Chapter 019 - A loss by K.O?

Cyan and Alice met in the food area once again.

Cyan was looking like he had come out from a building on fire with all of his clothes burned off here and there, and there was a big hole in his chest and back. However, he did not have any burn marks left into his skin, and that was because they already had disappeared from his body as he already healed up in Floor 4 after the training.

On the other hand, Alice clothes did not have any cut on them, but her face that was as white as a sheet of paper together with her expression was telling the story that her current wound free status was not showing. As for her clothes, she already had changed into another set after her initial clothes had become rags due to the way her training has been carried out before she went into Floor 4 to heal up.

Alice expression meant she had failed to dodge quite a few times the shard obstacles in the track, however, no wound was left into her body either, even when one of her arms had almost been cut off at some point in time, making her heart almost stop of the scare. On the other hand, Cyan face told the history of a person that was almost burned alive while running for his dear life, however, at this point, neither of the two could say what it was the more painfully experience.

They both just sat down on their chairs with an empty gaze and without saying anything at all, as they shared the untold horrors of their training without the need for using words. In the end, they recovered enough to order so food, because, in truth, the hunger they were both feeling right now could suppress whatever other feelings they were having inside their minds right now.

Cyan could not help but ask.

[Cyan]: “so… how was your training?”

Cyan could tell that Alice training had also been like hell, if her trainer was Karla the sister of that fire demon Karga, which means her training could not have been any easier than his own training; their personality of the twins should also be similar when it came to training Cyan thought after observing Alice status.

Alice gathered enough strength to give her a reply.

[Alice]: “…It was… ok… how was yours?”

[Cyan]: “…It was also… ok”

They both looked at each other and nodded after coming to an understanding as both of their training regimes were crazy, and both of the training were also equally as crazy as the training itself, because both Karla and Karga were on the same track as they were training on while teaching them how to move around the track at each step of the way, and all the while dogging all the obstacles they couldn’t dodge.

It worked to inspire Cyan and Alice to try their best in their training as the twins were giving them all of their support individually. In the end, Alice and Cyan shared a laugh due to their sorry appearances and started to eat the food that was brought by the robots to the table, after eating their fifth plate of food and that they finally felt their bellies being full was when they started feeling a lot better.

At the same time, someone had come to the same table they were using.

[Karla]: “But isn’t this the couple, perhaps I am interrupting a date?”

Cyan and Alice could only go red and look go away from each other after Karla commentary.

[Alice]: “It is not like that…”

Karla didn’t mind the kid’s reaction as she took a sit in the table without asking for permission.

[Karla]: “Hey newbie don’t you want to hear something interesting? If you give 1.000 Credits I will tell you”

Cyan ignore the fact that Karla was back to calling him a newbie, he didn’t any strength to argue back right now.

[Cyan]: “Tell me what?”

Cyan could not help but to grow curious, however, Alice’s face became even redder and she started to flap her arms trying to stop Cyan from asking.

[Karla]: “Of course, I will tell you what color they are you know”

In the mind of Cyan, a lightbulb was turned on, however when he turned around and saw Alice glaring gaze that she was putting on he could only refuse! Totally refuse!

[Karla]: “ah ah what a shame, you know, they were very…”

Before Karla could finish a deep voice interrupted her.

[Boss]: “Karla”

A wall of muscles blocked Cyan view as Boss took out a chair to sit down, Karga had also come to the table taking a sit in front of his twin sister.

[Karla]: “Boss I was just lighting the mood, they both looked so pitiful after the training you should have seen their faces”.

[Boss]: “…”

[Karla]: “Alright alright… however, newbie, I will throw a freebie for you, during the training Alice keep trying to look at your training, making her received far more wounds that she would have otherwise”

Cyan could only turn into Alice direction as he was asking if this was true but she only avoided his gazed and opted for not saying anything at all, however, this makes Cyan hearth feeling warmer, because he also wanted to look for Alice training but a wall of fire was on the way, preventing him for even knowing in what direction to even look, however, his secret was soon revealed by Karga.

[Karga]: “oh that’s what newbie was also doing? looking for Alice? During his training, he kept looking around making fail to dodged several times”

[Boss]: “…”

It was good that Boss was there for them, saving Alice and Cyan from more teasing of the twins.

[Karla]: “Alright, enough of that Karga you are making the kids feel bad”

Karga wanted to retort “You were the one that started it!” but he had to give up because arguing with his sister was like digging his own grave, and also he had another thing to ask Boss about.

[Karla]: “Right Boss how was Floor 8?”

[Boss]: “I loss”

Cyan could only be stunned, “this wall of muscle actually had lost? Impossible!” He thought to himself that this must be a joke of Boss.

In the other hand, everyone else in the table also acted the same.

[Karla]: “What? How?”

