Chapter 87
Sunset by the Beach
It dawned on me that I didn’t even know for sure what Netta and Dowser thought about the tournament.
“Hey, guys,” I said and both Dowser and Netta opened one eye from their own passed out state in their beach chairs. “Are you both participating in the tournament?”
Dowser guffawed. “Do you even have to ask me?”
“I’m entering,” Netta said. “But, really, who isn’t?”
Good point.
Kenzo cleared his throat. We all looked at him, in a much fancier beach chair than ours. It had a big fan that came out of one of the arms, blowing air in his completely sweat free face. Why in the world did he need that?
“I’m not entering, for one,” he said.
Dowser shot up. “What, why!? You’re a badass, you could probably win the whole thing with your eyes closed.”
Kenzo shook his head. “Too much effort. You saw what I did with that ball. Just that exhausted me,” he gestured to his chair.
“Oh come on,” I said. “That’s bullshit. You just think it would be unfair to everyone with all the crazy powers you have, right?”
He chuckled. “Maybe.”
“How strong are you?” Dowser asked. “Like, be real, are you crazy strong?”
“Those that can’t do, teach,” he said, positively beaming.
We all groaned.
“One day we will see you at full power,” I said.
His demeanor changed and the hot air chilled. “Let’s pray that day never comes.”
We all felt the difference, none of us responded with more quips and prodding. He’d shut that all down in just a sentence.
His fan turned off and he stood up, his chair sliding into the sand.
“I think that’s enough of a break. Stephen, Darcy. If you would both gather around me I can restore your mental energy back to full power. Netta, I’m afraid my powers can’t fully restore Interverse mana. Do you happen to have–”
She pulled out an MP restoring potion and chugged it in one gulp. “All good.”
“Fantastic. Let’s keep it up. Our time is most assuredly shrinking.”
And just like that, we were back to the grind. As we played, my strength grew. The amount of mental energy I had increased as well as the strength of it. As we played–er, sorry TRAINED–I knew it was making a difference. I could see it with my own eyes as, eventually, Stephen and I began to dominate.
When we finally wrapped up for the day, this is what my gains were like for my mental powers:
[ {Mind Link} Level 9 -> 13
{Conjuring} Level 10 -> 19
{Levitation} Level 5 -> 14
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
MP Reserves: 1,500 -> 2,500 ]
Not too shabby for one day, huh?
“Okay, everyone, it’s getting late,” Kenzo finally said. And, it was, the sun was slowly disappearing over the horizon. “Well done, all of you.”
We kept hitting the ball as he talked, he had to physically (well, mentally) remove it from us to get us to stop. Once it was officially one hundred percent over, we all collapsed onto the sand.
“You know,” I said through deep breaths. “It would be just my luck for me to be summoned there now.”
Everyone flipped out, Stephen even came over and covered my mouth.
“Why, oh why, would you even voice that possibility?” He said. “Are you crazy?”
I laughed. “Geez, I didn’t know you were so superstitious. It’s not like just my saying it will make it–oh no.”
Stephen reeled back, horrified.
But I just pushed him over, laughing my ass off. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. No one summoned me. It’s okay.”
Stephen threw some sand at me. “Not funny.”
I just rolled my eyes. “Kind of funny.”
“Not even a little bit.”
“Then why am I laughing so hard?” And I really was, could barely get the words out.
“Cause you’re crazy,” Stephen said and threw one more handful of sand at me and then got up. He held his hand out to me. “Come on.”
I grabbed it, my laughter slowing. “Sorry. Just… nervous I guess. Joking helps.”
“Maybe get some better jokes then, Darce,” Netta said as she crawled under the net and joined us on the other side.
Dowser tried to follow her but he was a bit too big to get underneath it completely. Kenzo noticed him struggling and, with a clap, the net sunk into the sand.
“Thanks, Teach!” Dowser said.
Kenzo just nodded. But he smiled. I think he really enjoyed watching all of Dowser’s antics. I think we all did.
But no one liked MY joke. I see how it is.
“If you all are up for it, I don’t mind everyone staying here another night. Or multiple nights. As many as it takes until she is called. But I’m sure you might have your lives to get back–”
Netta shook her head vigorously. “Oh no, you’re not gonna get rid of me that easy. I’m here until all this is sorted and Darcy and Sam are safe.”
Dowser puffed up his chest. “Me, too. I don’t got anything else going on as important as this.”
Yet again I was touched by their words. Like, I know we weren’t living in Earth times, none of us had normal nine to five jobs that we needed to do to make ends meet. But… still. We were in the Interverse. The list of what they could have been doing instead of helping me was vast and endless.
“Was there even a question on me staying or not?” Stephen asked.
“I mean you DID bail on me for how long, again?” When I saw his face my attempt at humor dug me even further into the sand. “Okay, you’re right. Not funny. Too soon. I’m sorry. I think I’m just freaking exhausted as all hell.”
They all agreed… even Kenzo nodded his head along with us, like he did something other than clap and stand around watching all day. But I didn’t say that, obviously. I think they would all bail on me if I did. That would be one bad joke too many.
“Alright then. I’ll have four beds for you all. Would you like separate rooms or one big one?”
I raised an eyebrow. “If you could do that from the start what was with having them sleep on the couch?”
Kenzo reeled back as if struck. “Darcy, you know I offered. They just really fell in love with that couch and wanted to give you and Stephen space to recover. Isn’t that right?”
Dowser jumped to his defence right away. “Oh hell yeah, that couch is the bomb. If it wasn’t so small I would sleep there again tonight.”
“Don’t worry, the beds are just as amazing," I assured him.
Netta chimed in. “They are? I’m so excited to sleep, oh my god.”
“So,” Kenzo said. “One big room or separate…?”
“You could get summoned at any second, right?” Stephen said. “I think we should all be there in case you disappear. So we will at least know when it’s going down. Oh, do you think… they’d let us watch?”
“You want to watch me get beat up?” I asked.
Stephen frowned. “You’re not going to get beaten. You’re going to win. Positive thoughts, remember?”
Using my own words against me. Annoying but effective. I shut up and smiled.
“One big room it is,” Kenzo said.
And, for once, he didn’t clap but made the changes in his menu, his eye a blur as he made the selections.
“Okay, all ready. I’m sure you all are anxious to call it a night so I’ve set your spawn point to be directly into the room.”
“Thanks, Kenzo,” I said and the others followed suit with their own shouts of thanks before accepting the invitation and teleporting away.
I was the last to leave, I even let Kenzo go before me. I just stood there one last time, watching the light of the sinking sun reflect on the water. It really was one hell of a view. I tried to imagine it looking even better, even more real back on Earth and… I just couldn’t picture it. But that was easy for me to say, having never seen the real thing. The real, well, anything.
I’d read up on it, though. About people’s impressions in that first wave of entering the Interverse. And I couldn’t find anyone that said that it wasn’t anything but “perfect, just like the real thing." But could I trust that? How easy it would be for the Admins to erase all the negative reviews.
So I just had to take their word for it. This sunset was just as magical as the ones on Earth.
I wondered what my mom would say.