“You do indeed.”
They descended three flights of stairs in order to reach the dining room, where a feast awaited them.
Dusk’s mouth watered simply looking at the breakfast banquet that beamed before his very eyes. Among the dishes were: French toast, golden-brown pancakes, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, waffles, grits, sausage, hash browns, omelets, cheese, apples, and ham.
The dishes were complemented with a crowd of condiments: maple, blueberry, and strawberry syrup, along with salt, pepper, and ketchup. As for the beverages, there was orange juice, apple juice, milk, coffee, and water. Dusk felt like he had stepped into a four star restaurant. He couldn’t wait to dig into the various culinary choices before him. As soon as the appetizing scents flowed into his nasal passages, his mouth salivated in hungry anticipation. It smelled so good... and looked even better, a culinary work of art.
The other guild members were already seated at the table, waiting for Dusk and Tsuki to arrive before they began to eat themselves.
“Good morning, everyone,” Tsuki greeted them with a sunny disposition.
Dusk simply held up his hand as if waving hello, not quite sure where he fit into this group yet. The other members of the group reciprocated the gesture, bidding the duo good morning as well.
Dusk took a seat next to Reaper, with Tsuki taking a seat across from Dusk and next to Scarlet. Omni sat at the end of the table.
“Now, before having this impressive meal that Tsuki has worked hard on creating for our pleasure, let us pray.”
Upon hearing this, everyone in Phoenix closed their eyes, bowing their heads down slightly. They did not fold their hands together; which is normally what people do when praying. Dusk was not sure what was going on. He didn’t think these people believers of a deity, yet here they were praying silently. Who were they praying to? What were they praying for? He bowed his head in reverence, not wanting to be rude to his new comrades.
After about a minute of this, Omni’s voice ended Dusk’s prayer that he had dedicated to nothing in particular. It’s not like he believed in a god or goddess of any kind, after all.
“Now then, let us enjoy this feast that Tsuki has given us; let’s eat!”
“This is fuckin’ great!” Scarlet complimented, while digging into the bacon on her plate.
“As expected of our guild chef,” Reaper smiled, praising her culinary abilities.
“Indeed, this is first class work, Tsuki,” Omni commended her efforts, agreeing with his comrades.
Tsuki beamed in happiness, grateful for the compliments. “Thanks, guys!”
Dusk was too busy stuffing his face to say anything. He was savoring the soft pancakes, the crispy bacon, the delicious ham, and the mouthwatering scrambled eggs. It was all an adventure for his palate. The food was absolutely exquisite.
“So, how is it, Dusk?” Tsuki inquired anxiously.
Dusk snapped out of his gluttonous trance, quickly swallowing the bite of pancake that was currently in his mouth.
“It’s the most amazing breakfast I’ve ever had.” The satisfied fighter spoke so passionately that tears nearly coated his eyes.
“Well, I strive to be the best in everything I do, and cooking is no exception,” she declared proudly while grinning.
“Yeah, you could learn a thing or two from her Mr. Black Death,” Scarlet sneered, making a verbal jab at Dusk.
He immediately narrowed his eyes in a look that seemed to say not this again.
“Oh, really?” Dusk retorted, his words stripped bone dry with sarcasm.
“C’mon, guys not at the breakfast table. I want to eat in peace,” Reaper protested.
“Indeed, Tsuki worked hard to bring us together for this, let’s not ruin it with squabbling,” Omni demanded.
“Fine, fine,” Scarlet conceded.
The next few minutes were spent silently consuming the morsels before them. Dusk spoke up; his inquisitiveness and impatience getting the better of him.
“So, Tsuki, what is this new training you wanted to take me on?”
“Dusk, I told you to be patient,” Tsuki scolded him.
“It’s fine,” Omni interjected. “I will tell him.”
There was a moment where Omni looked at Tsuki, as if seeking permission. When she simply shrugged, the sage took that as consent, deciding to reveal their plan to him.
