[May 3, 1:00 pm, in the game world]
[Mokkun/Kingumo's POV]
"Brother, snap out of it! The boss finished transforming!" Jun stopped rubbing his eyes and got his head back in the game.
"I'm not sleeping tonight..."
"Pull yourself together, brother! I'll take the birds to safety, you deal with that monster! You can, right?" He can, right??
"Yeah, yeah, no big deal. Everything's gonna be peachy." That nonchalance of his... I hope he does. For all I knew, that Beast's nasty.
"Alright, brother. But before I go, please take this. [Zephyr's Hoof]." Transparent currents of wind cover his feet and took the shape of sandals.
"Woah! What's this?" Jun was excited about the buff I casted on him.
"With this, that thing won't be able to catch you for the next five minutes. You can also increase the buff's limits upto three times by feeding your aura. Kick its tail feathers, brother!" Jun understood what the buff is meant for and he was about to thank me, when we heard zapping sounds around us.
Suddenly, lightning bolts struck randomly around us and we barely dodged them. Realizing the danger we're in, Jun started to aggravate the Beast on purpose, so that I could escape along with the birds.
Getting back to the Spire was not easy. First, the birds are in their Normal Form and unconscious. Second, I'm in the Lesser Form and not strong enough to carry them both. Still, it's my responsibility to take them away from the fight, as far as possible.
Suddenly, Jun was in front of me, with the water shawl wound around his arms. He dashed towards us, tied the birds up as if they were some bundle and threw them away towards the Spire.
"Go long, King!" He cheered me on, resuming his fight with the Beast. I, on the other hand, zoomed across the sky, caught the tied birds with my talons and escorted them to the Spire.
It took a while for them to wake up, as I've been checking on the boss battle. The Quetzal woke up first and later the Crow. His red eyes burned with hostility towards me, for which I don't know why.
"Com licença? Você sabe onde estamos? Que lugar é esse?" The Quetzal spoke to me first, but the language barrier between us made me feel a bit helpless.
"He asked where we are and what this place is." The Crow translated for his friend. But his deep voice added onto the intimidating aura he already possesses.
"Pare com isso, querida! Você está assustando ele." I may not understand his language but I feel glad the Quetzal trusts me enough to defend for me. Strangely enough, their quarrel doesn't sound that aggresive and the Quetzal ended it with a kiss on the Crow's forehead.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the Crow's blushing face, accidently fanning the flames. Surprisingly, he mellowed a bit and approached me. "Speak." His attitude needs some work, though. I hope he doesn't hold against me.
I explained the situation to him as delicate as possible, but truth and reality are some of the things people can't simply digest or accept on the go. Fortunately, he's taking it pretty well and offered to help. He relayed it to his boyfriend(?), the Quetzal, who also took it, despite feeling discomfort about the situation we're in.
"Do you have a plan? To defeat the Beast, I mean. I believe that the longer this drags on, the tougher it gets on your friend." The Crow spoke facts, which I agree. I gave my plan to defeat the Beast in one shot, which they found appealing, but the Crow is slightly not convinced because of the risks my plan contains.
"Está tudo bem! Não é grande coisa. Já passamos por coisas piores, se você me perguntar." The Quetzal persuaded his boyfriend and agreed to the plan. After some serious discussion, they both kissed, which caught me off guard. I don't think I can handle witnessing PDA like that. 'Nice couple, hehe.'
"Vamos, amigo!" The Quetzal led out enthusiastically, starting our plan in a few minutes.
'Hang on, brother Jun! We're coming!'
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[Jōbun/Junkitsu's POV]
'Man, what was I thinking?! At this rate, my health would end up with a cipher! If it weren't for King's speed buff, I'd be dead long ago.'
Just when I thought help doesn't come any faster, the boss was zapped by dozens of green lightning bolts. The source was none other than the Quetzal. His teal eyes shone with amiability, as he glides down towards me.
"Olá! Eu sou Arboza! Como vai você?"
"Uhh... fine." It took me a while to recognize what he asked. Verdourean is not my cup of tea, after all. "So, what did King say?"
"Quê?"
"You know, the eagle?"
"Ah! Ihe? Ele disse para distrair-"
"Okay, this is getting nowhere!" Talk about getting stuck between rock and a hard place... and the boss fight doesn't get any easier!
"English or Sign, please." Please, take a hint. I don't speak Verdourean!
"You can Sign?!" Thank God he gets it.
"Yes, I can! Now, what's the plan?"
"No biggie, we've to make the Beast mad."
"Really mad?"
"Really, very mad."
"Cool!" Concocting madness is my speciality, so it didn't take a long time for the boss to blow its gasket. Finally, the heart-shaped boss open its apex into a two-beaked monstrosity and charged its lightning breath. Arboza and I were ready to take on the red-hot bolt. Except we didn't.
