[May 4, 11:51 am, in the real world]
The tables had turned.
The duel turned one-sided.
The hunter became the hunted.
Jun's painful ordeal filled Dan and King with dread. His plight kicked up doubt, like dust in their minds.
Despite the throbbing pain and soul-crushing might brought upon his head, Jun rose up again and again, wearing a grin that grew wider and wider.
The match heated up with trails of light painting across the duel area, as the two Animals threw various kicks at each other.
Speed, strength, acrobatic finesse- the two Duelists were evenly matched in these aspects, devolving the fight into a deadlock.
Like speed demons, they darted, dashed, slid, skated and snaked around the fighting grounds, trying to knock out their adversary with a concussion, but to no avail.
The match is like a lucid dream for speedsters and unarmed combatants alike. Along with the other spectators, they're rooting and hooting for both the Animals, who're pushing their limits to the end.
Dan and King still bit nails as the stakes rose higher, just like how Jun and the Rabbit spiraled up a stone column to break the deadlock with more kicks.
The result was a tie and raining boulders, born from the exploded top of the column. But this isn't the end, for they continued the fight while hopping around the falling boulders, using them as mid-air tactical covers.
But their strengths exceeded the burden on the boulders, turning them into dust, clearing all obstacles between the Duelists.
Their eyes squinted at the window of oppurtunity, as the soles of their feet glowed with aura. With a burst propelling themselves forward, they both flipped to stomp each other's stomach, but the synchronised timing only served as a launch-pad, repelling them away.
Jun flipped to gain balance and burrowed into a mountain on time, before the Rabbit caught up to him with a vengeance.
Furiously punching away at her opponent, the Rabbit left her flank open, inviting Jun to take the upper hand, by biting her.
Wincing in pain, the Rabbit struggled to break free, but the jaws of a predator were much stronger than she realised. Satisfied with his recovery and some time, Jun loosened his jaw, letting her go, and pushed her away with a bone-shattering punch.
A great distance was covered by the Rabbit with helpless flailing down the altitude and painful tumbling across the ground.
Although she got back up, the agony in her body, the fatigue in her muscles and the instincts blaring in her ears made her realize her waning power.
The darkening of the Rabbit's eyes, as seen in the distance by Jun, indicated him of her growing weakness. The grace of her skill was running out.
With sharp, unrelenting gazes and domineering stances surging with aura, the Fox and the Rabbit prepared to end this fight, once and for all.
The stand-off evoked anticipation and excitement over the outcome, among the spectators viewing the match. Dan and King, on the other hand, continued to bite nails with glued eyes, wide with dread.
Contrary to the cheers for the two Animals, the two friends worry about Jun's state. But King's irrationally wide-eyed look was more concerning.
> "Bro, what's wrong?"
>
> "Huh? No, nothing. I'm just happy to see two Legends clashing. It's not like you see this everyday."
>
> "That's your happy face?!"
>
> "What do you mean?"
"You should see your- ahem- never mind. Anyway, how does she have two Artifacts on her? I thought only one is given." Dan pointed at her gloves and choker, which glowed with aura.
"It's pretty common to have that notion, when you're a newbie. But there are more when it comes to Artifacts. For starters, there are two main types: Soulbound and Permeated. That choker of hers is the second type." King briefed.
> "Permeated?"
>
> "Yes, they are Artifacts born from the player's personal items during the Bestowal. The catch is that these items must have a significant history and bond with the player."
>
> "So, for example, if I have a mace or a spear that's under my care for a long time, there's a chance it'll be turned into an Artifact when I give it up for the Bestowal."
>
> "Correct, Dan-san."
>
> "Hm, I seem to learn something new everyday."
>
> "Isn't that a good thing?"
>
> "It is! It's just, I'm slow on sophisticated stuff like this. A country guy and a simpleton, that's me!"
"It's fine. You're a fast learner, so it wouldn't take time to teach--" The conversation got interrupted by a loud boom from the Holo-Slab. King and Dan watched the screen covered in smoke, making the duel's outcome ambiguous.
Emojis and emoticons were spammed in the public comment section, yelling about the smoke and the demand for the duel's result.
After the smoke cleared, everybody, including King and Dan, had their eyes wide at the sight of the winner, who's resting on top of the defeated opponent, heaving and relieving.
----------------------------------------
[Earlier]
[???'s POV]
GASP
...Where am I...?
.....
Mindscape?! What am I doing here? How did I end up here?
I'm supposed to be fighting with that fox, but...
...wait, did he knock me out?!
Oh no, that means...!
