Author's notes: All right, now we can finally get back on track with some of the original SAO's most iconic story beats. I hope everyone enjoyed the previous chapter, even though it was mostly original ideas. With the Knight 40 guild firmly establishing itself in the Mudkips' stead, it's time to learn more about our new players, and get to clearing some bosses.
Chapter 6 – "At Summer's End"
18th of June, 2022
Moonlight Shore Village
[[Mantine]]
[Knight]]
[[Lv. 38]]
Mantine's log: Huh... Never thought I'd be writing these so close together. This game really put me through the ringer over the last few months, and for the first time in a long time, things are looking up. It's times like these when I'm a firm believer in what I was often told as a child: Life is like a bow and arrow – it can only pull you back so far before you fly forward. After the intense battle back in Dangerous Caverns, we took a few days to cool off and plan our next course of action. The four of us seemed to fit right in with each other, and the girls took up residence in Moonlight Inn with Rance and I. Despite knowing them for a much shorter time, I feel more at home with these three than I did with Kindon and Kite, if I'm being honest. Still, we had to bring our good news back to the graveyard, and Larell was likely getting impatient with us...
Knight 40 all relaxed in their room in the inn, finally getting around to dividing up the loot from the previous battle. Mantine didn't keep much for himself, having earned the right to wear the treasures Kindon had imparted upon him. The night before, Mantine and Morana had officially became a couple, sealing the deal with the ingame couple request. This put a heart next to their player names, and allowed them to share part of their inventory with each other. Rance and Yuuki, especially the former, showered them with congratulations. Morana and Mantine were eager to get to know the new guys, and so, they asked them a little about themselves. After all, they must've been some interesting people if they were willing to take up a sword in Mantine's honor.
"...anyway, my boyfriend would not shut up about this game. He said it was going to eclipse all the major IPs and take the world by storm... If he only knew..."
Yuuki was in the middle of divulging more about herself at the request of the others. "...by the way, how did you enjoy my jalapeno biscuit recipe? I am a natural, no?"
Mantine and Morana looked a little surprised. "Whuh? That was you?" asked the Azure Knight. "It tastes just like the ones back home! I tweaked it a little with my cooking skill during my, er, retirement, but I would've never known where to start without your notice board post!"
"Hee-hee!" Yuuki giggled. "I know my Tex-Mex cuisine, cowboy. I was studying to be a chef back in the real world, you know?"
Mantine nodded. "Respect to that! What got you caught up in this mess, anyhow?"
"Part of the reason I joined, if I am being honest, was to outplay him on every level. See, I am really good at games like this... it is the whole reason I chose an advanced class like Summoner. Even in our current situation, I cannot help but aspire to be the strongest player."
"Now there's a motive I can get behind." Rance said, before muttering under his breath, "wish you'd shut up about this boyfriend business..."
"Hmm."
"Nothin'. Go on?"
"Right... so yeah, he cannot have gotten too far. With your help, I should be able to find him... if he still lives..."
Suddenly, Rance regretted his snide remark. "Wh... what are you sayin', Yuuki? Of course he's still kickin'! He sounds like a total badass to me!"
Morana shot her a warm smile, trying to brighten their moods. "So... what all are you into? We hardly got to know each other in the midst of all that fighting!"
"Heh... I'm what you Americans might call a 'weeb'!" she said, chuckling. "If you couldn't tell by my name. All those dubs I watched back in the day... helped me learn English! Jojo... G Gundam... Black Butler..."
Morana's eyes lit up. "Oooooooooh, Black Butler! Don't even get me started. Sebastian is such a dream... my husbando!" she gushed, prompting Mantine and Rance to shoot each other looks and sigh with exasperation.
"Oh, I cannot forget Akame ga Kill!"
"Now we're talkin'!" Rance beamed.
Mantine looked at the brown-haired man with a wide grin, high-fiving him and linking arms. "Yeah, yeah! AgK is where it's at, man!"
Rance's smile widened. "It had all the top-tier girls... who could forget Leone... Najenda... Akame herself... but the best of them all was..."
Mantine met Rance's smile with a bigger one. "...without a doubt..."
Their voices joined in a chorus of all the elation two teenage boys could muster, "...ESDEATH!"
Beyond excited that their choice for best girl was one in the same, they danced together in blissful joy, forgetting where they were for just a moment. Morana and Yuuki rolled their eyes and shot each other looks of 'really?' before glaring at the men.
"What?" said Rance defensively, in between bites of his sandwich. "It's a great show... it's just nice to have a little somethin-somethin' for the, uhh, audience every now and then!"
"Intriguing..." said Morana, nodding. "Now we've really gotta know more about you, huh?"
Yuuki flashed him a sly smile. "Yes, enough about me... what's the mighty Rance got to offer?"
The green-armored man blushed for a moment before relenting. "Alright, fine! I'll have you know that my dreams extend beyond 2D women and H-games! Once we get outta this mess... I'm gonna join the United States Marines!" he announced proudly, much to the shock of the other three.
"Don't act so surprised. While it's true that I fight for the waifus every day, I'll be more than willing to fight for my country as well! So, Mantine... don't you dare let us down! I wanna meet you all in the real world before I have to head off for training!" he continued, without missing a beat.
"I respect that... I respect that a lot!" said Mantine, smiling at the man. "If that's the case, you can count on me to help you... help all of you get back to the real world. Hell, my grandpa back home was in the Air Force – he'd be glad to know I'm playing with people like you!"
"Yeahhh... see, I kinda flip-flopped on the decision for a while..." Rance continued. "See, I was workin' at this anime shop down south – that's how I heard about this game in the first place. Problem was, I told my parents I was goin' to college at the same time! I even took extra hours at the shop just to make it seem like I was gone long enough for my story to hold up. It was all going good until it came time to do my taxes... then my secret was out! I felt like I completely let my family down, and so, to make it up to them... I promised to enlist next year!"
The other three had mixed feelings over the story, but all agreed that his choice was honorable in the end. Noticing their warm smiles, Rance winced and blushed. "This is gettin' embarrassing! Err, Mantine! We never got to hear all the cool stuff about you! Our leader must have a lot going for him IRL, eh?"
Mantine chuckled to himself a bit. "Way to put me on the spot, Rance! A-anyway, hoo boy, where to begin? Oh, yeah! It's a lofty goal, I know, but I want to get into movie directing! I feel so inspired by the minds of Kevin Smith, Clint Eastwood, George Lucas... Oh, to be in their shoes! ...but right now, I'm just tryin' to get my shit together. The whole reason I was living with grandpa is, well... my mom kinda kicked me out. Back in freshman year, I got sent to juvi..." he said, sinking his head low.
"Theft?" asked Yuuki.
Morana shook her head. "Tell me you weren't caught with weed in the bathroom..."
Rance's eyes lit up. "You're not, uhh... into lolis, are you? Even I have standards!"
Mantine shook his head vigorously. "No, no! Nothing like that. I just... got sick too many times. They called it truancy and hauled my ass off to juvi. That was just the beginning, though. My mom hates anything to do with video games. She got me that new Gears of War for Christmas, but can't stand seeing me play over devoting my entire life to school. To be blunt, I don't think we'll ever see eye to eye. I'd be surprised if she even knew I was stuck in this game."
His colleagues all raised their eyebrows at his anecdote.
"S-still... I'm not gonna let any of that get to me... certainly not now. It's a leader's duty to keep spirits high!"
After sharing their own stories, Mantine and Morana agreed that it was time to head out in search of the next major boss, so they could be one step closer to liberation. Knight 40 departed the inn, gearing up for the next leg of the journey.
"So, Mantine... wanna reveal your genius idea of where the dungeon is?" Rance asked, elbowing the Azure Knight. He remembered how confident Mantine was about its location when they had met.
Morana chimed in quickly. "Yeah... you were hyping that up for a while, eh? So spill the beans!"
"Buncha noobs, I tell ya... follow me!" he said smugly, dashing toward the graveyard at full speed. The other three did their best to catch up, and before they knew it, they were face-to-face with Larell once more.
"Here, Rance." he said, handing the would-be harem king an item. "I know you'll wanna do the honors."
He cracked his razor-sharp grin, holding out the item at the hooded figure. "Aww, yeah, son! Read 'em and weep! We shredded that ol' mole so good, this was all that was left of 'em!"
Turned in [[Reverse Mole Hide]]
The grave warden crossed his arms after accepting the creature's remains. "I'll be damned, you actually surprised me... but any fool hopped up on potions and vigor and swing a sword around. Let's see if you can solve the riddle of this graveyard, to unearth its-"
Mantine sauntered over to one of the more conspicuous looking gravestones and lightly kicked it. The worn cross toppled over with a puff of dust and revealed a passage that lead underground. "There you go." he said flatly.
