Chapter 10 – The Stars in Her Heart
Author's notes: Like I mentioned in the Chapter 9 ANs, this one gives off a similar feel to SAO2's "Caliber" arc, where the main cast gets to conquer a dungeon with no extra fluff. Since we're still in the Aincrad equivalent here, the stakes are they same as they were, and it's a fun opportunity to link Crete's character to her original purpose in Dragon Saga. With that said, let's pick up where we left off and see what Rance was in such a rush about!
[[Mantine – Paladin (Lvl. 60)]]
"I'm tellin' you, Mantine! It just showed up right in the middle of Tort's 101st lap! It didn't hurt anybody, though... still! What could cause such a scene in front of me, Rance the Harem King?!" he asked Mantine upon his return, thoroughly confused.
The paladin tilted his head. "No idea. We've had quite the day as it is, but this is the perfect excuse to reunite us, the way I see it. Give me the briefing, Harem King. I'll be happy to catch you up on everything that went down while we were away."
Mantine and Morana gave Rance the rundown on their fateful encounter with Crete, and the journey through Odelia's bonus dungeon with Chocolate and Jin. The blue knight lamented that he hadn't had the chance to confront Saffron over his transgressions. In turn, Rance regaled them with the tale of his amazingly effective training, readying Knight 40 for anything that was to come.
"W-whoa! Was she hawt?!" Rance demanded an answer regarding Crete.
Mantine tilted his head again. "Can't say. I have eyes for only Morana, after all." he said with a blush, prompting her to smile lightly.
Rance scoffed. "Yeah, her and your... 20 some-odd waifus! I actually lost count..."
"Like you're one to talk!" Mantine said through gritted teeth!
"I should know better than to trust your judgment, Mantine! I'm the only one here with an eye for the... H." Rance said, his eye sparkling. "Anyways, like I was saying... this meteor here..." he said, gesturing over to the crash site on the left end of Port center, "it has a portal, plain as day! It's almost begging us to go inside!"
Remembering Crete's words, Mantine decided to take Rance up on his offer. "I assume the other three are done with their rigorous Marine training, then?" he asked. "We'll need to be in top form to check out this.. otherworldly anomaly."
"I was beginning to think you'd never ask, fam! Ahem! Knight 40, fall in!" Rance commanded into the Guild's voice channel. Seconds later, Sutahime, Chammeng, and TortoiseShell appeared before the Harem King in a straight line, flashing a salute.
"Sir, yes sir!", answered the three players.
"I'll admit..." Suta said, putting her hands on her hips, "the kid knew exactly how to get us all in shape. You thought my aim was good before?" she then asked, before switching her voice into a Jason Griffith impersonation, "You should see me shoot an ant between the eyes!"
Tort stretched his legs. "I can probably outpace the lot of you now, mike! Once I got that blasted shell... off of my back, I felt like a leaf on the wind! Lifting this rock is nothing!"
Mantine crossed his arms and nodded in approval. "I'll be damned. You used ideas based on real USMC training regimes. The shell was a stand-in for those backpacks they wear. You really know your stuff, Rance."
He scratched the back of his head, realizing he'd coincidentally been accurate in his methods. "Y-yeah, that's, uhh, that was totally the idea!"
"What about you, Chammeng?" Mantine asked, turning toward his gold-armored friend.
The man looked away. "I, uhh... look, I really don't want to talk about our, er, sessions. He helped me get stronger and that's that. Now I'll be happy to assist everyone in the awesome meteor dungeon, if we can just get to that instead!"
Rance sighed. "I might've gone a little overboard on the guy, but it'll pay off, you'll see! He's got the right idea, though... so in we go!"
All six players stepped toward the fallen meteorite, and in an instant, they found themselves somewhere completely new!
Chamber of the Zodiac
Against a serene backdrop of violet, azure, and pitch-black lit up with endless stars, Knight 40 gazed at a beautiful new safezone lobby. Mantine looked up at a familiar formation in the sky and began to ask "Hey, is that..." before the booming voice of a woman silenced him and demanded the guild's attention!
"Finally here, are you, bro and sis-, no... no need for that facade anymore, forgive me. Mantine and Morana... as well as the green knight and his allies. Lend me your ears, and I shall reveal the way forward."
"...Crete?"
