Year: 2018
Location: Hallow Lake, Fairyland
“So, uh… do you have any hobbies, Scylla?” I ask, after some consideration.
“Huh? Where’s this coming from all of the sudden?” The nymph replies, raising a brow at my sudden question.
“Sorry, I was just curious. I don’t mean anything by it.” I explain to her awkwardly. “Um, y’know, I always see you out here just sitting by the docks, so I was already if there was anything else you liked to do.”
“Hm. Well, whatever.” She shrugs at my explanation. “I don’t know though. I guess, if I had to pick something, I suppose I like swimming.”
“Oh, that makes sense.” I nod.
“Mn…” She nods as well.
“…”
“…”
Eh? Did the conversation just die?
An awkward silence quickly fills the lake. After only a few lines exchanged, there’s already nothing to say.
Shit. I forgot how bad at small talk I was. Everyone I’ve been talking to recently has been the chatty type, but now that I’m engaging another sullen introvert like me, the conversation’s gone cold!
“Um, uh, er, well…” I hastily mumble, trying to breath some life into this frigid atmosphere. “Oh, uh, is there anything else you like besides swimming?”
“I like all things that are beautiful. And I dislike all things that are ugly.” She states coldly.
“Ah, that’s right. I feel like you said that before.” I reflect curiously. “Something about how the world would be better if everyone was as beautiful as you, right?”
“That’s right. Ugly things are just unbearable. Their mere existence is offensive to my eyes.” She declares with a tinge of disgust in her voice. She must genuinely be repulsed at the mere thought of ugliness.
To be honest, that makes me feel a bit uneasy. The reverence for beauty she speaks of just feels so… superficial to me. It’s like she doesn’t even care what’s on the inside, only judging books by their cover. I don’t really like it.
“Um, is that really all you like though? I understand that beautiful things are good, but maybe there’s something else you appreciate…?” I ask her meekly.
“Haah? What else would there be? Beauty is everything.” Scylla scoffs at me as if I was saying something ridiculous.
Damn, so she really only cares about appearances, huh. I guess it’s in-line with her story, but I wasn’t really expecting her to be so vain.
Just as I’m lamenting that, though, Scylla suddenly sighs heavily and leans forward to gaze solemnly into the lake’s reflection. Her usually cerulean eyes, clear as the crystal lake, start to muddy as if polluted by some repulsive substance.
“Ahhhh… why are humans so ugly? They lie, they steal, they lust, they kill for the most pathetic of reasons. It’s almost laughably ridiculous how despicably repulsive humans can be.” She laments seriously.
Huh? I slowly perk up as I piece together the words leaving her mouth.
“And worst of all is the way they accept their own ugliness. ‘It’s okay for things to be messy as long as we live on’ they say. How absurd. I just don’t understand how you humans can live happily in such an ugly world. Well, I suppose no one can ever be as beautiful as me, but it’s still frustrating.” She dramatically monologues, half-haughtily, half-haggardly.
For a moment, I just sit there taking it all in with amazed eyes, before softly nodding.
“Huh… I kind of get what you’re saying.” I gasp, surprised at my own reaction.
“What?” She responds with a sharp glare.
“Ah, n-no, I wasn’t trying to speak out of place. It’s just that… I feel like I kind of get it.” I respond with a stutter, still trying to sort out my own thoughts. “Y’see, I’ve also had times where I feel like the world isn’t as… pristine as I wished it was. Like, I think things should be a certain way and I get kind of frustrated when it isn’t. That sort of thing.”
For example, I think that people who work hard to do something good should be rewarded. And that it’s possible for the weak to overcome the strong. And that everyone deserves the chance to be happy.
But the world doesn’t actually work like that. It’s dirty and messy and complicated and all we can do is compromise on our ideals in order to survive. That… makes me upset. And I think it makes Scylla upset as well.
“Oh? So, you do get it.” Scylla snorts. “And here I thought you were another blind monkey. I guess you do have an eye for beauty after all. My impression of you has increased slightly.”
“Ahahaha, I guess I’ll be thankful for your praise.” I laugh. “To be honest, my impression of you has increased a little as well.”
“How preposterous. My beauty should be apparent at first glance.” She hisses like a grumpy cat.
“Sorry, sorry. No, you’re right. You really are beautiful.” I sincerely smile.