[Passive skill active]
Shit! This is bad! Super duper bad!
At his current level, I doubt he can hold on, let alone, survive.
But seriously, how could he punch me like that?! Doesn't he know to hold back?! Ugh, I cannot believe I fell for that! With the way he talks and acts, it's clear he's just a playboy with a pair of stone hands!
I swear, if he ends up being one of Ninūmi's jerks, I'd-... wait a second...
Now that I think about it, isn't he the Super Rookie who's said to come outta nowhere? In that case, he's-
'Hell no! He's gotta be inside Ninūmi's posse!' What in the-
'What if you're wrong? Do you think you can handle it? Do you even know to apologize, in the first place?!' Where did she-
'As if! Even if I know, he doesn't deserve it, except my foot to his face, that is!' Oh my God, not now...
'How are you so sure about it?'
'...I just know, that's all. Don't ask.'
'So you don't know! Then, don't even think about-'
'Guys, wanna have some carrots-'
'SHOVE'EM UP YOUR NOSE!'
'Can't you see they're talking, sweetie?' 'What's my sis upto now?' 'Hope Mom's doing okay...' 'I swear those bastards will pay for what they'd done to my friends.' 'That fox is a good guy.' 'That fox is a bad guy.' 'This world sucks...' Sucks to be you~' 'I WANNA WATCH THE WORLD BURN!!!' 'Peasants...' 'Oh, those babies look so cute, I wanna gobble'em up!' 'Single ikemen in your area *whistle*' 'Who want some taiy-'
"SHUDDUP! ALL OF YOU, JUST SHUT! UP!!"
*BZZZTT* "What the?!"
[Passive Skill neutralized]
Neutralized? Does that mean... hehehehe "Yes! Now, I can getta out here!"
I swear I'm never gonna get knocked out like that. Just when I thought the skill wouldn't run out of juice. Well, my body might be against a really powerful guy, I guess. That fox was actually holding back, not showing all of his cards.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
He's good. I wouldn't mind losing if it meant I'm gaining a friend. Even though the quest is failed, at least I'd get some loot and some power. I just hope it'd be enough to have some edge over the Sicko's posse.
...
'Damn, it's so bright...! Isn't it supposed to be a night?' Well, considering how long the fight went, it wouldn't be surprising the day-night cycle changed along.
But, there's something I must ask: why's the fox sitting on me?! What, am I a furniture now?!
Dammit, this is so embarrassing! How dare he?!
Doesn't he have any decency? Is he a punk from the ghetto or something? Nah, even punks have chivalry to make up for their bad attitude. This guy must belong to that asshole's posse!
This guy is a bad fox!
"Oh, so soon? Guess the shock's not strong enough. This might sting a little..." Hey, don't touch my neck.
"Please, enough with the frown. Be glad you're napping for a second time, even it's just for a few seconds... Sweet dreams!" Oh my god, he's crazy too!
"Wait, wait, wait-- KYAAAAAHHHHH!"
I'm so gonna... get him... for this
.....
----------------------------------------
[May 4, 11:58 am, in the game world]
[Jōbun/Junkitsu's POV]
"Wow, that was intense!"
This fight put a new outlook on my approach to fight choreography.
Never knew I had it in me to keep up with my opponent like that.
Forget about speed and agility, years of yoga, gymnastics or calisthenics must be followed to exhibit my level of flexibility. It's crazy to perform acrobatics flawlessly when you've never made any stretching routines.
[Congratulations! You have leveled up] x8
[Leaderboard is available]
[τ-17,469]
Sweet! Level 20! I should be grateful for this hike, but I don't feel very satisfied. Still keeping that aside, it's time to check out the goodies!
'Notices, and, go!'
[Excellent! You have choosen the hidden option, the Neutral route]
[Due to simultaneous choices, your rewards have been merged]
[Title: Benevolent Trickster has been awarded]
Right on the nail... According to this title, my friendship levels with all players start at 25%, whereas it's 50% Herbivore-type players. And I get 5-15% boost in my negotiation skills, which is not in my skill-set yet.
But the friendship effect is okay.
'Next.'
[New Quest entrusted. Quest not available yet.]
Huh? I got a quest but can't read the details? That's weird. Anyway, moving on!
[New skills recorded in Pioneer's Catalogue]
Ye~s, that's what I'm looking forward to!
The Pioneer's Catalogue.
It's a special in-built inventory of my Artifact, my gauntlets, in the form of a book. In synergy with my weapon's passive skill [Siphonate], the ambient energy of my opponent's skills will be absorbed, read, analysed and then copied into the book.