Indeed, in the stone circle in the middle of the lobby, a towering, transparent figure manifested itself before Knight 40 – its form was none other than Crete... or at least, something resembling the AI woman that had perished not long ago.
"Indeed." she said, nodding and bowing toward Knight 40.
Mantine tilted his head in confusion. "You're... alive? Or, uhh..."
Crete shook her head. "Not entirely. I cannot return to my intended purpose, as my consciousness is sealed here after I deleted Khoumari."
"WHOA!" Rance exclaimed, jumping for joy and bursting with red heart emotes. "I asked you if she was hot, not jaw-droppingly gorgeous! Ms. Crete, my name's Rance Super King! Forgive me if I'm moving too fast, but I think we could lead a fine harem together! Though, with you bein' like 20 feet tall... I don't know how the, er, good part would work itself out... I'll think of something!"
"My, my! The green knight is full of zeal, isn't he?" Crete said with a laugh, smiling and winking back at Rance.
"Dial it back there, big guy. Wouldn't want to stun her with your gentlemanly words, now would ya?" Suta taunted, pulling at his arm.
Morana put her finger on her chin. "Don't worry, Rance. She isn't actually this big... or at least, she wasn't when we met her...? What's the deal with your new form, anyway?"
"This is merely a manifestation of my core consciousness. Using the light reflected from the stars in this chamber, I can create an approximation of what I looked like." she explained.
Tort tapped his foot impatiently. "Okay, well... this place is pretty and all, but... why bring us here, mike? We've got some serious work piled on us to... well, to save this game!"
Crete nodded and smiled warmly. "Actually, I thought of this as an opportunity to help each other. Take a seat, and allow me to elucidate you, brave Knight 40."
She conjured chairs made of light next to all six players, and they took their respective seats, finding them warm and comfortable. "Since Mantine and Morana have already told you who I am, I shall spare those details. This is the Galaxia Dungeon. Or, more accurately, dungeons. These were set to be the beginning of the first major expansion to Dragon Saga Online. I managed to call forth the finished portion for use in helping myself as well as you. The ends of each Galaxia dungeon hide away the shards of my core consciousness; backup data, if you will. If you can retrieve them for me, I can be made whole again and fulfill my original purpose."
"Hmm, and how'll this help us?! Remember, you lied to Mantine and Morana once before. They gave you a pass, but I need to know you're genuine." Chammeng told her, trying not to sound overly hostile.
"You wish to get stronger by clearing the Continent of Chaos, but the other guild fighting on the front lines has likely made quite a bit of headway there, have they not? I have made these dungeons available as a means for the six of you to catch up to their power. Each one is leveled similarly to what you'd find on Chaos, and you have the first shot at all of them. If that reward does not suffice you, I shall grant each of you an additional reward if you can clear them."
"Hear that, mike? Mod privileges!" Tort spoke up, excited.
Suta laughed. "Here I thought the holidays were over, and Santa comes a few days late. Just to warn you, we've been naughty."
"Gah, go and twist my arm, why don'tcha! Now I feel bad for calling you out! Maybe you ain't so bad!" Chammeng said, going for a fist-bump before realizing she was a twenty-foot hologram.
"If that's the case, Knight 40 would be happy to accept!" Mantine shouted.
[[Accepted quest – Rescue in the Stars!]]
Twelve portals opened up behind Crete. "As you can see, there is one dungeon for each Zodiac sign. You may clear them in any order you wish. You will find them shorter than the average dungeon, but filled with surprises along the way. There is nothing more I can tell you, so I wish each of you the best of luck. Make me whole again." she said as her giant apparition faded into light.
"Sweet! Dibs on my sign!" Rance yelled with enthusiasm!
Knight 40 held a quick strategy meeting to discuss the best way to approach the twelve dungeons without wasting too much time. "I 'spose it goes without sayin' that you two should go together, seein' as to how it was us that interrupted your honeymoon." Rance said, pointing at Mantine and Morana. The group had decided to split into teams of two, and take on four dungeons each.
"No arguments there." Morana agreed, staring at one of the portals. "Mantine, let's take on Cancer! That's my sign, and a crab boss sounds nice and tough!"
Mantine smiled, pointing at one of the others. "...and Virgo!"
"Wait, you're a September birthday? Why didn't you tell anyone, we could've celebrated!" Morana was visibly confused.
