Chapter 8 – One Step Closer

Eichi’s House September 29, 2032 6:30PM

They arrived at the house by a help of an e-jeepney that goes through the route.

“Phew, that’s too close!” Aaron yawns

Eichi puts all the quest rewards on the dining table in front of them. Aaron’s eyes shines when he saw that these loots are the requirements to craft Take em’ back >.

“Wait? Is this an item we need, right?” Aaron asked.

“Yep, we just need more few fangs and a 7× bitten moon.” Eichi answered.

Aaron smack his hands on the table, it vibrates the whole surroundings. Eichi shocked from the sudden vibration. “It’s a hard ta…”

“Let me finish my sentence. If we can just get these items thru trading, why we cannot just trade? We can trade manpower like we did before, and also our unused luxuries.” Aaron interrupts Eichi to express his opinion.

Eichi gave Aaron a thumbs up. “Yep, you’re right! We should be a risk-bearing too.”

Aaron tries the item trading feature. “Bulbpoint Item Trading”

< Patch Note Yesterday: As of the new update, players must complete the LVL 110 ascension to unlock an item to item trading. For those below these levels, they can still trade items for manpower. >

They both had a fist bombs, then proceed to the domain interface system to start the quest.

“Haha, my ultimate skill card is now bloomed, and it turns to finisher > 5 star card. I can just grab their hearts.” Aaron laughs

< Bulbpoint Start Ascension Quest >

After 30 minutes of Aaron flexing his heart-grabbing card.

“Eyaaah!” Aaron run towards the serpent. He activates his elemental burst, slicing the enemy into 5 pieces.

Enemy GNH: 0%

< Challenge Complete >

< Congratulations! You passed the Ascension Quest. Your level capping was raised to lvl. 240 >

“Phew, this battle would be hard as I expected. I wish we listen to the system that this dungeon should be completed with 4 players.” Eichi said.

As the two boys are staring, waiting for the dungeon/domain to be closed, a 2 glowing circle appears on the ground. It was located in front of them.

< Item Obtained: Class Reroll Pass >

They both got the mysterious item. These guys open their inventory menu and retrieve the reroll pass.

< Instruction: Hold the item while standing on the reroll circle >

Aaron and Eichi approached the glowing thing on the ground while holding the item. They closed their eyes. A system whispers in their minds. It’s a robotic voice of a female, echoing inside their brain. All word gave them a goosebump.

< Listen to me, players. Don’t be afraid of me. Just answer my questions in order to proceed >

< Do you want to retain your element? >

Eichi: Yes

Aaron; Yes

< Do you want to retain your weapon? >

Eichi: Yes

Aaron: No

< For those players who said yes, you may proceed to cancel the rerolling process and retain your reroll pass. You can do it later >

Eichi: I want to cancel this, GM! I’m fine with my ability because helping others is more satisfying than racking up kills.

The glowing round below Eichi’s body stops glowing while Aaron is still continuing the process.

< What strength do you prefer? It can be anything, and the AI system would process it to personalize your new class. >

Agility

< Our system needs more information to choose class. This is the last question for you, what kind of weapon do you prefer? >

Aaron scratches his head, his eyes are wandering around.

Uh, Shuriken?

< AI is deciding your class based in this personality test. Please wait, keep your eyes closed and your feet on the glowing circle >

As he was standing, his eyes are closed, he felt a strong surge of vibration on his body. His heart pounds after the sensation.

< Your fate has been decided by our system! >

During the pre-colonial, you are a rebel during that time. You chose to use a martial art from the outsider. Everyone was amazed at your skills.

The vibration on his body is intensifying every second as the clock passes away. He can feel his hands clawing his own skin.

< Congratulations! >

< Your class will be changed to Ninja >

< Compatible Weapon Type: Shuriken, Katana >

< Your skill point distribution will reverse. >

< Your current sword and skill cards will be transported to your inventory because it’s not compatible to your new class anymore >

“Heck NOOO!! This flashing dagger/barong skill is so sentimental!” Aaron shouts.

< Please open your eyes! Class change has been aborted. Reroll Pass has been refunded to your inventory >

Aaron open his eyes, he looked down to check his own body. He saw the glowing circle disappear and his skills are still the same. Also, the vibrating sensation stopped.