Larell flinched slightly. "Y-you... how did you-?"
"It's like I've been saying. This stuff is second-nature. I've been eyeing this place up ever since I arrived back in March, and that stone was obviously the way forward. Look at the textures on it – they don't even properly mesh with the floor! It's like... uhh, remember DBZ? Whatever rocks or walls were about to be demolished by an attack would be drawn differently than the rest of the background! Truly, I thought someone of Kite's caliber could figure that one out... then again, he probably thought it beneath him to clear the quests here. Those GF fellas are a bunch of drones." explained the Azure Knight, much to the amazement of the others.
The black-hooded NPC clenched his fists. "W-well... fine! You may enter, but... don't you dare get yourselves killed! I've got more quests to hand out! Way more! Don't ignore me like they did! You're gonna need these to get stronger, you hear?!"
Yuuki flashed the man a peace sign. "Count on us, Larell! Knight 40 is all about surviving!"
Dammit, Yuuki... it's hard to rub our victory in this guy's face when you're bein' so cute! Thought Rance, grinding his teeth.
With the path made clear, Knight 40 descended further, into the sprawling catacombs that lay right under Moonlight Shore...
Underground Graveyeard
One of the first areas not featured in any sort of beta test or prerelease material, the Underground Graveyard was roughly what one would expect – cracked gray stone met spiked, twisted black fences as a layer of ethereal fog blanketed the floor. Skulls embedded in the wall and lit aflame served as a poor man's torch, and more bones littered the long stairway down, some already crushed to bits, others still forming a full skeleton. Luckily for Knight 40, and any other players that might find their way down here, the first room was merely a lobby, and thus a safe room, allowing them to get a decent vantage point before taking on the dungeon proper.
"...Really?" Thought Morana aloud. "The developers, in all their imagination and creativity, couldn't come together to make a horror-themed dungeon without the 'spooky skeletons'?"
Rance snickered. "I mean... skeletons nearly give me a heart attack, personally!"
"I agree!" said Mantine, stifling laughter. "Did you- did you know... that there's a rumor, that we all have skeletons inside our own bodies?"
Rance's sides were dangerously close to being sent into orbit. "Liar! Don't even joke about that kind of thing!"
Morana and Yuuki slugged the boys in unison, groaning with exasperation. The stairs' 'immortal object' popup flashed momentarily. The two were preparing a witty retort, when they heard the sounds of clashing metal downstairs! In a confused panic, Knight 40 rushed to the bottom floor to find the source of the skirmish!
There they were, two men already locked into the heat of battle! Two more leaned against the worn stone wall, fixated on every movement!
"No way!" Mantine shouted, his jaw agape.
Rance pushed his friend aside for a closer look. "Ooh, what's all this, then?! Dammit! Why'd they all have to be guys?"
"Should we step in?" asked Yuuki with a hint of uneasiness.
Morana shook her head. "Hold off on that, Yuuki. They haven't even noticed-"
"YEEEAHHHH! GO IN ON 'EM, BIG GUY!" cheered Rance.
"That's how it's DONE! Don't let 'em keep you locked down!" Mantine joined in.
"...nevermind. Just sit tight..." sighed Morana.
The two combatants seemed to be on equal footing. One was wielding a colossal greatsword, a ghostly blade translucent from hilt to tip, exuding a shadowed aura – it dwarfed even Mantine's sword! The other brandished a pair of long, rigid white claws, far different than the katars he'd seen before. The weapons clanged off of one another with a dazzling display of sparks!
The swordsman boasted a form-fitting set of armor that appeared to be cast in pure gold! Its gleam was swathed in the orange of the tomb's torches! "Give it up, Creme! Your class was never meant for PvP! Can't stunlock me if you can't even get past the reach of my sword, now can you?!" he taunted his opponent, holding his massive blade one-handed out in front of him.
The other man was of the Ninja class. His body was wrapped in leathery white cloth with bright purple accents throughout, and his bandana sported a prominent skull-and-crossbones, giving him a distinct pirate look. "I don't care how strong you are, Chammeng... or how far you've lead us! Today's the day I finally come out on top!" his claws surged with glowing blue energy, a sure sign that he'd activated a sword skill! "Creme Brulee style... Adamant Charge!"
The man barreled toward Chammeng, his claws forming streaks of light with each step! In retaliation, the gilded swordsman stamped his foot, rearing back with his mighty blade! "Uh-uh-uh! I've seen that one before! Too bad, it would've worked on anyone else! Now I'll show you why I keep this group in check! Grizzly... SLASH!" the crimson sword surged with energy, and the image of an enraged bear flashed over his body!
This, however, did nothing to stop the stalwart ninja's advance! "Chammeng, you majestic beast! The thing is.. it's true that you might know everything I'm going to do... but in the end, it won't help, since I, the revered Creme Brulee, know everything you'll do as well! Isn't it strange?!"
"That's what I love about you, man! Always keeping things fresh! Have at it, then!"
Their weapons finally met, metal grinding against metal! Each warrior put on a spectacular display, and it seemed neither one was even close to relenting! Their weapons each found their mark at the perfect moment...
[[Players "Chammeng" and "Creme Brulee" have reached 50% health]]
[[Duel results: DRAW]]
[[Duel over due to HP limit reached]]
The two men took a moment to catch their breath, forgetting that this game didn't take one's fatigue into account during battle. Their health bars both returned to full capacity.
"Aww, c'mon!" jeered Rance. "Wayda blue-ball us!"
"Yeah, you totally had him with that last move!" Mantine chimed in, the others unsure of who he was rooting for.
"Hello to you, too." greeted the gold-armored man, slinging his massive blade over his shoulder.
The ninja cracked his knuckles. "And who might these be? You didn't tell me we had new challengers, Cham."
Mantine held his hands up. "It's nothing like that, really! We were just about to take on the dungeon down here. That was a spectacular duel, though! Those reflexes, mmm!" he complimented with a 'baking soda!' gesture, before realizing he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh yeah, I'm Mantine. We're the Knight 40 guild... kinda new, but no less ready to rise to a challenge!"
"Interesting..." said the golden warrior, putting one finger on his chin. The group got a better look at his face. Shaggy, blonde hair peeked out from the edges of his helm, and his eyebrows were decidedly thick, giving him a constant look of fervor. "Another guild fighting on the front lines? That's the first I've heard since... well, I heard what happened to the Mudkips..."
Mantine smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry about them. I'm more interested in your friends over there. I don't see a guild tag above your names, so-"
"Yeah... consider us 'unofficial', I guess. Mr. Mantine, you may refer to us as... Battle Tendency! We're just a bunch of guys who fight each other for fun!"
Rance gasped loud enough to fill the tomb with echoes. "OH MY GOD! Was that a..."
The silk-white ninja stopped him. "You are correct. My, my... your friend here's got some exceptional taste. Care to introduce me?"
Rance held his arms up, making an 'X'. "You can call me Rance, the adventurer who seeks the truth... but don't get any ideas! I'm only here for waifus!"
"Oh, my. No need to get defensive..." he mused, running his finger over the back of one of his claws. "I'm Creme Brulee, as you might've heard." he said, voice as alluring, smooth, and flamboyant as his namesake. His hair was pure-white, long and wavy with one strand hanging between his eyes. Like Mantine, he was tall and slender, but managed to fill out his garments well.
Chammeng gestured to the other two men leaning against the wall. "Don't your mouths work? Show these fine people a little hospitality!" The leftmost one held a tall greatbow, similar in appearance to Chammeng's blade.
"Whoaaaa..." his deep voice trailed off almost instantly. "Sorry man, I was just... so immersed in y'alls battle... it had me feelin' some type of way. Sometimes I get too busy thinkin' bout Hellshake Yano. But yeah... I'm Flann." he said, pointing and smiling at Knight 40 with half-closed eyes.
"...and I'm..." the other one stretched, revealing a ghostly set of katar. It really started to sink in to our heroes how popular the assassin class was. "...Orange Cream. And I'm goin' to bed." he declared, and without missing a beat, curled up on the floor for a nap. As his name implied, his armor was orange and white, an extravagant, flowy garb. It made the perfect blanket for him, incidentally.
"Quite the crowd you've brought in." observed Morana.
"They aren't the best... 'least, not until I make them that way!" said Chammeng. "...but far be it from me to throw them under the bus. We all knew each other in real life, and we promised to stick together even after this whole death game mess."
