COI C199
In school, it wasn’t easy for Miyusuki and Joanne’s friends to hide their wounds. Only Joanne herself wasn’t cut down by the Enders last night. Surprisingly, Andui was able to spot their hidden damage inside of their mana flow. Both mana and their own bodies are showing signs of damage that is too severe that it kicks Andui’s secret abilities. The teachers were so close to call their parents. Quail stops them
“This is not going to be a problem. The symptoms show it was caused by an Enders. We could find the cure from Quill”
“It is our responsibility for the well-being of these students”
“At the same time, we all know Miyusuki is an Raker Mawn guild”
Quail easily took the front from their angry teachers. The healer, Ootadakimasu, is one of those prodigies she is observing inside the sphere. This student is always helping the shield student to muster up and faced the Enders in a prolonged fight. Many students give up as many attempts put their harm way. Not for this boy, as if he is interested with the dangerous individuals. Plus, she is also defending Joanne. Oh, what a coincidence she had to do to get indirectly involved again with the city guild.
Andui clears her voice “You do know Ootadakimasu has a permanent damage on his UI. It is incredible that he survived. And . . .”
Andui sees her inventory that looks familiar to the description. A farewell gift from Haw to her, the special guild item. Harmonized all mana and for her to study it and developed with her three friends: Reya, Coral, and Iggy. She sees a clear status on him. She’s worried, but there is a chance he can. Even though as if he was already in deep wounds but it was only his mana. Regretfully, she said “Fine, but there will be punishment . . .”
The students thought it was a stupid idea for Ironno to suggest going to school and go to the sphere for the cure. They all know the teachers are not that gullible now since they learn how to pass through their tricks. Taken it for granted or was it because Haw and Ironno were the live scapegoats from the teachers to learn their pranks and other mischiefs. Healer is getting a feeling of annoyance for all he had been through to grind to get his UI with high levels of mana control. The collections of his recipes, spells, and other magic channeling practices are all gone from the slash.
Holly feels a bit guilty after what Ironno identifies her skills. “You’re their first target because a bullet is a bullet. The dusts end their protection, whatever you trying to hit is a lethal gunshot. They will definitely kill you, but they don’t have the lethally within the dust. They would try to suffocate you to the brim with crystal shards to your lungs”
Remembering that again made her accidentally clings healer. Whispering to his ears crying “I’m sorry”
He retaliates by patting her on the head. She gets flustered, then blushed away close to Joanne.
Quail turns to them “Alright, I made good words for you. Teacher Andui will check up you guys again. Whether or not you are going to cure yourself in the sphere with teacher Alche’s help. She will see you after class. Succeed, and we will ignore everything you guys have been through. Failed, you and all of you will be suspended during this time of the moon cycle from going with your guild training”
The shield student checks his gauntlet, there is a dent from the cut. Yet the slash marks persist on his gauntlet showing a visual damage. He has more problem than his own
“Alright, but could you call teacher Haw too? If we succeed at least”
Andui has his phone number. Quail looks at her and expect to be true. She felt like she is being dared to do, but the shield student is their guild member. She nods then moves her head blushingly. Quail took it as a yes and responds
“Certainly, I’ll be calling Alche later for him to be your guide to Enders Bridge”
Joanne and Holly are a bit interested, for Ironno to told them to go to the simulation room for a cure made them curious if it worked. Meanwhile the shield student, Ootadakimasu, and Usweet- are making an argument. Healer says it again.
“Shield, healer, tank/berserker”
“Why can’t you even say my name?”
Both of them shouted “We are not going to swear your fucking name!”
“Hypocrites”
Alche and O2 are preparing the computer to trace those students. A claim that they would gladly figure out in comparison of the real world and the simulation. A cure for their damaged mana flow. A fascinating observation for Alche, and O2 adding himself for the job. O2 said to him
“I never thought I’ll be assisting again in the simulation room. This place has fond memories to watch them on screen. Do they still complain how Coral looks with the armor they gave her?”
