Chapter 34

10th of November
Japanese dungeon - Moulder clan outpost

The Rat-Ogre charged, its thunderous footsteps echoing off the walls. Ichigo darted to the side, narrowly avoiding its massive swipe, while Sado leaped forward, delivering a crushing blow to its knee, momentarily staggering the beast.

"Healing Spell!" Orihime chanted, her voice echoing in the cavern as her healing magic enveloped Sado, mending his wounds swiftly. Yeah, the names of the spells in most RPG were not really creative.

Meanwhile, Ichigo seized the opportunity, swinging his metal baseball bat with all his might. The bat connected with a resounding clang, sending shockwaves through the air as it struck the Rat-Ogre's thick hide. Sado followed suit, his fists a blur as he unleashed a barrage of blows upon the creature.

But the Rat-Ogre was relentless. With a furious roar, it swung its massive tail, knocking Sado off his feet and sending him crashing into the wall. Orihime rushed to his side, her healing powers already at work mending his a fierce battle cry, Ichigo launched himself into the air, bringing the bat down with all his strength. The metal connected with the Rat-Ogre's flesh, eliciting a deafening screech of pain.

You defeated the mini-boss [Rat-Ogre] from the Moulder Clan

11th of November
In a Spanish tavern

"Gentlemen! My faithful knights! Let's toast to the beginning of our adventures!"

Two of his three knights - Don Quixote and Count Arnau, cheered. The last of the three mythical Spanish knight he had found and taken into his service kept a stiff upper lip. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid wasn't exactly a funny guy, and Dionysus wasn't sure why the knight had decided to follow him.

Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar - El Cid
Mythical Virtuous Commander
Lvl 230

Count Arnau
Demon Knight of Excess and Debauchery
Lvl 270

Dionysus made a grand gesture with his hands, opening his arms towards his new companions, while don Quixote and Arnau toasted with laughter. El Cid, meanwhile, was content to brood in his corner.

"You, my first knights, the future nobles of my kingdom! Let's hit the road, since, I'm sure, adventure will find us!"

And at that very moment, as if fate or something similar was afraid of disappointing Dionysus, a general brawl broke out in the bar.

"Fucking cultist! Give me back my son!", screamed someone in the background.

13th of November
USA

On the café terrace, she sat, her fiery red hair drawing gazes, her jeans snug against her curves. In contrast, her companion, a nondescript young man, seemed perfectly boring. Yet, her eyes shimmered with a mysterious allure, captivating all who dared to meet her gaze.

"Shhhh! You're way too loud, you big shit," Rachel scolded Issei, who'd made the mistake of making a little noise while breathing. Issei adjusted his balaclava, which he wore "for camouflage" on RED's orders - she didn't wear one, while her hair was much more conspicuous.

The two gamers were seated on the terrace of a café facing the enormous building serving as the headquarters of the notorious Dio Corp, the company Rachel suspected was behind the Game they'd found themselves in.

"Look…"

Issei pointed to some of the men and women entering and leaving the building, probably Dio Corp employees. While most of them appeared to be normal, creative humans or technicians with a level below 10, some had much higher levels...and the title of "werewolf" or "maenad", whatever that meant. Issei didn't know. Recognizing the name, RED let out a little squeal of delight as she saw the proof that she hadn't been mistaken: it was indeed the god Dionysus who was behind it all.

Gods did exist! And...

Issei and RED swallowed, seeing a splendid woman turn and walk towards them with a determined step.

Adrastia Zabini
Sorceress of Dionysos
Ambitious Vixen
Lv 122

A dark-skinned woman with an incredibly voluptuous and sultry figure strode purposefully towards the café terrace, her ample assets bouncing with each confident step. Her smooth, richly-hued complexion caught the sunlight, enhancing her alluring presence as she moved with graceful determination. Framed by long, thick lashes, her mischievous eyes gleamed with a devilish twinkle as they zeroed in on the two teenagers.

A woman who could vaporize them on the spot with a snap of her finger.

The voluptuous woman reached the café terrace and, without breaking her confident stride, made her way over to the two teenagers, drawing the attention of everyone she passed. She pulled out the chair across from them and lowered her curvaceous figure onto the seat. Her mischievous eyes never left the teenagers as she crossed her legs, the movement drawing their attention to her toned thighs.

"So…What do we have here? What are you doing here, my darlings?", she asked.

Issei stammered something, more focused on the thirty-something woman's cleavage than on her question. RED, for the first time in a long time, was panicking too much to answer clearly. She could instant kill them !

"Uh...We...How..."

The woman smiled at them, and Issei melted.

"I'll do anything you...Ouch!", Issei yelled as RED kicked him under the table.

The woman put her head in her hands, licked her lips and looked Issei straight in the eye. He, still looking straight at her, fainted.

"Well, dear...A little player and her little dog trying to break into Dio Corp headquarters? Mmmh...What to do..."

RED was quick to deny "No, no! We weren't trying to break in! We were just curious...You understand, the Game..."

