You might not know this, but mornings aren't my thing. Especially since I got my new bed. I just didn't want to leave. Not to mention I didn't have a coffee maker in my crappy, rundown apartment, so there was really no incentive to get my ass up in the morning.
And that hasn't changed just because I'm stuck in a loli's head. My internal alarm clock was buzzing like crazy though, demanding I get up and greet the day.
Also pee. Ok, so there was one incentive to getting up, not pissing myself. But still, I'm sure I can hold it for another… twenty minutes at least. And considering just how warm and comfy I am, that's a risk I'm willing to take.
Besides, that's a gamble I haven't lost in months, so the odds were in my favor.
Having decided on a plan, I rolled over to get comfortable, but apparently, someone else had other plans.
Rise and shine sleepy head, only half the town is dead!
"Ugh, your way to damn chipper this early," I mumbled, not moving to get up.
Early? But it's almost noon…
"That's early somewhere, right?" I mumbled, already feeling my tired eyes easing into the realm of Morpheus.
Listen, as a former hikineet, I must protest this bout of laziness.
"And I'm proud of you for that. Now shush, sleepy time," I mumbled.
…Alright, if that's the way you want to play it, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you.
Just as I was about to fall asleep once more, a blaring alarm started ringing. "Wah!" I screamed, jumping about a foot in the air. I found myself trapped in my blanket, unable to see where I was going. So it should come as no surprise when I stepped right off the bed, falling face first onto the ground, my bare ass exposed to the air.
"Uh, not cool Sarah. Not cool," I mumbled, as I sat up, untangling myself from the covers. Once I did, I looked around the room with bleary eyes, releasing a massive yawn as I did so.
I stood up and stretched before tossing the covers back onto the bed. Looking down, I noticed my foot was nice and healed up. The gaping hole that was there previously was all but gone, with just a small pink bit of skin as proof it was ever there in the first place.
"Damn, having Gamer powers is awesome. Hey, if I lose and arm, will-"
No.
I pouted slightly at her quick response. "Are you sure? Like, 100% sure?"
Yes. If you lose an arm, it will not be growing back.
"Well, darn. Guess I'm not turning into wolverine anytime soon," I said, making my way to the bathroom to relieve myself and shower. Once that was done, it was time for some breakfast.
Are you ever going to put on pants?
"Like you don't love it," I mumbled, opening the fridge and finding a carton of eggs. Omelets it is. I removed the eggs from the fridge, found a bowl, cracked a few eggs, put them in the bowl, whisked them with a fork, found a frying pan, put the eggs in the frying pan, put the frying pan on the stove, and turned the stove on.
"So, any idea what the next part of the dungeon is going to be like?" I asked while waiting for the eggs to cook.
Not really. But you were probably right when you said it would be ice themed. I do know what the Area of Effect will be though.
"Oh?" I asked, suddenly curious. Once the omelet was cooked enough to be somewhat solid, I added some shredded cheese and bologna for that extra protein. Gotta make them gains.
Ugh, that is disgusting. Anyway, it has the same effect of making you more bloodthirsty, but this time, your emotions will become muted rather than heightened.
"Hm, I see," I muttered, flipping the omelet over to cover the extra ingredients, making sure they heat up properly and the cheese melts.
"If it is going to be ice themed, maybe I should try and find a coat," I thought out loud. It made perfect sense to me, and even if we were wrong, I could just take it off. No biggie.
A coat… In the heat district… Good luck with that.
"Your sarcasm is noted," I said, taking my omelet off of the frying pan and putting it on a plate. You know, this apartment isn't half bad. It has just about everything a guy could ask for and its appliances work.
I took my plate of food and went back to the couch. Placing it on the table, I realized I needed something to drink, which gave me an idea. There was something in my Inventory I was actually curious about trying.
Opening it up, I pulled out a barrel of Ayakashi Spring Sake.
Really? You just got up and you're already hitting the sauce?
"Hey, it's five o'clock somewhere, right?" I joked, grabbing a cup from the kitchen. I then went back to the couch and removed the lid from the barrel, getting immediately pelted by the rich aroma of the booze.