“Hmph. As long as you understand.” She pouts.
I think I’m starting to understand what Scylla really means by beauty. And I think I’m starting Scylla a little better as well.
“Very well, then. You don’t seem to busy, so accompany for a bit. I’m interested in hearing the things you consider beautiful.” Scylla suddenly hums, looking at me with skittish eyes.
“Ehhh, I don’t know about that. It’s kind of embarrassing to talk about those things.” I reluctantly respond.
“Nonsense. How could beauty be embarrassing? If it’s something you’re ashamed of, it can’t possibly be beautiful.” She states firmly.
“Hm, I suppose you’re right. Then… well, one thing I like is…” I begin, scratching my cheek as I blush.
In the end, Scylla and I spend the rest of the day by the lake, just blabbering about all the things we find beautiful about people, things, and the world.
Year: 2018
Location: ???
“Welcome back. How was your day?”
When I open my eyes once more, I find myself facing a certain succubus lady in a barren field of dirt. No flowers or tea table can be seen; only the endless blue sky and the infinitely sprawling ground.
“Is there any point in asking me about my day? You were watching me with your clairvoyance, weren’t you?” I remark, while taking stock of my surroundings.
“I don’t know about that. Perhaps I did, perhaps I didn’t. It’s so hard to say.” Merlin responds with a sly smile.
Geez. It’s still a little disquieting to think that she may be spying on me at any moment, but there’s not much I can do about it except be conscious of what I say or do.
“So? Where are we? And did you figure out how you would train me?” I ask her seriously.
“Of course, I did. That’s why I’ve prepared everything appropriately.” She replies airily, spreading her arms wide to show off the barren field. “But if you’re that eager to start, I don’t see why we shouldn’t. We can begin with 1000 push-ups.”
“Huh? Push-ups?” I raise a brow. “I thought you said we can’t do physical training inside a dream.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just do as I say. It’s a warm-up for the real training.” Merlin answers cheerfully.
A warm-up? How are 1000 push-ups supposed to be a warm-up? Well, she’s the expert, so I guess I should just play along.
Without too much more fuss, I drop to the ground and start pumping push-ups as best as I can, exerting as much effort as I can to do as many as possible.
Eventually,
“Guah! That’s it. I can’t do anymore.” I groan as I collapse to the ground, my arms giving in on me.
My entire body is drenched in sweat from the endeavor and my poor arms are twitching from the pain. Yet at the same time, I feel a strange sense of accomplishment from working so hard and pushing myself so far. Is this the joy of personal improvement? I even set a new personal record this time. A part of me feels as if I’m on top of the whole world right now.
“Why do you look so proud when you only managed 11 push-ups?” Merlin remarks, unimpressed.
“Sh-shut up. 11’s a big number, okay? It’s double digits.” I childishly shout from the ground. “In fact, you should be praising me!”
“Oh dear. You’re even worse than I expected.” Merlin sighs as she looks at my collapsed form from above with pity. “Well, whatever. I figured you would disappoint me either way, so I’m prepared for it.”
“H-hmph. Well, then, mind telling me what the point of this exercise was?” I grumpily ask, beginning to get back up, before Merlin gently uses a hand to push me back down.
“Not yet. Keep going. I said 1000, didn’t I?” She instructs with a devilish smile. “I’ll heal you after each try, so see how many you can do in one go.”
“???”
I still don’t get what she’s plotting, but I go along with it anyways.
As she promised, Merlin heals me up, removing all of the pain and fatigue from my last try. With no reason to refuse, I get back on the ground and start another attempt…
…
“And that’s another 11. Let’s keep it going, shall we?” Merlin mercilessly suggests the moment I give in and collapse again. “C’mon, get up. We aren’t stopping until you get to 1000.”
“Haah… haah… w-wait a second. I don’t think I can even finish 1000 before I wake up.” I point out as I pathetically rest from the last set and await healing from Merlin.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. We’re in a dream, so time works differently here.” Merlin declares.
Huh, that… makes sense. I guess it is true that dreams feel like they just don’t abide by any sensible metric of time. Sometimes a 2-hour nap can feel like a whole mental adventure, and sometimes you see a short fantasy and it’s been 12 hours when you wake up.
“So that means we can stay in this dream forever?” I ask excitedly, propping myself off the ground.
