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Futuristic Reveria

“It fucking sucks! Bad timing like you can’t imagine!”

To be forced out of combat due to a real-world situation was often funny, accidental, forgiven, but this was not your mother waking you up to make you clean your room. Nor was it just losing battery. This forced removal was not so easily forgiven. He’d lost the monster, he lost a month of his life, and most importantly, lost his Reveria life which was his pride, his utopia, and his sole source of income.

Once he found the one who did this to him, he’d have a hard time not killing them.

“That’s the goal! Cause I don’t wanna spend that much time on one quest again. I’ve got new quests to play!” Req wanted to be one of a kind, and no one of a kind gamer spent his time redoing something that had already been done before… even if he was the last person to have done it.

“What kinda guild are you a part of anyway? Did you tell me what it's named? I can’t remember.” He sincerely could not. Part because he was not listening fully most of the time and part because there was a lot on his mind.

As she listed off her credentials for the kind of quests she did, Req nodded. “Makes sense. This isn’t your job. No point in trying a quest you don’t expect to complete since it’s not like Reveria will give you a second chance.” Unless you die and get your memory wiped at least. Incomplete quests are universally considered failed quests.

How could Req not see her disgust? He was disgusted too.

“We normally don’t!” Req defended, not wanting to sound like a chronic shit bather. “I just have no other income and really don’t want to ask for a loan or dip into my savings for more than a month or two!” Nolan already calculated that he would need to go into his savings for two to three months, assuming nothing happened to stop his Reveria grind. After those months, he’d be famous enough to get some sort of offer… although it would not be anywhere near as profitable as his past salary. It would take way more time to get back to that yearly salary.

“No harm done since I hate it too!”

Unfortunately, Papi didn’t know her companion very well. But, to be fair, none of his real world friends did either. “Hey, nerds are hot as fuck. Don’t sell yourself short. I mean, don’t spread this around, but I think glasses make everyone at least ten times cuter.” With a bit too much drama, Req kissed his fingers like a pleased chef. Then, just as dramatically, he started audibly and physically making his quotes more impactful. “I’ve watched so many movies where the ‘nerd girl’ takes off the glasses and is apparently ‘hot’ but damn, it is always such a downgrade!”

Req wasn’t even directing most of these comments at Papi, and based on the fact that he was not looking at her, she could likely realize that this was the case besides, of course, his first few sentences which were all about her potential real appearance.

“Yeah, right! Like, fine, play the game, have fun, pay, but get your lazy ass off the leader board as if you earned the right to be there! I know from experience that most of those money-bags would lose in any 1x1 fight against any semi-talented player.” Papi had a point about those people taking over the real world and now also here, which was shitty in every way. Of course, rich people never saw what they did as wrong.

That’s how old money people worked.

“No. No matter how much money you have in real life, those people are shit. I have money and do you see me using it to level up? No! I’m working my ass off and sacrificing my pride just to re-earn my right into the leader board.”

“I’ll stop bitching,” or ranting, rather. He’d done it enough. It was time to talk about something pleasant, fun, like an outside life that wasn't his!

“The social part, huh?” Req raised a single brow and a single corner of his mouth. “You party too then? Gotta say, in my mind, clubs are great, but there is something different about college parties that I love. I guess it’s just cause everyone is so much more stupid and makes so many bad choices. I kinda like the crazy!”

Despite his enthusiasm about the parties, at the talk about the accounting major, he soured a bit… although perhaps not as much as Papi would have expected for such a loud guy like him.

“DAMN! You must be smart!” He said excitedly. “I used to have him help me with my homework until, you know, we grew apart. I never had any talent in math, but this guy I know is into all of that shit. From what I’ve heard, he’s still really good at it. ” Never mind the why, and never mind that he is the one who pushed him away due to Nolan’s refusal to face his father’s wrath yet also lacking the ability to resist without specifically being mean and making him hate Nolan first. “Full respect for choosing to go into such a boring job. I never could.”

Req laughed when Papi brought attention to the difference between literal and figurative levels between them. It was a sad thought, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t funny!

Req shivered at the thought of the doll. “Ugh. Not the worst thing ever, but dolls suck.” And as Papi said, a quest that highlighted your class's talents was amazing. “It makes you feel pretty special, doesn’t it? Like only you could have completed the quest that way, and in some vases, it’s true.”

“Once you truly specialize, you’ll find quests that seem like they are designed only for you.” And maybe they were!

“It was pretty awesome! Cause there is no requirement to seduce the Demon Prince! As long as you are the best at what you do, you get to live! Making him like me more than a pet was my own choice… and it was a damn good one! Cause I’m no one’s pet and he was very attractive!”

Req sighed, not really in sadness but in unhappy acceptance. “Even if he remembers me, I think the quest is designed in a way that only one person can be his pet/ concubine at a time. I’m sure I’m already replaced with some whatever from some other class.” Req paused as he listened, only to laugh and slam a fist onto his chest as if making a confident promise. “Oh I’ll let you know! Cause I’m not about to give up on my NPC sugar daddy!”

“I wonder if you need to have a certain level of stats to even fall down there. Like, a high enough weight or strength to break through the ground? No idea if that is true, but it would make sense! Although it was a high level area anyway, so maybe not! Maybe it is just luck!” Luck to fall in if you could win or luck to not fall in if you could not win.

Req immediately reciprocated the thumbs up, almost on impulse. “I doubt you can reach top ten, maybe not even top 100, without dedicating your life to this game, but I promise that even a casual gamer can experience plenty of things close to as cool as what I have. It’s one of the best aspects of this game!”

Req looked forward to this game being just a dream. It was a waste of time.

“And if this all works out, which I’ll make sure it does, I’m still happy to pay you back. I’m an asshole but not that much of one.”

The comment about his being a good bard was actually a bit surprising. He was used to his voice being appreciated because it was his gaming instrument. He had to be good. But his actual social, story telling ability? He got that complement a lot less, so it meant more.

