Hello everybody~
I've been trying to improve the quality of my writing lately, so I hope that shows. Speaking of the raising my quality of writing, Hayasaka Shion-san is now beta-ing this story (from the last chapter onward)~ :D
Btw, if anyone happened to read the last chapter when it was first uploaded and didn't see the author's notes, they are there now~
The page breaks are going crazy for some reason .
Disclaimer: Disclaimed.
Chapter 13: Progress & Meeting
Kuroko Tetsuya stood his ground, staff poised and breath ragged.
Fighting off an endlessly streaming horde of monsters for the time he'd been here–around twenty minutes–was taking a toll on him, quickly collapsing his resistance and will without an end in sight.
There was time for neither rest nor peace when there was a seemingly infinite amount of ferocious beasts programmed only to bite, maim, or literally destroy him. They weren't too fast or strong, but their numbers were practically abysmal.
Just a few short paces away, his guild leader seemed to have little difficulty dealing with this. Even if they weren't attacking all at once, you'd think by now anyone would be exhausted by having to dodge and attack without missing a beat, especially with the mental strain of having to cast spells with teeth and claws practically shoved down your throat.
But of course, this might just be for people who had never met Akashi Seijuurou. The only sign that he was fatigued if only by an infinitesimal amount was the few beads of sweat dripping down his face.
In comparison, Kuroko felt like a bath towel.
In case no one understands what I mean, a very much drenched bath towel.
The two magic users had found a somewhat steady rhythm of attacking, dodging, the Cleric buffing and healing whenever he was covered by Akashi, giving him just a second to breathe before being thrown back into the frenzy by the arrival of new, un-charred monsters. Of course, this had taken a while; in the beginning the younger man had messed up several times by stumbling or missing his targets, leading to the other having to save him.
In retrospect though, the Cleric supposed he was doing quite well. He was making extremely good progress with the leveling–he didn't have the time to input his stat points like he was told, but he was surviving and getting good experience.
With all the other times he trained, he had to actively seek out monsters to kill since they never re-spawned this quickly, and there was also the obvious fact that there were just an insane amount of players in almost every good monster map.
But now, after all the running and dodging and casting, Kuroko felt nauseous right down to hit gut; He was sure if he weren't in a game he'd be spending a lot of time next to a porcelain throne. The Cleric was starting to become very acquainted with the meaning of "vertigo". Besides this, his vision was starting to blur every few moments, and his legs were starting to become numb from all the strenuous activity he was experiencing.
Why do I even bother to go jogging?
By now, both men could tell the bluenette was at his absolute limit before collapse.
The red-haired man quickly chanted out the words to an AOE he knew would be strong enough to kill the majority of monsters in the vicinity but not quite lengthy enough for Kuroko to be killed.
In the time that it took for the next set of monsters to start crawling–or running, flying, or swimming–their way, he had already finished his fastest dimensional travel spell, sending both of them to the nearest area where they'd be safe from any immediate harm.
From then, he could safely cast a spell that could send the two to the nearest town, which was Arsajia.
Kuroko, who was infinitely glad that torture was over, let himself crumble into a heap on the ground, cooling himself on the flat stones.
"What… was that?" he managed to wheeze out from his burning throat.
"That? It's only a location where several low-level monster maps meet. The monsters there become actively aggressive during the night, so if they so much as see an attack, they accumulate in large numbers. It's not recommended to train during these hours, but thanks to that there's no significant interference."
"I see", said the bluenette rasped, trying to prop himself up into a sitting position and failing miserably, pitifully, and comically as he bumped his head against the hard ground.
[-17 HP, Kuroko: {1,394/4,520}]
"It's not polite to laugh at injured people, Akashi-kun", Kuroko spoke to the red-haired man who had let out a soft chuckle.
"My apologies, Tetsuya. It's just that you are quite different from how I'd first imagined you to be. I hadn't expected you to be quite so… clumsy. It's rather intriguing in a ineptitude doesn't show as much while you fight."
"Should I take that as an insult or a compliment?" the blue-haired man questioned, this time successfully raising himself from the hard turf.