Creme Brulee nodded. "He's right. We'd play almost anything together... when they were able to escape their parents, anyhow! Hmm hmm hmm!"
"Cut it out, man!" Chammeng gritted his teeth. "We gotta look good in front of these guys!"
Mantine put his hand on his chin. "Wait a second... those accents, I know them from somewhere. I have several questions!"
"Oho? Ask away, we've nothing to hide." assured Creme.
Mantine held his finger up. "First off, how'd you even get into this game? I thought this server was North American. As a matter of fact, I never did ask you either, Yuuki. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for diversity, but..."
"VPNs, baby!" beamed Chammeng. The other fighters all chimed in with a "same", and Yuuki smiled and nodded. "I've been hitting up all the Japan exclusives since I was 13. Had to show these guys the ropes." he explained, much to Creme's chagrin.
"Fair enough..." Mantine said, now holding up two fingers. "Secondly, though... how'd you get down here? No one's cleared this dungeon yet... hell, I thought we were the first one to find it."
Chammeng faltered a moment. "W-well... it's-"
Creme Brulee put his hand on the golden warrior's shoulder. "It's okay. These people don't seem like the type to judge. The truth is... we used to be part of the Guardian Force. Really, it's the only reason we got to this level. We're not far off from you, see?" he directed their attention toward their levels. They were all around the mid-30s, with Chammeng matching evenly with Mantine. "We were tasked with investigating Moonlight Shore, but..."
Chammeng's eyes set ablaze. "...we weren't having any more of it! They cut our pay down to nothing and didn't even give us access to the guild vault! I heard they were even planning on kicking us out as soon as we found the next boss, hmph! Said the way we dueled all the time made us look unprofessional, or some shit like that. So we quit! That same night, we were having a free-for-all in the graveyard and the floor gave way! We all tumbled down here. 'Course, making it out was easy, but... We had the place all to ourselves, and the best part was, the GF would never find it! The only problem is, well..."
"It's them bosses, maaan..." Flann sighed. "There's, like, a whole gauntlet of 'em through here. We can't crack it."
Chammeng smiled. "I'm glad I have these guys around. They're so comfortable with admitting what I'm ashamed to say. This lobby leads in two different directions, but one's blocked off. The remaining path has four bosses in a row. We've been able to beat one or two... even the third if we played perfect... but it always ends the same way. We nearly get toasted and have to leave! To make matters worse, these things are all undead, so they'll just keep getting back up until we clear the main boss."
"Looks like we were on the right track, then." Mantine confirmed. "You four seem all right. Hell, you automatically have my respect for ditching the GF as it is. I might be movin' too fast here, but what do y'all say to joining Knight 40? We'll gladly help you take this dungeon on, and we could use warriors as strong as you to help us make the push to clearing the game!"
The golden gladiator's smile grew wider, and he put his hand on Mantine's shoulder. "I like the way you think, friend. What say you, Battle Tendency?"
"Y'know what they saaay... the more, the merrier..." Flann said, smiling at Mantine.
Orange Cream managed to give a weak thumbs-up mid-slumber.
"I'd love to get to know these brave warriors better, so count me in." Creme Brulee chimed.
Yeah, well..." Chammeng gritted his teeth, as his heart filled with excitement! "...really, I don't care what you three think! We'll join you, Mantine... after I get a taste of what you're made of!" he declared, drawing his greatsword.
"I like the way you talk!" Mantine beamed, his navy-blue sword glinting light from the torches.
[[DUEL REQUEST]]
[[MANTINE -LV38 VS. CHAMMENG - LV38]]
[[ACCEPTED]]
[[3! 2! 1! BEGIN!]]
At the signal, both warriors charged in headlong! Their swords left long, blue streaks in their wake with each movement. As their blades met, Chammeng nearly took the wind out of Mantine, his oversized greatsword proving more than enough to stand against the Azure Knight! The Golden Gladiator followed up with a vertical strike, but Mantine held out his shield – the very same one that Kindon had bestowed upon him – and parried the blow!
"This is it, exactly!" Chammeng proclaimed with a wide smile as their swords crossed once more. "I can get to know you better through battle than I ever could by simply talking! What a rush!"
Mantine met the boy's smile with an even bigger one. "You're just the type my guild is looking for! I haven't been this excited since..." he said, remembering his times with the Mudkips.
The duel raged on, and it didn't take long for Mantine to exploit a fairly basic weakness; one that he should've realized sooner. While Chammeng's larger sword could overpower him, each missed swing left him wide open for a punish. Even with the immense strength it took to wield such a blade like a feather, the recovery time was just a few frames too much – just like the landing lag of certain moves in Melee! Ever resourceful, Mantine took advantage of every single opening, sneaking in a hit or two before dashing for his life! The truth was, just two or three hits from Chammeng's blade could have indeed ended the duel, however...
Tired of eating free hits, Chammeng put all his strength into his next decisive blow – it was one of his special attacks! "Lay down, knight!"
"Oh yeah?! Well you first!" roared Mantine, raising his shield! With a gleam in his eye, he surged everything into his left arm and...
...incredible! His shield had parried the blow, nearly shattering in the face of Chammeng's raw might! Mantine pointed his sword at the neck of the reeling gladiator, when...
[[Player "Chammeng" has reached below 50% health]]
[[Duel results: Player "Mantine" WINS]]
[[Duel over due to player reaching health limit]]
Chammeng had lost himself in battle once again, forgetting it was a game long enough to catch his breath, and this time, so did Mantine. "...I got too into it."
Mantine beamed smugly at the gladiator and his allies. "Looks like that would've bee the killing blow. Tough break."
Yuuki and Rance both looked genuinely surprised. Was he always this mean? Morana had a similar reaction, until she remembered his display after defeating Hookah.
"Why'd you have to be like that, man?" he groaned, his mouth going a bit crooked.
The Azure Knight pointed toward the ceiling. "Because... I think you're pretty good, as a matter of fact! However... I'm still better than you in... one, two, three, four, five, six places!"
His voice echoed through the tomb, prompting various reactions from his guildmates.
Rance mimicked his hand gesture. "Way to give 'em the tough love, Mantine!"
"Y-yeah... you sure show them... that..." Yuuki stuttered, doing her best to sound supportive. "I would've, maybe... said it differently..."
Morana raised an eyebrow. "What is he, some kind of trick master?" acknowledging the reference he'd made.
"From where I'm standing, it looks like..." he continued, eyeing up the warriors of Battle Tendency, "...the only way to reach that level is, well..."
Chammeng rolled his eyes and laughed. "You don't have to spell it out so hard, man. I get it, we've got to join Knight 40. Since you were so gracious as to accept my terms, I have no objections! You've proven well to me that yours is a guild worthy of joining.
Mantine and Chammeng shook hands, and just like that, four became eight.
-Players "Chammeng", "Creme Brulee", "Orange Cream", "Flann" have joined Guild [[Knight 40]]-
Mantine clapped his hands. "Wonderful! My-, er, our goal of clearing the game before Kite and his entourage do looks a bit more realistic now, eh?"
Chammeng sheathed his great blade, and smiled at Mantine. "Y'know, man... I'm going to beat you one day. Until then, well... either lead me, follow me, or get out of my way."
Mantine nodded to the boy respectfully. "George Patton? I had no idea you knew your history so well."
"Yeah, well..." he kicked at the stone floor lightly. "We like to study you guys when we're bored enough."
"While I'm glad to see your... relationship flourishing... shouldn't we get straight to the business?" interjected Creme. "I live for the main event!"
Mantine flashed the ninja a thumbs-up. "Now there's the attitude I'm lookin' for! You're gonna be right at home in my guild, Creme. So let's gear up and-!"
He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Mantine, dear... do you have a death wish? Let's get an idea of what we're up against before we jump into this."
The Azure Knight laughed heartily and put both hands on his hips. "I can't die, Morana! No way! Besides, anytime I ever find myself in a tight spot, you'll heal me up good as new!"
She smiled and shook her head. "You can't always count on that, you know... What if I get distracted?"
"Yeah?! Well...!" Mantine kept his hands on his hips and leaned closer to Morana. "How exactly d'ya suppose we go about it, then?!"
Cute overload! Thought Rance with a jubilant smile. Even the way they argue, it's classic! I'm a natural at this hookup thing!
Morana rolled her eyes. "If you'd been listening... our new friends over there mentioned they'd gone through the dungeon before, at least up to the third boss. Perhaps you four could tell us what to watch out for?" she asked, before turning to Mantine and smirking. "See? Was that so hard?"