"Oh man, that smells good. No wonder these ogres like it so much," I said with a grin, placing my cup inside and filling it to the brim. Once done, I took a sip, enjoying the way it burned as it slid down my throat.
"Ah, not bad, not bad. Has a pretty good kick to it," I said, placing the cup down on the table before digging into my breakfast. After about ten minutes of enjoying that, and downing the rest of my cup, I stood up, finally ready to take on the day.
Placing the barrel of sake back in my Inventory, I then pulled out my ninja pants and Shadow Ogre underwear. Unfortunately for me, the pants were still dripping blood.
"What the… I thought they'd at least be dry. Guess time is stopped in the Inventory. Good to know. Is that why the curry is still hot?"
Yes and no. That stuff doesn't exactly follow the rules. But even so, the Inventory is meant to keep perishable items fresh, just as you placed them inside. But that includes everything else as well, hence the wet pants.
"Would have been nice to know. I could have washed these things in the shower last night and left them out to dry. Oh well…"
I wasn't sure I wanted to put them back on, especially if we're going to an ice themed area next. Maybe I'll just have a look around and see what I could find.
*Several Minutes Later*
Nothing. Not a goddamn thing. That's what I found. Looks like I'll just have to wear the white kimono thing. At least it wasn't all bloody. Taking it out of my Inventory, I equipped it, along with my loincloth.
The first part of the Dungeon wasn't that big of a pain, so even if my Equipment isn't as good, I should be fine. It is a bit irritating that the things I farmed from this side can't be used, but whatever. At least I still have my weapons.
"Good enough. Let's go," I said with a bit of excitement. Time to see what the other side has to offer.
Leaving the Red Ogre's District, I once more found myself on that singular and long road that led to the tower in the center of the Dungeon. But that wouldn't last for long as I made my way towards the big blue gate that signified part two of my journey through the mind of Hiyori.
Walking up to the gate, I decided to check and see if anything had changed.
Blue Ogre's Lair
The district controlled by the vicious Blue Ogre.
Enemies: ???
"Um, Sarah?"
It wasn't me, I swear!
Looking at the enemy count, which was now a mystery, did not fill me with the greatest of confidence. It was nice knowing how many people I had to kill in a given section, even if there did turn out to be a secret dungeon with a dozen or so extra enemies.
"I take it this is the work of our not-so-friendly interloper?" I asked.
Most likely. So be careful.
"Roger that."
I pressed my hand against the gate, clicking yes when it asked me if I wanted to enter. The gates slowly ground open, and I got my first look at the new area. I can now confirm, with 100% certainty, that this is a snow and ice themed section.
The buildings were mostly the same as the last area, looking like they came out of the feudal era. But unlike the previous section, these ones were covered in a light coating of snow.
In fact, everything was. The trees, the ground, the walls; everything. It looked like I was stepping into a winter wonderland. Felt like it too. I wrapped my arms around my torso, shivering slightly as the gate closed behind me.
"So, this is the Blue Ogre's District huh? Not as bad as I imagined," I muttered, taking a few more steps inside. Unlike the last time, it didn't seem like anybody was rushing to greet me. Using my Area Scan, I tried to find any enemies that might be in the area.
And came up empty. So either they were hiding, or there was some sort of gimmick to this section that I wasn't aware of. And neither was Sarah. So with little in the way of options, I started my trek through the snow covered city, leaving large footprints behind me.
I kept Scanning every time I was far enough away from the previous reveal. Looking at the Minimap, I still couldn't find a single enemy, and so far, none have attacked me. In that case, there must be some kind of triggering event I'm not privy to.
But the last Scan did reveal something to me. Some kind of massive object that didn't look like it belonged to any structure. Finding this odd, I made my way towards it. But what I found wasn't what I was expecting at all.
"Is that… a heater?" I asked with disbelief. It looked just like a space heater, only 100 times bigger. Like everything else, it too was covered with snow. Kind of ironic, if you think about it.
I walked up to the massive thing, reaching out to flip the switch to on, but nothing seemed to happen. "Is it broken?" I wondered. I walked behind the thing but didn't see a chord I could plug in, so power wasn't the issue. Or maybe it was, I don't know. But after fiddling with the thing for a few more minutes, like any good gamer would, I gave up. It must be used for something; I just don't know what yet.