“Coral is not even assigned here. She is busy being a gym teacher”
“Gym teacher? Trying being an English teacher”
“Nah, I have my science to be my topic”
Soon after another simulation session for the students. It was a big a surprised as many students are requesting to go to Enders Bridge. Rumors are already spreading that the few of the students who are harmed put great interest how they attacked them leaving a powerful strain and still able to move. The noise creeps to them as they ready to go to the portal. O2 remembers something.
“They wanted to go to Enders Bridge, but we didn’t update it for some time. What happened?”
Quail comes in and said “We left it out. Thean and the others thought it won’t be necessary. Are we going to update even more, O2?”
“Well, I supposed. There are a few added data I could put it in”
“Who?”
“Demon”
“No, why are suggesting it to them?”
Alche added “But why are you mentioning demon?”
“I guess and I already uploaded it too. There are also others, what are they called again? You know that one student with the gauntlet. I added them too”
The silent. It is a question how O2 was able to get those characters. Same like the shield student’s gauntlet, one of those Dexter Guild members are in the simulation. Questions for sources piling up those two’s heads. O2 answers them without knowing
“You have no idea how I able to get them from Haw’s stone slab” O2 says it out of coincidence, very suspicious coincident.
The teachers couldn’t say more anything bad. “More Enders? Is that really going to make it harder for them?” The students need to learn to face them. Quill has no saying in this as they tried to contact her. Her reaction was always the same as they expected. The complaints she always has is how fast they were to die instead to understand what’s going on. Added more of the dangerous ones will lead to just to suicide. Especially how they keep ignoring her and the other AIs giving them tips.
Without any further changes beside adding a few Enders, the teachers send their way and give a great big warning to the students. They know, and the students wanted to go there. They only wish for the simulated Enders are to give the students a chance to learn instead of quickly taken them out. Quill have none of that, Enders had history and a history formed because of their only rise to independence. No race without gods have ever escaped by the powers of the mana in their version. Neutral mana for the demons, Elven magic from the elven gods, Runes by the ancestor’s soul forge by the dwarves, and Shamanism calls out the spirits of the old worlds.
The students appeared again in their usual starting point. The simulated Isekai City. Untouched by the moon cycles and keeps its usual every sunny day ever since. Across to the other side is the true barren of the Jigeram’s light. Without the destruction of mana and the crystallization that colors itself brown red and more. The terror of the light blue fog and its clear dense shards. Joanne steps in and her team move carefully.
“I don’t know why you guys want to get a cure in a simulation, but according to what teacher Ironno told us is to go underground. Calling themselves Apothecary guild or something, is it really possible to get cured here . . .?”
There is a catch though. Enders never let that place go near it, always hostile to anyone who is stronger. The luck they could get to find them is uncertain, but they have no choice. Joanne has no clue any of their plans except for Miyusuki’s
“I hope we go through all this. Holly didn’t deserve it”
“Neither do we, don’t worry Joanne. Teacher Ironno and teacher Haw won’t let us down something urgent” Miyusuki says it confidently.
Healer has doubts, but “I can’t suspect much. Shield here got a blessing from what I heard. Better make this good or I’ll be nothing more of a dead friend”
The students are taken the first march. Once again train again into the simulation. Going through the dusts, they experience yet again. They just ignore it as the handicap still favors them. Not everyone is ready to go to the real world in such a harsh environment. The students are still finding ways to survive before the Jigeram’s light ever come across. They grew well with nature, but the struggles persist against these simulated individuals able to take them without problems. Miyusuki and his friends keep it seriously for their training in the dusty wasteland.
Healer can only guess “Teacher is really confident about this sphere. If it does help us to get through, then maybe we could get someone to talk logically like Quill”
Berserker is a bit confused as he looks at the map while listening to Healer “I can’t be sure. It would be great that we can have those simulated version of them to talk with. Instead getting beat up with their muted expression . . . Anyway, do we have to continue our role names, Ootadakimasu?”
