Chapter 7 Ritual
Yuelian
After experiencing a few fights with monsters, I have a suspicion that these weak monsters were designed. These monsters are like training models for us to get used to fighting. The kobold has enough intelligence to use mana to enhance its weapons and it seems to be a surprisingly skilled fighter, but somehow it doesn't know how to use any ranged attacks. The rabbits are almost too fast to fight, without defensive use of mana our heads would go flying within seconds, and yet it doesn't know how to use mana for attacking or defending? These monsters are like video game enemies. They were designed with certain weaknesses. They were designed to be beaten.
What has happened to the world, and the game-like systems that have been guiding our actions since the flood? All of it seems intentional, and it is intentionally made to be like a video game. These monsters we have faced so far, are supposed to be fodder for our growth. However, even these fodder enemies are extremely dangerous. The rabbits and kobolds could easily kill all of us if we did not learn the use of mana. Whatever made this game, they are filtering out untalented players. This game world is not a kind one.
After experiencing the speed of that red rabbit, we strategize a better way to hunt them. The second rabbit we found, died before it could move. The method is quite simple, I would control the mana inside the ground, trapping the rabbit. Since the ground contains mana within itself, the rabbit does not feel anything wrong as long as the mana doesn't suddenly increase. Then the other three would take it out.
We successfully hunted more than 5 red rabbits in this way. Six rabbits were killed, but one of the rabbits was crushed to paste by Miyong’s stone throw. After that, she started to throw sticks instead.
“Where are these rabbits coming from?” Mali asked while we were walking up the school building. A successful day of hunting is behind us.
“.........don't think too much about it. We have fresh food finally.” Jessica answered. She seems to be in a good mood, compared to this morning.
“I need a shower,” Miyong complained next to me. “You need one too. You smell!”
I couldn't help but smile. She is the only thing in this world that is keeping me going. I realized a while ago, what kind of life is awaiting us in this new world. Mana, skills, missions. We are toys for whatever made the world this way. I contemplated exiting this life at that realization, but I couldn't leave her alone in this world.
“Want to go in together?” I whispered to her teasingly.
“You talk a good game, but you don't dare!” She didn't back down, licking her lips and looking at me provokingly. If we were not constantly surrounded by other people, she would have gotten in trouble for talking to me like that. I could feel my face heat up and I looked away from her provocations.
She smiled smugly, enjoying her victory. I felt annoyed by her. While everyone walked ahead, I slapped her butt quite hard. Laughing to myself, I expected to get punched. However, when I looked at her, her face was the color of a tomato. We said nothing to each other until we reached the ninth floor where the group was waiting.
“Whoa! Meat!” The freshmen girls came over to look at the rabbits. They look so excited to finally eat meat and fresh food again. Humans are adaptable creatures. Two weeks ago, most of these girls would cry from seeing these rabbits being butchered like this.
“Anyone have experience cooking or butchering?” I am a city boy myself, there is no way I would know how to do that.
“I can do that! My family owns a restaurant. I have deboned a chicken before, but I don't know how to butcher a rabbit. We will have to figure it out.” Jackie appears out of thin air to the surprise of the freshmen girls. Accusations of misdeeds are being thrown at him. Even if he was innocent, that power would always draw mistrust from the female gender.
Leaving the noisy group behind me, I head towards the shower. I look forward to a real meal after two weeks.
—-----------------------
The grilled rabbits were simple but tasted fantastic. I had originally thought that 5 rabbits would not be enough for 13 people to share but when we added canned food to the meal, it turned out to be a great, almost well-balanced dinner. We did not have any seasoning, but after experimenting with the meat itself, I found a way to use mana to enhance the salt that was originally inside the meat itself. It sounds kind of gross to tell everyone that I enhanced the salty flavor of animal sweat and that's why the meat tasted good. So I will keep that to myself.
Miyong went to take a shower and I finally had some private time. Let's take a look at my mission for now.
[Tutorial]
The world has changed forever. Learn to survive in the new world.
[Awaken mana veins - complete]
[Learn a skill - Complete]
[Unlock a stat - Complete]
[Hunt a monster - Complete]
[Eat a monster - Complete]
Reward - level up
Next invasion 14 days
Fourteen days. I guess it's already after midnight. Let's see what leveling up does for my body.
