Ricardo woke up that Monday to the sight of his sister clad in yoga pants passing through the hallway.
“Hello, I'll be back soon.” –said Minerva, running down the stairs.
“Ok.” –said Ricardo, drowsily walking towards the bathroom.
Seems like she's getting better.
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Milana logged in Virtual Connection and she suddenly didn't know what to do. She had gotten accostumed to playing with Kyle and she didn't feel like trying to level alone. On the other side, she had only two days left on her 7-day magical girl costume and level 20 was within sight.
Not even Amelia's online; I guess I'm on my own today.
She decided to go to the in-game internet café and look up for recommendations as to where to level. New Year's Day had just passed by but the oficial forum was already all decked out in pink and hearts. And she saw it again, the announcement that had started everything a week before.
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We are glad to announce that Virtual Connection 2.0 will be released in time for our most special holiday ever: Valentine Month's Dating Extravaganza!
The event will start after February 1st's scheduled downtime, also introducing all the new features of version 2.0, and last until February 29nd. A whole month of quests, minigames and new dating dungeons to play while you look for that special someone. Fight new valentine mobs and score exclusive event items like never seen before!
Also, for those who already met their destined one, during Valentine's Month we'll be having the first Virtual Connection Couple Tournament! It'll be a worldwide event in which every couple will compete for winning incredible prices. And since true love doesn't know about levels nor items, all couples will have the same chances in the arena. You'll just need to get to Tier 1 and register before February 1st, so if you haven't gotten to level 20 yet, go out and level!
To help everyone to prepare for this event, we'll double the experience gained in the daily date dungeon after January 4th's scheduled downtime and until the event goes live.
We'll be revealing more about version 2.0 new features and the upcoming events soon.
Thank you for playing with us during this past year and we hope you enjoy Virtual Connection 2.0!
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A lot had happened since Sandro first showed her the Valentine Month's event announcement. The plan was madness, utter madness. But, reading Johnny33's post in the guild forum later, Milana couldn't help herself; she needed to do something. Even if the plan failed, which was highly probable, it still made her feel like she was making a difference.
Too late to worry about it; I'm already commited.
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Milana was lazily sniping bats when the red button appeared.
“Hey!” –exclaimed Amelia. –“Are you leveling much?”
“Not really.” –answered Milana, while shooting another bat. –“I'm at the Everdark Forest, killing bats; experience is awful compared to hunting with Kyle.”
“Yeah, leveling in a party is a lot quicker.” –said Amelia. –“Anyway, I just logged to tell you that I'll be going for lunch.”
“See you soon!”
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“Restarting the gym is such a pain.” –complained Amelia, while cutting a piece of her steamed fish.
“No pain, no gain.” –said Minerva, holding a piece of celery in her fork. –“Besides, who told you to skip two weeks of training?”
“Going alone is boring.” –replied Amelia, pouting.
The girls had restarted going to the gym that morning and now were eating a special low-carb lunch; Ricardo and mom were having pasta. The former was minding his own business, trying to not catch the dieting girls' attention.
“I've been told you are playing Virtual Connection nowadays.”
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Ricardo got startled by Minerva's statement. He raised his eyes to look at Amelia, who was mouthing a 'sorry' while smiling.
“Yeah, I started about a week ago.” –admitted Ricardo, looking at Minerva worryingly.
“Don't stare at me like that.” –said Minerva, laughing. –“If you want to play, just play; maybe you'll finally get a girlfriend.”
“I'm ok; for real.” –continued Minerva, since everyone was staying silent. –“I'm not playing that game anytime soon but you don't need to tiptoe around it.”
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“She took it better than I feared.” –said Milana, one shotting a bat without looking.
“Yeah, I'm so glad she's back.” –said Amelia, smiling. –“Even if she's a pain sometimes.”
“Are you telling her about the plan?” –asked Amelia, suddenly serious.
The two of them were at the Everdark Forest: Milana was sitting in a tree branch, waiting for the bats to come out of their cave, Amelia leaning on the trunk of that same tree, stealth activated so bats wouldn't notice her.
