Chapter 58: An answer
[Earth, 23:59]
Venomous, the yummy, was scrolling through the auction website while resting her head on her free hand. Her face had been illuminated with various colors since she left the VR Capsule, thinking about red crystals.
There were many red crystals in The Four Leaf World, but there had been an uproar recently about particular red crystals.
Her finger stopped on the red crystal that Michu would recognize on the spot, "It has to be it."
Though Michu had passed the red crystal headfirst for Venomous' inspection, the crystal's description was blank. It just had a name, Red Crystal, and no information could be seen through the system.
Before her eyes, the crystal was called The Fire Dragon's Tears. The price next to it was shocking as just one red crystal could be sold for around one million gold coins.
The gold coin exchange rate had never fallen and it kept increasing! One million gold coins were around 10 000 real money, so Venomous would rather focus on something else. She didn't like to spend other's money and she didn't have much...
Why would Venomous be interested in those crystals?
"He has to be rich," The Handsome dude was the person Yumi spoke about, "So much money... Even those silver crystals... All for gold-diggers?" Although Michu didn't know the term, Venomous was different.
She called Feng's friend a gold-digger and researched him. There was no particular information about him, but some forum topics about casanova spreading his harem bullshit matched Feng's description.
Unfortunately, many women had fallen, or at least that was what the forum topic said.
Rich, Handsome, and probably smart as well. For level 40, Feng had too much information about The Impossible Quest. Just like Zerze, he had powerful backing or some friends from the top level!
Such a person was, at least, Michu's friend, but Venomous had to prepare for many more enemies, primarily the ones who were in The Impossible Quest for more than a month already!
"The quest..."
-
[The Impossible Quest, 6:30]
"The quest so far seems impossible for us," Venomous said after a few days of their stay here. In the beginning, Venomous gathered Ice Resistance Pills and camping stuff which weren't expensive items.
The food was also cheap, but it was for them to not die out of hunger.
All of this was planned in consideration of their budget. Their bodies were safe from coldness, their stamina was also in check and food wasn't a problem! But that was just for some time.
Sandra pointed out, "We are running out of Ice Resistance Pills. The food is no problem since we can hunt yetis and get their loot."
"Correct," Venomous nodded, "We are also keeping a good job of protecting our camp stuff." They have moved a few times and always choose a safe location that would give them enough time to react and keep their stuff intact."
However, the ice resistance was a useful pill, even if it was of low quality, "The Ice Tomb is nowhere to be found, but we found a spot where time flies slower. This man also left us with a good tip, so I will think about it." It was bad to leave the yetis alone and they were also a good source of experience.
Venomous wouldn't give up on such free exp after gaining an advantage over the yetis. Her poison potions were no longer needed to hunt them and she could tear through them with her sword just fine.
Her good monke giggled, "Don't think too much about it! Or your forehead will get slapped again! Hehe!" There was a time where Venomous thought too much about their plight and ended up getting slapped by the yeti's hand.
Michu reminded her about it, but his forehead got smacked as an answer, "Back at you."
"It hurt!" Michu's face said the exact opposite words as he laughed! Together with his party, they went for another yeti hunt.
-
[Earth, 00:24]
[Everything is possible in another world, isn't it? That's how the game is advertised. That's why The Impossible Quest didn't sound as such to me. I wholeheartedly believed that I had enough will to go through it and reach the end... With the support of Hyunge Company, I knew I wouldn't fail.]
[That's true! The Hyunge Company owns several guilds and their network often supports such young prodigies like you! Could you elaborate on this partnership? Was it them who sent you for This Impossible Quest?]
[Their help and advice from their guilds who had taken this quest in their early levels had helped me appreciably. I can't speak about our partnership due to the contract, but for me, the game is my life, the second chance that I am willing to embrace everything I got. They are the reason I will reach the top ranking in a few months. Look forward to it.]
[Yes! We are all looking forward to the new star! Do you think you would reach it regardless of their help?]
[It depends.]
[It depends on what?]
[...]
"Your life?" Yumi hummed as she watched the interview with Zerze. Her eyes remained on the expressionless man whose eyes seemed cold and lost. The interview was done straight after he left The Impossible Quest, in the game.
The man looked like a serial killer if she had to be honest. Yumi's heart clenched as such thoughts sprouted within her, "What am I saying?" She hated this word, she hated when others spoke about it and yet she called Zerze a killer.
Of course, Yumi reprimanded herself and looked deeper at him, "The man... who has nothing to lose?"
Regardless of what he was and how strong his strength peaked, Yumi watched his interview while looking out for clues. She was lost and with no progress in the Impossible Quest, Yumi spent all her free time contemplating the quest's mystery.
