Saturday morning, Milana, Amelia, Sandro and Clara met at the room in Torinelo City Inn to be updated of the progress of the plan.
“So, all in all, Milana is halfway through level 15 and has already beaten the tier 0 exp date.” –summarized Amelia, proudly. She was wearing a dark green dress jacket and mini skirt combo, giving out a professional vibe.
“That's really good progress. Seems we won't need to powerlevel you afterall.” –said Sandro, genuinely surprised.
“See, I told you.” –said Clara, tracing the pattern in Sandro's sleeve with her finger. –“This game is too simple for him.”
“Yeah, he has always been the smart one.” –said Sandro, feigning jealousy.
“Stop, stop, stop.” –interrupted Milana, frowning. –“You can resume your flirting after the meeting is over.”
“Okay.” –replied Clara and Sandro at the same time.
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“You know, I'm still surprised you accepted Sandro's plan so easily.” –said Amelia, mischievously. –“I wonder... Maybe you wanted an excuse to play as a girl?”
“No way!”
Milana and Amelia were walking side by side in Torinelo City shopping district, after finishing the progress meeting.
“But I can't deny it's been kinda fun.” –said Milana, suddenly bashful. –“It's like I'm just starting to understand how it is on the girls' side.”
“I wonder.” –said Amelia. –“You have always been on the oblivious side.”
“Guilty.”
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“Hello!” –exclaimed Jessica, coming to meet them at the door of the Clothing Store.
“Hello Jessica.” –replied Amelia. –“We want to look at the Level 15 Light Clothes.”
“Great!” –said Jessica. –“Follow me.”
“I still don't know if this is really necessary.” –whispered Milana to Amelia. –“It won't take much time to get to level 20.”
“Don't worry, level 15 equipment is still worth a pittance for a high level player.” –replied Amelia, smiling.
“Besides, you can't ever have too many clothes!”
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After buying a couple outfits, they logged out for lunch. This time Amelia did warn him that she was coming, so Ricardo promptly logged out, took a shower and went down to the dining room.
“Hello sweety; you didn't have to.” –said a smiling mom, receiving a boxed cake from Amelia.
“It's the least I could do.” –replied Amelia, half-hugging mom while winking towards Ricardo.
“Hello Amelia.” –said Ricardo, half-smiling.
“Could you call Minerva for lunch?” –asked mom to Ricardo.
“Going.”
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“I never knew that Ricardo could dance Afro!” –exclaimed Amelia, laughing.
After finishing lunch, the four of them were eating the cake and talking. Minerva was dressed in a pink summer dress and had taken the time to press her hair.
“He doesn't seem like it but he's actually a really good dancer.” –replied mom.
“I wouldn't say really good; I can pretend competence.” –said Ricardo, a little embarrased.
“I wish I had known for Pre Prom party!” –exclaimed Amelia, feigning regret.
“Well, now you know.” –said Ricardo, smiling.
“There's still Prom party left.” –added mom, standing up to collect the dishes.
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“Are Ricardo and you, like, going out?” –asked Minerva, suddenly serious.
“Maybe?” –answered Amelia, playing dumb.
Both girls were in Milana's room for their first time in weeks. Clothes were thrown haphazardly in a corner of the room, plates and glasses accumulating on the nightstand.
“Are you for real?!” –exclaimed Minerva.
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“I dunno.” –replied Amelia, making her best dumb blonde impression.
“Have I ever told you how infuriating you are?”
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Having left Minerva in Amelia's hands, Ricardo promptly logged into Virtual Connection. A quick browse of his friend's list told him both Angela and Kyle were connected.
“Hello!” –replied Angela. –“I'm with Kyle; do you feel like going to the lizardman caves again?”
“Alright!”
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This time they went all the way to the second floor. Unlike the first floor, here the lizardmen appeared in groups of four to five, often including a couple of ranged attackers.
“This time you should let Kyle engage them before shooting.” –said Angela. –“Or you'll get hit.”
“Got it.” –replied Milana, staying back with Angela.
The lizard grinding went on for about an hour, the party advancing steadly towards the back of the floor.
“And here we are.” –said Angela, excited. –“This door opens to the boss room.”
“Can we beat it?” –asked Milana, worried.
“Yup.”
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The boss room's door closed behind them with a thump. At the front was the biggest, fattest lizard Milana had ever seen. It was even taller than the troll boss from the exp date.
“The Lizard Broodmother.” –said Angela. –“Lovely, isn't she?”
“I don't know if I'm more repulsed by her mud crusted skin or her dirty drooling mouth.” –replied Milana, with a disgusted expression.
