59***Serious

Phenn

'So, how did it go?' Rina whispered as soon as I stepped out of the city.

'About as good as you'd expect.' I whispered back in reply.

'Its that bad?' she asked, pretty much knowing the answer.

'She knows we're still going after the Floating Silver Swamps.' I whispered in a slightly pissed off tone.

'What happened.' She asked me, her tone serious.

'My first calculations when perfectly as predicted.' I stated.

'… And?'

'Rina, this is Edeth we are talking about. She knows me too well to let me have a conversation without even a slight change in my predictions. It's not like I can see the future you know.' I reprimanded her.

'*sigh* Are you sure she didn't just want some reinforcements?' She asked, sounding tired of me by the second.

'I even got my cookies on time.' I said in a dead tone to her tired one.

'… hmm… I see. This is bad.' She concluded, her tone shifting back into business-mode. 'What should we do?'

'Gather the members from Area61 and Area83 and send them to The Drop in Area97. Give out scouting and area securing missions and get the first three Areas connected to it covered with Scout Scanners and Delay Traps. Also, assign the Dungeon Dive groups in Area34 to the recruiting mission along with the ones in Areas2-5. Leave the rest at their posts.' I quickly whispered to her as I sped up to a speed-walk and turned into the woods on the city's outside.

'Very well sir. The Portal Marker is ready as per your reque... hmm?' Rina was about to go off when she stopped mid-sentence.

'What is it?' I asked her, wondering what could have caught her attention.

'A notification went off. It's from Terminal. It says that a new beta mini game was just cleared by three players.' She started.

'Yes, what about it?' I asked, confused as to why a notification from Terminal would surprise her.

'It highlights that one of the players was assigned the Shield Martialist Class, and it also notes that two of the three were removed of their levels, loot and exp. almost immediately after completing the dungeon.' She elaborated. 'And it was by administrative rights know less.'

At hearing that, I too almost gained pause in confusion, but for different reasons.

'That brat. Why would he interfere now?' I asked myself.

'… Keep an eye on him for now.' I decided. It may be better to leave it and see what happens.

At this point I saw the tree I told them to put the marker by, found it, and sent some mana in to activate it.

You'd You Like To Go To This Destination?

ß The Church Of Atlas Guild Hall à

-Yes- -No-

*-Yes-*

'*sigh* I don't know what you're planning brat, but I'll know soon enough in due time.' I thought to myself as purple light covered me and readied me for teleportation.

Looks like this years Battle Orchestra will be more eventful than I initially realized.

Nylon

"Not here! Not here!! Not here!!! Not here!!!!���

"Will you just shut the f*** up already!!!!!" Angus yelled at me as I neared a panic attack! And language for crying out loud!!! I'm barely keeping this PG rated as it is!!!

"You've been in your inventory for freaking hours! You'd think that s****** mouth of yours would tire itself out by now!!!" She was pissed through and through this time – and actually looks like she'll strangle me to death – but I can't help it!

I can't believe… won't believe… that all those juicy notes, scratchings and trinkets that were in the Goblin King's Lair are now GONE!!!

The Lore bits I could have gotten from that motherload!!!!

And also, Lore Hunter wasn't just a name, but an actual active Achievement!!! And I heard nothing of it!!!!!!!

I studied anything that could connect to the lore of BMO including all the achievements and hidden achievements available!!! And yet I heard nothing of there being a Lore Hunter Achievement!!!

'Now that I think about it, I didn't hear a thing about the Way of the Shield Achievement either. But that might be because I actively avoided anything that wasn't related directly and/or indirectly to the lore that was spinning from the Lore Hunters, so I might have missed it. But that still doesn't explain the Lore Hunter Achievement!!! And what does this mean now? That I'm an official Lore Hunter?! Is this just some story mode that was hidden for fun?! Or is this really some buried past no one knows of?! And what does my white hair have to do with it?! Is it some piece to a puzzle I don't know?! Will I be some OP MC from some cliché game anime?!! Are ALL Lore Hunters OP MC anime characters?!!! Or could this just….'

*THUNK!!!!*

"Ack!!! Who what why?!!!!!" I screamed out in surprise as I felt a solid connection between my head and a blunt object!