Mantine shrugged. "Mhm. Guess I'm eighteen now. I can gamble just like Kaiji... sorry I never said anything. I wasn't in the greatest spirits back in the Fall, and we were so busy clearing bosses... I..."
Chammeng burst into laughter! "Ahahahaha! Leave it to you to forget your own birthday!"
Suta shot Morana a knowing look. "Careful, you lucky lady. He's legal now..."
"Sutahime! I was actually going to suggest we pair up, y'know, for strategic advantage." Rance asked, beaming at the twintail haired woman.
She pointed at him with a finger-gun. "You're on. Only because sis liked ya, that is. Show me what you've got, Harem King."
"Guess that leaves us two, eh mike?" Tort said, offering Chammeng a handshake.
The golden gladiator met it firmly. "We bonded well during Rance's training... and I really, really did not wanna pair with him for this. Let's make it a fun one, then!"
Tort threw off his shell, the ground beneath him quaking as it impacted into shards of light and returned to his inventory. He cracked his back and stretched. "Whoa! I feel lighter than the cast of Love-Live! Hey, uhhh... Chammeng."
He raised an eyebrow. "Huh? I'm all ears."
"I know I didn't have anything directly to do with it, but... I'm sorry about your friends. As a former GF member, I can't help but feel that weight. I know how you must feel, and I couldn't ever replace them, but I... we all wanna be your friends too, mike! Nothin' less!" Tort said, smiling.
"All in the past, friend." Chammeng smacked his fist into his palm. "...In that case... what are we waiting for?! Let's bring our new goddess Crete back and shoot way ahead of those GF goons!"
"I like your spirit, Chammeng." Mantine said. "If anything bad happens, don't hesitate to call up Chocolate and Jin. They told me they'd help out if anything went south."
Rance shook his head. "...and I 'preciate your concern, but after the training I put these three through, we won't be needing any help. Oorah!"
Everyone opened their interfaces and tapped a few panels in the party menu.
"Bungee gu-..!" Morana exclaimed before Mantine cut her off.
"Not this time. Remember what you said? Besides, I'm leader this time!" he said with a chuckle.
[[Players -MANTINE- and -MORANA- formed party "Cima Fleet"]]
"Double-o-eighty-three, baby." Mantine said, smiling at Morana.
[[Players -RANCE- and -SUTAHIME- formed party "Blue Lions"]]
Suta shot Rance a look of mild surprise. "What?" he asked unassumingly. "I have plenty of waifus outside of the Rance series. I happen to love Ingrid! Oh, and Mercedes, and Annette... hell, I'd go gay for Dimitri! Don't tell anyone I said that!"
[[Players -TORTOISESHELL- and -CHAMMENG- formed party "Golden Scale"]]
"It just sounded cool." said Tort plainly.
Mantine nodded. "That it does. Keep in touch through Guild chat, everyone. Worse comes to worse, we can crystal out and try again. Good luck, fellas."
The three parties each entered a dungeon, disappearing in marvelous flashes of light! Crete looked on at them as they departed, praying for their safety...
Mantine and Morana had arrived inside the Virgo dungeon, which manifested itself as a sprawling hellscape of deep lava pits and jagged metal structures off in the distance. Careful jumps on the floating obsidian platforms were required to stay alive! Morana cast a 'slow descent' spell on herself and Mantine to make platforming a little more manageable, but it wasn't long before the couple found themselves assailed by the emissaries of the stars themselves; stronger versions of enemies they'd faced in their previous travels, adorned in a regalia of twinkling galaxy skins!
The two lovers fought in perfect sync, never losing momentum as they sliced and shot their way through the familiar foes as they rocketed toward the end of the dungeon! Starry wolves, sparkly sharks, twinkling zombies, and deep purple moles all fell before their prowess! "Look, Mantine! We both got level 61 out of nowhere!"
"Intriguing... Even with all those monsters we took down, it shouldn't have been that fast. Wait, I get it! The other four are clearing their dungeons out just as fast as us! We all get a share of the XP as a guild. Crete really went above and beyond to help us out!" Mantine exclaimed, realizing what was going on.
The couple continued to barrel through Virgo until they reached the end! The first stage involved fending off increasing waves of enemies while they defended Persephone as she hung above a precarious pit of lava! "Come to think of it... I could go for some pomegranate seeds..." Morana mused, decimating the final wave.
