by L. M. Kerr
Micheal didn't hesitate or give them a chance to detect him. He flew directly onto the bridge, hovering a quarter of a meter over it till he was right behind the two moving Morenkai. The creatures didn't even have time to look behind them as Micheal jumped off his Life Orbs, his Steelborn sword flashing forward.
His blade cut through the air and directly split the two Morenkai in half, black blood bursting from them as the horrifying creatures were instantly killed.
With the energy from his Grandmaster Sword Mastery Ability coating them, Micheal barely felt any resistance.
'I can only utilize a small amount of Sword Energy currently. In terms of cutting power, I'm probably equal to Intermediate or maybe barely Advanced Sword Mastery. Still, with my Steelborn sword, that's more than enough.' The thought raced through his mind as the two corpses of the Morenkai collapsed onto the bridge.
They would dissipate within a week unless someone picked them up to use them for something. Some people had weird Abilities that could animate corpses or used them for various other purposes. Micheal himself had always been much more of a straightforward fellow. If he saw something he could cut… he would cut it.
.
—- Points Obtained —-
Points: 13
.
—- Points Obtained —-
Points: 10
.
'Nice.' He smiled as he looked at the notifications. He checked over his blade as he tapped them off, making sure he hadn't gotten any blood on it.
'I need to get to around 100 more Points before I can start my plan…' His eyes flashed as he looked around and continued to prowl.
.. .. .. .. .. ..
Less than an hour later, Micheal had returned to his original skyscraper. The early morning light had faded to midmorning, but the day was still young.
Micheal was currently standing in the center of the roof of his skyscraper. On the ground in front of him was his Steelborn sword, leaning against his waist. His eyes were twinkling as he looked at the object he was currently holding on to.
It was a large, old-timey record player.
Something he had just purchased from the Shop for 250 Points.
'The fact that random things like this record player can be purchased using one of the options found in the back of the Shop, 'Miscellaneous Earth Objects', was something most people ignored. After all, you couldn't find anything useful when it came to weaponry in that selection, even if you could select a very wide range of things.' Micheal smiled as he placed the record player on the ground.
'Who would waste Points on anything like that when you could instead be spending them to grow more powerful? It does make sense.' Micheal nodded as he set the record player up, making sure everything was put in place correctly. He couldn't fault people for ignoring this option.
He himself had only really come aware of it in the later Layers, where Points were a bit easier to obtain, though the danger was much greater.
On the black record he had set in the player, the carved letters JD - TMH could be seen. He had purchased this from the same section of the Shop, for about 20 Points. Micheal moved his hand over to a switch on the front of the record player, where the volume could be adjusted. He moved this up to the maximum value.
After he finished setting it up, he picked up his blade, holding it at the ready. He then knelt down one last time, his finger hovering over the switch to turn the record player on.
"I need to get a large number of Points in a short time. The quicker I can get that done, the stronger I can get. The top experts in the Stardust Cluster currently are well above me in terms of strength." His eyes flashed as he talked his plan out loud, making sure it was sound. It was a habit he picked up over time, talking things over with Shin before they made a move.
"Morenkai are drawn to sound. Their senses aren't super sharp, but if I make enough noise for a continuous period of time, they'll swarm here. I can also use this as an opportunity to establish a horrifying reputation, one that should be enough to buy me some more time to get stronger." He grinned,
"This record player is enhanced by the Shop, and it should be able to play pretty loudly…" He nodded slowly as he cracked his fingers.
And, without fanfare, pressed the switch.
The record seemed to shudder for a brief moment.
An instant later, a very familiar song began to play, blasting out of the record.
"…♪ Almost Heaven, West Virginia ♪…"
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Chapter 20: Result
Kyle Boxer sighed as he rubbed his forehead, frustration filling him. His eyes were drawn and tired despite the extra sleep he had gotten.
Today was supposed to be a great day for their team, a strong way to start the new year. They had woken up early to go hunting, preparing to lure and kill several Morenkai. Unfortunately, more than half their kills had been stolen by other groups, prompting a brief battle that almost got him shot.
That was the unfortunate reality of existence in the central region of the Stardust Cluster. Everyone that wasn't already part of the larger teams would work hard to snag whatever Points they could, knowing that it could mean the difference between life and death.
"Tommy, do you hear that?" Abruptly, Kyle's eyes narrowed as he heard something echo faintly. His tanned skin creased as he looked around, rustling the army fatigues he wore.
He was sitting in a lounge, one of the rooms that had an outside exit and a small patio. A large table occupied most of the space in this lounge, one that had a couple pieces of paper on it and some vague drawings the man had been sketching. This lounge was hidden away in the skyscraper that was Micheal's new home.
"Tommy!" The man yelled out, standing up in irritation.
"What, Kyle?!" A voice echoed out, coming from the room across from the lounge.
"Do you hear that? It sounds like…" Kyle paused, rubbing at his short brown hair, his green eyes flashing.
"It sounds like…" He paused with disbelief.
"Yes?!"
"It sounds like a country song from back home is being played…" He finished, his voice dying off. This was the start of his second year in this hellish world, he hadn't heard music in what felt like forever.
