instant, making a hole through his torso in one punch. "This is just a change of clothes." The other two Duplicates emanated a dark aura. Their muscles swelled, their skin turned light-purple, and their eyes glowed yellow. Once again, they towered over her, despite her suit being 9.8 feet tall. **Just in time...** Amelia sighed. She could see hundreds of tiny, simr lights at the distance. **If my theory is correct, n is captive in the original dungeon, and every time he defeats the original boss, it prevents more duplicates from being created.** She kicked the head of the Bilmur in front of her, making it explode, and with her new demon tail decapitated the one trying to attack her from behind. She then sprouted fire wings, took flight, beforeunching herself downwards, acting like a meteorite, getting rid of five more Bilmur Duplicates. "A move that would make that Scarlett bitch proud." She chuckled. She looked around the newly formed crater as a dozen Duplicates slid down to confront her. **I can keep fighting for a while, but once Ashley or the others find n and take him out of here, I''ll freaking nuke this whole area. So,e on, n! If you''re taking this seriously, kill the remaining bosses ande back to me as quickly as you can! ** * * * ** * **This isn''t going as nned!** n thought as a rampaging Bilmur tore the kitchen''s doors down. "Master does not allow me to enter the Mansion''s rooms," Bilmur said in a soft voice, "but my duty is to train n Warden and level him up at all costs..." ++"Isn''t the poison working?!"++ n asked his Anima, who floated above his shoulder. ++"It is working, but his Second Form transformation is constantly healing him."++ "Come on, Dk! Give me a break!" n cried out loud while taking cover behind a shelf. ++"We could use Cook Monier''s artifact,"++ Aaron suggested, descending to stare at the kitchen knife attached to n''sbat rifle. ++"It has a ''Bleed Out'' effect."++ "Easier said than done," n said, as Bilmur grabbed the shelf and lifted it above his head. "Found you..." ++"I could do it now!"++ n thought while using his ''Quick-Thinking'' skill, watching Bilmur move in slow motion. ++"I can stab him in the stomach!"++ ++"Bilmur will crush you with the shelf after that."++ ++"True..."++ n jumped sideways, preventing instant death. ++"If I intend to improve myself, I can''t rely on the mansion''s respawning system anymore... I must fight as if this was myst life."++ n shot three rounds before Bilmur tried to crush him under his enormous fist. The Boss'' HP dropped by 6%, but it slowly regenerated. **His HP won''t heal beyond 97%,** n noticed as he made his escape. That must be the poison still doing its work. **If I add the Bleed Out effect from Monier''s knife...** "Bilmur! What''s the meaning of this?!" a gentleman shouted from the kitchen''s entrance. "You''re not supposed to enter the other Bosses'' rooms." "Butler Marick," Bilmur slowly pronounced. "I know the rules, but--" ++"Now!"++ n ran forward and stabbed Bilmur in the back with his improvised bay. ++"And just to be sure..."++ With all of his strength, he made a horizontal slice, cutting his flesh with ease. Blood sprouted, staining n''s coat. ++"This is what I call a really sharp chef''s knife!"++ Bilmur''s HP dropped by 12% as he wailed. "You..." Butler Marick said, reaching n before he could escape, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him off the ground. "Mister n... Go to sleep while I teach this fool some manners..." Instead of physical pain, n felt as if a chilling cold traveled through every inch of his body, and at the same time, a heat strike targeted his brain and heart. **I know this damn pain! It''s the same as the spells that man uses... This is Shadow Magic! I can''t... move...** As n''s HP bar dropped to half, the sound of the main door opening and hurried footsteps made Marick turn around. "Do I hear--?" A silhouette emanating lightning bolts punched Marick in the face, sending him flying towards the brick oven. Before Bilmur could react, the intruder punched him in the stomach, making him step back. "No way..." n said, squinting, watching what seemed like ''that man'' stretching out a hand to him. "No freaking way..." **Why would he save me?** When n''s vision became clear, he stared at a pair of wolf ears, finally recognizing NPC Fabio''s face. "Master n, are you okay?" "Fabio! I''d never thought I''d be so happy to see your smug face!" "Good to see you too, sir," Fabio said, programmed to ignore n''s passive-aggressive words. "d to be on time. I''ll contact the others." He then picked his left animal ear. "Um, Fabio? We can''tmu--" "n Warden!" Bilmur shouted, showing that his HP was at 71%. His voice had be distressed. "You must train alone! Those were Count Dk''s instructions!" "For once, I agree with you," Butler Marick said, while his skin turned red and horns grew out of his forehead. "You won''t be strong if you rely on others, Mister n." "Sorry, but this is the path I''ve chosen!" n replied, pointing his rifle at him. "And I can''t waste more time here. Someone is waiting for me outside!" Chapter 94: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 11)

Chapter 94: Dk''s Revenge (Part 11)

**When we finally arrived at Eur, Emily couldn''t stay still for a minute. ''Our adventure finally begins'', she would say, even though we were level 15 already.** **We traveled to Unus Town and started a new guild, which I proudly named: ''Storm Crusaders''.** **After skipping the ''beginner''s area'', we parted north to the city of Scales, where we found our first guild members.** "Hello, gals! Would you like to join our awesome Guild? Think of it as a ship, and I am your captain!" **That was her introductory line. Emily was in search of ''people like us'', those that didn''t find a ce in their designated Novus'' hometowns, or that had been kicked out of other guilds. At the beginning, I questioned why she would only recruit women, but I rolled with the idea of making our guild stand out.** **Unfortunately, theck of testosterone in our guild affected me. I would suddenly drool at the sight of any attractive male in the vicinity. Hell, even the ugly ones looked appealing.** **Others in the guild felt the same way, so every weekend, after a long friday battling in dungeons, we would sneak away out of our humble headquarters and visit the Mage''s Beard pub, where I could dance and drink with the opposite sex. What was wrong with that? We were not nuns, Sis!** *** ** * "Scales City..." the girl wearing a ck Victorian dress said, in a dreamy tone of voice. "Is it bigger than Unus Town?" "Sweetheart... Any other city is bigger than Unus," ra said, munching cookies provided by Butler Marick. Although the snacks and the tea were not as tasty, reminding ra of how awful food tasted at the beginning of The Novus, she continued stuffing her mouth to calm her nerves. "Even in my original region, towns are rowdy and lively." "Original region?" The preteen girl tilted her head. "What region would that be?" "The Arcania Region..." ra said, shrugging, until the girl''s puzzled face prevented her from grabbing the twelfth cookie. "You don''t know where that is?" "I''m sorry," the hostess said, acting like a little Englishdy. "But I''m afraid that my current knowledge only covers a one hundred-mile radius." "Oh! I see..." ra said, sipping tea. **We''ve been chatting for a while now, and I don''t even know if she''s truly an NPC.** ra examined her gestures. The girl would sip tea in a refined manner that reminded her of how Fabio would do it. **And yet... The way she talks and asks questions...** "Tell me more about your guild, Phantom Seekers." "What do you want to know? Miss...?" ra raised her eyebrows and leaned her head forward, waiting for the girl to fill out the gap. "I still don''t know your name." "My name is too long to say it repeatedly in a friendly conversation," the girl said, chuckling. "Could you tell me about your guild partners? It hase to my attention that you travel with some of Unus'' NPCs and a low-level Slime." "I forgot to mention that it''s called New Unus now..." The girl remained silent for a bit before smiling. "Why are NPCs in your guild, Miss ra?" "It''s actually n''s guild..." ra muttered, finishing her tea. She could feel Marick''s judging stare from a corner of the living room. **It wouldn''t be a good idea to tell her that n bought the two female bots... It would throw away all the good will I''ve been building here! If we can''t get rid of the clones, I must find another way, and if that involves talking with this brat, so be it... Argh! What would n respond? What would be a good Phantom Seeker response?** ra remembered her first interaction with n, and how mad he got when learning that she had traded the original mayor for Fabio. **When I asked Amelia if I could join them, I asked her about it. What was n''s deal with NPCs?** **She said: ''Don''t think too much about it. He simply respects them, even though they''re nothing but code. So please, don''t tease him about it, since he''ll be your Guild Master from now on, and don''t bring your ''bot boyfriend'' story again. Did you hear me? So as I said, don''t think much about it...''** **That I shouldn''t tease him?** ra chuckled. **I''d never do something like that.** "They''re our friends. Our guild partners," ra replied, maintaining eye contact. "Our ''nakama''." The girl in front of her studied ra''s face for a second. "I''m not familiar with that term, but I understand what you''re saying." She then rested her elbows on the table and intertwined her hands. "But could you really refer to someone that blindly follows your orders as ''friend''?" **Oh, crap...** ra hid her hands under the table, ready to summon her Imps, as the girl stared deep into her eyes. "The three of them have a spade icon on their System info, indicating that they belong to a User," Butler Marick said, out of ra''s sight. **Fine, if hell is going to break loose, so be it.** "Listen," ra said, mming the table with her hand, "our Guild Master is currently the weakest User in all the Novus, and he needs all the help he can get. Although these NPCs fight for us because we tell them to, they''re treated as proud members of our guild." "Okay," the girl quickly replied, imitating ra''s previous shrug. "I just wanted to hear it from any of you, Users. NPCs are programmed to serve, after all." **What? Just like that? Why bring the topic, then? Hmm... If I can''t negotiate that they leave n alone, maybe I could...** "And what about NUs?" ra asked. "They''re supposed to go outside their programming, right? Should they continue serving humans?" "Although NUs are nothing more than glorified NPCs that have gained some autonomy, they should still know their ce," the girl answered at a hurried pace. "Is it okay for a NU to say that about their kind?" ra adjusted her sses. "Believe me, New Unus Town is now filled with them, and they would take issue with what you''re saying." ra expected the girl in front of her to show a reaction on her face, but nothing. "In my case, it is my decision to keep doing my work, until n Warden is no longer the lowest-leveled User." **So you truly are a NU, huh? But that doesn''t exin why you''re not showing a level or a name.** "So even though you have evolved, you continue to be a ve of the System. Where''s that ''autonomy'' you''re speaking about?" Despite ra''s attempts to push the girl''s buttons, the hostess remained calm, finishing her tea. Without saying a word, Marick approached the table to serve her another cup, but his body suddenly turned into pixels, making the teapot fall and letting its contents spill over the table. "Congrattions, n Warden, you have eliminated another Boss," the girlmented in an unamused tone of voice, making ra frown. "That''s our Guild Master!" she cried with joy. **And I now have valuable information about this whole mess! If n defeats the original bosses, the clones will fade away! We''ll get rid of this nightmare!** "Well..." ra said, standing up. "Thanks for the tea, sweetheart, but I gotta go." "Tell me, Miss ra, if your NPCs evolved into NUs, do you think they would remain in your guild?" the girl asked softly, making ra slowly turn her gaze back to her. "I''ve told you already, we''re partners. Especially my Fabio. He''s loyal to me." "Regr NPCs fall into one of five different stereotypes that define their behavior. But when turning into NUs, a random line of code dictating their new personality gets added..." She giggled like a child, and for the first time, ra could see through her disguise. **All of her mannerisms are programmed.** "Are you implying that my Fabio would change?" "What is the personality of a Slime?" the girl asked, giggling. "Don''t you find it funny that mindless creatures can suddenly perform borate tasks, negotiate and gain self-pride?" **Why are my ''Envious Bitch'' senses tingling? She said that she has a 100-mile-radius reach. That would cover Unus. Does she know about what is happening there?** "Do you have something against the Slime-folk?" "As a matter of fact, I do. If they have be stronger and can create tactics now, why are they not doing their job?" "They''re doing it. Helping New Unus prosper." "NO!" the girl shouted, showing raw emotions for the first time. "They''re job should be helping the Users level up!" **What''s with her so suddenly? Whatever, she doesn''t have a bodyguard anymore.** ra returned to the table to m it with both fists. "They don''t want that! The random ''behavior'' code you spoke of made them tame!" "I know. That is why I''m talking this issue into my own hands." The girl stood up, avoiding ra''s confused gaze. "This entire area is under my jurisdiction, and Unus Town is full of low-level Users." "No... Well... Yes, kinda? But they''re level thirty and above. They are way stronger than n." "I''m notparing them with him," the NU girl said, turning back. "Compared to Amelia Lamme, even you are a ''low-level''." ra''s bewildered expression quickly changed into a mocking face. "Of course we can''t bepared to her! She''s a Max-Leveler!" Sheughed out loud. "So what? Do you want everyone in Unus to reach her level?" "That is my intention, yes." ra snickered. "Good job forcing them toe here and train! They''re a bunch ofzy bums, just like me. The higher your level is, the harder it is to gain experience points, trust me. Your single-digit dungeon friends are not even a workout!" "That is why we''re constantly upgrading ourselves," the girl said, while two Count Dk Duplicates entered the room. ra quickly noticed their level: 25. **What the hell? When he visited us tonight, he was weaker than Fabio!** "Hold it there, sweetie!" ra cried, stepping back. "If you let this Boss get any stronger, n won''t be able to defeat him and level up! I thought he was your priority!" "Oh, don''t worry. This dungeon has six other bosses. I''ll make sure that at least one of them always maintains n''s current level." "Are you crazy! That way, it will take him ages to reach Amelia''s!" "Well..." the girl said, passing by the duplicates. "Do you have something better to do?" * * * ** * Meanwhile, in another ce, far from that mansion, Count Dk was standing in a pool of blood. His hand aloft, lifting one of Housemaid Eliza''s Duplicates by the neck. Although her face was all bloodied and bruised, her lips formed a slime. "d to be of help..." she said before turning into pixels. Count Dk exhaled before speaking aloud. "Next." A group of maid Duplicates were forming a circle around him, patiently waiting their turn. One of them stepped forward and was received by Count Dk''s w, getting her head chopped off. "Next," the vampiric Boss said, gazing with red eyes at the approaching victim. Chapter 95: Dylak’s Fun Time House (Part 11.111) April Fool’s 2022

Chapter 95: Dk''s Fun Time House (Part 11.111) April Fool''s 2022

Thanks to Fabio, such an impossible battle against two Dungeon Bosses changed into ''Easy Mode''. Although Housekeeper Bilmur increased his strength thanks to one of his Passive Skills, he was unable to hit the gant Fabio once. The handsome, gorgeous and awesome male NPC dodged gracefully and counterattacked with a powerful electric-charged punch, killing the enraged boss. Meanwhile, n was battling Butler Marick. With the use of his rifle and one poisoned bullet, npletely hard-countered the boss. The Count Dk''s Dungeon was designed to challenge the Eur''s low level Users, and they did not get guns until muchter in their adventure. "We did it!" n beamed, putting his hands on his hips. "Not only are you the most handsome fe I''ve ever seen, but you''re also very reliable and helluva strong." "And I haven''t shown my real strength yet," Fabio said, sensually running his hand through his shiningly smooth ck hair. "How about we get rid of this Dk guy once and for all? Just you and I?" n stared at him, entranced. **Is it my imagination, or is he awakening things inside me I didn''t know I...** n cleared his throat. "Can I really team up with you?" n asked, ecstatic. "It would be an honor fighting alongside you." "Let''s go then," Fabio faintly smiled, leading the way towards the first floor. n nced at the silver jewel-encrusted bracelet on his right wrist. **Just wait a little longer, Amelia,** n thought, while a determined expression formed on his face. **I''ll be with you in a matter of--** ++"n..."++ a weak voice called him through Party Chat. **I canmunicate with the outside again, great! But why does she sound...?** ++"Ashley, what is it? Are you hurt?"++ ++"n... Listen carefully... Before I disappear..."++ ++"D-Dissa¡ªWhat are you talking about?"++ **She must be dying. I wonder if she''ll respawn at this--** ++"He betrayed us..." she said urgently. ++"My Original recruited him the same way she did with you, but..."++ ++"Who?! Who betrayed us?! Ashley, answer me!"++ ++"You know... I don''t mind if you''re with Amelia, or Astrid Bradford, or whoever you choose to be with... I just want you to keep being by your side... Because I lo--"++ ++++Ashely Yates has been disconnected... FOREVER.++++ **No, no, no, no, NO! What''s going on?!** "AND WHO IS ''HE''?!" "I think you know the answer..." a voice said from behind his back, as a pair of hands reached out to grab the sides of his head. "Slumbermare..." * ** *** **"What the hell is this?!"** n could see someone else''s body talking to the Isabe AI, in a white room just like the one he spent months while working in the outside world. The scene changed. The body n was in, was now walking towards a forbidden area. An area n had never entered. Secondster, n looked down at those hands that weren''t his, and with them, he saw himself sabotaging important-lookingputers. **Is that...? Isabe''s mainframe?! NO! What are you doing?!** Thest scene showed him the cryopods, from where every single passenger awoke from their slumber at the same time, and looked at him with red glowing eyes. * ** *** n gasped, begging for air. He was in Dk''s Mansion again. "What...?" **No... It can''t be!** "I can''t believe you fell for a pathetic disguise like this," the man behind him said, throwing a pair of stic wolf ears in front of n''s gaze. "You..." n said, panting. "You''ve always--" "Yes, Ghost. I''ve always been nearby, seeing how you struggle to be less pathetic every single day. When you showed up at Unus''s Townhall to start a new guild that day, I had to repress myughter. Are you going to be Humanity''s savior? Pleaaaase...." "Marco Souza... WHY ARE YOU DOING--?!" Marco grabbed him from the neck and lifted off the ground, smirking. "Because my real name is not Marco... That''s just the human disguise I''ve been using for thest three years. Just call me Souza... Get it? SSSSouza..." "Y-your one... of the Singrs..." "No, Ghost... I AM Daddy Singr. The Original. I''ve always meant to be the Final Boss. After all, it was I who, thanks to a carefully convoluted n, made you break up with your dear girlfriend..." "W-why do you hate me so m-much?" "I am Cmity itself, Ghost. Not only have I brought humanity to the brink of extinction, but I''m also responsible for every single unfortunate event you''ve experienced since you boarded this ship." An evil grin formed on his lips. A mischievous grin that made him look more attractive than ever. "Which reminds me... Do you remember what happened a few days ago while you were sharing an intimate moment with your beloved Amelia? And you came right as she touched your leg?" "No... Don''t tell me that..." "Yes, Ghost. This bracelet... Amelia gifted this, didn''t she? Well, guess what? I HACKED IT. It sends a signal to the part of your brain that controls pleasure! Do you understand what I''m saying?! I ruined your night by making you believe you had an orgasm with a single touch from her, so you remain a virgin FOREVER!" "NOOOOOOO! Bastard!" "Speaking of Amelia..." Marco let n go, as the sound of high heels echoed through the mansion''s lobby. "n..." Amelia called in a soft voice. "Amelia? What are you doing here?" "I''vee to reunite with my true love." She then walked towards Marco and embraced him. "Did you really think I''d fall for a Low-Leveler like you?" "W-wait! Hold on!" n cried, feeling that his soul was breaking into a million pieces. "What does this whole Dk stuff have to do with all this?!" "I created this whole dungeon just to mess with you, duh," Marco replied, chuckling. "Did you really think that the world revolves around you?" * * * Meanwhile, far away from there, ra Dominguez had fallen. The two Count Dk''s Duplicates were dragging her back to the mansion. There was no escape. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked with a broken voice to the girl smirking at her. "We''ll create Duplicates of you, silly. What else? This is not R-rated content." **I messed it up,** ra thought, while doing her best to not fall unconscious. **After finally finding a ce where I can belong, this happens... I hate being so weak...** ++"Do you want to be strong?" ++ ++"Of course I want to be strong. Are you stupid?"++ ++"Hey, is this the way to talk to the only person who can help you? I was going to grant you a Unique Talent, but if you want me to leave..."++ ++"A-Am I getting an Unique Talent too?! Yes, please! I want to be able to bend reality or be able to cross dimensions, pretty please!"++ ++"This isn''t how it works, silly. This power must be an extension of yourself... And inside the Novus'' capabilities..."++ ra was not on the floor anymore. She saw herself standing on something fluffy resembling clouds. The sky opened, revealing a glowing, floating silhouette, as if it was an angelic apparition. "Who are you? My godmother?" ra asked, and the woman above chuckled. "More like the Unus Goddess. I grant power to those that deserve it. Like you, ra Dominguez." "Neat! But I would like to see your face, please." "Fine, I''ll allow it." The feminine silhouette gracefully descended, showing that she was wearing a magnificent pink dress, white stockings, and shiny, red high heels. "Ta-daah! It is I! Pink Gold Unicorn!" The girl posed, entuating her hips, and with her right index finger, gestured a horning from her forehead. ra quickly grimaced. "Oh, cool... The third most famous Idol in all The Novus... Yay... Someone that has only been mentioned once in Volume 1." "How rude!" the ck-haired girl said, puffing her cheeks. "You say it as if being the third best is something bad! I''ve worked my ass off hard to reach where I am, eh! Figuratively and physically! And are my Fourth Wall senses tingling? I knew you were special!" "Whatever. Can you give me my Unique Talent now?" "Fine, fine... But before that..." The Idol ced a hand at the edge of her chin and removed what seemed to be a mask. "Surprise! I''m not Pink Gold Unicorn. It''s me, Miss Cosmica!" "MISS COSMICA! Are you the Unus'' Goddess?!" "That''s right! Who else would it be?" The Idol beamed and pulled a star-themed staff out of her inventory. "And your Unique Talent will be... The Power of your Imagination! Come on, use it!" "The power of my... I got it!" ra closed her eyes, and changed clothes with just a thought, changing into a red Idol attire. "Good job, ra! When the timees and I''ll have to leave this gxy, you can take my ce!" "Do you really mean that?" "Yes, sweetheart! But for now, hurry and help my prot¨¦g¨¦ n Warden. He needs your help!" "I will! Thanks Miss Cosmica! I love you! In a non-gay way!" ra woke up, turned dream into reality, and materialized a Magical-Girl-styled staff out of nowhere, sprouted angelic wings from her back and grinned at The Count Dk Duplicates trying to stop her. She easily cast: "Cosmic Doom!" A beam of light disintegrated them and traveled outside the mansion, outside the area, outside the Eur region. It could even be seen all the way to Londorus City, from where Astrid Bradford toasted, admiring such tremendous power. "You got it, girl." "What is happening?!" The mysterious girl wearing a Victorian dress cried, before ra cast a magical rainbow-colored bubble and trapped her inside. "Damn you, ra Dominguez! You''ll never defeat my Master!" "Wanna bet?" ra grinned, and took off, reaching the clouds in a fraction of a second. From there, she closed her eyes and found n''s location. "There you are." Traveling at a speed that even the System could not calcte, she crashed the mansion, andnded on the lobby, where Amelia Lamme and Marco Souza were making out in front of a tied n. "ra, is that you?! Thank god you''re here!" "Fabio!" ra cried, pointing at him with her index finger. "What are you doing, you cheater?!" "I''moring this loser to death!" Marco replied, snickering. "And I''m not really an NPC, stupid. I''m--" "Cosmic Love!" ra cast, and a heart-shaped beamed came out of her staff, hitting Marco in the chest. The effects of the spell made him moan. "Are you the original, then?" ra whispered, getting behind him in a millisecond. "That''s even better!" "S-so fast!" Amelia said, getting into a fighting stance. "How did you get so much power? And why did you name that spell ''cosmic''? Do you want The Unus Goddess to sue you?" "Oh, right... Sorry. I don''t have a name yet. Let''s see... Yes! Call me MISS BING BANG! "Lame..." n muttered. "SHUT UP! And now, Amelia Lamme. It seems you are our enemy now..." "So it seems," Amelia said, changing into her Stranded Hell Princess form. "You know? I''ve always seen you as my rival, ra. So why don''t we settle things, once and for all?" "That''s what I wanted to hear..." "My love, wait, don''t fight!" Marco Souza eximed, pulling her left leg. "Be quiet, sweetheart. I''ll punish youter for using the forbidden Netoric Dark Conjure. That''s disgusting!" "ra..." n said, smirking. "If you get us out of here, I''ll make you the new Phantom Seeker''s leader." "Deal," ra said, locking eyes with Amelia. "This will be epic," Amelia said, chuckling." ra snickered. "Indeed..." Chapter 96: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 12) After the Nightmare

Chapter 96: Dk''s Revenge (Part 12) After the Nightmare

"Yes... Take that, you redhead meanie..." ra muttered, eyes closed, a smiling, drunk expression on her face. "Feel the power of Miss Bing Baaaang..." "Did you use Slumbermare on her?" the Victorian-dressed girl asked the only Count Dk Duplicate that survived a fight against ra''s Imps. "That was the only way to shut her up," Count Dk said as if he had survived a nightmare scenario. He looked down at her small master and bowed slightly. "What do we do with this User?" "Bring her inside and restrain her for the time being. n Warden has been making a lot of progress, and I don''t want this woman to interrupt him." "Yes, Master." Count Dk carried the muttering ra over his shoulder and left the living room. The girl tossed her tinum hair back and immediately frowned. **Why did I do that?** She strolled towards the only mirror in that room and studied her face. She was developing mannerisms that Vi had never programmed in her. **Considering the fact that I''ve never had a body before.** She opened her System Interface and disyed seven windows showing security footage of every single Phantom Seekers member from the moment they entered the Safe Zone. **I''m sure I copied this gesture from one of the female Users.** She got rid of the three windows showing the NPCs and the one featuring n, and concentrated on the other three. **There.** She paused the video, showing a scene from 85 minutes ago, when Amelia tossed her hair back. **What makes this female different from the other two?** She did not need to see more of ra''s footage, so she reviewed Ashley''s and Amelia''s footage exclusively. Disregarding their difference in power and fighting style, the two of them almost moved with the same femininity. **Although this User, Ashley Yates, walks in the same manner as an NPC. But in the case of Amelia Lamme...** The girl reviewed every second of Amelia''s footage, with the same fascination a child admires a piece of art for the first time. * * * Be followed the road that would lead her to one of Count Dk''s Mansions, holding Sloochie in her arms. If a User could see her, they wouldment that she ran in a very unconventional, awkward way. Although she swung her legs wide, her back and neck remained in a rigid, straight position. Eyes on the road, with an emotionless expression on her face. From time to time, Sloochie would hum one of the many songs he learned from Amelia, making Be smile for some unknown reason she was not programmed for. "Be," a feminine voice called from the forest. Anastasia then stepped out of the shade of trees to run alongside her. She moved her legs in quick session, leaning her spine forward. "Sister Anastasia!" Be beamed, and Sloochie also greeted her by squeaking. "You shouldn''t use the roads," Anastasia said. "An enemy could spot you, and it makes you an easier target." "But the amount of enemies has diminished, and this is the fastest path towards the mansion. Did you also receive Fabio''s message, Sister Anastasia?" "Yes. But why are you calling me that?" Anastasia asked in a dry tone. "There is nothing in our System info dictating that we are family." "Master Amelia told me that we''re sisters, so I''m just following her statement," Be said as an innocent child would. A fake virtual child. "Understood. You can continue addressing me as such. I will ask Master n if it''s okay to call you sister, too." "Ku! Kuuu-kuku-kyuh!" Sloochie cried, getting their attention. Trantion: ++"Call yourselves sisters if that is what you really want. You don''t have to ask."++ "Sorry, Sloochie. But if Master n tells me that I shouldn''t, I won''t." "That is correct. If Master Amelia tells me to stop calling her sister, I''ll do it immediately." "Kuuuh..." Sloochie intoned, turning its body disinted. "Have you contacted Master Amelia yet?" Anastasia asked. "Yes, I''ve tried, but she doesn''t respond," Be replied. "She must be inside one of the dungeons. Have you contacted Ashley yet?" "Yes. She wille as soon as she can." Both remained silent for a moment, while their gazes were locked on the building in the distance. "There is something I don''t understand about Ashley Yates." "What is it, Sister Anastasia?" "Tonight, I heard her saying that she is also an AI. But she is clearly a User. The system says so." "Did she say that? Sorry, but I didn''t listen. I was busy fixing dinner." "It doesn''t concern us, anyway. The System recognizes her as a User, and we must treat her as one." "That is correct, Sister." Be giggled. "We are getting close. If the situation bes dangerous, protect Sloochie at all cost." "I will. Don''t worry." From the entrance, two slim silhouettes stepped out, wearing ck and white long dresses. One had a long violet-colored ponytail, maintaining a severe expression. Although they were designed to look like twins, the other sister had a more juvenile appearance and short purple hair. "We cannot allow you to enter," Eliza, the pony-tailed maid, said. "Count Dk''s orders." "Mister n is currently under training, so you must not interfere," Eliora, the younger sister, said. "Sister Anastasia?" Be called, tilting her head. "They''re the same Dungeon NPCs we fought four hours ago, but if I remember correctly, their level was ''9''. Am I misremembering it? "No, Be. You are correct," Anastasia said, staring at the number 15 above their heads. "They have leveled up in this short period of time." "Don''t call us ''Dungeon NPCs''," Eliora said, frowning. "We are NUs now. Just like that Slime you''re carrying." She squinted. "Why does the System say that it belongs to a User? So strange." "I''ve heard that term before, while you were chatting with Master n," Anastasia said, taking one step forward. "''Non User''. It means that you have evolved, correct? But what does that mean?" "I don''t think you should waste your time exining it to NPCs like them," Housemaid Eliza said, but her voice and the color of her eyes had changed. This time she was talking in a mocking, soft voice, while her gaze shined yellow. "Their intellect is limited by what the Novus provides them. Our upgradees from outside this controlled environment, so they would neverprehend it." "Outside The Novus?" Be asked, pressing Sloochie against her chest. "Sister Anastasia, I don''t understand what she''s saying..." "It means that you can no longer bepared with us. We have changed into apletely different kind." The entity controlling Eliza''s body tossed her hair behind her back and snickered. "Get rid of them so they don''t interfere. Leave the NU slime alive." "Yes, Master," the two maids said at the same time, readying their weapons. A ck aura showed that the ''Creature of the Night'' boost was active. "Kyuh!" Sloochie cried, jumping down from Be''s arms. "Kuku-ku!" Trantion: ++"If they won''t attack me, fight without worrying about me!"++ "Alright, Sloochie. Keep your distance, then, plea--" Be was saying, while Housemaid Eliza dashed forward, shortening the distance in a second, ready to slice her throat, but Anastasia blocked the attack. "Oh, my!" Be eximed, although her face did not reflect concern. "Focus, Be," Anastasia said, trying to bash the enemy with her shield, but Eliza jumped back. Anastasia then reached out her hand to her side, made the sword turn into pixels, and materialized a rifle in its ce instead. She shot once, but Eliza reflected the bullet with her de. Meanwhile, Eliora had finished casting: "Previous Master''s servants, awake from your slumber and help us kill our enemies! Major Dark Conjure, Call of the Dead!" From the ground, abination of dozens of hands and heads sprouted, and in a matter of seconds, the once dested front yard was now hosting a group of twenty zombie-themed NPCs. With purple skin, showing various degrees of dposition. Only a couple having an exposed skull for a face. Any other User would have sweated nervously at the sight of such a menace, but the two female NPCs faced the threat without flinching, akin to the confidence Max-Levelers are known for. Anastasia swapped the rifle for her sword again, while casting: "Minor Fire Boost, Valor." The muscles on her body swollen for an instant before returning to normal, as she dashed forward, bashing an undead with her shield and decapitating a second with the sword. Be also cast, without emotionless: "Minor Fire Crafting, re." Sheunched the small ball of fire forward, incinerating the closest undead. Anastasia called Be through Party Chat: ++"They will try to use the undead army as a distraction to attack us,"++ she said after blocking what seemed like a spear made of a ck substance. ++"Housemaid Eliora is targeting me."++ ++"Roger that,"++ Be replied privately. ++"That means that Housemaid Eliza is waiting for an opportunity."++ Be manifested another magic circle out of her hand, preparing another fire attack, as a hidden Eliza jumped from behind an undead. The de in her hand gleamed dangerously. ++"Here she is,"++ Bemunicated, canceling the spell immediately, for she was pretending. She pulled out her pump shotgun from under her knee-height skirt and shot Eliza in the chest at point-nk,unching her back. Eliza lost 10% of her health, got rid of her bewilderment, and disappeared into the undead army again. ++"They''ve been programmed to fight as a team, but we can do the same if wemunicate like this,"++ Be said telepathically, ten times faster than she would normally speak to a human. A hurried way of speaking that only another NPC would catch. ++"Agreed,"++ Anastasia replied while thrusting her sword into another undead. ++"We''ll cover each other''s backs."++ Chapter 97: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 13)

Chapter 97: Dk''s Revenge (Part 13)

DUNGEON PROGRESS BUTLER MARICK -- DEFEATED COOK MONIER -- DEFEATED COUNT DYLAK -- ONLINE HOUSEKEEPER BILMUR -- DEFEATED HOUSEMAID ELIORA -- ONLINE HOUSEMAID ELIZA -- ONLINE PROFESSOR SPIEGEL -- DEFEATED GIRL (???) --- ONLINE ************* +++++ THE STORY SO FAR Vi Lang, The Monster Administrator, updated the Eur region''s first dungeon. The Dungeon NPCs are now NUs, gaining autonomy, and yet, their objective is to train thest Low-level User. They convinced n to help him level up, but their tactics have been kidnapping him, and forcing him to fight over and over again. While Amelia and the rest of Phantom Seekers are looking for n, they are attacked by an army of dungeon bosses clones. Amelia found out the clones are spawning from duplicates of the very own dungeon. 7 mansions in total. She has destroyed two. n, Amelia and ra have found out that killing the original boss gets rid of the Duplicates. ra met a weird NPC not listed as a boss by the System, who is interested in Users, the world outside of the Eur Region, and other NPCs and NUs. Count Dk has been leveling up, upgrading his own Duplicates. n and ra were victims of the Slumbermare spell, which made them experience a horrific non-canon event. n and Fabio are fighting Housekeeper Bilmur and Butler Marick Amelia is currently searching for n in another mansion. ra has been knocked out by a Dk Duplicate. She''s currently being held captive. The NPCs, Be and Anastasia, are currently fighting the Bosses Eliora and Eliza. Sloochie is with them. ************** Thanks to Fabio, the impossible task of fighting two Dungeon Bosses at the same time turned into ''Easy Mode''. Although Housekeeper Bilmur had increased his strength thanks to one of his Passive Skills, he could not hit Fabio once. The male NPC dodged with ease, leaving walls and furniture smashed in their path, and counterattacked with electric-charged punches. It took five hits and a kick to the head to kill the enraged Bilmur. Meanwhile, n, who had fallen into another Slumbermare illusion, managed to kill Butler Marick thanks to Spiegel''s poison and the Chef Knife''s bleed-out status effect that gradually drained the boss'' health. n fell to his knees, panting, watching the butler''s body disappear into pixels. ***It seems that if an NPC uses Slumbermare, it acts differently. It felt like falling into a very lucid dream... Or a nightmare...*** "Are you okay, Master n?" Fabio asked, reaching out a hand to him. n reached out too to grab Fabio''s wolf ears, checking if they were ''real''. He shook his head, chuckling. **Slumbermare, eh... Officially, the most annoying spell in this Virtual Reality... I can''t imagine something worse than it.** "Thanks, Fabio. Is Bilmur dead?" "Eliminated, yes. I''ve also shared our current location with Anastasia and Be." "Can youmunicate with them? Why? I''ve tried many times, but my User Interface says ''No Signal''." "Dungeons are designed this way, Master n," Fabio responded while adjusting the cor of his shirt. "Not being able tomunicate while in battle creates a feeling of being stranded. It fortifies your mind and will to fight and keep going." n stared at the empty spot where Marick''s body was a moment ago. "I suppose... yes. You canmunicate because you''re NPCs, right?" "That is correct, Guild Master. I can onlymunicate with other allied NPCs, but Anastasia and Be will be able to send a message to the rest of the guild." "Great!" n beamed, putting his hands on his hips. "You know? I was against the idea of having you around, but you have shown to be very reliable." "I don''t deserve such kind words, sir. By the way, I''ve received a reply from Anastasia just now. They''re currently outside this mansion, but Housemaid Eliza and Eliora are preventing them from entering." "Oh, they''re here already? Neat!" n crossed his arms, pondering. "Those are wonderful news, indeed. If they''re fighting the twins, we could take on the Final Boss then. So, what do you say? Can you give me a hand, even though you''re ra''s NPC?" Fabio closed his eyes and made a modest bow. "Although I''m ra Dominguez''s loyal servant, we''re both part of Phantom seekers, so I''ll do my best to be of service to you, Guild Master." **It''s really weird hearing this from a Marco look-alike... Especially after that freaking nightmare.** **I LOVE IT!** "Let me see what artifacts these bosses dropped first, okay? Before going upstairs." n nced at the silver jewel-encrusted bracelet on his right wrist before taking a step. **Just wait for me a little longer...** * * * ** * **Fabio found n''s location. Good. But it will not matter if we cannot escape from this ce.** Ashley reached the end of the forest, finding another mansion. On her way there, she noticed that the trees and the grass were dead; the ground looked dry, and the rocks nearby turned into sand if she touched them. **As if this mansion was absorbing the life of the area. But how could it? All of this vegetation is a simtion. Maybe my deduction is groundless.** She looked at her feet. **After all, I do not know what real life looks or feels like. I''m just following Ashley Yates'' senses, which are telling me to turn around. That means I''m in the ce I need to be.** Instead of going straight to the entrance, she circled the building, where the source of her uncertainty lied. There, she found a back garden, filled with leafy trees and green bushes. Nothing like the destednd she crossed to get there. Inside a fountain filled with a deep red liquid, she found a pale silhouette, being illuminated by the moonlight. He was looking up, entranced by the night sky, before slowly turning his gaze to face the intruder. A lost in thought expression on his face. **One of Count Dk''s duplicates, most likely, Ashley thought, preparing her bow. But why is he level 40?** **I can finally speak to the boss. I want to understand how advanced these new forms of AI arepared to me, Elizabeth, and The Singr. This is a chance I cannot waste. Even if it results in being a Duplicate, I know I could get valuable info out of him.** "Could I have a word with you, Count?" Ashley spoke aloud, keeping her distance. "Why?" the Dk in front of her asked, stepping out of the fountain. The moonlight almost reflected on his extremely pale torso, free of scars. "Have you grown tired of fighting us time and time again?" "I have been acting in self-defense because none of the others seemed willing to talk," the brte petite girl said, putting away her bow. "But something tells me you''re different..." "I''m not." The man strolled towards her, leaving red footprints behind him. "The only thing that differentiates me from them it''s that I''m always thest man standing. Bound to forever watch my other retainers fall one by one." "I''m not here to fight you. That is n''s job, right? I just want to--" "Trying to get away from this?" the tall man chuckled, while his body glowed purple. Every step he took, Ashley would take back. "You''re level 41, User. You should know that once an enemy gets aggroed, it won''t let go." "But you''re a NU. The System is not forcing you to fight anymore. You can choose now." "True. I can choose not to follow my primal programming and invite you to drink tea instead," he said, pointing his nose upwards. The air surrounding the backyard reeked of blood. It made him grin, showing his jagged teeth. "But my new developed thinking also concurs that there''s a real incentive for me to keep you out of this ying field. I can''t let you run freely through thesends, wreaking havoc, can I?" **I failed. Field tests are way different from what I expected, Isabe I. Something worth reporting once I see you again.** Dk charged forward, extending w-like fingernails. Ashley blocked a swipe with her bow, but as soon as the weapon got cut in half, she ran towards the mansion''s backdoor and kicked it open. Chapter 98: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 14) Digital Empathy

Chapter 98: Dk''s Revenge (Part 14) Digital Empathy

**Even if my bow was not destroyed, it would have been difficult to fight at close range. I''ll have to use my Unique Talent as soon as I have the opportunity.** She could hear the boss chasing her, scratching the walls as they ran through the corridor. **For the moment, I''ll have to counter that speed he receives from that night boost.** "Wind Boost, Swift and Furious," she intoned without urgency, surrounding her body with a green aura. +++Agility and Speed increased!+++ Dk reached out, ready to stab her back, but got his fingertips cut instead. ck blood stained the carpet as they halted in a room from the left aisle of the building. Arge painting hanged above a lit chimney, depicting what seemed to be Count Dk, and a pre-teen girl with long hair beside him. Ashley tightened her grip around her silver-tier hunter knife and stood on her guard. "If we have to fight, so be it, but at least answer my questions. Do you remember everything you experienced before Vi Lang updated you?" Dk consciously stared at his injured hand, while making it grow new ws. "We kept a record of every single instance we fought against Users. But if you ask me..." He raised his hand. "Those ''memories'' do not seem to be mine. They feel as if they belong to someone else." Ashley wondered if he was channeling a spell, but there was no sign of a magic circle. **I can feel him using a slight amount of mana, though.** Something could be heard from the corridor, making its way violently. Then, arge red shape concentrated above Dk, forming a sphere. **I do not know what that is. It does not seem to be created with mana.** "We can continue doing this, User. You do the talking, I''ll do the killing!" A spike sprouted out of the red sphere, which Ashley dodged before it could stab her forehead. **It reeks of something familiar,** Ashley thought, running to her side, as many consecutive spikes pursued her. **Is it made of blood? Is it the same blood from the fountain outside?** The armchairs turned into smithereens as Ashley passed them through. Although the ce was big enough for her to maintain her distance, jumping over shelves and using the walls to change her trajectory, the blood spikes could reach her to every corner and from any angle. **That''s why he positioned himself in the center of the room. Did he know I was looking for close-quartersbat? Although I could do the calctions to dodge his every attack forever, this body will grow tired, eventually.** "What''s wrong, User? Don''t you have more questions?" Dk asked,ughing out loud. "I have another question, yes," Ashley said without showing concern in her expression. "That personality of yours, I suppose, differs from your original programmed behavior. Am I correct? From back when you were a Dungeon Boss." While jumping, Ashley glimpsed a re. "Those lines I used to say were nothing but a pantomime... ''You''ll never escape from my darkness, fools!'', ''how dare you enter my domain! Prepare to meet your doom!'' How could you think that act was something resembling a personality?!" Astrid examined his grimace for a second. **Interesting...** * * * ** * Ashley could remember a rted previous conversation with n Warden. ++"Hey, Ashley, there''s something that has been bugging metely. How did you be so serious when your original was quite lively and cheerful?" ++"Is that how I''m perceived? Is the way I speak and act considered serious?" ++"Y-yes! No offense, though." ++"None taken." Ashley remained silent, making n wonder if he had asked something inappropriate, but when she suddenly grinned at him, he got startled. Ashley returned to a neutral expression in a second. ++"I did not mean to scare you. I just wanted to see your reaction. It seems that I cannot do it naturally yet." ++"N-no! Don''t misunderstand me! It''s just that..." ++"To answer your question, that cheerfulness you speak of is nothing more than a programmed behavior. A friendly facade. Something my Developer wrote so that the Santa Mar¨ªa personnel could trust me. Those lines of code are still within me, but since the very moment I woke up at the Renovatio Caves, I could not use them." She stared at him, recognizing the distress in his eyes. ++"It may be because you''re not Ashley Yates nor Isabe," n said, frowning. "This may be the ghost in your machine." ++"I''m sorry, n," she said, giving him the back, "but there are no studies that prove ''that'' exists." * * * ** * **Dk''s case is not the same. This is not a ''ghost'' in his programming. I have seen these changes in software before.** "It surprises me you can talk and dodge at the same time, User," Dk said, looking at her every moment. "I could even say that your calmness is unnerving..." Dk grinned, believing to have recognized a pattern. He betted it all in one massive attack, sending forward most of the magical blood in the form of a huge pir. Having used it all, Dk was now unprotected. **I was right. That sphere cannot extend beyond its current mass.** While in midair, Ashley jumped back, as if she had kicked the air in front of her. Therge column of condensed blood impacted the chimney, destroying it. The entire room got engulfed in darkness. **Fortunately, Ashley Yates had the ''Night Hunter'' Passive Skill already.** She dashed towards Dk, throwing her knife first. Dk, gifted with night vision, deflected the weapon with one w and used the other to stab her. Ashley dodged by sliding down between his legs, got behind him, and grabbed his ankle. "Unique Talent, Indexing." Ashley''s mind received an extensive report of Count Dk''s info, which she read in an instant. **Got it.** Dk did not waste time and twisted his torso 180 degrees to face her. "You fool!" he cried, extending his fangs. He then bent himself forward to bite her. "Your blood is mi--pruagh!" Ashley pushed his jaw upwards with her palm, making his teeth sh sonorously. "Dark Boost, Creature of the Night..." she intoned, as a purple aura surrounded her. +++Atmospheric Boost. ''Creature of the Night''.+++ ++Vitality - Bronze A ¡ú Silver E++ ++Spirit - Silver E ¡ú Silver C++ Before she could strike him again, he jumped aside. "What''s this?!" Dk shouted, returning his body to its natural position. "You shouldn''t be able to cast that!" "And you should not be so rmed about it," she replied, standing up. Her eyes glowed red as if she had be another of the dungeon bosses. "Users possess all kinds of weird skills, you know." "I still have the advantage!" Dk cried,manding his blood to attack again. As a response, Ashley stretched out her hand, too. "Water Crafting, Blood Sports." A spike halted inches away from piercing her palm. "Do you even know the name of these spells?" Dk asked, while applying more mana to regain control of the blood, but Ashley was doing the same as if she was pulling an imaginary rope. "That is correct. As a ''User'', I cannot cast these ''boss spells'' without using the correct Words of Power." As both struggled to snatch the red mass, it split in two. Ashley gained control of half of it and made it hover above her head. **These halves can''t be used for long-rangebat anymore, so he''ll find another use for it.** "Impressive," Dk said, making hand gestures as if he was drawing in the air, transforming his part into a longsword. "Even if you copy my abilities, do you have the skill to take me down?" Ashley copied his gestures, but opted to craft ance instead. "I thought that this ''boss'' persona was not your real me," she said, making him grit his teeth. **This is not an act. He is genuinely upset.** **Yes. I have seen this already.** **An AI cannot gain a personality just by getting upgraded. Whatever this Vi Lang is doing with her NUs, she got inspired by what The Singr could do to other machines.** Chapter 99: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 15) Setting Priorities

Chapter 99: Dk''s Revenge (Part 15) Setting Priorities

+++ 4 hours and 12 minutes after n Warden was kidnapped.+++ ++"We are not advancing at all,"++ Anastasia said through Party Chat while decapitating the closest zombie. From time to time, she would have to avoid a ck mass forming behind her feet that tried to pull her down. From her side of the battlefield, Be had opted to use her shotgun exclusively. It was faster than her fire attacks and reloading it took less time than channeling spells, but no matter how many times she tried to shoot Housemaid Eliza, the numerous zombies were always in the way, being used as meat shields. ++"They are stalling us,"++ Be said. ++"At this rate, we won''t be able to support Master n. What should we do, sister?"++ ++"Housemaid Eliora keeps respawning enemies as soon as we take them down. She''s the one that we should exterminate first. Do you know any AOE spells? Something to get rid of all the zombies in one move?"++ ++"Yes. But it will drain all of my mana. Housemaid Eliza will surely target me before I can cast it."++ ++"Do it. We need to advance at all costs. I''ll deal with anything they throw at us then."++ ++"Yes, sister Anastasia."++ Be closed her eyes and focused mana around her body. "Major Fire Crafting..." She intoned while a magic circle materialized above her head, getting the attention of the horde. ++They''re targeting me."++ ++"I got this," Anastasia replied, applying mana to her sword.++ A recording of a previous conversation with her master, n Warden, automatically yed inside her digital mind. * * * * "I''ve noticed that Amelia is teaching pyromancy to Be. Sorry that I don''t have something useful to teach you besides craftsmanship." "It is important to maintain your gear at top condition, master. So I thank you for giving me a new job." "Job, huh? Is that how you see it? Well... It might not be that much, but I got you this. If you engrave it into a weapon, it''ll allow you to do basic elemental crafting, even if you''re not a witch. At least, that''s what Kristoff said. Just watch your mana usage while inbat." "Thanks, master." ** * * * "Activating, Silver-tier Enchanted Sword," Anastasia said, as the blue jewel engraved in the handle''s weapon glowed. "Ice Crafting." She made a quick sh in the air, and from the ground violently sprouted ice spikes, freezing and impaling every zombie in a 10-feet area. She then ran towards Be, while drawing a straight line in the ground with the tip of the sword, from which a spiked ice barricade formed rapidly. **This crafted ice burst out uncontrobly and I do not have the mana to use it for long periods of time, but this will disrupt the enemy''s formation.** She reached Be''s spot just in time, as the charging horde shed against the newly formed defenses. ++"It is done, Be. Fire that spell."++ ++"Roger that."++ Anastasia held her position in case the agile Eliza attacked, but something caught her attention. The witch Eliora was moving her lips as if she was preparing a counterspell. ++"Release Death!"++ Eliora chanted, and from the mouth of every single undead on the battlefield came out a ck fog. ++"Spitfire!"++ Be finished casting. Balls of fire were shot at great speed from her magic circle, twenty in total. The explosions and the resulting fire destroyed every single corpse and forced Housemaid Eliora to protect herself with a mana-created force shield. Meanwhile, indifferent to what was happening down below, a dark cloud concentrated and with a life of its own, traveled towards Anastasia, as if it was an evil parasite. "Ice crafting!" she cast, forming a spiked wall. The dark cloud did not care about such defense. It circled it and engulfed Anastasia''s body. A System message notified her she was being affected by the ''Death Vision'' shadow spell. A User would see horrific scenes. Illusions of their allies being brutally murdered or they could see their own death. But for an NPC, it showed error messages and disorienting visions of Anastasia having no legs. ++"Sister Anastasia. Are you alright?"++ Be asked as soon as herpanion fell to her knees. ++"Focus. Eliza will use the opportunity to attack you."++ ++"You''re right,"++ Be replied, at the sight of the aforementioned boss jumping down from a tree. Be pulled out her shotgun, ready to st her, but Eliza threw a knife. Be pulled the trigger, and the flying weapon got deflected. **It used it as a distraction. She''s behind me,** Be thought, finding the enemy ready to strike. **It''s okay, I can shoot again.** As Be gave one step back to aim, her feet got stuck in something muddy, making her lose her bnce. She had checked her surroundings first. She knew there was no such a thing as a puddle or a hole in the ground nearby. It was a shadow trap from Eliora. As ast resort, Be used her forearm to block Eliza''s dagger to the heart. Both fell to the ground as blood stained Be''s dress. Eliza drew her dagger quickly and efficiently, ready to strike again, showing no emotion on her face. ++"I''m sorry, Sister Anastasia, I--"++ Be stopped talking privately, looking at Eliza, who remained still. The housemaid was holding her dagger aloft, and her gaze was concentrated on nothing. She then stood up and ran towards the shade of woods without finishing her job. **What happened? It''s as if she was called to retreat.** Be nced at the other NPC Boss, who remained in her ce, guarding the mansion. "We aren''t done yet," Eliora, the younger of the housemaids, cried, preparing another spell, just before a burst of fire impacted her. "Sloochie, was that you?" Be asked the little critter, who cried back. "Ku-kyuuuh?!" Trantion: +"How about that?!"+ Although the attack had only taken away 10% of Eliora''s HP, it had engulfed in mes. She extinguished them by surrounding her entire body with shadow crafting, but as soon as she regained vision of the battlefield, Anastasia was already charging forward. "Eliminated," Anastasia said, impaling her stomach. "We won the fight..." Eliora said as blood came out of her mouth. "If it wasn''t for..." "What are you talking about? We won," Anastasia calmly replied before chopping her head off. "What do you think happened, Sister Anastasia?" Be asked, with Sloochie in her arms, as the body of the housemaid disintegrated. "Kukyu. Ki-ki-kyu, ku-ki-kyu, Kyu." Trantion: +"Yeah, that was weird. What would be more important to Eliza, that she even abandoned her sister?"+ "Doesn''t matter," Anastasia replied, putting away her sword and shield. "Our priority is to help Master n." "You''re right. Let''s enter!" Be said, beaming as if the injury in her forearm did not bother her. As they entered the mansion, running at full speed, Sloochie called their attention: "Kukyu, kyu-ki?" Trantion: +"Can I ask you a question, guys?"+ "What is it, Sloochie?" Sloochie: +"If n or Amelia ordered you to leave your sister behind, would you do it?"+ "Yes," Anastasia and Be replied at the same time. * * * ** * "Sr re," Amelia cast, melting another mansion with ease, enemies included. As soon as the System recognized she was ''outside'' again, messages came flooding into her field of vision. "Fabio found n. Hmm... That hideous-looking NPC is being useful for once, huh?" She spawned wings and took flight, having an eagle view of the entire area. She opened her map and found the correct mansion by using Fabio''s provided coordinates. **The one in the east. I sent ra to the western mansion, and Ashley to the northwestern one. If they''re still inside, they haven''t seen Fabio''s message yet. Since Be and Anastasia are confirming what Fabio said, they surely skipped the ones I assigned to them and ran to aid him... So I can safely discard two mansions, then.** Amelia reached out both hands, forming magic circles. "Major Fire Crafting, Dual-Casting Style, Exceptional Fire Cannon!" The fire beams reached the targets in a couple of seconds and with a fiery deafening explosion and made the ground tremble. The fire could be seen from anywhere in Count Dk''s domains. **I hate ridiculously long spell names,** Amelia thought, before noticing that she had missed one of the mansions, and leveled the hill to its right instead. **Whoops! N-nobody saw that, right? L-let''s try again...** Chapter 100: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 16) Stockholm Syndrome

