Chapter 53: To the dungeon
1473 Words
Five days before the summer cup. Kaede is currently in the middle of anguish. She keeps making her mind running thinking about the answers to the equation in front of her.
“What should I do with this equation… Where did I go wrong? I feel like I wrote the wrong answer… But there is no way of me knowing if it's right or wrong.”
Kaede put his finger on her forehead. Thinking thoroughly for a moment.
Her brain is already toasted.
She made a deep breath and closed the notebook. She did her best already and she is doing her homework for hours straight without any break. A nice change of pace will be great.
“I wonder if Yuki did her homework already?”
After saying that, she immediately made a cold face. She remembered Yuki knocking on her door again begging to copy her notes.
Kaede didn’t let Yuki copy her homework, but Kaede help Yuki instead.
That is something Kaede didn’t want to do anymore. Kaede has lots of responsibilities to do and prioritize. Yuki also needs to learn a sense of responsibility and do things that need to be done first.
She took her phone and check the clock.
“It's already 2:00 PM… The time is moving slowly when you're not having fun at all.”
Kaede turned her head to her game console and get it. She lay down on her bed and decide to dive down and log in to the game.
...
After diving down.
She arrives in her room. She walked to the living room and found Clover and Ronie whose busy scrolling their status and skill window.
Ronie turned her glance to Kaede and greeted her.
“Kaede-san… Umm… Do I have a favorite? I have something to ask? Is it okay to have a bit of your time?”
Ronie politely asked while her head is bowing down.
Ronie was shy and can’t even look into Kaede’s eyes when she is asking her. She is still not comfortable being with Kaede.
“No need to feel nervous around Kaede.”
Yuki appeared behind Ronie and her hands on Ronnie's shoulder. Which make Ronie started and jump a little in shock.
“But… but…”
“Kaede is a good person. She accepted a weird girl like you in her guild after all.”
The one who's talking was Saya who entered the guild with a bug net behind her back. The net contains a big fish monster she catches in the lake. It's not moving anymore and has dead eyes and smells.
That’s rude to say those things to her.
Kaede thought and she look at Romie and held her hands.
“Don’t worry about it. We are friends after all… Ronie is shy and always awkward, but I don’t mind it at all.”
Kaede just said something disrespectful.
Good thing Ronie is not the type of person who will think deeply about many things and accepted Kaede’s words without feeling any malice.
Ronie made a big smile and nodded.
“She’s weird…” 3x
Saya, Clover, and Yuki murmured.
Kaede listens to Ronie's request. After listening she found out that Ronie wanted to collect some materials for the shield she wanted to construct. After witnessing the power of shield user Melida. Ronie was eager to improve herself and became stronger.
Normally it's impossible to make a shield user or Tank deal huge damage. Melida proves that to be wrong. Despite being a shield user she goes toe to toe with Kaede’s strength.
By making herself more powerful. She wanted to be a great use for the whole team.
“I Have nothing to at all… I also wanted to reach level 100 before the summer cup started.”
“Kaede wanted to reach level 100.”
“What level are you right now?!”
Yuki eagerly asked.
“I’m level 98…”
“That’s fast… I’m grinding these hole days and forgetting to do my homework but I’m also in level 75.”
Yuki said and low spiritedly seat down on the sofa. She is training hard to surprise Kaede with her level. Kaede grows a lot stronger after the last event.
But from level 40 to level 75 in two weeks is already commendable. It's not something a normal player could do.
The fantasy world online leveling system is hard. The level and experience need are extremely high.
Making a ten-level increase in one week is already a feat.
But Kaede’s case was different. Kaede defeated powerful high-level players before. The experience she took broke the system. In the whole game. Kaede is the only one who achieves the impossible.
Kaede is in different dimensions of power level.
“Why does she look so down?”
Kaede asked with a puzzled expression.
After that, Kaede and Ronie leave the guild that is located in the southern district of the second floor. They walked together north to the dungeon Ronie wanted to capture.
After walking for a while.
“How long it will take for us to get to the dungeon?”
“Well, it's about half an hour for a normal player. But for s who have low status on AGI. Maybe we're going there for about an hour.”
Ronie replied.
The two girls are walking normally, but still comparing their speed to other players. The two girls are noticeably slower than your average player. Despite being a high-level player. Kaede's speed is suffering for the sake of her STR. Her SGI, INT, DEX, and VIT are still at zero. The only thing that make them increase was the equipment she’s wearing.
“So Ronie doesn’t have points on her AGI too?”
“Umm… I do have some of my points on my AGI.”
Ronie is still being shy to Kaede and averted her eyes away. Kaede noticed it and has become a little troubled.
As a team, they need to be close. Ronie doesn’t have much interaction with Kaede. For that reason, Ronie's heart is not used to being beside Kaede.
Before Kaede leaves the guild. Saya talked to Kaede secretly. Saya wanted Ronie to build a bond as a team. By accepting Ronie's request Kaede will have some time alone with Ronie. A perfect time to build trust and friendship.
Don’t worry… I’ll do my best.
Kaede smiled.
“... My Agility is been converted to Vitality because of my passive skill Attribute shift. My armor and big shield also contribute to the weight I’m carrying. That’s why I’m moving at the same pace as Kaede-san.”
Attribute shift skill is a skill that pulls points from AGI and pouring them into VIT. The process is reversible. Additional points in Attribute Shift increase the rate of stat change. Passively grants bonus VIT.
While they are walking. Kaede stopped and remember something important. Ronie turned her head to Kaede.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just remember the new skill I give to Biscuit. I gave Biscuit learn a new skill.”
Kaede summoned Biscuit and appeared in front of them from the magic circle. The cute cat familiar hugs Kaede and rub its cheeks toward her.
The tickle sensation made Kaede laugh shortly. Appears like Biscuit missed Kaede so much. Biscuit licks Kaede's cheeks.
Kaede takes a look at Biscuits status:
Name: Biscuit
Level: 20
HP: 130
MP: 200
Skill: Homing, Fire magic, Item detection, Protection barrier, Status converter, Enhance spirit.
“I knew it… Biscuit has that skill already.”
“What is it?”
“Enhance spirit… Biscuit used to enhance the spirit.”
Biscuit followed Kaede’s orders. The cat familiar grows bigger ad bigger. It's about three times the height of Kaede.
Shocked at what she’s seeing Ronie was left speechless.
“Wh-What’s happening?”
“Enhance spirit skill enhanced the familiar’s physical attributes. It also allows the familiar to grow bigger… Now it's enough for the two of us to ride this cat.”
“Meow~” Biscuit responded with a confident smile on her face.
Kaede hops onto Biscuits back and offers her hand to Ronie.
“Hop on Ronie.”
Hesitant Ronie looks at Kaede with worry in her eyes.
“Is it okay, Kaede-san?”
“Don’t worry it's safe…”
Ronie was scared because she is usually scared of tigers. The tiger resembles Biscuit's current form. But instead of trembling and running away. She gulped her saliva and made her resolve.
She reaches Kaede’s hands and hops on biscuits back.
“Hold tightly… Go! Go! Biscuits!”
“Meow! Meow!”
Biscuit Run is super fast speed. Surprised by the extreme speed. Ronie was nearly blown away. She holds Kaede’s body tightly crying for her life. Meanwhile, Kaede has the time of her life.
- Writer
