It has only been a couple of days after that... each session we just grind EXPs. Slowly but surely levelling up through dungeons or world mobs while sharing & selling loots we don’t use for Guild Funds.
(“Resulting in us reaching ReLV49... Just one more and I’ll get an upgrade to my css {Skill}.”)
Oh! I managed to get my full set of gear for Astromancers in the Starscorched Desert dungeon using the power of money in the pyer market.
Overall, the gears provide the usual MP regeneration and maximum MP, just like other Mage/Priest gear.
But!! When someone wears the entire set, it gives C.D.R (Cooldown Reduction) to all Astromancer {Spell} and also to
(“Which means I can swap stances faster when need be... Hehe~”)
It also looks good... that’s a big plus! The robe has consteltions embroidered on it with faint lights occasionally glinting to mimic real ones in the sky.
(“Ahhh... the sense of progression. It is the charm of MMORPG right?”)
Come to think of it, there are fewer and fewer compints about PK in Pochi’s forums. Which makes me feel confident to wear everything and go outside of Safe Zones.
This week though... the Xmas event has been unched. So, I asked Siegfried and Booba if they wanted to join in for Xmas Goblin grind and they agreed.
-Present Time-
Now I’m waiting for them to arrive in the guild’s castle right in the Great Hall.
(“Siegfried mentioned there’ll be something he wanted to show after grouping up. I wonder what...”)
*FWOOOOOONGGGGGG*
The distinct noise of system teleportation caught my attention as a female figure appeared after being constructed from blue cubes.
“Ohhhh??? I’m early.” -Booba-
She tilts her head after noticing my presence and looking around not seeing Siegfried. She then sees the presence of Horin who is looking through a series of monster cores using a magnifying gss.
“Hi, Booba! How have you been?”
“Hehe! Photoshoot’s been doing well. Thankfully, not too many retakes so I can OL this early!” -Booba-
She made a fist bump with a smile and I reciprocated. While we chatted, she browsed Horin’s trade to purchase more monster cores for her ‘Lovelies’ as she put it that way.
By the way... I have seen Booba’s lovelies and they are incredibly strong! Enhanced by monster cores and her buffs, they are equal to ‘Mini-Boss’ or ‘Elite Monster’ in terms of pure {Status} still cking in abilities / {Skill} unfortunately.
(“She did mention to gain those abilities. She needs to evolve her lovelies... Which involves a whole rabbit hole on its own.”)
“Oh yeah! Mag, I have something to tell you about.” -Booba-
“Hm?”
She seems a bit unsure, using her index finger to scratch her cheeks.
“You see... U-uhm, is it all right for me to invite my friend here?” -Booba-
Hearing that my ears perked, fully caught my attention as I thought...
(“Oh!! Another member... Yay!!!!”)
I internally shed a tear seeing our Guild growing their members.
“It is fine, You can invite them. Not a biggie... The more the merrier. Might as well ask them if they want to grind the Xmas Goblin too!”
“R-really? Hehe, Thanks!” -Booba-
Her lips curved upwards and she smiled bright as the sun before tapping something mid-air as if typing on the keyboard.
“She said yes to both!” -Booba-
She etedly excimed with a bright smile on her face while continuing typing.
Soon after... I heard a ping in the guild notification system as another pyer’s name appeared in the members' section.
(“Huh... Interesting name, Deeva”)
While humming, Booba still types to her friend for a bit before turning her head towards me.
“She’ll be waiting for us in Frontera!” -Booba-
“Good!”
(“I do wonder where Sieg-“)
*PING*
(“Ouh?”)
Speak of the devil and he shall appear, Siegfried just chats in the group.
-Chat-
(Siegfried)
-Hey, I saw a new member added to the guild. Are they going to participate in Xmas Grind?
-Can we meet up in Frontera? I have someone to introduce...
(Booba)
-Oh! That’s my friend =), she’ll be joining the grind as well. If you don’t mind that is.
-What a coincidence! She also wants to meet up in Frontera. We can meet up together in the pza once & Mag pick her up.
(Siegfried)
-*Thumbs Up*
(Me)
-???? ( ? - ? )
-I wonder who?
(Siegfried)
-You’ll see... Just steel yourself.
-Chat-
(“I presume it is his coach who was the ‘surprise’ he talks about but why did he say ‘Steel’ yourself?”)
“Well, since it’s come to this. Let’s go?”
“Yes!” -Booba-
Without further ado, me and Booba teleported to Frontera.
-Frontera-
Arriving here with Booba, we were greeted by the hustle & bustle of this big city. Multiple people, both NPCs and Pyers alike mingle together.
So far we are trekking through a wide well paved road towards the centre of this city alongside the calming and peaceful city OST being pyed as background music.
Unfortunately though... I cannot appreciate it for too long-
“SELLING MONSTER CORE DIRT CHEAP. 50K Zenis each!!!” -Pyer-
“EQUIPMENT FOR SELL!!! CAN NEGO.” -Pyer-
“I BUY MATS!” -Pyer-
“I SELL MATS!” -Pyer-
“!!! YOU BUY MATS?” -Pyer-
“YES????” -Pyer-
“LETS TRADE!” -Pyer-
“LOOKING FOR HEALERS, RAID DUNGEON ‘AQUA WORLD’ 0/2!!!!” -Pyer-
“LOOKING FOR TANKS, RAID DUNGEON ‘TIMELESS TOWER’ 0/2!!!” -Pyer-
“LOOKING FOR HEALERS, RAID DUNGEON ‘PHANTOM WORLD’ 1/2!! STRAT 2/1/1/2/2” -Pyer-
“LOOKING FOR TANKS, RAID DUNGEON ‘ABYSSAL DEPTHS’ 1/2!!” -Pyer-
“THE GUILD ‘MEMESHAKERS’ RECRUITING MEMBERS, WE MAINLY PVE AND ROLEPLAYING.” -Pyer-
“SELLING GEAR, LOOK AT I WEAR. CAN NEGO!” -Pyer-
I am gd that my ears have endured years of loud noises from the centrifuge and analyser machines. Resulting in my resilience to these shouts.
It seems the NPCs don’t seem bothered by it as if it is ‘silent’ to their ears.
(“I’ll probably lose my hearing when I get old from that. Haaaaa...”)
Internally, I ughed at the dungeon recruiting pyers. Figures... DPS css are so popur & so many that they all need healers and tanks.
(“By the way... what kind of strategy is that? 2/1/1/2/2???”)
I figured there was no point in thinking about it further.
Not a day is boring with pyers shouting atop their lungs from their spots on this massive road. It’s quite famous that it is featured in the Wiki getting the nickname ‘Frontera Market Road’.
Hmmmm...
I thought of doing that for my potions but talking and shouting to numerous people would make me feel too tired to do anything else.
There is an advantage of this direct sell & buy such as the capability of negotiations, unlike pyers market with fixed prices.
(“Any who... where’s Booba?”)
I looked around and she was nowhere to be seen near me until I nded my gaze on one of the stalls who’s shouted selling monster cores.
Her unmistakable figure stood there haggling with the pyer while I watched and take a seat on one of the avaible benches. Not long after, she left with a smile on her face while the pyer sighed.
“Uhm... Done?”
“Ah, sorry... Sorry... Can’t help but purchase monster cores you know? My lovelies have been needing more and more of them!” -Booba-
“Oh! Talking about your lovelies... are they simir to summonable creatures from {Spell}?”
I asked out of curiosity as Booba pondered for a bit before answering.
“I... don’t think so? When I call them for battles they spawned simirly to summons but! If they are defeated, they’ll be recalled instead of vanishing like normal summons. Then I am unable to call them again until they fully recovered.” -Booba-
“Ohhhh... I guess the {Spell} [Expel] doesn’t work to them?”
[Expel] works by forcibly dismissing summoned creatures. An effective one against summoner pyers as their main capabilities rely on their creatures.
“Teeeeecchnically... it still works but I can call them back instantly making the {Spell} useless.” -Booba-
“That’s true... [Expel] have a cool down.”
(“It part of her racial abilities as Succubus if I remember.”)
We continue to walk until... Booba recognises someone from the crowd.
“OH! DeeDee!!!” -Booba-
She waves her hand etedly towards a pyer with a cheerful tone who notices her too and does the same gesture eagerly.
There appears a humanoid female with a simir build and racial option as Booba. She has long bck hair tied into a neat bun and secured by pins.
Her attire is completely different... Booba wears her priestly robes, white fabric & golden highlights.
Meanwhile, this pyer wears a silken yet revealing and tight-fitting dress adorned by golden coins hanging at each end designed for flexibility and fir. As if for dancing...
She’s wearing a mask covering her mouth & nose with gold decorations. Her golden eyes glint seeing Booba and she rushed towards her.
In my eyes, I can see two silhouettes one of a human and the other of a Fiend, particurly the Succubus sub-race.
The silhouette of her human figure is more blurry or fading compared to the Fiend form as it is clearer like in HD. Presumably to signify that the real form is the Fiendish one.
The way she sways while moving as if pying on a rhythm or music. Based on these cues, I presume her css is Dancer? A branch of Archer that specialises in dancing which provides buffs to allies and attacks from a distance.
(“Let me double check on the guild system...”)
Ah yes... She’s Gypsy Css, a higher version of a dancer.
If I remember correctly, Bard and Dancer are the same advancement just different due to gender lock. They can work together to form an ‘Ensemble’ {Skill} unlocking powerful buff.
“Baby-Boo, thanks for the invite!” -Deeva-
She happily hugs Booba before noticing me, her eyes wander for a bit before speaking...
“Oh my, oh my, oh my, who is this cutie?” -DanceDeeva-
She smirked seductively as I can feel my cheek gets a little bit hotter.
“Dee, this is our Guild master, Magie Magia.” -Booba-
She introduced me and I nodded along...
“Yes, I’m the GL. Feel free to ask anything!”
“Oh yes! Do you have any lovers? I can offer you one of my lovelies services. *Wink*” -Deeva-
“W-wha???”
She winked and I sputtered & frozen speechless on what to reply as an answer. I knew I shouldn’t say ‘anything’.
My brain continues to rack on what to answer but then...