Healer slightly took a glimpse at someone “I preferred Arsenal. I feel kind of embarrassed to say your first name Sparkasm”
Arsenal felt she was struck. Joanne joins along “What about me?”
“Joanne is a respectable name. Saying H-h-olly is cute”
The shield student watches Healer talking about Holly’s name, and never even budge his expression or blushing. He boldly said it while is in pain from the slash. Shared with their UIs together, the pain is transmitted to both shield and Berserker. Curious for his honesty for her. The shield student asks Healer
“Do you really mean that?”
“I won’t say it to you even you are wanting to butt in my private life”
“Sorry, but I don’t like the side of you if you are not taken seriously for her”
Healer stares at him in the eyes with little left of his mana giving the pain to him more. The shield student was just concern, but too oblivious of how Healer is trying smack him with pain transmission.
Alche follows them from behind and he is very impressed how those guys know what the Enders can do. Only getting ambushed and they learned so much that he can only hear Ironno and Haw’s side of the story. It was such amazing sight to see serious students carefully playing at their level without using the maximum of their powers. Especially for the shield student. The gauntlet is indeed the most powerful item he had, and he still didn’t use it more than he used to except a prop to fear the simulated Enders from taken the initiation.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Everybody has their cuts. Alche review their wounds. The shield student has the lightest wounds on his hand. It somehow pierces through his gauntlet, such a horrific blade. Usweet – (censored words) has his forehead cut. He didn’t know the damage means to him is his recent perception skills are slow. Holly has mental shock, her weapon broke and also her will. This is a strange phenomenon when breaking through her protection can cause fear without directly harming her. Lastly, Healer is the most affective. A full cut on his back should be cutting him in half. But clearly shuts his mana in half.
All together. They have been cut and the initial damaged are silent in both magic and physical reflexes and strength. Healer is determined to get rid of it or he will be crippled like the shield student. They must go what they said is true to find a cure. Or else they will face the consequence with their parents and go to the hospital to fix them right up. But if they were to succeed to find a cure. They can do it in the real world, only if they are recognized by the Enders. The problem for between them, though, is the Enders themselves not wanting to coordinate and want the citizens to leave, Alche couldn’t agree more.
They found the passage and it’s like a saferoom. Alche sees this place to be different from the city. It is empty and at the same time, it is not. A very weird feeling and the students went in and follow the guidelines given by Ironno. Healer and Arsenal are setting up the magic circle and the three are preparing for facing the simulation Enders when they enter. Alche gets inside and continue to observe the students’ progress. Berserker said to Alche
“Teacher, I know you are interested going through the mystery of this world. Why are you not interested in the simulation though?”
“I am interested, but the situation they we are in is the outside. You guys have your own. It is too rare and I have to see a simulation that solves yours”
Alche finished explaining and be on his way. The real interest he really wants are their practices of using Enders’ training. The shield student is the most involved during his training with Haw and his other guild members. Yet, Ootadakimasu is the one getting everyone to get the go. Meanwhile Joanne and her friend had little to no experience fighting them and still continue after their first encounter.
Alche doesn’t want to ask why. This makes him want to observe and makes his own idea why did they do it. A cure, in a simulated world. Quill might know, he thought. Will they go back to training or save themselves the trouble from getting into trouble? His observation with the shield student is truly special. What role does he have to do when they face them? The shield student though, he plays his role as a defender. That’s all he can do so far. He must learn his tank role as fast as he can and practice with his gauntlet.
The shield student knows what to do, but he doesn’t know who is he going to face. And with his hand saved from the blade, he should be keep protecting his team to the end. As proof that he is a tank, for now. Along in his breathing, the special black mist inside of him. He wonders how it can do and more importantly the mana it wants from him. The shield student wants to ask more about it from Sanquin someday. The physical build up required from her according to Haw, he hopes that he reaches it. His body is already in the limits what to except of his new form blessings.