Then came the first boss, a showdown with Hades himself! His attacks involved shooting alternating volleys of flames and lasers that could hit both players at once! Raw offense wouldn't win here; Mantine and Morana had to keep their evasion in sync as well, jumping to avoid his crowd control and striking the head during each precious opening! Mantine lamented that he was nothing like the Hades from Kid Icarus, while Morana made the appropriate Disney references.
They wasted no time rushing to their next agreed destination – the Cancer dungeon! The enemies here were once again an assortment of previous denizens of DSO with a space theme, set against a breathtaking beach where the water appeared a glistening spatial tide that drank in the sands! The sweet memories it brought Mantine of the last few Gurren Lagann episodes fired him up enough to blitz through the dungeon with the love of his life! The dungeon's tricky platforming owed to its creative design; the platforms themselves were arranged just like the stars that formed the real constellations!
Before they knew it, they'd arrived at the beachhead and come face to face with the area boss – a colossal crab by the name of Kyrab! In sheer size, it was the largest boss they'd faced thus far! Most of its body was made up of the same galaxy pattern as the enemies here, with the exception of its legs, claws, and spikes, which were all drenched in scarlet blood! Morana buffed her staff, unfazed by the size of the cosmic crustacean! "Look, Mantine! It's got my colors." she said sweetly. "Wanna help me crack it open?"
"Here I was hoping he might help us find our way around the beach... There might be gold inside him if we can peck those eyes out!" Mantine said, smiling back at her as he cast a defensive aura.
"Do whatever you have to. Let's cook up what's left of him after we get back home. I wanna live rich for once, dammit!" she said, charging the boss with a volley of fireballs! Mantine dashed ahead of her and laid down a solid offense of slashes and stabs! Despite their confidence, Kyrab was no pushover! It was fast for its size, and in addition to attempting to crush the couple with its mighty claws, every step from its long legs produced a powerful shockwave that would knock Mantine and Morana off of their feet! It took a perfectly timed jump to evade each one! Even falling back to heal was a risky venture, since Kyrab would fire deadly heat beams from its claws, following up with jets of boiling water from its mouth! With carefully timed attacks, the two players were able to wear Kyrab down by breaking segments of its shell and severing its limbs! They took several hard hits during the struggle, but Morana's healing and Mantine's buffs kept them alive long enough to crack the crab wide open!
Upon the boss' defeat, a whirlpool formed over the water's surface, revealing one final room. The water continued to drain as though someone had pulled the plug in a giant bathtub. The room itself was a cavern, still dripping with salt water from moments ago, and housed but two objects: a pair of eggs the size of volleyballs. The couple took a closer look, but the strange eggs were automatically added to their inventory with little fanfare. The inventory screen gave very little information on them, only labeling them as "Egg" with a blank description. Morana appeared perplexed, but curious. "Hey, Mantine... think if we walk around enough with these, they'll hatch?"
"Somethin' tells me these didn't come from a day care." he quipped back, as they were teleported outward.
Aside from the eggs, they had managed to collect two unidentifiable items from the boss loot, likely the data Crete needed to restore herself! Knowing time was of the essence, they sped off to the other two dungeons they'd chosen, Pisces and Scorpio! Predictably, they found themselves facing off against a giant razor-scaled fish, and a poisonous scorpion that used the very walls around it to armor itself! It had taken every skill under their belt, but Mantine and Morana had done their part, and returned to the Zodiac lobby... to find the rest of their guild already waiting for them!
"Hah! Dead last! You two owe me 1000G!" Suta teased relentlessly, motioning at Chammeng and Tort.
Mantine crossed his arms and laughed. "Glad to know someone had faith in us."
"You guys just took the easy ones, that's all!" Morana retorted, puffing her cheeks a bit.
Rance stretched and put his hands behind his head. "My sign wasn't a cakewalk by any means... Libra had this awful platforming challenge where me and Suta had to balance the scales to get up to the boss door. I got Sonic '06 nightmares! Man, Gemini though... if those twins weren't the boss we had to kill... I woulda totally picked them both up! My own personal Rem and Ram."
Chammeng laid on his back, exhausted to the core. "Easy ones, my ass. Tort and I really got the bullshit end of the stick... Aquarius had this lame, pointless tower defense minigame that came out of nowhere! We spent most of our time just stuck on that! We breezed through our first three, but if we only knew..."