Req smiled a bit more quietly than normal, and simply answered, “Thanks. The stories just make me happy to I want to share them.”

~~~~~

A small gesture, but Req got a bit hyped at the fist bump, and like the football bro that he was, his hype was visible as he started to jump and pump himself up for this small conflict.

The cave and the monsters were no sweat. Papi’s level and Req’s experience made them an unstoppable team. She could defend and heal like a master, and he still knew somewhere in his soul the attack patterns of the spiders and rats populating this damp cave.

Honestly, the biggest annoyance was Req trying to keep balance on small surfaces. He was smaller than Papi and less heavily armored, but their dexterity scores were far from equal, and that mattered.

Still, they reached their goal, and Req couldn’t stop himself from looking at Papi and silently mouthing his commentary. “Loser. Paranoid loser bandit.”

With these kinds of thoughts on his mind, jumping into the fray should not have been too surprising.

Req was surprised at the failed charisma check. Well, surprised because it was currently his highest stat, but really, what he felt was annoyance. It was just bad luck. Even an 86% passed check still had a 14% possibility of failure. No matter how annoying it was. Thankfully, Req had backup to make sure this failure was not another reset.

And Req took advantage of it, slashing out quickly and brutally. He aimed for the most vital human organs, a thing which was accurate in real life and in Reveria. The buff Papi gave him was an unrealistic but lovely addiction to the fight. It made his hairs stand up and gave him a second of tingles down the back of his neck. Magic had a feel even if the less perceptive would not notice the sensations.

And a holy resistance? Great for avoiding poisoning from such a low level dagger.

Papi’s voice ringing out also made Req pause for a second. A game mechanic, unavoidable even between allies. But it was kinda fun to be frozen for a millisecond after years of having complete social influence resistance. All Req could do was grin at the sight of her holy form wielding a powerful blade. Small frame or not, power was power when in fantasy worlds.

And fantasy words were more powerful than real words too. Using a purely bardic ability related but also unrelated to intimidation, Req used his Command ability. “Surrender. Now.” One word commands echoed in the cave, not powerful enough to act on its own but plenty strong when taking in the intimidation debuffs from Papi and Req’s physical debuffs.

The moment the bandit heard the intimidated enhanced command, He dropped his blades and backed away, leaving his poisoned blade and the quest blade on the ground for easy taking. And Req did not hesitate to take it right away.

“There’s a good retiree! No need to have a bandit blade when trying to get away from bandits. We really are doing you a favor, friend! Now they won’t come after you… assuming, of course, you're turning over a new leaf? Not not just exchanging one enemy for a legally sanctioned one?” Req talked to this man like a person. Like this was an impromptu conversation, not a player versus an NPC. That was why Reveria was great, although many new players failed to realize how complex NPC dialogue really was. Req knew for a fact that anything he said could be interpreted and understood by the ex-bandit.

After all, he did seduce a theoretically non-seduceable demon prince once. New social options were always being updated at an inhuman rate.

In fear, the bandit backed up even more. “Okay, I get it, fine! I’m done, yeah? I’m done! Take the blade back, use it yourself, I don’t care! I’m just trying to get enough cash to start over! Then I’ll be done with this bandit life! I swear!”

CHARISMA CHECK FAILED

In this case, it was not Req trying to do anything, it was him trying to see if the man he was looking at was lying or not. Half of his success in quests was born from always knowing if an NPC was a liar or not. But now? This low of level? This bandit may have been telling the truth about only stealing enough money to start over, but he also could have been lying and was simply a criminal through and through.

“Papi, what do you think? We have what we need. Kill him or let me go and hope we don’t get stabbed in the back?” Req didn’t know what the right answer was; he was hoping that she remembered from experience or she simply had high enough stats to tell whether this NPC was worth sparing or not. Cause if they were wrong, their reward would be lessened.

Req kinda wanted to kill him. But would it increase his notoriety or renown? Can’t spread a story if the person is dead, but sparing someone is mercy, so a kindness. And Req had no interest in throwing any points into renown, not when notoriety was what he was used to enjoying the benefits of.

“I say we kill him. Be done with it. Thoughts?” Of course, Req could be convinced quite easily over something like this.
 
“Ah, my guild? It’s, uh... ‘Wings of the Scarlet Spire’…” Papi laughed. “I know… so corny. It sounds kind of dramatic but actually it’s just a pretty casual guild. Originally, the GM wanted it to be really noble and whatnot, with only players with a positive reputation and only people willing to do good deeds. But apparently, it was too much work to achieve that ideal so he just let in anyone who seems chill and decent enough. We do usually try to help new players and such when we can, but mostly we just play with each other.” Just a casual community, as she’d said. And that was really all she wanted or needed in Reveria.

There was little chance that Req heard of them, and truthfully, she wondered how much he even really cared. It was more likely that he was just trying to make a bit of conversation, and so she said little else to the matter as the topics shifted. The matter of his, er, ‘multi-tasking bathroom habits’, was evidently one he had more stock in. He assured her this was not a routine thing, and indeed born out of pure necessity. “I-I know, don’t worry! It’s—it’s really… I mean… I get it. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to seem so judgy. You gotta do what you gotta do.” The paladin looked up and waved her hands, her blue eyes softened with remorse for her reaction. “I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about. I promise. Swear on my sword.” Req was a proud person, after all, and he did have a reputation to upkeep. Well, after her regained it, anyway.

The woman hoped that was enough to quell that subject, and soon it enough it did change yet again. But the one that followed was a bit embarrassing to her this time, particularly as Req brazenly shared some of his personal preferences. “O-Oh, I… that’s… thank you, that’s nice of you to say...?” How did girls deal with getting complimented? Finley had no idea. But he did have to admit that he agreed with his tastes. “But, um, yeah… I think glasses are pretty cute too. I wish that trope didn’t happen in movies either, ‘cause it’s like… there are so many gorgeous people with glasses out there. And it can be really fashionable, right?” The right pair of spectacles could make someone look quite intelligent and refined, after all.

It was nice, she supposed, to have something in common – no matter how insignificant. Though it seemed they were in agreement about P2W players as well, among a few other things. Req was certainly more vocal about it, and passionately so. Their conversation veered back to real-life matters then, a topic that seemed more light-hearted and enjoyable for the ex-ranker. “I party… sometimes. Nothing insane, just some chill get-togethers with friends. I’m not a big fan of clubs either and I haven’t been to a crazy frat party or anything in a while… but I’m okay with that. Someone like me, uh… is better off not there.” In truth, Finley had stopped wanting to go to those bigger events because of the high chance of seeing Nolan there, and the inevitable misery that would ensue. But that was a detail he didn’t need to share.

Instead, the bard was rather impressed with his major – surprisingly so. “Oh, it’s really not anything too admirable…” Papi shook her head, giving a humble wave to dismiss the praise yet again. Thankfully, Req commented instead on a friend he used to have as well. “Ah, really? Hopefully you don’t have to do any math, then…” Papi trailed off slightly, reminded of days gone by. Afternoons hunched over numbers and equations, trying to teach Nolan to what Finley felt were varying degrees of success. What once were cherished moments were now bitter, tainted by the events that proceeded them.

She shook her head a little, a minute gesture that Req likely missed if he was not looking at her. “It’s nothing admirable, choosing a boring job… just pragmatism.” Papi grinned, wondering if Reveria’s technology captured the slight strain it took to do so. Luckily, conversing with Req was full of distractions and the paladin was able to move on from the thought fairly swiftly. “Heh, I’ll be looking forward to hearing about your reinstated sugar baby status.” Papi chuckled, truly hoping Req would get to accomplish that again someday. It only seemed like his rightful place, after all.

Soon after, the bard reassured her that he’d happily pay her back. Despite being a self-aware, self-proclaimed asshole, he reminded her he held some degree of honour. “It’s not really a big deal, really.” The blonde paused, her lips parting as if to speak before she stopped herself. In actuality, her opinion of him was indeed improving, albeit slightly. He was probably slightly less of an asshole than he originally seemed. But ultimately, she decided to keep this thought to herself and proceed forward as they found themselves at the bandit’s makeshift den.

*~*~*​

In their faceoff with the exiled bandit, Req took his opportunity to use an ability of his own, ordering their foe to surrender in two short words. A split-second later, the man’s weapons clattered to the ground as he withdrew, hands up and open. Papi gave a small nod as Req snatched up his blades, satisfied. Easy, just as expected. The paladin lowered her sword, though it remained unsheathed and at the ready. Even though she was well overleveled, it would still be prudent to keep her guard up. In this game, anything could happen, even in a simple beginner’s quest like this one.

She waited at the ready, observing the bandit closely while Req spoke to him, his words an additional barrage on the rather pathetic NPC. Papi arched a brow slightly, peering carefully at the haggardly man while he grovelled and proclaimed his changed ways.

Req seemed to fail another charisma check, judging by the words that flashed before her eyes again. He wanted to see whether this guy was telling the truth, she assumed. When he was unsuccessful, he turned to solicit her opinion. “Hm.” Papi didn’t know much about the usual progression of this quest, but she figured it couldn’t hurt much to do a check for herself. She strode forward, her metal boots clanking softly against stone, stopping just a short distance in front of the bandit. While he was slightly taller than her, he seemed much smaller in his timid, quivering state. The woman observed him closely, her blue eyes narrowed into a piercing stare, as if she were trying to look straight into his brain.

‘CHARISMA CHECK PASSED.’ After a short pause, the text would appear before Req’s eyes as well, just as his had for her.

Papi let out a soft sigh, shaking her head a little. “You lie worse than you fight,” she declared before looking over to Req. “You can kill him if you want. Although… there’s always the possibility that letting him go leads to another quest.” The woman scrunched her lips together at the corner of her mouth. Of course, there was the chance that it wouldn’t. As in real life, the consequences of one’s actions in the world of Reveria were not always immediately evident - if ever. “If you want to see where it goes, you can spare him. But personally, I think you can go with your original plan. The rewards should be good, and there are other questlines to go to instead.” With Req’s knowledge and experience, and her level, It wasn’t like they were exactly strapped for choice at this point in the game. It just depended if he wanted to take a gamble on seeing where this choice led him, or if he wanted to play it safe and reap the guaranteed experience from this endeavour.

“I want you to get the EXP so I’ll leave the rest to you. Whatever you prefer to do.” Papi took a step back from the NPC, who turned his fearful gaze to Req again as he awaited his fate.

*~*~*​

Regardless of Req’s decision, they left the cave unfettered and with the quest blade in tow. “How’s that poisoned dagger look?” Papi tilted her head curiously, casting a casual glance towards it. “Any use to you?” She’d never seen this weapon before, but it looked fairly decent for a lower-levelled player.

“Anyway, let’s go find the rest of these bandits.” Once they were outside of the cave, Papi paused for a moment beneath a tree to review the quest details in her UI. Thankfully, this part was much easier – since this was still a beginner’s quest, it was quite clear about where to go. “Their hideout is around Dagrock Swamp... Easy.” Well, at least for users familiar with the area. True newbies would have to venture around the area until they found the place, which was not marked on any maps. But Papi – and likely Req, too – had been around Toriel more than enough to know the spot described.

She closed her UI and looked over at Req, examining him briefly. He hadn’t gotten particularly hurt in the scuffle, but it didn’t hurt to recharge to full health. “Here, have one of these. I’ve got so many.” Papi produced a small red fruit from her inventory, something that looked like a cross between a peach and a pear. It was a Pofruit, a common item that grew on trees around Toriel. It only healed about 25HP, but that seemed to be enough for now. “Are you ready to head to the swamp? Or do you want to stop off somewhere first? Maybe take a break IRL, even?” Papi linked her fingers together and stretched her arms above her head before lowering them back at her sides with a breathy sigh. She had a feeling that the bard wanted to keep going, but she figured she’d ask in case her assumption was wrong.

“If we leave around now, I guess we’d get there by nightfall.” In game, of course. “But we should be able to manage even if it gets dark while we’re still in transit.” Her perception wasn’t great, but it would still be decent enough to get them through this area. Probably. “Up to you, though. I’m good to go whenever.”
 
Req didn’t know the guild, and his silence after she said it made that unknowingly and accidentally clear. “I mean, I named myself Infernal Requiem. Can I really judge any name?” It's why Req insisted that he be called Req or just Requiem. He made the name up as a kid and the edgy teen name stuck, so he had no right or ability to change it anymore.

“Ah, I can’t say I’m surprised. Guilds based purely on goodness at such low levels when people don’t know what they are doing or have established their persona? It was bound to fail or adapt, and good for your guild for adapting! Most just die!” Req’d notoriety was, well, notorious. He’d never even glance at a guild with such sweet yet constricting intentions. Still. This was Reveria, and Req loved almost every aspect of Reveria enough that even a thing like Guild founding and running was interesting in his mind.