“Are you crazy?!” –exclaimed Milana, missing a bat for the first time. That one flew straight towards Milana's face before dropping down in a swoosh. Amelia picked up her dagger and returned to stealth as if nothing had happened.
“What were you going to do if she had wanted to meet you in-game?” –asked Amelia, amused.
“I don't know.” –answered Milana, downing yet another bat.
“That's why I didn't want her to know!”
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“Hello! Wanna go training together?”
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“Of course; I'll be glad.” –answered Milana with anticipation. She couldn't help but smile when listening to the voice at the other side.
“Great; I'll drag Kyle right away.” –said Angela. –“See you in the plaza!”
“They logged in.” –said Milana, excited.
“Alright, then I'll be leaving.” –said Amelia.
“Bye!” –exclaimed Milana before dissapearing in a flash of light; never noticing the pair of bats laying on the ground.
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“Goblin burrows is it then.” –said Angela, smiling. –“Going for the One-eyed Wand, huh?”
“What's that?” –asked Milana, dumbfounded.
“A rare drop from the goblin boss.” –said Angela, looking at Kyle knowingly. –“The best weapon for a hybrid mage around your level.”
The three of them were walking side by side, Angela in the middle, leaving Torinelo City through the east gate.
“I see.” –said Milana, thoughtful. –“Can we beat it?”
“Probably.” –answered Angela, excited.
“Might be close though.”
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With Angela available, the party blitzed through the ground level of the goblin burrows, taking out any patrol appearing in their way. Two shamans weren't too much trouble since Angela could take on one of them.
“Second floor; now you should be careful.” –said Angela. –“Since we don't have too much time, we'll go directly to the boss room. We'll avoid any patrol we can but, if engaged, killing the shamans is priority.”
“So, the same as we have been doing?” –asked Milana, confidently.
“Yeah, but now we might get three or four of them at the same time.” –answered Angela. –“You might get targeted, so it's imperative to kill them as fast as we can.”
“Milana and I will take out the shamans without worrying about anything else.” –continued Angela. –“Kyle's job is to distract all the melee attackers and to not let them attack us.”
“Understood.” –said Milana and Kyle in unison.
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Their first second floor's fight went as well as it could. Angela noticed the patrol before turning a corner, so the group could target the shamans at the back first.
At the signal, Angela jumped on one shaman, killing it in two slashes, while Milana shot the one next to it. The other two shamans turned around and shot at Angela. She avoided one shot, taking the other one in the leg, before landing on the shaman with daggers in both hands.
Milana quickly finished her target, turning around and shooting the unattended shaman. She took a quick look sideways; the dagger-wielding goblins were getting really close but she trusted Kyle. Without time to spare, Kyle shield bashed one goblin while body slamming the one closest to Milana. Seizing the opening he had just created, he positioned himself firmly between the melee goblins and the girls.
The last shaman was readily bolted and then it was just picking out the goblins one by one, while healing Kyle before it got dangerous.
“Not bad.” –said Angela, nursing her bootless left leg.
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They continued taking out patrols in the same manner, going straight through the burrows towards the boss room. It got dangerous a few times, Angela's recklessness in full display. In the last fight, Milana had to get in between her and the shamans to heal her, almost getting shot herself.
“You really should be more careful.” –said Kyle, reprehending Angela. –“Last time you were within a sliver of your HP bar.”
“Don't be so serious.” –said Angela, not remorseful at all. –“We are fighting in an area designed for Tier 1 players, of course it'll get dangerous.”
“That's the fun of the game.”
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The boss room's door.
Milana looked without saying anything. Things had gotten awkward after Angela and Kyle's discussion. Suddenly, she didn't know if fighting the boss was a good idea anymore.
“Here's the boss, the One-eyed Summoner.” –said Angela, smirking. –“I say we try it; I know we can beat it.”
“But maybe Kyle wants to play it safe and call it a day.” –added Angela, looking towards him.
“What do you think?” –asked Kyle to Milana, ignoring the needling of Angela.
“Since we are already here, I want to try it.” –answered Milana, smiling uncomfortably.