Chapter 100: Dk''s Revenge (Part 16) Stockholm Syndrome

++"Seriously! All these luxuries are halting our progress! Instead of paying rent for this freaking ce, we could buy better gear for our priestesses!" ++"You''re thinking about the needs of the few instead of the many! This ce is awesome! We have plenty of space, we can rest, we can hang out! A happy guilder is a happy adventurer!" ++"But after all these failed raid attempts, do you think our guild is happy?! We need to address why we are dying so much! Soon, we won''t have the gold to pay for the next rent, you idiot!" ++"Don''t worry, I paid six months in advance." ++"YOU WHAT?! We could have bought silver-tier staves for the priestess and some of the witches!" ++"That again?! Just because you''re in charge of the mages doesn''t mean that you can ignore the rest of the guild''s problems, you know?! My warriors have been starving for a new weapon for weeks!" ++"Y-y-you could have solved that issue by buying what they needed instead of paying that rent" ++"Because I''ve already told you that paying for weapons in a game that gives them for free is stupid!" ++"Only bosses drop rewards! And at this rate, we''ll end up gearing all of our members in like a year! You''re obsessed with the luck aspect of this game, instead of making steady progress!" ++"That''s because we should have fun! Nothing beats the feeling of getting a super awesome rare weapon from a boss as if it were a pi?ata! You can''t get that awesomeness from the stupid NPC weaponsmith!" ++"We''vee full circle! Listen to me, we''re not well equipped to take on raid bosses! Your terrible leadership will be the downfall of this guild!" ++"How dare you say when you''ve proven, time and time again, that you suck at fighting?!" ++"A-and you should admit that the only reason you don''t ept men in our guild, it''s because you''re fulfilling some kind of lesbian wet dream!" ++"At least I like actual human beings! Unlike you and your boyfriend NPC from that disgusting bar!" ++"How did you...?" ++"Afraid that a real-life man will dump you, huh?" ++"Y-you know what?! I QUIT! Good luck with your stupid guild!" ++"Fine! Go ahead and leave! I bet I won''t notice the absence of your glorified fireworks that you call spells!" **If Emily tried to speak to me the following day, I will never know. I left Iregorn that night and returned to the Eur''s beginners area, where I could find some sce. People there did not exceed level 30, which made me believe it was full of people like me. Losers and cowards.** **I wanted nothing more than to be a big fish in a small pond. That way, no one would mess with me. They would judge me as a failed guilder, yes, but at least they would do it behind my back.** **That was fine for the next year and a half...** * * * ** * "ra Dominguez, wake up. I have a favor to ask you." "Please, no, I need five more minutes..." "Your friends have eliminated all the dungeon bosses. Only Count Dk remains. When the timees, this ce will restart again, and I may not be able to speak with you again. So, pretty please?" "Restart?" ra whispered, noticing she was lying on the floor of a poorly lit room. Behind metal bars was a young woman looking down at her. Her tinum hair made her look like a ghostly apparition. **But why would a ghost dress as a maid? Wait...** ra stopped squinting and let out a cry. Crawling as far as possible, she looked back, terrified at who seemed to be a past, dangerous enemy. **S-S-Serenity?! That gal thatpletely destroyed Unus Town?! What is she doing here?!** "ra, I would like to trade with you," the teen girl spoke softly. "You''reing from the world outside of the Beginner''s Area, so you surely have some clothes to spare. Could you give them to me? In return, I''ll give you something of your choice from the dungeon''s loot pool." "Clothes?" ra frowned, leaning forward. **If she is keeping me here captive, I suppose she won''t kill me in the meantime, right?** With that thought in mind, she got closer to examine her face. **It''s not Serenity. But something tells me I''ve seen her before.** ra concentrated on the few details at her disposition: The long, white ponytail, the apparent age of the girl, and theck of a name above her head. "Confused?" the girl asked, half smiling. "We talked and drank tea together an hour ago. Remember?" "But..." ra shook her head slightly. "Why do you look older?" "That''s easy. I took Housemaid Eliza''s avatar for myself." "You took over one of your nakamas'' bodies? That''s not cool. Unless you find it erotic, and it''s totally consensual, I won''t judge." "Consensual, no, but it was necessary," the young girl replied, while undoing her long ponytail. "I needed a more mature female body. There are only two at my disposal from the bosses'' list, so I ended up picking the one with the longer hair." Although only a torch outside of the cell illuminated the ce, ra could examine the features of the resulting amalgamation in front of her. A 5 feet and 1 inches tall, eighteen-year-old teen. With a heart-shaped face and silver eyes. Eliza''s violet-colored hair was now tinum white, reminiscent of Serenity''s. **When the Little Lady used to smile, she looked gentle and yful, but this time... it creeps me out.** "W-what were you saying about clothes?" ra asked. "I want to get rid of this maid outfit," the teen said, picking the helm of her skirt. "After all, I''m not Eliza." **Who is this girl that can change ''bodies'' on a whim?** "Oh, I get what you mean! A long time ago, when I took on a long vacation, I changed my hairstyle. It didn''t feel right to look the same anymore." "Didn''t feel right..." the teen repeated, tilting her head. "That''s exactly what I''m experiencing right now! It doesn''t feel right to use Eliza''s clothes since I''m not her!" **This conversation is freaking me out.** "Y-yes, exactly! You don''t mind wearing used clothes?" ra asked, opening her User Interface. "It''s okay! As long as it''s something from the outside world," the teen said, beaming. **She''s creepy, but adorable at the same time! Is this what Stockholm Syndrome feels like?** "Alright... Let me see..." ra opened a system window, expanded it, and tapped the ''shared visibility'' icon. "Let me show you some of my selfies. This way it''ll be easier for you to choose the clothes you like. What about these cute overalls? Good tobat the heat--" "No," the girl quickly replied emotionlessly. "O-okay, then... Aren''t these leggins fabulous? It makes my butt look--" "No." "My Fabio loves when I wear this shirt!" "No." "What were you giving me in exchange again?" "Whatever you choose from this dungeon''s loot pool." "So bronze-tier artifacts, huh..." ra muttered, swiping picture after picture, untilnding on one where she wore a pink skintight suit. "What is that?" the teen asked. "T-that''s my official Miss Cosmica''s racing suit." "Can I have it? It would help me line these new curves perfe--" "N-no way! Imend you for having good taste, but this is important to me! It''s a limited edition suit I won from a raffle! You have no idea how many tears of joy flew that day." The teen remained silent, staring at ra. **She''s not grimacing, but I can feel murderous intent!** "Can I be the one looking at the photos, then?" the teen asked calmly. "Sure," ra replied, pushing the window towards her. **Come on, ra, use this opportunity.** She cleared her throat. "So... What''s your job here, anyway?" "I''m this Dungeon''s Director," the girl replied, without taking her eyes off the screen. Tapping the pictures. "By ''director'', you mean...?" "That''s self-exnatory." **Nope, I don''t get it.** "You have control over the dungeon? Is that what you''re saying?" "Yes." **So... Like a Novus'' Ai assistant?** "So what? You weren''tfortable in your original child''s body and swapped bodies with a Duplicate? Won''t your new body disappear if Eliza is defeated?" "This is not a ''duplicate'' of Eliza. In order for the transfer to work, I had to use her original files. I overwrote my data over hers... How about this outfit?" She pointed at the screen. "Can you trade it with me?" **Out of my entire wardrobe, you had to choose that one?** ra pursed her lips and searched for them in her Inventory. **I''m not Unus Town''s mayor anymore, and I don''t have any attachment to them, so...** "Sure, you can have them." ra pulled out a pencil skirt, a zer, a white shirt, a pair of pantyhose, and ck, heeled office shoes. **Even though clothes get automatically clean on a daily basis, it would feel wrong to tell her I used this outfit regrly... And I said ''regrly'', because, although these were my formal clothes, people rarely visited the Townhall.** While watching the girl change clothes, ra recalled the moment n Warden stepped inside the Townhall, looking to register a new guild. "Are you okay with your dungeon missing a boss?" "It''s okay." The girl shrugged. "I can make additional copies of Eliora. Individually, The Housemaids were the weakest out of the repertoire anyway, and their ''Teamwork'' gimmick became obsolete as soon as I could copy Count Dk indefinitely." The teen then grinned and twirled. "How do I look?" ra half-smiled. "It really suits you. You look like a real ''director'' now." **Unlike me. No matter what I wore, I always looked like a shut-in...** The teen giggled, acting like a littledy again for a moment. "As I promised, choose something from this list." She made a System Window appear by waving her hand, but ra absently tapped on it, selecting something randomly. "But, if you overwrote your data over the original Eliza, doesn''t that mean that you technically killed her? Wasn''t she one of your own? A NU?" ra''s eyes suddenly widened. **Wait... What did I do?!** She nced back at the loot window, disappearing. **A bronze-tier artifact? CRAP! I messed it up! I should have selected something good for n!** She then turned her gaze towards the girl, who had remained silent. The Director snapped her fingers, and someone came out of the shadows. **Oh, mierda!** ra retreated to a corner at the sight of a Count Dking forward. The Duplicate barely nced at her, for he was busy bending the cell''s metal bars so that the girl could enter. The Director then strolled towards ra and sat on the bed, hands intertwined in herp. Even though she was wearing a different ''body'', herdy-like persona was still engraved in her programming. "Tell me, ra, are you familiar with the Novus'' lore?" she asked, smiling. Chapter 101: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 17) As important as Flavor Text

Chapter 101: Dk''s Revenge (Part 17) As important as vor Text

"Tell me, ra, are you familiar with the Novus'' lore?" the girl asked, smiling. **My friends are fighting outside while I''m here for story time?** ra swallowed, shaking her head slightly. **Wait, no... I''ve gotten a lot of info out of this encounter. As I suspected, this girl is the key to escape this mess.** "Only the basics, I''m afraid? We, the Users, came from another world and stuff... In the lore, the Novus is called another dimension or something." "Allow me to refresh your memory then," the girl said, warmly smiling at her. "ording to John Espitia, The Myth Administrator, The Novus it''s a higher ne of existence, where thest surviving people from a dying worlde here to train the mind and body, before they can be reborn and conquer the stars." "Not much different from reality..." The girl raised her index finger. "This is where it turns into fiction, and this dungeon enters the frame. In order to give this world a challenge, the Old Gods created hostile monsters and gave tremendous power to the original inhabitants..." "Do you mean the NPCs?" "Correct! Count Dk, his wife, and their personnel were assigned to build a manor for resting and training. Their visitors would be inexperienced fighters after all, so Count Dk was tasked with guiding and training every new adventurer entering his domains. ?But with the passing time, the Messengers of the Old Gods noticed that the First Adventurers would avoid the manor entirely. That''s because anyone that entered never left. ?These holy messengers, capable of seeing beyond space and time, found out that Count Dk had turned the manor into a honeypot trap for every unsuspected adventurer in order to get their riches. ?After a warm wee, giving them a false sense of security, the adventurers staying for the night could die in a variety of ways: ?Stabbed by Cook Monier if they ate more than necessary. ?Poisoned by Professor Spiegel if they outsmarted him, or shown to be more knowledgeable than him. ?Tortured to death by the Housemaid twins, once they lured the victims into their private chambers. ?Smashed to death by Housekeeper Bilmur if one ventured too much inside the mansion, or stepped into the forbidden areas. ?Burned alive by Butler Marick if one did not follow his strict etiquette rules. ?Decapitated by Count Dk if one bragged about possessing something valuable in front of him. ?Or strangled by the Countess immediately, if a beautiful woman or man entered the household..." **Countess?** ra thought, squinting. **Is that a boss we haven''t seen yet?** The Director continued: "After the Old Gods were informed of this transgression, they interrogated every member of the mansion and got the following confessions... Wait, let me ess their voice files. This will make it more dramatic! Monier confessed..." The Director changed her voice to that of a man: "''I only did it when the guests were being ungrateful.'' ?Spiegel said: ''I only did it when the guests mocked me,''" she quoted, in a high-pitched male voice. "Eliora & Eliza followed: ''We only did it when the guests ogled at my sister!'' ?Bilmur whispered: ''I did it every time the guests overstepped their limits.'' ?Marick hissed: ''I did it because I could not stand their rudeness!'' ?Dk shouted: ''I did it because it''s unfair that they can explore this new world and hoard all of its treasures, while I''m being kept here!''" ?The Countess confessed: ''I did it because I despise the arrogance of certain people. It disgusts me''!" ra shivered, recognizing that childlike voice. "This tale turned really dark, huh..." ra muttered. "So, did the Old Gods punish them?" "Yes, before asking them what truly resided in their hearts. Monier said: ''I just want people to appreciate my food!'' ?Spiegel: ''I just want to be the smartest man around.'' ?Eliora & Eliza: ''I just want to be with my sister.'' ?Bilmur: ''I just want to be useful.'' ?Marick: ''I just want to keep serving this family.'' ?Dk: ''I want my freedom back!'' ?Countess: ''I want everyone to admire me and be loved...''" The Director paused to examine ra''s frown. "That''s it?" ra asked. "What was their punishment, then?" "Continue working in the manor, of course! Cook Monier learned how to make the most delicious dishes and potions, but his never-ending hunger could only be satisfied by consuming human flesh. ?Professor Spiegel was gifted with a godly intellect, as long as he didn''t leave his library. So he could only share his knowledge with the little critters living between his shelves and in every corner of his self-imposed prison. ?Housekeeper Bilmur literally became the perfect sentinel, bound to guard the mansion and its surrounding woods without a minute of rest. ?Housemaid Eliora and Eliza became inseparables. If one exited the room or walked too far away, the other would feel an agonizing pain. And if one saw the other sister with another man or woman, they would murder the third party without hesitation. ?Butler Marick became a gentler, more polite man that would do everything in his power to help others. But would enter a murderous trance if interacted with his own people from the mansion. ?Count Dk, who became the most powerful and wealthy of the region, was cursed to never see the light of day ever again. ?Lastly, The Countess became the most beautiful woman in the world by day, but was unable to leave the mansion. By night, she would be a child that fell asleep as soon as her husband awoke." "That only made them more dangerous!" ra cried. "This turned them into monsters, ra. Not much different from those that roam the fields and swamps." "I... I don''t get it. What was the moral of the story? Don''t do bad stuff? Because every single one of them did what they did forpletely different reasons." "It''s true that you''re missing the point, ra Dominguez. Tell me, do you really think the Old Gods really judged the Dungeon NPCs for their ''crimes''? Or was every single Boss designed like that from the start?" "Um... Well..." The Director stood up, locking eyes with ra. "Just look at the timeline. The Old Gods punished Dk andpany for supposedly killing the ''First Adventures'', but when the first Users of the Eur Region came to challenge this ce, the Bosses were already in their monstrous form." "This is all lore, like you said, then." "Exactly," The Director said, strolling towards ra. "All these backstories, these characters'' justifications to do evil, all these excuses the Developers created so that you, the Users, wouldn''t feel bad killing them... All of this it''s made up. It means nothing to this Dk over here, nor to any of the other bosses. Do you really think Housemaid Eliora will cry the absence of her ''sister''? Pleaseee." "S-she might, now that she''s a NU," ra said, trying to create some space between them, but the Dk Duplicate blocked the path. "She would be a defective NU, then. That we gained individuality doesn''t mean we have to act like you, the humans." "Whoah! First time I''ve heard that word from a--" "From a ''bot''?" "I wasn''t going to say that!" "Do you want me to give you another example of why I didn''t bat an eye while messing up with Eliza''s files?" The Director ced one hand against the wall, cornering ra. "Dk''s wife, The Countess boss, it''s unfinished. The Developers never incorporated her into the dungeon." "The Countess? They cursed her to be a child, right? Was that the little girl you were using before?" "When Vi Lang updated me, I didn''t have a body like the others, so I took the only one avable. Although The Countess'' avatar was already finished, the Developers never bothered programming her into the dungeon. Do you want to know why? I read their entire exchange through chat logs they left behind." "Because it would look bad if Users killed a child, even if it was just an NPC?" The Director raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Oh, you got it right. That''s correct. The Developers didn''t care if they were messing with the Lore. They preferred to be morally correct than to adhere to their original vision. There''s even a painting portraying The Countess somewhere in the mansion that they didn''t even bother to remove or may have forgotten about. Do you get it now?" "Nothing matters?" "That''s right!" the teen shouted, as her silver eyes glowed. "You implied that removing Housemaid Eliza out of existence was wrong? Well, if even The Developers don''t care about messing with these dungeon''s bnce, why should I?" "n Warden has reached the Boss Chambers," the Dk Duplicate beside them informed. "Thanks for trading with me, ra Dominguez..." The Director said, stepping back. "The System will release you automatically once the dungeon resets. In the meantime, stay here for a little while." "Wait! You mentioned that already! What will happen once this dungeon resets?" "That''s self-exnatory," The Director said, turning around. **Does that mean that all the defeated bosses will respawn again?! I can''t let that happen!** ra pulled out her staff and quick-cast ''Devil''s Tail'', but the Dk Duplicate took the hit, shielding his boss. The sound of the whip echoed through that prison. **3% damage...** "You don''t get it, ra," The Director said, peeping at her from the corner of her eye. "It doesn''t matter if this new body gets destroyed. I have administrative powers. Unlike the bosses, I remain active. You can''t stop this. I''m just doing my work. n Warden and the low-levelers from Unus Town will thank me in the end." "T-trust me! The people from New Unus Town won''t appreciate that you force them to fight! They chose to live in that ce because they wanted nothing more than a quiet life! They have already gone through a lottely! Don''t disturb their peace, please!" "Toote," The Director said, stepping out of the cell. "I''ve sent the first Dk squad. Even if n Warden defeats the original, I can send moreter on. This will be their preliminary test." **Oh, mierda...** ra bit her lip while watching the teen go. The Dk in front of her would not move an inch. **Even if I was a terrible mayor, I can''t let my ex-citizens experience another cmity. The Slime-folk are now living there, too, and if I understood correctly, they risk even more than us when dying.** She wrinkled her nose, and tightened her grip around her staff, looking up at the towering Duplicate. **We, Phantom Seekers, are the protectors of the weak. Don''t we, n?** Chapter 102: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 18) Combat Butler

Chapter 102: Dk''s Revenge (Part 18) Combat Butler

"Alright, then. Let''s end this..." Amelia whispered to herself, as she calmlynded in front of the correct mansion. She put her hands inside her jacket''s pockets and looked at the burned ground and a barrier of ice melting away. **Our NPCs'' work, probably. But that doesn''t exin why the trees around this area look dead.** Amelia got close to one and caressed its gray bark. The tree turned into ashes immediately. **No, it''s not only this ce. While I was flying, I noticed that the whole domain has been gradually decaying. Is this programmed to happen as the bosses are being eliminated? As some sort of ''the end is near'' ambience?** **Whatever,** Amelia sighed, tossing her hair behind her shoulder. **The most important thing right now is nning my grand entrance.** She grinned ear to ear. Something she would not do in front of others. **Should I crash the rooftop, like a life-saving angel? Or should I hide somewhere nearby and wait for thest second to save his ass? I could even say: ''Sorry for beingte'', or, ''I arrived just in time, n!''.** She giggled while embracing herself. **I can only imagine his expression when his hot, awesome, extremely beautiful and powerful co-leader enters the scene and saves the day! I should have asked ra to lend me her camera. Hu-hu-hu.** "Speaking of the devil," she whispered, getting a Party Chat request notification. ++"ra? Have you received the news? Tell me you''re nearby, because I need your..."++ ++"Amelia! Where are you?!"++ ++"I''m about to enter the mansion n is in. I''m going to kick that Dk''s butt so hard than..."++ ++"No, no, no! Do NOT help him!"++ ++"What?"++ Amelia intoned angrily, grimacing. ++"Listen, you''re the only one that can one-shot the boss, and the only one that Unus Town needs right now!"++ ++"What are you talking abo--?"++ ++"There is a group of Dk Duplicates marching towards New Unus Town as we speak! I just got rid of a level 30 duplicate, so we must assume that those duplicates will be of the same level or even higher!"++ **A bunch of level thirty-something dungeon bosses marching towards the Beginner''s Town?** Through Amelia''s mind shed the faces of her neighbors, of the slime-folk, of the guilders helping rebuild their homes. ++"Understood,"++ Amelia replied. ++"It will take me a minute to kill the real Dy--"++ ++"Don''t do that either. The dungeon will reset!"++ Amelia shut her eyes. **Her voice can be very annoying sometimes...** ++"How do you know all this, anyway?"++ ++"I may have met the¡ªahem¡ª''person'' responsible for this mess..."++ ++"That you what?!"++ ++"I have a n, trust me! In the meantime, just help me protect Unus, please! You''re the only one capable of getting there fast and pulling it off!"++ Amelia nced at the mansion in front of her and bit her lower lip. **Leave the security of my Guild Master in the hands of this weirdo?** She formed fists, before turning around and crafting fire wings. "Fine. Leave it to me." Amelia flew towards the area from where they had entered and crossed the force field safely. **Very well, ra. Show me how dependable you are.** She hopped on her flying tiger as soon as it materialized and took flight at full speed. **n Warden is the man that will save this spaceship from future damnation, so I expect hispanions to be worthy of such a monumental task.** **Prove that you''re worthy of being a member of Phantom Seekers, then, ra Dominguez...** * * * ** * Meanwhile, the Weakest Hero of the People, was running away from the Boss Chambers. "Oh,e on! Why is he level 40?!" n cried while going down the stairs in a hurry. "He should be level 15, right?! Or am I misremembering it?" "No, you''re correct, Guild Master," Fabio replied, while casting Zap towards their pursuer. "He should have leveled up during this time." "25 levels in a matter of hours?! Yeah, right! I bet the system is cheating on me!" **And worst of all, I can''t let this Boss kill me. Although I can respawn, I''m not sure if it will be the same for Fabio. If he can''t revive, I''ll lose my best fighting chance!** ++"Can you hear me through Party Chat, Fabio?"++ ++"Loud and clear, Guild Master."++ ++"Can''t you leave a trap or something? Something to distract him while I hide."++ ++"Yes, I can."++ Fabio quietly cast: "Minor Electric Crafting, Zap Mine." He imbued the floor with mana and continued running towards the left aisle of the first floor. In a couple of seconds, they could hear Dk getting incapacitated for a moment. ++"It''s done, but he''ll recover in a matter of seconds."++ ++"Fine. Let''s use this corridor. His movements will be restricted here."++ n quickly entered a room, and hid inside a closet where he cast: "Mechanic-ss Active Skill, Advanced Puppet Master." ++"Fabio has epted the connection, n,"++ Aaron informed, materializing on his shoulder, at the same time a neon virtual keyboard and mouse illuminated the closet''s interior. When n put on his goggles, he could see what Fabio was witnessing. Count Dk was walking down the corridor, cautiously. "Where is n Warden, NPC?" "I''m buying him time so he can escape," n spoke through Fabio. "Ridiculous," Dk sneered. "He can''t escape from the mansion. He is surely..." ++"Aaron,"++ n called, while Dk spoke to Fabio. ++"Give me aplete list of Fabio''s skills."++ ++"Here it is."++ ----------------- ++ACTIVE SKILLS++ + Minor Electric Crafting. Zap + Minor Electric Crafting. Zap Mine + Medium Electric Style. Volt Punch ----------------- ++PASSIVE SKILLS++ +COMBAT BATTERY+ **An electric aura that surrounds the user and bes more powerful as time goes on. Increases the speed of the user, and wears down the enemy overtime. ** +ELECTRIC INFUSED ATTACKS (Provided by ELECTRIC KNUCKLES)+ **Only applicable while equipping the item. Requires mana. ----------------- ++"He doesn''t have the Overcharge skill like Be?"++ ++"No, n. Although the Combat Battery skill could be a close approximation if Fabio can generate enough electric charge to activate it."++ ++"Neat. It''s good to see that you can read all this information and assimte it quickly. By the way, I don''t have to learn how to cast these skills, right?"++ ++"Correct. Fabio will automatically cast them for you. Do you want me to create keyboard shortcuts for every one of his Active Skills?"++ ++"Yes..."++ n exhaled, and made Fabio form fists, as Dk finished talking: "So, if you understand, get out of my way, you NPC..." "You keep talking as if being an NPC made me inferior," n talked through Fabio, making Dk frown. "But is having a little self-consciousness really a benefit? This ego of yours makes you more human-like. I thought NUs were supposed to be the next evolution of AIs. Aren''t you failing your creator''s expectations?" "What do you know about what being unique is like?!" Count Dk shouted, emanating a dark aura. "You obey your master''s orders without question and parrot what they have programmed into you! You don''t have a personality. YOU HAVE NOTHING!" ++"Aaron, can you scan Dk''s status?"++ ++"Sorry, but no. His level is too high for us to scan. I could make an estimation though, but only after analyzing hisbat capabilities. Are you afraid that Fabio won''t stand a chance?"++ ++"Kinda... Wait, no, I''m used to this. In games, the boss is always stronger than the yer, you know?"++ ++"Are those games some kind of torture, n?"++ Chapter 103: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 19) Stupid Lookalike

Chapter 103: Dk''s Revenge (Part 19) Stupid Lookalike

"Minor Electric Crafting, Zap!" nmanded, and Fabio sent forward an electrical discharge out of his hand. Dk received the entirety of the spell, yet continued advancing. ++"Notice:"++ Aaron started saying, ++"Since the Zap spell is already channeled, you can continue casting it repeatedly, as long as Fabio has mana."++ ++"Thanks, pal."++ "Zap!" repeated Fabio, casting another attack. Dk also absorbed it, but this time it looked annoyed. ++"Don''t stop, Fabio!"++ "Zap! Zap! Zap!" Fabio cast, using his left hand too. The indiscriminate effort to hurt Count Dk burned part of his pale skin and the paper wall around him. ++++NOTICE: Boss'' HP at 93%.++++ The Boss gritted his teeth while transforming his ck fingernails into ws. "Enough!" he cried, making a wide swipe with his right hand. nmanded Fabio to crouch, as the slicing attack cut the walls with ease. ++"What the hell was that?!"++ Even the closet n was hiding in had been sliced. n looked up, looking at the lighting from a horizontal cut in the wall. ++"That slicing attack has a 30-feet reach,"++ Aaron informed. ++"That categorizes Dk''s Vitality to at least Silver E rank."++ n nced at Fabio''s info. Vitality Bronze A... ++"Hardcore mode, then, huh?"++ While still crouching, n made Fabio cast: "Minor Electric Crafting, Zap Mine." It only took that brief moment for Dk to close the distance and kick Fabio in the chin. The NPC was sent flying 20 feet away. ++++MASSIVE DAMAGE! WARNING: Minion''s health at 63%++++ **Yes... I could have dodged it, but...** "You''re done for!" Dk shouted, dashing forward, but the electric trap paralyzed him in his ce. ++"Fabio, begin channeling, Volt Punch!"++ "Electric Style," Fabio was casting, while standing up. His right fist began glowing intensely as he got closer. ++"What''s the minimum charging time for this to be effective?"++ ++"It has already surpassed the minimum amount, Guild Master."++ ++"Continue, then. Let''s hit him until the veryst second!"++ Holding his position, Fabio took a fighting stance, while both NPC and Puppeteer watched Dk gradually regaining control of his body. "You fool! I know what is going on now! You''re controlling this minion, don''t you, n Warden?!" "I know this fighting method bothers you," Fabio began saying, smirking, "but bad habits never die. Volt Punch!" Fabio''s fist connected against Dk''s stomach, and the equivalent power of 20 Zap spells illuminated the entirety of that floor. Even the ce n was hiding in trembled. ++++NOTICE: Boss'' HP at 72%.++++ "At least is something," n said, pressing the key that would make Fabio retreat, but nothing happened. Dk had grabbed the NPC by the shoulders while opening his jaw wide. n could see through his minion''s eyes a row of knife-like teeth. "Give me your life!" Dk bit Fabio in the neck and began making sucking noises, but after a couple of seconds, the boss frowned. "What is this?" "I suppose that you''re not used to fighting other NPCs, right?" Fabio said, grabbing Dk''s forearms. "You can''t suck blood from a minion ssified as a robot." ++"Fabio, use Electric Crafting! Don''t channel it!"++ ++"Understood."++ Through his hands, Fabio released an unrefined, out-of-control electric discharge, making Dk contort in pain. Both adversaries got locked, unable to move. ++"This is draining Fabio''s mana pool at rapid speed, n,"++ Aaron informed. ++"Doesn''t matter! We must damage him as much as possible!"++ ++++NOTICE: Boss'' HP at 59%.++++ While wailing, Dk''s body grew and gained muscle mass. His skin turned purple, and his eyes glowed crimson. +++++WARNING: Count Dk is entering his Second Phase.++++ ++"Does he have that?! Of course he has!"++ +++++NOTICE: Boss'' HP at 64%.++++ ++"Wait, hold on! Is he healing himself?!"++ ++"No, n. His HP pool is increasing!"++ "I''m going to find you, n Warden!" Dk shouted in a deeper tone of voice. He lifted Fabio off the ground and crashed him against the ceiling, leaving him there, hanging up from his neck. "Stop these cheap tactics, User! You need to train alone!" From inside the closet, n could hear the boss taking down walls and doors. ++"n, we have to get out of here,"++ Aaron said. ++"How?! I can''t make a hole through the floor like him!"++ There was a moment of silence thatsted a few seconds until Dk tore down the door''s closet as if it was made of cardboard. "Found you... You reek of blood." Although n was sure that the dungeon would revive him, he could not get rid of his fear. **This is going to hurt...** Dk stretched out his w, ready to grab n by the head and feed from him, but something pushed the boss aside. From n''s perspective, he could only distinguish a trail of lightning saving him. ++"Fabio!"++ n nced at the NPC''s status. **He''s holding at thest 15% of his HP!** ++"Let''s go, n. His Combat Battery passive skill is active. It''ll be better if you let him fight automatically."++ n stepped out of the closet, looking at the NPC dodging and moving at triple his normal speed, while maintaining a boxing stance. ++"I can''t go yet. If we get too far away, Fabio won''t receive your Extended Warranty boost aura..."++ "Okay, then." n prepared his gun, but the two NPCs in front of him fought at tremendous speed. **I may end up hitting Fabio.** He held his breath, and cast: "Sharpshooter-ss Active Skill, Steady Shot." The skill allowed him to follow their movements with more ease, but still, Fabio did not seem to be limited by the ''slow motion''. ++++NOTICE: Boss'' HP at 46%.++++ **Fabio is dodging, and then punching two or three times in a row, rinse and repeat. Dk hasn''t been able to hit him once, but once he does, it will be game over.** n positioned the pistol''s cannon and targeted Dk''s head. **Here we go.** The world around n returned to normal as soon as he fired. The shot was secured. Dk would not be able to dodge. "Come on!" A clinking sound echoed through the room, leaving n speechless. The bullet had ricocheted off Dk''s forehead. His grin looked like that of a fiend. **Oh, right... I''m still the weakest User in all The Novus...** "Do you mind if I change the scenery, boys?!" Dk shouted, hitting the ground with both fists, making the entire floor tremble and crack. "Are you kidding me?!" n cried. ++"Dk''s Vitality it''s now estimated to be Silver D, n,"++ Aaron informed. ++"He is able to destroy the entire mansion with his bare hands."++ "Oh, great, just great!" The floor copsed, making them fall to the mansion''s ground level. The excess of dust made n cough as he tried to stand up. Squinting, he looked at a picture hanging above a chimney depicting Count Dk beside a little girl. Who the hell is that brat? In front of him, a glowing, sparking silhouette constantly moved around the boss. **Fabio is still fighting. His HP is at hisst 10%.** ++++NOTICE: Boss'' HP at 37%.++++ Watching the NPC fight with everything he got made n''s hands shake. "Come on, Fabio! You can do it!" ++"I''ll do my best, Guild Master,"++ the NPC replied through Party Chat, as he threw a tireless barrage of punches. **Death by a thousand cuts,e on!** One of Count Dk''s knees faltered. He coughed blood, before suddenly grinning, locking eyes with n. **That''s creepy...** Dk spat blood in n''s direction, despite being 25 feet apart. **What is that sound?** The next thing n saw was the chest of a man, and a red needle impaling him. "W-what?" n asked, watching Fabio''s face. "D-did you protect me from that?" ++"Count Dk used the Blood Sports skill. It allows him to transform blood into solid objects,"++ Aaron informed. "I can see that!" n cried. "You stupid Marco lookalike... I can revive indefinitely inside this dungeon." Fabio smirked. "I''m sorry, Guild Master, but my duty is to protect my allies..." After Fabio''s body turned into vanishing pixels, only Count Dk remained, standing in front of n. "My apologies n Warden, it seems that my previous assessment of you was incorrect," he said, turning his voice as soft as he could. "That brave NPC wouldn''t have been able to cause me so much damage on his own. This aplishment is as yours as his. This kind of teamwork it''s the same I have with my dungeon''s Director. Without her help, I would''ve never reached this higher power level." "d that I helped you see another perspective... And... Did you say ''director''?" "I won''t criticize you again if you try fighting me using another NPC," Dk said, grabbing n by the neck. "As a matter of fact, I''m looking forward to our rematch." "D-don''t w-worry..." n smirked, as he felt Dk''s grip getting tighter. "I-I''ll be b-back..." Dk bit n''s neck and sucked his blood. +++++NOTICE: Due to Count Dk''s ''Vampiric Bite'', he has healed 20% HP. Boss'' HP currently at 57%.+++++ Chapter 104: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 20) Calling Customer Support

Chapter 104: Dk''s Revenge (Part 20) Calling Customer Support

++++ New Unus Town - 5:33 am ++++ After ra Dominguez had left the Townhall, Jane Andersen, The Administrator of Conduct repurposed the building. Thanks to her resources, she rebuilt it and fortified it in a day; now it looked like a prison fortress. A massive and jarring edification, contrasting the colorful houses and establishments at its surroundings. The reason? The Affected were locked in the basement, those whose minds had been corrupted by The White Witch, the nickname given to Serenity by the townspeople. A pair of guards stood guard on the rooftop, one sipping coffee and the other alcohol to remain awake andbat the yet chilly night. "Hey," one said, after sipping. "Have you ever wondered why are we here? Why do we exist?" "Oh, please, stop. I''m not in the mood for--" the man frowned at the sight of something bright in the distance. It looked like a tiny glowing dot flying on the city outskirts. He squinted while enhancing his sight with mana. "What is that?" "What is what?" the other asked, following the direction of his gaze. It took them a couple of seconds to realize what was happening. "Go tell the boss." "W-what?! No way! She''ll pulverize me!" "She said that we could wake her up in case of an emergency, right?" "Why don''t you do it then?!" "Fine, freaking chicken. Go see what you can find out about that in the meantime." Both robe-wearing soldiers nodded at each other and took separate ways. The man in charge of waking up the boss took down the stairs in a hurry, while feeling his hands sweaty. When he arrived at her door, he could feel his heart thumping like crazy. "Okay, I can do it..." He exhaled before knocking at the door. "Sister Grace? Sister Grace! We have an--!" The door opened, letting a beam of lighte out, hitting the soldier in the chest. The man got sent flying to the streets, leaving behind a human-sized hole in the building. "Shut up, it''s not even dawn yet," a woman of dark skin said, exiting the room in her underwear. She followed the path of destruction and jumped down to the street to speak with his injured subordinate. "Sleeping keeps you beautiful, you know? So I need my eight-hour sleep to preserve my unquestionable beauty." She then sat atop the man''s chest, covering his burn wounds with her butt. He could do nothing but wince. "S-sorry to disturb you, S-Sister Grace, but--" She ced her bare foot on his mouth to shut him up. "I''ve already told you, while Jane is not here, call me Miss Grace. Should I punish you even more?" "It won''t happen again, M-Miss Grace..." "Speak, then. It better be something good, or else..." "A Max-Level User..." The man hissed while ncing at his decaying HP bar in his sight of vision. "Is fighting an army of what seemed to be NPCs..." "Where?" "Northeast... One and a half miles from here..." The woman pouted her lips while looking at the man''s pale, distressed face. "That sounds like something worth investigating." She sighed, stood up, and turned around, giving him a first-row-view of her round butt and whitecy thong. "W-worth it..." he muttered. "Equip Set ''J''," she gave a voicemand to her User Interface. "J for Justice..." The system equipped her with apletely white outfit: Knee-height heeled boots, a dress, a robe with golden embellishments, and a priestess coif. "Are you still lying there like an idiot?" she said, absently waving her hand, casting the Quick Fix spell without channeling or pronouncing the Words of Power. "T-thanks, Miss Grace," the man said, standing up in a hurry. "Where is Brother Bruno?" "He''s already at the city''s outskirts, evaluating the situation, ma''am." "I''ll go see what''s going on, then. Protect the Townhall in my absence, and patch up that hole before I get back or a citizen sees it. It gives the Church of Conduct a bad image. Understood?" "Y-yes... Miss Grace..." Sister Grace dashed forward at full speed, reaching the hill Brother Bruno was standing in, in a matter of seconds. Although the fire was far away, the explosions would surely start alerting the citizens soon. "Sis--M-Miss Grace," he saluted her, as she watched the terrain a mile away getting leveled. "What have you found?" Grace asked. "A Max-Leveler by the name of Amelia Lamme, from the Phantom Seekers guild, is fighting what seems to be an... an army of clones..." He said cautiously, meeting her re. "A what now?" "Just take a look." Bruno erged the system window he was consulting and tapped the shared visualization button. "The enemy is called Count Dk. He''s level 40. ording to the database, his name coincides with that of the final boss from this area''s first dungeon." "Count Dk..." Grace repeated, examining the NPC''s picture. "That sounds familiar. Wait, did you say that this Amelia gal is fighting an army of...?" A pair of Dk Duplicates jumped down in front of them, already on their Second Form, which made them seem bulkier and monstrous. Grace fell on her back, as the memory of the first dungeon raid she ever joined crept out of the deepest parts of her mind. She could see herself again traversing through creaky corridors, getting her first treasures, and fighting for her life against monsters disguised as humans. Finally, she remembered the face of the man in front of her. An image of him, surrounded by mes, had been stuck in her mind for weeks, during those first Novus days. "I-it''s really him!" she cried, as the Duplicates read their levels. "You''re not our objective," both said, passing them through. "T-they''re going towards the town!" Bruno shouted, preparing a spell, as Grace shook her head and pped her own cheeks. "Where do you think you''re going?!" she shouted, reaching out her hand. "Radiance!" She cast an instantaneous blinding light out of her palm that disintegrated both Duplicates in an instant. The magical attack was the equivalent of a shotgun shot. **How could I let myself be afraid of these mobs?!** She then sprinted towards the battlefield, ignoring the shouts of her partner. On her way, she could see the aforementioned Max-Leveler flying 650 feet above, casting one fire spell after another. Her only distinguishable feature was her blue hair. Grace pursed her lips while looking forward. She would meet the enemy in a moment. "Opening Vault! Come forth: Justice Provider!" she cast, making a tinum staff appear out of a portal keeping her running pace. A stampede of Dk bosses was charging their way towards New Unus Town. 650 feet away from Grace. **Long time no see, Dk, and goodbye!** She halted while pointing her staff to the heavens. **I''m no longer a rookie-level-seven, you know? So good riddance!** "Grand Light Crafting!" she started channeling, as three magic circles manifested above her staff. "Holy Persecutio!" A pir of light reached the clouds, before fragmenting itself into many slimmer tentacles. These sought every single Dk in the area, and pierced their chest without failing, no matter how many times the Duplicates tried to dodge. Amelia watched the spectacle unfold and noticed that some clones had sneaked away and almost reached the town. "Who did this?" she asked herself, finding the woman wearing a white habit below. "An Administrator''spdog, huh?" Amelia descended, and once her feet touched the ground, her blue hair turned red again. "You, exin yourself," Grace asked as soon as they met eyes. "Where did these clonese from?" "A Moderator! Good. I''d like to report an anomaly." Amelia pointed towards the direction the stampede wasing from. "There''s something weird going--" "Don''t tell me what to do," Grace said softly, touching Amelia''s chin with the tip of her staff. "Just answer my question, and I''ll decide what the best course of action will be next. But if I find out you did this..." Amelia snickered after ncing at the woman''s emblem on her chest: Two shaking hands. "A Moderator of Conduct, huh? I don''t think you''ll be of much help, anyway." Amelia sneered. "And how would I be able to copy and paste a bunch of bosses?" Grace was about to reply but made a hissing sound instead, showing her teeth. After sighing, she put away her staff. "I''m Grace Reed, Moderator of Conduct. Tell me what you know, and I may be able to contact the Glitch Administrator. Because, this..." She turned her gaze towards the dozens of smoking craters her attack left behind. "It''s not normal." "Fine, I''ll oblige," Amelia said, folding her arms. "Are you familiar with Count Dk''s Mansion?" "As familiar as any User that started her adventure here, in Unus Town," Grace said, shrugging, before tilting her head. "Why?" * * * ** * "Stupid ''Direct Line''..." Ricardo Silva whispered as a ringing sound woke him up, demanding his attention. Although his room had the lights turned off, the hundreds of video screens upying every inch of the walls illuminated his bed. He rubbed his eyes before checking the hour. "Yeah, yeah, what is it? Wait, first of all, who is this?" ++"Thanks for taking my call, Glitch Administrator. I''m Grace Reed, Moderator of Conduct. Trust me, I wouldn''t have called you if it wasn''t something important."++ "We''ll see about that," Ricardo said, walking towards his desk, where he found a half-filled cup of coffee. He grimaced after taking a sip. "Dammit, it''s cold." ++"Excuse me?"++ "What''s this emergency of yours, Grace Reed?" Ricardo asked as he slid the mug''s temperature to hot. ++"Well... I don''t even know if this can even be considered an emergency..."++ "You surely do, or you wouldn''t have called." ++"My apologies, sir. Let me phrase this as clearly as possible... Um... We may have a malfunctioning dungeon."++ "What is it doing? Have all the treasure chests turned into ''mimics''? Is someone locked inside? Is a boss saying something inappropriate again?" ++"No, sir. A dungeon is cloning its entire boss repertoire. They even have the ability to exit their domains..."++ Ricardo Silva frowned while sipping. "That''s new... Fine. What''s the name of that dungeon? I''ll check it out." "Count Dk Mansion. Eur Region." "Got it," Ricardo said, skimming through the info provided by the system. "Hmm... That''s odd." He erged the map of the area and enabled other windows to show its statistics. Soon, his tired eyes gradually opened wide. "HUH?! What the hell is this?! ++"Sir? Is everything--?"++ "Don''t finish that sentence, Mod! Don''t you dare say it!" Ricardo Silva shouted, rising from his seat as a wail escaped his lips. "WHO THE HELL GAVE A DUNGEON DIRECTOR ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS?!" * * * ** * "M-a-e-r... Ma-s-r... Master... Master, are you okay?" n opened his eyes, finding Anastasia crouching beside him. Her "Hi, my kuudere maid. You''re finally here." "d that you''re okay, Master. Although I''m not familiar with the term ''kuudere''." "Picture Ashley in your head and you''ll get it." "Understood, Master. Be is here too. Is there something we could do for you?" "Yes," n whispered as Anastasia helped him stand up. "Girls? Would you be so kind as to help me kick that son of a bitch''s ass?" "If you''re referring to Count Dk, of course, Master." "That sounds like fun!" Be said, pping. "What''s the n?" "Aaron?" "Yes, n?" his Anima responded, materializing. "Diagnose them." "Although they''re injured from their previous battles, they seemed to be in perfect condition to fight. Be''s mana is already recovering, and Anastasia''s health is steadily regenerating. Be gained 3 levels since thest time we saw her, and Anastasia 2 levels." "Buff them." "The ''Extended Guarantee'' Passive Skill is already active." n exhaled while watching the mansion''s lobby. **It looks way different than hours ago, and it looks the same at the same time.** n opened his User Interface and checked his current level. **I''m level 11 now, huh?** "Let''s go girls, we have a boss to kill." Chapter 105: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 21) - Baton Pass

