"I really wish I could sleep more."
Something I keep telling myself every single day in this new world. Every day, I seem to get less and less sleep. I don't know if it's just due to this always near-hostile environment I have been placed in or if it's simply my choice of waking up early.
"Well, probably a combination of both," I mumbled groggily as I stood up from where I had been resting.
"Still talking to yourself, huh?" Faith remarked snarkily.
Well, I suppose that's just one part of this hostile environment—Faith berating me almost every single time I wake up. Though I have grown more accustomed to it as the days pass by… another reminder, I guess, of my time here. It has been… a couple of days, maybe even a week since I was transported here… though it never hurts to check.
[Willowing Fields: 18:6:24:43]
I think we arrived here… 5 days ago? I don't even remember myself that well, the days have been blurring together more and more. Not blurring together in the sense that they are so similar but more due to how hectic and chaotic each day is. Either way, it definitely is becoming more pronounced as I keep getting sporadic headaches throughout the day.
I did a small stretch before looking back at Faith, who was leaning against a tree. "Is Nickoli awake yet or…?" I asked.
"How about you figure that out yourself?" she responded smugly.
I turned to see he was not, in fact, awake. I could tell easily due to the very loud snoring he does while resting, which, to be honest, gets on my nerves. Now, where was I… oh right! I was going to test out the new weapon forms I got last night, or rather, earlier this morning, I suppose.
If I remember correctly, I made myself equip a bow… and checking my hand, I was correct as the crystal-like bow I had weapon-copied was glistening and glittering in the early morning-ish light.
"I really wish I had a watch," I muttered to myself as I opened up my menu.
Crystalized Bow
Abilities Unlocked Equip Bonus: Skill: Crystal Shot, Magic Power Increase (Small)
[O,O]
"Sweet! Looks like sleeping is a valid method of unlocking forms' abilities, I suppose," I said to myself.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me, where did you get that weapon form?" Faith asked curiously.
"Um, I just weapon-copied it from a shop I went to earlier," I explained to her.
She seemed to be thinking of something for a moment before responding, "I see. I assume there were no jets or planes in the said shop, right?"
I stood there thinking to myself for a second. I couldn't exactly tell if that was sarcasm or if it was a genuine question, and I know that giving a wrong response to either might end up with me on the floor. I'm at a crossroads. But not responding will probably make it worse, so I guess I can do the one thing I know how to do.
"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not…" I said a little sheepishly.
She gave me a blank stare for a couple of moments before responding, "That's for you to figure out," she said as she then turned her gaze in a different direction.
I decided to leave it there and got up from where I was sitting. I dusted off some of the dirt that had accumulated on my back and pants. My clothes already had multiple patches of dirt, grass, sweat, and blood stained on them. Honestly, I'm surprised that they aren't smelling really bad, but I guess my nose just blocked it out or got used to it at this point.
What was I doing again? Oh yeah, the bow, right? The crystal, or crystalized bow, for its proper name, came with a skill—Crystal Shot. I don't exactly recall if I did see how to use it, but I remember seeing something about skills whenever I first got transported here. It should be in the help menu somewhere, I just need to find it.
I did a little skimming and searching throughout the help menu until, after a bit, I found what I was looking for.
[Skills] Poesscers of the legendary weapons are able to use exclusive abilities called skills with the use of SP.
I see… I'm not exactly sure if that clears much up, but it at least clarifies what SP is used for. Throughout the whole time I've been here, it always stayed at full, not dropping below it, not even once. I guess that makes sense now, being told that by the help menu. The main issue now is how exactly I'm supposed to cast this skill. Am I supposed to do a sequence of dance movements or rhyme?
"Maybe I just need to think about it really hard?" I said to myself as I continued to contemplate how to cast the skill.
Perhaps it's only usable on certain weapon forms? Though that wouldn't make sense as this is what it was unlocked from, so it should work on this one if it did work like that. Maybe I need to be in a position to fire or shoot then?
I have never used a bow in my life, well unless you count those plastic toy bows you can buy for cheap in some shops. But compared to that small thing, this was pretty large in comparison. It had a pretty rough grip due to its crystal nature, but that was the least of my concerns.
I pulled the bowstring back; I've seen actors do it multiple times in movies and shows, so I at least knew how to do that. No luck, it was pretty tiring holding the grip like that for an extended period of time. It was getting really annoying; I got a skill just for me to not know how to use it.
I tried for a while longer, adjusting how much I pulled back the bowstring, the angle, and even how I held it. Still, nothing. I'm not even sure if the skill is any good; I just want to know how to use it, but clearly, the guide isn't giving me any more help as it is.