Chammeng was more than happy to comply. "Good point! Alright, if I remember correctly, yes... the first is the Bone Frag. It's a big armored... skeleton thing. Normally it's slow, mainly it just tries to slam its body down on you... but as you break away the armor, it becomes faster. As the name... might have you think, it can launch fragments of its own body around the room, but it's the easiest of the bunch."
Mantine began to take notes, typing everything down in the guild menu.
The gladiator continued, "Next is the Katler. A cyclops monster... also fairly slow, but it constantly fires a magic barrage from its eye. Once we got it into close range, it was done for. Just gotta watch that magic, its tracking'll follow you to the ends of the earth... and it cuts through your defense."
Mantine and the others listened closely, nodding.
"...and the furthest we made it, was Ratler. That grotesque, undead rat with a metal blade running down its spine. It hasn't a single ranged attack to speak of, but its sheer speed closes any distance we might get on it. Simply put, it hits hard and fast. Get stunlocked, and you've got a one-way trip to the next dimension."
Mantine took a sharp breath. "Duly noted. Too bad it's Sunday..."
Morana pulled his blue ponytail. "Would you get serious?"
"I am, I am..." he insisted. "Lemme get my hotbar adjusted. Everyone else, it might be in your best interests to do the same. It seems like these guys don't dish out any poison or paralysis, so no need wasting slots on cure items. Instant-use heals like cake are your best bet in a pinch, and memorize any weapon skills you might need to get the edge on these monsters. They're undead, which means we've gotta get 'em all in one go to put 'em to rest for good."
Mantine put his fingers on his chin, thinking to himself for a moment. "Thing is, this dungeon has a limit of four players. We'll have to decide on who all's going in. Naturally, there's no way I'd sit this one out. I'll tank that rat out for you til the cows come home!"
"No objections from me... are any of you three wanting to volunteer?" Chammeng asked the Battle Tendency members.
"Nope." said Orange, going immediately back to sleep.
Flann continued to stare into space. "Whuuuuhhhh...?"
The gladiator threw up his arms. "Of course... that's all they ever did at school, too..."
"I'd be more than happy to take my turn, dear Chammeng." Creme clicked his claws together. "However... we need to think of this strategically. That girl is our only healer, so she's a must."
Morana smirked with approval. "Nice to know I'm needed... and desired! No matter how many people you recruit, Mantine... you're lost without me."
The knight shrugged. "Ain't it the truth." he admitted.
"I'm with you all the way, too." said Chammeng, slinging his ghostly blade over his shoulder. "DPS is the name of my game!"
Normally I'd disagree with a player using something that slow and heavy... thought Mantine, analyzing Chammeng's equipment. ...but his weapon's a whole seven levels above mine... upgraded too, and that raw damage... wow!
Mantine then looked over his shoulder at Rance and Yuuki. The would-be Harem King stuck out his palm. "Aww, don't look at me like that. Two knights would be redundant. I'd love a piece of this action, but... I like to give the underdogs a chance to shine! Yeah, that's it! I got next, though!"
Yuuki lightly bowed her head. "I am handing this one to Creme. Think of it as a test of worth to our guild, leader!"
Mantine scratched the back of his head. "Aww, don't call me that!"
The ninja thrust his claw into the air. "Then it's settled! The four of you, wait for us! We'll share whatever loot we manage to purloin from this mildewy grave!"
With their final preparations made, the decided group of Mantine, Chammeng, Morana, and Creme Brulee descended further into the Underground Graveyard, ready to put an end to the undead threat for good... and take one more step toward freeing the innocent souls trapped within this cursed game!
The lower floors were roughly what one would expect. Structurally similar to the lobby, with increasing signs of wear and neglect as the group made their way down. Hordes of mummies, rats, flying eyeballs, and skeletons had risen up at the command of whatever lie at the end of the dungeon, but Knight 40 had little trouble putting them back to rest! These enemies proved to be marginally weaker than the ones Mantine and Morana faced in the Dangerous Caverns, and Chammeng and Creme knew the area well enough from their previous expeditions.
Before they knew it, they'd reached the Bone Frag! It was here that Morana discovered she could use her healing magic to gravely injure undead, rattling the creature's bones enough for Chammeng and Creme to pound it into bonemeal while it was focused on Mantine. The first boss encounter had gone off without a hitch!
Down the next floor, hordes of enemies were traded for some tough platforming! Each player had to make death-defying leaps across the tomb's bottomless chasms, time their jumps across the chained moving platforms, and avoid the walls of spikes that would emerge from behind! The timing wasn't easy, but even this challenge couldn't keep Knight 40 at bay for long!
Once all four warriors had caught up, the next door creaked open, leading them to Katler! The rampaging cyclops wasted no time loosing a barrage of red-hot magic on the players! Morana cast a barrier spell, and the other three rushed the boss down as fast as their legs could carry them! Just as Chammeng said, this boss had little to work with in closer range, and was defeated even more soundly than Bone Frag! Had they not known better, they might've thought this dungeon to be a bit too easy...
The next floor down was simply a giant, square room full of plague rats. Creme managed to clear most of them out on his own, excited at the massive combo potential it provided. Chammeng chided him a bit for showing off, but admitted he might have a future in pest control. Before they knew it, the next gate slid open, inviting Knight 40 into Ratler's domain!
It was a similar song and dance to the previous boss chambers, with several enemies forming a barrier around the big bad himself! True to Chammeng's description once again, the metal-clad rodent towered over them and screeched loud enough to make their ears ring! Its eyes glowed a pale, sickly yellow, and its fur was patchy and matted down in several spots! Ratler curled up and began to roll and bounce around the chamber in a manner similar to Ahtoo! Creme took to clearing out the rat's entourage, then signaled to Mantine! "Make it one for the bards!"
Mantine nodded, and activated his Provoke skill! The proc was successful, sending the enraged rat spinning straight toward the Azure Knight! He tensed his left arm out, holding his new shield steady! "If you're still out there, Kindon... protect me! I won't lose!"
Sounds of grating metal echoed through the tomb as sparks flew from the shield... but it's stalwart defense refused to falter! Though this protection amounted to little more than numbers, Mantine wanted to believe Kindon was still watching over him! After Creme had disposed of the adds, he sprinted straight for Ratler himself and viciously clawed at the beast, giving it a taste of its own medicine! He dashed back, and shouted over to Chammeng! "Now, SWITCH!"
"Hey, you got it!" answered the Gladiator! Ratler had stopped spinning, and reared back for a swipe with his claws – but on Creme's command, Chammeng had appeared in his place! He took the attack head-on, but retaliated with a mighty swing of his greatsword, sending the rat reeling back! As soon as the creature was stunned, Morana followed up with a great tornado of fire, whipping across the room until it engulfed Ratler!
"Guess he forgot about me!" she taunted. "Chammeng, hold still a sec!"
The gladiator stopped in his tracks, receiving the warmth of a healing spell. "My thanks! Life's hard without a shield, as you can see!" he said, shifting his eyes to Ratler's health bar. Less than a fourth... are we really going to do it...?!
His mind must've been on the same wavelength as Creme's, who called over to Mantine after noticing the boss' stunned state! "My dear knight, launch this beast! Right now!"
Mantine rushed toward Ratler with his sword behind him! "With pleasure! I just hope you know what you're doing, new guy!" the aqua blade glowed a dazzling blue! "Maximize sword skill: Hyper... air launch!"
Mantine smote the rat with a devastating upward strike, sending it careening into the air! Then, at the apex of its height...
"Taste my flourish, rodent!" roared Creme, spinning his body until his claws became a cyclone of carnage! "Maximize sword skill: Sinister Screwdriver!" he announced, tearing into Ratler like a power tool! The flurry of claws showed no sign of stopping... that is, until the boss health reached its last tick! Creme landed, struck an elegant pose, and bowed. "...you should be ashamed for making me wait that long, filthy cur."
"Outstanding, I gotta say." Mantine conceded. "You continue to surprise me, but I've still got you beat in... one, two, three, four-"
"I think he gets the point, Mantine." Morana interrupted. "Either way... this place definitely feels different, but even the rat was nowhere near as tough as Ahtoo. Just makes me wonder..."
Chammeng took a deep breath. "This is as far as we've made it, friends. As such, this is also where my advice loses its... usefulness."
Creme patted his friend on the back. "You did what you could, dear. If we've made it this far, whatever's ahead won't be much tougher, no?"
"Again with the attitude I like! You're heading toward a promotion if you keep that up!" complimented Mantine.