“Well, not forever ever. There are some limits on how fast we can overclock your mind, before it starts having a negative effect on your body.” She informs me. “It should still give us plenty of time though to cram as much training as possible in just a few real days.”
“Oh. But still, that’s really convenient.” I comment appreciatingly.
To be honest, there was a part of me that wondered how much training we could actually get done in a small amount of time. And going through a 3 month training arc would be forgetting the actual purpose of training.
Luckily, it seems that it might be possible to even condense that 3-month training arc into 3 days. Praise be for Hyperbolic Time Chambers!
“Ughhh… just kill me now.”
“And that’s 1000! Good job hanging in there, lil’ Master.”
At long last, after what felt like hours, I complete my final set of push-ups and completely collapse onto the ground. Though my body feels no more pained than any other try thanks to the healing, the built-up mental fatigue of constant exertion left me feeling utterly exhausted.
“Haah… haah… haah… please… please don’t tell me I have to do 1000 sit-ups next.” I dreadfully beg to the cruel demon watching over me. If I have to do this again, I might just give up on training instead.
“Don’t worry. That’s the end of that.” Merlin assures me in a comforting voice. “In fact, I think you’ve earned yourself a short rest. Why don’t we break for tea?”
With a clap of her hands, the entire landscape changes. The barren field is stripped away like petals falling from a flower; in its place, the usual garden of flowers returns.
By the time I recover from the sudden change, Merlin is already back at the tea table with cup in hand. Not saying no to rest, I drag my body up and plop myself down at the other end of the table.
“Is there anything in particular you’d like to eat or drink?” Merlin asks gleefully.
“Nah, I’m fine. It’s not like I actually get hungry or thirsty here.” I respond sullenly.
Even after all that strain and sweat, my throat isn’t even partially parched. That’s one of the only things that remind me that this whole thing is a dream.
Still, some ice-cold water does sound refreshing…
“I guess a glass of water is fine. With ice too, please.” I request.
“Coming right up.” She bubbles, clapping her hands together and manifesting a glass of ice water on the table, before flashing me a bright smile. “That’ll be $1.99, thank you very much.”
“You’re charging me!?” I retort.
“Ara, I’m just kidding. Come now, that should’ve been an obvious joke.” She hums.
“Mnnn…” I mumble grumpily as I snatch the glass of water.
Oh? This is actually pretty good. Perhaps it’s because it’s a dream, but the water feels extra refreshing.
“By the way…” Merlin randomly speaks as I chug down my glass of water. “How many push-ups do you think you did at that final set?”
“Huh? What do you mean? It should be 11, right?” I confusingly answer.
I stopped personally counting the push-ups a 100 in, but it became painfully clear early on that my limit was just 11.
“Bzzzt. Wrong. The correct answer was 14.” Merlin cheekily reveals.
“HUH? Th-that can’t be right.” I stutter in disbelief. “You said that I can’t grow stronger inside the dream.”
“That’s correct. You have not gotten even a smidge stronger. And yet, it is still true that the number of push-ups you managed steadily increased over time. Why do you think that is?” Merlin quizzically teases.
“That’s…” I muse for a bit, seriously trying to figure out how that could be possible but find no answer. “I don’t know. Tell me, Merlin.”
“Ara, ara, it seems that my little student is at a loss. But the answer is quite simple. Even if your body does not improve, that does not mean you did not improve.” She states in a condescending tone. “Did you really think that the only purpose of training was to build muscle?”
“… explain.” I solemnly urge.
“You see, over the course of 1000 push-ups, your struggle to do as many push-ups as possible caused you to subconsciously find better ways to do so. You gradually improved your form and learned how to reduce energy waste. Even though your max strength and stamina never changed, you learnt how to use them much more efficiently. Thus, you were able to fit 3 more push-ups than you thought you could.” Merlin explains sagely.
“I see… so that’s what you meant earlier.” I remark, my eyes widening slightly as I realize what she’s getting at.
“Ara, you caught on quick. That’s right. This is how I’ll train you.” Merlin smirks. “Using the prolonged time inside your dream, we’ll be drilling you through countless challenges and scenarios in order to have you gain as much experience as possible, thus drawing out your maximum potential. That is how I’ll make you a Hero.”
I’m honestly surprised. What she’s saying does seem valid.