“Still, glad y’all care about new players. Saved my ego. Still is saving my ego.”

“Hey, I’d judge if you were in my place. You’re either a better person or a good liar. I’ll take the mercy though… and the silence.” Req really could not force anything. He had a tendency to speak freely, and if this went bad, it was going to go very bad for his reputation. Or he’d just lie later and hope that she wasn’t recording this.

Aw, poor thing didn’t take compliments well. How cute. She designed her game model yet she still got all shy about it? It wasn’t even her. Adorable, and a touch pathetic, which was more adorable. “Sometimes glasses are just flattering. OH! And sometimes people have really cute quirks in the way they interact with their glasses. Like they will fix their glasses in a strange way or clean them when lying or whatever. And that’s all personality stuff! Never mind that it makes eyes look bigger and can really highlight someone’s best features if done right.”

Partying was something Req had opinions about considering that he was an active party person himself. “Wha! What do you have against clubs?! I’ll take you to some Revera ones once we make it to the area. You’ll love it once you get used to the people and telling people to fuck off strong enough that they will! Or, you know, hangin' out with people who will tell people to fuck off for you.”

“You don’t need to be extroverted to like parties. Corners and friends exist for a reason!”

“No, no, no, it is admirable! Math is dull as hell, but we need people good and willing to do it! You’re saving me a headache by going into it, so yeah, thanks! Sucks that you are not into it though. But hey, money makes most things better, doesn’t it? And your job should give you money.”

“Hey, sugar baby status is great, don’t knock it. Being paid for being hot and good at singing? No downside there. And that is when you are not dealing with a high-level, legendary monster! Imagine being the bitch to that guy like that! It is just a buffet of power and influence like you can’t imagine.”

“You know how many checks I’ve passed because of my relationship with him? Cause demons won’t fuck with their boss’s pet? Hundreds! Stats and relationships get you very far in this game. A quality sponsor, supporter, or daddy, or whatever you wanna say, is a hell more respectable than just using real-world money!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Funny how games worked. Sometimes you were done with it in an hour, and other times you’d spend an hour traveling, investigating, fighting, and then you still need to travel back. And that’s assuming you didn’t mess up and that the quest is within your skillset and level. Things were not always fair or even fun.

Thankfully... all Req really needed to do this time was talk.

It felt good to command a bandit. Well, anyone. Command was a classic bardic spell and it only improved with levels. Back in the good days, Req could say one world and dozens of NPCs would follow. Now he was lucky if one idiot did kinda what he wanted.

And Req was lucky cause he had someone around with far better stats than him to act as support whenever he failed something. Papi continued to prove her worth as the words ‘CHARISMA CHECK PASSED’ flashed before his eyes, answering the question he failed to get answered just moments before.

Req was not surprised the criminal had changed his tune, that he lied. Of course he had no intention of changing his ways! Liars rarely stopped lying, and that was a fact of life and of game. Req was living proof.

Req was also proof that a story didn’t end until you were dead, and that resurrection just made people more willing to bite back. Plus, Req needed to start to build up his Infamy score again. This could be a good place to start that up. On the other hand, just killing him would get them good rewards right now, and Req had a deadline to keep.

With a casual shrug, Req stepped forward and got in the face of this bandit. He was taller than the thug, so he had to bend down a bit to make it happen. “You hear that, buddy? My nice friend is putting your life in my hands. But I just can’t decide.” Reaching up, Req tapped the man’s cheek lightly. “Killing you would be fun, but killing you later could be fun too once you’re worth more.”

“So I'm gonna let you go on one condition.”

“Yes! Anything!” Desperation was clear in the bandit’s voice.

“The next time we meet, make sure you are so grateful to be alive that you have enough money to make me a rich and merciful man or make sure your bounty is high enough that when I kill you I get rich anyway. Deal?”

“YES, yes! Deal! I’ll make it worth your mercy!”

Req smiled and stood back up to his full height. “Good. Now give me your dagger. I’m gonna make your boss think you’re dead. Now get far away from this place.”

~ ~ ~

New dagger in hand, Req and Papi left the cave first to leave the man to his now-weaponless fate.

The encounter resulted in Req leveling up, so as they walked, he started distributing his points into mostly charisma but also a little into dexterity to improve his damage with his new dagger.

“Ooooo yeah. This will be a great help. That bard fucker is not going to expect me to have a poisoned blade at this point. I’m gonna have to convince the bandits to let me keep it, plus give me my reward for ‘killing’ their run away. And lie about letting their guy go, of course. God, I got a lot to talk about with the bandit leader.”

It would be some great exp.

Req was good besides a few scratches, but he still popped the Pofruit in his mouth as it was offered. “Thanks. Frankly, I’m just glad to eat anything but blueberries. I mean, they kept me full while grinding, but damn, they taste pretty bland after about a hundred of them.”

At the talk of going to the swamp, Req nodded immediately. Duh. “I’m good to go now if you are.”

“Actually, give me ten to chug a bottle of water.” Req waited for confirmation before logging off and doing just that.

Many expected rankers to look nothing like their in-game personas. Fet losers with no life but the game. But when Req ripped off his mask, Nolan looked a lot like his in-game persona. Sure, Req dressed and acted more flamboyant, but otherwise, the hair, eyes, and general face were similar. And the physicality was confusing only because real-world Req preferred physical strength while Req focused on dexterity and charisma. The difference made Req’s arms weaker than Nolan’s, and few knew enough about either personas to notice the difference.

Still, once the break was over, the room-temperature water made his stomach gurgle a bit in hunger and a bit because drinking this fast didn’t feel too good generally. Once that was done though, Req took the free time to do a few other necessary things.

And in the end, Req logged back on a minute earlier than he said he would. Somehow, after even such a short break, he looked reinvigorated… not that he had ever truly lost much enthusiasm either way.

Req was already talking and walking before he had fully teleported in. “Alright, I’m back, let’s go!”

“The bandit camp should have plenty of torches, so we don’t have to worry about seeing once we get close enough. Let’s just get there before you're blind too, cause I’d like to avoid fighting crocs in the dark. ” It wasn’t that crocs were scary or hard to fight exactly, it’s just that their camouflage at night made them a pain to see before they were on you, and wrestling wasn’t exactly Req’s style.

The pair of adventurers, heroes, or players, whatever term people preferred, wandered through the swamp almost all night in-game. At one point, the water was up to their waists and threatened to stall their whole adventure. Thankfully, Papi had the stats to pull herself out of it, and Req simply continued to fight the muddy force for an hour without stopping, which was enough to free his low-level body.

Determination often defeats levels. It was an often-overlooked factor of the game because only a few people had true determination to master and overcome the game when it got difficult.

Thankfully, Req had determination to spare in this one factor of his life.

So it wasn’t long, comparative to real-world travel time, that the pair found themselves wandering through the swamping forest and finally caught sight of the infamous glow of the bandit camp. NPC’s and stupid players had often taken that glow as a sign of salvation, of hope, only to be robbed blind and sent back into the dangerous biome with less than they started with.

But Req and Papi had a dagger in hand, and that was all they needed to survive the night, if not the day as well.

“And there they are,” Req muttered before the pair chose to expose themselves fully to the lights of the criminal camp. “Gotta say, it’s been a long time since I’ve dealt with bandits. Can’t say I miss the smell.” Req scrunched his face and waved a hand over his nose, trying to chase away the smell of smoke, BO, and blood already seeping from the camp. It wasn’t as bad as he was acting, not yet, but it would be once they crossed the spiked wooden fence.

By the time Req lost his progress, he was used to dealing with corrupt kinds, demons, lesser gods, and corrupted heroes. Nothing as mundane had corrupted his high-level pallet in years. These bandits were the true taste of low-level quests that he had not been missing. And he could taste it even with his mouth shut.

“Ugh,” Req said, smacking his tongue but not slowing his steps. And when he reached the camp, disgust had fallen from his face to be replaced with a swagger and a smirk. Like a true bounty-hunting adventurer should look.

Or maybe that was just how Req normally looked when doing quests?

“Stop where you are and turn around or die!” Shouted someone from the small tower near the gate.

Req did not immediately answer but raised the bandit’s signature dagger. “I come to do you a favor and this is the welcome I get? Let us in to talk to your boss. I think he will have some very happy words to share with us!”

CHARISMA CHECK PASSED

The bandit lowered his spear and nodded at some unseen person. Moments later, the gate opened to reveal the messy excuse for an encampment.

“You’d think after changing locations so many times, they’d have learn to make their fucking camp actually decent,” Req muttered to Papi as they walked in the camp, smiling at his critical comment as he did so. “I swear, I’ve seen children make better towns.” Not a joke either. Some ten-year-olds made better towns than this NPC crap.

And Req was right. This place had buildings built in what had seemed like a road up until that point, forcing you to zig-zag through huts and impromptu smithies and shops. At least the ship had things to offer for willing adventurers, so Req fully planned on purchasing a few things before leaving with all of his additional loot.

A random bandit came by to take them to the boss, which resulted in the pair entering into the heart of this typically-enemy encampment. If things went wrong from here, they’d be assaulted on every side. If it went well, then they had a small troop of allies and quality gold and loot.

Req would not tolerate anything less than the perfect outcome.

So when he came to a clearing that looked almost like an arena, walls around it and all, Req didn’t hesitate to step into the ring to face the man in the center. He was a good foot taller than all the other bandits, as a boss should be, and possessed a wide array of tattoos, scars, and dynamic features that made him stand out even among this tattooed, scared, and ugly bunch. He also smoked a cigar that seemed to burn just a bit too bright; in a fight, that cigar would be the source of his fire magic. Thankfully, Req had no intention of encountering that magic during this encounter.

In comparison to how Req normally behaved, Papi would notice that as he started talking, he kept close to Papi. Making sure that if the Bandit Leader looked at him, he'd also be looking at the heavily armored, high-level player that was accompanying him.

“Hello, my friend!” Req started, tempted to say Sir as a sign of respect but also figuring that such a rough, violent man would take it as an insult instead. “I stumbled upon one of your old friends and thought I’d take this off his hands.” Flashing the dagger, Req grinned. “Quality blade like this, I can see why you wouldn’t want it running away on you.”

The Bandit Leader grunted, taking a long inhale of his cigar, eventually settling his eyes on Papi even as he spoke to Req. “She get it?”

“No, she just guarded the entrance so your boy didn’t get a chance to escape. Back up, you know,” Req lied.

CHARISMA CHECK PASSED

Impressed, the Leader nodded. “Good riddance. ‘Pose I should pay you for cleaning up our mess.”

“You should!” A perky pause. “And you should give me a job! You lot got a lot going on, a lot of pockets being emptied, and I want in.” The Bandit Leader glared, prompted Req to push. “Oh come on, you just lost a member, so you clearly got room. And if he was qualified, and I killed him, I’m qualified.”

“We don’t recruit from your kind.” At this point, the Leader looked at Papi again. And although there was no message that popped up, his reaction was in response to Papi’s positive renown. She looked like a hero, and that implied that Req was or could be one to.

Req wasn’t backing down though. “If I was that kind of person, you’d think I’d be here looking for a reward? Your whole crew has bounties, hell, even just one of your blades would get me a fortune. If I was ‘that kind’ of person, I’d be talking to a guard right now.”

There was some logic there, and the game could recognize it. It took a few extra seconds, but after a moment, the familiar pass appeared on screen.

CHARISMA CHECK PASSED

“We will kill you both if you betray us.”

Req just grinned. “I’d hope so. Now, as a sign of our new friendship, I’m gonna keep this dagger. And we can discuss my payment for killing that traitor.”

“Greedy.”

“Couldn’t everyone here claim that?” Req laughed, and after a moment, so did the Leader. As the Leader laughed, visually his aggressive persona lessened a touch. Only a touch, but it was enough for Req and Papi to think the danger had passed.

Now it was just time to get their quest rewards.
 
Although Req had never heard of their humble little guild, he at the very least expressed his appreciation for their values. “Ahah, well… it’s no problem, really. I wouldn’t say that too much, though, or our GM might want to come after you for an endorsement.” Papi let out a soft chuckle. Even though their Guildmaster had chilled out quite a bit, there were some perks to having more members and a higher overall rank in the world that she could see him caring about. Though, with that said, her words were mostly a joke. Her modest contribution to keeping things somewhat light-hearted and casual. Or at least, trying to. There were some awkward bumps in their chatter but, on the whole, it managed to stay on track – primarily thanks to Req and his extraversion. He steered the course of their conversation, with Papi chiming in as best she could as they shifted from topic to topic. From glasses (“You’re… really into glasses, huh?” was all Papi could say, slightly impressed by how much he could elaborate on the topic) to clubs (“Oh, uh, s-sure… I guess it would be fun to try?”), then real-life employment (“Yup, I don’t want to live to work, just work to live… pay the bills.”) and, finally, the sugar baby life (“I… actually truly can’t imagine, but it must be nuts.”).

