Sebast exited his capsule, letting out a yawn. Like a mechanical robot he moved his body across the living room to the kitchen, where a woman waited for him with a packet of rice on the table. One look was all it needed for him to know that it was bought from the local stall near their house, and if it was anything like before, it would be packed to the brim with food. They are not a well-to-do family, but they got by just fine.

“Mum.”

“Sebast. Your dad won’t be home for dinner.”

“Okay.”

Without another word, Sebast sat down and began to eat. It was after a few mouthfuls before the dreaded words reached his ears.

“Your aunt was here just now. She came to give us some souvenirs from her overseas trip.”

Sebast’s mother poked at the plastic bag before her, not even wanting to check whatever was inside. Sebast eyed the bag before surveying his mother’s face. It was overcast, just like it would be whenever his aunt came over.

It was not like they were on non-speaking terms. In fact to every other person, his aunt and his mother were chummy with each other, good friends even. Yet underneath the calm exterior, there exists a deeply entrenched rivalry between them with regards to their position in the family, namely through the value and worth of their respective sons. It was not visible at first glance, even to their own family, but over time the scars showed.

Which was why Sebast found himself right in the middle of it. It was also why Sebast felt the imminent danger approaching, only to be unable to abscond because there was too much food left to finish quickly.

“You know what she asked me? She asked me where you were.” She was obviously referring to his aunt. “She also made some disparaging remarks about how you have been playing games the whole day again. The nerve of her…”

Sebast learned from years of experience just to agree with a simple “kay” and continued eating his dinner. To be entirely honest, he could not give a damn about how his aunt thinks. If she thought he was a worthless gaming addict then so be it. The only problem was when his mother thinks otherwise.

“Sebast. I just checked the bank accounts for the month.” His mother had just dropped a bomb, pushing an open bank book towards him. On one of the lines nested in-between the steady stream of deposits his mother had been making in his name was a prominent $300 payment to Y.Corps. “What is this three hundred dollar bill for?”

“A new game I signed up for.” Short and sweet, and Sebast figured that it would be better if he told the truth. She would always find out anyway.

“A game?” His mother was now looking at him as though he had just committed a great sin. “You are not studying and using money to go play a game?”

It started.

“Did you not hear what I just told you? Your aunt is belittling you precisely because of such things. Don’t always stay in that stupid capsule of yours.”

“But everyone is playing it.” He felt like a whining child with that one sentence but it was the truth. It was the hottest topic in town in the nowadays and offered the most revolutionary features that virtual reality gaming had to offer, replacing most of the case studies that his professors had been using to demonstrate their lectures. He had to get it or risk irrelevancy, seeing how his university major is on that very same subject. “I need it to study.”

“Nonsense!” Her voice was gradually getting louder, enveloping the whole room with her presence. “You think I don’t know anything? Don’t treat your mother like a fool.”

Sebast sighed. It was the main reason why he had chosen free-to-play games in the past that depended solely on the micro-transactions payment model, so that he could fly under the radar with regards to precisely this kind of situations. Whoever heard of a game design undergraduate without any gaming experience?

“For your sake and mine, please get your act together. Do you know what she told your grandfather in the last fortnight? That you are a hopeless couch potato and I am spoiling you!”

In the end, it was like that again. Everything voiced down to the opinions others had. Not the three hundred dollars. Not the game. Not him or his studies.

“I don’t really care.”

“Then care or I will make you.” She basically hissed in his face. It was then Sebast knew that there was no point carrying on the conversation anymore.

“I’m full. Thanks for the meal.”

Without a word more, he stood and began clearing the table, all while his mother descended into a rant of her own.

“You better listen to me, young man. I have worked so hard to raise you not so you can waste your life away in a capsule! Do you know how difficult it is for me to explain to others why you stay in that stupid tube all day? Why can’t you be like other people and go out and see the world more? Look at the son of the auntie living next to us. He is already a successful businessman running his own company! How about Lyn from the next block? She works at a respected bank-”

Comparisons.

Comparisons.

And more comparisons.

Sebast quietly walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him to block out the sound. His mother’s shouting only became louder, penetrating through the temporary sanctuary the door offered to reach his ears. It was muffled, but it was still clearly audible. He needed some way to shut it off. Eyeing the basin tap, Sebast turned it and soon the sound of running water mixed into the background, drowning out the noise that he desperately wished to escape from.

How did it turn out like this?

He did not know.

All he recognized was that the catalyst for her rage is his aunt. That his mother had been slighted by her careless comments and now seeks to offload her own self-induced angst onto him by trying to mold him into something akin to a statement against his aunt.