This works when I parry or counter them. Basically, fighting fire with fire, except it's their own fire. With more training on fine control, I can do the same with my feet.
Then, with [Random Deck] and [Custom Deck], I can load cards into my gauntlets and use those skills remotely.
Lastly, with the option [Train], I can acquire skills permanently. How it works exactly is yet to be understood.
In short, what I got is nothing but a cheat gear. There's no way these gauntlets don't have a weakness-- never mind...
'Techniques can't be copied...'
I'd say it's a fair trade, given that my class is the Calloused Taoist. Food for thought, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when the fruits of hard labour get stolen in a few matter of minutes, by the bulk.
"There are no shortcuts in scaling the Martial Peak. And that Peak... one has yet to see it..." Woah! I got to put this in my novel, stat!
But the second weakness is that my skill analysis will reset if I get hurt. That means I can't afford to have a scratch, which is virtually impossible.
Anyway, let's check the Catalogue.
[Gibber Gatling: Cast a line of fire to shoot sharp rocks. The longer the charge, the faster the rate of fire. MP: Min. 350, CD: 30s]
[Jagged Javelin: Conjure a sharp javelin from earth. The larger the supply, the larger the amount of javelins conjured. MP: Min. 120, CD: 75s]
So, these are the skills I got from parrying. And they're long-range too.
I shudder at the thought of my enemies, scurrying around to save themselves from my attacks. It's safe to say I might even bond with them over it, especially when I was at the receiving end of the Rabbit's spamming.
What a strong opponent. It's a shame I don't know her name. Whatever, we'll meet again by chance, one day.
Alright, onto the next one.
[Congratulations! You have learned a new skill without prior guidance.
Skill: Volt Sole has been acquired]
[Volt Sole: Channel and store lightning aura underneath your feet to enjoy frictionless maneuverability.
The larger the supply, the longer the duration.
10% speed boost. MP: Min. 180, CD: 10s]
It seems the practice has paid off. To pull off that skill mid-fight is a miracle. I should keep myself in check.
"Distractions for the sake of new entries of knowledge must not be entertained..." Hohoho, am I an aristocrat or what?! That sounds so good!
'Another dialogue noted...'
Well, time to log out!
----------------------------------------
[May 4, 12:02 pm, in the real world]
When Jun opened his eyes, he found himself underneath a tree, shielded from the rays of the looming midday sun.
The lukewarm breeze caressed his skin, cooling him down. He appreciated the coming relief, in spite of the growing humidity.
His bubble of comfort was popped when he heard familiar voices by his right.
Looking at Jun, King and Dan ran towards him, with drinking cans in hand, and congratulated him.
The three shared drinks among them and talked about the match. It was mostly about Dan's sense of doom and Jun's persistent stance against his opponent.
While King and Dan immerse themselves in their conversation, Jun pondered for himself in his mind. His inner search got interrupted when King called him.
"Jun-san, is something wrong?"
"No, why are you asking?"
"Ah, it's nothing. It's just-- I felt like you're burning a hole through my head, haha..." He chuckled nervously, wondering how Jun sees the world when his hair covers his eyes.
Some time, he couldn't help but worry about Jun's aloof attitude. Nobody, not even his uncle Ringara knows what Jun thinks most of the time, save for one.
"Nah, I was just-- King, I need to know something."
"I'm listening, Jun-san!" And so, he listened with undivided attention, as Jun laid down his doubts into the afternoon.
"Hmm, worry not, Jun-san. All of your questions will be answered with one word. But first,..." The serious undertone in his pause made the cousins anticipate for his upcoming lecture. "...could we continue in my house? It's going to get hot soon..."
Dan couldn't help but drop his jaw in disappointment, for King's needless dramatic pause.
Jun covered his mouth and turned away, hiding his chuckles from his friends.
The trio walked out of the park, trying to escape the heat waves yet to come.
----------------------------------------
[Meanwhile]
Rush
Down runs the cold water from the tap, filling the basin. The basin served another purpose-- to reverberate the teary cries of a child frozen in fear, as a woman was squatting in front of her with a glare so sharp, it could bore a hole through the finest sword.
The Woman whose face was still wet from her facewash, observed the child with an irritated, deadpan look.
"Hey, kid, what gives?"
"Huh...? sniffle"
"Excuse me, big lady! Didn't you call me?" The Woman clarified.
The child responded with a nod, but she's still crying.
"Look, I'm so pis-- I mean, I'm really mad and tired right now. So, stop crying before I throw you into space."
"No, don't throw Aoi-chan! Aoi-chan stop crying!" The child wiped her tears away quickly and heaved.
