Disclaimer: This is my first work of fiction. Please don't be gentle with me. Just roast me in the comments.
:D
This is an AU Story and as shown from the summary, it is a somewhat of an OC-Insert Motoyasu story. Not exactly self-insert but similar to that. I just wanted to play with the concept of a self-insert and the whole moral crisis of it. Especially when inserted into another existing character. I will try to at least make it believable and at best engaging for the reader to immerse in this type of soul melding.
But 'Your Mileage May Vary', so if you're not into reading the whole drama of seeing this particular character questioning themselves and having mental breakdowns once in a while, this story might not be for you.
oOoOoOoOo
Disorientation invaded his senses. Curling in through every pore of his body as if it was dozens of worms wiggling into an opening for every spot. It was invasive, it was maddening, it was wrong.
Yet he couldn't push it out. Even as his surroundings started to make sense, slowly forming around his dizzy head. It still remained.
One that messed with his senses, believing there is no distinction from right or wrong. Familiar and unfamiliar. But as the haze slowly lifted, it was clear that there was nothing recognizable in his surroundings. From the polished tiled floors and arched ceiling, he couldn't tell how he managed to stumble into such an area.
A church, it reminded him of a church.
Yet why is he in the church? His head panged at that thought.
"Oh Heroes, please save our world!"
Motoyasu's head snapped up. His heart pounded at the sight of these imposing robed figures.
"W-who-" His voice warbled but was quickly overshadowed.
"What!" The other people in the room made themselves known through their surprised yells. He winced, the ringing in his ears spiking. It hurts.
He flinched, hands gripping onto the support of a pole. One he didn't realize that he was holding.
The blond ducked his head, one hand reaching over to cover his ear as some sort of self-defense measure. He tuned out the voices in the room as he tried to gather his bearings.
Calm down, just calm down.
Take a deep breath.
He inhaled, aware of his heart pounding in his ears with that insufferable ringing noise.
'Ask yourself those five basic questions.'
Who is he? Motoyasu Kitamura.
Where is he? At some sort of church.
Why is he here? She didn't know.
How is he? He feels like shit.
And why is his head hurting? A migraine.
Maybe he woke up drunk from a hangover from a drinking party that he didn't remember.
(Why would he attend a drinking party before exams?)
After he gathered enough focus and consciousness to stay awake, his eyes strayed to focus on the thin pole that he thought he held. But it wasn't just a pole, it was a weapon. A spear to be exact.
It was a beautiful weapon, an ornate spear that delighted the eyes. In the back of his mind, it distinctly reminded him of those fantasy medieval RPGs that he always dallied his time on. It hit a strong familiar note in his heart. His mind was entranced. Mystified even, by this pole-arm that he held.
Motoyasu caressed it, letting his hands slowly slide up to meet the cool, metallic tip. Feeling, touching, looking, analyzing, and familiarizing himself with such a fascinating weapon. Staring into the glistening pearl-white metallic alloy that slowly widened towards the spear point. Whilst the black colored blade contrasted the shaft, entrancing of how it complemented and made this weapon. It felt otherworldly. A type of divinity that he couldn't comprehend yet feel within his grasp. Like the marble statues of grecian gods, it was cold to the touch. That it wasn't even warmed by the heat of his hand. It was chilling. Yet it pulsed within his hands, it felt alive. A heart beating, cupped within the confines of the ruby jewel embedded into the base of the head.
This isn't an ordinary spear.
Like a typical man who gained his first weapon, Motoyasu played with it. He mused of what he is capable of doing with this flashy pole-arm. Perhaps on what type of tricks he can perform with a weapon as light and dull as this spear.
He twirled it around with a flick of his wrist. Amazed in how it glistened in the light, sunlight hitting it in the right angles that he would have felt like a righteous warrior. Swinging around the weapon wildly until a hand slapped onto his shoulders to pull him back to reality. Jumping up, he accidentally slammed it into the offender with an audible smack.
"Shit!" The black-haired male cursed.
"Sorry!" He blurted out, panicked. Dropping the spear to clatter on the ground, he held his hands up to examine the injury. Yet there was nothing marked but unblemished pale skin. Not even a red bruise or indentation.