The golden-haired man's words to Michu resurfaced, "The time flies slower... What do you think about it, Michu?" Time flew faster when one was enjoying something. It didn't matter what kind of activity it was, once enjoyable, the time would be faster than light itself.
Something like the time going slower was an absurdity, but she had confirmed it recently with her friends. Looking at the clock near the minimap, Venomous confirmed that the time was going slower.
The time outside the world didn't slow down, though. However, upon leaving the capsule, Venomous' clock remained the same. Even if she spent 12 hours in this slowed-down area, real life's time would still flow normally.
"It's absurd for this game to create such a setting. Is it really fine for the brain?" Thinking out loud, Venomous suddenly remembered something. Indeed, this whole absurd setting shouldn't exist in any other game.
[For me, this game is my life.]
"Would the time fly faster with gold-diggers?" The man who was willing to spend so much money on them would enjoy them and their bodies as long as possible. Even if it was romantic for Feng, the time with those women shouldn't fly 'faster' in the slowed area because of his enjoyment.
He said that he would be able to spend more time with his women after all.
"This game... is weird," Yumi inferred and went to bed with a headache.
-
[The Impossible Quest, 6:10]
Venomous stood at the helm.
Facing her was the yeti whose body was about to become the victim of her blade. She raised her blade, twisted her wrist a little. Her free hand clenched out the glass with green liquid.
This green liquid splashed on her sword and hissing sounds escaped its content. The green blood dripped down onto the snow, burying a deep hole within.
"Eh? Isn't your sword sharpened by the yeti's blood?" Sandra asked curiously.
"Even I sometimes get impatient," Venomous replied, then took a step forward, "This is my kill." She added, then ambled toward the monster. At the same time, Sandra let out her skill that was more flexible with her Tactician Subclass.
The water bubble went for the yeti's head, then wrapped itself around. The big bubble rained down water on its body. A few small rivers tumbled down on it... Sandra's staff let out another blue light, then these rivers became solid rope that pinned down the yeti and sealed its limbs!
That was one of the Tactician Subclass techniques. Her water got much more control and she could plan out additional effects to her water skills.
It was not her first time using this, but Yumi nodded with contentment as if her impatience got satiated a little. Her sword swept through the wind, leaving a faint green trail. She then rushed forward and thrust her sword while increasing its power through the swordsman's skill.
Her edge effortlessly dug within the yeti's chest. Once half of her sword disappeared, Venomous' poison spread across the yeti's system and brought him a lot of pain.
Its body shivered and a roar shook the whole forest! Some snow fell from the trees, but before it could become an additional layer on the ground, Venomous' sword long since retracted and returned with several more slashes that deepened the poison's effect.
"The area with time tickling slower... and the yetis," Venomous raised her eyes, looking at the falling monster, "There are just two things here, but less than 1% had managed to complete this quest."
The yeti's body dispersed into thousand red particles. The loot, which was fur and meat, slipped into Yumi's inventory. However, there was something new finally leaving its body, "It's the Impossible Quest for the newbie players. For us, everything is a game." The red orb appeared out of its body, floating up into the sky!
Venomous' sword slithered like a ravenous snake, snatching the orb for the mistress. On its tip, Venomous lowered her sword, "If we treat this time phenomenon as the real one, we will be able to find a clue. That's what I thought and it seems like I am on a good track."
[You have found Frozen Blood - 1/10000]
"It's not easy to think about it like that, though..." Sandra replied and glanced at Michu. She approached Venomous and asked, "If that's the case, then shouldn't Michu get the orbs from the start?"
"There is an easy answer to that."
"?"
"Have you seen Yeti in real life? There are a lot of things... you can just raise your weapon to and erase without any remorse."
And so, the key to the Ice Tomb had been found! What awaited the party on its gate's legs and how many players had reached this part already? "I can't wait to find out!" Michu giggled and congratulated Venomous for her finding!
Thanks for reading! ^^
Chapter 59: Ancient Lineage
It had been three days ever since Venomous' finding.
She had done great work by finding the clue to the Ice Tomb, but gathering 10000 from Yetis would take some time. Michu had been worried about something recently too and he often dazed while looking at Venomous.
She said, "What do you need from me?" In the beginning, she couldn't help but scream inwardly at how cute her monke was. But too much sugar would kill even the snake, so she asked later on.
Also, it wasn't wise to keep the monke's head clouded with worry.
"So final exams are coming and I am bad at school... I thought that you could help me." Michu confessed his thoughts. At first, he looked at Yumi with wide eyes, but then lowered to not look into her face. It was kinda embarrassing for him to ask about it as it would mean the meeting in real life.