“Alright.” –said Kyle, preparing himself.
“Then it's decided.” –said Angela, excited.
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The One-eyed Summoner was a tall goblin clad in dark brown robes, sat in a throne in a raised dais at the back of the room. After the door closed itself, the boss stood up, pointing his wand towards the middle of the room.
“Go!” –exclaimed Angela, running towards the middle-right side of the room while Milana took the left side.
Kyle run right through the middle, striking the goblin as it appeared. Angela and Milana took out their targets too, quickly jumping back before the next summoning.
The boss summoned three waves of three goblins each, which were quickly dispatched by the party. After the last one, the girls took cover behind Kyle.
The One-eyed Summoner suddenly opened his right eye. It was bright red, pulsing light from within. Suddenly, the boss raised his ruby-topped wand, shooting straight at Kyle's shield. He grunted, sliding back from the power of the shot.
“I'll go now.” –said Angela, running towards the boss with a mischievous grin in her face.
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Angela got to the raised dais just before the room was flooded with goblins. Now there were twelve dagger-wielding mobs between Kyle and Milana, and Angela and the boss. Milana quickly shot the ones closest to the dais; she couldn't let them target Angela.
The dagger-wielding cat-girl engaged the boss in a frenzy. She slashed and whirled with reckless abandon, not caring about the wand strikes she was receiving.
Kyle and Milana got into their familiar grinding: Kyle in front, pushing back the goblins one by one, enabling Milana to shoot them cleanly from the back. She was worried about Angela, wincing each time she got hit, but she couldn't afford to get distracted; Kyle needed her full healing attention.
Milana ran up of mana after killing the fourth goblin, leaving eight to gang up on Kyle while she drank a mana potion. Hopefully, he could endure the hits for a bit.
In the raised dais, Angela was still fighting the boss within a sliver of her hit points.
If she gets hit again, it'll be all over.
And then Milana started running.
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Kyle noticed Milana passing by and quickly made some space, receiving a slash in the back for his troubles. He had to let go of his spear to drink a health potion, which hopefully would be enough.
Having the summoner in front of her, Milana didn't waste time and shot it. The boss got knocked back, giving Angela time to drink a potion.
The One-eyed Summoner, also freed from Angela's frenzied slashing, turned towards Milana and shot her. Milana tried to evade to the right, getting hit in the leg; she inmediately shot again.
“It's enough; get back.” –yelled Angela, jumping the boss again with her daggers.
Milana drank a health potion, saving her mana for shooting, and started targeting the melee goblins. Kyle had tried to go around but he was quickly being overwhelmed.
Another one bites the dust, seven to go.
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“That was so thrilling!” –exclaimed Angela, sitting in the former summoner's throne, her leather armor cracked and falling to pieces.
Following Milana's intervention, Angela got just enough health to barely finish the boss. Fortunately, Kyle resisted enough to let Milana get back into position. After that, it was just a matter of time to mop up the leftover goblins.
“We were really lucky to pull it out.” –said Kyle, serious. –“And even so, it was because Milana went against the plan and charged forward to save you.”
“She's like a guardian angel.” –said Angela, grinning. –“No wonder you're so fond of her.”
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“It's a pity we couldn't get the wand.” –said Kyle, still a little self-conscious.
“We can't always hit the jackpot.” –said Milana, smiling.
Angela had excused herself a while ago, leaving them alone for their exp date. It was a mindless grind at this point, the two of them killing the mobs while chatting casually.
“We can try it again tomorrow.” –said Kyle. –“Angela should be up to it.”
“I thought you didn't approve.” –said Milana, one-shotting a bat.
“I don't know how to feel about it.” –said Kyle, spearing a goblin. –“If we fail, we're just going to lose a level; it isn't like we're gonna die for real.”
“Yeah, just a game.” –said Milana, bolting a shaman. –“Even so, getting hit doesn't feel great.”
“You could never tell by looking at my sister.” –said Kyle, laughing.
“She's unlike anyone I've met before.” –said Milana, bolting another shaman.