For the next ten minutes, Cerus taught me how weapons worked in the Ellalara Belt. Apparently, you didn’t need to be proficient with any of them. Once you held the weapon, you’d automatically be passably skilled with it. She even tested it by giving me the cheap pair of boxing gloves she’d just earned and sparring with me. As we fought, it felt as though someone else was controlling my body even though every move I made was conscious. I thought like a boxer, moved like one, and dodged like one. Neither of us went all out, though the fact that it felt like I had energy in reserve was invigorating. Cerus won, of course, though she didn’t revel in it like I’d imagined she would.
“A trained fighter will always outperform an untrained one. Do not rely on any single style or ability, Grim Hearts. You would do well to keep a wide array of weapons.”
“Do you think Dogtooth would train me if I asked him?”
“He is the God of Bargaining. He would do anything as long as you had something to offer him. What do you have that would entice a 10-Star?” When I didn’t respond, she continued. “We do not have the time to dedicate to training. We have work to do, and cannot afford to stop it for you. The best training is on the battlefield. Besides,” Cerus gave me that conspiratorial smile again. “As I have been saying, there is currently some merit in your lower level. We need you stronger, but we do not need you that much stronger. Not yet. I will say though, during our fight, you had the face of one who desires growth. I admire that, Grim Hearts. Do not let my infallible plans for you dim that fire.”
I had an idea of what she wanted me to do, and I was surprised to find myself anticipating it. I shelved it, though, as a far more important question came to mind – one I should've asked long ago.
“Can you tell me what Stars are?”
Cerus laughed. “I forget you are new here, Grim Hearts. The blue lady should have said something!”
Part of me expected her to ask for a Double XP Token in exchange for the knowledge, but thankfully she really had dropped it.
The Star System, as Cerus described it, was the Ellalara Belt’s way of keeping track of how many planets you hit max level — Level 99 — in. There were ten worlds, meaning there were 10 Stars in total. Apparently, you got a head start on leveling with every Star you had. Cerus and Opix, for example, entered Satyrsong at Level 10 as opposed to my Level 1. If a 9-Star had entered Satyrsong, they would have started at Level 90. It seemed complicated, but Cerus assured me it wasn't before questioning my intelligence.
After five more minutes of explaining the intricacies of the Star System, Opix finally came back. For a moment, I wondered why he wasn’t carrying any bags, but I remembered pretty quickly that he had an inventory. I still needed to get used to this place.
”I took a few extra stops on the way back. I know you all are hungry, though, so let’s start with the snacks. Here.”
Opix reached into nothing and revealed three brown paper bags. The one labeled “Cerus” had about ten different cupcakes in it.
“I wasn’t sure which flavor you liked, so I got all of them. ”
“Opix, you are goat-ed. Grim, is that the proper Earth slang?”
“Yeah, Cerus. It is”
“Perfect. I have been listening to the younger Reincarnators for a long time. If I am to rule over this dump of a universe, I must understand its colloquialisms.”
Opix revealed another bag, this one labeled with my name containing about six cheese danishes that looked just like the ones from Starbucks. They even tasted the same.
“Holy shit, thanks!”
“No problem.”
“What did you obtain for yourself?” Cerus asked over a mouthful of food. She turned to me. “Grim Hearts, you will give me one of those pastries. Please.”
I tossed her one. There was no way I was eating all these in one sitting, it was way too much sugar. Plus, they were surprisingly filling.
“Nothing,” Opix responded. “I’ll eat after we finish our next Quest. Plus, I’m not really hungry right now.”
I raised my eyebrow at that. “You got us a Quest?”
“If this Quest is boring, you will most certainly draw my ire!”
Opix smiled sheepishly as he made his way back to the leather seat in the corner of the room. “Grim is a 0-Star with a Double XP Token. A ‘boring Quest’ will more than likely get him a quarter of the way to 99. Ideally, I’d like to spend the next few days getting him to 1-Star, but the Battle Board is moving fast and we can’t afford to do that.”