"How was I supposed to know that the trick was building like, two ice turrets near the enemy spawn?!" Tort shared his party-mate's pain. "It goes against everything those games taught me. I'm never doing that again.."
Mantine clapped, laughing heartily at his guildmates. "Fantastic job, Knight 40. I'm proud to fight alongside players of your caliber. The experience we earned here should no doubt get us where we need to be to advance to the third and final class change. Those new skill trees are going to give us the advantage we need to clear this game once and for all. You all surpassed my expectations, and so... at ease, men."
"Let me do it, Mantine!" Rance urged his friend, opening the guild vault menu. "We've got all twelve pieces now, so I'll deliver them to Lady Crete."
"Turn it in, harem king." Suta said with a smirk, giving him her piece. Everyone else traded him until he had them all, and he took a deep breath before marching toward the center of the lobby.
"Ahem! Crete, you lovely thing, you awake in there?! I've got all the stuff you asked!" He said, tapping his foot on the stained glass floor.
Her holographic form sparkled to life and towered over Rance as she gave a yawning stretch. "What news do you bring me, knight in green?"
"Oh, nothing but the best, babe! My steadfast men and I have honored your request, and brought back all twelve pieces of your missing soul!" Rance proudly displayed the gem-like fragments in his palm. "Accept them, so I can get some of that... affection, that is!"
Rance held his hands out, and twelve blue crystals floated upward into the image of Crete, merging with her in a flash of light! Just like that, her translucent appearance became opaque, and she returned to her normal size! She smiled and bowed toward Knight 40. "Thank you."
"No thanks needed, sweetheart! Now, bring it in so I can get you know you on a closer-" he attempted to hug Crete, only for his hands to pass right through! "Whoa!", he exclaimed, stumbling to the floor.
Crete shook her head. "Were it so easy. This data is useful, but insufficient to make me whole again. As it stands, I am but a ghost to walk the path... and so, I shall open that path to you." she clapped her hands, and the twelve portals closed... bringing forth a new one, lighting up the chamber where Crete stood moments ago! The stars above formed the vague shape of a man grasping a serpent.
"Ophiuchus!" Morana identified the constellation correctly.
Chammeng pointed at the formation. "Often considered the thirteenth Zodiac sign... depending on what you believe."
Mantine crossed his arms. "Look who's been brushing up on their astrology."
"Indeed" Crete nodded. This is the final Zodiac dungeon. I have lifted the party restrictions, so the six of you may enter at once... and if the burden is not too great, I wish to accompany you as well."
Rance's face lit up, his eyes momentarily becoming stars as he activated an emote. "I'd be honored, Crete!" He tried to kiss her hand before remembering she wasn't complete yet.
Morana shot the blue-haired AI a sly grin. "Just don't go upstaging us like you did last time. We've got a reputation to uphold."
Crete mirrored her grin. "I shall make no promises.", she said, before teleporting all of Knight 40 into the thirteenth and final Zodiac dungeon.
Though keeping with the whole 'stars and galaxy' theme, this new location appeared slightly more grounded in reality. The group found themselves evidently inside a proper building this time. The stars adorning the wallpaper glimmered and occasionally moved around. The place was even furnished with tables, chairs, cabinets and the like, as well as paintings of previous bosses hanging on the walls.
"This place is 'bout as ritzy as our guild hall. How much is the stay a night?" Chammeng asked rhetorically, his voice echoing down the hallways.
…and yet, that's all it seemed to be – one big hallway. There were no twists or turns, secret doors to open, hidden staircases... not even any enemies. Tort was sure to call this out to everyone. "What is this, mike?! Some lame, pretentious indie game? I didn't sign up for a walking simulator..."
"Whatever it is, let's just get this over with so I can get my class advancement already. I don't just wanna be ahead of those GF simps, I wanna tower over 'em." Suta remarked.
"Patience, all of you. Let's proceed and obtain my physical form." chided Crete, leading the group further down the long, seemingly endless corridor. Several rooms down, there was a large, metal cage containing a rather tall human male. He had plain white clothing on, and ivory hair to match. Despite looking normal, he appeared unresponsive, even when the group got close and tapped on the bars in an attempt to wake him. They were perplexed, needless to say.