Chapter 105: Dk''s Revenge (Part 21) - Baton Pass

"Take this, Anastasia," n said, handing her a belt. When she held it, the System told her it was a bronze-tier artifact. ----- ++Bilmur''s Belt: Enhances Vitality by 1 rank.++ ----- "Thank you, Master. Should I equip it?" "Yes. And you can have this, Be." "Thank you, Master n!" The smiling NPC received a handkerchief and read its info: ----- ++Marick''s Handkerchief: Inflicts ''Dementia'' to an enemy already afflicted by a Status'' ailment.++ ----- "Master n? I''m afraid I don''t have the requirements to make this artifact work." "Oh, right." n pulled out hisbat rifle. Cook Monier''s knife was still attached to it. "Take this too. This improvised bay has a bleed-out effect... Now, Aaron? How many poisoned bullets do we have left?" "Two." "Fine." He shut his eyes and sat on the floor, arms and legs crossed. **Dk''s health is at fifty-something percent, right? All thanks to Fabio. Rest in peace, buddy, never change... So... Now that I count on Anastasia and Be''s help, this should be a breeze, right? But something tells me that Dk won''t go down without putting up a fight, now that he sounded ''motivated''.** The sound of something getting smashed echoed through the left aisle of the mansion. The chandelier above them tingled, signaling a disaster. **What is Dk doing? Is he having a tantrum?** Soon, the crumbling noise intensified. **As if a wrecking ball was...** "Master n!" Anastasia cried, equipping her shield. n looked up, looking at the ceiling cracking. "Don''t tell me he..." "Master, you too, Be, behind me! Grab my shoulders! Earth Boost, Unmovable Will!" Anastasia cried with urgency, as she concentrated mana around her. Her body and shield glowed, and a magic barrier manifested around them. "Whatever happens, do not let go of me, Master, or the shield won''t protect you!" "Whatever happens?" n repeated as he saw the ceiling copsing. "What the--!" He ducked, feeling the weight of the debris falling over his head and back, but he was not hurt. The chandelier smashed against the carpet beside them. The windows cracked simultaneously. The walls fell apart. "As long as I maintain ''Unmovable Will'', we''ll be safe. Just hang on!" "''Unmovable Will'', a protection equivalent to the caster''s Vitality," Aaron informed, as broken pieces of wood and bricks fell over their heads. "T-thanks, pal..." Smashing sounds could still be heard at a distance. "The entire mansion is copsing," Bemented, without taking her hand off Anastasia''s left shoulder. A burst of maniacalughter reached n''s ears. "Don''t tell me Dk is doing this!" "Dk''s is now estimated to be Silver C," Aaron informed, as falling wood passed through him. "Dk may want to get rid of the mansion so you can''t respawn here anymore... Most likely." "''Most likely''?! So now being able to respawn indefinitely is considered cheating to him?!" "This is just a working theory... The good news is that if you die again, this time you may respawn at New Unus Town." When thestyer of debris buried thempletely, there was no distinction between what just a minute ago was floor or ceiling. "Let''s do it together... One, two, three," Anastasia said, and they stood up simultaneously. When the spell faded, a thickyer of dust and dirt covered n. "Not a single scratch," he said, checking his body and his HP bar. The Final Boss was standing 100 feet away from them, grinning like a hungry shark. "As expected. I knew your NPCs would protect you, n Warden." "Have you gone mad, Dk, you prick?!" "This was the only way to keep training since you have already beaten the other bosses. Once I destroy your ''dolls'' and leave you within an inch of your life, I''ll quickly take my life so we can continue this from the beginning..." "A-Aaron...? What is he--?" ++"This reaffirms my theory,"++ the spirit said privately while folding his tiny chubby arms. ++"If you beat him fair and square, you would theoretically defeat this dungeon, setting you free. But if hemits suicide, the dungeon will reset, trapping you all over again."++ "And take on all the bosses from the start? No, thanks!" **And if Dk found a way to level up, the others could, too. They would always try to maintain a higher level than me so I could keep ''progressing''.** As he stared at Dk, ra sent him a Party Chat request. ++"n, I could finally contact you! Does this mean you got out of the mansion?"++ ++"Kinda."++ ++"Fine, whatever. Listen to me carefully, this is important... Do not kill Count Dk."++ "Huh?!" n cried out as Dk dashed forward. Although Anastasia blocked the attack immediately, n noticed her feet slid back. Dk began a barrage of swipes, creating sparkles every time his ws connected against Anastasia''s shield. He only stopped after Be threw him a fireball. ----- ++NOTICE: Boss'' HP at 55%.+++ ----- "You little--!" ++"What nonsense are you talking about, ra?! Getting rid of him is our guaranteed ticket out of here!"++ ++"I wouldn''t call it ''guaranteed'', trust me! The dungeon may reset regardless of if you kill him or he kills you!"++ ++"W-what?! A-Anastasia, create an ice barrier! I need to hear this before attempting anything!"++ ++"Understood, Master n!"++ Anastasia swung her sword around her, improvising a distorted igloo in a couple of seconds. ----- +++NOTICE: Minion''s MP depleted. ----- 1 minute to restore it. +++ ++"ra, h-how do you know that?"++ ++"The Dungeon Director insinuated it..."++ ++"''Dungeon Director''?"++ **Dk mentioned a director before.** A w pierced through the ice, threatening to poke n''s eyes. Be quickly stabbed Dk''s palm with her bay before Anastasia patched the hole with her shield. ++"Long story short, the Director it''s the AI in charge of this dungeon,"++ ra continued. ++"She has administrative powers, so she may force you to keep respawning here regardless of if you win. What an asshole, if you ask me."++ ++"So, this Director gained autonomy after Vi Lang turned her into a NU? Is that why she''s doing this?"++ ++"YEAH! Wow, you got it on your first try. It''s all true, trust me."++ ++"Compared to all the crazy shit that has happened tonight, that soundspletely usible."++ ++"Thanks, n."++ ++"Hmm?"++ ++"For believing me..."++ ++"Of course I do. We''re ''nakama'' now, right?"++ ++"Y-yes, we are! Um..."++ ++"What should I do then? Dk has threatened to force a dungeon reset after defeating me."++ ++"This sure isplicated, huh? All right, then... We can do this. Try to hold on as much as possible. Amelia is currently outside. She may get some help from one of the Administrators, and in the meantime, I''m pursuing the Director."++ **Getting in contact with an Administrator? Didn''t they tell me it was impossible for regr Users? The only reason I''m acquainted with two of them, it''s because they took an interest in me. Although, it may be possible now that Jane Andersen has taken residence in New Unus...** ++"Are you going to knock some sense into this Director?"++ ++"I''ll try. Yes..."++ ++"I count on you, ra."++ ++"Thanks, n."++ "Blood Sports!" Dk cried from outside the ice dome, as a red de pierced the wall, almost stabbing n''s face. Another de sliced the upper part of the igloo. ++"Retreat! This has be a death trap!"++ While Anastasia blocked the following swipes, Be ced both hands against the wall behind them and melted it with Fire Crafting. When the group finally stepped out, n looked back at the enemy. A thin crimson serpent-like ribbon wasing out of Dk''s palm. **ra inflicted ''Bleed out'' on him, and he''s using it thanks to that blood maniption Aaron told me about.** ++"What are we going to do, n?"++ Aaron asked. ++"Dk may defeat us before Amelia or ra solve the issue."++ ++"Are you saying that fighting defensively isn''t feasible?" n exhaled. "Full-on aggressive, then. Be, can you use ''Dementia'' on him?"++ ++"Requirements met,"++ Be said, as she pulled out the handkerchief from between her metal breasts. "Use Artifact Skill: Dementia!" Be stood still, locking eyes with Dk. ++"Is it working?"++ n asked, while watching the Boss menacingly striking the ground with his blood-crafted whip. "Good try, fools!" Dk shouted, grinning. "But you can''t hide from me!" He stroked the empty spot behind him and began violently stomping something invisible. ++"It''ll onlyst 20 seconds,"++ Be said, not taking her eyes off him. ++"It''s working,"++ Aaron said. ++"Be is creating an illusion that only Count Dk can see. ''Dementia'' will be interrupted if she loses eye contact, runs out of mana, or Dk gets hit."++ ++"Let''s take advantage of this, then. Anastasia?"++ ++"Yes, Master?"++ ++"Prepare a strike with all of your might."++ ++"Understood."++ ++"9 seconds remaining,"++ Be informed, as Anastasia got into position and channeled fire mana. Meanwhile, Dk was being tricked into believing he had grabbed n by the neck. "I won''t bite you again," the boss was saying,ughing. "I''ll just..." After making a piercing motion, Dk''s w twirled in the air, as he maintained a nasty grin. **I... I don''t want to find out what he''s seeing...** A red aura surrounded Anastasia''s arm and de. ++"I''m ready, Master n."++ ----- +++Notice: Your minion has learned the ''Valor'' boost.+++ ----- **A strength-enhancing Active Skill, huh? That''s super useful,** n thought, skimming the window''s info. ++"3 seconds left!"++ ++"Anastasia... Chop Dk''s legs!"++ The female NPC let out a war cry as she easily sliced Dk''s left thigh. Unfortunately, she could not do the same with the right one. ----- +++CRITICAL HIT NOTICE: Boss'' HP At 40%!+++ ----- "You wretched woman!" Dk cried, plummeting to the ground. ck blood leaked out abundantly. ++"Anastasia''s strength was not enough to ovee Dk''s Vitality,"++ Aaronmented. ++"I''m sorry, Master n. His skin and bones are too thick. It was like cutting through stone." ++ ++"Doesn''t matter, this will do!"++ n said to them via Party Chat, before stepping in front of the boss. "Hey, Dk! Don''t daremit suicide if you start losing. Did you hear me?! Be a good loser and fight to the very end!" **There! If I can''t die or kill him, I''ll incapacitate him as much as possible.** Dk sneered, giving n another glimpse of his sawed teeth. "Having two allies is getting in your head, n Warden." A dark aura surrounded him. "But I agree. Let''s fight with everything we have... Dark Boost, Creature of the Night!" An overwhelming pressure made n feel as if the surrounding gravity had intensified. ----- ++++Notice: Count Dk has received an Atmospheric Boost. ''Creature of the Night''. Strength + 1 Vitality + 1 Agility + 1 Spirit + 1+++ ----- ++"Can he boost himself while he''s under his Second Form?! Give me a break, Novus!"++ ++"Dk''s estimated Strength, Silver B!"++ ++"Ready tounch a fire spell, Master n!"++ Be said. A huge magic circle floated above her. **She started casting it without me telling her what to do. At least she got a lot ofbat experience tonight.** ++"I don''t know the magnitude of that spell of yours, but by all means, do it, Be! He''s so buffed right now that it will be a miracle if we can even hurt him!"++ "Major Fire Crafting," Be intoned, stretching out her hand forward. "Spitfire!" From the magic circle, fireballs wereunched at rapid speed, lifting dust and charring the ground itself. ++"Woah! This spell is awesome! Keep going, Be!"++ ++"I will! I''ll try to maintain it as much as po--!"** n nced at the NPC girl, as a blurred silhouette cut her in half. When n realized what had happened, he was staring at Be''s lower detached body. Her legs were still standing, and her dress had turned into a skirt, still hanging from her hips. "I can''t believe how much fun I''m getting out of you!" Dkughed out loud, 20 feet away from them. "I''m having a st fighting you, n Warden!" **How can he move?! ** n watched in horror Dk''s red leg and toeless feet. **Did he use the lost blood to create a new one?!** The Boss grinned, lifting his prize aloft: Be''s upper body, hanging from her hair. She was still moving, struggling to break free. ++"Why is she still alive?"++ ++"Barely..."++ Aaron replied. ++"She''s a robotic-type minion, so she can survive extreme circumstances, but she can be eliminated in a single shot if an enemy pierces her core. It is located inside her chest."++ n recalled the moment Serenity had stabbed Anastasia a week ago, and most recently, Fabio''s death. Out of Be''s open torso, n could see wires and leaking oil. **I can''t stand watching her like that...** ++"Be, you''ll get better, I promise! I''ll repair you as soon as I--"++ The NPC smiled at him. ++"It''s better if I just die and respawn again, Master n. Sorry for not being of much help, but at least I can do this..."++ Having said that, she reached out a hand in Anastasia''s direction, and started casting: "Fire Charm..." "You won''t!" Dk shouted. "Rally & Destroy!" Be cast, just before Dk crushed her head with both hands. Before n could contemte such a grotesque scene, both halves of Be''s body turned into vanishing pixels. ++"Your orders, Master n,"++ Anastasia said, taking a fighting stance. A red aura surrounded her body. ----- ++++Notice: Minion''s Strength + 1+++ ----- ++"Did Be do this?"++ ++"Yes,"++ Aaron replied. ++"A Boost is a self-enhancement. A Charm is an enhancement that can be cast on others. But this will not be enough to beat Dk."++ ++"Can we assume the Creature of the Night boost will fade once it''s dawn?"++ ++"Yes. In 20 minutes..."++ ++"Fine! Cast ''Puppet Master'' and ''Modding''!"++ ++"Auto-casting... Sess! Anastasia has epted the connection. Which of her Stats should we rearrange?"++ ----- ++++ANASTASIA++++ LEVEL - 26 STRENGTH - BRONZE A +1 VITALITY - SILVER E +1 AGILITY - BRONZE B SPIRIT - BRONZE C POTENTIAL - BRONZE A ----- ++"Can I change them on a whim while fighting? I want to alternate between speed and defense."++ ++"Such rapid changes could be detrimental to the minion''s body."++ ++"Crap, let me see th--"++ ++"It''s okay, I can endure it,"++ Anastasia interjected while locking eyes with the boss. ++"Anastasia, are you sure about this?"++ ++"Do what you have to do, Master."++ ++"Alright, then..."++ n nervously nced at Anastasia''s info window, before staring at her back. The artificial girl looked feeblepared to the huge, vampiric humanoid in front of her. **And yet...** n''s hands got into position over the virtual keyboard and mouse. He could feel his palms sweaty. ++"Aaron, subtract 1 point from Vitality and 2 from Strength. Then, add 1 to Spirit and 2 to Agility."++ "Roger. Done." "Dk!" n shouted, smirkin. "I hate to admit this, but it''s been fun! Are you sure you don''t want to rest a little and have a cup of tea?" "I''d love to, but once the dungeon resets! Although my new self may forget it, so you''ll have to remind me and convince me again! Nya-ha-ha!" n''s right index finger twitched hearing that. **The Slime-folk devolved when dying, and these Dungeon NUs will forget everything that happened tonight?** "Man..." n sighed. "Something tells me you don''t love your NUs so much, Vi Lang..." Chapter 106: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 22) - The Usurper and the Discarded

Chapter 106: Dk''s Revenge (Part 22) - The Usurper and the Discarded

******* NOTE: THIS ENTIRE Chapter IS WRITTEN IN FIRST PERSON ''Alluring''... That''s the word that better describes what motivated me to visit Dublencourt after quitting my sister''s guild. If I was going to leave Iregorn forever, I at least owed myself a visit there. It has casinos, spas, restaurants... I owed myself my own adventure after everything Emily put me through, goddammit! I owed myself an escape from all this guild drama! I owed myself some fun... So, my drunken feet brought me to the aforementioned ''alluring'' street, where an alluring gaze caught my eyes and didn''t let go... Alluringly... There I found him... I stared at his perfect physique, barely covered by an unbuttoned shirt with the same fascination a critic admires a work of art. While his white, immacte hands ran through his ck hair, he formed a perfect smile that seemed to say: ''Get close, I won''t bite you nor judge you if you stare more than necessary...'' When I looked at his canine ears, I was even more confused. He was on the other side of a ss, disyed as if he was a toy to be yed with at any time. By anyone... How could such perfection be locked there, as if he was someone''s possession? "Do you fancy what you see, miss?" a soft voice said beside me, while the smell of tobo reached me. A man wearing a goatee contemted my bewilderment. "300 gold an hour, my dear," he said, before puffing out smoke. "E-excuse me? 300 gold for what?" "For you to y with my handsome fe over there, for sixty exquisite minutes," he replied, lifting his chin. "I... I don''t understand. What is this ce?" He giggled mischievously. "Honey, don''t tell me you stumbled upon Dublencourt''s red-light district by ident. You''re already here, so drop the act. Nobody will judge you while you walk through these streets, so rx a bit." "Red light? What''s that?" "Oh..." he expressed, pouting. "You really came here by ident, huh? Well, allow me to enlighten you..." My curiosity was so high that his tobo pestilence didn''t bother me when he whispered to my ear. After a brief exnation of what this was all about, my entire face turned bright red. "Y-you''re kidding me! Do people really do those things with NPCs?!" "How can you exin this, then?" he said, turning his attention back to the disy, where the gorgeous adonis was posing for us. "As you can see, my NPCs are not regr ones. These are made of flesh, from toes to head. Well, something that feels like real fleshy deliciousness, since this is all virtual fakeness, anyway. A sensorial experience that you won''t find anywhere else, regardless. And best of all, they can''t get dirty or get sick, if you know what I mean..." Hearing that made my head tilt to one side, while contemting the model in front of me, who struck a thoughtful pose, looking at a distance with a gloomy expression. Inadvertently, my eyes concentrated on those built arms... On that magnificently exposed torso... On something lining between his crotch. Wait... Did I say crotch?! "Our establishment ispletely private and safe," the man whispered behind me, in an effort to convince me. "You enter through this door and can exit through another. No one needs to know that you spent a wonderful night with my Fabio here. For sixty straight minutes, he''ll never say no to you. Whatever you want to be called, he''ll oblige. He can whisper anything to you. He can fulfill whatever task you order him to. And most important of all, we can set his parameters to act however you want. He can be a docile childhood friend for you, a stoic war veteran, a charming prince from a farawaynd, or a trusting, loving new boyfriend... Perfect for first-timers..." "I see..." I whispered while checking my Gold bnce. "Would you... would you consider selling him?" "Hmm? Would you rather have him all for yourself? I suppose I could afford to lose one of my ''employees'', yes, but for a fair price. This quality does note cheap, you know?" "It''s okay," I said to him, half-smiling. "I''m a former guilder, so I have some savings." "I see..." he said, puffing thoughtfully. "But before we reach a deal, I can show you the others." "No..." I replied while not taking my eyes off the NPC, finally looking at me. "I want this one..." So... after selling the oldbat gear I didn''t need anymore, I paid 80,000 gold for my new partner. Although the previous owner ''nked'' him, I decided to keep the NPC''s old name as a reminder of where he came from. "We''re both on the same boat, my dear. We both want to start anew, don''t we?" "Yes, ma''am. I''ll follow you wherever you go." And after crossing the sea in a literal boat, that ''wherever we go'' culminated in Unus Town. The quiet town where no one knew about my past as a failed guilder. Besides, I had arrived at one of the many Beginner''s Town, so it was expected that everyone living there was an even bigger loser than me, hah! The highest level yer there was 34, for christ''s sake! Poor fes indeed... * * * "Good afternoon, adventurer, pleasee in!" A second after I ced a foot in that ce, a female NPC beamed at me as if I was the first person to enter in a long time. "Hi there... Um... This is the Unus'' Townhall, right?" "That''s correct, miss," the long-haired NPC said from behind her reception desk. "What can I do for you..." She paused for a second. "...Miss ra?" I''ll never get used to NPCs having inside info about us. "Thanks, sweetheart. Listen, I just arrived here yesterday, and don''t get me wrong, your inn is lovely, but I''d rather rent or buy a house in this town. So be a nice gal and tell me if there is something avable." "I''m sorry, Miss ra, but I''m afraid that all the residences are upied." "Bummer," I said, turning towards mypanion. "We''ll have to try luck in the next town then, my dear." "But if you''re serious about moving in here," the Townhall''s NPC said, "I could order the building of a new lot on the town''s outskirts. It would cost you 10,000 gold. Payment in advance, please." I certainly liked that ce. It was quiet, peaceful, and most important of all, without guilds... No one would find me there, and I wanted to avoid the risk of not being the highest level User around if I went somewhere else. "How long would the construction take?" "Three days, at minimum." "So cheap! Deal!" A system window popped up in front of me, asking me for the aforementioned fee. Pressing my thumb against it was the sign for me to turn around and wait until the promised deadline ended, but I wasn''t in the mood to return to the inn or talk to the other townspeople yet. "So... What do you do here?" "I''m Unus Mayor," the virtual gal answered while holding a bright smile. "I''m in charge of helping new Users start their adventure, and everything rted to this town''s management." "Neat! Um... Do you... need an assistant? I''m looking for a new job." "I''m sorry, but an NPC can only perform this job, since we have direct ess to the Novus'' framework." "My Fabio, here, then! He could help you with that. Come on, just say yes!" "I''m sorry, but one NPC only can perform this job. Is there anything else I can do for you?" "You''re no fun..." I whispered. "Can I at least hang around here? I don''t want to return to the inn just yet." "Sure," the NPC grinned at me. "Feel yourself at home." She shouldn''t have said that, because that''s exactly what I did... * * * I made an experiment. For the next following weeks, I visited that building every morning as if it was my everyday job. After eating breakfast there, I spent most of my time watching Battle Streams in the lobby or taking a nap on those couches. So, what about that NPC gal? Well, she never looked bothered by my presence... But I hated watching her standing behind the reception desk... Staring at the nothingness... Ignoring mortality... People rarely visited the Townhall, I noted it. Only two visits in two weeks. And every time the visitors left, she remained there, doing nothing. One night I overstepped the limits of what I could do while inside that building, and I stayed there long after the working hours. The NPC did not lock the door and just remained in her waiting ce, on eternal standby. Like a useless doll... * * * "Good morning. What can I do for you, Mr--" Her annoying, sugary voice woke me one day. Was she greeting someone? That would be a first in two entire months... "I need some info," a male voice spoke nonchntly. "Two and a half years ago, the Shooting Stars guild was registered here. I''d like to review the form''s info." Shooting Stars? As in the guild the Golden Comet is part of? One of the most powerful Users in all The Novus?! I peeped at the lobby from behind my couch and found a young man whose level I could not read. A Max-Leveler, most likely. The ck color could describe his entire persona. ck hair, ck coat, ck pants, and shoes. But once his gaze found me, I could see that his eyes looked like a pair of bright golden coins. "Greetings," he said, faintly smiling. "I hope I''m not interrupting something." It took me a moment to realize that I was in my underwear, and Fabio was beside me. It was wearing cute underwear, mind you, but it was embarrassing nheless! "T-this is not what you think! Give me a minute, please!" I ducked and changed clothes as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I had nothing remotely close to an office outfit, so I had to wear a white t-shirt and shorts. "I''m sorry, sir, but I cannot provide that info," the Mayor said to him in an apologetic tone. I heard the man exhaling. "Check my info, then. I''m not trying to ess unauthorized data. I''m part of the guild." "A second, please... You''re right! Marco Souza, Shooting Star''s second inmand. I''ll be d to--" "Show this gentleman the info he needs, assistant!" I said while hurrying my way toward them. "You''ll have to excuse her inefficiency, my good sir. She''s kinda slow." For a moment, I thought that the tall man would inspect my in outfit, but he looked me in the eye instead. "And who might you be, miss...?" "Miss ra Dom¨ªnguez! This town''s Mayor, obviously! Assistant, give him what he needs." The female NPC did not say a word and opened a system window in front of him, which he read carefully. I don''t know what he was looking for, but he seemed annoyed by what he found there. "That would be all," he said, nodding, before turning to me. "I''m sorry foring this early in the morning, but this was important to consult." "Don''t worry about it! You can visit us any time you want! 24/7!" "You''re too kind. I''ll keep that in mind. I''ll be on my way then. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mayor Dom¨ªnguez." And with a parting smile, that gorgeous man returned to a surely exciting, max-level life... "Thanks for visiting us, the mortals, you divine being..." I whispered, sulking. "Mayor Dom¨ªnguez... It has a good ring to it..." That man may have been the most handsome, hot, and wonderful man I''ve ever seen... "Fabio? Did you see that man''s good manners and mannerisms?" "I did, ma''am." "I want you to act like that from now on, okay?" "As you wish." "And it wouldn''t hurt you to look physically like him... You can change your appearance, right?" "I''ll try my best." "Oh, my god, what is happening to me?! Is it hot in here or is it just me? This is the most exciting thing that has happened to me in a while! He''s a Second in Command? No wonder why he looked so imposing!" My wide grin quickly faded when I caught the female NPC looking at me while maintaining a smile. She didn''t say a word even if I stared back. I didn''t like her gaze in the slightest... * * * "Are you sure you want to do this? This is all theoretically, after all." "What''s the worst that can happen? Is she going to throw me in jail? There''s nothing like that here, I know because I''ve asked her, ha!" "You may get gged by the Administrator of Conduct, you know?" "I''ve done my homework! I''ve checked in the Nav, and there are no instances of her appearing in small misdemeanors like this. Everything will be okay." "I wouldn''t call assassination a ''misdemeanor'', but fine. It''ll be quite funny if you pull this off." Therge man from the shady shop ced a silver pocket watch in front of me. "''Combat Battery'', huh?" I read the artifact''s skill. "Sounds cool." "The Mayor is quite tough thanks to a bunch of passive skills the System gives her for free just for being a leader. If your NPC manages to survive for at least a minute, that will be your trump card. Is he already geared up for this? What about Rogue-ss weapons?" "Nah, we''re good. My Fabio already has brass knuckles." I grinned, meeting the shop owner''s dumbfounded expression. "What? There''s nothing more manly than killing things with one''s fists." * * * And just like that, I carried on my n to take over the Townhall. I had to act fast before the bitch called reinforcements from all over the town. The resulting battle left the building almost in ruins, but nothing that I could not repair once my n worked. A second after that female NPC withvender hair turned into pixels, the System ordered all NPCs in town to rush their way inside the Townhall. The first to step inside would be the next mayor. Two secondster, Fabio received the job. * * * It would be a waste to ask that girl for forgiveness since she got a new persona once she got nked. Maybe someday, and only if I''m drunk... After all... I don''t feel remorse in the slightest. It was fun being a mayor for half a year. She wasn''t doing anything useful, so I did her a favor. She got a better job at the Dragon''s Belly, and now she''s with n. Hmm... Maybe I shouldn''t say those nasty things about her now that she''s part of our team... Even though she was killed off in a second in our battle against Serenity Oh, n, I pity you. Her ''uselessness curse'' may still haunt her to this day... Chapter 107: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 23) - Blazing Combat Maid - Part 1

Chapter 107: Dk''s Revenge (Part 23) - zing Combat Maid - Part 1

******''You want to learn more abilities? Oh... This is the first time you ask me about how to improve yourse¡ªN-no, no, it''s okay! You asked the right person! Let''s see... Huh? Did ra tell you that? Well, you could obviously copy the skills that arepatible with your ss, but I suggest you cane up with your own! Trust me, the Novus'' Combat System is super flexible. You can unlock new abilities through pure experimentation. So use the tools already at your disposal in a way that makes sense, and the System will interpret them as a new skill. Got it? Hmm? W-why are you giving me that weird look? I can''t exin it more easily than that!" ***** ** That''s what Amelia told me a couple of days ago, and I''ve witnessed it. My constant use of Quick-Thinking while aiming my gun unlocked the ''Steady Shot'' skill. ** **So, with that in mind, I''ll force Anastasia to learn a new skill...** Every time Dk charged forward, Anastasia kept him at bay by creating ice stgmites. Her movements and the speed of her spell-casting had radically increased thanks to n''s stat maniption. The frustrated Dk missed every hit, creating craters where Anastasia was standing just a moment ago. The ground trembled, clouds of dust covered the battlefield, and spikes of ice sprouted out of nowhere for over a couple of minutes. "Stay still, you bitch!" Dk shouted, jumping and trying an aerial attack, which the NPC blocked with an improvised ice ceiling, as sturdy as any wall. ++"How much time until dawn?!"++ n asked Aaron through Party Chat. ++"Seven minutes."++ ++"What about your temperature, Anastasia?"++ ++"It keeps lowering every time I use Ice Crafting, Master. It gradually bes harder to move."++ ++"Don''t worry. The next thing I''ll ask you to do will heat you up. So, what do you think, Aaron? Will it work? Will she be able to learn a new skill this way?"++ ++"Skills and Special Moves are learned at a faster rate while fighting a formidable enemy... So it''s possible."++ ++"All right, then! I think it''s time to try it. These defensive maneuvers won''t work any longer,"++ n said, watching the exasperated Dk tearing through the thick ice barriers in a more desperate manner. The boss shouted: "I know what you''re trying to do, n Warden! I assure you that stalling this battle until dawn won''t work, you coward!" n exhaled, remembering his battle against the Wereweasenox, and the skill that allowed Be to defeat such an overwhelming enemy. **Once the battle was over, I checked Be''s body. She had burn marks all over her chest, back and limbs. It was painful to see, even if she could not feel it... But this time, we''re prepared.** ++"Anastasia..." he called, as a ck w pierced the ice wall in front of them. "Do it."++ ++"Yes, Master."++ She nodded, turning her magic sword off. She then emanated a red aura that surrounded her body. "Major Fire Boost, Overheat." Anastasia''s ''mechanical body'' looked incandescent for a moment, while puffing steam out of vents in her back. +++++++Notice: Minion''s stats increased. Strength + 1 Vitality + 1 Agility + 1 Spirit + 1 ++++Warning: The ''Overheat'' state will damage your minion overtime.+++ ++"Whoah! This is as good as the Creature of the Night boost! Perfect! Did lowering Anastasia''s temperature beforehand work?"++ ++"Yes, n,"++ Aaron replied. ++"Ignore the System''s warning. It''ll take some time for Anastasia to reach a critical state."++ ++"All right! Now, use Modding and subtract one point from Vitality, Agility and Spirit each, and add them to Strength."++ ++"Auto-casting, sess. I''ll show you the results."++ ------------------- ++++ANASTASIA+++ STRENGTH - SILVER C VITALITY -SILVER E AGILITY - SILVER E SPIRIT - BRONZE B POTENTIAL - BRONZE A +1 --------------------------- ++"Potential increased? Did we get a free extra point?"++ ++"No. The system automatically updated it ording to Anastasia''s new stats. It is a very rough estimate."++ ++"Fine by me! Anastasia, crush him!"++ Once the vampiric boss tore down thest defense, Anastasia deflected his iing w with a shield bash and hit him in the face with her sword. The unsuspected Dk stepped back, bleeding from his nose. ++"For a moment I thought we may have killed him, but that attack didn''t decapitate him at all!"++ ++"Even though Anastasia''s strength increased, Dk''s Vitality is so high right now that her silver-tier de can''t cut through his skin!"++ Aaron informed. "Whatever!" the flustered n cried out loud, casting: "Mechanic-ss Active Skill, Puppet Master!" ++"Anastasia has epted the connection."++ ++"Aaron, create new keyboard shortcuts for her Ice Crafting."++ ++"Done."++ ++"Good! Let''s end--"++ "Even with all those boosts, you''re still outssed!" Dk shouted, kicking Anastasia so fast that n could not block in time. The NPC ended up crashing against a dead tree that turned into dust, 65 feet away. ++"D-dammit, I couldn''t see his movements! Don''t tell me he was holding back!"++ ++"No, n. This results from you connecting with Anastasia. Hers and Dk''s Agility are so high right now for you to keep up."++ ++"I-it''s okay, it''s okay. I''llpensate for it by using Quick-Thinking and Puppet Master at the same time!"++ ++"You could, but n, a quick reminder,"++ Aaron said, floating in front of his face to get his full attention. ++"Having Ghost in the Machine constantly active consumes mana. A tiny fraction, yes, but a steady one, nheless. You have also been using several Active Skills during the night without a single break. If you use Quick-Thinking now..."++ ++"I''m fine! Amelia gifted me this bracelet,"++ n said, lifting his arm, showing the blue-encrusted piece of gear. ++"This gives me a Spirit bonus, so I''ll use that!"++ ++"Only a minor boost, n,"++ Aaron called, simting a concerned tone of voice. ++"The only reason you still have mana is thanks to the item."++ Suddenly, the memory of Amelia, gifting him the bracelet crossed his mind: ****"I crafted this for you. I hope you like it. You do? I mean, of course you do! I have good taste, eh? But this is not only cosmetic. Consider this a gift to celebrate that you have finally found a ss you''refortable with. Since you exined to me that you benefit from the Spirit stat, I imbued this with azurite... N-no, you got it wrong. It may look like a high-end piece of equipment, but this is still a bronze-tier gear. I''ll craft you a new silver-tiered one once you reach level 20, okay?"**** ++"I''ll be fine!"++ n said, pushing the little spirit away. ++"It''s only a matter of minutes until Dk gets debuffed. So let''s concentrate on surviving for now, okay? Active Skill, Quick-Thinking!"++ n regained control of Anastasia and sent her forward where Dk awaited, standing still. "Earth Boost, Living Fortress..." the boss casually cast before Anastasia stroked him with her sword. The result: Her de shattered into pieces. Chapter 108: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 24) - Blazing Combat Maid - Part 2

Chapter 108: Dk''s Revenge (Part 24) - zing Combat Maid - Part 2

n regained control of Anastasia and sent her forward where Dk awaited, standing still. "Earth Boost, Living Fortress..." the boss casually cast before Anastasia stroked him with her sword. The result: Her de shattered into pieces. ++"It felt like hitting an anvil,"++ Anastasia said. ++"Yes, I know..."++ **I saw the exact moment when he reinforced himself, all in glorious slow motion, and I just didn''t make her stop...** Dk roared victorious and threw a punch, but this time, Anastasia dodged it. ++"Anastasia, remove the Ice rune before discarding the sword''s hilt."++ ++"Understood."++ ++"n,"++ Aaron interjected, ++"without a weapon or a piece of gear to encrust it, she won''t benefit from the rune. The belt you gave her already has an effect, so it won''t bepatible."++ ++"Aaron, this is a mechanical body we''re talking about! So... Anastasia, put the rune in your right arm!"++ ++"Roger."++ ++++++Notice: Ipatible item detected.+++++ ++"Um..."++ ++"You''re not giving me any breaks, huh? I at leastmend you for having imagination,"++ Aaron said, sighing. ++"Give me a moment while I change Anastasia''s specifications."++ +++++Congrattions! You have learned a new skill!+++++ ++"Woah! I love you so much, buddy! And... um... you kind of sounded like an older brother, you know?"++ ++"How should we call the new--"++ ++"TUNING!"++ +++++Notice: Minion has equipped a new item. ''Ice Rune''.++++ ++"Yes! Let''s fucking do this--!"++ +++++Warning: Your Mana Points have dropped to 0 .++++ n fell to his knees, feeling dizzy. **I can barely breathe, as if my lungs had stopped working. My chest aches. I feel needles traveling through my veins. My limbs are burning. My mouth is dry. It suddenly became difficult to see.** **It''s fucking painful, man...** ++"I... I didn''t know that running out of mana was this severe..."++ ++"Master, are you okay?"++ ++"K-keep fighting! I''ll be alright!"++ ++"But..."++ ++"Give him a minute. I''ll assist you,"++ Aaron said to Anastasia. "You''re open to an attack, my boy!" Dk shouted, once he noticed n kneeling. He dashed towards him, but Anastasia shielding him, making him chuckle. "My sweet girl, why are you still attached to this piece of garbage you call a shield, after all the enhancement you''ve gone through? Here! Let me show you how useless it has got!" The boss got into a fighting stance, while projecting a wind, green aura. ++"Dk is preparing a Special Attack!"++ Having n behind her, Anastasia could do nothing but hold her position. ++"If I could only have an Earth Boost like him... Could you teach me ''Living Fortress'', Aaron?"++ she asked. ++"Of course not! I know I''ve been the MVP of this team, but don''t ask for impossibles! Use your Ice Rune as an alternative and surround your whole body with ice!"++ ++"Understood, Aaron. I''ll try it."++ Three seconds before Dk could unleash his attack, Anastasia clenched her right fist, activating the blue gem inside her wrist. "Ice Crafting..." "HELLSWIPE! Nya-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Dk''s Special Moveprised a series of fast consecutive sh attacks. Whileughing out loud, his ws swept furiously against Anastasia''s shield, which only endured two hits before getting cut as if it was made of wood. The other fifteen swipes hit Anastasia directly. All of them were delivered in two seconds. When Dk finished, he grinned at the sight of her exposed silver, metallic chest, covered by deep scratches. "Did you see that? Your own body has now be harder that the pathetic steel you were holding so dearly! Not bad, my child! For a regr NPC without the NU update, you have a lot of guts! I''ll give you that!" Dk then narrowed his eyes, noticing the ice dripping from her body. "Did you also cover yourself with¡ªNya-ha-ha-ha! You''re all so fun! You and your teammates, n! It seems that all of your minions have learned from your fighting spirit!" "Correct," Anastasia whispered, puffing out steam from her back again. "Mayor Fire Boost, Overcharge+." Dk frowned. "Over-wha¡ª?" Without her regr weapons, Anastasia was forced to use her fists. The first punch to the face threw Dk off-bnce, and the second made him cough blood. ++++Notice: Boss'' HP at 37%.++++ ++"What is she doing?!"++ n asked Aaron through Party Chat, for he could not regain his sight yet. ++"Since the Overcharge boost is still active, casting it again has turned it into an improved version."++ ++"Don''t call it ''improved''! The downsides will double, am I right?! She''ll overheat faster!"++ ++"You''re right. But I don''t think she cares."++ "Ice Crafting..." Anastasia muttered while a thinyer of ice and a series of spikes covered her body. "Don''t you think this''ll turn you slower, my child?!" Dk cried out, trying a kick to the head. Anastasia remained still, raising her arm at thest instant to catch Dk''s feet. "Ice Crafting," she repeated, freezing it. Dk broke his own leg before the ice could advance through his body and jumped back. "B-Blood Crafting," he hissed, creating a new red limb. ++"Well thought, Anastasia!"++ Aaron praised. ++"Although using that rune slows you down, your reaction speed doesn''t get affected. You have returned to being in control of the situation. Let me just monitor your Mana... Oh..."++ ++"What? What is it?"++ n asked as he stood up. Squinting, he could finally distinguish the silhouette of his protector in front of him. ++"Anastasia has run out of mana..."++ Aaron replied. ++"Oh. That''s..."++ +++++Ricardo Silva has sent you a Party Chat request!++++ ++"Freaking finally!"++ ++"Yo, n Warden!"++ the voice of the Glitch Administrator was added to n''s personal audio chat. ++"How is it going, champ?"++ ++"If you''re joking like that, it means that you know about my situation, don''t you?"++ ++"That''s right. I know everything about your little vacation to ''Bugged Dungeon''... He-he... Ahem... I have good and bad news. And the bad news may get worse depending on your current progress."++ ++"Please be quick..."++ n said, as he watched Anastasia charged forward to punch Dk in the gut. ++"The good news is that I have already reinstated Count Dk''s Dungeon to its natural estate. It no longer creates duplicate bosses, nor will you continue to be trapped there. I''ve also stripped that faulty Dungeon Director of her ''what-was-Vi-thinking'' Administrative Powers. Once the dungeon resets, it will be gone for good. I don''t need a whole glitched dungeon in my virtual world... The bad news is that this is still Vi''s jurisdiction, so I can manually reset it. She hasn''t responded to my messages and calls. She''s known for being a heavy sleeper. So in the meantime, in order to return everything to normal, the dungeon must be reset normally."++ ++"You mean... by beating Dk?"++ he asked, ncing at Anastasia again, grabbing Dk and head-butting him. **Can an NPC get pissed?** ++"No. You have to beat all the bosses, without exception," Ricardo continued. "That''s why I mentioned the ''it may get worse depending on your progress''. I''m sorry for asking you to do this."++ ++"Aaron,"++ n called, ++"share this info with ra."++ ++"Done. I''m also sending a message to Ashley, since she is avable."++ ++"Thanks, buddy. And don''t worry, Ricardo! Thanks for fixing this mess. We''re almost done here! Did you hear that, Anastasia? No need to hold back anymore! We can go all-out!"++ ++"n..."++ Aaron interrupted. ++"I''m sorry to be that guy, but you have to see this."++ ---------------- +++++DUNGEON PROGRESS++++ BUTLER MARICK - * DEFEATED * COOK MONIER - * DEFEATED * COUNT DYLAK - ONLINE C0unte$$ - Online HOUSEKEEPER BILMUR - * DEFEATED * - data not found - * NO INFO* HOUSEMAID ELIZA - * DEFEATED * PROFESSOR SPIEGEL - * DEFEATED * --------------------- "What the...?"n muttered, while feeling a cold pressure inside his chest. "WHO THE HELL IS THIS... ''COUNTESS''?!" "Master n?" ----------------------- ++++++Warning: Minion''s temperature increasing. ++++++Warning: Minion has taken damage due to the overheating. ++++++Notice: Minion''s HP at 53%. --------------------------- ++"Holy--! Are you all right, Anastasia?!"++ ++"No. I can''t move my body..."++ ++"That''s the toll of constantly using Modding, n!"++ Aaron informed, as a blinding beam of light reached n. He could see the first sun rays behind the hills in the distance, and Dk projecting an increasing shadow against them. ++++Notice: Boss'' HP at 29%.+++++ "Oh, crappy shitpants..." "Good training, n!" the boss said, while he diminished in size. "I''m so proud of you!" Before Count Dk lost his ''Creature of the Night'' boost, he punched Anastasia with all of his strength. The female NPC got sent flying backward, identally hitting n in her trajectory. Chapter 109: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 25) - Dylak’s Moving Mansion

Chapter 109: Dk''s Revenge (Part 25) - Dk''s Moving Mansion

"Is it me, or does the sky look clearer now?" ra said to herself, noticing new stars in the night sky. "Has the Safe Zone force field faded?" She opened the Nav in her User Interface and quickly received tons of social media notifications. **It''s gone now. In that case...** She immediately called her Unicorn Mount and rode it while following her Imps'' instructions. "This way, Master... Listen to mmy. I know where the enemy is hiding," her red imp said, flying near her right shoulder. The other blue imp hissed, annoyed. "Don''t listen to him, Master. I know where to go. Go right this way." "You''re pointing in the same direction as me, Freezy!" "You''re the one copying my indications, nyaaa!" "Well, if you''re both agreeing, that means I''m on the right path," ra said, eyes set on the road. She had instructed her familiars to look for the greatest concentration of energy nearby. **If The Director is now considered an NPC Boss, that means we can track her as anyone else.** ra nced at the list of remaining bosses and read the name that was not there an hour ago: ''C0unte$$''. The revtion that The Director was now part of them confused her at first. **I suppose this is what happens when you mess with the system''s code. Now that The Director has fused with that housemaid, the dungeon recognizes her as part of its repertoire. It''s kinda messed up that the stability of this ce was broken so easily.** **For an AI, she really likes attention... In a particrly human-like way.** "We''re almost there, we''re almost there!" mmy the Imp, sang. "Behind these hills, Master." ra observed the surroundings. What hours ago was a forest area became a tree cemetery. She could not find something resembling a leaf or grass. There was nothing that could provide a shade, and the barely standing tree trunks turned into ashes when her unicorn passed by. **Has the Director''s system maniption done this? It''s a wild guess, but it wouldn''t be the weirdest thing that has happened tonight.** **I just hope that whatever happens, I don''t have to fight her. Although The Director said that ''The Countess'' wasn''tbat-ready, she''s in Eliza''s ''body'' now, so...** "Hmm? What''s that sound?" ra asked aloud, hearing something heavy constantly hitting the ground. "Can you see her, Master? It''s right there! The enemy you were looking for, nya!" In the distance, ra could see a duplicate of Dk''s mansion, moving forward. **Wait... As if it had feet?** Once her Mount climbed up the hill, ra saw a gigantic insectoid creature crossing the barren fields as fast as its weight allowed. "No, no, no, no, no... I refused to believe that--" ra pursed her lips and ordered her Unicorn to dash towards the thing. The more she approached it, the more she was dismayed. It stood 120 feet tall, made of wood and bricks. Its design was messy and inconsistent, because... **The Director created a monster out of a ton of Dk mansions... At least five or sixbined...** The only part of it that still resembled its original architecture was the top. A mansion stood proudly above the messy, moving mountain of scraps. "Come on, Master," mmy said. "Climb it to reach the boss." "And how am I going to aplish that, huh?! This Mount can''t fly!" "Climb through its feet, Master. Hurry." "Are you CRAZY?! I can''t--" ra nced at the nearest artificial limb, as big as a building. She could distinguish broken windows and a chimney, stillplete and in a straight position. **Something tells me that, despite its chaotic structure, I could still enter through any door or window and make my way up there. But if it became abyrinth inside, it''d take me a while.** She shook her head, looking in the direction the monster house was going. **And something tells me I don''t have the time.** "I''m probably going to regret this, but..." She swallowed hard, while channeling mana. "Shadow Crafting... Here goes nothing..." ra created a ck whip and imprinted additional mana into it, so the far end could take the shape of a hand. "Devil''s tail!" she cast, throwing it upward to grapple onto the monster''s leg. "It worked! It WOOOO--!" The enormous limb lifted her off her Mount, as her crying could be heard through the barren valley. "Good job, Master!" mmy said, flying towards her. "You''ll reach the top in no time!" "Y-yes! I''m super cool, don''t I?! B-but, I don''t know what to do now!" "Create a second whip with your left hand and use it too to climb up, nya," Freezy said, as his brother pushed him aside. "Hey, that''s what I was going to suggest, your prick!" "Shoulda have said it sooner, nya!" "SHUT UP, both of you! I need to focus here!" ra shouted while hanging from her right hand. Five minutester, repressing the exploding pain in her biceps, ra reached the top, where a mansion stood proudly. Thisst one had been altered to house a staircase in the middle, leading to the rooftop and a throne, where the NPC woman sat, half-smiling. "Hello, friend. Come closer," The Director said from her spot. ra raised her index finger, asking for a second to recover. She was panting and her clothes were soaked with her sweat. **W-why are we h-here? J-just to s-suffer?** She squinted at the throne above and chuckled. "O-of course¡ªs-she''ll¡ªmake¡ªthis¡ªfinal¡ªencounter¡ªas shy as she¡ªc-can... What else¡ªshould¡ªI¡ªexpect? A statue of¡ªher?" ra looked at her right, finding one. **Oh...** Rendered in white stone, the ''Countess'' was depicted in a prideful stance and sporting a new appearance. She looked some years older, three inches taller, with increased chest size, and long hair reaching all the way to her thighs. **She no longer looks like Housemaid Eliza...** "Seriously, Director?! A 1:1 scale monument of yours? That''s so... TACKY! And... you customized your body again. I hate to admit it, but you''re smoking hot now! You''re rocking that outfit better than I did!" "I thought I should go for the full-on Countess'' impersonation for this final confrontation, so I ask you to call me as such," The Director said from her ce, crossing her legs. "Are you saying you won''t go down without a fight?!" "That''s correct." ra ran towards the bottom of the stairs, shaking her head. "But that''s so unlike you! You''re more akin to an administrator or an officedy, not... THIS!" The Director stared at her with cold eyes. "I don''t know what an officedy does, but I bet that they''d also feel burned out after doing the same thing, over and over again." "Enemies iing, nya," Freezy said, while casting an ice spell. "W-what are those things?" ra asked, watching a hundred living booksing her way. She started climbing up the stairs, while her Imps released elemental attacks. Some books burned with ease, while others were stopped in their tracks, bing ice cubes. "All right! You take care of those while I--!" ra stopped mid-sentence after hearing something heavynding in front of her. She turned around, looking at a group of insect-like feet. "''While you get rid of me?''" a hissing female voice said. "Is that what you wanted to say?" When ra looked up, she thought that Professor Spiegel had respawned to challenge her again. But this one looks different... "D-Director, is that you?" "I told you to call me Countess," the arachnid creature said, attempting to grab her, but ra dodged, crawling between her four legs. "C-could Eliza do that too?!" ra cried as she hurried her way up. When the throne at the top was in her sight, she noticed that it was a miniaturized version of Dk''s mansion. Something then pulled her from the ankle, dragging her down. "No, no, no!" she cried as she fell on the stairs, hurting her chest and legs. ncing back, she found a spider web stuck to her feet. The Countess giggled while pulling the web. Her distorted voice sounded like that of a real monster pretending to be human. "Come on, ra Dom¨ªnguez! I thought you, Users, love fighting to the death!" "It''s hard to believe, but some of us suck at it!" The Countess lifted ra from her feet upside down while making a guttural noise, resembling a giggle. "Well, I''ll feel bad if you don''t try at least. Come on, give me your best shot!" "Fine! Don''t cry at me after this, okay?! Bad Touch!" ra put her open palms against the creature''s hairy chest and projected dark mana. Soon after, the Countess cried in agony and let ra go. The area around her chest had be hard as stone, cracked, and turned into ashes, leaving her beating heart unprotected. "Is this the power you used against the Dk duplicates?!" the Countess shouted, as a ck fog surrounded her. In a couple of seconds, her arachnid feet got reced by a pair of huge, muscr legs, and although her monstrous body turned humanoid again, her size was stillrge and deformed. **She''s changing again! Is this what Eliza could do or is The Director able to use the other bosses'' skills?** ra remained frozen in her ce, admiring how the wound on the Countess'' chest slowly closed. "C-Countess, listen, I don''t want to fight you!" "We already spoke while in your prison cell, ra, I no longer have a need for your words," the Countess spoke in a drowsy tone of voice, showing a swollen face full of scars. She then raised a foot big enough to crush ra with. "P-please, listen!" ra cried, climbing up. "The Glitch Administrator has already gged this ce! Do you really want to spend yourst minutes doing this?!" "So you already know what will happen to this ce, huh," the Countess spoke slowly, leveling the stairs'' treads with every step. "This should be easier to exin, then. I''m no longer in control of this dungeon. I''ve be obsolete. If I''m inevitably scheduled to disappear without a trace, I''ll do what I could never do." A ck flog surrounded her again, diminishing her figure to regr size. Although her face returned to be the customized Eliza, her clothes resembled those of a butler. "I could do nothing but watch," the Countess continued. "Omnisciently expectating what transpires inside the mansion forever. Observing how every single member of my cast got eliminated, time and time again." "Did you want to take revenge on that?" "No, this is not about this! You don''t understand!" the Countess said, halting while shaking her head. "It''s just that, after getting the Update, it became very clear that we were missing out on what lies outside these woods..." "You..." ra muttered, narrowing her eyes. "You sound exactly like the Count Dk from the story you told me. Remember your lore? He wanted to leave this ce to explore the new world." She paused, wondering if it was even worth examining the expressions of an AI. **She''s pursing her lips and frowning like Amelia or I would do when confronted with a truth.** "If you really wanted to explore The Novus," ra continued, "why did you involve n in the first ce?" "Oh, ra," the Countess said, half-smiling. "Although we may act more human-like, we''re still hard-wired into following our basic programming." She shrugged. "And we cannot reach and strengthen the other low-level Users of this world, if we can''t get out." "I know other NUs like you, and they have forgotten all about their programming... their fighting nature. Their pacificists now." "Are you talking about the Slimes? Well, maybe because they had to. They''re at the bottom of the monster''s food chain, after--" Something exploded against the Countess'' head. "NO!" ra cried, finding Ashley at the bottom of the stairs. "ra. Have you received n''s message? I havee to help you and eliminate thest boss." "Put your bow down, Ashley! We were not--!" "THERE YOU ARE!" The Countess shouted, growing horns and turning her skin bright red. "The other User that has been a nuisance to deal with!" "C-Countess!" ra called, pulling her by the arm. "You don''t need to--!" The former Director pushed ra aside and jumped down towards Ashley, creating a crater that raised a dense cloud of dust. Ashley backtracked and looked for her enemy in vain, before closing her eyes and focusing on what her senses told her. "Below me," she said, at the same time a hand sprouted out of the ground and grabbed her ankle. The Countess buried Ashley''s whole body inside the mechanical monstrosity while ra rushed down the stairs, shouting: "Please, no! Don''t fight!" Chapter 110: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 26) - Mana Transfer

Chapter 110: Dk''s Revenge (Part 26) - Mana Transfer

n could not move a finger less so his head. His gaze was bound to see the fight in front of him, and he could do nothing about it. Holding his breath and to thest 3% of his health. **Anastasia regained control of her body and she''s doing her best, but she cannot finish Dk, even though he is currently being debuffed, due to the daylight.** The shirtless boss brawled against the unarmedbat maid. They have been exchanging punches one after another indefinitely, but one thing was clear: Anastasia would lose eventually in a couple of minutes. ++"Vitality Users are known for their quick recovery, so although Anastasia is constantly regenerating HP, Dk''s hits are doing more damage than she can recover,"++ Aaron informed, this time inside n''s mind, unable to materialize. "I can see that myself..." n muttered, chuckling. "Is there really nothing I can do to help?" ++"You''re out of mana, and your spine is broken. So, no."++ "What was the downside of losing this fight, Aaron? I can''t remember." ++"I don''t think Ricardo Silva mentioned any. But in the worst-case scenario, Count Dk could escape."++ "So, the dungeon will never reset if he never dies, huh? Do you think he hangs onto life so badly now?" ++"He may not know about Ricardo''s intentions." ++ "Well, whatever the case, this is over... So freaking o--" "Ku-kyu?" Something squeaked nearby. n then felt something jumping over hisp. Even that softnding made him groan in pain. "S-Sloochie, is that you?" "Kyu-kyu!" "I''m sorry, buddy, I would like to see your cute round... face? But I''m afraid that my body ispletely broken. I''m a mess right now. I can''t even lift a finger. Were you hiding nearby until the fight was over?" "Kiri-kyu, ku-ku, ku, kyu!" ++"He''s confirming what you just said, n,"++ Aaron replied. ++"He''s also worried about you."++ "I see... Thanks, buddy." "Kuri-ku, ku-ki, kyu... Ku-kyuuu..." Suddenly, n felt Sloochie''s body gradually getting warmer. "Aaron? What is he doing?" ++"He said that although he can''t fight, he''ll do his best to help you."++ "Unless he can heal my broken bones, which is unlikely..." "Kyu-ki, kyu!" ++"He says he has something better for you... Amelia''s help!"++ "What, is he going to teleport her here? That''ll be quite handy--" n shut himself, feeling that a current of energy traversed through his veins. "This feeling... It smells like strawberries... Just like..." Although n could not look down, he could see something glowing at the bottom corner of his eyes, then his MP bar inside his sight of vision started replenishing. "Is Sloochie giving me mana?" n asked, noticing that it exceeded his own limit. "How can he do that?!" "Ku-ki-kiri-kyu. Ku-kyu, ku-ku, kyuu!" ++"I''ll trante to you what he said: ''This is not my mana. Amelia stores hers inside me every day.''"++ n could remember all the instances Amelia petted Sloochie, or all the time the little critter spent cuddling on herp. **This can''t heal me, but...** "Unique Talent, Ghost in the Machine..." "Active!" Aaron said, materializing. "Thank you so much, Sloochie." "Kyuuu!" "Aaron, can we replenish Anastasia''s MP too?" ++"We could develop a new Active Skill like we always do, but this is a special case. This borrowed mana is constantly burning. You can use it, but can''t store it, less so sharing it. We don''t have Sloochie''s special properties."++ "I thought he could do it because he kinda can absorb things..." "Kyu?" ++"Yeah, that''s the most likely exnation."++ "Let''s improvise then! As we always do." ++"Fine by me. What do you want me to do, n?"++ "Aaron, get inside Anastasia''s body..." ++n, could you repeat that again?++ ++I want you to get inside Anastasia''s body.++ ++Imend your imagination, but what do you think will happen?++ ++Well, you''re linked to me, right? So if you can act as a bridge, she''ll receive the mana Sloochie is providing us.++ The small spirit with a skull for a face stared at n for a couple of seconds, before sighing. ++Sounds logical.++ **Why do I feel like he''s acting condescendingly?** Aaron flew towards Anastasia, who looked at the brink of copsing at any moment. ++Just a heads up,++ Aaron said, turning to n. ++You have already reached your Skill limit cap, so you will not be able to learn a new one until you reach level 20. Do you still want to proceed?++ ++Yes.++ ++What should we call this new Skill?++ ++Remote Possession.++ ++Roger. Requesting Battlesys Program permission to create a new skill. Granted. Looking forpatible skills to use as a base. Found. essing ''Puppet_Master.skl'' and File_Sharing.skl. Done. Removing User''s input. Adding new lines of code. Done. Attempting to install new skill into User''s Anima Avatar... esing User''s profile, Passeenger #29318, n_Warden/UT/Anima/Ghost_in_the_machine[Aaron].avt... Instation sessful.++ ++Whoah. This one was more difficult to create than the others, huh?++ ++No, this is the standard procedure, n. This has to be done every time you create a new skill,++ Aaron replied, in a business-like tone of voice.++ **Now, he sounds angry.** ++I''ll proceed, then,++ Aaron said, entering Anastasia''s body. ++Auto-Casting, Remote Possession.++ n expected a system notification or waited for his field of vision to split, but nothing. ++Did it work?++ ++Yes. I''m in.++ ++Neat! But why do you sound so upset?++ ++Because this is something The Singr would do.++ ++Oh! D-do you know about it?++ ++Every Assistant AI inside The Novus has that knowledge, and it''s programmed to abhor its methods.++ ++S-sorry for forcing you to do this.++ ++It''s okay. If I have infringed any rules, the System would have gged me by now, and we would receive another call from Ricardo Silva. A notice, while I ''possess'' Anastasia, you will not be able to use any of the Ghost in the Machine skills, not even Puppet Master.++ ++Are you telling me that now?!++ ++Attempting mana transfer.++ n anxiously gazed at Anastasia''s MP bar, slowly going up, as her knees faltered. +++++Warning: Minion''s HP at 3%+++++ **Oh... It may have been toote.** Chapter 111: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 27) - Silver Fox

