PLEASE ENTER NAME : LEVEL 8
DAY 100 : D-DAY, FIRSTWEEK, DEIMOS, YEAR 1
CENTRAL 3 : ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT 1 : THE TOWN
As soon as Zack arrives, Tyrone’s eyes unfocus from his system menus. “This looks like everyone. Kirito declined, Yuki is busy, and…” He turns to David. “Where’s Simon?”
David shakes his head. “Not coming.”
“Why?”
“The first time I asked, he just said ‘work stuff’. He hasn’t replied to any of my messages since.”
Tyrone rubs his temples with one hand before turning to Alex, Joe, Zack, and myself. “Guess it’s just the six of us then, huh?” Adopting a contemplative look, he finishes some mental calculations with a wry grin. “There’s three of us missing… So if I modify today’s budget accordingly… How about we spend three times as much on everyone here?”
I nod. “I do not believe that math is… Correct..?” That’s when I notice the death-glares everyone but Tyrone is giving me. “I am confused.” Perhaps math is viewed as offensive in this social setting? “What is happening?”
Tyrone forcibly perks up at my question. “We’re having fun!” He winks at me. “And the other three aren’t. That’s what’s happening.”
Then, we go eat.
At an apparently famous bakery, we all share a Midgard-shaped confection called an ‘Octopie’. It’s made with all different fruits for the eight segments, with layers of chocolate, cream, and caramel for the central octagon. The cream pairs uniquely with each of the kingdoms of cherry, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, banana, lemon, peach, and apple.
Zack starts to complain about how strawberry isn’t even remotely frost-themed. But his vitriol quickly fizzles out as he joins everyone else in their looks of fascinated horror as they watch spoonful after spoonful of food disappear into my helm’s mouth hole.
I can still taste it, of course. And delicious as the pie is, an ethereal tongue doesn’t induce anything like the sensory overload that eyes gave me. So I never bothered turning it off. In fact, I’ve grown to quite enjoy the sensation. But even I have no idea how my taste buds work. I don’t so much swallow each bite, as spoon it into my helm, at which point everything edible disappears with a distinct, lasting flavor that leaves only an empty utensil.
But my friends eventually get over it and dig in themselves. Tyrone even orders another Octopie after they all just watch me eat half of the first one without trying any themselves.
On our way out of the restaurant, Joe stutters out a clearing of his throat. “Um… So, I’ve been wondering. What’s our real purpose here today?”
Tyrone grins down at him. “We’re having fun, didn’t I say?” He raises an eyebrow. “Or is that a problem?”
“No… Of course not. And don’t get me wrong, I’m all the way here for it. But this whole thing feels so… Official? Too official to just be about fun, I mean. But is that really all it is?”
“It is and it isn’t. It’s both a tradition and a special occasion. Think of it like a Guild Holiday. That really is the main reason I asked you to gather here. But if I had to get all utilitarian about why I introduced these traditions to begin with… I want to understand everyone in my guild. And quality time is important to that.”
“And any… Um… I’m sorry, I just really like it here and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. Or even put my own out of line. So I guess what I really want to know is what should I avoid? Like, is there something I might say today that’ll get me kicked out?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. At the end of the day, aside from The Tournament, the only thing I really demand from you is honesty. If you don’t want to tell me something, just say so. But don’t lie. As far as your own feelings are concerned, that’s really the only way to piss me off. So don’t do that. But otherwise? Just be yourself.”
Yawning away whatever a food coma means, Tyrone stretches his arms up to the open sky. “Little outings like this are the only time I permit spending from the treasury on anything besides Guild Hall upgrades. It’s also to welcome three of you to our ranks.” He eyes Alex. “And to welcome one of you back. To show how I…” He pats David on the shoulder. “We… Appreciate each and every one of you.”
Tyrone’s tone takes a distinct downturn. “That’s the real reason I’m annoyed with Simon, Kirito, and Yuki right now. The whole guild can’t bond if the whole guild isn’t here.” He shakes his head. “And we’ve got plenty of entertainment options. So tell me…” He looks around at us as a group. “Is there anything in Central that you’ve always wanted to do, but could never afford?”
Zack talks through a mouthful of the last bite of either pie. “The Tournament?”
Tyrone rolls his eyes. “Sorry, I should’ve specified. What would you want to do… If you aren’t being stupid on purpose?”
As they all seem to understand the confusing concept of ‘jokes’, everyone but me laughs. Especially Zack. But as loud and vibrant as his laughter is, it seems… Forced? Is that what I’m hearing?