[Boss]: “Don’t know it was by K.O”

Nobody in the table could hide their surprise faces, Boss was a very tall man full of muscles, anyone capable of knocking the lights out of him must be something like an even bigger monster.

However, before anyone else had the chance made another question, it was the turn of Boss to ask a question.

[Boss]: “Cyan how did you unlocked the Floor?”

Karla nodded also, she had also asked this, but actually Cyan had brushed off the subject before, but now she wanted real answers.

[Karla]: “Right, newbie I had been wondering how you earned 500.000 Credits on you for unlocking the Floor?”

Cyan could see everyone in table growing curious about this topic including Alice, so he could only say the truth, that he didn’t have 500.000 Credits and that the floor only cost him 90.000 Credits that he got from losing his robot Willy.

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[Karla]: “So it was like that… however, I don’t think other Players got that many Credits for the robot, not to mention the price of the Floor is…”

Even though there were many problems with this explanation Karla could read Cyan face and she knew he was telling the truth, even though she wanted to make more question Boss didn’t felt they needed to dig out more information.

[Boss]: “…”

[Karla]: “Cough… but you did well in buying it, you will get your money back soon and then some, of course, the offer still stands if you want to buy the information just text me and I will send you the picture”

[Boss]: “…”

[Karga]: “Cough … then Boss how you were K.O”

Karga could not help but to try to move the conversation forward, his sister had been angering Boss too much, of course, it also could be said that after 3 weeks she was bored to death, so having Cyan and Alice to play around could be said her way around to released her accumulated stress.

[Karla]: “That’s right Boss we are dying to know how you were K.O”

Boss thought for a second, how did actually he got K.O… he doesn’t know, he only remembers one thing though.

[Boss]: “Something fast and hard hit me, K.O”

The atmosphere in the table turned heavy by the boss answer.

[Karla]: “How hard?”

[Boss]: “Very”

[Karga]: “How fast?”

[Boss]: “Very”

Even though the boss words were short and hard to understand, they still carry the meaning of someone that has been in real combat, and it has been training inside the Tower for 3 weeks already.

Something very hard and something very fast hit him and did a K.O on him, and before anyone else could ask another question Boss continue with his explanation.

[Boss]: “We had to fight against these”

Then Boss took out his phone out and showed a picture taken from the video Alice had shared with them.

Everyone in the table was shocked by this revelation, everyone was expecting that in the [Fighting Area] there would be fights, but against other Players as part of their training, however that was incorrect, but it made sense, after all, there was already the P.V.P in Floor 7, and they were here training not to fight other Players but to fight against monsters.

[Karla]: “You had a fight against those monster?”

Boss nodded his head

[Karga]: “Wait Boss you fought and lost?”

Boss nodded his head again

This time Karla and Karga were mute, they didn’t have anything else to say, Boss was a tall tower for them to be measured in, they never had beat him in a 1 on 1 combat, be inside or outside the Tower, and other Players could probably not beat him in 1 vs 1 fight either and yet he had lost…

[Boss]: “I won on the first round 1 vs 1, and the second round 1 vs 5, however the third round 1 vs 1 I lost in K.O”

The information Boss has brought was not over.

[Boss]: “Those things cooperate with each other on round two, and on the third round an even bigger one shows up”

Everyone in the table knew that one of those things could go against bullets but if there is to be an army of those monster and they were to gather… not to mention they were also cooperating with each other, even so, Boss had won on the second round but then… an even bigger monster show up that waste him in a single move.

Karla didn’t know if she was gathering more information or she was getting her hopes crushed down by Boss, however, Boss hasn’t given up yet, as if he was reading the mood in the table.

[Boss]: “I will keep challenging it until I win”

A fire could be seen inside Boss eyes as they were burning in passion, so much so that Boss that didn’t like to talk too much had been talking a lot right now.

The fighting spirit in Boss also ignited everyone spirit in the table.

[Karla]: “Boss we will go with you and keep up with you no matter what”

[Karga]: “That’s right Boss there is no way we can lose against some beast if we fight together”

Boss shook his head showing his refusal for the proposal.

[Boss]: “You need to keep training Alice and Cyan, they are part of our faction now”

After saying his piece Boss stoop up and left the area, probably he is going challenge the [Fighting Area] again, that supposition proved to be right after Boss returned and asked Cyan for a [Ticket] before leaving again.

In the other hand Boss now could go to Floor 8 with a clear mind after he had checked out the status of the kids, leaving their training to his two most trusted subordinates was indeed a good idea.

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After Boss left Karla let out a sigh, she was obviously worried about Boss wellbeing, however her fighting spirit was still burning, meaning someone else will have to suffer the consequences.

[Karla]: “Alright, you two should go and take a rest, we will continue after you wake up, at twice the intensity!”