Instead, it shot upwards. I was checking up, wondering why it wasted its ultimate attack like that but, on seeing King and the Crow further away, I realized why. I was caught and pulled by Arboza by the heels, stopping me from getting to my friend. All he signed to me was to trust in them.
Seconds later, the red bolt vanished, thanks to the combined windy efforts of the Crow and the Eagle. Later, a red line was drawn, spanning from the birds to the Beast. Suddenly, the boss exploded with a brilliant light, with its remains scattered across the cloudy plain and sinking down. Arboza and I skid around to avoid those chuky remains flying at us. Finally, the boss is defeated. Or so we all thought.
I may have jinxed us by wishing for a break, for the worst-case scenario is rising from the dead. The sunken remains coalesced under the clouds and out emerged a long, giant, green serpentine Beast with feathers for its crown and a pair of wings.
"Quetzalcoatl?! Meu Deus!" Arboza's shock is similar to mine. As much as I want to bask in awe, I don't have the luxury to gawk at it as a player. Not only is it bigger, but also its ferocity is matched with its power. It's only a matter of time before our slaughter takes place.
The Serpent started to lash and thrash around, inciting violent gales to dance around. At times, it tries to strike and bite sneakily to cut down our numbers. But our counterattacks are piling on it steadily. King even shot a Ballista right in its eye, making it half-blind. Just when we are about to prepare for the final blow, the Serpent lunged at King. The wide jaws made sure that his escape is futile, but I won't allow it, even if it costs my gameplay.
[Zephyr's Hoof: 0 seconds] 'What?! Come.. on! I'm almost there! Almost...'
There... All done. King is out of harm's way and I don't even mind being under the jaws of death. Although it's sad that my Crawl's cut short, it's not bad for first time.
'Good luck, King. Go conquer the dungeon.'
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[Mokkun/Kingumo's POV]
'What just happened? One moment I was about to be eaten and now, I'm far away from the boss battle. Wait, is Jun okay? I remember he was... Oh no... No, no, no, no, please tell me I'm wrong. Please!'
With my top speed possible, I reached the area to see a body falling down from the Serpent's mouth. It was charred, mangled and smoking. Above all, it looked like a fox. Yes, it looked like a fox. Jun's still alive.
I was wrong.
I am wrong.
I wanted... to be wrong...
I wanted to be wrong.
I wanted to be wrong!
I WANTED TO BE WRONG!!!
"NOOOO! BROTHER! WHY DID YOU SAVE ME?! WHY?! AAAHHHH!!!"
"Águia, enough! Pull yourself together and fight back!"
"With what, Tegom?! What exactly do we have to fight that monster back?"
"What else? With our aura, of course! If that's not enough, we'll rip it with our talons!"
"It's impossible! Without Jun, we can't defeat that Beast. We're good as dead!" Before I could utter another word, my tongue went numb and my back was burning. It was as if I was struck by lightning.
"Deixe ele em paz, Águia!" Ugh... It was Arboza who did it, huh... He basically slapped my back with his palm charged with lightning, huh... I don't care. Compared to this, Jun's loss hurts a lot. Now, he's also blocked too. Not only from the dungeon, but also the friend requests.
Serves me right, to be honest. All I did was trying to use Jun for my personal gain. I looked at him as a key shaped for my shackles: this cursed story quest as a part of my community service. As long as I'm stuck with this, I can never be a player. After all, this is my independent source of income, which got severely restricted as a consequence of the law.
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Although Jun approached as a friend, to me, he was nothing but a ticket to freedom, a two-faced scumbag unfit for trust. That's what I projected on him when his mannerisms resembled him. I am ready to con him, if it took me to obtain freedom, but his reckless actions saved me from time to time.
I even purposely suggested strategies to speedrun this dungeon at the cost of his life, but a little part of me felt glad he didn't follow them through. The more I reflected, the more my method of atonement became clear.
'Brother Jun, I know you gave up the game to let me clear, despite not knowing the end of the tunnel but, I don't think I deserve this chance. This may not cut it out for everything I'd done but I'm sorry. I'm... so sorry... I hope you find a better teammate.'
With my wind, I pushed the Quetzal away, baiting Tegom to leave me alone. Afterward, I flew to where the Serpent is and threw my skills at him, until I've run out, until there's nothing left in me.
'Time for the 32nd time.' I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Tegom and the Quetzal's screams did make me realize how scary this whole situation, but this is nothing compared to what I did to Jun, and he pretty oblivious about it.
*BOOOM* 'What was that?'
I opened my eyes to see a golden entity with its back towards me. In its front flew the Serpent, which looked like it got kicked in the chin. Grey bolts lightning zap around him in stable harmony. My eyes adjusted to make out its shape, which turned out to be a fox.
'No way... it can't be...!'