It was impossible to teach this stuff in-game as Michu couldn't bring his student's book!
Venomous realized it and fear struck her face, "That's..." The deepest worry was that her real appearance looked nowhere close to her in-game. It was solely because she neglected her health.
However, Yumi glanced at Sandra and her heart clenched, "Well... We can meet." Butterflies also teemed her stomach. She looked a little uncertain, making Michu wave his hands before her eyes.
"No need to force yourself! I will be with you in-game no matter what, Yumi!" He misunderstood a little, but Michu knew that he'd asked for too much. A lot had happened between them, but it was all in-game nonetheless. Meeting in real life would be too much and he also wouldn't opt for it if someone other than her asked him for it. It was because Michu was a tad different in real life and he often would get overwhelmed due to his poor origins.
Just the fact that his clothes stood out and reeked off with poverty would make others look down on him.
So other than Yumi, Michu would also refuse gently if some other friends asked him for a real-life meeting.
Still, the school wasn't forgiving!
"Your studies are important... Other than the game, I have a lot of free time." Yumi would feel guilty if Michu failed the school and ended up repeating the class. He had asked her nicely for help and he was probably too poor to get help from a tutor.
She never had problems with school and her studies were further than her peers, so Michu's problems shouldn't be a problem for her, "That's why... You can meet me in real life. We have the same time zone, but where do you live?"
"Are you sure?" Michu scratched his hair as he asked again. To his words, Venomous nodded. She never met someone like Michu and he wasn't a person who would comment on her appearance. He'd already done enough that she promised 'one close favor' too. Honestly, the more she thought, the less worried Yumi became.
"That would take you at least six hours by foot..." After Michu shared where he lived, Venomous estimated that it would take at least six hours if not more by reaching her apartment!
Michu wouldn't be able to use the bus or order a taxi. He also would rather save money for food, so while Venomous wasn't aware of that, she didn't say anything about using those services.
Of course, the monke wasn't let down! He smiled, "Oh, it would mean one day off from the game! I will return in the evening by then..." The monke inferred.
"You never know what people you meet at night. Just sleep in my apartment for one night. I have two VR capsules anyway." Yumi's words shocked Michu!
"Do you live with someone?" Why would she have two capsules?
"I have two capsules just in case one suddenly stops working," Yumi replied, then stressed out one sentence, "I live alone and never had anyone."
"Oh... Okay..."
And thus, the day when Michu would meet Yumi in real life got marked on the calendar.
In just two days, he would see her.
-
[Frozen Heart.]
[Yeti's Frozen Heart possesses 1% blood of an ancient lineage. It can lead you to the Ice Tomb and help you enter its Frozen Trial. The Ice Tomb is shrouded in the Cold Time.]
The Frozen Heart was just the orb that had the real heart's shape. It was far from romantic and Feng surely wouldn't use it as a present for his lady on this 'Impossible Journey'.
Yumi held it tightly while reading the content.
There were just a few lines, but each spoke about treasures, "Ancient Lineage. The Ice Tomb. The Frozen Trial. Cold Time." By knowing these terms, one could begin another chain of quests.
If The Four Leaf World was a normal game, the system messages would've swarmed Venomous' eyes. Unfortunately, she could only shift her beliefs and believe in all those terms.
She would move with a belief that Ancient Lineage both existed in this world and on Earth. She would find The Ice Tomb and look at it as if another world wonder appeared on Earth. She would go through The Frozen Trial like a scout.
The Cold Time was referring to what Feng thought of as romantic. The slowed down time that had been rather helpful for Michu's party so far...
By believing in those terms like that, Venomous should make them appear before them at some point. The whole Ice Tomb also should become something far easier to overcome... The best would be if the game messages appeared to help, but those were rare and depended on the quest and place.
"Ancient Lineage..." Michu caressed his chin, "Pterodactyl?" Out of all the terms, Michu could believe in only one. And that was because he had seen 'records' of pterodactyl on a school trip to the museum in elementary school once.
"I have a strong belief that Pterodactyls were real," Yumi fanned the flames of sudden belief and her words helped the monke's destiny.
"True! How could a museum lie? Wouldn't they be gangsters?" The school trip was free because it was sponsored by the government.
Could the government be... gangsters?
Of course not!
Thanks for reading! Have a nice day!
I will refrain from following earth's countries etc. There's Earth, it's my earth and I don't want to create names for countries etc, so Michu and Yumi are just somewhere from the eastern side. We won't know their country's name ^^
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GOT IT