He was confused and looked up to see the equally confused man. His eyes flickered to see a strange, small silver shield attached to the other guy's arm which reached up to gingerly cradle his unblemished, injured cheek?
Motoyasu froze in shock, staring fixated at the shield.
That shield.
That shield is so familiar.
His head throbbed.
"That didn't... hurt?" The black-haired 'shielder', Motoyasu temporarily nicknamed him, muttered.
A tingle of nostalgia pulled at his mind, like he should've recognized him from somewhere. It wasn't like the pang of familiarity of seeing an acquaintance from off the street. But something more intimate. As though his face has graced his mind on a daily basis. He was so familiar like he could've recognized him anywhere. Like a famous character from some type of movie or comic. Especially with that iconic shield strapped tightly to his arm with its bright and glimmering emerald jewel. Yet he didn't know exactly who. It frustrated him, more than it should've done.
This whole situation is strange, maybe that's why.
"I- nevermind." 'Shielder' shook his head, turning to look at him with a sharp frown. It made his head stir in familiarity. "Were you even listening?" He questioned.
(Was he a famous actor? A politician? Perhaps an athlete? Wait, he didn't look that muscular.)
His cheeks turned red, embarrassed, he shook his head. He was about to reply until a spark of realisation came to him with trailing nausea.
Somehow Motoyasu knew this particular Shielder should always have a shield for some strange reason. It was undeniable to him. The fact was strange to his foggy mind but he blamed it on the wave of nausea. Shouldn't he? He was… like that hero from that show.
He was a Shield Hero. That's it.
His eyebrows furrowed.
Wasn't there that anime that had a Shield Hero called 'Tate No Yū-'
A lance of pain shot through his mind. He doubled over, clutching his head.
It felt like someone took a knife to his skull, relentlessly stabbing him with frantic swings.
Motoyasu couldn't think of anything beyond his incessant pleading, begging for it to stop. For the quiet to come. For the stabbing pain in his head to cease. For him to think. But his soundless pleading met deaf ears as it grew worse and worse. Reaching a violent crescendo that he felt his head was about to crack open in an explosion of gray matter.
Until as suddenly as it came, the pain dissipated into nothingness. It was so sudden and strange. That Motoyasu almost slammed into the wall with shaky, stumbling steps.
Fuck.
His hands, tingling, gripped the spear.
Fuck.
His grip tightened until his hands turned numb.
What was that?
With a shuddering breath, he relaxed his grasp onto the spear, lessening the pressure onto his knuckles. A distant thought came to his head, didn't he drop his spear onto the ground? But the hands that gripped his shoulders, shaking him with hurried questions sounding in his ears, pulled him out of his hazy head.
His face flushed. Wait what?
The 'Shielder' was frantic, a barrage of questions bleeding into his ears when he looked conscious enough to listen. His hands gingerly steadying Motoyasu's shoulders, it would've been a touch heartwarming if not for the position they were in. His pride reared its head up, yet he swallowed the ugliest of remarks and batted away the Shielder's hands. He was too close for comfort.
"I-I'm fine." He said, blinking away the black spots in his vision. "Just a headache!" A wince. "Nothing to worry about! Just," He inhaled a shuddering gasp. "Too close, you're too close." Using the spear for support, he stabilized himself.
The Shielder backed off yet displayed some concern with kind eyes. He turned his head which Motoyasu followed to look out the door. Spotting to see the not-so stoic knights peeking in from the outside.
Wait there were knights?
Their confused and surprised gaze reminded them of their jobs, both of them quickly moving out of sight into their hidden guard posts. A loud cough sounded and it broke the awkward silence between the two. The veil of anxiety dropped from his shoulders, as he straightened up back to his confident stature.
"We should get back with the others." The Shielder awkwardly shuffled, glancing towards the exit and back at Motoyasu. He looked a bit on edge, rubbing his cheek a few times and looking around the room. It made Motoyasu pretty antsy himself.