Crete shook her head and sighed. "Ah, there he is again, my poor husband. Good grief and alas, this place got the better of him." she said in an unusually casual tone.
Predictably, this made Rance perk up. "H-h-husband?! See if I'd-a known that, I wouldn't... I mean, maybe I might've... you never told me!"
Crete nonchalantly flipped her hair. "You never asked. Truthfully, I was hoping I could get your assistance in bringing him back. Either way you look at it, we're in too deep for it to matter now. Besides, I hear the old snake making his rounds..." Indeed, it appeared Crete had put up another ruse. It was no surprise such an advanced AI was capable of this, but after the last time, Knight 40 had begun to wonder if she could really be trusted. Not that they'd have much time to think about that...
As the group reached a dead end to the hallway, the floor began to rumble beneath them. Startling as it was, the group had been around the block enough to know what it meant – boss time. Chunks of the floor crumbled from below, dropping the cage into the abyss below. The walls around them fell away as well, revealing the endless expanse of space, much more in line with the levels they'd completed to get here. The opulent tiles of floor beneath them shattered, revealing, one by one, a trio of serpentine heads that towered over the part of adventurers!
[[Star-Devouring Triad]]
[[Hydra – Lv. 66]]
Unlike the previous bosses, this one wasted no time with an introduction, each draconian head charging up an energy-based attack! The middle head would cast a laser beam that burned the ground beneath it! The leftmost belched poison, leaving temporary pools on the floor to afflict each player, and the one on the right spewed crystals of ice, hoping to freeze them in place!
Deeming the poisonous head the most dangerous, Chammeng turned to Tort and Rance, nodding. "Whaddaya say we throw our weight around, then?" he said, casting a speed buff. The three leapt forward unimpeded, using their heavy armor to throw the first head off-balance! They each drew their blades, hacking away relentlessly as its health bar chipped away!
"Truly, I'm ashamed that's the way you represent such an intricate element as ice. Quit your tantrum and fall down this instant!" Mantine activated his icy blade as Morana and Sutahime cast powerful binding spells on the seemingly endless neck of the next head. With all six warriors giving it their best, the health bars were decimated in no time at all!
Unfortunately, keeping in line with the lore of the real hydra, simply dispatching one head was not enough, its health bar would begin to refill as long as even one was left alive. The battle would go on for an eternity, were it not for what happened next!
"Goodness, Knight 40. I've seen enough. If you've something to prove, you've done it, and then some. You're more than fit to liberate us, and so I'll put an end to the formalities. You're still young, and your life clocks are a precious thing." Crete said in a mildly annoyed tone. In a blinding flash of light, her body grew to its towering proportions it had been back in the meteor's lobby. The other two heads having regained consciousness, all three turned their attention toward the giant Crete, but their efforts were futile; each attack glancing harmlessly off. In its vicious tantrum, the Hydra had flung off its attackers. Everything was happening so fast, they could hardly process it! They could only watch in awe at what the strange AI would do next.
"Apologies, sis. I could not keep my promise about upstaging you." With only one hand, she wrangled the three-headed serpent, snatching up the snakes' necks one by one, and snapped each without second thought. The sickly, disturbingly realistic crack of bones echoed throughout the chamber as the beast fell limp, sinking into the ocean of stars it surrounded itself with. Crete merely sighed as the victory screen displayed. "He always did make things difficult... and not one sign of respect, even before these talented fighters. Such a fascinating game..."
With that, the heroes gathered around Crete, only to have the last chunk of stable floor beneath them break off, sending them slowly downward. Below was a familiar sight – the safezone they'd entered through! All they had to do was survive the fall now! As the strange world around them began to collapse, the Hydra's body left behind one last fragment that drifted just out of reach! Thinking quickly, Sutahime pointed her staff at the object! "Maximize magic: Telekenetic Grab!" she shouted, retrieving the glowing fragment and giving it to Crete.
Chammeng pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't seem to get a bead on this Crete gal for the life of me! She's unreadable!"
Rance put his hand on the golden gladiator's shoulder. "...and that's exactly why she's my dream come true, fam!"
"What a trip, mike! I feel like we're gonna fall for hours at this rate!" Tort observed as the velocity of the platform they took refuge on increased. The party began to feel as though they were on one of those daredevil carnival rides!