Creme put his hands behind his back and blushed. "Ooh, don't tease me so, leader!"
"Yeah, we're gonna have to work on that..." Mantine lamented.
"Let's get a move on, you three. I wanna see just how far this rabbit hole goes." said Morana, slugging down a mana potion.
Following the cleric's command, Knight 40 proceeded out of the rat's cage and found themselves in an even larger chamber. It was perfectly square, with two tiers connected by staircases. Strewn about the room were many dead enemies, completely unresponsive. What caught their eye was in the very center of the room – an opulent coffin decorated in gold and white. Knowing what would happen, the players approached the coffin and reached out to touch it... only to have it snatched up by a group of writhing bandages! Their source made itself known without hesitation, a hulking, mummified humanoid, adorned with bloodstained horns and deformed beyond recognition! Its furious growls made it obvious that it wasn't happy with outsiders defiling its tomb!
- Kajimodo: Guardian of the Graveyard -
Steeling themselves for the ensuing battle, Knight 40 spread out to the corners of the room! Kajimodo reached his lanky, swollen arms around the adorned coffin, creaking it open! It released its spirits as wispy projectiles, tracking the players and exploding on impact! They managed to evade the ethereal assault, and wasted no time going on the offensive! Mantine, Chammeng, and Creme attacked from all sides, while Morana pelted the undead with her signature meteors! Mantine reveled in their early lead! "Perfect, I love it!"
The combined attack was enough to deplete its first health bar, and do a number on its second! The mummy let loose a distorted scream, beginning the next phase of the fight! All the skeletons, zombies, and suits of armor creaked to life, making a beeline for the heroes! Mantine shot Creme his gaze. "Hey, can you run interference?!"
"I expected this much! It's no different than before!" the ninja readied his claws, tearing through the undead reinforcements while the others maintained focus on Kajimodo! The beastly mummy couldn't keep its focus on one player, and their coordinated attacks had shredded its second health bar, digging straight into the third! It let out a screech loud enough to stun all four players as it entered the next phase! Kajimodo dug the coffin into the ground and clambered atop! Using it like a macabre pogo stick, he began to hop around the room, attempting to flatten Knight 40!
The leaps were just high enough to go over the players' heads, but fast enough that it was near impossible to get an opening! Just touching the coffin was enough to inflict damage, on account of its cursed aura! It didn't take long for them to realize that attacking him in this state was futile – the coffin itself was immune to damage! Just then, something about the boss' movements set off a spark within Mantine's mind.
"Gimme a break..."
He called out to his allies, "Listen up! All of you, let's wait this part out!"
They all looked towards him with confirmation, noting the glow in his eyes. Even he hadn't felt this way in a long time! By his command, everyone took evasive maneuvers, trusting what their leader said. "Now, now, don't just run, you fools! Dunno about you, but to me, this looks like a great time to bust out all your buffs! He can only chase one of us at a time, and you know what that means..."
He cast Provoke, sending Kajimodo into a barreling rage toward him! "Now, before it runs out!"
"By your command, leader... Gift of the Ninja: Evade! Now, don't squander it, dear! ~" Creme struck his claw in the air, and the other three were enveloped in a white glow!
Morana twirled her staff, runes appearing before her! "Sanctuary of Health!" she shouted, summoning a fountain from the ground to heal her allies.
"Don't forget me! Even us steadfast brawlers have something to give!" Chammeng had already charged his own buff, ready to do his part. "Strength of a Bear!"
Meanwhile, Mantine was leading Kajimodo into the middle of the chamber, a devilish smirk across his face as he outran the bounding mummy. It took a little longer than he thought, but just as he'd predicted, the boss lost balance and toppled over! Mantine didn't have to tell Knight 40 what to do next – they all converged on Kajimodo and unleashed their strongest attacks! The devastating combination left Kajimodo with less than half of his final life bar!
The mummy broke free from his stunned state long enough for one last-ditch attack – its coffin swung open to reveal long, ghostly arms! They all stretched out, distorting the air around them as they attempted to grab the players... only to have Morana flick her wrist, summoning a meteor from beneath the ground to tear them away – and blow a hole clean through Kajimodo on its way back!
Just like that, with the simple, yet effective coordination of Knight 40, the fearsome undead had been put to rest for good! Filled with the rush of victory, they began to celebrate amongst each other... only to be silenced when the coffin creaked open one last time... revealing a small, golden fairy creature of sorts. Flakes of gold glinted off of her body as she floated down elegantly, contrasting everything about her surroundings.
"Hear my message, brave guardians. The curse of undeath that permeated these chambers is now cleansed. I shall complete the cleansing ritual, but I cannot disable the barrier protecting the Spectres' Tower. Prove yourselves to Anukus, and break the spell Paris hides behind..."
These few words were all she left Knight 40 with before enveloping the entire chamber in golden light... the blinding flash teleported them all back to the graveyard's entrance! Their HUD indicated that loot had automatically been placed in each of their inventories. Naturally, Rance and Yuuki cheered to their success, with the Harem King offering a round of drinks. Flann managed to sigh out a "Victory, victory...!~" while Orange, as one would guess, had slept peacefully through the entire ordeal.
After distributing the loot, Mantine explained the situation to the four who couldn't participate in the raid, doing his best to outline their next goal.
"Slow down, big homie!" protested Rance. "Anukus? And what's the Spectre's Tower? Fam, you gotta realize... I've been stuck here blackin' myself out for the past few months... 'least, til I met you."
"Paris, the witch everyone's been chasing... even the GF is knocking on her front door. What sucks for them is... the boss holding her barrier up, Anukus, is down here. That light fairy did a fine job opening up the path." he explained further, pointing toward a crumbled hole in the wall. "Pretty strong for such a dainty thing."
"I get it now! This guy must be the 'real dragon' Larell was mouthin' about... but there's one thing I gotta know. Exactly how did you know how to deal with Kajimodo? It was like you fought him before, or somethin'."
Mantine winked at his guildmate. "Gimme a break. It really was almost like I fought him before... in Castle Crashers, after you beat the cyclops boss, he comes back in the final castle, armed with the coffin of the black knight. The way Kajimodo used it as a weapon... bouncing around and all that? It was just too similar! Whoever designed him must've been a fan."
"Oh, yeah!" Morana recalled a memory from her childhood. "My brother and I used to play it, but he'd get mad and break our controllers before we got that far. I'm kinda glad he's not playing this with us!"
"...in any case..." Rance directed their attention to the destroyed wall, "what are we waitin' for! Let's wreck 'im! I bet there's all sorts of women at the end of this road! Who's ready?!"
Yuuki chuckled at Rance's bravado and put one hand on his shoulder, making him gasp. "Calm down a second, Harem King. If I may, Mantine..." she began, nodding at the guild leader.
"Go ahead! It's all good."
"...see the new quest that unlocked on the journal?" she pointed out. "Pay attention to this kind of thing."
Just as Yuuki claimed, everyone in Knight 40 now had the option to accept "A Leg Up!". It was an optional quest, but merely involved talking to the blacksmith NPC and requesting him to make new, powerful leg armor. It was just up above, in Moonlight Shore, so Mantine honored Yuuki's request to go see him. Mantine followed her, while the rest stayed behind to distribute the loot and prepare for their first dragon-slaying mission.
Moonlight Shore Village
Climbing out of the secret entrance, it was only a short walk south to the blacksmith and his shop. A tanned, lanky, yet muscular man with short spiked dark hair hammered away at his next masterpiece. A yellow question mark hovered above his head, indicating he had something to offer, but right next to him was someone that caught Yuuki's eye! She covered her mouth and gasped, doing a double-take as she realized just who this woman was. Overjoyed, the dragonkin bounded toward the enigmatic woman, embracing her with a warm smile.
"Sis! It is... it's really you!"
"Yuuki! Hey, you're not dead! Not sure if I should be more relieved, or surprised." she replied, snickering.
Once Yuuki pulled away, Mantine got a better look at the woman. Unlike her sister, she'd chosen a human class – more specifically, a warlock. This was one of two paths the mage could go down upon reaching level twenty; the opposite of the path Morana had chosen. These players focused largely on offensive magic, commanding the use of the game's strongest spells and laying down damage from afar.
Her hair was a deep shade of purple, tied into pigtails with blunt bangs and a pink hairband. A long, elegant gray robe adorned her slim body, decorated with many baby-blue jewels and a round fur collar. The staff on her back was also forged in a pure-white metal, with a navy blue crystal floating atop it. She flashed a peace-sign at Mantine.