I remember hearing somewhere before that behavior repetition can cause neural pathways to be formed in the brain and that it takes about 10,000 repetitions to truly master a skill. So, if I experience 10,000 real, life-or-death battles, then naturally my battle skills will improve. With enough practice, I might even be able to refine my skills to the point that I can fight without any hesitation or excess movement.
It’s not the elegant, cheat-like method I wanted where Merlin would wave her wand and give me Servant-level power, but I suppose old-fashioned practice is truly the best way to improve yourself.
“Hmm… what kind of challenges and scenarios do you have in mind?” I ask, thinking about Merlin’s idea seriously.
“Don’t you worry about that. I spent a lot of effort designing the perfect dream simulation for you to go through.” Merlin declares confidently. “I guarantee that you’ll be like a whole new person once you complete it.”
“Really?” I perk up excitedly. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s start.”
“Ara ara, you’ve sure changed your tune quickly.” Merlin beams. “Finally feel like playing along with me?”
“Ah. W-well… I just think we shouldn’t waste any time, that’s all.” I blush.
Quickly calming myself down, I stubbornly fold my arms and lean back into my chair, to Merlin’s amusement.
“Well, there’s no need to rush. We can start once you’ve fully rested up.” Merlin dictates serenely. “Once we start, I’ll have you begging for mercy so you should relax while you can and enjoy some tea.”
Though her voice is as peaceful as ever, I suddenly find myself gulping. Will this training really be that crazy? Just what on earth does this demon have in store for me?
In the end, she makes me accompany her for a bit longer, the two of us quietly sipping our beverages in tranquility until Merlin finally seems content with my recovery.
“All right, then. Shall we begin?” She hums at last, clapping her hands together cheerfully.
“Osu. I’m ready when you are!” I enthusiastically nod, hardening my own resolve.
All throughout our little tea break, I was wondering what Merlin probably has planned for me and mentally preparing myself. Now, it doesn’t matter whether she sends demons or armies at me; I won’t back down!
“Well then, let’s get started.”
With Merlin’s final curtain call, the world once again fades away like before. The entire scenery around me, even the ground beneath my feet, all turns into flower petals and floats away. And beneath their texture is a dark, empty void which I’m plunged into.
For a moment, there is nothing. My vision is filled with nothing but black, as if my eyes were completely closed. It’s almost enough to make me momentarily question whether or not I’m even still dreaming, but quickly enough, something emerges from the darkness. There, before me, it is—
Merlin Quest
Press Start
“… what?”
I’m left in utter disbelief as something closely resembling a giant menu screen covers my view.
“What the hell is this!?!?” I shout.
A large, overdesigned logo reading Merlin Quest is obnoxiously plastered in the center of the screen atop a colorful background. There’s even a “Start” and “Load” button on it as well as strangely nostalgic, adventure-like music.
“Ara, what’s the matter? This is the dream simulator I told you about.” Merlin casually remarks.
“Why is it a video game!? And why does it look exactly like a certain JRPG!?” I retort violently.
“Now, now, there’s a completely good reason for that. I thought that the best way to give you experience would be to have you go on your own adventure and encounter a series of different challenges and scenarios that way.” She explains happily. “Besides, you’re the one who said that you wanted to become Hero.”
“I didn’t mean that I wanted to play Dragon Quest, you idiot!” I scream. “Give me back my expectations, dammit!”
Ahh, I should’ve known better than to actually expect anything from this demon girl. There goes all my enthusiasm right out the window.
“Oh, speaking of which, which girl did you choose in DQ5? Bianca or Nera? If I had to guess, I get the feeling that you’re a Nera guy. Am I right?” Merlin playfully asks.
“Who the hell cares? Don’t try to change the subject.” I sharply rebuke.
“Ah, I get it. You’re a FF fan. I can respect that.” Merlin sagely nods. “So then, do you like Tifa or Aerith more?”
“Neither! I never even played any of those games, blockhead!” I yell.
“Eh!? Why is that even a real choice? What’s that supposed to effect?”
「Note: This choice will totally, legitimately, and drastically influence this Quest’s Route choice」
“No, it won’t! Don’t start spouting lies!”
Before I know it, I’m panting from shouting too much. I just finished taking a break seconds ago and I already feel exhausted.
Meanwhile, Merlin is standing by my side giggling.
