IN COLLABORATION WITH SuperHuman200...
Read and review and yadda yadda...
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Good
*CLEARS THROAT*
LET'S GET STARTED...
I OWN NOTHING IN THIS FANFICTION EXCEPT FOR MY OC. I DON'T OWN MUCH OF ANYTHING WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT...
From the depths of the not-really-that-dark wooded areas of Virtua Forest, our heroes had decided to head back to their guild to rest and recover from that totally unexpected and secret boss level. Far from unscathed and with their health bars in critical condition from all the encounters they had to offscreen rip and tear through. Because nighttime is demon time for those kinds of creatures.
It has been just shy of a few hours since the initial boss fight. They've made it to the Guild, and it cost an arm nad a leg (and half the natural monster population). Let's see how the bois are doing now that they were in their safe haven of choice:
"So you're telling me, that we ran for twenty-five minutes, jogged for half an hour, walked for nearly double that. And still barely made it around halfway before nightfall, then there were the constant monster attacks?"
"Yep."
"Because you didn't want to drive?"
"uh-huh."
"Because that would cause your 'whip' to get dirty?"
"That's right."
"Fuck you."
"Thanks,"
"You're the worst."
"I know."
Huh, that was something. Apparently, our dual simmed swordsman can drive. Not only that but owns an expensive vehicle too. Too bad no one cares. Well except for Mugen of course. Since he was the one who had to suffer footing it to and back from the forest after such a short but intense battle.
Then there were the mini skirmishes that felt non-stop. Monster after monster kept spawning at the same rate they had been slain. Which made the trek back feel all the more time-consuming. Precisely what the two lads tried to avoid but ultimately failed.
Sparking the current conversation and all of its blatant facts spoken. Speaking of facts, our heroes were currently standing before the doors of the closest guild building. Looking both out of the ordinary and exactly where they belonged.
Banged up, torn clothes, and looking like shit. All words that can easily describe the trickling population that were entering said doors around the duo. As well as the duo themselves. Dragging their feet as they trudged past with their weapons still in hand. Some adventurers even used their weapons as crutches. Reflecting their health bars' critically low states.
"Come on, we still have to sell some scales," said Gynesis as he began to enter the building. At least there was one silver lining from those frequent afternoon battles, being the sheer number of valuable items they drop.
Mugen simply grunted before following suit with a shrug, "After this, I'm going home."
Through the massive halls of the guild were massive decorations. Decorations that were styled in a multi-coloured, neon-like circuitry frame, giving it a futuristic feeling and look. Without a redlight district atmosphere.
Lining these halls were rows of chairs with tables for eating and drinking. Complete with patrons seated there in their small groups, chatting with each other and enjoying their company with food and drink.
The counters were at the end of the main hall, the one running from the entrance, the area designated for transactions and such. With the employees behind them professional in both looks and demeanour.
"Welcome back!" Called one of the clerks who were on shift at that moment.
She was pretty tall, with brown hair in a long ponytail that ran down to her dress skirt, matching hazel eyes, and uhhhh... highly rendered assets well contained in her black and white suit. Along with a certified retail/customer service smile.
"Thanks, Ms Kaiya," Mugen waved at the receptionist before him and his comrade. Giving off a friendly aura contrary to his still boiling anger from Gynesis's shenanigans.
"We're back for blood Morgan!" Gynesis chipped in. Killing everyone in earshot with the horrendously garbage pun.
"I can see," she deadpanned, alongside any who had the unfortunate experience of hearing the heterochromatic, "I'm assuming your last endeavour went well?" To quickly recover back to her customer service mode. Unlike most of the other victims.
"Quite well actually," Mugen nodded, "We found what we were looking for."
The receptionist took a small gasp in surprise, "Oh, really? You found one?"
Well, that's some news. Again, that little gemstone is quite rare. And they've been telling this lady about their escapades any chance they've gotten, well Gynesis did anyway. Mugen never liked bringing up past failures for no reason.
"We found two, actually," Gynesis clapped, "One was in a Komodon's forehead." Before, the girl was intrigued. Now, they had her full attention.
"The other was on the floor," Mugen added, sounding a little sour on that fact.
"Wow!" Miss Morgan's hands went over her mouth in genuine interest, she then leaned forward to more easily absorb the rest of the info she knew the two would spill, "Tell me how~"
"We had to fight a high-class boss mob to get Mugen's," Gynesis stated. Making Mugen have to interject his snarky attitude. He was having quite enough of it.
"You got yours for free." Another deadpan between the three went off. Thanks to Gynesis's obvious instigation.
"And mine is yet to do anything." Followed by the third and last of the three to deadpan as if it was going out of style or something.
"And so is mine, your point?" Mugen continued, utterly refusing to back down.
For most who were to walk in on the current state of the conversation, they'd assume all was right. At least if they were to only look at Mugen and Gynesis's faces and stances. But listening to what they were saying was completely different.