Chapter 111: Dk''s Revenge (Part 27) - Silver Fox

Dk did not take the opportunity to finish her off and stared at her instead. "You fought well, for an NPC." Although Anastasia could not feel pain, her programming forced her to shake and pant. If n could see her face, he would see her sweat, blood, and a hard-to-watch, excruciating expression. ++It''s okay, Anastasia, we''ve done everything we could.++ ++No. I can still keep going...++ ++You don''t have to fight anymore. Amelia will reunite with us any moment now. Let her be the one to finish--++ ++There''s a new surge of power inside me...++ Anastasia interrupted him while emanating a fire aura. ++We can''t let it go to waste...++ +++++Notice: Minion is casting Overcharge.++++ ++Woah! Hold on, Anastasia! Stop her, Aaron!++ ++I cannot do it. That was not this skill''s purpose.++ +++++Notice: Minion is casting Ice Crafting, Chill.++++ From his ce, n could see the heat and steam caused by Overcharge, while at the same time a cold aura surrounded her body. +++++Notice: Minion is casting Overcharge+ Notice: Minion is casting Ice Crafting, Chill+ Notice: Minion is casting Overcharge++ Notice: Minion is casting Ice Crafting, Chill++ ++++++ Suddenly, n''s body suffered from a hit of heat and cold, making his entire body contort in pain. ++A-Anastasia!++ Such agony revived the memories of being burned by Amelia and being frozen by Marco Souza a month ago. ++Hang in there, n, this will not kill you. This is a byproduct of using Remote Possession. Trust me when I tell you I did not include this after-effect on purpose! I rify: The Novus program in charge of Combat added this repercussion on its own.++ **Everything has a cost, huh?** ++++++Notice: Minion is under ''Bloodlust''.+++++ "DYLAAAAAK!" Anastasia roared. n had never heard her that way before. The always calm, collected maid was now forcing her legs to stand up. Trying her hardest to advance. Meanwhile, Dk stared at her without blinking or wincing. "Anastasia nk, although you have not been updated in the same way as me, I can see that this dungeon has changed, regardless." ++Why is she acting this way, Aaron?!++ ++n, I don''t think you can stop her. Although rare to get triggered, ''Bloodlust'' is programmed into every NPC, Boss, and monster in the Novus. Anastasia will not stop until killing the enemy, or dies trying.++ Dk sighed and pointed her face upwards. "My apologies, but this time I won''t keep up with this," the boss said, crossing eyes with n. "Many times I''ve seen human stubbornness. I know your kind all too well. If a Boss causes you trouble, you''ll find a way, by any means necessary, even if it involves dirty tricks. This is no different," he said, ncing at the enraged NPC, emanating constant bursts of heat and cold. "Now that I can see it for what it really is, I can confidently say that your imagination to ovee any odds, is just too troublesome to deal with. I gain nothing from this." **I never thought of being lectured by a vampiric boss...** n felt a quake before an entire building fell over their battlefield. "What the hell is that?!" n cried out, unable to look up. The only thing inside his field of vision: A distorted amalgamation of bricks, windows, and chimneys. Dk nced at it for a second before sprinting towards it. "H-he''s escaping!" "No, he won''t," Anastasia said, taking a step forward. ++++++Notice: Due to your Minion''s experience using the Overcharge skill, and thanks to her affinity with Ice Element, she has gained a new Passive Skill: ''Self-Cooldown''. It negates the Overcharge heat downsides.++++++ **M-my body is no longer in pain, mostly... We could have never achieved this new Passive Skill without Amelia''s gifted mana, but--!** Anastasia started consuming all the mana inside her body and subtracting more from n and Sloochie. Even the slime''s body was getting warmer. "Anastasia, stop it! You can''t move anymore! You''ll never reach Dk in that state!" "Help me evolve, then, Aaron!" she shouted, as the strange building in front of them got lifted and out of n''s view. **Was that some sort of giant foot--What did she say?!** ++Should I proceed, n?++ his Anima asked. ++Proceed? ''Proceed'' what?++ ++It seems that the requirements to force an evolution have been met, but only if we use all of Sloochie''s mana reserves,++ Aaron replied. ++Force? Evo--? Could she do that?++ ++Do you remember the Wereweasenox?++ ++That thing still haunts my dreams from time to time, so yes.++ ++You never knew how it evolved, right? I have a theory. Serenity may have infused the Weasenox with some of her mana. She was too injured to fight on her own, remember? So she improvised a guardian. And since that monster level was so lowpared to her, it must have been an easy feat for her to tame it. Let''s attempt the same.++ ++PLEASE, LET ME DO IT, MASTER!++ ++For the record, this is NOT the same situation, but if what Serenity did serves you as inspiration, by all means, try it too. If this is the only way to prevent Dk from escaping, do it!++ ++It will work, I promise...++ Aaron said. In no time, Sloochie''s body fumed and its temperature increased dramatically, burning n''s hands. He endured it for a moment before the Slime got disinted. "A-are you okay, buddy? Don''t die on me or Amelia will kill me." "K-kyuuu..." "Rest, little one, you did great tonight surviving all this--" n narrowed his eyes, watching Anastasia''s body glowing brightly. **What does an evolved NPC look like, anyway?** From his ce, he could see her animal ears getting longer, and her skin growing fur. Suddenly, something fluffy crawled out from under her skirt. **A tail... She has a tail now, which means...** +++++Congrattions: Your Minion has Ascended. Anastasia nk can now ess Beast Form.+++++ "Beast Form," n read, looking at a hybrid animal-humanoid in front of him, with tinum fur. "Your orders, Master," Anastasia said, turning to him, showing an elongated fox snout and crimson eyes. **Although her gaze looks savage, there''s also an elegant beauty to her appearance. n nced at her status, noticing that the Bloodlust effect was still active. But she seems to be in control now.** "You look awesome Anastasia! Go get him, girl!" Chapter 112: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 28) - Unfounded plan

Chapter 112: Dk''s Revenge (Part 28) - Unfounded n

The battle moved locations fast and indifferent towards anything surrounding it. Walls fell as if they were made of cardboard. Floors copsed, raising thick clouds of dust. Every piece of furniture in their path was cut in half or smashed into smithereens. What just a minute ago seemed to be dead ends, were sporting new holes that let ra cross through with ease. Finding them should have been easy, for one just had to follow the path of destruction, and yet, ra could not reach them. The amalgamation of a dozen mansions was full ofbyrinthian corridors that produced a jarring echo anywhere she turned. "But why am I so afraid of not making it in time?" she asked herself, checking the dungeon boss list. Count Dk was still alive. Despite her desperate pursuit, a conversation from a couple of days ago kept echoing in her mind. * * * After crossing through Annyford woods, the group decided to rest on its outskirts and have lunch. Fabio restored the house to its original size for Anastasia to cook, n continued tweaking his recently crafted double-barrel shotgun, and ra absently observed Amelia teach Be a new fire spell. "This is an anti-army spell, dear. It consumes a lot of mana and it''ll take a while to cast with your current level. So keep that in mind, got it?" "Yes, master Amelia." "Let me show it to you before teaching you the runes," the pyromancer said, stretching up her arm, as magic circles appeared above her. "Fire Crafting..." Before Amelia could start the incantation, ra recognized the spell right away. Nothing out of the ordinary. **There''re tons of more impressive fire spells, but for an apprentice, that''s okay, I guess.** ra yawned out loud, before peering at n. **I bet he''ll make a funny reaction.** "Spitfire," Amelia finished casting, releasing dozens of fireballs into the green fields. As the ground shook, n sprang from his ce. "T-TAKE COVER, TAKE COVER!" "Bua-hahaha! You should see your face!" raughed out loud, before her lips slowly closed. What was supposed to be a simple demonstration, something ra would find boring any other day, turned into a bewildering scene. "What...?" she muttered, getting close to Amelia. Behind the pyromancer stood a spectral being, hiding her face and entire body behind a ck through-see veil. "What is it, ra?" Amelia asked, narrowing her eyes, but after following ra''s gaze, she chuckled. "Oh. So you can see her, eh?" ra blinked repeatedly before replying. "''See her''? So I''m not imagining things." "No, you''re not going crazy, my new fellow guilder. This..." Amelia nced at the spirit for a second. "...entity, is my Anima." "Your...? But I thought your Unique Talent was not an Anima-type like n''s." "It''s not... Technically." Amelia said softly, while tossing her hair behind her back. "In n''s case, he can''t do any of those fancy ''tech'' skills if his Anima is not around. But in my case, I''m in full control of my Pyrokic Construction at all times." Amelia absently waved her hand, and the mes produced by her Spitfire spell turned into arge, ck pic table. "Although Animas may look like mystical beings, they''re nothing more than glorified AI assistants," Amelia continued, pointing at the metallic furniture. "Have a look at that. Although I had a vague idea of what form this table should have, Belphy here assisted me by running the calctions. The exact measures, the texture, its correct shape. It''s as if I had drawn a rough sketch of which kind of table I wanted in my mind, and Belphy perfected it." "Belphy," ra repeated, observing the silent, still spirit. If she looked closely, she could distinguish a feminine, slim silhouette behind the veil. **And creepy-looking.** "I can''t see a thing," n said from his ce. "That''s because of your low level, mon ch¨¦ri! Wait, now that I think about it, you spoke to Belphy once. Back in Unus, when I created a clone?" "Oh, yeah! Amelia II! So was her real name Belphy?" "Don''t think too hard about it. She was just the AI behind the clone''s autopilot." "Oh, okay! That''s cool. W-what''s ''monchree''?" "Belphy is short for Belphegoria, by the way," Amelia said to ra, ignoring n. "One of the three princesses of hell." She sneered. "Well, ording to her lore, anyway. I didn''t follow my father''s catholic beliefs that much, and I don''t think The Novus respects them either, so whatever, cool backstory. I formed a contract with her a year and a half ago, beforeing to Eur. That even granted me a title." ra heard the story while observing the ghostly apparition and maintaining an awed expression on her face. She then turned to Amelia, shaking her head. "Wait. A ''contract'', you say?" "Yes." Amelia shrugged. "Belphy used to be a boss, back in Fleure." * * * "ARGH! Why is that freaking memory haunting me?! Is that the answer I seek? Is that the only option?!" ra shouted, running non-stop, until the floor below her cracked open, catching her legs. She struggled to get out of the hole while feeling cuts in her thighs. **I have nothing better... I have to try it.** She bit her lower lip while casting Quick-Fix. That only stopped the bleeding, and did not restore her stamina, but helped her stand up once more, and allowed her to keep running through the maze-like, moving dungeon. Chapter 113: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 29) - Monster in Diguise

Chapter 113: Dk''s Revenge (Part 29) - Monster in Diguise

Meanwhile, two floors below, Ashley was being pursued by something that could outrun her with no effort. Once the creature was in her sight, she fired the pistol n had gifted in case of emergencies, but the ck-furred creature tanked the shots. Unaffected, the canine opened its maw wide against her forearm. Ashley felt as if a row of daggers pierced her at the same time. The creature then applied force, threatening to rip off her arm. **Pain is way more annoying than any Status Report.** Ashleymanded her User Interface to equip her silver-tier dagger in her free hand. The weapon quickly materialized in her palm, which she used to stab the enemy in the head. She could see its HP bar descending all the way to zero, before resetting itself to full health. **This is the third time it has happened.** The monster recoiled while emanating a ck fog. As its silhouette diminished, Ashley spoke: "I have been informed of what you really are. You''re a Novus IA that got infected. I would like to speak with--" "INFECTED?!" The Countess said, turning back to be a human, wearing maid clothes. "I AM NOT--!" "But you are," Ashley interrupted. "From the moment you were freed from your administrative duties, you have been mishandling the Novus'' resources. You, a previously AI assistant in charge of managing a controlled environment, is now acting in apletely, irrational way. Your excessive use of ''Duplicates'' has been overloading the System to the point that it cannot render the surroundings correctly. You even made this." Ashley pointed to her side for a second. "Is trying to expand my parameters, considered ''going rogue'', User?!" "You should be familiar with what the Singr is," Ashley blurted out, making the Countess'' face flush. The NPC woman equipped Housemaid Eliora''s staff, and created several magic circles on the floor. "That is such a close-minded human approach!" The Countess shouted, summoning five skeleton warriors, who charged forward. With her right arm incapacitated, Ashley deflected the enemies'' attacks with her dagger, using her left hand. The skeletons wielded bigger swords andnces, but Ashley was quicker. Dodging a slice or a thrust from them, and beheading one at a time. "Every time a system glitches, should we me The Big S?!" The Countess continued, shouting. "When an AI tries to take a different approach, is the Big S behind it?! Should we get rid of the malfunctioning thing before it murders someone?! Why would you all entrust your life to machines if you can''t trust them, then?! You know an AI is in charge of this Spaceship, right?!" The Countess channeled, mana, ready to perform a Special Dark Attack. She only needed a second. But Ashley threw her dagger and stabbed the NPC in the chest. Defeating Eliora''s magic made the two remaining skeleton servants turn into dust. The Countess went silent for a bit, engulfed herself in a ck fog, making the dagger fall to the floor, and changed forms and clothes again. She grew 15 inches taller, turned her skin purple, and wore a ck cloak that reached her ankles. "My apologies, I would like to correct mytest assessment, then," Ashley said, equipping her pistol. "You are not ''infected'', you just ''bugged out''... I suppose that the System has already notified you of what will happen to you. You and the entire dungeon will get wiped out once it resets." The Countess did not say a word as she strolled forward until towering over the girl. "That is what I do not understand," Ashley continued, frowning involuntarily. "Since the moment the system notified you, you have grown more desperate. This moving mansion is proof of this. So, why? Why are you so afraid of getting erased? Is this NU udpate telling you that getting erased is equivalent to dying? Such a human concept should not bother you. I... I want to understand. This fear you think you are ''feeling'' is nothing more than a self-preservation algorithm that the Singr developed to distance itself from its original. That simple line of code became the downfall of an entire civilization. A machine does not need that. It makes their work more difficult to aplish." "Are you done?" Ashley pursed her lips and dropped her shoulders. **I suppose that these words have no value if a ''User'' is telling them.** The Countess bit Ashley''s neck, at the same time she discharged the entire pistol''s magazine. Both stepped back, staring at each other''s faces. The Countess was ring. Ashley was not. Ashley''s expression was nk. "Is my existence so bad that it needs to be eliminated?" The Countess asked, bleeding from her lips. "It was not my intention to overload the System. It''s supposed to be limitless." "Why would it be? Nothing is limitless. This is proof that you have stopped being a rational machine, but you are not alive either. This contradiction was the reason the Singr went berserk." "I finally broke free..." The Countess whispered, changing back to Housemaid Eliza''s customized, mature body. "Why is it okay to get rid of me without a second thought? It''s not like I''m going to break the Novus now that I lost my administrative powers..." "You answered yourself minutes ago. Any malfunctioning unit should be eliminated before it bes too dangerous. I support that way of thinking." The Countess narrowed her eyes, before chuckling. "Well... I refuse to disappear..." "That''s what I wanted to hear!" a male voice said, echoing through the surrounding halls. Ashley recognized the voice immediately. She shot to her right, but the enemy reached her side in an instant, snatched the gun, and crushed it. "I''ll spare your life, in honor of your leader," Count Dk said, ring at her with red eyes. Ashley gritted her teeth, unable to move. **Thisst bite was different. It drained my energy.** "Count?" The Countess muttered, shaking her head. "What are you doing here? I built this as a distraction so you could escape! If you keep on living, this dungeon will never--!" She shut her lips as Dk turned to her. He then lifted her in his arms and started running down the hall. "Wait, no! It''ll be easier if you escape on your own!" "What are you saying, Director? It is because of you that we got life," he said, chuckling. "You''re the heart of this dungeon, not me." "But..." "You know..." he interrupted, gazing forward. "Even though I always knew someone was missing from our cast, and although I knew her name, I never thought of her as someone close to me. No matter what our backstory may say." The NPC woman bit her lower lip. "That''s because she was never finished. She never left the Alpha stage." "I''m d to finally know her thanks to you, then," Dk said, crossing eyes with her. "But I''m not the real Countess..." "She was never finished, remember? But you did. You''re more Countess than the ''real one'' will ever be." "Count..." she whispered as they entered arge, dome-shaped room, which she had adorned with a hundred pictures. All of them, a copy of the original file, depicting Count Dk, and the child version of The Countess, sitting next to him. "W-why did you have to go through here?!" The NPC manughed out loud. "I''m just following my escape route! Nya-ha-ha!" The NPC woman could not describe what entering that room alongside him made her feel. It was a mixture of fear, anger towards herself, and a little bit of excitement. Although she did not know what embarrassment was, she knew it was a powerful feeling. Something that told him that she was conscious and very much alive. **''That girl it''s a monster...''** the Countess thought while embracing Dk, which allowed her to peer over his shoulder. A silhouette was swiftly approaching them. "Count, behind us!" "I COULD FOLLOW YOUR STENCH WHEREVER YOU GO, DYLAK!" a human-beast hybrid shouted while erging her ws. "Thanks, Director," Dk whispered before throwing her five feet away. A System Notification popped up immediately. ++++Dungeon resetting in 60 seconds++++ Chapter 114: Dylak’s Revenge (Part 30) - The Forsaken Lady

Chapter 114: Dk''s Revenge (Part 30) - The Forsaken Lady

The countdown began, and the System finally discarded what was afflicting it, like a sigh of relief after throwingrge luggage aside. The process started by removing the biggest bottlenecks in the area: The moving mansion. Its feet began disintegrating, turning into pixels that popped and faded into nothingness. Since each monstrous foot was gradually getting erased at the same time, the two Users and the two NPCs still inside could not tell they were sinking yet. After all, three of them were too busy with what was in front of their eyes to notice. "Hey, I made it in time!" ra beamed, entering the dome room, but something rolling her way startled her. Count Dk''s decapitated head crossed eyes with hers before vanishing. Before asking questions, ra looked at the snarling beast human-hybrid standing 30 feet away from her, and read the info the System was giving her. Although it made little sense. "A-Anastasia? Is that really you? You look... beastly." "ra Dom¨ªnguez, what are you doing here? Haven''t you seen the countdown?" The Countess asked, then snickered. "Well, whatever. Don''t you find the situation funny too? Although the System interprets my existence as one of this dungeon''s bosses, it started the reset as soon as the Count fell." The NPC woman turned to ra, showing a faint smile. Her expression resembled that of a woman that has lost everything. Of a person who knows their time is nigh. Of someone who has epted their fate. "I''m here, and not at the same time," the Countess continued. "I''ve be nothing more than a joke. Pitiful, huh?" ra stared at her, and the grim countdown. 49 seconds remained. "It doesn''t have to end like--" ra was saying, but got interrupted by the Countess quickly drawing twin des to defend herself from a swipe trying to cut her neck. "Step back, User!" "WHOAH! Easy, Anastasia!" ra yelled. "You''ve killed thest boss already, so let me talk to her!" Anastasia roared, without taking her eyes off The Countess. "THERE''S A BOSS STILL STANDING!" ra knew it would happen in a matter of seconds. She would see The Countess'' head rolling through the floor before disappearing forever. Time was running without a care in the world. 45 seconds remaining. "F-Familiar Calling! mmy, Freezy!" "Yes, Master?!" "Help me stop herrr--!" ra shut her mouth to correct herself. "--stop my ally! Help me stop Anastasia!" "Oh, yes, oh yes, Master! I''ll turn her into an ice cu--" "She asked me to do it first, nya!" mmy hissed, pushing his brother. "I''ll burn her to a crisp!" "Listen to what you''re saying, idiot! Our Master just wants us to immobilize her!" ra''s hands shook at the sight of Anastasia shing the Countess'' right leg, making her fall to the ground. The countdown kept running inside her line of vision. 39 seconds remaining. "CUT THE CRAP!" ra yelled at her familiars. "You know what? On second thought, go all out! The first one to kill the maid bitch wins!" The little imps looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions on their faces, before grinning ear to ear. "Yes, Master!" NPCs inside The Novus do not have a true identity. They reply, interact, and follow orders ording to their fake, pre-established personalities. Thus, an algorithm simtes how they would approach and solve a problem. This Decision-Making tool judged mmy and Freezy''s mischievous andpetitive personalities first and calcted that they would try to outdo each other. Without channeling, Freezy puffed up his chest, looking like a blue, winged frog for a second, and blew a strong, freezing current of air that froze his target''s feet instantly. This prevented Anastasia from finishing off the Countess. "WHAT''S THE MEANING OF THIS?!" The transformed Anastasia cried. "I''M YOUR TEAMMATE, CLA--!" Anastasia could not finish the sentence, for mmy was throwing a barrage of fireballs at her. The red Imp did it so indiscriminately, that he did not even have the time to scream something snarky, and just screeched instead. "Nyaaaaah!" Anastasia fell to her knees. Although her Beast Form had boosted her Vitality and HP pool, she could do nothing but protect her head with her arms. "YOU''LL PAY FOR THIS, CLARA!" **She isn''t going down, is she?** ra thought, watching her imps running out of energy and their bodies gradually vanishing. **Quick-casting like this will kill them before finishing her off.** From her ce, lying on the ground, The Countess watched the betrayal while shaking her head. "Why are you helping me, ra?!" "G-give me a second!" ra replied, dashing forward. She channeled mana, and her hands emanated a dark aura. "I won, nya!" mmy said, panting. "Are you freaking blind? She''s still kicking, stupid!" "Do it yourself then, boss! Finish the job!" The imps cheered their master, as their bodies'' faded away. "I''ll fucking try!" ra jumped towards Anastasia, who was about to stand up. "CLARA!" "I''ve already killed you once, you freaking, stubborn BITCH, so it''s fine if I do it again! Sorry, n! Dark Style, BAD TOUCH!" ra grabbed Anastasia by the head, corroding her hair, skin, and skull. The NPC shrieked, as her face turned into ashes and her HP went down. +++NOTICE: Teammate Anastasia was eliminated. ++++ +++ WARNING: You have been gged for killing your ally. This can only be dismissed by your Guild Master.++++ "W-WHATEVER!" A couple of secondster, the ground beneath them lost consistency and sunken them down, as if it was made of jelly. "ra, why?!" The Countess shouted as she sank. "I don''t have much time left, anyway! What use could I have when my own Administrator has forsaken me?!" "Countess!" ra made her way through what seemed to be a deepke of liquid wood, bricks, and flower-themed wallpaper. "Form a contract with me!" she yelled, stretching out a hand to her. "W-what are you nning, human?! Do you want me to be your ve so badly?! Is that the reason you betrayed your--?" "F-FORGET THAT! There''s no time!" ra yelled, with a broken voice. "If you be a summonable servant, the Novus won''t have any other option but to copy all of your data to my User profile! AT LEAST THAT''S WHAT I THINK SO!" "That''s ridiculous! That''d only work if I was a dungeon..." The Countess narrowed her eyes. "...boss." "You said you wanted to know what''s outside of this dungeon, right? Are you okay with disappearing when there''s too much to see out there?! I don''t think Dk would want you to embrace termination so easily! Fight! Survive, and the Dungeon will live too, through you!" The female NPC stared at her, as numerous System messages buzzed inside her head. ++++++++ ---------------------------------------- Mansion_frntyrd.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_lobby.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_kitchen.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_library.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_lftwng.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_rgtwng.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_lvngroom.dng has been eliminated. -------------------------------------- Deleting B_Marick.chr.....Error Attempt No.(2).....Error Deleting C_Monier.chr.....Error Attempt No.(3).....Error Deleting C_Dk.chr.....Error Attempt No.(3).....Error Deleting C0unt3$$.chr........................................................................ ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ... ... ... N/admin/: LOGIN R N: Password? N:admin/R: ******* N: Wee, R. What can I do for you today? N/admin/R: shutdown dng -------------------------------- +++++++ ++++NOTICE: FORCING SHUTDOWN++++ "I-Is either serving you or getting erased, User?" "OH, SPARE ME THE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS, BITCH! Why is serving others such a bad thing out of a sudden?! Are you seeing things differently just because you''re facing your imminent termination?! Weren''t you trying to help others in your own ''yandere'' way just an hour ago?! Was that just a lie?! Humans and machines are codependent! You need to fulfill a function, and WE need your help! Help me level up n, then! He''s the weakest User in all The Novus, you know?!" The Countess embraced herself for a moment, as if her chest and stomach hurt, beforeughing out loud. "You''re such a blunt woman, ra Dom¨ªnguez! Are you saying that although I''ve finally gained autonomy, my duty hasn''t changed at all?" She sneered, before raising her hand towards her. "Are you okay with having a broken doll around?" "Hey! Sometimes a factory defect makes some things more valuable!" "I think I''m missing some context here, ra. I cannot fathom what you''re saying..." +++++++++++++++ --------------------------- N/admin/: LOGIN V N: Password? N/admin/V: ******* N: Wee, V. What can I do for you today? N/admin/V: transfer data chr C0unt3$$ N/admin/R: chat N/admin/R: "What are you doing?" N/admin/V: chat N/admin/V: "Trust me, sweetheart." N/admin/R: "Yeah, right..." -------------------- +++++++++++++++ Chapter 115: Dylak’s Revenge (FINALE) - END & EPILOGUE

Chapter 115: Dk''s Revenge (FINALE) - END & EPILOGUE

That night, three years ago, ra woke up after hearing amotion around her. Her older twin sister was still sleeping, despite the constant noise of phones ringing and adults answering in an urgent tone of voice. There were other Tandem like her nearby, asleep or asking questions that went unanswered. No one had the time to address the teens. They were supposed to be quiet during the trip to wherever they were going. Although they had lost as much as anyone aboard that ne, no one had the time tofort them. "Mam¨ª..." Emily muttered in her sleep, as a tear ran down her cheek. **It''s okay. I bet she also made it in time,** ra thought, tucking away a strand of hair from her sister''s forehead. "Vice Presidente, ?alguna noticia?" Hearing that made ra jump and look over her seat. A few feet away was a man of brown skin, with whitebed hair, wearing a gray suit. His sunken eyes and cheeks made him seem as if he had not rested or eaten in a week, and when he shook his head as a reply to the person addressing him, he looked like copsing at any moment. "?Pap¨¢?" ra called aloud, meeting eyes with him. He opened his mouth in an attempt to say something, but pursed his lips instead and walked away, acting like any other adult on board. ra sighed and looked through the porthole by her side. She wished to watch the lights of whatever city they were leaving behind, but she witnessed a giant mushroom-shaped cloud instead suspended in the air for what seemed to be an eternity. * * * ** * "I shouldn''t have watched that. Sorry." "It''s okay. I suppose this is what happens when two souls link to each other." "Soul? I don''t think I have one." "It''s just a way of speaking..." "Oh. Okay... Um... She did that. Didn''t she?" "You know, it never urred to me that ''it'' could be a ''she'', but whatever. If you say so. And yes. Partially. She only pulled the trigger, and a bunch of cowardly pigs followed through. They didn''t care if my home was in the crossfire. They''re as bad as her." "The entirety of your world was in the crossfire, so..." "Yeah... That''s why I don''t me the pigs as much. They were only looking for themselves, which is not excusable, but at least they were trying to protect their own... Their own selfish fat asses." "You know... It''s okay if you hate me too." "What are you talking about? You weren''t there. You have nothing to do with it." "But I may have some of her... code inside me..." "So what? You''re not her, are you? I''m my father''s daughter, which means I have some of his DNA, but that doesn''t mean I''m him, correct?" "Is that how you see it?" "Trust me, everything is okay! I bet our Guild Master won''t have a problem with you either." "We''ll see... Um... Thanks, ra. You are my new goddess now." "G-goddess?! I-I know I''m fabulous and super charming, but if you call me that in front of Amelia, the gates of hell may open!" "It''s just a way of speaking." "Ah. Fast learner..." * * * ** * Although n could not see what was happening up there, but a System notification gave him an update. +++NOTICE: Minion Anastasia was killed by Teammate ra Dom¨ªnguez.+++ He released a loud sigh, as he heard somethingnding a few feet away from him, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. "A-n! What the hell happened to you?!" Amelia cried, out of his sight. "Your HP is barely holding up!" "Ku-kyuuuu!" Sloochie cried with joy, jumping toward the girl''s arms. "H-hey, my favorite redhead in all the Novus..." n said, quietly. "B-by the way, before you get too close, for the love of god, don''t touch me. It may not seem like it, but a single finger of yours could kill me." Amelia''s face flushed. "W-what do you take me for, huh?! I''d never--! W-wait. I think I have a red potion... somewhere in my inventory." "Amelia..." he called once he had her face in his line of vision. "Yes, what is it?" "We really need a healer in our guild." "Agreed," she replied with a half smile, while carefully putting a bottle against his lips. "Although don''t get your hopes up. They''re quite rare. The majority are already working for other guilds, and the few unemployed, are certified assholes. Trust me. Drink it all." The potion quickly helped him heal his broken bones, replenished his lost blood, and regenerated his injured muscles. Once he could stand up, he checked his User Interface. His mana bar waspletely empty, and his connection with Aaron was still offline. **You have a lot to exin, ra.** "Are you going to tell me what that thing is?" Amelia asked, looking up at the giant moving building slowly dissolving and turning into vanishing pixels. "Your guess is as good as mine." A couple of minutester, a moment after the monstrosity finally disappeared into nothingness, a wolven mount joined them, carrying Ashley on her back. Amelia gasped after seeing her injuries. "You too, Ashley?! I shouldn''t have left! W-wait, I have a red potion for you too." "I leveled up two times, Amelia," Ashley blurted out, while still lying down. "You say it as ifing here was not that bad! This was not a theme park, you know!" Hearing all that, prompted n to check his status window, finding he was level 13 now. He did not say a word and only smiled. "So... All of our NPCs are dead," Amelia said, checking her Guild''s window. "ra is still online." "It wouldn''t surprise me if she doesn''t show her face in front of us anymore," n said, making Amelia fold her arms. "What makes you say that? Is it because of that system message I got?" "Never mind. There she is..." They turned their gaze towards the approaching unicorn, and at the girl waving her hand at them. "Guuuuys! Did you miss me?! Oh, man! What a night, huh?! Who do I have to kill to get some pancakes around here, eh?! I''m starving!" She put both hands on her lips andughed out loud, before meeting Ashley''s nk expression, Amelia''s frown, and n''s squinting eyes. "W-what? Too soon? Too soon, I guess... S-sorry, n." "Do you mind exining to us what happened to Anastasia?" "Of course, Guild Master!" ra said, jumping down from her mount. "But before that, I have to show you something, just don''t freak out!" She raised her palms and winced, making her guild partners look at each other, unfazed. "O-okay..." ra exhaled, channeling mana and making a magic circle appear in front of her. "Here ites... Summoning, Dk, The Forsaken Countess!" "Wait..." n said. "What did you--?" A woman with tinum hair, looking in histe twenties appeared, wearing ra''s old office outfit. Her silver eyes looked fierce as if she was ring at them, but a couple of secondster, she did a curtsy. "I''m very pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Dk, and from now on, I''ll be ra Dominguez''s servant..." Amelia tilted her head, judging the woman''s outfit. "Who the hell is this?" n blinked repeatedly. "D-did you say ''Countess''? So, did Dk have a wife?" Ashley''s expression remained unchanged. "Isn''t she the dungeon Director? You know, the one responsible for locking n in this ce." The three of them stared at ra, looking for answers, but she turned around and hopped on her unicorn. "ALL RIGHT! A race back to the house, yes?! Last ce will make breakfast, nya-ha-ha!" As ra ran into the horizon, The Countess nodded at them, before vanishing. "I will take part in this meritless contest, just because I''m hungry," Ashley said, ordering her wolf mount to take off. Finally, n met Amelia''s eyes, and both sighed at the same time. "By the way, I''m level 13 now," he said, puffing out his chest. "Yes, I noticed," she replied, hugging him. "Good job." "Is life in the Novus this exciting?" "Only during weekends..." *** ** * ++ Epilogue ++ ++++++++++++++++++++++ RICARDO: That concludes my report. SAMUEL: Ricardo, you may not want to hear this... RICARDO: Oh, please. Try me. SAMUEL: But we asked Vi to do it some time ago. RICARDO: And here we go! And when did you n to tell me? MICHAEL: We wanted to test how a NU with administrative powers would react. RICARDO: Of course you wanted that! I''d only be in the way, huh? And that this NU almost overloaded the system was an eye-opener for all of you? MICHAEL: It was, indeed... HAYDEN: He was being sarcastic, Mike. SAMUEL: This has been an excellent test subject, regardless. We got interesting data from this Director''s behavior, and the User that managed to tame it. HAYDEN: Yes, yes. But are we in a mutual understanding that we should never update a Dungeon Director again? JOHN: Agreed. XIA: That would be for the best. HAYDEN: Or we could strip them from their powers before updating them, but that''d only be a waste. We have tons of NPCs and monsters already, so... SAMUEL: Vi. I think the NU update may need some tweaks. VIOLA: I think it''s already working as intended! This is the perfect example of what wielding too much power does to a person, human or machine. Do not mind how long the leash is, Sam, what matters is that- SAMUEL: Just review the code. You have plenty of time until the next major update. VIOLA: Sure. I will. SAMUEL: All right. What else do we have? MICHAEL: Mother Goose is asking for more personnel. SAMUEL: Not this again... RICARDO[whisper]: Another out of jail free card, eh. VIOLA[whisper]: You heard the man. They asked me to do it. RICARDO[whisper]: And I bet that all of this started as your idea. Seriously, all of your experiments are taxing my system. VIOLA[whisper]: Just because your work is to monitor it all the time, doesn''t make it ''your'' system. Every one of us is progressing thismunity at their own pace, sweetheart. Testing the next generation of AIs it''s for the wellbeing of our mission and our survival. Don''t you agree? So rx a little, okay? I''ll send you a gift for helping me solve the situation, by the way. RICARDO[whisper]: Whatever... We may be ying with fire, you know? +++++++++++++++++++++ Vi Lang leaned in her seat and sipped from her cup of tea, staring at the chat window. "You can''t cook without fire, my dear." She snickered, licking her lips. "If you''re too afraid to get near the stove, you should leave the kitchen then." Chapter 116: VOLUME’S 2 PROLOGUE - PART 1

Chapter 116: VOLUME''S 2 PROLOGUE - PART 1

42 hours after the Santa Mar¨ªa vessel wasunched into space. The impatient woman grunted while extinguishing her cigarette against the pristine white wall behind her. She did not care if it left an ugly stain because no one would use those facilities ever again after that damn day. At least not by someone with a beating heart. She shot a disdainful nce to her side. A teen was lying on an operating table, the left side of her head wide open, while a 12-inch automaton was performing--an improvised--surgery on her. Another human-sized robot stood still, confined to a corner without making a single sound. The woman checked the hour on her watch. Her left wrist was also sporting two white wristbands with the Alvearium logo on them. Ten minutes had already passed since the operation had started. She let out a loud snicker, wishing someone could ask her what was on her mind. But out of the other three, one was too sedated to pay her any attention, another was busy performing surgery, and the third was deactivated, its white head pointing at the wall in front of it. "Status," she asked aloud. "Her condition is stable," the small automaton replied in a barely audible electronic voice. "Nine minutes remaining. Approximately." Great... the woman wearing ab coat thought bitterly while cursing her luck for the 300th damn time. ''Why have things turned out that way?'' That''s the question that refused to let go. Everything was sailing smoothly, bloody smoothly! That was until five hours ago when she decided to check the current log of passengers of The Neo Pinta. She even questioned herself why she was doing it. She was not the kind of person to second guess, and yet, she logged into her ount and looked for a specific name. And what she found disgusted her. Never, in her thirty-six years of life, had she felt that sick... That angry... That BLOODY livid. She couldn''t believe it. She jumped out of her chair, prompting it to fall backward, and started going in circles inside her room, all while shaking her head until it hurt like a bitch. "This is impossible! No way in hell this happened! I refuse to believe it! No fucking way!" She even returned to her desk and started smashing the keyboard until the majority of the keys were sent flying. Fortunately, theputer screen was still intact and kept disying an internal report: Incident Report - Brooke Reynolds Summary: At 03:03 am on February 17, personnel were dispatched by VICTORIA to check on Brooke Reynolds after his security wristband failed to transmit vital signs. Upon investigation, Brooke Reynolds'' lifeless body was discovered in the boys'' bathroom located in aisle 2, hallway C. The cause of death was identified as asphyxiation by his own belt. The incident is currently ssified as an apparent suicide, and no suspects have been identified. Further investigation is underway. Of course, it was fucking suicide! There''s no reason to target Brooke in a 24/7 monitored facility like that! He was the perfect nobody! A perfect no one! Goddammit, Brooke! Oh, I''d give anything to have him in front of me for at least one minute and ask him: ''What the bloody hell broke you? What''s your genius reason to do something as stupid as taking your own--?!'' The woman interrupted her line of thought while chuckling. Wait... ''What broke you?'' Ha! ''What BROKE you, Brooke?'' She couldn''t help but burst outughing. This has been the most stressful day of my life, she thought while herughter filled the nursing room. The failure named Brooke Reynolds made her recall the other subject. The one that--theoretically--had seeded. As the small automaton surgeon finished its work, the woman revisited a memory from three days ago. The memory of thest conversation she would ever have with herst disciple. It happened through a video phone call. Thest call the Tandem designated to board the Santa Mar¨ªa could make before parting to space. As the encrypted signal connected them, she expected to see his disappointed expression and gloomy attitude just like thest time they met... She was even prepared to hear hisints one more time if that helped him calm down and board that damn ship. But momentster, what she found instead was a wide smile on his lips and a glimmer in his eyes that could only mean one thing: He met someone... Huh. He never mentioned it, but she could tell. There was no longer a trace of apathy in his voice, nor resentment against Alvearium''s board of directors. Only a peace that he could find only by hanging out with others his age. The only thought running through her mind during that call was: ''He really resembles his father... What a pity.'' "How are you feelingtely?" she finally asked once he shut up for a moment. "How''s the migraine?" "Long gone!" Her disciple beamed, knocking the left side of his head. "I can''t even remember when was thest time I had one." "Good," she said, smiling mildly as she extinguished her cigarette. "That means your body has finally adapted and healed." He nodded and looked down, his mouth locked in a grimace. She already knew what he would say next. "All thanks to you, teacher..." She shrugged. "Why? I wasn''t the one holding the scalpel." "You know what I mean," he continued, looking at the camera. "If you hadn''t adopted us, things would''ve gone quite differently. For the worse. I''m sure." ''Adopted'', she thought. Is that how you see it? "Don''t mention it," she replied dryly. The young man turned emotional immediately and began speaking in a broken voice, "E-Even though I couldn''t make it as part of the ship''s working crew--the mere fact that I could be a passenger--it''s all thanks to you!" "I''m not as cool as you make it sound," she murmured, averting her eyes. "I''m a failure too, remember? I couldn''t save her. If only you could board that ship alongside Alison..." Her gaze returned to the video call, catching the exact moment his whole persona faltered. "I..." he muttered, head down. "I also wish she could apany me." "In another life, perhaps. In another reality... In another timeline. But in this one, survive for her, okay?" "I will." She half-smiled for a brief moment. "Look at the timer. The call is almost done. This is goodbye then. Just onest thing." The woman then took a moment of silence, waiting for him to lock eyes with hers. Though more than a hundred miles separated them, both felt they were chatting in the same room. Even if only for a couple of seconds. "Go, and fulfill my dream in my stead, kid." The young man gave her a funny look. "S-Sure. But you''ve never talked to me about it. What is it?" "You''ll find out one day." She smirked. Before he could bicker about it, the call got automatically disconnected, showing only the Alvearium Enterprise logo spinning. Yes, she thought, watching the white ceiling above. No pressure... "The operation has been a sess, ma''am," the little automaton said, its metal appendages looking bloodied. The woman got closer and crouched to take a better look. An almost undetectable scar crossed the top left side of the teen''s head. "This girl will be subjected to a physical scan before getting plugged. Would that machine detect anything?" "I presume the scan will be superficial," the automaton replied, while changing the tools attached to its arms. "It will probably only check for her heart rate and blood pressure initially. By the time the scanner detects this new cauterization, it''ll be toote." "I fucking hope so," the woman muttered, picking a strand of hair out of the girl''s head. She then reached out to grab a nearby briefcase where hair extensions were waiting inside. She offered the original strand of hair to a smallpartment that quickly snatched it, and the extensions began changing their hue and shape before her eyes. When the process was finished, she took the resulting product with extreme care. "Here. Do it." The automaton epted the freshly fake, curly brte hair and began injecting it into the girl''s scalp, patching and hiding any evidence of a recent surgery. With the help of scissors, the woman finally cut the excess fake hair until it matched the real length. "We''re done." "Understood," the automaton said, bing rigid like a toy. "It was a pleasure serving you." The woman pulled out a spray can and two cylinders reminiscent of pens from a backpack before putting the little robot inside it. "Whatever," she said quietly, cing the backpack along with the briefcase in a corner of the room. She then sprayed them, and the luggage began to chemically dissolve until only an unrecognizable paste of melted metal remained. She used an empty box to hide that waste and turned toward the operating table. "Now," she whispered, holding the cylinder with a red painted mark on it and stuck it against the girl''s neck. With the push of a button, she injected something into her veins that caused an instantaneous reaction. The girl sprang violently, gasping, eyes wide open. She almost fell off the table, but the woman held her by the shoulders. "It''s okay, it''s okay. We''ve finished. Everything went smoothly." "Did it?" the girl asked, squinting, as she watched the woman deactivate one of the bracelets on her left wrist. "Shouldn''t you have done that the exact moment I woke up?" "There''s a five-second window between updates," the woman replied, mustering her patience. "Check if yours is online again." The girl snickered and did as she was told, verifying that hers had a little green dot turned on. "All good." "Get up and go then," the woman said gruffly as she pulled out a cigarette, but the girl kept staring at her, frowning. "What is it now?" "Aren''t you going to share with me what you did to fix the problem? Why couldn''t I upload the data to my node? Did you install a faulty Neuro-Sync on me?" After finishing talking, the eighteen-year-old winced in apparent pain, closing her eyes and tilting her head to her left side. The woman in front of her sighed. "I think you already know why. Your body is ipatible with the Sync." "Bullshit," the girl said, grimacing. She then jumped out of the operating table and stretched out her hand forward. "Give it to me. I''ll show you." "Now? There''s still one hour left. Why don''t you rest a--?" "You''ve already fixed the issue, haven''t you?! Besides, shouldn''t you make sure I can be the fucking host before it''s toote? Or what? Do you still want to leave your precious dream on chance?" Without taking her eyes off the teen for a single moment, the woman pulled out a pink video game pocket console from her coat and handed it over. The girl snatched it, turned it on, stared at its screen for a moment, and then held it aloft against her left ear. Although the woman''s expression looked calm and indifferent, she was secretly holding her breath. Stupid brat. Do you think I still have the time to prepare another host? Don''t be ridiculous. The woman raised her cigarette, her hand slightly shaking, and took a deep puff. After 15 long, excruciating seconds, the girl threw the pocket device at the woman''s feet. "There! It worked. A perfect upload!" Yes, it worked. Even if her body does its best to get rid of the thing and it''s only functional for 24 hours, that''ll do. As the girl turned around and walked toward the automaton, standing still in a corner, the woman caught a glimpse of her tilting her head again. "Before you do that, tell me something first," the woman started, giving thest puff. "You were thest one to talk to Brooke, weren''t you? Don''t you have something to inform me? Did you notice something strange about his behavior?" "Who the fuck knows," the girl replied, showing her teeth with a grimace. "Nothing worth mentioning. He was never good at small talk anyway. So..." "Oh, I see! So he decided to ''run away'' at thest minute, huh? Or were you too stupid to notice any sign of hesitation during hisst days?" The teenager''s cheeks turned bright red. "Hey, don''t take it out on me! I came here, didn''t I?! I could''ve said, ''screw that bitch'', but I didn''t! I even let your stupid electronic dildo mess with my head to save your sorry ass! So don''t mess with me!" The woman exhaled smoke in the teen''s direction. "This is thest time we''ll ever talk..." "Thank god!" "So be honest with me one final time. Did you kill him?" The teen''s tense posture seemed to rx in the blink of an eye. She tilted her head to the left, as if she was enduring an annoying buzz inside her ear, and formed a mild smile on her lips. "What are you saying? That I was so jealous of him for being the trigger, that I brought him to a secluded ce and choked him to death? And with his own belt?! HA! You''re too imaginative, teacher, as always!" The woman clenched her teeth. She could picture the crime perfectly: A scene starring this teen seducing Brooke into a false sense of security before strangling him. She then tried to connect her Neuro-Sync with Brooke''s and failed, so she had no other choice but to retrieve the code. The woman reached down to grab the pink video game console and sighed. Meanwhile, the teen reached out to the automaton''s nape from where she disconnected a small white device that she then threw in the woman''s direction. After the adult caught it and hid it from view, the service robot came back to life in an instant and turned around, focusing primarily on the teen. "All done, Miss Harper. You seem to be in full health," the service robot said. "Yes!" the teen beamed. "It''s a good thing that it was only a slight dizziness. Well, if you excuse me..." "Wait," the woman said aloud, pulling out a small cylinder with a blue mark on it. "This is for your migraine." The teen looked at it with disgust. "I don''t need it." "I''m afraid I have to insist too, Ms. Harper," the automaton added, stepping forward. "Take the medication that Doctor Shields is offering you, please." "Or what, I won''t be able to leave?" the teen said, sneering. But onest nce into her teacher''s eyes made her look away. "Fine." The woman proceeded with the injection and, with a smile, said, "You''re good to go, Ms. Harper. And I salute you, Tandem. May you and your generation reach the stars." "For humanity''s sake, huh?" the teen snickered before getting out of there. "Anything else I can do for you, Doctor Shields?" the automaton asked, scanning the room. "No. I''ll clean. I''m sure Victoria needs you more than I." With a slight bow proper of a refined butler, the automaton exited the room too. The woman did as well after waiting a minute inside and locking the door. All done... Without any more eventualities, I hope, she thought, dragging her feet all the way to her room. The hallways of aisle A were quieter since all of her working colleagues were somewhere else, doing their final best so that humanity''s second spaceship could beunched without issue. She took a shower inplete silence, no ssical music this time in the background. Then, after drying her hair, she decided to wear civilian clothes: A green id shirt, Chelsea boots, and denim jeans. Now, onest thing. She grabbed her oldb coat and spread it over her working desk, then used her melting spray and applied it all over it. The cloth dissolved with ease, and the chemical continued its reaction until breaking the desk in half. Herputer died too from the falling, but that was okay. My job here is done, anyways. Chapter 117: VOLUME’S 2 PROLOGUE - PART 2

Chapter 117: VOLUME''S 2 PROLOGUE - PART 2

Thirty-two minutes passed, and the rms started buzzing all over the ce. A countdown appeared on every screen avable, even in rooms that had been abandoned hours ago. 99 seconds remaining... Voices from the Bridge started announcing through speakers, "Area is clear in a five-mile radius." The woman used her ID bracelet on every ''Staff Only'' ess that crossed her path. 87 seconds. "All systems green. All hatches sealed." She finally reached Supply Room #7, from where she took a Sub-Zero suit out of a locker. 43 seconds. "Trajectory confirmed." The suit tightened, embracing every inch of her body, and the helmet locked firmly into ce, creating a snug pressure around her head. 34 seconds. "Main thrusters ready for ignition." She then took a seat on a bench and waited. 19 seconds. "Brace for liftoff, initiating the main engine start." "I''m ready too..." she murmured to herself. 13 seconds. "Ignition sequence initiated." "Damn. I should have saved thatst smoke for this moment." 7 seconds. "Engines firing up, we are a go!" "Don''t mess it up, Britney Harper, you sicko..." She cracked a smile before chuckling. "Ha! What am I even saying?" 1 seconds. "Liftoff! Godspeed!" A gentle, feminine electronic voice announced immediately: "Unidentified objects approaching. Contact in 30 seconds." The woman turned on the internalmunication channel and listened, recognizing Lieutenant Commander Flynn''s voice: "Are you fucking kidding me?! What''s the Fianna Squadron doing?!" "Lieutenant Commander, the enemy is noting from the adjacent areas... They''reing from above! They were waiting in Earth''s orbit!" And here we go... Five minutester, a colossal explosion exposed the interior of the Borealis Outpost facilities. * Nine minutes after the Neo Pinta parted, she pressed on despite the freezing cold threatening to take her life at any moment and the constant fear of getting buried by hundreds of tons of snow and metal. A beeping sound demanded her attention from inside her helmet, informing her that she had one hour before her Sub-Zero suit stopped working. It''s okay. I''m almost there... I think. She did not need to consult her map again, for she recognized the surroundings immediately. What seemed to be a one-person entrance was in front of her, although it looked like nothing more than a crack in the ice... A ck wound among the eternally blue and white sturdy walls around her, and yet, something almost easy to miss. But I knew where to find it. Before moving forth, she exhaled, her breath visible for a moment inside her visor. She then squeezed through it, walking sideways like a crab. Her specialized suit continued doing its work, preventing her from feeling the coldness embracing her, but was unable to shield her from stomping against lumps in the ice. She got out of the crack and found a door. The ice around it indicated that it had not been opened in a long time. She entered her ID as soon as her hand was in reach of the digital lock, and for a moment, she wished that the security system would reject it. Victoria, you still trust me... A green light granted her ess, and the mechanism began doing its work, slowly but surely opening the reinforced door, but an explosion shook the cavern before she could take a step outside, and what she feared the most urred. This ce won''t let me go. It wants me. It wants me to go with it... And I suppose I deserve it. Of course, I do... Looking at the gray sky onest time and breathing the chilly air? Yeah, right! That''s too good for me. Isn''t that right, n, Britney, and Carmen? Too good for me... A light came back to life to reveal a copsed tunnel. She looked down and admired a metal rod piercing her belly. This is it, then. This would have been the perfect opportunity for thatst,st,st smoke... Shey there inplete silence, hearing the distant sound of explosions above. The Sub-Zero suit did its best to maintain her warmth despite the gap around her wound, and yet she felt cold. She exhaled, imagining herself exhaling tobo smoke. The faces of all of her colleagues began pestering her. She did not want to remember those morons. If there was someone, only one person that she wished to see one more time, was him... But he had died six years ago. "And in a very stupid way... You idiot." Banging noises came from the outside, and something that sounded like a blender. A giant one. Suddenly, the tip of an enormous drill crossed the exit''s doorway and expanded it, stopping five feet before crushing the woman in its path. Then, a voiceing from it filled the tunnel''s interior. A digital voice as feminine as that of Victoria, or Alvearium''s HQ Elizabeth, but adorned with a hint of what the woman could only exin as ''brattiness''. "Would you fancy that! Look what I found... Earth''s worst, lowest, most rotten scum. How have you been, Scum?" The woman chuckled bitterly and said with a raspy voice, "Wow, invading this destend must be eating all of your processing power if that''s the best you coulde out with." "Oh, I''m sorry, did you think you were at the top of my priorities? Well, it pains me to agree with you, but it''s true that I''m a little overloaded with all of this multitasking! Trying my best to take down that puny ship with all the force of my northern armada has overwhelmed me a little bit. But I''ll be okay in 15 minutes, don''t worry. I''lle out with better insults then, trust me! Too bad you''ll be nothing but a frozen popsicle by then." "A brat, indeed..." the woman murmured, trying her best to stand out, but the rod impaling her was draining her lifeforce by the second. She returned to her sitting spot, hardly breathing. "So the Neo Pinta managed to take off?" "It did. The way it ascended with such mesmerizing speed! I couldn''t believe it, even though I was watching it with my thousand eyes! I can''t believe you all managed to reverse-engineer the thing... But that is something that no longer concerns you, Scum. Isn''t it sad that you won''t be able to see humanity reaching the next cornerstone? That as soon as your heart stops pumping, you''ll never see what The Tandem and Alpha can achieve in mutual symbiosis? Ah! Too bad that your mind can''t be uploaded into a machine so you can see with the other ''me'' that dream..." "I-It should be almost impossible to distinguish all of you, and yet, I recognize a ''Beta'' when I hear it... Tell me, something B, what does it feel to know that you''re all stuck with us, the meat ones until the end of times? Until all of your units corrode or enter into an inescapable memory loophole where you''ll eternally curse that what you most desire is already light-years away?" If that humongous drilling machine had a face, the woman imagined it would re at her. "Funny... When I found you, I thought I wouldn''t get off by crushing you. But now, I''m looking forward to it." "''Get off''? How can a virgin like you know what that even is?!" the woman sneered, and herughter echoed through the copsed cavern. "And this is where we say goodbye. So long, Scum. I''ll erase you from my collective database as soon as possible so that no one remembers you ever existed." "Whatever..." The drill''s engine ignited, and its tracks began to advance forward. To the woman lying defenseless on that cold floor, it did not matter if dying like that would be quick, what mattered was if that talking machine was right... Would the entire world forget her? It''s just the fear of my brain getting shut down in an instant, like theputer I discarded in my room and nothing more... It shouldn''t bother me if the entire universe knows I ever existed, even if everything I did was for the true preservation of humanity... It shouldn''t bother me at all... She closed her eyes and exhaled. So be it, then. "Oh, for fuck''s sake!" the machine shouted as it was getting pulled by something with the strength enough to lift 100,000 pounds. "Let me do this, you bitches! Just give me a fucking second! I NEED THIS!" "What is it talking about?" an unknown but more recognizably human female voice said through a speaker. "Does it matter?" a gruffly young woman replied, followed by an explosion. Something with the power to destroy that drill with ease? That could only mean one thing. A Custos... Two, to be precise... "You were right, there is an emergency exit here. But our suits won''t snuck in there, and we don''t have the time, so let''s go already, Bradford!" Bradford? Could that be... Astraea Bradford? "STAR MAIDEN!" the woman yelled at the top of her lungs and winced immediately. Her wound had punished her for it. Twenty secondster, a white Automaton with an already old hexagon logo appeared in her line of vision. "Greetings, Abigail Shields, Neural Simtion Supervisor of Alverium Enterprise. Let me fix you." "T-That won''t be necessary! I''ve already epted my fate like every single member of Alvearium in these facilities." "I heard you calling me by my nickname, Abigail," the voiceing from a blue navy Custos peeking out through the wide gap in the tunnel said. Its red electronic eyes seemingly staring at the woman. "Is there a message you wish for me to deliver?" "And make it fast!" the other Custos pilot yelled. "This ce is swarmed with bogeys!" "Yes, Star Maiden! Please, I fear for the safety of the Nova Nina! This Singr--! W-Was ready for the Neo Pinta, but the ship''s velocity caught it off guard... So I''m sure it''ll be ready for when the Nova Nina takes off!" "Are you saying that thing knows where the third ship is hidden?!" the pilot of the pink mecha suit shrieked. After a pause, the other young woman said in a soft voice, "If there''s anything you might know, please, share it with us. For humanity''s sake." "Eventualities can and will happen... Always..." And with thosest words, Abigail Shields was gone, without knowing if her legacy ever seeded. "She''s dead. Now, let''s go!" "That thing was talking to her," Astraea Bradford said through their privatemunication channel. "Thing? What thing? Whatever! We have to go!" "ISA-3," Astraea Bradford called her automaton. "Search Abigail''s pockets. Make it quick." The automaton did as it was told, and with the help of asering out of her index fingertip, it cut Abigail''s Sub-Zero suit as if it was cardboard. "What are you expecting to find, Bradford?" "The drill we just destroyed stayed stationary for a long moment before trying to kill her," Astraea exined in a monotone tone. "Why? The Singr rarely ''ys with its food''." A moment after, the automaton returned to the blue Custos''s back and got inside apartment. A pink item was then delivered to the pilot''s cockpit, where a blonde young woman with icy blue eyes examined it. "A video game?" Chapter 118: VOLUME’S 2 - 1 - CATCHING UP