"Well, that was a bust…" I muttered, Scanning the area once more. Even if I wasn't finding any enemies, at least I was mapping the place out, so silver lining and all that. But once this Scan completed, it revealed something else.
A big, red dot, right in the middle of a circular looking arena. It looked exactly like the one from the previous section, with the Red Ogre. But seeing as he was the only enemy I found so far, this whole thing just screamed, "It's a trap!"
But like all games, just because the player knew it was a trap, didn't mean they could just walk away. In order to progress, sometimes you have to do something on the wrong side of stupid.
Part of me wanted to make a Shadow Duplicate and send his ass in there but thought it might be better to keep him in reserve, just in case. Summoning him took a lot of resources, and I couldn't be careless with them.
I just want to say, for the record, I don't like this.
"Your opinion has been entered into the records. But I don't see any other option than to spring the trap, do you?"
No… But! Ugh, never mind. Just try and be careful.
"Love you too," I said, and I swear the temperature increased a few degrees.
I approached the clearing, the sound of crunching snow followed my every step. I hid behind a building once I caught a glimpse of the Boss. But what I saw shocked me to my core.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"Is that a Minigun?" I asked in disbelief. The Blue Ogre was very similar to his brother. He was blue, as you might expect, and like all ogres wore a loincloth, though this one appeared to be a bit thicker than the rest. But he was also wearing a fur vest, which confused me, as it didn't look like it would help against the cold in any way.
Until I remembered the effect of the loincloth. It gave a minor resistance to cold and heat, so it's safe to assume the vest did something similar.
But the most noticeable thing about the hulking monstrosity was the oversized, multi barreled, gatling gun he was carrying around with him. That thing looked like it could turn a tank into Swiss cheese. How was that in any way balanced?
Maybe it had a weakness I could exploit? I decided to search for one as I waited for the Scan to finish. Watching the ogre meander around, I saw there was a belt feed going into a massive metal canister on his back.
So it had the same weakness as the red ogre? Or was that a trap too? Or was that fact that I think it could be the trap, the real trap, and the belt is his weakness after all?
A ding sound brought me out of my spiraling thoughts. Looking at the screen, I saw that the Scan was done. Well, let's see what a tough guy you are.
Blue Ogre
Level: 15
Age: 36
Health: 1,940/1,940
Stamina: 1,170/1,170
Reiryoku: 1,140/1,140
Description: The Blue Ogre, Boss of the Moonlight District. He loves nothing more than turning someone into mince meat from a distance with his trusted Minigun, Isabella. Immune to ice and cold, he enjoys frolicking in the snow and making snowmen. Has a secret technique when his Hp drops below half, none who have experienced it have lived to tell the tale. Takes great pride in being smarter than his brother, the Red Ogre. Defeating him is required to obtain the Blue Orb and gain access to the Tower of the Ogre Princess.
Huh… well at least he isn't as much of an Hp sponge as his brother, so that's something. But the fact that he's smart has me concerned. I doubt that would have been mentioned if it wasn't important. And what could this secret technique be?
Probably something to do with the cold, but that didn't narrow it down much. No use in overthinking it. Getting in my own head is the last thing I need. "Hey Sarah, any advice?" I asked. She's been strangely quiet this whole time, which normally wouldn't be a problem, but since we hashed things out a bit, I was mildly concerned.
I can't tell you much, and I'm really not sure what changes have occurred. I think it's best if I refrain from saying anything. Bad advice is worse than no advice after all.
Yeah, that makes sense. If I went in there expecting one thing to happen, and then something completely different happens, I could be in deep doo doo.
"Right, thanks anyway," I said.
Good luck. I'll be rooting for you!
Just as I was about to charge in and Shadow Strike him, a stray thought entered my mind. Maybe I should try and find the Shadow Ogre Lair first. Clean that out while everything is peaceful. Who knows what this fight is going to be like. But at the same time, can I even find it before I trigger whatever is supposed to happen?
Only one way to find out!
Thus I began my search for the elusive Shadow Ogres, searching high and low, in every closet I can across. And eventually, I was rewarded for my sheer stubbornness.
Man I miss the good old days when I could just look up where all the secret crap was.