“Thanks for the consideration,” I shrugged. I didn’t want to be a complete nuisance to the team, so I understood the need to level me up. “What’s the quest?”
“Any second now,” Opix muttered. “Also, do you mind passing one of those danishes? I guess I am pretty hungry.”
“Those danishes were quite the treat…”
“You guys can have the rest. I'm full.”
I’d only eaten two, but I felt like I’d eaten an entire meal. Cerus snatched them all up before Opix could get one. He complained and she shoved them all in her mouth at once and laughed. They still had the plastic wrap over them, but she didn’t seem to mind. Cerus tossed him a few cupcakes at the same time a notification popped up.
New Battle Network Quest: Spotted Deer Hunter II
*This mission is worth 10 Battle Points.*
**From this point on, Battle Points will be abbreviated to BP in your System.**
Collect x10 Spotted Deer pelts.
Want my advice? Don’t overstay your welcome. I don’t think there’s a mother in the world who would appreciate her babies getting killed and skinned by a grubby little catboy and his funny little friends.
Reward: You will unlock the BESTIARY tab in your System.
“I see,” Cerus nodded. She wrestled a cupcake out of Opix’s hand and scarfed it down. “Grim Hearts is quite weak. Do you expect him to kill the mobs by himself? Because I will not hold his hand.”
“I don’t know what your Systems said, but mine suggested that the mobs would be particularly weak. Remember, Quests like this were made for people like Grim. Plus, the last Quest involved destroying the Matriarch’s den, right? It’s probably pissed off looking for whoever did that.”
Cerus smiled wide. “I like the way you think, Angel Boy! Perhaps you are not as inadequate as I imagined!” Her smile faded as she observed herself. “I do not, however, wish to face this monster dressed like a farmer. You mentioned making stops. Tell me that you purchased better equipment for the alliance, lest you draw my ire.”
Opix stood from the bed and gave her a nod before turning to me, fixing me with a wide smile. “I chatted with Cerus and she told me you know how weapons work, so that saves us some time. I got you a shortsword. I also got you some basic armor as well, that way you can redeem that first free set for when we’re stronger. It’ll save a lot of money.”
I weighed those last words as Opix rummaged through his inventory.
“Why are you planning around me? I just met you two.”
Opix held the blade in one hand and a wicker basket with folded clothes in the other. He shrugged. “I don’t know. You’ve been here, so we’re moving forward together. Do you want to leave?”
“He may not leave, Opix Gale! Do not present him with that option!” Cerus said, pointing at me with an annoyed look on her face. “For the remainder of his time in Satyrsong, he is my thrall. Once we become an officially recognized party, I will keep him as my thrall until we have gathered the Gems. Only once I have defeated the Felzian Queen will I allow him the opportunity to return to Earth for a week. Perhaps two.” She gave me a stern look. “A happy thrall is an obedient thrall.”
“You heard it here, first. You’re her thrall now.” Opix laughed as he walked the gear over to me. “Besides, you can’t randomly spawn in Mephistos. Some external force put you there. I know my goal is to kill Final Testament, but,” He blushed. “I feel like we’re all… supposed to be together and I want to know why.”
Opix: Don’t listen to Cerus. If you want to leave, you still can. You can still keep everything I got, but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.
“I’m happy to be part of the team” I responded out loud. “Cerus, I’m not your thrall. Opix, I’m not secretly planning to leave. I want to be here, and I want to become stronger.”
Honestly, I was touched that they’d considered me part of the team this early into meeting me. Even so, I knew from my experience growing up within the social elite that Opix only bought me so much stuff to butter me up. He was recruiting me, and he was doing the same to Cerus. Knowing her she’d already picked up on that and was milking it for all it was worth. Me, though…
“That being said, I need to know why you’re doing all of this for me and Cerus.”
“Oh? You care about me? Did my feminine wiles work on you after all?”