"The name is Naofumi Iwatani." Naofumi introduced himself, rubbing the back of his head with one hand and holding one out with the other.
Motoyusu blinked his eyes at the unexpected introduction. But he guessed it made sense because he was getting tired of referring to him as the 'Shielder' dude or 'Shield Guy'. And probably the same towards Naofumi who would name something like 'Spear Guy' or the 'Popular Wannabe who can't stop having a nausea spell every five minutes.'
"I might not look like it, but Motoyasu Kitamura's the name." He quipped with a grin, shaking his hand with a fierce and enthusiastic grip.
Naofumi's eyes sparkled at that, subtly relaxing at his words.
"Motoyasu Kitamura, hm?" He murmured. "You're Japanese?"
"Born and raised." Motoyasu cheerfully replied. "My mother's side is American, met my father on an international cruise ship around the world. It was love at first sight." He explained as they both started to walk their way through the halls, led by a stoic guard.
The nerve-wracking anxiety that once gripped the two dissipated in the light hearted conversation, caused by Motoyasu's boredom. It was pretty one-sided as Motoyasu led and controlled the conversation, shadowed by the intimidating presence of the sword-wielding guard.
Yet when they both broached the same interests like video games or the struggles of college, both of them became invested. That the halls were filled with the occasional laughter and glowing smiles shared between the two.
It was a cheerful scene that it seemed like a few minutes had passed when they finally caught up with the others.
They were all situated before the grand doors of the throne room, all taking a minute to compose themselves in ready for the audience in front of the King and his court. They were all informed by their guide that the royal session is going to roughly take several minutes before they were going to be announced, mostly to help prepare themselves and calm any stage fright anxiety that heroes before them had.
He was apparently the Royal Head Wizard or something nerdy like that. He found it weird but he has heard weirder, like Dungeon Master, Supreme Grand Wizard, or whatever nerdy title that some people can come up with. And that's not even a drop in the ocean when you add those weird 'roleplayers' into the equation.
Fingers snapped in front of his face, pulling him out of his wandering thoughts. He shook his head before looking to face the gradually annoyed other black-haired guy. Said guy who had a distinct scowl and wielded a funny-looking sword. A sword just like that shield he recognized.
He was starting to have an epiphany of trying to remember why these people felt so important to him. Maybe he was a fan of the characters that they just happened to exactly look like?
"Pay attention," He reprimanded, shifting his weight onto his sword. Drawing his eyes to the motion that he couldn't help but notice that it had the same pattern and jewels as his spear and the other guy's shield. Is this supposed to mean something? "You're already making a fool of us. They're not going to take us seriously if you keep spacing out." He harshly whispered.
"I-I will," Motoyasu automatically agreed nervously, feeling flustered but also annoyed from being scolded by a junior several years younger than him. "But, what the hell is going on?!"
The fourth member of their entourage hushed him, looking visibly annoyed by how loud his question seemed to alarm the others.
Motoyasu winced, turning to look around and seeing the curious yet disapproving looks of their guards.
"Sorry, but who are you? And why the hell does this look like some sort of scene from those fantasy novels?" He discreetly murmured in a softer voice.
The 'Swordsman' guy frowned at his words, staring at him intently.
He repeated his question again which satisfied the sword-wielder for some weird reason. Maybe he was partially deaf or something?
"We were 'summoned' to save this world." The last member of their group informed him, unsettled by his question for some reason. "And we're going to meet the King so we can gain some advantage for the start of our journey. And if my knowledge from Dimension Wave is correct, then he's going to probably try to use us like the other King did in the main story. So we're going to try to avoid that and have him on our side."
"It's like a isekai." Naofumi eloquently summarized.
They all stared at him, all having incredulous looks on their face. Naofumi then proceeded to blush, murmuring something about reading light novels in his spare time.
Motoyasu noticed that every single one of them had some form of medieval equipment, though it was mostly weapons. But they all were very similar from the distinct black line patterns that decorated them and the jewels that decorated them. It was weird. Was he a part of some weird DnD group or something? One that he didn't remember signing up for. Was that why the swordsman was chattering about video games and everything? Probably one of his roommate's dumb idea for a fun joke.