The magic portal appeared before them. It took them so suddenly leaving Alche behind. Surprised, Alche tries many ways to follow them. He can’t, and contact with Quill. The silent tells him that she has her own way for them. The simulated Enders, never showing any expression and less impressed to see them inside, the waves of his hand and the staff follows his orders. Joanne was quickly pushed away as they get on to it. They ready with their silence and shut their mana flow. Arsenal was spoof and feel her body weaken. Healer holds her hands from the back, giving her relief.
Arsenal feels his hand. The hand of a gentleman, the familiar strength, and the recognizable voice closing to her ears. She was blushing, but he didn’t say anything sweet
“What were you doing to yourself? You’re using too much mana”
Arsenal was a bit disappointed, she answered anyway with a sigh “Mumble* I was using magic in my sleeps . . .”
“. . .”
The rest follows the silence, no one knows how she is dreaming using magic. However, the Enders doctor heard her and he said with a careful warning.
“A dream? Then you put a lot of effort for your dream to make it real. Don’t use it too much or you won’t be sleeping normally”
Healer starts to feel the pain from his back, the cut is solidifying during the process of his restoration. The staff holds him and the rest of the others are treated without any issue. The wounds are analyzed by them, as the apothecary diagnoses their wounds. In surprised, he never seen such wounds they survived
“. . . An incredible sight to see you survive. Their request, I shouldn’t have doubt it”
Joanne reaches out to him “What do you mean exactly”
“Just an analysis. I am not going to hurt them”
Joanne sees the progress he is making, and she sees through her UI and it seems safe.
The apothecary continues “It is rather strange of such beings to survive such blows. Certainly, there is no permanent damage either . . .” A swift drove of the air, bending near close to his nose. The one who request is here, and the timing is perfect as they recover while in need of time to heal. In between from his throat, the air somehow blocks his vocal cord. Not able to say anything. The apothecary would say something about it, and the presence before them take it away. The invasion inside his body is revealing herself in his eyes. The apothecary switches with a demon. The silent breaks given only one simple word for the apothecary.
“Sanquin?!”
Meanwhile, Joanne was surprised to see everyone quickly healed. “That’s it?! You guys are in big trouble and me too, included. And this simulated world takes care of it. WOW!”
Arsenal shakes her head “This is what teacher Ironno told us, I can’t believe it. I can feel like I’m in my usual self again . . .”
Healer stops them, raising walls using his magic. Joanne and Arsenal were spoof
“Hey! We are busy talking and . . . What happened to this room?”
The wall barrier gives a clear view outside. The room is shifting and all the interior are taken away, changing it into a more suitable battleground underground.
Berserker wasn’t too happy to see it. “Not this again, and we already get our cure too”
The shield student sees the air around them, as his eyes glow and able to see the bending messaging lay out for him. He warned his friends
“Ah guys, I think we need to escape or we won’t be keeping the cure”
Berserker thought so “I knew we weren’t giving it to us so easily. Casts that magic circle of yours and get us all out of here”
Healer is channeling the walls “It is easy for you to say. This is the Enders we are facing. Shield! Defend us while we prepare it”
Berserker, Joanne, and the shield student are ready themselves surrounding the two at their backs. The clear wall shows nothing suspicious thus far. All three look around and wait for them to act. The shield student’s gauntlet is facing outside of the wall, waiting for to catch anything to come in their way. A random ray of light is coming from Joanne’s side
“Miyusuki!”
She asks his aid and switch their position. The light materialized and was blocked by his gauntlet. He grabs it trying to break with his strong grip, but the sounds give away a dented metal on his palm.
The light phasing like it was being teleported. Armored, heavily armored, a body armor fully covered with an intimidating presence. Energy flows out from it and the shield student is being pulled up in the air by the grip of an unknown armored warrior. His eyes are fixated with the helmet of his enemy appearing. Energy weapons phases through blades on his bracer. The shield student softly says the Enders name
“X2L?”