Perhaps the main problem lay in his own self, but Sebast could not really care anymore. Every time he wished to express his own thoughts, his mother would simply suppress it and substitute it with her own by shouting louder than he could speak. The more he persisted, the harsher she became.

It became pointless to talk.

Sebast dunked his head into the water and began scrubbing his face with his hands, feeling the coolness of moisture soak into his skin. He emerged seconds later, lifting his head to stare at the person in the mirror above the sink. Jet-black pupils stared back, water dripping off his sharp face and drenched raven hair.

A song unconsciously left his lips, one from way before he was born.

“When will my reflection show? Who I am… inside…”

The noise had subsided. His mother probably went back into her room to fume. With a wry smile, Sebast left his refuge for his safe haven, Ages Online.

……………….

Beast slowly walked down the dim streets of Loyderidge towards the meeting point. Despite the recent siege battle, the usual lights of the city flickered in the darkness of the night as NPCs and players alike went about their own businesses. Of course, players were there for the event participation but even when there had been sufficient time for evacuation, some of the NPC inhabitants of the capital had preferred to stay where they were -home.

It was a feeling of sentiment that bonded them to the place that they knew all their lives, and even the rampant death and destruction at such proximity was not enough to deter them from it. Warm feelings touched Beast’s heart at the thought, filling him with renewed resolve to end the war once and for all.

The curved moon hung low on the night sky, reminding him of an item that he had obtained in what seemed like a long time ago. With his increase in skill, there should no longer be a problem for him in identifying it. Fishing out the silver cloak that shimmered softly as if it was a fabric woven from moonlight, Beast muttered, “Artifact Identify.”

You have discovered the hidden artifact -

Lunar Fleece

Type: Mythological

Artifact, Equipment, Accessory

This cloak is made using leather pelt taken from the mythical guardian wolf of the Argent Forest, who bathed under the light of the moon for so long that its fur shone with a soft silver colour. The guardian became imbued with lunar essence, giving its coat magical properties that insulates it against magic

The cut of the leather was shoddy, causing some of the properties to be lost.

• Durability -33%

• Defense/Magical Defense -50%

• Artifact Power -1 Max Charge

Durability: 20/20

Value: 95g

Defence: 2

Magic Defence: 5

Level Restriction: 15

Artifact Power :

Lunar Reflection

Passive

Cost: 1 Charge

Reflection is able to reflect one magical projectile that impacts upon the item back to the attacker. When that happens, the power is lost until it is recharged by absorbing moonlight for 8 hours. The item is able to hold only 1 charge of reflection at any time.

+1 Wisdom

+9 Luck

Beast cursed.

Back then he had already known that using a broken sword blade to cut the pelt would have consequences, but he had not expected it to be this significant. One additional chance of nullifying and reflecting magical damage was nothing to laugh at, and judging from the description he would have had a full-body anti-magic armour instead of an accessory that barely covered his back had he not fudged it up back then.

In fact, he would rather call it a cape than a cloak.

But what was done was done. Besides, the weakened effect is still nothing to laugh at. It could function as a one-time ward against magical backstab and with precise timing, he could still utilize the power to the best of his ability. The only problem he had was with the way the cloak recharges.

It seemed that he would be spending more eventful nights in the outdoors from the day onwards.

Eight hours out in the open at night is not considered safe, not even in villages and towns where many look to prey on unsuspecting fools. Furthermore, the cloak gains no charge if there is a new moon or if he were to be in a place where the moonlight does not reach. This was the price for its power and being a passive skill meant he had no way of priming it with the tome to bypass the charge requirement.

If only he could. Catalytic consumption would always be replaced by a fixed 200 mana cost whenever he primes the skill, and the only thing that carries over would be cool-down time. Because no cool-down was indicated on the cloak, it would mean that he could possibly have a magic reflector up at all times. Powers with cool-downs however is a different story altogether. Beast was crushed when he originally found out that he could not continuously prime Mana Drain due to the afore-mentioned limitation, but he got over it quickly.

It would be too much of a cheat if he were able to do so, he reasoned.

“Beast! Over here!” A female cry caught his attention. Over by the North Gate, a group of people were waiting for him with horses in tow. Naomi in particular was waving animatedly in his direction while Riwana the Court Magician frowned disapprovingly at the ruckus the Cleric of Taerra was causing. Beast could understand why. This was supposedly a covert mission. Luckily, there was not a single soul at the North Gates. Those inside the single remaining watchtower might have heard something, but so far there has been no indication of it.