"- You're with us, right?" 'Sword' guy questioned, staring at him intently.
"Huh? Yeah! Convince the King dude for something. And I can take the exit and get back home. I got to finish my essay." He quickly replied, his mind drifting off.
'Sword' guy stared at him with a pointed looking expression, as though he couldn't believe the shit that he was spewing out.
"Uh, what are you talking about?" Naofumi asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"Going home? I mean this whole thing looks like a lot of fun but I got assignments to finish and video games to play." He replied, digging through his pockets for his phone. Nothing. He started to sweat, patting down his pockets. Nothing, there was nothing inside.
His spear clattered to the ground.
Shit, was he robbed by this crazy group?
"What do you mean, go home?"
"Are you alright?"
"Did you hit your head-"
His keys? Gone. His wallet? Gone. Even his red pendant was gone! Everything of value was missing on him, even the old, ratty receipts that he stuffed into his pocket was gone!
"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. We don't need you to freak out." The swordsman said. Yet it only made his nerves break out further. He can't find his phone, nor his keys, or even his wallet! Oh god, why did they steal his receipts?!
"My receipts, why did they steal my trash too?" He mournfully said, pulling out his pockets that were free from all trash, wrappers, and etc. It was all clean. He was about to ask if they were robbed just like him.
"Sires," The lead knight spoke up, interrupting his dilemma. "His Majesty, may his glorious reign live on, has summoned all of you."
And at that signal, a flugelhorn blared beyond the grand doors in front of them which started to groan. Creaking as they pushed outward by itself, needing no help from the servants that formally bowed from both aisles.
"Look sharp." He barked, causing them to all straighten up as the grand doors slowly opened in front of them. The other three 'heroes' gave him a mixture of concerned, anxious, and befuddled looks before staring back at the visible crowd that exploded in applause.
He paled at the sight of the large crowd of nobles that all stared at them, all interested in judging their attire. He couldn't help but swallow his saliva nervously, starting to stride forward as the regretful line leader.
A million regrets raced through his head but it slowly petered out as he straightened his posture and focused all his attention on the king. The audible praises for them, echoed by the polite applause boosted his confidence.
What was he thinking? Obviously he can make the best impression on the crowd. He has presented before larger crowds than these. He could boast that he did his senior speech in front of the whole school without breaking down into tears like the last guy.
Finally stopping before the basic stereotype of an old king from a fantasy land, Motoyasu has reached a dilemma. He wasn't sure if he should kneel or not to give respect to go along with this farce. He decided on the latter, kneeling down before the king in hopes to be in his good graces.
"Ah, so at least one of them knows how to show respect." The king's old wizened voice said with a tone of approval. Wait, one of them? "You may rise." He commanded, signalling for Motoyasu to rise from the ground.
His eyes flickered to see the disapproving glances from the standing archer and swordsman. And the face of the shielder who stared at him intensely with the same conflicted expression as he had.
Shit, was he the only one who kneeled?
That felt embarrassing.
"I am Aultcracy Melromarc the XXXII, and I rule these lands which you have been summoned to. Now Heroes, present yourselves!" His voice boomed, dominating the halls. It would've been inspiring in how his regal presence demanded and praised them if not for the fact that the others didn't respond in their awkward silence.
Present what? Their names? An introduction of who they were as 'Heroes'?
He wasn't sure if 'Motoyasu Kitamura, 17 years old, Major in History and the Arts, semi-successful competitive Starcraft player, and a master of bottle-flipping' was a good list of accomplishments. He could add in being a waiter. But presenting it to the King was downright embarrassing. Especially when you admit that you work the basic equivalent of a peasant's job.
It wasn't until the Swordsman finally stepped forward after a good minute of everyone eyeing each other.
Here was the moment of truth. If he could remember where he recognized the others were from, then it would explain the strange feeling in his gut of seeing them as famous and possibly awe-inspiring.
"My name is Ren Amaki. I am 16 years old and a high school student." Ren introduced himself. He looked older than what he expected. He at least approximated him about 18 years old with his sharp and strict facial features with a cold yet too serious expression marking his face. One could remark that he was trying too hard in presenting him as the serious and stoic person of the party.
