[Jun's POV]
As soon as I noticed LED signboards and line maps of the subway in the train car, I realised that I was dreaming. And that I'm reliving that day again. My seventh birthday.
I knew the scenes like the back of my hand, as in everything happens like clockwork. Just now, the man I'm clinging on, presumably my father, would sign if anything's wrong. Then, he would pick me up and help me sit on his shoulder and continue signing with the woman beside him, who might be my mother.
Then suddenly, the lights go off and all of the passengers would start floating and getting flung around. My father would hold me close to him for protection, before the train hit the water and we start to sink.
Then, glass panes start to crack due to the pressure outside as the train sinks faster. In an instant, water would gush into the car sweeping me away from my parents and I would flow along the current.
I would be pushed outside the train through a broken car and float for my life. And now, I wait for the monster to show up and it'd be over. Except this time, it was different.
There is no monster now. Instead from the dark, a shadowy figure swam towards me and grabbed me. The figure swam faster with me in its arms, checking me whether I'm okay. Finally, the figure and I resurfaced on the water surface and cold wind blew over us mercilessly.
I could see other people floating and trying to stay afloat with scattered debris of the train parts. In the moonlight, the figure was revealed to be my father, who is now swimming towards the shore.
He did not take a break and continued swimming, with me on his back. He occasionally writes on the back of my hands, conveying to not let him go and that everything's going to be alright.
Later, we finally reached the shore and my father checked me from head to toe for any injuries. He felt relieved that I'm not injured in any way. He hugged me tightly, for giving me warmth but also relief that I'm safe.
Suddenly, I was pulled away from him into the dark and my mouth and nose was covered with something. As I tried to break free, I felt drowsy as I saw my father getting overpowered by three unknown figures.
Suddenly, my father got transformed violently into the all-familiar monster and broke free easily to grab me. Then, all I could see now is the ceiling of the hotel room, a panicking Dan and my tremors.
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Jun woke in cold sweat as Dan stood beside him, helping him breathe through the panic attack. After a while, Jun's tremors subside and his breathing grew steady. Finally, he was able to breathe normally.
"How are you feeling now, bro?" Dan asked with fear and worry, still under the feeling of shock about the situation.
"As usual, fine yet groggy... I think I'm finally starting to see the big picture." Jun replied.
"Really?" Dan sounded hopeful.
"Really." Jun nodded
> "Good sign! You have no idea how much I was worried when the episodes happened. Dad and I were running around, not knowing what to do."
>
> "I feel the same. And thank you."
>
> "Aw, shucks! Don't mention it, man! You're my cousin, after all."
Jun gulped down the water given to him and lied down, wondering about the new figures that appeared in his dream. Their identities and motives were unclear. But one thing was clear, these people were working under someone who might be responsible for the train accident.
"On the first day, God commanded 'Let there be light'!" Dan opened the curtains dramatically to let the morning light shine through when he got spooked by a hissing Jun and closed the curtains, out of reflex.
"What now?!" Dan's voice was trembling.
> "Nothing, I always wanted to do it."
>
> "Good job on that... 'cause you freaked me out!"
"That's the point. Besides, got you good, didn't I?" Jun chuckled smugly.
Then, Dan's eyes widened at the realisation that Jun made a payback for the prank he pulled in the train yesterday.
> "Damn, bro! How petty can you be?!"
>
> "As much as I wanna be. You hungry?"
Dan's hunger pangs yelled at the mention and he clutched his stomach, his face growing red from embarassment.
"I'm starving. I feel like I could eat five slabs of Wagyu beef, raw." Dan drooled at the thought of it. Five slabs of marbled meat, stacked like a flight of stairs on a long plate.
"Might as well say that you wanna eat a whole cow." Jun shot a playful sarcasm in his face. "I'll go freshen up." He dashed to the bathroom before he got a response.
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[Dan's POV]
Rich aromas hit my nose before Jun and I entered into the hotel mess. I don't know if Jun picked it up but I certainly was drooling. I can't wait to dig in.