“Ara ara, you sure seem worked up. Perhaps you need another tea break?” She laughs.
“Shut up. This is your fault and you know it.” I pout, glaring daggers at her. “Besides, how do you even know so much about video games? I thought this was a Lostbelt.”
“Naturally, this is all common knowledge for an internet idol of my caliber.” She answers with a wink. “Make sure to come check out my livestream every Monday and Thursday, okay? This week, we’ll be playing that new Monster Hunter game.”
“I hope you get demonetized…” I curse under my breath.
“Well now, there’s no need to get stuffy. Regardless of its form, it is true that I designed this simulation specifically to train you. Why don’t you try it out a bit before you knock it?” She suggests airily.
“Hmph… well, I guess I might as well.” I stubbornly shrug and accept her suggestion.
With heavy trepidation, I reach out my finger and press the start button on the screen. The moment I do, the world around me transforms once again and I’m pulled into a completely different World.
Soon, before my very eyes, I find myself in a stone room within some sort of giant castle on a dark, stormy night. Several people in medieval garb are running around, some of them even through me. And in the corner by the window is an old-looking fellow wearing a magnificent crown.
“Huh…?” I tilt my head at the sudden scenery playing out before me. “Oh, is this the opening cutscene? I see, so this is like the prologue to the game.”
I don’t know why a training simulator needs a story, but I guess that just goes with the JRPG theme. Considering people are literally walking through me, it seems like I can’t interact with the environment until the prologue ends. I suppose I’ll just watch along and see what happens.
The cutscene begins to unfold before my eyes like a fantastical daydream as I become quickly familiar with the setting and circumstances of the world through a series of dialogue scenes.
It was a time of chaos and war that began with the demise of an empire.
An empire believed to be indestructible was awaiting its destruction at the hands of invading barbarians. To prepare for the war against these barbarians, the empire deprived the island country of any military forces.
That was the beginning of the end. Once the country lost the empire's protection, it could not escape becoming independent and it broke into smaller countries in no time. Soon, the barbarian invasions and the self-destructive strife between clans created a period of war known as the “Dark Era”.
It was then, at the beginning of the Dark Era, that the Demon King appeared. Said to possess the power of the White Dragon, he terrorized the island country and heralded its destruction. But hope was not lost. The kingdom’s wizard prophesized the birth of a child who could defeat the Demon King. This child—
“Too Long!!!”
After finally getting fed up, I roar in rage, kicking the nearest wall out of sheer anger.
“Ara, what’s wrong? You’re missing the best scene.” Merlin remarks, surprised.
“Don’t give me that. Why is this cutscene so long? It’s already been 20 minutes and it’s still not done!” I point out angrily.
The past 20 minutes had been completely filled up with listening to monotone narration and watching people exposit information to me. I was already zoning out 10 minutes in.
“Now, now, exercise some patience. It’ll be done soon. There’s only 40 more minutes left.” Merlin assures me.
“40 more minutes of this? Why would you start your game with an hour long cutscene?” I ask her incredulously.
“Aww, but I worked super hard on it.” Merlin fake cries. “It’s all super important to the world-building.”
“Why would I need world-building? I’m here to train, not watch a movie.” I point out. “Also, what even is up with the story anyways? It’s clearly 100% based on King Arthur. Last time, you acted like you barely even remembered him, but you clearly haven’t gotten over him at all.”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. Arthur who? I don’t know who that is.” Merlin whistles, not meeting my eyes. “By the way, complete tangent but how do you feel about blonde hair dye?”
This woman… she couldn’t possibly be planning to turn me into her next Arthur, could she?
“Please, just let me start the training. Before I run out of energy from yelling at you.” I sigh.
“Well, alright. Only because you asked so nicely.” Merlin agrees, clearly reluctantly.
Still pouting, she waves her staff and the cutscene melts away before my eyes.
Before I know it, I’m standing in the middle of a dirt road in what looks like a grassy countryside.
“Woah. Is this the start of the simulation?” I wonder as I take a good look around. “Where am I right now?”
“You would know that if you had paid attention to the prologue.” A sulking voice calls out to me.
“Merlin?” I quickly turn around to find a mild surprise.
It’s Merlin all right, but for some reason, she’s wearing a flowing bright blue robe different from her usual clothes, and her beautiful staff was changed to a more standard-looking wooden one.