"The Game. I understand."

Something unnaturally serious and ecstatic must have transpired in Zabini's expression, because at that moment, RED understood that the witch had also been someone more or less normal, changed by the game. She too owed everything to the game. To Dionysos. For a moment, RED's mental image of herself was superimposed on Adrastia's, and the young girl saw herself in her elder, her new role model, who had managed to reach the staggering level of 122.

"You are young, beautiful, ambitious…But, most important, I can feel something on you. His mark. A primal one. How ?"

The witch unfastened one of her earrings, and held it out to the young girl.

"A jewel forged by cyclops and enchanted by myself into a portkey. If you really want to progress in the Game...Finish this quest with your young companion, and meet me at the city of all possibilities. I'll take you under my wing. I will teach you".

RED grabbed the earring and, with Issei, disappeared into a strange vortex.

15th of November
Japan

Kisuke Urahara, stood a frown etched on his face. His usual calm demeanor was replaced by a sense of unease as he observed the recent behavior of Ichigo Kurosaki. Ichigo hadn't awaken his spiritual energy yet, but there was a change in the air—a shift in his aura that Urahara couldn't quite put his finger on. It was as if Ichigo was growing stronger by the day, despite still being fully human.

So, following his instincts, Urahara had trailed Ichigo through the labyrinthine streets of Karakura Town until he stumbled upon something bizarre: the lifeless body of a rat-like creature lying sprawled on the ground. Now, Urahara crouched beside the strange being, his sharp eyes scanning its features. Armed with an odd assortment of weapons and clad in makeshift armor, the creature was unlike anything Urahara had encountered before. Its fur was matted and its claws were stained with blood.

What the fuck was that ?

Was some force from the Greater Supernatural Word trying to enter into Japan ?

17th November
Spanish countryside

"I...I've told you everything I know! Let me go! Please!" implored the cultist who was tied to Dionysus's horse and being dragged on the ground behind him.

Dionysos and his knights had found him in the bar brawl, and, intrigued by the allegations of the other patrons, had "invited" him to their table for a chat. Well...Arnau had forced him to come along, while don Quixotte was kicking the shit out of all the other participants in the brawl.

After a tough interrogation session, which loosened the cultist's tongue (no torture, of course! Only glasses of alcohol in astronomical quantities!), he had revealed, in broad outline, a rather zany story. The knights and Dionysus were delighted! Here was their adventure!

They had learned from the cultist that he was but a lowly neophyte in the mysterious Alumbrados, a plurisecular cult entrenched in the shadows of Spain's history. Despite his lowly rank, he had borne witness to the Elders' awe-inspiring displays of true magic. Rumors even whispered of a glorious cult master, purportedly immortal and capable of performing miracles that defied comprehension.

And the cultist, willy-nilly, had even given them the address of the cult's HQ in the heart of Madrid.

22th November
Alaska - Thyrsopolis

As Luke Castellan navigated the winding roads, his thoughts churned with the weight of his past transgressions, each turn of the wheel a reminder of the sins that haunted him. But amidst the darkness of his introspection, a glimmer of hope flickered - the address Prometheus had provided, a beacon in the night.
The address loomed ahead, a distant promise amidst the shadows. Luke's heart quickened with trepidation. What awaited him beyond those gates? Redemption or damnation?

He thought he heard Dionysos' mocking voice interrupt his monologue, and whisper something. He sighed. Luke was not a "Dark Sasuke", whatever that meant. And he was not brooding, definitely.

With a resigned sigh, Luke invoked the name of Dionysos as Prometheus had instructed. And in an instant, the world transformed. Before him stood a marvel of steampunk ingenuity, a city where ancient myth met futuristic innovation. Towers of brass and copper rose proudly, their gears spinning with a mesmerizing cadence. Amidst the labyrinthine streets, Luke found himself lost in wonder and uncertainty.

Suddenly, two figures emerged from the shadows - wizards, their robes billowing in the breeze, his eyes alight with arcane knowledge.

"Fear not, traveler," the first wizard intoned, his voice echoing with wisdom. "I am Merlin, I shall guide you through this realm of wonders."

The second wizard smacked him on the back of the head. "Cut the crap, man. And for the umpteenth time, your name is Bob, not Merlin. If you want to role-play, go back to your geeky high school buddies."

He turned to Luke. "Luke Castellan, huh? Prometheus awaits."

With a nod of gratitude, Luke followed the wizards through the city's winding streets, each step a testament to the fantastical realm they traversed. Together, they ascended one of the twelve towers, where Prometheus awaited, his face illuminated by the flickering light of eternal flame.

"Luke Castellan," Prometheus greeted, his voice resonating with ancient power. "You seek redemption, and redemption you shall find. But first, you must confront the shadows of your past."

The serious wizard facepalmed.

"Fuck. He also is an edge lord. Fucking godly stuff. I should convert to, I don't know, bureaucratism or something".