Far less doing so nearly every day like Kaiya. Who began to listen as more of a pastime when they showed up since most adventurers liked to keep their disgruntles hush-hush. To her, their constant banter was entertaining. More entertaining than simply dispatching and doing transactions for overconfident pricks all day.
She could easily tell them to stop. But why not wait and see who gives up their tongue lashing first?
"Well, I had to taze a prehistoric featherless Tweety back to its time period for mine!"
"So what?! Mine was found after dancing with death for half a mile!"
The dispute had turned into another argument. The subject of which already established earlier. And with no clear winner thanks to both parties proving quite valid arguments.
"And whose fault was that? I told you not to take that left!"
"And if I didn't, neither of us would've gotten a memory!"
Neither shouted. However, both were ticked. Seconds away from simply returning to the middle school tendencies of hurling insults at each other. Luckily enough, Morgan decided to act now and intervene. Since that would be more boring than the heated
debate currently going on.
"So you two found a memory each, touched it, picked it up, and neither of you has transformed yet?" She asked hastily. Interrupting our soon to erupt heroes. "That... doesn't seem right."
Instantly, both boys stopped their bickering. Drawing their focus onto a still in customer service mode Mizz Morgan. Internally facepalming at the same time at their own stupidity, one thought became clear as day in their heads.
'That should've been more obvious. How did I not realize this earlier?'
Gynesis wanted to go make some confetti out of Basalons while his brother in arms wanted to do the same. That much was on their faces.
But alas, they were too late. The beasts, by the time the two would arrive at their territory, would be fast asleep in their burrows. Safe and sound where the monsters cannot be found for some reason despite their large size. Probably for balance's sake.
The answer to the receptionist's question was also all over Mugen and Gynesis, but Kaiya still patiently waited the several seconds it took for them to recover and answer. With Mugen being the first.
"No, neither of us transformed since this afternoon when we made first contact."
"Huh," she hummed in confusion at the response and somewhat obvious answer, "This is a first..." Morgan pondered aloud, gaining the full attention of both men at this point.
"First what?" Gynesis was second, metaphorically shaking himself out of his temporary stupor just in time to get bamboozled by even more surprises.
"It's not my place to say, but it is the head of the Intelligence Division's." the brown-haired woman confessed with a half sigh.
"Head of the Information Division?" Mugen questioned mostly to himself, in an attempt to jog his hazy memories of the brunette who fought alongside the goddesses.
"IF [īf]?" Gynesis quickly connected the dots. Hearing many tales of the girl and her endeavours over the years that the games spanned over. Who didn't with how much clout she managed to attain? "She still works for here?"
"You mean IF [if]." Mugen corrected.
"I know what I said." Gynesis refused blatantly.
"Yes," Morgan nodded to both questions and ignored their useless banter, "She still attends as the head of the Division since the end of the third game."
"Huh, I C." Mugen hopped back into the conversation with said brown-haired receptionist after letting Gynesis speak for what seemed a bit too long.
"Where is she?" Gynesis asked yet another question.
For a second, Kaiya had paused. She was searching her memories to find the answer to the colour fluid lad's question. Drawing blanks the whole way.
"Uhh..." Unfortunately, she was at a loss for words. She, in fact, did not know where her fellow brunette was.
With her non-existent schedule and nasty habit suddenly disappearing into thin air only to return days later, IF was what most would call a vagabond. But not to her face though. That's asking to get broiled on the spot.
So it could be forgiven amongst the Guild's ranks for some random receptionist to not know her locat-
"She's over there." Cutting the narrator short, Miss Morgan swiftly points at the woman of the hour, seated near the edge of the Guild's entrance area. Having a conversation between herself and another girl around her age.
Oh.
Well shit. A random Receptionist did know where the head of the Intelligence Division was. Damn.
"Thanks, Kaiya," Gynesis perked up laying eyes on said Division head.
"Time to rudely leave mid convo for the sake of plot" Mugen added before beginning to do exactly as he said with his friend waving goodbye at her.
They quickly fused into the medium-sized crowd of tired adventurers. Leaving Morgan there at her post as promised. From there she continued on looking, seeing potential in the cutscene about to go down.
The duo easily weaved and snaked their way over to the Flaming brunette. Wasting no time closing the distance and attaining her attention by calling her name.
"IF!" Mugen shouted the second they were in earshot of her, interrupting the woman from the previous conversation to begin anew.
The poor girl damn near instantly spun to her side to find out who called out to her. A once vibrant smile almost instantly faded before returning as a forced mask.
"What?" She asked colder Than all of Lowee, almost taking the two who wanted to speak by surprise.
Gynesis and Mugen were still in their tatters for clothes as they never got time to change yet, so when they showed up as is it took IF for a loop, however temporary the initial shock was. And it wasn't hard to see why.
"Remember those CPU Memories?" Chimed Gynesis in a sing-song attempt to lighten the mood, "The ones that turn people into either Deities or monsters?"
"Yeah? What about them?" Still colder than Blanc's Nation, IF continued answering in an uncaring voice, "Don't tell me you found one, I know it's fake."