“Did you change outfits?” I ask, unsure why she would go out of her way to do so.
“Look at yourself first before asking.” She retorts, pointing at my own body.
Indeed, when I look down, I realize that I’m also wearing different clothes. I seem to be in some sort of tunic and there’s a short sword strapped to my belt.
I see, this must be part of the roleplaying experience. I don’t really get why it’s necessary, but I suppose I’m glad to have some gear more suitable for combat.
“So… what are we doing now? Where are the things I need to fight?” I wonder out loud, looking around once more.
“Haah, you really have no appreciation for good storytelling, do you?” Merlin sighs. “Right now, you’re supposed to be fetching a lance for your stepbrother so he can participate in the jousting tournament.”
Uwaah, this woman really has no shame about copying Arthurian Mythos. Wait, does it count as copying if she was there when it actually happened? … whatever.
“So, what are you supposed to be, then? A passing-by cosplayer?” I taunt, gesturing towards her new outfit.
“Obviously, I’m your sexy and lovely wizard onee-san.” She answers cheerfully. “I’m here to aid you in your journey. I won’t help you fight, but I’ll provide some directions when you need it.”
“So basically, you’re just a walking peanut gallery. Great. Guess I should start treating you as emergency food.” I remark, refusing to engage with her cutesy idol act.
“Ara, you mean that I’m so cute that you just want to gobble me up. Gosh, you flirt.” She shrieks.
Ignore her, ignore her, ignore her…
Leaving behind the annoying wizard girl, I follow down the dirt road that will presumably lead me to where I can fetch the jousting lance from.
Not long after, something suddenly emerges from the tall grass and blocks my path. It’s an enemy that even I’m familiar with: a slime.
“Finally, something to fight.” I eagerly remark as I unsheathe my sword, eyeing the blue gelatinous blob in front of me.
I’m not too familiar with games, but slimes are basically the level 1 cannon fodder, right? I guess that makes sense for the first fight. I guess it’s what you would call the tutorial battle?
In that case, I suppose it won’t be too dangerous. I’ll take this opportunity to get used to the combat and see what it’s like.
The very moment I think that and ready my sword, the slime suddenly disappears from my line of sight.
“Huh?”
A second later, something rams into my chest with the force of a heavy boulder and I’m flung onto the ground from the sheer force of the impact.
“Guttaaahhh! Wh-what just…?” I painfully gasp for air after hitting the ground, still confused about what’s happening.
Before I can even get my bearings, something lands on my head and envelops my entire face. It takes me too long before I realize that it’s the slime and it begins to cover my entire head in its body.
Shit! I can’t… breathe... It’s suffocating me.
I feel as if I’m underwater, but the sensation of the slime hugging my face is disgusting. I immediately try to get it off, but it’s no use. When I claw at it, my hands just run through the slime like it’s liquid. When I try to take a breath, the slime begins to enter my mouth and force its way into my body. That feeling is simply indescribably horrid.
My lungs begin to burn. My insides feel gross as I feel the slime invade every part of my organs. My body desperately flails about but to no avail.
There’s nothing I can do. I can’t escape. I can’t breathe. I can’t fight back.
This is… is this… the end…?
GAME OVER
…
…
“What the hell was that!?!?”
I shout at the top of my lungs the moment I revive.
Somehow or another, I’m suddenly back at the starting location where I first appeared in this dream simulation.
“What do you mean? That was a Game Over. Have you really never played a video game before?” Merlin nonchalantly replies, showing no concern for the person who literally just died a moment ago.
“That’s not what I meant. Why the hell I just die to a slime?” I retort angrily.
“Well, that’s because you’re a scrub, isn’t it?” Merlin comments. “I didn’t expect you to lose to the first enemy in the game, either. Honestly, you continue to just disappoint me.”
“No, no, no, no matter what you say, isn’t it ridiculous for the tutorial fight to be that brutal?” I point out.
“What? Did you think that just because it’s a slime that it would be a walk in the park? Don’t be silly. No monster is that easy to defeat. This is a reality.” She scolds me.
“I don’t want to hear that from the person who made it video-game like.” I retort. “You’re the one who gave me false expectations by making me think in terms of RPGs.”
“Hmm, in that case, how about…”
Merlin Souls
~Prepare to Cry Edition~
“Don’t just change the title of the game! That doesn’t solve anything.” I yell.