“You may have noticed that your rate of leveling has been slow. This is because we are all level 50. So you being at level 41 receive reduced experience from grouping with us in these dungeons. We cannot level drop, as we need to be level 50 to complete these dungeons. That is why we have decided to use this other method, so that you will level up faster.”
Dusk’s eyes painted the entire picture. He wanted more.
“So, what is this other method?”
“You will grind mobs with Tsuki,” Reaper interrupted. “The two of you will be a duo for some time. Naturally, there are times where we too will join you. But right now, we have other things we need to accomplish.”
Dusk locked himself in a cell of contemplation. It all seemed like a good idea; he himself had concluded that he was leveling too slow as it was. At that moment he realized something.
“Wait, but what about the dungeons? You guys can’t do it with three can you? Don’t you need her to do those?”
“We’re not doing dungeons anymore,” Scarlet interjected. “We’ve been level 50 for over a month, which means we have all the best gear that you can get from dungeons.”
“I see.”
“So there you have it, Dusk. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not!” The snow princess stuck her tongue out teasingly at him.
Dusk smirked playfully at the childish display. “Real mature, Tsuki.”
About ten minutes later, they all finished their food, sitting back in their chairs, content with the delicious breakfast feast.
Tsuki was the first to rise, setting her hand on her new trainee.
“That’s enough rest. Come, let’s go, Drake.”
Dusk looked back at her and nodded as he rose from his chair to follow his teacher to a day of arduous training.
“Good luck, you two!” Omni spoke, cheering them on.
“Yeah, thanks,” Dusk replied nervously as he left the room.
“I’ll see you guys later.” Tsuki smiled warmly, bidding the group farewell.
With that, both of them were gone, leaving the three musketeers sitting at the table.
“I just don’t get it.” Scarlet scratched her head. “Why is she willing to put in all this effort for him? Why not just let him go? Hell, why did we bring him here and make him one of us? He still hasn’t beaten her in a single duel.”
Omni threw a glowing smile at his fiery partner. “You know as well as I do how amazing Karla can be in duels. She rarely loses to anyone. You know that we also need a five person group eventually. The dungeon and PvP arenas are both five man. The raids are ten man tasks. We need at least half of the players in a raid to be composed of people from our group, if not more. I know potential when I see it. There is something hidden deep within him, something I cannot pinpoint accurately, but it is embedded in his being, dormant—just waiting for the proper trigger.”
“That’s what I mean! What is this potential you’re talking about? I don’t see anything.”
“Well, I don’t fully know myself.”
“Huh? You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me!” She loved her fiancé, but she just couldn't understand that sixth sense of his sometimes.
“Now, settle down, Joanna,” Reaper interjected, attempting to pacify her fury. “You know that Omni has rarely been wrong about these things. Let’s just trust in his judgment, okay?”
“Not you too, Drew!”
“I’m just saying. Do you know of anyone else better than Dusk in this game besides us four? I think we should at least be patient and see what happens. If Jed says he has potential, then I will trust in his words. You should too.”
/> Scarlet crossed her arms and scoffed. Irritation nipped at her heels, but she did not desire to argue any further. Reaper did have a point, so she would leave it at that.
“Now then, I’ll see you guys later.” Reaper got up from his chair, exiting the room, leaving only the two lovers.
Scarlet’s voice had relaxed itself as if she had just come home after a long day at work. “Do you and Karla know what you’re doing?”
Omni reassured her, lovingly touching her face with his hand. Scarlet pressed her hand upon his, staring longingly into his white eyes. His speech had dropped to a hot whisper.
“As I said, I’m not completely sure myself of what his potential is, so it is completely understandable for you to have doubts. However, I ask you to trust in me and in Karla, for she is an amazing teacher. If anyone can awaken his potential, it is her.”
His soft touch melted Scarlet’s icy shell.
“Yeah, I’ll trust you. But I’m not going to stop being hard on Dusk.”
The dark skinned Phoenix chuckled softly. “I never expected you to.”
He withdrew his hand from Scarlet’s face, leaning in to kiss his battle maiden. He withdrew the kiss moments later, smiling warmly at her, his hand stroking her chin affectionately.
“Now, I must write for a bit. I’ll see you soon.”
Omni stood up, wordlessly excusing himself from the room. Only Scarlet remained; sitting in silence as she contemplated what the future would hold.
Outside of the mansion, Tsuki had come to a halt in the garden. Dusk, seeing that his teacher had stopped in her tracks, decided to follow suit.
“What’s wrong, Tsuki?”
“Nothing, I came here to meditate.”
The blue-eyed warrior cocked his head to the side.
“Well, I don’t really mind or anything, but I thought we were going to train?”
“This is training. Part of your training will be meditation.”
“How is meditation going to help me become stronger?” Dusk inquired, slightly bewildered.
“I told you, didn’t I? That meditation helps you to become a stronger person mentally. Those who become one with nature will become stronger than you can possibly imagine.”
“And meditation allows you to become one with nature?”
“That is correct. Meditation enables you to become strong spiritually, and unleash creational power.”
“Spiritually strong? Creational power?” These terms sent Dusk reeling into confusion. Clueless. Utterly clueless. He had previously thought himself knowledgeable—capable. Yet now he felt like a newborn that had yet to even make his first steps in the world. Phoenix, it was their fault. They had whisked him away into their alien world, and no matter how capable he may have been, he was simply a mere human trying to adapt to his alien surroundings. At first his pride urged him to resist the change, but that strong opposition was crumbling, piece by piece. He found this role reversal to be quite humbling. Indeed he felt clueless, but that was what he found so exhilarating.
“I will explain everything to you in a bit,” Tsuki reassured him, attempting to soothe his impatience for the time being. “But first, let’s meditate.”
“So, you want me to meditate too?”
“Yes.”
“Sure,” Dusk agreed, making himself a bed on the lush green floor. He could smell the scent of freshly cut grass as he peered at the clear skies above. A slice of the sun was emerging behind the soft fabric of clouds.
“What are you doing?” Did he think this was naptime?
“What does it look like? This is how I meditate.”
“Well, I did say the posture didn’t matter.”
Tsuki took the traditional meditative stance, looking like a female Buddha.
“The most important part of this is that you clear your mind. Now, we will sit in silence for fifteen minutes; you are not to speak.”
“Mmm k,” Dusk grudgingly agreed, closing his eyes and attempting to block any ideas that would dare to penetrate his mindscape. Unfortunately, his mental barrier was far from perfect. Several images flashed through his mind like golden sparks as they slipped through his flawed barrier.
Ironically it was Tsuki herself which made this difficult for him. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He struggled for ten minutes to eliminate those persistent thoughts, to no avail. When he finally managed to meditate for real, drowning out everything else, the swordstress's voice snapped him out of his trance.
“Okay, time’s up!”
Dusk abruptly opened his eyes, jumping to his feet.
“So, how was the meditation?”
“Mmm, too many things on my mind; I wasn’t able to clear my head,” Dusk whined, dissatisfied. “What about you?”
“It was good. I felt as though as I was one with nature.”
“So now, can you explain how meditation fits into our training, and what creational power is?”
“Sure. I have a lot to say so just listen.”
Tsuki cleared her throat, formulating another lesson for her student.
“You see, meditation is how you develop your telepathy. Telepathy can take many forms, the most commonly known one being the ability to read people’s thoughts. The most basic form of this is instinct. For example, in battle, having an instinct for what your opponent is going to do. There is also being able to feel what another person is feeling. Above that is the ability to actually read thoughts. Telepathy is its own language, and all accomplished telepaths use their own symbols to communicate from one mind to another. You can also use telepathy to inject thoughts into another person’s head, causing them to think what you want them to think.”