"Dammit, Kyle! I was in the midst of writing out our Flame Dynamo Group's application to join the Tobagin Party. You know how hard it is to join any of the big groups if you don't start with them." A second man came bursting into the lounge, a black haired man with an annoyed expression on his lined face.
"Tommy, listen." The first speaker, Kyle, held his hand up, causing the black haired man to come to a pause, his eyes flashing with alertness.
The two froze, not a sound escaping as they listened intently.
"…"
"…"
Faintly, in the background, they could make out lyrics to a once familiar song…
"…♪ Country Roads, Take Me Home ♪…"
"…♪ To The Place, I belong ♪…"
"…"
Tommy's jaw dropped.
"W-what?!" He blinked and then looked upwards at the ceiling. A moment later, he rushed towards the door that led to the outside of the lounge, cracking it ever so slightly.
"…"
"…♪ West Virginia, Mountain Mama ♪…"
"…♪ Take Me Home, Country Roads ♪…"
"…"
"S-someone is blaring music from the roof. The roof of OUR skyscraper!" The black haired speaker shut the door, turning to look back at Kyle.
"Quickly! Hide away from any exits! The Morenkai are going to swarm here!"
In the skyscraper Micheal was standing on, and all the neighboring ones, people looked outside in shock and horror as the loud music from Micheal's record player burst out. Most felt a mix of shock, horror, and rage as they realized that in just moments, the Morenkai would flock here like moths drawn to light.
While they might not be at the epicenter of the attraction, if enough Morenkai stuck around, or decided to wander into
the depths of their skyscraper… the danger to each was very real.
Back atop the roof, Micheal hummed as he heard the song play out, enjoying the melody. He tapped his foot to it, soaking it in. It was one of his and Shin's favorite songs.
Well, technically it was one of his favorite songs. Shin actually hated most country music, Micheal recalled with a smile.
'Damned city dweller.' He couldn't help but grin as memories of his best friend rose to the surface. He hoped he was doing okay, following the instructions he gave him before they were Chosen.
A moment later, the smile on Micheal's face hardened as he turned to his left.
Slowly, he could see a long, black arm reach up over the side of the skyscraper and begin to pull itself up.
A second arm could be seen reaching up about 6 meters to the right of that one from a separate Morenkai.
His eyes flashed,
"Looks like it's time to dance."
.. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Around half an hour later…
"Is it over?!" Tommy's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at his comrade, trembling slightly. Kyle shrugged, his own face tense as he tentatively stood up.
The duo was hiding away in one of the random smaller rooms, a doorstop keeping it somewhat securely locked. Both of them had their backs planted firmly against the door, to help prevent it from opening. They had fled here immediately, not taking the time to run up several floors to inform the other 4 members of their team.
Their allies were smart. Once they heard what was going on, they would know what to do if they wanted to not get killed. They had all survived here for a year now, none of them got that far in the central region by being foolish.
The sounds of that infernal song had played on repeat, over and over, for the past nearly 30 minutes. As the duo heard it play, it sent shudders through their hearts.
For, also in the background, snarling howls from enraged Morenkai could be heard, echoing in terrifying ways with the backdrop of a country song. Tommy almost wanted to cry, his hands trembling as he gripped his silenced Glock pistol.
He was smart enough to keep the safety on, recognizing he was in no state to wield it at all. Just holding it was the only thing helping him keep his sanity.
The country song had faded away, as had the snarls of enraged Morenkai. The Morenkai were usually quiet, for them to be howling, it must've been a massacre up top.
To whatever foolish soul had dared blast music so loudly, Tommy could only imagine the bloody leftovers the Morenkai would have left behind.
"Yeah. Seems like." Kyle muttered, his demeanor much more put together. He had taken this all much better, something he attributed to his military training back on earth in the Canadian Army.
The duo was silent for a few moments. Everything was still.
Finally, Kyle stood up as well, sighing. His hand was at his waist, where a silenced Glock pistol of his own could be seen.
"I'm going to go up and check it out." He declared, his eyes cool.
"What?! What if there are Morenkai up there! That is suici-"
Kyle shook his head, cutting Tommy off.
"Those screams from the Morenkai… They almost sounded as if they were being cut off. As if they were being killed…" Kyle's eyes flashed, his body shaking for just an instant.
"I… I need to check it. I need to know." A strange, overbearing curiosity had filled him. He wanted to know who was so foolish as to blast country music at the top of a skyscraper. Who would dare to do such a thing? Why did the yells of those enraged Morenkai sound almost like they were abruptly cut off?
He had many questions and no answers.
"Don't worry, there is no risk if we go carefully. We'll take it one step at a time." Kyle opened the door, checking the hallway before he began to walk down it. His every step was filled with determination.
"Kyle! K-kyle!" Tommy chased after him, his voice an urgent whisper.
"This is stupid! Let's just wait another hour at least, to be sure!"
Kyle ignored him, walking up to the stairwell. He opened the door slowly, listening for movement or sounds. He heard nothing, save the panted wheezing of the fear-struck Tommy behind him.