"I'll go next. I'm Itsuki Kawasumi. I'm 17 and also a high school student." He introduced himself, the apparent second youngest. Though he seems to be a counterpoint towards Ren's own stoic appearance. With kind brown eyes and a soft voice that revealed to be more upfront than what would be expected of a seemingly shy character.
And yet their names didn't pull him into a flood of memories of who they were. They were unremarkable and standard Japanese names. It was disappointing. He could've sworn that if he heard their names, he would've discovered if they were someone important especially with striking features. Like the vibrant colors of their eyes and distinct hairstyles that the nobles had echoed. But perhaps he was just hyping himself for just normal, average people who just happened to look like some celebrity or movie character that he remembers.
Maybe they just reminded him of those weird animes that Momiji-
A distinct flash of crazed eyes appeared in his mind. Soft crooning of a demented union between them.
His stomach flared in pain and he stared down at a knife wedged into his gut. A shaky hand pressed against his stomach, feeling the warm blood leaking through.
His head pounded.
Oh… right…
His mouth dried up.
That's… that's why his stuff was missing.
His hands trembled.
Because he died.
His legs threatened to collapse on him, he felt like he couldn't support his own weight anymore. It was a startling realization that almost unbalanced him. Yet the presence of a large crowd combated against his fears, his need to collapse. The silence beared down at him until he realized they were all waiting for him.
Motoyasu strode forward, not in the once confidence that he used to ooze out but in the shaky fears that gripped his heart. It was a stark contrast of the young adult who strode into the court with all the confidence and pride in the world.
"A-and I'm Motoyasu Kitamura," He tentatively introduced, attempting to give his best award-winning smile that he spent years practicing at the mirror for. It wasn't as though he only practiced it for their insistence. Momiji shyfully remarked that he had a beautiful smile. But it failed to appear, his lips can only manage to press down into a thin, painful-looking grimace.
"I'm… 16 -" He paused, staring off into the distance.
That was wrong.
He was... He was older than that.
"I meant 21! I'm 21 years old!" He hurriedly said, retracting his statement. Nervously laughing, he continued on. "And a college student at University A." Motoyasu boasted yet it felt weak. His nerves wore on him, it was embarrassing that he said he was 16.
Why did he say he was 16, that was crazy.
Everyone stared at him, the silence was unnerving, they all kept staring at him. And they kept staring at him as though their eyes held knives that pierced through skin, why won't they look away? Why won't they look away?
"-Iwatani! I'm 20 years old and a college student at College E." Naofumi yelled, snapping him out of his spiralling thoughts because it was weird, and it was wrong. And why is he thinking that? He doesn't think like that, why is he worrying about them staring at him when they're staring at Naofumi instead.
It felt relieving to know that everyone wasn't making fun of him because he screwed up in telling his age.
But who cared about that because he fucking died.
Several members of the court murmured their disapproval through various degrading comments that he could pick up from their various scowls and poorly hidden frowns. It made his anxious thoughts flare up again.
What if they were saying these things about him? About the others? Did they not make the right impression? Was it because of him? Of course, it was him.
"Now then. Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu. Is that correct?" King Aultcracy spoke.
"Your Grace, you've forgotten about me." Naofumi cut in.
"Excuse me?" The King asked, yet his raised tone said otherwise. Communicating that yes, he hasn't forgotten about him but he didn't want to say his name for some strange reason.
"You've forgotten about me. My name is Naofumi Iwantani." Naofumi repeated in a patient tone as though he didn't hear the silent warning from the King. But his twinkling and good-natured eyes said otherwise as he stood his ground against the King's piercing gaze. It was almost admirable if he wasn't hurting their chances against the king.
"Ah yes. Pardon my faulty memory, Naofumi. Decades of peace from sitting in this throne has fogged my mind, I'm not as sharp as I used to be." He wryly said, eyes piercing and calculating despite his fatherly grin.