"Hey, you! Did I finally get some takers for this quest, or what? Jeez, I posted this joint several days ago... the last person I thought'd be stepping up to the plate would be my own sister!" she said, putting one hand on her hip. "Oh yeah, they call me Sutahime!"
Her speech pattern was... decidedly contrasting to Yuuki's formal words, and her accent was much milder. Mantine wondered if she'd spent so much time playing online games with Americans, that it eroded away.
Sutahime dashed toward Mantine before he could finish his thought, and got extremely close to examine him thoroughly. "Yuuki, please tell me this isn't the boyfriend you were talkin' about that got us to play this! Surely, y'can do way better than him!"
"No, that's the wrong guy, I-" Yuuki shook her head several times.
Embarrassed, Mantine held up his hands and reaffirmed what Yuuki was saying. "That's not it at all! I've recently found someone, yes, but it's not her. We're, uhh... actually still looking for her boyfriend."
"Aww! My cute little sis is a hero! I can hardly believe it!" Suta chuckled.
Mantine pointed to her and gritted his teeth. "I don't appreciate your commentary on me, lady! I think I like your sister better!"
Suta put one finger on her bottom lip and smiled devilishly. "Oh yeah? And whatcha gonna do about it? Square up if you think you can take me, knight!"
Mantine sighed and conceded. "Ehh... later. You aren't worth my time right now, and I've had enough PvP for one day."
"Excuses, excuses." she teased, crossing her arms. "Well, do you two scrubs have time for my quest, or did you just bring your friend here to admire me, Yuuki?"
"Whaddaya mean, 'your quest'?" demanded Mantine. "I thought only NPCs were quest-givers."
Suta shook her head. "Shows what you know. The ol' blacksmith here is bogged down with all kinds of requests from the GF and what have ya. So I took this one up for him to hone my skills. My sis likes cooking... I like hammering stuff."
Indeed, upon closer inspection, the belt around her robe had a hammer on it. Too small to be a weapon, but the perfect size to fashion one.
"You have discerning tastes, sis." Yuuki said. "It is refreshing to see you again, and so strong even! Do tell us, what would the recipe be for this new armor?"
"Recipe, she says..." Suta rolled her eyes and snatched the armor's blueprints from her sister's hands. She opened her menu interface and studied it carefully. "Hmm... yeah... uh-huh, gonna need at least three of those... do we even have a... nah, that won't do at all... okay! I think we can jerry-rig these pants together!"
Mantine smirked at the mage in gray. "Alright, I'm listening. Tell us what you need, and we always deliver!"
"Quite confident for someone who could die at any second. Have you been drinking? Anyway, this leg armor's made from undead dragon scales." Suta explained. "You're also gonna need some of its horns... and yeah, I've got the rest. I assume you'll know where to find all this?"
Yuuki's expression lit up. "That's wonderful, sis! We just so happened to get on the right track a few minutes ago! Let's go back down; everyone else is probably all ready. This is great! We can get this boss out of the way and score ourselves some new armor!"
The mage smith smiled at the pair. "Splendid. On your bike, then! Don't get yourselves killed; I need your business! Heh heh heh...!" she laughed haughtily as they returned to the graveyard. "Make sure my sis makes it outta there safe, or you won't."
Returning to the graveyard's lobby, Mantine and Yuuki explained the situation regarding Sutahime to the others. Everyone was naturally excited at the prospect of obtaining powerful armor, and even Orange managed to take a break from his slumber to voice his excitement... before promptly dozing back off. As per Mantine's request, the others had optimized their inventories and hotbars, ready as they would ever be for the upcoming boss. The Graveyard still had the four-player limit, so it was up to them to decide who'd be delving in.
Mantine and Chammeng once again snagged the first two openings with no hesitation, and Morana had no qualms stepping in to keep them alive. Creme opted to bow out of this one, for the time being. "It's someone else's time to shine. I haven't the fortitude for two climaxes, you see?"
It quickly came between Rance and Yuuki, the knight and the summoner staring at each other quizzically. "What? You said you had 'next'! Do you not desire a piece of the action?" asked Yuuki, honoring the harem king's earlier words, though clearly dejected.
Rance turned away and blushed. "Yeah, but... Well, it's just that... I know you can do a lot for us, y'know?" he said, digging his heel into the floor. "It's like I said, two knights would be redundant! It'd be a real shame if you missed out on this. I know you don't wanna. You're too easy to read, you know that? 'Sides, you got Mantine's girl to patch you right up if you get in a pinch!"
Yuuki couldn't help but smile at these words. "You talk quite a lot, Rance-Sama. Maybe there is more to you than I fully understand. In any case, count me in! Let's make my sis proud! We can rub this victory in the GF's face too!"
Mantine smiled at the group. "This is why I keep you around! Away we go!"
With that, the four left the safety of the dungeon lobby, this time into the destroyed wall, ready to face whatever was on the other side!
As they were teleported into the catacombs, not a single enemy opposed them this time. Just a long, dark hallway leading to a square chamber not dissimilar to the one they had just fought Kajimodo in. Their genre-savviness let them know roughly what they were in for. At the far end of the room sat a statue depicting a dragon, its smooth claws caressing an orb of crystal. Everything about this picture screamed 'RPG boss to Knight 40.
Steeling himself, Mantine approached the statue and reached out to the orb, knowing it was what he had to do to kick this whole thing off. Just as the group predicted, the statue roared to life in elegant patterns of black and gray and gold! The now-living dragon snatched away the orb and... spoke to them, in very clear English.
"I see. So this is what you seek, travelers. With this orb, you may nullify the barrier around Spectre's tower. A noble goal, to be sure. Very well, then you may have it..."
Mantine reached out to grab the orb, only to have his hand slapped away by the spiked dragon. "...if you can prove that you are worthy of its power! I, Anukus the undead dragon, was sealed away by Paris, suffering the same fate as Elga. Powerful as I may be, I could never best the Fell Witch. If you cannot defeat me, you won't last through the minute with Paris... and so... I must test you! Survive against me and prove to me that you can silence Paris for good!"
"It'll be an honor." said Mantine, readying his blue blade as the other three followed suit with their weapons.
Unfolding his wings and displaying his four health bars, Anukus darted around the arena at a speed never before seen by any player! He struck each of them for devastating damage before they could even see him close in! Realizing that staying still would be the best strategy, they all held fast, charging their skills until just before he passed, relying on distortions within the air to hone in on his position!
Morana focused her magic. "This won't do at all... I was hoping I could use this one sooner or later, anyway!" she said, holding her staff high. "Maximize magic: Stopwatch!"
The spell hit, and the undead dragon's flight slowed to a viscous glide! It didn't last long, but it was enough for Knight 40 to whale on him well past his first health bar! He was one hell of a heavy-hitter, but his defenses left much to be desired!
For his second phase, Anukus called out to the deepest reaches of the tomb, summoning a horde of undead to back him up! They sprung forth from cracks in the floor and walls until the players, now separated throughout the room, could hardly see through the crowd! Morana rained hellfire down on the group closest to her, while Mantine and Chammeng blazed a gleaming trail through flesh and bone! The remaining undead turned their attention to Yuuki!
She clutched her gunstaff tightly...
...only, it wasn't fear that overtook her. She felt her entire body pulse with raw excitement! She couldn't keep this to herself much longer!
She pointed the blue gunstaff at the teeming horde, light gathering at its barrel until it fired a devastating beam of light, tearing through their rotten bodies until but particles of light remained!
Seeing the last of the undead fall, Morana pumped her fist and congratulated the girl. "Nice move!"
The quiet German girl wasn't done yet. She held her gunstaff close and Morana noticed that she was quietly chanting something to herself, drawing in a bounty of energy. Just above the dragonkin's head, a pitch-black portal swirled open. She'd summoned forth something too large to make its presence fully known! A set of ten claws, dripping with blood began to emerge from the portal!
As the unholy creature struggled to pierce the black void, Morana called out to Yuuki! "Hold on a sec, dammit! It might not be such a good idea to use your strongest attack first! Why don't we whittle him down some more before you... don't you wanna think about it?!"
Yuuki's expression was one of pure determination. "No, I don't! Because I want to help you all put an end to this and go home! Now, let me have this moment... before I lose what little sense of reason I have left!"
This was surely a side of Yuuki they hadn't observed yet, and indeed observe was all they could do. Perhaps she really was serious about becoming the top player!
"Mantine... I've got the fire now! Thank you for allowing me this... and so I'll channel all this fire into these sorry souls! I got this idea from you three, so let me try my hand! Ahem! Triple maximize summon: Ichorous Earth!"