This time the entrance was hidden in a well. Honestly it was a pretty good spot. But my time playing Dragon Quest prepared me for this moment.
Secret Lair of the Shadow Ogres (2 of 2)
The Shadow Ogres are a mysterious sect of ogres, using secret techniques to blend into their surroundings and ambush their enemies. No one knows much about them, even the other ogres, as their entire order is shrouded in secrecy.
With a small grin, I descended down the ladder, determined to not get any more holes in my feet this time. The only ones who would be riddled with holes was them.
The bottom of the well flared out in a large entrance with a small amount of water forming puddles along the floor. On one end was a large steel door, shut obnoxiously tight. Talk about heightened security.
Hopefully it wasn't locked.
…It was locked. There was no way I could see to open the damn thing except a keyhole. That means there was a key somewhere. A key that I do not have. Knowing my luck, it will be a drop from the big guy himself.
Darn, and here I was hoping to get some fancy new ninja technique to help me with the boss. It was sure helpful last time. Probably why I was prevented from doing so this time. I know where it is, at least, so that was something. Guess I have no choice but to take on the only enemy I've managed to find in this entire section.
Climbing back up the ladder, I marked the location on the Map. What a handy little feature. After that, I made my way back towards the Blue Ogre, intent on triggering whatever trap was laid out.
Reaching the arena-like area in the center of the Blue Ogre's District, I climbed on top of a house, just like last time and observed my opponent, waiting for the right moment to strike. I'll try to cut the belt feeding the Minigun first, see if that works, but with the improvements to this side of the Dungeon, I wasn't hopeful.
I did manage to find another boulder beforehand, so that was pretty exciting. Robbed a Zen garden to get it. That's not bad luck, is it?
Even so, it was mine now, and there's not a damn thing they could do about it.
I waited for a minute or two, and when I saw the big blue asshole turn away from me, I activated Shadow Strike, in conjunction with Sneak Attack. Hopefully, that would do enough damage to the belt to render his weapon useless.
If not, maybe I could jam the thing up with something in my Inventory, like the Kusarigama. I might be able to use Chain Trap to wrap that around the belt, and when it tried to feed into the gun, it would wedge itself inside the entrance and block it from receiving more ammo.
So I at least had a plan B in case things went south, and plan C was to run like hell before I become Swiss cheese.
I appeared from his shadow, hand on the hilt of Zannkimaru. I drew the blade in one swift motion, cutting into the belt, and to my relief, severed it. I smirked a bit, watching the two halves of the thing dangling uselessly. He still had a bit of ammo, but once that was used up, he wouldn't be getting anymore.
The Blue Ogre must have heard me, because he swung his body pretty damn fast towards me, swinging the Minigun like a club. I grabbed one of the boulders from my Inventory and used it as a shield.
I pushed against one side as myself and the boulder skidded back a few feet. I jumped on top of it, leaping upwards and towards the Blue Ogre, who raised his Minigun in my direction. But I was ready for that. Pulling my second boulder from my Inventory, dropping it on him.
I didn't manage to do any damage to him, but his weapon was now trapped beneath it. I sprinted towards him, slashing my weapon with all my might, cutting deep into his arm. It was still attached, unfortunately, but his Hp took a decent nosedive, and he was also Bleeding.
But of course, the sneaky ogre did something I didn't expect. He took in a deep breath before releasing what looked like some kind of ice breath. What made me think that you might be asking?
The giant boulder that was pinning its precious Isebella was turning into a giant ice pop. It only took a few seconds, showing just how potent it is, before the whole thing was encased in ice.
I probably should have done something to stop this, but I was too mesmerized by the sight. I blame t.v, the internet, and Hollywood. They've collectively reduced my attention span to nothing.
Then, he punched it. My precious boulder exploded in a shower of rock and ice. I should have been upset about it, but my emotions are being suppressed, so I was only mildly annoyed by this fact.
When I'm in my right mind again, I'll be sure to give it a proper funeral. But until then, I had to fight for my life.
Which was in some serious trouble at the moment. I've used both of my boulders, and was out in the open. So there was no way I would be able to dodge the hail of bullets about to come my way.