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[Jōbun/Junkitsu's POV]
[Mythical Beast: Raposo de Ouro has descended. Time until reversion: 9:00 minutes]
Despite reading this notice a couple of times, it still didn't make sense. Even kicking that feathered snake seems unbelievable.
'How am I alive right now?! And why am I having this OP form?! Me- a mythical beast?! Get outta here!!'
Even if the system is compensating(?) me for the biggest error, this level of generosity is crazy. The power creep is practically insane, no matter how you, me or anybody sees it!
'Still... gotta make the most of it, right?'
"OI, YOU HAIRY REPTILE! I GOTTA SCALE TO PICK WITH YOU! TIME FOR ROUND 2, YOU BOZO!!" Great, its eyes should be on me now. Gotta make sure the aggro's locked on me. '[Vulpine Claw]!'
'Woah-ho-ho! This Beast Mode is OP!' I just threw a normal claw attack and it grew into a huge energy strike. Not to mention, the damage is huge! I managed to take out a chunk of the boss's HP, it's literally half-dead. Now, time to bring that number down to Zero!
For a while, the feathered Serpent was pretty relentless, mixing physical and auric attacks, executing combos and throwing feints for more damaging attacks; it's smart and deadly, to be short.
[Time until reversion: 5:00 minutes]
'Oh... so that's how you're gonna play with me? You're pretty smart for a boss, but you've made a big mistake, and I'll gladly use it to the fullest.'
Now, what if I dash fast among the clouds...
'Whoo-hoo-hoo! This speed is insane!' Thanks to my Mythical Beast form, I can be a living lightning bolt and do all sorts of things! Jumping around, creating afterimages, attacking without losing the power- this is awesome! It's only a matter of time.
[Time until reversion: 2:00 minutes]
'Okay... maybe less time. Now, get mad. Lose your temper. Throw your guard away. Go berserk! Then, and only then, will I wreck you, you stupid snake!' Its head is wide open, time for that technique!
'[Six-Chisel Crownbreaker]!' Six axe-kicks on the head with courtesy of mine and my afterimages. Infused with lightning aura as a bonus.
[True Boss: Xolo-coatl has been Shocked- 3:00 minutes]
'There we go...' Shocked is a status effect that paralyses your opponent and also gives DOT. Due to my form, the status effect's DOT is enhanced, ripping out chunks of that boss's health. I guarantee in 90 seconds, the Serpent will wind up dead and this level gets cleared.
Come to think of it, where are those guys? It's a good thing they kept distance, otherwise they'd gotten swept in and end up fried chicken.
'[Cosmic Perception].' Woah! This is so good! My form has a good synergy with this skill, so much that my radius of detection has increased a lot. In an instant, I sensed their location and sped up.
"Hey, guys! Missed me?" The birds were close to the Spire, waiting for me. They got spooked because of me, which is kinda my fault. Arboza and the Crow were happy to see me, but King just broke down crying. He kept on apologizing for something I have no idea about; even the hugs are not working.
"King... it's alright. Nothing's your fault. So, don't cry, please. When this is over, let's eat ramen. My treat, okay?"
"Sure... but I'll pay." Glad he stopped. Seriously, crying doesn't suit the King of the Birds. But it's also not good to sweep the sad stuff under the rug. His mental fortitude and humility are worthy of my respect.
"Did you defeat the Beast, Ótimo?" The Crow asked me.
"Yeah, it's dying as we speak."
"You might have to check it again, homem." Looking at his finger, I realised it's not over. I turned about to see Xolo-coatl poising for one last fight. It's barely able to stay steady and faintly draws out its last bit of power, so that it could wipe us out.
"King, do you have my shawl?"
"Huh? Yes, here you go." He handed it to me, wishing me luck and ushering his friends into the Spire for safety. As I wrapped the shawl around my palm, the means to end this fight slowly formed in my mind. I know what to do.
[Time until reversion: 30 seconds]
First, control the viscosity of the water shawl, so that it becomes rigid and enhance the sharpness. Second, infuse the lightning aura into the shawl. Lastly, make a current inside the shawl and close it. This will enhance the rigidity and sharpness of the shawl, as well as store and release lightning. This is my makeshift lightning sword.
[Element resonance detected. Water and lightning auras blend harmoniously.
Congratulations! You have learned to wield Storm Aura without guidance.
Your proficiency is boosted by Mythical Descent.]
[Time until reversion: 10 seconds]
'Great! Now, open your mouth, would ya?' Fortunately, it did. The Serpent gathered wind and lightning and blended them for an annihilating attack.
'So, you're toying with us all this while, huh. You've only seen us as pests until I came along. Thanks for underestimating us. For what you'd done to me, consider this even.'
I don't know if it understood me but at the right moment, the Serpent fired the Storm-based breath attack. 'This is for everything!'