We found an empty room, pulled the pillows out the table and sat down, checking the menu to order. Jun and I decided our dishes and looked for the waiter. My eyes met with Mako-san's and she came over to our table, greeting us with a smile.
"Good morning, guys! How is your stay?"
"It was amazing! When we bathed in the hot springs last night, it didn't feel like we're in the city. Rather, we were in some forest, soaking with no care."
"Also, the dishes last night were tasty too. We had no heart putting the plates down until we tried every last morsel." Jun added.
"Don't forget about the beds. I just melted into one. So comfy!"
"Haha, I see. So, how did I look?" Mako-san asked me with her purple eyes glowing with anticipation. I got a little bit confused as to what she's fishing out of me.
"What do you mean? You look the same as yesterday."
"Nah, I meant the me in your dreams last night, silly!" I was a bit chipped away when I heard that.
"Excuse me?"
"Was I cute? Was I hot? Or was I er-o-tic? Come on, don't be shy... you can be honest with me. I don't judge." Her chuckles are typical of a seductive villainess. Last time I checked, she's a biker, not a succubus. As if the attention is not bad enough for me, I'm feeling hostility burning into my head through the wall behind me. All I knew is that if I meet them face-to-face, I'll piss on the spot. Guaranteed!
While Mako-san is teasing me to her heart's content, I desperately called Jun for help. But he... he was just yawning! With his hair in front, I don't know where he's looking. I doubt that he is not even awake! With a sigh, Jun opened his mouth: "Mako-san, I'm hungry." She immediately dropped everything and went to him and started to take orders.
My savior! Thank you! Though you could have done it a bit earlier... Now, I feel like I'm marked for slaughter by those secret admirers. Of all the things you do for love, why bloodshed? Why?
Jun gave his orders and Mako-san went away but not before she gave me a playful smirk. It seems like she's not done with me yet. This is so dreadful...
"Bro, did Baa-san say anything last night?" Jun started to interrogate me. I was a bit dazed from all the teasing before I managed to pull myself together.
"Huh? Oh yeah, the usual. My well-being, our journey so far, blah blah blah..."
"Does she have any info for me?"
"Right! Few months ago, Mama Hibana got some clues regarding your parents. But she told you to take it with a grain of salt."
"Okay, what did she find?"
"She said she found where your mother might be located. Her Totem's lambda signature was found and tracked."
Jun's relaxed back became stiff and he leaned forward to learn more. "And?"
"And when they traced it, her signature was found in an unbelievable place."
"Let me guess, a cemetery?" Jun threw it on the table very bluntly.
"Bro, this is your mother we're talking about!"
"Exactly, my mother who just abandoned me for 14 years and counting. I wouldn't be surprised if she wound up dead. Perhaps, my 'father' left her and she was lost. That's karma for you." Jun's scoff triggered me and I smacked my fist on the table.
Although Jun spoke calmly, his words showed utter disdain and hatred for his parents. I can relate to him but I also feel that his parents doesn't deserve that. I have my own assumptions that they are caught up with something very dangerous, enough to put Jun in danger. Maybe they left him to protect him, in their own way. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Where was the signature pinging from?" Jun diverted the topic, letting go of his disdain. I feel like he left it alone for me. I felt a bit of relief when he returned to being open-minded. I continued.
"The core."
"The core? As in the planet's core?" Jun asked to ensure that what he heard was right. Even I was confused on hearing it the first time, last night. I nodded.
"That's impossible... there's no way Totems could end up there, let alone survive the heat." Jun put his conjecture in.
"I know. Even Mama Hibana checked it a couple of times. The vital signs are recorded in real-time too. So, she was thinking that maybe she was kept in some moving bunker along the Equator."
"You mean, a random bunker affiliated to a random bigshot in a random area in the Equator."
"It's mouthful to say it, but you're right."
"But the Equator is mostly water. Do you think that she's taken care of in a submersible?"
"That's also Mama thought. But..."
"But?"
"Before she could gather more data for analysis, the link is gone. Your mother's Totem went offline. With the data gathered, they tried to chase her trail via the Collective, but that's also cold too."