The clawed hand lunged out at a blinding speed, revealing an arm bulging with muscle and vein – tearing into Anukus as though the dragon was no more than discarded trash! He roared and writhed in pain as the demonic arm squeezed every last drop of life out of him... but fell short. The spell had expired, and the arm melted into light once more. This brutal blow was hardly in vain, however – it had shredded clean through two of Anukus' life bars! It seemed the undead dragon was on the ropes! Mantine, Chammeng, and Morana couldn't help but look on in amazement.
"Hubris."
In a single motion, the injured Anukus had taken flight again and careened toward Yuuki like a fighter jet, digging his jagged wing straight into her stomach! The other three felt dread wash over them as they turned their attention to the party HUD – Yuuki's health had been reduced to a red, flashing sliver!
Could a single attack from Anukus really be that strong? No, it was something else! Morana was the first to realize what really happened, and dashed toward her fallen ally, preparing a heal spell!
"Yuuki! Did you really have to...! What, you thought we wouldn't realize that crazy summon of yours was cast straight from your health?! Rrgh, you're a headache, you know that?!" Morana was genuinely enraged, stunning Anukus with a meteor long enough to cast a standard heal. "There. Now you'd better get up after all that showing off."
Yuuki's eyes grew weary as her gaze drifted up to her HUD.
- Paralysis lv. 3 will affect your status. -
She looked up at Morana with a crooked smile. "It looks like that won't be happening... Morana. That one took everything I had, and Anukus had one last dirty trick left. Now send that dragon packing, so I can do that again!"
Out of the corner of her eye, Yuuki saw a golden light streak through the air!
"How dare ya treat Ms. Yuuki like that?! I'll have ya for lunch!" Chammeng charged toward Anukus, greatsword held high! Brushing off the debris of Morana's meteor, Anukus held up one wing, deflecting the blow... and paralyzing the golden gladiator as well! Trying in vain to move, he managed to mutter out a "Not cool... I can't go out like this...!"
With Morana on double-duty, healing the defenseless Yuuki and Chammeng as Anukus clawed at their helpless bodies with impunity... it was all down to Mantine to decide the fight! In the very corner of his HUD, he noticed a red sword icon flashing.
What a time for a new sword skill! Hold on... it's only active when half of the player's party is incapacitated.
He read through it as quick as his eyes could follow. Hmm... Lethal hit. Fifty-fifty chance to decide the battle with a single strike. Either way, user takes severe damage. Banned in PvP.
With no other choice, Mantine held his sword high! "First off... Provoke!" he activated the skill, drawing Anukus to him alone. "Eyes over here, you flying lizard! It's now or never! Sword skill... Lethal Hit!"
Reading the move, Anukus barreled toward the Azure Knight... but upon activating the skill, Mantine was just able to match his speed! They met square in the middle of the battlefield, Mantine's sword cleaving into Anukus' chest... as the dragon's vicious claws tore straight into the knight's face!"
They landed on opposite sides of the arena, motionless for a fleeting moment... until a spray of light emitted from Anukus' wound as he split in two! His top half thudded to the floor, the dragon whispering out his final words.
"Well done... brave adventurers... but do not squander this power... use it to fulfill my wish and destroy Paris...!"
He coughed up a final stream of dust before collapsing into shards of light, and leaving behind a generous box of loot for each hero. A warm, red orb embraced them, healing Knight 40 of all their wounds and paralysis. Feeling movement return to them, Chammeng and Yuuki cheered loudly, as Mantine and Morana shot each other warm smiles. Knight 40 nearly felt their hearts drop as the columns of light teleported them out once again, to meet their allies in the dungeon lobby.
Naturally, those who stayed behind were overjoyed that the brave warriors had managed to overcome the odds and slay their first dragon.
"We saw the whole thing!" Rance explained, speaking so quickly that he could hardly breathe between words. "This scrying pool feature in the lobby is nuts! The League streams I watched back home ain't nothin' compared to this action! Even ol' Orange boy over there stayed awake for the show! Dude, you gotta tell me how you did the whole Ninja Gaiden thing at the end there! Bein' the same class as you... it's only natural I learn it sooner or later..." his elation faded momentarily as his voice trailed off, staring at Mantine's visage. "Hey, uhh... what happened to your face, man?"
He leaned Mantine over the scrying pool, its view of the Grave fading away, leaving plain water illuminated by the skull torches. Despite having fully healed, the knight now sported a deep, long scar across his cheek. The water reflected his confused look that flowed into a smile. "Weird, I've never heard of a game doing anything like that before. Points for realism, I guess... oh, yeah! We hit each other at the same time, like you saw, right? I guess his special attack left a permanent impression, then. Guess I'm keepin' it. I was always more of a Yamcha fan anyway.
Morana and Chammeng distributed the loot, while Mantine and Yuuki returned topside to deliver the good news to Sutahime... and claim everyone's reward!
The mage smith was lounging on her anvil, tousling her twintails. Upon catching sight of the duo, she rose from her seat and crossed her arms, laughing heartily. "Well, I'll be damned! My little sis and the blue bomber actually did it! I'll be honest, I had my bets on you biting it, blue. Ahahaha!
"...thanks for the support." asshole. Mantine said, then thought, completing the Eminem lyric.
"Well, what's the holdup?" Suta demanded, mashing the trade button until their HUDs overflowed with requests. "Hand over the dragon bits! You wanted several pair, so lemme work my magic!"
The trade was complete, and Suta drew her blacksmith's hammer with a flourish. "Now, watch and be amazed, mothafuckas!"
Attempting to balance all the materials as she walked a few paces back to the anvil, she fumbled and dropped the whole lot. Quickly gathering them back up, she looked back at Mantine with furious embarrassment. "You didn't see that... now, where was I?!"
With one hand, she cast a spell to superheat the metal and dragon scale, threw it onto her anvil, and began to hammer away with the perfect balance of rhythm, precision, and blazing speed! Fire crackled from her fingers and smoke billowed from her anvil, and when it was all over... several pair of wonderfully sturdy platelegs stood on crude wooden mannequins, ready for distribution. "Ta-da! No extra charge, a 'Thank you oh goddess Sutahime' will suffice."
Mantine and Yuuki nodded at her, clearly impressed. The Azure Knight spoke up. "Alright, you got me there. With that kinda tech skill, you could-"
Suta put her hammer away, and for once, shot the man a warm smile. "Hey, uhh... in all seriousness. Thanks for keepin' my sis alive. She's got a bad habit of wandering off, y'know. Back home, we had to lock the doors every night, and-"
Yuuki was blushing beet-red. "S-sis! I'm right here, you know! Too much!"
"Sorry, Yuuki. I only do this kinda thing 'cuz I care." she said reassuringly.
"Well, hey..." Mantine piped up. "Honestly, Yuuki did most of the work in our battle. She summoned her highest-level demon from the get-go and demolished half that dragon's life! She's not to be taken lightly when she gets competitive."
Suta laughed, holding her chest. "I knew it! My badass sister did all the work while you sat back and watched! Way to get carried!"
Mantine's eyes lit up with white-hot fury. "HEY! I'll have you know I was the one that killed that dragon for good! Watch that mouth of yours, or I might have to show you some respect for the Azure Knight!"
"Ooh, please... spare me." Suta couldn't have laid on the sarcasm thicker.
Mantine put a finger on his chin. "You know... as much as that attitude ruffles my feathers... It's also a great example of what drives me to get better. Sutahime, how 'bout an honorary position with Knight 40, the dankest guild known to man?"
Half expecting her to swat the offer away, Mantine gasped at the sight of her accepting the guild invite. "Not an hour ago, I would've laughed you off the stage, but... you did a fine job provin' your worth to someone like me. You've taken great care of my sister so far, and if she's in the guild, well... I'm naturally obligated to tag along and make sure her and the rest of ya don't get your last game-over. I wanna stick it to that rat bastard Wesley and go home, dammit!"
She reached out to Mantine for a fist-bump, to which he returned the gesture. "You're all right, big blue. I just like breakin' your balls."
"Yeah, well I've got balls of steel!" he retorted with a wide grin.
The three began walking back to meet up with the rest of Knight 40, ready for whatever lay ahead. "Before all this is over, I'll have to test that claim in a real duel." Suta taunted.