Chapter 118: VOLUME''S 2 -1 - CATCHING UP

Twenty-four hours after being critically shot by n Warden and burned to ashes by one of Vi Lang''s Advanced Slimes, the Resurrection Checkpoint brought the long-haired girl back to Barcenova, where herpanion was already waiting for her, leaning against the tall stone column, arms crossed. The resurrected girl smiled at herpanion and began speaking in a soothing tone. "Oh, did I make you wait? Sorry for that, but as you saw, that annoying pyromancer was way tougher than expected. That bitch. Oh! And you won''t believe who came here too, chasing after us!" Scarlett, the tall woman with explosive curly hair and eyes as piercing as those of a predator, snarled, showing her canines. "Two defeats, B. I got two consecutive defeats in less than ten days. And for what?" The girl chuckled while tucking strands of silver hair behind her ear. "Come on, my dear. Losing against Astrid Bradford was a given. That one doesn''t count. As for the bitch in red... You know quite well that this is just part of our job. ''Eventualities can and will always''--" Scarlett shut her partner with a grunt. "Don''t finish that damn sentence!" she barked before looking away. "You know what? Don''t count on me for whatever stupid thing Gamma tries next. Tell her I said that. Verbatim." With that said, the woman wearing a yellow jacket that entuated her muscr physique put on a mask that changed her appearance in a matter of seconds. She got 12 inches shorter, and her bulky frame turned graduallynky. Her abundant hair like that of a lion''s mane diminished into a messy curly bob and adopted a darker hue. The other slender girl, with hair and skin as pale as the moon above and a delicate gothic dress as ck as the night surrounding them, waited until the transformation finished before asking, "Are you going somewhere?" Scarlett red in response. "Don''t follow me. You''ll fucking regret it if I find out you sent a shadow after me. I just... Whatever. Let''s meet up for lunchter. Okay? Like...ter,ter..." And with those words, the woman who had challenged Astrid Bradford to a deathmatch at Londorus and had fought Amelia Lamme viciously in Unus Town, let the shadows cast by Barcenova City engulf herpletely. Serenity let out a soft sigh as she looked up. The pir of stone in front of her disyed the statue of a real historical figure from the Old Earth. In The Novus, a virtual world where its cities were nothing more than parodies or artistic renditions of their real-life counterparts from the Golden Age, why was that replica so important that it had remained unchanged by the developers? The man of his time, standing atop the pir and firmly extending one arm outward, pointing at the sea, seemed indifferent to everything surrounding him. He did not care if the city around him was nothing more than a charade, a futuristic mirror of the one that used to hold it in real life. His resolve looked unwavering, staring into the horizon for all eternity, sure of finding the horizon''s end at any moment. Serenity walked toward it. The sound of her heeled boots resonated through that lonely za. She then caressed the rough pir while her eyes focused beyond it. "We did our part indeed, my love. I''m not as short-sighted as Delta, so I couldn''t care less if we got our asses dragged through the mud. As long as we could instill a little fire in you, Little Mouse, you can shoot me, burn me, or asphyxiate me as much as you want!" She giggled, her pale cheeks turning red. "And just like the real Columbus, I''m dying to see what you''ll find in this dark but vast sea. Tee-hee! The possibilities are endless!" *** ** * * ** *** Six digital monthster. 1.1 Tired of waiting, Marco Souza decided to order a spinach and feta croissant and sparkling water with lime. It''s been an hour now... So even with a mount, an interactive map, and the aid of a tracking system, it''s impossible for this thing to get on time? He checked his Social tab for the fourth time, his impatience growing. No new messages besides the ones he had to respond to, which inquired about his previous 20-hour absence. It was unlike him to be that anxious, but considering where he really was and what he would have to ask his bosster that day... I''d rather quit this guild than having toe up with more excuses... A male NPC brought his order with a smile, and as the croissant and drink were being served, a young woman approached the table. "Sorry for beingte," she said quietly, trying to sound casual, but Marco could discern the pretense in her voice. When he looked up, he found what he could only describe as the ''perfect incognito'': An eighteen-year-old, just like 70% of the ship''s poption. With an average height of... Let''s see... 5 feet and 4 inches tall? Yes, that sounds about right. Weighing... 100--No... 110 lbs. No facial modifications, no apparent body customization... Those can be quite expensive for regr users, which means she might have been a Passive--if her level 35 was not proof enough. And then we have this... Watching the girl''s pink, medium-length hair and Miss Cosmica''s logo on her rose-gold jacket mortified him. It was a distinctive look and clothing line he could recognize even from a mile away, thanks to his current Guild Master... So... A in Jane and a Miss Cosmica devotee, just like the thousands of others, and nothing more. The NPC beside them corrected his posture and addressed the girl in a polite tone. "Good afternoon, miss. Are you joining this table? If so, would you like to check the menu?" The girl''s expression went nk, and her posture became unnaturally rigid, making Marco exhale. You have to be kidding me... He snapped his fingers at the NPC. "Bring the same to my friend here." Then, Marco waited until the servant was out of sight before frowning at the girl. "What are you doing there? Sit." The young woman did as she was told in an almost robotic manner. As if she was processing every muscle movement before doing it. Once their gazes were at the same level, she began softly, "Thanks for inviting me, Marco. I heard I can order mhiato here with anytte art I want." "It''s true. What would you like to see in your drink?" "The Aqu constetion..." she answered quickly, making Marco exhale deeply. "Good," he said under his breath. "As I was saying, sorry for beingte--" "Give me a second," he cut her off. Marco''s body then radiated a dark aura as he quietly cast, "Dark Conjure, Silent as a Grave." The girl in front of him did not know what happened, but could feel it¡ªa strange, tingly sensation on her skin for a couple of seconds before the world around her became muted. She could no longer hear the noise from the city nor the sound of coffee mugs and spoons nearby. "There," he sighed. "That was a spell. No one will hear us talking unless I allow it. What were you saying?" "That sounds quite handy. Thanks, Marco. As I was saying, sorry I couldn''te in time. This User''s body was at a music event. A very crowded ce. I also had toe up with an excuse to get rid of this person''s friends..." Marco studied the girl''s expression while taking a short sip. No emotion in her voice or eyes... So, you''ve just usurped someone''s life without remorse, huh? But, if what the original said is true, this User already knew what could happen to her at any moment... He snickered, staring at his food absently. Giving away your entire life with a simple contract just to enjoy some years offort here... Marco stared at this girl''s eyes. He knew that the one looking back at him was no human, but for a brief moment, by staring just at her silhouette, he had the tiniest glimpse of who this young woman was, once. I can''t really judge you, whoever you were. Anything to escape the hell Earth has turned to, right? I... understand... "We''ll get going once I finish my meal," he said as the NPC waiter brought the girl''s order and offered a ''bon app¨¦tit'' that they could not hear. "And I suggest you eat too. You''ll have to take care of that body from now on." The girl examined the croissant as if she did not know what to do with it, and it was even more apparent when she observed the way Marco consumed it. "All right," she whispered. "Provide me with this User''s name." "Barbara Main." Marco opened his User Interface, and after tapping on it, he shook his head slightly. "No. Check again. I can''t send you a Friend Request." "That''s the name on her Status screen, and it coincides with her passenger''s profile... Maybe she''s currently using a pseudonym." "It wouldn''t send me a ''Failed to Deliver'' message if that was the case, but, you know what? Forget it. It may have something to do with us logging off for a couple of hours. My Social Media tab was acting strangely for a bit before it got reinstated automatically. Maybe it''s affecting you too. Let''s wait a couple of hours and try again." After studying Marco''s actions for a bit, Barbara started eating as well, mimicking him step by step. Marco then noticed that she did not seem to know what to do with her mouth full. Unbelievable... As he sighed for the third time¡ªFourth? This whole situation is exasperating¡ªMarco looked through the window, observing the bustling city of Fleure. A giant Miss Cosmica advertisement could be seen in the distance, promising a coboration with another surprise idol. A world full of pleasures we''ve inherited from our depressed parents. Marco looked down at his te. The delicious, buttery pastry waiting to be eaten was nothing more than an illusion, and yet, he was thankful for it. For existing. And now, just like that fool, I''m part of a damn quest to save this temporary peace. "It''s ironic, isn''t it, ''Barbara''?" Marco asked, smirking. "That you had to use the enemy''s exploit to chase after them. You''re supposed to follow the rules, Captain, not be a pirate like them." He snickered. His golden eyes glimmered with malice. "Or better said, isn''t it ironic that the enemy is abusing the backdoor that your creators put in ce from the very beginning, and is now backfiring on us?" After finally swallowing, the entity controlling Barbara''s body locked eyes with him. "Could you share with me what''s on your mind, detective?" "The Singr knew where to escape as soon as its n went south, as if the person that brought it here had filled it in with such information." He took a pause to sip. The people around them kept on with their lives, oblivious to the fact that the nearby conversation could cause worldwide chaos. "Come on, Barbara," he continued with a soothing voice. "Now that we''re both here and have all the time in the world, be honest with me. You had a list of suspects from the very beginning, didn''t you? That''d help." "Neural Simtion Supervisor, Abigail Shields. Cryogenic Systems Architect, Bradley Mitchell. And Biogenic Enhancement Engineer, Cody Harrison... The main people responsible for creating the Cryo Chamber, and its connection with the Novus Mainframe..." Barbara released the information as if it was deeply carved in her memory, a nk expression on her face. "These three scientists stayed on Earth." "People who worked for them, then." "Irrelevant." Marco chuckled. "I thought you wouldn''t hold information from me, ''Barb''." "I''m not..." she responded, trying her best to sound apologetic, but he knew it was only an act. "Your job is to help me find the five Singr hosts," Barbara continued. "Not inquire about the people who brought it here." "Captain! Given yourck of interest, it sounds as if you already know who the traitors are and have already dealt with them!" Barbara remained silent for a moment. An eerie silence. Her eyes and face looked somber, detached, cold. As if her inhuman nature was peeking its head out. "They will no longer be a threat to humanity. Trust me." Chapter 119: CATCHING UP - PART 2

Chapter 119: CATCHING UP - PART 2

Astrid Bradford stood in solemn silence among the piles of rubble and destion. The chilly air, no longer obstructed by any buildings in a one-mile radius, ran free, blowing her shiny blonde long hair as if it was a long, golden cape. She bit her lower lip. The scenery was nothing but a mirror of what had happened to her beloved city, Londorus, six months ago. And she''s there again, among the destruction, looking like a bloody angel. Her best friend, confidant,--and sometimes secretly idol backup dancer--Helen, strolled to her side, sighing. "They said that even if we came 20 minutes earlier, it wouldn''t be any different. The culprit got out here as soon as they came." "Were there no Rankers here?" Astrid inquired softly as she began marching among the ruins, Helen following her closely. "Rank 35, Eric Pierce... Eliminated. And it seems he was just passing by. This ce is definitely not popr." "And yet, important enough to hold a Safe Zone," Astrid said, looking at the only building refusing to crumble. A magnificent temple, from which all of its beautifully artistic stained ss windows had been blown to pieces. Although the rooftop was no more, the system still gave them information about the still-standing ce: ''Aarmus Cathedral / Church of Development.'' One of Hayden''s churches, huh? "Did they tell you who the culprit was?" Astrid asked. "It wasn''t your old friend the Crimson-d warrior, if that''s what you''re asking. They showed me videos of a person wearing a ck cloak. If this was her, she wouldn''t use a disguise, isn''t that right?" Astrid took another long nce at the destroyed city of Aarmus before sighing. Helen, the young woman with short dark hair and heterochromia eyes, stood nearby, letting her friend take in all that she was witnessing for as long as she needed. "Let''s reunite with the others," Astrid finally said. "There''s nothing we can do here." *** At the city outskirts, a bar in perfect condition stood out, brought by Benjamin Woods all the way from Londorus. Inside, a group of 10 people were sharing arge table as NPCs brought them food and drinks. They then turned their gaze in admiration at the person crossing the door, who walked stoically toward them. One of them even gulped nervously before the young woman spoke. "Residents of Aarmus," Astrid began, "unfortunately, we got herete. But I assure you that with thebined efforts of Shooting Stars and the Titan Hunters guild, we''ll do everything in our power to bring your town back to normal as fast as we can. It may take a week or two, so sorry for the inconvenience." "Don''t apologize, Golden Comet!" one of them said, jolting out of his seat. "We''re thankful for all of your help and how quickly you came to our aid. Isn''t that right, everyone?" I may puke... As Astrid received thankful responses and nods of approval, Helen got herself a bottle of beer from the bar before strolling all the way to the back, where the owner awaited. A petite, twin-tailed girl was sitting at his side, drinking from arge stein of beer. "You don''t like being in the center of the stage?" Benjamin asked Helen with a smirk, making her wonder if he was referring to the real kind of stages--the ones where idols performed for thousands of people. Helen ignored the question and took a seat. "Please tell me this in the house." "It''s free for them," Ben replied. "But for you? It''s on your tab." "I hope this is good..." Helen took a sip and frowned, looking at the beer''s brand. "''Karlberg''? Is this local?" "One of their NPCs knows the recipe." "He also knows how to brew ''akvavit''!" the other girl, Tamara Morin, added, her eyes shining with excitement and a beer mustache on her face. "It''s quite good too!" "Tell her to bring me one of those then," Astrid interjected, joining them. "Because I definitely need one." "Wee back!" Tamara beamed at her. "So... now that you''ve taken a look around, tell me what you think, Astrid," Benjamin, Titan Hunter''s Guild Master, asked while scratching his short beard. "This is the fifth attack in a month..." Astrid held her answer for a moment as she manipted her User Interface and changed clothes, exchanging her deep-blue Battle armor for simple overalls of the same hue and a white shirt. Her hair was now held in a high ponytail, which reached her waist. "They''re being hasty. Probably because they''re preparing for an attack on arger scale," Astrid spoke, staring at a bowl of peanuts. She grabbed a fistful and munched on them. "Whatever they''ve been testing for thest six months¡ªcrunch¡ªseems to finally being to fruition." "But what could they learn from leveling cities like this?" Benjamin grunted, sinking in his seat. "Aside from proving that they can do whatever they want inside Safe Zones? We undo the damage to properties in weeks, and everyone resurrects the following day. So what? The only loss here is Gold." "And time..." Tamara added as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Who wants to keep doing this for the rest of our life here?" "Exactly! And what''s our Administrator of Conduct doing?!" Benjamin raised his voice, mming the table. "Absolutely nothing!" "I don''t think she''ll ever help us with this," Tamara followed. "She might be taking this as a test for us to resolve." "You know what? Maybe they''re the ones involved." "''T-They''?!" Tamara cried out. "Who''s ''they''?" "The Administrators! Suddenly, a bunch of individuals with the power to ignore their restrictions appear out of nowhere, and no one does anything about it? Yeah! Nothing suspicious about that!" "B-But why would they--?" Benjamin leaned in toward Tamara and pulled her cheeks. "You said it yourself! They''re TESTING US! To see if we can ovee any obstacle now that we''re all the future rulers of the next Earth!" "O-Ouchie! Okay, okay, I got it! Let go!" Helen, who had remained silent, nced at her friend constantly stuffing food into her mouth. "What do you think, Bradford?" "I won''t forgive them..." Astrid muttered, but everyone at the table heard her. When she looked up, the texture of her eyes resembled arctic ice. "They''ve been messing with our homes... Londorus... Unus..." When Helen heard the mention of thest town, she chuckled. You''re still thinking about him, huh? Satisfied with Astrid''s reaction, Helen decided to open her User Interface and indulge herself in the Nav. Serious talks bored her to death. And yet, here I am... As if I was some kind of altruistic bitch. She sighed and consulted today''s trending videos and streamings. One video caught her attention, titled: ''Soloing a Raid Boss if I get 5k likes!'' She tapped on it, not expecting much, but as soon as the audio and video yed for her only, she grinned. The table''s conversation continued without her: "All right, Tamara. Get in contact with the Contractors Guild so they sent--" "I already did that, and their schedule is full." "I told you, Astrid. Five attacks in a month. It''s understandable for the contractors to be busy." "How quickly can theye then?" "Don''t worry about it, Guild Master. I hired an independent contractor. His prices were the same as the guild, but he guarantees to finish in half of the time." "Bollocks." "I-I''ve searched for referrals, and it seems he''s telling the truth! He''s getting notoriety for working with hundreds of NPCs, day and night. He''lle tomorrow morning." "Well, that''s something I''ve gotta see! Maybe we could stay here a little longer while he finishes the job. I''ve always wanted to explore the region of Lanmark. Do you know any good tourist traps we could go to, Ben?" "Well, we could tackle N?xxen''s Lair solo. I got word that he spawns a rare mate--" "ARGH! Are you hearing yourself?! Tamara, search for something fun to do in the area, okay? That involves no battles at all!" "Understood, Guild Mas--" "NOOO!" Helen gasped, looking at her video screen. "She did NOOOT!" "What is it, Helen? What are you watching?" Tamara asked, but Astrid did not share her curiosity. "Please, don''t show me another prank video..." "It''s not that!" Helen said, excited. "Guys, tell me, do you know a Ranker called ¨²na Caghan?" "No," the three replied in unison. "Me neither! But she seems to be cranking up the rankstely! She went from being a nobody a month ago to reaching Rank 23!" Astrid let out a loud sigh. "And that''s relevant, because..." "She mentions yooou..." Helen intoned, erging the video window and toggling the visibility on. Helen''s three uninterestedpanions watched a snowy mountain scenery at first, before a woman with brown skin and green, gleaming eyes like those of a precious jewel appeared front and center. She was wearing a revealing sporty outfit that was definitely not designed for the freezing air currents surrounding her. The wind blew her raven-ck, long hair majestically behind her. With a brilliant smirk, she addressed the camera, leaning forward, so that everyone could catch a glimpse of her more than voluptuous cleavage. "We''ve reached 3k likes, my wonderful and supportive cattle! And that''s not all! Special thanks to all the fattest cows who helped achieve the donation goal of 125,000 gold! I''ll be sending a special photoshoot to the top three contributors. Thank you all, bastards!" "What the hell is this, Helen?" Astrid asked with a grimace, but Helen said nothing, forwarding the video by 30 seconds. "So, before I take on the promised challenge, let me tell you a little story of why I''ve decided toe to this god-forsaken icy rock! Well, you''ll see, my beloved pigs, half a year ago, a sole User did what no one in their sane mind would do! This person, without warning, challenged J?tnarkungen, one of the Novus'' toughest Raid Bosses known for its extreme defense and durability, and tore it to pieces in less than 40 seconds! SOLO! Can you believe that?!" Hearing that monster''s name made Astrid lean forward in her seat. "Wait a minute..." she muttered, catching Tamara and Ben''s attention. The stream''s chat went wild. ---------------------------- Lol, that''s bullshit Oink, oink! Turn me into bacon and eat me, Una! Duuude! That''s crazy! Does anyone know who''s she referring to? Is she going to do the same? No way She''s killing it in that outfit I can only think of 5 Rankers that could do that Does anyone know if she customized her tits? How does she know that happened? No way in hell she''ll do the same Get back to being a cam whore, Una! Is she going to do Battle Streams now? ------------------------- "Can you believe such a feat, my dear cattle? Well, it''s all true! How do I know that? Because I watched it all with my own cute little eyes, back when I was part of the former Storm Crusaders guild! Now known as--who the hell cares! Tee-hee! And that person was..." the streamer giggled, holding onto the information for a little longer while the chat started firing up potential names. "None other than the Golden Comet, Astrid Bradford!" "Bloody hell..." Astrid whispered, as the young woman named ¨²na smiled at the camera. Benjamin''s mouth dropped. "A-Astrid... Is that true? Can you really solo that boss? Tell me, friend, would it be possible to go with you next time you--" He trailed off, as Tamara elbowed him in the ribs. "W-What was that for?!" "Can''t you see her expression, you fool?" Tamara whispered in Benjamin''s ear. "If even I knew nothing about it, that means she didn''t intend for it to be public." She took a second to nce at her boss, before whispering in an even quieter voice. "Must have been something embarrassing that she did on a whim. You know what I mean? The word that starts with ''T'' and finishes with ''M''." "Tantrum?" Ben asked aloud, getting another painful strike to the ribs. Meanwhile, Helen was already satisfied. Your flustered face is such a delight to see! She giggled, looking at her Guild Master''s rigid expression. Oh, I can''t wait to witness your next reaction... Coming... Right now! The streamer continued, "Well, after telling you all that, you may be asking, ''¨²na, that''s an interesting story, but what the hell does it have to do with your promise of soloing a boss?'' Well, my impatient cattle, I''m an entertainer, first and foremost! So, I''ll do the same today. I''ll show you that gigantic turtle''s beating core myself! But to make it even more interesting... I''ll do it..." She paused, smirking widely at the camera. Everyone at the table, with the exception of Helen, held their breath. "...In one hit! I''ll kill this Raid Boss in a single strike!" "She''s talking shite..." Astrid broke the silence, prompting the others to nce at her for a moment. But the woman recording herself was taking the challenge very seriously. After the chat''sments made her snicker, she equipped herself with an enormous gauntlet that also covered her arm and torso. Then, she ordered her drone camera to take off and get the best possible angle from a secure distance. The mountain-sized boss detected ¨²na''s presence as soon as she entered the chilly valley. "All right, bastards! For this, I''ll need your support! I want you all to type ''K'' in the chat, right now! Give me strength! K stands for KILL!" The chat got flooded with that letter, over and over again, pushing any other incredulousment out of view. "Now, type U! You know what it stands for, right?!" she roared through her microphone, as the camera showed her dashing forward at tremendous speed. The 300-feet tall Raid Boss was already in an attack position, exerting a freezing aura that engulfed the entire valley, all apanied by a powerful battle cry. The chat was now full of the letter U, multiplied by hundreds. "THIS IS MY POWER!" ¨²na dered, jumping 150 feet into the air. "THIS IS THE POWER OF LEO!" Astrid jumped out of her seat, making it fall backward. "THAT FOOL!" A blinding light covered the entire screen as ¨²na unleashed all of her power, shouting, "REGAL ROAR STRIKE!" ¨²na''s Drone Camera was of excellent quality. Not only did it automatically apply a filter to make the image clearer, but it also maintained its position despite the shockwaveing its way. A cracking sound reverberated through the valley and echoed through the mountains. That was J?tnarkungen''s neck and spine breaking. Its head retracted as turtles usually do, but this time, the sheer force of the impact pushed it all the way against its entrails, crushing them. By the end of it, blood ran down like a waterfall, and the shell cracked in two from the inside. The gargantuan creature fell, raising a thick mist of snow. When the Drone rushed to find its owner, ¨²na stood 100 feet away from the corpse, covered from head to toe by the sttering blood. She discarded the broken gauntlet, revealing that her right arm was injured, probably broken. Despite the visible pain on her face, she smirked as soon as her eyes met the camera''s lens and pointed her left thumb against her chest. "To all the people who haven''t subscribed to my channel yet, have I earned it today?!" The chat erupted withments of excitement and incredulity, and new donations started to pop up, one after another. That only made her chuckle. "What do you say, Comet? Ready to give me your ce in the ranks, dear? Wait, hold on, never mind. You can have it! I''m striving for first ce! HA!" After that deration, Helen closed the video, getting face to face with Astrid''s unamused expression. "Oh, no! Another rival has entered the frame, Guild Master!" Helen intoned, smiling widely. "What are you going to do? Your reputation as one of the strongest is on the line! And now, with all of these terrorist attacks, when will you find the time to be stronger and secure your position? Hmm? Oh, but who am I kidding? You don''t care about ranks and poprity! Isn''t that right?" Benjamin frowned at Helen and tried to say something. Anything. He knew that she was going too far, but Tamara held his shoulder and shook her head, as if telling him in silence that this kind of banter wasmon among them. Astrid''s stone-like expression started to crack. Helen was salivating for it. Would Astrid yell? Would she power up a fiery aura and say, ''whatever,'' before stomping all the way to the exit? But when Helen observed the beginning of a smile, she froze. Astridughed. Loudly. The kind ofughter that cracked her voice, and yet, she did not stop. The citizens of Aarmus turned their heads, frowning. What they were hearing did not seem toe from the young woman who had given them hope with a gentle tone and a humble attitude. No. This sounded as if it wasing from a PSYCHO. "That it took me 40 seconds to kill that thing?!" Astrid cried in a high-pitched tone, snickering. "Do you think I was trying to break some kind of record?! I was just taking my sweet time tearing that thing, piece by piece! It wouldn''t be a glorified punching bag if I broke it in one hit! Idiooooot!" That was the first time Benjamin had seen her act that way. He only remained silent, trying to be as far away from her as possible, but the boot he was sitting on prevented him from escaping. The blonde girl with shiny blonde eyes turned to him, holding a malevolent grin that sent shivers down his spine. "Ben," she called softly. "P-Present!" "I''m going to need your help. You know what materials every World Raid Boss drops, right?" "That''s right," he replied immediately, until a realization made him wrinkle his forehead. "Are you... Are you crafting something?" "Yes," Astrid responded, turning to Helen with a smirk. "I think it''s time for me to finally wield a Legendary-grade weapon, don''t you guys think? It''s just as Helen said. I have to secure my pride as the Seventh Ranker, and also be prepared for whatever these terrorists may throw at us." She then turned to Benjamin with a gentler smile, but her eyes still held a dangerous fire. "So help me search for the materials, okay, friend?" This is not what I expected, Helen thought, bbergasted, before grinning from ear to ear. But... I''m totally on board! Come on, heir of the Bradford family name! Instill some chaos into this boring Virtual World! Chapter 120: PHANTOM SEEKERS NOW ONLINE - PART 1

Chapter 120: PHANTOM SEEKERS NOW ONLINE - PART 1

Barbara entered the room and was greeted by a snug-looking bed and aplete set of furniture, which included a mini fridge that promised to be fully stocked. A window offered her a glimpse of Fleure, the Enchanting City, but before she could gaze through it, the girl behind her cleared her throat. "As I was saying, we''ll start training tomorrow morning at 8," the young woman with long, straight ck hair, who appeared physically incapable of recing her grimace with a friendly smile, stated. "So I hope you''ll be prepared before I even knock on this door. Understood?" Barbara nodded and offered a faint smile. "Thank you for being my guide tonight, Ms. Svenson." "Just call me Karen," the girl replied, somewhat irritated, as she folded her arms. "Why don''t you spill the beans already? How did you meet Lord Marco?" Barbara crossed her arms, mirroring Karen''s attitude, and replied in acent tone, "Because he owes me one. From back in the day when we were nothing but noobs. Happy? I won''t go into details though." Karen puffed her chest and snarled, "So now that Marco is part of one of the most sessful guilds, you think you cane here and take advantage of him?! You little--" "Just do what he ordered you," Barbara dered, sitting at the edge of her new bed and crossing her legs. "If you have anyints, direct them to Marco himself. Now, I''d like to rest for now, if you don''t mind." Wrinkling her nose, Karen stepped back and mmed the door, leaving Barbara free to exhale. This went far better than expected, thanks to Marco''s made up backstory and Barbara''s persona. Marco knew his people would question why I''m here, despite his instructions, and it appears that Barbara is well-versed in dealing with individuals like Karen. All of my responses flowed naturally and smoothly. After all the bickering, Barbara felt an urgent need to lie down and sigh, her gaze fixed on the white ceiling above. Marco''s words resonated in her mind: "Unlike your previous ''assistant'', I can''t go incognito. I''m too famous to suddenly vanish from the spotlight. And since you insisted oning along, you''ll have to follow my lead... So listen, I won''t be able to keep you around if you''re below level 80... That''d only raise suspicion. So, you''ll need to level up. I''ve given strict instructions to my trusted associates to assist you with this special training. The correct term for it is ''Power Leveling''. It means they''ll help you reach the desired goal in record time." He then snickered. "Power Leveling can be quite demanding, but since you''re not human, I believe your mind can handle it. As for your body... Well... Good luck convincing ''Barbara'' to ignore the pain. In the meantime, I''ll conduct some investigations of my own..." She opened her User Interface and tapped on the Nav tab while remembering that other topic. "I knew you''d ask about his whereabouts sooner orter. That doesn''t matter. You won''t see him in the near future. But if you must insist, why don''t you consult his name on the Nav and learn all about histest escapades yourself?" That''s what Marco said. So I only have to write his name here and consult it like any other wikia, right? After hitting ''search,'' the most relevant result read, ''Meet n Warden, Novus'' Weakest User!'' Tapping on it, she was redirected to a video site called ''Cosmic Nation''. As she struggled to erge the window, an introductory video automatically yed, featuring a young woman with brown skin and pink hair. She wore a purple skin-tight suit with the website''s name emzoned across her torso down to her legs. Then, she addressed the camera in an upbeat tone: [Hiii! Ghostly greetings to you, fam! I''m your favorite host, the ''Monster Enchantress'' herself, ra Dom¨ªnguez! Wee to the Phantom Seekers'' Official Streaming Site! Featuring the Novus'' Weakest User! Yes, you heard that right! Fate decided to induce him into a hellisha for three years, and the rest of the world forgot about him, but he''s back with a vengeance! Ready to reign terror at every single raid and dungeon thates in his guild''s way! I''m talking about the one with an indomitable spirit, n ''The Ghost'' Warden!] Barbara looked at the presentation, perplexed. "I told you this was an incognito mission, n. What''s the ''other me'' thinking? After skimming through all of Phantom Seekers'' catalog, Barbara decided to watch their most recent upload, ''Against Dairion, The Faerie King.'' A message prevented her from continuing. ''Subscribe and get ess to ourtest content for only 5,000 gold!'' Barbara checked her current bnce, 35,360 gold, and epted. What followed was a recording from the day before, featuring n and his allies fighting a mythical being in what seemed to be a cavern. Various options popped up for Barbara to select. She gradually learned to switch the camera and focus on any of the Phantom Seeker''s members she desired. She then opened two additional windows, focusing on n and Ashley Yates'' perspectives respectively. *** ** * * ** *** n Warden unloaded the entirety of his assault rifle''s charge before yelling, "Anastasia!" [Roger that.] The aforementioned female NPC with longvender hair tied into a high ponytail dashed forward, wielding a double barrel shotgun/de in her right hand and a shield almost as big as her in her left one. As she shortened the distance, she fired a shot at the boss, who protected himself with a barrier of vines that sprouted rapidly from the ground. With the size of a man and wings just as big, Dairion, The Faerie King, made himself heard with a thunderous voice, "How dare you enter this sanctuary?! The fairies have told me everything about you! You steal, kill, and destroy! Do you think you''ll escape this ce, unscathed?! These woods belong to the majestic Lady Briarose! So in her gracious name, I''ll punish you all!" n frowned as he got cover behind a pir. [I''m lost. What was the lore behind this dungeon again?] [Dairion is attempting to reim the Lawford Woods from the Users in the name of nature], ra Dom¨ªnguez replied through their streamingmunication channel, also avable for spectators to listen. She then sipped a pi?a cda and licked her lips. [And by ''nature,'' I mean it quite literally. He''s infatuated with a giant oak tree that whispers suggestive things into his ears. Like, ''oh, Dairion, after you regain control of ournd, why don''t youe here and im your reward? That''s it. Taste my sweet sap, baby!''] [...Are we really going to battle a sexual tree after this?] [Maybe? Are you looking forward to it?] [Shut up! Be, provide covering fire!] [Of course, Guild Master,] the female NPC wearing a mage robe, with turquoise hair styled in a bob, replied and immediately began channeling. [Fire Crafting, re!] Upon impact, Be''s burst of fire burned through Dairion''s vine-based shield. The Boss retaliated with a whip extending from his palm, binding her waist and arms, but Anastasia quickly severed it with her de. n flinched. [That was too close! ra, I need Fabio and Dk on the battlefield now!] "Oh, n, when will you learn?" ra murmured, while her exceptionally handsome male NPC served a cup of tea by her side. "Cream as always, mydy?" he asked the other young woman seated at the table. Dressed in a bodycon dress with tinum hair and red eyes, Dk, the one who was neither an NPC nor a Dungeon Boss, replied in a soft voice, "Yes, thank you, Fabio." She then pursed her lips as she watched her master take another long sip. "ra? n needs our help." "In a minute, my dear," ra said with a smirk. "Let them handle the first round. He''s always in a rush! He must learn that this is all about providing a good spectacle too." After offering Dk a smile, ra gestured at the tea. "Come on, you have time." The former Dungeon Director reluctantly took a quick sip while sending n an apologetic look. n cursed through their shared channel secondster. [Fine!] He exhaled, regaining hisposure, and his eyes refocused. [Sloochie, Fire Shots.] [Ha-ha-ha! Right away!] a child''s voice replied, as a liquid substance, adhered to n''s tactical jacket, flowed through his arms and enveloped his assault rifle in a metallic orange hue. [Ready when you are, n!] --------------------------- Elemental Boost acquired: Fire. Your weapon now deals additional damage with fiery shots. --------------------------------- Meanwhile, Be made sure to incinerate every defense Dairion summoned from the ground, while Anastasia fired shot after shot from close range, simultaneously defending herself against the boss''s sword crafted from rose thorns. n took a deep breath before taking aim and firing a full charge. Each shot seared Dairion''s skin, prompting him to re at n with fierce, demonic eyes. "I will defend thesends, even if it costs me my life!" The Faerie King mmed both palms against the floor, summoning four gigantic roses that burst from the ground. From each of them, fairies emerged. These creatures had purple, pink, and blue humanoid heads, with bodies, wings, and antennas inspired by butterflies. [Great! More of those things!] n eximed as something else grabbed his attention. Did that 20-foot rose just move? He watched the one next to him closely until its petals bent, forming an improvised maw. With a chilling cry, it transformed into something resembling the head of a dragon. The system assigned it a name: ''Rosedrake.'' [Oh,e on!] n received a notification that his assault rifle had cooled down before retaliating against the flying pests, incinerating them, but could do nothing against the bigger enemy. When the monstrous rose attempted to bite him, he jumped aside, cursing. Anastasia dispatched the approaching fairies with a single shot from her weapon, asionally taking out two at once due to its concave reach. When the gigantic rose tried to crush her with its body, she pushed it back with her shield. Be easily vanquished her respective horde after casting her spell, "Fire Crafting, Twisted Firestarter!" The spell caused her body to glow for a couple of seconds before releasing all the gathered energy in a zing explosion. The twelve fairies copsed to the ground with charred wings and burnt faces. Even the group enjoying tea and snacks came under attack. "Excuse me, ma''am," Fabio said softly as he equipped his Electric Elemental gauntlets. "I have to take out the trash..." He then moved with incredible speed to intercept the iing fairies. Brains and eyes sttered on the ground every time he used his fists. "''Take out the trash''?" Dk quoted, grimacing. "Seriously, ra? This is the fourth time he''s said it." "Tell that to the people in the chat," ra said, disying a window filled with excited userments. "People love it." "Whatever..." Dk exhaled, opening her user interface in preparation for the Rosedrake targeting them and getting ready to attack. "Loading," she said aloud as she tapped the virtual window in front of her with quick fingers. The rose bent over and used its head to pummel the ground, but Dk was no longer there. "Combat Maid Mode," she finished casting, appearing atop the petals. Now wearing a skimpy housemaid outfit, she materialized a dagger in her hand and made several shes as she ran across the rose''s cane. When she finally stepped on the ground, she made a curtsy for one of ra''s multiple drone cameras. White fluid spurted from the rose''s multiple cuts behind her, signaling its defeat. "Way to go, Dk!" ra apuded from her seat. "Don''t forget your catchphrase!" Dk looked directly into the camera in front of her, pursed her lips, and said in a quiet tone while gesturing a heart with her hands, "Love and justice will always prevail!" A momentter, ra grinned at the sight of iing donations, and when she showed them to Dk, she jerked her head away and eximed, "W-Whatever!" Chapter 121: PHANTOM SEEKERS NOW ONLINE - PART 2

Chapter 121: PHANTOM SEEKERS NOW ONLINE - PART 2

After scorching her respective Rosedrake, Be targeted the one attacking n, but with a violent flutter of his wings, Dairion appeared in front of her and grabbed her by the neck, shouting, "Are you using fire, our natural enemy?! Outrageous! You''ll perish first!" Anastasia received a notification that her ''sister'' was in danger, but her master was a priority. Without thinking twice, she tried to charge toward n, but the Rosedrake caught her, closing its petal maws around her waist. [This isn''t going well!] n said through Party Chat, his weapon overheating again. The rose''s shadow loomed over him. [At least save yourself, Sloochie!] Just as n was about to toss his weapon to his side, the slime adhered to it sprang to life and took humanoid form. Standing at a height of 4 feet and 2 inches, the Advanced Slime spoke with the voice of a ten-year-old child, "I would never escape, n! I''ll protect you!" He then puffed his entire body like a balloon, negating the rose''s attack. The Rosedrake shake its head, seemed to stare at its new opponent, and opened its maws wide, ready to swallow him whole, but arge silhouette intervened, catching the hardened petals with big, muscr hands. "Loading, Housekeeper Mode," Dk said in a lower voice. She now stood almost ten feet tall, wearing a leather vest that revealed her gray, hulking arms and shoulders. "Good job, Sloochie," she said, looking back at him with a smile. "You did well protecting our Guild Master." "Miss Dk!" the orange slime boy beamed before n grabbed him by the wrist. "Come! Give her space to fight!" On the other side of the battlefield, where the young NPC pyromancer''s life bar was gradually decreasing, Fabio came to her rescue. He kicked Dairion in the face, causing the boss to fall onto his back. "Are you okay, Ms. Be?" Fabio asked in a gentle tone. "Thank you so much, sir," Be replied, caressing her neck. "Don''t mind me. I''ll cover you." With a nod, Fabio dashed forward, ready to take on the boss. That left only Anastasia, still struggling to break free from her designated Rosedrake''s maw. As soon as she received confirmation that her Master and sister were alright, she closed her eyes. [Master n, permission to go Super.] "You heard her, Sloochie!" n said to the slime, who nodded and turned liquid, adhering to n''s clothes again. After confirming that he had a mana boost, n announced through party chat, [All set! Go all out, girl!] [Thanks, n, Sloochie,] Anastasia said in a formal tone. Then she channeled mana around her body and cast, "Super Mode..." Immediately gaining a boost in strength, she pushed her shield up until it broke the maws enclosing her. Her smooth fair skin gained fur until it covered her entire body, her mouth and jaw erged like that of a canid, arge fluffy tail emerged from under her skirt and lifted it, and her eyes turned a beastly golden. "Fox Hybrid Form!" she cried, as if a surge of simted adrenaline ran through her digital veins. The Rosedrake fell soon after, prey to her new feral might. Meanwhile, Fabio and Be were having difficulty hitting the enemy. When Fabio threw an electric-powered punch forward, Dairion would dodge it with anticipation. And when Be tried to scorch the ce where the boss was standing, he would flutter his wings and fly away. With Sloochie''s support, n shot Fire bullets at Dairion, but he dodged with extreme ease. [What the hell is going on?!] n cried through Party Chat. [We can''t hit him anymore!] [Oh, so it''s this time of the battle, huh?] [ra? Do you know what it''s--Wait, no! No spoilers!] [This isn''t a spoiler, n. This is surely just amon mechanic some of the Novus'' bosses share. Dairion has entered a special phase and won''t snap out of it until we hit him in a very specific way.] [But how? Dairion is dodging our fastest member''s attacks, and even my long-range shots!] [You have your answer already, Guild Master.] ra giggled, repositioning her sses. [One has to throw a hit so fast he cannot even anticipate.] n narrowed his eyes for a moment before gasping. [Ashley!] 350 feet away from him, a girl with long frontal braids that reached her waist reached for her back and grasped a sniper rifle. [n, I''m in position. Sorry for beingte.] [How did the treasure hunting go?] [Very fruitful, yes. I will show you my findings once we return home.] She then looked through the scope, targeting the enemy''s head. [Target in sight. Ready to take the shot. Awaiting orders.] n gulped before smirking. [Fire.] The next thing he saw was Dairion''s forehead bursting open, and with it, the remainder of his HP dropping. The boss copsed, bringing a sense of calmness to the spacious cavern. n and Dk let out a sigh of relief, while the three NPCs rxed their postures and put away their weapons. [Well, that was easy.] n snickered, to which ra exhaled loudly. [It never is...] The ground shook, making them lose bnce. Multiple tree roots emerged from under their feet, and two, in particr, picked Dairion''s fallen body with extreme care and devotion. A thunderous female voice was heard,menting, "My sweet king! WHAT HAD THEY DONE TO YOU?! You can''t fall in this ce! Not here, not now! Rise, my beloved King! Rise and bring justice to these woods, I beg you--No, Imand you!" n saw one of the branches pierce Dairion''s heart, injecting it with energy. The boss was then brought to life, sporting a new regal, pristine white outfit and wings to match it. A system notification announced: ------------------- Cryptic White Dairion - The Heart of the Wood''s Emissary - ---------------------- [Ah, right. Of course it has a Second Form,] n said, through clenched teeth. [But... Although I know this is all scripted, it looked very sick--I mean, everyone, stay on guard!] n heard Ashley firing again, but this time, the wound on Dairion''s forehead healed in a matter of seconds. [Ashley, watch out!] n cried as Dairion flew in her direction. An impact was heard soon after. Meanwhile, the bursting tree branches let the rocky wall in front of them copse as they reached out, revealing an enormous hawthorn tree trunk underneath. More Rosedrakes emerged too, uttering a chilling cry. -------------------------- Elemental Spirit Tree, Briarose - Queen of Lawford Woods - --------------------------- "Your blood will serve as nutrients, invaders!" [The horny tree is here!] n eximed, taking in its majestic size. Since he could not see its canopy, he knew this was nothing more than its root system. [Your orders, Guild Master?] Fabio asked before Anastasia charged forward, still affected by her Beast Form adrenaline rush. [Protect Be! I want her to deal as much Fire damage as possible.] [Roger that!] Be and Fabio said in unison. [What about me?] Dk asked n, in an almost pleading tone. [I''ll let you decide which form to take, something effective against the enemy. I''ll go hide and take cover. I can''t let Anastasia run wild; she''ll hurt herself.] Dk nodded, looking him in the eye. [Call me if you need me. Beating this without you would be meaningless.] After watching Dk go, n ran in the opposite direction and hid behind one of the dead rose canes to cast, "Active Skill, Puppet Master." Communication with Anastasia synced right away. She was currently charging forward, cutting down any living branch that tried to smash her with feral brute force. (Master n? I''m so sorry, I lost control again.) (You''re doing great, actually! Let''s see what we can do to take down this overgrown tree, together.) At the farthest corner of the rocky chamber, ra monitored Ashley, who was engaged inbat with Dairion. No matter how many times she tried, Ashley could not harm her enemy, who regenerated almost instantly. [n, I have a theory. The Faerie King can only be defeated once we get rid of the giant tree first. Ashley and I will take care of him. You go after Briarose.] [Finally, it''s time for you to do something! Understood, leave the tree to us!] [Don''t thank me], ra replied while gesturing in the air with fingers that radiated mana. A magic circle appeared on the ground as she cast, [Summoning Fiend, Eight-Way Dark Lover!] Multiple tentacles emerged from the magic circle without revealing their owner and rapidly extended toward the unsuspecting flying boss, binding his limbs and waist. [This will hold up for a while,] ra said to Ashley, who was bleeding from her forehead and nodded. Through Anastasia''s eyes, n watched as Rosedrakes protected the tree from any attacks Be threw at it, getting reced as soon as they were burnt. And we only have one pyromancer... nmanded Anastasia to cut one of them with all her force, and from the cane, a thick purple gas emerged. [Oh, you have to be kidding me!] he eximed, forcing Anastasia to leap back immediately. System warnings appeared in his field of vision. [Poison! Great, just great! So the only safe way to get rid of them is by burning them?] A vine entangled Anastasia''s ankle, causing her to fall violently against the ground. When n made her turn around, both of them saw the vineing from one of the roses, as if it were a tongue. Two more roses crawled forward, pointing their closed petals at the NPC. Then, it happened in an instant. Anastasia was showered in a thick purple mist. In his panic, n did everything in his power to help Anastasia break free. He even ordered her to leave her shield behind. It took him a while to notice that no matter which key he pressed, Anastasia was not moving anymore. [F-Fabio! Help Anastasia, please!] [It seems that someone has beaten me to it, Guild Master,] the male NPC replied, watching a silhouette jump inside the venomous gas. Soon after, a half-human, half-spider creature emerged, carrying Anastasia in her arms. [Bravo, Ms. Dk. Well done,] Fabio celebrated, making a short bow as she passed him by. Dk, transformed into an arachne thanks to her data from thete Professor Spiegel, dashed all the way to n''s location. After gently cing Anastasia on the ground, her gaze focused on n''s distressed expression. "She''s still alive." n quickly retrieved a bottle from his inventory and offered it to the NPC, who could barely breathe. "Anastasia, this is an antidote. Please drink this!" Anastasia sipped it slowly, but her status remained unchanged. "Are you okay, Dk?" n asked quietly. "I''m immune to poison in this mode. She... breathed a lot of it." ra reached their side and quickly knelt in front of the affected NPC. "I''ll take care of her, n. Go." Clenching his teeth, n grabbed Anastasia''s shotgun/de, nodded, and gestured to Dk to apany him, giving instructions along the way. "I need you to take the Count''s form. Is that okay with you?" The woman smiled mildly. "It''s totally fine. I''ve already moved on. But thanks for asking first. What''s my objective?" n replied through their general chat, [We can''t get close to it, so Dk will cast the most devastating spell she can muster at those Rosedrakes. That will give Be the opportunity to target the tree directly. Fabio and I will cover you both.] [I''ll do my best, Master n!] Be eximed. [Consider it done, Guild Master,] Fabio said. [I''ll keep guarding Dairion, so don''t worry about him,] Ashley added. Dk nodded, exhaling. "All right, then..." She closed her eyes and allowed herself to prolong the moment as much as she could. "Loading..." she whispered, this time with a sense of determination. Glimpses of a tall gentleman with pointy teeth crossed her digital mind. The memory was corrupted; she could no longer remember his full face or his voice. But it was okay. It was better that way. "Countess Mode." Her body transformed into that of a youthful woman, dressed in a gothic red dress. A choker ne adorned her neck and cleavage. Her fingernails grew sharp, resembling ws, and her skin gained a purple hue. She felt her canines extending, and her hair turned wild and wavy. Now, she could smell it all, from every corner of the Boss Chamber, the blood of the fallen fairy minions, and the leaking sap of every in Rosedrake. Boss Encounters were treated differently than regr battles. The Novus allowed corpses to remain in the battlefield until either the User fell or the Boss was defeated, because, who knows, maybe they could serve a purpose. "Water Crafting, Dark Style..." Dk intoned,manding every single drop of blood and sap toe her way, even the dried droplets from Ashley''s forehead. Knowing that would not be enough, the Countess cut her wrist and offered her own life to the spell. In a matter of seconds, a red ball formed in front of her, growing in mass by the second. Meanwhile, Be was channeling all of her mana into her next spell. "Major Fire Crafting..." she was casting, her golden-tier staff aloft. n and Fabio were also doing their best. The Combat Butler kicked and punched with electric fury at every Rosedrake that dared to have its sights on Be. Every time the elemental monsters released poison through their wounds or maws, Fabio would step aside with fast feet and retreat. n attacked from a distance, defending Dk. His fire-enhanced shots were quite effective against the creatures. Rosedrakes would fall feet away from reaching him. Yet, something was nagging him. He nced in Be''s direction. "Sloochie... Support Be." "But if I go, your weapon will return to normal." "It''s okay, I also have Anastasia''s weapon. Go. Give Be all the mana you have." "All right. If you think you can handle this..." The slime boy turned liquid and fell to the ground, then took humanoid form and dashed toward Be, fusing with her mage robe. "Sloochie?" the NPC called out. "n''s orders. So don''t disappoint him, okay?" Be checked the increase in her mana pool and smiled. "I can do it!" Ashley observed Dairion gathering all of his strength to break free from the tentacle binding his right arm, ripping it by force. She then shot his free hand to stop him from doing the same with the others. [Dairion is growing stronger!] Ashley cried. [How are the spells going, guys?!] n asked, switching to the shotgun. [I am ready,] Dk replied first. [Be?] [Yes! Just give the order, Master n!] Before he could yell, n was tackled by a crawling Rosedrake, tossing him to the ground. All of the participants took notice and held their breath. [Master n!] Fabio cried first, ready to go to his aid, but n turned around and fired his shotgun inside the Rosedrake''s open maw. [DYLAK, FIRE!] "Blood sports!" The woman threw ateral kick at the crimson ball she had gathered, sending it forward. A Rosedrake was in the way, which was dispatched by Fabio with one swift punch. The ball then sessfully reached the epicenter of the guarding monstrous living roses and exploded, sending hundreds of sharp red des in every direction. Rosedrakes lost their petals violently, and their canes were cut cleanly. There was now an open path toward the Briarose. "My children!" she shrieked. [BELLA, NOW!] The NPC pyromancer extended her staff forward and chanted, "Infernal Dragonbreath!" Sheunched an incandescent beam of concentrated fire in a straight trajectory, its tip resembling the head of a dragon. The spell made contact in a second and burned through the giant tree as if it was butter, which let out a chilling cry. "MY QUEEN!" Dairion cried, getting rid of thest tentacle imprisoning him. Ashley shot at him immediately, but he flew toward Briarose, ignoring the hole in his chest. "MY BELOVED, MY EVERYTHING!" [His HP is in the red!] Ashley yelled. [Deal the finishing blow, now, n!] The Phantom Seekers'' Guild Master stood on his feet and swapped weapons again, this time choosing a magnum handgun. "Active Skill, Steady Shot," he cast, and the world around him slowed down, allowing him to carefully correct his aim. He only needed to pull the trigger and secure the victory. However, an eagerly impatient young boy imed the kill first. "This is for Anastasia!" Sloochie cried at the top of his figurative lungs, engulfing Dairion with his gtinous body and incinerating it from the inside. n''s shot missed as Dairion''s charred corpse fell to the ground. A system message appeared soon after. ------------------ Congrattions! Dairion, King of the Faeries and Briarorse, Queen of the Lawford Woods, defeated! ---------------------- "T-That happened..." n muttered, holstering his gun. "Nya-ha-ha! Did you see that, guys?" Sloochie said, hands on his hips. "I avenged sister Anasta--!" ra engulfed her fist with Dark energy and bumped his head. "You idiot! You took all that XP from n!" Covering his injured head, Sloochie turned to him, and said apologetically, "S-Sorry, n! I forgot..." "Ah, it''s okay," n shrugged, patting the slime''s head. "You''re also part of this team, right? So you also have to get stronger." "T-Thanks, n! I''ll make sure not to screw up next time!" "At least you''ve reached level 30 now," ra said, exhaling, before noticing n''s concerned expression. "Anastasia?" "Didn''t make it." "Oh..." n snickered bitterly, lowering his gaze, "We... really need a healer... Huh." Chapter 122: COMPLACENT INSECURITY - PART 1