Opix’s face fell a bit, but he kept his composure. He looked around the room, clearly racking his brain for the right answer.
Cerus: i will tell you if the next words out of his mouth are lies.
Cerus: i am good at observation
“I… need allies. I wasn’t lying about wanting to kill Final Testament… needing to kill him. My only goal in this life is to see his end.” He paced around the room. “The three of us are weak as far as the Ellalara Belt goes. If we fight together and get strong together, our battle chemistry will carry us farther than any other group in the Belt. Chancellor Kato fought Final Testament by himself and greatly crippled him. If the three of us can become 10-Stars, I believe we’ll have a chance at truly killing it once and for all. I admit that I was trying to bribe you all into being my allies, so I’m sorry for deceiving you.”
A small, bitter part of me began to laugh in the back of my mind. Of course that was the case. Who would want to be friends with me? I’d spent my whole life alone, save for Mrs. Gertrude. Why would that change now?
Cerus: he withholds the full truth
Cerus: angel boy wants to pay for our companionship.
Cerus: does he believe us to be prostitutes?
Cerus: i am not a lady of the night!
Cerus: i cannot speak for you however
Goddamn it, Grim. Stop being so fucking emo.
Grim: Thanks, Cerus. Did you know that this whole time?
Cerus: duh
Cerus: the azeltians gave him a lot of gold i think.
Cerus: when we met he just started buying me stuff so that i would stay around
Cerus: that is how men treat cerus rose
Cerus: take notes slut
Cerus and I both laughed, though likely for two different reasons. I’d spent so much time on Earth by myself that I hadn’t considered there were others that felt like me. Others that wanted the same things as me. There was a lot I didn’t know about Opix, or Cerus for that matter, but one thing was for sure.
“You didn’t need to butter me up to make me your ally. I would’ve agreed.” I finally said. “I don’t know anyone here, and I’m not strong enough to go through this place alone yet.”
“Did you think you needed bribery to convince a Rose to destroy? Use your brain, Angel Boy! I cannot rule this place as long as that thing is alive.”
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Opix gave us both a heartfelt smile. “Thanks you guys, that really means a lot to me.”
“I know it does. My companionship is a rare treat!” Cerus scoffed, turning her attention towards me. “Now, show the gear Opix bought for you while he shows me the outfit he bought me! I want to see it now.”
I started with the weapon since it was at the top of the basket. Opix called it a shortsword, but it looked like the world’s longest dagger. The blade was as wide and long as my forearm with a split down the middle like a really long cattle prod. The hilt was made of wrapped brown leather and felt a bit too natural in my hand.
Sabertooth Splitblade
0-Star Weapon
This weapon was made from an animal’s teeth. They had to be manually extracted to make it! Opix can be pretty brutal. But he’s so cute! Don’t forget to pinch his chubby wittle cheeks! I wuv him so much! Anyway, this weapon provides the following benefits.
It looks cool! 0-Star Items and Weapons provide no stat benefits.
“How’d you get this?” I asked.
“I had an Ancient Sabertooth in my inventory from back in Azeltos. I sold its carcass to the blacksmith for some extra spending money and he offered to give me that for free.” He cringed. “He had me extract its teeth to make it, though.”
“Am I gonna have to do that with the deer?”
I recalled the quest description and that ‘kill and skin’ comment. As gamelike as the Ellalara Belt had been so far, I hoped that idea would carry over with the Spotted Deer. Ideally, the pelt would be dropped as soon as the animal was killed.
“I mean… There’s a reason I got you a–”
“You should have eaten the animal, Angel Boy. It would have strengthened your bones.”
“I don’t get stronger by eating things.”
“All living things get stronger by eating things, fool.”
“You’re right, but not in the way you’re talking about.”
“There is a reason I am the strongest in this party and you are not. Anywho,” She turned her attention towards me. “Grim, change into your outfit so that I may judge it.”
I gave her an apprehensive look. “You want me to change here? Isn’t there a shower upstairs? I’d rather do it–”
“Imperceptive ape. You need only equip it. Did you not do that with the Blood Amulet?”