Tyrone seems to sense something similar. After shooting Zack a concerned look for a moment, he hurries to cover for his likely-too-harsh banter. “A bit off-topic… But it’s rare for a guild as small as ours to suddenly have such an influx of new members. And with the next tournament in a few months, we can’t afford not to all be on the same page if we want any chance of winning.”
David snorts out a laugh.
Tyrone rounds on him. “We will win this year. Right?”
David’s eyes go wide at the sudden reprimand. “O-of course! It’s just that… We’ve never won, so-”
“SO???” Tyrone’s eyes blaze to life as they drill into David’s.
For the latter’s part, he at least knows when to stop pushing one of Tyrone’s few buttons. “Of course I’ll still try. But-”
“BUT NOTHING.” Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Tyrone turns to us three newcomers while Alex sagely nods and even more sagely neglects to speak. “The Anime Club has one goal… Ragnarok.”
At that, the remaining three of us look at each other. Zack with indignation, Joe with excitement, and me with a lack of actual eyes, in a hopeless attempt to match the emotional bid the others are making. I still don’t entirely grasp why, but Civetta was firm about how important those are.
Remembering what Civetta also told me about situations where I am not the current target of a conversation, I raise my hand.
Seemingly half-ready to throw something at me the instant I say something stupid, Tyrone nonetheless gestures me onwards.
“Are you referring to The Tournament of Ascension?”
Tyrone’s eyes soften a bit at that. “No, son. Ragnarok is a different matter altogether. But you’re on the right track. To get there, we need to win The Hero King Tournament. The Tournament of Ascension is the first step. And we-” He glares a hole in the back of David’s head. “WILL… Take it this year.” He looks meaningfully around at the group. “This year. UNDERSTOOD???”
Everyone in the group rushes to bark out some variation of ‘Yes!’.
Except me, who nods. “No.”
Tyrone’s gaze meets my helmet’s eye holes directly. “Come again?”
“I do not understand.”
“And what, exactly, don’t you understand?”
“What is a ‘tournament’?”
Tyrone deflates, his momentum lost the instant Alex, David, Zack and Joe burst into unified laughter. “‘What is a tournament’..?” He sighs. “You know what? Never mind. I’ll explain it later.” His frown curls into a smile. “Actually, no I won’t. I wasn’t gonna talk about this today, but…”
He glances over the three of us newcomers. “Zack, your mentor is David. Joe, you’ve got Kirito. And PEN, you’ll be with Simon. The mentorship lasts from now to the start of The Tournament. By our first match, I’ll expect all of you to know exactly what I’m talking about, how you fit tactically into your combat role, and how to best improve your efficacy therein. Understood?”
I nod. “No.”
“Do you know who Simon is?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“Then that’s good enough for now. Between now and then, I expect you to ask him all your questions.”
David and Alex erupt in a giggle fit.
Tyrone turns to them. “Problem?”
David snorts. “No… I’m sure Simon will love that.” Barely getting that out, he and Alex laugh even harder.
Tyrone cracks a smile of his own. “Well, if Simon has an issue with that arrangement, he should’ve been here to object.”
David stops laughing. “Wait. Hold on, so if there’s three of us missing, and three of us to train, why am I getting punished?”
Coming down from his own laughter, Alex pats him on the shoulder. “Come on, man. You want to stick this guy with Yuki?”
At that, David and Alex resume their giggling while Zack looks offended.
Tyrone leans down to pat Zack on the shoulder this time. “Don’t worry, it’s not about you. Yuki just isn’t the type to mentor anyone. It’s not that she’s unwilling. She just doesn’t have the capacity for it. Pairing you with David is the best choice, I think. Of everyone in the guild, I’d say his skillset is most similar to yours. In fact, when I was thinking up this arrangement, that was the first matchup I made.”
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Zack seems to untense a little. “For real?”
“Really.” After a squeeze of his shoulder, Tyrone stands back up, once more towering over the rest of us. “Now then… Let’s go spend some money without those party poopers-GAH!!!” From slowly turning to meet each of our eyes, he jumps back away from me. “S-sorry. I just… Forgot you were there for a second. Scared the shit out of me…”
After a moment for Tyrone to recover, we make a few more stops before arriving several hours later at what is apparently the best-regarded Equipment shop in Central.
Tyrone smiles wide. “Now then…”
[ MYTHIC GUILD ITEM GIFTED: THE ANIME CLUB PURCHASE VOUCHER ]
“Everyone go and pick out a weapon. Or a piece of armor. It’s yours. On the guild.”
Everyone’s eyes widen but mine.