Kyle quickly set into his previously designated place, covering them as the vanguard. The lizardwoman got up with a roar and picked up it's spear. Kyle, who was waiting for that, ran towards the boss, intercepting the spear throw with his shield.
“Now!” –yelled Angela.
The Mana bolt impacted the Broodmother directly in the chest, making it step back. Angela, who had been going around the other side, jumped the boss with daggers in both hands. The cat-woman slashed her foe twice and hopped backwards, as the spear came flying back towards the Broodmother's hand.
They continued attacking the boss in the same way until it's hit points got halfway down. At that point, the Broodmother stepped down from it's raised dais with the spear in her hand. Kyle went forward to engage it, blocking with his shield while trying to stay in front of the girls. Milana alternated between shooting and healing, chipping at the boss's hit points.
Here it comes.
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Suddenly, the walls at the sides of the room started moving sideways, revealing ten big, light-pulsing, crackling-sounding eggs.
“Don't mind them.” –said Angela, while running towards the closest egg.
“I got it.”
Angela frantically slashed the lizards from the right wall as they emerged from their eggs. The lizardlings were fast but weak, falling easily to Angela's daggers; she didn't even bother to evade their claws. She finished them just in time to intercept the left side ones, who were approaching Milana from the back.
“Are you alright?” –asked Milana, glancing sideways.
“Don't worry; they won't kill me.”
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“Lucky!”
After Angela killed all the lizardlings, the Broodmother had become enraged, dropping it's spear. It began thrashing wildly, attacking with claws and teeth at Kyle. Angela finished the boss with opportunistic strikes while Milana kept Kyle alive. It fell down in a burst of light, leaving it's spear floating behind.
˃ Blood spear of the lizard tribe
˃ Level 17 shortspear
˃ Retrace (This weapon can be recalled to your hand after five seconds)
˃ The spear of the matriarch of a lizardman clan, coated in the blood of all it's previous owners.
“Is it really ok for me to take it?” –asked Kyle, looking towards Milana.
“Yeah, take it.” –replied Milana, smiling. –“I don't have any use for a spear anyway.”
“Thank you, Milana” –said Angela. –“That rare drop is the best weapon for a tank under level 30.”
“Nice!” –said Milana, glacing worriedly towards Angela. –“By the way... Are you sure you're really fine?”
“It just feels a little itchy!”
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“I didn't think I would ever see the Naked Ninja in action.” –said Kyle, laughing.
“Naked Ninja?!” –exclaimed Milana, dumbfounded.
Angela, Milana and Kyle were back in their usual coffee shop in Torinelo City, sipping cold drinks.
“That's how she is called in her guild.” –added Kyle. –“You can imagine why.”
“I can see it.” –said Milana, stifling a laugh.
“You know...” –said Angela, a little peeved. –“When the game was just starting, we farmed that boss for days. And I would always end up with my clothes all in tatters.”
“So I decided: instead of wasting gold in buying new armor every time, I'll just fight naked!”
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“We have been leveling really fast.” –said Milana, after noticing she had leveled twice. –“If we keep at it we'll get to level 20 in no time!”
“Such a pity winter break is almost over.” –said Kyle, regretfully. –“I still need to level once to be able to use my new spear.”
“That's as good as done.” –replied Milana. –“We just need to date!”
“Yeah.” –replied Kyle, bashfully.
“By the way, I can't play tomorrow.” –said Angela, apologetically. –“But you two can still train together without me.”
“Is Dave coming back?” –asked Kyle.
“Yup.” –answered Angela, smiling. –“And I should be a good girlfriend.”
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After finishing their drinks, Kyle excused himself for bit, promising to log back soon for their daily exp date.
“What plans do you have for level 20?” –asked Angela, now that they were alone. –“Are you gonna be a mage?”
“Yeah, I'm already used to it.” –replied Milana, smiling. –“Watching you two fight has made me painfully aware I wouldn't make it either as a warrior or rogue.”
“You would do just fine.” –replied Angela.
“Besides, Kyle and I are pros!”
“Really?” –asked Milana, dumbfounded.
“No way!” –exclaimed Angela, laughing.
“You are so cute!”
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Kyle logged back after a bit, dressed in full armor. This time the exp date went without a hitch, both being higher level and more experienced than before. It felt anticlimatic, after having to give it all to barely beat the boss last time, to now kill it almost effortlessly.
“That was it.” –said Kyle, dissapointed.
The leisure date ticket was floating in front of them, suddenly not feeling that special anymore.
“You should take it.” –said Kyle, after a few seconds of silence. –“I got the spear afterall.”
“Then I'll keep it.” –said Milana, raising her hand to touch the yellow crystal.
“Did you level?”
“Yeah, now I can use the spear.”
“Great. See you tomorrow?”
“Ok.”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight”