Capítulo 8: All Green
"246.."
"247.."
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"250..."
"Am... I... done... yet?" Oscar struggled to ask, his voice strained as he pushed through an insurmountable number of handstand pushups. Sweat dripped from his face to the ground, each drop a testament to his effort.
"Nope, 50 more, and you're done," I ordered firmly. Oscar reluctantly accepted and continued, his breaths ragged. I hated pushing him so hard, but I needed him in peak physical condition, especially for the inevitable confrontation with Salem. "Oscar, if it makes you feel any better, I'm also feeling the soreness. So I'm right there with you," I said, hoping to offer some support.
Oscar managed a small smile but quickly stopped, too exhausted to maintain it. We continued our grueling workout regimen, alternating between different exercises. The intense training was paying off as we gained significant stat points in Dexterity (DEX) and Strength (STR).
Curious about our progress, I decided to check the accumulated stat points from the past few days of training. I was pleased to see a solid increase: 26 points in STR and 23 in DEX.
"A solid increase," I thought. "If we keep this up, we might be strong enough to take on Yang in a fistfight... maybe. Just maybe."
Oscar finished his last set of pushups and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. "Alright, that's it for today," I said, allowing him to rest. "You've done great, Oscar. Keep this up, and we'll be ready for whatever comes our way."
Oscar nodded, still catching his breath, but a determined glint in his eyes showed his resolve. We were making progress, and every bit of training brought us one step closer to our goal.
Later, Oscar washed up, changed into fresh clothes, and settled on the couch with a book.
"So, a girl fell through the world, ended up in magic land, met talking cats, an old knight, and a caterpillar that was high on Za?" I asked, 'raising an eyebrow'.
"Yeah, that's about right," Oscar answered, chuckling. I wondered how many other fairy tale rip-offs existed in Remnant. I always liked the story of the Honest Woodcutter and wondered what version they had here.
Thinking back on the story, it was amazing how the Ever After existed. I wanted to visit the Candy Land area—giant candy sounded delicious. I also wondered how many artifacts or weapons might be hidden there. And what if I burned down the Great Tree, Lord of Frenzied Flame style? What would happen?
My musings were interrupted when the book fell onto Oscar's face, waking him up from his slumber.
"Wakey wakey," I teased. Oscar groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Let's go out and stretch our legs. I'm bored," I urged him.
Oscar blinked a few times, then nodded. "Alright, let's go," he said, standing up and stretching. We headed out into the streets of Mistral. The cool evening air was refreshing, and the sounds of laughter, children playing, and shop owners yelling to buy something from their shops, filled the air.
As we walked, I kept my senses alert, scanning the crowd for any signs of trouble just in case. Despite some looming threats, it was nice to see people enjoying themselves.
"Where to now?" Oscar asked, looking around at the various stalls and activities.
"Let's just wander for a bit. You never know what we might stumble upon," I suggested. We made our way through the bustling streets, taking in the sights and sounds.
Sometime later, after wandering through the vibrant markets of Mistral, Oscar and I took in the colorful sights, diverse vendors, and rich cultural tapestry. The city was alive with energy, and every corner offered something new and intriguing to explore, even in the less visible, tucked-away places.
However, Oscar was growing bored and a bit sore from the earlier workout. He decided to break the monotony with a question. "Sooo, what is it like in your world?"
"It's a lot different from Remnant," I began, painting a picture of Earth. "Imagine Remnant without Grimm. Humans are the apex species, there are no Faunus, and we have advanced technology in many fields. Unfortunately, a lot of people hate each other for stupid reasons."
Oscar absorbed the information, his curiosity piqued. "That's a lot to take in... If given the chance, would you go back?"
I pondered the question. "Maybe. It's a hard question. Yes, to get my body back. But Earth itself can be pretty boring. I would choose Remnant 100% if I had a body all to my own."
"Do you want to go back?" Oscar asked, trying to understand my feelings.
"I do miss home, but deep down, a part of me wants to stay here," I admitted.
Oscar seemed thoughtful, ready to ask another question, but our conversation was abruptly interrupted. We tripped and fell, landing in an alley filled with rubbish. It seemed we had wandered into a hidden part of Mistral, littered with trash and debris.
Oscar pushed himself up, but the ground beneath us started to give way with a series of ominous cracks. Dirt began to fall through, revealing old, moldy planks and a dark abyss below. Oscar tried to rise slowly, hoping to avoid breaking the fragile wood, but it was in vain. The planks snapped, sending Oscar tumbling into the darkness below.
"Uh oh." - X2
After a fall filled with screaming, Oscar expected a harsh landing but found himself sliding down a metal pipe instead. It was pitch black, but the texture of the smooth, cold metal was unmistakable. We continued to slide until we were launched out of the end and landed in a pile of dirt.