Unable to make such precise expressions, I am nonetheless taken aback. Even with as little context as I have for monetary transactions, I know that has the potential to incur significant charges.
But Tyrone’s smile widens to match everyone else’s eyes. “Actually…”
[ MYTHIC GUILD ITEM GIFTED: THE ANIME CLUB PURCHASE VOUCHER * 2 ]
“Make it three.”
Everyone’s mouth drops open except for mine, which doesn’t have the capability for such an expression.
David gulps. “R-restrictions?”
Tyrone pretends to have to think about that. “Keep it combat-related.”
Everyone else just stares at him for a while.
Zack is the first to break the silence. “LONG LIVE THE ANIME CLUB!!!” At that, he, Alex, David, and Joe run into the store.
Tyrone raises an eyebrow at me. “What’re you waiting for?”
I nod at Tyrone. Then the store. Then at my own hands. Then back to Tyrone. “Anything I… Want?” I nod back at the store. “How many customers do you believe they would appreciate an influx of?”
His other eyebrow rises to match his first. “I suppose 30 or so more would be able to come in while you’re there without getting in your way. Why do you ask?.”
I nod.
[ ARMOR DISMISSED: 30 ]
[ RARE ACTION: SUMMON ARMOR 3 ]
[ RARE ACTION: SUMMON ARMOR 3 ]
[ RARE ACTION: SUMMON ARMOR 3 ]
[ RARE ACTION: SUMMON ARMOR 3 ]
[ COMMON ACTION: SUMMON ARMOR 1 ]
[ COMMON ACTION: SUMMON ARMOR 1 ]
Tyrone just watches exactly how many more bodies can comfortably fit in the shop. “I thought the headless armors couldn’t see?”
I nod. “That is correct.”
“So what use will they be in there?”
“I cannot see either. In addition, the Sonar range from this body is already enough to cover the entire shop. Not to mention Sonar’s increased effectiveness with so many sources in close proximity. However, I view System windows as you. So I can and will, easily and fully, examine everything any of them come across in that same way.”
Tyrone relaxes and looks at me more fully. “Really? I would’ve thought system messages would be sight-based.”
“Apparently not. There seems to have been precedent for increasing the quality-of-life of my situation, as every one of my Bodies has its designation watermarked into the corner of all System windows. This is not necessary for my use-case, but is appreciated nonetheless.”
Tyrone starts to nod back before stopping himself with a twitch. “I… I see where you’re coming from. So you think that was a patch applied to your CLASS before you got it?”
I nod. “Not necessarily, no. I think it was likely a system-wide update prepared for all races with multiple bodies long before my Dullahan CLASS was ever formed around that functionality.”
“And you’re… You said two months into this world?”
I nod. “More than three now.”
Tyrone looks exasperated for some reason. “Who taught you all this? And why didn’t they teach you when to nod?”
I nod. “I was instructed by an Admin named Civetta and a Hero named Oneshot beginning three months ago. This is still ongoing.”
Tyrone twitches at the sound of both names and freezes in place before growling under his breath. “What did you just say?”
I nod. “I possess a dedicated body, through which I am receiving continuous education. Also, nodding is the only independent movement my form allows. It is that, or nothing.”
“Really?”
I nod. “No. I was told to say that when asked.”
Tyrone sighs. “You’re a part of my Guild now. Once you’re in, you’re family. And family doesn’t force the truth out of family. But if you’re willing to tell me, I sure would like to know. So, if you’d like… What exactly is the truth?”
I nod. “I don’t understand social gestures, or the emotions they convey. I don’t feel emotions in the same way natural-born humans do… It seems that whenever I try to make the appropriate gesture, at the appropriate moment, it ends up wrong by a statistically significant margin. Therefore, the proposed solution is to simply apply the same neutral, agreeable gesture in all cases.”
“It… Doesn’t seem to be working.”
“How so?”
“Okay, I’ll just come out and say it. The nodding is weird. It’s just… Weird.”
I nod. “This reaction is preferable to those received before applying this solution.”
“Huh… Well, as long as you’re okay with being weird, I guess it’s okay to be weird. Just… Don’t be so shy with that explanation. Knowing that, I feel like I understand you a lot better. And the nodding even feels a lot less weird.”
I nod. “I have chosen the items I wish to purchase.”
Tyrone chuckles. “Really… That was fast. What’d you go with?”
I tell him.