Slowly, he began to scale the stairs. He moved carefully, taking several breaks to check for movements or sounds. Tommy eventually followed behind him, after dilly-dallying for several moments.
Soon, the duo reached the top of the stairwell. Kyle paused again, listening for sound or movement. He found nothing.
With a hand that only trembled slightly, he rested his hand upon the door and slowly began to open it. Tommy began to hyperventilate in the background, staying with Kyle despite his fear.
The door was pulled open…
Revealing a scene that was burnt into the duo's mind.
A scene of horror.
A scene of violence.
A scene of sheer impossibility.
A scene of slaughter.
Dozens of Morenkai lay dead, flung haphazardly, a veritable mountain of corpses. Black blood soaked the rooftop, pieces and bits of Morenkai bodies lying everywhere. The stench of death rose from the normally scentless creatures, causing Tommy to gag.
Standing at the center of this mountain of death, a lone figure could be seen.
A man covered in blood, wearing what was left of a ragged outfit from earth. This man was covered in gruesome injuries, from huge cuts to jagged bite marks where white bone was visible. In this man's hand was a long, immaculate steel blade.
The duo looked at the figure, their eyes widened in shock.
And that figure slowly turned its head, looking back at them.
The man smiled, a bloody rictus full of deadly promise.
"M-M-my God, Kyle…" Tommy stuttered out, his entire body shaking,
"I-i-it's a monster! Re-retreat!"
.
Chapter 21: Shin
Many hundreds of miles away from Micheal, past dozens of other Clusters, there existed one specific Cluster called the Alexandrite Cluster. The Cluster was shaped like a large triangle, with edged points, unlike Micheal's Stardust Cluster which was shaped like a rather blob-like circle.
In the middle of one particular skyscraper, a blond haired teenager could be seen, casually flossing his teeth in front of a mirror.
"Hygiene is important, even if it's the apocalypse!" Shin merrily hummed as he prepared for the day. After brushing and flossing his teeth, he smoothed back his spiky blond hair and gave a winning smile, looking at himself in the mirror.
"You look damned good, stud. Ready to drive the ladies wild." He flashed a pair of finger guns at himself.
Shin was currently standing in the room he'd found after ditching the people he teleported in with. It was small, but cozy, with a desk, a bed, and a connecting bathroom and sink. The door was currently shut tight, locked with the doorstop Micheal had told him about.
He went over to his bed and sat on it, taking several deep breaths. After a moment, he exhaled, feeling all over his body.
"Wow, there really is some type of weird energy in me. This is crazy!" Shin shook his head, enjoying the experience.
The apocalypse was scary and all, but it was also kinda cool.
"According to Micheal, the fact that I started with 124,000 Points puts me well above the average. But there are a lot of rough dudes and gals here, people that I can't afford to mess with." Shin nodded as he talked aloud.
Shin was far more lucky than Micheal had been in that regard. With that score alone, such an abnormal starting value, Shin should've been an 'Irregular,' as he learned strong people were called from the start. At least, that is how it should've been, according to the hurried words Micheal had told him. His best friend had managed to cram a huge amount of info in a very short time period.
According to Micheal, if he hadn't wasted his Points on things like an Ancient Vikarin Shield for 15,200 Points, a Land Sword for 21,800 Points, and the rather pricey Expansive Strength Ability for 45,600 Points, amon
g a few other things, he would've started out great.
All of these purchases were actually strong and quite useful, especially the Expansive Strength Ability, which temporarily allowed you to greatly increase your Strength, but weakened your Soul.
But, because he hadn't known to pick up the Ki Cultivator Ability, he didn't choose it. This, plus the rather haphazardly picked Artifacts and Ability, had caused him a great deal of suffering in the original future. He had ended up losing all of his rare Artifacts, robbed by those that had been here gaining strength for years.
'They all sound so cool though…' He could see why the other version of him had wanted them.
Still, while he didn't have any visions of the future, he had Micheal's words passed onto him.
Micheal and Shin had grown up in the same neighborhood and held a friendship that spanned far more than a decade. If there was anyone in the world he would say he trusted unconditionally, it would be his best friend Micheal.
Even if his best friend told him he had had a vision of the future.
In a world where millions of people had vanished in waves of light, Shin was willing to believe that pretty much anything was possible. When he had been transported to the 'Holy Shop' he was fully convinced.
Everything Micheal said was from the future... It was all coming true.
'Alright. It's been a full day, and I did that breathing exercise that Micheal said to do.' Shin took a deep breath, flexing his arms. He then tapped on a ring at his side.
Immediately, a large black sword appeared, one that was more of a longsword than a regular sword.
'Micheal said the Shin of the future enjoyed being super strong and always practiced powerful swinging attacks, seeking overwhelming strength as opposed to finesse.' He nodded again. Future-Shin had excellent taste, clearly. A hero always needed to have a grand entrance, and what was grander than a smashing attack from above?
He'd also purchased a powerful handgun that he kept in his Spatial Ring, just in case. Micheal had said he would have a far easier time using a sword to fight once he got some practice with the Ability he'd snagged.