"Aoi-chan, huh... Nice name. Now, what do you want?" The Woman asked vexingly, resting her head on her palm with a bored look.
"Aoi-chan want to-- sniffle-- wash hands, but she couldn't reach it..." She clutched her skirt tightly, trying to hold back her crying.
Earlier, the child was already on the verge of crying after realising she's too short to reach the basin. After calling the Woman, she felt intimated by her height and mistook her for something far worse, a yōkai named Hasshaku-sama.
Since then, a vicious cycle of denying, scaring and crying took place.
"So you want an Uppy-uppy?" The Woman asked, which was answered by Aoi's tearful nodding.
"Alright, come here..." The Woman smiled, inviting the child in her arms, lifting her gently and helped her wash hands.
"Can you... give Aoi-chan a piggyback to Mama?"
"Sure, hold on tight!" The Woman hopped out of the restroom, with Aoi in tow like a rabbit.
She skid around the front of house of the restaurant, scanning around for Aoi's mother, whose features were described by Aoi into her ear.
"Black hair, ponytail, lemon-patterned scarf... Aha, found her!" Instantly, the Woman zoomed and stood by the table where Aoi's mother and a little boy sat opposite to each other.
Aoi's cheerful call alerted her mother, who sprung up with joy and relief. Noticing her wet cheeks, she comforted and praised her softly while the little boy, Aoi's elder brother patted her head.
Guilt twisted her face on seeing the Woman's tired face. After apologizing for Aoi's alleged disturbance, the mother and the Woman talked amicably.
Their conversation got interrupted when the little boy let out a growl over his slab.
The mother's attention gave Aoi's elder brother a chance to start a tantrum, but she soon curbed it.
"Sorry about that. He gets too fired up when it comes to games. Especially this... Wildborn thing. I don't get how kids find it funny to see two animals going for the jugular..." The mother sighed, with creases appearing on her forehead.
"Haha, I agree. That one's not for everybody, especially for you, young man." The Woman pointed at him with a smile.
"Hah, I'll be 13 this year, so it doesn't matter, lady!" The boy rebuffed her remark.
"Gasp Yumato, say sorry to her right now--"
"It's okay, ma'am. Kids their age are naturally cocky. They just have to know where and when to be act like one." The Woman put the mother's reprimand to rest and turned to the boy.
> "Yumato, is it? It's not nice to be rude towards your elders and don't give your mother a hard time. Now, with that aside, don't you think you're badmouthing that fox a bit too much?"
>
> "I think he deserves it! A lot, in fact! Because of him, my hero's getting badmouthed by losers and scaredy-cats who messed with her!"
The boy was on the verge of tears, clenching his fist tightly to hold back. He knew it's all just a game, but he couldn't stand it when his idol was disrespected.
The Woman chuckled at the sight, which irritated Yumato further.
"What's so funny, lady?!"
"Nothing. I'm just happy for my fan. Don't worry, that fox won't know what's coming for him next time!" She promised.
"Uhhm, I'm not your fan and you're underestimating the Fox. Remember, he even beat my hero, who's the strongest PvP player ever." Yumato pointed the Rabbit on his Slab with a mild scorn towards the Woman.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, kid. Your hero will avenge her defeat!" She promised again with more enthusiasm.
"Hold on, are you saying you're the Rabbit, lady?" Yumato asked. In response, the Woman responded with a smiling nod.
His skepticism rose on studying her appearance. "Yeah, right... There's no way someone like you could be the Rabbit. You're so old." Yumato pointed on her wrinkles for emphasis.
On hearing this, the Woman's temper erupted. "I'm only 21, you brat!" She then proceeded to grab him and taught him a lesson by kneading his temples.
Her angry expression scared Aoi once more, starting the waterworks yet again.
Realizing her actions, the Woman apologized to the siblings' mother but she greenlit her mishandling, citing that Yumato needed a hands-on lesson, to his dismay.
After the chaos, the Mother took a picture of the Woman and her children together outside the restaurant as a token of friendship, before parting ways.
The Woman walked in another direction, reflecting the day in her mind. Suddenly, she heard someone calling her from behind.
"Arya-san! I huff need huff to say something!" It was Yumato, heaving from the running. "I'm sorry for being rude, and you got this! That fox will be toast when you're through with him!"
"That's the idea, kid. Thanks!" She accepted his cheers with a fist-bump and went on.
The expression in her face grew soft, putting her in a relaxed state. Arya adjusted her hair, wondering what's in store for her tomorrow with positive anticipation.
[To be continued]