I watched in seemingly slow motion as he pointed the weapon towards me, a big stupid grin on his face. I had to think of something fast. I opened my Inventory to see if there was anything that could help me, hearing the whirring of the Minigun as it started up.
That's when I saw the Poison Darts. It was a long shot, but if I threw one of these at its face, it just might provide enough of a distraction to allow me to Sprint out of here.
Seeing no other alternative, I grabbed one and took aim. I then tossed it, using Power Throw to give it some extra oomph. It soared fast and true, right into the ogre's left eye.
My eyes widened in shock at the critical hit. He roared in absolute agony, rearing his head back and firing his weapon randomly through the air. I yelped and took cover as a few stray shots almost got me.
But with him distracted, I ran for cover behind good old boulder #1. That hit took him down to around 84%, so I was making good progress. Much better than the Red Ogre, at any rate.
I listened as the bullets ran out, hearing the Minigun spinning uselessly. And it looked like the cooldown for Shadow Strike was done. Perfect. I shoved the boulder back into my Inventory, and charged at the Blue Ogre.
He was still holding his eye, blood dripping through his fingers, not paying any attention to me. I drew my sword, swinging at him with all of my considerable Strength, cutting into his leg right above the knee.
*Ding*
By repeatedly performing a certain action, you have gained the Ability: Power Slash.
I grinned, having a pretty good idea of what it did. I've been waiting for this one. The ogre's Hp dropped another 5%, but I wasn't done. I began using Power Slash over and over again, aiming for the same spot, hoping to cut his leg off.
Honestly, the fact that it cost so little Stamina and had no cooldown was a little broken. I assume this will be fixed in a future patch. I'll be sad to get nerfed, but I understand.
But before I could sever his leg, he regained some of his senses and swung his Minigun at me. Seeing this, I used Shadow Strike, appearing on the other side of him. I used Power Slash in conjunction with Shadow Strike, and his Hp dropped to about 48%
And that's when his secret Technique stepped in to poop on my parade. He let out a deafening roar, whipping up a tornado made of snow and ice. I shielded myself as best I could, but there was nothing I could do. My body was sent flying out of the open courtyard I was fighting him in, ending up on some street.
"Ow, that didn't feel good. So that's his secret technique huh? Throwing a hissy fit?" I questioned, getting back to my feet. I walked up to the swirling vortex of snow, sticking my hand towards it, only to find it violently thrown back.
"Ah! Yeah, that's about what I thought. Looks like I can't get back in there until I take care of this thing," I said, cradling my hand. It wasn't really injured, but sticking into a swirling mass of snow stung quite a bit.
That's not all. The temperature is dropping fast. If you're not careful, you'll freeze to death.
"Well that's just great. So I'm on a time limit now am I? Any idea on how to-shit!" I cursed, feeling an arrow whizz above my head. I looked around, but it seems like the Blue Ogre's secret technique has kicked up a blizzard across the whole district. I couldn't see anything.
"And it looks like I won't have a leisurely time figuring things out either, huh? Talk about playing on hard mode," I mumbled, watching as another arrow came shooting through the storm.
I twisted my head to dodge and began running down the street. More and more arrows rained down on me, and I did my best to dodge, but I did get hit a couple of times. Luckily they didn't seem to be poisoned, so that was a relief.
But they just wouldn't let up, relentless in their desire to kill me. Looking ahead, I noticed a window to a house, and decided to jump through it. A couple of arrows hit the wall around the window as I did so.
"Tsk, talk about persistent," I said to myself, panting slightly. I yanked the arrows out of me, wincing as I took a bit more damage from it. It gave me the Bleeding Status as well, but it would only last a minute, so I wasn't worried.
Looking around the room I found myself in, I noted that it was a basic living room. Some couches, a chair, a table... Nothing really important or that could help me.
Hey, I think I know what you're supposed to do here…
"Great, I'm all ears."
…
"Sarah?"
I just… Don't know if I should tell you. I mean, wouldn't it be better for you to figure things out on your own? If I just give you all the answers, you won't get any stronger, and if you don't get any stronger, you'll die. Just like-
"Woah, easy there. Just take a deep breath and calm down," I said to her. I listened as she seemed to do so, staring outside, trying to see if anybody was attempting to storm the castle, as it were. So far, nothing. They were probably content to wait me out, hoping I'll freeze to death.