"Wake up p****." Angus said in a voice seething in killing intent! Why must she be so pissed all the time!

"Um, Angus…? A-are you… okay…?" I asked, half way terrified to death by her Passive Aggression perk!

"No, you little s***. I'm not okay." She relied in a creepily quiet voice, "But I will be very soon!"

At that, her hands where on her way around my neck in seconds!!! I could feel my graphic blood stopping at the assassin level movement!

"Hey there missy." A very small and nonchalant voice said in my head.

'Sher, what are you…' I began to ask when I saw Angus' eyes grow wide and her hands stop right at my neck!

"Y-y-y-y-y-who the… what?!" She asked in a wobbly voice.

"… You can hear Sher?" I asked as realisation hit.

"Here who?!" she asked back stupidly!

"Look, don't get me wrong, I don't blame you for wringing his neck if you do..." Sher started again

"Eep!!!" Angus cried out and jumped as Sher spoke in her head.

"… but could you please not? You see, he's not strong enough to have me connected to his soul as of yet, so if he dies, I'll be turned back into a Beast Stone. So just hold o…"

"AH!!!!!! GHOST!!!! GHOST!!!! GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY!!!!!" Angus started screaming bloody murder and jumped head first into me! Surprised, I lost my footing and fell backwards with her on top of me.

"That's your dumb ghost isn't it?!" She accused me immediately.

"D-dumb?!" Sher asked in disbelief.

"Tell it to stop then!!!" Angus screamed hysterically.

"*sigh* Sher?" I asked, passing the request to her.

"Oh no! I'm not leaving until she learns her place!" Sher stated indignantly.

I looked back to Angus to tell her to deal with it herself, only to find her practically in tears! Dang this is serious!

"Please Sher?" I asked her again.

"No! I'll show her whom is the dumb one of us!" She stated with resolve. She wasn't budging on this one was she.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"*sigh* «×—oih₇₀?" I tried. (Please.)

"… We… eh … no! You won't seduce me with your River Ilk, Foul Blood!!" She stated indignantly, but her falter was too great to cover!

"M⁸⁸»te—℗¬ «×—oih₇₀?" I asked, adding extra oomph with it (Basically "pretty please")

"Bu… she… *sigh* fine! When you say it like that, how can I refuse." Sher finally gave in and left Angus' mind scape!

It's a good thing that Sub-Elves fancy River Ilks to an almost unhealthy degree, or else that might not have worked!

"… Um Angus… You can get off of me now." A said, now feeling aware of our positioning.

"No! Not until the ghost goes away!" She cried out stubbornly.

"*sigh* don't worry, she's gone now." I reassured her.

"Really?" She asked, untrusting of my judgement.

"Yup." I confirmed.

"Then where is it?" She asked, scanning for any movement.

"As of now? In me." I answered.

If her and a cat that got splashed with water entered a jumping race, she'd win in a heartbeat!

��Eep!!!" She screamed in the same high pitch as last time as she flew off of me!

'Whew! That was awkward!' I thought to myself in relief.

'As if I'm going to believe that.' Sher interjected, now causing me to jump!

"Ack! What do you mean?" I asked in confusion at her words.

'I mean that you should keep your own thoughts in check! I can smell your hormones from in here!" She replied with a huff, making me turn red in the face!

"Wha-wha-wha-wha-what do you mean?!" I asked in surprise.

'You can play dumb all you want, but your subconscious was loud and clear about what you really thi…'

"Ai, Ai, stop!!!" I screamed out and waved away a very dangerous thought before it showed up.

'Must be nice to be so innocent.' Sher quipped with a smile in her voice.

"I SAID STOP!"

***

'Okay. Now what to do?' I asked myself. This may be a Safe Zone, but the Area isn't. Especially for noobs who should be in The Grasslands getting exp., so this place isn't the best of options for saving and logging off.

"… Hey p***." Angus spook up after a while.

"Hmm?" I answered.

"Don't speak of this to anyone." She stated, her perk activating.

I give her one good look to see if I'm still talking to Angus, then shrugged.

"Who would I tell?" I asked her rhetorically.

"How about me?" A familiar voice broke in.

Phenn

'So, how did it go?' Rina whispered as soon as I stepped out of the city.

'About as good as you'd expect.' I whispered back in reply.

'Its that bad?' she asked, pretty much knowing the answer.

'She knows we're still going after the Floating Silver Swamps.' I whispered in a slightly pissed off tone.

'What happened.' She asked me, her tone serious.

'My first calculations when perfectly as predicted.' I stated.

'… And?'

'Rina, this is Edeth we are talking about. She knows me too well to let me have a conversation without even a slight change in my predictions. It's not like I can see the future you know.' I reprimanded her.

'*sigh* Are you sure she didn't just want some reinforcements?' She asked, sounding tired of me by the second.

'I even got my cookies on time.' I said in a dead tone to her tired one.

'… hmm… I see. This is bad.' She concluded, her tone shifting back into business-mode. 'What should we do?'

'Gather the members from Area61 and Area83 and send them to The Drop in Area97. Give out scouting and area securing missions and get the first three Areas connected to it covered with Scout Scanners and Delay Traps. Also, assign the Dungeon Dive groups in Area34 to the recruiting mission along with the ones in Areas2-5. Leave the rest at their posts.' I quickly whispered to her as I sped up to a speed-walk and turned into the woods on the city's outside.

'Very well sir. The Portal Marker is ready as per your reque... hmm?' Rina was about to go off when she stopped mid-sentence.

'What is it?' I asked her, wondering what could have caught her attention.

'A notification went off. It's from Terminal. It says that a new beta mini game was just cleared by three players.' She started.

'Yes, what about it?' I asked, confused as to why a notification from Terminal would surprise her.

'It highlights that one of the players was assigned the Shield Martialist Class, and it also notes that two of the three were removed of their levels, loot and exp. almost immediately after completing the dungeon.' She elaborated. 'And it was by administrative rights know less.'

At hearing that, I too almost gained pause in confusion, but for different reasons.

'That brat. Why would he interfere now?' I asked myself.

'… Keep an eye on him for now.' I decided. It may be better to leave it and see what happens.

At this point I saw the tree I told them to put the marker by, found it, and sent some mana in to activate it.

You'd You Like To Go To This Destination?

ß The Church Of Atlas Guild Hall à

-Yes- -No-

*-Yes-*

'*sigh* I don't know what you're planning brat, but I'll know soon enough in due time.' I thought to myself as purple light covered me and readied me for teleportation.

Looks like this years Battle Orchestra will be more eventful than I initially realized.

Nylon

"Not here! Not here!! Not here!!! Not here!!!!"

"Will you just shut the f*** up already!!!!!" Angus yelled at me as I neared a panic attack! And language for crying out loud!!! I'm barely keeping this PG rated as it is!!!

"You've been in your inventory for freaking hours! You'd think that s****** mouth of yours would tire itself out by now!!!" She was pissed through and through this time – and actually looks like she'll strangle me to death – but I can't help it!

I can't believe… won't believe… that all those juicy notes, scratchings and trinkets that were in the Goblin King's Lair are now GONE!!!

The Lore bits I could have gotten from that motherload!!!!

And also, Lore Hunter wasn't just a name, but an actual active Achievement!!! And I heard nothing of it!!!!!!!

I studied anything that could connect to the lore of BMO including all the achievements and hidden achievements available!!! And yet I heard nothing of there being a Lore Hunter Achievement!!!

'Now that I think about it, I didn't hear a thing about the Way of the Shield Achievement either. But that might be because I actively avoided anything that wasn't related directly and/or indirectly to the lore that was spinning from the Lore Hunters, so I might have missed it. But that still doesn't explain the Lore Hunter Achievement!!! And what does this mean now? That I'm an official Lore Hunter?! Is this just some story mode that was hidden for fun?! Or is this really some buried past no one knows of?! And what does my white hair have to do with it?! Is it some piece to a puzzle I don't know?! Will I be some OP MC from some cliché game anime?!! Are ALL Lore Hunters OP MC anime characters?!!! Or could this just….'

*THUNK!!!!*

"Ack!!! Who what why?!!!!!" I screamed out in surprise as I felt a solid connection between my head and a blunt object!