It was always amusing to look back at how they had flowed from one subject to another, especially when where they started seemed to have very little to do with where they ended. But, while there were some uncomfortable moments, all in all, Papi had to admit that it was a rather fun chat. It filled the silence and helped pass the time until they arrived at their target destination, leading them into the events that unfolded within.

With her part done, the paladin stepped back and turned her face towards Req. She studied the bard as he considered his options, though he did not remain idle for very long. Nonchalantly, he shrugged and advanced upon the NPC, invading the bandit’s personal bubble with his face. Despite his claims of indecision, he seemed to speak with a confident – perhaps even arrogant – conviction. And as Papi watched her party member’s decision unfold before her eyes, she was reminded about what kind of player – and maybe even person – that he was. Their easy-going talks, and the nuggets of civility had almost made her forget. Almost.

The bandit, sputtering with fear, accepted Req’s mercy by thrusting over his weapon. It seemed he had some of his meager belongings to gather up, and so the pair left him to his pre-programmed devices and strolled out of the cave, victorious. While Req worked through the level-up interface that appeared before him, Papi lazily cleared the path as he spoke. “Sounds like more charisma checks are on the way,” she remarked as they emerged into the open air again. After taking a moment to review their next objective, they took a few minutes to regroup. “All right. I’ll have a quick break too, then. See you soon.” It was easy to lay around for hours, lost in the world of Reveria; and so Finley tried to make a conscious effort to take care of his real body when he could.

Finley sat up and stretched his arms and legs outwards, just as Papi had done moments ago. Although his mind had experienced the sensation, his actual muscles did not. Flexing his neck to and fro, he stood up and walked to the bathroom. After flushing the toilet, he looked into the mirror while washing his hands and, after a moment of looking into the angled features that stared back, he couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh. What would Req – or anyone, for that matter – think if they knew the petite blonde avatar was a lanky-ass boy like him?

Disgust, shame, and regret were the first words that came to mind. But would he be distraught by that? Finley didn’t really think so. Especially not if Req found out. In fact, it would probably be beneficial for him if the ex-ranker somehow found out he was a dude. Maybe the offhanded flirting would stop? Then again… maybe not. He squinted his eyes a little, wrinkling his nose as he drank a glass of water. Well, it was all hypotheticals at the end of the day. Even if he wouldn’t be bothered by being exposed, keeping up the status quo was probably still easier. A few little white lies here and there, and a few lies by omission were simpler to pull off than explaining why he was playing a girl.

He set down the glass and shook his head, trying to rid himself of these unnecessary worries. Once settled, he returned to Reveria and found that Req had not yet returned. However, Papi’s solitude was incredibly fleeting as, no less than a few seconds later, the bard popped back into the world at her side, rearing to go. “Perfect timing.” She turned and started on the next leg of their journey, through the forest and into the nearby wetlands. Solid earth gave way into boggy waters that crept higher and higher until she was waist-deep. The first time she had run around these parts, it had been a real struggle to make it through the terrtain. But, with so many levels and stat points beneath her belt, it was only slightly harder than walking around on land, even with her armour on. Still, her expression was somewhat tense as she traversed the area. She was able to detect and swiftly dispose the mobs they encountered – swamp bats mainly, but a couple piranha-like fish and crocs too – but swinging her sword was somewhat awkward and difficult. Plus, she had to focus a fair bit to be able to see their enemies through their dark surroundings.

Not that anything would really cause serious damage to either of them, but Papi felt that she had to keep up a practically perfect performance here. It would be rather embarrassing if a high-level character like her made some stupid slip-ups in a newbie area like this.

Thankfully, there were no shameful mistakes made and soon, an aura of light appeared on the horizon. At this point, they were coming back onto more solid land and quickly approaching the camp ahead. Papi wiped some of the monster blood off her sword as they drew nearer, her nose scrunched as she nodded in agreement with Req. “Yep. Really shows the newbies how well the game assaults your senses.” It was hard to forget some of the nasty smells one may find in the world, particularly ones that didn’t even exist in real life, like burning zombie flesh.

Actually, compared to that, nasty bandit BO didn’t seem too bad. Though it did indeed get stronger as the pair came upon the gate, where they were greeted with an aggressive warning upon their lives. Papi kept her sword in hand but otherwise stood back, letting Req continue to work his way through the quest. Once he brandished the dagger and passed the next charisma check, the path forward opened before them. “Bandit’s aren’t exactly known for their brilliance,” she replied, her eyes studying the rather sloppy layout of their base. “There’s a reason why they’re bandits, right? And not engineers, or scholars, or… generally anyone who actually contributes to society.” Papi shrugged a little, saying nothing else as they were escorted to the head bandit’s quarters, deeper within their hideout.

Her job continued to be quite simple: just stand there and be an over-levelled bodyguard. Still, as she walked silently after Req, she made efforts to scope out for any tricks or traps that may be in wait. There was nothing, however, and soon they were brought to an open space where the head honcho awaited. Papi remained silent, watching the next phase of their quest unfold as a silent bystander – at least, for now. However, when the large, haggardly-looking man turned his gaze towards her for the second time, she did throw in a simple comment in hopes of deflecting any suspicion: “I’m just hired muscle. Pay me no mind.” She looked to Req, directing the leader’s attention to him.

He was a smooth talker, that was for sure. As Papi listened and remained her still, silent self, she could only think about how this was an excellent example of the utter genius of Reveria. Even if your stats were not necessarily top-notch, it was not all the game accounted for. The artificial intelligence at work – even with these thick-skulled bandits – was honestly incredible, and such as a true testament to the game’s ingenuity.

When all was said and done, a laugh softened the bandit leader’s grisly features, albeit by only a smidgen. Nevertheless, she would take it as a sign that they had reached an understanding.

Then, once this glimmer of merriment faded, the man was suddenly silent. He stared upon them with a stony gaze, his severe expression unmoving save for a few twitches of his lips as he puffed on his cigar. Papi gazed back upon him, wondering if he had changed his mind about their arrangement. Her brow slowly furrowed, her sword preparing to strike as the tall man began to walk towards him, his hefty form growing even larger as he closed the distance between them. But instead of attacking he stopped, perhaps about three feet away, where he peered down at the pair.

“Payment, eh? Well, that dagger there’s worth a pretty penny.” He nodded to the blade in Req’s hands. “You can take that. Plus your lives, of course, and our ‘friendship’ - which is more than generous, if y’ask me.” He folded his arms over his chest, arching an eyebrow.

Papi cast a sidelong glance at Req, waiting for him to respond with his counteroffer. Obviously, they could not finish the quest without getting the ring they came here for. However, despite the bard’s negotiations, it seemed the leader would not budge. Not only that, but with each passing charisma check failure, the man’s cigar began to glow ever brighter, with more and more fumes wafting off from its tip. At the same time, the muscles on his scarred face started to tense, a sign that his patience was apparently running thin.

If they were to keep pushing, they’d find themselves in a fight. A pretty big one, at that. Although she could overpower every bandit here individually – including the one standing in front of them – if they had the entire base gang up on them, they’d be in a bit of trouble. Thus, while she preferred not to intervene, it seemed she would have to. The paladin took a small step forward to grasp the leader’s attention again. Once his eyes shifted towards her, she steeled her normally soft voice into something louder and firmer. “Listen: he’s got his payment, but I still need mine. So if you could pay up, that’d be lovely.”

The man laughed again, but this time it was more of a scoff than one of camaraderie. “You’re hired by him, right? He can sell that dagger and pay you. None o’ my business. I’m letting you off with your life and I’m even extendin’ our good will to someone like you. Better take it before I start changing my mind…”

Despite his continued obstinance, no failure message popped up just yet. “I don’t care about that dagger and, frankly, I don’t care about him or his wellbeing either. Let alone care about your friendship. As for my life?” Papi took another step forward, narrowing her eyes as she looked up into the bandit’s. “You know you can’t take that from me - no one here can. So, I’d say it’s in your best interest to give me something to keep me happy. Then we can all walk away from here and go on with our lives.” All of this probably didn't fit the image of a righteous paladin, but she couldn't concern herself with this too much right now. They had to be successful here by any means necessary, including intimidation. The paladin gripped her blade a little tighter, adjusting it in her hand so that its edge captured a flash of torchlight nearby. She kept her face turned upwards, her expression grave as she waited for the verdict on her check. They – or truly, Req – had worked this NPC into quite the stubborn state of mind that even she wasn’t totally confident she could work their way out of with talk alone. Perhaps if he had not mentioned the dagger, they would have gotten the ring without this extra hassle. Still, there was a chance that the rigmarole would be worth it.

Then, after a few harrowing seconds, the words flashed before them, deciding their fate in this matter: ‘CHARISMA CHECK PASSED.’

Papi breathed heavily out her nose, stifling a sigh of relief. The bandit leader scoffed, shaking his head. “Tch… Mouthy little bitch. Thought people like you were all goody-two-shoes. You’re barely better than this one.” With a pointed glare at Req, he reached into his ragged overcoat, cigar dangling precariously from the corner of his mouth, and tossed a small sack of coins at Papi. She caught it in one hand and, just as she was assessing its heft, she felt another object hit her on the head and bounce to the ground. Frowning, she looked at her feet to see an ornate ring, its jewels glittering softly.

The bandit turned and began to retreat, casting one last disgruntled warning over his shoulder. “Take that and get the fuck outta my sight. I don’t wanna even see a hair on your stupid little blonde head ever again. And if you betray me, I’ll do something much worse than just kill ya.” It seemed this was just meant for Papi and not Req, which was truly just fine with her.

The paladin picked up the ring, stashing it in with their bag of gold before looking to Req, bearing an apologetic smile. “Sorry… shall we go?”

. . . .

She remained on guard as they left the bandit’s lair, spiteful and bitter gazes following them as they left the area. Req seemed to want to shop around first, and so Papi waited around until he was finally ready to leave. Once they were out, she let out a heavier sigh. “Jeez, that was more trouble than I thought it’d be…” She shook her head as she sheathed her sword, brushing a hand through her hair. “But at least we got everything! Without fighting anyone, too. I’m sorry again I had to step in… I hope that was all right.” With that, she handed Req the loot she had prodded out of the leader. “EXP-wise, I think you should still get the bulk of it… If you’re done with this place, let’s get back to Toriel and see.”

When all was said and done in Dagrock Swamp, they made their way back to the town, journeying through the night and into the sunrise of a new day. Once back in the city, they navigating to one of Toriel’s slightly ritzier districts to find the requesting NPC. It was a middle-aged woman of lower-noble status, one who gave them a small spiel about how she had gotten her great-great-great-grandmother’s precious ring stolen while out on the town. Papi stood by as Req handed in the item and reaped the modest monetary reward, along with – more importantly – the EXP.

As they walked out, she waited around for Req to finish distributing his stats and making any other adjustments before she turned to him again. “How’re you feeling? Want to start another quest? I think I’ve got some more time to play still. ”
 
“Oooo, no can do unless that’s a part of me paying you back. Would ruin my brand, you understand.” This wasn’t really a question if she understood, it was more of an assumption. A player known for being an asshole with one of the highest infamy scores endorsing a goody goody baby guild? Preposterous!

With a social life as active as Req and Nolan, one would think Req would be sick of talking… but he never was. He always had a lot on his mind, and when one talked a lot, it was hard to tell when someone was hiding a lie behind talking. This was a skill Req got used to during interviews in-game, and talking to friends in real life about his career. Be chatty, switch topics often, turn attention onto them, and no one could lock onto what was a lie and what was just a dramatized anecdote.

Thankfully, this nature didn’t really rely on the other person. As long as they didn’t completely ignore him, and even if they did, Req could make a conversation last. Thankfully, Papi didn’t ignore him, although she certainly seemed like more of a reactive type of converser rather than one to start anything… or maybe this was because Req was being overbearing to make up for his low-level embarrassment? Who knew!