"I suppose either is fine, though I want you to learn from the errors you've made in combat. As strong as your spells are, your accuracy is still a bit off even if it has improved since training with Shintarou earlier. More often you need to test your enemy's weak points and predict where they will move, instead of only concentrating on hitting them. You still need to train your footwork as well, though I suppose it'd be difficult to become considerably more agile in a short amount of time."
Kuroko was somewhat awed by the other's abilities to be able to observe him while fending off all the monsters he'd been fighting. He'd had so much difficulty without paying attention to his surroundings and only focusing on trying not to die.
The redhead crossed his arms and continued,"I suppose the largest problem is your stamina. The fighting only becomes more demanding with time, and your endurance seems to be lacking."
Well that one, Kuroko knew.
"I will keep it in mind. Thank you for your advice."
"There's no need for gratitude yet. You can thank me later, when you've improved under this guidance."
The man who had spoken those words now stood in front of the Cleric, hand outstretched in his direction.
The blue-haired man's pale hand reached up and grabbed it. He was surprised when the other pulled him up with ease. Akashi's appearance betrayed his strength and Kuroko was almost sure he might've been hacking by now.
After being put upright though, he was putting most of his effort into staying like that, despite his protesting, wobbly knees.
"I don't suppose we'll be able to train any further this night, seeing as though you seem to be recovering slowly from our last session and it's getting rather late. May I inquire if you have time to meet in the early evening tomorrow?"
The bluenette didn't have to think about his schedule. Saturdays for him were uneventful besides sometimes having work in the afternoon.
"Yes. Is it something important?"
"I want to call a guild meeting and I am hopeful all our members can attend–I've informed them all earlier today. It will be around twelve in the central city."
"Ah, I see. In that case, I will be there."
"Good. But for now Tetsuya, I suggest you rest. I assume you are tired seeing as your heart rate has barely slowed down and your breathing is still quite rapid. Since it is all your mental state, you may find yourself somewhat… disoriented in the real world, though the feeling will go away after a few minutes."
The Elf had already opened the functions window after his first few words; he nodded to let the other know he paid heed to the last.
"Goodbye for now, Akashi-kun."
"Take care, Tetsuya."
His index finger pressed the "log-out" button, and he waited a second before the world started to disappear, replaced by the image of the pillows on the side of his bed.
His first reaction after getting out was to run to the bathroom in a disorderly fashion, trying his best not to throw up on the carpeted floor of the hallway on the way there.
He reached it the small space with utmost difficulty and immediately heaved into the toilet basin with zero grace (not that it was really possible to puke elegantly).
Takao walked in the next minute, having heard the commotion from the kitchen which neighbored the bathroom.
"Woah! Tet-chan are you all right? Did some bastard get you pregnant? I'll kill him!"
"Takao-kun, it's not possible for men to get pre–", he was interrupted by another wave of nausea and stuck his face back into the bowl.
"Just kidding, Tet-chan. I'm guessing you just got out of the game too? Don't worry, the dizziness and stuff will go away in a few minutes. Next time, don't push yourself too hard, 'kay?", the raven said, this time letting some concern show as he gently patted the smaller man's back until he finished emptying out his stomach.
"The same thing happened to me a couple of times in the past. I guess maybe cause you're not used to playing games like this and KWO is really realistic. After so many years of playing other games I've built up a pretty strong resistance to it though."
He handed the blue-haired man a glass of water he had brought with him after he had heard the other starting to retch.
The pale man accepted the cup graciously, mumbling a quick "thank you" before rinsing out his mouth and taking a few small sips.
"No problem, Tet-chan. Just try not to do this again, it's not good for you."
Despite the fact he was still joking like usual, he could see the other was still worried about him. The bluenette gave the other a slight smile and one of his usual retorts to let the other know he was feeling better. "All you do is eat kimchi and play Kiseki World", he said with a blank stare.
"So mean! That's not all I do! I also sleep, watch T.V., and stalk hot guys!", the other declared proudly.
They both laughed at that statement, Kuroko lightly and Takao cracking up and practically guffawing at his own hilarity.
Kuroko, now back to his usual state besides the taste of vomit in his mouth, hoisted himself up with the help of the bathroom counter and his housemate.
He cleaned his teeth and tongue of the disgusting taste and the two left for the kitchen as Takao had been interrupted during his meal and the bluenette's stomach was now void of matter. They exited, turned off the lights, and left the toilet to automatically flush its contents down the drain.