"Wake up p****." Angus said in a voice seething in killing intent! Why must she be so pissed all the time!

"Um, Angus…? A-are you… okay…?" I asked, half way terrified to death by her Passive Aggression perk!

"No, you little s***. I'm not okay." She relied in a creepily quiet voice, "But I will be very soon!"

At that, her hands where on her way around my neck in seconds!!! I could feel my graphic blood stopping at the assassin level movement!

"Hey there missy." A very small and nonchalant voice said in my head.

'Sher, what are you…' I began to ask when I saw Angus' eyes grow wide and her hands stop right at my neck!

"Y-y-y-y-y-who the… what?!" She asked in a wobbly voice.

"… You can hear Sher?" I asked as realisation hit.

"Here who?!" she asked back stupidly!

"Look, don't get me wrong, I don't blame you for wringing his neck if you do..." Sher started again

"Eep!!!" Angus cried out and jumped as Sher spoke in her head.

"… but could you please not? You see, he's not strong enough to have me connected to his soul as of yet, so if he dies, I'll be turned back into a Beast Stone. So just hold o…"

"AH!!!!!! GHOST!!!! GHOST!!!! GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY!!!!!" Angus started screaming bloody murder and jumped head first into me! Surprised, I lost my footing and fell backwards with her on top of me.

"That's your dumb ghost isn't it?!" She accused me immediately.

"D-dumb?!" Sher asked in disbelief.

"Tell it to stop then!!!" Angus screamed hysterically.

"*sigh* Sher?" I asked, passing the request to her.

"Oh no! I'm not leaving until she learns her place!" Sher stated indignantly.

I looked back to Angus to tell her to deal with it herself, only to find her practically in tears! Dang this is serious!

"Please Sher?" I asked her again.

"No! I'll show her whom is the dumb one of us!" She stated with resolve. She wasn't budging on this one was she.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"*sigh* «×—oih₇₀?" I tried. (Please.)

"… We… eh … no! You won't seduce me with your River Ilk, Foul Blood!!" She stated indignantly, but her falter was too great to cover!

"M⁸⁸»te—℗¬ «×—oih₇₀?" I asked, adding extra oomph with it (Basically "pretty please")

"Bu… she… *sigh* fine! When you say it like that, how can I refuse." Sher finally gave in and left Angus' mind scape!

It's a good thing that Sub-Elves fancy River Ilks to an almost unhealthy degree, or else that might not have worked!

"… Um Angus… You can get off of me now." A said, now feeling aware of our positioning.

"No! Not until the ghost goes away!" She cried out stubbornly.

"*sigh* don't worry, she's gone now." I reassured her.

"Really?" She asked, untrusting of my judgement.

"Yup." I confirmed.

"Then where is it?" She asked, scanning for any movement.

"As of now? In me." I answered.

If her and a cat that got splashed with water entered a jumping race, she'd win in a heartbeat!

"Eep!!!" She screamed in the same high pitch as last time as she flew off of me!

'Whew! That was awkward!' I thought to myself in relief.

'As if I'm going to believe that.' Sher interjected, now causing me to jump!

"Ack! What do you mean?" I asked in confusion at her words.

'I mean that you should keep your own thoughts in check! I can smell your hormones from in here!" She replied with a huff, making me turn red in the face!

"Wha-wha-wha-wha-what do you mean?!" I asked in surprise.

'You can play dumb all you want, but your subconscious was loud and clear about what you really thi…'

"Ai, Ai, stop!!!" I screamed out and waved away a very dangerous thought before it showed up.

'Must be nice to be so innocent.' Sher quipped with a smile in her voice.

"I SAID STOP!"

***

'Okay. Now what to do?' I asked myself. This may be a Safe Zone, but the Area isn't. Especially for noobs who should be in The Grasslands getting exp., so this place isn't the best of options for saving and logging off.

"… Hey p***." Angus spook up after a while.

"Hmm?" I answered.

"Don't speak of this to anyone." She stated, her perk activating.

I give her one good look to see if I'm still talking to Angus, then shrugged.

"Who would I tell?" I asked her rhetorically.

"How about me?" A familiar voice broke in.