"[QUICK DRAW: RIVING MEANDER]!" A singular wave of highly condensed storm aura was released from my makeshift blade, slicing through the breath attack and the Serpent by the jaws, splitting its head horizontally. The result was a bright explosion of energy, confirming its death.
[Nemesis defeated! You have defeated True Boss: Xolo-coatl, the Fallen Bearer of Storms]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up] x10
[4 Stat points have been rewarded] x10
[Mythical Descent is over]
'Finally... it's over. I'm beat! Looks like my growth rate is at its limit. The XP bar is becoming greedier now, as it should.'
"Ótimo! You have my thanks!" The Crow swooped down, congratulating me for my victory. King and Arboza joined in too.
"Never did I expect to witness the Raposo's glory before our eyes. Truly, we're blessed." This crow is so dramatic. Cut it out with the theatrics, please.
"Yeah, what is the story behind this Raposo, Tegom? Even Arboza was barely sitting still when Jun was fighting with the Serpent." King asked the Crow.
'So, his name is Tegom, huh...'
"Well, back in our homeland, there is a legend not that well-known. Raposo de Ouro- the Golden Fox, was a fox blessed by the lightning god Xangô, as a reward for his bravery."
"What did the fox do to get such a blessing?"
"He did the unthinkable- stealing the god's offerings."
"What?!" King felt scared for the fox. His reaction is pretty cute though.
"On top of that, he did it multiple times, even fighting and escaping from his traps, tricks and tantrums. Great Xangô has a good heart, but possesses a short temper. He vowed to kill that fox if he ever catches him."
"Then what happened?"
"He caught him and his axe was ready, but not before the fox got saved by a priestess. The priestess also worked as a guardian for a cave, rumoured to hold an altar gilded with gold, for the Mother of Gold."
"Okay..."
"She was fed by the fox for the past few days, as she is the fox's caretaker. Seeing how the fox loved his owner and risked his life to uphold his gratitude, he spared and blessed him to become a living lightning bolt, for protection and self-defence."
"That's really great!" King got ecstatic to hear about the legend.
"But here's the thing, the priestess was none than the Mother of Gold herself, in her mortal incarnation. She was born into the planet to save the foxes, her servants from getting poached and exploited. This fox was one of her last servants."
"Oh my god, that's so beautiful!" King was on the verge of opening his floodgates again.
"Haha, beautiful indeed. The bond the fox cherishes shines brighter any gold. That is also how he earned new power. Just like your friend here." Tegom hugged him in thanks for helping him and Arboza.
"Ótimo, thank you again for saving our lives. I believe we're ready to move on."
"Tegom, what do you mean?" Suddenly, flames started appearing on his feathers, burning him up. King and I got spooked by this. We aren't feeling good, knowing this is how they died.
"We remember what happened. How we ended up like this." Tegom then told everything about how they used to be a part of a drama troupe. The theatre that was part of the cathedral. And how there was an explosion in the theatre, which engulfed everything. Sadly, they don't know what caused it.
"Ótimo, Águia, we beg you to save our benefactors, if possible. They were, no- they are kind souls who don't have the heart to hate. They're saints who gave us a second chance in life. Please, save them." Tegom and Arboza bowed in request, hoping that the benefactors they mentioned would rest peacefully.
"Obrigado por tudo, amigos." Arboza joined his husband in the flames. With that, the immolating fire consumed them. Strangely, there was no hint of pain. They slowly disappeared as ashes, blown away in the wind.
"Let's go, brother. We're almost there. The final level." King stepped up and forth with a new light in his eyes, but I stopped him from crossing yet.
"I get it, but don't we have to prepare for the next level?"
"Okay, let's prepare fast and move on then." King was getting impatient, which is a new side to him. 'Man, this guy's cute. I feel like a big brother seeing his first steps!'
"It's a shame the couple's lives got cut short like that. I wish they'd live happily in the next life."
"I agree. The world doesn't deserve a married couple like those two."
"I wonder why we can't have nice things in life, both here and out there. ...Wait! Did you say married?!" Haha, now he's noticing this.
"Yeah. Isn't it obvious?"
"No, I assumed they are boyfriends. Then again, it's not like I can ask about relationships suddenly. It's not good on my part. How did you know they are husbands, by the way?"
"I had a hunch for awhile. Those rings earlier aren't ordinary. They were actually wedding rings. If you had figured out the symbolism behind the ritual, you'd have known about it."
"I have no idea..."
After some more preparation, we crossed over the next level.
[To be continued]
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[Skill used]
[Zephyr's Hoof: Conjure a pair of transparent sandals with wind aura to enhance your ally's speed and agility upto 5 minutes. The duration can be extended if the ally supplies their aura.
The longer the charge, the more number of duration slots can be increased. MP: Min.300, CD: 2 min]