Simulated X2L throws him to the sides and unleashed his energy blades. Berserker tries to block him with his dual weapons. X2L bears his attacks and recklessly grabs him his weapons and release his energy, shocking through Berserker’s hands. Arsenal takes a big shot in front of him. She fires, but the bullet is stuck in mid-air.
Joanne comes around and uses her rune weapon to X2L. The power armor deflected it. The students were all shocked as nothing will hurt that massive heavy power armored Enders. Healer is channeling and sees they are having trouble to get him. His eyes roll as his magic follow the movement of his eyes. It rolls and in sequence as he casts it beneath X2L. Berserker feels the shock and his mana flow sparks out from his hands letting go his dual weapons. No wounds, yet smokes coming out from his clothes as his equipment is breaking.
Healer creates hole below X2L and fell down. The moment he is gone to the hole, his hands gripped on the edges. Joanne helps a bit and dug the edges off. X2L fell into the hole and disappeared. They turned to check the shield student as he comes back having his gauntlet fully energized from holding X2L’s hand. Joanne checks on Berserker as his equipment were burn to a crisp.
“Did we have met that guy before, Miyusuki?”
“He is the guy that allow me to save you from kidnapping. Don’t fool yourselves that it is over. Enders never come here alone”
Healer stops channeling expecting what will happen to them next, he almost forgot that Enders will misguide out from their escape.
“Then, I shouldn’t be channeling and we have to figure it out”
Berserker thought of refusing, but hesitated to wonder “Now you mentioning it, the one who is attacking us is new. Ignore the yesterday version of our teachers and their friends. That dude is fully decked out in armor”
Arsenal speaks out her worries “Would it be easier for us to just leave? This is a simulation room and . . .”
Joanne didn’t think so “Just go along with them, they got cured and you are too in a simulated world. Remember what teacher Ironno, it takes time to recover and the simulation room helps you heal faster”
“I guess”
Healer is keeping himself at bay, and the idea of escaping through the sphere will be easier to them anyway when they reached their limits. But they were cured so easily, and said to the shield student.
“Say, shield. Do you have any idea why they are acting different lately?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think people like them ever come across in the sphere before. Especially what we have met now, those people are really strong if they are real. Compared what I saw of them in the ruins. I won’t even know how I survive”
“Neither do I, and we’re going through this together”
Simulated Sanquin was waiting to get them to fail their escape this underground place. Simulated X2L has Berserker in electrocuted statics inside his mana flow. A secondary trapped is assured because of their ill mastery of their mana. Simulated R-cord is hiding from afar, using his monocle to monitor them with great caution. He sends transmission to X2L
“They know, changing plan. Let the heavenly demon proceed her actions as we will be hesitating our chase pre-maturely”
“Copy that”
The students feel the intense presence. Joanne and the shield student recognized it differently. She sees the familiar aura, while he feels the strict presence forcing him to behave. The presence though it is hostile. All around them, they can detect it with their UIs, and the shield student is sensing Sanquin’s presence. The moment of caution among them, while the shield student carefully readies his gauntlet. The quiet ominous presence is lurking in, a nightmare that soon to jump scare them. Except for him, he knows that Sanquin’s attack is unavoidable.
Simulated Sanquin appears before them. A flash set in motion from a blink of an eye, Joanne immediately retaliates with a stroke of her lance. Sanquin dodges and parries it as Joanne accidentally points at Berserker. Berserker got impaled by the neck, a precise lethal hit from Sanquin’s swiftness. Arsenal secondly attacks and fires rapidly into her. Sanquin bends the ground and slides her position with the shield student’s. The shield student raises his gauntlet, powering his runic shield. The gun fires to his shield resisting powerful impact with his reinforcing gauntlet to his runic shield.
Arsenal stops firing and put down her weapon.
“Sorry!”
She apologizes, then she took for a surprise as the Enders are not slowing down. The shield student drops down his shield and sees what Arsenal is seeing. In mid-air, remaining bullets are polarizing in in the air waiting for the shield student to drop his shield. The bullets quickly fired before he can react, shooting him down away from his team.