"I swear I don't want to spend my whole day trying to use this crystal shot skill," I grumbled to myself angrily, nearing the end of my wits.
However, right as I was about to let go of the bowstring, something I wouldn't even think of happening occurred: where the arrow usually gets nocked, a light began to shine. Before I knew it, what looked like a large translucent crystal took its place. I quickly adjusted my relaxed aiming position and stood up straight.
I don't exactly trust my aiming skills, not even with a gun, and even less with a bow, so I aimed away from where the others were. I tried to aim at a tree a distance away; not sure how Olympians or archers do it in my world, but this is the best I can do. I held my breath, thinking it might help me aim better, then I let go of the bowstring.
The crystal, as expected, did not hit where I intended; however, it shot in a straight line without any drop-off, surprisingly. It missed the intended target by quite a bit and got lodged into a rock a bit to the side behind the tree.
"Honestly, that was better than I expected," I said to myself as I walked to where the crystal got lodged.
As I was walking up, however, I saw it begin to fade and then completely disappear. I mean, I guess the skill does not manifest an actual crystal, maybe just an imitation of one. I walked up to the rock, and where the crystal hit, it left behind a really small hole.
I began to rub my chin, "Interesting. I guess it's not really real, but it can still affect physical stuff," I said to myself.
Oh yeah, that reminds me. I checked my status in the top left to see how much of my SP it drained, and to my surprise, not that much. It only used a small portion of the bar, and from the looks of it, it was beginning to passively regenerate already. Actually, this gives me another idea. I began to jog back quickly to where I was standing before, holding the bow and changed my weapon to the Vilic Carbine I had unlocked from absorbing the bow.
I did not get a chance to see the carbine on my way back, but from the looks of it, it resembled an old-fashioned rifle. I just remembered how equip effects are permanent across all forms once unlocked. So, if the skill is there, does that mean I can use it on all forms? I aimed in as best I could with the rifle; it was still new, so my grip and aim were bound to be imperfect until I got used to it.
Right, I think the skill activated after I said its name, so I think I just need to say the name to cast it.
"Crystal Shot!"
[Crystal Shot] Skill is on cooldown.
Cooldown? That's a thing? Well, isn't that annoying? Though I assume the cooldown is probably not super long… right? I mean, in the few RPGs I've played, I know that abilities or skills, as they are called here, especially beginner ones, don't have an extremely long cooldown. But then again, this isn't exactly a game; this is real life. And I guess while it is dangerous to think of this like a game, you do have to admit it has tons of similarities.
"Whatever, I'll get back to this later. I might as well check out my other forms," I said as I began to look through my copied weapon forms.
"Hey Alex, you busy?" Faith said as she walked up to me from behind.
I responded with a hint of confusion, "Uh… No?" Usually, Faith almost never approaches me, so if she does, it's usually something important. "Do you need anything, Faith?"
"No, though I do think something has come up that you are probably going to be interested in," she said as she motioned for me to follow her.
I guess she took my earlier remark about telling me whenever stuff happens to heart. I guess she isn't as hard-headed as I thought. Maybe, eh, whatever, no point dwelling on it for now. We walked to where the fire used to be, now put out due to its use no longer being needed with the sun rising further up into the sky.
"Do you see it?" she asked me.
"See what?" I responded, pretty confused.
She then pointed at where the village was, "Over there."
I squinted my eyes to see what she was talking about, but I couldn't exactly tell. I could see the lights or lanterns or whatever they used seemingly turned off, and that seemed to be it.
"The lights turned off?" I asked her in confusion.
She gave me a hard stare, "Look near the center of the village, idiot," she stated in an annoyed tone.
I looked further and saw what looked like a bunch of figures around one area, not really sure what was happening.
"Any idea what's going on?" I asked her.
"If I did, I would probably tell you," she bluntly stated.
"How did you even spot that amidst the branches and the distance?" I curiously asked.
"I mean, it's survival of the fittest in the larger numbered districts. Not spotting a threat from a distance away is death," she suddenly stated in a serious tone.
Districts? What are those? I can ask her later; I need to focus on this first and foremost.
"I think I might need to go down there and check it out," I said.
"Don't you think I'll be letting you take my cloak again?" she angrily stated.
"Well, then how else do you think I'm supposed to not get caught?" I asked her expectantly.
"You want me to figure that out? You are supposed to be the one to do that!" She exclaimed.
"Listen, whatever is going down there is probably going to come back to bite us in the butt later down the line. I think it's just better for us to use the current momentum we have for now and use it to get more stuff, don't you think?" I said, attempting to persuade her.
She seemed to think for a minute before refuting, "Isn't there anything else you can use to conceal your identity?"