At first, when Papi called the bandits dumb, Req just nodded along, but he had to add in a snid comment when she said that they did not contribute to society. “Wha? Of course they do! They give people like us jobs! What else would guards in cities be doing if not defending from bandits and villains? Probably just warring with the nearest kingdom over and over. These thugs keep everyone busy enough that they don’t have time to think about war.”

“That seems way more indirectly useful than a philosopher who just, like, thinks about things… and not in a cool, magic, wizard way.”

“Plus, guys like me need goons for me when I’m committing crimes!” Req pointed at his chest with a large grin. “They make great meat shields for more important people!”

Req was reminded of just how lower these people were than him as the conversation with the bandit leader turned sour.

A small, near missable tsk even escaped from Req as the leader crossed his arms. He should be keeling in the dirt kissing his boots right now. Req didn’t keep the disgust off his face as the bandit tried to put his foot down. It made Req’s already arrogant stance seem even more dismissive.

“Of course the dagger is worth a pretty penny, but if you didn’t care about it being sold, then why would you be so keen on your traitor not doing so? You don’t want your special poison getting into the law’s hands. We both know selling this dagger would make any friendship of our null and void… so even with my life and your friendship, my pockets are still feeling pretty light.”

God damn these charisma checks. It was his highest stat, so seeing it fail so many times in a row was pissing Req off. He was keeping it out of his voice, but seemingly each alert made Req’s nose curl more and his chin raise higher as if attitude would will a success into being.

And in a way it did because Papi saw cause enough to step in… while still giving an attitude to this asshole! Beautiful!

Catching the glare of the Bandit Leader brought a smile back onto Req’s face. Req resisted the urge to bow in dramatic cockyness, but he didn’t resist the urge to shrug, mouthing “Hired help, right?” The leader fully ignored the colorful human in favor of continuing to threaten the paladin.

“Lead the way, my champion,” Req responded, clearly pleased, “But let's do some shopping before we go.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Req stocked up, and by the time he left the bandit camp, he had some quality goods that would have cost a lot more if they were from a legitimate source. The poisoned dagger hung comfortably at his waist, complimenting the new red bandit mask around his neck but further contrasting against his flamboyant bard clothing. He also now wore the fang of a wolf in his ear, an item useful for someone trying to grind levels since it increased the average level of small creatures like rabbits and boars.

“Yeah, really, that Boss was obnoxious.” Req was whistling an in-game bard song before he responded again. “Hey, I got everything I wanted. A few dozen exp lost won’t kill me. That’s why I got this guy,” Req said, flicking his wolf fang earring. “Just by eating I’ll make more exp that will more than make up for what I lost by you stepping in.” Besides, this was a quest way out of his so-called skill level, so he got a bonus for being underleveled too.

Getting back to Toriel was faster than getting to the bandit camp since Req could help now. Req had a sweet new dagger that did higher base damage, and for the few creatures not immune or resistant to poison, it got rid of them quick. And his bandit mask only increased his armor a little bit but it was enough to make a difference since it also increased his constitution a bit.

As was the exp that the noble woman gave him. Without hesitation, Req was putting it into dexterity and, mostly, charisma. All of those failed checks were pissing him off too much not to prioritize his main bard stat even over true survival skills like health and constitution.

Hitting submit, Req could not respond fast enough. “I’m ready for another quest.”

There were two prominent coliseums in Reveria. This one, which was normally used for players and competition, and the second one built for Gods, high level monsters, and top level players to battle over world-altering matters. Req was used to the later, so even this magnificent structure full of possibility was seen as sub-par.

Still, this lesser grand Coliseum served its purpose.

Glancing at his map, Req drew with his finger the quickest route to their destination. Besides one little detour, it was a straight line through the bogs again, only these bogs were not home to crocs and serpents. The swamps leading directly to the Coliseum was once a graveyard, now flooded and home to the angered souls and bodies once resting there.

The Undying’s Rest, they called it.

A high-level, rotting coven of undead. and at its core, the tomb of Lord Sarimin; he was a strong sorcerer in his time whose latent great power made it possible for the angered dead to rise again and take out their rage on any living who dared pass through.

This more challenging route would be great for levels, and that was enough for Req to risk everything.

Better to die trying to reach the duel then die during it once others were streaming the fight.

Of course, Req had to get support from his over-leveled ally in order to even take this gamble. “What do you say to heading towards that second-rate Coliseum? Through Undead Rest?”

“It won’t be pleasant, but it's quick. I imagine you have better things to do than escort me around. Plus, who needs a proper quest when those undead enemies will give us slash me just as much exp.”

“Ya down?”

The problem with the Undying’s Rest is that it was always flooded due to the everpresent rain, and on the rare days the rain wasn’t present, mini-bosses came out to play.

Unfortunately, no one knew when the weather would be in their favor or if the sun would come out and doom them all.
 
Req had no interest in associating himself with her guild and, honestly, that was perfectly fine. In fact, it was desired. Papi made no attempts at fighting his decision, and instead merely acquiesced with a soft chuckle – seemingly amused, but partially relieved as well. And even beyond this, she was happy to let the bard have the last meaningful word in their conversations. For instance, when it came to his surprising spiel about bandits – the paladin was content to simply go along with the flow of his words, continuing to offer small thoughts here and there. “I guess I never thought about it like that. Bandits as a punching bag for society’s aggression... huh.” What a unique take. She supposed it was probably true to some degree – everyone needed an outlet, after all – but… what of the fact that there were still wars? She considered it, and ultimately thought it best not to get into a debate about it here. The rest of his opinions that followed weren’t… exactly wrong, either, but they were also rather off-colour thoughts. He wasn’t disagreeing with her assessment of their idiocy either, but instead insisting that was what made them useful to society.

Papi pondered it. And, in the end, she let out a laugh. “Well, I guess you have some good points there," she conceded again, except she was genuinely somewhat convinced this time around.

It was perhaps a little ironic – or maybe it was karmic justice of some kind – that the bandits gave them some trouble after their belittling words. Next to her, Papi slowly sensed Req grow a little haughtier, clearly perturbed by the difficulties they had encountered after all the effort they’d gone to so far. And so she was glad that things worked out in the end and the quest came to a resolution without any further issue. How utterly humiliating it would be if they failed.

Well, all’s well that ends well, Papi thought while on standby to Req’s shopping trip. They strolled out of the camp shortly thereafter, with him decked out in a couple of new pieces of gear that would help his progress from here on out. Fortunately, he wasn’t bothered in the slightest by her intervention: considering the equipment and statistical rewards he’d be getting, her impact was a drop in the bucket. Of course, his knowledge of the right items to get definitely helped him out, too. “All right, I’m glad then.” She nodded a little, relieved that everything really had worked out fine. Objectively, she realized there was probably nothing to truly worry about here. This was all newb stuff, and they were leagues above the skills and knowledge needed here. She would have to try harder to reminder herself of that and just… relax a little bit.

This was a game, after all.

Once it was time to decide whether to keep playing, Req had his answer at the ready. Papi grinned slightly, somewhat bewildered at herself for asking such an obvious question. “All right, let’s do it.” Where did he want to go? They reviewed his map together, the paladin lifting her chin slightly so that her eyes could gaze upon the image. It made sense for them to start making their way to the Coliseum where he would have his showdown, and to rack up more experience along the journey. From there, they could take on more quests or even just grind until Req got to where he needed to be. At the very least they wouldn’t have to rush around last minute to get there – how mortifying it’d be to be late. It’d be much worse than failing at that quest, that was for certain.

And so, she readily agreed with his proposal. “Yeah, I was just thinking that, actually.” Blue eyes turned up to him as she gave a little nod. “I agree, the mobs should be good for grinding. And of course, I’ll keep you safe and buffed along the way.” The Undying’s Rest was the perfect stage for a paladin – and in fact, it was involved in the first quest to become one. So she would recall a little bit of where things were and what they could look out for. Most likely. “It’s not that bad. I mean, the area. Escorting you is…” She paused a little too long. “… fine. Don’t worry about it.” And she'd prefer if he didn't mention it, either – it was easier just to go along with the motions and let time slip away without too much thought. Though she supposed she was grateful for him to at least acknowledge the less-than-ideal situation he’d guilt-tripped her into.

In any case, they were on the same page. “There’s one thing you should consider getting before we leave.” When he was ready, Papi would lead him through the streets of Toriel, navigating through winding alleyways until they got to a small hole-in-the-wall store not far from the cathedral. The only signage was a hand-painted board with the word ‘Ed’s’ scrawled on top of it. Papi did pause for a moment, sifting through her memory before giving an affirmative nod. “Yeah, this is it.” An armored hand pushed open the door, guiding them into see… well, Ed. A terribly inconspicuous old man with thinning hair and clothes that hung off his frail frame. If one looked closely enough, however, there was a gold chain dangling from his gaunt neck. A cross hung at the end of it, though unless he leaned forward or moved a certain way, it would remain hidden beneath his collar. Papi, however, knew it was there.

He greeted them with a gap-toothed smile, and Papi returned the expression back to him. “Ed is a little fisherman NPC. You should buy his rain boots.” Papi stepped aside, giving Req a clear path to the counter. As she stood out of the way, she opened up her storage menu and sifted through it, flipping through categories until she found her own pair, which she had bought so long ago. She moved it into her main inventory for easy access, and showed her party member if he so wished.

Ed’s Rain Boots were a unique item, both cheap and useful – at least for the Undying’s Rest. They didn’t add much in the ways of stats, but they had a special effect: to provide absolute traction on any wet ground. Seemingly mundane at best, but in the context of their journey to the almost eternally rainy area, it would be useful. Papi had seen many a person suffer and even perish around her, simply because they couldn’t get find their footing on the soft, muddy ground. “I learned about this place after doing some digging during the paladin quest. It’s optional, but it does help to get you through the area.” That was her spiel – whether or not Req chose to get them was up to him, but she would have her pair in case.

After the rest of their preparations were complete, they set off again through the gates of the city. As they hiked through the woodlands and towards another swamp, the nature around them gradually becoming sparse and gloomy as they ventured away from Toriel. Lush foliage gave way to bare, mangled trees; with groaning in the subtle winds, with loose pieces of bark rattling on their dead forms. The grass faded into dirt, the bushes and flowers disappearing in their wake. But it was when the rain started to fall that she stopped, taking the opportunity to switch into her rain boots. The rest of her armour would provide adequate stats – though she did equip a scarf and a pendant for extra defense as well.

Since she had paused, she also took the time to cast a few spells on Req, in preparation for any mobs they would encounter. For now, Papi fortified Req as she had done before, increasing his physical and magic defense and causing his skin to glow. She also gave him Holy Resistance - some extra protection against status effect and elemental damage – as well as Faith, which would improve his attacks for a period of time.

And, not too long after she had completed her incantations, she heard a stick snap behind her. Drawing her sword, Papi whirled around to see a zombie staggering out of the foliage, slowly but surely headed towards them. “As good a start as any,” she said, stepping back slightly to allow Req to make the first move.
 
It had been a long time since Req had been in this town, so despite his ego and greater experience, he was surprisingly receptive to Papi’s hints and advice. Oh, he’d make snide comments consistently, but he always listened and often followed her lead.

Somehow though, he was just as cocky when following as he was when leading.

“Looks like a hole in the wall,” Req grimaced when he saw Ed’s place. Plenty of high-quality loot, especially the “illegal” stuff, were hidden in places just as run-down… but normally they didn’t also smell like how they looked. Ed’s stank of fish and made Req’s digital body turn.

Still, Req went inside the store and bought the rain boots as suggested. “I guess if it stops my feet from getting wet, it’s worth buying.” Traction was just a bonus. “I was thinking I’d just have you carry me through the worst parts of the muck, but I guess this works too. Doesn’t match my outfit though.”

Truly, one of the best, or worst, parts of being a bard is that all of the class-specific armor was flamboyant and colorful. Bards were a low-armor class, so most of their stuff had low defense but many buffs. They were not like warriors or paladins who needed high armor to survive, so even their worst-looking armor still looked kinda cool cause armor is typically only one of three colors: black, gold, or silver. It’s hard to mess that up.

And apparently, Req cared in the back of his mind that these fisher boots clashed with his highly-accessorized garments.

~~~~~

Once properly booted, Req and Papi found themselves once again in a swamp. However, this swamp had little in common with the one they crossed to get to the bandits. The previous venture had them worried about mud pits and crocs, but here you were more likely to be pulled underwater by a dozen skeletal hands than any set of fangs. Still just as wet though.

Once the rain started, Req looked at Papi with undisguised jealousy as she equipped herself with magical items to boost her stats.

“It’s really gonna suck getting all of the magic items I had before back, “ Req started and continued unprompted, “I had most of them made specifically for me by the top 50 blacksmiths, and the others were from one-time encounters. This whole reset after not logging in thing is so stupid. Like, I’m actually jealous of your scarf! How sad is that!”

Never mind that before this, Req actually supported the in-activity reset. This game not only thrived on player participation, but it separated actual gamers from those who didn’t really like the game but had just joined in on the hype. Plus, if you are gonna be high ranking, you need to dedicate time to this, and the no-activity reset was just one more way to ensure that the strong in this game had to actually earn it.

Most people though were hypocrites, and Nolan was one too when something messed with his life.

Still, Papi was kind enough to buff him with her spells. Req closed his eyes and just enjoyed the subtle sensations. Normally in this game, Req was bursting with so much raw magic and power that a vague static was as normal as his own heartbeat, but since being reset the feeling of power and invulnerability was foreign. Req was at such a low level now that even these few buffs physically made his body feel lighter yet stronger.

“I love this!” Req eventually complimented. “You are such a strong support player. Aren’t you alone, mostly, though? Why so many support spells if you don’t belong to a set team or anything? I’m not complaining though! Just curious!”

Most of the time, if there was someone who knew a lot of buff or de-buffing spells, they were the support member of the team. Their job was to keep people alive, weaken enemies, and strengthen allies. Paladins could be suited for such a role, but Papi didn’t seem attached enough to any set group for her role to be purely support. Being part of a guild didn’t mean being part of a group, after all. One was about your class and values, the other was about friendship and/or benefit.

There was not too much time for conversation though. Only a few minutes after Req’s question, the snap of a nearby stick drew the pair into defense mode. Papi whipped out her sword, and Req’s bardic skill set merely had him take on a dodging pose as he licked his lips, ready to spit out whatever spell he needed to;.

As buffed as he was, Req didn’t hesitate. He rarely ever did, but at this moment, by the time Papi suggested that this enemy was a good start, Req was already running at the undead. With a flourish, he kicked off a headstone to propel himself into the air so that his heel could smash through the fractured, decomposing flesh with enough force that it shattered the undead’s neck vertebrae.

The sharp crack was followed up by an instant squish as Req crushed the undead’s skull and brain with the hilt of his dagger.

The moment this first tutorial foe perished, the game’s logistics triggered a swarm of undead. Their half-decomposed lungs groaned as their slimy corpses rose from the graveyard ponds and pits. Soon, the paladin and bard were completely surrounded by undead corpses very, very intent on ending any life forms in their sight.

Req was not amused.

“Undead actually stop smelling so bad the stronger they are. No wonder necromancy is such an unpopular subclass,” Req complained as he got surrounded by undead. “I’d give up on this path real quick if every low-level slave I conjured smelled like this.” Never mind that participating in any class that utilized the undead gave you a major social debuff with any priest or kingdom guard unless you passed a bunch of deception checks.

As Req got surrounded, he took a deep breath, grinned, and spoke, “Reveria Chronicles. Bandit Leader Krem, Molotov Resistance, Let me tell his story.” As Req spoke, Requiem pulled a Molotov out of his inventory and smashed it directly at his feet. Despite the damp setting, the crash of glass immediately erupted into flames. Req and the undead surrounding him were engulfed instantly.

One of the still-living bandit leader’s main weapons was an endless supply of Molotov cocktails that he’d use to set his foes aflame. Not only was the supply endless, but he’d throw them wherever his enemy was standing because the flames would not harm him. Oh, they’d harm the enemy and the lesser bandits, but the leader? He could take a nap within the flames if he wished to…. Though the character himself didn’t acknowledge this unrealistic trait. He just thought he was tough.

Within the flames, Req started battling the nearly endless supply of undead. The passive fire damage plus Req and his dagger made fairly quick, but unnecessarily flashy, work of the foes. The problem was that there was no end to them. The hero pair were making their way through the swamp, sure, but it was inch by inch considering the number of enemies. Even the experience points were starting to dwindle after the first two dozen killed. To truly progress, the undead horde would have to stop.

“We gotta find the source of the horde or they won’t stop coming!” Req shouted, frustrated that this shortcut was not shorter. At this low of a level, there would be no lich or undead king in their way, but that didn’t mean there was not a source they were coming from. A slightly stronger undead, a summoning circle, a curse unbroken, something. Something was causing there to be so many undead, and as long as it was active, the progress would continue to be slow.

And Req had a date to keep.
 
Ed’s was not meant to be impressive, and Req was not shy about his disdain for its dingy design. Some NPCs were sensitive to such remarks – it was a known feature that some shopkeepers could give you better deals or access to hidden items if you treated them well and built rapport. Likewise, NPCs could hike up prices or flat-out refuse to serve players if they pissed them off enough. Luckily, the bard shared his opinion outside the store, outside of the sweet old man’s earshot. Although Req (unsurprisingly) had even more to say about the item itself, he did buy one in the end. Thankfully. “Carry you?” Papi stifled a laugh. “Um… well… I’m not sure that’s the best idea. Let’s just stick with the boots.” Though there was a foot difference in their height, her strength was probably high to carry him without too much difficulty. It would be kind of ridiculous giving him a piggyback ride through the undead swamp… but, admittedly, the mental image was pretty funny.

Still – it was not practical and, thankfully, they both walked into the swamp on their own two feet. Along the way Req lamented about his lost gear, most of which was specially made exclusively for his use. “That sucks, yeah… I don’t think they’ll ever get rid of that feature.” Unconsciously, she tied her scarf a little tighter around her. If it was a lousier piece of equipment she’d offer it to him – but the softly shining garment had been a pain to farm for, and it had been even more troublesome to finish the crafting quest. “But at least you know what kind of stuff you want to make again, right? You can prioritize to get the best equips.”

And try not to repeat the past, with whatever had gotten him into this mess in the first place. But Papi was fairly confident that Req would be even more careful now that he had fallen so far from the top of the ranks.

The paladin wasn’t sure if her words were of any comfort, but she had nothing more to really offer. After all, there was really not much more either of them could do but accept what had happened and try to move on with a positive attitude. Papi moved on to handing out her buffs, which were surprisingly well-received by her party member. “Oh, you do? Aha, well… I’m glad you like it.” Being buffed could be a nice feeling indeed – she had been on the receiving end many times before. But some spells did feel better than others. “Well, maybe half-and-half? I solo, yeah, but I do party as well. It just depends, I think, on who’s around or who I meet. You never know, really – but it’s nice to have support spells. I want to be able to help people if I can… that’s all.” Papi wasn’t sure if Req would be able to relate, but there was her answer to his curiosity anyway.

But even if she didn’t, there was not time for chit-chat. The enemy was upon them, and Req was already lunging right for the zombie. He leaped off a gravestone and stomped on the creature, finishing it off with a blow from his dagger hilt. This single kill was enough to open the floodgates, and a swarm of the living dead began to emerge from dampened earth and murky waters. Papi turned, facing the circle of hostiles as they hauled their ghastly forms closer to them, covered in a cloud of pungent rot. “Eugh, yeah. Necromancers are – they’re all a little weird, aren’t hey?” She wrinkled her nose, breathing through barely-parted lips. “Blech… I do not miss this place.”

Papi could say not more as some of the quicker-moving ones were fast upon them. She sliced her blade through them while they came within reach, her sword easily sliding through macerated flesh. Nearby, Req unleashed a skill of his own – one newly acquired from their most recent endeavour. He ignited the zombies in flames, hurling Molotov after Molotov into the swarm. It was not any help with the stench, but it was enough to take care of a good portion of them – but she still had to chop her way through just as many. While none of them were doing more than single points of damage, if she was overwhelmed and buried beneath a pile of them, she would be in a dire situation. How humiliating it’d be to succumb to a bunch of low-level zombies like that. Honestly, she’d just quit the game if she did.

She and Req inched forward at a snail's pace, their footwear keeping them grounded but the sheer volume of enemies impeding any meaningful progress. Papi continued to cut through flesh and bone with simple attacks, saving her mana for supporting and healing Req as he needed it. Soon, she heard his exasperation above the din of ghoulish groans and gargling cries. “Right – it’s neverending here!” She called back to him, grunting as she ran her weapon through the midsection of an undead. “Listen – you need all the experience. You go find it – I’ll hold them off!”

Without waiting for a reply, she recited an incantation, knocking down a zombie before stomping on its skull. “O heavenly spirits, I ask of your divine protection against the wretched evils of this earth – Light Barrier!” A bubble of light formed around Req, encasing him with a translucent shield. He would get an indicator on his UI that physical and magic defense were increased, and no enemies would be able to enter - though, any enemies in his immediate proximity at the time of casting would stay where they were. Essentially, he was in his own hamster ball now – but only for a short time. A thirty-second timer counted down, an indicator of when it would disappear. Hopefully, it would be enough time for him to break out of the crowd.

Following this, Papi started another spell, activating her skill in between heavy breaths. “With this blade and the holy powers bestowed in its steel, I will cut through the unlawfulness in this realm – Call of Justice!” She pulled her sword through another enemy before thrusting it into the air above her head. Light streamed from its tip, flowing down to engulf her entire body in a brilliant glow. The mobs that were around Req turned, making their way towards her instead. Now that she had rallied their attention towards her, she planted her heels into the soft ground, continuing her stand in order to give Req the opportunity to cut off their enemy from its head.
 
"Yeah! Carry me! I'm sure your strength is high enough that you’d barely notice me!” Req was just, mostly, joking. His smirking and glances to look for a reaction reflected that clearly. “But fine… I’ll wear the boots even though they don’t match my outfit. Bards are supposed to be in the city, you know. Not skulking through swamplands.”

To think that Req used to support the logging-in rule just because it kept casual players from ever making an impact on the game. “But yeah, at least I know what I absolutely want to get again and how to get it. Thankfully I have a great memory.”

“What’s that scarf do?” Req asked, surprisingly noticing as she pulled it closer… or perhaps he just had an eye for good gear and had been waiting for the flow of conversation to bring it up. “It looks cute on you.”

Req certainly could not relate to the desire to help people just to help people. Why stand in the background, ever, if there was the choice to be center stage? “Your altruism is appreciated. I can only imagine what low-level stuff I’d still be wasting my time on if you hadn’t come around.” Req realized he was mostly still talking about himself, so slightly switched gears. “I bet those people you party with are pissed! Not being able to keep you on lock must be a disappointment. It’s not easy to find someone skilled but also flexible enough to work with to fill a party. It’s why most low-level parties are from real-world friends.” And why high-ranking parties often didn’t worry about liking each other, just stats.