“DeeDee, stop teasing our GL.” -Booba-
I am grateful to Booba who put a stop to DanceDeeva as she sighed exasperatedly but also held a giggle or two. Entertained with our exchanges...
“Sorry, sorry... I can’t help but to tease~. Anyway, we’re going to hunt some Xmas Goblin right?” -Deeva-
That question, I can answer them with confidence.
“Yes! We do need to meet up with another person so shall we?”
Booba and Deeva nodded before grabbing each other arms and then walking together towards Frontera’s Pza. It seems they’re very close friends...
-Frontera’s Pza-
A famous pce for pyers and NPCs. It is characterised by a rge fountain in the centre fully decorated with miniature garden and benches to rex.
In addition, nearby the fountain lies numerous restaurants, bcksmithing, enchanting & alchemy, tailor, general store, and many more. Resulting in some kind of Hub for many.
(“Just the road towards the Pza is littered with shouting pyers...”)
We’re near the pza but I didn’t see Siegfried anywhere.
(“Hmmmm... where is he?”)
Booba who’s taller than me starts pointing in a direction and informs us...
“There, I see him!!!” -Booba-
She waves wildly alerting the berserker as I scoot closer and manage to see what she saw.
Siegfried and his nky frame are accompanied by a massive figure dwarfing him in terms of size but not height as Siegfried wins in that department.
The humanoid male figure beside him is wearing a tattered white martial robe and a bandana tied to his forehead. He has bck eyes, snted eyebrows, and short spiky bck hair which reminded me of a bck bear from his build.
I can see crow's feet at the edge of his eyes and wrinkles befitting of an aged man. Not to mention intimidating-looking scars as if he’s been mauled by a lion or something... Judging by his looks, he’s an Asian descent in his mid to te fifties.
(“His attire though’s kinda reminded me of a protagonist in a fighting game.”)
I noticed that he is in a Monk css.
“*Cough* *Cough*... Let me introduce you. Coach, this is my friends and friends this is my coach.” -Siegfried-
A short and sweet introduction...
*SNIFFF*
Immediately, I saw Siegfried’s entire posture stiffen like a wooden board as I heard that sniffle as if someone wanted to cry.
Curious about that, I began looking to the sides and finally heard the noise coming from that massive monk.
At that moment, his eyes scrunched shut and a single tear leaked away.
“I can’t believe my boy finally has friends! Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...” -Coach-
He bawled while standing upright and crossed his arms. That single tear turns into a jet stream spshing to the sides.
“Whoaaaa!!!”
I dodge to the side... Gosh, those tears can be used as a weapon if they shoot like that!
“Someone overused the crying emoticons.” -Random Pyer-
“Ooh so that’s how it looks.” -Random Pyer-
I can see Siegfried physically winced...
“COACH! Sto-” -Siegfried-
“My boy, he’s never hung out with others at the gym or training centre. I didn’t know you have plenty of friends here, I am so proud of you!!!” -Coach-
Soon after, his coach began to blurt a jumble of words. I can’t quite make out what he’s saying but he’s telling me stories reting to Siegfried as I kept hearing the words ‘My Boy’ repeated many times.
Alongside the coach’s emotional burst, I hear giggles coming from Booba and Deeva towards the berserker.
Siegfried with his face of utter defeat lets the monk continue while I’m beside him patting his shoulder and trying to give small assurance.
“Thanks...” -Siegfried-
We waited until Siegfried’s coach calmed down enough to coherently talk.
“Ah... Sorry, I was overwhelmed. Nice to meet you! The name’s Takahashi Ryo, this boy’s coach for over 10 years.” -Mr.Ryo-
He gave out his hands which I took...
!!!
(“Quite a strong grip and is he using a Real name as his IGN??”)
“I told you not to mention your real name!” -Siegfried-
“They’re your friends!” -Mr.Ryo-
“W-what is this!? Your in-game name is the same-“ -Siegfried-
I tuned out their arguments while observing Mr.Ryo, although he’s massive and intimidating. I didn’t feel like he meant any harm and he’s extremely caring towards Siegfried.
And look at that... even though Siegfried is in his te twenties like me. When he’s with his coach, I can see childishness exuding from him.
“Hahahaha... all right, all right. Mr.Ryo, Siegfried here wants to invite you to our Guild.”
Stopping their arguments, Mr Ryo turned his head towards me and raised his eyebrows in confusion.
“Guild? Oh yes! My boy here told me about it. So how?” -Ryo-
On cue, I give a look towards Siegfried who picked it up and tapped something mid-air.
“Wha!!???” -Mr.Ryo-
He is startled at something eliciting a fight response as if he’s ready to throw someone down and slowly calms upon realising what it is...
“I need to get used to these pop-ups...” -Mr.Ryo-
He tapped mid-air and soon after, I saw the guild notification appeared for members.
-System-
Ryo Takahashi LV9 (Monk) has joined U.w.U
Rank: Recruit
-System-
(“Awwwww... still a newbie. At least he’s 1 LV away from advancement. Xmas Goblin hopefully gives enough.”)
“Well, I guess it’s time to party up?”
I send an invitation to team up with all of the U.w.U members.