Jisha walked up the stairs towards the exit of the auction house to meet up with Castle, Brookie, and Hearth Ember. But there was one person missing.
"Huh, where's Dharr?" she asked.
"He... ran off," Brookie replied.
"Why?"
"Embarrassment, plain and simple," Brookie said as he shook his head.
"Well, I'm not surprised. ... Castle, do you have something to say?"
Castle looked at Jisha uncomfortably, so something was clearly going on.
"Yeah, well... I didn't get anything from this??? Where's my stuff?"
"I didn't get anythin', either," Brookie chimed.
Jisha sighed.
"Sorry about that. Trust me, in one week, your ROI will be through the roof. But I'm not gonna let you go empty-handed. Say, if you two promise to join my guild after the first update, I'll definitely make your efforts worthwhile. I'm tough on everyone who opposes me, but I'm super generous if you help!"
Despite the obvious positive-only results for Brookie and Castle, neither of them responded immediately.
"Well," Hearth Ember chimed, "I was only looking for 1 heat shard but you gave me two, so I'd say we're even."
"Ember, I can't let you say that. I really want someone like you around, so join my guild. I'll help you out, and you'll help us in turn. Deal?"
"Um..." Hearth Ember trailed off as she looked over to her sister.
"Eh? Party with Emmi and Big Sis Sol? Yes!" Abandoned Snow said while vigorously nodding.
"Perfect!" Jisha said with a smile. "What about you two?"
"I can't lie - I *am* interested," Brookie said. "I'm loyal to strength, and I can tell... I respect you for that. But there are some old monsters in my guild I have yet to surpass."
*Interesting.*
Just by judging his ordinary movements, Jisha could tell Brookie was quite a skilled combatant. Though his capabilities were less than that of an ant's ten years down the road of the Mana Age, they were the highest she'd seen today, even surpassing Ember and Castle. He also had a decent head on his shoulders which was uncommon for someone of this nature. He'd undoubtedly be a great asset for anyone.
"How loyal to strength are you, exactly?"
"Strength is my only goal," Brookie said as he chuckled. "It's the reason I am where I am currently. I can't say exactly where I am, but it's only here that I can learn from the best."
"So... If I show you pure strength, will you change your mind?"
"Dunno. Those old monsters are some of the best in the Northeast. In terms of raw martial ability, they'd even be able to compete in some of the Central leagues."
"Whatever 'old monsters' you're talking about are nothing compared to me," Jisha said as she nonchalantly waved her hand. "Why don't I take you some place I can show you?"
Brookie was nonplussed.
"And like I said," she continued, "If you two promise to follow me, I'll reward you handsomely for today's tasks."
"Can't say I'm not interested," Brookie replied.
"Well you- You still owe me money, so..." Castle hesitantly said.
"Then it's decided, no?"
"Ah, well," Hearth Ember said, "Me and Frei were planning on meeting up with some more friends, and we're already late. The auction was fun though!"
"Hm? Well that's fine. I'll send you an invitation once I make the guild, alright?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Bye-bye Sister!"
With that, the two sisters left.
"Alright you two, why don't you follow me?"
Without further delay, Jisha lead the way out of the auction house.
And with curiosity enticing the two guys, they had no choice but to follow behind.
---
"..."
"..."
"Well?"
Neither Brookie nor Castle had laid eyes upon the Fixed Field yet, so they both stood speechless at its splendor.
The allure of the purple fog and the intricacies of the black metal gates struck them speechless.
"Where are we?" Castle asked.
He wasn't the only one confused; Brookie was likewise wondering how they'd arrived at this location, for all they'd done was walk through the forest. He was sure he'd walked around this area before but never stumbled across this madness.
"Somewhere we can fight fairly. Take a look at this," Jisha said as she explained the ins and outs of the Fixed Field.
"So that's how it is..." Brookie mused.
"How about it?"
"Haha, sure. Let's start."
"I think I'm just gonna watch..." Castle said.
"Suit yourself," Jisha said as she and Brookie entered the cemetery.
After the system confirmed both participants, the countdown began.
*>5...*
*>4...*
*>3...*
*>2...*
*>1...*
*>System message: Fixed Field, start!*
*Let's see exactly what this guy's made of.*
---
Brooks Severin had been a fan of martial arts for his entire life. However, the Northeast region of Etmos wasn't exactly a holy land for martial arts.
Being in the top 3 technologically advanced regions greatly decreased the need for hand-to-hand combat. After the crackdown on machine learning algorithms following the Intelligence Age, combat was relegated to remotely-operated weapons such as drones and mechs.