[Level Up]
The effect of leveling up depends on the environment, sacrificial materials, willpower, talents, and luck.
This is not what I expected. Leveling up seems more like a ritual than an automated system. This also means that Sam most likely had a very poor or even incomplete level-up. Talents and luck are not something I can change, but the environment and sacrificial materials? I have a very bad feeling about that last one.
I started pacing around while thinking and ended up on the roof. At first, I disliked the new jungle city that we now live in, but this night view is hard to hate. All the tall skyscrapers are covered in plants and flowers, and even the stars are somehow brighter than before. Perhaps I have come to love this primal world in some ways.
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“Pretending to be the main character again?” The voice that has been by my side since my childhood.
“Hey, not going to sleep? You ran around the most today. I thought you would have been snoring away by now.” I didn't look back, but I knew she would make an unhappy face. She doesn't snore.
“I don't snore. Jerk!” She smacked my back like usual. “What are you doing?”
I wasn't sure if I should answer that question. What I am about to do might kill me.
“Thinking about doing something dangerous.” Honesty is best.
“Why?” She sounds worried but not surprised. “Our situation is not ideal, and every day is a big question mark, but I think we are doing ok. Is there a need to take such a big risk?”
“.........yes, if I want alone time with you without the fear of getting attacked.” When I felt a smack on my back, somehow it felt comforting. “Our situation will get worse. Our enemies will get stronger. This is only a tutorial, we are not being actively attacked or hunted, but I think that situation will come. I need a way to stay ahead of the curve.” A smile slipped out of me when I said that last sentence.
“Haha, that's what we used to do in every MMO. When a new MMO is released, we start early and try to stay ahead of the player base so we can monopolize the best of everything. That's what you are doing?” She rests her head on my shoulder.
“I got this idea from you.”
“Why listen to me? I am not that smart.” She laughs. Because you are the only one that matters.
“Can you trust me and not interfere? No matter what happens, take care of yourself first.” I look at her. Her hair is still damp from the shower. The faint, gentle smell of soup. There is fear and confusion in her eyes.
My first love.
“Why does that sound like a goodbye?” She was slightly shaking and punching my shoulder. It hurts a lot. She is getting stronger so quickly. I will succeed no matter what, so I can come back to her. That is the basis of my willpower.
I look down at the mana sea. It has decreased a lot, dispersed into the air around us, but a massive concentrated mana is still lying there, covering the entire city, maybe the world. The sacrificial materials.
“Hey, answer me-!” I felt a soft feeling on my lips, just a light touch. That was impulsive of me. She might hate me for this. Her eyes went wide, but not disgust, only surprise.
“I don't know what will happen, but I will always love you.” My hands are caressing her face. Using my mana, I gently pushed Miyong behind the roof entrance and locked the door. She was frozen and did not fight back.
“Mali, take care of her.”
I stood on the edge of the roof. Using all my willpower to manipulate as much of the mana sea as I could and absorb it into my body.
[Level Up]
—---------------
Miyong
The mana sea has completely disappeared since five days ago. What did that idiot do? Why do that to himself? After he told me that he loved me, he fell unconscious. Stealing my first kiss then become like this, isn't that a scam?
I watch him lying in bed like he was just sleeping. He is still breathing but that's the only thing we understand about his condition. There is a mana barrier around him that prevents anyone or anything from touching his body, except for me. Is this his way of showing affection? It's lame, but I couldn't help but feel warm in my chest.
I caress his sleeping face like I did for the last five days. He is not very handsome, but for some reason, I think he is very cute. Making sure no one is around, I lightly kiss him before leaving the room.
“Miss Miyong, you do not have to stay with him all day like this. Please take care of yourself. I will protect him until he awakens.” Jason was standing outside the room as usual. I don't know what is going on between these two, but based on Jason's actions, at least he does not have bad intentions.
“You really won't tell me what your relation is to Yue? How come I have never seen you before? I have been his friend since we were babies.” I found myself asking the same questions over and over again since five days ago.
