Chương 18: Slobbers and Sobbers

Ch. 18: Slobbers and Sobbers Eyes. Seven of them. That's good. Eyes carry a lot of blood. The wolf barked, shooting a globule of acidic saliva at me. I lifted my hand and cast Cloudform. A simple circle of cloud acted as a shield, blocking the acid and dispersing at the saliva's corrosive touch. The Gangwolf was known to carry future sight in its seventh eye. The Gangwolf knew I was going to use cloudform so it was prepared. It pounced at me, burning its huge teeth in my shoulder.

I yelled in pain as the huge blades dug in before stabbing him in the snout. It let go of me and jumped back. It knew I was going to stab it… but didn't realize I'd be that strong. This was my opening, despite the pain I rolled on my feet and launched toward its seventh eye. Stabbing it and letting blood drain into the whites and then dripping onto my blade. Oh… the good stuff.

"All for you, my guy," I said as the giant core bucked me off. I launched into the air. Its giant teeth were ready for me, but this time it couldn't see what I'd do next. The beast snapped her teeth shut but felt nothing in her mouth. Her top right eye rolled up. I was still in the air, standing on two cloud forms. I released them and dropped again. I took my knife out and sliced it against the hide, causing a huge tear to open. As soon as I landed I saw my mana had returned.

I craned my neck up at the monster and cast Firebreath. I torched the big wolf's belly and it tried to step back and snap its jaws at me, but I had already made my way to its ribcage. The charred skin left a tender spot for me to jump into and plunge my knife, My knife punctured the core and the monster fell to the ground. Slain. I am nourished. For now. The felled wolf's jaw hit the ground. Its acid slobber sprinkled over the flowers, killing them. And the white nuke of a dungeon closing took me back to LA.

We were at the McCarthy Quad at the USC campus. Young college kids ogled at us. I saw the other champions there staring around, flabbergasted as to what happened.

"A little help here?" I asked them. Hugh was the lead for this mission, "Y-you? Again!?" I shrugged my shoulders, but the huge wound still stung. One of the healers there made quick work of me and Hugh invited me to the local bar. I wanted to refuse but he had offered to buy me a drink.

"So you'll write that I handled her alone?" I asked Hugh as our drinks came. Hugh held his hands up.

"Look. I'm sorry I tried to take it before. I just… I thought that I must have hurt that monster if you took it down yourself. But two cores!? In two days. I mean… wow. I'm sorry. Of course. You'll get the bonus yourself." I pumped my fist and finished my glass.

"And you said you'd buy all my drinks, right?"

"Uh… sure. But… didn't you say you had a shift at the coffee shop after this?"

"Mhmhmm" I said as I finished his glass too, I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. I wiped my beer mustache and accessed my system within my mind's eye.

"What are you doing?" Hugh asked.

"Uh, mental math." Congrats! You defeated a core all by yourself. Great job. You're now level 20! Choose a new ability. Cloudstep: You can cast cloudform at half mana for stepping on the air. Abundance: Passive healing increased by the amount of people in your vicinity Firehands: You can cast fire with your hands Hmmm. I thought to myself, Some decent ones. Obviously Cloudstep is best for mobility. But if I keep putting myself in danger, Abundance would keep getting me out of binds. Although…

I'm not around people that much.

"So… the reason I invited you," Hugh said, clearing his voice. I looked at Hugh, completely forgetting he was there. I dispersed the system. Just then, my third beer arrived.

"Let's hope people only order iced americanos today. I'm not going to be fit for much else," I said as I took a gulp.

"Look… what are you doing that's working? Are you training with someone?" Hugh asked.

"Uhh, what?"

"I was lead today because of rank and seniority. But I've been stuck at Bravo since I got touched. I know movement between ranks isn't easy but… it's embarrassing."

"Wow. I thought you were a total dick trying to take my money. Turns out you just wanted to feel useful for defeating a core."

"I've only ever soloed one core in my career. And that was a four-foot long garter snake that could turn itself inside out. There was no sport in killing it."

"Check still cleared though, right?"

"I asked Kayla out to drinks the other day because I wanted to inquire about doing a companionship with her." I polished the fifth beer and said, "Yeah, I asked about that too. But she got kinda weird."

"She did the same to me!" I pointed at Hugh in solidarity. Hugh continued, "She explained to me that she would love to in the future but didn't believe I was ready for it."

"I know! And it's like… why do you get to decide that?" I said. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Well… she's the one who lets you go on the mission."

"What are you talking about?"

"The companionship," Then off my silence he said, "It's when a higher ranking champion lets you come along on a higher ranking mission under their supervision."

"Ooooooh," I said, "It's like a ride-along."

"What were you talking about?" Hugh asked, politely sipping his beer.

"I'm talking about this now!" I scratched my chin, "So… you could go on higher levels… and face off against stronger foes. Okay, maybe I'll ask her too." Hugh wiped the foam off his face, "Right... I don't mean to be rude. But I expect if she wouldn't even take a bravo like me, she'd be less willing to take an NPC like you."

"That's not rude at all!" I said, "May I say something? Not to be rude." Hugh gestured for me to go ahead. I stood up, needing to go home and change before the shift at the coffee shop, "I think there's a reason you're asking me for advice, bitch. Thanks for picking up the tab, I'll see ya."

The coffee shop was a walk away from my house. Mr. Johnson was standing outside my door when I left my apartment.

"Mr. Jonson. How do you do?"

"The neighbors said they're still hearing dogs."