Morana sighed, hesitant to cast her next spell. "Yeah, yeah... do you want me to say it? Fine! Good thing I had a... magic balloon. What'd I tell you about upstaging me again, you tart? Sigh... Maximize magic, Squishy Sun Drop." rolling her eyes, she'd encase the group in a bouncy bubble, allowing them a safe descent before it popped.
They found themselves back in the main Zodiac lobby, with all of their spoils in tow. Mantine crossed his arms in satisfaction. "Morana, it's almost like you could've.-"
"Shut it." the redhead mage was quick to cut him off, gritting her teeth.
Drained of power, Crete returned to her normal human size. Naturally, each of the players rushed to her side, hoping she wasn't destined to fade away again. Luckily, the final fragment Suta had nabbed was able to revitalize her – she was at last tangible as she had been when Mantine and Morana first met her in the woods! "Y'did good helping us, lady. Now, on your feet, solider! You've got some explainin' to do!" the purple haired warlock demanded.
Crete chuckled, covering her mouth. "You fellows are a bit dense, you know that? I treasure your deeds to help me... but it was admittedly fun winding you up. However, now that I'm complete as I'll ever be, it's my turn to fulfill my end of the bargain. Normally, I'd deem the experience you got to be enough of a reward, but... when I make a promise, I keep it. Now... it appears the limits of my... 'mod powers' restrict me to three requests." she explained.
Chammeng raised an eyebrow. "A regular genie. At least gimme a lamp or two... Alright, fearless leader, you get the first pick.
Mantine silently nodded, and approached Crete closely, whispering in to her ear out of earshot of the others. The blue-haired AI nodded, granting his mysterious request. "Very well, but such a thing can only be used once. Even I have my limits. Think carefully."
Suta lightly elbowed Rance. "Didn't you have somethin' In mind, big guy?" she asked with a sly smile.
The green knight nodded, approaching Crete. "It's a little outta left field, but... it's a modification for my sword. You see, it's..." Rance began a tangent, doing his best to describe 'Chaos', the signature sentient blade from the actual Rance series, insisting that ownership of something like it could turn the tide in decisive battles. He passionately described its shape and how much inspiration he took from the original Rance. "Something like it? It doesn't have to be perfect, but you catch my drift!"
Crete smiled warmly and nodded. "I cannot promise it will live up to your exact expectations, but I will implant a small fraction of my own AI into this blade to give it something close to your desire. Of course, you'll have to complete the third class advancement to claim it. I know it won't be a hassle for you... harem king." she said with a knowing wink.
Rance blushed hard and gritted his teeth, looking as though he were just dying to say something. Mantine gave him a pat on the back and a thumbs-up, reading him like an open book. "Say what you have to say, my friend. The rest of us don't need anything else, so speak fair and think what you like."
The Harem King's face went from a light blush to beet red as all the feelings that had welled up inside him burst to the surface. He took a deep breath and shouted to Crete, "Yeah, this might come off as a little selfish, especially seeing as how ya helped us so much and all that you gave us, and I normally don't do this kinda thing, I swear, and I know you said you had a husband or whatever, but, like, you're a clone of the brain of somebody in the real world or something, I dunno how all this AI stuff works but I think you're too perfect to just pass up like this and, I guess what I'm saying is, can I have your number?!" he gasped out all in one exasperated breath.
Wordlessly, Crete would giggle and appear to blow a kiss to Rance, sending a trail of sparkling lights into him that... did something. Not that he would say what, but it certainly filled him with immense joy that night. He adamantly refused to divulge what the gesture meant, despite the prying from his guildmates when they returned to their hall.
For Crete, the slow healing process had begun – she would remain in the Zodiac chamber, returning to her original purpose to monitor the mental state of the remaining players in Dragon Saga Online. The meteor disappeared, its portal closing indefinitely. For the time being, no more players would be allowed access to the Zodiac dungeons.
With much to digest and reflect on, Knight 40 had earned themselves some rest, though it would be fleeting. Now several levels ahead of the requirement, they would head out to take on the third and final class advancement quest together. This journey would lead them far from home, within the desolate reaches of the Continent of Chaos. Thanks to their chance encounter with the wayward AI Crete, they'd been granted the power the would need to make the final steps to liberate everyone who'd lived on this long, and see this nightmare through to the end. ~