“Well then, I don’t know what to say to you. You’re the one at fault here for being so pathetic.” She shrugs and rebukes. “Your guard was down and you weren’t concentrating, which is why you failed to even see the enemy’s first attack. Then, when you were caught, all you did was flail around wildly, wasting precious energy and oxygen, instead of calmly trying to think of a way to get out of your predicament. Of course you would die after that.”
“Ugh. W-well, when you put it like that…” I meekly respond.
“Let me tell you this now. Every single enemy in this game is beatable with your current abilities. But not a single one can be defeated by just charging in and randomly swinging your sword.” Merlin advises me in a cold, contemptuous tone. “In order to defeat them, you need to use every arsenal and advantage you have. Take everything seriously. Never let your guard down. Think on the fly. Stay calm but harness your emotions. Minimize your mistakes and capitalize on your enemy’s. That’s what it means to be in a real battle. Putting everything you have into each and every battle. Because, in real life, you don’t get to revive after a Game Over.”
“…”
I can’t say anything in response. She’s right. She’s so right that I can’t even argue.
As a Crypter, I’ve already been through a few life-or-death battles, but in each and every one, I was almost entirely dead weight. Against Saber and Lancer, I let my emotions get the better of me and got taken hostage. Against Berserker, I couldn’t do anything and just held Alisha back with my stubborn pride. Against Demonic Assassin, I hastily made the wrong call and caused Saber to fall into the enemy trap. Each time, my foolishness only served to worsen the situation and I needed to rely on others to bail me out. In reality, I’ve been nothing but extremely lucky with my fights so far. And now, I don’t have anyone to bail me out in my fight against Bianca.
How shameful. How am I supposed to call myself a Master and command a Servant if I can’t even take care of myself? It’s so shameful I want to die.
But I can’t. I can’t die now. I can’t, so what can I do? The answer is obvious.
“… fine. That’s fine by me.” I mutter to myself as I pull myself off the ground.
“Oh?” Merlin raises a brow as she watches me. “Ara, that’s a nice look on your face. How very manly. It seems you’re finally getting serious.”
“I just have to do it, right? You said that if I complete this game, I’ll practically be a new person, right?” I ask her seriously.
“Yes, I guarantee it. If you actually manage to reach the end, I’ll even personally recognize you as a Hero.” Merlin nods with a beaming smile.
“All right then. I guess I’ll play along with your game.” I say, my heart pounding with resolve.
I honestly wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into when I first asked Merlin to train me, but I have no complaints left now. I know what I have to do and what I have to work on. So, all that’s left is to just do it.
I take a deep breath and reconfirm the placement of my sword, before running off and shouting at the top of my lungs.
“Let’s do this!!!”
Year: 2018
Location: Bianca’s Mansion, Fairyland
“Ugghh… am I back?”
In the morning, I lazily wake up from my dream, feeling more tired than usual. I drowsily rub my eyes and try to shake off the pounding desire to go back to sleep.
To be honest, it actually feels a little weird to be back in the mansion, even though it hasn’t even been half a day since I went to bed. Everything that happened in the dream simultaneously feels like a blur, yet I can still vividly remember every moment when I concentrate.
In the end, I managed to barely get through the first 2 dungeons of Merlin Quest before we ran out of time and I was forced to wake up. After getting that far, I can confirm with absolute certainty that it really was a sadistic game with no sense of balance or mercy. By the end of the first dungeon alone, I had already died over 100 times. The worst part was the Giant Kraken fight, which was responsible for more than two dozen of my deaths before I managed to beat it; tentacles are just OP, man.
“… ugh, I need to get up. I can’t stay in bed forever.” I absent-mindedly scold myself after realizing that I’d been blankly staring at the ceiling, thinking about my dream for over 10 minutes.
I don’t have any time to waste, especially not in the real world. I need to get going and use my time as effectively as I can.
It’s already my fifth day in Fairyland. I’ve been gone from Yao for five days and who knows how much longer I’ll be stuck here. Every single day I spend here is a day I lose back home where all sorts of things are waiting for me. I don’t even want to shudder what sort of chaos my absence has left.
So, I can’t be taking it easy. I need to continue making whatever preparations I can to escape.
So then, what will I do today?
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