"This. Is. So. UNFAIR!!!!" - Garami
Wording my disagreement to the world, I stomped through the dusty streets of the park's outer section.
If the barrier only prevents Garami from entering, why don't we split into two teams?
"That blasted vampire!! I will sneak garlic into every meal when we get back home!!" - Garami
"I am sorry to say this, Master, but Alf 'chows down' on garlic daily." - Bloom
"TCH!! That blasted 'True Ancestor' thing!" - Garami
While not impressed over that cheater's toughness to everything vampires are weak to, except the sun, I continued stomping on through the dusty sidestreets of the amusement park's outer region. Alf and Mira are currently working their way through the inner region, all thanks to that blasted, goddamn, ******** barrier...
THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME IN THERE WITH MIRA!! My first-ever amusement park date was ruined, just like that...
"Master, stop acting so childish. You have gone out with Mira many times already in Velantas." - Bloom
"That's not the same. This is an amusement park. An AMUSEMENT park! What other places can be more amusing to go on a date at than that?!" - Garami
"Hmm... If the couple in question are Master and Mira, then a casino. Or a sex hotel." - Bloom
"Been there, done that." - Garami
We even got banned from the casinos in Velantas after our first visit before I even met Alf. Those damn moneygrubbers, if I ever find their underground network, I'll smash it to pieces. Oh, and the hotel? We could include the one-night stand with Filyn on Tir na Nog, but other than that, or maybe because of that, Mira and I've been spending our free time together a little too passionately. In semi-secret, since Revi seems like she'd stick her nose into our business. If she hasn't done that already without me knowing...
"I give up," replied Bloom, throwing her hands in the air in surrender. "Master, you picked one heck of a fit for a bodyguard."
"Bodyguard? Right, back when I first arrived in Velantas." - Garami
"Now you're more like lovers in crime than partners in it." - Bloom
"Aw, shucks~." - Garami
"I am trying to be serious here. How did you two end up so tightly knitted together?" - Bloom
"You know me. Spin some webs here, take some red string of fates there..." - Garami
Wow. Bloom just glared at me so hard that I was expecting a System Message to pop up saying a new Evil Eye skill had fallen onto my lap thanks to her. Let's start anew.
"I mean, things just...happened. Some nights here, some days there, some Filyn-mischief here and there, some pub nights complaining about Filyn there and here..." - Garami
"...Master, please do not tell me that the two of you are only together because of some mind tricks by Boss Filyn." - Bloom
"I can't deny or agree with you there. But she is a Lilith~." - Garami
Bloom looked aghast at my reply, but I was just messing with her. Mira and I've just been a match in heaven. Then we met one of hell's queens and got even closer together. Man, I wish I could've gone alongside her.
"No worries. If Filyn tries on some mind control or corruption shenanigans, I'll knock her out in one punch!" - Garami
Playfully proving my jest, I did a jab at the wall behind me. Without much power, I might add you. There's nothing suspicious about my right straight. Despite that, the wall crumbled like a super-dry cookie.
"...Not my problem. No, not at all. Let's go, there's nothing to see here." - Garami
"Master, you're wrong. There is a lot of seeing here." - Bloom
"What's that supposed to..., oh. I get it." - Garami
This will be useful. Now, what channel did we agree on setting these Dungeon terminal thingies on...
---
Mira & Alf's side:
"Goddammit!!" - Mira
*SLASH!!*
With the dark knight's roar of vengeance, the poor light post (or what remained of it) met its final fate as a dummy for testing her sword's edge.
"Please do not vent on the interior just because we didn't find the treasure right away." - Alf
The duo had decided to start their investigation from the center of the park, but as they walked past the relics of the park's glorious past of entertainment and perfect date spots, the spirit knight's anger and greed reached new heights. And like every volcano-like temperament, it was just a question of when she would erupt.
*SLASH!!*
Alf looked exasperated while rebuking Mira's childish attitude. Alas, it was to no effect. The park's worn-down benches and light posts kept on being multiplied by 2.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"*Sigh*. Is not having Garami with us that frustrating for you?" - Alf
*SLASH, SLASH, SLASHITTY-SLASH!!!*
"At least answer me with words! Not slashes-, whoa-!?" - Alf
The vampire demanded answers and answers he received. Unexpectedly, it was not in the form of words or even a sword tip, but a round object flying towards him when he turned to speak his mind to the female dark knight, face to face.
It was a skull.
"GYAAAAAAAHH!!" - Alf
"Stop screaming like a girl and help me! The treasure's practically running into my lap but there's too many of them!" - Mira
Having recovered from the shock that could scare even the daylight out of a vampire, Alf took notice of Mira's so-called treasure. A group of Skeletons were storming out from the buildings that they had just passed. As for the "treasure" part, these Skeletons share a characteristic with the Gloom Skeletons that the duo's Guild Master commands.
"Holy-! What are these? Gem Skeletons?" - Alf
"No, I found some Silver and Gold ones as well!" - Mira
"What a selection...? Hey! Silver's bad for the undead!" - Alf
Now fueled by a feeling of unfairness (even if the Silver attribute does not affect a True Ancestor Vampire like himself), Alf readied his customized halberd and took a stance alongside his greed-fueled ally, facing the horde of charging gems and valuable metals in skeleton form.