“Miss Miyong, please take a rest.” He bowed his head low. It's annoying to talk to this guy. I just left him behind and went to find Mali.
—-------------------
Mali was talking to Jessica as usual. After Yue went into that condition, we completely stopped hunting or exploring altogether. We started to realize that our hunting methods relied so heavily on Yue to control the enemy and we only had to attack. Without him, it was simply too dangerous to hunt, and Jason refuses to leave his post in front of Yue’s room. We couldn't hunt with only 3 people, so we are back to rationing supplies.
The mana sea is gone, anyone can leave the school if they wish but no one left. We all understand what this world has become. It was too dangerous to even go to the ground floor, let alone travel inside that jungle. Some people wanted to go home regardless of the danger, but then they realized the city had changed so much that they didn't know how to get home anymore. Some of the girls wanted to fortify this school and make it a long-term base. The group simply has no directions. Losing a leader has made the group chaotic.
“Hi, MiMi. How is Prince Charming?” Mali cheerfully asked me. There is a high chance that she saw what happened on the roof before Yue went unconscious. This girl has been practicing her skill by constantly activating it. At first, she was struggling a lot, but now, it feels like it is as natural to her as breathing. As long as she is awake, that skill is always activated. She is like our own security alarm barrier. The downside is that she also sees everything and what everyone is doing.
I was also inspired by her. Mana is constantly covered around my body like an invisible suit of armor. Even if a red rabbit jumped out of nowhere and attacked me, I would be unharmed in this state. That guy told me to always take care of myself first. This is my answer to that.
“This is a long shot, but do you know how long he will be like that?” Maybe Mali will know.
“You already asked her seven times today” Jessica looked at me with sad eyes. That pisses me off somehow.
“MiMi………….I don't know.” Mali looked sad. “You should rest. Yue asked me to take care of you….”
“When did he do that? Why is everyone looking like that? He is still alive. It's fine, he is just resting.” Perhaps this is also something I have said over and over again. “I am not worried at all. Hahaha.” Their eyes full of pity are painful.
“MALI! JESSICA! I GOT A MESSAGE!” A group of freshmen girls ran up to us yelling something.
“Calm down and stop yelling. What message?” Mali has been acting as a temporary leader while Yue is out of commission.
“on the system screen”
“There are other system functions!” the girls are talking over each other
“Shut up Sita! Not the time for that! We managed to awaken our friends and while we were messing around with the system screen, we found this. Please say “New player introductory message”” one of the girls told Mali. I could feel mana from these girls. They couldn't awaken before, why now?
“New player introductory message” I wanted to test it out myself. This is a very weird and super specific phrase. I guess making it super specific in this way would make sure that no one would stumble upon it easily in casual conversation. Who the hell would normally say that?
[Welcome to the Game]
Dear Players, congratulations on surviving the preliminary selection. Survive and grow strong, and get the attention of patrons. Maybe someday one of you will stand next to us. Good luck.
[News, and market function unlocked]
“What the fuck is this?” Yue, wake the hell up.
—----------------------
Yuelian
Where the hell is this? Am I flying? The building in front of me is pure white, made from some shiny marble or something similar. But I could feel intense mana from every block of white stone. Mana is so intense that only one section of the building seemingly has more mana concentration than the entire mana sea that covers the city.
“You……. are one of my children?” a voice as soft as a whisper.
“Hello, who are you? Where is this place?”
“We have no time………..don't accept their powers……….remember that.” The voice sounds as if they are struggling to push out every word.
“Ok. Please tell me anything. Who are they? Who made the game? Do you know anything?” In this situation, I have to get as much information as possible.
“Remember………”
I felt like I was strongly shoved back. I saw the white-marbled city from far away. It is like a massive white city. No, it is a jail. then the feeling of falling. A very long fall.
—-------------------
“Prince, you are awake.” I heard Jason’s voice. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw him walking into the room. This is the meeting room? They have converted it into my hospital bed I see. My body felt really strong, but I felt mentally tired. I didn't want to get up. “I apologize for interrupting your rest, but Miss Miyong has gotten in trouble.”
Fuck. I jumped up from the bed.