The more competitive you were, the higher your ranking and the lower your tolerance for bullshit was.

Perhaps that’s why Req found these undead wretches so annoying. They were just simply a waste of time.

After the dozenth kill, Req was getting legitimately angry at having to fight these rancid things. The feeling of their flesh squish under his knuckles was like punching ground beef, but far worse, cause this shit and its stench stuck to his skin. And considering this was a shortcut, going this slow should have been illegal.

Thankfully Papi had the same thought Req did. She takes the small fry while he finds a real fight and takes all the glory. “On it!” He shouted above the clashing.

Req was already moving by the time the light barrier enveloped him. He had faith in Papi’s support, so had no time and no need to hesitate. Like a football player, Req crashed through a skeleton barrier with enough force that some of their fragile bones broke off. He didn’t stop moving until he was far enough away from the horde that their AI chose Papi as their target instead.

Now he had to fight the boss of the area.

Easy. All Req had to do was what he did best, antagonize.

Like the thug he was, Req started to make a racket as he wandered the undead swamp. He kicked gravestones, snuffed memorial candles, and overall was as disrespectful as he could be. A few undead rose in protest, but Papi clearly was dealing with the core of the horde.
Finally, Req came upon a large tomb.

“Well, this is kinda obvious,” Req muttered to himself. Where else would an undead boss be but in the largest grave here? It took a bit of muscle to open the gate that lead down to the tomb. The swamp’s water had flooded this place long ago, making the musty smell rot along with the corpse. At the base of the steps, the water went all the way up to his thighs.

The ripples Req caused had barely settled when something deeper into the tomb started shifting beneath the water.

“Author’s Eye,” Req cast. A glimmer of purple fairy dust settled on his eyes, and suddenly the world was full of text. Intractable objects were highlighted, harvestable resources were labeled, and most importantly, the title “Undead Swamp Lord” could be seen shifting beneath the water’s surface from side to side. The stupid undead wanted to ambush him. It wouldn’t get that chance with Aurthor’s Eye activated.

Scrambling up a stone shelf, Req managed to get out of the water and get the higher ground. The undead swam towards him, likely intending to pounce, but instead, Req pushed from the shelf and landed dagger-first onto the submerged form.

Screeching in pain, a gruesome undead worm emerged from the water. More than a maggot, this bulbous, slimy creature was too unstable for Req to stand on. Mere seconds after his blade sunk into the mucus, his foot slipped sending him into the rancid tomb water.

For a moment, Nolan was disoriented as his senses were overloaded with everything the opposite of pleasant.

The teeth of this worm latched quickly onto his disoriented form, sucking blood and life out of him rapidly. The pain was agonizing. Quickly, Req muttered his Lorekeeper incantation. “Bane of the Brutal Brutus, let me tell your story.” A rush of physical strength entered Req as he took on the attribute of some early-route enemy whose gimmick was that he got stronger once his health was below 25%. This worm had triggered those conditions, so Req took advantage.

With this newfound strength, Req crashed his back against the tomb wall once, then twice, then a hundred times.

By the time the beast had released its bite, Req was covered in mucus and the tomb’s pond was stained deep red. The wall Req had been bashing against may as well have been painted considering how scarlet it was now with blood from Req and the worm.

Pain was enough to tell Req that he was hurt, but when he looked at his HP, he had 5/ 50. Nearly dead. Ten more seconds with the undead leech would have finished him.

Thankfully, a brain bashed until liquid killed most undead.

As the experience applied to Req, he was quick to put them into his heath so that 5 HP could at least turn into 9 HP. He’d take it.

With a touch of a limp, Req left the tomb and reentered the swamp. It was quieter now. With the undead boss now fully dead, the underlings returned to their fully dead status as well. The smell hadn’t changed though, sadly. Still, without opposition, Req was able to make it back to Papi with relative ease.

“Why does every quest when I’m with you involve me getting soaked!” He complained, not mentioning the circular gash taking up his whole back. The discomfort was worse than the pain. “First the swamp to the bandits, and now an undead swamp? I’m so sick of having wet socks! And wet other things!”

“Not even joking this time, if we go to one more rancid swamp, you are going to carry me. I’m gonna sit on your shoulders and let you deal with the leeches and wet socks!”
 
“Well… maybe next time.” Papi let out a laugh this time – an uneasy sort of chuckle. The mental image really was quite amusing, but when she thought of the finer details and logistics of having a man’s groin at the back of her head… The paladin cleared her throat, hoping the colour didn’t rise to her face in-game as it probably was IRL. Hastily, she changed the subject. “Anyway, don’t worry… I’m sure you’ll be tearing up the city before you know it.” She gave a small smile which she hoped was encouraging. Not that he really needed the morale boost. He was, as she’d become well aware, very confident. As further evidence by his faith in his own memory which, truth be told, she rather shared.

On the topic of gear, he inquired about her scarf. It was made of a soft, faintly luminescent material that glimmered under the right lighting. In the gloomy swampland, however, it mostly looked like a dull silver. “This? Oh, it’s mainly just adds defense. It’s got a small buff for stamina and mana recovery, but pretty minimal.” She adjusted the fabric around her neck, angling her chin further into its material as he off-handedly complimented her. If there wasn’t colour before, surely there was a dusting of pink now. “Er… thanks… I think.” Her mumbled words were further muffled by the scarf. Such a regular bit of praise shouldn’t have flustered her at all, let alone like this – but, well, here she was.

(Finley was never good at taking praise.)

Fortunately, she was able to recover somewhat was he asked about her partying habits. Though he was doling out some nice words, Papi was not nearly as embarrassed by these. “Oh? Um… no, I mean, I think they’re fine. There are lots of good players to fill in for them.” She nodded for emphasis. “I’m just a normal player, no one special. I’m sure you’d do just as well if not better if you never ran into me. Or you’d find someone else.” Req seemed resourceful – or at the very least, persuasive – that way.

For a moment she wondered about asking whether he had any real-life friends who played Reveria. But she quickly decided against it, especially as they soon found themselves amongst the undead fray.

While they were outnumbered by the mindless zombies, they had the advantage of thoughtful teamwork and a workable strategy. Req wasted no time in darting off to find the source of the mobs, barreling through the enemies like a star quarterback. It was a messy exit, with bits of rotting flesh and fragmented bone flying about, but it was an uncomplicated one. Eventually, he was far enough that all eyes – or at least, what was left of them – were drawn on her, thanks as well to casting her aggro spell.

Horrible gasping moans and groans surrounded her as the decrepit forms closed in. Papi continued to swing her blade, slicing through bodies with ease. Still, she was constantly moving and it was starting to take a toll on her stamina. The squelching of decimated flesh and the bursts of necrotic fluid that expelled from her attacks certainly didn’t help make the experience any more palatable. She grimaced, wishing now that she’d put something over her head or at the very least wrapped her scarf higher on her face. It had been some time since she hacked through this place, and evidently she had forgotten just how repulsive it all was.

Sometimes, Reveria was a little too realistic.

Still, while tiring, Papi soldiered on. Occasionally she had to push or kick a zombie away, just to keep herself from getting completely swarmed. At the same time, she tried to keep an eye on Req and dole out some healing or additional buffs. However, by the time she had a moment to look over, he had disappeared. In the distance, past the undulating movements of the zombies, she saw an open tomb that likely led underground. Unfortunately, he was much too far from her to cast any spells, including healing.

It was her instinct to grow a little nervous in this situation. About him, specifically, and the enemy that lay in wait below. But she had to remind herself that this was no ordinary player she was with – if anything, a pleb like her had no business fretting over a pro like Req. He would know how to handle himself and whichever boss had spawned for the area.

In her moment of distraction, a few zombies toppled over one another, subsequently pushing her forward. Papi stumbled forward, catching herself on her knees by reflexively planting her sword in the ground for stability. A decidedly bad move, as she was open to an onslaught of attacks from all sides. Though they were individually quite low, in such spurts they still added up.

Seeing as there was no opportunity to heal or buff Req, it was time to use her mana on the offense instead. “Urgh… take this!” She pulled her sword from the ground and swung it upwards in an arc over her head. At the same time, she rose to her feet, pushing up with her back to shrug off the ghouls that had begin to pile on. They fell in a stack behind her, while those in the path of her sword were thrown up into the air by her skill. Crescent Slash was a basic warrior technique, needing no incantation as her paladin skills did. She completed the maneuver by stabbing one zombie that flew overhead – something she instantly regretted, as its horrific innards poured out onto her head.

“Fff--- shit—” Stupid, but no time to think. Papi swung back down into the swarm, knocking down a few more with a diagonal slash through them. When her blade was at its lowest point she stepped on the corpses, removing their impaled forms before continuing her onslaught. Afterwards, she unleashed a flurry of stabs into the crowd: her other warrior skill, Blade Storm, which was weak in and of itself but still strong enough to take out the low-level mobs.

And yet, just as she took out one there was another to replace it. The sheer volume of the undead and their spawn rate was quite exhausting for one person. It seemed neverending – and, even though they were weak, her HP bar was gradually beginning to dwindle. Eventually, she cast Fortification on herself, followed by Lightfoot – a spell that generated a haze of glowing light at her feet, which seemed to levitate her about three feet in the air. Once she was able to get the incantation out, it was much easier to dodge and maneuver around the crowd. From here, she could even kick in most of their heads, giving her arms a bit of a break.

Some of them were still able to claw and strike out at her, still whittling down her HP. Until finally, after what felt like ages (especially while being marinated in zombie juice) the undead suddenly ceased all movement in eerie synchronicity. They collapsed where they stood, creating a sizable mound of bodies that she slowly descended on top of, once Lightfoot wore off. “Ugh… phew…” Papi wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, squinting and blinking rapidly once she’d wiped away as much as she can.

Not long afterwards, Req reappeared from the mouth of the tomb and made his way towards her. Exasperated and none-too-pleased about being equally – no, even moreso – covered in nasty monster guts. “You’re preaching to the choir…” Papi ran a hand through her hair, cringing at the clumps that had landed in her blonde locks. “I thought I was going to puke…” She wiped her hand on the side of her armour, not that it was much cleaner.

Deciding it was futile, she managed to refocus her attention, even as Req went back to the matter of carrying him. She could see his HP, which was dangerously low. So low, in fact, that it produced a gasp. “You’re badly hurt! Hold on, let me heal you.” Fortunately, she hadn’t had the chance to burn through most of her mana, what with the unrelenting horde and all. There was just about 60% of her mana left, which means she could use a spell to restore his health back to 80%, and regenerate the rest for a short period.

Placing a hand onto the middle of Req’s chest, she held the other in a ball over her heart. Bowing her head and closing her eyes, she whispered, “By the grace of God above, I ask of thee to extend your mercy upon this soul and offer your divine salvation… Saving Grace.” A soft blue glow flowed from her palm into his chest, slowly mending the wounds that he had sustained in his battle. His HP would increase drastically, and continue slowly regenerating even as she removed her hand from his body. "There, that should do it."