"But I suppose you are curious about why you were summoned?" He asked, enticing of the knowledge why they were in this weird 'isekai' scenario. Staring at each and every one of their faces, one more than the others.
His head itched as the king's eyes lingered onto Naofumi more than the others with his solemn words.
"You were summoned for a grand purpose. As the bearers of the Legendary Cardinal Weapons, Spear, Sword, Bow…, and Shield." He began, gesturing for them to stare at the weird weapons they woke up with. "It was to defend our world against this great calamity, this ceaseless disaster that has plagued our world for many centuries."
'That sounds… that sounds like the story of Emerald Online.' He distantly thought, realizing why this whole situation seemed familiar to him.
That was right, this whole itching feeling of nostalgia was trying to clue him into something. That his afterlife is Emerald Online, VR Edition.
Like the beginning cinematic, the King gave a short exposition of a thrilling yet terrifying tale of this world-ending threat that these heroes were summoned for. The Waves of Calamity which tore the skies asunder and released all types of eldritch and monstrous horrors on the countries of this world. The country Melromarc, which they were in, have already bested one wave without the prophesized heroes of the Divine Cardinal weapons. But they have underestimated the destruction that it has caused. Having caused thousands of casualties from the rampage. They even told of the aftermath this grievous destruction has caused, of the plagues and food shortages, the grieving widows and orphans, and the many homes that were lost.
It was mind boggling and inspiring. It was terrifying and fear inducing. And it was a grand and glorious tale.
And yet most of all, it was boring.
How many times has he heard this unskippable cutscene every time he started up the game? How many times that it has played through his head? How many times has it repeated in the background every time he opened the program? How many memes has he created about this specific scene? Too many, too much to even process and consider.
He bet he can quote it word for word if he tried.
"So, why should we help you?" Ren spoke as they slowly digested the information.
"Pardon?"
"Why should we help you when we don't get anything in return?" Itsuki chimed in. "You've basically kidnapped four random people. And now you expect us to do your dirty work?" His eyes flickered back to the others, waiting for their added input.
Yet he was shaky, unsure if he should. He should speak, bring up why and how can they get home from the earlier conversation. But his throat dried up.
"It… doesn't give me the best of hopes when we can't find a way back home." Naofumi weakly added. "If you don't have a ritual to send us back. Especially if it's going to be like those… stories back at home where we have to invent a spell to get back home."
Yet Motoyasu stayed silent even as the king's intense gaze bore into him, waiting for his own protest. But there was nothing left to say. The advisor whispered softly to the king, exchanging several discrete words. A small frown settled upon the king's face, one that made him distinctly nervous as it slowly grew.
Did they go too far with their demands? Were they biting off more than they could chew? Why couldn't they since they were summoned as these prestigious heroes? Even if he felt sick to his stomach, trying to digest the information that he died and he's going to die twice.
(He wasn't sure if he could come back thrice.)
"I assure you that Melromarc has the best interests in heart." He began cautiously. "We wouldn't be heretical to throw our heroes out into the wild with no supplies like Lesfotric. It is guaranteed that you will be entreated to the best and possible supplies with suitable financial compensation and outfitted in the best armor. You are destined to save the world, we wouldn't be barbaric to turn our back upon our saviors" He announced to the suppressed glee of the four. Many of them exchanged pleased looks with each other, Motoyasu couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
He didn't have to grind up money and experience from the ground-up by repeatedly killing balloons, eggnogs, and if he were daring, stone-skinned bears.
"Yet fret not, Heroes. Check your status and present an objective evaluation of yourself."
Huh?
An objective evaluation of himself? Like some introduction, he thought. But didn't they already introduce themselves further than they needed to?
The others voiced out their confusion in a chorus of voices.
"Really?" Ren groaned, as though he was unbelieved by what the others were saying, he was about to agree with him until he turned the tables around. "You all seriously haven't figured it out the minute you came to this world?" He rolled his eyes, stopping himself from saying what would've been an insult.
"Your status. He meant your status. The small little icon at the corner of your eye. That status." He explained ever so eloquently.
Motoyasu stared at the corner of his vision, and to his surprise. The kid was right. There was a weird icon at the corner of his eye.