“Right… I did. My bad.”
Despite what she said, I wanted to see the outfit myself before I put it on. I laid it out on the bed like I was preparing for school. Cerus watched me over my shoulder, grumbling at how slow I was moving. I moved a bit slower on purpose.
Satyrsonian Forager Set
0-Star Armor Set
Aww. Look how fast they grow up. You got your first armor set! It doesn’t give you any buffs, but it absorbs hits much better than that wrinkled T-shirt.
The Forager Set was a navy blue shirt with a red scarf paired with light brown gloves, boots, and a light brown waistband. When I equipped it, the old outfit I’d been wearing – the outfit I died in – took its place on the bed. It felt strange looking down on it. I knew I wasn’t on Earth anymore. That outfit, though, was my last tangible connection to Earth. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling, but I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
“Do you want to hang on to it,” Opix asked from over my other shoulder. “I’ll hold it for you in my inventory.”
“I believe you should take Angel Boy’s offer. Your old garb is a testament to your personal growth. Like a cockroach, you have shed your old skin and grown into something stronger. These earthen rags are your pride, Grim Hearts.”
“Thanks you guys, but I'd rather not keep it.”
I folded my old clothes and placed them into the trunk at the foot of my bed. I’m not the same person who put these on just a few hours ago. This wasn’t me anymore. They weren’t mine anymore.
“A pity. Anyway, you two may observe me now.”
Opix and I turned to Cerus at the same time. She wore high-waisted black pants and a faded yellow shirt with mesh black sleeves and brown gloves that went up to her elbow. She flicked at her fuzzy antenna and looked away from us, doing her best to look like an unamused supermodel.
“Hmph.”
“I guess I don’t have anything to hide,” Opix shrugged. “You mentioned wanting that outfit so I got it. It looks good on you.”
She peeked over at him for a moment before turning to me.
“Yeah, I like it.” I agreed. She looked like an R&B singer fresh out of the 90s, but I'd never tell her that. I doubted she’d even know what that meant.
Cerus finally smiled. “I adore this outfit. Thank you, Opix Gale. I do not recall asking for these pants, though.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Though I understand why you would purchase them for me.”
Opix stammered, but she shushed him with a finger to his lips. “Now, show us your own attire so that we may begin our mission. I do not wish to stay here all day.”
He changed in a blink, his old clothes falling to the floor. He scooped them up and placed them into his inventory. Opix’s outfit was rather simple – black pants and a white shirt with a black and silver chestguard and dark brown boots.
“I… wanted to keep it simple.” He stammered, scratching his head. “I'm not really fashionable. Substance over style and all that.”
“You look like an archer out of a fantasy video game,” I said. His face fell. “In a good way! It fits the vibe of Satyrsong.”
“Anything is better than that farmer getup. Angel Boy. That outfit was ass. Am I using that word properly, Grim Hearts?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, thank you for the… compliments.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s go, shall we?”
***
It’d only taken us about 10 minutes to get to the Quest location. It was a vast, open plain on the outskirts of town near the forest I’d spawned in. As soon as we’d gotten there, Cerus split off from Opix and me to hunt down the ‘mama bear’.
It didn’t take long for the Spotted Deer to show up from the forest. They looked like regular deer except they each had a single black spot on either side of their bodies. A breeze passed through, carrying with it scents of grass and warm earth.
Spotted Deer Fawn
0-Star Mob
These highly emotional creatures are capable of forming bonds just as deep as those between humans! Should those bonds be forcibly severed, they are known to hold grudges for generations! Try not to dwell on that as you cut them down and peel their skin off like potatoes.
I glanced to my left at Opix, who’d sunken down into a battle stance. I mimicked him, pulling my blade out of my backpack’s inventory
“We only need ten, right?”
“Yeah, but they’ll keep spawning until we complete the quest.”