Remote mech piloting was similar to martial arts, but at the end of the day, you were piloting something that wasn't your own body. In Brooks' opinion, it paled in comparison to the real thing.
With the Northeast lacking motivation in martial arts, it was difficult to find any strong opponents. Instead, he'd watch and study the Central Leagues, the most prestigious martial arts circuit in the world.
He longed to travel the world, but alas, was stuck in the Northeast. This continental region was practically its own planet as it sat roughly 35,000 kilometron from the nearest foreign territory. In addition to this, aberrant weather swirled violently in the nearby oceans. Travel to and from the Northeast only became safe relatively recently, but it was still expensive.
He made money the only way he knew how - fighting in the Northeast's martial arts leagues! He resolved himself to dominate every one of the Northeast's small-scale leagues before heading to the Central Continent. If he couldn't even do that much, there was no way he could make it in the big leagues.
So, Brooks toured the Northeast, and, like he sought to do, dominated one league after another.
Before long, he'd done it. He was the top-ranked fighter in the Northeast by a significant margin. It was time to head to the Central! However, before he could do so, he received an offer from an unknown source. As the top fighter in the region, it wasn't surprising for him to receive offers. But Brooks never cared much for them as they'd only attempt to entice him with monetary rewards. At this point, he more than enough money to travel, and he didn't have much desire for much else.
He glanced at the offer expecting to brush it off like so many he'd done in the past, but this message only had two words.
"Let's fight."
Of course, many lunatics had futilely challenged him in the past, but he could feel that something about this one was different. Perhaps it was his intuition as a top-level fighter telling him that this was going to be a genuine challenge.
So, he met this mysterious person... in a public place, of course. Being the top martial artist in the region didn't mean he could fend off modern weaponry purely with his body.
But it was strange. After a spar in a nearby gym, Brooks could tell the person in front of him was a skilled fighter - he'd rank top 10 in the region. Yet Brooks did not recognize him. And though it was a challenging fight, Brooks was still the superior combatant at the end of the day.
But then came the more surprising news. This mystery man claimed he came from a place in the Northeast that had fighters of an older generation that made him look like a white belt...
After traveling with the mystery man to a secure location, Brooks found his claims to be true - apparently with a newly developed technology called "telomere therapy", Brooks recognized the faces of a couple of legendary figures in the past in a state of stasis...
Though their bodies were past their prime, they still had no trouble dealing with Brooks, the top fighter of the modern day...
It was then that Brooks decided to train in this place until he could defeat these legends. Only then would he leave for the Central Continent!
Yet before he could, a random girl showed up in front of him and claimed the "old monsters" were nothing...? Of course, Brooks thought she was delusional and didn't know how high the sky was. After all, he'd even changed his last name to enter that reclusive society.
But he did see, with his own eyes, her defeating seven players on her own.
There was a chance, however small, that she knew what she was talking about. And if there was a chance, no matter how small, Brooks would grasp this opportunity to fight.
*>System message: Fixed Field, start!*
The two of them started in a clearing in the cemetery. From the footage Brooks saw earlier, it was clear his opponent knew her way around the map. However, this wasn't an issue as there was more than enough room in the clearing for plain old hand-to-hand combat.
Once the countdown hit 0, neither player moved rashly. Instead, they slowly moved towards each other.
Observing. Gathering information.
Small movements. Searching for an opening.
This was the mark of a skilled player. Those who mindlessly charged in with no game plan were unlikely to get far.
When they were roughly 5 metron apart, they both stopped.
In front of him was a girl called Fae Sol who appeared in a relaxed stance. Someone standing like that... There should be openings, right?
But the more Brookie watched, the more tense he became.
There were countless openings, yet at the same time, there were none.
"..."
Had he ever felt anything like this before? In the past, no matter how tough his adversary was, he could always draw formulate a plan of attack after some amount of study. Every fighter had their own personal tendencies, and sometimes these tendencies worked against them. It was up to the opponent to exploit these weaknesses.
However, now, as he calculated his moves against this opponent, almost every move guaranteed a victory.
But that couldn't be right. Something was amiss.
Was there a trap? If so, Brookie couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary.
He gritted his teeth. There was no point thinking about it any further. If she was going to show weakness, he was going to strike at this weakest point.
And right now...
The blue-green eyes staring back at him were almost enchanting. Almost as if they were beckoning him to come forth.
And so Brookie met them head on.
He lunged. And before she could make a move, he kicked the topsoil in front of him. Quite literally a *dirty* trick, but for victory, didn't the ends justify the means?
The eyes were the weakest point, and his attack pinpointed them in an unconventional manner.
But wait...
Too late did Brookie realize that this wasn't real life - it was only a game! Would the old "sand in the eyes" trick work here?
The answer was...
No!
Fae Sol didn't flinch.
Shit! He didn't think of this!
The split second after he realized he'd messed up, he momentarily faltered. He hadn't considered that this attack would fail completely!
*-3*
In this level 0 fight, each player only had 10 HP. One strike from Fae Sol reduced his HP by nearly a third.
That was just bad luck. He could alter the course of the battle over the course of the next few moves.
*-2*
However, the first hit led him by the nose to the second...
*-5*
... which culminated in the third.
Brookie's in-game body dissipated into white mist as his spirit floated about the cemetery.
Dead?
Just like that?
He respawned outside the gates and stared forwards, dumbstruck.
The fight ended way too quickly. He'd made a terrible mistake... it was just bad luck.
"Again."
In the next fight, he'd surely be more careful.
...
*>System message: Fixed Field, start!*
...
*-2*
*-3*
*-5*
...
The second fight was only slightly longer than the first, but the result was the same.
Brookie respawned outside after dying in merely three moves, and he couldn't land anything in return.
Clearly, the problem was the "attack speed". In real life, he could make as many moves as his body would physically let him. However, in the game at level 0, he could only attack once per second. He wasn't used to this - it was obviously the reason he lost this time.
"Again..."
...
*-1*
*-4*
*-5*
...
A nearly identical result. What went wrong this time? Obviously, it was the purple fog. He'd never seen purple fog before, so this was clearly the problem.
"Again!"
...
*-2*
*-4*
*-4*
...
A glint of moonlight messed with his vision. Why was the moon out during this time of day? Next time, he'd surely account for this variable!
"Again!"
...
Loss. What was the problem this time? Surely there was something to blame, right?
"Again."
...
Another loss.
"Again..."
...
Brookie decided to finally quit deluding himself. The expectation that a random girl could be the top fighter on the continent clashed with his knowledge of the world. She couldn't be telling the truth... These wins had to have been lucky.
"Another one!"
...
But the more he sparred with her, the more he realized the difference between them.
He quickly recapped his previous matches in his mind. The result of all of them were almost the same.
The first two moves would seem light in comparison, and the third hit always targeted a vital area, rendering the attack fatal.
No matter what he tried, the first two moves always led to a checkmate in the third.
Attack.
Retreat.
Defend.
Misdirect.
Nothing worked.
Of course, he could delay the beginning of the game. But once it started...
One, two, checkmate.
One, two, checkmate.
An endless maze of possibilities that converged to a single point. The game was over the moment it started.
...
"... I give up."
After nearly twenty bouts, Brookie finally threw in the towel.
"You're annoyingly persistent," Fae Sol said as she materialized in front of the cemetery gates. The Fixed Field was over. "I wager you're rather skilled."
"... What?"
Brooks Severin, whose name had now changed to Lacaia, was the top fighter recognized by Northeastern leagues. Yet this top fighter was only "rather skilled"?
Who is this person?
"Are you a top fighter in the Central circuit?"
It was the only possibility. He'd never faced this sort of pressure from anyone before. Even the "old monsters" he sparred in the real world didn't pressure him this hard. Of course he would lose to them, but he could see himself overcoming them some day. He had a plan of attack.
However, here...
No matter how far he looked, he couldn't see the end. No amount of training in the foreseeable future could lead to a victory over her.
As martial arts was a much bigger deal in the Central region, the quality of its leagues were far beyond anything the Northeast could produce. Though it was extremely strange for a Centralite who endured eternal summer to move to a frozen wasteland, it explained her combat ability... as well as not recognizing the name "Brookie" as the number one fighter in the local leagues.
At this question, Fae Sol only cryptically smiled. "I suppose that's a good guess," she said.
Brookie looked up at the purple haze that drifted through the light breeze. The moon appeared to move behind the clouds as strands of purple crossed over it.
"I have a long way to go..."
"Would you like to travel that path with me?" Fae Sol unexpectedly asked. "I'd like you to join my guild once the first update hits."
It was a surprising question, but it made sense. Brookie craved strength, and it was right in front of him. Fae Sol was likely a Centralite immigrant, and securing ties with a strong fighter of the Northeast was only natural. Plus, as a local, he might be able to offer a couple points of advice about the area.
An extremely tantalizing offer, but...
"... Not yet. One day... when I'm qualified."
"Hmm? What's holding you back?"
Brookie's future path had been altered. Once he overcame all the challenges of the Northeast, he would move to the Central continent. However, one more alluring "Northeastern" challenge appeared in front of him.
And so he explained his plan to the girl in front of him.
"I'd like to stay in touch, though," he said. "Don't unfriend me."