And as he focused on it, a red screen popped up in front of his face with a graphic overview of himself and his status. Like in a video game but it's in virtual reality.
His eyes skimmed over the basic general things that you would see in a video game like name, race, age, etc. And lingered on his class that was apparently called 'Hero'. But he guessed it was from being a beta-tester for Emerald Online.
He did hear from his friends that beta-testers would get their class set as 'Hero'. Mostly as a placeholder for future classes but it did guarantee some broken exp and stat growth.
And then comes the meat of his stats.
Wow, it was like a min-max build. His eyes raised at how high his 'Dexterity' was in comparison to his other stats. He never knew that you could even get it up to the 30s when you're level 1. Though his apparent 'Luck' stat was pretty high but not as high as Agility. And his other stats like 'Endurance', 'Vitality', and 'Strength' were pretty low. His 'Vitality' almost dipped into being 0. But his other stats were similarly low, but where were those 'Intelligence' or 'Wisdom' stats like in Emerald Online? There were different stats that replaced them but functioned the same though the acronyms confused him. 'WIL'? 'FAI'? What are they? And why did they replace the aforementioned stats?
And compared to his other companions.
He looked over at the others, leaning to see Naofumi's green-hued screen and almost choked.
Holy shit.
Holy fucking shit.
He never knew that you could even get to over 50 in combined defense stats as level 1. What the actual fuck. His defense stat was insane but at the cost of his defense, his attack stat is similarly pitiful to Motoyasu's Vitality.
He didn't know how low having a strength stat of 1 would be. But it was certainly lower than having the strength of 5. Yet it didn't matter much when he was only losing out on one stat in favor of having insane defense and otherwise average stats across the board. Especially when Naofumi has higher average stats than his own.
Motoyasu knew that Shielders were pretty much a crutch in the beginning of the game but this is just a morbid exaggeration.
And as though Naofumi could've sensed his shock, he turned around with a curious glance. He looked surprised as he was at Motoyasu's flabbergasted look.
"What's the matter?" Naofumi wondered, turning back at his stats UI and frowning.
Motoyasu gestured towards Naofumi's status screen, almost manic in his energy. "Your defense," He whispered in awe. "It's insane!"
He stared, looking incredulous. "You can see my stats?"
Motoyasu frowned, crossing his arms and letting his spear dangle out of his hand carelessly (He wondered, when did he pick it up?). "Yeah? Why is that a question?" He truthfully asked, curious why that it's an issue. It is a feature in Emerald Online, of course. It makes sense since PvP (Player vs Player) is a large feature in the game.
"Because it means that you have an advantage over us." Ren interrupted with a scowl, immediately closing his status before he can take a peek.
"Why is it that you can see our stats and we can't?" Itsuki ruefully asked, following suit. Trying to squint and see if he could see the other's own floating status screens, but to no avail.
"Because it's Emerald Online? You can see people's stats either way?" He said with an unsure voice. With a flick of his fingers, he flipped over the status screen for others to view. "See? I'll show you mine."
Yet the others stared at him blankly. His cheeks flushed as he checked that he didn't flip it upside down.
"Motoyasu, I think that's enough." Naofumi murmured, gingerly pushing his arm down.
The Spear Hero stared at him, wondering why he wouldn't let him explain. But Naofumi only stared behind him, letting him realize that they had an audience.
Oh… he forgot they were in front of the King.
But this was a cutscene either way, why would Naofumi care?
Said King interrupted said awkward silence by banging his staff onto the ground to catch their attention. Heads snapped to attention as the old man gestured to the heroes and the crowd. Whose murmuring came unnoticed, became louder as they listened to their ongoing conversation.
"Heroes! While there is much to discuss about these curious… developments." He cautiously worded as the other gamers' stares intensified onto his head. "May we leave this for the night to retire to. As we need to discuss that tomorrow your companions will be chosen for you."
"Companions?" Naofumi mused, staring back at the others. "Couldn't we just make our own party? I mean, we have the basic dynamics for one." He pointed out, listing each of their roles that one would see in an RPG. Though he did seem confused for a DPS-heavy group without a healer. Even if the obvious fifth Legendary Wielder of the Staff wasn't with them.