As for herself, she was at about 55% of her total health – the zombies had done a good number, but she should not be in any major peril. A few cheap potions would tide her over until she could fully rest and recover. For now, she had one priority, and she was sure Req shared the sentiment. “Ugh… let’s get cleaned up. I think if we head north a bit, we might get to a bit of clean water. From what I remember, anyway... Unless you know a better place?” So long as they could get freshened up and rest, Papi didn’t mind.
 
Req would be fine. In this game, he always was. And in the real world, he always found a way to look fine. Close enough was good enough, right?

The comment about the scarf was just small talk, but seeing her bury her face into the cloth was kinda cute. It highlighted how large her eyes were, and overall gave her a strong cozy look despite their somber, wet surroundings.

“Yeah, I maybe could have found someone else.” Maybe. Req wasn’t exactly popular in this game. He didn’t try to be. Some people loved how much he didn’t care about others opinions, others used that fact to only hate him more. It was the nature of internet fame. Besides, there were mainly just a bunch of nerds here, so why bother? “More likely though I would have just done this all alone…maybe paid someone to kill that loser and reset his level before the actual fight. I don’t know. I still got money, you know, and I’m not about to humiliate myself by losing to some idiot. Thankfully, I don’t need to dishonor myself and instead am gonna humiliate him personally. This is a much better outcome.”

“I hate people who use outside resources for Reveria.” But it was better than losing.

Conversations soon shifted to combat, and once the undead war was on, Req was gone just as planned. A bit of swimming, stink, and gore later, the undead boss of the area was dead. Well, dead again. The main downside was that it was messy. Req was covered in muck, slime, and rotten gore. That being said, as much as Req hated it, in some secret way, he loved it as well.

A messy kill just meant a powerful, impactful kill, and he was currently covered in the signs that he won. No need to boast with words when you were covered in proof of your victory.

But this pride about being covered in gore was a secret even to Req, so of course, the loud mouth bard only had complaints to say as he emerged from the flooded crypt.

His health was terribly low as well, and Papi being her giving self was quick to heal him as much as possible. Req on the other hand had never been a support player. Not once. The number of times he learned how to heal anyone but himself was one, and only because it was part of a quest. Sadly, this meant that Req had no power to help Papi out gameplay wise.

That being said, he could maybe help her in a different way. At the same moment that she went to heal him, Req quickly said, “Here, let me,” as his hands reached towards Papi’s hair. Being covered in gore in Reveria was nothing new to Req, so even though he was gruesome and unpleasant in his own right, hearing that Papi was uncomfortable made him want to solve that problem. Surprisingly gentle hands started to pick and pluck blood and chunks out of Papi’s hair and armor while she laid her healing hands on his chest. “Let me know if you're gonna throw up,” Req chuckled, meaning every word. He was happy to help, but that didn’t mean he wanted vomit on his barely-used-yet-stained armor.

Even with his help, Papi was still coated in viscera by the time Req was done picking. Still, it was better than nothing. Req may have been wading through rotten, dead water, but Papi was wading in corpses. He’d dry. She’d only smell worse as time ticked on, especially once they reached sunlight again.

Sunlight and fresh water would be a welcome change after these minutes, hours maybe, in this swamp.

“Let’s head north then. Take a bath. If we reach the city smelling and looking like corpses, the guards may just kill us on the spot.” It was a city where the largest attraction was a coliseum, after all. Monsters and shooting before talking was commonplace.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With heavy, muck-covered steps, the pair headed north through the flooded graveyard into a flooded forest that eventually led to a beautiful collection of trees and still-living animals. Were one to climb to the top of one of these trees, in the far distance one would see the Coliseum that Req was trying to reach for his duel. Not only was it a big structure, but they were only a handful of minor encounters away from reaching a major gameplay landmark. The shortcut was a challenge, but since they survived the undead, they would easily pass through whatever nameless beasts or criminals they encountered on the final stretch to the city.

Now that the worst was behind them, Req was once again recontextualizing their past experiences to make himself feel like a badass. Either he didn’t survive and it was a challenge, or like this, he survived so it really must have been pretty easy overall regardless of how he felt in the moment. This mindset of “if I win, the games are too easy” was what made Req, or Nolan rather, survive kidnapping with barely more than a shrug. Being okay in the moment meant that nothing in the past could have been that bad.

Right?

“And there it is!” Req stated proudly as the coliseum came into view. As an avid fighter, Req had dueled many people within the very structure they were approaching. This time though, he’d be dueling a nameless nobody with the most extreme stakes Req had ever experienced. And even after all this work, Req expected to be underleveled. “It’s not as grand as the one you can find at the ocean floor, but it isn’t shabby at all.” In fact, the coliseum was very impressive, able to repair itself and even host ship battles within the confines of the land-locked walls.

Two days. That’s all the time that was left until the duel. And it would probably still take a day to make it to the city proper. All this was barely any time in-game.

“So after I kick that loser’s ass, what are your plans?” Req asked, curious but also making conversation as they crossed the muggy road to the city. She had been spending a long time, too long honestly, in the low level lands. But there was part of Req that liked having this helpful warrior following his lead. It felt familiar. Like the good childhood days where Noland led friends on silly little adventures across the play structure. That alone made her a keeper. “I’m going to head towards the ocean, I think. Maybe head to the island I DCed on. See if there is an early-level quest I never discovered.”

“Assuming I win, which I will, you are welcome on the voyage. You never left the main-land, right? No pressure, but you’d be welcome, so wait to give me an answer till after the duel.”

Req left it at that, his words ideally left to ponder, but all this was for later. For now, maybe even today, all that mattered was making it to the city.
 
He was, as she had correctly assumed, resourceful - and not afraid to admit it. Papi’s smile faltered slightly as he spoke about what he would’ve done if he didn’t party up with her. “Oh… yeah? I see, I guess that could’ve been an option too.” Real Money Trading was always going to be a thing, even in a game as well-run as Reveria. Where there’s a will, there will always be a way, after all. Paying someone to assassinate another player wasn’t surprising either - she was merely taken somewhat aback at how casually he spoke about doing it. Then again, perhaps she should be accustomed enough to his personality by now. Clearing her throat, she gave a little nod his way. “Well… I think it’s best to do things the right way. Especially when you can.”

And he could, indeed. Together, they battled their way through their enemies and came out at the other end - albeit in an utter state, but in one piece nonetheless. Papi was quick to start their recuperation, jumping to heal Req before his HP dwindled too low. While there were no other threats around and she could handle most things that might realistically surprise them… she wasn’t the chance-taking type. The last thing they needed at this point was for him to perish again and start from zero.

To her surprise, he reached out and took upon himself to help her in his own way. Soft fingers brushed against her hair, gingerly cleaning bits of flesh and bone off her head. Her eyes flickered, briefly taken aback at the unexpectedly kind gesture. Papi felt a touch of warmth rise to her cheeks and her ears, and as a result she was vaguely grateful for the blood and guts that helped to camouflage it. She said nothing in response, opting instead to finish her spell and simply give a silent nod of acknowledgement to his warning. Grossed out as she was, she didn’t think it was bad enough to spur that strong a reflex out of her.

A wave of relief washed over her once his health points replenished. Now they were in the clear. As she waited for his reply, the paladin began to awkwardly join him in wiping off the zombie remnants from her armour. While the peak of her bashfulness had subsided, she still felt a little unsure of how to act in the wake of his preening. Moreover, frankly she was not even totally sure why she felt so embarrassed by the whole thing.

Fortunately, it seemed that Req didn’t notice (or didn’t care) how she felt, and agreed to freshen up at the spot she’d suggested. “True.” Papi cleared her throat and lifted her head, forcing a lop-sided grin. “Let’s go, then,” she said. With that decided she headed forward - perhaps a little too hastily - towards the location in question, simultaneously extracting and downing a few healing potions along the way.

She gulped down quite a few as they trudged from the gloomy cemetery into a mucky swampland. By the time the ground beneath their feet grew a little firmer she was at around 80% of her health as well, which she felt was a comfortable spot to leave herself. Gradually, the darkness began to give way to soft sunshine and glimmers of blue sky beyond lush treetops. As they continued forward, they could see a large building peeking through the gaps in the foliage. The prominent structure was the very coliseum where Req would soon be fighting in its center stage.

“By coliseum standards, I think it’s pretty nice,” Papi agreed with a small grin. “I haven’t been to the one underwater, though.” Though she’d been playing Reveria for some time, there was still much of the world she hadn’t managed to touch yet. There were various reasons for this, and being a relatively modest level was only one of them. She didn’t want to risk straying into lands beyond her strength level, lest she get killed and lose all her progress. A good majority of players didn’t. On top of that, most of her friends were of equal level or less, and frankly were happy playing the game in the places they were familiar with. And so for the majority of the time she logged into Reveria, exploring new places was actually fairly low on her list of priorities.

But speaking to Req prompted her to give it some more thought for once. “Hm…” Papi pursed her lips briefly; pensive. “Maybe. I did hear about a few questlines that would give some good equips for me…” She hummed a moment. “I’ve always been a little hesitant because most of my friends like to stay on the mainland… but if I go with someone who knows the area and the monsters, that might be okay.” The glanced up at him and gave a soft smile. “It’s pretty tempting. I’ll let you know later on.”

It was not long after she responded that the forest thinned into a clearing where a small lake sat in the middle. Clear water sparkled gently in the sunbeams that streamed overhead, the surface still and serene. "Ahh, finally!" Papi gave a sigh of relief, quickening her steps and deviating off the path towards the surface. There was a small shore at one corner of the lake, where grass transitioned into rocky sands. She kneeled at the edge of it and removed her gauntlets in two swift motions. Placing them at her side, she submerged her cupped hands into the water and leaned forward, splashing the cool liquid over her face. Wisps of crimson and clumps of unidentified flesh washed into the water, subtly disappearing altogether once they drifted too far away. Hyperrealistic as Reveria may be, it did favour game-logic now and then, especially for the sake of upkeeping a certain environmental appearance.

But when it came to player items, real-life rules often applied instead. For example, the gore would stay on her gear for some time until she cleaned it off, it gradually fell away, or some other environmental factor came into play like a rainstorm. Some players opted for leaving the viscera in place, since it gave them a cool, monster-slayer aesthetic. But for one, it wasn't a good look for a holy paladin. However, there were other implications for her gear specifically. "I'll just be a few minutes." Papi lifted her face, having cleaned most of her skin and hair off. She continued speaking as she gradually began to shed her armour until she remained in a simple sleeveless undershirt and a pair of form-fitting shorts. "Since most of my stuff has a holy affinity to it, having undead guts stuck on it'll debuff the stats and me, as well..." Although it was all quite disgusting, there were also practical matters at hand.

She began to clean off each item in the water, a task that only took a few moments; however, she cumulatively had quite a number of pieces to clean. As Papi scrubbed, she cast a glance at Req over her shoulder. "When we get to the city, what would you like to do next? Do you need more gear, or should we try to find a way to level up a bit more?" Then, realizing that there was still the real world to consider, she added, "Or do you need to log off for a bit?"
 
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