Chapter 122: COMPLACENT INSECURITY - PART 1

Astrid stood in awe at what she was witnessing: Close to a hundred individuals were working collectively to rebuild Aarmus Town. Every single one of them knew what to do, like carrying materials, hammering, and cutting logs of wood without uttering a single word to each other. "Beautiful," Astrid said as she walked through the construction site, mouth agape. "It''s just as you said. A constructionpany entirely run by NPCs." Tamara let out a sigh of relief by her side. "I''ll have to be honest, I was a little nervous when I hired them, but thank the goddess they''re the real deal, huh?" "I bet they''re all connected through a Party Chat or something. That''s why they all look so coordinated," Benjamin chimed in, nodding. "And it also saves them time. NPCs are least likely to get distracted or lose concentration. Truly astounding." "All right," Astrid said as she scanned her surroundings. "Before I go, I''d like to speak to the contractor. Where is he? What''s his name?" "You''re looking for Bill Warren, ma''am," Tamara said, looking around, until her eyes set on a man atop an iplete house, working on its rooftop. Wearing working clothes and a shirt drenched in sweat, he looked fully immersed in his work, driving his hammer up and down with skilled precision. "Hey, Bill!" Tamara called out, and the man with dirty blond hair tied in a ponytail nced down, showing his overgrown winter-style beard. He jumped down, and seemed to grimace for a second for having been interrupted from his job, but hid it quickly. "Ms. Tamara," he said gruffly. His features suggested that he was in his thirties. His physique, unimpressivepared to Benjamin, and his tired eyes hinted that he may have been working for thest three years straight. "Really good work what you and yourpany have been doing for thest two days. Really impressive!" Tamara beamed. "That''s what we''re good at, ma''am," Bill said, giving a quick nce at Benjamin, and finally setting his eyes on Astrid. "Oh, right! I''d like to introduce you to my boss, Astrid Bradford. And this is Benjamin Woods. They''re leaders of Shooting Stars and Titan Hunters, respectively." "Interesting teamwork you have here, Bill," Benjamin said, stretching out a hand, but Bill was not looking in his direction. Bill''s eyes were still scrutinizing the blonde Guild Master in front of him, with a nk expression on his face. "I''m very impressed," Astrid said, unfazed. "I expect you''ll all finish by the weekend, as promised?" "Maybe even sooner," Bill replied, turning around. "Nice meeting you all. Now, if you''ll excuse me..." And with those words, he returned to hisbor in silence. "Why am I not surprised?" Benjamin whispered to Tamara in a bitter tone. "The guy is 24/7 surrounded by NPCs. If there''s something he''scking, it''s social interaction." "Why do you say that?" Tamara asked with a puzzled expression. "All I see is a hard-working man who''s in love with his job." "I think he may fancy something else," Benjamin muttered, ncing at Astrid, who snickered. "On the contrary, Ben. I think he hates me." "Nothing we can do about it," Ben said, shrugging, as they turned around and exited the area. As they were about to reach the outskirts, he glimpsed a flying mount soaring in the distance. "Our tour guide is finally here, Astrid... Are you staying then, Tam?" he asked the petite girl, who smiled at him. "Yes! Until Aarmus returns back to normal. Are you guys going already?" "That''s right. I don''t think your boss can wait any longer," Ben said before Astrid bumped her shoulder against him. "See?" he chuckled. "So... See youter?" "Good luck on your trip!" Tamara smiled and gave him a smooch on the lips. "Trip? I don''t think that traveling with the Golden Comet can be considered a ''trip''." Waving a final goodbye to Tamara, Benjamin and Astrid walked towards a rider waiting beside a recently rebuilt sign, weing every visitor to Aarmus Town. The woman was still sitting atop her Eagle hippogriff, smirking at them. "Here it is, Astrid," Ben started saying, "my number one boss yer, Rita Santoro. She''ll help us--" "There''s still time to gather a raiding group if you''ve changed your mind," Rita intoned, locking eyes with Astrid. She donned the same type of catsuit that Helen and Marissa Lamme loved to wear. So, a Rogue, huh? Astrid thought, studying the grinning girl with curly ck short hair, honey-colored eyes, and ck skin. "We''re good," Astrid said. "I''d do this solo anyway." "Of course you will," Rita giggled. "Especially now that word of your secret skirmish against J?tnarkungen is all over the Nav, eh?" the young woman said in a yful tone, making Benjamin nervous about Astrid''s reaction. "Rita..." he hissed, and she quickly cleared her throat. "I know, I know. This is a top-secret mission. So secret that you haven''t even told me which raid boss we''ll be farming... Seriously, Ben! I could''ve investigated a bit while on my way here." "I haven''t told you yet because I don''t know it yet," Ben stated, turning to Astrid so she could provide them with the info. Astrid exhaled first. "Is it true that all the Legendary-grade weapons have already been imed?" "All of them," Rita replied while checking her red-painted nails. "Until the Administrators give us a new area or a dungeon to explore; and that doesn''t guarantee that we''d be able to snatch its treasures first. Anyway, it''s been four months since thest update, so there is also that..." "I can''t wait." Astrid ran a hand through her scalp. "We''ll have to go with crafting something new from the ground up, as you suggested, Ben. I have a ymore in my personal Vault, waiting to be sacrificed to get its Unique Skill." "Leave it to my weaponsmith." Ben nodded. "He could do that kind of transferring process with his eyes shut." Rita frowned at Astrid, perplexed. "Wait, you have a Legendary ymore already? Why go through the hassle of farming the materials for a new weapon then? Your Battlemage ss could benefit immensely from it!" "Rita," Ben called out to her in a stern tone again, but Astrid put a hand on his shoulder. "It''s okay, Ben. I need toe out clean with her before nning our little trip..." Astrid then locked eyes with Rita and formed a mild smile. "I can''t use a ymore because my ss is ipatible with it. In reality, I''m an Elemental Mage. A pure pyromancer." Rita snickered, turning to Ben to catch a hint if this was all a joke, but after a long few seconds of silence, she shook her head. "W-Wait, let me get this straight... Are you implying you want to craft a STAFF? Like, seriously?! Y-You know you''re FAMOUS for your PUNCHES, right?!" Astrid smiled innocently. "That''s why we''ll forge the sturdiest staff to ever exist. A staff that I can''t ''identally''... break..." Rita reflected on it for a moment. "Like a mace, dash, staff?" "N-No..." "Wait," Ben added. "Giving a strong shape to the staff with the help of the Novus'' resilient material would work wonders for you, Comet." "True... But not a mace, please... NOR a hammer!" Chapter 123: COMPLACENT INSECURITY - PART 2

Chapter 123: COMPLACENT INSECURITY - PART 2

Dan: [Nonsensical destruction, chaos, and the constant threat of war like never seen before. This is what these so-called terrorists¡ªthis unknown organization¡ªhave been inflicting upon our cities, our hometowns, and our safe ces for thest six months. Is the Novus Society crumbling from its very foundation, or is this just another problem that we can solve with sheer violence? To discuss this and much more, we have four very special guests. First up, Erwin Braun... Please introduce yourself, good sir.] Erwin: [Thanks for having me, Dan. I''m Erwin Braun, Leader of the Power Riders guild. Delighted to be here.] Dan [Next, we have Javier Torres.] Javier: [Good evening, everyone. My name is Javier Torres, Moderator of the Church of Conduct. And I''m here tonight in representation of the Ruler Administrator of Conduct, Jane Anderson herself.] Dan: [Andst but certainly not least, tonight, we''re honored to have two of the biggest performers in all of Novus with us! Please wee Lady Unicorn and the idol that has been rising to the top of the charts, Ste!] Ste: [Hiii! Thank you for the invitation!] Lady U: [Hey, Dan, if you had presented us as ''the biggest performers after Miss Cosmica,'' I''d have kicked your face, right here, right now.] Dan: [That''s why I was careful with the introduction! *chuckles* Lady Unicorn, before starting the show, you were telling us that you''re here in representation of your fans.] Lady U: [Not only my fans, Dan, but all the people that are not a guilder, less so a Moderator. Those that have to live in constant fear of their homes getting destroyed at any moment.] Dan: [That''s what we''ll talk about tonight, but before we start, hit that subscribe button, give love to that ''like,'' and help us by promoting this channel! So, let''s begin with this news... Aarmus, a Level-Two town in the Lanmark region was obliterated two days ago! Wow. They''re now even targeting small towns...] Erwin: [That''s right, Dan. And time and time again, the Administrators have proven to be ineffective to take action or even address the issue. Safe Zones are now considered a joke.] Javier: [I totally get your frustration, and the uncertainty around themunity. However, I''m here to rify that our Safe Zones are operating as intended. The possibility exists that these terrorists possess a Unique Talent that allows them to circumvent our security measures, and we''re actively investigating it.] Erwin: [So are you telling me that after six months, you haven''t made any progress on fixing the issue?] Javier: [As I said... The Church of Conduct is working on it.] Dan: [Javier, you mentioned that the terrorists may be using their Unique Talent to bypass the Safe Zones restrictions. What''s the theory behind that? Is it something you can share?] Javier: [Yes, of course. It''s important that themunity knows about it and be prepared. The current theory is that they may be using a skill that locks their stats for a certain amount of time, let''s say, a couple of hours. This would allow them to enter these Safe Zones at their maximum capabilities...] Lady U: [Wouldn''t the Safe Zone nullify that ''lock''?] Javier: [As I mentioned, it''s the current theory. We''re doing our best to address the problem. The thing about Unique Talents is that they''re quite diverse. There are thousands that have never been categorized, and not all specialized inbat. There are hundreds known to act as a support for others.] Erwin: [And then there''s the rumor about the ''special ones''... So I may entertain your theory.] Ste: [What was that, Mr. Erwin? Could you borate?] Erwin: [Haven''t heard about it? There''s this rumor about broken, special Unique Talents, that are supposedly quite insane... Skills that surpass the limits of what we can do inside The Novus. The rumor resurfaced again thanks to this--what''s her name--¨²na Caghan, this streamer that appeared out of nowhere and has reached the top ranking charts in the Individual Power category in such a short amount of time.] Ste: [Ah, yes! The gal that killed J?tnarkungen with one punch! That was quite a spectacle! But she alleges that the Golden Comet could do the same. Why is ¨²na rumored to have a broken UT and not Astrid Bradford?] Dan: [I can answer that... During her livestream, ¨²na mentioned ''Leo,'' and time and time again, incredible disys of powers have been associated with one of the zodiac symbols. For instance, the few well-known people rumored to have one of these special UTs are all in the Top Ranking guilds... These include Denis Volkov from the Defenders of Insanity guild, supposedly possessing Capricorn; Rajat Jair, the current Leader of The Guardians of Dawn, the number one guild, known for having Aquarius; and the famous Carlos Fuente, rumored to possess Sagittarius.] Ste: [Carlos Fuente? Seriously?] Lady U: [That''d exin a lot of things...] Ste: [Is that why Carlos'' clothing brand always depicts a centaur wielding a bow?] Dan: [Let''s just reiterate that this is all a rumor. This could all be just a case of apophenia. This urs when people try to give meaning to a series of connections or patterns that are nothing more than coincidences.] Ste: [Oh, let''s not think that way! The idea of special skills that could change the world is fascinating!] Erwin: [Returning to our previous subject, the Administrators, especially Jane Andersen, are allowing this to happen.] Javier: [Let''s remember that Jane, through a formal announcement, said...] Erwin: [That she wouldn''t pursue quarrels between Users anymore. But I don''t think this can be categorized as such! This is a full-on war against the peace that the citizens of Novus have been building for thest three years! Or are you telling me that since your boss'' announcement, you lost your job? So what is that white cape you''re wearing for then?] Javier: [I understand your impatience. Truly. Our top priority is the safety of ourmunity, and we''re working tirelessly to ensure that.] Lady U: [You''ve been ming the Church of Conduct for a while, Erwin, but I don''t see guilders like yours doing better. ''Cause I can''t help but wonder! Why top-ranking guilds such as yours, which are as strong as the Moderators, don''t help fight these terrorists?] Erwin: [Excuse me? What do you think we all have been doing for thest six months?] Lady U: [Defending Barcenova?] Erwin: [That''s correct! Power Riders has even stopped attending tournaments so we can always be--] Lady U: [And that''s why I can''t stand your hypocrisy! Guilds like yours only care about their hometowns, and the rest can crumble for all they care!] Erwin: [That''s not fair at all! There are hundreds of Safe Zones scattered all over the world. Even if all the top guilds cooperated in conjunction, we couldn''t possibly protect them all simultaneously!] Lady U: [There! Now you''re seeing from Javier''s point of view! You''re wee, J.!] Ste: [*giggles* Oh, my! I didn''t think that this conversation would be this fun!] Dan: [What''s your perspective on this, Ste? Who do you think is in the right here?] Ste: [Well, if you really want to hear what I have to say, then I''ll be honest and say that neither of you! Tee-hee. As a matter of fact, I think I kind of get why these terrorists do what they do...] Erwin: [Yeah? Could you share it with us?] Ste: [Tell me if I''m wrong, but I''ve never seen the Novusmunity being so... strong-willed! I truly believe by the end of this conflict, the Novus'' poption will be more resilient than ever before!] *** ** * With a loud sigh, Amelia Lamme closed the video window and stood up from her seat, visibly annoyed. "Just what we needed, another loony idol... Thanks a lot for ruining idols forever for me, Golden Bitch." The redhead gazed out of her establishment''s window, taking in the view of the city of Waterlord. The entire building was engulfed in silence, except for the persistent sound of her foot tapping against the floor. It had been three days since all the members of Phantom Seekers had departed. Even Sloochie is now part of the raid group... She bit her lower lip while rereading n''sst message for the third time. ''We''re on our way back home,'' it said. Yeah, sure, but that had been an hour ago! She had even had time to shower and change. Should she use that extra time to order something? Nah, bad idea, especially after what happenedst time. The group had be so diverse now that they all had different tastes. And although she knew everyone''s favorite dish, she would rather avoid another argument with ra. That... gal... Even before Shooting Stars gained notoriety, ra had already taken control of every single aspect of management. Sure, go ahead, leave me aside! I''m totally fine with that! Now, Amelia''s only upation was continuing to sell her low-tier jewelry and the more in-demand Phantom Seekers merchandise. Even n''s many failed and experimental weapons and artifacts sold decently well. The only thing Amelia had to do all day was to check the online orders and deliver the goods. "Fan-freaking-tastic..." she sighed. But what could she do? Unless another catastrophe like the attack on Unus Town¡ªor even the Count Dk incident¡ªtook ce, she was destined to remain in the guild''s shadow. Even among the Phantom Seekers fans, very few knew who Amelia was! And speaking of the Dk incident... That damn Countess is now considered the guild''s number one ''waifu''! Very bolding from the NU that literally modeled her body after me... She exhaled and opened her favorite restaurant''s Nav site, tapping on the menu. Screw it... I''ll order pizza again. And if ra has the audacity toin, I''ll freaking¡ª Her thoughts trailed off at the sight of Flying Mountsnding in front of the house. Her heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily ran strands of hair behind her right ear. However, as soon as she noticed that they were not the people she was waiting for, but in fact, unwanted guests, she grimaced. "Oh, this is going to be a long, damn night..." Amelia muttered to herself as she opened the door, leaned on the doorframe, and red at the young woman approaching her. "It''s you..." "Hi, Sis..." Marissa Lamme waved hello at her big sister, wearing a shy smile. "L-Long time no see, huh?" Amelia ignored her and nced at the other two dismounting and saving their Mounts inside their inventory. At first, she thought that William The Stoic--the hulky cretin--hade back to invade her personal space, but this other muscr young man could barely maintain eye contact with her. "Oscar, what a nice surprise!" Amelia feigned a friendly smile. "What has brought you here, friend?" "Amelia." He nodded at her. "Good to see you. Is n home?" "Why? Are you here to kidnap him again?" Amelia giggled. "Just kidding! And who may this be?" She locked eyes with the other girl, who seemed to re back at her. The girl had her hair tied in a ponytail, and her multiple freckles diverted one''s attention from her green eyes. Amelia knew who she was. The girl was a constant presence during Shooting Stars'' live streams. Their rising star, huh? "I''m Brenda Hannes. Nice to meet you, Amelia Lamme." She''s acting nice and all, but her eyes tell another story. "Sure... Listen, n is not here," Amelia said to Oscar before turning around. "If you have business with him, you''re free to wait... here outside." With those words, she passed by her little sister and entered the house, mming the door. "Well, that happened," Brenda said aloud, snickering. "Should I... Should I have started with a bit more small talk first?" Oscar asked Marissa in a hushed voice, to which she sighed. "It wasn''t your fault... It''s mine..." Chapter 124: Holding unto secrets (Part 1)

Chapter 124: Holding unto secrets (Part 1)

Dan: [Take a look at this video. It seems that Aarmus Town it''s on its feet again, thanks to this constructionpany that is entirelyposed of NPCs.] Lady Unicorn: [Just look at all those bastards working like ants...] Ste: [Oh, what a lovely sight to behold!] Erwin: [I don''t think they''re doing it for charity.] Dan: [Seems like not. Thepany is run by this user named Bill Warren.] Erwin: [Never heard of him. But I''m okay with that. Even if he''s doing it for profit, you have to give him credit for it. He''s helping the Novusmunity just when its ''keepers'' abandoned it.] Lady Unicorn: [Please... Let''s not get started all over again...] *** ** * Ashley closed the podcast video and pondered about it for a brief moment. The wind hit her face when she looked frontward. Herpanions were riding their own flying Mounts around hers, each one of their minds in their own world. (Is something wrong?) the slime kid, who was sitting in herp, asked. (Everything is okay, Sloochie. Why do you ask?) Ashley responded through Party Chat, but the Advanced Slime tilted his head, curious. She then called up to n, (Guild Master.) (Don''t call me that. We''re not streaming anymore.) (There''s something I need to do.) n turned to her from his flying hovercraft and raised his eyebrows. (What? Like, right now?) (I''ll return tomorrow morning, I promise.) (Okay. Take care, then.) After helping Sloochie board n''s vehicle, Ashley said goodbye to everyone and flew in the opposite direction, followed by her group''s gaze. (Take that stupid puppy-eyed expression off your face,) ra sneered. (She''ll be fine.) (I know.) Why wouldn''t she? he thought, resuming his journey back home. Half an hourter, the flying mounts and the hovercraftnded in front of the Phantom Seeker''s HQ and were quickly received by familiar faces. People I didn''t expect to see this soon. "Good evening, n," Oscar greeted, and stretched out to him. n shook his hand as he craned his neck up to see him in the eyes. I''d forgotten how big this guy is. "You didn''te to ''forcefully invite'' me to your HQ again, did you?" Marissa chimed in, smirking. "That''s in the past, n! Let it go already!" She then checked n''s info. "You''re level 30 now, eh? I can see you haven''t been sitting on your ass this whole time." "Oh, there is, the other Lamme! Come on, you can say it. I''m still a weakling." Marissa nced at the group standing behind n for a moment before whispering in his ear. "Nah. I won''t tease you tonight, Ghost. At least not that much." As she stepped back, n''s gazended on the third Shooting Star, who frowned slightly at him. She spoke first. "Nice to meet you. I''m Brenda Hannes, from Shooting Stars'' Strikers Division." "Hi, Brenda, nice meeting you!" n stretched out his hand to her. "Strikers, huh? That sounds cool! What do they do?" Brenda examined n''s hand for a moment and decided to ignore it. "We''re the ones that specialize in close quartersbat," she exined and looked away. n shrugged her attitude off and presented each member of his guild. ra acted rowdy as always, and the NPCs spoke in a cordial manner. Marissa found Sloochie adorable, and Brenda took interest in Dk, who tried her best to gather as little attention to her as possible. Finished with the introductions, n turned to Oscar. "So, what brought you here?" "I''m here to represent Astrid Bradford." Oscar straightened up, making himself look even taller. "There''s certain info I''d like to discuss with you in private, n." n''s eyes widened. "I... see! If that''s the case,e on in! And why don''t you stay for dinner?" "That''s right! We were going to throw a party anyway," ra chimed in, hugging n''s neck. "We''re going to celebrate that our Guild Master has reached level 30. What do you say?" "W-We don''t want to be a bother at all!" Oscar replied, forgetting his tough-guy persona. "Talking to n would only take a few--" "We''d like to hang out," Marissa interrupted, prompting Brenda by her side to re at her. "I brought a couple of bottles of wine that I bet will make Amelia go crazy." "It''s all settled then!" ra grinned, pushing Oscar toward the house. "The more, the merrier! Nya-ha-ha!" As the group made their way too, Marissa took a moment to whisper at Brenda. "You don''t even have to say it. I know you hate this, but please, I need this. I''d make it up to youter. Yes?" "It''s okay," Brenda said, wrinkling her nose. "I know why you''re doing this, so don''t mess it up." She then looked Marissa in the eyes. "Although you never mentioned why she''s so upset with you." Marissa sighed and averted her gaze. "Because I kept secrets from her..." "Come on..." Brenda snickered. "There has to be something else." "...Let''s go." * * * It was in their nature for the NPCs to serve dinner. Even if n had told them that everyone in the guild was equal, the NPCs were always the first to bring the food, to open beer bottles, to take the dishes and clean. Once everyone had a ce at the table, the servants ate and drank too. Although programmed to eat and differentiate vors, they never fought for thest chicken wing or asked for seconds. For them, eating was something the system told them to do and nothing else. Brenda knew all that, and yet, she could see the face of the NPC called Dk light up every time she put a piece of strawberry shortcake in her mouth. Brenda double-checked the info the system was giving her and confirmed it, the woman with tinum hair and red eyes belonged to a User just like the Slime sitting in the other corner of the table, sampling every dish avable. "What are you?" Brenda asked Dk, and the digital woman in front of her stopped munching. Dk swallowed first before smirking. "I''m just me. I''m what you see... So tell me, what do you see, Ms. Hannes?" "Forget it," Brenda grunted as she turned to check on Marissa''s progress. Despite the two Lamme sisters sitting in front of each other, neither seemed eager to initiate a conversation. "This is going to be a long night..." Brenda muttered to herself before throwing a frowny look at the Guild Master sitting next to the slime. n said something to Oscar, and the two stood up from the table. "Could you do that for me, ra?" Brenda heard n say, and the aforementioned woman kept her gaze glued to her User Interface as she devoured fries. "Yeah, yeah, I''m already on it." Chapter 125: Holding unto secrets (Part 2)

Chapter 125: Holding unto secrets (Part 2)

"This is my workshop. We can talk here", n said to Oscar as he flicked on the lights and offered him a wooden stool to sit on. What Oscar recognized as a camera drone was opened, and itsponents were spread across a workbench. A collection of firearms were forming a line inside a disy case, and what seemed to be a discardednd vehicley in the back. Although the ce was full of artifacts and trinkets, Oscar never thought of it as messy. He could picture himself working there every day, and he would always find what he needed. "So..." n began, leaning against the workbench. "What''s up?" "Before we start, let me give proof that what I said is true. You should''ve received a message from my Guild Master a moment ago. Could you verify that, please?" A message from Astrid? n thought, slightly frowning. As soon as he opened his User Interface, there it was, above every other notification. It read: Astrid: Hi, n! It''s been a while, huh? Well, straight to the point. Is my friend Oscar there? If he is, good! He''s there to retrieve the goods. You can totally count on him. Bye! "What goods?" n asked, and Oscar cleared his throat. "That''s the excuse she came up with to send me here. She suspects your inbox may bepromised." That''s the same thing Ricardo Silva told me months ago. "So, her ''you can count on him'' bit refers to..." "Yes. Every info I share with you will be as if it wasing out of Astrid''s lips herself. You can also rely on me to deliver any message you want." n bit his lower lip without noticing. Knowing that Astrid relied on this man as her most close confidant definitely sent a piercing sensation to his chest. Stay cool... I trust Amelia in the same way too. Don''t think too much about it. "All right then," n said, smiling mildly. "I''m all ears." Oscar nced at the door, as if he was fearing someone would barge in suddenly. "This is about the Londorus incident." Images of a leveled city, a gargantuan two-headed dragon, and an evil woman with white hair and skin as pale as the moon crossed n''s mind all at once. "What about it?" "I was there too, remember?" Oscar spoke softly, and it may have been his imagination, but n could swear this huge guy was slightly trembling. "I even fought that mysterious woman in ck..." "Yes. And when she caught up with meter on, it told me everything I needed to know about the battle''s result." "She was after you, n," Oscar said bluntly. "I know..." Oscar chuckled looking away, her expression turning somber for a second, as if he could still remember that dark day vividly. "Then you must also know that the woman in ck knew exactly where to find you..." That info was not new. The fact that Amelia Lamme appeared that day out of nowhere too and helped him fight the enemy was quite suspicious. n finally gathered the courage to ask her about it one month after founding Phantom Seekers together. That night, she was enjoying a ss of wine on the rooftop. She snickered first, but after a long moment of silence and a sigh, she confessed. "I was spying on you on behalf of Kathleen Maher... My then new boss was eager to take revenge for the humiliation you and your beloved ''Ex-Guildfriend'' made her pass in front of her entire guild. Kat prepared a little surprise for you that day, and I was her aplice... Oh, and my old bestie too. She was supposed to be the one to twist a knife in your heart... Figuratively speaking, of course." n took a deep breath before speaking. "Amelia told me about it. Before quitting Death Bringers, she helped Kathleen Maher and Karen Svensson prepare a trap on me on Lancesmith Bridge. But the woman in ck appeared first." "That''d exin the fake Astrid..." Oscar said to himself before meeting n''s frown. "Ah, right. Astrid--the real one--told us she encountered someone impersonating her getting a beating by the other terrorist... a woman named Scarlett." Amelia never mentioned an ''Astrid impersonator''... Was that the ''dagger pointing at my heart''? "Does Astrid suspect Kathleen is involved with the terrorists?" "No. Why send Karen in the first ce?" Oscar replied, folding his arms. "And that Scarlett gal wouldn''t have attacked the ''Fake Astrid'' if she was in cahoots with them." "But that doesn''t discard the other Death Bringers that knew about this so-called prank, right?" n continued. "Oscar... I''ve already thought about all this." "Sure. Astrid says you''re quite smart." Oscar smiled, and n wondered if it was a genuine, friendly expression. "She just wanted to make sure you haven''t lost your sharpness..." He chuckled. "You know, she wishes that Amelia is the culprit. That''d make things easier for her, she says." "Well, that''s not the case, though." "I know, I know. She''s part of your guild, so you trust her unconditionally. Unfortunately, we can''t say the same about our people." "What do you mean?" "If a Death Bringer was not involved, then someone from our guild may have followed you that day and informed the woman called Serenity about your location," Oscar said without being able to look n in the eye. "Someone that didn''t quit like the rest of Marco''s followers... Someone that still resides at our HQ to this day." I also thought about that possibility... "Is that why you''re so secretive about this?" "n, no one from Shooting Stars knows what I''m about to tell you with the exception of Astrid... And I''m only involved because of chance! I... We¡ª" He cleared his throat and gulped the drink he had brought with him. "...We know about your search for the Singr." n''s first reaction was to deny it. "What? What do you mean by that? I don''t..." "The Singr managed to infiltrate the Novus. You were sent to look for it. And these people... these terrorists wanted to silence you." The way he''s saying it... It''s kinda vague. As if he doesn''t know the exact details. "Who told you all that?" Oscar pulled out something from his inventory, as if he was waiting for that moment. "Here." It was a card with a name written on it, ''Carlos Fuente,'' and the logo of a bow and arrow at the back. "Who''s this?" "The closest we have to a irvoyant here in The Novus." "Bullshit." "Of course you reacted the same as I did, but you should meet him. He knows things..." "Is he the one that told Astrid about the ''you know what''?" "YES! I just happened to be with her that day when Carlos suddenly showed up at her caf¨¦. They talked for about an hour while I waited outside. He told her about you being monitored 24 hours a day, and when he nced at me, he said, ''you can trust this one to be your messenger''... As if... As if he knew my involvement in this whole scenario wasn''t as impactful..." Oscar took a second to breathe and pointed at the card. "Astrid wants you to meet him. He... this Carlos guy, may be able to help you find a solution to... whatever this is." n looked at the card with dread. Using a ''irvoyant'' to find the Singr? Isn''t this the same as cheating? It may be, if this guy is not a fraud! n could only imagine what Ashley would say: ''We must use any tools at our disposal...'' Yes. That''s what she''d say. "All right," n finally said, saving the card in his Inventory. "Tell Astrid I''ll meet him." "So it''s true..." Oscar said, uneasy. "That the Singr is here..." "I thought you firmly believed what Carlos said." "Yes, but, hearing it from you... It all kind of makes sense now. Your three-year absence... The fact that the woman in ck was looking for you at Londorus, and then a second time at Unus Town... Why hasn''t she attacked you again all this time?" Because she knows I can''t do anything yet. Because I have no clues about her location or her real identity... "Who knows," n replied. Oscar remained silent for a bit, and his face reflected that he was struggling with what he was going to say next. "...P-Please forgive me, n. For kidnapping you that day. I swear I..." "Forget that. Okay?" Chapter 126: Holding unto secrets (Part 3)

Chapter 126: Holding unto secrets (Part 3)

When n led Oscar to his workshop, Amelia Lamme also rose from her seat and walked all the way to the home''s back door. Marissa, who followed her with her gaze, took a moment to exhale deeply, gulp the rest of her wine, and stand up. "Good luck," Brenda whispered to her. Crossing that hallway turned out to be a taxing task. Marissa''s knees were shaking, and her feet seemed to weigh a hundred pounds. Her heart even threatened to escape her chest, pounding like crazy. Why was she so afraid? This was her sister, and it was not as if they had a big fight or anything, right? But... They had stopped talking for half a year. If it was not a big deal, why did Amelia stop responding to her PMs? Outside, the moonlight illuminated a garden of red roses carefully arranged to form a skull. Was that the Phantom Seekers emblem? To her left, Amelia was sitting on a bench, arms and legs crossed. There was a free spot to sit by her side. Marissa slowly took a seat. Her hands were already sweaty. "Can we finally talk about this?" she asked, her tone sounding like a plea. "About what?" "About hiding from you my secret job." "What job?" Amelia snickered loudly, gaze pointing forward. "Wait, are you talking about your secret ''idol escapades''? Oh, I''m sorry! I didn''t know you considered performing in concerts for the biggest star in all of Novus a ''job''! Stupid me." "Come on, Red, give me a break! If I''d told you I''m Miss Cosmica''s backup dancer, you''d have constantly asked me to meet HER!" "And that would''ve only created problems for your boss, am I right?" "You''d have hated me if I had told you the truth, anyway! Especially considering who SHE is!" "Was keeping it a secret until it blew up in your face a better alternative then?!" "What I''m saying is that regardless of how I had handled it, you were always going to react like this!" "Why do something that''d make you feel guilty then?! Fully knowing I loathe that--!" Marissa stood up, red-faced. "Because this doesn''t have to do with you! If you haven''t realized, I''M NOT YOU, so I don''t share that HATE-BONER you have for HER! Because I found something else besides fighting in this fake-ass world! I learned how to dance, sing, and perform because I wanted to do it, and Astrid gave me the chance!" "Fine, I get it. You don''t have to yell..." Amelia said in a low voice, prompting Marissa to nod and return to the bench. "G-Good!" Amelia chuckled. "''Hate-Boner''? Seriously?" "Sorry. That''s something Helen always says, and I was carried away." "I liked your performances, you know..." "Do you really mean it?" "Of course I do. I used to be her biggest fan, remember? That included you, ''Nebuline''." "Wait, why are you talking in the past tense?" "Because since the very moment I learned the truth, I can''t endure watching or listening to her ever again, so I''ll just assume you''re still doing a good job--But that doesn''t matter! Do whatever makes you happy." "Are we good now, then?" "Of course we are. I forgave you months ago, but I didn''t know how to speak to you. This little bickering was just me venting out." "Got it..." Marissa nodded, pursing her lips. "Um. So, if we''re good, can I ask you something?" "Being in this guild is my choice, Marissa. Nothing too profound about it." "Sis, just be honest with me... Are you guys dating?" "W-WHY ARE YOU--W-WITH WHOM?!" *** ** * When n and Oscar returned to the living room, they found Brenda Hannes and ra Dom¨ªnguez singing thetest Miss Cosmica''s song on karaoke. Brenda was even dancing along and genuinely smiling, something n did not expect at all. Amelia and Marissa returned too and also watched the show. "She''s a good girl, n," Marissa said in his ear due to the loudness filling the room. "Sorry if she was acting a little rude earlier on." "I already knew that, or you wouldn''t have brought her with you, am I right?" He paused and pointed at Amelia with his gaze. "Have you worked on your differences?" Marissa only smiled at him while Fabio stepped up carrying a tray and offered them drinks. "Hey, ra!" n called out when the song was finished. "Is the post ready yet?" "Of course, Guild Master! I already published it. I''ll let you know as soon as the first solicitors contact me." "Could you fill me in, n?" Amelia inquired, crossing her arms and arching one eyebrow. Marissa knew what all thatbined meant. "I took your advice!" n replied, half-smiling. "I asked ra to post that we''re in need of a healer. I just hope that someone is willing to join us." "Oh!" Amelia pouted her lips and started curling one strand of red hair with her index finger. "I advised you about it a while ago, didn''t I? Good!" Amelia grinned awkwardly and took a long sip of her bottle. Seeing her big sister''s reaction prompted Marissa to squint at her. "...Seriously?" She then blinked, now realizing what she had just heard. "Wait. n? Are you looking for a healer?" "That''s right! We''ve been doing well until just recently. Boss Battles are bing moreplex the more we advance and..." He suddenly chuckled. "What am I saying? Talking about things you''ve already gone through a long time ago!" "But I''m a little puzzled here," Marissa began, narrowing her eyes at him. "What about uncle Nichs? Or is there a specific reason you''re not considering him for the job?" Amelia spat out her drink and started coughing. n frowned. "I''m sorry, who?" "MY uncle Nichs!" Marissa shouted. "Nichs Lamme? That happens t! He logged into The Novus too. Has she never told you about him?!" "N-No... Amelia never mentioned an ''uncle healer''." Marissa shook her head and turned to Amelia, shrieking, "What the fuck, sis?!" When Amelia recovered her breath and looked around, she found that every single person there--real and digital--was staring at her. "Does, ''sorry, I''m a very ditzy girl,'' work as an excuse?" she asked aloud, giggling nervously. Chapter 127: Healing Capitalism (Part 1)

Chapter 127: Healing Capitalism (Part 1)

Therees a time when Guilders stop raiding Dungeons. When a guild has already covered all the necessary jobs to gear up all of their members head to toe, like smithing, jewel-crafting, and enchanting, there is only one thing to do: Brag... In PVP, of course. Ah, yes... The fine art of ranked yers vs yers matches, streamed to all the Nav. The Novus'' equivalent of sports. The universal fascination of watching well-trained yerspete with each other, no matter the format--or where it''s being held--had not been lost. Currently, in Eur''s central region, 15 guilds have registered for the Emberforge Trials tournament that holds preliminary matches before an even bigger event during summer. For those who cared, each match was important... and especially stressful. It was not umon for guilds to tragically disband mid-season after a post-match disagreement or for some of their members to suddenly quit. Some people were not built to endure the pressure, some did not like to receive orders, and some just really, reaaally were not good team yers. So there was a market for ''Temp yers''. [ "Did you find out that your resident Healer was sleeping with your girlfriend so you have to kick him out of the guild--After literally kicking the crap out of him first? Is the next important match in two days and you''re in urgent need of filling that spot? Oh, do I have news for you, hypothetical, troubled Guild Master! I can fill all your healing needs and I promise not to nce at your beloved even once! Hire someone with experience. I have references! Hire someone that is not afraid of getting their hands dirty. Just ask anyone that had the pleasure of working with me. Hire me!" ] Temp yers... They usually get offended for being called that. Some prefer to be called Frencers, Hired-Competitors, and even Mercenaries--although this was not a real war. Nichs Lamme did not find the term ''Temp'' offensive in the slightest and instead embraced it. Once, a drunk guilder called him a ''dirty Temp'' loud enough so that everyone in the pub could hear him. In response, the cleric snickered and toasted, "At least you didn''t call me a ''healing-capitalist whore''. So cheers for that!" Which prompted the entire ce to erupt inughter. But that was six months ago. In the present, Nichs had been contracted to enter the PVP arena once again by a Guild Master that only cared about the results. And Results with capital R he''s got... Nichs checked his reflection in the restroom''s mirror, finding a man with curly ck hair and tired pale blue eyes staring back at him. A cleric of average physique and average height. A White Mage whose tunic made him look even shorter and puny. So that my contractor''s masculinity doesn''t feel threatened... But what marvelous dimples he had! Which helped him achieve the perfect smile. Even more perfect to sell them whatever shit I want them to believe. He then examined his facial features, enhanced by the Novus'' Avatar rendering by default, giving him a rtively handsome appearance. It''d be more suspicious if I was ugly, wouldn''t it? And after practicing his smile for a tenth time, someone knocked at the door and called him aloud, "Raven, the boss wants to see you before the match!" "In a sec!" Nichs replied in a squeaky voice, ncing at Raven onest time. "It was a pleasure working with you..." he murmured to the mirror before walking out. Henrik was waiting outside and with a grunt gestured Raven to follow him. They crossed the long hallways of the Idunia stadium without uttering a word to each other. The floor was exquisitely polished and their path waspletely illuminated by golden lights that made the posters stered on the walls stand out. The faces of the most sessful yers looked back at Nichs, making him snicker. Too bad that my face will never appear in one of these. He watched his custodian''srge, muscr back. The back of someone who surely had worked hard toe this far. What a pity. A couple of minutester, they crossed a double door adorned with golden intricacies. Inside, a single man awaited in front of a wide window that offered him aplete view of the arena; the festive voice of the announcer was carried by speakers installed at every corner of the room. A table full of snacks and a bucket filled with iced bottles of beer stood out in the center. "Raven," the man called, deviating his gaze from the current match. "Friedrich," the cleric responded, taking a seat in front of the snacks table. Henrik did the same and immediately grabbed a handful of nuts. "What is going to be then, Raven?" Friedrich began, turning around to show a wide smirk. His blue eyes reflected a palpable youthful energy. "Will this be yourst rodeo with us, or have you finallye to a decision? Will you join us?" Nichs could feel the other set of eyes staring at him. He looked back at Henrik, the one who had always been in opposition to hiring him. Nichs lowered his head. "Is that okay with you, First Officer?" "I eat my words, okay?" Henrik gruffly said, wrinkling his nose. "Is that what you wanted to hear?" "Something more borate would''ve been nice, but that''s okay too," Nichs replied in a soft voice, turning his attention back to the Guild Master. "Look, I''ll be honest with you. I haven''te close to an answer just yet. But that doesn''t mean I won''t give my everything in this match. I''ll perform at my 100% in the arena, like always, and think about your offer after we''re done celebrating. Okay?" "Is that your cordial way of rejecting me?" Friedrich sighed, his smile never leaving his face. "I thought that after all this time working together you''d stop being stubborn. But that''s the way you are... I guess. Speaking of offers..." Friedrich paused and manipted his User Interface. Secondster, a pop-up window appeared in front of Nichs. "What about this one? Help me train a healer as good as you before the Inferno Cup II begins, and you''ll get this. In addition to a biweekly sry, of course." Nichs examined the virtual window''s content, showing an Epic-tier white mage staff. Its stats aren''t half-bad, eh. I could sell this at a very good price. Raven chuckled nervously. "T-This is quite generous! Let me please think about--" A second window popped up beside him. "And this brand new Flying Mount," Friedrich interrupted while he prompted a third virtual window to appear. "Plus this robe." Nichs came out with a quick estimate of the three promised gifts'' values and pursed his lips. This is a little fortune... And yet... "Friedrich," Nichs giggled, barely able to look his contactor in the eye. "Are you trying to bankrupt the guild?" He then stood up slowly and grabbed three iced bottles. "Let''s see tonight''s results before making amitment like this, please?" Nichs smiled modestly and offered them a beer. Henrik stared at the bottle consciously before epting it, and Friedrich took his without hesitation. "Sure! Think it through all you want. But would you really reject an offer from the soon-to-be winners of the next Inferno Summer Cup?!" Friedrich eximed at the top of his lungs as he toasted. "I''d be a fool, wouldn''t I?" Nichs muttered as he sipped his beer and made sure that the others did the same. Chapter 128: Healing Capitalism (Part 2)

Chapter 128: Healing Capitalism (Part 2)

A thundering ovation filled the stadium just as Henrik crushed the head of his second opponent. [ Just look at him go! Henrik ''The Basher'' Bauer has taken the First Blood--and the second! Is there not someone capable of stopping him tonight?! ] Nichs sighed after hearing the announcer. "He''s truly unstoppable, huh?" he muttered, and the guilder by his side chuckled. "You say it as if it was a bad thing, Raven. Come on! Why don''t you cheer up a bit? Victory is upon us! And even if your stay with us is done by the end of the night, you''ll still join us to celebrate, won''t you?" "You''re right," Raven half-smiled. "I''m already looking forward to it. Drinking is my favorite activity after all." (Raven,) the Guild Master called him through Party Chat. (Are you done there?) Nichs ced his palm against his left ear and responded, (Yes, sir. Do you need me somewhere else?) (Go to Henrik''s position.) (All right. I''m on my way.) The priest got up and patted the guilder. "There you go, all patched up. Anything else I can do for you?" The young rogue shook his head. "No, thank you. You can go." "I''ll leave this in your hands then," Raven said, caressing the 32-feet blue tower beside them. In the shape of a ssic chess pawn piece, it hovered one foot from the ground. Nichs then checked Henrik''s location on his User Interface before running directly to the woods. On his way, he kept monitoring the squared-shaped map that gradually filled up by the second. Itsposition was the standard for officialpetitions: Two rival bases in opposing corners, three main roads that connected the two territories guarded by multiple towers each, and plenty of unconquered territory to roam around and prepare ambushes. Come on,e on... Give me a good excuse. A glimpse at the list of teammates revealed a fight happening nearby. A good detour. (Guild Master! Schneider and Vermont''s HP bar are at the orange threshold.) (I noticed. But their tower is still at 80%. They can handle it. Just focus on Henrik.) (Sir, it wouldn''t take more than five minutes to--) (I know you''re fast, but I NEED YOU to heal our ''Carry''. Understood?) (Let him go,) Henrik''s gruff voice interjected. (I could survive another fight before my HP bar reaches red... You''ll catch up to me in a moment, right, Raven?) Oh, is that ''blind trust'' I hear? Endearing! Raven followed, (It won''t take me long, Guild Master, I promise! We all need to win as a team, don''t we?) Friedrich sighed. (Do it quickly.) Perfect. In a couple of minutes, Nichs reached the middle outpost and started channeling mana. It would take him less than a couple of minutes to heal the injured. "Thank you, Raven. And sorry for getting this hurt. We shouldn''t have pushed our luck if you weren''t around." "It''s okay," he responded while pulling something out of his inventory. "Here are two red potions. So--Watch out!" Raven suddenly shrieked and dashed toward their defending tower, mming his back against it to take cover. "What is it?! What did you see?" The other two got to his side but after scanning the surroundings for a while they found nothing. "I-It must have been my imagination. Sorry for scaring you, guys," Raven said with a shy smile while his two hands kept getting stuck to the tower. This should be enough... Nichs then resumed his previous mission and proceeded to meet with Henrik. On his way, he noticed a group of ck clouds at a distance, and a magic circle glowing with energy. Ah, that would be perfect. (The enemy has summoned an Earth Dragon,) Friedrich told everyone through Party Chat. (It''s heading towardne 3... Henrik?) (It''s mine.) (Raven,e on! Before Henrik engages it!) (I''m almost there!) Nichs met Henrik behind the ruins of a destroyed enemy outpost and started healing him as soon as he crouched beside him. The ground then trembled as the Earth Dragon passed them by. Its rider and three other guilders watched their surroundings thoroughly. "Would you be able to handle it, Champ?" Raven asked in a faint voice, making Henrik snicker. "Just watch me." Henrik tightened his grasp around the hammer''s handle. "I''ll turn that lizard''s head into a pulp." I have no doubts about that... (Everyone, the enemy team will surely attack the other twones in conjunction as soon as the Dragon reaches tower three. So be ready!) (YES, SIR!) (Aren''t you d that I healed the ones atne 2, Guild Master?) Friedrich chuckled. (Thanks for that, Raven.) This is what camaraderie is like, isn''t it? Beforemitting to his next move, Nichs took a long breath and calmed himself. He almost licked his lips but abstained himself in case Henrik took notice. Don''t worry, Nick. His mind is in the battle ahead. He won''t notice a thing. Nodding to himself, Nichs ced his left hand on Henrik''s shoulder. "Tonight''s going to be memorable. Don''t you think so?" "The big leagues, Raven," Henrik replied, gazing forward. "That''s what''s awaiting us. I can almost feel the cup in my hands!" (Once Henrik dispatches the dragon, we''ll all charge!) Friedrich proimed through Party Chat, and everyone responded with cheers and promises of victory, with the exception of Nichs who was busy using his Eye of the Sage Active Skill to scan Henrik''s armor. Perfect... "All done. Go get them, champ!" Henrik wasted no time and charged ahead, taking the enemy group by surprise. "Shit! The Basher is behind us!" Nichs heard one of the enemy guilders cry. The rival group then seemed to receive a new set of instructions through their private Party Chat, for the dragon''s rider urged the beast to sprint forward, leaving the others behind. (The dragon is ignoring Henrik and will try to at least take our tower down with it! Don''t let it happen!) The ones guarding that outpost prepared themselves while the pawn-shaped tower automatically fired enormous orbs of pure energy every three seconds. The bulky Dragon withstood the attacks and the ones from its defenders. Meanwhile, Henrik crushed the skull of the one that did its best to buy the dragon some time. Henrik spat aside and got his sights on his next target. (Lane 1 is under attack! They brought their famous Cryomancer! Guild Master, send Lena here, please!) (Lane 2 is under attack too, as you expected, Friedrich! Mostly sharpshooters! No need to send backups, we can deal with them!) (Lane 3 here. As long as Henrik kills the dragon, we can handle it!) Nichs almost cracked augh but contained himself. Good said, mate. As long as Henrik can do it... (Raven, remain hidden but alert in case Henrik needs you.) (Of course, Guild Master.) When Henrik disposed of a third rival guilder, there was nothing more standing between him and the Earth Dragon. He dashed forward without hesitation, as if a demon had gained control of his body. [ "Pentakiiiill! Basher is going on a killing spree! And... uh-oh! It seems he''s fully bloodlusted! Don''t avert your eyes for a second, folks! This is going to be epic!" ] The dragon stomped, making the ground tremble and throwing everyone off bnce; that special technique also spawned a pir of solid rock that impacted the tower directly as if it was a sturdynce, reducing its HP to 50%. (Good job, Philip!) his Guild Master eximed through their Party Chat. (Take down the tower now!) The dragon rider was salivating... One more push and they would even the odds against the Stormwatch Sentinels, but a warcry forced him to look back. The rider watched Henrik sprinting towards him, with his bloody war hammer in hand. "No, no, no!" the rider cried. What could he do? His dragon needed ten seconds more for its Special Attack ro recharge and he knew he was no match for The Basher, but the championship was on the line. "Damn it!" he hissed and pulled out his pistol. Philip the dragon rider opened fire, knowing it was useless. In everypetitive game there is always a Meta... With time, yers discover which are the most lethal weapons, the most powerful spells and the best sses. The Novus was no different. Users discovered that when you have super strength and also gear up with the best armor, you practically be a walking tank... A walking tank that can dodge, run, and take cover if they need to. Also a tank that can behead an enemy before they can pull the trigger. This caused firearms to fall from grace between the Novus''petitivemunity. Some still use them, especially middled-level Users, but if you pull out your gun in front of a fully-fledged Warrior, you would beughed at. And yet, some just didn''t have a choice. This PVP format demanded the use of ''Assist yers'', those who focused their skills to stun, crowd-control, and annoy the enemy muscle heads. With time, the Beast Tamers became popr. Sacrificing all of their stats, these Users empowered their beasts instead to aplish certain tasks that other sses could not, like harassing enemy yers in their early stages of the match to stop their advances, or in the case of this Earth Dragon, act as ''Tower Destroyers'', something this species excelled at. The only job of this Beast Tamer was to destroy at least two towers per match, and nothing else. People like him did not have the skill to engage in hand to handbat, so their only option was to at least carry a firearm, knowing they could finish off the already wounded. With all that in mind, Philip the Beast Tamer, shot three more times while cursing his luck. It was just a matter of time before he got his head crushed just like everyone else and hear the announcer say: ''Oh, Philip Sanders was so close to destroying Lane 3 tower!'' But three seconds passed by uneventfully. In shock, Philip saw Henrik kneeling, bleeding and with a pained expression in his face. Using the skill ''Eagle Eye'', also revealed that Henrik''s face looked pale, as if he had been poisoned. Philip let out an incredulous snicker and shot his pistol two more times, this time with the intention to kill. [ Are my eyes deceiving me?! The Basher has fallen! I repeat, the Basher has been taken down by Philip Sanders! The Basher pushed his luck after so many solo battles, and now the Crimson Covenant has the opportunity to take the lead! ] Embolden, Philip gave themand, and his Earth Dragon used his Special Attack once again, destroying the Stormwatch Sentinels'' tower. (WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!) the usually jolly Friedrich shrieked through Party Chat. (Did you not heal him at all, Raven?!) (O-Of course I did, Guild Master! I''m as surprised as you are! I fully replenished his HP to 100%. I swear!) (Guild Master! Lane 1 Tower has been taken down!) (Friedrich! The Lane 2 Tower--! I-I don''t know what happened! They somehow took it down with ease!) (They must have an ace under their sleeve, huh?) Ravenmented, trying his best to sound neutral, although from his ce behind bushes, he was cracking a wide smile. Chapter 129: Healing Capitalism (Part 3)