It wouldn't be cardinal if there were five legendary heroes instead. Though the Legendary Heroes Quintet had a strange tone to it.
"He's right. Why would we have to split up when we have the best possible party members here." Itsuki chimed in. Though he did look pretty wary when he stared at Motoyasu.
And it was at that moment when an important screen popped up in their vision.
'Attention! the Legendary Weapons and their owners will experience adverse effects if they fight together.
Caution: it is preferable that the heroes and weapons are used individually.'
"That's disappointing…" Itsuki sighed, taking back his previous point with the tug of his drawstring.
"Well it isn't that much of a hard nerf." Motoyasu nonchalantly said, swiping away the alert.
"Easy for you to say, you can deal damage at least." Naofumi remarked, frowning as he swiped back to his status overview.
He shrugged in response. And with languid grace, Motoyasu looped an arm around the shielder's shoulders.
"Hey, better one damage than no damage at all." He casually said, pointing at said attack stat. His finger hovering over the translucent screen that only he and Naofumi can see. "Look on the bright side, big brother Motoyasu has your back." He whispered, winking at him.
His comments sparked a blush onto Naofumi's face who immediately stuttered in response.
Itsuki rolled his eyes, the archer clearly seeing what type of conversation the two buffoons are having. "Oi, get back on track. We don't have all day." He reprimanded the two.
If it were a casual situation, Motoyasu would've bit back at the snark with a smirk and a tease of 'You're the one going too fast.' But their supposed audience reminded him of their situation.
So he dropped his arm back to his side at the casual reminder. Seeing in the corner of his eyes, Naofumi quickly moved away with reddened cheeks.
(He seemed to find himself staring at him a lot for some reason.)
The king looked quite vexed in their interruption from the deep creases shaping around his scowl. "Evening draws near, it is best for you heroes to have a comfortable rest before departure. Your rooms have already been prepared. The maids will escort you to your rooms."
And with that, the grand doors of the throne room creaked open once again. Revealing to be an entourage of beautiful and graceful maids, each as though handpicked based on their composure and most importantly their beauty.
Motoyasu couldn't help his eyes wander onto their maid dresses especially when they hugged so tightly around their shapely figures.
They were all stunning even more than those back at home. As though they only employed the best of the best. It made sense that they would. It wouldn't be appealing to the online community if they employed standard dumpy, plain servants with none of the eye candy as NPC's.
But.. wow. They could've applied over a 7 overall. If he hasn't already seen several fan-made models that were more realistic and niche to his tastes, then he would've clapped his hands and catcalled for more. Though some girls didn't live up to their appearance. Sure, they had beautiful curves and other proportions that complemented them as cute, beautiful, and hot. But… it all matters in how they treat you that makes it a difference to be a 9 or 10. Sometimes they all can have a body of a 10 but the personality of a 2 that makes them all redundant to him.
His eyes strayed onto a cold, elegant girl that could fulfill his fantasies of fitting the archetypical ice-queen with a slender, trim figure and the cold-tinted hues of her hair. She noticed his 'lecherous' stare and gave a scowl in return, turning her head back quickly that her braided hair whipped through the air. One can sense the particular sassiness in her movement.
Motoyasu could only give a small, audible snort in response.
Bitch.
His heart then pounded, hurting just like the elbow jabbing him into his side.
Ren's cold blue eyes greeted him with a piercing and disapproving glare. As though his opinion of him even dropped more than it did in the beginning. A glance at the others and he was reminded of what he should be doing.
Cheeks ablaze, he bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Highness." He murmured respectfully, being the last to give him and his court their thanks. Then they were led out of the throne room and into the halls by their charming maid escorts
But there was an unsettling feeling when he left the throne room, even as he was distracted by the distracting whispers of the nobility and shy glances from one of the more charming and petite maids. Something that scratched deeply in his head, intimately familiar.
Someone was staring at him.
He turned his head just to see the grandiose large doors slammed shut.
Strange.
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