[Cyan]: “What! Wait can’t we take it more slowly? We just started today”

However, Karla was not alone in this as her twin brother was also with the same mindset.

[Karga]: “No can do, you hear Boss, we had confirmed the enemy and their fighting capabilities, and we are way underpowered to deal with them, so we need to train even harder from now on”

Cyan could only accept their words and go to his room to take a rest, this time Alice didn’t go with him as she went to her own room, they both had a lot of think about after today’s training and Boss revelations of Floor 8.

At this time Cyan phone vibrated indicating he got a new notification.

Message [Midas]: “Player Boss wish to add you as a contact, do you wish to accept or refuse”

Message [Midas]: “Player Karga wish to add you as a contact, do you wish to accept or refuse”

Message [Midas]: “Player Karla wish to add you as a contact, do you wish to accept or refuse”

Cyan accepted all of them as contacts.

Soon after he got a new message from Karla.

Message [Karla]: “You aren’t too late newbie you can still buy this precious information about your sweetheart, and if you act now I will also add a bonus item, it will help you to have sweet dreams if you put it under your pillow you know”

Cyan was feeling very tented, Karla had a way with words that make him wanted to know “that” information, not mention what the bonus item was, however before he could answer he got another message

Message [Alice]: “I hope you aren’t talking with Karla about things you shouldn’t be talking”

Cyan could felt the angry tone of Alice in her message, he would probability earn her wrath if he keeps playing around like this, even though it was fun to see Alice mad face, he knew it was better not to push his luck too much.

Reply: “I refuse please stop writing about this subject I am not interested at all”

Message [Karla]: “What a shame…your loss newbie”

With a clean cut refusal, Karla should have understood already that Cyan doesn’t want anything to do with her shady business, however, he got a new message but this time there was a photo attached to it.

Message [Karla]: “[Photo]”

Cyan didn’t want to open the photo, because he could feel it was something he should not open, but his hand move on his own and his finger accidentally tapped into the [photo], then a picture of cute blueish fabric that was cut in half show up in his phone, Cyan could now understand what the bonus item was all about, as he was thinking that some started to bang into his door.

When he opened the door, Alice with a red face was waiting for him outside, Cyan probably guessed she also got the same message as he did by her facial expression.

With a deep and serious voice, she asked him.

[Alice]: “Did you opened it?”

Cyan considered his options, he could lie but then a lie can blow up into his face later on, but if he was honest… then…

[Cyan]: “… I did…”

[Alice]: “…”

Alice was doing the same angry expressions Boss was showing just early on when Karla was teasing them in the [Food Area].

[Cyan]: “But it was by mistake I swear”

Cyan also added it was a mistake after seeing Alice angry face, he was expecting to be slapped, but Alice just left without saying anything else, what was worse than being slapped it? It was getting no answer, at least with the slap he could have been forgiven.

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In another room not too far away

Message [Midas]: “Player Cyan has removed you as a contact”

Karla could only laugh to herself as she read through the message.

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Cyan let out a sigh after he entered back into his room, and after blocking Karla for sending any more messages that would cause him any more problems, he moved to the read the rest of messages he got from today’s training.

Message [Midas]: “Player has completed the 30 km, Awarded 90 Credits”

Message [Midas]: “Player has completed the 50 km, Awarded 250 Credits”

Message [Midas]: “Quest [Start your training II] [4] Cleared, Player is rewarded with 1 Free Point”.

Message [Midas]: “Quest [Start your training II] [5] Cleared, Player is rewarded with 1 Free Point”.

As for today’s gains he only got 340 Credits in total and 2 Free Points, however after resting for a bit his stats should increase on their own, of course when he finished with the Quest his status should also get a nice boost, Cyan thought of this as he reviewed the progress of the Quest.

[Quest]

* Start your training (Completed)

* …

* Become a Player Tutor (In progress) (6 days remaining)

* …

* [Start your training II] (In Progress)

* [1] Run 1 km, in 10 minutes (Cleared)

* [2] Run 10 km (Cleared)

* [3] Run 20 km (Cleared)

* [4] Run 30 km (Cleared)

* [5] Run 50 km (Cleared)

* [6] Run 80 km (In Progress) (1/80)

* [7] Locked (unlocks after clearing the previous task)

However what Karga said to him during today’s training still weight on inside his mind, he will have to train harder than anyone else because he was an all stats Player, and that having more stats didn’t mean growing stronger than everyone else because he would still be weaker than some that just raised his strength, slower than some that just raised his dexterity, and will grow more tired that someone that just raised his stamina, so to be at the same level as everyone else that focus in one stat he needs to train 5 times as much or more.

Even though he wanted to think more about this matter his eyes started to feel very heavy as he lay down on top of his bed, and with those thoughts still going around his mind, Cyan fell into the worlds of dreams once again.