“You are late.” Riwana addressed Beast pointedly. Mealgar chortled at the guilty expression Beast gave while Lugwen clicked his tongue.

“I am sorry. I was held up by some stuff.”

“Like getting your new cloak?” Shadun spoke up, glancing over the silver leather with a curious expression. “Seems like you are finally wearing equipment.”

“Beast-kun, this is so nice to feel. When did you get it?” Aveye the archer had also been attracted over by the shiny equipment, followed closely by Naomi. Their hands were all over his new Lunar Fleece in seconds, making Beast feel a little uncomfortable.

“It was something I got in the past but I forgot about it until preparation.”

“Forgotten? So you got it when you are just starting? I don’t think I have seen it before. Is this a rare item? Which monster have you hunted to get it? What is your profession?”

If virtual reality still supported the sweat-drop emoticon like MMORPGs of the past, he would have already done so.

“Ahem.” Riwana cleared her throat authoritatively, saving Beast from Aveye’s inquisition. “We are already past schedule. Lugwen.”

The royal guard disappeared behind one of the crevices in the wall and soon enough the gates groaned as they swiveled open just enough to allow a horse through. One by one, they filed out of the city into the wilderness beyond. Outside the city however, Beast stopped them once again. Rummaging through his bag, the Lore Keeper fished out what appeared to be buds of wooly material made from loot he had gotten.

“Here, please take a pair each.”

He then gave them out, much to everyone’s confusion. The only person who was not amused at the scene was Shadun and Beast had a feeling the bard knew what it was for. “We might need them later on so please keep it properly and wear them when I say so.”

“What is this?”

“How are you supposed to use this?”

The NPCs were naturally bewildered at the balls of wools in their hands, having seen nothing of the sort before. Naomi kindly demonstrated by stuffing the wool into her ear, the action of which they copied. While that was happening, Beast carried on to help stuff some of those ear-buds for the horses. The next question followed naturally, made by the slightly perturbed Riwana.

“Why do we need to block out sound?”

“Please just trust me.” Beast shrugged, while Shadun sent him a full-on glare. He returned back an innocent smile before mounting up his horse with a heave of the saddle grip. Naomi and Shadun followed suit without a problem while Aveye required an assist from Lugwen before managing to mount his horse properly. Beast took this time to conduct a scan of the party.

Displaying Party Info

Beast L57 (Leader)

HP: 2480/2480 MP: 2510/2510

Riwana L85 NPC

HP: 1355/1355 MP: 4600/4600

Lugwen L85 NPC

HP: 3400/3400 MP: 750/750

Mealgar L80 NPC

HP: 1800/1800 MP: 1800/1800

Shadun L63

HP: 1065/1065 MP: 920/920

Naomi L22

HP: 910/910 MP: 320/320

Aveye L45

HP: 750/750 MP: 875/875

It was truly a bunch of misfits he had gathered.

“We ready? Please follow me.” Lugwen asked.

Everyone nodded their heads at the mission they were about to conduct. Their current objective was to bypass the Hondurian army line without being caught, by first going into the area northeast of Loyderidge and routing around the enemy encampment back to the east. After getting some distance away, they will then return to the main road and make way for Vanguard Pass.

At least that was the plan. If they do encounter enemies along the way, they will fight it out. If the enemies were too overwhelming for them to break out of, there was always the secret weapon they could fall back on.

Beast eyed Shadun. If he is smart enough and Beast was inclined to presume he is, the bard would know what to do when the time calls for it. It was also why he gave out the earbuds beforehand, to let the latter know that they were prepared for any contingency plans.

“Let’s ride.”

Lugwen led the way through the path leading out of Loyderidge to Port Lucke, galloping at full speed with six other riders close behind. Riwana and Mealgar, despite their status as a frail magician and a fat man, had no problems staying in control of their steed. The players on the other hand were having a bit of trouble. Naomi was tugging at the reins as though she was wrestling with her horse, while Aveye looked like he was hanging on to dear life as his steed jerked up and down on the bumpy road. Only Shadun looked at ease with horse riding. Beast on the other hand, had to count himself lucky he had a riding skill generated back when he first became a Lore Keeper to help him with the ordeal.

If they were to be ambushed right now, there was no telling what would be the consequences. Fortunately, they encountered no one, allowing them time to get used to their mounts. The Hondurian Army really did not bother coming in from the north.

A distance down the path, the royal guard swerved off the main road into the undergrowth and from then onwards, it was a constant battle against the environment as they journeyed east. Broken twigs and trampled bushes laid in their wake.

Soon enough, a whole cacophony of flickering lights came into view. It was the Hondurian camp and it was huge.

