Eventually, they parted from the room, heading down to rejoin the others.
Gabriel was the first to see him, waving him over. "Hey! Lumi, Lena. All good?"
Lumi nodded. Lena responded. "Yepyep!"
Gabriel gestured to his sword lightly, "Lumi, you wanted to spar again?"
"Haven't I been with you the whole time?" Lena questioned Lumi lightly, "When did you spar Gabriel there?"
"I didn't say?" Lumi could have sworn he spoke out loud earlier about this, but he wasn't sure now. "I've known him for years. Now that we're in Masteria, it's different."
"You kn-" Gabriel started, but everyone was interrupted by a sudden announcement.
[System Alert - Player "Micheal" is the first player to slay a boss. "Micheal" has defeated "Naka", the Orc Warlord. He draws the ire of Dante. Extend our congratulations to "Micheal" for his feat!]
"The heck?" Gabriel commented. "Such a generic name. I guess that's as well though, given that I'm about to copy him with a normal name and just be Gabriel."
"Wait, if that's his name," ToraX noted something. "I just thought of something. Given that multiple people can have the same name, how do you know who is who?"
"Did you read anything?" Lena lightly jabbed. "Obviously, we have a unique tag. It's just not part of our names."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
"Why didn't we get that?" VICE noted. "Didn't we do like this whole thing?"
"But we didn't kill him." ToraX replied, "We just captured him."
"Shouldn't that be an achievement?" VICE asked back. "I mean, that guy should count, right? Unless he was too much of an… idiot… to count? Maybe? What are we thinking."
ToraX shrugged. "I didn't make the system, bro. Maybe? I mean, he was rather pathetic, let's be honest."
"Hey chat." Lena looked around. "Where's Ryan?"
"Pretty sure he left." VICE replied, ToraX nodding.
However, there was someone who wasn't taking everything as casually. Whereas everyone else was talking and joking normally, Lumi's eyes were expanding.
O.O
Who?
Who is that?
Who is Micheal!? I've never once heard of a Micheal in my past life! NEVER! I mean there's been Micheals I guess, but not a Micheal that accomplished any great feat like that!
The easiest "boss", at least what the system recognizes as one, is level 50! There's no way anyone could have done that so soon, even with a group of people. Not to mention, if it was a group of people, the system would have said that.
Meaning he did it alone.
But none of this makes sense.
Who is Naka? I don't remember any such character. In fact, who are the Orcs!? That's not a race in Masteria!
Who is Micheal!? Who is Dante!? Who are the Orcs?!
While Lumi was considering the timeline, everyone else continued as normal.
"This guy is vague as heck!" Gabriel gestured with his thumb towards Lumi, looking at Lena. Lena giggled. "Yes he is!"
"..." Lumi realized he was being talked to, and composed himself to answer. "It's a gift." Lumi said dryly.
"It's annoying is what it is." Gabriel laughed. "But I trust you. Even when you talk in an inhuman way. Or when he suddenly makes me spar with him."
"Alternate!" Lena exclaimed, starting to sing on the spot. "I know what makes you human. I know the things you dread."
"What?" VICE looked over.
"It's a song!" Lena exclaimed then continued singing. "Praise the violence! The puppet now a corpse!"
"Oh." VICE accepted the exclamation calmly.
Lumi smirked to Gabriel. "And was I wrong? That sparring, it came in handy, eh?"
"Yes." Gabriel admitted. "That training saved me during the Knight trials. I don't know how you are supposed to pass without it. Though I admit it's less about skills and more about the type of person you are."
"Makes sense. The Aria Knights want upstanding, courageous people."
No one was stopping Lena, so she was just singing on, "Your mind will break when facing a demon who'll impersonate your face!"
"I only passed the skill section by seconds, though." Gabriel grinned. "All thanks to your insane training regime."
Lumi shook his head. "I'm sure you would have passed regardless. Like you said, mental is more important than physical."
"That's a way to say it."
The airship turned in the air, its bow now pointing toward a distant point of light in the sky. It was Herene, the floating island. It was the heart of the very world. For the Empress was not just the Empress of a kingdom, but of the world.
Technically.
Behind them, the Golem Temple grew smaller and smaller, taking with it all evidence of their evening's work. Except, of course, for one thoroughly beaten and captured Puppeteer, whose plans for Will Stones and modified monsters had come to an abrupt end.