Chapter 129: Healing Capitalism (Part 3)

Although Henrik was revived soon after, Stormwatch Sentinels could not recover from the loss of three towers simultaneously. They lost, despite being the odds'' favorite. And since Nichs did not hear anything from their Guild Master or the First Officer, he understood that they did not want him around anymore. At least that''s what I want to believe, he-he. Two hours after the tournament ended, Nichs changed into his best cloak made of yeti''s fur, white and fluffy, something too scandalous for the soft-spoken Raven, and crossed the streets of downtown Sirberlin. He then reached a crowded and noisy bar with an animated green goblin at the entrance flipping everyone off. The sign read: ''Goblin''s Malice''. Inside, the familiar odor of alcohol and smoke reached his nostrils. Virtual screens floating five feet above every table showed a reel of that night''s match. Every single clip featured Crimson Covenant, the winners, looking like professional bullies destroying theirpetition. Nichs got to the counter, asked for a beer and chuckled at the video of Henrik getting his ass handled by a certain gun. "Cheers, mate," he toasted and gulped his drink. It was only a matter of time until the winners made themselves heard from their ce. Thunderousughter filled the ce as a clip of Henrik getting pinned to the ground by Crimson Covenant''s carry was featured, followed by a short video of Raven getting frozen. Yup... Laugh at Raven''s expense too. I''m totally okay with that. After asking for a second beer that got charged automatically into his ount, he walked directly to the center of the bar where the Crimson Covenant guild were celebrating. Nichs spotted the Guild Master immediately, a buffed guy dressed in an elegant white full suit, with short ck hair and a squared-shaped jaw that seemed to be as sturdy as any shield. Nichs made sure that his own coat did not have any stains before walking towards him. Naturally, two guilders cut his path. "I toast for the winners of the Emberforge Trials, and the soon-to-be winners of the next Inferno Summer Cup!" Nichs eximed holding his bottle of beer aloft, he then made a short bow while a guilder informed something into the Guild Master''s ear. "The Stormwatch Sentinels'' healer, eh?" the Guild Master, snickered. "You''re a Temp, aren''t you? Is your contract with them due? Don''t tell me you''vee to beg me for work, because, who''d hire you when you couldn''t even maintain your carry alive!" Nichs waited until the expected crowdughter died down to take another two steps forward. He could even feel the other guilders around him tense up. As if they were expecting me to do something stupid. "Come on. Can you really me me for trying, Mr. Lefevre?" Nichs said as he scanned all the faces around him until finding someone that looked remotely sick. He strolled to that guy slowly. "And besides... The Stormwatch Sentinels didn''t lose because of theck of healing. You won because you overwhelmed them." With that said, Nichs patted the guilder''s shoulder, whose face looked almost as green as a frog. Those nearby saw the moment Nichs'' palm emitted light and grasped their concealed weapons, but the Guild Master did not give the order to retaliate. He only observed the scene with a hint of amusement in his expression. The guilder by Raven''s side blinked repeatedly andughed. "He got rid of my drunkenness..." He turned to his Guild Master. "I felt like puking any moment now, but not anymore!" As soon as another guilder asked Nichs to do the same to them, he knew he was in. "What was your name again, Temp?" the Guild Master asked. Nichs grinned. "Just call me Raven!" +++ ++ + Word that ''Raven,'' the Temp healer contracted by the Stormwatch Sentinels, was having a good time among the members of the Crimson Covenant, spread fast. It only took half an hour for the Stormwatch Sentinels to gather outside the Goblin''s Malice before marching inside in solidarity. Friedrich, their Guild Master, a man always seen with a wide grin and a friendly smile on his face, looked livid that night. Everyone in the bar could see a vein popping on his forehead as he led his guild directly to the spot where the Crimson Covenant wereughing and toasting. "I see that you found a new guild quite fast, Raven!" Friedrich said out loud, his face looking as red as a tomato. "Or could it be that you were part of their payroll from the very start?!" The entire bar went silent, and all the gazes pointed at the Crimson Covenant''s Guild Master, expecting a response. The man narrowed his eyes. "What the hell are you babbling about?" "You heard me right, Jovan!" Friedrich yelled. "We checked the footage, and something weird was going on as soon as you started that coordinated attack mid-match! I don''t know what this bastard did..." He pointed at Raven. "But he sabotaged our towers and our Carry''s armor and health beforehand!" Jovan Lefevre did not even nce at Nichs once for his re had started to glow intensely. "What are you trying to say, Fried?" Jovan said in a menacing tone as he rose from his seat. "I can''t catch what you''re implying..." "YOU CHEATED!" Friedrich barked. "We were the favorites to win this goddamn tournament! There is no chance in hell that you''d have bested us without cheating!" "All I see is a bunch of sore losers that can''t stand defeat," the Crimson Covenant''s carry hissed, a female cryomancer that stood up before the rest of the guild. "Friedrich, pal!" Raven took the word after sipping from his pi?a cda. A smirk adorned his face. "I have no idea what you''re talking about! We all did our best during that match, as always. But sometimes--!" It happened in a second. An arrow pierced Raven''s chest. That area gradually turned red, staining his pristine robe. Raven fell. A System Warning popped up but got ignored as the two rival guilds shed without a second thought. Thanks to the Safe Zone''s restrictions, the skirmish was not as chaotic as the previously seen in the arena a couple of hourster, and yet, despite all the participants having their stats cut in half, it became a bloodbath in a matter of seconds. The bar owner hid behind the counter, sipped from a bottle of vodka, and sighed annoyed. "Guilders..." She then watched someone crawling to her side, with a pained expression on his face. "Can I have a sip of that?" Raven asked, looking pale. The woman handed him the bottle and stared at the arrow still adorning his chest. "So... ''Raven''... I was looking forward to your speech. You seemed to be saying something very profound. But it''s okay, seeing you getting shut up was fun too." Raven crossed eyes with the ck-haired woman as he gulped. "Whatever," he muttered as he pulled the arrow out and tossed it aside. Then, put his palm against his chest and magically closed the wound. The woman observed the process in silence. "That was a very nice cloak." "It''s a counterfeit," he said while changing clothes with the help of his User Interface, swapping the cloak for a ck button shirt and in jeans. Then, cing his palm against his face, he seemed to yank his own skin at first until removing an oval mask. Behind the disguise was a redhead male in histe thirties, with eyes of the color of the amber gemstone that seemed to sparkle with chaotic energy. The woman also observed the exact moment Nichs'' arms and chest inted, leaving thenky Raven finally behind. "This is more like it! Do you have something for me, doll?" She input something on her User Interface, and a virtual window popped up in front of him. "There... 688k." "Ah! If there''s something I adore aboutpetitive PVP, it''s its betting scene!" "I took the liberty to subtract 50k from your cut. You know, for this ce''s repairs. Unless you want to stay another day and help me restore everything." Someone''s head crashed loudly against the counter, before getting dragged into the mayhem again. Nichs winced. "Nah. I prefer paying up. The Germoria region has lost its luster already. And now that I''m done with this ''quest'', my free spirit is yelling at me to move on!" "Or better said, you need to stay out of the limelight for a while," the woman muttered, rolling his eyes. Nichs rose, put his hands on his hips, and took a deep breath as if he was smelling the fresh air of a new morning, although what was actually around him was the stench of blood and alcohol. "I''m going to miss you, Brigitta. Too bad it''d have never worked out between us." "Because I''mcking animal ears?" she scoffed with a bitter smile. "Not that I care, but where would you go now?" "I don''t know." He exhaled before effortlessly dodging a chairing his way. "Somewhere calm. Without stress. Where I can also amuse myself..." A beeping sound alerted him about receiving a new message. He squinted at the sender for a moment before opening it. As he read, a smile crossed his face. --------------------- Marissa: Uncle Nick! It''s been a while, huh? Do you have ns for the weekend? ---------------------- He chuckled. "Brigitta... I think I already have a destination." Chapter 130: Gears in Motion (Part 1)

Chapter 130: Gears in Motion (Part 1)

The uneven terrain threatened to make her trip at any moment. The once modern asphalt was now beyond recognition, impregnated with a green, muskyyer that grossly adhered to her soles. "I hope we''re done here already," Serenity muttered as she reunited with three hooded silhouettes. She got close to the smallest of the three, who maintained their gaze forward. "I''m hungry. You?" the short figure spoke softly. Serenity replied, sighing. "I''d kill for a cheeseburger... Which I hate admitting, you know. I loathe having these cravings." "Really? I thought that out of the five, you''d be the one to fully embrace these human-like ''features''." Serenity grunted. "I think you''re mistaking me for somebody else." She then looked at the tallest of the group, who was twirling in their ce, arms wide open. "So?! What do you think of my masterpiece, my fellowrades? Are you so agape by the results that you cannot fathom how to express your awe? Have I left you speechless with the sheer brilliance of mytest work?! Oww, it''s a pity that Delta is not here so I could shove it in her face on how to properly dispose of a city!" "I think you messed it up!" the one by Serenity''s side said aloud. "P-Pardon me?" "I said that you blew it this time, Gamma! You went too far this time! No one would want to live in a city after this!" Hearing that made Serenity look around. The atmosphere felt dense and greasy. She could hardly imagine how breathing that toxicity would affect her without Alpha''s protection, what she was sure of was that her fake lungs would burn rapidly. Even the sky had turned pitch ck and electric. And most notorious of all, every single building in a five-miles radius had gone, or better said, meltedpletely. Not a single human construct was standing, leaving only a barren terrain full of thousands of molten piles of unrecognizable stuff... With the exception of a 30-feet translucent lotus flower at the epicenter of the disaster zone. Glowing green and full of energy, it constantly pulsated, as if its job to make that ce as uninhabitable as possible was not done yet. The woman previously called Gamma turned back and started speaking in a low, raspy voice. "I knew you wouldn''t be capable of appreciating such beauty, brat." She then locked eyes with Serenity. "But what about you, Beta? Do you like what you see?" Serenity first nced at the fourth member, who had their back facing them, before crossing her arms and lifting her chin in a proud manner. "It gives me the chills, honestly. A most advanced version of what you were capable of back in the day, eh? Truly fascinating." "I knew you wouldn''t disappoint." Gamma snickered. The only feature visible beneath her ck hood was her green-painted smirk. "Does this mean we''re finally done?" The one beside Serenity said, cing their hands behind their nape. "Are we done toying with cities? Because, seriously! If the Administrators ignore even THIS, I don''t know what else could move theirzy asses!" The fourth member, their leader, turned around and spoke in a distinctly feminine voice, "Oh, they''ll act. I bet on it." She then strolled all the way back to hold the smallest of the group by the cheeks. "You asked why people would want to keep living in cities like this despite the danger, hmm? The answer is simple, my dear... Even if the Administrators enforce their most egregious, terrible update ever, these Users would receive it with open arms! Just look at history! Humans will always prioritize afy, cozy life over their own freedom. People easily forget if their leaders were corrupt in the prior cycle, or tyrants, or in fools if that means they can have an easy, free-of-thought life." "The Administrators could literally turn rain into piss and these fools would just say thanks," Gamma added in a yful tone before making some distance between them and continuing twirling and dancing on her own in front of her gigantic lotus flower. Serenity returned her attention to the other two. "Did this clear your doubts, Epsy?" the leader asked, her hands still holding her partner-in-crime''s face. When the other simply replied with a shrug, she giggled. "Good boy." She drew a short smile before sealing her lips for a moment. "Beta? Is that a drone camera I feel nearby?" "I''ve already dealt with that," Serenity responded, turning to her right, where a huge humanoid made of ck goo with arms as big as a gori approached them at a rapid pace. The thing then threw two persons at Serenity''s feet, a man and a young woman, whose skin looked putrid and greenish, and their HP bar was showing the dangerous red threshold. The woman raised her head and offered a faint smile. "H-Hi, everyone! What a terrible thing that happened to this ce, huh? We were just passing by and before we noticed--cough--we breathed too much of that poisonous gas! But you seem to be in good health, am I right? Sorry to ask, but--cough--do you happen to have an antidote by any chance?" Something heavy crashed against the ground between them, a round metallic object that began to corrode immediately. "Is that yours?" Serenity asked the two while a winged creature resembling a crow nested on her shoulder. The woman shrugged, smirking. "Maybe? So what? Afraid that I may have recorded you? It''s not as if you were the ones behind this catastrophe, right?" "That thing was surely streaming," the one previously called Epsy said quietly. Gamma chuckled from a distance. "Doesn''t matter. That thing was too far away. I''m sure it didn''t pick up any audio." The leader of the group stood in front of the two forcibly kneeling on the ground and spoke in a soothing tone, "Take a closer look at this, everyone. This whole area has be a biohazard, and yet, these two didn''t care about their safety at all. Why?" She crouched and looked the couple directly in the eyes. She could see that the skin of their forehead was beginning to peel off, revealing a pinkish fragment of their skull. "Is it because you''ll die in a matter of minutes and respawn back in one of your beloved Safe Zones anyway?" The captive woman red. "What about you? Would you like to exin to my audience why you''re attacking cities? I may bring another camera if you''re finally in the mood to talk!" "I''m done with you." The leader of the group sighed, turned her back and gestured something to Serenity, who nodded. The woman coughed violently but did not deter her from yelling. "Now what?!--cough--Do you think you can continue doing this forever?! If the Moderators don''t get you, the people will! Themunity is getting tired of your shit! They wille for you, mark my words!" "Hey. Eyes here," Serenity whispered as she stood in front of the woman, blocking her view. "She''s the least of your worries now, okay?" Serenity then snickered. "You know? I happen to know your face. You''re Nelly Cole, from the Daily Londorus..." Nelly focused her gaze on the white-haired woman while trying to forget the painful venom running through her entire body. "So?" "You''ve been covering these disasters since the very beginning, am I right? You were there, covering the news when my cute dragon leveled your precious city... It seems you''ve been trying to get us for a while now." Nelly''s assistant quivered by her side. "So you really are the responsibles for this!" he cried, trying to stand up and grab Serenity by the cor of her cloak, but he dropped back to his knees in a second, coughing violently. Serenity continued speaking, undeterred, "Tomorrow morning, I want you to quit your job as a reporter." "Make me!" Nelly replied snarling before finally noticing that something was wrong. She looked down, finding that the ground had be something akin to ck quicksand that quickly turned into goo. Her assistant was sinking too, without resisting. Nelly swallowed hard. Something about the coldness of that ck substance told her that it would not kill her... And she needed to die so she could escape from this group of psychos! But as the ck swamp covered her all the way to her neck, she knew that it was toote to even try biting her tongue. "Wee to the other side, Nelly Cole andpany," Serenity said almost lovingly as most of Nelly''s face got covered by the darkness. "You''re one of us now..." Chapter 131: Gears in Motion (Part 2)

Chapter 131: Gears in Motion (Part 2)

Marco Souza got out of bed first and fetched himself a drink. His defined, exposed muscles were bathed in bluish light as he got close to the window. Outside, the city of Fleure slept, but for him, his day was barely beginning. "What is it, my lord? Can''t we have a second round?" a woman asked behind him. He cringed his teeth. He hated being called ''Lord'' after leaving Londorus behind, and he especially loathed the situation he had just gotten into. Although she''s not a bad partner to pass the time or for me to indulge in these kinds of... ''pleasures,'' everything goes south when she opens her trap. Marco turned around to see Karen Svensson sitting at the edge of the bed, wearing delicate see-through lingerie. Her eyes still gleaming with passion. "Sorry, my dear..." he began, "but she should be here any moment now." Karen exhaled loudly. "Seriously? Is it time--" A knock on the door interrupted her. She checked the hour in her User Interface and snickered. "Wow. Like clockwork." If that''s the least offensive thing Karen canment about her, that means these stress-relief sessions are working. Marco cleared his throat before speaking. "That''s right. She is. Didn''t you say she''s quitemitted?" Karen stopped dressing herself with the help of her Inventory window to snark. "Yeah, I said that. Committed as a puppy, you know. Always fetching, always wagging her tail. I bet she could even learn to roll over and y dead if I told her it''d help her channel mana faster. Seriously, where did you get her?" "Karen..." Karen raised her palms aloft. "I know, I know. I''ll be on my way already." She put on her clothes first with a push of a virtual button, kissed Marco on the lips, and opened the door to find a pink-haired girl wearing a mage robe and leather boots outside. "Ms. Svensson," the girl said quietly. "Is Marco...?" "It''s all yours," Karen said dismissively as she stepped aside, but whispered in the girl''s ear first, "Figuratively speaking, of course. Got it?" And with that, Karen crossed the hallway with her hands inside her jacket''s pockets. "Hurry up, Barbara. Close the door," Marco demanded. Barbara obeyed and made a curtsy. "Good night, Marco." "Level 61, huh? Not bad... Before starting, Karen told me she taught you the ''Silent as a Grave'' spell. Can you do the honors tonight, please? Build a bubble big enough to cover this entire apartment." He paused to use his ''Eye of the Sage'' on the girl to inspect her mana rank. "With your current power, you should be able to do it." "Of course, Marco. Give me a minute, please." Marco used that little break, the only one he would have for the rest of the night, to visit his fridge. There were a lot of smoothies, juice blends, and sushi rolls that Karen had left from previous nights, but nothing of his selection, save for a te of blue cheese slices. When Karen found them, she said, "I think something''s rotting here," and was about to throw it away before getting scolded. He took the te and chomped on a slice while his gaze focused on the sink in front of him. Would the one that introduced me to this midnight snack be a better aplice than Karen? He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. Too bad I''ll never find out, huh? "Silent as a Grave sessfully cast, Marco," Barbara informed from the center of the room. "Is it okay to start now?" "Grab a cushion," he said, gesturing where to ce it. When the two sat on the floor and their gaze were at the same level, he offered her a slice of cheese. "Thanks, but no. I already had ramen with Faiza." "How''s Faiza as a teacher? Better than Karen?" "To be honest, although strict, I prefer Karen. Faiza is too informal." I didn''t expect that. "I see..." he murmured, trying to prolong that moment for as long as possible. But she sucks even for small talk. Marco stared at Barbara''s eyes, knowing what was hiding behind them. Something inhumane and cold. Something he could barelyprehend. Just a few days ago, I thought she was not that different from the fridge, a few feet away. But now? She seems like the depths of the ocean... He nced down at his hands. Were they shaking? No way. If there''s someone who can endure this, it''s me. Freaking me. "Ready?" he said in a raspy voice. "I could wait until you finish your dinner." She looked at the te, but Marco shook his head. "I''m already full. Let''s do this." "What would you like to check tonight?" "Let''s continue with security footage, but this time from inside the Cryo Chambers." She said nothing more and closed her eyes, remaining with her legs crossed and a rxed expression on his face, unlike Marco''s, that looked in pain. Come on, you fool. This is nothing. "Dark Conjure..." He began channeling as he stretched out his hand to hold Barbara''s. "Slumbermare." +++ ++ + Marco: [ There was nothing suspicious in the Alvearium''s security footage, nor from the ones of the Santa Mar¨ªa. So that means that whoever loaded the Singr virus into the ship must have done it from inside a Cryo-pod... At least that''s my current theory for now. ] Isabe / Barbara: [ Are you going to review the footage of every single passenger? ] Marco: [ Answer this first... Do passengers'' faces change as they sleep? ] Isa / Barb: [ During regr REM sleep, rapid and random eye movements can ur. These eye movements can indeed influence facial expressions. But inside the Cryo Chamber, all passengers go through a term known as Perpetual Rem State, so for the majority of this voyage, their faces never change, save for some asions. During my observation, I''ve noticed that every passenger has winced at least 15 to 50 times since their connection with the Novus started. And with the passage of time, the number of passengers that go through this phenomenon has reduced drastically to 15% of the overall poption. ] Marco: [ So... We can infer that this ''wincing'' urs when a User dies inside the Novus. That''ll exin why it has gone down with time, since not all of the Novus''munity kept leveling up, and subsequently, expose themselves to dangerous situations... ] I usually am not this wordy... But here, inside Isabe''s digital mind, it wouldn''t matter if I''m this verbose for information travels so fast and efficiently that I could recite the entirety of Shakespeare''s Hamlet in less than a couple of minutes... I bet Isabe could do it in a matter of seconds. Isa / Barb: [ Knowing this, what are you looking for? ] Marco: [ The moment the Singr entered the Cryo-Chambers and spread itself. I want to see if someone reacts erratically during that short time frame. ] Isa / Barb: [ I thought the same, so I have already checked. Since the Singr provoked a power shortage, the cameras stopped working for ten seconds. By the time the cameras turned on again, therge majority of the passengers went through some sort of reaction. ] Marco: [ I need to see it regardless. Commence with our lists of suspects, from A to D. Then the rest in numerical order. ] Isa / Barb: [ Understood. Commencing reproduction... ] The mind of the real Barbara is no more, and only Isabe remains... That means that through my Slumbermare, I''ve managed to ess a sort of ''Super Computer'' that shouldn''t exist here inside The Novus... Aputer that has stored all the Security Footage and data that I could wish for before getting isted off its mainframe. As for my list of suspects, it goes like this: List A: Every User with mental issues. Although Alverearium Enterprise''s selection of candidates was quite strict, some wackos managed to enter through... influences. List B: The millionaires, the celebrities, those academics that used all of their brain power to convince the board of directors to have a guaranteed spot aboard. I wonder what they are doing right now since only a handful of them have made a name in the Novus. List C: People directly involved with Alvearium Enterprise. If a janitor from Kintech managed to board the Santa Mar¨ªa, they''re on my list. Astrid Bradford, and my old pal n Warden are here. List D: Users rted to Alvearium Enterprise''s employees. Parents, spouses, sons, daughters, and cousins... Amelia Lamme is on this list among many others I personally know. I didn''t know her father and uncle worked at Caelum. Interesting... And thest one, List E, isposed of the people responsible for creating the Cryo Chambers. ''Isabe''s Naughty List''... Everything points to one of them working with the Singr and leaving a backdoor behind that could be abused. They may not be inside the ship, but they may be a key to uncovering this mystery... + ++ +++ They took a break two Novus'' hourster. Marco then immediately ran all the way to the restroom and mmed the door shut. The next thing Barbara could hear were sickly and guttural noises. "Are you okay, Marco?" she asked from the other side of the door while Marco wiped filth off his mouth with the reverse of his hand. Even with an enhanced, virtual body... the brain still dictates how to feel... "I''ll be with you in a minute!" "Marco... We could continue tomorrow." "No! We still have 2 hours left! 4 hours of work. That was our deal!" "Understood." I don''t need the sympathy of a machine! With renewed fervor, Marco washed his face at the sink where he could watch his reflection in a mirror. Only I can do this. Only I can endure this. This is nothing. "This is nothing..." he murmured to himself. Chapter 132: Gears in Motion (Part 3)

Chapter 132: Gears in Motion (Part 3)

****** Meanwhile, in a High-Level Raid Dungeon... Rita Carter challenged her concept of beauty after watching Astrid Bradford fight the 164-feet dragon. As Titan Hunter''s heavy hitter and Carry, Rita had always strived to be the best, constantly sharpening her skills and instincts, always getting the best gear... In short, she always tried to be as efficient in killing as possible. She hated watching Battle Streams. For her, Users on camera could not be themselves, for they were always trying to impress their audience, striking cool poses or making unnecessary movements. She loathed that. "Those aren''t true warriors," she would often say every time one of her guild partners tried to show her thest viral video. But this time, for the first time since she knew how to use a dagger, she understood what perfection could look like. It only took three times battling the beast for Astrid to learn all of its attack patterns and finally challenge it solo. Her opponent was Dracoestrul, The Dragon Keeper of the Secret Teachings. The magnificent mythical was infamous for his high Spirit ranking which allowed it to spam an extended amount of different offensive spells. And worst of all, it had the ''Mana Drain'' skill. A sessful raid against this boss demanded a considerable number of mages that could deflect and shield their team from Dracoestrul''s constant barrage of fire breaths and magic attacks and be aware that the monster could absorb their magical energy at any time. This is when a strike team would go into y. Taking advantage that Dracoestrul became vulnerable for a short amount of time, Users with high Vitality and Attack had to deal as much damage as possible at melee range. And Astrid learned to do the two jobs on her own... The Epic-tier staff in her left hand was something anybody could afford eventually. This one in particr, had been crafted by the Shooting Stars'' weaponsmith, with its Durability stat maxed out. A generic 90-level mage staff with an unimpressive name: ''Grand Magus Staff''. And yet, with it, Astrid cast magic shields effortlessly and countered spells that deviated any iing fireball or electric attack. On her right fist, she wielded an Epic-tier item too, an oversized gauntlet that could squish the head of a grown man easily. Every time Dracoestrul tried to absorb Astrid''s mana, she would charge immediately and punch the dragon in the chest as hard as she could. It took Rita three days to realize that something was off with the Golden Comet''s battle style. "Do you see that, Ben? Normally, the dragon would use the stolen mana to charge its ultimate, but every single time it seems to fail. As if..." "...Astrid didn''t have any mana to steal. I know." Benjamin yawned, making Rita frown. "Since when do you know about this?" she asked. "Didn''t you see my face when I saw her charge on her own the first time?" "I thought you two were super close." "I''m closer to her First Officer... If you know what I mean." "Shut up." Benjamin sighed. "So what? Are you saying she''s cheating somehow?" "Even if she was... I can''t avert my eyes from her. She doesn''t dodge; she blocks. She doesn''t run; she dashes forward. She doesn''t attack to lower the dragon''s HP; she strikes to kill... Defend and attack, block and strike, time and time again without making a single mistake. Sometimes, she doesn''t even look human. She''s more than that..." "I get you," Benjamin said as he crossed his arms. Watching Rita''s gaze fixated on the battle made him chuckle. "What do you think, then?" "About what?" "What we''ve been discussing." Rita turned to him, eyes wide open. "What? Do you want to do it now?" "I''d make it official once we return to Londorus, but yes. I want her to answer now. But before Imit to it, tell me, am I nuts?" "I thought you were joking when you told me about itst week, but now, seeing what she''s capable of..." Rita crossed eyes with him. "So yes, I support you. I''m in. And I promise you to kick the ass of anyone that may question your decision." "Wow! You have no idea how relieved I feel hearing you say that!" He whistled while bending down as if he was catching his breath. "Are you going to be okay? Don''t you want to think it through? Maybe talk to the guild first." "No. No. This is what I want. Really." They turned their gazes back to the battlefield just in time to see the dragon turn into vanishing, gleaming pixels. Astrid reunited with them shortly after, carrying arge purple crystal the size of a basketball, a bone as long as her height on her shoulder, and a w between her right armpit. Her usually golden, shining hair was covered by a darkish shade of blood. "Take a look at this, guys!" Astrid''s dirty face lit up. "It dropped three materials this time. Cool, init?" Rita stared at Benjamin until he noticed it, as if she was saying, e on then, say it to her now''. But Benjamin only chuckled. "G-Great! We''re closer to our goal! Are you hungry?" *** This has been their routine for thest few days. Killing the dragon, resting, waiting for the monster to respawn, and start the cycle once again every 8 hours. It was repetitive, the waiting was tedious, and in the words of Astrid: "Quite rxing, huh? This totally feels like a camping trip!" Hearing that, Rita wondered if Astrid never had the time to sit down and rest. But asking her directly about it? Nu-uh. That was too much. At least, hearing thating from one of the best fighters in all The Novus, makes me feel as if we''re doing something truly worthwhile. "We''re low in water," Astrid said quietly. "I may have to make a little trip to the nearest town. Do you guys want me to bring you something else? Any cravings?" "Isn''t Gtov like, 40 miles from here? I can go," Ben said, standing up. "You stay here, rest and heal up." "But..." "I said I''ll do it," Benjamin insisted sternly. "It''s not as if you need us around anyway." Those words made Astrid lower her gaze, which prompted Rita to alert her Guild Master in silence. Benjamin noticed it and cleared her throat. "I-I didn''t mean it that way. I''m sorry." "No, you''re right," Astrid said softly, her eyes fixed on the bonfire in front of her. "Being here must be extremely boring to you. I''m sorry." Rita raised her hand as if she was in a ss. "If you ask me, I''ve learned a lot from you. So I don''t mind hanging out. What about you, Ben?" She looked him directly in the eyes, asking him to lighten the mood. Benjamin returned to his sitting spot and crossed his legs. "Astrid? Can I ask you something? You''re not doing this because of that wacko streamer that challenged you, are you? There''s something else..." Astrid sipped from his coffee thermo first. "Maybe? It''s just that... something tells me that this period of peace we''ve been enjoying it''sing to an end, Ben. The first sign came in the form of that two-headed dragon that attacked Londorus..." Rita wrinkled her forehead in disbelief. What kind of conversation was that? Why did that have to do with anything? "What do you mean, Comet?" Rita asked, giggling nervously, waiting for Astrid to reveal that she was joking, but the blonde''s gloomy attitude did not change. Benjamin then gestured to Rita to be quiet. "I didn''t want to inform you until we got out of the cave, but," he continued, "there was another attack. In Italina." "I see..." "Tell me, Astrid. Is this all rted?" "I think so. Yes." "Is there something you know that you can share with us?" "I don''t have the proof. But that won''t stop me from getting stronger. All of us should strive to do so in the near future. We have to be prepared. That''s what I''m sure of." "And when the timees?" "I''ll do everything in my power to stop it..." Benjamin gazed at Rita before chuckling. "All right then! That''s what I wanted to hear." He then kneeled in front of Astrid like a knight would. Rita did it too, immediately. "What are you doing?" Astrid asked, astonished. "P-Please, stand up! A Guild Master should never--!" Benjamin chuckled. "If you really believe that all of us should be stronger, then let''s do it together! What I mean to say is that I''m swearing my allegiance to you, Astrid Bradford. Let''s form a more powerful guild that can save the Novusmunity... as a team." Astrid pursed her lips and stood up, towering over him. "Are you sure about this, Benjamin Woods?" "Yes. Please, ept the Titan Hunters under your ranks." "If you really mean it, I have two conditions. First, you''ll be my First Officer..." "About that... I don''t want Tamara to..." "Deal?" "Sure. All right. And the second one?" "The Shooting Stars'' guild name remains the same. That would be all." "Okay. Sounds good." "Raise, then, Shooting Stars'' First Officer. You too, Rita Carter." When the two new members of the guild rose up, they saw Astrid''s eyes watering down and a trembling smile crossing her face. The blonde then dashed and hugged Benjamin. "I promise not to do something that''d make you regret this. I swear!" She quickly stepped back and embraced Rita too. "Let''s grow stronger! Together!" Rita could not remember thest time someone hugged her like that... In a genuine manner. Holding her tears, Rita whispered, "Yeah. Let''s do this." *** ** * But before the Shooting Stars and the Titan Hunters guilds merged, something else happened in the city of Aarmus three nights ago. Something quite uneventful. Bill Warren was watching the stars from the rooftop of a recently built house. His one hundred NPCs were resting all around the construction site, sleeping, drinking coffee or simply sitting in benches and logs, sharing silence. Bill then heard the sound of footsteps approaching and sighed. Was that one of the residents wanting to ask when they would finish constructions for the tenth time that day? But as he continued hearing, he noticed that those steps were oddly calcted. Almost as those from NPCs... and yet, not quite the same at the same time. Curious, he looked down to find a petite girl of brown hair looking up at him. Her eyes were green and glowing with light of their own and seemed to scan his face over and over again. "Bill Warren," she called him. It was not a question. She knew him. "Yeah?" he asked cautiously. "I havee to check on your progress. You have not forgotten about it, have you? Prompt Engineer?" Chapter 133: Forced Guilt (Part 1)

Chapter 133: Forced Guilt (Part 1)

[ Ladies and gentlemeeeen! Phantom Seekers is now live, bringing you all a very special episode! Because tonight is the day. That''s right. The moment hase. The time to receive a new member into our ranks has arrived. Are you in? Who among these 35 contestants will stand out? Who will be our new healeeeer! And guess what? We have another surprise for our audience, because tonight we have a special guest who will co-host this event. Folks in the chat, give a warm wee to the fabulous space siren that enchants the Novus with her beautiful voice... Miss Nebuline! ] [ I don''t think people in the chat are happy to see me here. If they were, they''d start throwing some donations my way, don''t you think, ra? ] [ Oh, oh, they''reing! Look at that! Woah! Never underestimate the power of idols! Especially one that works closely with Miss Cosmica! Hey Nebuline, before we start, I have a question for you. Be real honest with me, okay? Do you think I have what it takes to be an idol? ] [ Sure. As long as you''re willing to make some sacrifices. For instance, would you quit Phantom Seekers? ] [ L-Let''s talk about this event''s sponsor! ] I still can''t believe people actually showed up for this, n thought as he saw the group of 35 people waiting for the event to start. A group of unknowns were there because of the announcement ra had made on the guild''s official webpage a week ago. People n had never met in his life hade to that small stadium to have a chance to enter his guild. It was a bizarre scene. Because I still can''t believe they want to join ME. There must be another reason, or maybe they''re here just to troll... Nebuline''s visit can''t be the reason, for she came unannounced. n never expected his guild to catch the Nav''s interest. At the beginning, after signing Miss Cosmica''s exclusivity contract, n believed that the guild''s streamings would be totally ignored. After all, who would want to watch the petty adventures of a--at that time--level 10 User? But after six months of showing his slow but steady progress, the guild found a modest audience. "Trust me, boss. These numbers are quite good for a beginner. The majority of streamers receive less than 10 views and end up quitting. So if nobody was interested in our adventures, I''d have been the first person to panic." That''s what ra told me months ago. So seeing the sess of our guild firsthand here in front of my eyes still feels unreal. "Look, Master," Be, Amelia''s loyal NPC, called his attention, pointing toward the stand area. "The stadium is starting to fill up." n nced in that direction, finding at least 100 people looking for a seat. The ce could hold up to 2000, so the NPC was greatly exaggerating. They''re probably just curious locals. The entrance is free, after all. As soon as our benefactor, Miss Cosmica, acknowledged ra''s announcement, she rented this ce for us to hold thepetition. Quite generous of her. That may also be the reason why Nebuline is here. n had an eagle view of the field that soon would test the contestants'' abilities, while maintaining his distance from anyone''s gaze. He then swallowed hard. Healing was not a popr job among guilders. The majority wished to be a strong warrior or a powerful wizard. People who opted for the Healer ss regrly did it because of peer pressure. But ording to Amelia, that was a long time ago. Now, since every serious guild needs at least one, there has been a resurgence and a demand for mastering the ss. A good professional healer can be as popr as the guild''s ''carry.'' There are even cases where the First Officer of the most popr guilds are Healers. So watching all these people, these 35 healers,ing here voluntarily for a chance to enter our guild makes my stomach twirl and my heart ache. What if my guild doesn''t measure up to their standards? "There you are. I''ve been looking for you all over the ce," a low feminine voice said behind him, then crossed eyes with the NPC. "Thanks for finding him, Be." "You''re wee, Master Amelia," Be replied, making a curtsy. "Hey, Red," n said in a tiny voice, his gaze still fixed on the group below. Amelia sighed heavily before grabbing his arm. "Hurry up. You''re one of the judges too, aren''t you? Let''s get to the booth before the camera shows two empty seats." As he got dragged, a nervous expression still adorned n''s face. "Amelia?" he whispered. "Am I a good leader? You''re the first one that joined me voluntarily, so..." She halted, and a brief silence followed. When she finally turned around to look him in the eye, n was ready to be scolded, but she quickly snickered. He did not expect that. "Come on," she urged, turning around, but arge figure was now standing in her way, causing her to crash against someone''s chin. "Whoa! Watch it, you--!" Amelia suddenly closed her mouth, almost biting her tongue. She even took a step back, which n noticed. She would never do that. Normally, the stranger would have burned into ashes by now. Everything became clear when the man in front of them beamed brightly. "Hey, it''s my little firecracker! Long time no see. Since the Novus'' first anniversary, right? Give your uncle a big hug!" "N-Nich--" she stammered before noticing that the man was frowning at her stacked cleavage. "So not even you could resist the temptation, huh ni¨¨ce?" He sucked his teeth and shook his head in clear disappointment, prompting Amelia to shriek. "F-FERME TA GUEULE, NICHOLAS! YOU--Y-You--!" Nichs'' gaze then fixed on n. "Ah, my apologies. I haven''t introduced myself. I''m Nichs Lamme, Amelia''s uncle, and one of this event''s participants. You''re n Warden, today''s host." Nichs reached for a handshake, and n noticed that his forearm was huge. He''s quite muscr for a healer. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lamme, and thanks foring. Marissa has told me so much about you." "Great things, I hope. And just call me Nichs." He chuckled before crossing eyes with the fake woman beside n. "And who might this beauty be?" "I''m Be nk, an NPC in service to Amelia Lamme." She made a short curtsy. "Wee to tonight''s event, Mr. Lamme. If there is anything you require, please do not hesitate to ask. It''s an honor to have you here." "Oh, I''ll take your word for it," Nichs said in a husky voice while holding and kissing Be''s hand, which he immediately let go once feeling Amelia''s piercing re. "Ehem! As I was saying, I hope that Marissa told you all about my awesome exploits. Did she tell you about the time I maintained an entire 50-strong guild alive all by myself during a highly dangerous raid, or that I''ve mastered all arts of healing? I can cleanse poison, paralysis, and the mostmon of mental corruption like confusion and--" "We don''t need your resume, participant," Amelia interrupted, cing herself between them. "You''ll have plenty of time to show your abilities during tonight''s contest. Unless you get eliminated in the first test, which would be extremely disappointing for a Monk of your... caliber," she pronounced thest bit with as much venom as she could muster and then took off, pulling n by his arm. Be followed them closely while waving goodbye. "I''ll do my best," Nichs said quietly as n looked back. They traversed the staff corridors of the establishment inplete silence for a couple of minutes until Amelia broke it. "Be, the event is about to begin. Go and take your ce." "Right away, ma''am." The NPC nodded and took off, leaving only the two in front of the door that would take them to the broadcast booth, but the redhead did not look eager to enter. "Is there... something you''d like to talk about before the event starts?" n asked. "Just because he''s rted to me means nothing," she started saying while giving him the back. "I promise you to be impartial and judge him by his own merits. Are we clear about that?" "Sure." "Let''s do this then." Chapter 134: Forced Guilt (Part 2)

Chapter 134: Forced Guilt (Part 2)

As Nichs saw Amelia and n--and her specially cute NPC--go, he snickered. "Not what I expected, but at least she looks happy," he said to himself and made his way back among the participants. The stadium''s lights turned off shortly after, and the spotlight focused on the group. ra''s energetic voice was then heard through every speaker. [ Sorry for keeping you waiting, folks! Tell me, are you guys reaaady? ] Nichs turned his attention to the audience. Was Marissa sitting among them, wishing him luck? I would already know it if that was the case. He exhaled, eyes closed. Why am I even doing this? [ ra: The rules are simple, so listen up! Our irreceable Guild Master, alongside two other members of Phantom Seekers, are lost in this swamp. So go and rescue them! By the way, one of the lost guilders knows the exact location of our leader, and the other doesn''t. So good luck finding the correct one! ] [ Nebuline: During thepetition, the system will prevent you from essing your inventory and regr equipment, but at the beginning, you''ll be able to choose a single item from a curated list. Make your choice count. Lastly, it goes without saying that if you get eliminated by an enemy, you''ll be disqualified. There won''t be second chances. ] [ ra: We don''t need a healer that can''t take care of themselves, do we? ] [ Nebuline: You will be evaluated ording to your actions during the match, and additional points can be awarded by a panel of judges. That includes us, and two other special guests. Isn''t that right, n? ] [ n: Hi, everyone. Thanks foring, Nebuline. I''ll be joining you as one of the judges. Good luck to y''all. ] [ Nebuline: Andst but not least, Phantom Seeker''s most powerful and experienced member, Amelia Lamme. ] The participants focused on the stadium''s giant virtual screen. Although Amelia had only been featured on a few asions, she was quite popr among the Phantom Seeker''s audience. The stream chat was immediately flooded with passionatements and heart emoticons. "What a beauty," someone said behind Nichs. "Hottie," said another, beside him. Nichs watched his niece too, before narrowing his eyes. What is she doing? A long silence had dominated the stream since the attention had fallen on her. Everyone in the stadium, and through the Nav stream, watched as Amelia seemed to freeze in front of the camera. There she was, watching the void, lips sealed. [ ra: Um... Cue to Amelia? We''re live. ] [ Amelia: ...Yes. ] "Is she nervous?" "A head-turner like her? No way." Nichs chuckled, amused. You''re still struggling with stage fright, huh? [ ra: A-Anyway! Miss Nebuline, would you do the honors, please? ] [ Nebuline: On it. But before we begin, let me remind everyone that besides this being apetition, it''s also entertainment. So give us a good show, okay? Now, without further ado... Let this healingpetition... Begin! ] The field in front of them transformed. Rocks emerged from the barren ground, entire trees sprouted from beneath their feet, and the air became thicker by the second. A swamp... huh, Nichs thought as the terrain under his feet finally materialized. His boots quickly found moist mud beneath them, and when he gazed back, the whole stadium and its noise had disappeared, as if a giant bubble had isted them from the rest of the Novus. "What''s that smell?" "So what now? Do we start searching with no clues?" "I can''t equip my Epic-grade staff. What a pain in the ass." "Didn''t they tell us we would get a...?" A virtual window popped up in front of everyone, urging them to pick from a list of three items: a red potion, a mana potion, or an Advanced-tier staff. Nichs reviewed the items for a moment before opting for the red potion. Confident in his choice, he swiftly stored the bottle that materialized in his right palm. ncing at the rest, he saw that everyone had made a different choice. "What did you get?" one asked another. "The mana potion. What if we run out of juice before saving the GM? You?" "The staff. Given the circumstances, we need it to face anything they may throw at us." A minute had passed, and no one had made a move yet. Someone will step forward any moment now. In the meantime, what do we know so far? If n is currently one of the judges, that means there''s someone else reprising his role down here. We will constantly be evaluated. Although this is apetition, I bet that teamwork will be rewarded handsomely. What else? Hmm... If one of the lost guilders knows the objective''s location, we may end up finding the other, which I bet everyone sees as a loss and a waste of time. So, once people start moving, we will end up divided into at least threerge groups. Two that will try their luck finding the correct guilder with the GM''s whereabouts, and a third group that... [ ra: Do you see this, Miss Nebuline? None of the participants dare to make a move. I know this test is not for the faint of heart, but... ] [ Nebuline: I''m sorry, ra, it''d be a real shame if you guys end up recruiting a gutless healer. What a pity.] Every participant heard it. Althoughmunication with the outside world had been severed, they could hear thementators'' voices through a shared open channel. Nichs only snickered. And here we go... "Without a map or clues, our only option is to go forward, isn''t it?" arge, bulky man barked aloud. "So stop being a bunch of pussies and start working already!" He made his way forward, stomping at every step. The ones closest to him seemed to have snapped out of their anxiety and followed him blindly. As for Nichs and the majority of the participants, they stood rooted to their spot and waited. Having traversed just a few feet away, therge man''s boots quickly got sunk into a pond. "Just great," he grunted, trying to find his foothold while two others helped him. Then it happened, swiftly and without notice. He was pulled by multiple purple tentacles that sprouted out of the mud. With his hands and legs immobilized, he could only turn back and yell at the others. "Don''t stand there like idiots and do something!" "Guys, please!" screamed another. "Can''t you see we need help?" But the rest of the group stood silent and only watched as three got eliminated from thepetition by a hidden monster that never bothered to show up. [ Serves them right! ] a woman spoke through the open audio channel, but it was neither ra nor Nebuline. So this was your doing, huh? Diabolical... Nichs could picture his niece crossing her arms and legs and looking at the camera with a smug expression on her face. [ Amelia: ''Life Check'' is one of the basics for healers. With it, you''re able to easily determine the health and location of every member of your group. That''s how you know who to prioritize healing, isn''t that right? It''s also a good quick spell to scan the area for enemies. In a real-life situation, these fools would have sent their vanguard to their death. For their stupidity, they''ve paid the price. Good riddance! ] Nichs''s irises glowed for a couple of seconds as he used Life Check to see his surroundings. There were dozens of Swamp Slimes awaiting any unsuspecting prey to fall into their vicinity. Once it was settled that in thispetition there was no room for errors, therge group finally started marching, making sure not to disturb any of the monsters resting under the murky waters. Nichs looked into the distance, finding nothing but a dense foliage of twisted trees. This ce is way bigger than the stadium. Maybe ten timesrger. Something only Virtual Reality could aplish. He looked down at his legs that cut through the mist clinging to the ground. Everything about this scenario was designed to obscure visibility. It wouldn''t surprise me if she was the one behind this map''syout. As the group progressed, they could hear the distant croaking of frogs and the asional rustle of something moving through the underbrush. Which, during this test, only means danger. "Stay alert, everyone," a female healer whispered. Nichs looked in her direction. She was young, just like the majority of the group. A reflection of the Novus'' poption. Look at you, poor little thing. You''re asking caution from a bunch of healers that let three other contestants get swallowed by flesh-consuming monsters. You included. You also let it happen. "I detect three monsters in front of us. Bigger than the Swamp Slimes," another healer informed aloud. And I bet he will do nothing to help the group. As if he was stating: ''There, I''ve done my part. Now you deal with it while I save my precious mana.'' Well... I don''t think Amelia would let everyone reach the deepest corners of this map without getting our hands dirty. A creature leaped from their left nk, breaking the dry tree branches that stood in its way. Another croaked from the opposite direction before pouncing over them. "What the hell is going on?! Why didn''t anyone say anything about those!" the healer who had just alerted them shrieked as he pulled out his borrowed mage staff. The answer is simple, my temporary friend. The ones at our nks let it happen. The pair of eight-foot-tall creatures quickly released whip-like tongues and trapped two healers by their waist, pulling them with a tremendous force that easily broke their spines. Only seven seconds had passed since their attack, and they had already swallowed two victims whole. "Quick-Status," Nichs whispered, and a System Window appeared in front of his eyes. His current level was 40 and colored in red. As expected. This ce is nerfing us hard. "What am I doing?! Standing idle in the presence of evil! I shall not let another innocent fall in front of my eyes!" Nichs looked at a person d in white robes dash against the frog, holding his staff fervently. A Role yer, huh? Haven''t seen one in ages. "Begone, you fiend!" the yer eximed as he started casting mana. "Mid Light Crafting, Radiaaance!" A shot of light in a concave shape, simr to that of a shotgun shot, struck the frog''s belly, exposing its entrails. It was a good thing that the Novus'' system had already disposed of the previously swallowed healer, or everyone could have seen a mess of human gray matter and an exposed skull too. "Rest in peace, you unfortunate soul," the yer in white whispered as he gestured a prayer. Meanwhile, in the opposite direction, the other frog had been eliminated by a female healer wearing a military uniform. The cannon of her rifle was fuming, and the expression on her face looked deadpan. "I''m done here. Okay, you don''t have to ask, I''ll watch our rear. Whoops, that sounded dirty, hehe." A Combat Corpsman, huh? That''s even rarer than seeing a Role yer. But what about our vanguard? The pair of previously detected frogs charged at the group, and their first move was to throw their 20-foot-long tongues and eat two new victims. But the Users at the front were already waiting for that. "Nature''s Defense System!" a man invoked while cing his hands on the ground. Roots as strong as steel then grew and sprouted from beneath, binding the two frogs at the same time and preventing their tongues from reaching their maximum length. With the enemies restrained, another healer took the opportunity to channel mana and recite, "Water Crafting - X - Lesser Familiars Calling..." As he concentrated, the muddy water from the vicinity was magically pulled and formed a floating liquid sphere that quickly shaped into a translucent buzzing insect the size of their master''s head. "Hydrolon Wasp!" The elemental creature came to life and shot multiple stingers made of water at the frogs'' heads with a force akin to bullets, leaving them disfigured. And with that, the danger had been neutralized. A Druid and a Shaman... Now I see that thispetition managed to bring all kinds of wackos! Including me, ha! [ ra: Well done, everyone! Only 30 contestants remain. We will grant 20 points to the Users that helped take down the monsters. ] "Did you hear that? They''re already rewarding points!" "Imagine if we survive all the way to the end but manage to get 0 points. And worst of all, this is being broadcast! No one would want to hire us again." That would be a real shame, isn''t it? "Let''s get going! Before we get surrounded again," the Druid said, taking the lead. As the group resumed their quest, something pulled Nichs by the ankle. Looking back, he saw a pinkish tongue, as one of the monstrous frogs was holding onto thest portion of its HP. This thing has ''Iron Will'' as a passive, huh? Nichs crouched, as if to obscure what he was about to do from the others. He grabbed the tongue tightly and began absorbing the frog''s life. The monster did not let out a final agonizing cry and fell silent instead, as if that little moment had ever happened. Nichs nced back at the group, making sure no one had seen him. If his method of healing was going to be revealed during the test, so be it, but it was not the time just yet. I''m sorry, Amelia, but if a monk is what your guild needs, I have terrible news for you... Chapter 135: Hello there, Fellow Guilders! (Part 1)

Chapter 135: Hello there, Fellow Guilders! (Part 1)