Lugwen held up a fist as he came to a stop, causing the people behind him to halt. He then dismounted and started pulling the horse by the bridle.

“Make minimal noise.”

Like clockwork, all seven of them moved slowly using the shadow of the vegetation as cover to escape the sight of the Hondurian lookouts. Even though they were some way away, there could be no denying that those who were posted as watchers were usually the ones with the sharpest eyesight. Even from his position, Beast could make out a black figure atop one of the watchtowers moving around every so often.

As what they always say, if you can see someone, they can also see you.

It was halfway through when, the black figure started gesturing suddenly, even pointing furiously at their apparent direction. He could see the figure making a wave like motion with his hands and was starkly reminded of his new cloak gently fluttering in the night breeze on his back while reflecting the light of the moon.

Crap.

Reprimanding himself for the oversight, Beast voiced out. “We should hurry. I think they saw us.”

It was an understatement. They quickened their pace, but the gates to the camp opened a while later to spit out a platoon of horsemen that quickly converged onto their direction to intercept their path.

“Mount up. We are charging through!” Lugwen declared, before swinging up his steed. With a mighty rear of their horses, the seven of them charged down their intended route with all pretense of subtlety forgotten.

As Beast rode as fast as he could, he reached into his backpack and pull out one of the spears he had made.

Wait for it… wait for it… there! The javelin launched from his hand with a well-aimed throw, striking the closest enemy rider through the chest. The man was subsequently pelted by an arrow and a fireball before being thrown off his horse from the combined force of the attacks. He then lapsed into a spasm as the toxxi-venom took effect.

Your Throwing skill had increased to Basic 8!

Emboldened by the success, Beast threw three more javelins in quick succession, taking down three more enemy horsemen.

“Faster!” Lugwen bellowed.

“Ho ho ho! Protect me people!”

Riwana was composed as she fired spell after spell on horseback. “Shut up, Mealgar! Fireball!”

With a combination of Aveye’s arrows and Riwana’s spells, it seemed like it would be possible to keep their pursuers at bay, until they broke into a small clearing where something else happened out of the blue.

“Beast, watch out!” Naomi’s voice came a second too late as an arrow burrowed through Beast’s shoulder, almost unseating him from the abrupt impact.

-334 HP!

In front of them about a hundred meters away, a line of bow horsemen were in place with their arrows ready to fire. Beast swore.

“Damnit, when did they get in front of us?”

Then a sharp pain gripped his wounded shoulder blade.

You are poisoned.

-125 HP / 10 seconds

“Poison! Urgh!”

“Beast!”

“Now is not time to talk!”

“Ho Ho Ho!”

“Evasive maneuvers!”

“GO! GO! GO!”

Their situation had become dire. However, there was nothing else they could do except to plunge headlong into danger. Beast launched a javelin with his uninjured arm, taking down one of the bowmen with deadly accuracy. However, it was not enough. With a loud twang of taut string, a blockade of arrows flew towards the fellowship and everyone swung their weapons in an attempt to parry the shots. Beast in particular tried to shield Naomi as much as possible due to her lower level while mitigating some of the damage with his Chi Body skill. The only thing they needed to do was to close the distance.

Fifty meters.

Thirty meters.

Twenty meters. By this time, a look of panic flashed across the horsemen’s faces when they realized that their arrows were not slowing down their targets.

Ten meters.

Zero.

Beast punched with all of his might as his horse tore past the enemy line, impacting right into an offending horseman’s face with a fiery blue pulse of energy. The combination of the thrown fist and the momentum from the charging steed created a loud cracking sound as the man’s face caved in and carried his body meters away from where his original spot were.

Your Riding skill has increased to Basic 3!

“Blue Fist!”

Beast had no idea who yelled that in all the chaos but it sounded very much like Aveye. There was no time to find out as an even larger group of soldiers appeared in their line of sight at their front. Dozens of armoured cavalrymen with pikes and swords stood in their way, their entire body and steed both clad in metal chainmail.

The time for drastic action was now.

“Earbuds everyone! Shadun!”

It was the cue. Beast locked eyes with Shadun who returned a look that said ‘can’t-be-helped-just-this-once’. The others hesitantly plugged their ears with the balls of wool that Beast had provided before they started. Regardless of whether they knew what was about to happen, they complied anyway and it was sufficient.

However when Beast tried to wear his own protection, the woolen earplugs gave him an electric shock that made him drop them and it was with abject horror that he remembered that he could not equip anything that was not an artifact.

F*ck.

As the song started to pick up on its starting notes, Beast’s world turned black to the sound of a machine dying down.