"So, in other words, it's a dead end... and yet Baa-san insists me on living my best while sharing everything that I'm supposed to hear, to you. What's with that?"
"Hey, come on. Look on the bright side! This means that your parents are alive and well, despite the conditions they're stuck with. I see this as a win! Plus, Mama is really concerned with your well-being and doesn't want you to be stressed or pressured about it. Dead-ends frustrate everybody but unlike you, everybody wants to make the most out of it." Jun shot a glare at me, I think. I feel like cutting his hair once and for all.
His pessimism sours the mood around us and I tried to cheer him up to no avail. Fortunately, Mako-san arrived to her table with our orders in tow. The aromas hit our noses again, working up our appetite. We thanked for the food and started to eat.
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"I'm curious about something, guys. Where are you placed in the leaderboards?" Mako asked as she was sitting comfortably on the tatami mat across the cousins.
Hearing her query, they started cackling like lunatics under the moonlight, with bits and morsels still in their mouths.
Although Mako seemed confused, she didn't realize that her question made her look like a child asking for heroics and exploits from novice adventures who barely started their adventure.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but we're just newbies." Dan spoke as he struggled to drink his soup because his body was spasmic with humor.
"Aww, spare me the humility. I've heard this joke among dozens of rankers I've---" Jun simply looked at Mako and she realized that it's the truth all along.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Jun just grinned at her, drinking his soup, implying his harmless sadism over her confusion.
This revelation plucked a nerve within Mako. Feelings of confusion and shock swelled within her mind. One could say her brain shut down, her jaw hanging low from her face.
"So, actual greenhorns?"
They nodded, still spasming with giggles and chuckles.
> "Then what's the point in downloading the game?! Not to mention that you both are 4 years behind... were you guys living under the rock or what?"
>
> "Yeah, we were. Writing. And paying taxes."
>
> "Writing what? Smut?!"
The cousins burst with laughing, rolling around the floor.
"Smut, she says! Oh, my sides..." Dan smacked the floor, wheezing like a horse.
"Naughty, naughty!" Jun sang like an old witch.
"What do you think she'll be into, bro? GL? BL? I'd say it's GL!" Dan turned the tables on Mako in teasing.
"Nah, it's BL. Guaranteed. She might a closet perv, after all!" Jun added insult to the injury with such confidence. While the cousins take turns in making fun of her, Mako simply asked one question.
"Heard of Purple and Mahogany?"
This was enough to stop them dead in their coaster tracks of mockery. The cousins silently rose from the floor and started whispering about escape plans to each other. Suddenly, Mako barged in between them with a haughty smirk on her face.
"You're both hypocritical pots calling me black. Closet pervs who read the filthiest smut in the entire library. Hell, it even put 12 Velvet Slices to shame. So... did you enjoy it? Did you have a wild ride? Go on. I don't judge..." Mako was baiting them to speak up, but the cousins simply sat beside her, sweating bullets and anxiety.
"Come on, say something, guys... You read it, haven't you?"
"We... didn't exactly read it..." Dan broke his lines awkwardly while Jun is dying inside.
Although 12 Velvet Slices was a popular piece of adult smut enjoyed by the thousands, the book Mako referred was an obscured gem, not for the faint-hearted. Purple and Mahogany (PaM) was the author's depraved work featuring an aquatic one-night stand between an octopus and a mermaid. The imagination in this one is solely upto you.
"Don't give me that 'holier than thou' act. Just admit it! Those tentacles are pretty enticing to be honest. It was so easy to imagine! Felt like I was the mermaid riding the octopus!"
"Let us go, please. We beg you. I beg you. Don't you have work to do, Mako-san?" Jun pleaded with a pale face and weak voice as if his life force had been drained away.
"You guys are no fun... overreacting a lot. It's not like you wrote it---" At that moment, Jun and Dan felt like they were struck by lightning from above. Jun fell down flat on the floor, while Dan was writhing and rolling as if he was burning on fire.
Mako put two and two together and uttered one word: "Hadaka-daka-dan?"