"I don't think they will not be suspicious of a bunch of leaves and branches walking around," I nonchalantly stated.
She gave me an even more annoyed look before she began to take off her cloak, "This is the last time I'm going to let you use this," she angrily said as she handed it to me.
"Yeah, whatever, I'm moving out now," I said as I began to run to where the village was.
"WAIT, I FORGOT TO TAKE OUT MY-" I heard Faith yell as I ran away further and further.
"I'll probably get yelled at later, but that's for future me to handle," I chuckled to myself as I continued to run through the forest.
I was able to put on the cloak while running through and avoiding the low branches and other obstacles blocking my path. There was an Ilumi here or there as well as a tac, but I was able to just kick them away before they could do anything.
I did take out a fruit to munch on while running since I hadn't eaten beforehand like I normally do, and trying to maintain a low profile on an empty stomach isn't exactly great. Speaking of a low profile, I should probably swap to my Ore Viper Core Revolver since this crystal bow isn't exactly easy to hide. I just attached it to my right side and continued running along, now approaching near where I initially arrived at the village.
Now with sunlight illuminating the buildings properly, I can tell that there seems to be some sort of paint coloring on many of the buildings, with most of them heavily faded. This just confuses me more and more; I thought it was either a new settlement or just a really old one. I don't even know what to think.
"Whatever, I can figure that out later. First, let me check out what's happening with the crowd near the town center," I said to myself, partly out of breath, as I began to slow down from running.
I put on the hood a while ago on the cloak, and I made sure to make myself look like just another passerby to avoid drawing attention to myself. The crowd wasn't actually in the village center but near it. There seemed to be some speaker in the middle with everyone else surrounding him, listening.
I eventually got close enough to hear and see the people better. The vast majority of everyone in the crowd seems to have some weird animal ears of sorts. It might be like with Conrad; I probably should have asked what type of animal ears they are, but I don't know enough about the social norms here, so I think it's better I didn't.
"You damned scoundrels! Not even a week has passed since you were blessed by the grace of King Xiloas to allow some merchants to set up shop in this village!" A voice boomed out from the center.
I moved a little closer to the middle to see if I could get a better view, as many of the ears kept blocking my vision.
"Now multiple stores have been looted of their belongings, and unless someone confesses to their crimes and faces justice, there will be consequences… dire consequences!" the voice boomed out again, with the last part being especially threatening.
Now with a clear view, I could see what looked like a bird person. Not really sure how to describe them, but they looked like a normal human with blue wings of sorts on their back. His garments also seemed to display some sense of higher status considering the fabric seems more formal, especially compared to the animal-eared people surrounding him, wearing what looks like old fabrics with wear and tear apparent on them. So, I can only assume this guy is a merchant or maybe some important figure. I can't really figure it out.
"But why would we loot such businesses? We are already content with what we have!" a voice from the crowd called out.
"How am I supposed to know what intentions you bunch have?! All we know for certain is that in the dead of night, someone robbed these stores. The patrols did a pass by a little while after they heard some suspicious noises and found them looted," The bird-looking person said.
I guess they did check on what happened to the stores, just a little later after I left, I presume. I honestly should have seen this coming, but I guess hindsight is 20/20. I wonder if they are actually going to conduct an investigation or if they are just going to start accusing random people to get some semblance of justice.
"Well, Sir Conrad was the only one up at that time, so maybe he knows?" a different voice said from the crowd.
Oh shit, I forgot about Conrad. Is he going to just tell them about me or is he going to say nothing?
There was some rustling in the crowd as well as some voices of agreement.
"Conrad, would you please step forward?" the bird person said.
There was more rustling before a figure emerged from the crowd, and while I had not been with him for long, I knew even from a distance that it was Conrad. Despite his age, he still seemed to be in shape. If his hair were not partly gray, you could probably convince me he was in his 30s.
He also had what looked like a looking glass, or whatever it's called, attached to his right socket somehow. I guess that's what he uses to see for day-to-day activities.
"Yes?" Conrad said as he looked straight at the bird person.
I couldn't exactly confirm it, but I felt an aura of disgust and hate filling the space between the two of them. Unlike Conrad, the bird person seemed younger and more vibrant, the complete opposite of Conrad's stoic and gruff demeanor. Maybe they have past conflicts of interest? Well, I'm pretty sure thinking about it won't answer any questions.
"So… Conrad, care to explain what events unfolded last night?" The bird person said with a small hint of arrogance.
"I was at my shop at night, tending to a customer. Then after that, I went to sleep," Conrad responded sternly.
There was a small brief silence with some murmuring from the crowd again.