A week had passed since the battle with Anukus. Understanding that the Spectral Tower would be on a whole new level, Knight 40 took every possible step to prepare. Despite wanting to clear the game as fast as possible, they knew rushing in now would wear on their mental state and open the door for crucial mistakes. The original four once again took up residence in the Moonlight Shore Inn, with Suta and the Battle Tendency crew staying in Port of the Winds for the time being, seeking out info brokers for anything that could help them further. Some areas past the Spectres' Tower were safe enough to travel through, and Suta had it on good authority that other bosses awaited on the far reaches of the Continent of Wind.
One misty night, the inn's silence was broken when Rance crept out of his bed, finding himself unable to sleep. "Damn... must be this weather, huh? Ain't even tired. Oh... I left about half a glass of that lady's beer out downstairs. Thanks, past Rance! Think I'll go help myself... wonder if it's still fizzy."
Half-stumbling down the stairs, he retrieved the ornate glass, still half-filled as he remembered, and turned his attention to the backdoor. "Mm... maybe the night air'll clear this funk up. I've gotta get back to bed... was havin' this great dream about Yang, too..."
The backdoor lead to an outside dining area, complete with umbrellas and stone tables, with a few benches against the building's wall. Rance kicked back in one of the seats, took in the fresh air, swigged at his beer...
...then, he noticed something that jolted him fully awake. Slumped against the wall on one of the benches, was none other than Yuuki. Eyes half-closed, she gazed at the virtual stars, either unaware or uncaring of Rance's presence.
The harem king raised one eyebrow. "Yuuki? Whatcha doin' up this late?"
"I could ask you the same thing." replied Yuuki with a weak smile.
"Fair enough... want anything to drink? I saved a few extra back inside." he offered.
Yuuki shook her head. "I'll pass. While you're here, though... I was wondering. That 'shared inventory' thing that Mantine and Morana got when they became a couple... it's a cool feature, don't you think?"
Rance shrugged, taking a sip of his beer. "S'okay. Dunno how I feel about a lady ownin' half of my stuff. It might be different in Germany, but here in the 'states, we got some laws about that kinda thing..."
"I see..." she said softly. "...is there any way I could enable that feature with you guys, without entering a couple?"
Rance nodded. "I think it's doable... we're in the same guild, so I think you just gotta enable the feature through the guild menu."
"Thank you." she said, before returning to her stargazing.
About an hour had passed in silence. As Rance finished his drink and was preparing to at least try to get back to bed, he heard light sobbing from the young woman.
"What is it, fam?" he asked, doing his best to sound caring.
"I know everything I did today made me appear to be a wellspring of strength and... but it took so much out of me at the same time. Seeing myself and Mantine so close to the end, and Chammeng made to be defenseless as well..."
Yuuki looked up at him through teary eyes. "Rance... I don't want to die here."
Rance's heart skipped a beat. He struggled to find the right words for a proper response. "Yuuki, I... dammit, I'm no good at these things. I'd wake up Mantine or Morana, but... no, I've gotta do this myself! Look... I joined his guild because I didn't wanna let anyone else die, either! Everyone here values you a lot. Especially that sister of yours, from the looks of it. I won't let a damn thing happen to you, and I know the others feel the same way. I'm the adventurer who seeks the truth, dammit!"
Rance knelt down and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Yuuki remained silent, but smiled a little and wiped away her tears. She got up, and walked toward the door, with Rance not far behind. "Hey... try to get some sleep, wouldja?" he asked, intending to do the same himself.
The two turned in for the night, and the next day greeted them with a new challenge.
"I toldja I had more quests for you, big shot!" Larell was stiffly pointing a finger at Rance and Mantine, who'd left home early to speak with the grave tender. As promised, even slaying a dragon wasn't enough to satiate this strange NPC. "Thanks to the EXP I so generously rewarded ya with for putting those undead back to bed, it looks like nearly the lot of ya are ready for a promotion!"
In Dragon Saga, the next class advancement happened at level 40. Mantine, Rance, Morana, and Sutahime and Chammeng back in Port had all reached this threshold, with Yuuki and the other Battle Tendency crew still falling a bit short. Mantine and Rance had elected to save a few of the Job Advancement Reports for the others as a reward when they kept up. Despite how much Larell drummed up the challenge, the quest itself was child's play compared to Ahtoo and Anukus. It was, if anything, menial busywork, tasking them with the disposal of three minibosses scattered across the continent. At the very least, the places the quest had brought them to were midly nostalgic. First was the giant raven in Wailing Hill, where Mudkips had defeated the last of the ogre tribe many months back. Then, they were lead to Decker Shark Piers, the infamous site of betrayal, to defeat Knightscale, the demon fish. Finally, they returned to the mine where Ahtoo once resided, and finished off the Onyx Leather crocodile.
Returning to Moonlight Shore, Mantine and Rance taunted Larell a bit on how trivial the quest was, and he himself admitted that it was mostly a formality, as toughing it out in the Graveyard was the real test. As promised, the gravekeeper handed out a total of nine Job Advancement Reports, enough for each member of Knight 40.
Larell scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah... you did good, and all that. Now, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you all... class level three, or whatever. Now... go on somewhere before I start to actually respect ya."
The two boys were pleasantly surprised to see Morana, Chammeng, and Sutahime all waiting just outside the gate for their lovely reward.
Chammeng, bursting with excitement, was the first to nab his. "Myrmidon, it's called? I'll be doin' the flips like Lon'qu before you know it!"
Morana activated hers next. "I can finally wear the new robes you gave me, Mantine!" she said, referring to the romantic gift he'd hid away from her last week. Upon equipping it, she noted the flowy design and tall, round hat. "...and I look like a squid. Bloop." she said flatly, before scrolling through her new skill menu and distributing her points.
"Hand it over, big boy." Suta extended her hand at Rance. "I'm about to make some magic!"
Rance could swear he felt his armor tighten at the sight of Yuuki's sister. Alright, so the younger one was taken... but the real treasure's lookin' me in the eye! Plus-one for the Harem King!
"You don't have to tell me twice. You're a regular Sill Plain!" he said, accepting the trade.
Suta put a hand on her hip. "You callin' me boring, boy? Cuz I'll..." she said, clearly not getting the reference.
"Aww, come on! It was a compliment! How about a date after we get back to the real world? I'll show ya the whole Rance series in one night!"
Suta blushed a little, and shot him a smirk. "Try a little harder, eh?" she fumbled with the job change scroll a bit before consuming it, taking on her next class.
Mantine gave Rance a knowing look. "It's just us then, fam? Let's do it at the same time! Three... two... one... Master Seal!"
The two knights consumed the scrolls in sync, and as the sparkling light faded, they had become paladins! Both of them spent a few minutes browsing their new skill tree, elated at the new team buff options they'd opened themselves up to. Defense buffs... status healing... time stop?!
Rance stared at the last one in awe. "ZA WARUDO?!"
"Sure looks that way!" Mantine said, smiling back at him. "We'll stand proud after we learn these."
Rance's face twisted into an absolutely devious grin, his rows of sharp teeth piercing Mantine's soul. "Hey, we gotta hash somethin' out... since you finally advanced to the next class, well... you ain't exactly a knight now."
"Well, yes, but... where are you goin' with this, fam? I'm scared." Mantine's eyes widened.
"Where I'm goin, is that you can't really be called the Azure Knight anymore!" he schemed. "Nah, we need a new title for our fearless leader... You're still blue, but... I've got it! From this day forward, the Azure Knight is now... the Periwinkle Paladin!"
Mantine grimaced at the suggestion, holding up his finger. "Eh, Rance, I'm not so sure about-"
"It's too late!" Rance bellowed, pleased with himself. He produced an item from his bag – a Reinforced Megaphone! This would broadcast any spoken message across the entire game! "Listen up, you mongoloids! This is your Super King Rance speaking! We of Knight 40 are here to free your sorry souls, and the name of the man who'll bring us to salvation... is the Periwinkle Paladin! Sing his praises, or else!"
Mantine was as flustered as ever, and the others couldn't help but have a laugh at his expense, repeating the name Rance had just christened his friend with.
The paladin's cringe forcefully twisted into a determined smile as he silenced the group. "You'd better believe it! I'm gonna be the best damn Periwinkle Paladin you ever laid eyes upon! Just who the hell do you think I am!" he shouted, striking his finger skyward.
Morana smiled at him sweetly. "You're Mantine. The badass leader of Knight 40, after all."
"Yeah, well..." he shot her back the same look. "That body gives me the chills every time I look at it!"
As the two shared a warm embrace, Rance sighed with contentment. "We haven't all felt this good in quite some time... Maybe things'll work out after all. I'll help everyone trapped in this game, then the whole country! Wait for me, everyone..." ~