This drove the last nail on the coffin and the cousins were writhing in frenzy. The cringe got maxed out, making them scratch their itches of embarassment, frantically. But Mako sat there with mixed feelings. Even though she felt excited to meet the writers in an unexpected fashion, she also felt confused as to why they feel so... grossed out.
"Butter-san, Trainee-san, let me be frank. I love your story. Please make it bigger when you have the chance." She requested softly. This spurned Jun out of his shell and he started to yell.
"Hell no! We're not touching that garbage! I'm not touching it! We were barely 17 when we wrote that! We did that out of spite, just to make readers feel grossed out after baiting them into a 'romance novel'! I wanna see couples keel over on Valentine's Day. I want to see the world burn and here you are, one of the many, saying that this trash is good! ! You should be hating me, woman! I played with your feelings, wasted your time and broke your head! What did you even see in it to make a request like that?! 'Make the story bigger.' Heck... octopus x mermaid is impossible, certified by co-writer there! And I dragged him across the DIRT! I repeat again, you should be hating me, woman! Hate me!!"
Jun felt like he rested his case and panted when his face was cupped by Mako. Her mask's eye markings and whiskers shone with golden yellow colour. She just chuckled gently over his angry rant.
"I understand that you made the story during a tough time and it's just an embarassing memory now, but why you, a writer, try to dissuade me from liking what you made? Shouldn't you feel happy? I don't know to explain what drew me in but I repeat again, I love your story. Please make it bigger."
Mako's voice had an angelic trill that extinguished the unpleasant feelings within the cousins and helped them appreciate their work once more, under a new light.
Jun pulled himself away from Mako's grasp. "I appreciate and accept your opinion. But still, I'm not picking it up. I'm sorry." he told in a stoic voice.
The golden yellow markings faded from Mako's mask and blue markings started to replace them. Nevertheless, Mako simply nodded and decided not to pry further.
"Woah, let me finish. I'd rather be your editor than be the writer. That story's yours now. We'll go wild after my hiatus, what do you say?" Jun offered.
Instantly, Mako jumped into him and hugged him with gratitude, thanking him profusely. Dan simply looked at the scene and continued crying.
It's rare to have a reader meet their favorite author. It's even rarer for them to have a chance to work with the author to write about the story they liked for a long time and have guidance too. Mako felt that she got the best gift in her life and started to cry tears of joy. She pulled her glasses and wiped her eyes softly, struggling to hold back.
"And I'll be your wingman, Mako-san!" Dan proclaimed with puffy eyes and runny nose, which startled her.
"Setting things aside, do you have any plan to help us grow, Mako-san?" Jun asked, trying to brighten the mood.
"Huh? Yeah, sure! I'll help you!" Mako instantly got pumped-up and started to explain away.
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[Jun's POV]
After choosing my player name as Jōbun and confirmed my avatar customization, I got transported to a wide plain under the evening sky. Moments later, I saw Mako-san a few metres away from me.
She appeared as a black cat, purple eyes sparkling like amethyst balls under the setting sun. This avatar suits her temperament.
Suddenly, I felt dizzy and knelt down, trying to gain my bearings. Maybe the immersion quality is too much for a first-timer like me. And setting my avatar as a fox made it harder.
One of the advantages of being a fox is that the acute senses and speed give me an edge, but that's all out of the window if I couldn't stand on my feet.
Man, I should've played this a long time ago.
Mako-san explained that since it's my first time in the virtual world, it'd be very wobbly. Even she had experienced it when started playing a few months ago.
As she was limbering and prepping up, there are some key points worth looking over again. Now if I recall it...
I can grow stronger via two ways, raiding and dueling. Dueling is suitable for me right now, since it needs only one action to perform: to challenge.
Although the right to challenge is used only once per day, I can regain the right by winning and maintain my win streak. If I lose, the right is lost, but only for that day. Mako-san said that this system was put in mind to curb PK behaviour and stop developing punks and junkies who always like to duke it out.
Mako-san prompted me to get ready and we set our fighting stances in stone. The game greenlit the duel.