There are also many other abilities that telepathy can awaken. These are abilities you might not commonly associate with telepathy. Examples of such abilities include telekinesis, which has varying strengths. Some people can only move small objects, while others can move people or even bigger objects still. Other abilities include barriers which can block bullets, hyper speed, heightened reflexes, super strength, and the ability to heal oneself or others. Some telepaths can even immobilize people entirely.”
“Just like that time...” Dusk pondered aloud.
Tsuki raised an eyebrow, perplexed. “Hmm? What time?”
Dusk, who had just realized he had almost dug up a secret that was buried away, quickly moved to cover up this knowledge, hoping to lock it back up in the vault.
“Oh, sorry about that... it’s nothing. I just remembered a time where a boss monster had a move that paralyzed me.”
“Hmm.” Tsuki gave him an intense stare, causing Dusk to shift uncomfortably.
You’re a bad liar, Drake.
“Anyways. Let’s go level you up, noob.”
“Hey! I am not a noob, I’m an MMO superstar!”
“Oh, okay,” Tsuki retorted, her words swimming in sarcasm. “You’re level 41, you’re still a noob.”
Before Dusk could even reply with anything further, Tsuki whisked him away in an instant of dazzling radiance.
When Dusk next opened his eyes, he noticed he was in a place that was completely foreign to him. It didn’t look like anyplace that existed in the real world.
The grass was a shimmering white, not the natural green he was used to. This grass had not been stained with snow or contaminated with chemicals. This was its untouched, natural color. The bone white trees extended their branches into a metropolis of turquoise leaves. Colored crystals spouted out from the ground like frozen geysers: red, blue, green, purple, yellow, orange... they were all there, glowing splendidly. The firmament above burned with pink-purple fire. The gloom was so thick it occluded most of the sun’s radiance, absorbing it into its distorted bubblegum wonderland.
“What is this place?” Dusk gasped. Places like this were the only things that reminded him that he was actually in a game.
“This is the zone of Erronia. It is a level 45 area.”
“Level 45?”
Dusk felt a splash of apprehension dampen his resolve. “Isn’t that a bit high for me?”
“Did you forget that I’m here?”
“Sure but... that means we’ll both be level 41, right? Against level 45 and possibly even level 47 monsters. Can we actually handle that? We only get one life you know.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the big bad monsters,” Tsuki cooed.
Dusk grunted, glaring at the silver elementress. Why did she have to speak to him as if he were a child?
Tsuki, sensing his distress, sought to comfort him. “If things get really rough I’ll just take level drop off in the middle of the fight; you don’t have to worry about anything, Drake.”
This explanation succeeded in lulling the irascible swordsman’s trepidation. With that, the two set out to begin grinding as Dusk had done many times before.
The duo was soon engaged in a battle with a creature that looked akin to a cougar. Black spots splattered themselves across the form of the otherwise colorless creature. The long antennae protruding from its head were wiggling wildly as if they had a life of their own. At the ends of the antennae were sharp, scythe shaped stingers. In essence the creature was dual wielding two small scythes. The monster assaulted Tsuki with a combo of its scathing claws and lethal antennae. Tsuki was making great efforts to block every blow with her blade, leaving Dusk free to unleash his bladed fury. It was an interesting dynamic as Dusk did more damage than Tsuki on these monsters; as long as he could stay behind them.
The feline turned towards Dusk, throwing one of his scythes at the Phantom, deciding he had enough of his swordplay. He parried the arc of death just in time to see the other antennae heading straight for his neck. He swiftly ducked the dangerous swipe, thrusting his azure blade into the creature’s torso. Not wishing to receive another metal lunge from the cougar, Dusk turned on his stealth field, escaping combat as the particles of light passed right through his body.
Losing sight of the elusive dual wielder, the monster returned its attention on the silver haired swordswoman before him, but he did so too late. Tsuki unleashed a bombardment of slashes upon the beast, staggering it beyond the point of retaliation. The creature roared in pain as the Sword Mage skillfully finished him off.
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