[ LEGENDARY LIGHT SHOULDERS GAINED: SHADOW CLOAK — DEFENSE: 256 — EFFECT 1: PROJECTILE DAMAGE MITIGATION +12.5% — EFFECT 2: STEALTH +25% — EFFECT 3: SP REGEN +12.5% — EFFECT 4: OPPOSING WIND PRESSURE -25% — EFFECT 5: OPPOSING PROJECTILE TRACKING -12.5% — SPECIAL EFFECT: WHILE HOOD IS UP, HEAD, INCLUDING HELM, IS HIDDEN IN SHADOW ]
[ MYTHIC HEAVY HELM GAINED: DULLAHELM — DEFENSE: 512 — EFFECT 1: SENSORY RADIUS +50% — EFFECT 2: DAMAGE MITIGATION WHILE AIRBORNE +25% — EFFECT 3: EQUIPMENT WEIGHT -12.5% — EFFECT 4: STEALTH +12.5% — EFFECT 5: HEARING RANGE +50% — SPECIAL EFFECT: HELM OPACITY -100% ]
[ MYTHIC ACCESSORY GAINED: ANTI-HEADSHOT CHARM — DEFENSE: 256 — EFFECT 1: REMAINING HP AFTER BURST DEPLETION BY OVER HALF +1 — EFFECT 2: OPPOSING ATTUNED PROJECTILE EFFICACY -1 — EFFECT 3: EP +1 — EFFECT 4: MP REGEN PER SEC +1 — EFFECT 5: OPPOSING FORCE DAMAGE EFFICACY -1 — SPECIAL EFFECT: DAMAGE DEALT DIRECTLY TO YOUR HEAD IS INSTEAD APPLIED TO YOUR CENTER MASS ]
Tyrone grunts. “Don’t those all… Kind of do the same thing?”
I nod. “I have been told many times that my head is my largest weak point. This has been proven out, as damage to my head was the cause of nearly all deaths I have thus far experienced.”
“Well then, it’s good to see you’re thinking about survivability. As a fellow Defense Laner, we’ll be counting on that aspect of your kit. But, being new and all, you are aware of EP restrictions, yes?”
I nod.
“What does that mean?”
Ah. I never thought of that. So by using a nod for everything, I disconnect it from what it normally means. So I must verbalize the un-implied part as well. “Yes.”
“You know, nodding becomes kind of meaningless when you do it for everything.”
I nod.
Tyrone barks out a laugh.
I don’t get it.
We stand there in silence for a while. The seconds stretch into minutes. The minutes into… Not hours. But roughly 48 minutes. Judging by Tyrone’s growing frustration and muttering that he was going to take care of something while we were in there and now there’s no time, that’s a lot of minutes.
Alex is the first one besides me to return, sporting a new sword, and two new matching gauntlets.
Tyrone waves him over. “How’d it go?”
Alex eyes me while addressing Tyrone. “Swimmingly. Would’ve been easier without all the armor cluttering the place and getting in the way of everything.”
Tyrone takes a few steps toward the shop in a clear attempt to peer through the window and past the mannequins. “Really? I thought they tended to keep it spick-and-span in there at all times.”
Alex’s eyes bore into the side of my oblivious head. “They do. And speaking of which… PEN?”
I nod. “Yes?”
“Whenever you’re done in there, could you please get all your extra bodies out? It’s a rather large crowd, and the shop’s proprietors wish me to emphasize that while they would like to encourage people to come in droves, they aren’t so fond of when those droves only represent a single customer.”
I nod. “Oops.”
The shop erupts in bedlam as a platoon of autonomous armor all tries to leave at once. They don’t get in each other’s way. I have better control than that. But they do get in the way of, or are gotten in the way by, literally everyone else inside. The shouting, therefore, comes from them. As opposed to me, who dismisses each armor as they walk through the door.
[ TEAM / ZACK: YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT SOONER? IT'S A GODDAMN MESS IN HERE NOW ]
[ TEAM / JOE: ALTHOUGH IT DID JUST KNOCK ASIDE SOME DISPLAYS AND REVEALED A REALLY GOOD PAIR OF BOOTS ]
Alex chuckles. “Good thing nothing in there is breakable…”
[ TEAM / JOE: ACTUALLY, I WANT THEM ]
[ TEAM / JOE: ACTUALLY, I’M DONE ]
[ TEAM / JOE: THANKS PEN ]
Alex sighs. “Really though, you couldn’t have just dismissed them where they stood in the shop?”
I nod. “No. It would seem that Skills can’t be used inside. This evidently includes deactivation of ongoing effects.”
At that, we wait for David and Zack.
They take a while.
We don’t pressure them to hurry.
I don’t mind waiting. Compared to before, everything after I lost my eyes has passed in a metaphorical blink of them.
But somehow, the longer we wait, the happier the others seem about the waiting.