Within a split second, she covered the ground between us and lunged with a straight punch at me. She was so fast that I put up my guard out of instinct and was pushed back.
My forearms are throbbing from the pain. Any simulation my avatar experiences is directly perceived in my brain, so in essence, I'm the avatar and I'm in pain! Still, I can't show weakness and give her an opening.
Now, she's coming straight at me. This time, I'm ready to take her on. Just block and counter... easy...
Wait, that's a feint!
Is she going to kick or punch from my right side? Forget it! Let's just block!
Hnngh! Right on my ankle! Even the side-stepping was a feint too! She went for a leg sweep from behind and broke my balance.
Gaack! Man, she got me good with the triangle choke. But it doesn't seem like all is lost. After watching a lot of videos and practiced them a bit, I can now recognise the moves and perform them with little to some effort. It's a long way but the fun part is the progress.
But something isn't right.
Wait! Is this a thigh choke?! Of all the things to knock me out, why this?! Oh, no... my consciousness is starting to fade now...
I need to endure it or break free as soon as possible. If my first fight ended up being passed out by thighs, I'll be labeled with embarassing and cheap titles. I don't want my first loss like this!
"It's okay to give up, Trainee-san. I don't judge." Mako said, as she was humming confidently about her win.
The audacity of this witch. She knows what's she doing after all! She set me up for a public execution! I wonder how many guys ended up like this. I bet most of them are losers fulfilling their bets as customers or something.
Well... I got to say, I must thank Mako-san for helping me and Dan so far. I doubt that other players would be as respectable and friendly as her. I really want to thank her... if only I could break the hold!
Hold on.
Maybe... I've been playing this wrong way.
Come to think of it, the fog in my head hasn't been lifted still. Now, I remember some thing that Mako-san said. To clear the fog in my head, I must embrace the nature. At that time, I didn't understand what she said. Let's see... focus... focus...
Woah! I can see clearly. My senses are fully synced now. I'm actually a fox now, metaphorically. Now let's see what to do.
Let's pinch her calves... no reaction. Then, I need her hand. I searched in the back and grabbed her hand. The point is to make Mako-san feel that I will surrender, to which it worked. While she is gloating and consoling, I simply bit her hand. This put her shock and pain. She threw me away and kept distance.
Whew, I thought my head was about to fall off after that long chokehold. Mako-san stood far away from me, arching her back just like a cat.
Haha, no matter how much you hiss or glare at me, you're going down, Mako-san!
Looks like running on all fours gives me a speed boost while on twos give me stability and quick dodging. Cats may be fast, but foxes are quick. With my innate speed, I started to overwhelm her and put her into defensive. Now, all that needs to be done is get an opening and give a solid shot of an attack.
Now, on throwing a few jabs and kicks at her, I noticed some things. Speed, dexterity and flexibility are her core strengths. On top of that, she has a fighting tic of mixing claw slashes into her flurry of punches. And her kicks pack some punch, but it's bearable.
After determining that she built her play-style based on cat behavior, I think I'm able to use her own strengths against her. Now, I just need to play cool while goading and bloating her ego. It's high time she becomes cocky and impatient to finish the duel.
After a lot of dodging and countering, we arrived at a stalemate. But this situation didn't stop Mako-san from using her technique. It looks like a pounce attack and it's riddled with flaws but she's putting everything on a gamble. To knock me down, once and for all. Fine, I'll take it head-on!
Setting my stance in stone as she leapt across the plain and dove in for the kill, I prepared to take her blow while trying to knock her out. Or so she thought. In reality, I simply feinted and gave a solid roundhouse kick to her back.
I couldn't believe it! It became a critical hit, since Mako was kicked on the nape and it also stunned her! I wasted no time in sprinting and power tackled her, pinning her to the ground.
After putting her in a tight submission hold, she finally surrendered and I won. After the duel got over, I immediately helped her get up and we had a mutual exchange of praise for putting up such a good fight.
Now to check the messages...
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!] x4.
Now, my PvP level has reached to 5. Looks like there are two leveling systems based on the mode I'm playing in. But my stat points are shared between the two leveling systems. Also, my stats will be changed by a small margin if I switch between the modes.