As the Spotted Deer continued to graze, I swallowed. They kept their eyes on Opix and me, not blinking or moving. I watched as a bee landed on one and leaves blew in front of another. Nothing. In total, there were about twelve, with more walking out of the clearing each moment.
“You have your Blood Amulet equipped, right?” Opix asked.
“Of course.”
“Good. I’ll take six and you take six. You’ll be fine on your own, right?”
“Yeah, this is nothing,” I lied. In truth, I was fucking terrified, but I had fought a Bargainer Wolf by myself in Mephistos. I’d adjust.
Opix shot off like a torpedo into one of the Spotted Deer in the distance. He pinned it to a tree with his left hand and punched it with his right. The remaining deer bleated in unison, a beckoning call that summoned even more Spotted Deer from the forest.
“They’re easy!” Opix shouted. “Oh yeah, don’t use that Skill from when we met! Save it for the matriarch!”
Essence of Aura? I guess I’ll trust–
A Spotted Deer barreled into me and bit down on my right hand before I could finish the thought.
“Ow, fuck!”
I dropped the shortsword at the same time my health bar appeared. To my surprise, it barely moved. I remembered the Bargainer Wolf and how much health it had taken with a similar move. More Deer were approaching, and I knew those attacks would add up if I let them connect. I didn’t plan on letting that happen.
I used my body as bait, allowing the deer to focus on my right hand while I fumbled for the Splitblade on the ground on my left.
Sorry, PETA.
I finally picked up the blade in my left hand and jammed it into the neck of the Spotted Deer. Blood splattered across the grass as the mob let out a blood-curdling yelp before falling lifelessly into my lap. With a disgusting crunch, I removed the blade from its neck. More Spotted Deer began to gather around me, but they didn’t do anything. They just stared at me and the carnage I’d inflicted. Guilt filled me as I recalled my System’s description of their bonds.
“I’m sorry!” I shouted. They looked up at me. “I didn’t mean to–”
LEVEL UP!
You are now Level 3!
Current Stats:
Health: 1
Strength: 1
Stamina: 8
Intelligence: 2
Mana: 6
Dexterity: 2
Your Modified Blood Amulet has received one charge. All Physical Attacks will now deal 2% more damage.
I just… stared at the Spotted Deer Fawn surrounding me. They still didn’t move. I took a deep breath.
Father forgive me.
I stood to my feet, and I kicked off.
***
I was a Level 10 now and my highest stat was Stamina at 20. I’d killed six Spotted Deer and my Blood Amulet gave me +12% to all of my physical attacks. Just like with those boxing gloves, it’d become easy to fall into a rhythm with the Sabertooth Splitblade. My body danced through the air as if controlled by someone else, and my ever-growing stamina made certain that I never got tired. The Spotted Deer had snapped out of their stupor pretty quickly, but they were terrible at coordinating their attacks.
Opix had fallen into a rhythm as well. He moved faster than I could even register, and he’d killed dozens of the Spotted Deer in the same amount of time it took me to kill six. Cerus had been unusually quiet. She’d sent a couple messages in the chat complaining about how poorly her hunt had been going, but stopped the moment she said she “smelled something foul”.
Opix: Don’t forget to put the bodies in your inventory. They stack, so you don’t need to worry about it taking up space.
Grim: Got it. Also, you mentioned turning that Sabertooth thing into this sword. Can we do the same for the Spotted Deer?
Opix: Maybe. These are mobs, not animals. Animal bodies can be repurposed into basically anything, but mobs are pretty limited. The pelts obviously have a use, otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten this quest. Their bodies, though? No clue. It’s better to hold onto them, though.
Cerus: these mobs are for eating
Cerus: spotted deer are a delicious snack in swingtail
Opix: I’m surprised they’d eat it over there. Isn’t it like… cannibalistic?
Cerus: i guess
Cerus: they are good though
Cerus: grim hearts i order you to collect them for me
Cerus: we will be eating spotted deer for dinner tonight
Cerus: it will make you big and strong
Grim: Do they taste like venison? I used to like venison back on earth.