“AAH!”
Healer hears the shout from both Joanne and Arsenal. He quickly took the first action to keep his friends from going out from his defending wall.
An emergency healing is commencing and the two are put into stasis with his healing scrolls. Sanquin appears before him and two more coming into the battlefield. Joanne sees R-cord coming out from the distance, already laying down his rifle continue shifting his ammunition. Joanne uses her RAPs to defend against a long-range enemy. R-cord fires a shot. Joanne was able to stop it, she soon fell down where the shot ricochet to his joints. R-cord sees all front are down then drops a gem on the ground, summoning X2L with them.
Healer thought it as before. They are not going to win this fight, but he seems to be rather relief that he faced such monsters to witness the impossibility. Joanne spokes out
“R-cord! X2L! I know you are in a simulation, but can you at least explain why you are attacking us?” Joanne tries to break the 4th wall because of how unfair they are facing. They didn’t respond. True to the origin of their data and sources. Only one who can respond to them is Simulated Sanquin.
“I do tell that you know them. Alas, they are outdated. Even I don’t know that boy you have there has something in common within my power”
Healer is surrounded, and Joanne and Arsenal are the only two can able to fight. Their fight can’t last against Sanquin. They already understand their situation. They can’t fight against so powerful and know how to fight against them with strong mana. A demon and couple of archscience power armor, those are their enemies simulated to what data it had gone through. Healer stood their silent, and hoping the shield student knew how to deal with them.
The shield student can’t move. The bullet wounds are too great for him to get back up after the shock. There is no way he could bring himself up against Arsenal’s fire power. Berserker tries to pull himself up. He got electrocuted and his equipment left from the sphere, it is miserable for him to lose this way.
“Alright, I’m mad!”
Healer and the two girls try to stop him. Not a single moment of saying a word. X2L, phases through Berserker then back. The slashes of his light blades going through double to the front then back. Berserker was phased by the light imploding his mana flow and went back down to the ground. Healer tsks
“That idiot”
X2L began to speak “By the inspections proven the cuts of our fellow Enders, you were attacked by one of the outlaw barons. You are under custody in our guild’s name”
The students were confused by that statement. It is certain now from their wounds are clearly from Enders criminal. Yet, this is not what they after. Their recently cured bodies must continue to heal and exist in this sphere. They need more time to get their body fix from the slash. They look around for any hope to escape.
The Enders raised their weapons “. . . Therefore, we will exterminate the false death”
Healer pulls everyone closer together. A stretch of his magic trying to get them in one place and casts reinforced his walls. The shield student was able to get latch and pull to safety of his team. It then cuts off by R-cord’s shot breaking his spell to pull him to safety. Healer raises his defenses including the help of Joanne and Arsenal. Berserker remained unconscious leaving themselves to hold off enough for the cure to finish.
Its wall wasn’t strong enough. The archscience tech is too strong. The light blades are breaking through and R-cord’s rifle takes aim and piercing its way through the healer’s wall. Sanquin interrupts him and points down on the ground. X2L stops as the gun shots went silent. He turns around and see Black mist approaching. A warning to them before they could respond to it. X2L uses his tech to scan and trace the source of the black mist. It traces back to the shield student, remaining unconscious leaving his mouth releasing oozing black mist. The sphere is trying to kick him out. The black mist stood there keeping him existing.
X2L changes target and polarizes the shield student’s gauntlet. Raising his hands up in the air along with his unconscious body, he pulls to him to his side and ready to cut him with his light blade. The shadowy mist fades him away along with the students behind him. The black mist disappears leaving the three didn’t expect for the boy to do it while unconscious. R-cord said to Sanquin
“Martial magic technique, is the unknown coordinate with the boy, Heavenly Demon?”
“Sigh* If only Quill let you know”
Quill made a respond to their heads. Breaking all logic and focus on taken the students down, including the others from the surface. She seems not going to waste the update.