"Of course," Fae Sol replied with a twinkle in her eyes. "You're not getting away from me."
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."
Brookie only then remembered that a young boy named Castle had been spectating the whole time. Was it due to shock? He hadn't made a peep until now.
"Come along, young one," Fae Sol said as she gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Let's head back to town. I've still got lots to do out there."
And such was Brooks Lacaia's first encounter with the enigmatic young woman.
---
"Mana palm strike..!"
...
*>+8 Copper*
"That's the last of them in this area, right?"
"Yes, let's continue."
A party of five made their way through the dense thickets. As beta players, they knew there were some sort of ruins in this area.
"Let's hope one else got here before us."
"It's unlikely. We booked it straight here."
"Mana palm strike..!"
Despite the fact they'd already cleared the area, a small blue streak flashed forwards.
"Commander, what...?"
Everyone was confused as to what their commander, Stein, was up to. For a while now, he would just use his Battle Mage ability, "Mana Palm Strike", whenever it came off cooldown. It wasn't long before he ran out of mana, but he spent all of his money on mana potions only to repeat this cycle.
"It's nothing, Yana," Stein replied.
The player next to him called "Quaterniana" looked at him in confusion.
"Are you sure...?"
"..."
Stein sighed.
"Yeah, you're right... It's not 'nothing'. It's just..." Stein trailed off again.
His subordinates looked at him in eagerness since he was about to continue.
"You've seen the battle footage sent to us by First Son. That player... 'Fae Sol', used abilities in a way nobody has before."
"Yes, this Fae Sol indeed has exceptional battle prowess," Yana agreed.
"No, it's not that."
"Really? Then what...?"
"Look at this clip one more time."
Stein and Yana poured over the final segment of the battle footage.
"See here?" Stein asked. "Auto-attacks like throwing a pellet are aided by the system, but hers are different. How do I put this... What happens when you click in an old-fashioned computer game?"
"Er, there are many possibilities."
"Yes, but there's only one type of click. You can click multiple times or click for longer, but each individual click is its own entity that cannot be changed. But the way these pellets almost seem to curve through the air... It's as if the 'click' itself is different. So..."
*Whoosh*
Another Mana Palm Strike flew through the air.
"Tch, it's no good..."
"What is exactly being tried here?" Yana asked.
"It's definitely possible to change the fundamental way you attack with a skill or spell. It's not necessarily a one-click cast, and that video is proof. I'm trying to accomplish something similar."
"..."
"Look here, Yana," Stein said as he threw a Mana Palm Strike. "I can control where and when I release the attack, but after that, the system takes over and I lose control over it. It always flies in a straight line at the same speed. But... it should be possible to change that."
*Whoosh*
"I wonder what I'm doing wrong..."
"A suggestion from me: perhaps the money earned by you should be spent in something other than mana potions..." Yana said as she shook her head.
"Perhaps. But I'll have to decline that suggestion."
"..."
"Yana, I know what you're thinking. That this is useless... a waste of money and mana potions. Am I correct?"
"Er, no, sir... I..." Yana said as she shifted her weight uncomfortably.
"It's fine. If I hadn't witnessed Fae Sol's capabilities today, I would agree with you. But in the long run, once I learn how to do this... It's worth much more than weapons or equipment."
"..."
"*Sigh*, forget it. Everyone, let's-"
Just as he was about to lead his party forwards, Stein froze momentarily.
"... Commander?"
"One second, everyone," he said with a grin. "Our favorite 'War Dog' has faithfully returned some news."
"And?"
Everyone looked on expectantly. Their guild, Asunder, had members in quite a few starter Hamlets, and by now, they were spread throughout various Villages... though none of them had reached Towns quite yet.
"War Dog" Brooks was the most capable of these players - his martial arts capability outside the game was at the peak, so he was naturally entrusted with a role in Synergy himself.
"It looks like we've got ourselves a destination," Stein said.
This was indeed good news. Until now, it wasn't that they were wandering aimlessly, but they had the option between several Towns to proceed to. The ruins they were trying to find was almost equidistant from all of them, leaving it as a nice detour.
"After this, we're headed to Orchid Town. Looks like *she* is headed there as well."
Everyone understood - Fae Sol was likely the largest threat to Asunder thus far, so investigating and potentially suppressing her development would lead to the best results.
But for now...
Rotten wooden structures loomed ominously in a small clearing. The treetops towered over them at a height of almost 100 metron, and the leaves blocked much of the sunlight making the buildings look even more harrowing.
"Let's clear this dungeon first. Once we get that item, we should have an upper hand in the next battle no matter what foe we're up against!"
""Yes, sir!""
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