It's a pretty well-thought overarching system designed to encourage growth, expertise and teamwork in a neat little package. Talk about killing three birds with one stone.
[Congratulations! You won against an opponent stronger than you!
Title:
Hurdle jumper? I tapped on the title.
[Hurdle Jumper: Boosts your stats against opponents that are 4-6 levels higher than you. Maximum stats allocated after analysis: 10. After a certain level, this title will be deleted]
Oh, this is suitable for me. But I don't know if it works outside of PvP, though. Although the restriction bums me out, at one point, the training wheel must come off. Still, I feel thankful for this title.
[You earned your win through pacifism!
Passive Skill: Pacifista has been awarded]
[Pacifista: All grapples, tackles and holds will be 10% effective.]
It's a little too on the nose, I think. But it gives me an extra edge in close combat. Much more helpful in disarming weapons in the future.
[You have obtained Passive Skill: Battle Vision]
[Battle Vision Lvl 1: Focus for 5 seconds to detect weak points and anticipate incoming attacks.]
Cool! This is a game-changer for me! I need to start grinding. Furthermore, I need to learn and foster other skills that have better synergy and compliment this passive, as soon as possible.
Feeling satisfied, I collected my loot and logged out.
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Jun got up from the floor and struggled to stand straight. His first-time login put him into a wild disoriented state. He regretted internally for not trying out the game in the beginning.
"Bro, are you feeling okay now?" Dan asked as he was massaging Jun's wrist.
"I feel sick... and I'm craving something sour. Or salty. Whatever..." Jun's disoriented state continued when Mako returned with a glass of lemon juice.
Jun took it and started sipping the juice, savoring the taste and slowly pulling himself together.
"Whew, I wonder why people play this game if it leaves you rattling." Jun remarked his login experience in a sour mood.
"Haha, that's what everybody says the first time. You'll get used to it over a period. By the way, Trainee-san, I have a question." Mako's voice sounded a bit serious.
"Shoot!" Jun felt refreshing after drinking the juice.
"Are you into MMA or something? The way you moved and attacked is just cool and smooth! I bet you're some sort of underage veteran. I think I should call you Fighter-san. Maybe, Hadaka-san?"
"Call me Jun!" He panicked as if his life was at stake during an interrogation. But he regained his composure after he realized.
"My name is Takeshi Junkitsu, nice to meet you." He introduced with a bow.
"And my name is Kobayashi Danōki!" Dan joined.
"Haha.. I'm Fujisaki Tamako! You can call me Mako-chan!" She struck up a pose like a cat-girl, which made their hearts skip a beat.
"Mako-san is enough for us! We don't want to rile up your fan club further..." Dan chuckled nervously.
"What do you mean, fan club?" Mako sounded innocent and clueless. Then, Dan pulled up the replay of their duel and showed the comments. Jun joined in, curious about how the fight panned out.
The comments are mostly about cheering and praising Mako, mainly about how cute she looks and acts. Then, the comments turned sour at the thigh choke scene. Many curses and envious remarks were hurled at Jun. Some simply commented that he's lucky to be caught like that.
'It should've been me! Not him!!' That's what most guys spammed in the comment section. Mako and Dan felt weird, while Jun simply shook his head in disappointment for his fellow men and stopped watching the replay. Jun thanked for the meal and went out of the room when he was greeted by three men at the entrance.
"Uhh... how may I help you?" Jun offered nonchalantly to the men.
But the men ignored his question and started to act like assholes. Apparently, these men have watched the duel and did not like Jun for being 'intimate' with Mako. Then Jun realised that these men are responsible for making Dan uncomfortable earlier.
Jun simply turned the table on them and challenged them to the duel. He was grinning the entire time, thinking about how to humiliate them and farm them for XP. But Mako simply kicked the nuisances down and stood in a victorious pose. To which, Jun reciprocated with a disappointed 'OK' gesture, while Dan's 'Nice!' gesture shone brightly behind Jun's back.
[To be continued]