Oscar began to climb out of the dirt but stopped when he heard voices. Peeking out slowly, he saw two men dressed in green gang attire, likely members of the gang from last night.
"Yeah, the boss is pissed," one gang member said as he polished his blade.
"What for?" the second gang member asked, slouching against the wall.
"I heard we held one of Little Miss Malchite's thugs up for ransom, but then an ice cream girl and a guy in a red jacket covered in flames busted him out and beat at least fifty of our guys," the first gang member explained, reaching for more polish.
Suddenly, the Objective popped up on the screen.
**[Main Objective: Look around and find out what the gang is up to and stop them: (0/1)]
[Rewards: {+60 stat points}{+30 levels}{Dane's Footwork}{All of the Gang's money}]
[Special Objective: Unlock your $3M8!@573: (0/1)]
[Rewards: {Double the Rewards}]**
Seeing the reward for [Dane's Footwork] made me smile. I examined the details.
**[Dane's Footwork]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Description: A technique for hand-to-hand combat without the aid of a weapon. This martial art focuses on kicking techniques. This kick-based martial art is unique to Dane, a Dryleaf and sworn ally of Leda. He acquired these skills by training with the aid of a waterfall; letting the water beat his body, and throwing himself into its basin.]**
A legendary item from Elden Ring! Completing the Special Objective would make us strong enough to take Yang in a fight. Glad I played the DLC Before I came here.
Oscar quietly Climb out of the dirt and moved back into the shadows, considering our next move. "Alright, we need to gather information without being spotted," I whispered to Oscar.
Oscar nodded, trying to steady his breathing. He began to move stealthily, listening intently to the conversation between the gang members.
"So what's the plan now?" the second gang member asked.
"Boss wants to escalate things. We're planning to hit one of Malchite's main operations tonight. We're supposed to create a diversion while the main force takes over," the first gang member replied.
This was our chance to uncover their plan and potentially stop it. Oscar continued to listen, gathering as much information as possible.
"Where's the main operation?" the second gang member inquired.
"Somewhere in the industrial district. The exact details are still hush-hush. The boss doesn't trust anyone with the full plan until the last minute," the first gang member said, finishing up his blade polishing.
Oscar began to back away, eager to relay this information to the others. But as he turned, he accidentally kicked a loose piece of metal, creating a loud clatter.
"What was that?" one of the gang members shouted.
Oscar froze, trying to stay hidden, but it was too late. The gang members were already moving toward the noise. "Stay calm, and get ready to run if needed," I instructed Oscar.
The gang members approached the pile of dirt, weapons drawn. Just as they were about to reach Oscar's hiding spot, a sudden call was sounded calling for a meeting, and that diverted their attention.
"What now?" one of the gang members groaned.
"Let's check it out. It might be related to our job tonight," the other suggested.
As they hurried away, Oscar seized the opportunity to pop out from behind the pile of dirt.
"Grab that green bandana on the table and put it on," I suggested.
"What for?" Oscar questioned, curious about why he needed to wear the green bandana.
"This," I replied, using COLORS Magic to turn our outfit green.
Oscar spun around, admiring his newly colored attire. "Nice, I like it."
"Really?" I asked.
"Kinda, but I'm starting to prefer the red," Oscar admitted.
We continued to pass through long corridors, occasionally encountering other gang members, but our disguise helped us blend in.
"Where are we?" Oscar wondered aloud as he navigated the maze of old wood and dirt walls.
"Underground, probably," I replied. "Judging by the time it took to get here, we're likely under the lowest level of Mistral."
"I remember my aunt telling me that the deeper you go in Mistral, the shadier and more dangerous it gets with the criminal underworld," Oscar said.
"Yup, and we're at the deepest level," I confirmed.
We passed through various corridors and rooms filled with gambling tables, prison cells, bars, and other illicit activities typical of the criminal underworld. Finally, we arrived at the main hall.
The main hall was massive and crowded, with giant pillars supporting the ceiling, a fighting ring in the center, and an ancient throne made from Huntsman weapons. Oscar found a good spot on a seventh-story balcony to view the entire scene.
The Boss spoke with a thunderous boom, rallying the hundreds of thugs that worked for him. "TONIGHT, WE HAVE OUR REVENGE!" he bellowed, raising his hand. The crowd erupted in cheers for him. "We will destroy Little Miss Malachite and her two lackeys. NOW GO, prepare! We leave in one hour!" he ordered.
"This is bad," I muttered. "A gang war could erupt in Mistral tonight. This war could destroy the entire city. With the number of people there are and looking at that throne made of Huntsman weapons, I don't think anyone could stop him."
But someone has to try.
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