“Phew, the system almost ruin my signature fighting style.”

< Returning to the nearest Nexus Waypoint >

Marilao, Bulacan

Inside the cafe, Aaron and Eichi are enjoying their favorite drinks. They are having some conversations. Their bodies are getting refreshed after the battle because of airconditioner in their surroundings.

Eichi is drinking his favorite drink, which is toffee latte. While Aaron’s favorite is dalgona coffee. The whole cafe is full of people’s voices, doing their work.

“I swear, I would never ever redo this ascension quest. It’s a hell domain!” Aaron yawns and sips a coffee.

“Nah, as much as I can sip my favorite drink as my reward to myself after completing a hell quests, it’s not an issue to me!” Eichi said while he was typing a document on his laptop on the table.

< Incoming Call: Collection Agency >

“Are you crazy, skinny boy? Your credit card debt is now 20,000 Alonicanian Pesos! Based in your purchase history, you spent such money for your favorite drink.”

“Pay your debt now or I would send you to ja…”

Hang Up

“Ugh, what kind of mess you did, Eichi?! The collection agency keeps calling you for this week. Why did you still go to the cafe almost a week if you cannot afford it using your internship income?”

Eichi crossed his arms. “Life is too short and money is just a mortal possession. Therefore, I would just spend it on my favorite drink.”

His friend rolled his eyes. “Oh, ok, don’t cry with me if your score reached 600 and below.”

“By the way, Eichi, we can go to our home right now? We should finish this drink later.” He stretched his body again.

Tomorrow; Eichi’s House

On a wonderful morning in the backyard, Aaron is struggling to try an advance barong swaying method on his practice.

“Yah!” His body stumbled when he throw the shuriken at the dummy enemy. He shouts as he feels his knees stumbled on the stone.

“Dang it! Why did I still choose Barong as my weapon class?”

His tears were dropping while he was attempting to stand out regardless of the feeling that a needle sticking his knees. A flowing sweat on the stone is what he witnessed.

While he was trying to stand his body, his body failed again. His head is a few centimeters from hitting the stone. “No!”

His forehead hits the stone, a sudden feeling of dizziness stun his mind for a while.

“Function Initiate: Use Healing Potion VI,”

A sudden sense of comfort goes through his body. He stands out from the ground and enters the house.

He saw Eichi in the kitchen, eating his breakfast. Sushi is what Eichi eats in the morning using a chopstick.

Aaron approaches the vacant chair beside his friend. His face crumbled when he looks on the table. “I’m so tired of your meal choices! We eat Maki rolls, ramen, and udon almost every day.”

“Ugh, in my previous performance art school in Tokyo, this is the cuisines I always eat. When you go to school abroad for a year, you will fall in love to foods from the country where you study.”

As they were having a conversation, the house quakes with an eardrum-busting sound of a slammed wall. Small pebbles near the door hurt their eyes.

“PNP, pull over!” a person from the door shouts.

Aaron looks around, he saw the door lying on the ground and five SWAT police pointing a gun to him. His sweat and tears are flowing through his body.

A pounding beat is what he felt on his chest. He raised his hands while Eichi was still sitting, staring at the cops, waiting for the time to explain.

“You’re a pervert!” One of the cops lunged at him with a gun. The SWAT pushed his body to stumble on the ground.

“Cmmon! I don’t do anything.” Aaron said.

The remaining four cops did the same thing. These guys put pressure on Aaron’s body, immobilizing him.

“Tch, what the heck is going on?!” Aaron’s breath was shallow, accompanied by a heavy sensation on his body.

SWAT teams have big bodies, they put more pressure on the body of the accused. Aaron tries to speak, but no voice is coming out, his system is a complete shutdown.

During this time, he heard a clinging metal noise on his hand. He spoke his mind, “A… H… Handcuff?”

Eichi taps the back of one of the cops. “May I explain for a while?”

The guy kicks his feet backward, hitting Eichi’s narrow body. Eichi stumbled on the ground, red glitter splattered from his mouth. His vision turns to black for a while.

“Not for now, lawyer-wannabe boy!”

During the handcuff procedure, the second SWAT member grabs a syringe from his pocket. He injects it into Aaron’s arm.

A pain in his body stops. After a while, his hearing is unclear and vision is blurry. He felt a comfort from his body instead of pressure pain.