"Actually..." Mugen tried to come up with something, but IF wasn't having it.
"One, Memories have only transformed girls and women into Goddesses, so a man gaining Godhood is impossible. Second, even if it was possible, you'd have transformed y now since it transforms everyone who's touched it on contact."
That was a lot of lore right there. A lot of lore that goes against our heroes by a fair bit. Not to mention the head of the Intelligence Division was the one to say it all. These facts when coupled together brought a deafening silence between the three. A silence that wasn't getting any help from If's freezing stare of seriousness.
"So you won't even glance at them?" So a new voice joined the party. Warm, friendly, and a complete contrast to IF's in nearly all senses of the word.
It came from the girl IF was speaking to earlier. A girl with Creamy pink hair and a woolly tank top.
"Compa," IF swiftly replied in a way warmer and borderline whiny tone turning to face the girl, "Don't encourage them!"
I guess the subjects of the conversation aren't standing several feet away...
"What? Those two haven't even said anything since you exposi-, exposc-, exspecial dumped on them and the readers!" The now named Compa responded in her still friendly and inviting tone.
"Ugh, fine! Watch how this was just some excuse to annoy me..." Begrudgingly, IF spins around to face Mugen and Gynesis, who were just standing there like 'Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh'.
"It seems you two were a little busy" Ya think Gynesis? "So we'll be back tomo-" Gynesis was about to leave before getting yoinked back in. Metaphorically speaking of course.
"No, Please, you were talking about CPU Memories?" IF questioned nearly condescendingly.
"You were right about us going to say we found one. For us each." Mugen continued.
"And you haven't transformed on the spot?"
"No."
"Can you show me these 'Memories'?"
With air quotes and all, IF wanted proof of these hunks of minerals being legit. Since she's been hinting at being fakes circulating since her first few sentences.
"Sure" Gynesis shrugged before dipping into his inventory and pulling out the hand-sized gemstone in his, well, hand. He then extended said hand for IF to see better the quartz. Mugen would do the same simultaneously.
Squinting with focus, IF lays a hard stare at both Memories. Scanning the lightly glowing items for any sign of forgery.
Of which, there were none. Since it would be imposible to forge one of those damned plot devices.
"Well, what do ya know?" The brunette huffed, allowing a small smile to tug at her cheeks, "These are Memories. Dormant Memories, but Memories nonetheless." She then turned back to face a gleeful Compa.
To the surprise of none of the two males, their rocks were proven legit by IF. Good, but what about the whole 'dormant' thing? That didn't sound too good...
"Dormant meaning?" Gynesis inquired with curious and hope-filled swirls of blue and red.
"It's not active." IF quickly said without looking back, "You can't transform because it's not active."
And there goes half the hope in those maelstroms.
"And how exactly do we activate them?" Mugen decided on raising that point himself.
"That's a good question," IF began sounding not very promising, with a straitened frown to boot, "I'mm not too sure."
And that's the rest of it...
"So, the 'Information Factory' IF." Gynesis scoffed, growing just a little tired of this entire chapter, "The one human thought to help us figure out why the memories didn't transform us, and find a way to get the useless plot devices to do their one job. Can't?" So much for a hero. Gynesis, despite keeping his voice down, had lost his cool and was intensely holding his nose bridge to avoid saying anything else on his mind.
"..." Instantly, the brunette grew silent with a conflicting set of thoughts in her head, "How did-" She tried asking.
"Main character logic." But Mugen knew the question, and thus he answered before she finished it.
"Of course..." IF stated, seemingly accepting the rudely given answer, "Give me some time, I might be able to find out how to get you two into CPUs."
"Oh?" Mugen cocked a brow.
'Wait, that speech worked? How?' The taller of the boys asked himself internally, 'All Gynesis said was condescending.'
"That's so nice of you IFFY!" Compa, who'd been silent up till now, perked up again. Radiating her signature aura of purity and friendliness.
IF couldn't help but sigh at her long time friend before cracking a smile. Even if she's used to that energy, it's still highly contagious.
"Yeah, yeah," The brunette barely held back the lightest of her cheeks turning pink, "It's only cuz the plot demands it."
"Sure." Compa giggled, knowing the effect she has on her friends.
"Well I guess I can leave," The onyx eyed boy chimed and turned around, "Check your table, girls." He ended the conversation there with a wave and dissolved into the rest of the Guild's members. Leaving the still smiling pair in their seats.
Upon Mugen's disappearance, IF looked down at her wooden furniture. And sitting next to a mug and plate was a piece f paper. A piece of paper that was held down by a throwing knife. With a red handle and blue blade.
"Huh," IF huffed before pulling the knife out of the piece of lumber, and what it was holding down, for examination.
Etched into the blade of the weapon was Gynesis's name, with a phone number next to it. As for the paper, it was Bristol board with Mugen's name and phone number. At the back of it was written: "For when you need to contact us".
Alright!
I'm done.
This was and will be really fun to write so I hope it'll be at least half as fun to read.
Oh and don't forget to leave a review. This fanfic's quality depends on it.