What the duo does not know is that the Skeletons they are facing are a breed known as "Valuable Skeletons". Like the Gloom Skeletons, these undead bags of bones are specialists in a certain attribute category, which they are named after. The Valuable category includes the attributes of Gold, Silver, and even Gem. Despite what's said, these flashy bones are not compatible with the Silver attribute, as the metal is 100% anti-undead. The bones' color schemes sometimes just hit that color even when the Skeleton does not have any skills of that attribute. The same can be said regarding the other colors and attributes.
In any case, for a money-hungry woman like Mira, these walking treasure chests are the perfect prey for her and her wallet. "Monster mining" is a common term found in Solomar, her hometown, where adventurers hunt for mineral-related monsters of the Valuable category. The volcanic wasteland of South Invidia, where Solomar lies, is the home of many such creatures along with the volcanic monstrosities. Hence, even if the act would be akin to defiling the dead, Mira's sword did not pause for a second.
One Skeleton got its size reduced by "one head" through the Combat Art "Dark Knight's Decapitator" before the female knight chained into a new Combat Art, "Predator Cross-Slash", a move that combined a two-slash attack with a leaping action. The third Skeleton shared its fate with its two brothers, though not through a Combat Art, but by the hands of the [Light Impact] skill before being finished by the [Spark] attack skill at zero range.
Seeing its allies cut and shocked into pieces, one Skeleton tried to attack Mira using a skill that enveloped its hand in copper-colored material, similar to a crude boxing glove made out of metal. Unfortunately for this brave martial artist, Mira had already noticed him by the time she Impact-ed the third Skeleton and used the defensive Combat Art "Dark Knight's Parry" to fend him off before releasing a counter-blow in the form of the Combat Art "Illegal Nutcutter".
"Ouch..." said Alf, sharing the 4th Skeleton's pain despite the latter not sharing the common weakness between all males. And this act of empathy turned out to cost him dearly. Another Skeleton was rushing toward the vampire whose attention had been distracted.
"Who said-, HEY!" - Alf
Suddenly, a voice from nowhere startled Alf back into action with enough time to create one of his trademarked ice walls to stop the Skeleton.
While still confused over the sudden voice that had helped him, Alf prepared his halberd and turned it around to make use of the special hammer part he had installed onto it. The weapon had been customized to allow him to use it for either slashing, piercing, or even for blunt force. As the opponents were Skeletons, the last one was the most efficient method of attack.
Two Skeletons had been following the first (who was still stuck in the ice wall) and split up to assault Alf from both ends of the ice wall. Seeing them coming, Alf made the one on his left trip by generating a small [Shadow Spear] right below its feet. As for the other one, Alf prepared his halberd's hammer part, side-stepped the Skeleton's gem-infused fist, then slammed its side with his weapon through the Art fittingly known as "Home Run Slam". The poor fool of a Skeleton was broken into pieces when it collided with the nearby building.
Not even taking his time to admire his work, Alf turned around to take care of the tripping Skeleton. It was lying facedown in the sand, so before it could stand up again, Alf laid down the hammer of justice through the "Hammering Impact" Arts.
"Okay, the next-" - Alf
Again, a voice came out of nowhere, snapping the two combatants out of their combat mood. The word "stampede" sounded very ominous in Alf's eyes, so he started to look at the path the Skeletons had arrived from. A dustcloud was getting closer and closer to where the duo had bashed in some skulls.
Mira and Alf only needed to exchange a glare with each other to conclude: "Let's get the hell outta here" before taking cover inside an abandoned shooting gallery.
Not a moment too late, a herd of Skeletons in various glittering colors came running through the street, completely obvious of the two who had hidden themselves or even the remains of the Valuable Skeletons who Mira and Alf had yet to fully defeat.
"...Okay, I think they're gone." - Alf
"What was that just now? A combination of heaven and hell?" - Mira
"That may be true for more than just you," replied Alf, too tired to make a wittier comment. "But for now, I'd rather want to know who that voice who warned us belongs to."
There it was again. However, neither the vampiric angler nor the spirit knight could find the speaker anywhere.
"Ah!" - Alf & Mira
Realizing the obvious answer, Alf checked his oversized coat (anti-sun protection measure #27) and retrieved a flat metallic slab, the miniature Dungeon Terminal that could double as a communication tool.
"Garami, is that you?" asked the Vampire as he looked at the flat rectangle's screen.
Garami the cold-blooded demoness, who ironically could easily melt like pudding and act as the man she'd just impersonated if faced with innocent children's faces, continued admonishing the airheaded vampire for a while.
"Speaking of which," started Mira as she cut Alf's scolding session short, "how did you know Alf was about to be attacked before?"
"Th-that's true," piped Alf in, all the happy that he escaped Garami's sharp tongue's assault, yet was not shameless enough to try and extend the conversation with an idea.
"I got it! You summoned those sexy ghost ladies! You said you had a new skill that let you share their sight, didn't you?" - Mira
<...No, but I'll remember that one.> - Garami
While trying to think of methods how to maximize the peeking potential of her ghosts, Garami started to drift off before suddenly realizing her folly.
"Are we so short on funds that we have to risk our lives fighting a horde?" - Alf
"'Other guys'? Princess, how do you know all this?" - Mira
With many questions still in their minds, such as "What is a phone?", Mira and Alf started to follow their "princess'" instructions as they went deeper into the heart of the park.