The next day before noon, Kuroko once again arrived in Medias. He sat at one of the many fountains situated at the corner of the town square, where he could linger quietly until someone else announced their arrival via message. He himself had already sent one, and had gotten a reply from Aomine and Momoi.
Since Akashi had called for this meeting, he supposed all the members of the guild would be coming–either by having the free time or clearing their schedules. It wasn't a problem for him though. The kindergarten was closed on the weekends and he didn't have to work at the convenience store until the afternoon.
The Cleric looked around him, and noticed for some reason there was a strange influx of female players.
It wasn't that a lot of females didn't play Kiseki World, it's just that the number was still a lot smaller in comparison to the amount of men. According to some research, the ratio was close to about four men for every one woman.
But strangely, this number seemed to be reversed today.
"Why are there so many chicks here today?"
"You haven't heard?! A famous model started playing today and he might reach this island!"
"Really? Girl or guy? Is it Nagi-tan?"
"No, you pervert, get this! It's Ki-"
The bluenette's attention towards the conversation of the couple standing in front of him was cut off by a small "ping!", signifying a group message.
Midorima 04/28/38 11:36*
Close message index.*
.
Midorima 04/28/38 11:36*
Close message index.*
.
"I just arrived. Is anyone else here yet?"
Just as he read the message, the Archer came into view and after looking around, decided to sit down coincidentally and unknowingly next to the smaller man.
"Hello, Midorima-kun", the smaller male greeted.
The other jumped in surprise.
"K-Kuroko?! Since when have you been here?"
"I've been here this entire time. You sat next to me."
The green-haired man cleared his throat. "Is anyone else here yet?", he asked, pushing up his glasses with one hand.
"No. We are both a bit early, but Momoi-san and Aomine-kun are on their way."
The bespectacled man made a a throaty grunt-like noise in response.
The two sat in silence, both awkwardly doing nothing but staring into the spaces in front of them–occasionally to each other or the ground, but mostly into space.
The bluenette racked his mind for a subject of conversation as it felt very uncomfortable sitting next to the Archer like this. There were some things he'd actually been curious about though.
"Midorima-kun, why do you always bandage your hand?"
It took the other moment to respond as he hadn't been expecting the other man to talk."It's a habit from real life. I do everything humanely possible to ensure my shots won't miss."
"I was unaware this game even sold items like this."
"They're a passive heal item you can get in exchange for Mira."
"I see", was the only thing Kuroko felt like he could say. Another conversation that ended too quickly.
He thought until he found another subject to bring up.
"Are you a fan of horoscopes?", the bluenette asked, recalling the day prior when Midorima had brought it up.
"Yes. And you are an Aquarius, correct?"
The smaller man nodded, confirming the question.
His glasses seemed to have glinted as he once again pushed them up with one hand, despite the fact they were sitting under the shade of a large tree. "For an Aquarius, today's lucky item is a milkshake. It's quite fortunate that you can get them here in the game. So far, none of mine have been available", the green-haired man informed him with a prideful tone.
"I've never drank one before."
"Do you not eat fast food?" The other inquired.
"I have before, but I generally try to cook or just eat pre-made convenience store food."
"Hmm. This time you sound more like an old man than a middle-schooler."
Kuroko felt a bit offended. Sure at 5'6 (5'5 in the game) he was short for his age as a grown man, but people usually didn't go so far as to say middle school. At least a high school first year, from his experiences.
"That is quite insulting."
"I find no remorse in stating a fact."
"..."
He is hard to get along with.
Another chat was cut short, and the two went back to what they were doing before they started talking–nothing. Until Kuroko got bored and opened up an internet window. Next to him, the bespectacled man was doing the same.
He continued reading a novel from where he'd left off last, pressing a button to materialize the data into a virtual hardcover.
Midorima happened to glance over from his screen, and his eyes settled on the title of Kuroko's book.
"Ah, I read that book. It's a good author. Your taste isn't too bad."
Light blue eyes peered up at the taller man's face before the mouth opened to reply, "She is quite good. I especially enjoy the main character's views on social segregation."
"Especially in chapter nine", the Archer said, nodding to himself.
And thus, the two finally found something to converse on for the next fifteen minutes.