I guess while Conrad was nice and kind to me whenever I met him, he too can get angry.
"Well, there's already an issue with your recounting. Who would ever go to your store? And in the dead of night, no less?" the bird person said mockingly.
There were a few chuckles from what looked like other important figures standing a bit behind him, which I just noticed. The crowd stayed silent for the most part.
"A supposed nomad, his name was Tidus. He said he was wandering through these parts," Conrad responded stoically.
This time the bird person took no time in responding.
"A nomad? In these parts? If this Tidus was just "passing by," then he would have passed by a more populous area, not this place," the bird man responded arrogantly.
"Well, he passed by, and that's the end of it. Am I free to leave?" Conrad asked.
"Well…. You are the only person who was up at that time, and since no one else is confessing, I can only come to one conclusion," the bird person said smugly.
I could feel the tension as Conrad lowered his head slightly, "What is that conclusion?" he asked with a hint of anger.
"That you are the one who did it!" The bird person said, pointing at Conrad.
"What?!" Conrad exclaimed angrily as he took a step forward.
There was some clamor from the crowd as this was announced, with some of the people I was standing next to suddenly jostling from left to right.
What? What the hell?! Are they just going to accuse him and then arrest him with no due trial or anything?!
"You are already charged with possession of unlawful weapons before, so I guess this just adds to the list of the crimes you have committed, old man," The bird person said mockingly as he turned around.
"Why you little-"
Conrad was cut off by two guards, like the ones in the first town or village we came across, grabbing him by the arms.
The crowd began to clamor more, with people getting angry or annoyed at what was happening before their eyes, and to be honest, me too.
"Well, it's not like anybody is confessing, so I guess this is the only logical conclusion we can arrive at," the bird person said as they began walking away.
I was about to step in, but I remembered, I can't. I'm already being hunted by the guards or army or whatever for reasons I don't even know myself. Getting involved now would just alert them to my location… but I can't just leave Conrad here. He was the one person who was not initially aggressive toward me.
"I need to help him while also simultaneously not getting myself caught… what do I do?" I quietly whispered to myself as I thought through the possibilities.
Actually, I know a tactic that I have seen some people use when trying to make an escape: create chaos. My gun already makes an extremely loud noise when I fire it, and it's bound to cause confusion and panic. I can use that to grab Conrad and get him out of there.
I brought my hands inside the cloak and gripped my pistol, aiming it downwards. I don't have to show off the weapon; the sound itself should be more than enough. Well, I hope so, at least. The Ore Viper Core revolver was one of my louder-sounding guns, so it should get the job done, though it wouldn't hurt to fire an extra round or two to make sure it works.
I aimed at the ground under the cloak and fired…
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"EVERYBODY RUN!"
"SECURE THE AREA! MAKE SURE TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THAT!"
Many different voices filled the air as the crowd began to panic, running away or colliding with each other, everyone scattering in different directions.
I moved from where I was to the side to ensure I wasn't at the epicenter of the gunshot noise. The two guards who had been holding onto Conrad let him go and started diligently searching for the perpetrator. This was my chance!
I quickly ran over and grabbed Conrad by the arm. I expected some resistance, as even I wouldn't let a random hand yank me away, but instead, he just let me pull him along. We moved to a small space between buildings to ensure we weren't being trailed by anyone.
"Tidus! You came back!" Conrad said with relief before switching to a more serious tone, "Why didn't you show up to help? Nevermind that, we need to find the source of that noise and-"
"Listen, I don't have much time to explain, but first we have to get out of here, right now," I said in the voice I used when I talked to him last time.
"What do you mean? You want me to escape during this chaos? As much as I want to get my hands on Jirem, I'm not one to seek revenge," Conrad explained.
"Conrad, we need to leave. I don't know what your sense of justice is, but I know for a fact what I just witnessed isn't justice. If they take you into custody and charge you for a crime you didn't commit, that isn't justice; it's just pointing fingers," I explained, attempting to persuade him.
"If they charge or arrest me, then so be it. I'd rather be in jail than have to deal with Jirem and his antics every day. I've lived a good life already; I've seen things that would give normal people nightmares. I couldn't care less if they even killed me," Conrad said, sounding rather defeated for once.
There was a brief moment of silence as we both just looked at each other. His looking glass was a little beat up, now that I was looking at it up close. But it's to be expected with long use, I suppose.
"Listen, Conrad, something big is coming. I don't know exactly what, but it's bad. The world is in danger right now, these waves... waves of calamity are approaching to bring ruin and destruction. I need allies, okay? I already have people helping me, but I need more. Conrad, I know your old age might have slightly dulled your skills, but your experience is what matters," I pleaded with him.