"Feel better?" I asked, hearing her breathing even out. It sounded really weird, like it was coming from everywhere at once, as if she was putting on one hell of a ventriloquist show.
Yeah… Sorry, I just…
"Listen, it's fine. We can talk about it later. But right now, I need your help, because in case you've forgotten, I'm about to freeze to death," I told her. She seemed to think about it, or at least that's what I assumed she was doing, but eventually, she decided to answer.
The giant heaters, remember? I'm pretty sure you have to turn them all on.
I nearly slapped myself for not thinking of it. It made perfect sense, sort of. Perfect sense for a video game at any rate. And luckily, I happened to spot a few of them as I searched for the Shadow Ogre lair.
*Ding*
-New Quest-
To Beat the Cold
The Blue Ogre has unleashed his secret technique, creating a blizzard that will freeze anyone trapped inside of it. Find a way to stop the blizzard before you freeze to death.
Heaters Activated: 0/4
Reward
-250 Exp
-Stops the Snowstorm
Failure
-Death
"Looks like you hit the nail on the head. Alright, let's do this," I said. Looking out of the house, I tried once again to spot any of the numerous enemies I knew wanted me dead. But with a snowstorm as heavy as it was, there was no way for me to do so.
Add to that, the blizzard also messed up my map, making it all staticky again. Which sucked, but I had a fairly good idea of where to go. And I couldn't afford to wait either. The temperature was cold to start with, but it had to be almost down to 0 at this point.
But that didn't mean I couldn't play this at least somewhat smart. The house had a second floor, which meant I might be able to leave out from a window up there and take to the roofs, which would take away their advantage of the high ground.
I've seen Star Wars. I know how important that is.
There was no time to second guess myself. I ran up the stairs and quickly found the windows with the easiest access to the roof. Opening it, shivering at the freezing gust of wind that assaulted me, I placed my foot against the windowsill and jumped.
Thankfully, I am very strong, and made it across no problem. From here, I needed to go right and up. Glaring out against the raging storm, I started to run in the, hopefully, right direction.
But to my shock, I almost ran directly into an ogre. This one was pure white, blending in perfectly with the snow. He wore a loincloth and a furry vest, very similar to what the Blue Ogre wore. In his hands was a wooden bow that's seen better days, which might be one of the reasons they haven't been able to hit me very much.
I didn't bother Scanning the thing, having no time to do so. Instead, right as he noticed me, I swung my sword at his bow, cutting it in half and rendering it useless. Sucks that I can't take it for myself, but as long as he can't use it, I'm fine with that.
I bright my sword down at him, but he stumbled backwards, only receiving a light cut to his chest. He did slip on the icy roof tiles, falling to the street below, so either way, he was out of my hair for now.
That's a bald guy joke.
With that out of the way, I continued on my journey. It didn't take long before more arrows started coming my way. They must have spotted me, which was unfortunate. But at least they were easier to dodge up here. Not being surrounded on all sides helped.
Eventually I was able to spot one of the giant heaters, although barely. The fact that they were also white didn't help me any. But it didn't matter, I found one and it was time to light this baby up.
Jumping off the roof as arrows bounced off the tiles behind me, I landed on the snowy ground, which by now had accumulated several inches of the powdery fluff. My fingers were starting to go numb, and breathing in the frigid air hurt my chest. I needed to hurry.
I ran toward the heater, dodging more arrows before I reached it. I didn't waste any time and flipped the switch to on, fingers crossed it actually worked this time. And to my immense joy, it did.
I heard it rattle a bit, and I smelt it before I felt it. The smell of copper wire heating up, almost like it was burning. A few seconds later, I could feel the heat beginning to pour out. But my jubilation didn't last long.
You have activated a Heater. Protect it while it warms up.
Time Remaining: 3:00
My eyes widened at that. "You've got to be kidding me..."
Looking out across the courtyard, I could see the blizzard let up slightly, just enough for me to see dozens of ogres surrounding me. Some with bows, some with clubs, but all of them more than eager to take me out.
"Alright, if that's the way you want to play, fine! Bring it on!"