"Right," I was a little tilted from the bar. My words slurred as I said, "We've made some great progress on that front. This family I'm talking to… great family. Dad runs a car shop. They lost their dog a year ago. So they're seriously considering adopting. As early as tomorrow in fact. Both of them! That's the best part! No need to separate. Isn't that great, Mr. Jonson? Tomorrow morning and they're gone."

"Well.. they're supposed to be gone yesterday."

"And we're getting there. They'll be gone basically tonight, tomorrow morning, Tuesday at the latest."

"Okay, but-""I totally get your thing about the dogs. And I'm like… well, we're there, basically. As good as today, basically tomorrow, Tuesday at the latest. Let me show you something." I pulled out my phone and pulled up my banking app, "I just got paid for the latest hunt I went on. Killed the core. Soloed it, actually. Very hard for an NPC like me to do. Read that number." Mr. Jonson leaned in and adjusted his glasses, "Total balance: 2802. 54""You see that, Mr. Jonson? That's real money."

"Is that rent?"

"That.. is specifically for my car. I've had to uber, it just fully won't work now. But it's what the money means. I killed another core. I've got at least this much on the way! So… this whole month is going to be a big turnaround for me."

"I… I'm trying to be sympathetic here."

"I appreciate that! Thank you so much, Mr. Johnson. I've got to go to work, I'm so late. I'll see you!" The walk caused the alcohol to thoroughly circulate my body. I was plastered when I walked in. My shift lead, Mia, greeted me. She was a bisexual with a nose ring. She had the goth-lite look with blue streaks in her hair and dark shaded lipstick and was an arts major.

"Hey, Mia!" I said, to her, waving and smiling.

"Hey, dude," Mia said, "You're a little late. The GM told me to talk to you."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Sure, what's up?"

"Well… I just did it. I talked to you." I nodded my head, "Right. Thanks, Mia. You're the best. Won't happen again." I poured myself a blazing hot cup of joe and said, "you mind if I'm on drinks? Feel like I wouldn't be good with people right now."

"Oh, yeah," She said as she got on the register, "How was the raid last night?" I sipped from my cup as Mia tended to someone at the counter. I made the customer his iced americano and said, "Champ stuff rules. I might be going on a ride-along soon."

"With who? Nelo?"

"Uhh, with Kayla. The Slay queen," I said. Mia's head cocked, "I follow her on Instagram."

"Bitch. She follows me on instagram," I said, sticking my tongue out at her. I handed the drink to the customer and said, "Thank you so much. Have a nice day." She rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, okay, Mr. Bigshot. How was she?"

"She smelled really nice. Even after the raid, which is wild because we always smell like sweat and blood after the raid. Oh, you mind if I take my break right now?"

"Okay, also the GM told me you're taking breaks too early. So just go and clock it in later."

"Absolutely, Mia. I need to get in touch with Kayla before it's too late."

"Are you sure that's alright? I wasn't going to say anything but you're… obviously drunk."

"It's that obvious?"

"Yeah, definitely. You're sweating beer and you have, like, too much shitty club cologne on."

"Jokes on you, I didn't buy this cologne at the club, I bought it at a gas station," I said sweatily, "I still have to give her a call."

"Okay, go on your break. Take as much time as you need. I'll cover while you're back there." I placed my hand on her shoulder and said, "Thanks, Mia. You're the paragon of leadership." I leaned in, she could smell the booze on my breath, I whispered, "Can I tell you something? I'm out there in the pits and there's just these fucking jabronies leading me. And I'm thinking, 'I swear to god Mia would make a better lead than this.'""Wow, Thanks, Drake."

"I mean it! And you're an artist too. Don't lose that. Don't lose that spark because this world… sorry I'm getting emotional, I gotta take this call." I stumbled outside and sat on the benches, then called Kayla on instagram.

"Drake? Hello?"

"Yoooo." I turned my camera on, "Turn your camera on."

"I can't. I'm in the shower. What's up?"

"I defeated my second dungeon core."

"W-what? In two days. That's amazing. Are you serious?"

"So look, I'm thinking we do this." I let out a burp off mic.

"Did you just burp?"

"Sorry, I thought I muted. Are we doing this? You, me, ride-along."

"Ride-along? A companionship? Is that what you're asking?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm asking. When's the next Charlie you're going on?"

"Uhh… we're scoping out a portal in Dodgers Stadium right now. It's supposed to be tough. Desert raid, and enemy military present."

"When and where, baby?"

"WHAT?!

"I said, 'When and where, Kayla?'" As I sat on the bench, I looked over at Mia who was serving coffee to an older gentleman. I thought, once again, how she was choosing to be an artist. A tear ran down my cheek.

"Drake, are you crying? You know your camera's still on."

"We doing this?" I asked, "I'm down if you're down."

"Wow. uhm, it's really not normal for an NPC to go on a companionship. Like… less than five people in America. I don't know. Two cores is great but… A Charlie pit is just… way different." My eyes welled up as I thought of all the artists in the world, "What if the world had given Vincent Van Gogh a chance? I'm pretty sure he'd still have his ear."

"I… I'm sorry what? Are you okay, Drake?"

"I'm okay, Kayla. You want to make me feel amazing, though? You'll help me help you take on this raid."

"You know you forgo a fee, right?"

"I'll fivego a fee if it means getting that ride along." After a pause and the sound of, what I could only imagine, was rushing water, she said, "Okay. I'll talk to your last lead and verify that you killed the second core. We'll have to talk rules. But… I'm willing to take a chance."

"Thanks," I said, "Now… what if… theoretically, I happened to call my last lead a bitch? Will that change anything?"