"Waves? What are you talking about? Are you sure you're alright, Tidus?"
"Yes, I'm alright. Listen, I won't stop you, but what will it be? Being stuck in jail for who knows how long, or instead, wanting to help save the world?" I said, adamantly.
Conrad gave me a long, hard look. He looked back onto the street where people were still running around in panic. In the midst of it all, I could see the bird person I presumed to be Jirem searching for Conrad by running around and yelling.
He was deep in thought, I assumed, as he stood there contemplating.
Then he turned to me and said, "Are you sure that these supposed calamities or waves are really coming?"
"Yes, I'm not lying."
He gave me another intense look. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but all I could do was watch.
"Alright, let me just grab a few of my belongings, and I'll be ready to go. Would you be willing to help me carry some?" he said as he stepped forward, peering into the street.
"Okay, we have to be quick, though. Spending too much time here will get us caught," I said as I followed him, running towards his shop.
We entered the building. It was kept exactly how it was last time, but with the curtains now open.
"Grab whatever you want. I won't be able to take it all anyway, and I don't mind. I'll call you to the back when I'm ready," he said before vaulting over the counter and disappearing into the back.
I gave a short nod before looking around to see what I could grab. I absorbed the bows on the wall that were remaining from before. No new weapon forms, probably because I already unlocked them from the lizard men that one time. But it never hurts to have more, I suppose.
Then I turned to the crystal bow hanging on the wall. While I already had its weapon copied, I could do what I did with the Vilic bow and absorb it. It was rather tall, so I had to hop up to grab it. I brought it near the gem on my weapon and absorbed it.
Crystal Musket
Abilties Locked Equip Bonus: +7 Accuracy
Equip Effect: Magic Bullet
There were many more weapons that I just quickly absorbed in the area around me.
Leather Pistol
Abilties Locked Equip Bonus: Leatherworking Skill 1
Wire Pistol
Abilities Locked Equip Bonus: Skill: Wire Bind
Fish Pistol
Abilities Locked Equip Bonus: Fishing Skill 1
"Sweet, another skill. Hopefully, I can put that to good use," I said to myself.
Most of the weapons went into my storage or whatever it was, but I did manage to acquire a few new weapon forms.
"Alright, I'm ready," I heard Conrad say as he threw two large bags at me.
I caught them, though they were a bit heavy, it was nothing I couldn't handle. He himself was holding four smaller bags. I couldn't make out what was inside, but I could ask him about it later, I suppose.
"Let's move out," I said as I walked out of the door.
The commotion outside had calmed down a bit since I left, so we really needed to hurry. I turned around to see Conrad sulkingly walking out of the door.
"Are you alright?" I asked with worry.
"Yeah, I'm just sad I couldn't take everything," he said, then grabbed my arm, "Lead the way."
I began moving, going at a jogging pace to make sure he didn't fall behind. However, he was keeping up quite well. He even started overtaking me.
"Are we in a rush or not?" he said lightheartedly as he moved past me.
I sped up to make sure he wouldn't overtake me, and we made it to the outskirts of the village. I led him through the forest, avoiding Ilumi when possible, heading toward where we had set up camp.
"Alright, Conrad, I want to warn you now that you'll probably be heavily surprised when we arrive," I said to him bluntly.
"Surprised? I've seen many things in my life. I don't even think I can be surprised at my age anymore!" he said jokingly.
I guess his attitude had recovered from earlier. That's great, at least. We arrived at the campsite to find... it empty? I looked around, unsure if they had left or what. They would come back, well, Faith would. After all, I had her cloak.
"Well, my acquaintances aren't here at the moment, so just set your stuff down here," I said as I leaned the bags against a tree.
"I see... I guess you really are a nomad," he said, looking at where the fire used to be.
"Did you doubt me?" I asked curiously.
"No, I didn't," he said as he began opening his bags.
Still, I wondered where Faith was... She couldn't have wandered far. Well, maybe she could have. I wasn't sure if she did anything while we were asleep. Now thinking about it—
"Alex, behind you!" I heard a familiar voice yell from a distance away.
"Well, speak of the devil."
End of Chapter 12
[Other World Index]
[Wire Bind]
Wire bind is a skill acquired by unlocking the wire pistol weapon form. The skill manifests wires from the ground or from the weapon form that latch onto the selected target, Imobolizing them. It has a moderate cooldown and low SP cost due to it not being able to immobilize larger targets.
Authors Note:
Hello everyone, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Now after getting Conrad out of a sticky situation, he decided to go along with Alex. How will Faith and Nickoli react to this along with Conrad? Find out next week on Locked and Loaded in Another World.
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