Afterwards, Aomine and Momoi found them.
"Yo, Tetsu! Midorima!" the tanned-skinned man yelled to them, waving excitedly.
"Hello, Aomine-kun."
The shorter blue-haired man spent some time trying to balance his conversation with Midorima while listening to the details of the just-arrived Warrior's day, as well as his subtle rants about his pink-haired companion. The Rogue, or Spy actually, in turn smacked him with the sandal she was wearing.
Just a few minutes more and the guild's largest member, Murasakibara, walked lazily toward them with some umaibou hanging from his mouth. One of his hands ruffled Kuroko's hair. "Aka-chin says he'll be here in five minutes", he said, bits of food dropping to the floor and partially on sky-blue locks.
"Murasakibara-kun, you shouldn't talk while chewing", the smaller said, swatting the crumbs out.
The purple-haired giant responded with a drawn out, "haaai", and resumed eating in silence and petting the other who was found the action somewhat annoying.
Finally, when the clock struck twelve–as if it were some strange reverse-Cinderella story–Akashi appeared from behind a black haze; a dimensional gate. Kuroko could only guess what was on the other side.
"I'm glad to see you're all here, well, besides Shougo. I suppose we can have this meeting without him though. I would like to take some time to discuss the future prospects and expectations of this guild. But first, shall we find somewhere to sit comfortably?"
"Aka-chin, can we go to Maji Burger?"
"As long as there are no objections", a sharp look was sent towards the remaining members of the guild. The bluenette supposed their leader doted on the younger man.
They walked into the town, maneuvering through a few of the buildings before settling at a small, modern-looking fast food place that looked very strange in comparison to the game's medieval feel.
The six of them crammed into a large booth and shifted into comfortable positions.
"So," the redhead began, "shall we start?"
Aomine looked toward the menu. "Can we do it after food?"
The pinkette sitting at his side chided him for asking.
Akashi let out a very slight sigh, though not one of irritation. More like acquiescence with humor in regards to the Warrior's question. He sat back into the soft booth bench before saying with an inkling of a smile on his lips, "All right, after food."
Aomine and Murasakibara cheered and set to ordering from the menu built into the table.
"Kuroko."
"Yes?"
The tips of the Archer's ears looked slightly reddened when he pushed up his glasses said, "Since it's your lucky item of the day, I'll treat you to a milkshake."
Since earlier when they'd discussed literature, probably one of the few things they had common interest in, at one point their opinions of each other might have raised.
The blue-haired man gave a slight bow of his head to the other.
"Thank you, Midorima-kun."
Kiseki World Online: Elements (pt. 2)
As mentioned previously, some elements don't mix with each other. Each of the eight basic elements has an opposite. Let's say a person chooses the Electric element as their first. If they chose Plant magic next, it'd be much weaker in comparison and only a fraction of the skills would be available for learning. Both elements also become weaker by about a fourth, so mixing opposites isn't recommended unless a person has a special weapon or skill as an in-between.
Players can, however, learn as many elements as they wish. While doing this would give them a great variety, they would usually have difficulty choosing spells in such an arrangement.
By the way, the other opposites include Water and Fire, Earth and Air, and Dark and Light. Each element has a very slight weakness or strength toward others, but that can be further explained later.
I like writing nice!GoM. It is very enjoyable~ I hope my characterizations aren't seen as too OOC in comparison to the originals~
And once again, this will indeed be KiKuro. I re-read this and it feels like I'm hinting at everything but that. XD
I think I've written this back to a few people, but this story is so much longer than I expected it'd turn out. When I first came up with the idea, it was only gonna be like, twenty chapters. And now, here we are and we haven't even completed the guild yet. Also, like some people had first thought, Kuroko was actually gonna be an Assassin or something along those lines. Midorima was supposed to be the Cleric and Akashi was gonna be a Warrior too. Everything else was the same though~
Anyways, that's it for this chapter. Next, as a small spoiler, we get to see Kuroko drink his first milkshake.
By the way, I answer to all reviews now, except if I accidentally skip over yours and miss it (in that case, I'm sorry and you have the right to internet-smack me a couple times). The reader's questions sometimes help me fill up plot holes or add new, little details to the story~
Once again, thank you for reading~