"Hey." Lena suddenly said. "Does this mean we're heroes now? Do we get a parade? Can I throw things at people during the parade?"
"Please don't. Though we could be considered heroes." Lumi said automatically.
"You never let me have any fun." she pouted, but her eyes were bright with excitement.
"I let you brain that assassin earlier." Lumi reminded her.
"That's true!" she perked up. "You're the best boyfriend ever!"
"I'm a-" Lumi started.
"Boyfriend?!" Gabriel interrupted, looking between them. "When did this happen? You've been here for like two days!"
"It's complicated." Lumi said.
"It's not complicated!" Lena corrected. "I got so attached so quickly I practically forced him into making a decision. Kinda a bad thing to do, actually. Don't be like me."
"She grows on you." Lumi explained to Gabriel's incredulous expression. "I'm not unhappy, though I do have my priorities."
"He means he's gonna be the most important guy ever and become rich!" Lena added proudly. Which like, I'm helping with! And I'll keep helping with."
"Ooh." Gabriel was interested. "He told you too?"
Lena nodded. "Yeah, he wants to be like a big shot! And it's totally working, hasn't it? I mean, look around us!"
"Hah!" Gabriel did just that, looking around them. They were in a Herene airship. Which was only possible because Gabriel had joined the Aria Knights, was told to buy a device that could receive images alongside the frequency to put it on, then received information that was important enough to mobilize the knights.
Which means, whether partially or fully, Lumi had planned this out ahead of time when he told Gabriel what class to get. At that time, Lumi was planting him as his agent within the Aria Knights.
He turned to Lumi. "Damn, you're smart."
Lumi blinked, unsure what brought the compliment on. But he nodded and responded. "Thanks."
Lena continued. "While you did your knight thing, I've been Lumi's number one assistant! We killed a bunch of snails and mushrooms. Then I'm pretty sure I was used as a prop for him to increase his reputation. I think. Maybe not. It's clearly working out though!"
The airship sailed on through the darkening sky, carrying its unusual passengers toward a destiny none of them could have imagined when they'd first logged in that morning. Well, except for Lumi, who had imagined exactly this.
But he wasn't about to tell them that.
And so with daily playtime exhausted and a long journey ahead, everyone logged off.
"Aahhhhh." Renan slowly groaned as he left Masteria, no longer Lumi but Renan once again. "Jeez, this pod…" He reached out to disconnect things from himself, slowly getting up and stretching. The pod took care of the body very well, but it wasn't perfect.
"One… two… three…" Renan started with some light stretches, bending down to touch his toes, reaching up to the sky, and so forth. Then he left for the kitchen. A body needs nutrients, after all.
Sustenance! Yum Yum!
"What…?" Renan slowly shook his head at his own strange thoughts. He got a cup of water, chugged it, got another cup of water, chugged it too, and a third. And then he prepped himself a bowl of soup, and then added two eggs, alongside chopped ham, cheese, and onions.
Then a sandwich on the side.
And a bowl of chili with chips.
And then more chips but of a different kind on the side.
And a half liter of tea. Hot tea.
It was a lot. But there was indeed a justification. He had only eaten supper today, and it was hours past that, late at night. Gaining weight from eating before bed wasn't a worry. He needed food to keep going.
He siphoned everything he had to his bedroom, sitting down at his computer and eating as he worked. He had a lot to do.
He began by sending everyone who he had promised written guides to exactly what he promised. Though the exact contents depended on who he was sending them to.. He had written countless for himself, some with more information than others. Some which looked reasonable for a 'beta' player to have, some were blatantly not.
After organizing and sending some of the more personal guides to those he knew, he got into the forums. As expected, there were countless messages constantly being posted. Most of which were about the realism.
Renan sighed. If only they knew…
Renan logged on. His account was linked to his 'game' account, Lumi. His reputation from those game announcements would bring him universal fame.
"What do I title this…" Renan found himself in an unusual struggle. He had the information, but he needed a title for his post. He thought and thought.
"A guide by Lumi?" "Universal Guide - Lumi?" "Guide Compendium?"
Time kept ticking, frustrating Lumi. "Frick, I'm not trying to waste time here. I just need to post this and…" He got a notification from Gabriel, further stressing his heart. He had many things to do. And he got stuck HERE.
After wasting enough time, he groaned and put a title he was sure was subpar, but he knew he had to get on with it.
"How to play the game - Lumi."