Opix: You know what? Grim, you can have my Spotted Deer. All of it. I insist.
Cerus: you would sacrifice your meal to feed the weak?
Cerus: you are a real man
WARNING: Your Blood Amulet will lose its charges in three minutes.
I grabbed the closest Spotted Deer Fawn corpse and placed it into my inventory, doing the same for the others around me. I looked around the meadow for any more, but I couldn’t see any. What I did see was Opix at the entrance of the forest. I walked over to him.
“You see any more Spotted Deer? My Blood Amulet’s running out.”
“Oh, there’s one deeper in the forest. I was just about to chase it. Wanna go together?”
Before I could answer, the chat window opened back up.
Cerus: i made a friend do you want to meet them
I shared a glance with Opix. Before I could at anything he spun me around and opened my pack, shoving six healing potions inside. They appeared in my inventory, taking up the second of my five slots.
“I know Cerus. She did something stupid and is gonna try to pin it on us. I have no idea how strong the Matriarch is gonna be, so we need to coordinate. What Skills do you have?”
“I have Essence of Aura, which you saw when we met. It just strengthens my attacks based on my Intelligence. Then there’s Taunt, which acts how you’d expect.”
Opix nodded. “Alright. We might need to rely on Taunt for this fight depending on how strong it is. You ready?”
I sighed my nerves away and gripped the hilt of my blade. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Opix: Sure. What are they like?
Cerus: oh my goodness you took too long she is hurt
Cerus: why did you hurt her feelings angel boy?
The forest trembled as loud thumps sounded from every direction. Cerus sped straight for us from deep within the forest, a panicked look plastered on her face. She stopped in front of us and sunk into a battle position.
“Angel Boy! Grim Hearts! Perhaps if one of you had responded promptly, my friend would not have become so agit–”
A booming roar echoed from the forest opening that Cerus had escaped from. Cerus cackled as the source of the noise made itself known. A Spotted Deer the size of a small building trudged through the forest, swatting trees down with its head as it approached us. It stared down at us and roared again so loud that I had to cover my ears. The moment I analyzed it, I couldn’t help myself
“Cerus, what the hell did you do?”
“I did nothing, Grim Hearts. I do not appreciate the insinuation that I did something.”
Spotted Deer Matriarch
2-Star Boss Mob
Level 33
*This mob has been HIGHLY OFFENDED by CERUS ROSE. All attacks to the GALEROSE ALLIANCE deal 20% more damage.*
Spotted Deer are one of the most plentiful mobs in the Ellalara Belt. They’re so plentiful, in fact, that some people consider them to be animals. According to an Azeltian myth, a previous Overseer was capable of communicating with them and had attempted to have them officially designated as animals. That all fell through when a couple bad apples on the Spotted Deer team spoiled that whole idea. Mobs, as it happens, are a bit safer than animals for reasons I can't tell you until you get that System Upgrade or you figure it out yourself. All I can say is that Spotted Deer do not want any more reasons to be hunted!
That brings us to you. Not only did you kill six of her babies, but you killed them with a weapon made from the teeth of one of their only natural allies! What a guy!
P.S. You probably shouldn’t give Cerus this kind of ammunition, but I want you to know. If Cerus hadn’t HIGHLY OFFENDED the Matriarch, that weapon of yours would’ve DEEPLY ENRAGED her! That would’ve given her a 50% damage boost against you guys instead of 20!
“I knew it! My System told me you were the villain, Grim Hearts! I knew this and was attempting to mend things with the Matriarch, but plans failed when you two did not respond to my messages! This is all your fault, Grim Hearts, not mine!”
“None of that matters!” Opix shouted. “We’re in this situation, and we need to get out of it. You guys ready?”
“Of course I am ready. I am Cerus Rose!”
I took a deep breath and repeated my words from earlier, filling them with as much conviction as I could feign. “Let’s take her down.”