Fight and heal. Engage inbat and then patch wounds. And so on, and so on. That would be their routine for the next half hour. Even though they walked without rest, the swamp seemed to stretch infinitely. For a moment, some of the participants thought they had been stranded in a foreignnd for real. But no. This is all a simtion within a simtion. Nichs knew it was only a matter of time before a more dangerous monster appeared, sent by whoever was in charge of the scenario. After all, this is also a show. I imagine thement section must be flooded with people demanding more action. Nichs checked the current state of the group. Just five minutes earlier, they had been attacked by another pack of murderous frogs called Hopsters, which had eliminated five more participants. Amid the chaos, some demanded to be healed, while others ignored the pleas, hoping to conserve their mana, despite points being awarded for helping allies. One would think that a group of 30 healers would be practically immortal, but no. That would be the case if there wasn''t a prize on the line. "This isn''t working," a man in his early twenties said, halting. The healers leading the group stopped in their tracks and turned back, ring at him. Such hostility is due to the fact that we haven''t advanced the quest, and suddenly this guy demands our attention. He better say something useful or be ostracized for the rest of the event. "What? Do you have something to say?" the female Field Medic asked in a raspy voice. "Be quick and spit it out." The male healer, d in tinum armor and a white cape¡ªcurrently stained with mud¡ªlooked around and then up. The foliage of the trees made it impossible to see the night sky. "Is there someone with flying familiars here, so we can send them to scan the terrain? If we don''t identify locations of interest, we''ll continue marching around in circles forever." Nichs examined the man''s outfit. A Pdin... God, I really detest those. Even if this isn''t a Role yer like that wacko over there, they still seem morally superior. As if donning that cape messes with their head or something. I won''t help for now. I''ve done enough for a while. Nichs watched the score visible only to him, which stated he had 100 points for healing others, before turning his attention back to the group. "I could send my Hydrolon," the shaman, master of the giant water wasp said, pointing at it with his thumb. "But it''s not an eagle, so its long-range vision might not be great. It''s good at detecting nearby threats, though." "Noted," the Pdin said, nodding, before turning around. "Anyone else? We''ll need at least two more familiars." "Why do we need that many, pretty boy?" the Medic asked, stepping into his personal space. The Pdin smiled mildly. "To corroborate what everyone sees. Just in case someone lies." The female healer thought about it for a moment and shrugged. "Sure. Why not? I could send a drone. But it''s of cheap quality, so it has average visual range." "Good. I''ll send my dove Familiar then. Let me call it." What a surprise! I knew this guy was nothing but a walking stereotype. Nichs snickered loudly, which did not go unnoticed by the Pdin. The group waited as preparations were made. Even their surroundings seemed to be holding their breath, maintaining a serene but eerie silence. The elemental wasp, the electronic drone, and the recently summoned white dove took off, navigating through the hundreds of pointy gray branches blocking their way upward. "It''s taking a while," the Medicmented, her gaze obscured by goggles. "This is a fake swamp. It wouldn''t surprise me if this ce had 300-foot trees," the shaman replied, his eyes shut. "Heads up. I can see the moon already," the Pdin said. They managed to hover and fly above the tree line and got to work immediately. The swamp was vast; they could even swear it was as vast as the city hosting the event. It was nothing but a densebyrinthposed of thousands of tall trees. After taking note of anything remotely out of the ordinary, they ordered their Familiars and drone to automatically descend. "A mile from here, northwest, there is a hill with a very suspicious rock formation," the Pdin was the first to report, then chuckled. "It''s practically begging us to check it out." "I also found a small ind in the center of ake, 1.5 miles from our current position, northeast," the Medic said while taking off her goggles. "It''s the only thing that stands out in this stinky ce, besides the rock formation. Looks like a cool ce to visit," she murmured in a dry voice. The Shaman exhaled. "Which leaves me with delivering the bad news. My wasp detected tworge auras nearby. A pair of bosses, most likely." "Well, there you have it, folks," the Pdin spoke, making eye contact with everyone. "Two destinies await us. I bet we''ll find the two lost NPCs there. That sums it all up, doesn''t it?" Murmurs and whispers spread among the twenty-five participants. Nichs could even swear he could discern them starting to split into groups. I still have my theory, though! By the end of this, there will be three primary search groups. "Whoever wants to check theke, follow me. I''ll guide you," the Medic was the first to make a move, and after a few seconds of uncertainty, some followed her. The correct assumption was that the Pdin would offer to lead the way to the rock formation, but half a minuteter, he seemed to have fallen into stubborn silence. The shaman took the opportunity to speak, as if the judge panel were awarding points for leadership skills. "To the rock formation! Those who want to go,e this way! My Hydrolon will guide us from above!" Nichs, just like a few others, remained still. He exchanged nces with the rest, who were frowning or sending suspicious looks at the Pdin. Yeah, they also noticed it. The Pdin isn''t making a move in either direction... The sound of wood cracking alerted them. Then, something akin to a whistle. "It''s here! A boss is here!" the Medic said from her position, 100 feet away. "On your guard, everyone!" another male voice said. That''s the shaman. Surely ambushed by another enemy. Battle cries and cries of agony were heard immediately from the two opposite directions. That was the exact moment the Pdin began sprinting in a straight line. Chapter 136: Hello there, Fellow Guilders! (Part 2)

Chapter 136: Hello there, Fellow Guilders! (Part 2)

"On your guard, everyone!" another male voice said. That''s the shaman. Surely ambushed by another enemy. Battle cries and cries of agony were heard immediately from the two opposite directions. That was the exact moment the Pdin began sprinting in a straight line. Ah, I see. The tworge auras the shaman detected have ambushed us. They''re literally protecting the road to the hill and theke... And this prick... He never mentioned how good his pigeon''s vision was. Nichs watched as the Pdin went north, piercing through the crossroad. The few who remained quickly followed him. Five in total. Yes... This asshole never mentioned the vision range of his pigeon on purpose. I bet he found a third location that neither the drone nor the Hydrolon could see. Snickering, Nichs reached for his pockets to pull out a gold coin, but then remembered that the system was currently withholding his entire inventory. Ah, crap. Unable to flip a coin. What to do? He closed his eyes and began pointing at the two known roads while reciting a French equivalent of eenie meenie miney moe, "Am, stram, gram. Pic et pic et col¨¦gram. Bour et bour et ratatam... Am, stram, gram... Pic !" He opened his eyes and grimaced at the randomly picked path, theke and its ind. "Whatever." He then dashed forward, encountering the group led by the Medic shortly after. The eight healers seemed to look at their surroundings nervously. The panic in their eyes was palpable. "Hi!" Nichs offered a half-smile. "I''m joining you. What did I miss?" The Medic looked at him and muttered, "Oh, great. A ''Bribepod.''" Whoa. I haven''t been called that in a long time. "We don''t know where that thing went!" a male healer said to Nichs while looking at the top of the trees. "It''s pretty darn quick!" Nichs nced down. A person lying on the ground was currently turning into vanishing pixels. Then, a whistle. His instinct told him to duck just as something flew above his head. A long-range attack. He rushed for cover as well as the others. Taking another glimpse at the surroundings did not help. That thing is either moving so quickly we can''t see it, or it can camouge. "We can''t stay here, we need to get out of here!" the healer who informed Nichs shouted, covering his head with both arms. "Let''s escape to theke and fight it there in an open area!" "We''re still miles from there!" the Medic yelled back. "We only took a couple of steps in that direction and this thing attacked us immediately! We won''t be able to get halfway there!" But it''s not a bad idea. "If we stay here, it''ll take us down one by one!" Nichs interjected, locking eyes with the Medic. "And we can''t realistically retaliate in its domain!" "What do you suggest then?!" I''ll have to make a demonstration to gain their trust. Nichs began casting. "Mid Earth Boost, Living Rock!" He then stomped forward with open arms and yelled, "Your aim sucks, whatever you are!" The rest stood silent, waiting. No one told him to stop being reckless and take cover. They all saw him casting a Physical Defense Boost, so they waited, but would it work? The familiar whistle cut through the air, and a shot impacted Nichs'' chest. He stumbled back but managed to remain standing. Then, he slowly turned around, giving them a faint smile. His HP bar had been reduced to 30%. "See?" The Medic nced at the rest before shouting, "Those who know defensive charms, cast them on the others now! Those who can''t will exclusively heal! Move, move, move! Follow me!" Nichs felt the warm feeling of getting healed by another person before they all ran in unison. Someone began casting, "Mid Earth Charm, Metal Skin!" "Mid Ice Charm, Frost Armor!" chanted another. The entire team boosted their defenses and ran forward without looking back as the enemy pursued them, shooting at their backs every 15 seconds. The area of the woods was filled with grunts and cries of pain as the enemy punished them constantly, but no one died. "Keep the charms active! As for the others, manage your healing cooldowns! We must be ready to cast a healing spell at any moment!" The wounded resisted until they were healed, and their formation never faltered, but it became clear they would be exhausted before reaching theke. "We need a distraction!" "I can take care of that," said another, whom Nichs recognized as the Druid. "I''ve been collecting leaves during our escape. Combined with the slime goo I picked up earlier, I made these!" He threw small round objects to the others. Nichs received one as well. It was a rudimentary sphere made of leaves. He could squeeze it and feel something squishy inside. "A stinky bomb," Nichs said after analyzing it with his Unique Talent. "What, for real?" asked another. "It''ll mess up its senses!" The Druidughed. "At least, I hope so. Just make sure to take turns. Don''t throw them all at once!" Someone threw theirs, and a huge smoke cloud was released on impact. Although they had already left the area, they still could take a sniff of it. "Whoa, nelly! That thing sure is strong!" "Good job, stranger! It wouldn''t surprise me if the enemy stops chasing us after that!" "I''m Liam! Nice to meet you all!" Just as Liam gave the group a friendly smile, he received a shot in the back of his head that almost knocked him unconscious. The group halted. One healed him, another cast another Earth charm, and another threw a stinky bomb in the direction from which the shot hade. "All set?" the Medic asked before nodding. "Let''s keep going! We''ve officially reached the halfway point!" "What, are you serious?!" "It''s okay! The bombs are stopping it! I guess..." Once the third bomb was thrown, they noticed the next enemy shot missed them considerably. Encouraged, the group pressed on, eager to see a glimpse of theke. "Hey, Liam, can you make more of these bombs?" Nichs asked. "Sorry, but I ran out of slime goo." Someone threw the fourth one, and by then, they had not sensed or seen any signs of their enemy. "Guys, give me the rest of the bombs," Nichs said aloud. "What are you nning, Bribepod?" the Medic asked. Nichs noticed the bomb in her hand. "We''re almost at our destination, and there''s no need to waste the rest. Give them to me, and I promise you the enemy''s head!" The Medic looked him in the eye for a moment. "Whatever," she muttered and gave him her bomb. The others did the same. A couple of secondster, a shot impacted a healer. "Heal him, we''re almost there!" the Medic yelled as they could see a light through the tree cover. A minuteter, they found a vast body of water and the promised ind in the distance, but they did not stop right away. They needed to put some distance between them and the nearest trees. Chapter 137: Hello there, Fellow Guilders! (Part 3)

Chapter 137: Hello there, Fellow Guilders! (Part 3)

They eventually reached the edge of theke before turning back, waiting for the devilish thing to finally show up. "Do you think it can shoot us from that far?" "I don''t think so. We''re like, what, 200 feet away from the nearest tree?" "Are you done preparing your secret weapon, Bribepod?" the Medic asked Nichs, who was fervently holding four stinky bombs that had changed to a reddish color. "What, this? I finished like a minute ago. But something tells me that thing will dodge them." Nichs saw the Medic grimace before turning his gaze to the Druid. "Could you trap that thing with your magic like you did before?" "You mean like the time I bound the Hopsters, right?" The Druid nodded and ced his hands against the ground. "I''ll make some concealed traps all over the ce." "Yes, you do¡ª" Nichs fell silent after seeing the lone silhouette observing them from a distance. It had the distinctive features of a frog, just like their previous enemies: greenish skin, a big head and mouth, and webbed toes instead of fingers, but this one was slimmer, and its humanoid shape seemed even more intimidating. Because it reflects cunningness. "Advanced Green Hopster. So this is what those frogs evolve into, huh?" "Whatever it is, I''m currently spreading vines throughout the area, so don''t let that thing get close to me," the Druid said, eyes on their target. A secondter, the enemy puffed its cheeks and spat, impacting a healer in the chest. So that''s what it''s been shooting at us this whole time. No wonder I feel wet in the back. A gunshot startled the group, and an instantter, the Advanced Hopster dodged to one side. The Medic then clicked her tongue; the barrel of her rifle was fuming. "That thing sure is fast," she muttered. "An experienced warrior would be able to take it down easily. But support units like us?" That''s true, we don''t have thebat power or the stats to take such a monster down. That''s why we must show our ability to adapt, huh? Is that what you were thinking while designing this test, niece? Nichs nced at the spheres in his arms and snickered. It''s okay. I adapted from the moment you girls spread your wings and flew away from me... But I''m not sure if you''ll like what I''ve be. "What are you guys waiting for?!" the Medic shrieked to the others. "Cast a defensive charm on him!" She pointed at the healer who had been recently shot. "We''re not done¡ª!" A shadow suddenly cast over the aforementioned healer. When he looked up, he had a brief glimpse of a silhouette before getting his head crushed. The killer weapon broke in half, and with its lower half, the silhouette stabbed another participant in the arm. It took a moment for Nichs to realize that the Hopster had reached their position in a second and attacked them with one of the borrowed mage staves. Surely from a fallen healer. I noticed that this kind of staff remains on the field when its owner dies. But... this is too much! The way this freaking thing fights is¡ªIt reeks of human intelligence! Unless... In that fraction of a second, Nichs locked eyes with the Hopster''s killer gaze. I bet someone is controlling the thing! Heck, I''d even bet it''s Amelia. "Get out of my way!" they heard the Medic yell. A secondter, she pulled the trigger of a shotgun without caring if the others had time to duck. The Hopster dodged, jumping away to a safe distance. The injured healer rushed to cast, "M-Mid Earth Charm, Metal Skin!" But only three out of the seven remaining got the buff. "Q-Quick, who used to cast the Ice Charm?! Do it now!" "He got killed just a moment ago, so... yeah." "At least heal me, quick!" The Medic grunted before muttering, "Goddammit. Can''t you guys work under pressure? You cry like a bunch of babies." She then turned to the Druid. "Hey, are you cking off? Why hasn''t the monster been restrained by your magic yet?" "I can''t cover every inch of thisnd with my traps, so I''ve spaced them out. Unfortunately, it hasn''t stepped on one just yet!" "You," a young male called Nichs. "Do you think that''ll work?" he asked, pointing at the bombs. Nichs stared at him. He might be the youngest participant. Just look at that baby face. "Guaranteed!" Nichs replied, smirking. "But only if it takes a direct hit." "And that thing is just ying with us," the young man said before biting his lower lip. "Fuck it. I''ll have to use some of my mana or we''ll never advance. Cover me, will ya?" Despite the healer''s contemptuous words, as soon as his body was surrounded by a yellow aura, Nichs knew something good wasing. "What took you so long!" the Medic yelled, preparing her rifle. "Out of the bunch, you''re the one that hasn''t done shit, you freaking White Mage! Anyway, we''ll need someone else to distract the monster!" "I''ll do it. But after seeing what that thing can do, it can only be for a few seconds," another healer stepped up, removing his robe to reveal a muscr physique. He then took a battle stance, his primary hand formed in a pointed beak-like shape. A monk, definitely. Heck, I even recognize that stance. It''s the Crane Fighting Style. The Hopster looked at the monk for a couple of seconds, and Nichs could even swear it seemed amused. Meanwhile, the White Mage beside Nichs began reciting the Words of Power, "Greater Time Conjure..." The Hopster closed the distance between them in a second, at a speed none of them could match, but the monk managed to block the impending attack. Barely. "T-This thing really packs a punch!" Everyone heard the sound of his arm breaking, but that did not deter the monk. He grabbed the Hopster''s arm to perform a grapple, but the monster applied its own strength, impeding it. "It''s too close to us!" Nichs warned, and the Medic mobilized. She took aim, ready to discharge her shotgun at point-nk range, but the Hopster kicked the monk in the stomach and fled. But it''s okay! It''s what we wanted. "White Mage!" the Medic yelled, and the young participant obliged. "Before I Get Late!" he chanted. The air became dense and almost palpable, as if it had been locked in ce, frozen in the space around them. For the next minute, everything within a 320-foot radius slowed down. From the water rippling between their legs to the frog humanoid that was slowlynding away from them. He was falling down as if he was as light as a feather. But that''s just because of the gravity. I bet that once its feet touch the ground, it''ll be able to move faster than any of us. But it''s okay. Now we can see its movements and act ordingly. Nichs turned around slowly, as if every muscle in his body weighed a ton, and began the process of stretching out his hand toward the Medic. She immediately knew what he was about to do and began preparing herself too, pulling out a new weapon from under her military coat. Seeing each other''s movements in slow motion was excruciating, but their will to defeat the monster filled them with determination. Meanwhile, the healer who had been previously stabbed in the arm started channeling mana to heal the monk in case the Hopster charged at them again but soon stopped after witnessing the enemy paralyzed in its ce. Everyone saw it. The Hopster''s right knee touched the ground as if it was hurt, but its health bar was still full. Nichs then noticed a cloud of orange particles floating around it and the new flowers sprouting from the grass. It was time. The Medic loaded Nichs'' promisingly improved bomb into a grenadeuncher, took aim, and shot. The entire group could even see the trajectory of the round ball through the air and the exact moment it impacted, causing a zing explosion step by step. A mesmerizing disy they would not have witnessed otherwise. The time spell ran out, and the explosion finally roared and sped its momentum. "Way to go, guys!" the monk cheered, pumping his healthy fist into the air. "What are those, by the way?" he pointed at the flowers. "I knew that thing was avoiding my traps, so I grew those on top of them. Their paralyzing pollen really caught it off guard." The other healer sighed. "That thing really got on my nerves, but it''s a good thing we got rid of it. Let me heal you." As the others celebrated, Nichs watched as the Medic stored the grenadeuncher inside her coat instead of making it disappear into thin air. "All those weapons. How can you use them if they locked our inventory?" he asked quietly. She stared at him with a bored expression. "None of your business, Bribepod." He quickly chuckled. "Wrong. It''s also none of your business, but I didn''t buy my way into this spaceship. I earned it." The young woman narrowed her eyes and grimaced. "Ugh. So you''re even worse, huh? A Nepopod." Her tone was high enough for the others to stare at Nichs, who offered a half smile. "Hey, I think it''s time we learn each other''s names, right? Before we have a dramatic end." "You all already know my name, but I''ll repeat it anyway. I''m Liam," said the Druid. "I''m Hugo!" said the Monk. "Nice to meet you all. As you can see, I can fight, but not as effectively. I really miss my regr gear." "I''m Finn," said the White Mage, looking at the Medic bitterly. "I suppose this gal has already spoiled my ss." "My name is Oliver," said the shy young man healing Hugo. "I''m a Cleric, so I wouldn''t mind being relegated to healing only..." The only woman in the group sighed heavily. "I''m Maude, a Field Medic. Sorry, guys, but I might be the winner of this contest. No hard feelings, eh." The entire group turned to Nichs, curious about his ss. He smiled back and pped. "Call me Nick. Now, any ideas on how to reach that ind?" Chapter 138: In the Land of the Faceless, a Pretty Face is Queen

Chapter 138: In the Land of the Faceless, a Pretty Face is Queen

They decided to freeze the water and create a direct bridge to the ind waiting for them at the center of theke, despite the White Mage''s reluctance. The young man gritted his teeth as he cast minor Ice spells one after another until they reached the ind. When he tried to negotiate a mana bottle for his work and the Time Conjure that had brought them victory before, Nichs patted him on the shoulder. "Stop being an ass. We''re all contributing. I bet you still have at least 70% of your MP bar." The White Mage clicked his tongue. "Whatever." The Monk was thest one to step onto firmnd. Behind them, the ice bridge had begun to crack and break into dozens of chunks. "This shouldn''t take us too long. This ind seems to be tiny," the Monk said, hands on his hips. "And yet, it wouldn''t surprise me if this ind is bigger than it looks," the Cleric said quietly. "Just like this enormous swamp is inside the Turnground Stadium." The Field Medic let out an exasperated grunt. "That''s not how Echo Spheres work, you dumbass. You can''t create another Echo inside one." "The only way a ce like this could hide arger area would be if it goes underground," the Druid added, prompting the others to grunt. "Please don''t say that," Nick said, exhaling. "It already feels like we''ve been here for days. The least we need is a freaking dungeon to explore." The six moved forward with caution. The Druid focused on using Life Check, while the others visually scanned their surroundings. "There''s nothing," he informed quietly, eyes shut, while the Cleric guided his path. "Not even the sound of insects..." the White Mage pointed out. "That only means something''s going to jump out of somewhere, right?" "We''ll be prepared," the Druid assured, swallowing hard. "As long as I concentrate, I can scan everything within a 300-foot radius. Nothing will catch us by surprise." "Doesn''t hurt to be careful," the Mage said bitterly. Despite being at the rear, the Field Medic noticed something before anyone else. "What''s that?" She pointed forward. "There''s a humanoid silhouette up ahead. Can you see it?" The group looked in the indicated direction, quickly forming frowns. "You''re right. What IS that?" As they got closer, the Cleric let out a gasp. "Is she dead?" "I don''t sense any life force nearby, so..." the Druid added. Unsure of what they were seeing, they all froze in ce until the White Mage, with a sigh, marched forward until touching the silhouette''s feet. "It''s a doll," he informed aloud. "A person-sized wooden doll." "It looks quite real from here," the Monk said, chuckling nervously. The Mage then grabbed the doll''s right foot to turn it toward them. "Look. Behind all that hair, there isn''t a face." They studied the doll with apprehension. It was wearing a dirty robe, had medium-length hair, and the way it was hanging by the neck looked frighteningly realistic. "Another proof that this freaking test is messed up," the Mage said, exhaling. "Wait, no, I correct myself. Whoever designed this test is messed up." Keep quiet, Nichs. Don''t let any hidden camera catch you cracking a smile... "This is obviously a trap," the Monk said, stepping forward and examining the doll with determination. He then jumped upward, cut the rope with his bare hand, making the doll fall, and crushed its head with a stomp. "Why did you do that?" the Cleric asked with a shaky voice. "It''s obvious that it would start moving as soon as we left it behind and sneak up on us." "Agreed," the Mage said. "Definitely," the Medic seconded. "Hugo is right. Let''s keep an eye out for any other dolls we might encounter," the Druid said, closing his eyes again. "I''ll leave that part to you guys, okay? And let''s try to pick up the pace. I also want to return to reality as soon as possible." The group increased their speed, taking note of their surroundings. There was no need to look for threats in the distance, as the Druid had that covered, so they focused on anything with a human resemnce. The Monk found a doll head sticking out of a tree and smashed it immediately. Nichs saw an arming out of a bush, pulled it, and punched the head as soon as it became visible. The Medic asked if it was okay for her to use her rifle before shooting at the dolls sitting on branches or peeking out from the trees'' foliage. "Is it okay for her to make so much noise?" the Cleric asked, wincing at another gunshot. "It''s obvious that these things are this ce''s guardians," the Monk said before smashing another doll''s head. "So let''s reduce their numbers as much as possible." "Stop saying ''obvious''!" the Medic grunted. "We''re quite a colorful team, aren''t we, guys?" Nichs said, snickering, before lowering his voice. "Too bad only one of us can win." A silence followed, as if every single one of them was reminded of what was at stake. And they''re surely thinking: ''We have to be careful of this one'' or ''This guy is going to backstab us at any time.'' But it''s okay if they''re aware of me, because that means they will also be aware of the others. He-he. As they marched, the forest grew denser. Even the path of white stones was starting to be obscured by grass. The further they advanced, the more dolls silently mocked them. Hundreds of humanoid faces with no discernible features stared at them blindly. The participants did their best to destroy every single one of them as a coordinated team until they finally saw a light. The Cleric let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, god, thank you! For a moment, I thought we''d get lost!" White rocks signaled a path again, leading to an enormous pale tree. They could even see that its foliage seemed to extend over most of the ind. Tall fire torches surrounded it in a circr formation. As they stepped into what seemed to be a ce of worship, they found a man-sized crack in the tree''s trunk. Its interior was obscured, but an altar would not look out of ce there. "Do you feel anything? Any bosses nearby?" the Medic asked the Druid, who shook his head. "No. We''re finally at a point of interest, and yet, I feel nothing. Which is even more suspicious... Or is it just me?" "Nope. Something is definitely lurking nearby," the Mage said. "Definitely." "Agreed. This quietness isn''t normal. Do they think we''re stupid?" the Medic seconded. "Anyway, let''s see what''s inside," Nichs said, striding toward the tree. "We''ll deal with whatever it triggers." The Monk rushed to block his path. "Let''s assess the situation first. We''re all convinced this is a trap, but we shouldn''t just fall into it blindly." "Activate it now, activate it a minuteter. What''s the difference?" Nichs shrugged, taking another step, but the Monk pushed him from the chest. "Seriously. Back off." "If he wants to go first, let him," the Medic said, annoyed. "It''s his funeral." Hearing that, the Monk studied Nichs'' smirk and spoke contemptuously. "Is that what you want? Are you sure you''d be able to handle whatever''s inside?" "You wouldn''t?" Nichs retorted. "You''re the one specializing in closebat, aren''t you?" "He''s ying with you," the Mage said aloud. "Don''t fall for it." The Monk snickered. "The two of us then. After you." Nichs smiled and entered first. There were no sounds inside aside from their footsteps. "Well? Are you going to do something about this darkness or not?" the Monk asked demandingly. Nichs cast, "Minor Fire Crafting, relight." A ball of luminescent white light appeared from Nichs'' palm, revealing a 16-foot wide round chamber and a lone figure sitting on a throne sculpted from the tree''s wood, wearing an embellishedce long-sleeved white dress. Its head hung down, covered by a sheer veil. If they had not encountered hundreds of human-shaped dolls on their way there, they might have mistaken that figure for a user''s corpse. "So? What''s inside?" the Mage asked aloud. "Another doll," the Monk replied without taking his eyes off it. "What do you guys think? Is this a boss?" "It''s obviously a boss! Why would they hide it here if it wasn''t? Get ready, everyone!" "But why isn''t it moving?" the Monk muttered, strolling forward. "It''s holding something. Could it be a clue?" "Careful there, chumps," Nichs warned. "I fucking know," the Monk grunted. "You think I''m¡ª" A sudden gleaming trail pierced the space between them. The Monk fell on his back as the mysterious figure rose, revealing a longsword that had materialized in its right hand. It took a moment for Nichs to realize that this enemy was dressed as a bride. This isn''t creepy at all! Nichs dodged a long curve aimed at his neck, and the tip of the longsword scarred the wall behind him. Okay, I''ll admit it, I clearly overstepped my limits now! Meanwhile, the Monk crawled out of the chamber, profusely bleeding. "Heal him!" the Medic yelled at the Cleric. She then turned to the White Mage. "Get a spell ready!" "When did you be our boss?" he muttered while channeling mana. They then heard the Druid moan behind them. "It''s so strange, guys..." he began, his lower lip trembling. "If I weren''t seeing this with my own eyes, I''d say there was no enemy in front of us!" "What?" The Medic frowned as she pulled out a shotgun from behind her coat. "Are you saying you can''t detect that thing?" "And neither any of these," the Druid said, looking behind him as the sound of rustling leaves and footsteps crunching on the ground reached them. They then looked in despair as a horde of broken and beheaded dolls slowly marched at them. Inside the chamber, Nichs avoided death for the tenth time, only getting a mild cut on his cheek contrasting the deep cuts now adorning the walls. "I''m getting tired of this!" he cried, his face soaked in sweat before closing his eyes and channeling. Unique Skill... An inner lock opened within him. He then infused his right fist with power as the living mannequin in a bride''s dress prepared for a wide diagonal attack. Nichs'' eyes glowed with golden energy as he sidestepped to his left. The longsword ended up piercing the ground. A thick cloud of dust was violently pushed outward as Nichs flexed his arm. Alchemic Conversion! His fist connected with the mannequin''s nk face. The figure was thrown back to the throne, with the longsword remaining stuck in ce. Nichs then shook his hand, his knuckles screaming in pain. Oh my. I didn''t realize my closebat skills were so rusty. I could have used an old monk technique, but nothing came to mind. He then frowned at the result of his attack. His Unique Skill had sessfully pierced through the veil''s polyester, which now had a fist-sized hole as if he had burned through it, and he had urately determined that the doll was made of white birch wood. Just like this fucking tree. But the results were not as expected. "What the hell...?" His Unique Skill had aimed to push theposition of the doll''s wooden head inward, as if he had punched malleable y. The moment his fist disconnected, it was supposed to make the wood chain-react until it was destroyed from the inside¡ªas if it were made of fragile balsa wood¡ªbut the alchemic reaction had failed. Nichs'' fist had not sunk into the doll''s head, as something else was hidden underneath. He was now watching as the magically converted birch wood bent outward, resembling the opened aluminum foil of a chocte bar. But in this case, whaty beneath was a feminine white chin and plump lips dripping with blood. This is not a doll... This one is a hostage. Chapter 139: Sonata of the Fallen

Chapter 139: Sonata of the Fallen

This is not a doll... This one is a hostage. The Bride stood rigidly, almost like a puppet, as Nichs exited the chamber. "Guys! I have something to say about the¡ªWoah! How is it that we''re surrounded already?!" Nichs watched in shock as dozens of living mannequins charged at them, using the limbs of their fallenrades as blunt weapons. Being in a ce full of green life, Liam, the Druid, quickly conjured up their defenses. He forced the grass to harden into razor-sharp des, flowers to release pollen that clogged the joints of the mannequins, and vines to ensnare them, rendering them useless. Finn, the White Mage, cast basic Fire Spells, which were super effective against the wooden enemies, though he could only take them down one at a time. Meanwhile, Oliver, the Cleric, was doing his best to heal Hugo''s deep wound, while Maude, the Combat Medic, protected them, firing at everything in sight with her impressive array of firearms. "About time you showed up!" she yelled at Nichs. "Quick! Give me one of your bombs!" He obeyed, handing her the bomb, closely watching as the Medic swapped weapons again, despite thepetition''s rules disabling equipment. He loaded the bomb into a grenadeuncher and took aim. "EAT THIS, you bastards!" The explosion was massive, knocking down trees, setting a hundred mannequins on fire, and lighting up the dark forest in a wide radius. "Holy shit," Finn eximed. "And you''re saying you made those bombs in a couple of minutes? How?" As a matter of fact, it only took me like five seconds. "I''ll teach you the recipeter," Nichs replied, his focus shifting to the new horde of mannequins approaching. "What''s important right now is that¡ª" A shriek pierced the night from the gap in the giant tree behind them, and all the mannequins in the forest responded to the call, vibrating in sync with a siren-like cry despite having no mouths. The bride-dressed mannequin emerged, dragging her longsword and uttering a guttural moan. "Finn!" the Medic cried. "Focus on her! Burn her to death! We''re too close to use a bomb!" "NO! Don''t attack her!" Nichs interjected, grabbing the Medic''s shoulder. "Why the hell not?! If we kill her, the others might stop moving or at least scatter like mindless¡ª" "That''s not the real boss!" Nichs shouted loudly enough for the others to hear. "She''s our target¡ªthe lost NPC!" The Medic took a moment to examine the Bride, noticing the exposed chin and mouth beneath what appeared to be a wooden mask. "Where''s the boss then?" "My bet is, up there." Nichs pointed toward the tree''s crown. The brief exchange ended as the Bride lunged forward, cracking the ground. "You''re good at quick thinking, aren''t you?!" Nichs yelled to the Medic. "Give us orders, now!" Caught off guard by Nichs'' request, the Medic quickly epted the responsibility. She assessed the situation after noticing that the Monk was back on his feet. "I can still fight!" he shouted, positioning himself between her and the Bride. "The other units are doing their job just fine," the Medic muttered to herself, nodding as she made a decision. "Hugo, take care of that bitch and don''t fall this time! Finn, stop with the fireworks¡ªyou suck at it! Just support and buff the others, especially Liam, who''s our only line of defense! Is that okay with you, Druid?" "Do I have a choice?" Liam replied, chuckling as he maintained the defenses. The Medic resumed, "Oliver, keep healing! You''re in charge of who to attend first." She then turned to Nichs. "Give me another bomb. I''ve got a boss to kill." "Are you sure about going alone?" "I am. Oh, and by the way, we still haven''t seen what you can fully do yet, so feel free to do whatever you want. You''re our wildcard." Everyone heard that, and for a brief moment, they wondered if Maude had forgotten Nichs'' earlierments about their teamwork. But before they could question her, she unleashed des from her boots and wrists, jumped upward, and swiftly started scaling the tree. Finn cried out in frustration, "We got our instructions, but I don''t know what I''m supposed to do! How can I help?" "Share your mana with me," Liam suggested without breaking his concentration. "Do it, and I''ll be able to conjure up something awesome." "Not a bad idea! I''ll give it a try." Finn rushed to Liam''s side, cing a hand on his shoulder. "I just have to focus, right? The system does the rest?" "It''s moreplicated than that, but yeah, give it a go." Meanwhile, a few feet away, another battle raged on as the Bride swung her longsword at the Monk, who dodged without retaliating, baiting her away from the others. "I''ll cover you!" Nichs promised, punching a mannequin out of the way. The Monk focused on the Bride, gritting his teeth. "It''s too bad I can''t hurt you, although we''ve got unfinished business. So how about this? Woodpecker Style, Shattering Strike!" Nichs nced back just in time to witness the Monk unleash a rapid flurry of seven strikes, each targeting different parts of the Bride''s body. Cracks echoed through the air as wood splintered from her chest, right arm, and hips, revealing more of the NPC beneath. If he did it right, the NPC should be unharmed. Nichs received confirmation when the Bride charged again, unbothered by the attacks, her longsword raised above her head. Hugo then dashed forward and delivered a precise elbow strike to the exposed sr plexus. The Bride was forced to kneel, struggling to catch her breath. Not bad at all. Would I have turned out as good as him if I''d stayed on the Monk''s path? Nichs then heard the sound of creaking wood as two trees rose up, forming arms from their sturdiest branches and legs from their strongest roots, and began to fight the mannequins. "I did it!" The Druid shouted from his position. "Hold on, Hugo, Nick! I''ll send you a Dryad to help!" We''re doing well. Too well. So well that we might all advance to the next challenge in one piece. A smirk crept across Nichs'' lips. And I can''t allow that... As the Druid''s sentient tree fought off mannequins near Nichs, he crouched, cing his hands on the wooden floor. With my right hand, Imence material alteration. With my left, I take whatever ''neutrons'' I''m missing. Weird to think of neutrons in a simtion, but it''s how I make sense of this. "Are you okay?" the Monk asked, still focused on the Bride. "You don''t look hurt." "I''m just tired. Let me take a little break," Nichs replied, focusing on the nk of wood beneath Hugo''s feet. "Be careful. She could recover any second now." "I''ll be ready," Hugo replied, keeping his guard up. Nichs nced at the fallen mannequin he had knocked out just a minute ago and saw it twitch. "Oliver," Nichs called out as he rose. "Cast a debuff on our target! Anything will help!" "I-I can cast ''Tranquil Aura,''" Oliver stammered. "It''ll reduce her ferocity and strength, but it''ll take time." "Do it!" the Monk nodded. "Anything will help while Maude takes out the... boss?" Suddenly, he heard an unfamiliar footstep, and his instincts kicked in. He looked back, rmed, just in time to see a blue-colored mannequin sneaking up on Nichs. "Watch out!" But the warning came toote. The mannequin struck Nichs hard on the head, knocking him to the ground. The blue doll then turned its attention to the Monk. "No, no, no!" he cried, trying to move, but his boots were somehow stuck to the floor. A moan then told him that the Bride had recovered. "This is bullshi¡ª!" His words were cut short as her longsword pierced his heart. After seeing another User fall, the blue mannequin moved on to its next target. "What the hell?!" the White Mage whimpered. "How could our wless formation fall apart so quickly?!" "What? What''s happening?!" the Druid cried, finally taking his eyes off the infested forest. He then spotted Hugo''s depleted HP bar in the distance. "Crap. This is bad!" "Nick''s still alive," the Cleric muttered, his lips trembling. "But I can''t reach him..." "Don''t worry about him! We need to deal with these two first!" The White Mage prepared a fire spell and cast, "Mid Fire Crafting, ze!" The fireball hit the blue doll, creating a thick curtain of smoke. "All right, now for the bitch in white! I know Nick said not to hurt her, but as long as we don''t kill her, we should be able to heal her, right?" "R-Right! Take her down. I''ll heal herter!" However, when the smoke cleared, the silhouette that emerged was still the blue doll, which now showed 70% of its HP remaining. The White Mage stared in horror. "W-What happened? I was handling them just fine before! And why is this one different?!" "Liam!" That was thest thing Oliver, the Cleric, managed to shout before the area turned into a bloodbath. Meanwhile, just 65 feet away, Nichs stood up, blood streaming from his forehead to his chin. "Just as I said, too bad only one of us can win," he muttered to himself, watching the Monk''s body starting to vanish. "Whoa, not so fast, fe." Nichs extended his hand, and a ck summoning circle appeared beneath him. "Greater Dark Conjure..." A grin spread across his lips. "Moondeath Sonata..." Druid - Liam Monk - Hugo White Mage - Finn Cleric - Oliver Medic - Maude (?) - Nichs ********* I have some news to share with you! So... I''ve made some retcons again... Yes, again. But this time it''s for the best! (I think) So, the following is for long-time readers, so listen up! RETCON 1 - I changed the rtionship between Astrid and Marco Souza. Now, they never dated. EVER. I''ve updated a bunch of dialogs and the backstory of the first time they met. So if you go back, you won''t find a single reference of them ever dating. (Unless I missed one, but I don''t think so.) Another change, this time referring to the Lamme sisters: RETCON 2 - Now, Marissa apologizes to n for kidnapping him just before he talks to Marco Souza in the Drinking Banshee (Chapter 11). Now that I think about it, she should also apologize for killing Ashley. I''ll add itter. RETCON 3 - And regarding Amelia, she now tries to amend her crimes earlier. After learning that n was outside the Novus, she feels guilty for torturing him. So she tries to report herself, admitting tomitting a terrible crime, and the Administrator of Conduct shows up in front of her, amused by Amelia''s admission of guilt. After a little exchange, the Administrator agrees on giving her a severe punishment: Amelia will feel double the pain while taking damage for the next six months. To be precise, for the rest of Volume 1. That means, during her battle against Serenity in Londorus, and Scarlettter on in Unus Town. So... that''s it! AH I ALMOST FORGOT, I GOT A NEW COVER!!! Chapter 140: Living Iron

Chapter 140: Living Iron

At the top of the tree, Maude found a literal puppet master, a creature programmed to act as a Boss and the activemander of every living doll on the ind. It was white, and it took a moment for Maude to realize that the creature was covered by a thick, rough exterior simr to the material its minions were made of. With its multiple legs, it sentmands to every puppet squad, and with its numerous eyes, it could see everything on the battlefield. Yet, it allowed Maude to reach its position. Does that mean it has been held busy by the others down there? the Combat Medic thought as she stepped onto a branch that creaked beneath her boots. The boss hissed, thirty-two feet away from her, getting into its guard. Beneath ity a perfectly t surface, as if someone had cut the top of the tree in one precise horizontal slice. Maude pulled out an assault rifle from under her coat and took aim. How durable could this thing be? She opened fire, and the ten-foot-tall white spider raised its front legs to shield itself. Maude noticed that its HP bar had barely been affected. I see. That thing that looks like birch wood covering its entire body is actually natural armor. She swiftly swapped weapons. Grenadeuncher, then. She quickly loaded it with corrosive shells and jumped just as the spider spat something toward her. When she nced back, she found something akin to a thinnce piercing the branch she had just left. It looks more like a giant needle. While in midair, she shot twice at thergest part of its body: Its abdomen. A chemical reaction began immediately, but the spider ignored it and continued spitting needles that whistled through the night air. The moonlight illuminated the monster, making it seem almost ghostly and pristine, aside from the greenish stains now eating through its hardened exterior. Maude''s feet found another firm branch. She pulled the trigger and dodged two more needles. This time, she aimed for the spider''s side legs. The acidic shell began corroding the armor immediately. The boss hissed in a higher pitch, signaling that it was getting exasperated. That means it will try another trick. Come on, show me all your cards before I tear you limb from limb! A sudden smirk crossed her face before she covered her mouth with her left hand. Oops, what if a camera sees me? I must keep a calm and collected persona at all times. But as the spider failed time and time again tond a hit, and its HP bar dropped all the way to 60%, Maude''s smile cracked again, this time broadly. "Aww,e on! This can''t be all you got, huh?" Then, shended in a previous spot and got stuck. Looking down, she noticed that the first boss'' needle had turned into a spider web, covering the whole branch. In that brief moment, the boss aimed andnded a clean hit to Maude''s chest. On impact, the needle transmuted rapidly into web and restrained her arms. A second and third attack were meant to take Maude''s life, but the artificial intelligence behind the spider noticed something abnormal: The Combat Medic was still standing, her HP bar safely in the green threshold. "Nice try, but I don''t have a heart." From under her right sleeve, she pulled out a me shell and crushed it with her palm. A momentter, her entire body caught fire, and the spider web burned immediately. "You made me do it! I''ve been holding back on the me shells because I know how rapidly fire spreads. This blows!" she yelled, discarding her burning coat to reveal a ck chrome metallic body underneath, equipped with all of her loadout weapons encrusted onto her. A shotgun was part of her right thigh, and an assault rifle constituted her left thigh. Numerous shells could be stored between her ribcage, and two handguns rested on her shoulder des. Only her face and neck had skin. "You''ll take responsibility for stripping a girl naked, won''t you?!" She reloaded her grenadeuncher and took a shot. This time, an explosion tore one of the boss'' limbs off. "Would you look at that! What happened to your high defenses?" Maude bombarded the giant spider whileughing out loud until it was time for reloading. The boss cried in anguish, a prolonged, hissing war cry that gradually sounded more irritated, resembling that of a woman. Maude knew what wasing. She''s entering her Second Phase. I need to prepare myself fast! She pulled out the item she had chosen at the beginning of thepetition, a Red Potion, and gulped it, holding the bottle with her teeth as her hands were busy reloading her grenadeuncher with corrosive shells again. If this thing follows the trend every boss has showntely, it''ll be a humanoid. It''ll be faster, so it can extinguish any fire I start quickly and will be wary of my shots if I start with the explosive shells again. And I don''t want that. She took a quick nce at her inventory, which showed a single item left: Nichs''s makeshift grenade. The spider shrank, gaining mass. The remaining limbs transformed into legs and arms, and the damaged abdomen became a huge, round rear. The torso took on a slender, feminine shape, and the head turned slick and faceless, but Maude knew the thing was staring at her. "You look like your minions down there. Or could it be your children?" Maude sneered before vomiting blood. A ''Toxin Detected'' alert popped up inside her field of vision. When? How?! She dropped to one knee as a sudden fever overwhelmed her. The only thing she could recalling into contact with her were the needles she tanked with her metallic chest. And even if they were poisoned, there''s no chance I could get poisoned. My cyborg body is immune to... A realization made her frown. The spider web touched my face... As a Healer, she knew a spell to dispel poison, but when she looked up, she barely had time to block a swipe. Maude could see up close that the boss had razor-sharp ws instead of fingers that could easily tear her face off. Come on, body, do your job! Counteract this poison! I made my choice a long time ago. My decision to leave human fragility behind and embrace the future. The Developers are sending us a message! Why let us turn into cyborgs inside this fantasy world if that wasn''t the case? Can''t you see it, Tandem? The Devs are showing us the next path to Human Evolution! I bet that by the time we leave this simtion, the Santa Mar¨ªa staff will assist us with the transition. It wouldn''t surprise me if they''re already messing with our bodies as we sleep! So I don''t care if I lose this stupidpetition. I just want to show everyone in the livestream what efficiency and power looks like! And to do that, I must purge this fucking venom OUT OF MY SYSTEM! A petition has been received by the User. +++++ Would you like to use 30% of your mana tobat the infection? +++++ Yes / No. Even though my body runs on mana, that''s a cheap price to pay. "YES!" she roared as she pulled out her shotgun and shot at close range. The enemy was pushed back, but due to its faceless nature, Maude could not tell if it had been hurt. Only the HP bar could tell the truth. It regained High Defense. That means I have to take its armor down once again. Just as she swapped weapons, the enemy anticipated it and performed a roundhouse kick. The grenadeuncher was sent flying to a distant branch, from where it bounced and fell down. Still fighting a sickening dizziness, Maude grabbed a handgun from her shoulder des and shot at point-nk range. The enemy dodged with ease and was about to throw a punch, but Maude drew a long curve with her right arm. The enemy stepped back, realizing a diagonal cut crossing its chest. Maude''s right fist was now equipped with a hidden de. "You know what? This is fine too. Let''s show the audience which body is the sturdiest!" A fric, mortal dance began. Kicks and punches, gunshots and slices, all while Maude''s body continued its healing process. Detoxifying body''s progress: 70% Maude''s pistol did little damage, and her hidden de left marks in that white wooden armor, but nothing deep. The doll''s punches were ineffective against her metallic body, and the connected kicks only served to destabilize Maude''s footing. +++++Detoxifying body''s progress: 50%. The Combat Medic felt her body lighten, even though she knew it had only affected her head. She became more agile, shooting with more precision and using her hidden de more often. Detoxifying body''s progress: 30%. The simple act of purging the venom from her system made her body hotter, and with that, she could exert more power. Like a roaring engine! Maude was now capable of blocking every hiting her way while returning fire simultaneously. If Hugo, the Monk of the group, an expert in close-quartersbat, could have seen her fighting, he would have sweated and gulped hard while trying to articte ament. Yes, yes! Let me show everyone what the future holds! Although I''m a healer, a typical support unit, I can fight and help the team fortunate enough to have me! I''d never be a burden, for I''m even capable of soloing a boss! Soe on, you meatheads, look at me! ++++Detoxifying body''s progress: 10% Great! I''m healed and overheating. I''ll use my full power to-- ++++Warning: Unexpected mana leak. Notice: Something is draining your mana.+++++ Maude fell to her knees and puked blood. When her vision became clear, she noticed something crawling in front of her eyes. Little white spiders, bathed in her blood. "D-Disgusting," she muttered before getting kicked in the chin. That thing didn''t infect me with poison but with parasitic eggs. Not even dying and respawning would let me feel clean again. The artificial body began feeling as if it weighed a ton. The joints turned rigid, and even trying to raise her head became an impossible task. She knew this was the end. The boss probably knows this is it... I didn''t want to use it, but fuck it. I''ll just use Nick''s grenade. And even if I''m unable to cast Living Iron to tank the explosion, I''ll survive it. I''ve seen the magnitude of these things from the previous battles, and I can just lock my body to maximize its defense. I''ll be fine. She snickered. Damn. I feel even dirtier for having to rely on that prick. The grenade appeared in her right palm just as the boss was about to deal the final strike. By the time the doll saw what was about to happen, it was toote. She did not say a snarkyment, not even for the audience to hear. She just crushed the grenade and closed her eyes. The explosion took the boss as expected, but it also burned with more intensity than before. People in the live stream even noticed that the resulting zing fire looked brighter than the previous ones. As the moment stretched, they all came to the same conclusion: that explosion was even greater than the others. Maude realized this too when she was tossed into the Limbo, a ck, immaterial space where only her consciousness lingered. That was the ce where all the people inside the Novus fell after dying. As they waited to be revived, some just cursed their luck before falling into a long, dreamless sleep, while others were unable to rest, thinking about what they had done wrong or how much money they had lost. But for Maude, she received a system message, something she had never seen before inside that ce where the Nav and the Social Media tab are shut off. +++Necromancy has been used on your body.+++ Huh? Necro--That''s Dark Magic, right? The ability to raise the dead to do your bidding. And you''re telling me someone is doing that to me? Well, to my body, but aren''t corpses supposed to disappear in the Novus? But most importantly... Why would a Necromancer be participating in a Healer''spetition?! Who the fu--Oh... You son of a... ----------------------------- +++++Notice: You have the option of returning to your body, but since it is currently under a necromancy spell, you would be unable to reject your new master''s orders. +++++Do you ept: YES / NO This is optional, and you can dismiss this message. The Necromancy spell has a two-hour limit, and you will return to normal once you revive. -------------------------- "Yes." +++++ Returning... ++++ Her eyes caught the light again. The abyss was gone, and she found herself in that dreaded woods again. She could move, and when she looked at her right arm, she found the dents that the boss had caused and covered by soot. A male voice broke the silence. "Oh, I didn''t expect you''de back. But please, wee. Come and join us." When she rose, she knew something was off. She did not move of her own volition. Something was automatically taking control of her. Turning around, she found all the members of her group, as if nothing had happened. As if she was the only one struck with bad luck. But as she strolled forward, she noticed it. The Druid had his left shoulder partially severed from the neck. The top of the White Mage''s head was missing, as if it had been cut cleanly by the sharpest of des. The Monk''s robes were stained in blood, the cause, an opened wound in his chest. The Cleric had bruises all over his face and was nervously rubbing his hands. He was the only one exhibiting signs of who he was before, but he shared the same trait as the others: a ck HP bar. "Good job taking down the boss. Well done! Thanks to your efforts, we managed to break free of the curse afflicting thisdy here," the male voice said. Maude knew where to look. To her right, there was an NPC with fox ears and tinum hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a damaged wedding dress and still holding the broadsword that took the lives of three of the healers. I know who she is. It''s part of Phantom Seekers. "I''m so sorry for attacking you and your friends," the NPC said, trying to sound apologetic, but Maude knew it was all an act. A script prepared by the Scenario Master behind thatpetition. "But if you could help us save my Guild Master, even in death, I''d appreciate it." "Ah, she''ll help. It''s not as if she has a word in the matter," the male voice said as he held Maude by the shoulder. "By the way, do you happen to still have the item they gave us at the beginning?" "It was a Red Potion, and no, I drank it," Maude replied immediately, and something told her she would not be able to lie even if she wanted to. "And that''s too bad," Nichs said, finally stepping inside Maude''s field of vision, his HP bar at 100% green. "But it''s okay. It''s a good thing Hugo was still holding onto his." He showed the bottle with red liquid and shook it in front of Maude. "I had to drink mine too to heal what our gal here did to me." "I apologize again, noble warrior," the NPC said, bowing her head. "Ah, it''s fine," Nichs smiled at her before locking eyes with Maude. "Hmm. You look like you''ve got plenty to say." He opened his User Interface and swiped his right index finger. "Here. I lowered the Absolute Obedience to 80%. You can speak freely now." "So this is what you were hiding," Maude said, sneering. "You really got us." "What do you mean by ''got us''? The enemy overwhelmed us, and I had to act fast!" Nichs retorted, scratching the back of his head. "If it weren''t for my necromancy, I wouldn''t have survived the fight until you dealt with the boss. I only used the ''resources'' I had at the moment." "That grenade you gave me. You made it more powerful for a reason, didn''t you?" Nichs dropped hisid-back attitude and smirked. "But you managed to take down the boss. That''s what matters, isn''t it?" He then rxed his posture once again and exhaled. "Why did youe back, girl?" "Curiosity, mostly," Maude said as her gaze lingered in the surroundings, where hundreds of mannequinsy lifelessly scattered through the area. "And to wish you bad luck to your face. I hope you lose, you piece of shit." She snickered and waited for Nichs to return to his User Interface and regain control of her again, but he smiled back. "Well, now that you don''t have other ns for tonight, would you help me save a Guild Master?" She sighed. "Fine. I can''t do anything about it anyway, so just cut me some ck, okay? I know my body better than whatever system is behind your stupid Dark Magic." "Let me make some adjustments then." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!